Insomnia

IX

Gaara watched his blood wash down the shower drain that evening with a mad grin on his face. Neji was improving – especially now since he didn’t have to compensate for the weight of his hair – and had actually managed to perform one of his Palm attacks on the redhead. The chakra expenditure had knocked the Hyuuga out, so a bloody and bruised Gaara called it a day for training and picked up an equally bloody and bruised Neji to bring him home. He’d woken Neji up enough to wash himself and then set the Konoha jounin on the bed to sleep while he got his own shower.

In the weeks after Neji had gotten his hair cut – now to his shoulders, always done up in a messy, swept tail, though pieces escaped and brushed his cheeks – he and Gaara had gotten into many more fights. Sometimes Neji won; most times Gaara won, and neither could finish their day without actual or verbal sparring. The only courtesy they showed each other was a peaceful breakfast and once they were in bed that was it. Neji also followed Gaara around while the redhead was doing Kazekage-type things, and managed not to embarrass himself or Gaara. The Hyuuga also trained on his own, working on chakra control and his “sight”. He was able to find his way around Suna without assistance, and more often that not ended up meditating on the balcony outside Gaara’s office until the Kazekage called him out.

And they fought viciously, fighting to win, to kill, not ever pulling punches. At first, Gaara led Neji into repetitive fights, changing it up when Neji began to anticipate, until they were fighting without a script. Gaara was forcing Neji to use everything he had and soon, Neji was able to fight as he once had. Gaara shut off the water and watched it swirl for a moment. He was growing to like the Hyuuga in a much more personal way than he liked other people. He could get a rise out of the Hyuuga, goad him into fighting, and then he was allowed to touch after. Neji trusted him, Gaara realized slowly, as he moved to dry and pull on pants for decency’s sake before he emerged into the bedroom and watched Neji sleep. No one had ever trusted him this much before, not even Naruto. Gaara moved slowly toward the brunette and gently brushed his fingertips against Neji’s bare forehead. Neji shifted, rolled, and Gaara was left staring at his back. The redhead sighed and moved to his own bedroom, falling into sleep to rise early the next day, before the sun had even risen. He found Neji awake as well, sitting in the kitchen with his hands wrapped around a steaming mug of tea.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Neji asked before Gaara could even move. Gaara gave a grunt and Neji only nodded. As Gaara moved about making his coffee – like he needed the caffeine – he realized he and Neji had reached a point in that they understood each other so well, neither needed words to express themselves to the other. Gaara took a few sips of his horrible black coffee, and turned to watch Neji nurse his tea. He set his mug down on the counter and lashed out at the Hyuuga, his strike dodged and he got a mug thrown at him. He dodged, ignoring the shattering ceramic and came up behind Neji. They Hyuuga whirled and his punches were caught in a vice grip, wrists gathered above his head. He was pushed against a wall, Gaara’s body against him. He tried to knee Gaara, felt his wrists transferred to one hand and the other grab his offending leg, pulling it up to hook it over Gaara’s hip, allowing the redhead closer.

Neji left out a gasp as he felt a hot mouth against his neck, hips grinding into his own, that hand on his leg sliding up to his thigh and gripping there. That mouth moved from his neck to his own, teeth sinking into his lip to gain entry into his mouth. A tongue slid in, toyed with his own and tasted him, bodies so closer together now Neji didn’t know if he was still standing or Gaara was supporting him . It didn’t matter, he finally decided, and bit Gaara’s tongue, earning a purr and a bite in return as Gaara pulled back. They shared warmth, close together as they were, breath mingling as they panted.

“Stop thinking so hard,” Gaara growled as he attacked Neji’s neck again, earning shivers and gasps.

“What is this to you?” Neji gasped out as Gaara’s mouth teased at a sensitive spot. Gaara paused, looking up at the Hyuuga even though the other couldn’t see him.

“You are mine.”

Neji couldn’t hold back the mewl as Gaara bit him. He clung, feeling Gaara clutch back, feeling Gaara’s mouth moving over his skin, bruising him in claim. Language was lost to Neji as Gaara began to grind his hips against Neji’s, the only noise in the room their harsh breathing and little gasps. Gaara’s hands slid up beneath Neji’s shirt, fingertips ghosting over pale flesh, finding twin hardening nubs and tweaking them until Neji positively melted against him. Gaara never spoke, tugging at clothing to bare Neji to him, mouth set against pale skin to bruise, rocking his still-clothed hips against Neji’s bare ones, his right hand sliding from Neji’s legs, gripping and stroking. Neji shuddered and clutched to Gaara’s shoulders, legs around Gaara’s hips, held to the wall by the unseen redhead’s strength alone. He felt Gaara shift, felt Gaara’s hands disappear from his body to fiddle with something before they returned to his hips, gripping his thighs to spread them. Neji flinched when he felt sand tendrils wrap around his legs to replace Gaara’s hands, heard a soft apology for the unfamiliar touch.

Then he felt pain blossoming at the base of his spine, felt something large and hot and hard pressing into his body. Muscles spasmed, his sphincter trying so hard to deny that foreign object entry. Gaara growled and shoved. Something within Neji tore and he felt Gaara slide into him so easily, his movement unrestricted as blood made it easier. The sand disappeared as Gaara gripped his hips, pulling Neji forward as he thrust into him. All Neji could do was clutch and pant and squeeze his eyes shut against the tears of pain, until Gaara shifted just once. Pain meted away to pleasure, synapses firing off endorphins in Neji’s brain as Gaara slammed into him. Gaara was panting in his ear, and Neji could feel his body tightening around Gaara. He heard the redhead’s breathing change sharply, felt his heartbeat pick up as they moved together.

Neji screamed.

He screamed as his body clamped down around Gaara’s cock, protesting the last few thrusts Gaara gave. His scream faded as he felt hot liquid spurt into his body, coating and stinging torn flesh. He clung, body trembling as it slowly recovered, hissing as Gaara pulled out, still holding him up. Neji shivered as he felt liquid – blood and come he was sure – dripping from his body to the kitchen floor. Gaara nuzzled close and kissed Neji’s ear gently.

“Can you walk?” Gaara asked.

Neji shook his head. “Can’t move my legs.”

There was a chuckle and Gaara shifted enough to carry Neji like a bride to bed. Once Neji was warm beneath the thin sheet, Gaara joined him, curling around him to protect him. Neji sighed and gave in to the dark sleep.