Flowers For Gaara

Chapter Eleven: Sleeping

"What happened to you?" I set my unnamed goldfish to the side and kneel on the dirt next to Gaara. I'm dying to know, even if there's still a faint, painful throb in my heart from the earlier rejection.

"Um...." Gaara leans on the bench and closes his eyes. I've never seen him make that expression before and I sense that he wants to be close to me. I don't know why I feel that way, but I stay back just in case I'm wrong. "I....I'm done...The last....last treatment...Finally!"

It surprises me to hear his unsure laugh. Is it happy, relived, or afraid? It definitely was not normal laughter.

"T-That...about that..." I have always been wondering about it. "That's why you've been at the hospital, right? What...what were they...doing?"

"I don't want to explain," he says.

"Why not!" I whine and finally move to grab him, gently. I beg for answers as kindly as I can, "Please....tell me. What's going on?"

"They sealed him up...sealing jutsu...They said I should stay...stay in bed...but I couldn't sleep..." Surprisingly, Gaara pulls me closer, possessively. My heart beats faster, and my mind swirls with confusion.

"G-Gaara?"

"Am I gonna have to tell you everything?" the agitation of his voice cuts sharply.

"I'm sorry! I don't know! Okay?" Feeling hurt and defensive, I move back, "It's not my fault! Geez...How am I supposed to know?"

"You don't know?" He laughs again, mirthlessly. "You don't know...I have a demon...?"

Demon?

He sighs and continues explaining. "That's what had to be sealed...but it's more...it's harder to control...than Naruto's..."

"D-Demon?" I gasp in horror, remembering the tales of the Kyuubi from my childhood. He can't mean a demon like that, can he? Oh my God...

"NEVERMIND!" He stands uneasily and turns his back on me.

"No, wait!" I pull him back, "Okay...so you have a demon, but he's all sealed up, right?"

Looking into his eyes I see a fury of emotions I've never witnessed before. Unlike his usual fits of rage, I can see confusion...and vulnerability. He brushes my arm away and tries to stand for himself. "You. Are just like everyone else."

"What's that supposed to mean, Gaara?" I bite back. I don't care if he's the devil himself! He can't talk to me like that. "I'm just trying to unravel your little mystery that you've been hiding - ah!"

Gaara's face.

Gaara's face is in my cleavage.

"GAARA!" I jump back and he lands face flat on the ground. Oh...Duh, Ino. He can't stand. He just fell there.

"Arghh..." His hand crawls on the ground and pushes in attempt to support his body.

"Oh!" I rush to his side. After moments of consideration, I allow for his head to rest on my lap. Poor Gaara! He's staring up at me with a mixed expression of gratitude and embarrassment.

"I d-didn't mean...to fall..." he coughs, "On you there..."

"It's okay..." I ruffle his hair and study his slightly labored breathing. "Shouldn't you go back to the hospital to sleep?"

"I'm...afraid..."

"Of what?" I ask, astounded. What could scare Gaara?

"Of sleeping..."

It's an answer I don't quite expect. I take a minute to think. That didn't make any sense at all. How could someone be afraid of sleeping, especially when he's so tired? Does he have nightmares?