Take Care of You

Gaara lowered the window just enough to get some breeze into the car. Outside the window, familiar fields stirred up a gush of nostalgia.

Gaara still remembered the way Lee ran after his kite. Gaara himself had accidentally let go of it and the older boy immediately starting running. He had watched as Lee sprinted across the field, wind blowing his shiny black hair back, at a speed that made everyone's jaws drop. He still remembered how his heart swelled with warmth and affection when the boy came back to return his kite and ruffled his hair with a big toothy smile.

That was when he was only about 7 years old.

At 27, he was on track to becoming the successor to his father's giant media corporation. With great prospects came great expectations. And gossip. About his troubled teen years. About nepotism. About the fact that he had turned down the daughter of their greatest competitor, Fuu, every time she confessed over the last 4 years.

They most certainly gossiped when he suddenly dropped everything the moment he laid eyes on the headlines of this morning's paper.

Konoha's track and field superstar Rock Lee suffers career-ending injury 

'Sir, we are here.'

'Thanks, Baki,' Gaara got out of the car, not waiting for his chauffeur to get his door. Baki already had one foot out of the car, but sighed when he realised Gaara was faster. He got back into the driver's seat and zoomed off to the parking lot.

Gaara pushed past the crowds of reporters to the reception, and finally had a moment of peace in the elevator, where he tried to stop his heart from beating so loudly, and mentally prepared for his upcoming conversation with Guy.

'He's going to be okay,' Gaara whispered under his breath. 'I'll make sure he's okay.'

=================

It's been a month since Lee had been discharged from the hospital. He had been living at home since. He couldn't go back to the million-dollar apartment from before the injury. Even though there had been many prestigious job offers that have come his way after his retirement, he didn't feel ready to look at them yet. He didn't feel ready to be out of action. The first time he stopped being in complete denial about the fact that he'd never run professionally again, it hit him like a fucking truck. The nonstop crying was involuntary, and at some point he'd accepted it as a new part of his daily life.

Even then, he'd gotten used to putting up a positive facade in front of others. It was easy to do that in front of old friends, just like at Naruto's stag do earlier this evening. It wasn't just easy. It was necessary. He had hated it when people looked at him with sympathy, as if he somehow needed to be treated differently now that he's injured, and it made him angry. The positive facade helped him feel like things were just like before. That nothing has changed, even if other people didn't feel the same.

It was also important to put up the facade in front of someone like Gaara, whom he loved very much like a little brother. Gaara reminded him of better times, when people looked at him with admiration instead of pity. On top of that, it was important to protect pure, innocent little Gaara from the darkness that was the depression and anger that this injury had brought him.

Yes, the pure, innocent little Gaara who was now driving him back home. Time flew.

'I didn't realise you never had feelings for Naruto, Gaara,' Lee laughed, recalling an earlier conversation with Kankurou. Gaara's older brother had joked about Naruto being 'the one who got away' for Gaara, who just wrinkled his face in disgust, saying that he had just ruined the beautiful, strictly platonic, spiritual connection he shared with Naruto. 'I always thought you had the biggest crush on him!'

'Well, you aren't the only one who misinterpreted our relationship,' Gaara smiled back as they cruised through the empty streets of Konoha.

'So how much longer are you in town for?' Lee asked. Gaara's been here since he got into hospital and hadn't made any indication that he was going to return to the city. There must be something more important keeping him here.

'I'm staying here for the time being,' Gaara responded as they turned into a quieter road leading to their estate. 'We've made arrangements so that I've been working remotely. Nothing's affected.'

'Right,' It wasn't Lee's business but surely it's always better to be at work in person. Don't they say you've got to be at the right place at the right time? 'I hope everything is okay.'

Gaara's eyes darted to Lee for a split second before refocusing on the road. 'I'm staying until we know what's going to happen to you, Lee.'

'What!' Lee scrunched his face up in incredulity. 'Leave that to me to figure out! You silly - you should be out in the city chasing your dreams and getting all the girls, Gaara!' Gaara has grown into an incredibly handsome young man, and Lee was proud of that.

'Right,' Gaara tensed up a little. 'I'm silly.'

'No, I didn't mean it that way, Gaara,' Lee sighed.

'Then what did you mean?' Gaara's voice lowered into a growl. To this day, it still scared Lee whenever Gaara got angry. He never did anything, he just seemed to radiate his anger from his body in a way that most other people don't. Sometimes, Lee thinks that was what made Gaara so, well, Gaara.

'I just mean I'm fine. And besides, I've always taken care of you, not the other way around,' Lee explained. 'Please don't tell me there's nothing else keeping you around.' Lee pinched his nose bridge as he furrowed his brows. 

'No, there isn't,' Gaara said, matter-of-fact.

'Oh no, Gaara! I can't be the reason why you aren't in the office! What are you doing!'

Gaara had just pulled them into a parking space outside Lee's place. Gaara turned off the engine and unbuckled, but didn't move to leave the car. Lee sensed that he wanted to talk, so he, too, didn't move.

'I can take care of you,' Gaara simply said. 'Make sure you are alright.' He looked totally serious, even as his hand came to rest on top of Lee's.

For a moment, Lee did not know how to respond. Finally, he shook his head. 'You don't have to.' Gaara shouldn't bother himself with Lee's troubles, especially when his life is going so splendidly.

'I want to,' Gaara insisted and tightened his grip on Lee's hand as the latter tried to pull away. Lee considered for a moment.

'Look, if this is because of the incident at the bridge -'

'It's not, Lee,' Gaara brought up his other hand to sandwich Lee's. When Lee didn't seem to register what he was really saying, Gaara sighed and let go to open the car door. 'Let me at least walk you to your apartment.'

Lee nodded and they set off together in the dark.

On his way back to his own flat, Gaara felt uneasy. Lee looked happy all night, but he had seen the way Lee had despaired in hospital when he thought nobody was looking. Gaara never mentioned it out of respect, but he knew Lee wasn't happy at all. That he was fucking devastated. That he was not stable. That he needed someone to take care of him. And that he'd been pushing Guy away because he was 'an independent adult now' and he 'didn't need to be babied'. Who's the silly one, Lee? Gaara couldn't leave him alone. Not after dropping a bomb on him just now that probably left him feeling confused. 

So he turned back without a plan. He was just going to say that he wanted to borrow ...sugar. Or milk. For drinking before bed. Because it helps with insomnia.

Lo and behold, before he had reached Lee's apartment, he already heard sobbing. Gaara picked up his pace and ran to his door, knocking loudly. The sobbing stopped. An excruciating pause followed. Finally, the door opened, the room was dimly lit and Lee was once again smiling, forced, eyes swollen and red, but smiling nonetheless.

'What's up, Gaara?' Lee sniffed involuntarily and turned away quickly. Shoulders trembling.

'Lee,' Gaara said softly as he closed the door behind him. He went up to Lee and put his hand on his back when Lee didn't stop trembling and sniffing. 'It's okay.' 

Lee stepped away from his touch and brought an arm up to wip at his eyes. Gaara's heart clenched. 'It's okay, it's okay.' Gaara kept saying as he followed Lee into his room, where Lee found a new box of tissues. At that point, Gaara went in for a hug from behind the older boy. 

'No, Gaara,' Lee choked as he turned around, tears smeared all over his beautiful face. 'Go away.' He pushed at Gaara weakly, but Gaara maintained his hold on the boy he loved. They sank down to Lee's bed as Gaara grabbed lightly at Lee's protesting hands, until eventually Gaara was holding Lee's head against his chest as the latter calmed down.

When Lee pulled away, Gaara kept his hands on Lee, and let them run down Lee's arms as the latter straightened himself. They looked at each other for a short moment before Gaara pressed his lips against Lee's.

The latter let out a small sound of surprise and turned his head to break the kiss. However, he didn't push Gaara away. Neither did he look angry or embarrassed. Just very tired.

'Do you want to go to bed?' Gaara asked, sweet and soft, as he smoothed a hand over Lee's arm. Lee sniffed again and laid down, eyes looking everywhere but Gaara. 

Gaara stayed until Lee fell asleep.

============

Gaara kept coming back the next few days. Lee was too tired to protest. He had caught a cold at some point. So most of the time when Gaara visited, Lee lay on his bed, unable to sleep, and at the same time unable to move enough for daily activities. Gaara would give him medicine, cook for him, check his temperature and tell him stories about all the girls he'd rejected over the years.

Lee felt sorry for all of them. 'Who wouldn't want to be with the next heir of Suna Corporations. He's cool, rich, successful, so handsome, so sophisticated and kind-hearted,' he mused sleepily as Gaara smiled down at him on the side of his bed.

'Well, maybe you should ask yourself that question,' Gaara's voice lowered into almost a whisper. Lee turned his head to the side, but doesn't move his arm from Gaara's lap. 

'Aren't you scared?' Lee whispered. Gaara frowned in surprise. 'Aren't you... disappointed?'

'About what?'

'About, well, I'm not doing so well, and I hate that you are here to witness all of it,' Lee said as he buried his face into the sheets. Gaara's heart broke. He leaned down and covered Lee's body with his own.

'I'm not scared or disappointed, Lee,' Gaara lifted his head a little so he was looking down at Lee's face. 'Let me help you. You used to take care of me. Now it's my turn to take care of you. Let me.'

Lee pushed at Gaara a little and Gaara sat back up a little. 'I'm just worried you are putting time and effort into something that won't become an integral part of your life in the future,' Lee explained. 'You should be building a life for yourself, not taking care of a cripple.'

Gaara sighed. 'Lee, don't speak of yourself that way, you can still do amazing things,' he gently brushed a few strands of hair out of Lee's large, round eyes, which were now half-lidded, tired and a little red. 'Running isn't the only thing that makes you special, Lee, there are so many transferrable skills from your professional athletics training that can be applied elsewhere, not to mention you have one of the rarest gifts of all, the ability to remain kind and innocent in a harsh and competitive world.'

Lee huffed a little nose laugh. 'I'll be here while you figure out what it is that makes you tick again,' Gaara continued. 'I know it might take a few years or even more than that, but I'll be here to tell you you are special, that you still have so much, that you can still be more successful than you ever imagined, as many times as you need to hear it.'

This time, Lee's arm wrapped around Gaara's back and pulled him down for a hug. 'Oh, Gaara, thank you so much!'

When they parted, Gaara's cheeks were red. 'And you don't have to tell me to chase my dreams,' he said. 'Because you are my dream, Lee.'

The first thing Lee wanted to say was that Gaara must be out of his mind, but instead he took Gaara's hand in his own and buried his head into the crook of the younger man's neck. For now, he was okay with this. Gaara didn't push him to reciprocate his feelings either. Everything was going to be fine.