Chapter Twenty-one
After Gaara's request, Sakura did not hesitate in ushering the young man towards his bed sheets. The same, however, could not be said for the great Kazekage. He stared at his bed like it was riddled with the plague before Sakura had finally convinced him under the covers. The ordeal of him never sleeping became even more abundant to the rosette when she had ordered him to change into comfortable sleep wear.
"I have none." He had answered her.
Sakura's eyes had widened to this.
"Surely you-"
"There was never any need."
In the end, she offered that she did not find it in bad taste if he chose to sleep in just his boxer shorts.
"I follow your lead." He had said teasingly before stripping in front of her.
Sakura's eyes nearly bulged at this bold move before averting her eyes respectfuly. Yes, she had laid naked with him, but that didn't stop her cheeks from burning red.
'Who needs coffee to wake us up after that display?' Inner Sakura smirked.
She didn't turn to him until she listened to the patter of his feet. When she did, she watched him stare hard and long at the bed under him. He was again fighting with his thoughts. She tried to find comforting words to encourage him.
"The sooner you relax, the sooner it will be over."
Gaara hadn't answer her, but in time obeyed her offering and buried himself under the blanket. It was then Sakura turned to grab a chair, placing it in a far corner to watch him from a distance.
"Bring your chair next to my bed."
It was an order, and one that Sakura wasn't sure if she should follow through. He was looking for comfort in this abnormal, and possibly frightening, situation for him. He wanted her by his side, so to speak, to help him through this. Yet her inner voice spoke reason.
'You can't let him grow dependent on you. If you allow him get accustom to sleeping this way then he'll never learn to sleep on his own.'
Sakura had bitten her lip as she battled this thought. Her inner plight did not go unnoticed by the young lord, and he spoke one last time for her to see his way.
"Please."
Sakura had let out a defeated sigh, scooting her chair close to the beds edge. She felt her heart drop the minute he had mumbled that word. The rosette wondered if this was how a mother felt when a child begged her to stay. She just couldn't bring herself to say no.
'The first night wouldn't hurt anyway.' She decided.
As soon as she sat, and was comfortable in her place, she offered Gaara some final advice.
"Relax, don't worry about anything, and close your eyes."
He blinked a few times, and Sakura could see that he was trying to down this information in. Perhaps he really believed this day would never come. Sakura imagined it had to be frustrating for him knowing he had to lay here for many hours when he could instead be working. She just hoped sleep would find him, and that it would be peaceful.
In time, he nodded at her and Sakura blew out the only source of light in his room. It took her time, but her eyes readjusted to watch Gaara in the dark, and she stared at him while listening to the rain and thunder outside. Once in a while, the lightening would illuminate the room, and Sakura would catch Gaara's eyes staring back at her. She didn't mind this, hoping that this was comforting and relaxing for him to some degree. However, when an hour came and went, and Gaara's strong gaze was still settled on hers. She whispered.
"You should really try closing your eyes."
She watched as he narrowed his gaze, slowly blinking before he admitted.
"It's hard."
Sakura sighed at this, and Gaara could feel himself panicking lightly to her displease. He had wanted this to all work out more for her sake than his, and suggested a solution.
"I have sleeping pills somewhere. Temari gave them to me not too long ago." He said before lifting himself on his bed to stare back at his desk.
"Perhaps in one of my drawers. They may help in some way."
Sakura's back stiffened to his proposition.
"No, no!" She quickly replied.
"No narcotics. I don't want you relying on any medication. I want this as natural as we can possibly make it."
Gaara slowly lowered himself back to his bed at Sakura's refusal. He would just have to follow her lead and believe her when she said medicates wouldn't help him in this case. As soon as his head hit the pillow, his eyes went back up to Sakura's. He couldn't decide whether he liked the look she was sending him. It seemed borderline pitying to him, and that itself was making his heart race. He knew he couldn't calm down any time soon and began to have heavy doubts.
"I don't think this is going to work." He sighed while keeping his body on the bed still.
"It just takes time. You need to just relax and-"
"How can I relax when this goes against everything I was taught as a child?!"
Sakura's eyes widened to Gaara's sudden outburst, she knew he was frustrated, but was laying on his bed really that aggravating? It wasn't like she was pushing him to succeed on his first night. She was also curious as to what he had meant with his words.
"What do you mean?" She asked, trying to keep her voice soft to soothe the young lord.
She waited on him while he stared up at her with a piercing gaze. He was angry, and contemplating whether he should elaborate or not. Minutes ticked by before Sakura watched him roll himself on his back, his slit eyes now facing up at his ceiling.
"It was never easy like people thought it was." He spoke in a harsh whisper.
"People always thought I was born with no need to sleep. They have no idea how long it took to instill that into me."
Sakura's eyes went round to this sudden revelation, and she in turn felt the guilt of knowing that she was one of these people Gaara spoke of. That she too thought he had made the choice of never wanting to sleep and that it was something he was naturally born with.
"There were greater monsters in the medical team that would pinch me to keep me awake as a newborn than inside of me." Gaara continued.
"As a toddler, they tried to frighten me that I would be eaten alive by my sand if I slept. Again, I was constantly watched and pestered to stay awake for years."
The room was quiet after Gaara's words. He was still staring at the ceiling above him while Sakura absorbed this new info. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable being here and forcing the redhead into something he may have been objecting from since the very beginning.
"It wasn't long until I learned that it was the lives of others that were in danger if I slept. That The Ichibi would take control if I lost consciousness." Gaara spoke, breaking the silence.
"That itself bothered me too until..."
Sakura watched Gaara intently while he blinked speechless above him. Though his teal eyes hid emotion well, the rosette was easy to spot a deep pain hiding behind his orbs. He was reminiscing on something that hurt him great in his young childhood.
"Until?" Sakura tried to usher him along.
To her voice, Gaara drew in a sharp breath, as if he had forgotten her presence entirely or where he even was.
"Until..." He began again, trying to remember where he had left off.
"Until circumstances revealed to me that I was not cherished by anyone in this world. Not my friends, not my family. When love became nothing to me than just a lowly word, I no longer cared what damage The Ichibi could do if I slept."
Sakura's eyes went round to Gaara's declaration. Like a cat, the rosette was full of curiosity, and wanted to ask the young lord what that circumstance was. As pain lingered in Gaara's look however, Sakura bit her tongue. She could tell he was not done speaking.
'So much for going to sleep with a clear mind.' She thought in the back of her head.
"It wasn't until I actually tried to sleep, on my own, that I realized the damage had already been done." Gaara said before swallowing hard.
"While at times I could drift in and out of sleep like you've seen before, I could never naturally fall into a deep sleep at hours on end like every other normal person can."
Gaara lifted a hand to slowly gaze at it before mumbling.
"There were, and are, so many things I'd lost as someone who was not born normal."
His words had almost been a whisper, and Sakura had to strain her ears to hear him. She knew he was speaking about his emotional bearings like love and bonds with others.
It was this that Sakura felt her shoulders sag. What Gaara had asked earlier was clear to her now. A medical team, and himself, had spent years teaching this young man how to surpass sleep, who was she to think she could reverse all this in a few days worth? She wasn't a miracle worker, something like this was going to take years. Time that she couldn't spare away from Konoha. She hated to admit it, but this was a battle she had already lost.
'I was asked to help stop Gaara rampaging at night by his sister.' Sakura told herself.
'And I did just that.'
It hit Sakura hard then that she was never requested to cure Gaara's insomnia. She had just taken the inclination upon herself, thinking it would help him all the more and possibly bring her closer to the young lord. She had made that decision the second night he attacked her. She had promised to help him, and thought that help came in the form of aiding him to sleep. In a snap, it dawned on the rosette that she had never asked Gaara about his feelings of her being there and trying to cure his insomnia. While she had agreed with Temari to help Gaara with his episodes, unbeknownst to him, she never felt inclined to ask the redhead if he supported her being there to help with his insomnia, or if he was against the whole thing.
Sakura remembered how Temari pushed Gaara into the idea of sleeping, yet he seemed neutral on the thought, and that realization now made Sakura ashamed of herself. This was the opposite of how she was taught to treat a patient, and guilt was heavy in her now thinking she had forced Gaara into something he did not want. Or worse, feared. With a heavy sigh, Sakura rested her eyes and forehead into the palm of her hand. Gaara must have caught her sudden notion, for she could hear him turn to face her.
When Gaara saw Sakura's sullen look, he felt his heart drop again. Perhaps he shouldn't have revealed so much to the rosette, and feared he had put a damper in her spirit. At first, he could care less if Sakura succeeded in her task or failed, but as time went on and he discovered new feelings in himself for her, he secretly rooted for her success purely because he knew it would bring an overwhelming joy to her. He knew with her having bragging rights, that she cured the boy who never slept, that it would put her high in the top of the medical field. In front of him though, he witnessed her look of defeat, and guilt was heavy inside him.
He was about to speak out, to tell her he was willing to try this every night until her success, but was stopped when the small voice reached his ears.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
Gaara stared with round eyes, he was surprised by her apology. It was he who felt the need to be sincere since this was definitely a task he realized Sakura had no idea how complicated it would become. Before he could ask why, she continued.
"I never asked what your feelings were about all this." She admitted.
"Temari had been the one to ask help for your sake, but I should have gone to you after and asked if this was what you really wanted. It was never my intention to push you into something you did not want, or were not yet ready for."
Gaara could hear the quiver in her voice.
"I'm sorry, Gaara."
Gaara swallowed hard hearing this declaration. This thought had never dawned on him, of what Sakura spoke of. He had gone many years throughout his young life being told his opinion, and choices, had no say in whatever matter. So much so that the control he longed for grew strong overtime, and to a point where it bothered him when he wasn't given his way. When he had become Kazekage, he knew the tables had turned when his choices became law. However, he was so use to it as a child, that when Temari had made this decision for him, he held back his tongue. Sakura's words tonight though were what reminded him that he had always had a say in the matter, and that say was that he wanted nothing to change.
There was no reason he had to become normal like everyone else around him. The concept of being like any other was thrown in the trash the second he was born. It was his differences that made his life a living hell, yet granting him in learning how to overcome such hardship, with help from Naruto of course. What he once thought was a curse, he had surprisingly learned was now a benefit. Who better else than he to be awake twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week? Running, and watching, a village was a never ending task, he always found it beneficial that unlike his other fellow Kages, he had those extra, long, hours of the night to improve this village and represent it as a better land. He did mentally admit that when Temari suggested sleep to him, and then offered Sakura up as help, he had grown all the more tense. The pace he always took threatened to slow down if he grew dependent of sleep. He was grateful that Sakura had finally given him an opportunity to voice his opinion.
"Maybe, someday, this will work..." He whispered.
He took another look at Sakura, her eyes were now on him as he spoke. She had a mixture look of guilt, curiosity and fatigue. It bothered him at how tired he had caused her to become. He had no doubt that she had been awake since the day of the formal event, and the guilt inside him grew all the more heavier. He still did not want to admit defeat for her sake yet, but also knew deep down that nightly sleeps were something he had no desire for at the time.
"Let me think about it tonight." Gaara spoke.
"Maybe tomorrow will be better."
Sakura closed her eyes and let a smirk spread across her cheeks. She kept her lips against the palm of her hand so Gaara wouldn't be able to see her knowing smile.
'Liar.'
She knew deep down that Gaara was not genuine on his words, yet, Sakura surprisingly didn't mind. Where Gaara thought that failure would bring her down, the rosette felt the complete opposite.
'I stopped his attacks.' She spoke confidently in her mind.
'I was able to narrow it down that the pills were the cause of his episodes, and put it an end to it. Temari asked this of me, and I've done it.'
Sakura shifted in her seat, a small smile still on her frame.
'Mission accomplished.'
Sakura turned to send Gaara a gentle smile, she could see the surprise in his eyes.
"I'll wait for your answer then, but please don't say something opposite of what you feel." Sakura reminded him.
"As far as I'm concerned, this has been far from a waste. My stay here has taught me many things, and brought something great into my life."
Gaara watched Sakura earnestly, making sure her words were sincere. When he saw that she was, he felt a little more relaxed. He would definitely have to make it up to the rosette for wasting her time he decided, and in an instant decided how to.
"Let me take you out to dinner tomorrow night." Gaara spoke.
His outburst had been sudden, shaky, and a little loud. He scowled in his mind for how ridiculous he sounded, yet remained outwardly passive while waiting for Sakura to answer him. Sakura meanwhile had her eyes nearing bulging and a small blush dusting her cheeks.
'Is-Is he asking me on a date?' She wondered in amazement.
Gaara was beginning to become her many firsts, this dinner included, and her heart began to flutter thinking what sort of night the young lord could have in store for her.
"S-Sure." Sakura said, mentally upset at her stammering.
Gaara felt the breath he was holding in escape, and let a small smile creep to his features. He wanted to thank her for all the trouble she put up with him, as well as hoping to learn some of these new emotions he had for her. He became lost in his thoughts while thinking what sort of place to take the young woman tomorrow that he didn't even notice her shuffling out of her seat until she was standing tall and dragging the wooden chair back to its original spot.
"I imagine you want to get dressed and return to your work then." Sakura said while turning to him.
She waited for his reply, but just stood there while he stared at her in silence. She knew he was again thinking deeply on some matter, he always went quiet when contemplation was battling in his mind. In time, he stretched his hand towards her, and Sakura recognized the hidden notion. By the time she had made it back to his bedside, his hand had lowered and his gaze went up to meet hers.
"Stay with me tonight."
His demand was so feeble sounding that Sakura had strained to hear him, eyes going round when she realized what it was he was asking of her.
"In your bed?!" She asked surprised.
He hesitated none as he nodded to answer her yes, and Sakura could feel her cheeks heat up again. She remembered how bare he was under those bed sheets, and half wondered what his intentions were.
"I promise, it's not what you think." Gaara said, understanding her silent plight.
Sakura gulped, her eyes again shifting around the giant bed. She felt a shiver run up her spine while thinking of the night Gaara and her had laid naked together. The way they kissed, touched, and how their bodies seemed to mold together made her suddenly crave all of that again. She silently wanted Gaara to take back that promise.
'Shameless.' Her mind hissed at her.
Sakura wasn't sure how Gaara knew. Maybe she had a twinkle in her eye, maybe a quick smirk had etched her frame for a second, or perhaps it was because his mind had settled to the same place she had let hers. For whatever reason, though, the redhead spoke in all-knowing.
"You're thinking of a dangerous thing."
Sakura bit her lip, trying to pull her emotions back down into hiding and tried to retort.
"You're the one suggesting we lay together."
Sakura could see the humor in his eyes before he shuffled to straighten himself on his bed.
"A sleepover." He countered.
Sakura wasn't sure if Gaara meant this as an innocent act, or if he was referring to the sleepover she explained to him in the past. She was again lost in her deep thoughts to this, and Gaara was beginning to grow impatient. Slowly he rose his hand again and gently took a grip of her fingers and pulled her towards the bed before she could even pull back, or voice differently. Besides, as she nestled her head into the soft pillow and let Gaara toss the giant quilt over them, she realized she was all for this idea than against it.
She drew in a deep breath as she lay on the pillow Gaara was resting on just minutes ago. As he pulled her into the bed, he had scooted himself back and let Sakura take up the spot he was just laying in. He felt his heart beat a little faster at the way she smiled into his pillow, and buried herself in the warmth he had left there. It wasn't until her smile, and warm eyes, met with him did he lay his head down on the cool pillow next to her. They lay staring into one another. A warm smile on Sakura as Gaara's lips threatened to almost do the same.
'This,' Gaara thought as he laced his hand with hers, 'must be the joy I hear so much about.'
"I'm surprised you'd rather do this than return to your work." Sakura spoke, brushing her thumb across the top of Gaara's hand.
"I may be undecided about sleep." Gaara said.
"But that doesn't mean I wouldn't opt out all other options I could do at night instead of work."
"Oh?" Sakura smiled giddy.
"Like?"
Her words were of a teasing tone, but her heart beat faster when she heard Gaara's all too serious answer.
"This."
He gave Sakura's hand a squeeze, and it took the rosette all of her willpower not to giggle like a giddy girl. This was something she never experienced, this was something she never once thought she'd be sharing with Gaara, and this was something she never wanted to end. Gaara, it seemed, felt the same.
"I would sacrifice my nights if it was always like this."
Sakura knew his words should fill her with joy, and that she too should be agreeing with him. Yet, she could feel her smile fall when the questions from before returned to mind, and a dark realization hit her hard.
She was from Leaf. He was Kazekage.
As magical as this all felt, she knew the end was inevitable, and it made her feel sick thinking she laid in his bed like it were the opposite. Yet, staring into his eyes, the thought of pushing Gaara away made her nauseous too. She had worked hard to earn his trust and friendship. Surprisingly, she wasn't against having these new feelings for him as well, yet was bothered that the pain of saying goodbye to him soon was making her want to turn her back on him now.
'You came here as distant from him as you could possibly be.' Inner Sakura remarked.
'Now, here you are, sharing an intimacy that will be branded in both your minds forever.'
Sakura bit her lip hard to these depressing thoughts, and completely ignored the tight grip Gaara had on her hand.
'Now once again, you're paying the price for your stupidity. You should have never asked to become his friend. Now you're going to lose him, just like Sasuke-kun.'
Sakura didn't understand this sudden self-berating, but also couldn't deny the truth behind them. It was the sudden thought of Sasuke too that had made her heart sink. Never in Gaara's presence did the missing Uchiha come to mind, but now, as the redhead lay next to her with her hand in his, he had suddenly returned to mind.
Now, if only the same could be said physically.
Another overwhelmingly feel of guilt swept over Sakura. One where she had yet to explain to Gaara who Sasuke was to her. It wasn't until she could taste the drops of salt on her lips did she realize tears were streaming down her face. She glanced at Gaara, hoping his focus was somewhere else and she could sink herself under the covers to hide her tears. She should have known better when she could see his narrowing gaze piercing right through her, and she quickly brought her free hand to wipe the drops away.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled.
Gaara gave Sakura's hand a squeeze. Dread was inside him now, he understood her look almost immediately. Something told him he should have pushed her away the minute he noticed his attraction towards her. These bonds hardly ever worked in his favor, and surely her tears meant this was no exception. She would run away from him now. Still, he wanted to ask, that way he could fix any problem she had and make her smile again. Even if that problem was him.
Sakura did not pull away when Gaara scooted closer to her, wiping a wet bead from her cheek before asking.
"What has hurt you?"
Sakura sniffled lightly. She wished her body hadn't revealed the emotions she was trying hard to bury and hide from the young lord, but like how she felt earlier in her room alone, she knew these were things she needed to share. It was only fair to the young lord that he understood that she was confused how she felt towards him, how she felt towards Sasuke, and to learn what this meant for him as well.
"I'm..." Sakura tried, feeling her voice shake.
She swallowed hard, staring into Gaara's teal gaze to reassure herself that this was the right thing to do.
"I'm confused about all this." She finally admitted.
"I have no idea what this means."
As she emphasized this, she gave Gaara's hand a squeeze, hoping he understood her symbolizing.
"Are we just friends experimenting, or do you want this to be something more?" Sakura continued, her voice growing anxious.
"Do you want me to hide these feelings from everyone in the village, or can I show my affections to you out in public? What happens when I have to return home? Is that it, does all this end then? Because...I really don't think I want this to end, or just be a test for you."
Sakura slowly silenced herself when she realized how frantic sounding she was becoming. One of her biggest fears was letting Gaara think she had become so dependent for his attention, like she had with Sasuke. If he was going to hurt her like the Uchiha had, than she at least wanted the satisfaction of Gaara thinking she could care less. Alas, her many questions and shaking voice had given her anxiety away. She could feel herself sweating lightly and tears threatening once more.
However, where she was nervous, Gaara was completely calm. It put her to ease somewhat, but also wary that he was about to laugh or shrug her off. It wasn't until he brought his body closer to her, and brought his face to hers, did Sakura let the breath she was holding in out. She closed her eyes the second she recognized where his lips were headed. It was a small, gentle kiss on his part, but the manner of it made Sakura relax and suddenly feel a little more reassured.
His hand had lowered around her waist, and he pulled the rosette closer to him before gently kissing her forehead.
'He's too good!' Sakura thought sheepishly.
As his one free hand wrapped around her, Sakura found comfort as Gaara began stroking the locks of her hair with his other hand, and naturally, she curled up into his frame. It was weird for her to think that in this short time, it felt so natural for her to be held by Gaara this way. What made it even more peculiar was that the young lord did not push her away, which meant he too found comfort in all this.
'That's to be expected.' Sakura thought, inhaling Gaara's scent.
'We're both creatures that craved this affection since we were young. Despite the hurt we both went through, this is our first time with love. Of course we want this closeness.'
With those thoughts, Sakura smiled before burying herself deeper into Gaara's chest. She noted how soft and warm he was.
"I'm confused too." Gaara finally spoke.
"My upbringing has made me blind to many things, unsure if I can feel whats others have already felt, and distant to those who wish to get close to me."
With his lack of reassurance, Sakura could feel her smile, and eyes, fall.
"But, with you."
As he spoke, Sakura could feel his hold on her tighten and she was brought closer into his frame.
"It's different with you." Gaara said, brushing Sakura's pink strands again.
"With you, I want to open my eyes to these new feelings, experience what I've yet to experience with any other, and grow closer to you."
Sakura's cheeks burned to Gaara's bold admittance. Despite how confused and distant he claimed to be, he knew the right things to say.
'It's because he speaks the truth. He speaks from his heart.' Sakura thought, her smile growing.
Shuffling under him, Sakura pulled back from his hold to gaze into teal orbs once more.
"Then that means..." She trailed off, hoping Gaara would answer her and she could finally have her solution.
However, Gaara kept his face passive as he stared down at his rosette.
"I don't know." He admitted, noting Sakura's eyes sinking.
"What I do know is that I'm enjoying this. I enjoy you. If you'll let me, I'd like to see what this leads to."
Sakura blinked while thinking. She knew it wasn't the direct and reassuring answers she would have liked, but at the same time, knew that those solutions would never come this early on in their relationship. She was happy knowing Gaara did not want to give up whatever this was, and hoped it could possibly bloom into something bigger. Like he had said, he could have pushed her away and she to him, but both were willing to explore one another. If he could sacrifice his heart to her, then she would do the same.
"What if we have to part ways but our feelings are still strong?" Sakura asked.
Gaara wasn't blind, he knew Sakura was referring to when she would have to return home. He sighed at this, thinking hard to give her a realist yet optimistic answer.
"You know you'll always be welcome here." Gaara whispered to her.
"If your Hokage needs a reason, I can give her one. I can always find a job for you here."
Sakura nodded. Distance would be hard, but if there was the reassurance that she could return whenever she liked, then she knew she could get through her long, lonely days knowing she could see her favorite redhead again soon.
"If there's ever an opportunity for me to visit Konoha, I'll take it."
Sakura's eyes widened surprisingly to Gaara's words. It hadn't dawned on her until then how much of an impression she was leaving on him. He was willing to sacrifice his duty in Sunagakure just to see her again from time to time. While she pondered at this, Gaara's hold on her tightened once more, and he whispered for her ears only.
"With my sand, I can be in Konoha in no days time. If we have a need to see one another, I'll come visit you secretly."
Sakura felt her heart skip a beat. Leave it to Gaara to ease her worries.
"If you visit me secretly, doesn't that mean I need to keep you hidden?" Sakura asked, a smile on her face as she turned up to look at Gaara.
Her smile grew when he looked down at her teasing look. He stared at her quietly and passively before letting a smirk grace him.
"As long as you're with me. I don't care where you hide me."
Sakura giggled while nestling herself back down to Gaara's chest. She found it amusing when Gaara would show off his mischievous, carefree side to her. This night had been rocky at first, but was now proving to be a treasure for the rosette. She was grateful the night was long, and early still. She was also thankful Gaara had eased her worried thoughts, yet she knew she had one more thing to tell him, but decided against it tonight. She at least wanted to have one more untroubled night with him before she reveal Sasuke. She hoped the redhead wouldn't push her away after her revelation.
'Gaara is willing to sacrifice his duty just to simply see me, whereas Sasuke-kun ran away...' Sakura grimaced at her thinking.
'If it's possible, I want to learn to love Gaara and let Sasuke-kun go.'
Not wanting to sour her mood, Sakura turned her face to stare back up at Gaara. He looked back down at her in slight wonder as her stare lingered on him, and she was silent.
"What is it?" He finally caved in and asked.
As he spoke, he was rewarded with one of the rosette's warm smiles.
"Kiss me?"
Gaara could feel his heart do a flip before he raced down to meet her already puckering lips. He felt his lips tingle to the sensation before Sakura slowly pulled back. The young lord was about to give chase, to claim her lips once more, but stopped when she gently placed a finger on his buds to stop him. To this, he felt a growl wanting to escape him. He didn't like it when he was not in control, and wanted to claim Sakura once more and hopefully have another passionate session like they shared earlier.
"Are you sure I shouldn't leave you to your work? I certainly can't keep you entertained all night." Sakura teased.
The second Gaara deemed that question idiotic, he reached for the rosette. Sakura squeaked in surprise as Gaara pulled her body up towards his and buried his lips passionately into hers. He kept his lips on hers for so long that Sakura had to wiggle herself free from his grip. She sucked in some much needed air before turning back to a snickering Gaara. Her eyes had narrowed at him, ready to reprimand until she saw the mischief, and excitement, dripping from his eyes and smirk. Whatever he was thinking now had Sakura lightly worried and she realized how tight of a hold he still had on her. There would be no escape if she wanted it.
"I beg to differ." He spoke before leaning towards her lips again.