Disclaimer: I only own Nanase and her family.

"Blah" - talking

Blah - thinking

Blah - Gaara's mind person

Stuck in a Blizzard

Chapter Two:

A Long Night

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Nanase looked over to Gaara, they had just left the ramen shop and were heading to her house. She gave off a squeal when a harsh gust of wind blew their hair and clothes around, covering them in snow. "Damn, it's cold," she mumbled into his arm, her eyes closed tight. "We need to hurry to my house."

"Is it close?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said and started off in a run, him at her heels. She pumped her legs as fast as they could go without leaving him behind and stopped when she was on her porch. "Look how high this snow is!" she said pointing down at the snow that covered her porch steps. "The friggin' steps are gone."

"Let's get in, I'm cold!" he said.

"Sorry," she mumbled and opened the door with her key, locking it when he stepped in. "Welcome to my abode," she said as she slipped off her shoes and socks, placing her scarf and jacket on the hook.

"Nice," he murmured and did the same, following her into the kitchen. "What're you doing?"

"Making hot cocoa, duh!" she said and turned the eye of the stove on, walking over to the sink. She grinned at him as she filled the tea kettle with water and placed it on the eye, walking over and sitting in one of the wooden chairs.

He sat next to her and stared out of the window across from them, drowning himself in his thoughts. After a while, the whistle of the tea kettle brought them out of their reverie and back to the present. He watched as she went over to the tea kettle and poured hot water into to large mugs, placing two spoonfuls of the powder into each.

"I don't know about you, but I like milk in mine," she said as she poured a little milk in hers. She brought the cups over with the spoons still in them after she stirred the powder in, placing the blue mug in front of him. She blew softly on her cocoa, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. "You should call your sister and let her know you're here."

"Yeah, where's your phone?" he asked, watching as she pointed to the phone hanging on the wall near the cabinets. He picked up the phone and dialed his home number, waiting until his sister picked up.

"Temari," he said.

"Oh, hey, Gaara," the voice replied. "Where are you?"

"I'm over a friends house, I'll probably be staying her since the storm is really bad," he said. "I'll be home as soon as it's over so tell that idiot brother of mine to stay out of my room."

She laughed. "I will," she said. "Be careful."

"Alright, bye," he replied and hung up the phone, placing it back on the receiver.

"Temari is a pretty name," Nanase said.

"I guess," he replied and sat down, taking a sip of his hot cocoa. "This is pretty good."

"I make the best," she said smugly. "Just joking."

He smirked at her and took another sip. "Where's your family?"

"My sister is probably with my mom and my brother went to France for a month," she replied and placed her chin in her palm. They both turned towards the door when it opened and voices could be heard as well as the door closing.

"Mommy, it was really cold," a young voice said.

"Yes, Sachi-chan, it was," an older voice said.

The two girls walked into the kitchen and stopped when they saw Gaara sitting next to Nanase.

"Hello," the older woman said, pushing a strand of chin-length, black hair behind her ear, a red smile on her lips. "Who are you?"

"Mom, this is my friend Gaara," Nanase said. "He walked me home but the storm was bad so I invited him, is that okay?"

"Oh, of course, I wouldn't want this young man in the storm all alone," she replied. "Hi Gaara-kun, I'm Nanase's mother, Chiharu."

"And I'm Sachi!" the little girl next to Chiharu said, brightly.

"Um, hi," Gaara replied, trying to as respectful as possible. God damnit, she's changed me already, since when have I cared about being respectful?

Ooh, are we getting a crush?

Shut the hell up! How many times do I have to tell you?

More than what you have.

Gaara sighed and took another sip of his hot cocoa, his temples aching from yelling in his head. He turned to see Nanase smiling at him, watching as she stood and motioned for him to do the same. She led him up the stairs and to a white door, pushing it open and letting him step in.

"This is where you'll stay for the storm," she said and turned to the door across the hall. "That's my room."

He nodded and sat on the neat bed.

"You find anything in here, don't tell me," she said with a grin. "I'll probably laugh my ass off."

He shook his head.

"Oh and the sheets have been changed," she said. "If you need to see me during the night, I'm down stairs."

He quirked an eyebrow.

"I don't like to sleep in my room, so I sleep on the big couch in the living room," she said, still smiling. "Let's go in the living room and see if we can watch T.V."

He nodded and followed her into the living room, where they began watching a movie called 'The Day After Tomorrow'.

"Damn, I hope that doesn't happen here," she said, pulling the blanket around her closer.

"It won't," he said and crossed his arms over his chest.

"How the hell do you know?" she asked with a skeptical look.

"I know everything."

She burst out laughing.

Gaara found himself enjoying the sound, letting out a small chuckle himself. I can't help but like being around her, he thought, watching as she calmed down and looked at him.

"You are hilarious," she said, pulling her legs underneath her and leaning her back against his arm. She laid her head against the cushion of the couch and bit her lip as his warmth radiated onto her. He's so warm, she thought while turning the channel, I like being around him.

"Nanase?" he said.

"Yes?"

"Promise me you'll never call me 'Panda-chan' again," he said.

She looked at him quizzically. "I don't know where that came from and I can't promise that," she said, pouting when he gave her a look. "Fine."

"Good," he said while smirking as she crossed her arms over her chest and began sulking.

"Gaara?"

"What?" he asked and turned his eyes towards her.

"I like to call you Panda-chan," she whined.

He sighed. "Fine, go ahead and call me 'Panda-chan'."

"Yay!" she yelled and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Sorry, I'm a touchy-feely kinda girl."

"I noticed," he said and resumed looking at the T.V. I have to get out of this damn house or away from this girl.

Why, Panda-chan?

Not you again.

Yup yup.

I hate myself.

You're definitely crazy.

Because of you, making me talk to myself.

Hey, hey! You do this shit on your own free will, not me.

We're the same person so YEAH you do.

Oh, right, I forgot that minor detail.

Minor! Are you retarded?

Depends, are you?

I'm going to stop talking to you, you evil bastard.

Stop talking about yourself.

Gaara growled, startling Nanase.

She grinned seductively. "That's kind of hot," she said and laughed. "Do it again!"

"You are definitely retarded," he said.

She gasped. "I'm not talking to you anymore," she said and crossed her arms over her chest again, another pout on her lips. She glared at the T.V. screen as he flipped through the channels, stopping on 'Hostel'. She scrunched up her nose and reached for the remote, growling when he pulled it out of her grasp. "Gimme!"

"My turn," he said simply and slid the remote in his pants.

"You think I won't go after it?" she asked with a skeptical look on her face, her hands reaching for the top of his pants. "You don't know me," she said and struggled to reach in his pants as he struggled to get away. "The remote will be mine!" she yelled and moved her hand around as he tried to pull her arm out. She latched onto something and gave a victory yell, smiling at him. "Oh, wait, sorry," she said and let go when his eyes went wide. "Not the remote, huh?"

"Ya think!" he yelled, frantically trying to pull her hand out.

"My bad, not my fault the remote is as big as your, well you know what that is," she said as a blush stained her cheeks. "Hey the remote is pretty big, so you must be packin'."

A light blush flitted across his cheeks. "Get your hand out of my pants!" he yelled.

"Shut the hell up, you want my mom to come down here," she whispered viciously.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I'll call her right now," he said.

"No!" she yelled and pulled her hand out of his pants. "You're no fun at all, you know that right?"

He shrugged and pulled the remote out, changing the channel again as the room settled into silence. He sat back after he left it on 'Fear Factor', resting his arms by his side and clutching the remote with a death grip. He ignored Nanase's frequent sighs and shifting around, his attention focused on someone eating a cow brain.

"Ew," Nanase squealed, covering her face. "That is so disgusting!"

Gaara continued to ignore her, his lips thinning into a straight line. He let his thoughts wander onto the girl sitting next to him. He had just met her and already he was acting strange, it made no sense to him. He didn't even like her, she was annoying and did stupid things, yet he had told her he was her friend. He had no friends, he wanted no friends and yet he told a complete stranger they were friends. Why did I have to offer to walk her home, he asked himself, berating himself for his stupidity.

That's what happens when you let someone in.

Ignoring the bastard in my mind. Ignoring the bastard in my mind.

Gasp I am appalled. You, sir, are a complete jackass especially for ignoring the sexy girl next to you. Stupid! You could be boning her right now istead of watching people eat penis'! What the hell is wrong with you?

You!

What?

Gaara sighed and began to rub his temples, making a mental note to never talk to himself again. He laid his head back on the couch, turning his eyes to Nanase when she stood up. "What're you doing?" he asked as she began to walk to the stairs.

"I'll be right back," she said and ran up the stairs.

"Great," he said and resumed rubbing his temples, listening to her shuffling around above him. He heard her come down the stairs, dressed in lime-green, checkered pajama pants and a white camisole that showed a little of her belly. She threw a pair of gray sweat pants at him and a big, baggy shirt.

"Here you go, some pajamas," she said and fell on the couch, placing her slipper clad feet on the coffee table in front of them.

"What the..." he said while staring at her pink slippers that had a smiling bunny, pointing to it's butt. (AN: I got those too!)

"It's Happy Bunny, dur!" she said and grinned.

"Weird."

She squealed when the power went out, latching onto his arm and burying her face into his chest. "Panda-chan, I'm afraid of the dark," she whined, tears leaking from her eyes. "I was watching this creepy movie yesterday and I'm scared of the dark now!"

"Are you serious?" he asked, staring down at her.

"Do you here that?" she asked, pushing herself closer to him. "That sliding across the floor."

"There is no sliding across the floor," he said.

"Yes, there is!" she yelled and climbed into his lap, wrapping her arms around his chest and burying her face into the crook of his neck. He tried to push her off which only resulted in her tightening her grip. "No, Panda-chan, no!"

"Oh, brother, this is going to be a long night," he replied.

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That end scene happened to me only instead of a smexy guy it was my teddy bear and I was saying "No, teddy, no!" lol. Tell me what ya think!