Anko gave Hinata the job. It didn't really surprise Xin, her sister was a really sweet woman. But she's pretty sure Anko didn't really interview Hinata. It probably took one genuine smile and a polite 'hello' for Anko to hand the job over. It was only a job working as a cashier and the counter but it was a start. Hinata was a quick learner and Xin had every intention of teaching her how to bake at some point. But for now, working the register was just fine. The customers loved the idea of quirky twins working at a quirky bakery. The regulars were amazed that Xin had a twin sister she never mentioned. She found that odd. Did they think she'd walk around announcing that she had a twin sister? Or maybe she would slap a sticker on her forehead that read, 'I have a twin sister'.

Hinata's settlement into average life was less bumpier than her own. She didn't make the same mistakes Xin made early on, Xin made sure of that. It helped that Hinata was eager to learn how to live normally. If Xin hadn't grown up with Hinata, she'd be shocked that she was from a wealthy background. Oddly enough, there was no sign of Xin's demonic visitor. It was almost as if he didn't exist in the first place. Xin wished that was the case but the fact that her car was still fucked up because of him reminded her that he did exist. Besides, she had that lump on the back of her head from him slamming her into the wall like some heathen. She hoped nothing happened to him..

"Is everything okay?" Hinata asked her on a Wednesday morning. Xin blinked out of her stupor and looked down at her plate of pancakes. Did she just zone out and worry for a fuckin' person that wasn't supoosed to exist?

No. No the fuck she did not.

"Everything is fine," She replied simply. "Just spaced out for a second. What are you up to today?" She quickly changed the subject. How the fuck was she supposed to explain she'd been thinking about that psycho? She wasn't.

"I have morning classes," Hinata sighed heavily. Xin only smiled in wry amusement. "And then I have a shift at the bakery at two," Hinata seemed more excited about that, which had Xin chuckling. Leave it to her sister to be excited to go to work.

"That means you're closing the bakery, yeah?"

"Yes although Anko-san she would stay late as well."

Xin made a noise in her throat. "How are you getting home?" Xin asked slowly. Hinata didn't really drive. She learned how to and was licensed to drive but she mostly depended on their family's chauffeur. Xin wondered if their parents would buy Hinata a car now that she was supposed to be out on her own. She wouldn't put it past her parents to do so even though they weren't supposed to. It would probably be a nice car too.

"Neji offered to drive me home," Hinata replied with a smile. Her smile was contagious, causing a wan smile to pull at Xin's lips. Even if her family treated them differently, Xin never had an ill-will towards her sister. They were best friends and Xin loved her fiercely but she knew their parents favored Hinata over her. Maybe if her sister was more of an asshole it would be easier to dislike her.

"That's nice of him," Xin finished the last of her breakfast and got up. She washed the dirtied dishes and then took a deep breath. "I have an early session, I'll walk you to campus," She offered with a smile. Hinata gave her a grateful look and followed her out of the kitchen.

"...personally I thought the colors were atrocious and clashed but she was the bride so I did what she wanted. Ugliest cake I've ever seen though," Xin chattered as the sisters made their way down to the front lobby. An odd feeling settled in the pit of her stomach but she ignored it. "It looked like Princess Peach threw acid up on it," Xin bumped the door open with her hip.

Xin turned and promptly ran face first into someone's chest. Large hands clasped her shoulders, stopping her from tumbling over. For a second she didn't move. Behind her, Hinata gasped lightly.

If she took a step back and it was Gaara, she was going to have a damn conniption.

Hinata grabbed the back of Xin's tank top and yanked her away, forcing Xin to look up at whoever she bumped into. A tall man with a dark brown ponytail and light brown eyes stared down at her. Xin wasn't sure if she was relieved or not but that feeling she ignored earlier sank even lower. "Uh, sorry," Xin took a step back, pressing her back tightly into Hinata's chest. Although she wasn't sure if she should really apologize. Who the fuck stands in the front of a public doorway like that? What did he really expect? And did his eyes just flicker? Hinata's grip on her tank top tightened.

"Wasn't your fault," He spoke with a hint of an accent. Xin couldn't place it though. He blatantly stared her down. "I was spaced out. It was my fault."

Hell yeah it was his fault.

Xin grimaced through a smile and deftly stepped around the man, pulling Hinata with her. "Well now that we figured that out, we'll be on our way. Have a good day, sir," Xin said quickly.

"Did you know that guy?"

"Nope."

"Oh. Maybe he lives in the building. He was staring at you really hard."

"Eh," Xin shrugged leisurely. "Not my type."

"What's your type?"

For some odd reason she couldn't explain, Gaara popped into her mind. Her face flushed and she scowled in annoyance. There's no way in Hell Gaara was her type. That motherfucker wasn't even human. "I don't know but it's not him. His hair is too long."

Hinata laughed softly at her sister's words. "That's hardly a reason."

"Well, I don't like morons who stand in public doorways," Xin shrugged her shoulders as they strayed off towards the campus. "I hope Sui hurrys the fuck up with my car. Walking everywhere and depending on others sucks. I can't stand this shit."

"It's not that bad. Walking is good for you," Hinata pointed out helpfully. She veered closer to her sister as they approached the thick bustle of Japan's crowded streets. Xin easily weaved through the throng, smiling softly when Hinata caught onto her arm.

"You'll be changing that tune when we have to go shopping for food," Xin grinned. The rest of their walk was spent with them discussing little odds and ends of their lives. Xin dropped Hinata off at the campus, waving as she made her way to the gym. The day was uneventful, not that it bothered Xin. With Gaara giving her heart attacks and Hinata moving in, Xin welcomed a boring day. Her boxing class ended with no problems and finding herself with nothing to do, Xin wandered towards the bakery.

"Welcome!" Hinata greeted cheerfully as soon as she heard the bell chime. "Oh, it's Xin," She offered her twin a sweet smile as Xin sidled up to the counter. The Mad Batter was decorated in bright, funky colors that easily caught the eye. The glass display that Hinata stood behind was filled to the brim with brightly decorated desserts that was mostly Xin's doing.

"What're you doing here, Hyuga?" Anko came from the back, looking somewhat frustrated. Xin only smiled at her boss. Maybe it was that new baker Anko recently hired that was frustrating her. It didn't take much to get under the older woman's skin.

"My shift at Primary Lotus ended and I have nothing else to do so I decided to grace you with my presence."

"How unfortunate for us."

Xin flipped her boss off, ignoring Anko's laughter as she swept by towards her office. Xin leaned on the counter, smiling at her sister. "How are you doing so far, sis?"

"Well, it got a little overwhelming just a little while ago but I think I handled it okay," Hinata confessed sheepishly.

Xin grinned proudly. "You're a people-person so I'm not shocked. Do you think you'd want to learn how to bake? Bakers make more than cashiers."

Hinata looked thoughtful. "I suppose it would be a good idea. I'm sure I can't live off a cashier's salary forever," Hinata smiled playfully.

"You're getting paid pretty well for a cashier. Anko is so fleeting with money," Xin snorted while looking into the display case. "You think I can get a discount for one of these? I did make most of them.."

"Nope!" Anko called from the back. "You pay full price when you're off duty!"

Xin rolled her eyes and shook her head. The door chimed again, promptly Hinata warmly welcome the next customer. "Can I have a red bean bun, a coffee roll and a chocolate cornet?" She pointed at each dessert with a smile. "Oh and a fruit punch."

Hinata read her total and gave her the exact change. "That's a lot of sugar, Xin," She reminded her sister while picking up the desserts. "You'll ruin your appetite."

Xin shrugged and took the parcel and drink from her sister. "I usually don't indulge too often in sweets. I'll be fine by the time you get home," She moved to the side, walking towards one of the tables spread about the large bakery. Hinata quickly handled the other customer. Xin took immediate notice as the other patron settled to a table close to her. It was a young woman, maybe around Xin's age, and she was facing Xin. She had long dark brown hair and eyes to match. Xin didn't pay the girl much mind but she did notice that the girl kept looking up at her.

She was probably just realizing that she and Hinata were twins. People often did that once they realized they were seeing the exact same face for a second time. She wasn't really sure why, it wasn't like twins didn't exist but people still insisted on doing a double take when they saw them in the same room. Even so, the woman kept staring at her. It was to the point that Xin was sure it had nothing to do with being twins. She was staring for some other reason and it was getting on Xin's nerves.

"Are you okay, miss?" She asked, staring straight into the woman's eyes. Xin was never one to hold her tongue, even if she knew it would get her in trouble. "You've been staring since you sat down," She pointed out flatly. The brunette blinked like she was surprised Xin would call her out on her staring. Who wanted to be stared at while they're eating anyway?

"Oh…" the brunette trailed off. "I didn't realize I was staring," She admitted but didn't apologize for staring. Xin guessed she could have pushed the issue but decided to leave it at that. She finished the rest of her sweets and then got up to leave, shouting a quick goodbye to Hinata and Anko. The brunette watched her go, eyes slightly squinted as they followed Xin's path out the door. As soon as Xin left, a man swept in the bakery and towards the brunette. He sat down heavily, frowning all the while. It turned out to be the man Xin bumped into earlier that morning. "Anything?" the brunette prompted after a silent second.

"I tracked him down to an apartment building but he wasn't there," the man rubbed his jaw tiredly. "His scent ends there so he's probably using portals to travel between here and Suna."

The brunette frowned thoughtfully. "I suddenly caught a trace of his scent and followed it here. It turned out to be some girl.."

The man with the ponytail seemingly perked up. "Short woman, pale skin and dark blue hair?"

His companion frowned, tilting her head to the side. "How did you know that?"

"She ran into me this morning. Her and her sister," He nodded discreetly towards Hinata. "Live in that building. I caught some of his scent on her but I figured it was because she lives in the building."

"You think he's become acquainted with this girl?"

"It's a possibility but you know he isn't fond of humans."

"Well, she's still alive." The two sat in shared silence for several seconds. "I just don't understand why he's insisting on jumping back and forth like this. What could possibly have his attention like this?"

The burly brunet sighed and sagged in his chair. "I'm not sure but we'll figure it out. I'm sure he has a reasonable explanation for this."

"If his father finds out about this, I don't think he'll care for any of Gaara's explanations, reasonable or not," the woman frowned tightly. "I hope it doesn't have anything to do with that girl," her eyes darted to the door. "She asked me why I was staring at her."

"Why were you staring at her?"

"Because she had traces of Gaara's scent all over her!"

"Calm down, Matsuri."

Matsuri's face turned red and her eyes flickered ominously. "Don't you tell me to calm down, Jura. I'll calm down when we track him down and get some answers out of him."

Jura took a deep breath. "Matsuri, you know it's no one's business what Gaara does. If it doesn't involve Suna, we shouldn't worry. It's not like Gaara left Rasa completely hanging. He still has Temari and Kankuro."

Matsuri's face turned a darker shade. "It is my business and it doesn't matter if Temari and Kankuro are still there with him. Gaara is not in a position to be so fleeting! Especially with a human girl like that."

"We don't even know if he really has anything to do with that girl."

"Why are you defending her?"

"I'm not," Jura said quickly. Matsuri narrowed her eyes at him.

"She's human," She reminded him, the word rolling off of her tongue like it was acid. "She's a human girl."

"I know what she is, Matsuri. I'm just saying we don't know for sure if she anything to do with him. She might have just run into him like she ran into me."

Matsuri continued to squint at him suspiciously for a couple more seconds before slowly shaking her head. She balled up her trash and got up. "Well, perhaps we should watch the apartment building. Maybe he'll show back up…" She trailed off while throwing her trash away.

The two left as quickly as they came, missing the frown on Hinata's face as they left the store. She blinked for a second. "That was the man from this morning.." She muttered thoughtfully.

"I don't know if I should even give you yer' car back once it's up and running," Suigetsu frowned. "Yer' a lot more careless than I thought. Yer supposed to take better care of a car."

Xin resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Do I look like I know how to maintain a car?" She asked while folding her arms across her chest. "If the engine starts then that's all I need to hear."

"Yer' a moron."

"Oh, you have got some nerve you fuckin' abomination."

"Abomination?"

"You heard me."

"If ya couldn't cook, ya'd be shit outta luck, woman."

Xin shrugged indifferently. "What're friends for, right?"

"Oh, are we friends?"

"Only when it's convenient to me."

"Spoken like a true businessman's daughter."

Xin grinned widely and told Suigetsu about her day, listening in turn when he told her about his day. They avoided speaking about Karin, despite both of them having questions about the missing redhead. Xin wanted to know why the two were still even together but as Karin's friend, she wisely kept her mouth shut. Not that she didn't think they should be together. She thought Sui and Karin made a great couple despite getting on her nerves as a unit. But Karin's commitment issues was causing Xin to wonder why Suigetsu would stay with someone so unsure of their romantic future together. It seemed draining to her.

Sometimes she felt bad for Suigetsu. He clearly loved Karin more than she loved him. Hell, more than he loved himself and Xin guessed that's why he was willing to stay with her. She wanted Suigetsu to be happy but she wasn't sure if he would ever truly be happy with Karin. Of course she couldn't say any of that. Karin was her friend, after all. Her loyalty was to the redhead and it would go against Girl Code if she told Suigetsu that he was better off without Karin.

Relationships seemed like so much work. Sure, it must have been nice to have a significant other but she wondered if all the messy parts of relationships were really worth it. Love was such a funny concept to her. Karin constantly told her that her way of thinking was the reason why she was still single. And Xin guessed it was true but she couldn't understand why someone would sacrifice their happiness the way Suigetsu did. She didn't want to understand why. Love was a poisonous thing and she hoped she'd never be twisted around like him.

"You sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Xin offered politely when they neared her building. She stood at the entrance and turned to Suigetsu, a friendly smile on her face. He got on her nerves all of the time but she still cherished him as a friend.

Suigetsu rubbed the back of his neck. "Nah, that's okay. Thanks for offerin' though," He smiled down at her and wrapped his arm around her torso for a quick hug. "Stay outta trouble, shorty," He kissed her head goodbye and turned away. Xin only snorted and waved after him until he turned a corner. As she made her way up to her floor, she wondered vaguely if Gaara would be waiting for her. Not that she cared either way but she hadn't seen the psycho for a good week. She just wasn't in the mood to have a heart attack if he decided to come flying out of the closet to choke her.

The little woman stood outside her apartment door, looking down at her hands. Of course she wouldn't admit it out loud but Gaara was right. She'd done something...odd the first day they met. She couldn't explain what exactly is was but it was something. Something pure. Something otherworldly. But something told her that it wasn't possible. She was normal. She was human. She was a normal human girl. She lived a normal life and had a normal childhood. There was never any oddities growing up. But still...there was no denying whatever came bursting out of her to protect her from Gaara and dispel whatever the fuck he'd been doing to her.

Xin groaned softly and rubbed her eyes fiercely. She shook her head and rooted around in her bag for her keys. She had more important things to worry about than folklore.

Demons did not exist.

Gaara did not exist.

It was all in her head.

She was being stalked.

Not by Gaara. Because he didn't exist. No, she simply told herself that he was a figment of her imagination. It was a stressful week and she just conjured him up due to temporary hysteria. Hysteria actually ran deep in the Hyuga family. Not that anyone in the family would admit to it because then the family wouldn't seem so perfect. Then again, she's tested positive for OCD but that's probably nothing compared to hysteria. Xin actually wouldn't be surprised if she got hit with a bout of hysteria.

She was being stalked by someone else. By two people, this time around. At first, she thought it was just a coincidence but with each passing day, she kept seeing that tall brunet man she ran into in front of her apartment building and that woman who kept staring at her at the bakery. She'd thought nothing of the man at first because like Hinata said, he could possibly live in the same building as them. But then he began popping up in front of the bakery or she'd see him a block or two away from the gym. And she'd sometimes see him or that woman across the street from her building. She wasn't really sure why the two were keeping tabs on her but maybe it had something to do with her family.

Xin wasn't really concerned with the notion of being stalked until Hinata pointed the two out to her. She was sure that if things got critical, she could take the woman. She kind of looked like a wimp. The man might be a problem. That still didn't put Hinata's worries to rest. Of course she didn't want her sister to fight with some random strangers but Xin was a rather bullheaded person.

One particular night had Xin in a unpleasant mood. Her early shift at the bakery was brutal while her shift at the gym left her battered and bruised. Hinata ambled next to her, her arm tightly twisted around Xin's arm. She'd taken an accidental punch to the head and Hinata worried that she might have a concussion. The younger twin wasn't all that concerned but the said couldn't be the said for the older twin.

"That fucker punched me in the head on purpose," Xin grumbled as they turned down their street. "Hope I knocked a couple of screws loose in that big ass head of his," She continued with her grumbling, smiling evilly while remembering her kick to her opponent's face. That kick ended the rather brutal match between the two. Gai had been a bit concerned for Xin's state of health and reported it to Hinata when she stopped by at the gym on her way home.

"Sometimes I really hate that job of yours," Hinata sighed from next to her. Xin discreetly tried to pull her arm free but Hinata held on tightly. Xin hissed through her teeth when Hinata's nails suddenly dug deeply into her skin. "It's those two again…" She trailed off quietly, eyes straying across the street. Xin followed her gaze, frowning tightly when she spotted the man and woman sitting on a bench across their building. They hadn't taken notice of the twins, opting to obsessively stare at the building. They were speaking quickly to one another but the twins couldn't quite hear them.

"I've had enough of those two," Xin growled and snatched her hand away from Hinata. The older twin stumbled back with a gasp, giving Xin the opportunity to storm across the street. "Hey!" She shouted loudly, hands balled tightly at her sides as she continued her stride towards the now confused duo. "I am so sick of seeing you two motherfuckers every single time I turn around!"

"Excuse me!?" the brunette stood up in a flourish, ignoring her companion's quiet insistence that she sit back down.

"Excuse me?" Xin mocked snidely. "You heard me, you fuckin' stalker! The hell you want from us?" Xin stepped onto the sidewalk, although it did nothing for her height. The brunette was probably a good three or four inches taller than her but hell if that would stop her. She literally just took a punch to the head by an idiot that was probably 5'10 and put him down with a kick to the face. She could take this girl. The man slowly stood up, looking in between his partner and Xin. He was much taller than both girls but that wouldn't stop her from punching him right in his throat. Didn't matter how tall people were, no one could take being punched in the throat. "Oh, what, am I supposed to be scared cuz' you stood up?" She snarled at him, stopping right in front of the two. "I am so sick of you two motherfuckers popping up every time I open my goddamn eyes!"

"We aren't stalking you, you short pyscho," the brunette snarled right back.

"Oh, oh, you're not? So you just happen to be outside of my gym, our bakery we work at, right outside of our apartment building, like right goddamn now? No? What would you call that, huh?" Xin demanded just as Hinata finally made her way across the street. She nearly collided into her sister in her haste, scrambling to drag her away from the two.

"Xin! Stop it, are you crazy?" Hinata demanded shrilly. "Wait, don't answer that," She muttered quickly. "Either way, stop it, you're creating a scene. We need to get inside and ice your bruises," She pulled at Xin's arm, hoping this scene wouldn't spiral into violence.

"Listen to your sister," the man tried to say soothingly. That seemed to agitate Xin even more.

"I would but you motherfuckers are testing me!" She nearly shrieked. "I am sick of this shit! Ever since that motherfucker—" She stopped ranting, face twisting up for some unknown reason.

"Ever since who?" the brunette pressed, stepping closer to Xin. Hinata took immediate notice of the brunette's close proximity and pulled Xin further back. She slipped an arm around Xin's shoulders and started to pull her into the street. "Ever since who?" the brunette demanded almost shrilly, following after them.

"No one," Xin bared her teeth at the girl. "You and iron giant over there need to back the fuck off. I am not above hitting a girl in her chest."

"Matsuri," the brunet grabbed Matsuri's shoulder, halting her from going after Xin. "Uh...sorry...it's just a misunderstanding," He pulled Matsuri backwards. Misunderstanding her ass. Those two were stalking her and Hinata.

"Right," Hinata agreed softly. "Just a misunderstanding," She stepped off of the curb and into the street, pulling Xin with her. "Hopefully a misunderstanding that won't happen again," She spoke lightly but her underlying threat rang clear for the two still on the sidewalk. The twins turned sharply with Hinata pulling Xin towards their building with strength that didn't belong in her small body. Matsuri and Jura watched the little twins go, slightly speechless.

"There's no way that woman interacted with Gaara," Jura said after a long minute of silence. Matsuri craned her neck back to look at him, waiting for him to continue his train of thoughts. "That woman was fully prepared to fight us. She would've swung if hadn't been for her sister. Didn't even blink when I stood up and you know small humans usually back down once they see how tall I am."

Matsuri nodded along to his words because it was true. "There's no way Gaara would tolerate a woman like that. Her mouth is something vicious. But did you notice how she stopped as soon as she began mentioning the other motherfucker? It could be Gaara she's talking about…"

"I don't know, Matsuri but we were too lenient and thought she wouldn't notice us hanging around. Let's return to Suna, give it a few more days and then continue. If Gaara is still in this vicinity, that woman will ruin us tracking him down," Jura decided, still staring at the building. Matsuri frowned but agreed, stepping off to an abandoned alleyway to open a portal. No one noticed the two step through it or it closing up.

Xin had an odd feeling in her stomach as Hinata continued to drag her towards the elevators. "Are you crazy?" Hinata asked when they stepped onto the elevator. Xin didn't answer. "What were you thinking, Xin? That was so stupid, you could've been hurt! Or killed!"

"I'm here for a good time, not a long time…"

"Xin!" Hinata exclaimed in exasperation. "This is not the time for song references! You really could have been hurt," Hinata reached up to Xin's temple, noticing the quick discoloration. "Why would you just go at them guns blazing like that?" Hinata asked, trying to keep her voice down. Xin folded her arms and shrugged indifferently as the elevator made its climb to the top floor. Hinata berated her the entire, annoyed with Xin's short fuse and lacking attitude.

"They're stalking us and they want to be mad because I confronted them about it? Where does that make sense at? Not here!" Xin was ranting by the time they made it to the top floor. "Next time I'm definitely punching one of them in their shit," Xin pratically snarled as they made their way down the hall. Hinata sighed, wondering why she even bothered. She fished her keys out of her bag and unlocked the door. An odd feeling overtook her, momentarily halting her in the doorway. Xin frowned, too tired to notice, and gently nudged at her sister's back.

Something wasn't right.

The two ventured into their apartment, heading to the living. Like at the doorway, Hinata paused in the archway. Xin made a small noise behind her and leaned over, flicking on the lights. The lights flooded the room and Hinata froze, blood running cold at the sight she was presented with.

She didn't immediately react so Xin was mostly unaware until she slowly looked over. Her lips twisted up and then opened, letting out a long suffering sigh. "Do you see him too?" She asked after a long second of stunned silence. Hinata looked at her sister, wondering how she could possibly stay calm when someone broke into their apartment. She nodded slowly, wondering if she should go grab the bat by the front door. "Yeah, thought so," Xin muttered almost sullenly. She ducked past Hinata, ignoring her whispered protests not to go near him. Xin paused at the back of the couch, leaning over to see Gaara with half-lidded eyes. "Oi, what'd I tell you about breaking in here like this?" She roughly nudged Gaara's head, tilting her head to the side when his head lolled backwards. "What's wrong with you?"

She leaned over the couch only to recoil in horror. "Jesus Christ! What happened to your leg?" She demanded shrilly while darting around the couch. His leg was a bloody mess with a medium sized dagger sticking out of his leg. Xin wasn't too sure but it almost seemed like the dagger was actually glowing. "Is that shit glowing?"

"Nevermind that," Gaara finally spoke, voice grating against his throat. "Stop shouting and get it out."

"Are you crazy? I'm not touching that shit, do I look like a doctor to you?! You pull it out!" Xin shrilly screeched back at him. "Besides, you'll bleed all over my couches."

"Woman, I swear to whatever God you believe in, if you don't pull this shit out right now, I'm going to tear your throat out. With my teeth."

Xin grimaced, eyes darting between his face and the dagger. It was glowing. Her stomach turned. "Why can't you pull it out? It looks like it's in there deep."

"Because," he gnashed his teeth together. "The fuckin' dagger is blessed, so I can't pull it out," He nearly snarled at her. Xin scowled down at him, shoulders slumped in defeat. She muttered something about getting blood all over her couch but finally relented and moved closer to him.

"Hina, go get some towels," Xin ordered, kneeling at the couch by his injured leg. She was right, the dagger was plunged up to its hilt in his leg. Hinata hurried off, wondering what the hell her sister had gotten into this time around. She came back moments later, shoving the towels into her sister's hands and then quickly backing off. "Well, I'm going to count to three, okay?"

"If you must…"

"One, two—" Xin never made it to three, ripping the dagger out of his leg unexpectedly. Gaara let out a mix between a shout of anger and a growl of pain but Xin paid it no mind. She dove in with the towels, pressing them to his leg to stop the bloodflow. She wasn't really concerned about him losing blood. She really didn't want to get his blood on her couch. Blood was a bitch to get out. "When did my life get to this point?" She began to mutter to herself.

"What happened to your face?" Gaara suddenly sat up, shoving her hand away from his leg. Now that the damn blessed dagger was out, it would heal just fine. That bruise on her head, however, wouldn't heal so quickly. Xin frowned when his fingertips brushed against her skin.

"Don't touch me when your hands all bloodied like that," She hissed, dodging away from his clawed fingertips. "It's from a boxing match, why do you care anyway?"

"I don't."

"So it makes sense that you'd ask about something you don't care about."

Gaara glared at her but she shrugged and stood up to get rid of the bloodied towels. He finally took notice of her wide eyed sister. "What's the matter with her?" He asked blandly, not really concerned with her.

Xin glanced at her sister when she stepped back into the living room. "That's a stupid question and you know it," She rolled her eyes and approached her sister. "Hinata, are you going to be okay? Why don't you sit down and I'll try to explain the best I can, yeah?" She asked soothingly while grabbing Hinata. She steered her into the kitchen, away from Gaara, and sat her down at the small table. Xin tried her best to explain everything to Hinata, realizing how ridiculous it all sounded with each passing moment.

"Annnnd now he won't leave me alone."

"Why does he think you aren't normal?"

So maybe she left some things out. So what? How the hell was she supposed to explain what she did? She still didn't even believe she did anything to warrant his accusations of not being normal.

"I'unno, cuz' I hit him with my car?"

Hinata wasn't convinced with the awful lie but decided to leave it alone for now. "So demons really exist."

Xin sat back in her chair and sighed heavily. "Apparently."

"And you managed to hit one with your car."

"Seems so."

"And you just pulled a blessed dagger out of his leg."

"That's what he said."

"You realize how ridiculous this sounds, don't you?"

"Tell that to the demon who just bled all over the place due to a poorly misplaced dagger."

Hinata dropped her head into her arms. Now Xin's odd moods as of late was making a whole lot of sense. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't just literally witnessed it," Hinata said while slowly picking her head back up. "Mom was sort of right when she said you might be having boy troubles."

"Ew, I don't think so."

Hinata let out a tired laugh. Xin frowned at her sister, feeling guilty for throwing all this nonsense on her all of a sudden. "Why don't you go to bed, Hinata? You've had a long day."

"And leave you alone with a demon? No way."

Xin smiled, ignoring the loud growl that emanated from the living room. "It'll be fine, Hinata. Really. I've stabbed him and hit him with a car."

"You caught me off guard both times, woman," Gaara appeared in the doorway, leisurely leaning against the frame. He studied the sisters with low eyes, noting the small differences between them. They both stared at him, unblinking.

"It still happened," Xin decided after a moment of silence. She stood up, pulling Hinata to her feet. "Go. I'll be fine, I promise. You need to get some sleep. He's not going to hurt me."

It took some more gentle coaxing but Hinata finally left the kitchen. She left her bedroom door open a crack, intent on running to Xin's aide if she needed it. "How do you know I won't hurt you?" Gaara asked, watching Hinata walk away. Something pure stirred in her, just like her sister. Interesting.

Xin folded her arms across her chest and shrugged. "I don't," She answered truthfully. "But enough of that. What happened to your leg?"

"I was stabbed."

"No shit, Sherlock. Who stabbed you?"

"There are humans aware of our existence. Paranoid, nosy creatures."

"No shit? A human stabbed you? Man, that's gotta hurt your pride, yeah?" Xin grinned widely, chuckling at his misfortune. "I'd love to meet the human who stabbed you with a blessed dagger, of all things."

"That's unfortunate. I killed him."

Xin's grin and chuckles vanished within seconds of his statement. "You...you murdered a person?"

"That's what I said."

Xin stared at the much taller man, frowning softly. She was standing in a room with a murderous demon. She invited a murderous demon into her home. Well, technically he broke in but she kept letting him back. She helped him! She helped a murderer. Gaara pushed off of the frame and ambled closer to her. Xin's neck craned back, chin lifting to look him right in the eye. "Are you scared?" He asked quietly, invading her personal space and forcing her to tilt her head further back to look him in the eye. She didn't reply but he could just smell the fesf wafting from her. "You should be."

And she was. But Xin was never one to admit her weaknesses out loud. So Xin resolved her nerve, squared her shoulders and scowled harshly up at him. "Don't make me get that blessed dagger. Although this time, I'll make sure you can't get back up," She threatened quietly, baring her dull teeth at him.

Gaara watched in almost rapt fascination as fiery determination overtook the fear swimming in her eyes. "Did you just threaten me, woman?"

Her eyes narrowed. Fear still rolled off of her body but the smell of it was now mixed with traces of her determination and he'd be lying if he said he didn't like the smell of it. Xin suddenly moved around him, leaving the kitchen to pick up the bloodstained dagger. It was heavy in her little hands and was decorated with odd symbols. It still possessed a faint glow. She flipped it over in her hands, careful not to nick herself. This could have killed Gaara. If she'd just left it, the blessing could have easily purified him.

Why the fuck did she help him?

She could still stab him. She stabbed him once with a regular knife. She could do it again and this time, end everything before it could bloom into catastrophe. She had no business dealing with the supernatural. She had no place among folklore. So what was stopping her? Xin grabbed one of the towels that had been spared and wrapped the dagger up. She'd keep the dagger just in case. There was a loud pop behind but Xin didn't bother to turn.

He'd left as quickly as he came.

Xin's P.O.V

I went through the trouble of convincing myself that Gaara was just a figment of my imagination only to have him show up and have that dream of normality crash and burn. Hinata didn't come out for breakfast. It didn't really surprise me. She did just witness me save a demon from being killed by a blessed dagger, of all things. I'm surprised she didn't pack her shit up and return to our parents. The only reason why I didn't run the other way was because Gaara wouldn't let me. But even so, we still had to get on with life. Demons or not.

I leaned against her bedroom door and knocked lightly. "Come on, Hinata. You can't just stay in your room all day. Come out and talk to me," I spoke gently through the door, hoping she would listen. She usually wasn't this stubborn. I didn't expect the door to abruptly swing open and I nearly tumbled into her. Jesus, what was she doing, standing on the other side just waiting?

"Were you ever going to tell us?"

Okay, see, here's the thing people don't understand about my sister. While it's true that out of the Hyuga sisters, she's the even-tempered one, she still has a temper. She was a lot like our mom. Hanabi and I mostly took after Hiashi while Hinata was mostly like Masami. Usually when Hinata got to her breaking point, I back off. But for some odd reason, I didn't feel like backing off. "Don't ask dumb questions, Hinata. No, I was never going to tell any of you."

Her face turned red in agitation. "Are you crazy? What if he killed you? How were we supposed to know if something happened to you?"

"I was doing just fine handling him."

Hinata let out a noise of frustration while throwing her hands up. "This is just like you, I swear."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Hinata looked at me sharply. "You always do things like this, you make horrible decisions and when they blow up in your face, you don't want to tell anyone!" Hinata ran her hands through her hair, ruffling her hair messily.

"I don't tell any of you anything because you constantly try to control me!" I shouted back, already fed up. "Why do you think I left and stay away all the time? And let's be reasonable, Hinata, if I called about being stalked by a fuckin' demon, my ass would be shipped out to an insane asylum!"

"You know that isn't true."

"Oh come on, Hinata, grow up! We're adults here, we can speak truthfully," I snapped snidely. "Why not give our parents all the reason they need to ship off their crazy daughter to some happy farm far away from the Hyuga name?"

"Oh stop it with the pity-party!" Hinata snapped right back. My mouth almost dropped open. "Enough, Xin! Enough! This is not about the family name! This is about you making stupid decisions and becoming angry when you're being criticized! You grow up!" She shouted in agitation. A tense silence sank over us. I wished I was arguing with anyone other than Hinata. If she'd been anyone else, I would've punched them right in the mouth. But this was my sister, my best friend, and I couldn't punch her. I wouldn't. My fingers tightened into fists but they remained at my side.

"I need some air," I declared tensely. I turned sharply, angrily yanking on my ratty sneakers and promptly fled. Maybe I'd run into that girl Matsuri and her tall stalker friend. Maybe I could punch one of them in the face. I didn't really have a destination in mind so I ended up at Tenten's family's restaurant, Dragon's Way. Mr. and Mrs. Shào were currently out and the restaurant was closed until two in the afternoon but I waltzed right in.

"You in, Tenten?" I called loudly, looking around the deserted restaurant. I hoped she was, I didn't feel like heading over to Karin's apartment. Last time I showed up unannounced, I got an eyeful of things I had no business of seeing.

Tenten ducked out the back kitchen, frowning. "Can't you read? The sign says closed," She pointed out, motioning to the sign.

I expertly ignored her snide comments. "Where's Xiurong?" I asked rudely, looking around for her mother. Xiurong was the better cook out of her and Tenten. I mean, Tenten was alright but couldn't throw down like her mom.

"My parents are out visiting my aunt. The store is closed for the day," Tenten eyed me. "What do you want?"

I clambered onto the stool, leaning my arms on the countertop. "Gong Bao chicken with a side of dumplings?" I asked, hoping she'd be nice enough to make it. Out of the three of us, Tenten was probably the nicest one. "And some fried egg rolls."

Tenten paused with a thoughtful look about her. "You usually don't have fried egg rolls. Are you upset? Did something happen?" She asked with just a hint of concern to her voice. Okay, so I ate unhealthy when I was upset. Who doesn't? We were all allowed to binge-eat at some point in our lives, right? Jesus, what's with everyone and the questions lately?

"Hina and I had a fight."

"Seriously? What did you do?"

"How do you know I did something?" I asked defensively. Tenten didn't reply, fixing me with an unimpressed look. Okay, that was a stupid question, I guess. I only shrugged, trying hard not to pout. "She said I make stupid decisions and then I get angry when critiqued."

Tenten turned away, gathering the ingredients. "Well...yeah? So?" Tenten asked slowly. I looked back at her, scowling offensively.

"I don't make stupid decisions," I insisted. I didn't deny getting angry about being criticized because who liked being criticized? No one.

Tenten looked at me with her chin tilted down and her eyebrows quirked. "You make stupid decisions all the time, Xin. It's who you are as a person."

"Name one stupid decision I've made."

"Moving out of your parents' home?"

"That wasn't stupid."

"You basically ran away, you vagrant."

"I am not a vagrant, She-Hulk. And speaking of hulking out, what the fuck was with that display of strength between you, Karin and Sui?"

"What are you talking about?"

"When we moved Hinata in. Y'all picked up all the heavy shit like it was nothing. Since when have you been that strong?"

"I work out."

"Karin doesn't."

"This isn't about me, Xin," Tenten suddenly pointed out with an edge to her voice. I frowned at that. Why was she being so defensive? It wasn't like she was hiding something. "What'd you and Hina fight about?"

I took the bait, deciding not to point out that she changed the subject. "Lately I noticed that we're being stalked," I started to explain. Okay, so that's not what we were arguing about but hell if I would tell Tenten. "I may or may not have had a confrontation with the stalkers."

"You threatened the people who were stalking you, didn't you?"

"Well what was I supposed to do?" I asked crossly. "They both looked like wimps anyway."

"Somehow I doubt that's what Hinata was worried about. People are crazy, Xin. You can't just go around threatening people. You don't know what they're capable of these days," Tenten reprimanded me firmly while turning away to prepare the food. Well as long as they didn't turn out to be fuckin' demons, I think I'd mostly be alright. I doubt Thing one and Thing two were anything but harmless. They seemed like two idiots. They couldn't even stalk right. Tenten cooked the order and served it to me before sitting down across from me. "It's not like you two to argue like this. Dealing with those stalkers must have really bothered Hinata. She usually lets you do what you want. Try to understand where she's coming from, yeah?"

My mouth twisted stubbornly but I nodded slowly. I guess I could understand why she'd be upset about my involvement with Gaara but it was pretty much out of my control. It's not like I willingly held the door open for him. He just came and went as he pleased. I stabbed him, for fuck sakes, what else could I do to let them all know I wanted nothing to do with Gaara? And what would have calling my parents done? What, was he supposed to listen to them because they're adults? Somehow I doubt it.

Either way, losing my temper the way I did wasn't fair to Hinata. She was worried and scared. I guess she did have every right to be frustrated with my blase attitude. Begrudgingly, I shoved a fried egg roll into my mouth. Jesus I was going to have to go the gym to burn off this unhealthy intake. "Yeah, I'll probably stop by the bakery and get her some of those cookies she likes so much."

"You know sweets aren't the answer to everything."

"No, but they're the answer to some things."

TeeBeMe:Trying to come up with a name for a Chinese restaurant without sounding stereotypical is hard. I wanted to make it known that it's a Chinese establishment in Japan without sounding so stereotypical. I was binge-watching the first two sagas of Dragon Ball Z and named it Dragon's Way after Snake Way. Hope it's not offensive but if it is, let me know and I'll change it to something else.

lilian: Okay so when I first started Shades of Cool, Xin's dark characteristics belonged to Gaara. But then I switched it to Xin being the more darker of two. Shades of Cool is actually a song by Lana Del Rey and the pre-chorus "But I can't fix him, can't make him better, And I can't do nothing about his strange weather" and the actual chorus "But you are unfixable, I can't break through your world, Cause you live in shades of cool, Your heart is unbreakable". The line, "He prays for love, he prays for peace, and maybe someone new" represented that. However, I ended up changing Xin to the darker character but still felt inspired by the lines. In a sense, I felt like the song kind of represented both of them and their relationship. It's about a painful relationship and wanting to fix the other person but realizing they can't. I hope this cleared it up for you! Hopefully Whispers in the Dark's connection is easier to understand :p

fatjack36: Demon Gaara is a lot of fun to write. It's different writing him as the dark character and not Xinny but it's still fun because Xin is still a psycho in her own way, lol. Hope you enjoyed!

moonlight46: Thank you! She loves and appreciates you and your review! So glad this story is fun

marinaa07: I'm glad their relationship is realistic enough to be compared to yours and your sister's growing up. I'm liking the more aggressive and demonic Gaara as well, him and Xin are still so fun to write.

SoberThoughts: No my dear, thank you for the support! I hope you liked this update as well.