Cold Eyes || Gaara x Reader

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Edited: 27/05/24
Reuploaded: 30/05/24

°🥀°
A week later_
The day of the beginning of WOMAC_

"Julie is here!" I heard my Dad yell from downstairs. I quickly put away my notebook and then grabbed my rucksack and phone before going to leave but pausing in the doorway and frowning as I glanced back. One of my bedside table drawers were open. I went to close it when I noticed the bracelet was in there. Weird...

"I totally forgot about this thing," I sighed, suddenly feeling an incredible wave of sadness and loneliness. Picking up the band I noticed it was changing again. Gaara's name was still there but in small kanji symbols was 'forgetting' and 'abandoned'.

"Forgetting and abandoned?" I muttered with a frown.

I hope that's not how Gaara is feeling. But I need to be here, in all worldly technicality, this is my home, not Sunagakure. No matter how much I wish it was the other way. I love to be there, I love the idea that Gaara is there for me and all, but I don't belong there—not while I don't understand anything about myself, or well, my OC—if anything I'm just wrecking the storyline of Naruto while killing off my body and causing more chaos with my lack of understanding over the role I play.

"Y/n!" my Dad shouted again. I just threw the bracelet into the drawer, closed it, and jumped down the stairs two at a time.

"What happened? Did you fall through a crack in the wall or something?" Dad joked before walking with me out of the house, "sorry I can't come with you. I have to go to New York for work for a few weeks. It's annoying, I really wanted to watch your debut back into the martial arts world after your awkward health problems. But I will watch the live stream, no meeting can stop me from doing that."

"Right, right. It's all good, Dad. I'll see you when we both get home," I told him, kissing him on his cheek and then walking to Julie's car, throwing the rucksack in the boot(/trunk), and jumping in the passenger seat.

"So who's this kid coming in place of Sugina again?" Julie asked almost as soon as I had sat down and pulled the door shut.

"Akio, Yue's boyfriend," I reminded her, she nodded.

"They're cute? Happy?" she said as she drove out the house grounds and towards Yue's house.

"They are to both. Akio is the first boyfriend that has allowed Yue to make it to public knowledge," I told her as I remembered his past relationships that ended terribly, "I'm proud of him. I think this time he's found someone amazing. They has similar likes and dislikes, Akio wants to know me and Sugina, they both are competitive figure skaters. It's awesome."

"Sounds like Akio is a keeper. He was fairly shy on the Thursday I met him," Julie said as she pulled into Yue's driveway.

"Yue! Hurry it up or we'll get caught in rush hour!" I call after rolling down the window. He waved and grabbed his bag and then walked towards the car with Akio close by his side. Once they threw their bags into the boot(/trunk) of the car, they slid into the back seats and Julie started driving again.

"You nervous?" Yue asked.

"Nah, nothing I'm not used to," I replied with a smile.

"Yeah but you haven't fought in a while," Yue points out. I shrugged.

This'll be nothing compared to what I've been going through in the ninja world. At least here I won't get poisoned or impaled.

"I'll be fine, then we'll get there, and I'll get nervous, I'll get on the mat, and I'll feel like dying, the fight will begin, and I'll be numb of anything negative, the fight will end and then I'll want to hide but I'll continue. It's just what naturally happens," I recited the lined I used to always say, "it's just normal."

"Sounds like you're used to this?" Akio spoke up, I looked at him through the mirror.

"Y/n has been in martial arts her whole life. She started competing when she was 6," Yue told him.

"Really? That's awesome!" Akio exclaimed with a wide smile on his face.

"How long have you been in competitive skating?" I asked Akio, he fell silent in thought.

"I guess... Two years give or take?" he guessed.

"So you're fairly new," Julie said.

"I guess you could say that," the blonde shrugged but nodded along.

"And we're here!" Julie announced as we pull into the car park of the venue.

After grabbing my bag I led the three into the building as soon as we walked in the room. Immediately it was clear we were in the Worlds, the volume of the room alone was enough for that but bit by bit, the room silenced as people noticed me and watched me walk in.

I forgot what this felt like. Awkward is one word for it.

"Look at that, you're famous," Yue chuckled as we signed me in and then found my changing room and go in.

"Only famous for falling into a strange coma," I reminded him. He shrugged.

"Actually, when I found out you were Yue's friend I had no idea you were in weird comas. I only knew you from your martial arts domination," Akio told me. I frowned but smiled and let out a small laugh.

"Strange boy," I tapped his shoulder and went back to the door, "I'll just go grab the placings. Be back in a few."

Leaving the room, I walked back into the open area. People were whispering random stuff about me. It was a mix of my previous competitions and my double comatose state, mostly my competitions though.

"Hey, you're y/n right?" some kid approached me.

"Yeah?" I nodded giving a questioning look to the boy in front of me.

"I'm taking a guess you don't remember me. You fought me in regionals last year?" he reminded me. I looked away awkwardly.

I have not seen this kids face even once in my life.

"Sorry, I don't... remember," I apologised, rubbing my neck awkwardly. He sighed and nodded.

"It's alright. I was in the first round but was knocked out almost immediately by you," he informed me.

"Oh... I—sorry I don't recognise you," I apologised again as we reached the guy giving out the placing sheets. We both took one and he smiled.

"Looks like I get to battle you again!" he exclaimed happily.

'CJ'

"CJ? Wait—CJ Andrews?" I asked, he smiled a wider smile and nodded.

"You remember me?" he asked.

"Well duh! Man, I didn't recognise you because you've changed your hair," I told him, ruffling his mint green hair. CJ had dyed mint green hair, brown eyes and a freckled face, glasses as well. When I last saw him, he rarely wore his glasses, and he had a dark purple hair colour. He was also a lot shorter, and his stature was smaller. Seems he's grown a lot since then.

He's from either America or Canada? I can't remember. A lot of international people will be here. Some because they didn't qualify in their own regions, some because they've always done their qualifying matches in different regions. CJ is part of the latter community of internationals.

"I'm glad you remember me," CJ exclaimed before being flagged down by his coach, "well I should be going. See you around!"

"Bye," I waved as he left and kept looking at the placements as I returned to my changing room, not noticing a pair of eyes following me until I go to open the door but look off to the right to see a familiar red headed boy.

"Gaara?"