Chapter Text
Lee was still wrestling with his self-doubts when Guy appeared in the doorway the next morning. He was relieved to see the older man up and moving after their fight. Lady Tsunade had done well healing him, Lee decided while he watched Guy step into the room with no difficulties. Knowing that removed a large weight from Lee's chest, the weight of guilt over leading his dear friend into a fight to the death.
"How're you feeling?" Guy asked as he perched on the corner of the bed. His face was drawn in a way that suggested he might have been lost in his own thoughts as well. Lee found himself wondering if Guy was concerned about his health or if it was something else troubling the man.
He assured his former sensei, "I am doing quite well." To prove his point, he made a show of testing his limbs and smiling at the jonin. When the distant look in Guy's eyes did not lessen, Lee let his smile slip.
"That's good, that's good," Guy murmured distractedly. Lee could tell that his mind was an entire conversation either ahead or behind of their current one. He was certainly not in the moment, though.
"What are you thinking about, Guy?" Lee asked as he reached out to touch the jonin's hand.
Guy blinked at the touch before laughing at himself. He chuckled, "I'm getting trapped inside my own head."
He looked around the hospital room and wet his lips. "Lee," he began hesitantly, "Would you like to take a walk with me?"
"Ye--." Lee froze mid-answer. "I should wait for Lady Tsunade to clear me. She is very scary when she is angry," he replied apologetically. The Hokage was going to punish him anyway; he knew he probably should not make it worse on himself.
Guy nodded before assuring him, "I've just come from her office. She said you're cleared if you feel well enough to go."
Guy had just been with the Hokage? Lee frowned at the thought that Lady Tsunade had already been meting out punishments. He glanced at the pensive shinobi before him and wondered if he had been told both of their punishments. Or if his own punishment had been so bad that he was only thinking of it.
"Lee?"
"Oh! Yes, I would like to," he answered quickly, shaking his thoughts aside. Now he was the distracted one. He did not need to worry, though, because he was certain Guy would tell him while they walked.
However, their conversation died when they left the hospital room. The silence grew between them, with Lee occasionally stealing glances at the other man. Just waiting on him to open up.
When Guy happened to accidentally meet his eyes, a slow smile spread across his face. "How do you feel, Lee?" he asked again before adding a gentle, "Truly?"
"Well," Lee hesitated, "Physically, I feel well. The med-nin said I had pushed myself to my limit but otherwise I am fine."
Guy waited patiently for Lee to admit, "I am having thoughts that trouble me right now."
"I am too."
"How are you feeling?" Lee asked suddenly.
Guy smiled and patted his previously-injured leg. "Never better," he promised. "Lady Tsunade healed me as soon as you left."
"I did not think she would let you die," Lee quipped, "At least not in her office."
Guy chuckled as he guided Lee down the path toward the memorial stone, ignoring Lee's questioning glance. He watched as they passed the stone that marked the shinobi lost in the Third Shinobi War and felt ashamed that he was glad Guy did not stop them there. He did not want to imagine what Guy might have to say that could involve the dead. Immediately a sense of guilt involving the Mirror and Guy spiked within him again. How could his friend forgive him for dragging him into the fray like that? Lee sighed softly and glanced back at the memorial stone that they had thankfully passed, wondering if he could even forgive himself.
On down the path, the older man steered them to the reflecting pool and dropped onto the grass. He motioned for Lee to join him.
"Have you heard what your punishment will be?" Lee asked once he was sitting beside Guy.
The jonin nodded. "Yes, Lady Tsunade informed me before I came to you," he answered without continuing. Lee had to wave his hand to indicate that he wanted more information.
"It isn't horrible," Guy assured him. "I've been given a six month suspension from missions."
When Lee looked appropriately horrified, Guy laughed and continued, "During which time I am to teach taijutsu at the ninja academy."
Lee felt some relief. Guy was right; his punishment did not sound horrible. In fact, Guy's eyes seemed to be shining brightly at the thought. Lee knew that his former sensei would be a great teacher for the little kids.
He hoped Lady Tsunade was as generous with his own punishment.
"Did she tell you what she plans to do with me?"
He searched the grass intensely as he asked, his eyes taking in each individual blade, but he could hear the grimace in Guy's voice when he answered.
"No, but it didn't sound good."
He wondered if maybe the Hokage could not think of consequences horrible enough for his transgressions. Or if she wanted him on edge while he waited, nervous and worried for his future.
No, he told himself, those are uncharitable thoughts. Lady Tsunade probably does not know what to do with me.
Guy interrupted his internal scolding, "I'm sure you want to know where we stand with the altar and the Mirror."
Something about how he said 'we' made Lee feel like he meant the two of them specifically. Like Guy had already decided and accepted that it would be him and Lee chasing the rogue nin. Lee was uncertain how he felt about the idea. He did not want to endanger Guy, but the jonin was hard to dissuade once he made his mind up.
Guy continued on, "Lady Tsunade is not assigning the mission to us." When Lee opened his mouth to protest, Guy held up a hand and added, "Currently. She's given the task of locating the altar to Master Jiraiya."
Lee thought for a moment before asking, "Is that why you met with Lady Tsunade this morning? Was he there too?"
"Lady Tsunade believes that he can find the altar through his spy network faster than we could just searching blind," Guy explained in way of an answer.
"That is... a good idea."
Guy's brow furrowed in the face of Lee's acquiescence. He gently took Lee's hand and murmured, "I expected more of an argument."
"It makes sense," Lee admitted. "Master Jiraiya would have a better chance of locating the altar. And you said that it is not our mission 'currently', which means that Lady Tsunade must have said that it will become our mission eventually."
He laced his fingers through Guy's, watching the older man's face. Guy's eyes remained obstinately on their hands.
"Am I correct?"
Guy's eyes were distant again when he looked up. Lee could tell that he was mulling something over. Possibly Lee's reaction to the news.
"Lee," he began. Lee wondered if this was about the fight at the temple - if Guy had realized that they both would have died if not for Lee's demon. Was Guy about to say that he recommended against saving the Mirror? After he had already talked about where they stood in relation to it?
His fingers tensed against Guy's as the jonin continued, "You do realize that when it becomes our mission again, once Jiraiya has found it, we might be too late, right?"
Despite the horrible thought that was preying on Guy, or maybe partly because, Lee could not help but notice the 'we' again. The Mirror was Guy's mission too now.
Why then, Lee wondered, have I let myself think that Guy is the Leaf for me? If he is so determined to do this with me. He looked down at their intertwined fingers and consciously loosened his death grip. Guy had always been there, he realized. Since Lee returned from the Mirror. Even when he was afraid that Lee was going to disappear into the night and never be seen again. He was always there.
Instead of answering the man's question, Lee murmured, "Are you still afraid I will leave you?"
Guy seemed taken aback by the change in conversation but answered softly, "No."
Lee could read the rest of his words in his eyes. He wanted to believe that his dearest friend meant that he had faith Lee would not disobey again, but what he found in Guy's eyes told him something even more dear.
Lee raised Guy's hand to his lips and whispered across his skin, "I would never ask you to leave the Leaf behind."
"I would follow you anywhere."
"And I would never ask you to fight beside me for the Mirror."
"Your fights are my fights."
"You know that the Leaf is our home."
"But the Mirror is your family."
"You are my family."
"Then the Mirror is mine too."
Lee could find no reason to fight any further. When Guy began to lean toward him, Lee met him halfway. Their lips collided in a kiss that tasted of love, a gentle burning love. No roaring wildfire of passion swept them away; no, the love in their kiss tasted of a candle burning in a window to call them home.
Their lips broke apart, but they remained connected. Guy's forehead rested on Lee's, his hand resting below Lee's ear with his thumb stroking the smooth cheek beneath it. Lee's hand wrapped around Guy's wrist with his thumb stroking the back of Guy's hand.
It was comforting.
It was new.
But most of all, it was home.