Author's Note: Okay. This was going to be a GaaSaku filled present for a friend of mine, but instead it turned out to be a bit angsty. And Anti-ish. So, I've decided that the pieces of GaaSaku smex and hotness are dedicated to my friend, because I didn't have the heart to metaphorically torture Sasuke. As for Sakura, this is just the beginning. Angst is coming up next chapter, which I started already. There was going to be another piece at the end of this, but I decided to cut that off because it kind of ruined the emotion and mood of this chapter. I recently started to embrace my love for angsty and bittersweet stuff, so for right now, "Dirty Laundry" is going to be a bit dark. I'll try to put some funny parts into it every once in a while, but the only way this thing's ever gonna get done is if I vent and cry into it. And no, I'm not depressed. I just enjoy angsty and bittersweet stuff, for some odd reason. I got called depressing the other day, and well, it kind of hurt. "Frosty Flowers" should be updated fairly soon if I ever get back into the bitter and angry mood again. Anyway, I'm not going to rag on this chapter, because I kind of like it. Maybe that's because the darker turn of events was inspired by the newest Naruto Shippuden opening? Who knows. But I love that song.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto Shippuden, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, SasuSaku, the songs "Blow" by: Kesha, "More" by: Usher, "Who's That Chick" by: David Guetta, or "L.O.V.E." by: Ashlee Simpson, or anything else that's in this chapter, except for Megumi. I take credit for her. Simply put, I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT MY FANMADE CHARACTERS! EVERYTHING ELSE EXCEPT MY FAN MADE CHARACTERS BELONGS TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS!
Dedication: Wiccad, you're my Gaara fangirling, GaaSaku obessed buddy. I was hoping to inspire you to continue on with your GaaSaku stories with this piece of crap for GaaSaku stuff (I'm not putting myself down here, it's just my GaaSaku stuff can't compare to hers), but you see how well that turned out. SasuSaku, and more SasuSaku. God. Sasuke's so annoying in this aspect, yaknowwhutimean? Anyway, I guess it isn't all that bad, since Sakura and Matsuri go at it. And I wrote GaaSaku smex equal to my previous SasuSaku smex, I made sure of it. And I tried to make Gaara as cute and seductive as I possibly could without abandoning my computer in the middle of struggling to finish this. My fangirlism on the side strikes again. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, and please write more of your GaaSaku stories. I've been patiently waiting for an update for the past few months now, and I've even reread them a few times, I think...I know I read something fo the GaaSaku nature...Hopefully this inspires you and revives your love for them. Light the candles, make a wish, and eat tons of candy, buddy!
Dancing was easy. It wasn't rocket science. All you had to do was swing your hips to one side, then back, perhaps hold your arms alongside yourself. But it wasn't hard. Footwork came naturally to me, almost as easily as breathing and holding. I could do it without even thinking about it. Dancing was my thing.
So whenever I came home from school, or when I left Sasuke's house after sleeping over or whatever, I'd go up into my room, and dance. Especially after my fight with Uchiha Itachi. I was still awkward at dancing, but it still wasn't difficult once I got the hang of moving to the beat of whatever I was listening to. Once I accomplished that, everything else faded away, and it was all about dancing.
I typically found these kinds of things weird and depressing, dancing alone, but, it was all I could manage. Sasuke was still in the hospital and all. I didn't want to invite anyone over to my house just to dance specifically. Even though it would be good practice for evasion and dodging attacks from enemy ninja. But, this was something that I could do alone without worrying about what other people thought of me. This was the one thing I could do to be me. That, and be beautiful. Which wasn't all that great.
I opened up my room door once I got to the top of my stairs, and shut the door behind me, shoving the key into the lock, and turning it. No one would bother me. I would be all alone and have the entire night to myself. Only if that lock held. Which it hopefully would. I was praying on the hairs that fell past my face. I couldn't let anyone see me, I couldn't let anyone see what I was about to do. I had to be alone.
I peeled off my sweatshirt and shirt, sliding out of my tights and boots, throwing them into my dirty laundry pile, glancing at the clock out of the corner of my eye. 4:30. I had until 5:15 before I had to go to the hospital again to visit Sasuke. Naruto was on his shift right now, Karin accompanying him as he stood watch, keeping the lonely Sasuke company.
My stomach tightened when I thought of Sasuke and Karin in the same room, my lip curling up as I bit down on it, my eyes narrowing tightly. I couldn't stand the thought anymore. I knew she was deliberately making moves on him, being alone with him, trying to spend as much time with him as she possibly could just so she could take him right out from under me. That red head was smarter than I gave her credit for. I walked over to my radio, and flipped the switch, a simple beat coming from the speakers. Once the song actually started, I closed my eyes, and gave myself over to the music.
I swished my hips to my right, holding my arms out beside me, my pink hair flying toward the left, my skirt swishing beside my legs. As I moved, my mind became clearer, calculating all of the possible scenarios I could be in, all of the possible solutions or measures I could take to get out of the scenarios. For one of them, I could tell Sasuke what was bothering me, or I could directly confront Karin about it. All of my options looked possible and held a high percentage of success, but as I stepped to the right, a wave of apprehension washed over me.
Even if I managed to tell Sasuke about how I was feeling and the dread I couldn't help but obsess over whenever I went to visit him, it wouldn't change Karin's half of the problem. She'd continue to make moves on Sasuke, and possibly steal him right out from under me. I was going to be kicked to the curb by the looks of it. My sharp jerk to the left was evident of that, my pink hair swinging out to the right as I moved, my right foot following.
But what the hell was Karin thinking? She knew how in love I was with Sasuke, and yet she was going to try to take him from me, still. Even after I had risked my life to save him just a few nights ago, she was going to try to take my one source of comfort and solace away from me. She was intent on making me suffer as much as she possibly could. And judging by the road she was currently driving, she was well on her way of making that plan come true.
I knew she still hated me. I knew she still couldn't stand me. She only ever wanted to be my friend just to get close to Sasuke, and perhaps make him fall for her. She only wanted to be close to Sasuke, to open his eyes to her assets and positive points. But the problem was still me. I was the wall keeping her from getting close to Sasuke, the nursling hawk still in the nest. I was the parent, the mother preventing her from getting anywhere near him. She loathed me with a passion. There was no way she could actually like me, even tolerate me. She had lied to me this whole time.
I'd known that, and yet I continued to let her get close to me. We'd had several sleepovers already, where we'd spill our crushes and share boy stories. Of course mine would be all about Sasuke and our adventures previous to her arrival at Konoha, or after she'd come to school at the high school with us. But hers would be all about other boys, some with Sasuke since they shared at least one class together that I knew of, that was expected. But the ones that had him in it, she'd act just like me, or do the things I would do if I was with him.
I slid over to the right, bring my left foot to the right as well, swinging my hips to the right, my hair swishing out to the left, my side pieces dancing across my face as my jade eyes glowed in between the pink strands. There was something going on. I could smell it on the air, feel it in the way my heart pounded in response to the tainted blood that flowed through my veins from the stagnant oxygen that I breathed in. I sighed, as I picked up the pace, swinging my hips from side to side, holding my arms alongside myself, their shapes frail and breakable as I moved.
"I just wanna dance…" I muttered, moving from side to side, losing myself in the music now, all of my problems and worries and fears falling over the edge. "I don't really care…"
My movements became more hurried as the chorus followed, hopping from side to side, holding my arms out for balance as I continued what I called "dancing", keeping everything else from my mind, my head blank as an unpainted canvas as I moved from side to side, swishing my torso from right to left, my eyes closed as I smiled lightly behind my pink hair. I couldn't stop. Dancing was my thing. It helped me feel better; it cured me of all of my ailments. Dancing was my way of calming down. Or rather motion was my way of calming down.
"SAKURA!" I jumped, stepping down on my right foot wrong, rolling my ankle in the process as I crashed to the floor on my side, holding my fingers together as the song ended. The door opened, my mother's furious face burning through the doorway. "What the hell are you doing up here? I've been calling for you for the past two minutes!"
"I was just working on my taijutsu, mother. I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you over my radio." I murmured as an apology, getting up on my butt to heal myself, holding my right hand over my ankle, green fire glowing over it. "Ouch…"
"Well, I'm sorry for scaring you, but you need to stay downstairs when you come home from school from now on, okay? You know I like to have help when I come through the door." She relented, giving my swollen ankle a glance. I narrowed my eyes.
"Yeah, sure you do." I muttered back, turning to my ankle, closing my eyes to focus more chakra into the swollen joint.
"Anyway, Sakura, are you going to go see Sasuke anytime soon?" She asked, sitting down on my bed lightly as I healed my ankle. I nodded, glancing at her.
"Yeah, why?" I asked, my mother flipping the radio off with a slightly terse look on her face. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm afraid so. Tsunade-sama was talking about not allowing visitors into the hospital anymore, not after what happened the other day with that Naruto boy."
"What did Naruto do now?" I asked curiously, leaning toward her. "I heard about him walking in on the Hatakes, but that's about it."
"Well, you know that Tsunade-sama likes her sake, right? Well, apparently Naruto got a hold of one of the bottles and split it with this red haired girl named Karin, and they both got drunk." She gushed, apparently happy to be able to talk with me. But too bad for her. That wasn't true.
"Wrong. Naruto didn't do anything. It was probably some little kid or academy student who doesn't know anything about Tsunade-sama and her sake." I replied, standing up on my right ankle carefully, no pain coming from it as I twirled it slightly. My mother watched, and sighed.
"You really don't care, do you?" She asked, looking up at me. I swished my hips to the left, hopping over.
"Nope. I just wanna dance." I answered, turning back to look at her from over my shoulder, my jade eyes soft. "I don't really care."
"Sakura, you do realize that I don't approve of dancing in the house, don't you?" I nodded, and swished my hips over to the right, hopping back to my previous position.
"Yeah, and I don't care about that either. I'm not dancing. I'm testing my ankle." I replied, looking down at my ankle, tightening my right hand. No pain. I should be alright now. "I'm going to see Sasuke after I eat something, okay? I have to work at the hospital tonight, since I'm skipping the dance."
"About that! There's this red haired boy who stopped by my workplace earlier today, asking about you. He wanted to know if you were attending the dance tonight." I smirked. Gaara.
"What did you tell him?" I asked, looking back at her, my jade eyes gentle. She lifted her palms, and smiled.
"I said that you might be going, depending on how Sasuke feels about you going without him." I shook my head, and smiled.
"I don't think I'll be going anyway. I haven't taken a shower yet or anything. Plus, I still haven't seen Sasuke in about two days. I think I'd rather spend more time with him then going to some dance." I answered, my mother heading to my closet, and pulling out the dress Karin loaned me.
"This is it, right?" I nodded, silently wondering what she was going to do next. She was going to guilt trip me.
"Alright mother, before you even start that, I'll go. But I have to ask Sasuke first." I replied. She jumped up into the air, suddenly cheerful.
"Yay! Can I do your hair?" I smiled, and nodded, heading to my bathroom, opening the door.
"Of course. See you in a few."
"Sasuke, can I go to the dance tonight? I have to keep Gaara company. He's all alone, and I feel really bad." I asked, shifting on my boot heels hesitantly. Sasuke blinked, and sighed.
"Sakura, I already told you. I'd like for you to go to the dance, because I feel pretty terrible for not being able to go with you. I was looking forward to beating up the loser too…" Sasuke muttered. I looked over at Karin, whose eyes began to glow.
She was happy I was leaving. She was going to be alone with Sasuke. By herself. Without me there to protect him from her. He would be an open target, easy pickings. She'd have no trouble with sinking her hooks into him without me there. The ache in my heart grew stronger. I couldn't leave him alone.
"Sasuke…I…" He blinked once more, as Karin's lip curled up, hope in her eyes. She was praying I'd leave. "I don't want to go."
"I'll be fine. Besides, Hinata's coming for her shift anyway. If it's female company you're worried about, you don't have to bother with it." He answered, Karin's head dropping as if a ton of bricks hit it. I smiled, and leaned forward, pressing my lips to his forehead gently, Sasuke's eyes widening.
"Thank you, Sasuke." I murmured, Karin pursing her lips and scowling. "Thank you for everything."
"You don't have to thank me, Sakura. I owe you one, remember?" He replied, smiling slightly. I lifted my hands up to hold his shoulders delicately, awkwardly hugging him.
"What did I tell you about that? You don't have to worry. I'm just thankful you're alive." I replied, opening my eyes to look down at him, his onyx irises soft and gentle as he lifted them to lock with my crystalline jade ones.
"Sakura…" He breathed, blinking his black eyes once. I smiled, the wind ruffling my pink side bangs as I watched him, his eyes bright.
I didn't have to worry about him. He wouldn't pull any tricks or turn his back on me. Karin wouldn't touch him. And neither would Hinata. I trusted Sasuke enough to leave him by himself, without me to protect him. I had to believe in the bond we shared. He wouldn't abandon me. And I wouldn't abandon him either. I loved him with all of my heart.
"I'll be back soon, I promise." I murmured gently, lifting my forehead from his slowly, brushing my hands against the sides of his face tenderly. Sasuke watched me with my favorite smirk painted on his face, nodding once.
"Have fun, Sakura." He answered, his lip curling up a bit higher. "Tell Gaara I said hi."
"Eh?" I jerked my head backwards out of surprise. "What?"
"Hard of hearing?" He teased, blinking once. I shook my head.
"No, just making sure I heard you right, that's all." I replied, sighing deeply. Sasuke gave me a gentle push toward the door.
"You're going to be late, Sakura. Ino'll kill you. Karin, you might want to go too. Kakashi called for you earlier while you were in the bathroom." Sasuke pointed out, turning to Karin with an icy expression on his face. She nodded, saddened.
"Alright. I'll be seeing you soon, Sasuke." I watched her go with wondering eyes. What was her game?
"And as for you, Sakura…" A hand caught mine and pulled me backwards. "Don't waste your time worrying about me, alright? Have fun."
"Sasuke-" Lips came down on mine for a split second, before lifting away, onyx eyes rimmed with ruby peering into my green ones.
"I do too. Just come back in one piece, alright? I don't want to see you or Naruto stumbling into this room smelling like Tsunade's sake, got it?" He ordered, giving me a stern look. "Or I'll rip off your feet and stick 'em on your heads."
"Of course." I replied, nodding once, my eyes sparkling. I stood up, and took a few steps toward the door, reaching for the knob. "Oh, and Sasuke?"
"What is it now, Sakura?" He muttered, slightly impatient. I turned and smirked, closing my left eye playfully.
"That sounded much better coming from Rin-sensei." I pointed out, before opening the door and stepping through, shutting it behind me at the sound of Sasuke's snort.
As I ran past Hinata, who smiled and waved as I passed, I couldn't help but smile. I was going to have fun at this dance. It was going to be awesome. I was going to dance with Ino, of course, because she'd kill me if I didn't, and perhaps Gaara too, if I could get him to dance. I sighed. He didn't look like the type who'd like to dance. He preferred killing over moving alongside someone, I'd bet.
I made it to the school in no time, propelled by the adrenaline in my legs, running as fast as I could in the dress I was wearing, my straight pink hair flying out behind me. I was excited. I was going to go dancing. Although I was going to be dancing in front of people, it was going to be fun. I'd just have to keep to myself, like, dance in a corner or something.
"Well, well, if it isn't Sakura…" I looked up at the voice, the black eyes of Matsuri staring back at me. I slid to a stop and faced her evenly.
"What is it, Matsuri?" I asked calmly, Matsuri shrugging and lifting her palms.
"Oh nothing, just don't understand why Gaara left me to get with you, seeing as you're so in love with Uchiha Sasuke to even think straight." My eyes narrowed. So that's what it's about.
"That's not true. Gaara left you because you cheated on him with Suigetsu. You know that, Matsuri." I replied, my temper starting to boil. I didn't have time to waste on her. She shook her head.
"How would you know that? I never cheated on Gaara. That's just a rumor." My lip curled up angrily.
"Then did he leave you because of the sex thing?" I asked, struggling to keep my annoyance out of my voice. Matsuri shook her head.
"Wrong about that. We did have sex. Just…" She started, taking a step toward me. "He wasn't picturing me with him."
"Do I need to know this?" I muttered, as she stopped beside me, her lips by my ear. "I don't really want to know about you and Gaara's sex life, thank you very much."
"All I'm saying is, you'd better watch your back. Or I just might go after that precious Sasuke of yours." I widened my eyes. What the-? "That's all."
"You know what I'm saying…Matsuri?" I answered, balling my right hand up at my side. She blinked, her hideous black eyes looking back at me expectantly.
"Hm?" I smirked, and flung my fist at the side of her mouth.
"I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU!" I cried, Matsuri taking off running down the hallway as I rushed toward her, my eyes blank with rage. I didn't understand why or how I got this way, but all I knew was, was that I was mad, and I needed to kill her.
I ran after her, Matsuri giggling the entire time. I narrowed my eyes. What was her game too? Were Karin and Matsuri in league with each other? All to drive Sasuke and I apart? Was I just being selfish? Was I doing what I had accused Karin of doing at the beginning of the school year? Was I really being the bad guy in all of this? What was going on?
I continued down the hallway, Matsuri breaking off and going left, but I continued straight, not wanting to play her little game. It wasn't worth my time. I had to finish up here pretty fast, so that I could get back to Sasuke. I still felt bad for leaving him, but after my mother went and ran her mouth, I had no choice. I had to go to this dance, unfortunately.
The gym was straight ahead, the sounds of music and cheering seeping through the closed doors as I approached, handing off the money to the person at the door, and allowing the back of my right hand to be stamped. I smiled at the boy when he gestured for me to go inside, and took a few steps through the door, not really knowing what to expect.
For not really expecting much, I couldn't help but stop in my tracks. The gym had been transformed into the scariest looking room I'd ever seen. I took a few steps forward, shedding my cropped jacket and setting it down in a chair beside the door, my pink hair swiveling beside my face as I turned around, looking in all directions.
Spider webs dripping with ruby blood hung from the ceiling, the sharp twang of rusty tinny tetanus wafting into my nose, but I knew it was fake. The walls were metal and grungy looking, as if the gym was broken down and abandoned. Ripped paintings were plastered to the broken walls, along with ripped wallpaper. Holes adorned the wall, seared apart like frayed flesh, as if savagely torn apart by claws of a depraved animal.
I took a few more steps, watching the stars that glowed in the moonlight above my head from the ceiling through the clear glass windows streaking across the sky, my jade eyes widening at the sight of the massive amount of them. It was like an ant farm up there. There were stars everywhere you looked, and the moon was the brightest of them all, shielded by a veil of clouds, sending a chill up and down my back.
I glanced around, watching everyone move around in groups of two or three, my eyes following a couple that looked just like Shikamaru and Temari, Ino seething behind them, by the looks of it. I sighed, and crossed my arms over my chest. I still had to fix that love square. No progress so far, on either side by the looks of it. But, I still had Karin to worry about. I couldn't stray too far from Sasuke.
I shook my head. No. I had to trust him. He wouldn't do anything. Sasuke was a very passionate person, keeping his feelings to himself. When he opened up, he was bonded to that person whom he opened up to for all time. Sasuke's feelings were deep, deeper than just a normal person's when they "fell" for someone. Sasuke, on the other hand was serious. He didn't jump from girl to girl, like others did. When Sasuke was crushing on a girl, he'd crush on them for a long time. I smiled. I had to have faith in that part of him. He wouldn't leave me.
Although, keeping my faith in him from breaking was a little harder than I thought it would be. The bad feeling in the pit of my stomach was steadily getting worse, the rock in my stomach dragging my heart down with it as it shot toward my toes. My blood felt heavy in my veins. Something was happening. I could feel it in the air. It was dense, tense, terse. And that blood moon above my head wasn't making things any better.
"So, you finally made it, Sakura." I turned to my right, widening my eyes. Ino stood still with her arms crossed over her chest, her super short and super tight dress shining like spandex. I shivered in disgust.
"Y-Yeah, I made it. So, what's happening?" I asked, as she led me to the dance floor, or where everyone was dancing. She smiled back at me from over her shoulder.
"Why don't you dance and find out?" My eyes widened. I couldn't dance in front of people. I sucked. I swung around, making a run for it. Ino's slender arm blocked my path, firmly holding me across my chest. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Anywhere but here! I knew coming was a bad idea. I never should've left Sasuke…" I muttered, continuing with my advance, but not covering any ground, thanks to Ino's stubbornness.
"Oh relax, you downer. Sasuke wanted you to go. Just relax and let the music carry you." She answered, dropping her arm. I turned back around, listening to the song that was playing. My lip curled up.
"This place about to…" I swished my hips to the right, my pink hair swaying in front of my eyes, which closed lightly. "Blow…Oh-O-O-O-Oh-Oh-Oh…"
Ino watched me slide from side to side, my smirk enticing her to start dancing as well. My mind cleared as if on reflex, my brain starting to calculate all of my problems in seconds. Karin flashed in front of my eyes as I danced, my heart beat sending the image away with a soft pulse of cherry blossom petals. Sasuke's gentle smile drifted across my line of sight, before fading away as cherry blossoms swept it away. My body kept moving, my heart kept beating, I kept breathing. Nothing mattered right at that moment. Nothing else mattered except that I was dancing.
Ino's sky blue eyes watched me, as I swished my hips to my left and right, leaning my entire body to the sides I was swishing toward. Although this definitely wasn't one of my top favorites, I slid left and right, back and forth, as the song continued playing, one of my good songs. Ino watched with her azure irises, jealousy glowing them as I continued dancing to the song that was playing. You had to love Kesha.
"Whoa, Sakura! Who knew you could actually move!" I didn't even glance up, content with hopping to the left as I slid my right foot over, my skirt swinging out to the right. "Jesus, lucky Sasuke."
"Well, I'd like to take a crack at her, if you all would step aside and let me through." At this voice, I opened my eyes, and smirked.
"Well, well, Gaara-sama. Are you sure you want to take me on?" I asked, as he stopped beside me, his arms crossed. My smile warmed his eyes up a bit, as he smirked back.
"Well, why not." I closed my eyes once more, and lifted my right foot.
"This place about to…" I swung my hips to the right, my pink bangs swishing in front of my closed jade eyes. Gaara watched with narrowed eyes. He wasn't feeling it. "Blow…Oh-O-O-O-Oh-Oh-Oh…"
"Alright, never mind." I opened my eyes, sensing his presence beginning to fade. I swung around my hand catching his before he could retreat any further.
"Wait! The song's almost over! Let's wait for the next one." I pleaded, everyone around us watching with wide eyes. Gaara shook his head, smiling weakly.
"I don't dance, Sakura." He replied simply, nodding to me, my poised stance. I looked down at myself and shook my head.
"Neither do I, but that's not stopping me!" I answered, leaning toward him, taking a step. "Please don't go…You wanted me to come after all, right? So I'm here now!"
"Your mother told you then?" He asked, as the next song started. I nodded, tilting my head to the side coyly as I shut my left eye playfully.
"Yep! So are you sticking around?" I replied, my voice sugary sweet. Gaara sighed and rolled his eyes.
"I guess so, since it's you." I smiled, and rested my index finger at the spot under my eyes and leaned forward.
"So, um, Gaara-kun, are you going to, dance with me?" I asked shyly, blushing slightly. He blinked once.
"Sakura…" I gripped his hand tighter suddenly, and pulled him toward Ino and I, the rest of the group of kids around us cheering.
"If you really want more…" Ino started, jumping up into the air. "Scream it out louder."
"If you're on the floor…" Temari smirked as she slid from side to side, winking at us. "Bring out the fire."
"And light it up!" I swished my hips to the left, my pink hair flying out behind me, my hand pulling Gaara to the side with me. "Take it up higher."
"I'm not even gonna finish that verse." Gaara muttered, Temari, Ino, and I swinging our heads toward him, our eyebrows twitching. "I don't do these things."
"You're so stiff!" I exclaimed, my right foot slamming down on his toe as I slid to the right, Gaara flinching. "It's called a "Dance" for a reason you know. Lighten up!"
"Jeez Sakura, you don't have to be so assertive about it." He muttered back, my answering glare striking fear in everyone around me. Ino giggled.
"You're just like Sasuke. He hates dances. Except when Sakura brings him." She pointed out, her porcelain eyes glowing brightly. I sighed and waved my hand, smiling crookedly.
"Just ignore that comment, Gaara-kun." I murmured, leaning my face close to his ear, holding my hand up to muffle the sound of my voice. "She's just saying that to get a rise out of you, since she knows that Sasuke kind of irritates you."
"He doesn't irritate me. I don't really have a problem with him, actually. Well, perhaps one, but that doesn't matter." He answered, his mint green eyes focusing on me. My heart pounded in my chest as my face flushed as pink as my hair. How embarrassing.
My face was on fire. Just by one look, just by locking his eyes with mine, he could drive me to the edge of insanity without so much as a hushed breath or slight heartbeat. My chest was dead inside, my heart barely beating as my face remained frozen, paralyzed. My jade eyes throbbed, my face growing pinker and pinker as if having been struck by fever. Gaara's power was as potent as ever.
Both of them had bound me. The chains grew tighter as I fell deeper into the spinning mint green eyes, the hints of a Sharingan glowing along the sides of the swirling vortex, my heart aching in my chest, my lips tingling as my tongue danced behind them in anticipation. The hunger swelled again, as the memory of my kiss with Gaara trailed across my mind. My eyes narrowed. I was going to do it again. If it went on like this I would go insane.
"If you really want more…" Ino's voice brought me out of my reverie, her blond ponytail slapping me in the back. "Scream it out louder."
"If you're on the floor…" Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow, Temari and Tenten side by side now. "Bring out the fire."
"And light it up!" I hopped over to the right, Gaara's awkward footsteps following mine as his chest hit my back. "Take it up higher."
"Still not finishing the verse, guys." He replied, pulling me left alongside him, my eyes widening as I flew through the air. "I refuse to do these things."
"Well, then I'm bringing on the pain!" I slammed my foot into his toe once more, just as the next song started, Gaara flinching in his shoes. Ino smirked, and started laughing at the next song.
"My boyfriend he don't answer on the telephone." She started, turning to me, her azure eyes expectant. I pointed my thumb at Gaara from over my shoulder.
"I don't even know where the hell he goes." I finished with a bored expression, Gaara giving me a glare. I laughed, and smirked, poking his forehead. "You're so stiff!"
"You said that already." He pointed out as I ruffled his hair, batting at my hand angrily. I leaned forward, and wrapped my arms around him lightly.
"Oh don't be like that. It's just part of the song, that's all. Lighten up." I murmured into his ear lightly, his eyes widening beside my temple. Gaara nodded.
"Alright, I guess I can try to lighten up. But I'm not making any promises. I hate dances." I nodded, and pulled away, poking his forehead again.
"That's all we want, right girls?" I asked, turning to Ino, Temari, and Tenten. They nodded back.
"Yup! Ready Sakura?" Ino asked, grabbing my hand. I nodded, and lifted two fingers to Gaara.
"Oh did you hear me say?" Ino started, Temari picking up the "lo lo lo love" part. They repeated it for the second part, Tenten and I clapping our hands, Gaara smirking.
"I'm talking 'bout…" Tenten murmured as Shikamaru flatly continued for her. I turned to Gaara, and narrowed my eyes, scowling.
"I'M TALKING 'BOUT LOVE!" Gaara's lip curled up even further. I widened my eyes, and pulled back, as the song ended. I felt a hand grab mine, and pull me toward the punch bowl on the right, turned toward the person holding my hand. "Gaa-"
"Please just follow me." I widened my eyes.
"What? Where are you taking me? Gaara!" I cried, as he pulled me out the door, past the punch bowl. "Seriously, where are we going? We passed the punch bowl."
"I wasn't ever going to take you there. We're going somewhere else." I stumbled after him, walking backwards as he hauled me up the stairwell, nodding to the guard keeping watch. I blinked. I had a bad feeling.
"Are you planning something?" I asked, looking back at him. He glanced backwards.
"I just want you all to myself." I blushed. "That's all."
"But Gaara-" He swung around, his eyes pleading.
"Please, just let me do this." I blinked.
"Do what?" I asked, as he opened the door at the top of the stairwell, stepping out onto the terrace, the very same terrace where the crap with Megumi had started, as well as where Sasuke had saved me from falling to my death.
Gaara turned around to face me, shutting the door behind me, holding me against the door, my eyes throbbing as I stared back at him. There was hunger in his eyes, no doubt about it. The blood moon hung in the air behind him, the wind blowing my pink hair around my face, as his fingers slid under my chin, his eyes closing as he leaned toward me.
"Sakura…" He started, his lips inches from mine. "I want to return the favor."
"What favor?" I asked stupidly, as he held my face tenderly in his palm. "You don't owe me anything."
"On the contrary, I do. Remember when you, you know kissed me after you defeated Megumi?" My eyes widened. What?
"Yes…Your point?" I answered, as he leaned even closer, unhindered by my nonexistent efforts to push him away. I wasn't fighting back. Why wasn't I fighting back?
"Well, I want to do the same for you." My eyes widened even further.
"Wait, Gaara. Don't tell me that you're planning to-" Gaara's mint green eyes closed as he pressed his lips to mine, holding my back against the door.
There was no escape. I had too many witnesses. The stars that soared above my head. The bloody red moon that rained down on me. The breathless wind that swirled my pink hair around my face. My jade eyes throbbed, as I resisted the urge to kiss him back, to return the gesture.
It was a fight not worth fighting. My body gave in, my heart succumbed, as I wrapped my arms around his neck, giving up, my lips parting against his. My jade eyes closed tightly as his hand cradled my face in his palm tenderly. God, this felt so good. So damn good. The wind blew gently, the trees whispering amongst themselves.
His hands reached up, sliding into my hair, gentle as a whisper, his fingers knotting in the strawberry strands there, holding my head where it was. There was no hope for escape. I would never get away from him. I locked my arms around his neck, preventing his escape too. He wasn't going to get away from me either. I'd wanted this since I first saw him out on the dance floor. I was doing it again.
My forehead pressed against his, as my tongue danced behind my lips, anxious to react, to trace the shape of his temptingly sweet lips. They tasted so good. His irises were swimming in my line of sight, his red hair gently sliding up against my temples as the wind ruffled them. The small kanji symbol on his forehead marked me too, as sand swirled in the air around us.
I wasn't going to fight it. I just let the lust and hunger roar through my veins, my heart fluttering in my chest, as my breathing rate slowed, only allowed to act upon Gaara and I's wills whenever we pulled apart. My head started spinning, growing lighter and lighter as his arms tightened around me, holding me against him. I couldn't pull away, not that I wanted to.
I took a step closer, running my tongue across his bottom lip lightly. His lips parted against mine, as our foreheads pressed together, the hand that was sliding up my left arm weaving itself into the hair on the side of my head, as his forearm held me against the wall, his other arm wrapped around my back, pulling me even closer, my chest bumping up against his.
Sakura.
My jade eyes opened, flicking from side to side, searching for the source of that achingly familiar voice. My eyes fell on Sasuke, standing in the sky, watching me with emotionless eyes. His cold face stared down at me, no thoughts, no questions swirling in this tormented onyx irises. But the pain was still there, breaking my heart.
How could I do this to him? How could I even think about kissing Gaara or letting him kiss me? I didn't feel that way toward Gaara. If I let him do it, I'd be leading him on, and that would hurt the two of us in the long run. I had to come clean. I blinked, the image of Sasuke beginning to turn its back on me, the red and white fan of the Uchiha clan showing its face to my jade eyes, no shift in his expression, just one flicker of pain in his eyes.
Sakura…
I screwed my jade eyes shut tightly, and planted my hands on Gaara's chest, tears sliding down the sides of my face, his hand flinching. I didn't want to push him away. I knew he only wanted to be comforted, I knew he only wanted to be held. But I couldn't hurt Sasuke like this. If I didn't want this done to me, why should I do it to someone else? So I pushed.
"Get…Off…Me…" I choked out, as the image of Sasuke in the sky bared his back to me completely, darkness beginning to swallow him up, pulling him out of my reach. "I can't do this…"
"Sakura, I-" I shook my head, peeling Gaara's hand from my face.
"I'm sorry, but, I have to go." I replied, turning and pulling the door open, running down the stairs with tears in my eyes. They flew out behind me, landing on the ground as I began sobbing.