Kichigai woke the next morning, not opening her eyes, but hearing a soft, constant, repetitive noise beneath her ear. It soothed and relaxed her as she lay upon something that moved ever-so slowly up and down. She felt warmth beneath her hand, and that same strange pulsing. She shifted slightly, feeling a hand resting on her back, the other intertwined with the hair close to her scalp. She opened her eyes slowly to see the television was turned off, the music dimmed. Besides the faint piano piece that was playing on the stereo, she heard soft breathing. She looked up to see Gaara, asleep, looking at peace for once in his life. And she, had slept peacefully on his chest.

"Gaara-sama…" she muttered, pushing herself up and standing, adjusting her nightgown. She smiled slightly at how peaceful he looked. He didn't looked troubled, or annoyed, or upset. Just peaceful.

She sat down beside him, brushing his ever-growing hair out of his face, parting it to the left so she could see the love kanji engraved on his forehead.

Cautiously, Kichigai let her fingertip trace it, then let her fingertip fall to his cheek. It felt warm beneath her hand, unlike its usual cold feel. His cheeks even had a little color, instead of paled. That faint moment of peace where her flesh touched against his seemed to last only a moment, yet forever.

Gaara's eyes opened slowly, yet barely, just watching Kichigai gazing at him.

Her skin against his, the palm of her hand pressed to his cheek, that evanescent calmness washed over them, letting them breathe peacefully for a moment in their lives. Away from sorrow, depression, the cold stares, in just a moment.

They broke away from each other as he sat up, a small sigh escaping from his lips.

"What happened last night?" Kichigai murmured, eyes faintly open.

"I'm not sure…I can't quite remember…"

"Oh…"

Gaara slowly took his hand and pressed it to Kichigai's opposing shoulder, pulling her down to lie on his chest. Her eyes could barely remain open, for the stillness hazed over them.

"Did I tell you yet?" he muttered to her.

"Tell me what?"

"What I wanted to say…"

"What did you want to say?"

"That I love you…"

A moment of noiselessness rested upon them as Kichigai tried to fathom the words that Gaara had spoken to her. She pushed herself up to look at him, and his hand intertwined with her hair again, running his long, thin fingers through it.

"I love you too…" she said after a while.

Gaara closed his eyes fully, resting his head back on the arm of the sectional. Kichigai pulled herself up, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting into his shoulder.

Then she remembered.

She had given him Excedrin Migraine last night. She usually wouldn't feel like herself in the morning if she took it at night.

"Gaara-sama?"

"…Yes?..." he muttered, half asleep.

"Do you mean it?"

Suddenly, she was underneath him, his hands supporting his weight on either side of her.

"Of course I mean it…"

He leaned down and captured her lips in his, a simple show of affection.

"That doesn't prove that you love me, it just means you like me…" she mumbled.

"Well then…"

He pressed his lips to hers roughly, in a deep, passionate kiss, no longer a simple, chaste show of affection. He bit her bottom lip, asking for entrance, and she granted it, separating her lips slightly so he could allow his tongue into her mouth.

She moaned as his tongue explored the newfound area gratefully. He smirked as her hands traveled down to the hem of his shirt, trying to remove it. Suddenly, she remembered what she was doing and stopped.

"G-Gaara-sama…" she panted out.

He looked a bit confused, almost hurt. "Yes?"

"W-what are we doing?..."

"I see…" he pushed himself off of her, looking away, ashamed.

"No…Gaara-sama, I didn't mean that," she put a hand on his shoulder. "I would love to, but…I can't get pregnant and get kicked out of college…my father would kill me…almost literally I believe…"

He looked over at her.
"I said you were, almost, childish, Kichigai…but that is a very mature decision," he took her face in his hands. "I'm lucky to have somebody like you in my life. In the least. But to be loved by someone like you…"

"I'll love you forever, Gaara-sama."

"Remember you said you'd do anything for me?"

"Of course."

"Don't ever leave me…okay?"

Kichigai wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek softly.

"Never."