Kankouro sighed, and leant back in the chair he was seated in. He shot a disgusted glance at the paperwork he had left on the desk and looked around the room. Helping Gaara was something that he didn't want to do too often, with this much paperwork.
Helping Gaara.
The two simple words echoed around his head, twisting round and round. Helping Gaara wasn't something he was used to. Something he should have done more often.
He looked over at the Kazekage that was seated at the other end of the desk. The mop of red hair. The rimmed aquamarine eyes. The mouth that hardly smiled. The smooth, pale skin. The brother he should love.
Brother.
He was related to Gaara through blood only. It wasn't like he tried to get closer to him. He didn't attempt to help him. He didn't try to aid him. He ran. He ran away from the one person he could call a brother. He didn't try.
Murderer.
The ghosts of the people that Gaara had disappeared. They were ghosts. Mere shadows. They were gone, but left stains upon Gaara. It seemed that with every death, the sand grew. With every death…every murder, it seemed that the sand flew quicker. That Gaara encased himself further and further into his shell. Into his sand protection.
He should have helped. He didn't.
Running.
He saw them. Running away. Running as fast at they could. Their eyes wide with the fear that they had just passed Sabaku no Gaara. An event they never wanted to happen again. They continued running. They didn't stop. It hurt him. It hurt that he used to run. The times when they were forced to stay in the same room. He had never looked him in the eye. He had kept his composure the whole time, but cowered inside.
He was useless. A fake person. Not worthy to be a ninja. Not worthy to be related to Gaara.
He couldn't take it anymore. He stood up purposefully, knocking his chair back, and strode over to Gaara, standing behind him. Gaara looked up, his eyes widening slightly at how close he was. "Yes?"
Kankouro looked down, and his grip on the back of Gaara's chair tightened. "G-Gaara. I'm sorry. About when we were younger. I ran away from you, and I shouldn't have. I was wrong. You've changed Gaara. I'm…I'm proud to have you as a brother," he finally said after a long pause, going slowly red.
Gaara's eyes widened further. "I-I'm proud to be called your brother."
Kankouro smiled, and gently lowered one hand onto Gaara's shoulder. Gaara stiffened, then relaxed slowly. It was the first time that Kankouro had touched him. And he liked it. Kankouro would never allow himself to be so daring. Gaara would never had allowed him. Kankouro smirked to himself.
Gaara smiled. "Thank you….Kankouro-nii-sama."