What was Seth up to?
Gaara inspected his neck in the mirror, the hickeys left from last night still there. Just looking at them made his face heat up. His embarrassment aside, his concern as to why they hadn't healed was more important. He felt fine. Maybe a little weaker than usual. It happened occasionally, whenever Seth was suppressing his power. So either Seth was getting a perverted kick out of this or he was being cautious for some reason.
Gaara sighed inwardly, brushing over the discolored skin with his fingers. Though embarrassed, there was a part of him that was happy seeing them. Neji had to get up early for training, leaving a few good morning kisses before leaving Gaara to sleep a little longer. It felt nice. He felt normal for once. These were the type of things people his age usually worried about, right?
Thankfully, turtlenecks were popular right now. While Hyuuga Hiashi wasn't going to stop them from seeing each other, Gaara wasn't going to push his luck. Not that they weren't already doing that by sleeping in the same bed last night when Hiashi made it clear they were to stay separate.
Gaara pulled on the long sleeve shirt, still pondering as to why Seth would be suppressing his presence. He was also wondering if there was a way to sneak Neji away from training again that night when he got an unexpected call.
"Hey, Gaara," a tired, but familiar, voice came on the other side. "Is Uchiha with you? I can't reach him."
Gaara's hand trembled. Hearing his voice, a weight came off his chest. "Uzumaki, are you alright?"
"Yeah, just tired," he went quiet for a little while. "You're one of them, right?"
Uzumaki's question made Gaara nervous. "One of what?" he asked carefully, hoping it wasn't what he thought it was.
"A hunter… you're a hunter, right?"
Gaara almost sighed with relief. "Where are you? I'll send someone for you."
"You're on my side, right?" he asked. He lacked his vibrant energy, and Gaara thought of their past, of Uzumaki's hopeless face behind bars. "You won't try to kill me…"
Gaara closed his eyes. Did he know about the attempted assassination on him? How much did he know? "I'll take you wherever you want."
"Hm," Uzumaki exhaled loudly. Gaara could imagine Uzumaki sitting down on the ground with the phone in his hand, running his hands through his hair, struggling to keep his upbeat appearance. He could even imagine him straining himself to smile as he said, "I want to see Uchiha. Can you take me there?"
"Yes." He imagined Uzumaki smiling sadly, pressing his forehead to the phone before whispering a "Thank you."
Uzumaki muttered out a location which Gaara quickly memorized. He told Uzumaki to stay in the area, and immediately made calls to get him retrieved using his brother's resources. He found himself pacing as he waited. Uzumaki wasn't himself. He didn't seem to remember, but it was only a matter of time at this rate.
He sat down on his bed wishing Hyuuga was there with him. He couldn't help but feel he had failed Uzumaki somehow though he knew there was nothing he could have done to prevent Uzumaki's kidnapping. Uzumaki didn't even need Uchiha's help as it seemed he had saved himself. So why did he feel so useless?
Rather than stew in this unpleasant feeling and giving a chance for Seth to slip into his negative feelings, he focused on preparing for Uzumaki's arrival. He found an apartment close by for them to stay in that was rented out for the next month. The shinobi would find out about Naruto being found soon through Hiashi if they did not know already. It was better to have them in a separate location in case someone came looking. At least that way he could warn them and give them time. He still did not know what Tsunade was going to do now that the situation has changed.
He showed Uchiha the apartment and then went directly to meet Naruto at the private airport. He was anxious waiting. He had a hard time showing it outwardly, especially when Uzumaki's face came into view as he stepped off the plane. His eyes scanned over him, assessing him for any injuries or anything out of the ordinary. Even worried, he did not go to him.
He waited for Uzumaki to come over to him. From his approach alone, he knew Uzumaki had changed since last seeing him. His presence was suppressed, his footsteps light, his body guarded. His smile was on his face as always, but his eyes were not as bright. They were tired and subdued. His clothes were grungy, wrinkled, and slightly too large on his frame, and under his arm, he carried a folder.
Gaara's eyes lingered on the folder before looking back at Uzumaki. "Hey," he greeted, his smile becoming a bit more natural. "Long time no see."
"You came back in one piece," was all Gaara said. Acting normal, pretending he wasn't worried about him, put Uzumaki at ease some, lowering his defenses a bit, but his body seemed ready for a fight at a moment's notice. "Did anything interesting happen?"
"Not really. Just good meals and exercise."
Uzumaki could be good at lying when he wanted to be. Often his emotions played out on his face, but he'd get around it by telling the truth, though vague about the details. What he said must have been somewhat truthful if not the entire story.
Uzumaki didn't elaborate and was already walking towards the car, not in a hurry, but not waiting for Gaara as he had in the past. "Where's Uchiha?" he asked stopping at the car door, not getting in. He seemed hesitant.
Gaara wanted to ask how much he knew. If he knew if there was an order on his head, but Gaara refrained. He didn't want to worry him further if he was truly unaware. "He's waiting at the apartment you will be staying at," he replied.
Uzumaki stared at him for some time before getting in the car. Gaara became certain then that Uzumaki no longer trusted him full-heartedly as he had before. Gaara only had himself to blame as he had been the one to maintain that distance between them, but Uzumaki had never actively kept that distance on his own, showing no desire to wanting to be closer. Were they even friends?
"Are you just going to stay out there?" he asked when Gaara didn't get in right away.
Gaara followed Uzumaki into the car, and the driver pulled away. Silence fell between them. Uzumaki usually talked enough for the both of them. When he didn't, the silence was often comfortable without the need to speak, but this time it was thick and uncomfortable. Uzumaki did not offer much conversation. He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the window as if sleeping. But he wasn't.
His hand would twitch at any small and unexpected sound, especially if Gaara shifted. It appeared Uzumaki's "exercise" had been intense training. His body and senses had become honed for combat, and he could not turn it off. It had been ingrained into his body where it had become second nature, and despite Gaara's own suppressed power at the moment, Uzumaki was reacting the most to his movements.
Gaara didn't know if he should be relieved that Uzumaki had learned to fight while he was away. He hadn't learned to hide his tells yet, so his body's actions were obvious to Gaara's trained eye. Hiding his tells wasn't Uzumaki's style anyway, but it hurt to see Uzumaki so wary of him, already instinctively knowing Gaara was the strongest person near him and posed the greatest threat.
Seth was prickly with even his most favorite siblings, but Kurama rubbed him the wrong way and he was the most hostile to him. Seth had spent years trying to dissuade Gaara from interacting with Uzumaki, and though Gaara could not hear his lord while awake like Uzumaki could. Gaara could occasionally get impressions of his mood when it was especially volatile. Whenever Uzumaki had lost control in the past, Seth would bristle, just feeling his power. Now, just Uzumaki's presence, his coiled-up tension and readiness for a fight, was setting Seth on edge, like it was a challenge being presented to him that he wanted so badly to accept.
Being silent for most of the ride, Gaara assumed Uzumaki was ignoring him. It left Gaara in his uncertainty.
The car pulled up to the apartment complex, and Uzumaki's eyes opened just before the car came to stop. He sat up, inhaling heavily. He stretched, grunting a little as he did so. Exhaling loudly, he looked at Gaara. "You look good Gaara."
The statement took Gaara by surprise, unsure of how to react.
"You look a lot healthier now. Seems like you've been doing well." Uzumaki opened the door, placing one foot out.
"Not that well. We've been looking for you," Gaara hurried to say.
Uzumaki laughed a little. "It's not a bad thing. I'm happy you are getting better. You had me worried for a while." He got out the car. "I can find my way from here." He grinned. "Tell your lover I said hi."
At Gaara's startled look, Uzumaki tapped on a spot on his neck just under his jawline. Gaara's hand shot up, covering the spot and blushing. Uzumaki winked and closed the door, walking towards the building.
Flustered, Gaara raised his turtleneck higher. Though Uzumaki had poked fun at him, it was more normal, and it did make Gaara feel a bit more at ease. Uzumaki was always good at that, putting people at ease. He was different now, yet he was still the same.
Gaara rested his head on the headrest. Uchiha will be happy to see Uzumaki. If anyone was more worried about Uzumaki than Gaara it had been Uchiha. If Neji was his mate, Uzumaki was probably Uchiha's. After all, vampires didn't spend endless nights searching for someone outside their coven or work with their enemy for just anyone. The small apartment would be good for them as they got back together. Uzumaki seemed more than happy to see Uchiha again.
However, he felt mentally drained after a long day of preparing for Uzumaki's arrival and worrying about his wellbeing, and a weight had been lifted seeing him safe and sound. Now, he just wanted to put this incident behind him even though he knew it would not be that easy. He'd have to get Uzumaki to talk eventually, deal with questions from Tsunade, and see if Itachi could be traced. He really wanted to make sure Uzumaki was settled down too before leaving him alone as well.
These thoughts weighed on his mind as the car stopped in front of his temporary residence. He got out entering the residence mindlessly. He almost didn't realize Hyuuga had snuck up behind him, holding his waist from behind. Rather than be surprised or on edge from something unexpected touching him, he melted into it, feeling the embrace of Neji's slow and soothing chakra, quieting his thoughts.
"Where were you," Hyuuga murmured into his ear.
"Uzumaki came back," Gaara murmured back.
The hold around his waist got tighter. "Are you okay?
Gaara let out a huff. "Jealous?"
"What would you do if I said yes?" he whispered. He sounded like he was sulking just a little, showing his honesty in his words as well as a little shame at admitting it.
Gaara didn't say anything at first. He liked the thought that someone was jealous enough to want him when no one ever had, but reality would always intrude on his moment of happiness, reminding him that things could never be this easy. "What could I do?"
Hyuuga sighed, placing his forehead on his shoulder. "Is he alright?" he asked, sounding a bit reluctant to ask, but knowing it was the right thing to do.
"He's… different," Gaara admitted. "On edge. I can only imagine what he went through…" Neji's hold tightened a little more. "But he's back and in Uchiha's hands. My job is done."
"As long as you're okay." Hyuuga lifted his head to kiss on Gaara's neck. "Are you up for dinner? Oji-sama wants you to join us tonight."
"Really?" he asked with surprise.
"Mhm," Neji said, pulling down Gaara's turtleneck, pausing at seeing the hickeys. "You didn't heal."
"One of Seth's games probably," he muttered, but couldn't hide the flush of his cheeks.
He felt Neji smile against his skin. "I like it," he said, already working on adding another hickey with the others.
Gaara closed his eyes, focusing on Neji's lips on his skin. He could smell Neji's arousal and it was pulling at Gaara's instincts to come out and respond to Neji's invitation and play. His eyes were turning silver and he put a hand in Neji's hair. He could play a little right?
"Sorry to interrupt."
At the sound of Hiashi's voice, Neji immediately jumped away from him, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Gaara's initial reaction was a silvery glare at the interruption before common sense took over, and he repressed his instincts, looking away but not quite ashamed.
"Dinner is prepared, will you two be coming to the table?" Hiashi asked in a dry voice.
"Sorry, Oji-sama. We will be right there." Hyuuga bowed his head, looking guilty.
Hiashi shot a glance at Gaara. "Make sure you do not keep your elders waiting too long."
"Yes, Oji-sama," Neji answered immediately.
Gaara was more reluctant. "Understood…Hyuuga-san."
Hiashi waited a couple of seconds before walking away.
Neji let out the breath he was holding, glancing at Gaara then back down at the ground. "Sorry. I got carried away."
"No… It's fine." He wanted to say he liked it. He wanted to say he was starting to crave more, but he couldn't. "It's normal for couples, isn't it?"
Neji didn't reply, his own face flushing. It probably wasn't completely normal. Not by Japanese culture standards where PDA was kept at a minimum. They had always been physical with one another, always touching long before they were even a couple. Holding hands, sleeping in each other embarrasses, sitting against one another. A personal bubble between them hardly existed. Now that they were lovers, Gaara was beginning to notice Neji was having difficulties controlling himself as much as Gaara was.
He wondered if it was because they exchanged chakra so much. Could that affect Neji as well although he was only giving and not receiving?
Gaara readjusted his turtleneck, pulling it back up to cover his neck once more. "We shouldn't keep Hyuuga-san waiting."
Neji sighed, "He just wants to keep an eye on us since I didn't go to my room last night."
Gaara disagreed. Gaara felt that Hiashi was assessing him, judging him whether he was worthy enough for his nephew. Hiashi was a well-mannered man, who was a decisive leader and one of the most level headed clan leaders. He was also notorious for his protectiveness over his clan members, placing more importance on clan members lives than duty and making them adhere to strict rules. If anything, since living with the two Hyuugas, he had seen Hiashi place those strict rules down which Neji had to follow in training and in his free time. It may have been worse for Neji since he was a late starter and was Hiashi's nephew. Hinata had also followed stricter rules than her clan members. Gaara supposed since he was a possible danger, he wanted to see if Gaara was worth it. "Then we best convince him there's no need."
Neji smirked, holding his hand. "I guess so."
"You expect me to believe that or are you just that incompetent?"
Gaara stirred, opening his eyes. His vision before him was blurry. He saw a white void with three figures standing off in the distance. He couldn't really make them out. His body was heavy with sleep, lying face down.
"It's not that big a deal." Gaara recognized that voice, even with a foggy haze clouding his brain. He would never miss Seth's voice, the source of his torment. But Seth was weird. He sounded subdued. Rather than condescending and playful with underlying cruelty, he sounded like a child being scolded and halfheartedly deflecting.
"Why would it be a big deal for you?" the unfamiliar voice said. Gaara couldn't decipher whether it was a man or woman speaking, but the tone was clear s/he was not happy as it was passive-aggressive. "If I recall you left. We had to deal with sealing Susano'o. What sacrifice did you give? What sacrifice do you ever give?"
Seth uncharacteristically did not respond. He had never been so docile before.
"There is no point in arguing with him. He has always been hedonistic. Why would he ever do us a favor?" The third person spoke, but Gaara also didn't recognize the voice. It was haughty, but also sounded like he couldn't be bothered with Seth, looking down on him.
It made Seth growl. "Says the coward who allowed his power to be sealed. What help have you been?"
Gaara couldn't hear the response, the conversation fading out then back in, but it sounded like Seth was arguing with the second unknown person.
"Enough!" the first unknown person said, raising his or her voice. "Seth, if you are unwilling to help, let me know, and stop wasting my time. I have better things to do than track you down. Avoiding me has not done you any favors."
"You think I'd avoid you?" Seth snapped.
The first speaker, which Gaara could now tell was blond moved closer, whispering something harshly to him. Gaara could not hear them, but Seth settled down.
Who was that person who could make Seth obey? What was their secret?
The speaker pulled away, asking "Is that clear?"
Seth snorted and didn't answer, but the speaker seemed satisfied with his response.
What were they talking about so seriously? Was this a dream? But he had never seen the other two and Seth was ignoring him, and it was so blurry. He could barely make out the three figures' silhouettes.
"Shit, the brat's listening in," Seth cursed, turning the amber eyes onto him.
The other two figures looked to Gaara as well. The second speaker seemed to be surrounded with orange, his voice was deep, and though slightly animalistic like Seth, he seemed calmer and lacked the malicious intent. "I best go. My kit is having another nightmare."
"Until our next meeting, brother." The first speaker said, their eyes still on Gaara. The second speaker disappeared from the room, fading out of existence.
More words were exchanged between the two left, and soon the first speaker walked towards him. Even as they approached him, he couldn't make out their face. Why was he so tired? Even his thoughts felt slow and lethargic.
The figure squatted beside him. Seth was still standing far away. Gaara thought he saw Seth roll his eyes, looking very annoyed, but his attention was pulled back to the speaker when a gentle hand stroked his hair. "Pitiful child. Having to deal with the worst of my siblings has taken its toll on you," their voice was so soothing, like a lullaby. It relaxed him so much along with that parental touch that was lulling him to sleep. "I apologize on his behalf."
Gaara wanted to ask who they were, but he could not. His body wouldn't respond, and his consciousness was falling back under by this person's hand. Years of training and distrust that had been engrained by him were so easily discarded.
"I ask that when the time comes, you draw on Suetukh's strength and be not afraid. From this point on, he will be your protector until the danger has passed. You are stronger than you think, and you have the power to make him kneel, you just need to find the strength you've denied yourself and others have denied you."
Make Seth kneel? Was that even possible, Gaara thought drowsily. Gaara closed his eyes, drifting off.
"It is about time you showed them the true strength of a host."
Gaara couldn't get that dream out of his head. After awakening, he could barely remember what happened or what was said, but he could recall the golden silhouette of that person and Seth's quietly annoyed face.
He didn't have time to focus on it. After Uzumaki's return, he became swamped with paperwork. Both his brother and Tsunade gave him busywork. Work that had to be done but work he normally didn't have to do on the day to day basis. Tsunade even sent him his schoolwork on top of everything. Hyuuga also received his schoolwork, but his wasn't mandatory. That was probably Hiashi's influence.
He did, however, come to an acceptance that he probably wasn't going to see Uzumaki much anymore. Uzumaki apparently didn't get that message. A day after his return, Uzumaki came to see him, much to Gaara's surprise. There was still distance between them, but they chatted a little. Well, Uzumaki talked, Gaara listened as he did his paperwork, occasionally responding.
He didn't think it was too odd at first, but after the third day of Uzumaki coming to visit, it became apparent something was wrong. He learned that Uchiha had left the day Uzumaki had first called, causing Gaara more work by tracking down what he was up to, finding out he had bought a ticket to Rome and leaving Uzumaki behind. He didn't understand why Uchiha would leave after Uzumaki had just come back. He was the most worried so why did he leave so easily?
Each day, Uzumaki spent longer and longer at the house. By the fourth day, Uzumaki was basically spending more time at Gaara's than at his own place.
Hyuuga was understanding about it all. He stayed away while Uzumaki was around. He was obviously jealous though he kept reassuring Gaara he wasn't bothered by it. He knew Gaara wanted to spend as much time with Uzumaki as possible, and Gaara suspected Hyuuga still felt guilty about the things he had done in the past. With Uzumaki staying longer, Gaara could only see Hyuuga at night, but they couldn't do much other than sleep beside one another with Hyuuga normally too exhausted by the end of the day do more than say a couple words before crashing. Gaara didn't fall asleep as fast, but he would watch him sleep, thinking how lucky he was someone like Hyuuga by his side. If only they had spoken sooner. Gotten together sooner.
Gaara was working on some reports for Hiashi with Uzumaki sprawled out on the couch, feet on the wall. As the days past he had become both restless and listless. He was obviously waiting for Uchiha to return and each passing day it was more and more obvious as his uncertainty began to shine through. He wanted to do something, but there was nothing he could do. Unable to do anything about that frantic feeling, he was laying around more, talking less, and his expressions becoming a little darker each passing day. He was beginning to feel abandoned.
"Gaara, I'm bored," Uzumaki said dramatically. It was for show though. Uzumaki made no moves to move or do something about it. Gaara had been waiting for Uzumaki to say what was on his mind, but at this point, it was obvious that wasn't going to happen. He shouldn't have expected Uzumaki would divulge the information on his own. He never talked about the things that bothered him deeply. It seemed neither Uchiha nor Uzumaki handled being apart from each other well. "Don't you have anything to play or manga to read?"
Gaara didn't answer immediately, finishing writing out the paragraph before it left his head and dealt with Uzumaki's problems.
"Hey, are you ignoring me?"
Like Gaara could ever ignore him. He wasn't capable. As Uzumaki moved to sit up, his foot hit the picture hanging on the wall, causing it to come crashing down and breaking the glass.
Gaara inwardly sighed. This was getting ridiculous. "Uzumaki, why are you not with Uchiha?" he asked. If Uzumaki wasn't going to come forward first, he may as well ask.
Uzumaki sat up, grimacing a little at the mess he made. Uzumaki tried to ignore Gaara's heavy stare, bending down to pick at the broken glass. He mumbled his reply, not looking at Gaara as he did so, "The bastard's been avoiding me."
That Gaara already knew, but he didn't know why. "What happened?"
Uzumaki's face flushed red as he busied cleaning up the glass. Gaara watched with interest, putting down his pen. "Well?"
Uzumaki glanced at him, giving Gaara a better look at his reddened face. Uzumaki had always blushed easily when it came to anything involving relationships, whether it be seeing a couple being affectionate or actual porn. It made him very easy to read. "We… we were fooling around the other day. Fighting over who got to sleep in the bed," he started, getting uncomfortable. "We decided to spar to settle it, and he ended up on top of me…" his face turned a dark shade, and he could no longer look at Gaara. In a small voice, he said, "He got a little too excited."
Gaara's lips twitched, barely able to stop himself from snickering.
"I mean, I know it's not his fault. I mean sometimes it happens at inconvenient times. I wasn't angry or anything," Uzumaki was quick to defend Uchiha. Gaara didn't even think Uzumaki realize how he was coming across at that moment. "But he got embarrassed and left…" in an instant his face fell, disappointment replacing his embarrassment in an instant. "I haven't seen him since."
Really, the entire situation was ridiculous, though Gaara did find a little amusement in it. As old as Uchiha was, as much sleeping around as he had done in the past, when it came to the person he liked, he was as immature and childish at handling his emotions as an inexperienced teenager. Was this what it was like watching the drama from the other side?
"Wait it out. He will be back to his arrogant self soon enough."
"Yeah," he said halfheartedly. It seemed Uzumaki didn't have much faith. Why would he after so many lies and betrayals in his life? Uzumaki walked over to the trashcan next to the desk with a hand full of glass. "Do you have a broom?"
Gaara told him where, watching Uzumaki go. Normally, at this point, Uzumaki wouldn't be so open with his feelings. When people left or drew away from him, Uzumaki would act like it didn't bother him. He would smile, laugh, and not mention it. He didn't even seem to have the strength to attempt to fake his feelings this time.
Uchiha and Uzumaki. Gaara just wanted to manipulate Uchiha's feelings to ensure Uzumaki's safety, to protect him to the fullest, something Gaara could never do. He never really took Uzumaki's feelings for Uchiha into account. In truth, he never asked Uzumaki about what he wanted. Gaara made the decisions for him, did what he thought was best. It was a matter of time before Uzumaki spoke up against it, no longer allowing Gaara to coddle him and take his choice away.
Uzumaki came back, sweeping up the glass, his face blank as he quietly thought.
"How do you feel about Uchiha?" Gaara asked.
Uzumaki didn't answer, sweeping the glass into the dustpan. He didn't owe Gaara an answer. A bit disappointed at how much Uzumaki no longer opened up to him, Gaara continued his work, trying to push the thought from his mind. Uzumaki disposed of the glass and was sitting down once more when he finally answered, "I don't hate him."
Gaara paused in his writing, surprised he had answered. Uzumaki had gone back to laying on the sofa, acting as if he had never spoken at all. His vague answer was more than enough to confirm his feelings.
Gaara didn't ask any more questions, and Uzumaki didn't speak. Enough had been said.
Gaara rolled his head, cracking his bones into place. He had convinced Uzumaki to spend the night, rather than sending him back to that empty apartment. It was safer that way too, not knowing when Itachi or someone else might find Uzumaki again. It put Gaara at ease until Uchiha came back which thankfully hadn't been long. It was reported that Uchiha had come back into the country half an hour ago. It was likely Uchiha would come for Uzumaki. He was like Hyuuga in that regard. He didn't like Uzumaki and Gaara spending time together.
Hyuuga came into the office. He was sweaty and his hair clung to his skin, but it didn't stop him from walking over and embracing Gaara. Gaara didn't hold him back, but he leaned into it, placing his forehead on Hyuuga's shoulder, inhaling his scent. He could smell remnants of stale blood on him.
"How was your first mission?" Gaara asked.
Hyuuga didn't answer him, holding him tighter. The first kill was always the hardest. Even if he didn't deal the final blow and had stood on the sidelines and watched Hiashi do it, it was still hard.
"You don't have to do this," Gaara whispered. "You don't have to force yourself."
Hyuuga shook his head. His hold on Gaara would be painful if he were human. "I want to do this," he whispered. "I can't protect you if I don't."
Gaara couldn't offer comfort. He didn't know how. He knew how these missions went and it was never pretty. Best case scenario, the victims were already dead and their bodies properly disposed of and the hunted vampire, demon, or whatever was killed cleanly without incident. Worst case involved, dying, suffering, or tortured humans that could not be saved, comrades dropping like flies, and watching your humanity chip away little by little when such sights no longer faze you. Often it was in between. There was always death, whether it was the enemy or your comrades or innocent bystanders.
Those sights didn't bother Gaara. He didn't bat an eye. He had killed as young as 4 years old and had been surrounded by rot and decay. He lacked humanity in that regard. Hyuuga wasn't like him. He would mourn. He would pray. Something Gaara never did.
Gaara lifted his head wondering if it was okay to hold him back. Looking over Hyuuga's shoulder, he saw Hiashi staring at them through the doorway. In his eyes held restrained guilt as they landed on Hyuuga's back. He nodded at them, meeting Gaara's eyes before walking away, presumably to go wash up.
Slowly, Gaara brought his arms up, holding Neji back tentatively. He wasn't sure if comfort from him would even help.
"Oji-sama said I could sleep with you tonight," he murmured. "Is that okay?"
"Yeah," Gaara said, daring to run his fingers through his hair. Even frazzled it was still soft and silky, like running it through water. Was Hyuuga being with him the right thing? He was pulling him into this world. This line of work destroyed people mentally and physically. Could Gaara let him continue doing this?
Hyuuga let out a long sigh, his body relaxing marginally at Gaara's confirmation. "I have tomorrow off. Let's go out. Just the two of us."
Gaara nodded. Even with doubt in his thoughts, he couldn't bring himself to push Hyuuga away. He was selfish, wanting to keep him no matter what. He had come this far; he wouldn't let him go now.
Hyuuga didn't move, just holding Gaara without speaking or moving as he calmed himself. Gaara was wondering if he could convince Hyuuga to at least go and take a bath to wash off the last remnants of blood when a blood-curdling scream filled the house, jumping both Gaara and Hyuuga to alert. Gaara immediately recognized who it belonged to, already moving to go to Uzumaki's side before it was a conscious decision to do so.
He ran up the stairs, bursting into the bedroom, seeing Uzumaki writhing on the bed, screaming his lungs out, arching his back, and arms flying around dangerously, hitting things in his reach and knocking them down. His forearms were hitting the nightstand and headboard as they flailed, harming himself.
Gaara went to the bed, trying to restrain him. Uzumaki's movements were laced with chakra, his and his lord's, overpowering even Gaara as he struggled to keep his movements minimal while calling out Uzumaki's name, trying to get him to awake from his nightmare. His words were falling on deaf ears, and Uzumaki's strength was winning out.
Distracted, he hadn't noticed Uchiha come into the room until he was at Uzumaki's bedside, helping Gaara to hold down his body, yelling Uzumaki's name to wake up. He was still wearing his jacket, slightly damp from the light rain outside. He must have just returned, but between the two of them, they were able to restrain and break through Uzumaki's nightmare.
Uzumaki woke with a start, his eyes wide open, tears streaming down his face. He was shaken, his body shaking intensely with fear and phantom pains. He couldn't even speak, his mind in shock as he tried to calm himself down. Uzumaki kept glancing at Gaara as if he wanted to reach out, but he was grasping onto Uchiha's arms without realizing it.
As his breathing steadied and his shock lessened, Gaara asked, "What were you dreaming about?"
Uzumaki hesitated on answering, sitting up in bed and finally releasing the death grip on Uchiha's arms that would have snapped a normal human's arm. His mouth opened a couple of times, but the words escaped him before he could speak as the dream faded from his memory. "I remember white," he croaked out, his voice raw from his screaming. "And I think you were in it."
Uzumaki struggled to recall any other information. He twitched at any small noise or shift. The more he tried to remember, the worse it became. "I'm sorry," he choked out. "That's it."
Uzumaki couldn't get out anymore, so Gaara didn't push, standing up from the bed. "I will bring you something to help your throat."
Uzumaki merely nodded, not paying him much attention anymore as more tears fell down his face, trying desperately to restrain his emotions. He seemed okay with Uchiha's presence, his tremors lessening when he wiped Uzumaki's tears away. Gaara was completely forgotten as they started to speak in soft tones to one another. So even Uchiha had a soft and gentle side.
Gaara left the room, seeing Hyuuga waiting outside. "Is he alright," he asked after Gaara closed the door. Reluctance was on his face as well as jealousy and guilt. Gaara couldn't even be mad. Hyuuga had wanted his comfort first and Gaara had left for Uzumaki. If it was the other way around, Gaara would have been furious.
"Yes. It was just a nightmare."
Gaara wasn't sure what else to say. There was a beat of uncomfortable silence before Hyuuga exhaled heavily. "I'm going to take a shower."
He should do something, but he didn't know what. He didn't want to watch Hyuuga go like that. "He was dreaming about the facility," Gaara said hurriedly, stopping Hyuuga's retreat. "He's remembering… and I don't know what to do."
There was hurt in Hyuuga's eyes. Even now Gaara was talking about Uzumaki, but how could Gaara not? He had recognized those screams. They had haunted his nightmares to this day as he recalled them from the past. Remembered seeing what Uzumaki went through, had been the cause of it, had watched it. He had been conditioned to react to it. Even so, he knew he was wronging Hyuuga.
Hyuuga's eyes drifted to the side. "I'm sorry to hear that." Hyuuga didn't know how to answer either, looking uncomfortable. It wasn't what he wanted to hear from Gaara. Mentally and emotionally drained, he just wanted to leave. In a calm voice, he said, "Perhaps it's best to let him choose what he wants. You can't make his decisions for him forever."
"I know," he whispered. "But he needed me."
Hyuuga opened his mouth to say something, but no words came. Slowly, he swallowed his words and closed his eyes, taking a breath in. When he opened them again, the sadness in his expression was boarded up behind shinobi control, his expression going blank. "I'm going to wash up," he repeated. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Gaara watched him go, knowing he was making a mistake because he knew what Hyuuga had been about to say, but too hurt to say it. Finding his heart heavy and angry at himself, he went back to his room, ultimately choosing not to acknowledge his partner's unspoken words:
I needed you too.
