Whispers in the Dark

by TeeBeMe

Xin has always had awful luck but she's sure the Gods are just screwing with her for shits and giggles. Out of all the things she could've hit with her car, a demon was the last thing she expected. And he's not happy about it. And he won't leave her alone. Lord give her the strength. AU GaaOC

14. How the mighty fall

Watching Hinata scold and berate a dazed Xin was rather interesting to watch. They could tell she was trying to listen to her sister's fussing but it was obvious she was having trouble keeping up with the words flying from Hinata's mouth.

"You can't even remember what happened, for Buddha's sake!" Hinata planted her hands on her hips, staring down at her disoriented sister. When Gaara came through the door, carrying Xin once more, she immediately assumed the worst. After all, the last time he'd been carrying her around, Xin had a chunk of their coffee table lodged in her back.

"Xin hasn't said a word in twenty minutes," Naruto said once Hinata took a moment to breathe. "I'm somewhat worried. Maybe we should call Tenten? Or Xiurong."

Gaara watched as Hinata went on another rant. It was quite odd that Xin hadn't made a peep in twenty minutes. She still had that stupid sleepy look slapped onto her face. "Perhaps if she's still as dazed tomorrow, we'll call them."

Naruto nodded, agreeing with the idea. Besides, calling Tenten meant the Enchantress would tell Suigetsu, Neji and Karin. He could deal with Sui and Neji but hell if he would have that harpy of a redhead over here accusing him of eating Xin's soul or some shit. It was late and he couldn't guarantee not attacking the redheaded Uzumaki.

"Oi, Moon Pie?" Naruto interrupted Hinata's rant. She paused, glancing over her shoulder at him. "How about we all get some rest? Maybe Xin'll feel better in the morning and remember something."

Hinata's shoulders slumped but she nodded solemnly. "Oh, alright. But I'm not finished with you. The minute you snap out of it, I'm going to continue yelling at you," She said down to her sister. "Now let's get you to bed."

The dazed woman clambered to her feet, swaying as she did so. Gaara reached out, gripping her by her bicep to keep her from spilling over. He frowned slightly, feeling as if something dark was itching underneath her skin. He thought to question her about it but decided not to. Xin made it clear she couldn't remember shit.

"Come on before you fall over again," He grunted, pulling her towards the staircase. Xin easily followed, feet seemingly too heavy for her. She stopped at the bottom of the staircase, head leaning back slowly to stare up at them. Gaara watched her, rolling his eyes when she didn't move for a good three minutes.

Xin didn't offer one protest when he swept her up for the second time in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck like clockwork, smiling lazily at Naruto and Hinata. "He doesn't look a thing like Jesus but he talks like a gentlemen," She sung, uncurling one hand from his neck to wave at them.

"You know, Naruto calls my sister Moon Pie," Xin hummed as Gaara eased the bedroom door open. Gaara only grunted, practically assaulted by her scent. "Why don't you call me something like that?" She murmured against his neck, breath tickling his flesh.

"Naruto is an idiot with a crush on your sister," Gaara replied plainly, stopping at the edge of the bed. He suddenly had very inappropriate, nasty, thoughts involving the bed, him and the deluded miko in his arms. Banishing those traitorous thoughts, he nearly threw her down. But he stopped at the last second, it would probably disorient her even more.

"Oh," Xin hummed again as he set her on the edge of the bed. She didn't relinquish her hold around his neck. He pulled back just enough to stare into her face, frowning at the still dazed expression she wore.

"Let go."

She smiled very slowly at him. "Do you have a crush?"

He sent her a scathing look but it bounced off of her airy attitude with ease. "No, you silly miko, I do not have a crush."

"Oh," She answered simply, arms still coiled around his neck. "That's too bad. I hear they're quite nice, if they work out well. Maybe that's what you need. Maybe you should talk things out with Matsuri."

"I'd rather not."

"Matsuri could make you happy if you just gave her a chance."

Gaara continued to frown at her, wondering if she was still dazed. By her expression, it would seem so. At this point, she was just speaking nonsense, he amended. She didn't know what the hell she was talking about. She needed to go to bed already.

Ignoring her statement, he reached up to pry her little hands from his neck. "You need to sleep, Xin," He said in a serious tone. Xin stared back at him, lazily smiling. She nodded and pulled her hands away, shifting away. Before he could stop her, she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it right over her head.

Gaara backed away like he'd be scalded. He stared down at the now topless miko, trying to focus on her face and not her breasts. "Xin," He snapped through gritted teeth when she reached up for a second time, this time her hands were behind her back.

"Hm?"

"What the hell are you doing?" He leaned down, snatching her hands away from the clasp of her bra. She only blinked up at him, half lidded eyes blank.

"You said go to bed. I'm going."

"Why are you undressing?"

"Have you ever slept in a bra? It's not comfortable, let go," She didn't even try to pull away from him, blinking slowly. He only continued to stare down at her, trying his damned hardest to keep his gaze above her chin.

Gaara prided himself on being a strong man. But he was at an odd point in his life and Xin was even odder and that damn dream—

His eyes dropped below her chin, settling on her breasts wrapped tightly in black fabric.

Gaara turned sharply, nearly jerking Xin forward. He let go of her wrists, nearly throwing her backwards. "Wait until I leave the room," He ordered gruffly, looking everywhere but at the sleepy miko.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

He felt, rather than saw, Xin raise her hand towards him. It was time to get the fuck up out of there. Now. He had to go. Now. Whatever was brewing in her empty head wasn't going to end well for him. The entire situation wasn't going to end well for him. He had to get away from her. Xin didn't stop him as he practically fled from the room, slamming the door behind him. She stared emptily at the door before shrugging her shoulders. With nothing else to stop her, she unclasped her bra and promptly went to bed.

---

A splitting headache woke Xin well into the afternoon. She opened her mouth, emitting a pitiful whine before rolling over onto her stomach. "Why...why am I naked?" She asked herself, pressing her hands against her breasts.

Xin forced herself out of bed and over to the closet, blindly pulling clothes out. Not giving a damn that she was topless, she stumbled out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. By the time she nearly fell out of the shower, the headache had eased up only slightly. She stared into her reflection, blinking hard and rubbing her face. Slowly she got dressed, pulling on the shorts and tank top carefully. She had no plans of going out today and dressed accordingly for her day indoors. Where it was safe.

Xin expected the townhouse to be empty but came to a screeching halt at the sight of Gaara sitting in the living room. His arms were folded across his chest and he had this oddly thoughtful look across his face. She took a moment to study the demon, headache receding even more. Memories suddenly came rushing back, of Masuyo, waking up and being carried home by Gaara, Hinata ranting, Gaara taking her to bed and—oh dear God. She stripped in front of him. She tried to take her bra off in front of him.

Xin could literally feel her soul just dying.

"Are you going to stand there all day?"

Gaara was looking straight at her, none the wiser to her mental breakdown. Trying to salvage her dignity, she continued down the stairs and towards him. Slowly she settled down on the other end of the couch, knees folded underneath her. "Um," She began lamely, clearly embarrassed. "Thank you, for last night.."

"It's becoming a habit to save you," Gaara replied after a long moment. He watched in interest as her face flushed but she quickly ducked her head. Her hair fell over her face, momentarily hiding her away.

"I'm..uh...I'm sorry about last night. I don't know what the hell was wrong with me. I shouldn't have tried to strip in front of you."

"You were out of it."

Xin only nodded along to his words. "Well, lucky for me that you have morals and you aren't attracted to me," She snorted at the thought but paused when she realized he wasn't laughing along with her. Hell, his face hadn't even budge.

He steadily avoided her gaze but Xin didn't seem to care. She continued to stare at him in an awkward silence. After several minutes, he decided to break the odd tension hanging over them. "Do you remember what happened when you went to your apartment?"

Desperate to change and get rid of the awkward silence, Xin readily nodded. "I just wanted some more clothes for us since we're staying longer," She said quickly, trying to defend her actions. Clearly she was used to being scolded. "Masuyo was there. She came at me and I grabbed her by the arms..I...purified her."

He gave her a look of surprise. "I didn't kill her though. She knocked me over with her own energy and I passed out. I woke up and there you were. And Jura…" Xin shifted her legs from underneath her, pulling her knees to her chest to wrap her arms around them.

"You could have been killed."

Xin stiffened at his words, a hard frown ruining her face. She didn't immediately reply to him. "So? What do you care?" She asked in a toneless voice. She wasn't trying to be an asshole about it or anything, it was an honest question. Why did he care whether she lived or died?

Apparently it was the wrong question to ask because Gaara shot up to his feet. His eyes narrowed disdainfully down at her. Xin didn't react to his sudden movements, barely reclining her head to look up at him. "I don't," He snapped. "I don't care whether you live or die," He continued almost hatefully. Xin only slightly raised her eyebrows at him.

"Then what's the point of this?" She asked, uncurling one arm to motion around them.

Gaara stared down at her, eyes blazing. "You're a source of entertainment," He spat evilly. Xin's eyes flickered and her jaw tensed. She broke the staring contest between them, looking away with a drawn look on her face. "You're more trouble than you're worth."

If her feelings were hurt, she did a wonderful job hiding it. "I didn't ask you to do any of this," She suddenly said, voice barely above a whisper. And Goddammit, she was right. She hadn't asked him to do any of this. In fact, she encouraged him to leave her be, to just go about his business. She didn't expect anything of him, she never expected anything of him.

And no matter how many times he told himself to do just that, to leave this girl, he just couldn't do it. He was sure that if the they weren't staying at the townhouse, he'd find some reason to be around her. Naruto said it, he wasn't as tightly wound when she was around.

Gaara glared. Xin stared.

She was waiting for the backlash, for acidic words and cruel threats. He could see the way she tensed up and how guarded her expression became. Her actions only caused his anger to spike dramatically. His energy came out in droves, threatening to choke her. The angry energy wrapped around her throat, seeping through the seam of lips and clogging her throat.

Something undeniably pure surged up from deep within her. It wasn't particularly strong but it was enough to twist at his angry energy, burning holes as it chewed at it. The minute he felt their energies twisting, his sense jumpstarted him. His dark energy receded, tendrils of hers tracing after it. Xin let out a ragged breath, nearly sagging over in relief. A weight heavy as a sinking stone settled in his stomach, causing him to lose that scathing look in his eyes. Xin didn't notice, too busy trying to pull herself together.

Gaara didn't bother to ask if she was alright, not that she really expected him to do so in the first place. She didn't try to stop him when he turned sharply from her. She only watched with weary eyes as he vanished in the form of a swirling portal, balmy winds native to Suna blowing at her hair. You

---

When it came down to it, Naruto rarely got involved in other people's relationships. He mostly just watched from the sidelines, offering commentary when he could, but he mostly stayed out of it. Relationships were messy things and while they had their pros, he tended to stay far from them.

That included his friend's relationships.

Romantic endeavors were tricky things and could potentially ruin a perfectly good friendship if things didn't succeed. Naruto didn't like to see things like that because he hated seeing any of his friends upset. He also hated picking sides.

Except for the epic adventure of Sasuke and Sakura getting together. That, he had to meddle in because his friends were nearly clueless and after awhile, it just wasn't funny anymore.

But..anyway..the point remained that Naruto didn't involve himself in disastrous relationships. Especially Gaara's relationships. Sure, he didn't necessarily agree with Gaara and Matsuri being together but it was Gaara's choice to pursue the brunette. As long as he was complacent, Naruto couldn't say much.

And really, he had nothing against Matsuri or anything. She was mostly a nice demoness. But she was rather...obedient, even so, if Gaara was satisfied with the relationship, Naruto was glad to mind his business.

And then Xin came along.

Xin had to be the oddest woman he'd ever come across. He lived for a long time and met a colorful array of different women but Xin stood out in her own special way. He wasn't sure if it was her fairytale-like beauty, her rare heritage or her quirky personality, but Xin stood out.

Maybe it was her odd ability to keep up with Gaara, of all demons, but that girl wasn't normal. For one, normal humans didn't attack demons with knives and mops and their cars. Normal humans didn't allow demons into their home and they certainly didn't willingly stay in a demon's presence.

Xin was an oddity but what's worse was the fixation Gaara had. As much as the redhead may try to deny and ignore it, he was harboring something for Xin.

It was interesting to watch and though it was rather sadistic of him, Naruto enjoyed Matsuri's temper tantrum. But still, the woman was right to be worried. Not necessarily about Xin. At the most, Xin was attracted to Gaara. She might have been unaware of it but Naruto caught her staring at Gaara several times throughout the day. Sometimes she stared a little too hard at the wide width of his shoulders or his arms or just his face.

She may not necessarily like Gaara but she was attracted to him.

But even so, Matsuri shouldn't accuse Xin of harbouring a crush on Gaara because she simply wasn't. At least not yet. In actual reality, Gaara was the one harbouring the crush. Maybe he wasn't aware of it or maybe he was just denying it but Gaara had a crush on Xin, Naruto could just tell. Xin got away with far too much when it came to Gaara.

It was all rather interesting to witness.

When Naruto returned to the townhouse with Hinata later that night, he wasn't expecting the silence that greeted them. Hinata frowned next to him, eyes slowly seeking him out. "Xin is here," He reassured the weary woman. "But Gaara isn't…" He trailed off as they slid out of their shoes. Gaara agreed to stay behind to look out for Xin while she recovered from whatever the hell put her in that weird state.

They found Xin in the kitchen, preparing dinner. She glanced over her shoulder at them when she heard them approaching. Her lips tilted up into a smile. "Hey, I'm making Katsudon for dinner. How was your day?" She asked kindly.

"Oh, I'll help," Hinata offered, rushing over to her sister. They moved like clockwork, which always amused him. "Today was nice. Oh but Moegi and Ami did get into an arguement. Anko threatened to throw them both into the oven if they didn't stop."

Xin laughed at that while shaking her head, long ponytail bobbing with her motions. Naruto leaned against the wide frame of the archway, studying Xin closely. She seemed...tightly wound. Like maybe she was frustrated with something.

"Where's Gaara, Xin?" He prompted, causing her to glance over her shoulder at him. He watched the smile slowly shrink until it was gone completely. She swallowed up her laughter, burying it somewhere deep in her throat.

"I don't know," She shrugged a shoulder casually. "He left after I woke up."

"S'that so?"

"He agreed to look after you," Hinata spoke softly.

"I don't need him looking after me," Xin nearly snapped, frowning gently when Hinata flinched from her tone. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. It's just...that man is an asshole," She nearly pouted, turning back to the food. "He stormed out here after I woke up."

"Any reason why?"

"We might have exchanged a few words."

"What kind of words?"

Xin closed her eyes and muttered to herself. "I asked him why he would care if I lived or not. He got all pissy and claimed that he didn't care," She began her explanation, ignoring Naruto as he heaved a heavy sigh. He could already tell where this was going. "So I asked what the hell the point of all of this way and he said I was just entertainment," She continued, trying to will her voice to remain firm. "And then he left."

She left out the part where Gaara nearly strangled her with his demonic energy. She was almost positive that he hadn't actually meant to do that. It was obvious Gaara had trouble controlling his very short temper. She was just glad he hadn't wrapped his long fingers around her neck this time.

Naruto shook his head and then squinted at Xin. He could see something underneath her skin, something dark. Something was twitching under her skin and it wasn't good. Next to her, Hinata shifted with a thoughtful frown. She looked at her sister, eyes squinting slightly. She could feel something was off. "Xin, what happened yesterday?"

She glanced at him one more time before tiredly reciting the same story she'd spun for Gaara that same morning. She was glad that Naruto didn't react as violently but the two did scold her for being so stupid. She could have waited until Naruto and Gaara returned to get things from their apartment. She'd nearly been killed by Masuyo because she was being impatient.

Just as they were finished cooking, Gaara ambled into the townhouse. The three paused in unison, watching as the demon walked by the kitchen without glancing at them. Xin and Hinata recoiled at the sight of him covered in blood and gore but Naruto smelled something else that made him frown.

Naruto waved the twins' attention away, following after his longtime friend. The stench was abundant as he slipped into Gaara's room, frowning harshly. "You smell like absolute shit," He announced, closing the door.

Gaara only glanced at him, tugging his soiled shirt off. "It's not like death smells pleasant," Gaara muttered simply, rubbing at his head. Naruto continued to frown, taking a deep sniff.

"Death also doesn't smell like cinnamon," Naruto said in an accusatory tone. "Nor does it smell like sex."

Gaara looked at him sharply, eyes narrowed. "Let it go, Uzumaki. It's none of your concern."

But Naruto was never one to take orders. "You said you and Matsuri were over yet you vanish when you're supposed to look after Xin to fuck her?"

"Xin can handle herself just fine."

"Clearly, which is why she was so damn out of it after being knocked on her ass by that psycho," Naruto said sarcastically. "Come on, man. You can't just run back to Matsuri like that, you're sending that lunatic mixed signals," He reminded his friend, highly disappointed with Gaara's recent actions

"I'm not running back to anything and I made it perfectly clear that our relationship doesn't change," Gaara replied curtly, tossing his stained shirt into the trash. Blood was a bitch to get out once it set and Xin would have a field day trying to clean it. Not that that crazy little hobbit did his laundry but anything dirty was a like a personal offense to her.

"You made it clear several times that you two were done yet she still clings onto the hope that you'll change your mind. Having casual sex with her isn't going to persuade her into thinking there's no chance."

Gaara glared at the blond, shoulders tightened defensively. "I don't need the lecture, Uzumaki," He snapped angrily.

"I think you fuckin' do."

"You're upset because you think I like Xin," Gaara stated in a blunt tone. Gaara could understand the frustration. They literally just had a conversation about Gaara harboring a crush on her. Instead of acting on it, he sought Matsuri out.

"I'm upset because you said you would keep an eye on her and you didn't. You ran off to fuck your crazy ex-girlfriend and then went on a killing spree afterwards. What the fuck, Gaara, what the fuck."

"I didn't want to," Gaara nearly snarled, considering the thought of throwing something at Naruto to shut him the hell up. "I had to."

"Why?" Naruto demanded stubbornly. He was going to get his fuckin' answers if he had to beat it out of Gaara.

"Because I wanted to fuck her," the redhead snapped with a throaty snarl. Maybe it was the frustration or maybe Gaara just wanted to fuckin' admit that he actually wanted Xin in the worst way possible. He gritted his teeth, looking down at his bloodstained hands.

She was a miko, for fuck's sake. Miko didn't have relationships with demons and they sure as hell didn't have sex with demons. Miko were put on the Earth to exterminate demons, nothing more, nothing less. There was no such thing as a miko being with a demon. Romantically or sexually. It didn't happen.

Especially not with the two of them. Even if they weren't miko and demon, they argued relentlessly. How could they be attracted to one another when all they saw were the bad in one another? They barely got along so how could either one of them have room to be attracted to each other?

"I wanted to rip her flimsy clothes off, bend her over the arm of the couch, and I wanted to fuck her," He explained shortly. Neither were necessarily embarrassed by the vulgarity of his words. "But I also wanted to strangle her. I wanted to tear her annoying ass vocal cords out. I had to get out. I had to hurt—to kill something."

Naruto was quiet, eyeing Gaara carefully. It was all fine and dandy to have a crush on her. Hell, it was fine to lust after her. He's caught himself staring at Hinata a little too long lately. But having to remove himself from her presence to avoid acting out on his wicked desires was disheartening.

Before he could say more, they heard tiny feet pattering down towards the room. A quiet knock pulled their attention to the door before Xin stepped into the room. She came to a hard halt, eyes slightly widening as she stared at Gaara. He was still covered in blood and gore and he assumed that's why she was so surprised.

Xin looked down, avoiding any eye contact with the redhead. "The food is done," She announced almost hesitantly. "It'll get cold so come on before I call Sui, Karin, Tenten and Neji over for dinner. Then we can listen to her threaten you for hurting my feelings this afternoon."

She was obviously teasing but her statement about hurt feelings rubbed Gaara the wrong way. She did a fantastic job at hiding those feelings this afternoon, barely blinking as he hissed down at her.

"Right…" Naruto tried to sound cheerful but hell if it didn't come out sounding too excited. He bounded by the small woman, patting her roughly on the shoulder. Gaara moved slower than Naruto, studying Xin's face. She was looking at everything but him and he figured all the blood he was covered in made her uncomfortable.

She took a step to follow after Naruto but was halted when Gaara reached out to catch her by the wrist. She stilled, tilting her head back to look up at him. Her lips parted, as if she was going to say something, but decided against it at the last second. He held up his other hand, curling his fingers under her chin. She continued to stare at him, shocked into silence by his too-gentle touch. His thumb stroked along her jaw, staining her pale skin with blood.

Xin didn't say anything for a long time, mostly because she was so caught off guard. "Clean up before you come eat," She finally said, taking a careful step back. He didn't stop her this time, watching as she sauntered down the hallway.

Gaara joined them after taking a shower, having scrubbed all the blood away. Naruto wrinkled his nose, still able to smell Matsuri's scent lingering on Gaara's skin. Dinner didn't last as long as it usually did, everyone almost desperate to get away from the awkward silence that fell over them.

The night took a turn for the worse as the twins bustled the dirtied plates back to the kitchen. They were speaking about the day casually when Xin's voice died off. Hinata frowned from the sink, turning to see that Xin had gone deathly pale. "Xin…?"

Her eyes had gone wide and her grip on the piles of plates she was holding loosened, shattering as they hit the ground. Hinata let out a startled shriek as Xin crumpled to the floor. Naruto was suddenly there, yanking Xin up and turning her over.

Xin's eyes were still wide but they had a glossy look, as if she wasn't really awake. She had gone still, sagging in Naruto's arms. Panic settled in the demon as he looked down at her, the odd energy he felt earlier beating erratically at her skin. Xin's eyes slammed shut and her mouth opened, releasing a painful wail.

Hinata cringed at the sound, panic settled deep into her chest. Gaara, who'd appeared out of nowhere, stared hard at Xin with an unreadable expression. He wheeled around to face Hinata, catching the miko by her thin shoulders.

"Hinata, calm down."

"Calm down? How can I?" Hinata demanded with tears nearly streaming down her face. "Something is happening and we don't even know what!" She cried mournfully. Honestly if they weren't in such a dire situation, Gaara would have been impressed that Hinata had it in her to yell at him. But now wasn't the time. They were running out of time and something had to be done immediately.

"You have to purify her. There's evil energy in her and it's destroying her from the inside," Gaara spoke plainly, holding Hinata's frantic gaze. "Stop crying."

"You want me to purify her? Won't that..won't it kill her?"

"No but Masuyo's energy will if you don't do anything."

Hinata nodded slowly, looking every bit of terrified. Xin's screaming had died down into strangled whimpers. Her gaze remained aimless, staring directly at the ceiling but seeing nothing. Tears gushed from her eyes, rapidly and uncontrollably. Hinata moved towards her sister quickly, dropping to her knees. She bit her lip and concentrated, focusing until her eyes caught the sight of something dark humming under Xin's skin.

The energy pulsed against her ribs, threatening to splinter the bone. Hinata grimaced and pressed her hands to Xin's chest, sending rivulets of her energy towards the dark matter. The lavender energy attacked the dark matter, biting and shredding it almost desperately. Naruto and Gaara watched in rapt interest as Masuyo's energy dwindled into nothing under Hinata's energy.

It wasn't long before Hinata chased the last bit of evil away. Once she was sure it was gone for good, she leaned backwards as Xin's lips began to quiver. She let out a long groan, snapping her eyes shut. The tears continued to cut rivers down her cheeks as she laid there.

"..Xin?" Naruto broke the silence first, shifting her until she was somewhat sitting up. "Tell me you're alive, shorty."

Xin finally opened her eyes, face flushed from her screaming and crying. "Oh my God," She groaned finally after a tense silence. "It feels like—"

"I don't want to hear any pop culture references out of you," Hinata reacted quicker, pointing an offending finger at her sister. Xin glanced at her, offering an exhausted smile. Naruto helped her to her feet, keeping a steady grip on her as she wobbled. Gaara watched her but didn't bother to help, not like he normally would have.

Instead he turned very sharply and stalked out of the kitchen. Neither miko took notice, Hinata far too busy fussing over her slightly dazed sister again. But Naruto watched him leave, frowning thoughtfully as he did so.

He decided to leave his friend be for the time being. Now certainly wasn't a good time to continue grilling the man.

---

Jura grinned widely as he bounded into the bakery, spotting Xin almost immediately. She hadn't been at work for the past couple of days, something about an injury to her hand giving her time off. She was leaning against the counter, for once, seemingly on break. "Xin!" He waved at her. She looked up at him, a smile pulling at her plump lips.

The woman straightened up. "Jura, hi," She waved back at him, coming from behind the counter. "You don't peg me as the sweets type," She observed, missing the look of complete adoration in his eyes.

"They're alright," He shrugged leisurely. "What time do you get off today?"

Xin glanced at the funky clock on the wall. "In about an hour," She answered, looking back at him. "Why?"

"You wanna go to the arcade with me afterwards?"

Xin gave him a funny look, head tilted to the side. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned into his personal space. He dipped his head down to accommodate the lack of height. "You demons do that kind of thing?" She murmured low enough.

A great big grin overtook his face, a laugh threatening to bubble from his throat. He took a step closer, enjoying the lack of space between them. "We're not complete heathens, you know."

A grin matching his own pulled at her lips. "Right, of course you aren't. My mistake. But sure, why not? I haven't been to the arcade in awhile. I'll totally kick your ass at Mortal Kombat."

Jura guffawed but left, promising he would be back in an hour. Xin busied herself with texting Hinata her plans so Naruto wouldn't worry about her later on.

"What happened to the scary redhead boyfriend?"

Xin glanced up at she stepped into the back. Moegi and Ami were blatantly eyeing her, making it obvious that they'd been eavesdropping. She quirked a brow at them. "He's not my boyfriend," She stated instead of answering them.

"I liked him better for you," Ami stated, causing Xin to squint at her. "This guy seems too nice for you, it's not going to work," She said with an air of finality.

Xin scowled at the girl, "did I ask?"

"As much as I would hate to agree with her, she's right," Moegi nodded her head apologetically. "The redhead seemed more willing to argue you with you if you're wrong. This one seems like he would just let you do what you want."

"How the hell would you even know that?"

"You can tell by the way they look at you. Are you blind?" Ami folded her arms and snorted. "That guy looks at you with complete adoration, like he'll let you walk all over him. The redhead wouldn't let you walk all over him. You need someone like that. You're a brat."

Xin gaped at the girl, clearly offended. "You both are fuckin' crazy. Neither of them like me. I know damn well Gaara doesn't like me like that. He just looks out for me as a favor for my cousin and Tenten."

"Oh, is that so?" Ami asked airily. "Is that why he watches you like a hawk and glares at any boy who so much as smiles at you?"

Xin flushed uncontrollably. "That doesn't mean shit," She snapped with a scowl. "We can barely stand each other as it is."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, princess," Ami shrugged leisurely while swaying out the door. Xin rolled her eyes and waved their words off, stalking towards the bathroom to clean her face. For once, she was relatively clean of any flour or smears.

An hour later, she was waving goodbye with her coworkers, loudly bickering with Jura over Mortal Kombat. Moegi and Ami watched her go, each frowning in thought.

"Five bucks says the redhead flips his shit when he finds out," Ami said flatly.

---

He'd like to say he didn't take immediate notice of Xin's absence but that was fat ass lie, so he just won't say anything. But the minute Gaara stepped foot into the townhouse, he was aware of Xin's lack of presence.

Hinata and Naruto were in the living room, watching anime when they noticed his arrival. "Hey, man," Naruto grinned widely at him.

"..what the hell are you watching?" Gaara asked instead of returning the greeting.

Hinata smiled sheepishly, sinking into the sofa, "Sailor Moon."

"You're twenty-one, Hinata."

Hinata only let out a soft laugh. "It's a classic," She argued through her giggles. "It's one of Xin's favorites but don't tell her I told you. She'll deny it."

In hindsight, she realized she shouldn't have mentioned her sister. Because that perfectly shoehorned into, "where is your sister?"

Sailor Moon proved to be far more interesting than the conversation because Naruto's eyes did not stray from the television. Later on Hinata would reprimand him for leaving to the wolves. "She's...out."

"Out?"

"Mhm. With a friend."

"Karin and Tenten?"

"Um, no. Not quite."

"Suigetsu and Neji?"

"Nu-uh."

"Hinata."

"She's hanging out with Jura," She said in one breath. And really, she shouldn't be so nervous to tell Gaara that. It wasn't like Xin wasn't allowed to hang out with Jura, they were friends, after all. Xin could do as she pleased, Jura wasn't dangerous and he would keep an eye on her.

For a long moment, Gaara didn't react. "Jura," He nodded slowly. Naruto's eyes finally flickered away from the television, briefly gauging for his reaction. Gaara said nothing more, opting to plop down in the La-Z boy recliner. "Well...what the hell is this show about?"

---

Xin smiled widely as she shuffled inside, turning one last time to wave at Jura before closing the door behind her. She took a deep breath, leaning against the door.

If she was being completely honest, she was glad to be away from Jura. Not that he'd done anything wrong to offend her. She actually had a lot of fun and enjoyed hanging out with Jura. She almost felt normal just hanging out with a friend at the arcade.

But Moegi and Ami's words haunted her the entire time. Did Jura actually have a thing for her? She hadn't done anything to warrant any affection from the brunet. They were just starting to be friends.

And what the fuck was up with them and assuming Gaara was her boyfriend? It was funny at first but the two were obviously serious. But that made even less sense than Jura liking her. At least Jura treated her nicely. All she ever did was go back and forth with Gaara, she still wasn't sure if the redhead actually liked her as a person to begin with.

But he'd been the one to save her these last couple of times. That had to mean something, right? He didn't have to save her life, she hadn't called for him but he came for her anyway.

"You're more trouble than you're worth."

His words jumped to the forefront of her mind, slapping her figuratively across the face. To put it simply, Gaara was mean to her. It was childish and sounded like something a preschooler would say but if she was being plain and simple about it, Gaara was mean. And unless she was a complete dumbass (she's only half of a dumbass, thank you very much) being mean to a girl wasn't a great way to show her that you liked her.

Not that Gaara liked her in the first place.

She was going to slap the shit out of Moegi and Ami during their next shift together. When the hell did they even begin to get along enough to come up with an idea like that? She couldn't believe them.

Besides, a miko and a demon? Wasn't that like against the rules or something? It had to be….what was the word? Blasphemous? Sacrilegious? Xin wrinkled her nose in distaste. The last thing she needed in this whole debacle was a complicated romantic plot. It sounded like a ripoff of InuYasha.

"God, that makes me Kagome, doesn't it?" She muttered to herself, rubbing at her forehead. "So Matsuri is Kikyo? That's unfair...Kuraim would be Naraku and Jura would be...Kouga? What about Masuyo then? Oh...maybe Tsubaki? She's certainly a whack job…"

"Xin?"

Xin nearly jumped out of her skin, pressing her hands to the door in her panic. Hinata was standing at the archway to the kitchen, frowning softly. "What on Earth are you talking to yourself about?"

"My weird shoujo-life. Well..InuYasha wasn't shoujo, right?" Xin asked while approaching her sister.

"No, I don't think it was," Hinata replied while turning back around. "How was your...how was Jura?" She asked after a short pause. Xin had a feeling that Hinata was going to ask how the so called 'date' went. Was she the only one missing something? Did Jura really have a thing for her or was everyone just being overdramatic?

"It was...nice," Xin answered as they stepped into the kitchen. "What'd you guys do?"

A smile curled at Hinata's lips, piquing Xin's interest. "We all sat down and watched Sailor Moon for a couple of hours."

"You watched what? Wait a minute, who watched it?"

"The three of us."

"The three of you as in you, Naruto and Gaara?"

"Yes."

"How in the hell did you manage that?" Xin snorted while digging through the fridge. She turned around, armed with their leftover dinner.

"I didn't manage anything. He asked what we were watching, I told him and then he sat down. We had a nice time," Hinata told her, watching as Xin shoved the plate of food into the microwave. The younger twin didn't speak again until she had her food thoroughly warm enough to eat.

"Weird," Xin hummed as she sat down, stabbing thoughtfully at her food. Hinata remained standing, patiently waiting for her sister to get her thoughts in order. "...Hinata?" She asked after a silent pause.

Hinata nearly smiled, knowing her sister so well. "Yes?"

"Do you think Jura has a crush on me?"

"He might," Hinata nodded slowly, watching as Xin seemingly grimaced. "Is that such a bad thing?" She asked carefully.

"No, I mean..I guess not," Xin muttered not nearly loud enough.

"Jura is nice."

"He is. Very nice."

The sisters shared a moment of silence, Hinata's expression patient but also expectant. Xin steadily avoided the gaze, finding her food exceptionally interesting. "I..I don't feel any special way towards Jura."

"No?" Hinata asked with raised eyebrows. "Maybe give it some time? It's not like you spend a lot of time with him. How would you know so soon?"

"How would he know so soon that he has a crush on me?"

Hinata shrugged a shoulder. "You know boys are attracted to appearances before personality," She stated, gaze never straying from Xin's face. Xin didn't seem particularly fond of that answer, frowning in what Hinata assumed to be disappointment.

"What about...Gaara?"

Hinata gave her a very odd look, head tilted to the side. "What about him?" She pressed, watching as Xin's frown twitched. In confusion? Hinata could barely tell. It seemed more like a mix of confusion and frustration. "Xin? What about him?"

"I..I don't know."

Hinata's eyebrows tightened as she studied Xin. She slowly approached, sitting down gingerly. Xin continued to avoid her gaze, stabbing even harder at her food. "Stop playing with your food," Hinata chided gently, knowing Xin was trying to avoid the conversation. She stopped immediately, shoulders tensing.

Their parents used to heavily scold Xin when she played with her food or any other nervous tics she might have developed. Hinata never said it outloud but their parents were the reason Xin turned out to be so...quirky. She was always a carefree child but their constant scoldings and putting her in therapy when she was so young seemed to do more harm than good. She was probably assuming Hinata would scold her whatever was brewing in her mind.

"What's wrong, Xin?" Hinata prompted, trying to coax her sister into speaking her mind.

Xin stubbornly shoved her chopsticks into her mouth, chewing nearly aggressively. "Nothing, Mo and Ami were just saying dumb shit today, is all," She insisted, looking away. Dumb or not, whatever the two said to her was obviously bothering her. Hinata tapped idly at the tabletop, garnering Xin's attention.

"You can talk to me, Xin. I'm not going to send you to therapy just because I might not agree with whatever comes out of your mouth," Hinata said in a light tone. Xin blushed instantly, squaring her shoulder almost defensively.

"I know that," She mumbled almost childishly. Hinata couldn't help the smile curving her lips. "It's just..it just sounds so ridiculous," Xin rolled her eyes helplessly. "Mo and Ami claims that—" she paused, making a face. "—Gaara has a thing for me and that he's better suited for me."

Hinata didn't reply, words clogging her throat. Out of all things, she wasn't expecting that. Unlike Jura, Gaara actually spent a lot of time with her wayward sister. During the past few months, Gaara was actually getting to know Xin. All of her quirks, mannerisms, her routines, her likes and dislikes. What's worse is that Hinata could actually see their relationship possibly elevating to something more. It was harder to picture Xin's relationship with Jura as being anything other than platonic.

"Oh dear.." Hinata trailed off, hand cupping her face.

"It's complete bullshit, right? All we ever do is bicker. He said I'm more trouble than I'm worth. That's not a very nice thing to say to someone you like, right?" Xin said stubbornly, sounding as if she was trying to convince herself of the fact. "He's kind of..of...a jerk."

Hinata raised an eyebrow, knowing her sister could string along a better insult than that. "That's not your best," She commented evenly, placing her elbow on the table. Their parents would have a fit if they could see them now, Xin talking with her mouth full and Hinata with her elbows on the table. It was nice to finally have some independence from their parents. Sure, their lives had been thrown out of the whack with this demonic/miko business but she was satisfied with everything besides that.

Hell, she was even satisfied with Naruto and Gaara being around. Gaara was a bit weird when it came to her sister but he wasn't so bad. He watched Sailor Moon with her, of all things. And Naruto…..well...Hinata blushed and pushed those thoughts away. Now wasn't the time to think about the blond demon. Her sister was clearly experiencing an odd crisis.

"Anyway," Hinata said, clearing her throat. "I'm not sure if Gaara necessarily has a thing for you but he did seem a little annoyed when I told him you were out with Jura. I'm not sure what it is but...something is there," Hinata began to say in a soft tone. "When he said those mean things to you..I think he was lashing out because he's not really used to caring for someone like you. I don't think he meant any of those things he said to you."

Xin pouted, pushing her plate away and slouching against the tabletop. "So you think he's pushing me away?" Xin huffed in disbelief. "Doesn't that seem a little….shoujo-esque to you?"

"Well, you did say your life is like InuYasha…"

"That's not funny at all and you know it."

Hinata chuckled softly as Xin continued to pout. "It's a little funny, Kagome."

"Ugh, don't call me that."

"What's wrong with Kagome? She was the main heroine."

"Nothing but everyone knows Kikyo was the better miko."

"Kagome ended up with InuYasha though."

"Yeah, I guess that's true—ah, wait! That doesn't mean I'm gonna end up with Gaara or anything like that!"

"Sure, Xin, of course not."

---

Much later that night, Xin found herself stumbling down to the kitchen for a snack. She rubbed obsessively at her eye, willing the sleep to go away. The small woman paused at the doorway of the kitchen, stretching her arms above her head. Once she was satisfied, she finally opened her eyes and nearly screamed at the sight greeting her.

Gaara glanced up at her, shirtless and covered in blood like the last time. Xin paled considerably and looked down towards his hand. He was gripping what she assumed to be his bloodied shirt. Her eye twitched at the bloodstains and vaguely she wondered if he would give it up so she could clean it.

"Where….where have you been?" Xin asked slowly, keeping her eyes focused on the shirt. When the girls had gone to bed hours earlier, they'd noticed that both Naruto and Gaara were absent. It wasn't a big deal for them to be left in the townhouse by themselves but the demons usually made it a point to tell them they were going out in the first place. "There's..usually not so much blood," Xin said in the same slow tone, approaching the taller redhead. "Are you alright?"

Gaara snatched her up by the wrist before she could touch him. "Demon world," He answered blankly. He stared at her wrist, nearly marveling at how thin it was. His entire hand wrapped easily around it, causing him to tilt his head to the side in thought. It was a wonder such a fragile looking woman had lived so far.

"Who pissed you off?" Xin asked, trying to pull away. He noticed that she avoided looking at him. "Let go already, you're going to leave a bruise," She fussed hotly, using her other hand to pry his hand away.

"The blood bothers you?"

"What? No?"

"Then why are you looking down?"

Xin's face noticeably flushed. "Because, you idiot, you aren't wearing a shirt!" She snapped, trying hard to yank away but failing miserably. Gaara stared down at the bluenette, caught off guard by her statement. Him being topless embarrassed her? She worked at a fuckin' gym, she was around topless men all the time.

"The blood doesn't bother you?" He asked clearly, wanting to clarify her freakish need to avoid looking at him.

"I said no already, didn't I? I'm not…I know you kill other demons. There's not much I can do about that, is there? Besides..if I can get the hang of this miko business, won't I just be killing demons as well?" She asked with far too much innocence in her voice. He stared at the crown of her head, frowning tightly.

She had a point but the thought of her killing someone else didn't sit right with him. Gaara reached for her other wrist, dragging her towards him until they were chest to chest. Xin's head snapped up towards him, eyes wide and mouth pinched. "It's not the same, Xin."

"It is," She argued, squaring her shoulders.

"I'm a demon, Xin, my sole purpose is to destroy. To kill, to wreak havoc. You're the complete opposite," He released one wrist, reaching up to draw meaningless patterns against her cheek. "Your purpose is to heal, protect and save. Not kill. Purification."

"Same thing," Xin insisted stubbornly but Gaara only shook his head. "It doesn't matter either way cuz' I can't do shit anyway. Let me go, go take a shower and put some fuckin' clothes on—and stop caressing my face!"

Gaara did as she he was told but only because he recaptured her wrist. He pulled hard at her until they were pressed intimately together. He dropped his head closer to her, lips nearly brushing her forehead. "You were with Jura tonight."

Xin blinked in confusion. "Yeah, so?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean? Because he asked me to hang out and said I said yes," Xin answered with a quirked brow. "What does it even matter?"

Gaara didn't immediately answer and that aggravated Xin. He didn't have any right to question anything she did or who she spent time with.

"It matters."

"That literally didn't answer my question. It doesn't matter. I can spend my time with whoever I want. At least he's nice to me," Xin snapped angrily, somewhat unsure of why she felt the need to even say that.

Gaara curved over her, causing her to arch into him. "He's nice to you," He hummed in an odd tone. It sounded amused but annoyed at the same time. For reasons she refused to explain, she liked the sound of it. "You do know why he's nice to you, don't you?"

"Why?" Xin squinted at him.

"Because he wants to fuck your pretty little brains out."

Xin flushed so hard at the vulgarity of his words that steam blew out of her ears. She was so caught off guard by his blatant statement that she didn't even realize he'd essentially called her pretty. Well, he said her pretty little brains but be still used the word.

"..and?" She asked slowly. "Maybe I want him to," Xin said, looking away. If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed his very odd expression. Gaara leaned close, studying her blushing face.

"No," Gaara breathed against her skin, eliciting a shiver to claw at her spine. "No, no you don't," the demon whispered quietly. The tiny miko trapped in his grip had no idea what she was doing. She had no clue about the fire she was foolishly stoking within him.

"You…" Xin's face flushed even harder, if that was even possible. Okay, so it was true. She didn't want Jura in that way, how could she? She just admitted to her sister that she didn't feel any special way towards Jura. But...but that didn't mean she felt any special way towards Gaara either.

Right?

"You don't know what I want," Xin finally managed to whisper just as quietly. There was an edge to her voice, tinged with anxiousness and wonderment.

No, maybe he didn't know what she wanted but he sure as hell knew what he wanted. He wanted this tiny girl for himself. Killing other demons and fucking Matsuri just wasn't cutting it for him. He couldn't get rid of the very primal urge to just ruin her completely.

Maybe it was just the demon in him wanting to destroy the miko in her or maybe it was something more. He wasn't completely sure but he wanted her. He wanted her fast, hard and he wanted it to hurt.

The only question was did she want that as well?

There was no space left in between them but he still pulled hard at her. Blood rushed to her face but she didn't fight him off. She rotated her wrists in his grasp but remained locked in his grip. Xin tilted her head back, lips slightly parted as if to say something. It was over, he could tell. His gaze dropped to her lips and he could just tell that if he kissed her, any other woman afterwards would be ruined for him. If he kissed this stupid miko, he would not be satisfied with anyone but her.

Dark lashes fluttered against her flushed cheeks. "Gaara…" She finally managed to utter, his name sounding so sweet against her puffy lips. Her eyes glazed over as she stared up at him.

He had to take a moment to decide whether or not it would be worth it. He had to ask himself if he was ready to ruin them both. The rational, sane, part of him screamed that he was making a mistake. That part reminded him that their relationship was shaky and fragile and everything brewing in his mind would only serve to ruin it.

But maybe that's what Xin actually wanted because she was suddenly on the tips of her toes, leaning her slight weight on his chest. She used the stance to her advantage, rearing up to softly brush her lips against his.

And that was it. That was all it took. His body felt like it was on fire, like he was suddenly drowning in flames. All of that for one simple kiss, that was barely even a kiss to begin with. It was enough to catch him off guard, his grip falling away from her thin wrists. Xin simply raised her hands to his shoulders, digging her fingernails into his skin as she steadied her footing.

Her mouth brushed against his jawline, somewhat too short to reach his mouth without him pulling her up towards him. His eyes swept the kitchen, wondering if the table behind her could withstand their combined weight. Xin didn't weigh that much to begin with….

"Gaara," Xin said again, this time almost impatiently. Her voice was thick with longing. He was sure that the table wouldn't hold up against them but maybe the counter could…

His arms snapped around her middle, trapping her against him. She couldn't escape if she wanted to but judging by her expression, it was not on her mind.

"Do...do you w—"

"Gaara."

The two paused, Gaara's eyes slowly sliding up to peer over her head again. Naruto stood at the doorway to the kitchen, looking both annoyed and interested. His pretty blue eyes narrowed at Gaara, not paying Xin any mind when she turned in Gaara's arms to peer over shoulder.

"C'mere, Xin," Naruto said after a long pause. It didn't sound like an order but Xin heard his tone and knew the blond meant business. Gaara let her go slowly, hands sliding down her back and off her waist. She stepped away from the redhead, eyes still swirling with curiosity and...longing?

He didn't get a chance to study her eyes hard enough because she suddenly turned away from him. She padded towards Naruto, shoulders locked tensely and head bowed. "It's late, Xin, you should get to bed," Naruto murmured quietly. Xin flinched, as if she'd been caught doing something wrong and was being scolded for it.

She glanced back at Gaara, frowning lightly. Whatever they had just shared...was it wrong?

It didn't matter, Naruto must have decided, because he nudged her away from the kitchen. This time she went willingly, whispering a quick 'good night' before scurrying away on soft footsteps.

The kitchen was left in total silence as both demons tried to collect their whirling thoughts. Gaara wouldn't say it outloud but he already missed the warmth Xin provided. He was already craving the touch of her lips against his skin. The liquid fire running through his veins began to cool without her foolishly stoking the flames.

"So," Naruto took a deep breath, eyes seeking him out. "What was that shit about her being just a kid and not taking her to bed?" He asked with a dry expression. "And don't tell me it doesn't count since you were planning on taking her to the damn table, same shit."

Gaara didn't have an immediate reply for once because he'd really been considering throwing Xin down on the kitchen table.

"Why the fuck are you even shirtless and covered in blood? What the hell were you even thinking? Weren't you just with Matsuri a couple of days ago? Was that not enough?"

Had it really been only a couple of days? He was craving Xin like he'd been touch-starved for years. His sexual appetite should have been sated for at least a couple more days. Yet here he was, about to fuck a pretty little miko on the table.

God, how the mighty fall.

"She kissed me," Gaara accidentally blurted. It had to mean something, right? Xin didn't seem like the type to just go around randomly kissing men. And what the hell was she going to ask him before Naruto opened his big fat mouth?

Naruto let out a groan, running his fingers through his unruly locks. He shouldn't have to deal with this bullshit. What the two did and didn't do was really none of his business. But still..he couldn't let Gaara selfishly ruin Xin.

"Look, man, Xin isn't Matsuri, alright? She's not like any of those women you fucked around with. You can't play with her like this. She doesn't care about your status in our world and she's not going to act like Matsuri. You can't treat her like this because of some baseless attraction you have to her tits or ass," Naruto scolded him, feeling like it was in through one ear and out the other.

"If I all I cared about was her physical appearance, wouldn't you be concerned for Hinata as well? They're twins, after all…"

Naruto tensed, his usual laxed disposition began to crackle. Gaara didn't react to Naruto's sudden mood change, nearly smirking. Naruto's crush on Hinata was painfully obvious. The only one who didn't notice was Hinata, ironically.

Xin and Hinata shared every physical feature from their plump lips to their meager height. Hell, they even had the same hairstyle and their hair was roughly the same length. They looked exactly alike but he felt nothing when he saw Hinata. He didn't have the urge to throw the even-tempered woman on the table and fuck her until she forgot her name.

He didn't feel any of that despite Xin and Hinata being mirror images.

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "You're telling me that your attraction to Xin isn't based solely on her appearance?"

"Not solely, no," Gaara admitted faintly, turning back towards the sink. He turned the faucet on and began to rub water into his face, trying to gather his sporadic thoughts. He'd already admitted that Xin was pretty. Yes, she was aesthetically pleasing but that just wasn't it.

He wanted to devour her wholeheartedly but he couldn't see himself slipping out of her bed when he was through with her. He couldn't see himself treating her like he treated Matsuri.

His stomach began to churn.

Naruto peered at the redhead, blue eyes squinting suspiciously. "Gaara, are you trying to tell me that you do like Xin?" He asked slowly and carefully, like he was afraid of the answer. He already asked once before but things could have changed. Maybe he looked away for too long but things were definitely different.

Meanwhile, Gaara seriously rolled the question over in his head. He was certain that there was a violent lust for Xin but was there an attachment to her underneath that?

"To be honest, Uzumaki, I don't fuckin' know. I just know she's attractive and I like being around her. And I'm almost certain that the dining room table can hold our weight up. Not the kitchen table."

The blond let out a loud laugh, shaking his head. "Okay, let's try this. Would you be alright with her dating other guys? Think of Jura. They went on a date, right?"

"I still haven't punched him in the face."

The thought of Xin harbouring feelings for Jura unsettled him and honestly, pissed him off. It practically made his skin crawl to think Xin might consider entertaining feelings for that moron. The mere thought of finding Xin in Jura's embrace was almost enough to set him off.

He twisted the faucet, nearly snapping it clean off. Naruto made a noise behind him but he didn't bother turning around. Jura being with Xin was..plausible. Jura was, as Xin said, nice to her. Jura was safe, he wasn't violent despite being a demon. He was sweet and maybe Xin needed that.

"I wouldn't," Gaara said after a long moment, deciding to be truthful about it. "I wouldn't like it but if that's what Xin wanted...who am I to say otherwise?"

"Well, judging by her actions, I think she's leaning towards you. But hey, anything can happen, right? All's fair in love and war."

"Fuck off."

The blond laughed again and Gaara scowled, he didn't see what the fuck was so funny. "Alright, alright but one last thing. Xin is a nice girl, a real nice girl. A little weird but that's besides the point. If you're only chasing after her because you want to get in between her legs, back the fuck off. If that's the type of shit Matsuri is cool with, then continue that. Not with Xin, she doesn't deserve it and you know it. Besides, the last thing I feel like doing is fighting Suigetsu, Karin, Tenten and Neji off because you decided to steal their miko's virginity."

"Are you only saying this because you want to stay in Hinata's good graces?" Gaara asked sourly, not being able to help being an asshole.

"Doesn't matter why I'm saying it, all that matters is that it's being said. If you aren't serious about that girl, leave her alone."

A small part of Naruto did want to stay on Hinata's good side but that didn't mean he didn't care for Xin at all. He spent time with both twins and enjoyed their company. Sometimes he even forgot that he was a demon and they were humans. He felt like a normal person around the two and he appreciated that they weren't scared of him or acted like he was above them.

So he didn't want to see Xin unnecessarily hurt because Gaara couldn't tell the difference between having a fuckin' crush and just lusting after a woman. He also really didn't want to deal with their friends. They already made it quite clear that they didn't like the idea of the four of them being around one another. Not that he blamed them. Clearly they had the right to be concerned now that Gaara had some fixation with Xin.

God, Karin would never let this go….

He should've just stayed in Konoha.

---

Xin rubbed at her face, effectively streaking flour across her face. She busied herself in the back of the bakery, obsessively slaving over any order that was received.

"Should I be concerned?" Anko asked from the doors, watching as Xin leaned over the sugar cookie dough, forming them into Autumn inspired shapes. It wasn't unusual to see Xin working so hard but she seemed so distracted.

"No more than usual," Ami huffed, peeking her head into the back. "Maybe her date with that one guy didn't go so well."

"She specifically said it wasn't like that," Moegi pointed out with a wry smile. "Maybe she's having issues with the boyfriend?"

"The scary one?" Anko frowned.

"Mhm, well she claims it's not like that either," Ami offered a sarcastic smile, hip cocked to the side.

"I thought it was like that, he's always here for her when she gets off…."

"Right?" Ami replied, glad that she and Moegi weren't the only ones to notice. "Have you noticed how he acts when other men show any interest in her?"

"Yeah, it's like he's ready to murder them in the middle of my bakery," Anko folded her arms across her chest and shifted her weight uneasily. "But he's not her boyfriend?"

"So she says," Ami said, shrugging one last time before shifting back out to the front. Anko briefly watched the girl go before turning her gaze back to Xin. It was odd to see a person so focused and yet clearly distracted by something. Xin was running circles around the other bakers but she could barely concentrate when they spoke to her.

Anko shooed Moegi away before stepping closer to Xin's workarea. It was a mess of ingredients but it was like controlled chaos. Xin knew exactly where everything was without looking up. She was focusing hard on her task and was nearly finished. Anko watched quietly as Xin carefully sprinkled orange decorator sugar over cookies shaped like pumpkins and leaves. There was also cookies shaped like apples and acorns.

"Good job, Xin," Anko murmured quietly, smiling slightly when Xin visibly jumped. "Working hard, I see," She continued in that same tone, peering around the smaller woman to get a better look at the cookies. "You alright?"

Xin put the sugar down and wiped her hands down her front. "I'm fine," She muttered just as quietly, eyes still on the cookies.

"You're also a liar," Anko snorted while rolling her eyes. "C'mon, take a breather and come talk to me about it," Anko didn't give her much of a choice, reaching behind Xin to untie her apron. Xin only huffed but conceded, neatly folding her apron to the side to follow after her boss.

"I was thinking of making Halloween-inspired cookies next," Xin made small talk during the trek to Anko's office. "Nightmare Before Christmas cookies, skulls, ghosts, bats, and other creepy shit."

Anko smiled, plopping down in her cushy chair. "Sure, Xin, but let's give everyone else a chance to do their jobs too, yeah?"

"Not my fault they're fuckin' slow," Xin pouted stubbornly and folded her arms, purposely avoiding Anko's gaze.

"They're not, Xin. You're just moving like you snorted fifteen lines of cocaine. Something is bothering you that you're trying to distract yourself from thinking of it. Tell me what's going on."

Xin shifted her weight between her feet, frowning uneasily. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to talk to Anko about it. She might have had less of an opinion than Hinata or their other friends. "Well…" She trailed off, trying to think of a way to talk about everything without directly revealing the demonic world.

Not that Gaara being a demon even bothered Xin in the first place. Which was odd to even say because demons were generally...well...they were bad. But then again, that wasn't fair to say. Not all demons were bad, like Karin or Suigetsu. Anyway, that's besides the point. The point was that Xin simply didn't care that Gaara or Jura were demons.

Which didn't make the least bit of sense because not only was he a demon, he was a murderous demon. There was no way around it, Gaara was a dangerous individual. That was made clear when she caught him covered in blood last night.

But the thing that was so off-putting about finding him covered in blood is that a trill of…something twisted in her gut. It wasn't a bad something, either. It was like an adrenaline rush but that's not exactly how she would describe it.

It almost felt like desire.

And that being the case, what did that say about her? To actually be attracted to Gaara was one thing. Being turned on by a demon covered in the blood of other demons meant she was clearly off her shit.

"Does it involve the scary redhead and the brunet that looks like a puppy?" Anko asked, gently guiding Xin into opening up. She didn't know Xin as long as she knew the other bakers but it was obvious that Xin was as stubborn as they come.

"...Yeah," She admitted almost sullenly. "I..well...Mo and Ami got it in their heads that they like me. I thought they were being ridiculous but…"

"Some truth to their words?"

"Maybe," Xin muttered in that same sullen tone. "I just..I don't see why either of them would like me. Especially Gaara. He's fuckin' mean and all we do is bicker."

"Because he's probably trying to deflect his feelings," Anko replied simply. "Sounds like a classic case of a bad boy meeting a wealthy girl that he can't have. Except the wealthy girl ran off to work at a bakery and gym."

Not to mention the boy was a demon, but who's keeping track of those small details?

"I'm not sure. He usually acts like he can't stand to be around me but…"

"But…?"

"I think he might have been upset that I was with Jura. We had...a moment…"

"Oh?"

Xin nodded, finding the floor incredibly interesting. "I..uh..I liked the moment," She confessed almost guiltily. "I kissed him first…"

"Did he kiss you back?"

"No…" Xin flushed terribly. "I think I caught him off guard. He looked like he was going to kiss me back but his friend interrupted. I don't think he would approve, I don't think any of my friends would approve," Xin rubbed harshly at her face, trying to pick the flour from her skin.

"Yes, well, bad boy, good girl. Like Romeo and Juliet."

Sure, except Romeo wasn't a raging demon and Juliet wasn't an incompetent miko.

"People do know that story is a tragedy, right?" Xin asked sourly, fingers twitching as she tried in vain to stop fidgeting long enough.

"Details, baby, details," Anko waved Xin's quip off with a lazy swipe of her hand. "But you get what I'm saying, right? Maybe you're just attracted to one another because no one wants you together? What about the other one? Didn't have a moment with him?"

Xin sighed heavily, thinking back of the so-called 'date' regarding Jura. Truth be told, she'd been aware of Jura's flirtations all night but only because Ami and Moegi pointed it out beforehand. If they hadn't put that bug in her head, Xin would have remained oblivious. Maybe it would have been better that way.

"No," She said after a long moment of silence.

"That's fine. You don't have to return feelings you don't have," Anko reminded her simply. "You aren't obligated to do anything, you know. If that kid really likes you, he'll understand and still want to be your friend."

A small smile finally pulled at Xin's face, washing away the uncertainty that contorted her pretty features. It made Anko smile as well. She didn't like Xin being anxious and unsure of herself. That wasn't like the spitfire at all.

"But even so, be careful of that redhead one. Bad boys have their reputation for a reason. I don't know if this is a slight at your parents or if everything is genuine but just be mindful of him," Anko added quickly, dreading the thought of Xin getting her heart broken over some mutant redhead.

But then again...knowing the pint-sized spitfire, she'd probably break his kneecaps if he hurt her.

Xin only nodded, wringing her hands together. Anko watched the motion, vaguely remembering that Hinata also had a tendency to fidget with her fingers as well. "Now back to work with you. But give the other bakers a chance, eh?" Anko shooed the younger girl off with a grin.

---

Hours later, Xin and Moegi were on lockup. The bakery had been swept, mopped and shut down as the girls finished the last of lockup. Moegi was busy counting the money and locking the register up while Xin was in the back, changing out of her stained clothes.

She was glad for Anko's advice but a stray thought hit her in the middle of preparing a wedding cake. Sure, it was all fine and dandy to consider pursuing something with Gaara except there was just one issue.

Matsuri.

Fuckin' Matsuri. The estranged ex-girlfriend. Semi-girlfriend? Xin wasn't exactly sure what their relationship really was but Matsuri was still in the picture. And if Xin learned anything from her psychotic ass family, it was that the Hyuga were second to none.

Oh, that was definitely something she was going to confront Gaara about. There was no way in Hell he would be cornering her and overwhelming her with thick ass sexual tension when he still had some strings attached to Matsuri.

"I'll be fucked and feathered," Xin grumbled to herself, lacing her converses up. She was an absolute moron. How could she kiss that demon when his ex-girlfriend but not ex-girlfriend was still in the picture? Xin was a lot of things but she wasn't a homewrecker, that's for damn sure. "And I don't do second place," She continued to grumble.

The door suddenly slammed open, allowing Moegi to rush through. She eyed Xin nervously as she approached. "Uh...we have a problem," She said. "The scary redhead, Gaara, he was waiting out front for you so I told him it's fine to wait inside since I know he's here for you. But then the other guy, the brunet showed up."

If Xin concentrated hard enough, she could hear heated voices coming from the front. Her stomach dropped. "It was all fine, a bit awkward, but it was fine. Then out of nowhere Gaara got this weird look on his face and just punched the brunet in the mouth."

Xin pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing heavily. "Okay. I'll handle it. Just stay back here," She muttered, still pinching her bridge. She moved around Moegi, determined to stop those two idiots before an actual fight broke out when Moegi grabbed her by the elbow.

"Are you crazy?" Moegi hissed at her, dragging her backwards. "You're 5'2 and 102 pounds, what in the world are you going to do to stop them?"

Xin scowled back at Moegi. What was with everyone and assuming that she was underweight? She was the perfect weight for someone her height. That wasn't important at the moment, she reminded herself. Two moronic demons were in the bakery, arguing about God's know.

"I'll just kick them in the dick if they don't listen. Just stay back here, alright? Please," She managed to break out of Moegi's hold. She hurried off before her coworker could stop her, darting out to the front with a quickness.

Jura and Gaara were standing at the cash register, Jura holding his aching jaw while they growled and snarled at one another. She could barely decipher what they were even saying, picking out the idle 'what the fuck is wrong with you' every now and then.

They didn't take any notice of her but that didn't stop her from rounding the counter. She eyed the two, approaching them like they were two cornered animals. She noticed, with a tight frown, that Gaara's eyes were beginning to shift to a beautiful gold. The whites of his eyes began to bleed into black and that made Xin come to a halt.

What the fuck.

She glanced at Jura, noting that while his eye color remained the same, they began to glow eerily. The whole entire situation unsettled her. She hadn't actually seen something like this happen before

Okay, what the actual fuck.

A tiny part of her told her to back the fuck up and let them sort it out themselves. They're adults, grown men, they should be able to have a conversation. But deep down Xin knows it's a stupid idea to leave them alone. She'll be damned if she has to pay for damages caused by two overgrown idiots.

"Hey!" She sprinted towards them. Neither of them paid her any mind, which didn't surprise her at all. When does anyone ever listen to her? Nonetheless she kept moving towards them. They were nearly chest to chest and Xin was positive those were fangs lengthening from Gaara's mouth.

"Gaara!" She shouted loudly, wedging herself in between the two. She curled her arms around Gaara's torso and shoved hard at his chest. The demon was so focused on Jura that he took a step back at Xin's urging. Thoughtlessly, almost like clockwork, his arm snapped around her waist as he pushed back against her. Xin stumbled backwards, only staying upright because she was clinging to Gaara like a fuckin' koala bear.

"Hey! Would you listen to me?!" Xin snapped angrily when Gaara took yet another step, forcing her to take a backwards step. "Stop being such an asshole!"

Gaara finally stopped moving, dropping his head to look directly down at her. She had to tilt her head all the way back just to look him in his freaky eyes. She blanched, suddenly realizing how intimate they were at the moment.

She really should have thought this through. "I don't know what's going on out here but it needs to stop," She said slowly, watching the dark anger swirl around in a pool of molten gold. There was also something else twisted into his eyes, mixing in with the anger, but she couldn't think of the word to describe it. "You can't fight here. If anything is damaged because you two want to be idiots, then it's my ass."

Gaara finally broke his odd stare on her, picking his head back up to look at Jura. His hand suddenly felt firm against her back, heat seeping in through her thin shirt.

"Gaara," Xin urged almost desperately. "Please do not fight in here. Go outside and fight if it's that serious. What the hell are you two even fighting about?" She peeked over her shoulder. Jura was staring at Gaara's hand against her back, a very odd look on his face.

She turned back to Gaara when neither of them answered, only to see Gaara's upper lip curl into an agitated snarl. She was entranced by the length of his fangs. A weird feeling settled into her stomach and she thought about cutting her mouth on his fangs. She batted that thought away, nearly blushing. Instead she tightened her grip around his torso. "Please?"

Gaara's snarl slowly subsided and he took a step back from Jura's personal space. He didn't let go of Xin, forcing her to follow after him. "Maybe you should apologize for hitting Jura in the mouth?" She suggested carefully, nearly laughing at the annoyed expression that crossed his face almost immediately.

"I'm not doing shit," Gaara snapped, snarl coming right back. This time Xin did laugh, face cracking to show her mirth. "I'm not apologizing for hitting him. He knows what it was for."

"You sucker punched me!" Jura hissed, holding his bruised jaw. "Fuck is wrong with you?"

"You're what's wrong with me."

"Don't fuckin' blame me because you can't accept the truth."

"When did I fuckin' ask for it in the first place?"

"You didn't have to hit me, you asshole."

"I was supposed to hit you twice but Xin interrupted."

"Alright, alright. That's enough of that," Xin interrupted again before the semi friendly banter could turn into something hostile again. "You guys scared the shit out of Mo, by the way. Thanks for that," She huffed sarcastically, patting at Gaara's back. She wanted to tell him that it was alright to let her go but she didn't want to bring any attention to it either.

Had they been paying close attention, they would have noticed the sizable portal that appeared near the front windows of the shop. They didn't pay it any mind until balmy wind began blowing at their heads, noticeably ruffling Xin's hair.

The three of them turned towards the portal, Xin visibly tensing. Every time one of those psychedelic holes opened up, she had to run for her life. Thankfully she was trapped between two demons who would, hopefully, keep her from being harmed by whoever was about to come charging from that portal.

A tall woman stepped from the portal, dusting sand from her clothes. She was dressed in a slimming black kimono-like dress. Xin frowned at the skin the dress revealed, knowing her grandmother would have a fit at the sight of a sexualized kimono. "It's like Setsuka," She muttered, referring to yet another video game character.

The woman's hair was the color of sand and pulled away from her face, revealing attractive teal-colored eyes. Her pinks lips were drawn into a questioning frown. Her eyes swept the bakery, a thoughtful eyebrow quirking once she caught sight of the trio.

"Oh," the woman finally spoke, her voice husky and attractive. Xin continued frown, feeling quite inadequate with this tall, beautiful amazon staring her down. Why couldn't she have inherited her father's height instead of her mother's height?

No one was really reacting negatively so Xin was suspicious that they all knew each other. "So this is what you've been doing the entire time, hm? Jura never mentioned anything about a woman occupying your time," the blonde mused in an almost mocking tone. "Really, Gaara, this is completely unlike you."

She was grinning like a Cheshire cat, impressively toned arms folded over her chest. "Jura said you were in Konoha with Naruto but this doesn't look much like Konoha," the woman waved her hand around almost carelessly. "And that," She pointed a long nail at Xin. "doesn't look much like Matsuri, either. No wonder she's been so irritable lately."

"Temari," Gaara finally uttered after letting the woman ramble. That was a pretty name, Xin found herself thinking. "What are you doing here?"

Temari folded her arms back over her chest again. "Just trying to see what you've been up to, is all. I was visiting Konoha—"

"You mean Shikamaru."

"—and I noticed that both you and Naruto were nowhere to be found. Interesting, yes? So I tracked you down and here I am. So, the question remains," Temari's fingers began tapping against her arm. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't have to explain anything to you, Temari."

Temari's easygoing disposition shattered, replaced with a tense stare. "Oh yes you do."

Xin looked back and forth between the two, feeling a little off with being stuck in the middle. She shifted, feeling the bite of his claws through her shirt. "You're starting to hurt me," She muttered quietly, nearly cringing when everyone turned to look at her. "Gaara, your nails," She reminded him in a hushed tone. The only human in the room ignored Temari and Jura's stares, squaring her shoulders under their heavy gazes.

Gaara dropped his arm slowly, holding her gaze. Xin took a cautious step back, not noticing when his stare dropped to her mouth. It was just a glance, too quick for her to even notice. "Interesting," Temari nearly crowed, pink lips pulling with her amusement. Xin offered the tall blonde a glance before hurrying back to Moegi. Temari watched the smaller woman go, eyes following her every move until she vanished behind the swinging doors. "She's not really your type, now is she?" She asked almost impishly. It wasn't often that she picked at him but then again, it wasn't often that he did something like this.

"I don't have a type," Gaara replied gruffly, listening in as Moegi berated Xin for getting in the middle of two grown men. The miko brushed her worries off, reassuring her coworker that neither of them would hurt her purposely. Gaara nearly snorted at Xin's faith in him. She was far too naive, he realized.

"Matsuri is your type," Jura pointed out stubbornly. He was openly scowling at him again. Gaara felt his temper flare at Jura's words and nearly hit him for the second time. "Not Xin."

"Xin?" Temari parroted with raised eyebrows. "That's an interesting name. What's wrong with her, she smells so..clean. Who is this woman that's monopolizing all of your time?"

Gaara glared at the blonde with a stubborn hitch to his jaw. "She has nothing to do with it," Gaara snapped irritably. Jura looked unconvinced but decided not to say anything. With Xin now in the back, there was nothing to stop Gaara from punching him again.

Temari stared back at him, eyes blank. Finally, she broke her stare by closing her eyes and sighing in exasperation. "Look, Gaara, you know how impatient our father can be. I can't keep covering for you like this. At least show your face at home to appease him. It isn't right that he's taking his anger out on Kankuro and I because you've gone MIA," Temari scolded the redhead, twisting her lips in annoyance.

Gaara didn't say anything, stubbornly refusing to do so. Temari let out an irritated sigh. "I'm not sure what that girl has done to keep you so occupied but know this, brother. That girl will be in danger the more you hang around her. She's different, pure, and other demons will notice. Rasa will notice."

His short temper spiked at the mention of Rasa noticing Xin's miko heritage. He didn't care who it was, no one was coming near Xin. Be it his siblings, Rasa or even those whackjobs Masuyo and Kuraim. Not a soul would touch her and live to tell about it.

"Fine," He decided after a long moment of trying to control his fleeting temper. "I'll go back to Suna and see Rasa. But I'm not staying," he stated firmly with narrowed eyes. Again, Temari sighed but conceded. Gaara was freakishly stubborn but at least he would come to Suna for some time. She was growing weary of Rasa's inquiries about Gaara's whereabouts.

Xin chose to make her reappearance at that moment, stepping from the back with Moegi at her heels. "If you three don't mind, it's time for us to lock the bakery up..." She waved at the trio of demons. Moegi grabbed at her arm tightly, wondering why Xin seemed so relaxed around such an intimidating bunch.

Temari smiled at the smaller woman but took a step towards the door. Jura slowly followed after her, followed by Gaara and then Xin and Moegi. "Are you sure you don't want a ride home?" Moegi asked as Xin busied with locking the shop up. She dutifully ignored the three demons surrounding them, wondering why in the world Xin was involved with such odd people.

Xin only smiled as she dropped the keys into her bag. "I'm sure, Mo. I'll see you later," Xin waved goodbye and followed after the three demons. Moegi watched her go, a feeling of unease twisting her belly.

She didn't like this one bit.

---

TeeBeMe: Gaara has got it bad and Xin is clueless as fuck. I just love how yall look at their relationship from different points. It's interesting to hear all yall opinions. Thank you for your reviews, I appreciate them as always and I look forward to your reviews about this chapter.