A/N: Sorry for the wait, I've been caught up in school things. There's a slightly large time skip here, but more of the plot is beginning to be unraveled. OOCness out the butt.

Chapter 5: Reveal

SPOV

It had been 3 months since he showed up on my doorstep with flowers in hand and a smoldering look in his bright green eyes. Kakashi had since left but questioned me to near death on the meaning of the boy's kind gesture. To say he was territorial was the least, but the tensions rolling in waves between him and who he deemed the boy was enough to know not to keep the two within a mile of one another. Life had been strange now that I actually looked forward to going to class early and working on my final project.

*3 months before*

Time alone with Gaara didn't even begin to shed light on anything about him. If anything things had started to become strange; both in good and bad ways. In the midst of one of our project study sessions a couple weeks or so after the 'flower incident' he received a phone call. I figured he'd answer it, but as he glanced at the name blinking from his smart phone his nostrils flared and he went right back to typing madly on his laptop. Maybe it was a person he didn't like to speak to? I often had the same reaction when my own mother called and I wasn't in the mood for her poking and prodding which had only seemed to get worse over the months as she noticed my rather chipper attitude. Being around Gaara certainly did make me happy knowing that he had some sort of thing for me, but we'd yet to get into some sticky romance situation where I was shoved against some hard object or surface and kissed senseless.

The phone rang again but he didn't answer. He looked up and I gave him a pointed look of scrutiny before going back to my work, only for his phone to ring again. A gust of air left his flared nostrils while he angrily picked up the phone and muttered an "Excuse me" before shuffling into the next room where I heard hushed words of aggression. To say the phone call was strange would have been an understatement but the foul mood he returned in could only be described as one of extreme vexation; and damn did I like it on him.

"What was that about?" I half expected him to say something along the lines of a determined telemarketer or an irate family member.

He seemed to be contemplating an answer before he looked towards me, "Nothing."

I didn't question it; but should I have?

More often than not when we were together for our study sessions, at my house, or out for coffee he'd get a call, have a hushed conversation, and say he had to leave. I never suspected it was another woman because he always seemed angry, but who was I to challenge that when I was anything but his woman since he hadn't even broached the subject after uttering he liked me over the telephone along with that suggestive phone gesture on my doorstep. I was fully prepared to play a game of cat and mouse but hadn't considered him bowing out before it had even started. I felt like I was dealing with two people most of the time. A caged up guy without a whole lot to say, or the smoldering red head with a haughty personality waiting to be unleashed from the depths of himself. That's the Gaara I wanted to get to know; my smoldering red head.

*Present*

He'd changed in the last 3 months and I couldn't quite put my finger on what exactly it was that caused all of it. Sure he was more open than I'd ever seen him and certainly even more attractive. It seemed to become his personal life goal to work out Monday through Friday wherever he could squeeze it in around classes and our study sessions, not that I complained. I appraised his strong forearms while I sat next to him in Orochi's class. The subtle hump of his pectorals on days he only wore t-shirts and no jacket. Seemingly in a few months his face was losing the boyish roundness it held and a more defined man was being born. I attributed it to his workouts, but haughty and confident Gaara was making more of an appearance than he had in the beginning months of knowing him. His gaze lingered as well as his hands now. He made it a point to slowly brush his sculpted and refined chest across my soft pliant body whenever given the chance. And today he looked damn good as he strolled in the minute Orochi called us down for our presentation.

He wore charcoal grey tailored slacks, tapered to the T for his long and well-muscled legs, as I could see. A light blue button down stretched across his chest and slightly broad shoulders, clashing dangerously with his blood red hair and dazzling green eyes. His hands were in his pockets as he waited for me to descend the stairs of the lecture hall, and his charcoal slacks stretched deliciously over his toned thighs. I almost tripped at the sight but gained my composure enough to look him square into his eyes that danced with mirth. Yeah, he just watched me check him out.

The presentation was harmless enough, even though I stammered through it like an incoherent bimbo. Gaara spoke intelligently and flawlessly might I add. The female population of the class was melted into goo as his gravelly baritone carried across the lecture hall. It bothered me, so I crossed my arms in an attempt to physically hold the aggression at bay. It's not like those girls even gave two shits about him months ago before he decided to start working out and got even hotter. Fifty sets of eyes turned towards me at once as if they could hear my train of thought and I looked quizzically at them and then Gaara to discover it was my turn to take over the presentation again. He smugly raised his eyebrows at me and I gave him a disdainful look before beginning my part, lying with my eyes to crush whatever hopes he may have had that I'd been too busy daydreaming about him to remember it was my turn. He didn't need to know everything, right?

As we left the building that day after class he turned to me, the April sun catching his red hair just right, "Easy A. I mean because I did my part, and there's no way I messed that up..but you.." he hinted.

It was easy to pretend to be mad when your pride was hurt. My cheeks flamed and I furrowed my brow in embarrassment, "Oh please, I did my part plenty. I just had a bit of a late night..." Fantasizing.

That haughty look with the eyebrow raise was back and I glared at him. "Coffee? My treat?" he offered, and I couldn't refuse.

We took his sleek black sports car he'd become accustomed to driving a lot now, as he insisted that his car was the only option seeing as how he couldn't have a small woman drive him around in a large truck. Hurt his pride. We'd be back to pick up my truck later.

He merged onto the highway, or should I say raced, because nothing was ever slow with him in this car it seems. I was too caught up with my thoughts of him in our first visit to the coffee shop that I hadn't noticed much about the car or the speed at which he was zigzagging through traffic. It was a stick shift, but you couldn't tell by how fluidly it moved. He effortlessly changed gears and it almost looked as if he wasn't moving anything from the bicep up because of how easy he made it look. His forearms tensed and tendons stretched as he switched gears again and I didn't think I'd ever get tired of watching him drive. We pulled up to a small café tucked in between two boutiques on a busy street in the city. Gaara busied himself with feeding the meter for the parking space and I wandered over to one of the boutiques that flanked the coffee shop.

I cleaned close to the store window glass and marveled at the cute dresses and colorful tops on display throughout the store; spring was a beautiful season for fashion indeed.

"See something you like?" A rough older man's voice came from beside me, startling me out of my thoughts.

I turned towards him and my heart sank in my chest while simultaneously doubling in speed. He had grey hair and a long scar that slanted from one side of his face to the other. He wore a white suit with a black dress shirt and a sneer that made my blood run cold.

"I-I'm sorry, I was just looking. I'll go!" I stammered out, ready to make a mad dash to Gaara, hoping he'd put his new muscles to use on this creepy old guy.

"Nonsense!" The old man latched onto my forearm as he reached for something behind his back. "Come with me and I'll buy you all the things you want…Eventually. I might just be able to get along with you real swell."

His body reeked of cologne as he tried to bring me closer to him while I struggled to get away. Where was Gaara when I needed him? I was just about to scream bloody murder for him when his heady smell drifted up through my nose and a warm but firm hand drifted around my waist.

"Let her go right now if you knows what good for you," Gaara all but spat in the older man's face.

"Gaara! I was waiting for you to make an appearance. Why don't you save me the headache here and just let me take her? Boss doesn't want complications in public. "The older man smiled jovially like he was best friends with Gaara and he wasn't discussing kidnapping me in broad daylight.

My gaze flickered hurriedly between the man and Gaara wishing that the world would swallow me up whole. I was Sakura and this sort of thing just didn't happen to me. No way was this guy serious and why the hell hadn't Gaara done anything! I prepared again to scream bloody murder and yank my hand away from the man who started reaching behind him again, before Gaara's quick movements ripped the air right out of my chest.

Gaara had reached behind his person and had seemingly pulled a handgun out of nowhere because I didn't see it tucked into his trousers earlier when I ogled his backside. His hands were firm and not at all trembling as if he used a gun often. He released the safety and stared intently into the man's eyes. To onlookers it seemed as if the questionable man wasn't ready to give up his time with me to my 'boyfriend' with the way Gaara clutched me to him like a lifeline. No one could see Gaara's gun except maybe a customer in the boutique which so happened to be empty. My heart palpated and went into double time as the enormity of the situation caught up with me to confirm my fears. Yes I really was about to be kidnapped, yes Gaara had a gun out, and at this moment, no I did not know if my future looked so promising.

"Cut the shit and let my Angel go. I won't ask again," came Gaara's terse reply.

I whipped my head around so fast as his Angel comment, I'm surprised I didn't get whiplash on the spot. I was his what?

All fake happiness vanished from the mystery man and he gruffly let me go, not wanting to make a scene. He took a couple steps back with his hands lightly held in the air, a twinkle in his eyes, "I'll be back for her, and you can count on it. This is only the beginning." He smiled before rounding the corner and I rounded on Gaara.

"What the hell was that and what the hell is this?" I shouted while pointedly looking at the gun he still held out in his hand.

He shoved the gun back into his waistband to hide it from view before forcedly pushing me towards the car with his hand on the small of my back. "We can't talk about this here, right now. Just get in the car."

I dug my heels into the ground, my fight or flight instincts kicking in. "Just get in the car? You pull out a damn gun and you expect me to just get into the car with you?" I asked incredulously while his look soured deeper and deeper into irritation.

"Look Angel, we don't have time for this. I need you to get in the car and I'll try to explain it later."

His Angel comment once again practically deterred me from rational thought. "Angel? Why do you keep calling me Angel? Gaara tell me what's going on?" I pleaded him with my eyes.

His cheeks tinted red as he realized he'd called me Angel to my face and I'd picked up on it, "It suits you." He said simply and opened the passenger door for me. "Now get in…please."

I huffed and got in the car only because his comment made me feel special, and because he said the word please.

He peeled out of the parking space and tore back onto the highway in a matter of minutes. His hands gripped the steering wheel like I'd never seen before, occasionally albeit angrily switching gears to increase his speed. I knew I couldn't get the answers I wanted out of him to the more important questions right now, as if it weren't already implied by the firm 'later' he'd stated before I got in the car.

"So, it suits me you said?" I hedged.

He glanced distractedly at me before switching lanes and making a show of looking over his shoulder for other cars, in order to hide his blush. "Uh, yeah."

"What did you mean by that?"

"I meant what I said, it just suits you." He said flabbergasted.

"Do you call me that often? I've never heard you say it but you said it like it was…like it was my name or something…" I trailed off, a blush taking purchase over my face. I liked the thought of Gaara thinking of me as his Angel, beside the whole dangerous situation it came out in.

"A lot, in my head." He admitted while shifting in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the questioning. "Does it bother you or something?" He reversed our questioning roles.

"Nope." I stated simply and stared out the window.

-A.o.D-

Gaara instructed me to sit on the couch while he paced the kitchen and made a number of calls. I glanced warily at him from the sofa every ten seconds or so as his responses to the person speaking with him got worse and worse. His hands occasionally gripped his hair, a habit that seemingly developed over night. He stomped from one side of the kitchen to the next, and gripped onto the granite island countertop in the middle of the room. Haughty frustrated Gaara was making an appearance all over again like he had when he'd pulled out that gun earlier, and damn me because I liked it. I squirmed in my seat looking pointedly at the ground in front of me. I was having vivacious thoughts about haughty Gaara after having been almost kidnapped? I was seriously messed up. Gaara came strolling back into the room after his short conversation, still looking delicious in his button down and tailored slacks. He pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows, a confident smirk slowly taking over his features as he watched my appreciative gaze. Damn him!

He took up pacing in front of me before he abruptly stopped and turned towards me, towering over my figure.

"Ask me anything you want to know, right now, before anyone shows up." He said sternly, his eyes taking on a crazed look.

Anyone? Who was anyone? And what was anyone going to do to me?

"Anyone? Who's anyone? Are they coming to take me away like that man?" My heart started palpating in my chest again and I doubled over in panic, my head sinking into my hands while I breathed quickly.

He rushed towards me in an instant and bent down on one knee, his hands prying my own hands from my face. "What? No, of course not. I'd never let anyone take you away from me Angel." He caught my eyes as he spoke these words solidifying a promise between the two of us.

I nodded meekly and my breathing slowed. "Well what did that man want with me anyway? And why do you have a gun?" I looked wearily down at his waistband, almost inching back.

He rolled his eyes and took the gun out, holding it in one hand up in surrender before releasing the clip and placing it and the gun on the glass end table. "I need it for protection nowadays. And that fowl man is someone you'll hopefully never have the pleasure of seeing for the rest of your days if I have anything to say about it." His face hardened and his jaw ticked in anger.

He was giving me the run around with his cryptic answers and it wasn't lessening my fears any at all. "What do you mean you need it for protection nowadays? Gaara what are you doing that warrants a weapon? Do you sell drugs? Is it drugs? You're a drug dealer?" I screeched as I pushed him away and he fell on his rump in front of me.

He laughed a loud boisterous laugh I never thought would ever come out of him before he rocked off his butt and back onto his knees. "Angel I absolutely wish I was just a drug dealer on the streets compared to the crap I unwantedly got dragged into."

I sobered at his heavyhearted tone and furrowed my brow, "Gaara, stop speaking in code. Tell me what's wrong." My life was seemingly in the balance and I wanted to know why.

He sighed before grabbing each of my hands in his and looking down at my lap before he went on to explain, "That man today, his name was Kabuto. He was trying to take you to get at me…" He let that sink in before he heaved another sigh and continued on. "You see, I'm not really who you think I am. My father, he's Jinchi Sabaku. Biggest mobster alive in California, and damnit does he have a lot of enemies."

His hold on my hands tightened as the color drained from my face while my mouth silently popped open.

"You see Angel, there's another man who's trying to take up residence in California as number one. His name is Hiruzen Sarutobi. He's the one who sent that man, Kabuto, after you today. Sarutobi put my father in the hospital 3 months ago and he's basically on his last leg as we speak. Given that I'm the only competent male within my siblings, I'm the one who's supposed to take his spot as head…"

I tried to wrap my mind around what it was he was telling me. Mobsters? A strange man sent by Sarutobi to kidnap me to get to Gaara? There was just so much I wasn't quite grasping.

"Sarutobi thinks that if he takes you from me he'll have leverage over me to make me step down and not take my rightful place as head. My sister can't be head because they don't allow for women to take over, and my numbskull brother would drive the Sabaku name right into the ground. Without a leader the Sabaku name means nothing and Sarutobi can take over as he pleases. My father's wish before he dies is that I take over, and as much as I dislike the man for not being around when I was a kid because he was 'caught up' in work, he's the only living parent that I have. My mom…" he choked out the word mom, "would never want me to turn my back on him." He composed himself and looked me square in the eye. "I told my dad I would only get involved in the family business if absolutely necessary, but until then I would enroll in medical school. But now they're after you to get to me and now I know I have to take over to ensure your safety with the many resources I will be able to tap into. I can't and won't let anything hurt you. You're the only thing that's made me happy in years Angel. You can't leave me."

I stared at him incredulously mulling over his colorful confession in my head, "Well I don't have much of a choice now do I?" I gave him a small smile and his eyes lit up temporarily with what could only be described as happiness. "But if I apparently mean so much to you that you would go postal and whip out a gun on a guy for me, why haven't you shown it?" I pouted as I looked up at him through my lashes. He was such a tease the last 3 months getting hotter and hotter but still withholding even a simple kiss.

A small sexy smirk took purchase on his small plump lips as he parted my knees to kneel between them, his palms planted on either side of my hips on the sofa as he leaned towards my face.

"You're thinking about my physical advances on you at a time like this?" He let out a breathy chuckle as my cheeks flamed and I nibbled on my lip as nerves coursed through my veins along with adrenaline.

"Yes!" came my airy reply.

He shook his head a couple times, still chuckling lightly. He stared at my eyes then my lips as his tongue darted out to wet his own. "Do you want to kiss me, Angel?"

I nodded mutely, not having enough confidence that my voice wouldn't crack. He leaned closer, dabbing his lips lightly with his pink tongue before he captured my bottom lip, suckling on it. His mouth was as hot as an inferno and an instant surge of energy pushed its way through my body, seeping out of every pore, akin to a light sweat. My heart hammered in my chest and I forgot how to breathe as he slowly and thoroughly worked his lips and meshed them with mine over and over. Maybe it was my lack of sexual encounters over the last year or so, but a hot burning itch needed to be scratched in the depths of my body. I rubbed my hands over his strong forearms past his slightly bulging biceps up his broad firm shoulders and into his soft unruly mop of red hair. I tugged and sighed into his open mouth as my tongue delved into the warm cavern sliding against his tongue, warring for purchase. My parted legs inched apart further and locked around his waist and I pulled him towards me, forgetting to act like a lady and showing him just how sexually frustrated he'd made me these past few weeks.

His hard chest came into contact with my soft breasts and I felt as well as heard a growl rip through him as he tried to grasp the cushions of the couch in his fists. He released my mouth with a small pop well before I was ready, and licked his red lips while his brow furrowed.

"Fuck, Angel." He said as breathless as I felt.

My eyes widened and a surge of pleasure went straight through my body to my core as I gripped his hair, more firmly locking him against my body with my legs. "Say it again," I demanded.

"Say what? Angel? I can stop that if you want." He looked a little sheepish and tried to pull away.

"No no, say it. Say fuck." I urged. Where was this wild side coming from?

Another sexy smirk took purchase over his face as he boldly emphasized the word Fuck before I pulled his face back down to mine in another searing kiss. He latched onto my lip with his teeth and nibbled to his heart's content. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, his front door burst open.

Gaara's movements were fluid and faster than I could comprehend as he grabbed his gun and clip from the end table, loaded, and cocked the gun at the intruders, all the while drawing me closer with his other arm, my legs still firmly wrapped around his waist.

A leggy blonde with sandy blonde wavy hair and deep blue eyes giggled as she took in the scene and turned towards a slightly taller man with jet black hair and a lazy expression. I gaped at her apparent nonchalance to a gun being pointed directly at her as she spoke to the droopy eyed man.

"I take it that's the girl?" she pointed at me.

Gaara put the safety back on the gun and lightly kissed my cheek, I was too dazed at this woman's blatant disregard to weaponry and Gaara's floodgate of physical affection to pay much attention to his whispered "I'm sorry about this."

A curt nod came from the gentleman with dark hair and the leggy blonde turned back towards me and Gaara. "Peachy!" she said as she looked from Gaara and her gaze fell on me, "You ever held a gun before Pinky? It's about time you learned a thing or two."

-A.o.D-

Review, and let me know what you think of this crazy plot unravel!