A/N: In my mind, Gaara and Lee lived together in Suna, then when they found out they were going to have Metal, Lee took him to live in Konoha for political reasons, so Gaara doesn't get to see them very often.
This is just a short, quick little something I couldn't get out of my head.
oooooo
"So he says 'how do I know you're really a ninja' and Sakura starts to give him some answer and then BAM," Naruto exclaimed, slamming his fist down on the table and disrupting the cutlery. "I've got him surrounded with a hundred shadow clones before he can even blink!"
Gaara beamed at his friend.
Naruto must have forgotten that he already told this story the last time Gaara visited, but he was happy to listen to it again. There was so much excitement and pride in Naruto's eyes – Gaara didn't want to snuff it out.
"So then Sakura gets mad at me for pulling them out –"
"Since we weren't supposed to draw attention to ourselves," Gaara's mind supplied as Naruto voiced what he knew was coming.
Then she punches the real Naruto, and the man becomes frightened, and then the exciting part begins. Gaara had listened closely when Naruto told it to him. Every other thought and preoccupation left his brain when his friend spoke. It was actually quite a long story, and Naruto had barely made a dent into the action, but Gaara was happy to share in this reliving of the tale.
That was what best friends did. They listened intently and with genuine interest because it's important to honor and demonstrate your appreciation for the most important people in your life.
Gaara would listen to this story a hundred times in a row if it made Naruto happy. He was married to Lee, so sitting quietly while an excitable fool babbled and acted out his attacks as he regaled highlights from his latest missions was something Gaara was all too accustomed to.
But even if he weren't, he'd still do anything for Naruto.
If his friend finally became the Hokage and said he wanted to merge their nations together and run them as joint Kages, Gaara would be on board and without convincing.
Gaara loved Naruto. His best friend, his first friend, the one who brought him out of darkness, the one who helped him accept love, the one who –
"Oh that reminds me! I'm going on a mission next week and Kakashi-sensei says I'll be meeting up with Sasuke for a bit!"
- the one who was still obsessed with Sasuke.
It made no sense to Gaara, and frankly it wasn't fair. Even though Gaara was right here and a completely reliable, caring, loyal friend – Naruto continued to chase after Sasuke.
He understood, sort of, that the two regarded each other as 'brothers' of sorts, and that there is a certain amount of permanence that came with family. Even at his darkest, Temari and Kankuro were still there for him – but they were actually siblings. Sasuke wasn't really his brother, and from what Gaara understood of their story, they really haven't even been friends since they were twelve years old.
Naruto continued waxing away about his excitement over seeing his other friend on this mission.
It wouldn't be so bothersome if Gaara didn't know that Naruto preferred Sasuke. It made his love for Naruto feel like one-sided devotion. Why should Naruto like someone else more than him? He was the better friend! He was the fellow jinchuuriki! He was the Kage!
It just hurt.
But he continued to listen intently, because that's what best friends did. Even if Naruto didn't consider Gaara to be his most important friend, Naruto was still his.
oooooo
There was, however, one person Gaara expected matched devotion from.
Said person had just set down a very questionable-looking meat on Gaara's dinner plate, and was too distracted chirping away about a new kind of training to spot the flash of fear that crossed his husband's face.
Lee paused his monologue to kiss Gaara's cheek and ask what he wanted to drink.
"Lee, I'll get the drinks, you can sit down –"
But two bandaged hands immediately gripped his shoulders and pushed him right back down.
"Gaara! This is a time for you to relax! Please let me take care of you!" Lee insisted.
That was a sentiment most husbands would kill for, and truthfully Gaara loved hearing it – just not in the kitchen. Years of bull-headedness and eating his sensei's bizarre experimental medicine balls had left Lee with an iron stomach that couldn't be set off by anything. But Gaara wasn't raised by Maito Gai, and Lee's cooking often left him in more want of a bathroom than he preferred on his visits to Konoha.
Still, Gaara ate everything Lee prepared for him. These meals were made with Lee's love, sweat, and often quite literally tears, and Gaara was privileged to have someone who cared about him so much that they would weep with joy the first time they got beef tongue right.
And oh, how Lee had wept.
Tonight's particular endeavor de carne had already been tucked into the oven when Gaara came home after seeing Naruto. Since the couple had to wait a while for the beef to braise, they did what any young people in love who don't get to see each other often enough do:
Lee dragged Gaara out into the front yard to watch him train for a while and then they made out on the couch like teenagers.
Love.
When Lee finally sat down next to him, after placing a glass of juice Gaara thought was intended for their son to drink, Gaara reached over and laced their fingers together.
"Thank you for dinner," he said, giving Lee's hand a fond squeeze.
Lee's face lit up and he squeezed back, although Gaara was sure Lee hadn't intended to hurt him.
"Of course! I'm so happy you're here, Gaara!"
His sweet love.
Here, holding his hand, was Gaara's wonderful, loving, equally loyal husband. They were absolutely each other's most important person. They had been through hell and back together, and now even with complications of distance and political pressure still prickling at their relationship, they continued to fall more in love with each other every day.
They were partners, in life and in love. This man, right here, this ridiculous green fool, was the best teammate Gaara ever had. As a shinobi, as a friend, as a man, as a father – there really was no one else more important in Gaara's life. And the beautiful thing about Lee was that he didn't have a Sasuke figure whose love and approval he chased after.
Nope. Lee was Gaara's. He was completely, one hundred percent –
"Gai-sensei!"
…
Crap dammit.
"Lee!" Gai cried back as he wheeled in through the doorway. "Something smells delicious! Did you – oh, Gaara!"
Gaara held back his grimace and nodded a hello to his father in law.
"How wonderful! I wasn't sure if I would finish my mission early enough to see you!" Gai shouted as he let go of his hug with Lee and moved his chair around to give Gaara the same treatment.
He should be grateful to have someone loving and kind who wanted to act as a positive father figure toward him, but he'd burst in during a particularly sensitive train of thought.
Their hugs were never as enthusiastic, or nearly as long, as the ones shared with Lee were, but Gai always seemed genuinely pleased to see Gaara.
"I'm glad you made it safely," Gai said after he released Gaara's bruised ribs. "And don't worry! I will be on my way so you two can enjoy an intimate dinner! I only wanted to see Lee and give my grandson a squeeze – Lee, where is he?"
"Tenten is bringing him home any minute, she's been trying to teach him to throw weapons – but sensei, please! Join us!" Lee cried as he darted to the cupboard to fish out another plate instead of waiting for an answer.
"No, no!" Gai protested. "Your time together is precious!"
Lee looked positively scandalized. "Gai-sensei, all family time is precious! We haven't had a meal with the four of us in far too long!"
It was true, even though Gai, Lee, and Metal all lived together, they hadn't all had dinner with Gaara in over half a year. Not that Gaara was terribly torn up about this, since the family time he craved included his husband and his son – but Lee was so happy to see his sensei…
Gaara wasn't going to protest.
They were waiting to tuck in until Tenten dropped Metal off, so Gai demonstrated the behavior he must have passed on to his student and went into a long loud story of his ninja escapades from that day while Gaara sat and listened.
Lee didn't have a Sasuke, he had a Gai.
He had this father, sensei, mentor, role model – Gai was Lee's entire world for so long, and he continued to have such an enormous role in Lee's life.
Gaara couldn't compete with that.
He didn't have the same kind of passion for things that Gai and Lee shared, and he didn't spend a lot of time working on Taijutsu, since his physical time with Lee usually meant less 'ninja work' and more orgasms. And Gaara lived in Suna still and Gai helped Lee so much with raising Metal…
It was only natural that Lee would still love his sensei most.
What could Gaara do? Lee and Metal couldn't come live with him for a long time, but Gai was here. The man who loved Lee before anyone else did, was right here, still loving him, still believing in him, still supporting him…
Gaara was the guy who sat there while Lee got dinner ready.
No, it didn't matter that he had asked to help and repeatedly told Lee to take it easy, the facts were the facts.
Gai won.
When their child finally did come home, Gaara said a silent prayer for his stomach and tucked into the meal Lee made for him and tried to quell his aching heart with the reminder of the love that was poured into the food he was struggling to swallow.
But later, when he was hunched over the toilet, he could hear Gai and Lee laughing together in the living room, and he had never felt less special.
oooooo
There was one last little person that Gaara was counting on.
Lee claimed that Metal was a perfect blend of him and Gaara, on everything from looks and personality, to the way he loved spicy things and made excellent sand castles.
Gaara looked down at the adorable sleeping five-year-old clinging to his arm and smiled.
He agreed with his husband.
Gaara folded the arm that wasn't being used as a pillow across his chest and lightly stroked his son's soft, inky black hair out of his face.
Metal may have inherited Lee's hair, brows, nose, and eye color – but he had Gaara's mouth, chin, and eye shape.
And he didn't snore – that was very unlike Lee.
Every time Gaara visited, Metal changed a little bit. He got a little taller, he learned more words – he was slowly evolving into this little person with his own thoughts and feelings. It was delightful when Metal would say or do something that Gaara knew his son got from him.
It made his own existence feel important.
He'd loved Metal from the moment the baby was born, something he hadn't thought was possible since he didn't know this baby. But the first time he held Metal he knew his life was changed forever and his heart would never recover. It was an immediate, frighteningly powerful love that needed no earning, no conditions – it was offered freely, and to a thing so small and new that he couldn't even return the love.
At least, that's what Gaara thought. And then he saw how much babies cling to their parents and how comforted they are by the familiar smells and heartbeats of their dads – and Gaara realized this small, perfect creature loved him just as much.
He was papa. He was loved.
He could count on Metal to love him and not be distracted with rival-brothers or senseis or whatever five-year-olds worry about.
Gaara gazed at his baby and smiled.
At least I have him.
Metal's sleeping, child-brain thought this would be a great moment to stretch, wiggle, and release his papa's arm so he could roll over and grab his daddy's instead.
Gaara stared at his son's back, looked down at his abandoned arm, and then fixed his gaze on the ceiling.
Unbelievable.
oooooo
If Gaara had stayed awake for the rest of the night, he would have seen Metal toss and turn so he could grab his papa's arm several more times, but when Gaara woke up all he saw was his kid clinging to his other dad and it stung.
Which was unfair to Lee and Metal – but Gaara's heart wasn't operating rationally.
The three of them had breakfast together and then Gaara kissed his boys goodbye before heading off to a Kage meeting with Kakashi.
It was his duty to Suna to be present and keep his mind focused during their talk, but his heart ached in his chest.
He just wanted to be someone's most important person. He didn't want to feel like second best to all the most important people in his life.
Although he thought he was keeping up a professional composure that revealed nothing of his inner turmoil, Kakashi ended the meeting early and suggested he go home to Lee so they could enjoy more time together before Gaara had to leave.
Gaara thought this was because Kakashi wanted to read his books, not because he had a terrible poker face and looked so close to tears that it alarmed the Hokage.
But home he went, and Lee was thrilled.
Gai had taken Metal out, since they weren't expecting Gaara home for another hour or so, which mercifully awarded the husbands with some alone time.
Lee even paused his training – which was probably the thing Gaara really ought to be jealous of – and pulled his lover onto the couch so they could kiss some more.
Gaara kept it together until Lee whispered 'I love you so much' against his lips before he started crying.
Lee hadn't expected this reaction.
"Gaara! What happened? Are you all right? Did I hurt you?" Lee shrieked as he sprang off of his husband's lap like a frightened cat.
This was all said on one very high-pitched breath and it was only due to years of practice that Gaara was able to understand it.
Gaara dropped his chin and brought his arm up to wipe his eyes.
"Gaara – sweetie –" Lee pleaded, using his thumbs to slip under his husband's arm so he could hold his face.
"I'm not hurt," Gaara answered, although his heart would beg to differ.
"Did I say something wrong?" Lee asked, still holding Gaara's cheeks.
"No, Lee."
But Gaara didn't cry without provocation – that was Lee's thing.
"I don't feel needed," Gaara admitted, feeling silly the moment he voiced this insecurity.
"What?!"
At least the volume of that banshee-like howl startled Gaara enough that he felt fear instead of gloom in his heart for a moment.
"Gaara! Gaara, listen to me," Lee said, tugging his husband's arm out of the way and cupping his cheeks so Gaara was forced to look at him. "I need you! You're my husband! Metal needs you, Naruto needs you, Temari and Kankuro need you – Suna needs you!"
Gaara looked like he was going to protest.
"Suna! All of Suna! A village, Gaara, A VILLAGE!" Lee stampeded on, gripping almost hard enough to bruise and bringing their faces so close together the tips of their noses were touching and their visions became blurred.
Gaara took a deep breath and waited a beat to see if Lee was going to continue his wailing.
"I want to be someone's most important person," he clarified quietly.
Lee didn't yell right away, he just frowned and continued to hold Gaara much to close.
"But you are my most important person – and Metal's-"
Gaara interrupted him by shaking his head. "You have Gai and Metal has you and Naruto has Sasuke."
He said that last name with more vitriol than the cool, composed Kazekage ought to have.
Lee's frown deepened and he didn't move to give them space. "Gai-sensei isn't my husband."
That was true, despite a recurring nightmare that Gaara had, that was true.
"And Metal only has one papa," Lee continued.
That was also technically true, although really Metal did have two dads.
"And Naruto loves you, you're his best friend. Sasuke is more like a troublesome brother."
Gaara stared back at Lee and more tears leaked from his eyes.
"But he loves Sasuke more," he said, looking down so he could wipe his face again.
"Well there's different kinds of love," Lee said, closing his statement with a kiss to a tear-streaked cheek as he sat down in Gaara's lap once more.
Gaara turned his head a fraction as Lee's head retreated and he gazed at his lover as he considered those words.
Temari and Kankuro had said similar things to him, and Gaara got as far as understanding that romantic love and sexual attraction usually, but not always, went together and that this was a separate thing entirely from familial love. That was as far as he got with recognizing separations in this emotion.
The confusion read on his face, and Lee gently wiped away a tear before sitting back and considering Gaara with a very serious look on his face.
"Gaara, who do you love more: Metal or me?"
"You," Gaara answered immediately.
Lee didn't react at all, in a most uncharacteristically calm fashion. He just stared.
Gaara frowned at his answer and pursed his lips as he looked away to actually consider the question. He thought of Lee because he'd loved Lee longer…but really –
"Metal," Gaara corrected, still frowning at the spot of carpet his eyes had fallen on.
Lee stayed silent.
But maybe that meant he did love Lee more, since their love had been compounding for a greater time. Lee had a solid three years on Metal, and it would make sense that since emotions became stronger over time that really the answer was –
"No…you," Gaara tried again.
But no! That was wrong! It was Metal – of course it was Metal! That was his child, and saying that he loved Lee more meant that he loved Metal less and that wasn't true! Gaara loved them both equally it just wasn't the same kind of –
Oh.
Ohhhhh.
Gaara finally looked back into his husband's eyes.
Lee was smiling.
"It's different," Gaara said, echoing his husband's words.
Lee nodded and then leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips.
Gaara's eyes stayed closed after Lee pulled away, and he felt Lee shift in his arms so he could rest his head on Gaara's shoulder.
"You're my husband, you're the man I pledge my heart and soul to. And we do love each other more than anyone else – it's just that it's different from the kind of love we feel for our family and friends," Lee explained as he threaded their fingers together.
Gaara looked down at their joined hands.
"Because of sex?" he asked quietly.
Lee's breath was warm against his neck. "Sex is part of it, but it's deeper than that. You and I are partners."
It made him warm to hear Lee speak the same thoughts Gaara had regarding their marriage.
"If the difference is the romance, then is the love you have for Metal and Gai the same?" Gaara asked, rubbing his thumb over Lee's fingers the way Lee had started doing to him.
He felt Lee's eyelashes blink against his neck.
"It's similar, but my love for Metal is more… instinctual?" Lee answered, sounding unsure if he'd used the right word.
Gaara nodded to show that he had. He knew exactly what Lee meant. When Metal was born, they both loved him instantly and completely. The primal part of their brains became fiercely protective and proud of that howling little infant.
It was different.
"Gaara," Lee murmured, turning his head so that he could look his husband in the eyes.
"You're my most important person."
The only sound in the room was the thudding of Gaara's heart as he took in these words.
He wasn't going to argue, he didn't need more convincing. It was something he already knew and just forgot somewhere along the line. It was easy for him to get lost in his head when he didn't see his family every day, when he couldn't come home to them and bury himself in Lee and feel that love every night. And who knows, maybe when Naruto and Sasuke spent time together, Naruto chirped about his excitement for Gaara's visits.
He does know that what he and Lee have – it was more than sex and marriage, it was over a decade of blood and loss and joy and fear and devotion and love for one another. They made a choice to be together and to share their hearts and bodies only with each other, and to work together to raise a baby.
"You're mine," Gaara said, pressing a kiss to Lee's forehead.
They stayed like that, just enjoying each other's warmth, until Lee shifted and moved his lips to the shell of Gaara's ear.
"We have some time before Gai-sensei is bringing Metal home…why don't we go into the bedroom so I can show you how important you are?"
When Gaara leaned back to look at Lee's face, his husband's cheeks were pink.
Married for seven years with a kid, and Lee still blushed when he asked for sex.
"Why don't we show each other?" Gaara proffered.
Lee jumped up, pulling Gaara with him, and guided them to their bed.
His husband had a point about what sex offered them, because when he was buried deep inside of Lee and there was a chorus of 'please don't stop' and 'right there' and 'Oh, Gaara!' in his ears, he certainly felt important.
oooooo
A/N: Thank you for reading! Studies show that leaving kudos and nice comments lead to better orgasms.