Chapter 2
When Gaara realized that the rain wasn't soaking his hair and his clothes, he opened his icy green eyes, and found a pair of jet-black eyes staring right back at him.
The kind, black eyes belonged to a little boy around Gaara's age. He had extremely bushy eyebrows, long eyelashes, and soft, plump cheeks. His suntanned skin was covered in bruises and cuts. His rosy lips were formed into a slight pout as he examined Gaara's face closely. His hair reminded Gaara of Gai-Sensei's hair, except it wasn't styled into a bowl-cut. The hair was the same shade of inky-black, and it was tremendously glossy as well. His shiny bangs were parted down the middle, and his flowing hair was styled into a braid. Gaara realized that the strange boy was holding an umbrella over the both of them. Gaara sniffled, causing the boy's head to cock sideways, giving him the look of a confused puppy.
"Where are your eyebrows?" the odd boy inquired, leaning forward. Gaara's cheeks flushed at the proximity. "I....I was born without them.." Gaara replied, his voice barely higher than a whisper. The boy's lips formed into a slight 'o' in understanding. "Why are you crying?" the boy asked softly, wiping some of Gaara's tears, causing his cheeks to warm again. This boy made Gaara feel....funny. "S-Some of the kids we-were being mean.." Gaara hiccupped. He could feel the tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes again. "I am so sorry to hear that," the boy sighed, staring deeply into Gaara's eyes. "A few of the kids around here can be very rude when they want to be." The peculiar boy stood up, brushed off his clothes, and extended a soft hand towards Gaara.
Hesitantly, Gaara took the boy's hand. Smooth, milky-white met soft, sun-kissed skin. The boy tugged on Gaara's hand, and helped him up. "My name is Rock Lee, but everyone calls me Lee. May I ask what your name is?" Gaara was silent for a moment as millions of thoughts ran through his head. Was he about to make a friend? "I...I'm Gaara." he whispered. "Gaara," Lee echoed, and beamed happily, causing Gaara's heart to skip a few beats. "Very nice to meet you! You are not from around here correct?" Lee inquired. He nodded. "I'm from Sunagakure, the Village Hidden in the Sand," Lee nodded to show he was listening. "I see. Are you one of the children that came here on a field trip requested by the Kazekage?" Gaara nodded, amazed at Lee's advanced vocabulary.
Lee brushed off the mud from Gaara's clothes gently. "I am sorry for the emotional distress the Konoha children have caused you," Lee frowned. Gaara was at a loss for words; nobody had apologized to him before, not counting his siblings. Lee pulled Gaara into an unexpected hug, knocking the wind out of the redhead. Usually, sudden movements would've caused Gaara's sand to crush that person to a bloody pulp, but Lee was different. Gaara didn't realize how cold he was until Lee had embraced him. He was so warm... Gaara was soaked to the bone, and so was his stuffed bear. Gaara could feel Lee's heart thumping against his own, he could feel Lee inhale and exhale, and he could feel the warmth radiating from his body to Gaara's.
Lee pulled back, and held Gaara by his shoulders. "Would you like to be friends?" he asked, a hopeful smile on his face. Gaara couldn't breathe. He had been waiting for this moment his whole life, and it had finally come. Almost instantly, Gaara's face broke into a radiant, glowing smile. "I'd love to!" he exclaimed. Lee grinned, and squeezed Gaara's shoulders. "I am happy to hear!" he cried. Gaara found himself attracted to Lee's smile. When Lee smiled, it reached his eyes, causing them to resemble crescent moons, and his cheeks would flush with joy. Gaara was envious of Lee's happy personality. "LEE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT IN THE RAIN?!" a girl's voice yelled. Gaara and Lee's heads snapped towards the voice, and saw a little girl in front of a snug house, jumping up and down.
"I AM MAKING A FRIEND, TENTEN!" Lee yelled back, waving his and Gaara's arms frantically. "GET BACK IN HERE, YOU'RE GONNA CATCH A COLD!" the girl named Tenten shouted angrily. Lee huffed in annoyance, and turned to face Gaara, and apologetic expression on his face. "I am very sorry, Gaara, but I must go! Here, take my umbrella," Lee handed Gaara the umbrella, causing the rain to instantly soak Lee's clothes. "N-No, the girl's right...What if you get sick?" Gaara murmured, trying to cover Lee with the umbrella. Lee flashed Gaara a grin, and flexed his arms. "I am much too strong to get sick!" Lee's face grew slightly serious.
"It was very nice to meet you, Gaara." he said, smiling slightly. Lee turned around, and sprinted towards the girl. "I will see you tomorrow!" Lee yelled over his shoulder, waving. He stumbled over a rock, but he kept going, his braid flowing behind him. Lee approached the girl, Tenten, and bowed deeply. Gaara guessed that he was apologizing. Another small boy about Lee's age emerged from the house to greet Lee, patting him on the back and steering him inside. Tenten followed them in, and Gaara could see their shadows inside. Gaara couldn't wait to see Lee tomorrow.
He skipped happily to the hotel, wiping his muddy shoes on the outdoor mat. He slipped off his shoes, and held them in his left hand, his teddy bear in his right. The Suna children were blathering on about their day and their new friends, but as soon as Gaara stepped in, they fell silent, their expressions frozen with terror. Gaara couldn't care less. Instead, he stood in the middle of the living room, and examined their faces with a smile on his own, before he pranced up the stairs, grinning like an idiot. He barged into his room, flopped onto his bed, and squealed into his pillow, kicking his legs up and down. He couldn't believe that he just made a friend! He flipped onto his back, and stared at Lee's umbrella, which had little frogs on them.
He squealed again, and flailed his arms and legs. He remembered the regretful expression on Lee's face when he had to leave, he remembered the warmth of Lee's body against Gaara's, and he remembered the way Lee made his heart stutter and trip. His cheeks flushed happily, and bounded to the bathroom to take a warm shower. He couldn't wait to see Lee again.
Ｇ♡Ｌ