I've been away from writing for quite a while but now I think I'm ready to get back into it. Here's a preview for the sequel to this story, Cinnamon and Sand. Chapter 1 has now been posted so go check it out if you're interested.

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I whirled around to see Gaara standing in the shade of a nearby tree. My heart sped up a little. Part of me was afraid that he was just an illusion, that he'd disappear the moment I touched him. But the rest of me wasn't listening as I immediately ran over and jumped on him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, my legs around his waist, and showered his face with kisses. He seemed a little startled at first but he didn't move away. Instead, he locked his arms around my back as I kissed his lips really hard.

"I missed you so much," I murmured breathlessly when I finally let him up for air. I couldn't believe he was actually here in Konoha. There was a warmth building up inside me just from being this close to him. But there was something nagging at the back of my mind that seemed to be missing. I pulled back a little and blinked a few times when I realized what it was. I'd just thrown myself bodily at Gaara and met no resistance at all. Ordinarily, his sand would rise up to immediately to block any incoming attacks. But his gourd was propped up against the tree and there was no sand in sight.

"Is something wrong?" he asked me as he tilted his head curiously.

"Uh, no. Just. . .no sand. I should have hit a wall or something, right?"

His lips twitched up at the corners. Seeing Gaara smile was the best thing in the world even if it was just a little quirk of his mouth. He tightened his arms around me. "My defense responds to threats. You are merely. . .enthusiastic." His expression softened as his fingers flexed against my lower back. "I don't think it will ever rise against you." His voice lowered a little bit and sounded kind of shy. "It's never done that for anyone else."