Title: Allow me to elucidate
Fandom: Naruto
Prompt: #13 - Wrong, 100_prompts
Character/Pairing: Sabaku no Gaara/Haruno Sakura
Word Count: 2869
Summary: "Sakura soon learned that Suna no Akaoni didn't know the meaning of the word restraint."

~xxx~

Things like this weren't supposed to happen. Sakura was very much aware of that. Situations like the one she was currently in simply weren't standard procedure.

There was a full-out war on the brink of exploding and the armies of the alliance had gathered to fight back Iwagakure's tyrant and send him back to his own country. There was an atmosphere of severe determination all around. It could be clearly seen in the eyes of all nin as they went about their daily chores, coming and going on missions. All of them were here to wield battle and to protect what they held dear.

Knowing all this didn't help Sakura. As a matter of fact, it only helped to emphasize the erroneous path her life had suddenly taken. Being surrounded by her fellow ninja and the seriousness of their demeanour only accentuated the wrongness of her circumstance.

This was the reason why, back against the bark of a tree hidden in the shadows while Suna no Akaoni's mouth assaulted her lips and his roaming hands slipped under her clothing, Sakura tried her best to put a stop to their heated exchange.

Not that it was the first time it happened.

After the meeting with both their Shoguns, they had been given a week to prepare for their infiltration mission. Both of them had been relieved from participating in any other assignments and were left to their own devices. It was the least they could be afforded when they were about to risk their lives for the good of them all. In Sakura's case, at any rate; why Gaara should get time off was something the pink haired kunoichi didn't understand. He'd only be coming in at the last minute while she did most of the risking. But since her safety depended on him being content (or as content as a maladjusted demon ever could be), she kept her opinions to herself.

It was only when she stepped into her tent that night and found him waiting for her that she realized his having time off could bring about other kinds of unforeseen consequences. Sakura didn't even have time to open her mouth to question his presence before he was upon her. His hard mouth settled over hers while his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close and refusing to let go until he'd reduced her to a mass of gelatinous limbs. Admittedly, she hadn't put up much of a fight. After having tasted him once and experiencing the thrill of garnering the attention of a man such as him, Sakura was more than willing to be assaulted by his person.

What harm could it do? The enjoyment they were experiencing was definitely mutual.

But her inexperience when dealing with rampant sand demons became evident. The whole incident should have warned her: Suna no Akaoni's fixations were a serious thing indeed. Nothing could come between him and whatever he set his eyes on. And from the looks of it, pink haired kunoichi were very much included in this premise.

A series of impromptu encounters throughout the entirety of the next day had left her floundering. The redhead seemed to appear out of nowhere, his sole intent to steal her breath away in hasty interludes while she ran small errands for her Shogun. He'd show up with no announcement, pull her towards the nearest available cover and assault her senses with his lips, tongue and teeth. But due to the busy camp, such exchanges couldn't last long; there was always someone walking nearby or approaching. As a consequence, he'd disappear as swiftly and stealthily as he'd come, leaving her there to regain her lost bearings and wonder if she'd just imagined the whole thing.

Things were worse at night. He'd slither his way through the camp after lights out, silently and craftily like the demon he was, and slip into her tent. The first time he'd done it she'd almost strangled him. How could he even think he could get away with something like that? Her Shogun's tent was right next to hers and Tsunade-Shishou's chakra perception was more developed than anyone elses. Of course she'd know if there was someone in her pupil's tent, especially if that someone was a demonic sand fiend.

The reprobate had simply smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Why don't we take it elsewhere then?" he'd remarked, sweeping her into his arms before disappearing both of them in a cloud of sand.

He'd taken her to the edge of the woods and under the shadow of a tall tree, had proceeded to rid her of her protests and apprehension. An exercise he'd repeated the very next night. Both of them had ended up in a semi-naked state, breathing hard as their damp skins mingled in a daze of shared euphoria.

Sakura soon learned that Suna no Okaoni didn't know the meaning of the word restraint.

Currently, this was the third time he spirited her away in the middle of the night. It seemed the more he touched her, the more his fixation grew. Of course, the condition was far from one-sided. Whenever she caught his scent on the wind or became aware of his presence, her heart would leap into her throat and her skin would crave the feel of his hands. His eyes were already a particular favourite: their jade depths shifting to a darker shade whenever he looked at her with lascivious intent.

Naturally though, there were moments of perfect lucidity in which she wondered just what the hell she was doing. Not only were the conditions completely inappropriate but the man she was tangling with himself was something altogether unsuitable.

Here she was, in the middle of a war camp, tangling her limbs in the shadows with a volatile demon of the first rate.

It was inevitable for her reason to kick in.

"Gaara," she gasped after attempting to pull back from his fierce kiss for the third time, "we really shouldn't be doing this."

He growled in response. "You're not about to tell me you don't like, you liar." Teeth scraping down the side of her neck, the redhead lifted his hand inside her shirt to trace his fingers under the contour of her breast.

Sakura sucked in a tight breath in response. "It's not that!" she exclaimed, trying to sound firm. "This is...this is... dammit, it's just wrong."

Admittedly, she could have used another term to express herself but given the heated circumstances, it was the best word she could come with.

The way Gaara suddenly tensed in her arms however, and the manner with which he swiftly removed his hands before taking a step back, made her realize she'd made a mistake.

Abruptly bereft of his warmth while still immersed in a pleasurable haze, it took her mind a moment to catch up with what her senses were telling her. When her eyes blinked and turned up to look at him, the expression on his face made her gulp visibly.

The change in his attitude had happened from one second to the next and completely without any warning. From the emanations of his chakra, it was as if the man standing in front of her was a completely different person. It was the clearest evidence she'd witnessed of the volatility of his nature yet.

Jade eyes were narrowed, a furious glint in their depths. "You think this is wrong?" As he spoke, he gestured with his hand between their bodies and Sakura noticed the disturbingly controlled tone of his voice.

It was enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. 'And I'm sure he isn't even truly angry yet,' the pink haired kunoichi thought in dismay. She wasn't sure in what way she'd stepped out of line but it was necessary to rectify her blunder. Her survival instincts kicked in and accurately told her that being submissive was the only way to come out of this unscathed. Going about this smartly was definitely in her best interest.

She breathed out deeply, choosing her words carefully. "No, it's not wrong per se. It's just that, well, we are in the middle of a war encampment," she said, her frustration genuine.

It seemed her statement was step in the right direction. There was a slight lessening of tension in his shoulders but he still crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke. "What's that got to do with anything?"

Shaking her head inwardly, Sakura knew it was useless to explain this kind of subtle circumstance to a demon. Nonetheless, she gave it a shot. "Well, the atmosphere here is rather solemn. People here know they will be out in the battlefield soon, not knowing if they will die or if those they love will make it out alive. We're here to fight for the rights of our countries against a man who plans to take it all away. It's not the ideal setting for the development for a clandestine affair, is it?"

The redhead seemed to consider her words, cocking his head to the side. But in the end he found them lacking. "If death will be coming upon us soon, all the more reason to make the best of life while we can, don't you think?"

Sakura refrained from smacking her forehead with her palm. Trust him to come up with that kind of conclusion. "Yes but..." she trailed off, unable to find words to make him understand.

"But what?" he asked. There was a strain of anger thrumming through him still.

"We've been creeping away like guilt-ridden teenagers who are afraid of getting caught," she replied sullenly. "It's not very adult-like, is it?"

"It's not like we have much of an option," he countered testily, "how else am I supposed to spend time with you?"

'Spend time with me?' Sakura thought in shock. She did her best not to gape too much at his words. Unpredictability really was one of his most prominent traits. What the hell was he saying? All these encounters had happened solely because he wanted to get into her pants...right? There was no other reason behind them.

"What do you mean?" she finally asked, unable to hide her perplexity.

His anger increased in intensity as he spoke. "How else are we supposed to bloody manage it? I can't very well just come up to you in the middle of camp. You saw the looks they threw our way when we met here for the first time."

Emerald eyes blinked in utter confusion. "I don't-"

"Sakura, I fucking know I'm a monster!" he shouted, his voice livid. "You don't need to remind me!"

Dark tendrils of chakra snaked all around him, immersing him in shadow. Teeth bared in a silent snarl, the redhead turned to walk away.

The pink haired kunochi had no idea of where the hell they were standing anymore. Unable to follow his reasoning, which seemed to make a lot of sense to him, it would be an understatement to say she was treading on dangerous ground. His words were simply not adding up. But she'd be damned if she'd let him walk away!

She whipped out her hand and caught his forearm in an iron grip. "I wouldn't have labelled you the type who actually cared about what others thought." Her voice was grim, barely hiding her own infamous temper.

Jade eyes turned from where her hand was gripping him towards her face. "I don't give a rat's ass about what others think about it me. But you, I'm afraid, are a different story."

That last verbal jab was like a strike of lightning, illuminating the obscure recesses she'd been unable to see. He thought she actually cared about the opinions of others! It was why he'd been meeting with her clandestinely, away from prying eyes, and the reason why his anger was triggered in the first place when she said this whole thing was wrong.

The idiot thought she cared about what others might think if they saw her with him!

In his own messed up and twisted way, he thought he was being considerate by keeping their exchanges hidden in the shadows. Something which, given the high levels of heat they'd reached, wasn't an entirely bad thing. But the reason why he'd initiated such surreptitious encounters to begin with was something else altogether. Gaara thought she wanted to keep their liaison hidden because it was something she'd be ashamed of.

Between the utter lack of communication and the confusion of lustful tendencies, one thing was entirely clear: apart from being insane, Suna no Akaoni was the most asinine male on the face of the planet.

It was too much for her female sensitivities to bear. Her temper snapped its leash.

"Don't you dare imply I give a damn about what others say about you and me!" she shouted; it was her turn to be livid. "How could you even think I'd be worried about what people say when I was the one who approached you in public in the first place! I was the one who looked for you! And here you are telling me I give a damn about the opinions of others. You cannot be serious!

His eyes had gone wide in surprise. Sakura wasn't sure if it was because of her anger or because of what she was saying. Either way, she wasn't about to back down now.

"I can talk to whoever I want, whenever I want in front of whoever I want!" she continued to exclaim. "Don't you dare catalogue me with the shallow and superficial. So you're a raging lunatic with an inclination for mayhem and destruction... so freaking what? I can talk to any lunatic I want and if I want to kiss one in public, I can bloody hell do so too!"

As she finished, Sakura lunged forward and grabbed the neckline of his vest. Pulling him down, she smacked her lips against his, uncaring if he was still angry. Without giving him time to react, she forced his mouth open and lured his tongue out with her own. She kissed him thoroughly and deeply, not wanting to leave any sliver of a doubt that she was kissing him exclusively because she wanted to.

After having made her point, she pulled back, catching his lower lip between her teeth and moaning slightly with delight.

Jade eyes blinked down at her. It was Gaara's turn to be confused.

"If that's the case," he said; after her little display, his anger had dissipated just as quickly as it had come, "then why the hell did we stop kissing in the first place?"

She had to chuckle at the annoyed tone in his voice. "Because we are not going to keep creeping about like criminals," she told him firmly. "If you, errr, want to spend time with me as you said, then you can come to see me like any other person would."

The expression on his face made it evident he wasn't entirely convinced with this.

Sakura smiled up at him, shaking her head slightly. He really was clueless. In many aspects, just like she'd thought before, he really was just like small boy. This made her wonder about the many experiences he'd most likely lived through to turn him the way he was. It wasn't a happy notion and she filed away the thought for future examination.

For now, there were more pressing matters to attend to. From the looks of it, especially because of the mission they'd be performing together, she wasn't going to be rid of him anytime soon. Therefore, she would have to dedicate herself to managing him effectively.

"Since you're not doing anything, then you can help me finish my tasks for Tsunade-Shishou during the day," Sakura told him with a mischievous smile. "You might as well be useful."

The redhead shook his head. "Like hell I am! I'll keep you company but I'm not working for anybody."

"Fine!" she replied with a roll of her eyes. "However, we are going to keep your groping tendencies down to a minimum. People won't appreciate it you're too openly making a grab for me, especially not under the political circumstances. Kisses are fine but only so much. We need to keep in mind that there we are all on the brink of war."

He groaned his complaint. "I'd rather stick to our clandestine meetings." As he spoke, he snaked an arm around her and pulled her up against his hard frame.

"No, no more skulking around!" she scolded. Despite her tone, she draped herself happily over him. "Besides, don't you get it? If we're seen together in public, then no one is going to question your presence in my tent at night, not even Tsunade-shishou."

Her voice was perfectly sinful, a tact she'd learned from him.

As Gaara caught up with what she was saying, his lips parted in his characteristic grin: all wiles and trickery.

"I guess this approach has its advantages," he admitted, before lowering his mouth to hers once again.

Smiling into his kiss, Sakura couldn't help but apply herself to providing him with more proof of said admission.