Blood is Full of Empty Promises

Ayaka walked back to her room, but only to put her bow and arrows there. She didn't want to attract anyone else's attention. She stopped and looked in the mirror. "Maybe I should take me headband off too," she thought. It was what caused her trouble in the first place.

Ayaka finally decided to leave it in. She would feel naked without it and she knew that if those shinobi attacked her again Gaara would make sure they wouldn't live to see the next sunrise. She could tell that there was something evil that used to live inside him. He was kind of cold, but he tried so hard to be nice. It was as if someone had made him want to change.

Ayaka left her room and walked towards the exit. The guard that was watching the entrance stopped her. "Ayaka, if you wish to leave the building please wait for Lord Gaara. He requested that he keeps you company during your stay here," he replied.

Ayaka gritted her teeth. "I'm not waiting for anybody," she said and clenched her fists.

"Well, you don't have to wait," she heard a voice from behind her. She turned to see Gaara, but he wasn't in his Kazekage robes. Instead he was dressed in a regular green t-shirt and some blue cargo shorts.

"I see, so you want to keep an eye on me now? Don't trust me?" she smirked angrily at him.

"No, Aya-chan, it's not like that at all," Gaara replied looking almost stunned. He looked down at his sandals and blushed a little. "I only wanted to keep you safe and show you around. You have such a bad impression on the village that I love and I...I just wanted to change that."

Ayaka looked at him not sure what to say next. He was being so kind to her. And he called her Aya-chan of all things...not Miss. Ayaka blushed and turned away from Gaara. "Fine, but try not to annoy me," she said and began walking into the village. She heard Gaara exhale in relief and follow her.

They walked around for a few hours and everywhere they went villagers whispered wondering who the mysterious kunoichi was that was walking around with their Kazekage. Gaara didn't seem to notice, but it was slowly starting to bother Ayaka.

Ayaka came across a sit down restaurant and looked at the menu hanging just outside the building. "I want to eat here," she said and looked back at Gaara, but he wasn't there.

"After you," she heard him say in front of her and she snapped her attention to him. He was holding the door open for her and smiling. His smile made butterflies go crazy in her stomach and she gritted her teeth ashamed that she couldn't control her own feelings.

"Thanks," she muttered when what she really wanted to tell him was to smile more. She just couldn't bring herself to get close to anyone. Not after everything that happened between her and Hidan. Hidan had meant the world to her and she was his world too. If he could betray her, than anything was possible.

"Oh Lord Gaara, what a surprise!" the owner said smiling at him. She even blushed a little. The owner led us to a private room in the back. He must come here often if they have a private room reserved just for him.

"You're right, Aya-chan, I do come here quite often," he said smiling at her. Her mouth dropped open in shock, but she gritted her teeth again.

"Pft, whatever," she said and looked angrily down at the menu. There was so much food listed that she wasn't even sure what to pick.

A waitress came in and took out her notepad to take their orders. Ayaka noticed that the waitress's shirt wasn't buttoned all the way. It was as if the girl wanted to give Gaara a good look. "Poor girl," she thought, "he's paying no attention to her."

"We're going to have my usual and Aya-chan will have the same," he told her without even so much as looking at her. She seemed a little down at the lack of attention she was getting and then looked to Ayaka with a hint of envy in her eyes.

"Of course, Lord Gaara," she replied and left. She quickly returned with water for them to drink. Before she could walk away Ayaka grabbed her wrist. The waitress looked at her almost scared.

"Sake," she glared at the waitress. She nodded before hurrying to get what the woman ordered.

"You really like being mean to people don't you?" Gaara asked. Ayaka was sure that he was asking a rhetorical question, but she didn't care.

"You figured me out," she answered sarcastically and poured herself a glass of sake that the waitress had just set at their table. She threw it back and poured herself another glass.

"I don't understand why a person would choose to be alone," Gaara said and looked out the window looking very sad. Ayaka paused briefly before throwing back the second glass of sake.

"Everything that ever happens to you makes you into the person that you are," she said and looked at her reflection in the glass. She wasn't sure that she liked the person that she was today, but she didn't really have much of a choice. She didn't want any distractions or to ever be close to anyone again. All she wanted was to find her answers and then taking it from there. She needed to find Hidan first. That was the only way she would ever get her answers.

“I’m sorry you were hurt,” Gaara said and looked at Ayaka with sad eyes.

“Your stupid shinobi didn’t hurt me,” Ayaka said and tossed back yet another glass.

“You know that’s not what I meant although I am sorry about that too,” Gaara replied trying really hard to pierce Ayaka’s hard shell. Her shell was so hard to penetrate though; it almost reminded him of his ultimate defense: his sand.

Ayaka’s face felt hot probably from the alcohol. She took only a sip this time. That waitress came in again with yet another button undone on her blouse. Ayaka gave the woman a pitying look before taking a bite of her food. “Mmm…”

“You like it?” Gaara asked with a pleased expression.

She swallowed her pride this time and decided to be a little nicer. “It’s delicious,” she replied and took another bite.

“I’m glad you like it.” He smiled.

The butterflies in her stomach went crazy again. She decided then that it was a good idea to throw back another glass. She felt like a normal girl for once and it kind of bothered her. Before she could stop herself she found herself thinking aloud. “You should smile more often.”

Gaara looked at her in surprise, but then smiled. “As you wish.”