A/N: Okay, so, I had some help with this chapter, and I'd like to thank TheDarkestWhite once again for her help… we're practically co-authors. XD Also, there will be a lot of dedications in this chapter, if they're not to you, ignore them :D ALSO! If you love my fic, you'll love my best friends, TheDarkestWhite, she wrote PAYBACK. It is also a GaaraxSakura, and I promise you'll love it, now go read!

Disclaimer: Yeah Yeah, I don't own Naruto, or Godsmack or any of their songs. Cha…I wish!

Oh Joy…

This is gonna be fun…

Chapter 4

At first, Sakura thought that drawing Gaara would be quite difficult, but then she realized, she had already memorized his face. Though she was a bit embarrassed by the fact, she knew it would come in handy, as Jiraiya explained that they would be drawing each other at the same time. A student had questioned how it would be possible to draw someone who was… drawing. Jiraiya-sensei explained,

"That's the challenge in it! To be able to capture the concentration on ones face, without making it look as if they're drawing. That's the true challenge. Now, if you feel uncomfortable or like you are not yet ready to draw them that way, you may draw them as you see fit, but remember, you only have an hour. Now, get your pencils and get to work."

Sakura nodded, and her and Gaara grabbed their sketch pads and pencils. Sakura propped her feet up on her seat so that she could use her knees as a sort of table. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and got to work. She found quite quickly that she was amazed with her subject. The sharp lines of his jaw, the soft lines of his lips, the nice curves around his eyes. His face was art in and of itself. She quickly drew the required drawing, and decided she would draw one for herself. She pictured him in her mind, and remembered him when she first saw him. A mischievous glint in his eyes, and a smirk on his face. She held that thought, and began to draw.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Gaara also, was amazed with his subject. Now he had the time to study her, and realized just how truly beautiful she was. He watched as her pencil practically flew over the page. Within five minutes, she had finished her drawing and turned the page. Both eyebrows went up at this,

What the hell is she drawing now if she's finished?

Beats me. You better get on your own drawing though, or the sensei will have your-

SHIT!

Frantically, Gaara began his drawing, starting off with the soft outline of her face, and the delicate waves of her hair. It was just a bit past shoulder length, and he actually had fun drawing it. Next he did her eyes, those amazing, enchanting eyes. He tried his best to put on paper the emotion he saw in those eyes, but it was hard, since she was constantly looking down at her own pad. He wondered idly why she never looked up. She had an intense look of concentration on her face, and when she bit her lip, Gaara immediately memorized it, realizing that's exactly what he needed to make his picture… perfect. Quickly, he began sketching, looking up every now and then. Within thirty minutes, his picture was done, leaving only ten more minutes before time was up, and Sakura was still going. Putting down his pad and pencil, he leaned over to try and see what she was drawing, earning a squeak from sakura and a glare over her notepad as she held it to her chest.

"No peeking!"

"Hn."

Sakura eyed him cautiously, and within five minutes, she was done. She closed the pad so that when she opened it, he would see the first drawing. But she didn't realize that he knew about both. She would find out soon enough.

"All right, class. Bring your drawings up to me, with your partner so I may examine the likeness of them! And no whining!"

A few groans came from the classroom as the students realized their work would be compared to the actual thing. Sakura went pale at the mention of showing her drawing. She knew the first one wasn't very good… and she knew you could see the second one THROUGH the page of the first one, so that at least the teacher would see it. She gave a whine and slumped in her chair. All the students were done, and only her, Gaara, and Jiraiya were left in the classroom. Jiraiya stood next to his desk, his arms crossed over his chest as he spoke in a stern voice.

"Sakura… Gaara… please come up to the front and show your drawings."

Gaara stood without hesitation, and raised an eyebrow when Sakura only slumped further into her seat. He sighed and grabbed Sakura's pad of paper, causing an indignant squeal from sakura and reaching hands. He raised both brows and got a grin, holding it out of her reach,

"You want it Sakura?"

"YES!"

"You REALLY want it?"

"YES DAMN IT!"

Jiraiya was stifling a giggle behind his hands, and Gaara was smirking widely. Sakura didn't seem to recognize the pun.

"DAMN IT GAARA LET ME HAVE IT!!"

He grinned,

"You asked for it."

Without warning, Gaara leaned in and pressed his lips firmly to hers, effectively shutting her up. Her eyes went wide, and she had to place her hands on his shoulders so she wouldn't fall. Jiraiya raised a brow, sat on the edge of the desk, and watched the show.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Gaara grinned as he realized shock, but quickly decided he would fix that. He placed both hands on either one of her hips, gripped firmly, and turned and placed her on the desks, so she was sitting on them, with him between her legs. She was still in shock, but she eventually closed her eyes and gave in. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around her back. Sakura gently nibbled his bottom lip, causing him to let out a growl and tighten his embrace, pressing his lips firmer upon hers. He nipped and sucked at her upper lip, causing a moan from the cherry blossom. Sakura was wondering when he would deepen it, when she got her answer and his tongue grazed her bottom lip. She immediately let him in, to which Gaara was grateful. Their tongues danced; each demanding dominance. In the end, Gaara won, and Sakura submitted. Not that she minded, oh no, she didn't mind one bit. Needing air, Sakura broke apart, and Gaara gave her a smug grin. Sakura caught her breathe, and slowly opened here eyes, stuttering,

"I-I m-meant… the… drawing pad…"

Gaara grinned,

"I know…"

Sakura gasped and glared at him, blushing furiously as she remembered Jiraiya was still there. Both of them turned to look at the same time, and Gaara raised a brow when he saw that his sensei had quite the nosebleed. Sakura blushed,

"Sensei! Clean your nose!"

"Oh! Right!"

He did as told, and cleaned his nose, putting on his strict teacher face,

"I still want those drawings."

Sakura sighed, realizing she had no way out of it,

"Fine, but Gaara first."

Gaara nodded and took his drawing pad, waiting for Sakura to follow as he walked up to Jiraiya. He opened the notepad and showed his sensei, getting a raised eyebrow and grin.

"Very nice, Gaara. It's an incredible likeness!"

Gaara shrugged,

"Sketching isn't my specialty."

Sakura blinked,

Its not?

I think making out is HIS specialty…hehehehehe…

……

Breaking out of her stupor, Sakura reluctantly handed her sensei her sketches. He took a look at the first one, and he raised both brows and gave a wide smile,

"Excellent Sakura! It's very good!"

Sakura nodded, making a reach for the notepad, but he held it out of her arms length. She groaned and crossed her arms, in a stance very similar to pouting. Gaara raised a brow as Jiraiya turned the page… and his jaw dropped. Gaara counted the seconds,

1..

2..

3..

4..

5..

6..

"S-Sakura! This is… amazing!"

Sakura blushed and looked to the side,

"Gaara, have you seen this?"

Sakura's head snapped back so quick even Gaara heard it crack. Gaara shook his head and made a reach for the pad, making Sakura reach for it as well,

"No! He can't see it!"

Jiraiya rose a brow,

"Why not? It is of him."

Gaara's eyebrows shot up,

Of me?

Well no shit Sherlock! Why do you think she doesn't want you to see it?

Hn…

Gaara ignored Sakura's protests and grabbed the drawing, making Sakura place her head in her hands in embarrassment. Raising an eyebrow, he looked at the drawing, and had to keep himself from having the same reaction as Jiraiya. It was as if he were looking in a mirror… but better. She made him look so… so… well, as a girl would say, sexy. You could clearly see the mischievous glint in his eye, and the smirk on his lips that basically said "Come-get-it". Inwardly, he wondered if that's how she saw him. Turning to look at her, he saw that her face was out of her hands; she was looking to the side, away from them, and was worryingly biting her bottom lip. Gaara's lips parted as he looked at the picture again, it was breathtaking. He turned to Sakura,

"Sakura?"

She mumbled,

"What?"

"Is this how you see me?"

A blush came to her cheeks, and again she mumbled,

"Yes..."

Gaara's eyebrows shot up and he grinned, and turned to Jiraiya-sensei,

"Do you need this? Or is it okay if I keep it?"

Sakura's eyes widened, and for the first time, she looked at Gaara. Jiraiya shrugged,

"I don't need it, you might want to ask her though, it's her drawing."

Gaara turned to Sakura,

"Sakura?"

"H-Huh?"

He grinned and leaned in to whisper,

"Can I keep it?"

She shakily nodded her head, causing Gaara to give the closest thing to a smile she's ever seen. He nodded to Jiraiya, and very carefully took the drawing out of the pad. He didn't fold it, and held it by the edge so as not to smudge it. Jiraiya nodded to him and smiled,

"You two are free to go. Oh, and by the way, A's for both of you."

Sakura smiled,

"Thank you sensei!"

Gaara nodded and turned to face Sakura. Seeing his eyes on her again, she immediately blushed and looked away, causing Gaara to once again raise a (I think we've established that they're invisible . ) brow. Sakura wouldn't meet his eyes. Finally, when neither of them moved, Jiraiya spoke up,

"You two are going to be late for lunch…"

Sakura jumped, and both of them exclaimed at the same time,

"SHIT!!"

They both ran out, Gaara following Sakura. And Jiraiya chuckled at their behavior. Those two… were so smitten. They just didn't know it yet.

0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sakura quickly ran to the cafeteria, knowing Gaara was quickly at her heels. She was still embarrassed about her picture, but right now, her stomach demanded food. She came to a sudden halt at the cafeteria door, and felt Gaara do the same. She turned to him,

"Okay, we're going to meet some of my friends in here, so… be prepared for an interrogation..."

Gaara raised both his brows (yeah...Im not gonna say it --) and nodded, keeping the question of why they would interrogate him to himself. He would ask her later. Sakura took a deep breathe and held it for a moment, before releasing it and getting a look on her face as if she were about to face her worst fear. Gaara held in a grin, and followed her as she opened the doors and took long, deep strides, as if she knew where she was going, and apparently, she did. As he soon saw a blonde boy, about their age, jumping and waving, hollering.

"Sakura-chaaaaaaan!"

Sakura grimaced and waved, turning to Gaara and practically pleaded for his patience. He gave her a nod, and, smiling, she grabbed his wrist and began to walk towards the table more determined than before. When they got there, Gaara noticed 8 more people, one of which he recognized to be his brother, but he paid no attention… yet. The blonde jumped up and pointed to Sakura's hand on Gaara's wrist.

"Oh my god!!! She's holding his hand!!! Guys look! Sakura has a boyfriend!!!"

Sakura quickly thumped the boy on his head, and Gaara nearly winced on his behalf. The boy whined,

"Sakura-chaaaaaaan, what was that for?!"

Sakura blushed,

"You dummy, Naruto! He's not my boyfriend!"

A girl with two buns on either side of her head grinned and raised a brow,

"But isn't this the boy you made out with in Health class? And art class?"

Sakura blanched, boy news traveled fast around here. Gaara's face didn't change, but the blonde, Gaara now knew as Naruto, quickly yelled,

"NANI?!?!?! Sakura made out with him?!"

Sakura blushed furiously and said nothing, Gaara just held down a grin. The girl with the buns spoke up,

"Twice."

"NANI?!?!"

This time, a boy with long, brown hair, and white eyes spoke up.

"And in the middle of class."

Sakura spoke without thinking,

"Not the second time! The second time it was just us and Jiraiya-sensei and- oh…shit…"

Sakura realized what she said, and slowly closed her eyes, waiting for it. It all came at once.

"SO YOU DID!"

"SAKURA-CHAAAAAAN! YOU DIDN'T!!"

"Hn."

"I'm hungry."

Everyone blanched and looked at the boy who said the last one, while Gaara merely raised a brow. (You know what im gonna say… so im not gonna say it…) After blinking a few times, everyone turned back to Sakura. Then, suddenly, they all rounded on Gaara. ALL of them, even his brother. His eyes widened a bit, and he took a step back, but Sakura's hand was still on his wrist, .and she held him firm.

So this is what she meant…

Damn, kid… you should run…

I cant… she wont let me go…

Damn… sucks for you…

……

Warily, without taking his eyes off the crowd, he spoke,

"Sakura…"

He drew out her name, clearly asking what the hell was going on. She just gave a nervous smile,

"I tried to warn you…"

His brother was just leaning back, a smile on his face. Seeing an opening, Gaara spoke to him.

"What are you doing here?"

The boy raised a brow,

"What? I can't have friends?"

Now, the crowd was switching their gazes back and forth between them, Naruto spoke up first.

"Kankurou? You know him?"

Kankurou gave a grunt,

"Yeah, I know him. He's my brother."

There were audible gasps and raised brows. But, suddenly, Gaara felt a tap on the shoulder, and he closed his eyes and set his mouth in a firm line, knowing who it was.

"Hey, little bro, not gonna introduce me to your friends?"

"Temari…"

Kankurou groaned,

"Damn, and I'd hoped you guys wouldn't meet…"

Everyone turned to Kankurou, who looked at Temari and saw the expectant stare. He groaned,

"Guys, this is my brother, Gaara, and my sister, Temari."

Gaara nodded, and Temari gave a grin. Everyone else just stared. Sakura felt the need to say something.

"Oh, um, Gaara, Temari. This is Tenten"

She pointed to the girl with two buns, who smiled and waved.

"And Naruto."

She pointed to the loud blonde, who grinned and placed his hands behind his head.

"Neji…"

The boy with long brown hair and white eyes nodded, and gave a 'Hn' that Gaara completely understood.

"Kiba…"

A boy with red, triangular shapes on his cheeks nodded in greeting.

"Hinata…"

A girl with long, wavy, almost purple hair waved shyly, and Gaara noted she had the same eyes as the Neji boy.

"You know Shikamaru…"

He gave a half wave and yawned.

"And this is Chouji…"

A boy, who was a bit chubby, but nothing too bad, nodded in greeting, and Gaara recognized him as the one who had said he was hungry. Sakura opened her mouth to introduce Kankurou, then realized she didn't know him, and tilted her head, looking to Gaara. He grinned,

"Sakura, this is Kankurou, my brother."

She nodded and extended her hand to Kankurou, who took it and kissed it gently, causing Sakura to blush, and Gaara to send him a death glare. Immediately Kankurou grinned back, and eyed Sakura up and down. Suddenly, sakura felt pure and unadulterated rage. Just from the way he was looking at her. She stiffened, and crossed her arms over her chest. When he made no attempt to hide it, she sneered,

"Keep staring and I'll make it so this is the last thing you see."

Kankurou raised a brow, and Gaara grinned. Unexpectedly, his brother laughed.

"Ah, I see Gaara has already claimed you then."

Sakura's brow rose,

"I haven't been claimed by anyone..."

In front of everyone, she got a wicked idea, and decided to give Gaara a taste of his own medicine. She grinned, and turned to Gaara, leaning up on her tiptoes and whispering in his ear,

"Yet…"

She nipped his earlobe and her hot breathe encased his ear and neck, causing him to visibly shudder and grab her hips, just for something to hold on to. (AN: That was for you Sara!! xD!!) Sakura broke apart and looked at her friends, Tenten was grinning, Naruto was slack jawed, Neji wore a smirk, Hinata was blushing, Kiba was grinning, Chouji was eating, Shikamaru was yawning, and Kankurou had a nosebleed. Suddenly, Temari's voice rang out,

"EW! Okay! I did NOT need to see that!"

Sakura laughed and Gaara fought down a blush. Kankurou cleaned his nose and sighed.

"Damn, Gaara, you sure know how to pick em."

Said boy just shrugged. Sakura sat down at the table, and Gaara sat next to her. Feeling left out, Temari sat down next to him.

Everyone began to eat their lunch, Sakura and Gaara got up to get theirs from the line up front, and said nothing to each other in the process. They sat back down, and listened to everyone chatting, Temari and Kankurou getting to know everyone. Gaara was silent, and just ate his food. Suddenly, Sakura had another wicked idea.

Oh, you are so evil…

You know you love it…

That I do… now do it, I want to see his reaction…

(This is for you ReRe!!!) Sakura grinned, and slipped her hand beneath the table, no one noticed. She grinned again, and gathered up her courage. Gently, she laid it on Gaara's thigh. He paused in his actions, and his eyes widened. But when Kankurou sent him a questioning glance, he quickly began eating again. Sakura inwardly grinned, and used the tip of her index finger to begin drawing designs on his thigh. He stiffened again, but again, another glance from Kankurou got him eating once more. Loving the challenge, she slowly and sensually ran her hand from his thigh to his knee, and back again. Rubbing and kneading along the way. He abruptly dropped his fork with wide eyes, and took in a deep breathe. Temari frowned, noticed Sakura's wicked grin, and rolled her eyes. Kankurou looked at his brother with curiosity. His eyes were closed and his lips were pursed in a fine line. He let out a low growl, only audible to Sakura, and she grinned triumphantly and removed her hand. She brought it back up to the table and resumed eating, a smug grin on her lips. Gaara took a few minutes to open his eyes, and when he did, he would not look at Sakura. He couldn't. He knew if he did, he'd molest her right here and now in front of all her friends. No, not even he wanted to cause that much of a scene. But oh, he would get her later, that was for sure, and he knew… she knew it too. Naruto suddenly piped up,

"Hey, Sakura-chan, why are you grinning so much?"

Gaara froze, and Sakura had the decency to look surprised. But soon, she gave a smug smirk.

"And why should I tell you, Naruto?"

He frowned and pouted,

"Why wouldn't you?"

She shrugged,

"I don't think… he would appreciate it."

Gaara tensed, and everyone wondered who the 'he' was, but they could tell she wouldn't elaborate. But that didn't stop Naruto.

"He who?"

Sakura grinned,

"Again, he wouldn't appreciate me saying."

Naruto whined,

"Sakura-chaaaan!"

She grinned,

"Nope. Quit whining Naruto I'm not gonna say."

Gaara barely stopped himself from breathing a sigh in relief. If his siblings knew she had gotten the better of him, he'd never live it down. Then, he got a grin of his own. He would get Sakura… sooner rather than later.

Since they were sitting right next to each other, it was easy to execute his plan. ((URIAH!! THIS IS FOR YOU:D)) Stamping down a grin, Gaara lowered his hand down to his lap, he saw Sakura pause in her actions, as if knowing what he was going to do. This time, he did grin. And surprised the hell out of Sakura when he wrapped his leg around hers. Her eyes widened and she nearly dropped her fork. As if that wasn't enough, his hand traveled to her knee, where it gently rested for a moment. Then, without hesitation, he slipped it to the side, so it was resting between both her legs. He slid it up, and stopped at her thigh. Her eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted, and her fork dangling uselessly from her hand. He grinned, and continued. He brought his hand up, so it was resting on the top of her leg. She seemed to relax a little more… until he brought his hand around her hip… and rested it on her lower back. They had their backs against a wall, so he didn't have to worry about other people seeing, and their friends were too busy eating and talking to notice. Because of her tank top, about four inches of skin showed from her pants to her tank top, result of her slouching as she ate. He copied her earlier actions, and began to make light, teasing circles with his index finger just above the hemline of her pants. Making a daring move, he pressed his palm flat against her back, and barely dipped his fingers half an inch lower, just enough to cover his fingers up to the cuticle… with her pants. She gasped audibly, and Gaara paused to see if anyone would notice. Luckily no one did. A few more minutes of teasing circles, and Sakura had her eyes closed, attempting to calm her breathing. Grinning, Gaara leaned in next to her ear; his breathe fanning her neck as he whispered,

"Paybacks a bitch, Sakura."

She breathed deeply, but didn't open her eyes. He quickly removed his hand, and went back to eating. Lunch was almost over, and he wanted her coherent for class. Just as he predicted, lunch was soon over. And everyone was piling out of the cafeteria, trying to get ready for their next class. Their friends all departed, going to their own lockers. Once him and Sakura were by their selves, he grabbed her wrist, and led her into the nearest empty classroom. Sakura was about to protest, but as soon as he closed the door, her back was against it, and his lips were on hers. Hot and demanding. Needy. Greedy. And for now… all hers. She wasted no time in accepting his invitation. He grabbed her hips and lifted her, and she quickly wrapped her legs around his own, narrow waist. He growled and pressed her further into the door. Her hands found his hair and she roughly pulled, making him growl yet again.

"Eh-hem."

The two didn't hear, they were too… busy.

"Eh-HEM!"

Slowly, with a dangerous glare, Gaara turned to find whoever had dared to interrupt him… and came face to face with a grinning sensei. Sakura blushed bright red.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Gaara glared,

"What do you want?"

The Sensei tilted his head and smiled,

"Oh, nothing, but, you're in my classroom. Class will start in a few minutes, and… you're blocking the door."

Sakura was in shock with humiliation,

"Oh…dear…dog man…" (AN: NO THAT IS NOT A TYPO! Me and Sara pwn your asses! And each others! CHYEA BOI!)

Kakashi blinked and tilted his head, Gaara raised both brows and quickly looked back to her,

"The hell did you just say?"

Sakura gave a nervous laugh,

"Oh, uh, don't worry about it."

Gaara raised a brow and let her down, slowly, purposefully letting her slide down his body while he did. She bit her bottom lip and sent him a meaningful look that clearly said 'we'll finish this later'. He smirked and nodded, leaning down to catch her lips in one last searing kiss. Behind him, he heard Kakashi murmur,

"This is better than Icha-Icha."

Gaara parted and Sakura took a deep breath, sent an apologetic glance to Kakashi, before she left to wait outside for Gaara. Slowly, Gaara turned and met the amused sensei. Gaara sighed.

"All right, let's have it. Give me the reprimanding."

Kakashi laughed. He actually laughed,

"On the contrary, I'm actually very proud, even though I have no reason to be. That a kid like you can make her react like that… for some reason has me proud. Now go, you're going to be late for class."

Gaara's brows rose and furrowed, before he just smirked and nodded, before heading outside to meet Sakura. She sent him a questioning glance, and he just shrugged. She raised a brow,

"No yelling? No detention?"

Gaara looked at her,

"Do you honestly expect him to? For crying out loud, Sakura, the man reads porn in class!"

Sakura laughed and then nodded,

"I guess you're right. Come on lets get to class."

Gaara nodded, and watched as Sakura led the way. Gaara's eyes trailed down and rested on her nicely curved backside. He grinned as he watched her add an extra sway to her hips, which he knew was just for him.

Damn, she has a nice-

Ass? Hell yeah she does!

Hn…

Gaara quickly went back to watching the 'show', and frowned when she suddenly stopped, quickly looking up to see her standing in front of the doorway to what he assumed to be Gym class. He raised a brow as she opened the door to the gym, and waited for him to follow. It seems her earlier inhibitions about them appearing as a 'couple' didn't matter anymore. The thought made him grin. Sakura looked at him and rose a brow, noticing his lips tilted in what she knew to be a mischievous grin. He just shook his head at her and followed close behind as she led the way. Once inside, Gaara fought the temptation to cover his ears as a loud, shrill voice rang through his ears,

"Sasuke-kun!!! Won't you come with me to the Sadie's Hawkins dance?"

Sasuke sneered,

"No, Ino. Quit asking!"

She pouted,

"But, Sasuke-kun!!"

"NO! Now damn it quit asking me!"

Sakura paled at the mention of the dance, and she stiffened so much Gaara thought she would fall over. He experimentally poked her shoulder, with no reaction. He waved a hand in front of her face,

"Sakura? Sakura? Sakura!"

He snapped his fingers twice, and she blinked, seeming to come out of her daze.

"Huh? What Happened?"

Gaara grinned,

"You heard a mention about the dance and you blanched out."

Sakura's jaw dropped in horror,

"The dance, oh my god the dance is coming up!"

Gaara gave her the 'wtf' look, and she gave a nervous laugh,

"Oh, um, sorry. Forget I said anything."

Gaara raised a brow, and Sakura saw the blonde bitch coming from a mile away. She winced as the shrill voice rang out,

"Forehead girl!"

Sakura sneered,

"Ino-pig."

Ino opened her mouth to say something, then seemed to notice Gaara. She instantly put on a seductive smile, her eyes on nothing but the gorgeous hunk of eye candy before her.

"Forehead girl… aren't you going to introduce me?"

Sakura sighed,

"Gaara, Ino-pig. Ino-pig, Gaara."

Gaara said nothing, and for once Ino didn't care about what Sakura called her. Instead, all her attention was focused on Gaara. She slid up to him and placed her finger on his collarbone, gently dragging it down. She spoke in a husky voice that Gaara assumed was supposed to be sexy.

"Well hello there, Gaara."

Gaara gave a grunt, and chanced a glance at Sakura. And he could already tell she was reigning in her temper. He was a bit amused at that. Was she jealous? But that once again irritatingly annoying voice, that was supposed to be sexy, spoke up.

"Why don't you leave this pathetic excuse for a woman, and come find some real entertainment with me?"

Again, she began to draw designs in his chest, and he gripped her wrist tightly, making her wince. Without hesitation, he said firmly,

"No."

He saw Sakura smile, and Ino scoffed,

"You're honestly choosing this pathetic bitch over me? I'm so much better! Look at her! Her hair is pink for gods' sake! She dresses like a homo and not to mention-"

Gaara watched on in amused shock as Sakura tackled the blonde bitch. Ino let out a shriek that was nearly deafening and began to scratch at Sakura, but Sakura was paying no mind. Gaara smirked as he realized Sakura was no pansy. She fought with closed fists, and hit hard. Sakura aimed a hit straight for Ino's head, and it landed. Ino screamed and pulled at Sakura's hair, but Sakura simply ripped it out of her grasp and went back to giving Ino physical bruises, that now matched her bruised ego. But when he saw one of Ino's pansies toss her a pocket-knife, Gaara saw red. But he wasn't fast enough. Sakura had a deep slice on her upper forearm, but she acted like it was nothing new. She quickly ripped the pocket-knife out of Ino's hands and held the tip to her throat, which stopped Ino instantly. She whispered dangerously low, but Gaara still heard it.

"You fight like a pansy, Ino. Gaara doesn't want you, he never will. Touch my man again and this knife will be embedded deep into your skull."

Gaara raised both brows at hearing the 'her man' part, but couldn't deny he liked it. He walked up and grabbed Sakura gently by her lower arm, careful of the gash on her upper. She turned to him, ready to kill. And he can't deny he was pleasantly turned on by the carnal rage in her eyes. But he knew now wasn't the time. Her eyes softened when she realized it was him, and she took one last glance at the trembling Ino, and got off of her, standing next to Gaara. She folded the pocket knife and handed it to him. He took it and pocketed it, as Sakura silently requested. Ino stood up and shrieked,

"This isn't over, Forehead girl!"

Sakura smirked,

"It never is, Ino-pig."

Just then, the teacher walked in. He took one look at Ino and Sakura and sighed,

"Again? Well I guess I cannot stop your youthful rage!"

Gaara raised a brow and Sakura gave a pained smile. She turned and showed him her arm and again he sighed,

"You know the routine, Sakura. Go to the nurses office, and come right back. You can't miss class this time."

Sakura nodded, and walked off. Gaara sent the teacher a glance, and quickly followed. The sensei seemed surprised, but he let him go. Sakura glanced behind her, seeing Gaara, and smiled. She led them to the Nurses office. She looked at Sakura's arm and Gaara saw that she had a special boxed marked 'Sakura and Ino' on the top. He raised a brow and turned back just in time to see the nurse sigh.

"Really, Sakura, can't you grab the knife before she uses it?"

Sakura shrugged,

"Its not like it really hurts."

Gaara's brows shot up at that. He knew grown men who would cry from a gash like that. And yet Sakura didn't even flinch. She wasn't a pansy. He smirked and the nurse finally seemed to notice him. She blinked,

"Ah, Sakura, who is this?"

Gaara grinned, noticing an opening to tease Sakura while at the same time claiming her as his.

"Her man."

Sakura froze, her eyes widened, and her lips parted. All at once she realized that Gaara was there the whole time, standing right next to her. He had to have heard her. And by the look he was giving her, he had. Belatedly, she realized the nurse was talking to her.

"Huh? What?"

The nurse smiled,

"I said, I didn't know you had a boyfriend. When did this happen?"

Gaara spoke for her,

"About ten minutes ago."

Sakura blinked, sending him a look that said 'are you serious'? He just sent her a smirk. The nurse blinked,

"Ah. I see."

Sakura quickly looked to her,

"Please don't tell anyone! We don't… want people to know yet."

The nurse nodded in understanding, and Gaara raised a brow, while Sakura sent him a meaningful glare that clearly said 'we'll talk later'. He nodded and decided to quit teasing her, for now. The nurse quickly bandaged up Sakura, and the nurse told her to sit still. She walked over to Gaara, who raised a brow in question. She whispered in a low voice,

"Listen, Sakura's been through a lot. She's like a niece to me. If you're really her boyfriend, show me you care."

Gaara thought for a moment, and then nodded. He walked over to Sakura and lifted her chin gently. She blinked and looked at him in confusion. He gave a grin, and leaned down, softly catching her lips. This kiss was gentle, nothing at all like the others. And Sakura was melting. Slowly, leisurely, his lips passed over hers, encasing hers with his. Sakura wanted him to deepen it, but he wouldn't. He was determined to keep this gentle. After about another thirty seconds, he broke apart, but his face stayed close. He nuzzled her nose with his and gave another grin, but this one looked suspiciously like a true smile… almost. She knew it wouldn't be that easy to get him to smile. She was out of breath, not because of the kiss, but because of just how gentle he had been with her. As if she were glass, as if she'd break with the slightest push. Gaara gave her one last peck on the lips and turned to face the nurse, who looked wholly satisfied. In fact, Gaara could've sworn he saw little hearts in her eyes. He nodded to her, and held out a hand to Sakura. Still dazed, she took it, and her eyes widened when he interlaced their fingers. He let their hands drop slowly, still interlaced. He slowly walked her out of the room. They walked halfway down the hall before Sakura unhooked her hand from his. Her voice practically shook,

"Gaara…"

"Hn?"

"Why did you do that? Now the whole schools going to think we're a couple."

He shrugged,

"Let them."

Her head stayed down, drawn to the floor. He sent her a glance, and did a double-take. He hadn't seen this look on her yet. Thoughtful, contemplating… sad. She spoke again, and her voice did shake.

"Don't do this…"

He raised a brow,

"Do what?"

"Don't tease me… Don't play with me as if I'm just another notch on your belt."

Gaara blinked,

"What?"

"You heard me… Don't play with me. Don't lead me on."

Gaara stopped and stood in front of her, blocking her way, forcing her to look up. And she did. She looked up, and met vibrant Jade eyes. Jade eyes that held emotion she had never seen in them before. Though she hadn't known him but a few hours, she felt she had known him for years. They were so familiar… already. And that scared her. He sent her a challenging look,

"Sakura… I never, never treat women as a notch on my belt. I can promise you I won't. Ever. In my life."

Sakura blinked up at him, and had the sudden urge to cry. She had to blink away her tears and force them down. She spoke softly,

"Promise?"

He nodded firmly,

"Promise."

She gave him a shaky smile and he grinned,

"Now, if we're going to play the couple in school, we'll have to act like it."

He held up his hand, palm face up, and she took the hint. She placed her hand in his, he interlaced their fingers, and they took off towards Gym class.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

By the time they got there, it was just barely starting. Sakura went to the girls locker room to change into her uniform, and the sensei of the class handed Gaara his uniform, yelling something about 'the springtime of youth'… Gaara didn't have to listen to know it was idiotic. He went to the boys' locker room to change, and when he came out, Sakura was already there. He saw her… and fought the very strong urge to have his jaw drop. Instead, he settled for wide eyes. The girls' uniform was quite skimpy. They wore short shorts that barely covered their backsides, and a too-small wife-beater that held the emblem of their high school on the upper left corner. And on Sakura… it looked incredible. The shorts were red, and the top white, which brought out her hair. The shorts showed off her long, creamy legs that had been hidden before. Back in his mind, he thought the incredulous thought that… he never wanted her to wear pants again. Just then, as he was staring at her wonderful legs, she seemed to have noticed him. And this time... HER jaw dropped.

Gaara's outfit was similar to hers, but the shorts went to his knees. She eyed his beautifully sculpted calves, and eyed what she knew had to be powerful thighs beneath those shorts. Her gaze traveled higher, and she realized that Gai-sensei had ordered the shirt a bit too small, not that she minded. Not in the least. The shirt was tight against his muscles, ones she knew all too well for knowing him just a few short hours. She could see the outline of his abs from here, and she was dieing to touch them. She lifted her gaze to meet a sculpted chest, powerful shoulders and lean, muscular biceps and forearms. Then, she met his face… His smirking face. She blushed,

Oh… shit…

Caught red handed…

Seems so…

He smirked at her, and purposefully crossed his arms over his chest. Sakura inwardly laughed. He knew he looked good! But suddenly, she felt self-conscious as he made no intention to hide the fact that he was looking at her as well. His gaze raked her from head to toe, and self consciously, she crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her weight from one foot to the other. Causing Gaara to grin. But his amusement was short lived, as Sasuke came striding up to him. Gaara mentally groaned, and saw Sakura wince. Sasuke wasted no time,

"What the hell are you doing with my woman?"

Gaara raised a brow,

"I am doing nothing with Ino. Why do you ask?"

Sasuke glared,

"I meant Sakura and you know it."

This time, Gaara glared.

"She's not your woman. She never will be."

Sasuke smirked,

"Just wait. I'll have her. I'll have her in my arms, and in my bed. I'll have her legs spread and have her screaming my name, I'll have her-"

He didn't get much further. As Gaara had just sent him one hell of a punch. Sakura looked over in shock, seeing a furious Gaara, and Sasuke with a bloody nose, probably a broken one too. Sasuke was on the floor, looking up at Gaara as if he were insane. And he said so too.

"Are you insane?! You probably just broke my fucking nose!!"

Gaara grinned,

"Good."

He leaned down so he was face to face with Sasuke. He whispered low, dangerously low.

"You never, ever talk about Sakura that way in front of me. No, you don't talk about her like that period."

Sasuke stuttered,

"Y-You don't even know her!"

Gaara grinned,

"Oh, I know her. I know her enough to know she can knock you on your ass with a single punch. I know her enough to know that she hates your guts. I know her enough to know… she'll never scream your name, not in passion. But oh, if she lets me, I'll be damned sure she screams mine."

Sasuke's eyes widened in horror, but before he could say anything, Gai-sensei ran up to them,

"Oh, all the youthful rage today is dangerous!! Sasuke, go to the nurses office and skip class! You look like you'll need to rest! For your youth!"

Gaara looked at the teacher, and for the first time, he seemed to notice the overly large eyebrows, the hideous bowl cut hairdo, and his sparkling white teeth that nearly blinded him. His face twisted into one of disgust. But he quickly disguised it. Sasuke scrambled to his feet and ran out of the room. Gaara expected punishment, but was shocked when the sensei just sent him a grin, and gave him the nice guy pose,

"I'll let it slide this time, Gaara, as you were protecting Sakura!"

Sakura's eyebrows rose at this, he was protecting her? She blushed, and looked to Gaara. Who was staring at the sensei's eyebrows. She couldn't help it, she laughed, which seemed to attract his attention. He brought his gaze to her and grinned, which stopped her laughter immediately. She blushed and looked down. But her head snapped up when Gai-sensei announced their activities for the day.

"Class! Today, we will be playing basketball! The boys for one half hour, and the girls for their own half hour. Boys will be first, we will be playing in Shirts and Skins. Sakura gasped Now, I will name off the teams, Kiba, Naruto, Lee, Shikamaru, Neji, and Gaara on Skins. And on Shirts. Now, assemble!!" ((Yeah, I left it blank, cuz im not good at coming up with names -- so just use your imagination. XD)) Sakura gulped as she realized she'd see Gaara shirtless. She glanced over at Hinata, who was watching Naruto. Hinata watched as he took his shirt off… and she promptly fainted. Tenten caught her, and fanned her in the routine they had grown to know. Kiba chuckled and pointed out to Naruto that Hinata had fainted. Of course, he was clueless as to why. He tried to rush over to Hinata, but Kiba held him back. Naruto argued with him for a moment, then deflated in defeat. Meanwhile, Tenten was blushing brighter than Sakura's hair… or Gaara's for that matter. And when she looked to what Tenten was staring at, she too began to blush, and stare… and begin to think thoughts she really shouldn't think about one of her best friends. But, there was Neji, Hyuuga Neji, with his SHIRT OFF! Tenten was practically drooling, and Sakura wasn't far behind. But Gaara saw Sakura's line of vision, saw her reaction, and felt a primal need in him to pound the Hyuuga into the gym floor and force his shirt back on. But instead, he just whispered something to Neji, causing him to blush and quickly turn his back on the girls. Gaara grinned, and grinned again when he noticed that Sakura, had finally taken her eyes of Neji. To look at his sister. So in reflex, he looked at her as well. And saw her slack jawed and doe eyed as she looked at the pineapple-haired lazy bum… who was now also shirtless. Temari, for her part, was wondering how in the hell someone so lazy could have a body like THAT. No, he wasn't pure, raw muscle. But he wasn't skin and bones either. He was pleasantly lean, yet muscled all the same. His arms held slight definition, and you could see the outline of a six pack on his stomach. Not a lot and thankfully not overkill. Gaara saw his sister's reaction, and another primal need urged him. He had the urge to shake Temari, and make Shikamaru cover up. He felt the need to protect… his older sister. He shook it off, refusing to deal with it. And then, he did what Sakura had been waiting for. He joined the shirtless bodies amidst him… and damn, he was all she had expected and more.

0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sakura's gasp was audible, and Gaara smirked when he heard it. He wasn't by any means conceited, but he knew the effect he had on some women, and the effect he had on her. And by god, he loved it. He deliberately reached for a nearby bottle of water, showing her part of his back, and he practically felt the groan dying to come up in her throat. He could see it in her face when he finally looked back at her. He grinned, and she didn't mind. She was too busy studying him. She made a mental note to sketch this later. His shorts hung low on his lips, distinguishing the distinct 'V' that every male had on their lower torso, where their legs and hips connected it. She didn't know why, but Sakura was obsessed with it. ((That was for you Sara!!! CHYEA WE RULE!!)) She stared at it for a moment, before traveling her gaze upward, where she met a nicely defined six pack. It was nearly an eight pack, and she could see the outline of it, but it wasn't defined yet. The sides of his stomach were smooth, and her fingers were dying to run across it. She traveled up further, and met a chiseled chest. It almost looked as if it were made of stone. Her gaze went up, a strong collarbone, that looked as if it could hold the weight of the world and not crumble. Strong shoulders, and very defined arms. Sakura remembered what it was like to be in those arms, and held back a shiver. She gave him another once over, and decided he wasn't overkill, but he wasn't lean. He was just right. She knew he had to have worked hard to get that body at the ripe age of 17. She assumed he was almost 18, as was she. Suddenly, she got a wicked idea to give Gaara a taste of his own medicine. She quickly talked to all the girls, at first they weren't up for it, but when she convinced them what an effect it would have on the guys, they agreed, willingly, with smiles on their faces. She grinned and explained it to Gai-Sensei. He looked surprised, but he agreed, saying something about their 'youthful bodies'… she didn't pay attention. Her plan was set, and… when the girls' game came… Gaara would be in for the shock of his life.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Gaara saw the mischievous glint in Sakura's eye as she watched him. He knew she was up to something. He just didn't know what.

Sakura watched as the game practically flew by. She was so entranced with the way Gaara moved, the way his muscles bunched and released, she didn't even pay attention to who won. He was sweating now, and she watched the tantalizing drops dip into places she only wished she could see. Before she knew it, Gai-Sensei blew the whistle.

"All right, half hours up! It was a very youthful game! The skins win! Girls, get ready for your game." He winked at Sakura, and she nodded. She whispered something to the girls, and they nodded in agreement. He saw them move about accordingly to something. But in truth, they were all making sure they were in view of their own guy. Tenten was in Neji's line of vision, Hinata in Naruto's, Temari in Shikamaru's, and Sakura in Gaara's. Gaara was about to take a drink of water, when Sakura lifted her shirt by the hem… and lifted.

Gaara about dropped his water bottle, no, wait; he DID drop his water bottle. He heard it clatter to the floor, followed by at least three others. It was then he realized the other girls had taken off their shirts too. Leaving all of them, even Sakura, in their skimpy sports bras. He felt the need to protect and cover Temari from prying eyes, but the need to see Sakura was greater. He stared at her. He really, honest to god stared. Her shorts rode low on her hips, and her sports bra high on her ribs, exposing a very tempting amount of skin. Actually, her entire stomach was bared. And Gaara nearly growled when he caught sight of a shiny, sexy navel ring right on her belly button. It seemed to tempt him, call to him, begged him to pull at it with his teeth. Oh, how he wanted to torture her for what she was doing. She had put glitter on, he noticed. That hadn't been there earlier. He'd have seen it. She had glitter all over her now, her face, her arms, her stomach, oh god her stomach! He wanted to touch it, kiss it, and bite at that damn navel ring! But his gaze traveled further, meeting a very nice chest in which he wanted badly to hold. She was by no means flat, but wasn't overkill like Ino either. The mention of Ino tamped down any erection that might have been growing, and he was grateful. He didn't want to have to explain that. He looked up at Sakura's face, and saw her giving one of his grins. A melting grin that was meant for one purpose and one purpose only: to seduce

Naruto… was shocked. Who knew Hinata had been hiding that behind her jacket? A nice, toned, flat stomach, a sexy navel ring. A nice chest that was by no means flat or overkill. And sexy, tantalizing glitter all over her. And her grin just set him off. Who knew that shy Hinata could act so… sexy? He sent her a grin, and he had no idea how hard she had to try not to faint right then. Instead, she grinned back, and caught the basketball Sakura threw at her. And without further ado, the game began.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Gaara was amazed, no, mesmerized by the way Sakura's body moved. She played basketball very well, but he wasn't even paying attention to the game.

God her ass looks great in those shorts…

I think I'm becoming a bad influence on you kid…

Hn. Maybe…

Gaara chanced a glance at the other guys, and saw they were all enraptured, just as he was. He turned his attention back to Sakura. And saw that she was sweating now, her pink hair turning light red as it stuck to her porcelain skin. Oh, how he wanted to taste that skin. He wanted to run his mouth along it, he wanted to taste it. He wanted to do sinful things to her body that he had no right thinking, but damn… he couldn't help it. After 4 kisses, he felt he knew her intimately… even though they had barely met a few hours ago. He wondered idly if she was a virgin… She probably was, just didn't act like it. Some people today considered it a bad thing to be a virgin, Gaara, honestly, didn't care. It is that persons decision, and only theirs, of whether or not they are a prude, or a slut. No one elses. If Sakura were a virgin, he'd respect it. If she wasn't… well, hell, she was in for one hell of a ride. But suddenly, the thought of another man with her, with his Sakura, made his blood boil. He saw red, he wanted blood. Who's, he didn't know, but he wanted it. Just the thought of it made him growl. Lost in his thoughts, he barely heard the whistle sound, and Gai-Sensei's voice.

"Good game! Sakura's team has one! I'm sorry, Ino, but your team lost."

Ino was practically huffing in indignation, and Sakura just smirked. Gaara looked up, realized what was going on, and gave a grin. He walked up to Gai-Sensei,

"Where are the showers?"

The Sensei nodded toward a nearby door, and he quickly went into it. He saw Sakura on his way, heading to the door opposite of his. It must have been the girls locker room. The thought of her wet and naked made him groan, and he quickly pushed inside and turned the water on ice cold.

About twenty minutes later, Gaara emerged from the room freshly showered and clothed, and saw Sakura already gathering her stuff. Smirking, he went to stand next to her. She looked up at him from her gathering, and smirked before quickly going right back to it. He grinned,

"That was a nasty little tease, Sakura."

She shrugged and sent him a grin over her shoulder,

"Paybacks a bitch, Gaara."

Gaara grinned, and, he couldn't help it, he chuckled. The sound seemed to freeze Sakura. She stiffened, and her movements became more precise. Little did he know that the very sound of him laughing sent shivers down her spine, and other places she wouldn't mention. She knew she loved that sound, already. And she wanted to make him do it more. It was a low, sexy chuckle. One that would melt any girl. And from the way he was looking at her, he actually didn't know it. She blinked, then smiled and stood up straight.

"Come on, we're going to be late for class."

Gaara nodded, and followed her through the doors, down the halls, and into the next class. The rest of the day was rather uneventful, a few teasing banters here and there but nothing serious. At the end of the day, Gaara politely offered to walk Sakura home. She blushed, but nodded,

"Sure."

"Where do you live?"

"25 Konoha Way."

Gaara blinked,

"Say again?"

Sakura blinked,

"Twenty-five… Konoha… Way…"

Gaara blinked again, then grinned. She took a step back and asked cautiously,

"What?"

"Oh, nothing, just that… I'm you're new neighbor."

Sakura's jaw dropped,

"YOU?! You bought the house? Oh my God… no way…"

Gaara rose a brow,

"Is it that big of a disappointment?"

Sakura stuttered,

"N-No, I guess not…"

Gaara grinned,

"C'mon…"

He led the way now, and Sakura followed. The way to her house was silent. When they finally got there, he nodded to Sakura, and began to make his way to his house. Since it was getting chilly out, and she had no jacket, she hurried to her front door and tried to open it. No luck. Cursing, she felt around her pockets for her keys, as she didn't carry a purse. Her wallet, lip gloss, cell phone… no keys. And her mother was out on business…

"SHIT!!!"

Gaara paused in his doorway, and leaned halfway out of it to look at Sakura.

"Something wrong?"

She smiled sheepishly,

"I…uh…locked myself out…"

Gaara raised a brow and completely came out of his doorway,

"Oh?"

She nodded, ashamed. He pondered his options. One, he could pick the lock. Two, he could have her at his house… He decided he liked number two better. He shrugged, "You can stay at my house until you find a way back in."

Sakura blinked,

"Say what?"

Gaara grinned,

"You…can….stay….at…."

Sakura snapped,

"I heard you!"

Gaara chuckled lowly,

"Then don't ask me to repeat. Now are you coming or not?"

Sakura blinked, then nodded. She didn't really have a choice. Tenten's house wasn't big enough for two, Hinata was having a family gathering, and there was no way in hell she'd call Ino! And she wouldn't stay at the guys'; she knew they were all pervs. She felt safer with Gaara… though she knew that would be her death wish. She walked inside with Gaara, and blinked in surprise. Though there were a few boxes here and there, most of it was put away. She knew they had just moved in yesterday, so they must have spent all day and night unpacking.

Gaara led her to the guest room, which was right across from his room, and in the middle of Temari's and Kankuro's. He explained that she could come to him at all times, his door was never closed to her, and he couldn't help but grin when he saw that made her blush. She spoke up though, surprising him just a bit,

"Uh… Gaara, where's the bathroom?"

He shrugged,

"There's one in my room and one that connects to yours and Temari's room."

Sakura nodded,

"Temari's it is then."

Gaara raised a brow with a grin,

"Are you afraid to go in my room, Sakura?"

She bit her lip and looked away,

"No…"

He grinned and stepped closer, so that their chests were touching. She blushed furiously and he grinned. He used his index and middle finger to push her chin up. He leaned down, his nose against hers, and whispered,

"You're welcome in there. Anytime. For anything… and, Sakura…"

She blinked,

"I really mean… anything… "

Sakura's lips parted and her breathing quickened. Her gaze dropped to Gaara's lips, which were now also parted as well. They began to inch closer, until someone interrupted.

"Well, well, well. I thought she wasn't your girlfriend, little bro."

Never in his life had he truly, truly wanted Temari dead… until now. Or at least incapacitated. Something! He growled and turned to her,

"She's not!"

He saw Sakura's face out of the corner of his eyes, and swore he saw a bit of disappointment, but she quickly masked it.

"Temari! Hi!"

Said woman grinned,

"Hey, Sakura, mind me asking what your doing here? Other than getting some action with my little brother…"

Sakura blushed and explained,

"I, uh, live next door. And… I kind of… um, well…"

Gaara spoke up for her,

"She locked herself out. She has nowhere to stay until she can call a locksmith and get a key made."

Temari made a nod in understanding,

"You're taking the guest room? AWESOME! GIRL CHAT!"

Gaara actually groaned, causing Sakura to look at him in surprise, he just rolled his eyes,

"Temari, try to keep the squealing to a minimum, please?"

Temari laughed evilly,

"Aw, but then, little bro, its no fun if it doesn't annoy the boys!"

Gaara rolled his eyes,

"I'll order pizza in a bit. You two can go do whatever it is that… girls do…"

Temari squealed and grabbed Sakura's wrist, dragging her into her room. Temari wasted no time,

"So, Sakura, do you like my brother?"

Sakura blinked.

Gaara, on the other hand, who was still outside, heard this. He paused and waited for her reaction, and response. He got it. Ohhh, boy, did he get it. He got a long pause. Gaara frowned. Did she actually not like him? But then he heard her sigh, curious, he strained to listen.

"Temari, I…"

"Yes?"

"I…"

"Yes?"

"I…"

"SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!"

"YES! DAMN IT!"

Temari grinned, and Sakura sighed. Sitting down on a chair that was across the room from the mattress Temari was sitting on. Outside, Gaara was grinning.

"I… like him, Temari. But its weird… we just met this morning, and I feel as if I've known him all my life." Sakura smiled slightly, almost dreamily, and kept her gaze on the floor as she talked,

"He's gorgeous, I love his attitude, and his come-get-it looks. I love this teasing game we have. And I love the rewards even more. His eyes enchant me, I love his face. And his lips… God his lips…"

Temari cut in, surprising Sakura,

"EW! Okay! No more! TMI!!!"

Sakura laughed,

"Sorry, Temari… I kind of forgot he was your brother."

Sakura frowned, and Temari caught it.

"Sakura?"

Outside, Gaara's grin was quite wide. Until he heard his sisters tone. He quickly turned concerned. But Sakura spoke quickly,

"I'm scared, Temari…"

Temari frowned, ready to help her new friend whatever way she could,

"Of?"

Gaara listened intently,

"Him…"

Gaara frowned, and felt something inside of him break. Everyone was afraid of him…even Sakura…

"Not OF him, of him… of what I feel for him…"

Gaara's ears perked, and he listened. Little did he knew, Temari knew he was there. But she didn't say anything. She let him listen. He needed to hear this. Sakura smiled sadly,

"I feel like I want to give him everything… my heart, my soul, my body. I've never felt this way before."

Gaara tensed outside. What was she saying…?

"But… I don't know if I can. Not the body part anyway…"

Temari tilted her head,

"Sakura? Are you a virgin?"

Gaara straightened, and strained his ears to a new level. This was the question he was dying to hear. But all he heard, was a gruff, hate-filled,

"No."

Immediately thoughts of her with another guy barricaded his mind. He was furious. He wanted to kill. He wanted blood. But when he heard Sakura give a wry laugh, he stopped and listened,

"It wasn't of my choice. When I was a kid, my dad started drinking…"

She said the rest so low, he couldn't hear. He let it go, and made his way to his room. So she wasn't a virgin. But it hadn't been of her choice. What the hell…? Eyes widening in realization, Gaara felt his heart sink. Sakura had been raped. Oh… NOW he wanted blood. He wanted it so bad he could taste it. But, Shukaku stopped him. Shukaku of all people.

Don't, kid…

Why in the hell not?!

She doesn't know you know… for her to know you found out through eaves dropping…

shit…

Sighing, Gaara plopped down on his bed. Sakura, of all people, had gone through something that horrible… She masked it so well. She acted so normal. But… he saw through that now. But he heeded Shukaku's words. He would wait until she was ready to tell him, then he could lose his temper. He would wait. He could do that… even if it killed him.

Sakura…

Sighing, Gaara ordered a pizza, he knew what his sister liked, Chicken and Bacon, and he knew what Kankurou liked, Hawaiian style, and what he liked. So he just ordered all three, and Sakura could take her pick. He yawned and decided he would deal with the whole 'rape' scenario later. Right now he was hungry… and wanted to see Sakura. Wearily, he knocked on Kankuro's door. No answer, but he heard shifting inside, he yelled through the door,

"Playing with your dolls already Kankuro? Come on, Pizza will be here soon!"

Kankuro yelled through the door,

"THEY'RE ACTION FIGURES!!"

Gaara grinned and walked away, turning to Temari's room. He wondered if she was alone,

"Temari! Pizza soon!"

Some shifting, papers sliding, then a muffled,

"Okay!"

He sensed that Temari was alone, so he went to Sakura's room,

"Sakura…"

No answer.

"Sakura…"

Frowning, He knocked on the door. No answer. He opened the door slowly and walked in. There lay Sakura. Sleeping peacefully on the bed.

Damn…she's gonna be hard to wake up…

Gaara tried poking her, shoving her, gently shaking her, then finally he grew irritated,

"SAKURA!"

Said woman jumped up, eyes wide and looking for the source of the noise. Looking up, she blinked wearily, wondering what Gaara was doing in her room. So she asked.

"Gaara… what are you doing in my room?"

Gaara smirked,

"This isn't your room, remember?"

Sakura blinked, looked around, then gasped,

"Ohmigod! I fell asleep! Im so sorry!"

Gaara chuckled low and crossed his arms over his chest, watching as she fretted over her clothes, and then suddenly looked up at him.

"Yes? Did you want something?"

Again, a chuckle. Then a grin, he nodded.

"Pizza will be here any-"

The doorbell rang and Gaara grinned,

"Make that now."

He turned and made his way down the hallway, going to the front door, paying the delivery boy, taking the three pizzas, and striding into the dining room with a purpose. He looked like a man on a mission, and Sakura stifled a giggle. He set the three pizzas down. Temari grabbed the paper plates and paper towels, and Kankuro grabbed the sodas,

"Yo! Sakura! What do you want to drink?"

"Diet coke, if you have it!"

Gaara blinked and sent her a confused look, then explained,

"Diet? What the hell for, you don't need to diet!"

Sakura blushed,

"Well, thank you. But I drink it for the taste. I became addicted to it after I first tried it."

Temari nodded in understanding,

"Ah, yeah, I know some people who have done that. ((The author being one of them!! XD))"

Gaara shook his head with a small grin. Kankuro came back with a diet coke, two cokes and a Dr. Pepper. He handed the diet to Sakura, the cokes to Gaara and Temari and kept the Dr. P for himself. Gaara served Temari two Chicken and Bacon pieces, Kankuro three Hawaiian. And gave himself three of his own kind, Sausage and Pepperoni. He looked to Sakura,

"What kind?"

Sakura, without hesitation, pointed to the third box… Gaara's box. He grinned and handed her two Sausage and Pepperoni. She smiled at him and they all sat down. Dinner was quiet at first, until Gaara made a comment about Kankuro's 'dolls'.

"THEY'RE ACTION FIGURES DAMN IT!!"

Gaara raised a brow,

"Right, that's why they have wings and dress in pink frilly dresses?"

Kankuro stiffened,

"THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

Sakura couldn't help it, she laughed. Kankuro looked horrified, while Temari joined her, and Gaara just grinned. Sakura caught her breathe,

"I'm sorry, Kankuro. If they have wings and wear pink frilly dresses, they're dolls."

Kankuro glared,

"You're only agreeing with him because you like him!"

Sakura froze. Temari froze. Gaara froze. Even Kankuro froze. Realizing what he had said. But it was too late now. Gaara stared at Sakura, his pizza all but forgotten. Sakura swallowed hard, but it wasn't noticeable. Instead, she shrugged, and said with astounding courage,

"So? That's not why I agree with him."

Temari laughed loudly, Kankuro glared and went back to his pizza. While Gaara kept his eyes on Sakura with a slow grin.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After dinner, Gaara claimed he was going upstairs to be alone for a while. When actually he was going to take a shower. But he didn't feel the need to tell them that. Yeah, he had taken one after gym class, but he just thought it sounded good right now. He walked up to his room, closed the door, and undressed on the way to the bathroom. On the way there, he turned on his stereo, which was located right next to the bathroom door for his convenience, and he grinned when one of his favorite songs came on. He got in the bathroom, turned the water on and adjusted the temperature. When it was to his satisfaction, he stepped under the spray of the water and let out a long suffering sigh. This did indeed feel good.

As good as the blossoms hands on your body?

Ah hell…

Gaara groaned and turned the water fully to cold. He was going to need it. After a few minutes under the cold spray, Gaara washed, rinsed, and got out. He wrapped a large, white fluffy towel around his waist. As he walked out of the bathroom, he turned it so it played his CD instead of the radio. Grinning, he bobbed his head in tune to the music of one of his utmost favorite songs.

I'm not the one who's so far away


When I feel the snake bite enter my veins


Never did I wanna be here again


And I don't remember why I came…

Gaara hummed and began to walk towards his dresser, which he had located right beside his bedroom door, as it was the only place he could think of. So in order to get his clothes, he had to walk in front of his door, facing it. He thought nothing of it. And dropped his towel… right when the door opened.

Gaara turned his gaze to the woman standing in the door, who was slack jawed and staring quite blatantly, and not at his chest. The words of the song playing ran through her ears

Candles raise my desire


Why I'm so far away


No more meaning to my life


No more reason to stay


Freezing feeling,


Breathe in, breathe in


I'm coming back again

Gaara grinned at her blatant staring. Apparently she saw something she liked. He grabbed his towel, and wrapped it around himself slowly, walking towards the woman still staring at his groin. When he got right in front of her, and she made no move to look up, he used his forefinger and middle finger to gently push her chin back up to her mouth. He grinned slowly,

"You're drooling, Sakura…"

Hazing clouds rain on my head


Empty thoughts fill my ears


Find my shade by the moon light


Why my thoughts aren't so clear


Demons dreaming


Breathe in, breathe in


I'm coming back again

She looked up at him, quite dazed,

"Huh?"

He smirked and chuckled lowly, and it sent shivers down her spine,

"Did you see something you liked, Sakura?"

She had the decency to blush, but said nothing. Which Gaara took as an indication she did. Grinning like a hormone crazed man that he was, he kicked his door shut behind her, tied his towel at the waist, and lifted her by her hips and placed her up against the door. On instinct, she wrapped her legs around his waist, which caused him to let out a husky growl that aroused her to no limit.

Voodoo,

Voodoo,

Voodoo,

Voodoo.

Gaara hungrily captured her lips, leaving no room for argument, and she put up none. As they kissed, the last of the song danced in their ears,

So far away...


I'm not the one who's so far away...


I'm not the one who's so far away...


I'm not the one who's so far away...

A/N: Okay. Wow. LOOOOOOOOOOONG chapter dedicated to ReRe and Sara! Sorry for the wait:D I hope you liked it, and don't expect a chapter this long from me again . Not unless I get some crazy idea in my head that I wont stop writing until I can use it… like I did with the whole Gaara/shower/sakura walking in scene. XD I got it in my head and it wouldn't leave me alone!! . I HAD to use it!! Okay… long A/N. So, hope you liked it, and hopefully, updates soon! CHA!!!