((Okay today, I got one... two... six reviews! awesome response! lol))

LadyAmazon:

woah...The whole shower bit could've warped my perverted little mind. Some
man gaara is! calling his sister! hahaha!
Keep it going i mean it! Cha!

(yay! hey, Gaara is a man... but as perverted as his mind is, he can't bring himself to violate her in the bathtub! he's got WAY too many conflicted emotions! lmfao)

Sei Ai:

Update soon please.
(roger that!)

Kinalupi:

GAH my record was crushed sobs u dident get it till the next chapter .
that sucks...like...REALLY BAD! TT it took me six minits to read and revue
that chapter...oh well enough annoying you... GO CGIKAGE GO WOOT! lol awsum
chapter! :D

(just wait until THIS chapter! huggles don't cry... shit happens. Que sera sera!)

Gaara-frenzy:

yay. you know i really love this story. i'd have to say that its one of the
best i've read. hahahahahaha gaara walked in with her like that i bet he was
blushing inside since he won't let himself show emotion outside. i just find
that thought too funny. can't wait for chap 19. XD

(and thus, my goal is accomplished! it's possible that Gaara gave off a slight blush... but it was like almost invisible and you'd have to stare at him for like an hour just to see it. by then... he's already killed you.)

xXTwilight-KunoichiXx:

Wo Wo WO What the hell was she gonna show him lol jk and btw i did that
recently i put the water really hot but what happened was i nearly blacked out
and i just fell and bruised my arm and chest so yea it hurt like hell but i
lived woo! anyways back to the review it was AWESOME you gotta please please
please update...Like my best friend Daniel would say: Update PLOX

(just as you thought... THAT was what she was gonna show him. total smutness denied! for now... but I'm glad that you're okay... personally, I like my water pretty hot. if it feels too cold to me, I just add more hot water and then I basically boil myself red when I get out. ... what does PLOX mean?? I am so behind on 'net lingo'...)

VampireGaaraCheesepuffs:

EMO GAARA!
In the literal sense, not the fashion .
(Some people forget emo stands for EMOTIONAL rolls eyes)
That's bout as deep as it gets sigh

(that's the only way I can remember emo as... but I still like the idea of Gaara being more psycho than emo. it's smexy... 3 But Gaara would look wonderful in an all black attire... but more gothy than emo... if that makes sense. )

((Okay, well there you have it! Six wonderful reviews for chapter 18! Now... in this next one... I'm thinking about turning it into actual smut. since Gaara IS a living, breathing male. And Chikage's attire will contain ONLY the following items-- a large T-shirt and underwear... both courtesy of Temari. Now tell me... if you were a guy... what would you do? :P))

Chapter 19: Out of the Heat, Into the Cold

Gaara awaited Chikage's entrance into his room. His breath was short and hurried. He had narrowly escaped that bathroom... with his DIGNITY! Yes... Gaara was... aroused! He didn't know how but he sure as HELL knew why!

Once again, Chikage was to blame. It was all her fault. The way she talked, the way she looked, everything about her in that dizzied state amongst the fog of the bathroom. She caused it and he had to control himself! Like Temari WOULDN'T have checked in on her if she took too long. He cursed those checks that she constantly made to his room. Even though he had been free from Shukaku's control for a while now, she still checked up on him to make sure that he wasn't going to go out and destroy the city. His sand attacks remained intact and he could use them to do whatever he wanted.

After about half an hour, Chikage finally entered his room shyly. Her face was seriously flushed and she looked like she was about to appologize for talking like a moron in heat. Which she was very much in heat... just thanks to very hot water. "So? Show me."

The girl looked at him with wide eyes. He couldn't really blame her... but he did. He was a straight forward guy. He got right to the point and didn't like to beat around the bushes.

"U-um... well... w-we don't have to go very far... but may I... um..."

"Spit it out. The nights are shorter..."

"Uh... I want to..."

"Love me. Yes, you said that already. Are you sure you're ready to lose your virginity at such a young age? Especially to someone like me. I won't take responsibility if you get pregnant, you know." This was a lie. Of course he would... but it was a way to scare off the girl and her crazy ideas.

But to his surprise, she blushed wildly and waved her hands around in panic. "Oh God, no! I don't want to... I mean, maybe someday... but only if you wanted to."

"A man always wants to..."

"That's not what I meant! I meant, if you wanted to with me... not just with anybody! Besides... I wasn't going to ask that! I want you to let me hug you!"

Gaara just stood there. His eyes didn't change, didn't blink. His face didn't twitch. He was simply there, staring at her as if she were nothing at all. "What's a hug?"

"Let me show you, please..."

Gaara sighed and nodded. "Fine. But I'll kill you if I don't like it."

He stood there as Chikage approached him, wrapping her arms around his body. Her head rested on his chest and her eyes shut. He wasn't exactly sure what was happening. His body felt sort of weak. His heart pounded like crazy. His sand swirled on his floor lazily. Looking down, he noticed two things. One, she actually looked like she wanted to stay there, pressed against him in this "hug". And two... she wasn't wearing a bra so the chilliness of the room was causing her nipples to harden against his torso.

Gaara looked down at her for a while before sighing again. When she heard it and moved away, his sand activated on its own, forcing her back, this time, into his arms. "Your cold... and you don't have a bra on."

She blushed as she tried to hide her face. Using his sand, he made her look at him. "I didn't know that girl's bodies could harden like men's do... just not in the same place," he whispered cruelly.

Chikage's eyes lowered to look from his eyes to his lips. Gaara didn't understand so when he asked, she said, "I want you to kiss me... press your lips against mine, please..."

((probably the worse place to put a cliffhanger and yes I know... not complete smut but it's got a hint or two. it's a short chapter so I do expect people to send assassins that will threaten me to write longer chapters or else. Will Gaara kiss her? Will he deny her? Will I ever learn? probably not but as for the first two questions, you'll just have to get your answers in chapter 20. review please!))