"Stop!"

Sakura yelled as she ran away from the two bullies who chased after her. They already beat her badly before she eventually ran down the street from her school. Her books nearly fell out of her bookbag while she did so.

She tripped over her shoe and fell to the ground, wincing when she felt them start hitting on her again. Covering her head, she started to cry and begged them to stop hitting her. Why was she the unlucky one? Why did she always end up in these situations? She said stop one more time before she met the eyes of a stranger watching her in the distance.

When she thought her luck was getting worse, the male had stepped up and started beating the crap out of the two guys who hurt her. He destroyed them. Once they ran away, Sakura noticed he was about to follow them until he heard her cough. He looked back at her as her eyes settled his figure; the pain seen in her expression. A little pity crossed his face for a moment, but he easily let that go. He held his hand out for her to take, and with a bit of hesitation, she took it.

The stranger pulled her up and went to pick up her books, but she stopped him. "…You don't need to do that. You chased them off, that's enough."

Sakura didn't know if it was because she looked broken or if it was the fact that he didn't want to leave her alone just in case they came back. She wanted to ask, but she didn't feel the confidence rise in her to even bother with it. "I want to help."

She seemed unsure and he obviously didn't like the idea of her being so weak-minded. He could tell she was a strong individual, but these monsters made sure to have her idea of that destroyed. The male didn't wait for her to respond and just started picking up the rest of her books anyway. When he handed them to her, she stared at him curiously.

There were questions behind his eyes and she could see it. Why did those two males beat on her? Why did she let them do it? Why is she bothering this conversation? She seemed afraid of him, but also not. His fingers brushed hers for a moment and it caused her to gasp, a blush appearing on her cheeks out of embarrassment.

Luckily it seemed he took it as she was in pain from her injuries. "Do you need me to help you go home?"

"No… no, I already bothered you enough. I don't need to keep you from your affairs." Whatever his 'affairs' were anyway. She had no idea who he was, of course she would be nervous around him. Gaara pursed his lips into a fine line as he sighed. Maybe he would leave and go back to wherever he came from; forgetting that this ever happened.

When she didn't move from her spot, he reached out and lightly touched her cheek which had already began to swell up. She winced but didn't shy away from his touch. "I can escort you home and help patch some of the areas you wouldn't be able to reach."

She inhaled sharply when he touched her neck because of the cut, but he paid no mind to it. She nodded her head and backed away so she could show him to her home. She wasn't sure why she trusted him. She had been beaten up by two males and she didn't want to think he had some hidden agenda, but she couldn't help herself.

Once they were at her home, she stopped in front of her door and looked at him. "I can stay out here if that makes you more comfortable. Just bring me whatever you can."

A small smile appeared on her lips and she nodded, heading inside so she could grab the first aid kit which was under her bathroom sink. When she returned to him, she handed him the items and patiently waited for him to start his work. Gaara started to bandage up the wounds he knew she wouldn't be able to reach, and watched her grimace once he poured alcohol on the larger cuts.

"What's your name superman?" She asked with a light laugh, which caused him to chuckle a bit in return.

"My name is Gaara." He told her after he brushed some of her pink hair away from her swollen eye, his gaze concentrating on it slightly.

She closed her eyes and allowed him free reign, obviously showing him that she trusted he could get it done. "I'm Sakura, it's nice to meet you."

Gaara didn't respond and simply focused on trying to make sure she was patched up before her parents arrived home. Sakura could tell he wanted to be gone before that happened, so he was also trying to rush a bit. She wondered if it was because he didn't want them to see him with her like this otherwise they'd probably think he was the one who did it. Which sounded ridiculous, but she understood his reasoning.

When he finished, he handed her the supplies back and gave her a small smile. It didn't reach his eyes, but Sakura didn't comment on that. "Is there anything else-?"

She quickly interrupted him before he could finish his question, "Nope! I appreciate the help, and you even patched me up in return. Thanks."

He seemed hesitant to leave her for a moment, but he eventually moved away from her. Gaara started to walk away, though he didn't notice that she was still watching him as he walked down the street. Shaking her head, she decided there was no reason to focus on him. This would be the last time they ever spoke, right?

A part of her had a hard time of believing that, but she didn't dwell on it.

Sakura woke up with a light gasp, sweat covering her skin as she stared at the covers she held onto. She shook her head in frustration and rubbed her eyes, ignoring the fact that her kitten was now rubbing against her as if she sensed her distress. Sakura looked at her for a moment and sighed. "Akemi, it wasn't anything serious."

Just memories that appeared in her head again. So… she knew Gaara before? It was a small occurrence, but for some reason she felt... relieved? Glad? Happy? 'He was the one who saved you from those bullies and patched you up.' She thought, a smile appearing lightly on her lips.

She hadn't forgotten that day, but her rescuer had faded into nothing and eventually couldn't remember who saved her. When her parents came home and saw her like that, she had no choice but to explain what went on. After that, her mother picked her up from the Academy instead of letting her walk home.

After that, Sakura never saw him again and wondered if she dreamed up the whole thing. Stuff like that only happened in fiction… but there it was. He helped her when bullies terrorized her and even helped her with spots she couldn't reach. It seemed ironic now that she thought about it. Why did this memory pop into her head?

Throwing the covers off her person, she moved into the bathroom and grabbed her glass before pouring water into it so she could quench her thirst. Looking at the mirror, she grimaced at her appearance and lightly shook her head in embarrassment. Perhaps it was a good thing she finally remembered. Maybe she was just fooling herself though.

Sighing, she turned the light back off and laid down in her bed once again; snuggling into Akemi when she rubbed against her. It had been a couple of weeks since she last saw Gaara, and it bothered her more than she cared to admit. She still had his pendant and even though Ino returned from her honey moon, Sakura didn't want to give it to her. She wanted to give it to Gaara…

Her thoughts trailed off and she sighed, running her hand in Akemi's fur gently. "Maybe I'm being ridiculous. I shouldn't hold onto it, that's the wrong thing to do, right?"

Before she could even continue her thought process, she had fell asleep again. More memories played in her mind, but nothing helped her in this decision.

Eventually another week had gone by and considering how busy she was, Sakura completely forgot about the pendant which was in her book. She had to focus on her studies and the work which took up most of her time. Ino called and they hung out a few times afterwards, which caused Sakura to grow lonely once again. Seeing that ring on Ino's finger made matters worse.

Deciding she needed to experience another date, she called up Morio and arranged a meeting. As she waited, Sakura chewed her thumbnail, while she outside the restaurant she would meet her date by. She felt nervousness settle in her gut, but there was no reason to be that way right…? What if she was only kidding herself?

"Sakura!" She heard her name and turned to look at Morio who walked towards her with roses in his hands.

She gave him a small smile and accepted them gracefully, ignoring the fact that he tried to kiss her cheek. Stepping out of his advancements, she headed inside and they were led to a table. She held onto the menu with light interest, a frown settling on her lips. She didn't want to be here. She shouldn't have called this man and wasted his time.

"What do you think?"

Sakura looked at him briefly for a moment, "What?"

"What do you think we should get?"

"Oh…" She felt her cheeks light up in embarrassment. "Um… I suppose I'll get sushi."

Morio nodded in response and ordered their food for them, which annoyed her but she tried not to show it on her face. Why did he bother asking her if he was just going to do what he wanted? Shaking herself from those thoughts, she leaned back in her chair. "Look Morio, I have something to ask you… you sent roses to my work a couple of weeks ago. How did you know…?"

"… Well you saved my life." Morio interjected, "I was involved in an accident a month ago and you were the one who helped me in the hospital. I must confess I admired you ever since, but never felt the courage to approach you. It seemed fate decided that for me when I saw you on the street."

She felt relieved that he wasn't stalking her. She would have to fact check his story though and make sure he wasn't pulling her leg and lying to her. Though the look in his eyes told her all she needed to know. He was sincere in his words. Shaking her head, she gave him a small smile. "That's actually kind of sweet."

A voice popped into her head, 'And stalkerish. Why am I even here? I should try finding Gaara instead and ask him if he remembers me!' She knew her thoughts were silly, so she simply tried ignoring it. That chapter had closed. It was something of the past, nothing else. Why should she worry with it anymore?

'… But it's bothering you.'

Sakura ignored the voice again and growled when it spoke, 'Fine, I guess I'll ruin my own happiness for the sake of trying to please everyone else.'

"… And I enjoy golf."

She whimpered inside of her head. What had she done?


"Are you sure you don't know where it is?" Kankuro asked, leaning against his couch as he watched Gaara frantically searching through most of his belongings.

He looked back and glared at him, "Yes! It has been missing for weeks."

Kankuro sighed and simply approached his little brother and bent down so he was eye-level with him. "Maybe that means it's time to let it go. I know it's not what you want to hear, but you have other things to worry about. The deadline of your book, interviews, all sorts of—"

Gaara stood up and moved away from him, approaching his glass doors. "Look I'm sorry. I called the church and they said there is no pendant on their premises. I'm sorry Gaara, it might just be something you have to forget."

When Kankuro left, Gaara lightly smacked his hand against the wall and shook his head in frustration. Perhaps Kankuro was right, maybe it was time for him to forget that trinket. He knew his mother gave it to him because she wanted him to remember her, but this obsession didn't seem healthy in the least. He moved towards his laptop which held his novel inside and brushed his knuckles against the screen.

He was almost finished. The war was coming along nicely and Kiyoshi's love interest helped him forgive himself of all the sins he committed. He still didn't know how to write about love, but their relationship flowed easily as he continued through the chapters. He imagined her as a woman with pink—not pink, black hair. He meant to say black.

Gaara ran a hand through his hair and shut his laptop before he walked out of his apartment. Getting into his car, he drove off and headed in the direction of the city center where he could walk and possibly clear his head. He hadn't seen Sakura for a while now, and he wonders how she was doing. Maybe he was being ridiculous, he wasn't sure.

When he parked in one of the garages, he headed out in the street and snuggled his jacket close to his body. November was approaching them fast and even though he hated the cold, nothing helped him better than fresh air to gather his thoughts easily.

He moved through the streets without bumping into others, though most everyone had gone home. It was past seven o'clock, and wondered how long he should stay. Everyone knows as night approaches, it grew colder and he didn't need to end up with the flu.

Sighing softly, Gaara shook his head and past a restaurant, his gaze motioning inside for a moment before he looked away. But he stopped short when he noticed a shade of pink enter his vision and he almost suspected himself playing with his emotions. Once he glanced back inside though, he realized it was Sakura sitting across from some male he never saw before.

His heart started to pound painfully in his chest and he became aware of the irritation that approached it. Considering she had roses next to her, he realized that it was a date of all things. That meant she was in a relationship. No, he was jumping to conclusions. If she was with someone, wouldn't she have brought him to the wedding?

Crossing his arms, he stared at them for a moment longer until he couldn't take it anymore. It caused his heart to ache and he wasn't sure why. Deciding it wasn't important, he backtracked and headed into the direction of his car; missing the moment when Sakura had caught him.

He was in his car for at least thirty minutes before he drove off, nearly missing the silhouette that was crossing the street. He noticed it was Sakura but she was alone, the man she was with nowhere in sight. Even the roses were gone. He waited until she was on the sidewalk to pull up next to her. Since she was wearing a dress, she had to be cold.

"Sakura?"

She looked towards him and gave him a smile, which caused his lips to twitch. "Do you need a ride?"

Sakura didn't answer him right away, but she eventually went up to his car and got in; buckling her seatbelt shortly afterwards. He drove off and asked for her home address since he hadn't been there for weeks. The last time he was there, he was a little buzzed, so he couldn't remember it even if he tried.

He placed it into his GPS, and headed in that direction. She was rubbing her arms which caused him to turn the heat up and she quietly thanked him with another smile. Eventually they pulled up into her driveway, but she didn't get out. She stared at his dashboard and looked as if she wanted to say something, though her thoughts seemed to hold her back.

"Thanks for the ride Gaara." Sakura said, giving him another smile. She had seen him standing outside the restaurant, but she decided she wouldn't mention it to him. He was probably only walking by regardless, so she could embarrass herself if she asked what he was doing. That would make it look like she had been spying on him.

She still didn't get out of his car and he nearly wondered if it was because she was cold and didn't want to embrace the air which would meet her as soon as she removed herself. When she looked at him, he quickly looked away and stared at his wheel which caused her to giggle softly. "I appreciate it you know. I didn't have any extra money on me for a cab so I was stuck walking—"

Sakura stopped speaking when she noticed he was staring at her again, though this time their eyes were locked together. She felt herself swallow at the intense gaze he held with her, but she shouldn't think anything of it… right? "Gaara…?"

Once she spoke his name, it was like the spell had broken. Gaara looked away, "Sorry. You're welcome."

She pursed her lips into a fine line and grabbed his phone which was in the middle dash. He glanced at her curiously and watched as she typed on it. He didn't have a code, so she unlocked it with a swipe of her finger. When she was done, she handed it to him; "I put my number into your phone, I hope you don't mind."

Gaara felt his heart jump again but he didn't show any reaction. Before he could respond, she leaned over and kissed his cheek; thanking him one more time. She got out of his car and he waited for her to get into her home before he left. As he drove down the road, Gaara knew that was nothing more than a 'thank-you kiss', but he felt… strange.

When he pulled up to his apartment building, he turned off his car and leaned back; his mind whirling with thoughts. He had to write these things down before he forgot them.

Though he had no idea why.