((11 reviews! I think this is a record... and if not, please don't burst my happy bubble. Unless you've had like a hectic day... then burst away! :3))
Sei Ai:
Update soon please doing the Hamster Dance
(runs screaming hamsters are fluffy balls of pure evil! lol anyway, thanks for the review!))
VampireGaaraCheesepuffs:
Jeez! Chikage is persisstent! .
(lol I know. I made her that way... she had to get over her shyness some way... why not make it full blown? But just wait until Gaara accepts it... IF he accepts it)
Lol,
Not to be critizing or nothin:
BUT WHAT GUY SAYS "BE HIS MIRACLE"?!
If you know one:
PLEASE SHOW HIM TO ME
(sorry... but I liked to kinda flip words around. I am the queen of sappy speeches! and I'd have to say... a guy who is actually cornered. it was either say something cheesy or go home and admit to Temari that he failed and Gaara's stuck as a homicidal psycho with no compassion for the rest of his life. what would you do? I don't mind the critique so long as it's not someone bitchin' me out about what I put in my stories... a couple of mine involve rape and I got yelled at because of it. so I took a chapter as an authors note to address the entire whole of people who didn't like me putting it in there. btw, VampireGaaraCheesepuffs did a review for 16 and 17... but the first review on here is for chapter 17.)
xXTwilight-KunoichiXx:
i loved this part:
"I made that mistake twice already." Her eyes flickered softly. "Don't tell
me to make it again."
"I'll make you cry."
"They'll be tears of joy."
"I'll hurt you."
"My life-blood is yours to spill."
"I'll kill you."
"I'll die happy."
Great short chappie I loved it I've been thinking about making a GaaraxOOC
fan fic but ya see i only make one-shots because i know i'll never be allowed
to write long sotries freely and update so i make one-shots because its easier
to sneak in lol long story anyways GREAT CHAPPIE I LOVE IT!
-Ja ne, xXTwilight-KunoichiXx
(I know what you mean... I'm glad you like that part. I wanted a little bit of... poetic conflict into my fic so... that's where that came from. as for one-shots, I don't see anything wrong with that. I myself have to sneak one in my arsenal of stories since in my Bloody Acquaintance story, I forgot to toss in that bag of fun... anyway, you should totally make a Gaaraxoc fanfic! then you tell me when you get it put up and I'll read and review it!)
Gaara-frenzy:
aww. i love the confrentation. not many words but lots of meaning to it. XD
yay this chapters awesome cant wait for the next.
(chapter 17's review. that's how I like my chapters... meaningful. I tried to make it longer... but I'm just happy that I didn't delete it on accident while trying to save it.))
is it just me or are the chapters getting shorter!? haha i love to laugh
at konkuro even if its a serious moment. XD im gonna check more oftain to see
if you update because it makes me feel special when you put the reveiws in the
chapters. XD update soon with more gaara and chikage goodness.XD wow im
putting in too many smileys. oh well yay good chapter with scary warehouses
that are about to colapse... ahaha set them on fire XD
(this review was for chapter 16... thankies for two reviews, Gaara-frenzy! lol and smileys are welcome any time! as for the shortness... yeah, probably. I write these on wordpad so I don't have a page counter... I try to get them as long as I can.)
if konkuro calls gaara emo i will slit his throat! sasuke is the emo one!
haha raccoon mafia gotta love it.
(yes... Sasuke is emo... Gaara is psycho... at least right now. but he's hot, so who cares? lol this review was for chapter 15... which makes 3 reviews... is waiting for the fourth from Gaara-frenzy)
aww poor temari. gaara is closing up again oh no!!
(here's chapter 14's review! and that makes four!)
i think gaaras afraid of love. poor chikage... again. well i hope he doesn't
kill her. i love the little added sentence. And lived. it fits so well.
Raccoons!!XD they should swarm gaara for being so... daft. of to read the next
chap.
(chapter 13's review! let's see... that's... 5 reviews so far!)
thanks for putting up the reveiws it makes me feel apretiated but your the
one that deserves it. XD. poor chikage shes really on a emotional rollercoster
isnt she. well off to read the next chapter. XD
(And here's chapter 12 for an even six reviews from Gaara-frenzy!)
Kinalupi:
pfft you deleated it XD hahahah and..NEW RECORD!! WO funny and heart warming
chapter..AND YAY BROWNIES !! squeels :3
(I'm glad you're laughing about my mistake... I did the same thing after I stopped crying. I just looked at the screen for a second before shouting, "NOOOOOOOOO!!" then I wondered if there was a support group that I could go to to get me through it... but there wasn't... at least not that I could find)
((Okay... so last time... Chikage was actually showing some balls and standing up to a very unstable Gaara. Now, I'm sure that we all know that I'm too sappy to actually have Gaara kill the only one who loves him, right? ... I didn't hear you all say right... darn... VampireGaaraCheesepuff, I think they think I'm as coldhearted as you. :P we'll see... no, he won't kill her but I'll be darned if I'm gonna make it one happy ending during this next chapter.))
Chapter 18: Delusions
Gaara couldn't believe his ears. At first, he tried to make himself believe that she'd said something completely different... but what? Olive juice? He couldn't imagine a scenario in which she would use that line. When it began to sink in... the sand came out and wrapped itself around her. His right hand held his head tightly as he struggled to gain control of his rolling emotions. "You don't know what you're saying... you don't know what love is, Chikage... and neither do I..." he choked out as he looked at her from his left eyes.
Tears streamed down her face. "Don't tell me that, Gaara-san. I know how to like someone... love is just an emotion that's an even stronger form of like. You've never experienced liking someone?" she said. Her voice was shaking as much as her body. But somehow, her words came out clear as a bell.
"Why are you doing this, you stupid little girl!? Why are you tormenting me this way?! Do you find my pain FUNNY?! Well? DO YOU?!" Gaara was losing control. Chikage was shaking because of the emotion of anxiety. It wasn't from fear of him. But how was he supposed to handle someone who wasn't scared of him? He didn't know, this had never happened before. "The greyness is coming back... " he said, holding back a whimper of hurt.
Chikage shook her head. "You are the one tormenting... yourself, Gaara-san. I love you... and I don't want to hurt you. I want you to understand that I've always loved you! And I don't CARE if you DON'T love me!"
"Why? Why do you love me!? How can you say those things so lightly?! Why can't you help me understand?!"
"What?"
"I don't know why you'd love something like me... it hurts not knowing. I can't understand you, you're confusing me, Chikage! And I hate it... I hate it so much, I could die..." Gaara's words softened and his panic subsided to the grief that stood still in his heart. Tears that threatened to leak out stayed put. A slight tremble of his lips was all that showed his feelings. "I'm so tired of not knowing..."
"Let me tell you... let me help you..." Chikage's words said soothingly.
"I don't need your help! Just tell me!" he snapped.
The purple-eyed girl looked into his eyes. Her free hand reached out and wiped away a still tear. "Don't cry... I'll tell you... I want to show you but you have to put me down."
Gaara nodded and put her down onto the ground. He glared down at her from his balcony. "Come inside and take a shower. Temari will give you some sleeping clothes. You stink and I don't want you showing me anything smelling the way you do..."
Chikage nodded. "Thank yo--"
"Hurry up." Then he disappeared inside his room to get his head together.
The girl giggled softly at his impatient nature before entering the house to be greeted by Temari. "Hello, Temari-san..."
"Chi! Thank God Kankuro found you! Gaara--!"
"I know... I need a shower before I go to see him..."
Temari scrunched her nose in disgust. "You're telling me... do I even WANT to know what you've been rolling in?"
"... probably not," she said after thinking about it.
Sighing, the blond refused to touch the reddish-brown haired girl and motioned her to follow her. "Okay... here's the bathroom. I'll go get you a night shirt."
"Night shirt?"
"I ran out of pajama bottoms, okay? You'll have to make due..." Temari muttered with a shrug. "Be back in a bit."
Chikage nodded at her turned back before entering the bathroom and admiring the cherry-stained mahogany wood and soft sand decorum of the bathroom. It was so warm and inviting... she was sure that this was perhaps Gaara's favorite place to forget about the harshness of the outside world. 'Then again... you probably want your bathroom to be this way so you can actually go without any feelings of just ending life right there on the pot...' she thought as she stripped out of her ragged clothing.
Turning on the water, she looked behind her to see Temari's hand sticking out of the door, holding a night shirt and a pair of underwear. "Here... this was all I could find. I really should do some laundry..."
Taking the clothes, she replied, "Thank you so much, Temari-san. I'll wash up carefully as to not get this scent or dirt onto your clothes."
"Don't worry about it. Just help Gaara, okay?"
"I'll try my best." As soon as Temari had closed the door, Chikage went to the tub and shut off the water. She climbed in and began to wash her body. After a few moments of humming, she began to sing...
"Why must you cry...?
Why must you push yourself?
Please don't die...
I still need you to live..."
She continued her soft song, little did she know that Gaara was hanging just outside the door, listening to every melodious word. He couldn't help but wonder if she was maybe singing about him. And though he was loath to admit it... wondering along those selfish lines made him feel special.
Chikage flooded her body with the slowly browning water, her mind becoming foggy. "Gaara... you are so very much loved..." she said aloud dizzily.
And those words made him knock on the door. He had to know now. She called for whoever it was to enter and opened the door to see half of Chikage's body hanging over the side of the bathtub. Steam fogged up the most important parts, much to his dissatisfaction. "What are you doing? Why did you make the water so hot?" he asked dully.
She smiled at him goofily. "I didn't mean to... it wasn't noticable until just now... Gaara-san... I wanna show you..."
"What?" Gaara asked, hoping that his ears deceived him.
"Please let me love you..."
"WHAT?!" Now he KNEW this was too good to be true. "You don't know what you're saying... get out of that tub right now!"
"But Gaara-san... I want to love you..."
"GET OUT NOW!! TEMARI!!"
The blond ninja ran to the bathroom to find Gaara next to the tub that held a naked, heat-strikken girl. "Gaara... why are you... I mean... you know she's naked right? You weren't trying to do anything... right?" She struggled against her urge to smack Gaara and get herself killed. She didn't yell, either, which was really starting to put the strain on her. If it was Kankuro... he would have been dead on the floor by then.
"Get her out of there. She had the water too hot and she's trying to tell me that she wants to sleep with me..." he muttered, pushing past his sister. "When she's in her right mind, send her to my room."
"Why?" Temari asked suspiciously.
Gaara didn't look at her as he said, "She's going to tell me why she loves me... and she said she wanted to show me."
"Show you what?!" Temari asked again, raising her voice. But Gaara didn't reply... because he didn't want to admit to her or anyone that he didn't know.
((Okay... end of Chapter 18... that was intense... Gaara almost cried there but since he can't cry consciously... since he won't let himself... he didn't. Yes, he's confused as all Hell and I'm sure he probably wouldn't have admitted it that way in the actual anime... but who cares? He knows he's confused and the only way he's gonna get any answers is from Chikage. That's probably one of two reasons that he hasn't killed her... review chapter 18 please and I'll hand out chapter 19))