A Rivial

"...Did you see that?! He let me hug him! That went better then I was expecting!!" Lee yelled sounding like a crush happy school girl while grinning and running over hugging Naruto.

Naruto grinned and hugged his friend back. "So how many lines did you use?" He asked glad to see his friend so happy, he had noticed Lee had always been so sad before so it was a good thing to see him back to his crazy self.

"I think only about four, I will use more next time! So what is the new plan?" He asked Naruto still grinning widely as he dragged his blond around the street seeming to dance from joy.

"Hmm we should get him a gift or something." Naruto replied and pulled his frog wallet out of his pocket and checked to see how much money he had. "Like candy...or a stuff animal...or or.. a card I dunno." He looked up at his friend and smirked. "Your the one with the youth power don't you have a few ideas to?" He asked poking his shoulder.

Lee thought for a minute then remembered something. "I have the perfect idea, you willing to sneak Riku off a little later?" He asked as he pulled out his own wallet and looked at the few bills in it.

"Sure! Hehehe I still have his smokes!" Naruto said doing a fake evil laugh earning him a few confused looks from some of the villagers. "I have known him long enough that I know all the things that piss him off the most, I should get Kiba to join me at some point this is fun." He said and smirked looking at Lee.

Lee looked at him seriously, "You are scary happy about doing this.." He said with a slight terrified look. Then he grinned and said, "I like it. Yosh! Come with me, I have the perfect gift for him," Lee said simply and started walking off to a store.

"Haha, so what are you gonna get him?" Naruto asked and fallowed his friend. "You getting him something dirty?" He asked teasing his friend and elbowed him playfully.

"N-N-Naruto!" Lee yelled blushing and lead him to a jewelry store. "I just found out I actually care for him... he may not even want to date me now, w-why in god's name would I get him something p-pervy??" Lee explained being to literal on it then walked over pulling out about $300 from his wallet and handing it to the seller. Happily the leaf ninja took the box and turned around showing Naruto the sapphire locket that had "I love you' written on it. "I was going to give it to Sakura-chan before.. well you know.. but.. Maybe Gaara-kun will like it," He said keeping his smile not letting it get to him.

"Wow Bushy-brows you sure are a romantic at heart." Naruto said looking at the locket. "I'm sure he will like it..you know once you two get closer." He added and straighten up and folded his arms behind his head. "I should be asking pointers from you." He said grinning.

Lee scratched his cheek and blushed slipping the small box into his vest pocket and blushed a bit. "R-really...? I er.. I guess we should go talk to him now..." He said and walked passed Naruto and out onto the street.

Naruto fallowed him and playfully glomped his friend. "Aww bushy-brows is bluuushing! You sure do loove redhead." He said and messed up his hair.

Lee blushed darker and coughed, "Er uh.. yeah.. Naruto-kun you really should not be saying such stuff like that. You should be youthfully quiet until we get there!" He said closing his eyes while rubbing the back of his head then walking off to the hotel.

Naruto fallowed and grinned. "Just saying the truth man, besides it's fun to see you get so red." Naruto said and laughed and pushed his shoulder.

"Well stop teasing me.. it is hard enough for me to comprehend I love Gaara..." He replied and slipped into the hotel and up to Gaara's room. "You ready to distract Naruto?" He asked outside the door. meanwhile in the room Riku was having a freak out. "That little brat.. ugh I need a smoke now..." He yelled tossing his clothes out of his bag and onto the floor while he searched for his other pack.

Gaara stared blankly at the older male then laid down on the bed folding his arms behind his head looking bored. Naruto knocked on the door then pushed Lee behind a trash can to hide him, he cleared his throat and yelled loudly. "HEY RIKU GUESS WHAT I GOT?" And leaped onto the railing.

The taller man froze and looked up his eye twitching. "I'll kill him...." He said through gritted teeth getting up. "I will be right back mon amour..." He said then ran open to the door and opened it quickly. "You idiot! Come here!" He yelled reaching out to grab Naruto. Lee's eyes widened at how pissed Riku looked and he backed up further behind the trash can hiding.

Naruto stuck out his tongue and jumped back and onto the road and opened the pack and formed a sign making clones, he handed each clone a cigarette then each ran away. "You want all your smokes you have to catch each clone! Think of it as training you have been sitting around a lot! You might start to get fat!" He yelled and each clone ran down a different road. Gaara started laughing being able to hear what the blond was saying.

Riku gasped and looked down at his stomach. He wasn't starting to gain weight from being lazy, was he? But he watched his food so well.. ugh he was going to beat each of those clones down until he found the real Naruto and killed him then he could have a smoke in peace. He chased after the first one he saw. Lee snickered a bit and got up sneaking into the room. When he noticed Gaara was laying on the bed he blushed a bit and looked away. "Umm.. Hello Gaara-kun..."

Gaara sat up and sat criss cross on the bed. "Hello..." He replied and straighted out his t-shirt. "Something you need?" He asked his voice going back into its normal monotone.

Lee frowned slightly then pushed it away with a fake smile. The young Kazekage even though they agreed to be friends was speaking to him in the tone he used around strangers. That blank tone that did not really show what he was feeling. Lee looked into his eyes, his own pleading. Inner thoughts just begging, 'Please Gaara-kun.. do not hold a grudge towards me... open up again...' Then he looked to the floor. Was this all really worth it? What if he just hurt Gaara again. Then he would loose him once again, maybe this time for good. He didn't want that to happen though. 'Ugh Lee... make up your mind.. friend or more then that.. friend or more then that.. but what if he opens up again and I hurt him again..? Ugh no stop thinking like that.. we could never hurt him..." He continued to rant to himself in his head. Then his eyes slowly drifted back up to rest on Gaara, 'but we already did...' He then thought as he bowed his head once more. "I uhh.. I wanted to talk with you.. is that ok..?" Lee asked hesitantly his voice barely audible because he was afraid Gaara wanted nothing to do with him anymore. Though he realized it was his fault it was just that, he realized it. He felt horrible... he wanted to fix his mistake.

Gaara felt a little awkward since he was just wearing shorts and a t-shirt, he rarely wore them and felt embarrassed wearing them around people so he pulled a little at the blanket and pulled it over his legs. He glanced up at Lee and nodded before resting his hands on his knees over the blanket.

"Um.. so.. how are you and Riku doing so far..? I mean er.. things ok..?" He asked and looked up wanting to check Gaara's stature and reactions. Yes Lee was cold reading Gaara. Searching for his reactions to small questions to see if it was right to give him the gift or not.

Gaara looked down at the bed frowning a little. "Fine..." He said and gripped the blanket a little bit. 'Things ok...not really Lee..' He thought and then looked back up at him.

Lee noted the frown and quick look down before emotionless again. 'Everything is not fine Gaara-kun... why can you not just tell me that..?' "Well what if things turn out bad with you two..? Is there any other person you would want to get with..?" Lee hesitantly asked, making sure his wording wasn't too obvious to his goal.

Gaara blinked and lifted a hand push back his bangs. "That person would not ever see me in that way...and Riku is stubborn I doubt he would let me go." Gaara said frowning again then forced his face to become expressionless.

Lee moved over and sat next to Gaara on the bed. "Well.. what if you let him go for that other person..?" He asked slowly and hesitantly and reached to get the necklace out. "Gaara-kun.. I was thinking and well.. I am terribly sorry about what happened before... I freaked and I should not have reacted like that..."

Gaara stared at him then looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah you shouldn't have, you're a jerk whats wrong with you?" Gaara said in monotone and turned his head to look at him and smirked to show he was kidding. He straighted the blanket more and watched the older male to see his reaction.

Lee frowned and then forced a smile. Even though he knew Gaara was kidding he couldn't help but feel there was a slight truth to what Gaara was saying. Somehow Lee felt he really meant what he was saying on the inside. "Well...Gaara-kun... what if I say I want to change my reaction to hat you did and said.. could I..?" He asked pulling the small box out.

Gaara's forehead wrinkled showing he was raising a eye brow and he stopped smirking. "What are you talking about?" He asked sounding confused and folded his arms.

"Well I... Gaara-kun I am sorry about before and well... I feel the same way.." he got up and seemed to be stressed about what he was saying. Setting the box in one hand he ran the other through his hair and let out a shaky sigh. "I know.. I am really really late on this.. and you love Riku.. but before.. I well I was confused.. it scared me to think that you loving me would ruin our relationship yet hurt me to yell at you the same time.. I guess I am saying.. please forgive me and give up Riku.. please... I promise I won't hurt you..." He said then let out a long breath that he had been holding up, looking at Gaara.

Gaara's eyes widened and he stared at him for a awhile his mind not working at the moment. When he went over what Lee said a few times in his head he felt anger rise up in him and stood up pushing Lee back hard into the wall by his shoulders. "Don't lie to me!! There is no way in hell you could be feeling that!" He spat and tried to hide the hurt he was feeling.

Lee's eyes widened then closed halfway as he felt his heart snap. 'Gaara-kun does not believe us... he is mad and hurt again... we hurt Gaara-kun again..' Both hi and his inner Lee thought together as they stared into his deep green eyes showing the pain he was now feeling. Lee struggled against Gaara's arms and tried to put the present away but ended up dropping it. He tried to push it back with his foot and ended up accidentally covering it with one of Riku's shirts he had strewn everywhere. "G-Gaara-kun.. I mean it.. I messed up before.. I was an.. an.. I was an asshole ok! I screwed up big time.. please you have to believe me!" he pleaded but in his mind he was freaking out big time. 'Oh no no no no! I hurt Gaara-kun again! He is never going to forgive me now! our relationship as even friends is now ruined..' Then the inner Lee's thoughts chimed in, 'It is kind of hot that he can keep us pinned like this.. and huh i Never noticed how pretty his eyes look...' "NOT THE TIME! SO not the time to be thinking that!!' The real Lee thought yelled back then gently reached up placing his hand's over Gaara's trying to detach them from his shoulder. The young kazekage to lee seemed like he was holding on like a cat with claws to a scratching post.

Gaara eyes watered and he shook his head gripping tightly onto Lee's shirt. "F-For a whole year Lee! ...I waited...hoping that maybe I meant something to y-you and you would come to Suna to see me...You never did...how can I believe that you could hold such feelings after that...I still ...I still love you...but you..can't love me.." He said and stepped away from him and used his sand to open the door. "P-Please just..go.." He said bowing his head his shoulders shaking. "R-Riku will be back soon I don't want him hurting you...l-leave..." Gaara forced out feeling a pain in his chest making him grip his t-shirt.

Lee felt tears burning at his eyes. 'No! I will not leave him! I will win Gaara-kun back!" He yelled in his thought and stepped to him. "G-Gaara-kun.. I thought you hated me... you are the one who avoided me when coming to visit... I wanted to see you so bad.. but I thought you would kick me out and tell me you hated me..." He bowed his own head not wanting to look at the redhead, feeling to much pain at it. "But.. when Sakura finally snapped and yelled at me.. I thought about it.. I really missed you.. and lately I know what the feeling is.... I love you and I will not let you go this time! I will not hurt you and say nothing while you slip away before I have the chance to get my feelings situated!" He yelled.

Gaara closed his eyes and shook his head again. "L-Lee I'm sorry but...a-after so much time has pasted...I am finding it really hard to believe you.." He said and lifted his hand, his sand rushed forward and wrapped around the leaf ninja. "J-Just g-go..." He said and his sand pushed him out the door before slamming it shut.

Lee gulped, his heart snapped in half in the moment. "Gaara-kun..." He closed his eyes and sighed softly. 'I will get Gaara-kun to believe me.. somehow.." Just then Riku brushed passed and shot him a glare. Slipping into the room and slamming the door behind him on Lee as well. The leaf ninja rubbed his eyes and bolted away not wanting to be seen there crying if Naruto showed up. Inside Riku growled under his breath walking over to Gaara. "Hey.. mon amour.. you ok?" He asked reaching out to touch him.

Gaara smacked his hand away and looked up at him tears in his eyes. "Don't touch me!" He spat then froze and covered his mouth. "R-Riku I'm s-sorry.." Gaara said and placed his hand on the older males chest as more tears fell.

Riku froze too, what was he supposed to do? He had never actually been in a steady relationship with someone. Was he to hug Gaara or..? Before when the redhead had flipped out and was back at the village after what happened with Lee the first time.. he had just left Gaara alone, but now he couldn't do that he was with Gaara. "Hey.. shh. do not cry.. why is the matter..?" He asked a bit confused by his even own asking. Was that the right thing to do..? He wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and looked down trying to see his face.

Gaara sobbed and buried his face into the older males chest. He felt horrible for yelling at Lee like that, and he started to worry he might have hurt him when he pushed him hard into the wall like that...he wanted to believe Lee so badly...but after all the time had past it was hard to think Lee could care for him in such a way. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to get his emotions under control.

Rubbing the younger boy's back soothingly Riku tried to relax him. But what could he do? He knew there was no use helping it. Gaara would cry until he couldn't cry anymore. Riku knew he didn't have a special spot in Gaara's heart.. he couldn't stop him from crying with just a simple kiss or whispers into the ear. but that didn't stop him from trying. He wasn't the bad guy after all. Just someone trapped in infatuated love with a redhead and a love war that had been going on for what seemed like forever. "Gaara.. I wish I could help.. but please.. try to calm down..." Riku moved over to the bed and sat down pulling Gaara onto his lap, trying to make him feel secure.

Gaara stiffed up and then bit his lip reaching his hands up to rub his eyes. "I-I'm s-sorry I am b-being s-so w-weak.." Gaara said between his sobs and after a moment rested his head on Riku's shoulder and closed his eyes again.

Riku felt horrible. Is that what Gaara thought he was thinking while he was trying to comfort him. That he thought he was weak? No, why couldn't Riku just come out and say it, he just didn't know how to comfort him. It was to hard though. He could state his mind in what ever he wanted and not give a fuck what anyone else thought. But Gaara, he didn't want Gaara leaving him because he couldn't calm him down. "You are not weak.." He uttered under his breath and closed his eyes resting his head on Gaara's. "You just need someone strong to let you see your true potential.." He stated simply and held Gaara closer.