A chill mist settled in the forest, causing her clothing to cling to her body. The sound of water dripping off of surrounding plant life resounded in her ears. When she breathed, she could smell all the fresh scents of the earth brought out by the almost constant rain. In most circumstances, this situation would make for a pleasant walk. Aibori snorted. When she was alone these circumstances would make for a pleasant walk. A rogue raindrop fell from the sky and promptly landed on the tip of her nose. White tresses scraped her shoulder blades as she tilted her head back to stare at the heavens and mouthed "Why?" , wondering why she, a Jounin, had been sent on a solo mission to escort the Kazekage of the SAND Village to the Bird Country. Madness.
The Kazekage… The title echoed through her head as she looked back to take in the view of the one whom it belonged to. And, she hated to admit to herself, he really did like that view. Tall, flawlessly pale, lanky, all that crimson, messy hair, and those eyes! Pale and blue, like ice frozen overnight on a sky blue lake. He was gorgeous, and she knew it. And when he looked at her with those cold, penetrating eyes, it was hard to be upset with the situation. Alone, perfectly alone, with that… That… God!
Gaara's orbs flicked over to her own lavender ones, his expression unreadable. An angry, red blush spread over Aibori's face and she looked ahead, hoping he didn't notice the pink on her cheeks. Instead of feeling embarrassed at her blush, she felt almost furious that a man, nay anyone, could make her such silly things. The conflicted girl sped ahead, knowing her pace force him to increase his own. And he was already weak, what with all the wetness… Sand and water don't mix very well, that much was evident.
His gait was awkward and sluggish, the weight of the gourd obviously bearing down on him. She had offered, several times, to carry it for him, but he had refused with a simple "No," And besides a diplomatic greeting, that was the only word he had spoken to her. Aibori almost failed to hide her disappointment that he seemed not to take an interest in her. Well, what could you expect after all those frightful incidents he's most likely heard about… Anything you had in common with him faded away when he became less bloodthirsty. After the Chuunin exams.
Aibori subconsciously slowed as a scene from over three years ago played in her head.
It was one of those nights, where the moon was bright and high in the sky, bathing the world in its silvery light, making you feel like you had fallen into some woodland enchantment. Konoha was quiet, not eerily, but quite peacefully actually. The sky was free of any clouds, allowing one to stare into its star-ridden depths, losing yourself in the ever-shifting cosmos. It was a night to brood, to think of all you've seen and what will come to pass. For Aibori, commanding a full view of the celestial dance from the roof of her hotel, her thoughts were directed more at the upcoming final rounds of the Chuunin Exams.
Of course she wasn't afraid. Along with the Uchiha brat and that redheaded demon boy from the Sand, Aibori was feared by all those around her. After her monstrous fighting style was revealed in the Preliminaries, people had started to treat her differently. Even if she did her best to appear friendly and approachable, her violent, sadistic tendencies got in the way. Her friends were few, but they were really worth the trouble of socializing. But even her public time spent with Kyuuten and Tomoni, her beloved teammates, couldn't convince the world she wasn't a bloodthirsty fiend… Most of the time, anyway.
Aibori was more focusing on how she would manage to keep herself under control. Luckily, the matches weren't on the night of a full moon, so the general populace was safe, but she couldn't say the same about her opponent. As battle strategies began to fill her head, the nearly silent footfalls of another person distracted her from her planning. Across the road, a lone figure with blood-red hair stood, diminished from demon to boy in the blazing moonlight, on the roof of his own accommodations.
Despite her own formidable power, Aibori felt her spine stiffen as she spied Gaara of the Sand gazing at the moon. His eyes were unfocused, watching something in the sky, and he didn't seem to notice her. In a moment, she was in action. With surprising dexterity, she crept along the wooden tiles, she made not a sound. Maybe she could escape, get back to her room before he- A loose tile broke and slid down the side of the roof, taking her with it. She screamed an oath, the exclamation of "MOTHERFUCKER!" breaking the stillness of the night. She muttered "Hitoshirezu Bibu no Jutsu", willing the hidden tail to sprout from her backside and lash out to grip the side of the building, as she dug a kunai between the crack of the tiles, considerably slowing her momentum. Now that that danger was over, the danger of her situation hit her with full force as she looked up into the eyes of Gaara.
He must have used his sand to transport himself to her location. He was standing over her, staring deep into her eyes. She glared back, knowing she wouldn't die without a fight. Except… It was different. He didn't look at her like she was his prey, no, more like another predator encountering another predator. And they stared. And stared. It was a silent battle of wills, of territory, one of a very animalistic nature. The intensity of his gaze did not lessen, and she dared not let hers either. Aibori knew any signs of weakness would instantly send her into the afterlife. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the crimson-haired boy nodded, and she nodded back, knowing that they had come to an agreement: To leave each other alone for the rest of the night. Tomorrow night, if she showed up, he'd probably attempt to take her life.
And so, that was that. He immediately was over on his side of the road again, watching the night sky. And she did the same. And it was good.
"Aibori-san…" The sound of Gaara's cold, indifferent voice startled her out of her daydream. She whipped her head back to see the Kazekage panting, the weight of his gourd causing him to keel over slightly, hands on his knees. He looked up at her, pain and a desperate hope in his eyes. She softened immediately. "Kazekage-sama, would you like to stop for the night?" Aibori couldn't help but let a note of contempt creep into her voice as she addressed him. He looked up at her again, panting, and she felt fluttering in her stomach and wondered if this is what people would call "butterflies in your stomach". It was so hard to be mean when he was so… Vulnerable.
"Yes… That would be… Nice…" His sentence came out in blocks, cut off by his gasping. She quickly led him into a copse of trees and began to set up camp. Suddenly, the elements of her predicament came at her all at once.
Alone. In the same tent. With the… Kazekage. Not to mention… The VERY good-looking Kazekage who doesn't give you a second glance.
After their camp had been set up, tent, fire, food and all, Aibori volunteered to take the first watch, since he seemed exhausted. Their meal had been eaten in silence, and it felt odd speaking after such a prolonged time not saying anything. He nodded, and slipped inside the flaps of the tent, and she quickly began to get bored.
This was going to be a long night.