Here I am, another update for you guys. Didn't want to leave you hanging for too long.

Nothing belongs to me but this story right here. Enjoy!

The first time Lee became aware of his sexuality was at the age of seven. Like most young children, it had been a simple thought that held no real significance at the time. The realization (which really was not much of a realization given his age) had followed a lesson on the sanctity of marriage and what happy matrimony consisted of. While the Nuns were quick to stress the importance of the union being between husband and wife (the "only" went without saying) Lee's focus had already drifted to day dreaming the lovely imagined scene. At first he pictured an older Lee, (undoubtably handsome the child added for good measure) fashioned in a dashing suit waiting for his wife to walk down the aisle. Except, young Lee noted with some confusion, that didn't seem quite right. He couldn't bring himself to put a face to his pretend bride despite how hard he tried. Every time he imagined one of the females he had heard the other kids describe as beautiful or pretty, something just seemed wrong. Without giving it much thought, Lee reimagined the scene with himself taking on the role of bride, a handsome man waiting for him instead. That was much more agreeable to the child. And that had been it, no panicking or worrying, just a simple day dream that ended as soon as the Nuns moved on to a different topic. It wasn't until several years later that he learned how much his preferences would set him apart.

Lee was twelve when the realities of his situation hit. He had been spending more time with the redheaded boy who had helped him at the park, slowly getting to know his quiet new friend. Gaara, he was quickly learning, was unsociable at the best of times due to his own isolation. While normally a hindrance when attempting to make friends, the younger's stoic nature surprisingly meshed perfectly with Lee's never ending chatter. Neither were especially versed in making friends, Lee having two and Gaara having his siblings, but they somehow made it work. Lee loved the time he spent with his new friend. Gaara never got upset no matter how much he tended to prattle on (which was a lot) and actively listened to everything the former had to say. He had been worried at first that Gaara was ignoring him and didn't want to talk, but soon realized the younger's dislike for wasteful speech (which for some reason he did not mind with Lee) meant he only spoke when he had something meaningful to say. That just meant that when the redhead did speak Lee listened intently in turn, eager to hear the other's contribution. It was a good set up.

However, it was during this time that Lee's feelings for the other also grew. At first it started as simple, harmless thoughts like "Gaara has such blue eyes!" and "The colour of his hair is so unique, I wish I could have such a nice colour as well!". These thoughts slowly morphed from less neutral observations to more personal, albeit innocent, notes. It began with "Gaara has a truly handsome face, so strong and masculine" and somehow ended up as "I wish I could hug Gaara more often, his arms always feel so nice wrapped around me". Despite this, Lee still didn't think much of these new thoughts. In fact, it wasn't until months after the thoughts on his friend had become just another part of him that he began to question his feelings.

The Nuns had taken it upon themselves to gather all of the young males in one of the smaller classrooms in the orphanage one early October day. Lee had been confused, seeing as the first lesson of the day was supposed to be in the other wing of the building, but obediently followed behind the small gaggle of kids. They were quickly ushered into the class, an unfamiliar Priest standing at the front of the room watching with a neutral expression as they sat themselves at the small desks. When the Nuns left, the Priest cleared his throat loudly before delving into one of the most awkward speeches Lee had ever heard in his young life. The old, unfriendly looking priest had apparently been tasked with giving the young males at the orphanage a brief, and highly censored run down of puberty. The "lesson" mostly consisted of the older man emphasizing how the greatest sins any of them could ever commit were pre-marital sex, sexual thoughts or urges, and above all else homosexuality. While the other sins had been touched upon by the Nuns in other lessons, Lee had never really heard the last explained in any detail before. It had been mentioned every now and then in passing amongst some of the Nuns, but they had never really taken the time to speak on the subject. Needless to say, the sheer animosity and disgust put into the Priest's rant on the perverse and ungodly sin that was someone being attracted to the same gender, frightened Lee to his very core. After they were dismissed, Lee tried his hardest not to immediately bolt from the room, an action he knew would highlight his guilt even more than his quivering body and watery eyes already did. Instead he quietly slipped away from the group and made his way to the rose bushes he liked to hide in when everything became a little too much. As soon as he was hunched amongst the familiar thorned branches, a pitiful sob escaped trembling lips as fat tears rolled down chubby cheeks. Lee didn't leave the bushes until well after the sun had set. No one seemed to notice his absence.

After that day, the preteen vowed to repress any "un-pure" feelings or thoughts he had had (especially about a certain redhead). He was already hated for his unusual appearance and mannerisms, he wasn't going to add on to his already unfavourable position. Not if he could help it, at least. And if that meant stopping himself from embracing a certain redhead for too long and avoiding prolonged eye contact, well that was merely coincidental.

It was surprisingly easy for Lee to ignore his problems, that is until he no longer had the pressure of the orphanage constantly looming over his shoulders. In the silence of his small flat, away from the fear of prying eyes, he could no longer avoid the feelings he had been repressing for so long. To say it was a quick process would be a monumental fallacy. It took many a sleepless night spent wallowing in self loathing, and more then his fair share of tears before Lee could grudgingly acknowledge his sexuality. From there it became a matter of working past the negative feelings he associated with being gay, not to mention the sheer amount of guilt he felt whenever he thought about men in a less than platonic way. Months passed in the blink of an eye, Lee spent more of his time job hunting and less time worrying about his sexual preferences. Before he knew it, he found himself the newest employee at the world's most fantastic job, which improved his own feelings by leaps and bounds. From the first jumbled confession to Gai in the small office at Paradise to the more solid talk with Sai, Lee had come so far from the scared and hurt child trapped in the oppressive halls of Saint Kage's orphanage. He couldn't be more proud of himself (another feeling he wasn't used to but was finding he enjoyed greatly).

At this moment though, he felt none of the confidence he had worked so very hard to build these past months. In fact, he had never felt more like his old self as his friends continued to silently stare. He could feel cold beads of sweat trailing down the back of his neck as he desperately avoided eye contact. Stupid, was the only thing his fried brain could consistently conjure as he nervously bunched his hands in the already rumpled material of his jeans. He could feel his eyes welling with tears he really didn't want to shed. Not anymore at least, not over the one thing he had finally began to fully accept about himself. He had just hoped his closest friends would have accepted it too. Despite it all, he couldn't blame Gaara for his untimely outburst. The dark skinned male had always known his friend to be observant, especially when it came to himself, and so the knowledge of the redhead knowing his sexuality was not really all that surprising. Not to mention, Gaara still being socially inept, most likely saw Lee struggling to confess as his inability to form the right words rather than the internal struggle it was. So, to Gaara, the best way that he could help Lee out was to say the words himself. All in all, the pale teen was just trying to be a good friend, something Lee couldn't fault.

A loud smack rang through the eerily silent room, snapping Lee's gaze away from the clenched fists in his lap as he flinched at the sound. He was shocked to see a violently red hand print forming on Gaara's pale cheek as Tenten glared furiously at the unfazed male.

"Gaara you can't just say that!" The brunette hissed out through gritted teeth. "That's not your information to share you insensitive idiot!"

Lee hadn't seen Tenten so furious since their time in the orphanage together. She had almost the exact same look on her face as when she would catch the other kids hurting him, which was an extremely intimidating scowl that no one else could pull off quite as well as the normally sunny girl. Tenten was taking heaving breaths, clearly trying her hardest to calm her rising anger. She quickly turned to face the rest of the small group, who were opening gaping at the violent scene that had just unfolded. While they were accustomed to friendly smacks, always done jokingly and without any heat behind them, they were definitely not used to such serious blows.

"If any, and I mean absolutely any of you say anything negative about this I swear I will not hesitate to beat you beyond recognition," were the menacing words that Tenten practically spit at her once best of friends. Lee knew from her steely glare, and chillingly icy tone, that what Tenten said was not an idle threat but a promise. "I don't care how long we've known each other, Lee is my best friend and I will not stand for him being treated like crap."

Surprising himself, Lee somehow found enough of his voice to haltingly attempt to calm his friend down. "Tenten…i-it is alright. I a—"

"NO! It's not alright, Lee! I won't let them do this to you, you don't deserve to be ridiculed for something you have no damn control over!" Tenten shouted, nearing hysterical as she grabbed slender shoulders with deceptively strong hands. Brown eyes pleaded with obsidian orbs, desperately trying to stop her friend from once again brushing off his hurt feelings in favour of appeasing everyone else. "Please, just let me do this for you, let me stand with you this one god damn time," she whispered the last bit as she choked back tears of her own.

"I'm with Tenten," Naruto agreed as he made his way over to the pair, his usually jovial voice extremely serious. "If any of you have a problem you come to me, cause I'm not letting anyone make BB feel like shit."

The atmosphere in the room was suffocating. No one seemed to know how to respond to the alarmingly hostile brunette and blonde that were shielding the black haired teen from their unwanted gawking. Gaara continued to sit motionlessly, his face completely blank. Neji was flat out refusing to even look in their direction, his eyebrows knit together as he harshly bit his bottom lip. Sasuke opted to keep his eyes closed as he crossed his arms tightly, his face pulled in annoyance. No one said anything. Each moment that passed in silence became more tense then the last.

Hinata on the other hand was a complete mess, her expression torn between terrified and worried. This was apparently too much for the violet haired girl, because she soon broke out into loud sobs which she promptly tried to speak through. "I-I-I c..ould n-never h-hate y-you!" she hiccuped as she scrubbed furiously at her still falling tears.

Neji tsked angrily as he abruptly stood up, Tenten and Naruto instantly becoming alert at his sudden move sending twin glares in his direction. "Sexuality has absolutely nothing to do with wether or not I consider you a friend, I can't believe you'd even think that. How insulting," he spat as he ran his hand through his long hair. "And you two," he pointed at Tenten and Naruto angrily, "need to calm the hell down. I understand your concern, but you'd think we were some irrational bigots the way your acting!"

"Their fears are not unfound considering how Lee has been ridiculed the majority of his life," Gaara stated calmly, seemingly still unfazed by the events unfolding.

"What!?" Neji turned on the redhead at his confession.

"Oh for fuck's sake! Gaara what did I just say about sharing information that isn't yours to give!" Tenten gritted out as she rubbed her temple in irritation.

"What do you mean by ridiculed," Sasuke questioned, his face no longer pinched in anger.

"Oi, bastard this isn't the time!" Naruto yelled gruffly as he smacked his adopted brother on the shoulder.

"I think now's the perfect time," Neji countered, clearly not amused by the lack of shared information.

"Seriously guys, back off!" Tenten threatened.

"Or what, you'll 'beat us beyond recognition'," Neji mocked.

"How dare yo—"

"PLEASE STOP!" Lee's clear, loud voice efficiently silenced the room's occupants. "I do not want you to fight," he quickly confessed, faltering slightly as all eyes turned to him. "I do not like seeing you like this. Tenten, Naruto," he began as he looked his two oldest friends in the eyes, "I can not begin to thank you for always standing up for me. It warms my heart to know you will always have my back in hard situations, and for that I am most grateful. However," Lee took a breath and closed his eyes tightly, "I do not think your actions towards our other friends are justified."

Before Tenten or Naruto could argue his statement, which Lee knew they were about to do, he continued. "While they did not say anything at the confession, they also did not say anything negative. I believe that they were just…surprised by the sudden…statement. So I think that we owe them an apology for our preconceived fears and reactions."

"I…." Tenten haltingly began, "when did you get so mature?" she asked in awe.

Lee opened his eyes to refocus on the brunette's half smile. Relief flooded his system as he saw a matching smile on Naruto's face. Thank goodness.

"Lee's right….heh, we did kind of jump the gun didn't we?" Naruto chuckled as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, just a little," Neji continued to glare at the sheepish looking duo, still unimpressed at their previous display of aggression.

"Dumbasses.." Sasuke added under his breath.

"Look…we're…really sorry but," Tenten looked at Lee for permission before she continued her explanation. "Saint Kage's wasn't exactly the most…tolerant of places. Kids can be mean, and well…in Lee's case, he's just too nice for his own good so he got the brunt of it. I know you guys know some of it but….let's just say it wasn't pretty"

"They are all idiots," the redhead sounded genuinely infuriated, if the harshness of his gravely voice was anything to go by.

"You're telling me," Naruto huffed in agreement.

"We just don't want Lee to have that happen again, and well…we kind of….jumped to conclusions a little bit?" Tenten concluded as she bumped her fingers together, gaze traveling everywhere but the other people in the room.

"You're forgiven….for now," Neji grudgingly assented as he lowered himself back into a seated position on the bedroom floor. "Now as for Lee being gay, we're obviously all okay with that, right?" Neji asked, voice sharp as if daring anyone to say otherwise.

"It would be hypocritical of me to be disgusted considering I too am interested in men," Gaara suddenly confessed, showing no visible reaction to the sudden attention that was thrown his way.

"W-what!?" Lee squeaked as he gaped at his long time friend. Apparently he didn't know the redhead as well as he had previously assumed.

"I'm gay," the pale teen deadpanned as everyone continued to stare at him.

"I-I'm attracted to w-women!" Hinata suddenly pitched in, face going violently red as heads snapped in her direction.

"IS THAT WHY YOU BROKE UP WITH KIBA!?" Naruto questioned loudly, filling in the blanks of the truth or dare confession.

"A-a-ah!" she stuttered before giving up and hiding her flaming face in her hands.

"Neji's at the very least bisexual," Sasuke smirked as he smoothly confessed the other's sexuality aloud.

"You bastard!" Neji practically yelled, voice rising as he glared at the unapologetic teen, pale face uncharacteristically flushed in embarrassment. "As if you have any right, considering you're in the same position as me."

"What is happening!?" Tenten frantically questioned as her eyes darted between all of her friends. "Is this just a day for confessions!? If it helps, i'm most definitely straight!"

Lee couldn't help the loud guffaw that escaped his trembling lips. How the situation had gone from tense to hilarious in such a short amount of time was truly baffling, but he couldn't help but find the humour in everything that had transpired. Covering his mouth, he tried to stifle his laughter but couldn't quite succeed. One by one, they joined in their friend's contagious chuckling, until they were all on the floor gasping for breath in-between uncontrollable laughter.

When they calmed down, Lee filled them in on the more unsavoury parts of his past. He was ready to speak more openly about Saint Kage's and even his struggles moving out. Like Gai had said, his friends listened avidly and openly, truly wanting to hear everything he had to say. It was a great feeling and it was even better when he finally spoke allowed the very things he had kept to himself for far too long. Eventually everyone began to share their own experiences, both good and bad, turning the day into a bonding experience they would fondly remembering in years to come. Lee had never been more thankful in his life for the friends that had slowly become his family.

There we go!

I had originally intended for this chapter and the previous to be one complete chapter. At first I wanted everyone to immediately react favourably to Lee's confession, but then I decided against it. I feel like this fic has been a bit too idealistic and, while this is still pretty damn accepting, I wanted to add in some more tension. I just couldn't bring myself to make any of the characters outright hate Lee so this is what I managed to do instead.

Thank you to everyone that has continued to read and comment on this fic, I really can't even tell you how happy your messages make me.

Comments and feedback are always welcome, but not expected!