-Chapter Twenty-

Hinata couldn't sleep soundly. She thrashed violently beneath the covers, thinking of her time in that inky void, of the vicious darkness crawling along her skin, threatening to swallow her whole. She clawed at her throat as the blackness consumed her, filled her, her limbs grew heavy, filled with the oblivion from which there was no escape. She let out a strangled cry before finally tossing herself out of her bed and onto the floor, tangled up in a mess of blankets.

She felt warm hands on her frigid skin, a gentle voice breaking through the barrier of the darkness, "Hinata. Hinata, wake up."

Her eyes snapped open wide as she fought wildly to disentangle herself from her cocoon of bed linens. The hands were on her arms, holding her in place, keeping her from thrashing, "Calm down." The voice was stern but soft.

Hinata looked up into a set of deep cerulean eyes, completely emotionless as they assessed her condition.

"Gaara." The name left her lips as little more than a breath.

Suddenly her she felt hot, an embarrassed flush creeping up her neck, staining her cheeks, she couldn't believe that he had actually witnessed her having a nightmare, throwing herself out of the bed no less. She couldn't have been more flustered had she spilled red wine down the front of a white dress.

He disentangled her from the sheets, and helped her get into a sitting position. She covered her face with her hands, thankful that in the darkness of her room he wouldn't be able to tell exactly how red her face was at that moment, "I'm so sorry you had to see that." She managed to squeak from behind her fingers.

"Don't apologize," His voice was quiet as he situated himself in front of her, crossing his legs Indian style, "Your subconscious is probably still trying to cope with the trauma of being in a coma."

Hinata shook her head, running her hands through her hair and taking a deep breath to calm herself, "You're probably right, but it felt so real…"

"Is it something you…want to talk about?" Gaara asked, almost hesitantly.

Hinata looked at him for a long moment before nodding. "Yes…I think I would…"

She leaned back against the bed, "When I was in the coma…I was in this void. The darkness was alive, consuming me, making everything going on outside of my body muffled. I could hear the people who came in…sometimes I could feel them when they touched my hand…" She left out that it was only him she felt, but the thought caused a terrible blush to spread across her cheeks. She pressed on before she could make a fool of herself.

"When I fell asleep I felt that darkness again, I was being consumed by it. All that time left to my own thoughts…I'm not completely recovered yet."

Gaara didn't reply, instead he picked her up and placed her on the bed, straightening out the quilt before laying down beside her though making no contact with her body. She looked over at him with questioning eyes, "Gaara?"

"You need sleep, and you don't want to be alone, so I'll stay here with you tonight/"

She smiled at him, the blush heating up her cheeks with vigor, "Thank you."

She laid back against the pillows and closed her eyes, it took her a while to fall asleep, but when she did there was blissful silence, no murky darkness to suffocate her subconscious.

Gaara looked over at Hinata from his spot on the bed. She was pale in the darkness of the room, her hair standing out against the lavender of the bedclothes. His heart thrummed quickly through his veins at their proximity, he could smell the lilac in her shampoo, the scent calming him, seducing him, making him feel a fatigue he hadn't experienced in years.

He reached out and ran the tips of his fingers along her temple, down her cheek, over her lips and down the graceful slope of her neck. Carefully he leaned forward and lightly touched his lips to the hollow of her throat in the ghost of the kiss he longed to give her, "Sleep soundly, no darkness will come to you tonight." His voice was so quiet he wasn't sure he'd spoken at all.

Why did he feel this way towards her? Why was he so willing to go out of his way to see that she was safe and happy? They'd barely had a chance to really sit down and talk to one another, not that Gaara was really the kind of person one would necessarily want to sit down and talk to, but Gaara knew that most relationships started out with introductions and conversation and went on from there.

It was then that Gaara realized, before Hinata, he'd never been attracted to a female. So why was he all of a sudden feeling the strange sensations? Because they were being forced into this union and neither of them had a choice? Perhaps…Gaara thought, but something inside told him the circumstances weren't to blame for his feelings.

He shook his head, such heavy thoughts were probably bad for his mental health….

Over the next few weeks he watched as Hinata's strength returned, keeping an eye on her whenever he could spare the attention. Sometimes she'd never notice he was casually glancing in her direction every so often if they were on the same floor or when he was in his home office he'd scoot his chair over to the window to see if she was outside training. He found his vigilance less and less needed as time went on, though he was reluctant to relinquish the responsibility. He knew he was being over bearing and ridiculous, she wasn't so weak any more.

Gaara got home one evening to Temari making dinner in the kitchen, a large stack of papers she'd probably have to grade from the academy on the counter beside her, "Oh Gaara, could you go and get Kankuro and Hinata? They're out in the back."

Gaara noticed the subdued look in her eyes, she wasn't normally this listless, "Is something bothering you?" He asked.

She was uncharacteristically quiet, "The doctors have called in a favor to Konoha to see if Tsunade can come and try to stop the nerve deterioration in my arm…being that she's now the hokage, its hard for her to make the time to come down here which means that I'd have to go to see her…"

"Then me and Kankuro will go with you and see the lady hokage and get your arm fixed-"

"That's not the point!" Her eyes flashed a familiar platinum, "My arm has been getting worse and worse, my mobility was getting better but the strength was fleeting and I can feel less and less."

She held her hand up to show a nasty looking burn cut across her palm, "I accidentally hit the stove today cooking, I couldn't feel it until I realized where my hand was. I may never be able to be out in the field again."

Gaara really wasn't one to comfort people in their time of need, he was clumsy with caring words, "The academy students like you-"

"I don't want to be forced to do desk work! I'm only twenty-two!" She slammed her fist down, "I think I'll go crazy if she can't fix my arm, I don't know what I'd do, its all I've known…how to fight…how to survive."

"You call this surviving? Giving up?" Gaara's tone was harsh, his eyes icy, "You talk like your arm's already been sawn off, maybe we should just do that and save the trip if you're so certain your going to be stuck in front of a black board for the rest of your working life."

Temari sighed, shaking her head, "You're right I guess…Go get Kankuro and Temari while I compose myself."

Gaara shed his jacket and gourd and walked into the back garden that had a large grassy space for sparring or parties. Kankuro was poised in a defensive stance as Hinata came running up, jumping into the air, reaching for her weapons. She faltered, her expression worried as she changed her stance, using one of his raised hands to act as a spring board to launch herself higher into the air and away from him. Kankuro lowered his guard to seize his opportunity, thinking she'd wasted the opportunity on a move she'd faked out on at the last second. Hinata saw her opening and took the chance, launching three kunai at him, tumbling back to the ground and landing in a neat crouch.

Kankuro narrowly dodged the projectiles, one tearing the fabric of his clothing at the shoulder. He grinned in that cocky was of his, "Your strength is going to be back full force soon, and that was some pretty sneaky thinking, acting like you'd messed up the attack so I'd open myself up. I can't throw a knife straight at that angle, I'd be lucky if I didn't hit myself."

Hinata smiled, "Thanks."

Hinata noticed Gaara first and waved, "Hello Gaara."

He nodded to her, "It's time for dinner, Temari wanted me to let you know that."

"Great I'm starving." Kankuro grinned, "Come on Hinata."

"Alright."

Gaara lead the way into the dining room, Hinata sat across from him, Kankuro at his side and Temari at the head of the table.

"Oh Temari you hurt your hand, let me help!"

Hinata got up and quickly had the food distributed and Temari's hand mended. She sat back down at the table and tied her hair back away from her face, "How was it at the office today Gaara? Did you have a lot of paperwork?"

"He always has a lot of paperwork," Kankuro cut it, "It's all the kazekage ever does. I don't know why they waste strong ninja like Gaara and Lady Tsunade like that by making them hover over a desk all day going blind from reading fine print."

"Well I'm taking leave from the office for a few days. Temari needs to go to Konoha to see Lady Tsunade and Kankuro and I are going to go with her."

"Can I go too?" Hinata asked hopefully, "I'm feeling stronger and I'd like to see my friends…"

Gaara nodded, "You can come."

"Thank you Gaara." She breathed a sigh of relief, "I've been wanted to see my old team so badly."

Dinner continued swiftly and without incident, Gaara was acutely aware of the lack of conversation. Temari stirred her food around on her plate, occasionally picking pieces off of the plate and eating them. Hinata seemed to pick up on Temari's melancholy and was equally subdued, being extremely mindful of her table manners as she ate her food and Kankuro was off in another world completely. Unable to stand the silence that seemed to have a voice of its own Gaara got up from the table and put his plate in the sink, taking the stairs two at a time to his room, shutting the door securely behind him and tossing off his shirt, making a break of his pajama drawer.

Before he could get ten steps in there was a knock at his door, he walked over and opened it to see Hinata looking up at him, "Are you alright? You seem tense…"

"Just tired." He said, shaking his head.

"Well then why don't you take a rest, you've been doing a lot lately, the thought of traveling all the way to Konoha must be overwhelming to you right now."

"It's not that simple…"

"You'd be surprised how much a nap can do for you."

"I don't sleep."

"There's a first time for everything,"

"I can't sleep."

"And why is that?"

Gaara sighed, closing his eyes, "Up until a few years ago I was possessed by a demon, like Naruto and the nine-tailed fox. If I ever fell asleep, the beast would take over. I don't have the beast inside of me any more but what is going to happen if I fall asleep?" He was afraid to find out.

"I'll watch over you." Hinata said quietly.

"I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Then don't sleep, just rest, lay down and ease your mind for a few minutes."

She took one of his hands in both of hers and tugged him over to the bed, "Lay down."

He did as he was told and leaned his head against the pillow. Hinata walked around to the other side of the bed and crawled over to him, sitting down at his side, "What are you thinking about?"

"Many things."

"Well not right now, take a deep breath and clear your mind alright? Just relax."

It was a hard request with her so close. Every time he inhaled he got a breath of her perfume and it was enough to make him dizzy. Relaxing was the last thing on his mind at the moment, but what was on his mind was something he wasn't prone to thinking about.

"You still look like you're concentrating." She said with a little laugh.

"Its hard to relax."

She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. His eyes drooped a little, his thoughts condensing into only one. Her. But still he wasn't very relaxed. He closed his eyes and willed his body to relax, his joints to settle and his tension to ease but it wasn't happening.

He glanced over at her and wished he hadn't. Her tank top teased him with just the right amount of cleavage at the angle she was leaned over him, her shorts dangerously high up on her legs due to the extreme heat of the afternoon.

"I don't think this is working…" He whispered.

"Hm?" She asked, not hearing his words.

In one swift motion he had her pinned underneath him, her hair fanned around her in that way he found so alluring. He leaned down kissed her throat with an open mouth, tongue drawing lazy circles in her flesh. He could feel her gasp against his lips, he wanted to moan as her back arched, chest meeting his.

He pulled away and looked at her, the way her eyes were hooded, her lips parted, tongue sweeping across her bottom lip. He leaned down and captured her lips, moving slowly. He ran his tongue across her lips and opened them, exploring her mouth slowly, thoroughly. Her hands tangled in his hair, it was enough to send him over the edge and the thought terrified him. He pulled back and shook his head, "I think you should leave…"

Hinata saw the scared glint in his eyes and nodded, combing her hair back and getting up, walking slowly to the door, turning around to glance at him before going into her own room.

Gaara pounded his fists into his mattress, "Why am I so stupid?!" He hissed.