Ch.8: Gaara's Tale

Hinata faltered timidly at the door before Temari yanked her arm closer to the bed until the pale girl fell onto the bed. Temari scowled as the girl fell onto her bed. She even fell down with extreme grace.

Hinata blushed. "I'm sorry…"

Temari rolled her eyes, "Don't be ridiculous, Bluey." She hesitated. "You don't mind me calling you Bluey, do you?"

She shook her head, a timid smile on her lips. "I – I like it actually."

"Good then." Temari stated calmly. Sitting up the blonde inclined her head at the pale creature. "I've been calling you that for too long. Would've been hard to change." She was a very nice looking girl, Temari reasoned. Her skin was a bit pale, but not like deathly pale. Her eyes were a very light lavender. Maybe in some circles it would be considered creepy; Temari merely thought it looked very cool. Her lips were small, but pouty. Her face round and genteel. She was fairly skinny, but not skinny in the way that Ino was skinny. She seemed to be a very healthy meaty skinny. Temari also suspected if the girl were to take off that too-big-for-her jacket, it would reveal an ample chest. She was indeed very beautiful in a harbored flower sort of way.

She seemed the type to need sheltering and protection, but then again, appearances tended to be dastardly deceiving.

No wonder Gaara had a thing for her.

Temari inwardly wondered if she still harbored a crush on Naruto. She smirked. To hell with wondering. "You're not still tripping over Naruto, are you?"

She blinked and blushed a tiny bit. "I…What?"

"Because I think I'd like to know." Temari said authoritatively.

Hinata fidgeted. "When you say 'tripping'…?"

Temari sighed in annoyance. "Do you, or do you not have a crush on Naruto?"

Hinata suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"I'm not going to eat you." Temari assured.

Something akin to the lines of 'are you sure' was clearly evident in her lavender eyes. "I don't…" Hinata frowned. "I don't know."

Temari nodded. "Fair enough." She cracked her knuckles and rolled her neck about. "Do you have a crush on Gaara?"

This time her face turned flat-out tomato red. "D-D-Do we h-h-have to t-talk about th-this?"

Temari smirked. "We can drop it. I think I've got my answer anyway."

Hinata shifted uncomfortably.

"Don't faint, Bluey." Temari commanded, slightly worried for the girl. She was genuinely concerned. "Are you good?"

She breathed in. "I think I'm o-okay."

Temari looked out the doorway. What was her brother talking to him about? She frowned.

Hinata smiled softly. "He's asking him about his intentions—"

Temari scowled. "Oh, I told those idiots not to butt in. They aren't my father."

"He's doing it because he cares." Hinata said. "You should have heard him when he ran it by me. It was very sweet."

Temari rolled her eyes. "You're too passive. That's definitely a Konoha thing right?"

Hinata continued as if she hadn't her speak at all. "He also wants to…"

Temari stared expectantly at her. "To?"

She shifted. "Tell him."

"Tell him what?"

"Th-the story."

"What story?" Oh, this was just starting to get aggravating. Pussyfooting around, that was a Konoha trait too.

Hinata ducked her head. Indigo strands of hair covered her fair face. It provided a stark and beautiful contrast. Temari absently thought Hinata's current position would make a lovely portrait. If she could paint, she certainly would paint that scene, but she had zero artistic talent.

"You know…" She said in a timbre so low it was almost a whisper. "About your father and the – illness – and…all that nonsense."

Her eyes widened significantly. "He told you about all that?"

Hinata nodded.

Temari laughed in mirth.

Hinata looked at her in absolute confusion.

Gaara had more than just a crush on the lovely. Gaara more than enjoyed her company. Gaara was in love with the creature. And the idiot probably hadn't even realized it yet.

Gaara wasn't a social person.

He'd never been a social person. Of course, considering her family's background that was completely understandable. When you learned about the Sabaku background, everything about her brothers and herself as a unit seemed understandable and downright logical. Without the knowledge, it just seemed a bit awkward.

So Gaara telling this pretty little thing about their past was more significant and monumental than any other stunt he could've pulled.

The truth was, Gaara was schizophrenic. (1) He'd been schizophrenic since he was a young child. According to the psychiatrists he'd seen not too long ago, his was one of the worst cases that had ever graced Suna. Gaara had positive and negative symptoms. (2) And the lack of treatment in his younger years had only served to make it worse.

Ignoring all the annoying and troublesome story, the basic case went as such: when Kaura was pregnant with Gaara she was beaten around by their father because he suspected Kaura of cheating. She was in the hospital continually. Rumor had it some drunken psycho in the hospital cut Gaara out of Kaura's stomach, even though the baby wasn't due for another mouth. As far as the rumors went, the cut was crude and painful, done without any anesthetic. Kaura died on the spot.

Temari was inclined to believe the rumors. She was even more inclined to believe her father had ordered it to be done, that was, assuming the jackass hadn't done it himself.

After that things only went from bad to worse.

Temari had always looked like her mother, and as if in retaliation, Temari was beat day in and day out for her mother's 'sins'. Gaara's appearance only further confirmed her father's suspicions that Kaura was cheating. Gaara looked nothing like their father.

Gaara was continually ignored and treated horribly.

There were also a good amount of people who attempted to kill him. (Temari suspected it was all done on her father's orders.) People simply kept failing because Yashamaru protected him for awhile. Yashamaru, their uncle took care of Gaara for a time; that was until the asshole tried to kill Gaara to.

No one's really sure why Yashamaru failed, but the popular rumor is Gaara fought back and killed him.

Since then, the poor boy had never been the same.

Gaara had always heard a voice in his head, after that instance he took a habit to listening to the voice, since everyone else ran away from him. He had no one else, but himself. The voice unfortunately, told him to kill.

Temari and Kankurou feared their youngest brother for the longest time, completely afraid of what the boy had become. It wasn't until Temari grew old enough to ignore her fear she realized what was truly going on with Gaara. He wasn't an evil creature as her father and the rest of the village enjoyed to say. His problem was an illness; it was something that could be cured.

She checked out book after book on psychological disorders trying to piece everything together. Once she had all the information necessary, she tried to convince her father to send the boy to psychiatric counseling.

He flat out refused.

So Temari did the only thing she could do. With Kankurou's help, they smuggled money out of their father's account until they had enough to get Gaara help.

They both got jobs too.

Luckily, it was all worth the exhaustion.

Gaara proceeded well during the therapy and prescribed some medicine. He said the voice was still there, but everything seemed better now. For once, she saw her brother become human.

They were all much better now.

Temari smiled at the girl. "So you aren't scared of him?"

She shrugged. "Why should I be? He's just as normal as everybody else. Having schizophrenia doesn't…change him." She seemed to be struggling to explain how she felt. "He's not crazy."

"You're some kind of special, sweetie."

Hinata stared curiously at her. "Why do you s-say that?"

"You're just very accepting." She paused. "Or is that a Konoha thing too?"

"Have you met Ino?" Instantly she clasped her hand to her mouth in embarrassment. Pink flushed her cheeks. "Don't t-tell her I s-said that."

Temari chuckled.

She fidgeted. "Besides, it's not a big deal. I mean, your father was a real jerk." The girl ducked her head again. "Accepting is easy when you know the truth."

Temari fell back down on the bed. "You would think so." She contemplated their days back in Suna. She loved that place with all her heart, but… "No matter how many people knew the entire truth back home, people hated Gaara. People hated me. In fact they hated and feared Gaara, Kankurou, and me more when they learned the truth."

Bluey pursed her lips. "Well that's just silly."

Temari smiled. "I know, right?" She sat up again and looked at the timid girl. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

Inwardly Temari kicked herself. Who said that? Can I ask you a question? Ridiculous. Pfft! That was a question in itself.

She nodded.

Temari hesitated. "What's…What's the deal with Ino and Shikamaru?"

Hinata fidgeted. "I would like to tell you, but…" She sighed. "That's really something you sh-should ask Shikamaru."

She pouted. With annoyance Temari crossed her arms against her chest. "Jeez, everybody tells me that crap."

"B-Because it's wh-what's right."

"Well it would certainly work out much better if the lazy moron would answer my question."

Hinata shrugged. "He'll tell you when he's ready."

She scowled. "You're too damned reasonable. It makes everything less fun." Temari decided right then and there that it was her personality that got her in so much trouble. In a town like this, one should resemble Hinata to be safe.

"Makes everything safer too." Shikamaru stated as he walked into the room, hands deep in his pockets.

"Still boring." She complained

Shikamaru leant against the wall by the doorway, an amused smile pulling at his lips.

Gaara followed in looking passive and bored.

Temari glanced at the two men. "So, what did you two men talk about?"

"Nosy." Shikamaru smirked at her.

"Jerk."

"Trouble-maker."

"Lazy."

"Bossy."

"Useless."

"Bitchy."

Gaara's lips quirked up into a small smile. "Do you two do this often?"

"It's cute." Hinata said quietly. "In an o-odd way."

"So cute," Tenten chimed in as she walked into the room, "that you could gag from the sweetness." The brunette settled herself beside Hinata at the foot of Temari's bed. She looked at the two men by the doorway.

Shikamaru was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed while Gaara standing in the doorway his body slightly tilted to the side as he rested on the doorframe.

"Men." Tenten complained. "Always trying to look cool." She waved erratically at them. "You see that? All that leaning and little smiles to look like their king of the playground." She snorted. "That's why all the twits in this town are head over heels for Sasuke. He's got the cool thing down to an art."

Temari wrinkled her nose in protest. "Tidbit, I don't think he's cool at all." Really, the boy was just…weird. And weird was being nice. He wasn't weird in the nice but creepy way that Lee was weird, Sasuke was weird in that 'oh crap, a living zombie with good genetics' type thing.

Tenten grinned. "What're you talking about? He's definitely cool. He's so cool, ice cubes are jealous."

Temari choked on silent laughter.

Shikamaru smirked.

"Cold is one thing he surely is." Gaara added with a smile.

Hinata shook her head as if chastising them, all the while trying hard to suppress her smile. "Oh, you guys are just so mean."

"C'mon, Bluey, you gotta admit it's a very good point."

"Question." Shikamaru spoke out calmly.

Tenten turned to stare at the lazy one.

Temari inwardly melted. Ugh. Why did his voice have to sound so suave? He could probably talk her into something very sadistic or masochist one day and she'd agree without realizing it just because of his voice.

"Shoot, lover boy." Tenten teased.

Shikamaru raised and eyebrow at the name, but didn't press the issue. "If, you're so adamant against 'cool' types, Tenten, then what exactly is going on with you and Neji?"

Temari watched incredulously as the brunette's cheeks tinged a light pink and she ducked her head. She was instantly reminded of Hinata, as the girl's current actions mirrored the one's Hinata had just a little while ago. Temari waved her hand before the girl's face. "Tidbit? Oy!" She snapped her fingers. "Tidbit! Don't go all freakzoid on me."

Tenten lifted her head, "I'm fine, really."

Temari crossed her arms. "So? What's the stitch with you and Bluey's cuz?"

Tenten opened her mouth to reply only to close it promptly.

Temari frowned.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Forget I said anything."

Temari opened her mouth to protest, but closed it upon seeing the look Shikamaru gave her. Funnily enough, when she looked at Gaara and Hinata they seemed to be giving her the same look. Inwardly, she felt annoyed and disturbed. Why couldn't she prod her friend? Isn't that what friends did? Bothered one another to get the real feelings out in the air?

Tenten bit her lower lip. "I…Excuse me." Carefully the brunette slid off the bed and made her way out of the room quietly.

Finally Temari couldn't hold it anymore. "What was that?"

Hinata hesitated. Gaara looked to the side. Shikamaru looked at her evenly.

Temari growled. "Oh brilliant! Is this another one of those stupid things I have to let her tell me when she wants to tell me? Hell, Gaara knows! Why don't I?"

Shikamaru pushed himself off the wall, and sat to the left of her. "Calm down, Tem." He pushed the bangs out of her eyes. "You really have no patience, you realize?" He sighed.

Temari scowled. Hard to be patient when everyone knew except for you.

"This isn't one of those things. This is…." Shikamaru frowned. "I don't really know what it is. It's just Tenten and Neji have an on and off relationship type thing."

"So? Why is that such a big deal?"

Hinata straightened. "It's just; their re-relationship is never really 'on', so to speak."

Temari's brow furrowed. "What does that—"

"Neji is like Kankurou." Gaara interrupted. "But worse. Worse in that Kankurou may act like a jerk, but he doesn't drag anybody along."

"And Tidbit is…" Suddenly it all made sense. "That jerk!"

"Tenten th-thinks Neji is changing." Hinata stammered softly. "He's my c-cousin and I love him b-but, he's not interested in Tenten long-term." She paused, "at least not yet, anyway."

"Or short term." Shikamaru grumbled in annoyance under his breath. "Neji's told her all this, Tenten is just…adamant."

Hinata continued quietly. "He is a nice guy, relationships just aren't his thing."

Hunh. So Tenten was a female version of Naruto? Persevering until the end with a person who didn't quite see her…

"He's not her prince." Shikamaru rephrased for her.

Temari wanted to smile at Shikamaru's explanation, but she found it hard to do so. Despite everything, Tidbit was growing on her. She was a very nice and charismatic girl. She needed a good prince too. If Kankurou wasn't so fixated on Barbie-doll types they'd make a good pair.

She blinked in shock as she realized what it was that had just crossed her mind. Goodness sakes' all this mushy-gushy stuff with Shikamaru had her going nuts.

"Shikamaru," Gaara spoke quietly, "go eat."

Shikamaru glanced at her brother. "I'm not—"

"Go eat." Gaara repeated.

Shikamaru scowled. "I am not hungry."

Temari smiled at the realization that her younger brother was bossing her boyfriend around.

Gaara looked pointedly at her. "Temari, your boyfriend hasn't eaten all day. He's been looking after you since you were brought into the hospital. In fact, he wouldn't have eaten the first two days you were in here if it weren't for Ino bringing him food."

Temari warmed at the thought that he had been watching over her since she was in. "You really haven't eaten, Shikamaru?"

"I'm fine." He protested.

Hinata scoffed. The pale girl covered her mouth with her hands immediately. "I'm sorry." She squeaked.

"Fine, are we?"

"Yes, fine."

"You realize, Lazy, Hinata just scoffed at that. The meekest person I know scoffed at what you just said. It's obviously a huge lie."

"In the words of a certain Pinocchio I know," Shikamaru stated, "'I do not lie.'"

"According to you, I lie."

"Well, now, who are we going to believe?"

Temari's eyes narrowed. "Go eat something. I'm not having you die on me, and I don't want Blondie to bring you food again."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you still on that?"

"And I will be until I know what everybody else in this damn city already knows."

Gaara yawned. "Is this the Ino thing?"

Temari's eyebrow twitched. "My little brother knows?"

Shikamaru chuckled nervously. "Oh, would you look at that, turns out I am hungry."

"Shikamaru!" Temari protested as her lazy prince charming walked out her hospital room. "Dammit, Lazy, get back here!"

Gaara followed him out, obviously sensing he would be the next target of her fury if he didn't.

Temari slouched and glared at the empty doorway. "Stupid men. I hate them. They should all just go extinct."

Hinata chuckled softly.

Temari glared at the pale girl.

Much to her charging, the shy flower didn't cower, stammer, blush, or back away in the least bit.

Great, now her glare was losing effect.

Temari once again wondered over her position. Maybe she was the princess. She obviously had no tool whatsoever to protect her. That made her a stupid helpless damsel in distress.

"Gaara's right." Hinata said quietly to her, a full blown smile on her lips. "You're quite nice when you get down to it."

"So you thought I was bitchy?" Temari grumbled, annoyed that it didn't appear to be the case anymore.

"I thought you were terrifying."

"Ah, the good days."

Hinata chuckled again.

Temari stretched her limbs a bit in the bed. "By the by, Bluey," She said sweetly, "why does Gaara know the Ino story?"

"I t-told him."

Temari's eyebrow began twitching again. "You wouldn't mind telling me, now would you?"

She frowned. "Well, apparently, Shikamaru doesn't want you to know…."

"So? We're friends. Friends share."

"Be that as it may, I don't believe I should tell you."

Temari scowled and flopped back onto her back on the bed. "This just plain sucks."

"Cheer up, Temari." Hinata said sweetly, "You are healthy and safe."

Temari figured that was a good thing to be happy about.

She was alive.

And not raped.

That was good.

So what if her boyfriend had a secret story with his ex which he refused to tell her about but everyone else seemed to magically know about?

She, at the very least, had a prince (if he could even be called that), and she was alive (for now anyway).

Dammit.

She just really, really wanted to know.

A/N: I'm just really interested in psychological disorders.

I intend to become a psychiatrist when I'm old enough. What about you all?

(1) "Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder, thought to be caused by imbalances in brain chemistry, which involves delusions and faulty perceptions of the world. Schizophrenics often hear voices in their head and have delusions of grandeur." – AlleyDog definition. (Too lazy to define it myself)

(2) Positive symptoms in schizophrenia are symptoms where you sort of "gain" something. Like you start hearing voices or seeing delusions. Negative symptoms are where you "lose" something. You speak very monotonously, and don't seem to be able to respond to the situations the way you should. Like laughing at something very sad or cruel.