Chapter 12
After walking Sakura back to her (hopefully temporary) room and saying good night, Gaara went looking for his brother. When he found him, he told Kankuro that he was going to go back to his office and finish his paperwork. He was also going to work on clearing his schedule for the next day. "Anything left over, anything that needs to be taken care of, I want you and Temari to handle. I do not want to be disturbed tomorrow," he informed the man in front of him.
He had much to do before he started his day with Sakura and wanted to make sure he could give her his full attention without any distractions. He left his brother's side and made his way to the Kazekage building. When he reached the building, he entered his office.
He looked at the pile of scrolls and sighed. He started working on them, but couldn't stop his thoughts of the pink-haired girl who was now sleeping across from his room. He tried to shake his thoughts of her and pay attention to the scrolls in front of him, but to no avail. He wondered what Temari had done or said to get Sakura to participate in the Trials. Did Sakura understand or know what all was expected of her as the Kazehime? Probably not, he figured. He would have to have a talk with his sister to find out how much Sakura knew about her new found title.
Going back to work, he signed off on a bunch more scrolls and then thought about how he could spend the next day with his pink-haired blossom. They were in Suna now, which meant he could show her his favorite places. He could share his love of Suna with her. Help her learn more about Suna and maybe more about himself.
Ever since he saw her fight to keep Naruto alive during the extraction of the nine tails, he knew there was something special about her. He often thought about her when he meditated. The more he thought about her, the more he came to recognize that he was attracted to her. He found himself slowly falling in love with the person that is Haruno Sakura. He wanted to get to know her better and find a way to express his feelings towards her.
He didn't have to worry about Naruto having feelings for Sakura. Naruto had Hinata now. He could care less for that traitor, Sasuke. He had heard that Sasuke was now on a redemption journey and hoped he would stay far away from Suna. He was supportive of Sasuke wanting to change himself, but he wasn't sure of how Sasuke felt about Sakura.
Gaara found himself starting to feel possessive. Not a new emotion for him, but it was surprising that he felt that way towards Sakura. She was his hime and he was not going to let any man or person take her away from him. When he felt himself get even more angry, he turned back to his work and signed off on even more scrolls.
A couple of more hours passed and Gaara found that the more important scrolls had been cleared from his desk. He left a list of appointments that needed to be rescheduled for Temari to take care of. The Grandfather clock chimed once, telling Gaara that it was one o'clock in the morning. He decided to call it a night and return to his room at the mansion. He figured that while meditating, he could finish planning out his day with Sakura.
XXX
The next morning, Gaara walked into the kitchen to see Sakura pouring herself a cup of coffee. He walked over to a nearby cupboard and pulled out his favorite mug and walked up to the pinkette.
Noticing that he was standing next to her and holding his mug, she poured the coffee into it. She gave him a smile and wished him good morning. Sakura then sat down at the table where the rest of Gaara's family sat watching him. They all ate breakfast together.
When she had finished eating, Temari asked her youngest brother, "What are your plans for today?"
Gaara answered her, "I have left a list of appointments that need to be rescheduled. Please take care of that for me, will you?"
"Sure. I can do that." She responded. "Do you have anything else planned for the day?" she smirked, hoping to find out what his plans with Sakura were going to be.
"I have a lot of things planned for my day with Sakura," he told Temari. When Sakura heard her own name, she glanced over at the Kazekage with a questioning look, but then quickly resumed drinking her coffee.
Gaara knew what his sister's intentions were, but he didn't want to give his plans away in front of Sakura. Some things he wanted to keep as a surprise.
Knowing she was not going to get a straight answer from her brother, Temari got up and started to collect the breakfast dishes to wash them. Kankuro decided to help his sister out by drying the dishes and putting them away.
Gaara looked over to the silent pinkette and asked, "are you ready to go?"
Rather than say, go where?, Sakura nodded her head and they walked out of the mansion together. She liked surprises as much as the next person and it had been a while since she had been spontaneous. Why not?, she thought to herself. This may prove to be a fun day after all.
The first place Gaara decided to lead Sakura to was an old playground where he used to play as a child. He wanted Sakura to get to know him better and he felt the best place to start was his childhood. He knew Sakura had a big heart and she cared a lot for those closest to her. He wanted to take a chance to share some of his deepest feelings with her.
They entered the playground and stopped in front of an old sandbox. Sakura wondered how this place was important to Gaara. She hoped that he had good memories from this place. As she looked down at the sandbox, she heard Gaara start to speak.
"This was a place my uncle used to take me to play when I was young. Sometimes, Temari and Kankuro would join us. I would make things out of the sand. One time when Kankuro saw me doing this, he asked me to make copies of various food items out of the sand." Grinning at the memory, he continued, "To embarrass Temari, he asked me to create poo out of the sand. So I did. Temari was not happy with the two us and my uncle told us it was time to leave at that point."
Sakura could only laugh at the image she created in her mind. "I'm glad you have a happy memory of this place," she told him.
"Aaa." he said. "I liked coming here until I noticed the other kids would leave with their parents whenever I came. I felt so alone at those times." He looked up to Sakura's face and could see the pain and anger in her eyes.
Hearing his words, made her feel like wrapping her arms around him, so she did. "You're not alone now Gaara," she said as she hugged him. "You have so many people who care about you that you won't ever have to be alone again."
He sighed comfortably while hugging her back. This is what he hoped would happen. He wanted her to understand and to remind him that he didn't have to stay in the past to have a future.
When they seperated he made hand motions and made a sakura blossom from the sand. He then hardened the sand to make the blossom permanent and he handed it to Sakura. "Thanks for your comforting words."
He wanted to hear her laugh, so he created a cat out of the sand and made it move around. It came near Sakura and rubbed it's chin on her cheek. Sakura giggled and tried to pet the sand cat. The cat then walked in between both their legs and then jumped into the sandbox and disappeared.
They both walked over to the swings and sat on them. For the next couple of hours, Gaara told Sakura about his childhood and his relationship with his family. There were many times when he stopped talking and it was at those times when she stepped in and gave him a hug. She gave him his space and waited for him to continue when he was ready.
When the sun was high in the sky, Gaara figured it was time they should go get some lunch. He led them to his favorite cafe. They entered the cozy, little restaurant and sat down at a booth for two. When the waiter arrived, he ordered for the two of them.
While they waited for their food, Sakura decided to tell Gaara about her childhood before she met Naruto and Sasuke. She told him of her favorite hiding place. It was a tree in the forest that she had decorated the inside of and had made into her own special place. Every time the other kids made fun of her forehead, she would run to her tree. She told him about meeting Ino and how Ino had taught her not to hide her forehead. She talked about how after being put on Team Seven, she learned that she was weak. She felt terrible that she could not stop Sasuke from leaving the village, but it was the catalyst that spurred her into action. She had forced her way into Tsunade's office and told the hokage that she wanted to be her apprentice.
Gaara listened intently to what Sakura had to say. He had shared his memories with her, so it was only right that he hear her out. It was a way for him to get to know her as well. She definitely got to have a happier childhood than he did. He tried to grin at her while he fought to keep his envy at bay.
Sakura noticed the painful grin and started regretting telling him about her childhood. Her past was totally opposite of how he was brought up. It reminded her of Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke had even called her out on her arrogance of making fun of Naruto, because he had no family; but, she was not that person anymore... "I'm sorry if I'm talking too much about my family," she quietly told him with a downcast face.
Gaara was surprised that she apologized for telling him about her childhood. He looked at her beautiful, green eyes and told her, "never apologize to me about your childhood. Just because you had a family that cared for you and I did not, does not mean you should be afraid to talk about them to me. They are your precious people. I hope that maybe one day I could meet them as well."
He hoped his words would encourage her to feel comfortable when talking about her family. His intentions of telling her about his childhood was not to make her feel sad or regret her own upbringing. He wanted her to be happy. He was being honest when he said he hoped he could meet her parents one day. In a way, if they were to be married, they would be his parents as well and he would be able to share in that love that they gave to her. It made him appreciate her even more.
Sakura smiled and told him, "I know my parents would love to meet you. We will have to set up a day when you can do that."
He nodded his head and then paid for their meal. They left the cafe and Gaara led her back to the mansion. When they arrived, he told her to wait there. He had some errands to finish before they left for their final activity for the day.
Sakura walked back to her room to rest until it was time to leave. She was overwhelmed with everything they had talked about. Listening to Gaara describe how hard he had it as a child had made her sad. He had been hated, lied to and treated as an object. Nothing like that had happened to her when she was growing up. Her parents had loved her and sometimes treated her like a princess.
She did have to wonder why he had told her these things. He had shared his most sacred of thoughts with her about his past. Those things were usually kept secret until you felt comfortable telling the one you were most intimate with. They were not at that level of their friendship yet, so again she wondered why he felt compelled to tell her those things. She had shared some of her personal memories with him as well, but only to return the favor.
She still felt remorseful for making him feel bad. She was in no way trying to brag about her family. He did tell her to never apologize for talking about her family to him. She decided that for the rest of her time in Suna, she would try to make him happy and make him feel loved. She would remind him that even though he did not have his parents, he did have his siblings. That was something she did not have; and also that they loved him just as much as his parents would have.
Once Gaara returned to the mansion, he asked Temari to find Sakura and have her meet him in the kitchen. He had stopped at a kakigori stand on his way back from his errands and bought some to share with the kunoichi.
Sakura walked into the kitchen where Gaara was. He handed her the cold treat. "Thanks, Gaara. This is delicious."
After enjoying their treat, Gaara asked Sakura, "do you trust me?" She nodded her head in the affirmative. He then motioned for her to follow him. They entered the spacious front foyer that led to the entrance of the grand library. Gaara motioned for Sakura to step back a few feet. Then, he began slowly rolling up the persian-like carpet that ran the length of the foyer. When Gaara finished rolling the carpet to where Sakura stood, it revealed a trap door.
He opened the trap door and a strong, musty odor wafted up into the air. Gaara started heading down the narrow steps and Sakura followed just a couple feet behind. While it was pitch black, it only lasted a short time. Gaara lifted a torch off the wall and after pouring some sort of oil on the surface, he then lit it with a flint.
Shortly after the torch roared to life, Gaara turned to Sakura and noticed the gold flecks of light as they reflected in her green eyes. He then made a couple of short hand motions in front of the torch. Suddenly, the trap door closed and there was a dull thud on the ceiling above. Other than the torch light, everything was dark again.
"Now we can talk. Nobody can hear us down here," Gaara told her. "A former Kazekage created these passages out of sheer paranoia. Of course, with all the attempts made on my life, it makes me wonder. Only the Kazekage and his family know of these passages.
"I know these passages and caverns like the back of my hand. I think it will be better once we shed some more light on the situation." With that, Gaara placed the torch in a shallow channel lining the wall and it lit up the oils, snaking along the walls of the cavern until it was like hundreds of campfires that filled the void.
Sakura was in awe, for in front of her and Gaara was a cavernous space at which they both stood at the top landing. She was at once warmed from the inside out and felt more comfortable.
"Well, what do you think?" Gaara asked as they continued to make their way down the series of stone-hewn steps.
"It's beautiful and scary all at the same time," Sakura stated.
"It is one of my favorite places to go when I want to be alone or need to escape the council. I wanted to share it with you."
"Thank you, Gaara. I know this means a lot to you."
"This is only the beginning."
"What do you mean?" Sakura prompted.
Gaara remained silent, but motioned for Sakura to keep following him. When they reached the cavern floor, Sakura heard drops of water seemingly all around them. As they turned a corner, the ground became more damp and steeper.
They took another sharp turn and Sakura saw the tunnel slope down and at the bottom was one of the largest cisterns she had ever seen. As they got closer, she noticed a row boat outfitted with blankets and two oars.
"Here we are," Gaara announced as they reached the shore. "Sakura, can you take the torch for a minute until we get going? I'll hold the boat steady while you get in." Sakura took the torch from him after she got in the boat. Gaara pushed off from the shore and got in after the boat was floating on its own. He barely missed falling in the water and had to jump the rest of the way, almost capsizing the boat before they got started.
Sakura was good-natured about everything. "Are you okay, Gaara?"
"Yes. Yes," said a shaky Gaara. "It's been a while since I have done that."
"Sakura, can you place the torch in the fixture attached to the floor of the boat?" he asked her as he got settled. She did as Gaara asked. Then, he grabbed the oars and started rowing further into the cistern. "This is where Suna gets almost half of all it's water."
"Wow, I wouldn't have imagined all this water was in the middle of the desert," Sakura said amazed.
"We're actually at one end of a deep underground river. It starts again once it reaches the tunnel. It actually feeds into the oasis. You're probably familiar with it. It's where your last battle during the Kazehime Trials took place," Gaara informed her.
As Gaara rowed, Sakura and himself across the expanse of the massive cistern, he complimented her more than capable fighting style in the Trials.
"I must say I'm not at all surprised at your victory in the Kazehime Trials. Those other kunoichis, even the one from Mist, couldn't hold a candle to you," he praised her.
Sakura blushed amidst the light of the torch. "Gaara…. I'm just more experienced than those other girls. I mean, I've just had more time in the field as a med nin. If if wasn't for that, I don't know… I might not have defeated them." Sakura didn't know why, but she felt more vulnerable with Gaara if only for a moment and she blushed again.
"It's not only your fighting abilities, Sakura. I was there when you fought to keep Naruto from the void. It was your skills in the field that saved his life, but more importantly, it was your selfless actions, your love that saved Naruto… saved me - that day." Now, it was Gaara's turn to blush, except it was just the tips of his ears that turned red.
Gaara continued to tell Sakura about the history of the passageway and the cistern. While he talked, Sakura had wondered when his eyes had changed. When did he start seeing her as more than just Naruto's teammate, more than Naruto's precious person? She tried to contain her blush as she thought this. She was nervous and conflicted. Gaara had been treating her different ever since he found out that she had won the Trials. When she looked into his eyes, she could see caring and hope, but hope for what?
Again, she tried to fight off nervousness. Could she allow herself to care for Gaara? Maybe even love him? She had only ever loved one man before, but he was never going to love her back. Ino had told her it was time to let go and move on. Was Gaara the right guy for her to move on with?
She gave him a slight smile to show that she was still listening, but inside she was fighting herself. She needed to make a decision soon. She knew how the night was going to end. But, was she ready for it? Would she allow herself the moment to move on and share her first kiss with Gaara? Would he even make a move like that?
Once they reached the end of the twisting tunnel that led out of the cistern, they came upon a fissure in the rocks that gradually let more light from the outside world in from the sinking sun.
As the fissure opened up into two opposing cliff sides, Gaara asked for Sakura to hand the torch back to him. He put it out with a handful of sand that he seemingly pulled from the air. He then soaked it in the water to make sure it was put out completely.
Gaara continued to row until he came to a brief shoreline that bordered the cove they had just entered just as the cliffs opened up and abruptly dropped off.
"End of the line," Gaara answered. He gave a small smile at his joke and started steering the boat closer to the shore until it would go no further. Then he got out, getting wet in the process and pulled the boat and Sakura further onto the beach until he knew it wouldn't go back into the water.
He offered a hand to Sakura, which she took, and helped her out of the boat. After that, he picked up the blankets and… the basket underneath.
"Is that a picnic basket, Gaara?" Sakura asked him.
He nodded. Sakura was speechless. She didn't know what to expect next. The day had been full of surprises.
"Here. You can take a handle. This may get heavy after a time," Gaara told her.
Sakura eyed him somewhat suspiciously.
"Let's go over this way," Gaara said guiding the way. Sakura carefully followed him as she helped heave the basket.
"Perfect," he half said to himself as they reached a fair-sized rock that had a flat top and told Sakura to put her end of the basket down on the rock as he lowered his side.
He unrolled the blanket, then started taking out a meal fit for a king, or a Kazekage, as the case may be.
There was everything from a flask of cactus juice to lizard tongue. But, there were a few of Sakura's favorites as well, including the dessert like the one she had prepared during their last evening they shared together in Konoha.
Gaara asked Sakura to take a seat on the blanket and in unison they both said "Itadakimasu." before eating their meal.
"Thank you for everything," Sakura told him. Gaara bowed and started to eat, but only after Sakura took her first bite. Guests were always first, especially on special occasions.
Once they had finished eating, they watched the sun reach the horizon. It was made even more special since the sun set exactly between both of the cliffs they had just travelled through.
"There is an ancient stone henge in a distant land where this also takes place, but I'd like to think our Cliffs of Suna are the most impressive way to experience this event," Gaara said.
They continued to watch silently as the sun fell between the towering cliffs and gently washed over them with vibrant reds, oranges and yellows.
As it became dusk, a chill entered the air. Sakura was unable to hide an involuntary shudder. Gaara was there in an instant. "Here," he said." He took the picnic basket off the blanket and placed it next to the rock.. Then he picked up the corners of the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"Thanks," she said while blushing and looking into his green eyes.
Shortly after, the dusk gave way to twilight. The stars shined brightly in the night sky.
"It's so beautiful here. I can understand why it's your favorite secret place," Sakura said shyly.
"That's why I longed to show it to you. A perfect end to a near perfect day," he told her.
Sakura started to feel nervous again. The evening was almost to an end. She was still conflicted about both of their feelings towards each other. She had to know if Gaara was serious about his feelings towards her. She didn't want to start another relationship that might end in failure again. So she decided to let him know how she felt.
"Gaara." She called to him. "I'm certain that your affections for me are born out of a crush. Crushes can become very dangerous. Are you really sure of your feelings for me?"
He was startled for a moment when she asked her question. He wasn't certain he was ready to answer her question quite yet. Yes. His affections for her did start from a crush, but it had been some time since it started. It had started during the war. He had had time to come to terms with his affections towards her. He had analyzed it and had thought about it so much that at times it had interrupted his meditation and even it own job duties. The only conclusion he could come to was: yes, he cared for her. He cared for her more than his family, even more than Suna. But, he was not ready to tell her that yet.
Sakura continued to talk to him. "Gaara, please don't put me on a pedestal."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"When you put someone on a pedestal, you put certain expectations on them. Then, they become perfect in your eyes. When that person falls off that pedestal, you'll be the first one that will be disappointed and then failure and disappointment is all you will ever see in that person. So, please don't put me on a pedestal."
Gaara reached out and cupped his hands to Sakura's cheeks. "How can I not, but put you on a pedestal. You have done so much for me, my family, and Suna. You show such fierce loyalty to those you care about. You're compassionate and selfless; you go to great lengths to protect your precious people. It can't be helped.
You say I'll be disappointed if you fall from that pedestal and that's all I'll ever see, but you're wrong. I know what it means to have people hate you. I know what imperfection is. There is no way you could ever disappoint me. When you fall, I want to be the one helping to pick you back up. I want to be by your side - always. Will you let me be that person? Will you let me be the one that matters the most to you?"
Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing. Tears were falling from her eyes. She could see the sincerity in his eyes and then in the next moment, before she could react - she felt his lips upon hers.
Author Notes:
Once again, it has taken me over two weeks to get a chapter posted. I apologize for not keeping to my weekly schedule. My husband tells me that I have writer's remorse, because I am getting to the end of this story. We have just one more chapter and then the epilogue.
This chapter did take some time to write as I collaborated with my husband. The cavern and cistern scene was his writing. I challenged him to come up with a place for Sakura and Gaara to go to that would be unique. He did a great job with coming up with the idea for that scene.
I do hope I am not rushing the romance in this story. GaaSaku is one my favorite ships. I am in favor of the slow romance stories. I also hope you have enjoyed reading this story just as much as I (and my husband) have enjoyed writing it.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your reviews, favorites and follows.