All I Ever Wanted Was Love
I Feel You Near Me
"Wh-what? Why?" Kankuro was bewildered, "How?"
Temari shook her head – nothing was making sense anymore.
"I don't know, Kankuro. I don't know."
The younger brother lifted a hand to his sandy hair – ruffling it from its pressed state.
"Well… at least – he did say why… right?" Kankuro spoke softly in a hurried voice.
Temari looked down at her lap.
"Baki mentioned something about the Akadou girl – I think he meant Kisa – and that we can't let Gaara go anywhere near her now."
Kankuro was lost- they had brought back their brother as well recover a great weapon for the Sand – was this not enough? Did they really treat Gaara so much like an object that they would ignore his will and keep him away from the girl now? It was unjust.
"Life is so unfair," Kankuro absentmindedly commented.
"Well, anyone who says otherwise is selling something," Temari answered him with a small smile playing on her lips.
But Kankuro knew that she wasn't just smiling – grimacing pain danced about her features as well.
He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. There was only one question that he needed for Temari to answer.
"Are you really willing to take away the one thing that might actually mean something to-"
Silence eroded the room.
Temari's response came in a short breath.
"Oh crap…"
The sound of water faucet stopped – silence flooded the whole house.
The two siblings exploded from the room, flew down the stairs, and fell into a confused pile downstairs, in front of Gaara.
"…"
Gaara watched in silence as Temari and Kankuro untangled themselves from each other and standing up hastily. Uneasiness washed about the two other siblings as they tried to find words for what they needed to say. Gaara was starting to look the slightest bit annoyed by the fact that his brother and sister were blocking his way to the door.
"What do you want?"
Temari swallowed her fear and gathered what courage she had to speak out.
"Where are you going?"
"Out."
Temari tried to catch Kankuro's eye, but he was staring at Gaara. His whole frame seemed to be trembling.
"G-Gaara… y-you're not going to go after th-that girl… are you?"
The red haired boy simply looked at his siblings as they seemed to hold their breaths, waiting for his reply.
'Am I just trying to find Kisa?' he subconsciously thought, 'What am I really doing?'
"Ano…" Kisa rocked back and forth on her heels, "Are you tired, Gaa-chan?"
She almost giggled aloud when he saw him noticeably stiffen. He had thought that last night was something special – something that would never happen again… well, at least not happen again anytime soon. Falling asleep was one thing, but falling asleep with Kisa was another. Or so he thought.
"No."
Kisa raised at brow at his back. Who was he trying to kid?
After having woken up to the sight of Kisa practically on him, he had shot right out of bed. The blush didn't leave his cheeks for another twenty-or-so minutes. However, for the rest of the day, Kisa noticed him hovering near the bed – as if he wanted to lie on it. Not that Kisa didn't mind it at the least, but he could afford to be more assertive about it.
Whether or not he would admit it, it was obvious that Gaara was tired and he definitely wanted some sleep. Then again, there was only one bed in the cabin – and Kisa wasn't going to let Gaara sleep on the floor anytime soon.
So together on the bed it was. However, Kisa couldn't tell if this reaction was due to the teenage cooties or just because the events of his past without her had made him this pompous.
'Whatever…' Kisa grumbled to herself. She was tired, herself, and a pompous Gaara was definitely not going to get in her way of beauty sleep.
"Okay then," Kisa smiled at her companion, giving him a goodnight wave before lightly jumping into bed and snuggling under her covers.
She heard Gaara saunter some ways towards a cushion in the dark before quietly sitting on it.
Her memories of his openness last night replayed in her head. She couldn't figure out why he was being so… so… boyish.
She blinked before snuggling even deeper into the bed.
No, sir. Gaara was not getting in her way of sleep.
Minutes ticked by as the two occupants of the cabin quietly drifted apart. One to her dreams and the other to his meditating – but not for long anyways.
As soon as he heard her breathing becoming steady, he slowly arose from his spot on the ground. He was getting really tired just sitting there – he needed to move about. Nevertheless, he'd never tell Kisa that.
Silently, he padded about the room, careful to avoid any misplaced objects.
Suddenly, he found himself at her bedside. He blinked to himself, questioning his feet how they carried him here. As he turned to walk about the room again, he was drawn back to her by the sound of her breathing.
'At least she's not sleep-talking this time…' he thought.
Gaara stood there for a few more moments, listening to the constant and soft breathing. No thoughts came to his head, other than the sound of her breathing. He stood, almost entranced.
He probably hadn't noticed, but soon enough, he moved slightly, causing his arms and legs to burst into pain.
'When did my arms and legs go numb?' he wondered. He must have been standing there for quiet some time.
"I guess I am tired…" he quietly admitted to himself, as his head nodded.
He blinked several times, trying to keep himself awake.
'Kisa wouldn't mind. I'm sure.'
Gaara leaned on the bed with his arms – only moving his body weight off enough to give the sleeping figure of Kisa a push towards the wall. Luckily enough, she groaned and rolled over, allowing enough space for Gaara to lie on the bed now.
Smiling sleepily, Gaara let his full weight fall onto the bed. He reached over to Kisa to grab some of the blanket that he knew was wrapped about her – but drifted off to sleep before his hand had even found it.
He gave a content sigh as he let himself be swept away to the land of dreamless sleep. His hand that never found the blankets had found another warmth which he wrapped his arm about and drew closer to himself.
And so the two childhood friends slept – his arm wrapped about her waist and her back to his chest. The two found a perfect fit with each other, even in their sleep.
"I don't know."
Gaara lowered his gaze to the floor.
"I don't really know what I'm doing… what I'm about to do."
Temari and Kankuro exchanged confused glances. Was he trying to threaten them?
"There's… this feeling. I don't know what it is. I don't understand it," Gaara spoke, looking at the palm of his hand, "It tells me that… I need something."
"Gaara?" Temari stepped forward to her brother.
His dark ringed eyes closed. It was then that Kankuro noticed it – Gaara's eyes weren't so dark anymore.
'What happened at the cabin?' he wondered.
"It's almost as if I've been walking in the dark… lost. I've thought about it… and I can't find any other reason. I need her," he looked back up at his sister, "I want her to be by my side."
"Gaara…" Temari took another step towards him.
"I know it sounds selfish… but-"
"It is selfish, Gaara."
Gaara turned his pale eyes to his brother.
"I don't know what to do without her!"
Temari and Kankuro froze. Silence rang about them, letting Gaara's words slowly sink in. A smile inevitably crept onto Kankuro's features.
"Y-You…" he brought a hand to ruffle his hair again, "You love her, don't you?"
Gaara looked a bit shocked.
"Love?"
Its 'love'.
The youngest sibling blinked at the memory.
'Yashamaru said that…'
"… I do?"
"I guess there's no choice then…"
Gaara looked at his sister.
"What do you mean?"
Temari looked at her youngest brother solemnly.
"Our orders were to stop you from getting anywhere near Kisa," Temari explained, watching shock erode Gaara's features, "…At all costs."
"Then you…" Gaara's shock turned into a glare.
"I've decided," Temari went on, ignoring Gaara, "that Kankuro and I have failed this mission."
"Eh?" Kankuro looked at his sister, confused.
Gaara gaped at his sister.
"How come you get to decide if we failed it?" Kankuro asked her, annoyed.
"I'm a girl!" Temari laughed at him, "I understand this better than you."
Kankuro caught Temari's contagious smile.
"Why are you doing this?"
Temari turned and smiled at Gaara.
"Because it's love."
Gaara could only stare as his sister walked away to the living room.
"Go get her, you lover boy!" Kankuro made his catcall as he headed back up to his room.
Gaara was left alone, standing by the door. Slowly, everything sunk in, as he was reassured of his plight.
"Thanks, Temari… Kankuro…" he softly spoke, almost in a whisper.
Controlling his sand gourd to levitate its way downstairs, Gaara pick it up, opened the door, and left.
Gaara stood before a set of gates. He had found the Akadou estate quite easily – it being basically the only estate in the Village.
A-ka-dou, Gaara read the simple wooden nameplate hanging to the side of the wooden gates.
They certainly didn't waste any of their fortune on welcoming the outside world.
Suddenly, the shadows of the gate began moving, catching Gaara off guard.
'Shadow clones?' Gaara now stood alert as the shadows to shape before him.
"Please. State. Business."
Gaara gave the two figures a weird look.
'Servants…'
"I want to see Kisa."
One of the dark figures bowed and melted back into the shadows.
"Please wait…" the other shadow clone spoke.
Gaara stared at the clone- such a strange way of service.
Suddenly, a loud creak came from the oak doors as it was pulled open.
"Gaara-sama…"
The red-haired boy stared incredulously as a little old man hobbled out from the gates.
"What brings you to our humble abode?"
"I came for Kisa."
If the elderly man was surprised at all, he had recovered from it well, for Gaara could not tell a difference in his expression.
"There is no such person here."
'Is he toying with me?' Gaara thought annoyed.
"I'll advise you to not try my patience."
The elder looked taken back.
"There is no Kisa here-" he hastily explained.
"Then the other girl," Gaara spoke, unnervingly, "…Yoshiko."
The elder was shocked.
"H-how do you know of her?" he questioned.
"That is none of your concern," he spoke coldly, "Now… let me see her."
"No," the elderly man spoke with a quiver in his voice.
"I told you once before," the genin began controlling the sand about him to swirl about his feet, "Do not try my patience."
"Not on my very life will I let you see Yoshiko-sama."
Gaara's pale eyes pierced the elder's bright green ones.
"Then I will take your life…" Gaara spoke as the sand about him went for the elder.
"I'm home!"