Chapter Thirteen

"I did not know you could dance." Sakura said, still in a daze that Gaara had asked her for one.

While leading her to the dance floor, Gaara answered.

"It was taught to my siblings, and I."

As the two made it to the center of the floor, Sakura took a moment to look around her. The dancers had all moved off from their place, dispersing themselves into the murmuring crowd. This left only her and Gaara on the floor. The band, too, had stopped their playing, probably waiting for their lord to take his place before beginning again. It was with this, and noticing all eyes on them, did the young woman feel a small panic build inside of her. She didn't want to be the center of attention.

It wasn't until Gaara turned to face her did Sakura's eyes return to his. When he took in her nervous look, his eyes widened momentarily.

"Are you alright?" He asked, feeling her grip tightening in his hand.

Sakura gulped, trying to calm her heart. Despite how she felt, she knew running away now would have Gaara questioning what he did wrong, when in fact he was aiming to do the exact opposite for her.

'If he can sacrifice asking me to dance, I can suck it up.'

"I'll be fine." Sakura commented, loosening her grip and placing her other hand on Gaara's shoulder.
"I've just never had so many eyes on me all at once."

Sakura could feel her heartbeat pace when Gaara slowly slid his arm around her waist. She knew saying yes to his dance meant the contact between them would be close, but she still felt giddy at his touch, and her panic began to ease.

"I'm surprise to hear that." Gaara commented before bringing their bodies closer together and lifting her arm with his.

Sakura felt her breath hitch and a small, red glow spread on her cheeks to his words. Before she could ask what he meant, the band began it's music and Sakura was lead away by Gaara in a whimsical dance.

'This is really happening.' Sakura thought, feeling herself twirled around the room.

She had her doubts at first, but admitted Gaara was an excellent dancer. He had been taught well, and with lots of practice no doubt.

"How many women have you danced with?" Sakura asked, curious at how high the number must be for him to be leading so well.

"You are my first." He admitted.

Sakura's eyes widened.

'I'm his first? Why me?'

Sakura couldn't deny her happiness to hear those words, but it also raised questions in her mind. Why was knowing that she was his first making her happy? Why was she enjoying this dance so much, and why had Gaara picked her to be his first? Sakura wanted to open her mouth to ask him that last question, but when her gaze settled on his, she was again lost in his eyes.

'Those eyes are so mesmerizing. He is so handsome, I'm lucky he even notices me.' Sakura could no longer push down those thoughts.

They stayed staring at one another, while Gaara lead them in steps and twirls. She knew he was studying her just as much as she was studying him, and felt a small hope begin to brew inside of her.

'I wonder if he thinks me the same. Mesmerizing. Beautiful.' Sakura thought.

In the back of her mind, however, she could hear another voice calling her foolish. The young man she had ever loved barely even acknowledged her, who was she to think that a lord would find her in the way she hoped to be seen. When Sakura continued to focus more on that negative part of her mind, she could feel her demeanor begin to spin downward. Without thinking, she tore her eyes away from Gaara's, no longer able to look him in the eye while wondering if he thought little of her, and a quivering frown began to twitch on her face. Her steps had fallen slightly back, and Gaara noticed he was having trouble leading her with his pace.

"Are you tired?" He asked, though continuing the dance.

Sakura simply shook her head, her eyes never returning to his and her frown still settled on her face. It was then Gaara realized she was falling behind because of some troubling thoughts. He slightly panicked, wondering how he could return her eyes on him, he wanted her to send him her heartwarming smile again.

"What is wrong?" He asked, hoping she would answer him.

At his words, he could see Sakura bite her lip, contemplating whether to speak or not. To reassure her, he gave her hand a small squeeze.

"Please." He tried again.

Sakura knew she was being unfair to him so she spoke.

"I feel foolish." She admitted.

At her words, Gaara's panic ceased. He knew now that her grief was not caused by him, but knew he needed to comfort her if he wanted that smile on him again. Somehow the words he wanted to say seemed foreign, however the more he took in of this young, gorgeous woman in his arms, the more the words came easy to his mind.

"You should never feel that way. You are kind, and everything you do comes from that kindness in your heart." Gaara said, feeling his heart race to words he had never spoken to anyone.

Immediately Sakura's eyes returned to his, in them he could see wonder and shock.

"I am fortunate you even take notice, and acknowledge, me." Gaara spoke, his eyes softening to Sakura's growing smile.
"Thank you for the kindness you have given me. My only regret is not learning of your sincerity sooner."

At his words, Sakura could not hold back her smile, she could feel her eyes watering to his lifting compliments. Never before had she been told those things, and to hear it from someone she admired greatly made them mean all the much more to her. She did her best to hold back her happy tears, riding on the ecstasy that her fluttering heart, and numbing mind, were creating because of him. Only one thing settled in her blurry thoughts at that moment, and that was she needed to thank him in the best way she deemed appropriate.

"Kazekage-sama." She whispered.

Gaara almost tripped at the way Sakura whispered his title, but was able to contain himself just enough to bring his eyes back to hers. When he did however, his composure left him completely and he had to halt his dancing. Her cheeks were of a rosy color, and the look in her eyes was one he had never seen before. He had no words to describe the way her glazed over pupils were staring at him. Dreamy, perhaps? He couldn't move as he continued to take in her look of desire and craving, and couldn't even stop himself when his jaw fell slightly to a small gape.

He held his breath when Sakura's hand in his gave it a small squeeze, and she smiled bashfully while she pushed her body closer to his, closing the distance between them. When she noticed his wavering eyes on hers, she turned her head to look away for a moment. Her timid self returning.

"No one has ever told me those things before." She whispered for his ears only.

She waited for his response, but Gaara's voice was currently caught by the lump in his throat. So, building up her courage, Sakura again turned to face him. His jaw was still hanging and his eyes still faltered on hers.

"Thank you." She whispered.

After her thanks, Sakura leaned in closer to Gaara, earning a sudden, but silent, gasp from the lord when he realized where her puckered lips were now aiming. Sakura closed her eyes, and slowly veered in to thank the red-head in the way she wanted to at the moment.

She didn't even mind if this was to be her first kiss.

However, before her lips could make contact, she heard the room boom with gasps and mutters. Remembering where she was, and who she was surrounded by, Sakura stopped in her tracks. She opened her eyes suddenly, and peered around the room. She could feel her heart drop and a small panic rise when she caught glimpses of confused, and angry, eyes staring her down because of her bold move.

Turning back to Gaara, she took in his shocked state while his eyes continued to shake. She could see downright confusion as he looked passed her, and it scared her.

'What are you doing?!' Her mind screamed at her.

With a sharp gasp, Sakura pushed herself away from Gaara and his hold. Her eyes again swam around the room, taking in everyone's stare on her. How could she betray these people by thinking she had that sort of relationship with their leader? When her eyes finally reached Gaara's again, she could almost feel tears in them once more, but they were from embarrassment and shame this time. His mouth had finally closed, and he stared down at her in wonder. She knew for sure he would push her away now from her disgraceful move, no doubt she would be sent back home to Konoha asap.

With those thoughts swimming in her mind, she felt her chest heavy and her breathing coming out hard and short. She needed to leave this room, to tear herself away from the judging eyes. She needed to run away, to get away from him. Where he had done good for her, she destroyed it. Bringing her head down, Sakura whispered to Gaara.

"I'm sorry."

After her words, quick like lightning, she picked up her dress and dashed across the room to the exit. Luckily for her, people noticed her trying to get away and stepped back so as not to have her bump into them. Quickly she ran out the two, giant doors, hearing them swing closed behind her. Glancing around the building, Sakura tried to quickly decipher which way the exit was. When she heard the doorways behind her open again, she spun her head around to see who it was that was following after her. She panicked thinking an angry mob would now chase her all the way back to Konoha, but her emerald eyes widened when they met red hair, and mentally she screamed for him to just leave her be.

Gaara cautiously approached Sakura, noticing her panicking eyes and heavy breathing.

"Don't run away." He calmly spoke, taking baby steps towards her.

However, Sakura couldn't stop herself as she felt like the helpless rabbit being chased by the hungry wolf. She just did not want to deal with this mess at the moment, as selfish as she knew that sounded. She shook her head at him when he slowly approached closer to her.

"Please." He begged, noticing she was lifting her dress again to run.

At his word, Sakura zoomed down a hallway. Not having a clue as to where she was leading herself.

'As long as I can lose him.' She thought.

At the end of the long hallway, she halted. She glanced to the left and right of her, trying hard to figure out which hallway to go down now. When she heard footsteps approaching behind her, again she wasted no time running, still unsure as to where she was heading. While she continued to sprint, she could hear Gaara's footsteps picking up his pace too so as not to lose her, which made her terror build even more. She had no idea where she was taking herself, and was scared as to what the young man behind her was going to say.

When she reached another long hallway, she finally heard Gaara call out.

"Enough, Haruno!"

At the use of her surname, Sakura halted her steps.

'He doesn't even call me Sakura, and here I thought we were close enough for me to kiss him...' Sakura pitifully thought.

It was Gaara's demanding tone that had also made her stop in her tracks. She still refused to turn to face him, so instead she kept her back facing him and hung her head shamefully low. As he caught up, she could hear his steps slow and come to stop some distance away from her. Perhaps he was worried to chase her off again if he came towards her too close. There was silence between them, the other waiting for the other to speak. Gaara in time decided though it was probably best he talk first.

"Why are you running from me?"

Sakura mentally scoffed at his question. Wasn't it obvious? Because she had try to do something she had no right to even think about in the first place. The rosette opened her mouth to speak, but found herself choking on a silent, dry sob.

'There's no way I can do speak to him right now.' Sakura thought, preparing to take flight once more.

Gaara was quick to notice when Sakura again tugged her dress up, he understood right away what that motion meant. She was about to flee, and quickly he tried to think of something that would make her stay. He took a small step forward when the words she had spoken to him the day before in his office came to his mind.

"Is this what you were talking to me about yesterday?" He calmly asked, watching Sakura stiffen her movement when she tried to recall the conversation.
"About you tripping and falling at times?"

Sakura lifted her head when she remembered what she had told him, and slowly she dropped the hems of her dress down.

'I just hope you'll be there to catch me when I slip up.' Sakura repeated her words in her mind.

Taking another step towards her, Gaara spoke.

"If you let me, I want to help you back up."

At his words, Sakura bit her lip, trying hard to hold back her tears.

'Damn him.' She thought.
'He is too good to me. I don't even deserve such a good friend as him.'

Sakura could feel her heart tearing to his kind words. Not only was she surprised he had listened to her yesterday, but that he was taking to heart the guidance she had taught him. She simply thought he to shrug off her words, but here he was now, chasing after her to help her back up. The one person who she didn't even think knew the definition of the word kindness many days ago, was now going out of his way now to make sure she would be alright.

'Not even Sasuke-kun was this kind to me...' She bitterly thought.

She now had a new determination flowing through her. If Gaara was willing to go out of his way for her, she need be less selfish and turn around and face the consequences for her actions. He didn't seem angry with her, so that gave her enough courage to know they could talk this through and still be friends. She swallowed hard, trying to rid the lump in her throat and slowly turned to face him.

His eyes quickly softened when he took her narrow, but decisive eyes. No matter what look she had for him, Gaara had a hard time keeping his signature passive gaze on his face. Her emerald eyes always seemed to soften his stare. He was glad to see that she no longer wished to run from him, and cautiously he took another step towards her.

"Kazekage-sama," Sakura began, "I'm-"

Sakura stopped speaking and instead jumped slightly when a loud boom echoed around them. Turning her head to the source, her heart dropped when her eyes landed to the two giant doors next to Gaara. His head, too, had turned to the noise and he stared cautiously at the doors. Now that there was silence between them, Sakura could easily make out the loud music and shouts of people confined behind those doors.

'I didn't...' She thought, whipping her eyes around the hallway to make sure she hadn't been here before.
'Please tell me I didn't accidentally lead him here.'

"What's going on?" Gaara spoke while reaching for the doors handle.

Sakura wanted to shout for the young lord to wait, she even had taken a step forward and reached out towards him. She had wanted to stop him, to return his attention back on her, but had been too slow to act. She instead watched his face as he swung open the entrance. Flashing lights, loud music, and a strong smell of alcohol quickly filled the hallway she and Gaara were in, and Sakura's heart sank knowing she had lead him to the exact spot she promised Kankuro she would hide.

'I'm so sorry, Kankuro.' Sakura mentally apologized.

Sakura watched still while Gaara's eyes widened and mouth dropped. There was shock in his face as he eyed inside the partying room. The rosette thought for a moment that she should go over and explain everything to the young lord before he have a heart attack at the scene in front of him. She took a step towards him, but immediately brought it back as his facial features changed again.

Sakura had never seen the anger in his eyes than he had now. She had seen him gone crazy when he was younger, but nothing like this. His eyes had narrowed to almost slits, and his teeth and fangs seethed at the sight in front of him. He was shaking with rage, and his fist was balled tight. The pigment of his light skin grew a few shades redder from anger. Sakura continued to watch in slight awe as he bellowed into the room in a loud tone she had no idea he could reach.

"Kankuro!"

He already knew who the culprit was and immediately marched into the room, shutting the doors loudly behind him. Sakura stood in the now empty hallway, contemplating what she should do next.

'No way in hell I'm going in there.' Sakura quickly decided, the image of an angry Gaara still burning in her mind.

Gaining her composure, Sakura quickly paced herself back down the hallway. Now that she had calmed down, and her mind was a bit clearer, she knew she should find the outside with no problem. She was mildly surprised through her walk back how far Gaara had actually chased her.

'I was really trying to get away, wasn't I?' Sakura thought.

Luckily for her, she only passed a few people who did not take notice of her, or recognize her as the one trying to kiss their leader. She simply passed them with her head down so as not to make eye contact, and soon found the doors leading to the outside.

'I guess I'll just head back to the house now.' She thought somewhat sourly.
'Kind of a waste of a night.'

As soon as Sakura took a step outside, her body stiffened. Through the darkness she could hear a pattering all around her. Even though she was outside, there was still a canopy above her, and she toned in on the noise bouncing off of the clay roof. She also inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh scent all around her and instantly her body relaxed.

"Rain." She whispered with a smile.

Looking out in front of her, she realized the village here at night had far less lights than her one back home. Not to mention, the dark rain clouds hid the bright moon and stars behind them. Sakura squinted her eyes, trying to see out in front of her, but finally decided that it was just too dark. Looking to her side, she noticed a bench some feet away and made her way to take a seat on it.

'I guess I'll just wait until the rain clears up.' She decided, not wanting to be get herself lost in the storm and darkness.

Sakura didn't mind this time to herself though, she always had enjoyed the rain and had been missing the frequency of it back home. She settled in her spot, closing her eyes and focusing on the light noise. She meditated slightly, breathing in the fresh air.

'Rain smells different here.' She smiled to herself.

She was right about the fresh scent here. She knew the dry earth around here drank in the rain like no tomorrow, and the now wet dirt emitted a new, fresh smell of its own. It was different from the lush, green vegetation back home. The leaves there were use to the rain than the earth here.

Sakura continued to meditate in silence until a loud crack echoed around her. Her eyes widened to the sound that boomed and shook the ground lightly under her. Before she could question, a bright streak of light flashed across the sky some distance away, and again the same roar shook around her.

"Lightning and thunder." Sakura grinned.

It was was subtle back in Konoha, so Sakura found herself given a small show while she watched the lightening dance around in the raining sky, and it's rolling, thunder play in her ears. She knew of people who would be frightened by the spectacle in front of her, but quickly learned she was not one of these people. She was truly enjoying the weather in front of her. It reminded her of home, yet was completely different than what she was used to. The rain poured heavier, the lightening was frequent, and no matter what distance, the thunder roared loudly.

'The rain isn't letting up.' Sakura thought after some time.

Back home, rain was an almost everyday occurrence, though the storms only lasted about fifteen or twenty minutes, and the drops there were light. Here the rain was heavy, and showed no signs of letting up. Sakura thought to herself and realized she had been sitting there meditating for nearly half an hour. She looked out to the distance in front of her again, contemplating if she could find her way back on her own without anyone's help.

When she decided she rather not she thought of her next option, asking one of the sand siblings to bring her home. Right away she knew Temari was out of the picture. Sakura knew the eldest sibling would be more lost than her at this time given the sand blonde's drunken display from earlier. Next was Kankuro, but Sakura wondered at what given time she would catch him walking out of the doors behind her. He looked ready to party the whole night, and she knew she would have to go search for him if she wanted to leave now. That would also be if he was willing to to show her the way and not try to convince her to stay and party with them. Sakura knew right away it be a big hassle to convince him to take her home.

Then there was Gaara.

Sakura bit her lip contemplating on the idea. She knew Gaara wouldn't turn down her plight, however, she wondered how angry he still was at the moment. He seemed downright pissed at Kankuro, and wondered if that steam was still boiling inside him. He would no doubt want to question her actions from earlier, and thought maybe his anger would cloud his mind while speaking to her. She didn't want him channeling his anger at her. With all that in mind, she sighed at herself.

'I'm so stupid.' She thought.
'I wouldn't even be in this situation if I didn't try to kiss him. Why did I even think I could?'

Sakura was now upset at herself again. She knew there was no more denying it, she was attracted to Gaara, but why? She barely knew him, barely spoke to him and both were just barely learning to become friends. She never realized her agreeing to stay and help him would lead her feelings to grow for him fast like a weed.

"It's okay." she tried to calm herself when she felt her stress rising.
"It's alright for you to find other guys attractive. It happens to everyone. My feelings for him are no where near as strong as they are for Sasuke-kun."

Sakura tried to justify everything to herself, for she didn't want to feel she was letting Sasuke down which in turn would make her feel bad.

"I was just caught up in the moment. Gaara is kind to me, and good looking. I just got caught up with all of that, but I didn't kiss him, so no harm done." Sakura whispered reassuringly to herself.
"I will patiently wait for Sasuke-kun. He will be my only."

Sakura's thoughts halted and she jumped from her seat when another loud boom exploded around her. It seemed the thunder was becoming louder, and the flashing lightening was now more frequent. It had surprised her slightly, and she half wondered if she was in any danger just being outside. Sakura stared into the black night, twiddling her thumbs and biting her lip in deep thought. To go back inside to the ball would mean to face the villagers who all watched her forbidden act, she couldn't do that now. She again contemplated whether she should grab one of the sand siblings to help her back home.

'Get it together girl!' Sakura thought, narrowing her eyes in anger of herself.
'You're not some fragile, weakling. A little rain won't hurt you. You've defeated an Akatsuki member, so you can surely find your way back in the dark.'

Sakura huffed, a new determination flowing through her. She didn't need somebody to hold her hand and console her because she'd get a little wet. With those thoughts, she made her way towards the edge of the hard ground and the roof above her. Slowly she lifted her dress, mentally preparing herself to take a step onto the wet sand and slowly put a foot out, hoping the rain wouldn't be too cold.

"Don't."

The sudden voice behind her surprised Sakura even more than the thunder had, and she mentally cursed at herself for not recognizing that someone had snuck up on her. She spun on her heels fast, trying to blink and see into the darkness in front of her. She swore the pair of eyes staring back at here glowed in the dark, and she was quick to recognize the voice that had spoken. Before she could speak, lightening again flashed around them and Sakura saw the familiar red-hair illuminated by the bright light.

"Kazekage-sama." Sakura whispered.

Sakura knew she should bow, that was the proper and formal greeting, but found herself frozen in her spot. For some reason, his stare seemed intense and as seconds turned into minutes, Sakura felt a small panic inside her begin to grow. She knew she no longer had no reason to fear the young lord, but his stare and rooted place had made her remember his behavior from the night's he had attacked.

"He hasn't turned back...right?" She thought, trying to calm herself.

Swallowing hard, Sakura decided to speak, hoping to hear him in his right place of mind.

"Why did you stop me?"

Sakura watched through the darkness when Gaara tilted his head to her question. It was still too dark for her to read his eyes and face, but she caught the motion. When he turned from her and instead headed toward the bench, her panic began to ease up. However, she did note he stumbled a little before settling himself to take a seat.

"Kazekage-sama?" Sakura questioned, taking a step towards him.
"Are you alright?"

She again waited for his answer, but received none. She watched him intently while he stared out into the rain, sighing and probably in thought. Sakura was about to question him again, when finally he spoke.

"The lightening..." Gaara began but paused mid-sentence.

He took in a deep breath, as if composing himself before he spoke again.

"Wait for it to pass. Then you can go."

At his words, Sakura relaxed. She was foolish to think he had turned back, and mentally laughed at herself for her panic. She turned to look at the lightening, and decided best to listen to Gaara. Perhaps she was in danger of being struck if she went out.

"Sit...with me."

Sakura's eyes widened and she returned to stare at Gaara's silhouette on the bench, wondering if she had heard him right. His voice had been passive, and she slightly dreaded what was to come next.

'Here it comes.' She thought.
'The talk.'

Sakura mentally groaned, but did not stop herself from walking over and taking a seat next to Gaara. She knew she was going to face the consequences at some point, and better now than later she decided. When she sat, there was a silence between the two as they both stared out into the rain in front of them. Sakura decided to lighten the mood since Gaara didn't seem to have the right words at the moment.

"The storms here are very different." She smiled.
"The rain is heavier here than in Konoha."

Silence filled the air along with the pattering rain, and minutes passed before another flash illuminated around them. The lightening this time had been so close that Sakura had no time to prepare herself when the crashing thunder bellowed. To the loud noise, she jumped, squealing in surprise at the same time. When she settled, she chortled softly at herself.

"I'm sorry." She breathed.
"Like I said, the storms here are very..."

Sakura slowed her words to a stop when she felt Gaara's hand suddenly on top of hers. As he did this, he slowly forced her fingers to entwine with his until he had her hand pinned and entangled under his. She stared at their holding hands, her jaw dropping slightly as she tried to figure out what his action meant. Perhaps he was trying to calm her from the thunder, she thought, but as time passed, she could only feel his hold on her hand getting tighter.

"K-Kazekage-sama?" Sakura mustered out, unable to find her words.

Sakura could feel her heart beating like crazy, and her face heat up when she felt his thumb begin to rub her palm slightly. She had no idea what this all meant, and soon she could feel that same feeling she had when he danced with her returning. The deep attraction and affections she tried to bury away were surfacing up once again, and she wondered if Gaara knew this. Slowly she turned her head away from him, hoping to compose herself lest she do something stupid again. Still, she had to admit how good it finally felt to have someone hold her hand in this sense.

While she kept her head and eyes away from him, she felt him scoot closer towards her, and again her heart beat faster. What was he doing, she kept asking herself.

"You tried to kiss me." Gaara finally muttered.

To his words, Sakura gulped and straightened her head back out, she had to compose herself and show him that she was able to control her emotions.

"I-I'm sorry about that Kazekage-sama. It won't happen again, I promise."

She listened as she heard Gaara shuffle in his seat, and her eyes nearly bulged out when she felt the tip of his nose, and breath, ghosting her cheek. He was invading her personal space, and his attention and physical contact were dangerously close to making her throw out the words she had just promised.

'What is he doing?!' She continued to cry in her mind, feeling her hand shake under his.

She stiffened and waited for what felt like hours while he continued to keep the tip of his nose on her cheek, his hot breath was still hitting the same spot between her neck and head. She closed her eyes when she felt him nudge her slightly with his nose, his lips barely traced against her skin as he did this. Her body was still frozen while she waited to see what he would do next, and when she gave him no reaction, he again nudged her.

'His lips are barely touching me...' She thought, shutting her eyes and biting her lip to hold back her excitement.
'I don't know why, but it feels so good.'

Prodding her again, Gaara brought his lips close to Sakura's.

"Kiss me." He finally breathed out.

Sakura's eyes widened to Gaara's request. Was he serious, she screamed in her mind. Did he not understand how dangerous those words were at this moment, she was having a hard time holding back already. She knew this was not healthy for them, that this was a mistake and that there was someone else she was saving this moment for. However, Gaara's words continued to ring in her mind, clouding her vision and making her forget completely of the consequences that may follow. She could not stop herself when she turned to face him, tilting her head slightly.

Sakura licked her lips before slowly leaning in towards the young lord, as soon as she noticed he was leaning in towards her as well, she shut her eyes, reassured that nothing would break this contact. She could feel Gaara's hand squeezing hers still, and as slow as they reached for one another, she soon felt his hot breath and lips just centimeters from hers. It was then, when his breath hit her nose, did Sakura's senses return. She gasped, eyes widening, and quickly she pulled from his hold and stood herself tall. Shock plagued her face as she stared down at the young lord.

At her retreat, she listened to Gaara growl and he narrowed his eyes up towards her.

"Why?!" He snarled.

Sakura just shook her head, still surprised with all that had just happened, and what she had just learned by smelling his breath.

"Kazekage-sama... You-"

Before Sakura could finish, she saw someone spill out of the doors behind Gaara. The silhouette that just came out raced his head around before landing them on Gaara and Sakura. With his messy hair, the rosette easily recognized him before he made his way towards them.

"There you are!" Kankuro exasperated, completely out of his breath.
"I hope no one saw you, Gaara."

To his name, Sakura turned her gaze back down to Gaara who was now hanging his head low and keeping his eyes hidden. Sakura narrowed her eyes in anger, she was such a fool. Of course Gaara would never ask her in his right mind to kiss him. What had she been thinking? She had stepped way too many boundaries this one night. Angrily she brought her eyes up to Kankuro.

"Why did you let this happen?!" Sakura spat.

Kankuro simply sighed at Sakura. Too out of breath at the moment to explain, yet desperate for something Sakura had yet to figure out what.

"I know." Kankuro huffed.
"I'm pretty sure Gaara's drunk."