Title: Three Good Reasons
Author: Ardespuffy, myself!
Pairing: GaaraxLee, or vice versa, as you will
Rating: I fair play, this time… K!
Timeline: somewhere between the chunin exams and the end of the first season
N.d.A: this is the first Naruto fic that I manage to finish… I've got another one in progress, but it'll be a very longer plot! Anyway, please, let me know what you think! .
.Start.
"Just give me three good reasons why we can't be together, and I swear I'll get out of your sight. If I'll ever peeve you again, I'll travel three times from Konoha to Suna walking on my hands and singing the Sailor Song! I promise!"
Lee's voice sounds enthusiastic, but Gaara's tone is utterly blank. As usual.
"Fine" the sand master lapidary announces. "First reason: I don't like you."
Oh, this could be such a hard stroke. It'd be to anyone, except to him. Rock Lee is the official expert in rejection.
"Not so bad" he comments, indeed, without losing his typical pep. "Sometimes you need time to appear nice. I might have made a bad impression to you, the first time, and maybe the second too, and even, who knows, even the third time; but I'm kind of unflinching, and bet I'll finally manage to make you like me, Gaara-san!"
If he had a pair of eyebrows – save this eyebrow thing, Gaara-kun, it's a good point – this would definitely be the moment to raise them in a sceptical pose. But Temari finds him too androgen to be hairy in whatever part of his body. And she doesn't know how much she's right.
He focuses again: "You still don't make a good impression to me, Lee" he points out, and he's so not joking. Sabaku no Gaara never jokes.
He gets an angel smile: "One more reason to keep on trying, don't you think so?"
Visibly annoyed: "No."
The green beast plays the pouty card. He probably wouldn't, if he knew that Gaara finds it frightening: "Come oooooon, Gaara-san! There must be something you like about me!" he whines, nice and far from abandoning his strong and annoying beliefs.
The conversation's becoming dreary: "No."
Lee gets thoughtful. "This can't be" he points out, in a suddenly – and surprisingly – logic tone. Gaara is scared. "If you really don't like me, at least you have to like the fact that you don't like me!" the taijutsu master continues, pointing his index finger in a teacher pose. "And if you don't like the fact that you don't like me, then it means that you like me enough to have yourself not liking the fact that you don't like me! So, however you see this, Gaara-kun, you'll necessarily find something you like about me!" he triumphantly finishes.
Gaara thinks he'll throw his soul out if his ears will ever get to hear the word "like" again. He gulps, as his cheeks regain their natural colour (euphemism of the century): "You're insane."
Sounds really funny coming from you, Gaara-kun!
Shut the hell up, you overweight racoon!
The smile on Lee's face only seems to enlarge: "You see, you can't reply anymore! So this reason's not suitable! Let's skip to the second one, then" he urges on, seemingly anxious to dismantle all of the redhead's statements.
Gaara's about to wonder why he has even gotten up from his bed, this morning, but then he remembers. He did not go to bed at all. "Second reason: you're a boy!" he declares, clearly self sure. This time the green midge can't beat him. He's sure he heard his sister saying something 'bout how two people of the same gender being not meant to get together. At that time, he wondered why that lecture – 'cause it definitely was a lecture – was addressed to his brother; but when he caught him up doing strange things in strange positions behind the bathtub curtain, with a guy sheepishly hiding under his sunglasses, he suddenly got a clue. And some money too, since Kankuro payed to have him keeping the secret from Temari.
But Rock Lee is smiling. And Gaara hates it when he smiles this way.
"In ancient Greece, Gaara-kun, homosexual love was celebrated as the highest kind of affection!" the green teacher peeps proudly. "And many civilizations believe that the one, true passion is the one between people of the same gender, because of the chromosome attraction. So, do you still think there's something wrong with being gay, Gaa-chan?" he sets on, clearly pleased by his speech.
Gaara's baffled. He wonders where is Greece, and what that short and strange word Lee's just said means. He thinks back on argument number two, the one Temari set when, thanks to an anonymous tip-off, she broke in a certain bathroom, to find out a certain brother with a certain sunglasses guy, behind a certain bathtub curtain. He gives himself a sec to mentally admire the lil' bags of ryo he got then, learning something that would turn out to be pretty useful: it repays to tell on. Literally.
Focus, Gaara-kun. Nope, Temari never talked 'bout Greece. But whatever it's like, no doubt it's another weird boy-boy thing that mustn't be done, so he's still having the last word.
Takes courage again: "You're a boy, and I'm a boy" he underlines, unable to explain it any clearer.
Lee's eyed becomes softer: "I can see this myself, Gaara-kun. But I've already told you that's not a problem. If I do like you, and you do like me, then what's wrong with this?"
Flash of a support: "But I do not like you!"
Smug grin: "Shall we go back there…?"
Oh, no. Absolutely no.
He gulps and shoulders the shot, looking around for any possible way out. He wonders how many chances he's got to reach his gourd before the fastest nin' of the country does, in order to get rid of his annoying presence the easiest way he knows.
Given the speed of Lee catching his eyes, less than a bit.
He sighs and gets ready for the third reason. His ace in the hole: "Alright. Third reason: you've got awful eyebrows" he firmly states. No way the Konoha lotus could beat this.
Oh-oh. Oh-fucking-oh.
Why the hell is he smirking, again??
"I knew you would've said it, and the solution's right here!" Lee yells cheerfully, turning around to ransack in his travel suitcase and bring out something…
Gaara'd frown, if he only could. This eyebrows thing's quite starting to piss him off. Remember to ask Temari for a pair of brows, Shukaku notes down.
The black-haired genin shows a shining smile, holding proudly a little plastic tube: "Trim stripes!!! Tenten-chan says they do miracles! Oh, obviously she doesn't use them: she borrowed them from Ino-chan, who took them from Sakura-san as well, who gott'em from Kakashi-sensei! You know, his little skin trouble… why d'you think he always wears that mask?? Surely, Gai-sensei recommended me not to spread it around, and I don't, 'cause really, technically, I'm not spreading it around, right? All that matters is, I need just a few drops of this salve to make my brows thinner, so that you can't complain anymore! And also the third reason is gone, Gaara-kun! Now we can be together!" he quits, with a howling that sounds through the city with a shameful loudness.
And to that he tries to drop into his beloved's arms, but he's not this fast. Or perhaps it's Gaara being not this slow.
While the Leaf shinobi falls knocking his head on the ground, Gaara ponders, bothered. Not for the whole Kakashi's mask thing, even if – he has to admit it – a tiny part of him finds it interesting. Mostly 'cause his siblings would pay a pretty penny for such a scoop.
Not for the mask thing, then. The fact is, even his last reason is gone, e now he doesn't know what to add up anymore.
He needs to test.
Before Lee can try to assault him again, Gaara starts to list hastily: "You've also got a horrible haircut!"
"You just need scissors to fix it, Gaa-chan!"
"You always wears that awfully glowing clad."
"It's not glowing, I fear. I've made trials."
"It's ugly anyway."
"But I could take it off for you, Gaara-kun! I'd willingly do it!"
Oh, what now. If he was physically able to blush, this would be the right moment to. "A-And you're hyper."
"That's the POWER OF YOUTH, Gaara-kun!!! I would teach you how to increase it, if you just want to…"
"You speak too much."
"Oh, huh… so sorry! Please, go on."
"That's the reason. You speak too much."
"But it's because I've many things to tell you, Gaara-chan! Communication's important in a relationship!"
"Your teeth are too white. It's annoying."
"Well, I know there are some certain white-stripes… there'd be the black ones, too!"
"You can't keep still. Neither while you're talking. It's fazing."
"I promise I'll try to keep under the vigour of my youthful spirit, if this can please you!"
"You're obsessed with your master. You talk of him as a god."
Those hated teeth shine in a pleased grin: "Jealous, Gaara-chan? No worries, Gai-sensei's such a father to me! You're the only one I care of as a boyfriend."
The sand master doesn't give up: "You're stilted and all-knowing. And pesky."
"I'm so sorry, Gaara-san, but it's my thirst of knowledge that makes me learn things! At the academy we've been taught that a good ninja does not drop his culture, and Gai-sensei does nothing but repeat me…"
"You're doing it again!"
"What?"
"Gai-sensei here, Gai-sensei there…"
"I'm so sorry, Gaara-chan, but he's important to me, and…"
"You do nothing but apologize! It's unbearable!!! And stop calling me with such girlish nicks! JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!"
That's it. Pouf. If he had known that it'd be this easy, he would've played that card much earlier.
Lee shuts up, looking downward. For the first time since the green hurricane showed up in the room, the only audible thing is a rassuring silence. Gaara mentally bless it, whilst his eyes run up and down the guy silhouette beside him.
He's shitless.
He curls his lips, suddenly realizing he doesn't like this view.
What's wrong now? Ain't it what you wanted?
I…just wanted to shut him up.
You wanted to kill him!
But I didn't!
Just because you couldn't!
This doesn't matter!
Of course it does, you lil' skittish and pent-up fag!
I am not a… how the hell have you called me??!
"Gaara…"
Back to reality.
Lee stares at the floor: "Just know that I didn't mean to... bother you. I've only come to... you know... talk. But you're right, I just talk too much" he states, a tiny bitter smile on his lips.
Shit, dude. We're feeling guilty, aren't we?
Just get it over with it.
He keeps silent, as the spandex dressed nin' ducks to reach his bag and lets out a small smile: "I'll better get going, now. Gai-my comrades are waiting for me" he hastily rectifies.
Still silent, still standing.
Sayin' something wouldn't be this bad right now, ya know?
Shut the hell up, you overweight racoon!
Lee adjusts the travel bag on his shoulders and overcomes the other boy, vacantly muttering some greeting words, while ready to pass the threshold.
It's now or never, you silly fag!
"… Lee…"
Gaara sighs. A real sigh, breath exhaling and all.
He slowly turns, his eyes meeting the green lotus big and round ones again.
"The only reason why I cannot be with you is that I can't be with anyone."
A brief silence, always short-lasting with Radio Lee around: "What do you mean?"
The red head nearly seems to fall down, barely sustained by the thin neck, while the aqua orbs get lost in the geometrical design of the floor.
"Because I can't love."
Silence. Many seconds of silence. He's had nearly broken the habit, and now here it goes again, and that's... overwhelming.
Say something, you stupid midge!
But it's not time to talk. If even one of Lee's kind can get it, then Shukaku'll have to deal as well.
Gaara feels the foreign, yet pleasent, touch over his chin. Two callous fingers gently make his head rise, until he drowns again in those deep potholes that are green beast's eyes.
Lee is smiling, just a tiny bend of his lips, this time. He likes that smile, the sand prince considers. It's fairly... warm.
"But I can teach."
Few words in line, and they're worther than a whole speech.
They stay looking at each other, just looking at each other, for a very long while. Even the racoon demon shuts up and watches, too concerned - against its own will - to interfere.
At the end, at the real end, Gaara shakes his head in a nod.
And Lee innerly smiles, thinking of that Sailor Song that no one will hear him sing today.
.Fin.
Ooooh-kay, I'm done! This was the first time I translated some of my stories into english - I'm Italian - and I found it kinda pleasent! I just hope I did not make too many mistakes... whatever grammatical correction will be more than appreciated! Thanks for reading and, why not?, reviewing!