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Lee pushed himself deeper into his stretch as he desperately tried to ignore the sounds that came from the two to his left.
It was fine. Everything was fine.
So what if his face was turning red even though his training hadn’t been especially strenuous today. So what if his stomach felt like an empty pit, and his skin felt itchy and uncomfortable. So what if Gaara hadn’t looked his way once today.
It was fine.
It’s not like Lee minded that Hokage-sama hadn’t chosen him as the Kazekage’s escort for the Five Kage Summit. Why would he be bothered by something like that? Lee had things he needed to do for himself. It was better this way, he could focus on his own training without being interrupted. In fact, it was good that Gaara found himself some new friends with common interests. It was good that Gaara was bonding with Neji, even if it’s over something simple as tea leaves.
But another chuckle coming from Gaara and Neji made it hard to convince himself that it’s not only plants they’re discussing about. Lee couldn’t understand his own frustration, it’s not like he minded that two of his dearest teammates and friends were becoming friends. That would be illogical. So what was with this feeling of longing he was getting when he watched them together? Maybe he just didn’t want Gaara to inadvertently spill anything about their own relationship, not that it’d ever happen. So why did he feel so weird about watching the two of them interact? Neji was on his duty after all.
Lee released his legs and stood up from his front bend, feeling slightly more at ease with his emotions. There was nothing weird about how he was feeling. It was normal to be wary about all of this. Especially when Neji and Tenten had revealed their relationship just the week before. He stared behind the two to see if Tenten had noticed how closely Neji was standing next to Gaara. But even if Tenten had noticed, she seemed wholly unconcerned and more focused on her own matters. Lee narrowed his eyes in annoyance.
“Lee?”
“Lee...”
“Lee!”
Lee finally looked up to see that Gaara was now standing next to him and calling his name, “Huh?”
Gaara stared at him and tilted his head to the side. “Is everything alright? You seem out of it.”
Lee nodded stiffly.
“Good,” Gaara returned his nod with his own.
Lee tried to ignore the squirming he felt in his stomach under Gaara’s gaze. Instead, he looked away to where Neji was listening to Tenten and her own rambles.
“Hyuga is unexpectedly nice, isn’t he?” whispered Gaara.
Lee almost frowned and showed his annoyance to the world. Gaara did sound impressed. Of course, it’s good that Neji’s good side was recognized. In fact, he was one of the nicest, most caring people Lee had ever known. That didn’t mean Gaara had to stare at him that way, practically shining in awe.
It made Lee feel strange. A few days ago, before the Five Kage Summit had started, it had been Lee whom Gaara was staring at with his eyes shining in awe. Now Gaara had seemed to have lost interest in him, and was way more interested in-
Oh.
It all dawned on Lee. Now it all made sense. The weird feeling in his stomach. The way his heart sped up when he watched Gaara and Neji. The way he wanted to be the one to guide Gaara across the village. Now he recognized what he was feeling.
It was jealousy. Lee was jealous.
It wasn’t a totally unfamiliar feeling. He had experienced jealousy towards Neji before. After all, he had beaten him in every aspect including Taijutsu. But this… this felt different. He didn’t think he was jealous of Neji’s skills. For some reason, he was jealous of the way that Gaara was reacting to him. He was jealous of the way Gaara’s almost invisible brows lifted up and the way his mouth opened in surprise at Neji’s knowledge about plants. He was jealous of the attention Neji was getting from Gaara. But why on earth would he be jealous of that?
It didn’t make any sense.
Lee shook his head, trying to clear out all the confusing thoughts running through his head.
Neji had noticed them watching and walked over.
“Lee, Gaara-san.”
Gaara-san???
When did he drop his usual formality? Just this morning it was Kazekage-sama! Lee looked with wide eyes as Neji initiated another conversation with Gaara about what he’d like for brunch. Gaara, comfortable as ever, followed Neji as they headed back to town. Both looking at ease, despite barely interacting with each other back then. It made him feel weird.
Gaara’s brief mention of saury fish turned their whole conversation’s topic to seafood but Lee couldn’t focus on what they were saying. He was too focused on Neji’s arm, which was loosely dangling, too dangerously close to Gaara's own. Their hands might as well just touch!
Lee knew that Neji tended to be reserved around people. Lee was often on the receiving end of that personality quirk in the past and he had found it a bit irritating. But right now, he found it more annoying that Neji was being so affable. Lee closed his eyes in frustration.
What was wrong with him?
It’s not like he expected Neji to jump all over him and hug him, it was his kind of thing. He just… didn’t like that Neji was opening up to Gaara with such a speed. Or maybe he didn’t like the speed Neji took to do that to anybody at all.
But why?
Lee chewed on his lip. Was it possible he wasn’t jealous of Neji after all? Was it actually Gaara he was jealous of? Because the speed Gaara took to bond with Neji couldn’t be compared to what had taken him years. Because Gaara didn’t get overwhelmed by Neji’s widespread knowledge and talents and returned them well and confidently, in a way Lee never could.
This was getting out of hand. While Lee had experienced his fair share of jealousy when it came to love, he certainly wasn’t used to feeling jealous over his own actual relationship. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do with these feelings bubbling up inside of him. He couldn’t fully understand, who was he jealous of exactly? Neji or Gaara? More importantly, why was he jealous at all...
“Lee?”
Lee looked up, shaken from his thoughts.
“Hmm?”
Gaara smiled and took his hand. “Are you coming with us?”
Lee’s face must’ve revealed that he hadn’t been listening because Gaara added “We’re going to eat at a seafood restaurant around this part of town. Do you want to join us?”
“Oh, um-” Lee stuttered, “If-if you want me to.”
“Of course we do.” Gaara said.
Oh.
Lee reddened slightly but nevertheless offered an enthusiastic “Sure!”
“Great.” Gaara nodded.
Tenten sighed, having to witness Lee’s whole emotional roller coaster on the side. “Finally! Lee is joining so let’s go, I’m starving!”
With that, she linked her left arm with Neji and her right arm with Lee, dragging them along with Gaara’s hand still attached to Lee’s.
Lee caught Gaara’s eye and his little grin at his teammate’s antics, and Lee couldn’t help but bursted out laughing himself. He decided to worry about his jealousy issues later. There would be plenty of time in the future for him to figure out his feelings and what it all meant.
For now, he was happy to eat lunch with his friends.