A/N: These aren't meant to be read in any particular order, by the way. I just write them as they come to me as if they were one shots.

A little LeeHina to brighten up your existence, as a collab with my little sister. Hope you guys enjoy!

Curry of Love
Sugar

"This is a disaster."

TenTen opened one eye to peer over at Neji, who'd sat down gracefully beside her. He looked…exhausted, which was weird, because Neji always looked in control, even when he was losing a battle. Besides the tired slump of his shoulders and frown on his face, there was a paper in his hand. That was the only thing she could see that might be the case of the change.

"Bad mission assignment of something?" She asked, sitting up from where she'd been lying in the shade, reading a scroll on the study of chain repair.

"No," the Hyuuga muttered, offering the paper up for her to take. "Worse."

Curious, TenTen held it up so she could read it.

My dear Hinata, it read. I have noticed that your lovely smile has been all but absent lately. It makes my heart ache to see you so sad.

She hadn't given the matter much thought, but Hinata had seemed rather down lately. Quieter than usual, if such a thing were possible. Frowning, TenTen tried to think of why that might be, but came up with nothing. Why hadn't she noticed sooner?

Perhaps I am being too forward, but I wanted to let you know that I think your smile is beautiful. Even on days where I cannot believe that the sun will rise tomorrow, your smile gives me the strength to smile myself. Because I know that you are always smiling in spite of the darkness and pain.

I want to tell you that I admire you. You have kept your gentle spirit, in spite of the ugliness life has shown you, and with quiet courage you face new challenges every day.

The things that you strive to overcome are not things that others can see, but they are so much more difficult because you feel you must face them alone.

Hinata, please remember as you smile, that you are never alone. I am watching you, giving back what courage I can, always. You may not notice me, but I see you, and will do all I can to help you from the shadows. Because you are a small light in the darkness.

Sincerely,

Someone who loves you

"Well," TenTen said, staring at the paper. "That's…uh…that's very poetic, Neji. But, well, it's just a bit awkward." And rather incestuous, which seemed a bigger problem than why Hinata hadn't been smiling lately.

"Tell me about it," Neji muttered, putting the heel of his hand to his head. "I'm just glad it actually said Hinata's name, or I would have been concerned as to who put this on my door."

"Your door?" TenTen blinked. "You mean you didn't write it?"

Neji looked at her like she'd just announced she was going to start dressing like Guy. "No."

She sighed slightly, more of relief than anything else. She would have found it harder to help her team mate than usual in this situation. She frowned as she thought more, and studied the note again. "So they put it on your door by mistake?"

The Hyuuga nodded, but he was staring at the ground in concentration. "It seems as though they didn't know where her room was."

"Well…that's comforting."

Neji looked over at her in confusion, his brows furrowing. "How do you figure?"

TenTen smiled at him slightly before shrugging. "It means that, whoever it was, doesn't stalk her constantly."

Actually, Neji did find that thought surprisingly reassuring. Leave it to TenTen to think of something like that.

She frowned at the note again; holding it up for closer inspection like that would help her somehow. "So the disaster you mentioned earlier is…that someone likes Hinata?"

"Not exactly." Neji picked up a few blades of grass in his hand tossing them carelessly to catch on the breeze. "It's just…"

"You don't know, do you?" TenTen laughed, shaking her head. "It bothers you, and you don't know why."

He scowled, knowing that she was right, but not quite wanting to admit it. "No…well…" He paused, frowning in thought. "Maybe a little." He sneaked a sidelong glance at her face, before returning to his activity of pulling at the harmless grass.

With a knowing smile, TenTen nodded. "And you have no idea who it is from?"

Neji shook his head before leaning over to look at the letter in her hand once again. "I don't have a clue. It seems a little familiar and I'm fairly sure it is someone our age. The writing still looks immature." The writing was a little sloppy, not the hand of someone who had been writing for business or other activities where the appearance of the style was just as important as what it said.

"I think whoever it was did the strokes backwards." She cocked her head to the side quizzically. "There are only a few people I know who do that. Iruka-sensei does." It was why he didn't often write on the board, although she doubted Neji knew that. "Naruto does too, because he taught himself." But the writing was much too poetic for Naruto, as happy as that would make Hinata.

The Hyuuga studied the writing again. That would certainly account for the sloppy look. He pondered deeply before shaking his head. "I can't think of anyone I know who does that." He racked his brains, but found he still came up blank. "Do you know anyone else?"

"Well…Lee does…but…" But he wouldn't, right? Because Lee was in love with Sakura, and he was always so LOUD when he decided he loved someone. Notes were too subtle for him. Weren't they? "I mean, it does sound a little like him, I guess, but it can't be. Right?"

"No. Lee is too…forward." He nodded, a little satisfied with his wording. "He still likes Sakura doesn't he?" Sure he hadn't been mentioning her as much as he used too, but they had been busy as of late. That was only natural. "No. It can't be Lee…"

TenTen read the note over again. "The word youth isn't used at all." But if he was careful and really didn't want to be found out, Lee was smart enough to know that was something that would give him away immediately. "I don't know anyone else…"

He leaned over to study the paper again before sighing, feeling dejected. He started to rub his temples and he gritted his teeth. "I don't know who else it could be. It might even be someone…" He sighed. "I'm worried that it is someone just trying to take advantage of her name."

"Cynical." It wasn't so much an insult as it was an observation. "But just giving her an anonymous note gains them nothing. There's no guarantee Hinata will try and find out who it is." Any half-way decent ninja probably would, but Hinata was kind of weird

"I'm not cynical per say. I'm careful." He reached over and took the note. "I don't even know if I should give this to her." True, it might make her feel better, but it was still too…suspicious. "It's not like everyone in the village doesn't know that she is the heir to the Hyuuga clan. She is sought for, but not because of her personality." It was quite obnoxious actually. She was too sensitive for that.

"Again, I don't see how a note with no signature would gain them anything. I think you should give it to her. If she's as depressed as the author of this seems to think, it might do her some good." TenTen tapped the paper with one finger. "What's she so upset about anyway? I hadn't noticed before, but this someone is right."

Neji sighed deeply, shaking his head. "I managed to talk to her briefly about it, but I still don't know all the details. I do know that it has something to do with Naurto." He looked over at TenTen and he felt himself seethe slightly "Did you know he hasn't even talked to her yet?"

"He left so quickly, but I thought he'd at least said something to her. That explains a lot." TenTen sighed, rubbing her forehead with the heel of her hand. "I'm sure he didn't mean to be so insensitive. It's not any excuse but…"

The Hyuuga made a 'tch' noise, but had to admit to himself that she was right. Naruto frequently did not think these things through, and he also tended to focus only on his own goals. It didn't make the blonde boy a bad person, in fact Naruto was a great kid, but it did make him rather frustrating. He looked at the note, now in his hand, before standing slowly. He looked down at TenTen before offering her a hand up.

She took it, pulling herself upright, book in hand. "Where are we going?"

"I'm trying to decide that as we walk." He started to walk, knowing TenTen would follow. He really did hate seeing Hinata upset, and the note would probably cheer her up, and try as he might, he didn't find he had any uneasy feelings as he read the letter. "I suppose we should probably return this to its rightful owner…"

"Good idea." TenTen smiled, following behind him. They were about halfway to the Hyuuga compound when a familiar cheerful voice rang across the market.

"Neji! TenTen!" Lee ran toward them, waving excitedly. "What are you two up to this glorious morning?"

Neji gave Lee a half-smile before raising his eyebrows. "We were just on our way to the Hyuuga compound. Where have you been?"

"I spent my morning training with Guy-sensei, so the better question would be where were you two?" Lee shot them a suspicious glance, and TenTen felt her cheeks heat up.

"I was reading and lost track of time." She muttered, resisting the urge to knock Lee upside the head, because he hadn't really done anything wrong. He hadn't even actually implied anything. She was just being sensitive.

"I've been investigating, and TenTen was kind enough to help me." Neji continued to give Lee the same look. He had completely forgotten they were meeting with Guy-sensei this morning. That was unusual for him, but he blamed the stress of the morning on that. He held out the note to Lee. "Do you know who could have written this?"

Lee's reaction was fascinating to watch. His round eyes widened to nearly the size of dinner plates, his face paled, and he made a choked laughing noise. "That, that note? No, why would I know? Of course not! It's just a note, a regular note, no way to tell who wrote it at all. But, if you give it to me, I will do my best to find out."

Wow. That wasn't suspicious at all. TenTen frowned, taking a step toward him, and was surprised when he actually flinched. "Rock Lee, what are you hiding?"

"Hiding? I'm not hiding anything. I only wish to to help a friend in need." Lee held out his hand with an obviously nervous laugh. "Please may I see it, Neji?"

Neji frowned slightly, feeling hesitant. It was not a reaction he had been expecting, but it had set off alarm bells. He shook his head. "I think you know more than you are letting on Lee, and you can't have this note until you tell us what."

The anxious look that crossed Lee's face was rather unsettling, because it didn't look like it belonged there at all. "Honest, Neji, I wouldn't know anything about anyone who would have such strong feelings for your cousin. And we must do everything we can to protect her virtue and…youthful innocence…"

"How did you read that thing so fast?" TenTen asked, trying to sound innocent. Lee's reaction had been so fast; there was no way he'd managed to process more than her name at the top.

"It's a good point Lee." Neji stepped forward, but kept the note at his side now. His eyes narrowed in suspicion and he crossed his arms across his chest in a familiar pose. "What is going on?"

Seeing now that it was futile to try and backtrack, Lee gulped and moved to start running. Unfortunately for him, TenTen had anticipated this move on his part, and already had a chain shooting toward him, tangling his legs. He fell hard, gasping as the air was forced from his lungs. TenTen took the opportunity to pounce on him, sitting on him so her knees pinned his shoulders. It wouldn't hold him if he really wanted to get away, but it might slow him down enough for Neji to get to him.

She frowned, keeping a hand on his head. "You wrote that note?"

A soft sigh, and Lee let himself go limp under her hold. He was a dead man anyway. "Yes."

Neji blinked, thoroughly surprised. He walked over and kneeled in front of his friend. He read the note over again and he sighed. He knew Lee would never write or say anything he wouldn't mean. Only one question was really ringing in his head clearly. "Why?"

"You love Sakura," or something. Like Sakura and told her he loved her, anyway.

"It…" Lee bit his lip, wishing he could at least sit up so he could look at Neji properly while he tried to explain. "I have been watching Hinata lately. She…she couldn't find you the day Naruto left, and in looking for you she found me. We've talked everyday and I…I don't want her to hurt anymore. If I can do anything to lighten her burden, and least a little, then I want to."

The Hyuuga frowned again and motioned for TenTen to release Lee. He was pretty sure Lee wouldn't run anymore. He waited until he could look Lee in the eyes before he spoke. "So…do you still love Sakura or not?"

"Sakura was never mine to love." It hurt, but in the last couple of weeks he'd found it wasn't as hard to deal with as he'd expected. "First Sasuke, and now Naruto-kun. We could be friends, at best, but she will never love me. I don't want to spend my life trying for someone who cannot love me when someone better might…maybe…in some small way…"

"Might love you," TenTen finished softly, reaching out and putting a hand on Lee's shoulder. They'd had a very similar conversation a few weeks after they were put on the same team, when Lee had confessed his love to her. And she had explained that she loved him, in a way, but not how he'd wanted. It hurt to see that look of heartbreak on his face again.

Neji nodded sadly and looked down at the note. He looked back up at Lee before he stood. "Alright. I'm going to go give this to Hinata-sama." He had made up his mind. He would give it to his cousin, and then it would be up to her to make the right decision, whatever that may be.

Lee yelped, twisting out of TenTen's grasp and making a desperate grab for it. "No, Neji, don't. It was a bad idea. Impulsive. She'll know it was me and then…it'll ruin everything or…or she'll not have anyone to talk to and I'll only make things worse, somehow."

She didn't talk herself out of knocking him on the back of the head this time. "Idiot! Lee, it's a lovely note. Exactly what she needs right now."

The Hyuuga didn't like seeing Lee so distraught over it, but he knew that this would make Hinata-sama feel better. Whether or not she would be able to tell it was Lee, he didn't know. "I'm giving it to her Lee. No matter what you say." He started to walk, though he activated his byakugan, just in case the green clad ninja escaped from TenTen and charged him. He didn't like to be surprised, especially by a high speed Taijutsu user.

"Don't make me tie you up again, Lee," TenTen muttered, keeping a hand on his elbow to help him stand. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but this really is a good idea. Don't turn into a coward on me now. Come on." Maybe watching her reaction would help him. It was bound to be better than anything he was imagining.

Neji walked up to the Hyuuga compound, him and his team mates in utter silence. He walked inside, and started to head to Hinata-sama's room. It wasn't hard to find, especially for him. He sighed and looked at the door before turning and looking at Lee. "For future reference, this is Hinata-sama's room. That is mine." He pointed over at his door. "You taped the note to the wrong door."

A little pink tinted Lee's cheeks as he studied the location. Neji's door had been just a little down the hall. Maybe he should have paid better attention to Hanabi's directions. He had, after all, traded away two afternoons a week to train the younger Hyuuga in Taijutsu. "Oh."

The Hyuuga turned and knocked on the door that belonged to the shy girl. He waited for a response and as soon as the door opened he bowed. He confirmed that it was Hinata standing in front of him instead of Hanabi, and then he continued. "Hinata-sama, this is for you. It was taped to my door by mistake."

Hinata blinked, obviously surprised. She took the note and looked up at her older cousin. He nodded and she opened the letter.

White eyes slowly widened, and, to Lee's delight, a slow smile crossed Hinata's face. She looked shocked, and pleased, and confused all at once.

"But who…who would send me such a nice thing?" Hinata asked, her hands holding the note like they would have a delicate ancient text. Something precious and irreplaceable.

"Someone who cares about you very much." Neji said delicately, putting a hand on her shoulder. He resisted the urge to turn around and look at Lee's face. He didn't even use byakugan. He figured it would be odd to Hinata-sama if he suddenly activated his byakugan in the Hyuuga house.

She grinned, holding the note close to her heart. "Thank you for bringing it to me, Neji-niisan. I feel that, somehow, things are better now."

TenTen squeezed Lee's arm tight, a silent message that she was proud of him. For his part, Lee felt he should say something, but he didn't have a clue what it could be. Just seeing her smile like that made any consequences that might come worth it.