"I…I'm cold."
Gaara snorted as he eyed Xin. The fashion show was coming to an end, Temari taking center stage once more to give her thanks and praises and all that good stuff. Xin seemed to enjoy the show well enough, offering humorous comments that even managed to get a laugh out of Kankuro.
The backstage area was less chaotic now that the show was over. No one was screaming and everything seemed to be at ease so Xin had to guess that it was a success. She watched them like she did the first time, interested as the models morphed back into themselves.
Of course she was cold, Gaara thought. Her dress was short and made of delicate fabric. It was made to be pretty, to make her look pretty but it wasn't made for warmth. "You said you didn't need a coat," he reminded her, just to see her make a face.
"I know what I said," Xin said with a pout.
Gaara shook his head and hoped that if his sister faced the same dilemma of being cold, Kankuro would have enough sense to offer his coat to her. She might have to beat him out of it, knowing him. "Put it on," Gaara sighed, shrugging out of his own coat to offer it to her. Surprisingly, she took it without a fight, grinning as she slid into it. To his amusement, it considerably dwarfed her, longer than her actual dress.
"Oooh, this feels expensive." She didn't slide her arms into the sleeves, simply pulling it around her with a satisfied hum. It carried his warmth and scent and she was horrified when she realized how nice that was.
He shrugged, neither confirming or denying it but it was most definitely expensive. "Come on or we'll be late." He reached towards her, hand coming to rest against her lower back to guide her away.
"Late for what?"
"We always go to whatever restaurant Temari wants after this shit."
She blinked and didn't comment that she didn't need his guidance towards the exit. "That sounds…ah…familial. Feel free to drop me off at home."
He glanced at her as if that might be the stupidest shit she ever said to him. "Jura joins us most of the time."
Somehow that was supposed to make her feel better but it didn't. It simply reminded her that she was treading territory that she had no business with. These weren't normal people, they weren't a normal family. This wasn't…a date or whatever the fuck it was supposed to be.
This wasn't meant to be a cute or endearing type meeting. Temari would probably be the nail in the coffin that decided what they would ultimately do with Xin. She would be the deciding factor on whether she got to walk away unharmed or if she would be put in a goddamn casket. Literally.
Why was that so hard to remember? Maybe because she hadn't actually seen Gaara do anything…incriminating? Sure, she'd seen the stab wound and his bloody knuckles but she still hadn't seen anything…bad.
Is that how she explained it away? She couldn't acknowledge something for what it was if she hadn't seen it. Did that mean she wanted to see something like that?
No, of course not. Of course not.
What the hell did he even gain from this anyway? Maybe his brother had been right in trying to warn him away. Their dealings, their lives, it wasn't a life meant for her. Friend or not. She had no business surrounding herself with danger and destruction and blood.
That's why she left in the first place, she vehemently reminded herself. She had to keep reminding herself of that fact but apparently her will was weak as fuck because here she was, sliding into some gangster's expensive ass car to go have dinner, of all things, with said gangster's family. Who were, wait for it, gangsters their goddamn selves and in Temari's case, affiliated.
She was a fuckin' moron.
"You look like you're thinking hard," Gaara commented, weaving in and out of traffic with ease. She was swamped in his coat, with only her face and legs showing.
She pursed her lips. "Oh, no. Just thinking about the fashion show and all." She didn't want to run the risk of offending him with her swirling thoughts regarding him and his family, they were clearly important to him. The last thing she wanted to do was offend him, knowing he could simply bash her goddamn face into the dashboard if he felt so inclined.
A bloody nose to match her blood red dress and lips. No thanks.
"Your sister looked like she was having a lot of fun."
"Well, she gets to boss people around so she's in her element."
"At least you're supportive."
"It's only fair."
The restaurant they ended up at seemed to be a snazzy steakhouse. Xin stared at the building blankly, wondering why something like this would surprise given her past encounters with these men and food. Kankuro seemed to think little of her favoritism towards food but they were the ones who insisted on feeding her. She followed after him into the luxurious restaurant, feeling as if she didn't quite belong there. She half expected one of the other patrons to figure that out and demand that they throw her poor, peasant ass out on the street.
It didn't happen but she wouldn't be surprised if it did.
She watched some of the patrons but Gaara maintained a steady pace as he weaved through tables. He hadn't even stopped to speak to the host on their way in but to be fair, the host didn't seem all that surprised by this.
Temari, Kankuro and Jura were tucked away in the far back, probably for safety and privacy reasons, Xin guessed. She was glad that it wasn't a traditional setting, pretty sure that her dress wouldn't allow her to sit down comfortably or threatening to flash her tablemates.
Jura's eyes lit up the moment he caught sight of her. "Xin!" He was happy to see her, despite her general standoffish ways. "I didn't think you'd be coming around again since Kankuro threatened you." He grabbed both of her hands, swiping his thumb across the back of her knuckles in greeting.
"Yeah, well," Xin's lips pursed as she momentarily peered around Jura to give Kankuro the stink eye. "I came hoping that Temari is lovelier than her judgemental ass brother," she quipped. "Which is ironic, given his own background but who am I to judge?"
Kankuro momentarily gaped at her. "You're nobody to judge, you smurf."
"Oh, a height joke. How original."
Temari cleared her throat, her gaze jumping between Xin and Kankuro. She didn't need them to start their childish bickering in the middle of the restaurant. "Please join us," she motioned to their table, a look in her eye that clearly said they didn't have a choice in the matter.
Xin knew a threatening look for what it was so when Gaara grabbed her by the elbow to pull away from Jura, she didn't fight him. He ushered her into the booth and slid in next to her, effectively cutting off a means for a quick escape should she need one.
She smiled nervously, realizing that she was boxed in and essentially trapped. She wasn't sure if Gaara's looming presence made her nervous or not. These people, after all, were his family and she was just an outsider. If she fucked up, there was no one to save her from their wrath.
"You look nervous," Temari said rather bluntly, blatantly eyeing the other woman. She was pretty, Temari thought but entirely too small to be a real threat to any of them. Unless she spontaneously tried to stab one of them with a knife.
"I'd be a moron if I weren't just a little nervous. You lot aren't exactly Boy Scouts, are you?"
Kankuro narrowed his eyes but didn't give into her bait. "I wouldn't call us Boy Scouts, per se," Temari said before her brother could make even the slightest comment. "But I don't see what we would gain by hurting you, unless, of course, there's a reason."
"Like somehow swindling you out of everything you own?" Xin shot Kankuro a dry look, one eyebrow quirked. A waiter came around then and to her confusion, poured her a glass of what she assumed to be was wine. She'd only ever had cheap beer before and even then, she wasn't much of a fan. What was wrong with water, she agonized quietly, still eyeing the wine, she hadn't even asked for the shit in the first place.
Temari watched her, amusement evident in the shape of her eyebrows. It was almost like she knew what Xin was thinking at that very moment. "Sure but you aren't a thief, are you?"
"I'd be a shit thief if I was," Xin quipped, gently picking up her wine glass. She watched Temari pick up her own glass of wine, a deep red versus her white, and gently rotated her wrist. She'd seen that done in a couple of movies, something about releasing the aroma of the wine or some bullshit like that. Rich people shit. Still, she didn't want to seem like she didn't know what she wasn't doing, true as it was, and mimicked Temari with her glass.
She reminded herself not to gulp it down like some low class heathen and instead sipped demurely. It tasted fruity, surprising her because she always thought wine was supposed to taste bitter. Too bad she couldn't afford shit like this on the regular.
"I've been told that you…" Temari trailed off with a thoughtful look. Xin realized that the men had yet to contribute anything to the conversation as if they weren't also sitting there. Strange. "Well, Gaara and Kankuro say that you're not a doctor."
"Because I'm not."
Temari waved her hand briskly. "But you seem pretty knowledgeable when it comes to medical emergencies."
Xin resisted rolling her eyes. "I lived in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, people like us are bound to pick things up." It really wasn't that exciting of a revelation. "We had a clinic, not a hospital and only one doctor. I volunteered one summer and she noticed I wasn't squeamish about blood and guts."
"So, she decided to just…train you?" Jura asked in obvious disbelief, squinting all the while.
"Well, yeah. It's not like I was prescribing medication or anything. She taught me how to do stitches and remove sharp, pointy things and bullets—hunting accidents happen a lot. She needed help and I was a bored teenager…" There. Now they finally knew why she was medically inclined but not a doctor. It wasn't spectacular or anything.
Kankuro looked thoughtful. "Isn't that..illegal? Or malpractice?" He didn't sound cruel about it, more so curious.
"I mean, should we really discuss what's legal and what's not?" Xin asked pointedly. Like him, she wasn't being cruel about it but she had a point to make. No one sitting at that table operated legally. Well, except maybe Temari but that was a stretch.
Gaara cut his eyes at her. "Xin."
"Okay, fine. Yes, it's probably…against the law. I was going to go to school for a legit degree…"
"What was the reason that stopped you?"
Her lips thinned and Gaara could tell they were approaching her brick wall she built up around herself. "Lotsa reasons," she muttered softly. "Couldn't afford it, mostly." Her eyes darted away, avoiding all of their gazes.
"Your parents must be…" Temari trailed off.
"Disappointed?" Xin filled in helpfully. "S'alright. Not the first time." Her reply was surprisingly blank and it was clear that she didn't want to talk about her parents in that sort of way.
"Well," Temari cleared her throat. "You left your family behind, hm? Did you leave a boyfriend behind as well? A nice farmer's son, perhaps?" She was smiling in a teasing way but Temari never asked baseless questions. For whatever reason, she wanted to know if Xin had any involvement before leaving. One that might show up and perhaps get the wrong idea about her new found friendship with her brother.
Not that Gaara couldn't handle some country hick but no one liked being caught off guard.
Xin stilled, staring at the wineglass. Her shoulders were noticeably stiff and her eyes rolled strangely in her sockets before landing on Temari. She leaned forward, pressing her chest against the table and gave an odd but sardonic smile. "He wasn't so nice."
The conversation came to an abrupt halt when several waiters came back around their table, hoisting plates and plates of steaming food on the table. Xin looked away from Temari, missing the suspicious look to gape at the assortment of food.
"Is this wagyu beef?" she asked in astonishment, leaning into Gaara.
"How can you even tell by looking at it?" he asked blandly, wondering if he was going to have to fight her in order for her to eat. Her strange but small revelation of this supposed boyfriend, who wasn't nice, did not sit well with him. The fuck did she mean by that? And was she actually in a relationship that she simply refused to tell him about?
It really wasn't his business if she did have some hillbilly boyfriend waiting on her back home but..
But what?
"I can fuckin' tell, look at it. I didn't even order this."
"You don't like wagyu? You want Kobe instead?" Jura offered helpfully.
"Oh my fuckin' God."
"What's got you so bent out of shape?" Kankuro asked pointedly. "It's not like you're paying either way."
"That's not the point," Xin sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It just seems…" she trailed off, trying to figure out how to explain it. "Unnecessarily expensive for me. I don't deserve this shit."
"Says who?" Temari pressed, delicately picking up a sliced strip of beef.
"I didn't do anything to deserve any of this," Xin insisted, eyes darting all over the table. She'd never seen so much food spread out at once like this for a small group of five. "It's too extravagant."
"You helped my brother out. More than once and didn't expect anything in return."
"It's called human decency," Xin groaned with a slump of her shoulders. "I may not be an actual doctor but if I was, I'd be inclined to help those in need. Even if…they might deal in the unsavory."
"How do you know I even needed your help? Maybe I would've made it to a hospital if I hadn't stumbled into you," Gaara pointed out. "Eat, Xin."
"You were bleeding profusely! I had to burn my shirt after you bled all over it." She reached for a bowl of rice, the safest bet, but deflated under his heavy gaze. "You wouldn't have made it to a hospital in time." She gave in, reluctantly piling her personal plate with several strips of beef and vegetables.
Xin tapped her foot nervously under the table and tried not to pick sullenly at her food. Again, she wondered why everyone was always insisting that she eat at their expense. "Um," she cleared her throat after several moments of silence. She couldn't stand silence. "I liked the fashion show…some of it seemed impractical though."
The blonde immediately perked up. "Sometimes fashion isn't all about practically. It's about the creative visionary."
She guessed that made sense, after seeing some of the getups coordinated for the show. "Your clothes are expensive as fuck." Look, she had a problem with things being unnecessarily priced.
"Well, it's luxury."
She was pretty sure she could find a dress in a thrift store just as nice as the one she was wearing. Too bad Seiko would've verbally beat her up for even suggesting such a thing. Still, when would she ever even wear this dress again? She'd never go anywhere nice enough for it or hell, go on a date.
A nice dent in her bank account all for a dress she'd probably tuck away in the back of her closet, never to be seen again. It was frivolous, she chided herself but useless. The dress was hers now.
"Too bad regular people simply can't afford luxury," she mused in bemusement. She looked away from their table, watching in vague interest as some couples began dancing to some upbeat tune.
She would dance with her sisters and mother at festivals. Their father never joined, too stoic but sometimes her uncle would join them, before he died. And he'd make his son dance as well, even though he clearly hated it.
She smiled plainly and longed for those days, the carefree days of her youth. Now, she was just a jaded and empty shell of herself with no family to dance carelessly with.
Jura noticed her staring and mistook it for something that it wasn't. "You wanna dance, Xin?"
Temari and Kankuro, oddly enough, glanced at their brother instead of Jura or Xin. But Gaara was looking down at Xin. She seemed wholly unaware of all the secret glances, turning her plain smile on Jura.
"Can you even dance?"
"What are you implying, that I can't?"
She didn't reply but stood up, rolling out of Gaara's coat at the same time. She finally met said man's gaze, tilting her head to the side. He stood as well and allowed her to glide past him, eyes following her apathetically.
Jura followed her, reaching for her hand in order to dramatically spin her towards the dance floor. She went with a boisterous laugh, spinning with a flourish.
"Hm," Temari hummed, chin resting on her knuckles. "Well, I see what's got you all so interested in her." She watched as Jura and Xin blend into the crowd of couples as if they were a couple themselves. "Pretty and mysterious."
"Her eyes give me the creeps," Kankuro said flatly. "And she's fuckin' annoying."
"I think it's safe to say she feels the same way about you," she replied. "She's not so bad, Kankuro. I really don't think she's planning anything nefarious."
Out on the dance floor, Jura spun her with a little too much enthusiasm and she nearly went careening into another couple. Instead of apologizing, they cackled and sailed away from the offended couple. Neither were exceptional dancers but Xin caught the beat well enough, riding the rhythm with her hips while Jura followed along.
"Prickly though and weird but she's no threat to us," Temari declared.
"You decided so quickly after having one conversation with her?" Kankuro pressed, not all that impressed. Really, he just felt singled out as the only one still suspicious of Xin's intentions.
But Temari only shrugged. "It's more so because of her body language. Everything about her screams uncomfortable. I don't think we have to worry about being done up by her."
Gaara was hardly listening to his siblings, instead watching as Xin and Jura caused chaos on the dance floor. They were purposely knocking into other couples, just barely tripping them up. Jura was recognizable enough that no one dared to retaliate but they were getting a lot of stink eyes.
It wasn't much of a surprise that Xin and Jura got along seamlessly. Jura was easy to like and she was seemingly over the fact that he very nearly pistol whipped her their first meeting. Besides, offering her fried chicken really endeared him to her.
In seconds she'd gone from twitchy and suspicious to gleefully stirring up chaos on the dance floor. It was probably the most relaxed he'd seen her since meeting. He felt something sour turning in his stomach.
"They're going to get kicked out," Temari suddenly said, her eyes directed towards Jura and Xin. She looked amused but she always looked that way. "You think Xin might be interested in modeling some of my clothes?"
Gaara snorted, "Absolutely not." The limelight did not seem to interest her at all. In fact, she seemed horrified by it.
"Don't you have to be thin to model?" Kankuro asked thoughtlessly.
Temari sent him a withering look, frowning in disapproval. While Temari was tall and fit, she was often deemed too muscular or even masculine when she tried her hand at modeling. The many critiques lobbed at her were the main reason she decided to go into designing. She was very prickly when it came to the body standards in the fashion world.
"I didn't say she was fat," Kankuro tried but winced because now he just sounded whiny. "She's just…" he waved a hand in Xin's direction, struggling to find the most appropriate word without offending his sister. "…curvier than most models I've seen."
Temari continued to scowl at her brother but let him off the hook. For now, at least. "Are you sure? Modeling can pay well."
Xin was clearly motivated by monetary gain, not that he judged her for it. Didn't they all do what they did for monetary gain? Maybe Xin's way was just more honest but it didn't take away from the fact that money was her main motivation. Still, modeling was too flashy a job for her. He was positive that she was initially going to say no to the invitation for tonight.
"I think she prefers a lowkey way of living," Gaara said instead. He couldn't blame her, sometimes he thought a life of obscurity might be nice. Her lack of a general social life, however, was a little concerning.
Temari huffed, irritated at not getting her way. "So you say," she said. "I suppose she is too short, either way."
On the dance floor, Jura spun her one last time before dramatically dipping her low to the floor. She went easily, squawking with laughter while ostentatiously throwing her arm out. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to let those two out on their own together.
They didn't return to the table, instead Jura guided her towards the bar. Strange since she didn't seem all that savvy to alcohol but she went anyway, sliding onto the stool and leaning against the bar. Jura didn't take a seat next to her, opting instead to stand close to her. He leaned into the bar as well, completely eclipsing Xin from view.
"How good is her alcohol tolerance?" Kankuro asked pointedly.
Gaara shrugged carelessly, "No idea."
His brother groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Great, now we've got two morons to deal with."
They left Xin and Jura to their devices, assuming that two adults wouldn't need to be monitored but that turned out to be somewhat of a mistake. Jura had a careful grip on Xin, smiling nervously when they eventually returned. Her face was flushed but she was smiling widely. Gaara squinted up at her before his eyes flickered over to Jura. "The fuck did she have?"
"I think the real question is how many did she have?" Temari piped up, reaching out to steady Xin when she inevitably swayed to the side.
"I had a Long Island," Xin replied proudly. "And—and I didn't have to pay for it."
"Of course not," Kankuro even looked amused, watching as she continued to grin over nothing and everything. "You didn't have to pay for anything tonight, did you forget?"
Jura cleared his throat and shook his head. "Nah, the bartender let her slide for the night. I'm pretty sure he was flirting with her the entire time but it was like the shit went over her head. Pretty sure he slipped her his number too."
With a grin borderlining psychotic, Xin shoved her hand down her dress only to present a scrap of paper with a number scribbled on it. She was oblivious to the surprised looks the trio shot her, otherwise she would have laughed as they visibly leaned back in tandem. "Dunno why he gave me this but the iced teas were free!"
Temari wrapped her hand around Xin's wrist and tugged gently. "Xin, how many did you have?"
Xin paused and squinted in thought, red lips pursing. "Four? Five?"
Gaara leveled Jura with a blank look. "Jura."
"It's iced tea! I didn't think it would do this much to her."
Temari shook her head. "Long Islands are made with five different types of alcohol. It's a very boozy drink. Xin, are you okay?" She asked just as Xin pulled out of her grip. With no preamble, she leaned over the table and reached for her unfinished glass of wine. Before any of them could stop her, she threw it back like a damn shot and guzzled it down.
Kankuro blinked at her, taken aback, and laughed. "Oh, shit."
She made the move to slam the wine glass down like a shot glass but Jura thankfully snatched it away. "You better fuckin' not, Xin."
Gaara grabbed his coat and stood up. "Okay, it's time to get you home," he decided, working the coat around her shoulders once more. Luckily, she didn't fight the decision, smiling stupidly.
"Do we have time for one more iced tea?"
"Fuck no."
Xin was halfway asleep when Gaara carefully pulled up to her apartment building. "Give me your keys," he sighed. She did so with no fight, reaching into her dress for the second time for her keys. He frowned and wondered if there was a pocket or something sewn into the inside of her dress. Temari complained many times about women's clothing having no pockets for some odd ass reason.
He left her briefly in the car, ducking into her apartment first to put away the two to go boxes of food. She'd probably curse him out tomorrow morning when she'd find the food tucked safely away in the fridge. He returned quickly to the car, wary that if he left her alone long enough, she'd escape to drunkenly wander around the neighborhood.
"C'mon, angel," Gaara reached into the car and helped her out, arm settling around her waist as she swayed precariously on high heels. "Do you have your phone?" He pressed, hoping she didn't forget any of her belongings.
"Mhm," she patted one of his coat pockets, feeling around for it. "D'ya really think I'm angelic?" She slurred, her accent suddenly thickening. He unconsciously smiled at the twang but decided not to comment on it.
"Sure I do." He slid out of his shoes in the genken, realizing that she was strapped into her heels. Fantastic. He hoped she wouldn't be angry if she ended up scuffing her floors or tracking dirt into her apartment. She rolled out of his coat, missing it when he caught it only to throw it on the back of her couch. "Can you make it to your room?"
She made a long humming noise but didn't move. He took a deep breath and guided her to her bedroom, hoping he wouldn't see something he had no business seeing. Her bedroom was a lot like her living room and kitchen, cramped but it was far more cozier, at least. It was a bit too small but it wasn't actually messy. Just severely cramped.
Xin flopped down on her bed without being told to, sighing in content. "Don't lay back yet," Gaara instructed, kneeling down and reaching for her feet. If she flopped on her back while he was sitting in front of her and flashed him by accident, he was going to shake the shit out of her dippy ass. He undid the straps of her heels and yanked them off, hiding them underneath her bed so that she wouldn't blindly stumble over them. "Do you have makeup wipes?" He asked, squeezing the arch of her foot.
She groaned softly, suddenly aware of her aching feet. "Bathroom."
"Don't move."
There were many times Temari cursed him or Kankuro out for letting her pass out with a full face of makeup on. Bad for the skin or some shit. Eventually they got tired of being scolded and automatically made sure that her face was clean before leaving her to sleep off the alcohol. Might as well extend that same kindness to Xin.
Xin was curled up when he came back, cracking one eye open at the sound of his approach. "Those iced teas are really fuckin' strong," she mumbled with only a slight slur.
"No kidding, turn your face."
"Really strong."
"Five different alcohols tend to be strong. And chugging an entire glass of wine probably didn't help. Close your eyes."
"Did I embarrass you?"
Gaara swiped the wipe across one eyelid. "Not in particular. You're a more agreeable drunk than Temari. She bites."
"I'm not a drunk. I've never had strong alcohol."
"So you have shit tolerance."
"Seems so. I had fun though, you know, besides being interrogated. I think your sister makes me nervous the most. Funny that, since Kankuro straight up threatened to end me."
Gaara caught her by the chin when her head lulled lazily to the side. "Temari tends to have that effect. I don't think it would've been so bad if she took over instead of me." He pressed his thumb to mouth and carefully wiped the blood red away.
"She'd be like those cool Yakuza ladies in the movies," Xin said around his thumb, eyes closed.
Gaara snorted but didn't disagree because she really would be like those fictionalized women, had it been allowed. But Temari never really seemed put out that she was overlooked. Gaara still kept her on just as he did Kankuro. Unofficially, maybe, but she was every bit as involved as her brothers.
"I think she likes you, well enough."
"Yeah?"
"She suggested that you might model her clothes. Seeing as how you're not an actual model, I think that's a high compliment from her."
Xin let out a wheezy laugh, alcohol heavy on her breath. Her mouth was going to taste like absolute shit when she woke up. "As fuckin' if. I've seen those modeling shows, I think I'd be considered obese."
"You say the most absurd shit," Gaara replied, using another makeup wipe to clean the rest of her face. He wasn't sure if she had more gunk packed onto her skin but it was better to be sure. Besides, she probably sweated from dancing anyway.
"The modeling industry is absurd," Xin mumbled childishly. "Did she really say that?"
"Are you actually considering?"
Again, she laughed. "Of course not but I mean, that was nice of her to say. About me. Seiko said the same ridiculous shit."
He frowned at her but she missed it, her eyes still blissfully closed. Why was she so hard on herself? Sure, maybe her eyes were a little off putting but besides that, he wouldn't blame Xin for being conceited given her looks. And yeah, she wasn't thin like those models but Temari often said the modeling world was a toxic cesspool of vanity and bad for body image.
Honestly, he thought the only requirements for modeling were height and a pretty or unique face. Apparently that wasn't all there was to it. Strange, since it was just fashion but then again, that wasn't his area of expertise.
"Maybe if I was taller, though. And skinnier. Definitely skinnier."
Gaara rolled his eyes. "You look perfect the way you are, angel."
Xin's bleary eyes popped open, staring up at him. "You're just saying that," she uttered in a quiet tone. There was something strange in her gaze, drunkenness aside. Maybe it was wary and distrustful. Maybe even fear.
"I never say shit I don't mean," Gaara replied smoothly. "I think Jura and that bartender might agree."
She made a face, her features scrunching in confusion. "Bartender?" But immediately remembered the scrap of paper hidden away in her dress. "Oh, right. Him." She reached lazily into her dress, her arm feeling strangely heavy for the scrap of paper.
"Is there a pocket sewn into the inside of this dress?"
"Yes, actually. Tell Temari she's a fuckin' genius for that."
"Clearly." He watched her hand close around the scrap of paper, threatening to crush it in her small grasp. "Are you going to make him wait for a phone call like you made me?"
"Oh, please," she snorted and successfully crumpled the paper, tossing it to the floor. "I didn't make you wait because I was being coy. Your salty ass brother scared the shit out of me."
"So you'll be coy with this bartender then?"
"Of course not. I'm not being coy with anyone. I was never going to call him, I'm not interested." She clumsily shifted around, rolling onto her side and tucking her knees to her chest. Her dress protested, riding up and stretching taut across her thighs. She ignored it. "Why're you so concerned about the bartender?"
"Who says I'm concerned?"
She smiled in a dreamy sort of way with her eyes closed. "Says me," she shot back sleepily, bringing her arms up to rest under her head, her smile now slightly skewed.
There's a small part of him that wanted to ask about the strange and cryptic statement about the not so nice boyfriend of hers. It would be easy to get it out of her, loose lips sink ships and all and he wasn't above taking advantage of a situation like this. Usually, he wasn't above such things but there was something in the back of his mind that insisted that he fuck off and mind his business for now.
By the time he decided to do just that, Xin was already sleeping. He scoffed lightly at the sight and shook his head before standing up. It probably would've been better for her to change into pajamas but he'd helped enough. Instead, he threw away the used makeup wipes, hooked her shitty phone up on its charger and very quietly left Hyuga Xin to sleep.
Her mouth tasted like absolute shit.
Xin awoke with a groan and a dull pulsing just behind her eyes. Her stomach turned uncomfortably and she rolled out of bed, hitting the floor on her hands and knees. "Fuck me," she mumbled with a thick tongue, crawling to the bathroom, dignity be damned. It wasn't like anyone was around to see her.
She spent several moments emptying her stomach, slouched over the toilet. There was a reason she never drank much and with her dumbass ways, she overindulged last night. Finished, she heaved herself up to the sink and lazily brushed her teeth.
"Never again," she sighed, standing back on weak legs. Her dress was now wrinkled and twisted uncomfortably around her hips. She pulled roughly at the backties, letting the pretty fabric drop to the floor carelessly.
By the time she was done showering and trying to get her shit together, the dull throb behind her eyes had lessened. Thank God for that.
She dressed herself in her usual fashion, a casual pair of jeans with a tank top, a heavy cardigan her mother made her thrown over it. Her hair was pulled back into a messy knot, some strands even managing to escape its hold. All in all, she deserved a nice lazy day and that's what she dressed for.
She ate breakfast, noticing a stack of to go boxes in her fridge that wasn't there the last time she checked. Ignoring it for now, she finished her breakfast and slowly made her way outside.
The little old lady was out in front of her house, kneeling in her modest garden. Xin crossed the road, smiling at the woman. "Good afternoon, Yuri-san."
Yuri perked up at the sight of the younger woman, waving her closer. "I was wondering when I might see you!"
Xin ducked into the garden and scooped up the gardening gloves. It bothered her that she didn't know all of her neighbors, ever since talking to Seiko about the city's polite indifference. She at least made it a point to get to know Yuri and help her whenever need be. Her mother wouldn't have it any other way.
"Oh yeah?" Xin hummed, settling down in the dirt.
"Yes," Yuri nodded with a curly smile. "I saw that handsome young man pick you up and come home with you last night."
Xin grunted, glaring at a stubborn weed. "It's not what you think. I went to his sister's event."
"He was in your apartment for quite some time."
"Did you watch through your blinds the entire time?" Xin shot the older woman an amused smile despite her unease. "He just helped me to bed, is all. I had a little too much to drink."
"Oh, I'm sure he did help."
"You're perverted."
Yuri cackled, dropping into her chair with a grateful sigh. She appreciated that Xin began to stop by, inquiring if the old lady needed any help with her housekeeping. Though she was a little concerned that Xin didn't seem to have much of a social life. But maybe that might be changing as she noticed the young man in the nice car dropping Xin off every so often.
"Where did you meet him? His car looked expensive," Yuri asked after several moments of watching Xin fight with the weeds.
"Just..around. Ran into him one night. His car is pretty expensive, I guess," Xin answered almost thoughtlessly, focusing instead of the stubborn weeds. Oftentimes as a child, she had to pick weeds from her parents' garden as a form of punishment. It was supposed to teach her patience but it had the opposite effect.
"He must have a good and well-paying job to afford such a luxury," Yuri needled with a smile.
With her back turned, Yuri didn't see Xin's grimace. "Well…I suppose it's well-paying," she tried to say airily. She wouldn't exactly call a crime syndicate a good job but it was none of her business. She sat back on her haunches with a sigh. "What's with the questions?"
"I'm just happy to see you socializing, is all. A girl as pretty as you shouldn't spend all her time holed up in her apartment."
"I'm not always holed up in my apartment. I'm here with you right now, aren't I?"
"Don't be smart," Yuri chided gently. "You know, I was already married at your age. And with a child!"
"That sounds awful. No offense."
Yuri laughed at that, certainly amused and not offended. It was a different time when she was Xin's age and different things were expected. Still, it wasn't healthy for a young woman to avoid socializing the way Xin did. She enjoyed her company and was thankful that she helped out but she really needed to get out more.
"Perhaps," Yuri shrugged. "Everyone's different though so who knows. A nice husband could be what you need."
"Right and I'm guessing you think my friend with the nice car would be the perfect fit."
"You said it, not me."
A scarlet flush shot up the back of Xin's neck but Yuri was kind enough not to cackle at the sight. She smiled though, as smug as ever. "There's no harm in making friends, Xin."
"I have friends."
"I hardly count."
"There's Seiko, the one I met at work? We're friends."
"Ah, two whole friends."
Xin guffawed, somehow managing to laugh at herself. She supposed it was sad and kind of pathetic, her lack of a social life but it didn't matter much. She was satisfied enough with her life right now, as much as she could be.
Sure, she was away from her family but what difference did it make? If she stayed in her little town, she'd eventually end up six feet underground thanks to Kazuya's short ass fuckin' temper and penchant for solving all their fights with fists.
Xin paused, fingers curled around yet another stubborn weed. She hadn't thought of Kazuya's actual name since the night she left. It was easier that way, to regard him like a nameless spectator than an actual human being.
It was better that way.
What would he have thought had he seen her dressed up last night? Well, frankly, he probably would've attempted to strangle her. Jealousy and insecurity was an ugly thing and it marred their once flowering relationship.
Stupid ass bastard.
"You've been hurt before, Xin." Yuri's voice was firm, making no mistake that it was a statement and not a question she voiced. She knew it for what it was, even though she hadn't known Xin that long.
"Why would you assume that?" Xin asked, shaking away thoughts of pain and blood and bruises. It was the past. It was the past, goddammit.
Yuri smiled again but there was no mirth to be found. It was a sad sort of smile, almost pitying. "I'm an old woman, Xin. I lived a long time and I've seen a lot of things. You aren't the first woman I've met with your situation."
And how fuckin' depressing was that?
"You got away from a bad situation, which is good. But you can't keep looking behind you and running. Eventually you'll run right into what you've been running from again."
Xin pursed her lips.
"I'm not saying you have to go out looking for a boyfriend—although it wouldn't hurt," Yuri cackled when Xin shot a glare over her shoulder. "But not everyone is out to hurt you. It's okay to trust again." She leaned forward and settled an old hand on Xin's shoulder, giving it a tentative squeeze.
Xin turned back to the weeds, throat tight for some odd reason.
TeeBeMe: Jura and Xin, forever idiots in crime. They're soulmates in away, even though she always breaks his sweet heart.