WARNING: OOC Gai and characters that shouldn't be in the same room in the same room. This was originally a GaixGaara challenge given to me by my older sister, but seeing as this pairing is close to impossible to do without making a fic look completely moronic, i chose to settle with keeping it like this. Enjoy! (oh, and please, if you happen to spot any mistakes, please comment on it. I need a beta and no one has read this fic before I posted it, so I'm sure this fic is full of stupid mistakes)

Hopeless

by simplyjoox382

For once, he's hurt and hospitalized and Gai is secretly glad that the other is in unimaginable pain, not that the sand wielder would show it of course, but Gai feels it and simply knows. He decides to pay Gaara a visit in the hospital, not out of kindness, but to mock him in his own Gai-like way. He is not one to hold grudges, no, but the boy had almost killed his favorite student and there was no way Gai could ever forget the look on Lee's face when he was told that he would most likely never be able to fight again.

Devastated.

Gai is sure that the physical pain Gaara feels now is nothing compared to the emotional pain Lee felt then. For so long, Gai wanted to maim the boy, maybe even kill him if he could manage it, for crushing the dream of Gai's most treasured person. He knew it was wrong for a shinobi to hold such feelings, especially one so personal, so he had never attempted to harm the boy in any way; it is simply coincidence that Gaara is in Tsunade's intensive care. Gai is bitter, yes, but he is also guiltily happy and plans to laugh when he sees Gaara's crippled form.

He stands in the boys hospital room now, giftless and still bitter. He is slightly angry at himself for not finding the strength to mock the other boy, but he cannot see how he possibly can. Gaara is broken, and Gai has never seen a more pathetic sight. He almost forgets why he has come in the first place when he sees that Gaara does not even have the strength to throw a menacing glare at the older man. Gaara does anyway.

Gai steps in closer to get a better look at the boy only to gasp, wondering what it the world it was that had put this boy in such a condition. He unconscientiously reaches out, wanting to lightly glaze his fingers over a small wound in Gaara's forearm, but the sand swirls around Gaara's unmoving body protectively and Gai takes a step back. There is a split-second flicker of change in Gaara's eyes before going back to their usual death glare, but it is only that one half second Gai needs in order to read the crippled boy. For that one half second, Gai thinks he understands.

He almost regrets not bringing flowers.

Almost.

-Owari-