Gone

A/N: This isn't fluffy, or sappy. This is my second attempt at something sad. Let me know how I'm doing. This was inspired by the fanfiction Silence though I can't remember who wrote it currently.

'Our relationship is broken.' Gaara thinks to himself as he rolls over in bed. The spot next to him is empty and cold, the spot where Lee slept. It used to be that when he would wake to find the other absent there would be a note in a rushed writing about a mission or that he had gone training and would be back soon. But now it was cold and empty and looked like it hadn't even been slept in.

Reaching the kitchen Gaara found his mood growing worse. There was no lingering smell of food or signs of happy chaos that Lee would usually leave after making breakfast. Forgoing his normal cup of coffee he retreated back to the bedroom and threw on his robes of office. His secretary should have a strong cup of coffee waiting for him. With that thought in mind he slipped out the door without a second glance around. Despite their busy schedules he and Lee liked to keep their place immaculate that hadn't changed just because Lee was absent.

It wasn't until noon was approaching that the Kazekage even spared a thought for food. It used to be that right at twelve Lee would burst through his office door scaring everyone as he shouted that a 'youthful mind' needed nourishment to go on. That hadn't happened in awhile so instead Gaara called for his secretary to order some food and went back to his paper work. Not stopping even as he ate cold noodles.

As he walked home he stopped by a grave. This part of his day was always fuzzy as soon as he left but he would stay for hours staring at this grave, sometimes he would even skip lunch to be here. But as he wandered away he couldn't remember why he had been there or whose grave he had been looking at. His head too full of thoughts of Lee and if he would see him that night or maybe he had forgotten he was on a mission.

Usually he would arrive home to find Temari and Kankuro there with sad looks on their faces as they greeted him. They had moved back into the house months ago not that he saw them in the mornings anymore. He wondered if they had seen Lee when he left. When he voiced this their looks grew sadder still.

"Gaara..." Temari's voice broke hearing her little brother ask this question every night was not easy. Answering it was harder still. But she refused to lie and feed into his delusion he would come to terms one day. She was sure even if it took years, as months had already passed. "Lee died five months ago on a mission."

"Oh he's on a mission. I forgot." Gaara nodded solemnly and made his way to the kitchen where food was prepared by Kankuro. The issue forgotten.

"I don't think he's getting better." Kankuro turned to the blonde with a frown. "I mean he always says that like he's expecting him to just show up. I think we should get him help."

"From who? It's not like he doesn't visit Lee's grave every damn day! How can he go on like that?" Temari whispered lowly her eyes darting towards the kitchen where she knew Gaara was eating. Lately he didn't even seem alive anymore like he was only going through the motions. He was getting even thinner too.

"I don't know but this can't go on!" Kankuro growled his eyes averted from the door he couldn't stand watching his brother deteriorate into this shell.

"He does his job at least. That means there is some hope." Temari sighed then shook her head. They had already tried everything. And lying to Gaara wouldn't work because Lee was never coming back. No matter how much they wished he would. Gaara was not the only one to miss him.

Settling into bed that night Gaara frowned over at the other side still pristine and untouched. 'Lee should be here in the morning.' He thought to himself before drifting off staring at the gold band on his finger with an emerald set in it, Lee wore a matching one with a ruby. 'There is no way besides death that he would leave me.'