The Search for Saltwater Taffy

Chapter Lemon

Disclaimer I own nothing. Except maybe a very deeply ingrained romantic streak and a love for the mysterious anti hero and the occasional sympathetic bad guy. Strangely enough, my own guy is probably the nicest person I've ever met; not a hint of bad boy or anti hero about him.

On with the show…

Gaara opened the door to his home and allowed the kunoichi to precede him into the dim house. He'd left no lights on, nor had he cared to. He could see well enough in the dark due to the help of Shukaku.

His whole body felt like it was going to explode. Shukaku was screaming around in his head, although not trying to hurt or punish him this time. He was all but dancing in triumph, telling him to mark her, mate her and make lots of babies with her.

He figured they would probably wait on the babies for a while yet, although Shukaku supplied him with an image of the pink haired nin pregnant and smiling for him. It was very appealing.

She turned on one of the lights in the kitchen, and Gaara felt himself wince at the brightness, although he was glad to be home. With his chosen mate.

He wanted to smile, to touch her, hold her, ask if she loved him.

This was a big chance he was taking, he knew that. He'd seen people deeply in love break apart over stupid things and large, insurmountable problems. He didn't know if his mate would ever try to kill him, although he knew his sand and Shukaku would defend their container. He wasn't sure if she just wanted to use him, play with him and leave him in the dust with that horrible pain in his chest again.

He couldn't handle that pain again, the betrayal of a loved one was almost too much to bear.

He didn't want to take the chance to care for her, but he already had, and there was no going back now. He just hoped that she didn't betray him, or hurt him too badly.

Sakura turned to face him, gut fluttering softly. What was she going to do? Did she want to sleep with him now, or did she want to talk to him for a while and decide whether or not it would be a wise thing to do.

'I'm going to go lay down,' Gaara told her, making his way slowly through the kitchen. 'You're welcome to join me, or not at your pleasure. If you come, there will be no pressure.' He finished.

'I'm coming with you,' she replied, taking a deeply fortifying breath.

When they got to Gaara's room, he went inside and turned on a bedside lamp that gave off a soft illumination, so that she could see the room. It wasn't large, it wasn't crowded. There was a futon on the floor and a small chest of drawers beside a closet. Some clothing was hanging over the side of a laundry basket and the walls were almost bare.

She saw a few photos on his nightstand and one of the sandsibs with cell seven minus Sasuke on the wall. She remembered that one. It was right after the Akatsuki attack on him to steal Shukaku. Naruto was making a silly face over Gaara's head, Kakashi was reading, Sakura was grinning beside a smirking Temari who leaned on her fan. Kankuro knelt in the front with his puppet beside him. Gaara was sitting in the middle of the group, protected. They'd all stood around him protectively, although she hadn't been aware of it at the time.

Other than that, the only wall decoration there was were the inside window shutters to hold out sandstorms. They were neatly folded and painted a dark brown.

Sakura sighed deeply, breathing in the scent of the room. Sand, and more sand with a faint undertone of some kind of soap.

She went over to the futon and sat down, shifting the blankets so that she was on the sheet. 'Come, let's lay down,' she said softly.

Gaara followed quickly, sitting on the other side of the futon and yanking off his shirt before he laid down. Pillowing his arms behind his head, he met her gaze. 'Come here,' he told her, holding an arm out.

She nodded and lay down beside him, coming closer to his naked chest. 'So what's next?' she asked, voice seemingly overloud in the silent room as she shifted deeper into the sheet. White, she noted, slightly distressed.

'We decide if you want to do this now, or if you'd like to wait until we know each other better.' He told her, voice dark and smooth like thick chocolate.

Sakura raised a brow at him and shifted closer, taking his mouth with her own. His reaction was instant, arms coming around her as he flipped her onto her back, taking control of the kiss as if he'd initiated it. She felt his tongue slip between her lips, and met it tentatively with her own until his hand went to the bottom of her shirt, when she froze.

Gaara stopped moving and looked at her, she could feel his gaze boring into her, telling her to open her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to do it.

'We should stop,' he told her softly, warm hand brushing gently over her stomach, pushing her shirt up just a tiny bit. 'Now isn't the right time,'

Sakura breathed in and let it out on a sigh. She didn't mind it, really, she told herself. She was more than ready for this… she was a grown woman. 'Yes it is, Gaara,' she told him, smiling softly and opening her emerald eyes to meet his as she wrapped her arms around him a little tighter.

'Are you sure?' he asked, and at her nod, sighed deeply.

Sakura smirked and pulled off her shirt after pushing him off of her. She was reaching for the ties on her jeans when he stopped her. 'Don't' he said. 'Let me,'

She nodded, and he reached up to kiss her, arms going around her again, reaching for the tie on her breast bindings. Sakura arched her back, nervous, but reminded herself that she'd wanted this.

He finished releasing her from her bindings with a soft grunt and took the weight of her breasts in his hands, gently cupping them, tracing them with a fingertip and then his tongue.

'Gaara,' she arched her back, enjoying the feel of his mouth on her, his messy hair brushing her every now and again, tickling a little. The warmth of his body at her side, he felt slightly bony, and his muscles seemed very hard, but she liked how he felt.

She just decided it would likely be best to focus on how he was making her feel, and how he felt so close, naked chest against her side as he nibbled on her neck and traced silly designs on her stomach with feathery touches from his fingers.

Sakura smirked to herself and turned to face him, bringing her breasts into direct contact with his chest. She heard his harsh breath and felt it expelled onto her face as she reached down to untie his pants. He helped her, all but ripping his pants off, then attacking hers.

He smirked at the funky boyshorts she was wearing, having seen them before when he was going through her wardrobe in Konoha.

Then he was pulling them down, and getting off the bed to yank off his own boxers.

Sakura felt the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach grow, along with the heat and insistence of desire she felt for him. It wasn't like she'd never seen naked men before, she'd seen hundreds… but they tended to be… uninflated because they were either sick or injured.

She pursed her lips and glanced up at his face, seeing glassy, glazed eyes, flushed cheeks and soft, kissable lips.

Glassy eyes… she mused to herself.

'Sakura?' he asked, voice soft. She smiled at him warmly and then he was beside her, not asking anymore questions. Then he was above her, settled firmly between her thighs and the next thing she knew, there was a small tearing sensation inside her and his pelvic bones were pressing painfully on tendons.

She grunted and he returned it, starting to move. She wasn't sure if she liked how stretched and vulnerable she felt, nor how submissive her position was.

He bit her neck, not bothering to be gentle, and started to move more, making a slight groan in the back of his throat. That's when the discomfort and oddness of the feeling turned into something hot and sharp. Gaara was feeding that for her, and all she could do was let him, and hope it ended soon because she thought she'd scream if the end didn't come soon.

But he carried on, as young men tend to do, and she couldn't help it anymore, giving into the quaking and hoarse moan that marked a full body spasm of intense pleasure. When the aftershocks finally subsided, and she could breathe again instead of short gasps, she managed to open her eyes.

Gaara hovered above her, still moving, and she could feel him deep in her, stroking against the perfect spot, and starting the build of heat again, this time a slow burn. He had an expression of sublime male pride which he had the decency to cover when she widened her eyes at him.

Then he shifted so that they lay on their sides, facing each other as he grabbed her hips and began to move faster.

When his body finally started to spasm, she enjoyed the harsh, helpless cry that escaped his throat as he jerked against her and dug his hands into her soft flesh, certainly unaware that he was doing so.

When it was over, he pulled her in close to him, breathing softly against her shoulder, arm over her stomach and legs twined into a knot with hers.

'I love you,' was all he said as he held her closer still.

She'd been expecting that one.

Sabaku no Hime… well, that was… unsatisfying. They were so nervous and uncomfortable with each other I thought they were just going to leave the room. And what's with Gaara making all sorts of confessions, anyway? That's just not like him, is it. Although, I do realize that people tend to act in unusual ways when under the influence of strong emotion, (or strong alcohol) but that seems a little…weird. O well. Next chapter is the last I think.