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The first time you had met Rock Lee you were left with a bad impression. It was no wonder, really. His unnaturally round eyes were glued onto you, his expression stern as if he was contemplating something and then suddenly that gulp, as if he dared himself to do that one thing he had just told himself to be a bad idea.
“What is your name?”
You had no idea why the question was of any importance to go through such contemplation, but you decided to grace it no more thought as you responded; “[Name].” Nothing more and you hoped that the boy would finally snap out of whatever daze he was in.
It did, in a way.
“I think I’m in love with you, [Name],” Lee exclaimed immediately after, his cheeks colouring pink but his expression disturbingly straight for a supposedly heartfelt declaration.
It was the first of the many confessions he made. Each crazier than the other.
“[Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]!”
Flinching you turned around, expecting only one person to call you out like that. There, slinging down from the trees and landing in front of you in a perfectly straight position Lee appeared once more. A bright smile on his face with his eyes twinkling even brighter, if possible. Excitement brimmed through the male as he clenched an assortment of flowers in hands, freshly picked and all in season.
“Girls like flowers, right? I thought you would like this!” Lee spoke quickly, pushing the flowers into your face as his grin grows wider. He always seemed to be moving, rushing to and fro as if he was chasing after something.
“I love you, [Name]!”
With that he ran off once more, giving you no chance to respond. He never required you to. Somewhere you decided that it was because he knew what the answer would be.
Another time he crashed your brunch meeting with friends, a heart-shaped quiche in hands that he declared he had poured all of his youth into, just for you. The quiche was filled with a strange combination of superfoods that you otherwise would never feed to yourself, but Lee was convinced that he had found the pastry of eternal youth by combining all superfood for you.
And that was how you got to know Rock Lee, taijutsu expert, youth advocate, and over-the-top extra. Wherever there was an expression of youth you could be sure that Lee was around. Be it a simple running competition, or a ramen eating contest, Lee would participate and put in his all despite all the odds. At first you thought he was just another exuberant youth, brimming with energy and never stopping, but upon watching the male more closely you realised that there was more to him. Rock Lee was as energetic, as he was hardworking, as he was earnest. There was nothing that the male did with half a heart, no declaration he made out of a false sense of masculinity and pride, no promise he made without the intent of following through even if it cost him all. A funny kid with oddly serious quirks who everyone was happy to befriend.
It was how you knew that his feelings for you were genuine, albeit embarrassing.
“I hereby vow!” Lee was standing on top of the table, a glass in hand that he rose up high. The after party was growing rowdy the later the hour and many were inebriated from the drinks had. Including infamous lightweight Lee who once more wished to express his heart.
Lowering your head in your hands you groaned at what was to come, familiar round eyes once more fixated onto you. Shifting his glass into your direction the male smiled, his cheeks flushing even more as he tried to balance himself on the table.
“I hereby vow that I will become a man [Name] deserves!” he declared in one breath, his voice booming through the locality as the crowd cheered, clinking glasses as they all drank their shots. Friends bumped you in the shoulder, some endeared at his devotion for you, others giggling at the show he put up, but all teasingly. You just sat mortified, wishing to disappear from the world right there and then.
That had been the last time you saw Lee. At first you hadn’t noticed, common as it was for comrades not to see each other because of missions or other business. The both of you had been sent onto missions far abroad, so it was inevitable that you wouldn’t see each other for a while. It relieved you, as you were abashed at Lee’s constant declarations of love towards you and especially his latest, in which he was drunk and in public. However, as you returned and so did Team Guy you started to worry. While you saw his teammates around Lee seemed to have disappeared from the face of earth, leaving only a lingering shadow behind.
From Tenten you would learn that; whilst the mission was successful Lee had come to a realisation. Though he refused to speak of it the male had apparently went beyond himself on all fronts as if he was punishing himself once more. Tenten was worried, rightly so and she presumed that it had to do with you. After all, Lee hadn’t sought you out once after his return to the village.
Was he avoiding you? It seemed unlikely that Lee would avoid you. There was nothing that shook the male, nothing that put him to shame, and there was certainly nothing that would ever hold him back from expressing his youth. So, why did it feel like he was putting in the effort to not see you?
You remembered the first time he confessed, when you had barely met. You didn’t understand why Lee decided that he loved you there and then, or what triggered it, but you hadn’t thought too much of him. You had dismissed Lee as yet another skirt chaser that went after every girl he met. It did make him stand out, however as his pursues didn’t stop after a few times, or years.
Until now that was.
You remembered when he had gone through the trouble to sculpt you a statue in your likeness out of snow the first winter after you met. Or how he had ran all the way to the other side of the village to get you a hot cup of herbal ginger tea. He worried that you caught a cold after hearing you sneeze once. The paper cup bore his typical message of youth and health, along with his declaration of love. It was how you realised that Lee was earnest in all he said and did.
The time he had announced that he would dedicate the marathon to you and promised to finish first you knew how serious he was. Despite your protests Lee had punished himself with a hundred laps around Konoha until the next marathon.
There was nothing half hearted about Rock Lee. Only pure dedication and devotion. To an idiotic extent, that was, but so very fitting to his persona. It was refreshing. He was like a breeze of optimism and childlike dedication amongst the dreary and dull world of constant war.
And that made his absence all the more felt. While there was no moment of silence in his presence his silence seemed to be even louder in absence.
Never would you have thought that you could miss this quirky male. In turn it also made a realisation dawn.
Making your way over to the training grounds you found that Tenten’s directions were right. The familiar sounds of kicks landing on the tree trunks, the ferocious speed that came with, along with the counter that went up unreasonably high. You should have figured that this is where Lee hid himself, always trying to better himself.
“Lee,” you greeted the male, causing the other to jump and twist around towards you, one leg up in the air.
“[Name]!” the male called out in surprise, surprised to find you here, even more so to find you calling for him. Blinking the male pushed away his thoughts, not allowing himself to think what he hoped for. “What brings you here?” he asks, carefully and it showed how despite all his energetic displays Lee was still suffering in his confidence, or lack of it.
“I missed you,” you spoke honestly. Lee’s heart fluttered as he stared at you, a hope igniting from within. “It has been a while,” you continued and Lee felt his chest swell and constrict at the same time and you felt yours mirror his.
Turning away from you Lee continued his kicks, flashes of green and orange hitting against the tree that he had already carved into nicely. “I have been training to become a man worthy,” he spoke, a grunt in his voice from the force in each kick he made.
Remembering his last vow you let go of a sigh. “Worthy for what? Who?” you managed to get out, feeling as if something was stuck in your throat. Fear. “You have been avoiding me, Lee.” You pulled at his arm, once more freezing Lee mid-kick.
“I…” Lee started, breathing heavily from his exertions. “I thought you got tired of the usual,” he admittedly earnestly. For years he had applied to you in various ways. Each that ended in rejection, or laughter from the crowd and though Lee was fine with being ridiculed he didn’t want you to suffer. “I was selfish and undeserving of you,” the male resigned.
Letting go of a sigh you tried to think of an answer, your mind whirring and turning, eyes roaming around the unusually dejected figure of Lee. He was filled with reflection, contemplation, and introspection, but also longing hope. It was then that an idea brew up.
“You didn’t answer. “ You stepped closer to the male, eyes trained on his face. “How do you know you are worthy?” you challenged.
Startled at your sudden attitude Lee’s eyes darted over your face. He hadn’t anticipated on it as he felt his heart jump once more. Uncertainty crossed his face as he examined yours, eyes shifting and gauging carefully.
“Maybe you should ask me?” you continued, eyes turning up into his round ones. Feeling his breath grow heavier Lee looked down nervously, his lips quivering between a smile and a cry. Something in your eyes had given away all that Lee needed to know.
“What do you think?” Lee asks, a careful hand heading up to your face, as if testing out his luck, as if asking for permission. “Am I?” he trailed off, a little too scatterbrained as you didn’t flinch away. He didn’t dare to hope, he didn’t dare to believe. You let him, eyes fluttering shut as you leaned in closer.
“What should I think of you?” you breathed, raising yourself up on your toes you pressed against his lips. It was a brief touch, but Lee was bashful all the same as you parted, eyes wide open in that unnatural expression he had worn with the first confession. This time it didn’t seem half as unnerving.