I decided to make this a two-shot...

I suddenly got inspired while looking through my stories..

Anyway, be sure to tell me what you think..

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"Bye!" Hinata waved at the little girl holding her mom's hand, relief shining in her face. The little girl energetically waved back, glad to be at her mom's side once again. Today was Konoha festival after all and everyone should be enjoying the day with their families. She looked down at her light blue kimono and sighed.

'I miss my mom,' Hinata thought, sadly. Then Hinata turned with her shopping bags, ready to go back to the festival but suddenly jumped at seeing someone else behind her. He stayed silent and looked toward where the girl disappeared. Hinata was unsure of how to feel at the moment. Should she be glad? Scared? Careful? They only met once long time ago and that was when he tried to attack her but that was also the day when she confirmed her friendship with him. Every thought became mashed and jumbled up in a second.

Hinata cleared her throat, catching his attention, putting her guard up in case he tried to attack. "Er…She was lost so I helped her," Hinata said, deliberately, looking to see how Gaara would react. She could faintly hear the sounds of people talking and music drifting from the lively festival. He was wearing a yukata as well and was standing, crossing his arms, observing carefully. She wasn't sure what he was thinking.

"I see," he finally spoke up, seeming to make up his mind on something. Hinata was sure that he could see through her guard and perceive the internal battle occurring in her head right now. They paused for a bit, calculating and predicting what the other person was thinking.

"If I may ask, what are you doing here in Konoha?" Hinata asked, politely, as she was taught to do. Hinata could tell that he was much more relaxed than the last time she met him.

"Hokage's orders. I need to be here at the festival," Gaara answered, looking glum and angry at the mention of Tsunade-sama. "Do you know any quiet place that I could go to?"

'He has changed. It's subtle but it's there,' Hinata confirmed in her mind. Hinata figured she might as well relax and enjoy the day, which only came once a year. 'It's not a bad thing that I have someone here as well.'

"I could lead you to my favorite place. There's a river there where you can train or meditate quietly," Hinata suggested, looking for confirmation on his part. Hinata was still unsure of how to act or what she should say to him but she figured everything would work out in the end. She could tell that he had no intention of attacking and she, indeed, wanted to help him out, as was her nature.

He nodded his consent and Hinata led the way. He quickly caught up to her and matched her walking pace. Hinata should have been feeling awkward about the silence but found it surprisingly comforting. After several hectic days, she was ready to have some time alone in peace as well.

'Which reminds me… Naruto and Sakura's wedding is coming up.' Hinata hated being jealous or pitying herself but she couldn't help it. 'I should be happy that they are together. If Naruto is happy then I'm happy,' Hinata reminded herself.

They arrived at the destination and Hinata placed her bags near a tree and immediately went on top of the water. Hinata summoned a little spray of water to her hand, its touch soothing her and calming her mind. She could see from the corner of her eyes that he was sitting on a rock, meditating with eyes closed. She turned her attention back to the little waterfall to her right.

'Since this is the festival, I'll give him something as a present.' Hinata made up her mind and walked her way over to her bag. She got out a little plain light green box and waited in front of him. He opened his sea-green eyes to look at her curiously.

"Here," Hinata said, rather hurriedly, "Present for once-a-year Konoha festival. It's something for you to remember this day."

He raised his eyebrow with a questioning look but accepted the gift nonetheless. But instead of opening the gift, he looked at it as if it was a foreign object that he had never seen.

"You can…open it," Hinata indicated, trying to get him to open up the gift that she originally bought for herself but decided to give it to him as a gift.

He opened it to reveal a golden Konoha pin inside the box. He gazed at the object for several seconds before he turned to her and smirked. He asked, "Why do you give me something every time we meet?"

Hinata thought about her answer carefully in her mind. "I… Because it's something that you can keep to remind yourself of the day, I guess. No matter how inexpensive the gifts are, if there are memories relating to the gift then I believe the gift becomes priceless." Then she added almost as an afterthought, "And it's my present for you for the festival."

He took in every word she said and a ghost of a smile traced his lips. "You always surprise me," he stated, mysteriously.

Hinata looked at him with a startled expression. "What do you mean?" She looked at him quizzically, her glistening opal eyes widening, which made him look away in discomfiture. For the first time, he felt awkward and confused that someone was staring in the way that she was doing right now.

"Nothing," he replied, choosing to switch his gaze back to her, having recovered from the previous uneasiness.

"Hinata!" Hinata could hear two voices calling out to her.

'Not now,' Hinata groaned. 'I'm not ready to face Naruto or Sakura yet.'

"It was nice meeting you here but I must go now." Hinata bowed to Gaara and grabbed her shopping bags and prepared to run. "I'll see you later!"

"Why are you running away from them?" Gaara asked but his question went unanswered as she ran away from him at top speed. 'I'll just make sure she doesn't run into troubles.' Gaara started to make his way to the forest where Hinata disappeared.

Hinata had been running for quite awhile now. "Where to? Where to?" Hinata wasn't sure why she was running away but hearing his voice made her bolt and the only thing that registered in her mind was, "Run."

Suddenly two ninjas appeared in front of her. One was holding a sake bottle and one looked drunk already.

"Hey look," the drunk one slurred. "Are you lost, little girl?"

"N-No, not really," Hinata forced her words out. Hinata tightened her hand on the kunai.

"It's a feisty one, too. Holding a kunai in your sleeve like that," the one with the sake bottle mentioned, glaring at her and smirking. "We're ninjas, too. But today we are just looking for fun. Join us, we promise that you'll have fun, Hyuuga-san," he mocked. Hinata dropped her bags in surprise.

Hinata never dealt with these kinds of situation before and was unsure of what to do. She was afraid and her mind stopped working as soon as she met them. 'They already know that I'm not a Hyuuga anymore,' Hinata thought as she watched the two leering back at her. 'Shit!' Hinata unknowingly swore in her mind, as she knew what they were going to suggest.

The drunken guy made his way over to her and slung his arm on her shoulder. "We'll make it worthwhile, I promise." Hinata could smell the alcohol on his breath, which made her nose crinkle in disgust. But what made her worry the most was what he got in his hand. It was her kunai pouch that he was gripping on his other hand.

"Please, I need to go," Hinata pleaded as she tried to wretch out of his grip. The kunai pouch was thrown far away as his hand came up to unzip her zipper in front of her jacket.

"Leave. Her. Alone." Hinata heard a familiar deep, growling voice behind her. The two guys looked toward the voice but Hinata could not look back as she was afraid she would start breaking down and crying.

"We found her first," the guy who was tightening his arm on her said.

"Have it your way then," Gaara muttered as he started attacking the one farther from her first. Sand started rising as the guy who was holding her was yanked away by the sand. The sand held both of them in place but before they were completely immobilized, the drunken one got a kunai out of his pouch and threw at Hinata's way. Hinata, still shocked about the whole ordeal, failed to move and kunai embedded itself deeply on Hinata's upper arm, bleeding her clothes red.

The pain made her snap out of her stupor. She could feel the energy coming back to her and she stood up, pulling out the kunai from her arm. But the sight that greeted her was one thing she didn't want to see. The sand that was holding both of their legs were starting to bleed red and both were crying out in pain and agony. Gaara looked half-crazed and half-disoriented and she could see that he no longer had complete control of his actions. Now sand in front of them started to form into a sharp spear and she was sure he was going to plunge that in the unconscious offenders' hearts.

"Wait! Gaara-san! You can't kill him!" Just before it could get to them, Hinata jumped in front of them, closing her eyes, waiting for the impact. She failed to feel anything and slowly opened her to reveal a calm pair of sea-green eyes looking back at her.

"What are you doing, Hinata-san?" he asked, betraying nothing of his beating heart. He was surprised that she would jump in there to save them and yelled in his mind for the sand to stop, gaining control of his own body again.

"Whether or not, they tried…to do anything with me, they are still Konoha-nins. If you kill them, you'll be charged for murders and… I just don't want you to take away their lives," Hinata said, looking at him with her sad milky eyes. Sand started retracting back as he jumped and landed in front of her. She slumped forward to her knees and supported her torso with her two arms in the front, looking down at the ground. Drops of tears stained the ground one by one as her tears started to fall.

Gaara wasn't sure what to do but kneeled in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Thoughts were running through his head and he tried to control his bloodlust as he still stared at the bleeding bodies behind her. But everything came to a stop when she hugged him and broke more silent tears out. Gaara put his arms around her waist slowly, experimenting and wondering if this was right. After he put his arms around her, something clicked in place and he knew he was doing the right thing. The surprising thing that he discovered with himself was that he didn't mind holding her at all.

"I promise I'll protect myself next time. Thank you…for saving me today," Hinata said as she broke the embrace and looked at him, a small smile appearing on her face in appreciation.

Gaara strangely had an urge to smile back. A half-smirk, half-smile graced his lips as he looked at her beautiful eyes. She slumped forward again but this time, she lost consciousness from the loss of blood.

Gaara gently picked her up in bridal style. 'You don't have to be alone. I'll be there to protect you.'

He tightened his arms on her as he briefly looked down on her face. 'But would you be willing to love me?'

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I think the ending is kind of bad...

I figured this would happen but couldn't help myself...

Love GaaHina :)

Please Review!