Nightmarish Reality

[endless_scrolls]

Title: Nightmarish Reality
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: Naruto
Theme: 18, Random insomnia
Character(s): Tenten, Sabaku no Gaara, Uchiha Sasuke
Pairing(s): GaaTenSasu
Warning(s): They're all naked the entire time.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: I borrowed the theme from shamanic_voice
Dedicated to: osuwari00, one of two fics for her birthday.

Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating my resting form. Slowly waking from my slumber, roused by some unseen force, I reached out for the warmth I expected to be beside me. But as my hand searched the bed in vain, all that could be felt were the coolness of the night and the abandoned sheets. Confused and curious as to where my companion could be, I finally opened my eyes to search the room. But though the light of the waning lunar orb in the sky was enough to see by, he was nowhere in sight.

With a grumble of annoyance, I stretched out the wariness from my limbs as I sat up from the bed. The thin blanket that covered me slipped down to my waist, exposing my naked breasts. I shivered a little from the loss as a soft breeze blew from some unknown place. Secretly I thanked my unbound hair for insulating some of the escaping heat while I started to rub my arms for warmth.

“Where could he be?” I asked to the shadows, expecting nothing but silence to answer me.

The floor boards felt cold under my feet as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Wrapping the thin sheet over my body, I set out in search of my missing partner. But before leaving the safety of the bedroom, my shinobi instincts kicked in and I found myself reaching for the tanto knife laying on top of the dresser. With the familiar feeling of cold steel pressed against my body. I stepped out into the hallway. Shadows played along the walls as I made my way through the house, trying hard not to wake the other occupants who lived there as well. The soft patter of my feet on the hardwood flooring were the only sounds that could be heard in the darkened hall.

As I descended down the stairs at the end of the corridor, I was assaulted by an unexpected light from below. I glanced around to discover that every curtain on the main floor had be drawn back, letting the moonbeams filter through the window glass. The bright glow gave the illusion of dawn as it reflected off the white sand. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, my toes came in contact with the gritty texture of the small grains of said sand, a familiar indicator of where my missing companion had went. I followed the trail into the living room where I found him staring out the grand windows.

“Gaara,” I called softly, more as a relief of finding him than a question to his actions.

His porcelain skin glowed in the pale moonlight, making the dark rings around his eyes more prominent. The red of his hair and green of his sharp eyes stood out amid the monotone colors of the night. Emerald orbs flashed in my direction for a brief moment before refocusing on the world outside. That was the only movement he bothered to show as I made my slow approach. Gaara was standing there in little more than his weather-worn sash, his imposing gourd set up on the couch nearby.

“I was starting to get worried,” I continued on, filling in the silence between us, “I woke up and you were gone.”

“Your concern was unwarranted,” he stated flatly, “I simply couldn’t sleep.”

“Couldn’t sleep, or wouldn’t?” I questioned, raising a brow knowingly.

I stopped a few feet away from his still form, making sure to stay clear of the deadly barrier that always surrounded and protected him. It had made the mistake of getting too close once before and ended with a few extra scars as a result. Even at such a distance I could still hear the eerie sound of shifting sand within the gourd. The fraction of Shukaku’s spirit that resided inside of me did little to calm the agitated nature of the sand demon.

“You had another nightmare didn’t you?” I asked somberly.

“That is of no regards to you,” the red-head replied rather sharply.

“Right, course it’s not,” I snorted sarcastically, daring to take a few steps closer, “I only sleep with you after all.”

I didn’t bother looking at him as I stopped two feet away. Instead I opted to simply lean against the window frame and stare out into the night as well. I could feel his gaze settle on me for a brief moment as if he regretted his sharp remark. But Gaara was just as proud as I was when it came to our actions. So with a sigh of frustration that bordered on a soft growl, the sand-nin turned his attention back to the world outside.

“What happened?” I asked softly in a more soothing tome as I shifted my eyes towards him, “What did you see in you dream?”

“Why would that be important?” the young Kazekage inquired warily.

“Maybe all you need to do is talk about it,” I responded with a shrug, turning away from him once more, “It’s worth a try, isn’t it?”

All was quiet as the younger shinobi struggled with is decision. Though his facial features showed with perfect indifference, the rumbling grains of sand beneath my feet told me otherwise. Gaara had always been a private person, even as a child. Often times I could still see him as a scared little boy that hid behind his Jounin escort at our first meeting. The years spent under his father’s rule had made the sand-nin into a solitary being. I could tell that the thought of sharing himself with anyone still frightened him to this day.

“…I was in the middle of the desert, surrounded by sand,” he stated hesitantly, prompting me to close my eyes so that the images would come to me clearly, “You were standing before me, looking off towards the horizon.”


...It wasn’t long before the images appeared in my mind. I was standing atop a plateau, gazing across the expanse of the desert to the sinking sun on the horizon. To the side was Gaara, his red hair standing out from the orange glow of the fading light. We were both garbed in white, the fabric loosely flying about us in the evening wind as sand swirled around like the beginnings of a deadly desert storm.

“Then what happened?” I asked curiously.

“When the sun disappeared from sight it began to snow,” the young Kazekage replied, “It mixed with the sand and froze everything.”

Sure enough when I looked back at the dream, the world created from Gaara’s mind was being bombarded by a blizzard of snow. In the background the moon ascended into the darkened sky while the image of me turned to the emotionless form of Gaara just as she was encased in ice. Just like the motions of the girl had ceased, so did the falling snow. The quiet stillness was unsettling, especially when faced with the image of myself preserved in a block of ice. And during it all, Gaara just stood there unmoving as if he could care less. It was only when the glacial statue ignited into flames that he made any movement at all and that was to shield his eyes from the fire.

When the blaze was extinguished, what was left behind was a crystallized sculpture that had been created from the melted sand. A look of confusion, at leas by his standards, was etched on the sand-nin’s features as he slowly approached the still statuette. Almost instantly the shinobi reached out his hand as if wanting to touch the clear barrier that surrounded me. Everything seemed fine when his slim fingers brushed against the smooth surface of the glass. But a second later after the contact a small crack appeared, growing larger with every passing second until the entire stature shattered into a thousand pieces...


The tanto knife that I had been clutching in my hand fell to the floor with a resounding clang that echoed throughout the house as my eyes shot open from the vision. I gasped for breath while the intensity of the dream remained with me. My heart felt like it was ready to pop out of my chest from the excessive pounding under the layers of chilled flesh.

It was one of the lasting side effects of the chakra exchange that happened from time to time, possibly the only real advantage Sasuke and I received from agreeing to take a portion of the sand demon’s spirit. And while it did little to provide privacy from each other’s thoughts, it did much to bring the three of us together in friendship.

“No wonder you couldn’t sleep,” I whispered breathlessly, glancing over at the quite shinobi.

Gaara had his head bowed in a solemn manner, his arms folded tightly over his chest. His dark-lidded eyes remained closed in a thoughtful way while the muscles of his nonexistent brows furrowed together as if with grief. There was nothing more I wanted to do than just take him in my arms and comfort him through all of it. But it couldn’t; the barrier shielding him wouldn’t allow me. So it was with a heavy sigh that I turned away from his suffering.

After spending so much time around Gaara, I had learned the secret to getting past his sand shield. It wasn’t a matter of moving past it with speed like Lee had done during their match so many years before, but to allow him to take down his defenses. It was only in that way that the two of us could be as intimate as we were without having to battle past pillars of sand every time. So I wasn’t surprised when I felt his rough and sand-worn hand gently caress the smooth curve of my shoulder.

“What do you think it means?” came his quiet inquiry, all the while pulling me closer to him.

“I don’t know,” I replied truthfully, turning slightly to face him, “But whatever it is we’ll figure it out together.”

A slight dip of his head signaled the young shin obi’s acknowledgement. To show his gratitude, Gaara slowly slipped the bed sheet down my arm, exposing more skin to the night air so that he could seductively brush his lips along the sensitive area. It was a rare show of affection that I cherished more than anything else in the world. To trust me enough to share this level of vulnerability was a great honor. With a quick nuzzle of his cheek, I made sure he knew of my appreciation.

His green eyes met with mine for a brief moment as he pulled back a little. The sand-nin looked like he was about to say something, but that thought was cut short as Shukaku decided at that moment to make his presence known. But while I only felt a twinge of pain from the sand demon’s struggle for control, the young Kazekage was suffering through the agony. I cringed as he stumbled back towards the couch and watched helplessly as this mental battle lasted longer than any other I had witnessed. I could hear the sand priest’s faint whispers in my hear as the Kazekage grumbled to his invisible foe.

Without a second thought to the consequences I ran to his side, letting the bed sheet slip to the ground. I could she the muscles in his jaw strain under the pressure as his teeth clenched together through the pain, all the while pulling at his hair. I made to place a comforting hand on him only to have the younger shinobi flinch away from the touch, violently lashing out at me. Three lines on my arm dripped red with blood, standing as a caution to keep my distance.

“Stay away,” Gaara warned sternly.

Faced with the short patience of the young Kazekage, I was left with no other option but to wait until Skukaku was done. Slowly I backed away towards the wall while my companion wreathed in pain. Once my back came into contact with the solid wall, I slid to the ground in dismay. Unable to watch his slow torture, I turned away from the suffering Kazekage and closed my eyes to his pain. When he started grunting and screaming at the demonic priest to stop his games, I covered my ears and curled up into a tight ball in hope of warding away the horrifying image.

It seemed an eternity before I felt cool, slim, and shaking fingers brush across my white knuckles. My head snapped up to stare into his blank eyes, empty and devoid of emotions. In his hand Gaara held the forgotten tanto knife that I had dropped a while ago. The sand-nin held the glistening steel to his naked chest in a way that both calmed and unnerved me. Saddened by the sight, I held my arms out to him which he came to willingly. I slipped the weapon out of his grasp while the younger shinobi curled innocently into my arms.

A stray tear made its way down my cheek as I lovingly placed his head under my chin and comfortingly kissed the tattoo etched on his forehead. Out the corner of my eye I spotted the forgotten bed sheet lying disheveled and discarded on the floor. Shivering at the cool desert night, I grabbed the thin fabric and wrapped it around our huddled bodies for added warmth.

“Come on Gaara,” I whispered tiredly, “Let’s go to bed.”

Sand quietly swirled around us, blocking out the dark reality of the living room and transported us back to the safety of our living quarters. The mattress dipped at our sudden weight, the springs squeaking with years of use. Gaara’s breathing slowed to a steady rhythm, exhausted from the whole ordeal and sleeping soundly in my arms. With the utmost care I slowly laid him down on the bed, pulling the comforter up to cover him. The small knife still remained in my grasp as I looked upon the sand-nin’s peaceful face.

“Where have you two been?” came the unexpected question.

My head whipped around towards the foot of the bed where a calm and also naked Sasuke stood, curiously eyeing the two of us in bed. His eyes glowed red with the light of the Sharingan, tainted black by the dark swirls that resided within. Casually placing the small weapon in my hand on the nearby nightstand, I remained quiet while rubbing my forehead in frustration and anticipation of the coming headache.

“What happened to your arm?” he asked, sounding as concerned as a child of the Uchiha clan could ever sound.

“Nothing,” I replied dismissively while he came near to examine the damage, “Just a nightly visit from Shukaku.”

“So that was the noise I heard coming from downstairs,” Sasuke noted, brining out the first-aid kit stored under the bed.

“Did we wake you?” I inquired with misplaced concern.

“No, I was already awake when you left the room,” the Uchiha heir replied off-handedly, “I was just curious about what was going on.”

The conversation stopped there as the entire room fell silent, allowing the darkness to fill in the void. His pale digits worked quickly to treat and wrap my wound, all the while maintaining the gentleness of a mother’s care to ensure that I would feel no further discomfort. Once he was done and the younger shinobi was inspecting his work Sasuke allowed his fingers to linger a little while longer, slowly moving to caress the back of my hand.

“He’ll be alright,” he finally whispered, sliding the white box back under the bed, “It’s good that you were with him when it happened.”

“Maybe,” I mumbled absentmindedly, reaching out to brush away strands of hair from Gaara’s face, “But he’s going to need us both before the end.”

“And he has us,” the young Uchiha stated, drawing my attention for a brief moment, “Trust in that.”

Hesitantly, I nodded in understanding and with an exhausted sigh I laid down beside the sleeping Kazekage. Wordlessly, Sasuke settled down next to the slumbering sand-nin as well. For a short instance it was like how it had been when we were younger, the three of us comforted and protected by each other’s presence. And as both Sasuke and I joined our hands in placing them over Gaara’s heart, the light of the moon illuminated us in its celestial glow, calming us into a dreamless sleep…the only kind we could ever afford to have.