Garden
Gaara remembered the look that Lee gave him when they were at Temari and Shikamaru’s wedding. It was so small, so sweet, it made Gaara want to lean over and kiss him. He knew what the look meant. He may have been socially inept, but he had slowly, over the course of the last three years he spent being around Lee every chance he was given, learned to at least read his boyfriend. The look was an ‘I love you’, but not the regular one, not the kind Gaara got after a long day at work or when Shukaku ran out of the apartment for the fifth time that week and Gaara was sick of letting him back in. No, this was an ‘I love you’ built around something big, and there really wasn’t much big Lee could want, save for one thing.
Marriage.
At least, that was what Gaara assumed. It made the most logical sense, they were at a wedding after all, and Lee more specifically gave him that look as they walked down the aisle arm in arm before separating. That look was actually what had left Gaara unable to pay complete attention during the vows, though he was sure they weren’t much to miss considering the way Temari and Shikamaru seemed to spend their entire relationship sniping at each other.
Gaara imagined himself standing in front of everyone, pouring his heart out to Lee and solidifying their relationship as something that would take the law to end. He felt a chill run up his spine, or maybe a sense of electricity. He wasn’t totally sure.
It was that sense of unsureness that left Gaara to avoid Lee for the rest of the ceremony, avoiding the inevitability of the two of them having to talk because Lee was the one who had driven them here.
He made sure to stick by Temari and Kankurou initially, but that only lasted for so long. Kankurou and Kiba were apparently ‘on’ again, meaning that the two of them were already trying to sneak off somewhere to do who knows what, and Temari was the bride. She was too busy being fawned over by friends and Shikamaru’s family to even shame Gaara for playing Where’s Waldo with his boyfriend. It didn’t help anything that he and said boyfriend were sat right beside each other for the reception dinner.
In his pre-dinner efforts to avoid Lee, and the possibility of even discussing a wedding, Gaara found himself even pressing himself to one of the lovely carved pillars as Lee seemed to be walking right past his hiding spot. He only realized, belatedly at that, that he was crushing one of the many flowers they had managed to string up all over the banquet hall after he felt a thorn stab him in the hand.
It was then, muttering expletives and walking toward the men’s room, that Gaara was caught by Lee. He seemed frustrated looking at first, like he knew that Gaara had been avoiding him, which was not inaccurate in the slightest, but his expression quickly shifted to one of worry when he saw there was a thorn in Gaara’s palm.
Oh no! Gaara are you okay? Was there some sort of problem with the rose vines on the columns?
Gaara looked at Lee properly for the first time since they had left the house this morning. His suit was still perfectly aligned, not even a button out of place, and his hair was actually slicked back for the wedding, he looked suave, in a way. The vest he wore beneath his suit was a royal purple and complimented his skin perfectly, and the small, white lily that he had tucked into his pocket made him look almost like a prince. Completely like and unlike his usual dopey hotness that Gaara praised in his head every day, and it left his head spinning a bit.
He cleared his throat, hating that he was getting caught up in Lee’s looks despite the severity of the situation at hand. He looked down at his hand, blood slowly leaking down the side of his palm with a small thorn sticking out.
No but...I’ll be fine Lee, let me just clean up in the bathroom.
Do you want me to get you a bandage while you are at it? You know, I usually have some on hand but….this is not my usual attire..
I know Lee, but really, you don’t need to. This isn’t the first time I’ve pricked myself.
He gave Lee a pat on the arm, too embarrassed by his behavior and the people around them to do anything more before rushing into the bathroom. It was lovely, reflectively clean with a soft looking couch right beside the door. It wasn’t his first time being in a bathroom nice as this one, though he also wouldn’t deny he felt a strange sense of comfort in them, having spent too many family occasions asleep on a loveseat similar to the one he was looking at now.
He walked to the sink, squeezing the space around the thorn with his forefinger and thumb before pulling it out with his teeth. It was painful, it never wasn’t, but it also wasn’t unbearable enough for Gaara to feel the need to make a scene.
In reality, Gaara could have lost an arm and still waited to bring it up, at least until the wedding was over.
He ran a bit of water over the injury, surprisingly superficial for how much blood had come out of it earlier, and somehow he managed to make it out right before dinner was served. The meal was reasonably sized, mackerel with a side of vegetable soup, both of their favorites.
It was sweet, and as Gaara stared into his soup, he imagined what Lee would want to serve at their wedding, though he knew that he wouldn’t be able to say yes to any sort of proposal anytime soon. He thought of how strange the menu would be if they, too, went with serving their respective favorite dishes. After all, nobody really seemed to enjoy the unique tenderness that salted tongue had. Well, nobody except for Lee, who had admitted that on occasion the salted tongue Gaara made did help him understand why it was his favorite food, though Gaara was sure it wouldn’t go well with curry. He could imagine everyone getting sick, or even only ordering curry and him being the only one to eat the tongue. The thought made him frown into a big chunk of carrot, and Lee was already to the rescue.
Gently, he tapped Gaara's shoulder, snapping him out of his stupor and making him drop his spoon. Lee looked worried still, his brows drawn up in that way that made Gaara want to kiss the very, very faint crease that appeared between those giant black caterpillars.
Lee opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Choji standing up, ready to make his best man speech. Gaara felt his heart seize up, fuck. That meant that he was most likely next, seeing as Temari had made him to be her ‘Maid of Honor’ because she didn’t have any girl friends. It wasn’t surprising, but when Gaara suggested Tenten, Temari said that the two of them never spent much time together save for the time spent with Lee and Gaara, and the look on her face told him that there was no way he would be able to get out of something like this unscathed.
Choji’s speech was heartfelt and sweet in a way that made Gaara’s teeth hurt and Lee cry like a baby. He went on for about ten minutes about his friendship with Shikamaru and how him finding Temari made him so happy. It was strange to watch such a display of genuine vulnerability. Even after having been with Lee for so long, Gaara couldn’t get used to open displays of affection like Lee and his friends, more his boyfriend than his friends of course, but the point still stood. To watch Choji bear his love for his best friend to a room of practical strangers was unnerving and made Gaara even more anxious about giving his own speech.
Gaara had to face silence after a deafening round of applause and a few tears from the groom himself. He stood there, looking at his sister and her new husband for a long while before finally pulling his speech from his pocket. His hands were clammy and shaky, and all he wanted was for this to be over already. He sighed, gripping the microphone tight in his hand.
...uh….Temari is a really good sister, she’s….smart...and reliable….apparently she’s pretty too...and Shikamaru makes her happy….even if he’s lazy and doesn’t seem to care about much.
Gaara felt himself relax as he saw everyone’s faces ease, though he was only focused on one really, Temari’s.
They had been raised to just about never cry, even when she was giving her vows, Temari hadn’t even had a glossy eye, and Gaara admired that. Now though, she seemed to be getting emotional even when he had barely started his speech.
They care about each other, and I think that….love is something everyone should have, Temari especially. So, I hope you two cherish that
Gaara quickly sat the microphone down, rushing back to his place beside Lee before his face got too red for him to be able to feel a sense of self respect. He looked down at his barely touched food, and suddenly he found himself starving.
Temari was wiping her cheeks still when Kankurou went up, and his speech was much more heartfelt, though also less articulated and more threatening. Gaara found himself relaxed as the speeches went along. It was...honestly kind of sweet to see how many people cared about his sister, Shikamaru too.
By the time the cake was being cut, Gaara was no longer scared of Lee and his eyes, instead he found himself feeling softer, his guard lowered from being full and seeing how everyone around him seemed to have nothing but goodwill. Temari had insisted upon smashing the cake into one another’s faces, something that Gaara couldn’t imagine being enjoyable, but he hadn’t expected that his sister would turn even her own wedding into a competitive endeavor. It was almost fun to watch, seeing how Shikamaru and her duked it out in order to avoid a face full of cake, though by the time they were done, the cake was served and people were seated. Shikamaru visibly relished in the sense of pride he took in having beaten Temari, and rather than being angry she seemed happy, too.
Gaara imagined what it would be like to marry Lee, things would probably stay the same as they were now, except maybe they’d have fine china and new workout gear in the apartment. He took a bite from the cake, it wasn’t too sweet, and had a bitter quality that actually made him want more. He remembered Temari inviting him to cake tastings and vehemently refusing, and Gaara couldn’t help but feel a sense of comfort in the fact that she chose something he could enjoy. Lee seemed to have a similar sentiment about the cake, shoveling mouthful after mouthful as if it was going to disappear. After only two pieces though, Lee seemed off, his movements were far more languid than usual.
Gaara watched the flush that Lee’s cheeks took on and it all clicked with one question. Leaning over to Temari, he asked,
Is there alcohol in the cake?
Temari, who really hadn’t eaten much cake, nodded, before realization dawned on her face as well. He nodded a bit, already getting out of his seat and pulling Lee from his own as subtly as he could before things got too rowdy.
Gaara could count the amount of times he had seen Lee drunk on one hand and this would be the second, the first having been a similar situation with sake filled chocolates that Neji had given to Gaara specifically as a gift that Lee had mistaken for a box from the same brand Neji gifted to him around the same time. He had been cute, a bit clumsy, but cute nonetheless. Even still, Gaara had heard enough tales about drunk Rock Lee that he knew it was better to leave than to possibly experience anything bad happening at the wedding.
Lee was already slurring out goodbyes and when he waved his arm swung out in such a way it nearly hit Gaara. It was then that Gaara realized they didn’t actually have a way to get home. He hadn’t ever been taught to drive a car, and with Lee indisposed there was no one to take their- well, Lee’s-shitty little station wagon home.
They stood outside of the venue, Gaara watching Lee as he jumped and danced around, singing some song under his breath while Gaara decided to get an Uber. He would just ask someone to drop it off in the morning. It was almost a saving grace that they were leaving, after the cake was supposed to be dancing, and neither Gaara nor Lee actually danced. Gaara feared the embarrassment and Lee just got ‘too into it’ as some would say.
Lee looked at him as he shoved his phone into his tuxedo pocket, already loosening his tie. He had that same look in his eye that he did earlier. It was sugary sweet and loving in the way that made Gaara feel warm all over.
He remembered the last time he saw that look, it was when Lee had suggested they move in together. They had been wrapped up under Gaara’s bedsheets, clothes discarded and Lee’s warm skin against his own. Then, Kankurou had barged in, leaving Lee to hide under the blanket like a scared child until Gaara could scare him into leaving. They laughed about it after a while, and it was with that look in his eye that Lee asked Gaara to get a place with him.
Gaara held that morning with such a fondness. It had been the start of their beautiful, far more private, life together, and now Lee was giving him that same look, after a wedding, while drunk. It wasn’t the best circumstances, especially not when Gaara was sure he wouldn’t be what a husband should, especially not a husband that Lee deserved. Lee walked over to Gaara, wrapping his strong, somehow even more toned arms around him and holding him close. He took in Lee’s smell, still inexplicably himself as always. He smiled into the fabric of his jacket, nuzzling his face into the crook of his shoulder.
Gaara-hic-I want...to ask you something
Lee was slurring, and in any other circumstance Gaara would be giggling, but instead he felt himself go rigid. He quickly twisted out of his arms, setting a clear physical distance between them as he panickedly mumbled out to Lee that he needed water.
You need water first-I should-You need to stay there while I get it
Was all Gaara said before bolting back inside. It was easier to slip back inside than he had expected, but people were really too busy dancing to even notice all 5’6 inches of Gaara scrambling to get a glass of water. He went out as quickly as he had entered, practically shoving the glass of water into Lee’s face. He stared at it for a moment, before turning his head.
I don’wanit
Gaara was appalled, but tried again nonetheless.
I said I don’wanit
This time Lee crossed his arms.
Gaara gaped.
Who the hell was this and what had he done with his agreeable, sweet, kind hearted boyfriend?! He would have been angrier if not for the fact that Lee didn’t even seem to remember he was trying to ask Gaara something….serious. So, Gaara drank the water for himself. It had been a long night anyway.
The fight to get Lee into the Uber and into the apartment was something unexpected, but at least once they were home Gaara could strip out of the suit that seemed to have super glued itself to his skin. He already knew that Lee was a beast to be tamed, and he couldn’t imagine committing into any more physical exertion in that damned suit, especially not when they had rented them.
Gaara ended up having to sit right on Lee’s abdomen in order to undo the tie and vest, but after that it was all Lee. It was surprising that he still had enough dexterity to undo the tiny buttons on the inside of the vest, even more surprising that not one of them was damaged, and suddenly Gaara was back to thinking about a wedding between the two of them. It would probably have a bar, but they definitely wouldn’t have a booze cake, though he probably should have expected something like that when Temari bragged and bragged about having a child free wedding.
He removed himself from his thoughts to check on Lee, who had fallen asleep with his shirt wide open. His abs were just as prominent as ever, and his body was such a lovely shade of brown. He loved how Lee looked gorgeous no matter what he was doing, especially now that he had learned to turn his jealousy into pride. After all, he and Lee were together, and it was nice to be proud of his partner for being so attractive. Gaara sighed, if things had gone his way, he and Lee would be in the bedroom instead of out on the couch with one of them asleep.
For a moment, he considered going to the bedroom himself, leaving Lee out in the living room with just a blanket, but he could imagine the hurt on his face when he woke up, and suddenly the idea was no longer as appealing. Lee had softened him in that way, made him more sympathetic and emotional. Gaara stood from the couch, walking to the bedroom to pull their blanket from the bed and instead curling up against Lee’s ever warm body.
Sleep still didn’t come easily to him, but listening to Lee’s breathing and small snorts while he slept was enough to at least sooth him into relaxing his constantly rigid body for a while.
In the morning, Gaara found himself waking up to the feeling as Lee trying to move out from under him and the startled face of his boyfriend when Gaara asked what he was doing. Lee, animated as always, said that he was going to make coffee, and really that was all he had to say.
He got up from the couch, taking the time that Lee took ‘making coffee’, really a codeword for making breakfast, to water his plants. His collection had spread throughout their entire place, painting it in various shades of green. Lee seemed enthralled by the growth tracking app Gaara had on his phone, and he was all too happy to tell him which plants were doing well. He smiled, remembering all the mornings he and Lee had spent talking about the plants, all for the sake of Gaara’s happiness. It was sweet.
Lee had always been sweet, throughout the entirety of their relationship and before it. He really was the perfect guy, would probably be the perfect husband, too. Gaara suddenly tensed as he realized what the hell he had just thought, and suddenly he felt hot all the way down to his neck. Of course he had understood that Lee was a fantastic partner, but to consider the idea of the two of them getting married seriously was…..shocking to say the least.
Then, he remembered that Lee had something serious he had to ask him, and before Gaara could pull himself together he was being called for coffee. Lee was already laying out Gaara’s plate, scrambled eggs and toast with about six sausages, and a similar meal for himself. The only time Lee seemed particularly eating large amounts of food was in the morning, but Gaara didn’t mind. He had long learned to accept all of Lee’s eccentricities.
About last night,
Gaara choked, and realized one eccentricity of Lee’s that was both a blessing and a curse, his bluntness.
I want to say that I am sorry. I hope that my crass behavior did not ruin Temari’s wedding
Gaara somehow managed to choke down his egg that lodged itself in his throat, shaking his head.
I think that you’re fine. Temari barely seemed to notice you when we left, and you didn’t make a very big scene in front of anyone.
Lee let out a sigh of relief.
That is good news. Even still, I apologize that you had to see me that way. Had I known the cake was….
Spiked?
Gaara supplemented.
Lee nodded.
I would not have eaten any of it.
Gaara nodded, giving Lee a faint smile. It seemed like he was finally out of the clear, until Lee spoke again. This time, Gaara was taking a bite out of his sausage.
By the way, I wanted to ask you a very important question, if you do not mind
I have been putting a lot of thought into this...and I have not found anything definite, but I wanted to know what you thought of getting a pet
Gaara wanted to faint, or maybe scream. Lee had been teasing him with the thought of something big, all because he wanted to get a pet. Of course. It was the most utterly Lee thing he could have done, even still, Gaara found himself with a strange sense of disappointment. He had spent the last twelve hours worrying himself about the possibility of the two of them getting married when that hadn’t even been something that was being considered. He almost felt like he’d been tricked, even still, all he could come out with was,
Oh.
Does that mean you do not want to?
Lee frowned, frowned in that way that made Gaara want to kiss him.
I have seen the way that you look at alleycat nearby. I thought that maybe you would want to try to take it in...I apologize if I was I wrong?
Gaara shook his head, smirking a bit at his own ridiculousness.
That sounds great Lee..I just thought..
The idea was funny, in a stupid, sad way.
I thought you were about to propose
Lee practically leapt from his chair, sputtering a mess of ‘what’s and ‘dear gosh’s as his ears flushed to a shade of red that would have very easily rivaled Gaara’s hair.
Gaara-I-You-Pro-propose?! Would you-I-we
Lee fumbled all over himself until Gaara interrupted him, feeling his pride absolutely shot.
It was a silly thought. I don’t know why I thought it, I think it was because you seemed like you needed to talk about something, and getting a pet is very serious, but...I’m not sure.
Lee was still just as flustered but, ever so meekly, he managed to ask a question.
Would you….like to get engaged?
It was Gaara’s turn to fluster now, and, somehow, ever so softly, he managed to say yes.