Disclaimer: I don't own any Naruto characters, or even the nice manor/castle.

Sakura remembered very clearly the day that her duties had become crystal clear. She had been cleaning the open fireplace in the second-floor reception room, on her hands and knees, wearing her rattiest, oldest and dirtiest uniform as she furiously scrubbed away any trace of black burnt on god-knows-what.

The fireplace hadn't been cleaned in a while, in fact, the whole room hadn't been, not since both brothers of the Sabaku family had left about three years ago. Temari was an excellent employer who treated her large staff fairly, and she didn't ask for unused rooms to be cleaned other than a quick dusting. But this year it seemed that both her siblings had decided to return for what was supposed to be a family get-together (but what would probably turn into a big political hoo-ha)... At the same time. Without more than six hours warning.

Luckily the trip from the capital, Sunakagure, to Sabaku Manor took a little less than four hours on horseback; that is, if you happened to have a world-class thoroughbred stallion that wouldn't be hindered by the hot and arid countryside between the castle proper and the bustling city. And of course, the Sabakus would have nothing less. So, they had about half a day – to clean a whole manor, most of which hadn't been used in years.

And so here she was. But she knew she couldn't complain; the head maid was practically bursting a vein every time she discovered another forgotten room that had to be cleaned top to bottom, or even have its furniture replaced or repaired. And that was nothing compared to the poor head cook, who was hours behind on his food preparation for the banquet tonight.

Sakura still sighed as she thought about how pointless this work actually was; this reception room was never used... They had four on the bottom floor. Why would the siblings want to climb up that endless grand staircase just to get to another slightly less grand room? She hated wasting her time on something that wasn't productive, she would've even preferred washing all the windows on the bottom floor (half of which were eight feet tall), because even though that would've been tedious and repetitive, she would have at least been doing something worth that time. At least at the end of it she could smile, because Temari, Kankurou and Gaara would all notice the result of her efforts... Well, Temari would, anyway.

But who was going to notice this spotless fireplace? Who would even open the door and use the strategically placed armchairs around it while the fire blazed?

No one, that's who.

Leaning back a moment, Sakura used the back of her hand holding the cloth to wipe her forehead. Luckily, it was autumn and the hard graft wasn't making her sweat too much. She looked at her handiwork, pleased at how the fireplace could've been last cleaned only, say, a few months ago...

She leant forward to replace her cloth with a cleaner one and and got back to her work; she would rather finish this before her dinner down on the bottom floor in two hours' time.

A while later, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and Sakura got the odd sensation that the skin on her head was being pulled tighter across her skull that she sometimes got when she was cold. It was also a sign that something was amiss, or sometimes even that someone was watching her...

Convinced now, she carefully turned her head. She made sure to have a carefully blank yet hopefully still politely detached face, just in case it was the head maid Tsunade or even Temari.

It wasn't. Sakura's eyes widened as she stared at the more infamous of the Sand Siblings: Sabaku no Gaara.

He was leaning casually against the tall-backed and heavy looking armchair as if he was the one that lived here all year round. He was watching her impassively, even though Sakura could tell that his eyes had moved slightly down to track the movements of her chest. Inwardly she bristled, but all she did was let the corners of her mouth tighten. It was enough to show her utter disapproval of his behaviour, but not enough to perhaps offend him. She never could tell how big a man's ego was until he opened up his mouth.

Slowly, Gaara blinked.

"Aren't you surprised, maid?"

She knew it was her actual title, but being called maid like that still rubbed her the wrong way. The indignation helped temper her nerves at being so unexpectedly close to the intimidating man.

Sakura tilted her head as she considered his words. He was known to be of few words, and the fact that she was a maid did make the fact that he was watching her and even talking to her slightly unusual, but Temari had warned them a long time ago to be very careful around her youngest brother. She and also complained that he often left out about two-thirds of his sentences, so you could never be sure as to exactly what he meant without a lot of practice.

"No, sir, you were expected."

Sakura replied with a polite voice, even as she noticed that his eyes hadn't moved back up. She let her eyes narrow at this, before forcing herself to calm. The absolute last thing she needed was to offend a Sabaku.

"To come to this room?"

Sakura blinked.

"If you'll forgive me, sir, it has been a long time since you were here last. Perhaps you were also expected to want to explore."

Sakura tried to not be too formal, as while impoliteness was never tolerated from a maid, the Sabakus as a family preferred to be more relaxed and informal than most others of their position. Temari often complained of the attempted flattery, or 'ass-kissing' as she had put it, made by those in the capital. She maintained it was a large factor in the reason she chose to remain primarily in her childhood home, rather than the central estate.

"Perhaps, indeed," Gaara murmured loud enough for Sakura to hear. She watched in sudden worry, even if it was only slight, as his eyes suddenly darkened with intent. "Come here."

Sakura swallowed dryly and left her cloth as she stood and stepped forward three paces, and she was suddenly only four feet away from him.

"That's not 'here'," Gaara said, with a hint of condescension that made Sakura want to grit her teeth.

Sakura let herself stare at him a few heartbeats before moving forward until she was right in front of him. She suddenly remembered with a startling clarity Tsunade's words...

"Look, girls, I'm not happy about it but you will need to adhere to every order given to you by Lady Temari, and also Lords Kankurou and Gaara, unquestioningly and immediately. And that means everything. Understand? Every word out of their mouths must be followed if you want to stay here."

She hadn't understood, Sakura now knew. She had simply thought that Tsunade was trying to reinforce the message of obedience and propriety, but she now saw that instead she had been saying look, you want to work here? Then do whatever they ask which also implied that certain things had been asked of maids here, very improper things...

But Sakura could not refuse Lord Gaara. She simply did not have any other options; she had to stay, she had to earn enough money to help support her family, her two young siblings, her frail mother and her tired father who worked down in the mines for pittance. She would never find another job close enough to home with the same wages, nor did she have time to learn new skills.

If only she had managed to become a healer, or a nurse, things would be different. But that path was gone from her now, and at twenty-one, Sakura already knew that the best thing for her was to stay working here as long as possible, maybe even until she became too old to work.

She didn't flinch as Gaara's arms unfolded and reached for her. She didn't so much as blink as he gripped her left arm with one hand and snaked the other around her waist, pulling her towards him harshly. She simply kept her gaze lowered. She felt too embarrassed to meet his eye now.

"Do you know why we are here, maid?"

"No, sir." Sakura replied evenly even as she felt her heartbeat raise slightly. Gaara was an intimidating man, an intoxicating, volatile, handsome and intimidating man. He was a dangerous mix of everything any sane woman would avoid.

Gaara leaned forward, and his lips touched her neck, tracing upwards towards her ear, so softly it could have almost been a gentle, tender gesture from a lover.

"I am getting married."

At his words, Sakura's sick feeling strengthened. She had no respect for a man with so little self-control that he would be unfaithful before he was even wed.

"Congratulations, sir." Sakura replied without a hint of enthusiasm. There was no point pretending anymore. There was no one on this floor. And Sakura would be damned if she was just going to let him take advantage of her while she just pretended it was okay. The very most she could do, or maybe the least, was to show him that this wasn't something she wanted. To let him know that he was selfish, and cruel. It wouldn't stop him, she doubted, and it might even enrage him, but Sakura refused to give up that last shred of dignity.

"This is my floor," Gaara said, breath spilling across her as he reached up with the hand that had been gripping her arm to take off her bonnet. Sakura was slightly confused by the seemingly random comment.

"Your floor, sir?" Sakura asked as she felt her hair slap gently against her neck. She tried to ignore his reaction to her hair - most people were entranced by her natural pink locks and Gaara was no different.

"Temari only ever stays on the bottom floor. The first floor is Kankurou's, and this is my one," he said as he admired the pink strands slipping through his fingers.

It was true, now that Sakura thought about it. Every floor was so immense that it had everything you would need on it. Temari had at least seven bedrooms on the bottom floor, and never seemed to leave that floor. Sakura also knew that there were kitchens on this floor too. She suddenly felt very stupid at how obvious it was that each floor was designed so that a person could live on it and never want for anything or leave.

So she had been cleaning his reception room. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was glad that, actually, her work hadn't been pointless after all.

"What is your name?"

Well, at least he wanted to know, Sakura thought bitterly. Oh God, she suddenly panicked, he's going to take me to his bedroom, I know it! That's what he means, no one will interrupt him, and his room is close! Oh my God... What a sick man. It's not even that you can't get this, of course you can, every woman that's even been half a noble has met you, and every single one could have been yours. You're even getting married to one of them, aren't you? You're just going to have to wait while the Council decides... And you want some fun in the meantime.

Sakura felt an indignant fury at his assumption that just because she was a poor maid, it meant she would fall at his feet.

"Haruno Sakura, sir." She replied with as normal a voice as she could muster. She realized that she had taken a while to answer, so long it would be rude, but she no longer cared. This was a situation in which none of the rules should apply. Maids didn't get treated like this, so she shouldn't have to act like on.

"Well, Sakura, I've been assured that they will consider every option before choosing. I will be here for at least a month... And who knows, perhaps even longer if I were to be... unsatisfied with their selection."

Sakura was an intelligent woman. She understood that this wasn't only going to happen once. She bristled internally at his assumption that she would be interested in being his occasional plaything. How arrogant was he?

She blinked as Gaara pulled back and finally eyed her face. Sakura tried her hardest not to redden, and managed to succeed. Just barely.

"Sakura, look at me."

Her eyes widened again before she arranged her face and looked up at him.

He was handsome, she thought regretfully; even if he was a sick pig of a man, he was a handsome pig. And his jade-coloured eyes were very entrancing...

"It seems we have gotten off on the wrong foot," Gaara mused.

What, you mean that I'm not over the moon that you want to bed me? You mean that I haven't already offered myself to you willingly and taken off my dress? Men like you are exasperating and infuriating. Sakura played out in her head the words she would spit at him if it didn't mean getting immediately fired.

He was watching her thoughts play out across her face, she realized. She knew that she could never hide something completely, not if you looked careful enough, and from only six inches away. Which Gaara was.

Sakura was almost amused when a slight frown appeared on the young man's face. He released her and stepped back. Sakura saw that he had been leaning against the chair the whole time, that's how relaxed and unbothered he was.

"If you could, would you walk away now?"

Sakura seriously considered this, head tilting again as she nibbled her lip.

Gaara was good-looking, in fact he was very good-looking, and she didn't have any objection to taking a man to bed if she fancied him - and she wasn't going to deny that she did. It wasn't like she hadn't seen him before and admired the contrast of his pale eyes with his bright hair, or the way he moved, or his voice. The main reason she had objected to Gaara was his presumption, was the fact that she hadn't been given a choice because he had just assumed she would say yes. If Gaara hadn't been so one-track minded from the start, she might have considered him... Well, if she was honest, she would have accepted, had he actually asked.

But he was asking now, wasn't he?

She examined him. Eyes running over his jaw, the breadth of his shoulders, the forearms visible thanks to rolled-up sleeves, the ear piercings she could spy underneath his bright hair, his hips and his eyes...

Sakura sighed inwardly. She was such a sucker for green eyes.

"If I truly had that choice... I might not, sir." Sakura hinted.

Gaara suddenly smiled slightly. Sakura was startled and she abhorred how her heart went twice as fast; if she had thought that he was handsome before then now he was simply jaw-dropping.

He took a step forward, watching her as he lowered his head. Sakura tried to ignore her heart as his arms once again slipped around her waist. She raised her arms and let them rest on top of his shoulders.

For a few moments, they simply stood, looking at each other. Gaara had a very focused, intense gaze. Sakura knew that he knew the effect his proximity clearly had on people; his smell, his heat, they were intoxicating. She leaned further upwards, making it necessary to press against him as she gently touched his earlobe with her lips. She felt the tall man take in a shuddery breath and thrilled in it.

"Alright, Sakura. I'll make you a deal. You let me have my way, knowing that you can walk at any time."

"That's only half a deal."

"Hm... Let me rephrase, consider me having my way as part of your job." He said, coming across remarkably matter of fact.

"So, you want to make me a prostitute?" Sakura said indignantly, but in the back of her mind she knew how attractive the idea was. It wasn't dangerous like walking the streets. Her family needed her anyway, and she couldn't allow herself to let them down simply because she wasn't going to do what was necessary. She'd done this much, and come this far, hadn't she? It wasn't like she was averse to the idea of sleeping with Gaara. Why not get paid for something she enjoyed and would do anyway?

"No... But you will get something out of this."

"Which is, my lord?"

Something in his face reacted to the title, but Sakura couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"You will receive twice your daily wages."

Well, that was an offer she could barely afford to refuse... Curses.

"And if I refuse this deal," she asked, leaning back, "What happens then?" She studied his face for any hint of deception as he replied.

"Then you will keep your current wages, and be removed from this floor," Gaara said.

That was an actual, real choice. He wasn't threatening the security of her job. Sakura drew her bottom lip into her teeth as she thought it over. It was hard to think when Sabaku no Gaara was tracing his lips over your skin and gently biting your shoulder.

"Why?" She asked. She knew that he didn't need to offer such. She watched him lower his mouth towards hers.

"Because..." he breathed against her mouth before leaning down the last inch and capturing her lips with his. Sakura melted slightly and sighed into him. Dimly in the back of her mind she realized what this man was: he was a black hole that drew you in, that always overpowered anything and got what it wanted. He'd been forceful because he'd never been refused before, no one had cared, every single woman had wanted him too much. God damn him.

God damn this all. She wanted to keep her job, and she wanted him, and precisely because she could refuse if she really wanted, she found that she didn't want to.

"I like my women willing." He said seriously. Sakura smiled at him for the first time, and felt pleased when he looked a little startled.

"Very well, then, Gaara, I am willing..." She said, her voice taking on a seductive edge as she traced a finger down his chest. "So, what are you waiting for?" She whispered.

Gaara growled low in his throat hungrily as he kissed her again. She almost expected him to be rough, but he wasn't. She let him lead her away from the fireplace, the armchair and even her dinner in an hours' time as he pulled her towards his bedroom.

She smiled as she thought about how infatuated she'd been with him when she'd last seen him, almost five years ago. She'd been sixteen then, so young she realised now, and she'd been entranced from afar. Like most young women, she'd daydreamed of a life where he noticed her, and courted her, and eventually they would get married and have children and live happily ever after...

The Sakura of today, of course, knew that those were unfulfillable fantasies that she had only entertained because she'd been young and naive. She knew that enjoying being in his bed was as much as she would get. She was lucky enough that he was only a little older than her, and attractive, and fit. She had friends who had had to settle for a lot less, and she herself had spent the night with men that were far less exciting.

It was all a little surreal, and she was a little dumbstruck that any of the last half hour had happened. Gaara, as oblivious as he had seemed at first, was actually a very attentive lover. He watched her every reaction to his touch, a small smirk on his face as he watched her back arch or a moan escape her lips.

There was something quite thrilling about fulfilling an old sexual fantasy, Sakura decided. She'd imagined being in bed with Gaara for a staggeringly long time after she'd seen him, but the pleasure it had brought her back then when she was still figuring out her body was nothing compared to the real thing.

She grinned as she wondered just how many times Gaara would refuse the Council's selection... as well as the look on Tsunade's face when she was informed of Sakura's new wage.

To give credit where it's due, the maid idea was inspired by The Gate Amidst The Ivy, by Insane Romantic. I don't really ship SasuSaku, but this is one of the cases where the fanfiction is so good I find myself enjoying it immensely regardless.

I hope you enjoyed, please review if you have any feedback. Thanks!