(Gaara's is the age before he got the love mark on his forehead^^)

"Get her!"

Aqua runs.

A little earlier, the other girls had decided it would be fun to make fun of Aqua's white hair again. When she had tried to run away, one of the girls tried to grab her. In her panic, Aqua threw the girl into a pile of mud.

Little Aqua turns a corner and bumps into someone, causing her to fall and skin her knee. Her eyes sting from tears as she looks up to see who she had run into. She pales when she sees a little boy with red hair and teddy bear. It was Gaara, the Mizukage's son with the scary sand power. Eyes wide with fear and she gets on her hands and knees and attempts to bow to him like she had been taught in class.

"I'm so sorry, Gaara-sama. I wasn't looking where I was going. Please don't hurt me." Aqua begs, fearing the sand would try to hurt her. Gaara kneels down beside her and holds out his hand, saying softly, "Why would I do that? I forgive you." She looks at him confused, but when she looks at his sincere face she smiles and accept his help. She pats her knees to remove what sand she could from her pants when she hears someone calling to her.

"Where is that Aqua?! She owes me a new skirt!"

"She went this way!"

A group of 7 girls run towards Little Aqua and Gaara. Aqua tries to hide behind Gaara. When the girls see who Aqua is with, they all stop and stare wide eyed at the monster boy. Aqua peeked out from behind Gaara to look at the girls. She catches the angry lookon Gaara's face.

"The freak's hiding behind Gaara the sand monster!" one of the other girls says to the mud covered girl. Mud girl has a scared look on her face.

Gaara looks hurt from the remark, and looks down sadly. For some reason this made Aqua really angry. She stomps up in front of Gaara and holds out her arms.

"Don't you dare call Gaara-sama a monster! He is a person, too!" The girls look at Aqua in fear. Her brown eyes turn a burning blue. Her breath turns to frost and a slurry of ice and water surrounds her and Gaara. The girls run and scream in terror, some tumbling one on top of the other to escape the scary Aqua.

"Yeah, you better run!" Aqua calls after the girls as her eyes return to normal. She turns around to find Gaara crouch down, crying.

"What's wrong Gaara-san? Don't listen to those jerks. I think you're really nice." Aqua smiles at the red haired boy. Gaara stands up and wipes away his tears before he smiles back. He surprises her with a hug.

"I'm not sad, I'm happy! You're the first person to ever stick up for me. Will you be my friend?" Gaara asks, looking at her with hope. Aqua stared at the boy. She had been taught to believe was someone to stay away from. She had been told that he had hurt other people for no reason. She had been told he was a monster. She saw none of that as he stood in front of her. It took her little to no time to answer his question.

"Of course I'll be your friend, Gaara-sama. Call me Aqua-chan."

Aqua holds out her hand to Gaara and his face lit up more than she thought possible. "Ok, and you can call me Gaara-chan," Gaara says, and he takes your hand. The two children hold hands and walk to a nearby playground to play together.

~4 years later~
Aqua turns to Gaara, trying to hold back her tears. Aqua's mother and father were sending her to live in Konoha with her aunt to continue her training as a kunoichi. She knew she had to tell Gaara.

"Gaara-chan, I have to go to Konoha and live with my aunt. I'm sorry." She can't hold back her tears any more, as if her words broke her will to keep them back. As her tears fell, Gaara looks at her sadly. They had become very close friends over the last four years. The trouble they went through together went beyond the ninja training that was physically taxing. Gaara had been betrayed by his closest friend, which caused him to leave a scar in the shape of the kanji for love on his forehead. Aqua had to earn his trust and help him as much as she could through his depression. But they had managed.

Gaara takes Aqua's hand and wipes away her tears. He hugs her tight. Aqua hugs him back tighter.

"It's ok Aqua-chan. Please don't cry. I want to show you something, so close your eyes," Gaara says. Aqua closes her eyes and buries her face in Gaara's chest. Gaara's sand envelopes them both, and all was dark. A moment later she could hear running water.

"Ok, you can open your eyes."

Aqua opens her eyes and gasps. She gazes upon an oasis with a beautiful waterfall. She runs to the water and takes off her shoes. She sits down and puts her feet in the cool water. Gaara sits next to her and puts his arm around her shoulders.

"How did you find this place?" Aqua asks incredulously. She thought they had told each other everything about what they found. It hurt to think that he hadn't told her about it the moment he had found it, but as she thought about it she reasoned that maybe he had needed a place to stay by himself.

"I was taking a night walk and stumbled upon it on accident." Gaara says. He watches the waterfall, and a peaceful look Aqua rarely sees color his face.

"It's gorgeous," She says. She leans her head on his shoulder and looks at the waterfall, feeling at ease. She was not expecting the words that came from gaara's mouth next.

"Not as gorgeous as you, Aqua-chan."

She blushes like mad and looks away quickly, trying not to show Gaara. He laughs and playfully squeezes her in his arms. She turns to him and looks him in the eyes. She did love his eyes. They were a pretty blue-green color. She knew that she liked him since a long time ago. To hear him compliment her in such a way made her stomach do nervous flip-flops. It made her heart practically break to think that he would be leaving him. A week ago on the day she learned she was moving away, Aqua had decided to tell him her feelings.

"Gaara-chan, I have something to give you. Close your eyes," Aqua says, nervously. Gaara closes his eyes. She hesitated a second before giving him a quick kiss on the lips. His eyes open in surprise and he pulls away. Aqua and Gaara blush deeply and she looks away emberrassed.

"Aqua-chan, look over there!" Gaara says, pointing. Aqua turns to face him to see where he's pointing.

"Wha-mph..!"

She doesn't finish her sentence before Gaara's lips meets hers. She closes her eyes and wraps her arms around his neck. His arms wrap around her waist. Aqua pulls away and stares into his eyes.

~The day of Aqua's departure~

Aqua stands at the front gate of her home village, ready to leave. She hears someone call her name, and she turns around and see Gaara running towards her.

"What is it, Gaara-chan?" Aqua asks. They had already said their good-byes at her house a few moments ago.

"I have to tell you something important." Gaara says. He stares at her seriously, but silently for a few moments.

"What is it, Gaara-chan?" Aqua asks, curios. He looks her in the eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Aqua-chan, I love you. I have ever since that day four years ago." He states. Aqua stares at him as she processes exactly what he said, though her body knew before her brain and her arms flung around Gaara in a hug.

"Oh, Gaara-chan. I love you, too! I have for a long time!" Aqua says, her heart filled with joy to know that the guy she had loved for so long felt the same. She takes his hand and closes her eyes. Her hand glows an icy blue, and when she removes it there is a glass heart in Gaara's hand.

"This is a part of my chakra. Mama says I'm not supposed to do this, but I want you to have this to remember me by. I will never forget you, Gaara-chan." Aqua says.

"I could never forget you, Aqua-chan," Gaara says. The two kiss one last time.

They stay in each others arms for a little longer before Aqua removes herself from the embrace and turns a to face the road. A single tear falls from her eye as she walks away. Gaara turns as well to return to the village, holding the glass heart tenderly in his hands. Aqua continues her journey to the village hidden in the leaves, and as she walks she reminisces on her friendship with Gaara, and how it had turned into love. She thought about how she wouldn't see Gaara again, but the thought felt wrong. As she walked she knew. She thought:

"I will see Gaara-chan again. I can feel it. This is not the end. Not by a long shot!"