AN: So, I guess this story isn't totally dead. ^ ^ ; Just, um, slow? Very, very slow.

"Gaara, you need to go to get up soon! If you do not hurry, you will not have time for breakfast before class starts!"

The insomniac groaned and rolled over in his bed, grabbing the nearest pillow and tugging it harshly over his head to ward off the annoyingly chipper sounds of a certain cat. It was too early in the morning for this. This was the third morning in a row that Lee had woken him, either begging him to get up or begging him for food. Often both. Gaara may not sleep often, but he could still be tired and grumpy in the mornings before he had to get up and face the day.

"Gaaraaaaaa! Please get up? Will you make eggs again, today? I really liked those. And can you get me a glass of milk down? Please? Gaara? Please?" Lee whined, kneeling beside the insomniac's bed. His tail flicked eagerly to and fro, and his ears were perked high and excited on his head.

Gaara glared out from under his pillow, observing the overtly energetic cat beside his bed. This would be the third day since he'd first taken Lee into his apartment. The night he'd found the cat under his car had been on a Friday, and today was Monday. This was one of the aspects of having a pet/roommate that he was not enjoying.

He'd mostly stayed in the apartment for the weekend, as he usually would have done. He finished some homework that he'd been procrastinating, read a little bit, and spent a lot of time with Lee. Gaara had only meant to keep him for the first night before taking him… somewhere else. He honestly wasn't sure if he should take him to the pound, the zoo, or the exorcist after all. Instead, he'd simply gone about his usual routine, and tried to ignore the cat altogether.

That hadn't worked.

Lee was like a natural disaster, both in spirit and in his actions. If nothing else, Gaara knew that Lee hadn't had any experience in his human form before he met Gaara, because he was so damn clumsy. It was like he was a two year old in a grown man's body. He could walk on two feet for a few minutes at a time, but any more than that and he would start to trip or lose his balance, like he couldn't quite remember the way to use two feet instead of four. He could clutch things in his hands, but he was struggling to get used to his opposable thumbs. He would either grip something too hard or too lightly, and it was a struggle for him to find middle ground. Having claws on his fingertips didn't make things any easier, either. As a result, Gaara had banned him from using the majority of the kitchen utensils without supervision, including glasses and anything sharp.

Lee's attitude to everything around him was energetic, mischievous, and optimistic. He was almost obnoxiously curious about everything around him, and was constantly peppering Gaara with questions. The redhead would answer them all in short monosyllables that never seemed to satisfy the wide eyed cat man. When Lee wasn't following Gaara around the apartment, he was inspecting the place for himself, climbing on anything that could hold his weight, and making several messes in the process. Gaara hadn't thought that keeping things tidy would be a problem, since he had so few material items lying around, but Lee always seemed to find a way to drag out what Gaara did have.

Overall, it made the cat very impossible to ignore.

"Gaara?" Lee whined again. When Gaara still didn't move, Lee crawled up onto the bed next to him. He purred low and happy as he rubbed his cheeks against the lump of Gaara's body through the blankets. His tail flicked and brushed against Gaara's legs as the cat rubbed himself against the redhead.

Gaara squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip, tensing as he tried to fight his body's automatic reaction to all this attention. That was another surprise that Lee had been bombarding him with over the past two days. The cat hated wearing clothes, and today was no exception. He was also a very touchy creature, intent on rubbing against Gaara to show affection at every opportunity, curling up against him on the couch while the redhead tried to watch television, sneaking into his bed with him at night to curl up on the pillows, and he'd even tried to give Gaara a tongue bath once.

Even if Gaara weren't already gay, that much attention from another person might have converted him. How else was he supposed to respond to a warm, naked body constantly rubbing and cuddling against him in the privacy of his own house? Gaara was not a virgin, but even his previous lovers hadn't touched him as often or in the same ways as Lee. The experience was disconcerting, erotic, nerve wracking, and downright wicked. To this moment, he'd barely managed to keep himself from making a move on Lee, because it was clear that the cat was innocently oblivious to what he was doing. That, and Gaara wasn't entirely sure if it would have been considered bestiality.

"Lee, put some clothes on." Gaara grumbled, hiding his face under the pillow again. "Where's that shirt I gave you?"

"It is around here somewhere." Lee mumbled, poorly attempting to be evasive. His ears flicked back and forth on his head, giving away his cagey response.

"Put it on." Gaara ordered shortly, his words muffled from under the pillow.

"But I do not like that shirt!"

"Then get a different one. They're in the dresser." Gaara growled softly, rolling onto his side with his back to the cat and the pillow over his ear.

Lee grumbled something about being more comfortable without a shirt, and chose to snuggle closer to Gaara's back instead of making his way to the dresser. Gaara sighed and let it go for now, not ready to fight this battle so early in the morning.

"Gaara?" Lee asked after a short moment of silence.

"What?"

"Will you please make eggs again, today?"

"…yes."

"Thank you!" Lee exclaimed happily, leaping off the bed with more energy than anyone should be allowed before nine AM. Gaara sighed in defeat and steeled himself to face the day.

"Lee, use your fork."

The cat frowned down at the offensive strip of metal beside his plate, his ears flickering in irritation. The piece of egg between his thumb and forefingers fell back onto his plate. Gaara held out a napkin across the table for his 'pet' to take.

"I still cannot use that." Lee murmured mournfully, staring at the fork with accusing eyes.

"Keep trying." Gaara ordered, before shoveling his own eggs into his mouth. Lee watched him take a few bites before gingerly lifting his own silverware.

"Why do people use forks?"

"It's polite."

"Do I have to be polite?"

"Not always."

"Then may I skip the fork this time?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

Gaara looked up as a loud knocking sounded from the front door. Lee's ears perked and his tail lifted in interest.

"What was that?" Lee asked, dropping his fork and starting to stand.

"Someone's at the door. Stay here. Finish your eggs." Gaara stood and wiped his mouth quickly before walking to answer the door. Lee ducked and angled his body so that Gaara wouldn't see him use his hands to eat the rest of his breakfast, his feline eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Good morning, Mr. Subaku!"

Gaara flinched and squinted as he was blinded by a massive smile. Towering freakishly tall above him was his eccentric neighbor from down the hall, Might Gai. The man was dressed in his standard green track suit, beaming with overabundant 'youthful' energy.

"I was hoping I could borrow some flour this morning." Gai said, holding out a large measuring cup. "I am making power dumplings!"

Gaara vividly recalled what power dumplings were, and blanched in distaste. When Gaara had first moved into his apartment, Gai had brought over a plate full of power dumplings as a welcome gift. They were the single most disgusting thing Gaara had ever had the displeasure of tasting, even if they had made him feel energetic after only one bite.

"I have some flour. How much do you need?" As long as he didn't have to eat any of Gai's cooking, Gaara had no problem with giving his neighbor some spare flour. He only had any for himself because he had gone through a short cooking phase a few months ago.

"I only need two cups more! May I come in?"

"Sure- oh. Uh…" Gaara frowned as he thought about a certain naked cat-man in his kitchen. He probably shouldn't shock his neighbor like that. However, Gai reclaimed his attention before he could say anything.

"Mr. Subaku? I believe your friend may be in need of pants." Gai was still smiling brightly, but now he had one hand clapped over his eyes and the other was gesturing down the hall. Gaara turned around and sighed loudly.

Lee was standing in the middle of the hallway, unashamedly naked and watching Gai with large, curious eyes. His ears were perked tall on his head, and his posture was tentative. The tip of his tail was raised in a question, and his expression was oddly naïve as he copied Gai's gesture and covered his eyes. He peeked in between his fingers and smiled at Gaara.

"Sorry, Mr. Might. He doesn't like wearing clothes. Come on inside, I'll get him dressed." Gaara ushered his neighbor through the door and turned to herd Lee back into the general direction of the bedroom.

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Subaku! I shouldn't have intruded on you and your boyfriend, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I can ask someone else for the flour…?" Gai stayed in the entryway, politely averting his eyes as Lee tried to duck around Gaara to see the newcomer.

"No, no." Gaara said quickly, gripping Lee's shoulders and all but shoving him towards the bedroom. "He's not my boyfriend. Just wait another moment. "

"Why did he call you 'Mr. Subaku'?" Lee asked, looking over his shoulder at the pushing redhead.

"Subaku is my last name." Gaara answered shortly, shoving Lee into the bedroom and moving toward his dresser.

"How many names do you have?"

"A few."

Gaara quickly opened up his dresser and pulled out a long, green robe that he'd only used once. He quickly draped it over Lee's shoulders, showed him where to put his arms, and tied the front. Lee's ears twitched in irritation at having to wear clothing, but he bore Gaara's manhandling without complaint. Gaara strode out of the room to the kitchen so that he could hunt for flour.

There was nothing in the cupboards, but strangely enough he found a large bag under his sink.

"You can come in Mr. Might!" Gaara called out the kitchen door as he hauled the heavy bag onto the kitchen table. He dropped it onto the surface with a loud thump. It was heavier than it looked.

"Thank you Mr. Subaku!" Gai said, placing his large measuring cup on the table next to the sack. The neighbor looked up as Lee entered the room in his green robe, watching the stranger with curious eyes.

"Hello there! And what is your name?" Gai greeted brightly.

"Lee." The cat man answered, starting to smile as his ears flickered on his head and his tail swished beneath his robe.

"It's nice to meet you, Lee! My name is Gai Might." Gai introduced. He smiled cheerfully. If he noticed anything unusual about the cat man, he didn't let it show. "If you are ever in the building again and Gaara is not here to keep you entertained, feel free to come knock on my door. I'm just two doors down the hall, and I am always happy to have visitors!"

Lee remained silently smiling, but nodded to show that he understood. His dark, silted eyes roved up and down the newcomer's frame with avid curiosity in his eyes. He turned to Gaara as the redhead opened the flour bag and filled his neighbor's measuring cup.

"Can we visit with Gai Might when we get back from school?" Lee asked brightly.

"You're not going to school with me." Gaara answered bluntly.

Lee's face immediately fell, his eyes widening and his ears wilting. He looked like a child that had just been told the truth about Santa Claus. His tail stopped swishing under the robe as he leaned toward the redhead.

"But- but- but I wanted to stay with you." Lee protested mournfully, his voice miserable.

"I have a test today, and I won't have time to look after you. I'm sure that you can handle staying home by yourself for the day." Gaara paused and his brow quickly furrowed as he realized the fault with what he'd just said. Lee got into trouble every time Gaara turned his back or didn't pay him enough attention. The cat could get into the fridge and cupboards by himself, but he would probably break more dishes. He didn't know how to use a microwave or the stove either, and Gaara was low on groceries. Not just that, but what if Lee became bored and got into trouble? Dammit, Gaara should have taken him to the pound already instead of putting up with this-

"Gaara needs to focus on his studies. School is of the utmost importance! Why don't you spend the day with me?" Gai flashed a friendly, sparkling grin and a thumbs up.

Gaara turned to his neighbor and stared. Lee's ears perked.

"Yes, I have the whole day free anyhow." Gai continued conversationally as he opened the flour bag. He scooped his measuring cup inside. "I was going to spend the rest of the morning cooking and spend the afternoon training with the equipment in my apartment. I could use some company. What do you say?"

Lee turned wide, questioning eyes to Gaara. The redhead raised a brow and turned back to Gai. "You should know that he needs constant supervision. He makes messes out of everything he touches. He whines when he's hungry and takes naps at random times of the day. He's fickle and talks too much."

The cat flicked an ear at Gaara, but otherwise didn't acknowledge such accusations.

"That is not a problem with me, Mr. Subaku. I could use someone to talk to on my day off, and I'm sure I could keep Lee entertained." Gai rounded off the flour until his cup was as full as he wanted it, and then looked up with a cheesy smile. He extended a brilliant thumbs up, which Lee immediately copied with delight. "I promise to watch over your friend with youthful vigilance and dedication until your safe return after school today!"

Gaara blinked slowly at Gai's thumb and Lee's. He sighed and then shrugged before closing his flour bag and hauling it back to the door under his sink. "Fine. It would definitely be better than leaving him here alone. Lee, go put on the pants we made for you. Grab a shirt, too."

The day after Lee had first arrived Gaara had found a pair of sweatpants that more or less fit the cat man. Because of the difference in their height the pants were a couple inches too short, but Gaara had attempted to make them more comfortable by cutting a crude hole in the back for Lee's tail. He'd only been able to make Lee wear them once before, but now the cat man left the table to get them without complaint. He smiled over his shoulder at the other two as he walked to the bedroom.

A few minutes later Gaara stood at the door with his backpack in tow. Lee was standing in the hall with Gai, wearing his dingy sweatpants and a snug t-shirt. His tail flickered freely about with interest as his slitted pupils examined the bare hall of the apartment building. If Gai noticed anything odd about his new guest, he still didn't show it.

"I'll swing by to get him when I get back from class. If he does anything that seems demonic, please call an exorcist. I've been procrastinating that myself for a while. If not, I'll pick him up." Gaara nodded to his neighbor and cat once and turned to go. "Please do not break anything in Mr. Might's house, Lee. I'd hate to have to pay for damages."

"Yosha! Don't worry about a thing, Mr. Subaku!" Gai called, unnecessarily loud.

"Bye Gaara." Lee called, quieter than Gaara had expected. The looked over his shoulder and gave a halfhearted wave before turning down a new hall and down a flight of stairs. He thought that Lee may have looked a bit sad.

Gaara winced as he felt something whap the back of his head. He turned and glared at his classmate, raising a brow and touching the spot where Naruto had smacked him. "What's your problem this time?"

"You didn't reply to any of my emails!" Naruto accused, extending his arm and pointing a theatrical finger at his friend. A few of the other students nearby rolled their eyes as they took their seats and prepared their notebooks for the coming lecture. They were used to hearing Naruto's loud voice around campus, and most had learned to tune him out.

"What am I supposed to say in response to a picture of a very fat cat? You didn't even write anything, you just sent me image links." Gaara huffed and pulled out a chair so that his friend could sit at the desk with him this school period.

"They were hilarious pictures! What do you have against cats? They're- OOF!" Naruto yelped as he went to sat down, only to find that Gaara had pulled the chair further back at the last second, making the blonde fall on his ass and sending the papers in his hands flying.

"And that is what you get for smacking me. Trying saying hello when you greet someone next time instead." Gaara declared, keeping a perfectly straight face as he turned back to his books and setting what he didn't need aside.

"Oi! Not cool!"

"Quiet, Mr. Umino just walked in."

Naruto scrambled for his papers, making a messy and crinkled stack while Iruka set his brief case on his desk at the head of the room. The teacher did a brief survey of the classroom to see that most everyone was present, and only frowned at the breathless, messy state Naruto was in as the blonde plopped into his seat and dumped the papers on his workspace. Gaara pulled out last week's notes and casually passed the copy he'd made for Naruto to his friend, receiving a muttered thanks in return.

It was almost disconcerting to be having a normal day so far, after he'd had such an unusual weekend.

Review! 8 D Please!