Holy shit guys i'm back!
I am so sorry for the long ass break in-between chapters. Life got real busy there for a second, I went on a trip and then when I came back some minor health problems and work consumed me.
But fear not, I have not abandoned this story!
As always, the only thing I own are my feeble attempts at writing something decent!
Lee stood frozen in place, the loud applause a dull ringing in his hazy mind. He noted a slight tremor running through his body making the fingers on his hand twitch involuntarily. The unexpected words from Gai continued to drift around him, the implications clear and terrifying despite the mask of excitement. Regardless of his turmoil, Lee could feel a large smile stretching foreignly at his face; the forced expression made him wince internally. Never had a smile felt so wrong. As the crowd dissipated the teen could feel his apprehension rising. With a painful thud from his heart, and an unhealthy spike of adrenaline, the raven haired youth broke out in a clammy sheen of sweat. He knew what was going to come next but desperately hoped that against all odds his intuition would be wrong. The approach of Gai swiftly smash his desperate pleas. The only saving grace was the pale hand still clenching his own, the single tether keeping him together as he felt himself rapidly falling to pieces. Either Gai was unawares of the complete melt down Lee was having, or he was choosing to look past it, because he continued to make his way over, the large beaming smile never leaving his masculine face.
"Lee, my most youthful friend! Is this not a most wonderful surprise!" the elder male's voiced boomed loudly, making Lee flinch back at the sheer volume. Never before had he been afraid of the jovial voice of his manager, but in this moment he was petrified.
"How dare you," the deadly calm sneer of Sai's voice rose bitterly from the other teen's side, "You stupid old man, did you ever think that maybe this wouldn't be exciting news for Lee?"
Gai seemed honestly taken aback at the alabaster male's venom, going so far as to take a step back as if he had been physically pushed. His thick eyebrows drew together in concern, and he quickly re-evaluated the trembling form of his newest employee.
"I…..I…." Gai trailed off, shame colouring his normally pleasant tone.
"P-please…." Lee began weakly, bringing his shaking hand to to his lips, trying to physically hide the stammer in his voice. He averted his eyes from the hunched figure in front of him, instead focusing on his scuffed runners. "I….I just need a moment t-to think if that i-is alright?"
"YES….I mean, yes of course! Let us go back to my office, and you can think as long as you need my dear Lotus," Gai quickly agreed, eager to calm the young male's shaken nerves.
The three men quietly made their way over to the small office, easily going undetected amongst the already large crowd. Sai had pulled Lee closer during the short trek, an arm secured around his lithe waist offering what little support he could. The raven haired teen was more than grateful to Sai for this because at the moment he didn't think he could trust his legs not to crumple under him. Gai, whom had gone ahead of them, held the dark office door open, ushering the two teens in without any preamble. Sai guided him over to the small sofa, plopping him down with a gentle shove. Lee slumped down, bringing his hands up to rub his face before resting his head in them. He inhaled shakily, letting out a long breath while Sai sat down beside him. He felt his friend's cold hand as Sai began to rub comforting circles on his back.
"Lee…oh my little Lotus, I am so sorry," came the choked voice of their manager, "I only wanted to give you this opportunity…"
"Lee clearly expressed his discomfort at the prospect of performing when he first started working here," Sai reminded the older male harshly, his deep voice cutting in its coldness.
"Yes, I know my dear friend," Gai sighed, upset clear in his tremulous tone. "I….I just wanted to leave the option available to him. Lee…."
Obsidian eyes peaked from between tanned fingers at the call of his name from the elder.
"Lee, you have been blossoming beautifully since you started working with us at Paradise," Gai beamed through tearful eyes. "I have seen you overcome so much internal strife and external hardships! It awes me to see such a young man move froward in spite of the hand he has been dealt in life. I grow more proud of you every moment we spend together, and I can not help but feel pride in the sheer determination you possess. And although I know you still shy away from many things, and rightfully so, I wanted…..no I hoped that I could give this to you as a promise for the future… t-to show your importance to Paradise….and to me. Kakashi and I are still in need of another employee due to Shikamaru's dawning absence, so please do not feel obligated to take this position. We can always find another performer Lee, but I can not find another you."
Gai suddenly stood from the chair he had been sitting in, dropping to the floor in a formal bow. Lee jolted back from his slouched position, haltingly standing at the sudden action on the older male's part.
"Please forgive me for my reprehensible actions!" The heavily muscled man wailed loudly, his shoulders shaking with the force of his sobs.
For a moment Lee could do nothing but stare, eyes blown wide at the sight in front of him. Another loud sob from Gai had him snapping back to himself. Falling to his knees ungracefully, Lee gently gripped the broad, trembling shoulders of his manager, his own dark eyes filling with tears. Gai lifted his head to look Lee in the eyes, his face a heartbreakingly ugly mess of tears and snot. Strong arms crushed the teen to a firm chest as the elder continued to sob through a litany of apologies. An amused huff from Sai broke through the moment.
"All it ever seems you two do is cry together," Sai teased, "I guess I'll take my leave then, seeing as everything has returned to…well, normal and Gai in the same sentence is a bit outlandish at the best of times, so we'll go with the norm. I'll see you later Lee, don't let him talk you into anything."
With that, the pale teen rose from the couch and swiftly exited the office, leaving the other men to their reconciliation.
"I was never upset with you Gai," Lee confessed in the silence that had fallen after Sai's leave. "I-I was just…shocked. I never expected that you would even consider me to fill Shikamaru's place. And, if I-I am being honest...I do not know how ready I am to fill such a large void."
"No Lee, it is not a spot for you to fill," Gai corrected as he pulled back from their embrace to look the young male in the face. He hastily wiped roughly at his face, clearing it of tears. "In fact, even if Shikamaru had not decided to leave, I was still going to bring up the possibility to you" the elder revealed helping Lee to his feet so they could move to the leather sofa. "I had not even considered making an announcement, but I got so very excited when Shikamaru revealed to me his leaving, and the prospect of surprising you with my request well….I may have gone a bit overboard…"
Lee couldn't help but chuckle at the older male's sheepish expression. He had calmed down significantly during the time they had spent in the small office, no longer were his thoughts a chaotic jumble of fear and despair. Taking a deep breath, the young male prepared himself to confront the events from earlier.
"I—" Lee began before Gai hastily interrupted him.
"No Lee please wait," the elder pleaded, a serious expression making the harsh lines of his face stand out. "I know how very enthusiastic you are about taking on challenges such as the one I presented to you tonight…but Sai is right. I do not want you to agree to what I am saying solely because you wish to make me happy. I do not want you to feel as if you have been pressured into accepting this position."
"I…t-thank you for that Gai….however," Lee inhaled sharply, hoping his voice wouldn't tremble, "I….am not so apposed to the idea of performing as I once was."
"Now Lee, are you su—"
"I promise you I am not just saying this to, to make you like me or, or be proud of me," the young male said earnestly. "I know I have done that in the past….but I-I want to do this for myself! That is not to say that I am unafraid, because it does terrify me to think of performing in front of others and to put myself in a position in which I can be easily judged. But it is like you said earlier, I feel like I have been blossoming and…and I really like that feeling. I'm finally….finally starting to really like myself…." he trailed off, embarrassed at his overly truthful confession.
Gai concentrated on the vulnerable hunch of Lee's shoulders, and the crimson blush of shame that marred his coffee skin. He had known from the beginning of their short friendship that Lee was prone to following any instructions in the hopes of keeping everyone appeased. At this point, it was so ingrained in the younger to just agree that it almost frightened Gai at the power it gave others over his precious employee. The worst of it all was that Gai knew it was a latent defence mechanism borne from the continual hatred Lee had received growing up; if he did exactly what people wanted of him, then there was less for them to dislike about him. Gai clenched his fists at the unwelcome truth. Hate was a strong word, but in that moment the elder truly hated the people who had shaped such a wonderful person into such a misshapen version of themselves. The older male once again took in the site of the young male before him, his body language open and trusting despite the conflict warring inside him. Gai hadn't been stretching the truth earlier when he said Lee had been blossoming. The raven haired youth was slowly coming to learn that it was okay for him to do things for himself. The amount he had opened up to Gai was as reassuring as it was heartbreaking. It showed his willingness to move forward; and that, to Gai, was more than enough to trust Lee's words.
"We will start of slow, my dear Lotus."
Lee's head shot up at Gai's acceptance, the fearful look around his eyes smoothing out instantaneously.
"You will need to practice of course, something that will demand much of your time. I am certain, however, that you will have no issue in dedicating your time to this endeavour! The sincerity of you words have moved me Lee, I am most confident in your ability to pursue this options for yourself, my friend. I hope you find happiness in this venture to match the happiness you have given to me!" Gai laughed jovially, his tone characteristically light and loud. He clapped Lee on the shoulder, giving the teen a reassuring squeeze. "I have the utmost faith in you Lee, I just ask that you pace yourself to suit your needs."
Lee smiled tentatively in response to the proud smile on Gai's face. He was still nervous about the prospect of performing, but he found that queazy feeling was quickly being dominated by the excitement of trying something outside his comfort zone. Something he could do for himself.
"YOSH!" he exclaimed, clenching his hands in determined fists, "I swear I will try my hardest or I will take double the amount of serving shifts with no tips!"
"That is the energy I like to see Lee!" Gai boomed, "Training will start this weekend, if that works for you!"
Gai and Lee remained in the office for most of the night, putting together a rough schedule outlining when Lee would come in to practice. Paradise had several themed nights, each of which had it's own corresponding routine. These routines often involved all of the performers taking the stage in delightfully skilled displays that demonstrated the caliber of Paradise's workers. Lee would be tasked with learning these routines first, a staple in any dancers repertoire. That was the easy part. The harder would be choreographing new dances to suit Lee's stage persona, something else all together they would have to plan. Each performer at Paradise had their own persona and, in turn, routines which catered to the various clientele of the club. Sai, much like his own person, was infinitely aloof and collected on stage. His coolness made him a mysterious figure that presented an unattainable fantasy to the audience. Itachi, on the other hand, played the part of a handsome, attentive lover. He was personable and suave, sensually offering a night of fun to the customers. Shikamaru had completed the trio with his contemptuous play. He was often cast as the uninterested, uncaring, fiend. Shikamaru would purposefully brush people off, if not ignore them completely. Something, Gai informed him, that many people enjoyed. Lee would have to find his place amongst the two other figures in Shikamaru's absence; a natural balance to their characters.
A knock on the office door had the pair breaking apart, Gai rising to answer the intrusion. Sai peeked into the room, looking at his friend's relaxed posture, and Gai's happy face.
"It is time to leave, Kakashi locked the front doors fifteen minutes ago." Sai began, drawing his own conclusions to what had occurred during his leave. "I assume you will be needing me to come in this weekend to train Lee, is that correct?"
"Ah yes, Sai, thank you for volunteering my friend!" Gai stretched, joints popping back into place after their prolonged disuse.
"Come Lee, we must get you home," the pale teen turned his attention to his friend, beckoning him to follow.
Lee, following Gai's example, stretched out of his prone position. He moved towards his manager, a serene smile stretching his lips.
"Thank you for everything tonight Gai, I appreciate your continual patience and trust," Lee thanked, bowing his head.
"Ah, there is no need for this my little Lotus!" Gai pulled Lee into another hug, holding the teen close before letting him go. "It is I who should be thanking you for your forgiveness at my horrible behaviour. Now, before you can protest, have a most wonderful night Lee, and I can not wait to see you next!"
Gai cheerfully pushed the two out of his office, waving quickly before shutting the door. Lee smiled to himself, falling instep beside Sai as they made their way to to the exit at the back of the club.
"So you agreed then," Sai glanced sideways at the teen, nothing in his tone indicating a hint of emotion.
"Yes, I…I feel like this will be good for me," Lee confided, looking up to the ceiling. "I want to continue to move forward…I-I want to keep blossoming Sai. I have held myself back for so long, I want to see what I am really capable of."
Sai hummed at his coworker's words as they made their way into the cool night air. "That is a noble cause indeed," the pale teen sagely nodded his head. "I suppose I have to support you in this then." A ghost of a smile played at his lips as he looked at Lee, "I hear that's what friends do."
"Thank you Sai!" Lee squealed happily as he jumped at his friend, surprising the other into an impromptu hug. "It is going to be so fun with you helping me along the way!"
"You say that now, but lets see if you feel the same way after hours spent doing the same section over and over." Sai scoffed as he maneuvered them around the corner.
"Trust me friend, it will be gre—"
"So this is what Paradise looks like," a low voice rumbled.
"And who are you?" Sai questioned the stranger harshly as he felt Lee go rigid in his arms. He didn't know what was happening, but whatever it was wasn't good.
"Hmm, I could ask you the same thing," the shorter male retorted without any true heat behind his words, seemingly ambivalent to the accusatory tone of the other male. "I am Gaara Sabaku, and i'm here to pick up Lee."
So, I know this chapter is relatively short in comparison to the others, and thus a shitty makeup chapter for my absence, but I really needed to end it here.
I've just been really milking these cliffhangers, haven't I?
Thank you all so much for your continual support of this fic despite my abhorrent updating habits! I really appreciate all of your comments and I hope I can continue to entertain you all! And, as always, comments and reviews are not necessary but are greatly appreciated!