"Gaara…"
The redhead continued to keep his eyes closed, captured in a dreamless rest. It was the first one he had taken in five days.
five days since Lee had collapsed in pain in the Uchiha's manor and he had ignored him, thinking it to be nothing. Five days since he had first stood by this same hospital bed and reigned in the part of him that wanted to go on the streets and blindly murder anyone who had the misfortune of coming across him. Five days since he had sent out their second generation to find and torture those who had done this to his husband.
Four days since he had signed off on allowing them to kill the offenders, his signature having danced upon that paper at the very strike of midnight. Four days since he and everyone had, again, listened to the hokage as she explained the situation, though he had been in this room the entire time. Four days since he had spoken a word to anyone.
Three days since he had seen any of his family, Koi with Minamaru and Kanaye, who were staying with the Akamamich-Nara boy, the Inuzuke with them. Three days since he had even acknowledged another person.
Two days since he realized that he was dying because his lover wasn't waking up. Two days since he had accepted said fact and then stopped thinking about the outside world entirely. Two days since he had finally sat down next to his husband, instead of standing in the same spot.
27 hours since the hokage had came into the room, screaming for him to get out and 'live'. 26 and a half hours and 29 minutes since she had slapped him to try and knock some sense into him. 21 hours since the kage's assistant had been able to coerce him into taking down the sand dome so she could start another healing session with his husband. 19 hours since he began to suspect that one of the healing nins had begun a jutsu on him.
That is 19 hours of his life that disappeared for the first time in five days.
"Gaara…"
And that voice would not stop… It was an eerily familiar voice.
He used as much force as he had to, to force his heavily leaden eyelids up to look to the person saying his name.
Lee had his upper body balanced on his elbows as he blinked down at him, a small, soft, slightly confused smile on his face. Shakily, he allowed himself to fall back onto the bed in favor of reaching out to Gaara with one hand to stroke his red locks.
"Hello, Gaara, have you been alright while I was sleeping?"
The redhead blinked…
Blinked again…
Then nodded his head in acknowledgment to Lee's question.
"It was unpleasant, but all's well now."
His dark haired lover smiled brightly, lifting his other hand to give him a thumbs up, even as he continued to stroke his hair.
"Wonderful!"
His voice was cracked, and hoarse from the days of no use. Gaara closed his eyes to revel in the sound. When he opened them again, there was a reprimanding light in them, causing the bedded man to pout.
"If we're to avoid anymore incidences such as this, we have rules to go over."
Lee nodded his head sadly, having figured that his lover would say something like that during the so or so minutes Lee had been watching the redhead sleep. He was going to rebel against them at some point, especially when he found out exactly what had happened and why he had been out for five days, if the calendar across the room from him was to be believed; but, it was best to make his lover feel secure that he was alright for now.
He could not remember the last time he had waken up in hospital with Gaara by his side-…
Oh, wait, he could. The night he had given birth to his first son. How could he have almost forgotten?
Either way, Gaara needed to feel in control. If that meant he would have to swallow his tongue and tiptoe for a few days until he could not contain his youthful energy any longer, then so be it!
He waited sullenly, but expectantly, for what was most likely going to be a very long list of things he could no longer do, or could only do while the kage was with him.
His expecting that might be why what he received startled him. Though, the kiss was nice.
It was only uncomfortable because he hadn't brushed his teeth in so long, and there was a horrible taste of iron invading his sense of smell from within his own throat. Otherwise, he wrapped his arms around his husband to pull him closer, his body starved for the contact.
It was three minutes before they took a little longer of a break than just a breath of a second. Gaara had managed to slip onto the hospital bed, leaning over his lover, where he was unable to stop himself from lustfully thrusting his hips against his lover's.
He listened with rapt attention to each gasp and moan that escaped his submissive husband, his eyes hungry.
"You do not leave me like this again… or I will follow after you."
Lee stopped everything, his eyes becoming perfect circles as he paled ever so slightly, staring into his lover's eyes, shocked. Weakly, he placed his palm over Gaara's face, covering his scar with his fingertips. Gaara didn't lean into the touch as he usually would, just staring back at him with certainty.
Lee could not hold the question any longer.
"What happened?"
He noted to himself to never wait again for the perfect opening to ask how he ended up in the hospital. He was going to ask the moment he opened his eyes and found his voice.
Not until he was aroused, shocked by his lover's words that made no sense to him, and then have his sensei barge through the door.
"I sensed that my most beautiful student was awake!!… GAARA! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT MOLESTING LEE ON HOSPITAL BEDS?!?!?!?"
There was a gurgle, in which Lee realized that his sensei was holding his daughter. In the same thought, he wanted to demand Koi, missing her terribly, and wanted to scream in horror.
"ESPECIALLY BEFORE INNOCENT MINDS. AGAIN, MY MIND IS BOGGLED THAT YOU WOULD DO SUCH A THING!!"
Time was… repeating itself… It did seem…
"Bushy-Brows, you're awake- HOLY SHIT, it burns!!"
"Mommy, how do you feel-… Raccoon-daddy… get off of mommy, he's hurt right now."
"Father, chichi is fragile, move."
"Hey, is Lee up!?"
"How… lovely… to catch you in this situation. I'm going to walk away, now that everything seems fine."
Lee had his face buried into the white fabric of his lover's robes, his face feeling fiery against the cool cloth. Against his ear, Gaara sighed, and then fanned out his cloak so that it hid him from his friends and family.
"Gaara…?"
His small whisper was answered by a 'hm?'.
"Time is repeating itself…"
"Yes."
"… What happened while I was sleeping?"
"…"
"Gaara! Stop molesting my patient!"
"… Gaara, I do not think this is our day."
The redhead stayed where he was till the room had cleared of everyone, minus Minamaru, Kanaye, Koi, and Lady Tsunade. Then he removed himself as his shy lover's shield, and sat, again, by his side to watch the hokage conduct her checkup. While she did that, Lee hugged and kissed both of his teenage children, smiling for both of them, then reached out and took his infant child.
There was some scarring, but Lady Tsunade was happily irritated to report her analysis to the gathered crowd of people concerned for the second beautiful beast:
The brat was going to be just fine.
Gaara just had to restrain himself for a week so he didn't cause any internal bleeding within his lover.
He was not amused when she announced that in front of the crowd as well.
Ha! I got back to the humor! Do a little dance! Make a little love! Get down tonight! uh huh, uh huh! Get down tonight!
… But that angst and action was fun. I wish I had found something more serious than iron poisoning, but it was the only thing I found that fit the symptoms I had put out already. Just tell me if you loved it or not, even if it's a yes or no. I know I have more people reading this then those who are just reviewing.
Thanks to ridiculously spaced out name fairytales, kakairu, just a girl two, and animal loving girl, for their lovely input. I glomp each and everyone of you!
