one. Curious.
Gaara's eyes stared with no emotion out into the trees. Behind them ran thoughts, vivid images of his past and present. His heart ached from the confusion and pain that had been thrust into it mercilessly. It begged to relax. But mostly it begged to love.
Gaara constantly pondered the meaning of love- and overall, its very existence. Did this invisible, untouchable emotion really have the power to heal any wound? If only he could find it; he could be invincible. Immortal. But most importantly, content. He would finally understand all he needed to, and while he lived out the rest of his eternal life, perhaps he could even smile.
Shukaku laughed from deep within him, shaking the dreams of peace from Gaara's head. Be honest to yourself, it demanded. Gaara's silence persisted.
The figure of a girl worked its way up onto the ledge where Gaara stood, and if he had cared enough to spare even a glance, he would have instantly recognized the figure as 'that Kinosa girl," the girl that simply refused to let him be, on sunny days and rainy days alike. He had first met her on a foggy hour of full-moon, when, in the early morning, the beautiful sphere bearing the color of soft creme was so close it seemed to be nudging the entire village with its calming edges. He sat alone at first, buried beneath the tempting sky, until she came and sat with him. Her presence was light but definite, and and he almost immediately grabbed her wrist with a twisting cylinder of sand. "Who are you?" he had demanded to know, and soon he was listening to her short responses to every and any question he asked of her.
He's never been so amused, or even fascinated with another human that he questioned himself on the honest nessecity to kill another living being.
Then she'd leave, and Shukaku would would pull him out of her wild, sweet imagination.
Sometimes Gaara really hated Shukaku. As a sand spirit forced inside Gaara's body, Shukaku felt he had the right to control everything they did, and even thought. He had no way of fighting against it either- being human, he felt inferior.
Shukaku liked to toy with Akashi. Gaara himself didn't care much either way; she was a foolish, lonely girl his age and if anything, she deserved the mixed signals Shukaku so enjoyed sending her. Occasionally, something just a little over-the-top would come out of his mouth or occur based upon his own body's movement, and Gaara would feel a quick, sharp, shooting pain from his heart to his throat, but other than that, he was emotionless.
Kinosa Akashi. Such a silly girl, but even as silly as she was she's never upset either of them to the point that one of the spirits fully took over the body that housed them, releasing their anger completely.
Not yet, anyway. And hopefully it never would.
Gaara didn't know why such a thought crossed his mind, but he soon forgot it as he turned towards the incoming Akashi.
"Gaara," her gentle voice murmered, nearly out of breath. "I've brought you something."
She didn't waste time as she slipped something out of her pocket. Gaara's eye caught it without a thought to back it up, and he turned towards her, staring down at her clenched fist. Had he bothered to look at her face, he would have seen her blushing.
"I know you prefer full moons, but-" here she opened her hands- "I wanted to distinguish it from just a round rock, or a skipping stone." In between her fingers was a brilliant stone of white and creme, shaped as a crescent moon. He stared down at it, unsure of what to say. Akashi continued to cease the rise of an awkward silence, "I used a kunai for the basic shape, then smother the edges with sand."
Gaara stared a moment longer before grabbing ahold of himself again. Shukaku laughed eagerly inside of him.
"I've never received a gift before..." His fingers hovered over the beautiful offering, "...nor do I need one." He shot away from her, knocking the stone from her hand in the process. Akashi seemed unphased.
"Well it's yours now, I've no need for it. If you wish it dust and creaky floorboards, so be it." Not a hint of hurt or defeat of any kind could be detected anywhere in her voice, however the glint of excitement that was there in her eyes when she had first presented her gift had vanished. Gaara, too, remained stoic.
"What do you want?" he demanded.
"To check on you. The final exam is tomorrow."
"You're a stupid girl for bothering be just for that."
"I only wish to help."
"You do naught but get in my way."
Akashi sighed softly, but nodded. "As you wish, then; I'll leave. But please consider keeping that stone with you. In a pouch, a pocket, anywhere." She paused, an air of unease about her, before continuing. "It is destined to bring you success."
"I need no trinket to bring myself success."
"So you say." The nervous air was still about her, though Gaara didn't notice it, Shukaku did- and he knew exactly why it was there..... "Goodbye for now, Gaara of the Desert."
She started down the railing again when she stopped once more, looking up at her friend with wide green eyes. The moon-stone was inches from her fingers. She opened her mouth, as if to speak again, but soon simply closed it after saying nothing. Then she restarted her trip to the ground.
Gaara glanced over at the stone. After a long while, he walked over and snatched it from the floor. It felt warm and smooth in his hand; surely from the sand.
He wondered if she had possibly used his sand.
Gaara never had a perfect life. Not one second of any year he had yet lived had ever been a happy one, not even close to happy. Except, perhaps, two...
The first occured when he was much younger, and hours later is was proven false. Details of this encounter were forcefully lost in his memory, hidden away in the back of his mind so as not to be remembered.
The second...
Gaara stared at the small moon-stone in the palm of his hand. With his fingers, he traced the faint gold-ish lines in the white rock. He showed no sign of emotion whatsoever, only stared at it and felt it in his hand.
Kinosa Akashi was nothing special. In fact, she was anything but. Her life was ordinary. Her face was ordinary. Her skills were ordinary. She acted strange, but she was not, in fact, strange. Simply alone.
If this was the case, then why did he not force her to leave him be, or just kill her? If this was the case...
Why did he feel... alive.... with her?
With their occasional meetings as the exception, Gaara only felt alive during the time he spent killing others, taking lives. A good fight tamed his thirst for blood, a killing made it stronger. Blood was his addiction.
Akashi had become his antidrug.
Gaara then realized he hated her, for now he had to reconsider all he thought he knew. He figured he had most of this 'life' concept down- eat, drink, kill, sleep with eyes open. Dedicate self-existence to the demon inside of him. Easy enough; with this he could put aside his contemplations of 'love' and the like.
But damn that girl for living, for approaching her. Damn her! With her in the way, he is confused.
Gaara turned, his eyes peeking out from his burning red hair, and stared up at the sky. "Too early for rooftops," he muttered, then sulked off into the darkness of his room.