2-D REALITY

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Level 13: Player 1-START!

"You guys sure are popular." Sakura muttered thoughtfully as Zabuza got up to answer the door for the umpteenth time. Haku shrugged carelessly, resting his head on her shoulder. "I doubt it's anyone important." He muffled a yawn as he got more comfortable, careful not to knock over the bowl of candy on his lap. She popped in a small piece of licorice and tried to ignore the pang of guilt she felt. When her panic attacks got as bad as they did yesterday, they tended to recur when she was sleeping.

Haku knew this.

So he had spent the night periodically checking in on her and hadn't slept a wink. And if that wasn't enough Zabuza had went to her house to grab a couple of outfits for her. Knowing Haku barely slept as it was; it meant a lot that he went out of his way like that. Sakura wanted to apologize, both for causing concern and freeloading. But she knew they'd only brush it off and instead ask how she was holding up. It was as sweet as it was frustrating.

"Sakura are you really okay?"

'There go the questions again.' Sakura thought before glancing down at the boy leaning on her. "Yeah why?" "Well," He began, lifting his head, "You've had us staring at a black screen for two minutes now." Haku smiled at her small blush as she shifted in her seat. He reached out and cupped her cheek, titling her head up until their eyes met. "What're you doing?" She tried to sound irritated but failed as she leaned into his hand. "Your eye has been twitching almost nonstop."

It was subtle, but Haku was a very observant man. "It's nothing I'm just…" His thumb gently brushed over her top eyelid as she trailed off and he felt the underlying nerves spasm. "Stressed?" Sakura opened her mouth to deny it when he gently bumped his forehead against her own. "You never talk to me anymore." He frowned as he looked into her lone viridian, making her quickly avert her gaze. "You used to tell me everything now I can barely get you to speak." His breath fanned against her face, a warm puff of cinnamon causing her to visibly relax.

Sakura took a hold of the hand cradling her face and brought it down to her lap. She ran her own thumb across the back of his hand and sighed silently. "Sorry." She continued to run her thumb pad across his skin as silence enveloped them. Though it only lasted for a few seconds when she heard a snort. Her eyes zeroed in on his face and the amused grin he attempted to hide. "Haku Momochi!" Haku laughed fully and loud, faltering when Sakura ripped herself away and stood. "Wait," He chuckled taking a hold of her wrist, "Don't go."

The brunette tugged slightly and she pressed a knee into the couch but refused to sit. "I can't help it, you're just too cute when you pout." To prove his point he cupped her flushed cheeks and her pout turned into a scowl. Ripping her arm from his hold, she made a bee-line for where Zabuza stood at the door and Haku stood. He hesitated on following her, knowing she'd only be more upset if he did. "Wait, Sakura, I didn't mean it! Don't leave!"

His words fell on deaf ears as came up behind Zabuza and exhaled sharply when she saw he was blocking the entire doorway. Leaned against one side, he had his arm propped up against the doorway. She didn't take Haku's words to heart but it didn't hurt to do the teasing for once. Yet it was hard to "storm off" when a wall of meat was in the way. Sakura tugged down on the older man's arm until it was by his side and out of her way.

"Sorry to…interrupt…" Sakura weakly trailed off when she noticed exactly who it was that Zabuza had been talking to. The glare Gaara had on his face could make a normal man drop dead right then and there. Too bad Zabuza wasn't a normal man. She had never seen the mist demon look so angry, with a glower so deep she was afraid it'd be forever etched into his face.

Finally noticing her presence, Gaara's gaze quickly snapped to her and she flinched back. Sakura's grip on the older man's arm tightening. His glare faintly lessened as he took a step towards her when Zabuza growled low in his throat. "Move another inch, and I'll beat the red out of your head." Dragging his gaze back up to the larger man, Gaara sneered. "Is your beater broke Bitch?"

Sensing the rise of bloodlust between the two males, she shoved her way through and stood between them. Sakura placed a hand on either male's chest and shot them both a slight glare of her own. "You guys. Need. To chill." She slowly enunciated, as if she was talking to a pair of children. Both sand and mist demon remained quiet making her release a sigh she didn't realize she was holding. "Okay," She breathed, letting one arm fall, "Okay. This is good. No violence needed."

Sakura laid both of her small hands on Zabuza's broad chest and smoothed out the invisible wrinkles on his shirt. She continued the motion until she felt him relax and the furious flush fade to a baby pink. "Go back inside." He shot Gaara a dirty look, since he sure as hell couldn't say no to Sakura. His attention was brought back to the petite woman when he noticed she was shooting him "the look." She stood on the balls of her feet and lightly pushed him back by the shoulder.

"Now Zabuza." Her voice was soft but stern and he reluctantly made his way deeper inside his home. Once she could no longer here the heavy thumps of his large feet she softly shut the glass door. Sakura turned her full attention to Gaara and looked down at him, standing on the porch steps giving her a slight height advantage. Jutting out her hip, crossing her arms, and cocking her head, she gave him a once over. If he didn't know any better he'd think she was sizing him up.

"What're you doing here?" He stepped up until they were on even ground and crossed his own arms. "You're going home." She frowned and shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "Who says I want to? It practically belongs to you guys at this point." The fact that she wasn't tiptoeing around him was a surprise in itself. Coupled with her sassy attitude he half-expected it to start raining cats and dogs. He narrowed his eyes in an annoyed not-quite glare. "I say you have to. Naruto's been so-called singing Jetpack Blues in the shower for a week."

Sakura facepalmed with enough force to make a resounding smack in the momentary quiet. "Oh my god, my mom is going to kill me!" She dragged her hand upward and through her hand with a long-drawn groan. "Why didn't anyone try to stop him?" The wry look she aimed at him only caused him to smirk. "And why the hell are you smirking? My water bill must be through the roof!"

Gaara merely shrugged and if you squinted, the amused smirk looked almost shit-eating.

"If you have a problem with it, come stop him yourself."

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened almost comically as she stared up at the smug-looking male. He placed his finger on the underside of her jaw and pushed up, her mouth shutting with a click. Snatching his hand away Sakura squeezed the appendage and glared daggers. "You cocky little bastard." Gaara once again shrugged carelessly and made his way back to the Haruno household, with its youngest resident in tow.

Gaara very-nearly gotten into a death match with a man who looked like he could eat him. The iron hold she had on his hand made the bones within rub together. His ears felt like they were bleeding with how shrill Sakura was shouting.

But if it meant getting Sakura home and Naruto would stop belting Fallout Boy, all of that was worth it.

LEVEL COMPLETE!

"Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It's basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating."

-Simon Pegg

AMBUSH! Sing-a-long: Gaara's heart–captured!

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