I. Am. AWESOME.

Why? Because I updated in a week. I think that's gonna be my new goal. Update every single week. More if I can. So, expect the next chapter by next Thursday at the latest.

Anyway, I'm going to admit that this chapter is kind of lame. Not a whole lot of plot, just some character development (if you can even call it that...). The story will really get going in the next chapter, where we start getting into some major drama. I'll try to get it out as soon as possible to make up for this piece of crap.

Now, a big shout out to all of the awesome people who reviewed! Reviews, if you weren't aware, make writers write. Every time I get a review, my heart does a little jump. Reviewing means you've taken the consideration to write down how you feel about a story, even if it's just a couple words. You're letting the writer know that "hey, we're reading this! we care! keep writing!". So, thanks to the following people: Veraozao, Angle-of-the-Dragons, el H.H, Goikuchan, XpurplegurlX, ImCutePoison, aryaputra, chellythemadhatter, blackirishhawk, sumo, eleoopy, and Hyuuga09. Also a special shout out to Goikuchan, who corrected me on the spelling of Sabaku. Thanks! Eventually I'll go back to the first chapter and fix it.

Also, if anyone is curious, all of the chapters are song titles and the quotes are from the song. These are usually songs I listen to while I write the chapters. If anyone has a songs they'd like to see me use, let me know and I'll consider it. :)

And finally, as for the food in Suna, I've based the cuisine completely off of the food of Okinawa, Japan. Okinawa Island is different from mainland Japan, and so is it's food. Okinawa is typically the hottest part of Japan and has an average year-round temperature of about seventy three degrees. I wanted Suna to be like Japan, but since it's a desert I tried to pair it up with the hottest part of Japan. Also, I used to live there, which makes it cooler! :D

That's enough out of me.

Enjoy!

Like the Angel

"Like the angel you are, you laugh

Creating a lightness in my chest

Your eyes they penetrate me

Never cease to amaze me."

- Rise Against

The meat has an interesting, bitter taste, and Hinata finds that she loves Suna's cuisine. "What is this called?" Hinata asks him before placing another piece in her mouth.

"That is Rokuro-san's signature goya chanpuru dish. Dishes containing goya are popular in Suna, as it is said that the bitterness helps the body combat Suna's heat. Our farmers grow goya in mass quantities as it becomes extremely popular during the spring and summer seasons."

It sounds a bit rehearsed, and Hinata realizes that he probably has all kinds of information about his village memorized. He is the Kazekage after all.

"Do you like it?" His question snaps her out of her thoughts, and she nods quickly. "It is bitter, but in a good way. It's very different from the pork dishes in Konoha."

Some unnamed emotion crosses over the Kazekage's face, and Hinata wonders if she's said the wrong thing. Her heart begins to pound. Oh kami, she can't have screwed this up already, could she?

"I…I am very glad you enjoy it. Most Konoha shinobi dislike our food." He says slowly, choosing his words carefully. He strikes her as someone who speaks his mind, and it's curious that he seems cautious around her. Perhaps it's because she's a stranger?

But his words make Hinata laugh, even if it is a laugh nearly as bitter as the goya in her stir-fry. "I am not most Konoha shinobi."

Gaara mumbles something under his breath and Hinata's eyebrows furrow together. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you."

One of his eyes twitches. "Just talking to myself, Hinata-san." His eyes fall on the empty plate in front of her, and she feels embarrassed by how much she ate. She can feel her face heating up.

"They are small servings, Hinata-san. Do not be embarrassed - you are a shinobi and…and I would not worry about your figure if I were you."

"I-I…"

Suddenly the Kazekage's face is almost as red as the kanji etched onto his forehead. "I apologize if that came out as an insult, Hinata-san. I only meant - ah, perhaps now would be a good time to take you to where you will be staying until your apartment is finished." He quickly stands up with an unusual cat-like grace and glides out of the restaurant.

Without another word, Hinata rises and follows him out of the restaurant, giving the host a cautious smile as they exit.

They walk in stiff silence. Hinata bites her lip, wondering if she should speak. It's her fault he feels uncomfortable now – he thinks she was offended by his comment, which she wasn't. Her two best friends are boys, after all, and she's well aware that she's rather….gifted in the chest area, as Kurenai once put it. But this is the Kazekage and not her pseudo-brothers, so she needs to fix this.

"Ano…" She begins awkwardly, trying to break the silence. "Where shall I be staying?"

"You will stay in my home. I share with both of my siblings. I am sure Temari will be excited to have you staying close, if only for a short time."

She wants to protest, but she can tell from his tone that it would be useless. "Thank you for your generosity, Gaara." She says softly. "This is extremely kind of you."

The Kazekage responds with a grunt and then turns suddenly through an alleyway, disappearing into the shadows and reappearing suddenly when the sunlight finds its way to the ground.

She picks up the pace so that she can stay a step or two behind him, as to not invade his personal space. He doesn't glance back at her like Kiba or Shino might, instead expecting her to keep up.

The architecture of Suna is ruggedly beautiful, incredibly unique compared to the plainness of the structures in Konoha, which are usually wooden with haphazardly painted accents in primary colors. But Suna's buildings look like they've all been carved out of the desert itself. They are painted in shades of sandy yellows, rusty reds, and earthy sienna browns. Details are carved into the sides of the buildings, desert flowers and intricate tile like designs. Some have flat roofs, some have tiled, some have rounded roofs that she imagines look beautiful from the inside.

The sun begins to beat down harder on them and Hinata lifts her chin up to let the sun's rays caress her face.

"We are here, Hinata-san."

Hinata jerks her face back down and wonders how close her blush is to the color of Gaara's hair. Then she lets out a gasp.

The Kazekage's home is carved right out of the canyon the village sits in. It is large, rising several stories in the air and spanning the length of the Hyuuga compound back in Konoha. The first thing she sees is the porch, which Gaara leads her onto through one of three arches that supports the balcony above them. The sapphire blue tiles on the ground distract her momentarily with their shine, though she tears her eyes away to admire the detailing on the border surrounding the glass door.

"OI! HINATA-CHAN!"

"Wha-OOF!"

A black blur launches itself at her and wraps her up in a suffocating bear hug. Someone's fists starts messing up her hair and a deep voice shouts "NOOGIE TIME!"

Hinata closes one eye to keep the hair out and laughs while trying to push the make-up wearing ninja away. "Kankuro, stop!" She says between laughs. "You're messing up my hair!"

Gaara is startled by his older brother's familiar attitude toward Hinata.

"Kankuro!" She protests again and finally succeeds in pushing him off of her. Her lips stick out in a pout while she tries to smooth down her hair. "You're such a bully!"

Kankuro snickers, and Gaara cocks one eyebrow. "I did not realize you were close with my brother, Hinata-san."

Annnnnd here comes the blush again.

"A-ano, Shino-kun, my teammate, he and Kankuro are very good friends…" She trails off for a moment, biting her bottom lip. "When Kankuro comes to Konoha he usually spends time with my team."

Now Gaara raises his eyebrow in Kankuro's direction. But his brother, sadly, is not nearly as flustered by his Eyebrow Raise of Doom™ as he once was and just snorts.

"Don't gimme that look, I mentioned her to you! Remember, after I came back from Konoha like three months ago? Shino-teme was leaving for that ambassador thing, I was talking to you about the party we had…"

He dimly recalls Kankuro mentioning a party and a woman with 'huge knockers'.

"Ah."

Kankuro rolls his eyes and turns back to Hinata, who is fidgeting with her fingers by the doorway. "Come on in Hina, I just started watching Terror of the Sands. And no, it's not about my brother. It's about this group of civilians that stumble on this cave outside of Suna, right? And then…" Kankuro grabs Hinata's hand and drags her inside, his ramblings becoming fainter.

Gaara lets out a deep sigh. His older brother is quite possibly the biggest pain in the ass in the entire Shinobi universe, and that includes both Sai and Naruto. Then he follows them into the house and slams the door behind him.

Kankuro's obnoxious voice carries throughout the house, but so do Hinata's light giggles and the sound is oddly pleasing.

"Make some popcorn and come watch with us, Panda-chan!" Kankuro calls from the living room.

Gaara freezes while taking off his sandals.

Kankuro did not just call him Panda-chan.

He stalks off towards the couch and his sand begins to swirl around him.

Fifteen minutes later, Gaara has calmed down some and Kankuro has headed to the hospital as he thinks Gaara broke his leg, and Hinata and the Kazekage are on their own.

"I apologize for the disruption, Hinata-san. Kankuro tends to push my limited self-control."

Gaara hasn't stopped apologizing since Kankuro left, and it's actually kind of annoying at this point.

"It's fine, Gaara. Kankuro has tested my own patience one or twice before." She flashes back to a drunk Kankuro trying to feel her up and she can't help the giggle that escapes her lips.

"Oh?" Gaara's left eye rises, and Hinata imagines his eyebrow would be raised if he had one.

"Kiba got him drunk," She explains. "He didn't hold his alcohol well and….well, I ended up knocking him out."

Gaara smirks and a shiver goes down her spine. The Kazekage is really good looking, and she blushes when the thought of him without a shirt on runs through her head.

She quickly tries to change the subject so that he won't ask the reason for her flushed cheeks. "Ah, where shall I be sleeping?"

The Kazekage blinks slowly, as if he's trying to remember what she's talking about. Then a panicked look crosses his face and she giggles again.

"I apologize. I should've shown you right away; you must be tired from your journey. Please, follow me."

He quickly rises from his seat and then glides across the tiled floor of the living room and then through an archway that leads to a hallway.

"As this is the Kazekage's home, there are many bedrooms. Past Kazekages would allow important guests to lodge on the second floor, and his own family would live on the third floor. All of the common rooms are on the first floor, including a large library. Please feel free to use any of the rooms, though I would be wary when entering the third room on the right on the second floor. Kankuro has turned it into a workshop and I am worried the fumes coming from that room could be used as a poisonous gas." He says dryly.

Hinata laughs, throwing her head back. She's always thought Gaara to be a solemn and serious man, but she's finding that he has an excellent sense of humor. She hasn't laughed much in the last year and it's nice.

Gaara responds with a small smile. "There are a few empty bedrooms on the third floor. Temari will be home in the next day or two, and I imagine she will be happy to have your close to her. I have put you in the room next to hers."

And that's another surprising (and nice) thing she's discovered about the red-haired man beside her: he is incredibly considerate. "Thank you, Gaara. That is very kind of you."

"You are very welcome. Did you already have your things sent here?"

Hinata frowns. If he didn't know she'd be coming, what has happened to her things? She doesn't have much in her pack, and many of the things in her luggage had sentimental value. "Yes."

"I will find out what has happened to them at once. In the meantime, please make yourself at home. I should be back shortly."

Then he stops in front of a door and tugs a key out from a hidden pocket among the folds of his robes. He unlocks the door and holds it open. "Let me know if anything is wrong with the room. There is an adjoining bathroom and there are towels in the closet."

"I'm sure the room is perfect. Thank you so much for everything."

The Kazekage smiles again and then he is gone.

Hinata turns and looks around the room for the first time. The Kazekage (or his decorators) have very good taste. Unlike the traditional look of rooms in the Hyuuga compound or the modern style of her sensei's apartment, this room is warm and has a sort of airy quality. The walls are painted a soft, sunny yellow, and the reddish-brown bedding reminds her of the clay used to build some of the Suna homes. The bed looks incredibly inviting, but it's probably a better idea to shower first.

Still…

"Just a short nap." She tells herself, removing her shoes and jacket before she flops gracelessly onto the bed. "Just a few minutes…"

She is asleep in a matter of seconds.

It doesn't take long for Gaara to find the girl's lost luggage. It's been stored in the basement of the Kazekage Tower, so he gives an order for it to be taken to his home.

He spends the next hour or so looking over the budget for the Academy. He'll have to make some slight adjustments, but there'll be enough money for the extra orphans that will be attending. That reminds him of the law that he needs to get rid of, and he draws up the paperwork for that as well. He'll have it officially announced in the morning that any child can attend the Academy, regardless of age.

All of the paperwork concerning the law and the Academy gets him thinking about the pretty pale-eyed girl who is currently waiting in his home. He sees why Temari wanted her to come to Suna so badly. He's only known her for a day, but she's incredibly easy to like. The way she treated Kiyomi and Takao…he wishes he had known someone like her when he'd been a child. She's going to be a great teacher.

Well, that's enough of that. It's getting late and he should probably head home at this point. He wonders if she's hungry. He knows how to cook a few things, but not very well. Maybe he should pick something up. She liked the meal from earlier, so maybe something from the same restaurant…yes, that will do.

He presses the buzzer under his desks and summons his assistant, who appears in the doorway as if by magic. "Yes, Gaara-sama?"

He doesn't look up from his work to place his order. "Please have dinner delivered from Rokuro's BBQ to my home. Make it for three."

"Any preference?"

"No."

Then the girl is gone once more. He doesn't actually remember her name; she's only been working for about a week since Baki has been on a mission. But she usually just makes herself scarce and comes when called, so it works for him. He's never liked having an assistant anyway.

Leaning back in his chair, he folds his hands behind his head and shuts his eyes for a moment, letting his mind settle. The budget has been checked. The paperwork to annul the law is finished. Dinner has been ordered. The stack of missions is finished for his assistant to give out. He found the teacher's luggage. All in all, a productive evening.

Home, then.

Gaara hates walking through the roads in the evening. Most people are outside, enjoying the beauty of a sunset in Suna and the cool weather. People often stop him to talk, whether about politics or events coming up or even just the weather. But he's exhausted and just wants to go home and eat his dinner and maybe talk with Hinata and maybe watch a movie and probably try to sleep, even though that's unlikely.

So instead of taking the roads, he jumps from roof to roof, relishing in the feeling of the cool wind brushing against his face and through his hair. It doesn't take him long to reach his home, and he heads straight to his room to change out of his robes and into a pair of loose black drawstring pants and a red t-shirt. He'd never dress like this in public, but at home, at night, he tried to let go of the stresses of being Kazekage in the same way his shed his robes.

He pads down the staircase to the kitchen in bare feet and finds that his assistant has delivered the food as promised. He searches through the bags and removes a jug of jasmine tea and several containers of soki soba, one of his favorite dishes during the summer. He finds that Hinata's luggage has also been delivered and waits by the front door.

And speaking of Hinata…

Where is the dark haired girl? She isn't in the living room or the kitchen or the library or any of the either common rooms, which leaves her bedroom. Gaara sighs heavily. He'll have to go get her, then.

The door to her room isn't even closed all the way, and for a moment he worries that something has happened to her. There'll be hell to pay if he lost his new teacher on the first day.

He pushes lightly on the door and it swings open.

And then he has to fight to not gasp.

She's asleep on the massive bed, curled up in a fetal position. Her long hair is spread out over the bed, the dark indigo locks standing out in stark contrast against the red bedding. It looks like she just completely passed out as soon as he left. He feels a little guilty for keeping her out when she should've been sleeping. He knows from experience that the journey from Konoha to Suna is an exhausting one, but still...

He has a feeling that this is sort of what angels look like.

Apparently she senses his chakra even in sleep, because her eyes shoot open the moment he steps into the room. She blinks several times and frowns, like she doesn't know where she is. Then her eyes lighten up with understanding, and she sits up, stretching her arms above her head. A moment later she looks up and sees the reason she woke up in the first place.

"O-oh!" Her face immediately flushes pink, the color of the Suna sky at dusk. "Gaara, I'm so sorry, I fell asleep and –"

He cuts her off as soon as she starts trying to apologize for her actions. "It is fine, Hinata-san. You were exhausted from your journey. I should've taken you home straight away."

Her mouth opens as if she wants to protest, but she thinks better of it and bites her lip before nodding. Then she glances at the window and the setting sun beyond the glass. "Ano, what time is it?"

"About seven, I believe. I've ordered dinner, if you are hungry."

She nods again quickly, her head bobbing up and down. "Mmm. Do you mind if I shower first?"

"Of course not." He turns to leave. "Also, your luggage is downstairs. It was delivered to the tower."

"Ah, thank you, Gaara!" She gives him a huge smile, and he can't help but smile back. Then she's on her feet, heading toward the bathroom. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

Good.

He'll need those minutes to compose himself.

fin.

Please review!

~ dreameratheart