A Caring brother

CHAPTER III

Two weeks later Kankuro had just finished his rounds around the city and his shift had just come to an end. Everything had been rather calm after Gaara's return back to the living except for a little brother not really feeling well but that was kind of expected for those who knew what he had been through. The problem was that not many knew how Gaara really felt and behaved behind closed doors like Kankuro and Temari did.

The puppet master had returned back home after chiyo-baasama's funeral even though Kakashi-Sensei had looked like he was ready to faint during the few days they stayed and that even though Gai-sensei had promised he was in good hands on the way home after a while of staying to rest up at least before they left. No one could however make them stay if they didn't want to but the company had been good nonetheless.

From what Kankuro had heard about Gai and Kakashi, they were supposed to be rivals but from what he could see when the two teams left, they seemed more to be really good friends than anything else. In other words, a really good teamwork ever since they were genin, he gathered and through that teamwork the so called "rivalry" had grown as well. Something Kankuro knew well considering he had always seen Gaara as his rival even though they were brothers.

At first he had only seen Gaara as a pest, a nuisance that was in the way of his career even though they shared a blood line. After the chuunin exams, hearing Gaara ask for forgiveness when he had helped him home together with Temari things had drastically changed at home. The redhead had really tried to change, to try and understand how to care and how to feel even though the later was something he still didn't understand now four years after the exams.

Kankuro walked down the halls of the kazekage home to get to his room which more resembled a small apartment which Gaara had so graciously given him, as well as he had given Temari a room in the building and who were they to say no to live close to the kazekage? Could you live in a safer place than that? And… could you live in a place more aimed on for attacks than that?... Kankuro was ripped out of his thoughts when he heard some form of whimpering coming from somewhere, causing him to stop and listen. Did he really hear something or was he getting too tired and ending up hearing things that weren't there? He stopped breathing and just stood still by a statue in the hallway, letting himself blend with the shade it brought in the darkness of the night.

There it was again… He turned around and listened, trying to figure out from where it came while quietly back-tracking his steps door to door until he realized the whimpering seemed to come from Gaara's chambers. Kankuro frowned and softly knocked on the door just in case Gaara wanted to be on his own if he was awake.

"Gaara? Are you okay?"

He asked quietly but there was no sound or reply back. He knocked again and called his brother's name carefully but still there was no reply, only a soft whimper again and it sounded pained or at least unsafe from Gaara's point of view.

It was true Gaara was still learning how to sleep after Shukaku had left his body but he still had trouble to see the difference between dreams and reality that much was clear. Even though he slept a few hours a night now it still seemed like the dark shades around his eyes got even darker if that was possible at all? Kankuro had been there a few times to try and soothe him the day after, to talk him through it like a big brother should and to be honest, he really felt for Gaara he loved the guy like the little brother he had become. The two had come so much closer since Shukaku left, much closer than Gaara had let him be after the chuunin exams even though the redhead was still resistant to share things about himself but at least the constant threats of killing him if he did something the redhead didn't like had stopped a good while ago and that in itself was calming to the mind to say the least.

Kankuro still stood outside Gaara's door unable to get a response out of him. What if he was held captive by someone and wasn't able to speak? No one knew what effect it would have on Gaara after Shukaku was drawn out of him and he was returned to life again which caused everybody to be on edge…. Everybody that knew that was. But the knowledge of him not having Shukaku within him anymore also made him an easier target due to lack of strength as he had with the demon inside. He still hadn't perfect control over the sand as it was currently and Kankuro knew this because he had seen Gaara walk out to a place in the middle of the desert where he could train and try to get his gifts back on track again.

Kankuro slowly turned the door handle only to realize that the door was indeed open, usually Gaara closed and locked it but… considering the events he had been through, he didn't blame his brother not remembering to lock the door. He went inside quietly after glancing around the corridor that no one was following him and closed the door behind him once he was inside, locking it to make sure no one else followed inside.

"Gaara?"

He asked quietly, looking around in the darkness just as he heard another whimper coming from the left far end of the room as sheets rustled by movement. Kankuro walked over there with quiet steps only to realize that Gaara was indeed in his bed, sleeping and of what it seemed like with the fussing he was having a nightmare it seemed he couldn't wake up from.

"Ssh… Gaara, it's okay…"

Kankuro murmured softly and leaned down to run a hand over the top of his little brother's head. A soft whimper and a worried mine appeared on Gaara's face while he fussed under the cover. It seemed he was trying to fight something in his sleep by the judging of his waving of hands and kicking of legs while trying to protect himself by covering his body with crossed forearms at the same time.

The painted warrior slowly sat down on the bed while running his hand over his brother's hair still, hushing him softly even though he realized that it didn't really do much to help his brother calm his dreams. On the other hand… he understood why at a certain level too. Gaara wasn't used to be touched and he wasn't used to be comforted either since he had never let anyone close to himself since he was six years old, except Naruto that was.

"Ssh… calm your dreams Otouto-chan"

He whispered. Gaara still fussed and the covers that had been covering his body, eventually slid down to reveal a soft looking ivory chest well toned and perfect in shape. That sand armor of his really did make him look beautiful once it was off, a pale perfect skin without as much as a scratch. His thoughts were interrupted when Gaara suddenly sat up with half a scream, knocking his forehead right into Kankuro's, causing him to yelp and groan in pain and fall to the floor just beside the bed at the same time Gaara growled in pain as well, cupping his forehead and nose before he realized someone was there with him.

"Who's there!"

He asked in a bewildered growl and Kankuro could hear the sand forming from the gourd instantly.

"I-It's me… Kankuro, your brother..!"

He said quickly while holding his forehead, taking the headband off before going inside Gaara's room was a bad idea, and he made a mental note never to do that again. The sand calmed in its movements when the redhead heard the familiar voice and it seemed the sand crawled back to form the gourd beside the nightstand again.

"…Kankuro?"

He asked quietly as if still dreaming but registering the name, still rather shaken up due to the dream as he pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them while his left hand came to wipe over his forehead with his palm, the right hand placing itself by the crook of his left elbow. He swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment while hearing Kankuro getting up on his knees before crawling up to sit on his beside.

"It sounded like you had a bad dream so I came to check on you…"

Kankuro said softly while watching his brother hide his face in his hands, lowering his face towards his knees. The younger boy didn't give a reply so Kankuro continued with a soft voice while pondering if he dared to touch his little brother or not considering he usually growled or gave a killing stare if you did or possibly even hit back when you came too close.

"What was the dream about, Otouto-chan?"

Gaara shook his head and Kankuro thought he heard a small whimper; he obviously didn't want to talk about it.
"Hey… you okay?"

He furrowed his eyebrows and placed a light but warm right hand on Gaara's left shoulder and the completely unexpected happened. Gaara leaned in and wrapped his arms around him, hiding his face by the crook of Kankuro's neck. At first he didn't know how to react but his arms soon wrapped around his baby brother holding him in a warm embrace as if reassuring him that everything was fine.

"hey ,hey!…ssh… easy now, calm down. Take a few breaths, okay? I'm here, Gaara… no worries."
He spoke softly and gently rubbed his little brother's back with his left hand while hearing the redhead following his advice on breathing He held his right one around the teenager's shoulders while allowing the redhead to hide his face by his shoulder.

Did he just hear a sob?

Since Gaara obviously wasn't really talkative at the moment, Kankuro remained hugging him close, comforting him but he didn't complain. This was so strange, never in his entire life had Gaara showed any form of feelings or affection, not since his uncle tried to kill him when he was at the age of six at least, and much less the willingness to actually touch someone else and here he was holding his arms willingly around him and actually seeking comfort.

"Ssh… ssh… It's just a bad dream… it's not real."

Gaara nodded against his shoulder and Kankuro let his cheek rest against the redhead's hair while he realized that his brother was indeed trembling, whether it was out of fear or the intensity of the dream he wasn't sure of, but he knew he just couldn't leave Gaara this way and return to his own quarters.
"Gaara… please… what was the dream about? You're trembling, what spooked you so badly?"

He asked still with the same soft voice that wanted to soothe him as much as he could. Gaara took another few moments before he willed himself a few times over to calm down before he tried to unwillingly release the warm safe embrace he sat in, hip beside hip with Kankuro, his brother still having his feet on the floor by the bed, Gaara having his legs half way pulled towards his chest under the cover somewhat allowing his brother to rest his right elbow on his knee if he wanted to.

"… It… it's nothing.."

The boy said with a quiet and raspy voice. The moist stain on Kankuro's shoulder told him that his brother had been crying and that was something that just did not happen! He kept running a soft hand over Gaara's back and gently pulling him towards him in a brief attempt of telling the boy it was okay to remain in the hug if he wanted to – Kankuro felt his brother wanted to even though he wasn't sure if he knew that himself.
"… J-just… a bad dream…"

"About what? … If you tell me we can sort it out together, Otouto-chan.."

"nh…"

Gaara lowered his forehead against his bigbrother's shoulder again, allowing himself to be pulled into the comforting hug he so desperately needed.

"…It… it was about Shukaku…"

He started hesitatingly and half muffled against Kankuro's black suna-shirt.