Echoes in the Rain

Gaara: Were you trying to avoid me last chapter?

LightBender: (looks nervously around) Of course not!

Gaara: (scary look)

Temari: Gaara! Be nice to the LightBender! She's just a lowly FanFiction author.

LightBender: You better not have just dissed FanFiction.

Temari: What if I just did?

LightBender: We'll finish this later. Could someone do the disclaimer for me?
Lee: The youthful LightBender owns nothing except for the youthful plot.

Tenten: And the song that Hinata sang last chapter. What song?

Hinata: N-Nothing! Nothing!

Temari: In order to make it easier to read Hinata's speech, LightBender's putting after what she says so you readers understand.

Gaara followed the girls like a lost puppy, trailing after them. The girls weren't paying attention to him; at least that's what he though. Gaara didn't mind however. He was trying to understand Hinata.

She was always stuttering whenever she spoke, but when she was singing, she didn't. Gaara, who had limited musical contact, thought that she had a great voice. Hinata was definitely better than Temari at least. As Kankuro had said, a dying bird would be a better singer than Temari. Then Temari would turn around and hit Kankuro half-way across Suna. This happened regularly. Kankuro never learned his lesson.

As Gaara was so absorbed in his thoughts, he didn't see that Hinata was blushing and watching him out of the corner of her eyes. He had heard her sing, something that no one had ever heard her do. And acted as if was a natural thing to do. Did he hear the words? More importantly, did he figure out who she was singing about? Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she felt like she wanted him to understand. But, she didn't want him to tell anyone. That would be more than she could handle.

"Here's the place I was telling you about!" Ino said happily, pointing it out.

Everyone turned to look at it. It looked like a rather normal tea shop. It wasn't painted pink or purple like the last place Ino had showed them. That place had been unbearable. Sakura, Hinata, Tenten, and Temari still had nightmares about it. They liked girly, all accept for Tenten, but she did have a feminine side. The store had been TOO much.

"It looks nice. What do you think Tenten?" Sakura said.

"Yeah. Temari?"

"Sure. Hinata, what do you think?"

"W-why n-not?" Hinata stuttered out. Why not? "G-Gaara-s-sama?" Gaara-sama

"What?" Gaara had heard his name and looked up. Everyone was looking at him.

"Don't bother asking him, Hinata," Temari said. "He doesn't have a choice in the matter."

"W-Why d-doesn't he?" Hinata asked, doing that weird finger movement.

"Temari's baby-sitting him," the other girls chorused.

"Let's go in then, shall we?" Temari asked, leading the way over to the door.

0oo0oo0oo0oo0

The six of them sat in a pale celadon room while a serving girl wearing blue robes placed a teapot and cups in front of them. They were in one of the private rooms, since they wished to have peace. It was apparently a very popular teashop. The front of the shop had been packed full of gawking people. Most of them had been teenage girls eyeing the red headed murderer. Instantly, Temari had requested a private room, no questions asked. Even now the serving girl was eyeing Gaara. Gaara was, of course, ignoring the girl. He wouldn't notice most girls unless they were trying to kill him.

Gaara's attention was on the indigo haired girl sitting across from him. Even though she was looking down, Hinata felt the piercing stare. Glancing up, her lavender eyes met his crystal turquoise ones. Hinata felt her breath catch in her throat and her face heated up. Immediately, she ducked her head down again, shadowy locks hiding her face from view. Gaara kept watching her intently. She was so fascinating.

The disgruntled serving girl left, glowering at Hinata. Hinata didn't notice, however. She was still trying to cool down her face and catch her breath.

"Hinata, since you're closest, would you pour the tea?" Tenten asked the younger girl kindly.

"O-of c-c-course," Hinata replied. Of course.

Hinata stood up and picked up the china teapot with one hand and moved around the table, pouring it into her friends' cups. Hinata felt her face flush as she neared the Kazekage, who was still watching her. Using extra caution, Hinata poured him some tea and started to move away. But, Gaara grabbed her wrist with one hand and with the other took the teapot from her.

In answer to Hinata's confused glance upwards, Gaara said quietly, so just that she could hear, "Allow me."

He stood up and led Hinata back to her seat and poured her some tea. Hinata just watched in amazement. She never thought that a 'murderer' would have manners, let alone be able to pour tea.

Plucking up her courage, Hinata said, "T-thank y-you." Thank you.

"You're welcome." Gaara had been paying attention to those talks Temari and Kankuro gave him about manners.

As Gaara sat down again, Hinata listened to the conversation the girls had been having without her. Well, the one that she hadn't been listening to.

"Personally, I think almost all boys are useless parts of society," Temari said. "They're always going on about how great they are and how hard they work when we do all the work."

"Who would the exception be?" Sakura asked, a mischievous look in her teal eyes. "Maybe, I don't know, SHIKAMARU!!"

All the girls, including Hinata burst out into laughter as Temari smiled a self-satisfied smile and shrugged.

"I went out with him once," Ino said. "It wasn't anything romantic, so don't worry Temari-chan. Choji showed up in the middle and woke him up. How do you keep him awake? He's always sleeping."

"I have my ways," Temari said in a mischievous tone. "So, Tenten, who do you like?"

"Neji," Tenten said, without blushing or anything. "I only wish I knew he did too."

"H-he does," Hinata said. He does.

"He does? How do you know?" Tenten asked apprehensively.

"I-I o-overheard him t-t-talking in his s-sleep," Hinata said modestly. I overheard him talking in his sleep.

"The Hyuga prodigy talks in his sleep?" the girls asked in shock.

Hinata nodded. Tenten beamed and said, "I'll talk to him soon then. Thanks, Hinata-chan."

"So, Sakura and Ino, you two still obsessed with Sasuke?" Temari asked.

"Not as much," Sakura and Ino said in unison. They had to freak out about saying the same thing at the same time, but normal order was resumed quite quickly.

"Sakura, Ino, any new prospects?" Tenten asked.

"Well, if I could change him just a tiny bit," Sakura said wistfully, "so, yes. There's a possibility."

"Ino?" Temari asked.

Ino shrugged and smiled, "There are so many possibilities. I don't want to tie myself down to just one person currently. I'll settle down eventually."

"Hinata, still in love with Naruto?" Temari asked.

"N-no. N-n-not r-really," Hinata said, sending everyone except for Gaara into a seizure. No. Not really.

"Are you serious?" Sakura half-screamed.

Hinata nodded as the door opened and the serving maid stuck her head in. The girl's eyes were drawn instantly to Gaara, who was still watching Hinata.

"May I help you?" the serving maid asked.

"No, why?" Temari asked, glaring at the girl. Temari did not like how that girl was looking at her little brother.

"I heard some screaming," the girl said simply. "If you need anything, just call."

"I don't like how that girl keeps looking at Gaara," Temari growled as the door clicked shut.

"Relax," Sakura advised Temari. "Don't bother getting worked up. Gaara wasn't even paying her any attention. Were you, Gaara?"

"Who?" Gaara asked, looking at the pink haired kunoichi.

"See? Gaara doesn't even know what we're talking about," Tenten said.

"So, Hinata, if you don't like Naruto, who do you like?" Ino asked eagerly.

"I-I can't s-s-say. Y-you'll all l-laugh," Hinata said, her face turning a bright red. I can't say. You'll all laugh.

"We won't!" Temari said. Hinata still shook her head.

"Fine, how about we try and guess?" Sakura suggested. Hinata nodded. The chances of them picking him were slim.

"Kiba?" Ino asked. Hinata shook her head.

"Shino?" Tenten asked.

"N-No." No.

"Sasuke?"

"No."

"Choji?"

"No."

"Kankuro?" Temari started laughing.

"No."

"Good, if you did, I don't know what I'd do."

"How about, Sai?"

"No."

"Kakashi?"

"W-what?"

"Sakura!" Tenten, Ino, and Temari shrieked.

"It was just a guess."

"N-no."

"Lee?"

"No."

"I highly doubt that it would be Gaara. You two are so different!" Temari said.

At that remark, all the girls except for Hinata burst out laughing. Hinata ducked her head, blushing. She forced herself to laugh like the others. She didn't want her secret getting out.

"Who else is there?" Temari asked.

"I don't know," Sakura said sighing.

"Yeah," Tenten said.

"This is hard, Hinata!" Ino said.

Hinata just smiled. For the moment, her secret was safe. Gaara saw this strange behavior and was trying to figure it out. Even with his limited human interaction skills, Gaara was able to put it together. He felt a strange happiness as he thought about it.