Hinata flinched as the walls shook with the sound coming out of his room. She wasn't sure what brought this on, but it had been going on and off for the last hour. The banging and crashing weren't the concerning noise anymore. It was animalistic growling that occasionally ripped through the wall that was worrying her. She moved out in the courtyard in the hope of getting away from the noise, but even in the shade. It was so much hotter outside it didn't make time pass any faster.
Eventually, the heat disappeared as the sun went down, and she went inside when she started to shiver. The stillness in the house was eerie after the racket that was happening before. Hinata cautiously stepped down the hall and stopped to stare at the door where his door 'should' have been.
Hinata slid her hand over the wall. If the door was there, it was encapsulated, leaving just the smooth wall behind like it was never there.
Did the demon trap him in there, or could he do this to protect himself?
It wasn't known outside Suna what the one-tails could do. Sand manipulation did make this empty chakra-filled sand castle make more sense. Did he build it for himself?
The stillness on the other side made worry eat at her stomach. What was it like to be alone with the monster in your head? Was that why she was here? Because he didn't want to be left alone anymore? Then why didn't he come out?
She let her hand fall away from the wall.
Maybe this wasn't prison wasn't just for her.
"We got you some things you didn't ask for, but I hope it will make you feel more at home." Temari unloaded one of the boxes.
Hinata's hand ghosted over a box of tea that made her heart happy. She missed normal tea.
"What happened to your face?" Temari wondered about the healing blistered burns on her cheeks.
"Apparently, I can get even get sunburned in the shade." Hinata turned out to look out the awning that she had trusted.
"Uh…" Kankuro looked at the wall where Gaara's door was meant to be. "How long has he been like that?"
Hinata pierced her lip together. "A few days now. I'm not sure what happened, but one day there was a lot of noise, and then the door was gone. He hasn't eaten anything I put out since."
Temari's head popped up. "Eaten?"
Was that weird? "It's hard to cook for one." Hinata excused. "He started eating from the tray I put out for him, but only for a few days, then that happened." Temari frowned down the hall. "Should I have not…?"
Temari waved her hand. "No, it's fine. Has he come out once?" Hinata shook her head. "Not at all?" Temari huffed. "I'll try to talk to him."
Kankuro sat down. "Are you okay? We're used to it, but it can be scary."
"He never comes out." Hinata shrugged. Maybe she would be more scared if she saw the damage, but it was like a bear in a cage. As long as the bear was in the cage, then there wasn't much to be scared of as long as you didn't get too close.
Maybe that would change if he ever came out.
Temari put her hands on her hips. "This is ridiculous." Her glare twisted down the hall. "I'm going to go drag him out there. He's being a brat."
Kankuro looked unsure. "I don't know. If he's having episodes… "
Temari waved a hand at Hinata. "She's been here a month. He hasn't said a word to her. If I have to threaten him with sending her back, I will. I didn't like this to begin with."
Kankuro rubbed the back of his head side eyeing Hinata.
Temari stopped unloading and headed down the hall to pat the wall. "Gaara, let me in." Hinata rounded the corner to see if the wall would open, but it stayed solid. "Come on, stop pouting. We're not going to be here long."
Hinata sighed as the wall stayed solid. Kankuro got into the boxes in the kitchen. "What even is this?"
Hinata padded back to the kitchen to see what he meant. Behind her, Temari huffed, and the door opened and close behind her. She must have got in.
Gaara flinched as Temari put a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't even clean up." Temari referred to the broken sand future that was in shards littering the walls he threw them against. "What set you off?"
"He keeps telling me what to do," Gaara grumbled. That wasn't half the truth, but it did encompass the problem. Shukaku's constant pushing got on his nerves because it got worse the more impatient he got. Taking the meals from her was what pushed Shukaku to constantly bother him to open the door.
Gaara couldn't take the constant pestering. It drove him insane. Gaara ducked his head down and put his arms over it. He didn't want to go out. He was afraid of what her reaction to him would be. He didn't want to know.
"She's worried about you." Temari tilted her head down. "She's got a nasty sunburn. Has she been going outside a lot?" Gaara's head flinched up. She stayed outside while he was having his tantrum. She hadn't gone out since.
'That's your fault.' Shukaku grumbled at him.
"Shut up!" Gaara snapped at him. Temari's hand came off his shoulder, hovering before coming back down. Gaara put his face down on his knees. "I was speaking to him."
Temari sighed. "Why don't you clean up and come out while we are still here?" Gaara turned away. If they were here, then he would have to watch his siblings pity her for being left with their monster little brother. That was worse. "Don't wait too long. You can't keep her here if you're not even going to talk to her."
"You want to send her back." Gaara knew. He knew they didn't approve.
"I didn't think bringing her here was a good idea, and you're proving me right," Temari told him. "Why would you just trap her here to suffer your fate?"
'Why should we be the only ones who suffer?' Shukaku sneered at her logic despite his pressure.
"I'm going to go help her set up. We have to go back tomorrow. If you haven't come out by the next time we are back… I think you should let her go." Temari whispered. "If you want her to stay, you need to make some effort to connect with her, or she might just try to leave on her own."
'She wouldn't get far.' Gaara wasn't sure if Shukaku meant he would kill her or if he would let her die in the desert, but either way, he was right. The result would be the same.
Hinata watch Temari cook to collect some of what she was doing wrong. "Does he have food in there?"
Temari paused only a moment before going back to what she was doing. "He doesn't eat or sleep much, never has. He collected shelf-stable food before you came. If I don't restock it, it may force him to come out."
"He doesn't sleep either?" Hinata wondered.
Temari shook her head. "He's either making himself miserable, or the beast is having fun torturing him. What you heard was them fighting. I think he locked himself up to not scare you, but I am not sure if it had the effect that he wanted."
Hinata put her hand under her chin to proper her head up. "I feel bad for bothering him."
Temari raised an eyebrow at her comment.
Hinata pressed her hand up to the door that was there again. Gaara still refused to come out. His siblings were gone again, leaving with more concerns lying on the other side of the door.
If his problem was isolating himself, maybe she should reach out to him rather than wait for him to come to her.
Hinata knocked on the door and heard no reply. "I left food. Please eat." She waited a few moments for a reply before retracting. She tried to push the anxious feeling of being alone that was building up since Kankuro and Temari left. The thought of spending another month waiting on the other side of the wall was terrifying. She almost preferred he would just come out here to ignore her so at least she could convince herself he was real.
Because sometimes, when she thought about it too long, she started to wonder if there was anything on the other side of the door.
Hinata disappeared down the hall to hear the door unlatch, and the tray rattle as it was picked up. She felt a wave of relief hearing a new sound. Maybe she could bring him out with a bit of work.