Dance with the Demon CH 15

- I do not own any of the characters in this story. All belong to Kisihmoto-san -

Sorry guys, I've been a little stuck on this part and I ended up procrastinating writing this and ended up dabbling with a few other stories. I have the main points thought up but I'm basically making this up as I go along with the details and such.

Forgive me? ."

oOo

I furrowed my brows when I saw the tear streak down her pale cheek.

I thought she was happy, why was she crying?

Without thinking, I reached out and wiped it away, my index finger sliding gently against her soft skin. Her eyes rolled to the ground as I felt her slightly lean towards my hand.

At least, it seems, I'm not the reason she was crying, or else she probably wouldn't be leaning in to the touch. I felt the corners of my lips turn down as I searched her face for answers. Then what is making her shed tears?

"Hinata…. What's wrong?"

Her eyes skimmed back up to meet my concerned expression and her cheeks lit again with a soft pink.

I noticed her lips trembled slightly as they parted for her soft voice to reach me.

"N-nothing… I'm… happy…. Those were happy tears."

With the last sentence, her face lit up with a brilliant smile that actually startled me a little.

People cry when they are happy? Is that normal?

None the less, It relieved me to hear she was happy despite the concerning waterworks, and I let a small sigh slip past my lips as a burden on my chest lessened.

I spread my palm to rest it against her warm cheek and her eyes lidded slightly, her lips stopped from trembling.

What is this feeling? I absently noticed the muscles in my face begin to unclench and my brow softened back to its usual invisible place above my charcoal-rimmed eyes.

An unbelievable warmth blanketed over me and coiled in my stomach that spread upwards across my chest and all the way to my hairline. I felt my lips twitch into what I had thought to be a smirk, but it was far softer.

She was making me smile, with a single sentence. She had cleared the heaviness that weighed in my chest and my mind danced with thoughts that quieted the constant demonic murmuring.

She pressed closer to my hand and nuzzled her cheek against my palm and I felt my face heat at the sudden action. I silently cursed when I remembered I had shed the sand shield and that my slight embarrassment was completely visible, again, to her violet eyes. My stare shot to the ground once again when I heard what sounded like a soft chuckle come from her lips as she studied my face.

I seriously considered never letting the shield down ever again.

The feeling next made my breath catch in my throat.

My eyes shot up to gawk at the woman who was mid-way through the action, eyes closed in concentration.

Her hand was cupped behind mine, her small slender fingers curling over to keep it in place. Her face was turned and I felt a soft press against the palm of my hand.

Her lips.

What scared me wasn't the kiss to my palm, it was the feeling in my chest it gave me.

I felt like all the happiness I was beginning to feel was now bubbling over, taking over my brain in a fog of emotion I hadn't expected. It filled me all the way to my core and spilled out until it was almost painful. My heart began to beat faster as the fog in my mind turned into a sudden tornado, bringing with it a rush of emotions that were shaking my existence. I searched for the word that would express the emotion that was welling within me, desperate to understand what was happening.

Upon finding the word, I had stopped breathing.

I felt my body tremble and my mind slip into darkness with a sickening cackle filling my ears.

.

.

This couldn't be.

.

.

This is not possible.

.

.

My eyes suddenly darted around the room as a word came to the forefront of my mind.

Without thinking, my free left hand came up to touch the symbol that had been carved into my forehead all those years ago.

The always present whispering in my head began to hiss louder, now repeating the word over and over again in a dark voice that quickly brought back old repressed memories with it.

Love.

My fingers dug into the kanji scar as a bloodied face flashed through my unfocused eyes, the pale blue lips mouthing a sentence with his last dying breath.

This time my heart lurched, but it didn't bring the feeling of happiness.

'Love only yourself.'

oOo

His fingers wiped away the tear I had shed, and it lingered gingerly against my skin in a way that made my cheeks want to burn. I shyly leaned against his touch, focusing on the ground and I noticed his palm splayed out to cup my cheek.

He was being so gentle. I'd never felt his touch this light and it made my heart do flips within my chest.

I just wanted to immerse myself in him. I want to drown in this happiness that had overcome me and melt into his embrace without any sort of distance in between.

I settled for rubbing my cheek against his palm, blushing madly at myself for doing so.

I know I can't just cuddle into him, it's not that simple. I knew not to overstep the boundaries he has, being lucky enough to have touched his bare face in the first place.

I couldn't stop myself at beaming at him though, even this simple touch was enough to keep me bubbling for days really. I'd never felt so wanted before, so beautiful.

So loved.

I couldn't stop the giggle that left my throat when I saw his cheeks grow pink again, kami he was becoming so adorable with his emotions on display like this. I smiled when I remembered why he had blushed the first time, I had touched his lips.

My mind instantly took a turn I hadn't anticipated.

His lips. They felt so soft and yet so firm at the same time under my fingers.

I felt myself staring at them while his eyes were averted towards the ground.

Now, in this moment I really, really want to feel them against mine.

My mind was dizzy with emotions and I felt like I could accomplish anything. Nothing was out of reach with how I was feeling now.

I decided I had to show him what was running through my mind, gaining the courage to turn and press my lips against his strong hand. I pressed a kiss gently against his palm, closing my eyes to feel his plush skin against my lips and how his fingers brushed my cheeks again. I sent a silent plea into the action, wishing for anything that he understood what I was asking, begging for now.

Gaara, kiss me.

I waited for what seemed like minutes after I felt his body become rigid, my eyes closed and still pressed against his palm.

I was suddenly jerked from my peace when I felt his hand trembling against my lips. My eyes shot open and darted to the man in front of me, quelling a gasp when I noticed not only his arm was shaking, but his entire body.

I pulled back to stare into his face, but his eyes were clouded over, unfocused and yet seemed to see something that wasn't visible. My eyes widened when I saw his short nails digging into his forehead, clawing at the scarred red symbol that sat above his left eye.

I was overtaken with confusion and grief.

What was happening to him? What was he feeling?

What had I done?

.

Everything after that moment happened almost too fast to comprehend.

.

His hand ripped away from my grasp, swinging out against the air in a violent slash as a beastly roar suddenly tore free from his throat, echoing through the room. I gasped and stumbled back on the balls of my feet as his head bent down facing the ground and his hands clenched in his hair.

I watched in horror as his grip turned to tearing and one of his hands broke free from its place, grasping a small clump of red hair that almost sparkled against the moonlight.

No. No I need to stop him!

Before I could will my legs to move, his knees began to buckle under himself and his body swayed backwards as his knuckles unclenched from the locks and they dropped to the floor.

"No…... Never…... Not again!"

I held my breathe as he began wheezing and gasping, watching as he slumped down on the corner of my bed and his arms came down to cross around his stomach in a vice-like grip. His head remained bowed and I took a few shaky steps over to try to peer under the red spiked that now covered his expression. Terror, anxiety, worry, and ache filled my heart as my eyes darted over the only visible part of his face, which was his clenched jaw.

I have to help him.

Byakugan!

My eyes burst open with my kekkei genkai and I searched the room hurriedly in an attempt to pinpoint the cause of his distress. I searched for something, anything that could be threatening him. An assassin, a disturbance in the air, a wound.

What I found was not an answer, but it quickly sent my heart into a deep hole of despair.

The red chakra was bubbling out of him, taking over his mind and body in an all-consuming rage.

But unlike before, he was fighting against it.

I released my byakugan, unable to keep concentrating on the demonic force as my mind struggled to right itself. He was trying to fight it, I could tell. And I have to save him.

I threw my hands to his shoulders, pushing away the fear of rejection as I grasping them strongly and his head snapped up in response.

I swallowed the fear that squeezed my heart when he glared up at me, his teeth bared and one of his eyes swallowed in black holding my gaze with one teal and one golden.

No, I would not run. I would not abandon him as he struggles against the demon inside of him.

My stare darted down to his lips as they closed and my eyes widened slightly when I read the silent plea on them.

'Run.'

My heart lurched and my eyes shot back up to his and his hands came up to clasp around his ears, his nails digging into his unprotected skin and blood began to drip down his chin.

The white of his other eye began to become penetrated with black at the corners and it widened in fear as I saw his will being overtaken.

No.

No!

"Gaara!"

I flung myself to him, climbing into his lap and I wrapped my arms around him tightly as he attempted to push me off. I buried my nose in his hair, pulling his face into my chest as I held him tightly, slamming my eyes shut against his protests.

"Fight, Gaara! Fight against it! I know you don't want it!"

His aggressive snarls and growls were muffled against my breasts and his hands left his head to grasp my sides and they shook as his nails dug into my skin painfully.

I yelped, tugging him closer until I was afraid he wouldn't be able to breathe, my own throat burning as my lungs contracted painfully in my chest.

"Leave!"

I was startled as I felt the raspy voice against my body before it registered in my mind.

"No, I won't leave you! I'll never run again, p-please, Gaara, don't let it take you!"

My voice was shrill and shook and I felt a tear trickle down my cheek and I bent my neck down and buried my entire face in his softly spiked locks. My arms trembled as my fingers dug into the cloth of his shirt and I could feel my chest heaving with the silent sobs.

Please, fight.

oOo

I was alone in a dark room.

The only thing keeping me company was the ache in my chest and the disembodied voice that rumbled through the walls.

"Love only yourself. You know what will happen if you try to love again."

The emptiness was broken when I figure began to walk towards me, cutting through the shadows with a soft glow. A man smiled down at me, easily three times my size and I reached up for him with tiny child-like hands. His honey colored hair stopped just below his soft chin, framing his gentle face in its limp spikes. He looked down at me with deep purple eyes, a sympathetic dip in his eyebrows and a kind smile on his face.

He reached down and took my small hand in his and my lips drew back in a wide grin.

My heart swelled with a feeling that warmed my chest and my eyes sparkled up at my uncle and I squeezed his finger in my palm. I loved him.

Blood suddenly trickled down from the corner of his lip, and my brows drew down in confusion.

I looked around to notice we were standing on a rooftop and when my eyes came back to him, he was laying back against the ground. His eyes squinted and his mouth drew up into a twisted smile and I stared in horror as blood gushed down his forehead under his headband.

His words came on the wind in every angle, overlapping each other and merging until they finally said the same thing.

"You're someone who is important to me."

"She gave you that name as she cursed the village."

"That's what love is."

"You took the life of my sister."

"Love is the only thing that can heal that kind of wound."

"I could have refused if I wanted."

"A wound of the heart is different from a flesh wound."

"You were never loved."

"That sand automatically protects you because of love."

My eyes widened as I focused on his lips, the image ingrained in my mind ever since that night and replayed every time I had tried to sleep.

"Please, die."

A sickening explosion sounded in my ears and I crumbled in on myself, tears flowing freely from my bloodshot eyes and I raked my fingers through the sand that lay at my knees.

Why. Why?!

I clenched the fabric over my heart desperately as I felt my chest lurch painfully enough to make me think it had caved in.

It hurts. It hurts!

A scream ripped from my throat and I watched the sand jump up and swirl around me, mimicking the tornado of emotions that poisoned my heart.

I felt something in my sanity snap, and quickly gave into the dark embrace it offered.

Push it all away.

Push away all the pain with a new feeling.

Hatred.

I felt my eyes glow with a new heat and my chest heaved with the swelling of this feeling.

I knew what I had to do.

The sting of the sand drilling into my flesh drew out a tormented scream from my throat, and I embraced that pain as the last thing I would allow to hurt me.

Love only yourself. And fight only for yourself.

oOo

Okay, I know this update was a lot longer wait than every chapter before and I'm really sorry!

My mind decided to wander to other things and it wouldn't shut up until I finally wrote some of it out into other stories (which I also plan on working on at the same time) so I probably won't update as quickly as I have before but don't worry! I still have lots of plans and I promise to keep going until I reach my goals.

Thanks for stickin with me and don't be too distraught, there's a light at the end of the tunnel and a field of lemons will be waiting.

Hope you enjoyed~

-Fin CH 15-