Chapter Text
Lee had been having a very strange morning. To start things off, his mother had spoken to him- Very unusual ever since he had revealed to her that her ‘daughter’ was actually a son. Since that day, she'd gone from being a caring parent to basically never speaking to him, despite them living together.
Worse than just that, she had demanded he get himself dressed up nice, and that they were going somewhere. As much as Lee would've liked to deny her, his nose crinkling, he nodded and obediently put on his usual outfit. She had rolled her eyes, raising a brow as she asked if that was really what he was going to wear.
The outfit Lee wouldn't budge on. His jumpsuit was something worn with pride, and there was nowhere his mom could take him that he felt it wouldn't be appropriate.
It only got more confusing as he was led to the gates of the Hyuga clan compound, a deeply unsettling smile on his mother's face as they walked up to the gates and were let inside. His mom only smiled wider as she walked up to Neji's uncle, Hiashi.
“I apologize for my daughter's state of dress, she just wouldn't put anything else on!” She said, faking a laugh. Lee could feel his ears burning at those words, still thoroughly confused.
The Hyuga nodded, stepping aside, revealing Neji behind him, who's eyes were a bit wide with shock. He looked like he wanted to say something but was biting his tongue, giving his uncle a searing stare as he gave Lee’s mother a respectful nod as well.
“I apologize for my nephew's state of dishevelment as well,” He said, Neji stepping forward slightly, brows drawn in as he stared at Lee. “I suppose it's just the way children are.”
Neji steadily made his way over to Lee, gently grabbing his arm as the conversation continued. “Wait,” Lee said loudly, interrupting his mom mid-sentence. “What is going on? Mom, why are we here?” Neji gave him a side glance while Lee's mom chuckled, cupping his cheek in a way that made him stiffen.
“What's going on is you're finally getting out of my hair, little one.” She said, smirking. “I figured, at your age, it's time you got married. I don't want my only daughter to be barren, after all.” That made Lee recoil, leaning away from her hand. He looked around the room, meeting every set of eyes with pure frustration on his face.
“You didn't tell her before this?” Hiashi asked calmly, and Lee's mom gave yet another fake laugh. “Oh, well, I already knew she'd be fine with who it was. After all, she's crazy about-” She started, Lee going red in the face.
Finally Neji and Lee were dismissed to another room, Neji carefully leading Lee into a small sitting room, placing a hand on his back in silence. “Are you alright, Lee?” He finally asked, making Lee realize he'd been hyperventilating, tears welling in his eyes.
“I… I am fine. I think.” Lee said, swallowing thickly as he looked to meet his teammates eyes. “What did she mean, married? Why..?” He paused, sniffling loudly, trying to force himself to count to ten and calm down. Neji continued rubbing his back, looking off to the side.
The brunette let out a loud sigh, staring into the distance. “My uncle, he.. He said that our clan needs to continue its bloodline, and that since I'm of marrying age now...” Neji started, his words a bit thick with anger. “I never thought he'd drag you into this, Lee, he..” Neji continued rubbing circles into Lee’s back, giving Lee the sense it was more to calm himself down than to calm him.
“He told me he would find someone suitable, somebody I would be more likely to get on with, I should've figured…” Neji trailed off, huffing to himself for not being able to prevent this somehow. Lee took a deep breath, trying to grasp exactly what he'd been told.
Not only was he being married off, it was to Neji, and not only that, but they were expected to have children? He sighed deeply, slumping against the small couch they were sitting on. “So.. We are going to be married?” Lee asked, voice pinching high.
Neji nodded, licking his lips. “Yes. I believe my uncle said that after today it's only a week out from the ceremony? After that, children are expected within the year.” He said, voice gone grave and final, not meeting Lee’s eyes out of guilt.
Lee could hear the blood rushing behind his ears at that. Within the year? He couldn't help but flush again, feeling sick to his stomach at the thought. Sure, he had considered the concept, maybe even more than most people would, but to have to have children because it was what his mother of all people wanted made him feel nauseous.
That combined with her outright admitting out loud that he already liked Neji, and calling him her daughter in front of him made him feel himself spiraling, almost hyperventilating again before he caught himself. Lee buried his face into his hands, trying to catch himself from sobbing, his eyes stinging.
For a moment, he considered saying something, anything to Neji, but he couldn't find the words. So he just sat there, processing. Neji sighed, removing his hand from Lee's back, his lips pursed. He looked into the other man's eyes, putting his hands in his lap. “I really am sorry about this, Lee. If… If need be, I can try to talk to my uncle about this. Maybe there's something I can do to get this wedding called off.”
Lee blinked, a little shocked. “Neji, you-” He stopped himself from saying that Neji didn't have to, worrying it would make him sound too eager to be forced into a marriage when he didn't even know if Neji liked him back. So he screwed his lips shut, nodding slowly. “Okay.”
Neji patted Lee’s shoulder again, both of them staring heavily into nothing as both men fretted over the predicament they'd just been thrown into. It wasn't something either of them had been prepared for, after all. The possibility his mom would just marry him off to the highest bidder, which is what Lee highly suspected had happened in this situation, had never even occurred to him.
Sure, he'd thought that one day she may finally get tired of having her son living with her, of his transition and being himself freely and kick him out, but he at least had a plan for that. This, on the other hand, was uncharted territory, and Lee really didn't know what to do. Well, other than sit here beside Neji and wonder what he was thinking, what might be going on in his rival's mind.