[2] Mizuki and Gaara

He was running. Even though his little legs couldn't run as fast as Mizuki, he tried. He desperately wanted to see her. He needed to be with her. He got worried when she didn't come yesterday nor did she come today. He missed her. He wondered if she left him even though she promised that she would never leave him. No, she could never. Could she? Maybe she got tired of him. Did she finally realize that he was a monster like everybody said?

He shakes his head as he pounds on the door creating so much ruckus that the neighbors looked out of the window to see what was happening but quickly closed them up when they saw that it was Gaara. But he didn't care all he wanted to do was see her. To see if she was mad at him for always winning the games that they used to play but mostly because he was scared, scared that his only friend, no his best friend, would hate him…

The door slowly opens on its own, creaking so much it felt wrong. Then he heard sobs, short low sobs. He knew who that voice belonged to. He runs up the stairs forcing the door open and there she was huddled on the corner with her hands wrapped around her legs. Her face buried in between her legs. She was crying and sobbing really hard. She looked up. Her eyes looked tired, her cheeks red, and her tears just didn't seem to stop. "Mizuki," he runs to her, wrapping her in his arms as she continued to cry on his chest. He was pissed, pissed to the point that he wanted to kill whoever did this to her. She was always there for him and now he couldn't help but return the favor.

She looks up at him, drying her tears with her overly long sleeve. "Gaara-kun…why…are you…here?" She sniffs, trying to put on a smile but fails.

"That's not important…Who did this to you?" He emphasis each word as though trying to hold back his anger. "No…one… it's my—my Onii-san." She didn't need to finish the sentence for him to know what happened. His brother was on a new mission, his most dangerous yet, from what he heard from his father.

"I'm sorry," He mutters under his breath. She smiles forcefully and a ping just hit his heart. He hated seeing her like this; he hated it when she forced a smile on her face. "I have to…go to Konoha." She whispers but he could hear her perfectly. He was expecting this but he doesn't want her to leave. He holds her tighter as she continued to cry on his chest. "I can't live here…Onii-san's—I have to go to Oba-Chan and…and," She couldn't continue. But he stopped her right there when he hugs her tighter. He had no choice but to let her go. If she stayed in Suna she would've been placed in an orphanage. And God knows what those orphanages were like. "Gaara-kun…I'm so—sorry." She sniffed but he wouldn't have it. This was for her own good even if he had to let her go…

And that was it. The next day she was gone. And that was the day his world fell apart…Assassinations were sent after him. His uncle, his only true relative, betrayed him. And his best friend, the only person that ever treated him as a real human being…was taken from him…everything precious from him ripped away…everything he thought was precious…betrayed him. And that made him untrusting and uncaring. He made a shield to protect his heart…but by doing this, he closed everyone off from himself even Mizuki.

She nuzzles into her pillow. Letting the smell of chocolate drown her nose, she sighs when she hears her name being called but ignoring it and going back to sleep.

"Mizuki!" She rolls over and hugs her blanket. "Gaara-kun?" She smiles at the mention of his name roll off her tongue.

"Mizu-chan wake up!" She falls to the ground with a loud 'thump'. She looks up with tired eyes. Four red eyes looking back at her. "Oh it's you guys." She says disappointingly as she stands up and messes up her hair. "Gee…glad to see you too. Mizu-nii," Both of them say in unison. Mizuki smiles reassuringly and hugs both of them but she let's both of them go. Once she noticed that they were both turning red.

"Sorry. I guess I was hoping you were someone else." She picks up her pillow and blanket on the floor and places it all on the bed. With a yawn she walks over to open her window letting the Konoha air fill her room then sits back on her bed.

"Yeah, you mean…Gooro-kun…right?" She smiles evilly like she did it on purpose. Yes, Suzu really loved to play pranks on Mizuki knowing that she would be very displeased unlike her twin sister, Momo, who was much kinder to Mizuki. Although Mizuki never agreed to have her nieces live with her. She had no choice. Both of their parents died on a mission and since their Oba-Chan died not a long time ago. They had no other living relatives to take them. They had no other choice but to stay with Mizuki.

"-kun. How hard is that you remember?" She says with a scowl on her face.

"Come on you guys. Don't fight it's too early." Momo protest as she plops down on the bed beside Mizuki as her twin sister Suzu follows. "Mizu-chan who's Gaara-kun anyway? You never tell us who he is?" Momo grabs the pillow and places it on her lap.

"Or if his actually a he," Suzu mutters under her breath as Mizuki hits her head…hard.

"Okay one, Gaara is a guy and secondly, I will not tell you because I know you'll blackmail me for life…and yes, I'm talking to you Suzu." She scowls at Mizuki. She just ignores her reaction. Then Mizuki goes over to the mirror and places her hair in pigtails. As she smiles at her work.

"And besides…" The twins look at Mizuki with confusion as she turns around her finger pressed against her lips. "It's a secret I'll be taking to my grave." They both sigh in annoyance as she just smiles happily

She looks up at the sky from her roof. She always loved looking up at the sky other than chocolate and running. Although her nieces were ninjas she was definitely not. She hated fighting and just being a ninja in general because it brought too many painful memories of her mother, father, brother, and Gaara.

Although Gaara was not a ninja he certainly had the power to become one. She regretted the day she left Suna. She even sometimes blames herself. She thought about her last words to Gaara and those were 'I'm sorry'. She wishes she said what she really wanted to him. The words that have been harboring in her heart for as long as she could remember. Those three little words 'I…I—'

"Mizuki," She hears her name behind her, almost as if a whisper. She knows who it is. She turns around; excitement filled her eyes and her heartbeat quickens. It was no mistaken it. It was him. It was…

"Gaara-kun!" She runs up towards him throwing her arms but was quickly blocked by a wall of sand only allowing his eyes to be seen. "Gaara-kun…what's wrong?" She asks pityingly. She could see that something was wrong. Yes, he changed. He really was different. Although he had still had the same red hair and the same sea foam green eyes. She could tell that he made a shield a really big shield. And it scared her. She knew that he closed his heart off to everybody…everybody but her. And now she felt like she…was like everybody else

Gaara's eyes were glued to hers. More than anything he could see that she was hurt. After years of being apart the first thing he does is push her away. She changed. Her blue eyes have become bluer more refined and her hair has grown long but her child like face was still there. She was not what adults call 'cute' anymore she was what adults call 'beautiful'. She asks him what's wrong and his heart fell apart. The 'beast' inside him laughing indiscriminately teasing about his stupid feelings for a human but he didn't care. Seeing his one and only best friend look at him with disbelief was like a stake through his heart. Then she does something, something he was never expecting. Not even from her. She smiled…yes, she smiled. For years he has longed to see her smile ever since he saw her curled up at the corner of the floor. Mourning her brother's death.

"It's good to see you again, Gaara…or should I say it's good to see your eyes." She smiles light heartedly. Like she used to when they were kids…Gaara, unknowingly, let's the wall of sand come down. Unbeknownst to him as to why he did it. "That's new." She points at the 'love' placed on his forehead but he shrugs it off and doesn't respond but she continues to smile. "Are you here for the Chunin Exams?" He stays quiet. Worried, she approaches him and places her hand on his cheek. Gaara freezes but doesn't do anything.

"Gaara-kun…please talk to me." She pleads but seeing no response from him she lets her hand slide away from his face. Thinking, that it was her fault that this happened to him. "I'm sorry…Gaara-kun." She mutters under her breath forcing Gaara to look at her as she lowers her head. "I shouldn't have left Suna…I heard your father died…and…I'm sorry." She finishes her sentence. Confusing Gaara more than ever, why is she apologizing? For all he knows she's the one who dragged him out of his hell. The sand started pouring out of his gourd crawling behind her back as it pushes her forward towards Gaara. He grabs her hand holding on to her tightly but loose enough as not to hurt her but she knows Gaara more than anyone and she knows an apology when she sees one, well Gaara's apology at least, she smiles at him and places a kiss on his forehead. Gaara froze. His eyes so wide it could've literally popped out of its eye socket.

"I'm still not changing my mind about my apology Gaara-kun. Even though you're the one who's apologizing I'm still sorry. You might not know why but maybe someday I can tell you…" His eyes widen in surprise. What was she talking about? But she doesn't give him any time to respond as she continues, "But right now I'm cheering for you. So do your best in the Chunin Exams!" She slides her hand from his grip and walks towards the edge of the roof.

"I have to go. I need to make lunch for Suzu and Momo. Suzu would be pissed if I'm late." She waves a goodbye with a smile still plastered on her face. "I hope I'll see you again someday…maybe next time you'll talk to me…instead of just gestures." She grins as she jumps off the roof. He stares at her or rather the place she last stood. Sadden by the fact that he let her go…again. And even now he couldn't tell her how he truly felt.

Next time would be the different…

Everything seems to fall to place for both of them. But will everything go so smoothly once Gaara knows Mizuki's deep dark secret?