He stared at me for a long time after that moment where I had shown my soul, that split second where my eyes had become clear and I let him see everything. Those three words held everything I was in them, and I could not help but feel humbled as his teal eyes watched me unwaveringly. They were wide, filled with fear, curiosity, disbelief, and for the first time in all of the years that I had been watching Gaara┘there was a hint of happiness in them. For once someone was looking him in the eye and showing him the honesty and absolute awe of being in love, for once I could see him shaking as he felt the full impact of my words.
I had not expected anything from him, never had I wanted him to repeat those words to me, fore I knew it would be a lie. Gaara knew not the meaning of love, only the pain it could cause when placed in the wrong person. And, despite his past actions, and his lack of feeling, I knew I could trust him to be true to me if I asked him to be. He may have been unstable, but he was honest, and that I was sure of. Now, as he lowered his head onto my shoulder and wrapped his arms around the upper part of my body, I felt his heat for the first time. He was nothing like I had imagined, not like the previous night either. Then he had been as cold as the surrounding sand of the freezing desert, sending a shiver down my spine as he had held me. Now, though, he emanated warmth and it comforted me as I rested my arms on his shoulders and ran my fingers through his blood-red hair.
Neither of us spoke again for the entire night, words were not needed. We could hear each other in our silence, almost as though we were reading each other▓s thoughts. After a long time spent with us holding each other as closely as possible, losing ourselves in each other▓s heated presence, he lifted his head. I don▓t know how he had realized it, but somehow he had known how tired I was. He stood from the bed and allowed me to lay down beneath the sheets, my head rested comfortably on the piled pillows. Once he saw that I was comfortable (which isn▓t hard on his bed, IT WAS SO SOFT! TT) he lay down beside me and wrapped his arms around my middle. At first I was surprised and was tempted to squirm away in my uncomfortable-ness, but I soon melted into his heat once more and fell into wonderful dreams┘
That crimson butterfly kissed my nose, my eyes flashed open and the meadow came to life. The paper flowers that littered the ground were torn to pieces by the breeze and sent flying past my long hair. I turned to watch the butterfly and saw my love, his dark-lined eyes watching me calmly as I smile at him sweetly. I love this place, where I can be truly happy, but there is only one problem. Even as I reach out for my love, I know I wont feel him, fore he is not there. He is but a dream, an emptiness replaced by a black hole which sucks me in, consuming the whole of me and leaving me to struggle in terrorized, silent darkness.
I woke to the feeling of soft breathing on the back of my bare neck, he was still there, still awake, and still holding me closely. I rolled over to look at him, our eyes met and I smiled warmly, he was not a dream. Consumed by my happiness I leaned forward on my side and kissed the tip of his nose, to which he reacted with wide eyes. I giggled softly, watching the light leak in through the window and play across his features, he looked like a small child. I grinned and wrapped my arms around his neck, wanting to stay here for ever and never let go, but I knew I would have to return to the others eventually. So, with a heavy sigh and a look of disappointment from Gaara, I stood from the bed and brushed back my hair with my fingers. I had put it in a braid before going to sleep the first time, and now it was a mess of braided yellow string. ⌠I need a shower┘and a change of cloths┘■ I said softly and Gaara stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and leaning down to nuzzle the base of my neck.
⌠I will escort you back to where you are staying, then┘■ he said softly, almost a mix between a whisper and a low growl. Then I felt his lips press against my cheek in a soft, curious kiss. I turned to look at him, perhaps a bit too suddenly and he looked shocked. ⌠Was I not supposed to do that?■ he asked, holding his flat tone but looking like a frightened child.
I smiled and shook my head, ⌠No, that▓s what you▓re supposed to do. You just surprised me is all.■ I said with a soft chuckle, indeed he had surprised me. I had never felt anyone kiss my cheek with that kind of subtle attraction and care, like one would handle a butterfly. A butterfly? Was that what he saw me as? If so, then I was flattered.We arrived at the motel swiftly, I was still trying to silently show Gaara how he was supposed to act now that he and I were sort of together┘in a way┘ U Anyway┘I was holding his hand as we walked up to my room and knocked on the door, he watched in silence as Lee answered the door loudly.
The boy swung the door open with a loud, ⌠TSUKASA!!■ then he wrapped his arms around my shoulders in a huge bear hug, which Gaara watched disapprovingly. ⌠Where have you been?! Sasuke and I have been so worried about you!■ I froze at this, and Lee must have felt my body tense up because he let me go and looked at me slowly. ⌠Tsukasa? What▓s wrong?■ He watched me for a moment before Sasuke entered the doorway, I saw him watching me out of the corner of my eyes.
⌠Tsukasa,■ he began, sounding very threatening as he spoke. He was looking at Gaara, glaring really, with the same malicious intent that he had shown his brother not too long ago. ⌠Why is he here?■ As soon as the question had been asked I had to bring myself to glare slightly at Sasuke, I had warned him about this kind of behavior the other night.
⌠Because, Sasuke, he was simply being hospitable.■ I said low in my throat, almost growling.
Finally Sasuke turned his attention toward me, looking me up and down for a moment before getting a suspicious look on his features. ⌠Those are the same cloths you left in yesterday┘why didn▓t you come home last night, Tsukasa?■ He sounded like a possessive, overprotective boyfriend or even┘like my husband┘I shivered at the thought.
As I opened my mouth to answer Sasuke▓s question I heard Gaara▓s voice behind me, he had taken the liberty of answering the question for me. ⌠She was with me.■ At this both Sasuke and Lee tensed noticeably, seeming to look worried, angry and suspicious all at once.
⌠What did you say?■ Sasuke said through gritted teeth, he sounded as though he wanted to yell many insulting things at the red-head behind me. His body was shaking in rage and his fists were clenched at his sides, he looked at me for his answer which I gave without a single note as to how angry and frightened I was at the moment.
⌠He said I was with him all night┘which I was.■ I said simply, looking away from Sasuke but, speaking clearly. ⌠I slept at his place.■ I finished, not wanting him to know exactly where I had slept. Though, with my luck, I knew he would probably ask.
And, as I had predicted, ⌠Where exactly in his home did you sleep?■ he asked, I could see that he was trying his very best to seem as calm as possible.
Before I could answer, my plan had been to calmly work my way around the subject without actually telling him where I had slept. Though I never had the chance, ⌠She slept in my bed┘with me┘■ Gaara said calmly, as though it was the most normal thing in the world for a boy and a girl to share a bed. I almost laughed at his childish ignorance┘almost.
What I did do was smile at him, which Sasuke noticed and instantly labeled as a bad thing. ⌠Tsukasa┘I need to speak with you.■ he growled out, almost glaring at me threateningly. I backed up slightly, watching him in annoyed confusion and slight disgust.
⌠Whatever you want to say, Uke-chan, you can say it right here.■ I said, stressing his nickname in a way that I knew he would understand how much I wanted to get off the subject. He paused, as did I, and we exchanged sharp glares as Lee watched like U Poor guy was stuck in the center of a violent and frightening love triangle, watching his own personal soap opera unfold before his eyes.
Finally Sasuke gave in, for the time being at least, and sighed in angry defeat. ⌠Never mind, just get dressed.■ I smiled, thinking it was over, but as I passed him to go through the doorway he grabbed my arm to stop me and he hissed in my ear. ⌠I want you back at six, no later. We need to talk.■ With that he released me and I, though sufficiently confused, went to retrieve and change my cloths.
At this point I wanted to melt into the floor and disappear for the day, simply turn invisible and find a place to sleep. ▒Gaara▓s bed was nice enough,▓ I thought with a smirk, then continued aloud, ⌠heh, maybe I should go there every time I want a good night▓s rest┘■ then my thoughts turned perverted, ⌠Or maybe a little fun. Heh heh heh┘■ I smiled to myself warmly until I heard a voice behind me.
⌠Go where? I wanna go too!■ His childish voice came from beneath the bed and I bent over, wearing little more than my underwear and bra, and found a blonde boy hiding under the motel bed.
⌠Naruto┘what are you doing under there?■ I looked him over and added, ⌠and in your boxers?■
He laughed nervously, ⌠Heh, funny story┘um┘let▓s see┘■ I paused as I heard a knock on the bedroom door.
⌠Who is it?■ I called in a sing-song voice.
⌠Kaoru!■
⌠Come in!■ she opened the door and walked in, she was wearing a kick-ass dominatrix outfit with belts and chains handing from it. Her fish-net stockings had holes in them and her boots added almost a foot to her height, making her that much taller than me. She carried a whip and a black leather flogger, and I kind of had an idea of who they were for.
⌠Have you seen Naru-chan?■ she asked, ⌠We were playing a game but I lost him.■ she said innocently, I wasn▓t even going to think about asking what kind of game they had been playing (which she had probably forced him to play).
I simply shook my head, for Naruto▓s sake, and said, ⌠No, I haven▓t┘sorry. Good luck finding him, though.■ I smiled and she punched the air in frustration, then she sighed and bid me a farewell before leaving me to bend over and give Naruto a sympathetic look. ⌠If you want you can hide here as long as you like┘just┘don▓t get into the habit of watching me dress, okay?■ he nodded and whispered his thanks and I went back to dressing, after all, I knew the others would not be so patient as to wait out there all day.