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: Lots of fun sequences for all of you, especially the readers which have asked for more fluff and romance (as well as longer chapters, haha). I hope this does it for you. If not you can… (See chapter title)

Chapter Thirty-Three: Save it for the Bedroom Part One

-Pillow Chat-

I was certain I looked as though I was cowering, clutching my pillow tightly to my chest as I stood in my too-modest flannel pajamas. I definitely couldn't sleep in any of the lingerie Temari had stuffed in Gaara's right upper drawer. I also didn't feel comfortable sleeping in a t-shirt and panties, my usual sleepy time outfit, or any piece of clothing that showed more than my wrists and ankles. Layers were what I desperately needed, and so I had dug up the most obnoxious girly flannels I could find. It was better than the bright pink onesie I'd chosen to keep buried beneath my stash of long sleeves in case of emergency.

Blowing a big puff of breath in an attempt to force my trailing pink bangs out of my eyes, I shyly glanced over at the man of my dreams (and only my dreams). If it wasn't my imagination, I'd have to say he looked mildly nervous as well.

"Would you prefer I sleep elsewhere?" he asked in a soft tone of voice. His eyes fell on the living room sofa that lazily stretched out into an expansive sleeper. "I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable," he quickly added. I wondered if he actually meant that he didn't want himself to feel uncomfortable.

"If a maid comes in, it'll look odd that you're using the sleeper." I wiggled my toes against the shag carpet, tangling the digits within the fibers as another attempt of relaxing my nerves. I wasn't trying to make excuses to sleep within the same bed, but I wasn't willing to take the risk of losing everything because a maid snitched us out to the council.

He gave a small nod. "Temari was worried of that." He straightened himself slightly. He was positioned on the corner of his bed; he'd chosen the left side. He seemed about to fall off the edge. That's how little of him was supported by the mattress. Sipping the tea in his hands, he shuffled again.

His pajamas were as modest as mine; a long black robe draped over his charcoal grey v-neck shirt and black pant bottoms. The pants were loose around his waist. If he'd been shirtless, I imagined I could see the well-defined 'V' protrude teasingly from designer boxer briefs. I wondered, just for a moment, what color they were.

I mustered courage and set my first foot forward. The other followed, and I repeated the action until I at last reached the right side of the bed. I awkwardly grabbed at the covers, pulling them low so I could slip underneath.

I settled deep within them, feeling that the lower I sank into the bed, the more likely it would swallow me up in some black hole where I could float endlessly and exist outside this tormenting dimension.

I tried not to blush as Gaara did the same. Somehow, lying down in a bed didn't suit him. He looked awkward and self-conscious, like he wasn't sure how to sleep properly or how to adjust himself into a comfortable position. But my presence could have easily disrupted whatever sleeping patterns he had. Maybe he had to refrain from his usual bed time routines to accommodate my company.

"I forgot to turn off the light," I murmured, about to throw the covers off of me to allow me an easy exit from the bed. His arm gently stretched across and signaled me to remain where I was.

His free hand lifted and aimed itself toward the gourd he allowed to rest against his night stand, wedged in between the furniture piece and the bed. Sand slowly drifted from the gourd, made its way to the light switch, the dimmer, and reduced the light significantly in the room.

"You're afraid of the dark, right?" he asked gently, concentrating his sand back to its origin.

I stared incredulously. "You know?"

He gave a small sort of smile, a knowing one. "I noticed you like to keep a light in your room. Often when I step out onto the balcony patio for fresh air, I can see the soft glow of your night lights, the lanterns. I surmised that you weren't a fan of the dark."

"Good observation," I replied. "You're correct."

"I thought so," he murmured, squeezing his dark-rimmed eyes shut. I could tell he wasn't doing it to force himself into slumber. He was thinking. "A strange predicament we are in." He smiled suddenly. He shook slightly, and I could tell it was his unique way of silently laughing.

I rolled over on my side to face him, feeling comfortable enough to gain an inch further on the bed. I was no longer on the verge of slipping off the edge, but situated in a more stable position. "Do you think we'll pull it off? I mean, fooling the council?"

He turned himself toward me, slightly shifting his body closer as well. "I think that we are taking some very extreme measurements to ensure just that."

"Is it weird being in bed with me?" I suddenly blurted. My face flushed underneath the dim lighting. I was embarrassed of my own candor.

Again, the funny silent sort of laugh. His facial expression softened after a moment after he situated himself on his side, facing me the same way I faced him. "To be honest with you, I can't imagine doing this with someone else."

The answer surprised me. My mouth opened a little as I tried not to gasp. I wasn't sure how to respond, whether I should respond. After a few quiet moments, I managed to say, "That's because you're a faithful pretend boyfriend." I could feel my cheeks redden and I was grateful for the dim lighting because I'm sure it was doing a wondrous job of concealing the blush.

"I can't allow room for any doubt in my pretend girlfriend's heart," he joked. "I have to be a gentleman."

"Of course," I said, "or the council will banish us to the ends of the earth." I didn't mean to ruin the mood, but it had significantly lowered after my statement. It was like the white elephant in the room had given a mighty roar and shook our confidence.

"I don't believe they'll harm us if they were to find us out." He tried to sound as though he could guarantee those words but I'm not sure if he was fooled by them either.

"I don't believe they'd harm you, Kazekage-sama." I pressed my cheek against my pillow in frustration. "They'll revoke my title as your assistant. They'll strip me of my ninja ranking, accuse me of treason, and forbid me from ever joining the council. And then after they crush my dreams, they'll exile me to Konoha so I can wither out like the weed they see me as."

My words were harsher than intended. I was just afraid. Afraid and fretful of what the council would do to punish me if our cover got blown.

"There's no way they would punish you to the degree of banishment," he disagreed. "Perhaps you will be removed as my assistant, but not exiled."

I shrugged. "Birdie doesn't seem too fond of liars. She'd probably cut my tongue out so I'd never lie again."

"Birdie?" he asked, his expression puzzled.

I nodded. "It's what I call Councilwoman Minami."

"How fitting," he noted. "You have such a unique way of observing others. I admire it."

"Thank you," I murmured just before I stifled a large yawn.

"I wonder how you think of me." His eyes glittered despite the darkness. He didn't give me time to formulate any kind of response, not that I could come up with a proper one so easily. I wondered how he thought of me and what he would think if I told him that I wondered all the time what I was like in Gaara's eyes. "Good night, Tsubasa-san."

Perhaps he didn't really want to know how I saw him or maybe he already did. It was hard to tell.

I nodded again, this time more sleepily as I struggled to part my lips to bid him good night as well. I hadn't realized how truly exhausted I was until that very moment. After a second yawn escaped my mouth, my eyes stayed closed and I allowed myself to succumb to my tiredness as I drifted to sleep.

-Sexy Little Things-

I was mortified; staring over, mouth gaping, with a stupefied expression as Gaara curiously eyed the box of condoms Temari had thrown atop my Harem's Secret lingerie. He tilted the box this way and that, reading the contents and the promises of better sensations with the new flavors and improved ribbed latex.

"What's this?" he asked, carefully lifting up one of my lacy negligees.

I nearly threw myself at the drawer, squeezed between Gaara and the furniture, shoved my hands and back against it until it closed. "Nothing!" I was shouting. I looked desperate and deranged at once, with my pink hair fanning out the way a Draco lizard fans out its flaps in the face of danger.

He still held the box of condoms in his hands. "Why are there contraceptives in here? These are not mine." His eyes narrowed as he gave them further examination. He seemed genuinely puzzled.

I wondered if it would have been too much for me to snatch the box from his hands, rush over to the balcony and chuck them into the courtyard pond where they would hopefully sink to the depths and never ever resurface.

I chose the high-road for fear of looking more like a maniac than I already did. Smoothing my hair gently with my right hand, I said, "Temari thought it would be a good idea—make it look real—us rooming together, I mean."

He chuckled. It was a silent laugh, just slightly shaking from the amusement. "Is that all?" He took his free hand, gently scooted me from my previously guarded position against the drawer, and replaced them into the wooden confines. "You should have just said that to begin with."

I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks, all over really, and I struggled for the right words. "Well, I—I don't know. I was embarrassed I guess."

"Embarrassed of what?" Again, the genuine look of confusion settled on his face. Could he really be so naïve? "Have you never seen condoms?" His question was gentle, like a teacher's before explaining a fact of life to his unknowing pupil.

"Of course I have!" I felt like I was shouting again. I knew how defensive I sounded, but I couldn't stop the word vomit. "I know all about condoms! I'm a condom expert!"

What the actual hell did I just say—that I was a condom expert? What does that even mean?

Gaara seemed to know. "You don't say?" He was amused. I could tell by the slight way his lips curved, so slight it was barely noticeable. "What does that entail, Tsubasa-san, being a condom expert?"

He leaned close to me, as if investigating me and the crazy things spilling out of my mouth. "It entails, uh, expertise, you know, in, uh, condom manufacturing and production—stuff like that. You know, from an industrial production standpoint. Like the hard work it takes to make them, durable and, uh, good-quality. Don't want those things ripping during use and babies popping up everywhere."

Yeah, I wish I knew what I was saying too. At this point I was just rambling.

"I see," he said and grinned. It was a sort of devilish smile, the kind that suggested mischief, naughtiness. He was totally humoring me. I could tell by the way his eyes danced like blue-green firelight. "You know quite a bit—indeed a condom expert like you said." He inched closer, placing his arms on either side of me, hands against the surface of the dresser and trapping me against it. I could feel the small metal handle of one of the drawers press mercilessly into my right butt cheek. Gaara wasn't coming onto me; at least I didn't think he was. His head was tilted to the side, eyes cast downward as he gave into some deep thinking. When he looked up and stole my gaze, he asked, "Imamura-san, have you ever seen a condom? I mean, out of its packaging?"

I swallowed thickly. There was a complicated knot building in my throat, one that wasn't so easily unraveled or loosened. "Not up close," I admitted. I remember being a kid, parents warning me not to pick up things I didn't know off the ground, randomly coming across balloon-like articles with torn wrappers that looked like the ones you may peel off a candy. Condoms weren't candy though. They were awkward, lubricated, latex-smelling, sperm containers that you discarded immediately after use. I saw many commercials for them, advertising the different sensations they could produce for both partners and how they were offered in various sizes to accommodate normal to abnormally sized penises.

The only person I had ever come close to having sex with had been Kiba though. I'd seen the unused box in his room. He had reached for it a few times when we were intimate, but I had always stopped him, saying I wasn't ready yet. That was probably the biggest reason he had broken up with me. He wanted the 'V,' as Tazuna often called it, and I wasn't giving it up. I'm sure he'd gone through many condom boxes since our breakup, but that's not something I like to dwell on.

It's funny how a box of odd-flavored latex could stir such memories and thoughts.

He gave a light nod and finally released his grip from the drawer. I was no longer flanked between him and that stupid condom-filled dresser. "Neither have I," he said with such casualness, like it was no big deal to talk about condoms or experiences with them.

I half-expected a, 'I like to go in raw,' comment, but that was just my hormones talking. I was obviously flustered. I had to go to the bathroom and splash my face with cold water several times before I could return to being in the same room with him again.

I had a hard time concentrating on the paperwork I'd brought home with me that night. I was too busy thinking about condoms, what sex would be like with Gaara, what size condom he would need to use, how ashamed I should be for even entertaining those ideas and then wondering if Gaara was somehow thinking about all of that too.

Glancing over at my new roommate, I saw him quietly reading from the couch. He must have known I was staring for his eyes swept upward and held my gaze. "The pajamas you have—the ones you referred to as 'nothing'—" He paused for a moment, perhaps for dramatic effect, perhaps to watch me squirm, perhaps both. "They're nice."

-Sleeping Lessons-

It probably should have dawned on me that Gaara would have sleeping troubles. And I didn't usually make a habit of prying with him, but I couldn't fall asleep knowing he was having trouble with what often came easy for me.

I shifted to my side, facing him. I could barely make out his visage through the darkness. I leaned closer until I could just see the shadowed features of his beautifully structured face. When I was fairly certain that I'd caught his attention I spoke.

"Kazekage-sama, are you having trouble sleeping?"

I could see him nod. My eyes were finally adjusting themselves more to the darkness.

"I often have trouble falling asleep even with Shukaku extracted. I'm accustomed to the deprivation," he sighed. "And I dislike relying on my Feigning Sleep Technique to do so."

"You use Feigning Sleep?" I wondered aloud. My heart clenched in my chest. I felt sympathy for him. I've experienced a great deal of sleep deprivation in my lifetime, but I couldn't imagine never sleeping in my lifetime.

"It's the only thing that helps me get rest."

"Why don't you like using it all the time then?" I asked. If it was the only thing that helped, it made sense that he would use it more actively.

"When I'm in my induced sleeping state, it's similar to a coma. I cannot wakeup from it until the technique has ended. That could put this village at serious risk if an emergency were to occur while I'm in the induced coma." His explanation was a valid one. The village would be lost without the protection of its Kazekage. There was no telling when Gaara would emerge from the induced sleeping state either. It was something that had to be waited out.

I sat up suddenly. I think I startled him for his body tensed and he began to straighten himself in the bed as well. "Let's try something new then," I chirped. I flung the sheets and hoisted my legs over the side of the bed. Once my feet made contact with the shag carpet, I made my way through the dark room until I found the light switch.

A brilliant light filled the room. He squinted slightly until his eyes could readjust. "Like what?"

"Just get changed into your swimwear and meet me in the bathroom." I didn't wait for a response. Instead, I left him with a confused look on his face, and disappeared into bathroom to get changed.

He knocked lightly when he was ready and I responded by opening the door. I tried not to scare him too much with the suspense of my bright ideas, but my grin probably gave away my enthusiasm.

He entered the bathroom slowly, eyeing all the candles I had lit. He seemed nervous. "Is this safe?" he asked.

I gave a small laugh. "Let's hope. Dying in a fire isn't really on my to-do list." I took his wrist with my hand and led him toward the hot tub (yes, Gaara has a ridiculously expansive and beautiful hot tub in the bathroom). It was already frothy and foaming, bubbles spilling over as if delighted by our presence. "Get in," I urged.

"We're taking a bath together?" He sounded surprised but still followed my instructions and slipped into the warm Jacuzzi.

"No, we're going to just relax. Sometimes I can't go to sleep until I have had a nice relaxing soak in a hot bath." I cooed blissfully as I entered the tub from the opposite side. I stretched my limbs briefly, allowing every muscle to feel the effect of the hot water. I stationed myself in a corner where I could maximize my jet usage. "And think of it this way—we're saving water by bathing together."

"What a peculiar way of putting it," he murmured pensively. He closed eyes for a moment, sinking deeper into the tub. It seemed to be having the soothing effect I had hoped it would have for him.

I decided to take the extra step and cue the music. I stretched my arm out from the Jacuzzi, shook off the water from it and reached for a small remote I had set aside prior. After a click of a button, the calming sounds of the playlist I had made specifically for relaxation began to play.

One of Gaara's eyes opened. "Music?"

I nodded. "Don't you listen to it to relax?"

He shook his head. "Not really," he admitted. He looked at me with both eyes now. "I was never exposed to music growing up." He paused for a moment, taking in the sounds of the song that was currently playing. The melodic, soft strumming of a ukulele enchanted him. He looked a little dreamy. "This is nice. Upbeat and charming."

It was Gaara's first time listening to the Somewhere over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World collaboration. And he was actually enjoying it. He smiled as his eyes closed again. He leaned his head back, exposing his elegant white neck to me.

He looked peaceful and happy too.

"I can see why this helps you fall asleep," he spoke softly. "Very soothing."

"Nothing like a nice soak," I concurred.

"This song… the words are pleasant." I could see him flexing his fingers in and out of the hot water, playing with the hot sensation of the water and the cooling sensation of the air. "I once hated this world and everyone in it until a friend changed my perspective. It's sad to think that I couldn't appreciate the beauty of this world then, but I am grateful to be open to it now. This song reminds me of that."

I smiled. It was so rare for Gaara to discuss his past, his feelings and his secrets. I was thankful to be considered a trusted friend by him, to hear the words he spoke that he wouldn't share with others, only me.

After we spent a considerable amount of time soaking, I suggested we take the next step in my sleepy time process. He agreed.

We were careful to make sure every candle was blown out. Then the tub was drained and we were back in our pajamas. When we returned to bed, the sheets and pillows seemed softer than before. Perhaps they were more accepting of our supple freshly cleaned skin.

I pressed my cheek to my pillow, enjoying the softness, the comfort. I turned to Gaara to see how he was enjoying the fresh clean feeling, but he had already fallen asleep.

He even snored softly.

I smiled to myself. The sleeping lessons I'd given him had worked, and I was comforted in knowing that the Kazekage would receive a well-deserved night's rest. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to join the dream world next.

-Save Water, Shower Together-

I gently wrenched the water from my hair, letting it drip down until every drop had found its way to the drain. I placed a towel over my head, tousled it against my damp hair and then folded it like a sort of tall hat. It rested on my head like a turban.

I slipped into my satin pink robe and my feet took comfort within my slippers.

It had been hard arranging shower time when I shared the room with Gaara. I had to time my hygiene sessions accurately so I could avoid running into my boss. I had gotten a late start that day, but figured if I hurried, I could still be out when I needed to be.

I didn't bother securing the belt of the robe around me and instead let it dangle at my sides. A small vertical strip of skin, mostly what little cleavage I had and my belly button were displayed, exposed itself from my robe.

I could hear the buzzing off my walkie-talkie and alarms went off in my head. I was foolish not to bring the communicative device in the bathroom with me, my usual practice, because to Temari, all her calls or buzz-ins were of the highest level of importance and should be my priority.

Throwing open the bathroom door, I started out of the room swiftly, so swiftly that I hadn't been able to stop myself from colliding with another human being, hard.

I felt myself fall forward, the towel flying off my head, unraveling my wet tangled pink hair, and my robe fluttering open the way butterfly flutters its wings. Arms lifted to catch me but I still felt the crash of my front connecting with someone else's.

Beneath me, Gaara lay undressed, looking ready to take a shower himself, and very much shocked. His body was beaded with sweat. He must have just finished training or something he'd done to exert himself to the state he was in.

"You have a habit of falling on top of me." His body glistened below me as I nervously eyed his broad muscular chest. Gaara must have been working out more. He'd grown some wonderful definition that I couldn't help but admire.

"You have a habit of landing under me," I countered. I could feel myself blushing with furiousness. My skin was still wet, damp from my shower. The water in my hair dripped still, droplets landed on Gaara's face and slid down the sides.

"Is there a better place to land?" he asked in his soft spoken voice. The same one that whispered against my face, sent tingles all over my body.

All I know was that his black robe had been unfastened, same as mine, and had fallen open, also same as mine. We were lying against one another, practically (totally) nude with our skin and intimate parts touching.

I wondered if he could hear the sound of my somersaulting heart from within my chest. It was thudding, hard and erratic. I focused for a moment, thinking I could hear his heart too, and it was beating just as fast.

My breathing was heavy, labored. I could hear that his was too. Our gazes were locked. I could see his lips were parted, enticing me. I relaxed against him. He used his elbows to prop the both of us up, but when I felt body parts shift from beneath me, I yelped loudly.

I'm not sure how, but I had propelled myself, jettisoned myself to the opposite side of the room. I hugged my robe closed, gripping it fiercely as if it had a mind of its own and would snap open if I let go.

"I'm so sorry, Kazekage-sama!" I was stammering. I bowed my head, not very graciously, over and over again. Pink hair flew in every direction as my head bobbled apologetically. "Please forgive me! I didn't see anything, I promise!"

When I peered up, he was quietly covering himself with his robe. This time he made sure the belt wrapped firmly around him. He didn't seem perturbed at all, not even a little embarrassed. After he was certain he'd done an efficient job of securing his robe, he looked to me expectantly and casually strode over.

There was a haughty kind of smirk on his lips, just a slight curve of the ends. "If you wanted to save water together, you should have just asked."

I didn't need a mirror to know I was bright, bright red. If I hadn't known better, he'd been taking advantage of our rooming situation together and had also taken every opportunity to tease me.

"You know me," I tried to tease back, "all about saving the environment."

-I Made Breakfast Darling-

I smiled lazily as my eyes admired the Kazekage's serene visage. It was different seeing him as vulnerable as he slept soundly within the covers of his bed. It was odder that I was also in the same covers. I could spend eternity watching him, counting the soft and steady breaths he was taking and admiring his childlike vulnerability, but I knew he would eventually wake up, catch me staring and think me insane.

I sighed and giggled at the thought as I peeled myself from the comfort of his bed. It was still hard to swallow down the fact that I was sleeping not only in the same room but the same bed as him. I wanted to pinch myself and ask, 'Is this the real life?'

I shook my head. My life, as totally insane and chaotic as it is, is very real.

Stretching my limbs out, I felt the energy of a brand new day seep into me. My body slowly absorbed the welcomed vigor, and I found myself in the kitchen. I had grown accustomed to the kitchen upon my first day of moving into the Kazekage's suite so that I would be familiar with it later when I planned cooking.

I was grateful for my wise choice as I wasted no time rummaging through cabinets and instead quickly found a bowl, whisk and hot plate. I settled on whipping up some pancakes. Pancakes couldn't be complete without eggs and bacon to accompany them. I paused briefly after finding all the ingredients for my soon-to-be epic breakfast to search for my music player. Determinedly, I placed the ear buds into my ears, selected a pump-up song and went back to my work.

I wiggled my way through the kitchen, stirring pancake mix and mouthing the words to the songs I danced to. I'd sing if I wasn't awful at it and if there was no risk of waking my handsome sleeping roommate. Dancing would have to suffice.

Delightedly, I poured the pancake mix in a perfectly round and full shape. I glanced over at my bacon and turned it over to cook the other side. I swiftly turned around toward the kitchen's island to retrieve the eggs I had intended to scramble when I collided into a strong chest.

I was slow to peel myself from the figure before me, trying to regain my bearings. I glanced up to find the Kazekage was gazing, quite intently, at me.

"Kazekage-sama," I gasped. His eyes churned a deep green blue as a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. My face immediately flushed when I realized he must have caught me dancing, looking like an idiot.

"You can keep dancing if you'd like," Gaara told me, eyes gleaming with amusement. "It was lovely to watch."

I could feel my cheeks reddening more. I chewed at my bottom lip as an attempt to conceal my embarrassment. I'd been caught, found out. And I'm sure I had looked ridiculous.

I lowered my gaze briefly, struggling to find words to say, anything to break from my awkwardness when I realized with a start that I had forgotten the food. I spun around and flipped over my pancakes. I was just in time. They were a lovely golden brown and spelled delicious.

I ignored my stomach as it rumbled. Cocking my head over my shoulder, I looked back at Gaara. "Hungry?" I asked, politely.

"Famished." He replied intensely, and I wondered if he was referring to the food or to something else entirely.

I would have to contemplate his response later. I returned my attention toward the food and began placing each item into the dishes I had set out for us.

Plates in hand, I met Gaara at the table and served him breakfast. I took my seat across from him and grinned. I may often be a bundle of chaos and nerves, but at least I could cook. They say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I wondered if that saying was true for Gaara as well.

He inhaled the heady scent of his eggs, pancakes and bacon. He closed his eyes, focusing only on the aroma. "Smells wonderful," he murmured. Leisurely he re-opened his eyes, took hold of his fork and began eating. He made a noise of pleasure as he ate his pancakes. His eyes widened as if he had made a discovery. "I've never eaten these before. What are they?" His sea foam eyes never strayed from the piece of pancake on his fork.

"They're called pancakes," I said, almost proudly.

-In Between the Sheets-

"We could fake it," he suggested quietly. His eyes didn't quite meet mine.

It was our twelfth night of being roommates and bedmates. I had overheard a maid in the hall yesterday morning, whispering to another maid that she never heard us get intimate with one another and that she found it odd. Then I had to hear a vivid description of what she would do to the Kazekage if she were in my position. Nice to know I was being envied by perverted Sand Manor servants.

I hadn't wanted to relay the information to Gaara, so I had taken the knowledge to Temari (leaving out the details of the maid's fantasies). Of course, she took it upon herself to let her brother know what I had overheard. He'd approached me sometime in the afternoon, privately, and suggested we come up with a solution later that evening.

So here we were. Trying to formulate a ploy, some grand scheme that would trick the eavesdropping maids (perverts) into believing we were, for lack of a better term, having sex.

"Fake it?" I felt breathless for a moment, mind racing with countless thoughts on how we would go about that.

He gave a careless shrug of his shoulders. "Rustle the sheets perhaps and leave them disarrayed in the morning when they come in to fix the bed."

I stood quietly for a moment, contemplating the idea. "You could use your sand to make the headboard bang against the wall." I walked toward the drawer, the one with lingerie in it. I took the most accessible outfit and tossed it carelessly to the floor. "They'll find it in the morning," I said, as if I needed to explain my action.

"I'll leave some of my pants on the floor as well." He came to the dresser, removed a pair of bottoms from one of the drawers, and gently pitched it near his side of the bed. His eyes moved toward the door and he froze.

"What is it—"

His hand crashed over my mouth, but not roughly. His palm was soft against my lips and I nearly shuddered delightedly from the skin on skin contact. "They're listening now," he whispered. "We should put on our show." He dropped his hand from covering my lips.

I slowly nodded, whispering back, "I'll follow your lead."

Wordlessly, he went to the bed and began to fling the sheets off of it. They sounded like sails billowing from salty ocean air as they cascaded to the floor. I snatched my pillow, threw it against the wall. I was pleased with the loud thud it made.

He gave me an approving nod, lifting his own pillow and lobbing it toward the door. It smacked against it and I swear that I think I heard a giddy gasp escape from one of the maids.

"Should I go in slowly?" The question threw me off before I could catch the meaning of Gaara's words. I hadn't known we'd be engaging in dialogue for the maids. I was hoping we could just throw sheets and pillows around until they were either satisfied or just left.

"Whatever feels best for you," I replied in a serious tone.

He commanded his sand at that point, instructed it to maintain a grasp of the bed's headboard. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I'll be fine," I promised.

His allowed his sand to press against the bed, knock the headboard against the wall in rhythmic pulses. Gaara gave me an expectant look. I suppose that was my cue to act out some sort of reaction to his fake thrusting.

Awkwardly I projected a loud, "Mmmmmm."

I could tell he was trying not to laugh as I continued with more noises, ranging my moans from more Mms to Ahs and Ohs when I could. The sound of the sand grinding the bed against the wall grew louder and more obvious once he increased the speed of the intervals. I picked up the volume of my groans, making them seem more excited, more pleasurable.

I tried not to look at him as I did this. It was enough that through my peripherals I could see he was shaking with silent laughter. My laughter wasn't so silent. As I stifled a giggle, a loud snort escaped.

His eyes widened. He sent the sound back to his gourd and whispered, "Interesting choice of a climactic sound."

I could hear the maids outside whispering, gossiping over the sounds they had heard, the scene they thought they had witnessed. After they could hear no more from us, they had finally chosen to disperse.

I sighed, a breath of relief. "Glad that's over," I told Gaara.

He faked a look of disappointment. "No round two?"

"You wore me out," I teased, wagging a finger at him. I bent over to pick up the sheets we had scattered and neatly placed them back onto the bed before hunting down my pillow. Just as I lowered to pick up my pillow, it lifted and placed itself into my hands. I saw that it didn't move on its own, but had been given a boost from some meddling sand grains. I looked to Gaara. "Thank you."

He gave a nod and brushed off his pillow from whatever dust it may have collected (if any, Gaara was a neat freak). "We'll have to get better at our performance, make them more interesting each time."

"They'll call us kinky," I joked.

There was a ghost of a smile. "I'm open to new experiences."

I picked up my pillow and smacked him with it. The look of utter shock on his face was priceless, saved forever in my memory. You could tell he had never been playfully smacked before. It had taken him off guard.

I felt a tap at my shoulder, turned around and was greeted by a hand of gathered sand grains. Next I felt the soft consistency of a pillow brush against the back of my head in a light smack. I whirled around, grinning.

We both looked to the nearest pillow, lazily resting near the headboard, unaware of us and the game we were playing. Gaara's eyes widened and he sent his sand out to seize it, but I had already dived toward it first. I slid in between the sheets of the bed, wrapped my arms around the pillow and held on tightly. His sand changed its course, redirecting itself to take hold of me rather than the pillow. I was lifted slowly, gently, into midair where I hovered above the mattress, pillow still secured within my grasp.

He saw that I was refusing to let go of my prize. So his sand carried me to him. "Give me the pillow?" he asked in a gentle voice, eyes begging me but I could see the amusement embedded deep within them. He wanted to win, and didn't mind playing dirty to do so by the looks of it.

We were almost nose to nose. I could feel my heart racing inside of me as desire flooded through me like that out of a broken dam that had pent up an overwhelming amount of water.

"Make me," I breathed. I looked him straight in the eyes, not backing down this time.

He stiffened and quieted, suddenly looking awkward for a moment. He seemed about to give up on our game and I wondered briefly if I had played too mean. Maybe I should have let him win.

Then he did something unexpected.

He pressed his nose to mine and closed his eyes. Sighing, he brushed his nose side to side, back and forth, against my own. My skin tingled, tickled by his breath on me. I was melting like candy in a warm mouth. Shocked, I felt my grip loosen until I had lost the pillow. It was in his hands now.

His eyes fluttered open and the sand carried me back to the bed, nestled me in between the sheets and tucked me in. "How kind of you to hand it over," he remarked with a small smirk.

I would have teased back, but I was too taken aback. I was still trying to recover from what I believed to be cardiac arrest, heart palpitations, things that would make it jackhammer inside my constricted chest the way it was now.

"I win," he told me, although I wasn't sure if he was referring to the game or something else entirely.

"I know," I replied, also unsure of what I was directing the remark towards.

I had never seen Gaara as playful as I had now that we were staying together. It was delightful to see him this way, but it also made me nervous. Was it possible for me to fall more deeply in love with him during our time?

As I watched him slip into his side of the bed, a ghost of a smile on his lips, I knew that it was undoubtedly probable that I could fall more deeply. I was in trouble. Big trouble.

Squeezing my eyes shut, tempted to toss the blankets over my head completely and hide myself as if the solution were that simple, I thought to myself, 'Tsubie-chan, just what have you gotten yourself into?'

Author's Note: I made sure this chapter was much longer than the last couple. I'm sorry for leaving you guys with such brief chapters. I hope I've made up for it with these excerpts. Now, time to make this more interactive. I have questions for you, my readers, which I hope you can answer so I can begin the next chapter.

What would you like to see happen (Keep it PG-13, haha!) between Gaara and Tsubasa?

What did you think of their awkward moments/circumstances in this chapter?

What did you think of their heartfelt/touching moments in this chapter?

What more would you like to see in the next chapter?

Any suggestions or ideas that you would like to see take place between the two?

Any moments you've been waiting for?

Let me know in a review!