Coming Home

Chapter Twelve

Large brows met in the middle of Lee's forehead. 'Don't touch other people'. That was a strange request indeed. Did that mean only touch Gaara? Why did it matter? He couldn't understand at all, but as he looked into the aqua green eyes, filled to the brim with confusion and desperation, he knew it was extremely important to Gaara.
"Gaara-kun..." The leaf called out softly as he took another slow step in his friend's direction. Only to have the latter retreat another step backwards. "It's okay," he said reassuringly as he stepped closer and extended a hand toward his friend.
The redhead reached out tentatively in response, staying stiffly still. A bird trilled cheerfully in the distance, a sound that didn't fit this uneasy atmosphere in the least. Why did the sun continue to shine so brightly? The wind continue to blow so gently? When inside of his stomach it felt like a raging war. He'd never thrown up before, but he had an inkling that this was what people felt before they did.
Lee reached the small hand, grasping it tightly and using his strength to launch the redhead against him in a hug. They had shared casual interactions many times by now. But this was the first time they had actually embraced each other in a hug. He squeezed a little tighter upon feeling the smaller body stiffen dramatically. "It's okay Gaara-kun," he whispered softly.
The Kazekage felt his mind go through many stages in the span of only a few seconds. The first being panic. Lee was extremely close to him. Nearly every part of their bodies were touching. That was entirely foreign to him. His first instinct was to pull away or lash out. Then it was confusion. Why did the leaf feel the need to be so close? What was the purpose behind such a thing? The confusion pushed him into frustration. He wanted to yell at Lee. Force him to explain what he was doing. But after a moment he felt a strange sense of comfort coming over him. A sense of warmth washing through him like a small ocean wave in the evening breeze. Lee was warm. Not in the way that the Suna sun made you feel. A different type of warmth that he couldn't quite explain.
"Are you alright now?" The leaf asked, tilting head head toward the one beneath him. He'd felt the body in his grasp relax massively, and he felt it was a good sign. It probably meant Gaara had calmed down somewhat. He felt a small movement against his chest, which he assumed to be a nod. He'd had no hidden intentions behind the hug. Although it felt absolutely heavenly to hold Gaara in his arms, his only objective was to help the young man calm down.
He pulled away, smiling softly at the slightly disgruntled face. The usually pale cheeks were dusted with a slight pinkness. "Now let's talk," he said evenly, gesturing over to a wooden bench nearby. "What's the issue?" He asked softly as he sat after seeing that the redhead had gotten comfortable.
"I don't want you to touch that girl," he replied almost bitterly. "I don't want you to touch anyone," his nonexistent brows furrowed together in frustration with this last comment.
"And why is that?" The leaf replied, careful to keep the confusion out of his voice. His friend was already perplexed enough, that would only add to it more.
"Because I want you to touch me!" The sand ninja blurted out. How unlike him. He always thought about what he said before he voiced it aloud. But as of now it simply felt like there was no way he could possibly keep it in. His small hand shot out to find Lee's, forcing it onto his own shoulder. "Like this. Like you usually do," he said in a voice that matched the intensity of his green orbs.
The already ginormous eyes widened, becoming as large as saucers. Surely Gaara wasn't thinking along the same lines as he was, but it still felt unreal to have him say such a thing. It wasn't the same when he touched other people as it was when he touched Gaara, not that he reached out to him with impure intentions. It was just... When he touched the Kazekage electricity ran through his body. His blood became a burning current of lava and his heart beat like a rapid drum. He had only realized this recently, but he knew it had always been there. Always.
His bandaged hand tensed ever so slightly on the smaller shoulder. He could feel the warmth permeating through the clothing and into his hand, spreading through his entire body.
"Gaara-kun, I..." He trailed off. What could he say? What could he possibly say without revealing his feelings? Maybe he needed to voice them aloud anyways. It was the Kazekage's right to know, but the leaf knew it would certainly change everything. "It's not the same," he finished, beginning to pull away his hand.
The other's hand clamped over his tightly, not allowing it to move from its current spot. "What isn't?" He asked, a defiant fire burning in his eyes. Clearly he was not going to let Lee glide over this.
He sighed as the nearby bird trilled once again. He felt like it was making fun of him. Of course it was always possible that the small animal was cheering him on. Encouraging him to get it all out there. Was it okay for him to believe such a thing? It didn't matter much whether the universe was with him or against him at this point, as he didn't have much other choice but to tell the truth.
"When I touch you it's different, because..." He allowed his voice to become softer before trailing off again. His eyes darted around to look anywhere but at the young man in front of him, as nervous perspiration began to drip down the side of his forehead.
Gaara's mind immediately went to a dark place. It was different because he was different. Lee probably had no desire to reach out and touch him. He most likely had no desire to have the him around. He was probably scared of him. Not in a physical way, but in a way which his mental state was questioned. Friends? As if he'd want to be such a thing.
"If you don't want to be around me, you have no obligation to be," he said coldly, staring hard at the brown eyes that avoided him.
Lee's head shot up hard enough to give a less trained body whiplash. "Gaara-kun that's not it!" He said loudly, face contorted in desperation. He could see the green eyed boy retreating further and further into himself. He didn't want to make Gaara feel like that. "It's because you're a special person to me!" He blurted out desperately. That look on the sand ninja's face would have made him spill any number of his secrets if it'd only lessen the obvious pain a bit.
Gaara's forehead wrinkled in confusion. He wasn't sure what the black haired ninja meant. They were friends? Naruto was the only other friend he'd had aside from his siblings. "Yes," he agreed in almost a questioning tone. "We're... Friends?" He questioned. He wasn't quite sure. What made someone a friend? He'd never felt like this about Naruto before. What did that mean?
It felt like a spear had passed from his back and through his heart. Gaara had said they were friends, and he was going to completely betray the trust that such a thing took. "Yes," he reciprocated, nodding in agreement. "But it's a little different from that too," he said, apparently being too vague to understand as his friend's head tilted in question. Sucking in a deep breath he opened his mouth to finish his explanation, "I like you, Gaara," he admitted finally, eyes falling downward.
"Don't all friends like each other?" The redhead questioned innocently. He liked Naruto, and Lee, and he liked his siblings too. Otherwise he wouldn't keep them all around so often.
"I-It's different from that too," the green clad man said, a blush creeping across his face. He couldn't think of a way to make someone who had no experience in such things understand. The only thing he could do... Was it too brazen? Would Gaara be too unhappy with him? Probably... But he'd finally understand. And it was his prerogative to know.
Taking a deep breath he leaned over slowly, coming closer and closer to the sand ninja until their faces were mere centimeters away. "I think I love you, Gaara-kun," he whispered softly, just before pressing his lips gently against the pale ones before him.