Authors note: Well it appears I have made an over site. Just to clarify Gaara is 18; Hinata is 17.

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Hinata looked about for her cloths. She was wrapped in a large with towel. They were nowhere to be scene. 'That girl must have taken them with her when she left. How foolish of me not to have noticed it sooner. What am I to do now? I can't stay in here. Maybe I should go back to my room?' She activated her byakugan. No one was around. Quietly she crept back to the room.

Hinata found the sheets had been changed. A kimono and brush lay upon the clean sheets. Hinata lifted the kimono. A small smile softened her face as she marveled at the beauty of it. It was a deep purple with silver lotus blossoms and a lighter purple obi. She dressed then moved over to the mirror. The silver of the brush contrasted nicely with the darkness of her hair. She sensed him as he entered but made no outward sign. He approached her slowly. He took in the sharp contrast of the kimono against her skin. She looked so beautiful. She took note of his reflection in the mirror. She stared at it in surprise. His face was soft and open. 'It can't be true it must be a trick of the mirror.' She turned to look at him.

"You look beautiful." His voice was as soft as his face. Her cheeks flushed pink at his comment. No one had ever said such a thing to her. He moved closer. She closed her eyes in surprise as he placed a kiss on her forehead. She let him slide the brush from her hand. He moved away and began to brush through her thick mane. She turned back toward the mirror. Her cheeks were a glowing pink as he carefully brushed out her hair. She felt so strange. No one, not even her father, had ever said or done such things. She didn't know how to react so she just sat there. Something about the situation tugged at her heart.

When he was had removed every knot from her hair he leaned down and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He turned and put his face just above her hair. Her hands reached up and tentatively touched those arms gently. "I'm sorry." He said.

"What?" She questioned. Her mind was floating.

"About before. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that to you. I hope you can forgive me. I do not want you to starve yourself and food is very precious to desert people." He said and hugged her tighter to him. Hinata nodded baffled by this sudden change in character. They remained in that position for quiet some time. Finally she seemed to find her voice. "What you said before. Did you mean it?" She asked in a whispered voice.

"Yes. I never meant to hurt you I jus…" "No." She interrupted him. "The part before that." He moved back. She turned to find his green eyes filled with confusion. "You said I looked beautiful. But I'm not beautiful." She looked down. He knelt to be on level with her. He wrapped his arm around her waist. Her eyes widened a bit at the feel of his hand on her chin. He lifted her face to look at him. "What are you talking about?" He turned her to look at her reflection.

"Look at you." She flushed again and averted her eyes from her reflection. "But girls like Sakura and Ino. Now those are beautiful girls. They're the ones that guys want to be with." She said her voice small. "Guys like Naruto?" He voiced in her ear. She turned to see his eyes reflected in the mirror. A small tremble shook her slender frame. He looked so serious. She had to turn away. She looked so sad that Gaara had no idea what to do. He placed his arm around her and hugged her tight. "Naruto, like most men, can't see what's right in front of his face. Those other girls who are around him, none compare to you."

"How would you know?" She asked. "Because I watched them all. I saw all of these so-called beauties, but it was you I choose. The reason people see them first is because they're so loud. It is the only way they can take attention away from a beauty like you." His words touched her deeply. He hugged her and she hugged him back, surprising them both. Then he stood and moved away.

A blond woman came through the door. She spoke in a cold voice. "Kazekage, the council requests your presence." Hinata looked at her to receive an angry glare. "Alright, I shall be there in a moment." Gaara replied, the coldness returned to his voice, his mask firmly in place. The woman left. Gaara placed a hand on Hinatas shoulder. She covered it with her own. "I will return to continue our conversation after my meeting. I wish to learn more about you." She watched him as he walked through the door. 'He wants to get to know me better.' She thought to herself.

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'That poor girl.' Temari thought as she walked away. 'Something has to be done. I know I would rather be dead then have someone constantly forcing himself on me. I must put a stop to this, but how?' She pondered as she walked down the hall.

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Shino and Kiba waited impatiently for Neji by the gates. It would take three days to get to Suna. Kiba wanted to start. Hinata was in danger. "You're late." Kiba said to Neji as he approached. Neji walked right passed the two and out the gates. He did not have to look back to tell that they were following. 'Dear cousin, please be alive.' He thought as he led the way to the village hidden in the sand

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Hinata sat there more confused then she had ever been in her life. In an attempt to make sense out of things she reviewed the facts. Gaara had kidnapped her because he wanted her. He thought that she was beautiful. He had stolen her first kiss. She wanted him to return. 'What's happening to me? How could I possibly want him to return? I mean, he kidnapped me. He humiliated me.' A small piece tugged at her mind reminding her he had apologized for that. 'What am I feeling? I felt all warm when he hugged me. It's like the way Naruto made me feel but different. This can't be. I can't be falling for Gaara. I mean, he's a monster. He murders people for fun. He…' Her thoughts trailed off as the image of him kissing her again filled her mind. Unconsciously she reached up and touched her lips. The kiss hadn't been bad just surprising. He did stop when she had asked. Could it be that he was not quiet the monster she had thought? "I need to lie down." She said to herself. She made her way over to the bed. She rested her head upon the pillow and was drawn into sleep.

She felt a soft hand brush against her face. She opened her eyes to see Gaara looking down at her a small smile gracing his lips. Her heart skipped a beat as she made contact with those deep green pools. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."