The thing about having known someone since you were kids...

[verdant_lotus]

Characters: Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee
Location: The park
Rating: Pg-13 for mentions of violence?
Time: December 4, morning
Description: A post-spar talk.

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[heavenly_earth]

Hyuuga pride demanded that he slow his breathing, rearrange his hair, and pull himself back together. He gave it a shot for the sake of trying before exhaustion just overwhelmed his will to care. It was a grace he was sitting at all, rather than sprawled out on the grass like his teammate.

Neji's chest heaved, aching all over and feeling tired, worn out, but content with the knowledge that his skills weren't too far off from his previous level- at least as far as taijutsu went. But without Jyuuken, he had to work that much harder to stay on top of Lee and while there hadn't been any clear winner, that was fine; Neji could settle for equals.

A brief, tired smile crossed his expression and he nodded, willing breath back into his lungs. "Yes. It's been awhile since we've fought that hard."

And he was grateful for it, grateful for the ability to use everything against Lee, tempering the volatile edge Neji would find himself balancing on occasionally when his blood ran too hot. He looked up, glancing past the park to the city walls, then past even those to the wide desert beyond them, and while he still felt the urge to be gone across those borders, it was muted, tolerable.

He draped an arm over his knee, returning his attention to Lee. "...We should take that dual-partner mission soon."

[verdant_lotus]

Lee nodded into the grass, eyes drifting closed. He didn't have to see Neji to know his expression- he didn't have the Hyuuga's eyes, but five years as teammates and rivals had inscribed the careful calm behind his eyelids.

"We should do this, too," he mumbled into the grass. "We do not spar often enough."

After a minute of just appreciating the waves of pain through his heavy limbs, Lee propped himself up on one elbow and looked over at Neji. "How is training with Lain coming?"

[heavenly_earth]

Neji dipped his head in a nod, pulling his gaze away from the city walls.

"Yes, there are few opponents I can spar with as freely, and I still have a lot of improvements to make while I'm without Jyuuken's full potential. Hanabi-san is fortunate." So is he, he knows, with Death City's equivalent to the Byakugan, and idly considered the potential of teaming up at some point.

But he smiled at the mention of Lain, revisiting the worried uncertainty of a few days past. "Since Lain was gone for a day, we've been going over our coordination again. We fared well enough during the Arizona Mission a few days before, but I still wish we had some offensive capability..." His eyebrows creased, drawn into silent reflection for a moment, then shook his head.

"At any rate, we're still able to utilize our previous skill set without issue; infiltrate dangerous territory without a trace, create holograms as tools for distraction, and scout with exceptional ability. Those are our specialties." But they remained relatively useless in combat situations, and that still stung at times.

"That's why we need a pair like yourself and Kazekage-sama to back us up."

[verdant_lotus]

Lee nodded. "It is a good match," he said.

Neji and Lain's strengths were his and Gaara's weaknesses- Gaara accustomed to the sand for surveillance, Lee long used to Neji's eyes being more reliable than his own. And if they were anything, it was an offensive pair. "We should check the mission board," he said. "And if they do not have anything, we could see if there are one-team missions close together. We could take a few and do them all in a day."

He fell quiet, watching the empty blue sky. The endorphins were starting to wear off, leaving the dull, familiar throb of pain behind. "Do you think that we will ever go home?"

[heavenly_earth]

A frown settled over Neji's expression, eyes looking inward for his own conclusions before voicing them. He lifted his face to the sky, looking up at the foreign sun, gaze distant once again as though peering into the clouded future.

"Yes. However, the end of this war is nebulous. It's not just an isolated conflict between one country and another, and there's no hope for mutual peace. We could be here for years because of a vaguely worded wish."

He leaned back on his hands, giving the morning sky a long, considering look. "But when we do, we're taking Lain with us." The steel in his tone leaves no room for argument, having obviously given some thought to it before. "I don't care if I have to request that we're excluded from the collective wish to be sent home, and make a second one. They owe us that much. She's not returning to a world where she doesn't truly exist. She deserves more than that."

[verdant_lotus]

He'd heard the first before, but it was the last that made Lee look at Neji- then finally, he nodded. "She does," he said. "And I would miss her, if she was gone."

It was a strange feeling, but a right one, too, to think of Lain returning with them. Like something clicking into place.

"How have things been since she returned?" he asked.

[heavenly_earth]

Neji released a sigh- like he'd expected Lee to protest for some reason- a shrugged vaguely. "Fine. She was off the first day she returned, but she's settled back into her usual habits quickly enough. Bothering me, mostly." It's a disgruntled complaint, but he can't hide the affection in his voice.

But his expression shifts to something concerned. "She learned about Sakura... Naruto told her he has a crush on her, apparently. She's been taking it rather hard."

[verdant_lotus]

Something flickered in Lee's eyes at the mention of Sakura's name, but it was quickly gone. That was the past, and his friend needed him now.

He reached out, lay a bandaged hand on Neji's shoulder, and lightly (for him) squeezed. "It hurts to care about someone who does not see you," he said.

[heavenly_earth]

"I suppose," Neji said, frowning at the hand on his shoulder and subtly shifted out from under it. "But I think it's because Naruto did see her that she fell in love with him- just like Hinata-sama."

He sighed, feeling rather helpless about the entire affair. "I'll just have to talk with Naruto. I can't think of any other way to help her since she won't approach him herself."

[verdant_lotus]

Lee blinked. "I was not talking about Lain-san," he said.

[heavenly_earth]

Neji's frown deepened, turning to his teammate and looking him over. "Kazekage-sama is in love with you, isn't he? He best not be taking advantage of you."

[verdant_lotus]

...

Lee blinked. Harder. "Gaara? He is not- this is not about-"

It took a second for the full implications of what Neji had said to sink in, and he shook his head. "No! It is not- Gaara would not- Neji, he is the one who pursued me."

[heavenly_earth]

"Ah." An awkward, uncomfortable silence reigned, the Hyuuga prodigy feeling vaguely as though he was missing something somewhere and unable to pinpoint it.

"Gai-sensei and Kakashi are together so far as I'm aware." It's drawn out; slow, searching, unsure and vaguely puzzled. "Though I can't say I keep up on their minutiae." Or anyone's relationship involvement really- it's none of his concern.

[verdant_lotus]

Lee looked at him strangely, wondering why the Hyuuga had brought their teacher up. "They are," he agreed slowly. "But I am not certain what they have to do with you and Lain-san."

[heavenly_earth]

The Jounin lifted an eyebrow. "It doesn't. Only Lain is having issues reaching her intended, so I don't know what you expect."

[verdant_lotus]

Lee blinked again. He seemed to be doing that a lot in this conversation. "Then you do not care about her?" he asked, confusion obvious in his voice.