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Dare to Love You

Chapter 7

That day, the citizens of Konoha were seeing a rare scene, in the middle of the street.

That day, those teenagers shinobi were watching an unbelievable sight, in the middle of the day.

That day, Gaara did a thing that never had crossed in his mind for the first time in his life, ever.

That day, Sakura got her second kiss on the lips within two hours.

Gaara pulled back, so did Sakura. With his both hands on her shoulder, Gaara looked into Sakura's eyes. Sakura looked into his eyes too, and found… a confused glint in it?

Being embarrassed of herself, Sakura freed herself and ran away before Gaara could stop her again. Gaara blinked at her figure that had disappeared behind the crowd, then to the spot in front of him.

"Sakura!" he heard a girl shouted. Before he could see who it was, he felt his shirt was being pulled. It was Naruto.

"What did you do to Sakura-chan, Gaara?!" he asked to him.

"I…kissed her, I think?" he answered. Naruto released his hand from Gaara's shirt and yelled to no one in frustration.

"Arrgghh… you are so… so impossible!"

Hinata touched Naruto's hand. "It's… it's okay, Naruto-kun." She said to her boyfriend.

Ten Ten said, "Yeah… maybe she just startled, eh?"

In the night, Gaara ruffled his own already messed up hair for uncountable times.

'Grr… did I do something wrong to her?!' Gaara took a short glance to his desk clock and grabbed his jacket, and then went out from his apartment.

Ino untied her laced shop apron when she heard the door opened.

Ino sighed but still cleaned the counter. "Sorry! But the shop is already closed! You can come back tomorrow!"

"Tell me where she lives…" Ino gasped and turned to that people.

"Gaara?"

Sakura looked at her reflection in the mirror. She saw a puffy eyed girl looked back to her. She sighed and washed her face with cold water.

-knock knock- Sakura reached for a towel and dried her face. "Wait a minute…" she said.

'Maybe it's just Ino… geez… hasn't she happy with what I told her earlier about me and Gaara yet…?' She thought as she walked to open the door.

"Yes?" she asked and saw a redhead backing her. Sakura's eyes widened and closed the door as fast as she could.

Gaara startled and turned back. He tried to open the door. "Hey, Haruno. It's me!"

Sakura bit her lower lip while her back tried to push the door. "What do you want?!" she asked worriedly.

"Just… open this door, Haruno." Gaara said from the other side of the door.

Sakura sighed and finally opened the door. She gave his her coldest look. "What?"

Gaara stood there with crossed arms. "Tell me why did you go after I…"

"After you what?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. Gaara sighed. "After I…"

Sakura gave up. "After you kissed me?" she finished it for him. Gaara nodded after sighed in relief. "Yes. That."

An old woman passed. "Hey, Sakura… It's not good to talk with your boyfriend at the doorstep, you know?" she said and smiled to them.

They got irritated and yelled in unison. "She/he is not my girlfriend!"

That old woman just smiled like before. "Aah… I know… I know… there's no need to yell… But, you two fit perfectly each other. Well then, good night…" then she walked into her own apartment beside Sakura's.

Gaara and Sakura looked at that closed door and then their gaze met. Sakura was the first who broke the contact while Gaara still looked at her.

"You heard her. Come in…" She stepped away to gave him an access to come in. Gaara did so, and then Sakura closed the door.

Sakura sat across him after she put a cup of hot tea on the table for him. She crossed her hands as she avoided the eye contact.

"I'm… sorry." Gaara broke the silence. Sakura startled and looked at him.

After biting her lower lip, Sakura let out a word. "No…"

Gaara blinked in confused and looked at the girl in front of him. "You are not forgiving me?" Sakura shook her head. "No, it's not that, Kazekage-sama…"

For the first time, Gaara didn't correct her. "Then what?" he said.

"It's… just… It's me who should say sorry…" Sakura looked at him. "I'm sorry." She lowered her head. "Sorry…"

Gaara noticed something wrong with her and then approached her. He sat beside her, but didn't dare to touch her. "Why are you crying Har-Sakura?"

Sakura lifted her head when her name mentioned. She wiped away her tears. "I'm not crying…"

"Maybe I'm lack of social knowledge, but I'm not that stupid." Gaara stated and put his hand on her shoulder.

Sakura couldn't take it anymore, she cried on his chest. Again, Gaara startled. He chose to circle his arm around her figure as his other hand patted her head. He cursed himself for his bad skill of comforting people, especially girl.

"I'm sorry… I… I'm so dirty… That sick people harassed me and even kissed me…and then you came to rescue me…but I… I…" Sakura said between her sobs. Gaara gritted his teeth. Well, at least he had beaten those psychos.

After a few minutes, Sakura pulled away, but Gaara didn't release his hand. Sakura looked up. "Feeling better?" Sakura nodded.

"Thank you, Kazeka- …I mean… Gaara." Sakura blushed. Gaara somehow felt the air heated. "It's okay…"

Sakura looked at his hand on her shoulder. Gaara released it immediately. "Sorry…" Sakura just nodded.

He stood up and walked to the door. "I think I'll head back to my apartment. It's getting late…" Sakura escorted him.

And then Gaara turned back to face her. "I want to ask you something…"

Sakura tilted her head. "What is it?"

"You are not angry about that kiss, aren't you?" Gaara avoided her gaze. Sakura did that too. "I-I'm not…"

Gaara sighed. "Well then… See you."

"Eh, wait!" Sakura stopped him. Gaara looked at her again. "What?"

"Um… why did you kiss me?" Gaara lost his voice at her question and cleared his throat.

"I kissed you because I just wanted to."

Sakura gasped, but too late. He already disappeared.

That day, Gaara ascended the long stairs up at the Hokage building one by one while his mind focused to last night.

'How could I say that I just wanted to? Why didn't I say the truth? That I kissed her because I wanted to clean her from those perverted guys? That I really…' Gaara growled at his thought.

Sakura stopped her track when she saw Gaara from the first floor. Sakura chose to approach him.

'Focus Gaara… You are here for your business as a Kazekage… not for other things…'

"Hey, Gaara!" greeted Sakura cheerily as she patted his shoulder hard. Gaara startled from his thought and jerked his shoulder away unconsciously.

Sakura startled too and she lost her balance as she tripped. "Eep!!"

Gaara looked behind and realized what he just did. "Sakura!!!" Gaara tossed his scrolls away carelessly and tried to save her.

But it was too late…

-tbc-

Ah.. cliffie! Not my best… Am I boring you? By the way, this is not NaruSaku. This is PURELY GaaSaku!

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oh, and please r n r my another gaasaku fic, My Pink Haired Friend:D