The Color Green

Ahh spring! The way the flora bloomed and exploded in riotous color always made Lee smile in pure glee. Everything was simply more- intense! And oh, the green- he loved the green of spring.

It really shouldn't have surprised him when he'd become enamored with Gaara's eyes. Honestly, it was so unfair that Gaara had such striking eyes when Lee knew he'd never have half a chance at the taciturn ninja. So, in lieu of getting Gaara himself, Lee settled for doing everything within his "Springtime of Youth!" power to get Gaara to turn those gorgeous, beautiful, oh-so-green eyes in his direction.

He'd been doing such odd and constantly non-threatening actions that Gaara had given up ignoring him and had taken to simply staring at him to get him to stop his weird exploits.

Lee was thrilled with this development. He couldn't stop smiling! But evidently his constant grinning left Gaara a bit… twitchy. After a while Gaara had an impressive 'personal bubble' due to his Sand snaking out and hissing at anyone who came too close. Which was about 20 feet, give or take- even his siblings weren't coming any closer to him.

Finally, after weeks of this, Gaara cornered him and asked the question that had obviously been plaguing him.

"Why do you keep smiling at me like that?"

Lee stared at him, taking in his tense stance, the way his fingers flexed and clenched against his forearm and his narrowed coal-lined eyes. He wilted a bit, sinking against the wall behind him for support. He doesn't look happy with me at all- and he is very good at telling when others are lying… I would have liked to experience my first kiss before I died though. Ah well. He coughed a bit then straightened, holding Gaara's gaze with his own.

"Because I find you attractive and your eyes even more so. They are the green of spring and I like looking at them!"

The Sand, which had slowly winding around Gaara's feet, froze. So did Gaara, and for a moment everything fell silent.

"You find me attractive?" It was the first time Lee had ever heard Gaara sound close to timid.

Lee nodded quickly. Gaara blinked, his stance relaxing minutely.

"You… likelooking at my eyes?" This time his voice seemed very confused.

Lee gave a shaky grin and held out his arm in a thumbs up.

"Yosh! They are very delightful to look at!"

The Sand retreated to the gourd on Gaara's back and Lee relaxed a bit more, hoping the immediate danger was over. Gaara gave him an appraising look.

"Most find it unnerving when I stare at them like you insist upon. But you smile at me when I do. You are the only one who does so." He tapped his fingers against his sleeve, brows drawn together in thought. "I am unsure as to what is expected of me now. Kankuro explained to me once of courtship, but that was with the assumption the other would be female and so is unsuitable for our current situation." His piercing eyes pinned Lee against the wall. "Do you know what our next action should be for our courtship?"

It wasn't often Lee was shocked speechless. He stared at the other ninja, a half-baked plan forming. Inwardly Lee was dancing and screaming in joy and wonder. Courtship! He said COURTSHIP! He wants to- and suddenly the 'half-baked plan' became a full Shinobi-style S-Ranked Mission.

He grinned, eyes glinting in the sunlight and moved into the Good Guy Pose.

"YOSH! We should go on a date!"

Gaara considered for a moment, then gave a slow, measured nod.

"Agreed. Tonight at seven. I will pick you up and we will decide where to go then." He abruptly turned around and walked away, presumably back to his quarters in the village.

Lee felt like singing.

He had a date!

With Gaara of the Desert!

Oh yes, Rock Lee loved spring.