Matsuri watched from the shadows as the man of her dreams walked out into the desert. His red hair glinted in the sun, and she couldn't help but feel more excited about him. She crept closer to the edge of the Suna opening, still watching as he moved further away. He kept walking, back straight, head forward like the gourd on his back wasn't heavy at all.
Matsuri corrected herself. It was sand, his sand. Meaning that it wasn't heavy. She quickly jumped further out to watch him, telling herself that this wasn't stalking, it was curiosity in his intentions. Suddenly, he stopped, and so did she. She watched as he spread his legs apart and started moving his hands quickly. She gasped as a giant wall of sand started growing in front of him, only to cascade back down to where it came from.
Her hand was over her mouth, so she didn't make a sound. Neither did he. He just kept going back to the same move, over and over. He repeated it throughout the whole day, trying, failing, but always getting back up to see if he could succeed the next time. It was approaching dark, and Matsuri was ready to go back home. But she didn't, because he didn't move from his spot. She could tell that the sand was becoming more and more sluggish in its movements, showing her that his chakra was depleted from excessive use throughout the day.
She wrapped her arms around her knees and watched his final attempt for the day. The sand rose higher and higher, gaining speed and momentum as his arms shook to keep it in the air. Then, like a big breaker, the sand curled forward and smashed towards the distant treeline, and she could see the tops of the trees shaking from the impact.
But then, her attention was snatched by him as he collapsed to his knees. Gasping, she scrambled to her feet and sprinted towards him as he fell to his side. Matsuri skidded to her knees in the sand, reaching out to cradle his head in her hands.
"Gaara... why do you do this?"
Without opening his eyes, the redhead spoke.
"To gain strength. I cannot achieve my goal if I do not become stronger."
She shook her head, lifting his head more so she could rest it on her lap. An inaudible sigh escaped his lips as he finally opened his eyes to look up at her. His hand came up to touch her cheek gently.
"Matsuri... Why is it that every time I train hard enough to fall, you are always there?"
Matsuri looked up at the darkened sky, feeling her face become hot. She couldn't exactly say that she was stalking him (curiosity in his intentions) when it would make him see her as a lesser person. That she couldn't bear. A dry chuckle sounded from her lap and she looked down to see him still staring up at her with his ice-green eyes. She sighed.
"I... follow you. To make sure you're ok..."
She looked away, knowing that the small amount of friendship between them might possibly be broken because she was a stalker (always curious about his intentions!). His chuckle sounded out again and she looked down, surprised. His eyes were focused on the sky above them and she couldn't help but stare into them when he looked up at her.
"I'm very glad you do, Matsuri. Knowing that you are always watching helps me to realise how much I need to get stronger to protect my village. Thank you."
Her mouth fell open but she quickly closed it, smiling down at him. Her hand found his, and when he didn't object, she gripped it tighter. Together, they stared at the stars on the night Gaara finally mastered his tidal wave of sand.
A/N: And we all go 'Awwwww'. I like it. Do you like it? A simple yes is fine. Also, I don't own Naruto.