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Open to all~

Characters: Rock Lee and YOU!! ♥
Location: Shibusen City Park
Rating: G to ?? (depends on the language of who stops by)
Time: mid-afternoon, April 17th
Description: Lee is still down from Gai-sensei and others disappearing earlier in the month. He needs some cheering up, or maybe just someone to distract him.

Lee sat on a park bench with his communicator in his hand. He wasn't looking at the device but rather out over the large park where some happy owners were playing with their dogs. Even then, Lee's gaze wasn't on anyone in particular. His round, dark, orb-like eyes remained fixed and mostly unblinking.

For a teenager who was often full of energy and shouting proclamations of youth, he looked rather somber. The fresh breath of spring was in the air, but for Rock Lee it was hardly a day to celebrate. With his sensei gone, along with Kakashi, several of his friends before them, and now even Temeraire, Lee just felt listless.

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As evening fell, Neji stationed himself nearby the residential areas of his district to keep watch for a reappearance of the reported criminal in the city.

It was unlikely he'd appear, much less try to harm anyone if he had any shred of sense, but it was Neji's job to protect the people within the city and specifically, within his Zone, so the Jounin sequestered himself away on a low rooftop- visible from the street if anyone bothered to look up- and counted on the shadows of the darker hours to conceal him entirely.

A C-rank mission equivalent, it was still the closest to his usual line of work that he'd managed to get in awhile, and so Neji settled in for the night to wait. Leaning back, Neji closed his eyes and let his spectrum narrow down to black, white, and colored souls, stilling when a familiar green soul was poised to pass below.

Lee had been contemplating several things in the park. Mostly he had been thinking about his lost sensei, but now that he had been given a chance to get a little of that angst out of his system his sort-of partner was at the forefront of his mind. Perhaps that was why he felt a slight pull to look up at just the right time. He caught a glimpse of the person he was thinking about, and immediately Lee dropped all plans of returning home or searching for food and moved to get closer.

A normal person would think to go inside the building and take the stairs. Not a shinobi, and certainly not Rock Lee.

Glancing about for a solution, Lee's eyes passed over all the resources he had available to him and his quick mind formed a plan. Getting a running start, Lee jumped up on a trashcan, leaped to the opposite wall of the alley, and, using that momentum, parkour-style vaulted up and across to the rooftop where Neji sat. Hardly having broke a sweat, Lee moved to sit nearby his teammate.

"Neji, we need to talk," he began simply, his gaze open and earnest.

Neji's jaw clenched, cursing himself for his oversight. He could leave, but that wouldn't solve anything. Instead he simply kept his eyes forward, appearing focused on everything other than his teammate and tentative partner.

"I'm working," he said flatly. "Ensuring the district remains secure, now that there's no one else for the evening shift."

Lee could sense resistance from Neji but he wasn't going to let them be sidetracked. This was important to address if they were ever going to be partners. And it was necessary if they ever wanted to once again close the distance that had cropped up between them.

"You can watch while we talk." Lee's voice was insistent although he kept his tone quiet, which was unusual for him. He cleared his throat, continuing to regard Neji with a frank expression. "There is something between us and we will not be able to work together effectively again until it is settled."

Neji resisted the urge to sigh, clearly unable to get out of the conversation they were about to have. He knew without asking what it was Lee wanted to talk about, because it was the same thing he had been trying very hard not to think about- much less discuss. But the simple summation of everything spilling out suddenly wasn't how he'd expected the conversation to start.

Neji blinked, simple surprise keeping him from alarm, and frowned. "It doesn't have to be an issue, Lee. Just forget it, and we'll be fine."

Lee shook his head, clearly unable to be so cavalier about this. "No. It would not be right for us to overlook this, Neji."

He heaved a heavy sigh. His gaze finally fell down to his hands in his lap, and he looked remorseful. "I must say first that I am quite sorry for how I acted previously. I was tired, and frustrated because I really did not realize you were... that we..."

He breathed another short puff of air, his brow furrowing. "Actually, I am still a little upset. How was I to know that we would certainly be partners just because Lain-san was sent home? It was never vocalized and... No. It does not matter." He shook his head and rubbed at his brow. He didn't often get headaches but this certainly felt like one starting. "I am sorry. I should have checked in with you first, regardless of our situation."

Neji's frown deepened, but the hard expression lessened somewhat, eyebrows drawing together in a measure of concern.

Lain... If she had been there, they never would've been targeted to begin with. Neji shook his head slightly, though the silence lingered for a minute or so longer.

"..If you'd prefer, Lee, you're free to find another Meister. I'd only assumed you would be content with me."

Edited 2012-12-23 05:30 (UTC)

A sick feeling rose up in Lee's gut from the simple words. It felt like rejection, though now it was plain to see that the reverse was true as well. His temporary partnering with Tassadar must have come off that way before to Neji.

"No. That is not it at all, Neji." Lee reached over and placed his hand on his rival's knee, attempting to bridge the gap physically even if he had damaged it emotionally. "I do not want to find another Meister. I had just... I assumed you would need some time before wanting to declare us as permanent partners, if you even wanted that at all."

It wasn't like Lee was the most effective Weapon. He was flawed, to put it bluntly. But if Neji felt comfortable having him by his side then Lee would never be opposed to it.

A blink was all the acknowledgement he made of the contact, though internally, he wanted to shift or brush the hand off simply because it felt too intimate of a touch, and that wasn't something he wanted right now- not when things were so uncertain.

But that Lee wanted to stay partners and sounded interested in making it permanent was a relief. Though he'd tested resonance with a few others for the sake of Clairvoyance, he wasn't prepared to accept any of them as partners, particularly after he'd made it clear that wasn't his intention.

"When I first arrived here six months ago," he started abruptly into the growing semi-darkness. "I learned you were a Weapon, and immediately thought we'd be able to establish strong resonance as well as, naturally, work together well as partners. However, you were already partnered with Gaara at the time. ..When you arrived here a second time, I thought similarly, but our roles were reversed and I had Lain.. But then she left, and it seemed like the natural decision.."

Edited 2012-12-23 06:04 (UTC)

Lee listened with his full attention, afraid to miss something vital and ruin what good line of conversation he seemed to be achieving with Neji. It sounded like progress but it was still too early to get his hopes up.

"I see..." Lee leaned back and folded his arms in consideration. Neji seemed to have been waiting for him to turn around and see him standing there. It felt... odd. Being needed quite like that. Though logic dictated that they would work well together.

"Naturally, yes, we have good resonance." Lee swallowed, still feeling like he was walking on broken glass. "I see your point. Still I... In my attempt to not make assumptions about our partnership, I still made assumptions that hurt you."

This was hard. But it was time to extend the olive branch and make it plain. Lee took a deep breath. "It is rather late to say, but I would like to be your partner if you are still open to it. I am not good at meditation and I still have trouble holding back my ability's handicap, but I will train hard and become a more reliable Weapon. If you will have me."

Neji waited through Lee's verbal stumbling, not offering much in way of reply but still wishing for a discreet way to rid himself of the the warmth of his knee.

He listened though, and it was when Lee's words finally resolved into an official offer that he turned his head a fraction toward his teammate. White eyes took in the seriousness and the bit of hope in his expression before they swept back out to the streets below.

"You overcame your disability once, Lee," he said at last. "Even if Gai-sensei isn't here, I'm certain you'll be able to manage it again, and I will aid you this time."

Edited 2012-12-23 06:44 (UTC)

Neji's wording was, as always, indirect. But the meaning came across fine enough for Lee. He slumped over, feeling like the weight of the world had been taken off his shoulders.

"Th-thank you, Neji. I appreciate your help," he croaked out, holding back manly tears. Now was not the time for manly tears! Actually, it was the time, but they still needed to talk. This time about... other things.

Lee cleared his throat, making sure his voice would be firm before he spoke. "Now that that is settled. There is still... the other matter."

Hearing the tell in Lee's voice, Neji resigned himself to tears and exclamations about teamwork and hard work with maybe a few youthful addendums thrown in because it was Lee, and it was simply the overemotional person he was.

But he wasn't expecting the conversation to swing back toward the one he finally felt like he'd managed to navigate out of- to the thing he didn't want to talk about. He was fine with being partners, but that was something else entirely that could just as easily ruin the easy camaraderie they had.

"What do you want me to say, Lee?" he asked, with an edge of irritation. "I was.. angry, I apologize; I'll make every effort to be certain it doesn't happen again."

Well that... was hardly the reaction Lee was hoping for. Why did it seem so difficult to get a constructive dialog going? It never seemed to be so hard before coming to Death City.

Pulling back and rubbing an arm self-consciously, Lee was quiet a moment. "... I guess there is nothing else to say about it then."

It was foolish of him to think it meant anything. It had just been a dominating action done in the heat of the moment. There was nothing inherently attractive about Lee. Nothing that anyone would care to consider. Not like Lee was interested in Neji in that way or anything.

... But it still hurt.

Good, Neji thought rather uncharitably, and sat in frustrated silence for a few minutes even after Lee withdrew his hand, utterly failing to keep his concentration on his task.

Even if there wasn't really anything else to say about it, nothing felt resolved, and if it wasn't resolved, it would affect their resonance. Neji breathed slowly and tried to calm his irritation enough to attempt a more sincere tone.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Lee; I don't know what I was thinking at the time. I apologize."

"I was not offended." Lee's words were softly spoken but they were clear enough. He really wasn't offended by it. He swallowed, trying to give his voice more power but instead his next words only came out at a whisper. "It's fine."

It was stupid to get upset about, really. Neji had not meant anything by it and that was supposed to be a good thing. Except it wasn't.

Fighting against the glaring self-consciousness that rose within him, Lee swallowed again and moved to stand. "... I guess I will see you at training tomorrow."

Neji almost let him leave, but the uncharacteristically soft-spoken words from his usually abrasive and loud teammate told him there was far more to this conversation than he was interpreting.

He reached up, grasping Lee's wrist to hold him in place, and turned a veined and analytic gaze up at the chuunin. He looked almost stricken, and Neji's eyes narrowed, honing in on it.

"You're not telling me something, Lee."

Curse those Byakugan eyes and their ability to see through all things! Lee might have fought against talking this one thing out if not for his previous conversation with Tassadar. He had determined to work things out, and things could only be made clear if they spoke their minds. So, as much as Lee wanted to downplay it, to say everything was fine and he was just being quiet tonight, he steeled himself against the ache of feelings in him and took a steadying breath.

Pursing his lips, Lee attempted to find the right words to convey his feelings. "I know... that I am not attractive."

Where did he go from here? He wasn't even sure about everything that was wrong in his head. But best to say something that he could understand about himself. "I suppose it just hurts me. To have that dismissed so coolly." And now he just felt stupid. "I am sorry, I am being foolish."

Neji stared, uncertain of what to even make of the words Lee was saying. But he refused to let him go, mind working to draw conclusions from everything he knew to compare with what he saw.

"You're upset because you thought that the reason I.." There really wasn't another word for it, despite how inaccurate it felt. "Kissed you.." The word felt foreign on his tongue. "Was because I found you attractive?"

Lee yanked back a little, confounded. His eyes flashed as mild irritation boiled to the surface. "No! That is not it!"

His arms flailed in an attempt to express just how frustrated he was that this conversation was still so confusing. Even though he was doing his best to be frank. Rubbing at his face, Lee attempted again to get his feelings across. He tried to not let his voice raise too high, but he could only do so much. "I know you do not find me attractive! The point is that... I am just..."

Taking a deep breath, he worked to bring down his temper. He wasn't make any sense. His shouldered slumped. Lee had not felt this pathetic in a long time. Shaking his head, he tried one more time.

"I know I am not attractive. In anyone's eyes here or back home." He drew a little further inward, feeling vulnerable. "And it is childish to feel this way, but it hurts to be reminded."

Neji shifted his vision back toward the streets, but kept his attention on Lee. His grip around Lee's wrist only tightened, rather than let him go. He didn't know where this was coming from, only that it had something to do with what had happened just after the invasion.

"Then you're saying that although you knew beforehand, the reminder upsets you," he parsed out eventually, taking Lee's words and simply rearranging them. "But if it was just a simple matter of your.. self-consciousness, Lee, this wouldn't be an issue and you never would've bothered broaching the subject, much less make an issue out of it. You're trained better than that. Which means that isn't the underlying reason for this conversation. So what is your issue with me, in regards to what happened then, Lee?"

Neji was trying to make sense of his feelings but Lee couldn't see them as being so clearly cut and logical. They were feelings. Though it was true, he should have been more disciplined than this.

Lee was conflicted. He wanted to pull away from Neji and just go home, but with his wrist so strongly held he felt compelled to stay and figure this out. Neji was trying, too. Lee sighed. "I do not know..."

There was one thing he could think of that might still be weighing on his mind. Warmth rushing to his face, Lee bit his bottom lip. This was so embarrassing. "M-maybe I am just... That time..." He swallowed. "... It was my... my first... k-kiss."

Neji blinked, slow and deliberate; attempting to process words he almost thought he'd misheard. After a moment, he let Lee's wrist go, and turned back toward the city.

It didn't quite rank as Neji's own first (although it was close), but he'd never put much stock into the sentimentality behind it like Lee might have, and so thought little of it.

"..Sorry," he said after a minute, sighing with a shake of his head. "If it makes you feel better, it shouldn't 'count' if it wasn't meaningful. I'm sure you'll have your chance with someone else soon enough."

Lee felt a wave of relief when Neji let him go, but there was also some reluctance in losing that contact they had shared. Even if it had been uncomfortable. The apology made Lee feel somewhat better, though. He released a breathy chuckle, though it wasn't quite as carefree as he might have hoped to sound. "I strongly doubt that..."

No one was climbing over themselves to give him romantic attention, let alone a kiss.

But enough moping. Lee gave Neji a half smile. "I appreciate the apology, Neji. Thank you."

He watched Lee in his peripheral, watched the half smile with doubts of his own, then shrugged.

"You're not.. unattractive, Lee," he said haltingly, frowning as he wasn't certain what he had planned to follow that up with. "And worrying about it isn't like you. It may sound ridiculous, but having someone that is interested in you because of the way you look isn't actually flattering. That's why I know when you find someone, it'll be a person that truly sees and appreciates you."

Open to all~

LATER~

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