Okie dokie! :D I felt like posting this, so I did:) Yes, the title is sappy. But really, what do you expect from Lee? :)
This My Cherry Blossom 'Fic' is really just a series of one-shots of Lee/Sakura- not really needing to be read in any particular order (though considering my ideas, it's not a bad idea), and only being updated when I feel like writing Lee/Sakura. :) But since I have a few ideas racing in my mind, it'll probably be updated roughly about every other week or so. :) I'd love it if you read and reviewed :)
All of the one-shots take place during the time skip.
Disclaimer: Oh, yes, I am Masashi Kishimoto, and I completely and totally own Naruto. I also came up with Lee/Sakura. I live in Japan and I obviously speak amazing English as well. If you believe this, I'll give myself a cookie for being so convincing. :)
Enjoy-
Pendant
The shop wasn't busy at all, in fact, it was completely empty. The owner had disappeared into the back room, leaving Rock Lee to browse the rows and rows of gems and jewels alone.
Not like he minded at first, in fact, he felt immensely pleased that his reputation allowed other people to trust him enough to leave him unsupervised in a shop. How youthful! But, after a half hour of browsing unsupervised, Lee had finally found the item of his choice...and couldn't open the case to take it out.
Rock Lee smiled to himself, unfazed by the fact that, obviously (since the cases were locked) the shop owner didn't trust him. Instead, he smiled and muttered something about how the Power of Youth was still compelling people to stay safe. How wonderful!
Lee vaguely wondered what was taking the shopkeeper so long, and decided he would do some stretches in the while he waited. After all, a man had to be well rounded- excitable, yet patient. At least, that was what Gai-sensei told him. Patience was key.
That's how Tsumero Riji found him a half hour later, stretched out on her floor as though he was dead.
"Aiiii!" She rushed to his side and started hitting his chest, trying to rouse the unconscious (or so it seemed) youth.
"What- what is the matter?" Rock Lee jumped up in a flash. "Stay back- whatever it is, it may not be safe for civilians!"
Instead, the elderly woman looked up at Lee distastefully. "What where you doing, sprawled out onto my floor like that? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
Lee suddenly looked very remorseful. "I am sorry, Tsumero-san. I decided I would stretch while waiting for you to come out, thus strengthening my patience. Very sorry if I frightened you..."
She glared at him instead of taking his apology.
Lee lowered his head, "I found something I would like to purchase," he said in a meek voice.
At the prospect of making money out of this boisterous fool, the woman immediately plastered on a smile. "Oh, really?"
Lee, seeing that finally the woman had found the Power of Youth, spread a smile across his face. "Yes! It is for someone special!" He pointed to a pendant, shaped strategically to filter light through the crystal petals, accentuating its color.
"The Cherry Blossom pendant?" The woman asked, her eyebrows raised.
"Yes! It is for someone special!"
Riji ignored the repetitive fool and took a chain of keys out of her apron pocket. After a minute or so of fingering the keys and trying different ones, she finally unlocked the case in which the pendant laid. "You do know it costs a hefty bunch, don't you?"
"Yes, but it is for someone special! Name your price!"
Riji sighed and looked at the price taped right above the pendant. "Oh, let's say several thousand yen."
The boy's eyes goggled in amazement. "Wow... that's a lot. "
Now the woman was irritated. This boisterous, repetitive, obvious fool was definitely the most interesting- and most annoying- customer she had in a while. "Can you pay for it or not? "
Lee hesitated. He had lots of money saved from little missions here and there, but having a couple thousand yen was pushing it. "I- I am not sure."
"Well, the sign there says no loitering, so don't expect me to let you stick around to count on your fingers," the woman snapped.
If it had been anyone else, they would of been offended and might not of bothered making sure at all- just walked on out the door. But this was Rock Lee, student of the amazing Gai-sensei- and he was trained to take insult to injury (despite being old, the lady sure could hit hard).
"Uh... yes! I can pay for it!" Lee proclaimed, not sure if he was lying or not. They would find out soon enough.
With another long sigh, Riji led the way to the counter, where Lee watched in fascination as the woman wrapped the pendant carefully into a bag.
Lee reached into his backpack, drawing out a large jar full of coins.
"... You want me to count all that up?"
"No, no, I can do that!" Lee said excitedly. A chance to improve his mathematical skills!
After a very long five minutes, Lee proudly presented the amount of yen needed for the pendent, leaving just enough for a cheap box to accompany the necklace with.
With a satisfied grunt, Riji gave him the bag with the precious pendant and a small box to present it to his "special person" with.
"Why anyone would be interested in you," the woman mused while Lee turned to leave, "I have no idea."
Rock Lee's face fell. "She is not interested in me. " He admitted. "But no matter how much she ignores me, I will always be right behind her!"
"Well, that's not scary." Riji stated.
Her sarcasm didn't register in Lee's ear. "No, it isn't, because it means I can catch her when she falls!" With a especially youthful jump into the air, Lee raced out of the store, running to find his beloved Cherry Blossom.
-/-/-/-
It was odd, how Rock Lee would show up in the weirdest moments, whenever she needed something to lift her spirits. Like now.
"Sakura!" He cried in that cheerfully annoying way of his. He was obviously hiding something behind his back, but Sakura pretended not to notice.
"Um, hey Lee." Sakura acknowledged, dangling her feet over the edge of the bench.
"It is very late now.."
Captain Obvious, Sakura thought to herself with an eye roll. "Yeah..."
"Uh, what are you doing out here?"
"I could ask the same of you," she replied, looking away. She smoothed her hands over the bench, remembering.
This was the place where she pledged her undying love to Sasuke. The exact same place that she held him tight, begging him to stay, the place he left and swore never to look back.
She didn't want Lee to be part of this place.
"Uh, I was looking for you!" he cried with an all too famous grin.
"..."
"I... want to give you something!"
"Oh, really?" she said, mildly amused.
"Uh-huh," he pulled out whatever it was from behind his back and pushed it forward with a wide grin. "Open it! Open it! Open it!"
"Uh, Lee..." Sakura leaned back, away from the present. "It's not my birthday..."
"I know!"
This completely confused Sakura. Why in the world was he giving this to her, now?
"It's not going to be my birthday or anything for a long time..."
"I know! Open it!"
Sakura raised an eyebrow at the green-clad ninja in front of her. His grin was so wide, his eyes so intent on her...
With a sigh, she carefully pulled at the scarlet ribbon holding a soft, blue jewelry box together.
Wait, what-?
Against her better judgment, she flicked open the box, revealing a beautiful pink pendant, in the form of a cherry blossom. Made out of crystal that glimmered even though the sun was already down, it was definitely the most beautiful necklace Sakura had ever seen.
And certainly the most expensive.
"Wow, " she breathed, unsure of what to say. "Wow." Sakura looked up at his wide grin. "Lee- I mean, how much did this cost? It looks as though it's worth a fortune..."
Lee beamed, proud that he had obviously made a excellent choice. "Money does not matter, it has already all paid off!" Lee took the box away from her and carefully removed the necklace, unclasping it. He reached forward, leaning towards Sakura to clasp it around her neck.
Sakura didn't resist, but she did stiffen underneath his touch. Lee, however, was completely oblivious to this, and was beaming brightly as he pulled away from her.
She gently handled the necklace, looking down at it. "You... really didn't have to."
"But I wanted to!" He proclaimed, looking at her with wide-eyed innocence. "It felt like a good day to get you something, with the sun being so bright and cheery this morning! I- I had to! "
Sakura couldn't help but laugh- for what reasons Lee did not know, but it cheered him up nonetheless. With another bright smile, Lee announced his thoughts; "No matter what is to come of the necklace, it is already completely worth the price I paid, just to hear you laugh again and enjoy your wondrous smile!"
Sakura looked down and clutched the pendant tightly in her palm. Why was Lee so infatuated with her? Why would he constantly do things... like this... when obviously she didn't feel the same way?
"Would you like me to escort you home?" Lee asked with a brilliant smile and a very much expected thumbs-up.
Sakura smiled softly. "Thank you Lee, but I'm going to stay here for a while longer," Lee opened his mouth to speak, but Sakura silenced him with one finger. "I need to be by myself for a bit."
Rock Lee looked dubious for a bit, but then relented. "Yes, Sakura. I understand." After a moment of consideration, he added, "Be careful. This is the only road leading into Konoha, and the only way out.
"I know." She said softly, her eyes fixated on the ground.
Lee lingered at the site for a minute longer, not entirely sure of what to do. Finally, with one last "be safe," he leaped off into the distance.
Sakura clutched the pendant tightly until her hand started to bleed from the sharp edges.
Ever since her team had been pretty much disbanded, she would come here every night, to the blue and white bench, just to wait for one of them to return. To see Sasuke, silently coming back with the news that Itachi was dead, or even Naruto bounding back, blabbering about how much jutsu he had learned.
But that wasn't possible, at least for a very, very, very long time. But still she would wait...
She had wanted this place to stay the same, filled with the same thoughts of Sasuke and Naruto's leaving... but as people changed, apparently places must too.
She let go of the necklace and stood up to leave, reluctant to go. At least now, the place had a happy memory attached to it.
-/-/-/-
Lee sneaked into his house. Not like he was hiding from anything, but just because it could be good practice for future missions. Slipping quietly into his room, he placed his jar back onto the side table. A few coins jingled in the jar, definitely not enough for what he was planning to get her for her birthday coming up in a few months- not even enough for the lunch he was planning with Neji and Tenten. Not enough for anything.
Lee smiled to himself. It did not matter, the look on Sakura's face was completely worth it. He would go on other missions, he would get more money. But what was life if you didn't bring smiles to the people you loved?
He crawled into bed and turned out his lamp. He said a silent prayer, hoping that Sakura had made it home unharmed, AND that she was comfortable under the covers.
With a contented sigh, he ended his day with his traditional nighttime thought-
Goodnight, my Cherry Blossom.