A week passed. It passed by very slowly, sure, but it passed.
I saw Gaara pretty often in that week, though I never talked to him again. I was always seeing him from afar, talking with some important person or other. I never had the courage to go to him again. All I could do was stalk him from a distance.
I watched him saying goodbye before he left. He really is a good diplomat. No one would have expected it of the psychotic child who killed for pleasure, but he grew up to become a good leader for his people. I felt so proud of him that day, for all the things he's accomplished.
And now here I am, on my way back to Suna with the same man as guide I had the first time. He smiles to see me back again.
"Couldn't stay away miss?" He asks. I shake my head and he nods knowingly. "The desert's got her claws in you now."
I guess he doesn't know that the desert is a man.
I start to feel excited in the afternoon, knowing that we're getting close. I can't wait to see the city again, and all the people I've missed. I suppose I'll be seeing a lot more of Seri in the future, since she was the one who asked for me, but I can't help wishing it was Gaara. I wish he wanted me too.
Maybe I'll get to see my students again. They're probably not mine anymore though; I doubt they'll have saved my post for long after I left, considering that I wasn't supposed to be coming back after only a week.
"So, I hear things are a bit of a mess lately." I comment to the guide.
He nods. "There are explosions in the city almost every day. They're not always lethal, but it makes it hard to go on living, you know?" He spreads his arms out. "Of course, out here in the desert, it's not like that at all. Out here, it's still peaceful." He turns to glance sideways at me and grins. "If you're ever in need of a little peace and quiet then miss, you know where to come."
No caravan comes for us this time. I get to see the city as we approach, and I feel a surge of happiness in my chest at the sight of it. I think: "It's good to be home." And I know that it's true.
The guide leaves me at the city limits. "I'm sure you can find your way from here." He says with a smile, and then turns and heads back out into the desert. I watch his back as he leaves, wondering what it would be like to live as he does. I don't think he ever leaves the desert.
I turn back to the city and walk to the embassy. It feels sort of strange to be back after so little time and to see how it has changed. I walk past the ruins of a building that I know used to be a home. I suspect that there are many buildings like this in the city lately.
The people though, are as energetic as ever. They go about life as they always do. The people of Suna are probably the most resilient people in the world; nothing seems to faze them. Nothing can send them into hiding.
When I reach the embassy it is full of people. But these people aren't diplomats, they are the injured. I look around, almost in despair at all the people who have been hurt in the attacks. No wonder they requested my help.
I walk over to a woman putting a splint on a man's leg and ask her what I can do to help. She looks up at me in surprise for a moment, and then shakes her head. "You're Sakura Haruno right? You're supposed to go see Seri right away." She points down the hall, and I follow her directions obediently, knowing that if Seri heard I had tried to help before going to see her she would never forgive me.
I find her in a smaller room, her unmistakable voice floating out of the half opened door. When I peek my head in I see that she's with Temari, and they both look up at the same time, with nearly identical expressions of surprise to see me there.
"Hey guys."
"When did you get here?" Temari asks. "I didn't even know you were in the city!"
I shrug. "I just got here. I came here right away, since there was no welcoming committee at the gates or anything…"
Temari snaps her fingers and makes a face. "I knew I was forgetting something!"
Seri rolls her eyes and puts an arm around her shoulders. "You've seen all the people in the lobby then. The hospital was bombed two days ago, and even though most of it is still intact the Kazekage told us to move everyone here. Since they haven't been near any political figures or buildings yet, he said this would be one of the safest places to put them. And he was right; these bombings…"
"Seri." Temari interrupts. "She just got here a few minutes ago. No need to bother her with things like that. And you make it sound so much worse than it is." She shakes her head and takes my shoulders out of Seri's grasp, leading me out into the hall. "We've actually caught most of the criminals by now. They're not really a big deal…"
"Not a big deal!" Seri protests, following close behind. "They bombed my hospital!"
Temari ignores her and goes on. "We just need to rebuild. And that's why you're here; to help fix things up. Seri thinks it will be so much better with you here helping, as does my brother, and I think they might be right." She smiles at me, and I'm thinking, 'So does her brother!' and smiling right back.
"If I know you, and I like to think I do, you want to get to work right away don't you?" Temari says, talking more for Seri's benefit than for mine. "So I'll leave you to it and get back to my very business. See you later!"
She waves and Seri and I watch as she walks around the corner and out of sight. Seri turns to me with a very serious look on her face. "I'm glad you're here. The Kazekage won't really admit it, but we need the help. If we can just get these people fixed up…"
I put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "I know Seri. Just tell what needs to be done, and I'll do it."
By the end of the day I'm thoroughly exhausted. I can barely keep my eyes open when Seri tells me it's time for me to rest. I'm about to lie down right there and sleep on the floor when Temari comes in. I wonder, not for the first time, how she always seems to have such perfect timing.
"You're still awake?" she asks. She waves and smiles at a woman lying in a cot on her way across the room to me. "Isn't it time you were in bed?"
"I was just about to…" I tell her, motioning at the very inviting piece of floor I found for myself.
"Oh good. Get to bed then; I have something to talk with Seri about. Where is she, by the way?"
I point in the direction of the dining room. I think she said something about going to the dining room. Then I sit down on the floor.
"What are you doing?" Temari asks, staring down at me.
"Resting. What does it look like?"
She sighs and shakes her head. "Go to your room Sakura. We kept the last room you had for you, so I'm sure you can find it." Then she shrugs and smiles. "Well, ok, we didn't exactly keep it for you since you left, but since we sent all the foreign ambassadors and such away; your room has become free again."
I get to my feet slowly, swaying slightly. "Why did they do it Temari? Who are these people?"
She pats my shoulder. "They're no one." Then she pushes me towards the stairs and walks away to find Seri.
I walk up the stairs and down the familiar hallway until I reach my door. For a minute I stand with my hand on the door handle, remembering the room. Everything is the same. I open the door, and then stand in the doorway, frozen in surprise.
This is not the same room I left. That room was cold and impersonal. This one is full of life and colour. This room is full of cacti. They cover nearly every surface in the room. On the counter sits a row of flowering cacti, their flowers blooming with spectacular colours, from blue to purple to bright yellow. In the corner stands a huge cactus that reaches up to the ceiling.
A peace offering.
I walk into the middle of the room and twirl around, looking at all the cacti set up around the room. I know who did this, and at this moment I love him more than I've ever loved anyone before.
I walk out onto the balcony and look out across the city. Where is he? The scent of a flowering cactus on the balcony floats around on the desert wind, tickling my nose. And another scent comes to me on the wind. Not a scent exactly, but a direction to follow anyway. I jump off the balcony and leap across rooftops; my fatigue forgotten in my excitement.
There is still hope.
I follow his scent out of the city, out into the desert. And then there he is, standing alone in the moonlight, as I've seen him before. So beautiful.
He turns and sees me as I approach. He opens his mouth to say something, but I'm on him and knocking him over before he has a chance to get a sound out.
"I love you!" I yell. It feels so good to finally say it, to get it out. "It was all a misunderstanding. I found your note when I got back to Konoha and I was so sad; I just wish I had found it earlier, so we never would have had to be angry. I thought you didn't care about me anymore, and so when I found out I was so… I was so…You don't hate me?"
"Not at all." He answers. I notice his smile, blue in the moonlight. "I wish I'd never written that note in the first place; it caused a lot more trouble than any piece of paper should." He says, still smiling somehow. His lips look so delicious and inviting that I can't help myself; I have to kiss him. I have no trouble keeping my smile down to kiss him – I've wanted it for so long.
"Oh." He says once I've decided that breathing is a good thing and backed off a bit. I lean back as he sits up under me. "I hope you didn't break it…" He reaches into a bag he was carrying and pulls out a small plant that I recognize immediately.
"You found my cactus!" I exclaim, taking it from his hands and hugging it to my chest. This is the best day ever!
"It was found at the hospital just after you left. There was no note or anything, no explanation, but there it was…"
I hug Gaara tightly, too happy to form proper words at the moment. I can only make happy noises to let him know just how happy I am. After a moment he hugs me back.
"I never really believed you would be back." He says. "When I saw you again in Konoha I thought you looked so sad, and it hurt…" He takes the necklace in his fingers. I haven't taken it off since I found it in my bag. "I didn't know what to think."
"Well you are a fool you know." I say, trying to sound serious. I must have succeeded, because he looks at me with a confused look. He almost looks hurt. "For thinking that I would play with you, and pretend to love you. Love is a serious matter; it is not to be taken lightly."
"Not like death." Gaara answers, reminding me of a conversation we had a long time ago, out here. He remembers everything, doesn't he?
"Not like death." I agree. "Death isn't such a big deal, now that I have you."
Gaara smiles and falls back. I lie down with my head on his chest, content that I can be near him, as much as I want now. With both him and my cactus back in my life, I couldn't be happier.
After a minute he takes my hand and intertwines his fingers with mine. His touch makes me feel like I'm lighting up from the inside. Beside him, I feel like the moon.
"Something to look forward to…" he murmurs.
I watch as in the east the sun rises over the desert, turning the sands to gold.