Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Research ❯ Chapter 10

His alarm went off. It used to be nothing more than a formality, but Lee had developed a dislike for the sound. As though it was now something to be avoided, even as he became more dependent on it. He turned it off and sat up, stretching. Sleep was coming easier these days. It helped that he was back on the active roster, and many nights he was simply too tired to be a victim of insomnia. It was better that way.

 

He didn't want to dream anymore.

 

His body ached and burned from the mission he had just completed the day before. A week in the field really did help him to appreciate his apartment. No matter how empty it still felt.

 

Anyone that knew him would stare as he dragged himself across his room. There was no real energy there, none of the overwhelming enthusiasm that he held for everything. Lee saved his waning energy for when people were watching.

 

In the shower, he tipped his face into the hot water, eyes closed tightly. It just wasn't the same. Three months, and it still ached. Lee distantly wondered if it would ever stop aching. There had been no word from Suna in all of that time. But he was still waiting for something. A sign that Gaara missed him.

 

It was an off day, as was standard after a long mission. His body needed time to heal and recover. Sakura had been sure to remind him of that yesterday, while repairing his injuries. With enough threat to make him listen.

 

But it left him with little to do. Lee went to visit Tenten, helping her to clean her weapons while they discussed the technical points of their recent mission. Later they would have an official debriefing, but they enjoyed the chance to go over the events informally. It allowed for laughter, instead of trying to be very serious.

 

“Quit laughing, Lee! It wasn't that funny!”

 

“I am sorry, Tenten.” Lee wiped at his eyes helplessly. “But the reaction was very funny.”

 

“You're not the one that had their disguise fail on them in battle.” The brunette sharpened her kunai with excessive force, her long hair loose. “Even if it was the best damn distraction I've ever used.”

 

Lee started to laugh again, even as he tried to choke it back. “I am sorry. It is not funny. Except for Neji's expression.”

 

“Argh, Lee!” Tenten gave him a playful shove. “Next time, you play bait!”

 

“I cannot imagine that I would look quite as youthful as you do in a dress.” The laughter subsided to intermittent chuckles. “Ah, I am sorry, Tenten. It was an awkward situation, and I would not wish that on any kunoichi.”

 

“It's better that we laugh at it. Especially when we have to explain how we distracted all of those bandits when we debrief tomorrow.”

 

Lee checked the edge of the kunai he was sharpening. “But it was a successful mission, and completed ahead of schedule! Tsunade-sama should be very pleased.”

 

“She should be. Maybe she won't be too interested in my new distraction technique.” Tenten tossed her finished kunai, completing the line of weapons embedded in her door jam. Her land lord had gotten used to it. “So, how are you feeling? You were a mess before Sakura got a hold of you.”

 

“I feel much better! I am very lucky Sakura was available to help me return to my dynamic training!”

 

“What part of `day off' do you not get?” She waved a deadly weapon at him without concern. “Are you still having so much trouble sleeping that you have to exhaust yourself?”

 

Sometimes Tenten knew him too well. Lee tossed and caught the kunai he was working on while he thought. “It is still difficult. I . . . do not like my dreams.”

 

“Nightmares?”

 

Pink dusted across Lee's cheeks. “No.”

 

Tenten's eyes went wide before she looked down. “Oh.”

 

The silence was punctuated by the soft scrapes of weapons dragging across sharpening stones.

 

“He is not coming back, is he?”

 

“I don't think so, Lee.”

 

----

 

The rest of the village was asleep. Lee should have been. He was supposed to be resting his body from his injuries. Instead, he was working on his fourth training post. Tomorrow he would come out and repair the damage, but tonight? Tonight was about getting the feelings out. Talking to Tenten had made him face the situation he had been trying to block out.

 

“Why?”

 

Nobody was there to answer him. Just the dull thud of his fists against the training post, stained red from blood that had soaked through his bandages.

 

“Why?”

 

The post was starting to crack under the abuse. Lee didn't even notice, hardly seeing what was around him. He saw a redhead walking away from him without a second glance. Because none of it meant anything to him.

 

“Why, Gaara?!”

 

He heard a soft hiss, and without thinking, he turned and threw a kunai, eyes narrowed and jaw clenched. The sand snatched the weapon out of the air, dropping it into its master's hand. “What are you doing here?”

 

Gaara walked towards him, his gaze predatory in the moonlight while he spun the kunai around his finger. “You meant this.”

 

“Yes, I did.”

 

“Why?”

 

Lee's hands clenched while his heart hammered in his ears. Months apart, and his body still reacted to just the sight of the redhead. His voice, his eyes, his stance, even the sand rushing around his feet make the blood pound through his veins. “We are done. Your research is over. You left. Our partnership has ended.”

 

“No.”

 

“What do you mean, no?” Lee's hands were trembling, and he pressed them against his body to hide it.

 

“No. You're mine.”

 

A second kunai flashed through the air, too fast for the sand to catch and close enough to cut off a lock of blood red hair. “You left. I am not yours anymore.”

 

In an instant Gaara was in front of him, his hands fisting in the green spandex at Lee's chest. “You're mine. Those other men can't have you.”

 

“You left!” Lee slammed his fists into the Kazekage's chest, shoving him away. “I said that I was yours as long as you were here, but you left! The deal is over. I am not yours anymore.”

 

“No!”

 

Lee could not recall ever hearing Gaara yell, and it startled him to hear the man yell at him at such close range. “Gaara . . . “

 

“No. You have to be mine.” Gaara's hand clenched at his chest. “It already hurts so much. The only thing that helped was leaving for this village. If you aren't mine . . . “

 

Gritting his teeth, the taijutsu master forced his hands to stay at his sides and he took a step back. “I cannot do this anymore, Gaara. I am not a toy that you can own. I fulfilled my end of the deal.”

 

“Who is he? Who is replacing me?” The sand started spinning at Gaara's feet like a miniature sand storm. “Why can you replace me? I can't replace you.”

 

“Stop it, Gaara! There is nobody else!”

 

“Then why . . .” The sand started to cascade to the ground while the grip over his heart tightened. “No. Not again. I believed you.”

 

Lee's eyes went wide when he realized what was going on. “Gaara, you have to calm down. You have not been replaced.”

 

“You forgot about me. I mean nothing to you. I can't trust you anymore, since you only trust friends, and I can't trust you if you don't trust me. That's how it works, right?”

 

Pain lanced through the older man's heart, and he longed to grab at his own chest as Gaara was doing. “I could never forget you, Gaara. You are my friend, and you can trust me, as I trust you. But I cannot be yours. You are fascinated with me still. It will pass. You will find someone that you can have a real relationship with. It will be beautiful, and I am very proud that I was able to help you.”

 

“Why?” Gaara started to advance, eyes now menacing. “If there is no one else, and you are still my friend, why did you attack me? Why won't you let me touch you? Why won't you be mine?”

 

“You cannot own me, Gaara! I am not a toy or a game or a weapon!” Lee's voice became ragged. “You have come so far. You can find someone that you will want forever now.”

 

“I want you.” Gaara grabbed Lee and crushed their bodies together, taking control of Lee's mouth in a kiss that left the taijutsu master's head spinning.

 

“I cannot pretend anymore, Gaara.” A choking sob interrupted Lee's whisper as he pushed the redhead away. “I cannot go through the motions without the emotions. I do not work that way.”

 

“Love.”

 

Lee flinched at the hissing whisper that came from the redhead. This was his worst nightmare come to life. He longed with all of his heart that Gaara had not come back like this. Their parting had been painful, but at least bittersweet. This temptation, backed with demands and frustration and no hope, threatened to crush him. “Yes. Love, Kazekage-sama. That is my weakness, and why I must say no. I have given you all I can. Please.”

 

Gaara stared at him, cold and clinical. “You are refusing me.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I won't accept this. I need you. I can't sleep. I see you everywhere.” Gaara closed the distance between them again, twining his fingers through the ink black hair and forcing Lee to meet his eyes. “I am going insane without you.”

 

Another weak sob escaped, shredding what was left of Lee's dignity and confidence. `I never wanted to show weakness in front of him again. I could not even manage that.'

 

“Whatever you need, I'll do. I can't go back to being alone. Not when I've finally figured why people want to have a person in their life.”

 

“You said you were not interested in researching love.”

 

“I'm not interested in researching love.”

 

Lee's chest shook as he forced his sobs down. He was a shinobi, damn it! He could do this. “Then I must - “

 

“Unless it is with you.”

 

The words hit him like a blow to the chest, stopping his protests. His pounding heart and overwhelmed mind could not take anymore. The jounin's knees gave out and he dropped. Warm arms caught him as he fell, holding him close.

 

“Are you ill? Do we need to take you to the clinic?”

 

“No, no, Gaara. I am not ill.”

 

“Do you make a habit of collapsing, then?”

 

Lee started to laugh weakly. “No. You just gave me a bit of a shock, that is all.”

 

The redhead was studying him carefully. “What shock?”

 

“I never expected to hear that from you.”

 

Gaara shifted his grip, supporting the taller man as he walked to a training post that Lee had knocked over. “Sit. While love wasn't a topic of interest before, I think that this partnership is the perfect opportunity for me to experience that.”

 

Rubbing at his temples, Lee looked up at the man standing over him. “It does not work that way. You cannot just decide to fall in love with someone.”

 

“Do you love me?”

 

“Gaara . . . “

 

“Answer me.”

 

Lee flinched. “Yes. I do.”

 

“And if there is anyone in this world I am going to experience love with, it will be you. Who else could it be? It's always been you.”

 

“You . . . you want me to love you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“This is not an experiment I can do. I cannot just turn this back off in a month. Love does not work that way.”

 

“And I have no intention of letting you go.” Gaara caught at Lee's chin, tipping his face up. “You're mine, and that will never change.”

 

Lee stared up at those jade eyes, and dared to hope. Maybe, maybe this was real. Maybe Gaara cared for him as more than a partner and sometime ally. Maybe he had been enough for his Kazekage. “Only if you are mine now.”

 

The Kazekage hesitated, looking down at the older man for a long moment before bending to press their lips together in a sweet, lingering kiss. “I'm yours.”

 

With gentle, wondering fingers, Lee reached up to trace along Gaara's cheekbone. “Is this real? Is this a dream?”

 

“I don't dream. You know that.” Gaara's lips claimed his again, tangling their tongues together.

 

Whimpering, Lee pulled the redhead down so that they could press their bodies together, drinking in the sensation of touch after so long. Warmth, both soft and hard, pressed against him. He could feel each breath his love took, his chest rising and falling while air brushed over his cheek. His hand drifted up to tangle in the wild disarray that was Gaara's hair. Strong arms encircled his body, not allowing any space in between them. The redhead was hungry, looking to devour after their separation. The kiss did not remain sweet for long. Soon it had gained the heat of an inferno, and Lee was concerned that he would go up in flames.

 

Not that incineration was enough of a threat to make him stop.

 

Rough, scarred fingers found their way underneath the gourd that used to give him nightmares, peeled back the heavy clothing that kept the Kazekage hidden from all, and indulged in the sensation of silken skin. He pulled his mouth away from Gaara, using his teeth to untie his bandages while his love turned his attentions to Lee's neck. It was distracting, feeling hot lips and breath and sharp teeth across his sensitive skin, and it took him several tries to unknot his bandages, gasping at the love bites that Gaara indulged in. The white wrappings fell to the ground, forgotten, and Lee could finally have his fill of dragging his hands over the Kage's skin, resting his forehead against Gaara's shoulder and panting as the redhead dragged the spandex out of the way, looking for more skin to taste.

 

“Gaara, the gourd . . . “

 

Never taking his mouth from Lee's shoulder, Gaara shrugged off the vest that held his gourd in place, letting it fall carelessly to the ground. It was almost impossible for him to unfasten the dark jacket while his skin was on fire. With a frustrated sound, he ripped the jacket open, destroying the fastenings and the shirt underneath. While Gaara chuckled against his skin, Lee shoved the remnants of the clothing to the ground, leaving his love in black pants and a fishnet shirt. A shiver ran through his body. He loved seeing Gaara dressed like that, the black material crisscrossing over his pale skin. He trailed his fingers over the material, feeling satiny skin between strands of black.

 

Gaara worked the spandex down, following it with his mouth. Kneeling between Lee's legs, he tasted every inch of the powerful chest that was being revealed. He nosed at the sprinkling of black hair and dragged his tongue along the more prominent scars, mapping out Lee's way of the ninja. His teeth grazed a nipple, making Lee jerk and his hands clench. It took nothing to rip Gaara's last shirt off, earning him an exasperated sound against his stomach.

 

“I could have taken that off, you know.”

 

“This way is faster.”

 

Lee was extremely aware of just where Gaara was. Kneeling between his legs, his tongue teasing along the bunched spandex at his hips. He was so hard that he ached, desperate for some stimulation. His hips twitched when teasing fingers ghosted along the inside of his thighs.

 

“I want this to last, Lee.”

 

“Gaara . . .” While the sentiment was not lost on Lee, he truly did not want to agree. `Another time I would be delighted to do this for hours, but not after so long!'

 

The redhead trailed back up his chest, capturing his mouth in a hot embrace while his fingers dragged over the aching length that had taken over all of Lee's concentration. “You know I'll give you what you want.”

 

“I know, but it is so hard . . . “

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

Lee groaned and let his head fall on Gaara's shoulder. “That is not what I meant.”

 

“But it's still true.” Gaara tightened his grip, pumping the aching cock one time.

 

Moaning, Lee just let it go. Nothing mattered, so long as they could continue to touch. Gaara was tugging at the spandex, growling in frustration. With Lee seated on a fallen training post, he could not get the cloth out of his way. Lee caught the scowling mouth with a kiss, distracting his sometimes temperamental partner while he shifted to kneel on the ground, pushing Gaara back a bit for room. With one tug, the spandex was around his thighs, leaving his erection to bob in the cool night air.

 

Gaara wasted little time working his way down Lee's body, eager to reach the parts that had been denied. Resting his hands on the ground, the Kage ran his tongue across the head, lapping off the drop of precum that had collected there. He looked up, locking on to Lee's gaze and he pulled the head in, still working the tip with his tongue as he sucked on it like the sweetest treat imaginable.

 

Lee could not avoid setting a hand on Gaara's shoulder and tangling the other in his lover's hair, holding the head steady as he slowly pushed forward into the welcoming warmth. At this angle, it was simple enough for Gaara to take him in, sliding right into his throat. The taijutsu master could hardly breathe, caught in a jade gaze, looking down at the powerful Kage, down on all fours and pulling his cock deep into his mouth. His hips jerked, pushing a bit deeper into Gaara's mouth and making the redhead pull back a bit, swallowing hard around him. The increased suction threatened to shatter his control. Already he was having images of bucking into Gaara's mouth, sliding his entire length down the other man's throat. He knew Gaara could not take his whole length, but the image was still there, making his body shake.

 

With a pop, the redhead released the cock he had been enjoying. His eyes were shining in the moonlight, focused completely on the man in front of him. He rose to his feet, his hands moving to the buckle on his pants. Lee pushed his hands aside, working the buckle for himself. The pants immediately sagged down around the slim hips, snagging on the erection that was hidden inside. Eager, Lee tugged the cloth away, revealing the length that he had been longing for. He wet his lips with his tongue. He knew Gaara was watching him, watching his every move, and becoming even more aroused by the sight of Lee kneeling at his feet and preparing to pleasure him with his mouth. Heart pounding, Lee pulled the entire length into his mouth and down his throat in one smooth movement, wringing a gasp from the redhead, who promptly buried both hands in his hair.

 

He pulled back slowly, then pulled the length back in, effortlessly letting it slide down his throat. He was never sure why, but he loved this. He loved the possessive way Gaara would hold his head and take everything he could offer. He loved the way the redhead would come undone, his eyes glazing over and infamous control slipping. Gaara would pant and gasp at his touch, and it was more addictive then any drug.

 

The pale hips were starting to buck, fucking Lee's mouth slowly. The taijutsu master held onto his love's hips, steadying himself as the pace and force increased. Instead of sliding, Gaara's cock was now ramming down his throat, stealing his breath away as fingers pulled at his hair. When everything suddenly stopped, he looked up at Gaara with surprised eyes and a faint feeling of loss.

 

“Not that way. That's not how we are going to finish tonight.” Gaara used his hold on Lee's hair to pull his head back and indulge in a long, hard kiss.

 

Lee was faintly aware that the sand was moving. He had no idea why the sand would be active at a time like this, but he was too distracted to really care. His hands slid from Gaara's hips up to his chest, dragging his thumbs over the dusky nipples that he found, making the redhead gasp into his mouth. When he was shoved over to land flat on his back, he did not even try to catch himself. So long as Gaara was there and touching him, he was willing to do anything.

 

Strong fingers encircled his cock, silky skin torturing his aching length. Groaning, Lee almost missed the sound of a bottle opening. Eyes popping open, he sat up on his elbows. “Where did you get that?”

 

“It was in my pack.” Gaara let the massage oil pour into his hand. “I didn't make it to the hotel before I started to look for you.”

 

`That explains the moving sand.' Rational considerations became secondary when Gaara reached forward, pushing Lee's legs apart for better access. A shiver whispered through his body in anticipation when his partner teased his opening with one finger. Gaara was dragging this out, and it was driving the jounin out of his mind. “Gaara, please!”

 

“I thought you were the one that was always telling me that there was more to a relationship then sex.”

 

“Gaara!”

 

Chuckling, the Kage pushed two fingers in sharply, making Lee arch up off the ground with a gasp. “Was that what you were looking for?”

 

“Oh, gods.” Lee's fingers dragged through the grass, scrabbling for a grounding point. Too long. It had been too long, and now, this intensity felt like touching Nirvana. When the questing fingers hit him perfectly, he almost forgot how to breathe.

 

Gaara dragged his fingers out slowly, only to push them hard into Lee's prostate. The jounin was scarcely aware when a third finger was added, lost in a haze of pleasure and sensation. “Please, Gaara, I need you.”

 

A strong hand gripped his hip, holding him steady as the fingers were pulled from his body. Moaning in frustration, Lee grabbed at Gaara's wrist, striving to drag him closer. He could feel the head of Gaara's cock, sliding across his skin. He wanted this. It was no longer pretend. He could finally let go. Slowly, Gaara pressed forward, sinking into him. Lee's mouth fell open, even though no sounds emerged, and his eyes squeezed tightly shut. Only once the redhead was fully seated inside of him did he relax enough to open his eyes.

 

Jade eyes stared at him, ready to devour him whole. His fingers tangled in untamed hair, yanking the younger man down so that he could reach his mouth. When that first thrust came, Lee's gasp was last to Gaara's mouth. A pale hand grabbed his thigh, pushing it up higher so that the thrusts could go deeper. He had to tear his mouth away to breathe, moaning and twisting on the grass.

 

Whenever he could force his eyes open, the Kage was watching him. Watching his muscles flex and shift. Looking down to where their bodies were joined together, the way he would slide into Lee until he was pressed tightly against him. He was dragging this out, and it was making the jounin insane.

 

“Gaara, please!”

 

“Please?” Teeth closed around Lee's nipple while his body rocked with a violent thrust, but Gaara went still again.

 

“Please! I need . . .”

 

“Tell me what you need, Lee.”

 

Strong arms dragged Gaara down so that their tongues could tangle together again, forcing their bodies as closely together as humanly possible. “I need you, Gaara.”

 

Teeth grazed over Lee's bottom lip while the grip on his thigh tightened enough to bruise. “We agreed. I'm yours.”

 

The reply was little more than a wail as the jounin's body was rocked, the redhead gripping him tightly as he slammed into his body. He continued to move, his aim unerring as he drove forward. Lee was starting to shake already, body twisting in desperation after so many months apart. A harsh bite to his chest made his back arch, driving the cock deeper into his body. He would be littered with bites and bruises again, stiff and sore.

 

It was incredible.

 

Lee's voice cracked as he cried out, fingers biting into Gaara's arms desperately. He was so close. So close that it ached. Silken fingers wrapped around him, pulling slowly, still not giving him enough.

 

“Scream for me.”

 

Onyx eyes flew open, staring at the man he loved. The eyes staring back were not cold and clinical, like they had been that first night. The fingers around his cock pulled again while the eyes watched him with a look that burned. Tight, stroking up and down, finally giving him enough. His vision was graying out around the edges, but it didn't matter because his eyes closed of their own accord.

 

“Scream!”

 

“Gaara!” Lee's body went rigid, head thrown back and mouth open. He shook against Gaara while hot fluid splashed across both of them. His mouth was plundered, barely letting him breathe while the redhead thrust into him violently before going rigid and moving his mouth to bite against a tan neck.

 

Vaguely, thoughts hazy, Lee wondered if that one was low enough to keep under his collar, or if he was going to be teased endlessly by Tenten again.

 

Hands still trembling, he reached up to hold the body that had slumped against his chest, breathing nearly in time with him. It was the only sound to be heard on the deserted training field.

 

Lee rolled his head back, looking at the broken training post just past his head. “I will never look at this training field the same way.”

 

Muffled by his chest, Gaara snorted. “There are several locations in Konoha that you don't look at in the same way since we started this research.”

 

Even alone in the dead of night, Lee blushed.

 

“But it's not research any more, is it?”

 

Scarred fingers tangled through red hair, watching it slip and fall in the moonlight. “No, Gaara. It is not research anymore. Now it is real.”

 

“Good.” Their mouths pressed together, something soft and gentle, especially compared to what had just occurred between them. “We should move to your apartment.”

 

“Yes. I do not think we should fall asleep here for the genin to find.”

 

“I wasn't planning on going to sleep.”

 

Lee blushed again, but accepted the hand up. It was going to be a long night. His training the next day would suffer, and there would be awkward questions. Tsunade would want to know that the Kazekage was back, and she'd want to know what he was going to do about it.

 

He walked back to the village with Gaara, close enough that their arms brushed. The experiment had ended, and it was a complete success.