I’m in deep with this girl but she’s out of her mind. (pt.3)
(did someone say they want a 7.5k chapter? feeling = electric. once again, lyrics at the top do not coincide with the the attached song! enjoy!)
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Lee’s behavior was getting out of hand.
There was simply no way he could see how inappropriate he was being! Gaara was almost appalled by it, actually.
Lee’s tight bottom-bedazzled outfits, thick pink gloss covering his already tempting lips, dark black hair pinned up with those girly dainty hairclips, thick eyelashes batting sinfully… it was all too much!
Gaara wouldn’t put up with it any longer.
Gaara tried to ignore Lee and his obliviously sexual nature. He had perfected a simple sidestep into a nearby empty classroom as Lee and his new pair of low cut jeans blissfully trotted down the hallway. It had gotten to the point where Naruto had stopped questioning why Gaara would duck behind him when he realized Lee was nearby. It’s not like Lee tried to be so alluring, he just was.
Maybe Gaara should’ve realized that trying to ignore Lee was not a great choice.
Lee hated not seeing his friends, and Lee had made it very clear that they were friends. With loud greetings in the morning of the school courtyard and text messages sent at the late hours of the night, Lee had adopted Gaara into his realm.
The weekend prior, Kankuro suggested a sibling outing. What Gaara and Temari didn’t expect was a group appointment for matching facial piercings. After ten minutes of Temari scolding Kankuro and deadly glares from Gaara, the trio walked out with new jewelry and sore faces for the upcoming week.
Kankuro’s initial plan of them all having the same matching cheek piercings was quickly rejected, but in Kankuro’s defense, he had only been acting upon his siblings’ recent behavior. The mumbles of Temari wanting to upgrade her stage look and Gaara contemplatively whispering about how he wondered what a lip piercing felt like.
In the end, they all enjoyed their respective piercings. The coming days were filled with Temari posting more selfies than ever on her private story showing off her new industrial, conch and tragus piercings along her ears, Kankuro attempting (and failing) to put contacts to not to disturb his new nose bridge piercing and Gaara abstaining from licking his dry lips as his snake bites healed.
So, Gaara really truly couldn’t afford falling face first onto the ground again, which made avoiding Lee imperative to his piercing’s healing period. Lee, however, was as determined as he was pretty, and Gaara thought he was the prettiest thing he’d ever laid his eyes on.
“GAARA!” Lee’s shout was muffled by the rock music blaring from Gaara’s headphones, but still somehow loud enough to draw his attention.
Gaara sighed, pushing one headphone off of his ear, looking up for the source of his next headache and boner combination.
“Where have you been, Gar’?” Lee’s bright smile rivaled the afternoon sun. Lee took a seat next to Gaara on the bench, scooting close until their sides met. “Have you been avoiding me?” Instantly Gaara could see the tears welling up in Lee’s eyes.
The whiplash Lee gave Gaara was mesmerizing. He knew it was no good for him but it was still so addicting.
Gaara turned his head to fully face Lee, “No, Lee. You know I couldn’t do that if I tried.” The small smile on Gaara’s lips drew Lee’s attention.
Gaara knew he had only seconds until-
“GAARA!” Lee gasped loudly. Lee took Gaara’s face into his hands and pulled him close, noses brushing against each other. “YOU’RE PIECERED?”
Gaara’s eyes pinched shut as Lee yelled in his face. Lee’s breath smelled of spearmint chewing gum and a cherry scented gloss. He wondered what those would taste like together.
“I am, babe. What about it?” Gaara opened one eye once he felt the warmth of Lee’s hands leave his face.
Lee pulled away with a faint blush dusting his cheeks. He played with his fingers in his lap, a small smile creeping on his lips. “I-I didn’t know!” His eyes shifted between his lap and Gaara’s lips.
Gaara sat up fully, finally recovering from Lee’s greeting. Over the weeks of their awkward conversations, Gaara had learned a thing or two about Lee.
No matter how loud and confident he seemed, Lee could be left a stuttering mess with a well placed pet name.
For all the times Lee had unintentionally left Gaara frozen from feelings too embarrassing to name, Gaara’s realization of his ability to do it back was game-changing.
Over the weeks of their budding friendship, Gaara also inadvertently learned of Lee’s self awareness– which was minimal. If anything, it helped Gaara greatly. He would never intentionally manipulate Lee but he was alright with leveling the playing field.
“Do you like it?” Gaara asked, watching Lee’s steady gaze on his lips. He swiped his tongue over his bottom lip, forcing Lee’s eyes back up to his awaiting ones. Lee’s cheeks darkened even more.
“I really like it.” Lee’s voice was small and his eyes refused to meet Gaara’s.
Gaara nodded. Unlike Lee, he wasn’t able to keep this act going.
Lee captured Gaara’s attention like never before. His nights were spent wondering about Lee’s favorite foods, his preferences in songs and what Lee looked like on his knees. He wondered why Lee was so toned, why Lee always had his arm around the one Hyuga kid or matches hair ties with Tenten. What was Lee like academically? Did Lee even like boys? Had Lee ever sworn?
Lee consumed his thoughts more often than not. It wasn’t just an encounter between acquaintances anymore, Gaara needed it to be something more.
With all the boldness and strength he could muster, Gaara hooked his arm around Lee’s waist, hand sitting on Lee’s hip.
Lee sat up straight with a gasp. His eyes darted to find Gaara’s.
“Want to touch them? I won’t bite.”
Lee leaned in, his curiosity filled eyes widening as he neared. He glanced up at Gaara. It took everything within Gaara not to eat him whole as Lee stared at him like a lost puppy. “With my fingers?”
Gaara hadn’t ever been so close to Lee, he could almost taste his cherry mint treat. His lips pulled into a satisfied smile, “If that’s what you want.”
“… What I want..” Lee wasn’t listening as much as he was staring.
If Gaara had to guess, Lee wanted the same thing he did–to know what the other’s lips felt like. Something to supplement the thoughts that have plagued his mind for days.
Lee’s fingers reached out to touch Gaara’s bottom lip. He chewed his own bottom lip between his teeth as focused on Gaara’s piercing. His pointer finger gently tapped the point of the silver piercing. Gaara’s eyes watched Lee’s fixed gaze on his lip. It boldened him. He knew Lee would like his new accessory, but having Lee in the literal palm of his hand drove him mad. There were times where he was confident that he held the power in their unspoken tango, but Lee’s grip had never once faltered on Gaara’s leash. As metaphorically as it was, he still felt his throat tight and unable to breathe when Lee looked at him like this.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore?” Lee’s voice was delicate, as if speaking could hurt Gaara.
“It’s been fine while eating and brushing. I haven’t done much of anything else.” Gaara’s voice was naturally low and deep, but he’d be lying if he were to say he wasn’t intentionally trying to deepen his tone. Lee seemed to love it.
A blush spread across Lee’s cheeks. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it. His bottom lip was puffy and glistened with spit. Would it be wrong to taste him?
Gaara's eyes met Lee’s. He was staring back at Gaara, his own gaze unfaltering.
Lee didn’t move. He glanced down at Gaara’s lips, then back at his eyes as if he were awaiting permission. Gaara had almost forgotten about his hand pressing firmly against Lee’s hip. The world around him was drowned out by the beating from his heart filling his eardrums. He felt sweat heading at his hairline, heat flushing his entire body. It was only him, his sweat and Lee. Nothing else existed at that moment. With one final squeeze, he closed the gap between them, pressing his lips against Lee’s.
Lee’s gasp was caught between their lips. He wasted no time in returning the kiss, pressing harder onto Gaara. He wrapped his arms around Gaara’s shoulders, one hand finding its way into the tangled mess of hair at the nape of Gaara’s neck.
It was in fact, everything that Gaara imagined and more. Lee tasted like mint and fake cherries. His skin was the softest thing that Gaara had ever felt. His fingers rubbed circles into the fabric of Lee’s jumpsuit, the stimulation pulling a soft moan from Lee. His grip tightened on Lee’s hip. He desperately wanted to hear him again.
Lee could hear the music blaring from Gaara’s forgotten head buds dangling around his neck. Lee pulled away, far enough to where Gaara couldn’t continue leaning in to keep their lips together.
“What are you listening to?” Lee asked.
Gaara was panting slightly, eyes dilated and his hair messy from where Lee’s fingers played. “Huh- What?”
Lee took one earbud and put it to his ear. “Is this Fall Out Boy? I love them!” Lee’s hands clutched the front of Gaara’s hoodie.
Lee’s eyebrows raised slightly while his lips pursed, readying to question Gaara’s profanity. Lee probably didn’t like profanity. Gaara definitely liked Lee. The love-struck boy decided he would never swear again, if he could help it.
“Do you want to go somewhere else?” Gaara asked quickly, his voice cracking slightly. His knee bounced at a speed that had Lee’s head tilting in confusion. Gaara’s knee bounced faster.
Lee’s eyes widened. “More?”
Gaara nodded. He wanted to say more, he wanted to confess to Lee right then and there. He wasn’t a man of confessions. He wrote in his mangled diary once every few months and screamed into his pillow nightly. He placed his hand on his thigh, palm facing up and awaiting Lee’s.
Lee stared at Gaara for only a beat longer, took one quick glance at Gaara’s hand and placed his own in Gaara’s grasp. Gaara sprung to his feet, he gripped his book bag with one hand and pulled Lee towards their secret destination. Lee’s squeals and the sound of his feet scraping the ground as he struggled to keep up made Gaara smile.
He had no clue what he was doing, but all those coming of age movies Kankuro forced the siblings to watch on movie nights and all of the angsty songs Gaara blared through his speakers on the weekends finally made sense.
Gaara’s instinct led the two down a hall that students rarely visited. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but it was mostly untouched by most students and faculty. After the school’s renovation of the auditorium in the west wing, the east wing’s gym and hallway were left abandoned and operated as additional storage.
“Gaara, where are we?” Lee asked.
Gaara turned around, his attention stolen by the look of awe on Lee’s face. His mouth was agape, eyes twinkling as he looked around. Lee made anything look interesting and important, and Gaara was delighted to be a part of that anything.
Gaara stopped in front of a door. Its previous label was missing, only a tinted outline proving its existence. Gaara knocked four times on the door and waited.
He twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open. It was a small, slightly dusty closet. Abandoned cleaning supplies sat on shelves towards the top of the room. In the corner was an old, dark blue throw blanket and one singular brown decorative pillow.
“Before we go in,” Gaara mumbled as his left hand rummaged around in his jean pocket. He fished out a cheap plastic beaded bracelet and placed it on the doorknob. “Just a precaution.” He shot Lee a quick wink before stepping out of the way to lead Lee in.
Lee ducked his head in an attempt to hide his blush, hesitantly stepping into the make-shift room. “Gaara, are we allowed to be in here?”
A small chuckle escaped Gaara’s lips. He placed one hand on Lee’s lower back, gently ushering him in. “I’d never put you in harm's way, baby.” He said, willing his voice not to shake and reveal just how nervous he truly was. Lee, thankfully oblivious to Gaara’s state, spun around to face him with an adorably shocked expression.
“What do you do in here?”
Gaara’s eyes widened, thankfully not by much with his typical lack of dramatic expressions. He was amazed that Lee didn’t instantly clock the old smell of marijuana soaked into the deteriorating wood. “Uh, pray?”
Lee chuckled nervously. “Gaara, I don’t want to get in trouble-”
Gaara stepped into the room behind Lee and gently shut the door. “Do you want to leave?” He asked sincerely. The light from the hallway faded as the doorknob clicked into the latch. Darkness washed over the small closet.
Lee’s eyes softened. “No.”
Gaara stepped closer to Lee. He reached out to find Lee’s side, earning a small gasp once his fingers made contact on some part of Lee. Gaara pulled Lee against his body. “Is this okay, Lee?”
Lee’s earrings jingled as he nodded.
“I need your words, Lee.” Gaara said softly. He wrapped his other arm around Lee, letting his hands meet behind Lee’s back. Lee’s arms automatically raised themselves up on Gaara’s shoulders.
“Yes, this is okay Gaara.”
Gaara allowed himself to smile wide under the cover of the dark closet, “Can I kiss you?”
Lee nodded, his soft exhale brushed against Gaara’s lips,“Please.”
Gaara reached one hand up to find and cup the side of Lee’s face. He guided the other boy’s lips to his own, slotting his lips between Lee’s.
Lee’s hands raked down to Gaara’s chest, his fingers gripping gently at the red-haired boy’s shirt. He whimpered weakly into Gaara’s mouth.
Gaara mustered up all the strength that he could to pull away, only an inch. Lee’s lips quickly chased after, succeeding in claiming a few more wet and whiny pecks.
“What do you want, babe?” Gaara searched for Lee’s begging look in the darkness.
Lee clutched onto Gaara's shirt tighter. “Gaaraaa!” He whined.
Wow. Gaara needed more. His head spun listening to the raven-haired boy’s wails. Each squeeze, every moan left Lee a panting mess. It’s not that the drummer was more experienced, that wasn’t the case at all. He thought about his elderly physics professor’s horrid drawl to try to steady himself. He wanted to hold onto any semblance of control.
Lee’s feet shuffled momentarily and he let out a small huff. “I want more..” He said, just under a whisper.
“I know you can be louder than that.”
Lee’s fist pulled Gaara’s shirt taught in his grasp and yanked him close. Gaara’s eyes slightly adjusted to the frustrated look on Lee’s face. “Just fucking kiss me, Gaara!”
Gaara grabbed Lee by the hips and walked him back against the wall. His right hand found the back of Lee’s head before he pressed his weight against Lee, smashing his lips against Lee’s.
Soft moans spilled from Lee’s lips as Gaara kissed him ravenously. Gaara’s hands traveled up and down Lee’s sides, gripping and squeezing wherever he could. His hands lowered themselves to Lee’s ass. He suddenly halted, pausing both his kiss and his touch.
He couldn’t rush this. He wouldn’t ever forgive himself if he made Lee uncomfortable.
Maybe this was too much. Maybe they were moving way too fast. He was more than happy to be tangled with the esteemed scholar in the small closet, but Lee was a straight A student. He never missed class and certainly wasn’t the type to ditch for a makeout session in an old janitors closet.
Was he becoming a bad influence for Lee?
He swore to himself he only wanted to be a good person to Lee. A beneficial addition to his life. Not a dent in his perfect school record.
“My goodness, Gaara! Stop teasing!” Lee gently swatted at Gaara’s chest.
Gaara blinked his internal conflict away. “I just don’t want to rush you, Lee. I can’t.”
Lee’s arms wrapped around Gaara’s neck. His fingers played with the short hair at the nape of Gaara’s neck,“Thank you Gaara, really. But I really want this.”
Lee’s words were slightly muffled as his lips attached to the side of Gaara’s neck. He sucked gently on the thin skin.
Gaara’s hands instinctively squeezed at Lee’s ass, which he didn’t even realize he was still holding onto. His hips bucked forward as Lee continued, forcing their bulges to rub against each other.
Lee whimpered a broken version of Gaara’s name and it took everything in Gaara not to finish in his pants.
Lee’s hands pushed Gaara’s grip off of him. His eyes locked onto Gaara’s before he slowly started to sink down.
Lee’s fingers dragged down his abdomen, gently skating across the tent in his jeans. Gaara’s hand flew to his mouth to hide his shuttering breaths.
“Can I, Gaara?” Lee's eyes sparked even in the darkness. Like a sweet angel begging to commit its first sin.
Before Gaara could stutter out a response, a sharp blaring alarm rang through the halls. The boys stared at each other before Lee smiled and stood to his feet. “It’s time for environmental biology, Gar’! I can’t be late!”
Lee corrected his clothing and smoothed down his hair, all while Gaara stood frozen, his manhood twitching wildly in its confines. Lee pressed a quick peck to Gaara’s lips. “I’ll see you soon, mister!”
Gaara was brought back to earth by the sound of the closet door along with the sliver of daylight that seeped in with it as it opened and closed. He ran his hands over his face and sighed. The whiplash Lee gave him needed to be clinically studied. Gaara would happily participate in whatever they just did daily to get the data needed. It was scientific. Maybe Lee was rubbing off on Gaara and making him a better student. Yes, that was it.
Gaara grabbed his backpack from the floor before opening the closet door, shortly blinding himself with the afternoon sun, and grabbing his plastic bracelet from the knob before closing the door and heading to class. He wasn’t even sure what class he had next or if he had class next period. He couldn’t think about anything, only the way Lee felt throbbing against him as he whined for more. That was a beautiful memory that he would repeat for his entire life. He even considered writing in his diary when he got home.
Did Lee curse? And it was because of him?
More importantly, could he do it again?
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Lee was in his room. Lee was in his room. Lee was on Gaara’s bed in Gaara’s room. Lee was in Gaara’s room, in his bed, a book open across his lap, pen clacking against his teeth and eyebrows furrowed together in concentration.
“Gaara?” Lee’s soft voice pulled Gaara back to reality.
Gaara blinked a couple of times, looking into the deep brown sea of pupils staring back at him.
“So, I used this formula since I’m calculating monthly investments. Is this right?”
Gaara glanced down at the paper. It was not right, and from the mess of equations on the scratch sheet in no particular order, he couldn’t even determine which homework problem Lee was currently on.
“Uh, let’s see. Since you’re doing monthly investments, we would use this formula. Type the total price in the calculator and multiply that by the down payment in decimal form.” Gaara’s finger pointed at each part of the problem that he mentioned.
Lee sighed, his bottom lip jutting out in a pout. “I thought I did that already!”
Gaara shook his head. “No, you multiplied by the percentage. You have to change it into a decimal.”
Lee’s head fell into his hands. “Gaaraaa!” He whined.
Gaara watched Lee’s cheeks redden, the parts that he could see that weren’t obstructed by his hands. His eyes scanned over the whole of Lee. His hair was pushed back by a dark green headband. He wore a thin black tank top that squeezed tight in all the right places, which for Lee was everywhere. His loose sweat shorts rid up with every dramatasized frustrated groan.
“Come on, Lee, you know how to do this. Remember the steps from the problem before.” Gaara said calmly.
Well to himself it seemed calm. Lee’s face scrunched in an emotion that Gaara realized as annoyance way too late.
“Gaara, I would’ve done it that way if I already knew to do so.” Lee’s voice was tense and sharp. Fierce in a way that Gaara had never heard from Lee before.
“You do know. You did it before without any instruction. You can do it again.” Gaara explained.
Lee shot Gaara with an irritated glare. “Gaara, don’t talk to me as if I’m a child!”
Gaara froze. Suddenly he felt his heart thump against his chest. No, that’s not what he meant at all.
“Everyone always does that!” Lee whined, crossing his arms over his chest. “I am not stupid! Everyone treats me like I’m stupid. I am an honor roll student!”
Do not make this worse. “You are.”
“I only need help with math. Calculating mortgage should be the realtor’s responsibility! Why am I doing it for them?”
Gaara had a few responses but quickly ruled out each one based on Lee’s emotional state. Gaara was learning. Instead, he opted for a nod.
“And Neji always makes fun of how long it takes me to complete tests, even though we get the same score! He’s only three points ahead of me overall.”
Was there a school wide competition Gaara was missing? “Overall?”
Lee’s face scrunched together even harder. He was turning a shade of red that seemed unnatural.
“Yes overall, Gaara! Our whole life he’s pulled ahead. I am his rival and I will catch up to him!” He cried. His pencil became trapped in his balled up fists. His face crimsoned and his chest began to heave.
Gaara was already so confused but what he was sure of was asking for clarification now was not a great move. Lee was only becoming more frantic.
“Gaara, everyone treats me like I’m some type of pretty idiot. How come Neji can be pretty and smart? I have a brain, too!” Gaara watched as a few tears slipped down the length of Lee’s cheek.
He considered how tortuously sightly it was the way his raven boy cried.
Lee’s hands trembled at his sides. It was agonizing for Gaara seeing Lee like that. In his mind, Lee had no rival. He was kind and gentle. He was so fascinated by the little things that Gaara barely had to offer. Lee was patient and incredibly intelligent, Gaara couldn’t listen to it anymore.
Gaara hurriedly cleared the bed of the forgotten notebooks and pencils. He scooted in closer to Lee, positioning himself behind Lee. His legs bracketed Lee’s as he wrapped his arms around Lee’s waist and pulled him in close until Lee’s back met his chest.
Lee tensed up momentarily, only to fully relax against Gaara. He sank himself into Gaara, sliding down until the back of his head laid against Gaara’s shoulder. Lee let out a shaky breath while Gaara’s fingertips rubbed soft shapes against his thigh.
The two stayed glued against each other for what felt like hours. The shared heat between them shifted from an unbearable, nervous sweat to a warm magnetic field that neither boy wanted to move from. Lee’s hair tickled Gaara’s shoulder with every exhale. Gaara’s soft circles turned into the rhythm of a song he couldn’t get out of his head.
“Gar’?” Lee called out quietly.
It felt like Lee grasped Gaara’s beating heart in his palm. Their proximity, the gentle touches, it was all so soft. Gentler than Gaara has ever had to be.
“Do you think I’m smart?”
“Lee, I think you’re more than smart.”
No, that’s not what Lee asked. Lee knows he’s beautiful, he knows he’s kind. He’s also-
“You might not remember, but we had the same English course in tenth grade. You wrote a paper about implicit biases and how we can correct them. I’ve thought about it a lot since then.”
“Are you serious?” He met Gaara’s gaze with sheepish eyes.
“Entirely. Your storytelling capabilities are unmatched. I could listen to you all day.” Teal eyes stared into dark brown ones with a look of sincerity that hadn’t ever been yielded before. Nothing had ever meant so much to him before, he supposed.
The look in Lee’s eyes quickly shifted from admiration to something more. Something hungrier.
Lee sat up on his knees and turned to face Gaara. He hesitated shortly before he climbed onto Gaara’s lap, wrapping his arms around the drummer’s neck for support. Gaara’s hands spontaneously fell to Lee’s hips, pulling him securely onto his lap.
Lee’s eyes could practically talk then, and they were begging for a kiss.
Was this a thing that they could do? Was this normal before friends? Friends who like to kiss and flirt and hang out as much as they can?
He was pulled from his thoughts by the feeling of soft, sticky lips against his own. Gaara’s mouth parted slightly to deepen the kiss, only for Lee’s tongue to push past and explore his mouth. An involuntary moan slipped from Gaara, only motivating Lee’s efforts more.
Gaara’s hands found their way to Lee’s back, holding him in place as Gaara leaned back against the bed. Lee’s hands moved to bracket Gaara’s head, leaning down to continue to kiss his tutor. His hips gently shift against Gaara’s, pulling soft identical moans from both boys.
Lee pulled away, lips shiny and panting slightly.
Yes, I love you too. Yes, you’re perfect. Yes, I want you to be my boyfriend. Yes, I need to be your boyfriend. Yes, I want to be yours forever. Yes, Lee. Yes yes yes.
Gaara blinked. “Yeah. I’ll drive.”
Lee excitedly hopped off of Gaara and onto the floor, scrambling to find his shoes.
What was this boy doing to him?
“We’re finishing your homework when we get back.”
Lee groaned dramatically as he tossed on one of Gaara’s hoodies. He didn’t ask and Gaara was more than happy to know that he didn’t need to.
And why did he love it so much?
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Gaara was in way over his head. A couple of glances, he could do. A wink stopped his heartbeat momentarily, but nothing he couldn’t recover from. But these fleeting moments of intimacy, soft kisses and gentle touches, were too much. It was surpassing the already limited knowledge Gaara had about relationships. All of this, and Lee hadn’t even hinted at wanting to be in a relationship.
Gaara never claimed to be a genius, but he was almost certain that there was something going on between them.
Lee was the smart one. Lee was the one who had lots of friends and thriving relationships. Can’t Lee see what he’s doing to Gaara? Is he purposely playing Gaara?
That was it. A line needed to be drawn.
Lee shouldn’t be on Gaara’s mind as much as he is. He shouldn’t have so much control over the poor boy. Enough was enough.
All of Gaara’s nights were spent staring at the ceiling, analyzing the way Lee smiled at him. He questioned if Lee would even proudly date someone so different from himself. Visually, they were incompatible. Gaara looked like he rolled out of bed at any given moment. No one could tell if he wore the same outfit each day because his closet consisted of mostly black and grey. His piercings and bright red hair were the only accessory he ever cared to adorn his body with.
Lee, on the other hand, looked masterfully decorated every single day. Each day was a different jumpsuit. Bold bright colors that hurt to look at. Lee’s hair was cut flawlessly straight and was always shiny, even if it was styled in a stupid bowlcut. It was the stupidest-hottest bowlcut Gaara had ever seen. His eyebrows were even trimmed perfectly, and they were huge! Stupidly large eyebrows that pressed together whenever Lee concentrated on his homework or leaning in to kiss Gaara.
Gaara could never rid his mind of Lee. He wasn’t even sure if he was giving it an earnest try.
The latest attempt at clearing his mind of his newest obsession was a walk in the park. The weekend always brought the park to life. Children raced to follow their parents home as the sun began to set. Couples walked slower on the trail, some occasionally stopping for photos of the orange sky. A group of teenagers ran to the freshly abandoned swingset, jumping on the seat and twisting themselves around as much as they could before letting go. Laughs and playful shouts faded to and from as Gaara walked the length of the park’s trail.
“Ladies, we’re returning to our warrior pose two.”
Further away, a group of women moved in unison to a position Gaara could only assume had something to do with yoga. His attention lingered on the group as they continued through their workout. There was something so mesmerizing about a group moving so uniformly, he had to admit.
“In three, two, and one more push, we will begin pulsing.” The instructor directed. Her voice was astonishingly controlled for how intense their movements were.
“Two more pulses. Beautiful, one more. Don’t forget to take a sip of air, breathe out on your movement.” Gaara thought her voice sounded almost too animated, but her muscles made his thoughts fade away. She could beat him to a pulp and would be entirely in the right. “Great job ladies… And Lee.”
Gaara’s heartbeat quickened at the sound of that name. He strained his eyes and neck to scan over the small crowd. Now that he was actually focused, he began to recognize a few of the faces. Ino, Sakura and the reason he started to wear more loose sweatpants instead of his usual skinny jeans. His one and only, infuriatingly bewitching Lee.
His gaze lingered on Yamanaka Ino first. The blonde beauty of the school. She was even more of a gossiper than Neji, if that was even possible. Her father was a well known government official for the state. Every smirk from her felt like an investigation of your entire being. She was scary in a mind-bending way.
Haruno Sakura, on the other hand, was a strong woman. Strong willed, mentally stout and just out right brawny. She never ran into any problems around school, almost solely due to her muscular build and academic record. It was honestly impressive. Her strength looked natural to her too. She wasn’t of a bodybuilding physique but scrawny was far from an accurate description. She was fucking strong.
Then there was Lee. He wore dark green yoga pants that had wide legs which rippled in the gentle breeze. He also wore a bright orange cropped tank top with no erotic wording decorating his chest.
That could work. Gaara could handle plain clothing in a public setting.
The red-haired beau meant to keep walking. He would surely see Lee soon. Mentally, he still hadn’t recovered from their more intimate moments that seemed to occur daily, so he had no interest in running into Lee and his brainwashing yoga outfits. The issue was, he hadn’t quite figured out how to avoid Lee. He was the infamous cousin of a butterfly and Lee was his magnetic flame. In fact, the only thing Gaara had learned from his month of Lee torture was to plan his outfit accordingly.
So, he took a slow walk around the neighborhood park in black loose sweatpants and one of his new punk band shirts. Lee picked it out during their trip to the mall for boba, insisting Gaara wear a band that he liked. The drummer didn’t have the heart to tell him that he already owned the shirt, but it had old bleach stains and fraying edges, so an upgrade didn’t hurt.
He kept his eyes on Lee as he continued his walk on the trail. The both fortunate and unfortunate part of the positioning was that the Pilates in the Park was settled right in the middle of the grassy center within the circular trail . Which meant Gaara could see Lee at almost all parts of the trail (fortunate) and Lee could see Gaara at all parts of the trail (unfortunate).
It was only a matter of time until he heard the loudest, hottest, most confusing-
Wait. That wasn’t Lee’s voice. It didn’t shake Gaara to his very core.
A blonde ponytail swayed back and forth as the girl waved. “Gaara, over here!”
Since when did Ino know his name? And why would she want him to come near her? Out of the 6 months of classes together, she had never even batted an eye in his direction. Compelled by the fear of disobeying Ino, his legs begrudgingly walked him over to the group.
Sakura leaned over, whispering something in Ino’s ear. The two girls looked back at Lee and giggled while the dark haired boy turned away with an embarrassed blush spreading on his face.
Why is Lee blushing? What the hell did they say to him?
Gaara stopped in front of Ino, who stood with her arms crossed over her chest–a menacing smirk on her lips. “Funny seeing you here, Gaara.”
“At the local public park? Bland sense of humor, Ino.” Gaara shrugged.
“We have Pilates in the Park every Saturday at seven. I’ve never seen you here before.” The blonde continued, her eyes scanning Gaara from head to toe.
“I’m just taking a walk. Hope that’s okay with you.” Gaara said calmly, although it felt like his blood was boiling. Who on earth was she to interrogate him?
Gaara quickly glanced over at Lee, who was already staring intensely back at him. Ino followed his sharp gaze to find the two boys staring at each other.
“Hey Gaara, we are about to finish up. Sakura and I are already partners but that leaves Lee with no one. Would you mind helping out?” She asked with a smile.
“I don’t really know how to-”
“Great!” Ino took Gaara’s hand and pulled him towards the group. “I’ll teach you!”
Lee stood up as the grouchy red-haired boy was pulled in by Ino. Gaara wiggled his wrist from Ino’s grip and closed the gap between him and Lee.
“Gaara!” Lee’s eyes softened, a small smile appearing on his lips.
“Lee.” Gaara replied with a matching grin.
“I’m really sorry Ino dragged you into this.” Lee explained, his gaze falling to his feet as he continued. “You don’t have to be my partner. We always have the same number of people and I’m usually the one left without a partner. I’m used to it!” Lee tried to flash Gaara a convincing smile.
Gaara wanted to throw up thinking about his poor Lee doing his exercises alone each week. “No, I’m here. I’m doing it.” The words left his mouth before he even fully understood what he was meant to do. There was no way he could allow that sad thought to continue.
“Are you sure? You really don’t need to, Gaara.” Lee said as he kneeled down to sit on his yoga mat.
Gaara followed, sitting next to Lee on the mat. He felt out of place, unsure if he should even be sitting or sharing mats with Lee. Was there an unspoken rule that sharing mats meant you’re suddenly betrothed to one another? If so, he would oblige. Rules were rules and Gaara was not a rule-breaker, starting at that very moment.
“I don’t mind. I get to see what you’re up to when we’re away,” Gaara said, a smirk turning at the corner of his lips.
Lee smiled, his bright white teeth shining beneath his soft pink lips. Gaara couldn’t get enough of it.
“Partner one and partner two, we are starting on our mats, legs spread out. Match your feet to your partners and take turns gently pulling your partner in towards yourself.”
Gaara waited until Lee was in position to copy him. Lee was much much more flexible than Gaara. Lee’s chest practically touched the ground while Gaara struggled to reach out past his toes. Thankfully Lee’s skill made up for Gaara’s stiffness.
Lee reached his hands out and wiggled them at Gaara. “You can pull now!”
Gaara leaned forward as far as he could and threaded his fingers through Lee’s, pulling the boy in towards himself. Lee let out a soft sigh as he stretched forward.
Gaara allowed his eyes to rake over Lee’s form for one second. Just one. Lee’s muscles flexed and relaxed as he settled into position. His tan skin appeared to shine in the glow of the sunset. Lee turned his face to the side, taking a deep breath of the cool breeze that passed over them. He seemed so calm. As if no earthly problems ever truly bothered him. Maybe they never have. If there was one person who could find peace with anything and everything in the world around them, Gaara would bet everything he had that it would be Lee.
Initially, Gaara wanted to reject Ino’s offer to help with pilates as he imagined he wouldn’t be able to keep a straight head and a flaccid dick with Lee in such… unique positions. Yet, the only distraction that he faced was watching Lee’s face as he meditated. No furrowed eyebrows, a gentle breathing exercise that Lee graciously taught him days ago. His mind wandered as he watched Lee. Could he offer Lee a space so peaceful? He wanted nothing more than to see Lee like this all the time.
“Enjoying the view, Gaara?” The taunting voice pulled Gaara from his thoughts. He looked over to see Ino smiling at him. “You know, I asked you to help because I know how close you and Lee are. I didn’t expect you to be such a perv while doing it.” She spoke low enough for only the four to hear, the rest of the participants were oblivious to her banter.
“Partner one, take an inhale and rise on the exhale.”
Lee lifted to a seated position with a scowl on his face. Gaara squeezed Lee’s hand in an attempt to regain his attention. Lee’s eyes were locked onto Ino, who already was leaning down to stretch. Sakura rose with a tranquil look, eyes closed and a small smile as she sat up.
“Hm. Oh, Gaara, it's your turn to stretch.” She said, shooting him a quick wink.
Gaara refrained from rolling his eyes as he leaned forward. About halfway to where the rest of the ladies reached, Gaara felt his back tensing up and his hips begging for relief. He was not made for this. Lee gently tugged Gaara forward, stopping once he felt resistance. Gaara was so thankful for Lee’s hospitable gesture.
Since Gaara couldn’t reach the ground, Lee was still in his field of vision. He watched as Lee studied Ino with a burning look in his eyes. He’d never seen Lee so angry at a person, only at his calculator during class. Ino lifted her head and turned toward the two boys, exhaling deeply with that snarky smile that Gaara feared for. Lee’s grimace quickly turned into a smile that envied Ino’s.
“Lee, I wouldn’t have guessed you had a type.” She calmly commented.
“Oh you know, red hair. Green eyes. Weird personalities.” Ino ducked her head to miss Sakura's swatting hand.
Lee turned his head away to hide his blush.
“At least he’s not acting like a fool around Gaara like he used to do with me.” Sakura mumbled.
Lee huffed, shutting his eyes tight and tightening his grip on Gaara. “It was third grade.” He mumbled, pulling Gaara deeper into the stretch.
Gaara couldn’t stretch any further.
“He doesn’t have a weird personality, either.”
Lee pulled Gaara even further. Air escaped his lips as he was forced lower.
“Sakura’s hair is pink, not red.”
Gaara was convinced his hips would snap if he were pulled any further. He had no desire to fuel Ino’s gossip and taunts but he also had no desire to visit the emergency room. “Lee, babe. Please let go.”
Lee’s attention snapped back to Gaara. His eyes and mouth widened in shock. “Gaara, I’m sorry!” He quickly let go and guided Gaara up by his shoulders.
Gaara forced himself to ignore the snickers from the two girls nearby. “It’s okay, Lee. Are you okay?” He whispered, putting his hand over Lee’s.
Lee nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry you have to listen to them. They love to pick on me.”
Gaara bit his lip to hide his smile from Lee’s pouting. Even when he was upset, Lee was the cutest little thing.
“Partner two, come up on your exhale. Partner one will lay on their back, bringing your left leg over the right and turn your head and left shoulder to the opposite direction. Partner two, you will guide partner one’s knees and shoulders when we switch sides.”
Gaara leaned in close to Lee. “Was I supposed to remember all of that?”
Lee giggled softly, shaking his head. “I got it. Just stay there.” Gaara watched as Lee got into position effortlessly. He flowed into each stretch like water, the ease of the movement happened as if it were second nature. The only outlier was the small scowl that returned to Lee’s face.
“Are you okay?” Gaara asked.
“It’s just..” Lee huffed, rotating his hips and alternating to the other side. Gaara was probably supposed to help, but Lee moved so flawlessly that any help from Gaara would probably slow him down. “I don’t want to be rude. I was not raised to gossip about my peers.”
“It’s not gossip if you need to get it off your chest. You don’t deserve to harbor those emotions.”
Lee tilted his head to look at Gaara. “You’re right.”
Gaara smiled to himself. Finally, all of those talks from Temari about being kinder to yourself and letting go of negative emotions. He used to hate them, but now it made sense. In fact, he planned on messaging her about-
“She can be such a fucking bitch!” Lee hissed under a whisper.
Gaara's jaw dropped. Lee continued to ramble.
“It is one thing to joke about one’s childhood crush. But to comment on it right in front of them? In front of you, no less. Truly, does she have no shame? She certainly doesn’t have a boyfriend. Maybe that’s why she feels so inclined to discuss the love lives of other people.” Lee said, without any hatred or anger in his voice. He gently rotated his hips again and flipped to the beginning side. “I love this stretch. It really gets the lower back.”
Gaara huffed out a laugh. “You’re really something else, Lee.”
Lee smiled. “What do you mean, Gaara?”
Gaara shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, babe.”
“Partner one, return to neutral position and switch places with partner two!” The instructor’s voice called out.
“Hey, Lee,” Gaara said as he watched Lee sit up. Lee smiled at Gaara, leaning in with bright eyes and full attention. Gaara felt himself unintentionally smiling back at Lee. “I’ll be honest. I’m not doing that stretch. I don’t want to go to the hospital this evening.”
Lee’s loud laughter pulled the attention from all of the stretching ladies. For once, Gaara enjoyed the way people could see how happy Lee was with him. He craved to be seen like this with Lee.
“Want a ride home?” Gaara offered. Lee nodded and leaped to his feet, gathering his mat and duffle bag.
“Leaving so soon?” Ino’s head tilted as she watched Lee hurriedly pack up.
“I’m sorry to have to depart so abruptly. I’m gonna go make out with Gaara in the back of his car!” Lee grabbed Gaara’s hand and started walking off. He waved over his shoulder at the two girls. “See you around, Ino! Bye Sakura!”
Gaara obediently followed behind Lee with a blush spread across his cheeks.
Maybe he should get into pilates.