R&R
Roomies
The Realist: Short and sweet because it's what I wanted for these two...
Chapter Six- Part 2
Ino sighed, a loud exasperated sound meant to let her presence be known. When aquamarine eyes lit by the light of the TV playing in the background met her gaze, she knew it had the intended effect.
"At this rate, we should just get you your own TV," she teased with a grin on her face.
His own expression remained unchanged.
"Sorry to have disturbed you," was his only response.
Ino sighed, and didn't bother to resist the urge to roll her eyes.
"I told you before didn't I? I rather you watch TV then go on walks at ungodly hours and smoke cigarettes," she replied, finally moving from her perch at the end of the living room and walking towards the redhead.
"It's bad enough that Shika still hasn't shaken off that horrid habit," she frowned at the thought as she plopped down on the open seat next to Gaara.
"Everyone has their vices," he replied, and Ino 'hmmd' in response.
Leave it to Gaara to stand up to Shikamaru in such a way.
"That's true. What are mine?" She asked innocently, and almost laughed at the guarded look Gaara threw her way.
"I'm serious! I promise I won't get mad," she replied.
In all honesty, Ino was perfectly aware of her flaws and shortcomings. She knew what her vices were, but it was always interesting to receive the perspective of others. Responses revealed everything about a person. Responses were what told you whether someone preferred to be brutally honest or to sugar coat. Ino always preferred brutally honest, because that was the only way you could understand how someone saw you even a little bit. Those who hid behind sweet words were the ones she was wary of, because you could never truly know their feelings and intentions.
She had quickly come to know that although Gaara was a man of few words, the words he did choose carried more weight than most people she talked to on a regular day.
"You work too hard," he replied, "And give too much of yourself away."
Ino 'hmmd' again, leaning back against the sofa as she contemplated his response. It was true that she worked hard, and it had more than once driven her to exhaustion and plenty of stress. But she couldn't imagine not working hard for anything. The thought was ludicrous and every synonym of the word. Everything she had accomplished she saw as the result of all that hard work. But she also knew why Gaara called it a vice. Working hard often meant she lost sight of other things that mattered, like her own health and the relationships around her. So she could agree with him there.
His other response however...
"What do you mean I give too much of myself away?" She asked.
There was a moment of silence, a silence that she knew was for his benefit. He was searching for the way to describe it in the shortest way possible. Ino couldn't help but smile fondly. And here she had thought Shikamaru was the lazy one. She took the time to actually pay attention to what he was watching, and wasn't surprised to see the late night cartoons that played while the sound was muted.
She knew that he hadn't had much of a childhood growing up, and he knew that his choice of late night programs reflected the fact. She knew that he was trying to take back all the things he missed out on.
And she admired him for it.
"You invest yourself in others in an emotional sense, and seem to think that by doing so you are able to help them in ways nothing else can. But by doing so you put yourself at risk, and leave yourself vulnerable to emotional harm in return. You trust too easily, and hope too much, so much so that you are more likely to be left disappointed and distraught."
Ino 'hmmd' once more, knowing that she couldn't argue with him in that regard either. It was something she was also aware of, but she had never thought of it as "giving herself away".
"I guess you're right... On both counts. And I can see why you're more tolerant with bad habits than I am. Even if they are a vice, I doubt there's anything I can do to change it, its in my nature..."
Ino grinned at the realization. Gaara certainly had a way of showing her his unique perspective. Hard to believe he hadn't always been that way...
"Now then..." Ino patted her lap and looked at Gaara expectantly.
He raised a nonexistent eyebrow that asked a silent question she knew all to well, and she responded by patting her lap once more.
This time Gaara sighed, but obliged her silent command as he laid his head down on her lap and bringing his legs up so he was laying flat on the couch.
"You need to sleep..." She said softly, her hands digging into his soft red head and massaging the scalp beneath.
"I don't want to," he replied, his gaze fixated on the moving figures on the TV.
"When was the last time you slept?" She asked as she continued her ministrations with his hair, knowing that the action soothed him despite his resistance.
She knew he wouldn't respond when he didn't answer immediately. This wasn't the sort of question he had to think about. But he knew that his response wouldn't make her happy.
People often thought that Gaara suffered from insomnia, but Ino knew the truth. It wasn't that he couldn't sleep, it was that he didn't want to.
She sighed.
"How are the nightmares?" She asked instead.
"Fading," he replied this time.
"Then why not sleep more often?" She asked.
"Because that's not always the case."
"Hmm."
Ino knew how to pick her battles, and she knew that no matter how much she wished she could fight his nightmares, that was something she did not have the power to do.
Perhaps in another life she did, perhaps in another life she had the power to manipulate the mind, the power to lock away memories so that they would never again resurface.
But in this life, all she could do was soothe him in this way. All she could do was give a bit of herself away, and hope that by doing so he had something to grasp on to.
It wasn't that she thought he needed it, she knew that he didn't need her, that he would be fine even if she wasn't part of his life. But she wanted to. She wanted him to know that she was there for him, that he could rely on her.
"You're warm..." He muttered, so low that she almost didn't catch it.
She smiled, but didn't comment. She knew what it meant after all.
It meant that the feeling of warmth was foreign to him. It meant that he wasn't familiar with the warmth of kindness and affection. He knew only cold and hot. The coldness of solitude and the scorch of violence and loss.
Yes. She certainly didn't mind giving part of herself away. Not when it meant she could soothe someone with it. Maybe one day she would give all of herself away, and there would be nothing left.
But she found that the thought didn't bother her in the least bit. It would be a good way to go.
As her hand continued to run through his fiery read hair, she felt herself being lulled by his even breaths. The rhythm told her that he had fallen asleep, and she could only hope that whatever bit of her he had, it would do its part and keep the nightmares at bay.
She smiled as a sudden thought came to her.
"You know..." She said softly, despite the knowledge that he wouldn't hear, "I don't think you have any vices of your own."
The Realist: Like I said... short and sweet. But I think I captured what I wanted. I love Gaara, in that way you just wanna cuddle a cute puppy and take care of it forever. I think Ino would feel that way too.
Now then...
The moment you have all been waiting for...
*drumroll*
SASUKE IS ARRIVING ON THE NEXT CHAPTER!
I've known for a while how I was going to have them all meet, and it is HILARIOUS (in my mind). I can't believe some of you guys have read this story more than once, but it means THE WORLD to me.
Thank you so much to all of you that have reviewed, favorited, and followed this, and for all of you that have stayed through it all.
I will do my absolute best to make Sasuke arrival the best chapter so far, and I have a feeling it will actually come easy to write.
Let me know how outraged you are to have been kept this long in a review :)
