Chapter 11: Home
"Home sweet home!" Temari cheered when she stepped through the front door with Ayumi in her wake. As she stepped into the livingroom a fly buzzed past her head. She watched it heading for the coffee table in front of the TV where it graced down on the half-eaten sandwich from that morning.
"Owh dang! That's right... without Kankuro and Gaara around I tend to leave stuff around," she murmered to herself, although no one would claim that Temari was a meticulous cleaner when the boys were around. 'I'm a kunoichi: I use a fan and knives, not kitchen applicants', is what she would say. As it was she left Ayumi standing in the doorway while she hastily picked up the plate with a half-eaten tuna sandwhich, much to the dismay of the flies certainly, and dumped it in the bin. When she walked back towards her dumbfounded, but patiently waiting guest she bend over to pick up the party pumps from the other night which she had kicked off carelessly and plucked the pyama drooping over the arm of the couch up as well.
"I hate houses where everything is so pristine and perfect, like there are dolls living in them instead of humans," Temari breathed casually, as if to justify her untidiness, and turned to Ayumi. "Well, I have a feeling you'll be here for a while, so best make yourself at home Ayumi."
"Thank you Temari," Ayumi responded and stepped forward.
Temari noticed the girl was trying to take in her surrounding. It made her curious: how can a blind person walk around a room without colliding with everything. Surely Ayumi wasn't the first person Temari had witnessed with this condition, but she had never stopped to wonder long enough how someone blind tackled the everyday hurdles of life that Temari took for granted. Keen as her mind was, she quickly understood the process Ayumi was going through. It is quite well known that when one sense falls out the other four remaining senses, namely hearing, touch, smell and taste, are hightened. Blind people have a pretty good idea of direction once they hear a sound. Ayumi tried to determine the size of the room listening for echoes: sounds bouncing off the walls and furniture. Airflow is important too. A cool breeze indicated a doorway or window. Walking through a space she automatically started to make a mind map of that area. It was as natural to her as breathing. Different types of flooring, such as a rug or runner, were clues of the division of space. Little bumps into things, the sound of the television, the food smells drifting from the kitchen... She registered all these hints at once. Ayumi had a gift for understanding her surroundings and remembering the positioning of items for when she returned later. That's why she was able to become a waitress in the family inn. Her perceptiveness for her surrounding despite her lack of sight were actually a great asset to a shinobi, and Temari being a high ranked jounin recognized her skill.
'If only she had been admitted to a shinobi school when she was young she might have made a decent ninja… well, that's only hypothetical thinking now.'
Then Temari snapped out of her thoughts "hey! I should show you your room!"
She led her towards the stairs. "It's up here."
They walked through the upstairs corridor to the end of the hall.
"There's a door to the left here, but that's Gaara's room. Yours is on the right. Mine is at the beginning of the hall and as it is Kankuro lives in the basement, which he fondly dubs his man-cave," she explained with an eye roll and twisted the doorknob. They entered the room and it was a shame Ayumi couldn't fully experience the simple beauty of it. Some ninja's preferred spartan, minimalistic rooms that simply provided them with the necessity of being able to hit a mattress and go off to dreamland, but this room was also used to welcome representatives of other countries and nobility, thus it was comfortable and pleasing to the eye. The walls were a light peach color with brown wooden flooring. A beige long-haired rug was placed under the double sized bed which had a crème white wooden framework, with white sheets and a set of four pillows, one pair white the other with a maroon and green flowered pattern. The bed was pushed against the side of the room, under the window. A chrome bed-light stood on the low table at the open side. On the left there was a small boudoir with a mirror standing against the wall on top of it. The wicker chair had one maroon cushion. The closet was equally white colored as the bed and a few wooden planks on the wall offered space for ornaments, a succulent in a tin pot, and some books. The curtains were made of the same fabric as the flowered pillows on the bed.
"So here's your bedroom, but that's not all," Temari grinned, knowing a woman would appreciate the next thing coming, and walked around the corner to another door. "You have a small bathroom for yourself as well."
The bathroom was equipped with a shower, a cabinet with a granite bowl as basin, a mirror and a towel rack. The floor was tiled with natural stone carved out of Sunagakure's cliffs. They had a warm brown hue. An oriental octagon shaped lamp lit the space.
"You got everything you need I suppose, except for clothes," Temari continued, her eye falling on the smudged, once white suit that hugged Ayumi's body like a second skin. "I don't know what that's called you're wearing under Gaara's poncho, but damn, it sure needs a wash."
Ayumi laughed timidly, "for all I know I've worn it for months."
"Gross!" Temari exclaimed with a grin, "I'll let you borrow some stuff of mine. Why don't you get a shower, I'll be right back. I'll go see if I got something for you that fits. I think my clothes are a size too big for you, but what does it matter."
She disappeared out of the room leaving Ayumi alone by herself. The soap alongside the washing basin smelled of desert roses. She wriggled herself out of her dirty clothes and let them drop to the floor. She found the shower cabin and twisted the water open. A sigh escaped from her lips once the warm water poured down her scalp. Ayumi closed her eyes and smiled blissfully. She felt muscles relax she didn't even know were tensed until the strain was lifted from them. The bathroom started to fill with steam. With such a high humidity degree her strange powers were bound to activate. The shapes of the confined space and all the objects in it started to reveal themselves to her. She was even able to feel the interior of her bedroom now that her bizarre skill was working.
'I get a good feeling from these shinobi. I think - I think everything will be okay... Maybe there are good ninja's afterall…' she thought to herself, still suspicious of ninja-kind after having been locked up for months.
She picked up the shampoo and shower creme and started to wash herself.
"I left some clothes on the bed, you think you can find them?" Temari hollered through the door.
"Haaai!" Ayumi called back while rinsing the soap from her hair and noticed she could sense Temari drop the clothes on the bed.
When Ayumi finished drying herself she walked over to the bed and indeed there was a soft bundle of items at the end. Her ability to see was diminishing removed from the water. She started rummaging through them, trying to discover what outfit Temari had in mind for her, and to her surprise couldn't find any underwear.
'Did she forget? Oh kami…now I have to ask her myself,' she thought, cringing with embarrassment.
Ayumi got up and with the towel tightly wrapped around started to look for the door. After hitting her head against one of the shelves and stumbling into the wicker chair she finally found the doorknob.
"Temari-san!?" she called out, creating just enough space to pop her head out through the doorway.
"Temari!"
No response.
'Where could she have gone?' Ayumi wondered. She opened the door fully and took a few steps into the corridor, feeling awkward with just a towel to cover herself.
"Temaaaari-sannn! I'm sorry, but I need your help!"
Suddenly the door opposite to her bedroom shot open. Hearing her pleas and noticing his sister did not respond Gaara decided to look what their new guest needed. But he wasn't prepared for the sight he beheld. Ayumi yelped in surprise and groped the towel tighter. Someone was there, and she could guess who it was. Gaara's eyes had a life of their own. He couldn't help but notice how the end of the towel just barely covered-... Quickly he scolded himself for staring and stood stiffly in the doorway, averting his eyes at a random point in the hallway. It was his father's ceremonial portrait that held his gaze.
"Owh shit!" Ayumi screeched and spun her heel, closing the door to her bedroom with a loud bang. Gaara blinked at the closed door, realizing he still didn't know what she needed Temari for. He decided it was best just to find his sister and not make mention of his encounter with Ayumi in the hallway.
Ayumi was pressing her back against her side of the door. Her heart pumped in her chest and she quivered.
'Footsteps... he's walking away. Shit, when did he come home?'
After the shock passed she couldn't help but find herself giggling.
'Just my luck. Owh Temari, what did you get me into?' she thought and brushed a strand of hair from her face with a blush.
Temari was standing outside of the frontdoor sharing some minor chitchat with another jounin when she heard Gaara descent the stairs. She said her goodbyes and turned to her brother.
"Gaara? What is it?" Temari asked surprised, noticing the unusual fluster from his otherwise expressionless complexion.
"Ayumi-san," he said flatly, almost robotic, "she needs you – something about – clothes – I think."
Something began to dawn into Temari. She stifled a laugh and patted Gaara's shoulder sympathetically, knowing she had caused an embarrassing situation to happen.
'And they are both socially awkward. Ha! Poor things.'
She stepped past her brother heading for Ayumi's room.
Ayumi was seated on the edge of the bed and wondered if she should call for Temari again or just explain what she needed to Gaara after all, even if she could nearly die having to ask him for underwear. Luckily she didn't have to ponder very long as Temari knocked on her door and entered.
"Sorry," she said apologetically, handing Ayumi what she needed. "I'll be downstairs. If you need help just call me, I'll be there this time."
Ayumi nodded and began dressing once Temari left the room.
Besides simple gray underwear, Temari left an outfit from some years back she did not wear that often anymore. It consisted of mesh shorts with a navyblue skirt, a dark purple top with long butterfly sleeves, and a scarlet sash to tie the loose-fitting top together and accentuate the waist. The shoes were normal black, flat sandals for kunoichi.
After a few more minutes Ayumi was ready and a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in!" Ayumi called and Temari stepped into the room.
"You're ready, good! Frankly I got some groceries to do for tonight's diner. You want to come with me? We can do a little shopping for yourself as well."
"Ah..." Ayumi mumbled in thought. She was tired from the trip to Sunagakure and Ino's mindscan, but didn't want to be rude and decline either. Besides, she was curious about the town. Thus she nodded her head in agreement and walked after Temari. They descended the stairs into the livingroom. When she passed Gaara who was seated alongside of Kankuro on the sofa she couldn't prevent her face from getting hot.
"Oi, oi! Where you ladies going?" Kankuro queried lazily.
"Getting tonight's diner," Temari declared, putting one hand on her hips.
"Pffft! I'll let the take-away know to put our standard menu on the stove then!" he chuckled much to Temari's annoyance. She quickly slapped his arm.
"You think you can cook better? Last time your dish tasted like shit," she retorted.
"That's because you are too simple to recognize haute cuisine," Kankuro jested.
"Kankuro, it tasted like mold. Didn't it Gaara?" Temari huffed.
"That is true, it can't be refuted," Gaara confirmed.
"Ehhh! How boring, weren't you leaving?" Kankuro responded, feigning irritation at being recalled of that instance.
"Yeah... See you later Gaara and catface," Temari winked and dragged Ayumi with her out of the house. When they heard the frontdoor close with a bang Kankuro grumbled.
"Catface. How can these perfect features of mine remotely be described as catface," he protested, cupping his chin with his fingers, eyes squinting.
Gaara's gaze went from his brother's hood to the purple facepaint. He wisely refrained from responding.
At the same time, somewhere far away from the desert...
"Welcome home A1," dr. Heero drawled with his arms folded behind his back as Nana, Snake, Sumairi and Gorou entered through the main gate to the Hidden City. He was expecting Nana, Snake and Sumairi's return, and felt somewhat surprised to see his assistant had made it back alive in one piece as well.
"I'm glad to see you are miraculously unscathed," Heero continued with a hint of sarcasm, peering at Nana from under his heavy brow.
Nana stared at him speechless. There was a crowd waiting for them, standing in half a circle around their leader. Someone stepped forward and took the limping Gorou in a wheelchair to get him to sickbay. Nana wasn't surprised that there were people awaiting her return, but nonetheless taken aback by the atmosphere. But what exactly had she been expecting? Applaus for bringing back Gorou in one piece? Congratulations on still being alive? Not really... After the escape of precious experiment B26 she ought to know there would follow an interrogation. Despite this knowledge the hardness in Heero's eyes caught her offguard.
"Tell me..." Heero continued, stepping forward to the petite girl whose head came to the height of his chest, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "just how did you escape the sinking laboratorium? Hm? Someone checked your room during that event, but for some reason you weren't there..."
A gulf of white-hot fear washed over Nana. She tried to contain her anxiety, not to give herself away.
"I... I had gone to the laundromat..." she stuttered and cursed herself for finding such a weak excuse.
"Really?"
Nana gulped and found herself shaking her head in confirmation.
"Funny... because according to the black box we salvaged... you were inside Lab B."
Nana shied her face away from Heero, sensing the withheld anger in his voice.
'The black box! Why hadn't I thought about that? It didn't matter if I removed my entrance from the computer logs if the black box operated as a back-up. Stupid stupid stupid!'
"Look at me!" Heero commanded and she hesitantly complied.
"Now look at the faces around you!" he continued implacably. Nana's brown panicky eyes stared around at the circle of people. There were mostly women, with sad or enraged faces, clasping onto their children, and it began to dawn into her just who these people were. The relatives of all the casualties.
"You've got a lot to make up for, A1," Heero spat and pushed Nana away suddenly. She stumbled forward and nearly fell over. "Jonas would've never failed me like you did."
That was it. The barrier which carefully withheld her inner turmoil began to crumble. Jonas... She balled her fists and her voice trembled with strained emotion, "I'll make it up to you dr. Heero. Please let me be of use."
"By the Gods girl, you are nearly useless. I don't think I can trust you with more than cleaning lavatories! What a failure..." Heero sneered, " now get out of my sight."
Nana nodded and ran through the crowd which opened itself in front of her. Her mind was spinning. Without thinking her feet led her to the one door behind which she could find comfort. Jonas' house.
She typed in the password and stepped inside the apartment, walking to the back bedroom. There lay a guy, perhaps three years older than herself, latched to different tubes and machinery. The inhaler pushed oxygen through his mask, the IV-drip supported him with morfine and whatnot. She knelt down next to his bedside and touched his hand, which was covered with blistering scales.
"Nana," he spoke laboriously when he noticed she had entered the room and smiled broadly from behind his mask. From all the people within her clan, he was the only one to address her by her real name.
"Jonas," she smiled. The sight of him delivered the final smash to emotional restraints and tears rolled freely down her face, almost disabling her from seeing Jonas clearly.
"What's wrong? Are you sad?" he inquired, worried to see Nana's face writhed with the pain she felt in her heart.
"No... I'm just happy... happy to be with you again," she sobbed softly and sniffled. He remained silent for a few moments.
"It's Heero isn't it..." he finally said, "don't worry Nana, he'll remember to love you again. You're still his daughter."
"Jonas..." Nana smiled thankfully and lightly squeezed his hand. Even though it discomforted him, he squeezed back. She looked at him tenderly, admiring his strong personality.
Suddenly the door opened behind them. Nana stood up from her squatting position and quickly moved to the side, glancing away from the figure who had entered. Heero barely acknowledged her presence.
"Jonas, my boy," he said, stepping closer to the bed, "are you comfortable?"
"I am, father," the young man replied flatly.
"Shall I ask A1 to stop bothering you while you rest?"
Nana's brows furrowed both with hurt and anger. Would he even keep her away from seeing Jonas? How infuriating!
"Father, you are talking about my sister, Nana," Jonas replied coolly, looking away.
"Jonas... Oh Jonas... Don't look away," Heero pleaded with his only son.
"Then start treating Nana better. It's not her fault I'm in this bed."
Heero remained silent. He started twisting the buttons of the machine to increase the dose of painkillers Jonas received and left the room quietly. With an effort Jonas raised his hand and gave his father's back the middle finger. Nana gaped at him and stifled a laugh. When Heero was gone Nana dared to move again.
"Jonas! You can't defy father like this, he'll become angry!" she called out laughing and stepped close to the bed so he could see her. He smiled at her concern.
"What would he do? I'm already in this position thanks to him," he shrugged and chuckled behind the oxygen mask. "Hey, shall we watch a movie? Come lay next to me on the bed."
"Heero doesn't want anyone to sit on the bed, it could mess with your tubes," Nana breathed.
"Don't listen to him, and its my bed isn't it," he casually refuted.
Nana's eyes softened, thankful she had a brother like Jonas to keep company, and nodded vigorously while carefully opening the sheets. He wore a long pyjama, but where his skin was revealed she could see the bandages had to be changed soon. She scooted closer to him. He flinched for a moment at the pressure on his raw skin, but then wrapped an arm around his baby sister and grabbed the remote.
Nana felt content like this. They could both pretend everything was normal, like in the old days.
'You can take everything from me father... My humanity, my name, my dignity... But not my brother, the one you cherish most. He's mine!'
"Wow! We ate something edible!" Kankuro exclaimed enthusiastically, "Is this beginning of a drastic change in our eating habits?"
"I hope so," Temari sighed, picking on the kebabs she made with some minor help of Ayumi, who mostly stayed with her in the kitchen just for company.
"Won't the restaurant go bankrupt if they lose their faithful patron?" her brother continued dramatically.
"Don't worry Kankuro," Gaara replied, "there's plenty of kitchen-failures in this town to keep the restaurant busy."
"Ha!" Kankuro laughed, " you said that right. The women in this city can't cook. It's always men who are chefs in restaurant, that's the proof." He leaned forward on the table towards Gaara with a conspiratorial look.
"Hey Gaara, listen, next Chuunin exam, we're gonna go girlfriend-hunting. Maybe those Konoha babes make better housewives," he half-whispered and burst out in chuckles before yelping in pain. Temari kicked his leg from under the table.
"You don't have to get aggressive Temari!" he groaned and shot a meaningful look at Gaara, "see what I mean? No refinement."
"You lazy sexist pig!" the blonde barked, pointing her fork at his face, "I'll tell every woman in Konoha you turn your underwear inside out after a few days, so that 'they last longer'. Let's see who's willing to do your laundry then!"
"W-what!? Tha-that was only one time. One time!"
"Pfft," Temari huffed, "besides, men can do housework just as well as women can."
"Poor Shikamaru, right Gaara," Kankuro gushed. Temari's eyes shot fire at Gaara daring him to agree with Kankuro.
"Temari has a point, Kankuro," Gaara answered unfazed.
"Say what!?"
"I disagree with the differentiation between male and female roles in society. We have female ninja and female housewives. If there is no difference between men and women, consequently, there should be housemen as well," Gaara explained, backed up by a fiercely nodding Temari, "besides, learning different skills makes one flexible and independent. A shinobi needs both aspects."
"Yeah, it's true," Ayumi agreed and inwardly smiled. 'These siblings make a lively bunch'.
"Gaara, you aren't mancipated enough, bro," Kankuro shook his head and stuffed his mouth with his diner. Temari gave both Gaara and Ayumi a meaningful glance. Gaara understood her intentions immediately, but Ayumi wasn't so sure what was on her mind. Half an hour later it became perfectly clear however.
"Woa, so unfair to let me do the dishes alone!" Kankuro hollered from the kitchen while Temari, Ayumi and Gaara were on the couch, eating chips and watching TV (listening in Ayumi's case).
"Stop complaining! I cooked diner with Ayumi, you do your part!" Temari called back.
"And I'm Kazekage!" Gaara added, like that provided him with enough to reason to be exempted, secretly enjoying the play-offs between Temari and Kankuro. Kankuro was cursing incomprehensibly.
"Here's an idea: why don't you get the Sasori-puppet to dry the dishes?" Temari jested.
"Oh well, here's an idea: why don't you use your pig-tails to dry the dishes?" Kankuro blurted from the kitchen. Temari started chuckling and Gaara smiled lightly.
"I'll go help Kankuro," Ayumi said, feeling she had to repay the Sand Siblings for letting her into their house in the first place.
"Really? Well, as you please," Temari shrugged, "that'll make Kankuro happy surely."
Ayumi got up and realized that she wasn't so acquainted with her surrounding that she'd make it to the kitchen in one time, yet no one made an effort to get up and help her. From her memories she recalled that people always jumped to aid her in the past, sensing her helplessness. But shinobi were of a different kind. They rejected weakness almost naturally. People had to take care of themselves. So she concentrated and tried to find her sense.
'I'm getting better at this,' she thought after it only took her a few seconds, and then walked to Kankuro.
"Yo..." he acknowledged her and made way for her to wash the dishes while he dried them. With her hands in the hot soapy water, moving the sponge in circles on the plate's surface, something strange happened.
"Uhm, oi," Kankuro said stunned with one eyebrow up, "what's happening?"
The water welled up around Ayumi's hand, raising inches above the edge of the sink.
"It's happening again!" Ayumi marvelled. She willed the water to form a ball and it started to float through the kitchen area.
"Oi… Oi Gaara! Temari!"
The blonde and red-head quickly made their way to the kitchen and blinked at the waterball hovering above the diner table. Ayumi's hands glided through the air, motioning the water through the space.
"Bloodline limit?" Kankuro questioned, his face serious now. Temari caught his glance and looked back at him unsure. According to Ino's statement this girl was an ordinary civilian. Nothing about her revealed she could control chakra-molding well enough to use justsu. How in earth was she moving that water?
"She did this before," Gaara stated with folded arms. Temari and Kankuro both looked at him surprised.
"Wow, I can really do it," Ayumi gasped exhilarated. She wanted to land the water back into the sink. It wobbled through the air, gliding left and right. "It's just... a bit hard to control," she huffed.
"Be careful where you move that thing," Kankuro said nervously.
"Oops!" Ayumi called out, after the water collided with Kankuro's face. She was so startled at her mistake that she lost control over her actions and the water bubble collapsed over Kankuro's clothes. Temari snorted.
"Yes. Or that happens," Kankuro spoke flatly.
"Uhm, sorry Kankuro," Ayumi squeaked with a little voice. Behind them they heard Temari's snort soon transformed. She leaned against the wall while her body shook with hysteric laughter. Gaara eyed his sister with mild humor.
"L-look at your face!" Temari said in-between her laughs, "the-the facepaint - it's dripping. Like a girl's mascara after a break-up!"
"Tsk," Kankuro shook his head, but he was grinning as well, "you want a shower too, Temari?"
He cupped water into his hand and threw it at her. She yelped and quickly pulled Gaara in front of her. His sand barrier automatically appeared and clumps of muddy sand fell to the ground after the drops collided.
"Always playing dirty, eh," Kankuro growled, and nudged Ayumi, "oi, help me out here."
Sensing his direction of thinking Ayumi started flowing her hands through the air, while Kankuro opened the tap.
"Game on," Kankuro mouthed to Gaara and Temari.
He grabbed a cup from the dish drainer and started filling it with water while Ayumi insecurely moved water from the sink in Gaara and Temari's directions. Gaara stepped away from his sister and Temari was splashed in the face.
"Waa! Gaara! You ought to protect your older sister!" she protested, while Kankuro and Ayumi continued their water-canonade.
"Yeah, Gaara. You can't simply step out of this one!" Kankuro bellowed and started aiming for his younger brother. Gaara widened his eyes as the splashes closed in, but naturally he didn't have to do anything in his defence as his mother's sandbarrier errected automatically from the sand that was always placed in a thin layer onto his skin. More and more mud was falling to the kitchen floor.
"Yo, how are we going to counterattack if we don't have water?" Temari complained.
"Ha! That's your problem," Kankuro spat back.
Suddenly Temari had an idea. With all the mud gathering around Gaara... She scooped up a handful and threw it at Kankuro's face. He turned his head just in time. It splattered against him and the cabinets behind, partly hitting Ayumi as well. They continued throwing water and mud back and forth. Gaara acting like a shield for Temari, while Ayumi tried to catch the mud balls with water, albeit mostly unsuccesfully. A good ten minutes later Kankuro held his hands up in the air panting.
"Okay, okay," he breathed.
"You surrender?!" Temari called out from behind Gaara's back, another mud ball ready in her hands.
"Yes, you won," Kankuro admitted.
"Good!" Temari cheered and took a good look around. The floor... the cabinets... the table... inside the fruit bowl... all over the cleaned dishes. There was mud everywhere. "Now how we clean this mess?"
She and Kankuro slyly looked at Gaara who lifted his eyebrows a little.
"This was your game," he stated.
"Well, you participated as shield and armory! So you're involved too!" Kankuro refuted pointing a finger at him.
"Gaara, please? Use your skill to call back your sand," his older sister pleaded.
"It's heavy with water..." he replied monotone.
"W-well Ayumi will help!" Kankuro stammered, nudging Ayumi forward, "right?"
"Ah-uhm..." she stuttered, suddenly in the spotlight, "I'll try to withdraw the water from the mud... I guess?"
"There you go!" Kankuro growled relieved, patting Ayumi's back, and walking to the other side, "it's resolved then. Thanks for cleaning, Ayumi, Gaara."
He and Temari quickly walked away before anyone could somehow find reason why they were more suitable for the job.
Ayumi was left with Gaara. She hadn't had a moment alone with him since the towel-incident. She could sense him now and he was patiently waiting her.
"Let's see... how to do this," Ayumi said. She gathered her confidence and spread her palms out before her, then slowly moved them up. With her movements the water from the clumps of mud around the kitchen started to rise, hovering a few inches above the sand. She moved her hands together in the form of a ball and with an effort the droplets began to gather. Gaara observed with curiosity how her skill functioned. Finally it became one big mass which Ayumi laboriously got into the sink. She panted after the effort. Then it was Gaara's turn to display his skill. With one hand outstretched the sand glided towards him, Ayumi felt grains pull from between her hairs and from her clothes. To her mind, tiny solid objects were disrupting the flow of humidity in the air, enabling her to recognize Gaara's sand moving through the room. Gaara walked over to the window, opened it, and dumped the sand oustide. When he closed the window he turned to Ayumi.
"Sorry about this," Gaara told her, "it gets crazy here from time to time."
"Owh no!" Ayumi called out and broke into a broad smile, "this was fun."
Gaara nodded, glad that Ayumi didn't feel discomforted at his siblings' brash behaviour.
"Welcome to my home."
A/N: I love crazy Sand Sibling fights, although admittedly I described a similar scene in my other story too.
Well, hope you liked it! x)
~ Demiyah