AUTHORS NOTE: My fourth and last GaaHina. I think this is my favorite next to Nevermore. The story line to this one-shot is different from the others I've written. You'll understand when you read it. It's really a nice one-shot and I hope you'll love it like I do. Enjoy:)

DISCLAIMER: I Do Not Own NARUTO

The Sand Flower

[Hinata's POV]

Everyone always says that I'm the timid one. That I never have anything to say. Is that true? No. I have plenty of things to say, but no one ever listens. Nobody ever does. I don't know why, but everyone ignores me. I...I want someone to talk to. That's the one thing I truly wish for: someone who would listen to me.

Once again I found myself on the rooftop. I've been out here more and more frequently because my father and I are always arguing, and now our fights are escalating. I had to get away, even though the fight was about me, I just didn't want to hear my father say things to me I already knew were true. How I had no friends. Father is always asking me why I didn't have friends.

The answer was a simple one: I had no friends because I was invisible. Like a ghost. But I couldn't tell him that. I knew I was running away from the problem, but I didn't know what else to do.

I gazed out at the desert, letting the cool evening breeze kiss my arms. A silent tear was rolling down my cheek, but I did nothing to stop it. Instead, I marveled at the beauty of my home. I loved my home in the Sand Village. Even though there were no flowers, this desert had beauty of its own. Like the Kazekage. My thoughts strayed to him like the wind. I didn't fear him as everyone else did. I found him interesting. Maybe I loved him. I didn't know.

"Hinata?"

I turned around, startled. My head automatically dipped, and, peering through my bluish bangs, I saw the Kazekage standing there. His expression was puzzled, as if he had never quiet seen me before. I took a deep breath and forced myself to meet his eyes.

"Lord Kazekage, good evening." my voice was soft, so soft that I could barely hear it myself. I winced and looked away, looking at the silvery colored sand.

"Yes..." Gaara stepped next to me, looking out at the desert also. It occurred to me that he had called me by my name. How did he know my name? I was still puzzling over this when he said, "You are crying."

I put a hand to my cheek and found it to be true. Blushing slightly, I rubbed my face with the back of my hand. Great. Now I had to embarrass myself in front of the leader of my Village. "Sorry." I whispered.

Gaara turned to look at me. "Why do you always apologize? Whenever I see you, you're always apologizing. And usually for something you didn't do."

I stared at him, taken aback. He had seen me? More than once? Because I was a Jonin, I rarely ever saw him, since I was usually on missions. The fact that he had seen me more than once was just a bit unsettling. I sighed and gazed at my sandals. "I guess...Oh, I don't know. I think I'm afraid that people will get angry if I don't so..."

"Why?"

"I'm...I don't know."

Why was he asking so many questions? Why was he so interested in me? Those thoughts buzzed in my head like a bee and I shook it slightly to clear it. It didn't matter. He was probably just trying to figure out 'the ghost'.

Gaara once again surprised me when he said, "You aren't like the others of this Village. You're more sensitive. Kind. Even when that guy hit you, you didn't do anything but smile." Gaara reached out and touched a bruise on my cheek. His fingers were warm against my cold skin.

"You forget invisible, Lord Kazekage." I added quietly.

"No!" Gaara's anger made me flinch and he clenched his fist. I gazed at him, startled. "Hinata, why do you say that! You're not invisible!"

Too shocked to really think about what I was saying, my mouth replied, "Tell that to them! To those who ignore me! To those that never even see me! To the ones who just see me as a hassle! Like YOU!"

Then, horrified, I clamped my mouth shut. What had I done!? I turned around and leaped off the roof, running inside. I was so stupid! I had just angered the only person who would ever talk to me.

[Gaara's POV]

Over the next couple days, I noticed Hinata becoming sadder and sadder. I didn't know why I watched her. She was just so interesting. I couldn't quite figure her out, and I couldn't tell what she was going to do next. Something about the shy, sad girl made me want to protect her and comfort her. But I remembered what she said two nights ago. That hurt more than I was willing to admit.

"Gaara, what's the matter?" asked Temari, coming up to me. We had been training for the past hour or so, and I guess she noticed how distracted I was.

"It's nothing." I said with a sigh.

"It's about Hinata, isn't it?" Temari's words caught me off guard and I stared at her in surprise. She laughed. "I knew it!"

"How'd you know?" I asked, feeling sort of embarrassed.

Temari gave me a withering sort of look. "I'm you're sister, remember? I can tell these things. Now. What's wrong with Hinata?"

I explained what had happened that night and she became thoughtful. Silence broken only by the wind fell upon us until I asked, "Do you know why everyone ignores her? No one will tell me."

"You don't know?" Temari looked surprised and I irritably thought, If I KNEW I wouldn't ask! But I just shook my head. "Hinata's been a Jonin ever since she was a small child...six, I think. And she was the only one who protested when Father tried to kill you."

Oh. That explained everything. I glared at the ground, furious. So Hinata was suffering for my sake? When she was innocent just an innocent girl? The thought of people making fun of her set my blood boiling. Temari gazed at me.

"Gaara, how do you feel about Hinata? What is she to you?" she questioned.

Startled, I replied, "She's like a light in a dark world. She is so kind and never asks for anything..."

"You're in love with her." My sister sounded smug, as if she had meant for this to happen. I stared at her. "What? It's true."

I thought back to what Naruto Uzumaki had said about love. How it affected people. And, with a jolt, I realized that I could very well be in love with the shy blue haired girl.

Now that I had that figured out, what was I going to do about it? Luckily, Temari had a solution. "I'm holding a party tonight.

Why don't you invite her?"

"That...just might work," I murmured.

[Hinata's POV]

I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw Gaara standing near my house. At first I thought he was a mirage and rubbed my eyes, but he was still there. I didn't know what to do or how to react. Was he angry at what I said? I shivered despite the afternoon heat and forced myself to walk over to him.

"Lord Kazekage," I murmered, bowing gracefully.

"Hinata, don't do that. And call me Gaara." he ordered. I stared at him in shock. He didn't seem mad...but why not? Anyone else would have killed me by now. I was still staring at him in dumbstruck shock when he said, "Temari's holding a party tonight."

I shook myself out of my shock and replied, rather bitterly, "Yes. I know." Everyone was going...besides me. No one had thought to invite me. Or, if they did, they didn't want me.

"I was wondering..."Gaara sounded suddenly unsure and hesitant as he asked,

"Do you want to go? With me, I mean."

Out of all the things I had expected him to say, that was one of the last things. I stared at him with a certain amount of suspicion. Was this all a cruel joke? But I could see only sincerity in his eyes, a straightforward and honest truth. Hardly believing it, I whispered, "Would I really be accepted?"

In a flash, he was here. His arms were wrapped tightly around me, gripping me in a bone crushing hug. All thoughts escaped me as he whispered, "Hinata, do this for me. You are more important that you realize. To this Village...and to me."

Now I was crying. I buried my face in his shirt, sobbing softly. "Have you known...how l-long I've loved you?" That was the whole point of me protesting him against his father's assassination attempts.

He stroked my hair. "Hinata...you're safe now. I'll never leave you...I promise." His voice grew quiet. "I love you."

I turned my head to look up at him and he softly brushed his lips against mine. Then, seeming dissatisfied with that, he kissed me once again, passion and love it that single moment. He broke away and squeezed me.

"You're not a ghost, Hinata. Not anymore."

And I finally believed that.

I hope you enjoyed this one-shot and I hope you'll read my other one-shots and stories.
Until Next Time, Seeya