Archive of Our Own ^beta

It all started with a curiosity, like with so many things in life. An unusual encounter, a pique of your interest, a flame of wanting to know more.

“Excuse me, but I believe this is yours?” a polite voice piped up from behind you. The market had been especially busy that day, making it hard to keep track of your many bags along with the smaller items on your person. A tall male approached you, his hair cut into an unusual bowlcut that made him appear more youthful than he probably was, in his hand laid your wallet.

“Oh, thank you so much!” you gasped, a colour dusting your cheeks in embarrassment. How fortunate you had been that the man was so honest to return it. Taking it from him you wanted to say more, thinking of a reward for his chivalry.

“Lee! Hurry up!” a voice took away the male called Lee, his unusual appearance disappearing into the crowd once more. However, before doing so he flashed you one more smile, his hand going up in the air.

“Don’t worry about it. Hidden Leaf’s number one youth, Rock Lee is at your service!”

You could have sworn that there was a shine coming off his teeth as he strikes a pose.

You thought of him for the rest of the day, curious as to who he was as a person and what he did.

And once you had been made aware of the male you suddenly found him everywhere. The following day, on your way to work you found Lee hanging upside down, hands balancing dangerously on two poles as he made his way down the streets.

“Ah, that Rock Lee,” the lady next door sighed delighted, her hands on her hips as she watched the spectacle. Unable to help yourself you turned towards her, curiosity clear in your voice as you inquired about the male.

“The ninja of Konoha are a cheerful bunch, but Rock Lee definitely stands out the most as unusual,” she had responded. A statement to which you could agree, but for different reasons entirely.

“A real youth, one who never gives up despite all,” the man from the ramenstand laughed when you asked him why Lee walked all these laps in punishment. You learned there that it was far from a punishment for the ninja. An even stranger notion, for whatever strain he put through his body was definitely torture for anyone else.

However, as you observed the male more often and saw him come and go, passing by in even weirder training regimes, you noted that he was more than a training junk. Despite his strange appearance you noted that Lee was exceptionally polite, treating everyone —even those who wronged him— like a friend, his openness allowing for all to find a place with him. His encouragement was surprisingly infectious as well, along with his enthusiasm, though there were only few who could actually keep up.

“There Lee goes again, I wonder what he lost this time,” you grinned, clearly enjoying yourself watching the hardworking man. This time he had resolved himself to walk on all fours, bended backwards and with the weights placed on top of his stomach. Training your eyes on him you fiddled with the straw of your smoothie, green in colour and packed with nutrients. The type that you had seen Lee order on the regular.

“He is so weird,” your friend piped up, eyes staring at the male in bewilderment. “Doesn’t he ever feel mortified? I feel embarrassed for him,” your friend continued with a deep sigh, eyes averting from his figure, unable to stand it for any longer.

“With that suit on?” another friend clicked their tongue, a scoff escaping their lips. “No, I don’t think he knows any shame.”

You clenched your fist, an irritation bubbling up as you found yourself disagreeing.

“[Name] seems to like him especially,” the last one of your friends pointed out, a finger poking at your forehead. “Always watching him and asking these weird personal questions.”

It wasn’t maliciously meant, but you throw your head up all the same, startling your friends.

“I do like him. A lot,” you stated loudly. “I think Rock Lee is a great person and very honourable,” you continued on, your voice growing more confident as you spoke, a pride swelling in your chest that was bursting at its seams as you were unable to stop. “He is hardworking, determined, even when all odds are against him. His enthusiasm is infectious and energises me, even when I feel dull and unconfident, because I know he would never back off either even on his bad days,” you purse your lips, your mind trying to look for more ways to describe what he meant to you.

“He makes me want to be a better person. Even if we aren’t friends and he doesn’t know me,” you concluded, suddenly feeling shy as you realised that the shop had grown quiet.

“That was kinda embarrassing to listen to,” a clear voice spoke from behind you. Whisking around your cheeks flared bright red, contrasting the green figure that stood in front of you, face equally as red.

“It doesn’t upset me, however,” Lee spoke up, eyes avoiding yours as he rubbed the back of his head. It was a first time for you to see him so taken aback and shy, but you figured that anyone would feel so after hearing a whole oration dedicated to them.

Chuckling to himself Rock Lee quickly regained himself, his shoulders straightening up as a gentle smile crossed his features. “I think it was really cool, though!” he beamed at you, his vigour returning once more before another blush crept up. “E-even if it was about m— I mean, it was really cool how you stood up for me! Yeah, that is what I meant to say!”

Determined eyes met shy ones, another inspiration instilled as you felt your breath slowly return.

“I would love to get to know you better as well. Someone who can speak so passionately surely is a person worth being around!” Lee exclaimed, taking your breath away once more as you weren’t sure how to respond.

Luckily your friends knew how.