Gaara held back the urge to smile when the same indigo haired woman from yesterday came into his room.
"G-good morning Gaara-kun" she smiled, sitting on the chair by his bed.
He only nodded back at her focused on the bento box she had brought along with a small pack.
Gaara watched her as she bit into every onigiri she had made for him today and then placed them back into the bento box, as if she'd been doing it all her life...
"I'm s-sorry about what happend, I heard from-"
"It's all right" he said looking away while using his sand to help him eat "I deserved it after all those years of spilling the blood of the innocent"
"You're wrong" she whispered.
He eyed her a look of utter confusion on his face.
"Those are things of the past and you've changed for the better... No one, not you, or anyone else should be poisoned for something like that!" she shouted before blushing and quickly grabbing an onigiri and stuffing it in her mouth.
Gaara his ears slightly red stared at the girl before him as she swallowed, her blush only a mere pink tinge on her cheeks now.
"I m-mean everyone deserves a second chance, d-don't you think?" she shut her eyes and fiddled with her fingers 'I deserve a second chance as well, don't I?'
He looked at the wall wondering if what she said was even possible for him, the feared demon of Suna...
"I guess it's possible" he replied taking another bite of his riceball, ignoring the small smile on Hinata's face.
---
She hummed as she placed a small bucket under the sink in the bathroom that was connected to his room, dropping a small piece of cloth in the warm water.
Coming out she had her sleeves up to her elbows and with one hand she carried the bucket.
"P-please remove your clothes" she stuttered her face a light pink hue.
Gaara quirked a brow "Excuse me?"
If possible she got brighter "I-I... You p-probably haven't b-bathed in a-awhile and I thought t-that maybe you'd-"
Hinata eeped as he used his sand to take of his clothes leaving him in only boxers. Then to prop him up so he was sitting at the edge of his bed, he then looked at her with a look of indifference on his face,"Well?"
Caught staring she quickly ran and sat behind him, carefully placing the bucket at her side and wringing out some water from the cloth.
Gaara stiffened as she ran the warm cloth along his back, worried she stopped "I'm s-sorry! W-was it too hot?"
'Her touch... Why does it make my heart beat fast?'
He shook his head causing her to smile wearily and continue her work, focused on getting the job of getting him clean done.
Hinata blushed as she held the side of his face with her hand as she swabbed his face clean but as she came to his tattoo she couldn't help but stare, trying to figure out what it meant by 'love'.
Gaara's breath hitched in his throat as she fingered the kanji for love on his forehead "Love" she whispered under her breath making a shiver run down his back.
"What is..." he started but stopped short.
"Hmm?"
"What is it... What is this love?" he asked turning to look at her his eyes showing so much pain and sadness, it was so intense that she had to look away.
She looked at him their eyes looking into eachother's, "Love is..." she blushed and instantly thought of a certain blonde but pushed it away into the back of her mind and smiled sadly "I'm sorry but I don't know anymore than you do" he nodded his question still unanswered but satisfied he had acquired some new information about the girl.
'Someone like her must be loved, she should know the meaning of... Love' he suddenly sneezed breaking him out of his thoughts and catching the startled girl's attention, "Ah! I'm so sorry Gaara-kun, please forgive me you must be freezing!" she quickly wiped a dry towel against his body frantically, Gaara unable to do anything but squirm and grunt.
---
"You can come in now"
Hinata entered the room watching the red head as he used his sand to put a beige colored long sleeved shirt over his head, "I'm sorry if my cousin's clothes are a bit too big" she giggled as the collar of the shirt hung low and the sleeves went past his hands, while the pants almost went past his ankles.
Gaara stared at her "You stopped stuttering" he pointed out making her eyes widen at his proclamation before her cheeks lit up and she smiled cheekily "I guess you're right and you're starting to talk more"
He didn't know why but he liked that smile of her's, also her laugh, and not to mention the way her cheeks would flush... He liked alot about her and he was afraid of this new feeling he was experiencing at the pit of his stomach, it felt like someone let loose a hoard of butterflies inside his stomach, it was such a foreign feeling to him.
"You're name what is it? From your eyes... You're Hyuuga are you not?"
"My name is Hinata but I'm not a Hyuuga"
"Oh" he was sure by the pupiless white eyes, though her's were a slight lilac color that she was of the Hyuuga clan.
"Well those who are banished from the clan, are no longer of the Hyuuga" she said.
"I'm sor-"
"It's alright you didn't know, I should be the one who should be sorry for not introducing myself" she smiled, her forgiving nature astounding him.
"Hinata..."
"Yes?"
"You apoligize too much" he smirked at the light blush that appeared on her cheeks.
"I'm sorry-"
There was suddenly a knock at the door drawing their attention away from eachother and instead onto the door. The knocking came again except louder before a voice was heard from the other side, "I don't care what you're doing in there, we're coming in anyway!" the door slammed open to reveal a blonde haired girl with four pigtails and a boy with light brown hair with make up on his face.
"Hey there little bro, you feeling any bet-" the brown haired one stopped he he noticed Hinata.
"Well hello there, haven't seen you around the village before" the boy inched closer to Hinata, his hand on her shoulder.
"Kankuro you idiot, you're scaring the poor girl!" screeched the blonde woman as she punished the boy by punching him on the head.
Feeling out of place Hinata turned to Gaara, "Please forgive me Gaara-kun but I must take my leave, I'll see you in the morning" she smiled warmly at him.
Though he was disappointed he nodded giving her permission, "Good night... Hinata-chan" he looked away not sure what her reaction would be to the added suffix after her name, to his surprise she didn't disapporve of it but she didn't approve of it either she just blushed and quickly left with a wave... Leaving Gaara with his two gawking siblings.
Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews, please R&R...