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"You're annoying! You make it very difficult to love you." Sakura was stunned at Sasuke's words. After three years together, he still found her annoying. The rest of his words fell on deaf ears; as her ears still rang from the shattering of her heart.
To her surprise, and probably to Sasuke's too, she didn't cry. Not one tear was shed. She just got up and walked away. Part of her still hoped that he would follow her, would pull her back, claim his words were false and that he truly loved her. But atlas, he didn't. She was lost in the world with a broken heart and all alone.
Seriously all alone. In their relationship, she had quit her dream job at Konoha's hospital, alienated all her friends and superiors, and moved out of Konoha without saying one word of goodbye to anyone. She was all alone with no one to confide in and no where to call home.
She laid down on the ground and stared at the stars above. She wasn't sure how long she had been walking or where she was. At this point, she didn't care. She didn't care about how cold she was or how hungry. All she wanted was for the ground to swallow her whole and end her miserable, useless life.
She heard a loud noise, almost like a crash; she opened her eyes just in time to see a huge wave coming towards her. To her surprise, she got up and started running away. And here she thought she wanted to die, why was she running for her life then?
As she braced herself to being crushed and swept by the wave, she was swept off her feet by strong arms. Sasuke does care, she thought.
But instead of seeing black hair and eyes like the night sky, she was welcomed by reddish auburn hair and teal eyes. She didn't need the Love kanji to tell her who her rescuer was.
Once they were safe, the young Kazekage gently set her down and asked if she was alright. His arms were crossed and he held a stoic, disinterested look on his face. What superpower she had, she could annoy and inconvenience anyone. Sasuke was right about her.
"Did you not hear me?" His voice broke her from another self pity thought tangent.
"No, I am alright. Thank you. Where am I?"
"Desert. About 5 km from Suna." How long had she been walking? When she was with Sasuke, they were nowhere near the desert. She watched as he started walking away. Perhaps it was best that they go their separate ways. Gaara was one of Naruto's best friends and he probably wasn't too pleased with how he treated Naruto before ending their 10 year friendship.
"Are you coming?" She looked up to see him waiting for her to follow. He seemed annoyed again. Rather than upset him any further, she followed him.
They entered the village and thought they would part ways, but he kept walking and kept urging her to follow him. They finally went their separate ways once he checked her into the Suna Hospital. She hadn't even noticed the injuries on her feet or how dehydrated and famished her body was.
Gaara instructed the medic to heal her wounds and provide her IV to hydrate her body. And in a menacing and authoritarian tone, he told her not to leave the hospital.
She had every intention of leaving the moment her feet were bandaged and she got a good dosage of IV. But something in her made her listen to the Kazekage's orders. She was always a good girl when it came to following orders; even if she didn't want to.
After a week in the hospital, Gaara came in to release her. He didn't look at her or address her; he talked to the medics, signed the release form, and started walking away. Once again, he stopped mid-step to look at her and ask if she was coming. If he wanted her to follow him, he should just say so.
He walked inside a small tea shop and ordered two strawberry green teas and two orders of dango. They sat in silence and waited for their order; the silence was killing her but she didn't dare speak first.
Her and Sasuke use to sit in silence all the time and whenever she broke that silence, Sasuke would be extremely irritated.
"I notified your village of your location."
"I see." She responded looking down at the table. He probably didn't know that her village no longer cared for her. They sat in silence, appreciating each other's company until their order arrived.
The waiter placed their tea and sweets in front of them. Sasuke hated sweets so she hasn't had something sweet in a long time. She wanted to take a bite, but knew she had to wait for him to eat one first.
"Go ahead, I order it for you." Gaara had pushed the plates of dango in front of her; was he testing her manners? Sasuke mentioned that a woman's place was to be subservient to a man. She must only eat once the man has eaten.
"You first." She pushed the plates back.
"I don't really like dango." So he was testing her. "But, if it will get you to eat." He picked up one of the dango skewers and ate one. Then, he motioned for her to eat.
She was hungrier than she thought. She ate the remaining dessert, plus the order of rice balls and atsuge that he ordered. She expected his criticism of how much she ate, but instead he apologized to her. Telling her if he knew how hungry she was, he would have taken her to a restaurant rather than a tea shop. What an odd person he was.
Once they were done eating, they discussed her options. She didn't have anywhere to go and she noticed the hospital was short staffed. She offered to help for a bit until they get someone to fill the position. She needed money and the temporary position would give her enough to get her on her feet. She hasn't been in her own since... ever.
She told both Gaara and the hospital director that she was helping them out temporary. But days became weeks, weeks became months, and before she knew, she had been in Suna for over six months. She had her own place now, it only had a mattress and clothes, but it was better than nothing.
Because Gaara was the one that technically hired her, she reported to him. Every other week, she had a meeting with him about the progress of her stay and areas of opportunities of the hospital. During each encounter, they stayed professional. Sasuke had mentioned that men only wanted one thing from her: to fuck her; use her for their own pleasure and throw her away. One of the reasons her friendship with Naruto ended was because he didn't want her talking to any guy except him. While she was wary of the Kazekage, he didn't give her the impression that he would fuck her.
He was stoic and uninterested in most things; he spoke with authority and power; and he stood tall and unmoving. He was very similar to Sasuke in that way. The main difference between the two was that Gaara was courteous to those around him. He knew everyone's name in his staff and would often greet them by name. Sasuke never bother learning people's names, saying it was a waste of time.
Sasuke would demand respect and obedience from those around him. People around Gaara just granted it to him. The more she interacted with him, whether it was during their one on ones, or hospital inspections; the more he intrigued her.
At their most recent one on one, they decided to make her a permanent resident at the hospital. It was obvious she had no intention of going back to Konoha, reasons she had yet to share with the young Kazekage but he didn't pry. She had made roots in Suna and who knows, maybe those roots would grow to be a cactus. He smiled at her lame joke and congratulated her in her new, permanent position.
Now that she was part of the permanent staff, she held nothing back. She ordered people around, called people out on their mistakes, helped the greenhouse grow more medicinal herbs, and even went to a council meeting to demand more resources for the hospital.
"You seem like your old self today." She stared at the redhead blankly.
"What you mean?"
"The way you talked to the councilmen, and called Narukosu an idiot and educating everyone in the room the importance on medic ninjutsu."
She blushed, "I overstepped. I shouldn't have done or said most of the things I did in there." How embarrassing; Sasuke had warned her that no one care about medical ninjutsu. Most people found it boring and didn't understood it, they only cared whether or not they could be healed.
"No. They needed to hear that; I needed to hear that. I can see how passionate you are in helping people. You make medical ninjutsu easy to understand." He left her dumbfounded in the hall. He had bowed and walked back to his office as he had another meeting.
He was just so odd. He spoke with purpose and all his words held strength to them.
Another month passed, and her stay in Suna was becoming more permanent. She started to make friends and got more furniture for her place. And after another month, she was actually exploring the village night life and having lunch with her coworkers. And after one more month, she let Gaara convince her to have lunch with him and Naruto, who was visiting the village under orders of the Hokage.
In nine months, she went from a lost girl with nothing, to being a strong, independent young woman. She made new friends and rekindle old ones. At times, she wondered if it was all a dream, that she had died during the flash flood. But she knew it was just her anxiety acting up.
It had a couple weeks since her lunch with Naruto. They kept in touch and he mentioned how he was finally dating Hinata. His birthday was coming up, and she managed to convince Gaara to go shopping for a present. As they walked the street market, she apologized for dragging him around; it must have been boring and bothersome to him.
"Not at all," he replied. "I enjoy your company."
She smiled to herself. She no longer thought him odd; he was just Gaara. A man of a few words, but his words held such power and truth in them. She recall how much Sasuke talked and talked and talked, and wonder what power did his words hold?
Thinking of Sasuke, she heard the familiar rumble of his laugh. She knew she was mistaken, but went to investigate any way, just to ease her mind. To her surprise and horror, there he was. Looking as dapper as she remember. Had he been searching for her? Did he truly care?
"Yea, I just used my sharingan to get rid of her, she was so annoying." He was talking to the redhead girl underneath his arm. She knew that girl; she was one of her so called friends. One that he allowed to have because they were in the same team.
"Oh Sasuke, that's so mean," the redhead woman spoke in a humorous tone. She was laughing at Sakura. They were both laughing at her.
"Not really, it wasn't my first time doing. She was such a handful I just kept her around so she could entertain the guys."
What was happening? What was he saying? Three years. Three years relationship. Three years of being a good girl and doing what he told her. And all she was a laughing stock; someone to bully and tease for entertainment.
She wanted to scream; she wanted to cry; she wanted to do something. But she couldn't move, was she stuck in another genjutsu? Her body was shaking, her heart was about to beat our of her chest; her chest was tight and it made it difficult to breathe. He was killing her! He had put her in another genjutsu and he was killing her.
She felt the tears start streaming down her. She didn't want to cry, not in front of him, not in public. She was making a scene. He hated when she made a scene.
A strong hand grabbed her arm. It became more difficult to breathe, as she knew he would drag her out of the market yelling at her for causing a scene. But instead of being drag, she was picked up and carried off. Her savior was jumping roof tops to roof tops, until they were at the highest building of the village.
As soon as her feet touch the ground, she fell on her ass and just let the tears pour. She was so stupid and useless and -
"Do you hear that? What is that?" Her train of thought was interrupted by the dumbest question. The sound was clearly chimes. It wasn't interesting nor something unidentifiable.
"The sky is green do you see it?" Her vision was still blurry, but she could see that the sky was clearly not green, it was blue. Who was asking these ridiculous questions? Were they color blind?
As her vision became more focus, she realized she was sitting on the rooftop with Gaara. He held her hand and kept looking around.
"Let's see, let's see. The ground feels soft, that's weird."
"The ground is hard Gaara." She gave him a small smile. She realized she wasn't dying, she had a panic attack and Gaara had calmed her down. She recalled the time she got sick and Sasuke couldn't be bothered because he didn't want to get sick.
The redhead and pink head sat in silence in the rooftop and watch the sky turn from blue to multiple shades as the sun set. Her hand was still in his and she didn't want to move in fear that he would let her go. His hand was warm and being held, even if it was her hand, made her feel like maybe, just maybe someone did care for her.
As the streetlights came on, he asked if he could walk her home. She was starting to get cold, but didn't want to go home. Her sad little apartment with the mix match dollar store plates and cutlery, the mattress on the floor, and hand-me-down couch would make her feel crappy again.
They decided to go to his place then. His place was nice, but modest and it was filled with different plants. Some were small, some were huge, some were healthy, and some not so much. She eyed the dried up leaves of the plant. Why keep something that was dying?
"It's a cherry blossom." He handed her a cup of water before continuing. "Found it in the trash, felt like I should help her."
She smiled at him. There was so much she didn't know about him. He was menacing but kind. She wondered how he managed such a balance.
He cooked her a simple dinner and they ate and talked about the different plants that he owned. She wondered that perhaps he was born in the wrong village, that Konoha would suit him better since it is lushed with green. He smiled before informing her that he was born exactly where he was needed.
"The desert is a rough terrain; harsh living environment. Still, it is filled with life. It is made for the strong. Those who keep fighting and thrive where all others would accept death's embrace."
She didn't know what happened, or what made her think it was a good idea. She had practically leapt onto the table and kissed him. To her surprise, he kissed her back. The kiss was awkward. There was a table with food between the two. Gaara broke the kiss, pushed everything off the table, and pulled her closer to him before devouring her lips once more.
Her hands instinctively went to his hair, while his cupped her face. She pulled him closer, she needed to feel all of him, taste all of him. They broke the kiss for some air. As she caught her breath, he laid kisses along her jawline. He was so soft as well as dominating. It was a beautiful balance.
His kisses trailed down to her neck and collarbone, which made her wonder, when did she lose her shirt. Who even cared, her skin was on fire. Gaara laid her down on the table as his kisses went lower and lower on her body.
He started by kissing the top of her breasts before removing the garment protecting them. He took a nipple in his mouth, while he played with the other between his thumb and index. He switched nipples and mirrored the motions, making sure both got equal attention. Once satisfied, he moved lower again, kissing her navel and nibbling on her hips.
He pulled her shorts and panties down to expose her womanhood. His hand gently caressed her body before stroking her most sensitive area. She thought she heard him whisper the word beautiful, but she wasn't sure. Her body was rilled with scars, stretch marks, and some weight in certain places. She knew it was anything but beautiful.
All self pity thoughts went away when she felt something moist between her legs. She looked town and was met with lust filled eyes starting back at her, as he licked, kissed, and nibble her most sensitive body part. She had never felt anything quite so extraordinary before. She thought, there was nothing that could make her feel any more ecstasy.
Was she wrong! She felt him insert a finger in her. With his finger pumping in and out of her, and his tongue devouring her, she felt like her whole body was on fire. Her hand went to his hair again, and she screamed his name before being driven mad with ecstasy.
As she caught her breath, he laid next to her on the table. She assumed it was his way of telling her it was her turn to please him. As her hand went for the very noticeable bulge on his pants, he pulled it away and kissed her palm.
"Don't worry about that," he kissed her palm again before kissing up her arm and retaking her lips. She tasted herself on his lips and tongue. His hand roamed her body, tracing every scar before settling between her folds again.
"Please," she begged. "Please fuck me."
He smiled and kissed her forehead before undoing his pants just enough to release his manhood. She braced herself for the rough entry. Sasuke was always rough with her and she assumed that all men were.
But instead of harsh and furious penetration, it was a slow and soft one. With his forehead against hers, she watched his face contour through pleasure and patience. He was allowing her to adjust to the intrusion before continuing.
His thrusts started out soft and slow; almost as if he feared he would break her. She wrapped her hips around his and match his thrusts. As the sensation became more and more pleasant, his thrusts were getting faster and faster. She began to feel that warm sensation again, the same one she felt when his tongue devoured her.
"Faster, harder," she instructed. He sat up on his knees and grabbed her by the thighs, thrusting as hard as he could in her. With every thrust, he pushed her closer and closer to the edge of euphoria. Thinking there was nothing that could make her feel better, she was proven wrong when his thumb began to rub her nub. With the additional ministration, she was thrown over the edge. For the second time of the night, she screamed his name.
He pulled out of her and laid next to her; she could feel his stare. She wondered if he planed on finishing or not. As if reading her mind, he picked her up from the table and laid her down on his bed.
"We can continue if and when you want to." What a truly bizarre man Gaara was. All she had known was rough sex, pleasuring the man, her body is for his pleasure. Not once, had she felt so alive. Felt like she mattered. Felt like she was wanted.
He pulled her next to him and planted a kiss on her forehead. "You make it easy to love you." She stared at his eyes, trying to find a hint of a lie, instead, found nothing but truth. So this was what it felt to be loved.