Blurred shapes and lines were everywhere. The low mummers of masked figures echoed around her. What she expected to be solid objects meshed into one another, refusing to stay in definite shapes. Where was she?

Something sharp penetrated deep into her arm.

Pain that seemed so afresh in her memory washed over her again.

So much pain…

Where is this? She struggled to open her eyes. Where was that light coming from? It was so bright that it hurt.

The pain in her arm slowly subsided into a numbing sensation. At the same time, something warm started to creep over her whole body. The darkness of the surroundings gradually yielded to warm inviting shades of orange and pink.

She felt like she could float like this forever.

He listened to the steady mechanical sounds of machines against a backdrop of steady silence. Through the open windows, a small breeze would occasionally sweep into the room, bringing the smell of fresh air. Gaara lifted his head from the mission report that he had been reading. The moon was especially bright tonight, which allowed him to retreat some distance from the window to work.

Komurasaki-san laid on the hospital bed a few feet in front of the makeshift work station that he had made for himself. The young Kazekage carefully observed the steady rising and falling of her chest as she breathed. Her hair was spread around her, enveloping the sides of her face with a gentle ebony touch. Staying overnight at the hospital was a way to combat the strange emptiness he experienced in his chest when he found the library and garden empty on successive nights that he returned to the Kazekage residence. He couldn't quite put a finger on this feeling, but did not like that it made his chest constrict in an unusually painful fashion.

The young Kazekage turned to look at the moon, red hair tossing rhythmically in the wind. It had taken him some time to approach the hospital bed because in every instance before his success, a different type of pain would pound against his chest. He didn't like the way she looked now: pale and still. He also knew that humans were vulnerable creatures, but…why did his chest tighten in such a painful fashion each time he looked at her?

"Tamaya-kun."

Someone was calling her name.

"Tamaya-kun."

Light filled her eyes: soft, warm, and beige.

"You're finally awake, Tamaya-kun."

Komurasaki quietly observed the woman who stood in front of her. She had shoulder length sandy-brown hair and indigo eyes that strangely matched the yellow scarf around her neck.

"Ah, where have my manners gone." The other female smiled tenderly. "I was so excited to finally be able to meet you that I forgot to properly introduce myself. My name is Karura."

Understanding dawned in Komurasaki's eyes. "Please forgive my rudeness, Lady Kazekage-sama."

"Eh, there isn't a need to use those stiff mannerisms with me, Tamaya-kun." Karura smiled. "You really are as beautiful as they say." she continued to remark after a short pause.

Oddly, it made her blush.

"Beauty is the first gift that nature takes away from women, Karura-san." Komurasaki responded with some humour in her voice, locking gazes with the older woman.

Karura laughed—a light and mellifluous sound. "Yashamaru used to tease me with that when we were younger. I would like to think that it still benefits us in some way because it is the first gift that we receive as well."

Her response made Komurasaki smile. "Kankuro-san also likes to tease Temari-chan."

"Ah." Karura's eyes softened at the mention of her two older children. "Kankuro was always a little mischievous, but he has good intentions at heart. Temari…" she sighed sorrowfully, "it really is so cruel that she was forced to grow up too quickly for her to have a normal childhood…"

"I understand…" Komurasaki sighed softly, holding the other's gaze. "However, Temari-chan and Kankuro-san are both highly esteemed and successful." She tried to offer some words of comfort. "They also care deeply for each other, as well as Kazekage-sama." The young woman could not help herself but smile at that particular statement. "Please, do not be so distraught."

"Kazekage…" Karura allowed genuine happiness to slowly blossom over her face. "Gaara…Gaara is…Kazekage…That is wonderful."

"Despite the pain that he has experienced in the past…Kazekage-sama has tried his best to put the darkness behind him." Komurasaki smiled. "Although he is cautious, I feel that there is a wide expanse to his heart, very much capable of love, that he has so often hid from others. However..." her smile slowly faded into bleakness, "there are still those that do not accept him. Which is why…" She paused, choosing her words after carefully reflect upon all the instances that she has seen his humanity, soft gentleness, and selfless devotion to Sunagakure, "I would like to see him happy…"

Karura's smile was wide and genuine. "Thank you, Tamaya-kun." She said, embracing the younger female tightly. "Thank you for caring so much about Gaara. Although," upon releasing her, Karura gently looked into Komurasaki's eyes, "if I may ask a favour from you. Could you please...refrain from addressing him as Kazekage-sama in the future?"

A comfortable silence rippled between them.

Finally, Komurasaki smiled in understanding and Karura found that her heart was at ease.

It was late into the night when Gaara finished the last of the mission reports that he had been reading. Carefully placing the paperweight over the stack of rather thin pages, the young Kazekage stood. Silently, he made his way to the hospital bed, carefully avoiding some of the neatly bounded wires that had become undone during use. Upon nearing the rows of machines, Gaara's perceptive eyes refused to deny him notice of a particular IV drip that had slipped somewhat from its usual position—the medical tape that bound it no longer serving as a useful restraint. Thankfully, there was a roll nearby. Although he had not much medical training, Gaara had watched the nurses do this particular task enough that he was sure that he would be able to copy it satisfactorily. Indeed, he was so concentrated that he failed to notice a pair of clear emerald eyes that now peered at him from behind long lashes.

"Good morning."

The young Kazekage's head snapped up almost immediately, teal eyes widening in surprise at the sound of a voice that he had not heard in weeks. "Komurasaki-san…" Despite her words being rather feeble, he was still able to clearly discern every syllable that she uttered. At that moment, the young Kazekage felt that a substantial weight had been lifted from him, accompanied by a sense of relief and the acquittal of a breath that he didn't know he had been holding.

Outside, the sun slowly began to rise, signaling the arrival of a brand new day. Shadows danced gracefully in the room to the waltz of calm silence.

He looked so much thinner than when she had last seen him, Komurasaki observed with some sadness. Her eyes moved from the young Kazekage's figure to the makeshift workstation that sat in front of the window—where a rather thick stack of reports bore the emblem of Sunagakure's new political face, now officially inaugurated, and then back again. She looked up at his handsome face, locking their eyes. "I'm sorry to have worried you so much, Kaze-no..." she paused, temporarily averting her gaze before meeting his eyes again with a soft, although fairly shy smile, "Gaara-sama…"

Warmth spread throughout his chest.

Gaara-sama

He liked the way his name sounded when it came from her lips.

Komurasaki watched as the young Kazekage's expression slowly turned from one of utter surprise to one so anthropological that the process itself could be considered a work of art.

"-kun."

It was her turn to be surprised.

His cool hand reached down to gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.

She smiled.

Of course, it wouldn't make sense any other way.