Confrontations

Kani relaxed a little and sighed, rolling her eyes. "You're not a pest Gaara," she said.

"Heh.." He shook his head, looking away from her. "Sometimes you don't say the most convincing things, Kani."

Kani tapped her foot. "What do you mean by that?" she asked. "You aren't a pest. I would tell you if you were."

"I mean that I'm not convinced." He took the hand that had been touching his lip and raised it slightly, watching the sand curl around it. "Only for your own good, Shukaku.. it was never mother in the first place, was it? No, I never thought so.."

He turned around, his back facing the horizon. "Kani, your not very convincing."

Kani sighed and crossed her arms. "What am I supposted to do to convince you then?"

"Absolutely nothing." He replied, the sand around his arm moving from him and over to Kani. "An unconvincing person with someone who cannot be convinced, I don't think theres a solution."

Kani laughed quietly. " I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean that I'll stop trying."

"I wish things were differen't, Kani." He frowned, the sand twirling around Kani's hand as if it wanted her to hold it out. "I really do."

She tried to hold onto the sand, but it kept falling between her fingers. But that's not what she was thinking about... "What do you mean Gaara?" she asked. "What do you want to be different."

"What don't I want to be different, that's the real question.." He shook his head, and the sand wrapped around Kani's hand in the shape of a hand, holding it. "If my life were different.. things would be different for those around me. Better, that is. If I were different, others would suffer. Which is why I'm confused to how I even made friends in the first place.."

"No one wants you to change," Kani said softly. She smiled kindly at him. "We like you for who you are, and like I've told a million times, we don't suffer." She walked up to him and hugged him. "You made friends because you did. Do we really know how we make friends? Not really. So don't say stuff like that."

He blinked, then frowned, hugging her back. He then smiled at how short she was to him, suddenly thinking about how much he actually did change through the four years everyone was gone, not only mentally but physically. "I'm sorry.."

"Why are you sorry?" she asked.

"Because I continue to say things like that." He shook his head, smiling. "Which, is the behaviour of a pest."

Kani laughed and looked up at him. "Gaara," she groaned. "Please. Don't. You're not a pest no matter what you say!"

He continued to smile. "I'm sorry if I keep thinking I am."

He lifted his hand slightly, playing with a piece of Kani's hair. "I'll try to believe you."

Kani sighed. "It's no use. You'll never admit it."

He smirked. "Am I a hopeless cause?"

Kani sighed. "Other's would say yes, but I'm not like other's. No, you're not a hopeless cause. But I love you either way."

"Heh.." He looked up to the sky, suddenly regretting everything. He gave a sigh, and pulled from the hug gently. "You truely are an amazing person, Kani. I hope that is forever cherished."

Kani laughed. "Now there is a statement that you'll have to convince me on. If you knew..." She sighed and stepped away from him. "...never mind. But that's something you'll have to convince me on."

"Well, I've known you long enough. Merely the fact that you never disliked me because of how I was born or my behaviour sometimes is a good enough reason. And there are many other things, as well. Kani, if I can be what you say I am despite what I've done, than the same goes for you. But you handle it better." He lowered his head slightly, looking to his feet for a brief second. "I'm not here to convince you, though. Besides, I wouldn't be able to. I'm not good at things like that.."

Kani shrugged and looked over at where the sun used to be. A bright, orange new moon stared back at her. And the man in the mood looked sad. "No...I guess you're not." She sighed. "The difference between our curcumstances are...well...too different to compare. While you can be what I say you are...I can't nessesarily be what you say I am."

He looked at her, then looked away again, saying nothing. He stayed silent, becoming lost in thought. He didn't really like it, though, since Shukaku had started talking to him. He winced as he tried to tune him out, but he found out it was difficult to ignore the voices in your head.