The confusion had returned tenfold. Here he had been sitting on a park bench, thinking, when Gaara walked by. The thoughts as to why he was in the Leaf Village never occurred to him. Probably because it didn't matter in his case. Never-the-less, Lee found himself staring. Why? Something about Gaara, something about him Lee just found... interesting. No, interesting would not be the words. Hmm. The troubled ninja shook his head, and forced himself to look the other way.
Gaara himself sat on the other end of the bench, not paying attention to Lee at all. Just sitting there, arms crossed, staring into space as he usually did. Gad damnit, what was it about him that made Lee want to look? Inspecting the Sand nin from the corner of his eye, he saw nothing different. Just the same old Gaara. No difference than the last time they had met, but still... his mind was racing and transforming again.
Gaara let out a sigh. It was not exactly one of grief, but not one of sheer annoyance either. It had a slighter different meaning to it then that. Fuck, now Lee felt like crying! Why? He hated himself now. All these emotions and no explanations.
He was busy thinking about all this when he heard Gaara's raspy whisper of a voice. "Lee... sorry about the whole breaking your arm and leg thing. I heard you had to have surgery and all. There was only a fifty percent chance you'd live." he said, not even looking in Lee's direction. His voice was emotionless and cold. Somehow, the fact that his voice was uncaring sliced into Lee deep, like a knife coated with ice. He never had cared about what Gaara thought of him before.
"I- I am still alive, eh?" he said while the old Lee was still in control. "The surgery was not all that bad. Also, I do not hold grudges. I have forgiven you long ago."
"Christ, you talk real formal, you know that?" Gaara's voice still had no zest, no care in it.
"I do not know what you mean, Gaara-san."
"Yeah, whatever."
Lee had a sudden, impulsive urge to impress Gaara. He wanted, nay, had to impress him, had to get him out of that cold voice. If the old Lee was still completely in control, he would be jumping all about right now, doing push-ups, back flips, sit-ups, etc. But he was still tinged with the contamination in his brain.
A series of major mood swings left him feeling even more confused. WHY the hell didn't he care about him? Why the hell? well, fuck him! No, no... it was not his fault. He had been raised that way. He had been raised not to care, I can not blame him. God, he will never feel anything about me. He will never care. He will always be like this while I seek to impress him. Well fuck that, screw him! But I can't do that, I have to impress him.
Wait, calm down. all of these emotions, if I really try, can be pushed aside. Now I am back to myself. Bu then again, I can not decipher this feeling I have. It feels like I am admiring him, but that is not quite it. It is not idolship, and it is not envy or jealousy. Ugh. No...
This time, when his mind flung out of control, it left him with a lusty grin and a hot sensation. He had never had this feeling before. The feeling grew ever stronger, and it was hard to resist the urge to.. to... no, he shouldn't think about it. When he did, the feeling grew more powerful.
"The fuck are you smiling about?" pondered Gaara, finally turning his head to look at Lee.
"Unh."
"What?"
"U- God, nothing! Nothing, I swear it!" Lee jumped up, and took off running. He ran in any random direction, just to get away from Gaara. He had embarrassed himself. Had Gaara known what he was feeling? Please, please no. He was still trying to sort this out himself, he didn't need anyone else flipping over these feelings.
He was going fast. Too fast, and slammed into something hard. Not something, someone. He fell to the ground, and looked up. Staring down at him was non other than his ever-admired and perfect Sensei, Might Gai.
"Sensei!" he yelled, and flew up, wrapping his arms hastily around the jounin's lower chest.
"Er, uh... Lee, are you-" he stopped when he felt moisture on his chest. Lee was crying about something. Gai had known something was wrong. And he still didn't know what it was. Lee did not reply, and Gai lay his hand on the top of his student's head. Whatever it was, he had to know. "What is wrong with you lately? Your youth seems to had all been washed away. Is it Sakura?"
Lee whimpered and sobbed a few more times before speaking. He still did not dare look Gai in the face. "You will be so ashamed of me Sensei." he cried into his chest.
In his head, Gai was thinking that Lee was a little too old to be crying into his chest. Then again, he seemed to be going through something drastic. He didn't say any of this. "I promise Lee, I would forgive you for nearly any crime. Whatever you did, I have to know. Now tell me - is it Sakura again?"
"N-No... It-It is someone e-else."
"Can you tell me who?"
"No."
"Lee-"
"Sensei, I do not understand this!"
Now they were getting somewhere. Things could get even worse if Gai didn't know what was going on, and that crisis might be averted if he could just get Lee to talk. "Go ahead and tell what it is you don't understand. I can help you, or get you help."
"I DO NOT NEED HELP!" Lee screamed, and tensed up considerably. "I do not need help with my own feelings!"
Dear lord... feelings? Gai was hoping the best but expecting the worst. Was he being possessed or something? Since when did Lee refuse to tell him anything? Before he could talk again, Lee continued.
"Wh-why, Sensei... I understood Sakura, and why she did not wish to be with me. She had Sasuke, and she was happy that way. But I do not get this. With this person I choke up and can not speak at all! And I get these feelings, Sensei! Feelings I do not understand!"
Now Gai began to think he understood. Lee may be fifteen, but he was oh-so-innocent. No one ever messed around with him. Hell, he would even bet no one had ever kissed him before. Was he... had he been getting an-
"And no matter what I do, I just know he will not feel the same!"
HE?
(Wow, that was long. Anyway, this whole story is taking a left turn, but I don't think i'm going to turn onto the whole LeeGaa thing. Its probably just a mixture of emotions or something. Actually, the first review I get can request whether or not they actually pair because I don't know. Just, please, someone review. I can and will wait for a suggestion.)