At the present, in the bar
Main characters: Gaara, Naruto, Aimez
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did… Why the hell would I be writing this?
Tales from the Drinks
Chocolate Kiss
"Alrighty." Aimez looked at the ceiling briefly. "He told you how we met, right? Yeah, well, after that Gaara took me back to his house. Well, um, because I had no place to stay…" Here she snuggled with Gaara's arm, who just sort of groaned. "Gaara let me stay at his big estate with Temari and Kankuro! He let me live with him for a month, until…"
Aimez yawned and walked out of her room… Which was really the guest room, converted to become hers. Clad in her everyday black pajamas, she went into the kitchen and made some English muffins, carrying them outside. Holding down the muffins with her thumbs, she sprang onto the lower roof, then onto the upper. "Ah, the sunrise." She muttered, smiling to herself. She leaned against something hard and stiff, picking up a muffin and biting into it, letting the warm butter seep onto her teeth. The red sun lifted into the air finally, casting a bright gold glow across Sunagakure. Her hair was now a silky black and her skin had regained a feminine glow. Aimez squinted and smiled, leaning her head back against whatever she was leaning on.
"EEK!"
… And whatever she was leaning on moved.
Aimez fell back in surprise. Blinking and looking up, she watched the Kazekage heft his gourd onto his back. Aimez blushed. "Hi, Gaara… Didn't see you…"
She'd been living with the Kazekage for a month, but she barely saw him. He was so busy with his Kazekage life, and when he wasn't busy, he was off somewhere. And when he wasn't off somewhere, he made an excuse to BE somewhere.
"Nobody ever does." He sighed in reply. "Well, papers to file, crap to sign…"
"Sit down."
"What?"
"Sir, please, sit down."
Hesitating, Gaara sat down, setting his gourd back on the roof. "What is it, Aimez?"
"Kazekage, sir, why do you always make excuses? Whenever you come home you either go out or make an excuse to get away. Am I scary or something?"
Aimez was no longer the girl he met on the street. She was stronger, healthier. She wasn't exactly taller, but she certainly looked fitter than ever. A month under the roof of the Kazekage, and a simple street rat was turned into a strong young woman.
"You were definitely scary the day I met you. Scared that one guy in the pub shitless."
"I was wasted, don't talk about it. That was the most alcoholic Banana Margarita I ever had. I rather like it that way. Anyway, that doesn't answer my question…"
"I don't make excuses! I really have to be out…"
"Ah, really? Where do you go?"
Gaara flinched. "…Places."
"What kind of places?"
"That's none of your business, Aimez."
"I live with you, sir, I deserve to know."
Gaara glared at her. "You don't DESERVE anything! It's not like you do anything around the house, anyway!"
Aimez looked offended. "You're right, sir. I should get a job. I could act in the plays down at the theater… They pay for that."
Gaara sighed. "Sorry."
"Gaara?"
Gaara twitched. There she went again, using his name… "What, Aimez?"
"… Do you hate me? Or do you love me?"
Gaara froze. What did she ask again? Was it…? No, can't be. "…What?"
"Do you hate me or do you love me? Answer one, please!"
The look in her eye was pure anxiety. Gaara had never seen her like this, and he had lived with the girl for a month. "Erm…"
"Well, it doesn't have to actually be LOVE. I guess that was a little… Open. Do you like me in any way?"
"Like a sister."
Aimez looked crestfallen. "And you don't like your sister very much…"
"No."
"Well!" Aimez stood up with her muffins. "You can go now, or whatever…" Sighing, she turned and walked away. Stupidly, I might add.
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"
Not paying any attention, Aimez walked right off the roof. Her heart leapt into her chest and the plate crashed down, smashing into a thousand pieces on the ground far below. Aimez shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to watch the ground get any closer.
All of a sudden she stopped. Her arm nearly jerked from its socket. As a strong hand began to pull her up, Aimez opened one eye timidly.
Gaara glared down at her. "What kind of idiot are you? People don't just walk off the edge of a roof!"
"I'm sorry, Gaara…" Aimez mumbled. "I wasn't paying attention."
Once again, his first name… Man that made him pissed.
Gaara glared harder at her. "You could have fallen, and hurt yourself, or KILLED yourself, you must REALLY have a short attention span!"
Aimez pouted, but paused and smirked. "You were worried about me."
"I was not!"
"Were too!"
Gaara glared at her harder than ever. AARGH that annoying smirk, those sparkling eyes… It was SO annoying! Nearly a moment later, she was right below him. His arm was aching from holding hers so long, and he nearly let go with annoyance.
And finally, the emotions stopped. He was no longer angry with her; he felt no annoyance at her expression.
His Shukaku-powered senses caught every detail of her face, the glimmer in her eye and the cool breeze brushing her hair. Her shampoo smelled rather like chocolate…
Unable to calm raging hormones, Gaara pulled her up clumsily into a kiss.