The first thing I want to say is thank you. I really appreciate all of the condolences my awesome reviewers left. You guys are the best. A long time ago my goal was to have a story with one hundred reviews, and I've gone over that mark! Also, the reviewer I picked for the one-shot contest was Nandiz. She was the first to review this time and I was really happy to see people are still reading my stories. :)
This chapter is a tad bit longer than my usual chapters, but for good reason. I'm trying to speed up the relationship between Gaara and Hinata a bit. I think it works. If anyone thinks I'm moving too fast, please let me know.
I'll probably update again this Thursday, so look for my update!
Before you start reading, I just wanted to add something I forgot in my last author's note: get tested for AIDS. If you think you might have ever been exposed to it, get tested. The disease laid dormant in Izzy's body for years before it killed her. If we had known earlier, she could've gotten medication to prevent dying so early.
Anyway, please enjoy.
Strange and Beautiful
"I've been watching your world from afar,
I've been trying to be where you are,
And I've been secretly falling apart, unseen."
- Aqualung
The test results are on Gaara's desk the next morning.
He isn't surprised when he reads that the message Hinata had found in her bag was written in human blood.
He is surprised, however, to find that it was written in the blunette's own blood.
Gaara tucks one hand under his chin and frowns as he taps his pen on the report. It doesn't make any sense. It's fairly obvious that Hinata didn't write the message herself. What purpose would that serve?
There's no way of knowing how old the blood is, and this troubles him. If the blood is old, then perhaps someone stole a vial of it from the hospital in Konoha. If it's new...
If the blood is new, then someone recently has had their hands on her. Someone has knocked her out - she wakes up at the presence of unfamiliar chakra, he remembers, so it's the only option - and drained her of her blood.
The thought of it makes him clench his fists, though he doesn't realize it until he breaks his pen and the ink spills over his hand, looking like black blood.
Sighing, Gaara wipes his hand off with a tissue and turns back to the report. He's going to have to ask Hinata to come to the hospital after class. His medics will check her body for the sort of marks needles leave.
He's also going to have to assign someone to investigate the matter further. That's going to be a pain. It's going to need to be someone he trusts, and that number, despite his growth in popularity as of late, is a small one.
Luckily, Kankuro returns early from his mission that afternoon.
"Here's your fucking report." He snarls before slamming a scroll down on his desk. Gaara can't help but be amused by his brother's anger.
Granted, if he was as soaking wet as Kankuro is, he'd probably be sort of pissy too.
"Did you fall into a puddle, Kankuro?" He laughs and leans back when the infuriated brunette takes a swipe at his neck.
"Shut up, pipsqueak!" He nearly growls and it just makes Gaara laugh again.
Really, his brother is hilarious.
"There was a kunochi. And she had a thing for water. And apparently these clothes are never gonna be dry, because I walked through the fucking desert and I'm still fucking wet." His brother collapses into one of the chairs across from Gaara's desk and continues whining as a puddle begins to form beneath him.
"That's an interesting story, Kankuro." Gaara doesn't bother masking his snicker when Kankuro rubs at his face, smearing his purple make-up.
Then he glances down at the test results from earlier and his laughter fades.
"Unfortunately, I have a story to tell as well."
Kankuro reacts appropriately when Gaara informs him of the disturbing scroll Hinata had found in her classroom, and of the means used to write the message.
"Dude." Kankuro whistles, eyebrows raised. His hood is off now, and the effect doesn't look as comical as it might if he had his make-up on. "That's creepy as fuck. Poor Hinata."
Then, because Kankuro is Kankuro, he leans forward and smiles lecherously. "So did you comfort her, Gaara? Did you tuck her into bed, if you know I mean?"
When he wiggles his eyebrows, Gaara utilizes his sand to send his brother flying to the wall across the room.
Outside the office doors, one of the guards blinks slowly when the door behind him rattles.
"Please refrain from speaking about Hinata in that sort of manner, Kankuro. I would appreciate it." He says politely.
Kankuro picks himself up off the ground, panting. He looks like he's going to say something stupid, so Gaara raises a nonexistent eyebrow.
In spite of his lack of hair, the effect is still satisfactory. Kankuro shuts up and takes his seat once more, though he grumbles as he does it.
Gaara smiles.
"In any case, I believe this is no mere prank. This has the signature of a much older shinobi, one who understands mind games. Why else would Hinata's own blood have been used, other than to prove who has the power?"
Kankuro nods slowly, and Gaara moves forward with his idea. "In my experience, this sort of message is only the beginning, so I'd like you to look into the issue, Kankuro. There is a chakra sensor in Konoha - Karin, I believe her name is - and I'd like you to bring her here. She may be able to compare any chakra residue on the scroll with the chakra signatures of Hinata's student. Although I do not believe one of her student's is directly behind this, it's possible one was used to place it in her bag."
Kankuro makes a noise of agreement. "I know the girl you speak of. One of the Uchiha's old teammates. She became a Konoha shinobi after the war. I'll leave for Konoha in the morning."
Gaara leans back in his chair, satisfied with Kankuro's cooperation. "I would appreciate it, Kankuro, if news of the scroll stayed private. Karin and Tsunade should be the only ones outside of Suna to know of it, as of this moment."
Kankuro gives him a mock salute and heads for the door. "Sure thing, pipsqueak."
When the door swings shut, Gaara sighs heavily.
Time for more paperwork.
Hinata isn't really surprised when she steps out of the school to find the Kazekage waiting for her.
"Any more surprises?" He asks, eyeing the bag that hangs over her shoulder.
She shakes her head. Thank Kami for that. Actually, the day had gone pretty well. The kids had all been well-behaved (outside of a few small incidences, of course), and she'd been able to start them on the basics of hand seals that day. Tomorrow, they would each show her at least three hand seals from memory. She hopes to have the entire class memorize all of them by the end of the month at the latest.
"Today was peaceful, actually." They begin walking away from the school and she assumes towards home until Gaara gently places his hand on the small of her back and steers her in another direction.
His touch sends sparks flying up her spine and she shivers in response. He jerks away from her, his face flaming. "Ah, I'm sorry, I just - the dango stall, from yesterday -"
She is equally flustered. "No! I, ah, it's fine, I just - did you get the test results back today?" She blurts the question out before fully thinking it through, only wanting to move the conversation on.
The pink in Gaara's cheeks fades as quickly as it appeared, and he nods somberly. "I think that is a discussion best left for home." He says quietly.
Hinata takes in a sharp breath. Oh, Kami. This can't mean anything good if he wants privacy for simple test results.
Gaara at least has the mind to bring up a more positive topic. "How was Kiyomi in class today?"
She smiles to herself at the thought of the energetic girl. "She's very excited to learn." She says as they join a line of people under a striped white and green awning. "She insisted on showing me how many flips she could do during lunch." Gaara laughs and the sound is rather pleasing. "Which was ten." She adds. "Very impressive."
They move up in line. "Kiyomi's father died during the war." Gaara says softly, his eyes trained on the sign ahead of them. "Her mother was unable to handle the thought of living without her husband, and she killed herself."
Hinata can't help the gasp she lets out. "That poor girl." She resolves to help find a couple to adopt the blonde little girl with the sparkling green eyes. Kiyomi deserves parents who won't abandon her.
"Mmm." They reach the order window and Hinata waits patiently for Gaara to order for the both of them. When she holds out several coins to pay for her food, he shakes his head and pushes her hand away. Blushing, she drops the coins back into her bag.
He hands her a stick of dango and they begin walking again, in silence this time as they eat.
The dango is covered in sesame seeds, and it tastes both sweet and salty at the same time. It's different than the dango served at the cafe Anko had dragged her to in Konoha, but she likes it.
"Thank you." She says when her mouth isn't full. "This is delicious."
A small smile graces his face and she wills her heart to beat normally.
"I am glad you like it." They come to another building, this time with a small red and brown sign reading, "Tsukiko's Sweets".
Gaara holds the door open for her. "After you."
Gaara, Hinata has realized, has impeccable manners.
And a sweet tooth, she muses, after he orders a box of cinnamon buns for the morning and a box of chocolate-chip cookies for that evening.
"You like sweets." She says on the way home.
He nods and the blush on his face clashes terribly with his hair. Really, he blushes almost as much as her. It's kind of an accomplishment.
"When is your birthday?" It's sort of a sudden question, but she wants to make sure she remembers it.
"January nineteenth." He looks at her strangely. "Why?"
"Ah, I..." Oh, whatever. She might as well tell him. "I want to remember to bake a cake on your birthday."
He stares at her for a moment, and she almost ducks her head. Then he says something that surprises her.
"You are a good friend, Hyuuga Hinata." He says softly. There is something in his eyes that looks a little sad, and she wants to make it go away.
"I hope I can include you among them now." She replies, her voice just as soft.
He laughs, but it is that sweet sound she likes, not a mocking laugh. "Yes. I do believe we are friends now, Hinata."
They are almost to the house when his head snaps up, nearly startling her. "I apologize. I forgot to ask. When is your birthday, Hinata?"
She grins. "December twenty seventh. I'm a whole twenty three days older than you, Gaara."
They both laugh, and Hinata can't remember the last time she felt so relaxed with a person who wasn't her teammate.
When they reach the Kazekage's home, Gaara once again holds the door open for her, and like the day before, she drops her bag by the door and slips off her shoes.
Hinata tosses her trash from the dango and opens one of the cabinets, taking out two glasses. "Would you like something to drink, Gaara?"
The red-head is putting the cookies on a platter and he looks up. "Hm? Oh, ah, yes. Please."
Hinata giggles at his distracted response. "Milk or water?"
"Ah, milk."
A few minutes later, the two of them are laughing over milk and cookies at the dining room table.
"I haven't done this in years." Hinata dips one a cookie into her cup of milk and takes a bite. "It makes me feel like a little girl again."
Gaara smiles, something like nostalgia shining in his eyes. "I was never much of a child, but this sort of treat was always my favorite."
Hinata's laughter dies a little bit. "I suppose neither of us were children for very long, were we?" She says quietly.
Gaara sets his cup down and places his chin on his hand, resting his elbow on the table. He stares off into the distance, at something Hinata cannot see.
"You know," He begins softly. "It's almost funny how alike our lives were."
Startled at the abrupt shift in conversation, Hinata jerks up. "W-what?"
The leader of Suna turned his head furthur away from her. "I paid attention during the first Chuunin exams, Hinata." His voice is so quiet Hinata has to lean forward to hear him. "Your cousin, a person you considered your brother, tried to kill over something that was not your fault. In that respect, we are similar. But, in addition to the fact that our loved ones nearly killed us for things not under our control, we have also changed ourselves. We have survived against the odds when all expected us to fail," His eyes, a beautiful shade of sea foam green, flicker back open. "Especially our fathers."
Hinata is forced to put her glass down as her hands are shaking so much. The Kazekage, it seems, has been thinking of her for much longer than she had suspected.
She has always thought her life looked easy in comparison to the lives of those such as Gaara and Naruto; they had truly suffered, in her opinion. But perhaps...perhaps she is closer to Gaara than she previously thought.
"I did not know..." She trails off, unsure how to finish her sentence. Did not know what? That he had thought about her? That she had so much in common with him?
His face flushes just a bit. "I admire you and your strength, Hinata." He admits. "I had never been able to stand up to my opponents on an emotional level. At the time of the Chuunin exams, I simply used the demon inside me and brute force to deal with life. But you chose another path."
The handsome man sighs heavily and drops the his arm to the table. He stares at his hands, a thoughtful look on his face. "When I became Kazekage, I often thought of Naruto and his bravery. But in addtion, I also often thought of you."
Hinata can feel her face turning redder than it ever has before. "G-gaara, I..."
He suddenly looks panicked. "Oh, have I embaressed you? I apologize, I simply meant to express that -"
"No!" Her protest is a little too loud and a little to sudden, but she is on her feet now, hands slammed down on the table.
"Don't apologize." She breaths out. "Not for this."
She takes a few deep breaths to stable herself. Gaara's eyes are wide with shock and he hasn't said anything else yet.
"I've never had anyone say anything like that to me." She tries to put her feelings into words, but she's finding it an extremely difficult task. "No one..." She has to swallow down tears. Her heart feels swollen at his words, words no one has ever said to her, not even Naruto. "No one has ever admired me before. People say I'm kind, and they comment on my ability to be compassionate and even occasionally compliment my skills in battle."
"But to admire me..." It comes out a choked whisper. "Thank you, Gaara. I don't believe you know how much that means to me."
Gaara stands up as well and quickly moves around the table and suddenly his is very, very close to her. She can smell the chocolate on his breath and it sends a shiver down her spine.
"If...if it is not too much to ask..." He reaches for her hand and unlike the night before, she does not resist when he takes her hand into his. "May I take you out on a date tomorrow night?"
It's funny. She's only been living with the Kazekage for a few weeks, but the mansion feels more like home than the Hyuuga compound ever did, and the man who rules the deserts makes her feel cared for in a way Naruto never did.
She smiles shyly. "I would like that very much, Gaara."
He leans in a little closer, and for a brief second Hinata thinks he might kiss her. And for a brief second, she thinks she'd let him.
But instead, he lets out a deep breath and steps away, smiling tightly. "I think it may be time to discuss those test results."
Fin.
Please review.
- dreameratheart