Chapter 10
This is the second time in however many days I've woken up being carried by Gaara. I don't think I like it. It took me insisting I could walk four times before he finally let me go. Now he's hovering over me in my guest room, much to Father's displeasure. He has nothing to worry about, Gaara doesn't seem like the type to do anything. No, the only thing he's doing is hovering and it's starting to piss me off.
"What are you feeling right now?" I jumped a little. He's been so quiet, just watching over me, that it was surprising to suddenly hear him speak so suddenly. I look away from him, "Uh, fine…I guess." I mean I'm glad to be back in the castle. I'm embarrassed he practically carried me the entire way back. I'm scared Kaito and Daichi are still out there somewhere. I'm upset I'm leaving home first thing tomorrow.
"You don't feel fine." I don't feel fine? What's he talking about? I mean sure I'm not but if I say I'm fine, he should just listen to me. "What are your emotions right now?" His eyes bore into mine, expectantly waiting for an answer. My emotions? Pissed. Embarrassed. Sad. Scared. Pissed. I'm not going to tell him that though. Why would I tell him that? Why would he ask me about that? I guess to see how shaken up I am after everything.
I wave my hands in front of my body, "I'm fine. Really." Overwhelming curiosity emitted off of him. He refused to take his eyes off mine. Seriously, what is he thinking about? He's been acting weird since I woke up an hour or so ago. Following me around as if he's attached to my hip and continuously looking me over. I thought I would get a break when I went to my room but no, he followed me in here as well. Now the bedroom door is open and I don't really get a break from anyone now.
I don't get much chance to think about Gaara's behavior further, a sudden knock on the door pulls us both away. I open the door to find Dr. Haruto standing there with his home visit bag. I sigh at this welcomed distraction. Everyone wanted to make sure I was in tip top shape to travel tomorrow so the family's personal doctor was called. When I step aside to let him in, I feel Gaara's eyes zeroing in on me.
"Princess Aiko how are you feeling?" instinctively I touch the side of my neck Kaito stepped on and winced in pain. I know they both saw that, there's no point in lying. Gaara was starting to get angry, probably remembering Kaito as well. "A little sore," Gaara's anger began to bubble up, "but I'm ok." I was hoping that saying that would calm him down, and it did, but not nearly enough. When I look at him, I see his eyes trained directly on my neck. There's still a low, dull anger burning in him.
Dr. Haruto got to work bandaging me up. I had more wounds than I previously thought from tonight. The biggest being on my neck. "Nothing broken," I breathe a sigh of relief, who knows how angry Gaara would be if I was really hurt, "but I still don't want you to do any vigorous activity for two weeks while you heal." No vigorous activity, does that mean? "Can she travel to Suna tomorrow?" Just what I wanted to know. Gaara and I both look to Dr. Haruto for his answer. "She's fit for travel as long as it's not vigorous activity."
No vigorous activity? I bet a train ride doesn't count as that. How long would the ride be? That's right, three days. Three days trapped on a train with a hovering Gaara. I wonder if when we get to Suna he'll let up because I think I'll snap if this lasts any longer. He won't let me be alone in any way. He won't even let me go to the bathroom without him hovering right by the door. Maybe it's for the best that we're leaving tomorrow.
After a final look over Dr. Haruto left, and we were left alone again. Gaara has to give this up at some point. It's past midnight, what about sleep? He doesn't actually think I'll let him sleep in here does he? "So we should probably get to bed…" He just nods at me but doesn't move from his spot on the wall he's leaning on. "Uh so you should probably go to your room?" He shook his head no! He thinks I'm going to actually let him sleep in here?! His hovering has gone too far.
"You can't stay in here." I tried to make my words sound as stern as I can. He's not sleeping in here. He just stares at me, unmoving from his spot on the wall. This is infuriating, he's infuriating. I walk up to him and cross my arms to match his demeaner, "You're not sleeping in here." He looks down at me and we just stare at each other. After a pregnant pause he finally says, "I don't plan on sleeping."
What?! First off, how? Secondly, what?! So his plan is to just stare at me across the room while I'm sleeping? And he thinks I'd actually be ok with that? Does he not see how creepy that is? And how the hell is he going to go the night without sleeping? "No. You're going to your room. You're not staying here." Another stare down. Gaara was the one to break the silence next, "I suggest you get some sleep; we have a long trip to Suna." Is he serious right now?! I'm not sleeping with him staring at me from across the room. If he's staying up, I'm staying up too.
I can't believe I fell asleep with Gaara staring at me from across the room. No, I can't believe he actually watched me all night, if he actually watched me last night. For all I know he fell asleep right after I did. If he did fall asleep he's great at hiding his tracks. I didn't notice him drifting off and he was awake before I was this morning. And somehow I was able to fall asleep under his watchful gaze. Well, if you can call it sleep. I just tossed and turned all night, but still, what the hell?!
And what's worse is he looks completely fine while I'm sitting here at breakfast with bags under my eyes. No what makes it worse is he won a ridiculous argument that I should have won because of pure stubbornness. Is this what our marriage is going to be like? Him browbeating me into submission because he's more stubborn than me. I may change my mind about no longer being selfish. Next argument I'm not losing.
I don't even pay attention at breakfast, I'm too busy seething. At least everyone's emotions today aren't as gut-wrenching as before. With how angry I am, I doubt I'd be able to shut my ability off successfully. Besides the only person's emotions I can really concentrate on is the sleepless jerk sitting across from me at the table. Gaara of the Sand. He's just sitting there, curiosity circling around him with medium levels of happiness. Is he happy he won or that we're leaving? Actually I don't care, I'm just pissed he's happy.
He had to have fallen asleep after I did. There's no way he can be so well rested on no sleep. And now that breakfast is over, he's back to following me around again. I don't think I'll last a three-day train ride with him smothering me. I'll definitely snap. I turn towards him and block him from entering my room by standing in the doorway, "So you should probably go pack." He can't have packed yet, he's been too busy hovering over me. "I have to pack too."
He narrowed his eyes at me, "You already packed." I narrowed my eyes back at him, "I changed my mind about what I wanted to bring." A staring contest ensued. I don't care what he says or does, I'm not letting him win on this. I need space. "We both need to pack so we should get going. Don't want to be late for the train." We glare at each other for a few more moments but he finally nods, "Thirty minutes." then heads to his room. Oh my gosh I actually won. I'm only free for thirty minutes but I won and I'm going to take it as a success.
I grab my bag and head towards my room. I'm not going to repack, I'm just glad to have the space away from Gaara. I lock the door then set my bag down on my bed, taking stock of my room one last time. No more late-night reading at my desk. No more early wakeups by Mother. No more lessons with Father. No more building snowmen with my younger brother. No more of any of my life here. All I can do is try to commit this room to my memories.
I take my time looking over everything in my room. All my happiest memories are here in this room. I tear up and my heart aches. And now I'm leaving. Will I be happy in Suna? Will I be happy with Gaara? I don't know. I want to be, I don't wan to regret this marriage, but with the way things are starting out I'm not sure if everything will work out in the end. I don't want a loveless marriage but I don't see a common ground with Gaara. I wonder if I can find a way to change things.
It hasn't been more then twenty minutes before I hear a knock on the door and I know exactly who it was going to be. Gaara. He tried to walk straight in, which is exactly why I locked the door in the first place. And when I open the door he's standing there arms crossed, annoyance building. I wonder if I can work him over like Father. If I can calm him down, maybe he'll give me some space. I give him a sweet smile, "Yes?" He cocks an eyebrow and his curiosity grows, but his annoyed feeling doesn't subside. "I'm packed."
Man, I really want to tell him ten more minutes and close the door in his face but I'm probably pressing my luck at this point. Plus I'm trying to calm him down and that would just be adding fuel to the fire. I'll just have to be satisfied by twenty minutes. "I'm done too." His brows furrow when I smile up at him again. I think he suspects I'm up to something but he's not asking anything. I do feel his annoyance start to die down, if only by a small margin, so at least its working.
"What are you feeling right now?" This again? I'm frustrated by his behavior. I'm starting wonder why he keeps asking. "I'm fine. Is it time to go?" And just like that he was back to being as annoyed as he was when I first opened the door. What did I even do? Said I'm fine? I am fine if not a little frustrated. he's not making me any less frustrated either. What is his problem? He nods then leads me to the front hall. After a solemn goodbye to my family, we head to the train and my new life in Suna.