It felt like we'd been walking forever before we finally sat down for the night. I stretched, then lay back on the ground.
"Are you that tired?" Gaara laughed. He was taking out something to sleep on. I laughed along with him.
"No. Just too lazy to help you." I grinned.
"Oh. Well! Maybe you can just sleep on the dirt then!"
I fakingly gasped. "You wouldn't make me!"
"Hey, I'm evil enough." He chuckled. I stuck my tongue out and stood up to help him straighten things.
"There. Happy now?"
"You're only helping so that I don't make you sleep on the dirt!"
"I'm insulted!" I laughed.
Gaara shook his head and magically made two pillows appear. Okay, he had them with him, but that's not the point. He threw them down onto the blanket and laid down, patting next to him. I made a face and waited a few seconds before laying next to him.
The spot where we had set up camp, well, first we only set up a blanket and pillows, but then we set up camp, was a clearing where you could see the sky. While he got the fire going I gazed up at the stars, remembering the times when Kakashi would take Mizuki and I out camping to see them when we were younger children.
"Something wrong?" I jumped when I realized he was sitting next to me.
I sat up and shook my head. "Nah. Just thinking." I muttered.
"You sure? You must've been thinking about something sad, then."
I shook my head again but kept quiet.
Gaara reached over and made me look at him. He pressed his fingers into my cheeks to keep me from looking away. His eyes seemed to glow like the fire behind him. "Tell me the truth, Keiko."
"I'm fine, Gaara. The stars just brought back memories, is all."
Gaara nodded and sighed. He looked up at the sky for a moment, then back down at me. I realized that he had released me from his grib, but I didn't look away this time. He leaned closer to him, resting his hand against my cheek. He gently kissed me, and I moved close to him.
"Are you hungry?" He whispered softly once he pulled away. I nodded, even though I'd rather stay like this for a while.
This is a side of Gaara that I had never seen before. When I had hung around with him the past couple of weeks, he acted like he was this conceited guy that only cared about himself. I guess first appearances don't matter so much once you break the surface.