"Tsunade-sama?"
"Yes," Ten-Ten replied. "She needs you for a new mission."
"Yes!" Lee exclaimed. "Finally, a new mission!"
"It's only been two hours since your last one."
Lee didn't hear her because he was already racing off to the Hokage Towers. Ten-Ten was left in the dust, her head shaking in disbelief. He dodged dogs, cats, pedestrians, food carts, and the screaming baby that wouldn't shut up for Neji yesterday. He got to the front of the building a few seconds short of beating Gai-sensei's record. It looked like he would have to train for 5 more hours today after completing his mission.
As he made his way to Tsunade's office, he noticed foreign ninja helping with the preparations for the Chunin Exam that was in only a few days. Lee smiled at the thought of all the youthful activity that the exams would bring. He had almost forgotten about the whole thing. The Kazekage would be coming soon if not today. His brother and sister would certainly accompany him.
He entered Tsunade's office. No one else was seated except her. They rushed around the room with papers, scrolls, and other paperwork needed for the exams. When Lee entered the room, Shizune called everyone to a halt and cleared the room of curious ears. This must be A-rank.
"Lee," Shizune addressed him, "this is a one-man mission."
"An A-rank, nonetheless," Tsunade added.
Lee's eyes brightened. He'd never been on a one-man A-rank mission! This would be excellent training.
"You will be acting as a bodyguard for a VIP who is here for the Chunin Exams. You will also be his guide and assistant. Do whatever he says without question. You are his personal servant until his departure. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" Lee said with a salute.
"Good. You will be assigned to-"
There was a knock on the door.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and sighed.
"Perfect timing," she said with a smile, "Please come in."
Lee did a half-turn. The door opened to reveal blue and white robes. The matching wide-brimmed hat covered the Kazekage's face in a shadow. Lee stared at him in surprise. His mission was to protect this man? That didn't seem like a mission, it was a privilege!
"Gaara-kun…I mean, Gaara-sama? I was just thinking of your arrival."
The man smiled under the hat's shadow which struck Lee as strange.
"Nice save," another voice said from beneath the hat. The man took it off, "but I'm not Gaara."
Instead of red hair, there was brown.
"Konkarou-san? But where is Gaara-sama?" Lee asked, puzzled.
A brown-haired man walked in then. He was wearing Konkarou's clothes. Konkarou was taller and broader than Gaara, so the cloth hung on his frame. It made him look two times smaller, but despite this, he held an aura of command and a greater aura of threat.
"Doesn't it look cute on him?" Konkarou said and put his hand on Gaara's head. "He should wear my clothes more often."
Tsunade had to hold in her laughter as Gaara's face soured. Lee didn't know what to do. Konkarou had pretty much shattered his other vision of hidden power. There was a long silence with Konkarou continuing to rub his brother's head despite the evil intent radiating out from the Kazekage's being.
"I think I'm going to catch a cold if I keep standing in this frigid aura," Konkarou snickered, "I'm just gonna leave while I still have legs!"
"Or that hand," Gaara threatened.
"Yep!" Konkarou raced out of the room. Gaara rolled his eyes, deciding not to break his wrist; that was something the old him would do.
They had done a pretty good job at disguising him. Make-up covered the black circles around his eyes and his tattoo. They also managed to hide his hair color. The red still showed slightly, which made his hair the color of rust or dried blood.
"Lee," Gaara said, snapping the ninja's attention away from his hair to his eyes.
They had even managed to change this about him, too. The color was an almost unnatural shade of light green: the shade of new leaves.
"Ah, yes. Lee, your mission begins here," Tsunade held out a piece of paper. "This is where our guest will stay. Show him the way, then he will take command of you."
"But, Tsunade-sama," Lee said taking the papers, "I have not been trained for this type of mission. Besides, shouldn't an ANBU be taking care of this? The Kazekage's life is too precious to trust with…with me."
"Actually, that was what Tsunade-san was saying when I requested your service," Gaara replied for her.
"Requested?" Lee asked, turning back to the Kazekage.
"I didn't want a ninja I didn't know to hold my life. I wanted someone I could trust. I know most of your techniques. And some of your weaknesses. If I were in trouble, then I know how to enhance our chance of escape," Gaara replied, crossing his arms to assume his normal stance now that he was out of the sight of the public.
It was the most Gaara had spoken to anyone in that room before. Lee shook his head and placed the papers back down on Tsunade's desk. He missed the stern look she gave him because he was turned to face Gaara.
"Fifth Hokage-sama," he addressed her while facing the one who had once inhabited his nightmares, but now filled his dreams, "I cannot be allowed to endanger the life of this VIP to the Chunin Exams. Please, find someone more capable."
He walked towards the door and put his hand on the handle. Tsunade was about to reply with remarks of "disrespect" and "insolence", but Gaara spoke before she could.
"Is this how shinobi of the Leaf Village treat their missions?"
Lee's foot froze on the thresh-hold.
"As garbage? Something they can throw away if they don't want it?"
With shame, Lee turned around to face Gaara again, but Gaara still had his back to the shinobi.
"It seems you were right, Tsunade-san. I guess only your ANBU have respect for their work."
Normally, Tsunade would defend her shinobi from this jibe, but she could see what Gaara was doing.
Lee stepped forward, confident in his explanation, "Please, Gaara-sama, it is not out of disrespect that I-"
"I know what it is," Gaara cut in. "You are afraid to tarnish your reputation by having one of your clients killed."
Lee's confidence weakened. "No, please, it is no that either! The reason is that I –"
"Want to see me protected? Kept alive?" Gaara turned to see Lee nod. "Then do not leave me in someone else's care."
He took the papers from Tsunade's desk and handed them to Lee as he walked past and out of the door. Lee turned to Tsunade for help.
"You are dismissed," Tsunade said.
Lee bowed slightly to her. They walked to the outside. As they walked, Lee noticed how much taller he really was than the Kazekage. He also noticed how loose the clothes really were. The sleeves were too long as were the pants' legs.
"Gaara-sama," Lee started.
"Just call me 'Gaara'. And do not address me too often in public," Gaara interrupted.
"I will not be able to call you 'Gaara'" Lee said. Gaara looked up at him without expression, but it still sent a chill up Lee's spine. "N-not that I was trying to disobey orders, Gaara-sama. It just wouldn't be proper for me to call you by your first name."
Gaara returned his gaze to the road. Lee let out an inward sigh. The bright green eyes were unnatural and unnerving. He thought for a second,
"I've got it!" Lee exclaimed, causing Gaara to look back up at him. "What if I called you 'Ryku-kun'?"
Gaara looked away, closed his eyes, and nodded. Lee smiled broadly again and did his nice-guy pose.
"Ryku-kun! I will take you to the shops to find a more suitable outfit!"
Gaara looked down at his outfit questionably, picking at Konkarou's shirt.
"I-i-it's not like you look bad in that or anything. I-I just thought you might like something more fitting!" Lee tried to smile.
The corners of Gaara's mouth curled up into a very slight smile. Though it was small, Lee was surprised. Gaara's smile was amazingly beautiful and warm. Lee wanted to ask if he would do it again. What he didn't know was that Gaara had been practicing every day for a week to perfect it.
"Which way is the clothing store?" Gaara asked.
Lee's attention was drawn away from the vanishing smile.
"This way Ryku-kun!"
He led the way down the streets, trying not to stare at Gaara's mouth.
"No," Gaara said firmly.
Lee was holding up a green spandex suit.
"But it is very fitting and allows you to move any way you –"
"No."
"But it –"
"NO," Gaara said fiercely.
Lee recoiled. Maybe he shouldn't have pushed the Kazekage.
Gaara went over to another rack of clothes. Lee kept an eye on the other shoppers. You never know when something bad would happen. A few minutes passed as Gaara looked through the ninja-wear. He finally settled on a black shirt with a red pattern and black ninja pants. He also grabbed a brown jacket that reached his ankles. He went into one of the bigger changing rooms and turned around, waiting for Lee.
"What?" Gaara asked. "Why are you just standing there?"
"Well, shouldn't I stay out her?" Lee asked, looking over his shoulder, just in case his face was turning red.
"How would I know if it looks okay? Konkarou always helps me pick something."
"Ok," Lee mumbled and stepped in.
He sat on a bench with his head rested on his hand, his elbow on his knee. He turned his head sideways and stared at the mirrored wall. Gaara locked the dressing room door behind him. He started to take off Konkarou's shirt. Lee pretended not to watch him in the mirror.
Gaara's small frame was covered by a fishnet shirt. Two holstered kunai were strapped to his upper arms. He was pale all over his body, and there were no tan lines anywhere. He slipped the long sleeved shirt on over his head and straightened it. He observed himself in the mirror for a brief moment, and then deemed it suitable. He reached up through the sleeves and unhooked the holsters.
"I don't think I'll need these with you around," Gaara said and handed them to Lee. "Now, undo my sandals."
He lifted his leg and put it on Lee's lap. When his shoes did not feel looser, he poked Lee.
"Undo them," he ordered again.
"You cannot undo them yourself?" Lee asked, staring at the foot.
Gaara was silent.
"I mean of course you can!" Lee said, trying not to just fall over and die. "But you are a guest of the Leaf Village so of course I should do this for you!"
With this, Gaara saw that he could push the limits if he wanted to.
With his shoes off, Gaara undid Konkarou's pants. Underneath, he had on black pants similar in material to Lee's own. Unlike Lee's, Gaara's clung better. He kept these on when he put the other pair of pants on. Lee turned his attention back to the mirror.
"Lee-kun," Gaara said.
Lee looked at him fully for the first time. He looked at it closely.
"Very nice. I believe it suits you well!" he exclaimed. "It is ours."
Lee took the holsters from the bench, dismantled them, and put them into his weapons pouch. They walked out of the room and to the storekeeper. Lee carried Konkarou's clothes for Gaara.
When the Kazekage began to take out the money, Lee stopped him.
"Ryku-kun," he started, "let me, please."
Lee took out the money and paid for the new clothes.
"How much do I owe you?" Gaara asked.
"Nothing at all. This is a gift from Konoha," he replied with his bright smile.
"So you spent Konoha's money?" Gaara asked.
"Um…," Lee thought hard about this trick question. "No?"
"Then it is a gift from Lee-san," Gaara said, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. "Thank you."
Lee smiled back. "Ryku-kun, your smile is very beautiful."
Gaara stopped smiling.
"Was I smiling?" he mumbled mostly to himself.
People split to go around the two standing in the road. Lee glanced around at all of the weird stares they were getting from the people around them.
"Have I smiled any other times today?" Gaara asked Lee.
Yes, a few times. I was surprised because I had never seen you smile before…" Lee went on, but Gaara quit listening after "a few times".
Sure, he had practiced and his first smile was planned, but he did not know it would become a habit. Gaara continued to walk as Lee looked after him. He wondered how anyone could smile without knowing it. Gaara disappeared into the crowd.
"Ah, Ryku-kun! Wait!"
Lee jogged to catch up to him. Even if he had longer legs, the Kazekage took very long strides.
Lee took out a sheet of paper from his side pouch.
"Karakuri Inn, room 221," he read aloud. "That's just a few blocks away. We can put these clothes away, and then, we can go somewhere to bathe. I'm sure you are tired from your journey from Suna Gaa – I mean Ryku-kun."
After checking in, they went up a flight of stairs. Lee folded Konkarou's clothes and put them in a drawer in the room.
"Ryku-kun…" Lee said, but trailed off. He thought for a moment. "Should I call you Ryku-kun in here or Gaara-san? Wait, I should call you Gaara-sama…right? You are the Kazekage…But maybe I should call you Ryku-kun everywhere, just in case I forget and say Gaara-kun. I mean Gaara-sama!" Lee rubbed his head, trying to get rid of the headache he had just caused himself.
"You're putting too much thought into it. I already told you to call me Gaara. I don't like all of the formal suffixes."
"It would be inappropriate considering the differences in our positions."
"There are no differences to me," Gaara replied. "You are just as important to your country as I am to mine."
Lee stopped unpacking one of the bags brought to the room before them. Gaara neither noticed the silence, nor did he notice Lee's pause in action. He stood by the window and looked at the sinking sun with a calculating stare.
"Your sunsets are different here. More beautiful," he mumbled.
"You're wrong, Gaara-sama," Lee mumbled in return.
Gaara turned and leaned on the windowsill, crossing his arms. He had not though Lee could hear his remark.
"I believe I've been to both countries enough to form my own opinion," Gaara said factually.
"You are much more important than I am," Lee said, addressing the shirt he was sliding into a drawer, hiding the slight blush on his cheeks.
Gaara looked at Lee as the young man continued to put his things up for the Kazekage. He did not have a certain expression as he watched his guard. He had not practiced the one that went with the emotions he felt right now.
"You view me as the Kazekage," Gaara said. It was not a question. 'You view me only as the Kazekage,' he added in his head.
Lee did not reply. Gaara looked back to the sun, but it was only to turn his back. 'Everyone knows me as the Kazekage. Gaara is a name I barely recognize now.' He turned back slowly. First his head, and then his body. Lee paused in closing a drawer, noticing this movement.
"You," Gaara commanded, "answer my question."
Lee looked surprised, "What question?"
"Am I not the Kazekage?"
"That was a question?"
"Answer," the superior demanded.
"You are!" Lee replied with his usual fervor.
"Were you not instructed to follow my orders?"
"I was!" Lee replied. He did not know where this was going.
"Then you are to call me Gaara in private. You will call me Ryku outside. Nothing else. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Gaara-sama!" Lee saluted.
"Start practicing."
"Yes…Gaara," Lee said awkwardly lowering his saluting hand.
Gaara walked to him and grabbed his wrist to pull him to the door, "Quit concerning yourself with the neatness of my wardrobe. Take me to the bath houses."
Lee stumbled along with Gaara.
His companion opened the door. "I hear the ones in Konoha are some of the best," Gaara stated, trying awkwardly to make small talk.
"Well, then, G…Gaara," Lee struggled, "I shall take you to the best!"
Gaara showed a very slight smile to his name.
'If he smiled more, I bet more people would like him,' Lee thought. 'I hope I can become more of a friend to him.' Then another thought entered his head as if spoken by someone else: 'You can't be friends with someone you consider a superior.'
The hot springs were on the other side of Konoha, so Lee and Gaara jumped from roof to roof to save time.
"Hey…Ryku?"
Lee sounded uncomfortable when he had to say his names, but Gaara couldn't help wanting to smirk when he had to say one.
"What is it?"
"Where is your gourd?"
"Konkarou is supposed to wear it wherever he goes." (Somewhere Konkarou is complaining about how his back is killing him) "I have some sand in here." He indicated his weapon's pouch. "It's all in the form of kunai and shuriken."
The water was extremely hot, but it felt great. Gaara was still in the other room. They had constantly brushed against each other, so Lee had hurried to get out of Gaara's way in the tiny changing room. Now, Gaara was still undressing and Lee was wondering what was keeping him. What if something had happened to him?! When he burst through the door, Gaara was peeling something off of his eye. He sat back up with his back ridged.
"What did you do to your eyes?!" Lee asked frantically.
"Contacts," was Gaara's simple answer.
Lee nodded as if he knew what contacts were. Gaara smirked.
"They go on your eyes. In my case they change my eye color. Their true purpose is to act like glasses; to help one see better. Those almost completely blind me," he explained.
They moved to the water and sat down.
"I have never heard of them," Lee said.
"They are a new invention that Suna is working on. We might only release the normal contacts to the public and keep the colored ones for special missions and disguises."
There were a few minutes that passed that allowed both of them to enjoy the steaming water.
"Do you still have on all that sand armor?" Lee asked as he put his arms on the side of the pool as if resting them across the back of a couch. Gaara glanced at the arm he had crushed not many years ago in his first Chunin Exams. He looked back up to the ceiling with a strange feeling. Negative and sad; he had done something wrong and there was nothing he could do to take it back.
"I have to take it off when I get into water. If I didn't it would be too heavy to move and useless if we were attacked."
Lee saw the logic in this. He was going to ask Gaara where he put it all, but the Kazekage had his head back and his eyes closed. Lee decided not to disturb his relaxation. He put his head back also. With his neck, shoulders, and arms exposed to the cooling air, Lee dozed off in the calming water.
He jolted awake. His bad dream was already fading in his mind and he could not remember why he had started like that. Gaara and he were the only ones left in the spring.
Gaara's head was leaning to one side; his eyes were closed. He had also fallen asleep in the warmth of the water. A sense of alarm snaked up Lee's spine. If Gaara went to sleep, Shukaku would…
But Shukaku wouldn't…because Shukaku was gone.
Lee thought back to when he saw Gaara's corpse in the field. Naruto had cried and yelled at them about how he felt Gaara didn't deserve it. Here was this brave, powerful man who had climbed so many mountains to get to where he was…and he had been painfully killed over hours until he finally died. He had fought for his country even though…
Lee wanted to hug him then. He felt so useless.
"Ryku?" they should get back to the inn before they were missed.
Gaara's eyes opened, but he wasn't awake. His eyes did not focus on anything, but it seemed like he was looking at Lee. He started to stand up, but he almost stumbled. Lee caught him before he could hit the water. Unfortunately, Gaara went limp and Lee had to hold him up with his own body.
They were standing a few feet from the side in the pool of water. Lee couldn't decide if he should carry Gaara out or put him back down until he woke up from his sleepwalking. He was moving towards the side again when Gaara decided to stop cooperating.
Arms worked around Lee's waist. Gaara's eyes were open again, but they were blank—he was still sleepwalking. Lee couldn't wake him up because it would disrupt his chakra flow. He really wanted to when Gaara pressed against him. Lee felt something stir inside of himself when he rubbed against Gaara's naked body
"Gaara-sama, stop," Lee whispered, trying not to wake him, but wanting to reach his subconscious.
One of the Kazekage's hands traveled up his body and found his cheek. Lee's pulse was racing and his body was beginning to betray him. It was simple reaction, when Gaara's other hand sunk too low. Without meaning to, Lee shoved Gaara away. Gaara woke up right before he hit the water. He stood up, his head dripping and steaming from the bath.
He glared at Lee. "What the hell was that for?" he growled.
"You were asleep and then you sort of woke up, but you really didn't and you-!"
Gaara had already traveled to the dressing room by the time Lee got five words out.
Lee followed him, a towel around his waist now, to see that Gaara already had pants on and was leaning over a sink. He glared at his refection. Brown-tinted water dripped down from his hair.
"The dye isn't waterproof yet. That was why I was trying to keep my head up," he grumbled mostly to himself again.
Gaara scowled at his hair, then he scowled at Lee in the mirror.
Lee froze. "I-I'm sorry, Gaara."
Gaara snatched his towel off of the counter and dried his hair. The dye clung to the fibers like the water did. When Gaara inspected it, he frowned at the stain and threw it at a bin. He clawed his shirt on and pulled it down with unnecessary force. Lee dressed in silence.
"I guess," Gaara said quietly and with edged patience, "that since you did not know, I cannot hold a grudge."
Lee let out a breath he did not know he had been holding.
"But!' Gaara barked. Lee's breath caught in his throat. "I have to get back without anyone noticing my hair."
Lee zipped up his jounin vest. "We will stick to the shadows."
Gaara nodded, turned, and left. Lee hopped after him, struggling to get one of his sandals on.
The sun set rapidly. Shadows reached to each other and darkened with every passing minute. In one bound, Gaara set his feet on his windowsill and climbed through, into the dark room. He switched the light on as Lee was making his way in from outside.
Lee grinned at Gaara who nodded. They had barely escaped Naruto's sweeping gaze as he stared out his window.
Lee jumped and Gaara turned his head with a snap when there was a brisk knock on the door. Gaara reached for the door, but Lee quickly got in front of him.
"I'm here to protect you," he said.
The knock came again. Gaara held out his hand to the door in a "then-open-it' way. Lee met an employee of the inn at the door. They spoke briefly before Lee shut the door again.
"They are going to be bringing food up in about an hour," he explained. "Will you have to disguise yourself again?"
"I should be safe enough here to be seen without the dye or the contacts," Gaara replied and sat down by the drawers to finish the job Lee had started.
Soon there was a knock on the door. Gaara and Lee stood up from their game of shogi to open the door. Two women pushed a cart in with the food. Gaara cleared the game away and they set the hot plates out on the table with Lee helping them, carrying as many trays as possible. When the women had left with a few winks at Gaara, Lee stood by the window, about to leave.
"I will check around to make sure we are not being spied on!" he exclaimed with his nice guy pose.
"You should eat," Gaara replied from his seated position at the table, breaking his chopsticks.
"This is for me also?"
"Thank you for the clothes," Gaara replied, glancing at him.
"Oh, I see," Lee said and grabbed one of the plates and a pair of chopsticks. "Itadakimasu!"
After a bite of curry, Lee realized how hungry he was and spooned half of the bowl onto his plate. Gaara had stopped to watch. He never knew anyone could stuff so much into their mouth. He took a spoonful for himself. It was pretty dark and it smelled spicy. He ate it quickly. Tears formed in his eyes. He grabbed his water and drank deeply.
"That is hot Gaara," Lee mumbled through a mouthful of food.
"Right," Gaara smirked.
"Your facial expressions are very pleasant," Lee said. He smiled brightly.
Gaara only stared at him, not knowing what to do. No one complemented him on his facial expressions because he normally only had two: stoic, and deadly. Lee glanced away, awkwardly.
"You're strange," Gaara said as if stating that the sky was blue. "Only you can make me smile without knowing it."
'Only you can make me smile at all,' Gaara kept to himself.
"Gaara, you are a very special person, too-"
There was a knock on the door. The two girls from before came in with a bowl. One of the girls pushed the other forward. She looked back at her friend for help. Her friend just waved her toward Gaara.
"Um," she said nervously, "we thought you might like desert."
"Thank you," Gaara mumbled and took the bowl.
The girl blushed and busied herself with the empty plates and bowls. Her friend came to help. After gathering the dishes, they left together.
"They seem to like you," Lee said.
Gaara sat back down without replying. Lee peered into the bowl. His face almost glowed with happiness. Gaara looked too, interested. He saw round pieces of chocolate.
"Chocolate covered cherries!" Lee exclaimed and took two from the bowl. "I haven't had these in sooooo lon…"
The bowl was no longer within his grasp. He looked at Gaara like a beaten puppy. The bowl rested in the other's lap with a dome of sand over it.
"You are evil," Lee whispered, horrified that his favorite dessert was taken from him so soon after their reuniting.
"So I've been told," Gaara deadpanned.
"You can't eat them all…."
"I don't care if they like me."
"Hmmm?"
"Those girls, the village, anyone. I don't care if they like me, there is only one person who's opinion I want to know," Gaara said.
Lee forgot about the bowl for a moment. "Everyone likes you now Gaara-san, I'm sure this other person does, too."
"Do you like me Lee?"
Lee thought about how he should reply, "Yes, I like you, even though I was once scared of you. You fought for me though and you have become such a respectable person. How could anyone not like you anymore?"
Gaara nodded and looked down. He was silent for a long time.
"I want more,"said, reaching up to touch the symbol on his forehead. "More from that person. I have hurt them almost beyond repair. I get a feeling in my stomach every time I see them; uncomfortable, wrong…"
"Do you feel guilty?" Lee asked softly, not wanting to pry into the other man's business with this person. But he felt strange also at that moment. It was the same feeling he got when Gai-sensei would tell Neji he had done a good job that day without telling Lee the same thing.
"I suppose I do…" Gaara replied, looking out the window to the darkened sky. "I want to explain what I feel when I see them, but I have hurt them too much. How can I ask them to love me, the one who almost killed them?"
'That could be anybody,' Lee mused, trying to figure out who he was talking about. 'Sakura, maybe?'
"Well, Gaara-san," Lee replied with a sigh, "You cannot force someone to love you."
Suddenly he felt sand wrap around his wrists and ankles, pulling him back onto the ground. He looked wildly around. Gaara was standing above him with the bowl in his hands.
"I disagree," he replied kneeling.
"Gaara-san! What is the meaning of this?" Lee struggled against his bonds.
Gaara suddenly kissed his captive. Lee froze incapable of comprehending what was happening.
This is what he had wanted since Gaara had carried him back to the village after their fight with Kimimaro; ever since he realized that the one who had once tried to kill him had changed into the respectable Kazekage who cared for his people. It was what Lee had wanted since he realized his love for the man Gaara had become went beyond appreciation for the change in him or the respect for his position.
Gaara sat up, a blush spreading over his face, almost matching his hair.
"Well?" he asked.
Lee was still in shock, but he managed to say the thing his heart had urged him to confess, "Kiss me again, Gaara-san."
The Kazekage kissed the Leaf ninja again, dragging Lee up from the ground but keeping his hands bound. He popped a cherry into his mouth, letting the chocolate soften before pressing his lips firmly against Lee's.
Their mouths opened and chocolate dripped from their lips. Gaara twisted his head to the side, put the cherry between them and bit down. They both ate a half. Their faces were flushed from embarrassment. Each wondered what the other was thinking, if they regretted anything that was happening. Almost instantly the two threw away their feelings of doubt. They collided, Gaara pushing Lee down onto the floor again, undoing his bindings so that the ninja could help him take off his clothes. Gaara licked the chocolate from Lee's lips. He pushed the hair away from Lee's face and kissed him again.
"Gaara-san," Lee said.
Gaara stirred instead of replying. He didn't even have the strength to correct him anymore. It had been so great watching his back arch and his hands clenching. It had driven him crazy when he had held all of his gasps and moans. All Gaara could think was "how can I make him call my name? Maybe if I push harder…"
His heart matched Lee's and he had felt it through the other's back. There were times when Gaara knew he had hit right when Lee's heart skipped a beat. When his heart skipped, Gaara's pounded. Gaara wanted it again and again and again. This love he felt was almost too much for him. All of this had not been what he wanted. He was thinking something simpler. A kiss or two had been his highest hope, but the need was surprising.
Maybe…Maybe it shouldn't be like this yet. No. this was what he had been searching for: love. But how long would he be able to keep this love?
"Instead of dwelling, he thought back to his favorite part; his favorite touch, favorite kiss, favorite position…
"Gaara-san."
"Just Gaara," he grumbled.
"Gaara," Lee sighed.
"Yes?"
"We will be late to the Chunin Exams if you do not wake up now. Everyone will wonder where you are."
Gaara rolled over and pulled Lee in to kiss him.
"We will have our own tournament when we come back," he replied with another small smile.