The Flower Shop [A Gaara Love Story]

31: I Love You

Strong Sexual Content

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At first she had thought nothing of the way he acted. Gaara was usually quiet and collected, a man of little words even around her. He had been fine the rest of the day after they shared breakfast with Naruto, and she had thought that the good mood would stay for a while, but she had been wrong. The more days that passed, the more that pleasantness had begun to fade for a reason that Momoko didn't quite understand. Gaara seemed to have less and less to say these past few days and his mind seemed to wander more than usual. To anyone else, it was his normal personality and demeanor but she knew better. Even Momoko, with her happy chatter and soft kisses, couldn't seem to pull him out of the funk he had somehow slipped into.

Sometimes he would just stare at her, not as tender as usual and a little more conflicted than she was used to. It always looked like he was torn between thoughts, like every word she said needed great contemplation. He said little and showed even less, but she saw how the look in his eye would grow distant when she smiled and how sometimes his arm would stiffen just slightly in her own. Sometimes it looked like he had come to a conclusion of sorts but then immediately dismissed it and slipped back into indecisive silence. His brow would knot and his lips would pull into a small frown, and she couldn't for the life of her understand this sudden melancholy.

She had tried to talk about it one night, just three days before they were supposed to return to Suna, but Gaara had only murmured that it was nothing and turned his eyes back to the window. He still offered her his arm when they walked, returned her kisses, and stayed by her side while she slept, but there was a distance now that she didn't understand. She had thought that resolving things with Naruto would maybe even bring them closer, but somehow it had managed to push them apart. Gaara stared out the window a little longer, talked less and seemed to think more. Momoko didn't want to force an explanation out of him but even in her infinite patience, she was beginning to worry.

Sakura had been equally as stumped when Momoko explained it to her. Though the pink-haired girl had never been in a relationship before and was rather glad that they had worked things out with Naruto, even she couldn't explain the silence that now seemed to loom over the couple. They had thought of everything: maybe he would miss Konoha when they left? Maybe he missed home now? Maybe this was just a mood that he would soon be pulled out of? No matter how many explanations they thought of, nothing seemed to click for Momoko. She nearly felt entirely defeated as the days went on and their trip drew closer to an end. The only piece of advice that Sakura could give her was to confront him about it and not take no for an answer. As nonconfrontational as Momoko was, she was at her wits end and decided that maybe it really was time for her to put her foot down. Afterall, these last few days had felt wasted because of this silence between them and she was desperate to figure out the cause of it.

The night before they were supposed to leave, Momoko stood in front of the bathroom mirror and tried to find her courage. She usually wasn't so nervous talking to Gaara about things, but having been dismissed once before made her a little hesitant to bring it up again. It was all so odd: the silence, the distance, being borderline ignored. He was usually such an attentive partner and she had adored it, but these last few days had felt so strange. He wasn't unkind or rude in any way, but Momoko knew that his mind was a million miles away for some reason. Neither she nor Sakura could figure it out and even as she stood in the mirror she couldn't come up with a good reason. Momoko was stumped, a little hurt, and exhausted from the emotional roller coaster that had been these last few days. As much as she hated to impose on his thoughts, the discomfort between them had reached its peak.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Gaara was dressed in his pajamas and sitting in the circular window of their hotel room. The light had already been turned off, the only illumination coming from the full moon that loomed over the clear night outside. It would have been a perfect night to spend laying in bed and just talking about anything that came to mind, but Momoko knew that wasn't an option right now. Something was on Gaara's mind, and she'd be damned if she didn't find out what.