A/N: Disclaimer: Don't own them, pops! OMG! The love triangle appears!! ANGST!!!

Ryushin Confesses! Sarafu's Termoil

After my incedent with Gaara yesterday, he seemed to be avoiding me. I expected that, but what really upset me was that Ryushin seemed to be avoiding me also. Was he mad because I stuck up for Gaara? This thought followed me around all day. Since I was rested well enough, the medical ninjas let me roam around and visit, but I had to take short rests.

"Seriously, I don't see why they baby me so much," I told Lee when he visited me that day with the rest of his team. "It's not that big of a deal. I'm fine. I don't feel a single ounce of pain."

"Well, you didn't look too 'fine' yesterday," Ten Ten said. "You were bleeding so much. I wasn't sure if it would ever stop. If that friend of yours hadn't bandaged you up, it might have spilled out right in front of the Kazekage when you hugged him."

I blushed at the thought, but tried to avert the conversation. "Which speaking of, have any of you guys seen Ryushin lately? I haven't seen him since he last visited me yesterday."

"He's probably resting," Lee suggested this time. "He was with you the whole time. He never left your side once. He must've been really worried about you."

I felt my heart twinge. And I had treated him so badly when I woke up. "Well, I want to go pay him my thanks. See you guys later."

"Ah, wait!" Lee called out as I began to walk away from him. "The doctor said-"

"Yeah, yeah! I know what that stupid guy said. I'm fine. This place is full of people. If I'm ever in trouble, someone is bound to find me. Besides, do you really think that I'm that weak?"

He couldn't think of anything to say to that, so he let Gai speak. "Ok, but take care of yourself, you hear? I'm sure Kyosuke would hate to see his beautiful students injured!" Then he led his team out.

Oh, yeah. Mr. Kyo. I haven't seen him in ages either. I wonder what happened to him after we disbanded. But first things first. I've got to find Ryushin and see what's up with him.

It took about an hour before I could finally find Ryushin. He had been assigned a room in an inn not too far from the hospital, which is where I was at. Despite the doctor's orders, I strode out of the building and walked the short distance there. I asked the inn keeper for his room and he gladly told me. Without further ado, I climbed up the stairs and paced down the hall to the room number the inn keeper specified. I knocked on the door and called out his name. I heard a little gasp, but nothing afterwards.

"Come on, Ryushin," I called through the door. "I know you're in there. Let me in. Please?"

There was a few moments of silence, then I heard the door unlock and Ryushin opened it. He looked terrible. His hair was ruffled and messy. And he had bags under his red eyes. He looked like he hadn't gotten sleep in ages. Or, he had been crying a lot. I felt a twang of guilt and walked in. The room was dark, except for what little light escaped the curtains of the window. Ryushin walked over to a small twin bed and curled into a ball. I tenderly walked towards him, and sat next to his moping figure. "Ryushin. . ."

He didn't respond, so I continued on. "I. . .I'm sorry. Lee told me that you were by my side the entire time since I fell unconcious, yet when I woke up, I. . .wasn't very nice. I said some mean things to you just because Gaara was there. So, I'm here to say I'm sorry and thank you."

He got up and looked at me. A weak smile flickered on his lips. "I thank you, but that's not why I'm unhappy."

I raised my eyebrows. This was a surprise. "Then what is?"

He curled back into a ball, facing away from me so I couldn't see his face. "Do you like Gaara?"

I chuckled to try and lighten the mood. "Silly, of course I like him. He's my friend."

Ryushin didn't seem to pick up the humor. "No, I meant, do you like him as more than a friend?"

I was silent. How could I answer him? It was too embarassing. But, why would this make Ryushin sad? Was he- "Yes, I do. But, he has rejected me. He still does." His melancholy mood seemed to be contagious.

He turned to me and looked me straight into my eyes so hard, that it made me avert my gaze. It was awkward when Ryu became serious. "Then, is it true that you can never forget your feelings?"

"How'd you-"

"I'm sorry. I eavesdropped on your conversation, even though it was supposed to be private."

I looked up at him. His face was flustered. "You. . .you saw me kiss him, didn't you?"

Ryushin's face grimaced with an inward pain and he turned away. "Yes. But I ran away after you stopped. By the way he was holding you, I don't think he put his whole heart into his rejection."

I hugged my knees and looked out into the dark room. "I know. I could feel it. He even told me that he loves me, but its his mind I just can't win over. He really believes that there's no way we can live together."

"So, then. . .can you not forget him?"

I chuckled bitterly. "I've had two years to forget him and I still burden him with my feelings. No, I don't think I can ever forget him with the way I am now."

Suddenly, I found myself facing Ryushin, and he was leaning on me. His face was dead serious, and sort of aggressive. It kind of scared me. This didn't seem like Ryushin at all. "Then, I shall help you forget him by filling you with me."

Before I could react, he pinned my arms down, and had his lips on mine. I squealed and squirmed in shock. I managed to break free of his grip. "Wha-Ryu! What the-?!" I crawled backwards, farther away from him. His facial expression was odd. It was sort of pain mixed with yearning. He made his way across the bed towards me. He seemed to look a lot older in the way he looked at me.

"Sarafu, don't look at me that way. I am a man, and I see you as a woman. Don't treat me like some younger brother. I know you look at Gaara as a man."

He was closer now, and his voice had lowered to a whisper. It was sending my heart flying. My face was hot. "I want you to look at me that way." He leaned his face closer to mine, but my mind snapped into place, before my heart could take over. I leapt out of the bed.

"But, Ryu! I just told you! I love Gaara!"

Ryu stood up, and he looked taller than me. Stronger than me. It was overwhelming. "Yes, I know. And I told you. I shall remove him from your mind and your heart, by filling you with only thoughts of me."

He moved closer, and I stepped back, but in the small inn room, that led me up against the wall. He held his arm up against the wall so that I had nowhere to run. "Sarafu, I love you. I've always loved you. And ever since yesterday, I've been thinking. I've realized, that as the way I was, I would never win you over Gaara. Eventually, your feelings towards him would either drive him to the point of killing you, or submitting. I understand that I cannot let that happen. So, I've decided to go on the offensive."

He grabbed my chin to force me to look deep into his dark eyes. "Sarafu, you will be mine."

He let me run away from him as I head toward the door. He had made his point. I stopped to glance at him once more with fear, then I ran out of the inn. My mind and heart were racing.

What in the world is going on? Ryushin! He's changed so much in just one day! I never knew he-He seemed so aggressive. So much older. Have I really been treating him like a child? But he. . .they way he moved towards me, held, me, captured me. It's just like the way I've always wanted Gaara to act.

When I got back to the hospital my face was so flustered, and I was panting, that the doctors made me go to bed and rest. This time, I obliged without argument. And I told them that I didn't feel very well, so I didn't want any visitors for the rest of the day. There was no way I could stand seeing anybody, let alone Ryushin, or Gaara, for that matter, in this condition. My face must be so red.

I tried, but I couldn't get much sleep that night.

...to be continued.