Sabaku no Momo
(6. There's a First Time for Everything)
By Anke-chan
Pairing: Gaara x OC
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, only the plot and OC
Warning: There may be lots of OOCness~ If there are [ ] after a certain word or phrase, it is the definition or translation of the word or phrase :D
A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Please R&R! :D
"Is it too heavy, Gaara-sama?" A dark-haired girl turned to look back at a red-haired boy. She was slightly surprised to see the boy using his sand to carry the grocery bags. "Ah, I'm glad it isn't heavy," she chuckled jokingly.
"Shall I…carry the ones you're carrying, too?" Gaara looked at her inquiringly.
Momoko shook her head. "No, no! It's quite all right, but thank you." She waited a moment to let the boy fall into step beside her before she continued walking. "I'm glad you came along with me today, Gaara-sama. That was your first time at the grocery store, right?"
Gaara nodded once in reply. "Yeah, it was… It was…interesting. Do you always go there…?" He turned to glance at the girl.
The kunoichi nodded as she said, "Often enough, yes. I usually go when I'm low on food or other supplies."
"Other supplies?"
The girl blushed. "Um… Stuff like soap, shampoo, dish soap. Little things like that, Gaara-sama." She decided not to mention anything about feminine products. It was too strange to suddenly bring up in public and with a boy, too.
"Is that…so? I see," the red head said, nodding in understanding. "Here, I can help you carry those bags. They must be…heavy…" Without moving his hands, the sand he always used reached forward and plucked the bags from the girl's arms.
"Ga-Gaara-sama!" Momoko pouted at the boy. "I could carry it, too, you know. I feel bad making you carry everything. What will people say?"
"I don't know. But I don't mind, you know," the boy replied. "So that's what it's like going to a grocery store…"
"How did you feel about it, Gaara-sama?"
Gaara thought over how he had felt. "I've never been to one before, so… It's…a new experience. I never really had a need to go before because there was always someone around to feed me or give me clothes so I never had to worry about those things…" He turned his green eyes to look at Momoko. "Is it weird to you that I never went to a grocery store before…?"
Shaking her head, the girl answered, "Not at all, Gaara-sama. It's not strange. Besides, there is always a first time for everything. If you don't do one thing one day, there is always another day to do it."
"…What if there is not another day to do it? What if we die on the battlefield? What then…?"
"I try my best not to think of those things. I always think that there is going to be another day to do something I did not do today. It doesn't matter to me how far in the future it might be. I just try to live every day as fully as I can," the girl replied, smiling a little sadly. "Shall we think of today as one day and tomorrow as another day instead of the day we'll die…?"
Gaara stared at her in silence, but nodded once. "That sounds like a plan… Let's do it then."
"Haha. It's settled then," the girl laughed.
The pair continued walking on, their small talk lapsing into silence. When they came to the point where they had bumped into one another, Gaara handed back Momoko's grocery bags, carefully settling them into her arms.
"I think I should go home now," Gaara murmured as he finished giving back her bags. Without another word, he began to head in the direction of his house, but the girl called out to him.
"U-um…! Gaara-sama…!" Momoko was flustered as she spoke up, making the boy stop in his tracks. He glanced back at her inquiringly. "U-um… I was wondering if…you would like to come over to my house? For a meal, maybe…?"
Gaara was baffled. "You…want me to come to your house?"
Momoko nodded. "I…would very much like for you to come over to my house, Gaara-sama. Would you mind coming over?"
"W-would that be alright though…? What might your parents think…?" Gaara asked doubtfully.
"My parents…they're dead," Momoko whispered.
Gaara perked up in surprise at that. "What…? They're…dead…?"
The girl gave a small painful smile. "Yes. I've been alone all this time so it wouldn't matter. Would you like to come over, Gaara-sama?"
The boy momentarily looked at the girl in silence before he murmured, "Is it really okay with you though…?"
"Would this also be your first time going over to someone's house?" The girl inquired.
He nodded.
"Well… There's a first time for everything," Momoko said, chuckling a little. "Shall we go then?" She began to head in the direction of her house.
"O-oh…sure," Gaara murmured, jogging a little to catch up with Momoko. He took the grocery bags from the girl again, who teasingly gave him a little push and laugh. He wasn't sure how to react so he gave a small, weak half-smile. The girl was pleased as she pointed it out to him, her smile bright.
-At Momoko's house-
"Here we are," Momoko proclaimed as she pulled the door to her apartment open. "I'm sorry if it's a little small." She gave her guest an apologetic smile.
Gaara shook his head as he slowly went into the sunlit room, looking around him curiously. He made a quick survey of the room before he turned to look at Momoko just as she closed the door behind her. "It seems…comfortable."
The kunoichi gave a small chuckle as she kicked off her sandals. "It is. I do live by myself so it's comfortable enough for me." She gestured to the small wooden four-legged table and said, "You can set the groceries down there, Gaara-sama."
The boy set the bags down and wandered further into the apartment. He looked at how the sunlight shone into the room from the window across the room, the cleanly made-up bed, the small shelf that stood in the opposite corner from the bed… Everything seemed so neat. He turned around and found Momoko reaching up into the cupboards, pulling down some cups before she turned to look at him. When she asked if he would like some tea, he gave a small, "Sure," before he trailed off into silence, watching her.
The girl turned around to switch the stove on before she put a kettle on to boil some water. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed how intently the red-haired boy watched her. She looked at him and inquired, "Have you ever tried making your own tea before?"
The boy was slightly baffled by the question, but shook his head. "I haven't, but I have seen other people do it… Don't you just put some leaves in the water…?"
Momoko nodded. "Yes. See?" She reached back up into one of the cupboards and pulled down a jar of dark green leaves, giving the glass object a small shake, which shuffled the leaves around in the contained space. "I love tea. It has always helped me relax."
"I see," the boy murmured. He didn't know if what she said was really true; he had never tried it himself.
A few minutes later, the kettle began to whistle. Momoko turned around and snapped the switch off, letting the whistle of the kettle ease and die down to a mere steam puffing out from the small hole that had been made on the spout's cover. Using a hand cloth, the dark-haired kunoichi carried the kettle and the two cups over to the small wooden table. After setting the items down, she turned back around to grab the jar of tea leaves before she set it on the table. Gesturing to the chair opposite of her, Momoko waited for Gaara to approach the table and sit down before she sat down herself.
"Help yourself," Momoko said, hoping to encourage the boy to try putting the tea leaves into his tea cup.
Gaara reached for the jar of tea leaves, hesitating momentarily before he picked up the jar and slowly opened the top of the lid, setting it down on the table. "Um… How much…?" He asked, hesitating again as he looked up at Momoko.
"As much as you would like, but if you would like my suggestion…" Momoko carefully reached forward and slipped her slender hand into the jar, pinching a few leaves before taking her hand back out. "I think this much is always enough for a cup or two," the girl said, brandishing the amount she had grabbed to the young shinobi before she dropped them into her tea cup. "And of course, we can't forget the hot water," the girl laughed as she carefully picked up the hot kettle and tipped it ever so slightly over her cup, letting the hot water pour down into her cup and over the tea leaves. "Be careful when you pour the hot water, okay?" She gave the boy a smile before she set the kettle down.
"…" Gaara reached his hand into the jar and tried to mimic how Momoko had grabbed her tea. When he withdrew his hand from the jar, he had roughly the same amount as the girl had. He showed her, a small, awkward smile tugging at his lips. "Is this… Is this enough…Momoko…?"
The girl took a brief glance then looked up into the boy's eyes and gave him a thumbs-up. "Great job, Gaara-sama. You did very well."
With more confident smile, the boy dropped his tea leaves into his own cup, watching as the dark green pieces fluttered to the bottom of his cup. Then, he picked up the kettle and slowly let the water run down into his cup. After it was almost full, he set the kettle down and looked at Momoko. "Now we wait."
"Yes," she replied. Resting her chin in hand, the girl said in a soft voice, "Would it be okay…if I ask you questions about yourself, Gaara-sama?"
Gaara looked away for a moment before he slowly turned his dark-rimmed eyes back to the girl. "…I…don't know…"
"I'll try asking a question. If…if you find it offensive, please just let me know so I know to avoid it next time," the girl suggested.
The boy gave a small, unsure nod.
"Um… What are your goals now…?" The girl wasn't sure that would be a good question to ask, but nothing seemed to be coming to mind at that moment.
Slightly taken aback at the question, the boy wasn't sure how to answer, so he remained silent. He thought it over, but still unsure, he asked the girl instead, "What about you? What are your…goals…?"
"I… I want to be able to protect the people I care about… I'd have to say that is my one biggest goal in life," Momoko replied, not offended that the boy hadn't answered. She figured he wasn't sure about how to answer and did not press on the matter.
"Protect…the people you care about…?" Gaara whispered, almost inaudible. The words the girl had spoken closely reminded him of what had happened in Konohagakure…how that one person had said almost the exact same thing to him not too long ago…
"I've never had anyone important like a mother or a father… Sometimes, when I was young and alone, crying, I'd ask myself why my parents weren't around to help me… Why did they leave me all alone. It was honestly tough, but not too long ago…" She took a breath and smiled a little as she continued, "I found people who became very important to me. I met the people in my cell. I never would have expected that." She looked up into the boy's eyes. "Are you happy with your siblings being in the same cell as you?"
Again, Gaara wasn't sure how to answer… Until recently, he had never thought of Temari or Kankuro as his siblings. He had merely considered them as possible liabilities that would hold him back and who he would have to kill if they had gotten in his way. Now though, he hadn't figured out quite yet what they really, truly meant to him. So once again, the red-haired young man stayed silent. He thought back to what Momoko had said to him earlier: "There is always a first time for everything. If you don't do one thing one day, there is always another day to do it."
As Gaara slowly became lost in his thoughts, Momoko sat back in her chair and waited patiently. She felt slightly worried that she had somehow offended the boy… She refrained herself from speaking up, from breaking into the boy's thoughts. She felt like she had to give him some time to think over the things she was asking… Heck, she didn't even know which question was okay for her to ask and which ones weren't; he hadn't told her otherwise yet.
A few minutes passed before the girl suddenly remembered their brewing tea. She picked up her tea cup and took a small sip of the tea. Still hot, but at least it didn't scald her tongue. She finally ventured to say something, "Gaara-sama?"
Gaara snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh… Is it okay to drink now?" He picked up his tea cup and took a small sip of it. He swallowed the tea and looked at the girl. "It's very good," he said in an approving tone of voice.
The girl gave a smile. "That's good." She stood up from her chair, which made the boy suddenly stand up himself. She looked at him in confusion. "What are you doing, Gaara-sama? You didn't have to stand up."
"I thought you wanted me to leave or something," the boy stated simply.
Shaking her head, the girl explained, "No, no! I didn't mean that! I was just about to start cooking. While I do that, is there anything specific you would like to eat?"
The red-head responded with, "Salted tongue and gizzard."
"…" The pair stared at one another in silence. Gaara began to wonder if the girl would be willing to make him that. He was about to speak when the she spoke first.
"Sure thing. I don't often eat that, but I don't mind making it for us." She turned to the refrigerator and opened the door. "I'm sure I have some beef tongue and gizzard in here somewhere," she mumbled to herself just as she spotted the meat. She pulled out the container for the meat and turned around, holding it up proudly to Gaara. "I found it."
"That's good." The boy stood up as the girl turned to the sink and began to unpackage the meat into a clean bowl. He approached the girl.
Momoko noticed and turned to look questioningly at him. "Yes?"
"I was just wondering if I could watch you cook," Gaara replied.
"I don't mind," she laughed.
After the food had been made and their cups of tea refilled for the umpteenth time, they sat down to enjoy the meal together. "Would you like to take the first bite?" Momoko inquired, looking at Gaara curiously.
With a nod, Gaara reached forward with his chopsticks and picked up a salted tongue before taking a bite out of it. He chewed for a few seconds before he finally swallowed it. He was quiet for another few moments before he looked at her and remarked, "It's… Very good, Momoko."
"Ah, yokatta," [yokatta literally means "that's good"] Momoko sighed in playful relief, placing a light hand on her chest as if she had been worried, and to herself, she knew she had been the teeniest bit worried that what she had cooked wouldn't be good enough for the boy. She tried out a salted tongue herself. "Ah, yummy~" She took another bite.
Gaara watched the girl eat heartily, the questions she had been asking him earlier on his mind again. Finally, he said, "I want to become the Kazekage one day."
The girl looked at him curiously at the sudden answer. "The Kazekage? Really…?" She watched to see if there would be any facial expression changes on the boy's face, but there was none. She broke into a small smile. "That's an amazing goal, Gaara-sama."
A corner of the boy's lips turned in a small smile. "You think so?"
"Of course. But it does make me wonder," she rested her chin in her hand again. "What made you decide on that goal? I told you mine… I mean, if you don't mind telling me your reason. I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it or whatnot." She waited patiently for the boy to answer.
"I don't mind," the boy began. "In Konohagakure, when I went to participate in the chuunin exams there, I met someone… Another person just like me. Another Jinchuuriki," [Jinnchuuriki is a Tailed-beast's host, for those who do not know] Gaara replied. "He understand my pain and loneliness and he told me that was what had made him strong. That even though he had been alone for so long, it had not stopped him from pursuing his ambitions and he was able to meet people who cared about him." Gaara lowered his eyes to the table. "After that encounter, it just made me think about the path that I had chosen to take… That I could be just as strong as him. As Uzumaki Naruto is." He turned to look Momoko in the eyes. "That's why I want to become Kazekage."
Momoko had listened intently to the boy's story and she felt a warmth flood her chest. She felt happy that Gaara had been able to meet such a person. "I'm glad that you and him were able to meet, Gaara-sama. I know you that you can become strong."
"As you have become strong yourself, Momoko," Gaara remarked.
The girl felt the blood rise to her cheeks and she had the urge to avert her eyes. "I-I guess so…" She nervously tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear.
"As to your second question… I do regard Kankuro and Temari as my siblings now, where I did not before… So I'm glad they're in my cell," Gaara added.
"Soudesuka?" [Soudesuka literally means "is that right?"] Momoko lowered her eyes slightly. "That makes me envious. I never had siblings I could rely on… The closest I have ever gotten to having siblings are my cellmates Haru and Hiashi." She looked back up into Gaara's eyes though with a smile. "And I'm grateful to have them in my life… Just like I'm glad I can have you as a part of my life now, too."
Gaara nodded. "I, too, am glad that we can be friends now, Momoko. I have talked about this with my brother before… He warned me about being careful around the other shinobi since they might cause me harm. But I believe that I can change that image I had before."
Unconsciously, the girl reached out her hand and lightly placed it on top of Gaara's. "And I'll be here to help you, too! I believe that you can do this, Gaara-sama!"
"Thank you, Momoko," Gaara said. He glanced down at their hands though, unsure how to feel in that situation.
Noticing what she had done, the girl hastily pulled her hand away from his. "A-ah! Go-gomen ne… You should have told me that I had done something so silly…" Although the blush had left her cheeks just moments before, the blood came rushing back into her cheeks.
Gaara touched the hand that Momoko had held with his other hand. "No… It was something new… Your hand… Is very warm."
If Momoko could blush any harder, she probably was. "O-oh…? Is that right…?" She awkwardly picked up her bowl and began to eat again. She mumbled in between a bite, "We should eat before the food gets cold…"
"That's true," Gaara agreed as he picked up his rice bowl and chopsticks again.
The pair enjoyed the rest of dinner together, continuing on with their conversation. All the while, Momoko could not help but think about how she had held the boy's hand… Why had she unconsciously held his hand in the first place? She couldn't figure out why.
-TBC-
A/N: Ahhhhh! I'm finally finished with chapter 6! I'm so sorry for the wait! R&R please~ :) I'll be getting to work on chapter 7 soon~
