Gaara drug his feet as he walked up the stairs to go talk to Temari. He hated talking to his siblings, but he wanted to know what was going on. "Temari, I need to ask you something!" He shouted, walking into the living room. His sister was already sitting on the couch. Gaara reluctantly stood just inside the living room. "How do people usually act around someone they… like?" Gaara asked, thinking about Lee's odd behavior.
"Well," Temari eyed her brother curiously, "sometimes they'll stutter or blush. Usually they just act nervous. Why the sudden interest?" Gaara shook his head and retreated to the basement. He had an answer. That was all he was looking for.
What he had felt earlier around Lee, there was no way. He loved only himself, hence the tattoo on his forehead. Gaara had vowed to keep hatred and distrust towards everybody after what Yashamaru had done to him. If he cared for anyone it would only be easier for them to hurt him. Maybe he was getting sick. And as for Lee… He was just weird. Gaara nodded slightly as he lie down on his bed, pushing the thoughts out of his mind.
Gaara stayed in his room until the next night, making only quick trips for food. He glanced at the clock. Four-thirty. That meant nearly an entire day spent staring at the ceiling.
"Come on, Gaara, let's go!" Kankuro shouted, pounding his fist on the bedroom door. Gaara grumbled and shoved the door open violently. "Get in the car!" His brother began walking back towards the stairs.
"Why?" Gaara asked evenly, not moving.
"Just get in the damn car. You'll see when we get there." Kankuro yelled from the top of the staircase. Gaara reluctantly followed and climbed into the passenger's seat. His gaze fell on random things out the window, and then focused on the building his brother parked in front of.
"A dojo?" Gaara muttered.
"We're a little early," Kankuro stepped out of the car, "but you can talk to the teacher." Gaara looked slightly confused. "You might be taking classes here. And don't even think about arguing. The teacher said he'd love to have someone try out tonight. We'll sign you up if you can keep up with the class. And that doesn't mean you can fake it."
Gaara mumbled unhappily and followed his brother inside the dojo. No sooner than the door shut behind him, he heard a slightly familiar voice.
"Alright, we have a little time before class starts! Who wants to practice some sparring?" The voice called energetically. It couldn't really be him, could it?
"No way, I'm not gonna spar with you! You kicked my butt last time, Bushy Brow!" Another boy said franticly. "You've even beaten Kakashi-sensei! Only Guy-sensei can still beat you! There's no way any of us will take you on!"
"Aren't we getting a new student?" Someone else asked. "Spar with him when he shows up. Show him what we've got to put up with."
"Okay then, as soon as he arrives I shall challenge him! It should be fun!"
Gaara moved away from the door enough to see onto the mats. There weren't many people, and everyone simply wore their street clothes. The few adults were discussing something with the teacher, but on the closer side of the mats was a small group of boys Gaara's age.
The boy farthest from him was blonde with whisker-like scars on his cheeks. He was complaining to another boy with short jet-black hair, who kept shrugging him off. The third boy had short spiky brown hair, and his eyes looked like animal eyes. The last unfamiliar face had a short black ponytail and looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. Gaara couldn't mistake the last boy, even from behind. That stupid haircut gave him away.
The blonde suddenly noticed Gaara looking at them. "Hey, Bushy Brow! I think that's the new student!" He shouted as he pointed at Gaara. The boy with black hair punched the blonde in the arm.
"Stop yelling, you idiot!" He hissed. "Lee, I think he might be right though." Lee spun around to see who the new student was.
"Oh, Gaara-kun!" He walked to the edge of the mats and grinned. "So you are the new student? What a surprise!"
The other boys wandered forward to stand next to Lee. "You know this guy?" The boy with the ponytail asked lazily.
"Yes!" Lee nodded. "This is my friend, Gaara-kun." Gaara's eye twitched.
"Hey, Bushy Brow!" The blonde grinned from ear to ear. "Weren't you gonna spar with the new kid?"
"Oh, uh," he glanced at all of the boys in turn, "I, um… Yes I was." He looked back at Gaara. "Would you like to spar for a moment, Gaara-kun?" Gaara was small compared to Lee, but about the same size as the other boys. Lee knew Gaara could fight, but wasn't sure just how strong he was. Gaara seemed so frail.
Gaara shrugged and sat down, pulling his shoes and socks off. He was forced to admit to himself that he was a bit nervous as he stepped onto the mats. One of the first things he had learned about Lee was that he was dedicated to a fault. He trained every day until he dropped. "I guess it can't hurt." The blonde snickered until the others punched his arms simultaneously.
"Alright, let us begin." Lee tried to remember the last time he sparred with someone other than Guy-sensei. He didn't want to hurt Gaara, so he would have to be careful. The thought quickly escaped his mind when Gaara swung at him. Lee instinctively grabbed Gaara's wrist and used the momentum to throw him over his shoulder. Gaara hit the ground and threw his hands quickly up over his head, grabbing Lee's ankles. Lee yelped slightly as Gaara jerked his feet out from under him. He fell to the ground, but before he had time to react, Gaara pulled him into an arm bar.
"No way! New kid beat Bushy Brow in no time! Didn't even have to fight really!" The blonde laughed uncontrollably. "What's up with that? Bushy Brow, you're losing it!" Gaara let go of Lee and quickly stood up. Lee went easy on him; that was obvious. Gaara knew that Lee could have beaten him senseless if he'd wanted to. But Lee wouldn't do that to anyone unless it was to protect someone dear to him.
Lee jumped up, his face hot with embarrassment. Perhaps he had gone too easy on Gaara. He hadn't expected to get his feet yanked out from under him. He saw Gaara staring blankly at him as one of the teachers walked up.
"Getting sloppy there, Lee." The man shook his head and smiled. Gaara sighed. That must be Lee's foster dad, but Gaara would've thought they were actually related. They had the same dumb hair cut and same eyebrows.
"Yes, I underestimated him."
"Hm, big mistake. Looks like you'll be doing some extra training, won't you?"
"Of course, sir!" Lee looked excited about the idea. Gaara wondered if he would ever understand him.
"So, you must be Gaara-san!" The man fixed his gaze on Gaara. "I've heard a bit about you from your brother." Gaara grumbled slightly but it went unnoticed. "We've got a few announcements then we'll start class. You can either watch or join in."
"I'll watch." Gaara said quietly.
"Alright then." He turned to the rest of the class. "Line up!" He shouted and walked to the front with the other teacher. Everyone quickly lined up, waiting for the announcements. "Kakashi and I have some news." Lee's dad nodded to the man next to him. He had silvery hair and the lower half of his face was hidden beneath a black mask.
"I won't be here for a few months. I've got some important business to attend to. So I'm leaving the dojo under Guy's care. Nothing else will be changing. Now let's get started." The two teachers started class and soon Kakashi wandered over to Gaara. "You look like you really don't want to be here." He commented as he sat down. "Your name is Gaara-san, correct?" Gaara nodded. "I heard your brother may be signing you up, but you don't seem to like being around others."
"No, I don't." Gaara growled, his gaze shifting around the room.
"Hm, I'll see what I can do then." Kakashi said. He stepped back onto the mats and motioned to Guy. The two men talked for a moment, occasionally casting glances at Gaara. Kakashi walked back over to Gaara and sat down again. "Since you don't have a choice about taking class tonight, you'll be in a one-on-one class of sorts later once everyone leaves. Lee will act as your teacher for the time being."
Gaara's eye twitched a few times. Lee was going to be his teacher. Great, that meant a whole class with someone who seems to have trouble stringing a full sentence together around him. Gaara nodded to Kakashi and tried to focus of the class. Maybe taking a one on one class with Lee would have some benefits. He might be able to figure out why Lee acted strange around him. His mind started to drift off, mostly wondering about Lee.
Kankuro shook him by his shoulder. "Listen, I have to get to the theater. We just got some new stuff we need to deal with." He walked to the edge of the mats and called Guy over. The two talked for a moment, and then Kankuro bowed gratefully. "Okay, that's all settled. You're going to Lee's house after class. I'll pick you up when I'm done." Gaara opened his mouth to protest, but Kankuro was already out the door.
Lee was helping with the other students until Guy pulled him aside. "Lee I've got some news." He said. "You'll be training one student after class tonight."
"Really?" Lee asked, his eyes lighting up. "Who?"
"You will be training Gaara." Lee's heart skipped a beat and he glanced at the clock. This was usually the last class of the day and it would be ending in just a little bit.
"Alright!" Lee nodded happily and went back to training with the others.
"Line up!" Kakashi called to the class. Gaara came back to reality as the class ended; pushing away the odd thoughts his mind had conjured. He slowly stood up as people began to leave and waited silently. Soon, Lee and the other boys were standing near him.
"We weren't properly introduced." The boy with black hair commented. "My name is Sasuke." He held out his hand and Gaara reluctantly shook it.
"I'm Naruto!" The blonde said, grinning broadly. Gaara wondered if there was something wrong with him.
"I'm Kiba." The one with short brown hair smiled, exposing the fact that his left canine tooth looked more like a fang.
"My name's Shikamaru." The boy with the ponytail said lazily. "So you're Gaara-san?" Gaara nodded slightly. "Ok, introductions are over. I'm out of here." He walked towards the door.
"Hey! You're giving us rides, remember?" Naruto called. He grabbed Sasuke's hand and pulled him outside after Shikamaru. Kiba sighed and followed them, waving slightly as the door shut behind him.
Gaara stepped back onto the mats. Six-o'clock already. Lee shifted back and forth nervously until he saw Guy. They talked for a moment before Lee nodded and Guy left, following Kakashi and chatting idly.
"Alright," Lee began stretching, "since this is not officially a class, we will just start now. Shall we just go over the basics tonight?" Gaara nodded, hoping it would just be over soon.
Lee wasn't used to training someone. Over the course of an hour, he hadn't let Gaara stop. Finally it caught up to him. Gaara's legs gave up and he collapsed on the mats, shaking.
"Oh, Gaara-kun!" Lee knelt down beside him. "Are you alright?"
"N-no…" He hissed. "I can't feel my legs…" He winced as he tried to push himself to his feet. "Wait, I can feel them. They hurt like hell…" Gaara sat back down and clenched his eyes shut, trying to block out the pain. He felt something brush the back of his hand, and then felt Lee's fingers curling around his. "What are you doing?" He growled.
"I am taking you home. I am sorry I made you keep training." Lee apologized, pulling Gaara's arm over his shoulders and holding his wrist. He placed his other hand on Gaara's waist. "Ok, now try to stand up with me." Gaara slowly stood up, leaning heavily on Lee. It still hurt but not as bad. He winced again. Lee glanced at him nervously and began walking towards the door. "Here, just slip your shoes back on." He lowered Gaara into one of the chairs and handed him his socks and shoes. Lee pulled his own socks and shoes on and turned the dojo light off. "Ready?"
Gaara nodded silently and let Lee pull him up again. They walked outside and Lee quickly locked the door. Gaara glanced around wearily. It was hard to keep his eyes open. The street lights seemed brighter than usual and they hurt his eyes. Plus, he was tired, though he had slept just a day or two before. Finally he gave up; sleep overtook him like a black curtain over a stage. His body slumped against Lee's shoulder.
"Gaara-kun?" Lee stopped walking. "Gaara-kun are you…" He paused, listening to the evenness in his breathing. "He is asleep." He muttered to himself. "Well, if he is asleep," he stepped in front of Gaara, "he will not care if I simply carry him." He let Gaara's arms fall over his shoulders and lifted him onto his back. This would be much easier. Lee let out a little sigh and began walking again.
Gaara blinked a few times. It was like he was walking, but his legs weren't moving. At last, it dawned on him. Lee was carrying him, but he was too tired to argue. He buried his face in Lee's hair and took a few deep breaths. The little voice in his head whispered one thing before Gaara fell asleep once more.
"I can trust him…"