Hey guys,

I don't know if anyone who used to read this story will come back to continue to read it. I took a LONG break. Just lost the motivation to write but I never stopped thinking about where I wanted Kasami and Gaara's story to go. I finally sat down for a bit and cranked out chapter 10 and I thought that I would give this another go. Who knows, maybe my writing has improved since posting chapter 9. Anyway for those of you who are reading, I hope you like the story and I hope you forgive the fact that I still may not be posting chapters regularly. I'd like to finish the story, I just don't know how long that will take.

Thanks for reading my story.

T.G. Lollipop

Gaara POV

THURSDAY

The sun is just peeking over the horizon when I wake. It is my first official day as Kazekage of Suna and there is a lot of work to be done. Ever since my father's death, the Elders have been filling in and completing most of his duties but there is always something to be done; something to sign or to approve, documents to read or fill out, matters of the club's safety to be addressed. All of that falls to me now and I have never taken anything so seriously. With everything that's happened in my past, I have a long way to go to become a Kazekage worthy of the peoples' trust.

I pull myself out of bed and enter my washroom. I have been given a room here in Headquarters to make things more convenient. Temari has chosen to stay in a room here as well while Kankuro decided to remain in our residence in the village. I turn on the shower and hop in, not even waiting for the water to get hot. As I wash, my mind wanders to all of the things I need to do today. I tried to schedule everything evenly so that I can have some free time to meet with Kasami.

A portrait... I guess that's what popped into my head because I know Kasami loves painting. It gives her a reason to stay a little longer so I don't mind being painted. It will be a great portrait anyways since she's the one doing it. Maybe I can have it hung in my office. I try to imagine a picture of me hanging up somewhere and grimace at the thought. Maybe I could keep it in the home I had shared with my siblings. It could go in my old room. That way it would just be for me...

I shake my head, clearing that train of thought from my mind and hopping out of the shower. I pull open my wardrobe and grab some clothes out to wear.

9 hours until I can meet Kasami.

"...ink it would be a good way to foster trust among those who stand against you, Lord Gaara."

I just barely caught the end of Elder Sanshida's remark. I chide myself internally for becoming distracted. All morning I have been anxiously glancing at the clock every few minutes. Each hour seemed to drag itself out until it seemed like several but finally I was down to the last item in today's to do list; a meeting with the elders to discuss ways of gaining more support from the people of Suna. Once I am done here, I can go find Kasami and we can get started. I bring my attention back to Sanshida as He finishes speaking. Then the next of the Elders takes their turn.

My meeting is over now so I gather the papers that remain in my desk and shuffle them into a neat pile in the corner. This work is for tomorrow. For now, I have a date to get to. Just as I get up from my chair, the door opens and Kankuro peeks his head in.

"Hey little brother. Done for the day?"

I nod and he pushes the door open all the way. "So... You're meeting Kasami then?"

"Yes."

"You bringing her anything?"

Immediately I feel my face turn red. To be honest, I had spent a good part of last night thinking about what I could get for her. She has done so much for me over the years that I've known her and I want to return the favor.

"Kankuro, do you have any ideas?"

He steps into the room and leans against the wall.

"Well, you like her right? Maybe flowers."

"W-what?"

The word almost catches on my mouth but I manage to get it out.

"What do you mean by ' like her'? She's my friend"

"And you're okay with her just being a friend?"

"I... I hadn't thought about it. "

"Maybe you should. She's cute. Better scoop her up before someone else does."

My face heats up even more so I lower my head and rush past him and out of the room.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Kankuro."

I can hear him laugh behind me.

"Fine. But you know her best. Just pick something you think she'll like. If it's from you I'm sure she will love it."

I leave the building and walk along the road. All around me are villagers going about their day. Some keep their eyes on me while making a hasty retreat, but most smile and wave and I return their gestures. Their kindness clears away the awkwardness of my conversation with Kankuro and I go back to thinking about a gift for Kasami. I pass several shops and I glance at each one trying to gain some inspiration. Flowers are a nice idea but I feel like Kasami would appreciate something more practical.

Something for her paintings? I don't think she needs any more brushes or paints... Nothing else comes to me and I realize something; I don't actually know much about Kasami. She is my best friend, but that only happened because she didn't want me to be alone. We've talked in the letters we wrote to one another about how our lives have been going but aside from her aspirations as a Kunoichi and her love for painting, I know very little about who she is. This troubles me deeply and thoughts of a gift leave my mind as I begin to think about what I want to know about her.

Dozens of questions come to me instantly.

"What else does she like to do?"

"What does she like to eat?"

"What's her favorite color?"

"What were her parents like?"

"What was she like growing up?"

I want to talk with her; to learn about her. Maybe then, I will be able to think of the perfect gift. I happen to glance up and I see Naomi coming down the street towards me. She sees me as well and smiles, waving me over.

"Lord Gaara, how are you this afternoon?"

"I'm well, thank you. Is your home to your liking? "

"It's very nice. Thank you very much."

She pauses for a moment.

"Kasami really likes it."

She is watching me closely and I fight to keep my face neutral. In truth, I had hoped that Kasami would like the home I picked out. It has three bedrooms but I only had two furnished. I figured she could use the third for a studio if she wound up spending more time in Suna.

"I'm glad. I wouldn't want either of you to be uncomfortable."

"Well, we certainly appreciate all you've done. Are you in your way to see Kasami now? For the painting? "

"I am... Actually I wanted to bring her something. I may not have always seen it, but she's always been there for me. I want to thank her somehow."

Naomi's eyes narrow and suddenly I feel a little hot under the collar.

"...She likes sweets. I bought these for her.

She reaches out to hand me a bag.

"While we were traveling to Suna, she had mentioned how she didn't get a chance to try them last time we were here. I had to buy some things so I picked them up. You should give them to her."

I accept the bag

"...Thank you, Naomi. Let me give you the money for them-"

"Don't worry about it. And Lord Gaara, may I speak freely?"

"You may."

She leans in, placing a hand in my shoulder and lowering her voice. "I think you're a good man. I think that you have change and only good things can come if you being Kazekage. But Kasami is my sister and if you like her, that's fine. But if you hurt her; physically, emotionally, anything; I will end you."

She releases me and straightens, smoothing her hands over her hair then offering me a small bow.

"Please forgive my rudeness, Lord Gaara."

I look down for a moment feeling a little embarrassed at how both Kankuro and Naomi think that I like Kasami. I do want to be closer to her but that's just because she is my friend; right?

"I don't know if I 'like' her, but I do care about her. I have no intention of hurting her. She's my friend, and I'd fight to protect her."

"Ok then. I'm glad she has you, Gaara. Take care."

With that, she walks past me, patting my shoulder as she goes. I stare after her for a few moments before continuing on my own way toward the home that I'd had prepared for the Ryuu sisters.

KASAMI

Everything is ready. I have taken the liberty of using the spare room in our new house as a studio. My painting supplies are lined up on a dresser in the corner of the room and the canvases I'd purchased were stacked against the wall. I'd also purchased an easel and a tarp which was now spread out on the floor with the easel standing in top of it. This room really is perfect. There is a large window on the western wall and I know that when the sun sets, the lighting will be amazing. Definitely worthy of a new Kazekage's first portrait. I have been eagerly awaiting Gaara's arrival since this morning. I know he said that he wouldn't be here until late afternoon at the earliest but that didn't stop me from waking up practically at dawn. The shops hadn't been open yet so I'd spent some time wandering around Suna. Our house is not too far away from the park where I'd met Gaara, so that was my first stop. There were only a few children there at the time; probably due to the early hour. They were digging in the sand, making tunnels. I walked up to them and asked what they were doing.

"We're practicing." One boy told me.

"Practicing what?"

The girl who was with him stood up and brushed the sand off her shorts.

"My mom said that only Lord Gaara can use sand Ninjutsu but if the sand likes us, maybe it will work for us too. So we play with it."

I smile at her. "Well I'm sure the sand is very tired. After all, it helps Lord Gaara protect everyone in the village. I think it enjoys the company but any extra Ninjutsu might just tire it out even more."

The girl's face fell. "So we shouldn't use it?"

"I think you should keep playing with it and that you should work really hard to grow up into fine young shinobi. Until then, let the sand and Gaara do all the hard work. Okay?"

"I guess..." She grabbed the boys hand and pulled him to his feet.

"Hey lady? Can you push us on the swings?"

"Sure, if you want."

They both sat down and I pushed them until they got bored and decided to go home. By then, the markets had opened and I went in search of my supplies. It had taken me a couple of hours to locate everything I needed and I was just lugging it into the house when Naomi came out.

"Hey Kasami. I see you're ready to start painting."

"Well I have to get set up first. And it will still be a while before Gaara can get here. Where are you off to? "

"I'm going to introduce myself to the elders council before they meet with Lord Gaara. They know me but now I'm officially the ambassador so it's just a formality. I also have some errands to run. We will be needing food and some basic toiletries."

"Right. I probably could have gotten some of that stuff while I was out. Sorry Naomi. "

"Don't worry about it. I like going to the market."

I snickered at her "yeah but you always buy a lot of stuff we don't need."

"So I can be impulsive. I have never regretted any purchase I've made. "

"Except for that wirework statue of the second Hokage..."

Naomi's eyes suddenly grow distant and I know for a fact that she is now reliving the memory.

"Yeah... That thing turned my dreams about him into nightmares... The way it stared at me... "

She shivered and shook her head before taking off down the road, not even saying good bye. When she was gone, I burst out laughing. "Oh Naomi, I just ruined your whole day. I'm so sorry."

I turned around and pushed open the door to the house, carrying my haul inside and closing it behind me.

A knock on the door pulls me out of my mind. I'd had spent all of the time since I'd gotten home, setting up and getting ready for Gaara and now he is here. I rush to the door, my excitement almost palpable. I turn the knob and pull it open.

Gaara is standing there, as I knew he would be, with his gourd on his back and a paper bag in his hand.

"Gaara! You're here! I have everything set up. There's this room here that is perfect for a studio so I set up there. Hope you don't mind. You don't, so you?"

He stares at me for a moment, his eyes widening slightly before he responds. "It's your house, Kasami."

"I guess it is, well, Naomi's technically but still. Okay. It's this way. "I lead him down the hallway and into the studio. He looked around at the various supplies that I had set up, not saying anything.

"Umm, did you want to be painted standing or sitting?"

Gaara is gazing at me now. "I'll do whatever you think is best, Kasami."

I grin at him and he smiles back shyly.

"Sitting then. You might get tired standing too long."

"If that's what you wanted, I'd be fine."

"Thank you, but a seated pose will do just fine. I have a chair I the other room. I'll grab it."

I rush out of the studio and into the bedroom that I had claimed. There isn't much furniture; just the essentials; a bed, a nightstand, a desk and a chair. If I end up staying in Suna for longer than this week, I'll have to decorate. I grab the chair and drag it back to the studio. When I enter, I find that Gaara had removed his gourd and set his paper bag on the table and was now holding one of my paintbrushes in one hand and a jar of pigment in the other. He is examining both objects so closely that he doesn't even notice me.

"Have you ever tried painting, Gaara?"

He sets the items down and picks up his paper bag again.

"I paint on my forehead, but I don't think that counts."

"Maybe not. But I have plenty of supplies if you want to try. "

"Perhaps one day."

I set the chair next to the window and adjust the angle. When I like the position, I have Gaara sit down.

"What's in the bag?"

He holds the bag out to me. "They're sweets. For you."

I smile and take the bag, peeking inside. "Oh wow. I had wanted to try these. I almost got some when I went out earlier but I had already purchased so many supplies that I decided against it. Thank you, Gaara."

I close the bag again. "Have you ever had one?"

He glances down nervously and shakes his head.

"We'll try them later then; when we take a break."

I run the bag of sweets to the kitchen before returning to the studio and taking a seat in front of my easel.

"Okay. Turn a little to your right and put the gourd next to you."

Gaara does as He is told and I continue to give him little instructions until he is positioned just right. Then I begin painting

Gaara's POV

Kasami has been painting for a little while. And so far a comfortable silence has hung in the room. At least it seems comfortable for Kasami. I am anything but. The position I am in is not the issue and sitting still is definitely something I am good at. So I don't know why I feel anxious. I watch Kasami as she dips her brush into some paint and brings it back to the canvas. Every once in a while, she glances up at me and each time I have to look away. Those questions that I wanted to ask her keep floating around in my head so I ask one.

"Kasami, what is your favorite color?"

She pauses, her brush hovering in front of the canvas. "Umm...teal I guess. Do you have one?"

I take a minute to think. There are definitely a lot of colors that I like.

But I have never picked a favorite.

"I don't really know. I like green, like the color of the leaves in summer. But I also like the blue of the sky when it's clear, and the color of sand and dirt. I don't know which I like most."

"Well, that's okay. All colors are nice in their own way and I like them all. It's fun to try to recreate colors in my paintings. You need to find the right combinations and it makes me feel like I am some kind of scientist mixing up a concoction."

I smile, excited to see her so happy. I know that she will be glad to answer any question I pose so I ask the next one that comes to me.

"I know you like painting, but do you have any other hobbies?"

This time she continues with her painting while she answers. "I like climbing."

"Climbing?"

"Yeah, like up cliffs. Traditional climbing, not using chakra."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Only if I fall." She grins, staring off into the distance as if she were recalling a memory.

"I don't remember much from before our parents died. I was really young after all. I remember them worrying about me all the time. But they were gone a lot and Naomi looked after me. I remember that I wasn't allowed to play with the other kids. So I was kind of lonely."

Kasami glances at me now and I freeze, realizing that I have been staring at her as she spoke. I turn my gaze to the window, taking in the desert landscape beyond. She continues.

"My house was my world so I explored it; every dark corner and dusty cabinet. There wasn't any place in that house that I didn't get into. Except for this is one spot… On top of a bookshelf in the corner of our living room. It was the last place and I was determined to get there. So I climbed. I didn't make it far before I fell... That was the first time I broke my arm."

"But you tried again... "

"You bet I did. As soon as I healed I was back at it. It was a race though because Naomi kept catching me and pulling me off the shelf. Still, after a few mad dashes, I made it to the very top. The ceiling was just high enough for me to sit up. That's the part I remember the best; sitting up there. I knew that outside my house there was a while world that I wasn't allowed to live in. It made me sad to be so confined. But being up on that bookshelf, made my tiny world seem just a little bigger. It wasn't much, but that helped me feel a bit better."

"What about after your parents... "I hesitate, not wanting to bring up the subject of her parents' deaths. She gives me an appreciative look and finishes my question.

"After they died? Naomi began to feel bad about keeping me locked up. She figured that as long as she was with me, she could let me explore the Village. And so, my world expanded. I saw new places and met new people and I found a new bookshelf to climb. Only instead of being an actual bookshelf, I was climbing the cliff with our Hokages' faces carved into it. That one took me a while but when I finally did get to the top, I found see beyond the village walls and far off into the distance."

"Did you want to leave the Village?"

"No. Not yet at least. There was still so much to see and do there. But just knowing that there was even more out there was comforting. I met Naruto up on that cliff. He made fun of me as I was climbing. So I made fun of his outfit. It took a little while for us to become friends but I'm glad we are. You too, Gaara. I'm glad we're friends."

I notice the way my chest hurts a little when she says 'friend'. Maybe Kankuro and Naomi are right. Maybe I do like Kasami.

"I'm...glad we're friends too"