Chapter 11
Gaara’s phone lit up his dark attic bedroom periodically as he laid down, ignoring the screaming pain in his back. He gazed tiredly out the window, dried tear tracks staining his cheeks. He couldn’t find the energy to wipe them off.
His phone went off, the first actual phone call he had received in years he mused. He debated wether or not to answer it, eventually reaching over the side of his cot to pick it up off the ground and turn it off. He paused, noticing the call was coming from Lee.
‘He’ll only hurt you. Remember what happened with Sasuke?’
Gaara sighed and accepted the call, holding the phone up to his ear. He didn’t have a chance to say anything before Lee was practically yelling in his ear.
-“Gaara?! Are you okay? We were supposed to meet after school!”
Gaara mentally slapped himself, he had completely forgotten after his run-in with Sasuke.
“...Fine,” He murmured, closing his eyes.
-“Fine? What? Gaara?”
“Oh I- I meant I’m fine. Sorry, I completely forgot.”
-“That’s quite alright! I was just worried something had happened to you.”
That was odd. He had expected Lee to be aggravated, angry even, that he hadn’t showed up. He sighed and laid on his back, making sure to be gentler this time. Something about Lee’s voice was soothing.
‘Soothing? Really, that’s what you’d call it? The kid who’d probably gut you at any chance like the others?’
“Shut up,” Gaara mumbled, too tired to deal with Shukaku at the moment.
-“Excuse me?”
Gaara jumped at Lee’s voice, panic rising up in him until he realized Lee didn’t sound offended, instead almost... concerned.
“Sorry... Sorry, my brother was being annoying,” He lied, throwing an arm over his head.
‘Brother? You’re calling me Kankuro? I’m hurt.’
Gaara smiled slightly and resisted the urge to chuckle, instead focusing on Lee’s voice.
-“Oh, I understand! I do not have any siblings myself but I understand they can be quite the hassle.”
Gaara made a noise of agreement, and there was a beat of silence. He didn’t like it for some reason, and was about to make the rare decision to break it when Lee’s rushed voice came through his phone.
-“Would you like to do something with me this weekend?”
Gaara paused and didn’t respond immediately, gears twisting in his head as he thought.
-“Ah, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to be-”
“Like as... a date?”
There was another moment of silence, but no denial. He thought about it, he hadn’t known Lee for very long, but he had to admit he had grown remarkably attached to him already. Lee seemed genuinely nice and caring, spending every moment he could with Gaara and trying to help him in anyway he could.
His mind flashed back to what Sasuke said.
“He’ll just use you. Stay away from Lee.”
-“Gaara, I am sorry, it doesn’t have to be if you do not-”
“I’d love to.”
-“What?”
“I’d love to go on a date with you.”
He wasn’t going to let anyone, not even Sasuke, rule his life anymore.
He smiled when he heard how happy and flustered Lee seemed and spent nearly the whole night talking to the boy in hushed whispers, a privilege he hadn’t had in a long time.