Finding himself smitten with Sakura was a bit of a new feeling for Gaara. Her arm was linked through his as she led him around the marketplace, stopping at stalls to look at jewelry or pastries or whatever other glittering thing caught her eye. He felt weightless under her touch, her guidance. He could feel a terrifying electricity where their arms met. He wished he had opted for a short sleeve tunic that day, so that he'd be feeling her bare skin against his right now, even though he was sure it would probably send his heart into overdrive.

He had forgotten how intense it felt to be near her, and as he watched her flit around the festival, he found that he got just as much pleasure from reacquainting with her.

She brought him over to the carnival games, clapping with delight when the civilian man ahead of her successfully popped a balloon with a dart. Gaara gave her an admonishing look when she stepped in line behind him, a shit-eating grin on her face.

"Are you sure you should be doing this?" he asked.

"Let the lady live, Kazekage-sama," said the man behind the booth, passing Sakura a handful of darts over the counter. He grinned as Sakura greedily yanked them from his hands. Begrudgingly, Gaara reached into his pocket for the money for the man, but he shook his head.

"This one's on the house, Kazekage-sama," he said, bowing respectfully.

Gaara murmured a quiet thank you to the man, feeling a little flustered. He would rather have paid for it – or rather preferred that Sakura not do this at all.

Sakura lobbed all five darts in her had at once, each landing dead center of its own balloon. She cheered and clapped for herself, which Gaara had no choice but to roll his eyes at. Was she being so ridiculous on purpose?

"You win a prize!" said the man in the booth.

"You hear that, Gaara-sama? I won a prize for you," she said, giggling as she surveyed the choices of stuffed animals hanging over the counter. "Which one would you like?"

"Sakura…"

Before he could chastise her for taking a prize from the man, she shrieked with delight, reaching up for the plush hanging near the back of the booth. To Gaara's utter humiliation, he realized that said plush was actually a miniature version of himself, complete with a little Kage robe.

"It's you!" she laughed, clutching the offending toy to her chest. She squeezed it against her cheek, still laughing. Gaara felt a spike of rage the likes of which he'd not felt for a very long time.

Sakura was oblivious to this as she pressed the plush into his hands. "Here you go," she said, standing so near him that he forgot his rage for a moment, lost completely in the way her eyes seemed to dance as she leaned into him. "I won this for you."

"Why don't you keep it?" he asked dryly, pushing it back into her chest.

She looked hurt for a moment, and he felt her sadness more acutely than he might have had it not been for their previous conversation at the guard tower. He was on the verge of a quick apology, already agonizing over what to say to appease her when the sadness was whisked away from her face and replaced with another cheery smile.

"I think I'll name him Naruto," she said, tucking the toy under her arm. With her free arm, she grabbed onto Gaara again and began shuffling through the crowd.

"What?" he asked in confusion. She only giggled in response, which annoyed Gaara further. There was such a disconnect between what he felt towards her on a primal level and what he thought of her as she dragged him through the streets. She was teasing him and she knew it. She was practically torturing him for her own perverse pleasure.

"Maybe we should meet up with your teammates," Gaara suggested when it appeared that Sakura planned to stop at the next carnival game.

Sakura stopped walking, and Gaara stopped beside her. The crowd began to filter around them as she turned to look at him, her expression unreadable. What he could tell from it, though, was that she was thinking something serious. The childish timber of her voice was gone as she leaned forward to speak to him, and with the brightly colored lights of the festival flashing behind her, she almost looked like some sort of mystical creature with her fantastically pink hair.

"Is it selfish of me to want to keep you all to myself?" she asked, practically breathing the question into his ear. Gaara suppressed a shudder and took her elbow in his hand to pull her out of the crowd. Sakura allowed him to led her through the stalls until they reached an alley between a pastry shop and booth selling trinkets. They had relative privacy sandwiched between the walls, which Gaara didn't realize until that moment was probably a dangerous idea.

"It's your first full day here and you're already torturing me," he said through clenched teeth.

"Torturing you? Gaara-sama, I—"

He placed his palm on the wall beside her head, his expression expectant as he waited for her to continue. Gaara was well aware he had an aura of intimidation about him. For the most part, he sought to lessen its impact on the people he interacted with. He didn't mean to be that way – it was just how he was. But with Sakura, he appreciated this leg up he had on her since she seemed very capable of flustering him herself.

"I have to admit," she said softly, "that I expected something quite different when I got here. I assumed you still had a girlfriend, you know, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from teasing you. I mean not in an inappropriate way, of course, but obviously you feel this thing between us, too, so you understand."

"Yes," he said tersely. "I understand." True to her word, she teased him again by pressing her hips forward into his. She still leaned back against the wall with her head and upper back, but her lower half was pressed far too intimately against his and he cursed her audacity. With a shaking hand, he grabbed her hip and pushed her back against the wall behind her.

"But look at you, all worked up already," she said, unable to contain her grin. "You've already almost kissed me once. Is sex like a 'once you start you can't stop' kind of thing?"

"To be honest, Sakura, it seems like you're more obsessed with sex than I am," he pointed out. "What's your game here?"

Sakura scowled, which Gaara found a little surprising. She had been the one to be so frank about her feelings, her questions. She shouldn't have been offended by the question, especially since he probably would have given her whatever she wanted from him.

"You know I expected things to get easier after I got back to Konoha," she said, her voice lower, more dangerous now. "I thought about you all the time. I just couldn't stop. I replayed each of our kisses in my head over and over again because I'd never experienced anything like them before. I didn't even try to forget about you for the longest time."

Gaara swallowed, grateful but also nervous to be finally getting somewhere.

"Before I knew it, I realized it had been weeks since I had thought about Sasuke," she explained. "You had completely taken over. Then I found out you had a girlfriend and I was crushed."

"So I wilded out a little bit," she continued. "I went on tons of dates with a bunch of different guys, trying to forget about it. It worked to some extent, but god there was just something about the way that you touched me that I couldn't forget."

Gaara licked his lips, suddenly feeling rather parched. He hadn't known any of that, of course, and there was something about her desperation combined with her honesty that made his heart beat faster and his skin grow clammy.

"And now I'm here again with you," she said, her voice even softer now. He leaned in closer to hear her, to be near her. He could feel her breath on his cheek, smell her vanilla scented hair again. He was close enough to kiss her now, and he really, really wanted to, but he didn't. "And you don't have a girlfriend," she continued, "and you wanted to kiss me – you want to kiss me now. It feels really good. After all that time thinking about you and wanting you, it feels good to know that you want me, too. So I'm sorry if my teasing bothers you, bu—"

He cut her off with a searing kiss, unable to help himself. Why had he waited? He should have kissed her when he met her at the gates or when she took that bite of his peach. He should have fucked her all those years ago before she left, before he had the opportunity to lose her to someone else.

He had never been under the impression that what he felt for Sakura was love. He was sure he did love her in some ways, though probably not romantic. What he hadn't expected was for whatever was happening between them to feel so different than what he had felt for Matsuri. He had liked Matsuri well enough, assuming that he would eventually grow to love her. But he had felt relieved when she broke up with him instead of the misery he'd felt when Sakura left. And in spite of her mind games, he couldn't help but feel blissfully happy to have her back here.

He didn't want her to go.

He pulled back away from her, watching her expression carefully. This could be dangerous to do to her. He could hurt her even more than she already was, and that was just not acceptable. If she had ached and hurt for so long after going back to Konoha, he didn't want her to feel that all over again when she left this time.

Except, part of him didn't care. Part of him wanted to soak up all of her that he could before she left.

He decided, however, that that particular decision was better left to her. If she wanted to keep things professional, he would honor that. And if she wanted to – as she said – 'wild out' with him, he certainly wouldn't say no to that.

So when he leaned away from her and saw the blissful look on her face, the slow grin, the dazed eyes… He felt relief that she was happy and if she let him, he would make her happy again and again and again.

"I really missed you, Sakura," he said, pressing his forehead against hers.

"I—"

A cleared throat at the entrance to the alley drew both of their attention. Hideki stood between the walls, his face furrowed with concern.

"I hate to interrupt, but you're needed in the council chambers, Gaara-sama," he said.

/

Gaara cursed aloud when he entered the council chambers and found Temari and Shikamaru seated at the table, each glaring at him with intensity he wasn't used to. "I'm sorry," he said softly as he took his seat at the head of the table. "Something came up that I had to tend to."

Temari's frown deepened, her eyes boring holes straight through Gaara's head. "This has been planned weeks in advance," she said tensely. "What could possibly have come up that's more important than signing our marriage license? That's the entire reason Shikamaru is here."

"I said I'm sorry," he said, feeling rather sympathetic toward her. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told him they had been waiting for him for almost an hour. "I shouldn't have kept you waiting for so long."

"It's okay, Gaara-sama," Shikamaru said, sounding as sincere as was possible for Shikamaru. "Let's just get started."

Gaara frowned as Temari passed him the scroll that was her marriage license. All that was needed now was his signature and their marriage could proceed. Temari planned to get married in Konoha, but she needed a license in both Suna and Konoha to get married. He knew that it wasn't really his choice to give Temari away, but signing the paper felt an awful lot like it.

He signed his name quickly and pushed the paper back towards her, trying to look happy for his sister instead of grumpy.

"Thank you, Gaara," Temari said. He was instantly struck by the softness of her tone. Temari was a strong woman who liked to puff herself up, to guard herself against the fragility often associated with women. It was new to hear the gentle sincerity in her voice.

Her eyes, too, were imploring, bottomless in their dark hazel color. The urge to pull her into a hug was strong, but he didn't think she would like that so he refrained.

"I know you aren't excited about me leaving," she continued, "and I really hate that you're so upset. I'm not leaving to get away from you, you know."

"I know, Temari."

"You're a really great brother."

"I know."

"And when we have nieces and nephews for you, maybe one of them will want to move here to be with their uncle," she said with a smile.

"Pardon?" Shikamaru asked, perking up a little.

"I was thinking maybe seven or eight children," Temari mused, mischief dancing in her eyes. "What do you think, Shikamaru-kun?"

"We can have one," he bartered.

"We'll see," she laughed.

/

Later that night, Gaara sat at his desk in his office, staring blankly out the window behind him. The sky was not quite dark yet, but dim enough that the glow of the village lights spread its ambience across the dunes.

There was a stack of paperwork under his left elbow and a stack of mission dossiers awaiting approval under his right. In theory, he might have been finished with either stack if he had been diligent and efficient with his time, but instead of working he had chosen instead to stare through the glass at the sky. Its color was so bright as the sun was setting, so fantastically pink and fiery that it reminded him of certain someone.

And of course once that train of thought left the station, there was no going back. Prior to her arrival in Suna, Gaara hadn't thought much about her. He had made a significant effort to pretend that what had happened between them all those years ago was nothing more than a silly fling.

He was still unsure whether or not he believed that. Now, as evidenced by his racing thoughts, he could do little else but think of her, imagine her penetrating eyes and teasing kisses.

Even now he imagined he saw her bobbing pink head speeding across the dunes through his window.

Straightening up a little, Gaara approached his window, cocking his head to the side as he pondered the lithe form that was sprinting up the side of a particularly tall dune. No, he definitely was sure that the girl was not an illusion – just an idiot. For a moment he watched her run away from the village, toward what he assumed must have been Turtle Rock. Perhaps she was just curious, but even Sakura should have known not to go into the desert alone just before dark.

He glanced back behind him at the stack of papers on his desk and let out a heavy sigh. Given the choice between catching up on his clerical duties and admonishing his very stupid, very charming foreign guest, Gaara found himself perturbed by how easy he found it to shirk his duties.

/

By the time he had caught up with her, the sky was an inky blue, cloudless and peppered with stars. Gaara always preferred the sky this way – clear and open to the heavens beyond. There was something inherently beautiful about the visions that were beyond their reach, something magnetic and humbling.

Even that, though, paled in comparison to Sakura, who was panting dramatically as she stood doubled over, ankle deep in the sand. The sandy tangles in her hair did nothing to detract from how beautiful he found her, though the hacking cough she directed into the crook of her arm was less than charming.

Gaara placed a palm on her upper back, his brow furrowed with concern as he watched her sputter and cough. "Here," he said, reaching for the canteen hooked on his belt. Sakura snatched it from his hands and begun to gulp water greedily.

When she was finished, she pressed the canteen back into his hands, letting her fingers linger on his for a moment longer than was necessary.

"What are you doing, Sakura?"

"I got sand in my throat," she said defensively.

"Why are you out here in the desert?"

"Oh, that," she said dismissively. "Well, I was on my way to Turtle Rock. I just wanted to see it again. You know, to see if it looks the same.

"I would have taken you if you have just asked," he said, smiling at her in spite of himself. He wanted to be annoyed, but he wasn't. He should be annoyed because it was once again foolish for her to be out here alone. But he just wasn't.

"You were all busy with you Kazekage stuff," she countered. "Besides, I don't need a babysitter to go visit a rock."

"No, you don't," Gaara said, nodding solemnly, "but wouldn't it be nice to have some company? Come on. Let's go back to the village and I'll take you to Turtle Rock tomorrow when the sun is back up."

Sakura shook her head and tugged on his wrist. "No, I want to see it now," she argued. "Look how pretty the sky is. Don't you think Turtle Rock will look even better with all the stars out?"

"Do you always have to be so contrarian?" he demanded.

"I'm just a woman who knows what she wants, Gaara-sama."

"Is that so?" he drawled. "Well, tonight, Sakura-san, your wish is my command. Let's go see Turtle Rock."

"Really?" she asked, unable to contain the hopefulness in her voice.

"You're going to go with or without my permission," he said with a shrug. "I might as well tag along. You know, to make sure you don't find any trouble."

"Is that the real reason, Gaara-sama? Or are you just trying to get me alone?"

"I've already got you alone, don't I?" he asked with a smirk.

"Hey now," she said, smacking him playfully. "Don't be perverted. I just want to see Turtle Rock. Nothing else."

"Of course," he said, gesturing toward the direction they needed to be moving. "I'll be a perfect gentleman."

Sakura gave him a disbelieving look as she hooked her arm through his, though he managed the catch the underlying amusement. Arm in arm, they began to walk across the sand, away from the bright lights of the village. She pressed herself warmly against his side and rested her cheek against his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile, wanting very much to lean back into her but deciding against it.

For a moment Gaara wondered how she would look all dressed up in Suna formal garb, pressed against his side just as she was now as they walked into a council dinner or some other formal occasion which required the Kazekage's presence. He could already imagine that the people of Suna would adore her.

He shook the thought away immediately, a little embarrassed to have been fantasizing about such a thing. There was something so raw about the way she clutched him, so genuine in the way she pressed her hip against his side, just to know the way it felt.

"Sakura," he said, clearing his throat and suddenly feeling rather nervous. "Did you mean all those things you said at the festival earlier?"

"You think I'd lie about things like that?"

"No, I'm just hoping you might have been exaggerating."

"Why?"

Gaara paused as he considered this. "I don't want you to be sad when you go back to Konoha," he answered.

"I've thought about that, too, Gaara-sama," she replied, not meeting his gaze. Instead, her face was turned toward the stars. "But it's a necessary evil."

"Is it, though?" he demanded. "We don't have to torture ourselves. There's nothing wrong with just being friends."

"Is that what you want, Gaara-sama?"

Gaara did not answer right away. They walked in silence for several steps while Gaara decided how best to answer that. Of course it wasn't what he wanted, but in a way, it was. He only wanted what was best for Sakura, what would make her the happiest. But how could he tell her that while basically rejecting her? How could he even consider rejecting her when he knew very well that he had no interest in squandering what time he had with her?

"No," he said eventually.

"Me neither."

"Was it worth it?" he asked.

"No," she laughed, shaking her head. "But maybe this time it will be."

Gaara hoped that was true.

/

When the rock formation began to appear on the horizon, Sakura's mood shifted noticeably. In spite of the seriousness of their conversation, she had been just as cheery as she had been the day before. Now, however, she seemed to be more somber. She chewed her lip as they neared the rock formation, a worried crease between her brows.

Gaara said nothing as he watched her pick up speed, ambling toward Turtle Rock. He released her arm reluctantly, and watched as she scrambled up on top of the stone.

"It looks exactly the same," she said, doing a quick spin to see what the rock had to offer from every angle. Gaara disagreed. The dunes were always shifting and moving – they looked nothing like they had the last time she had been here. Even the rock itself was different. Parts of it had eroded away, new parts of it were covered and uncovered by the sand. But he supposed Sakura wouldn't realize any of that.

Gaara joined her up on the rock. She sat down against the cold stone, crossing her legs underneath her. He sat down beside her, glancing over at her face to see her staring at him.

"You look different, though," she said, her fingers coming up to brush a few strands of hair away from his face. He leaned into the contact.

"I do?"

"Yeah, you do," she replied, her fingers moving down to his cheek. "You have wrinkles now. And you look grumpier."

"I was half expecting you to tell me how handsome I've become," he said dryly.

"Oh, you're definitely handsome," she said. "That hasn't changed at all."

Gaara felt a smile forming on his features. He wondered how she could have thought he looked grumpy when he was certain he hadn't smiled this much in years. Even though it wasn't exactly new information, the fact that she thought of him as handsome sent his pulse skyrocketing. The way her eyes bore into him as she drank him in set every nerve in his body on fire.

"Sakura, I'm sorry for all the heartbreak you had to endure when you went back to Konoha," he said softly. "You know I didn't want that to happen."

Sakura scoffed and busied herself by fiddling with the hem of her skirt. "The onus is really on me, isn't it?" she asked. "I knew myself well enough to know what would happen. I know myself well enough now, too, and I'm just stupid enough to repeat that same mistake."

"Why put yourself through that?"

She sighed and leaned back on her palms, her face turned back toward the stars. "You know when you have cavity and your tooth hurts and you keep sucking air through it just to make sure that it still hurts?"

Gaara grimaced, not sure he liked where that was going. "I'm not a tooth," he said, his voice laced with petulance.

Sakura laughed, "and I'm sure sucking you would be far from unpleasant."

Without really considering the action, Gaara reached across the distance between them and smacked the back of her head in much the same way she might have done to him had he said something perverted. Though her words were crass, there was something inherently warm in her expression and he couldn't help but imagine what she would look like sucking him off, even up here on Turtle Rock, out in the open.

Sakura rubbed at the back of her now tender head, giving Gaara a sheepish look. "I should try to filter the things I say better," she said with a weak laugh.

Gaara frowned as it seemed like she was skirting the issue. "You really think of me as a decaying tooth?" he asked.

"Of course not, Gaara-sama. You're just a man who lives really far away from me."

"Just a man…" he echoed.

"You know I wasn't trying to torture you, right?"

Gaara gave her a half smile. He knew, of course.

"Maybe if we fuck each other we can get out all this weird tension and it won't feel so much like torture anymore," she suggested quite frankly.

"Maybe if we fuck each other it'll end your unhealthy obsession with perversion," he countered.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Now you understand."

Gaara laughed as she rolled his eyes at her. "How about we start with a kiss?" he asked. He didn't wait for her reply before he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.