Gaara woke up with that familiar dread in his chest.

And he knew just how his day was going to be.

It was going to suck.

I couldn't have had to have that dark dream on the day after Christmas? Why Christmas day?

Now Christmas at Gaara's was not what anyone else saw as a good Christmas day. No tree or decorations or anything besides Temari's attempts at breakfast. Of course, he couldn't leave because honestly, he didn't have anywhere to go and he'd feel like crap if he left. That was one of the problems of having emotional ties with someone. It meant making yourself miserable to keep them satisfied. You were supposed to get this small happy feeling when you made another person happy, but he really wasn't feeling it.

For almost two hours, he expected to suffer quietly at home with his siblings attempting to be nice to him.

But actually, it wasn't so bad.

Kankuro teased Temari about her shitty cooking until she got tired of cooking and her brother combined. She decided to just throw a pizza in the microwave. But somehow, she managed to burn that too. She opened the microwave door and smoke spewed out. The kitchen smelt like, well burned pizza. Temari inhaled some of it. She began to cough violently, but the coughing turned to laughter. But she quickly scowled again as Kankuro came into the room and began laughing at her. Since it was Christmas, though, she quickly began laughing again. While Temari cleaned out the microwave, Kankuro watched her and Gaara ate the burned pizza.

"No way. You're going to eat that?" Kankuro said disbelievingly as his brother poked it with his finger. Gaara didn't answer. He picked it up. And promptly dropped it. "Fuck, it's hot," the redhead cussed.

"No cussing on Christmas. New rule," Temari said.

"No burning on Christmas should be a rule," Kankuro said. Then laughing as she hit him with her oven mitts. Gaara chewed on the burned remains of the once living pizza. It wasn't too bad, actually. He spat out the ashes, but the remains that were still pizza were good. Temari tried ordering pizza, but most pizza places were closed. They didn't expect anyone to be ordering junk food on Christmas. Come to think of it, no one should be ordering out on Christmas day. But then, how many kids spent Christmas without their parents?

Parents.

Now Gaara's stomach is feeling tight again. Anxiety drops like a lead into his chest, heavier and tighter than before.

His father.

Oh shit.

"Gaara! Where are you going? You alright?" Kankuro exclaimed in alarm as the redhead stood up, violently pushing his chair back. Gaara didn't reply because he was sure if he opened his mouth, something wet and gross would come out instead of words, so he thought it would be best to keep his jaw clamped tightly shut. He ran to the bathroom. Gaara tried to retch as quietly as possible, but his siblings could tell he was puking.

"Look what your cooking does, Temari."

"He didn't have to eat it!"

Give me a minute.