Rock Of Sand

A:N I did my best to write this fast even though it took me two weeks and its short....LOL....i have no excuse....sorry for taking so long but i've been on FF reading a NejiXGaara called 'Dark Diary'
Go look it up, its a very good 26 chapter master piece. ^_^
I hope you won't find any mistakes in here.....thanks for the reviews, they made me feel good *Hugs you guys* ^_^
ENJOY!


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"Ah there you are." Temari exclaimed at having finally seen Lee's round eyes open after two days. Blinking with a confused look on his face was his first reaction to her sweet voice. The room around him seemed empty and smelled of antiseptic and cleanser.

'The Hospital, in Suna? But how-'

"You seem a little dazed still. Better not try and move around so much okay, your body is in pretty bad shape." Her smile was one he hadn't seen in a long time and he feared the meaning behind it. The Konoichi hardly ever smiled anymore, at least not since the Nara and her had been driven apart by their jobs and he'd married another.

"But i do not understand, you should be angry with me for not protecting your Kazekage...your brother." Lee turned his head over on the pillow and remembered the events that had placed him in this hospital's bed.

"My Kazekage is, for now, alright and in a safe place. My brother however assured me that you risked your life to save his. Losing my Kazekage would not have been as bad as losing my own flesh. I am in debt to you Lee-san." She bowed her head in her chair and smiled again once he could see her eyes.

"So he is alright then-" It was more of a statement then a question and Lee found himself imagining those soft blue eyes that had pleaded with him to not let Shukaku take over and save him if he could. Those same eyes that wanted to know that he was safe, the eyes Lee fell in love with. Tears framed his pillow and he couldn't help but cry at the thought of almost losing 'his' Sabaku. (A:N I know what it means, i did that purposely)

"Gaara will be better when he knows that you are okay. Aside from returning to Suna and being medically treated he has not left the Kazekage house, or his room for that matter. He won't come out and he won't talk to anyone-of course that's expected of him but its been two days now."

"Two days?" Lee said in an unusually smooth tone. "Is he that worried about me?" The Jounin sat up and winced from the pain deep in his chest. It didn't seem to have gone away at all, even after he had rested for 48 hours.

"Yes."

A sharp flat tone came from the frame of the door which revealed Gaara in his Kazekage attire-minus the hat. Also unusual for him he had his hands down at his sides and what looked like a folder full of papers tucked under his arm.


"Gaa...I mean Kazekage-sama?!? I am glad you are okay. You need not worry about me, i am a'okay!" Lee sported his thumbs up and hid the fact that his body was still hurting.

Gaara looked on with no amazement. He had already guessed that Lee would be his entergetic self. He dropped his head and thought about the way Lee had saved him the other day, the way Lee had kissed him the other day.

"Temari-" He kept his head down but called his sisters name with a swiftness in his voice.

She stood up from her chair next to Lee's bed. It was obvious that he had wanted her to leave the room and she wasn't trying to be on his bad side after she hadn't seen him in so long.

"I will see you soon Lee-san." She waddled to the door and stopped just aside Gaara.

He'd grown over the years and was taller than she was but not by a lot. Looking up at him she smiled softly while touching his shoulder. He flinched inside at her cold hands that could be felt through his robe. She frowned when she felt him tense.

'He still seems to be on edge'. She removed her hand and stepped of the room walking slowly down the hall.

Gaara watched her leave then he closed the door behind him and sat in the seat Temari had been occupying. He put the folder in his lap and crossed his arms having no intention of doing anything other than staring at Lee.

Lee scartched the back of his head. "How are you?" Lee piped in a cheerful voice but he didn't expect an answer and he didn't get one. His back shrunk to a slouching position and he sighed heavily, why was he even surprised?

"What are the papers for?" He deicded to ask a question he knew Gaara was going to answer. The folder must have been important for Gaara to be sporting it around with him. Then Lee noticed something he hadn't before. There on a harness strapped around Gaara's chest was...the gourd. Lee's eyes grew their own heart beat and he stared at the spout and cork that was visible over Gaara's left shoulder.

"It almost feels good to have it with me again." Gaara could feel Lee staring at it so he answered Lee's mental question. "I feel like my 'old' self again."

Lee didn't know if that was good or bad. He also didn't want to find out, he knew what Gaara had been like when they were younger. After the Kazekage had been without the Demon for so long, would it be hard for him to remember how to control it? Had he been trying?

"I thought i was going to hate having Shukaku inside me again, but i haven't felt this good in years." His eyes were wide and bloodshot. His breathing had become heavy and he hunched over in the chair taking deeply strong breaths.

Lee didn't want to move as he feared his childhood memories rushing back to him. He put his hand on his left leg and almost felt the pain he'd gone through during the Chuunin Exam Preliminaries where Gaara had tried to kill him. He began sweating as he tried to calm himself down but the chakra in the room was thick and he felt like if he stuck his tonuge out he would be able to taste it.

Gaara could feel himself losing control slowly so he closed his eyes and sat back. "If i think about it too much, he will take over completely and i will destroy Suna."

Lee snapped out of his daze and peeked over at the redhead next to him. "You and i both know you will never let that happen."

Gaara snorted and turned his head. "We have to make sure of that." He threw the folder on Lee's lap. "That's all your paperwork for Tsunade-sama. I'm requesting that you be sent back to Konoha as soon as possible."

"WHAT?!? You cannot do that! I just got here!" Lee felt angry and confused. He thought he and Gaara were going to be together again. It had seemed so the other day.

"You didn't seem that way when Tsunade-sama gave you the mission. You were in such a hurry to have her change her mind so you could stay in your precious Konoha." Gaara raised an invisible eyebrow and held a blank expression on his lips.

"Things are different now. I wish to stay in Sunagakure-" He paused for a long second determining whether or not he wanted to finish his sentence and his honesty got the best of him.

"-with you."

Confusion circled Gaara. He knew how Lee felt about him, he knew all too well but he had never guessed the Jounin wanted to make an effort for them to be together again. He softened his facial features. 'I should have expected this from him.' Gaara thought and stood up. He picked up the folder and tucked it back under his arm.

"Very well then." He said staring deeply at the green clad-who was wearing a hospital robe of course. Saying nothing more Gaara began to walk out, things needed to be taken care of, afterall he was still Kazekage.

"Wait Gaara, i will go with you." Lee swung his legs off the bed and was about to jump down when Gaara flashed back and pinned him down.

"NO! You are in no condition to move and if you do i will break every other bone in your body until the other ones heal properly." Gaara released his hold on the Leaf Ninja and stood up fixing his robe.

"But-"

"Its the least you can let me do for you. You saved me, twice. If you do not wish to stay in the medical center then you may stay at my house but you 'will' be on bed rest for the next week."

The look in Gaara's eyes was more serious than usual and Lee feared he had better just listen to him. Lee nodded understanding where he was supposed to be.

"If you do not mind i would rather stay in your house, where you are."

Gaara turned around and and ignore the comment. "I'll send someone to escort you to the house. Don't you dare get up yourself." He felt a stream of wind run of the back of his neck and turned around in shock to see Lee standing behind him, hoovering over his shoulder.

"Since when do i listen to you? At least let me walk there on my own, then i will follow your rules." Lee put his hand on the side of Gaara's neck and circled the skin with his thumb.

Gaara eyes were big and his heart beat oddly fast. He looked at Lee's face, his eyes, his lips. Could he be any more distracted by those soft lips as they held a sweet smile?

Lee tilted his head and smiled, he didn't know why Gaara had that look on his face but it was embarrassing him. He blushed and quickly turned away letting go of Gaara and smiling to show his glossy white teeth.

The Kazekage mentally slapped himself and shook his head. He narrowed his eyes and looked firmly at Lee but made no statement. He blinked a couple times and walked out the door, expecting Lee to follow him.

-----

Lee kicked off his sandals when he stepped into the Kazekage house. The walk from the hospital was longer than he remembered it to be. Maybe it was because he was in pain. He braced himself by putting his hand on the wall to prop himself up.

Gaara was standing silently in front of him removing his robe. Underneath the heavy garment his had training sweats on and no shirt. The weather had been as hot as the last few days but in his own home Gaara was not going to burn up. He threw the robe over a nearby chair along with his gourd and slicked towards a room off to the right which was probably the office or a library. He took note that Lee had irregular breathing and was still standing posted to the wall.

"Lee-"

The Ninja still in hospital clothes lifted his head immediately and stood at attention.

"Up stairs you go." Gaara said softly straining some anger. He had the weirdest feeling the the Jounin was going to protest and ask to stay with him. Not that he minded at all but he had been gone from work too many days as it was and Lee was distracting.

The other dropped his head and began his journey up the stairs. Momentarily stopping to see if Gaara was watching, he wasn't. Lee gulped and put his hand on the banister. He did want to stay with Gaara but he seemed busy.

"Gaara." Lee turned with a fake cheerful smile.

The Suna dweller only lifted his eyes after sitting at his desk and opening another folder. His mind was far from the paperwork he had to accomplish though. Even after being locked in his room for two days the Kazekage couldn't get Lee off of his mind. He wondered every minute what would become of their broken relationship. Certainly neither of them had the time to run around seeing each other like they had the last time. Lee needed to stay in bed and most of Gaara's work wasn't even going to be done at the house.

He had meetings to attend and seminars to teach. He was a very busy man nowadays. After Lee's departure two years ago Gaara had tried to drown himself in work and so his village was use to things being done on schedule and since he'd wasted two extra days in the desert he was considerably behind.

"Help me upstairs?" Lee put on his best innocent face and pouted his lips. In all honesty he only wanted to talk with him. He knew Gaara was just as confused about the two of them as he was, even if he didn't show it.

Gaara mentally tortured himself after getting out of his comfortable Kazekage chair to lend a hand to the Jounin. He put his arm around Lee's waist and Lee threw his around Gaara neck.

'Dammit, i am not going to carry him.' Gaara made the mistake of holding onto Lee too tightly. The other winced from the pain and tripped up the stairs pulling Gaara down with him.

Sure Lee fell first and had caused a great deal of commotion, but Gaara needed to keep him in at least mobile condition otherwise the medical center would insist on Lee staying with them. So Gaara threw Lee back and chucked the stairs with his own back, making it so Lee fell on him rather then falling on the carpeted foamy cement.

Gaara grunted as Lee dug his hand in his bare shoulder. He was still wounded there, though no scar was even visible-Shukaku- to the naked eye. He grunted again but didn't move, more than his shoulder had been hurt in the fall.

Lee moaned as he sat up as much as he could and rubbed his forehead-it had met Gaara's- and now a small knot grew under his hair. "I am sorry Kazekage-sama." Lee could almost feel the fuming anger coming from the other Ninja. It seemed that even his apology was to no avail, Gaara looked even more mad now that he'd said something.

"If i have not told you once then i have told you time and time again not to call me that. I do not see Suna's name written on your body." He growled and grabbed Lee's face around his cheeks, squeezing.

"Ga...Gaara-"

He squeezed tighter and Lee closed his half open mouth. Nails bathed in skin and a trickle of blood ran down Gaara's finger. 'Look at the color of it. Isn't it perfect?' His eyes rolled back in his head and an evil smile graced its way across his usual blank face.

"More." He groaned strengthening the grip.

Lee had first thought to let him take out the bit of anger. Lee 'thought' he had but this was really beginning to hurt. He grabbed Gaara's wrist and pried him away throwing the hand the wasn't his violently into the stairs.

"You are no different than when i first met you. Trying to squeeze me to death will do you know good." Lee was talking but Gaara didn't seem to be paying any attention. He didn't even seem to be coherent. "GAARA!" Lee shook him once to wake him and another time just for spite.

The whites of Gaara's eyes were nearly all red but then his pupils rolled back into view. He took in his surroundings as if he had never been there before, or as if he were lost in a foreign land. He felt Lee's callous hand brush his face and he put his hand over it.

"There you are." Lee seemed to have ignored all that just occurred.

"The papers-" Gaara looked towards his library, "-for you to return to Konoha are on my desk. Get them and leave." There was a harshness and an urgency in his voice. It flowed up to Lee's ears and he screamed for his mind to block it out.

"I will not go back! I have told you this once before!"

Gaara grabbed him but the collar and pulled him close. "Then go back in a casket, but you will not stay here." Gaara threw him off to the side but Lee was faster and pinned him back down.

"Now would you please sit still so that i can speak with you."

Gaara looked away, Lee wasn't listening and he was trying to get him out of Suna for his own good. He felt a hand under his chin and he faced back to Lee. His soft black eyes were all that Gaara wanted to see, he'd dreamt of those eyes so many times, even though he wasn't really sleeping.

"You have stolen my Youthful Spirit. I find nothing but sadness and sorrow in your eyes and in turn it brings me grief. I live will not live grief, i will not let you live in sadness and sorrow. You belong with me, and as long as i remain in Suna you will do your best to not forget that."

Firm words coming from the smooth hippy Rock Lee? No way, there is no way Lee had just stuffed all that down Gaara's throat without receiving a good beating. Gaara found himself sinking under Lee's body. He relaxed and searched the room around them, as if someone other than they was in the house. His eyes found Lee's again and he put his hand on the Jounin's back, pushing their bodies a little closer.

"Gaara-"

He swallowed his sentence along with some saliva and Gaara's thirsty tongue. He had not expected such an attack on him and was still in shock when he felt the younger Shinobi gripped his hair. He wanted to finish his conversation but the way their torsos meshed, Lee couldn't help but finally close his eyes and shrink into an uncomfortable position on the stairs, still straddling Gaara.

This was intense and the Kazekage had only wanted a simple kiss, just a taste. He tried to pull away but Lee wouldn't let him get. He pushed Gaara back, trapping him to the stairs and deepening the kiss that Gaara gave into.

"Mmm, don't leave." Lee groaned at having felt himself become aroused quickly. Gaara was no stranger to the feeling either and this time when he tried to pull away Lee grabbed his arm a bit too tight. All too suddenly Gaara could remember that awful night when Lee-

He neared tears as the feel of Lee grasping him became more apparent. 'Kami help me, not this again.' He thought as he tried once more the pry himself from Lee. Knowing the sand would react if he felt too threatened Gaara tried to calm himself-for Lee's sake- he 'was' enjoying the kiss, but did the force need to be there as well? Serves him right for kissing the Jounin after the stunt he pulled in konoha. Now it was going to happen again.

'NO!' He thought and with excessive force pushed Lee back and the Ninja fell down the stairs into a wall, head making a dent in the plaster.

Head very near the door Lee could hear the sand hissing and trying to desperately get out and save its Master. He gulped and looked up and the Kazekage who was up and already heading for his room.

'Oh no, what have i done? Can you not control yourself around him? Lee you are ungrateful.' He stood up quickly.

"Matsu Gaara, Yamate!" Lee got up and ran up the stairs in a struggle and as soon as he just about touched Gaara the sand surrounded the poor boy and whipped him back down the stairs into the same wall.

'Grrrr.' Lee stood up quick, in more pain and tried once again to run up those damn steps. Two feet from Gaara he was stopped midair and hung there for a second.

"Gaara, you let me out of this right now!" Lee struggled and wiggled and writhed but he could not move out of his momentary prison. Gaara turned around with his arm crossed at the top of the stairs and brought Lee close in a blink.

"What has happened to you? What has become of 'My' Lee? Hmm, did you dispose of him with the bottle of alcohol you drank when you raped me?" Gaara raised his eyes to look dead at Lee and he stopped moving around. "Had you not tried to crush me just now i would still be in your arms." Gaara's voice was strong but it fell to a whisper. "Do you worry about me controlling myself as much as you should worry about your own self control?"

"Forgive me."

"I already have." The sand fell and so did Lee, at Gaara's feet. Lee raised his head then stood up to look down on the one he'd been hurting so much lately. Gaara took a deep breath and let Lee wrap his arms around him.

'How could i forgive him again? Teme!' The warmth of Lee's body was making him forget just how pissed off he was.

"I have been meaning to ask you something." Lee took a step back trying to stare at his love. "That night, why did you send me away?" His voice was calm and so very sad. It was rare the Lee would frown and right now was one of those moments.

Gaara was taken aback. He hadn't expected that at all and so he was at a loss for words. Lee watched as Gaara's chest breathed abnormally fast as he took a step back and reached for the wall on the side of him. Gaara was remembering all the reasons he'd made Lee leave. He grabbed a hand full of his hair and pulled at it.

"I hated you."

Lee looked like he was about to turn around and run in awe. 'Hated? Hated me?' His legs began to shake when he received the answer he could have never even thought Gaara was capable of showing him.

"But why?"

"You stopped loving me. I thought i would lose my mind so i convinced myself that you were someone i didn't need." Gaara straightened up.

"Stopped loving you?" Lee repeated out loud. There had been no time that he could remember not loving Gaara not even when he'd made him leave Suna. He still loved him, and needed him even. Lee shook his head and looked at the ceiling. He was trying to come up with something else to say but he remained confused as to why Gaara had any reason to feel that way.

"That night, when i asked you to stay in bed with me...it seemed that you were in such a hurry to get away from me. We didn't even have sex that night because you were 'tired' from training just a few hours before. You weren't getting up to train again, you were getting up to get away from me." He was not use to expressing his emotions but it was clear that some of this was hurting him.

"I never lied to you, never. That night, or early that morning, i did want to train. I was trying so hard to become stronger. I wanted... i wanted to protect you." Lee had tried to perk up but the pain in his heart was now overriding the pain in his body. "You were struggling so much at the time with so many soldiers dying and i just wanted you to be safe, even if it meant me giving my life up for you. I stopped spending so much time with you for your own safety, and in doing so i lost you, which was something i had been trying to prevent."

Gaara closed his eyes softly and Lee stared at those thick black circles that he thought would go away once Gaara slept more. Of course this had not happened and Gaara blamed the countless years passed. Taking a very deep breath the redhead thought of nothing to say.

'Is he...Had he only not wanted the best for me? How could he forgive me?'

"It seems that we both have things we need to be trying to fix." Lee said, filling in the gap of silence as he noticed Gaara wasn't going to say anything. "I have quite a problem with physically hurting you-which is unintentional and you, well you have you things to work out." He paused trying to carefully gather his words so not to hurt the man in front of him.

"I will go rest now. Please go take to your work, i am sorry to have interrupted you." Lee stepped to the side and walked passed Gaara into the Kazekage's room.


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It was very past dark now and Gaara was still in his office. He had never gone after Lee and had not seen him or heard him the entire day. Finishing his last bit of paperwork for the last two days he'd missed, he closed the folder and sat it on top of a stack he'd created over the past several hours of nonstop working. He pushed away from the desk and stood up slowly and tried to hear any sign that Lee was awake, he heard none.

The hard knock at his front door broke him from his thoughts and he walked casually over to the wooden structure. Kankurou busted in the house once Gaara opened it, making a bunch of noise about how someone was missing but Gaara threw him against the wall and covered his mouth. He put a finger to his lips, signaling to his brother to keep quiet, even though he knew from previous experience that Lee was a very hard sleeper. Still he remained cautious.

"Now, what were you saying about a missing Nin?" Gaara questioned after letting go of the other and stepped a great distance back.

"Nothing, i have a feeling i've found him. Dammit Gaara don't you know the entire hospital has been looking for Lee, and here you are hiding him out in your house." Kankurou pointed his finger at Gaara and spit the words out like fire.

"Had someone asked me or come to see if i had taken him then there would have been no need to panic." His voice was its usual 'i don't care' tone. He crossed his arm, the brother he promoted to ANBU mimicked him and they walked into the kitchen together. Kankurou sat down in a chair and leaned over to tap his fingers on the wooden table, as if he were bored.

"So when did the two of you make up?" The puppeteer paid no attention to his brother as he sat down and stared into nothing as usual.

Gaara pondered on the question. 'Make up?' He and Lee hadn't made up, they were merely fixing the things that had set them apart in the first place. 'Is that making up?' He frowned hard and Kankurou didn't know if he was thinking or if he was mad.

"He is in the room that belongs to you. I wonder what has him sleeping at such an hour?" Kankurou smirked. "Tch." He spat, "Never mind, i don't need to wonder, you two were nothing but horn dogs last time, i can only assume you fucked him and tired him out."

Gaara titled his head playing stupid but he knew very well of what his brother was saying. "He is still very injured and needs rest. I made him go upstairs and go to sleep so he could have some strength-"

"Strength for what?!?" Kankurou laughed out loud.

Gaara glared but tried to maintain his cool, he didn't need Shukaku acting up and putting his brother in danger. Plus if the Sand Demon got to control him then Lee would be in danger as well and Gaara would not be able to forgive himself if that happened.

"Kankurou-san, it is not a good idea to upset Gaara-sama right now."

Kankurou hushed his laughter as Lee entered the kitchen with a bright smile on his face. His green jumpsuit on his body and freshly cleaned and glossy like his perfect white teeth.

"But i am glad to see you, your Youthful Laughter has given me the will to wake up and begin training again!" Lee punched the air over and over again smiling with his eyes closed. He didn't want to see the objection in Gaara's eyes.

"Well its nice to know you're still a weirdo!" Kankurou pointed and laughed and Lee joined him leaving Gaara to close his eyes and try to drown out the noise. Lee sat down close to Gaara and started rambling about some exciting dream he'd had where him and Naruto got to train together and hold their on version of the Chuunin Exams. That was where he got the idea to go train at 11:30 at night. He convinced Kankurou to join him for awhile and they stood up getting ready to leave.

"Lee-" Gaara said still staring at his eye lids. "Have you forgotten our agreement?"

'Hmm agreement?' Lee thought putting his index finger under his chin and pouting his lips as if it would help him remember easier. He looked at Kankurou for help and the ANBU turned to his brother.

"Come on otouto...you know he can't go a day without training, sundown or sunrise. Just let him have a little fun. He's a grown man and you're not his daddy. Tch, come on Lee we're going out with or without the Sabaku's consent." Kankurou pulled Lee by the wrist and Lee followed looking behind him at Gaara and hoping he wasn't mad. They made it all the way to the door before the heard the chair move in the kitchen.

"KANKUROU!" The sound of his voice was dark and dangerous. Both the Ninja at the door started to shake as they looked back towards the kitchen. Kankurou laughed and patted Lee on the back.

"I wasn't really planning to take you anywhere, it was just a little joke since he's been working so hard lately. I think i may have went too far by involving you though. I'll be going now." He opened the double doors and ran out into the darkness before Gaara got to him.

Lee stood at the door and gulped hard as he saw Gaara enter the room with wide eyes and teeth bared. He walked slowly over to Lee and stopped just two feet short of him. Lee stared and tried to play off the fact that he was a bit shaken up with a smile.

"Have you forgotten our agreement?" Gaara repeated his past statement and waited for Lee to answer.

"I am to be resting in bed?" He asked, staring at the powerful ruler of Suna.

"You agreed to let me take care of you and training is out of the question. I don't care how much you would like to be out of bed beating on the training posts, your body will not heal if you don't let it rest. If you keep pushing yourself, then you will never be able to fight again, and you don't want that do you?"

Lee shook his head but smiled anyway. "You are always trying to stop me from training. I believe this is the reason why we are in this situation in the first place, but i will forgive you. I know it is for my own good." Lee stepped forward quicker than usual and pulled Gaara into a close hug.

The Kazekage felt stiff. would Lee start to strangle him again? Gaara didn't know so he held himself there not moving, not reacting to Lee's touch and it felt good.

'Will he let me stay like this?' Lee thought as his hands felt the skin of Gaara bare back. 'I hope he will let me stay like this.'


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Could you tell i had trouble with this chapter? 'GRRR' it will get better and Gaara and Lee will of course continue to struggle, i just think its too funny to not have them being so weird around each other....*Huff* while i'm thinking about it.....i have to once again give credit to Maldoror for helping me want to write this. This author is where i got the idea to write a fic about future LeeXGaara and i did take some ideas from Maldoror but i changed them. Don't worry, i'm not a thief ^_^ R&R, tell me what you thought of the chapter and if you think the story is moving too slow. And go read Maldoror's LeeXGaara called 'Kindred'