Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Photograph ❯ Dreams ( Chapter 6 )

Theme #6: The space between dream and reality.

 

----

 

“Lee-san.”

 

Slowly, Lee turned to find Gaara watching him. “Yes, Kazekage-sama?”

 

“I have more questions for you.” The sand-nin walked up to Lee, not stopping until he was so close that his chest was brushing against Lee when he took a deep breath.

 

Lee could scarcely remember to breathe as arms slid up to wrap behind his neck. “About what, Gaara-sama?”

 

Gaara leaned in so that he was right next to Lee's ear. “What happens after kissing?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Breath rushed past Lee's ear as Gaara whispered to him. “What do we do after we kiss?”

 

Lee brought his hands up to push his friend back a bit, but lost the train of thought when he realized that his hands had hit bare skin. Without his permission, his fingers savored the perfect skin stretched over wiry muscles. At about the same time, he realized that he was also nude. Gaara stepped forward the last few inches to bring their bodies into full contact.

 

That breathy voice was back. “Show me, Lee.”

 

----

 

Lee jerked awake, his breath in frantic pants. He half expected to find Gaara staring at him, waiting for him to answer more questions. “Please, no more impossible questions!”

 

His frantic search revealed that he was alone in his room. The moonlight was streaming down into his window, creating a dappled pattern on his blankets. His breathing steadied as the panic subsided. It was just a dream. A strange, strange dream, but it was not reality. Lee let his head fall back onto his pillow as the adrenaline ebbed. However, another problem was becoming evident, and he groaned. There was an undeniable ache in a very specific area, and it did not seem to be interested in going away. `Why? Why am I dreaming about him now? Why am I reacting like this? I know I kissed him, but that was just between friends! He needed help! He's a man, and I like women! I know I do. Sakura's a woman, and I dated her. Twice. But that still counts! I've never looked at a man like that.'

 

Lee pushed his blankets back. There it was, proof positive that he had just had one of those dreams about Gaara. `What do I do now? What would Gai-sensei do?'

 

He did remember Gai-sensei's suggestions from a talk while he was a gennin. `Okay, I have to think of someone that is highly unattractive, and then picture them in the state of undress.' Lee tried to think of someone, but he was having a hard time. `It just seems kind of mean. I mean, who am I to decide who is unattractive? And it seems rather dishonorable to picture the third Hokage naked after everything he did for the village. Time for Plan B.'

 

Hoping out of bed, Lee hurried to his bathroom. He turned his shower on full blast and tossed his boxers aside as he jumped into the water.

 

“Eeek!” Lee jumped about under the ice cold water. The temperature snatched his breath away with the shock. He ducked his head under the water and dragged his fingers through his hair roughly. Showers had to be brief when in Suna, but that was fine. The ice water seemed to have done the trick. When he jumped back out of his shower, his body's reaction to the dream had faded away to nothing. Gasping for air, he snatched up a towel and started to rub his body down. Sure, the shower had worked on bringing his body back under control, but it had done nothing to settle his mind down. That rebellious part of his anatomy was still running at a hundred miles a minute. The frenzy was fraying what was left of his nerves.

 

`Enough!' Lee bonked himself in the head, accidentally knocking himself to the floor. Laying on the cold tiles of his bathroom in nothing but a towel, he tried to think. `I have no control over my dreams. They are random images that my mind puts together. After kissing Gaara, there were memories of that kind. He is my friend, and that is it. He is not going to suddenly decide that he wants to figure out more then kissing, and he is not going to walk up to me like that, and wrap his arms around my neck, and whisper . . . oh no.'

 

Lee really wanted to hit himself in the head again, but Tsunade had warned him about cumulative damage from multiple concussions. `Plan C. Training! Training fixes everything!'

 

With renewed enthusiasm, he jumped to his feet. A part of his mind noticed that he had forgotten his towel, and that he was damn cold, but the larger part of his mind was rather frantic to get his plan in action. He attacked his dresser and yanked out green spandex, fresh legwarmers, and a pair of underwear. Boxers may be nice to sleep in, but they did not look particularly youthful under spandex. He dressed as quickly as possible, snatching up his vest as he darted out the door. He knew his hair was standing up at odd angles, but it didn't matter at this time of night. After he trained, he could take another quick shower and put himself together properly.

 

`I will run 50 laps around Sungakure in the dark. And if that does not remove the images, I will run 100 laps, and if that does not do it, I will just keep running until images of Gaara saying . . .'

 

“Lee?”

 

The sound that yanked itself out of Lee's throat made him think of a trapped rodent. He spun around, eyes impossibly wide, to find the Kazekage. Not a huge shock, since he was staying at the Kazekage's residence, but still unexpected and in his opinion an example of just lousy timing. His eyes dragged over the figure in front of him, trying to put sense back into his world. It was Gaara, all right, but minus his gourd. And shoes, and shirt for that matter. The powerful sand master was standing there in a pair of drawstring pants that had sagged a bit on his hips. His hair was mussed, standing up at odd angles, and he had a piece of fruit in his hand. The jade green eyes were studying him with a slightly muzzy look.

 

“Where are you going, Lee?”

 

Lee squeaked out, “Training?”

 

Gaara blinked twice, slowly. “It is two in the morning.”

 

“Yes, well, when the youthful energy strikes, it is always the right time to train!” Lee jumped into a good guy pose, fully aware that his still damp hair was sticking up every which way and his clothes were probably crooked.

 

“You have obviously never had insomnia.” Gaara took a bite from his snack.

 

“Well, no, sleep is usually quite easy to come by. And how has that part of your training been coming, Kazekage-sama? How many hours are you up to?”

 

“Two.”

 

“Excellent progress!”

 

Gaara gave him another long, blank look. Lee was having a very hard time keeping his eyes off of the bare chest, while his mind kept flicking back to images of Gaara with his arms around his neck. Any second now, he was expecting to her the words `show me'.

 

The Kazekage turned away, obviously heading back to his own room. It took Lee a second to realize that he was not about to be jumped, but instead had been dismissed as usual. “Kazekage-sama!”

 

Looking back over his shoulder, Gaara paused.

 

`Why did I do that?' Lee scrambled for something to say. “Umm, how long am I going to be assigned to Suna?”

 

Gaara turned around to face him. “Until I figure this out.”

 

Lee almost asked what he was figuring out, but stopped himself. He needed to get out of there and beat his body back into obedience. He really did not need to have a long conversation about impossible questions while staring at a Gaara that was obviously dressed for sleep. His mind was already giving him enough trouble without added ammunition. “Thank you, Kazekage-sama.”

 

The red head turned away abruptly. “My name is Gaara. Use it.”

 

A door clicked shut. Lee stared at the empty hallway for a second before turning and bolting out of the residence as though the hounds of hell were at his heels.