Cured
Chapter 9

Tetsumari and Gaara sat down next to each other again when they arrived to class. They were pretty early that day so they just waited till class to start with each other.

"Gaara," Tetsumari said.

"Yeah?" He replied back.

"Why don't you come each lunch with Temari, Kankurou, and I today."

"Oh… I'm going to be busy, but if I'm finished with what I'm doing sooner, I'll go see you at lunch." He gave her a small smile, but it didn't satisfy her. It seemed that he was still shaken up with the incident about Yashamaru.

"Are you okay Gaara?"

"Yeah… Why do you ask?"

"Because… you've been acting quite different since the whole incident about Yashamaru," Gaara looked away.

"Oh don't worry…" Tetsumari wanted to ask him more, but class was beginning to start.

"Good morning everyone," Karuke-sensei began. He went on with that day's long and boring lesson. Tetsumari barely even talked with Gaara that time, she just stared at him. She was thinking how he was acting strangely and also about the incident too. She couldn't find out what it was, but he was just different. Gaara didn't smile at her much; it was like he was getting distant from her in a strange way. As class went by, lunch finally started. Gaara left and didn't even say bye to Tetsumari so she just went to eat with Temari and Kankurou.

"Tetsumari, what is seriously going on with you and my brother," Temari joked, "You guys are always with each other since you met him. Are you guys dating or something?"

"What! No!" Tetsumari replied embarrassed.

"Uh hm"

"We saw you staring at him all day during class," Kankurou teased.

"You stalkers!" they laughed. The two siblings kept teasing Tetsumari the whole time until lunch was over. They all headed to class and took their seats. When Tetsumari took her seat, she noticed Gaara wasn't back yet.

"Where is he?" she thought worried, "Hope he'll arrive soon or he's going to get in trouble."

She started with her class work quietly.

You're late," Tetsumari heard Karuke-sensei scold, but she didn't bother to look up to see who he was talking to. She just knew that whoever it was, they were going to get in big trouble.

"Sorry," a boy apologized.

"It's okay, go to your seat." Tetsumari then heard the boy's footstep walking towards her.

"Tetsumari…" he whispered to her. She looked up and realized that it was Gaara.

"Gaara, where were you?" Tetsumari whispered back.

"Oh it's just something... do you want me to walk you home today?"

"Of course," Gaara came to sit down next to her in his seat. When class was finished, they both walked out together towards Tetsumari's house.

"So what were you doing Gaara?" Tetsumari questioned without looking at him, she just kept walking forward.

"You'll see when you get home," Gaara teased a bit.

"Fine!" After awhile, they finally reached Tetsumari's home.

"We're home," Tetsumari confirmed to Granny than turned to look Gaara, "Would you like to stay for a little while longer and eat with Granny and I again?"

"Okay," he said and walked in.

"We?" Granny asked on her way walking to the door.

"Yes, Gaara's here again. He's staying for dinner." Tetsumari replied while Granny finally reached the door.

"Oh hey! Back so soon?" Granny was talking to Gaara.

"Hi Granny," Gaara greeted politely, "I came to you know."

Gaara winked at her and Granny winked back. Tetsumari thought they were acting weird, but she didn't bother to ask. Granny left the two kids alone as they walked towards Tetsumari's room.

"Before you go in your room, close your eyes," Gaara commanded.

"Huh?" Tetsumari was confused.

"Just do it," Tetsumari did while Gaara slowly and gently grabbed her and guide her to her room.

"Open your eyes and look down!" Gaara yelled excitedly. Tetsumari opened her eyes and looked down on her futon.

"Gaara… it's your teddy bear!"

"That's not all of it," Gaara held the teddy bear up closer to her. Tetsumari noticed something around its neck. Gaara took it off and placed the bear back on the futon. The thing around the bear's neck turned out to be a bracelet.

"It's beautiful!" Tetsumari cried looking at it while Gaara put it on her hand for her. The bracelet had a stone that colors matched her shiny purple eyes when it shines in the light.

"It's a gift for the tiger eye necklace you gave me."

"Thanks so much, is this why you were late and busy for lunch?"

"Yeah," Gaara gave her a smile and turned away before he blushed. Tetsumari saw this and gave him a hug along with a peck on the same spot of his forehead.

"Do you like the bracelet?" he asked her.

"Yes! Of course I love it!" Tetsumari was looking at the bracelet, "Thanks again and also thanks for the teddy bear. It reminds me of you."

They end up talking the whole time until dinner.

"Tetsumari! Gaara! Come out for dinner!" Granny cried out from the kitchen.

"Coming!" They both said and headed out to the kitchen and sat down in their seats along with Granny.

"Hey you two!" she said happily as always, "I made something special for us to eat after we finish so don't stuff yourself completely."

"Okay," they said and ate their food.

"Oh that's a beautiful bracelet Tetsumari, where'd you get it?" Granny winked at Gaara again, Tetsumari noticed this and knew that Granny had known all along.

"Oh," Tetsumari blushed, "Gaara got it for me."

"Oh, it looks lovely. You have good taste Gaara," she said towards Gaara.

"Thanks," When they were done eating, Granny surprised them with a cake that she baked for them.

"Mmm, that smells good!" Tetsumari said sniffing the air. Granny sliced a piece for each one of them.

"And it tastes good too!" Gaara said as he took a bite, "I've never tasted anything like this before!"

Tetsumari and Granny laughed. When they finished eating, Tetsumari helped clean up and washed the dishes while Granny and Gaara talked again.

As it was getting late, Granny went to sleep while Gaara and Tetsumari went up on the roof to talk. They sat quietly for awhile just looking away from each other.

"Gaara," Tetsumari sigh, "What's bothering you lately? I know something is."

"Do you love me?" Gaara questioned.

"Huh?" Tetsumari was shocked.

"Do you?" Tetsumari thought a bit.

"Of course I do… why do you ask?"

"I've been thinking about what Yashamaru said."

[Flashback]

Yashamaru is talking with Gaara in the room with Tetsumari. It was the day Yashamaru explained to them the meaning of love and the day he had tried to kill Gaara, but died.

"There's one thing that could heal the pain of the heart…" Yashamaru said, "…You can only get it from another person like Tetsumari for example…Love"

[End Flashback]

"Oh," Tetsumari said looking away.

"Just somehow… when I'm with you and when you hug me or even just smile at me… my pain goes away, but when you're not here… the pain is unbearable…" Gaara sighed while Tetsumari was quiet again.

"Gaara…" Tetsumari tried to say.

"I love you too…" Gaara cut her off, "I want to heal your pain too, the one I see deep in your eyes every time I look. I want to protect you like how my mom (the sand) protects me."

"Silly Gaara," Tetsumari smiled and went over to Gaara to give him a hug and kiss on the forehead.

"I promise I will, with my life," Gaara whispered to her as she was kissing him.

"I will too," Tetsumari whispered back. She laid her shoulder as he continue to sit there staring up at the dark sky. Gaara kept replaying the memories of his uncle.

[Flashback]

"…Love is the spirit of devoting yourself to someone important to you; it's expressed by caring and protecting that person just like my sister. I believe she had always loved you and that she's the sand that protects you out of love…" Gaara heard Yashamaru say in his head.

[End Flashback]

"Mother…" Gaara said sighing quietly.