This was written in March as part of my annual Music Shuffle Month project, inspired by SS501's song Until Forever, which is just such a Lee song when it came up it was just so perfect.
Gaara smiled as he tipped his head up to the sky. He always felt more peaceful under the wide open sky - although lately he felt more peaceful than he ever had in his life, despite the weight of the tasks he had taken on.
Light footsteps and the patter of cascading sand dislodged by them caught his attention and finally made him lower his gaze once more. He looked instead back towards the village and found a brilliantly green figure approaching.
Gaara inclined his head politely as Lee slowed in a controlled skid right up to his side, more sand thrown loose to flow down the dune they stood upon. "Hello, Lee." he greeted, and Lee gave a shallow bow as he responded, smiling brightly.
"I didn't intend to interrupt you." Lee said apologetically, his eyes warm.
Gaara shook his head, glancing back at the sky and smiling slightly. "I am not disturbed by your company." he said honestly.
He heard a tiny hitching of breath and looked at Lee again, and only years of familiarity with Lee made the tears welling in his eyes less than alarming. Gaara awkwardly patted his arm and got a somewhat watery smile in return.
"I am glad." Lee said earnestly. "I want to be at your side always. I want to protect you forever!" he declared, bringing both fists up in a determined pose.
"You know," Gaara said slowly, tilting his head and looking up at Lee, "most people would not make such an offer. I don't," he added with a wry note, "exactly require much outside protection."
Lee's smile didn't falter, and Gaara's heart almost . . . hurt, strangely, looking at him. "I know. You are very strong." he bobbed his head, and Gaara felt a cold weight in his stomach as he remembered what that strength had once done to this very same person. "But I would wish to do so - always. Because I care for you."
Gaara nodded silently, not quite sure what to do with the information.
"I must, for the sake of the love that breathes inside my heart." Lee clasped one of Gaara's hands, surprising him, then brought it up and kissed it softly, his lips warm and surprisingly soft.
Gaara felt heat flood his cheeks, and numbly raised his free hand to his face, confused.
Lee grinned, his face tingeing pink, and after a moment Gaara realised that must also be the cause of the warmth in his own face.
"I wish to protect you forever because- because I will love you forever." Lee declared quietly, and then bowed, staying low this time.
Gaara swallowed, blinking rapidly. "Lee. . ." He reached out, cupping one hand under Lee's jaw and letting the other brush his shoulder, nudging him into rising. "I- You-" He looked away briefly, Lee's eyes a little too intense to face when he found himself so unsure. "I love you too. Of course I- I want you by my side forever."
Lee let out a sharp cry and Gaara found himself whirled suddenly into the air, pressed tight against a very solid chest as Lee twirled in a circle, holding him close. He laughed softly, and Lee stopped moving, looking up into his eyes with a sweet, delighted expression.
"I've told you before," Gaara said, clearing his throat and pursing his lips, "it is not very dignified, you should probably not be picking the Kazekage up like this."
Lee laughed, hugging Gaara even tighter. "Are you unhappy with me?" he asked.
"Never." Gaara returned quietly, brushing a bit of Lee's fluffed up hair neatly back into place. Lee brought him down close enough to kiss him but didn't actually put him back on his feet, and Gaara didn't complain, sliding his arms around Lee's broad shoulders.
Lee rubbed their noses together affectionately and allowed Gaara to deepen their kiss with a soft, possessive purr, fingers digging into Lee's flak vest. Gaara hardly noticed when Lee finally did let him down, feet on the sand, happily lost in their kisses.
When they finally broke apart, Gaara was still cuddled in the circle of Lee's arms, and he had fisted both hands in the collar of Lee's vest. He used the hold to pull Lee down and kiss him again, more gently, and found it made difficult by Lee's broad smile.
Gaara returned it with his own tiny smile as he pulled away, and let his hands slide down Lee's chest before stepping back. Lee caught one of his hands and kissed his palm this time, but didn't pull him close again as he looked out over the rolling dunes of the wild desert and the brilliant blue sky above.
Lee stayed by him as his gaze wandered, and Gaara knew Lee would stay as long as he wished, but he was soon ready to walk back to the village, his heart oddly light. Lee walked happily at his side, slightly less comfortable on the sand than Gaara - slipping slightly from time to time - but only a very little, after the past few years in Suna.
"Ah! Ah, Gaara." Lee said suddenly when they were a little more than halfway back, and Gaara stopped walking, glancing at him. "I had sought you out in part because I . . . have a very important question to ask you."
Gaara blinked, then nodded understanding, curious.
"You looked so peaceful and so happy that I forgot, I was simply overcome," Lee said with a grin, "you are so beautiful and I love you so much!"
Gaara felt his face warming again, but gave another little nod even as he wondered distractedly if his face really went pink, and what shade.
"Would you, my dearest beloved, do me the immeasurable honour of agreeing to marry me?" Lee asked earnestly, catching both of Gaara's hands in his own and clasping them almost to his chest.
"I-" Gaara paused, struggling a little for the proper response in his surprise - and . . . his heart was fluttering with pleasure. "Oh, Lee, of course." he said sincerely, and his breath caught as he was swept into his lover's arms for a passionate kiss.
Gaara sank into it with pleasure, catching hold of Lee's shoulder to steady himself as he was bent backwards. Of course, Gaara thought with a flicker of amusement. Of course his boyfriend would get so caught up in his own emotions when preparing to propose that he would declare his feelings and then honestly forget to actually ask Gaara to marry him. What else should Gaara have expected from his ridiculous, relentlessly sweet Lee?
Gaara smoothed his free hand over Lee's cheek and into his hair as he straightened, breaking the kiss and drawing Gaara upright with him. "I love you as much as I know how." Gaara said softly.
Lee crushed Gaara to his chest once more, and he rested his cheek on Lee's shoulder, contentedly allowing the snug embrace and this time squeezing Lee tight around the waist himself in return.
"You love with all your heart, as anyone can see." Lee said, brushing callused, battered fingertips along Gaara's brow. "No one could love me better."
Gaara wondered if that were really true - Gaara was still not . . . good at normal, or at emotions in general, let alone displaying them 'properly' - but for all he was not quite sure how, Gaara did love Lee with an achingly powerful depth. Certainly he could never have let go of this wonderful man, even if there had been someone out there perhaps better for him.
Gaara lifted his head, turning in Lee's arms enough to stretch up and kiss him again, even though Gaara could feel his ANBU approaching now. He had told them he would be fine - even if he hadn't informed them that he was going out into the desert - and if they didn't realise Lee was no threat to him. . .
Besides, if Gaara was going to marry Lee, they would have to get used to it. He smiled against Lee's mouth, then feathered a caress along Lee's jaw as he deepened the kiss, feeling light and oddly - pleasantly - shivery at the thought.