He remembered being curious as a child what poets always meant by wanting to watch a loved one as they slept. What was so special? People generally were worse when they were asleep; their guards were down; allowing farting, drooling, and snoring. So what was so appealing to watching someone as they emitted gross gases and liquids?

He found it a bit creepy.

But as Gaara stared at the form below him, he wasn't sure he was any closer to an answer. Still, his eyes didn't want to look away. Ino seemed to have the ability to completely relax when asleep; her lengthy limbs languid and smooth under his hands.

He hadn't meant to touch but after watching in amusement as her turned face remained lax, a small wet spot growing under her open mouth on the pillow, Gaara hand hadn't been able to resist the age old urge to reach out a finger to poke Ino's cheek.

Paused for the violent reaction that was bound to happen.

When the blonde did nothing in response, Gaara took liberties that could get him slapped. Ino's legs were surprisingly…hairy. The long firm legs were covered generously with an increasingly prickly amount of fine blonde hairs. A grin tugged at his lips as his hand leisurely roamed curves of knee and thigh. In the faint light the small various blemishes of her skin could be seen. Small dark lines marred around her hips; a testament of fast growth. Temari had once bitched about them being "battle scars of becoming a woman" when Kankuro had carelessly commented on her own.

He withheld the desire to lean down and kiss them.

Fingertips gentle, Gaara unhurriedly lifted the shirt an inch to fully see a different mark on her body. Long and silvery, it was obvious that the scar was old –but the length was a bit disconcerting. Who tried to run her through but only left a five inch mark?

Staring at her ridiculous purple underwear yet not seeing them, Gaara tried to get a grip. A scar didn't bother him, but he had never really looked at her stomach. It was laced with several kunai and other dangerous object scars. All long and could-have-been-fatal looking. He felt the first pang of dislike for her older revealing outfit.

Minus the purple underwear.

It took Gaara a moment to realize that Ino's scars scared him. Just as much as when he hadn't been able to help her in the cave.

Ino was dreaming of the children's ward. To a degree she felt exasperation; after all didn't she spend enough time there awake? Still, glancing around she noticed that almost all the beds were empty and the occupied ones held random animals instead of kids. Same thing really, the little monsters.

Stranger yet was how her stomach felt, hot and twitchy, its insides fluttering like mad.

When she opened her eyes Ino found her lower half covered, not by blankets, but by Gaara's upper half. Rumpled glossy hair that was erratically pointing everywhere was hovering above her stomach. Soft lips her bare mid-drift created mad panic in her poor tummy. She watched in silent curiosity.

His kisses, she felt with a pang, traced the scars on her stomach; while his hand traced her stretch marks on the outside of her thigh. Ino felt an urge to slap his hand away but stubbornly resisted. He has seen them enough before and she refused to feel ashamed.

Then she noticed how he was clenching his eyes shut. Reaching up a hand, Ino softly touched his face.

"Gaara?"

...

A/N: Oh my! It's been so long, I'm not even sure there are people even interested in Gaara Ino anymore! It's been a busy time for me, what with weddings, family roadtrips, and ...boyfriend...(grins sheepishly), plus catching up on a bunch of reading! Wooo, but I found sometime! =D So as of right now I'm rereading and getting my inner GaaraIno juices ready again to continue on! This was always going to be a short chapter, so think of it as an intermission to bigger ones.. =)