Title: One More Moment
Pairing: LeeGaara, slightest hinting of ShinoKiba
Rating: R for blood and language and uh..death
Warning Death-fic, Angst, Naruto actually being smart...
A/N: So I thought I'd try something a little different from CISYP, which I am working on by the way. This is a one-shot! And holy crap this turned out a hell of a lot darker then intended...
Lee looked up to the sky and smiled. Even as the pain rushed through his bones, he knew that soon it would be over. There was no way he could live through this. No way he would be able to get up and fight again, not with his head spilling so much blood on the ground. He didn't mind though, not when he was so utterly alone. Not after those bastards killed the love of his life. It didn't matter anymore. Now that he lay there he had to fight off the urge to get up and try to make it back home. There was no home without Gaara. So while it wasn't something he was used to doing, he decided it was time to give up. He had done his job and killed those fuckers so it would be ok now, he just prayed that his lover would forgive him for not acting sooner, for not saving him when he had the chance. He was a failure but maybe, if there was an afterlife, Lee could make it up to his red-headed lover.
"I'll see you soon love..."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Gaara gasped and sat up quickly. A little too quickly in fact as pain raced up his sides. He looked down and looked at the bandaged wrapped around his torso, it was stained red.
"Gaara-sama! You must relax you'll pull out your stitches!" Gaaara watched the pink haired girl come closer to him and look at the bandage. "Oh well it seems you already did..." Gaara grimaced as Sakura began to remove the bandages. "You must take it easy, you were hurt very badly. In fact, we didn't think you would make it." Gaara frowned as he looked around the sterile, pristine room.
"Where is Lee?" Sakura looked up to Gaara's eyes and blinked at the worry she saw there. "I know him, he would be here annoying everyone until he made sure I was ok." Sakura sighed and pushed Gaara down slightly so she could re-stitch the wound. She tried not to think of the haunted look on Lee's face when she told him Gaara was probably dead. She had never seen someone move so fast in her whole life. "Sakura, I am not going to repeat myself." Sakura began to wrap Gaara's body once again.
"I'm sorry Kazekage-sama, I don't know where Lee is. He left in such a hurry after bringing you here. No one could catch up with him." Gaara frowned as he felt the ache in his side race around to his spine. He tried to ignore it as he looked at the girl who was now pulling at her apron slightly.
"No one followed him?! I must leave, he is bound to do something foolish! How could none of you..." Gaara gasped as the pain seemed to triple through his neck and into his head.
"Gaara! Please calm down you are in no condition to do anything let alone look for Lee! You must rest, you have been injured very severely!" Gaara tried to ignore her but the agony seemed to only grow as he moved.
"W-what happened to me?" Sakura bit her lip as the boy tried to fight the pain.
"You were attacked, they were able to sneak past your defenses. They would have totally ripped you apart had Lee not been there. You're lucky to get away with a few bruised organs and some cuts and bruises. But when you came in, there was so much blood." Gaara glared weakly as his vision began to swim.
"But what about Lee? Where did he go?" Sakura shook her head as Gaara's eyes slipped shut. All she could was watch and wait for the Kazekage to heal.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Kiba sniffed into the warm air as he and Akamaru tried to search for Lee. Shino sent a few of his kikai out to also search for their missing friend. Kiba turned to Shino and shrugged.
"Man what the hell did he do, it seems he just fucking disappeared into thin air. What the hell is his problem?! He could have at least waited for Gaara to wake up before running off like that." Shino frowned as he listened carefully to the bugs in the area.
"He went through here." Kiba sighed as he followed the taller boy into the forest. "I think Lee acted that way because of his feelings." Kiba's eyebrow jumped as he looked at his quiet friend.
"Huh?" Shino sighed and looked up to the sky for a moment before picking up the pace slightly. "C'mon Shino what are you tlking about." Shino stopped for a moment to turn to Kiba.
"How would you react if you thought the person you were in love with was dead. I'm afraid Lee is searching for the ninja's who attacked Gaara, and if they could sneak up on Gaara...Lee is in trouble." Kiba's eyes widened as he thought of Lee facing those men by himself. He didn't stand a chance!
"But...He has to know that he doesn't stand a chance! Why would he do that?!" Shino pointed to a small clearing in the woods.
"He went this way come on we must hurry." They began to run through the trees quickly. Shino looked out of the corner of his glasses at Kiba who looked very intense. "Lee is in love, he thinks his love is dead, what would yo do in his situation?" Kiba turned slightly to look at Shino then back to the branches in front of him.
"Fuck! I'd do the same goddamn thing Shino...We have to find him." Shino nodded as they jumped branch to branch. Finally Akamaru began to bark. "Yes Akamaru cought his sent!" Before Kiba could really celebrate though he felt his sensitive nose cringe at the smell of copper. "Oh shit Shino, this isn't good." Shino nodded as his own kikai let him know something was very wrong. After a few minutes Shino and Kiba both stopped and looked into an open clearing. Bodies littered the ground all bleeding and most just recently losing the fight to live. They had definitely suffered. Slowly Kiba and Shino broke through the leaves of the trees and jumped down onto the stiff grass. They looked around slowly, scanning the area for any survivors. "Shino!" Shino turned and ran after Kiba and Akamaru. As they approached the body laying furthest from the others, it was hard to mistake that green and orange outfit for anyone else other than Rock Lee. His head had apparently been split open by a well aimed kunai. He didn't seem to be breathing. "Please tell me he's not dead Shino, for the love of everything holy." Shino kneeled next to Lee and felt for a pulse. As he looked up to Kiba he slowly shook his head. Kiba took a step back and blinked at his best friend. "W-what do you mean, he has to be ok Shino...It's Lee! He wouldn't give up ever! No check it again!" Shino stood up and slowly moved closer to Kiba.
"He's dead Kiba." Kiba growled at the taller boy and went to push past him.
"No that's bullshit, He has to know that Gaara's alive and waiting for him!" Shino closed his eyes as Kiba got on his knees and checked Lee's neck for a pulse. He began to whisper to himself but Shino could hear the whole thing. "Fuckin' get up Lee, Come on you can't be dead. Gaara's alive! He's alive goddamn it!" Shino walked over to Kiba and picked the other boy off the ground from behind, wrapping his arms around him tightly.
"Stop it Kiba, He's gone." Kiba turned to Shino and glared. The taller boy sighed and hugged his friend. After a moment Kiba reciprocated and wrapped his arms around the Aburame.
"Don't leave me Shino." Shino closed his eyes for a second, so that was why Kiba was so upset. He was scared of making friends with people who would die eventually. Kiba was afraid of being a mortal. He was afraid of dying.
"We have to take him back, I need you to pull it together Kiba, for Gaara's sake." Kiba nodded as they broke the embrace. Shino bent down and gently lifted his friend into his arms. He had to admit this had to be the hardest thing he had ever done. Lee hung in his arms, and as the ninja's made their way back to Konoha's hospital, he could hear the gentle drops of blood that fell to the ground. Kiba was looking very distraught as he pet Akumaru's head gently.
It was the first time they had ever seen one of their own die.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Gaara woke up to a slight murmur in his ear. His eyelids felt heavy but the pain in his body seemed to have eased slightly. He opened his eyes slowly and saw two people talking in the corner of his room. The bright orange and yellow was definitely Naruto and the green clad guy with the ponytail had to be Shikamaru. As Gaara's eyes began to clear he looked around but still couldn't find any trace of Lee.
"Gaara, you're awake." Gaara felt a chill run down his spine as he heard Naruto's somber voice. There was definitely something wrong.
"Naruto what..."Gaara's mouth went dry as he looked over to the other end of the room. There stood Shino and Kiba, Kiba kept his eyes focused out the window while Shino kept his head down. There was a lot of blood on his jacket. Gaara felt something snap in him and he just knew that the blood was Lee's. "Where is he?" Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat and sighed shaking his head.
Gaara blinked his eyes as a pain he never felt before ripped it's way through his chest. No, it couldn't be. Lee had to be ok. Gaara had lived so why was Lee not there!
"I'm so sorry Gaara." Naruto bit his lip. "He killed the men who went after you but he was killed in the process." Gaara looked over at the blonde and shook his head.
"No, Where is he!" Naruto jumped and ran over to the bed as Gaara began to throw the blanket off his body. "Get away from me! Where is he?!" Naruto looked almost pained as he tried to calm the red-head down. He had no idea how to get it through to Gaara.
"He's dead, do you wish to see that?" Everyone in the room turned to Shino who had his arms crossed. Kiba looked between his best friend and the sand-nin.
"Uh...Shino.." Gaara on the other hand was glaring at Shino, but slowly, ever so slowly, the glare melted to a look of absolute agony. Gaara turned trying to stand up from the bed but the physical pain was still too much. Naruto gasped and leaned over to catch Gaara preventing him from falling to the floor. Suddenly he found himself in a tight hug.
"No, not Lee, he promised he'd never leave! He PROMISED!!" Naruto frowned as he looked to the other shinobi in the room. Kiba had a hand over his eyes while Shino looked down to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Gaara. So sorry." The blonde wrapped his arms tighter around the shorter boy and tried to stop the feeling of dread that came over him. What were they going to do now?
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Gaara looked at the memorial they had set up for Lee. It was beautiful really, there were multi-colored flowers surrounded by lit candles sitting just next to the picture of his beloved. Yet all Gaara could feel was the emptiness seep through his skin and settle in his heart. He had learned to love and this is what happened. Lee had died for him and no matter how badly the sand-nin didn't want to believe it, he knew it was his fault. Gaara felt someone put their hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry Gaara." Gaara looked at the memorial one last time before roughly turning, forcing the other boys hand from his shoulder.
"I don't need you to feel sorry for me." Naruto blinked as he watched the Kazekage walk away from the ceremony. His leg almost crumbling under him from the injuries he sustained.
"Gaara wait!" Gaara stopped as Naruto ran up to him. "Look, I know how you feel, just...talk to me would you please?" Gaara stared straight ahead.
"You know nothing, leave me alone." Bright blue eyes followed the other boy walk away. How could he fix this? How could you fix a broken heart when they don't want to fix it? Naruto sighed and looked at the picture of Lee.
"I'm sorry fuzzy-brows, but I don't think anyone can fix him but you." Naruto walked away quickly. He'd rather not face the real truth yet, even if it was clear in Gaara's eyes. Lee was dead and there was no way to bring him back. Naruto looked at the sun setting in the distance and for some reason it just didn't seem as bright as it usually did.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Gaara looked at the knife that lay on the ground. He had actually tried to do it. He had tried to commit the biggest sin but the sand didn't allow it. He felt that same pain race through his chest as he thought of Lee's battered body. They weren't going to show him at first but he demanded it in the end.
Lee had died thinking Gaara was dead, but how was Gaara supposed to live without Lee. Gaara's vision began to blur as a tear dripped over his cheek.
"Please come back Lee, please I'll do anything!" Gaara fell to his knees not even registering the pain. "Lee..." aqua eyes began to dim as he curled up on in side. How do you heal a broken heart when the one thing that made it whole was ripped away? Gaara closed his eyes and listened to the silence. There was nothing left now, and as the darkness claimed his consciousness he knew the life he had enjoyed was gone, now there was just a broken shell of a boy. Who would have thought a boy with fuzzy eyebrows and green spandex could open the heart of a monster. Who knew that the same boy would also be the one to break him completely.
Who ever said loving was easy?