Be My Valentine! part two: Lee:

"Hi, TenTen!! How are you on this Fine and Youthful Day?!" A grimace. 'Mm, no, too loud. I do not wish to frighten TenTen.'

'How's this, then?' "Why, hello, TenTen! Fancy meeting you here!" 'No… idiot, I'll be looking for her, why would I pretend it's by coincidence? With a gift for her no less! I'm not a coward, Lee, not. A. Coward!!'

Lee straightened up again in front of his mirror once more. He had a habit of deflating himself when thinking, and only straightened himself out with determination once he's pepped himself up again to thinking knew ways to greet his team-mate once he has found her.

'Let's try again!' "Okay! Here goes! Oh! Hi, TenTen! Go out with me, I'll protect you with my life! -wink-…. No, no…" 'That was stupid. I said that to Sakura-san and I actually had to prove it before she would talk to me…. Besides, TenTen already knows I'll protect her with my life. I need something New and Original and YOUTHFUL to say to her!!'

"…-sigh-"

Yet Lee… didn't know how to start.

Lee had just stepped out of the shower and barely had time to wrap a towel around his waist and rub the mirror clean when he heard a knocking at his door. He had no idea who it might be, he wasn't expecting anyone, and even though it was Valentine's Day, he didn't have very many admirers, and usually friends waited until they saw him in the streets to give him their sweets and cards and novelties. Usually, he liked to partake in his little ritual after his shower. After wiping the mirror clean from the fog, he liked to just stand there for a minute, breathing in the leftover mist from his hot shower, breathing in the nice aromas of soap and shampoo. He knew it might be girly, but if he cared what people thought of him that much, he wouldn't openly admire and take after his sensei like he did.

He also liked to flex, watch his muscle ripple as he slowly moved his arms about, slowly clenched and unclenched his torso muscles and count his packs. Then he would kiss his right bicep, wink at himself, and say, "Baby, yous is lookin' hella good."

Yes, very out of character for him, he knew, but after all, he really didn't have many admirers at all. He liked to say that about himself because he believes in loving yourself and in being optimistic, and it always puts him in a fantastic mood whenever someone compliments him on anything. So, to make sure he always starts his day right, he would compliment himself, and then he would smile and thank himself.

But he couldn't do that this morning, so already he could feel an omen that today might not be a good day. Still in his towel, he made his way to the front door. He knew it was probably rude to greet people practically naked, but it was even ruder to keep them waiting.

As he looked in his door's peephole to see who it could possibly be, he was expecting maybe a lost someone wanting directions to a new rendezvous, or someone who has the wrong address, or maybe the postman, or even some kids playing ding-dong-ditch. What he was not expecting, however, was Neji and Hinata standing right there before the door, patiently waiting for him to open up.

Forgetting all about his near-nakedness, Lee hurried up to open the door and let them in, all flustered and surprised smiles and Youthful Declarations.

"Ah! My fellow Comrades! Please! Come in and Make your Youthful Selves at Home! Mi casa es su casa!!"

Hinata blushed at his appearance but smiled anyways, wishing him a happy valentine. Neji, however, stared at him perturbed. First, for catching Lee in nothing but a towel yet again, second because of the Spanish, and third because Lee was basically, although knowing him he probably forgot all about the towel being the only thing on him, exposing himself to Hinata, his cousin, his girlfriendand Neji really didn't appreciate that. Neji is her sworn protector and that meant protecting her from offensive sights. Like Lee, and his loincloth-slash-towel. Besides, the only one allowed to expose themselve to Hinata is Neji himself, and although that hasn't happened yet, it will someday. Neji will be sure of that.

Right now, though, Neji glared and growled a bit, too. "Lee! Put some fucking clothes on! There is a lady present!" and although he knew Hinata was frowning at him for cursing and speaking in that tone of voice to one of his best friends, he wasn't sorry. Not at all. And no, he didn't apologise later when Lee came back fully spandexed and wish him (albeit empty) a happy valentines day because Hinata scolded him and threatened to not talk to him for a week. No, he did it because even though he's annoying and more of a pest than anything, Neji would die for Lee and was sure Lee would die for him as well, and therefore deserved at least an (albeit empty) apology and a happy valentines day wish. Hinata had nothing to do with that decision. Nothing at all.

"So, not that I mind or anything, but what are you guys doing here? Why are you not Enjoying yourselves on this Fine, Youthful Valentines day? It's our Springtime of Youth, aren't you guys gonna go on a date or something?"

Lee must've been nervous, Neji noticed, because he was alternating between his Youthful Diction and his regular, casual speak. "We just came here to give you our valentine's gifts. TenTen wasn't home, so we just left it with her parents to give to her later. Anyways, we really should get going. We actually do have a date and I'd actually like to get to it, if you don't mind. Here," Neji said, and stood to hand his friend a simple card and chocolate bar. Lee took it gratefully, and was about to say so when Neji started to speak again.

"The chocolate is for you. I can't find Sensei anywhere, and I really don't feel like looking for him anymore. If you can, please give that to him if you see him today. I figure, since you're his favourite, he'd definitely come see you and give you something."

"Uh… sure Neji, but I'm sure he'll try to find all of us today, not just me. You sure you don't wanna hang on to this in case you do run into Gai-sensei?"

"No, I don't plan on being anywhere public today. Hinata and I are going to spend the day together somewhere private, just the two of us. In any case, if you don't see sensei either then just give the card back to me, I'll give it to him myself tomorrow."

"Okay Neji. I can do that. Have fun, you two, don't do anything I wouldn't do," Lee said slyly. Neji smirked and nodded his head once, both in acknowledgment and in goodbye.

He and Hinata stood up and headed to the door, and Lee followed them. Before they left Hinata turned around and waved, a big smile on her face.

"Bye, Lee-san!"

"Bye, Hinata-san, Happy Valentine's Day, you two!" And Lee shut the door.

"Oi! Neji!!" TenTen called out, jogging to catch up to where Neji and Hinata, surprisingly, were standing outside of Lee's doorway.

"TenTen," Neji acknowledged. Hinata had smiled and said a hello too.

"Hey! How are you guys?"

"We're good. We were just heading out, actually, we plan to spend the whole day together. By ourselves." Neji said, adding the last as an afterthought and a hint.

TenTen smirked slyly. "Just the two of you, huh? All by yourselves? You dirty dog, you better not do anything too… Youthful now, Neji." TenTen was grinning by now, and even waggled her eyebrows a bit for effect.

Although a light flushing appeared over Neji's cheeks, he snorted and said, "I wouldn't count on it. Hinata and I are just going to spend time together. It's Valentines Day, after all. Isn't that right, Hinata?" Neji and TenTen looked at Hinata, who was looking off to the distance while Neji and TenTen were talking.

"Um, yes! We just want to be somewhere isolated, so that no one bothers us. We really don't get a lot of time together, unfortunately, so today we would like to take advantage of this occasion."

It never ceased to amaze TenTen how much Hinata's grown. Now, Hinata speaks clearly and surely, not a stutter in sight. Although still soft-spoken, she was no longer meek.

"Aw, that's great for you two. Anyways, speaking of Valentines day…" TenTen paused to rifle through her little bag from the drug store, "I got something for you…. Ah, here it is. It's just a card, but it's something."

Neji took it. "Thank you. Happy Valentines Day to you too. I left you a chocolate bar to your parents; you weren't home at the time so I just gave it to them."

"Aw, thank you Neji. Anyways, I'll see you guys later!" TenTen waved with a smile, and after seeing the two leave, turned around to knock on Lee's door.

Well, she planned to, until she saw said Green Beast Jr. step out from his apartment. And that was when her heart started to beat faster, breath started to become short, sweat started to leak from her pores, and her face adopted a permanent flush. She almost started to stammer until she pulled herself together and tried to act as normal and casual as she possibly could, considering her intents and purposes and what she planned to do soon. She couldn't psych herself out now, not when she hasn't even said Hi to him yet!

TenTen took a few deep breaths and was about to say Hi when Lee turned around after locking his door.

"Oh, hi TenTen!! Uh… fine weather we're having, n-ne?" Lee asked nervously, a slight flush to his cheeks that TenTen never noticed.

"…" TenTen couldn't hear him; her heart was beating too loudly in her ears.

"Umm… TenTen-chan? Are you still here?" Lee asked apprehensively, eyes glancing around, trying to see if maybe this were a defective clone of some sort and the real TenTen was hiding somewhere.

"U-um, oh! Right! H-Hi, Lee!! N-nice weather today, huh?"

.:end chapter:.

AN: hello! thanks to my reviewers, readers, and susbcribers!! i'm so flattered, you have no idea what that means to me :) thank you. i hope all who've read have enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you think!! and again, PLEASE, help me get out of htis writer's block funk!! i need me some inspiration, people!! i wouldn't take this story down, but i'd hate to not finish it and leave you hanging precious readers!! thanks!