Desert Stars

Purpose

Y/n's POV

"How're you feeling about tomorrow?" Gaara asks.

"Dreading it," I answer. "I'm absolutely terrified of some of those girls."

"Are you referring to my fan club?"

"So you acknowledge that they exist?"

"Oh, they definitely exist, though I like to pretend otherwise," Gaara says. "I know you'll do fine. You handled yourself well enough at that dinner party a while back."

"Yeah, but this time I'm going to be completely on my own," I say. "I won't have you as a buffer. Those ladies can do whatever they want with me, and no one will know."

Gaara laughs. "I think you overestimate what they're capable of."

" And I think your underestimate them," I say. "When they rescheduled the event because of your...well, for lack of a more delicate term, kidnapping, I was hoping that they'd just forget about the tea. I guess not."

"You'll do fine," Gaara says. "Just think - anything will be easier than battling enemy shinobi or taking down corrupt councilmen. You have experience with both of those things."

"I guess."

We fall into silence, and I crane my neck to try and see what Gaara is doing. This had become kind of our tradition these past few weeks - he works, and I sit here and annoy him. It's a pretty great system. "Whatcha working on?"

"Right now I'm looking over this month's inventory of the ninja tools in our armory," Gaara replies, not looking up from the paper he's reading.

"Sounds boring."

"It really isn't."

I purse my lips, watching him do his thing for a second longer. I drum my hands on my thighs in a random rhythm until Gaara glances up at me, shooting me an annoyed look.

"Do you want to go do something fun?" I ask him.

"I really need to get this work done."

"Your work can wait."

"I really don't think it can."

"Maybe your brain will work better after a short little break," I suggest.

Gaara slowly raises an eyebrow, and I grin. "Come on. Pretty please?"

Gaara glances down at his work, then back at me. Then he sighs. "Fine. But it can't be too long. Or too crazy."

"What makes you think I'd make you do anything crazy?"

That earns me another one of his annoyed looks, and I can't help but giggle. "Okay, I'll give you that one."

I stand up from my chair, and he gets up from his too.

"Can we do the thing?" I ask.

"What thing?"

"I think you know what thing."

"I can't just...do that for fun," Gaara says.

"Who says?"

"Me."

"It'll be faster than walking."

"I can't believe that you still remember seeing me do that," Gaara sighs. "That was at least a week ago, and it was such a fleeting moment."

"Not to me," I say. "We're wasting time."

Gaara rolls his eyes, but I can tell that he's actually amused. He opens the window, letting in the balmy desert air. Sand bursts from the gourd on his back, and it forms itself into a floating platform. Gaara climbs up onto it first and offers me his hand.