A/N: I'm apologizing in advance because I'm really struggling with writer's block on this one so please bear with me; if it's terrible well….yeah.
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Chapter 25-Faltering
"Kakashi-san, I apologize but I must ask a favor."
The silver-haired jonin turned towards the approaching Kazekage, bowing in respect.
"Not at all, Kazekage-sama, I am pleased to assist you."
Gaara gave a curt nod in response and proceeded. "There is a matter of importance I must attend to and therefore, I'm unable to attend to Haruno-san for the next dance."
"Ah I understand; I'll handle it personally, Kazekage-sama."
"Thank you, Kakashi-san. If you'll excuse me." With that, the redhead whisked out of the hall, shoulders squared and jade eyes flashing in determination.
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Stepping carefully out of her bridesmaid dress, she laid it carefully on the back of a chair before taking up her long green silk bathrobe and pulling it over her shoulders.
It had been a long da—joyous—but long and after the discomfiting atmosphere at the reception, Matsuri was emotionally drained and worn to the bone. She was just about to pull out the pins holding her extravagant hairstyle in place, when there was a sudden knock on the door of her suite.
Furrowing her brows, she made doubly-certain her robe was securely tied around her waist, before answering the door.
It was probably one of the girls checking in on her.
Then she caught sight of unruly crimson hair and she froze.
"Matsuri."
She blinked owlishly, a look of utter surprise written on her face as she stared dumbfounded at the man standing at her door.
"G-Gaara-sama?"
The redhead's impassive expression gave away nothing but something in his jaded orbs heated and softened at the sight of the petite brunette before him.
"There is nothing between Sakura Haruno and myself." He blurted.
Taken aback, Matsuri shook her head in bewilderment. "…What?"
His tongue flicked out to moisten his lips before repeating himself. "There is nothing of significance between Haruno Sakura and myself; she has an extensive knowledge and experience in medical jutsu therefore, my sole reason in speaking with her was purely professional, nothing more."
"I…why are you telling me this?" She held the door between them, gazing up at him carefully.
"You were displeased with me earlier…" his sentence trailed off as his eyes shifted away from her and to the floor where his brows furrowed in concentration.
The feeling of uncertainty was vastly unsettling as it settled in the core of his being and his fingers clenched and unclenched as he worked to shake it off.
Sensing the redhead's growing discomfiture, a sharp twinge of guilt struck her and Matsuri reached out a tentative hand, touching his arm briefly. "I'm sorry, Gaara-sama I shouldn't have behaved so, it wasn't your fault, I was tired and—"
Her lips continued to move but he could no longer hear the words as his sharp jeweled orbs snapped to the dainty fingers that were lightly curled around his forearm.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his skin began to tingle as mini electric shocks coiled and shot down the length of his spine.
Suddenly he was very aware of the woman before him; their close proximity prickled his senses, causing the heat of his body to coil and extend towards her, licking hungrily at the sweet and sensual warmth her own body was emitting.
He felt dizzy.
Deliciously light-headed and instinctively, took a step towards her.
The air was suddenly charged between them, bringing Matsuri's rambling to a screeching halt and dark, as her dark doe eyes clashed widely with molten jade.
She lost her breath and her hand suddenly recoiled from him like she'd been burned.
But Gaara's reflexes were twice as fast as hers and a strong, pale hand snapped up, catching her wrist in mid-air.
She startled at his sudden movement, gasping before once again meeting his eyes with a wide-eyed gaze.
"K-Kazekage-sama…?" Her voice was a soft murmur in the darkness as she cautiously regarded the intensely silent man before her.
"You have no reason to worry; Haruno Sakura could never hold even a fragment of my affections, Matsuri…nor could any other woman for that matter. I respect her as a fellow ninja, as well as an exceptional kunoichi and Naruto's best friend…but that is all. That is all it ever will be."
Dark rimmed jade eyes bored intensely into hers as his grip on her lessened ever so slightly and the tips of his calloused fingers massaged gentle, absent-minded circles into the skin of her wrist.
Matsuri was embarrassed, flattered and utterly speechless! What could she say after such a valiant speech like that? She couldn't even form a coherent thought with him looking at her like that and…touching her like that…
What could she possibly do?!
"Gaara-s-sama I—I don't think—you d-don't owe me an e-explanation, really I don't—I was just being silly, really."
Her black eyes shifted everywhere else but his face and he frowned. "Woman, stop lying to me." He sharply admonished, startling her into an abrupt silence.
She coward in shame. "S-sorry, I just—I feel so foolish." Tears of humiliation pricked the corners of her eyes and she hid her face from him. "I j-just don't know w-what to think, I'm s-so confused I—what I feel when it comes to you—us—it's just so scary because I don't f-feel like I have the right to e-expect anything and yet I c-can't stop myself from feeling frustrated, anxious and then when I saw her…and you, I don't know I j-just…"
The tears overflowed, leaving hot, angry trails down her sun-kissed cheeks before she felt a warm, calloused hand cupping her cheek and a tug on her wrist.
Shimmering black eyes met warm jade and her lips parted with a trembling gasp.
He looked deeply into her eyes, his heart clenching at the pain, fear and uncertainty he saw there.
"Come here." He murmured in a deep, smoky voice as he pulled the slightly trembling woman into the shelter of his arms.
She let out a shaky breath, inhaling his familiar scent of sand and incense, before the warmth of his chest and the strong press of his arms around her, shattered the last fragments of her repose.
Fingers curled into the front of his robes as her face crumbled and she dissolved into tears.