As I stare dully out of the large glass window in my living room, noticing that it desperately needs to be cleaned, I can't help but wonder. Why the hell am I in here and not out there? The beautiful blue sky lies so gracefully behind a scenery of green tree branches. The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and everything seems to glow with a vibrant radiance giving off a certain vibe and a zest for life. So why am I in here, lying so lazily upon this blood red carpet, with my hair sprawled above my head in every which direction? Good question. I, Sakura Haruno, am officially bored.
Sure, I could go outside and find something to do. I could track down one of my friends to help keep me entertained. But such things require movement, and I would much rather have my cat claw out my eyes than move right now. My muscles are screaming, protesting, and forbidding any such activities. Yesterday, I spent my entire day training. In a desperate quest to get stronger, I asked Tsunade sama, now Tsunade sensei, for help. In response, she allowed my to become her apprentice. I was so grateful.
Now…not so much.
I still appreciate her training, and I am truly improving my skills as a medic ninja. But damn! Had I known that her physical training would instill this much severe pain, I would have seriously reconsidered my decision. Of course, in the end I probably would have made the same choice, but at least I would have been more prepared.
And so, here I lay. Since the moment I came home and collapsed on the floor, to when I awoke this morning with a jolting serious of painful shocks from every one of my muscles. It's a good thing I managed to go to the bathroom before I fell asleep, or I would have a serious problem right now. But, at this moment, I'm so very bored. In pain, and very, very bored. I wish someone, anyone, would stop by and keep me company. Even if it is just for a short while.
Knock Knock
I blinked. That was fast. I attempted to lift my arms. It was quite pathetic really. I raised them no more than a short centimeter off the ground before releasing an un-lady-like grunt in pain. It's too bad my parents passed away on that mission two years ago, or one of them would be able to answer it. The thought made me frown. I truly miss them. But now, I'm here, living in this small flat all by my self. I was just able to afford it thanks to the money left in my parents will. It isn't much, but it's home.
"Come in." I mumbled, hopefully loud enough for whomever it was to hear. Luckily, I forgot to lock my door when I stumbled in last night. Not safe. But then again, Konoha does have a highly esteemed system of security. Chances are very slim that some roaming ninja would successfully make it into someone else's home without being knocked out, and swiftly dealt with. The front door slowly creaked open. I couldn't see who it was from my position on the ground, but the chakra signature was familiar.
"Sakura?" I heard. I tried to catch a glimpse over my shoulder, but stopped mid-way, eventually turning back. I heard the sound of my front door clicking shut, and someone removing their shoes.
"Hi Lee." I said with a sigh. He walked to my side, and looked down.
"Hello Sakura!" he said with a bright, toothy smile. I grined. That's something you can always count on Lee for; his unwavering enthusiasm. It always manages to cheer me up. "What are you doing down there on the floor?" he asked. I was expecting that.
"I can't really move." I said with a small laugh. He tilted his head in what I assume was confusion. It was actually kind of cute. I watched him bend down to his knees, and place his hands on the floor, just beside my shoulder. His face was about a foot above my own now. He looked at me, with obvious concern. For some reason, I had to force down a blush. It's a good thing I learned how to mask my emotions over the years.
"Are you feeling well?" he asked, placing his hand onto my forehead. I wanted to push it off, but I couldn't move my arms.
"I'm fine, Lee. Just a little sore." I thought about that for a second. Honestly, I wasn't a little sore, I was a lot sore, but I might as well not worry him more than he already is. He stared at me for a moment. I was afraid that I might have broken him or something. That is, until he stood up incredibly fast. His optimism quickly returned.
"Is that all? Well, do not worry about a thing! I will take care of you!" he said dramatically. I winced and released a sigh. He was so very loud. But then again, I did want company.
"Um…Lee?" I asked. He snapped back to attention immediately and got back onto his hands and knees, giving me his undivided attention as always. "Why exactly did you come here?" He blinked.
"I just wanted to know if you would like to join me in training. But I would never ask you to do that in this sort of condition." He answered. I am definitely grateful for that.
"And you're going to miss a whole day of training to take care of me?" I asked with a giggle. It did seem rather odd. I mean honestly. Rock Lee, the genius of hard work, never ever went a day without training. And here he is, offering to do just that, in order to basically serve as my personal nurse.
"Absolutely. I would do anything for you." he said in all seriousness. "So! If you do not mind me asking, why are you in so much pain, Sakura? It seems as though you are unable to move at all." Well yeah. He pretty much hit the nail in the head with that one.
"I was training with Tsunade sensei. I had no idea that it would be so rough. I've never had a training session like that before." I told him. He shut his eyes and nodded. Of all people, I thought, he should know what it's like to ache like this.
"I understand completely. I thought I pushed myself pretty hard before I met Gai sensei, but the first time I trained with him, I could not move for three days straight. But, in the end, it was worth it. And I know that Gai sensei would never do anything unless it was for my own benefit. I am sure Tsunade sama is doing the same for you." said Lee. I nodded. I know that was the truth. I just wish the truth didn't hurt so much. There was a short moment of comfortable silence, save for the rhythmic ticking of seconds passing on the clock. It was quickly broken by the sound of my stomach growling. I blushed tenfold. There was no use in trying to hold that back. Lee laughed at its odd timing.
"If you would like, I could make you some lunch." He offered. Well, in my case, it would be more like a late breakfast, but I found no reason to point that out. I nodded eagerly. At this point I would eat anything. The last time I had a meal was yesterday morning. And I think it's safe to say that I already worked that meal out of my system. He smiled. "Wonderful! May I please use your kitchen?" I blushed yet again. Given the intense training regimen scheduled by Tsunade sensei, I haven't been home for a while. In other words, I haven't had any time to clean. My kitchen, much like the rest of my house, is in complete disarray.
"Sure." I said meekly. "But I have to warn you. I haven't had a chance to tidy up in some time. I would be surprised if you could even find a clean plate in there." He flashed that bright smile of his, which was of course followed by the nice guy pose.
"No problem! I will do just fine. Is there anything you would like?" he asked me. I thought about it, and nothing came to mind.
"Nothing in particular, anything you can find will do." I answered. He saluted for some reason and I smiled. He can really be a goof at times. I watched him walk off into another direction, hopefully the right one. He had never been inside my apartment before, but then again, it isn't that big. I'm sure he can manage.
After a while, I heard his shoes taping against the tiled floor of my kitchen. It took him a bit longer than it should have to find it, but hey, who am I to judge. My stomach continued to growl for the next ten minutes or so, and I was getting rather impatient. I realize that I should be grateful that anyone's helping me at all, but seriously, how long is he going to take!? I'm starving over here! My cat eventually jumped out from her hiding place in my bedroom and began nudging at my side. She was probably about as hungry as I was. "Shoo Miki!" I whispered. Seeing that I wasn't going to feed her anytime soon, her tail twitched in annoyance, and she scurried over to the couch, quickly falling asleep.
"Done!" I heard. I watched as Lee bent down to my side, holding a bowl. I couldn't see what was inside because of my position on the ground, but I could see the steam radiating from the top. There was a folded white rag draped over his left shoulder. Where he found that thing, I have no idea. I can only hope it's clean. It doesn't look too dirty, so I'm assuming it is.
"Can you sit up?" he asked. Gee. Can I sit up? Interesting question. Let's give it a try shall we? I struggled and squirmed against the carpet for about a minute, but it was just not going to happen. Lee gave a small smile when he noticed all of my effort. I felt like scolding him for asking such a stupid question in the first place. I huffed and eventually stopped trying.
"I can't even move my arms." I mumbled. He chuckled. I could feel my eyebrow twitching. He was freaking laughing at me! I don't know if you've noticed buddy, but I am in pain here!
"You are very cute." He said. My eyes widened. Is that why he was laughing? Well that's not too bad I suppose. I turned to him, and noticed that his face was beat red. Ha ha! He must have said that on accident. I smiled. At least I'm not the only one suffering now. My stomach growled again. I could feel my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. After a few seconds of silence, we both broke into hysterical laughter. We must have looked like crazy people, but hey, no one was there to see us, so what does it matter. We calmed down after a while.
"So, anyway, I guess I will have to feed you." he said with a grin. I actually hadn't even considered that factor. I sighed. I have to accept the truth. If I want to eat anytime soon, then I'm going to have to let Lee feed me. "But I am going to have to help you sit up first. Otherwise, this could cause quite a mess." This place was already a mess, but whatever. He placed the bowl of soup beside him.
Intricately, he removed his chuunin vest, and positioned it on the floor directly above my head. I blinked a few times and turned away. I had forgotten how toned Lee had gotten these past few years, and that tight jumpsuit hugged his muscles so perfectly. It was hard to bear.
I was surprised at how gentle he was when handling me. As slowly and carefully as possible, he picked my head up, collecting my hair in his other hand, as if it were something to be cherished. I felt only the slightest twinge of pain when he slid his vest under me. It elevated my head just enough so that whatever it was that he was going to feed me, would not spill all over my shirt.
Using the spoon that was originally balanced against the side of the bowl, he lifted it to reveal chicken noodle soup. Not the ideal breakfast, but I'm not going to be difficult at this point. I watched as he pursed his lips and lightly blew on the top. The steam rolled so elegantly into the air and precipitated. With a smile, he brought the spoon to my mouth. I opened it just enough so that he could slide it inside and remove the spoon. I closed my eyes and allowed the soup to linger on my tongue for a moment in order to saver the taste. It was like nothing I've ever had before. Hesitantly, I swallowed, and re-opened my eyes. Lee looked expectant for a reaction, almost worried.
"That was amazing." I said quietly, my eyes wide open. Lee beamed. "Did you make that yourself?"
"Yes. There was not much food in your kitchen, so I had to make do with what was there." Answered Lee. "I am very pleased that you enjoyed it though!" I smiled.
"Yeah. Now keep it coming! I'm still starving!" I told him. I didn't mean to sound so demanding, but the truth was that I was thoroughly famished. Lee didn't seem to mind however, as he continued to gin that ludicrous grin of his. Soon enough, I had completely devoured the rest of the soup.
I looked over Lee's shoulder, as he set the empty bowl down on the floor to pick up the towel he had dropped. Miki was stretching, most likely just waking up. I stiffened, wondering how she would react to Lee. When she noticed that there was a second presence beside myself, she immediately leapt off the couch. Lee gasped and jumped to his feet, probably expecting an intruder. I was afraid he was going to attack her, but luckily he noticed that it wasn't an enemy and relaxed. I released a breath of relief.
"I did not know you owned a cat, Sakura." He told me, as he leaned down onto one knee, and held a hand out to the orange tabby. Miki sniffed it, and allowed Lee to pet her. With that same gentleness he exhibited earlier, he softly caressed her head. It was a wonder how such a fierce fighter such as Lee was able to be so incredibly kind at times. I was even more surprised when Miki allowed him to pet her. She even started purring!
"Wow." I murmured. Lee turned to face me.
"What?" he asked.
"Well…it's just that…she doesn't usually let anyone get near her. And she is very protective of me. She nearly clawed Sasuke's eyes out once. She actually managed to shred most of Naruto's outfit. They even nicknamed her 'vicious'. And yet she seems to really like you." I said. Maybe it was because she thought Lee would feed her. But that couldn't be it. Even when she was hungry she continued to threaten others. Hmm…
Lee shut his eyes and smiled. "She does not look very vicious to me. What is her name?" he asked.
"Miki." I told him.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful cat. It seems only fitting that she would be protective of you. You are a wonderful person, Sakura." Said Lee. He stopped petting Miki and picked up the bowl. She nipped at his fingers for a moment, wanting him to pet her more, but Lee stood up nonetheless.
"Can you feed her for me?" I asked. Lee looked down at me and nodded, walking back into the kitchen. Miki, of course, followed him close behind after hearing the word 'feed'. I smirked when I heard his footsteps falter. "The cat food is in the cupboard!" I shouted.
"Thank you!"
I giggled as the sound of footsteps resumed. Later, he waltzed back into the living room, taking a seat right by my side. Miki was still in the kitchen eating. "Is there anything else you would like, Sakura?" he asked, genuinely wanting to know. I smiled weakly. "I'm fine." I answered. Honestly, my shoulders were beginning to hurt even worse now. I wiggled a bit. The floor was not as soft as I would have liked. Lee frowned, obviously not believing my lie.
"Would you be more comfortable if you were in bed?" he asked. Yes. I probably would be. But then again, how was I supposed to get there? When I didn't answer, he made the decision for himself. Before I knew what was happening, he scooped me into his arms and held me bridle style. I gasped. The joints in my knees snapped from the sudden movement. I winced from the pain. My one hand was positioned on his chest, while the other hung limply over the side.
Silently, he carried me across the apartment to my room. While lying there in his arms, I couldn't help but feel safe. It was almost comforting. Sort of like I…fit. I frowned when he lowered me onto the bed. I missed the warmth of his body against my own. I looked around, and saw that my room was just as cluttered as the rest of my house. Finally facing Lee, I noticed that he was staring at me with a small grin. I blushed under his intense gaze. When he didn't snap out of it, I started to get a bit uncomfortable.
"Lee?" I asked quietly. His stance straightened suddenly, and he blinked a few times. "Huh? Oh! I am sorry, Sakura. I guess I spaced out for a second there." He said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. I couldn't help but think he was cute like that.
"Why don't you come sit down?" I said. My bed was definitely large enough. He blushed and nodded a lot. He took one shaky step forward, but stopped mid-way, and sat down on the floor. I had to lean over a bit to look at him. "I didn't mean on the floor." I laughed. I could only wonder what he was thinking at that moment. "I can't see you if you're down there. Come sit up here on the bed."
"O-okay." he said, standing up, and sitting at the far end of the bed. I frowned. Why doesn't he want to sit by me? Great, now I feel self-conscious. Maybe I should have let him stay on the floor. Too late now. I decided to start a conversation, feeling that I needed someway to break the silence. He looked way too serious for my liking right now.
"So, Lee? When did you learn how to cook?" I asked. I've been wondering that for a while. Who knew he had any culinary skills? Luckily, the tension in the room dissipated with that one question. He smiled again.
"I just kind of knew. It actually is not that difficult. You just need some knowledge of different spices." He told me. I raised an eyebrow. Well that's not really fair, is it? I tried to cook a few times, and most of them ended with the fire extinguisher, and he can do it naturally.
"Can you teach me?" I heard myself asking. I actually didn't mean to say that, but I would like to learn. And again, his blindingly white teeth formed into that fabulous grin of his. I smiled as well. I find that I've been looking for more and more ways to see that smile these days.
"Of course! I would love to teach you, Sakura! He chirped. We continued talking for the next several hours. After a while, we lost track of time. Miki eventually joined us, curling up between Lee and myself. He stroked her fur for a while as she purred so contently under his touch. I looked out the window and noticed that the sun was quickly disappearing behind the trees. Had it really gotten that late? I grunted and tried to sit up. "Sakura?" he asked, at my side in an instant.
"I need to move a little bit. I'm feeling kind of tense." I said. I was able to sit up completely, with quite a bit of effort.
"May I try something?" he asked. I was curious as to what he meant.
"Sure." I said questioningly. I was rather confused when he sat behind me. What could he be doing? I felt his hands curl over my shoulders. Using his thumbs, he began rubbing small circles into my back. I had to bite my lip so I wouldn't moan. It felt so good.
"Am I hurting you?" he asked quietly. At that moment, I didn't really want to answer, so I just shook my head. He continued massaging my shoulders for a while, slowly working out the knots. I inched forward a little, giving him more space. He got the idea, and started working on my lower back. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I released a small hum of pleasure. His touch faltered, and I automatically leaned backwards in desperation for him to carry on. He did eventually continue, a little shakily this time, but wonderful nevertheless. After another twenty or so minutes, once the sun had completely set, he stopped.
"I should probably be heading home soon. I would not want to keep you awake." Said Lee.
"Nooo." I mumbled groggily. I leaned back and laid my head against his chest so that he wouldn't be able to get up. I really don't know why, but I don't want him to leave. Not now.
Hesitantly, he relaxed, and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his head against one of the pillows. He was now lying sideways on my bed, with his feet hanging over the edge just slightly. I smiled. The feel of breathing against my neck tickled, but also helped me to settle down. I could feel my eyelids growing heavier. The rise and fall of his chest against my back served as a silent lullaby, and soon, I had drifted into a dreamless slumber.
I blinked awake the next morning when Miki nudged against my arm. Yawning, I noticed something was missing. The warmth that I had fallen asleep to was gone. Instead, beneath my head was a pillow. I frowned. Did Lee leave? Could it have all been a dream? It sure seemed real. I tried to sit up. I experimentally stretched my arms. My muscles felt much better today, so it was easier than I expected. But wait. Something is different here. Looking around, my eyes widened.
My room was…clean.
And not only that, but there was a wonderful scent to the air. I closed my eyes and breathed in. It smelled strangely like pancakes. Suddenly, I realized that I've never had pee this bad in my entire life. I leapt to my feet, ignoring the dull pain that shot through my entire body, and made a mad dash to the bathroom. Oh sweet relief.
Hey! My bathroom is clean too. What the heck is going on? I washed my hands and brushed my teeth, taking some time to straighten my hair with my hands. It didn't work well, but I shrugged it off and walked out, only to discover that my entire living room was also completely spotless. I can even see out the window again!
"Good morning, Sakura!" I heard. I jumped and spun around to find that Lee was standing directly behind me, smiling and mixing some sort of batter inside one of my bowls.
"Lee! I thought you left!" I said happily. That would certainly explain the smell of pancakes. I looked him up and down. His hair was a little disheveled, but not terribly so, and his jumpsuit was just the slightest bit wrinkled. "Did you clean my house?" He blushed a bit.
"Yes! I am sorry if you did not want me to. I did not mean to do anything wrong. It is just that I wanted to help and I thought that maybe if I tried-"
"LEE!" I interrupted. I didn't want him breaking into one of those long apologies of his. Especially if I wasn't mad at him to begin with. "There's no need to apologize. That was very kind of you. Thank you so much. But you didn't have to clean up for me! You were already treating me so well yesterday. I sort of feel bad now."
"I did not want you to feel bad." He said sadly, as he turned to place the bowl on the table.
"Well, I'll just have to find some way to re-pay you." I said, walking up behind him. He turned around to face me, and I caught him off guard. I smirked and closed my eyes, as I pressed my lips against his.
I felt his entire body tense, and relax. Soon enough, he returned the motion. I had never kissed anyone before, but it felt right. His hand was gently holding my head, and the other rested placidly my lower back. Both of my arms were wrapped tightly around his waist. I licked his lips, causing him to gasp lightly. I used that opportunity to slide my tongue into his mouth. He quickly got the hang of it, dominating over my tongue with his own. Unfortunately, I had to break away. My feet were beginning to hurt from standing on my tiptoes. He looked completely dumbstruck.
"You're too tall." I said with a giggle.
"Maybe you are just too short." He said. I laughed. "Wait!" He suddenly looked serious.
"What?"
"I am not dreaming am I?" said Lee. I squirmed out of his grip and smiled, feeling that he didn't really want to let go.
"Would you like me to check?" I asked sweetly.
"Yes please." He answered.
"Okay. Prepare yourself." I told him.
"Prepare myself for wh-Yeow!" I pinched his arm and twisted. Not hard enough to break the skin or anything, but enough to hurt.
"There. So now do you believe that you're awake?" I asked, quite proud of myself. He smiled, almost wickedly. It was actually rather frightening. What could he be thinking?
"I am still not so sure. Let me see." He said innocently. Next thing I know, he's holding me in his arms again, as he bent me over backwards. I gasped. That seemed so unlike Lee. But I liked it.
My muscles were still a little sore, so it did hurt, but none of that mattered. He pressed his lips against mine, giving me a very passionate kiss. It was even better than the last one. I was so lost in the moment; I didn't notice my front door swing open. Apparently neither did Lee, because neither of us made any effort to stop. That is, until they made their presence painfully noticeable.
"Holy crap!"
We broke apart instantly, and Lee pulled me back upright. We were both blushing, but that didn't diminish the anger that was quickly taking over.
"Don't you ever knock!" I shouted. Seriously! Who the hell would just barge into someone else house like that?
"I did knock! And I waited for like five minutes! But I guess you were too busy makin' out with Bushy Brows to hear me." Said Naruto, crossing his arms. Hmm…was it really five minutes? Felt much shorter than that. Maybe he was exaggerating.
"Oh…sorry, Naruto." I said. "Is there something you need?"
"Yeah! Tell me what the hell you were doing just now!" shouted Naruto, pointing a finger between Lee and myself. I looked over at Lee, who was still blushing, but he also seemed quite proud of himself.
"I don't really see how that's any of your business. I will come find you later, okay Naruto? Now will you kindly step out of my house before I call Miki to come take care of you." I told him. He huffed.
"Fine. But I demand an explanation later!" he glared at Lee. "Have fun kissing." He said sarcastically. Sending Lee one more deadly glower, he marched out of the house, shutting the door behind him.
"Now." I started. "Where were we?"
ME: Kay
Sorry if you didn't like it. But then again, I don't really care!