Title: A Certain Favor
Chapter(s): One Shot
Rating: K+, Language, Innuendo
Summary: "You have got to be kidding me." Sakura's eyes were wide, like any creature facing impending doom.
Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me!

A Certain Favor

It had been another night that would turn legendary. Especially with the mouth on one of us, and it isn't me, thought Sakura. Not only in the amount of alcohol consumed, and Tsunade had taught her well, but in the subject of the slow burning rivalry's usual party night wager. Except it wasn't just the usual wager. She prayed to any deity that would listen for Ino to keep her mouth shut. Fat chance.

"You have got to be kidding me." Sakura's eyes were wide, like any creature facing impending doom.

"Nope." Ino stared at her nails. Absently picking at a torn cuticle, she stoically choked back maniacal laughter. This was just too good.

"You do realize that it's suicide. This is just wrong in so many ways, Pig." Her head had drifted into her lap, cradled by her hands.

"Yeah, probably." No mercy. "Oh, and you can't just come out and ask him either." Said bovine's grin was bordering on being registered as an official supernova it was so bright.

Sakura groaned. She vowed to never, ever, get into a drunken bet with Ino again. Or, better yet, never drink again for that matter.

"I'm going to die." Hands pulled at pink hair in anguish, and she whimpered.

"Suck it up, Forehead."

-----

He was staying in one of the larger suites reserved for visiting dignitaries, off in the Southernmost corner near the business district. The information on his location wasn't all that hard to ascertain, just a quick jaunt to find Shizune and some creative fiction on the reason for her needing to visit. And if anything, Sakura was good at fibbing to her superior. Guess 'calling in sick' pays off in the long run, too.

Though he seemed somewhat surprised to see her on his doorstep, she was welcomed inside with a fair amount of ease. They'd gotten along well in the past couple of years, and had built up a fairly steady friendship. He did seem a little apprehensive. Though, it was him, so he was probably wary of anything that moved and then some. Neither of them had even bothered to sit down, and they stood near the rickety set of table and chairs in the apartment's kitchenette.

"Anooo... Gaara?" Oh yeah Sakura, that was a great start. Not.

"Yes?" he questioned, passively. The dim light in the kitchen illuminated his blood red hair, and he suddenly seemed a few daunting feet taller as she slouched slightly against the counter that faced his own perch against the wall.

"Um, I have a favor to ask." Licking lips that were suddenly as parched as the Suna desert, she clasped her trembling hands behind her back to stop herself from performing her task and running away as if a rabid Akamaru was chasing her down.

"Hnn." His expression was flat, stare slightly curious.

"Well, I've kind of entered into a dare-bet-thingy with Ino, and the consequences of my failure are pretty dear, so, I was wondering..." How in the hell she was going to pull this off. Think, think!

"Yes...?" he prompted, waiting impatiently for her to finish.

"I need some information about you, but, I'm not allowed to ask, so... I, ah, need to touch you in order to find something out."

If Gaara had looked apprehensive before, now he looked incredulous. She considered bolting, until his eyes betrayed a quick sequence of emotions ending in one in particular that she couldn't categorize for the life of her.

"Alright." His voice was quiet, and had lowed to a previously unheard timber that had her mind spinning. Out of the gutter, you idiot!

Clearing her throat, she moved to stand in front of him, smoothing a hand over his black pant leg.

If Gaara had been graced with eyebrows, they would have been at his hairline. As it was, one eye was squinted in consternation, and his lips were quirked into a malicious smirk.

She rustled the fabric a little more firmly, confused. Then it slowly dawned on her. "Oh." Her mouth gaped slightly, and she somehow managed to blush even more thoroughly than she had been upon arrival. "OH." He wondered exactly how far that blush had spread.

"Um... Thanks, err..." Sakura was slowly backing away towards the door, cool hands pressed against her cheeks in hopes of fading the heat there.

Gaara's smirk slipped into a full on grin as she practically ran out the door. "Anytime."

-----

"So?" Ino was practically spitting in her impatience.

Sakura's mumbled response was completely incoherent and slightly hysterical.

"Damnit Forehead I can't understand a word! Which was it already?!"

Her voice mangled whatever word she was trying to choke out, and Ino lost all patience.

"Boxers or briefs, woman!"

"I SAID NEITHER, OKAY?!" She was staring at her right hand as if it had somehow wronged her, and Ino broke down into strident, echoing laughter.

-----

Author's Note:

Annnnnd that's what comes out of my head at two in the morning.