A/N: I received some lovely reviews recently that pushed me to finally finish up this WIP chapter I've been sitting on for so long. Thank you, you guys have no idea how special your reviews are to me.

Chapter 16

Closing the Distance

Lee's eyes gradually fluttered open as the morning sun peeked through the blinds of his apartment window. He breathed in deeply, taking in Sakura's intoxicating scent, as he wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her closer to him. Her back fit snugly against his chest as though they were two matching pieces of a puzzle. Lee let out a contented sigh, burying his face in the nook of her neck.

Sakura stirred, letting out an endearing groan as her eyes slowly opened.

"Good morning," Lee murmured, kissing the nape of her neck.

Sakura smiled, relaxing her body against his bare chest. "Good morning to you too."

Lee fingers brushed lightly across her abdomen, feeling hints of lean muscle underneath her smooth skin. "It is time for-"

"I know, but please let's sleep a longer? I'm not ready to get up."

Lee ran light kisses down Sakura's neck to her shoulder in response, causing her to squirm in his grip.

"Hey, that tickles!" she giggled.

Lee smirked knowingly. "Sakura, I will not stop until you agree to get up with me."

"Oh, in that case..." Sakura suddenly twisted in Lee's grip, shoving him on his back, before climbing on top of him. She straddled him as she pinned his shoulders down into the bed. "...I'll have to stop you and then keep you here in bed with me." This time she was the one smirking.

Lee's breath caught in his throat as he grinned affectionately up at her. God, she looked absolutely gorgeous. Her hair was tousled wild from sleep and she was wearing one of his civilian shirts. It was loose on her small frame, made apparent by one of her slender shoulders peeking suggestively out through the collar. "It appears I no longer have a say in the matter."

"Mmhmm," Sakura agreed with a playful smile. She leaned forward until her face was a few inches from his own, her pink hair brushing lightly against his cheeks. Lee raised his chin, expecting her to kiss him, but she stopped herself just out of reach, taunting him. "I'm surprised Rock Lee, out of all people, is willing to give up so easily."

Lee's grin turned devious as he rolled, taking Sakura with him. He ended up on top of her, propped up on his elbows, his body pressed against hers. Sakura's eyes turned from a moment of surprise to that of warmth as Lee grinned down at her. "You know me better than that, Sakura."

"That's more like it," Sakura giggled.

This time Lee closed the gap between their lips, kissing her slowly, savoring every second. Sakura's fingers combed through his messy bed hair as she kissed him back with the same fervor. When he pulled away Sakura looked up at him with dreamy eyes.

"I love you, Lee," Sakura breathed.

Lee stroked her cheek gently, his eyes tender. "And I love you, Sakura," Lee answered her.

Sakura pulled Lee's head in for another quick kiss which he happily abided. "Okay, Lee. You win. I'll get out of bed. Get off me before I change my mind."

Lee raised an eyebrow, unsure if she had another trick up her sleeve. "Yes, ma'am," he chuckled as he slid off her.

Lee climbed up out of bed before stretching out his arms and rolling his shoulders. He glanced back at the bed to see Sakura taking her sweet time to crawl out of bed. Before she could react, Lee decided to scoop her up his arms.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Sakura laughed as Lee carried her out of the bedroom.

"I am only helping you get out of bed. You seemed to be having a little difficulty," Lee teased.

"Morning people," Sakura pouted. Lee looked down to see her folding her arms across her chest with an overdramatic pout on her face. She looked adorable.

When he reached the living area he set her down on the couch. She had a warm smile across her face as she looked at him. The way she stretched out on the couch stirred something within him. Her shirt reached only a little bit past her waist leaving her slender legs bare, leaving little to the imagination. He hesitated, and for a moment he wanted to join her on that couch and forget about their obligations for the day, but he resisted and turned towards the kitchen.

"Lee," Sakura said, grabbing a hold of his hand before he could leave.

"Hmm?" Lee turned back towards her. He squeezed her hand affectionately.

Sakura sat up, lacing her fingers in his, thinking for a moment. "Well, I just wanted you to know that you don't need to feel nervous today. I believe in you wholeheartedly."

"Nervous? What do I have to be nervous about?" he chuckled.

Sakura stood up close to him, resting one hand on his chest and tracing the grooves in his muscles with the other. Lee wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. She looked up at him shyly. "Your match with Neji today."

Lee stared at her, the smile from his face disappearing. "My match with Neji...?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. You've wanted to have a re-match with him for so long, and he's only now just agreed to one. It's your chance to finally defeat him in battle to prove yourself. I'm surprised you're not nervous." Sakura then giggled. "Then, I suppose that's a good thing. That means you'll definitely beat him today, huh?"

Something was not right. Lee pulled away from Sakura and took a few steps back, rubbing his suddenly aching temples.

"What's wrong?" Sakura said, her voice laced with concern as she stepped towards him.

Conflicting memories and negative emotions flashed through his head. "I..." Suddenly a vivid memory of holding Neji's dead body flashed before his eyes, and then he remembered. "Neji is gone," he whispered, looking at Sakura with sudden realization and vulnerability in his eyes.

The first thing he realized was Neji was dead and never coming back. He died during the war to protect Hinata, and Lee had held his bloodied body in his arms in the middle of the battlefield as he cried his eyes out.

Seeing the pain in his eyes, Sakura embraced him tightly. "Hey, it's going to be okay, Lee."

The second thing he realized was that the Sakura in front of him was not real.

Lee's breath shuddered as he breathed out, feeling the raw, yet familiar pain from Neji's death once more as it settled within him. His stood stiffly as Sakura hugged him, before hesitantly placing his arms around her, feeling as though it was wrong of him to do, yet still savoring the feeling of holding Sakura while it lasted. When he looked down at her now it was no longer as a lover or girlfriend, it was as his married friend. He felt shame and embarrassment looking at her now dressed in barely any clothes and the fact that mere moments ago he had held her in his arms so intimately and kissed her.

"This is just a dream," he said sadly.

"Please don't go," Sakura whispered to him.

Lee's eyes opened with a sudden breath. The sun was not shining through his blinds this time - it was merely the faint glow of the streetlights. The clock read 3 AM.

Lee stared up at the ceiling, resting the back of his hand across his forehead as he laid there silently. He felt an ache in his heart - loss and longing. Neji's loss was familiar, as was the longing for his death to just be a bad dream. Having dealt with that grief for years, he could easily push those feelings away. Yet, there was also another sort of longing in his heart.

His hand tightened into a fist.

No, it was just a dream. Nothing more than a dream playing with his emotions.

It was a common after-effect of those affected by the Infinite Tsukuyomi; the dreams would sometimes come back, as vivid as they had been before, more surreal than any other regular dream. For some it was a joy to have such pleasant dreams where everything is just as they want it to be, but for others it was a painful reminder of what they lost and what could never be in reality.

It had been awhile since he had last had an Infinite Tsukuyomi dream. He would now and always wish he could have Neji back, but... was the dream also telling him something by still taunting him with Sakura? No, they could not, he answered. The dreams were just an echo of what he desired during the war, right?

Lee thought to Sakura, to the way she looked under the soft glow of the decorative lights that night during their dinner; the way her mouth would slowly curl into an amused smile, the way her nose crinkles right before she laughs - her laughter light and sweet - and the warmth in her captivating jade eyes as she looks at him. He thought to the warmth in his chest as he walked beside her, the magnetic pull he felt to stay close to her side. He thought to when he caught in his arms, how he liked the way she felt in his arms so close to him, how endearing she looked with her wet hair flopped in her face, how he felt the irresistible urge to affectionately place her wet hair behind her ear as an excuse to touch her.

Lee's jaw tightened.

He could not allow himself to have feelings for Sakura Uchiha. He was supposed to have discarded those feelings a long time ago. He could not let them return, especially now. Sakura was alone and emotionally vulnerable. They were just becoming true friends. What kind of man would he be to have his feelings return for a married woman whose husband was always away? It would look like he was taking advantage of her absent husband.

Lee pulled himself out of bed and got himself a glass of water. He stared out the window of his apartment at the empty street, his eyes unfocused.

Sakura finally confirmed that it was her relationship with Sasuke that was giving her trouble, not that it was a surprise to Lee. But, the woman who did her best to hide away her feelings at that moment decided to reveal just a tiny fraction of what she had been repressing for what seemed like a long time. She was terribly lonely, left to deal with Konoha's scorn towards the Uchiha. Yet, even when Sasuke came back to see her, it did not seem like he consoled her. It was a fate she did not deserve.

Lee hoped what he did for her helped her at least a bit. Obliterating his practices dummies, along with the rocks and trees, seemed to relax Sakura in a big way. There was something about that smile she gave him that made it look like all her worries had dissipated for at least that moment.

He swore he would do all he could in his power to make her happy, and do what Sasuke would not do for her.

As a friend.

These weird feelings swirling inside of him would pass. They were nothing.

Heavy, dark clouds rolled over the sky as Lee walked through the graveyard, his mind focused on one particular grave. When he arrived Tenten was already there, seated cross-legged next to Neji's gravestone. She looked up at him and gave a small smile, but her face was long and sullen, more than usual. Lee joined her, taking a seat on the grass next to her.

"Hey, Lee," Tenten greeted, her voice low. She did not turn her head to look at him, her eyes were unfocused, gazing towards Neji's grave. Her shoulders were tense.

"Hello, Tenten," Lee returned, immediately noticing something was wrong. He contemplated asking her if she was okay. She was always one to lecture him about prying and lacking tact, but in this case he was willing to put up with any chastising just to make sure his friend and teammate was okay. "Is everything alright?" he asked carefully.

"I'm just pissed again that the Hyuga didn't bury Neji in their private cemetery while lesser Hyuga get the honor of being buried there for merely being main house."

Lee's fist tightened. "At least we can honor Neji's memory better than the rest of the Hyuga can."

Lee and Tenten have had this conversation before. It had been surprising and infuriating to all of their remaining team that Neji would not be buried with the rest of the Hyuga. The Hyuga private cemetery was reserved mostly for main house members. The Hyuga made exceptions and buried even branch house members there if they were determined to be heroes. Even though Neji had sacrificed himself for Hinata, a main house member and daughter of the Hyuga clan leader, he was still not given the honor of being buried in their private cemetery. Upon hearing the news, Tenten had hunted down Hiashi and accused him of not caring at all for his daughter or nephew, tears streaming down her face. With the commotion she was causing in the streets, Lee had no trouble locating her when he figured out what she planned to do. Lee had pushed through the crowd forming as she threw insults at Hiashi, refusing to step aside despite his threats. Lee was able to drag her away before Hiashi or his branch house guards could make due on his threat. When Tenten had calmed down, she had theorized that the reason why Neji was not given the honor to be buried in the Hyuga cemetery because Hinata was dishonorably removed as heiress so that Hiashi didn't consider Hinata to be main house anymore. Lee didn't have any better ideas, so he agreed with her.

At the very least, having Neji outside the Hyuga cemetery allowed non-Hyuga like themselves easy access to his grave.

Tenten breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. "But, to answer your question... Yeah, I'm okay," she said, her voice thick with frustration. She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Just... ugh. Sorry. I just had one of those dreams again last night."

"Infinite Tsukuyomi?"

Tenten nodded.

"Me too."

Tenten looked at Lee, her eyebrows raised. Lee could see the hurt in her eyes now more clearly. "You too, huh?" Tenten let out a large sigh. "Maybe it's because of the weather," she said, irritation in her voice, scowling at the dark clouds. "Or..."

"Or?"

The defiant vigor in her voice died down once more. "Or, to be honest I think it's because I saw Hinata the other day," she admitted.

"I am sorry, Tenten," Lee immediately said.

"Yeah... I am too. It's just... every time I see her I think of him. Every time I see her... I think that she is only alive because Neji took a hit that did not belong to him. And sometimes..." Tenten's mouth turned into a grimace. "I feel terrible and shouldn't say this and I hate to admit it, but sometimes... I wish Neji and her traded places. I know it's completely selfish thought that only ends in passing on the pain onto someone else but..." Her voice wavered for a moment. "These stupid dreams make it hard to let him go when each one feels like real life until I wake up with the painful reminder." Tenten hugged her knees to her chest.

Lee stared at Neji's grave. "I understand completely." The thought had crossed his mind before, but he avoided thinking of it any further lest he drown himself in guilt and what-if's. Lee would offer a hug, but he knew that Tenten did not like big displays of physical affection, so he settled for gently stroking Tenten's back in solidarity as they sat in silence for a moment.

"Are your dreams always the same or do they change each time?" Tenten suddenly asked.

"They change for me."

"Mine do too. It's almost feels like the Infinite Tsukuyomi is still in our system somehow, creating new dreams based off of our deepest desires when we were first caught in it. Or maybe it's just our brains making up new dreams for us based on how much it took to the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Either way, it goes to show you how strong that jutsu really was."

"We are most lucky that we were freed from it."

Tenten turned her head to look at Lee. "Do you wish you could stay in the dream sometimes?"

Lee hesitated for a moment. "Sometimes, if only for a fleeting moment. While in the dream I have reached all my goals and desires, what meaning do they have if they have just been given to me freely, especially since it is all a lie?"

Tenten nodded, thinking. "I know, but it's just nice to Neji back, at least for a bit. The dream I had last night was just me and Neji sitting down and talking while you and Guy-sensei were training in the background. It made me feel whole again, like everything was right with the world. When I wake up I don't realize immediately that Neji is gone, and when I do a few moments later it like a punch to the gut."

"Mine are similar, but I have gotten to the point where usually any reminder of Neji makes me remember he is gone, and that I am just in a dream. As you have said, Tenten, remembering that is he gone... it really does hurt."

There was a pause. "If you don't mind me asking... what was your dream about last night?"

Lee sat stiffly. "...Sakura."

"Still, huh?"

Lee nodded slowly.

"Does it bother you when you see her to train? Even though you no longer like her that way, right?"

"I..." Lee started, his mouth suddenly dry. "Right." Lee felt an ache in his heart. "I do not have these dreams regularly. I have not had one for quite some time, actually - before Sakura and I began to train together."

"With the way you always gush about her on Sundays I wouldn't be surprised if you still liked her," Tenten sighed.

Lee froze, finding himself unsure of how to respond.

Tenten looked at Lee, studying him, bringing a sense of discomfort to Lee as he fidgeted in place. "Lee," Tenten said, softer. "I don't want you to hurt yourself. Again, maybe. It's the harsh truth, but Sakura decided Sasuke was the one for her, not you. I know you're all about never giving up, but pining for her won't change her feelings, especially if she's had the chance to since we were all genin. I know you're also still worried about her marriage with Sasuke, but drop it. Her marriage troubles aren't going to give you a chance."

"That is not...!" Lee said sharply.

"Then what is it?" Tenten challenged, raising an eyebrow. "You don't get to just pretend nothing is going on while you sit here all mopey in front of me at the first mention of her name."

Lee clenched his jaw as he sat there stiffly, trying find the right words to respond to Tenten. But, in order to that he had to first sort out his swirling emotions.

Tenten sighed. "Look, I just care because you and Guy-sensei are all I have left. You two are the only thing I can call a family considering my birth parents didn't even bother to leave me with a name before they dropped me off at an orphanage. So don't hurt yourself. I don't want to deal with that."

Lee shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to respond to Tenten. "...I am not the only mopey one here," Lee retorted.

"I know."

Lee punched the wooden dummy hard, causing it to splinter. He could start to feel the dull pain in his fists. The sky was dark with clouds; it was drizzling. He did not expect Sakura to come today due to the rain; but that was fine. He wanted to stay here to think. The repetition of his punches and kicks was soothing; it helped calm him and clear his head.

Did he truly have feelings for Sakura? He kept on denying it, but Tenten always seemed to pick up on something that made her think otherwise. He could not deny that he felt a particular kind of fondness for Sakura. They had been spending a lot of time together, and he has gotten to know her a lot better than he had ever known her before. They were surprisingly similar in so many ways - and he believed their friendship was able to blossom so well because of that. He told himself the only reason why he occasionally found himself admiring her impeccable beauty, or why he would feel that flutter in his chest around her, was because those were the ghosts of previous crush rearing its head.

"Lee."

Lee stopped and turned his head. Sakura was standing a few feet away from him holding an umbrella. His breath caught for a moment in his throat. "Ah, hello, Sakura! I was not expecting you here today."

"I thought at first you would skip too, but then I remembered that you're Rock Lee," Sakura replied with a wry smile. "So, I had to come just to check."

"We do not have to train today, Sakura."

"I know."

Lee gazed at her. There was a certain tenderness in her eyes that drew him in as she looked at him.

The rain suddenly picked up hard.

"Oh!" Alarmed, Sakura jogged over to him, holding the umbrella over him too. She stood close to him, only a few inches and the umbrella pole between them; she had to hold her arm up a little higher due to his height. "There," she smiled at up at him warmly.

"Thank you, Sakura, but it is not needed."

"Nonsense," Sakura said. "I won't have you standing out here in the cold rain while I'm standing here with an umbrella."

"Oh, well, fair enough. I appreciate it."

Sakura looked satisfied. "Let's move under a tree where the rain will be a bit lighter," she spoke up above the pelting rain on her umbrella.

Sakura held onto his arm and guided him to the nearest tree and positioned them against the trunk. Lee was very consciously aware of the physical contact. Her umbrella was only so big, so in order to keep both of them under it their shoulders were pressed tightly together. The rain was still bleeding through the branches and leaves, but here it was more lighter, and it was not so much the downpour as it was outside the safety of the tree.

"Much better," Sakura confirmed, letting go of his arm.

Lee let out a chuckle, perhaps a bit forced. "Yes, indeed." While he always enjoyed Sakura's company, this time he felt oddly vulnerable and caught off guard after being interrupted from sorting out his thoughts... especially since she was the subject of his troubled thoughts. "So... uh, how was your day at the hospital?" he asked, searching for a conversation topic.

"Great, actually! I've been working with my assistants on developing an antidote for that poison you were inflicted with so that the next time we send leaf-nin out in that area they will be safer and better prepared. We've finished it up and the next step we're working on is producing larger quantities of it. It feels good to be able to do something to prevent hospital visits." Sakura looked proud. He loved how much her eyes were lit up in pride. It made her eyes sparkle.

"That is uh, wonderful," Lee responded, strain in his voice. He made himself look away from her eyes before he was caught staring. Sakura eyed him curiously, but did not comment on it.

"I want to thank you again for going out with me last evening. I had a lot of fun! It had been too long since I had gone out like that. But I hope the next time we go out together less food mishaps will happen," she laughed lightheartedly. He loved that light, airy laugh.

Lee eyed her knuckles and saw that they had fully healed from her rampage last night. She must have thankfully recovered enough chakra to heal them. "Anytime, Sakura." There was a pause where the two of them looked out at the rain before Lee spoke up again. "If I might ask, why did you come if you did not wish to train?" Lee said carefully.

Sakura's eyes, once surveying the rainy training field, directed their focus on his own. "I didn't want to leave you alone in the rain," she said softly.

Flustered by her response, Lee felt heat rise to his face. He looked down to his feet sheepishly, hoping she did not notice the redness in his cheeks. "I see... Thank you."

"Were you able to get your 400 laps around Konoha today?"

"I... no, I skipped them today."

"Skipped them? That sounds unlike you. Is something wrong? In fact, you seem a bit... different today." She tilted her head forward to look up at him, so that he could not avoid her gaze. She was so close to him.

"...I'm just not feeling entirely myself today is all. We all have those off days, right? Perhaps it is just the weather," he shrugged, trying to come off nonchalantly.

Sakura leaned against him, slowly and hesitantly wrapping her arm around his. "Lee... I want to be there for you just like you were for me yesterday. I won't pry, but if I can do anything to help, please let me know." A desperation and pain was in her eyes, starving for a connection. A connection that Sasuke had been denying her for so long.

Lee's breath caught for a moment as he savored the feeling of her touch. He studied her tenderly for a moment, taking in her delicate features. "I... I just need you to be yourself," he said, smiling softly, mirroring what she had once asked of him during their training sessions.

There was a glint of recognition in Sakura's eyes as she returned his smile, with a light squeeze to his arm. "I can do that," she said, mirroring his own words to her. He loved her smile.

While they had talked, the rain slowed and the heavy clouds began to dissipate, allowing the bright sun to peek through. When the rain stopped Sakura folded up her umbrella and set it against the tree. She grabbed his hand and tugged him out on the open field. "C'mon."

Fluttery tingles spread up Lee's hand as he was stiffly tugged along. "S-Sakura?"

Sakura stopped in the center of the field, letting go of Lee's hand, before turning towards him and backing up a few yards. "You said yesterday that training helps you let off steam." Sakura raised her fists and shifted her feet. "Then let's let off some steam here. Spar with me, Lee," Sakura stated with a ready grin.

Lee blinked, before a smile crept across his face. "I can certainly do that," Lee answered, readying himself in a fighting pose.

Sakura's grin grew wider before she charged.

The two traded blows, Sakura holding a confident grin on her face. Lee felt himself relaxing, feeling eased by doing something so comforting to him. He found himself grinning back at her. Sakura had been getting better as they practiced, surprising him more often and landing blows on him. She started mixing up her moves a bit more, using more of her legs as he taught her some of his techniques. This spar felt a bit different than their previous ones. Lee felt some sort of spark between them as they fought. There were more smiles, more teasing, and a playfulness in the way they moved with each other like a dance.

"I'm going to beat you this time," Sakura teased between puffs of breath as she blocked one of his kicks.

"I am not so sure, Sakura," Lee teased back, blocking a punch, and countering with his own. "We will have to see about-"

Before Lee could finish his sentence, Sakura weaved and rolled him, before performing a Leaf Hurricane kick. Lee's eyes widened as he twisted to block the kick. The wet grass caused him to lose a bit of his balance, and before he could recover, Sakura suddenly tackled him, sending the two of them crashing to the wet ground. She immediately pinned his arms and hooked one of her legs through his in a grapple. "Got you," she declared with a victorious grin. She was leaning over him by a few inches, her pedal-pink hair brushing his cheekbones. They were both breathing heavy, their breath intermingling. The smell of sweat and rain was heavy in the hair. Her shoulders relaxed. "Looks like I finally beat-"

Before Sakura could finish her sentence Lee freed one leg, using it to twist himself and rolled, and then in a blink of an eye he was on top of Sakura, pinning her in a nearly identical grapple. "I do not think so, Sakura," Lee smirked. While Sakura's grapple was respectable, she was not careful with how she had restrained his legs.

Sakura let out a small gasp, her eyes wide as she processing how they had swapped places. She tried to squirm and escape the same way he had, but to no avail. She was firmly restrained. She looked up at him unamused, but the subtle smile that appeared in the corners of her mouth betrayed her. "That's not fair. I thought I had won so I let my guard down."

"You should never let your guard down when fighting me," Lee smirked.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him, causing Lee to chuckle. Her pout turned into affectionate grin as she looked up at him. Her cheeks were flushed with exertion; her chest sharply rising and falling as she caught her breath. Her once neat hair was spread wild around her head and her clothes were covered in grass stains. Lee could not help but think she looked beautiful at that that very moment. His breath caught in his throat as his heart fluttered in his chest. Just then he become aware of how close their faces were as he looked down at her. At that moment he felt an urge to close the mere inches of distance between their lips, wanting to feel what her real lips felt like against his. How he just wanted to sink into her and just hold her close, and lose himself in her intoxicating scent. And at that moment his stomach sank, because he could no longer deny his feelings for her.

Lee pulled off of her quickly, not allowing himself to linger any longer in that compromising position. He stood up, brushing the stray grass off of himself. Sakura stood up as well.

"I was close. Next time," Sakura warned, a playful tune in her voice.

"Ha, maybe so," Lee said, rubbing the back of his neck. He found himself unable to bring his eyes up to look at her directly. Tenten was right. He was in denial this whole time about his feelings. How was he supposed to act around Sakura now? How was he supposed to be her trustworthy friend while he had this secondary, hidden motive behind all his actions?

"How about we start genjutsu training? I have some new ones I'd like to try with you," Sakura said eagerly, stepping close to him.

Her close presence startled Lee, and he stepped back, feeling heat rise to his face. "U-Um..." He needed to get some distance between him and Sakura. He needed time to cool off. Time to think. He had to focus on keeping his composure.

"Lee?"

He shouldn't be spending so much time with Sakura. It caused these feelings for her to renew, and even strengthen. In a moment of weakness he could end up saying or doing something that he would regret, and make Sakura uncomfortable. He knows she does not want his feelings. He would only be a burden to her. While he would always support and protect her, he had to put a stop to this near daily interaction.

Sakura closed the distance between them once again, and put a concerned hand on his arm. "Lee, are you..."

Lee moved away from her touch, as much as it pained him to do, and steeled himself. "Sakura, I am sorry. I forgot that there are some errands I must take care of immediately. But I have also given it some thought, and I think I have learned all that I want to know about genjutsu dispelling. Thank you for your instruction; I will no longer take up your time."

She seemed startled and there was pain in her eyes. "Wait, what are you saying? You're done? But... there's still so much to learn!"

Lee turned away from Sakura so he wouldn't grow weak by looking at her eyes. He felt himself fill with guilt. He never wanted to be someone who would hurt her. "Yes. We can still spar from time to time if you would like, but I won't be taking up most of your afternoons anymore. See you around, Sakura."

"Oh, okay... See you around, Lee," Sakura said sadly.

With that, he left her alone on the training field.

A/N: For as much as I love romantic fanfiction, I think this is the first time I've actually written a kiss scene haha.

So not only was the training scene a parallel to Lee's dream, it was also a slight reference/acknowledgement of a scene from one of my favorite Leesaku fics, "For You" by SkItZoFrEaK. But of course, by all intentions I always planned to put compromising positions in my fic because it's always been one of my favorite cliche tropes.

I also figured I wouldn't have Lee beat around the bush so much about whether he had feelings for Sakura again or not and take care of it in one chapter. Lee is very true to his feelings and has less romantic hang-ups/barriers that Sakura has (Sasuke, cough).

Until next time, my dear readers!