Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto! I don't make any money out of this.
Author's Notes : Well, here it is. It's got no pairings or spoilers. This has not been BETA'd, so I apologize for any grammatical/spelling flaws it may contain.
Gaara may seem a bit young here, but he's only just learning to adjust. I hope you like it.
"Shit, Kankurou could you make any more of a mess?" Temari all but glowered over at her brother as she poked her head into the kitchen.
She'd just cleaned up in there yesterday, but little of that was visible now. The floor was covered with baking powder, the cupboards glistening with what she guessed was egg-yoke. It was a culinary nightmare, she could tell from first glance. She squinted her eyes against the harsh sunlight filtering in from the window.
At the table sat a bored looking Gaara, sand swirling about his ankles as it reacted to his listlessness. On his lap was a bowl of what could only be described as a questionable substance and judging by the grinding noise his slow stirring made, sand was probably one of the chief ingredients. "Oh my," Temari breathed.
"Shut up. I'm trying my best here, alright." Kankurou turned from his chore at the sink, revealing his flour-smeared face. Temari let out a short gasp at the sight, breaking out in chortles of laughter. "I don't see what's so funny!" Kankurou's frustration was apparent as he wiped at his face, somehow managing to tip a lone can of orange juice with his elbow in the process. "Nooo!" The puppeteer felt his spirits drop considerably as he watched the last sheen of orange disappear down the drain. He looked over at their youngest sibling in defeat. It had taken a long time before he'd been able to persuade him to, but in the end it had been Gaara who had squeezed the orange. Temari's laughter subsided, rapidly picking up on the change of atmosphere. "Oy..." he drifted off, reluctantly setting his pride aside for all of their sakes. "Sorry about that, Gaara." The redhead said nothing, only acknowledging he'd even heard the other by the slight pause in his stirring, but Temari was sure she'd seen something flicker in those eyes.
"Sooo," she drawled, breaking the silence before Gaara decided he was through with the family time. "What are you boys making, mh?" She kept her voice light and pleasant, directing it to whomever felt like answering. Not surprisingly, it was Kankurou. "A delicious cake! Here, have a taste!" The teen whirled around smugly, obviously pleased with himself as he theatrically motioned towards the bowl in Gaara's hands. Temari grimaced at the concoction but decided to indulge Kankurou, overly enthused as he was. Sparing the top of Gaara's head a glance, she dipped in a finger, coating it with the thick cream. Figuring holding it up close for inspection would only bring needless torment she quickly tasted it, rolling her tongue around it's undeniably sandy texture.
The taste welcoming her was akin to what you'd experience from sucking an old tennis-ball. In other words; definitely not suited for any type of association with food. "Mh-...?" Being the brave ninja she was, Temari quickly swallowed away the vile taste. She would have preferred licking a poisonous toad's back over this little delicacy any day, and was about to voice her thoughts, when she felt Gaara's eyes on her. She looked down at him, feeling heat spread her face upon getting his rare, undivided attention. "Mh, this is really good!" He merely gazed back at her unwaveringly, as if interested by her amiable behavior. "But it lacks something," she added, anything to keep her baby brother looking at her like that. Like he cared. Like they were a normal family.
"Like what?" Kankurou whined exasperatedly. He had been hoping for his sister's approval. He felt more than ready to call it quits after having cooked all morning. They took a moment to mull it over, seeing none of them was particularly gifted in the culinary department.
Interpreting the moment of silence as a chance for him to talk, Gaara licked his lips. "Blood?" he offered softly, a hint of wonder underlying his speech. Kankurou choked out a rather funny sound while Temari blinked rapidly at the suggestion. Neither of them had expected to be confronted with a thought pattern as alien as Gaara's. "Uhm no, not exactly. I uh... I was thinking more along the lines of sugar." The redhead narrowed his eyes minutely, slightly perturbed by their negative reactions.
After what seemed like minutes, the deep monotone came again. "Why?" Today was obviously a good day for Gaara, Temari noted, reminding herself to thank Kankurou for his well-spent efforts later. Although she was fairly certain he'd meant to ask her why adding blood was such a bad idea, she decided to play stupid and avoid the topic of killing altogether. "Because sugar will sweeten up the cake, making it even more delicious." 'And hopefully somewhat bearable,' she added mentally. Her answer seemed to satisfy the younger boy, who quietly leaned back against the back of his chair as he watched his brother pour an impressive amount of sugar into the bowl.
A few hours later they were all sitting at the table, in the midst of what resembled a battlefield. Temari could feel bits of eggshell crack under her sandals when she shifted her feet, but decided to drop the issue. She'd clean up later, but for now, she figured she'd just eat, occasionally glimpsing at her brothers. Eating together as a family was actually a rare occurrence on it's own, Temari thought to herself, absent-mindedly admitting the cake had turned out for the better. It still was nowhere near delicious, but for them to have made something together... It was something she had only deemed possible in her dreams. Temari felt tears come to her eyes, but she blinked them back, not wanting to ruin the moment they were having. Kankurou had shared a knowing look with her when he'd cut the cake, smiling tinily. They were both enjoying themselves, and Temari had a feeling Gaara was, as well. The look of indifference that usually graced her brother's pale face was ever present, but when she saw him reach for a second piece she knew.
And she smiled.