A/N: I do not own Naruto!
Gaara walked silently by Naruto as the blonde kept regaling him with tales of how he'd taken Hinata on a date last night and how she'd invited him into her apartment. He didn't really understand the ramifications of that, if only because of his lack of social interaction with others. Which is what had prompted his sister to ensure that a political visit to Konoha occurred at the same time as the Harvest Festival. His eyes opened and he regarded his blonde friend when the endless chatter suddenly stopped. He noticed Naruto staring towards something to their left. He arched a brow and leaned forward slightly to see what it was that had silenced Naruto.
His own eyes widened when he noticed his sister, Temari, in a glaring match with a blonde Leaf kunoichi that he'd learned was named Ino. Apparently the younger blonde did not think his sister was good enough for the Nara clan's only son, Shikamaru. And she was very vocal about it. "Hell no you're not going with us to the Festival! Shikamaru, Choji and I go every year together and that's not going to change just because you conned him into a relationship!" Gaara felt a spark of anger that this blonde harpy dared talk to his sister this way. However, he knew from years of watching his eldest sibling beat the crap out of Kankuro, and any other person who pissed her off, that she could handle herself. Cobalt met baby blue as his sister leaned in and all but head-butted the younger blonde.
"I wasn't asking your damn permission, Yamanaka. I was asking Sakura to help me pick out something nice to wear for when Shika takes me to the Festival tomorrow. He already promised and he never breaks his promises to me." Gaara noticed both blondes growl at one another before both their gazes snapped to the pink haired kunoichi standing off to the side, trying to get them to calm down.
"Ne, ne…Ino-pig, Temari-chan, please calm down…" Sakura entreated. Even from where he was, he could smell the salt indicating she was sweating nervously under their enraged gazes. He didn't envy her.
"Sakura, who do you think Shika will take? Me or her?" Gaara's eyes widened when Ino thrust her friend into such a position. He noticed a vein start to throb at her temple at being put into such a position and she held up her hands.
"Don't drag me into this, ne? I just came to pick up my yukata before my shift at the hospital. I have to work right up to the festivities and I'll have to get ready at the hospital." He noticed Ino's mouth screw up slightly and it looked like she was about to let loose some rather mean spirited expletives, so he decided to butt in.
He disappeared from Naruto's side and appeared by Sakura. His arrival was met by a shriek from Ino and a gasp from his sister. He noticed the relieved look on Sakura's face and he nodded to her before looking at the two blondes. "I assure you, Yamanaka, that my sister did not have to 'con' Nara into a relationship. He came to me himself and asked for permission to court her. She was unaware of his intentions before he took her out the first time." He noticed Ino's jaw drop and Temari's smug smile. It was Sakura that sighed and shook her head, her eyes closed.
"So there you have it, Ino-pig. Definitive proof that Temari didn't blackmail Shikamaru into dating her." Sakura then looked at Gaara with a slight smile. "It's good to see you again, Kazekage-sama. How has your stay been so far?" He grunted and looked back towards where he'd left Naruto, only to notice the blonde male about to leap from the bridge they'd been crossing to the current spot he and the three young women were standing. His jade eyes widened when he noticed Naruto fling himself towards them and he reacted instantly, wrapping his arms around Sakura and whirling her out of Naruto's path.
The blonde jinchūriki yelped when both blonde females screamed at him and Sakura, her eyes impassive, drilled him into the ground with her heel. Had he been the type, he'd have cringed for his friend. However, he only regarded the blonde male with pity. Gaara noticed the look in Sakura's eye as she regarded Naruto, who was lying in a hole about two feet deep, whining about his head hurting. It was Ino that spoke. "You're lucky she doesn't kill you Naruto." This caught Gaara's attention and he regarded the pink haired girl standing at his side, her features carefully schooled.
"Wh-what did I do?!" He whined once more, looking up at his teammate with clear terror on his face. Gaara looked at the pink haired woman before looking back at his friend. He looked at the woman from the corner of his eyes when she finally opened her mouth to speak.
"Hinata told me that she invited you in for tea last night." Sakura's voice was stern. Gaara felt his stomach clench. Was she jealous of Naruto being with Hinata last night? What was the big deal with going into someone's apartment after having spent the entire evening together? And why would Sakura react this way to the news? He noticed Naruto cringe slightly.
"S-Sakura-chan, it…it's not like that. Hinata and I…we…" The blonde stuttered, clearly worried about what Sakura thought of him being with Hinata. Gaara noticed Sakura's eyes soften momentarily before hardening once more.
"I have known for a long time how Hinata feels for you Naruto. However," Gaara noticed the girl cross her arms over her chest, her face finally showing her displeasure. "It absolutely tore her up when she woke up and you were gone. Do you have any idea how that made her feel? She felt used Naruto! Like you didn't care about her at all!" Gaara's eyes widened. Naruto had slept with the Hyuuga girl? Was that the significance of being invited into a woman's apartment after a date? He noticed Naruto pale noticeably.
"I had to report to Baa-chan! She sent an ANBU after me! I left Hinata a note on the table telling her I'd meet up with her later, but when I got to her house, she wasn't there! I couldn't find her anywhere!" His tone was frantic, but then Gaara noticed the blonde's breathing hitch. "Is she okay? Where is she? Did something happen?" Gaara noticed Sakura sigh and then look over her shoulder. Gaara looked as well and his eyes widened when he noticed the shy Hyuuga girl standing there, tears in her pearlescent eyes. Naruto's eyes snapped to the girl and he scrambled to get up and run to her. He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly and rubbing his face against her.
"I was so worried when I couldn't find you! I'm sorry Hina-chan! But if I didn't leave, Baa-chan threatened to pulverize me. And she can literally do it." His voice was soft, almost loving. Gaara watched his blonde friend plead for forgiveness with his bright sapphire eyes. He heard small gushes of 'awwww' and turned to look at the three women currently standing with him. Both his sister and Ino had hearts in their eyes, their hands clasped as they watched the scene unfolding. His gaze slid to Sakura, regarding her from the corner of his eye. She looked pleased, but also a little sad.
It puzzled him, that sad look. He watched as she walked away, leaving the two blondes cooing over the sappiness happening between Naruto and the Hyuuga girl. He looked over when he heard a noise. Sitting in a nearby tree was Kiba, a youth that Gaara remembered and could relate to somewhat. Kiba, like himself, was very feral…very primitive. However, the brunette's attention was on what was occurring between Hinata and Naruto. Gaara noticed the envy in the young man's dark eyes. The jealousy that twisted his mouth into a feral scowl. Despite the distance, and Kiba's attempt to remain unheard, Gaara's phenomenal hearing picked him up.
"Asshole should have just stayed with Sakura and left Hinata alone." He grumbled and turned away, jumping out of the tree. Gaara noticed Ino's eyes dart from the couple to the area Kiba had just been, almost like she'd heard him as well. However, her eyes were concerned, like she'd felt Kiba's emotions more than she'd heard anything. He noticed her shoot his sister one more dirty look before taking off in the direction Kiba had gone. Gaara shook his head and sighed, drawing his sister's attention.
"Emotions are hazardous. I'm not sure I wish to run this gauntlet." His sister stared at him curiously as he turned and walked in the same direction Sakura had taken.
Sakura didn't much feel like thinking right now. It still hurt, how she'd found out that Naruto's once obsessive crush had turned into something akin to how he'd felt about Sasuke. She'd been one of his first bonds, along with Iruka, Sasuke, and Kakashi. She'd never thought about what it would be like if Naruto wasn't in love with her. However, she'd never begrudge Hinata Naruto's feelings. No, she'd had her chance…and she'd waited too late.
With a sigh she rubbed the patch of skin between her eyebrows, just above the bridge of her nose. It was probably the fact that Naruto was so vocal about his feelings for Hinata that bothered her, anyways. She'd heard him when he'd asked Hinata to go on a date with him for the first time. He'd stated he'd never been on one and that she'd be his first. That had surprised Sakura and she'd thought for sure he'd have been on at least one date before Hinata, but as she'd thought over their past together, she realized that aside from chasing after her the way she'd chased after Sasuke, there'd been no other girls in Naruto's life. Except the extremely shy Hyuuga Hinata, who'd modeled herself after Naruto in order to become stronger. She'd recognized his strength when others had disregarded him as anything but an idiot.
She sighed again and looked out the window. The sky was dark, the moon peeking at her from behind the trees. She smiled at the silhouette the trees made against the bright, round fullness of the moon. Tomorrow was the full moon. It was predicted this year to be a harvest moon, which is why the Festival was going to be this week instead of this weekend. She knew the superstitious farmers would want to harvest their crops under the light of the harvester's moon. She shook her head, mentally scoffing at such nonsense.
"I have no intention of living in a dream world any longer." She murmured and got busy on her paperwork. She didn't want to be left doing it right up until the festivities tomorrow. With a sigh she took one more look up at the moon before cracking down on her work.
He knew he should be sleeping instead of watching her, but something in her eyes as she'd left had drawn him here tonight. There was loneliness there…the same kind of loneliness he'd felt growing up. He was curious how she could feel lonely when she was surrounded by people who cared about her. He thought back on her interactions with others: how she'd always smiled, even when people had said cruel things to her; how she'd worked so hard to help her teammates, at the expense of herself; how she'd devoted herself to bringing Sasuke back to Konoha so that Naruto wouldn't be hurt anymore…it was then he realized something. Haruno Sakura wasn't all that different from himself.
She'd sought affection from others, just as he had. She'd searched for the meaning of her existence…for purpose. But where people had been afraid of him for his open insanity, they'd ignored her as she'd hid her pain behind those fake smiles. Every rejection had caused her to withdraw a little deeper into herself until she'd been unable to go any further. He regarded her now, watched as her aloof eyes moved over the words on whatever document she was reading. What drove her to such lengths to hide her pain? He knew from personal experience that one could only take so much before one broke.
His eyes snapped to the side, to the door creaking open just to her right. He noticed her lift her head, her eyes still aloof. He watched a man step in and could hear the deep voice despite the thick glass between him and them. He noticed hot temper flash in her eyes before it was hidden. He noticed her mouth moving, her eyes slowly turning cold as whoever was in the room with her slammed hands on the desk in front of her. Gaara felt something dark and hot curl low in his gut. He didn't like it that there was a man acting threatening towards her.
He growled as he felt something dangerous bolt through him. He had the strange urge to bust through the glass and beat the man acting so harshly to Sakura into a bloody pulp. The feelings surprised him. He'd not felt this way since Shukaku's removal years ago. What was going on with him? His eyes snapped back to the duo in the room when he noticed the man kick something and Sakura jump to her feet. He felt his body react before his brain fully processed what was going on, kind of like it had on the bridge when he'd wrapped his arms around her and saved her from being pounced on by Naruto.
His sand formed a protective shell around her and he appeared at her side, his arm curling around her waist and pulling her towards him, his eyes glowing dangerously. He noticed shocked red eyes staring at him and he realized with sudden clarity just who this man was. "Uchiha…" He said the name in a quiet voice but the tension was palpable. The last Uchiha finally seemed to overcome his shock and glared daggers at Gaara, his red eyes lighting on where the red head was touching the pink haired woman.
Sasuke said nothing, just glared. It was Sakura that broke the silence. "K-Kazekage-sama? What are you doing here at this time of night?" He looked down at her briefly and saw a brief flash of loneliness pass over her face but it was quickly hidden. He just stared down at her before adjusting his grip on her so that it wasn't so fierce. He noticed her eyes instantly touch on the slight bags under his eyes and her own emeralds widened suddenly. "You're having trouble sleeping again, aren't you?"
He did not answer her, merely stared down at her. He refused to lie and tell her he was sleeping just fine, when clearly he was not. But neither did he want to trouble her when she was clearly dealing with her own issues. His eyes went from her concerned face to the angry face of Uchiha Sasuke. "If your intentions are to hurt her, I will stop you." He had to stifle a gasp at the growling quality to his voice. He'd been unprepared for the depth of his aggression upon the thought that the Uchiha would try and hurt her.
"My intentions are none of your damn business, monster." Gaara heard Sakura gasp and then look at the Uchiha, her body screaming outrage.
"How dare you address Kazekage-sama with such disrespect!" Gaara didn't give a damn how Sasuke treated him. He'd never cared overly much for what the Uchiha thought or said. But his aggression against Sakura was unforgivable. And he told the man as much.
"Your behavior towards Sakura is unacceptable. Leave. Now." Sasuke looked at Sakura, who was looking up at Gaara with wide, awed eyes and then back at the redhead himself, who leveled the Uchiha with a menacing glare. Sasuke ground his teeth and was about to argue when noise caught his attention. He looked around and noticed Gaara's sand was moving restlessly, slithering this way and that, causing chills to shoot up his spine, mainly because he'd been on the receiving end of that sand's animosity before.
With a growling grunt, Sasuke stormed out of the small office that was Sakura's only escape from the busy hospital. Gaara looked down at the girl in his arms and noticed her staring up at him with slight awe. He felt his body go warm and noticed her eyes break from his. Her previously aloof eyes suddenly sparked with curiosity. "Kazekage-sama, are you feeling alright? Your ears are red." Gaara felt the warmth increase and he nodded, closing his eyes. His sister had once told him that instead of blushing like most people did, like Sakura did, that his ears turned red. He'd asked how she'd figured that and Temari had whispered something to him, making that same warmth appear and she'd pulled him in front of a mirror and shown him how red his ears had turned. So he was either embarrassed, or pleased. Looking down at Sakura, he figured it was probably the latter.
"Just Gaara." He stated and noticed a slight blush creep onto the girl's cheeks and he watched with fascination at how beautiful the rose tint was on her. He noticed her look down suddenly and fiddle with one of the buckles on his vest.
"This is the second time you've saved me from an overzealous teammate of mine." She murmured slightly before looking back up at him. Her blush was gone but her eyes still sparkled as she looked at him. Curiosity of his own kicked in and he regarded her as she plucked at the buckle. He was mesmerized by her movements.
"What was it that he wanted? I didn't really hear anything, just picked up on his sudden aggression." He noticed her bite her lip and he felt like lightning had just bolted through his body, straight to his groin. He stared with veiled fascination as she worried her lip.
"You know about Sasuke's and Naruto's rivalry, right?" She asked uncertainly. He noticed something in her eyes, something akin to bitterness, and he found himself not liking it. Unable to speak without sounding harsh, he nodded. That was one rivalry that was damn hard to miss. They competed in everything. His eyes snapped back to her mouth when she bit her lip hard enough to visibly indent it. "Well, ever since Naruto and Hinata started dating, he's been coming around, asking me out on dates. Since they…" She blushed and looked down at the buckle on his vest like it was the most interesting thing in the world to her. "Well, ever since he's been more persistent. I went with him once, just to see if something real could form between us, but…" He noticed sadness color her voice and disappointment in her eyes.
"But his intentions were not pure." He made it a statement and he noticed her look up at him, her eyes wide. His mouth was pursed in a thin line of anger. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were flat. She bit her lip once more and nodded, looking back down at the buckle she was playing with.
"The date hadn't been much more than him taking me to dinner. We didn't really even talk. We just ate and left. When he walked me home, he hung around like he was waiting for something." She sighed and closed her eyes, her hand stilling and just laying against his vest. "I realized then that no matter how much I had wanted a relationship with him when I was younger, it just wasn't possible. We have nothing in common. Nothing to build on." She leaned into his shoulder, relaxing against him. He noticed and felt his entire body hum with pleasure.
"If it is not too forward, could I request the pleasure of your company at the Festival tomorrow?" The words slipped out before he could censor them and his entire body tensed up. He noticed her looking up at him, her mouth slightly open before it curved into a sweet smile.
"I'd like that. I usually go with Naruto and Shizune, but they both have dates this year, so I was afraid I'd have to go alone." He was even more stunned that she'd said yes. He stared down at her before looking at the clock: quarter to twelve.
"If you want, I can stay until your shift ends and I can teleport you somewhere besides here to change." He noticed her worry her lip once more and felt he'd go insane if she kept it up.
"The couch is pretty comfortable if you want to lay down and sleep for a while. I can wake you up when my shift ends so we can get ready for the Festival." He nodded absently and stifled a gasp when she smiled brilliantly at him. He'd just about do, or say, anything to see that look on her face and that happiness in her eyes. "Great." She smiled even brighter and he found himself staring at her as she pulled away and went around her desk and took a seat. He lowered himself to the couch and laid on his side, staring at her. It didn't take long for him to drift into a peaceful sleep, dreaming of brilliant smiles and laughing emerald eyes.
She was almost reluctant to wake him. He looked so peaceful laying on the couch in her office. She looked at the clock on her wall and bit her lip. They had less than an hour to get ready before the festivities. She crouched down and studied his face as he laid on her couch, one arm hanging off the side, his face relaxed and the lines she'd seen earlier smoothed away. She reached out and traced the curve of his cheek, wondering how such a soft curve could belong to such a domineering man. And she had no doubts that he was domineering. Men like him had to be in control all the time. They feared their own strength; their capabilities for violence. Gaara more so than most, mainly because of his past.
But she refused to pity him. It wouldn't do him any good, wouldn't change anything. She'd never had any intentions of pitying him. Empathizing with him, yes-pitying him, no. She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize when he opened his jade eyes and just watched her as she traced the curve of his cheek, all the way down to the angles of his jaw. He felt that familiar warmth and he just knew his ears were red. He noticed the soft smile on her face as she traced his features. Temari had told him when they were younger that he had their mother's bone structure. The delicate, almost feminine features, had always been a source of amusement to his siblings considering his violent nature growing up. He closed his eyes and just allowed her to touch him.
But Sakura being Sakura didn't miss the fluttering of his lashes as he closed his eyes and she blushed brightly, slowly drawing her hands away from his face. She cleared her throat and smiled. "Good morning, Ka-" She cut herself off as she remembered he'd told her to call him Gaara last night. "Good morning, Gaara." She smiled sweetly once more. He opened his eyes and she watched them move, most likely taking in her appearance. She knew she looked tired, but she was so wired she doubted she could sleep even if she'd wanted to.
After he'd asked her to attend the Festival with him, she'd been almost giddy. She tried not to examine that giddiness too closely, mainly because she was afraid of what she'd find. She couldn't take another heartbreak. So she just smiled at him. She noticed his features shift, his brows furrowed and his lips thinned into a line, clearly showing he was displeased about something. "Please do not make that face at me. I don't know what I've done to upset you, but I would like to see genuine happiness on your face." Her eyes widened and she gasped. He could see through her happy mask? She stared at him before looking at her hands.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like I was upset. I'm really not." She whispered to him and noticed him sit up. He was looking at her, those jade eyes seeing right through her it seemed. She was surprised when he reached towards her and pulled her to him, settling her in his lap, his arms wrapped around her and holding her gently.
"You forget that I have felt the same emotions you are feeling right now. The sadness…the loneliness…I grew up feeling alone in a crowded room. But people feared me…why is it you feel such emotions?" He noticed her bite her lip again and he had to stamp down on his reaction so that she did not feel it as she perched in his lap.
"People were never afraid of me, but that didn't keep them from ignoring my existence." She whispered, looking at her hands. "During my genin years, it was like I was invisible. It was always about Sasuke and Naruto. Most people didn't even know I was part of the team most of the time." Her smile was sad…self deprecating. "I didn't help my situation with the fangirl attitude towards Sasuke." She locked her fingers together, fidgeting. "And when that girl from sound said those things about me…I realized she was right…and that hurt worse than the physical blows." Gaara watched her fidget before he put his hand on hers. He noticed her slight gasp before her eyes lifted to meet his.
"She may have been right in some aspects, but she was wrong to call you weak." He noticed her breathing hitch and she stared at him with wide eyes. He closed his own, his fingers rubbing over hers. "You take pride in your appearance. There is nothing wrong with that. But along with training your outwards appearance, you trained your inner mind. You have a complex intelligence that is only glimpsed occasionally. The Yamanaka girl can attest to that." He noticed Sakura blush and chuckle somewhat nervously. He squeezed her hand and she looked at him. "Everyone has ways of dealing with their pain. Yours was to internalize it so that it didn't hurt those around you. You protected people from your pain. I was very different. I chose to allow my pain to affect those around me. To make them feel as much pain as I felt." He noticed her blush and look down at where their fingers connected, twined, and soothed.
"I've never thought of it like that. I just thought that people would hate me if I showed them how I really felt about something. I slipped sometimes, but I tried to control it so much that eventually that control became second nature." Her voice was soft and it made something run up his spine. He liked how her voice lowered when she confided in him.
"That control is what gives you such strength now." Her head snapped up and she stared at him, complete shock in her eyes. He looked at her small, dainty hands. "What is the biggest requirement in using medical skills and in using your strength?" Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a bit.
"Precision control of one's chakra…" She breathed, as if just realizing that everything she'd been through had been for a purpose. He felt warmth spread through his chest when a brilliant, genuine smile stretched her lips. He was surprised when she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you!" She whispered against his neck. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her and he felt something like wings unfurling in his chest. He felt invincible in that moment and he couldn't help the soft smile that stretched his lips.
"Where would you like to go to change? I still have to pick up my things, so I need to know where to take you and where to meet you for the Festival." He noticed her pull back and look up at him. His own breathing hitched when he saw trust in her eyes.
"If you wouldn't mind, we can just go back to your room in the embassy and we can get ready there. That way you don't have to worry about coming to pick me up." He noticed the slight blush on her cheeks and he felt his ears turning red. He nodded and stood, his arms slipping under her knees and around her back. He looked over at the white covered hangar and sent his sand to retrieve it. When his sand had it, they disappeared.
Gaara had never had any intention of this happening, but now that it was, he didn't really know how to deal with it. He'd instructed her to bathe first, since she'd worked, and that he would wait for her to finish up in the kitchen of the room where he was staying. And he'd kept his word, up until he'd felt another chakra in the room with her and had all but busted down the door to check on her. What he'd seen had turned not just his ears red, but his entire body near about. Standing there, with nothing but random patches of bubbles covering her nude body, was Sakura. Behind her, two clones were washing her back and running conditioner through her hair. She had some strange stick that was apparently supposed to remove body hair because he could see the smooth gleam of her calf.
Now, he was staring down at her with his body pressed tightly against hers, his entire body hot as the sand of his homeland at high noon. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her inviting lips. They were curled innocently as she stared up at him, but the way she was pressing her body against him was not so innocent. In truth, he wasn't sure how he'd gotten into this position with her. Just that one minute he was stuttering, caught between trying to apologize and explain himself. His mind had blanked as he'd stared and he hadn't managed more than a dumbfounded noise when she'd brought her arms up to cover her breasts, blushing and looking to the side. Her clones had disappeared, leaving just the two of them.
But how she'd managed to get this close to him, without him remembering, was a mystery. He hadn't heard her move, hadn't sensed anything awry, but regardless she had ended up pressed against his chest, staring up at him like he was some kind of savior. It was that look that kept him planted in his spot, his back pressed against the doorframe. Sure her body was enticing and soft and warm, but it was that look of utter trust, something he'd never been offered before, that kept him from retreating. He knew that, pressed as she was against him, she could feel his every reaction to her and he tried valiantly to stifle any physical reaction he had, but it was nearly impossible.
She shifted, pressing her chest more tightly against him and causing her breasts to bunch and lift, giving him an amazing view of cleavage. His breathing hitched and his eyes darted from her lips to her breasts. His body stirred and he noticed her tiny gasp and then pink tinted her cheeks. She looked down at his body before looking back up into his eyes and he noticed curiosity there. He felt his mouth go dry when she whispered to him. "I think it's only fair for me to see your body since you've seen mine." Her words, though far from innocent, were almost childish in their delivery. His eyes widened as the meaning behind them struck him like a physical blow. He found himself out of breath as he stared, not quite sure if she was being serious.
"S-Sakura…the Festival…" He noticed her pout before she pulled back slightly. She then turned away from him completely, a dejected look on her face.
"You…you don't find me attractive…do you?" There was such sadness in her eyes as she tried to hide from him that he found himself unconsciously reaching for her…almost like it was instinct.
"Quite the opposite." He stated before sliding his hand down her arm, twining her fingers with his. He took a deep breath and led her hand to the front of his pants, letting her feel just how she'd affected him. He noticed her eyes widen before jerking down to stare at where he held her hand against him. He blushed more, his ears turning red as he turned his eyes away. "I find you very attractive. It was not my intention to make you feel otherwise. But I did not want you to think that it was only physical, like with Uchiha." He felt heat creeping up his neck and into his face. He spared a glance at her and noticed she was staring up at him, her eyes wide and innocent. She was so seductive and not even aware of it. Her lack of experience was obvious and he found that innocence very sexy.
He noticed her blush and bite her lip again and this time he could not stifle the groan nor resist the temptation of kissing her. He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers, coaxing her into releasing her lip. When she did, he sucked on the spot she'd abused and wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer to him. He felt her gasp and took advantage of that, slipping his tongue into her mouth and exploring. He felt lightning bolt up his spine and sizzle down into his limbs when she moaned, her arms coming up and wrapping around his neck. Without further thought, his hands went to her thighs and hiked her up, situating her over his very obvious arousal. She gasped, as did he, and nuzzled the side of his face.
His eagerness was obvious, and flattering, to the girl and she whispered to him. He nodded, his eyes glazed and his mouth incapable of words, as he searched for something soft and close to lay her on. He noticed what looked like a massage table in the corner by the shower and he took several long strides before her back hit the soft surface, his hands running over her every curve. She arched up against him, her hips rubbing against his clothes and he gasped, his forehead resting against her shoulder. He felt her hands pulling at his shirt and he lifted himself just enough so that she could pull it off. He stared down at her, sweat beading on his forehead as he asked with his eyes if she was sure.
She whimpered and bumped him with her hips once more and he leaned down, kissing her frantically. She felt him shift several times and then she gasped, her eyes widening as she felt him inside her. He'd done it so quickly she hadn't had time to register the pain. She arched again as she felt his hot breath on her neck, felt his body moving inside hers, against hers, her mind registering every sensation with such clarity she felt she would burst. It didn't take long for her to jerk up against him, her eyes wide, her mouth open to scream. He kissed her, his own body jerking as completion took him.
Sakura was smiling as she walked down the street to the Festival, her arm wrapped around Gaara's. Her hair was done up with a few trinkets, there was a light amount of makeup on her face, and her yukata was arranged to hide the bruises on her thighs. It seems that once had not been enough for the young red headed Kazekage and he'd taken her once more against the massage table, again in the shower, and finally a fourth time against the counter in the bathroom. He'd been insatiable and it thrilled her. She'd had to heal herself before they could leave his suite. Her cheeks flushed with satisfaction as she remembered his sincere words of apology at having caused such soreness in her.
She smiled at passing villagers as they stared at how she was walking down the street, her arm curved through his so comfortably. However, she'd found that she liked being with him, liked the way he made her feel, not just physically but emotionally as well. Her words, when she'd finally told him that she enjoyed his company, as well as his body, had brought a light blush to his cheeks, but his ears had been bright red. He'd obviously been pleased by her words. She noticed him look over at her and she smiled up at him, her mouth curved in a way he found extremely attractive. Gaara had not hidden his feelings from her once they'd been intimate. It was actually the extreme opposite. He was very open about how he felt when with her, almost like the emotions confused him. Then again, they probably did.
She smiled and waved when she caught sight of Temari, who was with Shikamaru. To her surprise, Ino was with Kiba, both of whom looked satisfied. Choji was eating something on a stick as the two approached the group. It was Ino that gave them an arch look. "How did you manage to convince the Kazekage to show up with you, Billboard Brow?" Sakura felt Gaara tense at her side and she soothed him with a simple swipe of her fingers over his arm. She then turned aloof eyes to the blonde.
"He asked me to join him." She replied haughtily, causing Ino's jaw to drop. She looked over at the redhead, who looked at her impassively. The blonde laughed, slightly nervous.
"No, seriously, how did you convince him to come? Temari swore up and down he'd never show up here." Sakura arched a brow and looked over at him. He noticed a wicked light enter her eyes but was still unprepared for what she actually said.
"I seduced him." He choked and looked over at her, his ears bright red and a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Temari stared, clearly shocked, as did Shikamaru. His cigarette actually fell from his lips as he regarded them. Ino just stared in disbelief, but it was Kiba that laughed, drawing all their attention. Ino followed, though her laugh was a bit more hesitant.
"Haha, good joke Sakura. Try a more realistic approach next time." Gaara noticed temper flash in his little lover's eyes and he pulled her to him, whispering in her ear. She blushed brightly, arousal glazing her eyes as she looked at him from hooded eyes over her shoulder.
"I'm going to hold you to that." She stated before smiling at them and pulling on his arm. He shot a look to his sister, which made her gasp. She stared after the two as they disappeared in the crowd. She stared after the two of them, her mouth hung open and her eyes wide in shock.
"I can't believe it…" She murmured, which drew the attention of the others. Naruto and Hinata had just walked up to them, Sasuke trailing at little further behind.
"Can't believe what, Temari-san?" Hinata asked quietly. The blonde looked at them over her shoulder, pointing in the direction her brother had just disappeared.
"She didn't seduce him! He seduced her!" That garnered confused looks from the three newcomers, but for Ino, Kiba, and Shikamaru, the reaction was instantaneous.
"What?!" The looks on their faces were priceless as they stared towards where the young couple had disappeared moments beforehand. Temari just shook her head as a smile curled her lips.
With every intention of finding out more, she pulled Shikamaru's arm and started dragging him in the direction she'd seen her brother disappear in, a proud smirk on her face.