AN:: Kukuku, I just love you all. 3 However, this one'll probably be a shortie. Sorries. ;.; ALSO! Lots of dialogue. Apologies!! T.T
Chapter Eight :: Uncertainties
Rubix cubes. A completely pointless invention, in most people's opinions. The more you try and figure them out, the more complicated and mind-boggling they became. Play with them long enough, and the weaker of mind will be so frustrated they will simply give up and walk away.
Now, granted, Rock Lee had never wasted his youthful training time with something as petty as a rubix cube, but he'd once seen Tenten with one and knew well how the little blocks of color could infuriate someone with their simple complexity. So it was of this little toy that Lee found he could relate his situation to as he got up the next morning and was flooded by memories of the night previous.
His feelings towards Gaara were strong but mixed, tangled in death-grips around his confused heart and blocking out his mind completely. This made him unable to decipher any of the feelings at all, leaving him feeling quite overwhelmed and uncoordinated. Actually, the harder he tried understanding his own feelings towards the redhead, the more confused he seemed to be.
He thought about it when he brushed his teeth. He thought about it as he combed his hair. He thought about it as he got dressed. He thought about it as he ate breakfast. He thought about it on the way to training and, consequently, was more than a little late.
Yet still he could not determine what he felt.
It certainly did not help that confusion and discomfort were practically tattooed in neon, glow-in-the-dark ink all over his face.
"Lee, is something the matter? You're very off today," Guy asked concernedly during practice when Lee missed his third kick in a row. Said Chunin sighed exasperatedly.
"I'm alright, Guy-sensei," he said, quite without the normal cheer and sparkle of his attitude. This did not help Guy's suspicion any.
"Is it to do with Sakura? Or maybe…maybe Lee's finally found true love!?" Guy inquired, becoming excited at the thought of his pupil engaging in the wild and crazy adventure entitled Love. Lee jumped slightly, quite surprised. He waited, but no heat rose to his cheeks, no denial sprang to his lips.
"I was right? Oh, that's wonderful, my youthful pupil!" Guy yelled, overjoyed now at his obvious triumph in the guessing game of the source of Lee's confusion. The leaf ninja stared off, appearing to be intently studying the tree behind his beloved teacher.
"Guy-sensei…I don't know," he said, sighing in defeat. He simply didn't understand. The more he thought about it, the more confusing it got.
Like a rubix cube.
At first, Guy didn't say anything. He put a hand on his pupil's shoulder gently.
"Lee…," he said in his ear, softly, so that Neji and Tenten couldn't hear. "Is it Gaara?" Lee couldn't believe it. Why did everyone always assume it was Gaara? Then again…it was Gaara, wasn't it? So it was only right for people to think it was him. Still, he didn't like to think that it was seriously obvious for everyone but him.
"I don't know," the Green Beast repeated, frustration sneaking up on him again. He was starting to hate this. This fluttery, almost-like-a-tickle-but-more-violent kind of feeling in his stomach was most infuriating.
Frustrating, like rubix cube.
But certainly not useless like one.
"Well, my student, before you make any rash moves, you must make sure that he's the one. Also," he said cheerfully, "I believe that he feels the same way you do. Continue on in the path of love, my youthful pupil!"
Lee gave an encouraged smile, and with that, headed off for practice, all the while wondering whether or not he'd been lying to Tenten before when he said they were just friends.
Poor Gaara suffered in a similar way. As soon as Temari had discovered where he'd gone during their Dragon Tea House outing, she had been bothering him incessantly for answers as to what exactly they did and how they did it.
"Temari, for the last and final time, nothing happened," Gaara said, teeth grinding in frustration. The blonde, however, showed absolutely no signs of slowing down.
"So how exactly did he look at you when you were by the fountain? How far apart were you two when you walked him home? Is that really all he said when you separated?" she questioned, mouth going a mile a minute and almost talking Gaara's ear off.
"Temari!!" he snapped, cutting her short as she started her next question. "Why do you care so much about Lee and I?" he demanded to know. Temari just gave him an incredibly stupid look, that one that was mentioned before that clearly said, 'You really don't know?'
"Because, dear brother," she started, "I want to make sure you're getting a really good boyfriend, and Lee, though weird, is honorable and hardworking, so I approve of him."
Gaara's mouth almost dropped open to hang on his jaw hinges. However, being Kazekage, he was trained in the ways of politics and controlled himself carefully.
"Temari, I don't know what you're talking about," he said simply. Said sister rolled her eyes.
"Gaara, his feelings for you are almost painfully obvious," she stated, "and it's killing Kankuro and I to watch you sit around densely."
Gaara considered killing her at that moment.
Instead, he fled to the roof, where he could watch the clouds roll by peacefully and think about what his sister had said.
Love.
That was the first thought that came to mind. But it was only a word….right? Could Lee really love someone like him? Temari had said that his feelings were painfully obvious...did that mean that everyone saw them but Gaara?
If so, he needed to do something. He wasn't sure what, though. He was not in love; if he was, then surely he'd know…correct? But no, that wasn't right. He could never know, because as far as he knew, he'd never felt it before.
What did that leave him with? Not a whole lot. How was he to work on this problem if he didn't have any reference as to what love was supposed to feel like?
Then again, maybe it was different for everyone. He supposed, in the end, that he would just have to go along and ride the ride and see how it turned out.
He felt his heart give a leap as he thought, 'I hope it turns out that he really does love me.' Though he mentally slapped himself for thinking that, his leaping heart could not deny that he was every bit correct.
AN:: That's all for now! Told you it would be short. T.T Oh well. The next one will, hopefully, be longer. Enjoy!
