Gaara held you against his motionless body on the bed as he wrinkled his nose. Since the war had ended he had been able to start catching up on the hours of sleep he lost in childhood when Shukaku threatened to possess his body to murder all of Sunagakure. But even regaining rest was something that came with a price: having to endure nightmares - either of his childhood or of the tragic events that occurred in the midst of the battlefield of the Fourth Shinobi War.

You knew it didn't help with the insomnia habit the red-haired boy had developed because of his sleep disorder, and although he usually wouldn't let you do anything (either because he was too stubborn or because he didn't think your help was necessary), you two were married, and you wanted to do what you could to make sure your husband got his rest.

Gaara finally sighed, somewhat overwhelmed, and opened his eyes slowly. "I can't sleep," he told you in a hoarse voice as he rubbed his eyes. He looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds and then looked back at you, his pure blue eyes boring into yours. "Why don't you sleep? You need rest too." The cold tone in his voice was something you had grown accustomed to over time - after all, the Kazekage wasn't known for being the most expressive person in the world.

"I had a nightmare," he added. That he would confide his vulnerable side to you was already a win, so you were always dedicated to listening to whatever little he would tell you about himself or his concerns regarding his position and responsibility for the village.

His tired orbs watched you again, this time with a hint of affection in them, and he pulled you a little closer to his body with the help of his arm around your waist.

You knew deep inside that the ice shell Gaara had created around his heart had managed to melt little by little thanks to the fire emanating from yours. After all, not even the strongest of sands can stand against the sweeping wind.