For the Love of Gaara
Friendship
A few days pass and Sahara is well enough to go home. Temari and Gaara escort her home. She is walking with crutches but wants to leave them behind. They are cumbersome and awkward to use. Gaara opens the door and helps her sit down at the kitchen table. Temari has already made lunch for everyone. Sahara tries not to look directly at Gaara in front of Temari.
"Here is your medicine Sahara." Temari hands her some pills and she takes them finishing off her milk. "You need to rest. I will help you to your room.
Sahara obeys her. She's like a Sahara's mother. Direct and to the point. She is also caring and gentle with Sahara.
"Temari?" Sahara ask. "Do you remember your mother?"
Temari is taken aback. No one ever asked her about her mother before. "A little, why?"
"I miss mine." Sahara say with tears in her eyes.
"I was very young when my mother died giving birth to Gaara." Temari remembers.
"Do you blame him for her death?" Sahara asks Temari.
"I used to when I was young. I didn't understand what happened. One day she was there and the next she was gone, and I had another baby brother. I thought it was Gaara's fault she died but it's not. I know that now. I don't hate or blame him anymore." Temari say sadly. "You need not worry I will take care of you until your father gets back."
"Thank you Temari." Sahara smiles.
"Get some rest." Temari says.
Sahara drifts off to sleep. Later Temari wakes her and gives her medicine again and something to eat. She goes back to sleep. Must be the medication that makes her so sleepy. Her thoughts drift off.
A few days pass and Sahara is walking on her cast without the crutches. The doctor changed the cast to a walking cast. The leg is healing nicely. Temari and Sahara have become good friends and Gaara has become closer to her as well.
Word comes that Baki is coming back from Konoha tomorrow. Sahara is glad that her father is coming home but sad too because that means Temari and Gaara are going to leave and go back to their homes. That night Sahara feels lonely and sneaks into the room where Temari sleeps.
"Temari," Sahara whispers, "are you awake?"
"What is it Sahara?" Temari asks. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes," Sahara says."It's just that once Father comes home I am going to miss having you and Gaara here."
"It's ok Sahara." Temari senses Sahara is feeling like a child missing it parent. "Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"
"Could I?" Sahara squeaks.
"Sure." Temari says. "You will still see us around the village."
I know," Sahara says "But it just won't be the same. I wish we could all live here together. I mean this house is big enough."
"I don't know if Baki sensei and Gaara could live under the same roof?" Temari laughs.
"Yeah." Sahara laughs too. Then the two of them settle down and fall asleep.
Later that night Baki arrives back home. He goes to Sahara's bedroom to check on her. She's not in her room. He bangs on Gaara's bedroom door.
"Where is she!" Baki barks at Gaara.
"In her room." Gaara growls.
"No she's not I just checked!" He yells.
"What's going on!" Temari steps into the hallway half asleep. "You're going to wake Sahara."
Baki turns around to see Temari. "She's not in her room!"
"Oh, she's in mine." Temari says. "Baki sensi we didn't expect you until morning."
"Is she alright?" Gaara ask.
"I couldn't wait to see her so I kept going without sleeping to get home." Baki says.
"She's alright. She just couldn't sleep because she was excited about seeing you and sad that we will be leaving." Temari adds.
"Well I need to see her." Baki says. Temari opens the door for him. He walks in and gently picks up his daughter from the bed. It's like when she was a little girl and he used to bring her to bed when she fell asleep on the sofa. Now she is a young woman. Heavier then he remembers. Maybe because of the cast he thinks.
"Father! You're home." She hugs him around the neck. "I missed you so much."
A tear rolls down his cheek. "I missed you too my girl."
He carries her to her room and puts her to bed. He tucks her in like a child. "Go back to sleep. I will see you in the morning."
Baki my be a fierce shinobi but his words are gentle when it comes to Sahara. This is the longest he has been away from her since her mother died. And to top that off she this was the first time Sahara has been hurt so badly and he couldn't be there for her. It angered him not to be able to take care of his only child. Sahara is growing up before his eyes and he is missing it. She looks like her mother more and more each day. Baki closes her door and tells Temari and Gaara that he is going to bed and will speak to them in the morning.
Sahara lies in bed staring out her window. Unable to sleep she senses she is not alone. She never hear the door but knows he is there.
"It's alright Gaara, you can come out of the shadows. I"m not asleep." she says.
"How did you know I was there?" Gaara asks.
"I smelled your sand" Sahara laughs. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone you came into my room."
"I was worried when Baki sensi couldn't find you. I didn't know where you were" Gaara says.
"Gaara," Sahara's voice softens "I am going to miss you when you leave tomorrow."
Gaara's heart begins to pound. She's going to miss me! "Surely you must be tired of me being around all the time. I bet you can't wait to get rid of me."
"You're right" Sahara laughs. "I'm tired of sand all over the house."
Gaara laughs too.
"Seriously Gaara. I feel we have become good friends these past couple of weeks. I hope we can still see each other after you leave." Sahara's voice is somber.
"Sure," says Gaara. "You will see me so often around the village you will be sick of me."
"Will you stay with me tonight?" Sahara motions for him to lay next to her.
Gaara slides down next to her on the bed. He lays on top of the covers. She puts her head on his chest. He holds her tight to him. He buries his face in her soft brown hair. He inhales her scent.
So sweet. He gently passes his hand on her cheek wiping away her tears. She looks up at him with her deep green eyes. He smiles at her. She closes them and drifts off to sleep. He is going to miss her too. He closes his eyes and sleeps a deep sleep like he has never known. The Shukaku doesn't stir one bit the rest of the night.
Gaara wakes before everyone else. He gently slips away from Sahara. Hopefully Baki didn't come and check on her again during the night. He would probably kill Gaara if he knew that he spent the night in her room. But it wasn't the first time he did. It was however the first time he lay next to her and slept. He watched over Sahara the first few nights she was in the hospital and when she came home. He was going to make sure she was OK. He wouldn't be able to face Baki if something terrible happened to Sahara while he was there. Maybe that's why he got so worried when Baki couldn't find her before. Quietly he slipped back into the room he was staying in across the hall from hers. After breakfast Temari and Gaara pack their things and say goodbye. Baki thanks both of them for taking care of Sahara.
