New Revelations Chapter 4

Sorry it took so long to update. Here it is, chapter 4 in all its glory. Actually I'm not that proud of this chapter and I really don't think it will live up to all of your expectations, I kept thinking of events that I could see happening in future chapters, but not now. Grrrr writer's block sux! Perhaps I'm wrong though? I hope I am since you've all been so kind to me for the last three chapters. Well read and review!

Sakura's heart was pounding in her chest. Words couldn't describe what she felt at this moment. She tightened her grip around him. She was getting light-headed, not just from the kiss, but because they were still upside down and the blood was rushing to her head. Gaara sensed this and the kiss ended and he set her on top of the branch before climbing up himself.

Awkwardness set in. Gaara had kissed her. How was she supposed to react? What should she say? Do? Think? The kiss had been enjoyable, although unexpected. She glanced over at him, too shy to look at him directly. He was staring straight ahead into the night. Sakura saw him in a different light now. He was capable of love. Sasuke-kun. She was supposed to end up in his arms. That was what she had always dreamed about. "Sasuke-kun is gone now Sakura. You confessed to him and he did nothing. He still left." She thought. Sasuke didn't care about her at all. If she were to die, he wouldn't lose sleep. Her love had always been one-sided with him. "DAMMIT!" Inner Sakura screamed. It was time to move on. She gathered up every last bit of courage in her and leaned over and kissed him.

Time froze as she returned his sentiment. For the first time in his life, someone had gotten past his mental blockade. The kiss ended and he stared at Sakura with wide surprised eyes. He was desperately trying to get a grip of the emotions that were bombarding him; things he thought he would never feel were forcing their way in. He couldn't speak; he had no idea what to say.

Sakura noticed his unease. "Maybe I should go." She began to stand up when his hand suddenly gripped hers.

"Don't leave." He stared straight ahead, not even looking at her. He didn't know what to do at this point, but he didn't want to be alone now.

She gaped at him, his hand still gripping hers. She sat beside him, closer now. He released her hand. His eyes moved her way, but he didn't turn his head in her direction.

"Why?" He spoke softly. "Why did you…?" He didn't finish his sentence.

Sakura watched his reaction, she felt bad for him. How alone had he been all these years? Affection of any kind seemed to frighten him, but he still needed it like any other human being. She slid her arms around him in a comforting embrace. He flinched slightly from the shock of her touch. "Because you deserve love like anyone else." She answered him, her head resting on his shoulder. He was warm.

He looked down at her. He deserved love. No one had ever said anything like that to him, not even Yashamaru. Right now she wasn't frightened of him at all. She could have run away leaving him alone with his demons, or more specifically, demon, but she didn't. She sat there holding him. Had he ever been held? He searched his memories in vain; he knew that he had not. He was Gaara of the Desert, a monster feared by all, even by his siblings.

Sakura spoke again, breaking his silence. "You were waiting for me weren't you?" She asked. Gaara didn't seem like the type to show up in the same place twice without a reason.

He almost smiled. He had been waiting for her. She was interesting, even more so now. He reverted back to his calm demeanor. "Maybe, but I also suspect you were waiting for me as well."

She smiled, her head still on his shoulder. "Maybe." She had decreased the tension between them greatly.

He glanced at her. She really was odd, right now she was something else too, something he couldn't identify but it made him feel strangely at ease. This wasn't bad. He never thought he would be this close to anyone, or much less want to be this close to anyone. No. That wasn't true. He had always longed for someone to treat him this way, but fearful encounters, bitter words, and countless assassination attempts, forced him to turn the other cheek. His walls had always been up, blocking out everyone, and every emotion, except that which he needed to survive, and yet….here she was. It was as if the walls had never existed. He couldn't understand how it had happened; she just stirred something inside of him. A side of himself he hadn't shown since he was a child. An almost gentle innocence.

"You're toying with me." He finally said. "No one has toyed with me and lived."

Yesterday this statement would have seriously disturbed Sakura, but not now. She played right along. "I'm still here." She smiled.

"You're different." He stared up at the moon.

Sakura released him and leaned back a bit on the branch tilting her head up towards the night sky. "How am I different?"

"You don't run away from me. You wanted to at one point, I could tell, but even then you didn't." He glanced over at her. "My own siblings are terrified of me, and my father tried to have me killed." His face stiffened at the mention of his father, the Kazekage. He was glad Orochimaru had killed him, at least the freak was good for something. "You've seen what I'm capable of and yet you're here."

Sakura was listening attentively. His existence truly had been a lonely one, more so than she had imagined. Her expression was comforting. "You don't scare me anymore because I can understand you now, even though I've never seen what you have." She looked into his eyes. "You disproved my initial feelings about you, and I've disproved your initial feelings about me." He was gawking at her. "You expected me to run away, but instead I'm right here face to face with you."

She was right. He had expected her to run away, if not when he first ran into her then eventually, he figured, she would find him frightening and flee. Leaving him alone. Back to what he was used to. Complete and utter solitude. He expected her to show fear like she had before, but she was just staring at him, like he was a normal person she spoke with all of the time. He suddenly felt the need to wrap his arms around her.

His silence was unnerving. She yearned for him to say something, anything. Finally he slowly turned towards her and locked his arms around her stiffly. It was obvious he had never held anyone before in this manner. Sakura hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around him.

"Thank you." He said softly before kissing her gently and disappearing in a cloud of sand into the night.

Sakura sat stone still on the branch for at least two minutes before she decided she should take off for home too. Their conversation and his advances were on her mind all the way to her house. She couldn't help but wonder what this all meant.

Gaara materialized deeper into the wooded park away from Sakura. He needed to think. The events just moments earlier replayed in his head, searching for meaning, rationale, anything that could lead to an explanation of these foreign emotions. Her green eyes so warm and full of concern, her touch, and of course his reaction to her kiss. He had been the first to kiss her though hadn't he? She had made him feel something…happiness? Perhaps that was it. No, this was deeper than that. He liked her. Yashamaru had been right about one thing, love was in fact the only medicine that could heal a wounded heart.

He looked up into the sky, he needed to get back home, even though all he wanted was to stay out here for the night, but he knew Temari and Kankurou would worry about him. He sighed heavily and made his way towards the inn.