Chapter 9

Toubo ran from every store he could find that had toys and Gaara grabbed them and handed it to the manager ?

"We'll buy anything that she and her brother wants alright? Just add anything to my tab" he told h manager who reluctantly agreed

"You honestly do not have to do this Gaara-kun, I am grateful of the thought but you do not have to do all this for me or my brother…although he seems to be to happy right now" she said as she saw her brother grab gundam models, Pokémon figurines, posters and anything an otaku would be more than happy to get

"It's alright…really, this is my way of thanking you…" he said with a sincere smile and she couldn't help but blush. She just followed her brother who seemed to spasm for every toy he always dreamed of getting but couldn't afford to get. Kizumu decided to follow gaara and warned her brother not to get too carried away, they just walked around to see what they had and although the mall had glamorous clothes, shoes and makeup; kizumu didn't want anything and gaara didn't want to buy something she would not use or wear so he agreed not to buy her anything. "how about some ice cream? I'm sure your brother might want a snack" gaara said as he motioned to an ice cream parlor and she got excited "Oh! I love ice cream!" she nodded with excitement and he just chuckled "Alright then, what would you like?" He asked when they got to the counter and kizumu was so surprised on how many flavors and combinations they had. "Oh wow…I don't know…what are you getting? She asked him as he looked away from embarrassment not realizing he was staring at her. "Oh..ahem…I always get cookies and cream…it's my personal favorite…" he said looking at the menu. "Oh that does sound good…hmmm…ah! I will have berry cheesecake! Toubo likes rocky road with s'more's" she said smiling. They grabbed their ice cream and went back to meet with toubo and was surprised to see what was waiting for them.

Pretty soon they had about 10 carts filled with toys, clothes, posters, shoes and small furniture. "AHHH! TOUBO! NO THAT IS TOO MUCH! PUT EVERYTHING BACK AND APOLOGIZE!" Kizumu said sounding like a stern mother. " But he said I can have what I wanted!" toubo said as he pouted. "Well I did say that…" gaara said looking at the mountain of stuff. "NO! You will NOT impose gaara-kun that way! You can have one toy of your choosing! And that is it!" she said as she raised a finger at him showing him that she means only one toy. "WHAAAAAT?! JUST ONE?!" Toubo said sounding broken hearted "Hey, kizumu-chan…it's ok really…I don't mind" he said nonchalantly. "Oh gaara-kun I do appreciate the gestor but I can't impose on you like this, plus all that will just fill all of our apartment…it is small…" she said smiling at him. "Ya you're right sis, a boy can dream. Thank you gaara-senpai, like my sister said I REALLY appreciate all this but I think I will just get one toy…if that is ok with you?" he said eyeing a toy model he really wanted. "If that is what you want, I don't mind then, get whatever you like" gaara said surprised since everyone almost did do what he asked and many took advantage of it as well, he ended watching toubo run and grab what he wanted and show it off to kizumu who just laughed on how her brother seemed like a 4 year old then went to thank gaara by giving him a hug. By the end of the day they went walking through the city as toubo sang and skipped merrily down the sidewalk.

"You are truly amazing gaara-kun, your generosity is truly heart warming" kizumu said as they were walking to the museum where she had told gaara that her father had a painting. "Uhh..no it is ok, sorry I guess my gift giving was kind of back fired since I forgot how small your living quarters were" he said sheepishly at her. "No, I still appreciate it…it has been a while that I have seen my brother that happy…since we do not make a lot of money I cannot give him toys or games as I would like to so this was a very pleasant surprise" she said with a small smile as she looked down at the ground. "you are most welcome…" he said smiling at her.

"Hey sis! Look! There's the museum!" toubo shouted as he pointed, as soon as they caught up to him they all went inside and to gaara, who was the first time to ever be at a museum, it was very nice. A lot of the paintings were interesting, fun, weird and beautiful. They laughed as toubo posed with a statue that looked like it had punched him. "I think they are going to close the museum soon, let's look at fathers painting then go home" kizumu said as she looked at her cell phone. They walked down the corridor and to their surprise they saw the wall bare, it only had a plaque that read "The winds of snow by Tori Higurashi"

"W-What?! Where is the painting?!" kizumu said as her eyes water and saw the museum curator. "Excuse me! Sohma-san! What happened to my fathers painting?!" she said as she pointed at the wall "Oh, didn't you get my message? A private collector bought it for $15,000. She absolutely loved the painting and wanted to have it. Since we are short on funds we decided to do it…" he told her regretfully "I know it is your father's prized possession and you hate to see it go but I cannot pass this opportunity" he told her. "N-No! You can't please! I beg of you! That is the only thing I Have of my father! He wanted the museum to have it so my mother can be here too! So my brother and I could come here and remember him! And So I can remember her!" She stuttered as she cried and gaara gave her a puzzling look but his heart hurt to see her cry. "I am really sorry kizumu…but I cannot pass this huge investment…" he said looking at her sadly. "But that is my father's painting you crook! You can't steal it!" toubo yelled as he kicked the guys leg as kizumu cried some more. "Ouch! Ok! Look I am really sorry! I do not want to do this! I know you loved his painting on there as did I but-" he began to say before gaara spoke up "$50,000" he said as everyone looked surprised. "I will give you $50,000 for the painting and it belongs to kizumu and her brother, you will not be allowed to sell it anymore afterwards without personally talking to her or toubo, if you do that then I will donate $15,000 to the museum. If you break the contract then I will personally tell the news stations around Japan on how I bought the museum and will belong to my family…" he said warningly

"I am sorry but you are only a teenager, how can you have that type of money?" the old man said looking at him. "My name is Gaara sabaku, as in THE sabaku company that owns various malls, airports, hotels and maybe a new museum…" he said looking at him square in the eyes. "Oh dear! Of course! Let me go and contact the lady and tell her we cannot sell the painting and make sure it is put back right away sir!" he said as he ran off and toubo yelled "YA! Be afraid of Gaara-senpai!" he said as he followed him to tease him some more

Gaara walked over to kizumu who had her back towards him and he could hear that she was crying. "Hey, I'll make sure that you have the rights to that painting ok? You won't have to worry afterwards ok?" he said as he crouched down to be at her eye level. "G-Gaara-kun..T-Thank you…thank you so much for this...I-I d-don't know how I will ever repay you…" she said as she cried some more and wiped away her tears. He couldn't help but just stare at her and his heart melted just looking at her crying and he couldn't help but pull her into an embrace where she hugged him and cried again just to apologize for wetting his shirt and laughed when gaara just joked about it.

Soon they had seen some guys take out the painting that was covered in a cloth to protect it and getting ready to put it back on the wall. "Alright! Thanks to our VERY generous benefactor! Our crowd favorite painting is back on the wall!" the curator said as it was hanged and he pulled on the cloth to reveal it and gaara's eyes widened as he saw a very beautiful pale woman that had skin like snow wearing a white lace dress and her long curly brown hair flowed around her as she appears to be glancing down, She had the most beautifully haunting calm look on her face. In a way she looked like kizumu, he looked at the painting then at kizumu and realized that they looked almost identical. "Hey kizumu…who is the woman in the picture if you do not mind me asking…" he said quietly. She looked at the painting and smiled sadly "That…is my mother…she…killed herself…when she was 25…" she said sadly as a tear ran down her cheek and he looked at her and toubo "So he is…" he said looking at him then at her "He is my half brother…his mom is the one that supports us…she came to love me as her daughter too which is why I call her mother as well…but she.." kizumu said as she looked back at the painting "She is my mother…which is why I come to look at this picture…this is all I have of her…this is my entire world…" she said as she stared at the picture again and she cried as she put her face in her hands "I cannot thank you enough for this gaara.." she cried again

AHHHH! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! As I said this year was very challenging but to make it up I made this chapter extra long I hope you love kizumu and toubo as much as I do :)