Chapter nine: Getting nowhere.
They'd been walking for hours. Matsuri was getting tired, but she refused to acknowledge it for fear that, if she acknowledged it, Gaara would acknowledge it, too.
When they'd first left the ruin's Gaara had made, Matsuri had heard firetrucks in the distance. Now all she heard was the sound of footsteps and Gaara's ever intense silence.
"We'll be in town in a few hours," he said suddenly. "We can stop there for a break."
She nodded weakly, a little happy about the news. But she still did not dare to say so or as much.
"You're so stubborn," the red haired boy remarked. "If you'd just listened, I wouldn't have had to burned your house down."
Matsuri felt her teeth grit, but she shoved her anger down hard. But it only surfaced seconds later. "You shouldn't have done it in the first place! Didn't you think of that?!"
"You wouldn't have moved," he replied coldly. "And I moved you from that fire."
She gaped, angry that he was bringing that up. "I couldn't move because I was just about going into shock, thanks to you!"
"And you're still alive, no thanks to that," he retorted. "Maybe I should've just left you there. At least I'd be rid of you."
"Likewise!" Matsuri shrieked.
They continued on in marked silence, but that was more awkward than anything.
It was around seven o'clock at night, when they found a hotel.
The woman at the front desk beamed at them brightly. "What a cute couple you are!" she cried, much to Gaara's amusement and Matsuri's horror.
"Thank you," Gaara chipped in before Matsuri could deny it. "We've been together for a few years."
The woman's smile grew even brighter. "How many years?!" she asked delightedly.
"Three," he replied, casting Matsuri a glance.
She faked a smile at him, but made it a point to kick him hard in the woman's blind-spot. He didn't even wince.
The desk woman, whose name tag read "Juoi," just continued that graceful smile. "Well, in that case, I'll give you the suite."
Matsuri's eyes went deathly wide. Gaara chuckled at her expression, but it came across as affectionate to Juoi.
"Thank you," Gaara told her kindly.
Juoi passed them their key and told them to go to the top floor. Gaara walked away, Matsuri trailing silently after him.
"I hate you," Matsuri slammed the door shut behind them.
Gaara smirked. "Come now, Princess, we've been together for three years. If you're upset, you should just tell me," he mocked.
She glared at him fiercely. "Shut up. Just shut up. And go AWAY, will you?!"
He shook his head. "If I leave, so do you, but in a far different way, if you catch my drift."
She rolled her eyes. "That's better than another infuriating moment with you!" she snapped, sitting on the bed.
Gaara rolled his eyes at her. "The feeling's mutual, believe me."