Naruto Oneshots + Imagines

Ten Years (Gaara x Rock Lee)

Since his promotion to Kazekage at fifteen years old, Gaara has received a letter with a gift on the anniversary of his promotion each following year. Just like every letter of adoration he's received since becoming Kazekage, he keeps them, but these letters are... Special. In them are very ardent confessions of love from someone who clearly knows him, but since they're not ever addressed with a name or a location, he can't figure out who it is.

It's weird, too. Most of the time, he only receives these sorts of things from his admirers on special holidays like his birthday. But this one person has been writing to him for ten years, sending him things he loves like new cacti starters and special herbal teas. Each letter is increasingly intimate, too, wishing him good fortune and telling him how well he's done for himself. Part of him likes these letters. The other part of him is just confused by them- at least until today.

It's about to be the eleventh anniversary of his promotion to Kazekage. Gaara, who's about to go to Konohagakure for a meeting, goes to check up on the man that Kakashi- Konoha's most recent Hokage- sent as his escort. In the back of his mind, he's looking forward to whatever the eleventh letter and gift will be.

Rock Lee is staying in a guest bedroom in the Kazekage compound, just a few doors down from Gaara's personal suite. Gaara is honestly more excited to see his old friend than he should be, but then again, he figures his feelings for Lee go far beyond 'old friend'. Since their battle with Kimimaro, his feelings have only grown and evolved into something much more romantic. Why he hasn't acted on it- well, being Kazekage is complicated and he doesn't want to drag Lee into it, even if he does return the sentiment, which Gaara knows he has no reason to.

But then, he checks the knob to Lee's room and opens the door when he notices it's unlocked. He sees the ravenette sitting at a desk writing something on paper, to which he blinks. Lee's hobbies include training, exercising, fighting, gardening (something he picked up because of Gaara), and woodwork- all very physical things that involve you standing, moving, and being outside to some degree.

Seeing Lee sitting at the desk of his guest room is odd. Aside from the little notepad that Lee carries around and refers to as his 'ultra secret ninja tips', Gaara isn't sure he's actually seen Lee write anything. Not mission reports, not songs or poems or stories, not letters, nothing.

Lee hasn't noticed him, so with his interest piqued, Gaara quietly sneaks behind him and looks over his shoulder. He expects to see he draft of a mission report or maybe the 'ultra secret ninja tips' notepad. Instead, he's faced with a familiar stationary that makes his face burn the same shade of red as his hair.

Gaara can't see the words Lee is writing, he's just not close enough, and he doesn't have his reading glasses. He does, however, recognize the silly white stationary with multi-colored leaves around the border as well as the dark green pen ink and the green envelope that sits to Lee's left. To Lee's right is a gift wrapped with the exact wrapping paper that Lee has apparently been using for the past ten- now eleven- years.

Gaara wants to scream. He has a million things he thinks to say- proclamations of love, yells of frustration, demands of when and why and how . All that comes out is a choked-

"So it was you the entire time."

Lee turns around, seemingly startled by Gaara's presence, but he doesn't look upset. His face doesn't drop. He doesn't appear distressed in the way that Gaara feels like he should be considering the circumstances.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Lee asks casually.

"The letters, and the gifts," Gaara reiterates, clearing his throat and averting his gaze. His seafoam eyes are trained on the boring hardwood floors as if they're the most interesting thing he's seen in his entire life. "They've been from you?"

"Are you telling me you didn't know?" And that's when Gaara realizes that he may have sorta maybe probably messed up really badly here- or, for the past decade. With the letters having very specific details about his life and promotion, the author would've had to have been someone who knew him, and with the gifts always fitting his tastes, the author also would've had to be a good friend who Gaara would divulge his interests to. Plus, rather than the usual 'you're hot and I love you' letters that Gaara has grown accustomed to from his admirers, all of the ones he's received from Lee have been very wholesome and heartfelt. Finally, with the green wrapping paper, green pen, green envelope and leaf-themed stationary... He should've guessed that it was Lee years ago. Apparently, even Lee thinks he should've known. "My handwriting is very distinct! I assumed you'd recognize it."

"Honestly, I should've guessed..." Gaara sighs, a little disappointed in his own lack of deductive reasoning skills. Lee just sits in the chair, unbothered and beaming up at him. "But are you seriously telling me you confessed your love to me through letter a decade ago and you thought I just ignored it? Why would you keep talking to me after that?"

"I dunno, I just thought you weren't ready yet or something and that you'd come to me when you were!" Lee shrugs.

Gaara isn't sure he gets the line of thought. If Lee assumed Gaara wasn't interested at the time, why would he continue to send letters and gifts for years after the first one was supposedly ignored?

"So you... Kept sending them even after you thought I brushed off your love confession and just... Didn't bother addressing it with you."

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing- well, aside from the fact that we could've been dating ten years ago," Gaara huffs. Sure, his position is complicated, and he knows the council will throw a hissy fit about him dating a man and not producing a biological heir at some point, but he would've been willing to deal with that back then and is still willing to do so now if it would mean being with Lee. He always thought that Lee wasn't interested, though, which is why he didn't bother in fear of ruining their friendship. "It's just... A tad overwhelming, but in hindsight, it was obvious. You are quite persistent like that."

"Wait, you love me back!?" Lee practically cheers and stands from his chair at the desk, his pen still in hand.

With the force of how fast Lee rises up to his feet, the chair clatters to the floor and makes an obnoxiously loud noise that Lee doesn't even bat an eye at.

"How could you not know that by now?" Gaara groans and buries his face in his hands. "Lee, for the love of God , I'm the Kazekage and I do not need an escort but every time I have to travel out of town, I request you specifically. Why do you think that is?"

"Well, I thought it was because you wanted to catch up with your old pal Rock Lee, but I guess it was a little more complicated than that!" Lee laughs, blushes, and scratches the back of his neck. "Huh, what a relief!"

"At the very least, I'm glad you return my feelings..."

A pause, and then, Gaara is leaning forward to press a chaste kiss against Lee's lips. It's warm and sweet, even with Gaara being anxious that he didn't do it quite right. Lee briefly kisses him back, then pulls away to ask-

"What now?"

"If you don't mind, could I read the letter you were planning on sending this year?" Gaara requests and points to the stationary Lee was writing on before he interrupted. "That's it on the desk, isn't it?"

"Oh, uh, sure! Here!"

Lee hands the letter to Gaara. And so, the two men sit on the floor of Gaara's guest room, reading the new letter Lee has written and laughing about the ten years they wasted.