This is the seventh in a series of stories that were created from my previous fic, "Twenty Men." The theme number can be explained once you read it. I am proud to dedicate "Project: Twenty Men" to Aloha Laney. She's a dear friend.
Title: Sand Castles
Author: Ita-ta
Pairings: GaaSaku
Theme: 18
Rating: T for teens.
Disclaimer: All Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Note: Please review; they fuel my drive for writing.
Summary: GaaSaku. Slight crack. He had been outdone in a sand castle contest. He was displeased.
Sand Castles
Jade eyes clashed with emerald in malevolent waves. To say that the Kazekage was displeased would be an understatement. He was currently having a glaring contest with Konoha's leading medic-nin. They were clearly in a serious disagreement with each other that was not going to go away anytime soon. And they were on a beach. In swim trunks and a bikini & sarong.
"I so CAN make a better sand castle than you. AND I can finish it faster than you." The pink-haired cherry blossom growled at the glowering young leader.
"You cannot." He snapped back brusquely, his arms folded across his chest imperiously.
"I can so! And I will!" Sakura jutted her hip out to the side in attitude. "Let's have a contest then to find out who is ultimately better, then."
His eyebrow merely rose, and then he seemed to be contemplating it. "No super strength." He murmured.
"No use of your sand abilities." She met his eye in determination.
"I agree." He answered back noncommittally, as if this whole thing was boring him. His demeanour had completely changed.
The two had been bickering on and off for several weeks about everything. Gaara was in Konoha for a month-and-a-half conference with Tsunade about worldly affairs. Sakura was often helpful in political affairs and as such was attending the meetings with her Hokage. They did not get along that well together.
It was a hot summer night in Konoha and the surrounding area, and the two had apparently had the same idea that the beach would be a good place to relax. That idea had gone out into the abyss of the night when they caught sight of each other. They'd had a frustrating day together and there was tension between them, the normal tension and unbeknownst to them, sexual tension.
"Fine then, we will start in 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, NOW!" Sakura quickly set to work, forming mounds of sand, moulding and shaping them to be circular with little indents. She was moving quickly, forming four identical little towers for the corners of her fortress castle.
Gaara was in a similar position, actually getting knee-deep in the sand and forming sloppy little hills and slowly getting frustrated. They didn't turn out like this when he used his sand! Why were they being so frustrating now?!
Sakura looked over to him, her half-finished fortress starting to look lovely while he had half-hearted little mounds and smoothed over sand that looked like a courtyard. Within ten minutes, Sakura's masterpiece was finished, standing proud and tall, with a cherry blossom flag on it and everything. She turned and saw Gaara looking at the sand as if he were going to set it on fire, which is a little difficult to do. He hadn't gotten much further and, sensing her gaze on him, he snapped his glare to her.
"I'm finished. I'm going to have to say that my castle looks better than yours." She was triumphant, but looking at the dejected little castle that Gaara had attempted to make deflated her enthusiasm a little. Taking three steps to stand beside him, she looked down at him and his castle. "You're not good at this without your sand, are you?"
The redhead Kazekage did not say anything. He supposed that the answer was quite obvious anyway. He was a little wounded over the loss of this contest, not that he'd admit that. He refused to look up at her from his sitting position.
Sighing, she nudged his crossed leg with her foot. "Scoot back a little, will you?" She nudged him again and reluctantly, he unfolded his legs and slid back in the sand. She then sat down, in the middle of his legs. She could feel him stiffen behind her and she smiled, cheerful over his discomfort. It was good revenge for being an insufferable ass all this time! "Give me your hands," She ordered, holding her own up in front of her.
He leaned forward, his hands hovering past her side but he paused, perilously close to cozying up to her back. Before he could shrink back, her arms would around his so that her hands were over his, palms touching his knuckles. Realizing that it would be fruitless to struggle---her grip was like iron---he settled his head on her shoulder to watch her guiding his hands to start with his sand castle again. He watched as she manipulated his hands with hers to form little towers like her own castle.
He felt as if he were not truly connected to his body. After all, he could never physically do this if he was actually connected to his body. He'd never ever get this close to the little apprentice of the Godaime-Hokage. He inhaled, smelling the sweet scent of peaches and nearly sighed in contentment. He felt her warmth on his bare front, her soft palms over his rough knuckles. Idly, he wondered why he hadn't gotten this close to Sakura before. She was heavenly.
Another idle thought struck him just then, wondering if her skin tasted like peaches. In his completely relaxed state, his brain wasn't fully-functioning so he let his instincts take over for once and nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck, amused at the shocked squeak that she emitted. Then, he licked up to her jaw-line.
"K-K-Kazekage---" She would have continued but she let out an embarrassed squeal as he nipped her earlobe. Immediately, her defence mechanisms kicked in and she struggled to book it out of there. Unfortunately, Gaara had other plans and had sufficiently entangled himself to her and easily held her in strong grip.
He let out a growl, languidly trailing his tongue along her jaw-line. He was right, she did taste like peaches. He supposed this was good revenge for making him uncomfortable earlier, but this was much better revenge than hers.
"Gaara, what are you doing?!" Her voice had risen to a higher pitch than normal. Her alarmed emerald eyes met his calm jade ones, and there was a sharp intake of breath as she realized of very close he was to her.
"What do you think?" He asked silkily, his deep baritone almost sounding like a purr.
"Well, I was just helping you make a sand castle, which is done by the way, and then next thing I know you're licking me---" She let out a moan as he found her soft spot behind her ear lobe. She seemed to have forgotten what she was saying as she looked back to him with a dazed gaze.
A smirk spread onto his face. "I win." And he continued his ministrations on her neck, ears, lips and jaw-line. She forgot the witty comeback that she would have said.
It was not until a week later, that Sakura realized what he meant. Of course, he had travelled back to Suna by then, and she was in the middle of the market shopping for groceries. And in her epiphany, she was filled with anger. "THAT RAT BASTARD!"