-Chapter 2: Please Dance With Me!-
Chapter Rating: T
Published: 30th June 2014
Last Updated: -
In the quietest corner of the ballroom, the two Kage discuss painfully trivial matters. While Tsunade is thankful to be as far away from the ear shattering music as possible, she'd much rather be back in Konoha. Actually, she'd much rather be anywhere but here. Besides, as Hokage, she had far better things to do than talk to the red headed brat about some stupid speech. Not that she would be sticking around in this hell of a desert long enough for it anyway.
Tsunade doesn't know why she even came, but she plans to leave this boiling hot dump by morning, with or without her bodyguards. There's no way she can bare another day here, and if the three day trip back with those loud imbeciles kills her, then so be it. Death is preferable than this. Anything. Alliance or not, the Hokage doesn't care.
At the moment the only thought Tsunade has is getting her greedy hands on some alcohol. After all, the only cure for a hangover is more alcohol and no one's stupid enough to get in the way of the mighty slug princess in her pursuit of grog. That bowl of punch a few metres away isn't doing much for sanity.
The Hokage knows she'll regret this in the morning, she always does, but right now, it doesn't matter. Suna's councilmen seem to be enjoying the stuff, why can't she? It could taste like absolute garbage and she would still chug it down. Anything's better than the dull conversation she's stuck in.
She wonders if the Kazekage would even mind if she just left to quench her thirst. Probably not, and so she starts plotting her escape.
The read head looks about as bored as she is, but then again, he always looks like that. Except around Naruto and bushy brows; it's to be expected though, they're supposedly friends. Tsunade guesses the brat must find them amusing, what with the way she's always smiling when they're around. Amusing alright, but not if you had to spend three straight days in their company. Hell, they're the reason the blond has a hangover.
If Tsunade hadn't started drinking before, she would have surely taken up the horrible habit during that trip.
With eyes glued to the bowl of punch, Tsunade is clearly no longer paying attention to the Kazekage. She knows that if she's going to get any before those old men drink it all, she has to hurry and make her move. Not just any excuse will work, in fact, nothing she could think of would convince the red head. As brainless as he looks sometimes, with his emotionless face and all, the kid is rather perceptive, and would recognize her destination quickly. Being straightforward would be rude, not to mention that heaven knows what that brat would say about it.
The Hokage supposes that if the Kazekage hadn't bribed her bodyguards to abandon her with offers of food, they'd be with her right now and ready to make up all kinds of excuses for their leader. At the very least those two could have kept Gaara distracted. Thinking about it, the asshole probably planned it this way. You can never trust sand shinobi, mysterious and conniving things they are.
To be fair, she's only this suspicious because the Kazekage has very faithful bodyguards. Not that they have any choice in the matter; Suna tends to be rather protective of their leaders, what with their terrible track record of assassinations and all. Not to mention, they're his siblings. The two are standing a distance from Gaara and, though they're chatting up some foreign diplomats, their watchful eyes still linger on their younger brother every few seconds. Shared blood, she supposes, means they have a responsibility to look after one another. Tsunade is jealous, to say the least. The trust those three share between them is something she'll never have now. Not after what happened to Nawaki.
However, trusting someone is not the same as liking them, a fact the sand ninja knows quite well. He trusts his siblings, however reluctant he is to admit it to their faces, but when it comes to liking them, well, he can't say he does. Call it sibling rivalry, but Gaara is unnecessarily harsh to his siblings. They have both dedicated an enormous amount of time teaching the youngest sand sibling the very basics of etiquette, something he's so far only bothered to use on his two favourite leaf shinobi, but he still loathes them. They are annoying and overbearing, and frankly, the Kazekage doesn't have time for them.
But that's what siblings are like, he supposes.
After all, someone had to prepare him for tonight. He may be Kazekage, but he's never attended a dance before. No one's bothered to invite him, he supposes. A good call; Gaara avoids balls like a cat avoids water. He simply doesn't have time for such petty celebrations and, as dancing involves two people, he'd rather not participate. Frankly, the girls in his village scare him. Gaara can't comprehend why they like to form large groups when he's around and steal his belongings, yet still expect him to be anything other than freaked out.
For whatever reason, he doesn't want to think about it really, the Kazekage had decided to attend this year's annual spring ball. He hasn't been mobbed yet, but he considers himself lucky so far.
He guesses if his siblings had let him bring his sand, he wouldn't be so edgy. But no, his siblings know full well that occasionally, and only occasionally, the sand gets a bit defensive. If people stopped touching him without his consent there wouldn't be a problem. Sometimes the truly stupid ones deserve to lose their limbs. Gaara wouldn't even feel guilty if such a thing happened, maybe then they'd learn to respect his personal space.
Even Kankuro has been more annoying than usual. Contrary to what Gaara has attempted to explain to him multiple times, his brother has come to the conclusion that the red head has an ulterior motive for wanting to attend the dance. Rightly so, Gaara would never waste his precious time unless he has something to gain. However, that doesn't mean his brother gets to mock him, especially with the belief that Gaara holds affections for someone. What really annoys the Kazekage, however, is how Kankuro is certain that he has crueller intentions.
His brother really does know him well and, while the idea sounds entertaining, Gaara also hates how normal it is for his siblings to presume there must be a catch. He simply can't have interest in anyone without there being some dark desire mixed in. If he were into the business of breaking hearts, Gaara is sure such a reputation would be apparent by now.
His sister, however, is smarter than Kankuro. Much smarter. Temari seems to have caught on to something long before Kankuro ever did, and the red knows it. She gives him those looks, knowing and just a tad smug.
From what the eldest sibling has seen, or more specifically, read, Gaara likes someone. With her skills in deduction, Temari also knows that that someone happens to be a man. And of course, that man is a certain leaf ninja.
Gaara isn't one to give much away, but it's obvious. Te red head is generally much nice to Naruto and Lee than anyone else, but figuring out which one he's interested in was much harder. It seems like Gaara didlike both of them, at least until Naruto made it clear he had more interest in rocks than the Kazekage. A shame; they would have made a great couple.
Of course, that only left the ever-exuberant Lee.
Her brother has quite the thing for staring at that man and no amount of green jumpsuits, thick eyebrows and bowl cuts can make his gaze wonder elsewhere. It's almost as if he likes those things. He always has been an odd one, though, so the blond can't put it past him. Most likely, he only came to this dance to catch a glimpse of that man.
Temari doesn't understand it -she doesn't want to- but unlike her brunette brother, she isn't about to embarrass the youngest sand sibling just yet. At the very least, Gaara likes someone, and that's a blessing on its own.
Besides, Temari likes to thinks of herself as a good sister.
And Tsunade is painfully aware that she's also a good bodyguard.
Well, in truth, she had let her own bodyguards run off. She can't really feel envious now, can she? If she'd wanted them to stick around she could have just ordered them, but she hadn't.
Now that the Sannin thinks about it, she wonders where the two boys are, supposedly charged with her life and all. She spends a while sorting through the crowd and the first thing she spots is the orange blob she's come to know as Naruto. He's at the buffet table, still attempting to fill him bottomless stomach, and the sight is absolutely repulsive.
Next, her eyes focus on another bright ball of colour, Lee this time, and oddly enough, he's alone.
A lonely Lee isn't necessarily a bad thing and it usually means he has no one to talk loudly to, a saving grace for the Hokage, but being the extrovert he is, it also means he has the tendency to become awfully depressed. Unless, of course, he's preoccupied with that ridiculous training regimen of his. He already looks a tad on the sad side and if someone doesn't cheer him up soon, she'll have to deal with the consequences.
There's an actual reason Tsunade chose those two bumbling idiots to be her bodyguards, and not just because the red head had practically threatened her to bring them along. They are, however unlikely from their ludicrous appearances, reliable shinobi. Saying that, it seems as if they have taken it upon themselves to forget everything they previously knew about being a bodyguard. Well, she doesn't need them anyway. A Hokage can take care of herself.
And yes, Gaara had definitely threatened her. It isn't unusual for that brat to demand things, and when the sand village requires a shinobi, in most cases, he requests Naruto. Tsunade had been expecting him to do the same this time, being the predicable brat he is, but instead he'd surprised her. It seems the red head has his sights set on a certain spandex clad shinobi. At least he has stopped attempting to flirt with her successor, and if thick eyebrows and bowl cuts are the Kazekage's thing, weird as it sounds, then he could have Lee. If only because then she wouldn't be stuck with the little nuisance.
Disturbing as it is, the blond has to admit that the two would make an amusing couple. She ponders asking the red head what he sees in that idiot, but eventually decides against it. Tsunade doesn't need one of the Kazekage's infamous tantrums; sandstorms don't make for the best of travelling conditions.
Who's she kidding; the Hokage wouldn't even make it out of the building before the Kazekage killed her.
Shifting her gaze back to Lee, Tsunade studies the man's dismayed face with clinical thoroughness, more out of lack for anything better to do than for any specific reason. He's funny to look at, she supposes. Well, more amusing than the Kazekage's dull face.
Defying the very laws of nature, the spandex clad shinobi has managed to silently pad his way over to a lonely looking corner of the hall. Subtlety isn't something that boy is known for, in fact, it's universally agreed that the taijutsu master doesn't know what quiet is, so the occurrence is disturbing. Even so, Tsunade finds ease in watching him. Simply knowing the whereabouts of her bodyguards puts her at ease.
Lee, on the other hand, feels extremely out of place amongst the crowd of happy couples. He is rarely so shy around affection, his usual, happy self embracing it with open arms, and the very sight of two people in their springtime of youth makes him more pleased than a pig in mud.
So why does he feel so left out today?
It's simply not like him at all, and the leaf ninja wants to pick himself back up. Of course, he can't, his mind simply doesn't listen to him. He really wishes Sakura-chan was here, just so he could have someone to embrace and dance with.
A bitter bout of jealousy gets the better of him, and the leaf ninja is struck with a wave of envy at that pulls at his very veins. Lee sighs, and though he has the urge to bawl his eyes out, he knows that must remain strong. Sand shinobi have a toxic tendency to scoff at displays of emotion, and though he doesn't agree with it, the taijutsu master cannot afford to embarrass his village.
Besides, he's just lonely.
No one ever died from loneliness…right?
Lee sighs again, this time more heavily, and, closing his eyes, attempts to block out the disheartening sight of the dancing couples. They seem to glide gracefully around the ballroom, and hopefully, averting his eyes from the happy sight will combat the unyouthful feelings fluttering in the dark pits of his stomach. If his beloved Gai-sensei were here, he would surely be disappointed in the leaf ninja. Standing in a dimly lit corner of a room full of otherwise rejoicing people is not something the leaf ninja's master would approve of at all. And he certainly would not be please with the reasoning behind Lee's moping - his lack of a date.
This is the grandest ball Lee has ever seen in his life, granted he has never been to any other to make that comparison, and such a beautiful spectacle should be enough to cheer the leaf ninja up. Oddly enough, it does the exact opposite.
The leaf ninja makes sure to keep his distance from the dance floor, the source of his despair. He wants nothing to do with it, especially in such a state. No one would want to dance with someone as ugly as him anyway, and he hasn't received so much as a stare in his direction from the Sunagakure girls. It's rare, considering how much attention Lee usually garners. The taijutsu master is not much more than a pouty little wallflower, but he guesses it must have something to do with all the depressing waves he is sending off. Besides, he wouldn't have his heart in it were he asked to dance. After all, his heart already belongs to Sakura.
As she usually did, Sakura had turned the handsome green beast down once again. Not nicely either, and Lee's proclamations of love had been rejected day after day by the very girl he adored so. The taijutsu master should be used to it by now, and he is in some respects, but it always leaves him miserable when he starts to give the matter some thought.
Which is why he should never be allowed to think about things.
Even if Lee's heart wasn't taken by his beautiful cherry blossom, he wouldn't have a chance. The taijutsu master can't think of any reason why someone would want to dance with a person as hopeless as him. Everything about his very being is depressing. Rock Lee is not extraordinary, not as handsome as Sasuke Uchiha, or even that good of a shinobi. He may be considered an elite ninja these days, finally earning the rank of Jōnin, but not even his peers take him seriously. He is, and always will be, the ridiculous bowl cut kid. It is even a lie that he calls himself the handsome green beast. He is certainly not handsome; if anything, by normal standards he is ugly.
However, Gaara is not remotely normal, in any sense of the word. Tsunade has been in enough meetings with the Kazekage to know that by now. The blond shifts her gaze from the leaf ninja, utterly bored, and is instead admiring the sake. She's trapped in a daze, and once again, she tries to think of ways to escape from the brat's clutches as she nods to his words absentmindedly.
She's thought long and hard about this, and after careful consideration, the only option the Hokage has left is to simply run for it.
And so she does.
With a brisk cough to get the Kazekage's attention, Tsunade makes it painfully clear that she has better things to do with her time than listen to him talk; all with just a stare directed his way. It's the first time she's met his gaze all night.
"Excuse me, but I need to go get drunk as hell," The Hokage states, no-nonsense and all, and before she earns a reply, the blond takes her leave. Shamelessly, she makes a bee-line straight to the bowl of punch.
Gaara watches as she slips away, bemused by the whole display. He guesses, after much thought, that it explains her vacant gaze and lack of conversation throughout the evening. With a shrug, the red head decides to take a look around the room.
It doesn't take him too long to find Lee, his bright spandex suit making the discovery an easy task. Oddly enough, he's by himself, and Gaara can't help but wonder why. Wasn't Naruto somewhere nearby?
Lee, unlike the Kazekage, is a social creature. He requires attention, thrives on it, and if he doesn't receive it, the leaf ninja mood plummets. Gaara understands that much about his friend, but his constant need to be surrounded by others is still a confusing concept. Then again, Lee has always been confusing.
Soon enough, the Kazekage's gaze settles on the leaf ninja's strange face. In absence of anything better to do, the red head had thought it might be interesting to watch him, but now he guesses his assumption was wrong. The poor man doesn't appear to be entertaining himself, much less anyone else. Gaara has never seen Lee so disheartened before, and the sight of the man in such a state makes him sick to his stomach in something his nosy siblings would label concern.
As much as the indifferent Kazekage hate to admit it, he really is worried about that annoying taijutsu master. They're friends, and Gaara cares about his friends. Lee is, after all, one of the few he has. The sand ninja feels the need to act as a friend does and return at least a small amount of the kindness Lee has offered to him over the years.
The red head realizes that, subconsciously, he's taken quite the interest in admiring the leaf ninja from afar and sighs. Lee seems to be getting him down too now. It's odd, because while Lee is quite fetching, at least in the Kazekage's eyes, his appeal only stems from cheerful nature and Gaara doesn't understand what else would cause his eyes to fix so intently on the man. He supposes his staring is just another of his bad habits and he often finds himself staring at things he finds intriguing. The man before him is certainly a specimen worthy of that description.
Deeper, Gaara guesses that it must be guilt driving him this time, even pity perhaps. Gaara's heart does have a general negative feeling plaguing it now, and he is suddenly determined to figure out what's wrong with the leaf ninja and rid himself of the terrible feeling.
Deciphering the mystery of emotions has never really been the red head's strong point, so of course he finds the task difficult. He wonders why he even bothers sometimes; Lee is the easiest of all people to read, his emotions on display for everyone to see, yet Gaara can't figure out how even he feels sometimes. The sand ninja, hopeless as he is, still tries however. He may rarely worry about anyone, but he tries.
If there's one thing Gaara knows about his green friend, it's that if Lee isn't smiling, proclaiming energetically about how 'youthful' things are or obsessing over his training like a maniac, something must be terribly, terribly wrong.
Of course his interest in helping Lee fades quickly as he becomes frustrated, and the usually patient Kazekage gives up his futile attempts at reading the leaf ninja; instead, he opts to just ask. Being blunt is a tactic that usually serves Gaara well, so off he goes. He doesn't bother telling his siblings as he wonders off in Lee's direction, he wonders if they'll worry, an afterthought brought about by his sudden bout of kind-heartedness, but in the end he figures they're smart; they can figure out where he's gone by themselves.
The curiosity that has driven the red head to approach the leaf ninja, an unfamiliar weight in his heart, is something the Kazekage does not enjoy. He feels partly responsible for the frown creasing his friend's face, however idiotic that sounds. He had promised to talk to the taijutsu master, and if he doesn't, he'll not only be breaking his promise, but he'll have to stand the sight of a depressed Lee for the rest of the night. Why can't anyone else take care of the leaf ninja, at least someone with more social skills than him?
At least he doesn't have to deal with Tsunade anymore.
The young Kage would pick the impetuous Rock Lee over the Hokage any day of the week, granted, they were both equally annoying in their own way. At least the leaf ninja has manners. Gaara guesses he shouldn't be so bitter – Tsunade's speech tomorrow will surely be entertaining. He'd tried to help her, at least.
Temari however, isn't very happy with the sudden departure of her brother. He seems to have the habit of wondering off without any warning, something he's managed to do enough times today as it is, and the blond is just about to drag the red head back. That is, until she notices who the sand ninja is moving towards. The wind mistress gives a knowing smile. If the brat is just going to chat with friends, Lee especially, then it won't do him much harm. After all, that leaf ninja had been assigned as the Hokage's bodyguard; he is capable of keeping her safe, so why not Gaara?
Besides, other than the obvious reason the Kazekage is so inclined to interact with the taijutsu master, it would be good for him.
And as usual, Kankuro hasn't noticed yet.
Temari swears that man wouldn't bat an eye even if someone suddenly smashed through the window and kidnapped their younger brother. At the moment she's more willing to rest Gaara's life in that green weirdo's hands than her own brother's.
When the leaf ninja finally opens his large eyes, he spots the sand ninja heading his way instantly. He has a distinctive scowl spread on his usually impassive face and his formal Kazekage robes fly around his ankles at the speed of his hurried stride. It seems that man will not leave Lee be. Stubborn thing he is; but that's just Gaara, he guesses.
Not that it's at all a bad thing, especially considering that this is the Kazekage who has decided to keep him company.
How kind of him! And such a youthful display of their bond of friendship! The sight warms Lee's heart, and it's certainly nice to know that someone wants to talk to him. Especially Gaara, who had promised him earlier that they'd talk. Not that Lee doubted his promise at all.
No matter how delighted the leaf ninja is, the red head still manages to startle Lee when he comes to a harsh stop before him. The taijutsu master's eyes widen in shock and he can't help but notice, thanks to their sudden proximity, the Kazekage's brilliant sea-foam depths gazing back at him intently, a hint of annoyance and what appears to be concern hidden amongst them.
Lee, frozen with an unexpected sense of fear, wonders if he has done something wrong; Gaara isn't usually this pissed off.
"Lee-san…" The Kazekage acknowledges the young man before him with a low breath, and it's then that the leaf ninja notices that his tone is soft with concern, not bitter with malice or anger, "There is something wrong with you." Well, he's only stating the obvious, Lee thinks. Suddenly Gaara's ringed eyes skim over Lee's body almost analytically, searching for some sort of physical injury, but alas, no saviour comes.
The red head is instead forced to face his friend's emotions.
When Lee remains oddly silent and doesn't reply, Gaara gives him another quizzical stare.
"How are you feeling? Good, bad? Did something happen?" The red head now questions almost frantically, his icy blue orbs boring into the leaf ninja's own. His bare brow is furrowed in worry, and Lee knows he isn't just pretending to care.
Still in shock, the taijutsu stares dumbly at the Kazekage, distracted by their closeness and, especially, the unsettling warmth of the man's breath on his exposed neck. The only thing saving him from having that breath in his face is their difference in heights. Lee's not sure if he should be thankful for that or not.
Lee snaps out of his daze when he realizes Gaara is still waiting for a response, sore eyes fluttering open and shut erratically. It seems he had forgotten to blink.
"K-kazekage-sama…!" Lee addresses the red head nervously, instinctively practicing his formal vocabulary. Even scared out of his wits, the leaf ninja is happy that his friend is here. Granted, the sudden bombardment of questions isn't doing much for his mind, and Lee crumbles under the pressure caused by the presence of such a fearsome man.
Lee notices that Gaara is unnervingly close; his slender and noticeably warm body is almost pressed against the leaf ninja's large frame. However, no matter how pleasant, the Kazekage's proximity is still uncomfortable. The red head, of course, is completely unfazed from it. From what Lee remembers, Gaara usually values his personal space, and the taijutsu master can't help but wonder what they look like in such a position. Not very flattering, to say the least. Perhaps Gaara is just not bothered by Lee, a nice thought, but it doesn't make their closeness any less awkward.
Inevitably, Lee is forced to push his palms against the younger's chest to indicate his desperate need for some space. The red head, surprisingly, complies, backing off in understanding, but regardless of how much distance he puts between them, they are still rather close, and it makes the leaf ninja anxious.
He just hopes that Gaara doesn't pay particular attention to it. Lee can instantly recognize his weariness as a result of the injuries the sand ninja had inflicted upon him, his body sending instinctive signals to get as far away from this man as possible. But Lee has never been one to rely on his instincts, even when it might be necessary for his very survival.
It's always there, the urge in the very back of his mind, to keep his distance from Gaara. And he's always ignored it. So he continues to; Lee knows Gaara will do no harm to him.
"I am okay, I promise, Gaara-sama!" The leaf ninja attempts to reassure the red head, putting on a half-hearted grin as he tries to look brave. He fails, and those gorgeous orbs of Gaara's burn holes into his own.
And they are such magnificent looking orbs indeed! Such a mesmerizing shade of light blue, with just the tiniest hints of green buried in their mysterious depths. Green is such a lovely colour, Lee loves it with all his heart, and even more so in Gaara's pretty pair of eyes. Lee could stare into those depths for hours, just wondering why they sparkle so and attempting to decipher all the emotions that shine through.
When the easily distracted leaf ninja snaps back to reality, he averts his gaze from the Kazekage's gorgeous eyes and, silently, refuses to ever set his own on them again, torturous things they are.
Instead, Lee decides to stare at something else, and the first thing his eye's land on is the annoyed frown spread across his friend's lips. He can only guess what he's done this time.
"Liar…" The red head hisses viciously, scrutinizing the leaf ninja's entire being with a gaze that screams suspicion, "Do not take me as a fool. I know you are sad." The Kazekage says the words so bluntly, and in truth, it shocks Lee. But he should have expected it; Gaara can see through any facade with ease, not to mention that the leaf ninja is a terrible liar. Not even a smile can delude the sand ninja, that, and the dismay is still plainly evident in the taijutsu master's eyes. He's not doing much to hide it, Gaara notices.
"You are worried about me…" Lee murmurs as he spots the emotion flash in Gaara's eyes once more, finding that his gaze has returned to them even if he had sworn off the dazzling things. It's almost cute, really, knowing that the mighty Kazekage is concerned for him.
Cute probably isn't the right word to use when referring to the callous red head, though the sentiment is there. Gaara so scarcely shows concern towards others, so when such a raw emotion sparkles in his eyes. Lee is instantly happy to be the focus of such worry. He only wishes that Gaara were kinder when it comes to expressing his concern; one could call his current way of going about it rude. The taijutsu master lets it slide, of course. The Kazekage always acts in such a way, and more so when worried, it seems. But Lee supposes that he finds an odd interest in the red head's social awkwardness.
"Of course, Lee-san…" The sand ninja eventually murmurs under his breath as Lee focuses again, and upon inspection, the frown on Gaara's face has eased somewhat, "I find it hard to be happy when you're not. Is that normal?" The question catches Lee's attention and he can't help but find Gaara's curiosity amusing.
"I am not sad…" The leaf ninja explains with a sigh and, before the young leader can interrupt him with claims of lies, he continues, "I am lonely, but the two are very similar, Gaara-sama."
After a few moments of silence, Lee decides to answer his friend's question.
"And that is certainly normal; those that can remain happy when others around them are suffering are not."
"Ah, that would describe you perfectly then – well, usually," Gaara replies in understanding, before sighing at the taijutsu master's predicament, "You are sad, but your dismay merely stems from loneliness," At that Gaara frowns again, very familiar with the feeling, "May I ask what it will take to have you smiling again?"
A small smile twists at the leaf ninja's lips simply because of those words, a genuine one for once, and the red head follows suit. Lee feels better already and, when he spots Gaara's own upwardly tilted lips, flashes one of the largest grins he can muster in his current state. It isn't anything like his usual smiles, instead weak and forced, but it is at least more sincere than the one he'd used to fool the Kazekage before.
"To be honest, your company would be nice, Kazekage-sama!" The leaf ninja chirps and the red head moves to stand besides his friend, low chuckles escaping from his lips at the suggestion. Lee supposes that Gaara had previously only wanted to intimidate him, most likely into telling the truth, with his closeness; the Kazekage wouldn't have risked his personal space without a solid reason, after all.
"Then you have it, Lee-san," Gaara hums as his once diminutive smile brightens ever so slightly, and suddenly his mood is much lighter. Lee doesn't miss either change though, however slight it is.
Gaara so rarely smiles, so it's hard not to pay attention to him when he actually does. Up this close to the other shinobi, the leaf ninja can clearly see the sharp point of pearly white canines. Earlier in the evening when he'd been flashed a small grin, they'd gone unnoticed. Lee wonders if the red head has such sharp fangs because he was once a Jinchūriki. Doesn't Naruto have something like that too?
The taijutsu master supposes that he is paying too much attention to the little details.
"Lee-san, it's not rude if I ask why you're so lonely, is it…?" The red head asks, and when he finally speaks through the smothering silence that had arisen between them, the leaf ninja snaps out of his thoughts. Gaara is genuinely curious; Lee had accompanied Naruto here after all and usually the blond doesn't let his friends wonder off by themselves. Is he too busy eating that he doesn't have the time to keep an eye on Lee? The Kazekage certainly wouldn't put it past him; Naruto loves his food almost as much as he loves that stupid Uchiha, however hard he tries to deny both.
"All the dancing couples…" Lee answers in a soft mutter, sighing in shame as his coal coloured orbs focus on the dance floor once more, "They were making me jealous…" The Kazekage can tell from the gloomy look on the other man's face that he is missing someone and he knows exactly who.
"You wished to bring a date, I suppose?" The sand ninja guesses inquisitively, before he continues in hopes of reassuring the leaf ninja, "Don't worry, I haven't one either." The taijutsu master is extremely surprised at that admission and Gaara supposes that he had expected the young leader to have a line of girls waiting to dance with him. That is somewhat true, but the Kazekage hasn't danced with a single one, nor has he an actual date. He has better things to do and someone specific on his mind.
"Really?" Lee simply doesn't believe it, but Gaara nods once more in confirmation and, with a bright blush adorning his cheeks, the leaf ninja continues, "I tried asking Sakura-chan out again…" From the tone of his voice, it's almost as if he's ashamed of himself.
"How did that go? I take it she didn't accept your offer?" The Kazekage asks, feigning interest as confusion clouds his gaze, "I guess it's her decision to make, but she is very harsh on you. I don't understand it; you're sure you're not stalking her, are you? I've heard girls don't like that; then again, no one does…"
"What do you mean, Gaara-sama?" Lee murmurs, tilting his head in question before his mouth flew open, "I do not stalk Sakura-chan! Where did you get such an idea!?" Gaara only rolls his eyes; the leaf ninja doesn't even realize how creepy he can come off as, does he?
"The Haruno's decision is made, and while I don't agree with it, it's still very obvious that she is harsher than necessary when it comes to turning you down – I've seen it myself. One would presume you bought that upon yourself in some way," The Kazekage explains as if he's talking to a child, sighing, "All I'm saying is that your persistence - though admirable when one ignores how idiotic your pursuit is - could be seen as creepy. If she tells you to stop, I'd listen."
Lee doesn't seem to pay any attention to the majority of the red head's words; instead his gaze is fixed on Gaara's own stare.
"You do not agree with her decision, huh…?" Lee begins, eyes narrowed in suspicion as he tries his best to glare at the Kazekage, "Why is that Gaara-sama…?" Gaara only rolls his eyes some more; if Lee thinks he can stare him down, he mustn't be familiar with the red head's famous death glares.
"Were I to receive an offer from someone as handsome as you, I would certainly appreciate it," The Kazekage gives the leaf ninja the luxury of an answer if just to humour him, hands raised in the air defensively; Lee can't tell if his words are some sort of joke or not, "After all, you're most likely the best dancer in this room."
Lee seems to take his words as compliments, smiling as he laughs awkwardly. It certainly isn't like the Kazekage to compliment him though, the man usually enjoys insulting him, but maybe the leaf ninja really does some cheering up, especially if Gaara is saying such nice things for once,
Playing on Gaara's words, the taijutsu master decides to take the flattery one step further.
"Gaara-sama…?" Lee hums with a cheeky smile spread across his lips and he receives a curious stare in return when he moves to stand before the Kazekage with hands concealed behind his back, "We are both without a date, and I do not like to see such a gorgeous man being a wallflower like myself, so…" At this, the leaf ninja reaches for one of the sand ninja's slender hands, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Gaara resists at first, confused by the display, but with a careful eye on Lee and his curiosity sparked, he relaxes and lets the man bring it to his mouth. The leaf ninja gives the pale skin covering his knuckle a tender peck. The Kazekage's breath hitches. When the taijutsu master finally looks up, his eyes are wide and sparkling with over-enthusiastic excitement.
"Please dance with me!" The green beast exclaims loudly and a few surrounding guests manage to overhear his offer over the music, their scrutinising stares focusing on the two men for a few seconds before looking away in discomfort. Not that Lee cares one bit.
The offer is a bit of fun, but even so, Lee really does want to dance with Gaara. Something has compelled him to risk kissing the indifferent man, something he now realizes might have been uncalled for, but he reassures himself that this will merely be a friendly dance. The taijutsu master just hopes that his blatant flattery works; Gaara isn't known to be the most receptive to these kinds of things.
The red head doesn't consider this flattery at all - he doesn't know what flattery is, really, and is honestly just bemused by the current situation. He's backed away from the leaf ninja out of instinct and, with a furrowed brow, is analysing the previous display carefully. Gaara recognizes the kiss as something shared between couples, though no one has ever had the courage to give him one before. A part of him finds the action to be annoying; kisses are revolting things. The other is grateful for even the smallest hint of attention from the taijutsu master.
Such is that dancing with Lee sounds wonderful, embarrassing as it is. It may be a joke, that much the Kazekage is sure of, but with his heart racing, he wishes it weren't.
Closeness is one of the more embarrassing aspects of dancing. The red head usually loathes it to such a degree that he rarely lets others near, but for Lee, he finds the thought of intimacy pleasant. And dancing often leads to more kisses, preferably on the lips this time, because while the Kazekage usually doesn't engage in kissing, doing so with the leaf ninja has its advantages. Advantages that bring a blush to the red head's cheeks.
Except the sand ninja can't dance. That might interfere with his plan, but in fact, a few clumsy stumbles might give him an opening.
The young Kage swallows hard as he attempts to regain his previous composure and his heated cheeks finally cool down.
"I would love to dance with you…" The Kazekage utters in something close to happiness, the beginnings of an affectionate smile forming on his lips as he stresses that word, "Lee-san, do not disappoint me, alright? I am expecting something amazing." Lee grins confidently and squeezes the red head's hand, the one still in his grip, as he notices how warm the sand ninja's words have become.
"And it will be…" Lee replies in a gentle murmur as he shortens the distance between their bodies.