"G...ra...?"

He shifted and then settled again, still not completely out of his dream-like state, once again a voice called him but even though he was slightly more conscious he chose to ignore it this time. Finally after a louder one he began to remember that voice, it was something he felt like he hadn't heard in forever, but who did it belong to? It was right in front of his face, taunting him but not releasing the information. The voice had the opposite effect then waking him up, for the first time since he had fallen asleep he felt calm and he was sure the voice was a product of happier dreams soon to come.

"Gaara-kun, please wake up... I would hate for anyone else to see you asleep like this..."

He jolted awake and sat up quickly to see a very real person standing before him, one that he had been thinking of avoiding all last night. What time was it? He grabbed for his clock and brought it close to his face to make out the numbers through his cloudy vision. He rubbed his eyes and blinked multiple times to see the hands once more, and wished he was reading it wrong. There was no way he had slept in past nine...

But those clock hands still betrayed him, and stubbornly stayed on nine thirty, he could do nothing but stare and kind of gape at the object before him and the information it was showing him. He felt panic like never before, when he realized that he had done exactly what he hoped he wouldn't do, and that was meet him face to face, and fall asleep while at work. He squeezed his eyes shut and noticed that it was much darker than it should be at nine in the morning, so he said a silent prayer and then slowly turned.

The only think that met him was thick water lines on his window and the sound of even harder drops hitting it. It meant that it was raining harder than ever before, and he was still caught in his very real nightmare world. He spun around and took in the appearance of the other person in the room and noted that they were very wet...

The sand would be able to attack if the other person was wet, it would become wet instead and therefore be useless...

His breathing came in short and his eyes widened, what if...?

What if Lee had only been sending those letters to get close to him, then when the time was right he would be sent to come and- No, no Naruto and Tsunade would never allow it. But what if he really was mad at him for all those years ago and wanted him dead? Did anyone see him enter the building, if there were no witnesses he could leave and no one would guess. Konoha and Suna were allies, and if he hadn't told them of his plan previously then.

"Gaara...kun?"

"What?" He snapped to attention and flinched when Lee came a step closer and waved a bit to snap him from his thoughts. He took a step back and hit the front of his chair, causing him to loose his balance for a second. He quickly straightened himself out and shot the other boy a very dark look. "Can I help you?"

"I... well... figured..." He saw the redhead tense when he went to raise his hand to scratch his cheek. He felt his heart sink at the guarded look the younger male had, and he wondered if it had been smart to volunteer to go and give the kazekage the report of how long they would be staying and the details of their mission.

He was also ashamed to admit that he kind of wanted to see the person he had been writing to for all these months, after all, he must have changed in appearance somewhat. And he had been right; Gaara did look different, and after looking him up and down the taijutsu master really wished he hadn't thought to look...

The red hair was still as unruly as ever, but even though he had just been sleeping with his head to the 

side it was still perfect and fell back into place easily. It was a bit longer and skimmed past his ears almost halfway down his neck. His jaw was finally thinned out after losing all his baby fat, and gave off a very attractive shape. His face still held an ethereal beauty and Lee felt envious of the very handsome features that the other boy was blessed with. Although he hadn't grown an inch, his body was defiantly showing more muscle then the last time they had met, and those clothes didn't help either.

He was sporting a very light black long-sleeved shirt that clung to his skin and had a larger open neck. He found himself staring at the skin that was revealed just an inch below his collar bones before tearing his eyes away and promptly reminding himself that this was no time to be giving the strange thoughts he had been having flight. He couldn't see the pants but he was sure they were hidden under the hem of the shirt and more then likely the same color. There were no Kazekage robes, and instead of the sight he had expected to see when he walked in the office, he was given something completely different.

Never in his wildest dreams had he ever considered Gaara to be a 'waking up late' type of person, even though it was only a few years back that he could not sleep at all. Instead he saw him as an early riser, someone who woke up just to watch the sun and then start their day. He felt the similarity between the two of them in the back of his mind but quickly diverted his attention away from 'comparison'. He was sure that was dangerous ground...

During one letter he remembered reading a sentence that told him sunrises were very red in Suna, and that Gaara had been writing the letter during said time. Which made Lee automatically assume that Gaara's first order of business that day had been to reply to him, and that made him happy. He felt such a strange amount of joy as he considered that maybe he was pretty high on the 'list of importance'- especially in such a busy schedule.

He now wondered if his initial thoughts about their friendship had been wrong; did Gaara only reply to him to be polite? He couldn't remember how the exchange had started- oh, right. Naruto had told him 'Gaara says "Hey', he was asking about you...' which made him feel compelled to reply and say "hey" back. So hadn't it been the sand user who started the whole thing anyways? He didn't know for sure, but what he did know is the look of suspicion and edge to his penpal's voice. He wondered if he should bow out gracefully now before he said something he was sure would anger the boy before him, in fact, any sudden movements seemed to set him off...

He tried out his voice again; finding the silence smothering, "I was just here to tell you how long we would be staying, I assume you read the mission details and..." He trailed off, hoping this was enough to satisfy the Kazekage so he would stop looking at him like he should attack him. After a few terse moments the redhead's shoulders lost some of their stiffness and he went to take a step around the offending chair, opening his mouth to speak.

"I understand- uh...Wha-?!"

BOOOOOOMMMMMMMM

Everything seemed to slow down, to a snails pace for the taijutsu master, he had watched as Gaara began his manoeuvre around his desk and then tried not to notice the halo of light that surrounded the figure and outlined him in a brief flash. He felt a small wave of relief that he had made it into Suna before the worst of this had hit. It wasn't until the loud bang that rocked the very tower they were in that he knew something was wrong, the panic that lit up the other boy's face was not normal for someone who was tripping over a chair leg- no, he looked like he had just been stabbed in the chest without any previous warning. His foot stumbled over it's initial obstacle and rolled over itself with a popping sound. Gaara's whole body went frozen for a second as it registered the force of the thunder and the pain.

Lee was already on his way before the Kazekage crumpled to the ground.

It was the loudest one yet, and he couldn't control the insane fear that had crippled him and caused him to loose his balance and land on his foot wrong, he closed his eyes in an allowed moment of anger at 

himself, and then felt his whole body twist into the fall. He was waiting to land on the ground- and his already sprained (or worse, but he didn't want to consider that) ankle, but for a moment he was floating.

Until he realized that two arms had wrapped around him, one on the small of his back and the other clutching his arm as to give him a bit of space. He was still kind of suspended with his knees half bent to fall, but he was able to regain his footing before his shoulder made contact with a warm, solid wall. He stood there, as if waiting for another spasm of thunder to hit, but all he felt was the dull after effects and a throb in his foot that made him inwardly groan. He cursed everything at that moment when he was getting his bearings.

And then real fear seized him when his mind promptly reminded him that someone had caught him, and there had only been one other person in the room, and they had been all the way across the room and made it there within a half a second to not only support- but catch him. The force of this information made Gaara breathless, and for the second time in twenty four hours he felt in danger due to another human being. But this time it was different, he could not stop the waterfall of thoughts spilling over the dam.

One prevailed above the rest-

Lee was TOO fast, and as it stood with this speed he could easily get past the sand.

It wasn't a factor of how wet he was, but now he knew that if the taijutsu master really wanted to he could damn well snap his neck before he even knew it had happened. Not only that, he had nowhere to run and he was currently in the arms of said danger.

Despite the horror that was coursing through every nerve of his body, he couldn't help but stop at the thought of 'in the arms of'. He felt confusion drown out all other feelings- even those alien ones he was starting to recall when he read the letters- and really sink in. The sprained ankle died away into the back of his thoughts as he just took a moment to feel it, the weird swirl in his stomach that spun out of control every time the hands moved an inch and how comfortable he felt. This was the feeling that had intensified recently; this was ten times worse then what he had felt the first time they had met.

He snapped out of it as soon as he was in whatever 'it' was and concluded that the hysteria of the thunder was the thing that was leaving him breathless and searching for any human contact to support him. There was no way Lee was doing this on his own, Lee... was just Lee. Nothing else. Even as he tried to tell himself- and roughly pushed away in order to strengthen his resolve- there was nothing there but the phobia of thunderstorms; he couldn't deny the swirl faded as soon as the touch was relinquished. He also failed to remember that with the shock came weakness, and his shove had probably only seemed like a stabling hand to someone as strong as the Konoha Shinobi.

Strong- it shouldn't be right that the word 'strong' and 'Lee' meant something other than physical strength to him- and in the span of three seconds he had gone from confused, to worried, to downright euphoric, and back to startled again.

He couldn't handle this many changing thoughts at the same time, as each emotion fought for dominance he realized that he was stepping back on his bad leg- and all those ideas stopped when he let out a hiss of pain and his legs turned into jelly for the second time.

And for the second time, Lee caught him.

Except this time he grabbed his hand and yanked him forward so his face was pressed right into the curve of his neck and shoulder blades. In a whoosh of air and a slight 'oumph' Gaara was pressed up against the object of his bewilderment in a way that probably would not look as innocent as it should be to someone else. Especially since he had put his hand on the chest before him for support and now it was stuck between their closely approximated bodies.

Two ideas won out over the others:

This is nice, and this is bad.

And as he was trying to sort himself out, Lee had decided to -damnit all- speak. He was already saying something about 'not using his leg because it might be broken, and Sakura should have a look at it. And something in there was about moving to a less crowded area'- he liked that one for no reason he could currently understand. What he did know was he didn't want to move, even though terror still slid through his veins like thick honey, and that Lee smelt kind of nice. His smell was like the woods captured and clinging to his skin like a perfume, there was also a hint of sand, dew, and dried blood.

Then it occurred to him, the thing that made him grab onto Lee's shoulders and force himself away with such brutality that it was almost like Lee had scolded him like fire. He felt himself push into the desk and leaned heavily onto it for support as he stared at the other boy with frantic eyes.

Lee was still wet.

"Gaa...ra?" The voice was uneasy and concerned, and he saw the other's eyes dart down to his leg and could almost see the calculating look in those amber eyes. It would be nothing to kill him now, even if the sprained ankle was a pretty good indication to a fight, and he could put up no defence that the other couldn't get through. This was it, there was no way he could escape on foot- if he even had a chance in outrunning Lee- and the sand couldn't transfer him far enough with the rain hindering it's process. He was useless, alone, and within the reach of someone who was wet and insanely strong.

He could no longer remember how to breathe.

"Gaara?!" A hand reached out for him that he recoiled from, he looked down and squeezed his eyes shut, wrapping an arm around his middle and folding in on himself slightly. At least if he died the last thing he heard was that voice saying his name.

The next few moments were dead, and Lee couldn't help but think that the redhead was waiting for him to do something, but what could he possibly do to help someone who kept on pushing away from him? He had just been saying he should take Gaara home when he had been shoved against so hard he almost faltered in his step. What was wrong? Did he do something that made the kazekage this upset? Surely his last letter had not come across rude or out of place?

He went back to the first moment he had entered the office, how restless he had seemed even in his sleep, and then the look of absolute horror on Gaara's face when he had seen him and then turned to see the rain. It was almost as if he had not been expecting either of them. And then he had lost his balance- only after the extremely loud thunder...

"Did you need to go... get some air or something?" He tried nervously, not too sure if he needed space or just something to clear his mind. "I could help you to the door, I'm sure this office is pretty stuffy or-"

"Why?" It was almost a snarl, "So I can be even MORE helpless then I am now?!"

Outside for fresh air meant the rain, didn't it? So what else could he have taken out of that offer?

And he understood, water, of course. He closed his eyes and rolled them behind his eyelids. It suddenly explained everything, didn't it? How could he be so blind- he had seen the effects water had on Gaara's sand way before now, so why would rain be any different? He paused to look down, and with a knowing smile he looked up again. He saw the guarded and frigid appearance of the other and couldn't believe that the kazekage considered HIM a threat.

"Water." Was the solitary word he offered in explanation.

And an acknowledging look flashed in those aqua orbs before he slowly nodded.

He had to look down to hide the hurt that had exploded in his chest. Suddenly the air was smothering and it hurt to breathe, he couldn't understand why someone as powerful as Gaara could see him as an enemy. Better yet, after all the things they had gone through, why would he have a reason to hurt someone who he considered a friend. At least, he assumed that Gaara thought of him in that manner, after writing letters for a year it was almost expected that the title came with it.

He felt the anger and betrayal build up in him as the seconds dragged on with nothing to fill the gap. The Kazekage wasn't trying to defend his assumptions, which made it even worse. The fact was obvious to anyone; sitting there plain and clear for him to see. Gaara had thought of him as an enemy. He shouldn't feel as wounded as he did, he should just wave this off and offer a smile or something, but he felt like he had lost all chance to get closer to the younger male. All those hopes for a closer relationship were draining away, and in their absence left a self-hatred.

"What were you thinking?" He whispered softly, his round eyes slowly raising to meet startled green ones. His voice was low and cold, and his eyebrows furrowed, emphasizing his distain. He didn't know what he hated more; the fact that he had been excited to show just how he had improved since their first fight, or wanting to see someone so badly only to have your intentions doubted. Wouldn't' his present strength be a reassurance to Gaara, instead of a threat?

Gaara glanced to the floor, trying to decipher the meaning behinds those words and he could no longer stand the look he was receiving. He didn't' know why, but all those hysterical irrationalities faded away into the grey of the morning. He wanted to reach out and just touch him for a moment, like if he did he would be able to prove to the both of them that he wasn't scared of him. He trusted him.

'Sexual tension…'

His eyes widened and he shook his head to clear that thought. No, why were Aomi's words repeating in his skull like a mantra. There was no way he was stressed because he was attracted to someone he barely knew.

But he did know him, perhaps not as well as his teammates did, but he knew his personality and some of his likes and dislikes. Wasn't that were it all grew from? The urge to feel that swirl in his stomach and warmth was overpowering his fear… but then…

C-CRACK

He jumped and fisted his hands so hard that he was sure his nails would cut his palm open. He closed his eyes and counted slowly to ten, beyond annoyed with himself and the way he was reacting. He should be composed even just as the kazekage, his personal problems would come later. He opened his eyes and realized that he was expected to speak, but when he opened his mouth no words would form in his mind or on his tongue. The way he was being looked at for that split moment in time made him feel hot, and he felt a wave of heat hit him and cause him to shiver. He didn't' know what he had just witnessed, but it had disappeared just as quickly as a blink.

"I…" He took a breath to compose himself, "my apologies."

He knew that there should have been more, he should have justified himself.

But he no longer knew what he could say.

XxXxXxXxX

Airi: Well, screw it, I uploaded the second chapter right away. The third part still needs work so that may take a while.



Nothing to say, but I forgot to mention I own nothing. Characters are property of Misashi Kishimoto.

This is shounen ai, if you didn't realise that before, I suggest you stop reading now...