Title: Overlooked Emotion
Genre: Romance
Pairing: Tenten x Lee from Naruto
Rating: K+
Warnings: Is one kiss really so bad?
Author: Ear010raE
Summary: There are some things that you tend to ignore but as time passes on it gets bigger and stronger until finally it's impossible to just deny it. At some point you have to confront it. This is about that. This is about her. This is about him. This is about a possibility. Yes, it is. TenXLee
Disclaimer: I do not own Tenten, Rock Lee, Neji, Gai, and any other character I might mention in this fanfic. These characters were created by Masashi Kishimoto.
Overlooked Emotion
The breeze blew mercifully after a long hard day of training. The flowers danced gracefully for the wind's approval. The moon shone bright to illuminate the night. Only two people were left in the clearing in the woods. Their other two companions had left already. One left the excuse of aging and so needing to rest only minutes ago even though everyone knew he was leaving to attend a party. The other left hours before to attend a meeting for a new special task force of ninjas similar to the ANBU.
"Gai-sensei really worked us hard today, Lee!" Tenten exclaimed as she jumped down from the tree branch she was resting on, her buns of hair bouncing as she landed.
"It was a test of spirit, one that we failed horribly" Lee announced gravely, staring at Tenten sincerely.
Tenten groaned and threw the ball they had to look for over and over at Lee. She placed her hands on her hips and pouted. "Don't give me that, Lee. I have no more energy for any depressing chitchat today" she complained.
Lee grinned. "Come on. You know I was just joking. If that were a test then with the power of our robust youthfulness we have aced it!"
"That's much better!" Tenten yelled, grinning back at him. "I was going to pummel you if you didn't cheer up"
"I thought you were exhausted" Lee commented.
"I am!" Tenten defended. "It's just that you'd drain more energy out of me by being all depressing than by sparring"
"Is that your way of asking to spar?"
"Hmm… Let me think" Tenten paused, seeming to be deep in thought. "No way!"
"I thought you wanted to spar" Lee said disappointedly.
"No, I just wanted to kick you out of a bad mood but since you're happy then… Problem solved!" She grinned at him happily.
"Race you to those trees over there!" she yelled, dashing off to a head start.
Lee raced after her, yelling about the demerits of unfairness. Tenten only giggled as she struggled to keep her lead. It was to no use of course. Lee was faster than most people being an expert at Taijutsu. It took him only moments to catch up to her.
As they ran together, Tenten suddenly skidded to a stop and laughed when Lee ran into the cheery blossom tree meters away from her. She waltzed up to him and dropped onto the ground next to him. He groaned about warnings and light and how he should put great effort into taking care of his eyesight. Tenten only chuckled at his silliness as she made sure no major injuries were there. Her eyes widened as she noticed the bump on his head and she rushed to apologize for laughing. Lee pumped a fist up in the air valiantly.
"It is only a scratch, nothing in the grand scheme of things!"
Tenten resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Sometimes he could be such a ham.
They strolled along side by side under the falling petals of the cherry blossom trees. A look of contentment was on Tenten's face, a faint blush adorning her cheeks as the petals brushed against her as they danced all around her. An odd look was on his Lee's face, a mix of exasperation and restricted delight. Tenten noticed this and so she took Lee's hand into her own and smiled to try and cheer him up.
"Is something wrong, Lee?"
Lee looked down at their hands in surprise. His cheeks colored slightly. Her hand felt so soft and frail in his own. It was hard to believe that this same hand was constantly subject to rigorous training.
"Lee?" Tenten repeated, concern showing on her features. She waved her other hand in his face. "Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong-" he began to say before stopping and taking hold of her other hand so that he held both of them in his own hands. His entire demeanor changed in those few seconds from the mix of emotions he displayed before to a settling calm and earnestness.
He gazed into her beautiful chocolate brown eyes tenderly. His thumb stroked the back of Tenten's hand and the flush on Tenten's cheeks intensified, going from a light pink to a deeper shade. Lee released her hands from his grip before clearing his throat.
"Something is bothering me lately" he began in that energetic manner that could only be matched by Gai though the shuffling of his feet slightly gave away his hesitation.
"Do you remember how we used to be back in our days as genin? We were always together, you, me and Neji. We weren't that close back then. Neji was still too bitter and cold then. I was much too filled with youthfulness" he paused to consider his words. "Well, Neji's still cold now but not that much…"
He got caught in a blissful reverie of the past. Those days when all seemed well no matter how bad the circumstances got were gone. The lighthearted feelings of childhood melted away more and more as they grew, as they matured, as the missions grew tougher, as more and more died in a desperate attempt to defend Konoha, their esteemed home.
Tenten gazed at him, realizing as she watched him how much he's changed from the oddball boy he used to be to the mature man standing in front of her. An inexplicable smile flitted across her lips. That wasn't all that changed…
A petal grazed his cheek and he broke free of his dreamlike trance. Sighing, he glanced at the falling petals behind Tenten, trying to organize his thoughts.
"You ignored me at first… Your attentions were caught up with Neji, the revered genius. I didn't realize it at the time but-" he halted suddenly, unsure of how to go on. "…but one of the major reasons for how seriously I took my rivalry with Neji was… you"
The look on Tenten's face then was indecipherable. A torrent of emotions ran through her as the words rang in her ears.
One of the major reasons for how seriously I took my rivalry with Neji was… you.
One of the major reasons…
…you.
His words were still sinking in when Lee continued. "I was subconsciously trying to catch your attention… Even when I failed, even when I goofed up, it was an attempt to win you over" The uneasiness he felt grew with each passing word but still he carried on.
"You always had your eye on him. You always praised him even though he was passive to your showers of admiration. Your sweet smile was always sweeter for him… It always was."
Lee closed his eyes as if to push away the memories. "The awkward person who I was…you barely noticed. Every once in a while after I'd improved, you'd flash me one of your smiles" He smiled, warmth radiating from him as he spoke.
"It was always special for me, I remember. I'd be more energetic than usual and that would annoy and push you away but I couldn't help it. Your smile was-No, it still is- something I treasure more and more"
Tenten colored. "Lee-kun…"
He didn't hear her, being too enwrapped with his confession. "Tenten, what I'm trying to say is that even though you probably don't return my feelings, I…"
"I love you too"
Lee looked up and stared in bewilderment. Tenten smiled back.
"I love you too" she repeated, her smile widening by the second.
Lee broke into a smile as well. He took Tenten into his arms, and whispered into her ear, "I've wanted to do this for so long…"
The wind picked up its pace and a rain of petals showered them, shielding their first tender kiss from the prying eyes of the pain-filled world they belonged to.
Just for now.
End.
A/N: Well, this is the first fanfic I've ever submitted to I just want to say that any comments will be very appreciated regardless of it being positive or negative in nature. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate it! -Rae