"Remind me why I let you drag me out here again?" Tenten called through panted breaths as she pressed herself wearily against the bark of a large tree. Somewhere through the verdant undergrowth of Konoha's forests came her teammate's response.
"You know very well why, Tenten!" Lee chirped, a ways off to her left by her judgement. She could even hear the salute that accompanied his cheery tone.
"It has been a while since we last played such a game! It is a wonderful way to bolster our youthful prowess in evasion…and tracking!"
Hm, he's a bit closer than I thought. Tenten huffed out a breath and muttered, reaching down to touch the item that was tucked safely into the bandages over her thigh before leaping deeper into the leafy shadows. "Yeah, yeah…"
She darted through the undergrowth at a meandering course for a good while before finally stopping in a bush at the edge of a glade, ears keenly listening for any sounds of her teammate. It looked like Lee had lost track of her, so she stooped low to catch her breath. Might not be the best place to stop, but we're almost at the three hour limit and I desperately need a break!
As she rested, Tenten took a moment to wonder about her teammate's most recent strangeness—well, stranger-than-usual strangeness. She remembered how Lee had seemed so eager to suggest that they do this rather than their usual spar…
Pound, pound, pound.
"TENTEN, oh youthful and most delightful teammate of mine!"
The kunoichi in question made no move to lift her head from its home on her pillow.
"TENTEN!" She ground her teeth in time to the percussive rattling of her door. Maybe if I stay quiet...he'll think I already went out for a warmup run or stopped to give Neji's grave a visit.
Pound, pound, pound, pound.
"I know you are in there, my dear teammate! It is almost 4:30 a.m., time for us to embrace the glorious first hours of the day and train!"
She lifted her head and groaned. So much for that plan. "Alright, alright, I'm coming Lee!"
Donning her slippers, she padded quickly to the door "Just don't break my door—and shut up before my neighbors finally cave in and commit homicide!" She opened it quickly to reveal her teammate, who had been jogging in place. Lee stopped and blinked down at her.
She blushed a bit when his round eyes flicked briefly over her loose, brown hair and the tank top and low-hanging sweats she wore before meeting hers again. "Tenten, how can you not be dressed yet? Did we not agree to train together before sunrise?"
She ran a hand over her face, covering her slight embarrassment from his gaze and distress at his words. Oh man, I'd forgotten! "Yes…we did."
Why did she agree to such a thing again? Ah, yes. Rock Lee had his own special way of pouting that was hard to refuse on occasion. Tenten sighed. "Come on in, I'll just be a minute."
After she got dressed, they both left her apartment, heading for their regular training grounds. The two shinobi took a moment to breath in the still morning air, enjoying the easygoing silence between them.
Tenten had to admit, it was nice to simply stroll alongside her teammate, especially when he actually chose to comply with the general tranquility of the atmosphere.
She glanced over at Lee, admiring the man he had grown into over their years as friends and teammates. Not just outwardly, but inwardly as well. Few people truly realized just how much pain Lee had endured as a result of his efforts to be a great ninja, and just how incredible it was to watch him blossom from his humble beginnings into the tall, powerful man beside her now.
She smiled, thinking also of how great an influence his growth was in her own development as a both a woman and a kunoichi. I'm so glad I got to be one of the few who really know you.
Tenten's smile then faltered a bit as they continued walking. She and Lee had shared a lot more throughout their lives than just perseverance and nostalgia.
As a shinobi, life was full of vicissitudes that sometimes dealt crushing blows.
Grief, for one, was never an easy task, and the pain of losing Neji Hyuga would forever be an intricate part of their human experience.
But Tenten knew in her heart that she would always stand by Lee to deal with whatever came, and he wouldn't hesitate to do the same for her.
Tenten noticed that she had caught Lee's eye, and flashed him a sunny smile, which he readily returned.
Lee, if Neji could see us now, I know he'd be smiling too.
Before long, however, Tenten noticed Lee's expression grow more pensive as they strolled along, and the dark fringe of his bowl-cut shifted when he finally turned towards her. "Tenten, I was thinking. It has been quite a while since we have done anything besides regular sparring during our training..."
Tenten wondered what he was getting at, considering just last week Gai-sensei had dumped snorkeling gear and weighted vests in front of them, suggesting that training underwater with little oxygen would greatly increase their aerobic and anaerobic conditioning.
Of course, he also failed to mention that less oxygen = a hell of a lot more lactic acid = every muscle in a world of fiery pain. The irony of burning underwater will never be lost on her.
"—What do you think?"
Tenten looked up. "Eh?" Oh, I totally missed what he just said.
"Still too early to pay attention, Tenten?" Lee gently bumped his shoulder into hers, grinning.
She landed a smack on the same shoulder, earning a small 'ouch' from him before responding tartly. "Of course I heard you, idiot!" Oh God, what did he say?
With any luck, her internal struggle wasn't broadcasting itself on her features.
"I meant to say that's just fine!" I hope I don't regret this.
Completely startling her with his bright, joyous laugh, the spandex-clad ninja grasped her hand in his before leading them both at a breakneck speed the rest of the way to the training grounds.
As soon as they had skidded to a halt and Tenten felt the rest of the world catch up with her, Lee pressed something soft and silky into her hands. Curiously, she looked down to find a green strip of cloth. What the hell is this for?
She turned her quizzical eyes to him. "What the hell is this for?"
A subtle smile crept its way onto Lee's lips before he gave in and laughed at her expression. "If you do not mind Tenten, I would like to pursue you this time!"
Tenten's eyes widened and her cheeks filled with color. P-pursue me? He'd like to…pursue me?
Before she could stammer out a response, he continued on. "After all, last time we played capture the flag, I was the one being chased."
Tenten couldn't choose between sighing in relief or sighing in disappointment at his clarification. Figures that's what he meant...Wait, capture the flag?
"It is about time I returned the favor!" Lee reached out to tug playfully on one of her buns and leapt up—narrowly avoiding a senbon for his efforts—into one of the surrounding trees.
She heard him yell down to her. "Do not worry Tenten, I will do my best and hold nothing back, so you should not hold back either! Shall we begin?"
And Lee certainly had kept to his word. Nearly three hours of grueling, adrenaline-fueled cat-and-mouse later and here she was, a grown-ass woman, completely winded by a children's game and crouching in shrubbery.
Forget what I thought about Lee growing up nicely. We are playing a children's game, and he is an annoying child. Trapped in a man's very well-built body.
Lee had tailed her expertly through whatever trap, trick and obstacle she threw at him. There were a couple of close calls in which Tenten had to actually confront him, but she managed to keep enough distance and escape with some well-timed tag detonations.
Of course, Lee was never distracted for too long from his quarry, and after so long Tenten was beginning to run out of ideas. But she certainly wasn't about to give up. Well, at least it's only a bit longer and I'm home-free. It'd probably be a good idea to set up more traps though, before Lee catches up.
She adjusted the straps of her weapons scroll before reaching down into her pouch to grab a couple of tags when a pair of arms grasped her around the middle from behind, and she felt the force of one green-clad ninja launch them both out into the clearing.
They hit the ground and Tenten immediately twisted her body around to fight him off, only to find both of her wrists to be locked in an iron grip and a strong pair of legs hooking hers in a fixed hold. Dammit, I was so close to winning!
The weapons mistress groaned, cursing her lapse in vigilance so close to the time limit before lifting her head from the ground to look up at the face of a very smug Rock Lee.
"Yosh! Looks like I have finally captured you, Tenten." He grinned down at her.
"Ugh, Leeee! Get off, you're heavy." The kunoichi fixed a glare on her teammate, who only quirked a thick eyebrow and chuckled in return. Why you cheeky green—
She was so gonna get him for sitting on her, just as soon as he released his hold.
"Of course I am heavy. It is one hundred percent muscle and youth!" Lee said with pride as he leaned down a bit further to retrieve the flag from her person.
She was about to rip him a new one for his cheek when she felt his fingers slip beneath the layers of her clothing, running along the bandages covering her hip. Tenten turned her face away sharply, hoping Lee was too preoccupied with taking his captured flag to look up and notice the blush that had sprung up on her cheeks at his closeness and touch. He's way too close. No, stop blushing!
"Well, it seems you shall have to train harder to defeat me next time, Tenten!" The taijutsu-user crowed as his fingers finally found the cloth and wrapped around it to pull it free. "Or at least be more careful to not be fooled by such a simple move."
Well I didn't expect you'd do something as stupid and obvious as grab me… She suppressed a shiver at their proximity once again when she felt his strong thighs flex over hers in his movement as he continued to gloat. My whole damn face is gonna burst into flames if he doesn't get up soon!
"Yeah yeah, whatever. I'll make sure to keep the flag and kick your ass next time." She let out a labored breath and peeked back up at him. "Muscle or no though, you're beginning to squash me, idiot. Get off!"
Before Tenten could sense any of Lee's weight lift from her, however, one of her teammate's bandaged hands pressed against her face and turned it fully towards him, the other remaining over her wrists. What is he…?
For a tense moment, Tenten found it hard to breath for entirely different reasons as she focused keenly on the dark eyes of her teammate and the thrilling sensation of his thumb trailing over her cheek.
"L-Lee…?" She murmured, heart thrumming and face flushing anew under his concentrated gaze as he leaned a bit closer.
An indecipherable look played across his face before a bright grin won out and she felt the vibrations of his laughter.
"You have dirt on your face, my teammate! As youthful and lovely as you are, you look like you have been rolling on the ground for an hour—" THWACK.
Seconds later the spandex-wearing man found himself sprawled on the ground ten feet away, groaning as the worked up weapons mistress turned from him, shaking her hand out from its fist and growling. She barely resisted from summoning a barrage of weapons to wipe that still-present grin right off of his stupid cute face.
"Well what do you expect when I've got a damn heavy fool pressing me into the GROUND?"
As she turned back to look at Lee standing up to brush himself off and stretch, Tenten couldn't help but think. Am I finally going insane, or is Lee trying to seduce me or something?
She felt her cheeks heat up again as her eyes lingered on his extending form, before scoffing as he struck a smiling pose and winked at her with an faint 'ping'.
Well, I can't be surprised if he finally noticed after all these years, considering how obviously I've been watching him. Fighting the smile that threatened to overtake her features, the kunoichi strode over to her bowl-cut headed teammate and looped her arm through his.
"C'mon, Mr. 'All Muscle.' I'm hungry and you're paying."
"Of course! Though…You really might want to take a shower first Tenten, because you truly are—"
"DON'T PUSH IT, LEE."
"Owww, okay, sorry, sorry!"