Disclaimer: I dont own Naruto or anything related to it!

A/N: Here's another filler chapter! Warning: Character death. I know, it sucks but its also necessary. Please enjoy and review.

So this was the problem. Gaara looked down at the tombstone before him. Kirume Imai. He had to admit Ayami was good at being secretive and it had taken him awhile to figure out what was wrong with her, almost a year. Her mother had died. The redhead remembered the old woman, after Ayami had been taken back to Kumo safely, she'd softened a bit toward him. Not that he had noticed at the time, due to his newly found outlook on life.

After helping save Matsuri, the greenette had returned home with Johana, posing as if she was fine. Gaara had been able to see through it, deciding to discover the problem. Being her friend, it was part of his responsibility to help her any way he could. And he knew Ayami was quite aware of his deeds.

Gaara thought of it as the two of them playing a mind game. She could read his thoughts and must know he was on to her deception, but instead of coming clean, wanted him to try and get the answer for himself. Though he was not a fan of this, he had more patience than the girl gave him credit for. He also understood her sadness better than anyone else. Gaara knew she must be feeling guilty after being taken from Kirume and thrown into fame as a Raikage's daughter, leaving the woman to die alone.

Looking back at the grave, he wondered why Ayami hadn't told him and insisted on bottling up her emotions. She was very open when it came to trying to help Gaara overcome his sorrow, but shut everyone of out her own.

"Its not that I didn't want to tell you" He turned to see Ayami standing beside him. She was eying the grave intensely. "I couldn't say... Kirume-sama was... dead"

"You said it just now" Gaara told her.

"Only cuz now its something that I have to allow. Its been too long" She sat crisscross before the tombstone. "For some reason, I was still holding on to the thought that she was still alive"

"You hid something like this very well. Why?" He watched her blank face.

She shrugged. "I didn't want to bother you or anyone with something I could handle myself. And no, that's not a lie"

"This is not something that would be considered a bother. You went into a depression and needed help" Upon not getting an answer from the girl, he sat next to her. "I know you think that you let Kirume-san down, but she always wanted the best for you"

"The last thing she said to me was: Ayami, come back soon. I love you" She looked up at Gaara as she said that last part. "But you know what? I didn't visit her soon at all. I was caught up with father and my life and... You"

What did she mean? "Me?" He watched her nod. "Explain"

"You were starting to come around again and I was all happy. After all that work, I was finally getting what I wanted" She said. After a pause she added, "This is not your fault. This is all my own pain"

"It is not your fault either. Having Kirume-san die was the farthest thing from your mind" Gaara told her, noting that she was avoiding his eyes.

"I know, and she was the first person that I loved. So, that means I wont ever leave her behind" She lifted her knees to her chest. The grave seemed so big, like it was towering over her. She wondered if Kirume went peacefully or if she was in pain, and sighed that she would never know. To many conflicting emotions. "I am not cut out for this" She ran a hand down her face.

"I know your not" Gaara caught her eyes. Then he stood abruptly.

"Where are you going?" Ayami asked. He thought sitting here sulking would do her no good if she said she was better, and proposed they move somewhere else. "Your going to come with me?"

He nodded once and started walking, expecting her to follow. She mumbled about at least helping her up, before going to his side. "Where we going?"

"Wherever you want" The redhead answered, turning his eyes to hers.

"Do we have to stay in Suna?"

"Of course" He was not going on a worldwide adventure with the greenette. At least not now anyway. "Where to?"

Ayami shrugged. Looking around she said,"Hm... This way!" She pointed in a random direction and grabbed Gaara's sleeve to bring him along. "I know you can walk yourself. And I can pull you too"

The boy resigned to be dragged around by the girl. This was for her benefit not his, and it had also been his idea to accompany her into town. Gaara was tired of seeing her mopey one second, then normal, then back to sad. It wasn't good for her or anyone else for the matter. And after Johana asked for his assistance-

Ayami stopped walking and turned to him. "Johana asked you for help? When? For what?"

"She asked me to help you in away way I can"

"And?"

"To not give up on you" Gaara's face was as usual but his eyes were intense. "She says you respond better to me than anyone else"

The greenette knew she was blushing. Dammit, Johana! "W-why would she say that?" Ayami knew why. She'd known why ever since Gaara had called her his friend again.

"You tell me" When the brunette had come to him, all she said was to help out her friend as much as possible. The redhead had asked why she had come to him and she'd simply said, Ayami'll listen to you. Cuz she... thinks highly of your opinion.

The girl laughed. "Opinion?" So, he didn't know yet. She started to pull his hand again. When did it stop being his sleeve? "Its cuz you hold a lot of influence over me!" Ayami lied lightly.

The redhead watched the girl infront of him. She wasn't telling the truth. "Yes I am!" The girl insisted but she didn't turn to look at him. "Cuz were almost to the flower shop!" Came her plea.

Though Gaara didn't mind that Ayami was constantly in his head, and answered before he said anything, he wondered what else she was hearing when he wasn't paying attention. He had to admit, he'd have to learn to hide things from her or it would be very hard to comfort her like this. She'd be aware of everything he would want to tell her, and have a reply ready.

"What do you think of these?" Ayami held up orange Poppies for Gaara to examine. He was just standing there, waiting for the girl to finish finding flowers for Kirume's headstone. Every time she asked about another sort, he'd nod his head, but she would hear his real thoughts about it. It wasn't that he didn't like flowers. It was that he thought they were all sufficient and suited the occasion.

"No! I have to find the right kind" She would say. Ayami was quite the opposite. She was very much into flowers and searched high and low for the ideal ones. The greenette finally decided on white Chrysanthemums and finished paying for them. She turned around looking for the redhead, where'd he go? She found him outside the store, deep in thought. "Why'd you leave me?"

"I didn't leave you" Gaara countered. Then he nodded at the girls selection of flowers.

On the way back to the grave, the boy didn't say much. Which made Ayami keep looking at him the whole time. Wasn't today his I'm gonna say a lot of words to Ayami day? Kami, she was starting to think like Johana. Upon arriving Ayami kneeled and with extra caution, gently laid the Chrysanthemums in front of the tombstone. Stepping back, she looked at it for awhile. Then she sighed with a smile.

"Ayami..." Gaara started. She turned and he watched shock spread over her face. He was holding a small bouquet of Azaleas. "Here" He extended them toward her.

The look on his face reminded her of when they were children. He would look like that when he was going to ask her something, as if he were worried at what she was going to say. Seeing it on Gaara's face now gave her that fuzzy feeling and she knew she was looking bashful. Ayami lifted her hands to receive them.

"Thank you, Gaara" She admired the gift. The flowers were white and went pink around the ends of the petals, she must have overlooked them when they had been in the store. Regardless, they were beautiful. "Really, thanks"

"Your welcome" His face relaxed back to normal.

"How come?" She asked, fighting to stop the grin from forming. He'd given her flowers! She hadn't even see him buy them. And none of his thoughts had gave it away. Gaara wanted to surprise her!

He considered her inquiry. Why had he got them for her? When he happen across the flowers in the store, he was intentionally going to suggest Ayami get them for Kirume. Then as he thought about it... He wanted to get them himself and offer the bouquet to the girl, because he was glad she was content once again. Gaara never wanted to see her so down like that another time. "Because, of all the bonds I've created with people, my connection to you is... the most meaningful"

Ayami looked up at him. He was being very sincere. A had taught her to be strong and never to show her tears to anyone, he was slightly ashamed he had ever cried. Really, it wasn't like Gaara had said... but she let her eyes just get a little damp and that was all.

Ayami was careful when she threw her arms around him this time, not wanting to damage the flowers. And he slowly returned her hug, just a little.

A/N: Well how'd you like it? Please review! Finally a bit of romance, tell me how it was. Next up: Part 2!