Hello Gaara-lovers and overall Naruto fans! Okay, so, small note: this is being written because it has to get out of my system so I can focus on all the other things I should be writing. Honestly, my other fanfics are sitting and rotting slowly while this story pokes at the back of my mind, going, "Write me, write me!" Well, it's been written. Happy, you pesky little muses, you? Now I can get back to doing other things. I don't know how many people will actually read this, anyhow...it's not a yaoi, which is all people seem to want to read in the Naruto section...bleh. Well, enjoy, if you possibly can.

Gaara stopped first to stare at the tiny clump of white that lay on the ground. Curious, Temari stopped too. The way it glistened in the sunlight made it appear to her just like snow. But then her eyes caught its closed and quivering eyes and its questing feet.

'A kitten?'

She looked at Gaara, whose eyes were fixed on the newborn animal. His features were as still as ever, but even so he seemed to be waiting for something. Not far from its graceless steps, the little creature's siblings and mother lay in what little shade there was. Helplessly, the kitten cried out for its mother.

It was useless; Temari knew this at once. All of the other newborns were smoky gray, just like the mother herself. She would not recognize the little white kitten as her own. She glanced at Gaara again, waiting for him to lose interest in the kitten.

He didn't. For a reason she couldn't place, Temari became annoyed.

'What is he waiting for?'

He just kept staring at it.

Finally, when it seemed as if he would never move, Gaara's hands swooped down to pick up the kitten. He held it up in the air, ignoring its protesting mews and persistent struggling. He examined it for several seconds and then lowered it to settle against his chest. It kept struggling, but Gaara did not put it down. He started to walk away.

Temari was stunned in her spot. She did manage to catch up with him only after the strength of her bewilderment lessened. That did not mean that it actually went away.

Normally, she didn't question Gaara's actions. He did the things he did because he needed to do them; this was Gaara's mindset, and it had not changed. Gaara had picked up the kitten because he needed to.

"It's a girl," Gaara said softly, offhandedly, mostly to himself; but he ended up jerking Temari out of her musings. The almost inaudible murmur baffled her even more, though she knew he was referring to the white, insignificant little animal in his arms. It had stopped struggling now. Temari didn't quite know how to reply. Was she even expected to reply?

"Um…o-oh…I see."

Gaara's eyes flickered in her direction for a moment, in a sign of awareness. He looked ahead at the road and spoke again. "I'm going to call her Yukiko. 'Yuki' for 'snow' and 'ko' for 'child'."

Temari frowned, her brow creasing with worry, though she wasn't sure if she should be worried or not. But there was a question she had to ask. Home was only a few steps away, and in a few steps Gaara could easily avoid her question. She had to ask it.

"Gaara…what…made you pick up that kitten?"

Gaara hesitated to answer. It seemed he didn't even know himself. He stopped walking. The creases in Temari's brow doubled in number.

"Gaara?"

"She…needed someone. And I think…I wanted to be the one…she needed."

Gaara mulled this answer over in his own mind as Temari took it in herself. It was a strange answer for Gaara, but somehow it clicked into place as perfectly as if it belonged. In a warped way, it seemed…right.

Satisfied with his own reasoning, Gaara fixed his eyes ahead of him and took the few steps to home. Temari followed.

She was going to have to get used to these changes.

Did you like it? I hope so. I plan to continue on with this stuff. More kitten drabbles. Yay. :) Erm...I would very much appreciate some constructive criticism, because some of the stuff in here felt incredibly forced to me and I wonder if it's affected the quality of the writing...so, yes, please review with good, useful things. Thank you, and I hope you continue to read.