I don't own Naruto

As we entered my house, Gaara made his way up to my room as I let Butterball, and Sora outside. When I finally made my way into my room, I found a shirtless, Gaara lounging on my bed, his arms behind his head.

I shook my head, a smile on my face, and moved towards the bathroom to change into my nightclothes. When I came back into the room, I found Gaara where I had left him, the only difference being that Butterball was curled up at the foot of the bed.

I smiled, and went to crawl in next to Gaara, and he instantly turned towards me, wrapping his arms around me.

His voice rumbled under my cheek as he spoke, and I cuddled closer.

''I spoke to Kankuro, after you left, Suna. He explained to me what married people do.''

I groaned, and closed my eyes.

''I was hoping that you wouldn't ask him about that for a while.''

Gaara shook his head, and lifted my chin, so I would look at him.

''I wanted to know why you were so embarrassed about my questions. Now I understand. If the situation had been reversed, I think that I would have been just as embarrassed.''

I smiled, shyly, and nodded.

''So, Kankuro explained everything? I hope he explained it right, and didn't add his view of things, like he did with that blushing buisness.''

Gaara, smiled, and shrugged.

''I could tell you what he said if you want.''

I shook my head quickly.

''No, thank you. Ignorance is bliss, and I would like to stay in the dark about your brothers lectures.''

Gaara, nodded, and laid a kiss to my forehead.

''I don't blame you. Kankuro was very...vivid in his explanation.''

I grimaced, and gasped as I suddenly remembered the clothes in the washer. I sat up, feeling Gaara's eyes on me.

''I forgot about the laundry. I need to dry it so it doesn't sour.''

I heard him move from the bed, and turned in the hallway to find him right behind me, a frown on his face.

''I refuse to lose even a minute of time with you, Love. I'll go with you, and make sure that you don't dawdle.''

I laughed at the thought of staying in the laudry room, longer then necessary, and shrugged. If he wanted to go with me, then I didn't mind.

We entered the laundry room, and Gaara instantly moved to sit on the dryer, pulling his legs up, so they were out of the way.

I smiled at how innocent this pose made him look, and stood on my toes to kiss him gently. I pulled back after a moment, wanting to finish with the clothes, and return to my bed. Instead of letting me pull away, however, Gaara followed me, and I had to push on his chest, so he wouldn't fall from the dryer.

He pouted at me, and I had to hide my laugh.

''I wasn't done kissing you yet.''

I nodded, and turned to pull the clothes from the washer.

''Aparently. But I didn't want you to fall off of the dryer.''

Gaara shot me a glare, though it was a bit diminished by the pout that remained on his lips.

''Then you shouldn't have pulled away.''

I laughed, watching curiously as he pulled a shirt out of the washer.

''This doesn't look like it belong's to you, Love.''

I shook my head, and threw the shirt into the dryer.

''It's not. It's Salem's. I told him that I would do a load of his laundry, so that he wouldn't smell bad this week.''

Gaara frowned, and jumped off of the dryer, so that I could press the start buttons.

''You jumped out of bed, and stopped kissing me, so that you could do, SALEM'S laundry?''

I nodded, and grabbed his hand, leading him back towards my room.

''Yeah. But now I'm done, and we can go back to bed.''

Gaara nodded, and placed me on the bed, before curling up next to me. He wrapped his arms around me, and pulled me closer.

I sighed, enjoying how hid body heat, warmed the bed.

''I missed this.''

Gaara nodded, and began to run his fingers through my hair.

''Me too, Love. I couldn't even lay in my bed, after you left. I thought about you everytime that I would try to sleep,a nd when I reached for you, you weren't there.''

I sighed, snuggling closer to him. I had no silution to this dilema. I was still thinkig, when his voice interupted my thoughts.

''Did you know that, Sasori stayed in Suna, after you left? He came to talk to me the night that you left.''

I groaned.

''What did he say to you?''

Gaara, shrugged, smirking lightly.

''Nothing, to worry over, Love. A few threats, a short speech, and he left. AFTER he apologized, in a round-a-bout way, for killing me.''

I groaned, and instantly apologized.

''I'm so sorry, Gaara.''

He shook his head, his arms tightening briefly.

''Don't worry about it, love. I expected it. Though in my mind, he was a little more viscious, then he was in reality. The threats were still pretty vivid though.''

I sighed, preparing to apologize again, but Gaara stopped me.

''Stop, Love. It's good that they worry about you.''

He paused, for a moment, and I looked up to see him bitting his lip, hesitantly.

''You know that I would never hurt you, don't you? Wheather it's emotionally, or physically. I would never do anything that would intentionally cause you pain.''

I nodded, slowly.

''I know that, Gaara. What's brought this on?''

He shook his head.

''It's just something that, Sasori said. It made me think that maybe you thought that I might hurt you at some point.''

I rolled my eyes.

''I know that you would never hurt me, Gaara. And I'm sorry that, Dolly made you think that I doubted you. ''

I reached up to rub my thumb across his cheek bone.

''I know what you went through as a child, Gaara. And I know that because of that, you're more insecure when it comes to love. But I also know that with how you are now, that you would do anything possible to keep those you cared for safe. I have no doubts about how you feel, or of my own feelings for you. I love you, and I think sometimes that it will be ME that will hurt YOU.''

Gaara nodded, and captured my hand, bringing it to his mouth.

''I love you as well, my Ria. And you don't need to worry about hurting me. Everytime that I'm around you I feel as if whatever part was still broken inside of me, heals a bit more.''

I smiled, trying to hold back the tears that sprang to my eyes, and kissed him gently.

I pulled back after a moment, and rested against his chest again. I inhaled deeply, realizing at that moment, how much I had missed even the way he smelt.

I closed my eyes, already feeling the emotions of the night, causing me to become tired. Gaara seemed to sence this, and began to stroak my hair gently, relaxing me further.

''Are you going to be able to sleep tonight?''

Gaara shook his head, his hand never stopping it's movement.

''No, Love. But I'm not that tired. But I can tell that you are. Go to sleep.''

I sighed, and snuggled closer, unable to argue with him.

''Alright. Night.''

He hmned softly, and I finally lost the battle with my heavy eyelids, and fell asleep.

/

I was startled awake by an outraged yell, and instantly looked to my side for Gaara. He wasn't there, and I was just sitting up to take a closer look around the room, when my door flew open, banging against the wall.

I turned in surprise, finding a livid, Salem stormong towards me, a shirt held tightly in his clenched hand. He stopped by my bed, and waved the shirt in my face.

''My clothes smell like FLOWERS, Ria. Do you have any idea, WHY?''

I tried to force down my laughter, and nodded.

''I used my detergent.''

Salem's glare became deathly, and I fell back to the bed, almost chocking with how hard I was laughing.

''This is NOT funny, Little Sister! I have to go see Toru today, and what is she going to think when I walk in smelling like a CHICK?!''

I forced my eyes to look at him, but caught sight of Gaara standing in the doorway. He was watching Salem closely, his body tense.

I suddenly found that my laughter had fled, and I sat up with a sigh.

''Just tell her that I used the wrong detergent. She'll just laugh, and let it go.''

Salem's glare lightened slightly, and he nodded, moving towards the door. As he past Gaara, he held the shirt out to him.

''Never trust, Ria to do your laundry! She uses a girly smelling detergent!''

Gaara's eyes drifted to me, and after another brief glare, Salem moved away.

Gaara moved towards me, closing the door behind him. He perched on the bed, and I could hear Salem ranting.

''Stupid, Deidara! Incouraging her stupid pranks!''

I giggled, and looked at Gaara, who was nibbling on a cookie. I raised an eyebrow.

''Did you leave me alone, so that you could go get a cookie?''

Gaara smirked, and nodded.

''I thought that you would be asleep for a little bit longer, and I was hungry. I didn't expect for Salem to storm in here, and start yelling at you as soon as I left.''

His voice was not amused as he spoke, and I smiled sofltly.

''I knew that he would be angry. But I never thought that he would storm around with a shirt in his hand.''

Gaara looked at me in surprise.

''You did that on purpose?''

I nodded.

''Yeah. It was a little prank, that I thought would be entertaining.''

Gaara frowned, and took a bite of his cookie.

''When I heard him yelling at you, I thought that I was going to have to stop a fight, because of an accident. Now I find out that you made him mad on purpose.''

He shot me a reproachful look, huffing slightly.

''Just for that, you can't have a bite of my cookie.''

I stared at him incrediously.

''Are you telling me, that because I played a prank on Salem, that I can not have a cookie?''

Gaara nodded, and took another bite of the huge cookie.

''That's right. You were not good, and you don't deserve one.''

I pouted at him, crossing my arms over my chest.

It wasn't that he was forbiding me to have a cookie that irritated me, it was the fact that he was taking Salem's side. He was supposed to be my boyfriend, not Salem's, and I felt like I was being ganged up on. Though I had to admit that if this had envolved one of my friends, and Gaara had made them as angry as I had made Salem, I would have been angry. I sighed at my hypocritical thoughts, and aparantly remaind silent to long, because Gaara spoke again.

''So are you going to apologize to, Salem?''

I felt my eyesbrows rise almost to my hairline, and scoffed softly.

''I don't think so. Most likely, he's already at Toru's, and covered the smell up with strong cologne.''

I smirked.

''Besides. If I apologize, it would ruin his chances of getting revenge. He would be so dissapointed. Not to mention that he's already gotten over it. It was only one load of laundry after all. He can always re-wash them, when he washes his other clothes. You'll see when he gets back.''

Gaara's look was surprised.

''Do you play pranks on each other a lot?''

I nodded, and leaned back against my headboard.

''Yeah. A few weeks ago he turned some of my favorite shirts pink.

I glared at the ceiling.

'''He deserved to smell like a girl for a day, now that I think about it.''

Gaara shook his head, slowly.

''I don't understand why you would want to play pranks on each other.''

I shrugged.

''It's just fun. I know that some siblings pull pranks on each other because they want to embarrass, or hurt the other. Salem and I don't do that. It's all for fun.''

Gaara paused, before nodding.

''Temari, and Kankuro fight like that. They're extremly violent with each other, but it's still obvious that they care about the other.''

I nodded, and watched silently as his eyes became sad. I frowned at this, and moved so I could run my fingers through his hair.

''What's wrong, Gaara?''

He shrugged, and looked away from me to stare at the floor.

''They don't act like that way with me. It's my own fault. The way I treated them when I was younger, made them fear me, and even now that fear hasn't completely disapered. Sometimes I think that they still see me as a monster.''

I frowned, and pulled him towards me, so that I could wrap my arms around him tightly.

''You were NOT a monster, Gaara. And you need to stop thinking of yourself like you are.''

He smiled at me soflty.

''You're wrong, Love. I WAS a monster. You weren't there to see what I did. To see the look on my face. I enjoyed it far too much to NOT be considered a monster.''

I glared at him, and tightened my arms.

''I don't need to know what you LOOKED like, Gaara, to know that you are NOT a monster. Monsters don't regret what they did, and you've told me yourself that you do. I don't consider you a monster, and neither do your siblings. And I've seen the way your villiage respects you. Do you think that they would allow you to be the Kazekage if they thought that you were a monster?

YOU are the only one calling yourself a monster, Gaara, and you need to stop. If you need someone to play a prank on you to make you realize that you aren't one, then I will gladly find someone who will drop water ballons on your head.''

Gaara stared at me for a moment, before suddenly pulling me to kiss him. I smiled into the kiss. Aparently I had gotten through to him.

I pulled away from him after a moment.

''So do I need to find someone who is willing to pull a prank on you?''

He shook his head.

''No. I don't really want to be pranked.''

I smiled, and kissed him quickly.

''Alright. You know that your siblings love you, right? They're just giving you enough time to get used to the whole 'people love me no matter what' thing. They don't want to push you.''

Gaara nodded, and leaned against me.

''I have noticed that they have started saying things to me that they would never say before. Temari nags me more then she would ever dare, and Kankuro tries to tease me. Though I don't always understand.''

I nodded, smiling gently.

''So maybe when you get home, you should explain what your feelings, and tell them that you love them. At least to Temari. I know that that would make her happy.''

Gaara stiffened against me, and looked up at me with wide eyes.

''Tell...Tell them that I...''

He broke off, shaking his head harshly enough that I though that he was going to hurt himself. When he spoke next his voice was breathless.

''I can't, Ria. I've listened to Shukaku's voice tell me over and over again, that no one could love me. And I still can't force myself not to believe it. Even now: everytime that I tell you that I love you, and you don't answer right away, I can hear him whispering that you don't love me back. Or that you've realized what horrible things I've done, and that you've changed your mind.

I don't think that I could handle any more of that. Especially not with Temari, and Kankuro. I've treated them so cruely, that they have the most reasons to hate me. I don't think I could stand it if I found out that they only tolerated me because I'm their brother.''

I hushed him, and rocked him gently.

''Hush, Gaara. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that this would be so hard for you.''

He looked up at me with a deep sadness in his eyes, and I had the brief thought that if he wasn't so used to these feelings that he would be crumpled in a corner.

I tightened my arms around him, and burried my face in his hair.

''I love you, Gaara. You never have to doubt that. If I ever hesitate in replying, it's not because I'm rethinking if I love you, it's because I'm amazed at how MUCH I love you.''

He sighed, and closed his eyes.

''I love you, my Ria. Thank you. I'll try to remember what you said the next time I hear Shukaku's voice.''

I nodded, and kissed his forehead.

''Good. And I love you too.''

He smiled softly.

''I know.