This is the last chapter, except for the epilogue. Anyway, I apologise in advance to those who don't like how this chapter goes, but it was planned long before now, so tough. Lemon ahead, too.
Don't own Naruto.
Chapter Thirteen
"Hello Sakura."
Sakura turned around, coming face to face with her long-lost team mate. "Sasuke," she returned.
His eyes roved over her, taking in her wedding attire. "You look beautiful," he told her. "The uchikake looks good on you."
She was more than a little confused by his choice of words, mostly because Sasuke had never, in his entire life, ever said anything to compliment her, not really. And calling her beautiful? Where did that come from?
"What are you doing here, Sasuke?" she asked carefully, keeping herself on guard.
He shrugged. "I heard you were marrying the Kazekage," he told her. "I really didn't think that you would do something like this, marry someone you didn't love. Or am I wrong? Do you love him, Sakura?"
"What's it to you?" Sakura demanded stiffly. "Who I do or don't love is none of your business. Especially since you threw my love out like yesterday's trash."
"I know, and I'm sorry."
Sakura's jaw dropped to the floor. Well, maybe not literally, but she was so shocked to hear an apology come out of the mouth of her first crush, there was simply no way her brain could work. Finally, she did manage to make some sense of the chaos.
"I-I, er, you're sorry?"
"Is it really so surprising that I'd apologise?" Sasuke asked.
"Frankly, yes," he was told. "What happened to the avenger who never needed anyone, who did things his own way and had no need to apologise?"
Sasuke winced slightly at that, then said, "He died when the last member of his family did."
After a moment's silence, Sakura asked softly, "So it's true, you've killed Itachi?"
"Yes and no."
"What? How can it be yes and no? Did you or didn't you?"
"We battled, I was winning, but then he…"
Sasuke stopped and looked away, only increasing Sakura's curiosity. "What happened, Sasuke?"
"My brother died because he was sick," he said. "Our fight had nothing to do with it, except aggravating his condition. He told me he was poisoned a long time ago, but refused to tell me who did it."
The look on his face led Sakura to only one conclusion. "You regret killing him, don't you?"
Sasuke nodded, and she sighed. "Wait here," she told him. "There's something I want to get. It's just through there, in the next room. Don't go anywhere this time, Sasuke."
A reluctant smile formed at the edge of his lips. "Don't worry, I won't go anywhere."
oooooooooo
The instant he appeared in the room, he felt him. The Uchiha was standing there, holding the tsuno kakushi Sakura was to wear. Rage rose in him that this traitor was touching something that belonged to his bride, and Gaara snapped. He launched his sand at the surprised Uchiha, wrapping it around him.
"Gaara!" The sound of Sakura's voice reached his ears, but didn't penetrate his rage. "Gaara! Let him go! He's not here to hurt me!"
A hand fell to his outstretched arm, but he refused to let go. "Why is he here?" Gaara demanded. "Why is he near you? I told you, you're not running off!"
"And I told you that I wasn't going to!" Sakura exclaimed. "Just let him go, Gaara. He's not a threat!"
Finally, Gaara looked down into Sakura's beautiful eyes, then caught himself up short. Beautiful? He realised it was true. For the first time, he admitted to himself that he truly wanted Sakura as his own, and he decided that he would kill anyone who tried to take her away from him. Starting with the Uchiha. But Sakura must have seen something flicker in his eyes before he looked away.
"Don't kill him, please," she whispered.
Gaara looked down at his intended once more, and knew that he couldn't deny her. All this time fighting her presence, and she had beaten him. So he let his sand fall away, and allowed her to pull him to her. His own arms came up to wrap around her and he closed his eyes, breathing her in. He nuzzled her necked and whispered her name.
It was then that Baki and three others decided to burst in, and they immediately started to go for the Uchiha. "Stop!" The order came not from Gaara, but from Sakura.
"I'm sorry, Lady Sakura," Baki began, but he hesitated when he realised the scene that was playing out between his Kazekage and his bride.
"You will stop," Sakura ordered, and in an intensely confused moment, Baki and his men did so.
oooooooooo
It was all so surreal. Standing here, in the middle of the room, holding Gaara to her as if he was her lover, in every sense, not just the physical. For some reason, she had the feeling that he was in utter defeat, and wondered why he felt like that. Looking down at the man in her arms, she realised that he would do anything and everything to protect her, and she felt really bad about arguing with him about all the safety measures he'd put up to protect her. Just because she hadn't believed that she needed them…
But there was still the issue of Sasuke to deal with. Her former team mate sat there in the corner, just watching everything that was happening. He looked up and saw her watching him, and he smirked. She knew he was teasing her about the fact that Gaara wasn't letting her go, and she blushed and looked away.
A commotion sounded from down the hall, and Sakura knew that even her shishou could bet who that was and win. "WHERE IS HE?" Naruto hollered. "WHERE IS THAT TEME? I'M GONNA BEAT HIS ASS FOR RUNNING OFF WITH THAT PAEDOPHILE! LET ME AT HIM!"
Looking over, Sakura saw that Sasuke looked a little worried, and she returned his knowing smirk when he looked her way. Sasuke frowned, then stood. Gaara stirred at this action, but Sakura held on tight to him. Naruto burst through the door then, and he zeroed in on his former best friend.
"THERE YOU ARE, YOU BASTARD!" he yelled. "YOU TEME! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WE ALL WENT THROUGH TO GET YOU BACK?"
"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled, and the blonde turned to look at her. "Shut up!"
"But Sakura-chan…"
"But nothing!" Sakura snapped. "This is my wedding day, and you are going to make sure that you don't do anything to disrupt it, do you understand me, Uzumaki?"
Naruto gulped and shied away from the death glare he was receiving. "Uh, sure thing, Sakura-chan," he conceded.
The reminder of the wedding seemed to stir Gaara further, so Sakura quickly said, "Naruto, you should keep Sasuke with you. I still have to get ready, and so does Gaara. Can you please do that for me?"
Naruto brightened. "Sure thing, Sakura-chan!" he declared. "After all, can't let a teme like this get in the way, can we?"
Sasuke glared at him for that, but the kyuubi container just ignored him, grabbing hold of him and dragging him off, yapping about all the things he was going to do to him once Sakura was safely married. The pinkette in question sighed. She knew Naruto wanted to beat Sasuke up, but she also knew from reports over the years that he wasn't going to have an easy time doing so. Naruto may have vastly improved, but she didn't doubt Sasuke had, either.
But now she had to get Gaara to leave so that he would get ready. However, she needn't have worried too much, because Kankurou came forward to take charge of that.
"Come on Gaara," the puppeteer said, "you still haven't gotten ready properly. You gotta get your hair right, after all."
There was a snort of derision from Gaara, but he allowed himself to be pulled away, though not before whispering, "You're mine," in Sakura's ear. It wasn't a threat, in all honesty, she could swear it was more like a promise. She sighed. This whole thing was just so surreal, even she had to admit that she was surprised by the outcome.
oooooooooo
Leaving Sakura there by herself was difficult, and Gaara wasn't sure how he allowed his brother to pull him away. All of his possessive instincts were screaming at him to never let his woman out of his sight, and he spared a thought that his defeat at Sakura's hands was depressing. Still, now that he was conquered, there was no way he was letting her get away. She'd stolen him away, now she was left with the consequences.
Gaara ignored the part of himself that knew she hadn't done it deliberately.
But now he stood here, ready to be married, and waiting for her to arrive. In all the confusion earlier, he hadn't really taken notice of her uchikake, so when she arrived, that would be the first real look he had of her. She was going to be walking into the jinja with Tsunade and Ebizou escorting her and….
She was here.
Gaara's breath caught as his eyes fell upon the beauty he was marrying, and he couldn't help but be drawn in once more. When she reached the small altar, she stood beside him, and he was forced to pay attention as the Shinto priest began chanting. The ceremony was too long, in his opinion, but really only because he wanted to disappear into their room and possibly never come out, no matter how unrealistic that was. In any case, he knew Temari and Kankurou, and even all their other friends and new attachments to his family wouldn't let it happen. There were still the symbolic gifts to kami, the kekkon hiroen to be attended, so there was no foreseeable escape.
Finally, the ceremony ended, and the two of them made their way out together, where his people were waiting. The gifts they were to offer stood before a small altar outside the shrine. This wasn't normally done outside, but since he was the Kazekage, Gaara knew that he had to show his people something of the ceremony, and this was what was chosen. So he and Sakura stood before the altar, picked up their gifts, offered a small prayer to kami, and placed them on the plinth. A cheer went up from the assembled throng.
The reception ceremony was a strain on his patience. It seemed everybody had something to say about them, especially Naruto and Kankurou, who didn't seem to want to shut up. Not even Temari could stop them, and she didn't seem like she was trying hard enough, either. In any case, the whole thing was torture, and Gaara was glad when it was all over.
Now he stood before Sakura in front of their marital bed, and she looked nervous. He reached out a hand and stroked her cheek, and her eyes closed at the touch.
"Sakura," he whispered, and her eyes opened once more as she looked up at him.
"Gaara," she whispered back. "Do you hate me?"
He shook his head. "No," he answered honestly. "Not anymore. You're mine, and I will protect you with everything I have."
"Then you can let me protect you too," Sakura told him. "We're married, partners, and I want you to respect that."
Gaara nodded, feeling the need to do anything to please her. Once he'd lost his inner battle against here, there was nothing standing between him and whatever she wanted. Pulling her to him, he leaned down and kissed her even as his hands began to pull at the yukata she wore. Sakura responded eagerly, kissing him back and pulling at his clothes as well. He pushed her back until they reached the bed, then gently lowered her down onto it.
Laying his length along her, Gaara continued to attack her clothes, pushing and pulling until she lay naked beneath him. Sakura also managed to remove his, and once they were both nude, hands began to wander. They may have already been together, but it was nothing like this. Their first foray had been desperate and rough, but this was gentle and almost loving, a learning curve for them both.
Sakura gasped as Gaara's hand wandered down her body and made contact with that part of her he wanted so desperately to taste. His fingers slid along her opening, and he felt her legs part instinctively, encouraging him to go deeper. Her back arched as his fingers slid in, and he watched in fascination as his ministrations brought her to orgasm.
Gaara slid his fingers out of her, his hardened length throbbing with the need to bury himself deep inside of her. So he gave in. Aligning himself with her perfection, Gaara slid his cock inside his wife. Sakura whimpered at his presence, and her legs came up shakily to hold him to her. He stayed still inside her for a moment, then began to move.
They built up a rhythm that kept them evenly paced, and Gaara felt himself falling even further. He felt himself reach that point where all thought was focused on her, where nothing else existed but the carnal act they engaged in, and when the moment burst, and he released himself high within her, he knew that there was no way that he was ever letting this woman go.
I researched Japanese weddings as best I could, but I'm no expert, and this probably isn't exact, so no complaining, I know already! Epilogue is next, but anyway, review!