Once they had arrived back to the apartments, Sakura stalled. She lingered in the hallway, holding her breath. Lee was a few steps ahead of her, turning his head questioningly at her. "Is something wrong...?" He asked, closing the distance between them as to not leave her behind.

"I just," Sakura swallowed. "I just don't think I want to be alone right now considering everything that just happened. You could have been hurt very badly."

The event had shaken her to her core. It reminded Sakura of when she first witnessed Tenten's defeat. She had to be alone that night, the sight of the bruised fighter flickered in her mind as she had tried to sleep. She was more than glad that Tenten was okay now, but Sakura was worried about Neji. The beating he received from his uncle was unlike anything Sakura could imagine. His own family member, doing something like that to him. His father's brother no less.

All because they desired Neji's servitude as a Yakuza member

Guy and Kakashi assured them that he would be fine, but Sakura wasn't so easily comforted.

"It was a lot," Lee conceded. He held Sakura against him, resting his chin on the top of her head. She felt safe in his arms. "What would you have me do?"

Sakura's hands snaked up his back. Embracing him in return, she was careful to not touch his bruises. "Stay with me," she said, a gentle demand. It occured to Lee that she wasn't asking him, she was telling him.

He couldn't turn her down, he'd do anything for his pink temptress. But...

"Would that not be moving too fast?"

Sakura lifted her head to face him, quirking a brow. "Why, are you planning on doing something?"

Heat rose to his ears and cheeks. "N-no!" He couldn't, not even if he wanted to. She has insisted they see where their relationship takes them. Besides, he was much to shy to act on base desires around her.

Sakura broke out into a grin. "I know you wouldn't. I wasn't going to let that happen anyway. I'm just teasing you."

Lee let out a sigh of relief.

"You'll sleep on the floor," she continued. It was only fair. She'd have the comfort of his proximity without breaking any boundaries.

Lee was beaming now. "I have a spare futon! I will go get changed and bring it right over."

"Great," Sakura dipped her head and pulled herself away. The warmth of his embrace still lingered. "I'll go get cleaned up."

They went their separate ways. Lee got his futon that he used for sleepovers at Guy's. Sometimes he, Neji, and Tenten would get together like they did when they were kids and slept under the same roof. Now, he was having a sleepover at Sakura's. He was positively buzzing with excitement.

Sakura straightened out her apartment in time for when Lee returned. She was already changed into her pajamas; a silky top and bottoms that matches the hue of her hair. Nothing too special.

Lee on the other hand, when she saw his pajamas, she nearly burst out laughing.

"What?" His brows knit together in both confusion and concern. "What is funny?"

Sakura held a hand to her mouth, stifling her giggles. "Do you really wear that to bed?" He looked like the Sleepytime bear on the tea packages. Sleep cap and all. Only that he was donning his favorite color, green.

"Well, no," Lee admitted. "Normally I—" His face turned red once more as he realized that he couldn't just admit to a lady that he slept in his underwear. "Nevermind. These are hand-me-downs from Guy Sensei."

The corners of Sakura's lips twisted into a sly grin. "Oh? You're not going to tell me?"

He shifted on his feet, clutching the rolled up futon to his side. He folded his shoulders back in an attempt to regain composure. "I am sorry, but I cannot!"

"That's okay," Sakura relented, "I can pretty much guess."

His face was still stained with blush. Changing the subject, he unfurled his futon. "I will set up now!"

"Wait," Sakura held out her hand and placed it against his chest. "You're not sleeping out here. You're going to be with me in my room."

"Your... Room?"

She gestured towards the hall sheepishly. "I'd feel a lot better if you were closer. That's all."

To make Sakura feel safe, his embarrassment can be put to the side. "Anything for my Sakura!"

It was still jarring to hear him say her name, but it was a nice change. Sakura led him into her room where he let out a loud gasp. "What? What is it?" Her heart nearly dropped.

"Sakura...!" Lee made it across her room in a flurry, gazing at her dresser. On top were a few trophies and medals as well as pictures of a younger Sakura. His futon was dropped to the floor. "You never told me that you did boxing!" His hands hovered over her red boxing gloves, the leather was cracked with age.

Sakura slumped her shoulders. "Oh yeah, that. I was in boxing club in high school and middle school."

"That is amazing! You must have been quite good!" Lee eyed the photographs with ferver, unsure of which one to look at first. Her younger self was adorable. She even had longer hair in some of them.

"My forehead is so big in those pictures..." There was a reason Sakura kept them hidden in her room. She couldn't bear to throw them away either. They were too sentimental. It reminded her of a simpler time when she, Naruto, and Sasuke were still close friends

Lee turned his head to look at her. "And there is a problem with that? A flower bud is still just as beautiful, just not yet at its full potential," he said. "You still wear your hair out of your face. You must have learned to embrace who you are, that includes her." He pointed to a photo of Sakura where Ino was embracing her after a win.

"How... Poetic. Thank you, Lee." Sakura was touched, oddly enough.

"That being said," Lee clasped his hands together for a plea. "You must teach me about boxing!"

"Well—"

"I have wanted to join but it contradicted with the other clubs I was apart of," Lee continued. It must have been true, Sakura saw the plethora of pictures of Lee in his different clubs at Guy's place.

Sakura sighed. "That was a while ago, Lee. I'm not sure I can teach you."

"There are many martial arts that I have learned in my youth but still know how to do. It is muscle memory," Lee reasoned, inching his way towards her. "Simple."

"Yeah, but you're you. You're like... Some kind of beast." She tried her best to sound sincere. "But, I'll try."

"Thank you!" He gathered her up in his arms and spun her around before placing her back down on her feet. "You are the best, Sakura!"

Laughing, Sakura sat down on the edge of her bed. Her laughter was cut short when she realized that she forgot to put something away. With one sweeping motion of her arm, Sakura knocked her stuffed animals to the floor.

Lee blinked at her repeatedly, bearing witness to the crime. "Sakura... Why did you do that?"

"It's... Embarrassing," Sakura admitted. "You weren't supposed to see those."

"Sakura," Lee said again, his forehead crinkled. "Why? You are a girl, that is your hobby. I have a sister who also collects them. No need to be embarrassed around me."

He meant Tenten, Sakura realized. She didn't picture the girl owning anything of the such before. Ino most definitely hid hers away, making Sakura feel alone in the matter. Sakura had no other female friends to share this experience with. She had sadly cut them out in her younger years over a boy. Fortunately, she and Ino reconnected.

They were still really different, however.

Sakura began to pick up her stuffed animals from the floor, eyeing the man before her from the corner of her vision. He stood there with an encouraging smile.

She placed them back into the bed, next to her pillow. A pig, a slug, a red fox, a black cat. The last one she still held in her arms. "Here," Sakura said, "I want you to have it." She held it out to him, a squirrel.

"For me?" He was shocked. "Sakura I cannot take this, it is yours."

She ignored his protests and presented the stuffed squirrel once again. "He kinda looks like you, don't you think?"

Lee frowned. The squirrel's faux fur was lighter where it had its 'eyebrows.' Large and prominent they were, just like his own. Even the eyes were large and round.

Sakura pouted. "He's cute. See?" She made the squirrel give him a kiss on the cheek. He couldn't help but smile.

"If he looks like me... That means you think I look cute," Lee concluded.

"Yeah, maybe," she peered at him mischievously, placing the stuffed toy onto his shoulder. She then hugged her legs to her knees. Her teal eyes glinted at him humourously. That said everything he needed to hear.

Lee clutched the stuffed squirrel in his hand. "I will cherish this little one for as long as I live. My very first gift from Sakura! She thinks that I am cute!" Her love for him sparked his youthful passion. "I feel like I can run a marathon, do a thousand—"

Sakura held out her hands and stopped in case he was actually about to act out on his impulses. "How about we try going to bed, shall we?"

Lee calmed down and bowed his head towards her. "Of course, goodnight Sakura." He mirrored her earlier action and made the stuffed squirrel kiss her cheek. He pitched his voice an octave higher to the best of his abilities. "Goodnight Sakura!" He then kissed her other cheek.

Sakura giggled, watching him go properly set up his futon on the floor. How was it that this man— the one who faced the Yakuza mere hours ago— was the same one she was looking at now?

She couldn't complain though. The view was nice.