Rock Lee's heart beat in a wild tattoo as he stretched in the open field under a pink sky. The early morning air was cold, drawing mist from his lips as he exhaled, and the sun barely grazed the horizon. Yes, it might be a little early for most, but to Rock Lee this was the best time of the day. Everything in the morning dew glistened fresh and new. It seemed to cleanse Lee's very soul as he stood in the open field, letting the brilliance of dawn wash over him like water. If only Gaara were here, Lee thought to himself. Then this morning would be perfect.
A booming voice roused Lee, and he immediately straightened up as Guy Sensei appeared over the horizon. The sunbeams spilling from behind him made Guy look like some kind of heavenly Adonis, the god of early morning workouts and thick eyebrows.
Lee bounded towards his teacher without nerves. "Guy! I invited the boy to watch me train this morning. I hope that was alright with you."
Guy beamed. His pearly teeth could rival the rays of the piercing sun. He clapped Lee on the shoulder. "Why of course, Lee," he exclaimed with a sense of pride. "I wouldn't expect anything less from my finest pupil. But…" Guy quickly looked around at the empty sprawling field. "…unless I'm mistaken, I don't see anyone here except the two of us."
"I gave him the time," said Lee, frowning. "But it is early! He might be catching up on his sleep. He works so hard."
Guy smiled. "Then he sounds like a good match for you! Nothing better than a power-couple."
Couple. The word glowed within Lee, and he felt his cheeks go pink at the thought. "He is entirely the perfect match for me," said Lee with sudden certainty. And in that moment, he knew it to be utterly true. His eyes darted back the horizon, willing with all his might that he might see a crop of blood red hair appear.
Beside him, Guy Sensei chuckled. "I appreciate the sensation of young love abloom, Lee, but we're wasting the day."
Lee sighed. "You're right, Sensei. I'm sure he'll be here soon. He said he would be."
But the sun climbed higher and higher, changing the sky from pink to a sprawling blue without so much as a cloud in the sky, and still no red painted the field. This grass is entirely too green, Lee thought, as his stomach tightened and his heart punched in his chest as he rounded the twentieth minute planking. With Guy Sensei sitting on his back, the exercise was undoubtedly strenuous, and Lee could feel his abdominals quivering. When he flipped onto his back into an immediate and unforgiving succession of crunches, he stared up at the blank sky. Too blue, he realized as sweat trickled down his forehead, too blue and boring. Whatever happened to red? A stark pop of colour, beautiful! Why did Nature never throw some red up there?
"Lee, get your head in the game," Guy commanded as he held Lee's feet solidly in place. "Don't cheat yourself out of a workout. Remember, it's twenty percent body - "
"Eighty percent brain," Lee grunted as he forced his head up. Guy Sensei was right. The days where Lee focused his entire attention on the muscles he clenched and released were always the days where he was shaking on the walk home. And, of course, infinitely more rewarding. Still, Lee found his mind constantly wandering to pale eyes rimmed with kohl, like attracting magnets. Flaming red hair haunted him and pale skin like fresh fallen snow tormented him. Hard as he tried, Lee could not shake Gaara from his consciousness. The boy's absence was a glaring beacon, a painful red alarm becoming more and more deafening. And as morning crawled into afternoon, a slow dread dropped into Lee's stomach.
"Eat up, Lee," Guy commanded as he unwrapped his own lunch. The two men were sat down on break, an important refueling for the sake of the other half of the workout. Although they called it 'lunch', Lee knew it couldn't be more than ten in the morning. But Lee toyed with his chicken breast, hardly touched his broccoli. The fat pit in his stomach was growing with every millisecond that Gaara did not appear, and if anything, Lee felt like vomiting. The sweat in his eyes didn't sting near as much as his heart. Usually such a brisk morning had Lee brimming with endorphins. But his veins seemed barren and cold, a wasteland.
"Was I wrong, Guy?" Lee began in a small voice. His throat hurt. "Why...where is he? Why didn't he come?"
Guy stopped. He looked at Lee as though suddenly all of the pieces were coming together. Then he sighed. "Listen, Lee. Young love is…like a wild animal. Difficult to capture, harder to tame, and even if you think you've got it by the throat, you can never be certain it won't wriggle out of your grasp and flee." Guy paused, then cocked his head. "How long do you think it takes to tame a wild beast?"
The question startled Lee, and he glanced up. "Uh, I don't really know."
"Take a guess, my pupil."
"Guy Sensei, with all due respect-"
"Go on."
He really is a relentless teacher. With a sigh, Lee complied. "A year? More?"
"Maybe." Guy shrugged. "I don't know. Do you think you could do it in three days?"
"No," said Lee, frowning.
"Four days?"
"No," said Lee with certainty.
"Five?"
"Please, Guy Sensei, where is this going?"
"You've known this boy for a handful of days." The smile on Guy's face grew as he untied the delicately crafted present that was his analogy. "Now, if you fail to tame a wild beast in only a handful of days, should you give up? If you really and truly, with all your might, wanted everything it had to offer? This great, beautiful, rare beast that you only have to blink to let it slip through for fingers. Would you, Lee, give up?"
As Lee listened to his masters words, his blood pounded. Something in the way Guy talked struck a match in his soul, lighting fuses leading straight to his fingertips. "No," Lee heard himself say, "I wouldn't give up."
"You'll what?"
"I won't give up!" Lee leapt to his feet. The sun never seemed brighter and more full of hope than it did now. Fists filled with determination, Lee exclaimed, "I will not give up on Gaara! I will find him and talk to him! I will not let true love slip through my fingers!"
"That's the spirit!" Guy exclaimed, tears in his eyes. "Oh, young love! Do not let the flame burn out too quickly! But let it grow! Let it fill my young student with the fiery passion of youth!"
Tears burned in Lee's eyes. Guy Sensei always knows exactly what to say! Both men bawled as they devoured the rest of their food, and for the rest of the workout it was impossible to tell whether it was sweat or tears soaking Lee's skin.
Lee showered quickly, scrubbing his skin with a hard-bristled brush so fast that when he stepped out, he was so red it looked like he's opened the eighth inner gate. He threw on clean exercise clothes since there was no time to be prudent about fashion, and bolted down the street. Coffee shop, coffee shop, Lee thought rapidly, gotta get to the coffee shop. Talk to him. It'll be fine. Just gotta talk to him.
The bell jingled as Lee pushed the door open and strode to the front counter. An unfamiliar girl frowned at him in her uniform. "Can I help you?"
"Yes! A boy works here, Gaara," Lee exclaimed as he caught his breath. "Is he here?"
The girl pushed her slipping glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Why should I tell you?"
"I'm his boyfriend." The words burst out of Lee's mouth. "His friend. We're friends."
She arched a brow, unimpressed. "He called in sick."
"Oh. Do you know where he might be?"
"I'm not his keeper. Are you ordering anything?"
Lee shook his head, ready to speak when the girl interrupted him. "Then please leave. This is a business, we cater to customers. Y'know, people who actually spend money?" The girl's unpleasantness was like a choking perfume in the way it wafted from her, effortlessly. It made Lee recoil. He shook his head. "Sorry for wasting your time," he said politely as he slipped out the door.
The arcade was empty too. Although he'd be disappointed to find Gaara blowing off work for games, Lee would rather take the immediate relief with a little bit of dampening. He scoured his brains as to where he might be, but the only other place Lee could think of was where Gaara lived. It was a long walk to the other side of down, and not a pleasant one. As he walked, Lee couldn't help but notice the cracks in the sidewalk, growing like a shattering glass as he drew further into the neighborhood. The road was riddles with potholes, and the buildings sagged. It might have been eerie in the nighttime, but by daylight it was just sleazy. Sleazy and broke and mean. Crumbs of broken glass glittered, and Lee gingerly stepped over broken bottles and something that, to his dismay, might've been a used condom. Hurrying his step, Lee prayed that each turn might reveal Gaara's home. Though the memory was hazy (he'd been paying more attention to Gaara's eyes than to his route home), Lee trusted his gut and prayed to fate that eventually he'd stumble down a familiar road. And sure enough, he did.
The daylight did Gaara's building no favors. Lee forgot that Gaara lived in an apartment complex, and he was dismayed to see how shabby it was. The lawn was yellow and gnarled, with bushes like dead witches hands. The door creaked on its hinges, and as Lee grasped the doorknob, he believed it was entirely within his power to rip the door from its rusty frame. Inside, the walls once might have been white, but were now a sickly yellow. The carpet was thick and infested with grime. The doorbell box was out of date, and the apartment numbers were scrawled on peeling tape next to the loose buttons.
Lee stared at the box as the first monkey wrench was thrown into his plans. Which doorbell is his? What should I do? Lee gritted his teeth and made a fist. It was frustrating to come this far only to be deterred by something so small and random. He looked at the mechanically locked entrance, behind which was surely a hallway of rooms that may or may not contain the dearest treasure of his heart. Flimsy as well. If Lee didn't think better of it, he could just kick it down. But with great strength came a great big conscience, and Rock Lee knew it would eat him up if he vandalized Gaara's own building. Besides, it wasn't like the building could afford anymore abuse.
Rock Lee puzzled so hard to himself that when a strong finger tapped his shoulder, he shot three feet into the air.
"Woah!" said a mystery voice as Lee flailed around. "What's your damage, man?"
"I'm so sorry!" Lee exclaimed as he clutched his chest. When he turned, he found himself facing a thin man with wide blue eyes and a weird grin. Lee had never seen such long hair on a man, nor noticed such strange rapid finger movements. It seemed like the man was dying to squeeze something, a stress ball or small animal. He unnerved Lee, his hungry eyes surveying Lee up and down like a x-ray. Other than Gaara, he was the only man Lee had ever seen wearing thick eyeliner. The oversized flannel shirt the man wore smelled like the gutter, as though he slept on the streets.
"Nah, you're fine," the man waved his hand, wrist bone prominent as the flannel sleeve slipped down. "What're ya here for?"
"Uh, my friend. But, um," Lee's brain scrambled as he struggled with himself. "Um, I forgot which number is his." The lie burned on Lee's tongue, and he felt his cheeks get hot. Tenten had told him often that he couldn't tell a lie to save his life. But the blonde man didn't seem to notice. Even as his eyes focused and unfocused on Rock Lee, it was like the lightbulb inside was flickering.
"So…" the man's eyes narrowed. "…you're not here for, uh, y'know…"
"No, I'm sorry. Just my friend."
The man sniffed. "Too bad. I could help you out if you were my business."
Rock Lee frowned. "Your business?"
"Yeah. My man," A cold hand clapped on Lee's shoulder, and the blond man drew close. Lee cringed as he felt warm breath on his skin, smelling unbrushed teeth. "Do you have any cash on ya?"
Lee froze. This was nothing like he ever experienced before, and he didn't know what to do. "No."
Clearly this was not what the man wanted. He chewed the side of his cheek, keeping a stiff hold on Lee. Then, on impulse of whatever internal decision, he let him go with a strong pat. Almost friendly. "Y'know, my man, I could do you a solid. Do you favor, right here? You'll be around, right?"
Lee nodded. "Yeah. I mean, probably."
"Do yourself a favor and say yes."
"Yes."
The man's weird grin widened, like the Cheshire Cat. "Excellent. Means you can take your time repaying me. If I ever got a favor, I can count on you, right?"
Rock Lee faltered. "Well, that depends..."
The man's eyebrows raised. "My man, I have a friend to meet. And he does not like to be kept waiting. This is a limited time offer."
Shaking himself, Rock Lee took a breath and plunged. "Okay, yes. Yes, I can do you a favor. But nothing illegal or-"
"Excellent." It was like the man didn't hear the rest of Lee's rambling. He turned and plugged the code into the door, and with an electronic whirring, it unlocked. "Whelp, there you are. All yours, my man."
Rock Lee nodded and waited, but the man remained still. He held the door wide, and as Lee tentatively stepped through, he felt the man's wide blue eyes on him. Again, the fidgety clammy hand curled over Lee's shoulder, and he felt hot breath in his ear.
"I'll be seeing you, my man."
And just like that, he was gone down the hallway. Rock Lee watched him disappear around the corner, and shuddered. He'd never known anyone addicted to drugs before, but he was almost certain that wasn't true anymore.
Try hard to ignore the pestering thought of what kind of favor such a man could possibly want, Rock Lee refocused. One of these doors had to belong to Gaara. He was so close. Too close to give up! Come on, Lee, don't be discouraged! He started down the hallway, pausing at each door for a moment in hopes of hearing that low quiet familiar voice.
As he loped down hallways and climbed up stairs, Lee's spirits dampened. So far his search revealed nothing, but the noises he had hear were uncomfortable at most and disturbing at worst. A dog yapping, trash television, booming bass, a baby crying, two voices in heated argument, and gunshot that Lee was almost certain belonged to a video game, but still left him uneasy. He rounded the fifth floor, floorboards creaking under his footsteps.
Moans and groans leaked from under the first door, and Lee quickly fled, face aflame. The next door was another bickering couple, and Lee flinched when he heard the harsh shatter of glass thrown against a wall. Half of him wondered if he ought to call the police when a third voice erupted and stopped Lee's heart mid-pulse. He stumbled back in disbelief, then pressed his ear flush to the splintering door. His heart slipped to the floor.
It was Gaara's voice, but harsh and wild, like he was a caged animal dripping in terror. One of the other voices, a woman's likely, rose to meet his height. Another man's joined her, and without seeing anything Lee knew that the pair of voices were a team against Gaara. The thought was a nail stuck in his throat. All he wanted was for it to end. But the voices whipped upwards like spreading wildfire.
So without thinking, Lee raised a shaking fist and knocked on the door.