Arguments
The Village was still, silent. A cool breeze drifted over the rooftops, pulling fine sand in off the desert, scouring the buildings and the rocks, warping them in subtle ways that wouldn't be noticed for generations.
Gaara pulled his coat together and brought the zip up to his chin, blocking the chill. Huddling against the slowly cooling stone of his home, he hooked his wrists over his knees and settled his gaze on the distant dunes.
The silence of the village settled his thoughts. And that was definately something he needed right then. Just on the edge of his awareness, he felt his ANBU guard switch shifts. As always, he paid it no heed, continuing to stare out at the rolling hills encapsulating his Village.
As the sky slowly changed from navy blue to black speckled with diamonds, he let his mind wander. He blinked.
He was never going to understand people. They were too complicated, too fickle, far too emotional. He had been trying. Kami knew how much he had tried, ever since the Chuunin exam and Naruto. Often, he felt he had made some sort of progress.
But there were also times, like now, that he felt he had been damadged beyond repair.
Kankuro had joked and Temari chastened, but he still couldn't bring himself out of this dark mood. Something - something he barely understood - had gone wrong. All this past week. Now, now he felt there was nothing he could do to repair the situation.
Gaara touched his chin to his wrists, forcing back the physical urge to sigh, frowning at himself as he did.
He'd lost sight of the point behind it all, back there somewhere. And right at this moment in time, he had no idea how to find it again. Not without the help he had come to rely on.
He bit back a growl at the thought and took a deep, calming breath - re-centering himself. He wasn't used to these emotional trials. Even now, after five years...
Closing his eyes for a moment, Gaara concentrated. Finding the well of power deep within himself, he took hold of it, gripped it tight and slowly released it through his body. Chakra travelled well trodden paths, loosening muscles, relaxing joints, until he felt almost limp.
Feeling better, he relinquished his hold and reopenned his eyes.
His pale gaze met troubled black on the rooftop opposite.
Lee.
His lover was watching him cautiously. Gaara dropped his head a fraction and a moment later, Lee was at his side, making himself comfortable on the now chilled sandstone.
After a long five minutes of silence, Lee spoke.
"Sorry, Gaara."
Gaara turned his head a fraction, eyeing the Jounin suspiciously. What had he to be sorry about?
"Elaborate."
Lee raised his impressive brows as he looked at him, but he stumbled over whatever explanation he tried to give.
Gaara nodded, he had thought as much. "It was my fault."
Lee snorted, almost amiably, "Lovers argue, Gaara, it happens. Admittedly, not so loudly and forcefully as we do. But as Gai would say-"
"NO - no Gai."
Lee blinked at him, then subsided with a small smile. Probably so as to avoid another arguement. Gai was a touchy subject between them, Gaara still hadn't quite figured the man out yet. He made him jumpy. And a jumpy Gaara was not something the people of Sunagakura wished to endure more than once.
Lee sighed and stretched out over the sloping roof, looking up at the now brilliantly star-studded sky.
"Shall we just agree to disagree?"
Gaara contemplated this in silence. This had been a truly horendous experience. After the first rumbles of the argument, Lee had shouted at him, stomped out the front door, slamed it behind him and promptly disapeared - for a whole week. As it was, Gaara truly wished to avoid anything like that occuring again.
He gave in, "Yes."
After a few more moments of silence, Gaara climbed to his feet and began to move inside. Lee followed him.
Hopefully they would now enjoy some of that 'make-up sex' Kankuro had mentioned earlier today.
Fin.
