"Have you been to visit her yet Gaara?"
"No."
Temari sighed and handed me a bowl full of her famous curry and vegetables. "Why not?"
I shrugged and accepted the bowl, sliding it in front of me like it was a toy car. Temari took a seat beside me at her small table and twisted her spoon around in her curry.
It was a desperate attempt to get me around for dinner; telling me she would cook her curry, and I knew why. I admitted Ino into the hospital, so the medics could take care of her, and somehow in this week of her admittance, Temari discovered what happened.
"So she lied, its not like what she has is going to spread through the village. Besides... she feels bad enough as it is..."
"If I recall correctly it was you telling me she was spoiled and always got what she wanted."
"Yeah, but I never said she wasn't a good person, Gaara."
I ignored her comment and took in a mouthful of the green curry. All kinds of spices twisted through my mouth like bliss, and slid down my throat like the sweetest yoghurt.
Temari also ate, her head resting in her hands, not caring to hide her ignorant grunts that she spat out after every mouthful. She was angry with me, as per normal, and this time I didn't really understand why. The secret of Ino's condition was kept hidden, no one within the village (other than the medics) knew what was wrong with her, Temari just happened to find out by accident.
"So you're just not going to talk to her anymore?"
I didn't reply.
Temari sipped from her spoon slowly and glared at me. "Ok, not talking to me either. I get it, Ino screwed up, but she did it out of good faith. Its not like you would want to be locked up in a hospital room for all that time either. Besides she only has one more week here, what happens when she goes Gaara? You might never see her again."
I pushed my plate away from me. "I'm not interested Temari."
"You never are, are you?" She slammed her hand and the table, causing the spoons the clang against the bowls. "I am sick to death of your ignorance Gaara. You befriended Ino, and do you know what friends do? They look out for each other. And what are you doing? Sitting here feeling sorry for yourself."
"I know what a friend is," I replied angrily.
"Obviously not, because you are still sitting here! You haven't visited Ino in a week! I have been visiting her, having to talk to her about you, as she asks me constantly how you are. You are so cruel!"
My fists clenched together tightly as Temari's glare lingered on me.
"And don't think this is just about Ino," she grunted. "Matsuri too. You need to become more aware of the people around you, and other peoples feelings Gaara. How are you going to be a great Kazekage if you can't understand the people closest to you?"
"I understand all that I need to, getting emotionally involved doesn't help anything."
"No, but it shows something Gaara. Strength, courage, bravery. What does not acknowledging people show?"
I found my brows furrowing at her question. What was the point of understanding someones feelings? It had nothing to do with my work, all I needed was the simple yes or no answers from them, I didn't need to hear about what was wrong in their family or why their life was so terrible. Nothing could compare to what I went through.
Temari saddened. "Don't you get it? I care so much about you, after all you are my younger brother. I would like to think you feel the same way about me and Kankuro, but I know you don't. We both know you don't, but we still care about you just as much. We might just be people to you Gaara, but in reality we mean a whole lot more than you think."
It was then I began to think, about all the times Temari and Kankuro weren't there for me, all the times they ignored me. I hated it, it made me a monster. But back then it was all child's play, just children being children, and as we grew older, they became more friendly towards me, more like... a family.
"I love you, so much Gaara, I just wish you could understand."
Love. The symbol I bore on my forehead, and yet did I even know what it meant? Temari seemed to understand what it was, but I still couldn't figure it out, after all these years... "What is love..?"
"Its an unconditional affection, without any limits," she smiled.
"Meaning?"
"I would die for you, and so would Kankuro."
o0o0o0o0o0o
It took me all night to decide whether I was going to see her or not. Once again, I was stuck at my desk, paper work piled up to my nose, and I had done nothing about it. My conversation with Temari had some what brought me back to reality, and I could then understand where she was coming from.
She was being a caring sister, and she wanted me to be the same, caring. But not just to her, to Matsuri, Ino, the whole world. Temari wanted me to learn how to understand other peoples feelings so it would help me run this village; but the sad thing was, I couldn't understand my own feelings. My brain was telling me something different to what my heart was telling me, I couldn't concentrate on my work like I wanted too. I was at war with myself.
That's when I decided I was going to see Ino. My hand had been resting on her door handle to her ward for over five minutes now. It wasn't like me to get nervous, but I couldn't tell my hand to grasp open the door. I let the handle go, and took a deep breath in. Was I forcing myself into doing this? Was I subconsciously only doing this for Temari because that's what family is supposed to do?
I knocked on the wooden door nervously.
"Who is it?" A muffled sound asked.
I didn't answer, I just opened the door, no matter how much I was telling myself not too.
Ino took one look at me, and her eyes widened. "Oh.. um come in I guess.."
She was sitting on the bed, her long hair still covering the burdened side of her face, T-shirt that was incredibly too big for her, and shorts. I shut the door behind me and leaned up against it. I didn't know what I was doing here, and I'm sure Ino didn't either.
As time passed, we shared occasional looks at each other, but no conversation ever came out of it. It was usually Ino that would start a conversation, but it was obvious that tonight she wasn't going too; and it was all because of me. I had hurt her.
"Are you feeling any better?" I managed to spit out. It didn't sound caring, nor did it sound like I cared, but I needed to start some kind of conversation to get rid of the awkwardness.
She nodded and looked down at the bedsheets. "Yeah I'm feeling alright, still the same- sort of." Ino looked at me slightly. "What about you?"
I nodded indicating that I was fine.
She sighed. "You know this is really awkward you being here right? Like... I don't know what I'm supposed to say to you. It was obvious I pissed you off, and fair enough, I would have been pissed too. But why are you here?"
"I don't know," I replied. It was the truth, I didn't know why I was here.
"Ooookayyyy.." she trailed off and began to play with her hair.
She twisted the long strands through her fingers like they were a brush, flicked the ends over her hands in a smooth motion. I couldn't help but watch her, there was something about her that kept me wanting to stare at her. Maybe Matsuri was right, maybe I did look at her differently than I would to any normal female.
But what was so special about Ino? She was a leaf nin, she had long blonde hair, blue eyes and a possibly fatal virus.
I sighed to myself quietly and slowly walked over to her bedside. My foot steps seemed to echo through the room and Ino looked at me strangely. I pulled the chair that was beside her bed and sat myself down facing her. "Let me see your eye."
Ino had a angered look on her face, and it was obvious she didn't want to show me; but she slowly pulled her hair back behind her ear. There it was again, the bright red skin and the bright red eye that caused all of this commotion. There were darker spots of red spread throughout the already infected skin, making it seem like small caverns were forming in her face.
"It's growing," she sighed as she pointed to the back of her neck. "Its spreading from my eye to the back of my neck. I'm lucky I can still hide it, but soon I wont be able to..."
I inched closer to her, grazing the back of my hand across her skin. It was lumpy and felt like metal, it was nothing like skin. Ino closed her eyes in frustration as I continued to rub my thumb across the strange texture.
"Please stop," she pleaded, eyes still closed. "I'm ugly, I don't want anyone to see."
"You're beautiful-" I blurted out.
Ino's eyes shot open, and I pulled my hand back, realizing what I had said. My heart began to race uncontrollably, and I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. What did I just say to her?
"W-what?" She asked me stuttering as her hair fell back down from behind her ear.
My eyes searched all over for something to say, I didn't know what had just happened, I was speechless. "I-"
It was strange, and it all happened so quickly. Ino's lips, I never imagined could have felt so warm or could have tasted so sweet. She kissed me.
AN: so thankyou to everyone that is reviewing! And yes I know my last story was a bit shrot, but hopefully this one makes up for it haha. Review please! :D
