I got me some bad news for you, Sunshine

Tell me, is something eluding you, Sunshine? A word of apology perhaps, because you're on your own, and I know at once what's happened. Is something wrong (ohgodthatwordwrongwrongwrong)? Your hair is never down, never allowed to flow free and loose and dull gold. But now it is, as you limp through the door, all bloodied and bruised, loose and matted with sticky crimson. One of your eyes (beautifultealeyesthathadburnedthatveryfirsttime) is swollen shut. You nearly collapse, your fan ripped to shreds.

A name on my lips, even before I rush to your side – exposed and sliced – and you know what it is. You tilt your chin up, single defiant eye watching, scared stiff, for my reaction. It doesn't come. I clamp my lips shut and help you to the bedroom, where I bandage and wash and console you with methodical precision.

"Does he know?" She shakes her head, her face now hidden by her hair. "Where is she?"

She looks up at that, the hurt and pain clearer than anything else in her gaze. She doesn't try and hide it. "On their doorstep. I couldn't stay."

I sink down, a hand over my eyes. "Oh god."

"Kuro," Her hand, three fingers twisted and bent and a mottled purple, lands on my shoulder. I swipe it off, hear her gasp of pain, and ignore it.

"Did you do anything to stop it?"

She gestures impatiently at her beat up body.

"But did you give everything to keep her safe?"

Anger flares in her expression then, bitter and cruel, "Why do you care, Kuro! She was a wimp! You've always scoffed at her weakness before, what's different?" She knows what's changed, but she won't admit to it. "Why is it all you men fall for these pathetic excuses for kunoichis here in Konoha!"

I knew that, for once, she wasn't just talking about me, but about her old love, her first love, the ridiculous boy with stupid hair who had left her for some blonde slut. She had cried so hard in my arms that night.

'I haven't fallen for her.' I should say, but I don't. I'm not sure why.

"I feel sorry for him. But for you too. Maybe more for you, though."

"He's lost his wife. I've just lost the girl who would never be mine. There's a difference." I said bitterly.

"Oh yes. She always turned you down, didn't she? Even in those first few weeks of her unhappy marriage. To her cousin. Upper-class bastards." She sees me wince at the words, but carries on regardless, because that's who she is. "And then of course they fell in love. Predictable, really. You never stood a chance. Noble and pious, she is." She pauses, then amends, very quietly, "Was."

I sigh, letting out my breath in one rush, and turn back to her, see her standing in the middle of the room, watching me. "Where's Gaara?" She asks.

"Suna."

"Oh." Her eye is wide, hopeful. She needs this, knows I don't, but doesn't care. Or maybe she does care, care too much. Doubtful.

"Come on, then."

I want to prise her off me, through her away and never let her touch me ever again. God knows how wrong this is. "Siblings. Together. Fucking." She panted into my ear. I scrunched my eyes tight and tried to imagine her full hips were the dead girl's narrow ones, her hard, impatient thrusts were mine and the dead girl's tender, loving caresses. That the long hair that got in the way was raven black, and soft, and that the teeth scraping over my abdomen were gentle pink lips. Not the ones that smiled down at me happily, too red and too swollen, and the eyes that looked ever-so-slightly crazy were palest violet, and full of love.

But my sister wouldn't let me forget just who I was fucking. She said my name, the shortened version that only she used, again and again and again, so that when my release finally came, it was my sister's name that escaped my lips. It made her happy, you see.

She tried to make me cuddle her afterwards, but I sat up and pulled on my clothes.

"Kuro..." She said softly, putting her arms around my neck. Her voice had trembled, so I let her keep them there. "I, I love you. You know that, don't you?"

"No, Temari, you don't. I love you, and I loved her. But in very different ways. You should know that."

She sank back down into the bed as I stood up, and suddenly looked very small and lost in the sea of white sheets.

I left her, and was half out the door when a pair of arms looped around my neck.

"I did know, you bastard. I always knew you loved me too much and not in the right way. Well, not the right way, but the right way. You bastard."

I could feel her tears against my neck then. So I turned and took her into my arms. She wasn't happy anymore, I think. But I don't think she really has been for a long time. "Let's just stay here, Sunshine."

"Come back to bed." She said, and we walked back together.

We clung to each other, desperately, and cried silently, bitter, angry tears that shone through with desperation. We stayed like that until morning.