[Log] It's not hard to fall

[heavenly_earth]

Characters: Rock Lee (verdant_lotus) and Hyuuga Neji (heavenly_earth)
When: The morning of March 10th after this really long thread.
Where: Hyuuga 1
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Shounen-ai fluff
Summary: After convincing Neji to stay with him through a casual evening, the two share a lazy morning.

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[verdant_lotus]

Lee stirred slightly at the feel of fingers running through his hair, and made a soft sound, curling in closer. His arm tightened where it was slung around Neji's waist in response to another slight shift in movement, obviously unwilling to let go. He stayed like that for a long time, drowsing in the hazy state between sleep and wakefulness, lulled by the slow, steady beat of Neji's heart and the feel of his hand idly stroking through his hair.

It was a good way to sleep. One that he hadn't experienced often, but could grow accustomed to- having someone else close, warm and affectionate and just there. Before things had changed, he never would've been able to envision Neji doing this with anyone, let alone him. Neji was simply too calm, too cold, too withdrawn for something like cuddling.

Except that he wasn't. As they drew closer, the displays of affection grew more common. It was strange on some level, how the slight squeeze of his hand in passing at breakfast seemed more significant than any number of stolen kisses. A low, drowsy sound slipped past Lee's lips, and he nuzzled against Neji's chest. His nose wrinkled slightly at the harshness of fabric against his cheek instead skin, and he sighed.

"Good morning." The words were a low, sleepy mumble, muffled against Neji's shirt.

[heavenly_earth]

Neji blinked, his thoughts far off and drifting through idle time, hand stilling momentarily in Lee's short hair. "Good morning, Lee." A pause, the room seemed brighter than it had been a mere few minutes ago. "I'm somewhat surprised you managed it this long."

But for all the lazy cuddling (Neji had no other word for Lee's movements and shifts in position), he may have been awake longer. As it was, Lee was aware that Neji wouldn't let him off lightly if he caught him out of bed unnecessarily.

"How are you feeling?"

[verdant_lotus]

"Mmm. It is not like you would let me out of bed anyway." There was no resentment in the words- only a somewhat drowsy amusement and a touch of chastisement. He pressed an idle kiss against Neji's collarbone through the fabric of his shirt, and exhaled slowly. For a moment he was tempted to make an attempt to get closer- maybe roll over onto his back and tug Neji on top of him- but he vetoed the idea for the moment at the Jounin's question and the reminder it brought of his physical state.

He turned his attention inward, brow furrowing slightly. The broken ribs were a slow, dull ache by this point. The position they were lying in put a bit of pressure on them- enough to put up a grumbling complaint of pain- but it wasn't enough for Lee to consider moving. Then again, few things were. "I feel fine," he murmured. Then, once again, his arm tightened around Neji. "Better with you here."

[heavenly_earth]

It was certainly true enough, and the Hyuuga bristled as Lee's breath fanned through the thin material of his clothing. As predicted, Lee answered casually, but didn't detect any hints of strain in his voice and nodded, deciding to take his word for it.

"You seem to be recovering well. I may ask Unohana-san if she isn't too occupied at some point how much longer you should be on bed rest." Though of course Lee was only lying down and experiencing little for repercussions- as was the point- he was somewhat hopeful it wouldn't be for too long.

"Hm..." A sound of mild agreement as the minuscule space Neji had put between them was closed again, he sighed and rested against Lee. "I'll have to move soon."

[verdant_lotus]

"I am fine now," he mumbled in sleepy protest, but there was no heat to the words. Lee sighed and drowsily nuzzled in closer against Neji's chest, listening to the soft, slow pattern of his breathing and the steady thrum of his heartbeat. There was something comforting about that- reassuring and warm.

"And you do not need to go anywhere," he murmured. Lee shifted against Neji's side in a fruitless attempt to get closer, and made a soft, mumbly sound of discontent. "If you are in bed with me, you can make certain that I do not get up," he reasoned.

[heavenly_earth]

"Not yet well enough." Neji reminded him idly, adjusting his arm over Lee as he shifted closer, muttering for him to be careful. But the moments that stretched were quiet, almost tender, and relaxing.

"I can't leave everything to Tenten, Lee." He told him, wishing as much that he could just for the luxury to continue to lie there. "Your restraints were there for a reason." Lee knew that of course, and it was more or less, a verbal reminder to himself to reinforce his previous justification of why he needed to move soon.

"I'll stay for a little while longer, but I'd rather have most everything prepared when Tenten wakes up."

[verdant_lotus]

"Mmm." It was a thoughtful hum, slightly muffled from Lee's current position, and his eyes slid closed in pleasure at the warmth of Neji's arm wrapped around him. "I will let you go if you stay with me tonight?" he offered, then raised his head to cast a glance upward at the Jounin. Softened by the curtains, early morning light illuminated Neji's face, bringing out the mahogany tones in his hair and the faint hint of violet to Hyuuga eyes. A slow, soft, sleepy smile spread over Lee's face, and he leaned in to briefly press their lips together, then touched his forehead against the Jounin's.

The metal of the forehead protector was comparatively cool compared to the warmth of skin. It was strange to have it in place with Neji in his bed- a barrier that he'd already become accustomed to taking down. The lazy intimacy between them, though, remained the same. Even with the hitai-ate in place and the symbol of Konoha resting between them, it was still Neji- still his Neji, the way that Neji was only with him. For a moment Lee considered trying to put that revelation into words, but any way he tried to phrase it felt trite. He settled instead on kissing him again- long, slow, and sweet.

[heavenly_earth]

Neji huffed, glancing down at Lee. It's not as though he minded sleeping next to him, but he wondered if this wasn't the start to a continuous pattern, and briefly weighed the hassle of arguing it.

"I don't mind tonight, but we can't do this every day, Lee, if we're to introduce the idea slowly to the others."

And then Lee's forehead was touching his, and it took a moment to register that his headband was still tied around his head. Lee's eyes gained a weighted look, and Neji wondered what he was trying to convey through that slow, sweet kiss.

"You seem to be rather affectionate in the morning." Neji observed, an eyebrow disappearing underneath the cloth of his hitai-ate. It was a statement more than anything- and certainly not a complaint. "Or is it a lingering side-effect of anesthetics?"

[verdant_lotus]

Lee's nose wrinkled slightly at the reminder of their decision to slowly ease into Neji's place in his bed becoming a more permanent fixture. "I like having you here," he mumbled in protest, but it was half-hearted at best. He knew that it was a good decision- one that would make things considerably easier in the long run, both on them and on their team- but a stubborn, childish part of him didn't take well to the idea of losing the opportunity for easy displays of affection and closeness.

"And I would be affectionate more often if we spent more time alone." He emphasized the statement with another slow, languid kiss, then let his head drop to Neji's shoulder. Lee nuzzled in close, burying his nose in the side of Neji's neck, and breathed in deeply of the familiar scent. He exhaled with a quiet, content sigh.

[heavenly_earth]

For some reason that simple phrase made him feel inexplicably guilty. His hold on Lee tightened by a fraction- an attempt at subtle reassurance- and breathed into Lee's hair. Lee's weight was comfortable, familiar, with a faint hum of energy running just underneath his skin in a static current. He was sure he'd be able to see it if he just activated his Byakugan- the vivid, blinding mess of chakra that was uniquely Lee's.

But he felt like apologizing- knowing that he wasn't very affectionate when they weren't alone, and feeling as though this meant he was falling short on some standard of Lee's. And that might have been alright if he wasn't effectively limiting Lee on his ability to display similar affection. It was no wonder he wanted him to stay with him more often.

"...I'll see what I can manage in regards to that." He said eventually, wondering if he'd ever successfully be able to balance Lee against Gai and Tenten and prevent problems from breaking out either way. Added to that, he had work to do... "I wouldn't mind if we could find more time to spend like this."

[verdant_lotus]

Lee smiled against Neji's neck. "Thank you," he murmured quietly, and he pressed another idle kiss against the soft skin of Neji's nape, then dropped another somewhere along Neji's jaw. The hazy blanket of contentment at being so close lay over his mind in a comfortable fog, obscuring memories of painful injuries and needed tasks. Lee nuzzled along the smooth line of Neji's jaw, then touched an affectionate kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"This is good. Us. Like this. I like it."

[heavenly_earth]

The light affectionate kisses to his skin stir a quiet joy in his chest- a buried love for attentive appreciation. A selfish view maybe, but he'd allow himself that much. His arm curled around Lee's waist. "Hm... so you've told me."

It's said casually, but there's a light amusement in his expression. Gentle fingertips lifted Lee's jaw to press an understanding kiss to his lips. "It's enough that we can enjoy something together, then."

[verdant_lotus]

That rare verbal acknowledgment sent a wave of warmth through Lee. It was rare for Neji to show affection outright like that- normally he toed a careful line, finding a way to acknowledge Lee's feelings without expressing anything but acceptance. It almost would've been enough to make Lee think he was alone in his feelings sometimes, but the memory of Neji's lips beneath his and the way he looked at him when every barrier between them was ripped down- desperate, as if Lee were something that he was starving for and could never get enough of- set the doubts to rest.

The feel of Neji's fingertips resting feather-light against his jaw made Lee's eyes momentarily slide closed as he savored the touch. It still amazed him how natural this had become, how easily they slipped from rivals to teammates to friends to lovers and back again. It was complicated in a way that Lee didn't have words for, subtle shades of complexity colored by years of standing as prominent figures within the each other's lives, but it was uniquely them.

He pressed a slow, tender kiss against Neji's lips, then drew back just enough to see his eyes. His thumb brushed briefly over Neji's bottom lip, and he smiled. When the words came, they were as natural and easy as breathing. "I love you."

[heavenly_earth]

Neji stopped breathing, his muscles tensing as though in preparation of a sudden attack, eyes wide and almost disbelieving- frozen in a mild shock. The atmosphere had been calm, comfortable- almost lethargic- and the words dropped from Lee's lips so easily after so much anxiety over the situation that it promptly threw him off.

Neji realized that although he had wanted to hear them before, that he was just as reluctant to. As if a confirmation of hope was too much to ask for, that in the end, it's price would be too high...

Then time shifted forward and Neji blinked, brows furrowing as he realized he should say something to ease the tension he had unwittingly created. He almost felt like asking for verification, making sure Lee was certain, but it was Lee, he had waited this long, and he never said anything he didn't mean.

Wrought with unexpected indecision, Neji's lips crashed into Lee's fervently, arm around his waist pulling a little too tight considering Lee's condition, but his mind briefly neglected to remember that detail.

The words, he found, were harder for him to say- born of hesitation, reluctance, and the slight paranoia that whispered possible consequences of effectively sealing their relationship into permanency for the duration of their stay. How long would that be...?

But he shoved down doubt- that niggling, suspicious, and irritating emotion- and his eyes finally met Lee's again. "I believe it's enough to say my love for you returned a few months ago, if it ever left."

[verdant_lotus]

Lee cupped Neji's face in his hands and traced the line of his jaw with his thumbs over and over again, ignoring the pain in his ribs with the ease that came from years of brutal training and battle. The gesture was intended to be calming, as deliberate as soothing a spooked horse. He'd seen those flickers of emotion in pale Hyuuga eyes before the harsh desperation of Neji's lips slamming into his own, and he wondered how long Neji had been waiting to hear him say those words. He felt a flash of guilt over putting that uncertainty in Neji's eyes, but he knew that Neji wouldn't have wanted to hear it if he wasn't certain, and he respected Neji and himself too much for easy lies.

The words were unexpected, and made that warmth rise again- a flush of happiness and affection. He kissed Neji again, wanting to share a sliver of that warmth, to somehow express through touch what speech couldn't quite envelop. "I love you," he repeated against Neji's lips, then pulled back to just grin at him- bright and sparkling and full of boyish joy.

[heavenly_earth]

Lee's open joy was matched underneath Neji's skin. A quiet, content happiness thrumming through blood and chakra, held back by the reserved dignity Neji kept over himself. His grip loosened to a comfortable hold as he slowly relaxed again, mouth sliding against Lee's as his eyes closed.

The words repeated over the dull echo, fading again with the same resonance- the sentiment lingering long after the words were spoken.That genuine happiness in Lee's expression was nearly infectious, and a small smile mirrored it in Neji's.

"Thank you, Lee." He said, twining their spare hands, "It's worth all the frustrations we've held while you've been here to know that now."