CHAPTER EIGHT
Sakura awoke with a groan, her eyes fluttering open to the dimly lit room. As she stretched languidly on the bed, her head pounded in relentless protest. Yesterday must have really been something. She couldn't piece together the night's events without invoking sharper stabs of pain in her head. Peeking under the duvet, she discovered she was still clad in the dress from the night before—ugh, utterly gross. She had to take a bath and try to remember what happened last night. Without thinking twice, she channelled chakra into her throbbing head, feeling some relief; she gingerly rose from the bed.
Sakura slid the dress off her frame as she made her way to the bathroom. The cold water cascading down her body and onto her scalp was an instant wakeup call and as she massaged her strawberry-scented shampoo into her hair, she began to carefully organize the fragmented timeline of yesterday's escapade.
First, there was that awful drink she'd never revisit, then a bit of dancing-scratch that, a lot of dancing that would make Ino proud, a few more drinks— then she danced with that cute guy? Yeah, she knew she had found him very attractive but couldn't exactly remember his face. It all became hazier from that point. A persistent, oversized individual insisting she danced with him, she punched him? No, she tried to and then... Gaara? Hold on, Gaara got her home? "Gaara!" she whispered in a horrified realization.
Oh, shit, shit shit! She had truly outdone herself this time. The memories flooded back with alarming clarity as soon as she remembered the details with Gaara. She had practically coerced him into dancing, recalling the vivid image of her arm looped around his neck, the provocative dancing, and the desperate need for him to kiss her in that moment. What the hell was wrong with her? How in the world could she face Gaara now? She wanted to scream so badly, yet she suppressed it, considering the proximity of Gaara's room to hers. So, left only with the option of self-loathing, she covered her face in sheer embarrassment, muttering curses under her breath as the chill water continued to cascade over her. She was never leaving her room again.
A few hours later, she was hungry and at first, she ignored her urges, devoted to her decision to never leave her room again due to the embarrassment she still felt. However, the noisy grumbling of her empty stomach kept getting worse and she knew she had to leave her room and get something to eat.
Also, even though the thought of facing Gaara embarrassed her, Sakura knew she had to thank him for helping her out of a potentially dangerous situation and getting her home safely. She had already decided she would feign ignorance about the other events of the party. Surely, he must have felt embarrassed too, and they could both pretend it never happened. Whether that thought made her feel better or worse about the situation, she couldn't quite tell. With those thoughts swirling in her mind, she opened her door and stepped out, her hair still damp from the shower, cascading around her shoulders as she had let it fall freely to dry.
The aroma of something delicious wafted through the air, guiding her steps toward the kitchen. Quietly descending the stairs, Sakura was surprised to find Kankuro standing at the stove, wearing an apron as he tended to a pot on the stove. He seemed entirely engrossed in his task, unaware of her presence, so Sakura leaned against the doorway and observed.
"Hey," she finally spoke up, breaking the silence.
Kankuro jumped at the sudden sound, turning to see Sakura. "Kami Sakura! You almost gave me a heart attack," he exclaimed, a playful grin forming on his lips.
Sakura chuckled. "Good thing I'm a doctor then," she replied, stepping closer to him. "I didn't know you could cook."
"I'm a man of many talents," Kankuro said with a wink, turning back to the pot on the stove.
"So what are you making?" she asked, peering over his shoulder
"Oh, just my famous hangover miso soup, and it's almost done," he uttered with pride.
Sakura's smile widened at the mention of food. "That smells amazing," she remarked, licking her lips eagerly. "Can you be any faster with that?"
Kankuro chuckled, stirring the soup a final time before turning off the stove. "Patience, Sakura. Good things come to those who wait," he teased, pouring the steaming soup into bowls.
As he handed her a bowl, Sakura took a deep breath, inhaling the comforting aroma of the miso soup. It was exactly what she needed to soothe her hangover and ease her embarrassment from the previous night.
"That was so good, Kankuro. Where did you learn to cook like that?" Sakura wiped her mouth and reached for her glass of water.
Kankuro chuckled. "Well, someone in this house has to learn. Temari can't cook for shit, and Gaara couldn't be bothered to cook even though he probably can. The housekeeper doesn't come on weekends, so that leaves me. I enjoy it though, so it's okay."
"Wow," truthfully Sakura didn't even know there was a housekeeper; no wonder the house was always neat.
"Where is Temari?" she had totally forgotten about Temari.
"How would I know?" he shrugged.
"You're not worried?" ..." it's just that we went together, and I didn't see her after a while."
Kankuro replied with indifferent shrug. "She's a big girl, she can handle herself."
"Okay…I just hope she's okay."
"The bigger question is how did you get home? I know you definitely got wasted last night." His eyes were fixed on hers, waiting for her answer.
"I'm a big girl, I can handle myself," Sakura shrugged.
"Touché," he smiled.
Sakura stood up and began to pack up the plates. "I'll wash up, go rest."
"Uh no, you're not escaping with that…"
"Go away, Kankuro," she whined.
"Come on, just tell me."
"No."
They had finished washing the dishes, and Kankuro wouldn't stop pressing her for answers, so she finally gave up.
"Fine, it was Gaara. Not a big deal, now leave me alone," Sakura conceded.
Kankuro's face lit up like a Christmas tree at that; he couldn't wait to tease Gaara, his second favourite hobby. He knew his brother had a thing for Sakura even though he'd never outright admit it.
"Oh, kami, he was going to make it a big deal now," Sakura thought to herself.
"What did Gaara do?" They both turned in shock to see Gaara standing by the doorway.
Just great. The Haruno luck strikes again.
Sakura frantically searched for a means of escape, but Gaara stood at the entrance of the kitchen, so she just squeamishly stood there while Gaara's unwavering gaze pierced through her. She tried her best to meet his gaze, but at last, she resigned to staring at the walls and occasionally the floor. She was beginning to think he was doing this intentionally to make her uncomfortable. Kankuro cleared his throat beside her, a sly smirk playing on his lips as he went to pull a scowling Gaara in.
"Welcome, brother, we were just talking about what a gentleman you are," Kankuro led Gaara to the dining table. "You hungry?" he asked, already dishing out the food while Gaara nodded in reply.
Sakura smiled at Gaara's cute nod. He was like a cute baby... Ugh, now was not the time to be thinking about that.
"Hello! Earth to Sakura," Kankuro waved for her to come sit with them.
"I-I'm sorry, I just realized there is something I need to, uh, check. I- I have some class notes to review but thanks for the meal!" Sakura stammered, darting out the door before Kankuro could say the first two letters of her name. It was clear Kankuro's intentions were to tease them non-stop, and she had to escape.
"Damn, she's fast," Kankuro muttered out loud.
Gaara continued eating his food in silence, his expression betraying nothing. That is until Kankuro started nagging him about what happened between him and Sakura.
"So… Sakura just told me you got her home." Kankuro had a mischievous smile on his face, teasing Gaara was so fun.
"Did she now…" Gaara replied his expression betraying nothing as he reached for a glass of water. Hopefully, nobody saw him and Sakura that close in the club, or at least nobody was sober enough to remember. It's barely been a week since she was here, he wouldn't like for her to become gossip material and people in Suna were vicious gossips.
"You know I saw you, right?" Kankuro continued his teasing, not satisfied with Gaara's reactions just yet.
"Saw me doing what?" Gaara sighed, finding his brother's persistence insufferable.
"Throwing death stares at any dude she danced with!? C'mon, it's obvious you're attracted to her, dude!" Kankuro grinned.
Gaara paused eating to glare at Kankuro.
"Your eyes will fall off with all that glaring," Kankuro shrugged.
"Can I eat in peace?"
"Sakura is a nice girl, Gaara...please don't hurt her," the seriousness in Kankuro's voice made Gaara raise his head to meet his brother's eyes.
"And what makes you think I will?"
"Maybe because you've suddenly turned into a raging womanizer," he responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
After the war, his brother, who didn't care about engaging with women or anything of the sort, suddenly changed. The boost in fangirls after the war didn't help either. "Look all I'm saying is don't just jump into things with her if you're not sure or just because you're bored, you know…like with Matsuri"
"Okay," Gaara responded simply as he finished his food and stood up to leave.
"Okay?" What did that even mean? Kankuro wondered.
"I'll think about it," he elaborated coldly with a look over his shoulder, leaving Kankuro with a stupefied expression on his face. He would tell Kankuro the food had been delicious if he wasn't a bit miffed with his whole lecture.
Why did his brother think he could tell him what to do with any woman he wanted?
"Annoying," he muttered out loud to himself, but loud enough for Kankuro to hear.
Kankuro didn't know what bothered him the most; the fact that Gaara didn't deny the accusation of being a womanizer or the fact that he didn't deny being attracted to Sakura. He just prayed for Sakura's sake that it was genuine this time, unlike the ones before.
Sakura was sick of staying in her room as she had been hiding out in her room for hours after the encounter downstairs. She needed a distraction so she had tried reading some scrolls, painstakingly rearranging her medical kit, and writing down some notes for her next class, but all she could think about when she was done with her tasks and alone with her thoughts was Gaara and how she had totally embarrassed herself and how good his hard body had felt against her body at that party. Wait what? This was exactly why she needed a distraction.
Temari was still not back and no-one seemed to be worried because apparently, this was a normal occurrence, not wanting to go downstairs and take a chance of bumping into Gaara, she decided to take a little walk upstairs. She never did get the opportunity to tour the house. Kankuro had mentioned that there was a library, so this would be a good time to check it out.
Sakura stood in front of the huge double door, which she assumed led to the library. She wondered if they ever made use of the library. The thought of Kankuro picking up a book was comical and Temari didn't seem like the reading type either, but maybe Gaara did some reading, he seemed like the type.
"Might as well check it out", she thought to herself as she pushed the door open and strolled in.
Upon entering, Sakura was taken aback by the grandeur of the library. The room was spacious, with high ceilings adorned with intricate Suna-inspired designs. She noticed several skylights strategically placed throughout the room. This allowed just the right amount of natural light to filter in and cast a gentle glow over the rows of shelves.
Sakura felt a sense of serenity wash over as strolled in between shelves, her fingers delicately trailing over the spines of some medical book. Her thoughts drifted to her training days with Tsunade. The woman had made sure no stones were left unturned during her training, however, in this case, it would be no books were left unturned.
Sakura rubbed her previously trailing fingers together. The lack of dust was surprising, her eyes scanned other details of the environment as well, for a place with no visitors it was pretty well kept, she observed.
As Sakura reached for a book on the lower level of the shelf, something else caught her eye. Through the narrow gap between the shelves, she glimpsed a study table at the far end, with a stack of books resting upon it. "So, someone has been here recently after all," she mused, curiosity piqued. With determined steps, she made her way to the table, noting the presence of a chair beside it.
Examining the books on the table, she discovered a common theme—they were all about sleep. "The Mechanisms of Sleep," the front cover of one book read. Intrigued, she reached for another, then another, finding each one focused on the same topic. It seemed someone had a keen interest, or perhaps a problem, with sleeping.
Before she could delve further into the books, the sound of someone clearing their throat startled her. Whirling around, Sakura's eyes widened as she found Gaara standing before her. She hadn't noticed his silent approach; how long had he been watching?
"Some kunoichi you are" Inner mocked
"I see you found the library," he remarked, his gaze briefly flickering to the book in her hand.
Caught off guard, Sakura's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Hastily, she dropped the book as if it were a hot coal, feeling like a child caught red-handed. "I—uh, yes," she stammered, flustered. "I'm sorry for snooping," she added sheepishly, unable to meet his gaze.
"It's fine. I should have put them back after reading, it's a general library after all" he replied unfazed, moving towards the table to gather the books.
Sakura helped Gaara with putting some of the books back on the shelf. The silence between them was palpable. What to do? She asked herself. Thank him for getting her home safely last night and risking dragging up memories from her uncouth behaviour last night. For all she knows he probably forgot about it already.
"Are you having trouble sleeping?" It had come out a lot blunter than she intended but it had been eating at her to ask and as a medic, she couldn't help but be concerned as well. She was totally not trying to avoid talking about the events of last night.
Gaara paused, his eyes flickering with a tinge of surprise at her directness. "It's just …I couldn't help but notice most of the books were about sleep" she added quickly
"Ahh…that." Gaara murmured, a thoughtful expression crossing his face as he forced the last book he had onto the shelf.
Sakura rolled her eyes at his cryptic response of course he wasn't going to reply. What is it with men and replying with mono-syllables? Sasuke crossed her mind briefly before she looked away to force the last book onto the shelf as well.
"I've always had sleeping issues… since childhood"
She swallowed her surprise at his reply, okay so maybe he wasn't entirely like Sasuke.
Her surprise softened into empathy. "But I thought that after the war, the insomnia… wait, you and Shukaku are on good terms now, right?" she asked gently, remembering what Naruto had told her about Gaara's struggles with his tailed beast back when they were still genin. But that was a long time ago, Naruto had made peace with Kurama and so had Gaara with Shukaku. Both tailed beasts even helped them greatly during the war.
"We are, but for some reason, I still can't sleep, I could try but- when I do, I only sleep for maybe an hour or less and I wake up with this intense fear that makes me feel like a kid again, afraid to fall asleep. The beast tells me it's fine to sleep but"-
"You don't believe him?"
"I do- I really do but maybe my subconscious doesn't"
"Ouch kid… you really hurt my feelings there" Shukaku joked
That explains why he was reading all those books, Sakura was deep in thought and as a result, she was oblivious to Gaara watching her intrigued, her brows were etched in worry as she nibbled at her lips, was she concerned for him? He'd be flattered if she was.
Suddenly she snapped her fingers in discovery, the sudden noise surprising Gaara
"I may have a theory about what the problem is," she exclaimed, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. She had gone through every possible cause and effect, symptom, and scenario in her head and finally came to a probable conclusion. Gaara studied her intently as she began to explain something about PTSD and other potential causes.
He had heard briefly about PTSD before but wasn't really educated on it so he listened, partially, he tried to listen, however, he found himself distracted by her plush pink lips, the way she'd bite them when she was thinking of something else to add, he had been so close to kissing those lips last night, but kissing her while she was drunk was beneath him, when he did kiss her, he wanted her to be fully aware, he wanted to taste the willingness as she would willfully kiss him back. He wondered what would happen if he kissed her right now. Would be quite fun to see her reaction.
His eyes followed her delicate fingers as they softly tucked some strands of stray hair into the nest behind her ears. There was definitely something about her that seemed to pull him so and while it was frustrating that he had to painfully wait, it was also refreshing to feel like that, perhaps it would end if he tasted her just once. He wondered what Sakura Haruno tasted like…
"-But of course, we don't know for sure if your sleeping issue is a result of PTSD, but we can start with a head scan to see how things are looking though?" she looked at him for a reply but Gaara was too deep in his licentious thoughts to realize she was trying to seek his approval.
"Gaara?" Her voice cut through his reverie, bringing him back to the present moment.
"Ah… I apologize, I got lost in thought," Gaara admitted, his gaze lingering on Sakura as she continued to speak.
Sakura waved off his apology, a small smile playing on her lips as she observed him. "No worries," she replied warmly, "I was just saying that I want to help, But only if you want me to, of course. That's your decision to make." She continued her tone honest and sincere.
"Sakura," Gaara interjected lightly, trying to capture her attention.
However, her attention was focused on some stray books she noticed on the nearby table, she rushed to pick them up, intending to return them to their rightful spot on the shelf.
"I can do a scan with chakra now if you're not busy of course," she went on, undeterred. "But we just got this new equipment that does scans as well."
"Sakura," he tried again, his tone a bit stronger this time, but she remained engrossed in her task, moving towards the shelves.
"I understand if you feel safer with the machine," Sakura continued, her words flowing freely as she began to firmly shove books in between shelves. "I wouldn't want to im-"
"Sakura!" Gaara cut her off before she could complete the word "impose," his voice firm and insistent.
Startled out of her task, Sakura turned to face him, finally realizing he had been trying to get her attention all along.
"Yes?" Sakura finally turned to him, a slight blush colouring her cheeks as she met his gaze.
"I'd be glad if you helped…," Gaara said, his words laced with sincerity. "Besides, I think your skills greatly surpass the machine by far."
Sakura couldn't shake the warmth spreading through her at his appraisal. It was a relief and genuinely a surprise that he agreed to something as invasive as a chakra scan considering his position as Kazekage, she had been almost 100% sure he'd choose the machine. He was basically letting her poke around his head with her chakra and while she had done chakra scans for various ninjas before but this was Gaara, everyone knew about his trust issues, so yeah this was a big deal for her, she definitely didn't feel all warm and fuzzy because of her attraction to him or whatever.
"Okay then, I'll start with a few questions," she began, her voice steady despite the fluttering in her chest.
Gaara nodded, his gaze unwavering and his hands folded against his chest as he awaited her inquiry.
"What have you tried so far? Sleeping meds, tea, herbs?" Sakura asked, her brow furrowing in concentration.
"Anything you can think of really" his tone a bit weary.
Sakura nodded thoughtfully, her professional demeanour slipping seamlessly into place. "I'd like a list."
Gaara marvelled at how easy it was for her to flip on the professional switch. It was as if she had flipped on a switch, effortlessly transitioning into the role of healer while he became the patient.
"I'm sure you wouldn't mind a little doctor-patient role play" Shukaku interjected, taunting him with sexual thoughts that he desperately tried to push aside while failing repeatedly.
Sakura's expectant gaze brought him back to the present moment, and he met her eyes with a faint hint of amusement dancing in his own.
"What? You mean now?" Gaara questioned, his tone betraying a touch of incredulity.
She cocked her brows at him as if to say duh. He almost smiled. Cute.
"I don't have a pen or notepad here with me, let's head to my room?" Gaara suggested.
"Okay," she responded absentmindedly her mind still brainstorming remedies to help Gaara.
Sakura followed Gaara into his room almost on autopilot. It wasn't until she heard the soft click of the door shutting behind her that she snapped out of her reverie and realized her current situation. She was alone in Gaara's room, the air seemed charged with a palpable tension, and Sakura couldn't help but feel a flutter of panic rise within her.
Okay- stay calm, she told herself. He was just going to write the list, they'll do the scan and she'd be gone with quickness, they were practically friends now, friends go in each other's room. Meanwhile, Gaara appeared unfazed, his demeanour composed as he went about his task.
"You can sit on the couch," Gaara offered, gesturing towards the plush seating arrangement while he walked over to his study table. Sakura nodded in response, her movements stiff and awkward as she made her way to the couch. Sitting down, she couldn't shake the feeling of being out of place. If you had told her a week ago that she'd be in this position she would have laughed in your face.
After she had succeeded in calming herself, Sakura took the opportunity to discreetly observe her surroundings. The room was spacious yet devoid of any personal touches, Shades of sandstone and warm earth tones dominated the decor. Everything seemed to blend into the neutral tones of the desert, it was pretty much what she had expected his room to look like. Her gaze shifted to Gaara, who was engrossed in his task.
"Gaara…" she couldn't hold it anymore she had to apologize for her behaviour last night and at least thank him for his help no matter how embarrassed she was. Gaara was watching her now…waiting
"So…about last night…I-I remember and I'm sorry for you know the whole thing-" She was trying to be as vague as possible with the details. Watching her feet on the floor had never seemed more interesting, anything to not stare into those icy jade eyes.
"I know" he replied catching Sakura off-guard.
'That I remember or that I'm sorry"
"Both," Gaara admitted, a faint smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "But especially that you could remember."
Sakura let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, feeling a small sense of relief wash over her. But then Gaara's next question caught her off guard.
"So," he began, his tone casual yet probing as he stood up and stalked closer, "do you remember all that happened?"
Sakura's heart raced as she met his gaze, her mind scrambling for an answer. "Not all, of course," she replied, her voice wavering slightly. "I mean, I know I did some embarrassing things, but not the details."
Gaara studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a sardonic smile, he spoke again. "That's a shame, you're a pretty great dancer"
Sakura covered her face with her hands in embarrassment "please don't remind me" as Gaara chuckled.
"Are you done with the list?" Sakura asked, eager to move on from the whole party conversation.
Gaara simply nodded as he handed it to her a small smile still playing on his lips.
She went over the list, meticulously scanning through every ingredient every herb, well Gaara didn't lie when he said he tried everything, well…almost everything, which meant there was still hope. She smiled then at the discovery. Gaara who had been watching her the whole time wondered what made her suddenly happy.
"Can you sit on the bed for me?" Sakura's voice cut through the air, her tone confident and commanding.
Gaara cocked his eyebrow in question, surprised by her directness.
"I need a quick head scan," she explained casually as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Most medic-nins now relied on the newly developed CT scanner for head scans, but experts like Tsunade and Sakura could utilize chakra for a wide range of medical procedures. It required delicate control and consumed a significant amount of chakra, but Sakura wasn't the best in her field for nothing.
"Right now?" Gaara echoed, a hint of skepticism in his voice.
"Yes, right now – I believe I mentioned it previously and you agreed?" Sakura replied, her arms folded and her hips cocked to the side. "Sit," she commanded, her eyes gesturing to the bed.
Gaara wasn't accustomed to taking commands from anyone, and he couldn't remember the last time someone spoke to him in such a manner. He felt a twinge of annoyance at her tone, but beneath the surface, something primal stirred within him. There was an undeniable allure to her confidence, a magnetic pull that made him want her underneath him completely surrendered to his will. He needed to regain control of his thoughts before she unravelled him completely.
Suppressing his inner turmoil, Gaara reluctantly complied, taking a seat on the bed. He welcomed the intoxicating feminine scent that enveloped him as Sakura stood before him. She smelled sweet, like strawberries and jasmine, a combination that stirred something unfamiliar within him. He had never entertained the idea of cozying up with any of the women he bedded before, but with Sakura, the thought seemed strangely enticing. He widened his eyes as soon as the thought crossed his mind.
"She definitely bewitched you," Shukaku's voice echoed in his mind, taunting him with his vulnerability.
Gaara clenched his jaw, pushing aside his inner turmoil as Sakura began to speak. "The scan may make you drowsy," she warned, stepping closer until she was standing between his legs. "And this might be uncomfortable," she added, her proximity sending a shiver down his spine.
The worried expression on Gaara's normally impassive face almost elicited a chuckle from Sakura. "Don't be alarmed, it's just my chakra," she reassured him with a smile as she pressed her hands to his head. Normally, Gaara wouldn't allow anyone near his head or body, let alone receive a chakra scan. He never trusted medic-nins, and the mere thought of their chakra invading his body was revolting. But with Sakura, it was different.
As Sakura began to infuse his head with chakra, Gaara's eyes instinctively closed. He had never experienced anything as soothing as Sakura's chakra. Unlike the invasive sensation he felt with other medic-nins, Sakura's chakra flowed like smooth, quiet waves, lulling him into a state of relaxation. He felt an overwhelming urge to... sleep? He wasn't sure. What was she saying about discomfort? This felt like the best sensation he had ever experienced. He heard his name being called, and his eyes fluttered open.
"Well, that was quick," he thought to himself, blinking in surprise at Sakura.
"Good news," Sakura said, her voice filled with excitement. "Your pineal gland is kind of a mess right now in terms of sleep. It's not producing your sleep juices anymore. My deduction is that the long-term lack of sleep made it that way."
Gaara looked stupefied. "How is that good news?"
"Because it makes things easier," Sakura explained eagerly. "Fixing the block might just help you sleep. I still think you need therapy for PTSD, though, because this might not be a long-term solution. But I think it's worth a shot. So, what do you say? Want to give it a try?"
Gaara, barely understanding anything she had said, simply nodded his head. "As long as it works."
Sakura clapped her hands in excitement. "Okay, let's get those sleep juices pumping!"
Gaara reclined on the bed, positioning himself to make Sakura's task easier. As she knelt beside him, her hands pressed gently against his head, the soothing flow of her chakra washing over him once more. Almost instinctively, his eyes drifted shut, succumbing to the familiar drowsiness that accompanied her touch.
Time seemed to blur as Gaara continued to drift in and out of consciousness, his senses dulled by the comforting embrace of Sakura's chakra. When he finally roused himself, he found Sakura leaning over him, her expression etched with concern.
"Gaara, can you hear me?" Her voice was soft, her concern evident.
Sakura couldn't shake the sense of exhaustion that weighed heavily upon her. The procedure had taken longer than anticipated, and she had ended up using more chakra than she had intended. Who knew such a tiny gland could be a pain in the ass. Taking a deep breath, she shifted her position on the bed, finding a precarious yet comfortable spot beside him.
She had initially knelt beside Gaara, but the position quickly became painful and awkward. Despite her attempts to find a more comfortable arrangement, she ended up in a slightly awkward but less painful position, with one leg over his, placing her adjacent to him. She wasn't fully straddling him so she reassured herself that it was acceptable given the circumstances.
Noticing Gaara's closed eyes, Sakura called out to him, her voice tinged with worry. His eyes fluttered open briefly before closing once more, prompting a surge of panic within her. He needed to be fully awake to ensure she hadn't inadvertently messed up anything in his head.
But then, Gaara's lips curved into a lopsided smile, sending a rush of warmth through her. Suddenly aware of their intimate proximity, Sakura's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. If anyone were to walk in, what would they think? She was literally almost straddling Gaara the Kazekage, what the fuck had she been thinking or rather she hadn't been thinking. She quickly moved to withdraw, but Gaara's eyes fully opened this time, halting her in her tracks.
Panic surged within her as she feared he might misunderstand her intentions but he wasn't saying anything, just staring at her with glazed icy eyes and an unreadable expression. Sakura wanted to ask if he was okay, maybe she had really messed something up, but before she could speak, one of Gaara's hand reached up to cup her cheeks. With a gentle yet firm touch, he pulled her down until their faces were mere inches apart, her long hair cascading like waves by the sides of his face.
Her mind raced, overwhelmed by a whirlwind of thoughts. Was this a side effect of the procedure? Had she by chance made him go insane? His darkened jade eyes bore into her own emerald gaze, locking her in. She couldn't tear her gaze away; the intensity of his desire was unmistakable
"You smell really good," he whispered, his warm breath against her skin sending shivers down her spine. She felt herself blush furiously under his intense scrutiny and her chest felt like it would pump out of her chest at any moment now. She knew she should move but stayed rooted, she would tell herself it was shock later.
"Do I affect you as much as you affect me?" His voice was low, husky with emotion as his thumb brushed against her cheek, sending a wave of heat through her.
His gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips and back again, a brief moment of deliberation passing over his features. He seemed to study her, his eyes intensely searching for something. In that fleeting moment, he found what he sought a subtle smile crossing his features as his hand moved from where it was cupping her face to bury itself in her silky locks at the base of her neck. Realization dawned in Sakura's widened eyes and she began to protest, her voice barely forming his name on her lips. Before she could find the words, he pulled her down swiftly, swallowing any protest she had on her lips with his.
A/N: probably the longest chapter yet, also this is fanfiction so don't expect any extremely accurate medical stuff lol. Also, if you're confused about something do let me know.