Asayuu (朝夕) - morning and evening.
Lee rolled over and felt for his alarm clock, mostly finding pillows, blanket - ow - a spare knife, a loose ruffle of fabric that was probably bandages but could be a scarf. . .
He gave up, lifting his head to look, and gently tapped the alarm clock to stop its insistent ringing. He looked over and found the other half of the bed unsurprisingly empty. Unsurprising only because if Neji had been there he would have woken to Lee's alarm, been irritated when it took him so long to turn it off, and probably started snickering at Lee's flailing to find it.
Lee had seen Neji activate Byakugan while still mostly asleep to more accurately throw something at a source of what he felt was unwarranted noise early in the morning. Neji was a morning person, but only on his own terms.
Lee yawned and stretched, then slipped out of bed and donned a yukata. If Neji was already out of bed, he had probably risen on enough of his own terms to be cordial. "Ohayou, love." Lee called, his voice still a little rusty from sleep.
There wasn't an answer, and he frowned slightly, glancing back at his alarm clock. It was set a little later than usual but no more than he'd expected. Lee was still recuperating from his last mission, which had left him with a few more bumps and bruises than usual - and three cracked bones - and was shifting the start of his day for a few weeks to allow for more rest. Neji had been known to reset Lee's alarm himself - or switch it off - if he felt it truly necessary, but Lee wasn't so badly injured this time, and he'd been making reasonable adjustments to his schedule and the length of his day as he healed.
Lee peeked through the door into the main room, finding both the kitchenette and living area deserted.
He hummed thoughtfully and turned back, going through into the bathroom instead, washing his face. He lowered his towel as he straightened and then stilled, cocking his head. There was a piece of paper stuck to the mirror.
Lee reached for it. As soon as he made contact it fell off in his fingers with a mild tingle that he recognised vaguely as being Neji's chakra. He'd heard other people say that it was abnormally strong, and the sensation was painful even when Neji wasn't attacking with it, but Lee, of course, could barely feel it unless he was feeling the effects it caused, like a juuken blow.
He unfolded the thick, smooth paper.
Ohayou, dearest.
The hawk with the sharpest eyes is needed in the mews this morning.
I love you. Remember to rest today.
~Neji
The characters were beautifully formed - Neji's calligraphy was elegant and flawless - but there was a small, sharp-winged bird drawn by Neji's name which was rough and messy, and Lee grinned at it. He ran his thumb over the characters - for Neji to write I love you for no particular reason was unusual, even if more common than it was for him to speak the declaration, and Lee's heart leapt to see it just as when he heard it. Neji was cool and withdrawn, for all he was a passionate man deep down; Lee knew this and didn't mind, but still delighted in the odd occasion he displayed his emotions more openly.
So, perhaps they had taken in the new recruits they had been considering for ANBU after all, then. Neji said 'in the mews', which meant he had not been summoned for an ANBU mission, even if they'd needed his eyes - possibly not; whether they were currently needed or not, Neji's eyes were certainly sharpest.
The little sketched hawk was swooping over a curve of river by three trees, though they were even more roughly drawn than the bird. Lee's eyes narrowed, and then his expression cleared as he realised he knew the place Neji indicated. He nodded at the note, certain he'd read all it offered - Neji was very clever about circumspect messages, but did not tend to write them with all his talent in personal correspondence; at least not to Lee - then looked over the elegant characters again, feeling fond.
He didn't destroy the note, but folded it away in a box with a handful of letters and assorted other bits of paper and small items. Lee patted the box as he closed it, then tidied the bed and made a simple breakfast for himself before changing from the casual yukata into his spandex and flak vest to head out for the day's training.
A tiny rustle among many others - just counter enough to the pattern of the wind through the trees and the patter of squirrels and birds to be noticeable - made Lee smile. He tipped his head back just in time to see a masked figure in ANBU blacks drop out of the trees almost on top of him.
"Hello, love!" Lee greeted, rising to his feet.
Neji slipped off the porcelain hawk mask, revealing a smile not often seen openly in Konoha. "Good evening, dearest." He held out a hand, and Lee clasped it to pull him closer, meeting him with a kiss. "Sorry I left early this morning." Neji said almost against his mouth, tracing a fingertip along his jaw.
Lee shook his head, grinning, dismissing the unneeded apology.
"We can still make it out to dinner I think," Neji said, glancing at the sky, "I just need to change first." He stepped back from Lee and looked down at himself, tying the mask onto his belt at one hip by its ribbons.
"No need." Lee said, and Neji hummed in inquiry. Lee stepped aside and gestured towards the bento he had brought with him, planning for this, stacked together and wrapped neatly in a furoshiki. "I thought with the change in plans, this might be more relaxing for you." he added.
Neji took a breath, then paused before he spoke and sighed instead, a tension line appearing between his brows. "Possibly." he admitted, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why must the new recruits be so aggravating? And idiotic?" he asked, scowling.
Lee laughed, though it was perhaps . . . rather unkind to do so. "You," he paused, "are simply not really naturally suited to training novices, my love." Neji had little patience for the foolish mistakes made by rookies; particularly, Lee suspected, as he had rarely made any of the same ones himself when he was younger. They frustrated him and he didn't understand.
"They made it into ANBU," Neji grumbled, "they shouldn't be at the level of such novices."
Lee shrugged without offering any further comment and Neji sighed again, running a hand down Lee's side and tugging him closer by his hitai-ate. "Thank you dearest, it was thoughtful of you. Are you sure you wouldn't rather go into town for dinner?" he asked. "I don't mind."
Lee ran his fingers through one of the locks of Neji's hair that swept forwards to frame his face. "I would rather you be comfortable." he said honestly. Even if he had been possessed of a particular aversion to the woods - which he was not - he would have preferred spending the evening with a relaxed and content Neji than go to a restaurant, however nice, where his lover would be tense and uncomfortable. "And no, I am happy to stay. We are already here and so is our dinner, anyway." he pointed out, grinning.
Neji's lips quirked upwards and he nodded, giving Lee another light brush of a kiss and sweeping gracefully past him. Lee hummed and turned to follow, settling back onto the grass by their waiting dinner as Neji stretched upwards with an arch of his back, and then folded his legs, sinking to the ground.
Lee untied the furoshiki and laid it out, and Neji helped him to unpack and spread out the food, their fingers brushing from time to time.
It was a simple meal, but good, more so for their being together. Lee could see Neji relaxing as they shared the meal and the quiet of the forest - undisturbed by their low-voiced, sporadic conversation - between them, and he smiled, pleased with the evening.
When they had finished their dinner Neji nudged Lee's hands out of the way and packed up what was left of the food neatly himself, then sat back a little, stretching his legs out. "Come here." He beckoned, and Lee paused, fingers brushing the edge of the furoshiki, cocking his head. "Lee, dearest." Neji beckoned again, and Lee obligingly came closer, surrendering, with some confusion, to the nudge of Neji's hands on his shoulders turning him away.
His confusion cleared quickly as Neji shifted again, arms wrapping around his waist and chin coming to settle on his shoulder as he curled around Lee comfortably.
"I am grateful to have you." Neji said quietly, relaxed and gentle against Lee's back.
Lee tipped his head enough to look at Neji and smiled. "And I you, my love." he replied, resting one hand over Neji's on his belly.
"Mm." Neji said, not really a reply, and raised a hand, two fingertips pressing lightly on Lee's jaw, encouraging him to turn his head. When he did, he was met with a kiss, light and soft.