Jura might've been a criminal but he was no liar.

Or maybe it was the fact that she hadn't had a good meal since she left home but the fried chicken was absolutely phenomenal. She'd been apprehensive when he led her into the little hole in the wall shop. There was an old man behind the counter that gave Jura a curt nod, giving Xin the notion that like Anko, the old man was probably well aware of Jura's occupation.

Honestly, she stopped caring as soon as she popped the chicken in her mouth. It was fuckin' glorious. Her head dropped back and she dramatically groaned in pleasure. "I think I love you."

Jura sputtered into his beer. "Christ, Xin."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Xin laughed heartily, feeling strangely at ease for once. "I haven't had good food since I left home!"

"Right, Gaara said you're from Osaka?"

She went still, glancing up from her food to quietly assess Jura. "That's right.." she trailed off suspiciously. "Why's your boss talking about me?"

Jura sensed her unease but she wasn't really going out of her way to hide it. "We asked," he answered easily. "Me and Kankuro, the other guy who was there last night. It wasn't anything weird, we just…we know everyone that Gaara knows."

She nodded slowly with a tense mouth. "A little rural town in Osaka. I guess you city-folk would call it…quaint."

"Why'd you leave? If you don't mind me asking."

"Better work opportunities," she answered shortly, lips pursed. What was with everyone's curiosity about her? She was nothing special, she was just trying to mind her business and live her best life. "What about you?"

Jura paused, the mug of his beer resting against his bottom lip. "What about me?"

"I doubt you filled out a job application for your…current occupation."

"Not exactly," he smiled around his mug.

"Then how did you come into this…particular job?"

Jura smiled at her, appreciating that she didn't seem exactly judgmental about it. In fact, she seemed rather chill about the whole thing, launching jokes and insults at Gaara all willy nilly. Maybe her easy going nature was the result of growing up in the countryside. Country people always seemed so easy going.

"I've been friends with Gaara and Kankuro since we were teenagers. I sort of…fell into it when Gaara took over."

"Took over from who?"

"Their father."

"Oh? They're brothers?"

"Mhm."

Xin thought back to the other brunet, the one who hadn't objected to a gun being shoved into her face. She couldn't say that either man resembled one another but then again, it wasn't like she knew what their father looked like. Maybe they shared the same sharp eyes but other than that, she would've never guessed. Instead she hummed thoughtfully. "What made you go into the business with them? They probably didn't have a choice since it's a family affair. You didn't have to join them."

"They're my best friends. It's hard to fully trust anyone these days and with their lifestyle, they needed someone they could always trust."

"Your parents must be very proud," she said with a mocking glint.

"My parents are dead."

"Wow, okay Batman."

A silence fell over them but Xin was never one for long silences. They made her nervous. "Tell me about your siblings. Five of them, right? If you count your cousin."

That seemed to do the trick because Jura instantly perked up. He launched right into it, going on and on about his siblings. It was clear to her that he loved his brothers and sisters, practically singing their praises to her. They sounded like nice people and not the type to go around shoving weapons into random women's faces.

No, he didn't find that funny.

No, she didn't care.

Hearing him gush over his siblings only served to make her miss her own sisters. They were close growing up, even with the seven year age gap with her younger sister. They hadn't been just sisters, they were best friends. Well, they'd been best friends up until Xin vanished off the face of the fuckin' Earth for nearly six months before bothering to call.

That wasn't true, now was it? No, the truth of the matter was that her relationship with her sisters fractured long before she left them behind.

Something in her chest ached, maybe her heart, who fuckin' knows, as Jura continued to gush about how smart his younger brother was.

"Hanabi was a pretty smart kid too," she found herself saying. She went still, eyes blinking rapidly as she realized what she said. "Um, sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off."

"Hanabi? Is that one of your sisters?"

Her mouth thinned. "Yeah, my younger sister."

"What's your twin's name?"

"Hinata."

"Hm. Pretty names for pretty girls."

She snorted, something uncomfortable coiling in her gut. "You don't even know what Hanabi looks like."

"Similar to you and your twin, I'm assuming."

"She's also seven years younger than me so watch it with these compliments." She shoveled more chicken into her mouth, thinking about her younger sister. Maybe her parents would use some of the extra money to send Hanabi to a good University.

All the money in the world wouldn't earn their forgiveness. She'd actually have to suck it up and tell them eventually. Still, money was a great start, she'd like to think.

"You close with your sisters?" Jura asked once he noticed Xin mentally checking out.

"Once upon a time," she answered slowly. They'd been so close, damn there attached at the hip. From the moment Hanabi could walk, she toddled and trailed after her older sisters. And in turn, the older girls encouraged it. They were close, so close until Xin ruined it.

Jura nodded, as if he completely understood where she was coming from. "Ah, complicated backstory."

She snorted and reached for her water. He'd only known her for two days but drinking water with fried chicken had to be the most unhinged shit he ever witnessed. Even more unhinged than laughing with a gun in her face.

"I'm not so complicated," she said after a pause. And she's not, she's really not. Her story wasn't anything spectacular or new. She'd seen it a dozen times, those lifetime movies she used to watch with her mama and sisters. Based on those stupid romance books. The women were all the same. Beautiful and tortured, running from something—from someone. Finding refuge in some little obscure town and falling for the broody handyman with a heart of gold.

Okay, she watched a lot of movies.

She wasn't complicated, she was tired.

"Ooh, complicated and mysterious," Jura grinned at her.

Again Xin snorted and rolled her eyes. She reached up, hand grasping the back of her neck. She felt the raised skin there, hidden under dark hair, a perfect circle of raised skin. Ruined skin. There was another one just like it, seared into her ribcage, just barely hidden by her tank tops. A third one down on the swell of her hip.

"I'm just an ordinary secretary," Xin said after a moment of silence. "Nothing mysterious and complicated about that. You and your criminal boss are looking for something I don't have."

He deflated a little bit at the criminal jab. Gaara didn't seem to care either way when she flung that word at him. He wondered and wondered about their relationship. The redhead claimed it was nothing to be concerned over but still…

"And what exactly are we looking for? Since you seem to have all the answers."

Xin shrugged, disinterested. "Fuck if I know. I keep telling you neanderthals that there's nothing to know about me."

It was Jura's turn to laugh, amused by her crass way of talking. "Where'd you learn to stitch up wounds?"

She pursed her lips and squinted at nothing, deciding that her chicken was more important than his question. "Just something I picked up."

"Yeah? Went to school for it?"

"I'd still be in school if that were the case," she pointed out in bemusement. She had a feeling that it was her enigmatic ways that really interested the likes of men like Gaara and Jura. If she just laid all her cards on the table, told them the truth, they'd probably lose interest.

But why should she do that? She owed neither of them anything, least of all her story. They were strangers, barely acquaintances and she'd done enough as it is. Besides, what good would it do her to even tell them? The most she'd get out of them would pity and that wasn't something she needed.

"Typical." She tried hard not to twist her face up. Men always thought they were owed answers whether it was their business or not.

Jura took a deep breath. "Uh—sorry. For you know, prying. I didn't mean…I just thought we could be friends, that's all."

Friends were okay. Friends were good, in fact. Maybe that's what she needed since it was lonely. What was it that Gaara said about her? She wasn't made to be alone? Funny because that was always true. She was, after all, the most sociable of her sisters. Friendly and optimistic, a lovable motormouth. She was good, once upon a time. The type to make friends with practically anyone.

Xin watched Jura. He seemed genuine, he looked genuine. And she was so tired of being lonely and on edge and distrustful. Not every person she met was looking to hurt her. Besides, it might do her some good to have some friends that were intimidating and what was more intimidating than Yakuza?

"Just….friends?" That's all she needed. Just friends.

Jura offered her a careful smile. "Sure, if that's what you want."

"O…kay," Xin agreed slowly. "Friends, we can do that."

He nearly bounced in his seat, feeling a sort of sense of accomplishment that she agreed to be friends, at least. For someone who seemed so friendly, she sure was prickly and stubborn. But if she wanted to be friends, he could do that.

Just friends.

Gaara never liked sharing what he deemed as his. His siblings got a pass, of course but even then there was still a line to be drawn. Ever since he was a child, he'd always been selfish, a little on the greedy side.

Hyuga Xin was not his.

Not in the platonic way and certainly not in the romantic way either. She wasn't his to own, to have in any way and yet he felt a flair of annoyance with Jura. He was only supposed to fix the hole in her wall, not take her to dinner.

But Xin was free to do what she wanted, free to have dinner with the oaf, if she wanted. She was obviously stubborn and maybe even a penny-pincher but somehow Jura talked her into letting him foot the bill for dinner. Maybe her one weakness was good food. It hadn't taken much effort to let her indulge in her sweet tooth at Anko's bakery.

A glutton, he mused with a grin.

It was only by coincidence that he drove down the street where her office building was. He hadn't done it on purpose, wasn't looking for her because it was already one in the morning. She would be home by now. He just happened to glance at the office front, not expecting any signs of life.

And immediately spotted Xin stepping out of the office. She looked tired and annoyed, dressed in her usual fashion for work. He was pleased to see she was wearing one of the blouses he'd given her, the one with the billowy sleeves. It looked…nice on her. She paused just outside of the front door, stretching her arms high above her head before dropping them to her sides as if they weighed a ton. She took a deep breath and began her trek home.

Gaara sighed and lightly tapped the gas pedal, spurring the car to follow her at a slow creep. She walked fast and with her head down, shoulders raised to her ears. The only sound that could be heard was the insistent click of her heels against the pavement. The little idiot barely looked up, unaware that she was being followed.

He rolled the window down and lurched the car forward, catching up with her easily. "It's one in the morning, angelface."

She embodied that nickname, save for her foul mouth. He could admit that Xin was aesthetically attractive but it was the easy kindness that she showed him that convinced him of the nickname. It didn't hurt that she was easy on the eyes though.

Xin nearly jumped out of her skin before whipping around to face him, panic stricken. But she realized that it was him and instead smiled brightly. "Gaara!" She hurried into the street to stand at the car, bending low to peek in. "Just in the neighborhood again?"

His hand, cradled in his lap, ached.

"Something like that," he replied and shot her an odd look. "You waiting for an invitation? Get in."

She flushed terribly. "Oh, you sure?"

"Wouldn't have said it if I wasn't sure."

She looked positively grateful before sliding in, sighing the minute she was off her feet. "True life savior, you are. Thank you, I hope it's not any trouble."

He snorted and took off at a moderate speed. "What are you doing, leaving work so late?"

"Overtime," she answered simply, slouching into the seat. He remembered she mentioned overtime but this was ridiculous.

"By yourself?"

"Yeah, I'm the newest in the office so I get pinned with it the most."

"And no one offered to stay behind to help you? To make sure that you get home safe?"

She made a tight face. "None so far."

He paused at a red light, drumming his fingers against the wheel. It was a bit old-fashioned of him but it seemed wrong to let her work well into the night only to walk home by herself. Anything could happen from Point A to Point B. Not even that spineless coworker who desperately wanted to fuck her even offered to see her home or help with the workload.

"It's paid overtime so it's not so bad. I could use—what the hell happened to your hand?" She was staring down at his lap, noticing that he wasn't driving with his dominant hand.

Ugly bruises dotted his knuckles, the thin flesh there torn and shredded. He'd been bleeding onto his pant leg but paid no real mind to it. The result of beating some fuckin' idiot whose ego was too big for him. Whether said idiot was alive or not was anyone's guess.

"Work incident," Gaara replied blandly.

She made a sour face but reached for his hand, her smaller hands curling around it. His hand was heavy in hers, skin stained from the blood. Mostly that idiot's blood, some of his, as well.

"I can…fix it. If you want."

Bless her little heart.

"If you would be so kind."

Her smile was crooked. "What a coinkydink that you were injured again and was driving by when I got off."

"It was," he replied, wanting his hand back. "The last thing I expected was to find you out here at one in the morning."

She was still holding onto his hand, gaze almost empty as she stared at his bruised knuckles. "Yeah, well, the extra money helps a lot." His hand slipped from hers and she let it go, eyes following as he returned it to rest on his leg. "Hurts?"

"Can't feel it much," Gaara replied easily. "Why don't you take the train or a bus home? Get an uber or something."

She wrinkled her nose and wriggled her toes in her heels. "That's just extra money being wasted. Besides, walking is good for the body."

"Won't be good for the body when someone decides to follow you."

Xin's expression was stony. "I'll be fine," she said after a moment's pause. There was something in her face that he was missing. "So, any particular reason why someone had to get their shit rocked tonight?" She pointed to his injured hand.

It was obvious that she was trying to change the subject and he decided to just let it go. "Dispute over territory and something to do with drugs."

"Don't you have like…other guys to handle something like that?"

"Sure."

She glared at him, unimpressed with his short answer but it didn't matter since they were crawling to a stop in front of her apartment. It occurred to her that befriending someone who was so used to violence was the opposite of something she should be doing. He should scare the shit out of her and she should be wary of him.

And maybe he does scare her a little bit, maybe she was a little wary of him. It didn't explain why she still invited him into her safe haven, why she was opening herself up to him. The vulnerability of it all was making her uneasy.

But she liked him. She didn't mind the fact that he was popping up every now and then, wounded or not. Maybe she was that desperate for human interaction but one friend couldn't hurt, right?

Xin led Gaara into her cramped kitchen to gently wash his shredded knuckles. She left him there for the moment, dragging the first aid kit out of her closet. She paused in her bedroom and quickly took off her silky shirt. There was no way in hell she'd risk getting blood on this shirt.

Grabbing the first aid kit, she lugged it back into the kitchen. Gaara was still standing at the sink, hand shoved under the running water. Xin set the kit down on the table, barely blinking when it rattled from the weight.

She motioned for Gaara to take a seat in one of her mismatched kitchen chairs. He was almost certain that it would collapse under his weight but Xin didn't even blink, dabbing his hand dry. Blood mostly cleaned away, his knuckles were an absolute mess.

"What were you punching? A wall?" Xin snorted, eyeing the damage critically. She let his hand drop to her lap, paying it no mind when he instinctively pulled away. Instead she focused on pulling her hair back, making sure the thick ponytail rested obediently over her neck.

"Had to get my point across," Gaara answered simply. "Can't show these morons any mercy, they'll think I'm soft."

"You're not?" Xin grinned, reaching for his hand again. "This'll sting a little." She came at him with another antiseptic soaked cotton ball, dabbing it carefully along his knuckles. It didn't sting as much compared to the first time but that was a much deeper wound.

"No," he answered, shooting her a look.

It went unnoticed as her gaze was focused on his knuckles. Despite that, she could feel his gaze and smiled. "You seem a little soft to me. Or maybe you're soft for me." She was flirting, she realized and her smile waned just a little bit.

"Think so?" Gaara asked softly. "Maybe," he shrugged one shoulder, chuckling when she shot him a look to sit still. "I guess it's easy to be soft on you with a face like that."

Was he flirting back?

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

"Are you saying that I'm pretty?"

"Don't be coy, Xin."

Xin clucked her tongue. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you not to hit anything or anyone while your knuckles heal, hm?" It was better to change the subject into something safe. "There's nothing broken, lucky for you. Two to four weeks before the bruises go away, I'd say."

She let him go to reach for the bandages. "You know a lot for someone who isn't a doctor."

Xin didn't really react to his statement, eyes flickering up to glance at him momentarily before settling back on his hand. "I picked up a couple things, that's all." She said the same thing to Jura. "I'm not as interesting as you all seem to think."

"Says you," Gaara replied evenly. "If you weren't so evasive, maybe I wouldn't be so interested."

Xin focused on weaving the bandages over his knuckles, mouth pursed stubbornly. "And why do I have to tell you or Jura or your brother anything? Just because you want to know so I should just tell you?"

Gaara was eyeing her, looking amused despite her exasperation. "How do you know Kankuro's my brother?"

She paused, mouth now twisting in irritation. "Oh, don't get a big head. I didn't ask, Jura told me." Still, she sounded like a hypocrite. "I was asking about him and one of his answers involved the two of you."

"Asking about him?"

"Yes, we talked about our siblings for the most part."

"You have siblings?"

"Yes, two. A twin sister and a younger sister."

He shifted, irritated that Jura already knew that about her. "I'm the youngest," he said after a moment, in a bid of sharing something about himself. "A brother and sister."

Her eyebrows shot up her forehead in surprise. "I didn't take you for being the youngest…" she trailed off thoughtfully. "It's kind of surprising…"

"Why's that?"

"Jura said your father was the head before you," she said slowly, grimacing. She seemed to know a lot about him. "I'd think his oldest child would take over after him, not his youngest."

"My sister is the oldest. Women aren't put in charge of these kinds of organizations."

"And…Kankuro?"

"He never liked all the responsibilities that came with the job. We agreed that it would be better for me to take over."

"You trust him not to…change his mind?"

"Of course I trust him."

She smiled at the trust and camaraderie between brothers, hell between the three of them. Like before, it made her miss her sisters so much that her heart ached. The relationship between the three sisters would probably never be the same. Her fault, she reminded herself.

"What does your sister do?" She was almost done wrapping his hand.

"She dabbles in different ventures. Her current obsession is a fashion brand."

"A fashion brand?"

"Mhm. She named it Vixen. That's where your silk shirts came from."

Xin's head popped up so fast, he feared she'd snap her neck. "Vixen? Your sister…that's her brand? She's the designer?"

He blinked at her but slowly nodded.

"God, her shit is expensive. But so, so nice. I've gotten a lot of compliments when I wear the shirts you gave me. It wouldn't kill her to make the shit a little more affordable though."

Gaara let out a dry laugh, a laugh that did something strange to her. "I'll make sure to let her know your grievances." She made a face at him, not the least bit amused. "What about your sisters? What do they do?"

Her expression relaxed. "My younger sister is still in high school, she's sixteen. My twin sister teaches at our town's school, the younger grades. She's always liked small children."

"And..do they know how to stitch wounds up like you do?" He was careful in his questioning, knowing he was skirting territory that she specifically avoided.

Instead, she smiled. "No, they don't. They're a little more…squeamish about blood and the human body turned inside out," she snickered, eyes far away as she recalled a humorous memory. "My parents own a shop in town. Like a market? Very popular."

"Did you help out?"

"We didn't have a choice," Xin snorted. "God, I hated that shit," she chuckled softly and shook her head.

"You miss them?"

"Of course but they weren't happy when I left."

"Understandable."

"No, I mean, well…I left in the middle of the night. Without telling anyone. And then I didn't call them for six months." She grimaced, realizing just how bad it sounded. Sure, she knew it was bad but she hadn't said it out loud yet.

He was staring at her, judging her. He didn't know the full details, she reminded herself. "A rebellious runaway, guess I can see that for you."

"Sure," she agreed plainly. That wasn't it at all. "If that's what you want to call it." She finished wrapping his hand, eyeing it critically. "There. Take it easy, yeah? You could break it if you don't let it fully heal."

Gaara grunted and slowly climbed out of the chair. Xin followed him towards the front door. "I mean it, Gaara. Don't go around punching people in the face."

"I'll just use my other hand," Gaara said by way of answering, amused when she rolled her eyes. He paused at the front door, seemingly contemplating something. "Let me see your phone."

She made a face, confused by the sudden demand but conceded, handing him her phone. He stared down at it for a long moment before glancing back at her. "They don't even make this model anymore, Xin. You're at least six upgrades behind."

"Mind your business."

He laughed but tapped at her phone, nonetheless. He dropped it back into her hand after a moment. "If you're stuck with overtime and need a ride home, let me know."

She blinked up at him before looking down at her phone. He'd added his contact information to it but hadn't taken hers. She had access to him but he had none to her yet. The ball was in her court. "You don't…you must be busy with other things. I can walk home just fine."

"How would you know what I'm busy with?"

"You have a crime ring to run, no?"

He chuckled again and she realized she was beginning to like the sound of his laughter. "How about you let me decide what I'm busy with, yeah?" He nearly shoved both hands into his pockets before remembering that wasn't a good idea. "Call me if you need me, Xin." He stepped out into the night but stalled in leaving.

She looked away with a stubborn huff. "You're pushy," she muttered with a scowl.

"I have to be," he smirked at her. He leaned into her personal space, like he'd done the first night they met. Again, she put her hands up but didn't back away. "Whatever you're running from, it's going to catch you eventually, Xin. You can't run forever."

She stared up at him, fear curdling in her pretty eyes. A small part of him regretted the advice, something in his gut twisting painfully. He knew she'd been running from something, and could practically taste it.

"I'm not running," she said after a moment, the lie falling from her tongue all too easy.

Gaara leaned in even further, bracing his arm against the doorframe above her head. "You are," he insisted quietly, the tips of his fingers brushing the crown of her head. "I know you are. I just want to know from what."

To her credit, she didn't falter. It was clear she didn't take well to anyone invading her personal space but this time around, she only stared up at him. "Maybe it's not for you to know, criminal."

He let out a soft huff of laughter, eyes searing into hers. There was definitely something strange building between them and a small part of him wondered if she would let Jura this close to her.

"If you need me," his fingers barely tangled in her hair. "Call me, Xin."

And then he was gone.

She did not call him.

Only because she hadn't been stuck with overtime. He told her to call when she had overtime, so she wouldn't have to walk alone at night. He hadn't given her his number to be…sociable, right? He hadn't given his number to her just so she could text him a good morning text or something stupid like that. It was essentially for emergencies. At least, she grimaced, that's what she told herself.

Xin stared at the contact info with a frown as she clocked in just some odd days later. If she wanted to talk to him, she'd have to be the one to make the first move. He purposely hadn't asked for her number in exchange, setting the ball in her court when it came to the next step of their relationship. She had a feeling she probably wouldn't see or hear from him again until she made the first move.

Socializing used to be something that came easy to her, she could make friends with anyone, her mother once said. But now, the mere thought of saying just hello to the redhead was enough to make her nauseous. It made her anxious and she didn't like that feeling.

"Oi, Hyuga," Masaru greeted her as she booted up her computer. "Manager Umino wants to see you, he didn't say why though. Did you mess something up?" he asked. "Maybe you missed something when you were doing overtime."

She practically ignored him, nearly rolling her eyes. Of course he assumed that she fucked up. Maybe their manager wanted to give her a fuckin' raise. She turned and hurried towards their manager's office, noticing there was a woman sitting outside of it. She offered a quick smile and greeting before ducking inside. "Good morning, you wanted to see me?"

The older man smiled up at her. Despite sticking her ass with overtime, he was a nice man. Xin didn't hate him or anything. It was nothing personal, she reminded herself, she was just new. As soon as someone else was hired, they'd be stuck with overtime. "Good morning, Hyuga. I wanted to ask you to train a new hiree."

Xin stared down at him, he wasn't necessarily asking to do anything. He was telling her. "Me? Un, but I'm still new? Don't you think it would be better for someone who's been here longer to train a new hire?"

"You have a great work ethic, Hyuga. I want the new hire to transition smoothly and I trust you to guide her into doing that."

Xin only stared blankly at him, seeing through his words. The other employees would likely half ass the training, not that she blamed them. No one liked training new hires. Her training had been half assed and she'd filled in the blanks on her own.

"If my work ethic is so great, maybe we could talk about a raise or a bonus," she tried her luck, raising her eyebrows suspiciously.

Umino chuckled. "You're still too new for a raise but I suppose we could discuss a bonus." He stood up from his desk to lean out of the office. "Please join us, Fujino."

The woman sitting outside his office joined them with a tentative smile. She was tall and thin with hair so dark that it glittered red in the light. Her eyes were sharp and the prettiest green Xin had ever seen.

"This is our new hire, Fujino Seiko. Fujino-san, this is Hyuga Xin and she'll be in charge of your training."

Seiko turned her smile towards Xin. "It's nice to meet you, Hyuga-san. I'm in your care."

Xin blinked at her before gathering herself. "Oh, un. Of course, it's nice to meet you too."

"Hyuga-san is one of our best," Umino said with a smile. "You're in good hands, Fujino-san."

Xin wasn't really sure how to go about training. She was still pretty new but if Manager Umino believed she could do it, she might as well try. And besides, she'd even get a bonus after this. More money in her pocket always sounded good to her.

So she tried her best in walking Seiko through the usual workday. It wasn't that hard and the redhead seemed smart enough to get the hang of it. And seeing as how Seiko wasn't a fuckin' moron like some coworkers, training her had been all the more easy.

"Are you okay, Hyuga-san?" Seiko asked at the end of the day. She'd been placed on Xin's other side, annoying the living shit out of Masaru. He barely had the chance to talk to Xin all day since she was busy.

Xin's eyes were resting on her phone. "Oh, sure, sure. Just…thinking."

Seiko leaned In towards her. "Are you…waiting for a text?" There was amusement in her pretty eyes but her expression was crafted carefully. Truthfully, it was none of her business.

But her concern was endearing, Xin thought. "No, not exactly," she said after a moment, frowning uneasily. "I…well…I'm the one with his number."

Seiko seemed to perk up. "Oh? Then maybe you should text him. Staring at your phone won't do it for you."

Xin smiled tiredly. "Maybe…"

"Did you…ask for his number?"

"No."

"Then I think it's safe to say he'd want you to text him," Seiko grinned before turning back to her computer. She hoped she hadn't overstepped but Xin did seem to be at a loss.

Masaru glared daggers at Seiko over Xin's head as they all clocked out. Xin hadn't taken any notice, fiddling nervously with her phone. Seiko was kind enough to guide Xin, a hand on her lower back, so that she wouldn't run into any walls or the door.

It would seem that it took only one day for the two women to become friends, Masaru noted enviously. He eyed her hand with disdain, had it been his hand, Xin would've slapped it away.

Un-fucking-believable.

"Okay, okay. I did it," Xin said to Seiko as they approached the front door.

Seiko grinned at her. "What did you say?"

"I said…hi."

That absolutely tickled Seiko as she broke down into giggles. Masaru scowled at her but it went unnoticed by both women. He held the door open, entertaining the idea of swinging it into Seiko's face but relented. That would lose him points with Xin if he bashed her new friend's face in.

Ugh.

He wasn't sure what the two were chittering about but he noticed when Xin's phone buzzed because both she and Seiko stilled just out front. He rolled his eyes, leaning into Xin and looked up. Only to let out a strangled noise of surprise.

Hearing him, Xin glanced up at him before turning to look at whatever had Masaru's attention. She blanched and grimaced, realizing what the problem was.

It was Kankuro, Gaara's brother. He was walking towards them, his gaze sharp enough to cut steel. She realized, in dismay, that he was looking straight at her.

Well, fuck.

TeeBeMe: I'd think Xin and Gaara's ship name would GaaXin? That sounds awful though, lol. Also besides the trauma, it wouldn't be a story of mine if the characters weren't unhinged. Idk, I love unhinged characters lmao.