Hey. I'm still awake, and I can't sleep at all. Insomnia hates me, I swear. GaaSaku darkhumour up next chapter. Huzzah. About 12:23 am over here. I hate night.

Disclaimer: Shit, like I need one?

Song to Listen to On Repeat:

Haunted by Evanescence

Nightfall glided over Kohona with grace to dismay an angel. Gaara, however, missed the chaotic way the night fought with day in the desert. The night in Suna was always the victor, leaving the sky streaked bloody from its war with the sun. He smirked, and alighted upon a rooftop sixteen kilometers from his room in the oppressive atmosphere in the hotel. He sniffed the wind, so very different from that of the wind at home. That wind was rough, hot, filled with inner turmoil. The wind here was gentle, cool, sighing deeply through the night. He caught the scent of sakura, and turned his head hungrily just in time to catch a glimpse of pink hair disappearing into a doorway not two apartment complexes from his perch.

Her encounter with the shinobi from Suna made up her mind. Screw her own self-doubts, she would participate in the exams, even if it killed her. Signing the sheet quickly, she felt the eerie sensation of being watched. Turning, she saw nothing. A stifled yawn convinced her to sleep, and so she changed quickly and drifted off. As she faded off to sleep, she swore she'd seen a pair of green eyes. Then again, she'd been wrong before, right?

Watching her sleep was the perk to not sleeping himself. Slipping soundlessly from the window ledge to the floor, he walked quietly to her bed, staring down upon her sleeping form. Her hair was fluttering on her face, stirred by the breeze of her breathing. His hands brushed against her cheek, startling him with its softness. He stroked her shoulder, touching her hair. Pink as a sakura.

His eyes shut as he savored her soft skin and feather-light hair. He felt her skin ripple under his touch, her body shifting lightly so she lay on her back. He traced her collarbone; her lips, so soft compared to his own. Her eyelashes fluttered in REM sleep, and he became entranced by the movement. He watched her that night, never caring that she couldn't see him.

No, he only cared that he could see her.

"Sakura?"

Her eyes shot open, and she turned to face the voice. It was Kakashi.

"What are you doing here?"

He smiled, eye crinkling merrily. "I was on my way to the bridge. Expect me to be late by half an hour."

She watched him poof away from her window, and she ran her hand through her pink locks. Of all the dreams she had, that was the most vivid.

The Sand shinobi from yesterday was there, and she was feeling his every touch, his every caress, his loving grasp. She didn't understand. She loved Sasuke. Yet how could this stranger make her feel so damn good?

Pushing them aside, she showered and dressed, picked up ramen, and formulated this as the perfect excuse for being almost as late as Kakashi. Naruto was happy beyond relief, and Sasuke, as usual, said nothing.

Hoo-rah for Stalker-Gaara. He gets a cookie. (forks over cookie)

Damn, these are short chapters. I'm going to attempt to sleep now, because it's fucking 12:53 am in Nowheresville, Texas. I hate living so close to S.A., but the lights and sounds of the city are my calling. I miss arguing with street vendors and fighting my way through the sidewalks. (sigh) I guess I can't go back. Screw it, I'm tired. Read and review, etc, etc.