[Open] When Youth Is Not Enough
Characters: Rock Lee, Gaara, and anyone wishing to comfort Lee
Content: After spending all of Lunasa cooped up in his room crying and moping and being the opposite of his usual youthful self thanks to Gaara's rejection of his feelings, Lee goes outside for fresh air and attempts to train, but fails because he is too miserable.
Setting: Outside of the Convoy at Lee's makeshift training area
Time: Afternoon, the day after Lunasa and this log
Warnings: A very sad, not at all youthful Lee. (Also, Lee-mun being really loquacious.)
Thwack!
The sound resonated around the area near the Convoy, and the log Lee had just landed a decent hit against tipped over. His shoulders slumped and he sighed heavily. This was the least fun he had ever had while training in all of his life, and he was definitely not giving it his all. The training area looked much the same as it had when he'd first stepped outside an hour ago. On any normal day, after even just ten minutes of training his make-shift training area would be littered with broken logs and dust would have been kicked up all over the place.
But today, Lee was not his usual, happy, youththful self. The burn of Youth had turned into the burn of tears--not manly, but sad--and he felt exhausted; drained. He had spent all of Lunasa in his room, hiding from the rest of the world, but mostly hiding from Gaara. He felt like such a fool. No matter what he had determined he would do for Gaara, no matter that he would keep his promise to love him and protect him, he could not shake off these horrible feelings. He had built up his declaration to Gaara the days leading up to the incident in question, and in his mind, Gaara had not only felt the same, but said so in the most beautiful and flowery of ways.
Lee had not expected the redhead to react in the negative, to leave Lee with naught but a rock and a vague apology.
He aimed a poorly executed punch at the fallen log, stumbling over it and landing in a pathetic heap on the floor, tears falling down his now dirty face. He sniffed, rolling onto his back and sitting up. "I am a failure," he murmured to himself. He had tried writing to his sensei asking for advice, but it had been too painful and he had given up, choosing instead to train until he felt better. But so far, training was not working. He just wanted to go back to his room, curl up in bed and cry. His sensei would be so ashamed of him if he knew how easily Lee was giving up. Lee was ashamed of himself. Where was his youthful spirit? Where was the optimism that defined him? He felt as he had when he was a child, before he had left Konohagakure: lonely and hopeless, sure that nothing good would ever happen. But this time, he did not see how that could change; how could he make Gaara love him? His declarations had only upset the redhead, the rock--that stupid rock!--had done nothing but waste Lee's time.
His hand slipped into the pocket of his vest, pulling out the sandstone rock Gaara had left with him the day before. He let out a broken sob, clenching it tightly in his hand, close to his heart. Why had Gaara given him this? What was he trying to do by offering up gifts to Lee? Lee didn't want gifts. He wanted to go back in time and make it so none of this had happened. Another sob escaped him, and he swallowed roughly past the lump in his throat, trying in vain to push down the clawing urge to cry that was working its way up his throat.
"Na-nande?" he croaked, looking at the rock in his hand. "Why did this happen?" He realised, as he looked at the rock that he was being selfish. He had promised Gaara that no matter what, no matter what obstacles lay ahead, he would love him, cherish him, and always protect him. Lee's heart may have been broken, but it was unfair to only want Gaara to love him. Shouldn't he just want his most important person's happiness, regardless if that person loved him back? Even as he reminded himself of all that he had determined, he still could not bring himself to train properly. Perhaps he could be sad for a little while longer. And then, when he felt better, he could make it up to Gaara. He could make amends for being this pathetic, selfish failure. He could want only Gaara's happiness, even if that happiness was not with Lee, even if it ended up hurting Lee more.
He sucked in a shaky breath, sniffing and hiccuping. "I-I will definitely keep my promise to you, Gaara," he whispered to the rock, before he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his legs and burying his face in his knees.
Content: After spending all of Lunasa cooped up in his room crying and moping and being the opposite of his usual youthful self thanks to Gaara's rejection of his feelings, Lee goes outside for fresh air and attempts to train, but fails because he is too miserable.
Setting: Outside of the Convoy at Lee's makeshift training area
Time: Afternoon, the day after Lunasa and this log
Warnings: A very sad, not at all youthful Lee. (Also, Lee-mun being really loquacious.)
Thwack!
The sound resonated around the area near the Convoy, and the log Lee had just landed a decent hit against tipped over. His shoulders slumped and he sighed heavily. This was the least fun he had ever had while training in all of his life, and he was definitely not giving it his all. The training area looked much the same as it had when he'd first stepped outside an hour ago. On any normal day, after even just ten minutes of training his make-shift training area would be littered with broken logs and dust would have been kicked up all over the place.
But today, Lee was not his usual, happy, youththful self. The burn of Youth had turned into the burn of tears--not manly, but sad--and he felt exhausted; drained. He had spent all of Lunasa in his room, hiding from the rest of the world, but mostly hiding from Gaara. He felt like such a fool. No matter what he had determined he would do for Gaara, no matter that he would keep his promise to love him and protect him, he could not shake off these horrible feelings. He had built up his declaration to Gaara the days leading up to the incident in question, and in his mind, Gaara had not only felt the same, but said so in the most beautiful and flowery of ways.
Lee had not expected the redhead to react in the negative, to leave Lee with naught but a rock and a vague apology.
He aimed a poorly executed punch at the fallen log, stumbling over it and landing in a pathetic heap on the floor, tears falling down his now dirty face. He sniffed, rolling onto his back and sitting up. "I am a failure," he murmured to himself. He had tried writing to his sensei asking for advice, but it had been too painful and he had given up, choosing instead to train until he felt better. But so far, training was not working. He just wanted to go back to his room, curl up in bed and cry. His sensei would be so ashamed of him if he knew how easily Lee was giving up. Lee was ashamed of himself. Where was his youthful spirit? Where was the optimism that defined him? He felt as he had when he was a child, before he had left Konohagakure: lonely and hopeless, sure that nothing good would ever happen. But this time, he did not see how that could change; how could he make Gaara love him? His declarations had only upset the redhead, the rock--that stupid rock!--had done nothing but waste Lee's time.
His hand slipped into the pocket of his vest, pulling out the sandstone rock Gaara had left with him the day before. He let out a broken sob, clenching it tightly in his hand, close to his heart. Why had Gaara given him this? What was he trying to do by offering up gifts to Lee? Lee didn't want gifts. He wanted to go back in time and make it so none of this had happened. Another sob escaped him, and he swallowed roughly past the lump in his throat, trying in vain to push down the clawing urge to cry that was working its way up his throat.
"Na-nande?" he croaked, looking at the rock in his hand. "Why did this happen?" He realised, as he looked at the rock that he was being selfish. He had promised Gaara that no matter what, no matter what obstacles lay ahead, he would love him, cherish him, and always protect him. Lee's heart may have been broken, but it was unfair to only want Gaara to love him. Shouldn't he just want his most important person's happiness, regardless if that person loved him back? Even as he reminded himself of all that he had determined, he still could not bring himself to train properly. Perhaps he could be sad for a little while longer. And then, when he felt better, he could make it up to Gaara. He could make amends for being this pathetic, selfish failure. He could want only Gaara's happiness, even if that happiness was not with Lee, even if it ended up hurting Lee more.
He sucked in a shaky breath, sniffing and hiccuping. "I-I will definitely keep my promise to you, Gaara," he whispered to the rock, before he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his legs and burying his face in his knees.