Note: People seem to make Gaara out to be an angry beast with no human emotion. I'll agree with the angry beast part since that's a literal description, but I'll disagree with their non-human interpretations. There are more emotions than 'lust' and 'pissed off', and I hope I represent him well in the chapters here.

My apologies if it comes off as out of character. This is my first Gaara attempt.

Special thanks to Erika for unintentionally beta-ing this story without knowing a single thing about the series.

Standard disclaimers apply.

Absolution

Could it be that everything goes round by chance?
Or only one way that it was always meant to be?
"Kill", Jimmy Eat World

1. The Unexpected Visitor

Friday, December 14, 2012

The lobby of Sunagakure Inc. was bustling with activity when its president walked through the glass, revolving doors. Dressed in his usual maroon, pinstriped business suit, Gaara looked every bit as intimidating as he knew he needed to be. He was a hardnosed businessman. Even on Friday mornings like the one he currently faced, he still needed to keep appearances.

The receptionist, Matsuri, greeted him with an overly bright smile as he stopped at her desk to deposit his brown-leather trench coat for hanging. His coffee and morning paper were waiting for him, just like every other day of the week. He picked up the cup and sipped at it idly as he flipped to the business section of the paper. And as the cheerful woman stood with her back to the room, he walked away without sparing a glace, thought, or word.

The peacefulness of his office before his usual barrage of morning meetings was something that helped him transition into his day. As he kicked the door shut behind him with his expensive Italian shoes, his eyes didn't leave his paper. Not that there was anything overly interesting to read, but there was nothing interesting about his office either. It had a desk, chairs, and a bookcase against the far wall. Ordinary.

Perhaps if he had paid the slightest bit of attention he would have noticed the young woman stretched out on his chaise lounge in the corner staring at the various titles of books and reports on the shelves. But he wasn't paying attention, which gave her the perfect chance to study the man that she had been waiting on.

Or at least so she thought.

Gaara unfolded his paper and held it directly in front of his face, completely blocking the view of him that she had hoped she would get. The only visible part of him was the backs of his fingers. It wasn't enough for her at all.

The frown on her face matched the determined steps she took across the room. Standing in front of his desk still didn't give her a visual advantage. She was not the tallest of people, and could only manage to see the tips of his messy hair. To remedy the situation, she climbed on top of the cherry wood and peaked over the newspaper curiously.

The business section became a distant thought in the background of his mind as Gaara noticed a set of brilliantly emerald eyes blinking at him. He had never been one to be startled, and right then was no exception. Thoughts of how anyone had gotten past reception entered his mind. Matsuri always notified him of appointments and announced the guests beforehand since it was her job. The girl's crimson tunic and matching metal-plated headband lead him on to believe that she was either lost or very, very confused.

He folded his newspaper down far enough to see that the girl was kneeling on all fours just above eye level in front of him. Nothing about any part of her position on his desk or in his office seemed to remotely worry her. She was perfectly comfortable with staring at him, which signaled warning bells in his mind. But he would not jump for security because she was not very threatening physically, and at the moment she appeared content to stare at him.

"Is there something I can do for you?" he asked in a dull, bored voice.

Her eyes widened and hopped backwards, landing in a defensive stance between his two guest chairs. The motion was very feline in nature, which was an odd thing. Not to mention that she hadn't made a mess of the pens and papers stacked on his desk when she had jumped. Even his coffee was left perfectly in its cup.

"Are you talking to me?" she asked timidly.

"There's no one else in here," he said with a frown.

"You can see me?"

The indentation in his brow deepened as he considered the woman's physical appearance. She didn't look crazy. Her clothing was neatly pressed right down to the white Capri pants she wore, her color was healthy, and the hair on her head appeared clean. He was curious about the bright pink shade, but his own red hair was very uncommon so he didn't mention it.

"Of course I can see you," he replied. "You're standing in my office."

She relaxed somewhat, taking a more thoughtful pose as she pondered over Gaara's words. Her eyes wandered over his sculpted face, taking in his appearance in a calculated manner. She raked her eyes over the 'love' kanji on his forehead, and the deep black outline of his eyes. Idly she noticed that his irises were not so differently colored than her own. He was very much like the picture she had been shown before she had blinked into his office.

"This isn't normal," she said with a frown. "They've never been able to see me before."

"They?" He was becoming more and more confused with each word that she spoke. And confusion was not an emotion that set well with him.

"The other people I've been sent to follow," she replied. "But you don't know anything about that."

It wasn't the first time he had been stalked, but the others had never been quite so forward with their intentions. His hand reached for the sleek, black phone on his desk. He quickly dialed a number and spoke quietly into the phone. The woman watched with interest, and smiled when he was finished with his one-sided conversation.

Moments later a large man in a green vest entered the office. He looked around quizzically before settling his eyes on Gaara.

"Sir?"

"Just get rid of her," he ordered, motioning towards the stalker.

"Err," the man stated. "There's no one here, Sir."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he growled, pushing back from his desk. He walked up to the pink-haired nuisance. "This girl right here!"

"I don't see anyone," he replied.

Gaara reached out to grab hold of her arm, but was shocked when his hand passed straight through as if she were nothing more than an apparition. She had a pleased look on her face.

"Just go, Baki," Gaara practically shouted. He was beginning to lose his temper.

"Should I call someone for you?"

"No."

As the door closed behind the security guard, Gaara wondered how long it would take for news of his hallucinations to spread throughout the company. Obviously their president going nuts would be big gossip. He could only imagine the stares and laughs that would follow him around.

"Don't look so angry," the woman said with a laugh. "You're special."

"I don't have time for these mind games," he spat.

"Well that's one thing we can both agree on," she nodded. "You're short on time."

He looked down at her with an emotion that she could only describe as loathing. She had made him look like a fool, and for that he was deeply angered. The hatred reflected in his eyes, burning in its intensity. His patience with the morning's happenings was over and he was waiting on an explanation. She knew it without him having to say a word.

"Maybe you'd better sit down for this," she said, motioning to his chair.

He stood still.

"Or not," she mumbled, casually strolling over to sit on the edge of the desk. Her feet dangled off of the floor, but the sandals that she had been wearing fell soundlessly to the wood floor. "Would you like the full story or the abridged version?"

"Make this quick."

She shrugged her indifference at the situation and then blurted out unceremoniously, "You're going to die."

"Who are you really?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, and I've been assigned to your case."

"My case?"

She nodded in affirmation, humming a cheerful 'mhmm' at his words. She'd not been taught anything about dealing with live ones that could actually see her before. She wasn't entirely sure how to proceed with the odd situation at hand. He seemed at least mildly curious after her proclamation.

"Well everyone dies," she said. "But there's something about you that warrants a soul guardian. I'm here to follow you around until it happens and then take you back."

"It," he said.

"Your death."

"You're leaving," he said, opening the door. Much to his surprise Matsuri was on the other side with a curious look on her face.

"Baki mentioned that you looked tired," she explained. "I brought you some fruit in case you were hungry."

He stared blankly at her. From his desk Sakura waved at the girl, but being the spirit that she was, Matsuri could not see her. It was more for show anyway. She knew that Gaara could see her reflection in the large, framed picture next to the door.

"Is everything all right?"

"Cancel my nine fifteen," he ordered. "I'm going to lie down."

"Oh, okay," she nodded. She passed over the plate of orange slices and the made her way back down the hall.

Gaara sighed heavily in frustration. There was far too much going on for a Friday morning, and he knew that he should have followed his instincts and stayed in bed for a three day weekend. Now he had an office full of nosy employees and a 'soul guardian' that was intent on being as cheerful as she could in any given situation. It was all deeply disturbing.

"Are you from Hell?" he asked as he plopped back into his chair.

"Quite the opposite," Sakura answered, swirling around to face him. She crossed her legs and rested her elbows on her knees. "God sent me."

"God."

She nodded.

"And what does God care about me?"

"God cares about everyone," she frowned. "There's something special about you, though, and it's not a good idea to let you go wandering around after your soul has left your body. The other side might come after you."

"And what have I done in my lifetime that warrants a ticket to Heaven?"

"It's not my job to decide these things," she said. "I'm just here to make the transition with you."

"Hn."

"You don't seem worried about the whole death thing," she said curiously.

He didn't reply to that. He only stared at her with his intense glare. It was becoming increasingly clear that the curiosity that had been there minutes before was completely gone. In its place was a negative emotion that wasn't quite anger and wasn't quite sadness. She couldn't place it. But something told her that maybe he needed some time alone to digest the information she had given him. He wasn't dead yet, so she could afford to give him some time.

"I won't be far," she said after a long silence. She faded out seconds later, leaving Gaara alone in his office for the first time that day.

--

Next chapter: Muffins and meetings…

Note: Most of this story is finished and waiting to be posted since I'm paranoid about never finishing things I start. So no worries about that! Still reworking a few things on the unposted stuff, so that's why I'm holding out. Clicky that little button on the bottom left and let me know what you think!

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