Romancing the Kazekage- A Gaara Love Story

Kizuato

Long time no see. No video for this chapter. Enjoy!

____________________________________________

Ai and Gaara walked in silence through the palace. The trouble-ridden Kazekage grasped Ai's wrist tightly and lead the girl, dressed in moonlight, along stone passageways, through darkened archways and up winding staircases. Ai had her right hand stretched out as Gaara dragged her with him, her other hand held on to the pendant of her pearl necklace as though it were some source of comfort. The only noise was the tinkling of her anklets, playing a tune to entice birds in the palace gardens to call out to Ai as thought to ask her where she was going. As though they were asking her why she followed, fearful of the man in front of her.

With a dark and furrowed brow, Gaara walked on. The dancer gasped softly as Gaara's grip intensified and broke one of the bangles on her wrist; the pearlescent glass fell in pieces to the floor with a tinkle that made Ai wince. The shinobi had no such reaction; he walked as though swallowed by a dark cloud that fell around them. He went unaffected by anything happened; members of the Kazekage's court called to him or asked him where he was going but Gaara did not heed their calls. Ai followed behind him, her gaze cast downwards, her white veil trailing along the floor behind them.

The two ascended to meet the sun at noon, as they climbed the stairs leading to the roof. At the top of the stairs Gaara pushed open a door and lead Ai out onto the rooftop of the palace. He let go of her hand and left the dancer standing by the doorway. As the door shut behind her, she stood, nonplussed, staring at his back in stunned silence as the Kazekage walked out to the edge of the roof.

The daytime was sinfully hot in Sunagakure; the sun was at its highest point and sat in a cloudless, blue sky. There was no breeze to alleviate this torture as Gaara and his courtesan stood in silence. All Ai could see was Gaara, stood against the sky, it looked almost as though he were stood on the brink of nothingness; just warm, open sky. Suddenly, he spoke:

"Why are we here, Ai?" Upon hearing his question, Love stirred.

"Here?" She asked, even though she knew entirely what the shinobi meant.

"We are from different worlds; shinobi and courtesan, innocent and murderer, beauty and monster." Gaara spoke with so much power, as though he was speaking something sacred. "We should not be stood here now." His voice became a whisper. "It shouldn't ache like this." He turned back to her, his hand grasping at the white material of his Kazekage cloak, clinging on to something in his chest. There was something sharp and painful in his throat as he cleared it to speak; "why are we here?" He asked again. Ai cast her gaze downwards and sighed a little; what could she say that she had not said before? Gaara was impossible, conflicted and complicated; he was more than her delicate self could handle. But Gaara did not give her a chance to answer. He shrugged off his Kazekage robe to reveal his deep red cloak beneath, and continued his discourse:

"Everyone I have ever loved, has hurt me," Gaara looked away from her as he placed his Kazekage robe on the balcony of the roof. "Lied to me. Deceived me. I was a child and they tried to kill me." It surprised Ai that Gaara's tone was confident and self-assured; he no longer harboured any ill-feelings towards his childhood. "I have learnt to forgive, I have learnt to move on. My soul was broken into a thousand jagged shards by those who claimed to love me." The Kazekage looked over to the girl, trying to articulate what this pain, the one stinging in his eyes and clutching his heart, was doing to him. "It has taken me painful, slow years, to rebuild my soul. I became who I am for the sake of my village. I am strong; I mastered my biju and won over my people. But now, I live in fear."

"Fear?" Ai took a step forwards as though to tend to him but stopped when she caught that dangerous look in his eye.

"I live in fear of what you have done to me. The success of my endeavours hangs in the balance when you glance at me. You came into my life like no more than a summer breeze, and yet all that I have worked so hard for, is undone." Gaara shook his head at her, his eyes stinging. "I managed to quieten Shukaku, but now he grows restless without your cool blood around me." The Kazekage closed his eyes and sighed. "Because it all comes rushing back." Upon opening his eyes he gestured to her; "why do you have this look of longing for me? Why do you show up in the dead of night promising me relief from my want of you?" Ai did not know whether to smile or apologise. "I had even reduced my hunger for death, but now my appetite craves something not entirely different. That deathless death you endure when we are alone, makes me weak, makes me burn. How, when I have become so strong?" Gaara demanded an answer out of her but the girl stood, unable to approach him, unable to give him answers. "How, when I have made myself believe love is not in my fate?" He raised his voice. "How are you here!? How are you doing this?!" Ai opened her mouth to speak but found she could utter nothing in response. The Kazekage saw she was speechless and his shoulders slumped in disappointment.