When Sasuke Met Naruto (SasuNaru)

- Chapter 33 -

Gaara Subakuno sat in his bland, white bed at the Konoha Hospital, staring blankly at the wall as doctors and nurses passed outside. He had spent all of the previous day talking with police officers and lawyers about what had happened with his father, retelling the story close to a dozen times. With every time the redhead told the tale, he thought for sure it would be easier than the last. It wasn't. Just thinking about what happened that night brought forth all kinds of unsettling images – the bloodlust in his father's eyes, the blood streaming down his face after Gaara had kicked him, and, most frightening of all, Lee. It was painful for Gaara to even think about the horror he had seen in the mop-topped teen's face during the fight, not to mention how he looked once Gaara had delivered the mortal blow to Mr. Subakuno.

He sees now... he knows what I mean when I say I'm a monster. I'll probably never see him again...

It was a depressing thought, but Gaara had managed to accept it. This was his punishment for what he did – it was his penance to spend the rest of his life alone. For that, he was grateful to Naruto. The blond had kept him from ending his suffering prematurely – now he could live his life and endure his punishment.

Because of that, Gaara had spent all of that Sunday morning simply staring at the wall, cut off from the rest of the world. The television in his room was off, the curtains in his room were shut, and the door was open only a crack. The redhead didn't even notice the nurse when she poked her head into the room, or when she announced that he had a visitor. It was as if he was completely dead on the inside.

Then the door opened. Gaara didn't shift his attention, but when he heard his visitor cough, his eyes went wide. Turning towards the doorway, he found a familiar teen with big, round eyes dressed entirely in green staring awkwardly down at the floor.

"Lee?"

"H-hey, Gaara," the teen replied, scratching the back of his head while keeping the other hand behind his back. "I-I heard they admitted you here, so..."

"Yeah – they want to keep me here to monitor me for a few weeks. After what happened Friday, you know..."

"Right, that makes sense," Lee said sheepishly. "I'm... sorry about what happened, by the way."

"It wasn't your fault," Gaara replied quickly, hoping to end the discussion at that.

"If I hadn't been there, then..."

"It wouldn't have made any difference. What happened between me and my dad had been coming for a long time. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"But I at least could have helped! I could have called the police, I could have helped restrain him... instead I just sat there cowering," Lee responded in self-disgust. "I was just so scared, Gaara... I didn't know what to do..."

It was only then that Gaara realized that Lee was fighting back tears, as a single drop rolled down his cheek. This wasn't just an empty apology, a run-of-the-mill sign of sympathy. Lee actually felt guilty for what had happened – that he could have somehow prevented this entire tragedy. He felt a deep pang of sadness as he slid over on the bed.

"Have a seat, Lee."

Biting his lip, the mop-topped teen nodded and tentatively sat down beside the redhead. He avoided eye contact, however, instead choosing to stare at the object he had been hiding behind his back – a worn, stuffed bear.

"Is that yours?" Gaara asked, avoiding the issue at hand, if only for a moment.

"I was trying to think of a gift to bring you. It always made me feel better when I was down," Lee replied with a weak smile. He placed the bear in Gaara's lap. "I hope it helps you – at least a little bit."