A/N: Warning, there's some light explicit content in this chapter. I'll place a warning when it starts and when it ends.
Xin wished she could have said life went back to normal in the following weeks that bled into a month. But that would be a big fat lie and Xin wasn't one for lies so let her be the first to say life got even weirder. Mostly because of Gaara, Naruto and Jura's presence. Despite what any one of them might say, they quickly integrated into the twins' life. Tenten and Suigetsu accepted it easily, Neji more so begrudgingly accepted it but Karin detested the very notion.
For reasons no one could really explain, the trio of demons seemed to just flock to the twins' sides. They tended to walk with them whenever they set foot out the door. Gaara and Naruto tended to pop up at the end of the night to walk them home from the bakery or Xin from her gym. Jura tended to show up in the morning, usually by himself, but still willing to walk the two to classes and work. Xin and Hinata also practiced honing their spiritual abilities. They had somewhat of a difficult time since none of their friends could really advise them what they were doing right and what they were doing wrong. Despite that, their friends still made an honest effort to help them out.
"Your shift must be over," Moegi grinned as she sauntered into the back kitchen. She quirked a brow at the sight of Xin and Ami glaring at one another. Xin's face, as per usual, was covered in flour. "Your scary boyfriend is here."
Xin broke the glaring contest first, head whipping around to scowl at Moegi. "That psycho isn't my boyfriend," She snapped at the other girl, untying her apron. Moegi wondered how Xin managed to keep the apron relatively clean. Maybe because everything ended up on her face. Xin looked at Ami with a dry look before throwing the wrinkled apron at her face.
"You pocket-monster!" Ami yelled at Xin's fleeing back, cackles following her out of the kitchen. Moegi sighed, trying to hide the smile pulling at her lips.
Xin found Gaara sitting by the window, glaring at anyone who glanced at him for too long. "Oi, oi, quit glaring at everyone like that. You're scaring the shit out of customers," Xin scolded, pulling on her jacket. She barely even realized the summer months were slowly fading away into Autumn. He stood up with a grunt, standing over her. "Anko will rip my shit to pieces if you run her customers off with that look of yours."
Moegi watched the two look, the intimidating redhead dwarfing Xin. She wondered where in God's name had she met the man in the first place. He looked like some gangster, as handsome as he may be. As unorthodox as Xin's personality seemed, she still came from a wealthy background. She went to the best schools and socialized with Japan's high society. She was born with a diamond encrusted silver spoon in her mouth. Xin had no business associating with a man like that. As odd as she may be, she was still apart of the upper echelon. And what's more, he had to be a couple more years older than her.
"Maybe they met at her gym?" Moegi unintentionally spoke out loud, watching as Xin had to crane her neck backwards just to look him in the eye. It was almost comical how vastly different the two obviously were, they were like night and day.
The redhead suddenly looked over his shoulder, directing a mean look at Moegi. The younger girl visibly flinched backwards at the look, nearly shrinking in on herself. Xin seemingly happened to look as well, discreetly elbowing the man in the side. "I'll see you later, Mo!" She waved with a great big grin.
Moegi did not like this new boyfriend.
"Boyfriend?" Gaara prompted as the door swung shut behind them. A few people were still throwing glances out at them through the window. He shot them one last look that could have frozen Hell. "Is that what that human referred to me as?"
"She also called you scary," Xin added thoughtlessly. "Wait, you could hear her? We were in the back kitchen."
Gaara folded his arms across his broad chest. "Of course I could hear her. I also heard you call me a psycho," He glanced down at her, scowling all the while. Xin had the sense to look sheepish, turning her eyes away.
"It's not the worst I've called you," She replied innocently. "And besides, you come in there glaring at everyone like you're some psycho anyway. I'm sure I'm not the only one who said it," She snorted. His scowl became darker but Xin only shoved her hands into her pockets, eyes still drawn to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. The lights danced across her pale face, illuminating her features almost eerily.
For a month he tried to figure out what it was about her that drew him to her. She hadn't asked why he kept popping back up into her life recently but he figured she wondered about it. He had no ties to her, no obligations, no need to be around her.
And yet, he kept coming back.
Unlike him, Naruto was quite vocal about wanting to be around the twins. They interested him with their quirky personalities and rare heritage. Although Gaara felt like Naruto's interest was leaning more towards Hinata, which was odd because it seemed like Naruto's personality matched Xin's personality more than Hinata's shy disposition. They were both rather...obnoxious in an endearing way. A very odd feeling settled over him at the thought of Naruto preferring Xin. It's just...perhaps they were too much alike. Yes, Hinata balanced out quite well with Naruto. So he guessed that meant Xin balanced him out as well.
And he supposed those words were true, which was even more odd because he often felt like choking the life out of her. She was just so..combative. She probably had the worst temper he ever encountered, which was saying a lot since he often believed he was the one with the terrible temper. The temper on this tiny woman was fierce and she wasn't afraid to get violent. He had the scar to prove it.
But all around, she was fun. Xin challenged him, traded verbal blow for blow and refused to back down even when he snarled threats into her face. She had an interesting sense of humor, often teasing him for things that he would have killed others for. She spoke to him like he was person, not a demon to be feared. She scowled at him when he was being rude and told him exactly how she felt about his attitude.
Perhaps he just liked her. Hell if he would admit that to anyone but he liked the girl. Well maybe if Naruto seriously asked him but otherwise, hell if he'd say it out loud.
But deep down, there was something in him that just wanted to….break her. He wasn't sure if it was because she was a miko and he was a demon. She was pure and it was nearly woven in him to want to taint her. He was, by nature, a sadistic asshole. He knew that. Hell, Xin knew that. It was a known fact. Even so, the fact that he wanted to break her made him feel...not right. She didn't do anything to warrant such a thing. Okay, she stabbed him, but he was over that and it wasn't like he didn't deserve it. He was, after all, trying to strangle her.
He just wanted to bend her until she snapped, to see how she would react. He wanted to see what was under the anger, he wanted to crack her open and see her at her most vulnerable. It was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
But God, he just wanted to break her.
"Gaara?"
A small arm slithered around his arm, hand settling at his wrist. He felt the scrape of her nails against his skin, lighting his veins on liquid fire. He wanted to jerk away from her but he held his composure. Xin peered up at him, eyebrow quirked with a bit of amusement in her gaze. "It's not like you to space out. We'll miss the light," She nodded to the stoplight that was glowing red. He hadn't even realized they stopped at the would she know if it wasn't like him to space out or not?
His wrist was tingling.
"I'm fine," Gaara answered gruffly, shaking her grip. She let go without a fight, an almost apologetic smile pulling at her lips. She moved away with her hands raised in surrender. She nearly backed away into an older man standing slightly behind her but Gaara quickly snatched her away before she could.
"If walking me home is frustrating, you don't need to bother with it," Xin said as he pulled her across the street. She went willingly, not bothering to pull away from his strong grip. "I'm sure you have more important things to do than walking some girl back to her apartment."
Oh but she wasn't just some girl now, was she?
Gaara beat the snide voice back into the dark corner of his mind.
"Aren't you needed in Suna?" She continued to talk, oblivious to his warring mind. One part of him wanted to keep her at safe distance, another part of him wanted to break her down into nothing. And the last remaining part of him?
Oh, he won't think about that part.
"I'm needed here," Gaara replied plainly. His hand was still coiled around her but Xin didn't seem to take notice of it. She made a funny face, head tilted to the side in thought but smiled once more.
"If you're sure," Xin hummed, shrugging leisurely. Her apartment came into view, relieving him. Xin pulled away from his grip, spinning on one heel so that her back was to the building. It was a wonder she didn't manage to fall. Still oblivious to his thoughts, she folded her arms behind her back and angled her smile at him. She swayed her hips to the side, looking innocent but a little wary. "Um," She rolled her lips together, eyes darting to look at the ground. "Look, um, I know you don't like me much and I know you've got more exciting things to do than to walk some girl home…"
Blankly he wondered why she thought she was just some girl.
"But I really do appreciate it," her face took on some color. "Life has been really...weird lately, especially with these damn rogue demons and Masuyo's psychotic ass.."
"Masuyo?" Gaara frowned, squinting slightly. That name sounded oddly familiar. Xin finally looked up at him, a little confused as she regarded him.
"They...didn't tell you?" She asked slowly. "Oh, well I guess they wouldn't. It doesn't necessarily involve you and you're already hunting down those rogue demons so I'm not surprised."
"What…" He trailed off, wondering if he should really ask about this Masuyo. She said it herself, it didn't involve him. She didn't expect anything from him. Whatever was wrong had nothing to do with him. "What about this 'Masuyo' person?" He asked anyway, knowing he was probably damning himself. Xin looked surprised that he wanted to know. She hesitated, reaching up to pull at her braided hair. It was long, he vaguely noted, watching as she pulled a little too hard at her hair.
"It's kind of hard to explain but…" Xin trailed off but then launched into a summarized version of Masuyo and Kuraim. She kept her voice low and for some reason he was not going to explain, he found comfort in her voice.
"So you mean to tell me two demons from your ancestors' past are hunting you and your sister down for something you have no control over."
Xin blinked, slightly amused that he summarized her summary. "Well, yes," She blinked quickly, eyelashes fluttering. "You basically summed up what I summed up," She laughed and it sounded like bells.
Fuck, he needed to get away from this girl.
Before either could say much else, Jura came waltzing down the street. "Oi, Gaara!" He waved, noticing the tall redhead first. He spotted Xin's head just barely over Gaara's shoulder. "Xin!" He grinned widely and bypassed Gaara completely to get to her. To Gaara's complete surprise and utter annoyance, Jura swamped Xin with his arms. Xin looked a bit surprised but didn't fight the hug off, smiling slowly.
"Hi, Jura," She hummed serenely as he nuzzled her cheek. She seemed completely at ease in Jura's embrace and it pissed Gaara the hell off.
"What are you doing here, Jura?" Gaara asked his old friend. Jura pulled away slowly, his hands lingering at Xin's waist. She was completely unaware, smiling when he pulled away. Gaara felt like prying the damn demon off her.
"I was looking for you, man. I need to talk to you."
Xin seemed to understand and backed away from the two. "Well, then, you're needed, Gaara. I'll head up, I'm sure Hinata is wondering what's taking so long. Thanks for walking me. I'll see you later. Or not. I won't hold it against you."
And there it was. She was telling him that it was alright if he dropped this odd habit of seeing her home. She wouldn't hold it against him if he stopped coming. What a funny thing. From the moment they met, she'd been trying to get rid of him. And while her protests hadn't bothered him before, he found them amusing, it bothered him now.
"Good night," She hummed before vanishing through the front doors of the building. Gaara watched until she stepped into the elevator before turning away. He glanced at Jura, who'd been watching her as well, before sighing.
"Come on," He nodded and set off. Gaara led Jura from Xin's middle class neighborhood to a more upscale one. It caused Jura to frown as they trekked through the neighborhood. Once Naruto and Gaara agreed to help out with the demonic infestation, Neji decided to put the two up in one of the Hyuga's townhouses. He found it odd that the Hyuga family owned such a nice house yet the two oldest girls were living below what they were used to.
The living room was the largest room in the townhouse, with dark wood floors and pale gray walls. A deep gray high-back tufted couch sat against one wall of the living room with a white fur rug laid out in front of it. A circular glass coffee table was situated in front of the couch, a vase of colorful flowers sitting on top of it along with a neat stack of books. A large screen television sat opposite of the couch, a pale gray staircase leading upstairs behind it. Down the short hallway was a tall doorway leading into a freakishly white kitchen. Jura didn't bother to go in there, somewhat nervous that he'd knock something over and stain the pristine room. Off to the side was a medium-sized bathroom with a luxurious looking bathtub.
The walls of the downstairs area were decorated with tasteful art and every surface had a vase of blooming flowers. Jura assumed that the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs were just as luxurious as the downstairs area. This was the sort of place Gaara expected Xin and Hinata to live in. He could tell, even without Neji's information, that the girls were raised in a wealthy atmosphere. So why they living where they were was a mystery to him.
"This is a nice place," Jura whistled, eyes traveling the living room. He took a careful seat at the couch, eyes still roaming. Gaara didn't bother to sit, eyeing his friend and just waiting for him to drop the bomb. "Right," Jura cleared his voice once he realized Gaara didn't give a fuck how nice the place was. "Rasa is getting...antsier…" Jura started out slowly. "I'm not sure what they've been telling him but your sister told me he keeps asking about your presence. Gaara, please, you need to go back to Suna. Just for a little while, just to appease Rasa."
"That's not what you want to talk about."
Jura nearly deflated, sighing heavily. "No, not necessarily, but you need to know. What you're doing here is noble but as Matsuri said," He trailed, thinking of the brunette. Her mood hadn't gotten any better as of late. "You have responsibilities in Suna…"
"Yes, I've been reminded several times but that's not what you want to talk about."
Jura didn't falter even though he knew Gaara's tolerance was running low. "Okay. Fine. Why do you keep Xin company? What do you have in common with her? She's a kid, practically a baby to you. You two constantly are at each other's throats and I fear that one day you'll just tear it out."
Oh he wouldn't want to tear her throat out. Not anymore, at least. Too messy.
"I'm not going to tear her throat out," Gaara said in a casual drawl. No, he was going to tear Jura's throat out if he didn't quit questioning him. What he did with his time was no one's concern but his own. Who he decided to involve himself with was his concern only.
"How do you know that?" Jura threw back quickly.
"How do you know that I will?"
"Because I've seen you do it before!"
"What reason would I even have to kill her, Jura?" Gaara asked pointedly. He was growing more and more irritated with one of his oldest friends. If his sister was present, she'd chide his impatient attitude. It was something she'd been trying to beat into his head for years, not to be so impatient.
"You've tried to before."
"And she stabbed me before," Gaara lifted his shirt to show the ugly snarl of flesh. "And has hit me with her car. Granted it was an accident and she no longer has that car but I'm sure she'd be willing to do it again. Do you fear that she might kill me?"
"You know she can't."
"She's a priestess. All she needs is a push in the right direction. Tenten has been helping both her and Hinata try to figure out how to use their spiritual energy. She can kill me with enough concentration."
Jura frowned tightly, this wasn't going in the direction he'd hoped for. "Gaara, that's not the point. Xin can hurt you with knives, sure, and maybe she can kill you. Maybe. There's no maybe about what you can do to her. You can hurt her. You can kill her."
You will kill her.
"I...the way you look at her reminds me of Matsuri…" Jura pieced together slowly. Gaara visibly bristled. That was a bold-faced lie. "It's true!" Jura insisted once he saw Gaara's look. "Okay, maybe it's not the exact same look but there's...desire in your eyes," the brunet said with a frown. Gaara continued to stare at him, at a loss for words. He desired a lot of things. But Hyuga Xin? That psycho? That was a lie. He wanted to choke her sometimes and the darker part of him wanted to break her but he did not want her. "There's desire but there's something dark in your eyes and I don't like it. I'm sure her friends don't either."
Well, Tenten and Suigetsu didn't seem to mind so much. Hinata was accepting of it but he figured that was only because of Naruto's involvement. Neji...he begrudgingly accepted their help. He wasn't thrilled at the thought of him and Naruto being around his cousins so much but he kept his annoyance mostly to himself. Karin...well...that redheaded harpy was not happy and made it widely known. Gaara didn't really care too much. He never got along with Karin so the fact that she was constantly pissed off at him didn't bother him.
"Her friends don't like the entire situation. But they're adults, young as they may be. Doesn't matter what her friends like and dislike."
"So you won't stop seeing her?"
"Will you?"
"I'm not the threat here."
"Of course you're not. You don't want to kill her. You want to fuck her brains out."
Jura choked on his spit, struggling to regain his composure. "What?" He gasped, truly scandalized. "I do not—that is not true!" He insisted in an almost panicked tone. Gaara only snorted, amused if not a little annoyed with Jura. "I just want to be her friend. Nothing more."
Gaara wasn't so convinced and Jura didn't try hard enough to convince him.
(((EXPLICIT CONTENT STARTS HERE)))
Later that night, when Jura was long gone and Gaara retired to bed, he had an odd dream. A sexual dream. He didn't get those a lot because it wasn't like he thought of sex often enough to dream about it. He was sated for the moment, though it had been quite awhile since then. But it didn't bother him. He had more important things to worry about. But a sex dream? That just didn't happen. He didn't dream about women. If he wanted a certain woman in his bed, he'd get her there. He didn't dream about her being in his bed. That was something boys did. It wasn't like women, for him, was out of reach. If he found a woman he was attracted to, he fucked her. Plain and simple.
So why on earth was he having a sexual dream?
At first he assumed it was about Matsuri. He couldn't see the woman clearly enough but he'd been in a relationship with the brunette the longest, so it made sense to be her.
It wasn't Matsuri.
He knew Matsuri's body like the back of his hand. She was strong, athletic and tanned from spending so much time under Suna's unrelenting sun. The body underneath him, twisting and shuddering from pleasure, was not Matsuri. At the moment, he could only focus on the stomach of the woman. It was flat and smooth with just a hint of her abs. Her muscle definition wasn't as pronounced as Matsuri's lean figure and she felt a lot softer.
And she was so pale.
So his thoughts traveled to the women of Konoha, perhaps. Konoha was filled to the brim of beautiful woman so it wasn't exactly unheard of to lust after them. Naruto's childhood friend and first crush, Sakura was a gorgeous woman with sparkling green eyes and soft pink hair. Sakura was undeniably and overwhelmingly alluring and though Gaara wouldn't have minded, he never actively sought her out. She was romantically involved with Sasuke and as pretty as she was, was not worth all the drama Sasuke's psycho ass would bring.
But a sexual dream about her...well...wait. Sakura's hips weren't that wide and….fleshy. Whoever this woman was, she possessed wide hips with a little more meat on her bones than Naruto's childhood crush. So maybe Sakura's best friend, Ino? Oh but this woman's legs weren't long enough. Ino had deliciously long legs. And while this woman's legs were supple yet somewhat firm with muscle, they weren't long at all. Whoever this woman was, she was short, pale and soft.
Who in the blue fuck was this girl?
The woman shuddered under him, a breathy moan escaping her. Her voice was far too soft for any woman he might've known and dreamt about. His hands, gripping too hard at her hips, moved up her stomach. Bruises in the form of his fingerprints were peppered at her hips, some spots even bleeding from his claws. Heavy breasts spilled greedily into his hands, eliciting a breathy sigh from the mystery woman. Small hands suddenly came into view, decorated with tiny scars and bruises, and snatched at his wrists. They pressed his hands harder to her chest, shifting under him. Vaguely he could make out a long jagged scar running up her forearm.
Her hands moved from his wrists to his shoulders, blunt nails digging into his skin. They weren't impossibly sharp, like a demonic woman's nails would be. No, they were some sharpness to her nails but not enough to really hurt him. She could draw blood if she really tried but they felt mostly dull to him.
She sat up suddenly, pressing tightly against him and sliding her arms around his neck. Heavy breasts led up to surprisingly small shoulders that led to a slender and pale neck. She possessed a delicate jaw and pouty lips that were swollen and obviously bitten. Hair spilled over naked shoulders, much too long to be Matsuri or Sakura's hair but still too short for Ino's mane. The locks were dark, nearly black but obviously a deep blue.
A face was beginning to form but he was still somewhat clueless. His hips twitched in one slow roll, causing her breasts to bounce and her mouth fell open into a perfect 'o'. Her lips were impossibly pink but he noticed a well or two of blood peppering her bottom lip. Her head fell back on her neck, body jerking with each thrust. He was hurting her, he knew he was hurting her but she wasn't protesting and he was never gentle in bed. More bruises marred her skin from her hips, her stomach to her breasts, left behind by his too strong of a grip.
Goddammit, he just need to see her eyes.
As if reading his mind, her head snapped up to look him dead in the eyes. Although hooded with lust and pleasure, the color of her eyes stood out against her face.
Pale lavender.
Suddenly it all made sense. The soft body with slight muscle definition. The hands littered with scars from spending too much time in the kitchen. The jagged scar on her forearm from a demon that meant to kill her sister. The dark hair that looked like blue ink.
Good God, he was fucking Hyuga Xin.
(((AND ENDS HERE)))
Gaara sat up with a surprised grunt.
Oh no. God, no. Fuck no.
That was just...not right. Hell, it had to be sacrilegious. A miko and a demon? Him and Xin? Oh no, no, that...it just wasn't happening. Okay, sure, she was a pretty girl and her tits were actually impressive but it...it was Xin, for Christ's sake. Psychotic and angry Xin. This was Jura's fault. It was him and his fuckin' accusations of desiring that pint-sized harpy. Him? Gaara? Desire Xin? Touch her? Fuck her?
Absolutely not.
He was going to kill Jura. He was going to rip those eyes of his straight out of his fuckin' head. Let's see if he can still see if Gaara desired Xin without his eyeballs. Not that he even desired that...that...that girl. Because that's all she was to him. A fuckin' bigmouthed girl who needed to get the fuck away from him with her nice tits and her stupid hips and her awful ass lips.
Fuck. He was going to straight murder Jura. Gaara let out a long suffering groan, dropping his head and digging into his hair. "For fuck's sake," Gaara hissed, blinking hard. He sat up and pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes, rubbing roughly at them. Maybe if he scrubbed his eyes hard enough, the image of a thoroughly fucked Xin would go away.
Christ, it wasn't going away.
His door suddenly swung open. Naruto stood on the other side, looking groggy and only slightly concerned. "Man, what the hell is wrong with you? You've been groaning in your sleep for the last fuckin' hour."
"I'm going to fuckin' kill Jura."
"Yeah? I'll help but can it wait til' the morning?"
Gaara threw back his head and groaned for the umpteenth time.
"It's still pretty weak but Tenten says I'm doing great so far."
Hinata smiled excitedly as the Hyuga sisters entered their apartment after a rather grueling shift at the bakery. Xin wasn't in much of a good mood, having taking a vicious kick to the head at the gym before her shift at the bakery. She was nursing a migraine that just refused to go away and the bakery didn't help by being impossibly packed. God, she just wanted a bubble bath and her bed. "You've always been a great student, Hina, I'm not surprised you're doing great so far," Xin managed to say in a pleasant tone, dropping her bag to the couch. She, on the other hand, hadn't made much progress with her own spiritual training.
Which she couldn't understand. If she was the direct reincarnation of Jun, shouldn't she be just as talented with bullshit like this?
Maybe that's why she couldn't grasp it, she kept calling it bullshit.
"I'm going to take a bath," She announced, shoving her bitter jealousy down. Of course Hinata was doing great. Stuff like this came easy to her.
"Alright. Maybe we'll have a quick dinner? I'll get you some pain medicine," Hinata offered good naturedly. Xin smiled in gratitude before heading to her bedroom for a change of clothes. Hinata went to her own bedroom to pick out clothes for her when she was finished showering.
"Xin?" Hinata called over the roar of bath, knocking on the door. "Did I leave my tank top in there? The one I sleep in?" She asked through the wood. She heard Xin shuffling around before calling her in to come check. She entered the bathroom, humming in delight at the scent of the bubble bath filling the room. Xin was standing at the mirror, dressed in her gym shorts and sports bra. She was trying to gather her thick hair up into a bun. "I'll help," Hinata offered, approaching her struggling twin. Xin sighed her thanks, allowing her hair to drop down her back. Hinata busied herself with pulling the locks into a perfect bun at the top of her head.
"What would I do without you, sister of mine?" Xin gave her a tired smile, stepping away from the mirror. She hurried to the tub, turning the water off and humming. Hinata chuckled quietly to herself and peered into the closet for her top.
A sudden ripping noise caused them to halt. Xin slowly turned towards the bathroom door, biting her bottom lip. That was never a good sound. She moved closer to the door, carefully peering out. Forming at the back of the couch was one of those damned swirling portals. Xin swore quietly and quickly eased the door shut before turning out the light and locking the door.
"Hina, call Tenten. Or Neji, anybody. Something bad is coming out of that portal. I can feel it."
"I don't have my phone."
Xin never turned around so fast. True to her word, Hinata was phoneless. "Oh fuck," Xin swore, feeling her heart sinking. How could they alert their friends that a damn demon was in their apartment? She felt herself panic a little. "O...kay...we're going to have to figure something out or we'll die tonight."
"...a barrier."
"What?"
"Xin, a barrier. Maybe we can form a barrier against the door."
"Hinata, you know damn well I'm not good enough yet."
The door handle twisted, not opening by the weak lock. "We don't have a choice, Xin. Focus and help me or we'll die."
Something hard slammed against the door, throwing the girls into action. They threw their bodies against the door just as a hole was punched through it. They squealed at the same time, dodging some of the splinters and tried to concentrate. A slim, nearly transparent, pink wall flickered in front of the door. Xin snapped her eyes shut, trying her very best to help her sister. Right now, it was mostly because of Hinata that the barrier was even holding. A reptilian-like hand punched another hole into the door only to have their fist collide into the barrier. It shuddered but held, causing the demon to shriek against the pain. "The one time we need our goddamn phones," Xin hissed, holding her hands against the barrier.
It went on like that for who knows how long before their combined effort began to wane. Their eyes became wide when the protective wall flickered out like a bulb losing it's fuse. For all of three seconds it was quiet before the demon let out a weird hiss. The door, lock be damned, was suddenly ripped open and nearly came off the hinges. Xin shoved Hinata backwards and dodged out of the way of the first swipe. She dropped to the floor and suddenly crawled out of the bathroom by darting between his legs. Hinata momentarily forgotten, the demon turned and gave chase to Xin. She vaulted over the couch, barely missing the coffee table.
The demon was hot on her heels, knocking her couch aside with a swipe of its tail. Xin would have cursed because she was sure her couch was now in two pieces but she was too busy dodging for her life. The tail suddenly snapped around her ankle, tripping her up. He moved quickly, bending down to snatch her up by the ankle. He dangled her upside, grinning deviously at her while she struggled in his grip. She twisted as his claws sank into her ankle. Blood began gushing down her leg, causing her ankle to slip from his grasp. Xin dropped unceremoniously to the wooden coffee table, gasping as it shattered under her.
She laid there for a couple of moments, knowing she was bleeding somewhere from the coffee table. Her contemplation was cut short when that same damn hand wrapped around her throat. Hinata, who'd made her way out of the bathroom, let out a shriek of surprise. The demon's tail snapped out again, this time wrapping around Hinata's throat. She let out a strangled cry and fell forward, struggling and fighting the appendage around her neck.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard a loud guttural snarl. It could have been the demon currently choking them both but it sounded too familiar to her. She heard a loud snapping sound and could vaguely make out the sound of a scream that didn't sound like Hinata. The pressure around Xin's neck was gone and Hinata dropped to the floor. Xin rolled to her side, nursing her bruised neck as she took in greedy gulps of air. The screaming stopped, dying out with a strangled gurgle. Xin blinked hard before a familiar redhead leaned over her. "Xin," Gaara called roughly, trying to get her attention. He crouched over her, fingers lightly tracing her bruised throat.
Behind him, Naruto was helping a dazed Hinata sit up. She seemed much better off than her sister, only suffering from a bruised throat. The blond rubbed her back soothingly, muttering softly to console her. Gaara looked back down at Xin. She was clearly in worse condition but it wasn't in his nature to comfort. Especially not her. He didn't even want to be in her presence at the moment. Not when his dream was still so rawly fresh in his brain.
But she needed help. She was bleeding profusely from her ankle and her back. Bruises were forming a ring around her neck and she was gasping like she'd been held under water. "Xin, you have to calm down," Gaara finally said, realizing the woman was going to have an anxiety attack if he let her continue. "Calm down, you're safe now. Just calm down."
It took her several minutes to stop gasping erratically. She blinked up at him, vision seemingly clearing. "Oh Jesus Christ," She rubbed at her throat, eyes screwed shut tightly.
"Now would have been a perfect time to stab him like you stabbed me," Gaara uttered dryly. Xin's eyes popped open to stare blankly up at him. Without warning, a wide smile cracked her blank expression.
"Shut up," She said through a pained gasp. "And help me up, I'm bleeding," Xin ordered, reaching one arm for him. Gaara hesitated for a moment, staring down at her. Deciding to put that damn dream into the darkest corner of his mind, he leaned down to help her sit up.
Why the fuck was she only wearing a sports bra?
Gaara nearly groaned at the state of her undress but soldiered on, shifting to get a better look at her injured back. She was breathing harshly through clenched teeth but tried to remain quiet. He began picking the broken pieces of wood sticking to her back, frowning deeply when he came upon a chunk of wood that cut too deeply into her back. He considered yanking it out but decided not to do that. He wasn't sure how deep it was and he couldn't heal her if he pulled it out and she started bleeding all over the place. On top of that, he doubted they learned how to heal yet. "You're an awful priestess," Gaara reminded her, slipping his arms carefully around her.
Xin threw one arm around his neck and held onto her wrist with her other hand. Gaara was careful of her back as he stood to his feet. "You've said that before," Xin muttered almost in a dazed.
Gaara glanced behind him again. Hinata was to her feet with Naruto supporting her slight weight with his arm wrapped around her waist. "We're going to Tenten's apartment. Xin needs to be healed. Again."
"Fuck you."
"I'll drop you."
"Oh sure, torture the crippled."
"You aren't crippled, you're an inconvenience."
Xin snorted but didn't say much else, opting to close her eyes. She leaned her head against him, fitting against him a little too well for his liking. Hinata broke from Naruto, hurrying towards Gaara. She stood on the tips of her toes, peering into her sister's face. A matching bruise was beginning to form around her own neck. "Come, you can stare at her all you like once we get her to Tenten," Gaara turned abruptly towards the door. Hinata frowned after him but was distracted when Naruto scooped her up effortlessly.
She wasn't too sure of the look she caught in Gaara's eye.
Tenten wrenched her door open, scowling harshly. She had only a second to realize who'd been pounding on her door when Gaara shoved by her. She let out an alarmed squawk as the tall redhead practically stormed into the living room. Neji, Karin and Suigetsu looked up from the various spots around the living room when Gaara stopped short. The room was quiet for barely a second before it erupted into shouts. "I knew it!" Karin screeched, surging to her feet. "You tried to kill her again, didn't you? You warmongering son of a bitch!" She continued in her too shrill voice. Suigetsu caught her around the waist before she could go barreling into Gaara.
"Karin!" Naruto tried to calm her over her shouts.
"No, shut the hell up, Naruto!"
"Karin, you shut the hell up! For fuck's sake, woman, just listen for once in your life!" Naruto shouted right back. "He didn't try to kill her, he saved her. The girls were being attacked by a demon."
Gaara shoved Xin into Naruto's arms, jostling the woman. Her eyes snapped open but she didn't say anything despite all the yelling. Naruto fumbled with the sudden bundle in his arms but held on. Gaara approached Karin, staring her down. "If you're so concerned about either of them, why didn't you bother to check on them? This apartment is not far from their apartment and yet you didn't notice the demonic energy?"
Karin's face turned red in anger at the accusations hidden in his tone. "Fuck you! Don't act like you're her Prince Charming all of a sudden when you tried to kill her first! You don't have the right," Karin seethed up at him, fox ears unfurling from the top of her head.
"But I'm sure you do?" Gaara asked tonelessly. "Are you even concerned for Xin or is it just the dead miko in her that you're concerned for?"
The living room became awkwardly silent. "How dare you?" Karin hissed, baring sharp teeth at him. "Who the hell are you to just come in here with bullshit like that? You don't even know Xin. You tried to kill her more than once!"
"Yes, Uzumaki, I know. We all know I tried to kill her but am I trying to kill her now? No, I'm trying to save her but you won't shut the fuck up for more than five seconds."
The two weren't getting anywhere with their arguing but hell if either redhead would back down first. Luckily, Hinata decided to put an end to it. "That's enough! Who cares about any of that? She's going to bleed out at this rate if you two keep arguing like this," She reminded them sharply, looking every bit of fed up. Everyone turned towards the smaller woman, impressed by the hard edge in her voice. Naruto took his cue, shoving by Gaara, Karin and Suigetsu to get to the couch. He set Xin down as gently as he could and kept her upright.
"Where'd Gaara go?" Xin slurred, eyelids flickering.
"You really want him over me?" Naruto asked in a jokingly manner. "I'm hotter than him, you know," He grinned at her but kept a firm grip on her when she leaned backwards. "Oi, you can't lay down yet. You'll hurt your back."
"I can't feel my back."
"Well, that's alarming. Tenten? You wanna do your thing or…?" Naruto glanced over his shoulder at the brunette. She had an odd look on her face but seemingly snapped out of it. She rounded on them, peering at the mess of Xin's back. She cringed at the sight of the wood lodged into her back. Naruto took the opportunity to move, grabbing Gaara to practically throw him at the dazed miko. The moment he was close enough, Xin reached out to curl her fingers around his wrist.
"I can't feel my ankle either," She leaned closer towards him. Gaara crouched down and didn't bother to yank his hand away from her.
"You've gone into shock," Gaara told her, watching as Tenten reached for the wood. "It's probably for the best," He spoke in a gruff tone but Xin didn't seem to notice. The moment Tenten began to dislodge the piece of wood, Xin's composure shattered. Tears gathered to the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over. She gasped painfully but tried to mask it by snapping her mouth shut. Her grip on Gaara's hand tightened before seemingly realizing that she was holding onto him in the first place. She began pulling her hand away, faintly remembering that he didn't seem to like the idea of physical contact between them.
Unless he was trying to kill her.
Surprisingly, Gaara didn't let go of her hand. He didn't say anything but gave her what he thought was a reassuring squeeze. To a demon, an injury like this would be nothing. He would have easily pulled the chunk of wood out and continued about his day. But she was a human. A soft, young, human girl. Sure, she boxed but this type of injury was completely different. She was trying to be strong but Tenten was taking her damned sweet time with removing the wood. Whimpers crawled from in between her sealed lips, the only sound in the otherwise quiet living room. Tenten muttered apologies the entire time, nearly sighing in relief when the wood finally slid from Xin's skin. Blood began pouring from the sizable wound, alarming them all as it dribbled down her back.
Tenten summoned Lóngyǎn, hands roaming over the crystal ball. The red energy seeped out onto her hands and Lóngyǎn vanished. Tenten pressed the energy to the wound, muttering soothing words as the damaged skin began to stitch itself back together with the help of the energy. The brunette wordlessly moved to Xin's bleeding ankle, repeating the process. She was able to heal the bruises around both Xin and Hinata's neck with relative ease after Xin's bleeding wounds were taken care of. Luckily there was no bruises left behind.
"So," Suigetsu took his time to look at everyone. Karin's face showed her obvious anger and displeasure with the entire situation. That didn't really surprise him. Lately that's all she ever was. They'd been fighting more and more lately. "Why's Xin barely dressed?"
The woman in question must have suddenly realized her state of undress because she looked down at herself with a frown. She then threw her head back, letting out a mournful whine. "My baaaaaath."
Hinata let out a ironic laugh, shaking her head. She launched into an explanation of how the sisters were just trying to have a normal night. Of course, any form of normality flew out the window once Xin hit Gaara with her car.
Who wanted to be normal anyway?
Xin ran her hand roughly down her face. "We need to get home and clean up. The apartment is ruined."
Naruto made an odd face at her words. He glanced in between the twins, frowning as Hinata agreed. "Are you two crazy?" He intercepted the conversation, surprising the two. "You two were nearly killed just now and you want to go back?"
"Well…" Xin trailed off with a thoughtful but worried look on her face. "Hinata, maybe you should go back to Mom and Dad for awhile," She tapped her chin. If Hinata had just stayed with their parents, she wouldn't be involved in such a sticky situation.
"Maybe you should as well," Hinata commented stubbornly.
"I'll never hear the end of it," Xin huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "It's fine if you go back for now. Someone has to clean the apartment anyway."
The group watched as the twins quietly bickered back and forth. Hinata refused to go back to their parents without Xin but it was clear the wayward daughter wasn't entirely welcomed to move back in. Their friends opted not to get involved, knowing about the strained relationship between Xin and her parents. "Who's going to clean the apartment if you get killed by being by yourself?"
"And what sense does it make for the both of us to be killed?"
"As cute as this is…" Naruto grinned, stopping the argument. "It's true that it's not a good idea to go back for the night and going to your parents' home isn't the best idea, either. However, I have an idea."
"Great," Neji intoned blankly.
"You two can stay with the two of us. Maybe Tenten and Xiurong can put a barrier around the apartment but in the meantime, stay with us."
"Have you lost your shit?" Karin snapped. Naruto didn't seem to be at all surprised by her outburst. "You expect us to be okay with them staying with the two of you?" She pointed in between him and Gaara.
"Oh come on, Rin, give it a break! If either of these girls die, it won't because of us! It's because you're too stubborn to trust anyone else with their safety!"
"You really want me to trust the two of you with them?!"
"Who's the ones who saved them not even an hour ago from being killed? Sure as Hell wasn't any of you! So just give it a rest," Naruto snapped, tired of Karin's attitude as of late. Karin was utterly speechless. Naruto wasn't known for losing his temper, at least not in recent years. Not off of the battlefield. He didn't lose his temper with her, as bad tempered as she could be.
"So…" Xin slowly broke the awkward tension. "You guys have like...a house? In the human realm?"
"Neji loaned us one of your family's townhouses," Gaara finally spoke up, looking down at her. "It's easier to just stay here instead of going back and forth between this realm and the demon realm," He explained, wondering if she would be offended. The twins shared a look of shock but slowly nodding. It made sense. Gaara and Naruto had to stay somewhere in the realm if they wanted to continue to help. It was kind of odd that Neji was kind enough to loan them one of their townhouses. She wondered if her parents were aware of two demons inhabiting one of their places.
"Listen, we can keep a closer eye on them. On top of that, our demonic energy and scents can hide their weaker energy and smell. Demons will be less likely to go after them if they think we're involved with them. You guys don't have the kind of pull. We do. We said we would help, we're trying to help," Naruto quickly said, wishing the group would just ease up for once.
It was obvious that Xin had quite enough. "Well help me the hell up already then! I had a shit day and I want a bath. Those townhouses have nice bathtubs, they have jets!"
Hinata dropped her head into her hands, muffling her laughter. She stood up, still laughing softly. "If it's not too much trouble for the both of you. We would really appreciate it. Do you mind if we go back to our apartment to get some things?"
"You can't walk?" Gaara asked tonelessly, scooping Xin up effortlessly. She made a sound of shock, having thought Naruto would pick her up.
"I don't have any goddamn shoes on, genius," Xin rolled her eyes, throwing her arms around his neck once more. "Just get us back to our place and I'll put some on."
"You're rather bossy for someone who needs help."
The foursome left as quickly as they came, leaving the group in a tense silence. "What in the actual fuck," Karin growled after just staring at the door. "Why in the fuck was that okay just now?"
Tenten took a deep breath. They'd been having a good night, no one was fighting or giving the silent treatment. Everything was all good. "Because Naruto made a good point, Karin. They can keep a better eye on the twins than we can."
"Naruto, maybe. But Gaara? You're actually going to trust that psycho not to hurt Xin? I told you about his past. He's not safe!"
"Listen, Rin, I think yer' being a bit over dramatic right now. No, Gaara doesn't have the cleanest past but if he wanted Xin dead, she would be dead by now. Ya have to calm and stop aggravating him," Suigetsu tried to say in a placating voice. Karin's face was as red as her hair.
"Besides, the twins are capable of making their own decisions. If Xin and Hinata are comfortable enough to stay with them, then that's the end of it."
"I'm not comfortable with that look in his eye…."
Gaara dropped Xin to her feet, ignoring the disgruntled look on her face when he pulled his arms from her. She nearly toppled over from his rough handling but Naruto clapped a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Xin followed after Hinata into their apartment, halting with a grimace at the state of her apartment. Hinata noticed her stiff stance and sighed. "Xin, don't worry about the mess right now. We'll take care of it later."
"I need to take care of it now."
She was getting this strange look in her eyes but Gaara placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "We don't have time for your eccentrics, girl. Get your shit and let's go. Tenten will take care of it," He ordered, not in the mood for one of her quirks. Karin's protest couple with Jura's accusations were riding his mind hard. They both thought he was a danger to the girl and Jura even believed he was actually attracted to her. He probably wasn't making for a good argument if he constantly came to her aide and was even opening his door to offer her a sanctuary. Never mind that it wasn't his door, per say, but same shit.
He shoved at her, wanting her to get a move on. She glared at him, sucking her teeth in displeasure, but quickly hurried to her room. "I thought we were on first name basis!" She yelled from her bedroom. Gaara gave a snort, listening as she rustled about. She and her sister darted to the bathroom, shoving things into their bags. Moments later they were ready to go. Gaara was pleased to see Xin had properly dressed herself and wouldn't need to be carried.
The walk from the twins' apartment to the townhouse was filled with their chattering and lighthearted bickering. It...it put Gaara at ease, for reasons he couldn't explain, to be around theses quirky girls. It was different, he was relaxed. Or maybe he could actually explain but he just didn't want to explain why he felt so placid to be around them.
Xin whistled as they followed them up the townhouse. "Neji must've been feeling generous. This is one of the nicer ones," She grinned widely as they stepped into the living room.
"It is pretty nice," Naruto nodded along to her words. He and Gaara had taken over the two biggest rooms but offered to take the smaller ones. Xin and Hinata declined their offer, settling for the smaller rooms just fine. They wouldn't be staying long enough to monopolize Gaara and Naruto's routine anyway.
"At least I have the day off tomorrow," Xin mumbled when she stepped out from the bathroom. She was fresh-faced and in a better mood. "Man, I missed bathtubs like that," She nearly purred while stretching her arms above her head. While she was busy bathing and lamenting the odd direction her life had taken, Naruto and Hinata volunteered to go out and get food. "I hope they get something good," She said while stepping into the living room.
"You're not concerned about your sister being alone with Naruto?" Gaara asked blandly from the couch. She eyed him with a frown, wondering why the hell he was sitting in the living room doing nothing. The television wasn't even on. Did demons even watch TV to begin with? He could have at least turned it on for some background noise. He was a little surprised when she threw herself down next to him.
"Was she concerned with leaving me with you?"
"Not in particular."
"Then that answers your question, now doesn't it?" She gave him a smile. "Besides, I think he might have a small crush on her."
"And you're okay with that."
Xin's smile remained but her eyebrows twitched in a thoughtful way. "Hinata is the one who usually makes sound decisions. If she's okay with it, I'm okay with it. If he does something or tries to hurt her, I'll just stab him."
"You're quite good at that."
"In the eye."
"Even better."
Xin let out a loud laugh that lit the townhouse up. Gaara felt himself slouch further into the couch, completely at ease. Xin pulled her legs up, situating them under her as she also relaxed. "You and your sister argued about returning to your parents. Are you not welcomed there?" He suddenly asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Her smile slipped and a small part of him regretted asking about her parents. He remembered her asking who Rasa was and getting the message that he didn't want to discuss his father. Perhaps he should have showed her that same courtesy?
"Well...not that I'm not welcomed there…" She trailed off, mouth twisting in a thoughtful pucker. "I'm sure they'd let me back but it would be...awkward? Strained? My father and I weren't seeing eye to eye and he was pissed that I made the choice not to finish schooling. I do have a degree but it's good for entry level jobs and the Hyuga doesn't do entry level. It didn't help when I moved out either," She explained in a tone that was obviously struggling to sound careless. But she was rubbing at her ankle in an obsessive way. Her eyes had a glassy, far off look that made him feel..wrong. "Women like us, rich women, usually stay with their parents until they're married. Keeps us safe or whatever."
"You mean it keeps you controlled."
"Same thing."
Gaara was a little unnerved with her blase attitude. He figured ideals like that died out years and years ago. Women, demonic or human, were tenacious beings and he held a lot of respect for women he knew. A small part of him respected even Xin for not giving into the pressure of her parents.
"So being twenty-one, moving out and not finishing school was a hard blow to them. You know, now everyone in their circle knows they have a 'rebellious' daughter and no one wants a rebellious daughter. Makes for a rebellious wife," Xin spoke with a spark of mischievous amusement in her eyes. Like maybe she was proud to be a black smudge on her family's pristine name. "I mean, I've always been rebellious but I should have mellowed out by now. Those days need to be behind me already."
"You humans," Gaara rolled his eyes. "So ridiculous. You have such short lifespans and waste it on worrying about insignificant bullshit," He snorted. To her credit, Xin remained unaffected by his words. She leaned over to place her elbow on the arm of the chair. She balanced her head against her fist and closed her eyes, smiling once more.
"Well that's easy to say when you're practically immortal. I bet anything a human does will seem insignificant to a demon. We're just living the best way we know how but it all seems so small to someone like you," She said lightly. "But ask us if we care," She popped one open, her mirth evident. "Got to give us a credit, we make the best out of any situation we're put in."
He had to agree with that statement. For someone who's life was in mortal danger, Xin remained nonchalant. The fact that she'd nearly been choked to death three hours ago didn't bother her in the least. She, like many demonic women he knew, was strong-willed. It was impressive, really, and he wondered if he should say as much. He didn't come across girls like her often.
"Speaking of situation, the demon that attacked you. How did it get into your apartment? Nothing was amiss except for the couch and the coffee table," Gaara asked carefully, watching her for a reaction. Just as he figured, she didn't react. The front door or the window should have been broken into.
"Portal," She hummed.
"One of Masuyo's?"
"Probably."
"For someone who is in grave danger, you're rather calm about it."
She shifted and began rubbing at her ankle once more. "I don't know what else to do," She said in a low voice. "About a month ago, she opened up this mirror thing in Tenten's apartment to threaten me. She knows how to locate my sister and I. She's just playing with us, I think."
"So you're just waiting for her to strike her killing blow."
"Essentially, yes. I just have to keep her away from Hinata. Kuraim was in love with my direct ancestor, not Hinata's. She shouldn't suffer for that."
"And so you should? You sound like a martyr, that's not like you."
"And how would you know?"
How would he know? Did he actually know this stupid girl? And what's more, wasn't he supposed to be keeping some distance between them? He was not keeping the distance. She was a cushion away. He should've left the moment she stepped into the living room.
He looked at her and instantly recalled that fuckin' dream. With her stupid lips and damn hips. She was not that damn attractive. She was a short little hobbit with freakish eyes and blue hair. She was too goddamn pale and bruised easily. And her hands. They were a macabre of patchworked scars. A sight like that, feminine hands riddled with bumpy scars, would turn a man off.
They didn't turn him off and he knew right then and there that he was fucked.
TeeBeMe: Someone's got a cruuuuuuush. Let's see how long it'll take him to admit to it. Xin still doesn't have a crush but that's only because she's kind of stupid. Let's see how long it'll take her to even notice. Well maybe he doesn't even have a crush on her, who knows? Obviously not him. And Xin always has a funky relationship with her parents, it never fails.
I know that the sexual dream wasn't too heavy but I wanted to put a warning anyway. I'm not sure what everyone is comfortable with and I don't want to offend anyone at all so I hope no one minds. I wonder how Xin would react if Gaara told her that he had a dream like that about her. I think it would be fucking hilarious. Their whole relationship is hilarious.