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Rock Lee wasn’t typically one to get nervous. Excited, sure. Anticipatory, definitely. Even in the thick of battle, he always felt the hot blood pumping through him like fire rather than the cold chill of nerves.
But now, as he stood outside of Nezumi’s apartment, he felt the telltale shiver as he waited for her to come to the door.
They had officially been together for exactly one week, getting together after they’d returned from an infiltration mission in Otogakure and Yugakure. Nezumi had been ordered to investigate rumors of a potential attempt to overthrow Konoha, while Lee was to provide whatever backup she needed. It had been awkward at first, with neither of them knowing what to say to each other. But as the mission had gone on and Nezumi demonstrated just how strong she was, Lee became smitten. Once the mission was completed and her injuries treated, he’d asked her to be his girlfriend, and she’d happily accepted.
In a stroke of fortunate timing, Konoha happened to be having a summer festival a week after they’d gotten together. Lee decided he wanted to make that their first date, and Nezumi had agreed. He’d been so excited at the time.
Now? He was sweating profusely, and it wasn’t due to the heat.
Before he could lose his nerve, the door opened. “Ah, good evening, Nezumi!”
“Hello, Rock,” Nezumi said as she stepped outside.
Lee’s mouth fell open.
On the mission, Nezumi had worn a pink sleeveless turtleneck and black pants, with her mousy brown hair in two long pigtails. Tonight, she was in a lavender yukata adorned with blue and purple flowers, tied together with a white obi. Her hair was up in a bun with another purple flower pinned into it. Her earlobes were also adorned with tiny lavender blossoms, and a similar one hung around her neck on a silver chain. If it hadn’t been for her nervous smile, he might not have known it was her.
Lee had never been ashamed of his jumpsuit, but standing in front of her now, he was glad he had foregone it in favor of a green samue.
He blushed as he tried to form the proper words. “Um, Nezumi, I…you…”
Her soft brown eyes looked up at him.
“You...look…beautiful.”
Nezumi blushed with a small squeak. “Thank you,” she managed, looking at the ground. “You look really nice too.”
Lee scratched the back of his head. “Do I really?” he asked. “I don’t think I look that much different.”
“You look like you,” Nezumi replied.
That made Lee smile. “I suppose that is true,” he agreed. He offered her his arm. “Are you ready?”
Nezumi nodded and linked her arm in his.
They made their way to Senju Park, where the festival was already in full swing. Academy students were racing through the rows of stalls, eating dango and trading prizes from the games. Jonin milled about, some acting as security, some comparing techniques for knocking over the rigged milk bottles. Other couples walked side by side, wearing matching masks or making flirtatious comments at each other. One even kissed in the middle of the path, forcing Lee and Nezumi to walk around them while avoiding eye contact with each other.
“So,” Lee said. “What would you like to do first, Nezumi?”
Nezumi thought for a moment. “We should probably go ahead and eat,” she said. “That way, we’ll have energy for the rest of the night.”
“What a splendid idea!” Lee said. “Shall we see if there’s a booth with curry?”
Nezumi’s face lit up. “Yes!”
They immediately began scouting the food options. They found basically everything a festival goer could want. Tempura. Dango. Takoyaki. Yakitori. Taiyaki. It wasn’t until the last booth that they finally found a woman spooning curry and rice into styrofoam bowls. Relieved, Lee got them each an order of the spiciest curry they had, then let Nezumi lead him to the nearby picnic tables.
As they sat down, Lee spotted Kakashi and Guy trying to locate something that wasn’t fried. Guy was the first to see them in turn and immediately wheeled over, forcing Kakashi to run after him. “Well, hello there Lee,” Guy said, his teeth sparkling in the low evening light. His eyes then widened as he studied Nezumi. “And who’s this lovely young lady?”
Nezumi scooted closer to Lee on the bench, her cheeks turning pink.
Lee tried to give her an encouraging smile, then said, “This is Nezumi, my gir-” he stumbled over the word. “-girlfriend. Nezumi, this is Guy-sensei.”
Nezumi’s eyes widened in understanding. She gave a short bow. “It’s lovely to meet you, Guy-sensei.” She glanced at Kakashi. “And good evening to you, Lord Sixth.”
“Girlfriend?!” Guy said, leaning forward and beaming with delight. “Lee, you didn’t tell me about this!”
Nezumi flinched back from the force of his enthusiasm.
“This is our first date,” Lee explained, scratching the back of his head.
“This is so wonderful!” Guy said, tears streaming down his face. They then dried up as quickly as they’d arrived as he pointed at Lee. “Now, Lee, you understand what having a girlfriend means, don’t you?”
Lee blinked. “What specifically do you mean?”
Guy slammed his hands on the table, causing Nezumi to flinch. “It means, Lee, that you’d better treat her right! Respect her, listen to her, and treasure her like the queen that she is! If you don’t, there will be hell to pay. Do you understand?”
Lee nodded vigorously. “Yes, Guy-sensei!” he said with a salute.
“Very good,” Guy said. He then turned to Nezumi. “I have something to ask of you as well.”
Nezumi’s eyes widened. “Um, ok. What is it?”
“Lee…” Guy’s tears suddenly returned full-force. “He is my precious student. He means so much to me. Little Nezumi, please, take good care of him.”
He punctuated this request with the lowest bow he could manage.
Nezumi nodded awkwardly. Steeling her nerves, she laced her fingers through Lee’s. “I will,” she promised.
Kakashi chuckled from behind his mask as Guy continued to sniffle. “Guy, I think we should let them get on with their evening,” he said. “I’m sure two old men like us are enough to ruin any date.”
“Kakashi, I’ll have you know I am excellent company on any occasion!”
Kakashi just shook his head. “You two enjoy the festival,” he said.
Lee and Nezumi nodded. “Thank you, Lord Sixth,” they both said.
“Please drop the ‘Lord’.”
With that, they were alone again. Lee glanced at Nezumi, trying to read her face. “So, that was Guy-sensei.”
Nezumi nodded. “It’s nice to put a face to the stories you told me,” she said, finally taking a bite of her curry. “He’s very enthusiastic.”
“He is! I would not be half the ninja I am today without his guidance and support,” Lee said. He took a bite of his own food. “The curry is magnificent tonight!”
“It is,” Nezumi agreed. “I do wish it was a little spicier though.”
Lee frowned down at her bowl. “I can have them remake it for you, if you would like.”
Nezum shook her head frantically. “No, no, I don’t want to bother them over something so trivial,” she said.
Lee laid a hand on her shoulder and leaned closer. “It is not trivial if you are unhappy,” he said.
Nezumi looked up at him. “Rock, I-”
She cut herself off as the two realized just how close their faces were. They immediately slid away from each other, stammering apologies before occupying themselves with their food.
Once they finished, Nezumi went to wash up while Lee disposed of their trash. His face was still burning, thinking of what would have happened if he’d just taken the chance, if he’d just leaned in and kissed her. His heart jolted at the thought of her lips against his. Were they as soft as they looked? Were they warm? Would it be long and lingering, or just a quick peck?
He stood frozen at the trash can, his face growing redder and redder with each new thought.
“Rock? Are you ok?”
He jumped at the sound of Nezumi’s voice right behind him. He dropped their bowls in and turned around, flashing a bright grin and giving her a thumbs up. “Never better!”
Nezumi tilted her head. “Ok,” she said, sounding uncertain. “What did you want to do now?”
“Oh, well…” Lee surveyed the available activities. “I do not know, there are so many things to choose from!”
“Shall we just wander until we find something that looks interesting?” Nezumi suggested.
“That is an excellent idea!”
Lee nervously offered her his arm again. To his relief, she once again linked hers without hesitation. They then set off to explore.
The first booth they came across was a kunai throwing game. Lee easily beat Nezumi, earning a stuffed frog and a disappointed pout from her that made him want to run around Konoha on his hands twice to make amends. That disappeared with the next game though, a Guess-the-Weight challenge. Lee’s guess had been ridiculously off, but Nezumi had correctly identified the attendant’s weight down to the gram, earning herself a gift certificate to Ichiraku’s.
They also ran into a few more of their friends. Tenten, having already heard the news a few days ago, was utterly delighted to meet Nezumi. Sakura and Ino were both thrilled to learn about them getting together. Ino in particular said they looked cute, much to their embarrassment. Choji offered his congratulations. Shikamaru just smiled, and as they wandered off, Lee swore he heard something about a “drag.”
As the stars became more pronounced above them, Nezumi glanced his way. “What time are the fireworks?” she asked.
“I believe they start at 9,” Lee replied.
Nezumi looked at a clock displayed on the side of a booth. “So about another forty-five minutes,” she said. “Want to do one more thing, then go find a spot?”
“Certainly,” Lee said. “What would you like to do?”
“I chose last,” Nezumi said. “You pick.”
Lee frowned as he surveyed the remaining options. It was the last one, so he wanted to make sure it was good. “Oh!” he said, pointing at the largest attraction at the very end. “A haunted house! That is perfect!”
Nezumi’s eyes bulged from her head. “A…haunted…house?”
“Yes! That should be a lot of fun!” he said. He then paused, noticing how she was already trembling. “Nezumi, are you ok?”
She nodded, fixing a determined expression on her face and pressing her fists against her chest. “Let’s do it.”
Lee stopped and faced her. “Nezumi. If you do not wish to, we can do something else. I promise, it is no trouble!”
Nezumi swallowed. “Rock, if this is something you want to do, then I’ll go with you,” she said, though the dread filled her expression. “I’m just…”
Her trembling voice said everything.
Lee moved back beside her, then wrapped an arm protectively around her. “Do you remember what I promised you on our mission?”
Nezumi looked up at him. “That you wouldn’t let anything happen to me?”
Lee nodded. “That did not end with our return to Konoha. Whether on a mission or at a festival, I will still protect you.”
Nezumi hesitated, then let her head rest on his shoulder. Lee once again felt his heart jolt.
“Ok,” she whispered.
Creepy organ music blasted them as lights flickered behind foam gravestones, revealing ghostly shadows leading up to the entrance. Monsters peeked out of fake windows all over the facade, producing echoey growls under the music. The whole attraction was bathed in an eerie glow from fog machines and green lights.
Nezumi’s grip on Lee’s arm tightened as the line drew closer. He looked at her worriedly. “Nezumi, are you sure? I promise it is ok to say no.”
“I’m sure,” she said. “Let’s do this.”
They stepped through the entrance. Lee surveyed the room ahead. The walls, from floor to ceiling, were covered in skulls. A light from somewhere hidden bathed the room in blood red light. The music died away, and from somewhere within the house, a deep laugh echoed.
Nezumi shivered, shifting uncomfortably in his grasp. He tenderly stroked her arm, then led them down a hallway to the next room.
As they crossed the next threshold, they encountered their first scare. A short figure dressed in white bandages shot out from the wall, waving their arms wildly and yelling “Ooooh!”
Nezumi stopped shaking. She tilted her head at the figure with a frown, then looked at Lee. “Was that supposed to be scary?” she whispered.
The figure stopped moving and looked back at them. “Whaddya mean, supposed to be?” a young boy’s voice said. “I’m the scariest ninja - I mean, ghost there ever was!”
The figure’s identity clicked in Lee’s head. “Konohamaru?”
“What? Seriously?!” the figure asked, folding its arms. “How did you know?”
Nezumi and Lee both hesitated. “Um, well, you’re obviously the scariest ninja in the village?” Nezumi offered.
She convinced no one.
Konohamaru sighed. “Dammit,” he said as he returned to his starting point. “Maybe I ought to incorporate Big Brother Naruto’s jutsu next time…”
Nezumi shook her head, then tugged on Lee’s arm. “Shall we?”
The next room was just about as effective as the last, with Udon and Moegi shrieking behind a screen and dangling rubber spiders on fishing line above Nezumi and Lee’s heads. The room after that featured Sai in heavy makeup and fake blood, blankly looking at them as he asked “Brains?” as if he didn’t know what those were. This went on until the final room, where Kotetsu and Izumo wore twin demon masks and implored them to return and join the wayward souls trapped in the house.
Lee was silent as they descended the ramp out of the house and back into the festival. Nezumi glanced at him anxiously. “Rock, are you ok?”
“Yes!” he declared, looking at her with sparkling eyes. “I could not have asked for a better haunted house!”
“Huh?” Nezumi blinked. “But it wasn’t scary.”
“I know, and that is the best part!” Lee said, beaming at her.
Nezumi stared at him, more questions exploding in her brain. “But…isn’t the point of a haunted house…to be scary?”
“True,” Lee agreed. “I do usually prefer scarier haunted houses. But because this one was not, you got to go through it with me and not be scared!”
“Wait…” Nezumi said. “The reason you liked this…was because of me?”
Lee froze. His face turned red. “I, well, you see, I…” He swallowed nervously. “I would rather have your company and have it not be scary than have it be scary and not have you there.”
Nezumi relinked their arms, a small smile on her face as she gave his a gentle squeeze. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Shall we go find a spot?”
“Oh, yes, let us do that.”
Several dozen people were already seated in the meadow outside the rows of booths. Lee and Nezumi pushed forward, finding a spot in the back of the crowd near the large central tree. Lee offered Nezumi a hand as she knelt on the grass before sitting next to her.
Lee glanced at the stars, wondering how much longer it would be before the fireworks started. He secretly hoped it would be delayed a bit so he could stay with Nezumi longer. He stole a glance at her, only to be startled by her soft brown eyes looking right at him. “Nezumi?” he asked. “Did you want something?”
She shifted, then spoke softly. “Tonight…has been so wonderful, Rock,” she said. “Thank you so much for bringing me.” A small smile appeared on her lips. “I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun.”
Lee’s face lit up. “I am so glad to hear that,” he said. “I wanted tonight to be perfect.”
Nezumi’s fingers fidgeted with the folds of her yukata. “And you did well with that,” she said. “Tonight was almost perfect.”
Lee blinked. “Almost?” he repeated.
Nezumi nodded.
Lee’s eyes widened as he replayed the events from that night. “Is it because of the curry? Or the haunted house? Did I do something?”
“No, no, none of that,” Nezumi replied, holding up her hands. “There’s just…there’s something I still want to do.”
“Oh,” Lee said. “And what is that, Nezumi?”
Nezumi looked up and leaned closer, gently pressing her palm against his cheek.
Lee forgot how to breathe. He mirrored her movement, leaning in as if drawn by a magnet. His eyes slid closed as he felt her warm breath against his lips.
“Rock,” Nezumi sighed.
“Nezumi…” Lee murmured back.
When their lips finally touched, Lee was certain he’d finally died. Even his brief imaginings of a kiss from her hadn’t come close to feeling this amazing. He peppered her with soft, chaste kisses, each one leaving him wanting another. Nezumi eagerly returned his affections, pulling him closer as if she couldn’t bear to be apart from him a second longer than she had to.
A loud boom sounded overhead. They pulled apart and looked up at the red sparks blossoming above them.
“Oh, I guess it’s time,” Nezumi said, sounding disappointed.
Lee squeezed her with one arm. “That is ok,” he said. “Though, Nezumi?”
“Hm?” she asked as more fireworks exploded above them.
“May we…continue this after?”
In spite of her blush, Nezumi smiled. “I would like that.”