"Tenten, I need your advice."
"What for?"
Lee had gave Tenten a call as he paced his living room, if it could even be called that. A few paces and he'd be right inside the kitchen.
"Would flowers be too much for a date that is not really a date?" He asked her. He heard Tenten inwardly sigh on the other line as well as the crinkle lf bedsheets as she moved. She has been bedridden as she allowed her body to heal and from what Lee understood, she was still staying at Neji's.
"And here I thought you were giving me a call to check up on me."
"I was!" Lee protested. "I did ask how you were doing, did I not?"
"I'm just kidding, relax. What's all this about anyway?"
"I am taking Miss Haruno out to dinner tonight."
"Sounds like a date to me."
Lee was certain that Tenten sensed his blush coming, however he said nothing.
Tenten continued, "I don't know why you're asking me about date advice. I've never been on a date before—"
"What about that one time you and Neji went to the movies without me?" He accused. "And yes I do know about that!"
"What?!" Tenten sounded genuinely shocked. "Neji told me you couldn't go because you were sick!"
It all started to make sense now. Lee stopped his pacing. "Tenten..." He said, "Since when have you known me to get sick?"
"You mean..." Tenten gasped. "No way!"
"Will you help me then?" Lee asked her, holding his breath.
"Fine."
"Please Tenten, I am begging you! I will do a backflip off the top of my apartment building if you- oh wait you said yes." He let out a sigh of relief.
"I mean, don't hold out on the backflip now. I kinda wanna see that."
His sigh deepened. "Okay."
"Okay, so... What do you want to know?"
"What would you like if you were on a date with Neji?"
"You're pushing it."
"Tenten please, let us be reasonable."
More movement on her end. He could practically hear her eye roll. "Alright. Yes to the flowers. Can't go wrong with flowers. Even platonic friends can give flowers to each other. But if you really want to impress her? Do away with the green tracksuit."
Lee was offended. "I have other clothes! Did you think I was going to wear that?"
"I wouldn't put it against you." Tenten hummed as she thought about the next thing. "Mm, where are you taking her?"
Lee smiled. "To my favorite curry place." To be able to share something he enjoyed with Sakura would be the greatest gift he could ever receive.
"Did you have anything planned for afterwards?"
"I was supposed to have something else planned?"
Tenten groaned. "Listen to me and listen to me good because you are not going to mess this up. Are you ready? Here's what you're going to do..."
ˏˋ ˎˊ
Sakura spent the last hour on a video call with Ino to decide what she was going to wear. She had no idea what type of restaurant Lee was going to take her to, for one. She also wasn't sure if she should dress up or dress casual.
Ino said she should dress cute. Even if it wasn't a date— which Ino didn't believe— there was no reason Sakura couldn't look cute. Pink cardigan, a miniskirt, light makeup, the works. Now she was ready to go.
Except... Was she supposed to go to his apartment or was he supposed to go to hers? They never really talked about it and their agreed upon meet up time was fastly approaching. Sakura glanced at her clock. 6pm.
She should just go.
Sakura froze. She should wait.
She felt torn between her choices. If she goes, it'd seem to forward. But if she was supposed to wait when she was supposed to go... What then? Sakura groaned. She was being silly.
She made her way to her door and opened it. Across the hall, Lee was doing the same. "Oh!" Sakura was surprised to see him. "Was I supposed to...?"
His face went red. "I apologize Miss Haruno! I forgot to tell you that I was going to come to you!" He opened his door wider to reveal what he had for her. "I um, these are for you!"
Lee held out a bouquet of red camellias. The specificity of the flower type caused Sakura to raise a brow. Her cheeks were tinged pink. "Do you know what these mean?" She asked him.
"Well... Miss Yamanaka told me they represent beauty and perseverance. Which reminds me of you. I-is that not right?" He shrank back, taking the flowers away.
Of course Ino told him that. Sakura could imagine Ino parading Lee around her flower shop, hoping to make a quick sale at Sakura's expense.
Sakura shook her head. "No, that's right." Ino happened to leave out that they also represented love and desire. "Please," Sakura held out her hands with a soft smile, "I'll take the flowers, they're very lovely."
That seemed to put the spring back into his step. Lee happily handed over the bouquet, locking the door. Now that she could see him fully, she noted what he was wearing. Green polo— tucked in with a belt— and khakis. Admittedly, Sakura thought he looked like a dork but in a cute way. She also noted that his arms were completely bare. The previous night she had taken out his stitches and he was bearing the faded scars proudly.
"Come in for a second," said Sakura. "I've got to put these in some water." She stepped aside and led Lee into her apartment. It was the first time he had ever been in there.
While Sakura went to go find a vase, Lee took in his surroundings. Sakura's place looked lived in compared to his. It was warm and inviting with framed photos of Sakura and her family and friends just about everywhere. She had other plants, presumably from Ino as well. A few medical books had been strewn across the coffee table.
"What do you think?" Sakura asked him, pulling him out of his thoughts. She was now standing in the kitchen with the faucet running.
"It is quite lovely, just like you," Lee said. Her lack of a response caused him to go red and he quickly amended his statement. "In a sense that... Your decorating style suits you. It is like you to do something like this. Um—" He folded his shoulders back, now changing the subject. "I must as you a question!"
Sakura cocked her head. "What is it?"
"How did you get into my apartment that night when I fell?"
"Oh uh," Sakura tucked some hair behind her ear. "I jammed the lock with a credit card."
"That is scary." If it were that easy, many people could have broken in. The same could be said for Sakura's door. The thought of someone potentially breaking in and harming her made him irrationally upset, but he swallowed it. "I will give you a spare key instead. That way you can come in whenever you want without breaking in!" Lee smiled.
Sakura giggled. "Oh, you don't have to do that—" One look at Lee staring at her gave her great pause. "You're serious."
"If you need me for anything and you know that I am home, you are always welcome to come inside," Lee told her. "And if I am not there, I do not mind you waiting for me inside either. I will always be there for you, Miss Haruno."
Sakura didn't know what to say. It was so forward... and slightly ominous. Yet she couldn't help but feel comforted by the offer. "You know what would also help?"
"And what would that be, Miss Haruno?"
Sakura reached into her purse and held out her phone. "If you gave me your number."