Temari got up and got dressed as normal, her massive fan in hand and walked over to the sofa where Kankuro was sleeping with his legs and arms spread out and drool seeping from his mouth. Temari shook her head then whacked her brother on the head.

"Baka, wake up!"

"Kuso! What the hell was that for? Why are you hitting me so damn early?"

"We have to help Gaara with his love problem."

"But so early?"

"The earlier we start the earlier we go back to bed. Now shut up and get ready or your gunna have another lump on your big head."

Kankuro mumbled under his breath as he applied his face paint and pulled on his suit with his puppet on his back. Temari rapped gently on Gaara's door only for it to creak open eerily and Gaara's face to mysteriously and creepily appear out of the shadows.

"AHH! I mean...Morning! Shall we start the love lessons?"

"Why so early? The sun hasn't even risen."

"EXACTLY!"

"Shut up baka! Alright, granted it is early but the earlier we get this done the earlier your secret crush will be yours."

She placed her finger to her cheek, winked at him and stuck out her tongue. Gaara pressed his hand to her face and pushed her away.

"Your face disgusts me. If we leave who will watch Hinata?"

"I VOLUNTEER!"

"Oh no you don't! You're NOT getting out of this. Hinata is a big girl she will be alright for a few hours."

"Hours? What if she runs away?"

"I don't think she will."

"Hell, I would."

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING KANKURO!"

"Well if we come back and she's not here…it's your head Temari."

Kankuro was doubled over in laughter. Her idea was sure to backfire on her and it was hilarious.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you. This is as much your idea as hers. My threat about the sand still holds true. They say once sand gets up in somewhere it's very, very hard to remove. I'd remember that next time you think something I say is funny, Kankuro."

Kankuro stopped laughing and looked at Temari who looked worried. She left a note next to the bed so when Hinata woke up she would see it. Hopefully Hinata would not run away. Hopefully. They both walked on either side of their brother and prayed for the best but somehow, they knew it would be the worst.

"Well, Temari, aren't you going to 'instruct' me?"

"Oh yeah! Well I am the lady of love, it's my specialty. I'll teach you all that I know."

"Well this will be a short lesson seeing as you don't know the first thing about romance."

"I do so! I'll have you know I wrote a short romantic poem and it won first place."

"Oh yeah, roses are red violets are blue WHOOPTY FRIGGEN DO! If you want love advice you should listen to the puppet master."

"That's right listen to the guy that wears nail polish, makeup and plays with dolls because he SURELY gets tons of dates in that getup!"

"It's not makeup it's face paint! They are not dolls they are puppets and lots of guys paint their nails."

"Yes of course, royal purple is so masculine."

"It's deep violet!"

"I stand corrected. Forgive me. As you can tell, I'm the better expert in the ways of romance."

Kankuro sneezed repeatedly and very obnoxiously loud.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm so sorry…it's just…I'm deathly allergic to bullshit."

"BAKA! You think you're soooo hot. Well let me tell you the only thing you spread is butter on bread and the only time you will ever use the word laid is when 'you laid down.' SO SHUT UP!"

Kankuro bit his lip in aggravation. Even if it was true he thought it was none of her damn business. He was very close to knocking her out but Temari had a huge fan and was quick with it. Temari grinned wide with her new gained victory.

"Now, do we know what Hinata likes?"

"No."

"Okay then. Well most girls like gifts. Teddy bears, chocolates, and flowers are best. Of course jewelry is also good too but maybe wait till the relationship gets deeper to buy the big stuff. Hinata is sensitive, shy and sweet so why not give her a teddy bear? Or maybe she'd prefer a flower but we don't know her favorite kind or color. Well maybe a romantic poem for starters."

"Ugh here we go."

"Shut up, baka! Now what do you like most about her?"

"Her blood."

"Come again? I thought you said her…blood."

"I did."

"Gaara that's not very…pleasant, shall we say. What about her face? You think it's pretty?"

"As far as female faces go, I suppose she holds some…beauty. I don't really know what is beautiful but sometimes when she sleeps..."

"Go on."

"Nothing it's stupid."

"Nothing is stupid when love is involved! Spill it!"

"Erg…she looks…like that sleeping princess."

"Aww how sweet! I'll help you write the best little love poem in the world and we'll tape it to a teddy bear. KAWAII!"

"Oh brother. I'm gonna love hearing this. What's your sonnet, oh lady of love? Or should I say sister of stupidity?"

"Just you wait and hear. Once you hear my genius you will bow down."

"Why don't I try?"

"YOU!? Your pee brain would short out with all that thinking."

"Heh watch me. YOU'RE the one who is going to bow down."

"Tch. We'll see. Go ahead and embarrass yourself. I need a good laugh."

"Alright. Listen up Gaara, this one is good. My hair is red, yours is kinda blue and all I wanna do is get with you."

Gaara blinked at him, if he had it in himself to laugh he would but all he did was glare. Temari, however, was laughing her pigtails off.

"HAHA! Oh my god Kankuro! HAHAH! That…was…so…lame! No wonder you don't have a girlfriend! HAHAHAH! I mean really? HAHA! You call THAT romantic?"

Temari wiped her eyes as she gained control of her laughter, a smile still present on her face.

"Oh Kankuro, you simple fool. Now, listen to mine Gaara. You are the princess in the stories I hear, perfectly beautiful in every way. Your lilac eyes are like the moon and your rosy cheeks give you a youthful appeal. I love being near you, it makes my dark heart fill with sunshine. Please accept this as a step forward in our friendship and forgive my acts. Love, Gaara."

Kankuro's mouth dropped. What a shock! His sister who usually wasn't very romantic or lovely dovey or even thought true love existed just made a beautiful poem and it seemed like she indeed was the lady of love. Was his sister secretly more passionate than she usually let on and activated it in this emergency? She evens surprised herself. Since when did she become the lady of love? What was wrong with her?! Maybe it was just her touchy feely season…or want to see her brother be happy with a girl, a thing she thought would never happen.

"It's…good. Not what I would write, but good."

"Yeah thanks, I'm pretty awesome. Hey Kankuro, you were right."

"Huh? I…I was?"

"Yeah I am gunna bow down….bow down so you can kiss my ass cause I WON! That's right, who's the man? I'm the man!"

"You sure do look like a man."

"BAKA!"

She sent him flying into a building with her fan, a crunching noise echoed off the walls. Temari wiped her hands off and grinned with pride. Temari and Gaara picked out a teddy bear that Temari thought would be pretty cute. Temari honestly didn't know what was wrong with her. A few days ago she was convinced love didn't exist and now look at her, picking out teddy bears and writing lovey dovey poems. Love was nonsense really she thought that she was only doing this to get her brother out of her hair and his hands off her throat. Love was a waste of time, it was such a drag. Kankuro finally got up, beyond pissed and ready to strike back, and they all walked home to get everything set up. Thankfully Hinata was still there, she was sitting on the couch eating some delicious looking food. She looked up and smiled softly.

"K-k-konichiwa! I h-hope y-you don't mind, I w-was hungry."

"No no it's fine, help yourself," Kankuro stated.

The three siblings snuck into Gaara's room and placed the little pink and purple bunny rabbit with a huge white bow and tiny blue eyes on the bed and pinned the poem that Temari made and Gaara wrote onto it. The siblings snuck back out and departed into separate corners.

"Now we wait," Temari had whispered to Gaara before they dispersed.

Hinata put away her plate and washed it, which, according to Kankuro, she didn't need to do. Hinata looked at Gaara.

"G-Gaara are w-we going to train?"

"Hmm. Go get ready."

"HAI!"

She walked into the bedroom, the sand siblings all watched Hinata through the crack of the door. She was getting her clothes that Temari had recently washed then as she spread them out on the bed she noticed the bunny.

'Huh? When did this get here? I know it's not Gaara's…or Temari's or Kankuro's.'

She moved in closer to the object and saw a folded note that said "To Hinata". Hinata's face turned fuchsia as her eyes crossed every line and word.

'KAHYAH! Gaara wrote this? But…'

She reread the note and looked up, her face turning redder and her heart beating wild in her chest. She pressed the note to her chest that was the cage to her drumming heartbeat that was escalading higher and higher.

'Does he…really feel like this? No boy has ever done this…but…Naruto-kun…'

'He will never like you! Don't you understand that? You're too weak, you're not his type. Move on,' yelled the inner Hinata.

'But…what if he will love me…? I can never give up! I won't!'

'You are stubborn! But still…It seems Gaara likes you. He might be the only one who will…you might have to live with second best.'

'Second best? Is Gaara really all I can get? Does he really care about me or is this some sick joke? Do I REALLY consider him second best?'

She looked at the bunny and felt its soft fluff gently tickling her fingertips and felt the satin bow's smoothness and cold, blue, glass eyes and found herself smiling with glowing cheeks. The poem was sweet and romantic and the bunny was so cute! It was a nice gift and Hinata hadn't really gotten a gift like this before. She started turning toward the door to find Gaara. The sand siblings dispersed quickly into their areas. Hinata found Gaara leaning up against the wall, arms crossed and looking outside. He was very stoic and yet also menacing. She tapped him on his shoulder feeling nervous and oh so shy. Her face looked like a tomato.

"G-g-g-Gaara? D-d-d-d-id you g-g-et me t-this?"

"Hmmhm."

"D-d-did you write t-t-his too?"

"Hmmhm."

"T-t-thank you f-f-or the b-bunny, she's kawaii! I-It's sweet of y-you."

"Don't mention it…really, just don't."

Hinata threw her arms around Gaara and hugged him tight. Although her face was burning, tears were stinging her eyes and her body was trembling she felt a sense of accomplishment. She finally hugged a boy! True this boy was just her friend and not Naruto but she had done it! Gaara's eyes became wide as he felt a rush of warmth cover his entire inner and outer person. He looked over at his siblings who were winking and giving him a big thumbs up. Should he hug her back? Would he crush her? He didn't know what would happen as he opened his arms and wrapped them around her.

It was awkward at first, a strange and definitely new sensation and his muscles started clenching but then they relaxed, slowly but surely and he began to truly hug her. She was so warm and small in his arms and fit almost perfectly. This felt wonderful and felt right and the whole world stood still just for this moment as Gaara let his eyes close for a brief moment and a genuine smile, a very hard one to see, almost unnoticeable because it was only at the corner of his lips, but a small genuine happy smile had caressed his usually menacing, anger-filled face for a split second.

Was this…could it be…surely it must be…happiness? The happiness he never had or felt as a child and all throughout his life…was it present now? This feeling inside was making him…dare he say, content. He felt alive and more in place than he ever felt. Yes this was definitely what they have all been saying…that everlasting true joy that Gaara thought didn't exist did in fact exist with Hinata and Hinata only. Soon he felt cold as Hinata was pried away from his arms. He looked at her to see her cuddling the bunny and blushing.

"A-arigato Gaara-san-shii."

He tried to fight it but in the end he gave up and halfway smirked. Letting his joy overcome him from his head to his toes.

"Yeah…whatever."

She ran over to Temari and Kankuro showcasing her new stuffed bunny and of course they acted like they had no part in buying it. He watched as Kankuro grinned wide and winked at Hinata making her blush and look down. Gaara's happiness turned to jealousy. Surely Hinata didn't like…Kankuro? But…looking at her…blushing at acting the way she was…but he was so much older than she! He snarled at Kankuro who placed his hand atop her head and tousled her hair.

He was about to run over there and slash Kankuro in half when his sister smacked his hand away and gestured to Gaara. Kankuro got the memo loud and clear and shoved his hands in his pockets. No touching the Hinata…his Hinata. Hinata walked away to the bedroom and looked out the window then re-read the note. It had been a long time since she smiled this big and she was this happy. Her heart pulsated in her chest and her whole insides felt warm. She was happy again, happier than she had been in a while with Hiashi, Neji and Hanabi. Was her life turning for the better? Even though her friends weren't looking for her she had found some new friends and maybe even a new family. Problem was they really were looking for her, desperately but as long as she thought they weren't and as long as she thought they didn't care she was no better than Gaara was when controlled by the demon, oblivious to what is the truth. So was her life for the better or was Gaara simply making it seem that way?