1Title: Sandy Stars

Warning: Uhm.. Kissing??

Distribution: Ahh;; Please, just go look at my bio. :)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or any of the characters in this story. Although, I do usually growl at people that Gaara & Sasuke-kun are, and I quote, "MINE!" ;) Oopsies.

A/N: Ahh. My GaaraxSakura story. And how FUNNY that I post it on SASUKE-KUN'S BIRTHDAY!!! AHHHH! HE'S LIKE SO TOTALLY 16 TODAY!! MY SEXY LITTLE SASSSSSSSUKE!! MY BIG SMOLDERING DARK-EYED EVIL, HOT, EMO MAN! YESSS!!HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE! (Whoa, sorry, fan girl moment.) Ahem. Anyway, I'll be posting another SasukexSakura one-shot called 'Promise' and then hopefully the 23rd chapter of STAND MY GROUND!! Yay!! Anywhoo, here we go.

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'Two damn days. That's it, two. And then I get to go home. Konoha is the total opposite of this place, springy and green, where it's so.. Dry and.. Uhh, not green.'

That had been Haruno Sakura's thought... two days ago. And now, dawn was approaching slowly, signaling that she'd better be off soon. She was almost sad to go. Every other day her thoughts changed about Suna, and as it was, she didn't want to leave anymore. She was almost sad. Over the last few weeks, Sunagakure had grown to be her second home, a home away from home. The dry landscape had given her a place to think and a temporary escape from the emotional turmoil that waited for her back home.

Naruto had reported to her just yesterday that Sasuke was back, under surveillance of course, but back and functioning as a semi-member of Team Kakashi again.

She had quietly wrinkled her nose at this, angry and hurt, and now definitely debating on returning back to the Village Hidden In the Leaves at all. It wasn't as if she hadn't missed him: she had. But she didn't miss the un-emotional -ahem- 'git' that had attacked her and Naruto at Orochimaru's castle. They were supposed to be his comrades, he had said so himself. But he had acted like an enemy, and they had no choice but to fight. She didn't want to see that... thing. Ever again. She could live her life perfectly fine without that evil emotionless brainwashed killing machine anywhere near her. However, if it was her old Sasuke, her Sasuke-kun, she would be more than happy to jump into her old routine... with a few differences. She would no longer allow herself to be walked upon like a doormat. No 'You're annoying,' bullshit either. Despite her tougher exterior, she was still fragile inside, and no matter what that boy thought, those words, in fact, did hurt. They stung and scarred. She would not hear them from his mouth again.

She shook her head of the thoughts and desperately tried to focus on something else. The sun was going to come up soon, and she all but begged it not to. She knew she didn't want to leave. The sand siblings had become her friends, they trusted her. She had saved the lives of two of them, and Temari went out with her just about every night. The best thing about it, was that there was no heartache here.

Also, the Kazekage had become an interesting subject for her.

Gaara had this way of enticing her by using his eyes, not his sand. She couldn't deny that she was attracted to him. He had always captured her interest, even when he was a killer. He'd scared her, of course, and she'd talked herself into hating him because she loved her team members, and Sasuke, mostly. He'd hated the world, and she'd hated him even though she knew nothing about him. Now she knew about his childhood, not that his past justified his actions. Of course it didn't, but one could successfully argue that it did. Gaara had acted like a monster because people treated him like one. All attempts to make friends had been spoiled by angry, hurtful words, thrown at the poor child for no reason at all other than that he had something evil inside him. (I wonder, did they ever think that by treating him nicely, they would get into his good graces? Idiots.) Everyone plays the role they are given.

She jumped off the roof she had been calmly thinking on, and landed gracefully on the sandy road beneath. She then found herself walking into an empty corner of the tall dazzling village, where there was nothing but a mile or two of sand. Walking a little further in, she plopped herself down and began to study the darkish sky and the stars. The sand under her was cool, the grainy feeling welcome on her bare legs. Back still arched, head towards the sky, she noticed that the sun had begun to rise and the edges of the sky were reaching twilight. They were lighter, the color of Gaara's beautiful eyes. And then, to her surprise, she matched the darkest of the sky to Sasuke's eyes, and was suddenly aware of the battle in the sky, twilight versus midnight, sand versus stars. It was all too amazing to leave. She stood, looking straight up and began to spin, her eyes never leaving the commencing battle. She watched as the twilight began to overtake the midnight stars and they were doused in a light turqiouse. Sandy stars, they became and she was still spinning. It was like the battle in her heart. Liking Gaara was forcing her to let go of Sasuke. And she was ready.

Suddenly, she sensed a presence to the left of her, and sent three shuriken spinning in the direction of the intruder. She staggered to a stop and found the figure just in time to see her three airborne weapons hit a sand sheild. Gaara. Immediately, her eyes widened.

"Kazekage-sama! Oi, I'm so sorry! Gomen-nasai!"

He waved the apology off, obviously not hurt, but there was something in his eyes. Curiosity.

"What were you doing?" He asked quietly, gently bending to pick up the three immobile weapons.

Sakura, embarrassed at being caught in the childhood act of dancing under the stars, turned a deep shade of red, about the same as his hair. He stared at her, and then closed the distance between them to hand her the weapons. "Well," She said, cautiously, taking the weapons and dropping them into her weapons pouch, "I was... spinning.."

"Why?" He asked, studying her face, he was impassive.

Instead of answering his question, she couldn't stop from blurting out, "Do you sleep?" She adverted her eyes quickly, the color returning to her cheeks again.

"The one-tailed beast makes that hard," He replied and ignored the laughing demon he heard in his head.

"Oh," She said, "So what are you doing out here so late at--" but she was interuppted as Subaku no Gaara's lips touched hers. As fast as it had begun, it was over and she was left panting. When she opened her eyes, jade met turquoise, and then with a gust he was gone, leaving her alone. Gaara was wondering why he had done that. She had just looked so.. Hmm..

And as she watched the last of the sand hit the ground, the sun finally rose and so did a new way of being. For Sakura was ready to begin again.

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Pfft. I. Didn't. Like. It.

But I never like anything. ;)

Anyway, you should review because Mr. RB is very very hungry today because he's not allowed to have any of Sasuke-kun and Momoshiro's birthday cake. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE GUYS (besides Gaara.. And Neji.. And Kiba... and Ryoma... -ahem-)

Momoshiro & Ryoma are owned by the creator of The Prince of Tennis.

Love, Rach