(Review responses at the end :D )
A little fyi, I don't really know how drunk people are supposed to act. Most of the drunk people I see are either the same as they normally are but sleepier, or the same but louder, and that's not as exciting . so I tweaked the actuality of inebriation a little bit.

Chapter 4

"That weak little kid? He'll never be picked, families don't want weird looking freaks like him."

"Yea, he scares me! I wouldn't want to live with him."

The inconsiderate mutterings of fellow children in the Suna adoption facility reflected the insecurities of all the youth who had been abandoned there. Heart broken faces searched the world around them for their special purpose in life. With no parents to show them what love was, their hearts hardened quickly. For one young red-haired boy, it was just barely too late.

"Hi there cutie! You're going to be living with us from now on!" A perky blonde announce, "I'm Temari, and that dork over there is Kankuro!"

"Why do we have to bring this kid home? I better not have to share any of my stuff."

"You two with behave yourselves, and be nice to you're new brother."

"He's not our real brother! He doesn't even look anything like us." Kankuro pouted.

Temari smacked him and shouted, "Didn't you hear mom? Shut up and behave!"

Gaara didn't need them to pretend. He already knew he didn't fit in, and that he wasn't, and never would be a real member of their family.

"Sasuke, what the hell happened here?!" Naruto said. He had blushed nervously when he arrived in the room to find a shirtless Sasuke hovering at the locked door, waiting for him and promptly locking the door behind him. However, seeing Sakura unconscious, disheveled, covered in something putrid, and slumped over in the bathroom killed any kind of excitement he had built up. He hadn't had nearly enough to drink for the scene before him to be any fun. "Is she okay? What...were you two doing?"

"She blacked out, after covering herself and me in puke." Sasuke said, looking around his room for spare clothing. All the clothes of his that had been left there were a few sizes too small, but luckily some of Itachi's old things were there and fit him just fine. It wasn't until that moment that he realized nothing in his room had been moved in any way since he'd been away...

"So...you two didn't...you know?" Naruto said in a playful voice.

"No, Naruto. We didn't do anything." Sasuke seemed somewhat saddened. Seeing her crying like that, hurting, even if it was just the alcohol, it hurt more than the day he left. Probably because he only found that he wanted to be with her more and more with each day. Even now... And she was so close.

"Huh, well, what should we do?"

"She needs to get a change of clothing."

"You mean..undress her?! I can't do that!"

"Well then find someone who will, because I'm leaving."

"Shit..Okay, well, I'll get Konan, then drive you home okay? Just wait a sec! Sasuke!" Naruto tried to slow him down.

"No, Naruto, I...I can't stay here any more." Sasuke was dressed now, and heading for the door.

"Sasuke!" Naruto grabbed him by the arm, and they froze for a moment. "Do you know how long it's been since the three of us were together like this?"

"Really? Just like this, huh?" Sasuke said sarcastically, motioning to the mess in the bathroom.

Naruto cracked a smile, "You know what I mean. Admit it..." he said, trying to gain composure and looking at Sasuke with a serious depth. "You miss her, don't you?"

Sasuke looked away, and pulled his arm away, pausing for a brief moment at the door, reflecting on Naruto's words. "Things could be that way again, Sasuke." Naruto said, just before Sasuke left, locking the door from the inside out as he closed it behind him.

It had been nearly forty minutes since Sakura disappeared into the bathroom, and with the state she was in, Gaara wouldn't have been surprised if she'd passed in there. Or on her way there... He decided to go looking for her, but he had no idea what the layout of the house was. Weaving through thick masses of people who were at their peak of inebriation was not how he intended to spend this night, and he was starting to get frustrated. He pulled out his phone and tried to call and text her, but there was no answer, and no response.

Could she be... He looked up the stairs, where couples had been going back and forth from all night. The lower level of the home was plainly the living and entertainment floor, but there was an impressive expanse of rooms on the second floor, and possibly on the third floor as well. He hadn't really though about who's home it was before, but now he was curious. Sakura never clarified how she knew it wasn't Hidan's...

He wandered around the upstairs area, but didn't make it far before a loud and piercing voice called to him. "GAAaaaraAA! You, wherer..Where is yur date!? huh?" Oh joy. Ino stumbled over to him, and gave him a soft punch to the chest. "Sakura? Where is *hiccup* Sakura?"

Gaara sighed, "I take it you don't know then?"

"Y-you're taking what now?!" Ino pushed him again, and he backed up into a wall as she sauntered towards him in a drunken stupor. The blonde looked very serious for a moment, and seemed to gain a few seconds of clarity, enough to say, "You're a bad boy, aren't you?" She started to push herself against him, "You're not good for Sakura, why not be with me instead?" She giggled,

"God, you're so dramatic. Go lie down, before you hurt yourself." He placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to push her away.

"No! You listen...to me! She..." Wow, she is strong when she's drunk.. She pushed him back into the wall, slamming her body against his. "She is so, so in love with Sasuke!" She whispered loudly into his ear, and he shivered angrily at the words. "She'll never like you anyways." Ino started crying, completely far gone, letting her head fall against his chest. Gaara tried to grasp that she was just very very drunk, and couldn't be trusted to deliver any truth. But her words sounded disturbingly sincere.

Suddenly, a firm hand appeared on Ino's sholder, and she turned to see a familiar tall young man. The glint of anger in his dark eyes coaxed her into some realm of clarity. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sasuke says, his words dripping with venomous anger, "Aren't you supposed to be here with Sakura?"

Gaara smirked, pushing away a stunned Ino. This wasn't exactly the way he wanted to confront Sasuke tonight, but it would have to do. "Why do you care?"

"Sasuke it was...just.. um." Ino stuttered, suddenly realizing what she had done. It didn't really matter at this point, since the tension between these two would have been the same regardless.

"You better not just be playing with her." Sasuke got closer to Gaara. He was noticeably taller than him, but Gaara made up for it with an intense aura that bordered on murderous.

"So what if I am?" His voice was sinister, and the closer Sasuke got to him the more energy he began to feel building in his fists.

"I swear, if you hurt her-"

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" Sasuke's eyes widened, and the truth of his words hit him hard.

"You son of a-" Sasuke swung at him, but Gaara blocked with impressive speed and caught his fist. Sasuke looked surprised, and was caught of guard. Gaara pulled him in, and punched him harshly in the stomach. Sasuke felt the wind knocked out of him, and gasped for air as he collapsed. Gaara didn't give him any time to catch his breath, and picked him up by his shirt, slamming him hard against the wall. He leaned in and whispered, "You screwed up your chance to be with her, now it's my turn."

Sasuke squirmed, and tried to speak, grabbing Gaara's wrist. He couldn't believe this punk ass kid was stronger than him. Several people had stopped and gathered to watch the confrontation.

Gaara shook him again when he tried to speak, and whispered again, with a wicked tone, "Thanks for warming her up for me, desperate girls are so much easier to get with."

"You... fucking bastard."

"Enough!" A strong voice yelled behind them, Gaara hesitated, but slowly let Sasuke down. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, feeling a unique high that only came from loosing control. "You two need to take this somewhere else." Gaara turned to see Sasuke's older brother, Itachi. Behind him was Konan, holding an unconscious Sakura, and something painful twisted in Gaara's stomach at the sight of her.

"Sakura," Gaara said softly, surprising himself at the aching he suddenly felt, and the speed in which all the rage left him. He had been distracted, and Sasuke took this opportunity to give him a solid left hook. Gaara fell back, dizzy, and slowly feeling the throbbing sensation rise in his face.

"Sasuke! Enough, both of you need to leave!" Itachi yelled, Yahiko had stepped in to restrain Sasuke. Gaara should have been livid, but he was actually feeling guilty. He had spent more energy trying to intimidate Sasuke, and not nearly taken enough care to show Sakura a good time, and all those things he said to piss of Sasuke...Now he had started to feel like he'd done the wrong thing.

Sasuke struggled against Yahiko's strong grasp, who just looked over at Itachi with concern. Itachi nodded, and Yahiko let him go. Sasuke stumbled away, and left angrily, glaring at Gaara, and then at his brother.

"Konan, Yahiko, please take Sakura to my car. I'll take her home." Itachi said, motioning to them as they nodded and carried Sakura away. "As for you, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask that you leave."

"What authority do you have to tell me to do anything, Uchiha?" Gaara said bitterly.

"This is my home, and you've upset my guests." Itachi said plainly, Gaara grunted in disgust, and stormed out of the home.

He drove home much faster than he should have with the amount of alcohol that was in his system, and he was lucky to make it home safely.

He didn't want to think about the things he'd heard from Ino, the obvious protective nature that Sasuke seemed to have for Sakura, and the fact that he still didn't know what had happened to her. In the end he was more angry at himself than anything. He was really starting to enjoy his time with her, but he fucked things up, as usual. More than anything, he felt guilty about the crude things he'd said about Sakura. With anyone else, it wouldn't have mattered, but for the first time he felt something that he couldn't explain. Even if it was just to upset Sasuke, he regretted having said those things.

"Hey, honey, welcome home." His mother said sleepily yawning, sitting in the kitchen looking over some papers on the kitchen counter.

He ignored her and began to hurry up the stairs. "Woah wait a minute mister, what's going on, are you okay?"

Gaara stopped, "I'm fine."

"I know you're not, what happened? Were you drinking?"

"Why the fuck do you care?"

"Hey! Do not talk to me like that young man. You are too young to be drinking! You could have gotten pulled over, or had an accident!" She lectured.

"Just leave me alone, you can't tell me what to do!"

"Gaara, please calm down, just tell me what happened. Come on," She knew yelling didn't work with him, but not much did these days. "Come talk to mommy okay?"

"YOU'RE NOT MY MOM!" He yelled, echoing throughout the house. He ran up the stairs and into his room, slamming it behind him.

He slumped down against his been, clutching his head, grabbing fistfuls of hair, while threatening tears formed in his eyes. He was grieving for a lot more than just a disappointing night.

Sakura felt warm and soft, like she was resting in a cloud. She would have stayed there if the urge to empty her bladder wasn't screaming at her. She felt weak and numb, and her head ached, but she managed to collect that she was in her own room, still dress. On the night stand by her bed she saw a blue origami flower, and a note.

"Sakura, I hope you had fun tonight! I'm sorry about your dress, I'll have it returned to you Monday morning after it's been cleaned. Konan changed you into a dress of hers, but she said you're more than alright to keep it if you like. Here's some medication for your headache, sleep well tonight, and make sure you're well rested for school on Monday. -Yahiko"

What the hell happened to me? All she could remember was that strange dream about Sasuke, and being in his room. She would have to apologize to Gaara when she saw him again Monday. He had been so sweet the past week, and she was really looking forward to their time together. Now being so desperate to get over Sasuke, she had started to consider what she would do in a situation where she had the opportunity to go further with someone. After failing to be a good date, she had a new resolve. She was ready to give herself to someone, and since that person could never be Sasuke, like she had wanted, she would make share such a thing with Gaara as soon as the time was right. In her sleepy stupor, such reasoning seemed flawless and appropriate. That night she closed her eyes to the imagery of Gaara, stunning and exotic, replacing every fantasy she had ever had about Sasuke. The seeds of her new desire had been planted.

Oof, that was hard to write. I hate spending a whole chapter on such a short time span of events, but it had to be done. Things will be moving a lot quicker after this. Also, I might be editing things in this chapter, since I feel I was more distracted than usual in writing it.

Review responses:

Hanmac: I was sooo tempted! But it just didn't feel the right time for it :P
AlyGoesMeow: I'm so glad you like it so far! I'm really excited about it :)
Guest: Oh my gosh I am SO glad you like that, I was really worried people would think it's too out of character for him. I don't know if I've written it well enough for it to seem this way, but I picture him being more intense and aesthetically alluring than purposely flirty, if that makes sense?
LittleNightmare92: Heh, well, hopefully this chapter didn't disappoint. Let me know what you think!