Your Eyes

Author's Note: This is YAOI story. That means there will be at least one male x male romantic pairing. There will also be references to unrequited love in this story, but don't worry. I only write happy endings. For those of you still here, I hope you enjoy the story and reviews are always appreciated.

Chapter Notation: This chapter is framed mostly from Gaara's perspective. Next chapter will show more of Sasuke's side of things.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.

Chapter 1

Gaara was Kazekage and as such, he was expected to visit other Ninja Villages occasionally. Normally, the red head didn't mind doing this. Today was an exception though.

Pain. That's what he saw in those beautiful eyes. An incredible amount of pain, but it was gone as soon as he could identify the emotion. The person in question had become shockingly good at hiding his feelings.

"Hey, Gaara! Glad you could make! So you said that you are going to be able to attend the wedding?" Naruto asks cheerfully.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Gaara assures his friend.

Though he was speaking with Naruto, in reality his attention was on someone else entirely. Sasuke Uchiha. At the moment, the other ninja was currently trying his best to blend into the shadows of the corner that he was currently occupying.

It was obvious that he didn't want to be seen. The Kazekage was almost positive that he knew why. Sasuke was trying to be a good friend, but those eyes told the whole story. The last Uchiha was in love with Naruto.

"Glad to hear it! It's going to be next week. Sasuke is going to be my Best Man, of course. That doesn't mean that I like you any less. I've just known him longer!" The blonde says.

"I understand completely." The red head replies.

Gaara briefly wondered if Naruto had any idea that Sasuke was in love with him. That his love for the blonde went beyond that of mere friendship or even brotherhood. Somehow, he doubted it.

The red head was fairly certain that Naruto had no idea that two men could even be together romantically. It was even more unlikely that the next Hokage would have noticed the Uchiha's subtle looks of longing. Apparently, Sasuke was very much capable of suffering in silence.

"Great! So what about you? Is there someone special in your life?" Naruto asks.

"There might be. Naruto, would you excuse me for a few moments?" The Kage asks.

"Yeah. Of course. I have to talk to Ino about the floral arrangement anyway. It really is great to see you though. Oh and you definitely have to tell me who it is later! I want to hear all about it!" Naruto says with a wink, before the Kazekage makes a tactful retreat to Sasuke's Corner.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow as the red head approaches. Gaara was coming to talk to him? He couldn't for the life of him figure out why, unless he wanted to give a speech.

Oh how he tired of speeches. They all essentially boiled down to the following. "If you are a good Uchiha and behave yourself, maybe you can be happy."

"Gaara." He acknowledges the other man.

It was more than Sasuke would give most people. The Uchiha tended to ignore anyone who wasn't a powerful ninja and even the ones who were powerful, he rarely acknowledged with more than a nod of his head or a few words. Team Seven and Taka were the main exception to that rule.

"Uchiha. Come with me. You look like a man who could use a drink." Gaara says.

The raven haired man was pretty sure that he was currently gaping at Gaara like a fish. He couldn't believe it. The Kazekage wanted to go drinking with him. Pigs really did fly, it seemed.

"I can't argue with the accuracy of that statement. Alright. Are you sure that you can go though? Won't you be missed?" Sasuke replies.

"I think that the lionshare's of the attention will be on the happy couple. Besides, I feel as though I have more than fulfilled my social obligations for the evening. You're fortunate not to be a Kage. It's a requirement to make unnecessary small talk with many people in order to be a successful one." He confides in him.

Despite himself, Sasuke felt his lips twitch upwards. He was certain that his expression was caught somewhere between a smile and a smirk. The last Uchiha didn't care though. That was the closest that he had come to a real smile in a long time.

"What you're really saying is that you are using me as an excuse to leave the party early because you're tired of their babbling." Sasuke says.

"Yes, I suppose that one could look at it that way." The red head lies with ease.

Fortunately, Sasuke didn't seem aware of his White Lie. This was a fact that Gaara was very grateful for. In truth, he was never going to be the sort of man that thrived in these sorts of situations.

After the demon was removed, Gaara realized something about himself early on. He was a natural introvert. It wasn't that he didn't like people. He just prefered the company of a few close friends to a crowded room such as this.

"In that case, it would be rather rude of me to refuse your offer. That and I wouldn't want to cause an international incident because you felt that I slighted you." The Uchiha says with mock somberness.

"Indeed. That would be a most unfortunate occurrence, especially since after the war when everyone is getting along so well." The Kage agrees.

Sasuke smirks and walks off with Gaara. He was probably right. Everyone was focused on Naruto and Hinata.

Why wouldn't they be? The savior of the Ninja World was getting married to the Hyuga Princess. In everyone's eyes, they were the perfect couple and something straight out of a fairytale.

"I'm afraid that I'm not entirely familiar with where the various establishments that sell alcohol are in this village." The red head admits.

"You really can't just say bar, can you?" Sasuke asks in amusement.

"I could say it, but it lacks a certain finesse." The Sand Villager replies with a shrug.

The raven haired ninja just shakes his head. He imagined that it was probably another part of being a Kage. A Kage's image was everything. Clearly, the red head actually took his job more seriously than some of his colleagues.

"There are a few of them, but none of them have anything really worth drinking. We can go back to my place. I have plenty. It'll be good not to drink alone for once." Sasuke says as he offers Gaara his hand.

The other ninja takes it. With that, they soon teleport off. A few minutes later, they emerge from a swirl of flames and into what the Kazekage assumed was a living room.

"How do you like it?" Sasuke asks.

Hard and fast, like a good fight. That sounds interesting. Though there might be something to be said for a more sensual and affectionate pace as well, Gaara thinks to himself. Immediately, he slaps himself for such thoughts. He knew exactly what Sasuke meant. He was asking how he liked his alcohol.

"Just whatever you have laying around is fine. I'm not picky. Wine, sake, or rum are all acceptable choices to me." The red head replies.

"Alright. I'll see what I have." Sasuke says as he heads off.

Gaara was almost positive that the last Uchiha was heading towards his kitchen. He might not have said it, but it was implied that he was supposed to wait in the living room. So that was exactly what he did.

He takes a moment to familiarize himself with his new surroundings. Every ninja worth their salt would do the same. While it didn't seem likely that anyone would attack them in the heart of the Uchiha District, it never hurt to be prepared.

"It looks so ordinary." He murmurs to himself.

The couch was a large gray one. It was rather soft, but not unusual in any other way. The walls a russet color and the rug had the same colors as the Uchiha Clan's symbol. There was an oak coffee table in front of him and a television. Perhaps most amusingly of all, there was a fireplace. Well the Uchihas were known as a Fire Clan for good reason, it seemed.

"I got the sake." Sasuke says, a few minutes later as he heads back towards Gaara.

"Sake sounds good." The red head replies as he watches Sasuke set two glasses on the table and proceed to fill them.

Gaara wasn't sure how Sasuke did it. Somehow he made even the mundane act of pouring a glass of sake look positively ethereal. There was just something hypnotic about the way he moved. It reminded Gaara of the leopards that he had occasionally seen back home.

"You're so easy to please." Sasuke says as he takes a seat on the couch and downs his first glass in one go.

"I don't believe in making things more complicated than they have to be. Uchiha, you should pace yourself. You are going to get heavily intoxicated in very short order, if you are going to drink like that." The Kazekage informs him.

"It takes a lot to get me intoxicated. Believe me, I've been exposed to almost everything from poisons to liquor. My time at the Sound was good for building up a high tolerance to almost everything, if nothing else. I can handle it. Thanks for your concern though." Sasuke mutters with a shrug.

The Kazekage found himself rather fascinated at the prospect of learning more about the Uchiha's time at the Sound, but he refrained from asking about it. From what he had gathered, it was generally an unpleasant topic for the other man. Gaara couldn't blame him. Orochimaru had always made him feel unease and that was certainly saying something. Gaara certainly didn't scare easily.

"I'm not very good at lending comfort and offering solace. I did notice that you were upset at the celebration. I'm told that it sometimes helps to talk about it." He offers.

"I've never really been good at talking about things. I'm better at communicating with my fists. You're Kazekage. I don't want to accidentally start a war. If I roughed up the Kazekage and people didn't understand that we were just training, it would end badly." The raven haired man admits.

That was progress. Gaara certainly hadn't expected the other man to admit that he was upset. Damn. He must truly be devastated.

"That's alright. Eloquence isn't a requirement here. I know you have the vocabulary, you just aren't used to having someone who is actually willing to listen to you articulate your feelings. That's all." He replies.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He had no idea why Gaara was being nice to him. Maybe it was because he was Naruto's friend. The red head and blonde were basically attached at the hip, whenever the Kazekage visited. He decides that that must be it and to just go with it.

"He's right when he calls me a bastard. I should be happy for him. Naruto is going to get everything that he ever wanted. He's going to become Hokage. He's going to have a family. He found love and has friends. I shouldn't begrudge him that. It's just that…forget it." He mutters.

"You're in love with him and it's painful for you to see him with someone else. That's understandable. Don't worry. It isn't obvious to anyone who doesn't know you well and isn't looking." The Kazekage assures him.

Sasuke didn't really know how to handle that. On one hand, he was glad that it didn't seem likely anyone else had noticed. On the other hand, Gaara was implying that he knew him better than the Uchiha was entirely comfortable with.

"And what makes you think that you know me that well?" He asks.

"Your eyes. You hide it well for the most part, but every so often you slip. They are very expressive. I've seen that look you were giving Naruto while he was with Hinata and they were announcing their wedding date. I've had it myself." The red head admits.

The Uchiha was suddenly very glad that he had been sitting. Was Gaara implying that he had been the victim of unrequited love as well? It sure sounded like it.

"Who?" Sasuke asks simply.

"Oh it's not like that. I used to give that look when I saw other people with their loving parents or their friends. It's the look that only someone who has known true loneliness can give. Both of sadness, longing, and envy. Your eyes don't hold only darkness anymore, but they do hold a lot of pain." He says as he sips his own drink.

The Kazekage was grateful for an excuse not to talk further. He knew that he was certainly taking a gamble by saying even that much. The Uchiha had a habit of running away or pushing away from anyone who offered to help him.

"You're right. I don't like that you are right, but you are. It's just hard seeing them together." He confesses.

"Have you told Naruto how you felt?" The other man asks.

"Of course not. I doubt that Naruto is even aware of the possibility that two men can be together like a man and a woman can. Even if he was, he doesn't love me that way. He loves me like a brother. He'd die for me, but he'd never be my lover. It would only make things awkward between us. I don't have many friends and that's my own doing, but I won't lose his friendship over this." The Leaf Villager says.

Gaara couldn't exactly argue with Sasuke's logic. He had thought the same thing himself. Though he was surprised that the Uchiha was apparently willing to play the part of the martyr.

"That's very mature of you." He says.

"Thank you. Speaking of mature, I didn't expect that you'd be this accepting about this sort of thing. The idea of two men being together, I mean. Actually, I didn't think that the topic of romantic relationships would have interested you at all." He muses.

"The Leaf is different than the Sand in some respects. Mostly in cultural ones. In my village, while such relationships are certainly in the minority, most don't object to them. Life in the desert has a tradition of being short and brutal. It's important to cling to whatever happiness that one finds in his life. Gender to most of us is completely irrelevant." He says.

Sasuke tilts his head to the side as he considers the Kazekage's answer. Well that was certainly interesting. In a strange way, it made perfect sense.

"Good to know. Here it's not something that's in the open. It's the worst kept secret of the Leaf Village really. Many men take men to their beds on missions and the same is for women. It's just generally this is for comfort and when it is romantic, they aren't open about such relationships. It's tolerated, but not spoken about." Sasuke replies.

"I figured that was the case. I know that it's presumptuous, but you'll never be happy in the Leaf. You are living in the District where your entire family was killed. The man you love is marrying someone else. This village will never truly give you a chance to prove that you have pulled yourself out of the Darkness. You can either suffer in silence or move on." Gaara reasons.

The Uchiha sighs. Damn him. He wanted to deny it, but it was the truth. Sasuke could only look forward to a future that involved seeing Naruto with Hinata and probably marrying some woman that he didn't love. He'd be lucky, if he could even tolerate his future wife. It was a disaster in the making.

"I just got back from my Journey of Redemption. It would crush Naruto, if I left again." He argues.

"It depends on where you were going. If he knew that you were going somewhere that will make you happier and that he would still be able to see you, I think he'd accept your decision. He wouldn't be happy about it, but he'd accept it." The red head says as he takes another sip from his drink.

"You sound like you have a suggestion in mind." Sasuke says.

Gaara nods. He had to frame this precisely. If he didn't, the Uchiha might never speak to him again.

"You could move to the Sand Village. I won't lie. There will be villagers who look at you with a combination of awe and terror, but it will be better for you than this place is. Your previous mistakes did not impact them as personally as they did Leaf Villagers. You would potentially have the chance to start over." The Kazekage explains.

Sasuke pauses as he considers that. He never would have thought that Gaara would be that crazy. Why would he offer him a place in his village? Obviously, he was going to waste a large amount of the political capital he had gained from his heroism during the war on defending him. It didn't make any sense.

"I think that I need some time to think about your offer. Transferring isn't something that should be considered lightly." The Uchiha cautiously responds.

"Of course. That's perfectly understandable. Do think about it though. I think that you could be happier in the Sand than in the Leaf. I'm going to be staying until after the wedding. It'd be preferable, if you made your decision by then." The other man says.

"Understood. I'll think about it. Thank you." Sasuke whispers.

Gaara nods as he heads off. He figured that their discussion was over for the moment. It had gone better than he had ever expected it would.

He wasn't certain what Sasuke would do, but he had made the offer. Now all he could do was wait. The red head knew that if he pushed the other man too hard, Sasuke would balk. Right now, he needed his space. So that was exactly what he was going to do.

"There you are, Gaara! I was wondering where you disappeared to." Naruto says a few minutes later as the red head was on his way back to his hotel.

"I went out for a drink and lost track of time. My apologies." He says, offering his friend a smile.

"Oh. Yeah. That happens sometimes. Who were you drinking with or were you just going out alone? It's not much fun to drink alone. Pervy Sage taught me that." The blonde informs him.

Gaara shakes his head in amusement. It would have been nice if Jirayia had taught the ninja a few other things. Though he probably should be grateful. If he had, there was a chance that Naruto might have returned Sasuke's feelings in time.

He knew that was a selfish thought, but it was one that he couldn't help. Damn. He probably should have drunk more sake before bumping into the other man again.

"I was drinking with the Uchiha. I believe he is having a difficult time readjusting to life in the Leaf." The Kazekage replies.

Naruto frowns. He had hoped that he was imagining it. Sasuke had gone on his Journey of Redemption and come back. He seemed less violent and a bit calmer, but there was still something about him that was just sad.

The blonde had at first attributed it to Sasuke finding out the truth about Itachi. That was enough to depress anyone, but now he wasn't quite so sure. The fact that he didn't know what was going on in his teammate's mind disturbed him. It disturbed him greatly.

"Yeah. I was starting to wonder about that myself. Did he say anything specific to you or was that just the vibe that you were getting off him?" The blue eyed ninja asks.

"It was more of a feeling than anything else, but he said enough to confirm the theory in my mind. If you have a few moments, I would like to talk to you about it." Gaara states.

"That'd probably be a good idea. I mean I want to help him, but he's just so hard to reach." He replies as he follows the red head back to his hotel room.

Gaara nods in sympathy. He knew the feeling. Once before, he had made an attempt to reach Sasuke and it hadn't ended well.

The Uchiha had attacked the Kage Summit and Gaara ended up facing off against him. The Kazekage had tried to reach him, but it wasn't working. Now they were locked in a battle.

"You're angry and you're alone. You reject the hand of everyone who tries to help you. You're lost in your own despair. You're exactly like how I was." He said.

"You know NOTHING of my pain! My pain, my fury, my despair, is more than you can imagine!" Sasuke told him as he unleashed another Fire Jutsu at the red head.

Gaara was able to dodge it, but he knew that this might not end well. There had to be a way to reach him. If Naruto could save him from his own darkness, then the Uchiha could be saved as well.

"When one lives in darkness, even a tiny ray of light should be easily noticeable." Came his reply.

"The answers that I seek can be found, only in Darkness!" The Uchiha countered.

That was when Gaara reared up his sand to defend himself. Sasuke's blade came within an inch of the red head's eye. That hadn't been an accident. Gaara was sure of it. On some level, Sasuke didn't want to kill him.

Despite what he told Naruto later on, that was the day that he began to have hope that maybe Sasuke wasn't completely lost. It was only a sliver of light, but it was still there. It was something.

Gaara closes the door behind them. He didn't know exactly how Naruto would react to what he was about to say, but he knew that he didn't want to be overheard. That much he was sure of.

"I know that you have tried Naruto. You saved him from the Darkness, but that doesn't mean that Sasuke's happy here. He lives in the rubble of the Uchiha District, where his house is the only one standing. Every single day, he's reminded of what he lost. The other villagers are afraid of him. The only thing keeping him here is his loyalty to you and Itachi. That and before now, he didn't really have any place else to go." Gaara begins cautiously.

Naruto blinks. He had never thought of it that way. He had always assumed that Sasuke was okay with living in the Uchiha District. The bastard had never said otherwise. It looked like that may not have been the case though.

"I guess that all makes sense. I want to help him though. Wait. What do you mean by that last part? Is he thinking about leaving again?" The blonde demands.

"I offered him a place in my village. You could still see him whenever you wished. I just think that a fresh start would do him good. I know that you care about him, but you are marrying Hinata. You're about to become Hokage and you'll likely have a family as well. No matter how much you may wish it were the case otherwise, there is only so much time that you are going to be able to spend with him realistically. Right now, you're his only anchor." The Kazekage continues.

Naruto winces. He hated to admit it, but Gaara was right. He hadn't thought of it like that before. He wanted to be Hokage and he loved Hinata, but Sasuke was his friend. If the bastard would be happier somewhere else, it wasn't right to keep him in the Leaf.

"I think I get where you're coming from. I don't like hearing it, but it's the truth. What'd he say when you offered him a place to stay?" The blue eyed ninja whispers.

"He said that he'd think about it. I know a large reason for his hesitation is because he doesn't want to hurt you. I think that you should talk about it with him." The Kage says.

Naruto sighs and nods. He was going to have to talk to Sasuke about this. Apparently, the sooner the better.

"I'll talk to him. He's my friend. I want him to be happy. If he's not happy here, maybe he'll be happier in the Sand." He says.

"Thank you, Naruto. He's lucky to have a friend like you." Gaara replies with a small smile.

"Damn right he is! Believe!" Naruto says with a grin.