Chapter 14:

"Why a kunoichi, out of all the things she could be?" Gaara thought to himself as they were making their way to the hotel. The streetlights were not around them anymore since they had made their way into the forest next to the spring. The only thing they had as a light and guide was the full moon that traveled with them.

"And why has she been looking down ever since we left the restaurant?"

Something was wrong…

"Raxiel, do you want to stop by the spring for a minute?" Gaara asked quietly.

Raxiel's head shot up at him and looked at him; scared yet surprised he'd asked. "I think… I think I should –"

Gaara interrupted, "Raxiel, I need to explain some things, and now is a better time than ever. Just a few minutes?"

Raxiel knew he had something on his mind, and she knew he was being as stubborn as ever. Giving up, Raxiel slightly nodded, and they walked towards the spring with Raxiel looking over at him with curiosity.

As he sat down on the rock and motioned his head a little to come sit with him, Raxiel slowly made her way to him and sat down beside him. Their eyes were both fixed on the smooth water.

Trying to find the right words, Gaara hesitantly started to speak, "Raxiel, I… I have some necessary things I need to say to you. Don't take them the wrong way, though; I never meant to hide these things from you."

Raxiel finally shifted her eyes onto him. After a few seconds of silence she finally asked, "What is it?"

"Firstly, I'm sorry for tonight –"

Raxiel's eyes shot wide open, surprised by his apology.

"I wasn't thinking right when I lashed out at you. If you could sit here for a few more minutes, I could tell you who I really am."

"'Who I really am'?" she thought.

After a long wait, Raxiel replied to him. "Sure, I'll stay."

Gaara's eyes soon shifted over to the two roses in the spring. "My past… wasn't a pleasurable one. I was not wanted. My mother, before she died while having me, cursed my village and gave me the name "Gaara" – a self-loving carnage. My father wasn't any better. He ordered that a sand demon named Shukaku be placed in me, giving me powers and abilities that were overwhelming even to the towns-people. He said I was his prized possession, and started teaching me secret techniques to train me to become even more powerful. But once those powers were awakened inside me, the ones of Shukaku, I could not control the sand anymore, making it a threat to my country. At the age of six, I was considered a criminal. I had emotions that were unpredictable, and Shukaku would react to those emotions by killing someone… anyone that was around me. If anyone tried to hurt me, even touch me, the sand I unconsciously carried with me would form a barrier around me, making me invincible. My father sensed this unpredictable power, and soon gave me over to my Uncle, Yashamaru, to take care of me.

Gaara stopped for a minute, sensing that Raxiel was tense. Taking a heavy sigh, he continued, "Love was not shown to me, and what I thought was love, was only hatred. While I was being taken care of by my Uncle, I soon began to grow fond of him, thinking that I might be able to give this "friendship" thing to him. Soon, I began to think of trying to love him… And then it happened."

He paused for a minute, making Raxiel look over at him. "What happened?" she asked.

Gaara glanced over at her with a forceful half-smile on his face. "One night, Yashamaru began to explain to me what love is. When I began to understand, I started trying to become friendlier and tried to make friends. Unfortunately, no one wanted to be my friend. The only things they'd say to me were 'Monster' or 'Demon.' One night, I began to cry, feeling my heart was broken when suddenly, my sand shot up to form a barrier. I looked behind me to find a ninja whose face I could not see. He was trying to kill me, you see… trying to kill the 'criminal.' I had no other choice but to fight back, wounding the ninja so that he could not stand. That's when I came over to him. I took off his mask, and there lay my Uncle. Apparently, my father had given him the opportunity to kill me, and he took it. Soon, after his death, I became a nervous wreck and had no trust in anyone by myself. I soon had no purpose in life and chose to try to find it."

Gaara gazed out at the spring. Raxiel, flabbergasted as she was, didn't say anything. She looked down at the boulder they both were sitting on.

She shifted her eyes on him…

"He looks so warm, yet so cold…" she thought.

After the long silence was shared by the two, mesmerized sixteen-year olds, Raxiel gathered up enough courage to talk again. "Have you found it yet?"

Gaara glanced at her calmly. "What do you mean?"

Raxiel looked up, giving both of them eye contact. "Your purpose in life, have you found it?"

Not liking the eye contact, he hesitantly looked away. "In a way, yes."

"'In a way'?" she repeated questioningly.

"That's the other thing I've been needing to tell you…" Gaara soon lowered his head, and Raxiel's eyes widened with anticipation. "Well, what is it?" she asked.

"Raxiel, I… I'm not just a person who helps my village; I'm not just a messenger. In fact, I'm much more than that. About four years ago, my father was murdered. He was the ruler of my village – the Kazekage. Since he's dead, they… the village agreed it'd be best to make me the Kazekage."

Raxiel's eyes widened with shock. "You're the Kazekage! The leader!"

Gaara finally glanced at her. "Yes. My older brother, Kankuro, was supposed to become the Kazekage, but due to my power and physical protection, they decided it'd be best for me to take the place."

Raxiel closed her eyes in disbelief. "You never thought of telling this article of information about yourself to me?"

"I was going to, but when you started talking about how you should treat leaders differently, I didn't want that to happen," he stated defensively.

"And to think, all of this time, I've been so disrespectful to you. I mean I'm just another worthless girl, in your perspective. Why'd you even want to be around me in the first place?" she said, looking at him and trying to find answers.

"Because you treat me equally. I've really never been treated like that. …It's nice when people don't know who you really are, and they treat you like a regular person."

"I guess I understand. So that's how come you're so rich?" Raxiel asked, moving onto another subject.

"Yes, that's why. My father was one of the richest men in the world. Unfortunately for him, he never used any of his money."

"Wow! I guess that makes you one of the richest men, too," Raxiel said thinking out loud to herself.

Gaara looked over at her to see her amused face. "You're impressed?" he asked curiously.

"Well, no. Fame and money don't impress me."

Gaara nodded in agreement.

"If he can tell me so much about himself, then I should tell him where I'm from," Raxiel thought.

"I guess I should tell you about myself, as well," Raxiel said nonchalantly, her eyes shifted towards the spring.

Gaara cocked his head a little in confusion. "You mean, your past?"

"Well, as much of my past as I can remember," she said softly. "I grew up at a place that I can't recall the name. To tell you the truth, it's actually a different world then this one. I'm considered an 'experiment' due to the many experimentations they did with me. Actually, coming to this world was an experiment they did with me."

She looked down for a minute to concentrate on the next set of words she wanted to say. "When I was five, I had my memories erased. A family took me, and I grew up with them, thinking that this family was my real family. But then something happened. Someone was looking for me, destroying everyone in his path until he found me. My 'stepmother', as I called her, took me and we fled to another world. How we got there, I don't remember. I stayed on that other world with my stepmother for about ten years until the man found me again. This time, I had escaped by myself, wandering from world to world for a few months. He soon caught up to me though, and I was forced to work for him as his 'prized specimen.' Then one day, I found one of his new machines, and I turned it on to see what would happen. Turns out I somehow got here.

After finishing, a long silence was held between them.

Looking down at the boulder, Gaara began to speak. "Why go back then? Why not stay here and never go back?"

Raxiel finally looked at him. "Because, Gaara, I don't have –"

"You can stay with me. I'll take care of you, and you'll be free from him. Wouldn't you like that?"

They both made eye contact with each other. Raxiel soon found herself smiling. "I sure would."

"Then you'll come with me to Sunagakure?"

"Do I see in his eyes begging?" Raxiel thought as she curiously looked in his eyes.

Pleading…

"…Alright, I guess," she finally said, somewhat relieved that she had said 'yes.'

Gaara could almost feel his heart begin the beat faster. He couldn't believe that she had agreed to stay with him. He couldn't believe that she didn't have to go away.

He would never let her…

Never let her get away…

She was his…

His own –

"Gaara?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, he replied, "Yes?"

"This might sound bad, but I'm really fortunate to have found a friend like you. And if there is any way I can pay you back, I would really like to."

Friend…

Nothing more…

"…Raxiel?"

"Yeah?"

Gaara shifted his gaze to the spring. "You like water, right? So does that mean you like rain, too?"

Raxiel gave him a confused look. "Well, sure. It's nice, too."

"What do you think of sand?" he asked calmly.

"Sand… Hmm…"

Raxiel shifted her eyes onto the spring, as well. Gaara noticed and fixed his eyes on her, waiting for an answer. Finally finding the right words, she spoke, "Sand is different, in many ways. It's almost like an opposite of water. It's the land that's next to the sea. It's rough instead of smooth. Almost as if it is a security."

"'Security'?" Gaara repeated.

"Yeah. Your feet can rest on it. You can lay your head down and sleep on it peacefully; while, on the other hand, water keeps you awake, if you're in it."

Gaara looked down at her bare hand that was resting in between them. "Do you like it?"

"Hmm… Yes, Gaara, I do like it. I like security and protection from drowning, so therefore, I like sand."

Gaara was on the verge of touching her hand…

He wanted to feel security…

He wanted to feel protection for the first time…

Not just on the outside, but on the inside…

His heart... It was sick… and weak…

Peace was all he wanted…

"I guess you're kind of like my security, since you're helping me out so much," Raxiel said nonchalantly.

Gaara snapped his hand back into his lap. He couldn't believe she had said that.

Raxiel sensed his nervousness and decided to break the awkward topic they were on. "I think I should get going. I'm getting kind of sleepy anyways."

"Eh – Do you want me to walk you back?"

Raxiel could sense uneasiness within him, and again, she submitted to him. "Sure, that'd be nice."

Standing up together at the same time, their shoulders accidentally brushed each other's, sending chills up Gaara's body.

If he was going to be a friend…

Only a friend…

He needed to get his feelings straight.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

"I'm taking it we'll be leaving sometime this week," Raxiel said blandly as they started to climb the stairs to the second floor of the hotel.

"I still have an extra day I can spend here. That'll give you time to get your necessary things together."

"Necessary?"

"When we get to Suna, you can go shopping to replace those items you didn't bring with you."

"Gaara, I mean –"

Gaara quickly shot her a stubborn glare. "That's an order, Raxiel."

Raxiel's mouth snapped shut when she heard him say that. If she was going to go with him and let him pay for everything, the least she could do was make him happy…

Anything to pay off the huge debt she already owed him…

Even more so because he was the Kazekage

They were getting closer to the second floor.

"Um… Gaara?"

"Yes?"

Raxiel started to laugh a little. "I know this sounds weird, but if there's any kind of work or you need me to help you at any time, I'm willing to work for my stay."

They finally made it to the second floor.

Gaara sighed loudly. "I don't want you to –"

"Yeah, but I would feel much better. I don't want to become unused, so any kind of work I would gladly appreciate," Raxiel said seriously.

"You really don't like to take advantage of other people, do you?" Gaara said bluntly.

"No, not really. I'd just feel better about it."

"She has a point," Gaara thought. "When we get there, I'll be busy doing things, and she'll be doing nothing. She'll be bored…"

"I'll see if I have any use for you when we get there," he stated casually.

Raxiel smiled another one of her priceless smiles at him. "Thank you."

"I should be the one thanking you," he said hesitantly. Raxiel only laughed.

When they had finally made it to her room, their moods had both changed from enjoyment to seriousness. As Raxiel stuck her hand inside her blue jean pocket, Gaara finally took a good look at the attire she was wearing, and he finally realized why she had seemed so tense at he beginning. He was wearing just the right kind of attire for the restaurant; while she, on the other hand, had only picked out a simple wardrobe for herself.

She wasn't used to it…

He knew it…

She wasn't used to the word "formal"…

He didn't have to ask her; he just knew it.

Raxiel soon noticed him staring at her, and she glanced at him in bewilderment. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

Raxiel pressed her lips into an "O" shape. Soon she found the key to her room and started to unlock the door. As the door began to swing open, Raxiel's eyes widened as she saw something in her room that wasn't hers. Gaara took a few steps towards her and entered her room. He picked up the object, and in an instant, Raxiel knew exactly what it was.

Gaara fastened the guord back onto him and soon looked up at her, seeing that she wanted an explanation. "I didn't want to bring it with me. I had thought that you wouldn't mind," he gave her a hesitant face.

Finally catching onto what he was saying, Raxiel answered back. "Oh, I see. It's fine; I was just surprised to see it here, since you didn't come in here… did you?"

"No, I summoned it here," he stated blandly.

After making sure the guord was secured to him, he stepped outside of the room and turned around to face her, noticing that Raxiel wasn't so tense anymore.

Seeing that he was a bit depressed, Raxiel smiled, trying to cheer him up. "Hey, why don't you get a room, too. You look drained." Gaara looked down, and knowing she had said something wrong, Raxiel's smile soon faded. "Oh no, what did I say?"

"It's not your fault…" He looked up and made eye contact with her. "I'm sure you've noticed the dark circles around my eyes, haven't you?"

"Well…yes," she said hesitantly.

"…They're there because I can't sleep. At least, not yet can I sleep."

"What do you mean?" Raxiel asked curiously.

"When Shukaku lived inside me, I wasn't allowed to sleep due to the fact that if I did, Shukaku would eat away at my personality."

"Wait. Shukaku doesn't like inside you anymore?" she asked a little bewildered.

"No, it doesn't. Around a year ago, an organization by the name of Akatsuki was onto me, trying to kidnap me and kill me to take Shukaku out of my body. They succeeded in capturing me, and they did kill me. The demon inside me was taken out, and I was dead for a short while. Then, a special person with a unique gift found me and revived me. I no longer have the demon inside me, but I can still control my sand."

Raxiel smiled at him. "Wow! That's great! I'm so happy for you! So then why don't you sleep?"

"It's hard for me. The past sixteen years, I've never slept, and I've unfortunately become an insomniac. That's why I have these dark, probably permanent circles around my eyes."

"Well, you should at least try to sometime," Raxiel said encouragingly. Gaara felt a smirk creeping up his lips, and Raxiel soon saw it and smiled back.

"You know, you really should smile more often."

"Huh?" Gaara mumbled in confusion. "Why?" His half-smile soon left.

"Because when you do, it makes the atmosphere around you more pleasant. Well, at least, that's what your smile does to me," Raxiel admitted embarrassingly.

"Hmph. That's childish," he said bluntly.

"Oh no, no, it's not!" Raxiel said defensively. "If you smile, it makes you feel better. It makes the people around you happier, as well." Gaara looked away, and Raxiel could sense pain inside him. She soon gave him a concerned smile and took a step closer to him.

Gaara was trying to ignore her when he soon felt something grab his shoulder gently. Gaara turned his head to face Raxiel again and saw her hand on his shoulder. Her concerned smile bit through him and sliced him inside deeply. Raxiel leaned closer to him and quietly began to speak to him. "I know you've had a hard past, and you haven't gotten to smile a lot. But I'm saying this to you as a friend: your happiness, your smile is what makes me keep smiling."

Gaara's eyes shot wide open.

"When I had first gotten here, my mind was caught in a depressed state. I was only thinking about the bad things in life, but when you showed up, and you smiled at me for the first time, it suddenly woke me up to the happier things in life. It's helped me through a tough time I had. For that, I thank you."

Raxiel took her hand off him, and Gaara's eyes were still trying to stop dancing from the surprising statement she just gave him.

Raxiel broke the silence though. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked nonchalantly as she started to walk into her room.

Gaara was quick about shaking off his shock and replied, "If you want. I have to sign the rest of the paper-work at the Hokage's Office," he said as bluntly as he could.

"Hey! When you're done with that, just come over here. We can get lunch or something, and you can tell me what Suna is really like," Raxiel said cheerfully.

Gaara agreed with a quick nod, and Raxiel smiled with contentment. "Um… Thanks for buying dinner. It was nice."

"She means horrible," he thought as he nodded again, acknowledging he had heard her. "Get some rest," Gaara said as he slowly walked away.

And they left it just like that.