The Green Phantom

A Lee Love Story

Part Two

A Sweet Annoyance

"Oh Tenten this week has been so exhausting! Thank you for inviting me out tonight I needed some time away from my work and other more annoying problems." I said taking a seat with my best friend in our favorite booth. She grinned at me as she started to let down her hair. She knew exactly what I was talking about.

"Oh is a certain green clad teammate of mine still bothering you? Is he really all that bad?" she said flipping absentmindedly through the menu. We came here so often she didn't even have to look at it to figure out what she wanted but she still always looked through it.

"Well yea I don't mind Lee in little portions but when he shows up at the academy everyday out of the blue it can be a bit much. Especially when he keeps asking me if I want to do this or that and following me around like a lost little puppy." I said sighing and resting my head on my hands. Tenten as always was helpful by laughing at my situation.

I glared at her and after ordering our drinks she said "Oh come on Yua puppies are cute I have always wanted one." I gave her a WTF face and she continued "Oh come on Yua you have to think its a little bit cute isn't it? I mean is it really all that bad?" I occupied myself by stacking creamers as I thought about what she said. I guess in a way it was a tiny bit cute.

I was just about to admit that she may be right when speak of the devil a whirlwind of green burst through the cafe's doors. I groaned trying to cover my face but he had already spotted me and was waving furiously while running to us. I forced myself to smile as he helped himself to the seat beside me. "Oh Yua I didn't know you were going to be here! Kind of like fate brought us here right well now that were both here we should like sit together right? Oh hi Tenten didn't see you there." he said in one quick breath as Tenten broke into a fit of silent giggles.

"Yea sure feel free to join us Lee its not like Tenten and I were trying to have a girls night or anything. So where have you been I haven't seen you in almost hm what has it been two hours since I left the academy?" I said overly cheerful and trying my hardest to slide closer to the window. Lee looked at me his eyes almost hurt but that didn't stop him for long.

"Oh well I had some training to do with Gai Sensai. Actually he was the one who told me I should try the food here he says you two come here a lot. Well is the food good like he said?"Lee said looking through my menu. I looked at him and it dawned on me maybe Lee wasn't such a pest I mean in this situation he seemed almost normal. It was nice. I decided that maybe I should be nice and give him a chance.

For the rest of the evening the three of us talked and laughed and I even leaned into Lee a couple times, as part of jokes of course, but it was funny to see him turn bright red. I actually had a pretty good time. After the meal was done we walked around down town for a little bit looking at all the shops. Then I was left alone with Lee when Tenten took off when she saw another friend, or at least that's what she said, but the weird thing was I didn't really mind. I was having fun with Lee as strange as that sounded.

I was laughing at something Lee said when I stopped in mid step when I saw something. A beautiful gold necklace with a small silver star pendant on it. I went over to the vender and touched it gently. "Its so beautiful just like the one my mother had ..." I said forgetting Lee was there with me. I checked the price tag and my heart dropped. Way to much for me to pay.

I walked away tears swelling up in my eyes. Lee stopped me and turned me so I could face him then asked "Whats wrong Yua what is making you cry?" I rubbed my eyes and tried to just shrug it off but Lee refused to take that answer. "No tell me so if there is anything I can do to take away your pain I will do it." he said his voice and eyes so full of compassion it caught me off guard. He really cared.

"Oh its nothing really its just that my mother before she died left me her necklace and it looked exactly like that one. But when I was in the black ops I lost it on a mission. I have searched everywhere for one like it but no one had it and that one is way to expensive. Anyway I think I am going to head home now so see you later ok?" I said actually feeling better.

"Oh well ill walk you home... if that ok with you that is! I mean who knows what could happen to such a beautiful women all alone at this time of night and of course I don't want anything bad to happen to you." he said blushing slightly and tracing patterns with his feet in the ground. I smiled at him and hooking my arm through his told him I would love to walk home with him.

The walk was quiet and peaceful and even though we didn't talk much it wasn't awkward at all. It was just nice to listen to the crickets and look at the stars. When we finally got to my house we stood on my front porch and not quite ready to go in I said "Wow they are really pretty tonight aren't they?" as I looked up at the stars.

I looked back at Lee who was staring into my eyes and he said quietly "Yes they are beautiful." I had a feeling he wasn't talking about the stars and then it was my turn to blush. I was glad that I had the darkness of the night to cover it. Then before I had time to say anything Lee said "I had a really fun time tonight thanks for letting me hang out with you guys after I appeared out of no where like that. Your really nice Yua and really sweet …" then he kissed me on the cheek before quickly turning around and running home. I touched my cheek as I walked inside and thought to myself that Lee wasn't so bad after all.

Six Months Later

"OK class and remember your reports are due next Friday and see you tomorrow!" I called as my students filed out of the room. I started to erase the board when I heard some one call my name. I turned around to see Dakai, one of my students, standing there. "Oh yes do you have a question Dakai?" I asked wiping off my hands.

"Yes. Yua Sensai your really pretty are you married yet?" he asked looking at me innocently. I smiled at him he was so cute. "No I am not but I hope I will be someday." then just as I said that he came back with another question "Well at least you have a boyfriend right? I bet you have a boyfriend." "No not yet Dakai." "Why not Yua Sensai?" "Because I guess I haven't found the right guy yet." "What about the people who came in here for the team project they were nice. Especially Lee he was really cool!" "Yes they were nice but I don't think its any of your business who I date. Why don't you run along." "OK Yua Sensai but here I have something for you." by now I had turned around so he just left it on my desk.

I laughed slightly to myself as I erased the rest of the board. They were always coming up with such funny ideas but then again maybe he knew something I didn't. I mean ever since Lee and I had become friends he had been on my mind a lot. We had had so many fun times since then it was a bit hard to be away from his lately. What made things even worse was I hadn't seen him in a couple days.

I had thought it would be easy to last a few days without him but I had grown so use to eating dinner with him most nights I was finding it hard to go without him. I sighed and turned around expecting to see a paper from Dakai on my desk but instead I found a small square box. I sat down and looked at the note and smiled. It was from Lee. I opened the box and gasped blinking back tears. It was the necklace I had seen all those months ago at the downtown market.

I blinked back tears and read the card that was in the box. "I told you I would do whatever I could to make it so you would never cry. I hope giving this to you makes your life a little bit happier. Love Lee." I touched the necklace, that was now around my neck, gently then hearing somebody at the door quickly wiped my eyes and to my delight saw Lee standing there. I ran over to him and hugged him tight. A bit taken back it took him a second before he wrapped his arms around me and hugged back.

Before I could think twice I kissed him gently and whispered "Thank you this means so much to me." Lee turning bright red was completely speechless and could do nothing more then nod and hug me again. And as I stood there in his arms I couldn't stop myself from thinking that maybe Lee wouldn't make such a bad boyfriend after all.