(AN: Oh my gosh, I'm shocked that so many people loved the last chapter! Thank you very much! (bows) But anyway, I said this would be the last flashback chappie, and it is, but that means I had to cram a lot of crap into this thing. I hope you like long chapters.)
Disclaimer: I wish Tsugumi Ohba owned Naruto… then it would be totally awesome like Death Note… (sighs)
Chapter Twelve: Lucky Day in Hell
(Kiba POV)
Two years have passed since Sasuke left…
Two years of managing to get by…
Two years before all hell suddenly broke loose.
"Kiba…?"
I looked away from the TV, where some dude was making a frail attempt at stand-up comedy. Kankuro and I were lying on the couch in his new apartment room, which was much bigger and better furnished than the shithole he had been living in a year before. His arm rested around my shoulders, and his fingers stroked my slightly damp hair; though he still, even now, refused to take my virginity, there were many other things we did together that could make me break out into a sweat. It almost took away the constant frustration I felt.
"Hmm? What's up?"
"Well…" He looked down and blushed; he still did that surprisingly often. "Can I ask you something?"
"Um, of course." I turned in his arms and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Don't act so nervous, it's scaring me. That's not like you."
He rolled his eyes. "Believe it or not, Kiba, even I get nervous."
"No. Way." I pretended to look shocked.
"Okay, do something different and be serious for a second." He sighed and slowly ran a hand across my cheek. "I was just wondering… it's been nagging at me for a long time… why do you, you know, want to be with me? I mean… I don't even know how to say it… why do you care about me so much?"
I blinked, and burst out laughing.
"Don't laugh," Kankuro mumbled, looking offended. "I'm serious. I'm nothing special…"
"Oh, don't start." I clamped a hand over his mouth before he started going emo on me. "You know, for a seventeen year old, you aren't very smart, are you?"
His only response was an indignant glare.
"Does there even have to be a reason?" I asked, tracing my fingertips over the exposed skin of his muscled chest. Over the past couple of years he had lost weight, and gained a body that would make most men jealous. I knew I was. At age fifteen I still resembled a stick, though Kankuro had said I was a lot better looking now than the obnoxious kid I had been at thirteen. Yeah, whatever that meant. "Isn't it obvious that I love you? I have to love you a lot to put up with this ridiculous 'no sex' rule of yours."
"Ha ha." Kankuro avoided my eyes. "Well… for the longest time… I thought you were crazy about that… that Uchiha kid."
I held back a cringe. Sasuke's name had pretty much become taboo since the day Gaara had confessed his feelings for him. The only time Kankuro even mentioned him was when he was angry and needed something to bitch about.
"What? Sasuke?" I forced out a laugh that sounded almost bitter. "Why would you think that I like Sasuke?"
"I just… got a feeling. The way you reacted when Uchiha ran away…" He bit his lip. "I could never get it out of my head."
My heart thudded painfully against my ribcage, but I managed a small smile. "Come on, that was two years ago. I mean, I cared about him in a way, we were classmates when we were kids, but I've never liked him 'that way'."
The lie slipped so easily off my tongue, and it hurt when his face lit up and he looked so reassured.
"That's good. It's bad enough that Gaara still has feelings for him. I don't know what I would do if he had you all along as well."
I tried hard to control the emotions displayed on my face as I moved my hands into his hair. "You're the only one for me," I whispered, and I wished so much that I could say those words without lying.
Kankuro sighed again and pulled me into a deep, soft kiss. I closed my eyes as his lips melded with mine, and I enjoyed one of those brief, shining moments when I would kiss Kankuro and think of only him. I wanted every kiss to be exactly like that.
"That's good…" he repeated softly, but it was far from good, so far that it wasn't even funny. Still, I lay in his arms and accepted every kiss he gave to me, and I pretended that it was.
"Kiba! K-Kiba!!"
I jerked roughly out of my daze. Kankuro's room disappeared, and I was back in the present time and place; early evening, in Konoha, sitting with my back against the tree in my backyard. Hinata was running toward me, a terrified look on her face; I saw my mom gazing at her curiously through the back door.
"K-Kiba! There you are!" Hinata collapsed on the ground in front of me, panting heavily. I stared at her, beginning to feel a little worried; Hinata was acting even more frightened than usual.
"Hey… hey, Hinata?" I got onto my knees and shook her shoulder. "What's up? Did some guy try to touch you? Tell me who it was and I'll kick their ass."
"No, no, I'm fine." She grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me down so that my ear was level with her mouth.
"I just heard Kurenai-sensei talking to Asuma-sensei… something horrible has happened." Her voice was quiet and desperate, and it would have almost been hot if she hadn't sounded so scared. "Kiba… it's Kankuro… he's…"
My blood ran cold, and suddenly the air around me turned into thick water.
"What happened?" I asked, my nails digging into her shoulder. Hinata winced, but she didn't pull away.
"Asuma-sensei said that… that the Kazekage had been kidnapped… Of course, Kankuro went after the kidnappers…"
Oh God. Gaara. Gaara had been kidnapped… But if the kidnappers had been strong enough to bring Gaara down—
"What happened to Kankuro?" I demanded, but half of me didn't want to hear her answer.
"S-some Suna jonin found him, about three miles away from the village… I'm so sorry, Kiba! He was poisoned with something, and there is no cure…"
The world stopped spinning.
"Kankuro's… dying?" I breathed.
Hinata let out a small noise that sounded like a sob. "Kiba, I'm sorry…"
A second later I was on my feet. I wouldn't bother packing any bags. I wouldn't eat or sleep until I had reached Suna, and reached Kankuro. Or Kankuro's body.
No. No, he can't die. Not him, not him…
Hinata jumped up and tugged on my sleeve. "What do I tell Tsume?"
Damn, for a moment I had forgotten. Tsume didn't know about Kankuro, and it was best if it stayed that way. I don't have time for this! "I don't know, Hinata. Anything. Make up something." I spared one second to look back at my teammate; her large eyes were shimmering, and two trails of tears carved down her cheeks. "I hated leaving her like that, but I had to. My mom was already out the door and walking toward us, a "mother-ish" look pasted on her face.
"Thank you," I said, and I took off.
Buildings passed beside me in a meaningless blur. I was running faster than I'd ever run in my life, with my heart pounding a rhythm in my head that sounded too terrifyingly much like a clock.
Tick, tock, tick, tock…
I felt a familiar presence dashing beside me, and I glanced to the side. My vision was so blurry that I could only see a giant white fuzzball thing, but I knew who it was right away.
"Akamaru!"
He let out a huge bark and moved closer to my side; I managed to make myself jump up onto his back.
"Suna," I told him, my voice hoarse. "We need to get to Suna now."
Three days. It was a three day trip, and who knew how long it took for the news about Kankuro to reach Konoha. I would never make it in time.
Akamaru whined; he could sense my fear. I shook my head, even though I knew he couldn't see me.
"No… I'm fine… really…" I groaned and collapsed against his neck. "Suna… we've got to hurry…"
I felt Akamaru's paws slam against the ground as his speed increased. I closed my eyes and clenched my hands in my hair.
Not again. Everybody I care about… first Sasuke… now Kankuro… They're all disappearing!!
I remembered the day that Kankuro and I had gotten together, so long ago, the day he saved my life just as I was about to die. The same day that I had done virtually nothing to bring Sasuke back home. I was useless. I couldn't save anybody!
No. Not this time. My teeth clenched painfully. I won't just sit there and be helpless. I don't care what it takes. I won't lose Kankuro, not like this, and if I have to go to hell to bring him back, so be it!
--
(Sasuke POV)
Tap tap tap.
A soft knocking noise came from outside my door. I groaned and sat up from my bed, running my hand irritably through my hair. I didn't want to answer the door. I hated everyone in this goddamn place. Why would I want to talk to them during my free time?
"Get the fuck away from my room," I muttered, which was my usual response to knocking these days. If it was Orochimaru I would pay for my insolence later, but I didn't care. I welcomed physical pain. It helped me escape, if just for a minute, from the torture cell of my mind.
Click. My door unlocked, and slowly began to swing open. Anger flared through me. Who the hell dares to—
"I sweat to God, I'll Chidori you if you don't leave me alone!" I yelled, jumping up and yanking open the door, but as soon as I saw him all of the threats died in my throat. Impossible.
"Why the shocked expression?" Gaara murmured, a slight smile forming on his lips. "You must have known… that I would always come for you."
I couldn't think. I was dead. I couldn't even feel my heart beat.
"You won't leave me waiting out here all night, will you?" he asked, but his voice hinted that he meant something other than waiting to come inside. Still, I stepped to the side and let him in, as if in a daze. Gaara closed the door and pulled the lock shut.
"What… what are you doing here?" I asked breathlessly, finally finding my voice.
Gaara's brows furrowed. "Don't you want me here, Sasuke?" he asked, pouting. I blinked.
That's not like Gaara, a voice in my head said, but I pushed it to the side.
"Of course I do," I said; I could feel my cheeks heating up. I was acting like an idiot. "But… I never expected you to—"
My voice trailed off into a shuddering gasp; Gaara had taken a step forward and pressed himself against me, his hands on my chest.
"Sasuke… anything is possible, when you're in love." He looked up at me, his eyes shining with something… I didn't know what it was, but I felt another uneasy twinge in the back of my mind. "I want you, Sasuke. I can't live without you."
I felt a sob building up in my throat. "I… need you, too," I whispered, my voice shuddering. Gaara smiled, looking satisfied.
Gaara doesn't smile like that.
Gaara's hands slipped under my shirt and rubbed against my stomach and chest, but his strokes were rough, almost desperate. Suddenly the look in his eyes was recognizable; pure lust.
"Prove it to me," he whispered, and he started to lean up towards my lips.
My hand whipped forward, and I stabbed my kunai into his stomach.
Gaara let out a strangled gasp and fell to his knees. I stumbled back, trying to control the tears welling up in my eyes. The agony of that simple action was much worse than I expected, but I knew why. Part of my mind was positive that I had just stabbed Gaara.
The other half knew better.
"You…" He spat out a mouthful of blood. "You just… stabbed me."
"If you don't want to be stabbed, next time actually act like the person you're impersonating," I hissed, my voice full of malice. My Sharingan eyes were now activated, and instead of Gaara a red-haired girl with glasses kneeled on the floor, looking extremely pissed off. Not as pissed as I was, though.
"Karin, what the hell are you trying to pull?!"
Karin glared up at me, her mouth twisted into a grimace. "I acted good enough to get you all excited for a bit. But you won't even take me when I look like your little whore, will you?"
"Gaara is not my whore!" I yelled, feeling a sudden urge to rip her head off her shoulders. "What the fuck—"
"Oh, really?" she sneered, clutching her stomach and rising shakily to her feet. "You're always moaning about him in your sleep." She made her voice high pitched and clutched at her shoulders, as if she was hugging a pillow tight to her chest. "Gaara, Gaara, help me, I want to be with you, take me away from here—Ha! As if someone made you leave him behind!"
My hands balled up into fists, but I stayed silent. There was nothing I could say.
"Want to know something, Sasuke? You should have been satisfied with me, because now I'm all you've got."
My eyes narrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, yeah, I forgot, Orochimaru didn't want you to know. He thought it would make you even more of a pathetic faggot than you already are." Karin let out a harsh laugh, but her legs shook violently and a second later she was on her knees. I bent down and grabbed her by the throat.
"What is it?!" I snarled, my temper bubbling over.
Karin didn't show any fear. She searched my eyes, and spoke the two words that changed the course of my life forever.
"Gaara's dead."
I blinked. The words had seemed to fly right over my head. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Gaara's dead. Gone. Finished. Killed in action. How else shall I word it for you?"
Silence. I released her throat and stumbled back, and then the laughter started slipping out. I fell to my knees, laughing hysterically, because the thought of Gaara dying was even more impossible than him coming to rescue me from Orochimaru's clutches.
"Gaara's… dead?" I gasped out. "Impossible. You couldn't possibly know—"
"I do know, Sasuke. Heard it myself from one of Orochimaru's spies that was hanging around Suna. You could ask him yourself if you really want to. Gaara was kidnapped by the Akatsuki, for the demon Shukaku sealed inside of his body. They've most likely already taken the demon out of him, and the process to remove a demon kills the host." She gave another laugh, apparently so filled with joy that she didn't care about the blood spilling from her stomach and mouth. "Yup, Gaara's as good as dead. You can kiss your little whore goodbye… or maybe you can't," she added with a grin.
Somehow, I knew she wasn't lying. The Akatsuki… Itachi… he'd stolen Gaara, just like he's stolen my family and my life. They were all gone… everything… Gaara… gone…
I cupped my hands over my tear stained face, but the laughter didn't stop.
"Gone, gone… he's gone…" I choked out. I heard Karin make a disgusted noise.
"You disgust me," she hissed. "What kind of ninja cries over another man? You really are a weak faggot, just like Lord Orochimaru says. I can't blame him for wanting to kill you."
My body seemed to lock up for a split second, but then I was on my feet. My hand lashed forward, and Karin flopped back onto the floor, unconscious. I stood over her, panting heavily; blind fury coursed through my body, and I felt like I could destroy Orochimaru's hideout right then, just pull the building apart piece by piece. I wanted to run. I needed to run. I looked down at Karin's body and quickly wiped away the tears spilling from my eyes.
"Gaara's as good as dead."
As good as dead.
Somehow, I refused to accept it. Gaara wasn't dead. He was as good as dead. He had to still be alive, he had to be. He had to...
Without another thought, I opened my door and ran out into the hallway. I went as quickly and silently as I could, my hands running across the walls in search of an exit. I couldn't trust my eyes; my vision was too blurry to distinguish anything in the darkness. I bit my lip to hold back the sobs that were trying desperately to escape. I needed to run.
Finally, my hand slipped onto a door. I pushed it open blindly and felt the breeze on my skin. I stepped outside, and the light of the moon almost blinded me further. How long had it been since I had felt a breeze, or even seen the moon?
Something moved out of the corner of my eye. I whipped around, and found a large group of Orochimaru's minions, led by Kabuto. He shoved his glasses up higher on his nose and pulled a kunai out of his back pocket.
"Orochimaru suspected mutiny from you someday, Uchiha," he sneered, as the other ninja followed suit. "He also told us what must be done if you were caught."
I cracked my knuckles.
Minutes later, I stood shivering and panting over the bodies of the enemy ninja. I stared up at the stars, trying to discover my position and which way to travel. I wasn't going back to Konoha, not just yet. I would go to Suna, and find out the whole truth of what happened to Gaara. And then… I didn't know what would happen then. Everything seemed to rest on one factor; whether Gaara was alive or not.
I shook my head, and set off at a swift run. I was either going to find Gaara, or avenge his death. I prayed desperately that I wouldn't have to do the latter.
--
(Kiba POV)
I had been running through the hospital in Suna for about half a minute before I crashed into Sakura.
"Ouch!"
"Ah, I'm sorry—" I took a step back, clutching my head, but froze when I recognized the pink-haired girl in front of me. "S-Sakura?! What are you doing here?"
"I'm on vacation," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Suna sent a message to Konoha asking for assistance. Sorry, Kiba; if you wanted any action, you're way late."
My heart skipped a beat. "Too… late?" I gasped. Without warning, I lunged forward and grabbed her shoulders. She looked at me as if I was demented.
"Is Kankuro alive?!" I asked desperately, my voice shaking. Then, almost as an afterthought, "And Gaara?"
Sakura smiled understandingly. "Gaara's not great, but he's doing better. We just managed to rescue him a couple days ago, but he's really strong, he'll make it. And as for Kankuro…" She pointed over her shoulder. "He's in room 1-B. Go easy on him, though, he went with me, Naruto, and Kakashi-sensei to rescue Gaara against my recommendation—Hey!"
I had stopped listening after the room number, and was already dashing up the stairs two at a time. Sakura ran up to the foot of the stairs and called up, "Tell him to take his medicine!"
"I will!" I called back, a grin unfurling on my face. I ran down the hallway, crashing into about a dozen startled nurses, but I didn't care.
Kankuro's alive. Oh my God, he's alive!!
I located the door marked 1-B (without a map!) and slammed the door open. There he was; his shirt and hat had been removed, and an angry red scar zigzagged across his chest and stomach. I cringed at the sight. His sacred body had been marred. Who could have done such a thing?!
But when he looked up at me and our eyes met, all of my horror disappeared.
"Kiba, you—aargh!!"
I ran forward and tackled him in a flying glomp; the force sent him sprawling back onto the hospital bed.
"Thank God, you're okay," I said, pressing my lips to his cheek, to his forehead, to every inch of skin I could reach. "I thought you were dead… I thought I'd lost you…"
"Heh, think again." Kankuro smirked and ran his hands slowly through my messy hair. "You're not getting away from me that easily."
Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Kankuroooo!" I sobbed, tightening my arms like a vice around him. He winced, a slight hissing sound fording out of his mouth.
"Oh," I mumbled, blushing and pulling away. "I'm sorry—"
Kankuro grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back on him. My cheeks flared, but I didn't protest.
"So," I said softly, resting my head against his shoulder. "I heard Gaara's doing well?"
Kankuro nodded and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God he is. I was… so scared that we wouldn't bring him back here alive. He's still a little weak, so he's asleep in the room next door—"
My neck made a cracking sound as my head shot up. "Gaara's asleep? But I thought—"
"The kidnappers took Shukaku out of Gaara," he said simply. "It's… amazing. I hate to say it, but… something good actually came out of this. Gaara's free."
I nodded slowly, my eyes fixed on his face. "And you?"
"Hmm? What about me?"
"Well, are you… are you all right?"
Kankuro quirked an eyebrow. "Do I look less than perfect to you?"
"Well…" I smirked and traced my fingers over the skin of his neck. "Other than this horrid mark you have slashing across your body, you look pretty hot."
He rolled his eyes. "I'm just fine, but Sakura told Baki-sensei to keep me in the hospital for another week. A week! I don't understand—"
"Did you take your medicine?" I asked sharply, cutting him off. He froze with a guilty expression on his face.
"Maaaaaybe," he mumbled, staring intently at a spot on the wall. I frowned.
"Dude, you're gonna die if you don't."
"Will I really, mutt?" He moved so fast that I could barely see him. The next second I was flat on the bed with Kankuro hovering over me, a wicked grin on his face.
"See? Do I really need medicine? I'm obviously still stronger than you. Don't be lecturing me, kid—"
He stopped abruptly, and the smile slowly disappeared. I felt my cheeks burning as I reached up to stroke his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, tilting his head so that his lips could press against my palm.
A blue light flickered from his middle finger, and the door locked with a click.
"K-Kankuro?" I asked, my voice soft and almost afraid. He was staring at me with so much intensity I could almost feel his gaze on my skin. One of his hands moved under my shirt, and the other busied itself pulling down the zipper. A second later my upper body was bare, and he was doing the most amazing things to my chest with his mouth. I moaned and arched up against him, and our clothed erections rubbed together harshly. A jolt of electricity shot through me as he placed his hand in between my legs; I closed my eyes and barely bit back a cry of shock.
"Kankuro, what are you…"
His fingers undid the button on my pants, and the question was silently answered for me.
"But—you said—you didn't want to—" God, here I was, about to finally get layed, and I was acting like a frightened schoolgirl. Kankuro moved his mouth back up to my face and traced the marks on my cheeks with his tongue. His voice breathed into my ear, sending a hot shudder of pleasure down my spine.
"Kiba… I wanted to wait… I didn't want to touch you, not while you were young, just in case you decided to leave me for another… in case you changed your mind…" I breathed in sharply, and my eyes filled with tears. Kankuro moved so that he was looking me straight in the eye, and time stopped. It was just me and him, looking into each other's eyes, and no one and nothing else mattered. No one else even existed. We were the only two people in the universe.
"Why did you come to Suna?" he asked, and his hands began to slide my pants off my hips. I gasped and wrapped my arms tight around his neck. I knew the answer.
"Because I love you," I whispered, and for once it was really and truly genuine. I loved him more than anything else in the world.
Both of us were clothes-less. Kankuro slid in between my parted thighs and cupped my face in his hands.
"I love you, too," he said, just as softly, just as lovingly, and his mouth covered mine. "And it's about time I really showed you."
So he did.
And Sasuke didn't appear once in my mind.
--
"Hey, Kiba, can you get me something alcoholic while you're out?"
"No way, I am so not letting you get drunk," I called back, and Kankuro's face fell. I rolled my eyes and turned to the actual occupant of the hospital room, the more responsible one by far. "Hey Gaara, you want anything?"
Gaara shrugged. "I don't know. I don't really want anything. That is, unless you can find some good beef tongue…"
"That's disgusting!" I moaned, clutching my stomach and making a face. "You're so weird, Gaara. Oh well, I'll see if I can find some…"
…but I am not touching it, I mentally added. I was about to head out the door, but Kankuro briefly stopped me.
"Be careful," he whispered before pressing his lips swiftly to mine. I smiled into the kiss, gave him a quick hug, and ran down the hallway with a new spring in my step. I was too happy to be brought down by trivial things, such as Gaara's bizarre taste in food. Things were definitely going up for me, that was for sure. For the first time, it seemed, Kankuro and I were like a real couple should have been. And not just that…
Even though it had happened days ago, I could still feel Kankuro on my skin, on my lips, inside my body. I sighed and wrapped my arms around my body, but somehow I couldn't imitate how warm he made me feel when he held me tightly, or the electricity shooting across my skin wherever his lips touched me. I breathed in deeply as I stepped outside the hospital and into the empty street.
I didn't know if it was because we waited for so long, or if it was because my feelings had time to grow strong and absolute, but the sex had meant more to me than I ever could have imagined.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a section of shadow move. I whipped around, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I didn't have any kunai on me; I'd never packed before taking off from Konoha. Still, my claws would work just as well.
"Who's there?" I called. No answer, but Shadow Man moved a little farther in my direction. I only say his/her outline, but something was off. It was like whoever it was was hunched over, or in so much pain they couldn't walk correctly.
I carefully approached the person until I got a better view of them. Whoever it was was wearing a long, dark cloak, with the hood pulled down over his/her face. My suspicions arose. Who the hell walked around looking like that?
I took a step closer; I was right by Shadow Man's shoulder, but he did nothing to attack. He could've been an innocent, senile old man for all I knew. Or maybe he wasn't.
"Who are you?" I asked again in a louder voice, in case he was half deaf. But still he didn't answer. My patience snapped, and I grabbed his shoulders and threw back his hood.
My heart stopped beating.
"Sa-Sasuke?!"
--
(Sasuke POV)
I wasn't sure what was happening.
Someone was dragging me across a brightly-lit hallway. He had red marks on his cheeks that seemed strangely familiar, and he talked in a low, shaking voice.
"Hang in there, Sasuke," he said, and a hand brushed my bangs out of my face. "You're all right now… Come on, stay with me…"
What is he talking about? I thought blearily, the colors in front of me blurring together in a burning kaleidoscope. Who is he?
"I can't see… The colors…" I moaned, my head slumping down onto my chest. The boy's hand pressed to my forehead.
"Shit," he hissed, and I think he pulled me along at a faster pace. A second later, a loud crash ripped through my ears, making me flinch and whimper.
"Guys, please, help! He needs help—he has a really bad fever—"
"Who needs help?" another voice asked, sounding anxious and slightly suspicious. Strong hands pulled my face up, and I was looking into narrow green eyes.
His hands stiffened, and his eyes widened. "…No, it can't be. Not you…"
He stepped away and let my head drop back to my chest.
"Throw him out of here, Kiba! I don't ever want to see his face again!"
"But Kankuro—" The boy holding me trembled. "He needs help, please—he could die if we do nothing—"
"Good! No more than this brat deserves!"
"But—"
"…Sasuke?"
I recognized that voice. How many times had I dreamed about it?
A third set of soft hands touched my shoulders, and at the same time my muscles finally were sapped of their strength. I collapsed onto my hands and knees and vomited, sobbing as my sore throat was burned again.
"Kiba! Get Sakura!" the same perfect voice commanded, and I heard a set of feet rush out the door. Two warm arms lifted me off the ground and sat me down on a bed; he sat down beside me and pulled me to his equally warm chest. I gasped and nuzzled against the warmth, and I managed to muster up enough strength to look up at him.
Gaara was more perfect than I ever could have remembered.
"You…" I smiled and brushed my hand across his bangs. "You've grown your hair out."
Gaara grinned, and two tears fell from his eyes. "Yes," he whispered. "You always used to make fun of how short it was."
"Gaara, get the fuck away from him!" the angry voice yelled, but Gaara didn't seem to listen. He let me cling to his shirt and he held me tight, keeping me safe and warm. My guardian angel.
"I thought… you were dead…" I breathed, pressing my forehead to his shoulder. "But, then again… part of me knew… I don't know… I think I'm going crazy…"
Gaara's shoulders shook, and small droplets of water hit my neck.
"I always knew you would come back," he whispered. His thumb swiped across my mouth, and I cringed.
"Don't touch me," I mumbled weakly. "I'm disgusting."
"You could never disgust me," he murmured, but I hardly heard him. My stomach spasmed in pain, and against my will I let out a low moan. I slumped against him, panting heavily as sweat trickled down the side of my face.
"Water," I gasped.
Right then there was another painful crash, and two people ran into the room. One of them, a girl that I felt like I should've known, gasped.
"Sasuke—it's really him—"
"Sakura!" Gaara snapped, and the girl jumped. "Get some water, he's dehydrated!"
"O-okay," she stuttered, sounding dazed. "I-I have some right here…"
Gaara grabbed something from her hands and held it up to my mouth. "Drink it, Sasuke," he said, and I noticed that his voice was much gentler when he talked to me. I grabbed the bottle and drank hungrily, whimpering as the cool liquid hit my dry throat.
"Don't drink too fast," said Gaara, brushing my hair out of my face. I managed to drink slower, and almost immediately my head started to clear. I could finally recognize everybody else, though they all looked a lot older than I remembered. Sakura, Kiba, Kankuro…
"Let me look him over," Sakura said, and she grabbed my shoulder and tugged. I cried out and grabbed Gaara's shirt.
"No!"
Sakura blinked, and looked slightly offended. "We haven't seen each other in two years, and that's how you—You are unwell! I need to look you over!"
"No!" I buried my face into Gaara's neck. "Gaara… don't let me go…"
"Gaara!" Sakura said exasperatedly, turning to him. I felt Gaara shift slightly, and he turned my head so that I was facing him.
"Sasuke, Sakura's right. She needs to look you over and make sure you're all right."
I shivered. "…Okay… just… please don't leave… please stay here…"
"I won't leave, I promise."
Gaara released me and got off the bed, and I was pushed onto my back. Sakura began her examination, but I wasn't paying attention to her. My eyes were fixed on Gaara, who sat dutifully by my side. In the background, Kankuro threw me a hate-filled glare, and Kiba glanced at him, looking extremely uncomfortable. Kiba's hand slowly went to Kankuro's shoulder, and my heart gave a slight throb.
"I'm sorry," I said weakly, looking straight at Gaara but speaking to the room at large. Kiba's expression turned surprised, Kankuro gave a doubtful snort, and Sakura replied with a soft, "There's no need to apologize. You're back. You came back."
Gaara's calm aura seemed to tremble and crack, and he leaned forward to lightly stroke my cheek. "You're safe now," he murmured, and he put his mouth to my ear to whisper unheard words of comfort. I never remembered the words he'd breathed into my ear, but now I knew what he must have told me, all those months ago.
"Sasuke, I love you."
--
(Kiba POV)
I looked at Sasuke lying there on the bed, and my heart thudded painfully against my ribs. The bright happiness that had spanned the past few days had been put out in the blink of an eye; Sasuke had come back, and every feeling of lust for him had returned as well. He had grown so much while he was away. I felt sick for even noticing that. I didn't want to want him. I didn't want anything to do with him.
Kankuro looked sideways at me. I took one look into his anxiety-filled eyes and I knew that he knew, and I knew that it was killing him. I was killing him.
And all I could think was,
Why?
(AN: This chapter killed me! Killed me I tell you! So if you dislike this chapter you can tell it to my corpse. But anyways, I won't update for a while again, so you better be happy with this. So there.)