cottonwhistle

[NARUTO][Haku][085 She: Paper Lanterns]

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:14:36 GMT

Title : Paper Lanterns
Pairings : Zabuza/Haku-ish
Fanfic100 claim : Haku
Fanfic100 prompt : 085 She
Type : One-shot
Word Count : 661
Rating : PG-13
Disclaimers : NARUTO © Kishimoto et al

Little Damn Table

Haku sat on an unoccupied bench of a somewhat empty food cart, taking care to not take too much space. He'd barely read the sign--oden, it had said--and he thought that it would do. He could linger here if he needed to.

He let his eyes travel and saw red paper lanterns everywhere. Women, in fancy kimono, hurried along. Men, casually dressed, strolled more leisurely. Touts called and advertised their wares, and though a few unsure faces were snared, everyone else seemed to know where they were going.

Something about this place didn't sit right with Haku, and he wished that Zabuza were with him. He was merely thirty feet away or so, but inside a decrepit looking shack that Haku couldn't--wouldn't--look into.

In any case, Zabuza had seemed intent on getting rid of him. Haku had been given money and sent off, told that he should be back in an hour and that he should be wary of strange men. Haku had nodded obediently, not quite understanding what Zabuza had meant, wondering why he had been taken along in the first place.

He turned to face the owner of the stall, a kind middle-aged man who seemed happy enough to let Haku sit there without ordering.

"I apologize for taking so long," he said, scrutinizing the slow-simmering pans in front of him. "I'll have... the octopus and an egg."

The man laughed. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No," Haku replied. "I'm just waiting for someone."

He handed Haku a plate. "It's none of my business, but aren't you too young?"

"Too young? What do you mean?"

"Never mind, never mind."

"I mean... what is this place?" Haku asked.

"It's not a good place for a kid like you," he said. He seemed uncomfortable. "Eat up. You must be cold."

So Haku did, and even though he wasn't very cold at all, the food was warm and comforting--surprisingly delicious. When Haku said as much, the old man gave him a free fishcake.

It took him a good half hour to finish everything on his plate. He wanted to stay longer, but he didn't like the idea of making Zabuza wait. Besides, the oden cart was filling up; Haku wouldn't want to stand in the way of good business.

"Take care of yourself, you hear?"

Haku thanked him and promised that he would drop by whenever he was in the neighborhood. He walked away happily, not used to people being so kind.

He waited patiently across the street of the building Zabuza had gone into. When he emerged sometime later, Haku almost ran to him, but stopped dead in his tracks.

Behind him was a beautiful woman. Sophisticatedly dressed in an elaborate kimono, she seemed out of place against the wreck of a house behind her. Haku watched how Zabuza whispered in her ear, his arm intimately wrapped around her waist. Right then, he understood just what this place was about.

He took a deep breath and called out softly, "Zabuza-san."

"Haku? You're early."

The woman watched Haku with curious eyes and said, "Haku-kun, is it? My name is Miyuki. It's nice to meet you."

She had a beautiful voice. Too beautiful, Haku thought bitterly. He desperately wanted to ignore her, but found himself unable to, giving her a slightly deeper bow than he had intended. "Ready to go, Zabuza-san?" Haku asked.

"What a sweet boy," she said, a genuine smile on her face, "I can't believe you made him wait out here, Zabuza-san."

Zabuza glanced at Haku and sneered. "I'll bring him along when he's a little older."

Haku forced himself to smile. He was never coming here again, not even if Zabuza asked him to.

He watched Zabuza slip an envelope behind her obi, his fingers lingering under her breasts. Haku tore his eyes away and stared in the direction of the oden cart.

Haku felt absolutely exhausted. This really wasn't a good place for someone like him.

[Inoran/Miyavi][Turpentine]

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:31:00 GMT

Title : Turpentine (sequel to The State I Am In)
Pairings : Inoran/Miyavi
Type : Drabble-ish, but not quite.
Word Count : 247
Rating : PG-13
Disclaimers : Fiction.
Warnings : RPS. Crack.

Sugizo calls the next day. “I’ve got to warn you about Miyavi…”

Having just woken up from a fitful night’s sleep, Inoran is in no mood to talk, though the mere mention of Miyavi, who’s nowhere to be found, is enough to keep him interested. He wanders into the kitchen, desperate for coffee and a smoke, taking care to not step on pieces of broken glass. Glass that Inoran doesn’t even remember breaking.

“He’s a good kid, you know, but…”

“Sugi,” he says, cutting him off in the middle of what might’ve been good advice last night. A naked Miyavi is writing down a phone number on Inoran’s refrigerator’s door. “I have to go.”

“Eh? Sure, but… oh, all right. I’ll just call you later."

Miyavi doesn’t seem to care that Inoran’s on the phone. “Coffee, Inoran-san? Juice?”

“Wait, Sugi? I’ve got to tell you something,” Inoran says, shaking his head weakly at Miyavi’s offer. He desperately thinks of possible excuses.

He could say that he was too drunk to drive (only somewhat true). And Miyavi had to drive him home in Inoran’s car and was too lazy to go back for his own (completely false). Or something else (like the truth, for instance, but Inoran doesn’t think it’s a good idea).

“Pancakes? Scrambled eggs? Sausages?”

Food that he doesn’t even have. Inoran’s met with hysterical laughter from the other end of the line.

“Get out the turpentine,” Sugizo says, struggling for breath. “He uses permanent markers.”

[Inoran/Miyavi][The State I Am In]

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:57:47 GMT

Title : The State I Am In
Pairings : Inoran/Miyavi
Type : Drabble-ish, but not quite.
Word Count : 265
Rating : R
Disclaimers : Fiction.
Warnings : RPS. Crack.

It’s strange how he doesn’t think it’s strange that—and at this point, Inoran knows that he’s drunk, definitely—Miyavi is kneeling between his legs like that, trying to pull down Inoran’s zipper with his teeth, which is not working, not at all, because this is not porn or a cheesy gratuitous sex scene in a B-rated movie.

This is a mistake, he thinks, because really, he only met Miyavi about five seconds ago, okay, so it’s more like five hours ago, but he never intended for any… oh.

Inoran groans and he knows, understands, that he’s drunk, but not drunk enough to not be thinking. Miyavi’s warm, wet mouth is distracting, but not that distracting, and it doesn’t make sense. This sense of normalcy doesn’t make sense. The fact that his cock is in his former band-mate’s new band-mate’s mouth does. And Inoran doesn’t know what to make of that.

How will he face Sugizo the next time he sees him? Oh, hey, Sugi, remember that time I came up to congratulate you and you introduced me to Miyavi? Well, after, I took him home and fucked him, sorry.

Inoran doesn’t know Miyavi. He doesn’t know if this is okay; he doesn’t know the rules to this sort of thing, he’s never had to think about it before. He decides to think it over later. And comes.

Thirty-six years old and look at him now. Missing out on a perfectly good blowjob for unneeded, unnecessary inner turmoil. Shit, he’s supposed to know better.

Miyavi spits into tissue, grins wickedly. “Want to continue?”

Oh, well.

[NARUTO][Haku][013 Yellow: Syrup][003 Ends: Reasons]

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 18:48:45 GMT

Author's Notes: Con-crit, as always, is much, much appreciated.

Little Damn Table

Title : Syrup
Pairings : ZabuHaku (hints)
Fanfic100 Claim : Haku
Fanfic100 Prompt : 013 Yellow
Type : Drabble
Word Count : 100
Rating : G
Disclaimers : NARUTO © Kishimoto et al

“You’re a kid,” Zabuza-san had said, and it was a present.

Or not.

Haku ate another spoonful of lemon slush, and winced at the sickly sweetness. He had been eating it for ten minutes already, and, honestly, Haku couldn’t stand it, the mountain of shaved ice not shrinking despite his best efforts, but Haku was never one to refuse any form of Zabuza-san’s affection.

Haku had never imagined Zabuza-san’s own childhood to be so idyllic as to have time to eat cold syrupy treats. Nevertheless, Haku was touched, even though he laughed when he said, “Zabuza-san, don’t you want some?”

Title : Reasons
Pairings : ZabuHaku (hints)
Fanfic 100 Claim : Haku
Fanfic100 Prompt : 003 Ends
Type : Drabble-ish, but not quite.
Word Count : 146
Rating : PG-13
Disclaimers : NARUTO © Kishimoto et al

Haku never wanted to die.

He wasn’t afraid of dying, or leaving everything behind; he preferred not to, because dying would just make him useless.

*

Zabuza never wanted Haku to die.

An extra pair of hands was always a welcome help, and Zabuza never actually wondered if he had any other reason.

*

Haku hated killing.

And the thought would always cross his mind while Zabuza easily took others’ lives. Haku wondered if Zabuza had nightmares too.

*

Zabuza never did.

But when he heard Haku whimper in his sleep, Zabuza sometimes felt a little guilty.

*

Haku chose to die.

But saving Zabuza’s life, if only for a few minutes longer, was the easiest choice he had ever made.

*

Zabuza didn’t have the luxury of choice.

But Zabuza had no reason to care. Haku was in a better place, and nothing else mattered.

[NARUTO][Haku][063 Summer: Of Dreams and Nightmares]

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 15:56:46 GMT

Title : Of Dreams and Nightmares
Pairings : ZabuHaku (hints)
Fanfic100 claim : Haku
Fanfic100 prompt : 063 Summer
Type : One-shot/ficlet
Word Count : 339
Rating : PG-13
Disclaimers : NARUTO © Kishimoto et al

Little Damn Table

The ice was melting, and Haku struggled to keep his mirrors tall. The black-haired boy was coming at him, and he was fast. Haku was faster, but the ice was melting, and Haku didn’t understand any of it, especially not when the boy’s hair turned yellow. The boy was screaming something Haku couldn’t make out, and the ice! He just couldn’t hold on…

Then, a flash of silver hair and Haku heard chirping. He couldn’t figure out what it was, but it wasn’t birds, and Haku knew it wasn't anything good.

Zabuza-san! Haku tried to say, shout, anything! But nothing came, and Haku averted his gaze to the boy running towards him. He was slowing, coming to a stop… and the silver-haired man! He was running towards Zabuza-san, and Haku wondered if he’d make it. Haku fled to his most precious person anyway. He had to do… something.

There was a blinding flash of light, a burning in his chest. Everything stopped, and Haku gasped.

Haku woke up in his own bed, hands clenching the sheets. Beads of sweat ran down the side of his neck, and it took a while for Haku to realize that it was nothing but a nightmare.

Haku sat there silently, partly relieved. He was still scared, and breathing hard, but his heart rate was slowing, and Haku loosened his grip. He would not tell Zabuza-san about this, he decided, and he got up to change.

“Bad dream?”

Haku was still tying his sash. “No, Zabuza-san. It’s just too hot. I’m sorry I woke you.”

“Go back to sleep.”

“Yes, Zabuza-san,” Haku replied.

Haku sat on his bed, still feeling much too warm. He tried to cool himself with a paper fan, but it was far too hot, and Haku hated it. Haku missed the snow, and the icy wind; he missed the pleasant numbness of his cheeks when he was out in the cold.

Haku hated his restlessness, and the nightmares most of all.

But Zabuza was here with him.

Zabuza was here.

[Naruto/SDK][crossover][Haku, Akira][Mirrors]

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 11:12:54 GMT

Title : Mirrors
Characters : Haku (NARUTO), Akira (SDK)
Pairings : ZabuHaku (hints)
Type : Double-drabble/crossover
Word Count : 200
Rating : PG
Disclaimers : NARUTO © Kishimoto et al, Samurai Deeper Kyo © Kamijyo et al

01 – Strength

“This is not good enough,” a voice remarked, and Haku saw the wrong reflection on the ice.

The ice blocks twisted and formed a cave-like enclosure, Haku at the very center. “Who are you?” Haku asked. “What did you do to my…?”

“You are not strong enough,” the boy replied, vanishing with his creation, leaving Haku standing in the center of his own mirrors.

Haku was still there when Zabuza found him. Haku’s voice was inflected with sadness when he said, “If I am not strong enough to be your weapon, Zabuza-san, then you may use me as a shield.”

02 – Weapon

“This is…?” a voice asked, and Akira frowned. One of the reflections wasn’t his own.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Haku. You must be from Kirigakure too,” Haku replied. “This is—this is my…”

“This is my technique. Now that I’ve perfected hyoken seiso, my friends will take me along. If this is too cold for you, then you’re not strong enough to be here, Haku.”

The gentle face in the mirror darkened. “At least Zabuza-san takes me along. At least, I am his weapon.”

Akira pulled out one chisakatana and stabbed Haku’s reflection. The ice cracked, and Haku was gone.

[Naruto][LeeGaa/GaaLee][The Trick is to Keep Breathing]

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 15:13:15 GMT

Title : The Trick Is To Keep Breathing
Pairings : LeeGaa/GaaLee
Type : Oneshot
Word Count : 3771
Rating : PG-13ish
Disclaimers : NARUTO © Kishimoto et al. Title from song by Garbage.
Warnings : Spoilers for episodes before time skip.

Author’s Notes:
Situated during the time skip. Special thanks to my beta reader, glance_inward , for comments regarding Gaara’s characterization and corrections on my grammar and punctuation. Con-crit and comments much appreciated.

“If I can’t do one thousand push-ups, I’ll do two thousand lunges!”

It was a perfect day for training alone: Neji had some Hyuuga business to attend to, Tenten—wait, he didn’t know where Tenten was, and Gai-sensei said something about having to talk to Kakashi-sensei, so if Lee could just train alone today as everyone else was so busy with “personal stuff”… and then launched into a wonderful speech about youth that Lee wholeheartedly concurred with.

It was clear and the weather was perfect. And although Rock Lee did not dislike bad weather (an entirely different challenge in itself, of course), he enjoyed the pleasant warmth on the back of his neck more.

It almost could have been an uneventful day for Lee, but he had noticed for quite a while… something was decidedly off. He felt it, a presence in an otherwise deserted place, because he wouldn’t be a very good ninja if he didn’t, would he? And he knew. Somebody was definitely watching him.

He quickened his pace. “Eight-hundred-and-twenty-three, eight-hundred-and-twenty-four, eight-hundred-and-twenty-five…”

It didn’t feel threatening, but…

“… eight hundred-and-thirty-two, eight-hundred-and-thirty-three…”

Ah.

He turned his head a bit; from the corner of his eye, he could see blazing red hair. He knew who it was. In fact, now that he thought about it, the chakra pattern was familiar. Lee had felt it before.

But what was he doing there?

Despite the intrusion, Lee went on counting, intent on not breaking his concentration, but he could feel eyes watching him.

It felt strange.

He had to ask. “Can I help you, Gaara? Eight-hundred-and-ninety-two… do you need anything?”

“No.”

Lee lost track of his numbers and started with lunges. “Well, I must resume my training then.”

“Go right ahead.”

And he stood there. Casually. And Lee again thought how strange it was, the way he connected Gaara to the word casual, as if the ever-threatening gourd was just… a backpack.

Lee continued, “Um, would you like to join me?”

“Not really,” Gaara replied.

It felt comfortable. That was the strangest thing of all.

---

Lee wiped the sweat off his forehead. The sun was already starting to set and Lee needed to find something to eat to soothe his rumbling stomach. But…

“Gaara, I’m going to get something to eat. Do you want to join me?”

Gaara was sitting cross-legged, his gourd leaned against a tree, looking quite bored. “Sure,” he replied.

Lee was surprised at this, partly because it never crossed his mind that this person ate and partly because he never thought Gaara would okay his invitation.

“Ramen?” Lee offered. It seemed like a safe option.

“Anything is fine,” Gaara replied, straightening. His gourd was once again on his back.

“Yes, but—“

“How are you?”

Lee started walking, “I’m doing really well. How about you?”

“I’m good.”

“That’s good.” What was he supposed to say?

“The Chuunin exam,” Gaara said suddenly, falling in step beside him.

“Huh?”

“Your speed… has returned?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

The apology felt out of place. It was so brief that it seemed like it never happened. Lee looked at Gaara, but found no hint of him ever saying anything. That face, it was so…

Expressionless.

“The Chuunin exam, huh?” Lee shrugged, a smile on his face. “I was happy that you were my opponent, Gaara. After what happened, I trained much harder. Gai-sensei helped me. I realized that I still have much to do until I become an excellent ninja. Ah, I mean, after recovering of course. Hokage-sama said that I slowed the recovery process when I went out to help Naruto-kun with…”

Gaara’s head turned.

“… Sasuke-kun. Of course, thanks to you, it wasn’t too bad.”

“For trying to kill you too.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry for that too.”

“Yes, I only heard about that,” Lee stuttered, rather flabbergasted. “But you didn’t really have to come all the way here to apologize, Gaara.”

“I didn’t. Temari had some business in Konoha and she asked me to come as well.”

Oh.

They continued walking silently.

“It seems like we’re here,” Gaara said.

They were now standing in front of Ichiraku, uncharacteristically empty at this hour. Lee wondered if the Sand shinobi had anything to do with it. He let his gaze rest on Gaara’s face and thought that he, well, looked less menacing compared to back then, a far cry from the old Gaara.

“Gaara,” Lee called softly.

The redhead turned and waited.

“I don’t blame you for what happened during the Chuunin exam. You were a strong opponent and it was a good fight. I gave it all my strength and you did the same. So, as I have told you before, I hold no grudges whatsoever.”

“You did say that.”

“Gaara, I don’t need an apology. I’ll show you how great of a ninja I am!” Lee exclaimed, throwing in a thumbs-up for good measure. “You know, I’ve gotten even stronger. Next time, I’ll win!”

The redhead only looked at him, but he seemed quite satisfied.

“Let’s eat.”

Gaara nodded and followed Lee into Ichiraku.

---

Alone in his room, Lee unwrapped the bandages from his hands. He was taking off the weights from his legs when he heard a soft thud outside the door.

He knew it was the gourd, set aside for the time being, resting against a wall somewhere in his living room.

He was leaving for Suna tomorrow, Gaara had told him, and he really didn’t know where Temari was. Lee couldn’t let the Sand shinobi wander around aimlessly, for the sake of Gaara and Konoha, and had offered him a place to stay.

Lee lived alone anyway. He moved out once he found that his excessive training drove his family crazy. His apartment was tiny, but Lee loved it there.

He opened the door and saw Gaara sitting on the floor. Lee remembered how Gaara had watched him earlier during the day. He had been so still, just like he was now. It was unsettling, but Lee wasn’t surprised.

“Gaara, I have a spare futon. It isn’t much, but it’s much better than the floor. Gai-sensei always says that you can train as hard as you want, push your body to the absolute limit, but you must rest whenever you can. It is very important.”

“I don’t sleep.”

“Huh?”

“Shukaku.”

“The demon?” Lee had heard about it, from Naruto and a few others, but never actually pressed for details.

“I don’t sleep. If I sleep, Shukaku will take over my consciousness completely.”

Lee realized that a less menacing-looking Gaara was by no means a harmless one. “I see.”

“But he is under my control, not the other way around.” Gaara said calmly.

”I figured as much, Gaara. It’s just… don’t you get tired?”

“I’ve forgotten how that feels. I do rest, however, so don’t concern yourself. I just don’t sleep, that’s all, and I don’t need a futon.”

Lee nodded. Sand. His skin was the color of sand. And the dark rings around his eyes must be the desert sky at night. “Good night, then.”

“Lee?”

The Leaf shinobi turned and waited.

“I won’t lose.”

Lee laughed. “I don’t expect you to take it easy on me. But I won’t lose so easily, either.”

Gaara said nothing.

In Lee’s living room, Gaara looked painfully young. Sitting there, without the gourd on his back, staring at the darkness… Lee couldn’t imagine staying awake when everyone else had gone to sleep.

Lee climbed into bed. He found it a bit difficult at first, but when he finally did, his sleep was deep and dreamless.

Like the desert, perhaps.

---

Gaara went back to Suna the next morning and Lee went back to his routines. In the days that followed, Lee trained with Gai-sensei and his teammates and went on missions. Lee continued to train alone, after everyone else had finished, and when he felt flickers of chakra, he turned around (he might as well train his neck muscles along with everything else), expecting Gaara.

Very few times, Lee guessed right. After a few months passed, Lee was already attaching training conditions to these guesses, wishing that he was wrong so he could train more and yet wishing that he was right so he could see Gaara.

Because talking to Gaara had turned out to be fun. Well… not fun fun, but quite fun. And his powers were interesting. It would be a good, wonderful, amazing thing to train with Gaara, but the Sand shinobi always declined.

It was a shame, but he’d just have to try again next time.

He never showed up when Lee was with the rest of his team and he really couldn’t figure out why. When Gaara did visit, they did the same things over and over again. Lee would train, alone, while Gaara sat around looking bored and interested at the same time. Sometimes Gaara swirled sand on his palm. His eyes would close during these moments and Lee wondered if that was how he rested.

Gaara never interrupted him during his training sessions. In fact, Gaara seemed content to just sit there and do nothing. If Lee got distracted, it was his own fault and he simply did more push-ups.

Lee ran laps too, of course, because he believed that it was crucial to vary one’s training to fully develop one’s strength. He had wondered briefly if Gaara would follow him, but he didn’t. The boy just sat at the same spot, watching Lee pass by every short moment or so.

They talked and ate, always at Lee’s insistence and choice, spending a good few hours before Lee headed for home. Sometimes Gaara followed him, sometimes they said their goodbyes, never saying anything about the next time.

---

One very strange day, he saw Gaara again. Lee was walking into Konoha with Tenten and Neji, having just returned from a mission, and Gaara, flanked by Temari and Kankurou, was walking out.

Lee smiled, “Gaara, you’re here! Temari-san and Kankurou-kun, how are you?”

Temari and Kankurou looked at Gaara oddly, while Neji and Tenten looked at Lee. The familiarity was odd to them; after all, neither ever said anything.

The two Sand siblings recovered quickly and exchanged pleasantries with Lee and his teammates. Tenten chatted easily with Temari and Kankurou, but Neji seemed a bit annoyed. Lee ignored this.

“Gaara, you’re going home? Already? I just got back! It’s a shame.”

“We can stay another night,” Gaara said, quietly.

“Gaara —“ Temari started.

Kankurou interrupted her, “That’s okay, Temari. I’m tired, ‘nyways.”

“You’re friends,” Temari stated. It wasn’t a question and she didn’t wait for an answer. She sighed. “All right. I’ll just find us a room for the night, then.”

“I’ll stay with Lee.”

Temari’s eyes widened. “Is that okay, Lee?”

“Err… yes.”

Lee was happy, sort of, that Gaara wanted to stay and talk with him that much. Yet, he was quite startled when the sentence flew from Gaara’s mouth.

Gaara was already walking. Lee gave a little bow before catching up with him, leaving four people staring at his back.

---

“How does it feel to be held?”

When Gaara asked that question, they were sitting on the roof of Lee’s apartment and Lee was trying to find things to say. Lee was taken aback. “Don’t you know how it feels?”

Gaara only shook his head.

Eh?!

“It looks nice,” Gaara said, matter-of-factly.

“It feels… comfortable, I suppose,” Lee explained. “But I don’t have any experience with girls, so if you’re asking about that, I really wouldn’t know!”

“Girls?”

“Hugging Sakura-san would feel really nice,” he said wistfully.

“Do you like her?” Gaara asked.

“I think she’s beautiful. When I’m with her, I feel happy.”

“When you’re with her, you feel happy?” Gaara seemed to think about it for a bit and continued, “But I don’t think you’re beautiful.”

Lee really didn’t know what to make of that. It didn’t really hurt his feelings, per se, but what did that have to do with anything?

Gaara’s voice was almost drowned out by the wind. “And I feel happy right now.”

Lee scrutinized the Sand shinobi’s face. He just looked like, well, Gaara. Lee didn’t think he looked especially happy. He didn’t look particularly sad, either. Lee smiled brightly. “That’s because we’re friends!”

“Friends.”

Lee gave him a thumbs-up. He didn’t really know when exactly this friendship started, but Gaara was a friend to Lee and he wanted Gaara to understand this. Upon seeing Gaara’s confusion, he said, “Yes, friends! I’m happy that you’re here. Friends are always happy to see each other. I’m happy when I’m with Tenten and Sakura-san and Naruto-kun. Even Neji too, sometimes, especially when we’re training.”

“And your teacher too?”

“Gai-sensei? Of course!” Lee’s eyes softened. “Gai-sensei is a very important person to me. He taught me everything I know and he believes in me. I am very lucky to have him as a teacher… and the only way I can thank him is by becoming an excellent ninja.”

“You’re not a bad ninja,” Gaara said.

“No, Gaara. I will become an excellent ninja. I will surpass genius with hard work!”

Gaara was quiet for a while, looking at the sky like he looked at everything else. Lee, who always thought that Gaara was expressionless, realized that Gaara was just missing something. Something. But what?

“You like your friends.”

“Of course. Don’t you like Temari-san and Kankurou-kun?”

“I do feel comfortable with them,” Gaara admitted. “But I don’t particularly want to hold them.”

Lee was confused by this statement. He imagined giving Neji a hug and shivered. “I don’t particularly want to hold them either, Gaara. When Gai-sensei holds me, I feel safe. I feel happy too, but a different sort of happy. I don’t think about wanting to hold him or anything. Well, I do, but… not like I want to hold Sakura-san. So, it’s not like that.”

“But I want to hold you.”

Lee whipped his head so fast, he swore he heard parts of his neck snapping. “Huh?”

“I don’t know why. I just do.”

“But…”

“Lately, when I see you, I feel weird inside. I don’t know why. I really want to hold you. Like I need to do it.”

The Leaf shinobi matched Gaara’s unblinking gaze. Gaara didn’t look uncomfortable at all.

“So… you like me?” Lee finally asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Oh.”

They sat there quietly after that, not saying much else to each other. Gaara didn’t press Lee for an answer. In fact, Gaara didn’t seem to expect one.

Lee remembered how he had asked Sakura to go out with him. This was nothing like that. It felt more intimate, somehow.

What happened next was a blur. Lee didn’t know what came over him. He just kept thinking how lonely Gaara must have been. He kept thinking it over and over and over. And he turned to Gaara very suddenly and wrapped his arms around him, but…

There was a slight hiss. Sand slapped Lee’s hands away. Lee had amazing reflexes; the sand didn’t get a chance to hurt him. But it did hurt, in a way Lee wouldn’t have expected.

Gaara was as surprised as he was, it seemed. His eyes widened at Lee’s form, now a bit farther away.

“I, no, it was startled!”

“It’s okay, Gaara. I’m fine! See!” Lee grinned.

Gaara nodded. “It’s late.”

“Right,” Lee replied softly. “Let’s get back inside.”

Lee knew, then. What Gaara did not have was what he had in excess.

Warmth.

---

“How do you do that?” Gaara asked the next morning.

Lee was training again. He had no practice or missions today, since he had just gotten back yesterday, and he was doing warm-ups and stretches in his tiny living room. Gaara was seated, leaning against a wall by the window, watching him, as per usual with Gaara when around Lee these days.

“Do what?”

Gaara didn’t mention anything at all regarding last night’s incident and Lee was too embarrassed to bring it up. He tried a few times, but couldn’t.

“I’ve never seen anyone train as much as you do.”

“I think, maybe, most people don’t really have to,” Lee said, stretching his arms above his head. “But it’s fun. I honestly don’t mind.”

“I don’t really train.”

“Really? I knew you were strong, but…”

“Once I fully learned to control my chakra,” Gaara interrupted, palm upturned, “I didn’t need to learn anything else.”

“But…”

Gaara swirled sand on his palm. “I do train. This way. I build up my chakra control by doing this. I do other things too, but it’s nothing like what you do.”

Lee had seen this before, but was still the slightest bit impressed. “I thought you were resting when you did that.”

“Actually, that too. You knew?”

“Um, no. I just guessed. You close your eyes sometimes.”

“You see,” Gaara started, spinning the sand faster, “I can’t sleep, but I must rest. I close my eyes and relax, but not entirely, because that would be a disaster. This is where the sand comes in. It keeps me focused and clear. It requires enough attention for me to stay awake, but only trace amounts of chakra for me to rest. This was the first thing I learned as a child.”

“Wow…” Lee whispered.

“The second thing was killing.”

Lee sighed. That was his childhood memory? Being taught to rest without sleeping and kill without second thought? Lee digested this information, replaying last night’s incident in his head. Of course.

“I learned the second on my own, though. After…”

When Lee asked, his voice was soft. “After what?”

“Never mind.”

Lee did not press for an explanation. He really didn’t know that much about Gaara, not enough anyway. He only knew that it had been bad and he didn’t know if he wanted to know more. If Gaara couldn’t even manage to be touched, held, by his friend whom he’s been seeing regularly for quite a while now, it had to be horrible.

He thought about Gaara’s remark that day, under the tree, after the fight with Kimimaro. It was something about being lonely. He tried to remember what Gaara had said exactly, but he only remembered his face then.

He had to ask. “How did you get through it, Gaara? Your childhood?”

“I barely did. Not long ago.”

“Oh.”

“You?” Gaara asked, as if in reply. “You say you want to be an excellent ninja, but you can’t do ninjutsu or genjutsu. You wouldn’t even have made genin in Suna. Konoha shouldn’t be that different, but you did it. You were my first real opponent and I don’t understand. I don’t understand how you did it.”

The change of subject was sudden, and some of Gaara’s words were harsh, but Lee pondered on Gaara’s question. Sure, it was hard. Really hard at first, even. But he never did give up and Gai-sensei… well, Gai-sensei had everything to do with Rock Lee being as strong as he was now. Lee placed both hands on his hips and said, in a very clear voice and as confident a tone he could muster, “The trick, Gaara, is to keep breathing!”

Gaara didn’t seem surprised by his little outburst at all, Lee thought.

“You see, Gaara, I have faced obstacles in my life and will face more as I grow stronger, but that is what youth is all about! I have trained and trained to reach my goal. I will continue to do so, of course. And when another obstacle presents itself, even if I feel as if it is too difficult for me to bear, I will just go on. I’ll keep breathing and continue my efforts. As long as I do that, I’ll jump over that hurdle in no time!”

For some reason, Gaara smiled. It wasn’t manic-looking like Lee had expected of Gaara. It looked weird at first, because this was a new thing for even Lee who had befriended him quite easily, but it was a nice smile, barely there, but a real smile. Really. He…

Smiled.

“I suppose that’s what I’ve been doing, then,” Gaara said finally. “Breathing.”

“Yes,” Lee replied, voice softening. “In a different sort of way, but breathing all the same.”

Gaara stood up abruptly and said, “I have to go now.”

“Oh?” Lee relaxed his arms at his sides. He felt the slightest bit disappointed.

“I’m better now and we have to get back. Temari must be waiting for me already.”

Better?

Before Lee could ask, Gaara had wrapped his arms around him. Lee couldn’t figure out how it happened, but it happened. He could only stand there, not understanding exactly what…

“Yesterday, I was surprised,” Gaara said.

Lee carefully freed his arms from their awkward position and placed them on Gaara’s back. They stayed in the embrace for a while and when Gaara finally pulled his hands away, Lee felt his cheeks flush. Because well… the things they had talked about yesterday were hitting a bit too close to home, but Lee realized he didn’t mind, not really, he was okay with all this. Holding Gaara felt nice, a bit like hugging Gai-sensei, but a bit different, because it felt like this time it was Lee who was doing the protecting.

“I’ll see you,” Lee grinned. Next time.

“Yes. In about two weeks? Temari has some follow-ups to do.”

“Right,” Lee answered, startled.

“We almost missed each other yesterday,” Gaara said.

“Wouldn’t want that to happen again,” Lee replied.

Gaara smiled. Again, Lee thought.

When Lee offered to walk Gaara to the gates, where Temari was waiting, Gaara refused. So Lee just gave him a salute and watched him disappear in the corner.

---

“Lee!” Tenten called, throwing a shuriken his way. “What’s wrong with you?”

He had been a bit out of it, he realized, after dodging rather poorly. Gaara holding him in his skinny arms. Gaara smiling. Smiling! Gaara saying those things… Gaara. Gaara. Gaara.

“Lee!”

Lee looked up at Tenten and grinned. He had told Gaara that he would win next time; this was not helping at all. No more silly thoughts in his head, Lee decided. He only had two weeks to train best to his ability and having one’s head in the clouds was not the way to do it.

One thousand squats, five hundred kicks, and eight hundred punches, he decided.

Two hundred laps around Konoha after their sparring bout, he thought again. After all, he had to keep breathing.

“Tenten!” he exclaimed, “Again!”

End

*Credits to maldoror_gw; the sand-scene was mostly inspired by her Lee/Gaara fics. ♥

[Naruto][LeeShika/ShikaLee][Opposites: Proposal]

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 07:16:01 GMT

Title : Proposal
Pairings : ShikaLee/LeeShika
Type : Oneshot/ficlet
Word Count : 414
Rating : PG for language
Disclaimers : NARUTO © Kishimoto et al
Warnings : None. Just excess exercising.

Author’s Notes :
This short fic was inspired by inomuiro’s wonderful fanart, although it didn’t unravel the way I thought it would.

First, there was a loud bang as someone burst into his room. Next, a voice that made him cringe: “I HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR YOU!”

Nara Shikamaru sighed and looked up from his book, irritated, because what the hell was Lee doing, bursting into people’s homes like that? He raised an eyebrow and muttered, to himself as much as to this invader of personal space, “What now?”

Not that he didn’t like Lee. He did, really. The guy was earnest and hardworking. Shikamaru wouldn’t mind him around on a mission. But overachiever types were just too damn troublesome and Shikamaru really didn’t want to waste his free afternoon to do… whatever it was that Lee wanted to do.

Just last week, after teaching the guy go out of all things, he started challenging Shikamaru to matches. Shikamaru had won so many times that Lee had started to attach ridiculous conditions to his losses.

It had been so annoying, until Lee decided to run a hundred or so laps around Konoha, leaving Shikamaru to daydream in peace. Konoha! The whole damn village of Konoha! And Shikamaru was daydreaming and thinking about this almost impossible feat and wishing that he could just not think about it, because peace was always short-lived.

When asked about Lee’s sudden interest in go (and following Shikamaru around, he didn’t add), Lee only told him that Gai-sensei, of course it was that teacher of his, said that Shikamaru was a tactical genius and Lee should start learning from him.

Back from his thoughts, Shikamaru repeated his question, louder this time. “What is it?”

Another challenge, he’d bet. Another game of go. Another…

“Please go out with me, Shikamaru-kun!”

He was taken aback at first, then his mind started screaming no no no no!

But Lee stood there, clearly nervous, looking at Shikamaru, determination emanating from his posture. Lee, who was kind and loyal and always doing his absolute best. Lee, who had exceeded everyone’s expectations.

And even Shikamaru had to admit that the green spandex Lee wore was… well, fetching on him, for lack of a better word.

Shikamaru sighed, again, and said, “This is against my better judgment and I’m sure this is the start of a disaster…”

Lee’s eyes blinked and… wait, did they just sparkle?!

“Fine.” Shikamaru finished, almost regretting his decision. “But no more push-ups in my room, okay? And no squats! No lunges, either! And no—"

Before he knew it, Nara Shikamaru was utterly squished.

[NARUTO][Haku][030 Death: Truly Killed]

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:30:21 GMT

Title : Truly Killed
Pairings : ZabuHaku (hints)
Fanfic100 claim : Haku
Fanfic100 prompt : 030 Death
Type : Drabble
Word Count : 100
Rating : PG-13
Disclaimers : NARUTO © Kishimoto et al

Little Damn Table

The first time he ever truly killed, Haku stood by the man’s corpse for a very long time. The smell of blood was overwhelming. He never said so, but it disgusted him, just a little, because he was fully aware how, no, that he did it.

Too much blood…

He had forgiven himself once. Years ago. This time it was harder and Haku fought back the urge to vomit.

“Haku.”

He turned back, swallowing the bile rising in his throat, smiled, and said, “It’s done, Zabuza-san.”

He would forgive himself, he decided. For this precious person, he would do anything.