The idea wouldnt leave me, and I did it when I was in a bad mood. But um, angst is interesting to write, I much prefer humour but shrugs :3 GaaLee (Or LeeGaa if you really prefer it) This is just if Gaara wasnt able to say 'I love you' or didn't understand what Lee really wanted.

Regret

---

A light flickered, and two lovers slowed in their movements. Finally, after at least ten minutes had passed, one spoke, voice soft and sweet in the nights silence.

"Do you love me?"

"I like you."

"Oh. Okay."

Lee muted himself. He had been getting the same answer every time he asked, he he wasn't sure what it was supposed to mean. But he wouldn't give up on Gaara. Not until he got a yes.

---

Morning had come and Lee was smiling cheerfully as he passed Gaara a ramen bowel.

"Gaara-sama, do you love me?" Ignoring the people who looked their way, Lee lent in and gave a hopeful stare.

"I like you" Was all he got in reply.

Gaara started to eat, and Lee stared. "I-...okay Gaara-sama" And he poked at his food, staring at it dully in hopes it would dissapear. The rest of the meal was silent.

A familiar shade of brown soon came in to his vision.

At the arrival of Neji, Lee smiled and went to greet his friend. "Gaara" He nodded to Gaara and gave a rare smile to Lee. "Hello Lee."

Gaara simply continued to eat, leaving the two to talk.

Neji was the first to speak once they got a few feet away. "You look skinny" He stated bluntly.

"I always look skinny Neji-kun."

"Not like this"

Neji shook his head, sighing and placing a hand on Lee's shoulder. "Give up Lee" Lee gave no reply, and he continued. "Your hurting yourself, he doesn't love you, so give up."

For a minute Lee stared at the ground, eyes low and smile absent from his lips. Then after a long silence he looked up at Neji, shaking his head and letting himself smile again. It looked fake. Neji felt pity well up in his chest at the look and sighed once again. He had been doing that alot lately.

He looked over Lee again. His chest and hip bones were slightly more visible than normal, obviously from lack of meals. There were bite marks, nails scratches across the small visible part of his neck, but it wasn't the thing he noticed first.

Lee's eyes were dull, as if the once beautiful onyx had been drained in to a grey hue. All the strong vibrant dark black had been turned in to a color of death. Completely empty.

"Don't be silly Neji-kun, it doesn't hurt" He finally stated after a few minutes, then nudged Neji in the side. "I'm sure he will come around eventually."

Neji lowered his head.

"For your sake, I hope he does."

Behind them, Gaara started to walk. Almost instantly Lee was after him, completely ignoring the fact Gaara didn't care whether he came or not. Neji stared at the two for awhile, then started to walk.

Lee looked like a dog on a leash.

Neji went to see Gai for the first time in three years.

---

During a mission on which Gaara had been forced to go on with Lee by Temari, both boys stood on a tree branch and looked out for the enemy.
It was then Lee blushed and smiled at Gaara, hands twitching in his lap.

"Gaara..."

"What?"

He lowered his eyes.

"I love you."

The sun seemed duller than usual.

"I know."

No animals made a sound.

"Do you love me?"

Silence.

"Gaara-kun?"

"I like you."

Lee nodded his head, laughing lightly. "Y-yeah, alright."

---

Hours, days, weeks, even months passed before Lee asked again.

"Do you love me Gaara?"

Gaara looked over from his side of the bed and stared. The sheets ruffled and he got out of bed, completely ignoring Lee's question. He simply felt...awkward.

Lee had cried last night.

Gaara had listened.

He didn't mind Lee's crying, but the mornings after were too awkward.

"Gaara...?"

"No. I like you."

With that said, the red head walked out of the room, leaving Lee sitting naked in their bed.

---

Another mission came up three days later and Lee had offered to go with Gaara. A few times Gaara had told him to stay, but Lee simply refused and went with him. Another day passsedbefore they set out and made their way in to sound to retrieve a lost group.

When they found them, all of them were dead. When they headed back, the enemy had found them. When they had fought, Gaara killed three and Lee killed two.

When the battle continued, Gaara started to regret calling no backup for Lee.

When the battle got bloody, Lee was the first to receive a fatal wound.

Gaara lashed out at the men, trying to protect him with little avail.

Then finally, everything went silent.

Lee regretted.

He regretted never Telling Neji what a good friend He was. He regretted giving up on Sakura so quickly. He regretted been unable to be a good student to Gai-sensei. But most of all, he regretted never receiving a positive answer from Gaara.

He could feel the blood that was clearly oosing from his head cooling his body and numbing his mind as he let out a frustrated cry from tattered and sore voice chords.

Instead of pain, it was numb, dead numb. Almost as if the white clouding in front of his eyes was stopping his thoughts.

And slowly, the rythmatic beat he used to hear started to slow.

His body was becoming weak and his eye lids started to droop.

Even staring up at Gaara's beautiful, pale face seemed a hard task.

But he had to ask once more.

Lee spat out blood, only to have more flood in to his mouth. He wasn't sure what had happened to his mouth and neck, but by the look on Gaara's face it must've been horrible.

Finally enough of blood was out of his mouth to speak.

"G-Gaara...D-Do you lo-..." pain flooded through his neck and mouth, but he continued. He wasn't surprised he couldn't lift a hand to stroke Gaara face which had lowered so far as to stare at his injured face. "l-love me...?"

Everything was fading...

"Lee I..."

And finally, Lee died, surrounded by dead bodies and his own blood.

He never heard the answer.

---

At the funeral everyone seemed to know Gaara was the reason Lee had died. Naruto had even been angry enough to yell at him before the funeral started.

Neji had simply told him he shouldn't have come, and quite frankly Gaara wondered if he was right.

When it was his turn to go up and make a speech, everyone had their eyes on him. He didn't bother turning to them as he made his way on stage, he knew they were glaring at him.

"Kazekage-sama is here to say goodbyes to his beloved lover and friend..." That was all the man dressed in black said before moving to the side and allowing Gaara to speak

Naruto graced this by letting out a angry snort and rubbing his tear covered eyes.

Finally, Gaara stood silent for a minute, then faced the audience.

When all was silent, Gaara started to speak.

"Rock Lee was a good person..." He paused, confused when something tingled across his eye. "And...I loved him."

And then he realized.

He was crying.