"Matsuri…" Gaara stopped writing and looked up from his desk. Matsuri had made her way so silently in that Gaara hadn't sensed her until she was standing in front of him. Or was his mind so occupied he failed to notice her?

"Gaara…" It was the first time she addressed him by his name and without a suffix, so Gaara's ears perked up and listened intently, "That girl…" Matsuri swallowed harshly, trying not to reveal on her face the feeling of betrayal and rage, "The one with the pink hair…"

"Sakura-san?" Matsuri nodded solemnly.

"Were you in love with her, too?"

Gaara shook the memory of what had happened after he had heard the news from Sakura and everyone had gone their separate ways. Now he was standing outside of Ino's room, trying to get her to let him in. He needed to tell her the truth – all of it.

When she finally answered, without a word, Ino slammed the door, but it was barley caught by Gaara who forced his way in and shut the door behind him. Angered, she plucked the pillow she had thrown at the door and started whacking him with it, making gray feathers fly everywhere like confetti. Gaara seemed to ignore it and just grabbed her wrists when he got the chance. Flustered, she tried to make her way out of his grip – twisting and kicking and getting ready to scream. But just before she could, he interrupted her with his lips smashing against hers. She gasped and pulled back and with a now free hand, gave him another slap. This time, he wasn't at all stunned by it and just tackled her down to the bed with his weight. She tried to scream again but he forced his palm over her mouth.

Ignoring her muffled pleas, Gaara whispered, "Please, five minutes. Give me five minutes to explain." Ino shook her head stubbornly, frustrating Gaara who just sighed heavily. He let go of her momentarily but then tentacles of sand appeared from the ground and wrapped Ino's arms and legs to her sides and a rope of it tied around her mouth like a piece of tape. "Forgive me…but you have to listen to me."

After a couple of minutes, Ino finally stopped struggling and tears started to tumble clumsily to the bed under her. Gaara sighed, not liking the image before him and sat down next to her. He released the sand around her body but kept the one around his mouth. From what he had learned about her, she wasn't afraid to say (or scream) what she felt like, so he couldn't risk her shouting something that might tarnish his reputation even further and twist the misunderstandings even more.

"Ino, you have the wrong idea…I didn't…" He decided to clear that up first, "I didn't get Sakura pregnant." The words coming from his mouth embarrassed him, he never thought he would have to say that, after all, "I don't know who did, but it wasn't me." Unable to give a response due to her physical restraint and own astonishment, Ino stayed absolutely still and silent. Gaara decided to keep going, "I..I…I did like her." He gulped immediately after he said that. He questioned whether he should have said it at all. Everything else he had to say was already difficult, but that part just seemed humiliating and it could possibly anger Ino more. But she didn't show any reaction on her face. Unable to read her, Gaara decided to speak more, "I liked her but she never noticed. Temari used to tease me about it, but I never knew she was that suspicious about it…" He sighed uncomfortably and scratched his head, "Uh, we never did anything. And… I didn't…like her…as much…" Now Ino turned to look at him. Her eyes were somewhere between blue and green at the moment, welled up with tears, locking into his icy blues and making him nervous, "Not like you." He finally said, and slowly, looked away and then even slower, removed the sand from around Ino's mouth.

The two sat silently in the moonlit room on the pale blue sheets of that twin bed in that plain guest room. Gaara waited and waited for Ino to give him a response but she didn't offer anything.

"Do you believe me?" He finally asked. No reply. Having enough, he sunk to the floor on his knees, and grabbed her hands. She looked down at him, face red, still crying. He kept his eyes sternly on hers, and his words and his hands shook, "You can ask Sakura tomorrow. I'll even take a paternity test when the baby…" Ino's face didn't change, "Believe me." Gaara pleaded. At last, Ino shut her eyes and shook her head.

"Why should I?" Ino sniffled, "I was silly. From the start." She continued, wiping tears with her sleeve and then turning back to the window, "I don't need your pity, Gaara. I just want to go home." She stood up and walked toward the window and opened it, breathing in deeply the scent of the evening sky. Disheartened, Gaara felt his body melt into jelly. He couldn't believe nor bear her reaction. It had taken so much of him to confess all of that, yet she still wasn't convinced.

"You're supposed to leave tomorrow…but…" Gaara tried, one last time, feeling desperate, and decided to offer her everything – his whole feelings on the table – something he had never done before, "Stay with me. Have faith in what I say and stay with me." He walked up behind her and enveloped her body into his, squeezing her tightly, praying she wouldn't push him away, and "Everything will be cleared up when Sakura gives birth. Ino, I promise you won't regret it. Please don't…doubt me."

Ino turned, still in his arms, and looked into his mind through his eyes and for the first time that entire day and night, she smiled. "Gaara! I never doubted you!" She exclaimed, feeling like leaping straight into his pounding heart, "I couldn't believe what I heard. I doubted myself, my own ears! I doubted everything and everyone and wanted to doubt you…but-!" She gazed at him, the intensity of his expression revealing all.

"You knew…" Gaara said softly, a smile creeping up on him, too. He leaned forward and kissed her hair, taking in the scent of flowers and stars, "You could feel what I felt. You could feel…that I love you."

As if those words were enchanted, the pair exploded from their hesitations and crashed into a deep, smothering kiss over the open window. Starting by pushing all of her hair back from her face, Gaara ran down her Rapunzel locks with his hands, like a water fall, curving at every inch of her body. When he got to the bottom, he raised her up so that she was sitting on the window sill with her legs around his waist. Gasping for breaths and frantically touching and kissing, the two fiddled with each other's shirts until they were off, tossed down out the window. Gaara didn't bother with her skirt and just lifted it up and slid her panties off, making her blush. He paused for a moment and then undid his own pants and pulled her in closer to him, a breath away, as if waiting for permission.

"Make love to me, Gaara." Ino finally said, digging her nails deeply into his neck and kissing him. He made his way inside of her, slowly at first, and she tried to fight back a scream of pain. But soon, she felt more pleasure take over and she relaxed, growing wetter as he grew harder and bigger inside her, going a little rougher and faster. "Ahh! Gaara!" She moaned loudly, feeling the rush and knowing he was close to climax. Gaara tried to pull out but Ino's legs were too tight around him and he was overwhelmed anyways. It was both of their first times, and he ended up cuming inside of her.

The two heaved and sweated for a moment, not being able to move. Then, so that they wouldn't just fall forward out the window, Gaara pulled Ino back on to the bed with him, the two collapsing side by side, still out of breath.

Gaara cursed at himself, he hadn't had a clue what he was doing –he certainly hadn't planned on that happening – and he had cum way too fast and inside of her at that. Despite his worries, Ino seemed satisfied, and he relaxed when she turned to snuggle into his chest, and planted soft kisses against his neck.

"I love you, too." She whispered and then rubbed his shoulders a bit, "But you're always so tense! Even after that!" She laughed and climbed on top of him and kissed him again.

That's why I need you. Gaara thought, knowing that Ino could often understand things without actual speaking. He hoped she heard him now. You're my medicine.

Wow, cheesy Lemon? That was my first time trying a sex scene like that, since I thought it fit the moment and the story as opposed to some sexy thing...hope it was bearable lol... *hides*

Anyways, I noticed this is like my third fic where Ino slaps someone (Shika in The Real Me, Sakura in To The Bone, and Gaara in this one) and like the millionth time she hits someone with a pillow. Sorry for the lack of creativity, I just feel like she would do those things...everytime... (lol)

But yeah, this story is coming to an end soon...will Ino stay in Sunagakure or go back to Konoha? Who is Sakura's baby daddy? And what about Shikamaru?!

DUN DUN DUN

(And Matsuri)