Just Please...

Lee pursed his lips together in deep thought. Just how in the world was he supposed to tell his best friend he was in love with him? Surely this never happened to other men, right..? Falling in love... but with your buddy, it was wrong... Gaara was sure to reject it, but he couldn't hide it any longer. Tomorrow was his nineteenth birthday and later that week he was supposed to go on a mission that might end in the last day of his life. If any time was the right time, it was tomorrow. That is if Gaara showed up however. The redhead was the Kazekage though, most likely he wouldn't show. That would be silly... walking all the way to the leaf village just for some unimportant birthday. Lee just sat there staring out the window though, just picturing that maybe Gaara did have the time. That he was on his way right at that moment to come say happy birthday to Lee.

Just then a noisy blond burst through the door yelling at the top of his lungs like he always did. "Bushy brows! Come on, what in the world have you been up to all day?! No one has seen you!" He complained as he plopped down on the dark green couch next to Lee.

Lee glared at Naruto. That nick name, Naruto had been saying it to him for as long as they were friends. Yet Lee loathed it and Naruto knew it, yet he still used it. "Just please... for once do not call me that," He murmured out still in thought before he finally glanced at his friend. "And I have been busy..." Lee was not being his peppy self, Naruto could not only see it in his eyes, but hear it in his voice as well. The big brown eyes looked lost isolated even. How could Naruto not have noticed the tension in the air when he walked in? Just what was up with Lee?

The blond ninja sighed, "Ok...Lee, what is up? Are you upset about the mission?" He inquired. Maybe it was the fact that Lee was about to go on the deadliest mission he have ever been on?

Staring at Naruto for a minute he replied, "No... It is not." Then he looked back out the window. No the mission obviously was not the problem.

"Ok... Lee are you upset about your birthday and think we might have forgotten it?" Naruto then asked. Maybe he was just feeling like no one would celibate his birthday with him. But a shake of the head shot that idea down as well. Boy was this starting to be a problem, Lee, unyouthful. Who knew it was even possible? "Then what is it? Come on Lee I am your friend, let me help you..." Naruto pleaded as he tried to look the older an in the face. Instead of words Lee only shook his head no in response once again. Naruto knew there was nothing after that; there was no getting through to Lee. "Fine... I'll see you tomorrow." Then he left leaving Lee alone in the solitude of his home.

All that night the black haired man contemplated on just how to confess his love to Gaara. Just go up and tell him? Give him a letter? What was he going to do? He didn't get one ounce of sleep and before he knew it, his alarm was going off. That incessant beeping he woke up to every morning. Why couldn't that be Gaara's soft voice telling him 'Lee you have to get up you have a mission today" but no. He was still to afraid to tell Gaara how he really felt. That dream was starting to get further and further away from him. After sitting up and getting out of bed he shut the alarm off and sighed running his hand through his hair. Lee had never felt something like this... and thick melancholy feeling n his chest that was just burning him. But he ignored the feeling and did all his morning activities. A quick shower, a short run around the village, then a big breakfast of various health foods like cabbage and eggs, some milk even. It almost didn't seem like it was a special day until he was on his way to the training field and saw everyone there. Bright colored balloons tied to posts and trees. A party table lined with a green cloth covered with presents and colorful cards. It even had soda and cake in one of the corners. Everyone yelled 'surprise' and 'Happy Birthday Lee' when he had got there, But... something wasn't right. He looked around at all the faces, took a good look at each and every grin and smile, then his heart just sunk. The one person, the one present he would have loved and would have taken over everything in the world, was not there.

A fake smile came to his face as he said in a soft tone that everyone had to lean in to hear, "Thank you everyone." Then walked over and started chatting with people all around. After opening his gifts he lied and said he had to go get something real quick, however when he left he never came back. Instead Lee ran to his favorite spot outside the village, a tall tree overlooking the river. He sat there staring at the sun setting as a sigh left his lips. Murmuring to himself he said, "Just please Gaara... show up..." And with that he heard his name called to him. However when he looked over expecting to see Gaara, he instead say his blond friend racing over and jumping into the tree next to him.

"Lee! Why did you run off like that?! I had to take all your presents back to your house by myself! Come on someone special even wanted to give you a really cool gift!" Naruto yelled as he sat next to Lee.
The black haired male sighed again and looked at him, "I already got Sakura's gift... wait... how did you get in my apartment?"

"Well I... that's not the point! It's not a gift from Sakura... come on!" Naruto stood up and pulled Lee out of the tree, the other leaf ninja to upset to pull away. He was dragged back to his apartment and pushed in.
"Na-" The door slammed behind him and he could hear Naruto's foot prints running away from the apartment.
"Lee?"

That voice... lee looked over and saw Gaara sitting on his couch in his red trench coat and gray vest. He was fiddling with a small box in his hands as he looked dup at the older man. Lee's eyes immediately lit up with joy as he ran over and hugged him tightly. "Gaara-kun! What are you doing here??" He asked his voice pepped up once more. He got the one thing he wanted for his birthday that year. Just to see Gaara and to at least hug him once.

The redhead blushed faintly and pushed on Lee still not used to the contact even though Lee hugged him every time he saw him. "I brought you a gift for your birthday..." He said in that soothing gentle voice that just made Lee melt listening to it.

Wait did he say gift? Gaara actually went out of his way to give him a gift? This was making Lee just go ecstatic! "What is it?" He asked after pulling back from the hug. The smaller boy looked down a bit and held out the small box to Lee. A grin came to his face as he took it and pulled the green wrapping paper off it. He pulled out a dog tag that had Lee's name on it, his birthday then on the bottom the Kazekage seal.
"I'm not good at gifts... but... please keep that on during your upcoming mission... I heard about it and... I don't want you getting killed and us not being able to find you... and. that seal at the bottom also gives you permission to come see me at any point with no trouble from the guards... ok?" Gaara said looking back up at Lee. Gaara's eyes, why did they look so lost and hurt the same as Lee's were the day before?

Needless the reason, the leaf ninja hugged Gaara tightly, "Thank you this is a really great gift!" He then put the dog tags on around his neck. The metal fell against his chest and Lee could have sworn he saw Gaara's lips curl u into a smile again before going back down into their normal emotionless place. The Kazekage nodded and stood up, "alright... well I have to go ok? I will see you around. Hopefully..." He murmured as he walked around Lee.

No, He had just gotten his gift! He didn't want it leaving so soon, not if this would be the last time he would see him! "No! Gaara..." Lee caught his arm pulled him closer further from the door.

"Yes Lee..?" Gaara asked looked over his shoulder at the older man.

"Will you come with me on my trip..?" He asked softly while looking down and letting go of the grayish vest in his hand. "I do not want that to end up being the last time I see my... best friend..." He told Gaara. Yeah sure they were just best friends. It was bad enough that Lee was lying not himself about his feelings for Gaara, but lying directly to Gaara this time was just making it worse. The younger boy nodded and turned around giving Lee a quick hug. This was out of his normal nature but who was Lee complaining too, a hug from his crush was a hug from his crush.

"Yes yes I will Lee..." Gaara then whispered as he looked down once more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three days later Lee was finally finished with his mission. And his love of his life was right by his side, there was only two little problems with that. Gaara was in tears and was not his lover yet. Lee had jumped in front of an attack to save Gaara, and had done everything in his power to protect him, but now he himself was on the verge of dying.

"Lee... no come on, Look at me..." Gaara said tears streaming down his beautiful face. This made the leaf ninja frown.

He didn't like seeing Gaara cry, it upset him. Such a handsome and pretty face shouldn't cry over him. Why was Gaara the Kazekage crying over Lee anyways? They were just friends. "Please d-don't cry over me..." He uttered out before coughing. Shakily Lee raised his hand and placed it on Gaara's cheek ignoring the blood on it as he gently used his thumb to wipe the tears off of the soft cheeks.

Gaara frowned and leaned down pressing his lips to Lee's lightly. He was embarrassed on the inside about it, he had just kissed Lee. In his mind Gaara was screaming and blushing. Why was he kissing lee?! They were not together after all. The redhead boy pulled back from the kiss his lips tingling and his sobs starting to come out harder than before. "I w-will not cry if you promise me not to d-die!"

Lee's eyes widened from the kiss, what did Gaara just do that for. Lee still had not confessed his love to Gaara... yet the boy was kissing him and crying for him. Could it be that all this time Gaara felt the same way too? "I will not... just h-help me up..." He murmured before coughing again this time up a bit of blood. Gaara used his sand to help the taller man up and hugged him but quickly let go when Lee cringed in pain. Lee was not going to die here, not when Gaara was crying and praying so hard for him to lie. He was more stubborn then that. "Gaara... th-thank you..." Lee uttered out. Then closed his eyes, he didn't even realize the last words he said as he fainted were 'I love you Gaara-kun.'

Lee woke up in a hospital bed staring at the tiled ceiling. He blinked in the blinding morning light. Birds were chirping outside and as he turned his head to look out to see ten he saw the redhead he had brought on his mission. Gaara was fast asleep in the chair closest to his bed. The leaf ninja smiled at him and sat up only to lay back down when he felt more pain to the wound in his chest. He sighed softly and stared at the ceiling once more but then heard Gaara's voice chime in. "I never got to say I love you too before you fainted..."

The leaf ninja looked over at him to see his eyes still closed and his head resting in the palm of his hand. 'Did he really just say that?' He thought to himself before saying, "G-Gaara-kun?"

"Yes?" The light green eyes rimmed with black opened to stare strait at Lee. They looked even more hurt and lost, with confusion added in the mix, much more sad then the first time Lee really stared into the. Lee felt bad looking into them, was it his fault they looked that way at the moment? He felt guilt slowly sink into the bottom of his stomach. if he had not have asked Gaara to go on the trip, Gaara would not have cried, he would not have seen Lee practically dying in his arms as he sat there with no way to help his friend. Friend... is that all they were still? But what had Gaara said about... love..? That word that made his stomach guilt go away and warmed his heart.

"..What do you mean by you never got to say...? I love you back?" He managed to muttered back out to the young Kazekage even though he really didn't want to ask why. He was alive; there was no point in throwing his friendship away with Gaara and possibly losing him forever now. Yet, he couldn't help it. Not knowing what Gaara had said, why he was crying for him why they... A small flash in lee's mind and he remembered. Gaara had kissed him. Lee was dying and the crush of his life had pressed their lips together and begged him not to die.

"You fainted before I could say I love you back..." Gaara replied blushing a bit as his gaze moved to the floor of the hospital room. He was bad at staying calm in a situation like this, but, he had to, for Lee's sake. He couldn't blush and just storm out of the room. Gaara had already proclaimed to himself if it had to do with Lee and Love he had to be strait forward to the leaf ninja about it.

"But... I never..."

Gaara interrupted him, "Yes you did... and... I love you too... just please... promise me this... you will never do that again... risk your life for me... I could have lost you..." He said his voice sounding more upset. Lee's heart wanted to break in two and sew it's self together. So he had been the one to cause Gaara pain and make his eyes look hurt, but... Gaara loved him back.

Lee thought he must have been in heaven. What Gaara was saying, that would have never came from the redhead's lips. Lee sat up a bit and reached out using his index finger and thumb to gently grip Gaara's chin and tilt his head back up so he could look into the gorgeous eyes he had fallen in love with. He wanted to make them happy again... but there was a priority before that. "...Am I dead or... are you beating me to what I was supposed to tell you?" Lee asked his voice a bit weak but still audible.

The younger boy blinked and his face heated up from the touch. "Y-you were going to tell me not to protect you and risk my life for you?" He asked a little confused.

Lee chuckled; Gaara's denseness was always too cute. "No... I mean... You beat me to saying how I really felt for you... Gaara... I have been in love with you for a long time... and... I sat up all the day before my birthday trying to figure out how to tell you..." He said to him softly while he moved his hand to caress the soft cheek.

"And?" Gaara inquired.

"And what?" Lee shot back.

"And what did you come up with?" The redhead tilted his head to the side in an adorable manor leaning into the large hand on his cheek some.

A deep breath was pulled into Lee's lungs before he leaned off the bed and to Gaara. After closing his eyes he pressed his lips to the smaller boy's. He could feel Gaara's body tense from the touch but then his eyes closed and he kissed back. Lee moved his Lee's hesitantly on Gaara's putting all his love and passion into that ne action before he had to pull away. Gaara let out a small whimper not wanting the sudden action that made his heart warm up and him instantly feel better to go away but when he heard lee start speaking he understood the kiss had to end. "Gaara... I know we are friends and both guys... but... I have fallen for you... and I ask of you this... just please... accept my love for you... and at least try it out... please be with me... I will protect you will my life... and love you forever..." He ended his small speech with a gulp and closed his eyes tightly half expecting to hear the redhead start yelling and cursing him out.

Instead of yelling as Lee had intended, Gaara just blushed and smiled, still too focused on his first real kiss. His lips tingled from the contact and he let a shy smile come his features. His first real kiss was with Lee! Before he didn't have time to react, him kissing lee was instinctive, but this kiss, this was not a life or death situation, Lee was kissing him of his own free will! Lee was saying his love to him and was asking him to be his! He couldn't possibly know that Gaara before that mission was thinking the exact thing! How to tell Lee he loved him. Gaara's pain and hurt just drifted away and love entered his heart now sewn back together. "I l-love you too Lee... and... I accept your love..." He whispered blushing dark to him.

Lee went to lean in and give Gaara another kiss but...

Then the noisy blond burst into the room like he always did and instead of a sigh or glare from Lee, he got a huge grin. However Lee had jumped and quickly pulled away from Gaara whose lips seemed to turn into a pout before everything on his face just faded away. It made Lee happy to know that Gaara was showing emotion to him, yet not to everyone else. But he still wished the redhead didn't think he had to hide himself. Even though Naruto was interrupting their time together, Lee had got his youth back and he was happy to see Naruto. "Good morning bushy-brows, feeling better?" Naruto asked as he jumped down on the bed next to Lee's.
That nick name was back again didn't take long for Naruto to completely forget he had asked him to not use it, but you know what, it didn't get to Lee. He actually enjoyed it at that moment just knowing his friend had made him a nickname and was using it. "I am wonderful... now..." He said glancing at Gaara.

Naruto looked at the two who kept fidgeting in their spots and glancing at each other out of the corner of their eyes and grinned. "Wellll guess I should leave the two love birds alone~" Naruto snickered out as he jumped up and avoided a pillow being tossed at him by Lee.

Gaara was covering his face blushing dark and yelling, "N-Naruto!!" While blond ran out of the room. Lee let out a small huff of air. Things were back to their craziness but there was just one thing changed. Gaara was now there to keep him happy and he was alive and well. The leaf ninja leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Gaara's hands before pulling them down.

Gaara gulped a bit and looked at him as Lee's lips moved and said something, "Just please don't ever leave me..."

The small boy nodded and replied, "I would never..." And Lee then closed the gap between the two, kissing hi lovingly once again.

And that is how two simple words, just please. Could be said in so many ways, just to make Lee happy again and to give him what he craved the most in his life, Gaara. In that last words before their kiss wasn't the last time Lee would use the words 'just please.' Later on he used them when proposing to Gaara, "Just please be my husband and accept this ring.' Then a few years later, 'just please let me at least try this out so we can have kids.' it's funny how two simple words could go a long way in the life of two people who love each other and how just the start of him saying it once to a friend could end up to him saying it so many time to a lover.

THE END