Chapter 29:

"How do you remember your way around this place if there's no trail to your house?" Raxiel said, baffled as Gaara was leading the way across another desert "towards" his house. They had been walking through this strand of desert for at least a full hour, and Raxiel was starting to get concerned as the sun was quickly going down.

"When you've lived in the same land all of your life, you know where everything is," he replied softly so that Raxiel could barely hear him since he was ahead of her. "It's not too far away. Just a few more miles," he said, trying to persuade her to not ask any more questions.

Raxiel's eyes shot open in disbelief, and once again, she found more words to say. "A few more miles! By the time we reach the place, it'll be morning! We've already walked at least five or six miles."

Suddenly, Gaara abruptly stopped, and since he was leading the way, Raxiel stopped as well so she wouldn't run into him. Gaara turned around and closely looked at Raxiel.

"…Are you scared?" Gaara questioned her nonchalantly.

"No, but don't you think there is some hazard in walking through an unmarked desert in the middle of the night?"

Before Raxiel could say anything else, her eyes slightly widened at the fact that the Kazekage was right next to her. She looked up at his face to see that he was curiously looking at her.

"Darn it!" she thought. "When did he get so much taller than me?"

Finally, Gaara spoke to her quietly. "I can get us there quickly, but that would require for you to follow my instructions, which you are usually not good at, being your usual stubborn-self."

Raxiel quickly snapped back at him. "Name one time I didn't 'obey' you!"

"I'll name a few times. The first time was when we had both met each other, and I told you to see a doctor for your injuries. You denied needing to see one, even though I know you were wrong about that. The next time was when I told you to get a hotel room. It was that exact same night, and you didn't. I had to get one for you. After that, it was the situation about you not staying in your hotel room when I specifically asked you to stay in it. –"

…Raxiel could tell he was going to go on until she had to give up. Finally, she stopped him. "Okay! Okay! I get it. But I promise, this time, I'll do anything you tell me to do. Just please get us to the darn house before we both perish away in the sand."

Anything…

She shouldn't have said that…

"All right, if that's what you want," Gaara stated casually. "My sand can transport us there, but you'll need to hold onto me tightly. If it goes smoothly, we should be able to get there in about a minute's time. But if it gets too rough for you, you'll have to tell me, and we'll stop."

Raxiel smirked. "That's it?"

"Yes, but I need you to make sure that if the sand gets too rough, you'll tell me. If the sand starts to harden on you, it could suffocate you –"

"Okay, I get it. I'll make sure to tell you," Raxiel stated eagerly.

Gaara sighed. He could tell she was impatient. Raxiel heard his deep breathing and stared at him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"You're impatient."

"What? Of course, I am! I haven't had anything to drink, no sleep, and no food for the past two days! I'm a little out of it from being in the sun all of those two days, so yes, I am impatient."

Gaara soon understood why now…

No water…

"It makes a person who is not used to the conditions of a desert go crazy if they don't get water frequently," he thought. "She must be sick from dehydration."

"You said you've had no water for two days?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's right."

"Then we should hurry. You should have told me sooner. You're probably sick from dehydration."

Raxiel's eyes widened. "Sick?"

Gaara shifted his weight onto his other foot, and soon, he was becoming just as impatient as she was. But the kind of "impatient" he had was a different kind than hers. "Yes, from no water. Hurry up and hold onto me, and we can start going."

Raxiel quickly nodded. She slowly walked over to Gaara and studied his body, curious as to how she should fasten herself to him.

Gaara quickly caught onto her hesitant face. He knew that he could understand how she felt.

She was embarrassed…

And so was he…

But Gaara was the first one to shake off that feeling. "Hurry up!" he ordered.

Raxiel quickly did so by wrapping her arms around his neck. Gaara's eyes shot wide open.

It was another embrace…

Why did it feel so confusing to him…

So confusing… and yet so right...?

Maybe it was because in the past, no one had been able to touch him…

And here…

She wasn't touching his hand; she wasn't just touching his hand. She was touching all around him. But he knew he needed to shake off those feelings.

Those feelings that he had promised himself he wouldn't have…

"Ready?" he asked, trying to take his mind off of what he was just thinking. Slowly, Raxiel nodded. As Gaara felt her head begin to rise and fall, he quickly summoned his sand, causing it to form a barrier around them.

Suddenly, their view was darkened, and all that could be heard was the sound of sand crunching all around them.

Raxiel soon began to feel sand rise over her arms and legs, and quickly, it began to harden.

"Umm… Gaara…"

"I know. Hold on," he told the small, faint voice that was Raxiel's. He could tell she was getting even more uncomfortable than when she had first just put her arms around him. They had only been in the vortex of sand for twenty-three seconds (Gaara counted), but he could soon feel sand around his neck begin to tighten around Raxiel's arms.

"If I can just keep it away from her for a few more seconds…"

Twenty-five…

"Tell me when it gets to your chest. We'll stop then," Gaara stated to her.

But Raxiel was too flabbergasted to respond.

Twenty-eight…

Raxiel felt her arms being constricted. Soon, they were beginning to feel limp and numb, but she bit her bottom lip. She was not going to shriek.

Not until it was necessary…

Thirty-one…

Just as she thought she was going to make it, she felt something constrict her chest.

That was when she knew she couldn't take it anymore…

She started moaning, not liking anything of what she was feeling. Gaara heard her and knew it was time to stop.

Thirty-five…

In the blink of an eye, the sand that covered both Raxiel and Gaara collapsed to the ground, letting both of them see, once again.

They had made it.

Just about thirty feet away was a huge house made out of sand that looked like a grand mansion.

It was his

Gaara looked down at Raxiel to see her face tucked into his chest. He almost smiled at how she was so cowered down, like a child who had just seen a monster…

Monster…

Demon…

He did not want to feel those wounds again. Sharply, he began to speak to her. "Are you okay?"

Hesitantly, her head rose, revealing her face. She looked up at him to see that there was actual light caused by the moon to see him. She quickly smiled, relieved that it was over. "I'm fine."

Soon, Gaara calmed himself down and gave her a half-smile. He nudged her shoulder with his hand to get her to turn around, and Raxiel turned around to see what he was looking at.

Her eyes widened.

Her mouth dropped.

For once, Raxiel was speechless. As she continued to eye the gigantic house, Gaara stepped in beside her, glancing at her face to see her reaction.

"What do you think?" he asked her, curious as to what she would say.

Raxiel was too stunned to say anything. Trying to get her mouth to work only led to her faltering her words. What should have been sand on the ground was a beautiful, apricot-colored, two-story house. Windows were surrounding it making it look even more astounding, and the grand entrance almost made it look like an old mansion where people used to have huge, fancy parties.

What amazed Gaara was the fact that no matter how hard Raxiel tried no words would come out of her mouth. "She must be very dehydrated," he thought to himself, pleased that she was so amazed by his house.

"Come on, Raxiel. Let's get you inside."

Finally, Raxiel spoke. "You mean we can actually go in there?"

Gaara smirked. "That's where I live, and you're staying at my place, right? So yes, that is where we're going."

"A-Are you sure?"

"Raxiel, let's go, and that's an order. You really need water," he said as strictly as he could. Soon, Raxiel was following him as they made their way inside the house.