Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Research ❯ Chapter 7

Lee was excited to go grocery shopping. Even Gai paused when he figured out what his student was so excited about, but recovered quickly. Lee was sent on his way with a glorious speech on the importance of food for feeding the inferno of youth, with an addendum on the power of pink flowers in honor of Temari's present.

 

Fairly bouncing with excitement after his sensei's speech, Lee went straight to the store. When the cashier asked him how many he was cooking for, he jumped to attention. “I have a dinner date, and my partner will be cooking for the both of us!”

 

“Two?” The lady looked at the overflowing cart. “Just two?”

 

“Yes.” Lee nodded firmly. “It is our first date.”

 

“Oh, I see. A bit excited, are we?”

 

“Very much so, ma'em! Do you think I have enough?”

 

Chuckling, the cashier started to ring up the massive pile of supplies. “Oh, I think so. Your partner is very lucky to have someone that cares this much. She must be a special girl.”

 

“Actually, he is a man, but he is very, very special!” Lee struck his nice guy pose. “Thank you!”

 

The woman blinked a few times, glanced at the flowers still in Lee's hair, then continued bagging the food. “Well, he must be for you to do this much work.”

 

“I would do anything for my special person!” Lee's smile lost some of its excited edge, replaced by longing. “I mean, my partner.”

 

“You have enough food to feed a small army here, young man. How are you planning on getting it home?”

 

“Do not worry, ma'em! It will be no problem.” Lee held out the money for his purchase.

 

“If you're sure.” Giving him a long look, the cashier gave him his change. “I could have someone help you.”

 

“If I cannot get my bags back to my apartment on my own, I will do 250 squat thrusts without stopping!”

 

The woman almost dropped the bag she was holding. “Huh?”

 

“Oh, I know, it is not much of a challenge.” Lee started to gather his bags. “But I am on `injured-reserved', and I promised Sakura I would not over do it. Have a wonderful and youthful afternoon!”

 

Loaded down as he was, it was a bit difficult for Lee to see where he was going. He made steady, if somewhat slow, progress through the village, dodging children that darted under his feet. When he felt a tremor go through his arms, he was only halfway home.

 

`Uh oh.'

 

“Lee! What the hell do you think you're doing?”

 

Wide eyes easily spotted the fuming kunoichi that was stomping towards him. “Hello, Tenten!”

 

“Don't you `hello Tenten' me. Give me those bags right this instant. How much food did you buy, anyways?” Tenten started snatching bags away from her friend.

 

“I bought supplies for dinner.”

 

“For what, a squad of ANBU that haven't eaten in a week?” Leaving Lee with just one bag, the weapons master set off down the road.

 

“Gaara is coming over for dinner tonight.”

 

“Oh. That explains the food. And I'm not even going to ask about the flowers. So, when's your big date?”

 

Lee reached up to straighten his pink and green crown. “Once the Kazekage is done with his duties for today, he is coming to my apartment.”

 

Tenten slanted an odd look at her friend. “Since you two are . . . dating and all, why don't you call him by his name?”

 

“We are not dating. This is for research, and he is a Kage.”

 

“Sure. You're not dating. You're just sleeping together and going out together and having dinner together. But you're not dating.”

 

“It is not real.” Lee brushed his fingers over the flowers again. “None of it is real.”

 

“Lee, I'm your best friend. You've had a crush on this guy for years. What were you thinking getting involved in something like this?”

 

“You are my closest friend, Tenten, and I appreciate how much you and everyone else wants to protect me. But this is my choice.” Lee's expression became firm. “I can take care of myself. I know what I am doing.”

 

“But do you know why?”

 

Lee hesitated, his expression faltering. “I think that the Kazekage is not the only one that wants to experience what it is like to be in a relationship. Even if it is not real.”

 

At the stairs, Tenten took the last of Lee's bags and nudged him towards the hand rail. “No fair falling down the stairs now. We have to get this stuff inside and get everything set up for your big date.”

 

Lee actually used the handrail. “So, you understand?”

 

“A little.” The kunoichi waited for Lee to unlock the door. “If I had a chance to feel what it would be like to be with my special person, I'd probably take it, too.”

 

The door opened with a soft click. “You need to tell him, Tenten.”

 

“No. He barely knows I'm alive.”

 

Lee followed his friend through the door and into the kitchen. “But if you told . . . “

 

“So, where does this stuff go?” Tenten plastered a smile across her features. “You sit down, Sakura told me about your little visit this morning.”

 

Taking the not so subtle hint, Lee sat down at his kitchen table. “The rice goes over the sink.”

 

“What else do you have planned for tonight, lover boy?”

 

“I do not know. I wanted to do something after dinner, but I cannot think of anything.”

 

Tenten raised an eyebrow at him.

 

“Sakura said that I cannot do that until she clears me!”

 

“I'm teasing. She told me about the chakra chastity belt.” Tenten put the chicken in the fridge. “How about a board game? I don't think even you can get hurt doing that.”

 

“An excellent suggestion, Tenten!” Lee drummed his fingers on the table. “I wonder what game he would like.”

 

“You could always borrow a shougi board from Shikamaru. He has more boards then he knows what to do with.”

 

“You are brimming over with youthful ideas today! I will run over to . . . “

 

Tenten shoved Lee back into his chair before he had even stood all of the way up. “You are going to stay here and relax. Go take a nap on your couch or something before you end up back in the hospital. Honestly. I'll get the board and get it back here in time for your date.”

 

“Thank you, Tenten. For everything.”

 

“Hey, that's what best friends and teammates are for!”

 

----

 

Gaara rapped at the apartment door, his posture stiff and irritated. The sun had set over an hour ago. It had been a long day, with one of the matches ending badly for a Suna genin. The student's instructor was sure the student would recover, and Tsunade was overseeing his care, but the results of the match could not change. One of his most promising genin was in the hospital, and Temari had not allowed him to have an `audience' with the representative that was still crowing about his country's victory.

 

In short, Gaara wanted to turn another patch of Konoha into a desert, but he had an appointment with a certain jounin.

 

Behind the door, he could hear movement and a mumbling voice. When the door swung open, Lee was running his hand across his eyes and his hair was standing on end in the back. “Kazekage-sama! I must have dozed off. Tenten will be pleased. Come in!”

 

Pulling the ridiculous hat that came with his office off, Gaara stepped into the apartment. “So you were actually resting?”

 

Lee chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess my body needed some rest.”

 

“Obviously.” Gaara hung the hat on the coat rack, followed by his robes. The gourd and his sandals were also left by the door.

 

“But I did make it to the store, and I have bought everything you will need for your youthful cooking project!” Recharged by his nap, Lee bounced into the kitchen. “If I missed anything, I will run right to the store and - oof!”

 

Shaking his head, Gaara pushed the jounin down into a chair. “You are not running anywhere. I'll work with what you have.”

 

Lee let out a soft whine. “Gaara-sama, I do not want to just sit here while you do all of the work.”

 

“You can help, but you're not running anywhere. Understood?”

 

“Yosh!” Lee bounded to his feet. “What would you like for me to do?”

 

Gaara started rummaging through the fridge. “You can start the rice.”

 

“Absolutely!” Lee slid past, opening cupboards to pull out a pot and a bag of rice.

 

A large onion was set on the counter before Gaara went back to collecting supplies. “After that, you can help chop up vegetables.”

 

“Yosh!”

 

Lee hummed tunelessly, hard at work, while Gaara continued to find his ingredients. He had never worked with someone while cooking. He suspected that it would be much faster with Lee preparing the vegetables. He pulled a heavy pan down from the rack over the oven. “I'll take care of the chicken.”

 

Lee rummaged around in a drawer and found two knives and a cutting board. “I am afraid we will need to share space. I only have one cutting board, but it is a large one!”

 

Once the rice was cooking, the two men stood shoulder to shoulder, occasionally bumping against each other as they worked. Lee's knife kept a perfect rhythm as it sliced through vegetables, and the sound was soothing to Gaara's frayed nerves. He rolled his shoulders, tension leaking away.

 

“How was your day, Gaara-sama?” Lee dumped his pile of carrots into a bowl.

 

“Annoying.” Gaara reached for another piece of chicken. `What was it that Temari said about conversation? Oh, ask back.' “How was your day?”

 

Lee beamed. “Restful! Tenten did most of the work this afternoon, and after my nap, I am feeling at the peak of my youthful spirit!”

 

“Hmm.” Gaara turned the stove on. `She seems to be a reasonable influence on him.'

 

“The youthful Tenten also had an excellent suggestion. After dinner, we can play shougi!” Lee faltered a bit, turning to look at the redhead. “That is, if you want to.”

 

“I've never played before.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Gaara started to drop vegetables into the pan, assisted by his always eager partner. “But I would like to learn.”

 

Lee lit up like a firework display. “And I will teach you! This is a useful skill to have in social situations!”

 

“Hmm.” Gaara gave the vegetables a stir.

 

Lee puttered about the kitchen, checking on the rice and pulling out dishes, while Gaara tended to dinner. It was so . . . calm. Maybe it was . . . normal? Was this what other people did for dinner? Was this what Temari was after with those dinners together? Crushed genin and inter-country disputes seemed a lifetime away while he stood in the kitchen, measuring out spices and listening to Lee hum off key. Gourd and robes gone, it felt like he was just . . . anyone. If only for a short time.

 

“Gaara-sama, what kind of tea would you like?” Lee had a cupboard open, rustling through boxes. “I have many kinds . . . “

 

“No titles tonight.”

 

“Huh?” The precariously stacked boxes tipped and fell when Lee's attention focused in on Gaara.

 

“I don't want to have any titles tonight.” Gaara kept his eyes on his project, not entirely sure of his own motives. All he knew was that he wanted to hang on to that fleeting sense of `normal'.

 

“Oh. Okay . . . Gaara. What kind of tea would you like?”

 

“You can choose.” Gaara tasted dinner. “Come try this. I'm not sure if it's too hot.”

 

Lee stuffed the escaping boxes of tea into his cupboard and walked over with some tea bags in hand. Gaara held the spoon out, waiting for Lee to taste-test his work. Blushing a bit, the jounin leaned in and tried the curry being offered to him. “Excellent, Gaara! It is quite tasty!”

 

“Hmm.” Gaara put a cover on the meal so it could simmer. “You do like your curry very hot.”

 

Lee set his kettle on the stove and turned the burner on. “The hotter the better!”

 

“That sounds like a challenge, Lee.” Gaara smirked as he helped Lee set out dinner. “We'll have to see just how hot you can handle next time I cook.”

 

“A challenge, then!” Lee stuck his thumb out, smiling brightly with an eye shut. “I accept, and I look forward to trying your efforts!”

 

Gaara's smirk grew until it was almost a smile. “I'll remember how eager you were after you try it.”

 

“Ah, and an exchange of youthful taunts!” Lee laughed as he set out tea cups. “So serious, Gaara!”

 

Gaara shook his head, visibly amused, as he checked on the curry. “I've learned to take challenges with you very seriously.”

 

Lee blinked for a moment, then beamed. “Thank you, Gaara!”

 

“Sit down, Lee.”

 

“But, I can do that!” Lee started to hurry across the room, only to be stopped by a jade hued glare.

 

“Sit.”

 

“Oh, fine, Gaara. But you are my guest, and I should be serving you.”

 

“I can handle carrying a bowl of curry across the room.” Gaara set the dish down on the table.

 

“That is not the point! It is only polite that I take care of - umf.”

 

Gaara pulled back from kissing Lee and moved around the table. The jounin was still silent. `Well, that is one way to end an argument.'

 

Lee ate meals the same way he did everything else in his life: politely and enthusiastically. It was no surprise the fit young man could eat as much as four people his size, with his metabolism, and Gaara noted that cooking enough for six people was about the right amount for the two of them.

 

“You are truly a genius, Gaara.” Lee sipped at his tea, leaning back in his chair.

 

Gaara did not respond, but his mood improved yet again.

 

“I have some snacks we can take into the living room while we play.”

 

`He couldn't possibly still have room for food.' Gaara started to gather up dishes from the table. “Fine.”

 

“Wonderful!” Lee leapt into motion, stealing the dishes from Gaara. “I will take care of these. You can grab the bag of snacks Tenten set out and head into the living room. I will bring more tea with me.”

 

Gaara let it go. He had probably convinced Lee to sit still as long as he was able to. He picked up the indicated bag and went into the living room.

 

There was a blanket on the couch, probably from Lee's nap. All of the furniture and training equipment had been pushed back to open up the floor. There was a shougi board sitting in the middle of a sea of pillows and blankets. Gaara cocked his head to the side at the elaborate setup. “Lee?”

 

The jounin poked his head around the corner. “Ah. Tenten set this up. She thought we would be more comfortable playing this way, rather then at a table. Many of the pillows came from her apartment, I believe.”

 

“Hmm.” Gaara picked his way through the nest of pillows, dropping off the bag of snacks and settling in to study the unfamiliar board.

 

“The rules are actually quite straightforward.” Lee unfurled a scroll with a flourish. “Shikamaru gave me this when he first taught me how to play during a long escort mission. It was very helpful!”

 

Gaara took the offered scroll and scanned through it, committing the words to memory. “This is a very simple game.”

 

“Exactly! The rules are simple, but winning can be quite challenging.”

 

“I don't see how.” Gaara studied the board again.

 

“You will see.” Lee sat on his side of the board, rearranging the pillows so that he was comfortable.

 

“I doubt it.”

 

“So certain?” The seemingly permanent smile gained an edge. “Perhaps we should play under Gai-sensei's rules. If you take an opponent's piece, you can set them a physical challenge.”

 

“You are not fit for that yet.” Gaara scanned the scroll again. If they would be wagering on this game, then he would need to be very sure of the rules.

 

“Then a different forfeit.” Lee tapped his lip in thought.

 

“Information.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Gaara looked up from the scroll. “If you take an opponent's piece, you can ask a question, and your opponent must answer it honestly.”

 

Lee lost some of the color in his expression, but nodded firmly. “An excellent idea, Gaara!”

 

“And since I'm white, I go first.”

 

There was a reason that Gaara had remained Kazekage, even through his death and the loss of Shukaku. He was a genius. His mind had already worked out a strategy to eliminate all of Lee's pieces, and he was looking forward to this chance to collect data.

 

It was only four moves before Gaara took a piece. He pulled the captured piece from the board. “When did you figure out you were gay?”

 

Lee choked on his tea. It took him a moment to stop sputtering. “Uh, well, I guess it was when I went out with Sakura for the first time. It was so . . . awkward. It did not feel right. I had also started thinking of a man quite frequently. The pieces kind of fell together at that point.”

 

Gaara nodded. “Your move.”

 

Three moves later, Lee lost another piece.

 

“Who was the man you thought of?”

 

The jounin blushed scarlet, casting his eyes down to the board. “You.”

 

“So I was right. You had thought of it before I approached you.”

 

Lee nodded his head, looking rather mortified.

 

“Your move.”

 

Lee finally captured a piece, and with a delighted smile he looked at Gaara. “What is your favorite food?”

 

Gaara froze. “I don't know. I've been concentrating on learning how to make difficult dishes. I'm not sure which ones I like.” There was a long pause. “Right now, I think curry would be my first choice.”

 

“Your move, Gaara.”

 

The next piece was Gaara's. Lee visibly braced himself.

 

“Why were you thinking of me? We barely knew each other.”

 

“You do like to ask the hard ones.” Lee swallowed and pulled himself together. “I was attracted to you. Physically. And I respected you as the Kazekage and a powerful shinobi. Even I am not completely sure just why I started thinking of you like that.”

 

“Your move.”

 

It took six more moves, but Lee captured one of Gaara's pieces. “Are you ticklish?”

 

“What?”

 

“Are you ticklish, Gaara?” Lee smiled brightly.

 

“I don't understand the question.”

 

“You do not know what ticklish is?” Lee's smile grew as he started to crawl around the board. “Well, I guess we will have to find out.”

 

Gaara tensed, eyeballing the jounin that looked rather like a large, predatory cat. “And how, exactly, are we going to do that?”

 

“Do not be nervous. I am not going to attack you.”

 

Jade eyes narrowed. “I'm not nervous.”

 

Lee knelt at his side, close enough that Gaara had to lean back to focus on his face. “Then hold still.”

 

Gentle fingers trailed across the back of his neck, barely brushing skin. Gaara's forehead creased with confusion. “And what is this - gah!” Suddenly Gaara was jerking away from the touch, his nerves firing wildly.

 

If he did not know better, he would have sworn that Lee had just used a jutsu on him. The jounin in question was chuckling. “I would say you are ticklish.”

 

“What was that?”

 

“I tickled you. I am not surprised that you are very ticklish. You have not been touched much.” Lee slowly advanced across the pillows. “I wonder where else you are ticklish.”

 

“You have already had your question.” Gaara shifted away.

 

“But you did not know the answer. I had to find out for myself. I am still answering my question.”

 

“I don't think . . . “

 

Gaara was cut off when Lee pounced, knocking them both back into the pillows. While trying to defend his neck, the redhead never noticed Lee running his fingers under his shirt. That confusing, electric sensation raced across his skin, making him jerk and gasp.

 

“Ticklish on your sides, too.” Lee trailed one finger along the pale skin, making his partner struggle.

 

“Stop that! What is the point of this?”

 

“It is a game, Gaara.” Lee put some more effort into his work and was rewarded when the Kazekage started to squirm about franticly.

 

“A game?” With a buck of his hips, Gaara unseated Lee and took the top position, targeting the older man's sides.

 

“No good, Gaara. I have taken too many hits there. I am not ticklish.”

 

Gaara raked his eyes over the jounin, his mind spinning. With a flash of insight, he carefully trailed a finger along Lee's earlobe. The other man laughed and clapped his hands over his ears. “How did you guess so quickly?”

 

“You have no scars on your ears.” Gaara pried one hand loose so he could attack again.

 

Lee squeaked and struggled, rolling them across the pillows and scattering the forgotten game. He managed to run his fingers across the back of Gaara's neck, making the redhead flinch back, but lost his advantage when Gaara pinned him back down.

 

Laughing uncontrollably, Lee gave up defending his ears. “I give! I give, Gaara!”

 

The redhead flopped down alongside his partner in the pillows, his own breathing breaking in a pattern similar to Lee's. `Am I . . . laughing? Not like Lee, but still . . . laughing? Why would I laugh from this? Or feel like I would do it again?'

 

A strong arm wrapped around Gaara's waist, pulling them flush. Lips moved against his hair as the taller man wrapped around him. As his breathing settled, exhaustion weighed down on the Kazekage's eyelids. Without stress and work to keep him running, his body was demanding a break. From the change in Lee's breathing, it seemed that the jounin was also in danger of dozing off.

 

“Gaara?”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“Wake me up before you leave.”

 

Gaara twisted to look at Lee. The jounin had his eyes closed, his hair in a disarray across the pillows. “Why?”

 

“Just . . . please?”

 

Still perplexed, the redhead nodded as he settled against Lee. “Fine.”

 

“Thank you, Gaara.”