A/N-Thanks to those who have reviewed chapter 9 thus fair-Gin-Inu, Gaara's Desert Rose and Kagime and the Owl. This chapter was one of my favorites to write...fluff...but i'll let you read. No spoiling...hehehe...
Disclaimer-You don't really think I own it do you?
Chapter 10
Though this news came as no surprise to Sakura, she still saw how distraught Mika was about the fact that she loved him. With this in mind, the pink haired Kunoichi held her friend as the black haired one struggled to get her emotions under control. After Mika's shoulders stopped shaking with sobs, Sakura left her for the backyard to make sure that no blood had been shed over the discrepancy.
Before she had left, however, Mika had asked Sakura to ensure that no one- especially Gaara-came up to the room to see her. "None except you…but it's just I especially don't want him to see me crying. It's a weakness and…." Sakura held up a hand "No need to explain, I know what you meant. I felt the same way about Sasuke when we were younger." That being said, the medic nin left for the back yard.
She came upon a tableau identical to when she had left. Gaara was corking his gourd and Sasuke brushing sand off of his shirt, Naruto and Kakashi standing off to the side, guarded. As soon as Sasuke saw Sakura, he abandoned his chore of brushing the sand, and went over to where she had come out. "Are you ok Saku-chan? You weren't hurt when he threw you?" he asked gently, wrapping his arms around her.. "Yeah…I'm fine." Her temper, however, got the better of her and she turned on Gaara and attacked him-verbally of course. She wasn't stupid. "I'm fine…but she's not." She said venomously.
"She's hurting. You're such an impeccable person at detecting chakra patters…couldn't you sense hers? She was around the corner when you were attacking Sasuke. She heard every word. And if you were trying to make it so she wouldn't get hurt by exposing him….you failed.…you failed. Jerk. She's in a lot of pain right here." Sakura pointed to her heart. "But don't you dare go near her. Don't even dare."
Gaara's eyes were wide with shock. What had he done….his rage…must've…blinded his chakra reading abilities or else he never would've done something like that when she was around….he didn't want to hurt her…as he felt for one of the first times in his life, remorse spread through his body. As this emotion took over his body, the sand took over and surrounded him.
When the sand cleared and he was gone, it was all Sakura could do to keep from growling like an animal-"He better not have followed her…" she said in a warning voice. It was all he could do to keep her from running up to Mika's room to check on her. Sasuke flinched-this was one of the few times that he felt afraid of his girlfriend. "Relax love. If he does it will fix things between them.
Mika's face was buried in her pillow, head shaking with sobs. Why did fate have to make her fall in love with someone she could never be with-someone who technically wasn't supposed to exist…someone she can't introduce to her friends or the rest of her family…life stank.
She heard the door to her room creak open. She was glad her dad hadn't fixed it, or else she wouldn't know someone was entering. Without bothering to look at who it was she just yelled, "If you're anyone but Sakura…please just go away…" When she didn't sense whoever it was leave, Mika surmised that it was Sakura. The person sat down on the edge of the bed and gathered the crying girl into their arms. Mika welcomed this and buried her head into the shirt of the person holding her. Finally letting lose, the tears came in torrents.
"It hurts. I'm in love with him but it will never work…and it hurts…" She sobbed into the person's shirtfront. Even as she said these things, the arms around her tightened slightly. Finally after about five minutes, her sobs finally abated and she pulled back, tears glimmering in the corner of her eyes. "Thank you…Sakura…" she hiccupped as she looked up.
Her heart caught in her throat. She stopped breathing…
As she met a pair of intense jade almond shaped, black-rimmed eyes.
Just as quickly as her breathing had stopped it started again and she violently twisted herself out of Gaara's arms. She turned away so he wouldn't be able to see the color that was swiftly rising in her cheeks. His hand, however, remained firmly on her arm.
"I could kill Uchiha for even thinking about doing what he did for you…if you'd like." He said stoically, the hidden threat beneath his words very real. She hastened to say "No, no that's fine…I…I'm over that…I was when you forced him to confess in front of everyone." He couldn't tell if she was lying or not.
Her skin tingled under the touch of his hand.
"Then why are you crying. It's the Uchiha…don't deny it…stop lying to me. It's because you love him but he's with Sakura so you can't be with him…I swear I'll kill him." When she didn't answer him or even look at him, he said, in a slightly less patient, more forceful voice, squeezing softly for emphasis "Why are you crying."
Instead of answering his question, she changed the subject. "Listen, can you just pretend that you never saw me crying?" His eyes narrowed. "Why would I do that."
'Does he really not understand?' she wondered.
"Why?" she said, incredulously. "Because…" she started to snap before she shut up. "Because…" she said softer. Closing her eyes tightly, she yanked her arm out from his grasp. Standing up and turning her back on him she said "Because crying is a weakness…emotions are a weakness… and I don't want to appear any weaker in your eyes than I already am!" she said violently, her voice rising with every syllable.
He couldn't move.
"You're wrong Gaara. I don't…I never did…love Sasuke. There's someone else…someone I want to give my whole heart to but I'm not sure how he'll react to me…so I can't. But I want to." She was no longer in control of her mouth…she couldn't control what she was saying.
"Who is it." A statement…a demand. Not a question. 'Tell us so I can kill him and get him out of our way.' 'Shut up Shukaku.'
Was he really that dense? She really had no alternative now. She sensed him stand up behind her. Gathering up courage for what she was going to do, she turned around abruptly. He had been in the process of reaching out a hand for her. Taking it and moving it swiftly out of the way, she leaned in so that she was only a few inches from his face. "You really want to know who it is I love?" When he didn't say no, she leaned in and closed the small gap between them.
And pressed her lips against his own.
His eyes widened almost to an impossible width. Running a free hand through his red hair, to the back of his neck, she kissed him hard before pulling back, out of his reach. Avoiding his eyes, she answered his question. "I'm in love with you."
She turned quickly on her heal and started to make her way out of the room. Her hand was on the doorknob of the bedroom when a tendril of sand coiled around her wrist. Gently-no abrasions.
He could hear Sakura coming up the stairs to check on Mika. He had to do this fast. "Don't leave." He had been caught off guard by the kiss but…he had come to his senses now. He commanded the sand to drag her gently towards him.
"You've never been weak in my eyes." He said. "From that first day when you stood up to the members of the Akatsuki to save you coworkers. Saving Violet and Mercy today."
Closer… "Standing up to me…" Closer still. "Telling me you love me…"
Sakura's footsteps came up the hall. The sand released her wrist but had left her…three inches away from him. The fact that he was that close…she was in his strong aura…she wouldn't have been able to move away…
If she wanted to.
"After all that how could I possibly think you weak? I...I don't mind a few tears." He said roughly before kissing her.
"Well what do you know, Sasuke, your plan worked." Whispered Sakura from her place-peering into Mika's room, through the crack. "What can I say…oh I know." Sakura rolled her eyes. "You know I hate it when you do this…" He smirked and said, "I told you so…" before kissing her firmly.
Mika went down for supper in a daze (for, if you will remember, it's still the Thursday, where Mika saved Mercy and Violet.). When her mother asked what the problem was, Mika just shook her head and smiled. Looking at her father, her mother smiled and said, "It's a guy."
Later that night, at around 11 o'clock, Mika was sitting in her room, Gaara with her, chattering away happily about mindless things when he leaned over and kissed her again. He had been doing that frequently all night but still caught the black haired girl off-guard each time. When he pulled away this time she smiled and said, "I really gotta get used to this." before yawning sleepily.
Gaara picked her up bridal style and set her on the bed gently, pulling her duvet cover over her body. Kissing her forehead this time, she fell asleep almost immediately with a smile on her face.
When she woke the next morning to her alarm clock, she sat up and rubbed an eye. She saw someone leaning against her closet and looked over to see Gaara. He had a look in his eye like he'd been thinking, but just the sight of him was enough to send shivers down her spine and she smiled happily. She stretched and said in a cheerful voice "Good morning…" she smirked before saying "Gaa-Kun."
Gotta love nicknames.
He scowled at this, however and snapped in a cold voice "Don't call me that." She smirked at his resistance and, getting up, walked across the room to give him a kiss.
He was like stone in her arms. "What are you doing?" "What…do you mean? Last night…"
He interrupted her. "Meant nothing. It was a mistake, don't talk about it any more."
As her eyes filled with tears-tears he could see-his heart broke, but he still turned and walked out on her.
And with that, her heart broke as well.
A/N- yes, I know. There is a major missing thing there…what caused Gaara to change his opinion so quickly? I wonder…(hehehehehe, evil smirk)…
Just so you guys know, the reason that Gaara changed his mind, IS going to be a one-shot under 'Pieces of a Altered Reality.' Just so you know. There is a logical reason why Gaara was such an Ass to Mika.
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To all Canadians who read this story HAPPY CANADA DAY!
