Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Sabaku no Gaara

When she managed to jump away from my sand, I was almost surprised, but then again not really. Shikaku seemed to be holding back on her for some reason.

Lucine looked at me with her expression mirroring mine, just making me more curious about her. I've never seen a girl like her before. What is she thinking? The curiosity was daunting.

"You escaped my sand." I stated curiously, urging her to give me some kind of explanation to why she was so special, to why my sand held back on her. Unfortunately, I didn't get the answer I wished for as she didn't respond.

She stood up from her crouched position, "What do you want?" There was indifference in her voice, as if this whole conversation bored her. The thought didn't sit well with me for some reason, so I decided to answer her question truthfully. I did follow her with one specific motive in mind after all, and I fully intend to get what I came for.

I walked up to where she stood and gazed down at her small form. Strangely enough, she didn't look like a shinobi. While she did have a toned body with some noticeable muscles, she simply looked too fragile and innocent, too incapable of truly harming anyone or anything. The cold, apathetic look in her eyes was a stark contrast to the rest of her body. I'm sure if she stood completely still, she could almost pass for a human-sized porcelain doll. But I knew better, I had seen her speed when she stabbed my brother in the arm without any hint of hesitation, which showed that she was a capable kunoichi, or at least to some degree. Her appearance is truly deceiving.

Her honey-colored eyes looked into mine patiently as she waited for my answer. Having her so close brought an odd, foreign feeling in my chest, making me frown in curiosity, not understanding what it meant. Overcome with the urge to touch her, I decided to do just that and grabbed a lock of her wavy hair. It felt soft to the touch, and slightly humid as if it had been recently washed.

As I spoke, I let my gaze wander down to her lips which looked even more tempting up close, "What I want..." I repeated silently while unconsciously pulling on her hair, forcing her to step closer to me. Every inch of my body was screaming at me to grab her close, to take her and, and... I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do, but I knew that this girl was mine. Which could only mean one thing.

Obviously, I want her dead. Why I wanted her death so desperately was what I didn't understand just yet. "I want to see the walls forever stained by your blood. I want to hear your screams of absolute anguished terror. I want the floors showered by your intestines. I want many things from you." I described how I would like to kill her, imagining it in vivid detail in my mind. But at the same time, not even thinking about her death felt even slightly satisfying. There was something else. I have a strange urge, something I've never experienced before.

I want to feel her lips. I want to... just, feel her. "But most of all..." I continued, feeling like I've reached a new discovery. The thought of her death is pleasing, but the thought of her body against mine overpowers all other desires. "I want you."

She seemed amused now, if anything. "How cute. I'm truly flattered." she deadpanned, and I was too distracted by the movement of her lips to truly process what she was saying. I had dreamt of those lips since the moment I saw them, and it was in truth the reason why I had decided to follow her. I had seen couples on the street lock lips several times, but I never understood the purpose, as it just seemed weird and disgusting. Now, I felt the frantic need to do just that. To taste her, to bite her, to intertwine her tongue with mine. The beast within me was growling impatiently, and I felt my eyes narrow at the impulsive to.. to... "But, perhaps another time, because right now I would appreciate it if you let go of my-"

I didn't let her finish as I was unable to hold back anymore, I captured her lips with mine. The moment I felt her lips, I felt complete satisfaction, and what was very close to pure bliss. It made me wonder why I had waited so long to do this in the first place. The hectic beat of my heart was odd and unfamiliar, it felt like some kind of rush, and I could already feel an addiction developing. Is this what it feels like to do drugs?

She froze at my touch and didn't respond, but she didn't push me away at first. I let out a moan through the kiss, and it just felt natural to slip my tongue between her lips and capture hers. At that she harshly pulled me away and broke the lip-lock. She lifted her arm seemingly about to slap me, but my sand instinctively caught her wrist and pinned her to the wall. She narrowed her eyes, "What are you-"

She didn't get to finish as I claimed her lips once again. She struggled in my grasp and bit my lip hard, which made a rush of blood flow down past my abdomen. Wanting to taste her again, I held her jaw in my hand and pried her mouth open again with my tongue.

She tastes like peach, like her scent. She's delicious. I've never liked that fruit in particular, but with her it could very well be the best thing I've ever tasted. If this is what's it like to have her, then no wonder the Uchiha is so fond of her.

After a while, she stopped struggling, as if realizing that there was no way out of my sand's grasp, this time Shikaku didn't hold back and had her firmly pinned to the wall. I heard him purring pleasantly, his feelings mirroring mine. How could one person be so addictive? I wondered as I roamed her mouth, sucking on her tongue and lips, feeling an undying need to taste all of her. However, I ran out of air and had to pull back, breathing heavily as I looked down at her with wicked eyes.

She looked up at me with calm fury storming in her eyes. Her lips were red and swollen, and the sight was almost just as pleasing as the kiss had been. It was like I had left my own personal mark on her, a proof that she belonged to me. Mate, I heard Shikaku whisper in the back of my mind, and my eyes widened in realization. The word described her perfectly. Lucine was my mate.

"Are you done?" she asked through gritted teeth.

Her anger was bemusing, so I decided to voice my confusion. "Why are you angry? You must be used to this by now."

She caught on quickly to what I meant, judging from the way her body froze up again and her complexion paled, yet her expression remained indifferent. "Let go of me. Now." She snapped firmly, and by the tone of her voice it sounded like a threat.

Though I don't like people ordering me around, I decided to comply, for some unknown reason. The sand retreated back to my gourd as I stepped away from her and gave her space. She didn't hesitate for a second as she stomped away, not looking back once.

My gaze followed her back curiously as I watched her angrily make her way down the hallway, which once again left me surprised by the odd feeling overwhelming my chest. Is this what "cute" looks like? I have heard Temari use the word a few times, but had never understood the meaning until now. The word seems to fit Lucine perfectly right now.

I closed my eyes as I took in a deep breath. It's already decided. From the second I first saw her, our fates had been sealed together. "You are mine, Lucine."