Echoes in the Rain ~Completed Story~

Chapter 15: Echoes in the Rain

Slowly, Shikamaru's words penetrated into Gaara's mind. Emotions that he had explained to himself so long ago. Well, not so long ago. Only a few days, but they felt so long ago. Days with her had meshed together, forgetting all boundaries of time and dates.

He glanced again at Hinata. The song had ended and Kiba and Naruto were fighting over who got to dance with her next. She was staring out into space, not paying attention. It was when she looked over at him and met his eyes. She smiled and it all clicked. The emotion that he kept feeling, it was...

He could not utter that word. The word that he should never have to use. It was a taboo subject. Especially when it concerned him. It wasn't that it was completely unexpected. Temari and Kankuro had to give him a 'talk' the year before. Something about growing up and changing feelings. Some stupid nonsense like that.

He had to get out. Get away. There were too many people.

Hinata frowned as she watched Gaara disappear into the crowd. He looked like he was in a hurry. Slipping away, she walked over to Shikamaru, Temari, and Kankuro. Shikamaru looked faintly confused as she approached.

"Where did Gaara-sama go?" Hinata asked him quietly.

"I don't know. He just sort of disappeared."

"I think he went outside," Kankuro said, turning away from his argument with Temari. "He usually goes outside during these ball things. Doesn't like them."

Temari nodded in agreement. "He can dance, I made sure of that, but he dislikes being around people."

"I'll go find him," Hinata said after a moment. She didn't meet any of their eyes. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, her hands clasped around each other.

Temari and Kankuro exchanged glances. They both had a vague idea of what might be going on now...

Temari walked back over to Shikamaru, saying to Hinata, "Have fun finding him." Hinata nodded. Turning to Shikamaru, Temari said, "Now, my lazy fiancé, it's time to dance."

Hinata moved quickly and quietly through the crowds. She was so thin, it was easy for her to move between people without being noticed. She had almost reached the door when she literally ran into Neji.

Neji turned around, his arm around Tenten, and saw his cousin getting up from the ground. Her expression was blank, but he sensed that something was up. "Hinata-sama, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nii-san." She wasn't meeting his gaze.

Neji slipped his arm off of Tenten and moved closer to Hinata. "Don't lie."

"I just have to go find Gaara-sama." Her voice almost dared him to refuse her decision.

"Fine." Neji moved out of the way and let her pass. She stared up at him in bewilderment. "Just go before I change my mind."

"Thank you nii-san!" Hinata sped out through the door that led to a balcony.

Hinata looked around the balcony. No red heads. Actually, no one at all. She glanced over the edge of balcony. There was no one directly below. It was as she turned to go back downstairs to the ball that she saw someone. A young man was nearing the woods.

Hinata tightened the sash around her kimono and jumped down the balcony. It was only on the second story. Immediately, she started running over to the woods, completely ignoring the rain that was falling swiftly.

When she was twenty feet from him, the rain started falling so hard, that it obscured vision. Activating her Byakugan helped immensely. "Gaara-sama?"

Gaara turned toward the voice that he knew so well. He could barely see and was getting hit repeatedly with rain. "Hinata?"

As Hinata neared, she slipped in a mud puddle and fell into Gaara, who luckily caught her. She straightened up and nodded in thanks to him. He released her arms. Both of them blushed.

Hinata pushed her indigo hair back. She wasn't sure what to say. "Well, um...why are you out here?"

"I don't like being around people."

"You'd rather get soaked than be with people?"

Gaara paused, thinking. "Yeah."

Hinata looked at the ground, playing with her sleeve. What more was there to say? "I-I saw you leave and, well, wondered where you were going..."

"I had to get away." His voice was calm and level.

"Why?"

His eyes were fixed on the horizon as he answered. "I figured out the answer."

"To what?"

"It's not important," Gaara said carelessly.

"If it made you leave the ball, it had to be important," Hinata insisted quietly. Gaara just shook his head.

They stood there in complete silence for several minutes. The rain hadn't let up at all. Wind came now, blowing rain into their eyes. Hinata shivered for a moment before standing stock still, watching him. Gaara returned her gaze indifferently.

There was a sudden sound in the tree above them. A fwip! Both of their shinobi skills took over and they looked up, braced for a fight. The culprit turned out to be a very wet squirrel running into its home.

Gaara looked over at Hinata and was struck by how much prettier she looked now. She was soaking wet, her hair and clothes plastered to her head and body. Her make-up had run, but she wiped it off without really paying attention. She looked more real when she wasn't wearing make-up. She seemed completely within reach, literally and figuratively.

"You're beautiful," Gaara whispered so softly that it was barely audible.

Hinata turned to him and asked, "What? I couldn't hear."

"You're beautiful," Gaara said, slightly louder. He felt blood rush to his cheeks.

Hinata looked very surprised and her cheeks started to turn red. "Um...thank you, I think..."

Another silence followed these words, but it was considerably shorter. Gaara ran his hands through his fiery hair, wondering how to talk to her.

"I'm a good listener," Hinata said softly, as if she had read his mind.

After another few seconds, Gaara decided he'd give it a try. "Well, do you remember my warning?"

"Yes."

"It didn't change your feelings for me, did it?"

"N-no." Hinata blushed again, but got control of it.

"I was trying to warn you."

"I know you were. It wasn't necessary. I can take care of myself."

"We already discussed that. Anyways, did you ever wonder why I would do all those things for you and not for anyone else?"

"I had my suspicions, but I didn't want to get my hopes up," Hinata said hesitantly. She covered her mouth when she realized what she had said.

"You were right." He said that blankly, emotionless.

"What?"

"I like you. A lot."

Hinata stared at his expressionless celadon eyes in amazement. Had he really said that? Those words had merely echoed through out her dreams, never anything more. Unconsciously, she moved forward, closer to him.

Slightly unsure, Gaara placed a hand under her chin and tilted it up. Words were nothing more than echoes in the rain now. They were so close that there were two options that they had. The first one made no sense, but the second one did.

In the falling rain, he kissed her.