A Caring brother

This is NOT Beta-read and English is not my native language so please bare with me. The two betas I have are mia and loa atm. I have the tendency to run long sentences here and there but please try not to mind that! I try my best when my muse hits me so please be gentle when it comes to grammar and sentence issues :p

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CHAPTER X
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Another two days had passed and Gaara had once again refused to eat or even let Kankuro in, trays were left outside his apartment door but untouched several hours later. Kankuro had started to worry a great deal and this time he didn't have Temari to consult either.

He had tried to call out to his baby brother several times already through the door but the answer was always the same "Leave" that was of course, if it was an answer to begin with. Kankuro kept working in the village and as soon as he got home, he went to check on the tray. Two days in a row finding it untouched.
The puppet master had just come home again, this time at a very late hour since he worked until past midnight before the watch was switched so he could go home and sleep.

Kankuro walked past Gaara's room to get to his own when he heard a whimper and instantly stopped and backed towards his brother's door and listened and was careful not to touch the tray. The whimper was there again along with a mumbling 'no'. He was dreaming again… bad dreams to go with it. He sighed and leaned his head against the door only to realize the door was somewhat open and clicked when he leaned on it and revealed a part of the dark room inside.

"Gaara?"

No answer. Kankuro looked down at the tray to step over it when he realized that one of the toasts and half the cup of coffee had disappeared. That meant that Gaara had at least eaten something today and that in itself was a relief even though the whimper and movement inside once again returned him to reality.
"Gaara... are you okay?"

He carefully went inside and pushed the door closed behind him to avoid letting light in over Gaara's form on the bed. The redhead whimpered again and thrashed around in his bed and it seemed he had completely entangled himself in his cover once Kankuro came closer. It would have been a very sweet look for his brother if it hadn't been for the panic written all over his face. Kankuro gently leaned down and touched Gaara's left shoulder with his right hand and shook him carefully.

"Gaara, wake up... you're dreaming again"

He said but nothing happened except for even more thrashing and panic.

"Gaara… Gaara! Hey… otouto"

He placed a hand over Gaara's cheek to see if he would react but the reaction wasn't what he had hoped since Gaara reacted as if he had been hit hard in the face just before he gripped Kankuro's upper arm in a vice grip at the same time he woke up in panic, panting for air while a bewildered look met Kankuro's worried ones while pearls of sweat covered his entire body and forehead, how long had he been going at this nightmare before Kankuro got there?

"Oniisan..!"

He gulped before he threw himself in his arms, clinging to him for dear life as good as he could while being tangled in his cover.

"ssh ssh… easy Gaara, it's just a bad dream."

He hushed softly and took his hood off and tossed it beside the bed on the floor with his right hand while wrapping his left arm around his brother who yet again broke down no matter if he wanted it or not.
"There… easy… I'm here now"

"nh…"

"sssh… just calm down, I'm here…"

They sat still hip against hip for a good while, Kankuro gently rocking Gaara and helping him untangle while leaning his left cheek on top of his head and once again running soft circles along his back to calm him down. It seemed that it helped a bit faster now than what it had before, or it was possibly the fact that Gaara had begun trusting him a bit more.

"…O…Oniisan…?"

"mh?"

"could…nh… could you… stay here… tonight?"

"Sleep here?"

There was a lack of response but a slight nod against his shoulder while the pale face was kept hidden.

"I… I suppose I can sleep in the armchair if you want me to?"

"No.. I mean… here, beside me… keep me saf-.. away… from the dreams..."

Gaara mumbled while inhaling Kankuro's personal scent which was currently a mix of sand and sweat from working a long shift in the sun then staying awake half the night before his shift was over and some part even wood, probably from the doll making.

"mh… tell you what, I really need a shower first and I think you do too. If you shower, I'll do so as well and then I'll make sure you're safe for the rest of the night…. Deal?"

Gaara glanced up at him and contemplated the answer a moment before he nodded with a slight sigh. He didn't really want to let go of Kankuro at all at the moment but if that was the terms of him staying there, he would agree to them like the politician he had become at the mere age of 16.

"Okay… so, you go shower now and so will I."

"nh… ok…"

Kankuro rose from the bed but kissed Gaara on the top of his head before he did, earning a quirk of a brow from Gaara before he moved to stand as well just before he took his night shirt off and now standing in only his tight black boxers along with a strained and pained face to go with it.

"I'll be quick…"
"nh…"
Kankuro left and nearly stumbled on the tray outside the door but managed to step over it in the last second then pushed it aside towards the wall instead of in the middle of the entrance. He headed into his own apartment and took a quick shower, re-dressed in night clothes which was boxers and a somewhat tight sleeveless black shirt and returned to Gaara's apartment again only five minutes later.

He knocked on the door but didn't get an answer so he stepped in and heard the shower still running. Kankuro looked around and found the wardrobe in the dark and walked over to it, opened the doors and flicked the light inside, realizing that Gaara had everything in there, placed by color and size when it came to towels, sheets and the likes.

"wow…"

He mumbled to himself and grabbed a sand colored sheet , pillow cases in maroon and a new blanket in the same color and walked back to the bed and re-made it. Gaara came back from his shower just when he placed the last pillow onto the bed and looked up at his brother.

"I figured it would be more pleasant to sleep in a new changed bed than in soaked sheets"
Gaara looked at him then nodded slightly.

"Arigato"

"You feel a bit better now?"

"… a bit.."

"Good. Now… Are you sure you want me to sleep here with you? I can sleep in the armchair or on the floor on a mattr—"

"I'm sure"

"…..oh…o-ok…"

"well… umh… let's dive in then?"

"nh…"

Gaara walked up to the right side of the bed, Kankuro walking to the left and crawled into the bed, Gaara ending up on his left side only dressed in white boxers while Kankuro had a shirt with it. This younger brother was indeed a sight from the Gods themselves but he worked hard to shove those thoughts deep into his mind for now. It would be quite embarrassing if he'd end up with a boner while sleeping beside his brother now wouldn't it? He tried to focus on something else.

"What was the bad dream about this time?"

"….the same.."

"oh… no change then?

"I saw your death too this time…"

"mh… well, it's just a dream otouto… don't worry about it"

"nh..."

Gaara crawled in under the covers and snuck in closer to his brother, surprising his older brother while doing so. He cuddled up on his Shoulder without looking Kankuro in the eyes or even asking if it was ok. The puppeteer looked down at his younger sibling and it only took a moment before his arm had wrapped around Gaara's form and allowing him to rest his head on his shoulder better.

"Everything is fine now, Gaara… I'm here with you"

"nh… arigato…"

"you're welcome. Just don't come at me with the sand okay? I don't need more scrubbing, I'm clean and dandy..!"

"hnh…I won't"

Was that a slight grin on Gaara's lips? If it was, it was very welcomed even though it was a brief smile. Kankuro tried to stay awake but it was quite hard when he had worked so many long shifts this week but he fought it the best he could and the award came with Gaara's breaths evening out and becoming deeper and longer as sleep took him.

Kankuro couldn't help but look down on his sleeping brother, he looked like a red haired angel in his arms, head resting against his shoulder and his right arm just by Kankuro's heart, the other arm somewhat wrapped around Gaara's own chest.

"Sleep tight, otouto…"

He whispered and took the liberty of kissing his brother's damp hair again but this time also inhaling his scent, to let it fill his nose and let himself remember it until later. Gaara indeed smelled like sandalwood and sand and even more so after the shower. Perhaps he even showered in something that smelled like sandalwood? Or maybe… it was simply, a part of him. Kankuro had other problems however and that was the fact he was becoming somewhat awakened down south by the knowledge of having Gaara so close and the body warmth was welcomed since nights in Suna was anything but warm, quite the opposite. Cold, damp and chilly to the bone.

He fell asleep thinking about these questions and having his little problem while his nose was still nuzzled against his brothers damp red strands and Gaara cuddling close to him as if trying to feel safe. After all, that was what he was going to imply that he wanted even though he managed to change it to 'keep the nightmares away'.