Face Down
Instincts
God I loved him. I loved him so much. Fate could be so cruel and yet, I still had hope that Gaara and I could be together, even though he'd told me last year that he and his lover were engaged. That news broke my heart, but my love never dwindled. The marriage was three months time and I'd been invited. Could I grin and bear it? Pretend to be happy for him? I didn't know.
"Lee-san." Came a quiet voice behind me.
I turned, smiling; held the pain inside. "Gaara-kun! How are you on this youthful day?"
"I'm great. What about you?"
"Energetic. I have just finished my morning training."
"Don't you ever get tired?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest.
"Not when I have motivation!"
"And what motivation would that be?"
"To become a ninja as great as my sensei!"
Gaara smirked and shook his head, then changed the subject. "I've not seen you in ages. How are your friends?"
"They are all fine. Have you missed me?"
"Course I have!" Gaara leant up to hug me and I wrapped my arms around him. My heart started to beat faster and my face flushed.
"I have something to tell you." He said softly. "Can we go to a restaurant or something? I'll pay for it."
"Of course. Where do you want to go?"
"You can choose."
"There is an Izakaya down the street. How about there?"
"Sure."
Once we arrived at the restaurant, we both ordered Yakitori to share and sake for me, water for Gaara.
"So, what do you have to tell me?" I asked as we waited for our food.
"W-Well, I am pregnant." He replied shakily.
"How? You are male!"
"Shush! Do you want the whole village to hear?"
"Sorry."
"Apparently, Shukaku can produce female eggs for me and he created a chakra womb inside me so I can carry children."
"That is great news! Have you told Sasuke-san?"
"Not yet. I'm scared he'll leave me... It might freak him out if I tell him. Don't you think?"
"Not if he loves you."
"I guess."
"So how far along are you?"
"About two weeks."
"How did you find out?"
"I was feeling a little weird and I thought I was coming down with a cold, but Shukaku told me it was something else. He suggested I see the doctor, so I went and the doctor told me to take a test. I did and found I was pregnant."
"Wow. I am happy for you. I really am!" I reached over the table and hugged him. He laughed a little and hugged me back.
About ten minutes later, our food came. Gaara ate three chicken skewers and so did I, but there was one more left. I passed it to Gaara. "You have it."
"I'm full."
"So am I."
"Then leave it."
"But it is a waste of food!"
"So?"
"I will break it in half."
"But I'm full."
I reached over and rubbed his cheek softly with my thumb. "You are so awkward Gaara-kun."
He blushed a little and held my hand to his face, a content look in his eyes. God, he was so adorable! I loved him so much!
"I-I think I'd better go now."
"Why so early?"
"Sasuke-sama will be wondering where I am."
Why was he addressing his fiance so formally? It didn't seem like it was out of plain respect. More like fear.
I felt a pang of disappointment. "At least let me walk you back."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course! And I will pay for the meal. Keep your money for yourself."
"Thank you Lee-san."
After paying, like I promised, I walked Gaara back. He was so sweet... so perfect in every way.
A thought suddenly occurred. "Oh shit! I spent my taxi money!" I cursed loudly.
Gaara stopped walking and stared up at me. He was still rather short for a twenty one year-old. "Here." He said, holding out his hand. "Take some of my money."
"It is fine. I can walk back."
"Do you want me to shove it some place where the sun doesn't shine? Take it."
I gulped and let him put the money in my hand. Feisty Gaara. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. I'll see you another time, yes?"
"I'll drop by tomorrow to pay your money back."
"Seriously, don't trouble yourself. Bye." He gave me a hug before disappearing into his house.
000
Gaara POV
I walked into the house, trembling a little. What would Sasuke say about the pregnancy? Was he even ready for kids? So many thoughts like that were swimming around in my head, suffocating my confidence.
"Where have you been?" Came the cold voice I'd been dreading to hear.
"I needed some air." I replied softly, not wanting to provoke my fiance.
"Then who was that man you were walking with? You gave him money, did you not?" Sasuke turned, his icy glare sending shivers racing down my spine.
"He is my best friend. He ran out of taxi money so I lent him some."
"Really now?"
"Yes."
"Is this man more than a friend?"
"N-No! Of course not!"
"Liar. I saw you hug him. You're cheating on me."
"Sasuke-sama! It was just a friendly hug! I would neve-" I was cut off by a hard slap across the face.
"Slut! He's been fucking you! I know he has!"
"I haven't been cheating, Sasuke-san!"
He hit me again, this time with his fist. I started to cry and fell down, shaking like a leaf and holding my throbbing cheek.
"I can smell him on you! You don't taste the same anymore!" He carried on hitting me. The pain was unbearable and I couldn't take it anymore. "Please stop!" I wailed. "It hurts..."
"Like I give a shit if it fucking hurts or not." He growled, pushing me into the corner. His charcoal orbs held only fury and mercilessness. I felt blood running down the side of my face as he slammed me into the door.
I felt my body shake and prayed that this time... just this one time that my injuries wouldn't be too painful or severe as they had been previously; but as always, I was wrong. Sasuke picked up a chair, broke off its leg and began to beat me hard. He kept telling me who useless I was... Telling me this was going to get worse for me and how this time, after he'd finished that I'd never walk again. I swallowed hard, feeling my heart pumping so fiercely that I thought it'd burst out of my chest. "Gomenasai... Gomenasai..." I sobbed repeatedly.
"Sorry isn't good enough! Stand up straight, you whiny little girl!"
I didn't move and carried on crying.
Sasuke picked up the main body of the chair and threw it at me, hitting my ribs and cracking them. I screamed in pain and collapsed, cradling the side of my body.
"Is that enough, you little slut? Do you want any more?"
"P-Please... I'm s-sorry..."
My fiance approached me and ripped off my pants and underwear. My eyes widened. He was going to rape me. Just as that thought entered my mind, a scream escaped as something huge was forced inside my tight entrance.
"Ah! That hurts!"
"All the more reason to keep going then!" He grunted, pounding so intensely, it felt as if my body would rip in half. Blood trickled down steadily from between my legs and I shook from fear and pain. Soon, he came with an erotic moan, filling me right up with his hot, sticky white seed.
"That'll teach you." He muttered, stepping over me to stomp up the stairs. I lay on the floor, sobbing my eyes out. Everything burned. My heart was hurting and I couldn't hold back the heavy flow of tears. Trying to salvage what little dignity I had left, I put my torn pants back on and tried to get up, but I couldn't since the pain was so bad. For the rest of the night, I merely lay there, wide awake and feeling like a prisoner in my own home. I just wanted Lee here... I wanted him to hold me in his arms, tell me that everything was okay. Despite living with Sasuke and being pregnant with his child, I no longer loved him. How could I if he treated me so badly? He'd been hitting me for about a year now. It started off with the occasional shove if we argued, but then it got more sinister and in the past few months, he started punching, kicking and even using knives on me. I'd been in hospital a few times too with serious injuries.
And I knew that nothing would change.
000
The next morning, I heard Sasuke get up. He stomped down the stairs and kicked me hard in the side. "You're in the way. Move!"
The pain was intense and I was weak from hunger. Sasuke didn't let me eat much.
He kicked me again harder. "I said get up! You stupid slut!"
"I-I can't..."
"Don't make excuses! I want you in that kitchen in two minutes or I'll break your neck!"
I used all the strength I possessed to push myself up, but even then, I fell.
What perfect timing! I thought as Sasuke came up again. "What is it with you and fucking about? I'm hungry, you stupid bitch! Get up!"
"Sorry Sasuke-sama!"
"Sorry! That's all you ever say!" Sasuke pulled me up by hair, slamming me into the wall. I felt the vibrations run down my spine. I couldn't help it, it hurt so much that I let a tear roll down my soft face.
"Why are you crying?" Sasuke asked menacingly. He slapped me across the face, causing me to bite a chunk out of my lip.
"Remember, you deserved that."
"Y-Yes Sasuke-sama..." I staggered into the kitchen, my body protesting strongly. I trembled and fell to my knees, sobbing from the pain.
"What are you doing?" He dragged me to my feet and shoved me hard into the kitchen. "I am hungry! I want food on this table in five minutes!"
"H-Hai..." As quickly as I could manage, I prepared Sasuke's breakfast. My stomach growled loudly and I groaned. When was the last time Sasuke let me eat? Five days? Six? Of course I had the small meal yesterday with Lee, but now I had two people to feed. The baby and me. I'd lost a lot of weight in the past few months. As I set the food down front of him, I tugged on his arm.
"What?" He asked coldly, not looking up from his newspaper.
"P-Please can I eat?" I asked shakily in the sweetest voice I could manage.
"Stop giving me that look." He growled. "You will eat only when I tell you to."
"Gomen." I said, sitting down.
"Who said you could take a break? Have you nothing to do?"
"I d-don't think so."
"Then look for something to occupy yourself with. I'm not having you sitting here looking like a nervous wreck and staring at me."
"I have to tell you something."
"What is it now? Do you want to break up with me? That's not going to happen because if you walk out that door, I will hunt you down! You are mine, Gaara! If you-"
"I'm pregnant."
"What?"
"I'm pregnant. With your baby."
"Who else's baby would it be, stupid? I knew it! You are cheating!"
I bit my lip. God... I'd really done it this time.
Sasuke raised his fist to hit me.
"No! I'm not cheating! Please don't hurt me!"
He lowered his hand, glaring. "Once you have this baby, if it doesn't look anything like me, I will murder you."
"I assure you, I haven't had sex with anybody but you since we started dating."
"Good."
"Sasuke-sama... please let me eat. I have to because if I starve, the baby starves."
He let out a low growl. "Fine."
"Arigato." I kissed him on the cheek, feeling sick as I did so. I hated him so much that I wanted to kill him, rip out his throat.
Sasuke smirked. "C'mere you." He grabbed my arm and pulled me onto his lap where we made out; or more like he practically shoved his tongue down my throat. Once we pulled away, Sasuke buried his face in my neck and nibbled along my collarbone. "I love you so much, Gaara... Every inch of you."
"Mmmhh..." I let out a soft moan as he reached his hand underneath my pants and underwear. Immediately, I felt myself growing hard and let out a gasp. Sasuke pulled my pants right down and started to pump my dick, running his hand up and down the length. By now, I had a full-on throbbing erection that dripped with precum... Damn, I hadn't been this aroused in a long time. Whenever we had sex, Sasuke was usually rough with me and the climaxes were pretty weak. Sasuke lay me on the tiled floor and started to enter me. I hissed in pain, still sore from last night. He kept going, ignoring that I was in pain and started to hit my prostate. "Ah!" I moaned, seeing stars from the pleasure. He hit that special spot over and over again, pushing me right over the edge. I came hard all over our stomachs. Sasuke filled me up with his seed and pulled out, collapsing on the floor beside me. I rolled onto a cold spot on the floor, groaning softly. It felt so good against my burning skin. Didn't last long though.
"I'm going to take a shower. You need to clean up in here." Sasuke ordered, getting up slowly. He trudged up the stairs and I pulled my pants back on before setting to clean all the cum off the floor. Once that was done, I limped slowly out of the kitchen. The wooden floor in the hall was decorated with puddles of my own blood. It needed cleaning up fast in case we had any visitors. Another one of my tasks was to cover up my wounds and bruises with make-up and layers of clothing. I had to make sure my arms stayed out of view at all costs. Slowly, I began to clean up. It was shocking how much blood there was. Maybe I'd gotten so used to the beatings that I was immune to severe blood loss. Once that was done, Sasuke shouted me upstairs I hurried into our room and stood at his side. He was sitting on the bed, getting dressed.
"Yes?" I asked him.
"Let me cover up your wounds. You always do a terrible job of it."
"Hai." I followed him into the bathroom and he pulled out my jar of foundation from the medicine cabinet.
"Look, I'm sorry I lashed out at you last night." He sighed, proceeding to cover up the cuts and bruises on my face. Some of them were still sore and I tried so hard not to flinch. "It's fine."
"You just seem to disobey me sometimes."
"Mm..."
"Are you going to apologize?" He asked, stepping back to check the coverage was even.
"Gomenasai Sasuke-sama."
"That's better. Now how about you go and clean up the rest of the house?"
"Hai."
000
Lee POV
I knocked loudly on the front door of Sasuke and Gaara's house. There was a loud bang and a crash before the door finally opened. Sasuke stood there, his cold, onyx gaze burning into my eyes. "Yes?" He asked in his usual calm, stoic and monotone voice.
"Good morning Sasuke-san. Is Gaara-kun there?" I asked.
"Yes he is." The Uchiha replied, not budging from the spot.
He was starting to make me feel really uncomfortable. I fidgeted under his gaze. "May I see him?"
I heard light footsteps behind him. "Who is it Sasuke-sama?" Came Gaara's voice.
Sama... He used that word again! Did he think of his fiance as a superior to him?
"Rock Lee. He wants to see you."
"Let him in then!"
"No. You have five minutes. Talk out here" Sasuke moved aside and stalked into the lounge. Fear eased off as I saw Gaara at the door.
"Come in then. I don't want you standing out in the rain." Gaara said, pulling on my arm.
"But... Sasuke-san said-"
"Oh don't listen to him. He's a grumpy-ass today."
Once I was in, he shut the door. "So what's up?"
"I am here to give you the money I owe."
"I told you not to pay me back!"
Sasuke came into the hall and wrapped his arms around Gaara's waist, then kissed his neck. "Money? For what?" Asked the Uchiha in a deep, seductive voice.
"Lee-san lost his taxi money, so I lent him some of my wages."
"Liar." Sasuke growled into his ear. Gaara shuddered.
I didn't like the way Uchiha held my best friend... Held him like was was owned. "It is true." I said, trying to defend him.
Gaara glared and shook his head.
"You're still here? Get out. You have no business with my fiancée."
"Actually, I do. We have been friends since we were as young as six! How long have you known him? You met when you were twelve, am I correct?"
"He is mine! Get out of my house!" Sasuke hissed. "Or do I have to remove you myself?"
Gaara pulled away from Sasuke and stood defensively in front of me.
"What's this? Would you rather be with that bowl-cut freak than me?"
Gaara said nothing and suddenly collapsed. I caught him before he hit the ground so he didn't injure himself. "Gaara-kun!"
The Uchiha immediately dropped to his knees beside him and held him in his arms.
"Sasuke-san, what's the matter with him? He's been acting so strange lately!"
"How should I know?" Sasuke hissed, shaking his lover. "Gaara, wake up, come on..."
The redhead opened his eyes and blinked a few times. He was trembling slightly. "W-What happened?"
"You just fainted. Come on, I'll put you in bed." Sasuke glared at me. "I believe I told you to leave. Put the damn money on the side table and get the fuck out of my sight!"
I swallowed hard, but stood my ground.
"Lee!" Gaara shouted. "Leave!"
I nodded, putting the money next to the telephone. "Uchiha-san, you had better not hurt him."
Gaara let out a gasp and there was a deafening silence. Sasuke's expression changed from anger to fury. I left the house quickly; without a backward glance. As I hurried down the street, my instincts told me to go back, but I ignored them, not wanting to get on the wrong side of somebody from the Uchiha family.
