Gaara lifted his head from the pillow, and then let it fall back. His energy had deserted him- but Sakura hadn't. Her hand still rested on his shoulder, though she was already sleeping. His hair was still slightly wet, and he remembered the ice cold bath. His hair wasn't cool anymore, but warm where it had rested against the pillow. Gaara ran a hand groggily through his hair and then sighed. Sakura rooted closer to the sound of his voice, and wrapped a smooth arm around him. Gaara rested his arm on top of hers, as if to comfort her- even though he was the sick one.

His stomach rumbled loudly, and he winced at the sound of it. It was so loud in fact, that it woke Sakura up. She looked around in panic- for a moment she had thought that there was an earthquake, but when she discovered that it had only been Gaara's stomach, she laughed. "Hungry?"

Gaara pleaded with his eyes, his voice having left him after many hours of retching into that porcelain nightmare. He nodded slightly and Sakura sighed, pulling herself away from him. "Alright. What do you want?"

Gaara tried to tell her, only to find his voice sticking painfully in his throat, and refusing to come out. He rolled his eyes angrily and shrugged. He didn't care as long as he got his damn food. He tried to hold back a particularly painful cough, and then scowled. The only thing good about being sick is how good it feels when your done being sick.

Sakura came back ten minutes later, toting spicy ramen, toast, and a tall glass of bubbly water. Strawberry and raspberry mixed together- it was his favorite. He tried to give her a kiss, but she wouldn't kiss him because he was sick. His brother, who had just been getting home from his office job laughed.

"I'm not kissing you until you get better," Laughed Sakura.

"You just got shot down, bro." Laughed Kankuro. Gaara shot him a deathly mad look and Kankuro wilted. He hunched his shoulders slightly and shuffled off down the hall without looking back.

"What did you do that for?" Asked Sakura angrily. Gaara shrugged and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Just because your miserable doesn't mean you get to take it out on your brother. I expect you to treat him like you treat me- kindly, thank you." Gaara rose a disgusted brow and clamped a hand over his mouth.

Sakura, realizing that she had just told him to 'treat Kankuro like her' swatted at him. Gaara swayed away from her, the hand still over his mouth. He started to gag and Sakura rolled her eyes. "Look- I appreciate your new-found humor, but really-" Gaara's eyes bore into hers and she realized he wasn't joking.

Sakura pulled the tray away from him and Gaara was off like a shot. He ran across the room faster than she'd ever seen anyone run, and hadn't even stopped moving before he puked into his porcelain nightmare. It seemed to him that he would forever be plagued with dreams of that damn toilet! Just earlier that day he'd dreamed that the toilet came to life and was trying to eat him. The toilet seat would flat open and shut, as it chased him to and fro, claiming how good he was going to taste and just exactly how he was going to be eaten.

It seemed amazing to him how awful something that had been eaten only seconds ago could taste the second time around. The veins in his neck felt as if they were going to burst open, and the pitiful moans and shivering sounds one lets out after puking embarrassed him. The fact that she didn't particularly mind him being sick and disgusting warmed him somewhat, and the shivering chills he felt seemed to be going away the more time he spent with her.

Sakura sighed softly, getting up from the bed and making her way over to him. She picked up a clean washcloth and wet it, cleaning the puke from his mouth and chin. She handed him his toothbrush, equipped with toothpaste and he vigorously scrubbed the foul taste from his mouth. It seemed to him the harder he scrubbed, the better chance had at becoming better. But, the more toothpaste he tasted, the more he wanted to throw up again.

"So, were being humorous before, or did you really just want to throw up?" Asked Sakura, leaning sexily against the doorway.

"A little bit of both, actually." Coughed Gaara drowsily. He splashed some cold water on his face and leaned next to her, wiping the water away with a towel. His hair had dried some time ago, though it now stuck up in haywire and random patches.

Sakura scowled, kissing him full on the lips and throwing all caution to the wind. It was a quick, but deliberate kiss, and Gaara's eyes widened in surprise.

"I thought you wouldn't kiss me until I got better?" Smirked Gaara, raising a brow.

"Well... Maybe you're better, as far as I'm concerned. I have poor word choice," Smiled didn't quite know what to make of her comment, so he just smiled that lopsided grin and winked at her. It wasn't something he'd normally do, but what did he have to lose other than his lunch?

Kankuro heard Sakura's giggle, and he was almost proud to say that he knew that kind of giggle. It was the kind of giggle that made other men want to go see what was going on, and if there was any possibility of them being able to help out.

So what did he do? No, you pervs! He left- heading out to the bar. He didn't mind working a double shift if it meant some extra pocket money. He wondered what that girl from the therapists' office was, and what she was doing. But, then he thought again- how good could a girl be if she was seeing a therapist? But then he held back a thoughtful smile.

If he was going to a therapist, what did he have to worry about? And she seemed happy enough. He didn't know that she really was, but that she just went there out of habit, and to have someone that she could really be honest was always a good thing.

Kankuro opened the door of the bar, and high-fived his friends behind the counter. They were a bit surprised to see him, but they knew that this was where he came when he either needed to avoid his troubles or just hang out. They'd only known him for a few months, but they seemed to get him and understand what he was going through. Some of them had tough lives as well, and the others were just the happy-go-lucky guys who could feel bad for you. Granted, there were a few who had regular lives but moped about them, but coming to the bar made everything seem better and they usually left happier than when they came in.

Kankuro leaned into the sink in the bathroom, then scowled, cupping his hands under the flow of the water to bring a handful to his face. He scrubbed soaplessly over his stubble and smoothed down his eyebrows. Kankuro then grabbed one of the paper towels and scrubbed his face vigorously even though the towels felt pretty roughly the same in comparison to sand paper.

He ran a hand through his hair- force of habit- and then exited the restroom. It was the employees' rest room, which was better than the public one. The public one might have more room, and better lighting, but it didn't have the constant flow of drunk people past ten o' clock on their way to vomit.

"Hey, Sakana- where's the wife?" Asked Kankuro curiously. Sakana's wife was co-owned the bar with Sakana, but tonight she wasn't here, which was unusual seeing as she was always there to co-bartend.

"Ramu's down with flu, or something like that. She got it from her sister. I think that ramen I let you have last night was hers. So, uh, don't eat it." Laughed Sakana sheepishly.

"Are you shitting me? I let my little brother eat that last night! I got home and he was watching Tv. He kept stealing out of my bowl so I just gave it to him." Laughed Kankuro. "Oh well. His girlfriend's comforting him, so I don't think he cares."

"My wife had an awful fever, though, so just be careful with him, 'kay?" Pressed Sakana.

"Sure. But I think he's over the fever. His doctor was over earlier. Talk about house-calls. I wouldn't mind a house call from her if you know what I'm sayin'!" Snickered Kankuro.

Tsu-ru high-fived him and declared: "Yeah! I'm gonna get me some ass tonight!"

Kankuro rolled his eyes, knowing that Tsu-ru's nickname suited him. His nickname translated literally to tool. But, the girls he tended to hang around could give a shit less- they were there for the same thing he was.

Kankuro began to wipe down the counter and then set up the drinks for the night.

When he was done, he sat back and sighed. He actually worked at a pretty good bar/club. They had security and everything to keep out the assholes that tried to force themselves on women, and to take people's keys and order cabs to pick them all they had to do was wait.

"Just one drink,okay? That way I can say I've done it, and you two will get off my back." Laughed a familiar female voice, half way into the night.

'I know that voice... from where?' Thought Kankuro, readying his hands to prepare the girls a drink.

"Okay mister bartend-" The girl cut off, and then shook her head. "Okay, uh... I know you. Wait- don't I?"

"Kai?" Asked Kankuro. "What are you doing here?"

"Girls night out! You know the big G-N-O?" Smiled Kai. "So... uhm, hey- I don't really like the whole hard liquor thing. What... fruity stuff do you have?" She shrugged sheepishly. "I don't think being drunk is very attractive, especially when someone's holding your hair for you."

"That makes two of us," Smirked Kankuro, rolling his eyes. "Here, try this."

"What is it?" She questioned, giving it a suspiscious sniff.

"Just try it. I made it up." Kai sighed, then shrugged.

"What the worst that could happen?"

-O_O-

YOU DECIDE! What did he make? I know the hard liquors- don't like'em. So give me a cute fruity drink that you like! :)

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Lauren/MelloKAI