I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

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Sometime, we never chase the perfection. Sometime, something simple can make us smile and happy. Such a simple word, a small gesture, a shy smile and an innocent words have the power to touch ones heart. See through the invisible and breaking the greatest shield of life. And changing ones believe. So, is it what they called Love?

Konoha is a large town which is very famous for its enchanting beauty, fashion, and it's nice and fresh weather. It is rarely raining, but the temperature is very refreshing, especially during spring with lots of flowers that blooming in the season. That's why the town is always full of people and tourism. But, Suna is the opposite from Konoha which is very green with lots of plants from various genus and species. Suna is a small town with a hot temperature and very deserted town that rarely raining to the point of summers all the time.

Unfortunately, Konoha's weather isn't very kind now. It is raining, but it was barely noticed, because the sun still shining brightly. The only sign of the rain is the after mark of the rain-falls that give small dots on the ground.

Today is Sunday. The street is very crowded by people. Some of them were laughing, smiling, chatting, and not a little of them were just walking down the street briskly without even give the slightest thought about how the weather was or what was happening around them. And there is a young girl that is running hurriedly between so many people in the very crowded place in Konoha. She is a girl with an average height with a baggy shirt and jeans. Her pearly white skin was glistering with sweat. Her lips keep on apologizing every now and then, just like a mantra.

A small pants can be heard from her breathe. Her running pace was steady while her hair was swinging wildly as she was taking every step. Clicks, clicks, clicks sounds from her high-heel was echoing, accompanying her every movement. As time goes by, her body is getting tired every passed moment and that made her ran slower until she completely stopped at the bust station.

Her breathing was uneven and she was trying to controlling her breathing with her hands resting on her ankles. Her face was bent down, facing the ground as her lavender eyes was closed and her long straight blue-black hair was covering either sides of her slightly round face.

Faintly as she gained her strength and her breathing wasn't harsh anymore, she could hear someone was approaching her in front of her and she also could hear someone was laughing and that made her tilted her face. There, she came face to face with a couple of random guys who didn't seem very kind. Slowly, she straightened her body to her full height that only reached their shoulder and started to take a look at her surrounding. Then she realized that she was alone.

Where are crowd people at the time like this?! Her mind screamed. She started to panicked but she tried her hardest to be as calm as possible. She turned around a little bit too fast and then started walking away. Her heart was beating very fast like drum in the war. Doki. Doki. Doki.

"You, little girl, where are you going?" said some of the guy from before as they were following her. "Hey, why don't you just stop running and talking to us instead?"

"We won't bite." One of guy said while trying to grab her hand. "Or won't we?" then they were laughing loudly.

That was the cue for her to pick up her pace into a half run. Her hands now are sweaty with fear and worry. This is the first time she was walking around the town by herself. Usually she would be accompanied by her cousin. And now, she knows what his cousin means when he said that she shouldn't go anywhere with just herself or without him in particular.

Today her cousin is busy with some school activity and she thought it was a very good opportunity to buy him a present for his upcoming birthday next week. That's why; she chose to come alone because it was supposed to be a surprise that no one but a couple of their friends known. But, her friends were busy with their own business so she had to come alone without any companion. She thought that she could do it herself, but in the end, it's ended up like this. Then, maybe she really couldn't do it. Or does she?

With that in mind, she started running as fast as she could. She didn't know where she was heading. Because what's on her mind was that she had to gotten away from them and it had to be as fast as she could.

She never remembered running that fast on her whole life, but suddenly something caught she off guard and with a small yelp came from her small lips. She felt her balance was leaving her slowly, but she manage to regained it again just in time before she had to collide with the hard surface of the street. But then a big and harsh hand grabbed her right arms and then her nightmare was begun.

Mean awhile, a very stoic guy with a bloody red hair was taking a walk around the town to get to know it better. His tanned skin was a total contra to the white skin that most of Konoha's people had and her tall figure, proportioned body with a very handsome face made him the center of attention wherever he walked. Unfortunately, his stern and cold eyes made everything he saw freeze as well and it made everyone shunned them away from him. But, not a little that still ignored the fact about his cold gaze and still tried to get close to him. And the weather didn't even help.

His body that was used to such a hot weather and dry breeze of wind wasn't comfortable in Konoha's weather, especially, today weather. It was raining, even if it was barely noticed; still, rain is a rain.

He kept on walking from the crowded place until he arrived at a very quite place. He himself didn't even know where he is, but he didn't even care though as long as he could find some peace because his head started ached from hearing all the louds in the previous place.

Konoha is really different than suna. He sighs slightly.

Then, something caught his eyes.

"What do you want?" said the girl while trying to get out of the man's grasped. "Let me go!" She tried to shout but her soft voice is giving it away.

Her small frame was barely noticed as she was being cornered by three guys that were way taller than her. Seeing the scene that happened before his very eyes made his blood boiled with rage. Because what he hates the most is man who harassing woman.

With a confident pace, he walked toward them. His expression is bored but his vice was anything but that. "Let her go."

Hearing another voice, the three guys turned around and saw a guy with a bloody red hair standing behind them with a bored expression on his face.

"Get the fu** off, you little man! It's none of your business" said one of them.

"Yeah! It isn't like she is your girlfriend or something, right?"

"H-help me!" shouted the girl while she was trying to free herself but with no success.

"Off course it's my business, you bastard!" the bloody haired man said as he ran to them and kicked one of them with his long leg.

Then a battle begins. But within a few minutes, the three guys were kneeling on the ground asking for forgiveness.

"We're very sorry. We didn't know if the girl is yours! We beg your forgiveness!"

"Go." He said with boredom. His voice was cold and stern. It was smooth but deadly. His fingers were bloodied slightly, but he simply didn't care.

The girl was standing there all along: watching the fighting scene she rarely seen except in the movies and dramas. She was surprised. Her heart is still beating fast and maybe a little too fast to her liking, but it isn't because of fear or worry that she had felt earlier, but it is something else: something new to her. There is a sensation in her heart that made her can not stop but looking at her savior that is standing in front of her.

"Are you okay?" asked the man.

Slowly, her face becomes red. She was blushing and then she lowered her gaze to the ground and nodded slightly. "Thank you very much, for saving me."

"Hm."

That was all he said. Then her eyes traveling along his body and found that his knuckles were bleeding a little. She hurriedly running toward him and her next action is startled him. Worriedly, she took his hand on hers and then she pulled out her handkerchief from her small bag and does a first aid to his knuckles. "Is it hurts?" she asked softly.

He only shakes his head so she couldn't see it because she was too occupied on his hands that she didn't get her eyes off his hands and body in search of others injuries. "Is it hurts?" her voice sounded worried. But he still didn't answer her and that made her tilted her face to meet his. When their eyes met, she was blushed and then bowed her face.

"I'm sorry." She said with a pained voice. "I'm sorry. All I can do is only troubling you, even at the first time we met. I'm really very sorry."

"Stop apologizing. I think you've doing it enough for the day. It's not like you forced me to do it. So, just stop it. Because, it's useless and won't change anything."

"Ah! So—I mean, I—well—thank you." She was stuttering and said the last part very slowly that he was about to missed it. "Thank you so much. You're very kind. Even though, we just met." She said while bowed her body in gratitude.

"You're right. We just met. That's why; don't flatter me so much or you may be disappointed later." He caught her off guard with his blunt and simple answer.

"Eh? W-what? Why?"

He ignored her and instead, "What was a girl like you doing in an empty street like this?" His voice was clear and emotionless while his face was plainly bored and his stare were cold.

After she heard his question, she automatically takes a look at her wrist watch. It's stated 14.30. She was late. "Oh, no. I was late. Now, the shop was already closed." She said disappointed. But then her stomach made a funny sound. Slowly her hands made its way onto her stomach and she steals a glance at the man. "Sorry."

"It seems like you are hungry. I think you should go and get something to relieve your hunger." He stated and after that he just walked away. She just stared as he walked away from her. "Aren't you coming?" he asked without stopped from his walking.

"Y-yes!" she said as she hurriedly following him. After a few minutes of walking, they haven't found any shops that sold any foods. "Em, a-ano, sorry. But," she was hesitating. "Where are we going?"

Suddenly, he stopped and as the results, she bumped on his back. "Ah!"

"I'm new here. I don't really know where the food store is, or some restaurant around here. In fact, I don't really know either, where we are right now." He said nonchalantly.

"Oh. I'm sorry; I didn't know you were new." Then she checked their surrounding then smiled at him. "I know where we are." She pointed to her side. "There is a small restaurant that sells very delicious foods. And their specials are their shrimp's food." Then she looked at the man. "Do you like shrimp?"

"I like anything but sweets."

With that, they crossed the street and walked to the small but surprisingly crowded restaurant. They took a table at the corner that was a little isolated. The table's seats were only for two people that were facing each other. Not long after they were seated, an average woman around her last thirteenth was approaching them to take their orders. She told them to wait around tenth to fifteenth minutes before their orders ready and she would deliver it to them herself.

The lavender eyed girl was very uncomfortable with the awkward silence between her and her savior. She wasn't the type to start the conversation because usually, her friends would start it but it seems like he wasn't the type to start the conversation as well. And then, she remembered that they haven't known each others names. She gathered all her confidence and finally asked the question.

"Gaara." He said shortly.

And when she was about to questioning him about his home town and his reason moved to Konoha, their orders arrived and she decided to ask it some other time. They ate in silence and then when she was about to paid their bill, he insisted that he was the one who would pay it.

Then they walked in silence. On their way, something caught her attention. "Ah! Such a cool wrist watch!" she exclaimed as she was running to the shop's window. "Look, Gaara! Isn't it cools?" she said without thinking.

"It's for a man. It won't suit you very well."

"Off course, it is. It's a perfect present for cousin Neji." Then she came to the shop and bought it. But then she realized that it was getting late and her mother would be very worried because she had promised her mother that she would just buying something and that she would be back after one or two hours. But, she already spends more than two hours.

"Oh, no. I'm late!" She has stopped walking.

"I think, it's best if you call your family. They may be worried."

"Ah! You're right! I almost forgot! My mother must be very worried about me." She exclaims and then starting roaming her small bag for her cell phone. After a few minutes looking for it with no results, she gave up. "I think I might have been forgetting to bring it today."

"Then, today is really your worst day, I guess. That was very unlucky on your part, because, I left my cell phone at my new home. And I'm sorry, that those guys from earlier thought that you are my girlfriend."

But to his surprise, she just shakes her head. "N-no. It's d-definitely my luckiest day, ever. Because, even when I was being picked up and bullied by those guys. And even when I forgot to brought my cell phone with me today. I'm glad that I met you." She said innocently while her face was blushing spectacularly.

Something that she said and the way she expressed it, when she said all of that and her eyes that were looking at him was very warmth and full of sincerity. And that is the first time on all of his life since he could remember, that someone ever looked at him like that, and with that alone, he felt something within him melt away.

For the first time, he felt like he was alive. There. Somewhere deep inside, within himself, he felt it, that something was beating. Fast. And it was too fast from his liking. But, when she smiled at him, it made his heart miss a single beat if that was even possible. For all his life, he thought that he was incapable of feeling emotions but pain. Because, after so long since the last time he felt it, his sense and sensitivity became numb and fading as he grew up until there were nothing left of it. Even just recently, he could confidently said that he don't remember how it felt to be hurt. But her mere existence alone could make him questioning his own believe.

"And... about what you were saying to those guys from earlier," she was nervous and she started poking her forefinger together. "I didn't mad that you were mentioning me as your girlfriend. In fact, if you were really my boyfriend then I would be really happy. " She takes the chance to look at him then smiling. "Because I feel save around you and you're a good guy. Thank you very much, for your kindness."

What's this? He thought.

Unconsciously, his hand made its way onto his heart.

My heart is beating wildly. It's really fast. No, it's too fast. What's wrong with me? How could I felt it? This strange emotion, it's like I have something in my body. What?

"Be my girlfriend, then."

His eyes were looking straight into hers. Green-bluish eyes met lavender one.

"Eh...?"

Sorry for all the misspellings and lots of grammar error.

because English isn't my native language and I'm still earning it at school.

_Nevin c'Edelweys_