Doppelganger

Chapter Ten

-Assertion-

Gaara filed through some papers, signing off on what needed to be signed and reviewing the missions. Surprisingly, his paperwork wasn't too bad. Temari had done a wonderful job while he was away. But as glad as he was to be back in Suna, something felt off. His house seemed so vacant, and he actually felt…lonely.

But that was natural, right? After all, he had been with Sakura for a very long time, and she was the only company he had had. He sighed and set his pen down, resting his chin on his propped up hand. He stared off at the wall and thought about the woman he had actually gotten to know intimately.

Suddenly the door slammed open, hitting the wall with a force only one person could possess. The Kazekage blinked and tried to comprehend what he was seeing. "Sakura?" he asked, as if she were just a delusion. "What are you doing here?"

The pink haired woman walked up to his desk. "You left before I could say goodbye." She said somewhat breathlessly, since she had run the entire way.

He almost laughed, but got up and walked around his desk, looking down at her. "So…of course, the sensible thing to do was run all the way here so you could say bye?" he smirked a bit.

"No." she said, crossing her arms determinedly. "I have come to deliver news to you that could potentially change the alliance between our villages forever." She announced.

"Oh," he said lightly, "Is that so?" he moved and leaned against the edge of his desk, crossing his arms and locking his pale jade with her emerald green. "Then please, do go on." He gestured.

"I love you." Sakura said simply, fighting her embarrassment. She'd thought the entire journey here how to tell him, and this was the best way she could come up with. Whether or not he felt the same, she didn't know. But she just had to get it out in the open.

The taunting look fell right off his face, replaced with one of absolute confusion. "What?" he said, looking just like a lost child.

"I, Haruno Sakura, love you, Sabaku no Gaara." She repeated, unable to keep down her blush any longer. Did this mean he didn't feel the same? It was taking all of her willpower to keep from fidgeting and looking away from him, but she wanted to appear strong.

His confusion only grew. "Why?"

She frowned. "I don't really think I can explain it. All I know is that when I came back to my apartment to say goodbye to you and saw that you were gone, I cried. I don't know how it happened, I don't know why, but in the time we were in each other's bodies and staying together, I fell for you. You know things about me that nobody else does, and you help me stay calm. And if you don't feel the same, then I guess I ran for three days for absolutely no reason."

He actually looked a bit irritated. "I never said that, I just asked why. It's a legitimate question. This is coming from almost nowhere." He said, standing straight and taking a step closer to her, grabbing onto her upper arms so she couldn't move away.

She looked up at him, her heartbeat picking up at their close proximity. "No, it's coming from my heart." She said softly, trying to quell the swell of emotions she was feeling. It was something she was getting used to once more, having all her estrogen back.

"Hm." He leaned down slowly, keeping his eyes on hers, until he closed them and pressed his lips against hers. Sakura's eyes widened at the unexpected contact, but closed as she lost herself in the feeling. She brought her hands up and placed them on his chest, leaning into him slightly.

He pulled away quickly, staring down at her. "Wow…" he said a bit breathlessly. He had never done anything like that before.

Sakura smiled up at him. "You're telling me." She said.

"So…" he began, swallowing hard as a slight pink came to his cheeks. "What does this make you? My, uh, girlfriend?"

She chuckled. "Only if you want me to be. I told Tsunade-shishou I'd write her to tell her how it went. I do have about a month's worth of unused vacation time after all, and we did talk about me coming to visit."

He sighed, giving her a skeptical look. "Sakura, I thought by now that you would know better. If I said it then I mean it. I would not say something I want nothing to do with." He smiled, trying to show her the side of him that only she would witness.

She looped her arms around his neck in order to be closer to him, enjoying being able to touch him the way she knew nobody else ever had. "I know, but I had to plan for the worst now didn't I? I didn't want to get my hopes up after all." She gave him a considering look. "Does this mean you feel the same?" she couldn't help but ask.

"No, I just smiled and kissed you cause' I thought it would be funny." He smirked, shaking his head and letting out a deep sigh.

"Shut up." She said, punching him playfully in the chest. "You know I like to be thorough." She smiled.

Gaara leaned down once more and kissed her forehead. "I know that."

Sakura's smile widened. "So, do you have work that needs to be finished, or would you like to play hooky?" she asked, raising a delicate brow.

"Nothing that can't wait." he assured her.

"Hooky it is then." She grabbed his hand, the smile never leaving her face. Gaara smiled down at her, and Sakura just knew that she had found the one she was meant to be with. From this day forward, her life, and Gaara's, would be forever changed.