Moonlight Sonata
"Gaara! GAARA! Wake up already!" Kohaku shook him awake, her own shoulder length brown hair falling into her face.
"Uhnn…what is it, Kohaku? It's much too early…" he groaned, and rolled over again.
She put her hands on her hips and let out an exasperated sigh as she stared down at him in his bed. His auburn hair was tossed messily in every direction, his eyes were closed as his head rested on a goosedown pillow, covered with a burgundy pillowcase, and the matching burgundy blankets were halfway falling off the bed. His right foot was hanging off the side lazily. Kohaku raised her right eyebrow and smirked as she reached down and ever-so-gently tickled his exposed foot. Gaara jumped up as he burst out laughing.
"BWAHAHA- stop it, Kohaku!" he cried as she continued to tickle him. "I'm up, I'm up!" Kohaku felt her lips twitch at the sight of him laughing. He was her best friend, ever since they were 14. She was orphaned as a child, her mother was a scullery maid, and her father was a vagabond ninja, belonging to no village. He disappeared the day she was born, never to be seen again. Her mother died shortly after she turned 4, of a terrible and rare disease. They had the cure for it now, but back then, her mom, Hikari, didn't have a chance against fighting off the infection. She'd been raised by one of the sand village johnin, Mise, and therefore met Gaara at a council meeting. They became friends right off the bat, almost as if they were destined to meet each other that day as they were forced to sit in the hall as the "grown ups" talked. Kohaku remembered that day so clearly, it was one of her favorite and most treasured memories.
"So, Kohaku, I suppose you have a good reason for waking me from my beauty sleep?" Gaara asked, one eyebrow raised as he changed his shirt.
Kohaku laughed and felt her pale cheeks burn scarlet for a moment as she saw his bare skin. She averted her gaze to the full-length mirror beside her. "Beauty sleep? Oh, surely you don't need any of that, Gaara." She replied, straightening her black sand village headband that she wore around her thin waist, while looking in the mirror. He turned around and smirked. "I think I'll take that as a compliment, Kohaku." She tossed her long, angled bangs out of her face and said, "I wouldn't expect anything less." They both laughed. Suddenly, Gaara motioned for quiet. Kohaku fell silent at once as she watched her friend's expression. The oldest maid was coming down the hallway. They absolutely loved to play jokes on her, because she'd run and tell everyone what she seen or heard them doing, and they wouldn't believe a single word that she said, and therefore, everyone thought she was crazy.
Gaara looked up, a gleam in his sky blue eyes. Kohaku nodded, her own grey eyes sparkling with amusement and mischief. They left the door open a crack large enough for the old woman to peek into, and then Gaara took his shirt off again. Kohaku dropped her skirt and leggings, and they then tried desperately not to laugh as they made all sorts of moans and groans, knowing that the maid would be drawn to the door from all the noises. Kohaku then embraced Gaara, tilted her head back, and lifted her right leg up onto his waist at the exact moment before the old maid looked in the doorway. The old maid got one look and squealed behind the door and ran as fast as her old feet would take her. Kohaku and Gaara burst out laughing, collapsing onto the floor, helpless in heaps of giggles. Gaara wiped a laughter tear from his eye, trying to regain his breath. "That crazy old hag…" Kohaku laughed.
"She's going to have a heart attack one of these days, and its going to be our fault." Gaara said, pulling on his white t-shirt for the 2nd time that morning. "Oh, by the way, you never told me why you're here." He added.
Kohaku's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you forgot."
"Of course not…uh…."
"Gaara!"
"I'm sorry! What did I forget this time?!"
"Our annual beach trip with Naruto, Hinata, Temari, and Kankuro?"
" Oh! I'd completely forgotten!"
Kohaku raised her eyebrow again as she pulled on her leggings and skirt. "No kidding."
Gaara pulled on the rest of his clothes, and then grabbed his pack in which he carried his swimsuit, sunblock, a towel, another pair of clothes, some money, and flip flops. Kohaku was already halfway down the stairs by the time he had slung the pack over his shoulder. "Come on, Gaara! We've kept them waiting long enough!" Gaara sighed. He didn't particularly like going to the beach, but he went because his friends wanted him to. "Oh joy…more sand awaits us." He replied unenthusiastically. They left the Kazekage tower and ran across the street into the town, all the way to the training grounds. That's where they'd find Temari, Kankuro, and Naruto waiting. Hinata would join with them shortly.
"HEY!!" Naruto called out across the training field. He waved his arms franticly.
"Hi there!" Kohaku called back, a grin on her face.
Gaara and Kohaku jogged over to where Naruto, Temari, and Kankuro were standing. Gaara just clammed up inside his shell, as he'd always done when other people were around. "Hello." He said quietly. Kohaku glanced at him. I've always wondered why he acts this way around other people…this is the Gaara that everyone else in the world knows. Not even his own siblings recognize MY Gaara. The happy one. The one that's only around when there's no one else to see him.., Kohaku thought.
"Awh, Gaara, why do you have to sound so….dead? We're going to the beach!" Kankuro asked, clapping a hand on Gaara's left shoulder. Gaara shrugged him off. "I don't know. Its who I am."
Liar., thought Kohaku. It's the personality you hide behind when you're in public.
"When's Hinata gunna show up?" Temari asked the Leaf ninjas.
"She should be joining us on the way out of here…gosh..what is taking her so long?" Naruto replied, tapping his foot in frustration. "oh, calm down." Said Kankuro. "Yeah, here she comes." continued Temari. Hinata waved at them from across the field. She was standing next to a stump with a messily drawn target on it.
"Come on, Hinata!" called Naruto.
She nodded, and blushed at the sound of his voice saying her name, and then ran across the field. Naruto gathered her in a giant hug upon her arrival, and Kohaku grinned when she saw Hinata's cheeks flush scarlet.
Temari glanced at the rising sun and said, "Alright everyone. Let's get a move on. If we start moving now, we'll reach the beach by noon!"
"Woo!" "Alright!" "Let's go!" "Yeehaw!" everyone but Gaara cried.
"Woo….more sand….as if I don't get enough of it in my shorts already." He mumbled. He then was elbowed lightly in the ribs by Kohaku. "Don't be such a party pooper! It'll be fun, like it always has."
Gaara sighed and nodded, and then, with Kohaku by his side, took off running behind Temari, Naruto, Hinata, and Kankuro.
They crossed through the desert, through a narrow pass in the nearby mountains, and then across another green field, in which they stopped to take a small break. Gaara gazed at Kohaku as she took a small power nap in the sunlight. She seemed so gentle, so vulnerable, when she slept. He felt a strange need to protect her. He didn't understand the feeling, as he'd never felt it before in his life, and it troubled him. The sunlight ignited small streaks of blonde in her hair, turning the regular brown into little wisps the color of the sun on a field of wheat. About 15 minutes passed, and then Temari stood up.
"Alright, that's enough rest. Let's get a move on!" she said.
They all got up, and began their pace again. Soon they were able to smell the salt in the air. Then, at last, they saw the blue-green water of the ocean. "Look, Naruto!" cried Hinata. She was sitting on Naruto's shoulders, and pointing in the direction of the rolling waves. Naruto grinned. "I see it!" Kankuro let out a whoop, and then began to sprint across the blinding white sand towards the water. Naruto set Hinata down, and then dashed after him. Kohaku's grey eyes sparkled with excitement, and she ran off after them. Temari and Hinata laughed and jogged toward the water. Gaara kept his pace and walked.
Later, everyone had changed into their swimsuits and Kohaku and Hinata were splashing each other in the water, when Kohaku looked back to see Gaara sitting in the sand, watching everyone. She walked up onto shore, her green and black bikini dripping, leaving little dots on the flawless white sand. and sat beside him on the blue beach towel he was sitting on. "What's wrong, Gaara?" she asked. He was playing with the sand, infusing it with chakra and then making it into little shapes and swirls. "I'm fine." He replied. She watched him play with the sand for a few minutes, and then asked, "Can you teach me how to do that?" He looked up. "How to do what?"
"That. Where you make the sand move."
"Oh, uhm….okay…"
He then showed her how to cast her chakra out of her body in such a way that it fuses with the sand, then he showed her how to move her hand to make the sand bend the way she wanted it to.
"Is this right?" she asked.
"Haha, almost. Try this…" he said, and he put his left hand over her right hand, and gently guided her movements. He didn't notice her pulse quicken. The sand moved accordingly. It looked like a crude gingerbread man with pointy cat ears.
"And who's that supposed to be?" he asked, glancing up at her. Her expression was one of someone who had just spilled an entire bottle of black ink on their 5 page long English essay that was due in an hour. "It was supposed to be Kankuro, actually…." She mumbled. He found himself chuckling. "A perfect likeness, I say." She looked over at him. "You think so?" she asked, and grinned. "Of course! This fine work of art should really be preserved in the finest of museums." He replied.
They spent the next few hours messing with the sand, and watching the others play beach volleyball.
"Hey, look Gaara! I made a sandcastle!"
"…So this is what I get for teaching you how to fuse chakra with sand…"
"Awh, I know you think it's cute."
"So you're reading my mind now, are you?"
"Careful, Gaara, your sense of humor is showing!"
He shook his head. She was always so…interesting. He watched her form little people on the sandcastle, and she added nearby seashells for decoration. She leaned back, satisfied with her masterpiece, and watched the sun sink down through the purple, red, pink, and orange clouds, seemingly into the water. The other's had already gone to set up camp on higher ground, since the tide would come in later. The silvery moon was already showing in the darkening sky.
"Look…it's the big dipper." said Kohaku, as she pointed out the constellation. "It's my favorite." She continued.
He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Well…okay, it's the only one I know how to spot. But it's still pretty."
He would have liked to smile at that, but smiles just felt so awkward upon his face. So he just let his eyes smile for him as he gazed up at the group of stars. Suddenly, a shooting star flew by.
"Oh! A shooting star! Quick, make a wish!" Kohaku cried, and she closed her eyes.
Gaara blinked. He had no idea what to wish for. He had great friends, a nice home, and even a Betta fish named Matsuri. Then, as he leaned back onto his hands, he slipped a little, and bumped arms with Kohaku. "Whoops…sorry…" he apologized. Again he felt the strange feeling in his chest, and his cheeks tingled as if they'd been sunburned. He then knew what he wanted to wish for. As he closed his eyes, he wished with all his heart for someone to not fear him, the need him, to really and truly love him. Then, he opened his eyes to see Kohaku staring at him. "What did you wish for?" she asked. He shrugged, "If I tell you, then it won't come true." She half-smiled. "Oh, don't tell me that you believe in that rule. I think that's nonsense…once the wish has been made, the stardust keeps it alive until it's granted. It doesn't matter who you tell, or even if you tell." Gaara looked into her shining grey eyes, and was drawn in by their unique color. Usually everyone had either Blue, green, black, or brown eyes. Never before had he seen grey on anyone besides Kohaku. "You tell me your wish first, Kohaku. Then I'll tell you mine." He said. She smiled, her face clearly showing in the silvery light of the moon. "Alright, deal."
"I wished for someone to love me for who I am, not for what I'm possible of becoming. For someone to accept me. To see my flaws, know that they're there and love me just the same as if I were perfect. I wished for someone like…" her voice trailed off. "Your turn." She said.
"I wished….for the nearly exact same thing you did. I want to be needed, to be trusted, not to be feared, but to be instead…..loved." he said, the last word coming out more as a wistful sigh.
A few moments of silence passed, the only noise was the sound of the dark waves washing on and off the shore.
"Gaara….?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
"Yes?"
"…I….I wished for you."
"What?"
"I wished for you….I…I love you, Gaara."
"You…love me?"
"That's what I said."
"Kohaku…I…"
"Yes? What is it?"
"I…" his voice dropped to a whisper. "I wished for you, too…"
Her gaze rose up to meet his, her cheeks felt hot as she looked into his morning sky-blue eyes. Her eyes were the exact same shade as the full moon. Day and Night seemed to be clashing as their eyes gleamed in the dark. He leaned down slightly, and placed his left hand on her right cheek. "I've never felt this way before…" he whispered, "It's all so new to me…" She felt her heartbeat double at his touch. "I don't think you require a manual on as to what to do next…" she whispered. His heart pounded, and he felt as if he were running a fever, but he brought his lips to hers. A glorified meeting in the luminous moonlight shining down on the beach. Everything seemed to fade into the background; the only thing that mattered in the entire world was the music forming in their souls. As their lips parted, the music seemed to cease, and once again all was quiet except for the waves washing up onto the shore.
She's the perfect harmony to the melody of my soul…why didn't I see this before?, Gaara thought.
Who would have known that we would have been more than just friends?, Kohaku wondered.
Gaara took her hand, and they both headed up towards the campground, as the waves were coming higher and higher onto the beach. And just as they left, the tide washed over the sand castle and carried it away, into the oceans depths, shining under the silvery beams of the moon.