Chapter 7: Focus

A/N: Hey, hey, hey… did you wait long? Gomen I won't delay you any longer… read and review onegai…

Her long pink hair splayed over her pillow as she stared up at her bandaged forefinger. Her emerald eyes glinted with embarrassment while her cheeks turned into the deepest shade of red as she remembered the events that took a while ago…

Flashback…

"But you know… sooner or later… we have to tell them the truth," as soon as she said those words she wished she can turn back time and stick a rag in her mouth. His eyes turned from soft to serious upon hearing her words. Right then and there she felt so guilty. They held each other's gazes as if seeing what the other was thinking.

"You're right…" this time it was her turn to feel uneasy though she doesn't know why. It was as if this was the ending to the story she could only dream of. "…but… I guess we should wait till things calm down," his deep voice betrayed none of his disappointment. Her eyes widened in realization. No… it can't end yet. "I guess you're right… it's not like we're in a hurry," she graced him with her most charming smiles that made him reach his hand out to touch her cheek.

Their eyes still locked as his thumb stoked her soft, smooth skin. Their faces held a slight tint of pink as they inched their faces closer… till the phone rang, waking them up from their moment. Instantly, they jerked their faces away from each other and averted their eyes from the person in front of them.

"Excuse me," it was a good thing she had an excuse to leave the scene at that. If she stayed any longer she would've been melted by his searing presence. Her heart was pounding in chest so loud it was as if she can hear it. Barely managing to walk to the phone, she finally lifted the receiver.

His jade eyes gazed at the pink haired beauty as she stood up from her seat and answered the phone. Unconsciously, he gently bit his lower lip then released a long painful sigh. What's wrong with me?! Gaara ran his finger into his short unruly red hair. Hearing Sakura end the call, he diverted his attention back to her.

"It's my boss…" Hey why the heck am I telling him who called? It's not like he cares or something. "So you're really off to Hawaii?" he gave her a half-smile that made him look a bit arrogant yet unexplainably handsome. "Y…Yeah," it was a good thing she found her voice to reply. Just a gaze at that smile made her forget her name.

"Well, its getting late and I'm sure you're tired with all that had happened today," Gaara rose from his seat. "Well, yeah but I had to admit… it was fun in a way and exciting for the most part…" she grinned at him like a little kid. Smirking, he stepped out of her apartment. "Well… I'll be seeing you then," "Y…yeah…take care," she answered automatically as she watched him walk to the elevator.

Closing the door, she leaned on it as her face turned redder still. OH MY GOD!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!! The events a while ago flashed into her head like a song. "Wait… did he just say he'll be seeing me…again?" she tried to remember his statements but all she could recall was how kissable his lips looked like as he said those words.

End of Flashback…

Hugging her pillow tightly, she rolled over and over on her bed till her excitement made her sleep.

Sunlight ticked her closed eyes as it was filtered by her thin curtains. Her drowsy forest green eyes opened spontaneously. Sitting up abruptly, she glanced at her bedside clock. "IT'S SO LATE!!!" Sakura tore the blanket off her body and dashed off to the bathroom. Today, she was supposed to take pictures of the sun rising on an old shrine. "WHY DID HE HAVE TO LOOK SO GOOD EVEN IN MY DREAM?!"

Barely managing to get dressed and brush her teeth at the same time, the pink haired photographer grabbed her camera and was about to sprint out of her apartment when she felt like she kicked something on the floor.

Quickly turning around, she found a box lying inches away from her door mat. Being in a hurry, she grabbed the box and blazed off to the shrine. Of course, she did not get the sun rising behind the old temple but she did get something else that's more breathtaking. The sun shine reflected by dew drops, collected by the old shrine roof, made the place look like a dream.

Finally taking break, she remembered the package on her doorstep. Curiosity was just killing her so she ripped the wrapper apart and opened the box to find a pair of coffee cups with matching saucers that has cherry blossoms as its design. Sakura then noticed a card on the ground saying "Ohaiyo…"

Immediately, she smiled openly as she looked at the pair of coffee cups. She then took out her cell phone and typed a text message "Ohaiyo! Arigato for the coffee cups though I only had the opportunity to open it now." Thankfully, they remembered to exchange contact numbers before anything else.

Minutes after, her phone rang indicating that it was Gaara that was calling. Sakura felt her heart leap at that moment. "You woke up pretty late. Are you alright?" his voice on the other line sounded like he was worried. "N-No, it's just that I woke up late and realized I had work to do so I ran out of my apartment and took the package then after my job that's the only time I opened it." She explained as she scratched the tip of her nose.

"Where are you?" she heard the sound of the busy streets aside form his voice. "Just driving. Might I ask too where you are?" he returned her question. "Oh… I'm at the old Tsubasa shrine. I was supposed to take pictures of it at sunrise but then… I had a change of plan," she recalled her actions this morning as shinned brightly while hearing that Gaara had parked his park someplace.

"Well looks like you're at your stop. Well I'll be bothering you some other time maybe," she concluded their conversation reluctantly. "Ah, see you then," Gaara replied then ended the call. Why does he keep saying that? The pink haired photographer stared at her phone as it indicated an ended call. Then it was at this moment that her stomach rumbled, I just remembered… I didn't even get a chance to drink coffee. Grabbing her camera, she decided to leave the shrine and head to the nearest coffee shop for breakfast… or maybe lunch as well.

Then there he is again right in front of her as if it was a dream. Leaning at his black Mercedes, the red haired man smirked at the lady descending from the shrine stairs. "What are you doing here?" Sakura was till unsure whether it really was him or is it because she was too hungry that she was seeing things. "I figured you'd probably pretty hungry right now so…" he held up bags of take outs.

"Did you plan this?" she raised her eyebrow as she watched the red haired man laid a blanket below the cherry blossom tree that was growing behind the shrine. "No… actually…" Gaara sat on the blanket, started opening the food then gestured for her to sit beside him. "But… isn't this too much?" Sakura helped him lay out the variation of lunches. "I didn't get the chance to ask you what food you preferred. I couldn't ask you this morning since t was supposed to be a sur- eh… I thought it would be better this way," he explained as he finished setting up. "Uhuh…oh let me handle the coffee," she got up and disappeared for a few minutes then returned holding a matching pair of coffee cups.

"Might as well use them now," she smiled as she handed Gaara his coffee. "Thanks by the way…" she returned to her seat. "It's no big deal… besides it's my fault one of it broke," he stared at the black liquid inside the cup. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not thanking you for the cups alone… I'm thanking you for all of this," she said with the most sincere emerald eyes.

"I know that you coming here is no coincidence but… all in good will I'll believe your excuse… but you know… there aren't much people around that carry a blanket in their car too often," she mocked him freely. "Actually I just had this plan when I heard you screaming "you were late," in your apartment when I was delivering my gift at your doorstep," he retaliated and it made Sakura blush. "Oh my god… you heard that?!" she covered her mouth in embarrassment as she was so sure that she was red from head to toe.

"Let's just start eating before you faint," there was an unmistakable smirk in his face that made her blush even more. "I don't know what you're so worked up for? When I heard you yelling you were late I figured you'd be dashing out of your apartment so I left immediately," he said innocently as he handed Sakura her chopsticks. Regaining her sanity, her forest green eyes narrowed "You did?" there was a hint of doubt in her tone as she inspected the red haired guy's facial expression. "Yes…" he stared straight into her eyes. Satisfied with what she saw, she relaxed as she let out a long painful sigh. The heavens love me…though she failed to notice his handsome smirk as he looked away from her.

"I thought you were hungry?" Gaara looked at the half eaten meal she left. "I am. Believe me, I'm so bloated I feel I can't even breathe. Where are you from by the way? You look like a businessman who ran away from a meeting," she took notice of his black slacks, white polo shirt that has an unbuttoned neckline, a lose necktie and a matching black coat. "Close, I was actually invited to Temari's breakfast meeting with some of her… sluts," he muttered that last word so that Sakura couldn't hear it. "Temari? You did go right?" she tilted her head waiting for a reply. "No, I find it boring and senseless. Talking to girls who know nothing but dresses, stilettos and eyeliners," he said truthfully as he laid back on the blanket and stared at the cherry blossom.

"I hate those types," his eyes darted to the lady photographer that laid beside him. "Don't get me wrong… it's not that I don't like models in general but when all they do is sit around and powder their face instead of watching the news. They become more of like…" "Never mind," they said simultaneously, looked at each other then laughed together.

"So… you're off to Hawaii," he said after their chuckles died down. "Yeah… I'll send you some pictures. Maybe you can get an inspiration or something," she leaned on her elbows and gazed at the Gaara who had his eyes closed. I already have… he inhaled her cherry-like scent secretly."What about Paris?" she was so silent that he had to open his eyes to know what's up.

Her lively forest green eyes became dull as she still stared at his face then turned away. "The truth is… photography isn't really a thing I'd like to get serious at. I take pictures because I like to… not because I'm paid to do it. When I go to Paris, I'm sure I'll be able to see beautiful places but in the end… I'll end up dragging myself to work everyday instead of moments like this," her eyes returned to its cheerful glint as she looked back at him. "Then, why don't you just refuse the deal?" he asked simply. "Ne… let's take a picture…" she got to her feet and started to pull him to his as well.

Setting her camera on timer, she ran to his side. Their they stood rigid yet side by side, each of them reluctant to make a move. Almost at the same time, they turned to face each other with similar flushed expression as the other then the camera took the picture automatically.

Blinking in surprise, Sakura started chuckling then they laughed together. "I'll give you one when I develop it," she said as she packed her camera set. "I'll take you home," he offered as he took her camera out of her hands and walked off without hearing her reply. This guy is impossible… she smirked and smiled at the same time as she followed the red head to his car.

The two were walking to her apartment door when Sakura saw someone waiting at her door step. "Sasuke-kun," she called the man which turned to bow slightly at them. Letting them in, she offered them coffee. "Gaara, this is my boss Sasuke. Sasuke, this is my boyfriend, Gaara," she practiced that last line almost a hundred times before she got it right. The onyx met jade as Sakura prepared the coffee. There was something in this raven-haired guy that made him feel uneasy. It was as if he was a threat of something.

"Here we are," Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he saw how their cups matched and his didn't. "So, Sasuke-kun why were you waiting for me?" Sakura inquired as she took a sip of her coffee. Breaking the battle between their eyes, he focused his attention to the lady photographer. "I came here to know you're reply to the offer that I gave you," his eyes wandered to her beautiful features as she fidgeted under his gaze. "She's not going," he tore his gaze away from Sakura and to the fiery red head with a very agitated expression. "Excuse me?" "I said she's not going," Gaara's eyes narrowed as he repeated his statement. "Sorry, but you are in no-," "Actually Sasuke-kun, I really don't want to go…" Sakura cut his statement short with her stern reply. "Why? Because of HIM?" Sasuke glared at Gaara who only returned the favor. "Not only because of that… I want to enjoy photography… and I feel that I'll enjoy it best here… in Japan," there was an apologetic look in her face that made him believer her. "Suit yourself," he said as he stepped out of her apartment, slamming the door in the process.

"Sakura, I'm sorry about that I was just-," "Thank you," she wrapped her arms around his waist tightly as she repeated her words again and again. Gaara of course returned her embrace. They stood there, listening to each other's heart beat. Gaara's chin on her head as Sakura's head leaned against his chest, both their eyes closed.

"Sakura, why is…?" her female friend barged into her apartment using a spare key. "Oh… did I come in a bad time?" The smirk on Tenten's face was devilish as she saw how Gaara and Sakura almost jerked away from each other with faces like tomatoes. "Okay… just came to tell you Naruto's back in town. Well then pretend I wasn't even here," she winked at them then closed the door.

"Naruto?" they said in unison.

A/N: Okay comments and suggestions are truly welcome…oh by the way I've updated Birds of Prey but then I haven't received any mail that it was posted so thought you might want to know...