The Life and Times of the Kazekage's Assistant

Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto. This story is inspired by a novel by Lauren Weisberger. I do own Tsubasa Imamura, any other Ocs in the story, the designer labels and names of the magazines/newspapers, and the plot.

Author's Note:Prepare yourself for a very lengthy, but also very amusing chapter!

Chapter Fourteen: V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

It took me approximately an hour to get cleaned up. I felt bad for taking up so much of Gaara's precious time but I had a hard time removing all the strawberries, sprinkles, and such from my hair. Long hair was definitely difficult to manage especially when sticky substances were in it. I combed through it gently because it was still wet and Tazuna often lectured me on the many don'ts you could do to damage your hair. I didn't bother putting on makeup or anything like that. There was no use. I only slipped on a pair of white shorts and a black long sleeve shirt with the Sand symbol imprinted in silver on the front.

I did, however, give myself a last glance in the mirror. I suppose I was somewhat presentable. I sighed heavily and exited my room. I was standing in front of Gaara's door yet again. The same door I had not so long ago paced in front of, debating whether I should give him a kiss on the forehead (which had turned out to be an avocado kiss… and I'm glad he never brought that moment up). And almost like the last time, Gaara had opened the door just as my hand had lifted to knock. Instead of allowing my hand to linger in a stupid position, I quickly put it back to my side.

"Come in," he said to me as he opened the door further to make room for me. He closed the door behind us and for some reason I began to feel giddy. The thought of me and Gaara being alone in his room was just so… euphoric. "Go ahead and have a seat," he instructed as he gestured over to a table. One of the chairs was already pulled out for me and so that was the chair I chose to sit in. Gaara chose to sit in the seat directly across from me. His silence made me nervous and anxious. He folded his hands neatly under his chin. "How do you feel about what happened this morning?"

How do I feel? "Like shit. I feel mad as hell. I feel pissed. I feel like I want to kill Uzumaki Naruto, Matsuri, and Kanoka… I'd also like to take a whack at your sister," is something I was thinking in my head but of course could never say. I especially couldn't tell Gaara the last part about me wanting to take a sucker punch (or ten) at Temari… not that I'd be a match for her (well maybe…). "Ano… I feel… I don't know." It was lame… but what else could I say?

He gave a short sigh and nodded as if he understood. "Because it's my birthday, the council decided to give me the weekend off with a paid vacation. They're sending me to Suna's Sunny Palms Resort." Paid vacation… and at the Sunny Palms? It was funny that he said that. Everything was already paid for him… and Kankuro, and chiefly Temari. However, vacation did sound lovely. I wish I could go on one. "I'd like you to accompany me… It seems to me that you are overworked and stressed." Well, that's one way of putting it.

"You're not taking Kankuro or Temari with you?" I asked him, avoiding the part about me accompanying him even though that would be absolutely amazing and I would do a thousand jumping jacks (in my room where no one could see me) and perhaps five hundred laps around Sand Castle.

He shook his head of crimson hair no. And what a handsome head of crimson hair it was… "They have to stay here to take care of my job for me while I'm away. They'll each take turns doing my paperwork and handling Suna's problems." Problems that I didn't have to handle sounded G-O-O-D good to me! "I am allowed one guest."

"So… if it weren't for you feeling sorry for me… who would you have taken with you?" It was upfront but I didn't want him giving away his extra pass to Sunny Palms to me if he truly didn't want to. "Be honest, please."

He seemed a bit amused. I could see a smile twitching at his lips but he restrained himself from the amused smirk, I could tell. Still, he gave a small shrug and replied, "I asked the council for the extra pass so I could take you." He paused for a moment, looking into my eyes with his amazing teal orbs that I just couldn't say no to. He then added, "If you don't want to go, you don't have to…"

If I passed this opportunity up I'd be the biggest idiot on the planet. I was a lot of things but an idiot definitely wasn't one of them! "I'd like to go," I said quietly. I could feel my hands twiddling underneath the table. It was a nervous habit I often ridiculed my classmates for and yet there I was twiddling my thumbs like a speech-o-phobic.

He stood up from the table. He was so much taller than me. I couldn't help but swoon for a moment but I hoped he hadn't noticed. "Pack your things then… We'll be leaving in two hours." A weekend with Gaara at Suna's Sunny Palms Resort! Now that was too perfect for words!

V for Vanity

Naturally, I had called Tazuna over immediately. She was over at Sand Castle faster than you could say 'Sunagakure's Number One High Fashion Model'. I had just started to pull out my suitcases when she flew in through the door with Sauna Hot designer suitcases. I guess my old and musty duffle bags were way out of style in a place like Sunny Palms…

"Let me throw those out," Tazuna said as she snatched away my suitcases and tossed them carelessly out the window.

"Hey! That might hit somebody," I warned her, hoping they didn't (unless it was Matsuri) because that would happen to me.

"Nah. I told Hibachi-kun to wait outside your window to catch them." She gave me a million dollar smile and then began to rummage through my clothes. Before I could get in another comment she began rambling on about what I needed to wear at Sunny Palms. "So Sunny Palms is very prestigious!" She grabbed a handful of my Harem's Secret thongs and bras, and tossed them into one of the compartments of my new Sauna Hot bag. "Oh… I got you a brand new makeup bag too! It has all your favorite cosmetics including the best working face washes and such in case you have a break out or something! I also threw in some foundation in case that doesn't work but you have good skin so don't worry about anything." I could barely keep up with all she was saying as she tossed in the makeup bag. She went to the next drawer of my dresser and pulled out what she had classified as my cutest bikinis.

"I don't want to look skanky," I told her, worriedly. What would Gaara think of me if I strutted around the swimming pool or spa area wearing something I considered to be as revealing as dental floss?

"You're no fun!" She frowned at me. "I'll show you the swimsuit and you can just let me know if you approve of it or not." She pulled out a hot pink bikini. I gave a nod. It was somewhat conservative… (Bullshit). Next was a red bikini and I was fond of it. The last one she pulled out was a very revealing black bikini that I had shoved in the depths of the swimsuit drawer. In fact, I'm surprised she found it but I'm sure that would have been the first one she would have thrown in if it were sitting on top of all the others. "How about this one?"

"N—"

"Okay! Perfect! I love it too!" She grinned at me as she slammed the swimsuit drawer closed. She had a way of always doing that…

I gave a sigh as I walked over to my outfits that I had picked out before she came. At least I had some say in these matters. "I'm not sure if I should bring any dresses…"

"Of course you should!" I shouldn't have mentioned it. "You cannot go to Sunny Palms Resort without dining there! And their dining is very eloquent! You must look sophisticated!" She took hold of a silken teal kimono and folded it neatly as she set it in my bag. I found two of my nicest dresses and placed them in delicately. It would suck big time if they got wrinkled! "The outfits you picked are nice! Now, it's time for shoes!" I noticed Tazuna throwing some more junk in my suitcase. I wasn't even sure which shoes she threw in my bag… It was all a vague blur… I didn't bother to argue. It was pointless. "Hmmm… I think that should be everything you'll need for a weekend…"

"No kidding." I probably had everything I would need for a month if not more… Still, I zipped up my bags and double checked to make sure I have everything I would need. Some of the items in bag seemed a bit… "Vain… I'm going to seem vain."

"A little vanity never hurt anyone," Tazuna said with a radiant smile. "There's nothing wrong with looking good… just don't brag over it." I gave her a nod. That sort of made sense to me…

A for Awkward

"I hope you don't mind that we're sharing the room," he said to me as he held open the door for me.

Hell… I wouldn't mind if we shared a bed… (Oh, how naughty of me! Pretend I never said that!) "It's fine," I chirped as I dropped my bags down on the floor of the room. I hope I didn't sound too excited about the whole ordeal. That would be awkward for me. And I hate awkward.

"I asked the council specifically for two separate rooms," he continued. "I don't know what they were thinking."

"Don't worry," I replied back, "I can just pull out a cot and sleep on it."

He shook his head. "I don't sleep so you can have the bed." Well, I felt stupid. I had forgotten that he still didn't sleep even with his demon extracted. I should have known that.

"So what should we do first?" I asked. I didn't just want to sit around and do nothing… that was even more awkward.

"The council gave me an itinerary for us to follow. It's about a quarter 'til eight. We have reservations at Yummy Yumi's for breakfast," said Gaara as he checked over a sheet of paper with writing all over it.

Breakfast had been nice and casual with the exception of the waitress mistaking Gaara and I as a married couple… Everything else was nice. We had enjoyed some delicious dumplings. Those filled us both up really fast but we engaged in some lengthy small talk. By the time we had finished up we realized we would be late to what was next on our list if we didn't start heading over right away. I was very much embarrassed after learning that what was planned next was a massage.

"Please strip off your clothing and lay down," said a smiling masseuse by the name of Saiko.

"Pardon?" I squeaked as my face grew hot. I was nowhere near getting nude in front of Gaara. Hell to the no.

"We have to what?" I heard Gaara ask. He seemed to have the same feelings as I did.

"You are not married?" she asked us, her eyebrows arched and gave her the quizzical expression that was on her face. Now that was awkward… That topped all my awkward escapades through the land of Awkwardness (Ruler of that land, you ask? Me… duh.). "Not a couple?"

"No," he said to her softly. "We are not." His lips twitched upward slightly. He was amused again. He was so cute…

"Oh! My mistake," she cried out with a short laugh. "Excuse me and my mistake, please!" Gaara gave her a short nod, telling her to continue. "In that case… You two can just strip down to your underwear."

"I don't think that's a good idea," I began to protest.

"Oh! Someone is bashful," she giggled and I knew I turned red already. I know she was just joking but I was so tired from being the punch line to all the jokes. "How about swimsuits, then?"

"We didn't bring our swimsuits," I mumbled in a low voice. I hadn't thought she heard but this Saiko must have had some pretty good hearing.

"No worries," she said with a smile. "At Sunny Palms, we satisfy all your needs! Just tell me your sizes and I'll get you some swimsuits from next doors store, on the house."

"32-inch waist," Gaara said to her quietly as he looked over to me. Was he trying to guess my sizes or was I just being paranoid?

"34 B on the bra and a medium for the bottom," I whispered to her but I couldn't help but feel like Gaara overheard me. Was there no end to my awkwardness? It was so… frustrating.

As promised, Saiko was back in a flash with our swimsuits. Mine was a red and black bikini with the Sand Village symbol as the charm that was set in the middle of the front of the top. The trunks that were brought out for Gaara were black with hints of red. The trunks matched my bikini and I couldn't help but think that those around me were just thinking up new ways to make me and Gaara match. I wondered if maybe Tazuna was behind this…

Gaara and I had both come out of the changing rooms at the same time. I couldn't help but admire his bare chest. I had seen it once before when I had gone swimming at the pool some weeks ago but seeing it up close… Well, this is the part when I sigh dramatically, swoon, and then faint. Good thing I didn't. Anyway, back to Gaara's sexy body. He was toned and very light complected although a man of the desert was expected to be tan. It was a nice change.

"Here are your towels," Saiko said as she offered us a white towel, "Go ahead and lay down flat on your stomachs." We both obliged. A young woman that looked exactly like Saiko had just stepped into the room, apologized to Saiko for being late and walked in between mine and Gaara's massage tables. "This is my sister, Seiko," said Saiko, leaving me to believe that they must have been twins. "She will be working on you." She gave a nod in my direction and Seiko stepped over to me.

"Hello," said Seiko. "We will start you off with some oil and work into a nice massage… then a seaweed wrap. Feel free to converse with your husband."

"He's not my husband," I said to her, although I felt it was pointless to go over the same conversation I had had with Saiko with Seiko.

"Fiancé?"

"No."

"Boyfriend?"

"No."

"Secret lover?"

"No!" I almost shouted but I got myself in check. Gaara was only about three feet away and could probably hear all the Q&A going on. "We're… friends." The word 'friends' sounded awkward in my mouth. Could I even call us friends? He was just my boss and I was just his assistant. I'm sure he didn't think of me as his friend but I had hoped.

"Seems to be a popular question today," I heard Gaara say to me. I turned my head to face his direction. He was smiling over at me (well, his smile is just a straight line curved upward at its ends but it was charming). I liked his smile, very much.

"Yeah," I replied nervously with a chuckle to match, "I can't imagine why…"

I didn't expect Saiko or Seiko or whatever to butt in. But it would be just my luck. "It is because you two look so good together," one twin said. Gaara glanced over at her for a moment and then returned his gaze to mine. Playfulness flickered in his eyes like dancing fire. I was so embarrassed that I grew, I'm sure, a red color and I said nothing. No one said anything for a long time that is until…

"Aaawkwaaaardd," said the other twin in a sing song voice.

No kidding…

C for Charisma

After all the awkwardness at the massage tables (and yes I do realize that I use that word frequently for lack of a better way to describe my constant amount of embarrassment), Gaara and I had a light lunch at Higashi's. It was a cozy little restaurant next door to the spa. We then attended a yoga class. It was interesting… to say the least. I think I had the best 'Frightened Turtle Pose'. I wonder why.

Next on the itinerary was swimming and then hitting up the spa after. Gaara and I headed back to the room to get changed back into swimsuits. I wasn't sure whether I should put on the complimentary swimsuit or whatever but I knew Tazuna would classify that as outfit repeating and so I decided on wearing my teal bikini. Besides, it matched Gaara's eyes. Teal had definitely become my favorite color. I didn't feel so silly about changing to a different swimsuit from before because Gaara was wearing a pair of burgundy swim trunks. I think burgundy is such a great color on him… Oh gosh… I sound like a fan girl!

"I'll race you," he said with a smirk once we reached the swimming pool.

"You're on." I returned his smirk with a wide grin. I did love a challenge although I was sure he could smoke me in a swimming race.

It was the private pool area and so only a few people were allowed (only rich people like Tazuna or those who held prestigious jobs like CEO of some head company). There were some guys chatting with girls. Most of the girls were either laying out on a lounge chair in hopes of getting more of a tan (not that getting a tan is hard to do when you live in Suna). Some older couples were at the bar drinking cute little drinks out of a coconut or a pineapple. The thought of a pineapple made me chuckle.

"Something funny?" Gaara asked me as he laid his towel on a lounge chair. I chose the lounge chair next to his and set my things down as well.

"Oh… The pineapple," I mustered up lamely. I was certain he wouldn't get what I was talking about.

"Hn… But no pear," he replied back. So, he did know what I was referring to. It wouldn't be the first time I was proven wrong.

"And no avocados," I muttered as I blushed slightly at the remembrance of my infamous avocado kiss. I really shouldn't have brought it up… But because I am stupid and so good at embarrassing myself unintentionally, I did.

"It really is a shame." He gave me the amused look he always gives me and began walking toward the pool. "I was promised a race," he said after a while when I didn't follow him, "Unless you're backing out now?"

"Never," was my reply as I dove into the pool and allowed myself a head start. My having the lead was short lived. Within just a few seconds Gaara had pulled ahead in the race. I was pushing myself to go faster but knew I was no match for my boss. He finished first.

"Want a rematch?" he asked teasingly once I finally reached the finish line, so to speak.

"No thanks. I know when I'm clearly outmatched." I laughed at the thought of him wanting to beat me again. "I'm going to head over to the spa now. Swimming is nice but I do enjoy relaxing in a spa quite a lot."

He gave a nod. "I'll keep you company."

"Thank you. I'd hate for Saiko or Seiko to see me alone and join." I smiled at my joke and looked over at him.

He gave a soft chuckle. "I think it really bothered you that we were mistaken as being married repeatedly today." Oh, that wasn't it. I had actually taken it as a bit of a compliment. I was just embarrassed from it.

"It didn't bother me… It was just funny… that's all," I said to him, trying to assure him that the last thing it did was bother me in a bad way. He was always doing that… making it seem like whatever I did or said was because I didn't like him for some reason.

I entered the spa first, Gaara following directly after. I was glad that he and I would be the only ones in it. I doubt anyone else would join once they saw that the Kazekage occupied it.

Gaara and I made some small talk, shared some interests, and whatnot. I enjoyed the fact that I could just relax a bit more around him than I usually did. I often was too tense or nervous around him but the warmness of the spa was relieving most of my tension. He was definitely a lot more playful once outside Sand Castle. I often wondered what would bring on the change. But then again, he undeniably had charisma.

Heavy rain was the cause of a change of plans. There would be no trip to the Sunagakure Museum and there wouldn't be dinner at Sugita's (which was fine with me because I didn't care for museums so much and I was really nervous about the dinner at Sugita's). As it turned out, Gaara hated the rain just as much as I did.

"Do you mind if we stay in the room for the rest of the evening?" He inquired once we manage to escape some of the rain with the shelter of a pillar. We made a sort of dash for the next pillar. "I hate rain."

"I hate rain too," I agreed, "Let's stay indoors." Another few dashes and we were back inside of Sunny Palms' lobby. We took the elevator up to our room. Something I had forgotten to mention earlier was the fact that it was a honeymoon suite… It certainly seemed like the workings of Tazuna or a group of very naughty council members… Once in the room, I went into the bathroom and changed into a warmer outfit. He had been wearing his usual shinobi outfit and so he was warm enough. "Do you like hot cocoa?" I asked him once I returned to the living room part of the suite.

He gave a slight shrug. "I've never had it," he explained.

"Never?" I repeated, dumbfounded. "In that case, you're going to try it." I gave him a friendly smile and went off to the kitchen. "Since we'll be missing dinner at Sugita's, I can make something for us to eat here… I can make some Soba noodles with shrimp tempura so we don't starve… I can also make some sakura mochi. Does that sound good?"

"It does." He nodded.

"I'll just call room service to bring me everything I need…" I suspected that if Gaara ever had to marry he would need a wife to cater to all his whims. Temari had taken only the best care for her brother and I'm sure she'd expect his wife to be just as caring. I, myself, wouldn't mind catering to my husband. It was expected of women in Suna to baby their husbands and nurture them but things were more modern now. Still, it was common.

Room service had brought up everything I had asked for in only a matter of five minutes. I did admire their speedy delivery. It was comparable to mine when I was running errands for Temari. I tipped the deliverer and set off for the kitchen to begin my task. I was only a little nervous at the fact that Gaara was sitting at the kitchen table already, watching me. It was so nerve-wracking for me when he did that but I still enjoyed the fact that he paid me some attention.

First, I got some green tea going. Next, I began to boil some mirin and added the rest of my soup ingredients. After a while, I strained the soup and put it into a clear pan with dashi stock. I began to remove the veins from the prawns and made 5 shallow cuts into each prawn's belly. I also clipped all the tails slightly in order to squeeze out any moisture from them. I made a batter by pouring some ice-cold water into the bowl with egg. I then sifted some flour and stirred briefly until it was fairly lumpy. Next was a matter of heating some oil in a wok. Then dunked each prawn into the batter I had made and then plunged them into the hot oil. I deep fried those bad boys. I had taken the noodles in a large pan and poured lots of water into the pot they were boiling in and stirred them frequently so they wouldn't start sticking. As soon as I was through with the noodles I went back to the soup, which I heated. I added the noodles into the soup, placed the shrimp tempura attractively in the two bowls, and then sprinkled some sliced spring onion and some shichimi togarashi.

I placed the two bowls on the table, one at Gaara's setting. I also poured him and me some green tea. Before sitting down, I created a sand clone of myself to make the sakura mochi I promised. "She can make the sakura mochi," I explained to Gaara as I took my seat across from his. He nodded, understanding. I bowed my head for a moment to say a little prayer, begging Kami to let Gaara like the dinner I had made. Sometimes my prayers were that simple and Kami usually honored them. I looked back up and said a quick, "Itadakimasu," and began to eat slowly.

I admit, I watched Gaara much of dinner time, wondering if he was enjoying it or not and attempting to read his somewhat stoic facial expressions. Just as we finished up my sand clone set down the sakura mochi. Gaara was the first to bite into it. He licked at his lips slightly. I think it was a good sign. He then finished the first mochi and went on to his second one. Seconds was always a good sign! I felt comfortable enough to eat my own sakura mochi and before I knew it they were all gone. My sand clone had one more task and that was the hot chocolate. She brought the cups over to us and then vanished in a puff of smoke.

"We can watch a movie," he offered as he awaited my answer. Oh… he was so… charismatic and sexy all the time. I gave him a nod of agreement and followed him to the small couch in the living room area. I placed my mug of hot cocoa on a little table next to the couch. I found the remote, turned on the TV, and selected a movie that he and I both agreed upon. It was a drama. I grabbed a blanket quickly and curled myself up on the end of my couch. I slowly sipped my hot chocolate, very much pleased with how all my cooking had turned out.

"Dinner was excellent by the way," Gaara said to me in his soft voice, "I didn't know you were so good of a cook."

"Arigato… I had to learn how to cook at an early age because my parents died." It didn't feel so strange to talk about them now that I was older. I still missed them of course and the pain of not having them would always remain but I was a bit more comfortable talking about them now.

"How?" He inquired after taking his first sip of hot chocolate. Oh, diary worthy!

"Call of duty."

"I see," he said back, "Gomen."

"Don't worry about it," I said with a small laugh, "They were good parents for the short time they were around…" I found myself staring at my feet. A little pang of hurt harmed my heart momentarily but I shook it off. "So how's the hot chocolate?"

"It's interesting," said he as his teal eyes gazed into mine. It was a heart throbbing experience, to say the least. "It's good."

A for Ass

Gaara and I had gone for a quick breakfast to prepare ourselves for the journey ahead. It seemed that, camel rides were in order. I wasn't thrilled and I wasn't looking forward to it. I had a bad experience with a camel when I was a young girl. I think I was about six or so. I was thrown on some baby camel named Farrah and that damn think didn't like me for some reason. I tried feeding it and it tried to gnaw off my clothes. I tried riding it and it bucked me off like a wild horse. I tried sweet talking it and it spit at me. I hate that camel and those kinds of memories are something that sticks with a person even when that person gets older. That person is me.

We arrived at the camel stables around a quarter 'til ten. The rain of last night had vanished with the morning sun's appearance. It was a nice and sunny day out. Upon walking into the stables, the nasty camel poop aroma filled my nostrils and not in a sweet way. I made a mental note and added 'camels smell really bad' to my list of 'why I hate camels especially Farrah.' Yes, I do remember that damn camel's name. Yes, I do realize that's lame of me.

"Greetings," said a man that dressed like Baki-Sensei, clad in layers. "I am Kosh."

"Sabaku no Gaara," said the handsome redhead next to me, "And my assistant Imamura Tsubasa."

"Welcome Kazekage-sama and guest," said Kosh with a goofy grin on his face that reminded me of Kankuro's silly smiles. "What can I do for you today?" Well, you can start off by wiping that dumb smile from your face. There is nothing to smile about when you're surrounded by stinky camels. Next, you can get rid of all these stinky camels. I'm sure they won't be missed too much.

"We have a camel tour at ten," replied Gaara in a soft voice. I love his soft voice… and his mouth, his lips… his (okay that's enough about that!).

"Of course!" Kosh grinned madly revealing the fact that he was missing a few teeth and it wasn't very appealing but it was oddly familiar. Kosh began to lead us around his stalls and told us, "I have two camels available right now." He grabbed a somewhat okay looking camel by the reins and gently led him out of the stall. "This is Fukima. He's a nice companion." He handed Gaara the reins of the camel and I was very shocked to see that the camel didn't attempt to attack him (I know I sound crazy but like I said earlier, very bad childhood experience!). Kosh went on to the next stall and out came another camel. "This is Farrah." Farrah? Farrah! That's why Kosh was so familiar to me! He was the same devil that had strapped me onto that blasted camel all those years ago. I couldn't believe that he or the camel hadn't kicked the bucket yet. "She's old but reliable." Reliable my ass. That camel was from hell but I knew I couldn't make a scene in front of Gaara so I did what anyone would do in my position.

"How lovely," I muttered through clenched teeth, realizing my attempt at genuine satisfaction with the camel looked farce.

"Shall we?" asked Kosh as he handed me the reigns to Farrah. I hoped that camels didn't have good memories but maybe that was hoping for much too much.

"Get me off! Get me off! Get me off!" I was screeching about as loud as I had screeched when I was chasing Naruto all around Sand Castle like an idiot. "I don't want to be on here anymore! Get me off this stupid thing!" It just so happened that I was wrong (again). Farrah turned out to have a very good memory because she began to do everything she had done to scar me as a child. She bucked around like no tomorrow and I could feel myself flying through the air as I clung to the reins the same way a frightened child clings to her mother, claws in deep. "I WANT OFF!"

"Farrah, sweetie, baby, honey," cried Kosh as he attempted to catch up. "I'll save you from the mean girl." Mean girl? What the hell was that? She was the mean and stupid beast! I wasn't doing anything. "Is that bad girl hurting you, darling heart?" If there was anything I didn't like, it was being patronized.

"Stop sweet talking your damn camel and get me off of her!" I gritted my teeth and braced myself for impact as the camel gave me one last wild buck. I could feel my grip slipping from the reins as I headed straight for a dirty pillow of sand. I was about to land flat on my ass but just before I fell to my doom, I felt something catch me. I was straightened into a standing position by gentle grains of sand. He saved me again. I could feel the pink blush coming on as he spoke to me.

"Tsubasa," Gaara said to me, "You have knack for getting into trouble." He gave me a funny smile and motioned for me to come closer to him and his camel but I was already convinced that camels would be the death of me (which is sad because I thought Temari was first in line for that). He gave a sigh when he saw how nervous I was upon my approach. His sand seemed to slither its way around me and lightly picked me up from the ground and set me right in front of Gaara on his camel. "You will ride with me." Hey… I had no problem with that.

"Arigato," I murmured softly. "You have a knack for getting me out of the trouble I get myself into…" He gave me a slight nod at this as if it were his pleasure to be my rescuer. "I feel like I'm a burden to you much of the time." It seemed that I was always getting myself involved in some mess and he was always saving my hide.

"Not at all," he replied, his teal eyes gleamed something beautiful. "I've told you before… you fascinate me. I don't mind the little trouble that comes along with it."

We rode on into the desert. The heat seemed to evaporate and I no longer felt so exhausted. The soreness of my body seemed to leave me and negative thoughts vanished like a mirage. A goofy smile plastered itself on my face about the same time a pink blush had decorated my cheeks. I couldn't remember a time ever being that close to Gaara. Even better yet was the fact that his arms were around me even though he was just holding on to the camel's reins.

"We're going to take a break at this oasis," announced Kosh as he and his camel trotted over to a palm tree. I had thought the oasis to have been a mirage but I guess I was wrong. "A picnic was packed for you two… I will enjoy my lunch on the other side of the oasis." Sadly, Gaara and I weren't so close anymore as we disembarked. Kosh also removed himself from atop his camel and unpacked a nicely sized picnic basket from it. He set the basket down on a soft patch of grass and then took his leave, leading Fukima, Farrah devil camel, and whatever-the-name-of-his camel-was away with him.

I wasted no time in gawking after the beast camels. I immediately went to the picnic basket. A rolled up blanket was tied on to the thing and I began to unravel it. It was a fairly large blanket, I noted as I spread it across a nice patch of grass. Gaara took the basket and placed it on top of the freshly spread blanket. He sat down upon the blanket and I joined him.

As I started to set up the picnic foods he started a conversation with me. I loved it when he was the first to initiate conversation with me. It made me feel like he wanted to talk to me (or he just didn't like the silence but I think he preferred silence most of the time… now I'm rambling).

"I see you have an aversion to camels."

Oh, touchy spot… "I had a bad experience with Farrah when I was a child. I guess it was a bad one for her too because she seems to remember." I poured the both of us some green tea. I noticed that he bowed his head slightly in a prayerful gesture. I did the same, thinking that it was a nice gesture of him and I was surprised that he did so. I had never noticed (probably because I was always too busy gawking at him).

"I see," was his reply. He began to eat some of the food set out before him. It was quiet for a good while as we both enjoyed our meals. It was too quiet for too long and so I decided to say something because the silence was driving me crazy.

"So… Have you enjoyed things so far?" I was a bit anxious to hear his reply. I hoped he hadn't hated things. I know a spa resort wasn't Gaara's idea of having a good time. I didn't really know what Gaara's idea of having a good time was but I was positive that he wasn't the type to indulge himself into a socialite lifestyle. That was more of Temari's cup of tea and even more of Kankuro's at times.

"I have," said he softly in the sexy (times infinity) voice he had. "Things have been interesting so far." He sipped his cup of tea for a moment before continuing. "It's been nice to have someone to share the experience with… I'm too used to spending time alone."

"Do you feel alone often?" I asked him and immediately thought that I shouldn't have. Perhaps that was prying just a little too much.

"I do," he replied gently as his gaze met my eyes. "And you?"

I looked down a moment, tearing my gaze away from his (a nearly impossible task). I did feel a lot lonelier since I had become his assistant. I saw less and less of my two best friends until I just haven't seen any of them much at all. I hated working alongside girls like Matsuri and Kanoka, and even more I hated working under a very demanding woman like Temari. If it weren't for me loving Gaara or for Tazuna's kindness she had offered me, I'd have gone stark raving mad with loneliness. "Sometimes I do," I said to him, "But not when I'm with you…" I know my mouth had a mind of its own because if it hadn't I would have never said that last part.

"Why is that?" He asked quietly. His eyes softened a great deal and the black rim that encircled them suddenly didn't seem so dark. There seemed to be a gleam of hope in his teal pools as they waited expectantly for me. What was it that Gaara wanted from me? He'd give me that look and he'd wait for me to say something. I had no clue what it was he wanted me to say or what it was he was expecting of me. He was always so mysterious and aloof…

I gave him a slight shrug. "I feel comfortable around you. I can be myself." He seemed to accept this because the usual straight line of his lips formed a small smile. I believed my answer was the one he wanted.

"You have other friends, no?" He inquired. "Friends at work too?"

"I have two best friends but I haven't seen them since I started working… At work I'm always lonely because Matsuri and Kanoka isolate me and tell the others not to sit with me… I know that's terribly juvenile but that's life. I often eat lunch by myself but sometimes Tazuna keeps me company if she's around. She's probably my only friend at work." I gave him a slight shrug.

"Loneliness is the worst kind of pain," he murmured with hurt in his eyes. I guessed that he was recalling many tragic incidents that had occurred throughout his tough life. Gaara knew much about loneliness and being alone. It had clawed its grip into most of his life so far.

"It is," I agreed as my eyes fell downward. I would have been completely lonely if it weren't for my two teammates. It seemed like Gaara really had no one but Kankuro and Temari. Gaara's siblings had always tried to make him apart of the group but he often strayed. It was almost as if he sought out loneliness after all that had happened; it was his answer.

"You may eat lunch with me from now," he offered, waiting for my eyes to look back into his. My head lifted up to gaze into his sea foam eyes, waves thrashing about violently in them. "You may also invite your friends over to stay for a week."

"Really?" I asked, shocked. That was too good to be true! Usually when Temari would offer me fantasies like that she'd snarl a 'just kidding, loser'. Matsuri and Kanoka weren't any better. But Gaara wasn't cruel in that way. Sure he used to be the demon of Sand, a menace, a murderous monster but now he was changed into a wonderful and unearthly handsome young man with a heart that tried its best at kindness and generosity. "I love both notions, very much," I told him with a genuine and soft smile.

"Good," said he, "I'm glad."

T for Two Honeymoon Crashers

Two long hours in the spa had done my sore body good. That stupid camel, Farrah nearly killed me on the ride back (I'll spare you the details). Let me just say that I am very, very, very grateful that Gaara is the Kazekage and that he doesn't mind getting me out of the trouble I always get myself into!

Getting away from my camel incident…

Dinner at the Hiromi turned out to be very nice! The food was amazing and I was tempted to eat another meal but remember that I must remain ladylike in front of Gaara. I didn't want him thinking I was a pig. After dinner, we went back to the room and got changed. Apparently 'Stargazing' was next on the venue. I wasn't sure what to expect. It seemed like an innocent enough task to do but what with my bad luck, it was sure to be very bad.

"Haro, I am your tour guide!" Oh great… One of those. "Call me Hiroki!" He had some rolled up piece of paper in his hand that he was waving around maniacally. I already didn't like the looks of those. "Come along group." I was surprised to find ourselves emerged in such a big group. I didn't think something like stargazing would attract so much tourist attention…

"This is lame," I heard some large, abrasive looking woman say to her husband. "I want to go to dinner already."

"But we just had dinner, muffins," said the man next to her. I took it to be that he was her husband. Poor guy.

"I'm hungry again!" She crossed her pudgy arms defiantly and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "You're so mean to me." She stamped off in the direction of what I would think was a buffet line.

"Tootsies don't get mad at me!" The tiny little man ran after it… I mean her.

"Pay attention, miss!" demanded the tour guide in a loud voice.

"Sorry," I grumbled crankily as I followed. I looked to my right and saw Gaara with his usual amused smile on his face. I gave him a small shrug and left it at that.

"Over here is many stars. They form big zipper!" Hiroki could use some help with his astrology and his Japanese. He looked and sounded absolutely retarded. "They very beautiful to me!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. This stargazing thing was very, very lame. Gaara seemed pretty bored as well. I glanced to the right of the 'Stargazing Trail' and saw some kind of party going on. Maybe I could sneak away.

Why couldn't we go to that, I thought bitterly as a frown formed on my lips.

I walked to take a few steps forward but felt something grasp my wrist. I whirled around to see who or what it was. I felt the wind get knocked out of me. It was a black haired boy that resembled Gaara. The only difference was his raven hair. His teal eyes had been the same black rimmed entrancing ones as Gaara's and I was puzzled by this for a moment.

"Let's go," he whispered. When I didn't move, he explained more. "Do a transformation jutsu like I did and we'll go." His eyes glanced over at Hiroki who seemed to be distracted by a little boy who wouldn't stop asking why it was called the 'big zipper'. I gave him a small nod, then did my jutsu quickly, and transformed into a redheaded version of myself with different clothes. He grabbed my wrist again and led me away from the trail.

"Where are we going?" I asked him once I found my voice again. His hand was still on my wrist. It was almost like we were holding hands (I'm allowed to pretend if I want!).

"To do something fun," he replied as we pushed past some bushes and then found ourselves amidst the party I had spotted.

"Welcome Honeymooners," said an enthusiastic man. "Better late than never." I felt him tug us along and throw us on a stage. I nervously glanced around me and found that I was standing next to that fat woman and tiny man from before. Next to the odd couple was five more couples and it donned on me what exactly was going on. This was a party for honeymooners! My heart nearly flew right out of my mouth. Before I could object and demand that I did not belong there, the host spoke again. "First we'll do a quick elimination round! We will blind fold the women and have their husbands walk around in circles for a while. Then the woman will get spun three times and have to seek out their husbands within the time limit."

Before I knew what was going on, someone slipped a blindfold around my eyes. I could hear the clamor of footsteps going around. I was spun three times in a row and found myself very dizzy. Someone gave me a hard push in one direction and I cried out, "Hey! Watch it, buster!"

"Oh, a feisty one!" I heard the announcer say. He must have been referring to me. "Ladies, you have ten seconds to find your man! Starting now!"

I felt one last shove and was sent into a crowd of what I knew was some very abrasive women.

"Ten!"

They were bickering with one another left and right.

"Nine!"

I nearly got trampled and found myself on my knees on the floor.

"Eight!"

I began to crawl around like I would have if I had been on a mission; my mission: Gaara.

"Seven!"

Gaara wasn't one to walk fast.

"Six"

"I found you," I heard the voice of the large woman and I also heard a whimper that must have belonged to her poor husband. He didn't sound very enthused at the fact that she sniffed him out.

"Five!"

"Crap," I muttered as I went back to thinking logically.

"Four!"

I knew that Gaara was the last one in line and so therefore he was the last one to walk in the circle.

"Three!"

The boys had been walking in a circle for approximately 15 seconds already.

"Two!"

That meant that Gaara should be right…

"Gotcha," I breathed out as my hands clutched onto his arm. I knew it was Gaara. I could feel it in every inch of my body, in every heartbeat, and in every flush of my cheeks from skin tone to pink to hot pink to red. It had to be him.

"Okay ladies," cried out the announcer (I still didn't know his name I'll just call him Mr. Host). Mr. Host said, "Your time is up! Men please remove their blindfolds!"

I felt him remove the blindfold from eyes and came face to face with him. It had been Gaara or at least the person that Gaara had transformed into. His teal eyes seemed to be smiling back at me as he held the blindfold in his hands. "Good job, Tsubasa-san," he breathed with a tiny smirk. I felt my cheeks flush pink for a moment and had to avert my eyes (which took a lot of effort on my part).

"Arigato…"

"Now that we've eliminated four of the seven couples we will go into Round Two!" Mr. Host gestured to three podiums. "Please have a seat, ladies." I obeyed and sat down even though my mind had been screaming for me to tell Mr. Host that I quit his game or whatever it was. "First we will ask a question about you, the wife. You will write down your answer on one of the white sheets of paper on your podium. Then your husband will answer the question. If you both get the answer right then you get the point! After a few questions all husbands and wives will switch positions! Let Round Two begin!" I readied my marker and paper, and waited patiently for the question.

"Question Number One! Where did you share your first kiss with your wife?"

Well, that was easy. I wrote on and on about that little incident in my diary. I didn't classify it as a real kiss but I did classify at something for me to always remember.

Mr. Host turned to Gaara and held out the microphone. "Your answer, sir?"

"The doorway of my room," Gaara replied. He looked a little flustered but that could have been just my imagination because I, myself, was very flustered.

"Let's see if his wife got it right." Mr. Host turned to me and I held up my white sheet of paper. It was the same answer as Gaara's. "And she did! That's one point for you two!" He then turned to the tiny, little man. He still looked shaken up from when his wife pounced on him earlier. "The same question, sir!"

"Umm… Outside of… her father's bakery," replied the little man in a shaky voice.

Mr. Host looked to his wife and asked, "And your answer, ma'am?" Her pudgy arms lifted to show her paper. She had the same answer. "A point for you two then!" Mr. Host turned to Contestant Number Three and asked the same question.

"I think umm… at her office?" It sounded as more of a question than an answer. When Mr. Host turned to the man's wife she didn't look too happy.

"BAKA! YOU NEVER REMEMBER ANYTHING! IT WAS AT THE PARK!" The woman threw her marker (and what a mighty throw it was!) and hit her husband square in the forehead. He was knocked out immediately. She folded her arms defiantly… And I thought the large woman was abrasive but once again, I was proven wrong.

Mr. Host even looked a little frightened as he asked the next question. "What was the first meal your wife ever cooked for you? You get an extra point if you remember dessert! Contest Number One?" That was so easy. We had it in the bag. The first time I cooked for him had been yesterday. I quickly scribbled down my answer.

"Soba noodles with shrimp Tempura and Sakura mochi for dessert," Gaara replied as he gazed over to me. Mr. Host turned to see me as well and I held up the sign to reveal that I, again, had the same answer as Gaara.

"Two points!" Mr. Host then turned to (I shall call him Little Man and his wife Large Woman) Little Man. "Contestant Two?"

"Udon, ramen, miso soup, daikon and carrot salad, rice box, and nori-rolled sushi. For dessert… kusa mochi, daifuku, kashiwa mochi, ohagi, and kushi dango." He seemed to be sweating it a little. It would be unbelievable but then again he was married to Large Woman. Mr. Host turned to Large Woman and she nodded approvingly as she held up her sign.

"Two points!" Mr. Host beamed with a happy smile. He was one of those types that liked his jobs a little too much… "Contestant Three?"

"Uh," he said as he rubbed the back of his head, "She doesn't cook."

"YOU BAKA! I MADE YOU UNAGI SO MANY TIMES!" She shouted at him as she shook her fist at him.

"Yeah, and I nearly died so I do not count it as a meal!" Her husband shot back but it was a bad move on his part. She grabbed her purse, pulled out a rock, and threw it at him. I wondered how many rocks she had in there but it was better that I didn't know.

"Okay, next question…" Mr. Host went back to Gaara with a wide and goofy grin. "When your wife was thirteen years old, what did she want to be when she grew up?" Oh, another easy one! I only wanted to be one thing my entire life and that was a glorious councilmember. Gaara couldn't get this one wrong!

"A councilmember," he replied with a small grin. I smiled back at him as I lifted my answer into the air. Large Woman gave a snort in my direction to be rude but I ignored her.

"One point… Contestant Two?" Mr. Host aimed the microphone in Little Man's direction.

"A baker." Again, his wife had the same answer. Somehow everything about her seemed to revolve around food…

"You better get this right!" That was Contestant Three's wife. She was getting mad at the poor guy (I shall call him Reluctant Husband and her, Cranky Woman!). I love nicknames for people (even Matsuri, Kanoka, and Temari had earned some very special nicknames in my book).

He gulped down hard and uneasily answered, "The boss… of any firm… anything really." He clamped his hands over his head tight and awaited something to smack him (probably an even bigger rock). When the rock didn't hit him, he and Mr. Host looked to Cranky Woman. She was smiling brightly. Her sign did say, 'The Boss' and then in parentheses 'The HBIC'. That was something Temari often called herself; The Head Bitch in Charge.

"One point… Now… Wives and Husbands switch places!" Gaara was now seated at a podium with a marker and paper. I was under the spotlight, nervously awaiting an opportunity to screw up and utterly embarrass myself in front of him. "Alright, ladies! Here's the question… Who initiated the first kiss?"

He thrust the microphone in my direction as I squeaked out an, "I did." Mr. Host found that Gaara's answer agreed with mine and then moved on to Little Man.

"I did," replied Large woman proudly as she held her head up high. And she, of course, had. Little Man had the same answer.

"He did… He practically threw himself on me," announced Cranky Woman. That's something I wouldn't say out loud. His sign said that she had initiated the kiss and so she threw another rock in his direction. This time it gave him a black eye. No points for Team Scary Couple.

"Next question! How does your husband like his tea?"

"Strong with no sugar," I said into the microphone. I often made him his tea in the morning. I knew exactly which teas were taboos for him and which teas he enjoyed most. I surprised him with an interesting blueberry tea one morning and he had enjoyed it. Ever since then, I made him blueberry tea every Sunday morning (even though it was my day off). I would stop by his office before everyone else arrived and left it on his desk. He would walk in and find it only one minute after I had left it there.

Gaara had the same answer.

"My husband likes his tea to be weak," said Large Woman disdainfully as if the fact that drinking weak tea made a weak man. She was crazy but apparently Little Man had written the same answer on his paper.

"My husband likes his tea however I make it for him," snapped Cranky Woman. His paper actually said the same thing, I was surprised. I suspected that he knew what kind of woman he was dealing with though.

"Last question! What is your husband's favorite color?"

That was a tough one. I had no idea what Gaara's favorite color was. I knew which colors he looked best in. I often did shopping for him and would bring him back nice outfits for him to wear to meetings with the council but I had no idea what his favorite color was. I remembered back to a day when I had bought him the same outfit but in different colors. He had favored one over the others for some reason.

"Black." I began to chew on my thumbnail as Mr. Host turned to Gaara. His paper said 'Red or Black'. Score… I was correct!

"Contestant Two?"

"He likes periwinkle." I had never had of that color but Large Woman seemed to know her husband very well and he her. He held up his sign to clarify her answer.

"Three?"

"His favorite color is blue. Isn't that everyone's favorite color?" She seemed to begin reaching in her purse early (for the rock). He nervously glanced down at his paper and reluctantly lifted it up. It was green. She screeched as she hurled another rock in his direction. Now he had two black eyes. "Come on, baka," she snarled as she dragged him off the stage, "We're leaving this stupid couples thing!" And with that, they left. Thank, Kami!

"Round Three will determine the winner! Round Three is called the Great Balloon Pop." Trashcans filled with balloons were placed in between Couple One and Couple Two (Couple One being me and Gaara even though we weren't a couple and we were just accidentally involved in some crazy honeymooner's game party put on by Mr. Host… Yes, I know I'm rambling). "The couple must pop the balloons by placing it in between them as they hug. The couple to pop the most balloons within one minute is the winner… BEGIN!"

I grabbed a balloon and placed it in between Gaara and me. He embraced me in a hug and the balloon popped. I let out a little squeal the first time but got used to it after a few more balloons. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that Large Woman and Little Man had already gone through four trashcans. Gaara and I had only gone through three. With a stomach like Large Woman, she didn't need her husband to help pop those balloons. Heh.

"Time's up," Mr. Host called out after the minute was over. It was no doubt that Large Woman would win. "Looks like Couple One only popped six trashcans full of balloons and Couple Two has popped eight… That's also a new record!" Mr. Host strolled over to Couple Two. "You two win two balcony seats tickets to tomorrow evening's opera!" Couple Two cheered loudly (well, Large Woman cheered louder than everyone, even the crowd… Little Man just watched). Mr. Host approached me and Gaara as well. "You two win a romantic evening in a private sauna!"

I for Intensity

It was nice to know that the council wanted me and Gaara to exercise the fat away. The itinerary had called for Ninja Training down at the Fitness Center. This, I was excited for. I dressed up in one of my cute shinobi outfits. Yes, I was grateful that Tazuna had packed me it. Yes, I do feel slightly more confident when wearing it.

"Ready?" Gaara asked me. He was my sparring partner. It was such an honor to spar with the Kazekage of Sand. Not everyone could say that they had gotten such an opportunity.

"Oh, yeah," I said in the sexiest voice I could muster, daring to be a bit flirty in my rebuttal. He smirked and then gave a nod as his warning, and the sparring commenced.

I whipped my fans out immediately. I knew Gaara's attacks were all sand based. If I could weaken his defense with some quick cuts of wind there'd be a shot. He stood motionless in his spot, waiting. The intensity of it all was so overwhelming. I zigzagged around the room expertly, invisible to the naked eye but not to Gaara's highly trained ninja eyes. His sand managed to slither around my ankle as I approached and lifted me into the air. The sand held me upside down. I was face to face with my red haired love. He was damn sexy as I he stared over. He had an amused expression on his face.

"You'll have to try better than that, Tsubasa," he teased. It was so nice to see his playful side rein. "You make it too easy for me."

"Do I?" My sand clone asked him before reverting back to the sandy grains it was created from.

He looked slightly surprised and immediately turned around but no one was there. Where was I, you ask? I was on the ceiling, standing upside down! I had used my chakra to execute this basic ninja move. It was all too simple. I grinned as I nosedived from the ceiling. I twirled viciously in the air, fans cutting sand violently but not so violently that they would injure him. I would never desire to even put a scratch on him even though I knew he wore the sand armor. I'd still feel guilty. He looked up suddenly, unafraid.

He took one step back and I nearly collided into ground below. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for impact but of course, it didn't come. A large sand hand had caught me. It brought me to him. "Like I said," he told me, "You make it too easy." His lips curved into a proud smirk.

"Okay, you win for today," I said to him, "But when we have a rematch things will be different." He gave me a nod as he set me back down. I wasn't sure what he was nodding to. Perhaps he was just humoring me. And I was okay with that.

O for Oh So Very Awkward

I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to live through my next ordeal without fainting from the heat. And by heat, I am not referring to the heat of the sauna, oh no. I am indeed referring to the heat that emanates from Gaara's sexy body that just happens to be half naked at the moment. Of course, a towel covered his bottom half… (I wonder what exactly goes on underneath that towel…) Sorry! Naught Tsubie moment! Ignore my stupidity for a brief moment.

It was very awkward at first. The two of us were just sitting there in silence as we both stared absentmindedly around the room. I couldn't think of anything to say. We hadn't had a conversation since we had entered the sauna room. Not even any small talk. I glanced over at my boss. His teal eyes were already on me and I looked away again. Towels were the only garbs to protect us from being naked. Oh, so very awkward.

"Imamura," he called suddenly and I swear my heart nearly flew out of my mouth and slammed itself against one of the room's walls; a suicidal organ. I was pretty suicidal right then myself. I was desperate to escape from this uncomfortable moment but at the same time I was overjoyed to be in there with Gaara. It was all so surreal. I thought maybe someone might pinch me and I'd awaken from this fantastic and horrific dream I was having.

I turned my head in his direction finally. My attention was his. "Hai?" My disobedient eyes began to scan his chest. I slapped myself mentally because I knew it was obvious. I sighed and closed my eyes. Hopefully he wouldn't think I was that much of a weirdo.

"Are you alright?" He asked me gently.

"I'm fine," I murmured, "Why?"

He gave me a funny look that I couldn't seem to understand but then he said, "For one, you are sitting all the way in the corner. And two, your clutching your towel to your body as if someone is going to rip it off you. You're also shaking."

I turned my head and saw that I was in the corner. I glanced down at myself next. I was shaking but my hands were in a steel grip holding my towel to myself. I must have looked very frightened or something. I should have been more conscious of my actions. I had probably offended Gaara. There was no better cure than honesty but I suppose it would be wise to leave some truths out (like the fact that I am head over heels in love with him… that would be bad to say right about now). "I've never… been in this kind of situation." I was trying to be careful with my wording but I know I sounded like an idiot. My mind wondered what Matsuri would do in this predicament but it already knew the answer. She wouldn't sit here like some timid creature. She'd have pounced on Gaara by now. I wasn't about to do that but maybe I could find a healthy medium?

"We can leave if you'd like," he offered. His teal eyes looked away from me for a brief moment and I felt as if I injured his already frail ego. He could be so fragile at times even though he put up a brave façade.

"No," I said almost too abruptly. "I don't want to." Wow, just how stupid-sounding could I get in just a few minutes? This had to be a new record. "Let's talk," I suggested. He nodded in agreement, waiting for me to continue. And my hesitation had evaporated instantly as we engaged in conversation, enjoying the company one another bestowed.

N for New

I didn't want this to go away. I wanted the feelings to stay no matter how masochistic I was becoming. It felt so good to be near him though it hurt me to know that I wasn't with him. There had to be some way to make him mine. My normal hesitation was beginning to evaporate as I started to become more comfortable around him. It was so strange how I gravitated to his will. I danced around him like a satellite in perfect correspondence to all his needs. I never had this taste in my mouth. It was so new.

I wondered if Gaara knew that he was ever shamelessly tempting me. Was he aware of my desires?

These had been my thoughts that morning as I packed my things back into my designer suitcases. I sighed as I finished the task. This territory was dangerous. The heart break was inevitable. Gaara wouldn't return my affections and it was silly to think so. I'd be back in line with my broken heart as soon as he finally rebuked me for my feelings. I assumed he knew them. I had made it so obvious, unintentionally of course. My stuttering, my tirade of rants, my blushing, my attentiveness to him, my shallow breaths, my wild heart beating, my clumsiness, my hesitation, my awkwardness, my constant idiocy… were they not all big hints?

"Ready?" he asked me. I could only nod.

We were in the main lobby of the resort. We were awaiting a cart puller to come and haul my sorry butt (and his very cute one) back home. I was relieved to finally be going back but sad as well. The fantasy had finally ended.

The cart puller finally arrived and he took us home. Gaara and I had made very little small talk on the way back. For the first time, I was too occupied with other things in my mind (but of course these things solely revolved around Gaara) to be awkward around my red headed tempter. I was silent because I was concentrating too hard on my thoughts, focusing all my energy on trying to solve the puzzle that was my life. I gave a sigh, it was too difficult to solve at once. I'd have to take it one step at time; take it in stride one day at a time.

"Tsubasa." Gaara spoke my name gently. I'm thankful he did because I might have freaked out if he said it too loudly. I had been so lost in my own thoughts and reveries. "We're home."

I looked up and embraced the looming fortress that was Sand Castle. Its dark gates and walls made me feel forlorn and lost. I was back at home but this home always held something lonely for me. I was back to the ridicule that I would soon face all over again and repeatedly throughout the remains of my life as the Kazekage's Assistant. Fearless, I took the first step toward Sand Castle. The maids had already taken mine and Gaara's luggage up to our rooms.

"I'll walk with you," he had said to me, "You look a little ill."

"Arigato," I had breathed out.

We were now at my door. Once I entered I'd be going back to my old life but perhaps it didn't have to be as exactly as before. I had felt a change, betterment because of my vacation with Gaara. I felt more confident alongside him. The new feeling I had received this morning I would keep in my head. I wouldn't allow anyone to rip it free from my grasp. It was all I had for the moment to keep sane in Sand Castle.

"Gaara-sama," I said to him, "I wanted to thank you for inviting me on the vacation. It's something I definitely needed and it's something I wanted as well."

"Wanted?" he asked in a soft voice.

I gave him a nod. "Yes," I replied bravely, "I enjoy spending time with you when it's just the two of us."

A small smile settled on his beautifully sculpted face, a flawless and aesthetic statue. "I do as well." We looked into each other's eyes for long duration. He said quietly, "I will see you at work in the morning?" It was a question not an order. It was a moment of vulnerability for him, I his weakness. It felt good.

"You will," I said to him with a warm smile. I was delighted that my usual hesitation was beginning to fade and I felt new confidence in myself. I didn't have to be like Matsuri to get what I wanted. The over-ambitious girl had given herself the name of slut with her aggressive means. However, I didn't have to be timid, old Tsubasa either. I could be braver, bolder. The vacation was indeed what I needed. I had rediscovered the Tsubasa I had known before my previous heart break with the boy from Konoha. Who had sent this maniac? This new Tsubasa? I can't believe I've had this chance now.

Author's Note: This chapter took me an insufferably long time to write. This was an astounding 24 pages on Microsoft Word. I do hope that everyone enjoyed it very much and liked all the cute fluff I added into it. ;)

Leave a review letting me know about your favorite highlights of the chapter, what you liked or didn't like.