Naruto One Shots

Friends #1 (Rock Lee/Shikamaru Nara)

[Art work is not mine! Credit to unknown]

Requested by: Myself

Word Count: 3,733

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:
- Slight angst
- Also Rock Lee and Shikamaru love triangle (kind of)

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     My back aches as I lean down, reaching for the ground as I stretch myself out. Working out is such a waste. I could be at home relaxing or doing literally anything else, but no. Asuma keeps insisting I keep exercising so my 'joints don't get stiff as I recover'.
     It's a small injury, a couple of stitched-up slash wounds that Asuma refuses to overlook, insisting I can return to duty once they're removed. I think he's just being overly cautious but that's the kind of Sensei he is. He cares about me and the rest of the squad more than anything. Even if I don't want to be on medical leave, I should at least get to relax and enjoy it.
     But again, no, so here I am, on one of the training grounds of the village. Twenty-seventh maybe? Or maybe twenty-eighth. I don't know, it's a big empty field giving me plenty of room to play around with my tricks and jutsus.
     A long sigh spills out as I tug myself back up, standing straight so I can stretch out my arms. "This is going to be such a drag," I mumble to myself, instantly scrunching my face up in disgust when the last word tumbles out.
     I'm spending too much time around the chief's son. I need more friends than Shika, Ino, and Chojo. I spend more than enough time with them on missions and training assignments, I don't need to spend my free time with them too.
     Though, I've been spending a lot more time with Gai's mini-me. He's a funny guy, straightforward about almost everything, totally work-ethic driven, and competitive enough to put his sensei's competitiveness to shame. Lee is cute for how weird and unaware of a guy he is. His eyes interest me, how round and full they always seem to be.
     My recent interest in the Taijutsu user has been the newest topic among team ten. Well, the newest topic for Ino to talk about. Chojo never knows what's going on and Shika only cares if Lee is being a 'gentleman'.
     I think it's just Shika's chief-like worries filtering in now that we're getting older and the fate of him taking over for his father is a constant topic among the clan. I find it funny, how unbothered-ly worried he is, especially since Shika isn't much of a gentleman himself.
     Ino is a bit pushy about the subject, with a million questions spilling from her after every hangout I have with Lee. She can be mean sometimes, sly comments filtering around me 'settling' or Lee's looks, along with poking at the lack of jutsus Lee uses.
I'm happy with Lee, in whatever it is we are. The older boy is confusing sometimes, courtesy of his obliviousness. Nonetheless, I enjoy his company and the time we spend together, even if there isn't a title tacked on to it.
However I'm hoping with Shika's date with Temari this weekend, Ino's focus will shift from my situation with Lee to the new romance blooming for our teammate.
     As for Chojo, he's just oblivious to the world, almost on Lee's level. Every time, Ino's 'What did you and Lee do?' question is followed by Chojo's 'You're friends with Lee?' question.
     I shake my head at the thought of Chojo's dumb behavior, focusing back on my stretches. I sink to the ground, finishing out my stretches with my legs. I butterfly them, stretching out my hips and my lower back.
     "You're not doing that right," Someone calls from behind me, startling me out of my blissful peace.
     "This is going to suck," I mutter to myself, hanging my head backward to see my peace destroyer.
     Lee's ears must have been ringing because here he is, standing behind me with his usual big smile. "Let me help you, Nara-San," he chirps, working his way around me.
"Lee," I groan, shifting my weight to my hands. "I've been telling you for weeks to stop calling me that," I grumble, head flipping back up.
"Well, what should I call you?" Lee asks, sitting across from me on the ground, eyes as round as ever as he looks at me.
"I don't know. Anything but 'Nara-San'. That's what people call Shikamaru, not me."
He sits on my request for a while, eyes slowly blinking at me as he's away in La-La-land. "So..." he starts, life finally back in his dead eyes now that he's present on Earth again. "You want a nickname?"
"I mean," I start heat rising to my cheeks. It's embarrassing feeling like I asked Lee to give me a nickname. You don't ask for that, it's something that just happens. "That's not what I'm saying, but it's not - not what I'm saying, I guess."
"I'm confused."
"Me too," I mutter, dropping my eyes to the ground. Maybe I should have ignored Sensei and stayed home. Lee's obviousness tends to lead me to feel stupid about a lot of things. Mostly about whatever we are. Friends? More than friends? Companions? Hell if I know, and sure as hell if Lee knows.
"I will think of a nickname. For now, let's fix your posture!" Lee cheers, leaning closer to me. "If you're not sitting straight your muscles won't stretch right," he explains, one of his hands pushing on my spine as the other one pushes my shoulder, forcing my spine to straighten.
"Maybe I don't care," I answer back, rolling my eyes at the exercise nut.
"Lotus-Chan!" He yelps, hands jumping from me to his chest. "Stretching is the most important part of exercising. If you don't stretch beforehand you can cause joint pain or even damage your muscles. If you don't stretch after you're more susceptible to injuries. Please tell me you stretch after your workouts."
I stare at the boy, stuck on the quick-witted nickname. I can't tell if I like it or not. "I don't stretch afterward, no," I mumble, continuing to roll the nickname over. "Lee?"
"Lotus-Chan?"
My eyes flicker at the dumbness rolling off of Lee, my question sticking in my throat. He has to know what Chan means right? Or maybe he doesn't, he's pretty naive. "You're dumb," I finally squeeze out, shaking the situation out of my head as I stand up.
Lee looks up at me, his bushy eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Why did you say that? Do you think I'm dumb, Lotus-Chan?"
"Of course not, Lee. I'm just teasing," I answer back, patting his head to reassure him further. Despite the constant reminders, I somehow tend to forget how unaware he can be. "Kind of."
"Kind of?" He asks, quickly climbing to his feet to stand next to me. "I do not understand."
"Rocky?" I tease, throwing out my nickname for the dense shinobi.
"My name is Rock, not Rocky."
I sigh at the boy, my patience quickly running thin. "I know, Lee. It's a nickname."
"Oh."
"Give me your notebook," I order, reaching my hand out and wiggling my fingers at him.
"Of course, Lotus-Chan!" He says in his usually overly peppy tone, saluting me before digging out his notebook.
I take it from him, tugging out the pen clipped to the cover before flipping through the pages. I scrabble down a book recommendation, one of the many books littered around Asuma-Sensei's house: Are They Flirting? by Bashira Suzuki. I thought the book was pathetic at the time, but maybe it'll help Lee a bit.
I tear the page out, tucking it into Lee's pocket before giving him back his stuff. "I wrote you a note."
"I saw," he mutters, nodding his head as he focuses intensely on me.
"It's a book I want you to read before we hang out again."
"Why?"
"Because I said so," I drag out the first word, walking away from the confused boy as I finish my sentence. "I think it'll help you."
"Help me with what?" Rock asks, trailing after me as I walk further into the field.
"Us," I mutter, getting embarrassed even though I know Lee won't take it in the way I mean it.
"Oh, so it'll help me be a better friend. I shall do my best!" His arms pump to his sides, mind set on accomplishing the 'not actually a mission' I gave him.
"Um, sure," I hum, smiling at the dumb boy who can't take a hint to save his life. "Hey, Lee?" I call, stopping in my tracks.
"Yes, Lotus-Chan?" He calls back, falling still next to me.
"Do you kiss all your friends?" I say, referring to the last time we hang out alone.
During that night, we chilled at his apartment, like we usually do. Well, I chilled and Lee did hundred-something headstand push-ups. The night ended in a few kisses, five or six before I left. It was nice, but even more confusing.
I've tried to talk to him about it, but the conversations usually end with me angry and Lee confused so I left it alone. It's hard talking to him sometimes and I sure as hell can't talk to Ino about the situation. Or Chojo. Shika usually just shrugs and tells me it 'sounds like a drag' so he's no help either.
"No, just you," Rock answers, making me feel better. "Do you kiss your friends?"
"Not usually," I answer, smiling at the dumbie I've fallen for. "Rocky?" I hum, settling on not working out today.
"Lotus-Chan?"
"I like you," I mutter, trying to confess again. Maybe it'll click this time. Maybe I should try harder to confuse my feelings but 'I love you' seems too strong at the moment and leaves just as much room for misunderstanding. 'I want to be your girlfriend' seems too straight forward though.
"I like you too, you're a really good friend."
"Dear Lord, Lee," I groan, before sighing through my nose. I know he's not doing it on purpose. Lee isn't the kind of person to mess with someone's emotions, but still. He can't possibly be this dumb. "I'm going home."
"Oh, okay. I'll see you later, Lotus-Chan!"
"Dumbie," I huff under my breath, storming away from the emotionally unintelligible shinobi. Maybe I should have said 'I want to be your girlfriend' instead.