Author's Note: Hahahaha, Well, I fell asleep on my laptop finishing this. -.-' I still have Chapter 5 to finish writing. Gah, I'm a dork :P But anyways, I hope you like the chapter. I work really hard on it. Enjoy!

Chapter Four

Unexpected Gesture

I stared out the window blankly as we drove past the columns of houses that were always so familiar to me. She turned a corner, into an unknown highway, as I lay my head back on the passenger's seat.

"Are you sure that I can't just drive by his house and you can just jump out."

I laughed and looked at my mom as she suggested that. It was the week where I get to go up and stay with my dad. Since my aunt just got remarried, my mother had to drive me up, to her displeasure. I sat up straight and looked at her with an amused look.

"Sure mom," I said, trying not to laugh. "Just make sure to come to my funeral when I die."

She shoved me playfully as I laughed. She stopped at a red light, leaning back and sighing deeply. I frowned. I never really liked it when my mother looked upset, it always made me upset.

"What's wrong mom?" I asked, turning slightly in her direction. She turned to look at me and gave me a weak smile.

"Nothing baby, it's just." She stopped talking and looked ahead. The light turned green and she started driving again. "The only reason your aunt always took you to your father's house was because I couldn't face him. I can't see myself having the strength to deal with his bullshit and having to take him putting down on me because of my drug problem." She gripped the wheel tightly, never looking at me as she spoke. "I know I had a problem but I stopped Sakura. When I realized that all I was doing was hurting everyone that I loved and pushing my own daughter away, I stopped. But he refuses to see that…he refuses to think of me as I good person and finds any smidge of evidence to hold against me. You don't know honey, you don't know that type of pain your father had put me through and continues to put me through."

For once, I said nothing. I saw my mother's reflection the mirror as she quickly wiped a few tears from her eyes. I felt so horrible. I never thought that dad's words hurt her so much. I knew that they couldn't stand each other and she always presented a type of strength that made it seem that it didn't bother her, but to see her break down like this made me realize how much they truly did hurt. I tried, numerous times to get them to at least be civil for my sake. But it was all vain. No matter what I did, the outcome was always the same. Dad would start bitching about something and then my mom would flip. It just wasn't worth it anymore. It never was. I looked at my lap as we drove in silence to my father's house.

XXX

We pulled into my father's driveway an hour later. I looked at my dad's small apartment then back at my mother's anxious form. I rubbed her arm reassuringly as I smiled at her.

"It's okay mom," I said, smiling. "You don't have to go inside at all. I'll just leave okay?"

"Okay," she said and hugged me tightly. "Call me twice a day and you better not take this as an opportunity to get out of school. You're gonna have to take the bus this week and behave."

"I will."

"Good," she opened the door for me and waited until I was out to start the car. I turned around and gave her a small wave as she pulled out of the driveway and drove back the route to our home. I turned around and knocked on the door. I waited a couple minutes before the door opened and a man with brown hair and light green eyes stood at the door. A huge smile stretched across his face as he hugged me. It was always funny to me how he hugged me like he hadn't seen me in forever.

"How have you been dear?" he asked in his low voice. I smiled slightly, hugging him. I loved my dad. We got along so well and aside from my friends at school, I could tell him anything. He was truly, my best friend.

"I've been fine dad," I said, smiling brightly as I grabbed my suitcase. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too Cherry," he said, grabbing my suitcase from my hands and taking it upstairs. "How's the old crack whore mother of yours?"

I flinched when he called her that. I could taste the disgust in his tone as the words past his lips and I couldn't help the bit of nausea that rose in my throat as I made my way to my room. Mom was right, he truly hated her and he'd give anything in the word then to strip her of everything she had…including me.

"She not a crack whore dad," I said dryly as I walked into my room and grabbed my suitcase off the floor and placed it on my bed. "Seriously, I wish you two would stop fighting."

"I'm sorry honey," I said, sighing and leaning against the doorframe. "I won't talk about her like that if it makes you upset."

"Thank you."

He gave me a half smile before walking out my room, leaving me to my business. I unpacked all my clothes, placing them in the correct drawers. I laid on my bed, looking out my window. It was Sunday; I felt my shoulders cringe as I thought about Sunday. I sighed slightly, looking out the window as I let my mind wonder. With no surprise, my thoughts swirled around Gaara. My heart started to burn when I thought about him. Last night was the first night in about 2 weeks that I saw him. The way he looked, smelled, talked, laughed…it was all in such a way that didn't even seem real. I mean his eyes were too green, unpolished emeralds swirling in majesty and mysterious, almost electric in the moonlight, changing into a hintful beige orange...caramel. I frowned when I thought of his eyes. No, they were not turning orange but a shade darker and richer...red, like a small little drop of blood, thick and ever so alluring in its simplicity. I sighed, sitting up against the head board, grabbing my book. I opened it and began reading.

After about an hour of reading, I put my book down. As I place my book down, my window busts open.

"Shit!" I cursed as I made my way to the window. The wind was vicious, blowing and swirling everything around my room like a cyclone. My hair was a mess of pink, flowing wildly around my head as I made my way to my window. I closed it, breathing heavily. I heard the heavy footsteps of my father's working boots coming up the stairs. He opened the door slightly, looking around. He stopped at me, chuckling at the mess my hair made around my face.

"You alright there?" he said in an amused tone. I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at him. He laughed and ruffled my head. "Dinner's going to be ready in about 10 minutes. Wash up."

"Okay dad," I said, moving my hair out of my eyes. He smiled and walked out of my room. I sighed slightly, picking up all the scattered papers everywhere. I lifted my head up, looking out the window slightly, feeling as if there was something I was missing. I walked towards the window, about to open it when my dad called from downstairs.

"Phone call!"

"Coming!" I yell back, looking at the window one more time, before walking out of my room and downstairs.

XXX

I sat Indian style on my bed as I read more of the book. I had finished dinner with my dad a couple of minutes ago and right now, I was enjoying my book, munching carelessly on a Milano cookie as my clock seemed to tick the minutes by. I reached my hand up, turning on the radio. I rolled my eyes as I heard the squeaky nasal voice of the radio show host as she went on mindlessly about games, gossip, and other shit that people didn't really care about. After about 3 minutes, she went off the air to play music and I was relieved. The song that started to play made me stop what I was doing and turn towards the radio. It was the song that played that rainy day when I was with my mom. It was the exact same day that I met Gaara and I found myself, smiling when I thought about his name.

I closed my eyes, losing myself in the pure magic that emanated from this song. I felt as light as I could ever be. Almost as if nothing could happen to me. I started to sway from side to side, humming the melody slowly. I lay down on my foot of my bed, my head dangling off the edge. My hair fell like a sheet of satin pink as I my head hung upside down.

"What are you doing?"

My eyes snapped open, only to want to close automatically. My breathing started to get heavy as I stared blankly at him like deer caught in the headlights. Gaara sat Indian style on the floor about five inches from my face. His head was tilted and he was giving me a weird look, his green eyes almost sparkling with curiosity. My face turned bright red and I automatically rolled on my stomach, looking down at him.

"You never answered my question," he said, moving a centimeter closer. I could tell by the tone in his voice he was starting to get agitated. "What were you doing?"

"J-Just…listening to m-music," I said in a shaky tone, trying to hide the heat, radiating on my face. "W-Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing," he said, almost laughing. "You just looked kind of funny."

I tilted my head slightly, looking at him weird. I opened my mouth to say something but closed it quickly. He saw it and he frowned.

"What?"

"How did you get in here?"

"Ladder," he said, blankly and evenly like it was a stupid question.

I raised an eyebrow, getting up and sitting on the floor in front of him. He stood still, never once making a move to stop or move away. I narrowed my eyes at him slightly. He wasn't going to be let off the hook so easily.

"How did you know this was my house," I said, tilting my head looking innocent. He rolled his eyes, chuckling slightly before looking at me.

"I have an uncle that lives near your dad," he said calmly. "My family had a little 'gathering' at his house and I saw you out the window. I thought I'd drop by and give you a little visit. Is that such a bad thing?"

"No, I guess it not." I gave him a small half smile as the song ended. The song 'Beautiful' by 10 Years started to play and I almost didn't hear it. I was too distracted by Gaara to pay any of the slightest attention.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know," I said truthfully, licking my dry lips slightly. "I just tend to, not really focus when I'm around you."

Gaara laughed slightly, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck, sheepishly.

"I do that to a lot of people."

"Gaara can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he said, putting both of his hands together on his lap. "You can ask me anything."

I bit my lip slightly; unsure on how to bring up the question that's been itching at my throat since the first time that he came to my room.

"Y-You told me that you wanted me to stay away from you," I began slowly. I saw Gaara's jaw clench, his whole body tensing as he nodded slowly. I nodded and continued. "Why do you keep coming back?"

"Because…" He bite his lip, looking down and away from me. I took the chance and moved a little closer to him, relieved he didn't notice. He closed his eyes raising his head slightly before opening his eyes again. He gave me this look that broke my heart slightly with the sight of him…it was a look of pain. "You…make me feel, things that I never thought I could feel." I gasped slightly when I felt his hand touch my cheek. "There's something about you that drives me crazy...like I can't even think straight. Ever since that day in the rain. You given me something that...scares me. When I'm away from you, the feelings go away and I can't stand it. I know what I'm doing is dangerous and my father would be angry at me for endangering you like this but." I ran his thumb over the shape of my lips slowly. "I just can't stay away anymore."

"Stop trying to," I whispered, my breathing sounded raspy, jagged. "Just let it be, let yourself feel."

He gave me a small smile and I gave him one back, leaning forward into his hand. Just then, he leaned forward, pecking my lips slightly before pulling back.

"I'll try," he said, stroking my cheek with his thumb. I smile, placing my hand over his. He tilted his head slightly, drawing closer and closer to me. My breathing got heavy and my mind was racing every which way. His lips touched mine gently and my heart started bouncing hyperactively in my chest. I couldn't think, let alone have the sense to breath as he lips moved gently against mine. My lips parted slightly and I started kissing him back shyly. I heard him sigh slightly and lean in closer, adding more pressure of his lips to mine, deepening the kiss. My face was glowing red as I grew confidence and kissed him back softly. Just then, I felt a sharp pain shoot into my mouth and I had to pull away.

"Ow," I said, touching the inside of my lip. Gaara looked at me confused, his breathing slightly uneven.

"What's wrong?"

"Your teeth," I said slowly, pulling my fingers back to see a single drop of blood on the pads of my fingers. "They're sharp."

His eyes widened and he immediately stood up, looking panicked.

"Oh god, I'm sorry Sakura. I'm really sorry," he said, biting his lip and closing his eyes as if he was trying to control himself. "I didn't mean to."

"It's okay Gaara," I said, standing up with him and wiping the blood on my jeans. "I'm okay; it was just a tiny little bite."

"A tiny little bite?" he repeated in disgust, looking at me as if I was a foreign object. "You don't fucking understand, I could've lost control and-"

"And what?" I pressed on. I knew there was something he didn't want to tell me and it was killing me not knowing what it was. "Please just tell me."

"I should go," he said, placing his foot on the window sill and leaning forward as if to jump. "I'm really sorry."

"NO!" I yelled, running to him and grabbing his arm. He whipped his head around to stare at me and I could already feel the water starting to build behind my eyes. "Please Gaara, don't go! Y-You come in here, to tell me this and now you just wanna leave. Please, don't."

"Sakura, I have to," he said through clenched teeth, ripping his hand away. He looked up at the sky, sighing deeply. "Sakura, please don't do this. I have to go. My parents would come after me if I didn't show up, they're strict."

"What about the time you were at my window?"

"I had to sneak out," he said, jumping on the window, staring at me. "But I really have to go."

"Why?" I said in a shaky voice. He leaned in closer, cupping my face in his hands looking at me with such intensity; I could feel myself suffocating in him.

"I'll come back tomorrow."

"P-Promise?"

He chuckled lightly, touching his forehead with mine, closing his eyes. He leaned down and pecked my lips carefully pulling away.

"I promise."

A/N: Woo! Tension, I was actually really tense, writing this cause it's very um...hard, capturing the emotion in this. It's getting to the closing point of the prologue...yes, the truth is, this is all a prologue. The real good stuff, starts after chapter 5 so be prepared. I'm going to write it and post Chap 5 tomorrow peoples so don't get too impatient. Remember I love you. If you guys get any ideas, please don't hesitate to tell me. I tend to get writer's block in the middle of my stories -.-'

Review and tell me what you think. Love you guys :D