Chapter 23

The first thing that I became aware of when I first started to awaken was that, there was no way I could be this warm in my small, single bed. I felt to comfortable and relaxed.

The second thing was, I could feel breathing. Yes, feel it. As in my back was pressed against a living thing and it was taking deep breaths.

Automatically I thought that some wild animal was lying behind me waiting for me to wake up so they could eat me. Then the wild animal took on the form of a blonde haired blue-green eyed sister with a metal bat, plotting to bash my head in.

Needless to say, the last thought caused me to panic slightly, and I almost launched myself across the room to get away from it. Besides, if Temari was about to kill me, I can garuntee that I would be gone faster than Lee would be able follow.

I shifted silently, readying myself to fly out the door and straight to a secluded closet as to not be found.

"Don't move." The command rang dark and clear throughout the room in a rough, deep voice. I ceased to make any type of movement aside from breathing, and glanced over my shoulder swiftly.

Since I was lying down on my side, it was difficult to see who was behind me, but I didn't need to anyway. I knew who it was. How could I not.

"Okay." I whispered.

An arm snaked around me and pulled me back down on the mattress and tightly pressed against Gaara's lean form. My stomach went all fluttery and I blushed harshly. I felt him press his face into my hair and a breathless laugh broke through me as he nuzzled my neck.

His hot breath on my neck caused that stirring in my chest, and I slid back into him, attempting to get closer to him. He chuckled and it vibrated through me.

"Getting comfortable?" he questioned in his deep voice as his fingers began tracing patterns on my side. I shivered.

I didn't answer the question because I was to focused on his hand that was leaving burning tendrils of fire on my skin. I didn't want him to stop. When I didn't answer his question, his hand gripped my hip and pushed me onto my back.

He moved to where he was leaning slightly over top of me, but still off to the side of me also. I think I stopped breathing.

"You look worried." he noted as his bright eyes gazed into mine.

Do I? Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that you are lying next to me in a bed and I just happen to be drooling over every single second in my head. No problem. It's not like your eyes alone are enough to send my heart into overdrive and reduce me to a bumbling ninny who can't talk.

Instead of saying that, I gave a shaky smile. His lips twitched in response and he lowered his face to mine untill our forheads were resting against each other. I knew my face could have rivaled with Hinata's blush then.

"Don't look so scared." he whispered softly and his warm breath washed over my face, increasing the blush.

His lips pressed against my own quickly, adding pressure after a few seconds. Immediatly my body felt like I was on fire, that same pleasurable fire that seemed to engulf me everytime he touched me.

His elbow allowed him to stay propped up as his other hand trailed up and down my side teasingly, sending sharp tingles up and down my spine and bursts of heat where his flesh met mine. My fingers weaved into his blood red locks as my own mouth started to move against his. Slowly. Nervously.

I felt him smile against my mouth, and I trembled again.

He tilted his head to the side slightly, taking mine with it, and ran his tongue tauntingly over my lips. I jumped back slightly, but his hand gripped my side to keep me in place. This time, instead of warning me that he wanted in, he bit my lip swift and quick.

Another jolt ran through my body as I flinched back, but his hand that gripped my side cupped my chin firmly and held me still. Warmth gathered in the bottom of my stomach and I began to kiss him back feverently.

He responded in kind, smirking against my mouth. Gaara shifted his weight to where one of his knees rested between my thighs while the other layed on the other side of my leg. His right arm still propped him up on the bed, as he trailed his fingers down my throat teasingly with the other.

My body shook.

I tugged on his air, trying to get him even closer. I didn't understand what I wanted, but damn it I wanted something. My body craved for him, and having him like this was satitating it a little at a time.

His mouth released mine, and I almost cryed out for him to do it again. Instead I hissed in a breath quickly as his unnaturally sharp teeth scraped against the skin on my kneck. His warm tongue licked over the scrapes, as if soothing the wound.

I whimpered and gripped his shoulders, wanting his mouth on mine again. His face rose slowly and he gazed at me with eyes that burned me up on the inside. My breathing picked up speed and I unconsciously tightned my hold on his shoulders.

A slow grin spread across his lips as slyness entered his heated gaze. He glanced away from me for a second before meeting me eyes again.

"School starts in an hour." he breathed.

I frowned up at him and closed my eyes tightly, trying to calm down my out of control nerves. His warm lips pressed against mine quickly before pulling away as he stood from the bed. I groaned and rolled onto my stomach, blocking out the light as he flipped the switch.

I heard him chuckle and I buried my head into the pillow further, inhaling I noticed that I was not in my bed. Sometime during the night I had been moved to Gaara's bed. Not that I was complaining. Not at all. I was addicted to his scent.

A pressure made the bed sink slightly, and I ignored him. That is, until he promptly layed on my back, and pressed his body tightly against mine. I gasped sharply and whipped my head to the side. He smirked arrogantly down at me.

"You have to get up now, Matsuri." he growled in teasing tone.

I let out a breathless laugh and nodded swiftly. What was I supposed to do? He was lying on me and making me want to have a panic attack. On purpose no doubt. He laughed quietly and moved off of me so that I could get up from the bed.

I did so shakily.

It was a long morning, one that I very much injoyed, and I knew it was going to be an even longer day. I almost wanted to crawl under the bed and just play sick, but I knew that I needed to go to classes. There was only this week of school left before graduation.

That sudden realization made me pause while getting ready for classes. Gaara had his back turned to me and didn't notice.

Just this week.

After that I was leaving. Leaving where? Where would I go after this? I couldn't go back to my foster parents' house. Simply because I was a person and not some job booster or a way to suck up to the boss.

I wanted to do something with my life, I knew that much. I wanted to do something that would be worth remembering. But....

I didn't want to leave my friends. I liked it here. I liked what I had here.

I shook my head and resumed getting ready. I could think about those things later. I had classes to deal with now. Exams to take. Books to read. Notes to study.

Sasuke to avoid. I shuddered. Kiba and I would deffinatly be avoiding him for a long while to come. I still had those images in my head and Kiba wasn't prone to forgetting things easily. Maybe he was suffering more with them than me.

I grinned evilly at that thought.

"Gaara?" I called his attention. He turned his head toward me as he ran a hand through his messy read hair. "Think Sakura got the pictures yet?"

He smirked and shrugged his shoulders at me, mischief in his eyes. "Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, we'll find out later I'm sure."

I grinned and nodded. Oh yes. No doubt we would find out later.

The pink haired ticking time bomb would be hunting us down by the end of the day. It sounded like fun.

Yeah, so this is kind of on the short side. But I thought I should get it out there and apologize for the long wait. Well I gave you a fluff as a way of apology and I hope you liked it! So anyway, please review and PLEASE read 'Worth It'. There are more than KakashixAnko in that story so please! Thank you! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!