Hiraeth

Gaara lay in Sasuke’s hold under a myriad of blankets, feeling warmer and safer than he had in what felt like forever. The taller boy was playing with his hair and placing occasional kisses on the top of his head and Gaara felt himself leaning into Sasuke’s touch.

“You know I love you, right?” Sasuke asked and Gaara nodded, curling into the other boy. He felt Sasuke’s lips curl into a smile against his head and he sighed. Sasuke had been periodically asking him questions like that and he was getting too sleepy to answer.

He felt Sasuke open his mouth, about to ask another question, and made the choice to speak instead. “I never knew your house was this big,” he mumbled, eyes fluttering open and closed in tiredness.

Sasuke snorted and pulled Gaara closer to him, their bodies flush against each other. “It seems even bigger when it’s just two people living in it.”

Gaara hummed. “Where is Itachi anyways?”

Sasuke shrugged. “Business trip or something. I don’t care.”

“Sure.”

The Uchiha pulled the smaller boy’s head from his chest and maneuvered them so they were eye level. “Oh yeah? What’s that supposed to mean.”

“I was just agreeing with you,” Gaara said, eyes shutting finally. Sasuke frowned and ran the pad of his thumb over the other boy’s cheek.

“When was the last time you slept?” He asked, concern lacing his voice.

Gaara grumbled noncommittally, green eyes opening to half lids and staring into Sasuke’s own dark ones. Sasuke rolled his eyes and adjusted them so he was on his back and Gaara was resting on his chest.

“You should sleep,” He murmured. “I won’t hurt you.”

Gaara’s eyes shot open again and he looked down at Sasuke suspiciously. “What?”

Sasuke raised his eyebrows. “I was just saying I’d never hurt you. I wouldn’t do what everyone else would.”

Gaara scoffed, trying to move out of Sasuke’s hold to no avail. He was nowhere near as strong. “You’d never hurt me? Yeah, you’d just let your friends and your fucking boyfriend do it for you,” He hissed out, letting out a sharp yell as Sasuke tightened his grip on him.

“Shut up! I wouldn’t hurt you! You’re the one who hurt me!” He bit out, eyes flashing in apparent triumph when Gaara stopped struggling and slumped down at his words.

‘He’s right, kid. You left him and hurt him. It’s only fair that he gets to hurt you too’

Gaara choked back a cry, a wave of remorse flooding through him as Sasuke continued.

“You left me when I needed you the most, and you know what’s funny? I don’t blame you for it. You’ve always had my heart and that hasn’t changed even though you abandoned me. Ripped it out and ran with it. Why’d you do it, anyways? Thought you didn’t need me anymore? Or was it-”

“My dad,” He choked out, hands reaching to grip at Sasuke’s shoulders, speaking despite his instincts screams to not reveal a weakness.

Sasuke stopped his ranting, looking at Gaara blankly. “What?”

“My- My dad,” He continued, hiding his face in Sasuke’s chest. “My dad, he found my laptop. It wasn’t even mine, it was Kankuro’s old one he gave me- whatever, my dad found it in my room and he, he freaked out and snapped it over his knee, threw it out and I-”

Sasuke hadn’t hadn’t made a noise the whole time Gaara had spoke and Gaara felt his heart rate speed up because his instincts were right, he had made himself seem pathetic and now Sasuke would hate him even more.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to happen, I’m sorry-”

Sasuke cut him off with a kiss, and Gaara almost startled back. He controlled himself and returned it, feeling tears leak out of his closed eyes. Sasuke brought a hand up to rest on Gaara’s cheek and caressed it gently.

Sasuke pulled back after a moment and brushed the hair out of Gaara’s eyes, looking at him with a mixed expression that Gaara couldn’t find the energy to panic about.

“I didn’t know.” Sasuke said, tone even, but Gaara was nearly convinced there was underlying remorse. Gaara shrugged and laid his head back on Sasuke’s chest. “It’s whatever,” the short boy murmured, letting his eyes close for real this time.

“You know I love you, right?” He distantly heard Sasuke say, already falling asleep for the first time in a long time.