The art of sand

Chapter22

"Sai…," Gaara started towards the door.

Sai stepped away from him. He had both hands raised to clutch at the shirt now covering his chest. Sai was in a state of panic. Gaara rushed forward. He knew Sai had heard everything. He tackled Sai to the ground inside the door before the boy could escape. Sai pushed Gaara off him roughly, and picked himself up. One hand remained clutching the shirt, but he put on his smile.

"What’s wrong? You should go."

"Sai listen-"

"Go now. I’ll still be here when you get back."

Gaara stood as well. He glared at Sai and drug him inside. He held tight to the arm and forced Sai into the bedroom and threw him on the bed. If the situation had been any less serious, Gaara would have ravaged Sai on the spot. As it was, Gaara had to leave well enough alone, and get them dressed properly. He threw clothes at Sai and instructed him to change. Sai hesitantly obeyed.

"You are not leaving my sight," Gaara informed him.

They were out the door in no time, Sai being forced to accompany the red-head. Sai remained silent as they walked the streets. Gaara’s phone kept ringing and he kept ignoring it. That man had messed up enough already. Gaara had decided before leaving the apartment he would talk about it after they played their parts. The part was small, but made all the difference to nailing the right "bad guys." They were pushing past the crowd outside of an Uchiha night club. Gaara would not let go of Sai’s hand. Sai was vaguely aware that Gaara was rounding up the Uchiha brothers. He merely focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

"Is he alright?" Sasuke asked once the foursome was clear of the club.

"He will be," Gaara whispered.

"Why are you here tonight?" Itachi asked.

"Dad moved the day. I would have thought you’d have known," Gaara snapped.

Itachi let it go. He would love to show the kid some manners, but not there. They followed Gaara to his apartment. It would be crowded, but they only had to endure for a few hours. Sai was slowly coming to the realization of what was happening around him. He was only just fully aware when he was thrown once more on Gaara’s bed. He blinked twice before looking around. He heard muffled voices behind a closed and locked bedroom door. Gaara was looming over him.

"Now, let me explain," Gaara demanded.

"Explain what?"

That’s right. Play dumb. Maybe it would all go away. Sai smiled. The smile never failed, right? Gaara had only moved to sit beside him. That pained expression was not fading. Sai refused to give in to that pain again.

"Sai, my father asked me to put you in jail a few weeks ago."

Sai grabbed at his chest again. It was all too much. He shook his head lightly. Gaara pressed on.

"I told him I would save you from that life. I got you out. But you have to testify about what Danzo made you do."

"My father didn’t make me do anything," Sai responded coldly.

Why did his voice sound so far away? Sai planted the hand not clawing at his shirt on his forehead. When was he ever that hot? Was his face red? Sai took steady, deep breaths. His head was spinning a little.

"Sai, he was abusing you. Don’t defend him! You have to testify."

"You used me," Sai whispered.

"What was that?"

Don’t use that voice. Don’t pretend you care. Sai lowered his hands and stood up. His head spun worse but he refused to fall over. He took a careful step away from Gaara.

"You used me to get to him."

The words were daggers into Gaara’s heart. He stopped fighting the pain. He had no doubt anymore. That pain was proof that he could feel for someone. Gaara was standing when Sai collapsed. Gaara caught him easily. He scooped the young man into his arms and laid him on the bed. Sai’s breathing was far too heavy for someone unconscious. His clothes had to be removed. He was put into loose shorts and a shirt. Gaara wiped the sweat away with a damp towel. He only left the room for a glass of water and to tell the brothers he would be taking care of Sai all night; he had collapsed with a fever. They should probably wait a few hours before starting home. Itachi said something about Kakashi coming to get them when it was over. Itachi followed Gaara into his room to check on Sai. The young man had to contain the desire to knock Itachi’s head off when the large hand fell on the sleeping boy’s forehead.

"He’s very hot. What is his temperature?" Itachi inquired.

"I don’t know," Gaara admitted, ashamed at his lack of common sense.

"Well, find out."

Gaara headed off to search for a thermometer and medicine and left Itachi to watch over Sai. Gaara wrecked the bathroom in his frantic rush to find what he needed. He ran the items back to Itachi. Three minutes later, Gaara was falling around the room in search of clothes for Sai and a jacket for himself. Itachi stayed calm and dressed Sai in the warmer clothes. Sasuke entered the room in investigate the loud noises.

"What the hell?" He whispered.

"His fever is too high. Get your coat, otouto. We’re heading to the hospital"

Gaara was shoving Sasuke out in front of him. He allowed Itachi to carry Sai. Since he had no car, they would have to walk. Or find a cab if they were lucky. Gaara did not stop to even lock his door, and he was rushing them all down the street. Two blocks from the apartment, there was still no sign of a cab, but they heard police sirens. Itachi’s face was haunted with a worried expression. He dearly wanted to go towards the noise. If he did not owe Gaara, he would have. Kakashi was sure to get hurt. The bastard always managed it on every call he answered. Sasuke waved down a cab for them. Once inside, Gaara took possession of Sai. The boy was trying to wake up. The fever had exhausted his body too much, and he was failing to open his eyes miserably. He vaguely heard noises above him. He could not tell if it was talking or just noise. He did, however, know he was being held. Time was of no matter to him. He was being lifted and carried somewhere very quickly before he could decide if he was in some state of consciousness or not. He could see the bright light on his eyelids. The noise where ever he was much louder. That had to be talking, but who?

Sai was laid on a stretcher and whisked off behind swinging doors. Gaara was shown, quite forcefully, to the waiting area by a few nurses. They told the brothers to hold him down if needed. He could see Sai once the fever was below 104 degrees. Itachi immediately went outside to call someone. Gaara was left with a brooding Uchiha. It gave him plenty of time to wonder what had happened. Sai had no shown any signs of being sick. Gaara started pacing after an hour of just sitting. Itachi had never returned to the waiting area. Sasuke had been repeatedly opening and closing his cell phone. Oh, how he wanted to call Naruto. But, the dobe probably had better things to do than sit in a hospital. Sasuke had only stayed because Itachi had warned him about the raid on the night club. Neither brother was involved in the dealing in the place. Itachi was involved to the extent that he was taking business classes. And he had no intentions of running a "dirty" club when he took over. Sasuke watched Gaara carefully. He looked like he was going to break down the doors Sai had disappeared behind. When Gaara sat in a chair across from the Uchiha boy, Sasuke gave in to himself and called Naruto. Sai was a friend, right? Yeah, Naruto would want to be there.

*******

Gaara, Naruto and Sasuke were sitting around the room Sai had been placed in. When the doctors had announced the boy to be fine, Gaara had run to the room. He had not stayed long enough to find out what was wrong. Sai was awake and smiling at his friends. Naruto and Sasuke had remained quiet. They were not really sure how to tell either boy what had happened to Sai.

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Gaara demanded for about the twentieth time.

"Yes. I feel much better now," Sai responded.

The smile was still there, but the voice was hollow. Sai would not look Gaara directly in the eyes, either. Gaara did not approach him just yet . He would wait until the other couple in the room went home. He still had explaining to do.

"Sai, is something wrong?" Naruto asked softly.

"Well, I was really sick if that’s what you mean," Sai frowned at such a stupid question.

"No, I mean anything else. Like, are you upset about something?"

Sai looked at Gaara.

"Nope."

Naruto snuggled into Sasuke’s chest. He knew Sai better than that. If he had not just gotten over such a high fever, Naruto would have shaken the answer out of him. Seeing his boyfriend’s distress, Sasuke stepped in.

"Sai, we aren’t stupid. We know why you were so sick. Tell us why you had broken ribs that weren’t set properly," Sasuke ordered.

"What?" Gaara stepped toward Sasuke. "Broken ribs? When did he break his ribs?"

"Don’t tell me you didn’t know? He’s your boyfriend right? How do you not know what happens to him," Sasuke sneered.

Gaara threw Naruto off the Raven and slammed Sasuke into the wall of the room. Naruto fell on his butt with the push. Sai tried to sit up better. Gaara grabbed the collar of Sasuke’s shirt and pressed him hard into the wall.

"Say that again, Uchiha!" He dared the other.

"Stop it!" Naruto pleaded.

"Stop. I never told him," Sai said calmly.

Gaara dropped Sasuke at the commands. Sasuke shrugged the other man off, and pulled Naruto under his arm protectively. Gaara backed away from Sasuke and dropped into a chair near Sai’s bed.

"What the fuck is going on?" Gaara muttered.

"Sai was sick because his ribs were broken pretty bad. They were never set, so the doctor said bone marrow was getting into his blood stream and making him sick. If he had waited another day or so, it would have been much worse," Naruto took liberty of explaining.

"How did you break them?" Gaara asked Sai.

The raven-haired man would not meet his gaze.

"I wasn’t going to worry you."

"But you seemed fine. I know how much that hurts! How could you just hide that?"

Tears were sliding slowly down Gaara’s face. Only two. He wiped them quickly and forced back others. The one he loved so much, in pain and never telling him. It was too much.

"I’m good at it. I’ve done it a lot. I just didn’t have time to try setting them in place. I was too excited. Once I’m better I’ll stop worrying you."

Only Gaara understood the meaning of those words. He wanted to hug the boy. He wanted to explain. Sai finally looked at him. He was smiling that fake smile of his. Gaara’s eyes begged him to understand. I never meant to hurt you. I had to save you. Don’t you see? That man was hurting you! Sai said he needed rest. He asked everyone to go home. Naruto announced they were following Gaara home and they would be back. They other two had to drag the stubborn boyfriend away from Sai’s bed. Sai watched them leave sadly.


*******

Danzo looked over Sai’s sleeping form. His features were hardened. The handcuffs holding his arms back hurt like hell. Kakashi was holding his wounded arm lightly. Itachi frowned at him. The bastard always got hurt. Danzo looked away from the sleeping person he once called his son. He met Itachi’s death glare.

"You did that to him. He’s going to testify against you. Danzo, you won’t get out this time," he promised.

"What about your old man? You can sell him out like this?" Danzo sneered.

"Yes. He is wrong. I’ll not be part of this."

"You were a spy all along then, huh?"

Itachi grinned. He nodded to Kakashi, and Danzo was escorted from the hospital. Itachi frowned as he watched Sai sleep for a little longer. Now, he just had to make sure he was not a liar.


******

Sai stared out the window. It was raining. He was actually lucky to have that window, the nurse had said. Then she had given him breakfast and taken the IV out of his arm. Sai could walk over to it if he wanted, but he could not go home yet. He had to wait two more days. Sai had a lot of time to think. Naruto had visited earlier. He said Gaara was throwing away his old clothes. Sai had smiled at that. Sai was picking at his lunch while looking at the rain. He wished it was all that easy. Let the past just wash away, start over.

"Come in," he answered the soft knock.

Gaara stood quietly in the doorway. He was indeed wearing new clothes. Well, Sai’s clothes, but they were new for him. Sai blushed.

"You look good," he commented.

"You don’t, so much," Gaara responded.

Sai laughed lightly. Gaara entered the room completely and shut the door. He kept his distance. Sai could still be upset. Said person motioned to the window.

"Is it that easy? Do you just let all the bad memories wash away?"

"No. They don’t really fade. You just make new ones to overpower the old."

Sai smiled. He held out his hand to Gaara. Gaara took the invitation and sat next to him on the bed. He took Sai’s hand.

"Okay. Will you help me?"

"If you’ll help me."

Sai threw his arms around the man. They met in a kiss. Sai was going to enjoy having such a person for himself.