AN: Here's a fluffier chapter, hope you guys like it :3

"We're staying for a little while to help teach the leaf's students. It seems they need all able hands to help with the rebuilding of the village." Temari discussed the situation with her brothers, but all Gaara could think about was the girl he had spent the night with previously. "So we'll be taking turns teaching, as well as rebuilding. It'll help strengthen our ties with the leaf."

"So, what are our jobs today then?" Kankuro queried, and it made Temari grin.

"We get to hang out with the little sprouts today to get to know them as a group. That way the remaining days will be easier when we work separately." The blonde seemed rather excited about it, but Gaara didn't know how well he could fare with children.

The day went on, they made their way to the school and the children were all seated ready to meet their new 'teachers'. All of their small eyes seemed to be fixed on him specifically, however he had to admit that they had every reason to be afraid of him.

"Hello everyone! I'm Temari, and these are my brothers Kankuro, and Gaara. It's a pleasure to meet all of you." The blonde gave a curt bow before nodding to her brothers to do the same.

"It's nice to meet you." Kankuro grinned cockily before his own bow, then nudged at Gaara to do the same.

"...nice to meet you." The redhead said roughly with his mouth in a tight line. His bow was rather jerky in his awkwardness leaving a few of the children giggling. However a couple of the more frightened students hurriedly tried to silence the giggling few.

In the past this probably would have offended him, but the person he was now found nothing wrong with it. Kankuro seemed to notice this as well, and quickly grabbed the redhead by his shoulder for a side hug.

"Don't worry about Gaara here! He just looks scary, but I assure you he's a total softy!" The elder brother announced before going in to whisper in Gaara's ear. "Just give them a funny face, that'll ease them a bit."

'A funny face?' He blinked at the notion. It was strange as he hadn't done anything like that since he was a very small child. He couldn't remember what one could do to make someone laugh, especially with just an expression.

"Cross your eyes or something." Kankuro urged quietly, and the redhead remembered that he and Kankuro would do that to each other from across the room while their father wasn't looking. He finally nodded and looked out at the rows of small children.

He took a calm breath before crossing his eyes, and as the giggles started he stuck out his tongue for added effect. The class began to break out in laughter, and while Kankuro thoroughly enjoyed it his sister didn't seem to approve too much.

"Gaara, don't disrupt the class." Temari scolded, and he quickly went back into his original state. Yet he couldn't help a smirk as she turned away from him.

The studies went on seriously from there, and he had to admit that his sister was a natural teacher. Kankuro goofed around more in the way that he taught, while Gaara simply kept things simple and to the point.

Some of the school children had taken a liking to him, some in more ways then one. A group of small girls had come up to him at one point outside to give him a few flowers they had picked, and surprisingly he didn't know how to accept them without feeling slightly awkward about it.

Walking back from the school was even worse, as his siblings had decided to tease him about it.

"I didn't think you'd get to be so popular in a day!" Temari grinned from behind her hand as she giggled.

"How come you got all the flowers?! All the girls like the bad boys, why is that?!" Kankuro huffed beside them causing Temari to break out in another fit of giggles.

Gaara turned the flowers around in his hands, and finally decided that they belonged to someone who would truly appreciate them. Without any warning he flipped around in the other direction towards the hospital, causing his siblings to panic slightly.

"We were just teasing, Gaara! Really! Its sweet that you got flowers from your students-!" Temari started but he simply waved it off.

"I'm going to the hospital to visit Naruto. Please don't concern yourselves." He continued his trek down the road, and it seemed to put his siblings at ease.

"Okay, we'll see you later then!" Kankuro hollered after him, and for some reason it warmed him to be so familiar with them. They treated him like the past had never happened, and that felt rather nice.

At the hospital he quickly found his friend's room, and just as he surmised the blonde was practically bouncing around in his bed with Sakura at his side nagging at him.

"Will you hold still?! I can't fix your bandages with you fidgeting!" Sakura pulled at Naruto's injured arm causing him to yelp before settling back down.

"Oh! Hey, Gaara! How are you? You sick or something?" Naruto grinned as wide as he could, and the girl next to him stiffened at the sound of his name. "Eh? Flowers?"

"Ah... yes. I got them from some students at the school-"

"Woah! You're subbing for Iruka sensei?! That's super cool!" Naruto began to bounce again, receiving a swift punch to the top of his head.

"STOP MOVING, IDIOT!" Sakura barked before violently tieing up his bandages. He whimpered in pain over it, and she finally wiped her hands of the task before turning towards the redhead. "So... you're staying for a while?"

Gaara could see a sweet shade of pink grace her cheeks, and it seemed to warm him from the inside out. All he could manage to do at the moment was nod.

"So, you already got a few of the girls crushing on you! You dog-OUCH!" Naruto winced once more as another strike came to the top of his skull.

"I think it's cute that they have taken a liking to you. I hope you won't find it too strange." Sakura threw a smile his way while her fist remained connected to her comrad's head. It was an awkward conversation, but he found it enjoyable nonetheless.

"I don't mind it. I'm just... not used to receiving gifts." He held the flowers awkwardly in his hands, and the kunoichi giggled.

"Well, you give gifts when you want to show someone that you care about them. It's a gesture of love." Her smile lit up the room, and it made him almost blinded with how bright it was.

Without really thinking he handed over the flowers to her, and she took them curiously into her hands.

"Then I'll pay it forward. You and Naruto will enjoy them far more than I will." Gaara attempted a rather awkward smile, but it seemed to have blonde up and bouncing once more.

"Since when did you become so nice?!-OWOWOW SAKURA STOP!" Naruto hollered as his blonde hair quickly got caught up in her clenched fingers.

"JUST SAY 'THANK YOU', YOU IDIOT! HE'S GIVING THEM TO YOU BECAUSE HE CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!" She practically threw her friend against his pillow before quickly standing up to tend to the flowers. "I'll go put these in a vase. Thank you very much, Gaara. We appreciate the gesture."

She bowed politely before exiting the room, leaving the two jinchuriki alone with one another.

"She's been really sad lately, so I've been acting extra goofy to get her mind off of it. Sorry about that." Naruto blurted out, breaking the growing silence between them. Even in the times when the blonde was hurting most, he still cared selflessly about his friends.

"No, I understand." Gaara nodded before taking a seat beside him in a nearby chair.

"Can you... hang out with her a bit outside the hospital? Or maybe get her to show you around the town or something? I don't want her to go home crying again..." The blonde looked at his bandaged body almost bitterly. "I can't do it myself... otherwise I would-"

"I will distract her, if that's what she needs for the time being." The redhead answered softly, and recieved a grin for the effort.

"Thanks, you're awesome." Naruto smiled genuinely before giving a snicker. "But be careful, she can throw a mean punch!"

"I hope you're not saying bad things about me, Naruto." Sakura's threatening voice penetrated the room as she re-entered with the vase full of flowers, making the blonde go pale as he violently shook his head in denial.

"Ah-no! Gaara was just telling me that he hadn't had a proper tour of the town! I told him that you're the best tour guide that we have!" Naruto grinned victoriously, but her face began to wither with suspicion as she turned her eyes onto the redhead.

"Oh really? Is that so?" Her tone was sarcastic and bitter, but he could only find it in himself to shrug. With a sigh she finally admitted defeat. "Fine. I suppose we could start with dinner. Maybe catch a movie or something."

"Hey now, that sounds more like a date than a tour!" The blonde huffed, and her face went a bright shade of red.

"Knock it off Naruto! It's not a date!" Before anyone else could argue with her she practically ripped the redhead out of the chair next to her comrad. "Visiting hours are over! Goodbye, Naruto!"

With his pale wrist clenched in her delicate hand she yanked the poor teen out into the hall before slamming the door behind them. He allowed her to pull him along as violently as she pleased.

"You better not think of this as a date!" Sakura stomped viciously through the double doors leading out of the hospital while he stumbled behind her.

"I've never gone out on a date, so I wouldn't know even if it were one." Gaara murmured softly, and her pulling slowed to a gentle lead. They walked quietly down the abandoned street for what seemed like ages to him.

Obviously something about what he had said unsettled her. But why? It was more than normal for him to not have dated before, up until recently he was hated by literally everyone.

He was lost until he heard her give a rather large exhale, like she was preparing to say something that struck too close to her heart strings.

"I've been on group dates before, but other than that I haven't gone out specifically with any boys. Aside from my team of course." The creamy hand on his wrist slipped to his palm to grasp at his fingers. For some reason the gesture managed to warm his face. "We can pretend for now, you know, just to know what it feels like. If that's okay with you of course?"

The redhead couldn't see her expression, but he couldn't deny that his heart very much wanted to experience such an intimate outing at least once. Truth be told, Gaara wanted to go out on a date like the other teenagers around him. He wanted to experience a romantic evening even if it was 'pretend'.

"I'm fine with it." Gaara tried to sound more confident, but it came out as breathy and as awkward as ever. However, this seemed to work in his favor as the kunoichi tended to enjoy his more shy personality. She turned to smile at him genuinely, and it could have lit up the entire darkening sky.

- ... - ... - ...

Dinner went fine, with the exception that Gaara had a difficult time trying to eat ramen. Long noodles were not something that they tended to eat in Suna, so it was interesting. The grilled saury they had as a side dish, however, was incredible. The redhead had decided that grilled fish was now one of his favorite foods.

He actually payed for their dinner this time around, and it seemed to get Sakura flustered for some odd reason. The chef seemed to know, however Gaara could not figure it out for the life of him.

Now they were entering an establishment called a 'cinema', or as she called it 'the movie theatre'. Suna was too poor to afford such entertainment, so this would be his first time watching a film. He had heard great things though, and assumed it would be similar to an actual acting theater.

However, there was to be more snacks in this place, and Sakura had stated clearly that she would pay for them, as well as the tickets. He had no problems in paying for his share, but she had thoroughly insisted, and he did not want to appear ungrateful.

He stood awkwardly in the lobby, watching people who were watching him right back. Apparently it was abnormal to be wearing a giant gourd, and he kept hearing many whispers about how he seemed out of place. That, and there were frequent comments about the fact that he lacked eyebrows.

It wasn't his fault that sand was abrasive, and that his sand armor had made it so the hair on his body would never grow back. Well, at least he had the hair on his head. For some reason that kept growing even though his sand would grind down the ends until they snapped off in jagged locks. He found that the less stress he felt the longer his hair would grow, or rather his hair wouldn't be onslaughted as often by his sand thus allowing it to be longer. It was a habit he was trying to fix at the moment, it would probably take a bit of time before his bursts of anxiety smoothed out.

"Okay! All set! Ready for your first movie?" Sakura was suddenly at his side with a buttery puffed snack in a bag, he was pretty sure it was called 'popcorn' or something. She also had a rather large fizzing drink complete with a straw. As he stared at the snacks she began to giggle before pointing out something crucial. "I couldn't carry the bag and two drinks, so I got just one drink. I thought it would be easier if we shared it, but if it's too unsanitary I can go grab another-"

"Why would it be unsanitary?" Gaara blinked at the statement, and grew even more confused when she started to warm in the cheeks.

"Ah-haaa... well... cause you know... sharing a drink means we'd be using the same straw." Just as she mentioned it she took a sip from the straw to prove her point. It started to click into place.

"Are you sick-?"

"No! My saliva is on the straw now, if you take a drink that means that my saliva is now in your mouth!" She handed off the drink in frustration even though he still didn't understand why it was an issue. He had to share drinks with many of his comrads before when only one canteen was left.

As she dug through her pocket to grab for the tickets he took a careful sip from the straw. Yes it was already wet, but it didn't bother him. The drink was fizzy, and tickled his nose enough for him to crinkle it, but it tasted like strawberries so he continued to sip at it. Once he had enough of the flavor he pulled away, only to look up and see her staring at him like a dog walking on its hind legs.

"Oh wow, you really drank it." The kunoichi blinked in surprise, and he handed the drink back to her in favor of taking her popcorn. For some reason it smelled very salty, and he truly loved salty things. As she took the drink she stared hard at the straw, almost as if it might be infected or something.

"I'm not sick-"

"I know that! Gosh! I've just never... shared a drink with a boy like this before..." As another blush formed on her cheeks she quickly grew flustered, and walked past him in a hurry. He followed closely behind her to get checked in at the ticket podium.

As they made their way to the room playing their movie he began trying to piece together what she was so upset about. Why was sharing a drink with him such a bad thing? Just because he was male didn't make him have some sort of disease or anything...

Gaara followed her to the back of the dimly lit room, and they found their seats in the middle of the back row. Apparently she did not want to be seen or recognized by anyone tonight, and he wondered if he was to blame for that. He placed his gourd in the seat next to him, and noticed that the theater was relatively empty with the exception of a few couples, and a group of teens around their age in the middle rows.

The question still bothered him though, so he decided to press further.

"Why is it that you can't share a drink with the opposite sex? Is that wrong here?" The redhead spoke just above a whisper, but she still managed to bristle like a cat doused in water.

"No it's not wrong, but it's... well it's like an indirect... oh just forget it, I'm just being stupid." Sakura sighed before absentmindedly taking a sip from the drink, and as the straw stayed in her mouth her eyes widened for a moment before she slowly took it out. In a nervous daze she placed the drink in the cup holder, and formed her lips in a tight line. He furrowed his non existent eyebrows at her reaction, and snatched up the drink to take a long sip. She balked at him for a moment until he slammed the drink back in the coaster making her jump.

"I'm. Not. Sick." Gaara narrowed his coal rimmed eyes, and it seemed to make her wake up from her strange dream. She frowned back at him as he had obviously hit a nerve.

"That's. Not. The. Point!" The kunoichi defiantly grabbed the drink to take an even longer sip. Suddenly this had become a contest of which he did not understand.

"Then why is it a problem?" The redhead placed some popcorn in his mouth as threateningly as he could, but he imagined he looked ridiculous.

"Because it's an indirect kiss!" Sakura blurted out rather loudly, and got hushed for her behavior by a couple three rows down. She slumped in her seat refusing to look at him, but at least it seemed to make sense.

"We've already kissed though..." Gaara pointed out carelessly, and her eyes went wild.

"That wasn't a kiss. I didn't kiss you back. In fact, I'm pretty sure I bit you-"

"Yes, you don't have to remind me." The redhead actually rolled his eyes at that, and it felt odd for him to do something so 'rude', yet it also felt appropriate.

"Obviously I do, because you seem to think that's what a real kiss is. You don't get bragging rights from forcing yourself on me." The kunoichi hissed at him, and it stung him more than he cared to admit.

"I didn't understand what was happening at the time, and I already apologized for it. However, never have I ever 'bragged' nor will I ever 'brag' about something like that. I've never talked to anyone about it, and I assume you'll never tell a soul either-"

"Oh yes, let me just go tell all my friends how you held me against my will to feel me up, and then sucked my blood like some kind of horned up vampire. That sounds like great table conversation!" As she began to raise her voice again the same couple hushed her. "Oh shut it! The movie hasn't even started yet, get off your high horse!"

The couple quickly turned around, and moved up another row to make some distance from the now violent kunoichi. For a moment he felt a wave of burning rage under his skin, but after watching her yell at someone else he almost felt like laughing. It was almost comedic in the way she handled herself when she was angry.

"Why on earth are you smiling?" Her crosshairs were back on him, but he couldn't hold the expression back. He merely shook his head with a grin before taking another sip of soda.

Sakura watched him like a hawk as he gulped down the fluid, and he eyed her just as much while setting the drink back down. Without much of a wait she leaned over to drink from the cup rather than picking it up like a normal person. For some reason when she lowered her head to the arm rest he felt his cheeks warm. Her hair brushed into her face, veiling her from him. It was odd how something so small could do so much damage, and yet he had no clue why such a thing would have him shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

When she came back up for air she narrowed her eyes at him in challenge, and the look was enough for him to clench his jaw while keeping his eyes forward. Was she really toying with him? Did she really know how to do such things? It was odd, and disturbing, yet he kind of liked the strange attention.

The lights finally went dark, cueing that the movie was finally starting. He chose to ignore what had happened for now, and just focus on the screen.

The story was about a noble woman who had stolen the heart of a ninja who had taken up residence as her bodyguard. She had taught him how to relax, and let go, while he had taught her about the world outside of her estate. She was being groomed for an arranged marriage, but they had quickly fallen in love with each other.

At the moment the ninja was currently showing his jealousy over her suiter, thus also confessing his affection for her. The noble woman seemed to also have the same feelings, and had started to cry over the ordeal.

It was certainly an interesting experience, watching a film made it feel almost as if you were imagining it in your head. Or as if you were really there with the characters. The sense of realism was intriguing.

Sakura sniffled next to him, and he risked a glance in her direction. She had wiped a tear from her cheek before proceeding to pout in an attempt to hold back more tears. He rather enjoyed watching her reactions more than the film itself. Suddenly she glanced over at him as well, and he quickly turned his face back towards the screen.

Then it turned awkward, and fast. The characters were now kissing... and holding each other... and then feverishly kissing...

"Hey are you okay?" The kunoichi placed her hand on his forearm making him practically jump out of his skin. "Woah, is this bothering you? We can leave-"

"No. No it's fine. I'm okay." Gaara tossed some popcorn into his mouth as a way of distracting himself. This was a very intimate scene, and he had never really seen it played out so vividly before. Yes, he had come across couples in back alleys before, but he didn't stick around to watch like he was forced to here.

"It's okay if it bothers you, it kind of bothers me too." Sakura attempted to soothe him, and in her effort she lightly rubbed his arm in support. It was such a pleasant feeling, but at the moment it merely seemed to make him feel more flushed than he already was.

Luckily the scene ended, and moved onto some sort of fighting that had him a bit more invested than before. He decided that the popcorn felt awkward on his lap so he set it off quietly onto the chair holding his gourd.

The movie went on, the characters decided it was best to run away with each other, and were currently in the midst of an escape.

Sakura clicked her tongue at the couple four rows down in the midst of a heated makeout session, and he instantly felt like groaning in anguish over the public display.

"Just cause you're in the dark doesn't mean you can do whatever you want, nasty perverts." The kunoichi reached over absentmindedly for the popcorn, but ended up grabbing at the redhead's thigh instead.

He jumped slightly at the feeling of her hand gripping at him, and she quickly turned her head in horror as she stared at her traitorous hand. Like touching a hot plate she quickly yanked her hand back, almost knocking over the soda in the process. He reacted just as quickly to save her from even more humiliation of a spilled drink all over her person, and settled the cup back into it's original placement.

The lighting of the screen showed just how embarassed she was over her mistake, and he couldn't help but find it cute. Without a word he reached beside him, and handed over the popcorn he had been hoarding for the last half hour. She didn't look at him as she took the bag, but she did whisper the smallest of 'thank you's to him.

The movie ended on a somber note, with the two lovers dying in each others arms. Apparently they had jumped off a cliff into the ocean in an attempt to escape their fate, choosing to die together rather than living lives they did not want.

It was a rather cliche ending, but it still had Sakura quietly crying next to him. He patted her hand in an awkward attempt to ease her, and instead she grabbed hold of his whole arm in a strange sort of embrace. It was weird placement, he would admit to that, but he wouldn't lie and say that he didn't enjoy the feeling of her pounding heart against his arm.

The credits rolled, and the small audience started to file out. More than few girls were holding their boyfriends more closely than before, and the guys were simply laughing amongst each other discussing whatever it was they would be doing for the rest of the evening. Everyone had left by the time he had decided to try moving.

"I'm sorry." Sakura's head slumped against his shoulder, and for some reason she continued to cry. He kept still for her, and allowed her to do whatever she wanted.

"Why are you sorry? It was a sad story-"

"No... I'm sorry... for the fight we had. You've been very sweet to me, and I've been a complete brat." The kunoichi nuzzled her face further into his shoulder, as if she were trying to hide. "I'm so sad... it still hurts so much!"

Gaara didn't really know what to do in that moment. She seemed to be getting more hysterical by the second. He needed to get her mind off of it somehow.

"It's alright. I had a good time. The fighting was worth having you accidentally grope me." The redhead tried to keep a straight face when she instantly pulled away from him. Her widened eyes quickly turned angry as she punched his shoulder, and he couldn't contain the smirk that formed on his lips.

"I take it back! You're a total jerk!" She had managed to stop crying, but now she was crossing her arms like a pouting toddler.

For some reason he couldn't stop himself from leaning over, and he quickly pecked her on the cheek. She immediately tensed up, but she didn't get angry with him like he thought she would. So he chose his next words carefully.

"Thank you, I truly did have a great time. I'll remember this night fondly." Gaara pulled away gently, but felt insanely good as a smile made it's way on her face.

"Not bad for a first date, huh?" Sakura's grin grew as she showed her pride, but the sentence betrayed her in many ways. Ways that seemed to shake him slightly.

"I suppose, if you consider this my first date." He played with his words carefully, and she instantly grew confused.

"You said you had never gone out on a date before-!"

"And you claimed that this wasn't a real date. So either things have changed, or this isn't my first date." Gaara smiled at his cleverness, and she instantly put her foot in her mouth. "I wouldn't mind going on a second 'fake' date though."

"Oh for heavens sake! Just take me home!" Sakura stood with a huff before hurrying past him. He followed her like before, but this time he felt a strange sort of power coming from the situation.

He really hoped she would invite him out again.

AN: I don't usually like writing fluff, but this shit was just too cute. Much oowoo.

What do you guys think of the fluff? I'm so used to writing blood, sex, and psychos that it's a bit of a strange territory for me. Obviously this is not going to be a permanent thing, but it can reoccur too.

Review please, I like to know your thoughts ;)