Chapter 3
Gaara couldn't sleep.
Not only because he was too eager to see Lee again, but because of Shukaku, an extremely powerful beast with immensely high chakra. When Gaara's mother was pregnant with Gaara, his father, the Fourth Kazekage, sealed Shukaku inside of Gaara. Because of this, Gaara had never been able to sleep for the past six years. Gaara was quite intrigued with the idea of sleep. He wondered what he would dream about if he was able to sleep. As soon as he was able to confirm that everyone was asleep, he jumped out of bed, picked out a stack of random children's books, and snuck downstairs. There was a ledge by one of the windows, so Gaara decided to plop himself on there, open up his book, and listen to the sound of the pouring rain.
As Gaara continued to read through the books, he heard the patter of rain come to a halt, and he saw the sun beginning to rise in the east. The sky slowly turned from midnight-blue, to cobalt, to baby-blue, to tangerine-orange, and, at the very end, fiery red. One by one, the stars disappeared, only to be replaced with fluffy white clouds. Judging by the position of the sun, Gaara estimated that it was nine o'clock. Slowly, children began to descend from the stairs, only to eye Gaara precariously, and climb back up the stairs. As long as Baki-Sensei wasn't around, the didn't trust Gaara enough to be alone with him. Surprisingly, this didn't bother Gaara at all. He liked the peace and quiet of early morning, with nothing but the songs of birds to accompany him.
At about ten-thirty, Baki-Sensei came down the stairs, a cheery smile on his face. What seemed like all of the Suna children trailed behind him, now feeling safe enough to be in the same room as Gaara. While Baki-Sensei made pancakes for the children, the sound of someone's knuckles rapping against the door could be heard. Almost immediately, everyone's attention was now on the door. The hotel didn't permit visitors, so whoever came here would probably get in a lot of trouble... Baki strode towards the door, and with one swift motioned, opened it up, to reveal a small boy, who Gaara immediately recognized as Lee. He had a sweet smile plastered on his face, and he held his hands behind his back, as if holding something that was not to be revealed.
Baki immediately became suspicious. "And who might you be?" he inquired, leaning down to face the cheery Konoha boy. "Greetings, sir! I am very sorry to disrupt your routine, but is Gaara here?" Lee poked his head into the room, and recognized Gaara at once. Everyone's eyes were now on Gaara and the newcomer, and Gaara could feel his face heat up from all the staring. "Ah, nice to see you again, Gaara!" Lee exclaimed, running inside of the building and embracing Gaara as if he were a brother. The children gasped at this scandalous action, and began whispering to each other at once. Gaara couldn't find his voice as he stared into the lovely face of Lee.
"L-Lee, what are you doing here..?" Gaara finally asked, his voice hoarse. "I was wondering if you'd like to spend the day with me, so we could get to know each other better!" Lee beamed happily, awaiting his companion's response. Even if Gaara didn't want to spend the day with Lee (which he did), he wouldn't be able to say 'no' to his cherubic face. "Of course! I-I'd be happy to!" Gaara replied, equally as exuberant. Something had just occurred to the redhead; he always stuttered and stammered whenever he was around Lee, and he didn't know why.
"Great! Let us be off!" And with that being said, Lee grabbed Gaara's hand firmly, and they both sprinted out of the door, nearly trampling Baki. Gaara's book lay desolate and forgotten on the floor as the two boys ran to a specific destination, though Gaara didn't know where. Buildings passed by in a blur as they neared an enormous greenhouse building with a glass roof. A little pink-haired girl was talking to the receptionist, another little blonde girl. They seemed to be talking about bananas. As Lee and Gaara approached, they quieted down. "Hey, Lee, what can I do you for?" the blonde girl asked merrily, her teal-blue eyes sparkling. "Nice to see you, Ino! Sakura!" Lee nodded towards the pink-haired girl, who nodded back, smiling lightly.
"Is it alright if Gaara and I access the Cherry Blossom Exhibit?" Lee asked politely. The girl called Ino nodded, smiling happily. "Of course, Lee! You know you don't have to ask, right?" Lee shrugged. "I believe that it is more polite to ask permission. Thank you, Ino!" Before the blonde could respond, Lee had grabbed Gaara's hand again, and they dashed past numerous exhibits, before they reached a giant, glass-covered exhibit, with the sign, "𝙲𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚘𝚖 𝙴𝚡𝚑𝚒𝚋𝚒𝚝." Lee opened the door for the two of them, and Gaara was greeted with a beautiful sight—giant pink trees covered every inch of the exhibit, except for a cobblestone path that led this way and that.
Lee guided Gaara towards a metal bench, which laid directly underneath two massive cherry blossom trees. As the two sat down, Lee pulled out a backpack stuffed with snacks. Gaara looked around, amazed at such a gorgeous sight. Lee placed the backpack in-between the two boys, and zipped it open. They sat in silence for a few moments, as Gaara was too busy admiring the scene before him, and Lee was too busy admiring Gaara's features. Lee didn't realize how beautiful Gaara's green eyes were until now. Lee adored the way Gaara's sea-green eyes sparkled with astonishment at the cherry trees. the pink blossoms reflected Gaara's milky-white skin, which gave him a rosy complexion.
"You have a very pretty smile," Lee blurted. Gaara didn't even realize that he was smiling until Lee pointed it out. Gaara flushed a soft pink, and his heart gave a not-so-gentle squeeze. "Th...Thanks..." he replied lamely. After a few seconds of slightly awkward silence, the bushy-browed boy swung his legs over the bench, and glanced around. "So...when is your birthday, Gaara?" Gaara hummed softly under his breath before responding. "January 19th, so that makes me six years old!" Gaara held up six fingers for emphasis. Lee smiled casually, and said, "My birthday is November 27th, so I am seven years old!" Lee held up seven fingers opposed to Gaara's six. The younger boy was glad he was learning all this stuff about Lee.
The two boys continued to chat, trying to learn as much as they can about each other. Every now and then, Gaara would erupt in a fit of giggles, causing Lee's heart to go into overdrive. Lee absolutely loved to hear Gaara's laughter; it reminded him of windchimes on a pearly-grey day. Slowly, Lee could feel himself drowning in Gaara's shimmering green eyes.
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Today was a Wednesday. Gaara knew this because Lee had intense Taijutsu training with his teammates, Tenten and Neji, today. Lee had told him that he would greet him at three o'clock in the afternoon. Sometimes, Gaara found himself nervous for Lee. He hoped that Neji or Tenten wouldn't hurt him too bad... Gaara had himself perched up in a tree, when a little boy with golden, spiky hair joined him. Gaara recognized this little boy at once; he was playing at the front of the gate when the Suna children were barely arriving. "Hey, there!" he grinned, his sky-blue eyes closing halfway. His smile reminded Gaara of Lee's, except he thought that Lee's smile was more attractive.
"Erm...hi.." Gaara responded, boredom oozing thick from his words. "I'm Naruto! Are you all alone up here?" the boy called Naruto asked. Gaara shook his head, his untidy red hair flopping around. "No, I'm just waiting for a friend," he responded, staring at Konoha Academy in the distance. The boy nodded. "Oh, okay. I just didn't want you to be alone, so good to know!" Gaara was slightly caught off-guard by this. This boy, Naruto, was surprisingly kind. "Naruto, come back down!" another boy yelled. Gaara looked down, to see the cold, raven-haired boy. "Coming, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled back, sliding off the branch. "It was nice to meet you!" he waved at Gaara, before falling off the branch, landing swiftly, kind of like a cat.
Gaara sighed, and stared longingly at The Academy, only to be met with a horrible sight. Lee was being assaulted.
A group of boys were shoving Lee around, while he guarded his face. Gaara was filled with an unexpected feeling; white-hot anger licked at his insides, making his fists tremble. Gaara leapt off of the branch, the sand slithering out and cushioning his fall, and he bolted towards The Academy, fueled by his rage. He approached the group of kids, trying to calm himself down. Shukaku stirred in his chest, and was roaring hideously, clawing at his chest. "You're such a loser! Can't even use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu!" one of the kids yelled, shoving Lee particularly hard. Lee stumbled backwards, and hit his head as he fell onto the rough ground.
"HEY!" Gaara shouted, attracting the attention of the group. Lee flipped onto his stomach, and looked up, an expression of shock written on his soft, now-scratched face. Gaara lifted one hand, and sent a spear of sand hurtling towards the group, scattering the boys. The sand wrapped itself firmly around Lee's torso, lifted him into the air, and motioned for the sand to come back to him. The sand put Lee down gently behind Gaara, and as soon as Lee hit the ground, Gaara put up a wall of sand around him, shielding the older boy. "You don't get to treat my friend like that. If you want to hurt him, you'll have to hurt me." Gaara snarled. For once, Gaara looked truly frightening, the monster that people made him out to be.
The boys shrunk back in fear, and began shoving one another in their attempt to run off. Gaara huffed, and the sand slithered away, revealing Lee. The younger boy turned around, and extended a hand towards Lee, a soft smile lighting up his features. Lee, who was still in shock, took Gaara's hand, and stood up. Lee brushed off the dust from his clothes, and Gaara was appalled to see that he was crying. "Lee, what's wrong?" he asked cautiously, taking Lee's face into his hands. "I appreciate you standing up to those children for me so much, Gaara! I do not deserve you!" Lee sobbed, hugging Gaara tightly. "S-Stop it, Lee! You're embarrassing me!" Gaara wailed, his cheeks crimson.
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On Thursday, Lee and Gaara had planned something special. For their '3-Day-Anniversary,' they decided to have a picnic where they first met, the grassy hill that overlooked the water. "God, when I see those bullies again, I'm gonna whoop their sorry butts!" Tenten exclaimed angrily as she applied cream to one of Lee's many superficial cuts. "Violence is not always the answer, Tenten," Neji said calmly as he tended to one of their many flowers. "Oh, shut up, Neji!" Tenten snapped, pressing down on one of Lee's cuts, causing Lee to wince slightly. "Ah, sorry Lee..It's just that those losers get me so mad sometimes!" Tenten sighed, putting a band-aid over one of Lee's deeper cuts. "Do not let them get into your head, Tenten. That's exactly what they want." Neji advised, spraying water gently on a wildflower.
"You're right, Neji. You know, you can be really wise sometimes." Tenten hummed, smiling softly at her comrade. Neji made a soft noise of appreciation in response. "Okay, I shall be on my way now!" Lee beamed sweetly. He found himself very eager to see Gaara's face, especially his eyes. Lee found himself in love with the color of Gaara's eyes. "Off to see your boyfriend, Lee?" Tenten giggled, wiggling her eyebrows. Lee blushed furiously, and shoved Tenten. "Tenten, it is not like that! Gaara and I are just friends!" he squeaked, waving his hands.
"Oh really? Why are you so excited to see him?" Neji asked, smirking. Lee spluttered for a moment before finding his words. "G-Gaara is my friend, Neji! Aren't you excited to see your friends?" Neji shrugged. "Fair point." Tenten opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Lee snatched the picnic basket and ran out the door. Because of Tenten's teasing, Lee would be a few minutes earlier than Gaara. He skipped happily to their spot, only to see two other kids playing there, who he recognized as Sasuke and Naruto. "Oh, hey, Bushy Brows!" Naruto exclaimed, waving happily.
Sasuke turned around, met Lee's eyes, and turned back. Sasuke gave Lee the creeps sometimes. "Hello, Naruto! Do you mind if you leave? I am supposed to meet a friend here, and I would prefer if we were alone.." Lee asked nervously, fidgeting with his shirt. "Of course I don't mind, Lee! Sasuke and I were about to leave anyways. C'mon, Sasuke!" Naruto ran off, Sasuke hot on his trail. Lee laid out the picnic blanket and their food, sat down, and stared idly at the sky. Not long after, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and Gaara sat down right next to him.
"Hey, Lee, how's your day so far?" Gaara asked, smiling. "It is much better, now that you are here." Lee blurted. Immediately, both his and Gaara's faces turned pink, and they both looked away. After a few moments of awkward silence, Lee spotted something in the distance; two sticks. "Gaara, look, look! Sticks! Wanna play 'ANBU Black Ops?'" he asked excitedly. Gaara beamed. "Sure, let's go!" Gaara dashed towards the two sticks. Before Lee chased after Gaara, he took a sandwich, and ran after him. Lee and Gaara began playing with the sticks and pretended that they kunai knives, and they began to take jabs at each other. After a few minutes of trying to impale each other with the branches, Lee lied down on the sea of grass. Gaara joined him on the ground. Lee sighed, and said, “Isn’t it crazy how out of all the people in the universe, we met each other?” Gaara hummed in agreement.
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As Friday approached, Gaara began to fret slightly. He didn't want to leave Lee, but he also didn't want to leave his siblings. Leave Lee, leave his siblings, leave Lee, leave his siblings. Soon after, Gaara's mind was ping-ponging around in his skull, making his head hurt. Gaara rubbed his temples, evidently distressed. "Hey, bud, what's the matter?" someone asked. Gaara's head snapped up to the source of the voice, which was Baki-Sensei. "Well...I made a friend, Sensei," Gaara began. "That's great, Gaara!" Baki exclaimed. The young boy stared up at him with large, sad eyes. "...or not," Baki muttered. "I think...I'm in love.." Gaara sighed, fidgeting with his hands. Baki was silent for a moment. "Is it that bushy-browed boy?" he asked.
Gaara nodded, slightly embarrassed. Baki smiled gently. "You should go after him, Gaara! I can tell that he really likes you, too." Gaara's eyes lit up with hope. "R-Really? You think so?" Baki laughed. "Of course, Gaara, he's crazy for you!" Gaara beamed, determination flaring up inside of him. "I will go after him, Baki-Sensei! Thank you!" Gaara sprinted out of his room, down the stairs, and hurtled out the door, heading straight for Lee's house. He knocked on the door furiously, and kept knocking until someone answered. A boy with long, luscious hair and light lavender eyes.
"May I help you?" he inquired, evidently impatient. "I need to speak with Lee," Gaara stated breathlessly. The boy's eyes lit up with recognition. "Are you Gaara?" The redhead nodded. "Lee talks a lot about you. I'm Neji, a friend of Lee's." Neji smiled kindly, before turning around. "LEE, GAARA'S HERE FOR YOU!" he yelled. Gaara winced at his loud voice. There was the sound of hurried footsteps, something crashing, and Lee turned up in the doorway, out of breath. "H...hello, Gaara!" Lee beamed, still out of breath. "H-Hey, Lee. I...um...I was wondering if you...wanted to watch the sunset with me?" Gaara asked, suddenly nervous.
Lee smiled and nodded. "Of course, I'd love to watch the sunset!" Gaara exhaled shakily. The younger boy was breaking out in a cold sweat. "Come on, let us go!" Lee grabbed Gaara's hand, and they ran towards the highest building they could find. They leapt on top of the roof, sat down, and stared out at the sky, which was turning a golden red. Slowly, Gaara shifted closer to Lee, and rested his head on Lee's shoulder. Lee let out a small squeak, before relaxing. He laid his head on top of Gaara's as stars began to appear. Gaara tried to muster up all the courage he could for this next part.
"Lee..?" he croaked out softly, turning his head to the older boy. "Yes, Gaara?" He turned to face the smaller boy, their eyes locking. Slowly, Lee's cheeks began to turn red. Gaara inhaled shakily, and leaned in quickly. Gaara's lips met Lee's for a brief moment, before Gaara pulled back, blushing furiously. Lee stared at Gaara, his face an adorable shade of red. He began to splutter incoherently, trying to form words. Before he could, Gaara leapt up, and jumped off of the roof, running to his hotel. Gaara could hear Lee calling after him, but he didn't turn back. Gaara let out a squeal of ecstasy, and continued to run.
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On Saturday, all Suna children were required to pack up their belongings for the trip back home tomorrow. Gaara moped around the hotel, miserable that they had to leave Konohagakure. "Hey, Gaara, how did it go?" Baki asked, smiling. Gaara stared up at Baki for a moment, before bursting into tears. "I think I ruined our friendship, Baki-Sensei!" he wailed. "He hasn't came by at all today, and it's already four o'clock!" Baki leaned down, and wiped Gaara's tears. "Hey, hey, it's okay! I'm sure that Lee has something important to do, and I'm sure that he'll be here soon, okay?"
As soon as those words came out, somebody knocked on the door. Before Baki could take one step, Gaara zoomed past him, and flew down the stairs. He wrenched the door open, to reveal the one person he wanted to see the most, Lee. He seemed flustered and nervous, and when Gaara opened the door, he jumped slightly. "O-Oh! Hi, Gaara...Can we...go somewhere more private?" he asked timidly, holding his hands behind his back like last time. Gaara felt like he was submerged in ice water. Lee was probably going to tell him that they couldn't be friends anymore...
"S-Sure, whatever you want, Lee." Gaara stammered, his heart beating like a fast-tempo drum. Lee held out one hand for Gaara to take, while he kept the other behind his back. Gaara eagerly took Lee's hand, and he led them somewhere, Gaara didn't know where. However as they neared their destination, Gaara recognized their surroundings; they were at their spot, the grassy hill overlooking the water. He led Gaara to the dock, where he stopped, and turned to face the Suna child. "Gaara...I've been thinking about what happened.." Lee began, his voice shaking.
Gaara waited nervously, his hands clammy. "I told Neji and Tenten, and they both told me the same thing..." Lee let go of Gaara's hand, and got down on one knee. He held out the hand he was hiding, which revealed a piece of twine in the shape of a ring. "Gaara, will you marry me?" Both Gaara and Lee didn't really understand the concept of marriage. All they knew was that you proposed to someone who you really cared about. Gaara sighed in relief, and took the twine out of Lee's hands instantly. "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" Lee laughed, exuberant, and hugged Gaara tightly.
Gaara slipped the makeshift ring onto his third finger, and Lee took out a second twine ring, and slid it onto his third finger. Lee leaned in quickly, met Gaara's lips, and pulled back within a second. "Ewww!" they both giggled, covering their mouths. Both of them looked to the sky, which was dotted with stars. "Well, I'd better go, what with me leaving tomorrow early and all..." Gaara sighed, shuffling his feet. Lee took the younger boy's face in his hands, and beamed. "Do not worry, Gaara! I vow that I will never forget you!" Gaara smiled sadly. "I won't forget you either, Lee."
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One by one, the children of Sunagakure climbed onto the bus, waving goodbye at their new Konoha friends. Baki heaved their luggage onto the deck of the bus, Iruka-Sensei helping him out. Gaara lingered by the head of the bus, staring out at the gates of Konohagakure, waiting for a specific someone. "Hey, Gaara, we have to go now, okay?" Baki said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. Gaara sighed, and looked at the gates one more time, only to see a small boy running towards their bus. "W-WAIT! DO NOT GET ON THE BUS YET, GAARA!" the boy yelled. Gaara instantly recognized this as Lee's voice.
Lee halted in front of Gaara, doubled over, gasping for air. "G...Gaara...I....have....a present...for you.." he panted, holding something. He straightened up his back, and gave Gaara his best smile. Gaara gently took the thing that Lee had offered him, which was a cactus with a single flower. "Oh, Lee, I love it!" he gasped, admiring the plant. Lee beamed with glee. "Just a little something that you will remember me by!" The bus honked impatiently, causing the two boys to jump. Gaara turned to face Lee, and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek. "'Bye, Lee," he whispered, before jumping onto the bus, and taking his usual seat at the very back. He withdrew his teddy bear from his suitcase, and held it close, as he admired Lee's twine marriage ring. He stared glumly out the window as the bus began to reverse.
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6 years later....
"Hey, Gaara, you ready to leave?" Temari asked, now 15 years old. Gaara, now 12 years old, turned to face his sister, and turned back to his cactus. "I...I'll meet you and Kankuro there in a little bit, okay?" he responded. Temari gave him a slight smile, pat him on the shoulder, and exited the room. It had been six years since Gaara had been in Konohagakure for his Chunin exams, and, to be honest, he was a bit nervous. He had gone through various scenarios where he would run into a certain Leaf Shinobi. He stared at the cactus, then at a picture that had been taken during the fourth day of his Konoha field trip. The photo revealed the certain Shinobi wrapping his arm around Gaara's shoulder, beaming happily into the camera, while young Gaara smiled shyly at the camera.
He then stared at the twine ring that the Konoha child had given him on his last day at the Hidden Leaf Village. Gaara sighed, and sprayed his cactus with water. "I'll be back, Lee-san," he murmured. He straightened up, and exited the hotel room. Before he met up with Temari, he wanted to go to a specific destination. Gaara left the hotel, and walked north, passing familiar and unfamiliar faces. Some greeted him, while some ignored him. He continued to walk north, until he found what he was looking for; the grassy hill that overlooked the water. As he approached the dock to sit down and be alone with his thoughts, he realized that someone was there.
There was a boy sitting on the dock, his legs dangling over the water. Something about him seemed very familiar to Gaara. The Sand shinobi performed his Third-Eye Jutsu, and the eye floated towards the boy, hidden by the long grass. As Gaara studied the boy, he realized, with a jolt of his heart, that he was the boy that Gaara wanted to find. Rock Lee. Lee had changed; he had grown taller. His glossy, inky-black hair was cut and styled into a bowl-cut, and he wore a green jumpsuit. His forehead protector was tied around his waist, and he wore orange ankle weights. His hands were bandaged, and Gaara had a flashback of when those kids were hassling Lee.
The Third Eye disappeared, and Gaara cautiously walked forward. This older Lee turned around when he heard the creaking of the dock, and gave a friendly smile to Gaara. "Oh, hello, there." he said politely. Even though Gaara hadn't seen him for six years, Lee still had the same effect he had on Gaara when they were six years old. With a sudden pang in his heart, Gaara realized something; Lee didn't remember him. "Hey, Lee, we gotta go!" a girl yelled. "Coming, Tenten!" Lee yelled back. He stood up, and brushed off his green jumpsuit. He flashed Gaara a polite smile, and jogged over towards Tenten.
Gaara strode forward, plopped himself onto the deck, and choked back tears. How could his first friend not remember him? Gaara stared into the water, the misery overcoming him. Lee was his first friend, and he didn't even remember him. Lee approached Tenten, bowed slightly, and stood up. "Let us be off, Tenten!" He began to walk in the direction of Konoha Academy, but Tenten tugged roughly on his arm. "W-Wait, hold on. Is that...Gaara?" Tenten whispered, staring at the back of Gaara's flaming-red hair. Lee froze, and spun around. He realized that that was indeed Gaara, his first crush.
"I do not believe it..." he murmured. Lee had just walked past his 'husband,' and he didn't recognize him. "Can you hold on for a minute, Tenten?" Tenten nodded vigorously, and Lee bolted towards the dock, determined to talk to Gaara. Lee slowed to a walk, and approached the boy he once loved. Gaara turned around at the creaking, and relaxed when he recognized Lee. "Oh..hello again," he said casually, and turned around to continue staring at the water. "Erm...hi.." Lee mumbled. He stood there for a moment, shuffling his feet, before he had a sudden idea. "Um...do you mind if I ask you something?" Lee asked cautiously, shuffling closer towards Gaara. "Sure," he responded casually. "Isn’t it crazy how out of all the people in the universe, we met each other?" Gaara spun around, wide-eyed, before breaking into a bright smile.