Rival
He was his rival and he had lost him.
Lee walked down a back street in Konoha, slouched over, hands in his pockets. He didn't want to be seen, didn't want to wear the brave face. He had lost so many, but he couldn't cry, to cry would dishonour their memory, and Lee could never do that.
He had failed his sensei.
He could imagine the look in Might Gai's face as Lee pushed open the door the bar. Gai would never have approved, but Lee needed to forget. To feel something which wasn't pain.
His friend and he had abandoned her.
Tenten felt helpless was she watched him walk out her door.
"I know where you're going!"
Lee froze.
"They wouldn't want you to do this, Lee."
He looked back at her, pale and thin, she barely left her house anymore. "Like you're in any better shape."
"Stay here tonight." Tenten reached for Lee's arm.
"Why? You hate me don't you?! He shouldn't have died, neither of them should have died! Damnit!" Tears poured down Lee's face for the first time since the war. "Why?! Why did they leave us?!"
"To save us." Tenten stumbled over to Lee, weeks of inactivity catching up with her.
"And what are we doing with being saved?" Lee buried his face in her shoulder. "There is no place left for us."
"Yes there is."
Because they still had each other.
AoT was totally not influencing my mood today. Goddamn that show is dark.