Coming Home

Chapter Nine

Lee packed his bag quickly, still being meticulous about what to bring. He was a little nervous, considering this was his first time back to the village since he had been appointed liaison. More than anything he could feel excitement bubbling uncontrollably in his stomach. He couldn't wait to see everyone, especially Gai Sensei.
Tears pricked his eyes as he thought of the bushy browed teacher. He missed him dearly. So far Gai Sensei had been the only person constantly in his life. He had accepted him, when no one else did, and taught him avidly. Even without his ability to do ninjutsu, this teacher had taken him in and worked with him until he was able to learn Taijutsu. He was Lee's most important person in life, the closest thing he'd had to a father.
"Lee? Are you ready yet?" He heard the Kazekage's voice appear from the other side of the door. It had been a couple of weeks since he'd surprised Gaara in his office and things had proceeded as usual. With he and the red head becoming closer and closer friends. Lee had even found his mind lingering on his comrade quite a bit recently.
"Almost!" He called back, heading toward the bedroom. "Come on in!" He needed to get his jumpsuits and a few toiletries.
After he grabbed his tooth brush and clothes he walked into his living room to see Gaara standing stiffly next to the door. He smiled a bit before removing his bag from the couch and gesturing to it. "You can sit down," he offered, assuming it wouldn't be taken. He and the red head were closer than ever, but he could still be very awkward in these social situations.
He sat down slowly, bending his knees into a perfect angle. The jounnin shoved the last of his contents into his bag before zipping it up. The shorter young man seemed to be in a rather foul mood today, and that was disappointing for the leaf. He was really excited for the trip, and wanted Gaara to have a good time too.
"I'm ready," he said, calling Gaara from his bad mood for only a split second before the seemingly indifferent face contorted back into one of discontent. He nodded at the leaf, standing suddenly and walking toward the door.
They made it to the outskirts of town soon after exiting Lee's apartment. They were taking an escort once again, but Lee was already certain that they would quickly leave them in the dust. It was a hot day, even by Suna's standards, with not even a dry breeze being offered as relief.

They made it to the leaf village in two days, not bothering to wait for the rest of their retinue. By the time they arrived it was already late, only few moments before sunset. They made their way to the Hokage's office swiftly and quietly. It would be best to avoid letting their presence be known until the next day, as they were both tired and ready for rest.
As reds and oranges graced the sky beautifully, they entered Naruto's office, which smelt of sake and old pages. "Hello Naruto!," the leaf offered immediately upon walking in, stopping to give a low bow. The red head stayed standing, hands crossed over his chest as was his typical stance.
"Lee!" The Hokage reciprocated, and Lee could tell from the tone of his voice that he truly was glad to see him. He looked up to see him observing him with soft eyes, and he instantly felt relieved. He had been a bit nervous that as soon as he arrived the blonde would hound him with questions about how he'd been working in Sunagakure.
She and the other young man nodded at each other briefly before he addressed Lee once again. "We didn't know the Kazekage was coming," he said, professionally as his gaze flickered over for a split second. "We didn't prepare an apartment for him." Naruto looked down awkwardly, obviously wanting to address the situation in a more casual manner, but attempting to keep his air of profession around him.
"He can stay with me," he said, in an attempt to ease the awkward tension. "Is that okay?" He asked, his gaze now falling to Gaara for confirmation.
The red head shrugged indifferently, as always.
"Well, that sounds great!" He gave a toothy grin, along with a wink. "I'll catch you guys later, for sure!"
The green clad ninja bowed again before leading the Kazekage out of the room.
"It's so cool," the green eyed boy whispered unexpectedly as they stepped out into the breeze Konoha frequestky offered. He looked up at the orange sky thoughtfully, and Lee couldn't help but notice how complimentary the light was on the fiery hair.
"Yes. It is quite different from the Suna heat!" He cheered, a bit glad to be relieved from such sweltering conditions for a while. He was mostly used to the heat, and it didn't bother him as much anymore but it was still nice to have a little break from it.
The Kazekage didn't reply, and the leaf hadn't really expected him to. They stood in silence for a moment, Gaara's green eyes glued to the leaves fluttering in the wind, and Lee's eyes glued to him.
This seemed to happen more and more often lately. Every time his comrade stopped for a period of time he found himself staring. The choppy hair blew gracefully in the wind, exposing a pale forehead beneath. Aqua green eyes shone astonishingly in the fleeting light. He looked like a statue. One of the beautiful masterpieces that would stay for many centuries.
Before he knew it the green orbs were looking back at him, quizzically.
"Ah, right," he said distractedly, looking down as he rubbed the side of his head, attempting to hide a furious blush which had crept across his face. "My apartment is this way," he gestured with his hand before heading off in the direction of his place.
It didn't take long to get there, and as they stepped over the threshold Lee became painfully aware that the shorter man was entering him apartment for the second time.
The difference was that the Kazekage would be sleeping here tonight. With Lee. They had never yet been put in a situation which required them to be sleeping in such a close proximity. The jounnin always powered through their longer missions together, in fear of being a burden. His friend could still go a very long time without sleep, and he always wanted to be as helpful as he possibly could be.
"I'll go set up the futons," he said hesitantly, watching for any reaction. The stoic face stayed as indifferent as usual, as the sand ninja stood stiffly with his arms crossed.
"You can have a seat," the leaf called from the bedroom, knowing that his offer would mostly likely not be acknowledged. As he guessed, the other man remained standing quietly.
He walked half way out to the hallway, gesturing his friend to come on back. The red head walked in, quickly setting his bag on the ground and laying stiffly on one of the futons.
Lee raised a brow as he crawled under the covers of his own futon, it certainly didn't look to be the most comfortable position. He internally shrugged, before laying down and turning his back to face him.
He'd only been laying there a few minutes when he suddenly realized that he could feel the heat from Gaara's body, which lay next to him rigidly. He'd always assumed Gaara would feel cold if he'd ever reached out to touch him extensively. But now, as he lay wide awake and much too conscious, he couldn't deny the warmth he could feel emitting from the small body.
He flushed slightly as his heart began to beat a little faster. True, they had been physical close before- during missions. But this felt different. It felt more personal, and Lee couldn't drive the thought from his mind. His heart pounded in the silence as he thought of how easy it would be to reach out to his friend now.
"Are you okay?" He heard the slightly concerned tone speak out from the other side of his body. "Your heart is beating rather fast," the Kazekage offered in explanation.
His blush deepened at the blatant remark. "Ah! I'm fine!" He replied over his shoulder hurriedly.
"Lee?" He felt, rather than heard, the smaller body move closer to his. His heart thudded wildly in his chest at the close proximity, and as the sand ninja moved even closer, he became certain that a heart attack would be his way out of the world.