Edited: 02/05/24
Reuploaded: 03/05/24
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Gaara had fallen asleep, using my shoulder as a cushion. He looked incredibly at peace. He must've been a lot more tired than he looked.
"He had the whole village searching for you, you know?" Kankuro told me quietly.
"Really? Why the hell would he do that when you're just calming down after a crisis?" I asked them, keeping my voice low so he doesn't wake up.
"Because he cares for you, y/n. Even if it seems a bit strange and rushed. He really does care," Temari smiled slightly, "he's not alone though, me and Kankuro weren't taking no for an answer either. You saved our little brother and you're our friend! We would never leave you to be kidnapped or disappear."
"I see... I bet the council was completely against you searching for me. Especially Baki," I replied, looking down at my hands. Honestly, I'd only interacted with Baki a few times but his attitude towards me is clear. I'd have to be blind to miss those obvious signs.
"Yeah, but Gaara then pulled out a really good point and it shut him up fast," Kankuro said with a proud smile. I couldn't help but to smile before looking back down at the red head.
Well, it certainly makes me feel a lot better about my place here knowing that they think about me the same way I do them.
"Y/n?" Temari got my attention, "can I ask how you feel towards my brother?"
My eyes widened and I felt my cheeks burning. I quickly pulled the collar of my shirt over my nose to hide my sudden fluster.
Why the hell is she asking me that?
Can't a girl just peacefully exist anymore? Damn, Temari—
"Well—I—uhm—" I stammered, and the two siblings just chuckled, I adjusted Gaara's position against my shoulder and then stood up. I need to clear my head now. I was about to walk away and go on a walk when someone grabbed my wrist. I looked down to see Gaara staring back up at me.
"Stay," he told me. I just sighed. If he stays here to sleep he's going to get a bad neck, back, and regret his entire waking existence for doing so soon enough.
"You should probably go to bed, you know?" I told him.
"Come with me then," he tells me. My face just seemed to burn even more.
Excuse me?!
"Do you even know what you're saying?!" I exclaimed, flustered. Temari and Kankuro were just laughing. I'm glad I can be your entertainment. Stop laughing.
Gaara just continued to looked at me with a poker face before what he said registered in his head and he quickly let go of my hand, disappeared in a fume of sand before anyone could really get another word in.
"B-bloody hell," I muttered before turning to the two siblings laughing their guts out, "you two go to bed as well."
"We're going. We're going," Temari said through her laughs. I was then in the room all alone, standing in my silence.
I can't believe he said that with a completely straight face.
I was covering mine with my shirt and my hands.
"Snap out of it, y/n. It's not like he likes you or you like him," I quickly told myself before grabbing my violin and walking up to the roof of the building. I popped open the case and started tuning the f/c coloured instrument up, let's just kill some time.
After playing a few basic scales, I stand and look out over the village before putting bow to strings and playing one of my favourite songs while humming a little bit along with my tune.
One of the strings was slightly out of tune but it wasn't too noticeable. So I just left it.
(a/n 2024: I was considering scrapping the whole violin thing because it's a bit cringe ngl but I think I've figured out how to use it better so hopefully it won't be too bad?)
Gaara's PoV
"Why did I tell her that?" I asked no one in particular, hitting my still burning face. Why am I blushing as well? I'm so damn flustered..! And for what?! I barely know the girl, there's no way that just attempting to save my life once is enough to make my heart race for someone... right?
"Gaara~" Temari entered my room, calling my name with a sing-song voice, "you're so flustered~"
"S-shut up, Temari!" I shouted at her before hiding my face behind my hands.
"Y/n's on the roof," Kankuro announced to Temari as he joined her in the doorway of my room, she nodded and smiled.
"Good to know," she replied.
What're those two up to?
I cast them a slightly suspicious gaze and watched them for a moment.
"What're you planning?" I asked They both just chuckled.
"You and y/n looked pretty adorable earlier when you were sleeping on her shoulder," Temari teased before walking out, "anyway, I want to see what y/n's doing on the roof. Coming?"
Why is she on the roof?
I let out a hum as I looked away before sighing and getting up, following my older siblings out of my room and up the stairs to the roof. The door opened a little and our ears were hit with the sound of music.
All of us peeked through the crack of the door to see y/n with a strange instrument in her hand, swaying a little bit as she played, the light breeze ruffling through her h/c hair in small motions.
"She looks... angelic? Is that the word I'm looking for?" Temari asked as we watched on, "kind of otherworldly?"
"I think it is," I accidentally blurted out. Curse my filter. They both looked at me with a brow raised and a 'hmm?' hummed in my direction.
The music stopped on a long echoing note and y/n just let out a satisfied hum before putting the instrument away again.
As I watched her move under the light of the setting sun, my heart raced, and my mind seemed to fall blank.
I couldn't help but to put my hand over my heart as I felt confusion swirl in me.
What is this feeling?
Your PoV
I finished the song and smiled as I looked down at it. It really is nice to play again, it really has been a while. I turned and put the violin away and then sat on the edge of the roof with my legs dangling over the side.
The sun has such a warm glow when it sets over Sunagakure. I love it.
"I missed this place. It's so peaceful. It's definitely better than home in many ways, I love it here," I smiled to myself as I stretched and yawned slightly. I actually feel a lot more tired now that I'm back than I thought I would Though, then again, I did just hike across the desert unprotected for hours so there's that...
I glanced down into the village and looked around, watching the adults and children going by and doing their day-to-day work and tasks, ninjas coming in and out the village - I suppose going on or returning from missions - the amount of guards is quite high now though, as expected after being attacked by the Akatsuki.
I'm glad to see they're taking this experience as a lesson. I just hope they won't keep their gates open to outsiders for too long. Isolating such a beautiful village would be sad.
I paused for a moment and frowned.
"Actually, I don't know how long I was gone... who knows how long the Akatsuki were last here?" I muttered to myself with a small shrug before leaning back and looking up at the sky. Clear. No clouds. Just a warm red and orange.
"I want to see Sakura and Naruto again. I guess I want to see the leaf village its—" I stopped as I heard shuffling behind the wall where the entrance back downstairs was and then let out a small sigh before glancing over my shoulder, what a pain, "come out!"
Temari's PoV
"Come out!" y/n demanded. We all froze.
Did she catch us?
No.
Someone else walked out from behind the wall and came into view.
"What do you want?" y/n asked.
"Who is that?" Kankuro whispered as we all kept watchingsilently, waiting for them to get close enough for us to see them clearly. Damnthe sun blinding us from straight forward.