N/A: sometimes words do matter, and both, Lee and Gaara, must learn how to make things clear when one of them decides to leave.

I'm sorry for any mistake you see D: English is not my first language, but I wanted to give it a try. And thanks to my beta, who kindly revised my story and pointed out my mistakes. Any criticism/advised is very much appreciated! ;D Now enjoy! ;D

Stiletto Heels

"I do not want to be with you anymore," Lee said while hiding his face under the blankets.

Gaara stared at him, his aquamarine glare burning holes in Lee's trembling figure. Beside this, he remained perfectly still, stopped in mid-motion, his robes half sliding down his pale shoulders.

"Why?" His voice was harsh and dominant, rasping like sandpaper and full of resentment.

"Because I deserve a little love."

At this, the redhead was perfectly silent. His eyes were wide and clear, looking very much like a deer caught in a car's headlights. He unceremoniously got undressed ignoring Lee's distressed whimpers from under the covers, and sat at the edge of the mattress. He glared at his lover, who only hid more trying to get away from Gaara's questioning orbs. Reaching the end of his short patience, Gaara grabbed the sheets and pulled them off his boyfriend, looking really pissed.

"That's why you want to leave me?" He asked, almost like he refused to believe that was the only reason why the taijutsu specialist wanted to break up with him. Lee nodded, half startled by Gaara's calm tone. Wasn't he mad at him? That was new… "Is it only because you think that you need to be loved?"

Lee made a choking sound, caught off guard by Gaara's hurtful words. He looked straight at him with dark ebony eyes filled with pain and sadness.

"I do not think that I need to be loved, Gaara-sama." Lee only called him 'Gaara-sama' when he was deeply hurt or incredibly angry, "I know that I need to, but I also know that love is something you cannot give me, or anyone for that matter. That is why I want you to go, because you are hurting me."

"I'm hurting you?" Gaara asked disbelievingly. He ground his teeth trying to control the sudden rage that was welling up, wanting to take over his body. "Do you think I hurt you?"

Lee nodded hesitantly.

"How?" He asked, but Lee knew that he wasn't waiting for an answer. Gaara fisted his hands. "You, who know what real pain is, are saying that I hurt you on purpose?"

Lee felt a pang of guilt, but he didn't take his word back.

"There are lots of different ways of hurting, Gaara-san." This time he said 'Gaara-san', which was better, but something in that statement had wounded Gaara's pride. He felt ignorant for a moment. "You don't always have to use a Sabaku Kyu on me…"

Ouch. That was a low blow.

Gaara flinched, his accusatory eyes glaring at Lee. Now he was beyond pissed. How dare he! After all he had done, all he had put aside, all the efforts he had made to be suitable for Lee's tastes! The anger coursed through him for a brief second. The next one, he had Lee pinned, both wrists held forcefully above his head. The look that Lee gave him just made him angrier. The raven boy wasn't afraid, not even surprised. The only emotion running through Lee's dark eyes was an intense apprehension.

"I gave you everything you wanted." He hissed through clenched teeth, tightening his grip on Lee's wrists. If he was in pain, he didn't show it. "You know I could crush your bones at the slightest thought. I could rip you to pieces any time I want." He brushed his lips with Lee's, his voice suddenly soft and caressing. "I always show you how much I care." He slid his hands down Lee's naked chest, his sand keeping him down now.

Gaara noticed that Lee wasn't fighting his advances, which made him suspicious and cautious. He kissed Lee's closed lips softly, his tongue brushing the soft skin and trailing down his neck. He shifted his hips, getting into a more comfortable position in between his lover's legs, thrusting ever so slightly.

"Stop it." Cursing under his breath, the redhead did just so, eyeing Lee's calm face intently. "Can't you see it, Gaara?"

"See what?" The young Kage didn't fail to notice the little bit of emotion darkening his lover's words.

"This is exactly what I meant…"

Lee closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Just thinking about his redhead lover hurt too much, and the way he always used sex to solve everything. Gaara's way of showing his affection reminded him of those stiletto boots he had seen Sakura wear on one occasion during one of Konoha's Halloween Festivals. In a sort of wicked way, Gaara's passionate caresses were like those stiletto heels. They pierced through his heart, sinking deeper and deeper, making the pain so unbearable 'till the point where he couldn't even breath, couldn't think, couldn't feel anything else. And he was sick of feeling like this. He wanted to feel good, he wanted to feel those silly butterflies in the pit of his stomach, and he wanted to wake up one morning to have his lover arms wrapped around him, not just feeling sore and discarded like some useless toy.

He wanted to feel loved. He wanted to be loved, something Gaara neither could nor wanted to do.

Delicate tears ran down his peach colored cheeks. "You only use me for sex. You don't really love me."

Gaara growled.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He took Lee's cheeks between his pale hands, forcing him to open his eyes and watch him. "Haven't you understood yet?"

Lee's eyes gave away the answer.

"I can't believe this." He sighed. "All this time trying to make myself clear, thinking that you could see past my lack of words, and you didn't even try." For the first time since they started dating, Lee saw the tiniest glint of emotion across his lover's face; it was sadness, and understanding. "I thought you knew that the only way of telling how much you mean to me, how much I adore you, how important you are for me, is with my body. My lips are dry and dead. My body is my only instrument. If I don't say those words you so desperately need to hear, it is not because I don't want to, but because I can't. Lee…"

When Gaara's eyes locked with his, Lee held his breath until his lungs burned. Shiny tears stained his cheeks; his lips tightly shut blocking the painful sobs that were trying to get past his throat. He passed his arms around Gaara's shoulders, noticing that the sand's grip had loosened, and it had begun to stroke his hair and the sides of his body.

Gaara gave a chaste kiss to his lips while displaying one of the most beautiful smiles Lee had ever seen cross his handsome face.

"It seems like my lover doesn't get the hints of my emotions," he said in a playful tone, kissing Lee's lips, cheeks, chin, nose, and eyelids, "but if he wants me to say those meaningless words, even if I can't promise that I'll do it, I still can try, can't I?"

But even without it, Lee already knew the answer. He cuddled Gaara closer, burying his nose in the redhead's neck, crying quietly.

"Gaara-kun, I love you so much," he sobbed.

"Shh… I know, Lee," Gaara stroked Lee's hair lovingly, "I know…"

And no other words were necessary.