Your presence irked him. Ever since Gaara laid his eyes on you during the Chunin exams, he knew there was something different. Something that made the monster inside him stir with an unfamiliar feeling.

"Stay away from them." he warned you that time, voice cold and lifeless. Sand swirling around him threateningly as he watched you stand between him and Rock Lee. You were foolish, he thought. So foolish to think you could protect anyone from him.

But you didn't falter. You stood your ground, unwavering even as his sand crept closer. It frustrated him. Made him want to crush you right then and there. Yet.. something held him back. The blood-thirsty demon within him yearned for something else entirely.

"Why do you care so much?" Gaara's eyes narrow, studying your determination. He doesn't understand. Can't comprehend why someone would willingly put themselves in harm's way for another. All his life, people ran from him. Feared him. Called him a monster.

But you..you were different.

Even when training with your team—with Naruto, with Sasuke, with Kakashi—your kindness extended to everyone. Including him. The way you'd sneak glances his way, offer him a tentative smile.. it was all so foreign.

The demon inside him grows restless. Possessive. Every time he sees you with others, particularly your teammates, something dark coils in his chest. He doesn't like how close Sasuke stands to you during training. Doesn't appreciate how Naruto makes you laugh so easily.

You were the first person to show him genuine care. The first to look at him without fear in your eyes. And now...now he can't bear the thought of you showing that same kindness to others.

Love was never something Gaara understood. All he knew was hatred, loneliness, and the constant thirst for blood. But you..you made him feel something different. Something that made the demon inside him both calmer and more agitated at the same time. The thought of sharing your attention, your kindness, your smiles with others makes his blood boil.