"Lee.

"Hm?"

"Put me down."

"No can do," the man chirps happily, tightening his grip on Gaara's knees and back. Gaara makes a displeased sound.

Lee kisses him on the forehead. It's the kind of PDA that Gaara would avoid if they were out to dinner or an event together, but it's his favorite so he doesn't say anything. Besides, it makes that tick's face turn green with envy, so he can't feel bad about it.

Neji had been introduced as an 'old friend.' Yet Gaara was getting the feeling that there was more to it than that. The constant flirting and laughing had been too much.

Gaara hated him.

"I hate him," Naruto had relayed his sentiments shortly before Gaara had collapsed from fatigue.

That tick is easier to handle when Lee is pressing his fingers into his thighs and back, however. So, at this very moment, he doesn't mind.

"Just let Gejimayu carry you, Red. You work too hard and we came here so you could relax," Naruto says, also planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Oh," Gaara replies, feeling unexpectedly good.

"Geji-!? He's you're boyfriend. Why don't you carry him," Neji spits. Naruto eyes him up angrily, then slides on a smirk. It's a carnal and vicious thing. His canines glint sharply in the sunlight

"We're together, dipshit. All three of us. Or are you dumb as well as blind," he asks lowly, as if the wrong answer will kill Neji.

"Naruto, that's very rude. Please be nice," Lee says weakly. Naruto continues scowling at Neji for a second. Then he whips around and pulls Lee down for a tongue filled kiss.

Gaara's twisted emotional spectrum makes him feel turned on by the idea of Neji watching angrily in the background.

"Fine, whatever. As long as he can take the hint," Naruto says, flicking Lee's lip with his tongue, "Sorry."

They continue on up the mountain in silence. Gaara catches the way Neji stares at Lee's back in interest. His irritation grows sharply. Lee kisses his head again and cuts clean through it.

Lee is a gentle ride, and they reach the top of the mountain without much fanfare. He hands both Naruto and Gaara water bottles. It only takes him a few seconds to drink most of his.

"It would be beautiful up here at night. Shall we come back," Lee asks. Naruto scrunches up his nose.

"No thanks, night hiking ain't my thing. Now if you wanna go for a skinny dip, I'll be glad to join in."

"It is also probably very dangerous," Neji mumbles, watching Lee do his stretches. Gaara notices the way Lee's face falls. His heart does a swoop.

"I'll go with you, if you like," he offers. Lee smiles lovingly at him and leans down to kiss him.

Gaara uses the back of his head as leverage to keep him there and deepen it.

"Nn."

Lee's knees almost knock into his, and Gaara can feel him going slack. He smiles and lets go with one last peck.

The tick looks good in green.

The moon beams through their patio doors and off of Lee's bare back. Gaara remembers it's flush mere hours ago and shivers.

He shakes him awake.

"Mm..? Gaara..?"

He manages to prop himself up without jostling Naruto.

"Are you unable to sleep?"

"Hm. Do you still want to go on that night walk?"

Lee rubs the sleep out of his eyes and smiles at his lover. He's probably dead tired, but he will do anything for Gaara. The wealthy man wishes Lee understood that he felt the same.

Lee dresses quickly and quietly. Before they go, he kisses Naruto on the forehead, whispering words of affection Gaara has gotten used to listening for in the night.

Lee grabs a hand lamp and his small satchel filled with snacks and water. They make their way up the mountain, and in the cover of darkness, Gaara grabs for his hand. Lee wraps their fingers together immediately. Gaara doesn't let it happen often, so he is probably taking what he can get.

Mt. Myouboku lights itself with fireflies, incandescent flowers, and frogs. Shades of warm emerald, cold periwinkle, and blood orange paint tree trunks and Lee's skin alike.

Gaara lets his mind wander and the stress of work begins to truly melt away. Unlike Naruto, Lee allows Gaara a reprieve from conversation. The only sounds they make are their heavy footsteps, attempting to keep predators away.

The top of the mountain seemed like a short walk to Gaara this time. The starlight shines over everything and makes the shadows cast in the forest more intense.

Lee sits on the large stone next to Gaara. Their shoulders brush.

"How are you feeling? Tired?"

"I'm okay," Gaara nods, fiddling with his water bottle. It's slightly humid but not something he can't handle.

"I can carry you back down if you like. Husband style," Lee jokes, rubbing their arms together.

"Do you want to get married," Gaara asks seriously. He has a lot of influence on their country right now. He wonders if he can somehow legally bind all of their names to a joint bank account, change family records and hospital exceptions. Did Lee want children? Gaara and Naruto could barely take care of themselves, but if that was what Lee wanted...

Anything he can do for Lee, he will. The man never asks for anything, but he would drop everything to get him what he wants. Maybe then Lee will know how he feels about him.

He wonders if it was feasible to get engaged to a man he's only been dating for six months.

"No," Lee replies sadly, and stands up. Gaara giddily thinks he's lying. The tall man dances around in lazy circles, staring up at the sky.

He pauses across from Gaara and stares into his eyes. The moon dances off his black hair. The stars perform rituals on his eyes, and they sparkle like brown fire agate.

"It is more beautiful than I ever imagined," he murmurs.

"Yes," Gaara replies, pushing a strand of hair out of his lover's face.