For the next few days, Toph constantly visited Gaara on the rooftop in the night. Like the first night, they would just talk normally and gradually, a close friendship blossomed. In the morning, if they saw each other in the town though, they would greet each other as nothing more than mere acquaintances. On the day before the Chunnin Exams, Toph arrived on the rooftop. As usual, Gaara was there.

"Gaara-san, may I sit down." she asked feigning polite etiquette. Gaara smirked.

"Why of course you may, Toph-san." he replied. She bowed, then throwing away her politeness like a piece of unnecessary garbage; she plopped down next to Gaara.

"So, what's new dude?" she asked. Gaara took a deep breath. He had been planning this for a while. He knew that he would betray his village, his siblings, and his own father. He didn't care. Now, all that matter was that Toph was safe.

"Toph-kun, there's something I need to tell you." he said. Toph turned to him. She was puzzled. He seemed so...so...so serious.

"What is it?" she asked innocently. Her heart was thumping.

"Could it be that he's telling me that he loves me?" she wondered. Gaara bit his lip.

"Tomorrow, during the Chunnin Exams, my village and the Sound Village are planning a full-scale invasion of the Leaf Village. It has been planned for many years. I am a weapon in this invasion." he announced. Toph's expression was unreadable. Finally, after an awkward silence she replied.

"What kind of weapon exactly are you? Why is your village doing this? And why the hell are you telling me this?" she choked out, her voice struggling to suppress the rage, betrayal and horror that was longing to come out.

"Well, to answer your first question, as you know from the conversations, I have the Shukaku inside of me that was sealed when I was an unborn fetus inside my mother. I must cause as much destruction as possible. To answer your second question, it is because my village believes that our feudal lord is paying little attention to our village. My father, the goddamned so-called Kazekage, believes that if we attack Konaha, aka the most powerful village in the world, that we will be recognized." he explained coolly. Toph looked at him, her expression unchanged.

"And my third question? Answer that!! Why are you telling me this?" she spat out like poison. Gaara was taken aback and for a while he didn't speak.

"I don't want you to get hurt." he said finally. Toph's face softened a little, but she still was angry.

"And why, dare may I ask, do you care so much about me?" she asked. He groaned inwardly. Now, he had to tell the truth.

"Because I-I love you." he choked out. Toph was taken aback.

"D-did he just say that? Did he really just say that? My god, don't tell me he actually loves me!! I thought he only loved himself. But...why me?" she thought as tears cascaded down her eyes like a waterfall. She looked at him.

"Why do you love me? I'm not that feminine or beautiful." she whispered. Gaara looked shocked.

"Who the hell told you that crap? Of course you are beautiful!!! And you're smart and funny and kind!!! My god, how can I not love you? You are the first person to truly accept me as the THING I am!!!!!! I love you!!! I want you!!!! I need you!!!! You mean everything to me!!!!" he exploded. Toph just looked at him, tears still pouring. Gaara freaked out inwardly.

"Oh god, what have I done? I made her cry. HOW COULD I??!!!!!!!! Does she despise me?? Does she love someone else?" he thought. Finally he looked back at her. She was shaking and SMILING!!!!!

"I-I love you too!!!" she stuttered. She leaned over to him and kissed him on the cheek. Gaara turned bright red. He turned towards her. She was smiling like normal and she was no longer crying. He no longer could control himself. He needed to show that she was HIS and no one else's!!!!! He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to his chest. Toph blushed as she was pulled into his arms. For a while, the just sat there, embracing each other, Gaara with one arm around Tophs waist and another arm pressed on the back of Tophs head feeling her soft hair, and his head resting on hers and Toph with her arms wrapped around his body and her head on his chest, listening to his heart and the Shukaku's heart beat in unison. Gaara guided Toph's head up towards his head and stared into her eyes.

"God she's beautiful." he thought. He leaned slowly closer towards her face, bringing their lips together until there was no space separating them from each other. Toph gasped in surprise, and then pressed herself closer to him. Gaara licked Toph's lower lip. It tasted like strawberries. They stayed that way until they separated, gasping for breath. They looked at each other, smiled, and started laughing, Toph laughing her usual one, and Gaara laughing a richer, happier, and more normal laugh.

Watching this while hidden in the shadows were Temari and Kankuro. They were in shock.

"Is that really Gaara-sama?" Temari said in shock. Kankuro looked confused.

"That is the first time that I have seen him show any affection to anyone!!! This is disturbing." he replied. Temari began to cry and smiled while tears of joy ran down her face.

"He's finally grown up." she wept.

Unaware of Temari and Kankuro, Gaara and Toph finally stopped laughing and were just looking at each other.

"Well, I guess I'd better get going if I want to do well during the Chunnin Exams." Toph finally said. She looked towards Gaara's direction. She put her hand to his face. His mouth was curved into a smile.

"Of course. And, please be careful tomorrow" he replied. She smiled and turned to leave. As she reached the edge of the roof, where she would cross onto the other roof, she turned towards Gaara.

"I just want to say, please be careful tomorrow and don't get hurt." she said then turned forward and hopped onto the roof next door. Gaara smiled happily.

"Of course I will." he said to himself.