Obedience
-Chapter Ten-
Sometimes letting go
is the best option
not because you are weak
but because you are strong enough
to pave your own path
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~*~
"..Emiko? Are you alright?" Temari worried. As she walked towards them her eyes were empty, rid from any emotion. "You're bleeding" Temari stopped her, ready to tend to her arm. Before her fingertips could even touch the wound, Emiko stopped the Blonde. She leaned forward gripping her wrist, their eyes met and she made it very clear to Temari that she didn't want to be touched. Once Emiko moved Temari's hand the other direction, she passed the group with not a word to be spoken.
Temari sighed and looked to Gaara, who motioned for her to back off. "I'll speak with her when we arrive home"
Luckily for them, they hadn't been too far from home. Otherwise, the awkward silence would have killed them all. Emiko was first to enter their home. Temari flashed Gaara the same look she had before and he sent her a nod."..Emiko.." Gaara called after the girl just as her bedroom door had been shut. Kankuro gave his brother a pat as he heavily sighed. Traveling forward, Gaara went to knock on her door,"...Can I come in?" Silence filled the room, creating uneasiness within the redhead.
"..Yeah." Gaara entered the room, relieved that she had finally spoken. There she was, in her sweats peering out the window. "..He's so.." she trailed, "Different..." her voice cracked at the end. Her gaze met Gaara's while he sat down beside her and pulled her into a hug. He knew what had happened, though he wasn't there to witness it. Emiko had encountered the new Sasuke, and was let down at the outcome.
"..I have learned that people change for better or for worse, Emiko. And when they change for the latter...Simply, all you can do is watch them learn from their wrongs. You'll get nowhere interfering with Sasuke's goals. He'll bounce back but now is not his time."
Her grip tightened on the boy, and he rubbed circles in her back. ".. But I just can't allow myself to accept that." She looked up at him through clouded eyes, though her arms were still present on his neck. "And there is nothing wrong with that." Emiko sighed, murmuring, "We used to be so close.. "
"Naruto will bring him back to the Sasuke he once was." A smile rose to her cheeks, "He never goes back on his word...does he?" A chuckle escaped from his lips as she quoted the Uzumaki. Emiko's smile heightened as she watched him laugh, "Hey Gaara..?" She faced him, sitting criss-cross on the bed, her back pressed to the wall. "I like your laugh."He scratched the side of his neck nervously, focusing his gaze on his lap.
"..Thanks" he replied, unsure of what else he could say. She let out a laugh that seemed to melt away all nervousness from the Kazekage. Yet, the sweeping realization seemed to paralyze him. "..Hey, what's wrong?" His green eyes scanned the bedding beneath him in wonder,"I'm...not sure."Emiko leaned in, studying his expression. He seemed lost within his thoughts and she couldn't have been more spot on.
"I know what it is.. Hey, try not to overthink." She sent him a gentle smile. "I do that a lot"
She averted her eyes from his but once she had returned her attention to them, she sensed the boy was inching closer to her. "and it gets me no-" The emotion behind his emerald eyes was craving her. Her speech seemed to slow with each word, as he had gotten MUCH closer than before. "-where" She squeaked, before being silenced by a set of warm lips. Her world stopped. His kissing was so good, it astonished her.
"...Emiko.." Gaara had pulled away, ready to apologize. For a moment she was sure she'd lost all function, until she assessed the situation. Without a word, the girl had captured his lips in hers. Once the kiss had been broken, a smile tugged at his lips. The smile that Gaara sent Emiko? Was enough to make any woman melt. She looked away in order to hide her blush, but he had captured her chin, tilting it so her eyes could meet his.