Note: Thank you all for leaving reviews. ? ﾟﾒﾖ?

Sakura and Gaara will have babies in the future, but my story has many more chapters until then. Thank you for your patience. I don't want to rush things. I think you will enjoy the surprise in this chapter, as they are closer to getting married. ? ﾟﾒﾖ?

As for Sakura's disease, it is not cured yet. She has an illness that outbreaks when she feels very stressed and it will affect her for months before it goes in remission. Right now, she is happy with Gaara, so no stress, no outbreak.

A cure will be discovered at the end of the story. ? ﾟﾒﾖ? ﾟﾒﾖ? ﾟﾒﾖ? ﾟﾒﾖ?

...

Sakura and Gaara were in bed. He was fast asleep. Sakura woke up 2 hours before Gaara had to leave to work. She laid on her back, but she didn't know what to do to kill the time. Her left arm was draped over her forehead and she exhaled. She turned her face to the right, where Gaara laid on his side, facing her. He looked so peaceful, it brought a smile to girl's lips. Her body turned towards him and she couldn't refrain from pulling his lips, his nose, massaging his forehead. She lightly pulled on his right ear and giggled at the same time. When she felt that he woke up, even if he didn't open his eyes, she dared to do more. Sakura kissed his cheek, the red tattoo on his forehead, she kissed under both his eyes, his nose, his lips all while she hummed a happy song. The corners of his mouth turned upwards and he curled his arm around her waist to hug her close to him. Their chests became one, their hearts beat in the same rhythm.

"What is it, my dear? You can't sleep?" Gaara asked with his rough sleepy voice.

"I can't." Sakura admitted and combed his hair with her slender fingers, massaging his scalp with her nails.

"I think you can. We have a lot of time before I have to go."

"But, my lion. I see you so rarely; I want to spend more time with you, just you and I."

Gaara opened one eye and looked at her slyly. Sakura traced his nose with the tip of her index finger. She giggled. Gaara suddenly lifted his head to bite her finger playfully. Sakura kissed his forehead, slipped her hand between the pillow and his face to cup his cheek and she opened her mouth to speak:

"I need your help with the house chores."

Gaara groaned as if he was hurting and hid his face between her breasts.

"Gaara, you insist that I don't do anything until I am completely healed, yet when I ask you to help me, you always say 'later, not now'. "

Gaara sighed.

"We can't stay without curtains, for ex. We can't do anything because everybody watches us. I don't want to end up like that man who always stays naked at the window every morning."

Gaara suddenly lifted his eyes to look at her.

"What man?"

"Back when I slept in my room, a strange man who lives in the building across from us kept resting his elbows on the window frame while naked."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" He asked suspiciously, still looking at her.

"I don't know. I didn't get the chance to tell you. I didn't look, anyway. After the first few days, I didn't even open the curtains anymore."

"Aha." I will have to take care of him. Gaara thought.

"Are you helping me or not?" She asked a little angrily. She was waiting for a negative answer, but Gaara decided to surprise her.

"Sure, my flower." He leaned on his elbow and held her chin in his palm to kiss her lips. "Come on."

After they had a shower and changed clothes, Sakura led him to all the rooms in the house. She stood behind him and looked as his hand did most of the work. He placed the curtains on all windows according to her indications. She had him take out the garbage and do multiple other chores before she couldn't think of anything else to make him do. When they were done, Sakura hugged him lovingly from the side.

"Thank you."

Gaara smiled kindly with his eyes closed. He was proud like a lion. Her lion.

"Gaara?"

"Hmm?"

"I wanted to ask you something..." She bit her lip and continued. "What should we do with that woman's things?"

Sakura couldn't even say her name. He slipped his arm around her waist.

"You can burn them if you want to. She will never step foot in here."

"Yey! That's great! I was hoping I wouldn't have to see her again. After the fight we had that night, I'd choke her with my bare hands if I saw her again."

"Don't worry. I promise you she will never come back."

Sakura grinned and tilted her head to the side with her eyes closed. Gaara scratched his nose. He wanted to ask a rather uncomfortable question.

"Sakura, what would you say if I hired someone else to take care of the house?"

"Please don't. I can't stand to fight with another woman. They all treat me with superiority."

"Only one did this."

"Yes, the one who tried to kill me. I don't want to stress myself everyday thinking 'will this one try to kill me in my sleep?', 'did she poison my food?'. Plus, do you think Shinki will ever be able to eat another housekeeper's food again?"

Gaara sighed.

"You are right, but somebody has to take care of the house. Who will cook? Who will clean?"

"Well, I could do it."

"I don't want to make you do it. You don't have obligations to us."

"Just like you don't have the obligation to protect me, right?"

Gaara narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together before he asked proudly:

"My dear, we look more and more like a family, don't we?"

Sakura's cheeks reddened and directed her gaze to her feet. Gaara broke the silence again.

"I think we should get engaged. What do you think?"

"Huh?" Sakura asked with panic.

"You don't want to?" Gaara fearfully asked.

"Of course I do. It just came so sudden. Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't sure." His grin unveiled his canines.

Sakura's eyes filled with tears of joy. She hid her face in the crook of his neck. Gaara held her by the neck with one and hand ad his other hand secured her waist. He kissed her cotton candy like hair and continued to talk:

"I will make the official announcement after I settle things with the daimyo. You will have to talk to your parents and set a meeting if they want to get to know me, of course."

"Of course they'll want to meet you. Don't worry about it." She playfully slapped his arm. "Soon, you will be able to call them mom and dad and Shinki will have grandparents."

Gaara held her face in his palms and kissed her passionately.

"Then it's settled. I will talk to Shinki later."

"Ok. I will leave it to you." She said while she wiped her teary eyes.

Later, Gaara left for work. He still had to develop peace terms with the daimyo, but he left with his heart reconciled. Sakura took the child to school and when she came back home, she grabbed paper and a pen and started writing a letter to her parents.

To mom and dad

I hope this letter finds you healthy. Your daughter misses you from far away. I left a part of my heart with you when I came to Suna, but I found it by the Kazekage's side. He wishes to meet you. When do you think it would be auspicious to meet? Would you like to see each other in Konoha or Suna? Do you wish to try something from here? I can bring something traditional from Suna on my next visit.

Thank you for all your love and support.

Sakura

She folded the letter in 3 and put it in an envelope that she will leave at the post office later. Or I could ask Gaara to send it with one of the hawks. My bird is still sick. Sakura thought while looking at her right shoulder, where her babbler was struggling to maintain its balance. Sakura smiled and carefully put it on the desk. She took out the note she found in Gaara's clothes when she put them in the washing machine. It was the note that didn't reach her during the assassination attempt. She unfolded it, placed it on the table and read it while the babbler looked at the kanji with its head inclined and a confused look on its face as if it tried to read, too.

To my smiling moon

My love has made me selfish. I can't exist without you. I am forgetful of everything, but seeing you again. You have absorbed me. I would be martyred for my religion. Love is my religion. I could die for that. I could die for you.

Ever thine, Gaara

She enclasped the message to her chest and released a high pitched scream, now that she was alone in the house. The bird sang and creamed, too because she felt the girl's happiness who was also her master. May this house be always filled with laughter and joy by God's will.

All nice and well, she started deep cleaning the house. She threw away everything in the fridge and in the cupboards in case that woman poisoned something else. Sakura went to the local market to buy groceries and she started cooking as soon as she got home.

Sakura wasn't very talented in cooking and Gaara was about to find out soon. Still, she did her best. She was having fun in front of the stove with the wedding in her mind when she heard someone knock at the front door.

That's weird. Gaara and Shinki have keys, they'd have no reason to knock. She wiped her hands because they were wet. She had an obsession to never have wet hands. Her mother said she will marry a drunk man if she stains her clothes with water while cooking.

Sakura grabbed the kunai she hid on the strap high on her thigh. She opened the door and pointed the kunai to the man's face as she stood from the side:

"If you try anything, I'll kill you."

The man froze into place, frightened by the pink haired woman. He straightened his back and held his hands glued to his side. He swallowed the knot in his throat and recited the message he was instructed to send:

"Excuse me for the trouble. Gaara-sama sent me to inform you that Shinki-sama will be staying with his uncle today. Gaara-sama will be home by 8 pm. I apologize once again for bothering you. Have a good day."

He bowed respectfully before her and left without making eye contact. Sakura let out a sigh. She put her hand on her chest and thought: Poor boy. I think I scared him badly. She laughed to herself before going back to work. Sakura and the bird sang together all day. It's so good that Matsuri didn't come today. Gaara will be home early. Maybe he wants to celebrate. I have to get ready. She took off her clothes right there, in the middle of the house and headed to the bathroom with the pile of clothes in her arms. She dumped them in the hamper. She filled the tub with warm water and mixed many scented lotions in it. She had to smell nice for her fiancé after she will get out of the tub with silk smooth skin.

She washed her hair and combed some cream into it so it shone like rose gold. She did her nails, plucked her eyebrows and applied scented oils on her neck, her wrists, behind her ears, between her breasts and between her thighs.

She carefully put on makeup to make herself look like a doll. Her cheeks were peach color, her lips dark pink. She put on a green, short sleeved qipao dress with floral print in shades of white and pink. It had double slit on both sides, from the upper thigh to her ankle. She wore the earrings Gaara gifted her a while ago and a gold bracelet around her ankle. The mirror reflected her beauty and Sakura rehearsed a shy look before lowering her gaze as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

When Gaara arrived home, he spoke to make her aware of his presence, but he didn't receive an answer. He took off his shoes, put down his sand urn and started looking for her in the house. He felt her chakra, which meant she was in the house. Doesn't she want to see me? When he opened the door to his room Sakura jumped on his back screaming. Her weight made him bend halfway to the floor. Her arms circled his neck. She breathed in his ear. Her erotic, suave voice filled his ear before she placed a wet kiss on his neck.

"Welcome home."

Gaara felt an electric shock surged the top of his head to his toes. He smirked like a predator. This pink sheep was about to get into trouble. He held both her wrists with one hand, lovingly.

"I was wondering where you were."

He bent his back lower, getting closer to the floor with his head. Sakura couldn't get a good grip on him . She yelled desperately as her bottom was high in the air.

"Gaara! I'll fall."

Her hands squeezed his neck tighter.

"Let go. I can't breathe."

She refused, shaking her head. Gaara jumped slightly and bent more while making choking sounds. Sakura got scared and let go of his neck, the action resulting in her tumbling over his head. As she was screaming, Gaara's sand caught her mid air. It looked like a golden cloud which hugged her. Gaara bent above her and said to her face:

"You are so pretty, my flower." His right hand cupped her breast while his lips kisses hers. Sakura was so excited, she trembled beneath his fingers.

"Your smell drives me crazy." He said with his eyes closed and brushed his lips against her cheek, going higher to her neck.

Her breathing became heavy. She wanted to be devoured by this tall handsome man with fire like hair and turquoise eyes like the sea. Too bad he ruined the moment:

"Let me have a shower first."

"Mmmm." She protested, holding onto his head with her arms.

Her desperate moan made him laugh.

"I will be right back." He convinced her with the promise to be back quickly so she let go of him.

"Fine, I will be waiting for you."

Gaara held out his hand to help her stand up before he disappeared in the bathroom.