A Rivial

Later that day Lee finally went home and to sleep. In the morning he felt like he needed to go train so he jogged off to the training grounds. When he saw Riku and Gaara there his heart both sunk and lifted up. Running over to Gaara he gently poked on his shoulder. "Hey, why do we not go for a walk and talk.. we have a lot to catch up on.." Lee said.

Gaara turned around and blinked in surprise then nodded slowly. "I guess.." He said and knelt down to get his gourd back onto his vest then stood up again lifting a hand to wipe sweat off his forehead.

Lee glanced at Riku who just looked away and he lead Gaara down a small trail until they hit a picnic table. Sitting down he said to Gaara, "So...How long have you known Riku...?" He asked not able to help himself.

Gaara took a small bag off his waist and set it on the table to find his water bottle. "..I have known him for about two years. Only a few months ago was he assigned to be my body guard." He replied and moved to sit down but his hand knocked into his bag and it fell off the bench knocking everything out of it, he sighed and started to pick up his things setting a book down on the wood.

The leaf ninja looked to the book then helped Gaara pick up the rest of his stuff. "How much do you guys talk? Are you close?" He asked while handing everything to Gaara. Before the redhead got the chance to respond though Riku had came up. He grabbed the stuff from Lee and put them into his own bag then pulled on Gaara's arm. "We are very close. Now I am positive that Gaara has a meeting to go to now good bye.." He spat out glaring at him while dragging Gaara away by his arm.

"W-Wait Riku!" Gaara complained as he was dragged away his book left sitting on the table. He gave one more glance at Lee before fallowing silently.

Lee sighed, "well that was not as much time as I accepted. Gah... That Riku is really starting to get to me..." He said then looked at the book. 'Huh? A manga..?' Lee thought to himself and reached out grabbing it. "This is Gaara-kun's... A split decision..." He read the title then flipped through it a bit. 'Wait.. this is a yaoi novel...' The leaf ninja started to pace back and forth. 'I shouldn't read it.. but.. I really want to... no.. yes.. ugh fine yes!" Finally Lee couldn't be able to help himself curious as to what Gaara was reading. After the first chapter he blinked and closed it. 'This makes me think of what is happening with me Gaara and Riku.. but.. does that mean... I like Gaara?"
"No you can not like Gaara! We gave him up for Sakura.. even if we did.. it would be wrong.. we hurt him remember..?" He sighed when his inner self didn't respond and he slammed the book closed. "That is it.. I do not love Gaara... I should just give him his book back.." He uttered to himself and left to go to Naruto's apartment knowing that Gaara would show up there later for something.

Naruto was throwing a party since he was finely moved into the new apparent and opened the door grinning at Lee. "Hey! Want to join us for a movie!" The blond asked and grabbed Lee's wrist and pulled him into the house, he then pushed him down onto the couch next to Gaara and he sat down next to Lee. "Push play already." TenTen said from her spot next to Neji on the floor.

Lee blinked and forgot for a moment that he was supposed to be giving the book back to Gaara. He just enjoyed sitting around him, especially since Riku was no where to be seen. Then he groaned under his breath when the body guard came out of the kitchen with enough bags of popcorn for everyone by them selves but only enough for him and Gaara to share. He plopped down next to the redhead on the other side stealing Naruto's seat since Lee had taken his. "Here Gaara-kun~" He said holding it out to the young kazekage. 'Since when did he start calling him Gaara-KUN! I only add Kun to Gaara's name when it comes to the guys.. ugh he is pissing me off.. no no no! You are not mad at him, what ever he and Gaara talk about or act is their business you have no right to wish harm to a person just because he is talking to your..friend..' Lee thought scowling at Riku.

Gaara took the popcorn and upon noticing Lee did have any set the bag between them so they could share. "Here." The leader said as Naruto pushed play on the horror movie. "Hey Riku are you gonna rant about the popcorn?" Shikamaru asked knowing Riku didn't like unhealthy food.

Riku tried not to shoot him a glare and fake smiled. "Of course not, that would be rude while we are watching the movie," He said to Shikamaru then wrapped his arm around Gaara's waist pulling him a little further from Lee shooting him a glare. The leaf ninja sighed and pretended not to care. 'It does not matter.. it does not matter... Who cares Gaara is just your friend, even if he does not like it he can take care of himself...' Lee continued to think as he looked at the screen. 'Oh no.. a scary movie? Really Naruto! You have been my friend for how long and you do not know I do not like them??' Lee ranted to himself in his mind while looking to his blond friend then back at the screen.

Gaara twitched and grabbed Riku's arm pulling it out from around him and placing it in the older males lap, he scooted away from him and bumped into Lee. "Space bubble Riku. spaaaace." Gaara said waving a hand between them. "Pttf.." Naruto covered his mouth to keep his sinker in and went to get everyone soda's. Everyone else rolled their eyes and then went back to watching the movie.

Riku pouted at Gaara then noticed Lee tensing at the screen. He smirked to himself then glared noticing him getting closer to Gaara. When the leaf ninja went to get popcorn his hand accidentally bumped Gaara's and he blushed pulling away quickly uttering a fast whispered 'sorry'.

Gaara looked down his face heating up a little bit from the touch and whispered. "Its ok.." He grabbed a handful of popcorn and started eating silently. Naruto smiled looking at his friends then opened it soda it spraying him in the face. "AH!" Everyone cracked up and Naruto pouted. "Oh shut up!" He said and throw a pillow at TenTen who ducked it hitting Neji instead.

Riku didn't laugh like everyone else instead he stood up and walked over to Lee. Gently pulling on his sleeve he said, "Can I have a word with you?" The leaf ninja glared at him, he didn't want to leave Gaara to go with HIM but anything to get him away from the scary movie. He sighed and stood and both slipped out into the hall way. "Don't think you can go doing those cutesy movie style moves with Gaara!" Riku suddenly spat out making Lee jump from the sudden words then recoil back in the hallway. "What do you mean? You are the one flirting with him..." He stated simply trying to keep his calm. "You bumping hands with him over the popcorn! He got awkward and you did to. I have been around Gaara enough to tell when he truthfully gets awkward at something. And you have no right to ever try anything on him!"

Lee winced then shook his head. 'I do not like Gaara.. he is yelling at me for no reason.. just being hot headed...' That was what Lee was thinking. But somehow not what he was feeling. "You are mistaken... It was an accident.. we merely bumped hands.. I.. I do not like Gaara that way..." Lee explained. Yet to him he felt like he was lying to himself.

Riku scoffed and lit up a cigarette, "Yeah, I can tell. Who couldn't tell you didn't after you broke his heart. Even if you did love him you have no right to, you hurt him. Plus you are a pussy for being scared of the movie in t-" Riku was cut off in his rant as Lee grabbed his shirt and pushed him against the wall.

"Do not EVER talk about that again! It never happened! You hear me?!" 'Why am I mad about that.. I may have hurt Gaara.. but.. I was saying the truth...wasn't I?' The body guard seemed to smirk and brought his hand up pulling the smoke out of his mouth. "What ever you say... but.." He slipped out of Lee's arms and went back to the door.

"You can't hide the fact it's true you hurt him, and now you love him and want him back. But I won't let you have him. I'll act nice while he is around for his sake.. but if you piss me off when he isn't.. I won't hesitate to kick your ass.." The leaf ninja glared at the black haired man's back as he slipped into the room.

'I do not love him...' He thought. Maybe he was lying to himself, but what was it's Riku's business to care! He went back into the apartment and over to Naruto who was giving him a concerned look. "I am going to go.." He whispered to him.


Gaara blinked and narrowed his eyes at Riku but Naruto stood up before he could speak. "Hey come on don't smoke in my new apartment go outside." He said and walked past him and over to Lee whispering. "You sure? You just got here...you know we are all gonna met up tomorrow again in the woods for training." The shorter leaf ninja explained and set a hand on his friends shoulder noticing how miserable he looked.

Riku frowned, "Vraiment ? ugh vous les gens m'agacent quelquefois..." (Note: Really? Ugh you people annoy me sometimes... ) He muttered and got back up going to the balcony. Lee frowned and nodded glancing to Gaara before saying, "I'll be there..." Then he gave Naruto a quick hug before slipping away out of the apartment. When he was outside he and Riku shared a glare before Lee ran off to his house completely forgetting he had Gaara's book still.

Gaara walked down the dirt road in the woods heading to the spot Naruto had told him to go. Riku and him had yet again argued so he had ordered him to go on ahead so he could have some time to think. He looked at the ground as he walked over a bridge his thoughts going to a certain Leaf ninja. 'Is Lee with Sakura now? ..I shouldn't be thinking about him we are better off friends...' He thought and bit his lip. He stopped on the bridge and set his arms on the railing as he looked in the water.

Unknown to the redhead that leaf ninja he was thinking about was running up too the very bridge he was at. When Lee noticed the redhead he yelled out, "Hey Gaara-kun!" Waving his hand. But when he reached the bridge he had to jump out of the way as a carriage drove by quickly.

Gaara's eyes widened and he jumped up onto the rock railing to get out of the way of the carriage, but the bridge was old and the rocks gave way. He was so surprised he didn't have time to realize what happened till he found himself in the water...the only problem was he couldn't swim. The gourd weighed him down and he sunk down quickly and couldn't hold his breath.