Of Broken Bones and Shattered Dreams

Hey there, guys and gals! Thanks a lot for your reviews and your support! It’s been quite difficult taking this story from my mind to the paper (or post, or whatever), especially for the last chapter, since it was hard finding the right words and arranging everything to my liking, and also because it was tough as hell picturing Lee being really pissed at someone, let alone shouting at Ten-Ten.

Come to think about it, I’ve put Ten-Ten through some tough crap, haven’t I? Poor girl. I shouldn’t treat my favorite character like that… But then again, if I didn’t, then this fic never would have grown from that tiny and far-fetched idea in my mind to what it is now.

Anyway, I’m hoping that on this chapter or the next, something is going to happen between Neji and Ten-Ten. As usual, please review and enjoy!

*****

Of Broken Bones and Shattered Dreams

Chapter 7 – Apologies

Rock Lee woke up in his hospital bed, feeling more rested and relaxed than he had felt in… in like forever. As the first rays of a beautiful morning crept through the window and greeted him with their warm touch, he stretched his arms, casting away the last traces of sleep. His head was still a little foggy, so he didn’t yet remember what happened last night, but when he moved to get out of bed, and felt his hospital clothing sticking to his skin due to all the dried up sweat and body fluids, all the events of the previous evening came back to him in a great rush.

At first, he thought it had all been a dream, as his mind just refused to admit it had happened. But the more he thought about it, he was more convinced it had been real. The young Taijutsu master threw his legs over the edge of the bed, and sat for a while. Millions of thoughts rushed through his brain, but as he managed to put some order into his brain, he couldn’t push back the memory of how Ten-Ten’s lips, touch and pleasured moans had made him feel so unbelievably nice just a few hours ago.

Absent-mindedly, Lee stared out the window. “Ten-Ten…” he whispered to himself, while his mind recalled all the pleasant sensations felt the night before. “What was that all about?”

As he tried to get an answer, the emotional side of Lee’s brain, contempt with the friendly relationship he had with Ten-Ten, and not wanting to complicate it with uncertain feelings, presented him a rather simple explanation: She had just used her body to help him overcome his pain. It was close, but that was only half of the reason, and since the rational part of his mind wasn’t satisfied with such an easy answer, he kept digging in his memories, looking for the true meaning behind his female teammate’s actions.

Suddenly, and ignoring all subtlety, it hit him. He remembered those three words she had said in between sobs, and then everything made sense. *I Love you…* Too shocked even to blink, Rock Lee stood still and quiet trying to digest all the information this sudden realization brought upon him. However, every passing second brought tons of questions, but very few answers. All this time, Ten-Ten held feelings towards him? If not, then, when had he gained a place in her heart? And what had he done to do so? And most importantly, what kind of relation did he have with Ten-Ten now? How should he act around her?

While losing a little of the joy this morning had brought upon him, Rock Lee pushed every other thought aside and began pondering about his female teammate. He had to talk to her, and make sure they were still friends. Sure, Ten-Ten was hot, but Lee preferred to keep her as a close friend than pretending he returned her feelings.

While he was busy with these thoughts, a nurse with his morning shot of painkillers quietly entered his room, probably expecting to administer the medication to a sleeping patient, but upon finding him completely awake, she froze on the doorway. Lee recognized her, since she was the same nurse who always brought his medication, and suddenly felt a pang of guilt on his chest, since most of the time he had been harsh if not downright hostile towards her for trying to do her job. As she stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do, he could see the slightest trace of fear in her eyes. Almost every nurse working on the Hospital was afraid to give him his medication due to his frequent fits of rage, and he knew it. Man, he had made himself some reputation.

For an instant, his instincts began yelling and screaming, ready to make Lee refuse the painkillers once more. Luckily, since the events of the past night were still fresh on his mind, he quickly remembered he had promised Ten-Ten to take his medication.

Before the nurse could say anything, Lee got up from the bed, walked to her and bowed his head. The nurse looked a bit perplexed, but remained silent. “I’m sorry for giving you a hard time” said Lee respectfully. “Please forgive me. I promise it won’t happen again”. He then raised his eyes to meet hers and managed to smile, helping increase the confusion the nurse was feeling.

“Eh… yeah… sure…” mumbled the nurse, quite relieved she wouldn’t have to deal with an angry and violent ninja as she have had to over the last few days.

*****

Slowly and with great effort, Ten-Ten opened her eyes to the uncomfortably bright morning. She hadn’t slept as much as ten minutes in the whole night. Her eyes, usually so beautiful and shiny, were now all blood-shot and puffy, but more due to the long night of insomnia than due to shed tears. True, she was sad, but more than her sorrow, it was the uncertainty that was killing her. The uncertainty of not knowing why things took the path they took last night, of not knowing what was it that Lee thought or felt towards her, and most importantly, of not knowing what would happen now between the two of them.

The brown-haired girl tossed and turned in her bed, waiting for a drowsiness that never came, and she finally gave up on trying to sleep when a nurse showed up on her room carrying a freshly made breakfast. She thanked the nurse with a tired voice that barely sounded like her own, and was once again left alone with her feelings. Ten-Ten ate slowly and without much appetite, busy as she was running over the same thoughts and questions again and again. When she finished her meal, she put the tray on a nearby table, and headed for the bathroom, hoping a quick shower would make her feel better.

However, as she got up from bed, Ten-Ten noticed unpleasantly that her lower body was in great pain, and her legs, usually so strong and toned due to training, were now weak and shaky, making it quite difficult to walk. Since something as simple as walking to the bathroom was rather painful, the brown-eyed kunoichi sat back on her bed, deciding not to leave it until it was absolutely necessary. Besides, she didn’t really feel like bathing right now. In fact, she didn’t feel like doing anything at all, so she just lay in bed, trying to find a way to pass time that didn’t involve dealing with her feelings.

But no matter how hard she tried, the invasive thoughts about her loved one kept sneaking into her mind. Finally, not being able to stand it any longer, she called the nurse who had brought her breakfast, and told her: “Excuse me… I’m really tired and I couldn’t sleep at all last night… Could you get me some sleeping pills or something?” Of course, it would have been easier to perform a Fake Sleep Jutsu, but since she still couldn’t move her right arm, that wasn’t an option. The nurse smiled kindly and nodded.

A few minutes later, the kind nurse entered her room again, and gave her a tiny pill and a glass of water. Ten-Ten thanked the nurse, took the pill almost happily, and was relieved when she began to feel drowsy and sleepy. As the fogs of sleep clouded her mind and drove her away from her depressing thoughts, she briefly considered what she was going to do when she saw Lee again, but didn’t get to decide on anything, and was cast into a light sleep plagued with vague nightmares.

*****

Usually, days in the hospital were terribly boring to Lee, since he couldn’t perform any kind of physical training. That, added to the fact that, until recently, he couldn’t let his guard down, concerned as he was that the nurses were going to give him the painkillers without his consent. Today, however, was a beautiful day, Rock Lee felt light and refreshed, and the medication he now obediently took made him feel great.

Since the last few days in bed had weakened him considerably, Lee decided to take a walk around town. It wasn’t much of a workout, but it was far better than nothing. As soon as he finished his breakfast and got his morning dose of painkillers, the young Taijutsu master took a shower, put on a blue robe over his hospital clothing (although he would have preferred to wear his usual green jumpsuit), and left the hospital walking slowly.

The nurses at the lobby didn’t want to let him go, but he promised to behave and take it easy. That seemed enough to convince them, since he swore on his honor as a ninja, something not to be trifled with, especially for Lee. So, he walked away from the hospital into Konoha’s streets, which were beginning to fill with people.

While enjoying the cool morning air and the warm sunlight upon him, Lee headed slowly towards the training grounds outside Konoha. He had been doing some thinking, and he still owed Neji and Gai-sensei an apology for his behavior on the last few days.

It took him a while to get to the training grounds, and the noises of a violent spar managed to reach his ears even before he got there. Lee stopped in his tracks, since the noises of battle were so close he would really be in danger if he kept going. For a brief instant, he felt nervous. Asking for apologies wasn’t something he did often, but not because he was too proud like Neji, but rather because he rarely had something to apologize for. This time however, he had been a real bastard with all of his team, and couldn’t help but feeling terrible at the mere thought of having to look Neji and Gai-sensei in the eyes again.

Fortunately, he managed to overcome his uneasiness, and after taking a deep breath, he cried: “Gai-sensei! Neji! Are you there?” The clashing noises died and the forest fell silent for a while, and then Gai’s unmistakable voice broke the silence. “…Lee? Is that you?” Without really knowing where to look, Lee just waved his right hand in the air.

Then, without any kind of warning, Maito Gai sprang forth from some bushes, and ran towards his injured student shouting “Leeeeeeeeeeeee!” His eyes were filled with tears like so many times before, and everybody else would have found it strange that he was suddenly surrounded by the crimson light of an orange sunset, with tall waves splashing around him as he ran, but such a thing was perfectly normal for his pupil.

Gai’s first impulse was to run right next to his beloved student and hold him in his arms in a cloying display of fatherly love, like Lee was the son he always wanted to have. However, before he had run half the distance that separated him from his pupil, he was struck by the memories of the previous evening, of how his sweet Lee, his living image, had been so unbelievably angry at him. The mere remembrance of this episode was well enough to stop him dead on his tracks.

This lead to a rather uncomfortable moment, since Lee was expecting a bone-crushing hug that never came, and Gai stood just a few feet from his student, drowning in a silence he didn’t know how to fill. Fortunately for both of them, Neji emerged from the forest, looking dreadfully tired, despite the fact it was still quite early. When he spoke, both his teammate and his sensei were startled, lost as they were on their own thoughts.

“Lee? You should be in the Hospital” said Neji. “What are you doing here?” His teammate’s words almost made Lee feel guilty for interrupting their training, but a certain look in Neji’s features, usually devoid of all emotion, made him realize the Hyuuga prodigy was actually thankful for the interruption. Truth to be told, the so-called prodigy was rather beat-up, and it was obvious he could use more than a few minutes to rest.

A little unnerved by his teacher’s attitude, Lee answered rather shyly. “I… I was… taking a walk” he said, staring at the ground. Not really knowing what else to say, Rock Lee gathered his courage, and looked at his sensei straight in the eyes. “I… came to see how you were doing… and also… I came here to apologize”.

Upon hearing his words, it became rather clear to Gai and Neji that their good old Lee was back. Under any other circumstance, Maito Gai would have just started crying, smiling and blabbering stuff about the youth, totally interrupting any apologies directed his way. This time however, he had been truly hurt, and though he felt his student was really sorry for his behavior towards him, he wanted to hear it straight from his lips, so he remained silent, staring hopefully and expectantly at Lee.

As both Neji and his sensei waited for an apology to be heard, Lee felt a huge lump form in his throat, and took a few moments to gulp it down. He hadn’t really thought of anything to say, but as he bowed and opened his mouth, the words just flowed on their own. “Gai-sensei, Neji, I’m really sorry about my behavior. I realize now you want what’s best for me, and I appreciate that very much. I promise I’ll do my best to heal from now on, so… could you please forgive me?”

No more words were necessary. As joyful tears ran once again down Gai’s eyes, he threw his arms around his student’s shoulders, almost crushing him with the force of the hug he had denied him earlier. While Lee struggled to breathe, he caught a glimpse of Neji smiling warmly at him and his sensei, but when he managed to look at him again, his face was as blank as it always was. Still, Rock Lee felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his back, and he allowed his tears to flow as freely as his teacher’s.

While his teacher and teammate hugged, cried and displayed their affection towards each other, Neji happily sat down and leaned against a tree, slowly recovering the strength lost throughout the morning. He was already starting to doze off when Lee and Gai let go of each other. Luckily for him, his sensei was in such a good mood after Lee’s apology, that he decided to take a short break, and all three ninja sat together under the shadow of a tree.

Gai was the first one to speak. “Gosh Lee, it’s a relief that you decided to heed the doctor’s advice” he said in a casual tone. “The faster you heal, the faster you can go back to training…” So far, Lee was taking his words in rather nicely, but when his teacher tried to talk about something else, he let his tongue slip and touched a sore pot. “You know, Neji has grown a lot stronger these days…”

Upon hearing this, Rock Lee felt something burning inside of him. The thought of his greatest rival getting even stronger while he was stuck on a hospital bed made him want to scream and run 500 laps around Konoha. Neji saw the effect of his sensei’s words on him, and going against his nature, he decided to act modestly for his friend’s sake. “Not as much as you think, Gai-sensei. If I had gotten stronger, your training wouldn’t drain me out so much. I bet Lee still has much more stamina than I do.” Although it wasn’t a real compliment, those words meant a lot coming from Neji. Lee felt relieved to hear the power gap between him and Neji wasn’t growing THAT much.

Surprised by his student’s modesty, Gai was about to argue, but Neji quickly changed the subject, seeing how that kind of conversation got Lee too fired up for his own good. “So, tell us” said Neji, trying to mess around with his friend. “How is Ten-Ten doing? How did she ever manage to pull your leash?”

Before Lee could even realize it, his face was already showing the signs of something unusual. A slight blush in his cheeks, fingers nervously tugging at the edges of his clothing, and fleeting eyes that looked everywhere except towards the two ninja sitting with him. It only took a second for Neji to take in all of these little details, and suspicion rose in his mind even before a coherent answer came to Rock Lee’s head.

For a few moments, the young Taijutsu master was at a loss of words. He knew there wasn’t any chance of lying to his teammate and getting away with it, but he’d be damned if he told them the truth of what happened. He wasn’t about to tell Neji he’d been intimate with Ten-Ten just the night before, especially with Gai-sensei listening to every word he said. Of course, his teacher was like a father to him, but Lee knew he could be a real blabbermouth at times. It didn’t feel right hiding things from his sensei, but Lee figured he’d better keep the whole thing secret, at least until he could figure out just what was it that Ten-Ten wanted and what to do about it.

But even though he was decided to keep the whole affair secret from his sensei, Lee still couldn’t think of a good answer, and started blabbering before he could put some order into his thoughts. “Well…the thing is…I…she...I mean…we…”

“Come on, Lee. You can tell us” said Gai while he looked at him expectantly, and Lee thought his situation was hopeless, but just when he was about to tell the whole story, the pearl-eyed ninja interrupted him, allowing him to avoid giving himself away. “It must have been one hell of a threat, right?” said Neji with a smirk, while he stared at his teammate with a look of complicity. “I can only imagine what kind of horrors she promised you if you don’t follow the doctor’s orders”.

For an instant, Rock Lee looked at the Hyuuga with a vacant expression on his face, but he quickly caught his game and decided to play along. “Errr… yeah… it was” said Lee while he gave his teammate a thankful look. “You know Ten-Ten… she can be really convincing when she wants to…” While he said this, the black-haired Genin let out a nervous laugh, fearing Neji had already figured everything out.

“Let me guess” continued the Hyuuga prodigy. “I bet she promised to reveal some of your most deep and embarrassing secrets, am I right?” Lee wasn’t quite sure of the reason behind Neji’s help, but he nodded slowly. “Don’t worry. It’s OK if you don’t tell us”.

It was a huge relief for Lee to hear this, and he nodded again. It seemed to him that Gai totally bought it, and shot another grateful look at his teammate. Thank god his sensei could be deceived as easily as Naruto. After a few more minutes, Gai told Neji it was time to start training again, and the three ninja said goodbye. While Lee walked away from the training grounds, the white-eyed Genin glanced at him and curiosity began rising in his chest…

*****

Well, that’s it for chapter 7! I’m sorry nothing interesting happened here, but I’ve got to develop the plot a little bit more. Speaking of which, I might change my mind about the length of this story. At first, I planned it to be 8 or 10 chapters long, but now… I’m not so sure. It might turn out to be longer than I expected. Send me a review and let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading!