Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Rock Lee and Female OC

Hello, everyone! This oneshot is to promote my larger work, Talk About Chemistry! Please check it out!

"Five, six, seven, eight!" Ren shouted as she clapped her hands together in a rhythm, standing in formation with the rest of her cheerleading squad. In response to her count-off, the team's coach clicked the "play" button on the portable stereo, and peppy music boomed from the speakers. Immediately, the team jolted into action, performing their meticulously practiced routine. Ren, as the captain, felt even more pressure to perform perfectly, and she ran the steps through her mind as her body performed the motions. Step, clap, dun-dun, da-dum, she thought as she danced along to the music and shouted chants. Then came time for the stunts, and the cheerleaders seamlessly arranged themselves into the proper position. Four other girls came up beside her, forming a square and locking their hands together to form a hold for her feet.

Moment of truth, she thought as she vaulted herself onto the foothold and was promptly lifted high into the air. On each side of her, two pyramids had been made featuring the two males on the team, as her coach had thought that it would make for a more aesthetically pleasing picture. They were pulling out all the stops for their championship competition this year. Ren took a deep breath and clapped her hands, then held up her arms and pulled up one of her legs to form a "P" shape. Below her, the girls not involved in holding up the three flyers were performing impressive tumbling stunts. As the two ended with back flip-twists, it signaled the flyers that it was time to fall. Ren jumped up slightly and turned quickly in the air, once, twice, and then fell in the waiting arms of her team mates. They scurried back into the final formation in perfect timing with the ending of the song, and Ran could not help but exclaim happily.

"Perfect!" she praised her team as she bounced out in front of them and turned to face them. "Great job, everyone! Soon thus routine will be like second nature to us! All right, now that we have the first section down, we can proceed to learning the next bit!" she proclaimed, then narrowed her eyes as the alarm on her phone went off, signaling that practice was over. She sighed heavily and switched off the obnoxious ringtone. "All right, guys, pack it up. You got off easy, but tomorrow is going to be rough, so bring your A-game!" she shouted as her team scattered to begin retrieving their things and start off towards the parking lot adjacent to the practice field. As Ren jogged over to the bleachers and began packing up her bag, she became aware of very loud giggling off to her right. She looked up to see her vice-captains, Ino and Sakura, sitting on the bleachers and looked at her. "What is it?" She asked them curiously.

"Ren, we know someone who has a crush on you," Ino teased, then looked at Sakura knowingly. They both erupted into another fit of laughter, making Ren frown and drop her bag to walk over to them.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense!" she cried. "Who is it?" She demanded, but they both shook their heads fervently.

"No, no! We promised we wouldn't tell!" Sakura insisted.

"Then why tell me someone has a crush on me?" Ren cried as she threw up her arms in exasperation, turning her back to them. Suddenly they squealed in delight, and as Ren looked back at them she could see them wriggling about and gazing excitedly at the entrance gate to the practice field. Ren followed their gaze to see three guys making their way across the concrete walkway, one of them seemingly being encouraged by the other two. Ren, mildly curious and mostly concerned, waiting anxiously as the three newcomers joined the lingering cheerleaders at the bleachers. Oh, I know these three! She realized.

The one on the left was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed oblivious boy Naruto Uzumaki, the local class clown with a heart of gold. He was also one of the local heartthrobs, second only to the school hottie Sasuke Uchiha. Both were on the basketball team and bitter rivals, but also the best of friends you could ever meet. His easy-going personality and chatty demeanor made him a ready conversationalist with anyone who was around, making him notably popular with the ladies; unfortunately, he wasn't too proficient in the love department, and you pretty much had to slap a confession into his face for him to realize anything, so despite his popularity, he was single.

The one on the right was Shikamaru Nara- dark-haired, foul-mouthed, and unmotivated, but the most brilliant boy you could ever come across. Sheer laziness kept him from graduating early and proceeding to university, but even so, his intellect was unmatched, even by the team's resident genius, Sakura. He was constantly skipping class, though, and was often found sleeping in the most unexpected places, making him one of the school's renowned "bad boys." Plenty of girls found that attractive, but- and she had heard this first-hand from Ino, one of his childhood friends- he found relationships a "drag" and turned down any girl who bore her heart to him.

The one in the middle was a boy she hadn't expected- Rock Lee. The school's champion track star and local MMA legend, but as dorky as they come. Bowl haircut, formal style of speaking, and huge eyebrows- not a recipe for a desirable man. Still, he was upbeat and driven, something she could admire, and rumor had it that despite his unpopularity, he treated every girl like a queen. For a long time, his object of affection had been Sakura, who of course rejected him. He took it hard, rumor had it, but after a day or so he was running through the halls determined to win her heart- sending her surprise bouquets of flowers and the like. Sakura had found it annoying until he beat up a few football players that had harassed her after a game, and after that, the entire team had a healthy respect for the boy.

But why are they here? She thought. Naruto was Sakura's best friend, so he was often around after practice, but none of them had any interaction with Shikamaru except when he bothered to come with Naruto to the field, and this was the first time she had ever seen Lee here. She blinked in surprise when they stopped in front of her, and Naruto gave Lee a slight shove in the back. He stumbled forward, standing awkwardly in front of her as he blushed lightly.

"Yo, Ren!" Naruto grinned and gave her a casual salute. "My boy Lee here has something he'd like to tell you."

"Can we get this over with? Why did you have to bring me along, anyway, Naruto?" Shikamaru sighed deeply as he slouched beside the peppy boy with his hands in his pockets.

"For moral support, you jerk. Go on, Lee! Woo her!" Naruto laughed stupidly, and Ren went red as Ino and Sakura exploded into excited screams. It… can't be. Lee? She thought as she stared up at the boy twiddling his thumbs in front of her. Abruptly, he changed his entire demeanor, smiling confidently as he gave her a thumbs-up.

"Ren! I am here to ask- would you ever considering going on a date with me?" he cried ecstatically. Ren blinked at the sudden question, and her mouth opened and closed a few times. Before she could answer, Sakura and Ino appeared on either side of her.

"Would you excuse us for a moment?" Ino beamed as she stuck out her tongue at the boys before they whisked her away a few rows above the bleachers and sat her down, standing in front of her with their hands on their hips. "All right, Ren, now don't screw this up!"

"Screw what up?" She blinked.

"Your chance!" Sakura exclaimed. "You're the cheerleading captain, and you're damn near the only one of us that's single!"

"Well, not all of us can pick up hunks like Sasuke," Ren snorted at her, and Sakura momentarily swooned at the mention of her beloved boyfriend.

"That's besides the point! Lee is a great guy! He's caring, and passionate, and soooooo tough," Sakura sighed dreamily.

"Are you sure you don't want to date him?" Ren asked doubtfully, raising one of her eyebrows and looking past them to look down at the unassuming boy. He was running around in circles now, fretting about her answer; Naruto gave him a good whack to the head, and he immediately plopped down on the bleachers to go into a mini-depression. He's just… I don't know, she thought doubtfully.

"Yo! What are you girls doing up there?" Naruto shouted up at them impatiently. "Give my man an answer, will ya? I got a hot date with a ramen cup and I ain't gonna be late!"

"It is no use. She will not go out with a loser like me," Lee moped, and Ren felt slightly guilty for judging him prematurely. Like Sakura said, he could be a great guy. There's a reason all the guys respect him, she thought as she rose to her feet and stepped onto the bleacher.

"Lee!" she called down to him, and he gasped as he looked up at her with wide eyes. God, those eyebrows! She thought as a shiver ran up her spine, but she steeled her resolve and swallowed. All I need to give him is a chance… Nothing more. "I'll go on a date with you," she conceded. She jumped violently as he leaped to his feet and threw his hands up into the air with a triumphant crow.

"Yes! Oh, this is fantastic! I must tell Guy-sensei! He will never believe that I got a date!" he screamed and promptly jumped over the chain link fence to take off down the football field. She blinked, and he had made it halfway across already. Damn, he is fast!

"Hey! Lee! Ugh, forget it!" Naruto laughed and turned back to look at her. "He's gone. Mind giving me your number so he can text you later?" he called, and she nodded and carefully picked her way down the bleachers to join the boys on the concrete. She gave Naruto her number to relay to Lee. "To be honest, I didn't think you would say yes," he admitted with a small smile.

"Me either. Why did you?" Shikamaru asked curiously. Ren frowned as she cocked her head to the side, trying to find an honest answer.

"I don't know him well," she told them finally. "But I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to judge by first impressions. There isn't any harm in going out once with him. Besides…" she thought as she stared at the place the boy had run off. "He looked so sad at the thought I would refuse. If going out with me once makes him that happy, then I would like to give him a little hope. No one deserves to feel like they're undesirable." The two boys stared at her in shock, then grinned at each other.

"What a girly answer," Naruto chuckled, and she blushed slightly in irritation.

"Ugh! You re too dim-witted to get it!" she cried and slung her bag onto her back, stomping off with a huff. The two boys laughed at her, and as she marched off towards her car, she heard Naruto's voice floating after her.

"You'd better watch out! Lee is more than a catch than you think!" Though Naruto's tone was joking, the words made her pause as she opened her car door. She looked off at the practice field again, the image of Lee bolting across the grass returning to her mind. She smiled, threw her things into the passenger seat, and then got in to begin the drive home.

Later that night, Lee texted her and they arranged a time and day for their date. A few days later, she awoke on a sunny Saturday morning and immediately jumped out of bed to begin getting ready. Though she had been apprehensive about the entire situation, she still found herself growing excited and had that happy-nervous feeling. Perhaps it was because it had been quite some time since she had been on a date, and it didn't matter who she was going with- she was going on a date, with a boy, and that was enough to send her heart fluttering. She washed and blow-dried her hair, applied a modest dosage of make-up, and changed into a flattering but not-to-flashy sundress paired with sandals and a bow for her hair. She stood in front of her mirror, turning this way and that to analyze her reflection, and nodded in approval. She finished just in time, as it wasn't long until she heard excited rapping at her front door. She answered it to find a very breathless Lee standing in the threshold, his cheeks pink and a sheen of sweat on his face.

"A-and you all right?" She cried in alarm, then gasped as he held out a bouquet of roses for her.

"I-I was on my way here, and then I saw this flower shop, and I realized that I just had to buy you flowers, but I couldn't decide which ones to buy," he panted as she hesitantly took the bouquet and looked it over. She flushed bright pink, happiness bubbling up inside of her at his thoughtfulness.

"Thank you. They're beautiful," she smiled at him, and his face immediately lit up at her gratitude. He straightened up proudly and gave her a thumbs-up.

"I am glad you like them!" he cried.

"Why don't you come inside for a minute so I can put these in a vase, and then we can leave?" She offered, and he went dark red but slowly nodded. She backed up into the entryway to let him pass, closing the door behind him. He shuffled awkwardly as she walked towards the kitchen, just standing there, and only moved when she beckoned him to join her.

"I-I have not been in a girl's house before," he mumbled shyly as he mulled about her kitchen table as she filled a vase with water and placed the roses inside. She chuckled slightly at his embarrassment. He's adorable, she thought as she placed the flowers in the windowsill.

"There. Shall we?" She asked him, and he nodded emphatically and rushed to her door, in a hurry to escape the awkward situation. Ren locked up behind herself, and together they began to walk towards the sidewalk. Thankfully, it was a nice day for walking, and Ren didn't live far from the city. She clasped her hands behind her back as she walked alongside him, enjoying the feeling of the sunshine warming her skin and the sound of birdsong mingling in the air with typical city noises.

"Ren," he said suddenly, and she looked up at him. As their eyes met, he shyly dropped his gaze and scratched at the side of his head. "I-I just wanted to thank you. For saying yes. It made me… very happy."

"I'm glad," she smiled up at him, and she truly was. She could tell it just by looking at him- the constant smile, the bounce in his step, all signs of someone truly elated. He beamed at her, and she smiled back, and then she realized that she was very happy, too. Maybe… Lee isn't that bad, she thought as they continued on to the city.

The peace and relative quiet of the residential district gave way to the humming, bustling business of the city. Cars trolled by, their engines humming and filling the air with heat and noise. Ladies walked along, giggling and laden with shopping bags; mothers and fathers came along with strollers, or holding the hands of their older children, glowing bright with the joy of being part of a family. Local thugs loitered about and school punks skateboarded by, businessmen and businesswomen hustled along chattering on their phones with tight grips on their briefcases, school girls enjoyed the weekend with window shopping. It was the perfect scene of a busy Saturday afternoon, and the crowd pushed Ren a little closer to Lee. There are so many people, she thought as she struggled to keep up with him.

"Ren?" he asked her abruptly as a large man passed between them. "May I hold your hand?" he asked quietly, then added in a fluster, "S-so we do not get separated! Please don't presume-!" Before he could go on trying to explain himself, she reached out and took his hand, smiling happily. He calmed down a little, smiling before resuming the trek through the crowd. Though the action had been seamless and apparently effortless, Ren was screaming inside, the feeling of his hand in hers making her heart race. She unconsciously squeezed his hand slightly as they walked along, slightly dizzy from all the panicky thoughts running through her mind. I can't believe I just did that! Does he think me presumptuous? Oh, what if my hand gets sweaty? Ack!

She continued to fret silently until they made it to their destination, a little ice cream shop tucked away between two big-ticket department stores. As Lee opened up the door for her, a little bell rang to signal their arrival, and a store clerk cheerfully shouted a greeting as she walked inside. Lee followed her to the counter, and her mouth watered at all of the flavors to choose from.

"They all look so delicious!" she cried as she struggled to decide.

"I know exactly what you mean!" Lee sighed. "I always have such a hard time. I am very indecisive," he mused with a cheeky grin. Ren giggled and stared at the selection for a little while longer. "I have an idea!" Lee suddenly announced. "We should try all of them!"

"All of them?!" she cried, looking up at him in shock. He was perfectly serious, however.

"Yes! This shop offers a sample platter that features every flavor!" he grinned triumphantly.

"Lee! How can we possibly eat it all?" She laughed, but was admittedly leaning towards agreeing. That many flavors of ice cream- who could refuse the temptation? Lee grinned at her and punched the air with his fists.

"Do not worry! I will make sure none of it goes to waste! If we cannot eat it all, then at my next track practice I will run twenty extra laps!" he swore. She raised her eyebrows at him, shaking her head at his excessive proposal, but couldn't help but agree to the challenge. In a few short minutes they were sitting at a table with a platter of twenty scoops of ice cream. "I may have made a mistake," he said woefully as they stared down at the intimidating display.

"We committed to it, so let's get down to business!" she grinned and picked up a spoon.

"Now that is the spirit!" Lee cried excitedly and followed suit, and together they attacked the platter of ice cream. Ren soon figured that she had died and landed in Heaven, as each wonderful flavor melted in her mouth. Chocolate, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, coffee, raspberry sorbet, she listed off each one as she tried the creamy delicacies, savoring each spoonful. Lee, on the other hand, was inhaling the ice cream with gusto, and soon he slammed his head down on the table with a wail. "Owwwww! I have a brain freeze!"

"Don't eat so fast!" she giggled, and he looked up at her miserably. He then blinked at her.

"Hey, Ren. You have ice cream on your face," he pointed out, and she gasped and began rifling through her purse for a compact mirror. "Do not worry. I will get it," he proclaimed, and suddenly she felt his finger swipe across her cheek. She went dark red as Lee licked the ice cream off his thumb as if it was nothing. Th-that was… Oh, she thought as her mind went blank, and her cheek tingled where he had touched it. Lee seemingly had no idea of how smooth the move was, as he was now eagerly attacking the ice cream once more. She sat there, stunned, for a moment, until he prodded her with the end of his spoon. "Are you finished? We still have half of it to go!"

"Ah! N-no, I was just thinking," she lied and resumed eating, bright pink the entire time.

It took them over an hour to do it, but somehow they managed to finish off the entire plate, earning a round of applause from the store. The clerk hurried over to them with a camera, beaming proudly.

"I can't believe you two did it! Let us have a picture for the wall!" he grinned at them, and Ren shifted uncomfortably. A picture… With Lee… she thought, but allowed herself to be ferried over to a bare wall regardless.

"Woohoo! I have never felt the power of youth so strong!" Lee cried as he jumped up and down next to her, punching the air again, but she was nervously fidgeting as the clerk prepared to take their picture. Lee settled down as the man snapped playfully at him, and they stood side-by-side while the clerk counted to three. Suddenly, Lee stopped him and looked down at her. "C-can I… Um… Do this?" he asked shyly, and suddenly his arm slipped around her waist. She stiffened, swallowing, and he hastily retreated. "I am sorry. I did not mean to-"

"N-no. It's okay. You can," she said quickly, and he looked at her funny before slowly drawing his arm around her waist again. She felt like her heart was going to burst out of her ribcage, but at the same time she felt like she was floating, blissfully happy at the feeling of him pulling her closer to him. I never imagined he could make me feel this way, she thought as she beamed happily, the camera flashing. I pinned him as some dorky runner, but… Lee is… she looked up at him as the clerk thanked them for their time. Considerate, and cute, and… Even manly, she thought as he looked down at her and grinned.

"Shall we go, Ren?" he asked and offered his hand to her. She took it gladly, and he walked her out of the ice cream shop. As they descended into the crowd, Ren grew a little bold and pressed up against him, her heart pounding the entire time. They walked for a while, but soon grew tired because of their full bellies, so they decided to rest on a bench. They sat down beside each other, their hands still linked.

"Hey, Lee?" She asked him, her voice barely audible over the sound of the city.

"Yes?" he blinked down at her. She chewed on her lip for a moment, then, as she scooted closer to him on the bench, she leaned her head on his shoulder. She felt him gasp slightly in surprise.

"I'm really happy I said yes," she told him and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of him beside her. He fell silent for a minute, and then she felt him rest his head on top of hers and squeeze her hand slightly.

"I am glad," he told her quietly. They just sat there for a long while, oblivious to the sounds of the city around them and not caring about who happened to walk by. They were in their own little world, just happy to be together.

"Would you ever consider going on a second date with me?" She asked him after a long while, looking up hopefully. Their eyes met, but he didn't flinch away this time. He stared at her with an expression of mild shock, and then he grinned widely and gave her that signature thumbs-up.

"Of course!" he beamed, and as he beamed down at her, her heart took flight. She felt like it was the beginning of something special, something she had never known but had always longed for. I'm so glad, she thought as he stood and pulled her to her feet to rejoin the crowd again. Rock Lee, thank you.

Thank you for choosing me.