Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

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Alright, guys, here it is. The moment you've been waiting for. I promised another chapter before my net went out, so this is it. It's long and pretty full, and it's taken a damn long time to finally get here, so enjoy.

-Olly

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Sakura tried her best to focus on her class work. It served as a small distraction for her internal worry. When the final dismissal bell rang for the end of the school day, she didn't walk outside with the rest of her friends. She trekked slowly and deliberately to Kakashi's classroom. He wasn't even in there. No orange book, no assignments on the board, nothing. How typical.

Sakura sighed and took a seat. She would stay the time allotted, unless someone directly told her not to. It felt good to be alone, though there was a small part of her that felt fear trickling through her arms and legs. The last time she'd been close to alone was with Gaara… and that obviously hadn't ended well. He'd nearly gotten a concussion, and she'd nearly been… well, she didn't want to think about what Ino might've done.

And Gaara. She didn't know what to think about him anymore. He'd frightened her, yes, but that was no reason to avoid her. All he'd managed to do now was make her feel even worse.

"Sakura?"

Speak of the devil.

Sakura turned around quickly to see her friend…er…boyfriend…thing standing in the doorway. Part of her wanted to smile and cry and run over to hug him. The other part wanted to walk up and slap him. Instead of doing either, she froze. "Uh…hey."

"Why are you here?"

She was a little taken aback. "Detention," she answered plainly. "You?"

Gaara was surprised. Sakura? Detention? He must've missed something… "Detention," he answered back. "Where's Kakashi?"

"I don't know," the girl replied. "But I'm staying."

Gaara rolled his eyes. That was so like her, to stay for a punishment when the teacher wasn't even present. And now he couldn't leave. There was no way he was going to leave Sakura here alone. That was just asking for trouble. He took the seat next to her, held his head in his hands, and winced while the seven dwarves took their pickaxes to the inner lining of his skull.

Sakura leaned back and studied him. There was so much more to him than she'd ever realized. Those hands that held her so tenderly… they'd killed someone… they'd taken a life out of this world.

The silence between them was deafening, and the air was thick. Sakura swallowed and tried to break the tension. She cleared her throat. "So… how… how've you been? You look…"

"Like shit?" Gaara finished for her. Sakura shrugged.

"I was going to say under-the-weather."

Gaara scoffed lightly and looked at her. She looked tired all over, and even smaller than before. The different colors of her hair were starting to fade, leaving only the pink, blonde, and black to be seen clearly. And she had rings around her eyes. Heh, he thought, just like me.

Sakura watched him watching her. She tried to let all the hurt feelings contained inside her burn through her eyes, wondering if he would notice. But he was avoiding her eyes again. Sometimes, she found, words worked better.

She leaned back in her seat, took a gulp of preparation, and choked out, "You've been avoiding me."

Gaara was stunned, a deer caught in the headlights. His headache pounded harder as shock and guilt seeped in through the goose bumps on the back of his neck. He coughed and looked away. She was right… but he hadn't thought she'd either notice or take it so heavily. So now what was he supposed to answer with?

"Heh… Yeh."

Sakura started. "You… you're admitting it?"

"What else am I supposed to say?"

Sakura had actually been under the impression he would've denied it, but she didn't say that. Instead, she asked the question that had been burning in her mind for the longest time. Why are you avoiding me? Why did you kill that boy? Why do you look so weak and sick? Why, why, why, why…

"Why?"

Gaara looked into Sakura's eyes for the first time in weeks. But how could he possibly explain something like this to her without her turning his back on him? How could he possibly tell her the truth, that he'd killed someone? Who could possibly accept him after knowing something like that?

Who could possibly love a monster?

He opted for the one route that would serve as his last saving grace, or so he hoped. "You wouldn't understand."

Sakura clenched her fists so tightly she thought her own nails might draw blood. After all he and she had been through, here he sat, lying to her. Avoiding her once again. "God, you're so… you're such an idiot sometimes." She muttered cracked words. Gaara looked up to see her eyes brimming with fresh tears and sighed guiltily.

"Sakura, please don't cry."

"I'm crying because I'm angry!" she snapped, unclenching her fists and slamming her palms on the desktop. "Why don't you trust me? I already know you have a bad past or whatever, but dammit, Gaara, I still care about you, ok?" She took some deep calming breaths and tried to get her mind back onto a rational level. Her attempts were futile, however, because he'd got her raving and now she couldn't slow down.

Gaara growled, stood up, and kicked one of the desks with as much force as he could muster. It clattered heavily to the floor, and sent even more waves of pain through his skull. He paced back and forth, trying to steady himself as well, before he slammed his hands on the desk Sakura was sitting at and brought his face within centimeters of hers. "Just how much do you think you know, then, hmm?" he growled. "That all of my so-called friends are actually afraid of me? That I was kicked out of school for a year because I killed someone? That I'm fucking sick in the head? Huh? Tell me!"

In the back of his mind he knew what he looked like. His heavy breaths made the little hairs around her face dance, and he was hunched over menacingly. Dark eyes, tensed muscles, bared teeth. Like an animal, a deadly animal.

But the only things that betrayed Sakura's physical fear were the relentless tears that silently dived down her cheeks. Had it not been for their constant flow, Gaara would've been easily fooled. Sakura's face was as stone, completely still, like a beautiful statue of a crying angel.

"If you think I'm going to just walk out of all this because of something that happened in your past, then you've got me all wrong. The you that I know and care about is still there, the Gaara that you are now, and I still care about him, but if you'd rather have me away from you from now on, say so. I won't leave your side unless you tell me to and mean it." She whispered.

Gaara stood there for what seemed like hours, watching, searching for any kind of deceit. They both stayed perfectly still, until the tear streaks on Sakura's face dried up and faded, until Gaara's shoulders started cramping from all the force he was emitting. Obviously he didn't want Sakura to leave him, but he was afraid she would on her own account. Or, at least, it wouldn't be the same.

"You don't know what you're saying." He concluded. His eyes never left hers.

"Don't I?" she choked. "I mean what I say, Gaara. And you're the only one hesitant to believe me."

"Hesitant to believe?" he echoed. "Is that what you think it is? Hesitance?"

"What else could it be?" she asked. "If it isn't that, then I can only reach one other conclusion. You've finally found someone who's not afraid of you and you're too proud to admit it confuses you."

Gaara laughed a hard, fake laugh. "And you think you're that someone?" he ground out. "You're saying I don't scare you."

"You scare me at times, but I'm not afraid of you."

"That makes no sense."

"That's because you won't face the fact."

"Face the fact…" he echoed. "Face the fact that you care about me even though I'm a monster. I'm a murderer, Sakura," he jabbed a hard finger into his own chest, "I'm a danger to everyone around me, including you."

His words were broken and sad. Sakura swallowed thickly and stood up slowly from the desk. Standing straight, on equal ground, she stared through him and spoke to his soul. "I still love you," she said evenly. "I know your past, but I also know there's good in you. The good and the bad will battle sometimes, or maybe they'll never stop fighting to win you over, but I know what I want and I've made my decision. It's your turn now."

Gaara's heart skipped a beat. Two beats. Three. He finally relinquished a breath he'd been unexpectantly holding and shakily tried to realign his breathing pattern. Sakura still loved him, even though she knew the truth. This was everything Gaara had hoped for, prayed for. There was no way in heaven, earth, or hell that he could ever deserve such love, deserve this beautiful, wonderful girl, but somehow he'd gotten her. She'd made her choice. She wouldn't leave him, unless… unless he told her to. All he wanted for Sakura was for her to be happy and safe. She should have the ideal life of happiness: college, a good job, a caring and honest husband, kids… everything. A life with him would mean trouble for her: emotional roller coasters, mental breakdowns, hardships of every kind. She didn't deserve that, and yet she'd chosen him to be with her.

He blinked and said quietly, "I don't want to hurt you." He would, though. Undoubtedly, if she stayed with him. He didn't know how long the demon inside him could be suppressed. Sakura herself unlocked some of it's traits on her own, like lust and desire and possessiveness. And he hadn't felt the monster's rage for years until she'd arrived, until he'd realized he wanted her for his own, until he found out other men wanted her as well. What if those pent up feelings he tried to cage up within exploded on Sakura like they had on Sasuke? What if an innocent, casual hug between her and a male friend perverted itself into thoughts of adultery in his mind? What if his lust became so great that he couldn't refuse the beast, even if she screamed for him to stop?

These thoughts stampeded through Gaara's aching head. He couldn't look at her anymore. Something so beautiful should not be marred by his quandaries. If he truly loved this girl, he would have to protect her. He would have to say no.

But he couldn't do it. Gaara paced back and forth. He held his head in his hands. He kicked some more desks. All the while Sakura remained, patiently waiting. She stayed while he paraded through the room, causing damage and cursing at himself. Finally he looked at her. If he was going to do this, to be with this girl whom he loved, it was going to stay that way. Weakly, he walked back towards her. He sighed.

"If we do this, it's going to be for good."

Something behind Sakura's eyes shone. She nodded.

"I want you, Sakura," he admitted. "I want to protect you, I want…" he struggled to find words that didn't sound trite, but came up with nothing. "I want to be your man." Her man, her lover, he best friend. No matter how corny it sounded, it was the truth. He wanted this girl forever. He wanted to be with her, care for her, provide for her, live with her, marry her, be the father of her children. Anything. Everything. He prayed silently that she understood the heavy meaning in his words.

There was something in their chemistry, their connection that communicated these things. So many words were not necessary. Sakura knew what Gaara meant, even through six simple words. Carefully, she slid her hands down both his arms and intertwined their fingers. This was not just an admittance of mutual attraction or the announcement of their relationship. This was going to be a life commitment.

"I'm yours, Gaara," she whispered. His. His. She was giving herself to him, her whole self, her body, mind, and soul. No man could hope for anything more than for the woman he loved to give herself to him. Mine! his mind screamed joyfully, Sakura! Mine! She was giving him her heart. She already had his on a string; he would keep hers on a pedestal. Perhaps being with him would bring Sakura trouble, but in that moment Gaara secretly vowed to do anything and everything in his power to give this girl the fullest life he possibly could. She was now his to love and cherish. His.

Without another word, Gaara closed the space between them with a kiss. The dam broke. Weeks of restricted contact and pent up longing of wanted touch flooded over both of them. They kissed and hugged and touched and sat and held one another. They rested their foreheads together and closed their eyes and reveled in the moment they shared. Their quiet, perfect moment.

"Sorry I'm late, kids. Hope you didn't miss me too much." Wisps of Kakashi's angular, silver hair bounced as he crossed the room and sat swiftly in his chair. "I got caught up in the bathroom."

Too happy to be embarrassed, Sakura giggled. "The bathroom?" she laughed.

With a shifty glance to the orange book in his hand, Kakashi cleared his throat. "Whatever was served at lunch today was a killer."

Gaara scowled at his teacher, annoyed that his wonderful moment with Sakura had been shattered. His love's unabashed laughter, however, warmed his insides and lightened his mood. He hadn't seen Sakura so happy in weeks. Her cheeks were pink again, her skin warm. This was his Sakura, his cherry blossom. Beautiful and pink and happy. A small smirk emerged from his angry expression, and he finally gave in. "Oh really?" he taunted Kakashi, "I don't believe you."

"Did you try the Meatloaf Surprise?"

Gaara grimaced, "No."

"Then you wouldn't understand."

Gaara only grunted in response, and Sakura giggled some more. Their sensei eyed them thoroughly, apathetic to the fact but not unaware that they lay sitting in each other's arms on the floor of his classroom. "Nothing illegal happened while I was gone, did it?" he inquired dryly.

Sakura shook her head side to side as she pushed herself off the ground. Gaara resisted the reflex to scowl at her absence and pushed himself up as well. "Nope," he replied. "We sat and read our assigned books, just as you instructed us to do."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I sat and read my assigned book as I was instructed to do."

"And I glared at the wall," Gaara pretended to remember.

"While Kakashi-sensei watched over us carefully and diligently in a disciplinary manner," Sakura finished.

Kakashi's gaze flipped back and forth between his two students and he raised a single eyebrow skeptically. "And that's what you're going to tell anyone who asks?" The two teens nodded in agreement. The silver-haired man's expression softened and he gave a single nod in return. "Very good, my young grasshoppers. I have taught you well."

He pulled out his book again and allowed his attention to fall away from the girl and boy in front of him. With side glances at one another, Gaara and Sakura stood confusedly, unsure of what to do next. It was only after Kakashi announced, "You're free to go," that the two of them exited the classroom.

After they were gone, he relaxed into his seat. "Hatake Kakashi: Teen Relationship Rescue." he mused to himself. The clock ticked at him. Only 5:47. No need to hurry home; he could spare another few minutes. Kakashi pulled out his little orange book and settled in for another chapter.

Despite his lingering headache, Gaara made sure to check around every corner and over his shoulder, constantly looking for anything or anyone that might pose as a threat. There was no forgetting what had happened the last time he and Sakura had been alone on school grounds together. They made it to her car safely, but he wouldn't let her get in it until he'd gotten a long, fulfilling kiss. She smiled as their faces parted, and he gave her a kiss on the forehead. "So we can tell 'em now, right?" she asked, referring to their friends. Her boyfriend chuckled, "I think they already know, but yeah, you can tell them."

His girlfriend smiled and tried to open the door of her car, but Gaara stopped her once again. "One last thing," he whispered. He lowered his lips to her ear and asked huskily, "Will you go to the Fall Dance with me?"

Shudders of pleasure cascaded through Sakura's body as Gaara's warm breath tickled the delicate peach fuzz on her ear. After he'd pulled away slightly, she nodded. "Yes," she accepted, "I'd love to."

Gaara offered her a genuine grin and gave her final kiss on the lips before he parted in the direction of his family's car. The drive to the Hyuuga's was short one, but he trailed behind Sakura's car nonetheless, ensuring she got there safely. As he drove past, she blew him a kiss and he revved his engine. Hinata stood in the open doorway, waiting for her friend. She seemed too shocked to wave as she watched Gaara round the corner onto the next street.

The mousy girl turned questioningly back to her friend. "Sakura…?"

Sakura bounced excitedly over to the dark-haired girl, "Hinata! I've got so much to tell you!"

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R&R.

Please and thank-you.

-Olly BaaBaa-Chan