Healing Demons [Gaara x Reader/OC x Sasuke]

Chapter 23 | Someone Save Me - Part 2

***TW END – CONTINUES LATER WITH ASTERISKS AGAIN ***

Gaara's P.O.V.

Despite Temari's efforts you ignored them as you took off your gourd and placed it beside you, choosing to instead bask in whatever iota of sunlight could be found coming down through the cloudy sky. The clouds held your interest briefly before you closed your eyes and instead began to get lost inside your head. Your bad memories felt stuck on repeat as your anger flared toward your siblings treatment towards you. You considered acting on the urge but stopped when you heard small footsteps approaching. By the sound and rhythm you knew exactly who they belonging to. Some things never change.

You were focused on evening out your breathing and doing your best to ignore her. After your last encounter you'd avoided her even more. The whole situation confused you. You couldn't remember what happened after you left your apartment to specifically get away from her. Next thing you know you woke up next to her hovering over you. Had she brought you there? She said she didn't but then how did you get into the apartment? What even brought you there to begin with? You also couldn't understand why you had actually been sleeping. You couldn't remember the last time you actually slept, and without Shukaku taking over you. The whole situation just made your dislike of her grow. You clicked your tongue quietly in annoyance as you tried to focus on thinking deeply again. It was fruitless however as she breezed past you, her familiar sweet woodsy sent entered your nostrils and you were momentarily taken out of focus again as you inhaled deeply only focusing on the smell. The smell was somehow soothing as you felt your body relax. The feeling was unfamiliar but a relief, even the smallest amount of tension that eased made you feel like it was loads off your back.

The scent began to waiver and you peeked one of your eyes open to see that she had settled several trees down away from you. "Looks like she's avoiding me, good." You scoffed internally to yourself. The tension in your back resumed and the tightness in your chest making your lips tighten into a frown once more. It felt like a heavy weight was on your chest, familiar...but suffocating. You shifted slightly in discomfort as you began to feel restless. As you peeked your eyes open again you could see her absorbed in watching your siblings spar. You'd seen them spar many times before, not that it ever interested you back then but it certainly didn't interest you now. Instead, your gaze stayed focused on Miku. She was eating some riceballs and making jokes back and forth with your brother which caused you to momentarily break your gaze as your eyes would flick back and forth between the two.

They had seemed so friendly together, naturally joking back and forth. It flashed memories through your brain of when you were younger and how natural you both fell into a friendship, and then falling into... Your fist clenched as you forced your attention angrily back into the presence moment. Your arms crossing in defiance at the situation. "What do I care," You thought to yourself as you turned to face forward again and closed your eyes. You attempted to meditate for some time without success. Your mind was racing, and body was tense and rigid.

A light breeze came and swept across the fields bringing with it Miku's scent once more. You couldn't hep but slowly inhale and exhale, trying to retain as much of the essence as possible as your body relaxed slightly. You sighed with slight content before taking another peek at Miku. She was still absorbed in the fight, and something possessed you to take advantage of her distraction by moving closer. You convinced yourself that you were only moving closer because the smell was soothing, not because you wanted to be near her at all. It was just a coincidence that the way she naturally smelled was a soothing scent for you. Total accidental discovery.

The move was paying off for you as you felt like your body was melting into its surroundings. The stronger the scent became the more you felt at ease. The wind let the scent dance and tickle around your nostrils and you began to forget what you were supposed to be doing other than just laying up against the tree and taking in your surroundings. A small smile tugged at the side of your lips as your arms moved to rest behind the back of your head. "I wish I could feel like this forever," You thought as you mind began to blank and you just focused on the sound of the wind through the tree leaves and how the dirt felt smooth under you.