Feathers, Gently Falling
Intro
A small girl, of around five, sat alone in the dark. She was skinny and beaten, starving and cold. She was the host of the final Biju, Juunibi. A fierce, heartless, and cold demon that takes form of a twelve-tailed white tiger. A powerful creature in itself, not only by description. The girl began to cry, her shoulders shaking painfully. Suddenly, a light came, one of a candle. Her appointed 'Master'.
You see, this poor girl, the unfortunate host of Sunagakure's chosen weapon, was trained brutally daily. If she did not get it right, she would be beaten. If she did not obey directly, she would be beaten. If she spoke about anything other than training, she would be beaten and go unfed for the night. Her Master opened the cold steel door of the cage the girl lived in, yanking her out by her bruised and battered arm. She let out a small cry, and as punishment, she was thrown against the wall.
She was dragged out into the training area. It was a walled, sandy circle in the center of the Experimentation Center. An ANBU – run, series of buildings just a few miles south of the village. A set of buildings even the Kazekage was unaware of. The girl was thrown on the ground, and she listened intently to what her Master said. He demonstrated what he wanted her to do and then it was her turn. She stood on unsteady legs, and began to flare her chakra for strength. She copied her Master exactly, without the use of her Kekkei Genkai, Kaerugan, and landed on the ground softly.
Her Master smirked in satisfaction, and then for the next eight hours, he forced her to train till exhaustion. She finally collapsed, and got a swift kick in the side for it. Even so, her Master picked her up by her long, silky black hair and dragged her back to her cage. She got her first meal in two days and she ate slowly, savoring the flavors. She had done well today, and she knew it. She had a bit more on her plate than usual.
This poor girl, of such an unfortunate fate, was born to the name of Kurotsuki. Her mother was Sakuya Mizuhana, and her father Dante Kurotsuki. They were killed, along with the rest of her Clan, at midnight on the girl's second birthday. They were killed, the girl taken from them, and burned to ashes. The ANBU did it without warning to anyone. They told not the Kazekage, not a single soul. They snatched this poor girl up and chose her first years for her. This girl named Rin.
If Rin ever got lucky, she would hear stories of Sunagakure spoken between the ANBU, of this boy by the name of Gaara, and how he was the Kazekage's son. She heard that he too, was a Jinchuriki, a host, of the first Biju, Shukaku. She wished ever so much she could meet him. To hear what it was like to be even somewhat free. To see beyond the walls of this damning imprisoning center.
One day, she would be free. One day.
And one day, she became free. After training for three hours, at exactly 7:00 p.m. on her birthday at the age of six, she lost control of Juunibi and killed her Master. Afraid of what she had done, she jumped with Juunibi's power over the walls of the training area and out into the sands. She ran until she found a village, Suna, she guessed, and ran into the new environment without hesitation. She may not have seemed it, but she was wise for her age. She knew of things she probably shouldn't have. It was the ANBU men's' fault. Speaking of the village's business, and of televisions and such. And Juunibi would speak of things as well.
She ran until she found this boy. He was sitting alone, on a swing, holding a stuffed bear. Rin walked up quietly to him and he looked up. He had an almost evil, deflecting tint in his eyes. But Rin was not afraid. She stood right in front of him, and knew it was Gaara. He matched Juunibi's description perfectly. The blood red hair, the Love tattoo, and the circles of the endless, sleepless nights around his eyes.
Rin held her hand out and stroked Gaara's red hair. His eyes widened, and the sand she had heard about began to whip violently in the air. Rin's eyes were wide, not with fear, but with excitement. Gaara, this Jinchuriki, knew her pain. Her solitude. She felt it when the sand just barely scratched her. She jumped back, not allowing the sand to touch her again. For the first time in her life, she smiled. She told Gaara she was sorry, but maybe she would see him again some day. In the future, where maybe, just maybe, she could have a decent lifetime.
Chapter 1
I kicked. I kicked the training dummy so hard; it cracked in two and flew two miles away. Literally. Now, I know it probably wasn't necessary, but I had been having such violent dreams about my past that I just had to let it out. Naruto watched; sweat dropping, and watching me kick the dummies. "Eh, Rin, I think the dummies are sorry!" he joked, standing from the tree stump he sat on. I stopped, staring at the splintered wooden dummy pieces. I sighed, finally satisfied.
"Sorry, Naruto. I've been having some bad dreams lately, and I needed to vent…on the dummies." I rubbed the back of my head, turning to the blonde ninja. "Oh? What about?" he asked, walked up to me and brushing a piece of wood off my shirt. "My…past." I said quietly. Naruto frowned, fully aware of my story, "Well stop having them!" "Can you sleep at my house tonight? If I have one more nightmare, I might scream. Do you know how hard it is to lock away those memories?" I asked, holding my arms. "Sure, if you really need somebody there. And I know it was hard to lock away, Rin." Naruto nodded, "When do you want me over?" "The usual time. I'll just fix some ramen for dinner or something." I shrugged. Naruto slept at my house often, just because we're best friends. Naruto laughed, "Sounds good to me." and grinned his goofy little grin. It made me smiled. Sai, growing attached to our conversation, came over and joined in.
"I'm sorry about your dreams." he stated, and hugged me. He was still a work in progress about emotions and socialization. I laughed and hugged back, "You know, you don't have to hug me every time something's going on." "But…aren't I supposed to?" he asked. I guess you could call him innocent, though he talks about the anatomy of boys and girls a bit too much. And he squeezed my breasts once.
Not really my favorite memory. He just barely got slapped into next week.
"Ah, no. Only if they seem like they need one, such as if they're crying or about to cry." I said, pulling out of his hug. Sakura walked over, "She's right, Sai. You can't hug someone just because they're a little teeny bit upset." I nodded and then turned towards the training grounds' gates. "I'll see you later, guys, Naruto." I waved, running towards my home.
As I ran home, I thought of Gaara. The first time I was reunited with him.
It was during the Chûnin Exams. He was being possessed by Shukaku, obviously. the sand was covering him and the whites of his eyes became black, while the iris' became golden. To be honest, I was scared. I could tell he was in pain, but there wasn't anything I could do. He was moaning as Shukaku overcame him, and his full form emerged. I gaped up at the demon, wide eyed and angered. How dare that damned beast take over poor, unfortunate Gaara?! I was outraged, and Naruto could tell as well. He looked at me, and then jumped up, suddenly this giant toad was before me; Gamabunta. I jumped up onto the toad alongside Naruto, and our chakras began to flare. My hard training in the past would prove itself right now. As I jumped, summoning my mother's scythe that Konohagakure found, I slashed at Shukaku's head. Though…it didn't work.
Duh, it didn't work. Shukaku was practically made of sand. I was hit, suddenly, by a clump of sand. It went black.
When I woke up, I had been placed under a tree by Sasuke, while Gaara and Naruto laid in the center of a small clearing. Gaara, looking tired and defeated, looked at Naruto. "Why…do protect people?" he asked. Naruto, who was scooting his body towards Gaara, began, "I protect them…because they saved me. They took me out of this darkness and solitude." he paused, "They're my friends. I love them."
Gaara's eyes widened, and he muttered, "Love…" and then looked like he was thinking back to something. Suddenly, his siblings jumped from the trees next to him and picked him up. They jumped away without saying a word and left me and my team in silence.
Now, Gaara's been better. I write him and Suna, and a recent letter from him said he'd be visiting me with some special news. I pressed for him to tell me now, but he said I'd have to wait until he got there, that Kankurou told him to say that. I replied, saying I couldn't wait for him to arrive.
After about an hour, Naruto arrived, and just as the ramen was done cooking. We ate several bowls each and then sat on the couch. Naruto had picked some dumb horror movie, and even though it was dumb, I was still basically in his lap. Only after the movie was over did I realize I was clinging to him.
"Don't like horror, huh?" he laughed light-heartedly. "I hate it…can we watch something else?" I asked, letting go of him and sitting back on the actual couch. "Sure." he shrugged, switching it to the cooking network.
After about three hours, we crashed up in my room. I was hanging halfway off my bed, and Naruto was sleeping without a shirt on the ground. He never sleeps in a shirt. The alarm clock went off, telling me, at least, to wake up. I pushed Naruto with my foot and he woke up after several minutes. He yawned, stretched and then scratched his arm. I walked out of the master bathroom with a short-hemmed kimono on, and a blue barrette to accent my eyes. Naruto stared at me, then asked, "Why are you all dressed up…in a mini-kimono?"
"Gaara's coming to Konoha today, remember? I couldn't find my longer fall kimono, so I just put this one on." I stated. Naruto suddenly jumped up, realizing I knew what I was talking about. "Oh my gosh! You're right! I'll catch you later, okay?!" he said, grabbing his shirt, jacket and wallet. He looked at my legs one more time before jumping out the window, which made me shake my head. "Boys…" I muttered, then walked to the window to shout down to him. "He's coming like, right now! He'll be here in a few minutes!" I shouted, then walked down to my front door, knowing what was next. There Naruto was, already with his shirt and jacket on, at the front door. "Right…I'll wait here then."
And as predicted, Gaara ringed my doorbell in about thirty minutes. He had left two days before, since it's a long trip, depending on what you're taking for transportation. I grinned and opened the door, immediately hugging Gaara.
And Gaara, stunned by my welcome, finally wrapped an arm around me as an awkward hug. Kankurou, being the flirtatious, perverted teen he is, was staring at my legs just as Naruto had. I picked up quickly and let go of Gaara, thwacking his head with two fingers. "Ow!" he grumbled, turning his attention to a flower.
"Okay, so what's the big news?! Oh! And please come in, I know you're tired!" I stepped aside and let them through. Closing the door behind me, I sat on the couch next to Gaara. "Well, is becoming the new Kazekage enough for you?" he asked, spilling the beans. "Oh. My. God! Gaara, that's wonderful!" I shouted, hugging him again. I was very huggy when I haven't seen people in a while. Then I jumped back, "Oh! I mean…Gaara-sama…" I looked a bit sad. Did it mean I couldn't see him as much I as I once did? "No need for formalities, Rin." Kankurou stated, "You're a friend of ours."
I nodded, resting my head on Gaara's shoulder, "Okay." Gaara, still a bit awkward, tensed when I rested on him. I placed a hand on his arm and he eased a little bit. "And we'd like to personally invite you to his inauguration." Temari smiled, "And you come with us tomorrow morning."
Naruto finally spoke, "What about me?" "Well, we could only invite Rin, so sorry." Kankurou stated. Naruto frowned, "Aw, alright." I laughed, "I tell you all about it, Naruto."
Kankurou brightened up increasingly, "So you're coming?" "Duh!" I said, smiling.
I'd just like to say: Deserts are hot. It seems hotter than it was when I had a mission here a few months ago. Along the way, Kankurou made several passes at me, and flirted non-stop. Temari finally told him to stop and hit him on the head.
It's not that Kankurou isn't handsome; it's just that…I didn't like him like that. He flirted with other girls too, but he got worse with me. Gaara gave off a subtle growl, and we arrived. He helped me out of the carriage we were taken in, and I almost fell into him. That, my friend, would have been embarrassing.
Gaara, the newest Kazekage, was the one I loved.
Though I'd never say it to him (not yet, at least), I'll always think it. I have since…well, since the day I saw him in the Forest of Death, back when he got taken over. And possibly that fateful night when I first escaped Suna. Suna, of course, doesn't remember me.
Luckily, Gaara was not used to this thing called 'Love', and did not think anything of my huge hugs, and cuddliness. Then again, I've always been cuddly. Then again I was the cuddliest towards Gaara. But who was I kidding? Even if Gaara did know love, I don't think he'd like me.
…Right?
I stayed at Gaara's home that night, and the next night, I would be sleeping in the same house as the Kazekage.
We walked, dressed in our cutest, nicest kimonos towards the ceremony. Gaara nodded goodbye and he walked up the flight of steps to the office. He would come out onto the balcony, telling us of his hopes for Suna.
I was so proud.
Gaara had come so far from the misunderstood, narcissistic boy he was a couple years ago. He finally realized that he had to protect those who work hard to protect him, and such. And so, me, Temari, and Kankurou stood, awaiting Gaara's appearance.
We cheered as Gaara came onto the balcony, waving down to the Sunagakure villagers. The people cheered as well, save the few elders that still hold his past against him. I waved up too Gaara, and finally caught his attention. He nodded at me before beginning his little speech.
"As Sunagakure's Kazekage, I will make sure that we prosper, and that we work peacefully with the other nations. No one will be left behind, or discriminated." was all he had to say, and the crowd cheered again. Me and Temari both began to shout up to him, "Congratulations, Gaara-kuuuuun!!" He shook his head and then disappeared into the Kazekage's office to discuss things with his advisers.
After we all returned home together, we threw a party with just the four of us. The house was decorated, and the previous night I had even made a sign that read 'Yay for Kazekage-sama!!!' and hung it up. I made dessert, while Temari worked on the main dish…or, I just did it all because she was clueless. How Gaara and Kankurou survived I wouldn't know.
"Let's hope you don't have as much paperwork as the Hokage, Gaara!" I stated, setting the food down on their table. Kankurou licked his lips over the food, and began placing the various meats and side dishes on his plate. I sat down after Temari, right next to Gaara. I began eating as, well, and realized how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten since that morning. I finished within minutes, just after Kankurou and Gaara. Temari, however, was eating more than any of us.
I only watched in horror.
After we ate, I started to lay my sleeping bag out on the living room floor when Gaara stopped me, "You sleep in the guest room, Rin. We have one, you know." I looked at my sleeping bag, then at Gaara. I liked the guest room idea better. "Show me where you want me, then." I picked up my backpack, sleeping bag, and my sketchbook. Gaara turned, probably to follow him. So I did.
He led me up the stairs, to the left, and down a hallway to a door. He opened it, stepping aside to let me through. I stepped past him, almost tripping if it wasn't for his sand, and placed my stuff on the bed. I'd be staying for the next two weeks, since I had a mission that will take place near the village that came up just before I left. He watched me spread my stuff out on the bed, then picking my clothes up and placing them in the dresser. He walked over and began helping me. He put my extra first-aid stuff in a drawer, and then set my scythe against the wall. "You didn't have to help me…" I said, picking up my sketchbook and placing it on the nightstand. That was the last of it. "I wanted to. You girls have way too much stuff." he murmured, leaning against the wall.
Temari, feeling nosy, peeked her head in. "You two aren't doing anything with each other, are you?" she said, teasing. "Wha? N-no!!" I shook my head, holding my hands up in an expression of 'Nay'. She smiled, "Aw, that's too bad. Alright, I'm going to bed. See you tomorrow before you're mission's first day, Rin!" I nodded, "Okay, g'night, Temari!" She waved a bit and turned out the door. Gaara pushed himself off the wall, "I'll be on the roof." And with that, he jumped out the guest bedroom window and up onto the roof. I watched, with a slight tint on my cheeks, when his muscles flexed as he jumped up.
And then I shook my head, snapping out of my trace, and pulled the covers off the bed. I pulled my summer pajamas out of a drawer and slipped them on, jumping into bed. And then I couldn't sleep, and sat up in bed. I stared out the window, thinking about the moon. I pulled myself out of the huge, fluffy guest bed (they had set it up like that before I came) and pulled my silk robe onto my arms, but not tying it. I walked over to the window, and then swung out and onto the roof.
I stepped barefooted onto the sandy roof, quietly. Gaara was lying on the roof, his gourd off to the side, looking at the moon. He looked so peaceful; I didn't really want to disturb him. Right as I was going to turn and go back through the window, Gaara's voice stopped me. "Can't sleep?" he asked. "Y-Yes…" I jumped, turning back around and walking over to Gaara. I sat down, pulling my knees to my chest, and looked up at the moon. Gaara, who was still lying down, was looking at me; not the moon. He sighed and sat up, "What's keeping you awake? Juunibi?" "No…I just can't right now…I'm not tired, I guess." I said, failing to stop the yawn coming from my mouth. "Not tired?" he questioned. "Okay, I'm tired. But I can't sleep." I sighed, looking from the moon to Gaara.
Oh, if only I had the courage to just tell him… If only.
[Gaara's Point of View]
Rin had come up and sat by me, watching the moon. We started talking about how she couldn't sleep, and then for some reason Pocky. After a few more minutes of just sitting there in silent company, she began to fall asleep. She was slowly falling over, and eventually crashed. I looked at her for a moment, and then picked her up, gently. I wasn't going to let her sleep up on the roof, that's for sure. I climbed down into the window, and carried her over to her bed. I slipped of her robe and pulled the covers over her up to her chest. My heart, for no reason, sped up as I leaned over to brush a lock of hair off her nose. It felt weird; I wasn't used to it doing that.
[Rin]
The next morning, I got up at the crack of dawn. Wait—how'd I get in bed in the first place? I remembered last night. Must have fallen asleep up there, I guess. I thought, and then blushed at the thought of Gaara carrying me to bed in his arms. I noticed my robe was gone too, hung on a coat rack in the corner. He even thought to take off my robe, how nice. I swung my feet over the side of the bed, and slipped my bunny slippers on. I dragged myself over to the coat rack, taking my robe and slipping it on.
I hope Kankurou doesn't notice my PJ's. They were a bit… 'sexy' you might say. It was a long-ish tank top with a black background with red hearts set on it. It had red lace on the part where your boobs stick in and a little loop where the seams meet to show off more. The shorts were a little longer than panties, and were skin-tight with red lace. Obviously, for a 15 year old, it was a bit inappropriate, but they weren't sexy to me; they were cute.
I descended the stairs, taking my time. I didn't have to be at the surveillance site until around 11 a.m. I walked to the kitchen turning on the coffee machine and pouring a glass once my coffee was made. I poured a little bit of milk into it and sipped it, leaning against the counter. Kankurou walked in a few minutes later, sleepy. And then my PJ's woke him up quickly. His mouth was slightly open, and his hand twitched a little. "Tell your pants it's not polite to point, Kankurou." I stated, noticing how he was feeling and taking my coffee elsewhere. Elsewhere meaning their backyard. Kankurou followed me out, "S-Sorry, I just wasn't really expecting you to wear something like that…" he rubbed the back of his head. He had some coffee in his hands as well, and then sat on the ground. I shrugged, "Well, you could have stopped yourself from swelling." He looked at me, "Yeah, how'd you tell?" "I work at the Konoha hospital sometimes, and I do therapeutic massages. That happens a lot during those and so I can tell right away."
He flushed, "Eh-heh." Gaara jumped off the roof; he'd been up there all night, I guess. "Kankurou, stop harassing Rin." he said, with a tone you wouldn't usually hear in his voice. I looked at the ground, sipping my coffee. Temari walked out, yawning. "Wait, Rin, aren't you suppose to be on a mission right now? It's 9:30." she looked at me. "OHMIGOSH!" I shouted, running into the house and up the stairs. I changed into my ninja kimono quickly. It was a short, tight-fitted kimono with an obi that had a long bow. I wore fishnets underneath for extra protection and the regular ninja shoes. I slid a holster for my scythe around and on my back, slipping the weapon's handle through the slot for it. I wrapped my right thigh up, and then slid my shuriken pouch over the bandages so it wouldn't rub my skin. Finally, I raced down the stairs, almost tripping off the last step and out to the backyard.
"Okay, I've still got 15 minutes to get to the site, so I'll tell you what I'm doing quickly. So Lord Kazekage knows where I'm going." I paused, "I'll be watching out around this large rock that's said to be Orochimaru's current hideout. I'll be going alone as well." I looked a bit worried, since I've had several run-ins with Orochimaru in the past. Temari looked worried as well, "You sure you have to go alone? We can come with you…"
I shook my head, "No. I'll be fine, really. I'm only observing what's going on. If I ever need help…" I pulled out a long-distance communication device, "I'll contact you through this."
This, possibly, was the most boring mission I've had so far. Nothing had happened in the past hour. Then, something shot from the sandy ground and wrapped around my waist, yanking me into the air and slamming into a rock. "Ow…" I muttered, and then tried to free myself. Before I knew it, Orochimaru was standing before me, pinning me to the rock with his disgusting tongue. He grinned evilly and began forming handsigns, spinning me around to face the rock. He finished and slammed his hands onto both sides of my back. "Angel's Seal!" he hissed. I screamed, possibly louder than I ever have. His tongue released me and I jumped into the air, pulling my scythe from its holster and slamming the handle into his back as I landed.
He cackled and disappeared again, only to reappear behind me and kick me into the ground. "You'll need much more power to defeat me, you pathetic cat." his words stung, actually. I hadn't heard that phrase since I was five. I coughed up a bit of blood as I got up, only to be kicked back down. I noticed a mist then, "You're sucking away my chakra…" I growled, trying to punch him and failing miserably. He regurgitated a sword, and began jabbing, not stabbing, me painfully in my sides.
Then, my red-headed knight appeared.
I don't think I've ever looked as happy as I had then. Just at that second that he appeared. Gaara whipped his sand up and wrapped it around Orochimaru, squeezing, squeezing…and then the snake disappeared. We waited a few minutes, listening, and then decided it was safe. "I…think my mission is cleared, his hideout is where Konoha believed it to be…" I said, wincing. "That ass…sucking up chakra that fast. Thankfully my sand doesn't take a lot of chakra to move…" Gaara muttered. Sand began to lift under me, raising me into the air. He moved the sand just above his arms and released it, letting me drop into them.
I let out a yelp, my wounds beginning to bleed excessively. "Might want to hurry, Gaara. My chakra's drained and I can't heal myself." I stated, wincing and clinging subconsciously to Gaara. He nodded and began sprinting, and began to raise his chakra from the ground and create a platform. He leapt onto it and let it carry us the rest of the way.
"Why would Konoha sent you on such a dangerous mission alone?" he asked. He felt bare skin on my back and told me to try and sit up on the platform. I did so, holding up the front of my kimono so it didn't expose anything, and he let out a tiny, almost inaudible gasp. "W-What?" I asked nervously. He hesitated, and then said, "Orochimaru…put a weird, angel wings shaped seal on you…" My eyes widened, and I turned around painfully to look at Gaara. He was on his knees, and he had a hand out as if he was about to touch the weird seal. "Well, you're not going to see it like that…" he muttered. "I know that! But are there wings on both sides of my back? 'Cause he shouted something like 'Angel's Seal!' before you came." I asked. "Yes." he nodded.
"Shit…" I mumbled, and fixed my ripped kimono's bow around my chest so I wouldn't have to hold it up.
We reached the Sabaku residence after a few minutes, and I was feeling quite faint. Gaara had to catch me on the way inside from the backyard, and carried me in. Temari and Kankurou were sitting there, and they had obviously been worried the whole time we were gone. "Rin!" Temari jumped up, and helped me into the living room to the couch. "Her back…" Kankurou gasped, "What happened?"
"Orochimaru." Gaara stated, following Temari and I into the living room. I let out a cry when a sudden shooting pain shot through my back. Wings began to make their way from my back, their white feathers spreading gracefully across the living room. Kankurou, Temari, and even Gaara were wide eyed. I looked at them, then the wings. They were actually kinda pretty, although it hurt. They made my pale skin look paler, and I almost could have been a real angel, save my black hair.
The wings had ripped my bow off, and so I had to hold my arms across my chest. The wings suddenly burst into a cloud of feathers, and the white objects fell to the floor softy. "Temari…go get me a shirt, please?" I asked, turning around and grabbing a pillow from the couch. "Here." Kankurou said, pulling of his, his nose bleeding, and tossing me his shirt. I slid it on quickly and then looked at them, "What…the hell just happened to me?" I asked quietly.
"Maybe we should contact Konoha, tell them you had a run-in with Orochimaru on your mission and that you have to stay until you recover. Of course, Gaara would also have to explain the wings, and tell them we'll research it while you're staying here. Tsunade wouldn't mind, since you've been our link for a long time." Temari said, pacing about the living room nervously. I suddenly fell to my knees, and Kankurou rushed over to my side and helped me onto the couch. I was still bloody, and my chakra was quite low.
I dosed off after a few moments, and fell onto one of Kankurou's shoulders. He tensed and then just leaned back, wrapping an arm around me to keep me from falling into his lap. Temari walked into the kitchen, grabbing the phone and telling Gaara to contact Tsunade. She had written down what he should probably say, but there's no doubt he'd just tell them what he thought about it.
[Kankurou's View]
I sighed, and just let Rin sleep on me. Not that I minded anyway, but what if the wings came back? She really did look like an angel…Her long hair was like wild strings, and then her pale skin contrasted with those wings and—Oh, shut up Kankurou! Stop making it sound like you love her!
I shook my head, and adjusted my arm. Rin was such a light-weight girl, so I didn't really feel any pressure on my muscles. Gaara finally contacted Tsunade, and was explaining everything slowly, and professionally. He finally hung up, and told me to wake Rin up so she could hear what was going on. I nodded and shook her a little, and she made a small, childish 'mew' in her sleep. I felt my face grow hot, and I shook her again. This time, her eyes fluttered open and she looked around sleepily.
[Rin]
I looked at Gaara, and he began, "Lady Tsunade agreed to allow us to research your seal. This means you are to stay here to recover. The conditions, of course, are that we send copies of our data to Lady Tsunade. When you return to Konoha, she'll run a few more tests on you."
I nodded, and then rubbed my sore arms. Temari came back in with a large (huge, really) box full of first-aid supplies. "Hold out your arms and legs, please?" she half-asked, half-ordered. I held out my right arm and let her wrap it from my shoulders to the middle of my hands. I held out the other and she did the same.
After the arms, I held up my leg and she wrapped it from mid-thigh to my feet, and then did the other leg. "I look like a mummy." I said, pouting. "Let's wrap up your stomach, too." Temari pointed up, telling me to pull my (Well, Kankurou's) shirt up. She pulled me forward a bit and wrapped the bandages around my stomach, just under my breasts to just above my waistline. "Okay, now I look like a mummy." I stood, hold my arms up and mummy-walking towards a wall. Temari laughed, "Got your energy back, I'm guessing?" "Yep. I usually only need to sleep and I feel better…though…I don't know why Juunibi's not healing my wounds now that my chakra's low." I nodded, and then tilted my head. I suddenly dropped to my knees like before, and Gaara had to catch me again. He held me up, "Maybe I should take you upstairs to your room. You're exhausted and you know it." That, somehow, sent a shiver up my spine. I nodded, and he picked me up as gently as he could. He reached the guestroom door, and had to kick it open. He walked across the room to the bed.
I had my eyes closed then, but felt him lay me on the soft covers, and then slid them out from under me. I opened my eyes slowly and sleepily. He covered me up to my chest, and then turned to go back downstairs. "Gaara…" I said, sitting up on my elbows. "Hm?" he turned around, looking at me. "Could…you stay here with me? I know it sounds weird, but I really do not want to be alone…" I sounded so small, and I heard Gaara let out a tired sigh. "Alright…I'll be right back."
Gaara…he had changed so much since we were younger. He was nicer, a bit clueless still, but he understood things more deeply. I smiled to myself, and laid back to stare at the ceiling, thinking about that time he asked me what a kiss was like.
Gaara was so helplessly lost about love related things, it was cute. "Rin, what's…a kiss like?" he had asked me. I turned a light pink, and then looked at his sea foam eyes. "Well Gaara…it's like…well, it's like… Would you like me to show you?" I replied. He nodded, slowly as if he were thinking and faced me. "Well, you've seen them in movies, thanks to me. But, I guess that didn't help you under stand…so…here…" I had placed my lips so softly onto his. And his, in return were soft. Of course, he didn't know to kiss back yet, so I just showed him. I began kissing him a bit rougher, and he was beginning to turn a slight shade of red (I doubt he knew he was doing it). I pulled away, and he had a somewhat dream-like, spaced out look. "Gaara?" I poked him, and he looked back at me. "Thank…you?" he said, and then turned back towards the TV. I smiled and then gave a slight giggle. "What?" he asked, still watching the show on the screen. "You. You've got so much to learn."
By the time I had finished reminiscing with myself, Gaara was climbing into bed. "They said 'So long as you don't knock her up, Gaara.'" he stated, shaking his head, "I'd never do that…" I was a bit pink, and I looked back at the ceiling. "Thanks for staying with me tonight, Gaara. I hope watching me sleep doesn't bore you." I said quietly, and then looked at him.
He shrugged, "I haven't been able to sleep since I was born, so nothing's really boring." He pulled his side of the covers up, and pulled me over towards him. I immediately flushed, "W-Why?" I asked softly. "Saw it in a movie on TV. Besides, knowing you, you'll be less likely to freak out in your sleep. I remember when you kicked me when we went camping on our week off from missions." he answered, "Besides, all your wearing is Kankurou's shirt and its cold at night here in Suna."
"O-Okay…" I wrapped an arm around his neck slowly and pulled myself closer. On instinct, Gaara wrapped an arm around my waist. "Rin…?" he asked after a few moments like that. "What is it?" I asked, yawning softly. "Why…do I feel weird?" he asked innocently. "How?" I laughed, "I can't answer it if you don't tell me how."
"Like…my heart's going extra fast…and that thing that has to do with Sex Ed. and a guys' you-know-what…" he said nervously, and somewhat confused. "O-Oh…um…that's natural, Gaara…you swelling up, especially if you in close proximity with a girl that you're friends with or like…" I answered, pulling away a little from him to look at him. "But…what about my heart? And…I've just felt weird lately…" he paused, "Like, whenever Kankurou flirts with you, I get, well, jealous, and feel like he's trying to steal something of mine."
I smiled a bit to myself, "Kiss me, right now, and tell me how it makes you feel."
He looked at me before leaning down and pressing his lips onto mine. I kissed back, and he tensed for a second before continuing. He kissed me just like I had two years back, and then got rougher. I was surprised when he did, but I kept kissing him. He pulled away, leaving me a bit disappointed, and said, "That made my heart beat faster again…"
"What do you think about me? My life, me in general, et cetera." I asked. Had to get answers before officially diagnosing him. "I feel…like I don't want anything to touch you. That I should protect you or something…And your life, your life is very precious to me." he was turning pink, obviously feeling a bit awkward. "Gaara…what do you think is wrong with you?" I asked my last question. "I think I've got some kind of illness and I'm gonna die." he said immediately. "What?!" I laughed, "No, no! You've got nothing like that Gaara." "Then what do I have?" he asked. "Well, there's only one thing I can think of Gaara, and that's that you love me." I stated. I pulled myself up above him on my pillows, and kissed him. So sweetly, so gently, that he shivered. He started kissing back, and wrapped his arms around me.
Suddenly, his hand made a slight migration down to my backside, and then he smirked. "You know…Kankurou's told me quite a few things as well, Rin." he climbed on top of me, and continued kissing me. I was surprised, but the heat was still rising between my legs. He grabbed my butt again and then fell flush against me. "O-Oh? What did he say?" I questioned teasingly, running a hand under Gaara's shirt, and then along his abs that he had worked hard for over the past few years. He shivered once again, and slid a hand under the shirt I was wearing as well, and as he did, he mouth made its way to my neck.
He nipped and sucked gently on it, and then bit harder when he heard me let a moan escape my mouth. He paused; "He said things like how to do this…" he slid a finger down past my waistline to the pool of heat, and shot the pointer into a certain hole. I gasped, and he took that opportunity to muffle it with his tongue. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and arched towards him, spreading my legs out further to let him through easier.
He grinned, knowing that my diagnosis was quite true. After a few minutes of fingering me and kissing me, he pulled away and slid my panties off, and leaned down towards that area. He pushed his tongue past the lobes of skin and shot it into me, causing me to moan quietly. I had to control myself if we didn't want Kankurou or Temari to walk in. Though, Gaara was moving the sand from his gourd on the wall towards the door, locking it.
He darted his tongue in and out, mimicking what another part would be doing soon. Of course, he had to do all this with his tongue and fingers because I was a virgin; it would hurt if we just went straight to it. I gasped as he shot his tongue in as far as he could get it to go, and then he pulled away a bit, lapping up the juices that had spilled out. I let out a soft mewl, and he finally pulled his boxers off. He spread my legs out farther, and positioned himself right in front of me.
"Kankurou's…taught you quite a lot…" I manage to say, placing my hands on Gaara's face. He smiled that awkward smile I had gotten out of him a year ago, "Rin…this might hurt." I nodded, and leaned my head back, "Go." He went in slowly, trying not to make it more painful than it should be, and then went a little faster. I screamed, only to be muffled out quickly by Gaara's mouth. He began going a little faster, and the pain was wearing off, turning into pleasure. I gasped, and he slowed down, "No, no, go faster…" I took in a breath, and I began to let out small mewls of pleasure. He went faster, and I could feel him swell as he kept at it.
He moaned once or twice before he released all his 'potential children' into me. I gasped at that rushing, unfamiliar liquid feeling. I hadn't peaked yet, so Gaara kept going, swelling little by little as I reached the limit. I let out a moan louder than the ones I'd done before, and gasped out Gaara's name. He kept going for just another minute, before shouting mine and releasing again, collapsing next to me.
We were a mess. I was soaked, inside and out, with sweat and various amounts of Gaara's juice. I cuddled up to him, wrapping my arms around his bare torso, "Aishiteru, Gaara." I said softly, placing my head in the nape of Gaara's neck. He let out a long, slow breath, and finally said, "I…I love you too, Rin…"
We fell asleep like that, and hopefully we made sure we were quiet enough to not have disturbed Gaara's siblings.
I awoke to Gaara's hand rubbing unconsciously through my hair. I smiled and sat up, kissing his cheek and then diving under the covers. I grabbed his member, running a hand up the underside of the shaft, and then rubbing ever so lightly on the head. I heard him gasp from above the covers, and he began swelling quite quickly. I poked my head out from underneath the blankets, and he looked at me curiously; "What are you doing?" he asked, his face a bright, sweaty red.
"Oh, nothing…I'll fix it!" I said, darting back under the covers. I placed my mouth around the head, and sucked on it. He immediately released his cum and gasped again. I lapped up anything that come out or had dripped and then resurfaced, sitting up, naked in the bed.
"Being a part-time medic must be quite useful, I'm guessing." he said, wiping a bit of liquid from the corner of my mouth and wiping it on the bed. He pulled me by the shoulders into a sweet, loving kiss. After he pulled away, I nodded, "I know every nerve that can make you like you were a second ago."
He sighed, and then grabbed a sheet. He climbed out of bed and began collecting his clothing that had been flung off last night. Then I remembered something, "You didn't really keep your promise about not knocking me up, you know." "I don't care." he shrugged, slipping his pants on and then unlocking the door. He listened for the sound of Kankurou's snoring, "I'll be right back. They aren't awake yet…Do you want any coffee?"
"Yes, please." I nodded. He looked at me, up and down, stopping back up at my eyes. He snapped out of his lock on my icy gaze and exited the room. He returned a few moments later, two mugs in his hands. He handed one to me and sat on the edge of the bed next to me. In the minutes he had gone, I had taken a shower and slipped Kankurou's shirt back to make it seem we hadn't done anything. I changed all my bandages, and had had just enough chakra to get rid of the hickeys Gaara had given me the night before.
"You clean up well." he stated, sniffing just under my jaw line. He sipped on his coffee and then looked a bit worried. "What…if I got you pregnant?" he asked, staring into his mug. "I…I wouldn't care. It's the baby of the man I love, so why would I care if I'm pregnant?" I stated, drinking half my coffee in ten seconds. "But I've got Shukaku, and you've got Juunibi. What if some of their spirit got into our kid?" he asked, his eyes chaotic and unreadable. "Gaara, if I got pregnant, I'd do everything in my will to make sure it was healthy and demon less. I would not let my child go through what we have!"
He suddenly kissed me, and by the feel of it he was acting as if it were the last kiss he was going to give me. "What?" I asked after he pulled away. "What if you died?" he asked. "Stop thinking so negatively, Gaara." I kissed him sweetly as I got up off the bed.
He stood as well, "I've got to get to the Kazekage office. Paperwork and such." he mumbled, kissing me on the cheek before walking out of the room. I looked at him, a smile curling its way onto my lips. I had come to the realization that I was Gaara's, and Gaara was mine. I also realized that if I ever married him, I was a member of the Leaf, and he was the Kazekage of the Sand.
Temari poked her head into the room a few moments later and smiled, "Morning sunshine! How are you feeling?" "Great! Gaara got me some coffee!" I smiled, trotting to the door. She examined me for another second before speaking, "You and Gaara made love last night." "Huh?" my smile faded. "I can tell. And Gaara walked out with a waddle. It's so terribly obvious." Temari frowned, "And he promised!" "Temari, if they wanted to do that then they probably did. It's their choice." Kankurou said, walking up to us. "But the consequences…" Temari trailed off. "Shh…Just tell us, Rin." Kankurou pressed. "I…uh…I….um….Gaara! They're being mean!!" I shouted childishly and ran downstairs to catch him. He swirled around and caught me just in time before I would have hit a wall.
"Rin! We know you and Gaara- Oh, hey Gaara…" Kankurou stopped mid-sentence. "So what if we did?" Gaara stated. "Gaara!" I whispered. He smirked, "It felt great to be with her, too. I…I love her…" he trailed off, blushing quite red and then turned around. He kissed me before opening the door, "Now, I seriously have to go, so bye." He walked out the door, closing it shut behind him.