A/N: for the Lovely Penbee, I hope this is okay.
Guy Talk
"Thank you very much for this vigorous training session, surely I shall catch up to you and we can be youthful rivals in truth, Neji-kun!" Lee's proclamation rang through the mostly silent forest, startling some birds that had just decided it was safe to land again.
Neji tracked the chakra signatures of the birds within Lee's audible range as they took off. He couldn't blame the creatures. He'd more then once felt the urge to run when Lee got… exuberant. And the fact that a good deal of the forest was missing where the two had been training was a factor of course.
"Sit down Lee." Neji tossed a towel at his teammate, fished from his shoulder pack. The Jounin wiped at the sweat on his own face as he watched Lee catch the cloth with a jump and flourish. Nothing seemed to dampen Lee's spirits. Not even two hours of intense training in the muggy, Konoha summer heat.
"Thank you Neji-kun!" Lee settled down and wiped his face and neck, trying not to pant, but Neji saw the way his lungs constricted; there wasn't much that could be hidden from the Byakugan. He'd called the break for that very reason, claiming he needed a rest. Lee couldn't argue, not if Neji claimed to be the one that needed the breather. It was amusing, in a way, how easy it was to get Lee to go along with things; you just had to know how to phrase things correctly. And experience and observation had taught Neji exactly how to phrase things.
It was also odd, to think that he was training with Rock Lee, if not on equal footing yet, then closing in on it. Lee was improving. Lee was always improving. Neji knew he himself was improving as well, but… Well there was something almost inspiring in Lee's almost tireless pursuit of self-improvement. Even Neji's obsession with perfecting his defense couldn't quite compare to Lee's dogged, single-minded patience when he set his mind to a task. Neji admired it, even if the current, long-term task was proving that Lee could beat the genius Neji.
"Neji-kun." Neji looked up from his musing, blinked at the serious expression on Lee's face.
"Yes?"
"Is there someone you love?"
"Excuse me?" Neji tried hard to compose himself. Where had that come from?
"It's just, I was wondering, since you're my age, and very popular with the girls, if…" Lee was turning red.
Neji sighed and leaned forward, watching the way Lee's ears almost seemed to steam from embarrassment. "It's alright. But why ask me? I'm sure Gai-sensei would be happy to give you advice about girls."
Lee stared at Neji, shocked. "How did you know?!"
Neji smiled slightly, and didn't reply.
"Well… Well Gai-sensei has given me many inspiring speeches! It's just… I wanted… Well, I was wondering from someone that maybe…" Lee struggled valiantly with the words. "I wanted to know from someone who lived with her!"
"Hinata-sama!?" Neji nearly choked, forcing back the shock. "I thought… Didn't you like Haruno-san?"
Lee smiled wistfully. "Do not worry Neji-kun, it isn't that my heart is fickle. It's just… Well, Naruto-kun is my friend, I couldn't pursue Sakura-san in good conscience."
Neji tried to force himself to think past this new development. It wasn't as if he objected to Lee being interested in Hinata, not exactly. If anything, Lee would do his best to watch out for her. But the thought of them dating? He wasn't sure how to even begin imagining it. In fact, he was trying very hard not to begin imagining it.
"Hinata-sama… Likes Naruto, Lee." Neji managed, as gently as he could.
"Ah, I know Neji-kun. But, well, I thought maybe she might consider me, if even just as a friend. I admire how she tries very hard to become a worthy successor."
"Ah. And you want me to do what exactly for you?"
"Well, I was wondering what sort of things she likes! If I am going to court the youthful flame of my heart, I must present her with appropriate tokens of my esteem and affection!" Neji could hear the echo of Gai in those words.
"… Ah." Neji felt the world shift, just subtly. He was going to be playing matchmaker between a member of the main branch—his cousin, shy little Hinata—and Rock Lee. And he couldn't say no. Not to that earnest face.
Neji had to wonder when Lee had learned his own tricks of manipulation, and when he, Neji, had started falling for them.
