Okay. I think, once again, we need to have a word to the wise: If you don't like the story, stop reading it. If you're willing to give constructive critism then go for it and we don't mind, but if you're reading this for the sole purpose of finding things you don't like just so you can rant about it, then just stop. We can accept the fact that people think some of the characters are OOC, but take a look. Yeah. It's five years later. But whatever! Do what you want! Keep reviewing like that if you really have nothing better to do, but you're really just wasting your own time. With that said, enjoy the chapter.

Tenten; 5 Years Later

Age 18

-My Ongoing Pursuit-

Lee had invited the team over for dinner tonight.

We were all going to go until Lee started calling it a 'Tea Party' and that's when Neji decided that that was the night he had other things to do.

So, because I felt bad for Lee, I ended up accepting.

I had been over Lee's house for dinner many times before. He usually invited the whole team over after long training sessions.

I would show up in my ninja garb, not even bothering to shower or change.

However, I had never gone by myself before.

I stood in front of the mirror in my room modeling a skirt and a little black shirt.

I was pretty happy with how my body looked lately.

I was shaped just the way I always wanted to be.

I then paused briefly from my modeling.

Why was I dressing up? It was just Lee.

I decided to disregard that thought and leave it at the fact that I was dressing up for myself for the sake of dressing up.

I left my house and walked casually over to Lee's house.

I was kind of glad that Neji wasn't going to be there.

Or Gai for that matter.

Not that I needed to be alone with Lee or anything, it'll just be a new atmosphere.

I reached his house quickly. He lives rather close to me so it wasn't a long walk. I rang the doorbell and within ten seconds, he was standing there wearing a hideous green tuxedo with white polka dots.

"Tenten!" he said as if he hadn't been expecting me. "Welcome!"

He gestured me inside and into the kitchen where there were two TV dinners sitting on the table.

I laughed to myself.

It was kind of cute.

"Do you want pizza or chicken nuggets?" he asked me pointing to the two.

I couldn't keep my laughter to myself anymore at that point, I giggled out loud.

"It doesn't matter to me!" I told me, covering my mouth.

"Good, because I was the pizza." He said, sitting down at the one with pizza. "It comes with a brownie."

I sat down at the TV dinner with the chicken nuggets. Now I kind of wish I had gone for the pizza.

Lee's company was always more enjoyable than Neji's. While Neji was MUCH more of a looker than Lee was, I have recently come to the conclusion that Neji is, and will always be, a bastard.

"Tenten, you look very pretty tonight." Lee said, completely out of nowhere.

I found myself blushing madly.

"No I don't…" I said, looking away from him. "You're just saying that."

Lee gave me a dopey smile and then picked up his pizza to eat it.

I frowned slightly. He probably only complimented me the way a child would compliment someone else.

With nothing attached.

It's not that I think Lee is a big child, it's just that he has a girlfriend already and the two of us are just friends.

Watching Lee eat his pizza then reminded me that he IS just a big child.

I paused.

Why did LEE, of all people have a girlfriend and no one else did?

Out of all twelve of us that used to hang out a lot, only Sasuke and Ino hooked up.

I didn't even know about anyone else dating anyone outside of our circle much less each other.

"Lee…" I started.

I had a question in my mind and it wouldn't go away unless I asked him.

Lee looked up. He had a bit of sauce on the side of his cheek. Sauce mixed with his already ridiculous looking face made for a pretty funny sight.

I took my hand and gestured on my own face for him to wipe his own.

Lee looked at me with a confused expression.

"You have some sauce on your face." I confirmed.

"Where?" Lee asked, pointing to his forehead.

"Not there!" I said, laughing at his stupidity.

I picked up my napkin and reached over the table. "Right…" I began wiping the sauce slowly from his cheek. I looked at his face and for some reason, it made me smile.

Not because of how childish he looked…but because I felt happy.

"Here…" I finished.

Lee reached up and grabbed my hand lightly and brought it down slowly.

"Tenten…" he said.

I saw a hint of sadness in his eyes so I pulled back, feeling slightly embarrassed.

If I had ever come that close to touching Neji's face, he probably would have smacked my hand away and scolded me for turning something like eating into flirting.

Flirting?

Had we been flirting?

No, Lee had a girlfriend. No flirting with Lee.

We continued eating in silence from there. I kept looking up at him, not really knowing what to say.

But he didn't look like he wanted to talk to me anyway. I had made him feel too uncomfortable.

Dinner ended and Lee picked up both trays and threw them in the trash can.

We still hadn't said anything to each other yet.

"I guess I'll go home now." I said now that dinner was over.

"You don't have to go now." He said to me.

I could tell he was sad. But probably only because he didn't have anyone to talk to talk to anymore. Even though…I didn't think he WANTED to talk to me.

Lee's a very social person and needs a person around in order to be happy… very unlike Neji.

I felt like I needed to say something to him. But I didn't know what.

Why was it so hard to talk to Lee?

LEE?! Of all people!

"Lee, I'm sorry." I said, not over my embarrassment. I knew he had a girlfriend and the unwritten law of being a woman is to not date a married man or a man with a girlfriend.

"Why are you sorry?" he asked me, looking confused. I laughed at his face. Lee doesn't even have to be making a funny face for it to be humorous.

"All right, I'll stay." I told him.

"Great cause I've got ice cream!" he said excitedly as he ran into the kitchen. I followed after him to see that he had taken a carton of chocolate ice cream out of the freezer. "Chocolate's all right? You like chocolate, right?"

Who doesn't?

I nodded at him as he got out some bowls and begun scooping them out.

When he was done, he handed my bowl to me and we both went back to the kitchen table.

This time, rather than sitting across from him, I sat in the seat next to him. I really shouldn't like Lee this much…

Crap…liking Lee. Not a good sign in terms of judgment.

I quickly got up and moved back to the other side of the table.

Lee had a girlfriend anyway.

I distracted my mind with some ice cream, eating it rapidly. At this point, I think I wanted to get out of Lee's house.

Now I was confusing myself.

Did I want to leave or did I want to stay?

I looked over at Lee who, unsurprisingly enough, was covered in chocolate ice cream on his face.

He was eighteen years old? Couldn't he eat like a normal person?

He looked over at me.

"I know I have some on my face." He said. "I figure that if I wipe it off now, more will just get on."

"Why don't you eat it more calmly?" I asked him.

"And risk letting it all melt before I can eat it?" he practically demanded as he shoveled more into his mouth.

I laughed at that. Only LEE would say that.

I didn't really feel like ice cream.

Actually, that's a lie. I did.

But as I said earlier, my body was JUST the way I liked it and I didn't want to ruin it by eating ice cream.

So I waited for Lee to finish and then I stood up.

"I think that I should go now." I told him.

"How come?" he asked, sounding sad.

I shrugged. I didn't really have an answer to that. I guess I just felt uncomfortable being there. And feeling the way I did about him. Kind of like how I had felt for Neji… but something MORE.

Especially if he had a girlfriend. Lee, I mean. Not Neji. Hell will freeze over before Neji gets a girlfriend, I've decided.

He hastily wiped his face off and stood up. Of course, he missed practically ALL of it.

"Sorry you didn't want to stay longer…" he said sadly as he walked over and gave me a hug.

I felt all giddy inside when he hugged me. I know it was just a friendly hug but I could still like it.

I pulled away, still holding him in my arms.

"I wanted to stay…" I said. I couldn't explain to him that I wanted to leave before I decided I liked him more than I did at the moment.

"Then why don't you?" he asked. "My parents aren't home. You're welcome to stay as long as you want."

I looked into his ridiculous eyes that were crowned by those hideous eyebrows. His awful hair…his disgusting style…the ice cream was practically the icing on the cake.

I decided…that I liked those.

"Lee…" I said, not knowing where to go from there.

"Yeah?" he asked. I didn't know what to say. He looked at me, confused expression and all.

I fell in love with that face right then and there.

I couldn't hold myself back any longer. I stood up on my toes, reached both of my hands up, on each side of his face, cupping his cheeks in my hands. Then I pulled him down and kissed him on the lips.

As the kiss continued, I didn't feel him pulling away but more so, joining in.

Lee was a surprisingly good kisser.

I fell back onto my heels and looked at him. I can't believe I had just done that.

He has a girlfriend.

"I'm sorry Lee."

I looked down at the floor.

He put his hand under my chin and brought it up so I was looking in his eyes again. He was going to scold me for kissing him when I knew he had a girlfriend.

But…instead…he just smiled.

"YOU have something on your face now."