Ruby led Gaara and Temari to the castle and bent over to pick up a suitcase that was in front of the main door.
"Let's go." Ruby said smiling.
"We're not gonna eat or tell anyone?" Temari asked.
"No…mother will find out soon, besides I have a cell phone!" Ruby said still having her doglike grin.
"Oh…cool…but I'm hungry." Temari said her stomach grumbling.
"Same…" Gaara said patting his stomach.
"Okay well…let's go eat something…not at my house though let's just go to a restaurant instead and order something, I'll pay!" Ruby said smiling away, Temari nodded and Gaara said a quick 'Okay.' Ruby led them to a street lined with restaurants.
"What do you wanna eat?" She asked.
"Uh…it doesn't matter to me Ruby." Temari said politely.
"I would like some tempura." Said Gaara.
"Okay I don't really like tempura but hey I said I would treat you so I'll take you to the place that brother says is the best!" She said before rushing off to a restaurant called. 'Red red Akane.'
"Hey that's her name isn't it?" Asked Gaara as he followed.
"Yeah guess that's what you get for being a princess." Replied Temari as she too followed. Temari and Gaara entered the quiet restaurant, only to see every person in there was frozen staring at Ruby fear in their eyes. Ruby bent her head.
"All that are afraid of me…I'm sorry." She whispered sadly. A waitress broke the silence.
"S-sorry for our rudeness princess Akane…welcome to our restaurant we named it after you so please come in. A table for one?"
"No…A table for three please." Ruby said still looking down. Shocked the waitress looked up to see Gaara and Temari behind Ruby.
"Their with you?" Asked the waitress.
"Yes…sorry if that's inconvenient for you…" Ruby said glancing up.
"Uh…well…" The waitress said scratching the back of her head. "We only have a free table for two." She said smiling relieved.
"Then I'll leave." Said Temari. "I can always eat somewhere else." She continued as she turned and left.
"Eh? Uh…well right this way then…"Said the waitress cursing under her breath. She led the to a small table in the back with comfy red velvet seats and the table had a red candle in the middle of it.
"Uh…it seems romantic…" Said Ruby blushing.
"Yes please enjoy." Said the waitress as she handed them each a menu and turn to walk away.
"If you don't mind me asking Ruby, why are they all…scared?" Gaara asked trying his best to tell himself it wasn't him.
"I don't know…all of my people are afraid of me…they've always been just how I am I guess. Brother says it's my eyes that scare people but even when I wore lavender contacts they still looked at me with scared eyes…it hurts but…this pain it…it leaves when I'm with my family because I know that they love me and enjoy my company although they don't show it a lot." She said the words somewhat poured out even though she would normally only say 'It's always like this.' And smile. Only now her red eyes were sad and so was her normally happy face.
Gaara nodded and looked at the menu. A new waitress came up and stood beside their table she looked about their age and was probably the daughter of the owner, she had light brown hair and green eyes. She took a look at Gaara and was automatically attached.
"Hi, My names Lila I'll be your waitress, just tell me if you want anything, and I mean anything" She said looking directly at Gaara and winking, Gaara clearly didn't catch on and said,
"I'll have green tea and some miso soup to start." He said completely oblivious to the obvious flirting.
"Same here Lila!" Ruby said smiling and for some reason trying to make Lila realize that she was with Gaara not her.
"Oh I'm sorry Princess I didn't notice you here, what was that?" Lila said politely but at the same time acid was in her words.
"I said the same for me waiter."
"Don't you mean waitress?"
"No I can tell you're a guy aren't you?"
"My name's Lila how many guys do you know with that name?"
"Just one, and that would be you-wait oh my god I'm so sorry I swear I didn't notice…I mean your quite beautiful really…" Ruby said Perfect she'll back off now…wait…why am I acting like this? Do I …oh wow I just met him and I already like him… as Ruby thought this the waitress left and a huge scarlet blush was stamped on Ruby's face.
"Are you sick Prin- Ruby?" Gaara asked seeing the girl all red.
"N-no! Just in denial."
"What about?" Asked Gaara slightly curious.
"Huh?" Her blush turned brighter. "Nothing really!" Uh-oh… she thought.
"Hm oh well…do you mind if I read as we wait?" He asked, listening to his inner Temari, 'Be nice we have to escort her as safely and nicely as possible!' She screamed at him. 'Yes Temari…'
"Well that depends are you going to be a perv and read dirty things? Or will you read actual literature?"
"Is Shakespeare actual literature?"
"Shakespeare? Go right ahead."
"…" Gaara went to pull a book out of his gourd but, accidentally pulled out something quite different, out of his gourd came a cute brown teddy bear. Gaara slightly blushed as Ruby stifled laughter.
"Gaara that is adorable!" She squealed as Gaara quickly stuffed the teddy back in and took out a book.
"Here's your food sir…sorry what's your name?" Lila said completely ignoring Rub as she stared at Gaara.
"My name is Gaara." He said still reading the book.
"That's an interesting name, I've only heard it once before he lives in Suna and he's a real demon…he killed my brother and if I ever meet him I'll kill him with my own to hands…" She said trying to be interesting and catch Gaara's attention, she did but, in the wrong way. He glanced up from his book and gave her his 'I-will-kill-you-if-you-don't-leave-me-alone-right-now-you-self-centered-bitch.' glare. She stiffened then realized her mistake.
"You-Your G-Gaara!" She gulped as she set down the food and looked at Ruby.
"Fitting seeing as you're a demon as well…" She said as she hurried off.
Ruby looked down at the food there was one large bowl of miso soup and to cups of green tea.
"Gaara…I'm sorry if she offended you I don't know much about you and your…hobbies but, incase you did not notice we have to share." She said pointing down at the soup. Gaara looked at the soup and set his book down not seeing the problem.
"And?" He asked.
"We don't have any utensils…" Ruby said as she picked up her tea and took a sip.
"Oh…I see…you may have it then Ruby…"
"No we can share…I wouldn't be able to eat all of this anyway." She said pushing the soup towards Gaara.
He picked it up and took a sip. Then pushed the bowl towards Ruby who did the same, they continued the pattern until yet another waitress came up and took their main course they ordered ate then left paying but not leaving a tip.
They walked down the street looking for Temari when out of nowhere a gust of wind came and cause Ruby to fall into Gaara who caught her, but then realized just where and how he caught the now red faced princess.
"G-Gaara!" She stuttered looking up at him.
"S-sorry Ruby…you were falling and…all I could do was catch your chest." He said slowly feeling the heat of a blush on his cheeks.
"That doesn't mean you have to squeeze…" Ruby replied feeling her blush darken.
"Sorry…" Gaara said lessening his grip.
"Gaara…you can let go now…"
"Oh right…sorry." He completely let go and Ruby straitened up hearing Temari's laughter Ruby and Gaara quickly turned to face a giggling Temari.
"Gaara! Of all the places…her breasts?!" She said giggling like mad.
"Temari…" Gaara warned.
"Okay…okay…" She said putting her hands in front of her in mock surrender.
Ruby's blush had lightened and she walked back towards Temari.
"Yo Temari! Let's get going to Konoha! I want to meet my possible roomies ASAP!" She yelled.
"Got it Ruby!" Temari said smiling.
They made their way out of the cities gates when Ruby stopped.
"1 sec." She said, she ran into the surrounding forest and whistled.
"What are you doing?" Gaara asked from behind her.
"Hi Gaara…I'm calling my dog."
"Oh…I see."
A small white dog walked towards Ruby.
"Hello Mikimaru!" Ruby said, she bent over and picked the small dog up and placed it on her shoulder, the dog curled around her neck and started to sleep.
"Let's go now Gaara!" Ruby said to Gaara as she hurried back to where she had left Temari.
The three conversed as they began their walk to Konoha, Ruby told the siblings about whom she might stay with (Kiba, Naruto, Sakura, Ino, or Tenten.) She told them why Tatsuko was sealed away in her and everything else that was remotely interesting about her. Gaara barely talked except for a quick 'Hn.' Here and there but he was listening all the same. Temari seemed into Ruby's stories and added some of her own. When they talked about Konoha Temari pretty much only talked about some guy named Shikamaru with big sparkly eyes. So that topic was mostly between Gaara and Ruby. Soon the sun was level with the tree line and a beautiful sunset had started. Ruby sat down and looked up at the sky.
"Can we stop for the night?" Ruby asked yawning.
"But its still so early and we can almost be there by dark if we continue, then I'll go straight to see Shikamaru…" She said trailing off.
"We'll be fine please?" Ruby said lying down the dog Mikimaru walked off of Ruby's shoulders and onto her stomach then curled up into a ball.
"Hai, hai…" Temari took out two sleeping bags and a blanket.
Ruby went over to a sleeping bag and crawled inside Mikimaru following.
"You're not going to change?" Temari asked.
"Huh? What with Gaara around?"
"Don't worry Gaara's not even remotely- okay not completely a perv…I mean he can be but that's only when he's near Kankuro…"
"Okay…" Ruby opened her suitcase and pulled out a small black silk nightgown, on it was a little bit of grey lace around the bottom and straps. Ruby quickly changed into it and got up.
"Temari…I'm going to go for a little walk okay?"
"Okay…" Temari said not bothering to look behind her, Ruby's hair was still up but her legs were revealed almost showing her underwear, the silk showed off her flawless bodice perfectly and made her look more gentle. Ruby took a black silk robe and put it on tying the belt at her waist she put on little black ballerina slippers and told Mikimaru to stay.
She quickly walked out into the dark forest when she found a river.
"Perfect." She said she began to concentrate her chakra into her feet taking one step onto the stream she walked onto the middle. She started walking to a non-existent rhythm stepping rhythmically dancing to the song that no one else heard.
'One two three one two three…" Tatsuko hummed within her.
I knew you'd come.
~Gaara's POV~
I watched as the wolf princess danced across the slick surface of the water an invisible partner leading her in the slow, graceful movements. I walked towards the cool water intrigued, she was barely concentrating her eyes closed and body relaxed but alert. I stepped on a twig it made a loud cracking noise, her eyes shot opened and she looked right at me frightened.
"Gaara…" She said embarrassed a blush rose to her face as she stepped off the river towards me.
"Sorry Temari wanted me to tell you dinner's almost ready." I lied, it wasn't the complete truth I just wondered why she had left so I had followed her, and I also knew that it was almost done.
"Oh okay…" She said stopping right in front of me. I felt like I should say something tell her that she looked beautiful when she danced on the water, but I didn't and instead said: "You look like your going to be sick are you sure you want to eat?" Ruby instantly looked away, either offended or speechless probably both due to the fact that I used and never use any emotion.
"I'm fine…just a little embarrassed that you watched me do that…" She said I forced myself to do a little smirk.
"You looked fine…in fact since I'm a guy I might say you look rather… sexy due to what your wearing at the moment." I said seeing her blush redder I added: "Hn…I think that I might be a little attracted to you at the moment." Realizing what I had just said I put on what I call a 'Naruto-the-retard-trying-to-make-a-joke.' Look. She turned to look at me and laughed a little.
"Thanks Gaara."
"Yah."
Soon the smell of soup entered my nostrils and they heard Temari singing her soup song,
"Soup! Soupy soup!
I love you!
My little wooden ladle,
Without soup it would be fatal."
Ah…Temari I love your soup too…Gaara! It's a full moon tonight! My demon cooed inside me.
Shut up and sleep you bastard.