Five and One Makes Six (A Gaara Love Story)

Chappie Five: You Can't Love a Monster.

**Still Tsumi's POV!! **

I walked into our cozy little home, and was, as usual, greeted by Tori. She chirped her hello, which doubled as a doorbell, letting Rei know someone had walked in. I looked around the front two rooms, seeing no sign of my friend. Taking advantage of her absense, I grabbed some of her favorite candy off the counter, unwrapped it, and popped it into my mouth.

"Eh-hem."

I whirled around, my eyes wide. Reiitsu stood behind me, her eyebrow raised, a small smirk on her face. I swear, if Rei acted the same way around others as she did me, no one would give her as much hell as they did.

"I ... didn't see you there," I said, hiding the wrapper behind my back. She rolled her eyes.

"Relax, I won't kill you over candy," she said, and I laughed.

"I would hope you wouldn't kill me at all," I said. She quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Yet to be determined," she said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Listen, Rei, I wanna talk to you about something," I said, sitting on the couch. She sat beside me, holding an arm out as her bird fluttered onto it.

"If this is about Gaara again---" she started, but I cut her off.

"No, but that's next," I smirked, and she sighed, standing up.

"I told you, Gaara is the only one beside you who isn't afraid of me, so it's not unusual for me to gravitate towards him," she growled. "He doesn't have anywhere else to go, and neither do I."

Forgetting what I actually sat down to talk to her about, I shot back. "He feels comfortable around you! He likes your company!"

"I feel the same about you, but that doesn't mean I love you," she said. I shrugged.

"Yes, you do, in a different way," I said, waving her comment off. "That's not the point though. Maybe you don't love him, I'll give you that. But you have to actually accept that you like him before you even have a chance to love him!!" I continued, standing up. She rolled her eyes, starting to walk away.

"I'm done with this conversation," she said. I grabbed her arm.

"No, listen to me!" She yanked her arm out of my grasp, but didn't walk any further away. Content that I had her attention, even if it pissed her off, I contiued.

"You may not love him," I said again, "But that doesn't mean you don't feel close to him, right?"

She remained silent, which means I had hit the nail on the head. I pressed on. "So you feel close to him. You want to be near him, because he makes you comfortable. That's the beginnings of a great friendship, Rei... and if you give it a chance.. maybe something more."

She looked at me, her face blank and her eyes unreadable. "I don't believe in love," she said coldly. "I've been called a monster, a demon. You can't love a monster, nor can you love a demon. So if I can't be loved, then why should I love in return?"

Before I could recover from the shock of her little statement, she turned and whisked away, slamming the door to her room. I sighed, falling back onto the couch.

I guess I'd ask her what happened in town later....

<Rei's POV>

I slammed the door to my room, leaning against it and sinking to the floor. I could feel my head throbbing, and I held it, letting out a small groan. I hated when Tsumika went off on her little love struck rants. As much as I loved her, I could never love someone else the way she thought I could. She thinks that just because I care about her, I have the cabability to care about others. I don't. People cause me pain, they always have. Their taunts, their words, their violent actions... to them, I was a terror. And after all these years, after what happened...

"No," I murmured aloud, gripping my head. I wouldn't think about the past. I tried to stand up, but my head was throbbing so bad that I couldn't see straight. I let out a breath that I didn't know I'd been holding, hissing in pain between clenched teeth. I hated this. I hated myself, the thing inside me. I hated people for the way they hated me. I was a monster, no matter what Tsumika may think. I don't know why I believed anything she said. She didn't understand this, any of it. She thinks I'm something I'm not, but the truth is, I am a monster.

I am a monster.

No one can love a monster.

No one can love me.

**Sorry this one is so short !! I imagined this situation to be a little longer, but when I finally typed it up, It was pretty short ! Oh well, at least it's written! Tell me what'cha guys think ! See ya next chapter !! :3**