Gaara's POV

"Gaara, you need to take a break. It's your off day tomarrow isn't it?" Temari asked. We were in my office one evening finishing some paper work.

"I'm not one to take brakes, Temari and you know that." I told her. Being that I was the Kazekage of the Sand Village, I used all the time I had to making sure the village was safe, even on my day off. Temari sighed.

"Your taking a break weather you like it or not." She said, "Kankuro and I will do your paper work for you."

"What about Kaori?" I asked. If I was going to take a brake tommarow, I at least want to know my papers were going to be in good hands. Temari's face grew into a sly smile.

Oh no...what is she planning now?

"That's part of the plan. Kaori won't be helping you..." She giggled slightly, "You two are going on a DATE!" She said enthusiasticly. I dropped my pen on the floor.

"I'm not missing work just to go on a date with Kaori. Besides, Kaori is just a friend, I know she wouldn't want to go." I said.

"And why not?" Temari asked. I sighed and stood up to look out the window.

"I know Kaori thinks of me as a close friend, but I just have this feeling that she is still...afraid of me." I clutched my hand over my chest. I know it's my own fault, I injured her when we were children, and I was crule to her when we were younger before I met Naruto. I tried so hard to make her comfortable with me. I'm always so gentle around her...but even though she says she's not afraid of me, I just can't help the thought.

` "Gaara," Temari said, putting a hand on my shoulder, "She's just shy, okay. She's nervous and quiet around everybody, especially you because she's..." She trailed off at the last part.

"She's what? Tell me!" I wanted too know despretly what she thought of me.

Temari just grined "You'll just have to find out for yourself." She said.

Later

I knocked on Kaori's door later that night. I waited patiently for an answer. After a moment I heard foot steps and Kaori's voice saying "Come in." The door slid open to reveal Kaori's smiling face.

"Oh, L-lord Kazekage!" She said bowing, "I-I wasn't expecting you. Do you need some sort of herb or m-medicine?" She asked. I shook my head.

"I came here to see you." I said. She nodded.

"W-would you like to come inside?" She asked. I nodded and walked inside. I sat myself down at the table while Kaori was in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry if the place is a mess, I wasn't really expecting any company." She called from the kitchen.

"It's fine, I'll only be here for a while." I said.

"Would you like something to eat? I was cooking diner before you came here, and I'm almost done." She offered. I wasn't really here for food, but I didn't want to oppose.

"That will be fine." I said. A few minutes later, she brought out two plates of fish and an extra pair of chopsticks.

"Thank you." I said. We started eating in silence. I could tell that the silence was bothering her, so I started talking.

"What are you doing tomarrow?" I asked. She looked up from her plate and at me.

"Well...I was going to go to the festival, but I'm working at the hospital that night." She said in a sad tone.

"Well then...I guess we'll have to fix that." I said.

"Wait, what do you mean?" She asked. I put down my chopsticks.

"I'll let you off work to go to the festival." Her face lit up as soon as I said that.

"You really mean that?" She asked. I nodded.

"It's the least I can do for you." I said.

"Thank you so much Kazekage-sama!" She exclaimed. She bowed her head to me

"On one condition." I said. She looked at me confused.

"What is it?" she asked. I sighed and looked her in the eyes.

"You can go to the festival, if you go with me." I said. She gasped and blushed.

"Y-you...want to go the festival ...with me?" She asked. I nodded, waiting for an answer. She smiled brightly.

"I'd love to go with you, Kazekage-sama!" She said happily. I was taken aback by her answer.

"Are you sure?" I asked. She noddedd vigurously.

"If there's anyone I'd want to go with, it would be you." She said. I couldn't help but to smile a little bit. Maybe Temari was right, maybe this would be good for me...and Kaori too.

"Well then, I suppose I'll pick you up tomarrow evening." I said, walking towards the door. Kaori fallowed me.

"Goodnight Kaori." I said, facing her.

"Goodnight Kazekage-"

"Please," I interupted, "Call me Gaara."

"O-okay...Goodnight...Gaara-sama." She said blushing

"Alright Gaara, just be yourself and smile. Always remember to smile!" Temari encouraged the next evening while playing with my hair, "And I wish you wore something more fomal."

"I'm wearing my Kazekage robes. How much more fomal can that get?" I asked. I pulled out some flowers I was keeping in my robes that I was going to give to her. They were roses, a symbol of affection.

"Awwww! Those are beautiful! Nice touch, Gaara! Remember Gaara, she's shy so you haveto make the first move." Temari squeled as I knocked on the door. She disapered on top of a nearby roof as the door opened.

"Good evening Kaori..." I said, hiding my amazment of her apperance. She was wearing a blue kimono with a lavender sash around it. Her short brown hair was in a bun held together with chopsticks (I don't really know what there called, those sticks they put in there hair)

"Good evening Gaara-sama...um..how are you today?" She asked.

"I'm fine, are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you." She said. She started twidiling her thumbs together. There was an akward silence between us for a few moments until I heard Temari wisper to me.

"Give her the roses!" She wipsered from the rooftop. I suddenly remembered them.

"I brought you these roses, I hope you like them." I said, handing them to her. She smiled as she held them.

"Thank you! Thses are beautiful. If you don't mind, may I put these in a vase before we leave?" She asked. I nodded and waited for her to come back with a vase. She got a clear crystal vase and put the flower inside.

"A beutiful vase for the beautiful flowers!" She exlaimed. She set it down on a table and steped outside.

"So," I asked, "Sahll we be off?" She nodded.

"Yes. We-we don't want to be late." She said. We started walking to the festival in dead silence. I looked up into the sky to see a full moon shining above.

"The moon is beautiful tonight...isn't it Gaara-sama.." She said quietly.

"Yes...yes it is..." I said. I looked at her. She was smiling, but I could tell in her eyes that she was nervous.

"You know Kaori...you look...very nice tonight." I said. Kaori looked at me and blushed.

"Th-thank you, Gaara-sama." She stuttered, "That means a lot to me...especially coming from you." She looked away, trying not to show her blush.

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Because...your really special to me...Gaara-sama." She said quietly. There was something about the way she said that...it made my cheeks feel warm for some reason.

"Kaori."

"Uh..y-yes?" She asked.

"Do you...want to hold hands along the way?" I asked. She gasped.

"I-I don't know. We're in public, w-what if someone sees us?" She asked. I knew it was unformal for the Kazekage to hold the hand of a commener, but at this point I didn't care. I wanted to make her comfortable with me.

"It's okay, we're on a date aren't we?" I asked.

"I suppose you have a point...no harm in trying, right." She said. Slowly she moved her small hand towards mine. I only felt the tip of her fingers touch mine when Kankuro and Temari jump up behind us.

"Hey you guys!" Kankuro said. Kaori pulled her hand away quickly. Dammit Kankuro...

"Kankuro, Temari, what are you doing here!" I yelled.

"We're going to the festival!" Temari squeled. She noticed the red on me and Kaori's faces, "Oh don't tell me we interuppted a possible kiss." She speculated.

"Don't be stupid Temari." I said.

"We haven't kissed at all, besides, we were only trying to hold hands and uh..." Kaori trailed off.

"Well, I guess we'll be off then. You two have fun!" Temari said running off with Kankuro.

"Yea, but not too much fun!" Kankuro called. That just made Kaori blush even more.

"We should, uh, go too." Kaori said in a quiet voice. I smiled and nodded.

We finally made it to the Festival later on. Everyone from the village was there. Kaori and I walked through the crowd looking for something to do. I noticed a dango stand (Dango=rice dumpling, for those of you who don't know X3) and knew that those were Kaori's favorite food.

"Are you hungry, Kaori?" I asked.

"Well, now that you metioned it..I am a little hungry." She said. I walked her over to the dango stand. She ordered, and took out her wallet to pay.

"Don't worry," I said, "I'll pay."

"Oh no, I couldn't let you do that." She protested, "It's nice enough for you to let me off work and inviting me to go with you to this event. I shouldn't let you pay when I have my own money."

"It's no problem, trust me." I said, giving the man 100 yen. He handed Kaori the dango; as she was about to eat one, she hesitated.

"Would you like one Gaara-sama?" She asked.

"Are you sure you want to give me one?" I asked. She nodded.

"It's the least I can do, since you paid for it." She said, taking one dango off the stick, "Now, open wide." she said. I chuckled lightly and opened my mouth. She lightly put the dango in my mouth. I closed my mouth and chewed. I swollowed.

"Thank you." I said. She giggled.

"Your welcome, really Gaara-sama." The two of us started walking though the crowd again looking for something to do. We talked to many people and they all asked if Kaori and I were a couple now. We mostly just avoided the answer. To be honest, I don't think I can be in a realtionship right now. I'm much too busy with my Kazekage duties; not only that, but I'm not good at showing affection for other people. But at the same time, Kaori makes that easy for people.

When It started getting late, we walked home.

"I had such a great time with you Gaara-sama!" She exlaimed. Her smile was so wide, I thought it would fall off her face.

"I had a fun time with you as well, Kaori." I said. She blushed.

"Gaara-sama..." She asked.

"Yes?"

"...What do you think of me?" she asked. I thought for a moment to choose my words carefully.

"I think your a very kind and caring person." I said,"I think of you as a valuable friend."

"Oh...really?" She asked.

"Yes," I said, "If you don't mind, what do you think of me?" I asked.

"Well...like I said, your very special too me." She said, "...I...i um..."

"You what?" I asked. She started blushing a lot and held her hands close to her chest.

"I...admire you a lot...and I know you've never felt love but...if you'd let me...I can show you..." She said. I stopped and looked at her. She stopped along with me.

"Gaara-sama...please say something..." She pleaded, "If you don't stop staring at me like that...your gonna make me cry." She started tearing up. I took her hand in mine, causing her to gasp.

"You always were a crybaby." I said, "Would you like to eat diner with me sometime?" I asked.

"...O-of course I would..." She stuttered. I nodded. We walked the rest of the way to her home hand in hand.

"I'm glad you had a good time Kaori." I said. She smiled at me.

"I'm glad I got to go to the festival with you this evening." She said. I let go to her hand.

"Goodnight Kaori." I said.

"Goodnight," She said, walking closer to me. I felt her lips on my cheek for a breif moment, "Gaara-sama."

I held my cheek with my hand as she went inside. I saw a light turn on in the window and saw her wave to me. I waved back and headed home myslef. I don't think I fully understand the concept of love just yet...I don't even know if what I'm feeling is love. But I know one thing

Whatever this felling is, I don't want to stop feeling it.

"So Gaara, how was it!" Temari asked as soon as I walked into the door.

"It was nice." I said, "We'll be eating diner together soon."

"YES! I knew you'd love her!" She squeled.

"I don't love her," I corrected, "But I'm learning how to." and with that, I smiled and looked at the moon, knowing somewhere Kaori was doing the same thing.