A/N: Never again shall I update so close together… Jeez, twice in two days?! I'm gonna be sore… (haha, I'm not funny) Anyways, sorry to those that cared about "Through Thick and Thin" (All two of you), but here's something I've been working on for a few days. Crappy, I know, but you get what you get. Enjoy, I guess.
"Bye, Kazekage-sama!" Tenten waved and shouted as Gaara left the gates of Konoha behind him, accompanied by the self dubbed "Beautiful Blue Beast of Konoha", Rock Lee. "Bye Lee!"
Lee waved back as the gates slammed shut behind the duo. He sighed and smiled over at his companion. "So, Kazekage-sama-"
Gaara glared at the spandex wearing ninja. "I hate formalities. We're supposed to be friends."
Lee nodded. "Sorry. Gaara, how was your time in the Hidden Leaf Village? Did you have fun?" Gaara stared at him for a moment before walking towards Suna.
"I was here for business, Lee, not for pleasure." Lee frowned at the smaller male, crossing his arms and thought for a moment.
"Didn't you go out for ramen with Naruto-kun? Lee raised an eyebrow.
"To be honest, I despise ramen." Gaara shrugged and readjusted the sand gourd on his back.
"You trained with Team 7."
"Sakura's in love with me, Naruto and Sasuke can't keep their hands off each other, and that damn jounin sat there and read pornographic novels."
Lee visibly pouted. "So you did nothing you wanted to do all week?" Gaara blushed slightly, unnoticed by Lee.
"Well, I got to see someone I missed and I'm talking to a friend now, so I can't say all of it was that bad. Lee struck his infamous "Good Guy" pose with a shining smile while waves crashed behind him.
"Then I am happy, Gaara, that you enjoyed at least a little of your time away from your paperwork. If you do not continue to enjoy yourself, I shall walk the remainder of this trip on my hands!"
Gaara sweatdropped. He can't be serious… He walked past Lee and let out an amused chuckle. Lee ran after the Sand nin.
"And what's so funny?!" The redhead smirked at him.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'd rather you not strain yourself too much. You're cute…" Lee's jaw dropped and a rose tint covered his cheekbones. Gaara patted his cheek and continued walking.
"N-nani?!" Gaara chuckled again and shook his head as he adjusted the gourd again.
Lee followed along behind him for a few minutes, trying desperately to comprehend what had just happened. What did he mean by that? Lee thought absently. Does this mean he likes me or- His internal questioning was cut off by a groan from his travelling partner. Lee raced up to the swearing ninja who had just thrown his gourd on the ground, apparently fed up with it.
"For the love of- why the hell are you so heavy?!" Gaara rotated his arm to try and relieve the cramps in his shoulder, but nothing helped.
Lee bent over and picked it up, continuing the trek to the foreign village. Gaara followed and raised a nonexistent eyebrow at him.
"Why?" Lee just shrugged and smiled at him.
"You said we're friends and you're in pain. I refuse to let my friends suffer." He continued to walk next to the baffled redhead, face completely serious.
Gaara rolled his eyes and sighed in satisfaction as he stretched his arms above his head. They continued on in silence for awhile.
"Lee, can I ask you something?" Gaara questioned as they sat next to a small fire they built at their camp for the night.
Lee had been laying on his back with his eyes shut (thinking, not sleeping or course), but he snapped to attention when called upon. "Yes, what is it you require of me, Gaara?"
Gaara picked up a discarded stick and started drawing in the dirt. "Have you ever… loved someone?"
Lee cocked his head to the side a studied the blushing male. "What do you mean?" Gaara looked bewildered.
"Have you ever felt romantically inclined towards another person?
Lee thought it over. "Well, I had a crush on Sakura-chan for a while, but not anymore with Sasuke and you in the way. I love Gai-sensei, but more as an uncle than anything else…" He tapped his chin for a moment, eyes widening as he smiled, but a scowl soon took over. "Alas, Gaara, I cannot give you an example of love."
While Lee bowed his head in shame, Gaara smiled softly. "Don't worry about it. I was just curious." Lee watched as Gaara continued to scribble in the dirt. The red bangs parted briefly and showed the kanji marking on Gaara's forehead.
Le raised a caterpillar brow and scooted closer, pausing hesitantly before raising a hand and pushing the crimson locks aside to get a better look.
"Lee?" Gaara flushed a light pink. "What are you doing?" Lee just continued to stare.
"Even though I've fought you multiple times, hung out with you a lot and all that, I've never gotten to see this mark…" Lee studied it closely, unconsciously closing the distance between the two. "Love, right? That's what it stands for?"
Gaara nodded, averting his gaze back to his sketch of a house and some trees. Lee ran his hand through the rest of Gaara's hair, feeling how soft the scarlet tresses were. Gaara mover into the gentle touch, shocking them both as he sighed and let himself be content.
"Gaara, do you dye your hair?" Lee removed his hand and placed it back into his lap. "It doesn't feel like it, but I've never seen hair as red as this…"
Gaara shook his head and went back to his drawing. Lee noticed the pink tinge covering the sharp cheekbones as the smaller male refused eye contact.
"If it's not too much to ask, could you tell me why you have "love" tattooed on your forehead?" Lee shifted next to Gaara, again watching as the talented Sand nin drew the image on the ground.
The redhead set the stick down and leaned back against the tree, mentally preparing himself for the dramatic story.
"I was born with a demon inside me and…" He relayed the whole story to Lee, all about Shukaku and how he'd been forced to kill the one person he'd thought cared about him.
"Woah…" Lee stared at Gaara, awestruck. "And you live with this, this thing inside you?" A nod. "And I'm the first person to actually care?" A blush and another nod.
Lee slid down onto his back, arms behind his head. "Woah…"
Gaara picked the stick back up and wrote something in the dirt, poking Lee in the side to get his attention.
Lee jerked when he was touched. When he noticed Gaara staring at him, he sat up. Gaara pointed to the ground and stood, dusting off his behind and picked up the gourd.
Lee's eyes widened as he read what was scrawled in the dirt:
Lee,
I think I'm in love with you, do you love me as well?
-Gaara
He raised his head to answer the question and found the flame headed teen had already fled the scene, afraid of rejection. Lee raced after him, eventually catching up and jumping onto his back, sending them both to the ground.
Lee rolled Gaara over and kissed him, glad he'd been the one to guard the Kazekage.