*:~: A Little Kindness Is All He Needs: ~:*
This is a story that takes place in Suna. Five-year-old Sakura and her father are moving around, village-to-village looking for a good job. Gaara is also five. There's also a song called Best friends at the end. Enjoy!
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The little crimson haired boy sat in the little sand box blinking his black ringed turquoise eyes, slowly as if he was tired. He cringed every time he heard some kid's parents tell them not to go near 'the monster' when they passed. Oh, how he hated those word. How he wished that at least one kid would play with him. Every chance he had he would beg someone to at least talk with him but only to be ridiculed ten fold. No kid dared to cross the imaginary line into his domain of a sand box. If they did, he would then introduce himself, and then they would run, screaming. The little boy ran his fingers through the sand in a figure eight repeatedly.
"Please don't leave me alone… not like them." The little boy said snuggling his little head into his teddy bear's worn neck. Then he noticed a little shadow coming at him stopping at his feet.
"Can I play with you?" she asked.
All Gaara could see were her outline and her pink hair framing her face.
"Can I play with you?" she asked again as she crossed the line that no other dared to cross.
Wha- Gaara thought. "Uh…s-sure I…guess." Gaara stuttered out.
"Thanks. I normally don't like to be around other kids that much, but I'm new here so I don't know anyone, and you were alone so I took the chance. I'm Sakura by the way. What's your name?" the little pink haired girl said taking a seat next to him. She had emerald green eyes, pale skin, and pink hair. She was wearing a crimson dress, and a black ribbon tied in her hair.
She doesn't know.Gaara thought. He didn't know weather to shun her knowing that she would leave or to open up to her. Maybe…just .maybe…this could be my chance. He prayed.
"I-I'm …Gaara. Nice to m-meet…. you." he stuttered out, expecting the scream then the run, but…
"Gaara is it? Wow, that's a nice name." She said piling up a little mound of sand as a sad attempt to build a sand castle.
"I like yours too." He said blushing.
"So what do you want to play?" Gaara asked.
"I don't know. How about we play castle. You could be the king of the sand box!" Sakura suggested.
"Shure but doesn't a king need a queen?" Gaara asked slightly tilting his head to the left.
"Yeah I guess." Sakura said looking at him.
Well you can be my queen." Gaara said slightly smiling.
"Oh, I've always wanted to be royalty!" Sakura said clapping her hands together, fast.
"So what shall we do my Queen Sakura?" Gaara asked in a deep voice making her laugh.
"I don't know King Gaara. What shall we do?" Sakura said curtseying.
"How about we…swing on the swings?" Gaara suggested.
"Race you there!" Sakura said taking off.
"You're on!" Gaara said running after his new friend. In the end, Gaara was the one who won.
"Wow, Gaara! You're fast!" Sakura said sitting next to her crimson haired friend.
The two friends went from the swings, to the slide, to the monkey bars, and vice-versa.
When the two got to the jungle gym, Gaara finally noticed the necklace around her neck when she hung upside down.
"I like your necklace, Sakura." Gaara said pointing to her neck.
"Oh, what, this," she said fingering it with a slight smile. Gaara nodded, "Yeah it belonged to my mother before she… before she died." her happiness died quickly as she remembered that her mother had died when she was born. "It was her wish for me to get it and that I was to give it to someone that I thought was nice."
"Your mama died too?" Gaara asked looking at her.
"Yes sadly. She died when I was born. I never knew her. The bad part is when I ask my papa about her. He always ends up yelling at me. " she said as her eyes started to water up.
"My father does the same thing, too." Gaara said remembering all the times his father yelled, and the close encounters of his father back handing him. Luckily he never did. Gaara's eyes started to water up and a tear freely fell from his cheek. Sakura started to speak then noticed him crying and became concerned.
"But that's what friends like you are fo- Gaara…Gaara what's wrong? "She said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"S-Sakura, are we …friends?" he said looking up at her.
"Of course we are. What makes you think that we weren't, Gaara?" Sakura asked.
Gaara simply shook his head, meaning it as an 'I don't know'. He was tearing up big time now. No one had ever called him a friend before.
Sakura saw her new friend starting to cry even more and felt that she had to cheer him up.
"Hey, Gaara, can I give you something?" Sakura asked tapping him on the shoulder.
He wiped the stray tears away with the back of his hand and looked up.
"Here I want you to have this." Sakura said slipping the teardrop, black corded necklace around Gaara's neck, "It was my mother's wish that I was to give this to someone who I thought was nice."
"Thank you, Sakura." Gaara said giving a slight smile.
"You're welcome, Gaara." Sakura said giving him a hug. Gaara put his arms around her back not knowing how to perform such an act. It was a rare event for him to get a hug, more or less for him to give hugs.
"Come on let's go play." Sakura said getting up from the bench.
Thank you so much for your kindness, Sakura. Gaara thought as he got up, and followed his new friend.
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Two months had passed, now it was the fall time and the leaves were falling of the few trees in the village. The two five-year-olds, however, stood at the entrance gate of the sand village, tears streaming down Sakura's face.
"Will I-I be able t-to see you a-again?" Gaara asked starting to cry.
"I don't know. Papa might bring me back in the future looking for a job. Do you still have the necklace?" she said eyes brimming over with tears.
"Well it's not exactly a necklace any more." Gaara said holding up his wrist. The teardrop was now on a silky black strip of cloth. "Do you still have the ribbon?"
"It's right here." Sakura said patting the pink locks tied back with a crimson and black ribbon, with a little black and red yin and yen gem in the center.
"Sakura, hurry up!" Sakura's father yelled halfway out of the village.
"I guess that means that this is good-bye, Sakura." Gaara said letting the tears fall freely.
"No, Gaara …it's not good-bye. I promise that….I'll come back when I'm older." Sakura said in-between sniffs.
"Sakura, let's go!" her father called again louder this time.
"You better get going, but I'm holding you to your promise Sakura." Gaara said starting to turn away, but Sakura stopped him with a hug.
"I'll see you later Gaara." she whispered into his ear.
Gaara put his arms around the little girl. He was use to giving hugs now thanks to Sakura. "Please…" Gaara said under his breath while tearing up more than he ever cried before. Please never forget me. He mentally pleaded.
The two friends separated, but not before Sakura gave him a little peck on the cheek. "Bye Gaara. I'll see ya around." she said with a smile and a wave just as she ran after her father.
"Bye Sakura." Gaara whispered to himself with his hand on the place where the said girl kissed him, "I'll see you."
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Best Friends
Anytime you need a friend
You can count on me
Anytime you're having doubts
You know I will believe
Even through the thick and thin
No matter where or when
On me you can depend
We are best friends
Whenever their is something
That's trying to knock you down
Remember you can call me
And we'll get your feet on solid ground
You'll never have to worry
Don't you ever walk in fear
Cause' through it all you'll have someone
Who's always standing near
Right by your side
If you need my strength
There's nothing to hide
Nothing to hide
Anytime you need a friend
You can count on me
Anytime you're having doubts
You know I will believe
Even through the thick and thin
No matter where or when
On me you can depend
We are best friends
Oh yes
You understand the battles
That we go through every day
If ever I am lost, I know
That you will help me find my way
I still remember all those times
When I was felling low
You picked me up and said
There's something I think you should know
You're not on your own
What ever you're facing
You don't have to face it alone
Anytime you need a friend
You can count on me
Anytime you're having doubts
You know I will believe
Even through the thick and thin
No matter where or when
On me you can depend
We are best friends
As long as we're together
There's no mountain
That we can't climb
Through the good and the bad
Happy and sad
This friendship we have
Will last for a lifetime
Anytime you need a friend
You can count on me
Anytime you're having doubts
You know I will believe
Even through the thick and thin
No matter where or when
On me you can depend
We are best friends
Anytime you need a friend
You can count on me
Anytime you're having doubts
You know I will believe
Even through the thick and thin
No matter where or when
On me you can depend
We are best friends.
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On the count of three, I want you to say it with me. Ready… 1, 2, 3 …AAAAWWWWW HOW CUTE! One word describes this story: fluff. Pure, 100% fluff. Hope you enjoyed it. I'm thinking about a sequel when Sakura and Gaara are both 12 years old when Sakura started to chase konohamaru for calling her 'big head'.