So a lot of you who have been reviewing said you're looking forward to Hana's character development. Well, we're going to be getting a bit this installment. Thanks for reading and please review. :)

5. Drifting Clouds

Hana noticed as Gaara came to lie beside her in the middle of the night. He covered his face with one arm, looking far more than exhausted. The pain etched on his handsome face called to her half-conscious mind. Without thought, she pulled his arm down and stroked his hair back. Ice blue eyes fell upon her smooth features.

"Are you alright?" she asked calmly.

"I need to sleep but I don't want to." Her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

"Didn't you sleep last night?" He shook his head. "Why don't you want to sleep?"

"Nightmares." The purple-eyed girl remembered that her new husband was an ex-jinchuriki but she wasn't entirely sure if that was the whole problem. She had heard tales, of course, about what the Shukaku had done to young Gaara's mind but she didn't know if she could help. Without asking, without remotely thinking about her actions, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her chest, cradling his head close to her heart. One hand continued to stroke his hair while the other remained still, securing him to her. Then, she began to sing.

Gaara was perplexed by her display of affection. This level of intimacy was foreign to him. The closest he had achieved to it was with one of his final discussions with his uncle, Yashamaru. But her lullaby soon pushed away the memories that continued to torment him so. Instead, his mind began to clear, his heart resting into a soft, lazy rhythm. He fell asleep within minutes; her soon after.

The young Kage was still fast asleep when Hana left her dreams. He lay still in her arms, as though unaware of her presence. Hana couldn't help but to smile at Gaara. He appeared so innocent in his sleep. Somehow, the girl managed to remove herself from the bed without waking him. It was still early, and she was sure he wasn't late for anything. She got dressed swiftly and then left, pausing at the door to stare at his peaceful face before walking out. In her head, Mayonaka no Hana imagined he hadn't gotten a proper night's rest in a long time.

"Is Gaara in there?" Temari hadn't surprised Hana; her approach had been loud to the girl's superior hearing.

"He's asleep," she answered, shutting the door as silently as possible.

"Really?" the kunoichi sounded incredulous. Hana nodded. "How did you get him to sleep?" The girl struggled to form a response, shocked that Temari would immediately assume she had something to do with it. "Come on, now. I know he didn't fall asleep on his own. We normally have to force him to sleep. Even then, it takes utter exhaustion to get him to rest peacefully. Normally, he's fitful." The girl just shrugged. Temari regarded her suspiciously but let it be. Whatever she had done to help Gaara, the kunoichi was sure would be shared with her by her brother himself.

►§◄

"She sang to you?" demanded Kankuro. Gaara nodded, trying to puzzle it out himself. Hana had showed the typical signs of someone who did not trust others, who would not share her true self without a ton of persuasion. Yet, she had been unusually kind, leaving her vulnerable to him should he have cause to lash out.

"I wonder why she wouldn't tell me this morning," Temari thought out loud.

"I wonder why she did it at all. I mean, she doesn't seem the type to…" They all knew what Kankuro meant.

"She didn't even want to share a room with you and now she's singing you to sleep. It just doesn't make sense." The eldest sibling puzzled over it. "Do you remember the words?"

"Not exactly. It was about people leaving and then coming home."

"It was probably an Iwa lullaby," Kankuro suggested. The siblings agreed unanimously. Then, a small knock on the door stopped them. "Come in," he said without glancing at his brother. They were in the Kazekage's office but Kankuro still liked to have a sense of authority. A young sentinel stepped in.

"Lord Kazekage, it's your …um… wife. We just watched her leave the village, sir." The Sand Siblings shot each other concerned looks and then headed out at once.

►§◄

Hana stayed close to the walls, sincerely afraid of the desert and getting lost in the maze of sand. As she walked, she searched frantically for any sign of life. She stopped, smiling as she bent over to examine a cactus. Lord Gaara had several small ones planted in pots on his dresser, but not like this one. It had a flower, bright pink, hanging off its side. She memorized it as best she could before moving on.

The girl knew she probably should have asked permission before leaving the village, but after her training session this morning, she was confident in her ability to defend herself against any attacks. And, besides, it wasn't like she was going anywhere, just exploring her new environment.

As she moved, Mayonaka no Hana found another creature; a black beetle no bigger than the fingernail on her pinky. She picked it up and let it crawl along her hand. She didn't know it yet, but Gaara and his siblings were watching her from the wall.

"I, honestly, don't understand her. It's almost as if…"

"She's trapped in a situation she can't handle," Temari finished for Kankuro. "I think there's more to Mayonaka no Hana than she lets on." Gaara smiled briefly, having seen it from the start. They watched as she let the bug go again and continued her exploration. The animals seemed to have no fear of her, which was unusual seeing as they rarely interacted with humans.

Gaara dropped to the ground behind her, followed by Temari and Kankuro. Hana whirled around, kunai in hand. This time, he caught her wrist instead of letting the sand do it for him. "Lord Kazekage, my apologies, I…"

"Gaara," he corrected her again. The girl's cheeks filled with blood as he released her wrist and she put the kunai away. "You shouldn't be out here alone. Come with me." She followed obediently, not saying a word in protest. They walked back to the Kazekage tower casually, Temari and Kankuro talking all the while. However, the Kazekage and his wife were completely silent.

Finally, they made it home and Gaara led his wife to their room, wanting to know more about the event that had occurred the night before. Hana hesitantly sat down on their bed, waiting for her arranged-husband to explain what this was all about.

"Why did you sing to me last night?" Gaara began softly.

"I… um," the girl stammered.

"Thus far, you've been withdrawn to the point of near rudeness. Why…?"

"Lord Gaara, I never meant to offend you or anyone in your village," Hana cut him off. "Last night, you confided in me that you couldn't sleep, as your wife, it is my responsibility to make sure you are cared for. Therefore, I did what I could to assist you into falling asleep." Pale ice bored into her, not believing it for a second. The response was too formal, too politically correct. She didn't just sing; she held him, curled up around him.

"Gaara," he corrected her again, desperate to get around these formalities. He wanted to understand her but the girl was making it as difficult as possible.

"Gaara," she breathed. In all honesty, Hana didn't want to lie to him, but she still didn't trust him. Yes, he was kind, but he was still a ninja. Somewhere within him, he looked down upon her like everyone else. She knew it. Sadly, this time, the Kazekage wasn't so easily dissuaded.

"Hana, I want the truth." The girl huffed, flipping her braid over her shoulder.

"That's the truth." His eyes were relentless, wringing her feelings out of her. "I just wanted to help, okay?" She said this hotly, exasperated.

"Hana, I don't mean to upset you. I'm new to these emotions. I'm simply looking for an explanation."

"And I gave you one." As Gaara watched the girl, he began to realize why she didn't have friends. It wasn't just because people looked down on her; it was because she didn't trust people. She seemed to despise them nearly as much as she thought they despised her. Gaara realized with a minute sigh that this was the wrong way to help her realize he was a friend.

"You must learn to trust me, Mayonaka no Hana. Not everyone is as cruel as your father." The look she gave him was one of utter contempt.

"My father? You think those marks were just from my father? My sister, my aunt, anyone in my clan who could get a hold of me. And what do you know of cruelty? You earned your reputation. People were afraid of you because you killed anyone who strayed too near. What have I done? Everyone hates me, stares at me with disappointment because of what? All the people in my village, even those in yours, why? Why does it matter what I do with my life?" The redhead's eyes narrowed. Hana put a hand to her temple and let out a low breath. "I'm sorry, Lord Kazekage. That was uncalled for."

The two observed each other for several moments. Gaara was far more patient than his wife and was willing to listen to her rant in an effort to befriend her. The silence slowly became awkward, neither knowing how to break it.

"May I be excused," Hana finally asked. The boy tilted his head to the side, trying to judge what the best action was. Eventually, he nodded and she walked out. The girl did her best to avoid her new family for the rest of the night, even skipping dinner to stay away.