Hinata was in the living room when Xin finally came bounding down the stairs. She'd been kind enough to bring clothes back for Xin and waited patiently while Xin showered. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and oversized hoodie, looking more alert than she'd been an hour ago.

"You said you would tell me what's going on," Hinata said immediately with a frown. She followed Xin to the kitchen.

"I didn't expect everyone to come charging in here like that."

"They came over unannounced," Hinata sighed heavily. "They freaked out when they realized it was just me and Naruto. He was sleeping on the couch and Neji tried to strangle him."

"This is getting ridiculous," Xin mumbled tiredly, rifling through the fridge. "Breakfast?" she asked. Hinata hummed in consent and Xin began piling ingredients on the counter. "They act like he's a rapist or something."

"They are getting out of sorts lately. Maybe Gaara isn't ideal but this is just...too much," Hinata let out a deep sigh while shaking her head. "So, this Masaru demon…"

"I know it sounds crazy but he's alive. I don't know how but it has something to do with Masuyo. I freaked out last night, it was pretty bad so I went into Gaara's room. He didn't try anything, Hina, it was honestly me." She kept her back to her sister, avoiding having to look her in the eyes. "He wasn't really…" she trailed off, not sure if Gaara resisting meant rejection. She shook her head, now wasn't the time for her doubts and insecurities.

"Anyway...Masaru. He had this weird vendetta against Gaara. Probably because he's jealous of whatever Gaara has and he lives in his shadow. I tried to tell him that killing me won't change anything…"

"Some people can't be reasoned with," Hinata offered in a soothing voice. "I'm sorry you had to go through that alone. When they said you were gone…" Hinata trailed off, staring at nothing in particular. "I felt like a piece of me was gone and I couldn't just sit around."

"I felt like a piece of me was gone too," Xin turned towards her sister, smiling sadly. There was a hollow look in her eyes and Hinata could just tell that whatever she'd gone through really messed her up. "He tortured me and...I think he was going to rape me. It's hard to tell, he was out of his mind."

Hinata paled at the notion but Xin turned back to the food, sighing softly. "Like I said, I know it sounds crazy but he was there last night. It's like he's been resurrected or something. It's really...it's bothering me." Xin tried hard to focus on her task, listening to the salmon sizzling in the pan. "It's just...he was dead. Gaara killed him, he said so. I thought I finally cracked and was seeing things."

Hinata could tell that Xin was beginning to lose herself in her thoughts. "Let's...talk about something else, okay? You and Gaara...what happened last night between the two of you?"

A blush ran up the back of her sister's neck. She smiled softly, ducking away to hide her face away just in case Xin turned around. It was amusing to watch, seeing as how just weeks ago Xin denied that there was anything going on between the two.

"Ah...well…" Xin stuttered, visibly cringing. "We didn't...we didn't actually do anything, well I didn't…" Not that she hadn't tried.

"But he did?"

"Mhm. With his mouth."

"Oh? He kissed you?"

"You could say that."

"Xin, it's not like you to beat around the bush."

Hinata's amusement was evident as Xin turned around, looking as if smoke would blow from her ears any second. She waved an impatient hand below her waist, avoiding all eye contact. "Don't make me say it."

"If you can't say it, you shouldn't be doing it."

"For shit's sake," Xin groaned. "He ate me out, Hinata!"

Hinata broke out into laughter, throwing her head back. Xin rolled her eyes and turned back to her cooking. If it were anyone else teasing her, she might've thrown something at Hinata. A small smile cracked at her lips and for a moment, she completely forgot about her fear concerning Masaru.

"Did you like it?"

"...Yeah. It was frustrating at first, the feeling was frustrating but Gaara explained and did...that. He kept saying he'd hurt me but I don't think he would. He wouldn't mean it, at least."

"And you would be okay with that? Getting hurt?"

"Well..I don't know. It's not like I have much experience with this to begin with. Maybe I'd like it, maybe I wouldn't but we won't know if he won't...do anything."

"I think it's sweet that he's trying to go against his nature for you. I think, in it's own twisted way, that it means he cares for you. It's pretty dark."

Xin pursed her lips in thought. "I, um...I kind of like the thought of it, I think." She could feel Hinata's gaze penetrating the back of her head. "There was this one night he came back, he was covered in blood. It's not something out of the ordinary but usually we don't see it. I...um...I kind of felt...excited when he turned around."

She took her time preparing their plates, not sure how she was supposed to face her sister. "He promised that he'd kill anyone, if I wanted. He'd kill Masaru over and over again if he had to." She shifted uncomfortably. "It really made me feel...I don't know, like I wanted to kiss him."

Hinata made a thoughtful noise and Xin was instantly on the defense. "I know it's not normal, wrong even. We're priestesses and we shouldn't condone things of that nature but I just can't help it."

"I get it," Hinata said softly. "It's supposed to be wrong but you like him. I like Naruto and sometimes I know it's wrong because we're supposed to be polar opposites and we're supposed to rid the world of Demons but…" Hinata trailed off, a look of uncertainty on her face. "It's hard to explain but I get it."

Xin turned and dishes out the breakfast, smiling genuinely at Hinata. "I'm glad someone does," she sighed and shook her head before sitting down with her sister. Their conversation veered off into lighter territory afterwards, trying to regain a sense of normality, even if it was fleeting.

Naruto happily took Hinata to class, leaving Gaara to meet him later. Xin waved them goodbye, promising them she'd be more attentive at work later on in the day. With Masaru looming, Xin would need to be more focused than she usually was.

Gaara left Xin at the bakery, giving her a stern warning to pay attention to her goddamn surroundings while he was gone. It's enough to make her grin sheepishly. She blinked, however, when Gaara brushed her bangs from her forehead and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

He was gone in an instant, leaving her outside of the bakery. For a moment, she didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure what to call their relationship but there was an amorous intimacy involved now. She assumed Gaara would keep it low key and that she would be the one to be openly affectionate.

She rubbed at her forehead, still feeling the heat from his mouth before stepping into the bakery. Moegi and Ami were watching her from across the bakery, both grinning obnoxiously. She ignored them, face turning red, and hurried past them.

She had a relatively normal day and she appreciated that. She hadn't had a sense of normality for a long time. She missed it. She missed being Xin, a quirky baker and part time boxer.

Neji showed up around the late afternoon, offering Xin a simple wave as he sat down. She eyed him warily from behind the register but returned his wave. They were short that day and she volunteered to spend the last chunk of her shift behind the register. She waited, expecting him to pick a fight about her strange relationship with Gaara. But he didn't. Her cousin waited.

And then Gaara showed up.

Xin nearly groaned, hoping and praying that they wouldn't throw down in the middle of the bakery. Gaara only glanced at her but approached Neji, settling down at his table. Xin could only watch. She had about thirty minutes left behind the register and she could only hope for the best.

Neji and Gaara stared at one another, a tense silence hanging over them. "I don't like you," Gaara said first. Neji only eyed him, not offended. He didn't like Gaara much either. "But I respect you."

He wasn't expecting that.

But it was true, Gaara did respect Neji. He was powerful, for a human, of course. And though he didn't necessarily agree with the insistence of treating Hinata and Xin like children, he did it because he cared for them. Neji could have had a normal life, he could have grown up ignorant to the magic folk.

But for the sake of his cousins, he didn't. He chose the difficult path because he loved them and for that, Gaara respected him.

Still didn't like the motherfucker though.

Gaara sat back in the chair, arms folded as he studied Neji. "You and Tenten get on my nerves the least amount but I don't care much for you trying to treat Xin and Hinata like they're children." He was blunt with his words. "You keep saying they're naive but that's only because you keep them that way."

Neji was frowning but glanced towards his cousin. She was no longer watching them, busy with a gaggle of school girls. He couldn't hear what she was saying but she was smiling. Content.

"What's the point of this, Gaara? You're not one for conversations." Neji said, eyes slowly coming back to rest on the redheaded nightmare. "Why are you telling me this?"

Gaara was relaxed, lazy even. "Because I want your cousin and I have enough respect for you to tell you."

Neji's eyes narrowed and honestly, the sheer hostility of his glare impressed Gaara. Didn't scare him but he was impressed. "I hope you aren't looking for my seal of approval because—"

"I'm not," Gaara cut him off. "It's not you I want so what do I need your approval for?" he rolled his eyes. "I've told Xin, Karin and Tenten and now I'm telling you. I get what I want and I want Xin. No one is going to change that other than Xin."

Xin waved at the schoolgirls as they left with the parcel of pastries, eyes slowly roving over to Gaara and Neji. They weren't fighting but their silent conversation made her uneasy.

"I'm not looking for your approval or acceptance or whatever, I don't care enough about that. I'm just giving you a heads up out of respect."

"She isn't an item you can own, Gaara."

"Yes, she's made that quite clear."

If anything, Xin owned him. They had yet to realize it but the sway Xin had over Gaara was dangerous. He was, after all, a fearsome demon. His name invoked fear. And yet here he was, pining for some naive miko. He would kill for her, told his father to basically fuck off and cut all ties with any romantic partner he had.

And that was all before their relationship even had a label.

Xin was the one holding the cards. She could ask him to kill everyone in this bakery and he would do it. He may be physically and mentally stronger than her but she held all the power. All it cost her was a kiss and he was hers. It was impressive, really.

"So, what, you're telling me you want a relationship with her? Given your history, you expect me to believe that."

"The only thing I expect out of you is that you'll get on my nerves," Gaara grumped, leg bobbing irritably. Neji was not amused but it wasn't like Gaara cared. "I want whatever she's willing to give me."

"What if it's just friendship she wants?"

Gaara shrugged, "so be it. I won't force her."

"She doesn't know—"

"Then let her find out. She's not a child, Neji. She's young and inexperienced but Xin is no fool. She's only naive because you keep her naive. Let her make her own choices."

Neji was silent for a long time. "She's more than my cousin. She's like my sister, both of them are. Swear you'll do what you can to keep her safe."

"Easy," Gaara shrugged an uncaring shoulder. "I swear."

"And swear that this attraction you have for her isn't some weird opportunity you have to bed a miko."

Gaara made a face at him, clearly offended. Although to be fair, he did have a lot of perverted thoughts about Xin. "That's not what this is."

Neji nodded slowly. "Just remember this, Gaara. I know that you're a powerful demon and I respect that as well. But you're not invulnerable. Fuck up and you'll regret it, I promise." Neji's eyes were cold like glaciers. If Gaara were anyone else, he might've shivered.

"Noted," he nodded tersely. He got up then, the conversation over, and sauntered towards the cash register. She was ringing up a customer, though she remained pretty oblivious to the man's flirtation.

"...maybe we could go somewhere when you get off?"

"Ah, thanks but no. 1000 please."

He pouted but slid the banknote across the counter. She reached for it, only to pause when his hand wrapped around her wrist. She blinked at him, eyebrows raised. "How about tomorrow then?"

Before she could answer, Gaara loomed above them. He leaned against the counter, slamming his hand down on the countertop, startling both of them. The customer let go of Xin's wrist. His eyes, a vibrant gold, gleamed dangerously. "Get your shit and fuck off."

He did just that, snatching up his sugary treats and beat a hasty retreat. Xin watched him dart by Neji, fleeing the bakery. Realization dawned on her. "Oi, wait. You forgot your change!" But he was already gone. Her shoulders slumped and she pouted before glancing at Gaara. "Was that necessary?"

Gaara only eyed her, gold eyes fading back to his blue. "What'd I tell you about being aware?" he asked instead.

"He wasn't even a demon."

Gaara snorted, "he was flirting with you."

She frowned. "Was he? I didn't notice."

"Which is why everyone calls you oblivious."

She gaped at him, offended. "That's just rude," she said with a wrinkle of her nose. "Anyway, what was that just now with Neji? You two never struck me as being close."

"We aren't," Gaara answered. "He gets on my nerves like the rest of them do."

"They mean well."

"Tell that to yourself."

She made a face and stuck her tongue out at him. "Whatever. Go away, Anko would flip if she found out you scared a customer off. I've got about fifteen minutes left."

Neji watched their interactions before shaking his head. He promised Hiashi that he would look after Xin and Hinata. He wasn't sure how his uncle would feel if he caught wind of this. He wouldn't like it. The last thing anyone expected was for either Hyuga sister to get involved with demons.

But he had to concede. Of course they all meant well but they'd been just like Hiashi. They tried to control the twins, tell them what to do and reprimanded them when they rebelled. All that had done was push them further into Gaara and Naruto's arms. He didn't like it, not one bit but he'd have to be pretty blind not to see the genuine affection both demons held for his cousins.

After all, they had no obligations to still be around. They came to the human realm to help with the demons running rampant. Nowhere did it say that they had to stick around the twins and protect them. It was done because they just...they wanted to.

So he could respect them for that as well. Not that he was all that surprised. Xin and Hinata had a way about them, a way that easily welcomed those around them. Even if they weren't human. Despite the lies and deceit and the revelation that none of their friends were normal, they accepted them.

Nothing in their friendship really changed, not from the twins' end, at least. They didn't treat any of them differently and they weren't afraid of them. It was really the rest of them that changed the dynamics of their friendship.

Their friendship with Xin and Hinata fizzled into something like guardianship. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, his cousins were treated like children. Like they were too dumb to make their own decisions. Like those decisions would come back to bite them.

And maybe it would but they'd never learn because he and the rest of their friends were intent on keeping them naive. Like their parents had done to them. Wasn't that the reason both sisters left their family's home? Because they felt suffocated? Like children even though they were legal adults?

They were capable though. Gaara was right in saying Xin was no fool, neither sister was. After all, they adapted pretty quickly to the shift in their lives. They worked with it the best they could. They learned from their mistakes.

So, fine. He'd entertain the attraction between Gaara and Xin. He'd step back and let her make her own choices when it came to that nightmare on legs. Against his better judgement, he'd stepped back.

He'd just have to convince the others.

...Yeah.

The days got easier. Maybe it had something to do with Neji warning the group to back off but they experienced something they hadn't since before finding out about demons and miko and dragon magicians.

Harmony.

That wasn't to say there wasn't any conflict—there was. But it wasn't so tense. Tenten and Neji worked with Xin and Hinata on honing their spiritual abilities and they were making leaps and bounds. Karin tried to keep her snide remarks to herself and when she couldn't, they were watered down insults at best.

Things were okay again.

And then Masaru showed up.

The smell of death and decay hit them first. Hinata and Xin came to a slow pause in their tasks of cleaning up before locking up the bakery. One minute they were alone, sweeping the floors and counting the cash register, the next minute, Masaru was there.

Xin's blood turned cold and heavy in her veins as she stared at him. He reminded her of Sally the rag-doll, his skin held together by stitches, though he seemed far more menacing. He had a gray pallor about him, befitting of a rotten corpse. Blood seemed to perpetually leak from the corners of his mouth.

He was, for all purposes, a walking nightmare.

"Oh," Hinata blinked from behind the cash register. She eyed her sister, noting that Xin was frozen in place. That was...that usually didn't happen. "Xin…" she tried, barely moving her lips.

"Hinata…" Xin found her voice. "Do you see him too?"

"I see him."

"Okay, great," she laughed, though it was breathless. She slid her foot back, intent on getting to her sister but Masaru shook his head.

He grinned and they watched as blood gushed from his mouth, splattering against Xin's freshly swept floors. "Don't move, miko."

"You're bleeding all over my floors."

"Xin…." Hinata trailed off in warning. Now wasn't the time to worry about cleanliness. She closed the drawer to the cash register, her gaze steady on Masaru. She reached her hand out to her sister, remembering that Masaru had some strange vendetta against Xin.

"Take another step and I'll slit your sister's throat," Masaru threatened when Xin took a careful step back. She paused, hands up in silent surrender. The last thing she wanted was her sister being specifically targeted and harmed.

"Masaru," Xin tried in a soothing tone. "You don't have to hurt my sister." It was literally her nightmare come to life if Masaru got his dead hands on Hinata. "We can figure this out if you just…." Her hands around the broom twisted, holding it like it was a javelin. With no warning, she shoved the end of the broom into Masaru's throat, catching him off guard and choking him.

She took off, dodging around the counter to get to Hinata. They had the same idea, both scrambling to the back. Xin concentrated on her spiritual energy, throwing up a shield that curved around them, shrieking when something crashed against it. "You're going to pay for that!" Masaru screeched as they tumbled out the back door of the bakery. The cold air did nothing to stop them, their adrenaline kicking in and forcing them to ignore it.

It was as if they were on the same wavelength, darting down the alleyway. Xin slid on the snow and slush but Hinata scrambled to catch her, keeping her on her feet. She realized that neither of them had their phones.

Great.

Masaru came barreling down the alleyway after them, looking every bit of a deranged zombie. "Jesus fuck!" Xin exclaimed, holding up her hands. Spiritual energy burst from her palms, knocking him backwards. "Go, go, go!" She shoved at Hinata, prompting her into a fast run.

They ran from the bakery and Xin would later wonder why no one was around. It was just like the time she'd been chased into the forest only to run into Gaara and Naruto. Ironic.

They turned a sharp corner only for Hinata to crash face first into Masaru. She grunted and fell backwards into Xin, knocking them both to the ground. Masaru snatched Hinata up with ease and Xin blearily wondered how his fingers didn't snap. He closed his hand around her throat, lifting her off of the ground.

Hinata struggled, legs wildly kicking as she clawed at his wrist. "I told you I would slit her throat," Masaru spat down at Xin. "I'll show her mercy, make it quick. Just for you."

Alarm bells went off in Xin's head and panic settled in. Hinata gripped at his forearm and focused her energy into her hand. Rotten, burning flesh permeated the air. Masaru dropped Hinata immediately, cursing and snarling as his skin fell from his bone.

Xin stumbled to her feet and pulled Hinata up. She made sure to keep a firm grip on Hinata and took off once more. Her stamina was much better than her sister's stamina and she knew all of this running was beginning to weigh on her. She came to a screeching halt in front of their bakery, kicking up snow everywhere. "Xin?" Hinata was breathless. She glanced behind her, knowing that Masaru could pop up at any moment.

"Get inside. Lock yourself in the locker room and call someone—anyone." Xin shoved her towards the door, looking around. She was making a dangerous decision but there was no way she was going to let Masaru get his nasty hands on her sister.

Hinata pushed back but Xin had always been stronger. "Xin, are you crazy?"

"Yes, now do it!" Xin shoved hard at her sister before taking off down the street. Hinata watched her, eyes watering. She spun around and dashed into the bakery, doing as Xin ordered.

"Oi, moon pie? We'll be there in about ten minutes, no worries—"

"No, no, you've got to come now!" Hinata panicked, crouched and hidden away in the very back of the locker room. She had a terrible feeling in her stomach.

"Wait, why? What's going on?"

"That demon—Masaru! The one Xin's been so afraid of, he showed up and chased us around. He tried to choke me but I burned his arm off." Tears were gushing freely down her cheeks. She could only assume Xin's plan of diversion worked since Masaru hadn't appeared in the locker room.

"Fuck's sake. Okay, calm down. Where's Xin?"

"I don't know. She told me to call someone and ran off to keep him from me. He kept threatening me."

Naruto cursed for a good ten seconds. She could hear someone else cursing in the background and realized it was Gaara. "Okay, okay. We're coming now."

They were there in less than ten minutes. "Hinata?" Gaara called from out front. She immediately got up, leaving the locker room to find the two demons. "Your neck," Gaara sighed the minute she appeared.

Naruto scowled, marching towards her. He felt around her neck, eyeing the nasty bruises. "It's fine, I'm fine. Did you find her?"

"We came here first but I can feel her spiritual energy going off," Naruto answered. Before he could say much else, the door opened and Neji came hurrying in followed by Tenten. "Good, stay with Hinata and we'll hunt Xin down."

Hinata gaped up at him. "You're not leaving me here. What if she's hurt?"

Gaara's head twitched lazily in her direction. "What if you get hurt?" He didn't sound concerned at all. She almost pointed out the fact but paused, head tilting to the side. Unless she'd cracked her head when she fell, his eyes were a vibrant gold.

Weren't his eyes blue?

Tenten wrapped her arms around Hinata and gingerly pulled her from Naruto. "It'll be fine, Hinata."

"They'll bring her back," Neji said next. She frowned, noticing that he hadn't said they'd bring her back unharmed.

Xin ducked a wild swing from Masaru, stumbling backwards as she did. He'd taken the bait just like she thought the psycho would and chased her into a wooded area.

Spectacular.

"Masaru," she urged. "You don't have to do this!" She willed energy into her palms, wishing he'd back off. She was cold, tired and she was bleeding. She was no doctor or anything special but none of that seemed good to her.

His claws caught her stomach, ripping her skin open. Xin grunted and nearly toppled over from the force alone. She pressed her hand to her bleeding stomach at a shoddy attempt to heal it but Masaru wouldn't give her the chance.

"You did this to me," Masaru snarled as blood gushed past her fingers.

Xin stared at him, scowling. "I didn't kill you, you fuckin' zombie!" She threw one arm up in agitation, thoroughly fed up with him. "All you do is whine, complain and blame others. Not even death can change that."

Masaru scowled harshly at her. "She wants you alive but she said nothing about mangling you. As long as you still breathe…." he took a heavy step towards her, eyes promising her nothing but agony.

"She?" Xin pressed, taking a careful step back. "You mean Masuyo?"

"Who else?"

Xin nearly tripped over the roots of the tree to get away from him. "Masaru, come on, be reasonable. Gaara killed you once before over this, over hurting me. You really want to go through this again?"

Masaru surged forward, body slamming her against the tree. "You can't hide behind that motherfucker every time things get difficult for you, miko."

"You're trying to kill me!" Xin snapped back. "Your anger stems from him so you can fuck off!" She slapped her hand against his face, digging her nails into his skin like an anchor. Spiritual energy flowed from her fingertips as she shoved back. Masaru howled and fell backwards but Xin went with him. Pain rocked from her stomach and blood spurted out of her in an alarming fashion. She ignored it as he struggled to disengage her from his damn face.

The flailing demon targeted her bleeding stomach, shoving his claws into her open wound. Xin screamed and he took the opportunity to throw the miko off of him. She curled into herself, pressing her shaking hands against her stomach. She couldn't focus enough to heal her wounds, groaning and gasping instead into the snow.

Xin grunted into the snow. "God, you psychotic son of a bitch."

Masaru laughed like the psycho he was, climbing to his feet. Half of his face was sliding off of his skull. If she weren't in so much pain, she probably would've snarked on him about it. He reached for her, snatching her up by her shirt to shake her like a ragdoll. Xin managed to slam her palm under his chin, pulling herself away as he stumbled back. Xin fled from him, using the trees around her to lean against as she struggled away.

Masaru watched as she managed to limp further into the darkness. She was leaving a trail of blood behind and she wasn't moving fast so he wasn't too concerned about chasing her down.

A hand fell to his shoulder, gripping him impossibly tight before he could go off after her. He was spun around and was faced with Gaara. He faltered almost immediately, losing his bravado. Gaara's hands fisted in the front of his shirt. "Masaru," the demon sounded almost pleasant but he wouldn't be fooled. "I distinctly remember murdering you. What do you think you're doing alive?"

Behind him, Naruto scented the air. "Fuck. She's hurt. You wanna go find her or do you want me?"

Gaara scowled but there was a devious glint in his golden eyes. He shoved Masaru towards Naruto. "I'll be back," he called over his shoulder before vanishing off into the dark.

Naruto eyed Masaru, scowling. "You smell like actual death."

Meanwhile, Gaara followed the trail of blood, eventually finding Xin. Her hands shook, either from blood-loss or the cold, as she held them over her gushing wound. She was trying her best but she couldn't keep her energy steady enough. "Xin," he tried to remain calm as he stepped towards her. Her head jerked up towards him, hand nearly turning on him. "It's me, I'm here. Don't purify me."

"Oh," Xin breathed heavily, causing more blood to gush down her stomach. "Is Hinata okay?"

Gaara sighed, eyeing her stomach. "Your sister is fine. You, on the other hand, aren't. You're bleeding to death. Come here." He reached for her, lifting her carefully as she continued to bleed everywhere. "We need to get you back to Hinata." She was drastically becoming pale as he carefully made his way back to Naruto. To his surprise, Naruto was literally choking the zombie-demon to death. "What are you doing, Uzumaki?"

The blond gave them a fleeting glance before doing a double take. "He did that to her?"

"Yes."

His eyes narrowed, "You're okay with that?"

Gaara let out a hollow laugh. "I'm furious and I'm going to enjoy killing him. Again." His grin was evil and Masaru felt his stomach drop. "But Xin is more important right now."

Naruto nodded, seemingly pleased. Just as he was about to drag Masaru after Gaara, the ground beneath Masaru began glowing before opening up. A hand reached up, grabbing at Masaru's legs. He was pulled into the portal, allowing it to close up immediately. Silence hung over them as they stared at the ground. "Wow." Even slightly delirious, Xin couldn't help herself. "Wasn't expecting that."

They took her back to the townhouse where everyone else waited. "For shit's sake," Karin said first the minute the demons returned. They cleared away from the couch, letting Gaara shift her into the cushions.

"Where's Masaru?" Suigetsu asked as Hinata knelt over Xin. Her skin was freezing, she noted as she carefully peeled the remains of her blood soaked shirt away. Her wound was deep but fresh. She could fix it.

"He fell through the ground," Xin slurred while blindly reaching for something. Gaara's hand. Despite the blood, he let her grab his hand.

"Portal. He fell into a portal, she means," Naruto helpfully explained. Karin was eyeing Xin's hand with a frown. "I can only assume it was Masuyo who saved him once she realized Gaara would kill him again."

Suigetsu groaned in irritation. "We need to get rid of that woman and we need to do it fast."

"No kidding," Tenten reached down and brushed her fingers across Xin's forehead, frowning sadly at the state of her. She wondered how many times this would happen to the young miko. "She's good at hiding though."

"So, what, we wait her out? Wait until she pulls some shit like this again?" Karin waved in Xin's general direction.

Neji folded his arms across his chest. "That's a terrible plan. She's human, there's only so much damage she can take before her body gives out."

"She'd hit you if she were coherent," Gaara commented. He noted that her grip on his hand was getting weaker. For a moment he almost panicked but she was only falling asleep. Hinata was doing a good job at healing her stomach. She lost her grip completely once she was fully sleeping but Gaara twisted her hand around so that he was holding onto her.

"Miko or not, she's still a human girl," Neji argued. Gaara promised him that he would keep Xin safe. He swore on his stupid demonic life that he would keep her safe. It wasn't even that long ago that he promised to keep her safe and now look at her. He wanted to be angry with the demon but there was a part that reminded him that it wasn't completely Gaara's fault.

This was their life. The life he wanted to keep Hinata and Xin away from. Danger went hand in hand with their lifestyle.

And he just couldn't protect them from it.

Xin woke up with a strangled cry. Her hands scrambled over her stomach, searching for the jagged gouges but found nothing. She gasped hard, panting almost erratically before realization slowly began to set in.

She wasn't dead. Okay, okay. That was good.

But she could feel it. Phantom claws dragging across her stomach, plunging into her bleeding wound. Xin closed her eyes, hands still pressed against her stomach as she willed herself to calm down. This is what everyone warned her about. The danger, she realized mutely. This is why she'd been warned away. Sure, maybe Naruto and Gaara hadn't done this to her, but their presence brought danger at every turn.

The miko climbed out of bed and stumbled towards the door. She'd lost a lot of blood and despite being healed, it did nothing for her strength. She struggled out into the hallway. It took her a long moment to realize that she wasn't back at her apartment.

Her apartment didn't have stairs.

Xin stood at the top of the stairs, trying to remember what the hell happened after she managed to get away from Masaru. She blinked hard, rubbing at her eyes and recalled bits and pieces of what happened. It was mostly a blur but she was positive that Gaara and Naruto showed up.

"Gaara? Naruto?" Xin called softly, knowing they could hear her. "Hinata?"

She heard shuffling around beneath her before Naruto came into view at the bottom of the stairs. He peered up at her for a long moment before a slow smile pulled at his lips. "Xinny," he greeted her with a juvenile nickname she hadn't heard in years. "I'm glad you're awake." He started up the stairs towards her, hands sliding around her in a reassuring hug. "You smell like blood, miko, how about a shower?"

Xin hugged him back with a huff, smiling into his chest. He was real and he was here and she was safe. She didn't even care that he was teasing her about smelling like blood.

"Hinata brought some clothes. She's at work now, Gaara said he'll grab her on the way back." Naruto rubbed at her back, glad that she was looking better now. "Now in the shower you go." He pushed her back towards the bathroom, watching as she slowly stumbled her way out of sight. His smile dropped almost immediately. If Gaara didn't kill Masaru successfully this time around, he'd be sure to.

Somehow she managed to stay on her feet during her shower, though she wasn't sure how. She felt awful and maybe the steam of the shower hadn't helped. Xin leaned against the jamb of the bathroom door, not sure if she were sweating because of the steam or if she was that exhausted. She glanced down the hallway in time to see Naruto climbing the stairs once more.

"Figured you'd be out of sorts," Naruto grinned and scooped her up with ease. "Moonpie said you needed to rest but you can at least rest with me downstairs. I'm lonely."

Xin rested her head against his collarbone, laughing. "A lonely demon," she mused as he carried her easily down the stairs. She washed all the blood away but he could still smell it. He could still see it, gushing from her belly like a broken faucet. He hated it.

Naruto plopped down on the couch, Xin tucked into his side. "Gaara was about to lose his shit, waiting for you to wake up," Naruto said after a pause. "He stayed up all night, looking after you. Hinata convinced him to take her to work."

"Lose his shit?" Xin mumbled into his shoulder. "Why?"

"You almost bled to death, Xinny. He was probably thinking you wouldn't wake up," Naruto explained with a snort. "He cares for you more than I originally thought."

"Is that so hard to believe? That he cares?" Xin asked sleepily.

Naruto shifted, sinking them both into the couch comfortably. "Yeah, real hard to believe actually. Nice though, to see him actually care about something other than himself."

"That's not true. He cares about you, his mom and siblings."

"They're family, it's different and I'm not sure he cares about me."

"Please, you're his best friend, Naruto. He cares."

"He calls me by my last name."

Xin shrugged an uncaring shoulder. "I never said he knows how to show that he cares in a healthy way. He's a psychopath." She smiled tiredly. "His dad's a fuckin' nightmare, can you blame him?"

Naruto laughed, jostling her but she didn't seem to mind. Hell, it made her happy.

"He may be a psychopath but you're into that psychopath."

"True, very true." It was Xin's turn to laugh. She leaned her head back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "You..does he really care about me that much?"

Naruto smiled, arm curling around her to rest his hand against the crown of her head. "Kill first, ask questions later. That's usually how he operates. However, when it came to either finding you or killing Masaru, he decided to find you."

She blinked, pretty mouth rolling. "I mean, we've talked a little bit about our relationship but…" she trailed off.

"Wait, wait," Naruto was full on grinning at this point. "You got him to talk about his feelings? About a romantic relationship? Not strictly sexual?"

"...Yeah? It wasn't a long conversation but we spoke about it, sort of. He told me what he wanted."

"Fuck, tell me what he said!"

"What? No! That was a private conversation, you goof!"

Naruto wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. "Come on, you have to tell me! You don't understand how monumental this is, come on!" He kept her locked to him despite her trying to wriggle away from him. Xin cackled, shoving uselessly at his face as she tried to get away.

He didn't let her go but she didn't mind.

"Anko is going to ban you from the bakery if you keep scaring customers away like that."

Gaara snorted at Hinata's statement, not the least bit sorry. "Just because you have to be nice to customers doesn't mean you have to let them flirt with you like that."

"He was vulgar, wasn't he?" Hinata chuckled softly as she ambled beside Gaara down the street.

"Fucker's lucky I didn't punch his shit in."

Hinata laughed again, cheeks glowing. She was touched that Gaara felt so strongly enough that he'd go so far as to threaten a creep for her. She'd been uncomfortable with the customer's flirting when Gaara slid in and casually threatened him into backing off.

"Least you realize you're being flirted with. Your sister never catches on."

Hinata hummed at the mention of her sister. "Thank you for bringing her back to me last night. She's too reckless for her own good."

Gaara glanced at her, hands shoved in his pockets. "She's reckless like that because she loves you. I want to wring her little neck but I can respect her being strong enough to lead danger away from you."

She nodded, grateful that Xin took that risk but upset at the same time. This situation was bad but this time was definitely worse. She could literally feel death creeping on Xin and she'd done her best to chase it away by closing that wound up. It scared her. Because Neji was right. Miko or not, they were still human.

"You…" Hinata trailed off, eyeing him. "You really like her, don't you?"

"Far more than I should."

She was a little surprised with his blunt honesty. "More than Matsuri?"

This time he chuckled. "More than Matsuri," he nodded slowly. "I'm not a good person, Hinata. I'm not good at all."

She listened to his words carefully though they didn't surprise her. She knew that he didn't have a savory track record and it was wrong of her and her sister to ignore that record. She mused, darkly, that their attractions for the demons outweighed their morals. "Does she make you want to be…." Hinata trailed off in thought. "Better. Maybe not good but better. Does she make you want to be better?"

Gaara paused in front of the townhouse, staring at its face. He could hear the tv inside, and turned to some anime, no doubt. He could feel Xin and Naruto's presence inside. He felt that tight feeling in his chest loosen.

"She does."

Naruto and Xin were on the couch, watching an anime with far too much bloodshed. They were both heavily invested, eyes never straying from the screen even when the front door opened. Gaara helped Hinata out of her heavy coat, grunting when she graciously thanked him.

Hinata stepped into the living room first, eyes on Xin. Alive. She was alive. She looked tired and worn out but she was clearly alive. Feeling her gaze, Xin turned to her direction and grinned. "Hinata!" she clambered to her feet.

Hinata charged forward, hugging Xin like her life depended on it. She felt Xin's arms settling around her torso but she only squeezed harder. "You're the absolute worst! You're going to get yourself killed one day!"

Xin laughed, not the least bit insulted. "Oh, Hina, you know I'd do anything for you."

"Stop that," Hinata sniffled, feeling the tears gathering. "You can't keep being so reckless."

"Right, right. I'll do better. Promise."

She was teary eyed as Naruto coaxed her away into the kitchen. Xin watched them go, smiling as Naruto whined about Xin being stingy with her secrets. She turned, eyeing Gaara at the door. "Quit skulking in the shadows like that. Don't you have to reprimand me?"

Gaara approached her, looking less than amused. She looked exhausted and sallow but she was alive. The exhaustion was clear in her eyes but she still smiled up at him. That feeling he had in his chest, that tight feeling that loosened, felt warm. It felt nice.

"I think Hinata made it clear how we all feel about your reckless stunt," Gaara curved down over her pressing his face into her neck. "Reckless, reckless girl." He spoke into her skin. Even under her soap and shampoo, he could still smell the blood from her belly and death trapped in her hair.

He pressed her hands to her back and ran them down towards her waist, grabbing tightly at her hips. He could feel her smiling, enjoying his attention. "Were you worried about me?" Her voice held a hint of mischief to it, hands resting against his chest. Gaara nipped sharply at her neck, eliciting a surprised gasp from her. She didn't pull back, instead leaning her head back to let him continuously press kisses to her neck. Her eyes fell closed and she blushed, chewing thoughtfully at her lip.

"Gaara—ahh—wait. Uh. Hinata and Naruto are in the kitchen.." she managed to pull away, just a smidge. Gaara paused, staring up at her with eyes rimmed in gold. He pulled back from her, stretching back to his regular height over her. For a moment, he wanted to tell her that he didn't give two fucks who was in the kitchen.

But, he remembered, humans had a strange thing with displays of affection. He turned sharply then and for a moment, she was convinced he was offended. He grabbed her by her wrist, however, and yanked her after him with quick strides.

She followed after him, confused but curious. He ducked into the downstairs bathroom, pulling her along and quietly shutting the door behind them. It was a nice bathroom but it was hardly big enough for the both of them, they were practically chest to chest.

He peered down at her. "Better?"

Xin raised her eyebrows at him. "Better? I mean...yes? But...you want to kiss me that much?"

Her innocence was endearing and added to his yearning for her. Partially because he wanted to ruin it. He wasn't sure why she was still oblivious to his want and need for her. Wanting to kiss her shouldn't be so hard to believe, he had his face in between her legs at one point. Yes, he wanted to kiss her.

His answer was simple. "Yes."

She blinked, "oh."

Gaara smiled at her, a genuine fuckin' smile. He was glad that Naruto wasn't present or he'd never hear the end of it. It wasn't like he was embarrassed for how he felt about the small miko. Naruto just had a habit of making a big deal out of things and he wasn't in the mood to punch his shit in.

Xin smiled back before shyly stepping closer to him, fingers brushing carefully against his stomach. Her fingers trail a map up his stomach, to his chest and over his shoulders. She curled her arms around his neck, leaned forward on her toes and kissed at his jaw.

It was cute, he thought, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to feel her plush mouth against his jawline. He was a greedy motherfucker and he wanted more. His arms snapped around her and he lifted her with no problem, plopping her down on the bathroom counter. He reached for the counter, bracing his weight against it and curved down into her. Xin didn't move for a second, eyes instead flickering down towards his mouth.

Gaara never considered himself to be a sap but he absolutely melted when Xin tilted her head back and gently pressed her mouth to his. It was satisfying and warm but it wasn't enough. He appreciated the gentleness, the softness of her lips but it wasn't enough.

Gaara lunged forward for her, hands cupping her face. He wasn't gentle about it but he was careful enough to avoid puncturing her face with his claws. He bared down on her, trapping her against him as he hungrily kissed her.

She tried to reciprocate, to kiss him back just as fiercely but all she did was add fuel to the fire. He pressed down hard on her, tongue mapping a way into her mouth when she faltered, gasping. Her entire body shuddered and she almost felt like she couldn't breath. Gaara licked into her mouth, bit at her lips and sucked on her tongue.

Xin reared back far enough to lift her legs, wrapping them tightly around him. Gentleness forgotten, she clung to him like second skin and grinded her hips against him. Pleasure clawed its ways up her spine, causing her to double her efforts against him to chase after that feeling bubbling in her lower belly.

He was having thoughts like before. Thoughts of ruining the purity, of dragging her off the counter only to bend her over it. To break her, ruin her, destroy her. They were violent thoughts, leading him back to his basic instincts, to that nasty little primal need to destroy something pure. There's a reason miko and demons didn't cross that line that they were toeing.

He pulled back with a snarl, one that didn't even sound humane. Her lip was bleeding, he noted from a lapse of judgement, from him nipping too hard at her lip. She mumbled his name like a revered prayer, leaning forward to pepper shallow kisses at his mouth. He could taste the blood from her lip and it tasted fuckin' fantastic.

"Xin," he managed against her lips, his voice sounding hoarse, like he'd been gargling sand and glass. She shivered. "This recklessness needs to stop."

He meant her need to divert danger from her sister. He knew she did it out of love and devotion and he respected her for it but constantly putting her life in danger needed to stop. There was always that off chance that he wouldn't make it in time, that he'd be too late in helping her, saving her.

She was out of her element, miko or not. She was more human than she was miko and she just wasn't built for this life. It made him sick, to think of the worst case scenario, to think of her unmoving and empty of life.

It made him angry. He knew for a fact that if anything were to happen to her, if someone were to take her from him, he'd go back to that nasty son of a bitch he was before. The warmonger, the brutal demon everyone warned her about. Hell, maybe something worse.

She trusted him far too much, far more than he trusted himself. She knew that if she held on long enough, he'd come swooping in to save her. But Gaara was realistic and this was no fairytale. There was always that off chance that he wouldn't make it. That she'd die by Masaru or Masuyo or Kuraim.

He knew his growing attraction for her was wrong, that it needed to stop. But did he listen? Of course not. That attraction grew into lust and that lust festered. Festered into something warm and genuine and…

Xin sighed his name, lips falling to his jaw.

His thoughts constantly clashed with his actions. Every time he warned himself away from her, he found himself running right back to her. He found himself telling her friends to fuck off. He found himself hidden away in a little bathroom, contemplating fucking her against the sink, unconcerned that Hinata and Naruto would be able to hear everything.

Xin was his thin line of sanity, of humanity. If she were to die, he might actually set the world on fire.

He was so royally fucked.

TeeBeMe: you're in love, Gaara, duh. Can't blame him though, Xin's no better. Two idiots, pining for one another but both somewhat unwilling to admit to it. I love it. Gotta love the friendship between Naruto and Xin and Gaara and Hinata. It's not all about the romance, friendship matters too. Hope you guys enjoyed!