Hello everyone! Sorry for the very long wait. My only excuse is that I'm a procrastinator, which isn't really an excuse at all...

Well, anyway, here is Chapter 2. Enjoy!

"Talking"

Flashback, Writing

Sound


Chapter 2: Voice

Buried in paperwork was Gaara furiously reading reports, stamping documents, and scribbling his signature on said papers. After hours of non-stop work in the office, his head ached and his eyes were dry from staring at the tiny font of countless papers. He also felt like he was beginning to lose blood circulation in his legs from sitting for so long. To put it bluntly, he was feeling tired and irritated. Gaara leaned back in his chair and for probably the one hundredth time that day, he rubbed his eyes, massaged his temples, and wiggled his feet. He wanted to rest at home, but he didn't want to deal with Aiko. To go home, or not to go home, that is the question.

"Hey, Gaara!" Temari shouted as she came bursting through the door.

"There's something called knocking, you know." he informed her, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Whatever! There's something important that you need to hear!"

"Kagekaze-sama!" another voice interrupted while carrying a stack of papers and folders. "Here's some more things that need your approval! They must be finished by 4:00 P.M. today! It concerns Hariganegakure!"

The door opened a third time to reveal Kankuro, "Yo, Gaara! You free? Great! I'm going out with friends for a drink! I know it's not really your thing but you could use some R&R. So, what do ya say?"

"Kazekage-sama, here are the reports you requested." Baki stepped into the room as well. "Also, the Council decided to have a meeting in 15 minutes that you must attend."

"Gaara, listen to me!" Temari commanded.

"Kazekage-sama, the papers!" the secretary urged.

"Come on, Bro! You know you wanna!" Kankuro continued.

"The meeting, Kazekage-sama!" Baki reminded, pointing to the clock.

Gaara banged on the desk with his fist, "Quiet!"

Everyone was immediately silenced; it was rare that the red-headed Kazekage ever raised his voice.

"I've had enough. Please leave my office."

"Gaara! This is-" protested Temari.

He raised his hand as a motion for her to stop talking, "Important, yes, you've said it before. However, not important enough that I feel willing to deal with it right now. Please tell me about it later."

Temari froze, shocked that Gaara, a Kazekage who always strived to be the best that he could be by staying informed and being open-minded, refused to listen to her. She made a movement to open her mouth again but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Kankuro shaking his head, a sign that there was no convincing him otherwise when he was agitated. Temari sighed and nodded in understanding. Temari, Kankuro, and Baki filed out, however, one person remained.

"B-but Kazekage-sama," the secretary squeaked. "the Council says that it's critical that they get your signature on this."

Gaara slowly lifted his head and threw a strong cold glare at the man who dared try to continue his plea after he had clearly told them to leave. He grabbed his approval stamp and punched the red ink onto the paper without reading it. "There, now you can leave."

The secretary scurried out of the office like a puppy with its tail between its legs. As the door slammed shut, Gaara let out a sigh of relief, and slouching back into his chair, he fell asleep.


(The next morning - 2:00 A.M.)

Gaara stepped through the front door and headed for his room. Because he had taken a nap, he had fallen behind on his work, and therefore, had to stay back at the office for an extra two hours. He figured he could squeeze in a couple of hours of sleep in his bed before he had to return to the office since sleeping in a stiff chair wasn't doing any favors for his back.

"Ah, Gaara," called his wife. "Can I talk to you?"

It was unusual for Aiko to be up at such a late, or early, hour, but he kept walking, completely ignoring her existence.

Aiko clenched her fists and pressed her lips into a thin line, "Gaara!"

The Kazekage stopped in his tracks, surprised at her volume because it was even rarer for her than it was for him.

"We... we need to talk." He continued to stand there but didn't turn around to face her. But the fact that he was still was enough to tell her that he was listening. "Gaara... are you angry at me? Did I do something wrong? Please tell me. Please talk to me. I don't want us to keep ignoring this and act as if nothing is wrong. I don't want to do it any more." Aiko begged.

He sighed, "Is that all? Don't start this again. I'm going back out. You know I don't have the patience for this now." he said as he turned around and began walking towards the front door.

"Gaara! Please wait! I just can't help but think that ever since you became the Kazekage, it has taken a toll on both of us." she pleaded in an attempt to get his attention. And she did.

Gaara whipped around and stared at Aiko, "Are you saying that you don't like my job as Kazekage?"

"N-No. No, th-that's not-"

"Then what is it? What's the problem?"

"I-" She looked down at her feet, "I just want you to spend more time with me..." she confessed.

He glared in irritation at her response. "Do you think it's easy being Kazekage?" he questioned. "Do you think I haven't wanted personal time for myself? Do you-"

"Please!" She interrupted, not wanting him to voice any more negative accusations as it violently tore at her heart. "Please understand... I don't want us to be like this any more. I want us to rebuild what we had together, before all this." she said, motioning to his Kazekage robe. "I want my lover back. I want my friend back. I want my Gaara back!"

His face remained impassive, despite her passionate cry for his return, "Maybe it's you who doesn't understand." Gaara placed his hand on his chest and stated assertively, "This is the way I've always been. I am who I am. You can't change that. It's you who married me. So, one way or another, you have to accept that."

Horrified at the coldness of his words, Aiko was rendered almost speechless. Her hair fell in front of her face as she lowered her head. She gripped her skirt until her knuckles turned white and bit her lip until she pierced the skin. Aiko's shoulders shook in anger and frustration. "Then..." she muttered in a low voice. Her head shot up as her burning gaze, filled with tears, pierced him and screamed, "Then I wish you had never become Kazekage so that I wouldn't have to realize that!"

And with those words, Gaara finally snapped. Slap. That was the sound that reverberated through the room as a hard hand met a wet cheek. It was the sound that was then followed by a deadly silence and a shocked stare. Aiko began to feel a sharp sting and lifted a quivering hand to her face. Gaara had never hit her before. He hated violence, so why? Her heated stare was now replaced by a glassy look as she wondered what had just happened.

"Stop being so selfish!" he continued. "This is my dream, you know! The people of the village that use to hate me now love me! I've worked so hard for this, and all you've done is think about yourself and complain! Aren't you supposed to be my ally? Why are you betraying me?" Gaara ran his hand through his hair and tugged at it in aggravation, "If I had known that it was going to be like this!... then I wish I had never met you."

Aiko's eyes widened. Her mind completely stalled and crashed as she tried to process his disdainful words. Those words... Those words were the only ones that she never wanted to hear. She could swallow and accept anything else, but that.

He stormed away and slammed the front door shut behind him on his way out, making a loud bang. And all was quiet.

Her eyes were glued to the door as her knees gave way. Aiko wasn't sure if everything was there, if she was there. She felt the floor, but at the same time, she didn't. It was like she was floating, but frozen in place. Everything felt surreal, like a dream. But this was a very bad dream, a nightmare. Through the early morning and into the afternoon, she sat there, not knowing what to do. What should she do? Her world, Gaara, had moved on without her. She was no longer an oasis to quench his thirst or a soothing breeze to calm him down; she was a dead-weight shackled to his ankle, a burdening boulder pressing into his back. He was her everything, and now, she had nothing.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sudden noise alerted Aiko to the door. She lift her head, not knowing if it was an angered Gaara or a cold Gaara. She swayed towards the door and concentrated her remaining strength in her grip of the door nob. Aiko fumbled with the piece of brass for a bit until she was finally able to tug at the door just enough to crack it open. She saw a Suna headband, a beige flak jacket, and a kunai holster. She easily identified this person as a Suna shinobi since she use to be one in her younger days, before marrying Gaara, and wondered what business he had here.

"Aiko-sama," the sinobi addressed, revealing a scroll. "The Kazekage and Council would appreciate your cooperation. Please read and return this with your answer by tomorrow." the sinobi instructed. He handed her the rolled up document, bowed, and disappeared in a poof of smoke. Unraveling the parchment in curiosity, her eyes widened; it was a report that contained all the information needed for a negotiation mission in Hariganegakure. At the very back of thescroll, was an agreement form with a dotted line for her name and the Kazekage's red stamp of approval.

Should she stay? Should she go? Her mother told her not to come back and she wanted to respect her mother's last request to her... However, Gaara wanted her to take this mission, so perhaps, completing it would allow her to get back in his good graces. Perhaps, he would be happy with her. Perhaps, he would consider her to be important once again. Who did she love more: Gaara or her mother? Well, the answer was obvious. Aiko mentally apologized and made her way to the Kazekage tower to give her reply.


Aiko hesitated to knock on the door of her husband's office, afraid that he was still angry with her. She knew that she had gone too far by saying that she wished that he had never became Kazekage. She just wanted him to pay attention to her... He was right.; she was selfish. As his wife, it was her duty to support him in everything he did. However, even when she did that, she still felt empty and lonely inside. And at times, she couldn't bring herself to truly feel happy for Gaara when he chose his job over her. Was she a failure as a wife? ...Maybe. She held the paper even tighter with both hands, as if in prayer. Yes, she was making the right decision. Gathering her courage, she raised a small fist, about to knock on the wooden door, when suddenly, a hand grasped her shoulder. She released a high-pitched squeak and swatted the hand away. It was the secretary.

"My apologies Aiko-sama!" he said, frantically bowing.

"Oh no, don't worry about it. You just took me by surprise is all. So please, raise your head." she replied, attempting to comfort the lanky man.

The secretary looked up with watering eyes, "Ah, Aiko-sama!" he babbled. "What a kind lady you are! If only everyone was like you, then there would be no war and everyone would live in peace! The Kazekage is surely a lucky man to have you for his wife!"

Aiko gave an uncertain smile, "Ummm, thank you. But really, you're exaggerating." She turned her head toward the window and watched the sand blow, "If only he could think of me in the same way..." she murmured.

"What was that, Aiko-sama?"

"Oh nothing. It was nothing." she assured. "But, speaking of the Kazekage, I'm here to return this document. Do I give this to you or the Kazekage? I've never done a negotiation mission before so I'm not sure how different it is from a normal mission. In fact, I'm not quite sure why I'm even being assigned to this mission. Why not Temari or someone else?"

"No fears, Aiko-sama!" he pounded his chest with his fist in pride. "I shall do the honors of answering all of your questions! As secretary, I know all the happenings around here! First and foremost, you are supposed to give the document to the Kazekage, however, since he is on lunch break, I will gladly take it off your hands and give it to him when I see him. Second, negotiation missions are not so different from regular missions. Except for the fact that you will have guards, you are not allowed to fight, and the livelihood of the village is resting in your hand by trying to maintain a placid relationship with a violent Harigane who seems to be intent on destroying us. It's basically your average C ranked mission. Just go and come back. So, no pressure."

The way he described the responcibility seemed to strongly contradict him saying 'no pressure.' Aiko thought that she could feel the pressure increase tenfold.

"And third," the secretary continued. "the reason you have been chosen is because you were, originally, a villager from Harigane. The Council and Kazekage aren't sure how well Harigane will react to this, but they are hoping that because of your origins, they will cut you some slack if worst comes to worst."

"What do you mean-"

"Oh, you know, torture, execution, brainwashing, enslavement, and things of the like. Or, they could react more violently than ever before because they might see you as a traitor for leaving the village in the first place, but who knows! Just good luck, that's all you'll need."

Aiko shook with nervousness, "Ah... I see... Well, thank you for that... informative explanation. I'll try my best." She has been a retired kunoichi ever since she got married because she didn't want Gaara to worry, so it's been a long time since she had seen some action. It felt like her first mission as a genin all over again.

"No problem, Aiko-sama. You can talk to me anytime." He took the document from her and began to walk away, but after a few yards, he remembered that he forgot to tell her something, "And one more thing," he mentioned as he turned around to face her direction. "The Council would like you to leave as soon as possible; preferably tomorrow. That will be all." And with that, the secretary was out of sight.


Gaara was sitting at a small table by the window, munching on roasted pork buns and stir-fry noodles. They didn't taste very good; the flavor was either too bland or too sweet. Even Aiko's cooking was better than this. He stopped chewing. Aiko... His face contorted slightly, now his mood was worse than ever. He put his chopsticks down, having absolutely no appetite.

A shadow appeared over his table. "Gaara!" He looked up to see his sister, Temari, standing over him with her hands on her hips. "I finally found you."

He averted his eyes back to his food, "Temari, I'm-"

"'Not in the mood,' yeah yeah, I got it. But you know what? I DON'T CARE. You may be the Kazekage, but I'm still your big sister so you're going to listen to me whether you like it or not." She pulled out the empty chair opposite to his and sat down. "I hate beating around the bush, so I'll say this straight: You better take care of that girl, because one day, she will disappear from your sight, and once you realize it, you won't be able to get her back. What on Earth do you think you're doing? Would it kill you to treasure her a bit more?"

"Who is this 'girl' of which you speak?" Gaara questioned, his eyes not leaving his half-eaten plate of noodles.

Temari banged her fist on the table, making the cups and plates clang together. "Don't play dumb with me, Gaara. Who else would I be talking about other than your only wife, Aiko? What happened to the Gaara that was always mumbling during missions because they 'took time away from being with Aiko'?"

"... Things have changed..." he muttered.

"Huh? What's changed? What is it about today that makes it different from the today of three years ago? Is it your situation? Is it Aiko? Or is it you? Isn't it you who's changed?"

Gaara shifted his vision towards the window, "... Stop it..."

"Stop what, Gaara? Stop telling you the things that you know are true but don't want to accept? Stop showing you the faults in your perception of yourself that you don't want to acknowledge? Well, guess what? If I don't slap some sense into you, nobody will. That's my job as your big sister and Kankuro's too much of a wuss to do it. Gaara, this will be the last thing I say to you today, so at least look at me."

He turned his head and lifted his gaze so that they were looking each other in the eye.

"Let me ask you this," Temari began, "For what reason did you become the Kazekage? Because I'm sure as Hell that it wasn't just to make amends for the havoc that happened in the past... Honestly," she groaned while running her fingers through her hair, "what kind of man are you when you can't even protect the girl who loves you the most?"


(That night)

It was abnormal that the Kazekage could leave work so early. Temari probably had something to do with it. He remembered that one time, when she hid all his paperwork in a plant pot so that he could go out for his own birthday celebration. He wondered where she might have hidden it this time and for what reason. Also, Kankuro had given him one red rose and one white rose, tied together by a silk, blue ribbon just before he had left the building. It was likely that this had to do with Aiko.

He opened the door and was surprised to see his wife standing in front of him, beaming, something he hasn't seen in a while. Had she forgotten their fight from early this morning? He was still a bit angry, but he supposed that he could play along. Her hair was delicately held up with a silver flower hairpin, decorated with small pearls. She was dressed in a snow-white dress that accentuated her slender body and soft curves. The bottom of the dress flowed around her ankles and the intricate lace straps covered the creamy skin of her shoulders. It was a relatively plain design, but somehow, Aiko still looked stunning in it. He recognized it as the one he bought for her on their honeymoon. She rarely wore it since she said that it was only for special occasions. However, he could always catch her gazing at it longingly in her closet. So what was the special occasion?

"Welcome home, Gaara!" she greeted cheerfully.

He stared at her face that seemed to glow with happiness. She was truly radiant. Gaara's heart skipped a beat and he remembered his confrontation with Temari during lunch. Maybe he could try to treat Aiko a little more gently. He nodded at her in acknowledgement and handed her the two roses, "Here."

Her eyes sparkled like gold and, if it was at all possible, her grin grew until he thought it would fall off. "Thank you. Do you know what a white rose and a red rose signify?"

He shook his head.

"It means 'unity.' I hope our souls will be tied together for... a very long time, just like these roses."

"... Huh." Gaara muttered.

"Now," Aiko began as she took his hand in hers, "please, take off your Kazekage robes and get dressed in your normal clothes. Oh, and remember to put on our wedding ring. When you're done, join me for dinner, okay?"

Gaara raised a non-existent eyebrow at her instructions. He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to keep trying to be nice to her today.

She grasped his hand firmly, "Please... just this once. Do it for me." Aiko lifted her head and smiled sadly, "It's my birthday." she whispered.

He kept a stiff face, not giving anything away, until finally, he sighed, removed his shoes, and made his way upstairs to change.

Aiko giggled in delight to see her husband being unusually obedient at her request. Maybe he did care... nah. Temari-chan and Kankuro-kun most likely put him up to this; they were always worried about her. She really couldn't ask for a better in-law duo. She made a strong mental note to thank them tomorrow before she left.

She heard the stairs creak from behind her and twirled around to see Gaara wearing casual black pants and shirt. Aiko pulled him towards the table, fancy china, silverware, food and all, and had a peaceful candlelit dinner. She did most of the talking, but once in a while, he would offer a 'Hm' or 'Huh', and she would give a light-hearted chuckle and agree.

After their meal, Aiko led him to the roof to watch the moon in a comfortable silence while she lay her hand over his. When her skin started to develop goosebumps from the chilly air, she suggested that they return inside and go to bed. As Gaara was about to walk in the opposite direction, towards his own bedroom, Aiko caught him by the hem of his shirt and requested that they sleep together.

He gave her an incredulous look, but she smiled and whispered, "Please, just this once." And he reluctantly conceded.

The couple lay in her bedroom, which use to be their bedroom, and tried to peer at each other in the dark. Aiko clutched his left hand in hers and snuggled it to her chest, a ring adorning both of their fingers.

Tears leaked through her eyes, cascaded down her cheeks, and onto her pillow, making it slightly damp. "Thank you." she murmured. "Thank you so much, Gaara. Today, my birthday, was so much fun. This, is what I've always wanted." Aiko held him even tighter, "Tonight has been so wonderful. I wish that we could always stay like this, in peace. I don't want it to end. I'm so... happy..." and with that, she fell asleep.


(Early the next morning)

Gaara blinked once, then twice, awakening from his light slumber. The room was dimly lit with the soft glow of the rising sun, slowly climbing over the dunes of sand to make the sky a breathtaking magenta and lavender. He glanced around to see a clock that read 5:24 A.M. At that moment, Gaara noticed two things: One, he was running late for work because he usually woke up at 5:00 A.M. sharp. And two, this was not his clock, he didn't have one since his internal clock wakes himself up. It was then that he realized two more things: This was not his room, and the weight he felt on his body wasn't his imagination. He was in Aiko's room, and draped over him was said person.

She was quietly snuggling into his chest in search of warmth and wrapped her arms around his waist, as if trying to prevent him from leaving. He didn't want Aiko to give him one of those looks when he tried to leave, the look of an abandoned puppy in a cardboard box. He hated that look. It always made him feel... guilty. In the beginning, that look would sway him and he was practically wrapped around her little finger without her even realizing it. Can you imagine? The Kazekage, the most powerful ninja in Suna, at the mercy of a weak 5' girl? Laughable. From then on, he decided that he needed to take back control of his emotions in order to continue being the strong, reliable leader for his people, even if that meant giving his wife the cold shoulder every once in a while. The village needed him; Aiko could wait. He pulled his legs to the side of the bed, sat up, and was about to stand when he felt a tug at his sleeve. Aiko was still fast asleep, her face now buried in the blanket, but her hand had subconsciously grabbed onto him. Gaara promptly brushed her off and went to go get ready. As the door closed, Aiko opened her eyes and groped the air with the hand that he so carelessly threw off like dirt on his shoulder; she had been awake the entire time.

After about 15 minutes, Gaara was putting on his black sandals and reaching for the door knob.

"Gaara?" a wispy voice came from behind him without warning.

He whipped around and lifted his sand from the floor, ready to capture whoever the intruder was, but found the so-called threat to be his wife. He lowered the sand and the tension in his shoulders evaporated, but how did she manage to sneak up behind him? He's the Kazekage for goodness's sake; he should have been able to sense her! He closed his eyes and massaged his temples in annoyance.

"Gaara..." she repeated.

He looked up. Aiko had a thin shawl wrapped around her shoulders and her nightgown seemed to float around her ankles. Her shoulders were bony, her skin was an ashen color, the rings under her eyes were slightly purple, her lips were a thin, pale line, her hair no longer sported a glossy shine, and her eyes were a dull yellow, they looked tired. She seemed so fragile and brittle. What happened to the cheerful girl from last night?

"You're going to work..." Aiko said, more as an observation than a question.

Gaara turned away and opened the door, "Yeah."

They both stood there as a long pause hung in the air. He didn't understand why it was so awkward and tense, but for some reason, he felt like he should let her have the last word before leaving.

"... I see... Well, I hope you have a nice day."

He replied with another, "Yeah." As he started to move out the door, Aiko gave him weak smile and waved.

"Goodbye, Gaara." she whispered.

Once the door clicked shut, the Kazekage pondered those strange words. Isn't it suppose to be, 'See you later'?


Yay! Finally finished Chapter 2! But the thing is... It's probably going to take me even longer to finish Chapter 3. Sorry!