Chapter Text
Lee stepped into the skate shop, a bell sounding above his head. He breathed in the scent of rubber as he made his way to the front counter. There stood his best friend Neji, his boyfriend’s brother Kankuro, and their nephew Shikadai. He watched as the baby crawled along the counter, finding any possible escape, no matter how dangerous it was. Shikadai had taken more after his mother than his father. He was fairly bull-headed and loved a challenge, even if that challenge was just attempting to escape the clutches of his overbearing, weird uncle and his boyfriend.
“Neji! Hello!” Lee called, smiling widely as he made his way towards them. Shikadai turned at the sound of his voice, quickly standing on his feet and waddling over to him. Lee scooped him up quickly, not wanting him to dive off the counter as he was prone to do.
“Hello, Shikadai!” he said, blowing raspberries into his cheeks. He giggled and smacked Lee’s shoulder, screaming “Yee!” the entire time. He couldn’t properly say his name yet, but Lee thought it was cute regardless. Even though Lee technically wasn’t his uncle, Shikadai was his boyfriend Gaara's nephew. They had been dating for his entire two year old life and anyone would admit that Lee was the favorite, even though he and Gaara weren’t married yet.
But, he was planning on changing that soon. Lee was going to propose. He had left work early that day to pick up a ring. He had spent a long time with the blonde sales lady trying to pick out just the right one. The night before he had sneakily measured Gaara’s ring size while he slept. He wasn’t entirely sure what ring he wanted to get Gaara, but the lady at the counter was very helpful. They decided that Gaara was fairly simple and didn’t like a lot of flashy things. She had suggested something silver or gold, but that still felt out of place when Lee thought about it. He had settled on a matte black ring, one that was still nice, but nothing like the massive ones heavily studded in diamonds. She kindly packaged the ring in a silky black box, wishing him luck. Lee’s stomach had been filled with butterflies ever since then. He slipped the ring into his pocket just before entering the skate shop, not wanting anyone to know what he was planning on doing. He worried, though, as he was terrible at keeping a secret.
The ring box felt heavy in Lee’s pocket. He constantly fluttered his hand over it, worried that it had somehow fallen out. But it was still there, pressing into his leg and his mind. He wasn’t quite sure exactly how he wanted to propose yet. He normally was known to do big, outlandish, romantic gestures, but he wasn’t exactly sure that’s what Gaara would want. Besides, it didn’t matter what Lee would want. This was about Gaara and how much he loved him. But how could he properly express that? Should he write a poem? Perform a song? An interpretive dance? His mind raced as he considered all of the possibilities. Growing overwhelmed, he tried to brush it out of his mind for the time being.
“Hey, Lee. What are you doing here?” Neji asked, leaning over the counter on his elbows.
“Gaara is picking me up in a few minutes, but I needed to pick up some new trucks for a few of the children I work with!” Lee said, sitting Shikadai onto the counter.
“Lee, you’re going to go broke if you keep buying stuff for those kids.” Neji rolled his eyes. As much as he loved his friend, and was glad he was able to work with at risk youth as part of his skating program, he worried that he cared a bit too much.
“Neji, don’t be silly!” Lee said, laughing lightly.
“Don’t worry, man, I’ll help you out,” Kankuro said, throwing a look at Neji. Kankuro and Neji ran the skate shop together. He had started out as an employee, but eventually was able to straighten out enough to prove he was capable of being a co-owner, something that Neji really needed once business had started picking up. Gaara had mentioned to Lee how glad he was that Kankuro co-owned the skate shop. He had struggled for years knowing what he wanted to do with his life, and now he had found it.
Kankuro and Lee walked through the aisles of the shop, chatting idly as they listened to Shikadai babble to Neji at the front counter. After finding the parts Lee needed, they headed back up to the front of the store. Another bell chimed as the store entrance opened. Lee looked over to see a flash of red hair that belonged to his favorite person.
Gaara.
Lee’s heart swelled as he watched his boyfriend walk up to them. No matter how many dates they went on or how much time they spent together, Gaara always gave Lee butterflies. He loved how bluntly he spoke, how nice he smelled at all times, and how his head rested perfectly on his chest. He was so in love with him. Everything about Gaara was perfect to Lee, regardless of what Gaara thought of himself.
Lee bounced on his toes, waiting for Gaara to reach him. He had been more anxious than usual lately, causing him to get easily overwhelmed in regards to physical touch. Lee wanted to smother him in hugs and kisses, but he wanted Gaara to be comfortable even more.
“Hi, Lee,” Gaara said, smiling at him. He wrapped his arms around Lee’s waist, pulling him in gently for a hug. Lee wrapped his arms securely around Gaara, pressing his lips softly to the crown of his head. Gaara had once told him that he gave the best hugs in the world. Lee was very proud of that fact.
“Hi, love,” Lee said softly, pulling back to look at Gaara. “How was your day?”
“Better than the rest of this week has been.”
Lee smiled down at him. “I am so glad.”
Gaara turned to Kankuro who had walked up behind Lee. “Waddup, ding dong?”
Gaara’s face screwed in disapproval. “Ding dong? Is that really the best you could come up with today?”
“It’s better than callin’ ya a little shit, isn’t it? That name is reserved solely for Shikadai.”
“You shouldn’t call the baby a little shit, Kankuro!” Neji yelled from the front counter. “That’s why he likes me more than you.”
“Bullshit! I’m his favorite!” Kankuro yelled back, huffing toward the front counter. Neji and Kankuro continued to bicker as Gaara slipped his hand into Lee’s. Lee looked down at him and smiled.
“Can I kiss you?” Lee asked quietly, not wanting to pressure Gaara.
“Of course,” Gaara replied, smiling back.
Lee leaned down slightly, pressing his lips to Gaara’s gently. He smiled into the kiss as Gaara’s thumb brushed over the dimple sitting on the right side of his face. Gaara pulled back and pressed his forehead to Lee’s for a few moments. A tension in Lee’s chest that he hadn’t known was there before, dissipated.
“Do you have everything you need?” Gaara asked, eyeing the door.
“Yes! Let me pay really quickly and then we can head out!”
They made their way to the front counter where Neji was picking up a roll of receipt paper.
“Stupid kid…” he mumbled to himself as Kankuro high fived Shikadai’s chubby hand. Apparently, they had been working together to ruin Neji’s day. As he straightened, the door chimed for a third time, cueing the entrance of Lee’s foster sister, Tenten. She had been away at a skating competition the previous month and would be home for a few weeks. Lee had been overjoyed to see her, always eager to spend as much time with her as he could. They had both been placed in the same foster home when they were twelve and had been inseparable ever since. Lee was really proud of her for accomplishing her dreams and becoming a professional skater, but he would be lying if he denied how much it hurt to see her leave every time. Their shared house always got lonelier around then, but luckily, Lee now had Gaara to spend the night with him when he could.
“Tenten!” Lee shouted, abandoning his items at the counter. Her grin matched Lee’s as she ran to him, picking him up and swinging him around. Gaara sighed and shook his head good-humoredly, before pulling out his wallet and paying for the skateboard trucks himself.
“What are you doing here? Do you need a ride home? Gaara and I were just about to leave! Have you eaten dinner yet? We are planning on getting take--”
“Lee, stop talking, my brain can’t process all of those questions at once,” she replied, clamping a hand over his mouth. “To attempt to answer all of them, I’m just stopping by to say hi before I meet my new manager. I won’t need a ride and I won’t be able to eat dinner with you guys, which I’m sure will give Gaara some relief.”
“Tenten, don’t be silly,” Gaara replied, walking up next to Lee with his bag in hand. “You know I enjoy your company.”
Tenten laughed. “I know you do! You’re always fun to talk to,” she said with a smile. Gaara smiled and nodded back. Tears formed in the corners of Lee’s eyes as he looked back and forth between two of his most cherished people. Both Tenten and Gaara sighed at the same time, causing them to burst out laughing. Gaara wiped away the droplets, then grabbed Lee’s hand.
“New manager? You didn’t like the old one?” Gaara asked Tenten as his thumb rubbed across the back of Lee’s.
“Meh, he was fine, but he was pretty creepy. And old. Every competition we went to he would get thrown out for peeping. It was only a matter of time before I dumped his ass on the street.”
“Who is your new manager? Did you go with who Kakashi suggested?” Lee asked, his eyebrows furrowed slightly in concern. He constantly worried about his sister when she was away, sometimes even to the point of making himself physically ill. Knowing that her manager was a perverted old guy made things even worse. He was glad that he had taught her how to punch properly all those years ago. Luckily Kakashi, one of their foster dads, knew a different manager who was looking for new skaters. Lee knew for a fact that he would only recommend someone that Tenten would be safe with. It helped lessen some of his anxiety.
“Yeah, I did! She’s super bad ass and has been a pro skater for, like, a million years. She first joined when female skater representation was pretty much non-existent so she knows a thing or two. In fact, almost all of the skaters she works with are women!”
“Tenten, that is absolutely wonderful! I am so excited for you!” Lee said, dropping Gaara’s hand to pull her into a hug.
“That’s great,” he heard Gaara say behind him. When he turned, he saw him looking at his now empty hand. Before Lee could say anything, he looked up at Tenten and smiled, then turned to walk back to the counter to play with Shikadai. Lee watched as he picked up the roll of receipt paper Shikadai had thrown, tearing a piece off and grabbing a pen from a cup by the cash register. He began doodling on it, eventually letting Shikadai take the pen to scribble nonsense over the small sheet of paper. Gaara leaned into the counter, his hand in his chin as he watched his nephew draw vacantly.
“Is he okay?” Tenten whispered to Lee, her face concerned.
“I am not sure,” Lee said, anxiously rubbing his fingers together. “He has had a hard time with his anxiety over the past few weeks. I do not know why, but I am going to try and talk to him tonight.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked, squeezing Lee’s hand gently.
“I will let you know if I think of anything,” Lee replied, squeezing her back. “Thank you, Tenten.”
“Of course. I’m gonna stay the night at dad’s to give you guys some time to yourselves. I know I’ve been around a lot and you guys enjoy your little sleep overs.”
Lee’s eyebrows raised in alarm. “Tenten! It does not bother me one bit to have you home. In fact, I love having you here! It is your house, too.”
Tenten snorted. “I know that, silly, but I also know that you love having Gaara there, too, and it’s not the same when I’m around. Don’t stress about it. They’ve wanted me to spend some time over there for ages. Although, it’ll probably just be Kakashi reading his books while Gai wheels around him, begging for an arm wrestle or something.” Tenten laughed, her nose wrinkling slightly. Lee joined her, laughing at the accurate visual. Sometimes it was hard to tell they were actually in love, especially with their whole “rival” facade, but they really did care for each other. It gave Lee high expectations for his relationships, expectations that had been met, and exceeded, by Gaara.
Lee knew that he would never find anyone as perfect for him as he was. He would argue that he had been in love before, but never like this. He had never had someone who loved him so wholly and completely, in spite of all his eccentricities and quirks. One of the first nights they had spent together, Lee had woken up crying in the middle of the night for reasons he couldn’t remember. Gaara hadn’t been annoyed, and he didn’t go right back to sleep. He held Lee as he cried, soothingly brushing back his hair and murmuring comforting words to him. At one point he left the bed, bringing back water to help Lee rehydrate after the sweat and tears. Once he had gotten back into bed and returned Lee’s head to his chest, Lee felt more comfort than he had in his entire life. Throughout their time dating, Lee had found a home in Gaara, one that supported him, took care of him, and understood him as best as he could. All he wanted to do was make him his husband.
At that thought, Lee gulped then coughed, remembering the ring that was currently in his pocket. Tenten looked at him strangely, but he just smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He didn’t want to talk to her about it when he was standing only a few feet away from Gaara. He would wait until the weekend was over and Gaara had returned to his own home. Then they could further discuss it. Lee hoped that Tenten would be willing to help him plan the proposal out. She always helped to control some of his more outlandish ideas.
“Right… well, I should go. Enjoy your night, boys!” she yelled to all five of them. Shikadai burped in response, laughing at the noise that came out of his own mouth, which caused the water Kankuro was drinking to spray out of his nose.
“Bye, Tenten. Let’s go get lunch tomorrow, yeah?” Neji called lazily, ignoring Kankuro who was choking behind him.
“Sure thing!” she replied, her voice carrying as she practically skipped out the door. Lee turned around to see Gaara staring after her, a slight smile on his face.
“Love? Are you ready to go?” Lee asked.
Gaara snapped his attention away from the door back onto Lee’s face. “Oh. Yes, if you’re ready.”
Lee nodded and smiled at him. “Bye, Neji! See you later!”
“See ya,” he called back, turning to see Shikamaru walk in to get Shikadai. Shikamaru and Temari, Gaara’s sister, had been dating now for five years. It had been an overwhelming, and slightly unexpected, experience for them to have a baby, but they were excellent parents. They also had a lot of very willing helpers, one of which was standing at the counter cleaning up the water he had just shot out of his nose.
“Hey, Kankuro,” Shikamaru said lazily, grabbing Shikadai off the counter. “Hey, kiddo. Did you have fun with your uncle?”
“Uncles,” Kankuro corrected, stressing the plural.
“Uncles? It’s just you,” Shikamaru replied.
“Uh, no? Neji and I have been dating for almost as long as Gaara and Lee have, and you consider Lee the kid’s uncle!” Kankuro reached over and grabbed Neji’s hand, holding it up to prove a point.
“Ew, no we haven’t,” Neji retorted, ripping his hand out from Kankuro’s. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. The three continued to argue as Lee and Gaara left the shop, hand in hand.
Lee slid into the passenger side of Gaara’s car and looked over at him.
“Gaara? Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” Gaara replied shortly, turning the car on and backing out of the parking lot.
“It does not seem like it. I know you have been extra anxious lately. What can I do to help with that?”
Gaara sighed as he pulled out onto the main road. “It doesn’t really make sense to hide anything from you. I have been extra anxious and it’s making me really tired and sick. I’m sorry I haven’t been myself.”
“Please do not apologize, sweetheart,” Lee replied, taking Gaara’s free hand in both of his own. “I like you no matter how you are feeling. What can I do to help?”
Lee suddenly had an image flash through his mind. He was holding Gaara’s hand, much like he was right now. They were at the skate park and the big concrete bowl was filled to the brim with flower petals. He knelt at the side of it, describing all of the reasons he loved Gaara and why he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. He slid the ring out from his pocket. Gaara gasps and nods, smiling down at Lee. He stands up, pulling him into a kiss as they fall into the flowers, laughing and ready to start their new life with each other.
“Can we just get take out and spend the night in?” Gaara asked, pulling Lee out of his proposal fantasy.
“Of course, love. Tenten is spending the night at Gai and Kakashi’s, so we’ll have the house to ourselves.”
“Really?” Gaara asked, brightening a bit. Lee nodded and smiled at him. Gaara pulled Lee’s hand up to his mouth, kissing it a few times. Lee’s heart swelled for the hundredth time that night. He thought to the ring that was stashed away. Would it hurt anything if he just proposed right now? He could get it out of the way and they could start planning their wedding. He loved Gaara so much…
“Gaara?”
“Yes, Lee?”
Lee’s hand stopped where it was, halfway to his pocket. “Will you—” he paused.
“Will you let me pay this time?”
Gaara looked at him somewhat quizzically. “Sure.”
Lee sat back, sighing internally. As much as he wanted to be engaged to Gaara, he wanted to put the proper thought into it, asking when the moment was one hundred percent right, and one thousand percent romantic. And even though he knew Gaara wouldn’t mind, the drive to get take out after a long and stressful week was not as romantic as Lee wanted it to be. Not even close.
After Lee had paid for their dinner, they made their way home, Gaara humming along lightly to the radio. Lee wasn’t entirely sure what had changed, but Gaara’s mood was lifting ever so slightly. He hoped that the weekend would give him the chance to breathe and rest. Even though Gaara still lived with Kankuro, he spent a lot of time at Lee’s house, mostly so that Lee could take care of him and make sure he was okay. Gaara’s reasoning was the exact same, he wanting to make sure Lee was okay and taking care of himself. And it didn’t hurt that they were able to snuggle a lot more.
They made their way into the house, nudging each other playfully as they carried their bags of takeout. Once inside, Gaara set his bag on the counter and made a beeline for Lee’s bedroom. Lee looked after him confused, but brushed it off, setting his food on the coffee table and pulling up a movie for them to watch. Gaara came back out a few minutes later, wearing just an undershirt and a pair of Lee’s sleep shorts. Lee’s face reddened as Gaara took a seat next to him, placing his food on his lap and snuggling close.
“I’m glad it’s just us tonight,” Gaara confessed. “I’ve really missed this.”
Suddenly, it clicked for Lee. The past few weeks Gaara had been extra anxious was the time that Tenten was home for an extended amount of time. She had similar visits earlier on in their relationship, but Gaara hadn’t spent as much time at Lee’s house as he did now. He knew that Gaara and Tenten had a good relationship, but the correlation was uncanny. Tenten being home had made Gaara upset somehow.
“Gaara, has Tenten being home given you anxiety?”
Gaara paused, not looking at Lee. “No. Why would you say that?”
Lee placed their food back onto the small table in front of them. He gently lifted Gaara off of his side, placing a hand on his cheek as he looked at him. “Gaara, your anxiety got worse around the time Tenten got home. Please talk to me, I will not be upset. Has Tenten bothered you?”
“No, she hasn’t bothered me,” Gaara said with a sigh. “I love her, too. She’s now like a sister to me. It’s just…” Gaara paused.
“Just what?”
Gaara sighed again. “It’s hard for me to feel completely comfortable around most people. When I come home, whether that’s here or at my own house, I prefer to have just those closest to me around, if anyone at all. It’s easier for me to unwind from the day. When Tenten’s around, I feel like I still have to ‘perform,’ if that makes sense. I like Tenten a lot, but I like you the most and it’s hard to get one on one time with you when she’s home. I’m glad she is, I really am. I don’t want her to leave and I don’t want to stop spending the night. I just… I just wish we had more of a chance to be alone together when she’s home.” He paused, looking at Lee anxiously. “Please don’t be upset.”
Lee nodded sadly. “I understand what you are saying, and I am so sorry that you have felt this way. Please know that I completely respect this. We will work on a compromise. When Tenten is home, I will make more of an effort to stay the night at your place once or twice, or make extra time for just the two of us! We can always lock the door to my room and watch our movies in there. It would be a bit cramped, but it would give us some alone time. Does that sound better?” Lee knew that often times his excitement for his sister to be home caused him to focus a lot on her and much less on Gaara. He never did it on purpose.
A small smile formed on Gaara’s face. “That sounds good. I’m sorry I’m such a hassle.”
Lee pulled Gaara into his chest, laying back gently until Gaara was on top of him. “You are never, ever a hassle, okay? I am so in love with you. I would do anything for you. I am sorry that I did not realize this before. Please tell me next time, love. I want to make you happy.”
“I am happy,” Gaara said, his voice muffled into Lee’s shirt. “It will probably just be like this until we eventually move in together.”
Lee stiffened at that. “Well,” he said hesitantly, “why don’t we just move in together now?”
Gaara pulled back and stared down at Lee, his eyes wide. “But, Lee, Tenten still lives here. We can’t kick her out.”
Lee laughed, jostling Gaara. He crawled off of Lee, sitting back on his place on the couch. “We won’t kick her out! With this new manager she will be going on a lot of long, international trips,” Lee said. His stomach squirmed at that thought, and he paused in an attempt to calm it. “Besides, she knows we’ve talked about… about getting married, so she expects it sooner or later. I am sure we will figure something out.”
Gaara’s cheeks flushed pink at the mention of marriage. They had discussed it several times, and Lee knew by now that this reaction was mostly excitement and only a little anxiety, not the other way around. He would be lying if he pretended that it didn’t make him a little anxious, too.
“Okay,” Gaara breathed, staring at Lee. “Let’s do it. Let’s live together.”
Lee’s face stretched so wide that it hurt. He flopped Gaara onto his back, kissing every inch of him that he could reach. “I cannot wait!” he whispered into the crook of Gaara’s neck. They lay like that for a few moments longer, breathing each other in as their hearts raced.
An image flashed through Lee’s mind. He was laying in bed with Gaara. It wasn’t just his bed now, it belonged to both of them. As he looked around their room, he could see additional pictures of both of them. His cacti and succulents had been set out on a little shelf next to his big window. Gaara left and later walked in carrying both of their favorite mugs, filled with tea from the little tea bar Gaara had set up in their kitchen. Gaara’s reading glasses sat on the bedside table next to a work report he had been reading before they went to sleep the previous night.
Needless to say, Lee was overjoyed knowing they would live together. How would he feel when they were finally engaged?
The smell of their food cooling reached their noses, prompting them to finally sit up and begin eating. They sat close together, their thighs pressing lightly as they watched their movie. Once they had finished their food, Lee laid his head onto Gaara’s lap, blinking sleepily as the movie continued to play. The sounds lulled his subconscious to a more relaxed state.
“Lee?” Gaara whispered, jostling his head. He had slipped into a light sleep laying on Gaara’s lap. He had dreamed of a giant skateboard, riding down a hill into a sunset while Lee recited a poem to Gaara about his love. At the end of it, he pulled out the ring, which had somehow turned into a small takeout box. But Lee didn’t care. He was about to propose!
Until Gaara had ruined the moment by shaking his head.
“Hmm?” Lee smacked his lips together and looked up at Gaara.
“You fell asleep. Let’s go to bed.”
Lee paused, remembering what had happened before he had fallen asleep. “Gaara, I am so sorry, we were supposed to spend tonight together and I ruined it.” Lee began to cry gently, the residual feelings from his dream and his tiredness pushing him to the brink of his emotions.
“No, Lee, it’s okay. We’ll go cuddle and then when we wake up in the morning, we can cuddle more, okay? And then I’ll buy you breakfast. And we can watch another movie. I’m sure Tenten will spend some more time at your parent’s place, so we’ll have plenty of time together. Please don’t cry.”
Lee sniffled and rubbed his eyes somewhat childishly as he stood up off the couch. “Okay.”
Lee bent down slightly to kiss Gaara as they stood in the living room. They threw away the takeout containers and turned off the TV. Once they had brushed their teeth, and Lee had gotten rid of his day clothes, he picked Gaara up, carrying him to the bedroom as he did most nights when Gaara slept over.
He placed him down onto the bed somewhat clumsily, his limbs still heavy with sleep. After he turned off the lights, he slipped under the blanket at the same time that Gaara did. His weighted blanket pressed down on him gently, enveloping him in a comforting pressure. He had invested in the blanket soon after he and Gaara had started dating. Their relationship added a new level of anxiety for Lee, and it helped him sleep more soundly at night. Gaara scooted closer to him, wrapping one arm underneath him and placing a hand to his chest. Lee pressed their foreheads together and gently kissed him on the cheek. The first night they spent together in the same bed had been slightly awkward. Both held their weight, worried about smothering or making the other uncomfortable. But now, they were fully aware of how the other moved and worked. They were able to be close to each other, their bodies fitting perfectly into place. The familiarity of it always comforted Lee, reminding him of how perfect Gaara was for him and how lucky he was to have him.
“I love you so much, Gaara,” Lee said, his eyes filling slightly again.
“I love you too, Lee.” Gaara gently brushed his thumb over Lee’s wet eyes, then over the dimple on his cheek as he placed a soft kiss on his lips. Lee mumbled about his day as he often would when they went to sleep, ending it with a long list of reasons why he loved Gaara. He began drifting off, moving to lay on his back and tuck his arm underneath Gaara. Just before he fell asleep, he felt the weight of him moving to lay securely on his chest. The weight of the blanket combined with the weight of the man he loved soothed Lee, helping him drift off into a peaceful rest.