Chapter Twenty-Three

January nineteenth. Not only the first time ever Lee came to Gaara's house… but Gaara's birthday as well.

Lee stood in the circle of their gang and could hardly look at himself in the mirror. "C'mon, Lee! You're our present to Gaara! Take some pride in yourself!" Naruto had his camera out and was snapping wildly.

Kiba was snickering and doing much the same.

Sakura slapped them both across the face. "You look beautiful, Lee."

"A dark kind of beautiful, you know?" Chouji chewed on his barbeque chips, tilting his head to study Lee better. Shikamaru's lips twitched and he gave a short mumble that could have been an approval or disapproval.

"Damn sexy!" Kiba hooted.

"You look very pretty, Lee." Hinata agreed.

Lee looked over his shoulder at them, still not completely bought on it. "I do not know… What if this is not what he wants?" He picked at the hem of his skirt, twisting and turning himself to study his new apparel.

"Lee, you will give him wet dreams!" Sakura stood up and took out a dark forest green satin ribbon, tying it in a bow around Lee's neck. To one loop, she tied the To and From Card (To: Gaara, From: All of us).

She stepped back and smiled at Lee. "Alright, we're done here."

"You look hot, fuzzy brows! Believe it!" Naruto gave him a thumb's up and Lee returned it.

"Thank you all!"

"Now we're out!"

Naruto and Kiba whined. "But I wanna see Gaara's expression when he sees fuzzy brows!" Sakura gave Naruto an even glare that cowed the blonde.

"Yes, but I don't want to see him try and eat him like a cannibal… again."

Lee flushed at the reminder, looking down and away even as he grinned goofily, his eyes gaining a dreamy look to them. Lee still wasn't certain what had happened that day at lunch… One moment, he had been eating curry, the next Gaara had been eating curry off of him.

As if that was enough reason for everyone, they all walked out of the room.

"Later, fuzzy brows! Make sure you can still walk tomorrow!" Naruto followed Sakura out.

"Good luck, Lee…" Hinata hugged him and followed Naruto.

"Make us proud!" Kiba snickered and went after Hinata.

"Later, Lee!" Chouji followed the unresponsive Shikamaru out the door and now Lee was alone.

He turned back to the mirror.

His hair was pulled into a tight French braid, falling just pass his shoulders with only his even bangs free over his forehead. There was a black collar choker around his neck, two rows of chains circling it with a silver, bloomed rose to the left side of his throat. On one wrist was a black leather band lined with dull metal spikes.

Over his chest, he wore a black pinstriped bodice with satin ribbons crossing over the front three times and the sides open to show slivers of flesh beneath loose knitting of smaller lace strings. It was pulled tight around him and he had to admit, it made up for lack of breasts, though it had been a miracle to find such a shirt without having any.

His skirt was short… extremely so! They hardly covered half of his thighs, but it was beautiful in itself. It was lavishly decorated with lace and mesh, white and black wispy ruffles showing beneath the black top layer.

Lace up buckle leather boots covered even his knees and a black and white garter was just inches above one boot.

He petted his braid, just a little nervous. This was not what he was used to wearing… At all! And to top it off, Sakura had put black lipstick on him.

He heard the downstairs door open.

"Hey, Gaara! Happy birthday, man!" He heard Naruto.

"I don't celebrate my day of birth." Lee bit his lip at Gaara's admission… And then he grinned smugly. Well! Wasn't his lover in for a surprise!

"Yeah, but you're gonna love what we got you! Later!" He heard the rest of the gang give likewise farewells and then silence. Two minutes later, Gaara's bedroom door opened.

Now Lee was looking at his lover and birthday boy and his lover did not seem capable to meet his gaze for the first time. Gaara's eyes began at his boots and worked so very slowly up, Lee felt as if his lover's eyes alone were going to devour him.

Lee shivered under the speculation and sashayed his hips a little, smiling. "Happy birthday, my most special person." Gaara came towards him and it were as if a tiger was now stalking him, eyeing him for meat and sniffing the air for the exact moment to strike. Gaara was completely focused on him, with all of is senses and instincts.

Lee's heart thumped hard in his chest as Gaara sauntered a slow, lazy circle around him. "Is this my present?" His voice had dropped two octaves and the deepness and growl of it made Lee arch his back.

"Yes." He stuck out his butt, Gaara not two feet behind him. "Do you like?"

A finger trailed over his extended bottom. "I… like… Strongly." The finger trailed up over his bodice and fingered the clip of his choker. He grasped the bow and looked at the tag before pulling on one loose end, letting the ribbon fall to the floor. His fingers when interestedly back to the clip of the choker.

That reminded Lee of something. "Oh! Gaara!" He pointed behind Gaara to the bed where a leather leash and a spiked collar rested. Kiba's part of the gift, of course. Lee had been in disbelief when he had first saw it.

Gaara followed his finger and picked the leash off of the bed with stroking fingers. His eyes studied it for a moment and then went calculatingly to his neck.

The collar was snapped on and then there was a click. Now Lee was Gaara's pet to do with what he wished and Lee felt excitement zinging through him. Gaara continued his speculation, holding the leash in one loose hand.

He wore gothic bondage pants with detachable straps with black leather steel-toe boots with straps. There was a single ring choker around his neck and a black shirt with leather straps and metal buckles lining his chest and fishnet sleeves.

They looked more like a couple now more than ever.

"Kneel." Lee blinked but then did as told, lowering onto his knees. Gaara looked down at him now as he circled around again. "On your hands."

Lee's eyes widened, but he did as ordered. Bent over on hands and knees, Gaara crouched down in front of him, running his hands down from Lee's shoulder to his hip as if he were on inspection. "On your back."

Lee rolled over and looked up at his lover. "Anything for the birthday boy!" He laughed.

Gaara trailed his hands over his chest, down his ribs and then over his belly. They caught in each black lace X over Lee's chest before following back up. The tickled over Lee's sides, whispering over bare skin between ties. Lee squirmed. "Gaara! That tickles!" He giggled when Gaara did it again.

Nails, painted black, went further down than just his corset-like shirt. They rubbed at his calves just beneath his skirt before stroking the skirt up higher than it naturally was. His thumb stuck into the garter and he petted skin beneath it. Lee hummed, happy.

And then Gaara's other hand slid up between his thighs and palmed his erection. Lee gasped, throwing his head back against the floor. He raised one hand and stroked Gaara's face.

"Panties?" Gaara almost sounded disbelieving. Mostly annoyed.

Lee squirmed. "The skirt is really short, Gaara. And everyone was in the room with me, so I did not want anything… hanging out."

Gaara kissed his lips and Lee chuckled when their mouths met with one upside down. Gaara tugged his underwear down, shimmying them over the garter so not to drag that with him. He leaned over Lee to slip them pass the first buckle of his tall boots, the scanty green material catching at each individual piece of metal until Gaara was on his knees and one hand over him as he got the material to Lee's leather clad ankles. Lee helped the rest of the way by kicking out of them. He shuddered as a draft teased up his skirt.

Gaara dropped back onto his knees, meeting Lee's eyes evenly. "We're alone now."

Lee nodded. "Yes… We are…"

Gaara stood to his feet and gestured for Lee to sit up. Lee did so on one smooth, graceful move, twisting at the hips to look up at Gaara who stood behind him. Gaara grabbed him by his elbows and pulled him up the rest of the way, assaulting his lips with bruising force. Lee moaned and wrapped his arms around his neck, leaning into Gaara.

Gaara grabbed onto the underside of his thighs and lifted, pulling Lee's naked erection flush to his own clothed one. Walking forward, he dropped Lee onto his bed, a mass of red and black satin over a king sized tempur-pedic mattress. Gaara didn't sleep; not often, not unless he was forced to take sleeping pills… but he rested often.

With Lee on the bed, Gaara stepped off of the bed and looked at him. Lee looked back at him. Gaara dropped onto his knees on the ground between Lee's legs and Lee watched him with shy awe.

His hands stroked up and down Lee's calf and thigh and his mouth fell down onto the garter, gripping it between his bared teeth and pulling it down. Instead of taking the boots off, he merely pulled the garter over them. He lifted Lee's leg up and pulled the garter off. Lee wriggled.

"Gaaaarraaa! When are you going to take the rest off of me?" His hands clenched into the bed covers.

Gaara's eyes traveled up his body to meet his eyes. "Not tonight. Keep this on." He stood up, grabbing the hem of his black shirt and pulling it over his head. It fell somewhere to the side and his hands went to his belt next. Lee's eyes bugged and his mouth parted. The belt snapped off of Gaara's hips and his pants drooped low on his waist.

Lee licked his lips, his hips swiveling with his lust. "Gaaaaraaa… Please, take them off!" He stared at Gaara's pants with avid attention. How long had they been intimate? Not even three weeks, but Lee knew what his lover wasn't wearing.

Gaara came to him, brushing a finger over his choker before taking the leash into hand. "You're my present?"

Lee nodded. "Yours to do whatever you wish." Not that Gaara didn't already do that… However, it just seemed so much more special like this!

Gaara tugged on the leash and Lee sat up, stretching his legs apart and setting his hands down between them, watching his lover. Gaara pulled harder and kept a hand to his shoulder. Lee kneeled on the ground again, putting a hand to each of Gaara's thighs and looking up at him. Gaara lifted his braid and pulled it over his left shoulder.

"Then take them off for me." Lee flushed, but he picked at the button anyway, his heart aquiver in his chest. Gaara tugged on the leash. "No hands." Lee looked up at him, confused.

"If I do not use my hands, how am I supposed to-" His mouth fell open as he finally understood. "take them off…" He looked from Gaara to the fly and then back up. "… Oh…"

He looked back to Gaara's zipper. Holding his hips, he leaned forward and played his tongue around the button, pulling on the fabric. It took longer than Lee would have liked, but he finally got the button undone. Triumphant, he took the zipper between his teeth and pulled down. Gaara's cock, thick, hard, and red, sprang from the open pants and Lee just barely managed being poked by it. Proud and with his duty done, he looked back up at Gaara for further instructions.

Gaara petted his hair and Lee began to purr deep in his throat. "Open your mouth."

Lee licked his lips before opening his mouth, never taking his eyes off of Gaara's. Gaara stroked his jaw, rubbing his thumb to the corner of his mouth. In his chest, Lee's heart was thump-thump-thumping away and he wandered if Gaara could hear it.

"Are you ready for me?" Lee looked up at him with adoration.

"Always."

Gaara nudged his hips forward and his erection flicked against Lee's mouth. Lee turned his head and wrapped his lips around the head, licking at it as if it were a lollipop. Gaara's head fell back on his shoulders before he rolled it to look down at Lee, not missing a thing. Lee met his eyes and caressed one hip bone as he bobbed his head shallowly.

He pulled away and a trail of saliva connected him still. Lee smiled up at Gaara and hugged his waist. And then he popped his mouth over his cock again, sliding the length down his throat in one smooth move. Gaara bucked into his mouth and Lee moaned around him. Holding the base, Lee licked the underside of his erection and swallowed around him. Bobbed his head around Gaara until his lover was thrusting into his mouth. Lee gripped harder to his waist and pulled the pants down pass Gaara's hips, slipping them down his thighs and to the top of his boots.

Gaara pulled away, panting and sweating, and pushed Lee back to the bed, letting him crawl backwards back onto it. Gaara pressed a hand to the bed beside him and undid his boots with the other, kicking them off and then the pants. Lee shivered, wriggling on the spot with his own need.

"Gaaaarrraaaa… This is not fair…" He hooked a finger into the ring of Gaara's choker, feeling wonderfully naughty as he curled a leg over Gaara's hip. "I am all dressed up and you are naked… Everything is hot in here, Gaara…" He tugged on the choker and licked along Gaara's lips. The clothes did seem to make the person… He felt wicked!

Gaara pushed against him and rested over Lee, one hand stroking from Lee's wrist to his elbow and then down his side to slip under his skirt. Lee squirmed happily, bringing his boots up to the bed and pushed back against Gaara's hand.

"Gaara… Do you have any lubrication?" He looked around himself but Gaara grasped his jaw and kissed him to distraction.

When he pulled back, he brought three fingers to his own mouth and bit down on them. Blood trickled down the digits.

"Gaara!" Lee grasped the wrist and frowned up at his lover. "We could have used something else…"

Gaara took his hand from him and brushed one finger over his orifice, making Lee gasp. "Not quick enough." The finger pushed through and twisted, getting Lee ready fast.

Lee tangled a hand in his hair and pulled Gaara back to him via the choker. Their lips crashed and their tongues tangled. A second finger plunged deep inside of him and curled in a 'come hither' fashion.

Lee 'came hithered' alright. He sobbed and used his legs as leverage pump back onto them. The third came and all three tried to fan out inside of him, but it was far too tight. He shoved them in to the third knuckle and then pulled shallowly, shoving back harder and Lee groaned as his entire body jerked.

Lee gripped Gaara's biceps. "Now, Gaara… I am ready!" His nails bit into Gaara's skin.

Gaara bit down on his shoulder in punishment. He held Lee's hip in one hand and his cock in the other, aligning himself.

He swiveled his hips and Lee took half of his length into himself. He screamed and wrapped both boot-clad legs around Gaara's waist, arching onto him.

He had been ready, but not for that. The hurt and pleasure of it made him sob louder than before and he pulled at Gaara's hair, feeling himself stretch unlike ever before.

Even before he could fully adjust, Gaara was slamming into him, plunging hard, deep, and fast. It was all Lee could do to even gasp around each thrust and there was hardly enough air in the room to scream with. Gaara grabbed his waist and shoved him higher onto the bed, pulling a leg over his shoulder and grasping one globed cheek in his other hand, squeezing it and spreading it wider.

It punched right against his prostate and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. "Ga-a-a-r-r-aa-aa!" His body was on fire and there was no actual thought in his mind. Only the instinctive need to break free from the heat.

Lee tangled one hand in the blankets, trying to keep himself still. The other one he wrapped under Gaara's shoulder. With his one knee tossed over Gaara's other shoulder, the position was uncomfortable… but it felt so good.

Gaara grabbed the leash and pulled. Lee's head lifted and Gaara bit his bottom lip hard, clenching his teeth around the soft, plump flesh. Lee sobbed and bit back, eyes closed tightly as something ruptured deep inside of himself. "GAA-AA-RRR-AA-AA!" His nails made long, deep scratches down Gaara's arm and the hand clenching the sheets came up and mauled down the back of his neck.

His lover didn't stop. He rammed into him harder and his tempo became irregular. He panted against Lee's throat, resting his lips there and every thrust he made hit Lee's prostate that much harder. His aftershocks turned into a second orgasm that rocked his world and he clenched around Gaara, pushing back just as hard, just as fast. He reared his head and bit Gaara's neck, trying everything his frenzied mind could think of to get Gaara to come with him.

"G-aa-aa-rr-aa! P-l-ee-ee-ea-s-ee!" Gaara clenched a hand in his hair and pulled his head back, assaulting his lips. He bucked his hips again, just one last time, and then came hard against Lee's prostate.

He panted through his orgasm, thrusting his hips still to milk the experience for all it was worth. His arms were trembling and his body was sweating massively. When his hips couldn't keep moving, he finally stopped.

Lee smiled up at him, panting and sated. His leg slid off of Gaara's shoulder and now his hands smoothed down his back instead of scratched. "Mmmm… Happy birthday, my most special person…" He squirmed and groaned, Gaara still inside of him. "I do not think my skirt survived the experience, though…" He could feel the soft ruffles against his sensitive bit and his cum now coated it. He doubted there would be any washing that out.

Gaara slid out of him and both groaned. Gaara kissed him, a short and soft connection. Lee held onto his back. "Mmmm… Gaaraa?" Lee nuzzled Gaara's cheek with his own, kissing just before his ear. "I am in love with you…"

He expected that moment where Gaara went tense and stared down at him. He accepted it. He expected the moment Gaara slid off of him and stared still didn't look away. He accepted that as well, though he was loathe to be without his lover's heat.

He sat up in the bed, feeling cum seeping from deep inside his body. He didn't reach out to Gaara, he only watched him. "It is alright if you do not feel the same way… I just want you to know that you have my heart completely."

He tugged his legs up to hide himself, giving his discarded underwear a longing look. "Do you want me to leave while you think this out?"

Gaara did nothing for minutes before shaking his head. He disappeared into the bathroom conjoined to his room and came back out with a damp washcloth. He went to Lee and urged his legs apart, slipping the towel over his member and where the cum stuck to his skirt before dipping it to catch the seepage from his orifice.

Lee watched and wasn't entirely certain what to do. Tired curls of pleasure went through him but his heart was heavy. Gaara was cleaning him as he usually did after making love but there were no looks promising more and Gaara was not using his mouth as he better enjoyed doing while Lee was conscious. He stared blankly down at what he was doing now, not even a hint of lust showing through.

Lee stroked his red hair, sad. "I am sorry… I did not mean to upset you on your birthday…"

Gaara looked up at him vacantly. "You did not mean to upset me?" Lee shook his head, petting a thumb over Gaara's tattoo. "Than why are you the one crying?"

Lee blinked, two more unrealized tears slipping down his cheeks. "I am sad for you…"

"You pity me?"

"I pity the boy who has never been loved… but I am heartbroken for the man who is offered love and does not know how to hold it." He jerked on the top cover of the bed, pulling it out and around to wrap it around Gaara's waist again. "You get cold so easily, Gaara… Please take more care."

"Are you ashamed of me?"

Lee frowned. "Never. How could you even think that?" No answer. Lee hugged Gaara even though the redhead remained tensely still in his arms. "Love is shameless, Gaara. True love. Some say love is making compromises but what it truly is? Loving someone regardless of everything and loving them entirely." He nuzzled his face into his lover's shoulder. "I am in love with you and with everything you are!" He brushed their noses together. "Completely, irrevocably, around the bin in love with you!"

Gaara began shaking. Lee became silent. "Are you lying?"

"Have you ever known me to lie?" Everything was becoming unpredictable. Gaara hadn't reacted this strongly when Lee had admitted to like-liking him.

Gaara said nothing, but shook his head. He stopped with the towel and set it aside. He left the bed and paced the width of it, Lee watching.

There was a clock above Gaara's door. Black against the sand-colored walls. It was written out with roman numerals. When Lee looked from Gaara to it, three hours had passed since Gaara had begun pacing. Lee blinked. He shuffled on the bed a bit, trying to regain a little feeling to his numb buttocks and sleeping legs.

"Gaara?" His voice was softly attentive. He grasped the loose ends of the blanket tied around his lover's waist, not trying to stop Gaara but gain his attention.

Gaara stopped and looked down at him. He said nothing as he stood between Lee's legs, a mask over his face that Lee could not see through or take off.

"Are you certain you do not want me to leave?" Because his heart was being run ragged waiting and it would do them both best at the moment.

Gaara put his hands on his shoulders and tipped him over, landing on top of him with one leg between his and the other pushing into the bed beside his hip. "I want you to stay."

Lee took up his braid and brushed it against Gaara's face, tickling his jaw and nose. "Alright, Gaara… I will stay."

"For how long?"

"For as long as you want me here."

Gaara considered this for the next half hour, not moving off of Lee or even moving at all. Lee brushed his braid over his face long after his arm ached.

Finally, Gaara blinked. "You are in love with me?"

Lee kissed him, long and deep and with all the love and adoration in his soul. Gaara kissed back and what he felt in him was beautiful, not quite certain but something that spoke of being nearly as powerful as heart rendering. He held a finger in the ring of Gaara's choker, not wanting it to end.

Alas, the call for air was as great as the need to touch. Their lips brushed just barely and they breathed into each other, stealing each other's oxygen and replacing it with their own scent.

Gaara nodded, something he had been looking for found. "I accept your affections than."

Lee kissed his shoulder. "How was your birthday, Gaara?"

"It was… acceptable…"

Lee smirked. "Anything else? Perhaps an improvement for next time?" Not that next time had to be on Gaara's birthday…

His teal eyes lit with calculations and ideas. "… Maybe a few…"

Lee rolled them over, landing on top of his lover. He leaned down low, their faces nearly touching. "Please do tell, my most special person!"

Gaara stroked his thigh between his skirt and boot. "You could be completely helpless… Tied to the bed and blindfolded. You could do absolutely nothing to fight me, only be able to feel what I do to you. Everything that I do to you and you would not be able to retaliate, to challenge me or dare me with your eyes."

Lee shivered, liking the prospect even when he balked at it. He had never been one for helpless, but Gaara's tone was far too sinful not to be affected by it. "No gag?"

Gaara stroked the corner of his lips. "No."

Lee licked the invading thumb. "Why not?"

"I would want to kiss you and listen to every sound I would wring from you… The gag would be pointless."

Lee kissed his palm and rested his forehead against his lover's, resting his arms above their heads. "Mm… Ear plugs?"

Gaara thought about it. "… Possible. You would be entirely dependent upon sense of touch."

Lee was really getting into this. "Would I be held down by rope or chain?"

"Handcuffs."

Lee blinked at the suddenness of the answer. "You have given this some thought, have you not?"

"You do nothing to discourage it." Gaara's hands wandered and grasped his butt, massaging both cheeks. "You are in love with me?"

Lee bit his bottom lip. "Yes. I am in love with you with all my heart, soul, and mind." He gripped Gaara's shoulders.

"… And you are my birthday present? Mine to do with as I wish?"

"Yes."

"… I want my gift again." His eyes were intent on him, his hands stroking Lee's bottom.

Lee smiled, wiggling his butt a bit. "How ever could I say no to you, my most special person?" Gaara rolled them over again and Lee tossed a leg around his waist. "Do I get to take off my clothes yet?"

Gaara gave it some thought. "Everything but the collar, the leash, and the boots."

Lee flushed and giggled nervously. "Naruto and Kiba will be pleased…" Even as he spoke, Gaara was unlacing his bodice, pulling it off of his chest.

Lee felt a moment of sadness for Sakura.

The skirt was handled just as kindly, even given a considerate look as if Gaara was determining whether to keep it on or take it off. In the end, it slid down Lee's legs and Lee squirmed a little. That, at least, might make Hinata happy that Gaara had actually had to debate with it.

Gaara's hand went to the silver rose choker and unsnapped it. Before Lee could silently apologize to both Shikamaru and Chouji (Actual silver and very fine leather), Gaara grasped both of his hands and twisted the choker around both of his wrists gently.

Had he been red before? Now he was a scarlet bordering on purple, he was certain. It felt as if his face was on fire! "Gaara?" His voice was a squeak.

Gaara looked back up at him from where he had slid down to molest one nipple with tongue and teeth. "My day of birth is not yet over, Lee… Why not have my wish now?"

Lee gulped. "Why not?" He wasn't one for being helpless… But Gaara was looking at him with so much lust, passion, and something soft and warm that Lee wouldn't fight him. His eyes slid close and he arched his body into Gaara's teasing. "Anything for the birthday boy…" 'Absolutely everything for my most special person…'