Disclaimer: I only own Nanase and her family.

"Blah" - talking

Blah - thinking

Blah - Gaara's mind person

Stuck in a Blizzard

Chapter Four:

A Fight at the Ramen Shop

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Nanase stood in front of the bathroom mirror, braiding her long, black hair. It had been six days since the blizzard had first started and it stopped snowing. They would be stuck in their house for a few more days until the snow melted a little and they could be ploughed out. She didn't really mind though, that just meant more time to spend with Gaara. They had spent that time getting to know each other more and playing stupid games, but she couldn't be happier. She had to admit she was growing a crush on the boy.

"Going to stand there all day?" the said boy asked.

"Evening, Panda-chan," she said while tying the end of her braid with a blue ribbon. She smiled at him and pulled him out of the bathroom, into the hallway. "What's on the schedule for today?"

"Annoying your mom, tickling your sister until she pees herself or hanging out in your room," he replied, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Difficult choices," she said while rubbing her chin. "Come on, let's go to my room."

They walked into her room and sat on the beige carpet, staring at each other.

"What now?" he asked.

"Ooh!" she said and dug under her bed, pulling out a Polaroid camera and grinning at him. "I have pictures of all my friends but you."

He groaned as she laid against him and took their picture, catching it when it fell to the ground. She began to shake it and stared at the picture, looking at her smiling face then his scowling face. "I want a better one," she said and laid against him again, this time making him smile and retaking the picture. She stood and sat in the fold-out chair at her desk, pulling out a violet book opening it.

"What's that?" he asked looking over her shoulder.

"A scrapbook," she said and taped the two pictures down, scribbling something down next to them and grinning at him. She closed the book and slid it back into the door, closing the drawer and standing. "What now?"

"Dunno," he replied and sat on her bed.

She giggled before launching herself on him and rolling them into the wall, ending up with her squished against the wall. She stopped laughing when she realized how close their faces were, biting her lip. "I've never been this close with a guy before," she admitted, looking away with a blush on her cheeks.

Gaara couldn't stop his hand from cupping her cheek and forcing her to look at him. "Does it bother you?" he spoke huskily, his eyes staring into hers.

"N-no," she said as her eyes darted down to his lips. "I-I want you t-to kiss m-me."

"I want to kiss you," he whispered.

"I might be bad at it," she said.

He closed the gap between them and pulled her body on top of his, rubbing his hands along her spine. She moaned into the kiss and pulled them up into a sitting position, her legs straddling his waist. He hands traveled under her shirt and snapped her bra against her skin lightly causing her to arch into him as her hands tangled in his hair.

"Hey, honey," her mother said while opening the door.

Nanase broke away from Gaara and turned to look at her mom with a shocked expression. "Um, mom, I, um," she tried and climbed off of him, twisting her fingers about.

"Honey, you're sixteen and you've been stuck in this house with a boy for six days," she began, "you think I didn't expect something like this to occur, I was a teenager once you know. I was just hoping you were using protection."

"Mom, I'm so embarrassed," she said. "We weren't doing that!"

"It looked like thats where that was going," she replied. "I'd prefer you not having sex until you're married but if you're going to do it at all at least be prepared."

"Mom, that was my first kiss and I'm sixteen, I'm not ready for sex yet," she explained, the blush on her cheeks growing.

"Just in case," her mom said and pulled three condoms from her pocket and placing them on the dresser next to the door. "Be prepared."

Nanase watched her mom leave the room with a shocked expression. "My mom is so weird!"

Gaara smirked. "At least she's giving you protection, right?" he said with a grin. "Now, where were we?"

She blushed as he pulled her onto his lap, pulling her mouth down to his.

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Gaara stood in the shower, closing his eyes as the water fell down his body. He sighed as he remembered how he and Nanase had made out earlier. He couldn't believe he let himself lose control and just do that to her. She probably wanted to be his girlfriend now, he didn't know if he was ready for that. Damn, this sucks, he thought.

Yes it does, you could've done her and had her moms premisson, you idiot!

Shut up.

Is that all you're ever going to say to me?

Yep.

Asshole.

Tell me 'bout it.

I really am annoying. Just listening to you makes me realize that.

Gaara turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, drying himself off and dressing in his pajamas. He walked into Nanase's room where she was combing through her wet hair and sat on her bed. "You took a shower?"

"Yep, used my mom's," she said and braided her hair again. "Enjoy yours?"

"Yeah, I guess," he replied.

"Gaara, about earlier," she began. "I understand you were caught up in the moment."

He blinked, she did.

"It's okay," she said. "You don't have to worry about me being clingy or thinking that you're my boyfriend. It was my first kiss and I'm glad it was with you, but I understand if you don't want to be with me."

He blinked again.

She smiled at him. "So don't stress about it, 'kay?"

He nodded.

She tied her hair with a black scrunchie and stood, brushing her white t-shirt off. "So, you wanna see if we can watch T.V.?"

He got it now, she was trying to hide the fact that he didn't want to be with her hurt. He felt guilty because he did like her, he just wasn't sure that he wanted a girlfriend at the moment. He nodded and stood, telling her how he felt would only confuse her and he didn't want to cause her any more trouble.

"I think some Christmas movies are on," she said as they walked down the stairs. "I really hope 'A Christmas Carol' is on, that's my favorite."

He smiled.

"You want some eggnog?" she asked and looked back at him.

"No."

She nodded and disappeared into the kitchen returning with her own cup of eggnog, sitting beside him on the couch. "Yay!" she said when she found 'A Christmas Carol' on ABC, sipping from her cup of eggnog.

Gaara looked at her with pained eyes. He was thinking about how it would be if he went out with her, what it would be like. He was thinking about how he held her in his arms the first night and how it felt to kiss her. He thought about her smell and the certain things she did, about her smile and her hair. He thought about everything that made up her, how he couldn't find one thing he didn't like about her. He was even beginning to like when she called him 'Panda-chan' and that worried him. After a little more thought, he realized he was falling in love with her and fast.

"That mean old Scrooge!" she said with a laugh.

He exhaled and turned towards her. "Nanase?"

She turned her caramel-colored eyes on him. "Yes?"

"Nevermind," he said, shaking his head and turned back towards the T.V.

Now it was her turn to blink. "Gaara, are you trying to...to ask me something?" she asked.

He shook his head.

She frowned slightly and turned back to the T.V., dissapointed. She had hoped he would tell her that he felt the same towards her, but that was probably just a fairytale.

He inwardly smacked himself, he had the perfect chance to tell her and yet he froze up. Something was just telling him not to, maybe the less rational part, but whatever part it was, he listened.

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A few days later, the snow melted considerably and the streets and pathways had been cleared. Nanase was struggling to pull her jeans on, she gave a frustrated yell. "I gained weight!" she yelled, staring at her slim stomach in the mirror. She buttoned her jeans and pulled her long-sleeved, green shirt on. After putting her shoes on, she ran downstairs and saw Gaara waiting for her at the door.

"Ready?" he asked, placing his hands in his black coat.

"Yep," she said and pulled her suede coat on along with her scarf and mittens. "Let's go!"

"Alright," he said and opened the door.

"Mom, we'll be back later!" she called into the kitchen and walked out of the door with him. She linked her arm around his as they walked to the ramen shop and smiled up at him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Isn't it great to get out of the house?" she asked. "Plus, we don't have to go back to school for a few more days!"

"Yeah," he replied.

She stared at the sidewalk. "Do you care if people see us together?" she asked.

"No."

"Okay."

"Why'd you ask that?" he asked.

"Because at the ramen shop, there'll be a lot of people from our school and they might get the wrong idea about us," she said. She had been that way ever since the night a few days ago, making sure no one got the wrong idea.

"So?"

"As long as you don't care," she said as they turned the corner.

"It doeesn't matter to me what people think," he said. "Does it to you?"

"No," she said. "I'm just getting some ramen with Panda-chan."

He shook his head. "Don't call me that in there," he said with a small smile. "I do have a reputation."

"Okay, Mr. Badass," she said as he held the door open for her, she giggled as she walked in. She linked her arm with his again and they walked to a booth, sitting down and looking around at the people from their school. "I didn't think their was going to be this many."

He shrugged.

"Oi, looky here guys," a voice said. "It's badass Gaara with his girlfriend!"

"I'm not his girlfriend," Nanase said.

"What do you want, Naruto?" Gaara asked, glaring at him. "Another ass-kicking."

"Yeah, whatever," Naruto replied. "Be cool around your chick."

Nanase growled. "I'm not his chick!"

"Shut-up," Gaara said while looking at Naruto.

"Ooh, nice one, Gaara," a brown-haired boy with tattooed, red triangles on his face said. "Got nothing else to say?"

"Fuck off," he replied, eating his ramen.

"Hey, your chick is pretty cute, when you're done with her," the boy said, reaching towards her, "gimme her number."

Gaara grabbed his other wrist and squeezed it, staring murderously at the table. "Don't. Touch. Her."

Nanase watched the scene with wide eyes.

"Protective, eh?"

"More like possessive," a boy with sunglasses said.

"Don't forget that," Gaara said viciously and stood, pulled the other guy close. "So don't fuck with my girl!"

"All right, man, I got," he said.

Gaara let go of his hand and sat back done. "What?" he asked when they hadn't left yet, his turquoise eyes glaring at Naruto.

"Just thinking how a weirdo like you could get a babe like that," he said.

Gaara growled but a loud smack was heard before he could stand. "Whoa."

Nanase glared at the blond who held his cheek.

"What the hell was that for, ya bitch!"

She pulled her arm back and threw, full-force, into his face with a sneer on. "Don't insult me or Gaara ever again!" she yelled and kicked him. "Asshole."

Gaara smirked when she sat down.

"Figures Gaara would have a chick that could fight," the blond muttered as they walked away.

"Didn't know you had it in you," Gaara said and smiled at her.

She shook her hand. "Fuck, that hurt!" she whispered harshly, cradling her red fist. "I wasn't going to just sit down and let you have all the fun."

He laughed.

"Um, Nanase?"

Nanase turned to the blond next to her. "Ino-chan!" she yelled and jumped up, wrapping the girl in a tight hug. "What's up?"

"What was that about?" Ino asked.

"That douche insulted me and my Pan-uh I mean, my friend," she said and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Boyfriend?"

"No, he's just my friend," she said and pointed to Gaara.

"Oh, okay," she replied. "Just so you know, the others think he's your boyfriend."

"So?" they replied.

Nanase grinned. "What do we care, we know the truth and we're just friends."

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Sorry for making Naruto such as douche bag, he'll be different in upcoming chappies!