They grew up. But she was still taller than him.


Chapter 2 - Flowers Shouldn't Be Plucked Off the Ground or Else, They'll Die

Himari huffed impatiently. Kaoru's flower shop had received its monthly deliveries and she wanted to have the first pick. List in hand, she was almost running through the crowded streets of Suna, excited as a little child. "Come on, slowpoke," the girl nagged playfully at the redhead trailing behind her. "We'll be late."

He rolled his eyes at her. "We won't."

She heard him sigh and a smile tugged at her lips. Against all odds, their unusual friendship had lasted. It helped that her father had been offered a stable position with a salary too good to be turned down, here, in Suna. Her mother had thanked all the god she knew of that day.

It was a warm Saturday. She'd done all her homework due on Monday and right now, nothing would stop her from getting her hands on those plants.

"What if we get there and there's nothing left?" she gasped, horrified by the simple thought of it.

"Then, you'll just have to wait until the next delivery."

"A whole month? No way."

...

That morning, they were the first customers to set foot in the shop. The flowery scent filled her up with sweet happiness. She inhaled deeply, drowning herself into the smell of petals and fresh dirt. The shop's owner, an old lady with a thing for hibiscus, picked up her cane leaning against the counter before walking up to them. Himari smiled at the sight of the butterfly clip in her white hair, shining softly as the sunbeams passed through the shop's large windows.

"What a pleasure to see you, dear," Kaoru smiled sweetly at her, before giving a nod to Gaara at her side. "And it's nice seeing you too, boy."

The elderly woman wasn't as innocent as she looked. If Kaoru was wary of the redhead at first, she now enjoyed teasing him until he couldn't hide his embarrassment anymore.

"Except, you aren't much of a little boy anymore," the old lady added, grinning. The woman's eyes gleamed with unresolved mischief as if she knew something they didn't. "Both of you have quite grown, in fact."

"I'll be around," grumbled Gaara, retreating at the back of the shop.

He'd never really liked small talks. He'd warmed up to the old woman over time, but he still didn't enjoy her company enough to pursue a conversation. He would always leave her alone with Kaoru for their plant talks. Himari's eyes trailed over his form until he disappeared in the cacti alley. The old lady was right about a thing. He wasn't a little boy anymore. At thirteen years old, all softness had left his body with time.

"Now," Kaoru said, turning her whole attention to her. "Tell me what you're looking for, dear."

Himari gave her the list. As she took the paper, the old lady put her reading glasses on her nose. Her eyes traveled over her handwriting. After a moment, she nodded.

"I almost have everything on that list. I'll have everything put together, then I'll sent it over to your house. You'll get to pay me at you next visit."

Overly excited, the young girl thanked her with a huge hug, ignoring the woman's protests about her fragile bones and frail constitution. Himari couldn't contain her joy. She would get to experiment making creams based off the desert's resources. Kaoru had been encouraging her with her little project since the beginning, fueling her passion for medicinal plants and their properties. There isn't enough competent medics in this village, she had said to her, one day. You'll do a fine one, dear.

Kaoru dropped her glasses around her neck. The shop's owner gripped a nearby stool and climbed on it with a loud sigh. "Don't grow old, dear," she groaned. "It sucks."

"Doesn't it come with its perks, though?"

On the counter, right beside the cashier, a bowl filled with sweets rested there for Kaoru's favorite customers. The old woman offered her some. Himari put a few in her pockets for Gaara before she popped a citrus-flavored one in her mouth.

"What perks?" the old lady scoffed. "Back pain?"

"What about the infinite wisdom?"

"A consolation price, if you ask me."

Himari laughed. She liked the woman's dry humor. But her amusement died when she noticed the old lady's serious look.

"Is everything alright, Kaoru-sama?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you this question, dear?"

Himari tensed. She knew what this was about. An incident had happened, last month. Gaara had almost killed a guy, and she felt partly responsible. When she closed her eyes at night, she could remember the stranger's hot breath on her face, yelling at her for bumping into him. His grocery bags thrown all over the market's ground. An apple rolling in the dirt. A split of second later, before she could even react, a ton of sand was crushing the guy's struggling body until everyone shopping that day could hear the bones snap with an icy shriek. By the time she had snapped out of her initial shock, the guy wasn't screaming anymore, reduced to a puddle of blood, broken bones and torn flesh. It took days for the blood to wash off from the market's ground. And it would take weeks for her to erase the traumatizing sight from her memories. She still had occasional nightmares about it.

Himari forced a smile.

"There's nothing to worry about, Kaoru-sama," she reassured her. "I'm fine."

"But he is not," the old lady stated.

I know, Himari wanted to say. But instead, she thanked her again for the plants before leaving to look for the redhead. Soon, customers started to fill in the shop. After a moment, she found him near the Ghost Plants, a variety of small succulent with rosette shaped-like leaves. A resilient specie.

"Are you done?" he asked.

As the customers started to notice his presence in the shop, nervous whispers raised in the air. There were always whispers. Everywhere he went. His body tensed up.

"Yep," she smiled. She pointed at the succulents, trying to distract his mind from the people's rude comments. "You were looking at those little guys? Want to adopt one?"

She crouched in front of them, playing gently with the dirt around the plant. Succulents survived the harshest conditions of the desert. Theirs leaves were gorged with water, acting as a reservoir, and in case of a drought, the stem would sacrifice its leaves and take the stored water for itself. It was unfortunate, but sacrifices were sometimes necessary to survive in the desert. Or in life.

"No," he replied. "I would kill it".

Why are you so sure of it? she wanted to ask. But instead, she smiled at him.

"One day, I'll convince you."

"I doubt it."

She took out a lime-flavored candy out of her pocket, agitating it under its nose with a playful smile. His eyes sparkled with interest. She gave it to him.

"Let's go," she said cheerfully, stretching her arms out. "All this shopping killed me."

Himari didn't notice the way he flinched at her choice of words.

...

Weeks passed. No new incidents had occurred and today, it had been a great day. She'd been working on a new cream with cacti's extract to treat burns, had bought a new plant – a carnivorous one, and she'd spent the rest of her day with the redhead, dozing off under the cool shade of a tree until it grew dark.

Himari was sprawled across the ginormous bed with her tummy happily filled with sweets and chocolate chips cookies. Gaara had been called for a meeting with his father and she'd been waiting for almost an hour now, flipping through a textbook about medicinal plants. She couldn't find a comfortable position to read on the bed, feeling restless.

Suddenly, the door violently smashed open against the wall. The redhead stormed into the room. His eyes were burning with this anger that wasn't entirely his own, partly shared with a way more cunning soul. A pit of sand started to form at his feet, hectic.

"What is it?" she asked, worried.

"Leave."

His deep voice didn't leave a lot of space to argue, overbearing. Slowly, Himari put the book aside and crawled over the edge of the bed. She'd rarely seen him like this. But each time, it hadn't end well.

"Gaara," she spoke softly. "Please, talk to me-"

"Get. Out!"

She recoiled under the strength of the sand blast that snapped at her. Maybe his attempt at scaring her away would have worked, if only a soft gush of sand hadn't brushed past her face. He didn't really want her gone.

"No," she said, suppressing the tremors in her voice. "I won't go. Not when you're like that. Not until you're better."

"Please."

His pleading voice matched the pain in his eyes. His irises showed speckles of gold, a sign of the monster's presence at the surface, waiting for the opportunity to lash out. On the verge of losing it, a shaky breath died on his lips. His hands grabbed his head, pulling at his hair with a pained growl.

Himari dropped off the bed. They'd never hugged. Or touched. She'd tried it once, and the sand had sliced her palm's skin like a hot knife in butter as a clear warning. At the time, she'd just wanted to compare their hands size.

She thought at first that he simply didn't like being touched, but it wasn't that. As they grew up, she would catch his lingering gaze on her mother's hands braiding her hair, on couples holding hands in the street or on a stray dog getting pet. If he craved for the gentle touch, the redhead feared it even more. She didn't blame him, as everyone in his life ultimately tried to kill him. He didn't thrust people.

Sand twirled furiously at her feet, grains grazing against her ankles. It lightly scratched her skin, but not strongly enough to hurt her or to draw blood. One step. Two steps. She felt his ragged breath against her collarbone. His nostrils flared. Like a wild animal, he lightly sniffed the air. Don't fear, Himari thought. He'll sense it. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

Sometimes, risks were a necessary thing. With the tips of her fingers, she lightly grazed his phalanges. He flinched. Her heart dropped as his hand caught hers. Himari didn't know if the trembling came from her; or from him.

"The Chūnin Exams are coming up," he rasped.

"That's not bad news, no?"

"We're leaving tomorrow."

And I don't want to, said his eyes. She felt a thug at her heart. She'll certainly miss him during those days, but the Chūnin Exams were an important step in a shinobi's life. He couldn't just not go.

"I'm not worried." she replied, offering him a smile. "In the meanwhile, I'll study for my upcoming exams and you'll be back in a nick of time. I'll be cheering for you."

He frowned. "Will you?"

"Of course I will, slowpoke."

The anger melted away in his eyes as his hand tightened around hers. "Alright, I'll go."

That night, she helped him pack his things. Which turned out to be a rather difficult task, since he didn't want to let go of her hand.

And neither did she.

...

Kankuro had always been the strangest of the sand siblings and at the same time, the funniest. Even though, Himari would never admit that last one out loud. When the puppeteer caught a glimpse of her awake presence in her bedroom, he opted to crawl his way in through the open window.

"What the hell are you doing?" she whispered loudly.

Her parents slept in the room under hers, on the first floor. The last thing she wanted, was to wake them up only for them to see an unknown boy in her bedroom late at night.

The young girl threw a book at his head, shotting him a deadly glare. "And be careful, would you? Don't step on my plants."

His fingers touched the back of his head where the book hit him.

"That hurt," he growled.

"Stop complaining. Aren't you supposed to be a nin?" she scoffed. "Because you really suck at dodging stuff."

He glared at her. If the sand sibling didn't bother giving her a second glance at the beginning, it seemed he had warmed up to her over the months. Of the same age, they shared most of their classes at the academy and it turned out that the puppeteer wasn't a complete jerk once you got to know him.

"You must come with us tomorrow."

Himari picked up her book on the ground, slid back under the bed covers and opened it back at the page she was reading before the unsolicited interruption. "I'm not coming."

She couldn't go. In fact, she didn't want to. She wouldn't be able to deal with the sight of Gaara as he fought. The lifeless look in his eyes, his features morphing into a cruel satisfaction as he crushed his opponent. She wouldn't be able to ignore this somber side of him if it was right in front of her face. She hated herself for it. She hated herself for still being afraid of him, sometimes. If only he knew, it would hurt him. And it was the last thing she wanted. To hurt her friend.

Kankuro sighed.

"You don't understand. He's-"

"What I understand," she cut him off, "is that I really need to study for the finals. It's in three weeks and I haven't even started yet."

"Perfect, then. We'll only be there for a few days. It leaves you two whole weeks of studying. Now, just pack your things and we'll see you at dawn for departure."

He didn't wait for her to answer. In the blink of an eye, he had disappeared into the night. A bad feeling slumped in her stomach. This wasn't a good idea. But Kankuro had seemed… distraught. Himari sighed, dropping her book on the nightstand.

She still had to convince her parents to let her go.

...

It was dawn.

Baki, the sand sibling's sensei, barely acknowledged her presence. As stern as a marble statue, Himari couldn't imagine the man smiling, or even less laughing. Dark red markings stretched across his face, and the girl wondered if Kankuro's purple face paintings were inspired by his sensei's. On her left, the puppeteer checked for the third time his puppet's scrolls, fidgeting. Temari's tensed posture while she waited by the village's gate betrayed her nervousness. Gaara still wasn't here, and it made everyone anxious.

As Gaara dropped off a house's rooftop, the group's anxiety only increased. He was carrying his giant calabash-shaped gourd on his back, the one he strictly refused to let go of, no matter how many times she whined to him about the risks of back problems in the future. The thing was almost twice his size.

The smallest of smiles reached his lips as he noticed her. "You're here," he said. A hint of surprise transpired in his intonation. "You've come to see me depart?"

"Actually, I'm coming with you."

"You are?"

A spark of happiness gleamed in his pale eyes, contrasting with his emotionless features. A cuddly warmth rose to her cheeks. As she nodded, a joyful smile crawled on her face. Kankuro stopped his nervous twitching and stuffed his scrolls back into his bag, while Temari secured her huge fan on her back.

Baki cleared his throat. "Let's not waste any time. We've got a long trip ahead of us."

And so, they departed.

...

She liked it.

It would take her more than mere words to describe Konohagaruke. Every street felt strangely familiar, with sweet scents and friendly faces at every corner. The Hidden Leaf Village was full of colors, life and laughs.

They had registered at the gate around noon and after that, Baki had left them free to explore the village while he was taking care of the accommodations for the duration of their stay. The sand siblings didn't seem to enjoy their sightseeing of the city as much as she was. No more crushing heat, no more boring-looking clothes and no more cacti as the only growing plants. There was grass, and a lot of trees with the greenest leaves, and-

"I think there's a flower shop over there," said Kankuro. "We could stop by if you want to, Himari."

As soon as the words 'flower shop' had escaped his lips, the young girl granted her whole attention to him. Now, that was a wonderful idea. Himari flashed a teasing smile at the redhead trailing behind them. In response, he simply raised his brow slightly as if daring her to tell out loud the words that came to her mind.

Her smile only grew bigger. "Come on, slowpoke," she teased him. "We wouldn't want to miss it, would we?"

On the verge of cardiac arrest, Temari waited for the redhead's retaliation at her blatant teasing, eyes wide. But Gaara didn't react, his arms crossed over his chest as he fought against the urge to roll his eyes at her. After a moment, the blond slightly relaxed. Himari smiled. She hoped for the sand siblings to all get along one day. Like that, if her family had to move out to another town once again, Gaara wouldn't have to be all alone. The sand siblings just needed a little help at trusting each other.

"Where's the shop, Kankuro?" Himari asked, excited. "Maybe I'll look for some- Humph."

A small child bumped into her and by that she meant – right on, fully bumped into her. On her back, her bag's weight dragged her with it toward the ground. She lost her balance, and her ass would inevitably have kissed the ground if Gaara's sand hadn't been there to break her fall. Her adrenaline up, she took a moment to gather her thoughts.

"Are you alright, Himari?" asked Gaara's raspy voice in her ear, close to her. "Are you hurt?"

Embarrassment burned her cheeks as she blinked, not able to utter a word. It didn't answer his question in any way, but he still got the general message. The sand cushion slowly dissipated around her.

"Can't you watch where you're going, kid?"

Kankuro's twisted face reflected the full length of his irritation. With his feet not touching the ground anymore, the kid struggled against the puppeteer's tight grip around his shirt's collar. Oh, god. Luckily, Temari stepped up as the oldest one in the group, grabbing her brother's shoulder.

"Stop it, Kankuro!" she hissed. "We're going to get into trouble."

"That brat annoys me. And he hurt Himari."

Himari tried to sort things out the peaceful way. "I'm fine, really. I'm not even-"

Shouting some nonsense at Kankuro, an orange suit darted in their direction. At the loud interruption, the puppeteer's painted lips twisted into an annoyed scowl. A pink-haired girl grabbed the blond by the neck, trying to put some sense into him. It didn't work.

Without a warning, the suicidal blond charged at the puppeteer. Still holding the kid in one hand as if he weighed nothing, Kankuro used his other hand to play with some of his chakra strings. With a swift movement of the wrist, he tilted on the blond's foot enough to disbalance him. His butt crashed on the ground, and a disbelieving look appeared on the blond's face.

"What-"

"Konoha's nins are weaker than I thought," the puppeteer stated, a sufficient smirk on the lips. "It'll make the Chūnin Exams that easier."

"Release him, brute!" yelled the blond. In a matter of second, he was back up on his feet. He pointed a finger at Kankuro's face. "If you don't let him go, I'll make you regret it."

Himari's body tensed up, her nerves on the verge of snapping. Things were escalating quickly. This wasn't looking great. She felt the situation slipping out of her control. Kankuro wouldn't let go, clearly feeling the need to pass down his irritability on something feeble, and the loudmouth wouldn't settle down until the puppeteer had released his friend. It seemed like they had reached an impasse.

"Naruto, stop it!" growled the pink-haired girl. She threw the blond a deathly glare that could freeze hell over. "Your mindless shouting doesn't help, except for angering him even more."

Himari attempted to play the peacekeeper on her own side.

"Look, guys. I'm kind of exhausted by our trip. Aren't you? Because my whole body screams at me, right now. And I'm pretty sure that I've caught a sunburn. So, how about we call it a day?"

She got royally ignored. Nobody listened to her. With a war cry, the blond charged at them for the second time. And then, like a divine intervention from the gods, a rock went flying out of nowhere to hit Kankuro's hand, spilling a few drops of blood.

"Taking your ease in someone's else village," scoffed an arrogant voice. "Get lost."

Himari flinched. Maybe the intervention wasn't so divine, after all. Casually sitting on the tree's branch, a dark-haired boy was looking down upon them. The laced-up puppet slipped off Kankuro's back. Temari's eyes grew larger.

"Kankuro, don't-"

"I'll teach those brats a lesson," he spat.

Himari had only one thought in mind, at that moment. Once he'd learned about it, Baki would kill them. And they wouldn't get the chance to pay a visit to the flower shop. What a waste.

"Enough, Kankuro." Gaara's voice snapped in the air. Everyone froze. "Let's go back. Himari needs rest."

The sand siblings were still too afraid of their little brother to contest his demand. Thank god, someone did actually listen to her. Gaara's hand brushed past hers as he turned around without an extra look.

...

Baki called for a meeting and by the stern look he gave her, Himari figured out that she still wasn't considered a full-fledged member of their little band. No secret meeting for her. So, she politely excused herself by pretending the sudden need for a night walk to digest the outrageous amount of ramen she ate.

Paper lanterns of soft colors illuminated Konoha's streets with a lovely glow. Light chatters filled the evening air. The restaurants' open doors tickled her nose with delicious scents flying out of them. Couples shared a delightful meal, families laughed around tables and friends celebrated out in the company of sweet drinks. For the first time since they had gotten here, Himari felt her body totally relax. A contented sigh passed her lips.

"Himari-chan?"

She stopped. Someone was calling her name. Throwing a glance over her shoulder, her brows furrowed at the oddly sight of a green suit, a radiant smile and bushy brows. Strangely, the overly friendly face stirred an old pot of souvenirs long forgotten. Washed off with time, they reappeared at the surface of her mind like vegetable chunks in a soup. Her tiny feet covered with yellow rainboots. A pot of dirt. Wet leaves, heartworms, and a child's laugh. As a kid, she used to love the rain. Look, Himari-chan! There's a frog.

A long-forgotten friend.

"Lee-chan?"

She'd lived here. It was a long time ago, but the boy's genuine kindness had always kept a special place in her little girl's heart, even though her memories of him had faded with the years. Back in the past, a little girl had cried for hours, screaming, kicking, and fighting against her mother's grip, heartbroken at the thought of leaving her first real friend behind. After that, the little girl preferred loneliness over the pain of cutting bonds.

His eyes lighted up.

"So, it's really you!" he exclaimed. "How have you been?"

Even as a toddler, Lee had always been the chatty type. The conversation flowed endlessly and before she knew it, they were catching up over a meal in a small restaurant. Her stomach hurt from laughing at his unlikely adventures on missions, and all the way back to his years at Konoha's Ninja Academy.

Full to the point of her stomach almost exploding, she didn't take up the waitress' offer for dessert. Though, her gluttony still forced her to steal a few bites out of Lee's chocolate cake after he had pushed the plate towards her.

"Are you still sneaking up cookies in your dress' pockets?" he teased her with a playful smile. "I can still remember your mother's sugar cookies. They were to die for."

Himari laughed at the souvenir of her mother's recurrent complaints of cookie crumbs in her clothes' pockets. She couldn't remember until Lee mentioned it.

"As if you weren't filling your pockets with ridiculous amounts of mochis," she mocked him. "Next time I visit, I'll bring you a batch of my mother's sugar cookies. She'll be flattered."

"I'll take you up on that offer. I wouldn't want to miss on such an occasion," he replied, smiling. "About your actual visit, what are you here for? Are you participating to the Chūnin Exams?"

Himari shook her head, resisting the urge to take another bite of Lee's cake under his encouraging gaze. She dropped her spoon on the table as the waitress gave them the addition.

"No, I'm just here with some friends that are," she answered.

At the mention of her travelling companions, his smile flattened. "The Sand's nins, right? Naruto couldn't stop rambling about them this afternoon."

A knot formed in her stomach. The sand siblings weren't the friendliest of people. Always guarded, they expected the worst out of everyone and didn't trust easily. Himari couldn't totally blame them. A part of her felt protective of the sand siblings, especially of Gaara, and didn't want her childhood friend to loathe them. An apology on their behalf seemed in order.

"I'm sorry about that," she sighed. "They didn't make the best of impression, I know. But I can assure you, they aren't that bad."

"Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault, Himari-chan," he assured her. He really meant it. Because Lee wasn't the type to lie or to play with words. He had always been honestly blunt. With a friendly smile, he looked kindly at her. "And if they're your friends, it means they're good people."

A weight lifted from her chest. Thankful for his sincere words, her smile blossomed back on her lips as he held the restaurant's door open for her. The chill evening air blowing at her neck covered her skin with goosebumps.

"Thank you, Lee," she said. "I'll be cheering for you tomorrow."

"Well, it might be unfair to the other participants," he told her.

"And why is that?"

His smile grew so wide that it almost blinded her. With a barely contained excitement, he threw a thumbs up at her before striking a weird pose.

"Because there's no way I'll lose if you cheer for me, Himari-chan."

Rolling her eyes as he laughed his ass off, Himari playfully hit him on the shoulder, unable to suppress her amused smile.

"You can be a real idiot sometimes, Lee."

Wishing her a good night, he engulfed her into a bone crushing hug before they took their separate ways.

...

A strange anxiousness kept coming back, making its burrow deeper in her stomach. It wasn't like she was the one fighting in the arena tomorrow but still, the unpleasant feeling refused to just go away.

Freshly out of the shower, drops of water dripped down from the tips of her long hair to the carpet floor. Meticulously, she applied a soothing cream on her nose and her cheeks, trying to appease the redness due to sunburn. Himari hoped her skin wouldn't peel off like a snake's.

With her pajamas on – an old t-shirt, a pair of pink shorts and fuzzy socks, her exhausted body crumbled down on the mattress. Feeling heavy, her hand lazily covered a yawn. As she was about to fall asleep, Himari sensed Gaara's unmasked chakra in her bedroom – his own way of knocking at the door to announce his presence.

"You're still up."

Himari didn't feel sleepy anymore, fully awaked. She sat up. As he stepped further into the room, a frown appeared on his face. Her brows furrowed. She could rarely tell what unsettled him. Whenever he showed a glimpse of an emotion, it was always brief. So brief that sometimes, Himari thought she had imagined it. His sand grew agitated. She could hear it scratching the inside of his gourd.

"Are you feeling anxious about tomorrow?" she asked.

"No."

Great. So, it wasn't that.

Her legs were dandling off the edge of the bed, and she felt chills running down the uncovered skin. With a yawn, she crawled under the covers, looking for warmth. Meanwhile, the redhead was dropping his gourd on the floor. Kankuro and Temari were sharing the room next to hers and since Gaara didn't sleep, he only used a small corner of her room to put his stuff away. They exchanged a glance and as his eyes trailed longer than usual on her face, a sudden blush burned her cheeks.

Himari picked up her book.

"I'll read for a while if you want to join me."

He wouldn't read with her, but he would lay by her side, eyes closed, and do these tiny naps to compensate for the lack of sleep. His mind never wondered deep in the realm of dreams, as catastrophe would ensue if it did, but at least he rested a bit. Sometimes, she would even read out loud a passage from her book to him.

This time, he didn't join her.

"I'll take a shower," he simply said.

The bathroom's door closed. The water started to run. She shrugged it off and turned to her book. It was a romance novel. Himari would never admit it out loud, but she was a sucker for romantic stories with meet-cute, lovely protagonists and happy endings.

It's only three chapters later that she heard him again. The bathroom's door opened on the redhead finishing to dry off his hair with a cotton towel. A loose shirt floated on his slender body, combined with a pair of black pants. With tired movements, he crawled onto the bed. The mattress shifted under his weight. Laying on his back, he closed his eyes by her side.

Himari couldn't concentrate on her book anymore as something else caught her attention. Her eyes fell on his messy hair. Dark locks of untangled hair. Her book fell on her lap, forgotten. By its own volition, her hand extended until the tips of her fingers grazed a red strand. She brushed it away lightly. A nervous knot in her throat, she slowly brought her hand to his forehead. It stayed there, hovering over the scarred kanji. Love. A demon only loving himself. Something tugged at her heart.

Slowly, she lowered her hand until it gently touched his cheek. Grains of sand rolled under the tips of her finger. His absolute defense. A sad smile stretched her lips. His eyelids twitched, revealing a pair of sea-foam green eyes. She gasped. Before she could retract her hand, Gaara grabbed it. Sand twirled around her wrist, almost like it was dancing.

Laying her head on the pillow, Himari sighed.

"Are you really not feeling nervous?" she asked softly, as if to not startled him. "About tomorrow's fights."

"No. You'll cheer for me?"

He carefully played with her fingers like they were made of the most fragile of glass. He explored the tiny scars at the back of her hand. The bump of her phalanges. Her palm.

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

"Only for me?"

"And Kankuro, maybe." She thought about it. "Well, only if he's not acting like a total jackass."

He frowned and his expression darkened with a hint of childish possessiveness. His grip tightened slightly on her hand. A small chuckle escaped her lips, making his frown deepened. A small part of her knew she shouldn't take it so lightly. A puppy munching possessively on his favorite toy was cute, until the said puppy grew up and started to apply the concept of resource guarding to things that didn't belong to him.

"Don't be like that," she teased him. "You're still my favorite."

Something flickered in his gaze. Something dark and twisted. Himari knew not to push him too far. She intertwined their fingers together, throwing a genuine smile at him.

"Just don't get hurt too badly, alright?" she murmured. And don't hurt anyone.

His body relaxed.

"I won't," he assured her. "Let's go see that flower shop tomorrow, after my fight."

"Really?" she squealed, excited. "You wouldn't mind accompanying me?"

He shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "No, I don't mind. Not if it makes you happy."

That night, their hand's skin touched as she drifted off to sleep; the sand armor gone.