A/N: I've known the ending for so long, and I couldn't stand to see this story go unfinished. Thank you all for your patience and understanding. Enjoy~


A young Gaara sat on a swing, lonely, clutching a small bear. He turned toward a group of children playing kickball and sighed softly, pulling up the drooping bear and hugging it close to his chest. 'My only friend,' he thought solemnly, the swing rocking forward and back with the breeze.

Soon, a stray red ball rolled up next to his leg, making him look toward a group of children. They were all staring at him, their eyes filling with fear. As if on command, the sandy ground moved, raising the ball into Gaara's small arms. He jumped off the swing and stepped toward the group. He smiled desperately, hoping no one would run from him this time. He took another step forward.

As always, the children took a step back. One of them screamed and they all ran away.

Today was different, though; a young girl lingered behind. She was unafraid, but hesitant. She approached Gaara with an unfamiliar sweetness, tinged with caution. Her simple brown hair rested messily just below her ears and her soft, violet eyes shone with curiosity and innocence. Her dark blue overalls hung too big on her little shoulders and the maple shirt that clung to her skin was stained with dirt. Gaara's eyes bore into hers as she came closer and the sand blew nervously in the wind.

"Hi," she piped with not one hint of fear in her voice. He blinked. She wasn't much bigger than he was.

Gaara gazed over her with wonder. She smiled at him and sat onto the grass, crossing her legs. The young redheaded boy was bewildered at the sight of her: someone not afraid of him. Besides his uncle, Yashamaru, this young girl was the only one to approach him.

"What's your name?" Gaara asked, his eyes not once leaving her. The sand circled the bright red ball that lay lonely, as Gaara once did.

"Yuuki," she said, still smiling at him. She had broken leaves in her hair, he noticed. Without warning, his lips raised at the corners. "It means courage, at least that's what my mom told me..."

Her eyes and smile fell and she turned her face downward, picking at the blades of grass. "I already know your name... My sister told me stories about you... It must get lonely all by yourself."

Gaara froze for a second and the slight smile he held onto turned downward. His voice lowered, and he closed his eyes. "It does."

"It's just so wrong..." She spoke, her eyes beginning to gloss over. "It's not your fault Kazekage-sama decided to... Put that thing in you... No one should be left out because of what they can't control."

Gaara let out a soft laugh and Yuuki turned her face to him. Big tears welled in her eyes and her face scrunched into a cringe. Gaara stood from the swing, choosing a spot on the grass next to Yuuki instead.

Several children watched from a distance, the smaller ones hiding behind the legs of their older siblings. The clouds were just beginning to gather while they stood and stared at the two children talking in the grass.

"That Yuuki girl is so stupid. Gaara could kill her for absolutely no reason," one of the older children spoke, their face painted with disgust.

"She's just going to end up dead. Just another corpse on the hands of the Kazekage's son," another commented. "It's her own fault, entertaining that damned monster..."

"Courage? More like idiot!" One of the smaller ones squeaked.

"Let's go, I don't want to watch," said a child at the front of the crowd. He led them away, while a few younger children lingered behind, staring in awe, before leaving the two by themselves.

"You're lonely a lot, aren't you Gaara-san?" She asked, looking to the sky. The gathering clouds made the once soft blue sky turn grey. The tears in her eyes fell straight down her cheeks, and she sniffled.

"Yes, I am..." He stared at his hands, lifting the sand hidden below the grass and letting it fall through his fingers. "I wonder why the sand protects me so much... If it didn't, I probably wouldn't even be here..."

Yuuki looked at him, sad and surprised. "But why not, Gaara-san?"

"Because life isn't worth living if you don't have anyone to live it with."

It seemed the world around him beat with his heart as the sun was swallowed by storm clouds. The slow drizzle that began masked the flowing tears from Yuuki. As the rain began to pour, the sand around the two lifted, shielding them in a sand igloo. Yuuki's tears flowed down her face, and she stared out at the hard rain.

"I like you, Gaara-san... But that's no reason to keep on living."

Gaara gasped softly, overcome with confusion and... joy? He stared at her, hard, unable to find the questions to the answers she spoke. "Having to live for something... Someone... Isn't it meant to be your life?"

She finally met his gaze. He felt his face growing warmer and the sand around them began to quiver. His voice got caught in his throat while embarrassment covered his cheeks.

She looked away from him. "I'm no one to live for. Besides, if you live for someone else, who's gonna live for you?"

His fingers curled into his palms.

"I understand what you're feeling, though," She continued, stretching her legs out toward the opening of the dome. The quivering stopped. "My mom... Lived her whole life for him and us...We didn't love her enough for it, I think... I thought I did..."

Gaara's eyes widened, his heart lost in a vast array of confusion and foreign empathy. Yuuki shook her head, as if to shake away her sadness. "I know it wasn't us... But you can't help but think about it... My sister was the last one she talked to before they died. She said, 'Don't let anyone stop you from living the life you're supposed to. You know what's right in your hearts'."

She pulled her knees to her chest, and her face fell. "She killed him, but couldn't live with herself. My sister was the one that found them."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Gaara said, finally finding his voice.

Yuuki let out a small laugh. "Those kids out there... They aren't good people. After they died... They know of our sadness but only see how poor we are."

Gaara furrowed his brow and looked her over. The legs of her overalls were patched and stitched, specked with mud and hiding her feet. The soles of her sandals were much more worn than he'd ever seen, and the edges of her pants were fraying. At a second glance, he realized her garments were handmade.

"I know you're the son of the Kazekage, but I figured you'd understand... I'm lonely a lot, too."

He felt himself smile. She stared out at the rain, watching it beat into the grass. "They call you a monster... But you're a very nice person."

His heart sank at the word 'monster'. 'They aren't wrong,' he thought. He didn't understand what he was at all and so many people have already suffered because of him. How could anyone think of him as a nice person? How could she just ignore the evil that brewed his worst nightmares? How could she think he was nice?

"Would you want to be friends?"

Gaara's eyes widened, his thoughts frozen in place. Thunder crackled in the distance, although the rain seemed to soften. She wasn't afraid of him.

Yuuki turned to face him, her cheeks reddening with each passing moment. Lightning struck overhead and his thoughts came crashing down. She didn't have any friends either. This was a first for the both of them.

"Umm..." He just barely made any noise, a testament to his lost voice. "Y-yes. I would like that..."

A grin shone across Yuuki's face, followed by a soft laugh. Gaara felt the warmth from his cheeks reaching into his chest. 'She wants to be my friend,' he thought. 'But why isn't she afraid of me?' His mind whispered the negatives, the paranoia of his inner demons eating at the warmth in his heart. As suddenly as he felt her hand on his, the whispers silenced. She really was his friend. Their eyes met for a moment and the warmth of skin between them held them in place, as if time stood still.

Yuuki was the first to break eye contact, her eyes darting to the entrance of the sand dome. The rain had finally stopped. Her eyes grew at the sight of the soft orange sky, and her grip tightened as realization set in. The spell was broken, and time had been passing them by.

"I have to go," declared Yuuki suddenly, pulling her hand away from him. As she began to crawl for the exit, she turned back to him. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Gaara nodded, a smile spreading across his face. She returned a small nod and made her way out of their sand sanctuary. He saw her stand and disappear. Somehow, the ache for solitude in his heart held the sand over him. He sighed deeply, and pulled his knees to his chest. 'I have a friend,' he thought. 'She's hurt just like I have...'

The sand above him began to settle into the ground around him, and he stood, looking out into the distance. The sun painted the sky a soft orange and the clouds disappeared behind him. 'Maybe... We're the same...' With a small hop in his step, he went to collect his bear from the swing. 'One and the same...'