"When do you plan on going back?"
Sasuke turned his head slightly to his companion, who lied on his side, facing him. They made eye contact, and he averted his gaze back to the window, eyeing the night sky of Sunagakure.
On his journey, he found himself regularly making stops here (to his newfound... friend? lover? somewhere inbetween? Gaara definitely intrigued him). At first, it was to thank him for his advocation during his trial; the second one, the one in which the truth about the Massacre was revealed. They had talked a lot during the whole ordeal, Gaara apologizing profusely for his initial sentence and Sasuke, confused, trying to let him know that no, I don't hold a grudge, Gaara you didn't even know the truth before, it's okay.
"What about your arm?" Gaara had said.
"I can live without it."
After a while, he found himself staying for longer days and longer nights, to the point where even the civillains were no longer wary of him entering the Kazekage's mansion. Even Temari and Kankuro stopped being bothered by his presense. Even the council, as overbearing as they may be, knew not to disturb the two when Sasuke came.
And when Sasuke came, out of nowhere but always welcome, the two just. Talked. Talked about things ranging from their childhoods to politics, to progress on reformation to random outbursts of "Are you okay?" because one never knows when the trauma of the past will come back to haunt them, and such a thing has happened to both Sasuke and Gaara many times before.
News of Sasuke's visits to the Kazekage eventually spread to Konoha, and Sasuke braced himself for the inevitable letters from Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, an odd one from Ino in fact, all wondering why he has yet to visit them and why he won't come home.
It's been two years and he hasn't cared enough to wonder why.
But as he lies next to Gaara, watching the beautiful night sky of the desert, he wonders where he even considers his "home" is. And it seems as if Gaara wonders the same.
"Whenever," Sasuke finally replies, and it's vague enough for him to avoid answering Gaara's true question, but specific enough for Gaara to know that he gets his point. Or maybe not, maybe he just assumes Gaara has this intuitive sense to know exactly what he means 100% of the time.
Gaara has yet to prove him wrong, though.
He hears a soft laugh, and it's silent for a short moment, until Gaara says, "Do you want to?"
Sasuke does not want to roll his eyes at Gaara, but apparently he's adamant on an actual answer.
The truth is, though, Sasuke doesn't know.
His family is gone. He's claimed to have gotten over it, but the tension between the Uchiha and Konoha, the lies, the blood shed over such... an avoidable conflict, that's not something one can just "get over."
Because it's hard to walk the streets of Konoha and forget that his family died to keep them stable. It's hard to work under the Hokage, knowing his predecessor did nothing to protect his family or his mental stability and really did nothing in general. It's hard to accept Naruto's claim that home is where you have people that care about you, yet there are just as many people "home" that despise him. And while Team Taka cares about him, as well, and they could be considered home, he'd never dare to grant any of Orochimaru's hideouts such a special title.
It's with this in mind that has Sasuke let out a sigh and say, "Not really."
Gaara hums in response, seemingly deep in thought, and with such a heavy topic Sasuke feels a bit anxious to hear his thoughts aloud. He doesn't need to wait too long, though, for Gaara's next question. "Do you want to stay here?"
It catches him off guard, and he knows Gaara knows as well, because Gaara almost looks as if he's ready to retract that question. But he decides against it, instead waiting for Sasuke's response.
Staying here. With Gaara.
Sasuke would be lying if he said he had never thought about it. Why bother with the back and forth, with the suspense of his return to Konoha, if he just never returns? Why force himself to live in and to love the place that doesn't love him or his family back?
And... if home is full of people that care about him, wouldn't Gaara count?
Whether or not he and Gaara loved each other was something he debated with himself over and over again, although he'd never express these thoughts aloud. But he knew they cared about each other, that much was certain. He knew this when Gaara would poke his head into different rooms whenever he'd up and vanish, usually just going to get some food, but he checked on him anyway. He knew this when Gaara would have a nightmare, and he'd find himself... hugging? holding? a slightly trembling Gaara who hated showing this weakness, this vulnerability, but actually felt comfortable enough to show it to someone who was a stranger only a few years ago. Suigetsu knew this when he would notice the two's subtle skin contact, whether it be a brush of the fingers or slightly bumping their shoulders, and he'd say they were "basically making out in front of the world," which sounded silly to Gaara but Sasuke found it a little funny.
Yes, he knew he cared about Gaara, and the feelings were returned. But to what extent, he did not know, and Gaara's question (more so an offer, now that he thought about it) had him questioning just exactly what they were, something he had been content with not labeling and just letting it be.
But while he had no idea what he'd call their companionship, relationship, whatever it was, he felt comfortable enough around Gaara to label him as something special to him.
And if that label had to come in the form of "home," then so be it.
"Sure," he said, smiling.
SO UH.
abrupt ending, I know, and I'm so sorry for that lol.
I had to get some SasuGaa feels off my chest (even though I have a whole other larger fic planned out) so I literally just wrote this in two hours. I love this ship and you should love it too ok.
criticism! let me know your thoughts :)