"What the hell is that?!" Kankurō demanded with rounded eyes.

Kagome followed his pointing finger, blushing brightly at the statue that had caught his attention. It was a smirking tanuki with massive testicles perched in the display window of a shop. Beside her, Gaara made a strangled noise while Temari was gaping in disbelief.

Swallowing, the priestess steeled herself and replied, "Before the Pact, we discovered that tanuki hide was so strong, a small ball of gold could be pounded out to the size of a tatami mat if it was sandwiched between the hide. Balls of gold plus tanuki hide equals tanukis eventually being seen as bringers of fortune. These statues are a remnant of that time."

Kankurō recovered and began cackling, nearly bending in half with his glee. "So, since Gaara's head tanuki, his balls are the luckiest? What do you do? Rub the balls for prosperity?"

Gaara turned a scorching glare on him, but was startled when Kagome's blush darkened and she wouldn't look at him.

"You do?!" Temari squeaked.

Covering her face, Kagome nodded miserably, setting Kankurō off in hysterical fits again.

"Ha! Gaara, girls will be begging to rub your lucky balls!"

Growling, Gaara swatted him away with his sand. The older male flew through the air, feeling that his amusement had been totally worth the assault.

Temari arched a brow. "Can we move on to something besides my baby brother's reproductive organs? Because-ew, seriously."

Kagome nodded emphatically. "Lord Shukaku always found the depictions amusing, but, Gaara, there might actually be a grain of truth to Kankurō's teasing. Some people might feel that you would bring them-er-prosperity."

Huffing, he crossed his arms. "Tanukis are monogamous. I'll only sleep with my mate."

Blinking, Temari absorbed those little tidbits. "That's so sweet!" she gushed. "But, how do you know who your mate is?"

He shrugged. "I'll just know when I reach maturity."

Ahead of them, Kagome was waiting, her blush receding as Gaara allowed her to link their arms. Temari wondered if her brother realized that his inner beast was already rather blatantly claiming someone.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Lord Gaara?"

At the soft voice, Gaara turned to find Aoi smiling pleasantly at him as she approached. Unconsciously, he relaxed his defensive stance, the older woman having been nothing but kind to him and only smelling of faint concern now. He very much understood where Kagome got her accepting personality. Her mother treated him and his siblings as if they'd grown up with her children; and though it had unnerved him at first, he was beginning to be quite fond of the unassuming woman.

Reaching him, Aoi looked at the koi pond he'd been examining, her lips turning up more before she sobered.

"I know that Gramps entrusted Kagome's care to you," she began, folding her hands. "That relieves me."

Gaara shifted to face her fully at her revelation, wondering at it. Trailing off a moment, Aoi released a breath and sank to the bench beside the pond.

"Kagome's father was a well-known medical nin who was often hired by other villages. That left us by ourselves a great deal of the time before Sōta was born. During those days, she was the sole center of my world."

Straightening, Gaara met her eyes, beginning to see where she was going with her words. "I will take care of her," he assured the woman. Her warmth was different from Kagome's, but it was one that he was beginning to treasure, too. He didn't want her to think that he made light of the friendship Kagome had given him.

Aoi motioned for him to have a seat and slowly, he complied. When he did, he was surprised that she offered her hand to him. Bewildered, he accepted it and held still when she cradled his between her own. She was very gentle, motherly in a way no one had ever been to him in his memory. Swallowing, Gaara forced his gaze to hers once more.

"I have no doubt that you will," she replied, her scent revealing no lie in her words. "I wanted you to know that, as her mother, I am very aware of what Kagome is capable of. I know better than anyone how strong she is. The Higurashi clan is loyal to you past all others, but few can match the loyalty my daughter has once she believes whole-heartedly in someone. Don't be afraid to lean on her. She will take care of you, too."

Gaara wasn't sure how to handle Aoi's kindness or her words about her daughter. His hand was beginning to feel clammy in hers, but he didn't have it in him to draw away. She'd never reached out to him this physically before and it was wonderful despite his complete lack of knowledge on what his reaction should be. This confidence was almost totally foreign to him, having only experienced similar conversations with Kagome and-in his earliest memories-his uncle. Besides, he knew very well how protective Kagome was over him. He didn't understand it, but it made his stomach feel as though warm chocolate had coated it.

"Kagome does as she pleases," he muttered, red tinting his cheeks at the admittance.

Chuckling, Aoi tipped her head to him in acknowledgement. "True, she's very stubborn that way. But, you see her heart, don't you?"

His brow furrowed as he worked out what she meant. "I see Kagome."

Her fingers tightened around his as she smiled. "That is the reason I know you'll be fine, as long as the two of you are together. Just as you see her, she sees you. She would not have gone with you to Konoha or on this first contingent to Suna if she did not truly see you and like what she found." Releasing him, she watched as he assimilated her words. "And, though I am not as exuberant as Kagome, know that I am here for you as well. She and I both know the pain of losing a father, and I am sorry that wound has been dealt to you."

Looking down, Gaara flexed his fingers and wetted his suddenly dry mouth. "My father tried to have me killed on several occasions," he rasped to her.

"The pain of a parent's death is not contingent upon how good of a parent he or she was," Aoi countered quietly. "He was your father, and that brings with it a multitude of emotions which will only be exacerbated by any negativity that existed between you while he was alive. Regrets pile up easily, Lord Gaara, and questions only he could answer will remain a mystery. You'll have to learn to live with that."

Ears back, the boy nodded slowly, his emotions over his father's death rising up again. Gaara had so much anger toward the man-rage that Rasa had condemned him and then hated him because of that condemnation. Because of his father's decision, he'd never taken a normal breath of air; had always been a pawn in someone else's game. A freak or a weapon who only knew how to hurt when he'd so badly wanted to do anything but.

On the other hand, he was grateful Rasa had stopped him when Shukaku's fits raged out of control. He was grateful Rasa had protected Suna now, even though growing up he'd often wished his father had just killed him.

And he was sorry that Rasa would never get the chance to see the control Gaara had worked to achieve. He was sorry that there were no more opportunities for his father to finally see him as a son. That dream was truly gone, leaving behind a disappointment that only time could lessen.

"Thank you," he stated after a while, when the silence had settled peacefully around them.

Aoi patted his shoulder. "You're very welcome, dear."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Kagome stared around the arid city in fascination, having never seen such a different environment. Her clan had already convened with Suna's Council, beginning the plans for what could and should be done to the land. Because of the intense sun, the cave system was being tipped for farming. The Higurashi clan had people who could manipulate land, but also those who were excellent stone shapers. Through a series of precisely drilled and shaped channels, they could bring the correct amount of sunlight down to crops underground. In the next five years, Sunagakure might very well reduce their crop imports by seventy percent.

And it was all due to Gaara. The clan made that abundantly clear, leaving the village in a position that forced them to reevaluate their treatment of the tanuki. No longer could he be classified as simply a weapon; now he was the lynch pin in Suna's hopes for independence.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Kagome asked Gaara quietly when he came up beside her.

"In its way," he agreed. "Come, I'll escort you to your lodging."

Brows furrowed, Kagome realized she'd be staying with her clan-once more away from Gaara. She'd gotten used to his warm power beside her on the trek to Suna. He glanced to her out of the corner of his eyes.

"Why are you upset?"

Blushing, Kagome shifted uncomfortably. "It's stupid," she admitted. "It just hit me that I'll be staying with my clan, is all."

Gaara frowned. "Where else would you stay?"

He was puzzled when that seemed to hurt her in some way. Shrugging, she forcibly shook it off and continued on as if the moment hadn't happened.

Later that night, Gaara sat in his empty apartment, listening to the silence. He didn't like it. In fact, he was more restless than he'd been in the Higurashi's home before Kagome had snuck into his room. Frowning at the memory, Gaara formed his Third Eye and sent it out to find the little priestess. She was sitting on the window seat of the suite the clan had rented, dressed in only her pajamas with her knees drawn up.

Kaede entered the room, tutting when she saw Kagome. "Why aren't you in bed, child? We've had a long journey and much work ahead of us."

"I know," she sighed. "I just can't sleep."

Eyeing her, the older woman put a hand on her hip. "I'll not have Lord Gaara's wrath on me if you're too tired to move tomorrow. Off to bed with you. Try to sleep."

Huffing, Kagome dragged herself to her room and flopped back onto her bed. "It's going to be a long night," she grumbled to herself.

Dropping the technique, Gaara mulled over what he'd seen. Once more, he and Kagome couldn't find rest. Clenching his hands, he looked out the window toward the clan's suite. During the trek from the Higurashi village to Suna, the group had been forced to move much slower than normal due to the civilians traveling with them. They'd camped twice before arriving in the Hidden Village. Kagome had slept behind him, her back warm and comforting against his own.

Making a snap decision, Gaara leapt out the window and was slipping into Kagome's room without a sound. Still, she jerked up defensively, only relaxing when her power registered his.

"Gaara?" she whispered, Tetsusaiga reverting to its resting form.

"You're coming with me," he told her, plucking her up and returning to his apartment as swiftly as he'd left it.

"What's wrong?" she demanded, immediately looking around for a threat.

She looked like a fierce little kitten, but Gaara had felt the strength of her claws and knew better than to underestimate her.

"I'm unable to sleep," he replied, bringing her up short. "As the last time that happened, your presence remedied the situation, I brought you here."

Her eyes widened, but then softened as she rubbed the back of her elbow. "Okay."

Pleased at her easy acceptance, he licked her cheek and pulled out a spare futon in his room. When she was snuggled happily on it and he on his, the sense of wrongness he'd felt faded.

The next morning, a pounding on his door had him scowling and rising to answer. Temari's unamused face greeted him.

"Is Kagome here?" she asked without waiting for a greeting.

Gaara frowned. "Yes."

Sighing, his sister swept into the apartment and pinched her nose at seeing Kagome happily cooking at the stove.

"Let me guess, you two had a sleep over?"

Kagome smiled at Temari and offered her a plate. "Well, not exactly. What's up?"

Settling at the table, the older girl resignedly took up her chopsticks. "Your clan was in an uproar this morning when you were discovered missing."

"Oh," Kagome blushed, sinking to kneel beside Gaara. "I should have left them a note when you got me last night."

Refilling his teacup, Gaara shrugged. "I didn't think of it, either. Kagome will be taking my spare room, Temari."

She nearly spat out her food at that. Eyes watering, she gulped her tea and stared incredulously at her brother. "What?"

"I do not sleep well when I cannot feel her power," he calmly admitted. "And, my apartment was cold before she came."

Swallowing at that rather personal revelation, Temari glanced to Kagome. The younger girl wasn't looking at either of them, but Temari just knew she'd hooked her pinky finger with Gaara's under the table.

"Well, just make sure the clan is fine with it," she managed.

Which was how Kagome came to live with Gaara.