Lonely Desert

Someone to lean on

Upon waking up to my alarm, I sluggishly pushed myself up. My face was still stained with tears and my eyes were still puffy and irritated. After getting out of my bloodstained clothes, I had a short shower before getting redressed and heading off.

I locked up the house before silently running into the night towards the opposite side of the village, it was the more rural area and the easiest wall to escape from. It would take about 7 minutes to get there.

It was getting dark which made it easier for me to slip by unnoticed, but also the best time for someone to follow me unnoticed. I had to be extra cautious when I met with Gaara, yes I'm sure we both could easily kill whoever comes after us or sees us, but I didn't want to draw even more attention to me and get us both kicked out. If it happened then it happened but I wanted to avoid that possibility.

Asking Suzuki to keep a look out a close eye on our surroundings and warn me of any suspicious activity, I continued to silently dart atop building. About a hundred meters behind the wall was a small oasis. It wasn't much but it was ours.

Upon my arrival I saw a slumped over figure which gradually I was able to know who when I got closer. It was the form of a crying Gaara. He was quietly sobbing with his knees up to his head which was buried into them and his arms wrapped around himself. Just watching him made my heart shatter and a tear roll down my face. I carefully approached him, walking to his side before sitting beside him. Gaara lifted his small head and turned to face me, his puffy red eyes confirmed my suspicion. He had definitely been crying.

I swung my arm around his shoulder and brought him into a tight embrace, in an attempt to comfort the small boy. I really wish others would see past his hard gaze and reputation. Because inside was a small lost child who just wanted to be like every other kid and wanted friends. He was just a broken and lost human behind his cracking mask. He needed someone to help him get out of the dark and introduce him to the light. I was going to be his light in the dark, guiding him through three obsidian coloured void. I would save Gaara. I had to.

After holding the fragile sand sibling and letting him cry into my shoulder whilst hugging him tightly and reminding him I was here, I let go and began to speak; "I'm so sorry Gaara! Don't know what you heard but I would never abandon you, that's what the Kazekage said and wanted not me! I refuse to listen to him and the bulls- I mean words that come out of his dirty lying mouth!" Gaara looked at me astounded and I didn't really know why, it didn't sound unrealistic and he heard what the Kazekage said and considering who it was I'm sure he would believe me, not even Gaara, the Kazekages son really likes him.

"I-I don't understand.... He really said that to you?" He muttered under his breathe, it wasn't very audible but I still heard it. He didn't seem to believe that his father would say so,etching like that, yes he is the Kazekage, a ruthless leader, but he was still Gaaras father. "W-wait did you not hear what he said? I thought that's why you were crying...." I exclaimed confused. I that was the reason right? I can't thing about what else he could be talking about if he was already upset before I killed my parents. It had to be that.

"N-no... I saw you murder those two sand shinobi, I got scared but I know you wouldn't do it without reason so I wanted to ask you m-myself" Gaara stuttered out whilst turning his gaze from me to the floor which had suddenly interested him, and he began to tear up again as the memories hit him of the sight he witnessed whilst I murdered my parents. Although there had to be something that happened before the massacre as he was crying previously, and he usually kept his emotions concealed beneath that mask of his. Something bad must have happened beforehand.

After I explained my encounter with the Kazekage and the fight that proceeded after, I sprung the question on him. "Hey Gaara... if you didn't hear what the Kazekage said then why were you.... Upset earlier?" I questioned exquisitely. His gorgeous sea-foam coloured eyes met my confused Heterochromian eyes.

"Today some kids were picking on me again and they made my heart hurt." The teary eyed Gaara replied. His voice wavered slightly whilst answering the question carefully. He didn't want me to worry about him with his reoccurring problems as he knew I had to deal with the same thing so we had mostly become used to it so we usually would just ignore them, of course sometimes it became too much and we would let our mask drop or entirely fall off because deep down it really hurt. Every word stuck with us like glue. Every name, every conversation behind our back, even just the kids teasing us or the gossiping parents. All of it stuck in our heads and I hated it. My mind would always replay the memories that everyone had created in my life and I couldn't stop them from playing over and over. I was now quite scared to sleep as I would now have to deal with memories and nightmares filled with the screams and begging of my now passed parents. It would haunt me for the rest of my life.

I tried to comfort Gaara to the best of my ability. We only had each other but that was enough for each of us because it was better than being all alone in this world. I could always count on Gaara and he on me.

"You do know that we probably can't hang out in public right? Of course we can always hangout here but it has to be at night and in secret so want can't tell anyone okay?" I sadly announced. It would suck not being allowed to see my best friend but it was better than loosing him altogether. I'd just have to wait a little while longer before the Chunin exams before the Kazekage died and a few years after Gaara would replace him. "Yeah?, I do know t-that, but how about we meet up again tomorrow night?" Gaara suggested. It was a good idea. We could discuss more about what we were going to do.

"Sounds good! It's a date th-" after realising what just came out of my mouth I covered my mouth with both of my hands and looked at the ground in utter embarrassment while my face burned bright red. "Y-yeah I guess so.... It's a date then because tomorrow is a day right?" He questioned.

"Oh Gaara.... Your so clueless" I muttered under my breath which he didn't seem to hear before glancing back at the starry night. "Hey y/n are you okay? You don't look so good your face is all r-red..." I was still blushing like crazy but my hands weren't covering my face so it was now revealed to Gaara.

"Y-yeah I'm fine, why wouldn't I be!?" I exclaimed with a pout visible and eyes closed looking annoyed in a playful way. Gaara sent me a humoured look and added; "I should be getting back now, my 'father' will be mad if I d-don't." I nodded in understanding and we went our seperate ways smiling over our shoulders and waving goodbye. I smiled to myself before jumping away into the night.