Flowers For Gaara

Chapter Six: Ramen

What a boring day at work.

Besides Kakashi coming in earlier and giving me a lot of money to buy Gaara a "manly apron"(isn't that an oxymoron?) and Hinata barging in like she was trying to save me, the poor damsel in distress, from Gaara, the big damsel-devouring bad guy - nothing eventful happened afterwards. That's the worst kind of day. When all the excitement happens early in the day, the rest of the day just seems to roll by way...too...slow. Either that, or you are exhausted from earlier events and want to sleep the rest of the day. Today, I feel a little bit of both. I'm bored and tired, but mostly bored. New things always fill me with energy.

Right now I'm watching Gaara - again.

Look away, Ino!

God, it's so freaky how I keep ending up staring at him. I'm looking at my magazine one moment and I don't even realize when my eyes move to his figure down at the front the store. It could only get worse if I actually started drooling. Since when did I start to feel this way? Since when did I start thinking he looks a lot like a dark prince? My heart nearly jumps out of my chest when he suddenly turns and catches my eyes.

Opal eyes laced with heavy black met my shy blue ones.

He's very good at glaring. If I was anyone else I might be scared. I just smile and look back down at my magazine. I'm not thinking about what to buy, or which model is really not pretty enough to be in the magazine like usual, which really bothers me. How can I think straight when Gaara's right there? He's in the same room as me...alone with me. I blush and go off into a little daydream.

Gaara's supposed to be one of those scary bad-guy types, isn't he? I can totally picture him in a long black cape, glaring coldly at me and seducing me with that icy look. He would tower over me and say only a few words in a deep, sinister voice. His pale hands would cover my trembling white ones and he would bring me into his shadowy embrace. Then he would take me to his gothic, sensual lair to suck my blood.

That is so hot...

He makes the perfect dark prince! Just like Sasuke does. There's one big difference. I feel like Gaara has a heart.

"Ino..." he says in that all too cool voice. I can't believe he's speaking my name so casually. I don't know why I would care, he's been calling me by my name for days...but now it has an affect on me. It's like a magic word that rolls elegantly off his tongue. I look up and he's walking towards me. He might not have a big black cape, but his movements have the same affect on me.

"Yes, Gaara...?" I ask wistfully.

He puts his hand on the counter and starts tapping his fingers. I'm so absorbed by his vampiric, pale hands. They're so soft...I want to touch them. The long slender fingers continue to drum on the table.

"What time are going to the ramen stand?" He asks quietly.

Ramen...

What? Oh. We're going to the Ichiraku tonight. I almost forgot.

It's like a double date!

I tune out my annoying inner voice and answer him.

"Uhh...it's at seven."

"Ok."

He goes back to the front of the store and looks wistfully out the window. Another hour passes before we both have to leave. He takes off the cute red apron and picks up his gourd - which I make him take off everyday and set to the corner - and puts on. As I walk out the door, I turn the sign to 'closed'. Gaara waits for me a while before I lock the door. I don't know why, but he never leaves until I lock it.