Chapter Thirty Five: Mornings Eleven
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto but I wish I did; Believe It. I do own Sachiko Cloudishida, Katsura, Kentaro, Norihiro, and any other OCs in the story. I also own Sachiko's bloodline trait the Inazuma. Something else I'd like to say is that many of the titles are named after songs and the plot or the character's dialogue will often reveal lyrics from said songs.
Warning: Lemon… I didn't want it in this chapter at first but I have my reasons.
A/N: Hmm… what will this chapter bring?
Sachiko: Rays of sunshine?
Author-sama: You think too positively.
A smile spread across her face as the sun rose. It was time to start off her day. She searched the room for her husband but found it absent of his presence. She had guessed that perhaps he was up early doing paperwork. Her husband had often been doing paperwork, not wanting to lag behind on it just because he was on his honeymoon. She smiled fondly as she looked at his shirt he had left carelessly on the floor. He was dressed up in his Kazekage garb that morning because he had an early meeting with the council to tend to. He wouldn't return from his meeting until the late afternoon but that gave her time to herself to visit with her friends. She had promised to spend time with them that day even if the time was limited. She left the room and then proceeded on to the heart of Suna in search of the hotel her friends were staying at, excited to spend time with her best of friends that she had not seen in what seemed like ages.
She had decided to see her best friend first. She knew he wasn't much of a morning person but that furthered her decision more to spend time with him first. She had knocked on the door repeatedly waiting for him to answer when a drooling and half asleep boy stood in the doorway. He yawned slowly and rubbed at his eyes. He wore a silly little night cap on his head but it seemed to suit him. "Who is it Dattebayo?" The blonde boy looked up to the person because he or she had made no effort to answer his question. "Sachiko-chan," he chirped gleefully, awake now, "I should have known 'ttebayo! You're the only one who likes to wake me up like this for no reason." The whiskered Leaf shinobi grinned up at her as he let her through the door. "Let me get ready Sachiko-chan and I will be raring to go! Believe it!"
Sachiko nodded; she would wait patiently for the knucklehead to get ready. Naruto ran to the bathroom to brush his teeth and change. He popped out after he was finished with a goofy smile. "Let's get breakfast Naruto-kun," suggested Sachiko as the two walked out from his room and then out from the hotel.
Now in the streets of Suna, the two searched for the perfect place to eat breakfast. Sachiko truly missed Konoha at the moment, especially Ichiraku Ramen. That had been her and Naruto's place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In the Sand Village there was no such ramen place and if there was, it was nowhere near as good as Ichiraku. Sachiko motioned to Naruto when they spotted a place called Miyoshi. Naruto nodded in agreement and so the two friends headed in.
Naruto had asked repeatedly for ramen but the waitress only smiled at him awkwardly and then brought him miso soup. Naruto scowled down at the soup. He shrugged and began to eat. Sachiko had ordered the same and sipped her miso soup once she felt it was no longer scalding hot. She looked across the table to her dear friend and smiled. He looked back at her, thinking something was on his face. He pawed at his face like a cat, causing Sachiko to laugh. "There's nothing there," Sachiko remarked. Naruto looked up at her, frustrated.
"Sachiko-chan keeps staring at me," he said, making Sachiko laugh again because he was speaking to her in third person. He scratched at the top of his head for a moment and then stared back at her. "How is married life Sachiko-chan," Naruto asked her, changing the subject.
Sachiko shrugged. "It's been very unpredictable…" She murmured as she took more sips of her soup. She chewed vigorously on a green onion, savoring its flavor.
"How so, Sachiko-chan?" Naruto had finished all of his soup in one last big gulp and set the bowl on the edge of the table for the waitress to collect it.
"If you would have asked me yesterday I would have told you I've been hating it," Sachiko replied, "Gaara and I do nothing but fight all the time… Last night we sort of made up… I doubt the peace will last long between us though… We'll only fight again." Naruto nodded, trying to be a good listener and encourage her to keep going. Sachiko smiled sadly at her friend, wishing she could go back to Konoha with him and be happy all over again. "He's a difficult person… I try hard to love him… I really do but he has been pushing me away this whole time. It wasn't until last night that I saw that he truly made an effort to be kind to me."
"If Gaara is making an effort, then that's all that matters," said Naruto, stroking his chin in a silly manner.
"You don't understand Naruto-kun," Sachiko said to her friend. She then nervously looked around the restaurant before continuing in a low whisper that only Naruto's ears could hear, "He hits me…" Naruto's eyes popped open as an angry look over took his face. He pounded the table they were eating at and opened his mouth to speak but was quickly silenced by Sachiko. "Shh Naruto-kun," hushed Sachiko, "We can talk about it someplace private after we get the check." Naruto calmed himself down and nodded as Sachiko called the waitress over to ask her for the check.
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Sachiko had led Naruto down alleyway to alleyway. She followed a path that she had found one day after trying to get away from her husband. She zipped past some feral cats, careful not to disturb them, and then came upon a hole in a wall. She looked around carefully, checking for anyone that might have followed the two. "Come on," she whispered to Naruto as she crawled into the hole. Naruto followed her into the huge crack in the wall and found himself in a shabby and small room. Sachiko had pulled him into the opposite corner of the room and then began to push a crate against the crack to seal the opening.
Naruto scanned the room. It was run down and so he wondered how Sachiko came by it. Once he felt the coast was clear, he opened up his mouth to speak. "Sachiko-chan, why didn't you say anything before? Why didn't you write? He can't do that to you."
Sachiko slumped into a corner, defeated by her own big mouth. She really shouldn't have told Naruto and should have just dealt with it. There was about a fifty-fifty chance that Gaara would stop hurting her. "Listen Naruto-kun," Sachiko sighed, "I shouldn't have said anything… It just slipped out… Things are better now since last night."
"But what happens if things get worse," Naruto began to yell at her, anger crawling its way up to his eyes, "What happens if you get seriously injured? I'm going to have a talk with Gaara!"
"Naruto-kun," Sachiko said in a distressed voice, "Please just make one promise to me…"
"Nani," he asked, arms crossed meaning he meant business. If Naruto made a promise, he would keep it. It was one of his nindo; his ninja way.
"Gaara and I are on good terms at the moment… If he and I fight again and he hits me… then you can," Sachiko murmured to her blonde friend. She had come up with the plan instantly. She just wouldn't tell Naruto if anything else happened to her. She would stay silent and see that Naruto stayed out of it. "And you can't say any of this to my father… or Sakura and Ino… or Tsunade-sama… Not to anyone!"
"Fine, I promise," said Naruto, lips scrunched up from being upset, "I won't say anything to anyone but I will wait… but you'll tell me if he hurts you right?"
"Of course I will," Sachiko lied well, "Now let's get out of here… I still have to meet Sakura and Ino."
Naruto nodded. "Okay. I have to take Hinata-chan to lunch," Naruto said, chuckling. A blush spread across his cheeks as he scratched the back of his head.
"Uzumaki Naruto," Sachiko said, "I do believe you have a crush on Hinata-chan."
Naruto's face turned redder as he spoke, "Well at the festival last night…" Naruto didn't finish for he had broken into many nervous giggles.
"Yes," Sachiko encouraged, excited that her friend had made some progress finally.
"I was eating some ramen with Hinata-chan when it kind of just hit me that she was really pretty and has always been nice to me," Naruto explained, "My first crush was Sakura-chan but she was never nice to me because she liked Sasuke and always called me annoying 'ttebayo. You were my second crush Sachiko-chan and you've always been there for me no matter what but I knew that you like Kiba-kun and I didn't want the same thing to happen with you that happened with me and Sakura-chan…" Naruto grew quiet for a moment but Sachiko waited patiently for him to continue. "Then there's Hinata-chan… she used to drive me crazy because she was always whispering when she talked… She was too quiet and she got stepped on because of it. But then I thought, I'm pretty loud and so I could help her out."
"You can," agreed Sachiko, thrilled so much a smile had spread across her face.
"Opposites attract 'ttebayo," Naruto chirped happily as he grabbed at his toes, rocking back in forth like a rocking chair. "Now it's hard to talk to her… but that's okay… I'll ask her to be my girlfriend today at lunch. Believe it!"
"Naruto-kun," Sachiko said sternly, "You can't just ask her to be your girlfriend… you have to date her first." Sachiko removed the crate from the crack in the wall and crawled out from the room.
"Date her," asked Naruto, his blonde hair popping out from the hole in the wall.
"Yes Naruto-kun," Sachiko replied as she pulled her friend out from the outlet, thinking he had gotten himself stuck. She tugged hard; she had been correct in her assumption. She grunted as the boy finally flew out from there. She helped him back up to his feet and then dusted him off. "Naruto-kun you have to ask her out on a date… A then if it goes well you keep asking her out more… When the time is right you can ask her to be your girlfriend… make sure it's okay with Hyuuga-sama… You have to have her father's permission first."
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Sachiko had just finished having lunch with her two friends Sakura and Ino. This time she had been careful not let anything slip. They had asked her how married life was and she had replied by telling them it was interesting and fun at times. She would then also add that marriage takes huge responsibility and can be difficult at times. The key was truth, honesty, and love. She had said that she and Gaara were working on the love part but they had the other two under control. Sakura and Ino had gotten themselves all worked up over her response, declaring she must have fallen in love with her husband. They had then mentioned that they had been spying on her and Gaara at the festival. The two girls declared that they had seen Sachiko and Gaara cuddling on a bench, looking 'oh so cozy'.
Now that those things were taken care of, Sachiko felt free to wander the streets of Suna. It was still quite early, considering she had woken Naruto up at seven in the morning to go eat. She had finished her time with him at around ten and sought out her friends Ino and Sakura directly after. She spent two hours with them, ending their time with a nice lunch. The girls had gone their separate ways, promising to spend more time together before they had gone back to their own villages.
Her hands held onto a delicious ice cream cone as she licked it up. A smile had carved its way onto her face as she enjoyed the flavor of her ice cream; boysenberry. It had been her favorite flavor for a long time. Kiba had been the one to introduce her to the flavor. Sachiko stopped as she stepped onto the next corner, having heard someone call her name. She bit the last of her ice cream cone and sighed, "Who can it be now?" She turned around and came face to face with the boy she had been dreaming of for a long time now.
"Hey, Sachiko-chan," he breathed, bearing his wolfish grin she loved so much and had only dreamt about since she hadn't seen him.
"Kiba-kun," she asked, astonished, "How… why?"
"My mom and sis wanted to go to Suna's Hearts Grow festival," he replied as Akamaru appeared at his side. The dog whimpered, straining to lick Sachiko as he jumped on her legs. He had grown quite a lot since she last saw him. "I didn't go… didn't have a date," he said, blushing, "But… uh… I was hoping to see you." He cocked his head to the side, smiling at her fondly. "I missed you," he murmured, drawing himself closer to her, "A lot…"
Sachiko took a step back, knowing she would be being disrespectful to her husband if she pursued Kiba even just a little. She frowned at the thought. Her husband was the last person she cared about at the moment. "I missed you too Kiba-kun," she replied, her eyes looking up into his brown orbs. They looked honey color at the moment. Sachiko had noted that the sun had been shining in his favor. "You want to go somewhere… we can talk…" He nodded to her and Akamaru finally settled down after having squirmed so much.
The two walked together in silence, awkwardly. There was so much to say yet they both found their mouths dry of words like a desiccated river. Sachiko had taken him to a place where he and she could relax; a place where her husband wouldn't look for her at; the deserted part of Suna. People had moved closer to the heart of Suna and had long since left the area. Gaara wouldn't look for her there.
"We can talk here," she said to Kiba as she took a seat on the steps of an old office building. It was deteriorating a bit but it was still safe. He nodded, grinning at her in the way she loved. She could feel her heart skip a beat as he sat next to her; their hands accidentally grazing.
Kiba said, "Gomen" to her quickly as if not to make it into a big deal. Sachiko nodded, telling him not to worry about it. "I hear Tenten is dating your husband's older brother…"
Sachiko nodded, face sour. "If you wanted to know about Tenten then you should have just asked her yourself," she said to him, lips pursed.
"Gomen… gomen," he said again, "I was just trying to build up to other things… How are you… how are things going with him?"
She turned to him, looking into the honey of his orbs. Kiba had been trying to cleverly work his way to ask her questions about her marriage; he wasn't worried about what Tenten was doing. "Things are… alright… I don't love him," she said, looking out to the ruins, needing a distraction desperately.
"I see," said Kiba as he pat Akamaru, the dog was wagging his tail vigorously.
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Gaara swung his gourd around his back. The meeting with the council was finally over. They had wasted much of the meeting by arguing amongst themselves; Gaara had chosen to remain silent, trying to be a good listener. When he did finally speak up, the council had all turned to him and said they needed a break. Gaara had sat in the meeting room, waiting for them to return. He didn't want to leave on the break and then have the council decide to reconvene on some other date. Gaara just wanted to get the meeting done, over with, and out of the way. Now that he was set free from the meeting, he could find his wife. He had promised to meet her as soon as the council let him out of the meeting.
He had been wandering Suna aimlessly. He was in search of her but she was nowhere to be found; not even at their home. Gaara had gone to all her favorite hang outs; a café, a couple restaurants, a bookstore, the Suna wall, and even the palm tree she liked to spend so much time under. She had been in none of those places. Gaara felt a strange feeling wad up in his chest like a spit wad glued there. He felt a bit worried. He shook his head, removing doubtful things. There was another place he knew he could find her. He knew Sachiko to be a somewhat adventurous type. She was girl that liked to explore the unknown in search of a new favorite spot. She was always on the move.
A new path was taken, the sand on it old. He would head to the ruins of Suna; the long forgotten part of the village. She would surely be there exploring it. He almost smiled as he spotted a blue head of hair come into view until he realized a second head. This head was of brown hair and for a moment he thought it was his brother. He had spotted some form of paint on the cheeks of the second head but it wasn't the same style as Kankuro's. Gaara quickly frowned as he head, watching the scene. His wife Sachiko had been sitting down with a boy. He had a headband with the Leaf Village symbol on it and there was a white dog sitting next to the boy, wagging its tail furiously as the two spoke to one another. They seemed to be laughing about something; they seemed happy with one another. Gaara turned away from the sight and walked back to Suna. There was a blonde knuckleheaded ninja from the Leaf Village that would know what was going on.
Gaara had found Naruto hanging out with the same girl he had been with at the festival. She nervously tapped Naruto's shoulder to alert him of Gaara's presence. Naruto turned around to come face to face with the fearsome Kazekage of Sand. Naruto almost scowled at the young Kazekage but then remembered that he wasn't supposed to know about what Sachiko had mentioned to him earlier.
"Hey Gaara," said Naruto cheerily. He placed his two hands at the back of his blonde head and rested them there.
Gaara nodded at him, his form of greeting. He would waste no time with the problem he was facing. "Naruto… I need you to come with me… it's about Sachiko." He stepped to the side, ready to take off toward the ruins quickly.
"Is she in trouble 'ttebayo?" Naruto's brow furrowed worriedly.
The young red headed man shook his head no. "Not yet she isn't… Come."
Naruto turned to his date. The blonde was a bit upset that he had finally managed to get himself speaking normally with Hinata on their date. He had just been about to tell Hinata how he felt about her when Gaara showed up. "Hinata-chan, please forgive me but I have to go."
"D-don't worry N-Naruto-kun… I w-will wait for you," she told him with a smile as a blush spread across her cheeks. Naruto nodded and then took off with Gaara in the direction of Sachiko.
"So what's up Gaara," asked Naruto as soon as they were on a lonely path. They were now past the villagers of Suna.
"Sachiko… is with someone… Shh," Gaara said to him as they came up to the ruins. Gaara was relieved to see that Sachiko was still there with the brown haired shinobi. He wanted to have Naruto identify the brunette she was with. "That boy… who is that?"
"That's dog breath… I mean Inuzuka Kiba," replied Naruto, "I didn't know he was here in Suna… Baa-chan won't like this…" Gaara's eyes narrowed to tiny slits at Naruto's response. The young Kazekage was aware that Naruto referred to the Hokage of Konoha as Baa-chan. He wasn't beginning to like the sounds of things.
"Why wouldn't the Hokage like this," Gaara asked the blonde, feeling anger slowly rise to his cheeks.
He had cursed to himself inwardly and had cursed to Sachiko. He had to tell Gaara the truth now, thanks to Sachiko. She shouldn't have been hanging out with Kiba. Tsunade had forbidden it. Naruto was hesitant at first but knew he would have to explain it to Gaara or Gaara would just ask Tsunade himself and that would be even worse. There was absolutely no way around it. "Sachiko-chan and dog breath used to date… Baa-chan broke them up so she could marry you… I don't know what he's doing here." Gaara nodded, waiting for the blonde to tell him more. "Sachiko-chan knows better than to talk to dog breath after Baa-chan's warnings… He knows better too…"
The redhead, feeling the same feeling Sachiko used to give him when they were younger, turned away to face Suna's central part again. Gaara recognized the emotion as the same one he used to feel when Sachiko and Kankuro were together. It was the same sensation as the one Gaara received when he had witnessed her and Kankuro kissing. He didn't like it. "Let's go," the Kazekage said to the blonde, "Gomen nasai… I shouldn't have interrupted your date."
"Gaara," Naruto said, staring after him. The Kazekage didn't respond as he continued the walk back to Suna's core. Naruto sighed and then followed after him, knowing he would have to explain more to the Kazekage on the way back. He grimaced for a moment. Sachiko wouldn't be happy with him after she figured out he was the one who had spilled the beans about her and Kiba's fling.
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The clock had just struck eight at night as a blue haired girl walked down dark lit Suna streets. She had indefinitely lost track of time out there at the ruins. Sachiko ran a hand through her hair as she walked to a place where Jiraiya had spent much of his time at. She needed something to drink; something to give her a buzz. Her head was already spinning but she had wanted to numb her thoughts or make the stop altogether. It was a tough decision she had made. Kiba had offered her something she thought she couldn't refuse. Sachiko had been so close to cheating on her husband and she felt so ashamed. "No," she murmured to herself, "Be proud of yourself because you were strong enough not to."
Kiba was everything she wanted. She dreamed about the boy nearly every night since she had arrived in Suna to marry that wretched man of the desert. Sachiko felt a bit guilty, thinking she was being too harsh on Gaara for a minute but then quickly reminded herself of all the hits she had taken. Kiba would have never laid a hand on her unless it was a gentle one. She smiled bitterly, knowing that Kiba was the one she loved. The worst part, she had thought, was that Kiba returned the love. It would have been so much easier for her if he didn't; if instead he spurned her affection. To top things off, Gaara had never set out to look for her like he had promised. The man she had agonizingly sacrificed so much for had let her down.
She sighed as she swung the door open to the bar. She plopped down on a stool and slapped at the counter to get the bartender's attention. "I need the strongest thing you've got," she said to him, "I've got issues man." The bartender eyed her curiously but then nodded. He had recognized her as the Kazekage's wife. He wasn't a fool enough to deny her of her request. He grabbed a dusty bottle of sake and poured into a glass for her. "That's perfect," Sachiko purred as she began to down the bottle as she struggled to reach the very last drop. The last drop would be the one to do the trick.
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Sachiko swung open the door to her chambers open, feeling a bit lightheaded and buzzed up still from all she had had to drink. The bartender had cut her off after the first bottle. It was enough that Sachiko had low alcohol tolerance but even worse since she had ordered the strongest substance of alcohol he had. The bartender had kept her at the bar until she was somewhat able to walk home. It had taken her nearly four hours to recover from the alcohol and wait around the bar for the bartender to release her to the outside world. She had gotten herself lost in Suna and hadn't found the proper way home for another hour. She stumbled into the room with a giddy smile as she hiccupped. It was about one in the morning and she was just now getting in.
"You were out late," said a discontented voice she knew to be her husband's. Gaara was sitting on the bed, arms crossed, very much displeased with her late return home. "What have you been doing?"
"Nothing really," she replied as she stumbled toward him. Her stagger had only landed her a couple feet closer to him.
Teal eyes looked her body over. He had felt lustful for her since he last saw her. Naruto had described the reason for his lust was because he was feeling jealous. Gaara had never thought he could feel that way for someone but as he looked at Sachiko and that boy, he couldn't think of a better word to portray what he felt. Now, he wanted her… badly. He needed to prove to himself that she was his and his only. Even if he didn't love her and she didn't love him; she was his wife and that made her his property.
The young Kazekage stood from the bed and walked over to his wife. He could smell alcohol on her breath as he guided her to the bed. He smirked; it would make his job simpler. He had willed his sand to turn the lights out as he pressed himself against his wife. Lust, he almost laughed. It had crawled into his heart like a starving wolf; he was absolutely ravenous and practically frothing at the mouth for his wife. He grinned as he managed to get her on the bed and under the sheets, he would have her tonight and she would have him. She would be his whether she loved him or not; whether she loved another. She would be his.
Hungry lips found their way to hers as he placed his hands on her firm breasts, not bothering to be gentle. He felt something below quiver awake. It enthralled him as he pressed it to her own lower region. His hands left her breasts and began to claw at her clothes, removing them from her body. He gazed down to her body and licked his lips. Gaara was still fully dressed, but persisted in hastily pressing himself against her unresisting form; it was a reckless action. She moaned against his body as her hands flew to remove his clothes. He was surprised at her lack of struggle and her desire for him as well. She smiled up at him, still giddy; reminding him that she had had too much to drink.
Gaara sat up for a moment but only long enough to remove his shirt and press his bare chest against her naked flesh, enticing himself further with her warm bareness. He placed a mouth on one of her breasts, treating it as if it were hard, yummy candy. One hand dipped down to her maturity. She let out a moan, alluring him to want more as he worked his intelligent hand. More moans escaped from her mouth as he pleased her, mouth still on her breast. His hand left her lower parts and flew to his pants. He began to tug them down, to end both of their aching lust. "You are all mine… just mine," he whispered in her ear, voice hoarse with yearning.
Sachiko gasped, suddenly realizing exactly how far she was getting with her husband. Her hands rose to his chest, pushing against him firmly. He lifted his head from her bosom to see what the matter was. Her eyes were bulged out slightly from shock as she spoke. "Stop… we have to stop," she said to him, "I don't want to do this! I don't love you yet…" She began to pant heavily as he pushed away from her. He was furious; she could see it in his eyes.
"And who do you love," he asked wryly, "Inuzuka Kiba?"
Sachiko's eyes went even wider now. She sat up swiftly, staring into Gaara's eyes. "H-how did you know about him?" She ran a hand through her hair nervously, waiting for Gaara's reply.
"Oh," he said mockingly, "I know all about your little fling." Gaara flung the bed sheets off of them, exposing her naked form to cool air. She shivered from the cold atmosphere as her husband placed a black shirt that had been strewn across the floor over his head. She was about to ask him where he had learned such information but he continued to speak. "You were with him today…" Sachiko's jaw fell open, crooked.
Gaara turned to face her, his strong hand latching to her wrist. He raised his hand for a moment but then let it fall limply at his side. Tonight, he wouldn't hurt her. Instead he pulled her close to him so she could understand what he was about to say perfectly clear and without flaws. His pressed his slightly curled lips to the funnel of her ear and spoke. "Know this… you are mine and no one else's," he hissed with warm breath tickling her ear, "Understand?" Sachiko could only nod as he released his grip. He sauntered toward the door, throwing it open. He stepped into the hallway and slammed the door behind him, leaving her to think about his words.
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A week of the silent treatment had done her no good. She lethargically lied in her bed and rolled off. It was the middle of the night but she didn't care. She landed against the floor with a painful thud. She sighed into the ground, smelling the dust stuck between the floorboards. She should have never agreed to spend time with Kiba; to encourage him. Gaara wouldn't be upset with her if she hadn't. She was face down in the dirt. She refused to remain there any longer.
"I'm gonna drink myself to a drunken stupor," she giggled as she swung the door to the bar open. "Bartender," she said to him, "I'll take the usual." The bartender nodded and handed her what she wanted. "Arigato," she said politely, downing the bottle, trying to see her reflection at the bottle. The dizziness giddy sensation began to overtake her with every sip of the drink. A goofy smile found its way onto her face. It would be another fours hours or so before she returned home; that is, if she felt like it. She giggled to herself as she spun the bottle round and round. As the bottle spun, her mind spun with it as if they were perfectly synchronized with one another. Thoughts entered her brain and began to twirl with her mind and bottle, adding to harmonization.
Kiba and she could never be. It was an impossibility than made defying gravity look like a piece of cake. She was a married woman now. She would have to move on from her old life and leave Kiba behind. That's all she had to do; keep pressing forward. There was no going back and there was no point in reminiscing and falling depressed over things in the past. Things that couldn't be simply couldn't be and she finally accepted it. Kiba was her last skeleton she had in her closet and she would rid herself of it. "Move along," Sachiko said to herself after her buzz began to fade into a small droning. She left the bar and stumbled into the desert streets. She had been wandering for sometime until she took the back roads of Suna.
Sachiko giggled as she walked into an alleyway. Three guys were standing in the alleyway. They had been drinking as well. The guys began to whistle at her and wave saying, "Hey hottie… Come over here!"
"I'm a married woman," she said pointing to herself, "No touchy."
"I like married women," one said to her as he grabbed her wrist, tugging her closer.
"No, no, no! No!" Sachiko was in a giggling fit as she spoke. "You don't understand… I'm not just any married woman… I'm married to the Kazekage."
"Oh really," laughed another, "Does he know you're out here?" They were laughing at her; all of them. They didn't believe a word she said.
Sachiko's face grew serious for a moment, "No… Oh no… He and I are fighting. We haven't spoken for a week or so… Silent treatment's a bitch." She grinned up at the man who was still holding on to her wrist. "A real bitch."
"Yeah it is," agreed the man. He grabbed Sachiko's other wrist and brought him to his chest.
Sachiko scowled at him. "No, no… None of that mister." The man only laughed as he began to kiss her neck. "None of that!" She cried out loudly, begging for him to stop. Instead of answering, the man pressed on, shoving his lips against hers. She pulled away, "Let go of me! Help!"
"No one can hear you scream," the man whispered in her ear. Sachiko thought her vision was going blurry but she could have sworn she saw something slither around the man's neck and squeeze. She looked around to see the other two men were on the floor. The man released his grip on Sachiko to grasp at his neck, straining to breathe. She fell to the ground, looking up.
"That's funny," said the voice she knew so well, "I was just going to say the same thing to you. You do realize that this is my wife, don't you?"
"K-Kazekage-s-sama," the man choked out, "I didn't know. She said she was single."
"Liar," Gaara hissed, "I may be Kazekage but that doesn't mean I can't kill you and not get away with it because believe me, I can."
"Have mercy," the man cried out, slowly losing consciousness. As soon as he knocked out, Gaara sent sticky sand to hold the three guys prisoner. He stuck them to the wall. The ANBU would know what to do with them when they were found. His sand was his trademark.
Gaara turned to his wife with a sigh. She was on the ground, crying. He crouched low to face her. "Are you alright? Did he rape you?"
"N-n-no… he didn't… I… I'm okay," she whimpered. She threw her arms around him instantly, quivering in his hold. "You… you saved me," she gasped, "Arigato… arigato." She sobbed into his shoulder as she could only choke out words. "I… was… mad at you… so I got drunk… and tried to walk home… and he… he… tried…"
"Shh," Gaara said to her as he lifted her up to carry her home.
He stood before Suna Bastion with Sachiko limply in his arms; a dark lit place against a dark lit sky. He set her gently on the bed and then took a seat next to her. He gave her time to recover from the shock. She had been shaking the whole way home and sobbing as well. She had finally fallen asleep once she hit the bed. He stayed with her, worried. He wanted to make sure she didn't wake up and wander into the streets again. He found himself angry with her still but he couldn't help but fret over the entire situation she had just gotten herself into. Gaara knew he would have killed all three men if they had raped her and he didn't know why he would do that for her, especially after the whole Kiba incident. He scowled, unable to forgive her quite yet. Sachiko had finally woken up around eleven in the morning. She looked up at him with horrified eyes, still frightened. Gaara guessed she must have had a nightmare.
"What time is it," she asked him as she sat up, arms shaking as she ran her fingers through her hair.
"Eleven," Gaara replied apathetically, his eyes as unresponsive as his voice.
Sachiko nodded slowly, mind trying to grasp something. She was quiet for a long time until she realized what her mind was trying to tell her. "I… I want to take… a shower…"
He nodded to her. "Would you like me to carry you to the bathroom?"
"I… c-can do it on my own," she murmured as she pushed herself up from the bed with all her remaining strength. She staggered slowly to the bathroom, stumbling a few times. She had almost fallen once but Gaara had caught her. His strong arms lifted her up. She tried to resist him but was too weak to do so. He picked her up into his arms and turned the knob to the bathroom, opening the door. He placed her into a sitting position on the counter. He looked her over for a moment but said nothing. He drew away from her, closing the door behind him as he left the bathroom. She fell into her arms to cry away the pain.
The cold water seemed to awaken her and liberate her from the trauma but still not completely. "Mornings eleven and the feelings are severed… I can't feel anything at all," she murmured as she ran shampoo through her hair, "I have it all… But I never thought I did." She frowned at herself after saying those words. She did have it all; almost. Gaara may have not loved her but he cared for her. She knew he had to care otherwise he wouldn't have saved her or taken her home safely. If he didn't care he wouldn't have helped her into the shower. Sachiko remembered that when Gaara had set her on the bed he had been sitting at the edge of it, staring at her. When she woke up he had been in the same place still gazing at her. He had looked concerned; he had. She sighed, turning the water off. She owed him. She did.
As she finished with her bath, she wrapped a towel securely around her. Her hands squeezed at her hair to drench it of the water. She breathed out heavily, feeling much more relaxed. She opened the door and went into the rest of her chambers. Her dark lavender orbs fell upon her husband. He was at his desk doing paperwork. She felt more at ease knowing he had finally decided to do his work at the desk in their room. The past week he had been spending his time in his main office to complete his labor.
She wanted to show him that she was sorry and that she was grateful. An apology could be taken for granted; tossed aside to fall among other regrets and acts of contrition. She had to do something more; something she had been denying him of. She dropped her towel down to reveal her bare body to him. He looked up from his paperwork slightly, examining her. He buried his nose back to his paperwork, pretending he hadn't looked. He began to write furiously, quill in hand. The hand paused when his wife had placed hers over it. He dropped the pen and turned his chair toward her. The lust was beginning to return to him as he witnessed her nakedness. He stood up from the chair to become eye level with her. She looked up at him with flirty eyes as she tugged at his collar, leading him toward the bed.
He curiously followed her as she laid him out on the bed. Her dainty hands were swift in their actions as they began to remove his shirt. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling of being wanted. He felt her lips on his neck and then a rough bite. His eyes flew open to gaze at her. Her hands had plunged themselves into his red hair, massaging his scalp as her tongue caressed his bare chest. Though he was thoroughly pleased with her strong desire and lust for him, he knew it was farce. He pushed her away from himself and sighed. Instead of speaking to her with words, he spoke to her with his eyes. A silent agreement passed between the two. They would not engage in such activities while he was upset with her and while she was still shaken up a bit.
She slowly turned away from him, revealing her stunning backside. Gaara redirected his view as not to tease himself as she went to the walk-in closet to clothe herself. She returned a few moments later, fully dressed in pajamas. She crawled into the bed, sitting up in it. She stared after him and he could feel her strong gaze against his back. He turned to face her, teal eyes looking into her purple blue orbs. "I wanted to thank you for saving me… I know you're still upset with me but you still rescued me… Arigato… and I wanted to tell you gomen nasai…" He didn't answer her, instead he just stared. She smiled at him drowsily and called him "Gaara-kun," and that nearly melted his heart.
He reminded himself he was upset with her, and folded his arms to demonstrate his anger with her. He scowled at her, facial expression saying more than words could. She saw the hurt in his eyes and looked down for a moment, thinking of something she could do to ease his pain. Her eyes flickered up to his, a decision had been reached. "Sleep with me?" He nodded to her as he found himself within the covers. He had put enough distance between them, leaving intimacy to be desired. He watched as his wife moved closer to him. His mouth fell open slightly to gasp as she wrapped her arms around him, one hand stroking his head of red hair. "I've been custom made for no one but you… I am yours and yours only," she murmured into his ear before succumbing to sleep. Her head had landed on his warm chest, arms wrapped securely around his torso as one of her legs slid in between his. His mouth parted slightly, a bit shocked. He felt stiff but only for a moment or two before giving into the warm feeling of having someone close to him.
He placed one of his hands and ran it through her long, dark blue hair. He watched her sleep for the rest of the morning. He wouldn't go to work that day; he wouldn't leave his room. Instead he would spend the day watching her and thinking that the Hokage of Leaf must have known what she was doing. Sachiko had been patient with him and good to him. He doubted that any other woman was suitable for him or that any other woman could put up with his moody behavior. Lady Tsunade had made a wise choice in making Sachiko his companion for the rest of his life.
He stared down at his wife and bent his head to give her the softest of kisses on her head; just one was all he needed to give her for him to realize that he was beginning to love her whether she returned it or not.
A/N: That was a good one after all! Things are happy now.
Sachiko: But how long will they last?
Author-sama: I don't know… ask Gaara.
Gaara: Hn.
Sachiko: Gaara-sama… What do you think?
Gaara: (Shrugs) Hn… you're mine… that's all I know.
Sachiko: (Rolls eyes) That's all he ever says lately… (Does his voice) You're mine.
Gaara: Well, you are.
Author-sama: You two… are so weird… Gaara care to be the host today since you finally decided to grace us with your presence in the author notes?
Gaara: (glares at author-sama) Hn… Review…
Author-sama: That doesn't sound very convincing.
Gaara: Shut up.
Author-sama: Hai, Kazekage-sama!