Last Chapter: "I'll tell you later, I promise." She looked skeptical. But then she offered her pinky.
"Promise?" she asked.
"Promise." I said, and locked fingers with her.
As we walked back towards the hotel, I muttered "This." Not loud enough for her to hear.
Disclaimer: Naruto, my quest to own you is almost finished! (wakes up) NOT AGAIN!
Apologies: Sorry it's been a couple months, guys. School went by in a blur- literally. It was very bland, not much color. So I'm writing the story before you kill me. Begin.
How it All Started...For Us
Gaara's POV
Ah, Gaara. You stupid, stupid fool. You should have told her how you felt last night, or this morning, or this afternoon. But NO, you just had to be a stupid, stupid, foolish moronic idiot. I shook my dirty red hair out of my eyes. It was annoying sometimes when you ran through the forest. It kept your body moving, yes, but your mind was free to roam. I should probably be worrying about the mission, but no- Gaara wanted to be selfish and greedy and focus on a girl who could never, ever, ever even begin to love him. And what about- hey wait, what am I telling her? Since when do I have feelings for the lollipop girl? Ugh. I shook my head a bit more and tried to think clearly.
It really wasn't fair, me being able to stay up all night. Sometimes it would be so amazing just thinking about the world, sometimes just kind of bland, thinking about the day ahead. But this, this was absolutely torturous. I wouldn't mind having dreams- even if the dreams were the same thing as my thoughts. At least I could say they were my unconscious. But no, this was my thought. I like the cotton candy hair girl now?
Please, I begged. Please let me stop thinking about her, just for awhile. Let me think about the mission for a bit. And that's just what I did.
It took almost all of the discipline I had learned over the years to focus. But when I did, it was quite rewarding. It was a simple task this one. Sakura was to help with the recent rise in injuries. It wasn't much, hardly one in twenty cases was considered 'major.' It wouldn't be exhausting work, just a bit of effort for someone like her. Hinata and Naruto would be doing some simple guard work. Luckily there weren't many missions in Konoha right now so Tsunade let me have Naruto. Of course, he'd probably be doing a lot of training on the job. And me, I would be doing my own work. Severe, heavy loads of paperwork. Exhausting, terrible work. Really, what was the point of a Kazekage or Hokage? They should have five designated people who do all the paperwork so I can go out and train the people of my homeland.
I sighed. Like that would work. Just do the work, and it will all get done eventually. Hopefully. How many trees were we cutting down for this? Maybe I should start an environmental program so there would be less paper usage- but then again, that would take an immense load of paperwork just to get started.
I loved evening, actually I loved all times of day. My favorite of course was midnight. The stars shone their brightest at that time. And dawn was definitely in the running.
I had just been on the edge of meditation when, out of the purple hazy night light a pink-headed little ninja caught my eye. She was sneaking out of her tent on the smooth ground that was our temporary camping ground. And where was she going? She looked around a bit, obviously confused. Well, I wasn't going to even let her think about leav- "Gaara?" she whispered, cautiously, quietly, urgently. It took me a moment to calm myself down from realizing she was looking for me.
"Yes?" I said, flipping myself upside down from the tall oak tree that I had been perched in until now. I was just about a foot above her this way, my red locks falling straight down. She didn't seem fazed by my sudden upturning. Or downturning, since I flipped and- whatever. Too much pausing. Bad idea for a ninja.
"Wait I'll sit up there with you." she said, and I paused for one moment more before regaining my sitting position on the tall oak. She came just three seconds after I sat down. "Hey." she said in her lovely, chime-like voice.
"Sakura, you should go back to sleep. You'll need it, we're going to be in the desert tomorrow and there's bound to be a storm or tw-" She stopped me. And my heart stopped with it. She smiled at me. And if that wasn't enough to make my mind spin, she actually put her finger to my lips. Bad idea, Sakura. What I did in the proceeding seconds, I won't ever know. I could have remained perfectly still and showed that I was vulnerable, or I could have grabbed her fingers and shoved them away. Either way, she ended up smiling. I guess it was the former, then.
"Gaara, really. I'm not tired yet." She said, her lips shining just a bit in the moonlight now. How long had we been here? I didn't say anything, just sat there, staring. She kept her smile for a minute more, and then it faltered. "But, I guess you probably don't want me here." She said, smile fading even faster. And then her words sped up like she was embarassed to be there. "It's fine, I'll just leave you alone. I'll see you in the morning okay?" And with that she stood up to jump from the tree. I caught her arm though. And then we just sat there in the tree for a minute. Or an hour, I don't know. Sakura, I don't ever want you to leave me, you idiot. But I couldn't say that. I just sat there, holding her wrist. Not moving, not talking.
I regained my thoughts before she did. And when I did, I was angry. She thought I didn't want her? What an idiot. I pulled her toward me roughly, but not enough to hurt her. I made sure she sat close to me. I knew she wouldn't mind, she wasn't the kind. And if she did, tough for her. She was going to sit as close as possible to me. And if anything hurt her, it would be immediately destroyed.
We sat there for an amount of time, I'll never know how much. But I didn't like that fact that she wasn't asleep. She was going to be tired tomorrow, and I didn't want to have to look at her face when the soreness set in. So I gently picked her up from the tree when she was on the edge of sleep. She was still conscious, still sitting with me. She murmured while I carried her back to her tent things like 'I'm not tired' 'put me down, I'm perfectly awake' and 'I'll be fine in a minute.' But I just kept walking back to her tent. She wouldn't fool me, and when the cool breeze whipped at her face she just dug deeper into my chest. I was blushing hardcore now, and I was glad I could hear the snores of everyone else.
I set her down in her tent and covered her up with her blankets before I turned to move. And then she called out to me in a very sleepy voice. I turned right back around. Then she gestured to me to come down to her level. I obeyed, and she whispered "thank you again, Gaara. For everything." But when I walked to her door, I heard her mutter one more almost incomprehensible thing. 'Stay, Gaara. It's okay.' And so I did.
I sat down on the otherside of her tent and just stared at her for a few good hours. I didn't really think, I just sat and watched. It was peaceful in the camp. Until about two hours before dawn.
Sakura began moving a bit more than she had. And then it turned to one kick, two kicks. She moved her arms. Then she almost began flailing. I became edgy, but waking up wouldn't be a good idea. Never wake a sleeping person, right? It was torture, watching her have a bad dream. And then she sat up, violently. She looked around quickly, looking all around the tent twice before she caught site of me.
"Ha, you did stay."
"Was it supposed to be a joke?"
"No, I just didn't think you would." She said, and grinned a lovely smile.
"Well then, you haven't met me, have you?" I said. And then I walked out of her tent. We were both grinning, a small joke between friends. I started to make a fire, even though it would be a few hours before Naruto and the rest woke up. I could tell Sakura was wide awake.
Sakura's POV
"Ha, you did stay."
"Was it supposed to be a joke?"
"No, I just didn't think you would." I said, and grinned a big smile.
"Well then, you haven't met me, have you?" he said, and walked out of my tent. I kept up my grin, but tried to contain my blush until he left.
'You're right, Subaku no Gaara.' I thought. 'I might not know you as well as I thought I did.' And as I began to get dressed in my summer outfit for the day ahead, another thought crossed my mind.
'But I'm gonna have a nice time getting to know you now. Count on it.'
END OF ZE CHAPTER!!!!!