The Beast and His Youthful Beauty (GaaLee)

The Beast and His Youthful Beauty (GaaLee) 4

The Beast and His Youthful Beauty (GaaLee)

Chapter 4: The Stay

The meal ended without so much as a commotion and Gaara didn't want the beauty to leave. Knowing in his heart that Lee couldn't possibly stay, Gaara offered to accompany him to his own abode. Blushing heavily, Lee took the offer and the two males began the trek to the simpleton's house. The woods were darkening and the sun was lowering in the sky. Lee gave a shiver in the crisp air but ignored it. Gaara couldn't help but stare as goose pimples rose on Lee's partially showing arms and crowded the porcelain feature to provide body heat. Taking off his extra robe, Gaara placed it gently on the boy's shoulders. Glancing away, Gaara relaxed his face to make it look as if it were something he did every day. Which was obviously opposite the fact.

"Thank you," came the gentle reply. Lee blushed slightly and stared at his feet. He wore a simple pair of shoes that were worn, noting that he hardly ever got a new pair. It made him feel poor when he compared his worn leather shoes with Gaara's brightly colored and new looking boots. Blushing at his stupidity, Lee slipped his hands into the sleeves.

'God, he's so beautiful,' Gaara though wistfully to himself, careful to not stare too often, and failing several times. Instead of making the moment an awkward one, the red headed beast started a conversation with, "Do you live with your parents?" It was an artless enough question, but it started a wonderful talk.

"I live with my father, Gai. He's an inventor! Mother passed away a few years back from an illness, but it's alright. Father and I get along well enough that we can live peacefully," Lee was smiling eagerly and nodding his head. Gaara would've never thought the boy the type to talk with his hands, but it seemed he was. With every word the black haired child spoke, a flail of his arms and hands came. Fascinated, the red headed beast simply stared, not noticing they were in town until he heard the commotion.

He and the simpleton had made it to the small town of Konoha in a matter of an hour. It should be written the record halls. Gaara's home, a much large factor in the small village, was purposely far from all civilization. As a child, he had learned to survive on what was provided for him, without the necessity of visiting a market or shop. Growing up, the teenager would sneak out and could be spotted at a local book shop, one filled with all of his favorites. The shopkeeper had been too much of a flirt, but he had been able to bear with it.

"Do you live near the town?" Gaara decided to say to break the beginning of a silence. Lee merely nodded and pointed ahead of them. After give a waning glance, the half-prince noted the small house in front of them. It was simple, if cozy. The shuttered windows gave off a once feminine touch, as did the potted flowers which seemed a bit droopy. It was the type of home Gaara never imagine living in but secretly pondered upon. What would be like to use every room in the house? What would it be like to have no dark corners, dusty shelves, or a dank prison for a cellar?

Gaara's steps slowed as he and Lee approached the house. There was something Gaara had been wondering about. What if Lee's father was home? The half-prince had been careful enough to keep his existence minimal to the villagers. He'd come once or twice in the past few years. When he had the simple folk had stared, started rumors, and caused him to stop coming. Hinata had begun to take a list into town for the new tales that Gaara ordered from the book store. It was no loss, though. The shopkeeper had given him the willies anyway.

Soon Lee noticed that his companion was a few feet behind him. Turning his body around, the lithe boy began walking backwards so he could speak with his new friend. "Don't worry, Father is at a convention a few towns away for his inventions. He'll probably be gone for a while, a week at most. It would be for the best if I stayed with you!" With that, Lee skipped his way up the two front steps and into the cottage. Gaara's entire brain shut down.

Slipping a lopsided grin onto his face, the redhead strolled up to the house, happy that Lee actually wanted to come back to the castle with him. The younger boy would obviously have the guest room right next to Gaara's. Perhaps he'd even show the boy the library. That would impress him, right? The half-blood decided that it would.

The first thing he noticed when he walked through the door was the flitting of a small boy skittering from one end to the other. Clothes were thrown into a bag, then books, and then paper and ink, in case he wanted to write someone when he felt the need. A few socks were strewn in the hallway, which Lee instantly shoved under a desk to get the out of the way. The sound of two buckles be clicked was heard in the nearly silent home.

"Ready?" came the question.

"Mmm, I feel as if I have forgotten something ... Oh!" Again, the black haired raven disappeared only to reappear seconds later with a small hand mirror. "Mother got it from an elder woman who said it was magic!" Lee exclaimed as he carefully placed in the front pocket of his case, patting it securely.

Noting the familiar haze of blue around the mirror's rim that he too had experienced just under two years ago, Gaara smiled slightly. The evil witch sure knew what she was doing, didn't she?