Tracing the Outline

Update. Ya-ya!

"You're the only one that understands me," he said softly to himself. "I don't know what to do now."

'And he understands me. Maybe, I like him too,' she thought.

Raven looked at her feet in wonder. Was it love that she felt?

She lifted her head to have a glimpse of Gaara, only to see that he was gone, and a small pile of sand left where he was standing.

Raven bit her lip. What was wrong with this picture? She had met a great guy, yet something didn't feel right.

She sighed, rubbing her sore arm. (Is it sore, or soar?)

Walking back to the bed, she flopped down on the mattress to think.

Love. It was funny. She wasn't supposed to love anyone. That's what she had always been told. And she believed it for a long time. She believed it because of her father. But, her father was dead, wasn't he? Everything should be all right now shouldn't it?

Raven closed her eyes. How did she know if this was love? If she had never loved anyone before…

Raven rolled onto her side and looked out the window with a glazed stare. (f.y.i. It's her right arm that's hurt. Thank you!) Nothing would ever be easy.

"So…"

Raven didn't look away from the window.

"Hey Maniac," she said sighing.

"Sigh," Maniac mocked. "That's what you sound like."

Maniac plopped onto the foot of the bed and folded her hands on her knee.

"For some reason, I don't hear wedding bells in the air. Now, why is that?" Maniac said skeptically.

Raven was silent. Maniac frowned. "You know, if you're not going to talk to me, then why did I bother coming in here?"

"I don't know."

Maniac threw her hands up as if in defeat. "So, I'm guessing you let this one get away too?"

Raven paused. "No."

"Then why aren't you jumping for joy. Come on it's fun. Join me!" Maniac stood and started jumping excitedly.

Raven rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

"Getting lonely here."

Maniac kept jumping. Raven stayed where she was.

"Getting tired here."

Maniac slowed down and sat back on the bed.

"Stopping."

Maniac glanced around the room for several moments before talking again. "So, I'm guessing he got cold feet, and ran off, leaving you with hundreds of questions and very little precious answers."

"Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner," Raven said sarcastically.

"I think, that he likes you. I think, that you like him. And I also think, you should talk to me," Maniac said hopefully. "Come on girl, we can like, have like, girl talk like, like, like, I'm a valley girl."

"Stop saying like, it's annoying."

"Sorry," Maniac said with great emphasis. "Like."

"Look, he's confused, thanks to you. After you left, he muttered something about love, then about his uncle. I've heard his story. He doesn't know what love is."

"Technically, he does. He knows the definition, he doesn't know what it feels like though."

Raven was quiet.

"Sorry."

Maniac scratched her head and glanced around the room again. "Rae, it's obvious he cares about you, or he wouldn't have saved your life twice now. I'm thinking, that you're the first person he's cared about in a long time, and he's afraid."

"Afraid?"

"Oh yeah," Maniac said nodding. "When me and Gerard first got married, even before that, he was so messed up in the head he locked himself in his room. We broke up fifty times before he actually said hi to me."

"What?"

"Moving on," Maniac said quickly, not wanting to get into details.

"Maniac, I have no idea what you're talking about. You make no sense."

"Been there done that."

"You're there now," Raven remarked. "I really don't feel like talking right now, would you leave me alone?"

"Fine, fine. But when the moment comes that you want to talk, I'll be there ready and waiting with a tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream."

…

He was on the roof again. This was where they had first talked. Where he felt calm, and hopeful Hoping, that maybe, someone was like him

But his chest felt like it was on fire. It was so strange. He had never had this feeling before. Why was he in so much pain? What was wrong with him? Was this what love felt like? Was this… love?

A young Gaara sat in a corner with a small knife. He frowned and tried to his skin. In that moment a rush of sand sprung to protect him.

"Gaara."

The young boy turned to face a young man with blonde hair.

"I never want to see you do that."

Gaara looking away in shame. "Yashimaru, I'm sorry."

The young man looked at the boy in confusion, then rubbed his forehead and chuckled. "Oh this. It's nothing, really."

Gaara was quiet. "Does it hurt?"

Yashimaru gave Gaara a confused look. Of course it hurt.

"What is pain? I've never been hurt before so…"

Yashimaru bit his lip. He supposed this wasn't an odd question coming from Gaara. And, it some how made since.

"I'm not bleeding, but it really hurts here," Gaara said holding his chest.

"Pain is, oh, how to explain this," Yashimaru said slowly. "It's a wound. A sensation that burns. But with time, and the right medicine, it will go away. But a wound to a body is nothing like a wound to the heart."

"A wound to the… heart?"

"Yes Gaara, because unlike a wound to the body, there is no medicine that can cure the heart," Yashimaru said gently.

Gaara looked at his feet. He touched his chest curiously. And he wondered. So there was no cure?

"There is only 1 thing that can fix a broken heart Gaara," Yashimaru continued.

Gaara looked at his uncle hopefully.

"And that 1 thing is Gaara ,is love."

Gaara held his chest. If this was love, what was this pain? Why was there a sensation in his chest? It wasn't throbbing or bleeding, yet warm and comforting. Could this feeling possibly be love? But he wasn't supposed to love anyone. No one but himself. But Raven was like him, she understood. If he could only love himself, did that mean he could love people like him also?

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a blinking light, and a flaring alarm that whistled in his ears. He glanced around hurriedly in a daze. What was this? What was going on?

The sand immediately raced to surround him and moved to the main room in flurried rush. What was happening?

…

"Eat it!" Maniac urged. She forced a spoon of vegetable soup closer to Raven's face and glared. "Come on, at least smell it!"

Raven put a hand over her mouth and looked away. "I don't want any," she muttered.

"Don't mumbled, I can't understand a damn thing you're saying."

"I said I don't want any soup," Raven sighed.

"Fine, be that way," Maniac snapped. "That's the last time I try to be nice to you."

"I'm just not hungry."

"Suuuuure. Riiiiiiiiiiiight. Uh huuuuuuuuuuuuuh. Okay, I see."

"Stop, that's annoying."

"Cause they are in love," Maniac sang. "Come on admit it. He's a cool little dude. Can a get a holla?"

"No."

"You suck at girl talk."

Raven glared.

"F. U.," Maniac teased.

At this moment the alarm went off and Maniac hopped of the hospital bed, setting the soup on the end table..

"Hey, wait!" Raven cried.

"Sorry, Rea, gotta go. You stay here. See ya. Bye!"

Maniac ran back into the room, "Eat your soup." And with that she was gone.

…

Maniac was the first in the main room with Reese close behind.

"Dude, what the fuck?"

"I know right," Maniac agreed.

"God dammit, what the hell?" Jason grumbled as he walked in with his toothbrush in his mouth. Wiping his hands on his pants, Jason flopped onto the couch and claimed his spot.

A tornado whirled next to him, making Jason jump as Gaara appeared next to him. "Don't do that!"

Gaara gave him a dirty look. Jason grinned and moved a spot over.

"I'll sit here cause Gaara's my buddy," Maniac said happily.

"No, I want to sit there!" Reese cried.

"Sit on the other side."

"Why don't you? I want to sit next to Jason."

"So sit there," Maniac said, pushing Reese into the couch.

"Hi Gaara," the said together.

"So," Maniac began.

"Titans!" Robin cried as he raced into the room.

"Occupodo. Think they left without you yo."

"Ha!" Reese laughed.

Robin grumbled and turned to leave.

"So," Maniac began again.

"You coming?" Robin remarked.

"Does it look like it?" Reese questioned.

"We're leaving?" Jason added.

"I'm staying here."

"Maniac, if we need anyone to die out there, it's you."

"You mean it? You need me? I feel so-"

"She's staying to," Reese interrupted. "Someone needs to stay here with Rae."

"Then I'll stay."

Maniac turned and smirked as Sasuke waltzed into the room.

"Did those lights mean something important?" he queried.

"Just the alarm. Means there's trouble in the city. And by the looks of it, that Naruto dude split to go hang with the guys."

"We should have left by now," Robin snapped.

"Keep your shirt on, for all our sakes. I'm coming."

Maniac jerked her head towards the door and motioned for her other teammates to follow.

"ASAP, we're-"

"I know, on the clock. Damn your catch phrase sucks ass."

"Shut up Reese, not like you can do better you cock sucking whore."

Reese flicked Maniac off as she exited the room, making an angry Maniac chase after her, with Jason and Robin close behind.

Sasuke tossed a glare over to Gaara, who at the time was staring curiously at his hands.

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the room, startling Gaara somewhat.

"I'm gonna-" Sasuke started.

But Gaara was already half way down the hall.

So what did you think? I've been grounded for a while so I haven't updated, it's a miracle I found time. I got like 3 D's. Science, Math, and Civics sucks!