On the outside Gaara was calm and reserved. He watched his sister comfort the distraught girl and invite her to the apartment they rented in the Leaf Village for dinner. He was calm as Sakura sniffingly accepted the invitation.
"Then its settled." Temari said gleefully, glad to have another girl around. "Come on. I'll get you cleaned up." Sakura began to stand up. Impassively, Gaara reached out a hand and helped her. Kankuro looked like he was hatching something. Temari sent another glare in his direction and the look left his face. Shikamaru snickered quietly. Kankuro looked at him and Shikamaru shrugged. He stepped back to be even with Temari as they began walking. Gaara hesitated for a moment. Come on, Shukaku urged, Walk with her. 'So you have a chance to check her out?' Obviously, 'Stupid demon' he thought before walking forward. Temari and Shikamaru led the procession, Gaara and Sakura followed and Kankuro brought up the rear.
"And Kankuro," Temari said, "Don't even think about it." He groaned.
"How did you know?"
"Know what? That you were going to pull something? That's because you're Kankuro." She put an arm around Shikamaru's shoulders. He blushed crimson for a moment before putting his arm around her waist. Sakura watched them nervously. She glanced at Gaara then at Kankuro. Temari solved the problem again.
"Another time, Shikamaru." She said, "Come here Sakura." Sakura moved away from Gaara who barely hid a frown of irritation. Since when did he care when his sister talked to Sakura? Since our cherry blossom started having to leave us to do it. Shukaku replied smugly. 'Shut up, Shukaku' He though irritably.
Dinner was quiet. Shikamaru thought that conversation was troublesome, Kankuro was being watched by Temari, Sakura was depressed, and Gaara was, well, Gaara. Sakura was the first to speak once Temari had cleared the table.
"Thank you for the meal. But I don't want to waste your time with my patheticness. I'll leave." Temari looked aghast.
"Sakura, stop saying that you're pathetic. You are not pathetic. Repeat after me. I,"
"I,"
"Am,"
"Am,"
"Not,"
"Not,"
"Pathetic."
"Pathetic."
"Good. Now how about 'Uchiha Sasuke is a traitor and unworthy of my affection'?" Sakura shook her head.
"Sasuke-kun is too good for me. I wasn't enough, I'm not good enough." She stood up. Temari was about to stand up too but Shikamaru put his hand on her arm.
"Don't," He said, "She does this all the time. The best thing to do is leave her alone, Temari-chan." Temari nodded. Kankuro looked at his plate. Gaara, who had been watching Sakura, stood up.
"I'll walk her home." He said quietly. Temari smiled, a slow and evil smile.
"Good Gaara. Be a gentleman. Be nice or else." She threw him an even scarier smile. "If you aren't I'll be mad."
"Some how I liked you better when you were terrified." He grumbled. "Come on Sakura-san." She corrected him immediately.
"Sakura. Not Sakura-san. I don't," Temari cut her off.
"Its alright." She made shooeing motions with her hands. "Go on, before it gets too dark." She turned to Gaara. "The moon is full in three days." He nodded.
"Come on, Sakura-sa, Sakura." She nodded and nervously walked out the door. Temari looked pointedly at Kankuro.
"Isn't there somewhere you have to be?" She asked him.
"Fine. You just want to get rid of me so you can make out with Shikamaru. I'm go," Before he even finished the sentence there was a kunai under his throat.
"Elaborate and die, Kankuro." Temari said dangerously. "Go on." He backed up and went up the stairs.
"So, where were we?" Shikamaru said lazily.
"We were here." Temari said as she sat down in his lap.
"I see, not troublesome at all." He said softly as he leaned forward to kiss her cheek.
