Bring Me Happiness

“What's gotten into you?” Ren scolded at her husband embarrassed at the fact that they were now both locked in the master bedroom until morning. Her eyes meet his stern expression as he slowly took off his gorge,“W-Why are you undressing?”

“Are you nervous?” Asked with his firm expression staring down at her. Ren couldn't help but gulp as she watched the Kazekage slowly slid off his white scarf that was loosely wrapped around his neck along with his blue and white hat that had silk drape over his head.

He began to move towards her with a small smirk tugging at his lips. “Do you sleep with your kimono on?”

Ren began to back away slowly as his face moved in closer to hers, “W-What are you talking about? O-Of course not!”

“Then, take it off...”He stated as his eyes drifted from her face to her body.

“What?” Ren asked blushing as she placed her hands on her shoulders, forming an 'x'.

“You'll need to get changed into your night robe, won't you?” He asked as he stared back at her.

“Mine is in my room, how am I supposed to do that if one of them is sleeping in my room?” Ren asked.

“Then I guess you can't....”Gaara replied simply before moving back, “Your kimonos are always too tight aren't they?”

“Huh?” Ren asked surprised.

“You always look like you can barely breath, so doesn't that mean your kimono too tight?” He asked.

“Ah...” Ren began unguarded.

So that's what he was staring at...

After reading her expression, he raised an eyebrow, “What were you thinking?”

“Nothing!” She shouted flustered, wanting to dig a ditch and jump in to disappear forever, but his hypnotic stare prevented her from doing so.

It's not that the kimono is too tight but that I like you....

Ren's face turned completely red as she brought her hands to cover her face and turned around completely, “Nothing! I wasn't thinking of that!”

“That?” Gaara asked curiously, “What do you mean?”

“Anyways, you shouldn't have agreed, to this, it's so unlike you....” Ren quickly replied, trying her best to change the subject.

“That?” Gaara repeated to himself before going into deep thought, “That would be?”

“Stop thinking about it! Can't you forget it?” Ren yelled annoyed.

“Then...“ Gaara began as he threw a blanket and pillow on the floor, “It is time for you to get some rest...please pretend like I am not here and make yourself comfortable...”

“Thank you for being very-” Ren began as she walked over to him but stopped once she observed him lay on his own bed.

“You can sleep on the floor...”

“What?” Ren asked, “What do you mean sleep on the floor? I'm going back to my room!”

“You can't,” Gaara eyed her as she moved closer to the door in order to leave, “Chiyo is using your room...and the door is locked.”

“Then, what am I supposed to do?” Ren asked concerned.

“I never had any intention in sharing the same bed; sleeping in the same room with you is more than enough, isn't it?” Gaara explained.

Ren scoffed, “Jerk! I should have known better....”

Gaara raised an eyebrow, “Did you expect me to actually share the bed with you?”

“Then why did you agree?” Ren asked annoyed and yet a bit embarrassed by her own responds.

“It's dark, go to sleep. You'll have to wake up in the morning, you need your rest...” He stated with sigh as he closed her eyes. His head rested on his arms that were bent back to act as an extra cushion besides his silk pillow.

“Jerk...” Ren repeated as she kicked the pillow on the floor before forfeiting and sitting down to get comfortable, “Making me sleep on the floor! Aren't men supposed to be gentlemen and offer the girl to sleep in the bed?”

“Quiet.” Gaara growled.

Ren suck her tongue out before cursing at him with her lips, not letting herself to say them out loud since he wanted silence.

“You know, I can still hear your mouth move...”

“Pssh.” was all Ren responded before throwing the blanket over her head.

The hours passed slowly, and Ren could not help but twist and turn.

“Agh, I really can't sleep on the floor!” She muttered angrily as she sprung her eyes open. She fluffed her pillow before turning towards the bed side, “So uncomfortable!”

Her body jolted up quickly as her eyes met his deep green ones.

“AH!”

His eyes blinked blankly until she completely regained her composure again, “What are you doing still awake?”

“You're so loud, you think someone can sleep with you here?” He replied to her with his stern voice.

“It's not like I snore or anything...”Ren muttered before fluffing her pillow again, “Well, I'm sorry if I woke you up just now, goodnight!”

He didn't respond to her but gestured for her to shut up by closing his eyes again.

I'm not that loud...am I?

Ren pouted on the floor as she watched him breathe in and out quietly. She slugged deep into her pillow for a few minutes before turning her face to look at the bed again.

It's really hard to dislike you when you look so innocent this way...

Ren's eyes wondered slowly towards him as she observed him quietly; his milk toned smooth skin seemed flawless. His red hair glistened in the dim lighted room while his arms were still behind his head. But what caught her attention the most were the dark circles around his eyes.

Suddenly, his eyes opened up again.

“What are you doing?” He asked as he stared down at her.

“What?” She asked still dazed.

“Why aren't you sleeping?”He questioned her. Ren's eyes shifted before she could give him a valid answer.

“It's uncomfortable...”

“Well, you seem like someone who is studying their enemy before they attack, are you going to try to push me off the bed when I'm not looking?” He asked.

“W-What? I wasn't staring at you!” Ren protested, “...that sounds like a good idea though...”

“Well, don't try anything because I'll know...”He replied before shutting his eyes again.

“You know, you still look tense even when you're sleeping....”Ren commented. Gaara ignored her completely but she continued,”Usually people look relaxed but you look like your struggling to stay still...”

Gaara cleared his throat.

“I'm just saying...” She muttered before pulling the blanket over her face.

“I don't sleep...” Gaara spoke. Ren uncovered her face and met his eyes, “I can't ever sleep...”

“What do you mean?” She asked curiously as his teal eyes shifted.

“Because it has become a habit now...”He told her with a hint of sadness in his tone of voice.

“It's not healthy...to not sleep....” Ren commented after a time of silence.

“I couldn't sleep on my free will because of the demon I had once possessed....”

Ren clenched onto the blanket, afraid. She was scared to remember the monster that almost killed her sister and the same beast that terrorized the village just by the thought of it.

“I was afraid it would take full control of me if I did sleep. But now, it seems like it had become an old habit,” Gaara explained, facing away from her.

Ren stayed quiet, half shaking on the floor by the goosebumps that the image of the tailed beast gave and yet half sorrowful towards the man that laid besides her. She wasn't sure how to reply; she was confused. Her body shook by the terrified thought of the tailed beast but her heart ached by the Kazekage's pained voice.

“....You probably fell asleep, right?....”Gaara asked after some time. Ren said nothing in return. She wasn't sure if she should reply at all. So instead, she closed her eyes and pretended not to hear.

“Would you be terrified by me if I still had that demon?” Gaara questioned, staring at the ceiling in the silent room,”But you're afraid of me regardless, aren't you?”

“...The people in this village wouldn't even dare to look at me, I was only a monster to them....so I was always alone....” Gaara explained in the dim lighted room, “My mother died giving birth to me. And my family thought I was the devil himself...My own father even sent assassins to try to kill me...”

The tears could not contain themselves and so they spilled out of Ren's closed eyes. Confusion clouded her mind but her heart yearned to hold him in a tight embrace, but she knew better then to do so.

“Nobody was willing to stay by my side because of the monster inside of me and yet I knew I had become the monster himself....”

Ren forced herself not to make a sound, trying her best to control her breathing. But the tears escaped her eyes and the fiery sensation of wanting to cry out loud burned her inner throat.

“Uzumaki Naruto opened my eyes and helped me change for the better,” Gaara continued, “And then I met her....My Sachi.....”

Biting her tongue, Ren clenched onto her blanket. The tears flowed out more painfully as her chest felt like it was being pierced through. She wanted him to stop talking, she wanted to so badly have him stop her from feeling all the pain she was in right that moment.

“She was my happiness...”He smiled bitterly, “Shori of the Sand, wouldn't that have sounded nice?”

Gritting her teeth, Ren felt like she really couldn't take it anymore. He was trampling all over her heart, wishing to be married with another instead of her.

“I would have loved so much for her to stay by my side....” Gaara went on regardless, “I wouldn't need anything as long as I had her...”

Opening her eyes again, the tears blurred her vision to see, but for a moment, she could have swore that he was crying too. Bringing her blanket up to her face to quickly sweep off any visible tears, she yawned.

“Are you still not asleep?” She asked, “Oh, that's right you said you couldn't sleep, huh?” Her voice was strained but she hoped he would have not noticed.

“Weren't you uncomfortable?” he asked after a while.

“Why...are you going to offer your bed to me? ”Ren questioned back.

“.......” Gaara shifted in his bed, “Go to sleep....”

“Fine...” Ren responded back. Closing her eyes, she laid there for a couple of minutes before falling into deep sleep.

The sound of breathing hit her face. Ren slowly began to regain her senses, but refused to open her eyes. She felt two hands place her gently down in silk.

“You are my wife...you should be treated with more respect...” A voice muttered. Ren's arm moved forward to touch their face but that person, pulled down her hand, refusing her.

“But there is nothing more I can do...”