The moon shone through the porthole-shaped windows of the Kazekage office, casting a silver glow over the red-headed teen who sat behind the desk reading reports.
There was a shy knock at the door.
Gaara came out of his thoughts.
"Just a minute!"
He stood up, reaching for his maroon overcoat and putting it on over his black tee-shirt, buttoning the front closed hurriedly.
"Come in," he called softly, returning to his cushioned office chair.
From behind the door came a petite kunoichi with shoulder-length brown hair. Her dark eyes glanced around the office.
"You summoned me, Kazekage-sama?"
"Yes. And, if you please..." He paused awkwardly. "We're alone, Matsuri. There's no need for such grandiose titles."
"W-what should I call you, sir?"
"By my given name."
"B-but that's against protocol!"
Gaara smiled faintly. "It's not, if I've given you permission."
"A-alright... Gaara..."
"See? It's not so bad." He rose from his chair. "Come with me. I have something to tell you before it's too late."
"Where to? What kind of thing?"
"Just out on the roof. No one will see us; it's past 10:00 PM."
Matsuri nodded and followed him.
Gaara leaned against the cool adobe wall of the Kazekage office building.
"Where do I begin? There's so much to tell you, Matsuri... but not enough time to say it all."
She waited patiently, planting her feet firmly on the roof at a respectful distance, hands clasped politely behind her.
"At some point in this conversation, I'm going to tell you some things that you may not already know."
"I'm listening."
He took a deep breath. "I'll start from a long time ago. When I was 6 years old, my oji-san used to let me out of my room to find some friends to play with. I would sit on the swings and watch them playing tag, or some sort of ball game. I... I was very lonely."
"Why are you telling me this, sir?"
"Patience is a virtue. Now would be a good time to practice."
"Ah, sorry. Continue."
He nodded. "I remember that the other children of the village hated me. I tried numerous times to become friends with them, but someone would always get hurt in the end. They ran away every time, and I used my sand in an attempt to make them stay and play with me. One time, Shukaku almost killed a little girl my age, My oji-san threw himself in front of the sand blast in order to protect her. He knew that I cared about him, and wouldn't intentionally harm him."
"Oh. I had no idea it was that hard for you."
Gaara shrugged. "I was used to it, I guess. But... it hurt me... my chest literally ached because I was lonely."
"Does it still hurt now?"
"Sometimes."
"I'm sorry that you still have to feel like that."
"I have friends now, and I know that I'm not alone in the world. It's comforting to me."
"So... whatever happened to your uncle? I mean, you once told me he killed himself in front of you..."
"Oji-san came into my room that night before tending to my siblings, and I apologized for hurting him. I asked him what pain was; being Shukaku's host meant that the sand would protect me from any physical harm. I tried to cut myself many times, thinking that maybe I could make myself feel pain, but the sand would always get in the way. Oji-san explained that it was my mother who was protecting me with the sand; so that I wouldn't get hurt. It loved me like a mother, and I often called it by that name when I got older. He cut his finger so I could see the blood, and said that when a blade cuts through the skin... it hurts, but it will heal over time with medicine. I became curious and told him that I wasn't bleeding, but my chest hurt sometimes. He replied that it was a wound of the heart: a wound that would never fully heal without a special kind of medicine."
"What was it?"
"There is a saying in the ancient language of the Sunagakure priests: 傷ついた心は、愛だけで癒されることができます."
" 'A wounded heart can only be cured with love'..." she translated slowly. "What kind of love?"
"It wouldn't matter, so long as I obtain it."
"And...have you found a way to get it?"
"I've already received it."
"Huh?"
"My siblings, my sensei, my people... they all love me unconditionally, and I would do anything to protect them."
"So... what exactly are you telling me that I don't know?"
"That I've slowly been able to return their feelings."
"I knew that already, sir..."
"It's 'Gaara'."
"H-hai..."
"Anyways..."
She waited anxiously.
"There is one person in this village that has awakened my ability to love in a way that I've never thought possible, never experienced before."
"What kind of love is that?"
"Romance. The kind of love you only see in movies, because there are shinobi principles about hiding our emotions."
"She must be a lucky girl, whoever she is..." Matsuri said wistfully.
"Oh?"
"Well... you're so handsome..."
"I've never considered myself to be physically pleasing to the eye. And beauty is superficial."
"You're totally gorgeous, Gaara. It's me who isn't attractive..."
Both faces flushed crimson.
"A-ano... I hope that wasn't out of protocol, to say it in such a way..."
"No, you're fine," he assured her. "It's not a crime to say that the Kazekage is good-looking."
She sighed. 'I want to ask who this girl is, but I think that question may be too personal.'
"And... I don't know why you think you're not pretty."
"But... I'm so plain, and I'm clumsy, and..."
"I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
She gasped.
"I've fallen in love with you, Matsuri."
A myriad of emotions washed over her in the space of a few seconds.
"I've been in love with you ever since I rescued you from Seimei. I just didn't know how to identify it back then. I'm sorry I waited so long to say anything."
"B-but that's superficial, if you-"
"It's not just your body," he interrupted hurriedly, eager to explain himself to the fullest extent. "It's your heart, your gentle personality, your kindness to others. To me."
"But you could have any one of the girls. Why choose me?"
"They can't compare, no matter how virtuous they may be. You've become sure of who you are, and you don't let anyone tell you differently. That's what I fell in love with. The fact that you're pretty is just a bonus."
Tears gathered quickly at the edge of her eyelids.
"We've gone out together, and kissed, and you didn't dislike it, so I... I want to take our relationship further than what it is."
"What are you saying, all of a sudden?"
"I want it to be serious between us."
One tear fell.
The rest followed as she realized he was asking to become a couple.
After all this time of waiting, and seemingly hopeless flirting, and shy kisses shared in rare, precious moments of being completely alone together...
"You... love me?"
"Deeply."
She smiled through her tears.
"I wanted to tell you before the war started. I... I would never forgive myself if you died and never knew about my feelings. And maybe... when this war is over, we can..."
"Can what?"
"Only if you want to, of course..."
"W-what is it?"
He blushed. "I'm a little too busy right now to make time for it, but... when the Allied Shinobi Forces win the war, and if we're both alive, would you be willing to...how should I say this...?"
Her eyes lit up in realization.
"Matsuri...will you marry me?"
She gasped again, tears still pouring down her flushed cheeks.
"G-Gaara-sama! What are you saying?!"
"I'm just as serious as I was before. I want to marry you."
"I... I don't know what to say...!"
"It's a 'yes or no' question."
"I—yes, sir—"
He came from the shadows and wrapped his arms around her. They kissed passionately.
When they parted several moments later, she leaned her head on his chest.
"I thought you'd never even consider-"
"Don't be ridiculous. You should have seen this coming from the moment you were summoned."
"I... it did cross my mind, but... I took it as a stupid fantasy, and decided that you were sending me on some covert mission somewhere."
"I have one condition, though..." He released her. "I'll break the news to the other girls. I don't want you bragging to them about it."
"What makes you think I'd-?"
"Because you girls are love rivals. You won. They didn't."
"Oh... poor Sari-chan... she'll be heart-broken."
"Sari and Kankurou-nii-san have a good friendship. I've asked him to keep an eye on her and make sure she's ok. He's more sensitive to this kind of thing than he lets on."
"If that's been taken care of, then you have my vow of silence, sir."
He nodded. "I'll have your ring made up as soon as there's time. Now go back to bed. You'll need your strength tomorrow."
"But what about..." She flushed bright pink.
"We'll do that some other night, dearest. I promise."
'Dearest'? I'm gonna have to get used to that...
"Aww... alright. Well... good night."
"Sleep well, Matsuri." He pressed his lips to her forehead.
Owari.