First and foremost, I'm sorry for not updating in a long time… I've been so busy with school work, really feeling the pressure… ö Hope you guys are not mad at me. I'm able to update now cause we don't have school today… I think next next week we also have a day that we won't go to school, so I'll update on that time also.. :)

Here are two long chapters for you guys, hope you'll forgive me and hope you'll like it. :)

SHOUTOUTS: sweetxsmiley: thanks for the review, tsukirellahime: thanks for putting me in your fave story list :), XiaBubbleQueen: thanks for the awesome review, Lela Rye: thanks for that, and thanks for the review also, to ShadowWolf24: thanks for the review, and lastly, to Natalie101: hi! thanks for putting me in your story alert and author alert lists. thanks for the review as well, sorry for the wait :)

After all of them had eaten, Temari pulled Reiyka aside. "I've been meaning to give you this!" She thrust a medium-sized white box with a light pink ribbon to her.

"Oh!" Reiyka blushed. "Thank you Temari, you shouldn't have!" She hugged her tightly.

"Nah, it's nothing, really!" she replied with a strange look in her eyes. "Open it!"

"That's the signal," whispered Kankurou to Van. They put down their plastic cups. They nodded at Gaara, who nodded also, looking encouraged. Kankurou and Van quietly stole out of the room.

"Good luck," said Van to Gaara. "You lucky bastard." he said, smiling. Gaara blushed and thanked him silently.

"Temari," said Reiyka breathlessly, heedless to Kankurou and Van's exit. "Thank you!" Although it looked like just a simple black long-sleeved dress, it was very sophisticated. The cloth was very soft and silky, the sleeves flowing but not too loose, and the dress had some sort of belt at the waist. Although Reiyka never really liked wearing feminine pieces, she absolutely adored it.

"It's nothing," laughed Temari again, and noticing that only had Gaara had left, started to push Reiyka to the bathroom. "Now wear it!" Excited, Reiyka obeyed. Temari got her old clothes and put them away in her bag. The dress fit Reiyka perfectly (Temari breathed a sigh of relief), and it reached just above her knees.

Suddenly, a piece of cloth was put over Reiyka's eyes. "Temari?" She felt her hands push her outside the bathroom. Now, Reiyka felt confused.

"Shh!" giggled Temari.

Gaara looked at them, and stared at Reiyka. She looks very nice, he thought. The two girls stopped in front of him and then Temari twirled Reiyka around five times. "And now," she said to her. "I entrust you to Gaara. Have fun!"

"W-what? Temari!"

Reiyka heard the door open and close. "Kankurou? Van? Shoot…" She felt like she was dizzy from all the twirling, and feared that she might lose her footing.

Gaara moved closer to her. "Ok, Reiyka." he said softly. He took her by the hand. "Let's go, don't worry about it."

Reiyka felt her cheeks burn red. "Huh? Where? And why am I blindfolded?"

He didn't answer her, just started to lead her somewhere. Reiyka felt queasy after eating a lot of the food that they had served earlier. She lost count of all the steps she took but feeling Gaara's hand on hers reassured her.

"NOW could you tell me where?" she piped up hopefully after ten minutes of walking slowly. To Reiyka, it felt that they had traveled long, but actually, they had walked only a short distance.

"No," he chuckled.

"Couldn't we just teleport or something?"

"It wouldn't be fun now, would it?" He patted her back gently and held her so she wouldn't trip. Now it seemed to Reiyka that they were climbing stairs. She said nothing.

"Now?" said Reiyka, after another ten minutes. Then she heard a door open and a light gust of wind blew on her face. She couldn't feel Gaara's hand anymore. "Gaara?" She took her blindfold off and blinked. She saw Gaara smiling in front of her.

"Well, um, just think of it as an 'advanced happy birthday present'." He said, and stepped aside. Reiyka couldn't believe it.

They were on the rooftop, which had also been decorated with white cloths and glittering baubles that were glowing like fireflies. At the middle was an embroidered blanket with a few pillows. Looking up, the full moon seemed so big on the cloudless night.

Gaara stood with his gourd beside him. Sand gently rose and it carried a small bouquet of wild desert flowers that hovered before Reiyka.

"I… I don't know what to say…" Reiyka now blushed so much that Gaara couldn't help it but laugh a bit. She took the flowers and suddenly put her arms around him. He seemed surprised but did the same. "Thank you," she whispered, afraid to break the attachment that they were in.

Gaara said nothing, feeling very happy indeed. Then they lay down on their backs on the blanket and gazed at the night sky.

"This is the best gift I've ever received." Reiyka said, then looked at Gaara. "I don't want this to end." He turned to her and took her hands and held it to his face, feeling their softness against his skin.

"Me too," he said quietly. "I want you to know, I've never been this happy before."

Reiyka turned her eyes to the sky, not wanting to cry anymore. "Me too…"

"I'll do anything for you." she heard Gaara say softly. Then he pulled her close to him.

It's funny how they don't say the words I love you to each other. They felt it inside their hearts, but the both of them still didn't have the nerve to say it to each other. Nevertheless, they know now that they both feel the same way to each other.

"Hey," whispered Gaara, yawning a bit. "I'll just close my eyes a bit, ok? Wake me up if you need anything."

Reiyka was surprised. "You'd do that? I mean, go to sleep?"

"I know you really want me to." he said, looking at her. Their faces were very close. "I'd do it for you." For me… Reiyka thought. "I'm just scared, Reiyka, of what might happen." Then he told her about the time when he did the forced sleep jutsu, at the Chuunin exams.

Reiyka thanked him for telling her and smiled warmly. "Don't worry. I'm sure that won't happen, now that the Shukaku is not inside you anymore." She placed a hand on his chest to show her point. "You know, my mom had this saying, that if you dream of someone when you fall asleep, then that someone was the last person you thought of before you slept."

"Is that so?" he whispered back, then closed his eyes as Reiyka nodded and caressed his face. The both of them became quiet.

Reiyka knew that he had now fallen asleep, at long last. She smiled and put her ear next to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Thank you, Gaara.

Reiyka woke up, feeling very cold, even in Gaara's embrace. Looking around, she saw that they were still on the rooftop, no wonder. The moon was now obscured by wispy clouds.

She looked at Gaara if he was ok. His face seemed peaceful, his breath even, and a calm smile was on his lips. "Gaara?" she said, shaking him slightly. After several moments, he opened his eyes sleepily. "Hey," she smiled in relief. "Let's go to the room now, it's freezing."

Also smiling, Gaara got his gourd and teleported them back to the room. They made their way silently to the bedroom.

"It worked, I really fell asleep now!" said Gaara said excitedly, feeling awake. Reiyka smiled. "Nothing bad happened."

"That's good." she said, and they both sat on the bed. She covered the both of them with a blanket. "Did you dream of anything?"

"At first, nothing." he said, closing his eyes to remember. "Maybe because I was so tired." Then he opened his eyes and grinned. "And then I dreamt of you."

"Liar." said Reiyka, giggling. Gaara laughed also and held Reiyka in his arms. "I'm proud of you for conquering your fear." She yawned and Gaara as well. They lay down.

Gaara knew that inside the both of them, they worried about what will happen the next day. But he tried to be cheerful. "Thank you." he said.

"It's nothing," she replied sleepily. "Thanks again, for everything…" She held Gaara's hands tightly and fell asleep.