Archive of Our Own ^beta

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It wasn’t strange for Lee to suddenly hug his teammates after missions, happy to have finally become a ninja even without using any jutsu at all– Gai and Tenten were usually more receptive than the Hyuga, who tended to roll his eyes and dodge his poor attempts at showing affection.

So, after over a year of being rejected, he simply stopped trying; if Neji didn’t want a hug, that was fine. His other teammates didn’t mind at all.

Lee didn’t even bother, not even when he slowly recovered from surgery after the Chunin exams and his fight with Kimimaro… albeit, his rival had been the one to offer him help to walk, and somehow his gaze didn’t seem as harsh as it was usual with him. Neji had even smiled for a second or two when he had joked about him wanting a hug, though that wasn’t denied.

It was as if he had changed after losing to Naruto, for the best. Not as many rude comments as before, only every now and then, and the brunet had been one of the only people visiting him at the hospital whenever he could– holding his waist as his legs gained strength once more, as his own feet didn’t make him trip every moment. Helping him train, too, not striking with all his might when they sparred as soon as Tsunade gave him medical clearance to go back to his duties.

Lee couldn’t help it but grin upon noticing small details; how Neji was more obvious in his movements, or how he avoided making him fall to the ground. Going as far as letting him win for the first time in the existence of their rivalry, not daring to harm him at all. He would be angry if his body had fully recovered, but for the brunet to purposefully lose to him… it meant a lot.

“Neji! You let me win!” he said between emotional tears, rushing to hold his rival between his arms, too excited to remember he didn’t like such ways of affection– though Neji didn’t try to dodge at all. Instead, he was quick to hug back, making sure that he could support his companion’s weight before talking again. Not daring to look him in the eyes.

“You’ll fall if you keep being careless like that… our team isn’t as effective if you’re hurt.”

“Ah, well– you are right about that! I will be more careful in the future, I promise. And I will defeat you for real one day,” Lee replied with a tiny smile, noticing a pink tint now covering his teammate’s cheeks, which made his own face feel warm in return. “Oh, this is odd– you never let me hug you… but now you allowed it. Are you feeling alright? Do you need to go to the doctor?”

A huff, yet Neji didn’t let go of him, still avoiding his curious gaze. Tenten was also amazed by the gesture and Gai simply smiled, neither of them wanting to interrupt.

“I… I just wanted to make sure you didn’t harm yourself somehow,” was all the brunet said, his cheeks getting redder as his companion chuckled, resting his chin on his shoulder without saying anything at all.

For once not minding the closeness, Neji let go when his stomach rumbled, and he didn’t even try to chase away his teammates when they joined in to share part of their meals. Lee was happy to see that his rival seemed calmer, somehow– or at least he wasn’t defensive and actually tried to have conversations with Tenten and him. Going as far as smiling from time to time, his body relaxing and not as tense as usual, not waiting for any kind of sudden attacks or anything like that.

Perhaps they could be friends… Lee tried to hug him as a way to say goodbye when everyone had to go home, but that time Neji didn’t seem as comfortable (as expected, yet he didn’t push him away, just softly tell him he didn’t feel like it). So it would take some time for that.

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He still wasn’t used to all that… friendship stuff that Lee and Tenten enjoyed to no end. Though he was trying to be a bit nicer to them, refraining from his usual mockery whenever his teammates failed or did something strange, until at one point he began to enjoy goofing around with them.

Which was often, but at one point Neji didn't really mind– the little challenges that his ‘rival’ invited him to were something to keep his mind busy, distracted by how much he actually wanted to play around, having fun for once. Not worrying about keeping a good appearance for his Clan's sake, entertaining himself with the races that Lee wanted to do in and outside their missions.

Although, his friend (because that's what they were… at least in his mind) was still recovering from his hospital stay, and that meant he got tired more easily than in the past. Lee wouldn't say it out loud, but his breathing would get heavier and his feet would make him trip more easily, so Neji was quick to catch on those signs to prevent his falls– that was the only reason he would start a hug, if it meant keeping him safe.

And of course, the younger boy was overjoyed to notice his affection, even if perhaps he hadn't realized it was solely to make sure he didn't harm himself by accident. Yes, only for that reason… he preferred to ignore the warmth that spread through his chest whenever Lee smiled at him, or whenever a bright grin appeared on his lips as he spoke passionately about something he liked, trying to include him in his conversations with Gai and Tenten even if he didn't have much to share.

It was nice. Lee made him feel… odd whenever he was sweet like that, his cheeks turning pink as his rival was kind, not minding his quietness at all. Going as far as being silent alongside him, trying to meditate with him just to share a hobby with the brunet; Neji felt happy that someone wanted to do that, and smiling became easier after a while, somehow his team's antics not bothering him anymore.

He even accepted going to a sleepover once, and his teammates were so shocked that both of them hugged him at the same time while chuckling, although Neji couldn't sense any malice coming from them– out of joy, maybe? Were they so happy about having him around that they laughed? That was still something strange for him. His cousins were the only people close to him that would smile by seeing him around, so he also had to get used to such things.

“You are going to have a lot of fun! We always play games, and also Tenten's moms are great chefs!” Lee exclaimed after letting go of the Hyuga, with a smile so wide that it seemed to reach his ears. 

He didn't say anything, although he was confused by the use of ‘moms’ instead of parents– that kind of thing wasn't well received in his Clan, so Neji didn't really know what to say, much less when he was actually in Tenten's house. It was weird to see two people of the same gender being together in a romantic way. That was punishable with death in the compound. 

But seeing how the women were so happy with each other and their child made him feel… strange, yet not in a bad way. Hopeful, maybe? He couldn't describe it, he didn't really know the words to use and it frustrated him, though a soft smile appeared on his lips just by seeing his teammate's moms being themselves without being afraid. Playing around and kissing each other in peace, just like anyone else.

That was unthinkable in his Clan– at the sole suspicion of being different, the Main Branch activated people's seals without mercy. It had happened to him before, to his father… and just for showing feelings, nothing else. As if having emotions for someone else was something wrong, something to be ashamed of; that’s what he had been taught. Yet that had fallen apart in mere seconds, simply by seeing Tenten’s mothers being affectionate without shame.

His gaze fell on his teammates for one moment, especially on Lee– who had never given up in trying to befriend him, not minding the hugs or eventual cuddles during missions when it got too cold or simply because the inns never had enough beds available. Neji couldn’t quite decipher the turbulent sensation covering his soul, yet he was too shy to maintain eye contact as his rival noticed his look and just smiled at him as usual, making his cheeks feel warm.

He still wasn’t used to friendship, and much less to other… options that his Clan wasn’t fond of. Yet there was now a spark of hope in his heart, albeit one he’d need to extinguish in order to not be punished. It would be hard by how nice Lee was to him, though that’d be better than the other option.

Telling him would just get both of them in deep trouble. So all Neji did was play cards with his friends, not minding that they shared a mattress and snuggled all together for once; he couldn’t tell anyone about his recent findings, but having his rival so close made his chest flutter somehow. He just needed to ignore it until everything went away.

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Something had changed in his rival, and Lee wasn’t really sure what it was– but after the sleepover they had at Tenten’s home, he'd become a bit more… relaxed, somehow. Neji even seemed to smile a bit more with his teammates, playing around and simply enjoying their presence at last.

It hadn’t been something so sudden; after the Chunin exams and his defeat, the brunet had slowly warmed up, though nobody would expect him to be so affectionate as he turned out to be. Mostly because he hadn’t been so eager to receive hugs at the start, and now they pretty much greeted each other with a quick embrace before training started. Lee noticed that his rival seemed content with the affection, although he was too shy to do such things whenever Tenten and him visited him in the compound, as if anyone would say anything about it…

Well, the Hyuga Clan was known for its traditional values. Way too traditional for anyone’s liking– and they weren’t kind to the Side Branch members at all. So it wasn’t surprising that his rival tried to hide behind a mask for so long, if having feelings could end in punishment as Neji once implied, never to bring it up again. He had barely shown them his cursed seal once before exposing his Clan in public during his fight with Naruto, and he tended to not enjoy talking about what was in his mind or heart.

But that was alright! If he didn’t want to speak, nobody in the team forced him to. And somehow that did help him open up, if only a bit, making his friends know small things about himself like how much he hated pumpkins but loved herring soba. As a result, Gai ended up taking them for lunch after long missions or whenever he thought they needed a break, knowing well which specific places had the food the Hyuga enjoyed.

And if Neji let out a big smile upon noticing the menu, nobody in the team said a thing. It was honestly nice to see, compared to his frown or annoyed looks from before. Somehow Lee found himself imitating him upon finally seeing some happiness in his face, and not mockery or so on.

Somehow, seeing his friend being happy made him joyful as well, and it made him want to hug him out of a sudden– but he couldn’t just do that, not when they were in public. Just in case anyone unexpected was watching.

At least Neji allowed hugs when they were on the training grounds, knowing well that nobody should be there or at least they'd be able to detect them more easily outside of big crowds. Of course it wasn't all the time… but pretty often, as much as his friend let him. That was enough for him.

Although he didn't really talk about it, Lee tended to have usual aches after his injuries that affected him months after recovery– he trained and did missions once more, yet his body sometimes felt too frail in the left side still. When it was about to rain and humidity was on its peak, his muscles would torture him to no avail; but if he stopped just because of pain, the boy would never do anything now.

So Lee went on as if nothing happened, a bright smile on his lips and motivation in his gaze; after all, not giving up was the only way to get better! Tenten seemed impressed by his determination and never ending energy, and his teacher always liked to remind him how proud he was of him and how far he'd gotten by then.

But Neji… the same day that Lee had felt stronger than ever with shattered stones all around, a frown had appeared once more in his friend's face, and the black haired boy felt a bit confused when he had been approached out of a sudden– after everyone else had left and he'd stayed behind to train a bit longer.

“Why are you pushing yourself so hard? You'll get hurt again if you don't rest,” the brunet exclaimed, and Lee couldn't help it but chuckle upon hearing that. “I'm serious, Lee.”

“You do not need to worry, my dear rival! I feel just fine!” he replied with a grin, receiving an annoyed grunt in response. A yawn escaped from his lips and only then did Neji go on.

“Your legs are shaking. Let's sit down for a while.”

The taijutsu master wanted to protest, but seeing how quick his friend was to hold his waist for support made his cheeks feel a bit warm– even more as they both sat down underneath a tree, and Neji didn't let go of him for a second, too worried he would break down somehow. Looking at him better, Lee noticed that his friend seemed nervous somehow, though he hid it by resting his back on the wood and focusing his gaze somewhere else. An arm was still holding the black haired boy, who decided to also rest beside his friend, too shy to do anything else then.

“I am fine, Neji…” he muttered, receiving a hum from his companion and no other words. “You worry too much! I am in my springtime of youth, and my injuries are healed– I am doing great.”

“I'll think about it when I don't see your legs shaking anymore,” was all Neji said, closing his eyes for a moment, gently patting the spot beside him. “If..  If you want, you can come closer. If that'd make you feel more comfortable.”

His heartbeats were so fast it hurt, though Lee didn't know what to say– Neji had never invited him to cuddle, not even when they were on long missions and they had to share a bed due to a lack of space. Plus, it wasn't common to hear him doubt… he wouldn't mind the closeness at all, so just in case the taijutsu master was slow when approaching, noticing that his companion didn't even open his eyes yet there was a reddish tint on his cheeks.

Lee chuckled as his rival extended his arms towards him, letting him pretty much rest on his body without saying anything at all– his fingertips felt tingly somehow, but not because of pain. Was it excitement? He didn't know how to describe it, yet a content hum escaped his lips as he could get some rest alongside his rival for a while.

His eyes closed on his own, though he could feel a gentle hand caressing his hair through it all, and somehow that made his whole body burn with embarrassment– but it would be too weird to say something then, perhaps. Lee enjoyed that kind of affection anyways, so he decided to keep quiet as he fell asleep alongside Neji, knowing well he was safe with him.

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Time passed quicker than anyone would like to admit, and soon Team Gai found themselves in the middle of the desert, their mentor nowhere to be seen– it was their second attempt at the Chunin exams and to say they were exhausted would be an extreme understatement. 

Sleeping bags were made to be more or less comfortable, but combined with the coarseness of never ending sand, Lee could barely keep his eyes closed at night. His mind would never be at ease near the thing that almost killed him, no matter how much time passed.

His body hurt just by stepping on the ground, albeit perhaps it was more of a sensation than an actual injury, maybe... He hated how his brain was the one to hinder him in situations like these, but Neji and Tenten had his back whenever it made his movements slower or clumsy, protecting him from other ninjas or so on.

Even if it was not a pleasant experience, it was worth it in the end– they had all passed, and the fact that his rival had saved Gaara from danger had granted him a direct promotion to the Jounin rank. Gai didn't waste time to hug them all once they came out of Lady Tsunade's office; Lee cried out of pure joy, and he could've sworn his friends were emotional as well, just not showing it as freely as he did.

“My kids! I knew you'd do it! Oh, I'm so happy for you, my sweet kids!” their mentor said between sobs, and none of them corrected him– he was like a father to the three of them, even if they didn't say it out loud. “We need to celebrate this now! You're Chunins, and Neji, you– you became a Jounin. That's so wonderful! You’re growing up so fast…”

Nobody corrected him, and his students returned the embrace without delay, not minding anyone else as their teacher wrapped them in his arms– their father, albeit they wouldn’t admit it out loud that wasn’t something they needed to say. It was something they had silently agreed upon, spending more time at Gai's home than in their own houses, unbothered by the world.

And of course, such a feat deserved a magnificent celebration worthy of their team achievement; going to the restaurant they always went to, albeit their mentor had offered to pay for them without thinking it twice– thankfully they didn't overdo it, Tenten enjoyed her typical sesame buns and both Gai and Lee had some spicy curry just like they always did while Neji ate his favorite herring soba.

Though, the Hyuga did seem a little tipsy at the end of their reunion, cheeks flushed and chuckles escaping from his mouth every now and then. So Lee made it his mission to watch over him for the night, helping him walk towards the compound without letting go– Neji kept smiling with every step, pretty much melting on his arms, making it way harder than it should be… his grin dropped when he realized where they were going, and instead there was only a mix of fear and worry in his face.

“No, no– I don't want to go there,” he muttered, hiding on the taijutsu master's chest as he spoke. “Please, Lee. Don't bring me there, not today. Please…”

There was no need for explanations; Lee understood his worries perfectly, yet he felt a bit uneasy about what to do. Hiashi would find out they had returned and might get angry at his nephew for not going home, yet at the same time, Neji was clearly exhausted from sleeping on the ground for so long. His uncle would force him to train harder than before as soon as he learnt about his new rank, and the brunet's body was too tired for that.

A memory crossed his mind; his mother had mentioned going on a vacation for some weeks, assuring him she wouldn't be home to wait for his return with one of her disgusting smiles of hers. So she had no way of knowing he'd bring a guest for a while, or at all.

“Alright, rival. Do not worry, I will not bring you to the compound– would you like to go to my house instead?” Lee replied, receiving a couple of enthusiastic nods in response. “Okay! It is decided, then. Come with me, Neji.”

The brunet immediately became joyful again, chuckling a bit as the two walked through the dark streets of their village, stumbling on his own feet every now and then yet never falling to the ground– his friend caught him every time, holding him in place to avoid him getting hurt in any way. At one point Neji grabbed his hand, playing with his bandages with closed eyes as Lee guided him into his house, closing the door behind them; the brunet's cheeks were still red, leaning his whole body towards the other boy in silence, resting his head on his friend’s shoulder without saying much.

The taijutsu master didn’t have the heart to push him away, giggling as Neji guided towards his own room, a goofy smile on his face while he threw himself on the bed as if it was his without thinking twice– pulling Lee towards him, who playfully rolled his eyes and gave in, falling beside his companion in a heartbeat. His rival turned around and wrapped him in his arms, resting his head on the younger boy's chest, relaxing on top of him.

“Neji, you… you never do this. Are you alright?” was the first thing he said, though Lee was soon reminded of his friend's drunkeness as soon as he opened his mouth to reply.

“Let's stay like this, please– you're so warm and strong and it makes me feel safe, so safe… my uncle would kill me if he saw us now,” the Hyuga mumbled, closing his eyes with a hum as he spoke. “You're too sweet, Lee, and that's cute… I love you so, so much, you wouldn't understand it. God, I love you. I wish you'd loved me too.”

He was frozen on place, unable to do anything but observe his friend’s relaxed expression, mumbling things nobody would ever decipher as he fell asleep– Lee felt his cheeks burning as the other boy pretty much allowed his body to completely fall on him, too tired to react or stand up on his own; Neji’s eyes were surrounded by darkness in more ways than one, markings of tiredness obvious to anyone who saw him even from afar.

Alcohol and exhaustion didn't mix well. He would ask him about that confession in the morning, when his mind was cleared and his body got to rest– Lee quietly covered both of them with blankets and smiled as the brunet hummed, somehow snuggling closer to him, his face hidden in the crook of his neck.

His skin was on fire, his muscles tense; his brain wouldn't stop circling around the multiple ‘I love you’ his companion had said, how Neji had hugged him so tightly through his sleep… it was hard to close his eyes, yet the tiredness of sleeping on sand for a couple of days soon allowed him to relax.

Of course, he woke up before the sun even appeared on the sky, finding out that his companion was awaken by his movements – Neji yawned and observed him for a moment before his face turned into shock, letting go of him in a second. Massaging his temples with a groan, becoming small as to not bother the other boy.

“I'm sorry, I didn't… I drank too much. Thanks for taking care of me,” the brunet muttered, his eyes widening as Lee extended his arms towards him again, offering a hug that wasn't rejected. And once more Neji ended up hiding his face on his friend, cheeks red with embarrassment. “... I don't mind this, but why?”

Their gazes met, yet the taijutsu master had to look away with trembling lips, a sharp pain invading his chest.

“Um, Neji– you said you loved me. Is it true? Do you… like me? Because I like you, a lot,” he whispered, afraid of every word that came out of his own mouth, afraid that he would ruin the beautiful friendship they had.

And also afraid that, maybe, it was just a joke. Or that Neji had meant more like a brotherly bond, and he'd gotten his hopes up for nothing. Lee didn't want to look at him, waiting for a response, a scream or a punch, or… something.

“Ah, I– Well, uh… ah, I wasn't expecting this. I should've listened to Tenten, she told me to confess some months ago,” the brunet replied, a hand holding Lee's cheek in such a gentle way that his eyes teared up, a shaky smile decorating his face. “Oh, don't cry. You'll make me cry too…”

“Neji! I love you! Let us go on a date!” Lee exclaimed, receiving some chuckles in response, his companion leaving a soft kiss on his forehead before saying anything. There were some tears falling from his cheeks, yet he had the brightest grin on his face nonetheless.

“Don't rush, Lee. My head is killing me– can we just stay like this for now? We'll have to keep it a secret from my Clan, and… I don't want to think right now.”

A quiet nod and Neji pretty much melted into his arms again, humming as the taijutsu master caressed his hair, cuddling together until the sun was high on the sky. Unbothered by anything else apart from their newfound love, kissing each other through the day to Tenten's dismay.