TITLE: Tutor 6

GENRE: Romance, (Drama)

RATING: K+


"Say it, Gaara."

"There is no point."

"There is a point. It's French. Say it."

"I will have no use for this phrase."

"That's not why I'm asking you to say it!"

"Then why?"

"It's French. Your pronunciation is atrocious. So say it."

Gaara stared at her. This time, he'd asked for their lesson to be in the garden. Usually Mei found these places relaxing. Behind a row of rose bushes, sitting on stone benches, in front of a koi pond, with the scent of flowers easing her mind. Yet Gaara managed to irritate her once again like she'd never known anyone could do, except maybe Ao, her family friend.

No, Gaara definitely took the cake today. Maybe his male pride was acting up again.

Sighing, Mei leaned forward and firmly said, "Je t'aime."

Even seated on a stone bench diagonal from her, Mei could see the way his eyebrow twitched. She sat back, keeping her mouth shut to see what that was about.

As much as she hated silence, Mei had learned that Gaara hated it even more and would eventually break it on his own. Normally he'd just walk out, if he could, but she was blocking his only chance of an exit. She tried to match his impassive stare, amazingly getting him to look away first.

"Je…" he started clumsily.

"Je," Mei corrected gently, smiling when he faced her again.

Gaara let out a slow breath and mumbled, "Je time."

"Not quite." She got up and sat herself down on the free space of Gaara's bench. He leaned away a little, but she didn't mind it. Another habit of his was avoiding contact at all costs, and she respected it most of the time, only "forgetting" about his preference if she wanted to get a rise out of him.

"Listen closely. Je t'aime," she annunciated slowly, clearly—she was sure he'd get it right if he just imitated her exactly.

"Je t'aime, there, are we done?" Gaara snapped speedily, and the fluency of his French shocked Mei enough that she could only nod dumbly. He stood so fast that and passed in front of her that she had time to blink just once before he was already at the space between the rose bushes, ready to leave.

For some reason, he found himself stopping, spinning around to glare at his tutor.

"I will never have any use for that phrase," he said heatedly. "Why the hell did you make me say it? You just want to hear someone tell you that they love you, even if it is a pathetic lie?"

"Gaara!" Mei gasped, getting to her feet swiftly. This insult had been the most personal yet. Her light green eyes burned with fury, but she forced a sweet smile to her lips. "Please take that back, or I'll kill you."

"Why, because I am right?" he retorted, biting back a snarl. He shook his head as if she had disappointed him somehow. "Don't ever make me say that again. Love means nothing." Gaara walked away so quickly that he was almost running.

Mei was rooted to the spot, again unable to forget those jade green eyes without pupils. This time, not because they were so emotionless, but because of the deep hurt she'd seen in them.

What was love to Gaara?