A/N: Yeah...don't ask. Another one shot that I've been holding on to for about a year ...I DO NOT OWN NARUTO
Primera Art Studio, 2:30 pm:
"You want me to what?" asked a pretty young woman with deep emerald eyes. She looked at her blonde and black haired best friends in disbelief. She hadn't believed Tenten when the brunette had called her and 'warned' her that their two friends were trying to get people together for a small drinking party. Rolling her eyes, she glared at her two friends.
"Sakura, it's not that we're trying to push you into dating, not after your divorce with Sasuke; we just think you should get out more." Hinata said in a soft, soothing voice. Sakura hated it when the other woman did that. She knew full well that this was their effort to try and hook Hinata up with Naruto…again. Shaking her head, she sighed.
"Alright, I'll go. But you owe me for this." Ino squealed and she knew she was going to regret this.
New Moon Dance Club, 9:15 pm:
"This is such a waste of my time. I can't believe I let them talk me into this…" Sakura grumbled and sipped her Crown Apple Sour. She'd wanted a straight shot of vodka, but Ino had said that was 'unladylike'. So now, here she was, working on her fifth Crown Apple in the first hour of the night. There was a blonde girl here she'd never met before, though she'd been introduced earlier. They were waiting on the guys, who were running late.
She suddenly noticed Hinata turn bright red. Naruto was here. With a sigh, she stirred her drink with her straw. With a grumble, she started whispering to herself. "This is truly the most pathetic thing I have ever seen in my life. Who actually comes to these things to pick up a partner…" she shook her head as she noticed Naruto hug Hinata, who looked to be in heaven.
A chuckle at her shoulder made her stiffen. She looked up to find a man standing there, watching her. He was a brunette with laughing black eyes that made her want to slap him. She hated arrogant men like him. She could just bet he was going to say something to her; something stupid like-
"Hey baby, you're looking a little lonely sitting there all by yourself." She sweat dropped. Was he actually hitting on her? He went to sit down beside her and she shot up, going to the bar to order more drinks for her and her friends. She did NOT want to get stuck sitting beside such an idiot. After she ordered, she stood there and regarded the crowd. She noticed that Tenten was sitting beside a long haired brunette with cold eyes. She arched a brow at the man when he looked up and caught her peering at him.
He looked about to get up, but her curious gaze turned to a cold one and she noticed him hesitate and then think better of approaching her. With a satisfied sniff, she went on peering at the people with her friends. There was, of course, Naruto and his brunette co-worker, Shikamaru. Shikamaru was nursing a beer and glancing at the blonde girl that had showed up with Tenten and Ino. She noticed the brunette that had tried hitting on her earlier still staring at her, while Ino was talking to someone that she couldn't see. He was sitting in the corner of their table, hidden in the shadows. That was alright with her, she didn't want any of these guys hitting on her. She'd never hand her heart to another man…not with what Sasuke had done.
Turning back to the bar, she gulped down the rest of her drink and ordered something a little stronger. Now that Ino wasn't hanging over her shoulder, she ordered a straight shot of Vodka, no chaser. She stared into the shot glass as memories crept into her mind. She remembered how she'd ended up this way…how she'd met the man that broke her heart. Her eyes glazed over as she remembered their meeting.
"Sakura, just come out this one time! It won't interfere with your art, I promise!" Sakura looked over her shoulder at her two blonde friends. Both thought she should be dating by now, but she had her art and she was happy with that. She noticed the pleading look in Naruto's eyes. She knew Naruto was hoping she'd change her mind and date him, but she'd made it very plain to him that she would never jeopardize their friendship by dating him. He'd stopped pestering her, but he always made subtle hints to her.
She then looked at Ino, who was plainly hoping that Sakura would say yes so she didn't have to deal with Naruto's whining. Sakura also knew the blonde girl had her eyes on a certain brunette named Kiba, who was a complete party animal. Meaning Sakura would be stuck babysitting the drunks while Ino was trying to get into the man's pants.
She was about to tell them no when her close friend Hinata walked in. The black haired girl froze at the sight of Naruto. Sakura knew then and there she'd have to say yes. "I'll go on one condition." Sakura said while giving both blondes a stern look. "Hinata comes too." She'd seen the shock on the girl's face as both blondes turned and looked at her. Sakura smiled and mouthed 'Just say yes, Naruto will be there'. Hinata had stuttered a cautious yes and Ino had cheered.
After getting done at her studio, Sakura had gone home, taken a shower, and gotten ready. She'd arrived, with Hinata in tow, to the club fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. She probably would have skipped and claimed she'd fallen asleep if Hinata hadn't shown up at her house a nervous wreck begging for her help. Sakura had given the girl a makeover and then gotten herself ready and they'd left, Hinata driving.
So she'd sat there, watching Ino try and win the brunette Inuzuka over, while Hinata had made small talk with Naruto, who had actually seemed to be enjoying himself. She'd shaken her head and gone to the bar to order a drink. When she'd come back, she'd been mesmerized by laughing black eyes and an arrogant smirk. She'd been introduced to Kiba's co-worker and childhood friend, Sasuke.
Sakura shook her head and downed her shot, ordering another. Yes, she'd been swept off her feet by Sasuke that night. She'd also been proposed to several weeks later, married him, and moved in with him within a month of their meeting. She'd been happy, until she'd noticed lipstick stains on his work shirts. She'd said nothing, but she did start recording the instances. She never wore lipstick, so she knew it wasn't hers. Months had gone by before she'd finally marched into his building and gone straight into his office, only to see him thrusting into a girl she'd never seen before, but the lipstick she wore was familiar.
Sakura had stared, wide eyed with shock and disgust. She'd taken her wedding rings off and thrown them at him with such force that she'd cut his cheek with them. She'd stormed out of there and to her lawyer's office and had filed for a divorce. She'd won easily, being as she'd actually caught him and had detailed records of the incidents that had made her suspicious. The long hours at the office when there was nothing to do; the lipstick stains on his shirt, some of which she'd taken pictures of; the box of condoms in his car, which they never used…Sakura had made sure that everyone knew just what a scumbag he was.
He'd lost everything for what he'd done to her…the respect of his peers: his boss, his friends…he'd had to resign and move away because Sakura was so popular in their town. It wasn't a small hick town, but it wasn't a bustling big city either. They traveled in the same social circles, so it had been hard for him to find anyone that would even willingly talk to him after their bitter divorce. With a hiss, she downed another shot of vodka. Though it was helping with her tension, it wasn't helping rid her of his memory. She just wanted him to burn for the miserable six months she'd been married to him and the following four month long divorce.
Not really paying attention, she leaned against the bar, her weight on one leg, her rear sticking out slightly. She sighed and ordered another drink. "Fucking miserable ass…I hate these fucking parties…" she muttered darkly. She felt a presence before she heard a deep chuckle. Whoever was behind her was definitely male. Feeling this was her chance to vent some of her frustration, she whirled around and was about to chew whoever it was out for touching her…only to come face to face with a chest. She noticed, blushingly, that it was a very nice chest as well. Shaking her head, she lifted her eyes until they met intense pale jade eyes.
"I take it you're here with Naruto and his friends?" he asked in a deep, hypnotic voice. Sakura instantly became guarded. This man would be way too easy to fall for. She arched her brow at him and reached back to grab her shot of vodka. Downing it easily, she licked her lips, testing him. She noticed how his eyes followed the movement of her lips and she stood a little straighter.
"And if I am?" she asked in a challenging voice. She noticed his eyes twinkle with excitement and she arched her brow at him again. He openly chuckled then and leaned against the bar beside her.
"You don't like these things very much, do you?" he asked and looked over at her. He noticed her bitter look and wondered at it. She just shrugged.
"One of 'these things' as you call it is how I met my ex-husband. He was a real bottom feeder, if you know what I mean." She cleared her throat and asked for another shot of vodka. She noticed him arch his brow again and watch her as she downed the shot of vodka without a chaser.
"Impressive. Not many women can drink straight shots of anything without a chaser. What's your name?" She arched a brow at him again, a frown on her plump pink lips. She noticed him staring at her lips again and knew he was wondering if her lips were naturally that color. She was asked about it all the time.
"Sakura. What about you? What are you doing here? You don't seem the kind of guy to come to one of these arranged drinking parties." She noticed his annoyed look as he reached up one muscular arm and pointed at their group.
"That brunette, the one hitting on the girl with long blonde hair…he's my brother. The blonde stealing glances of Shikamaru is my sister. I came to make sure neither one of them does something stupid. Last time my brother came to one of these, he almost got arrested." She noticed him shaking his head as he sighed and turned to the bar. "As for my drink of choice, I prefer water. Alcohol doesn't sit well with me. Last time I drank was about eleven months ago." He noticed her curiosity and motioned her to a table away from their friends.
Giving him a suspicious look, she ordered a rum and coke and then walked with him over to the secluded table. She sat and watched as he sat down across from her. He leaned back and regarded her. "You said you were married, correct? A 'real bottom feeder' was the phrase used I believe." She noticed the laughter in his eyes and bristled.
"Yes. We were married six months before I filed for divorce because I caught him fucking some girl on the desk in his office." She said bitterly. She noticed the pained look in his eyes before he took a sip of his water.
"Glad to know you're completely honest about it. That 'girl' as you called her was my fiance. We were set to be married the weekend that I found out she'd been caught with Uchiha, 'fucking on the desk in his office'." Sakura gasped and stared at him, wide eyed.
"Son of a bitch! That no good, cock sucking, anal digging bastard!" she hissed and gripped her empty glass so hard it busted in her hand. Luckily, she was only cut a little. She didn't even fuss over it, just wrapped it in the linen napkin at their table and looked at him, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry…" she said and looked down.
"That was very…colorful." He said with a chuckle. She looked up and noticed the amusement in his eyes. She sighed and pulled her hand up, looking at it as a little blood seeped into the linen.
"Sorry for that. It's just that…the whole time I never really stopped to consider if anyone else was hurt by all this. I didn't stop to think whether or not that girl had someone…all I could think about was my own pain and how he lied to me." She gave a humorless laugh and leaned back. She needed another drink. She flagged down a waiter and ordered another Crown Apple Sour. She cleared her throat and looked at him.
"What was her name? Your ex-fiance, I mean." She noticed the flash of discomfort before he took another sip of his water and looked up at her again.
"Matsuri. We were high school sweethearts. She's four years younger than me and was three grades below me in school. We studied at the same college and I asked her to marry me at graduation. She said she wanted to wait a few years before we got married, but she said yes." He, too, gave a bitter laugh. "But in reality, she'd been going behind my back for months and screwing a guy from an opposing business. She was a linguist, you see. She handled foreign policies for any company that would hire her." Sakura nodded and looked down at her drink as the waiter brought it over.
"I met Sasuke when Ino was trying to bag his friend and co-worker, Kiba. I would say it was love at first sight, but I think it was more infatuation. I'd been hurt badly in college by another art student I'd had a crush on for years. He said things to me that made my self esteem plummet and made my confidence in myself disappear. But when Sasuke asked me to marry him, I managed to feel like maybe I was getting it back. It was a rushed affair…we met, married, and moved in together in a little under a month." She couldn't believe she was telling him this. But, he was also involved in this…he had been engaged to the woman her husband had cheated on her with.
She sighed and stirred her drink absently. "One day, he came home really late and crawled in to bed with me smelling like perfume. I don't like perfume because it has a tendency to wear off when you really need it or be too strong when you don't want it to be." She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "I put it off to the fact that he worked closely with women. His boss and two of his advisors were women." He nodded and she jabbed a piece of ice with her straw. "After that, I found a lipstick stain on his shirt collar. I don't wear lipstick…I've never been a big makeup user, so I knew something was up. After that, I started writing down every time something unusual happened. I even took pictures of the lipstick stains several times." She sat back in her chair then, her dress riding up a bit.
"I was beginning to get really paranoid. I started going to Hinata's office and talking to her. She's a psychologist, you see. I asked her about it and she told me that the best way to fix it was to confront him about it. She had mentioned to me before that she thought we'd moved too fast. I finally got so fed up with it that I went to his building to confront him about it. Kiba had tried intercepting me, claiming Sasuke was in an important business meeting with a foreign client and that I wasn't allowed in." she snorted and chuckled evilly. "I gave him a right hook and marched into Sasuke's office. That's when I found him with that girl bent over his desk, spread like a gourmet dinner." She shook her head at the memory.
"He tried to say it wasn't what it looked like, but there was a ripped condom packet on the ground and an empty condom box on his desk. The girl was staring at me with a mixture of ecstasy and embarrassment. It was obvious they'd been going at it for hours." She noticed the flicker in his eyes and she shook her head. "I was so angry that I couldn't even speak. He tried to say this was the first time, but what got me was that I recognized her lipstick. Her fucking lipstick was the same shade as the stains on his collar. I knew his claim of 'this was the first time' was nothing but bullshit. What made it worse is that Kiba knew about it. He'd known and kept it a secret." She shook her head and took a large gulp of her drink.
"After that, I threw my wedding rings at him and marched out of there and went straight to my lawyer to file for divorce. It was a long, bitter four month ordeal where he tried to make me out to be a bad wife. He lost miserably, because I was born and raised here. Everyone knows me and knows I was nothing but loyal to that miserable bastard." She could feel the tears, but she pushed them back and took another drink. "He finally got ran out of town two months ago. I moved back into my old house, which I hadn't sold but was renting out. The girl that was living there didn't mind after she found out what happened. She helped me deal with it, as she'd gone through a bitter divorce herself a year ago. We became friends, until her job took her overseas." Sakura looked down at her drink and sighed.
"Ever since the deal with Sasuke, I haven't been real social. I stopped going out with my friends, I stopped teaching art lessons at the park, and I holed myself up in my studio. I hate arrogant men like your brother, I honestly thought about slapping him when he walked up to me, and I don't hide the fact I think men are pigs." She took another drink of her neon green beverage and looked at him. "But for some reason, I don't get that vibe from you." She noticed his smirk and she shook her head.
"Of course. Being arrogant and being confident are two different things entirely." Sakura blinked at that and then burst out laughing. She'd never thought of it that way before. She gave him a smirk of her own and stood.
"You want to dance?" she asked him. He noticed the gleam in her eye and he smirked back at her. This could be fun. Standing, he followed her out to the dance floor and started swaying to the beat of the slow song that was currently playing. He looked at their friends over her shoulder and noticed that Naruto was staring at the two of them in shock. He winked at his blonde friend, who smirked and leaned over to the black haired girl beside him. He noticed the girl look up at them and then her mouth dropped in shock.
He just chuckled and swayed to the beat of the song with Sakura in his arms. He noticed her squirming and then she looked up at him with an arched brow. "What's your name anyways? I don't think we ever got around to that." He chuckled and pulled her closer to him.
"Gaara. Sabaku Gaara. And you must be Haruno Sakura." He noticed her slightly surprised face and he laughed. "I read the news, back when I broke off my engagement to Matsuri. In the paper it said 'Local Artist Shames Cheating Husband in Office Scandal'. Your name was in it, but there was no picture." Sakura nodded, understanding that it had been a huge draw for the newspapers. Scandals like that just didn't happen around here.
"Yeah…I bet the press had a field day with their theories of what happened." She said in a bitter voice. She heard him chuckle.
"Actually, they got it reasonably right. My sister, Temari, is an investigative reporter for the local newspaper. She told me later that she asked to be assigned the case so that she could make sure Matsuri never forgot what she did." Sakura let out a laugh and shook her head.
"Never mess with a reporter's family. They'll slur your name on the front page and claim they were just following a lead." They both laughed at that and Sakura rested her head on Gaara's shoulder. She heard him humming and she smiled. Sasuke had never danced with her, not even at their wedding. He'd said dancing wasn't his thing. She sighed and leaned into Gaara, happy for the first time in a long time. She felt Gaara tense in her arms and she opened her eyes and looked at him. He had stopped moving and was now staring with wide eyes behind her. She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to find angry brown eyes glaring at her.
"And who the hell do you think you are?" the girl asked. Sakura looked at the girl, slightly miffed at her presence…until she noticed that salmon pink lipstick. Something in Sakura just clicked and suddenly Sakura threw a punch, clipping the girl in the face. Her eyes were wide and angry as she glared down at the girl, her little strapless black dress hugging her curves as she stood over the girl she now knew as Matsuri.
"You fucking slut! You're the little whore that Sasuke had bent over his desk! Who the hell do you think you are cheating on your fiance with my husband!" she yelled at the girl, drawing all kinds of attention to them. Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the girl. "What the hell possessed you to cheat on such a sweet guy? And with an asshole like Sasuke, even! What the fuck went through your mind? Honestly!" she huffed and grabbed Gaara's hand, dragging him over to her friends. She grabbed her purse and was about to drag Gaara out behind her when Ino yelled at her.
"Sakura, where are you going?" She noticed Ino looking at their clasped hands and she narrowed her eyes on the blonde. She handed her purse to Gaara, who just stood there looking amused as the emerald eyed beauty advanced on their friends. Sakura grabbed Ino and pushed her down in Gaara's brother's lap. She glared at the blonde.
"He's your type, trust me Ino." The blonde blushed and looked at the guy, who was smirking at her. She turned around and started talking to him while Sakura went up to Tenten and the guy sitting with her. She stared at them. "I think you two have things figured out." She grumbled, noting the hand the guy had on her knee and the way Tenten leaned against him. She then turned and narrowed her eyes on Shikamaru, who was still stealing glances at the blonde woman named Temari. With a snort, Sakura pulled her leg up and pushed the brunette into the blonde's lap. He sputtered and apologized and then glared up at Sakura.
"Haruno, what's the big idea!" he gulped when Sakura glared at him.
"You've been stealing glances at one another all night. I'm fucking tired of it. Either do something about it or go home." She growled and then rounded on Naruto, who gulped and held up his hands.
"N-now Sakura…you don't want to do this…" he squeaked when Sakura walked over to him and banged her hand on the table, staring at him.
"Oh but I do Naruto, I do. Get your head out of your ass and look around you. Hinata likes you, and I mean bump and grind likes you. She has since we were in middle school." She then turned to Hinata, who looked like she was about to die. "Hinata, Naruto likes you too, as in smack that ass likes you, but he's too stupid to understand that the tingling feeling he has is the fact he likes you. He has since the day I met Sasuke." She then stood straight and glared at them all. "And just so you know, I think these things are really stupid. If you want me to have fun, don't arrange for couples. Just come out with me as my friends." She huffed and then walked back over to Gaara.
She noticed his smirk and arched her brow at him. She bumped his groin with her hip, making him gasp. "Don't think I don't know you're sporting that. I might have only been married for six months, but I'm familiar with what that means." She said in a sassy tone and took her purse from him. She walked out and stifled her smile when she noticed him follow her out. She raised her hand for a taxi and noticed him step up behind her.
"That wasn't a very nice thing you did to me inside, you know." He murmured in her ear, his voice husky. She bit her lip and looked at him over one bare shoulder.
"In case you weren't paying attention, Mr. Sabaku, I'm not a very nice woman. I'm not afraid to speak my mind and I never let anyone walk all over me." She winked at him and opened the door to the taxi as it pulled up to the side. She was about to shut the door when he climbed in with her and handed the driver a bill.
"Where ever the lady wants to go." He said and then turned back to Sakura, who had a brow arched at him. He noticed her smirk and then give the man an address. He leaned over and ran his hand up her thigh as she just sat there as if what he was doing didn't affect her. However, his lips on her pulse told him she was just keeping up a front. His ministrations were exciting her. Her pulse was racing and he could feel it drumming against his lips. He scraped her neck with his teeth lightly and he smirked when she moaned quietly. The taxi stopped and they tumbled out, laughing and holding onto one another. He looked up and noticed they were at a studio of some kind. He looked at the sign and read Primera. "Where are we?" He asked curiously. She giggled then and looked back at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
"My art studio." She smirked and unlocked it, leading him in. He followed her and looked around as she clicked the lights on. He could smell paint, turpentine and something earthy. He glanced around and noticed several amazing paintings.
"You did these?" he asked in awe. She laughed and nodded, walking towards a door in the back.
"This is just the studio. The gallery is back here." She watched him as he turned and looked at her. He nodded and walked after her. He walked into her gallery and gasped. There were tons of beautiful works of art. Paintings, photographs, drawings, pottery…he'd never seen anything like it. He noticed a particularly dark piece and he walked up to it.
It was of a beautiful angel with white hair and big, innocent blue eyes. She was standing on a dark and bloody battlefield and she had her hand reached out and a small pink butterfly was flitting around her hand. There were tears on the angel's face and Gaara noticed that one of the angel's wings was broken. He suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder and looked down at Sakura, who was looking at the piece. "After I found out Sasuke was cheating on me, I started working like mad. I buried myself in my art to try and ease the pain. This is one of the results." Gaara looked around and noticed another painting, this time it was of a brilliant pink rose in blood with a dark shadow being cast behind it. He actually shivered seeing this one.
"And that one?" he asked as he walked over to it. It was absolutely beautiful, in a very creepy way. She chuckled and shook her head.
"That one speaks for itself. The rose is me. The shadow is the girl, and the blood is Sasuke. I don't have a very high opinion of my ex-husband." She turned and started walking towards several large sculptures. Gaara followed her.
He noticed all the sculptures were of women…he wondered why. "You have a fascination with the female body?" he asked in a husky tone. He momentarily wondered if perhaps she liked men and women. However, the amusement on her face said otherwise.
"All these sculptures are modeled after my own body." She said with a hint of amusement. He looked at the sculptures and noticed that, indeed, they all seemed to be the same woman. He arched a brow at her.
"And just how did you pull that one off?" she chuckled and shook her head.
"Sculptures are something I only do when I'm commissioned to. These were my practice pieces right before I started working on a large commission piece by a man from Iwa. He wanted his four daughters and their husbands forever immortalized. So, I had to practice. I drew sketches of myself and used the sketches to help me develop the necessary skill to do such a large piece. I still have the sketch in the back. Technically this is the front of my shop. The wide expanse of curtain over there is hiding a wall of windows." She chuckled at his arched brow. She then walked up to him and pressed herself against him.
"You want to model for one of my paintings, Mr. Sabaku?" she asked him in a husky voice. He looked down at her with a smirk.
"Do I get any type of compensation for being a model, Ms. Sakura?" he noticed her arch a brow at him and then smile wickedly.
"I can think of something to give you in return, I'm sure…Gaara." She purred his name and noticed him bite his lip. She licked the side of his face and then pulled away with glazed eyes. "Follow me…" she whispered and he eagerly followed her. She took him back into her studio and motioned to what looked like a pile of blankets on the floor. She put on an oversized button up shirt with paint all over it and then told him to undress. He smirked at her and she winked at him. He started taking off his clothes, folding them, and putting them in a chair nearby. He was in nothing but his boxers when she turned around. She admired his form and then pointed at his boxers.
"All my models are nude. Drop them." She smirked at his shocked face. She put down the canvas she'd just finished stretching and walked over to him. She dropped to her knees in front of him and tugged at the legs. She suddenly jerked them down, leaving him completely nude. She admired him and then stood up, a slight blush on her face. She walked over to her canvas and then started mixing her paints. She motioned him to be seated. "There are beanbags and other soft things under those sheets, so you can flop down any which way you want." She murmured as she watched him. He moved with an animal grace that mesmerized her.
She watched as he gracefully lowered himself to the pile and arranged himself suggestively. Arching her brow, she took a pencil from the pocket of her shirt and started sketching. An idea popped into her head and she smirked wickedly. "I've been asked to do a large marble piece for one of the local production companies to put in their lobby. They never specified what it should be…want to help me make it?" he looked up at her and noticed her hooded eyes and slightly flushed appearance. He smirked and pushed up so that he was leaning up and looking at her, his full frontal nudity not bothering him at all.
"What kind of piece are we talking? I'm not the kind of guy to just let myself be exposed to the public." He noticed the Cheshire smile that crossed her face before he noticed her drop the paint stained button down shirt. Her tiny black dress was a stark contrast to the previously pale shirt and made him think of velvet and cream. Licking his lips, he watched her as she made her way over to him. She licked her lips, drawing his attention there. She kicked off her high heels as she walked over to him, bending down so that they were now on the same level. With a smile, she crawled up his body until his erection finally caught on the hem of her dress. She arched her brow at him and rubbed against him, making him groan.
Before they could think twice about it, she leaned back and with a breathless gasp connected them in the most intimate way possible. His back arched, his hands were on her hips and squeezing tightly, his eyes closed and mouth open. Sakura, for her part, was in heaven. It had been much too long since she'd been physically loved. The last time had been her wedding night with Sasuke. After that, he'd deviated and she'd never let him touch her. She felt Gaara gripping her and knew there wouldd be bruises later, but he felt so good.
She threw back her head as he arched up into her and closed her eyes as she just let feeling take over. She felt him roll them over and bury his face in her neck, whispering to her in what sounded like French. With a sigh, she just laid back and let him make love to her.
Cupid's Flight Productions, 8:00 pm; 4 months later:
"And here it is folks! The thing you've all gathered here to see! CFP's custom ordered marble centerpiece, courtesy of Primera Art Studio!" the well dressed owner of CFP reached out and yanked the large white sheet from the sculpture. There were gasps and then a round of applause as people took in the full beauty of the piece. The base appeared as large pillows with sheets lying around in chaos. Lying atop the sheets was a nude woman, her eyes seeming to be closed. Long, loose curls were fanned out around her. Her hand was reaching down and resting on the head of a man.
He had short, messy hair and his eyes seemed to be closed as well. His head was resting on her stomach, his hands resting on her hips, as if they were resting. His body was between her legs, while one of her feet rested on his calf, almost as if she were massaging it. He, too, was nude, but there were large angel wings extending upward from his back. There was great detail on the feathers of the wings. Overall, it was exquisite.
As people admired the piece, the creator stood in the background, hoping to go unnoticed. She was dressed in a flowing white skirt and a silk magenta top. She had gold accessories and was holding a wine glass…which was clearly untouched. Her hopes of remaining unnoticed were dashed when an all too familiar face came into her view and made its way over to her. With a forced smile, she greeted the person. "Kiba." She nodded at him as he put his hands in his pockets.
"You're looking good Sakura. I see your art is getting better." She knew a jab when she heard one. He was lucky it was only her art that had improved.
"So are my right hooks. Would you like me to show you?" she asked in a sweet voice with veiled hostility. She noticed him shift and then look behind him. She stiffened as she noticed he was not alone. Her eyes went cold as her ex-husband walked up beside Kiba, his eyes on Sakura. "What are you doing here?" she asked in an icy voice. Despite the eight months since their divorce, she couldn't help but feel resentment towards him. She noticed his eyes flare with interest and she gave a humorless laugh. "You always were turned on by things you couldn't have." She noticed him arch a brow and look at her.
"You're looking well." He said in a conversational tone. She just stared at him with disbelief. He was here, in front of her, acting as if he hadn't cheated on her, lied about it, and ripped her dignity to shreds. With a frosty smile, she nodded.
"Yes. I haven't felt this good since before I went to college." It was a dig at his pride…one she knew would aggravate him. It worked splendidly.
"You were done with college when we married." He said with obvious irritation. She gave that sexy, throaty chuckle she'd become known for as she looked at him through narrowed eyes.
"Yes…I was wasn't I? I guess my life before now was rather dull. College was an adventure, but things went stagnant up until recently." She noticed his nostrils flare and his eyes narrow. Satisfaction ripped through her at the sight of his bruised pride. A sudden touch at the small of her back had her looking over her shoulder and smiling. "You're just in time! There's someone I want you to meet. This is Sasuke and his best friend, Kiba." She noticed hostility flash through those gorgeous jade eyes before it was buried under layers of polite civility.
Reaching out a hand, he looked at the two men with cold eyes. "Sabaku Gaara, President of Suna Geological Industries." As was customary, the two men felt the need to expand their introductions.
"Inuzuka Kiba, Foreign Liaison of Godaime Geological Technology." The brunette extended his own hand and shook the red head's. Sasuke just glared at the man as he noticed the red head was standing very close to Sakura and had his hand on her. Reaching out, he made sure to grip Gaara's hand roughly.
"Uchiha Sasuke, owner and founder of the Uchiha Archeological Institute. I'm Sakura's husband." He smirked, thinking he'd dropped a bombshell on the red head, but it disappeared when the red head laughed. It was Sakura's chilly reply that startled him.
"Ex-husband; and a lousy one at that. I'm much happier with my new one." She then brought her hand up, exposing a large sparkling diamond with an intricate gold setting, as well as a filigreed wedding band. Both men looked shocked while Sakura and Gaara smiled.
"While I still submit my art under Haruno Sakura, I go by my married name…Sabaku Sakura." She noticed the two attempting to recover the lost ground. It was Sasuke that managed to speak first.
"We've been divorced eight months and you're already remarried?" he sounded incredulous, but Sakura just looked up at Gaara and smiled.
"We met four months ago at a drinking party set up by Ino. We knew each other and didn't even realize it." Sasuke arched a brow at them and Gaara answered.
"The girl you cheated on Sakura with was my former fiance. We were set to marry the weekend Sakura exposed the two of you." Sasuke's eyes widened in shock; He'd not known she was engaged…she'd never worn rings to work.
"She never wore rings…never even mentioned anyone in her life…" he said in a dazed voice. Sakura shook her head and leaned against Gaara.
"The night we met was the night we started getting to know each other. We found we had a lot in common, though we do differ in opinion on some things." She gave her red head a dry look and then continued. "After dating three months, and learning something shocking, we got married. We've been married a little under four weeks." She heard Gaara's deep chuckle as she stared at the two shocked men.
"It took me almost two of those three months to convince you to marry me. What with your condition and all-" he was cut off by a shocked Sasuke.
"Wait, you got her pregnant before you guys were married?" he seemed genuinely shocked at this. Gaara frowned and looked down at his wife.
"I wouldn't say that. More like I got pregnant by him." She chuckled and looked up at him as he scowled.
"This is one of those issues we differ on. I'm a firm believer in taking responsibility for ones actions. We didn't use protection our first time and it ended with Sakura getting pregnant. Though I had planned to date Sakura and eventually ask her to marry me, the baby cemented my decision." Sakura shook her head and sighed, laying her head on his shoulder. Kiba and Sasuke looked like they'd been slapped in the face. Neither could quite believe what they were hearing.
Deciding it was time to part from the unwanted company, Sakura took Gaara's hand and waved goodbye. "Goodbye, gentlemen. Hope you enjoy your evening." She led him into a dimly lit corridor that was isolated and stifled her giggles in his shoulder. "Did you see their faces when I told them we were married?" she shook her head, thankful for the first time since they'd started dating he'd bought her that intricate diamond ring. She felt his chest vibrating, telling her he was laughing along with her.
"And when you hinted you were pregnant? I think they both nearly had a heart attack." He noticed her giggles die down and a tense silence followed. He arched a brow and looked down at her. She was blushing and wouldn't look him in the eyes. "Sakura…what aren't you telling me?" She bit her lip and looked up at him.
"Well, I was going to tell you when we got home from the party, but since the issue's been raised…" Gaara's eyes widened as he looked her in the eyes and then down at her belly. He noticed that her normally loose silk blouse was a little tight.
"Sakura…are you saying what I think you're saying?" She looked at the floor and bit her lip again.
"I missed my period the last two months. I went to the drug store today on my break and bought a pregnancy test. It…it was positive…" she looked up at him with uncertain eyes. She was surprised when he picked her up and hugged her tightly.
"Love, that's wonderful!" He kissed her as he held her to him. He then set her down and looked her in the eyes, taking her face between his hands. "I was serious about what I said. I want to be a part of our baby's life. Sakura…will you marry me?" he noticed tears gather in her eyes as she smiled at him and nodded. He smiled at her and kissed her.
With a smile, she murmured against his lips. "I think I'm falling for you, Gaara." She heard him laugh as he whispered against her lips.
"I know I've fallen for you." She kissed him, careful not to lean too heavily against him and take the risk of hurting their baby. With one final kiss, he grabbed her hand and took her to the exit. He took off his suit jacket and put it over her shoulders. They went out and hailed a cab together and went back to their cozy five bedroom, two and a half bath apartment to contemplate their future with the presence of children.