Unbearable Weight of Leaves

Necklace

Author's Note

Sorry it took me so long, but my birthday week ended up being very busy. O.o First, my mom claimed me on my birthday, then my dad took me out on my next day off, then my ex insisted on taking me out yesterday. (Slightly awkward, but I really have no social life so it wouldn't make sense not to keep him as a friend no matter how annoyed I am with him)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, just a light fluffy one, but an important one :D

As always, reviews/comments serve to inspire.

Gaara

My entire body was tense, every muscle in my body refused to move, every fiber of my being screamed at me to simply turn around and go back the way I came. This was wrong. Terribly wrong. Why did I need to be doing this? Was it really so important to go in there?

"You don't have to do this, you could always use Mom's, it's still downstairs in their room, if I rememb-"

"No." I glared at Temari for the implied suggestion. "I buried his living quarters in sand years ago, everything left is either crushed or shall remain relics."

"You know as much as I do you could unbury it if you wanted. You would still refuse it, even though it belonged to her?"

I gritted my teeth. I didn't desire this line of questioning, it was too... Personal. Even from her. "Especially because it belonged to her."

She frowned at me. "I don't get it, Gaara, why-"

"Drop it Temari." The memory, the knowledge of what I was fighting against reminded me why I was here. A promise. I had today, then I would glue myself to my wife until... Until. I left the word as a singular thought. It meant so much. Open ended, purposely open. I wanted it this way. Needed it to be this way. I moved my eyes back to the large archway which led to the long line of doors which led down beneath the city. The area of Suna I personally had never been. To spare them, all of them of the reality of my existence. It was easy being the stoic and enigmatic protector, the one they seen from a distance. Inhuman. A phantom, one they never had to see in person except on the occasions they came to me personally. I didn't even see most of my own ninja in person.

Yet, I found myself surprised when they would come on celebrations, when they seen me for my return to the living, my return to Suna after I had died. They had surprised me with a recurring holiday on this same day every year, celebrating the return of me to them.

Yet.

I was not sure I could handle walking directly amongst them. The market I had tried taking Hinata to was far less populated than this. This was the heart of Suna itself. The direct access to most buildings, shops and apartment complexes, some of which could not be accessed from any other entrance. The underground, the very breath of life this city had and I had never seen it with my own eyes.

"Don't get me wrong, but you have been standing in this exact spot for over an hour. I'm only here a few more hours myself, so if you're going to do this, you should probably just get it over with."

"You will be back in a month."

"You are going to stand here that long?" Her voice dropped with annoyance.

I shifted my eyes back to her and sighed. No matter how much I willed my limbs to move, they simply did not obey me. This place was wrong, this place wasn't allowed, this place needed to be avoided. Yet... "Help me. I cannot move."