Rock Lee; 5 Years Later

Age 18

-Her Skirt-

Things have been going pretty well with Garu and I. I think we hit it off pretty good…she liked me… I liked her…

But still, I needed some time alone away from her. Which is why I decided to invite Neji and Tenten over for old time's sake! I hardly got to see Neji anymore and, when I did, I usually ended up fighting him because it turned out we were in a jounin exam or something.

Only a few hours before the party was supposed to take place, Neji cancelled.

Which was good…since I only had two TV dinners anyway…

You see…I can't really cook. And my parents aren't home.

I put on my best tuxedo and threw the two dinners in the microwave.

Wait, why had a put on my best tuxedo? It was only Tenten!

I laughed to myself and took the dinners out of the microwave when they had finished. I hoped Tenten liked chicken nuggets because I really liked pizza and, even though I was going to give her the choice of choosing of the two…I still wanted the pizza.

I was about to go to my room and change out of the tuxedo when the doorbell rang.

Was Tenten already here?

As I ran to the door, I checked a mirror. My teeth sparkled a beautiful white and I straightened my bowtie one last time. My hair was perfect. I was such a stud.

I flung the door open.

"Tenten!" I said…but not TOO loudly because I didn't want to scare her. "Welcome!"

She smiled.

Something about her looked really nice today. Oh! She was wearing a skirt. I didn't see Tenten in a skirt very often.

It looked kinda nice.

Strike that, REALLY nice.

Better than Garu in a skirt anyway.

Wait, no, not time to think about that. I quickly beckoned for Tenten to come in and looked around for something to distract myself with.

"Do you want pizza or chicken nuggets?" I asked, referring to the two TV dinners that were set at the table.

Tenten started to giggle. She put her hand over her mouth in attempt to be polite. "It doesn't matter to me!" she said.

"Good, because I was the pizza." I said, sitting down at the place with the pizza to establish the fact that it was all mine.

But… if she asked for a piece, I'd give some to her…

"It comes with a brownie." I added.

Tenten sat across from me.

In addition to wearing a skirt, something else looked different about Tenten. Had she done something to her hair? I knew she cut it last year because she said that it was getting too long and she didn't want to look like one of those hippi people who grew their hair out as long as they could.

So it wasn't her hair…I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Tenten, you look very pretty tonight." I said finally. I figured that was vague enough and maybe she'd trick herself into telling me what looked different about her.

She only blushed in response.

"No I don't…" she said. "You're just saying that."

I smiled. Maybe there wasn't anything different about her.

Maybe I was the different one.

I went back to eating my pizza.

I didn't know what I could say to start conversation, so I hoped that Tenten would do so.

With Neji not here, it felt awkward.

I know that must seem weird because Neji's so freaking scary when he wants to be, but with him not here…it almost seemed like… a…

"Lee…" Tenten said suddenly. I looked up, hoping to relieve myself from the foolish things I was thinking.

I thought of Garu and only Garu. Her image in my head distracted me once again. She was my girlfriend and I had a duty to her.

Tenten suddenly pointed to a spot on her cheek.

Oh no! Was she asking for a kiss?? I wasn't a man unless I kissed her! But if I kissed her, I'd be betraying Garu! What now?!

"You have some sauce on your face." Tenten said.

"Where?" I said absentmindedly in my state of relief.

"Not there!" Tenten laughed.

She grabbed a napkin and raised it to my face. I leaned over so she could reach me better. I was much taller than her.

"Right…" she touched me. She smiled.

Even though the napkin was between her skin and mine, I felt like she and I had some contact just then… a bit of a connection.

"Here…" she added with a sigh to her voice.

Our faces were pretty close. If I wanted to, I could have kissed her.

I blinked and remembered Garu.

I took her hand and brought it down. "Tenten…" I began.

Tenten immediately pulled away from me, taking her hand out of mine.

It was a mistake on both of our parts. After all, I had been the one thinking about kissing. Not once… but twice.

I went back to eating, hoping not to get anything on my face so that wouldn't happen again. As much as I did want it to happen, I knew it wasn't right. Garu was my girlfriend and besides, didn't Tenten like Neji?

When Tenten was finished, I took her tray and went to the trashcan.

"I guess, I'll go home now." Tenten said.

I turned around and watched her going towards the door. I didn't want her to leave.

"You don't have to go now." I said.

"Lee, I'm sorry." She said quietly.

Sorry for what? I knew she was referring to what had occurred at dinner, but it was all my fault.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked.

"All right, I'll stay." She smiled again.

I took a deep breath.

"Great cause I've got ice cream!" I said, going over to the freezer and pulling out the carton of ice cream that I had gotten just for this occasion. "Chocolate's all right? You like chocolate, right?"

Tenten nodded, so I got out two bowls and began scooping. It was no trouble at all, so I scooped Tenten some too.

I gave Tenten her bowl and we both went back to the table.

Tenten sat down next to me.

Then she abruptly got up and moved across from me instead. Briefly, she had been very close to me.

Man, I was being so stupid. I was close to Tenten all the time when we were training! Why was I being so critical all of a sudden?

I focused all my attention on eating the ice cream. Tenten was making me feel so uncomfortable, but in a weird sort of way. Did I want her to leave? No, I wanted her to stay. But was I afraid of what would happen if she stayed any longer? Absolutely.

I looked up to see Tenten staring at me…or actually, the ice cream that was on my face. I had accidentally been messy again.

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

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

"And risk letting it all melt before I can eat it?" I said, quickly thinking up an excuse as I ate some more.

Tenten laughed. At least I could make her laugh.

When I got to the bottom of the bowl, Tenten stood up. She had hardly touched her ice cream.

"I think that I should go now." She said.

"How come?" I asked, standing up as well.

I was so much taller than her. I had always wanted to be tall, but now I didn't know whether I should sit down or stand up.

Tenten shrugged and spun around towards the door.

Was this some sort of trick she was playing on me?

Had Garu asked Tenten to do this to test my loyalty?

I grabbed a napkin and wiped off my face the best I could, quickly banishing the thought from my head. How could I be so silly? Neither Garu OR Tenten would do something like that.

"Sorry you didn't want to stay longer…" I said, coming over to her. I reached out and gave her a hug. I held her…but it felt different than all the other times I had…when we were younger…

I guess she realized that I wasn't moving, because she pulled away. But she still clung to my arms.

"I wanted to stay…" she said.

If she wanted to stay, and I wanted her to stay, then why didn't she stay? Girls are so difficult to understand.

"Then why don't you?" I asked her.

I figured that's the only way to get any answers from a girl. Just ASK her.

"My parents aren't home." I quickly added. "You're welcome to stay as long as you want."

She didn't answer to that. She looked at my eyes. I looked at hers.

Is that what was different about her?

Her eyes?

Were they even different at all?

"Lee…" she said quietly.

When she didn't continue, I decided to prompt her. "Yeah?" I said. She looked down for a moment, then up again.

Suddenly, she did something I had been hoping she'd do, but never expected her to actually do it. She stood up on her toes, grabbed my face on either side and pulled me down lower so her lips could reach mine. At first, I was surprised and shocked, but I soon realized that this is something that I wanted.

Just when I was starting to realize that this was something I REALLY wanted, she fell back onto her heels and out of my reach. I bent down to reach her, but she was already looking down at the floor.

"I'm sorry Lee."

I put my hand under her chin and moved her head up so she was looking at me again. She was different. She definitely was different.

It's not that something was different about her, she was just different from other girls. Other girls like Sakura…

…And Garu…

Garu…

I knew as long as I had an obligation to Garu, what I had just done might as well have been against the law. As much as I wanted to kiss Tenten again, and this time initiate it, Garu's image kept flashing in my head.

I couldn't help but smile at the fact that Tenten now had ice cream on her face after kissing me.

"YOU have something on your face now." I told her.