She arose to a soft knock on her door and, through blurry eyes, saw Kankuro poke his head in.
"Hey, sleepy head," he whispered, "breakfast is ready."
"Alright, be there in a sec." She mumbled. She heard plates and silverware being taken out and placed on a surface somewhere in the distance. Kankuro closed the door and silenced the noise; all that was heard were the birds singing outside Sakura's window.
Sakura forced herself to sit up and shake the sleep off. She scratched the back of her neck and ran a finger through her hair, it was knotted horribly and she had to fight to get her fingers untangled. Deciding to take a shower and have a cup of coffee after, Sakura placed her bare feet on the carpet and sleepily walked over to the door.
The bathroom was across from her room so she didn't have to wander around and get lost. Sakura pushed the door open and saw Gaara standing, facing the mirror to her left, fully naked but for the towel wrapped around his waist. He gave her a blank look, as if it were normal that people walked in on him, like it was an everyday thing.
"Oh my God!" Sakura quickly stepped out and slammed the door shut, squeezing her eyes tight in embarrassment. She tried to force that image out of her head but it wouldn't budge. She saw his wet, bare chest that looked like it was chiseled from a sculptor; his hair dripping wet from the shower and the towel nice and snug around his hips. Sakura groaned at the memory and shook her head fiercely. The door opened behind her and she froze.
"It's all yours," Said Gaara, walking past her, fully dressed and acting like nothing had happened. She exhaled the breath she had been holding and went into the hot bathroom. Locking the door, Sakura forced the image out of her head and stripped. Her reflection in the mirror was blurry and indistinguishable from the steam of the shower.
She lathered her hair with strawberry smelling shampoo and struggled to untangle the knots. After she washed off the previous days sweat and grime, she got out and wrapped a towel around herself. She dried herself off and dressing in her usual attire and headed to the kitchen to get some breakfast.
Twenty minutes later, Sakura was ready to go to work. She walked down the decorated hallway towards what she assumed was Sasuke's room and knocked softly. She heard a male grunt and took that as a sign to enter. Sakura poked her head in and saw Sasuke lying on his back with his arms resting underneath his head.
"I'm going to work now, so I'll see you later, Sasuke."
"Hn." Was all that Sasuke gave in reply. Gently closing the door, Sakura wondered when Sasuke would give up that pitiless attitude and move on with his life. Deciding that there was no answer to her question, she left her temporary home and made her way to the hospital.
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Several hours after Sakura had gotten to the Suna hospital, she found herself already feeling the tension in her shoulders and her neck. Running around and scurrying from one room to the next was very tiring, and very stressful depending on the patients situation. She was used to it, though. Back at Konoha, Sakura was constantly on her feet for fourteen hours a day, with only one thirty minute break. Here, though, she didn't have to work that many hours. Sakura was just here to help, and she was happy to. She loved her job and didn't see it as work; she saw it as a career, a passion that filled her heart and coursed through her blood.
"Bye, see you tomorrow!" Sakura waved to the nurse that was so kind to show her around. She smiled and waved good-bye which Sakura took as her moment to leave. Exiting out from the main entrance, Sakura breathed in the fresh evening air. The sun was slowly setting and a slight breeze had picked up. Sakura rubbed her arms that had gotten chilled from the crisp evening air. She started her short walk back to Gaara's home and ran into a small shop just around the corner.
She looked in the store glass and saw different types of beautiful jewelery, one of which caught her eye. She walked into the store and told the shopkeeper which piece she wanted. He gladly got it for her, happy that he was having one more customer before he closed the shop for that night. Sakura paid the amount due and thanked the man, observing the pretty piece with awe-filled eyes.
It was a beautiful silver locket that was in the shape of a flower. The petals were pink with shiny, serene diamonds that glittered when the sun hit it just right. Sakura smiled as she held it in her hand and walked down the road, wondering what picture she'd put in it. It had to be someone special, someone she loved and cared for. Her friends back home and her family flashed one by one in her mind, but she disregarded them all. It wasn't that she didn't love them, it was that none of them seemed to be the right one. Closing the locket with a shrug, she pocketed it and decided to wait until she knew.
Sakura turned her key in the lock and stepped inside the house. Gaara had given her a key to the house when her and Sasuke had first arrived. Sasuke had raised an eyebrow at Gaara, expecting his own key. Gaara shook his head and politely said he only had one extra key, and since Sakura would be working, he thought she'd need it more. Sasuke had simply grunted in reply and left the room.
Everyone sat in the living room, formally dressed and sitting patiently. Closing the door quietly, Sakura wondered what was going on. Gaara was the first to get up and explain.
"Hello, Sakura. How was your day at work?" Gaara gave a friendly smile that Sakura seemed to relax and fall into.
"It was good; the nurse showed me around and I got through the day easily. How was yours?"
Gaara nodded,"I'm glad to hear that, Sakura. I had a busy day of paperwork and meetings, same as always."
"It sounds rough being a Kazekage, I kind of feel bad for you." Sakura smiled as well did Gaara. She looked at his black suite and liked how he looked in it. "Why is everyone all dressed up?"
"Well, I thought we'd all go out to dinner. Celebrate your first day at work."
"Oh, well that's sweet of you. Uhm, I don't really have anything fancy to wear..." Sakura looked around and saw Sasuke, who was sitting with his arms crossed on the couch, seemingly aggravated that he had to dress up. Temari was in a nice, black dress with a pretty pattern in diamonds on it. Instead of having her hair up in four pig-tails, she had it half up and half down and made her look just as beautiful. Kankuro was in a simple black suite just like his brother, no make-up covered his face and his hair was just as spiky as Gaara's.
Temari hopped up with a huge grin on her face and grabbed Sakura's hand. "Don't worry about that, Sakura! We gotcha covered!" Sakura looked at Temari then at Gaara, whom winked at her as she was dragged down the hall to her room. She was in her room with the door shut before she knew it.
"Are you ready?" Temari's grin was so wide Sakura thought her face would get stuck in that position.
"For what?" Sakura asked, clueless.
Temari went to the closet and pulled out an elegant, emerald green dress. Sakura's mouth dropped open in awe, speechless. Temari rushed over and pushed it into Sakura's hands and hurried out the door.
"Get dressed! Hurry!"
Sakura jumped at her loud voice and stared down at the dress. It was a beautiful dress that was the same exact color of her eyes. The dress was one shouldered that had a beautiful red and golden pendant on the strap that looked expensive yet elegant. It had a fancy slit that reached a little higher than the knee. She set it down on the bed gently, afraid she might ruin it, and stripped.
Carefully and gingerly, Sakura slid the dress on over her head and her right arm through the strap. The front clung to her cleavage perfectly, and the dress hugged her body comfortably. She felt a tad bit too naked with only one strap but shrugged it off; it wasn't every day that she got to wear something so elegant. Stepping in front of the full-length mirror, Sakura stepped back in shock.
She never had the chance to look the way she did at that precise moment. Besides her slightly frazzled hair and stiff posture, Sakura looked gorgeous. The dress aligned with the color of her eyes completely and made her look ravishing. She relaxed her shoulders a little and stood up straight. She stuck her leg out to lengthen out the dress and liked how her skin, so pale and smooth, seemed to collide wonderfully with the dress. Sakura smiled at her reflection and looked at her feet in the mirror.
She didn't have any shoes to match the dress.
Sakura's mood faltered and for a moment she thought she had gotten all excited for nothing. Then she saw the black heels sitting beside the bed, yearning to be worn. Gliding over, Sakura sat on the bed and slid her right heel into the shoe, which fit perfectly. As she fastened the strap around her foot, she pondered how Temari knew her exact measurements. She found it odd that Gaara and his family seemed to know a lot about Sakura without her even knowing.
When both her shoes were on Sakura forgot the thought and stood up. She was about an inch or so taller and the heels fit comfortably. She practiced walking around in her room, even though she was already comfortable walking in heels. There was a time or two when Sakura had to walk in heels back home, just wasn't for a fancy occasion such as this.
All that was left for Sakura to do was brush her hair. She walked over to her dresser and grabbed the brush off of it and stroked it through her short locks. She debated on how to style it; she tried various styles, observing how they went with the dress. Sakura decided to leave it down since it just barely touched her shoulders.
As she gave herself one last look in the mirror, she decided she was missing something. She tapped her finger against her chin as she thought.
"Oh!" Sakura dashed over to her shorts and dug through the pockets until she found what she had been looking for. Going back to the mirror, she held up the locket she had bought earlier and fastened it around her neck. It was cold against her skin but made her stand out more. Excited and a bit shy, Sakura walked over and opened the door.
All heads turned towards her and faces broke out in smiles at her appearance. Sakura walked over to the front of the room and clasped her hands in front of her, beaming with joy.
"How do I look?" She poked her cheek with a finger and blushed a little, not use to so much attention.
"You look hot!" Temari yelled in her booming voice and Sakura laughed.
"Really pretty, Sakura." Kankuro offered a friendly smile.
"Thank you, Kankuro."
Gaara was the only one to stand up and walk over to her. "You look exquisite, Sakura." As Sakura looked into his eyes, Gaara smiled which seemed to light them up more. She would have fallen in them completely if a grunt from her left didn't interrupt her.
"You look nice." Sasuke said, staring at Sakura.
"Oh, uh, thank you, Sasuke." A tiny smile was offered from Sakura to Sasuke which he made no regard to.
"Shall we go then?" Gaara asked, opening the door.
Sakura smiled at Gaara in thanks, then followed Sasuke, Temari and Kankuro, leaving Gaara to lock the door. The small group was greeted by a chilly breeze that hugged their bodies and danced with their hair. Sakura brushed her arms with her hands, regretting not bringing a sweater. Temari did the same and tried to shrug it off.
"Here, Temari, take my jacket." Kankuro shrugged off his jacket and blanketed it around his sisters' shoulders. She hugged it around her chest and thanked him. Sakura smiled at the love her friends shared and was warmed by the image. It wasn't enough to keep her warm, though.
"Here." Sakura turned around and saw Gaara, who placed his own jacket around her shoulders.
She immediately refused. "Oh, no, Gaara, that's alright. You don't have to do that-"
"It's fine, Sakura, don't worry. I don't want you freezing." The tone Gaara's voice carried was thoughtful and sweet. Sakura looked at him with admiration and loved how his lips so effortlessly turned upwards in a smile.
"Thank you, Gaara." Sakura surprised herself by saying it so quietly and with a hint of affection in it. They seemed to get lost in each other's eyes for a few moments, forgetting their world and focusing on each other. The few seconds they shared seemed to last hours, but neither cared. Gazing into Gaara's warm, entrapping turquoise eyes, Sakura lost herself in them. She felt a connection between her and Gaara, but she couldn't get a good grasp on it long enough to figure out what it was.
Sakura knew she wasn't breathing, knew she was getting hot, but she didn't know why. She could've sworn they had gotten closer, that Gaara had moved just a bit further towards her. She felt like she was moving closer to him but she wasn't fully sure why. Sakura just felt drawn to him, like he was a magnet and she was being pulled towards him effortlessly.
Slowly, the red head and the pinkette inched closer together, covering the vacant, chilled air between them. Sakura's heart was pounding but she didn't know why, she felt calm and relaxed. She almost felt dizzy, too but it seemed insignificant at the moment.
A loud noise interrupted the peaceful silence that had fallen over the area. Or it seemed loud to Sakura at least. Sakura turned her head towards the direction the noise had come from and irritation sparked inside her. Sasuke stood erect like a guard with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. His eyes pointed at Sakura with disappointment, as if she were doing something wrong. As far as Sakura knew, she didn't do anything wrong.
"We're leaving." Sasuke growled at her, stepping aside for her to walk ahead of her. Like she was a child that had just gotten in trouble.
"Then go. We'll catch up." Sakura straightened her back and met Sasuke's eyes with an equal amount, if not more, vulgar. He squinted his eyes as if to say not to challenge him but Sakura stood her ground. She didn't know what had come over Sasuke but she didn't like his attitude.
"Sasuke's right, Sakura. We have a dinner reservation." Gaara stepped between the two and held out his arm to Sakura. Her harsh countenance faded and slid into a gentle smile as she looped her arm through Gaara's. They walked side by side, leaving Sasuke to follow behind them. Sakura nor Gaara spoke on their way to the restaurant. Sasuke glared holes into Gaara's back as he followed, which both Gaara and Sakura sensed, but said nothing about.
