Requested By: Me! Me! I did! It's the love of my life's birthday today!! Happy birthday, king!! *smooch*
Prompt: SURPRISE PARTY!!!
TW: None! just sappy & cute
Rock Lee x reader
(Not following the Naruto plotline)
Let's just say he's turning 16, for the sake of convenience.
WC: 4148
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"(Y/n)!" Lee called from their apartment door. They came out quickly and opened the door, knowing today was a special day. Lee was turning 16, and boy, were they excited. Lee was their best friend at the time, and not only that, but like the way these stories go, (y/n) had developed quite the set of feelings for the sweetest boy in all of the five great nations.
They were still only wearing their pajamas when they opened the door. "Happy birthday, Lee!" they exclaimed, wrapping their arms around him, Lee immediately reciprocating their touch.
"Thank you, (y/n)! I appreciate it! I came by to see if you would come train with me!"
"Of course," they let him out of the hug and grinned. "Let me go change, I'll be ready in just a minute. But you can come in and wait if you'd like," they offered, opening the door a little more. Lee came in, and closed the door behind him. "Okay, I'll be right out."
Asking (y/n) to train was how Lee was trying to show his affection. Spending as much time as he could with them, and as often as he could, alone with (y/n). That was one of the reasons, anyway.
Lee surveyed their apartment, the books on her shelves, the mug on the coffee table. There was also the weights he had gotten them for their birthday a year before, and from the looks of it, they had been getting used plenty, and that made him happy. Someone who shared his interest in getting stronger. That's what made him happy.
The rest of the group of the teens in Konaha at the time, (including (y/n), excluding Naruto and Sasuke) had been planning Lee's party for weeks, because everyone knew that Lee wasn't going to do it himself. He had no clue he was going to even have a party, in fact, so far, other than the quick reminder from (y/n), Lee had almost forgotten it was his own birthday.
The whole group knew (y/n) and Lee had feelings for each other, even if they themselves didn't know. So, Shikamaru, being most of the planner and the one who would set the party plans up without fail, made sure that (y/n) would keep him distracted until the party.
(y/n) came out of their room a few minutes later, dressed in their nicer set of ninja gear, knowing it looked better on them than their usual Chunin attire.
"You ready, Lee?"
Lee didn't, or couldn't reply. He thought (y/n), even if their attire wasn't that different, looked stunning on them. Maybe it was because it was different than usual.
"Lee? you're staring?"
"Oh! I am very sorry! You just look radiant today!"
(Y/n)'s face went red at the compliment, but doing their best to hide it, she crossed to the door. "We should go now," they chuckled, and left.
After 30 minutes of sparring, specifically with weapons to get to know their tools, (y/n) had an idea, sparked by Lee using his nunchaku in their battle.
They were both taking a break, sitting in front of each other while drinking some water, and Lee re-wrapping his forearms and hands.
"What is it, (y/n)? you look like you are thinking."
"Oh I- I wanted to... ask if I could try your nunchaku? You make it look so easy. It's mesmerizing."
"I assure you, it is not as easy as it looks. But of course! There is nothing more youthful than learning a new skill!" Lee handed them the sticks and they both stood up to see (y/n) make an attempt to use the tool they had never even held before.
They held them out, away from their face as an instinct, afraid of hitting them self. After a few minutes of Lee watching (y/n)'s failed attempts, they turned to Lee and blushed, a little embarrassed of how terribly they were doing.
"Maybe you could show me the ropes?"
Lee had been waiting for them to ask, not wanting to invade on teaching them self.
"Of course! first I guess, maybe you are holding them wrong." He fixed their hand, and adjusted their wrist a little, "Maybe do not hold them so tight?"
They loosened her grip, feeling the weight of them strain their hands. Lee backed up, and they tried again to swing, still holding it out too far.
"I'm... still doing it all wrong. What else can I fix?"
Lee approached them, standing slightly behind, holding their arms. "May I?" (Y/n) had no clue what he was asking, but being so close to him was so warm and comfortable, they figured it would be fine.
Lee slid his hands down to their wrists, holding their hands over the nunchaku, but also pressing their bodies together. Weather or not it was on purpose wasn't totally clear, but it's not like (y/n) didn't like it.
"I think when you swing them, you use your hands, and that is making your movements sloppy. So try-" Lee began moving their hands, but used his wrists more than the muscles in his hands. "try swinging with your wrists, it gives you a wider range of movements, and is easier to control," he explained, leaning in a little closer. "And I think you should close your eyes."
"Wh-what?"
"You trust me, right?"
"Well, yeah, but if I close my eyes, I'll hit myself or you-"
"No you will not. Just relax, you will be okay, I will stay like this to show you why. Ready?" they could feel him breathing, and just how fast his heart was beating with their back pressed to his chest.
"...Okay, Lee. I trust you." (Y/n) closed their eyes, letting Lee guide their hands and arms. He slowly pulled their arms back closer to them while swinging the sticks around.
"I think what you are missing is trust. Not that you do not trust me, but you do not trust your weapon or yourself. With nunchaku, at first, they are a little frightening. But after using them for a while, they become an extension of yourself." While he was explaining, he was moving her arms, and even starting to walk around so (y/n) could get comfortable. (Y/n) had been taking slow, deep breaths while listening. They had never been this close to Lee, it was a whole different experience, feeling his body around theirs as he guided them in training with a tool they were completely unfamiliar with.
There were a few minutes where neither of them said anything while Lee was moving her around. The only thing heard was the nunchaku swishing through the air. There was nothing to say, it was just... comfortable. They moved in unison, and eventually, without noticing, their breath had also fallen in sync.
(Y/n) whished Lee would just stop training for a moment and just hold them, but it seemed that would be... out of the picture. It took everything they had not to burst into flames and melt to the ground.
It only lasted a minute longer, though. Lee let them go after reminding them to keep her eyes closed and just move the way they were comfortable with. (Y/n) knew it was Lee's birthday today, but he made them feel special.
Not that Lee didn't. Lee felt about the same way as (y/n), if not even more warm inside. They were everything he wanted in a partner, and if he was even just a little smarter, he would realize that he was in love with (y/n). Finding ways to be alone with them, and be physically close was always something he strived for, finding he always had the best time when they were around.
"I think I get it now..." they mumbled, opening their eyes, continuing to swing their wrists.
"You definitely got the hang of it, (y/n)! How youthful! Now it is a matter of training for battle!"
They stopped swinging, letting their arms drop to their side.
"Actually, can we just spar normally one more time? I'm getting sorta hungry, I didn't eat breakfast this morning-"
"You didn't eat breakfast!? (Y/n)! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Why would you skip it?"
"Well... I kinda went to bed sorta... really late, then I only woke up a few minutes before you came around, and I figured you ate already, so I didn't want to keep you waiting for me? Is that a good enough reason?"
"No! I would have gladly waited for you to get enough nutrients for morning training. Also, what were you doing up so late?"
"...I can't tell you. You'll see later, I promise!"
"Okay then, it is time for you to eat. Let me pay-"
"If we're getting lunch, let me pay for you, it's your birthday! I would feel bad!"
"Well, (y/n), I want to pay. It is always my pleasure!"
"Okay, how about this. We spar one more time, and whoever wins, gets to pay. How does that sound?"
"Okay, but I assure you, I will win!"
"Alright then, I guess we'll have to see about that," they teased, moving to the middle of the training grounds. Lee was entranced by their youtfulness, and was distracted enough by their fighting spirit to forget what he was doing. "You coming?" they called out, beckoning him to get ready.
"Yeah, yes! I am coming!" He snapped out of his daze, and ran to match up with (y/n). "Are you ready?"
"Whenever you are!" They both nodded after this, and began.
Almost immediately, Lee disappeared from view, though, (y/n) knew his movements perfectly. Lee was behind (y/n) about to sweep their legs out from under them. They sent some chakra to her feet to push off the ground as they jumped to avoid his attack.
"Easy to predict, Lee!" they shouted in the air, pulling their leg out to hit his shoulder, assuming he would move before they touched the ground. But he didn't, and (y/n) landed a direct hit, without really meaning to.
Within the same second, Lee moved quickly away to try and attack while they were both on their feet. The match continue on, Lee almost completely unable to land a hit on (y/n). It wasn't usually like this. Lee, on average, would beat her four out of five times.
After a few minutes of boring do over moves, (y/n) lost their footing, and started to trip to the ground, but not before grabbing the collar of Lee's jumpsuit, and pulling him down too.
Faces now impossibly close, they could feel his hot breath on their cheek. Lee had her pinned down to the ground, the strangest of tensions resonating between them.
[Lee's POV]
They are- beautiful. (Y/n) is usually beautiful. But now more than ever. What about them is so different from this view? What is happening?
[(y/n)'s POV]
He's pinned me. He's pinned me. He's pinned me. He's pinned me. He's pinned me. He's pinned me. He's pinned me. He's pinned me. He's pinned me. He's pinned me.
Holy shit.
Kiss me. You dummy. I won't make the first move. I won't do it. Kiss me. Do it.
[3rd person POV]
"...Lee-"
"I am sorry! I did not mean to- well, uhh-" Lee immediately got off of (y/n) freeing them from under him. Both of their faces were bright red and embarrassed, (y/n) slightly resentful.
"You win, Lee. Where are you taking me?"
"...hmm... how about that tea shop in mid town, with the really good dango?"
"Sounds nice. Let's go there."
Was (y/n) a little mad? yeah. Did Lee pick up on it? No. He could never.
They spent most of the day together, (y/n) often asking what Lee wanted to do. He always replied with the same "whatever makes you happy," because truthfully, whenever (y/n) was happy, Lee was happy. And yet, he still didn't realize exactly how they were feeling about each other. If (y/n) admitted they liked him, he would realize it in that moment, that that's what was happening, to him too.
They ended up spending quiet a lot time at the library. (Y/n) wanted to brush up on their medicine knowledge, and optimize the food pills they had been making. They had worked with the Nara clan, and the Akamachi clan, but there was still something missing.
Lee sat next to them with his book, learning about different types of taijutsu, seeing how he could improve his own. But every time he read or saw something interesting, he would show it to (y/n), and talk about how he could improve himself from what he read.
This led to short shoulder touches, close faces, lots of smiles and furrowed bushy brows, and accidentally brushing hands. Every little thing made both of them red and embarrassed, but they didn't stop.
"Here, Lee, look at this," they whispered, pointing to a passage about chakra forms. "Did you know, that when a chakra user is embarrassed, or nervous, or... in love, the form changes, and it's either spiky, or fuzzy. Fuzzy is associated with happiness and good, and spikey with anger and mostly anxiety. I just... thought it was interesting."
"It is! I mean- you could not really tell with me unless I opened the first gate, but, it is still neat!"
Just then, the clock struck five, and it was time to get Lee to his party.
"Lee, I want to show you something," they said softly, putting the books away. Lee followed right behind, and they left.
"What is it?"
"You'll see when we get there," they giggled and grabbed his hand to pull him along. Lee wasn't expecting (y/n) to hold his hand the way they did, but he held on tighter, liking the way it felt to have their hand in his.
They soon arrived to a park. At the moment, it looked normal, nothing weird going on here. Sort of. "What are we doing here?" he asked, squeezing their hand tighter.
"SURPRISE!!" Everyone popped out of the bushes and under the playset. Lee flinched back for a second before realizing what exactly what was happening.
His face grew into a grin, and without (y/n) noticing, laced their fingers together, making them scoot a little closer.
"Do you like it?" they asked quietly to Lee before everyone started crowding him.
"Did you do this, (y/n)?"
"Well, I helped, but a lot of the actual planning was left to Shikamaru." Lee's smile wouldn't fade. It was glued to his face, seeing everyone gathered together. Gai-Sensei stepped to Lee, and grabbed Lee into a hug, pulled his and (y/n)'s hand apart.
(Y/n)'s eyes cut to their now cold hand, only just realizing how warm Lee's hand was, and how cold they were without his.
"Lee, my boy! You're growing into a fine young man!"
"Thank you, Gai-Sensei! You have done well to teach me!" Lee had noticed it too. His hand was empty, and it just... didn't feel right. In that moment, he had finally realized his feelings for (y/n).
'Oh. I like like (y/n). Do I love them? Is it too soon to know?' He thought to himself, letting Gai go. 'Maybe I do love them-' His thought was interrupted by another. 'Do they like me? Would they ever like me?'
"Lee," (y/n) snapped him out of his own mind, trying to get him to look at something. "Look what we got for dinner!"
Karashi was standing over a pot of curry, a few besides him, with various amounts of spicy curry to match everyone's pallet. It had been a long time since Lee had his last plate of the curry of life and rice. So as much as the party was a good surprise, having the curry of life for dinner? Lee felt like he was on top of the world. (Only, with his new found feelings, he was missing something.)
"Karashi! it has been a long time! You came all the way here for my birthday?"
"Of course! Anything for a friend. And, you get the first plate!"
Lee looked at (y/n) and grinned.
"Yeah, maybe that was my idea..." they laughed, only for Lee to scoop (y/n) into a hug, and thank them over and over. "Lee, you're- I can't breathe!" they choked out.
"I am sorry!" he let them go, staring deep into their eyes. "I am just... very happy!"
"I know that. Go get some curry already!"
"If I get the first plate, then you have to get the second!"
"...Why?"
"I- Because I... I want you too!" He exclaimed, urging (y/n) to follow him.
They got their curry, (y/n) chosing to get the mildly spicy, and Lee with the spiciest. Everyone else also got their food, but of course, Lee was back for seconds in no time.
About 45 minutes after everyone got their food, everyone had completed their meals, and felt full and satisfied. (Y/n) turned to Lee, who was up, talking to Neji and Tenten while everyone else chatted. "Sorry to interrupt, but Lee, uhh-"
"What is the matter, (y/n)?"
"...Presents or cake first?"
"Oh. Are we doing them now?"
"Yeah, we were hoping to."
"Hmm... then cake it is!"
Lee grinned wide again, and finally decided he wanted to grab their hand. Before they walked away to the table where the cake was, Lee brushed his hand along (y/n)'s fingers, which made their heart skip a beat, and their face turn red. Lee waited until they brushed their fingers to the back of his hand to sneak his fingers into the cracks between theirs. Neither of them said a word about it, but everyone saw. Lee picked up their hands, and without thinking, stuck them into the pocket of his jumpsuit.
Sakura was lighting the candles, and it was time for Lee to be sung to. After a quick chorus of the song, he blew out the candles atop a vanilla cake with white icing and the words "happy 16th birthday, lee!" in dark green icing, the same color as his suit.
Then, of course it was time for presents, where he made (y/n) sit next to him the whole time. In all honesty, they weren't even sure what they were. There hadn't been a confession, or a kiss. So far, it was just hand holding and blushing a lot.
Lee didn't even know if (y/n) even liked him back, and felt the chance that they were holding his hand out of pity was high, though, he still liked the way it felt.
He opened every gift, getting a wide array of tools to work out with, and obviously he absolutely loved every one of them. Now the only thing he hadn't opened was (y/n)'s gift. It was finally time for him to, and it almost made (y/n) nervous.
"Here, I painted it myself, I hope you like them." they handed Lee the neatly wrapped box, which he opened carefully, not to rip the paper.
Then he opened the box to find a new set of nunchaku with hand painted lotuses on the side, and covered with a few layers of clear coat the wouldn't come of while using them.
"I love them!" He exclaimed before even pulling them out of the box. He set it on the ground and pulled (y/n) into a hug, thanking them for everything.
"I don't know what I did to make you so excited, Lee." (y/n) hugged back, leaning on his shoulder as they sat.
"You have done a lot of things! I am just happy you are such a good...?" A good what? He didn't want to say friend. He wanted to be more than friends, and if he said friend, it would block out the idea otherwise.
"I'm... a good friend?" they asked, letting Lee go, pretending they wasn't saddened by what he didn't say.
"Umm... yeah. I suppose so." Everyone who was watching them mentally or physically face palmed, because it was obvious that they were more than that.
After awhile of playing party games and talking, the party started to wind down, and everyone helped clean up. After the area that was used was clean, people started to leave, until it was just (Y/n) and Lee alone, again.
They moved to the swing set to hang out. Lee was trying out his new nunchaku, though, he was more just admiring the pretty design.
"You're probably tired of me by now, right?" (y/n) asked as they watched Lee. It was dark out now, and they probably needed to start heading home anyway.
Lee shook his head and sat on the other swing next to (y/n). "There is no way I could get tired of you, (y/n)."
"But you've been around me all day, and I know sometimes I can be pretty annoying-"
"You being around me all day is what made my birthday this year the best. I like being around you," he said, and looked to the ground under him, deciding now would be a good time to say it. "I... I like you, and not... not as a friend..." he stuttered out, still unable to look up at (y/n).
(y/n)'s heart jumped out of their chest now that he had actually said it. "Lee I- I have another present for you."
"Y-you do not have to-!"
"Relax, just close your eyes and I'll give it to you, okay?"
"...O-okay..."
(y/n) stood up and walked to Lee, then bent down, and push some of the hair from his face to kiss his forehead. He immediately opened his eyes in surprise, and his cheeks turned red.
"Keep your eyes closed!" they giggled. He closed his eyes again and took a deep breath. (y/n) held his face, then brought their lips to his, gently waiting for a response. (Y/n) pulled away, and he opened his eyes again, and before they could step back, he pulled them back into another kiss, cupping their cheek, and slowly standing up.
"I like you too, Rock Lee."
"Thank you for the best birthday ever, (y/n)," he chuckled, and held them close, keeping their foreheads together. "I do not know what else I could have wished for."
"So then... are we... dating now?"
"I would hope so!" he laughed. "I will take you on a date tomorrow after training. Or for dinner. But I should walk you home now and make sure you get home safe." Lee gave one last quick squeeze before letting go.
"You would do that even if we weren't dating," (y/n) giggled, then did the same awkward finger brushing thing before Lee grabbed their hand and didn't let go.
"That may be true, but even so, it is different now."
So Lee walked (y/n) back to their apartment, and talked the whole way there. (Y/n) had been hit with a rush of exhaustion, and just wanted to sleep now.
"Hey so uhh- Lee... I was wondering something?" (y/n) started as they approached her apartment door.
"Yes?"
"Since... well... I guess I was wondering if you wanted to spend the night... wait, I didn't mean- I mean... we- we could cuddle?" Lee's eyes went wide at the idea, he was so ready to cuddle, other than he desperately needed to shower and change his clothes.
"I would love to! I can run back to my apartment, and get a shower and change, then be back here in a half hour! Is that alright?"
"Yeah. I'll do the same. See you in a little bit," (y/n) gave him another quick hug, then he disappeared.
(y/n) was able to shower and get ready for bed before Lee got back. But once he was back, he wouldn't let go.
A few minutes later, Lee was comfortably laying, (y/n) right on top of his chest, listening to his heartbeat in the dark room. His arms were wrapped warmly around them, and both of their eyes were closed. (Y/n) was already half asleep while Lee stroked their hair, skimming consciousness himself.
'best birthday... ever.'