Is It Really Better This Way?

by InvaderWeb

As if by a twist of fate, Sakura's team ends up training with other ninja groups. This week's students: Gai's.

26. Odd Introductions and Actions

Hello alo!! And thank you for all your lovely, helpful, and motivating reviews and opinions! I hope everyone has had a safe and exciting summer. I have to apologize again since this has been the most I've taken to update. I ran into exams and had little time to start on this, not to mention I've been out of the country for a while. So again, I apologize for my belated chapter. Thank you, the reader, once more since there's no way I'd keep updating if it weren't for your help! I really hope you like this chapter since I feel I have lost quite a bit of my touch, but I will try harder! So without further ado: Read, Enjoy, and Recommend stuff to me! (p.s. For those wanting some interaction with Sakura's ever colorful teammates, I PROMISE the next chapter will focus on them, not to mention Lee's father will (finally) have a key part. I just couldn't fit them in here without making the chapter look long and tedious.) Sorry again.

Odd Introductions and Actions

The fan's bleak air traveled through my bare legs as I blew and waved my hands fervently at my feet. Nail polish persistently trickled down to my skin with the unforgivable weather outside my house. I peered out the window to see the sun had indefatigably decided to stay in the middle of sky, mocking us with its heat. The stridulating sounds of cicadas only broke up my thoughts. Grabbing my melting cup of ice cream, I devoured the remaining oozing lumps and set the dish back down. A second frozen confection not belonging to me had long turned into a lukewarm creamy soup. I continued to wave as much air to my half dried toenails until the light laughter of Tenten interrupted my frantic gushes of wind.

"You're going to have bubbles form inside the paint if you don't let it dry normally." She warned as she placed the last piece of an acetone drenched cotton ball on her fingernails to scrape off old paint.

I stuck my tongue out at her like a child and continued my actions to flout my complete disobedience.

"So how's life?"

"Bearable." She answered as she walked toward my place on the bed and sat behind me.

"OW!" I snapped, whimpering from my throbbing scalp when I realized she had begun to play with my hair.

"Sorry." She murmured as she continued to touch my hair. "It's really hard to put it up into two ponytails."

"Just do it like your hair." I suggested.

"I'm trying!"

"Try harder!"

I sighed in exasperation. What had once started as a pleasant conversation over strangling techniques had soon erupted in a zealous Tenten wanting to color our nails and do other miscellaneous female leisure activities. It was not as though I minded, (it had been ages since I had done this with someone other than Ino) but one could only paint their nails so many times until it grew tedious or vain.

"You'd look even cuter with some clothes that matched the hair style." She mumbled, trying eagerly to grab hold of my stray locks.

"So how was training with Gai Sensei?" I asked, my curiosity stirring from my last encounter with him and his student.

My friend answered me with a groan and motioned to give her a pin to hold my hair in place.

"You're hair is too fine for this, it doesn't want to stay up! Anyway, to say that it was 'awkward' doesn't begin to describe the situation!" she puled as she slapped her hand against her face.

She quickly finished her task and handed me a mirror before occupying herself with my nail polish.

(It seemed Tenten was more feminine than I was when it came to cosmetics and hairstyles.)

"Was it that bad?" I asked, wondering how that Sensei of theirs had handled his students.

"Worse! Neji wouldn't talk AT ALL, even when we spoke to him! He kept glaring at who Lee kept wandering from place to place trying to avoid us! I think I was the only one who actually listened to a word Gai Sensei said. Not that what he said made any sense." She grumbled.

The polish exuded into the crevice between my skin and nail, forcing me to grab the acetone to give up the futile struggle.

"Don't remove it!" Tenten all but scolded like my mother. "The red nail polish really suits you."

"It's getting all over the place." I responded tiredly as I placed the bottle down. "So how did you guys get to talking again?"

"Well, Gai Sensei just started rambling about how 'we hit some rocks, but our squad shall not be broken!' even he seemed nervous from seeing us together again." She responded with a bored face. "It reminded me when we barely became genin."

"Why?"

"Sensei insisted on introducing ourselves again so as to have a 'clean start!'" She mimicked her teacher's boastful voice. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about it. What are your plans for today?"

"Well," my face seemed to brighten when I recalled my agenda, "I'm finally going to see Lee again after all these weeks."

Her eyes perked in interest. "What has he been doing? Even Neji won't tell me, he just gives me an angry look and shrugs." She grumbled while crossing her arms. "He's so stringent with me."

"Be more tender with him then," I joked before I dodged the pillow Tenten had flung at me. Her fecund dislike for the Hyuga had apparently grown more evident as time had passed, but I failed to see why the corners of her lips seemed to ascend if her professed sentiments toward him were true. "Well, if you really want to know, let's ask him together. Want to come?" I offered as I began to pick clothes from my closet.

My friend nearly snorted and rested her whole body on my bed.

"And be a third wheel? No thanks."

"You won't be a third wheel, you know that." I tried to assuage the possible scenario. "We'll find a friend in the village and ask him to tag along so you won't feel awkward. Who knows? He might be cute." I pointed out in hopes of making her eager to join me.

Tenten clambered her body to the headrest of the front of the bed, making sure to never lose sight of my face. She gave me the impression of a docile child hesitant to voice out its thoughts. Her reticent nature had placed me on edge, but I waited patiently to hear her response. A frown graced her features, followed by her dropping back down on my bed with a forlorn sigh. I grew distraught from her bizarre behavior, stopping briefly from my quest to find clothes, but continued looking when I realized she was going to say no more on the matter. While I wondered if I should just wear my usual shoes, Tenten's sudden grousing of incoherent words made my brow twitch.

"WHAT!?" I barked, obviously exhausted from her enigmatic actions.

The woman turned her back to the bed, using my pillow to arch her neck and stare at me upside-down. She bit her lip, but decided to open her mouth.

"You know if I wasn't your friend, I'd really hate you…or at the very least be jealous of you." She uttered as she turned over once more and landed on her belly.

I stopped midway through rummaging my clothes, bemused from her unwonted remark, and turned to face her. "What are you talking about?"

"You have…lots of friends…not to mention…a lot of guys who care for you." Were her slowly chosen words.

Laughter rose from my lungs at the sight of her sullen face.

"How can you say that? It's those kinds of situations that end up with battered relationships and pain in all parties involved." I assured.

"Yeah, but you know how much you wanted Sasuke when you were little. Everyone wanted him and they still do. Now he offers himself up to you and you won't even give him the time of day." She grumbled.

"Crushes fade away Tenten…" I replied softly, "and anyway, after he left I knew I could never be with him with the needy way I acted around him."

"And what about Naruto?"

Her question was simple, yet why had it made me nonplussed to the various answers?

"What about him? After saving Konoha, he could have a different girl everyday for all fifty-two weeks of the year." I muttered quickly.

"But he doesn't. Don't you think that's…weird?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Well the only one he's always with is…nevermind, forget it…" she quickly changed topic and jumped off the bed.

"But-"

"I said 'forget it' Sakura, it's probably nothing." She repeated with a wave of her hand. "What time do you have to leave anyway?"

My eyes widened in alarm when I snatched my clock from my dresser and noticed it was already past six.

"I was supposed to meet him by six!" I exclaimed, scrambling to put on my shoes and usual clothes.

Tenten giggled and began to search for her shoes as well. "You're always late for everything Sakura."

"Shut up!" I nearly commanded as I jerked the fabric of her shirt and ran down the stairs.

With trembling fingers, I grabbed my house keys and stuffed them in my pocket, sprinting back to my door.

'I'm not going to hear the end of it once I see Lee.' I mentally whined.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A stifled snicker.

A silencing smack on the back.

"For once-"

"Shut up, you've said it already."

"But of all the days for him to be late too!" Tenten could barely manage to keep her laughter in check. "He probably decided to not show up at all Sakura!" she teased.

Her ceaseless taunting had done nothing to stop my incensed mood.

"I told you to SHUT UP Tenten!" I hissed while slamming both my flattened hands on the tiny table.

She held her arms up in mock surrender and pretended to quake from my wrath. For a woman who was portrayed by me as being mature and thoughtful, she was a rather nefarious individual once I got to know her. A terrified looking waiter had warily taken our orders and had swiftly returned with our drinks (presumably out of fear of being engulfed in my scorn.) I growled in resentment and tried to sip my soda without any further giggles directed at me. Tenten balanced her head on her hands as her elbows rested on the table, giving me an amused smirk. An ominous glare was enough to wipe it off before she innocently began to drink from her soda as well. It was then that I decided that I would have to start looking for a new love interest.

Because I was going to kill Lee once he got here.

"He's such a jerk." I said irritably.

Tenten only smiled.

"He really has changed a lot…that Lee. He was…well, fanatical about time, now I'm starting to believe those were all traits derived from our Sensei." She commented softly.

I glanced over at her and wondered about her odd comment.

"How was he like…when you first met him? Before he knew me, before he met Gai?" I asked, suddenly feeling like it was the ideal time to bring Lee's former life into our conversation.

"Well, he was always sweet- that characteristic was always there with him…but he was awkward, noisy, hot-blooded, dorky, and a hopeless case among our graduating group." She finished as though the adjectives had been listed verbatim in his ninja info card.

"So Gai helped him change?" I asked, waiting like an impatient child eager for the climax of a story.

"Well, the progress he made in school wasn't until he met our Sensei, so I suppose so. But…I guess we all had something to do with it." She admitted sympathetically.

"What do you mean?"

"He was teased at school…a lot, people- even teachers- always telling him he'd never amount to a ninja. I guess we all pushed him…he wanted to become someone else so desperately that when we pushed him into a corner he molded himself after the first person who paid any attention to him."

I moved uncomfortably in my seat at this slow confession. I swallowed and let my head slowly bow down to stare at my empty can, my conscience ashamed of having pried into Lee's life once more. Had his childhood academy been as austere as his father's treatment? It seemed anywhere Lee had turned he had been shunned and ridiculed his whole life, leaving no one to care for him. Rubbing my eyes to rid myself of the stinging sensation, I faced Tenten again and tried to muster a smile. Lee had never given up, had never expressed any signs of weakness in front of other people…I didn't pity him…

I almost envied him.

Tenten blinked several times, her mind at a stalemate from trying to figure out why I was grinning.

"Well anyway, I'm just glad I got to know him….I'm glad we became his friends. Neji might not admit it, but I'm sure he thinks so too."

"Well…I'm glad he has friends that care for him like you…I should know more than anyone that bonds like that are not too easily broken."

"What kind of bonds?" asked someone not included in our talk.

Tenten jumped from her seat and I nearly shrieked at the sudden intrusive soft voice coming from behind us.

I turned around, ready to smack Lee for coming late or beat whoever dared to interrupt our conversation (it didn't really mattered who came first). My urge, however, had to wait when I questioned a deathly pale hand in front of my face.

"Hello Sakura." Someone greeted politely with his hand before limply setting it back down to his side.

I scrunched my nose as though not being to notice the stranger at first, his colorless features forgotten from my missions since Sasuke's return.

"…Sai!" I exclaimed from the somewhat pleasant surprise.

After several moments of silent enervated stares I decided to grumble a dry "…Hi…" in return.

Sai, being the ever garrulous individual, responded with silence once more.

"So ah…what brings you here?" I asked awkwardly when I realized he was alone.

Before the boy even had a chance to speak, Tenten immediately pounced on the chance to meet this new mysterious ninja.

"Hi, I'm Sakura's friend, are you her friend too?"

"Oh, this is Sai." I said dully with a small belittling motion of my hand. At the moment, cajoling Tenten into coughing up more crucial information on Lee's life like a desperate girlfriend seemed more interesting than presenting someone as droning as him.

"Hello Sai, nice to meet you." She seemed to completely eschew my choice of topic and instead focused her attention to the pale boy in front of her.

Sai presented her with a smile that had grown almost habitual whenever he met new people and raised his hand in greeting again. He placed his index finger against his chin, closing his eyes as he studied Tenten in meditation. His analyzing unopened eyes unnerved me in a manner that seemed all too familiar to me.

'Oh god…he wouldn't.' I silently begged him to not conjure up another one of his horrendous and brutally scalding 'affectionate' nicknames.

"It's nice to meet you too…Tenten." He replied as his smile slowly dissipated back into his listless features.

I allowed a breath of anticipation to leave my lungs when I realized he had actually learned tact.

"How do you know Sakura?" my friend implored to know more about him all while unsuspectingly treading farther into her own doom.

"Lady Tsunade placed me in their team as Sasuke's substitute on a few missions…." The silence that followed made me nibble my lip in terror of his sheer impertinence. "…that is how I came to know Sakura…" his listless eyes lit up as though conjuring a brilliant idea and I could have sworn I had chomped through my lip.

The conclusion of every sentence brought the possibility of allowing him more time to think of a nickname for my gullible female friend.

'You better not Sai…you better not. I will seriously knock you unconscious if you call Tenten anything stupid.'

"Do you usually go on missions with team seven?" she inquired as she offered him to take a seat next to us.

I inwardly cried out in enragement.

"Not usually, if anything it is only when Sasuke or Naruto is busy on another mission." He answered almost dismally.

"Ah, so then you don't have your own team?" Tenten's expression seemed to the point of being grief-stricken as she looked at the unconcerned boy in front of us.

"I have lots of teams." He answered simply as he continued to tap his chin in thought.

My teeth clenched at the slew of horrible, false, and embellished names the idiot could create for his new unwary victim.

"I think I will call you…Tight Buns."

It was nearly expected that Hinata would blush as Sai nicknamed her "big chested" upon meeting her, it was nearly predictable that Ino would blush in delight as Sai (unfortunately) nicknamed her "gorgeous", and it was nearly natural for me to punch his teeth out when he nicknamed me an "ugly dog"…but…Tenten's reaction…was quite spontaneous and bizarre.

She…laughed.

She laughed.

"What was that for? Are you usually this random Sai?" She said as she brought a gentle hand up to her lips.

Her pleasant expression, however, soon turned to one of trepidation as she witnessed my fist nearly cracking the boy's jaw as it made direct contact and sent him flying to a nearby wall.

Ah yes, Mistress Tsunade had trained her student well in the face of perverts.

"You IDIOT! How DARE you talk about my friend's ass like she was a piece of mea-"

"Sakura-"

"Not now Tenten, I'm defending your honor!" I snapped back as I cupped my fist in my other hand and cracked my knuckles.

I noticed Sai had stood up and was currently rubbing his maltreated cheek, appearing bewildered by my actions. Noticing his pitiful stance, I scoffed and charged at him. If the perv was prepared for a second beating I knew I would be more than happy to accommodate him.

"Sakura, he was talking about my HAIR!" Tenten nearly screeched as she made a frantic jump to pull my body away from the confused boy.

"What?!" I yelled, my fury exacerbating my urge to punch him, "What are you blind!? We all knew the jerk was looking at-"

"My HAIR!" Tenten repeated as she tried fervently to correct my mistake.

"Eh?"

As though explaining it to a naïve child, I wanted to smack myself in the face when both the abused Sai and panicking Tenten pointed their index fingers to her obvious daily choice of hairstyle.

"Oh…OH!" Sweet realization had finally jerked me from my frenzy. "Oh, jeeze Sai, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed and apologized for my first time I had needlessly wrecked someone who had not deserved it.

Tenten hopelessly sighed and helped him up, shooting me a berating look as we retreated back into the booth where the stares of strangers weren't boring into our skin. I sunk into my seat, the ignominy staining my burning face while we placed our order. Sai now seemed to cringe whenever his eyes met my own so I assumed he had learned his lesson. I laughed nervously while I waved off the tension between us. It was rather guiltily that I had, through classical conditioning, forced Sai to interpret making nicknames as the equivalent of getting punched across the face. I made a mental note to make it up to him if I ever got the chance.

"I take it making new friends is very painful for you?" Tenten asked with one last slating glare directed at me as she handed him an ice cube wrapped around a napkin for his face.

"Yes…rather." He concurred all while flinching under my gaze.

Fear, anguish, and suspicion: I suppose one could say I was helping him understand more feelings.

He tried to escape my view and continued speaking with his new (and much more amicable) friend. "I read in a book that the quickest way to make friends is by acting warm and informal towards them or even giving them a nickname that represents their characteristics." He explained.

Tenten leaned her elbows on the table and supported her chin in the palm of one hand, looking in interest at the boy's odd reasoning. She gave him a warm smile, her genial disposition facilitating Sai's comfort around us. The mood had soon turned convivial as she encouraged her new friend to voice his thoughts freely without me having to strike him. He returned the smile, one that made me wonder whether it was nothing more than a mere reflection of what Tenten was doing or a rare moment of expression.

"So you gave me my nickname based on my…hair?" she asked with a puzzled face as she twirled a few iridescent strands from her buns.

"Correct." He responded dryly.

"You know, you can make friends a lot faster if you don't give them nicknames when you first meet them. They'll think you're weird!" she proposed while sipping at her soft drink.

Sai's almond shaped eyes widened a bit in comprehension. "Ah, is that so? But then how will I make them my friend?"

"You can't expect someone to become that close to you in a mere greeting." She teased as her eyes scanned nervously through a menu. "I remember one of my teammates didn't even know I was in the same year as he was until we ended up working together." She added, but gave no inkling as to the identity of the 'teammate'.

The Roots member absorbed all of the kunoichi's wisdom like an attentive school boy as he placed the chilly napkin against his face. His mouth was curved into a small round circle that confirmed his unconditional interest toward the subject. Eyes followed her facial expressions and even the slightest movement of her fingers as she grasped a straw to sip her drink. I never would have thought Tenten to act so natural or even therapeutic to someone as socially retarded as Sai (then again, she had two very disturbed men on her team.) I silently began to pray that Lee would get here soon since I was starting to feel like my prior actions had alienated me from the conversation.

"And how long will it take if I utilize the method you propose?" Sai asked as though they were two scientists debating to test different theories for research.

"Well it will certainly take a lot less time than if you used your way." She advised. "Besides, what's the hurry? You've got your whole life to make someone your friend! The longer it takes you to call a person your friend the longer you get to know them."

"Hm, there is logic in what you say." He said meditatively as he imitated Tenten's actions and took a straw for himself. "Did you earn many friends doing this?"

"Well, I'm not going to say I'm very popular, but I'm happy with the friends I have made so far." She answered, a bit discomfited when the topic shifted to her.

"Is Naruto your friend?"

"Of course!"

"Is Hinata your friend?"

"Well-yes, but-"

"Is Ino your friend?"

"I-well…"

"How long did it take you and Sakura to become friends?"

Both of us had to laugh at his sudden inquisitiveness as he gave us a confused look.

"Well…" Tenten seemed all but intimidated by the question as she glanced at me. "I uh-"

"I kind of met her when her team took the Chunin exam with my age group, but we didn't start hanging out together until the Hokage passed the legislation for separate teams to train together." I explained, already a bit piqued from his incessant talking.

'Man, it's like he's making up for all the years he didn't talk!'

"Ah, and how did Tenten first-"

"Oh, thank god you're here!" I loudly interrupted Sai's heated questioning once I caught a glimpse of Lee's dark hair through the immense crowd.

Violently waving my arms about in hopes of fastening his languorous pace, I was tortured with each time-consuming step he took. Thankful for someone to distract me from Sai's talking, he appeared through the densely populated streets and continued to make his way toward me. My rescuer, however, was not alone since I noticed he had a certain pale eyed Hyuga prodigy in tow. The men wore bitter faces that seemed directed at each other whenever their eyes met, but I thought it preferable not to ask what was bothering them.

'Great, one more guy Lee can talk to and still make me feel left out from the group.' I mentally complained when I realized Tenten would continue talking to Sai and Lee would probably start bickering about some triviality with Neji.

I found myself dreading each step both ninja took until they stood facing me.

"Well hello Tenten and Sakura!" Lee nearly beamed at our sight, a bit grateful from abandoning his grim teammate and ruffling my hair (much to my dismay). After his courteous greeting he stopped to stare in askance at the man sitting beside Tenten in the booth.

As if sensing the unwanted tension, Sai immediately opened his mouth to speak.

"H-hello." He managed to say while under the curious gaze.

His anomalous behavior surprised me since he was never one to become tense under pressure. I watched in amusement as the boy who stood collected even while facing death now succumbed to vulnerability with a group of three new people.

'I haven't seen him this nervous since he tried to hug Naruto.' I nearly laughed at the memory but forced it back down.

Lee gave him a smile, allowing my worried teammate to relax. "Hello, my name is Lee and this…" he motioned to his friend with a halfhearted jerk of his thumb, "is Neji. Are you a friend of Sakura's?" he asked cordially.

Sai nodded and attempted to give his usual smile at Neji, who, of course, rebuffed it with his attitude.

Neji squandered no time in petty greetings. His omniscient eyes had already pierced, exposed, and studied Sai long before Lee had even noticed he was sitting next to us. He was all but glaring at him at this point, (the reason why was unknown to me).

His smile soon faltered when he realized Lee's "friend" was not in a loquacious mood. A tint of sympathy adulterated my annoyance for the pallid boy, if only for a brief moment. He scratched his cheek with an uneasy index finger as a furtive bead of sweat formed at the side of his face. Probably wondering what he had done to receive such a hostile look from Neji, Tenten instantly came to the rescue to ward off any further awkward moments with the men.

"Lee, Neji, this is Sai, a friend of group seven. Sai, these are my teammates that I told you about!" she chirped.

The tension was quickly extirpated as Lee smiled, extending his hand to shake, and Neji emitted a low guttural sound that I could only assume was his "friendly" salutation (with him I could never say).

"Sakura, is this the person who helped you retrieve Sasuke on your first failed mission with Naruto?" Lee asked as he released Sai's hand.

I nodded (slightly popping a vein at the blunt description of the result of said mission) and motioned for both standing men to sit. One stool was still conveniently placed next to Sai and two stood on my left side, I already knew Lee would sit next to me (god help him if he didn't) so I pondered where Neji would opt to sit.

"I have heard you are extremely agile and resourceful Sai." As usual, Lee's genuine praise was present when he sat beside me and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

This seating method left me trapped in the middle of Tenten and him, so I waited expectantly to see if Neji would pick the seat next to Lee or Sai (two men whose chances of socializing with were slim). I tried to keep back a chuckle as I saw the acerbic face both men had when they gave each other one last glance. It had become an easy task to figure out whether the Hyuga was in an amicable mood or not judging from his proximity to his teammates. If Tenten was close by, it was likely he had fought with Lee and vice versa. In the time I had gotten used to him, Neji had actually become predictable instead of being the usual enigma he was to most people.

Without hesitation, he sat next to Sai, promptly crossing his arms. As if to further implicate his mood, he irately shoved his hands inside the long sleeves of his robe and kept silent.

Sai, somewhat puzzled with Neji, seemed incapable of speech when it came to answering Lee's compliment until Tenten nudged his side.

"Say something!" she mumbled under her breath.

I had to roll my eyes considering Lee was about two feet away from her.

Sai whispered something to Tenten, gently cupping her ear so as not involve our hearing range. The laughter that erupted from her following his hushed words made me quirk an eyebrow at their sudden…"confidence" in each other. It caused Neji to have a similar reaction as well.

All I heard from the private conversation was something along the lines of "…read…book…compliments…try…".

I decided not to ask and opted to roll my eyes once more at their unusual behavior.

"Go ahead, go ahead!" she whispered hurriedly.

"A-and I have…ah, heard that you, also, are very strong." He blurted out in hopes of earning Lee's friendship.

This, he somewhat achieved when Lee smiled in return and tried to brush off the remark.

"Be assured that it is nothing compared to what I have heard of your skills!"

"Ah no, I've heard that your brute strength and masculine physique are only matched by Sakura's."

While I contemplated the left-handed compliment as Lee doubled over in laughter, my idiot of a substitute comrade made a fatal move. Thinking he was already on a roll, Sai turned to Neji and tried ardently to win him over as a friend as well.

"I heard that you too are very dexterous in your abilities Neji, I also heard you got beaten up by Naruto in the Chunin exams though." He said, the fool apparently proud of voicing his thoughts.

At this, Tenten found herself inching away from Neji.

Lee exploded in a new wave of laughter.

Neji's left eye twitched profusely.

(And I swore to pretend I didn't know Sai next time I saw him in public.)

Having been in our designated seats, we eventually began to order. To add to Tenten's utter bliss, Sai had decided to stay to continue what he apparently thought was a captivating talk. Completely disregarding the fact that Neji was now being eschewed in the chat, she turned her head over to her new friend, giving him her undivided attention. She smiled often, allowing her giggles to flow freely whenever Sai asked another odd question. Her lips tentatively touched her straw before speaking, hands and fingers languidly wrapped around her cup showed her relaxed position, and small yet inconspicuous leans toward him implicated her growing attention.

I grew confused at the sight, but quickly collected my thoughts when I felt a slight poke on the side of my forehead.

"You look distracted." Lee whispered into my ear. "Is something the matter?"

I shook my head, patting the place he had touched and smiled. "Everything's all right. So what have you been up to? It's been a while since I've seen you." I murmured back so as to not involve the group.

The man lifted his cup to his lips and uninterestedly took a drink.

"Well, I have a surprise for you actually."

"Surprise?" I asked, curiosity evident in my widened eyes. "What is it?!" my voice nearly grew shrill with the sheer anticipation.

"The reason why I have not paid you a visit…is because I was moving my things into my new apartment." He replied with an almost proud tone.

My eyes blinked vacantly several times as I tried to absorb what he had said. I was aware that it would only be a matter of time until he was allowed to live alone again, but the mere notion was one I had preferred to ignore. There was an infinitesimal stab of fear that shot through my senses as Lee's eyes met my own and noticed their absolute shock. He sighed and stroke the top of my hand to assuage my feelings. It was in vain since what the psychiatrist's had portended was still fresh in my memory.

'Even after all this time…after all the therapy, talks, and medication…would you still be willing to kill yourself or go after your father?'

The question failed to take a verbal form as Lee released my hand and stared impassively at his tea.

"There is also another thing I wish to speak to you about Sakura. I know…that what I am about to ask you might sound a bit…compromising …" his eyes turned back to me as he took a breath, "will you please accompany me to my old apartment? There are some things I wish to retrieve from there."

I swallowed something that resembled a rock down my throat while I ruminated on the bizarre question. Thoughts of our first encounter gushed into my mind and nearly shook every muscle in my body. Would I be willing to go back to where I found and fought Lee?

"-Of course, it is absolutely fine if you do not wish to go." He added speedily after his request. "In fact, I do not even know why I asked such a stupid question-disregard it."

"I don't mind." I blurted out without being fully aware of it. "I want…I need to go eventually anyway."

I cringed at my own idiotic response and wished I had taken back my words. The painful realization of returning to that horrid bloody apartment dawned on me, making my shoulders droop in misery. Was there anything I wouldn't do for this fool?

"…Thank you…" the reply, though laconic, sounded both relieved and nervous as Lee gave me a smile. "I…thank you."

"By the way…is…is Neji all right with this?" was the first question that popped into my head once I brushed the horror to the back of my mind.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, is he okay with the concept of you living alone again?"

Lee scoffed and finished his tea with an angry swig. "No, I am afraid he is rather paranoid about it and both debated and opposed Lady Hokage's decision."

"Ah." I responded curtly and let my eyes wander to his teammate.

This brought about yet another inquiry.

"Not that I have anything against it but…is Neji…okay?" I asked in a hushed voice.

"Again, you confuse me Sakura. Explain." Lee reprimanded like an older brother and ordered more tea.

"I mean…it's just weird to see him hanging out with us." I grumbled, growing agitated from his carping.

"Ah yes, well he has been keeping an eye on me for the past two days actually."

I quietly glanced at Neji again, who appeared unfazed by the sudden isolation he was receiving from Tenten. He took a drink from his tea, returned his hand to his robe, and continued to stare at seemingly nothing in front of him.

For a moment I thought he had fallen into a deep meditative state with his eyes open.

Perhaps it was the soda I had been drinking that constricted my chest, or perhaps it was the airless ambiance that surrounded me, but for whatever reason, I felt an insatiable urge to talk in an attempt to mentally bring Neji into the group.

"So…Lee…how are you?" I asked loudly enough to interrupt the discussion between my two friends and seize Neji's attention.

The man in the midst of taking a drink from his cup gave me a questioning look for my sudden thunderous voice asking something he had already answered, but contemplated an answer anyway to humor me.

"How am I? I am tolerably well I suppose…" he responded awkwardly, giving me another puzzled face regarding what to do next. "And…how are you Sakura?"

"Fine, but what have you been up to with Neji? I'm sure the two of you have gotten even closer while living together." My question was both hopeful and wary since the different outcomes of it were endless.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Tenten frantically moving a straight horizontal hand across her neck to end my meddling.

'Shut…it!' she seemed to silently form the syllables in her mouth.

"I have actually been trying to get him away from me." Was Lee's cheery answer. "Although it is flattering to have my own personal stalker I think I prefer to-"

I violently cut Lee off by slamming my foot against his ankle underneath the table. Avoiding any unnecessary conflicts between the two was my priority. A muffled and pained grunt was enough to silence him. He shot me a dirty look as he set his head down and hunched his back over the unbearable pain.

"And how are you Neji?" My sweet question was now directed at the Hyuga since I knew Lee was prone to rousing the embers from their previous fight.

"I am fine thank you…" He answered dully. It was the end to a clash that was apparently about to take place and I gave a sigh of reprieve, thankful that Gai's team had at least one mature person in it.

"…-that is, until Lee decided he was fit to live alone and-"

Both Tenten and I groaned almost simultaneously when even Neji would not give up a chance to quarrel.

"-because I am ready." Lee added with a pained whimper from his beaten knee before taking a swig of the drink.

"That seems impossible to believe with your current behavior." Neji answered offhandedly.

"My 'behavior' is only provoked whenever you start talking like that."

The sashay of rejoinders and insults both mystified and fascinated Sai as he turned his head over each time one of the men snapped back with an insult more scalding than the last. He seemed to be enjoying this poor example of two comrades interacting with one another. Tenten looked ready to snap both of her teammates' necks judging from the way she keenly rubbed the sides of her head to warn off a headache. I only wished I could relate since even my teammates had stopped reverting to an onslaught of verbal abuse to settle their frustrations. I was penitent over not heeding her warning when I had the chance, now we would have to endure their petty fight.

"What are you so afraid of Neji?! Stop trying to control me!"

"Apparently I have to since you cannot control yourself."

"Both of you SHUT UP!" Tenten finally shrieked, "We can't even have a decent conversation without you fighting!"

Neji and Lee glared at her.

Sai gave us his usual smile.

And I swore never to make two men speak again.

'What am I, stupid? I know how Naruto and Sasuke get, why did I think Neji and Lee would act any different?' I reprimanded myself.

And that was my wonderful evening.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

By the time we took our leave, both teammates had (somewhat) created a truce that was probably as fragile as glass. Neither talked, but I had hoped I had at least helped them vent a bit. We had managed to finish our meals with an absence of arguments and that was all that really mattered at this point. Tenten stood beside me wearing a rather tormented and tired face as she waved goodbye at Sai and the Hyuga. Mustering the same eagerness Naruto usually depicted in his farewells, Sai smiled and waved back while the latter teammate barely acknowledged the motion as he began to walk.

"Are you ready?" Lee whispered while I waited on Tenten to stop waving (it seemed both of them wanted to prolong this action for as long as they could.)

"Sure." I replied uneasily before returning my scowl at the girl a few feet in front of me. "Come on Tenten!" I whined, "Stop waving like you won't see him for years!"

She flinched at her obviously bizarre behavior, allowing her hand to automatically drop to her side as she ran back to us.

"I can't help it! He's just so interesting!" she whispered excitedly in my ear. "He's so unique and cool looking!"

I flinched when these unexpected comments reached my ears and warded them off with a slap to my forehead. "Just…come on."

"I still don't know why I have to have Lee walk me home." She said gloomily, innocently placing her hands behind her back.

"Because Neji is currently busy with other issues and I would not be able to call myself a man if I allowed a complete stranger accompany you." Lee answered logically.

"He's not a complete stranger! He's…nice." she defended quietly as she walked beside us.

Was that an amorous sigh I had heard at the end of her words?

"You forgot to mention he's also weird." I teased while I dodged a smack from her. "Please tell me you do realize Sai is a walking mirror? All he does is mimic what he hears or reads."

"No he isn't! He seemed really nice and sincere!"

Lee's burst of chuckles roused a fiery cayenne color from his female teammate. One of his rare grins spread across his features as he ran his fingers through his black hair.

"It seems I have finally met someone more apathetic than Neji." He said as he stuck both hands in his pockets.

"Are you telling me even Neji looks human compared to him?" Tenten asked, arms akimbo and ready to defend her new friend.

"We're saying Neji looks like a damn overemotional adolescent compared to Sai!" I exclaimed, reveling in the teasing.

"He-he's not!" she stammered nervously.

"Did you like him?"

"NO!" she yelled back at my odd question.

"Then why are you acting like this?" I asked with an insinuating look.

"…He's just very nice…" she grumbled, looking desperately for her apartment.

"'Nice'?" Lee repeated.

"Yes, nice." She replied curtly before stopping behind us. "And I think I'll take it from here, there's something I forgot to do. Man you guys are annoying when you're together." She pointed out.

"Are you sure you will not allow us to keep you company until you reach your apartment?" he asked with a smile, a tint of his taunting nature still drenching his voice as he placed a hand over Tenten's head. His mountainous tall frame nearly towered over her, making her look like a child to anyone's glimpse.

"Yes, I'm positive." Tenten answered as she playfully pushed Lee out of the way and began walking in a different direction than us in the labyrinth-like neighborhood. "Now shut up and bug Sakura for a change."

"I will be sure to do just that." Lee assured as he grabbed my hand and pulled. "Take care Tenten."

Her answer was silenced by the wind that wheezed through the desolate streets overwhelming us at every turn. It was a miracle how Tenten could navigate herself though such sinuous paths.

"Do you still want to go?"

Lee's question whispered into the shell of my ear froze my blood white. I automatically clenched his hand and shakily nodded my head, not knowing how else to respond. A demanding yet lenient force swiftly turned my face over to Lee. His fingers had cupped my chin, facilitating the movement as my eyes encountered his. He held on firmly, never allowing my head or eyes to falter away from his gaze. I bit the bottom of my lips, wondering what was running through his mind as his fingers gently released me.

"Sakura…if you do not want to go then I will not force you." Was his calm statement.

"I want to go." I answered nervously.

"I do not want to make you feel obligated just because I asked you."

"I don't feel obligated!" I assured, "I'm just…scared."

At this odd remark, Lee thought it appropriate to chuckle.

"Shut up." I snapped.

"I am not saying anything."

"You implied it."

"Implied what?"

I nearly growled in annoyance at his superficially innocent demeanor and spitefully threw his hand away from my own. Lee seemed unnerved from my probably predictable behavior and followed suit as I practically stomped toward his apartment to prove my trepidation (and quaking legs) wrong to him. His calm and indolent footsteps tapping the pavement were a stark contrast to my own hasty and flustering ones as we continued to walk in silence. I knew it would only be a matter of time before one of us spoke, but I decided to be mulish about it. I bit my tongue to prevent myself to be the usual one to both begin and break the silence. At times, I feared Lee knew me better than anyone- even my teammates-, since he waited patiently for me to start talking again to him at the end of our fights.

I hated that about him.

"So what do you think Tenten's 'business' was?" I finally asked, not letting my own dignity come out intact from our brawl.

"Perhaps a word with Neji?" he supposed jadedly.

"I don't think so, knowing her, she probably went off to spend more time with Sai." I tried not to giggle while I said this.

"You might never know, perhaps she really did have some business to attend to with Neji." The man behind me said quietly.

I almost snorted as I halted my walking long enough for Lee to catch up with me. "Not likely, she seems to be more interested in the socially awkward and inept guys, not the cold and tedious type." I joked.

He chuckled quietly and slowly entwined his fingers around mine anew. "I do not think so. I would like to think a man like Neji would judge himself to be better suited for Tenten."

Lee smiled, his eyes appearing downcast for a moment before continuing to pull my hand. My eyes widened when I heard the casual and almost terse remark made by the man who once loathed said teammate not even a few moments ago. Perhaps he was finally recanting his feelings toward his teammate, albeit the idea seemed improbable with the way they acted toward each other. Still…the mere possibility of such a pedantic boy like Neji ever intriguing a woman like Tenten was almost…laughable. It was not to say the Hyuga lacked physical attractiveness or skill in his current occupation (he had a surplus of that), but Tenten herself had confessed to me how she would abhor to be with someone such as him. To me, the possibility of them being together was…bleak.

"I will have to tell you not to repeat this odd comment." Lee pointed out as he noticed my expression.

"Why? It's not like you were serious or anything." I muttered with a desultory chuckle.

My laughter was cut short when I received no answer.

Realization, shock, and probably the most crucial point in the conversation emerged on me: curiosity.

"Wait…Neji doesn't…does he?" I asked, already my inquisitive nature besting me.

Lee's expression remained unreadable as he made an abrupt stop.

"We are here."

I shaded my eyes from the stinging streetlights as I raised my head to look up at the tall building. My curiosity for the barely excavated subject was lost inside my mind as I stared at what was in front of me. A few lit windows littered the monstrosity of the complex, giving it an eerie glow that only intensified once we drew nearer to the entrance. Lee's assuring rubs against my hand did nothing to calm my senses once we were inside the creaking musty building. A lone bead of sweat leached though the side of my face as he pulled me up the stairs.

"Come on."

After what seemed an endless flight of winding stairs, we stood facing a door plastered with blocking seals and a medley of protective tapes hindering our entrance inside his apartment. Lee ripped and deactivated them with ease with a few hand seals and minute amount of strength as he kicked open the obstinate door. A puff of dust erupted from the abrupt movement, making both of us cough and rub away at our eyes.

"You couldn't have been a bit more silent could you? What kind of ninja are you?" I hacked out.

Lee once again answered me with silence as he wandered for the light switch. A few clicks told us the lights were nonexistent in his old home.

"Lee what are you-?"

Gravity gave way to an unbearable sense of pain and anguish as I felt my face slam nose first into his wooden floor.

"Sakura!?"

Though his features were indistinguishable in the dark room, Lee's tone possessed alarm and fear when the loud sound of my body crashing reached his ears.

A metallic substance exuded from my nose and trickled into my mouth, nearly making me gag and choke as it found its way to my tongue and forced me to taste it.

"Are you okay!?" Lee's voice exclaimed while I heard some fidgeting in the room.

A swift click and an orb of light pointing at me made me realize there was a small puddle of blood where my face had landed. I covered my nose, trying to block out the numbing pain that throbbed each time I breathed through my nostrils. The tube of light that permeated the room originated from a tiny flashlight the man held in his hands as he kneeled beside me and handed me a cloth to stop the bleeding.

"What happened?"

"I…fell." I responded stupidly.

"Well, I know that much." He replied bluntly as he gently held the cloth in place.

"Ow…what was that?" I complained as I looked around for the cause of my clumsiness. I took Lee's flashlight away from him and continued to search for the object that had caused so much bodily torment.

A dyed out abandoned green jumpsuit greeted me before the flashlight landed on the floor from my shocked hand.

"I-it…it-it's your…jum…jumpsuit." I stuttered as I stared on what my feet had tripped.

I stooped to my knees, bowing my head down in curiosity at clothing before I realized it was not the only thing on the floor. My heart sped frenziedly as I looked at rest of the littered possessions, trying to calmly study the rest of the things I had callously dropped that night. A key, a red headband, and legwarmers. My hands began to quake when I began to pick up the legwarmers. I felt Lee's eyes upon me when I noticed their soft fabric was speckled with a thin dry crust of blood, no doubt from his last return. My fingers instantly refused the warmers like an unwanted gift and let them drop back down to the powdery floor. The jettisoned materials were untouched and covered in dust, seemingly waiting for someone's return.

"You dropped them before you left?" his question held the tone of someone who was almost upset.

"What was I supposed to do? Take them and keep them in my room like some sick souvenir to remember a dead person?" I callously asked back.

My fingers traveled over the rest of the materials before stopping above a cool piece of metal.

It was the key he had given me before he left.

"Why did you give me the key to your apartment? Were you expecting me to come back or something?" The inquiry appeared more like a statement as I looked over my back to stare at the blackened figure of Lee.

"I do not know. Perhaps I just wanted someone-anyone to know what I was going to do."

I gently began to pick up the things not tainted by his dry blood. My head still ached each time I bent down to reach them.

"Stop that." I heard Lee say as he took the headband away from my hand and threw it back on the floor.

"Don't you want to take them?" I asked, motioning to his suit and dreading his answer.

"No."

"Will you ever wear it again?"

"No. I do not think so. I can never go back to how Gai and I were. It is…impossible with the way I treated him."

"Is that supposed to be some kind of sick joke? Lee, Gai Sensei would be ecstatic if he ever saw you don his suit again."

He took the flashlight in his hand and smiled through the poor lighting, waving off the idea.

"I came for a different thing." He answered as he helped me up. "It would be best if you waited outside, I do not want you to get hurt anymore."

I shook my head, dropping the damp bloodied cloth and wrapping my hands around his arm. "No, I'm staying here with you, I said I would didn't I?"

Lee sighed at my tenacious answer but said nothing more as he guided me through the obscure hallways.

"Where are we going?" I asked with alarm, holding on to his arm so tightly I was certain my nails had dug into his skin.

"To my room." He stated as though it were obvious.

His room was probably the sole place that had not gotten touched by the chaotic carnage of that night. The photographs he had strewn about the floor peered back at us from their undisturbed exact location on the wooden floorboards. A young Lee gazed back at us, his elated smile seemingly aimed at us. His team photo with the cheerful Tenten, scowling Neji, and grinning teacher with Lee lay waiting to be collected. Lee's fingers gently picked up one of the fallen pictures collecting dust on the floor. The beautiful young woman, his mother, looked at him with her bleak eyes and vibrant smile. It was a smile that appeared to be meant for her son's return. The man released a shaken sigh and kneeled in the middle of the sea of pictures with me.

"I wonder…" he began hesitantly, "I…I wonder what this woman would say if she were to see me now."

I smiled at his odd question and placed my hand next to the side of his face. He leaned against my touch, savoring the contact as his lips gave my palm a small kiss.

"She would be proud of you Lee. We all are." I said before letting my hand drop.

He said nothing in return for my praise and proceeded to pick up the pictures through the dim light

"These are the only things I wish to take." He whispered under his breath.

I merely nodded, although I knew the movement was rather foolish in dark room where our vision was encumbered. We slowly began to collect and reunite the fallen pieces of his album, pieces all meshed into a motley of his life, hopes, and dreams. I held my tongue while I did this, judging astutely to allow Lee all the time he needed to reminisce. His careful fingers picked and dusted off each photo, delicately placing them back inside their brown envelope. As I handed him the last picture, he uttered a swift word of gratitude before helping me rise from our place on the unkempt floor.

"Is this really all you want to take?" I asked, holding the envelope close against my chest as we walked out of the room.

"Yes…I have no desire to take anything useless."

"Useless?"

The words hurt, but again I kept silent over the matter like an obedient individual. The only thing more useless than his apparent dislike for the suit and headband was getting him to listen to me.

"Sakura…" his voice was squandered as he turned his head over to a long dreaded location.

"Lee…don't…" I begged as I found myself pulling at his sleeve to avoid the room.

He looked charily at the door at the end of his hall, the door whose room held the remnants of his drugged and violent struggle against his team and me.

I wanted nothing more than to leave this forsaken place.

I choked back a whimper when Lee took his first step toward the ominous door, appearing entranced by the sheer curiosity of looking inside to see his bloodbath.

"Lee…please…you won't like what you see so just stop it!" I jerked him out from his sick prying as I pulled on his hair to bring him back.

"Sakura, just let me look! I need to see what I did…what I did to my team, to YOU!" he exclaimed heatedly as he rubbed his scalp. "And stop pulling my hair! It has become a horrible habit of yours!"

"Then don't go in!" I yelled back. "You already know what you did! I don't know why you insist on making yourself feel worse!"

He frowned at me, his lips nearly disappearing as he pressed them together to keep from speaking. I pulled his hands in my own, looking at him pleadingly to stay away from there.

A defeated sigh, a lackadaisical nod, and dragging feet walking away from the door was Lee's answer.

"Just stop pulling my hair…" he grumbled as he waited for me by the living room door.

I could easily acquiesce to that.

But it was just too alluring to hear him sigh in frustration each time I pulled at those black strands of hair.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Sakura, you always have your way." He continued to protest long after we had left his apartment.

I rolled my eyes and kept dabbing my nose with a tissue to prevent droplets of blood from falling.

"Are you sure you are all right?" he asked when he noticed the bleeding had not stopped. "Perhaps you should get some medical attention."

"I'm fine." I answered brusquely, slightly offended by his last comment, "it's not broken, it'd hurt a lot worse if it was."

Lee raised an eyebrow, stopping momentarily to inspect my wound. "I apologize for dragging you along, you would not have gotten hurt if you had not come."

I waved off the words of guilt, (there was no point in blaming Lee for my own stupidity.)

"I just can't wait to get home and put some ice on it." I said, already feeling an inflated bruise beginning to grow on my battered face.

I held back a hiss of pain when I tentatively touched the injury with my finger.

(The sensitive bump would be the size of a golf ball come morning.)

"Well…" Lee began, but quickly shut his mouth when a crimson streak clambered up to his face.

"…'Well'?" I repeated, apparently puzzled with his sudden reaction. "Well what?"

He opened his mouth again, but seemed to be playing with something invisible in his hand as he spoke.

"It will be a while before we reach your house…a-and my new apartment is not far from here." He offered shyly before clearing his throat. "It would be nice if I put some ice on you-of course you do not have to come if you do not wish to!-and we can simply wait to arrive at your house! It-it does not matter to me-in fact I believe it was stupid to even ask such-" his mouth was silenced once more as I embraced him.

"I'd LOVE to see your new apartment Lee! I'm so glad you asked!" I exclaimed, beaming at the chance.

"I hope you will like it…it is far more spacious compared to the last one." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck in a fatigued way.

(The trifling movement had been an idiosyncrasy I had found to be appealing as we spent time with each other.)

"Is it close by?" I asked excitedly.

"It is actually a few streets from here."

"Ooh, fun."

We walked what seemed a never-ending winding street that questioned my sense of direction. If Lee's hand had not held on to mine with such certainty I feared I would have gotten lost in a matter of minutes wandering around this neighborhood. We had passed several apartment complexes, each looking more similar and uniform as we continued to walk. I had begun to wonder just what kind of apartment Lee had obtained. It was obvious he had not exactly gotten the parsimonious places most ninja preferred with their income and lifestle. I stared at the prestigious architecture until we finally stopped in front of a building. It was by no means a living quarter like Naruto's or even Sasuke's…it was…nice to say the least.

"I really…wanted you to see it." He said needlessly as he held the entrance door for me.

I looked at the endless flight of stairs above me to the point where my head almost fell backwards. To my utter surprise (and delight), Lee had taken out his keys and opened the first door next to us.

"I do not want you climbing all those stairs when…when you come to visit." He explained as he once again allowed me to go inside first.

I took a few reluctant steps inside the hollow apartment, noticing how even my breath held its own echo in the immense room. The fresh scent of paint and wood hanging heavily in the air noted that everything was new. Nothing had been taken inside the lonely home. No furniture adorned what I assumed would be the living room, an electric stove, a fridge, and recently made cabinets in another room were the only signs of a kitchen I saw. Nothing hung by the vacant white walls that gave suspicion of someone living there.

"Y-you're not going to move your furniture here?" I asked, my voice reverberating off the walls.

"I hope to never again see what I left behind in that place." He answered coolly before joining me in the kitchen. "The new furniture will be delivered in a few days."

He opened a cabinet and rummaged through various things, stopping shortly afterward to look inside his freezer. In a few moments I was presented with an ice bag and healing ointment.

"Please accept my apology, I do not know what I can do to make you feel better." He said genuinely.

I shrugged off the apology, but grinned playfully at his offer to "soften" my pain.

"You can show me your room."

And again…I got what I wanted.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"So anyway," I began, placing the melted ice bag by his drawer while I made myself at home by dumping my body on his new bed, "you have to tell me what you meant about Neji."

"He merely says she is a valuable teammate." He confessed awkwardly over the running water in the shower through a closed door. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." I called back with a smile.

What had started as an amusing talk over Sai's impression had reverted to questioning Lee's earlier comment made on Neji concerning Tenten. I was not the culpable one to simply be curious about a subject, if anything I thought it Lee's fault for even mentioning it in the first place. The idiot thought he could escape the topic by drowning it with the light drizzle of a shower. I only yelled louder to aggravate the poor boy's mood. Pillows he had probably painstakingly placed on the headrest had been lazily pushed away by my legs and were now embellished around the bed's wrinkled navy sheets. It was cruel, I knew, but I had found pleasure in messing with things Lee had organized or cleaned. He was just too…proper and…uncluttered.

I heard the sound of a door opening and Lee's footsteps behind me as I lied on my stomach.

"As I said…he says she is a valuable comrade." He repeated, trying poorly to satisfy my nosy questioning.

"You are horrible at telling lies Lee…it doesn't suit you." I teased smugly as I turned my head over to look at him, prepared to give him another slew of burning remarks and berate him for keeping secrets from me…

…until I realized his current condition.

The man had apparently gotten out of a refreshing shower with nothing more than a white towel around his waist. The white cloth was the only fabric censoring something that made my face burn upon thinking about it.

"Lee…are you…" the question nearly dried my mouth as I continued to look at him, "are you…naked underneath that?"

As if on instinct from fear of being attacked by me, he quickly tightened the towel around himself with both hands.

"Forgive me…I am quite used to dressing outside the shower regardless of visitors. I fear it has become a habit of mine." He mumbled with a brightly colored face.

'Now that's a habit not worth breaking.' I thought with a smile.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Calm down, I'm not going to rip the thing away from you. I'm just…curious to see if you are actually…not wearing anything when you come out of a shower."

"N-no." he answered shakily, hands still clutching the towel for dear life and grabbing the clothes he had left on a nearby chair.

"Can I ask you another question?" I lazily stretched on his bed before sitting up.

"What is it?"

"Why are you so unsure about yourself?"

Lee parted his lips, but could only bite them when he realized he had a dearth of answers for me.

"Unsure about myself?"

"Whenever I compliment you you always seem to brush it off like it isn't even true." I pointed out. "It's like…you don't like yourself."

He leaned his half naked body against the side of the bathroom door, looking at me as though I had said something stupid.

"What is there to like? There is nothing." He muttered bitterly.

My eyes rolled for what seemed the umpteenth time that day as I jumped off the mattress and walked closer to him.

"Of course there is Lee! You're kind, strong, polite, funny, mysterious, and…and," a trickle of sweat sped past my cheek when I realized what effects his rising bare chest was having on me, "you're very…attractive."

"I am not exactly anyone's idea of an 'ideal' boyfriend." He stated bluntly, taking notice of my wandering eyes. "Please stop looking at me like that."

"But I think you're handsome."

"Stop it! Just stop it Sakura!" he exclaimed as he wrapped the towel around himself to the point of practically cutting off circulation. "I am not 'handsome'! I am…repulsive! Why can you not see that?" was his flustered reply as he threw his unoccupied hand up in fury.

"Lee…I think you're handsome." I simply repeated and gave him a smile.

"Sakura I-"

"Take off your towel."

"I…I beg your pardon?" Lee asked, alarm rushing through his face as he fervently held on to the measly towel around his waist.

"Lee…I…please?" I pleaded, hoping he would not see any lewd intentions in my eyes.

The man looked as though he was confused, but still held the towel as though his life depended on it. I took the final step toward him, completely closing the distance between us to mere centimeters. Warm drops of water dribbled down his chest as it rose frantically, earning a smile from me. He had always seemed so unsure of himself despite his zealous professions of hard work and youth. His modesty had always been among the many things I had adulated from him. I just found it difficult to believe he held himself in such low regards when it came to his skill and body. He was a genius of hard work. How he miraculously thought of his body as something repulsive was beyond me.

"Lee…don't worry. I won't do anything." I promised softly.

Giving him ample time to react, I wrapped my arms around his slim waist, my face quickly dampening by the beads of water lingering in his bare chest. Being weary of any indication of refusal, I gingerly placed my right hand where his heart was. His heartbeat was erratic and alarmed, as expected from him, but his breathing seemed to be allayed as I rested my head against him.

"Sakura…can you not see that I am not for you? I am not handsome, I am not popular, I am not-"

I tried not to laugh when Lee stopped in the middle of his self disparaging as I slowly hooked one finger under the weakening knot in the towel.

I gazed up at him, my eyes gleaming with mischief...

and released it.

I quickly took a few steps away from him and studied the body before me. I was studying it in awe and curiosity, but not in the sense that any hormone driven girl would look. My face was barren of any promiscuous intent or thought. The body before me…was that of a man who had been through so many ordeals. His austere life had no doubt left him detesting everything about himself, but I wanted to change that. I wanted to shake this mentality away from him, to kiss his lips, and tell him that he was indeed worth something.

I nervously bit my lower lip at the sight.

I wanted to describe his form, but the term "beautiful" would never cross my mind. It was far too feminine for a physique as lithe and sculpted as his was. Did no woman ever realize what a GOD this young man was under all the facades and fading smiles? They were all fools for being so vain-including myself. Perhaps it was I who was the most blind. But his body was far more than just some object of desire…more than any meretricious attachment, it was far from it.

I loved him for him.

"Lee…I think you're…"

"Ugly?"

"Gorgeous."

The man barren of clothes tried to shield his exposed skin and looked at me as though I were insane. The compliment had probably never been said to him in his life. It nearly made me want to kill his father for doing this to him.

"I…I think you're gorgeous Lee." I said proudly, taking his hand in my own and placing it against my face.

The soft contact was unbearably tantalizing. I needed more than just a simple caress to convince Lee his life had crucial value.

"Please don't ever believe otherwise."

I enveloped his body in my arms, praying he would not rebuff my affection.

A blissful sigh came from my lips as Lee returned the tight embrace and held his warm body against my own.

"Th-thank y-you…Sakura…I…thank you." He mumbled as his back limply slid down against the wall, taking me with him lest I escaped.

His arched legs were on opposite sides of me as I hugged him, but I didn't care to look at what I had been dying to see since I liked him. Sex now seemed trivial, it seemed like something selfish, cruel, and disgusting at this point. The most important goal was to release his anxiety lest it ate at him. Plus, I instead reveled in planting small feathery kisses against his neck, accentuating my love for him. He chuckled as the contact tickled him and brought me closer to him until my whole body was pressed against his own.

"Lee…you are very important to me…" I whispered adoringly in his ear as I placed another feathery kiss on it.

The young man gifted me with a genuine smile that made me laugh in delight.

"There's the Lee I love! I thought I lost you!" I exclaimed.

He shook his head and kissed me between my forehead. "You will never lose me again…I promise."

We stayed in this comforting position for what seemed a fleeting moment before I felt him stir under me.

It was then that the illusion of holding his bare body in an embrace was uprooted from my consciousness and forced me to realize what I doing. What I had originally thought would be a sweet act of trust was soon adulterated into a rather unethical situation. With an alacrity I had not intended to use, I pushed myself away from his body, my face a blend of emotions ranging from shock to embarrassment. Lee could only gawk at me in surprise, at a loss from my sudden distance between him. I tried not to allow his unrelenting gaze to put me on edge as I began to turn away from him and rise from the floor. Although I knew that what I had done had no licentious intentions, there was still a "seemingly" diminutive tint of guilt that lingered in my mind.

"I…I-I…I'm sorry." I uttered.

Lee had somewhat coyly wrapped the towel back around his waist in great haste, the effects of the occurrence clearly evident in his once pale features. Picking himself up, he could only clear his throat as he excused himself with a barely audible grumble and walked inside the bathroom to change. The act had been committed, the damage done, the humiliation of it all irreversible. Remnants of pity and lament over what I had done still plagued my conscience, eating away at me as I tried to block it out by rhythmically pounding my head into the palm of my hand.

"I'm such an idiot."

Despite my zealous compliments concerning his body, he still spurned such words and discarded them with ease. I sighed while I let my body give way to gravity and collapsed on his bed once more. As I lied sprawled in this new room, my thoughts formed a garble of what I had done. Had it been the right thing to do? Had I helped Lee or had I simple forced myself on him like the vast majority of the times? Had he been repulsed by my actions? Or had he…had he…

liked it?

I coerced the last question out of my head as I felt my face burn.

Lee's mind would never be in such disreputable thoughts, unlike my own.

With a contorted face, I tried to erase from my memory what I had seen.

'Jeez, why do I feel like I just molested him?'

I hid my face under one of his pillows and began to think of other things to take my attention away from him.

'Other things…other things…I have work tomorrow, maybe Lee and I can go out for lunch. Next we can go for a walk, next to drop me off, sex we can-'

I growled and threw the pillow against the floor when I realized it would be an ordeal to get Lee's body out of my gutter-like mind.

The bathroom door creaked open, but I dared not raise my head to greet him.

"What is the matter now?" I heard him ask exasperatedly.

"I'm sorry!" was all I could yelp through the bed sheets.

"For what?"

"You KNOW already!" I yelled again as I peeked up at him.

Lee's eyes widened momentarily at the spontaneous burst, unsure of what to say to me. He ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled after taking a prolonged breath.

"It is fine Sakura…I know I must tire you with my attitude toward myself but…I am…grateful to you. Truly I am." He confessed as he took a seat by the edge of the bed.

"But I…it-it isn't that!" I exclaimed all while trying to repress my flushing skin. "I just SAW you!"

"You see me everyday." He said innocently.

"Not like that you idiot!" I yelled with a frustrated whine. "What I mean to say is that I just SAW you uncovered and I want to apologize for it!"

Lee's mouth curved into an understanding circle as he rested next to me and stared at the ceiling. Even as he did this trifling movement, the loose fitting black pants he wore tormented me with glimpses of his underwear. I swallowed something stiff within my throat and tried to regain my composure.

"Ah, well…think nothing of it."

"Didn't it bother you?" I asked, somewhat wishing it had discomforted him even a bit.

"Well…yes, obviously. You have forced me to reveal certain parts of me that I would never show you, but it is not as though I was not expecting it from you."

'Never show me?'

"Sakura…"

"…never show me?..." the repeated words were all I could muster.

I pushed the harsh comment aside lest I wanted to fight.

"But I didn't do it for the reasons you think! I just-"

"Calm down…I understand." He mumbled while bringing his hands to the back of his head. "It is all right..."

I shifted my head over to him to see if he truly hadn't mind what I had done.

His face held a vacant expression when he turned to look at me as well.

"Thank you for…you know…coming with me to my old apartment." He reminded with a smile.

"Forget about it." I assured, "It's not like I was going to let you go alone."

"You could have, that is why I am grateful to have you."

"It's all right Lee, really it is-"

"Sakura…may I say something?" he interrupted, looking as though he had not heard any of my words.

"What is it?"

"May I please ask something else of great importance to you?"

His voice had strayed back into that kind and caring tone that I had grown to both love and loathe. I loved it since it meant he was happy, but I hated it since it usually meant I would have to say or do something I did not like.

I drew in my breath for the predictable monthly question that somehow found its way into every conversation we had.

"Sakura, will you please be my girlfriend?"

The request made my hands clench the blankets tightly.

"Lee…I-I.." I fought desperately to finish the response, but could find neither breath nor gall to speak.

"Sakura." He grasped my hand in his own and held it against his poignant face. "I…please do not give me the same answer. Please."

The contact worsened my already prolific guilt as I tore away from the imploring touch.

"…I…I'm sorry, I just can't. I can't say yes while knowing you're still in therapy." I responded quickly.

This, of course, was not overlooked by him as his eyes grew downcast.

"Sakura, why do you always answer me with that? I might never recuperate! Why does my condition have to rule over how you feel? Will you ever accept me?" he asked, his voice sounding neither infuriated nor disappointed.

"I just CAN'T Lee! Drop it!"

I had not meant for my remark to sound so virulent, nor was I angered by his incessant supplications. There was nothing wrong in the way he had asked me, nothing wrong with his voice, and nothing wrong with his intentions. Then why did I wish him to stop asking me such a thing? Was I that frightened by obligating myself to a person like him? Despite my attempts to discover the stem of my fears I had a vague idea of what it was. There was still a lingering shred of reluctance left in our relationship. Perhaps it was the fact that he had been all too willing to kiss me, not to mention eager to ask me his proposal on a monthly basis. There was something that was far too perfect in the way he had kissed me-convenient even.

"Are you…" Lee closed his eyes and bit his lip, apparently averse to voicing what was on his mind, "are you…tired of me?"

My eyes widened with the blow of his question.

"What? No! How can you even think that after what we just did?!" I yelled, obviously insulted by his inquiry while lifting myself half up from his bed,.

"Then why is your answer always the same?" he asked tiredly.

"I…I don't know. Lee, why is it so hard for you to wait? You've never been impatient with me before!" I responded as I prodded into his real motives.

The man wearily rubbed his neck as he probably wondered what could possibly be going through my obdurate mind.

"Sakura…how can our relationship ever progress if you will not allow it?"

"Because…you won't let it either." I responded bluntly while making sure to avoid his face.

(I could already picture his scowling face as I said this.)

"I will not let it? Me? Please say this is some sort of joke."

"I'm not trying to be funny." I answered, though my mouth was against his pillow as I buried my face deeper into it.

"How am I deterring our relationship?" he asked with an offended tone.

"Just…the things you say…the things you do." I grumbled, hoping I would not blurt out that I had yet to trust him.

Voicing my problem with his behavior was increasingly difficult as I chose ways to carefully express myself.

"Explain." He stated sharply.

"Like…well…you never give me any signs that you actually mean what you say." I tried to clarify the example in vain.

A shift in the bed from his weight.

An incensed sigh.

"Why does it always come back to sex of all things?" was the offhanded question.

"That's not what I meant you idiot! I never said anything about it!" I hissed back as I shot my head up with the insult. "Would it kill you to actually kiss me once in a while? Would it honestly be difficult to verbally express your feelings to me without having a reason?"

"Explain." He answered calmly while rubbing his eyes with thumb and index finger.

"How much clearer can I make it!?" I snapped. "The only times you ever show me any signs of affection are covert! A small squeeze to my hand, a pat on my head, damn it-I feel like your younger sister or your pet when you do that!"

"So…is that all? You need more physical affection?" he asked almost condescendingly.

"Stop saying it like that! You're making me look like a desperate girl wanting attention!" I exclaimed.

"The how would you like me to say it? How can I show you any affection when you yourself are reluctant to return it?" he asked in confusion. "Sometimes I do not know whether you wish to kiss me or punch me!"

I held back stiff laughter from his latter comment, covering my mouth to hide my amusement.

This of course, was not ignored by Lee.

"See? You do not even take me seriously!"

"I do too! You just…the way you say things makes it seem like you're in an abusive relationship."

"And perhaps I am." He replied as he stole the pillow from under me. "But then that indicates that I am a masochist since I stay in it."

"Now you're the one bringing sex into the conversation-"

"That is not what I-!..." he took a deep breath as he probably fought the urge to scream at me in frustration. He closed his eyes and began to rub them as though that would soothe his livid mood. "Fine….fine…fine." He muttered before lying next to me and opening his arms.

I stared at the odd pose for several moments, puzzled at what to do next.

"Well? Were you not the one who wanted affection?" he asked impatiently and he did a motion with his hands for me to come.

"Yeah, but not the awkward, planned, and stiff kind." I pointed out nervously.

"Who understands you then? You are impossible to please!" he loudly complained.

"Would it bother you to be a bit…unpredictable?" I asked before closing my eyes for a respite from the fight.

Lee merely lied on his side with a silent demeanor for a moment, appearing discomfited by my brash statement but opting to edge closer to my body until I felt his chest was against my back.

I suppressed a shriek when I felt a sharp stinging by my earlobe.

I quickly opened my eyes to see lips softly kissing my bare shoulder, stopping only long enough to give equivalent attention to my neck.

"So even you are capable of kissing?" I asked teasingly, giggling slightly when he kissed my ear.

"Oh, I am capable of much more than that." He whispered with a voice that nearly made all the blood in my body rush to my face.

His lips slowly kissed my earlobe and traveled to my jaw and cheek. As I gave every fiber of my being not to moan, my hand rose to caress his face, but stopped abruptly when Lee grabbed it.

"What are you…?" the question ran out of breath as he turned me over to face him, his hands swiftly removing his shirt before allowing my own to touch what lay underneath.

I laughed and managed to press my head against his shoulder as he continued his actions. I wanted nothing more than to lie here in this comfortable position for the remainder of the night, giving no attention to the world outside his apartment. There was just something so terribly appealing about sleeping next to the boy I liked while adventuring his stomach. Another smile reached my lips when I felt Lee lean into my hand. His stomach kept trying to withdraw every time I happened to brush my fingers against a certain spot. Repressed chuckles informed me he was probably ticklish. I was about to grab that section ceaselessly before I felt a light touch traveling around my own stomach.

It seemed Lee's hands were as eager as mine were since I could feel them wandering on my back and ribs. He studied me, mouth slightly parted from his uneven breaths, and I was left to torment myself over what was going through his mind.

"Was this unpredictable enough?" he asked, trying to conceal his delight when I mulled over an answer.

"N-no." I said, (although my face said otherwise.)

I nearly shivered from his cool voice, my mind yelling at me to kiss him despite my wishes.

"If only you could act like this all the time." I mumbled as I pulled him closer to me if it was even physically possible.

"Well maybe in time…I will not have to simply act."

I grinned devilishly as I gently undid the string around his pants, earning me a nice look at his boxer briefs. He sighed in disappointment and tied the string together again much to my dismay.

"You are so lewd Sakura…I think you are rubbing off on me." He remarked as he ran his hand up and down my arm.

"You're the perverted one! I'm not the one pressing my mouth all over someone's body!" I pointed out all while motioning to his lips.

"Is that so?" he asked, and to my horror removed his hand and kisses away from me.

"Why do you tease me so much?!" I whined in disbelief.

The idiot just laughed.

"You have already seen me…why continue to steal glimpses?"

"Because it's never enough." I answered as though it were apparent.

"Never enough?"

"Never enough. I want to be able to…to something besides just look at you when we are older." I tried to explicate my feelings.

"You mean sex." He answered bluntly with a smirk as he tightened the knot on his string. "You truly are hard to please Sakura…then again I have always been fond of difficult tasks."

I rolled my eyes at his cocky reply.

"So what did you think of the apartment?" he asked, already tired of the last subject.

"I think it's nice." I replied, taking in the place's ideal qualities.

"Do you like it?"

"You ask me like I'm the one who's going to be living in here." I joked with a giggle, hoping Lee would join me in the laughter.

He didn't.

I gulped.

"Well the apartment is very accommodating..."

"Lee.." I began to warn.

"-And you would have your own room if you did not think it suitable to sleep in the same quarters."

"But Lee I-"

"It is on the first floor, you would not have to walk so far to work, the training fields are close, the market and restaurants are close and-"

"Wait…so you basically rented this place out…while thinking of me? Without even knowing what my answer would be?" I asked in bewilderment.

I didn't know whether it was a sweet simple gesture or a huge sign that he was finally recuperating and maturing. He rubbed the back of his head, a tint of shame adorning his cheeks as I gave him the answer he was probably abhorring.

"Well…I was hoping…that perhaps in time…when you finally accept my offer…you would be willing to live with me?"

"…What?"

"You have noticed that this is a four room apartment correct?" he asked the question with a tone that doubted my intelligence.

"Yes, but do you have ANY idea how my parents would take it?" I retorted with the same tone.

"I am not speaking about moving in tomorrow or even in a few months. I want us to live together when you are ready and no sooner than that. Of course I will have a talk with your parents first about my intentions, but-"

"Like hell you'll have a talk with them!" I exclaimed as I smacked the back of his head. "I'll tell them myself…if it ever arrives to that. You'll probably just make them think we're living together to go at it!"

"No," he whispered with a slight chuckle as he ran a single index finger to my knee, allowing it to venture to my thigh with languor. "I am afraid that part of our relationship will have to wait…if it ever arrives to that."

God I was grateful I already had a bloody nose.

(It hid the new blood that was seeping out from Lee's actions.)

"And now…I regret to say that I must take you home…it is not proper or wise for you to sleep here." He professed as he jumped off the bed and began to pull me off as well.

"God I hate you."