Typhoon
Chapter Two
-Konoha-
Sakura sat in Tsunade's office, bored out of her mind. There was nothing going on in the village right now, and the hospital was like a ghost town. She supposed she should be happy about this, because it meant that nobody was hurt or sick, but it resulted in her boredom. So, she decided to do what she always did when she was bored. She thought about Gaara.
They had been seeing each other for six months now, and it had been the best six months of her life. When her vacation had ended, she was forced to return to Konoha, despite how badly she wanted to stay. She and Gaara exchanged letters of course, hers rambling about the different goings on of the village and her life, his about the mundane tasks as village head that he had to do, and the annoying things his siblings did.
And every once in a while, when she was out on a mission, they would meet halfway between the two villages, and visit for a while. Every time they met, their encounters grew more heated, until one time she was pretty sure they were going to go all the way right there in the grass. She had stopped him then, saying that she didn't want to get caught in a compromising situation, given who they both were. Remembering that time in Suna when Naruto had walked in on them, he agreed, albeit reluctantly.
The truth was, she had decided that she wanted to wait until she got married until having sex. And if Gaara didn't ask her, she would remain the way she was for the rest of her life. Untouched. She sighed, that prospect being a depressing thought. The truth was, she already knew what she wanted. She wanted to be with Gaara, forever and always. Marriage was the way her parents had done it, and that was how she wanted to do it. But, for now, she was content merely being his girlfriend. At least, that's what she called herself. Gaara simply said that she was his. But whatever. Tomato, tomato.
Hinata was Naruto's girlfriend now. They had gotten together shortly after the group returned from Suna, Naruto finally realizing that he did care for the ebony haired woman. Sakura was happy for them, she really was. But they got to see each other every day, whereas she only got to see Gaara once or twice a month. They didn't realize how lucky they were, to have such a gift. She grew jealous all of a sudden. They didn't know what real love was. It didn't matter that Hinata had been in love with Naruto for over seven years, Naruto had just realized his feelings a few months ago! Suddenly the pink haired woman felt ashamed. Just because she didn't get to see Gaara as much as Hinata got to see Naruto didn't mean that she needed to think spitefully of them. And, you know what they say: absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Sighing in defeat, she turned in her chair, only to see that her Shishou had fallen asleep, a small puddle of drool on her desk next to her mouth. She shook her head at her sensei. Suddenly, the doors to the room were thrown open, and a panting Shizune entered. "Tsunade-sama! Wake up! I have important news!" she said frantically.
All she got in response was a loud snore. Rolling her eyes, the older woman tried a different approach. "Oh no! All the sake is gone!" she yelled.
This caused their mentor to sit up in her chair, alert immediately. "What?" she yelled, furious.
"Tsunade-sama! I have something to tell you!" Shizune repeated.
Ignoring this, the blonde stood and began to look around the room. "Why is all the sake gone? I just ordered in a new shipment yesterday."
Shaking her head negatively, Shizune tried again. "The sake isn't gone, Tsunade-sama."
Glaring at her the ebony haired medic, Tsunade growled. "Then why did you say it was? Don't lie to me about such important matters Shizune."
"B-but Tsunade-sama, I needed to tell you-" Suddenly, she was interrupted by the presence of someone else in the room. Gaara walked in before his introduction could even be made.
"Gaara!" Sakura gasped, surprised yet happy to see him. She refrained from running into his arms though, since the Hokage looked like she was about to kill somebody.
Hastily wiping the saliva off her chin, Tsunade reached across her desk and grabbed Shizune by the collar of her kimono. "Why didn't you tell me the Kazekage was coming? You're supposed to put all these things on my calendar! Don't make me fire you Shizune! Cause' I will!" she yelled, shaking her assistant furiously.
"I did not inform anyone of my arrival Tsunade-sama." Gaara spoke up, feeling a bit of pity for the poor woman.
Putting her captive down slowly, Tsunade gave him a confused look. "Oh. Then why the sudden visit? Surely you didn't come all this way just to see my apprentice." She said, chuckling slightly. She actually wouldn't put it past the redhead if he came just for that reason.
"Of course I did," he said, trying his best to contain his happiness at seeing the love of his life. It had been too long since he had been with her last. "So I must ask, if I may steal her from you for the day."
Sakura got out of her chair immediately at his words. Running up to her mentor, she grabbed the older woman's arm and tugged on it, giving her a look a child would give its mother when asking for a puppy. "Please Shishou? Can I go?"
Laughing at her student's antics, Tsunade nodded. "Of course Sakura. I wouldn't dream of keeping you from him. The consequences could be severe." She joked, though what she said was true.
The pink haired woman ran into her lover's arms then, giving him a bright smile. "What are we gonna do today?" she asked, not really caring, as long as she got to be with him.
"You'll see," he told her, leaning down to her and kissing her temple.
Shizune smiled happily, watching the two as they left. "Oh Tsunade-sama, isn't that just amazing? I'm so glad that Sakura has the Kazekage."
"Yeah, yeah. Young love and whatnot. Now leave me alone so I can finish my nap." The Hokage grumbled. She truly was happy for her apprentice, but it wasn't in her nature to express it openly.
Gaara led Sakura through the village, catching up with what had happened since they last saw each other. He was in complete bliss. Her presence soothed him into a peace he thought he would never know. "I've missed you," he admitted, giving her a soft peck on the lips.
"And I you." She replied, a goofy smile on her face. She didn't think she would ever get used Gaara being hers. Quite honestly, she was glad that she could finally kiss him whenever she wanted, and not have to worry about what he or others would think of it.
By now they had wandered towards the village's park, where cherry blossom trees filled the area, their pink petals already beginning to fall to the ground, since autumn was upon them. He led her towards a red wooden bridge that crossed over a small stream that ran through the area. He stopped at the top, making her halt as well. Gaara took both her hands in his and smiled down at her.
"Sakura…I love you…" he said softly.
"I love you too Gaara." she smiled, the nervous look on his face making her a bit worried. Suddenly her stomach sank. Was he going to tell her that they should no longer be together? Could it be the distance? Or was it his stupid council?
He took in a deep breath, worry all over his face. Keeping her hands in his he kneeled down, letting one of her hands fall free. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box, opening it to reveal the beautiful ring. "Sakura…I can't stand this distance…I love you so much, and I want to be with you always. You are my light in the dark and the beating in my heart. Will you…please do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife?" he asked, swallowing hard at the slim possibility she might say no.
She stood there, speechless. He wanted her to marry him? "Are you sure?" she asked, uncertain. "Because, I can be demanding at times. And I know I'll do things that upset you. And, what if-"
"Sakura." He said, effectively halting her rant. "It's a yes or no question." He smiled then, trying to show her he wasn't mad, he just wanted an answer.
She blushed, seeing the truth in his statement. "Oh, you're right. Sorry." Her eyes began to water, then, from all the joy in her heart. "Of course I'll marry you Gaara. I'd be a fool if I said no."
His smile grew as he stood, sliding the ring onto her left ring finger. She jumped up excitedly, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, kissing him deeply and more passionately than she ever had before. Placing his arms around her so he could support her, he returned her kiss, pulling away only to tell her how much he loved her.
Placing her hands on his cheeks, she smiled into his face tenderly. "How is it that you've made almost all of my dreams come true in such a short amount of time?"
He laughed, finally setting her down to her feet and giving her another kiss before standing erect. "I don't know. I like making you happy so I try to is all." He shrugged, his persona so much different than it had been when she first arrived in Suna. "Now…I'm sure you want to tell your friends but…you know how they get, so promise me that you will handle it carefully and calmly," he said, taking her hands once more and kissing both.
"Of course. You know I always handle delicate situations with the utmost care." She replied with a smile.
"Alright, good." He nodded, leading her off then. "Why don't we go tell the Hokage first…and then she can send out a messenger to collect all your friends. We could go out, some place nice. Anywhere you want."
Her smile grew wider. "That sounds like a great idea. Shishou will be so happy when she hears the news."
"You're getting what?" the blonde Hokage yelled in disbelief.
Holding up her left hand, Sakura smiled at her sensei. "Married!" she said with a squeal.
Tsunade reached out and snatched her student from the redhead's arm. "You can't marry him! I forbid it!" she said forcefully. She turned her glare to the redhead. "How dare you try to take my star pupil from me? I will fight you for her!" she yelled at the irritated man.
"Shishou, knock it off!" Sakura yelled, struggling in her master's firm grasp, trying to stop the destruction before it happened.
"Quiet Sakura. This is between me and the boy." Tsunade said, shushing down her student.
"Excuse me?" Gaara yelled, his eye twitching. He was most certainly not a mere boy! 'I beg your pardon? I am twenty-one years old, and I am the Kazekage. The last time I checked, I did not need consent from you! Now stand down or you will seriously regret this Tsunade!" he ordered, grabbing Sakura by the arm and ripping her from the blonde's grasp. Now that he had Sakura, there was nothing in the world that would ever prevent her from being with him.
Now the Hokage was angry, as was clearly shown by her expression. One that was Sakura had seen many a time before someone was punched through a wall. "You sure as hell do need my consent! I am the closest thing Sakura has to a mother, since her parents are dead. The least you could do is show some respect for your elders." She said, grabbing Sakura's arm and using a bit of chakra in order to take the girl back again.
Gaara shoved Sakura behind him, his sand shooting out of his gourd and swarming around the Hokage, threatening to attack. "How about you show some respect Hokage? Show respect to your equal! I am a Kage too, and you have done nothing but insult me since the moment you heard the news!"
Getting fed up with this shouting and tug-of-war match, Sakura walked between the two. "Will you two shut up! I am not some object to be fought over!" she yelled, startling the two Kages. Turning to her teacher, she said, "I will marry Gaara whether you approve of it or not Tsunade-shishou. It's my life." Then, she turned to Gaara, her next words wiping the smug smirk off his face. "And you should have gotten her permission, if you wanted to ask me properly." Looking at both of them, she crossed her arms. "Now apologize to each other, or I'm gonna get really angry."
"I'm not apologizing to that old hag!" Gaara told her, pointing at the older woman. "Why should I have to ask permission to marry you? Every time I come here all she does is call me a child."
"How dare you call me a hag! I am the epitome of beauty. And to me, you will always be a child. Your behavior right now only supports my statement." The blonde said as she crossed her arms, a smug look on her face.
"Oh really? The epitome of beauty?" he arched what could be seen as a brow, crossing his arms arrogantly. "And that jutsu you use to keep yourself looking young has nothing to do with it?"
"Of course not! Where did you hear such slander?" she asked, clearly offended.
Tired of all the arguing, Sakura threw her arms in the air in defeat. "That's it! I'm going home, where I can enjoy my engagement in peace! If you two are going to kill each other, do it where half the village won't get destroyed in the process." Then she made her way to the door. "By the way, Shishou, send out a messenger to all of my friends inviting them to dinner tonight. Tell them to meet me at that new restaurant near the Hyuuga Compound at seven sharp." Then she left the room.
"Now look what you've done!" Tsunade yelled, pointing an accusing finger at him.
"What I've done?" Gaara glared hatefully at her. "This is your fault dinosaur. Why can't you just be happy for her?" but she could clearly see the meaning behind his words. Why couldn't you just be happy for me? It was true. It was extremely surprising that the Kazekage had gone to such great lengths just to visit Sakura. And, as far as she knew, he had respected her wishes to wait until they did anything serious.
"I don't understand what the problem is…" he finally said, deciding that he really needed to suck it up since this woman was Sakura's teacher. His hands tightened into fists and he looked away, off to the ground. "Tsunade-sama…" he strained out. "What I am asking is…for your permission…to marry Sakura. I love her…please do not keep her from me."
Tsunade sighed in defeat. She knew now that he was serious about the whole thing, and felt bad for causing such a fuss. "You had it the moment you stood up to me…Gaara-sama." She said respectfully. "I just worry. I will miss her dearly. I meant what I said when I told you she was like a daughter to me. If Dan and I ever had a child…well….I would have wanted it to be like her." She whispered softly. Then, before she could be called soft, she glared at him. "Do not tell anyone I said that, or I will kill you." She threatened, not really meaning it, but her point was still made.
"Tsunade I understand. But realize, you are talking to someone who does not ever reveal weakness. It is safe with me and I promise that I will protect Sakura…I love her and I will make sure we visit so that you can see her." He nodded, giving her a small bow of respect that he would never again demonstrate to her.
"Oh and Gaara, do not ever call me a hag or dinosaur again." She said, a small smile on her lips.
"Whatever slug," he turned his back towards her and gave her a small wave. With that he left the room to go and find Sakura so they could ready for the night he knew would be just…awful.
Sakura led the reluctant redhead towards the restaurant. He was mentally preparing himself for the onslaught that was about to happen. When they walked in, it was easy to find the large group of ninjas. And everyone was there. Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, Ino, Neji, Tenten, Temari, Shikamaru, Lee, Choji, Shino, Sai, and even Sasuke, sat at a large table. Now Gaara wasn't exactly too happy about that, but he figured his mood would quickly change once the Uchiha found out Sakura was his.
They stopped at the table and located their seats. Just as Gaara was about to sit down, a huge squeal emitted from his pink haired fiancé. "I'm getting married!" she yelled, holding up her left hand to show off the ring that now adorned it.
Suddenly the whole table turned to chaos. All of the girls ran towards Sakura to see the ring, while the guys merely sat in their chairs, dumbfound. Some of them looked happy, others like they couldn't care less, and one like he was about to murder someone.
Naruto jumped from his seat and tackled the unsuspecting redhead. "GAARA! How could you? You didn't tell me you were going to propose! You didn't even tell me you were coming to Konoha!" the blonde cried loudly, shaking his friend senseless.
"Naruto!" the redhead yelled, shoving him off. 'I never tell you when I'm coming to Konoha!"
On the other side of Gaara, Ino was all squeals for her friend. "Forehead! I'm so happy for you! When is the wedding?" she asked.
"As soon as possible." Both she and Gaara answered at the same time.
"No! You shall not have the cherry blossom!" An all too familiar voice yelled. Sakura groaned and slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. Not this. Not now.
Suddenly, Rock Lee was standing in the middle of the table, pointing a finger at the frustrated redhead. "I challenge you to the rights of wedding the beautiful Sakura-san! You are now my lifelong rival!" the spandex clad boy declared.
"You have got to be kidding me." Gaara groaned. Before anything else could happen, Lee jumped at Gaara yelling loudly.
"Leaf hurricane!" he spun around, aiming a kick at Gaara, whose sand rose up instantly to defend its master. The grains wrapped tightly around the odd man's foot and threw him across the room, hitting the wall with a hard smack, and fortunately not damaging much anything.
Jumping up with renewed vigor, Lee made another dash for the redhead, only to stop in his tracks when Sakura stood in his way. "Sakura-san! What are you doing?" The fuzzy browed ninja asked.
"Lee, this is my engagement dinner, and you are ruining it with your nonsense. Do you want to make me upset?" she asked, putting on a pout.
He put his hands in front of him to assuage her. "No! Of course not Sakura-san! I am just using the right of challenge for your hand in marriage."
"Well, I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on this earth! Now if you don't knock it off, I'm going to punch you out of this restaurant, and ban you from coming to my wedding!" she yelled, highly irritated.
Hanging his head in shame, tears running down his face, Lee slowly made his way back to his seat. "Yes, Sakura-san. As you wish."
She sighed in relief, and turned to her fiancé, smiling. "Crisis one: averted." She joked.
"Yeah…" he sighed, knowing there was only more to come. Finally everyone made it back to their seats and began chatting amiably. The waitress and the waiter catering their table were quick and efficient, congratulating Sakura as they passed out the drinks.
Kiba took a large gulp of his lemonade, wiping his mouth and laughing loudly, "Naw, you guys this isn't news to us. In Suna, Gaara and Sakura practically did it on the dance floor. With a sultry tango." He snickered, making Gaara go wide eyed.
"Not to mention Naruto said he saw them doing erotic things in his office at the Kazekage Tower." Kiba pointed out, making Neji spit out his iced tea all over Tenten.
Sakura looked at Gaara pointedly. "You kill Kiba, and I'll get Naruto." Not waiting for a response, she got up and put the blonde jinchuuriki in a chokehold. "Naruto! What did I say about you keeping your mouth shut if you ever wanted to play that game Gaara and I were playing?" she asked, murderous intent pouring from her in waves.
"N-now now Sakura-chan! I didn't know Kiba was gonna blab! It was just a secret between buddies ya know? Don't get so angry!" Naruto said, trying in vain to save himself.
"You and I have been friends longer. I didn't know that the relationship between friends meant something different to you." She whispered, somewhat hurt.
"No! It doesn't Sakura-chan! It's just-" and before he could finish, Sakura had already thrown him out the door and into the street. Hopefully, it would be a while before he came back in. Turning to a stunned Hinata, she apologized.
"I hope you'll excuse me for my rude behavior Hinata. But I'm sure he'll be fine…when he wakes up."
The ebony haired girl merely shook her head. "At this point Sakura, I have come to expect Naruto-kun to be injured at least three times a day from something he did or said."
Sakura laughed at the other woman's admission, and looked over to see how Gaara was faring with Kiba. To her surprise, the brunette and the redhead were deep in conversation. Finally, she picked up on what they were saying.
"Yeah, when you start out you gotta go nice and slow, cause' the ladies like to get used to it. But then once they're all fit, they get pretty wild!" Kiba snickered, obviously having experience in this field, because Ino was beet red.
"Is that so," Gaara nodded, needing as much information on this process as possible.
"For sure. Then once they get all adjusted it just becomes passion and sweat and MAN is it sweet! Especially when they start making noi-"
"Kiba!" Ino shrieked, hitting him over the head with her empty plate.
"Gaara!" Sakura yelled as well, smacking him on the back of his head with her hand.
"Ow!" they both yelled in unison, rubbing their heads to try and sooth the pain. "What?" they demanded, once again together.
Placing her hands on her hips, Sakura raised a brow at the redhead. "You were supposed to be punishing Kiba for what he was saying. Not asking for tips! Oh my God!" she yelled, red with embarrassment.
"I was only asking because I want it to be good for you when we actually do it," he explained, trying to get her to see the reasoning, but she only got darker.
"Yeah Sakura, I was just giving him some tips on making it more pleasurable for you!" the brunette said.
"Shut up Kiba!" she said tersely. Leaning in closer to Gaara, she whispered, "You've done pretty well on your own so far. I see no reason why you won't when it actually happens." She said, now crimson at her admission.
Gaara blinked, going a bit red himself. "But Sakura…I've never…we've never gotten there. I want it to be perfect for you." He said simply. Kiba leaned, over intent on joining in on the conversation.
"Gaara I'm sure you're a born natural, and Sakura's most likely just your size." The dog lover snickered, making Gaara go wide eyed and dark red.
Before he could say anything more, Sakura punched him square in the face, effectively knocking him out for the rest of the meal. Turning back to Gaara, she smiled, still a bit red. "He doesn't have to come to the wedding either."
"I don't know…I kinda wanted him to come…I am trying to get friends now." He sighed, looking down at the poor guy.
"So Gaara, Sakura," Temari began, the waiters now bringing out all the orders they had swiftly taken. Her salad was set in front of her and she tossed a tomato in her mouth. "When do you plan on making babies?"
Turning red once more, Sakura placed her hand behind her head, embarrassed. "Actually Temari, we haven't discussed it. He only asked me this morning after all."
It didn't go unnoticed that the mention of children made Gaara extremely uncomfortable and nervous. Temari laughed and started eating then. Neji and Tenten were trying to ignore the awkward banter. Thank god nothing like this had happened when they got married.
The conversations returned to normal as everyone started eating, until Sasuke slammed his fork down and glared at the redhead across the long row of tables. "This is ridiculous Sakura! You're marrying him?"
"Yes I'm marrying him Sasuke. Do you have a problem with it?" she asked, raising an angry brow as she got a forkful of her salad and took a bite.
Gaara decided to let Sakura handle this, since he really didn't care what the Uchiha had to say. He was the victor in the end, and he had worked hard for Sakura. He knew he had nothing to worry about. "Yes I do. You do realize you're going to have to leave Konoha and all your friends. Do you really want to live in a desert?" he smirked crossing his arms in victory. He knew Sakura would never be able to leave her home, she had too many attachments to this village. And those kinds of things were important to her.
Kiba recovered immediately, slamming his hands on the table. "Whoa! No dissing Suna! Suna is awesome!"
"I can always visit, and so can you. Besides, my home is wherever Gaara is, and if that just happens to be in a desert, then so be it. I like it there anyways." She said, crossing her arms.
Gaara smirked silently, focusing on his meal and watching the battle of words. "Enough!" Sasuke growled, standing from his seat and marching out of the restaurant just as Naruto was entering again.
Scratching the back of his head, Naruto asked, "So…what'd I miss?" only to be completely ignored by everyone who was trying to finish their meal without anything else happening.
After everyone had finished their meals, Gaara took care of the bill, and they all headed out into the street.
"Well we have an early day tomorrow," Neji said calmly.
Tenten nodded, waving them all goodbye, "Congratulations Sakura. You too Gaara, see you both tomorrow." And with that the two disappeared around the corner.
Choji, Lee, and Shino waved goodbye as well, taking their leave soon after. "Well I'm off too," Temari snickered, latching onto Shikamaru's arm. "I'm staying at Shika's so tah tah!" And before he could even utter 'How troublesome', he was dragged off towards his apartment.
Sakura smiled at this. "I told you she would find someone." She said, elbowing Gaara in the side. Giving her nothing but a low growl, they left the other two couples and headed towards Sakura's house, since it was getting pretty late.
When they made it to her door, she turned and gave him a light peck on the cheek. "Goodnight Gaara. I'll see you in the morning." Then she began to fish her house key out of her pocket. Finding the key, she pulled it out to unlock the door.
He stared at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Now it was her turn to be confused. "What do you mean what do I mean? It's late, and I'm going to bed."
"Don't pretend like you don't know." He glared at her slightly. "You said, 'I'll see you in the morning' like we would not be sleeping together tonight."
"We aren't." she said, giving him a blank stare.
"Why?" he tried to remain calm but his cool was slipping fast.
She sighed, knowing that she should have expected this. "I got you a room at a hotel down the street."
"Did you now?" he arched a brow and watched her carefully.
"Yes. I didn't want to chance either of us….um…losing control…if you know what I mean." She said, rocking on her heels nervously.
Not answering her with words he stepped closer to her, lowering his face to hers so they were but a lips' distance away. "I understand Sakura," he smiled, moving closer to kiss her goodnight. Before their lips met he moved his hand to her back and lifted her over his shoulder, kicking in her door and slamming it behind him. He walked down the hall, his sand securing the locks on the door. Once he was in her bedroom he threw her to the bed and pulled off his shirt before slipping off his shoes.
Bouncing when she hit the mattress, she rolled and recovered quickly. "Gaara! What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" he asked simply, getting on the bed with her and holding her down. He moved her hands above her head, an evil smirk plastered on his face. With his free hand he pulled her shoes off and then removed her tan skirt. Finally he released her, pulling her up to him.
"Um…not…what I thought you were doing…" she trailed off, turning red.
"I don't understand…" he looked at her oddly, "You said you didn't want to do that until you were married, but that means I cannot sleep with you?"
"Oh. Well, I didn't want to tempt you…or myself…" she said, not making eye contact with him, her face a deep red.
He sighed, getting up then and looking for his shirt, "Well if you don't want me to stay with you I won't."
She sat up, startled at his change in attitude. "No! I mean, since you're here you might as well stay." Patting the space next to her invitingly, she gave him a pleading look. "I really want you to stay." She said, hoping she made her point.
He turned around, now with his arms crossed. He looked disappointed and doubtful of her plea. "Look Sakura, I don't want to make it hard for you if it really is, so it's fine. I'll just see you tomorrow."
"I was just trying to be helpful!" Looking down into her lap, at the ring on her finger, she sighed dejectedly. "If you want to go that's fine, but, I wanted to see you, since it's been so long, and I've missed you so much." She said, fingering her new ring.
He huffed, looking away from her. He would not be swayed by her manipulative ways. "Don't manipulate the situation to your liking Sakura. I know exactly what you're trying to do. Trying to make me feel bad for not caving, you were the one to tell me to leave." He reminded her.
"It's not like I wanted you to sleep somewhere else! I just didn't want to start something that we couldn't finish. It would be impossible for me to say no to you if that was what you wanted. But, as long as we're clear, you can stay." She said, still pouting somewhat.
He faced her once again and sighed, "It's a little offending Sakura that you think I wouldn't keep your wishes. I haven't pushed that on you since you told me to wait, have I?" he questioned.
"No." she admitted, feeling ashamed. "But it wasn't you I was worried about. You know how I get when I really want something." She said, turning pink at her admission.
"And you don't trust me enough to stop you?" he countered, still remaining in his spot.
"Well, I can be really persuasive when I want something bad enough." A small smile appeared on her lips.
He laughed, letting his eyes lock with hers. "Sakura do you really think you would win in a battle of the wills? Hm?" he moved forward, leaning over and placing both his hands on the bed.
"If it's to get you to break down and touch me then yes, I will definitely win." She replied, her smile turning mischievous.
"Well then, now that I know. I will just have to do the only thing I can to make sure you don't get your way." He moved back then, grabbing his shirt and his shoes, the sand flowing around him visibly. It was actually very odd though, because usually he would have disappeared by now.
She leapt off the bed and tackled him to the ground. Straddling his waist, she placed both of her hands on the side of his head. "Don't you dare leave this room! You are going to come to bed with me this instant!" she demanded, sitting back and crossing her arms.
He laughed, staring up at her, not minding at all that she was on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "Alright then, we can go to sleep now." He said lovingly, getting up and picking her up with him. He took her to the bed and laid her down, taking his place on top of her. "Ready for bed, Sabaku no Sakura?" he asked, leaning down and kissing her forehead and then both her temples. Finally he moved down to her neck, leaving tiny love marks all the way to her collar bone.
She gasped at his ministrations. "I really like the sound of that." She said, wrapping her legs around his waist in order to bring him closer to her.
"So do I." he mumbled into the crook of her neck. He really, really liked it. Wanting to take it a step further, he grabbed the zipper to her shirt and yanked it down, revealing her bare stomach and the small black cloth covering her top.
She giggled. Giving him a small push, she said, "See what I meant about temptation?"
"No, I'm just looking at what will be rightly mine." He explained, getting closer than he was the first time and letting his hand trail down her stomach.
She raked her nails down his stomach lightly, causing his breath to hitch. "Well, you need to stop, before I jump you again." She said, smiling into his intense gaze.
"How can you jump me when I am on top of you?" he asked, another devious smirk coming to his face.
"Simple. I will use the strength I am famous for, except, this time I will be using it for evil." She replied with a smirk of her own.
He sat up then, grabbing her hips and sliding her up the bed so her head landed on one of the pillows. "Well since I know where that leads, I'll put a stop to it now." He smiled, crawling beside her and kissing her forehead once again. "Now go to sleep sex addict." He teased, getting settled beneath the sheets.
"Humph." She crossed her arms. "Can't be addicted to something if you won't give it to me first." She rolled on her side, and crawled beneath the covers.
"Wah, wah," he mocked, his sand flipping off the light switch. "Now get over here, and fall asleep." He ordered, leaving his arms open for her.
She crawled into them eagerly, not caring that her shirt was somewhere on the floor. Soon, things like that wouldn't matter anymore. "Goodnight Gaara. I love you."
He tightened his grip around her and buried his face in her hair. "I love you too Sakura…I always will."
Shortly after that, the two fell asleep in each other's arms, their first day as an engaged couple over and done with.