History Fanfic / DiplomaticRelations

* {{Badass}}: Essentially everyone introduced in Suna is this, along with the main characters.
** BadassFamily: Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, who collectively run the village, organise the war effort and deal with Lee's stubbornness.

-> ''Being in love with Gaara was bound to make his life more interesting. And possible rather short as well.''

There is a sequel, ''[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/31026.html Kindred]]'', this time told from Gaara's POV. Side fics set in the same universe include the comic one-shots ''[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/15302.html Chicken Soup for the Demonic Soul]]'' and ''[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/12978.html Big Heart, Drunken Fist]]'', and the longer horror/mystery fic ''[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/12978.html Missing]]''.

* SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids: Gaara takes this approach with Chiro, as he doesn't understand or care of Lee's cautions of taking it easy with the recently-traumatised kids..

* TheIdealist: The fic, being from Lee's POV, is resolutely idealist as Lee refuses to get mired in any angst despite the events around him and Gaara.
* ThePowerOfLove: Lee believes in this as a result of a speech he remembers Gai giving many years ago. Later subverted as he realises a relationship with Gaara will be fraught with difficulty.
** More painfully, Gaara goes through the same thing; his uncle told him that love would make him stop hurting, and he doesn't take it well when he finds out that's not true.
* TheStoic: Gaara, as in the original series, taking on additional nuance as Lee finds out about his DarkandTroubledPast.
** NotSoStoic: Gaara [[spoiler:reacts badly to Lee's accidental confession of love and blows potholes in the desert]]. And his eventual friendship and relationship with Lee, of course.
* TheUnfavourite: Lee was this to the relatives who raised him after the death of his parents, due to his weird looks and inability to mould chakra.

* OhCrap: Rogue ninjas corner Lee and Gaara in an alleyway, then run as soon as they realise they're dealing with ''that'' [[NamestoRunAwayFrom Gaara of the Sand]].

* BigOlEyebrows: Lee is relieved that he still has these after [[spoiler:Gaara puts the Sand Amour on him and leaves him shaved all over,]] because they make him resemble his manly teacher, Gai.

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Lee begins on the idealism side and slowly becomes more realistic, though still hugely idealistic compared to Gaara, as a result of their relationship. Similarly, Gaara learns to be a tiny bit less cynical.

[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/30383.html Diplomatic Relations]] is a [[SlashFic Lee/Gaara]] ''Naruto'' fic written by [[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com maldoror-gw]].

This story can be found .

''Diplomatic Relations'' is a [[SlashFic Lee/Gaara]] ''Naruto'' fic written by [[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com maldoror-gw]].

This story can be found [[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/30383.html here]].

There is also a sequel, ''[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/31026.html Kindred]]'', this time told from Gaara's POV. Side fics set in the same universe include the comic one-shots ''[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/15302.html Chicken Soup for the Demonic Soul]]'' and ''[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/12978.html Big Heart, Drunken Fist]]'', and the longer horror/mystery fic ''[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/12978.html Missing]]''.

!!Provides examples of:

* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Naturally, Lee to Gaara.

** NotDistractedByTheSexy: [[TransparentCloset Lee expresses confusion]] at the practicality of Tsunade's boob-baring outfit and the popularity of her spars with Shizune.

** Not Distracted by the Sexy: [[TransparentCloset Lee expresses confusion]] at the practicality of Tsunade's boob-baring outfit and the popularity of her spars with Shizune.

* DarkandTroubledPast: Lee gets up to speed with Gaara's in a conversation with Naruto. He realises that it's the villages' rejection of the demon hosts which has made them what they are, not the demons themselves, making Gaara and Naruto NotSoDifferent.
* DarkerandEdgier: Gaara's semi-human personality is explored in greater depth than in the original series.
** LighterandSofter: Having Lee has a narrator guarantees idealism everywhere, and the war on the BigBad is a lot simpler than the one in the original series.

* DistractedbytheSexy: Lee realises that he always seems to notice what Gaara's wearing...

* SliceofLife: The early chapters feature Lee and Gaara getting on with their shinobi duties in Suna and having short conversations, as a means of Lee (and the reader) getting to know Gaara.

* ThePowerofLove: Lee believes in this as a result of a speech he remembers Gai giving many years ago. Later subverted as he realises a relationship with Gaara will be fraught with difficulty.

The story is told from Lee's POV, so there is heaps of comedy and idealism, along with insights into Lee's psyche. The plot diverges from Akatsuki's attack on Suna in canon. The story depicts Lee goes about daily life in the desert village of Suna, beginning as a series of one-shots detailing Lee and Gaara's growing acquaintance, and is now novel-length at 23 chapters. Some scenes are NSFW.

* AlmostKiss: While in the desert and bereft of supplies, Gaara [[preserves spilled water by licking it off Lee's chin and mouth.]] Lee is already feverish but this ''really'' sends him into confusion.

* BerserkButton: For a few chapters, Gaara has one for [[spoiler:Lee [[LoveMakesYouCrazy mentioning the word 'love']].

* BigOlEyebrows: Lee is relieved that he still has these after [[spoiler:Gaara puts the Sand Amour on him and leaves him shaved all over]] because they make him resemble his manly teacher, Gai.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Lee is TheDitz who wears orange legwarmers in the heart of the desert and gives regular speeches about the Power of Youth, but is also a lightning-fast Taijutsu expert and the only person in the village capable of training with Gaara.

** LighterandSofter: Having Lee has a narrator guarantees idealism everywhere. The original series villains are also a more distant threat in the fic.

* DemotedToExtra: Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are back in Konoha and occasionally spoken of by Lee. Tsunade is seen and referred to more often as she is Lee's direct superior and Gaara's counterpart in Konoha. Lee also often thinks of Gai, and recalls Kakashi in a flashback.
* Determinator: Lee refuses to give up trying to be Gaara's friend despite warnings from pretty much everybody.

* ElementalBaggage: Gaara's gourd of sand accompanies him everywhere and Lee sometimes thinks it has its own moods. It is a defining moment when Gaara leaves the gourd outside the room when coming to see him.

* HeroicSacrifice: Lee tries to do this for Gaara, who is not happy with him.

* {{Lemon}}: WordofGod describes these scenes in the story as weird and unconventional, given who the main characters are.

* LoveEpiphany: Lee gets one when when he decides give his life up to protect Gaara. Gaara, by contrast, realises he has a strong bond with Lee and needs him around but [[isn't sure whether he's capable of experiencing love.]]

* NotEvenHuman: Gaara considers himself this. He sometimes refers to Lee and the larger human races as "humans", implying that he's not. Lee, of course, makes it his mission [[Determinator to prove otherwise]]/

* OriginalCharacter: A series of minor characters in Suna to flesh out the village's functions.

* SexChangesEverything: This is what Lee fears will occur as he has grown up all his life to idealise sex as a life-changer: [[spoiler:Gaara does not see things the same way and sex just turns out to be a nice added bonus to their relationship.]]

** NotSoStoic: Gaara [[spoiler:reacts badly to Lee's accidental confession of love and blows potholes in the desert]].

* WalkOnWater: Lee can't do this due to his lack of ninja control. When he and Gaara need to cross a river at one point, he resorts to getting a boat and later sticking close to Gaara when he decides to walk.
* WhenSheSmiles: When Gaara smiles at one point, Lee is surprised and pleased due to Gaara naturally being TheStoic. Gaara wasn't even aware he'd smiled and questions Lee about it.

''Diplomatic Relations'' is a [[Lee/Gaara SlashFic]] ''Naruto'' fic written by [[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com maldoror-gw]].

''Diplomatic Relations'' is a Lee/Gaara ''Naruto'' fic written by [[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com maldoror-gw]].

Lee is given the position of being the Leaf ambassador to Sunagakure. He is regarded with just as much baffled amusement in Suna as he is in Konoha, but Lee's stubbornness means he also slowly becomes friends with Gaara. Gaara, for his part, is intrigued and confused by Lee's stubborn refusal to be afraid of Gaara. They become friends and, later, lovers, dealing with a range of issues along the way.

The fic is told from Lee's POV, so it is primarily comic and told with a light touch, even as the plot gets darker and edgier. It follows events in canon up to the attack on Suna by Akatsuki, but diverges from there and takes place a few years after the attack. The writer also goes into detail about daily life in the desert of Suna and of Lee and Gaara's personal histories, with side stories shedding light on Gaara's siblings and the Team 7 trio back in Konoha. The fic begins as a series of one-shots detailing Lee and Gaara's acquaintance and is now novel-length at 23 chapters. Some scenes are NSFW.

* AChildShallLeadThem: Gaara is eighteen, but is feared but respected as a ReasonableAuthorityFigure.
* ActionGirl: Temari is a battle-axe, village leader and a frightening older sister combined into one.
* AlmostKiss: After the [[spoiler:ambush in the desert]], Gaara [[spoiler:preserves spilled water by licking it off Lee's chin and mouth.]] Lee is already feverish but this really sends him into confusion.

** BadassFamily: Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, who collectively run the village, [[spoiler:organise the war effort against Orochimaru]] and deal with Lee's weirdness.

* BerserkButton: For a few chapters, Gaara has one for [[spoiler:Lee saying 'I love you']].

* BigOlEyebrows: Lee is relieved that he still has them after [[spoiler:Gaara puts the Sand Amour on him and leaves him shaved all over]] because they make him resemble his manly teacher, Gai.
* Costume

* DayInTheLimelight: The fic is this for both Lee and Gaara, whose lives are explores in extensive detail, as well as Sunagakure as the Hidden Village of the story.
* DeadpanSnarker: Gaara will sometimes become this to Lee, often as a NotSoStoic sign of affection. Also because, Lee being Lee, it's almost irresistible.

* ElementalBaggage: Gaara's gourd of sand accompanies him everywhere and Lee sometimes thinks he can judge Gaara's mood from looking at it. It is a defining moment when Gaara leaves the gourd outside the door [[spoiler:when he and Lee first have sex.]]
* FightScene: Lee and Gaara fight [[spoiler:giant sand insects, Orochimaru's assassins in the desert, and later in the war on Sound]].
* FirstKiss: Gaara and Lee have theirs [[spoiler:in the middle of a huge Gaara-created sandstorm, which also makes it count as a BigDamnKiss.]]

* HeroicRROD: Lee has this after opening [[spoiler:seven chakra gates to defend Gaara from Orochimaru's ninjas.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: Lee [[spoiler:realises he is in love with Gaara when he decides to fight to the death to protect him from Orochimaru's invaders.]]
* HeterosexualLifePartners: WordofGod says Lee and Gaara would have remained this forever if adverse events hadn't forced Lee to own up to himself about the extent of his feelings for Gaara.
* HighlyVisibleNinja: Lee, for one, wears orange leg-warmers and a green spandex suit. On a walk in a non-ninja town, Gaara gets mistake for [[spoiler:a prostitute]] due his buckled and mesh outfit.

* LetsGetDangerous: Lee's retaliation after [[spoiler:Gaara is attacked by Orochimaru's minions and Gaara's sand powers are rendered useless by a seal.]]
* LoveEpiphany: Lee gets one when [[spoiler:Gaara is attacked and in danger of dying. Lee decides to give his life up to protect Gaara.]] Gaara's version of this [[spoiler:is to realise that he has a strong bond with Lee and needs him around. However, he is unable to define 'love' to himself and isn't sure whether he's capable of experiencing it.]]

* NotEvenHuman: Gaara considers himself this. He assumes Lee [[spoilers:will be better at sex (despite being a virgin) because "humans have it wired in there".]]

* StraightGay: Lee and Gaara are characterised exactly as they are in the original series, i.e. HotBlooded and [[TheStoic Stoic]], just gay.

* BathtubScene: Gaara creates a pothole in the desert filled with water for bathing in after he and Lee destroy a hive of giant sand bugs. Gaara sees it as a practical way of getting clean but Lee is deeply uncomfortable with (Gaara's) nudity.

* DemotedToExtra: Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are back in Konoha and occasionally spoken of by Lee. He also recalls Kakashi in a flashback from his youth.

---> "You'll be on missions, in danger, and I won't be there to help. It's driving me insane." [...] Lee didn't think Gaara was speaking metaphorically here; Gaara usually said what he meant, nothing less and nothing more.

* BadassFamily: Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, who collectively run the village, [[spoiler:organise the war effort against Orochimaru]] and deal with Lee.

* WhenSheSmiles: When Gaara smiles at one point, Lee is surprised and pleased due to Gaara naturally being TheStoic. Gaara wasn't even aware he'd smiled and questions Lee about it.

-> ''Gaara was his friend. His best friend, actually. Lee had many good comrades in his life; he counted them as so many blessings. But he'd spent a long time in Suna and in Gaara's company by now; he was slowly beginning to understand the complex, sometimes dangerous inner territory of the Sand Shinobi.''

* BerserkButton: For a few chapters, Gaara has one for [[spoiler:Lee saying 'I love you']], resulting in UnstoppableRage.

* Gayngst: For a while Lee struggles with accepting that he's gay, [[spoiler:and that Gai and Kakashi have known for ''years'']]. Later, Lee isn't sure whether Gaara is attracted to men even after they decide to start a relationship.

* OddCouple: Lee and Gaara. Lampshaded by several characters who are taken aback upon learning of their relationship.

* RedOniBlueOni: Lee and Gaara. Lee is the red oni, while Gaara is the blue, though their theme colouring is the other way around.

* SexChangesEverything: Subverted. Lee as a kid used to think that sex would change his life; in fact it is just part and parcel of Lee and Gaara's much more complicated relationship.
* ShippingBedDeath: Subverted, as the characters get together about two thirds of the way through but have a lot of things to figure out about each other. Not to mention the novel-length sequel.

* ThePowerofLove: Subverted in that Lee learns to move past his youthful ideals about love in exchange for the reality of the relationship he has with Gaara, which is far from easy.

''Diplomatic Relations'' is a Lee/Gaara fic written by maldoror-gw.

Lee is given the position of being the Leaf ambassador to Sunagakure. He is regarded with just as much baffled amusement in Suna as he is in Konoha, but Lee's stubbornness means he also slowly becomes friends with Gaara. Gaara, for his part, is intrigued by Lee's stubborn lack of fear for him. In the face of adversity rocking the wider world of Naruto, Lee and Gaara become friends and eventually lovers, dealing with issues ranging from Lee's confusion about his own sexuality, Gaara's somewhat fractured mind, and inter-village politics.

The fic is definitely worth a read for the excellent quality of its writing and world-building, even if you aren't a fan of M/M pairings.

This story can be found [[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/30383.html here]]. There is also a sequel, ''[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/31026.html Kindred]]'', this time told from Gaara's POV. Side fics set in the same universe include the comic one-shots ''[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/15302.html Chicken Soup for the Demonic Soul]]'' and ''[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/12978.html Big Heart, Drunken Fist]]'', and the longer horror/mystery fic ''[[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/12978.html Missing]]''.

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Lee wears orange legwarmers in the heart of the desert and gives regular speeches about the Power of Youth, but is also a lightning fast Taijutsu expert and the only person in the village capable of training with Gaara.

* TheStoic: Gaara, as in the original series, though the fic explores its background in his troubled upbringing. In one scene, Gaara smiling is enough to draw surprised comment from Lee.
* BerserkButton: For a few chapters, Gaara has one for [[spoiler:Lee saying 'I love you'.]]

*

Rock Lee is given the position of being the Leaf ambassador to Sunagakure. He is regarded with just as much baffled amusement in Suna as he is in Konoha, but Lee's stubbornness means he also slowly becomes friends with Gaara. Gaara, for his part, is intrigued by Lee's stubborn lack of fear for him. In the face of adversity rocking the wider world of Naruto, Lee and Gaara become friends and eventually lovers, dealing with issues ranging from Lee's confusion about his own sexuality, Gaara's somewhat fractured mind, and inter-village politics.

The fic is told from Lee's POV, so it is primarily comic and told with a light touch, even as the plot gets darker and edgier. It follows events in canon up to the attack on Suna by Akatsuki, but diverges from there and takes place a few years after the attack. The writer also goes into detail about daily life in the desert of Suna and of Lee and Gaara's personal histories, with side stories shedding light on Gaara's siblings and the Team 7 trio back in Konoha. The fic begins as a series of one-shots detailing Lee and Gaara's acquaintance and is now novel-length at 23 chapters.

This story can be found [[http://maldoror-gw.livejournal.com/30383.html here]]. There is also a sequel, 'Kindred', told from Gaara's POV.