Oh, she will definitely share all the gossip with him. Don’t worry, Ion! To be perfectly honest, her Hero companion was a little too quiet. She had to fill in the silence, most of the time. He behaved kindly toward her, with respect, but their personalities were very different. And there was also the small factor of him not giving her a name yet… She really hoped he wouldn’t call her something like “Pinky” because of her fur color.

“Nope!” She shook her head firmly, and then clasped her paws together. “Why? We have lots of reasons to celebrate, kupo! New Heroes are here, to help us! They’ll fight better when they’re happy, kupo!”

Yes, Luke. Calling him an idiot would be very effective and productive. Cue Gaara just shutting up and never discussing his feelings again.

“By trusting me, you are endangering your own well-being.” Blunt, but true. Though, to soften the blow a little bit, he reached over to rest his hand on top of Luke’s. He fell quiet as he listened, and wondered if time would be enough to help him heal as well. He… missed Sai. Thought about him constantly. Even if the feelings hadn’t been mutual, he… still cared for him.

“So you… regret not telling her.” His fingers lightly curled, applying gentle pressure to Luke’s hand. “What if the opportunity should present itself, in the near future? Your friends could appear in this world, at any given time. I don’t… wish to become one of your regrets.”

That last point Luke had made… it was very sensible and logical. Gaara could utilize manipulation when necessary, but to live a lie and deny his true feelings? He had already spent a number of years doing that, and it didn’t exactly turn out well. There was a possibility… he could find happiness with Luke. Was that… worth the risk of getting hurt again?

Lifting his hand up, he grasped a hold of the other’s chin, and turned him until they were facing each other. “Tell me what you want, Luke. How would you like to move forward?”