Frostbitten Sand
Asundered Sand

Hot water poured over sour muscles while Rasa swallowed away his frustration, his dark eyes closing. The auburn-haired man's fist clenched together, not liking how he acted weak in front of his daughter. Emotions the man normally kept in check welled forth, but not to the point he completely broke down. The head medical ninja said something about his stress boiling over, but Rasa's thoughts skirted away from the idea something was bothering him, only to keep coming back to the answer.

"You broke your promise to Karura."

A knock came at the door, and the medical ninja told him he'd been in the shower long enough. The auburn-haired man came out of the shower on his own, changing into night clothes before sitting on the bed. His eyes drifted over to the nightstand next to the bed, where Gaara's teddy bear and nightclothes remained, then to the cactus he let remain on the shelves. The medical ninja remained, handing him a cup of tea, and reluctantly Rasa drank the concoction.

The forth let out a disgusted sound upon hearing the man tell him he had medicine prepared, and Rasa swallowed, wondering if Temari would tell Gaara about his breakdown. The man soon found his eyes fluttering shut, with the hope he wouldn't have to dream of Karura. Eventually, his eyes opened back up, and groggily he forced himself up, glad that the medicine to make him sleep had apparently worn off. He turned his head, his dark eyes noting his crutches by the side of the bed.

Rasa lifted himself up, and hobbled out to the sitting room, looking for someone to find out what had gone on. The auburn-haired man stared at the mess, the many board games sitting in the room in various states of gameplay. The man's mouth opened, wondering what his children had gotten up to. "Do I really want to know?"

Rasa's eyes noted the light coming from the kitchen and headed in that direction. The man stopped in the doorway, noticing Gaara at the stove with a few pots. The auburn-haired man noted the flame, and his throat tightened as his son pulled one of the pots off the stove without turning off the burner. The man moved forward, concerned at what the fourteen-year-old was up to. "Gaara, what are you doing?"

The young auburn-haired teen startled at the sound of Rasa's voice, one of the handles slipping from Gaara's hand. The man felt his body surge forward, quickly grabbing the handle with his free hand, burning his hand slightly in the process. Despite the older man's hand steadying the pot, allowing Gaara to set the pot on the container by the sink. The fourteen-year-old remained focused on the task he'd set himself to, something Rasa never thought would happen. On calloused hand reached up to touch his burnt hand lightly, only for the auburn-haired man to quickly shake off the pain.

Rasa reached out for the over pot, to find kenchinjiru cooking on the stove. "Gaara is cooking." The man glanced over at the sink to see Gaara attempting to pour the water out of whatever else he was cooking, pouring towards himself instead of away. The auburn-haired man felt his entire body tense up. "Good lord, Gaara is cooking unsupervised!"

The man moved forward, grabbing the handles of the pot just as hot steam came up, and some water spilled over the edge of the sink towards Gaara. "Careful! Away from you, not towards you!"

The sand leaped into action, only to prove ineffective as the water soaked into the sand, clinging to the left sleeve of Gaara's clothing. Rasa saw Gaara's face twist slightly, indicating the boy felt pain, making the panic in the man's chest worsen. He opened his mouth, only to stop short when Gaara spoke up. "I can't see what's in the pot."

"You don't need to see what is in the pot Gaara." Rasa felt the handles of the pot twist towards the correct direction and watched as the water drained. The fourteen-year-old then moved away and placed pot back to the stove. Rasa watched Gaara head over to the table to sit, the teens seafoam green eyes staring at the wall. Rasa took in the fact Gaara wasn't wearing the clothes he wore for shinobi duties, and instead something more casual. The man turned his head back to see the pot filled with potatoes and quickly turned off the burner. Rasa stepped over and sat down. "Gaara..."

"I'm sorry."

The man's dark brown eyes widened. "What?"

The fourteen-year-old refused to look him in the eye, and the thin fingers tightened around the table edge in the same way Gaara's lips did. "I'm always messing up. I'm sorry."

"That..."

A knock came on the kitchen door, and the door swung open revealing the teacher of Rasa's children. The man opened his mouth. "Lord Kaze..."

The man stopped short, and Rasa noticed out of the corner of his eye that Gaara's attention turned towards the man, but brushed it off. His tone became terse, displeased with the fact the other man had interrupted. "Baki?"

"I'm supposed to be checking on you, Lord Rasa."

Rasa watched Gaara stir, the look on the young teen's face showing concern. "Wait..." The boy looked back at his father. "Did something happen. Is that why Baki..."

"Gaara, I'm fine. You, however, if I recollect, managed to pour scalding hot water on yourself, and instead of your sand protecting you, it managed to soak through."

"It wasn't supposed to do that."

Rasa let out a sigh, heading to the cupboard where he knew there would be a simple first aid kit. "You mean you didn't expect that to happen."

"I'm sorry."

"Would you..." The alarm in the kitchen went off, making Rasa nearly drop the item. He turned slowly around, his body stiff from the morning's episode, and saw smoke pouring out of the oven. His jaw clenched together, and he set the first aid kit down next to Gaara. "Do you know how to use this?"

"Yes..."

Baki gave Rasa an exasperated look, and at first, he thought the man was annoyed with him, but the Suna shinobi's next words said otherwise. "Lord Gaara, what happened to the rule about not cooking unless someone else is in the house with you?"

Gaara's eyes widened. "Father was home."

The fourth Kazekage watched Baki turn off the oven. Rasa's throat tightened as he watched the man start to open up the oven, and the auburn-haired man stood up. The other man cleared his throat. "No, I have this Lord Rasa. You should see Lord Gaara."

Rasa froze, his eyes drifting over to Gaara. The fourteen-year-old continued to avoid eye contact. "Why?"

"Lord Gaara is more likely to let you touch him for whatever first aid treatment he needs."

"Right." Rasa looked at the auburn-haired teen, only to nearly choke as his son turned to look at him with wide, seafoam green eyes. It almost seemed as if there was a slight pout on Gaara's face. "As if Gaara would ever let me touch him."

"I'm fine."

The auburn-haired man let his dark brown eyes glide over to Baki, the corner of his mouth twitching once when he saw the charcoal mess the other man pulled out of the oven. "Gaara... let me see your arm."

Rasa folded his arms across his chest and watched the young, auburn-haired shinobi pull back the sleeve on his left arm, revealing the skin was slightly red. "Please put some of the ointment on that, Gaara. You said you knew what to do."

The auburn-haired man watched Gaara frown, and two seafoam green eyes drift over to the hand of the auburn haired man. "What about you?"

"I'm fine..."

The corners of Gaara's mouth turned down a little bit more than they already were, but the fourteen-year-old complied, applying the ointment to his arm. After putting a bandage over the burn, Gaara held out his hand.

"What?"

"You're hand."

"I'm fine. I already told you that..." Rasa's eyes drifted over to Baki and noticed the other man was giving him a look. "... Gaara." Looking back at his son, he noticed two eyes wide, almost begging. "Seriously, don't do that."

"Do what?"

Baki moved behind Gaara so that the auburn-haired teen could no longer see him. The man mouthed, "He really doesn't know."

The auburn haired man frowned, then closed his eyes letting out a sigh. "Baki means Gaara doesn't know he's showing emotions like he is. How the hell is he functioning as a shinobi?"

Gaara's eyes drifted from his father's eyes to staring at the man's hand. Rasa finally gave in, holding his hand out for the young man to apply salve too. The auburn-haired teen finished when the kitchen door opened, and all three males heard a rather exasperated female voice. "What did you two do this time?"

Gaara's eyes drifted from his father's eyes to staring at the man's hand. Rasa finally gave in, holding his hand out for the young man to apply salve too. The auburn-haired teen finished when the kitchen door opened, and all three males heard a rather exasperated female voice. "What did you two do this time?"