Naruto Shippuden Fan Fiction ❯ Healing a pained heart ❯ Snapdragons and gold dust ( Chapter 16 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Sakura opened her eyes and yawned. She looked around and saw that she lied on her right side with her left leg draped over Gaara. She raised her hand to touch his red locks before she descended to his cheek. Her touch was gentle and light like a feather. She leaned on her elbow and looked past him, to the napkins on his nightstand. She untangled herself from him nice and easy. She leaned on her right hand and bent over him with her chest close to his face, trying to reach for the napkins without waking him up. She caught a napkin between the tips of her fingers and that was when she felt Gaara’s mouth biting her nipple. Sakura shuddered and yelped in surprise. He made her forget all about the napkins. Gaara looked at her through his lashes with a smile on his face.

“What are you doing?” She stuttered.

He wrapped his arms around her back and one of his hands pressed between her shoulder blades to bring her chest closer to him. He let the nipple escape from his mouth and buried his face in her breasts with a happy sigh.

It seemed like something was weighing his soul. He squeezed her with the intent of never letting go. He suddenly flipped them so he was on top of her. Gaara lifted his face to look her in the eye. His hands were still under her small body. Sakura had one hand softly touching his shoulder, while the other one traced his forehead, his nose, his cheek and his lips. When he tried to kiss her fingers, she pulled away quickly, leaving him with a pout. Before he had the chance to express his frustration, Sakura’s melodious voice broke through the silence:

“I found my lover in his bed. My heart is glad beyond all measure. We each say: I will not tear myself away.”

Her hand came back to touch his cheek and he felt like she was watching directly into his soul with those beautiful jade eyes. Gaara’s face shone with the brightness of an ear to ear grin and at that moment a ray of sunshine ran across his figure. Sakura swallowed air because Gaara was indeed a handsome man. Her fingers moved to touch the kanji on his forehead. Her other hand fisted in his hair to bring him closer for a kiss she borrowed from Heaven. Sakura began to lightly pull on his hair because she remembered how much he liked it. Gaara emitted a sound of pleasure which made him squeeze her to his chest in a possessive manner. When his lips moved away from hers, he recited with his eyes closed.

“Rain has drops

Sun has shine

Moon has beams

That make you mine.”

He freed one of his hands to squeeze her shoulder while he kissed her forehead. He continued:

“Rivers have banks

Sands for shores

Hearts have heartbeats

That make me yours.” (1)

Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. She didn’t want him to see her cry again, so she pulled him until he was glued to her body. His forehead rested on her shoulder when a deep sigh shook him like an earthquake.

“I wish to never leave your arms.”

He took a hold of her right hand only to place it on his cheek. He rubbed his cheek on her palm making her understand he craves her touch. He pulled his face away to look into her eyes again. That was when she noticed the concern reflected from his eyes. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and waited for him to speak.

“I have to go and meet the Raikage in 2 days. Kankurou will come with me as my bodyguard. I should be back in 3 days. I will leave Shinki to you. Please take care of him and yourself.” Gaara kissed her hand.

She looked at him, but didn’t say anything. Gaara looked scared even though he desperately tried to hide it.

“Gaara....”

“I am afraid something bad will happen to you. I will give you 2 ANBU from my personal guard to serve under your command. If you ever need help, send the bird for me and contact Matsuri. She has good ties with shinobi and they will help you. Matsuri even helped me a few times before, that’s how I trust her. She was my first pupil. She will help you with everything you need.”

Don’t worry, my lion. I am sure you worry over nothing. I am very strong, remember? I will destroy anyone who dares to lay a hand on me or Shinki.” She saw how Gaara not only didn’t calm down, but he looked even more agitated knowing she doesn’t sense the upcoming danger. Sakura took his face in her palms and said:

“I will send for you as soon as I run into trouble. Me and Shinki are counting on you.”

Gaara released a breath he didn’t know he held before his shoulders finally relaxed.

Sakura held Shinki's hand on the way to school. The boy jumped happily. He counted the number of shadows he stepped on with his right foot and strove to step on as many shadows with his other foot, too. Sakura was in the mood for talking, so she asked him a lot of questions about school and if he made any friends.

“Yes, there is a boy, my desk mate. His name is Araya. We played with bicycles.”

“You played with bicycles in class?” Sakura asked in confusion.

“No, air bicycles.”

“Aaaaa” The corners of her mouth lifted upwards. “And who won?”

“Araya.” Shinki answered happily.

“How so?”

“Well, I didn’t want him to be upset, so I let him win.”

Interesting. Kids his age usually think about how to be in control and be a leader. It is a rarity that one of them lets somebody else win.

Sakura spoiled him

“You did well.”

After dropping Shinki at school, Sakura went to the lab, where she came face to face with Matsuri.

“Sakura-san, before we start working on your project, allow me to show you something.”

She received an order from Gaara. I wonder what it is that she wants me to see.

Matsuri held a black vial containing a gold sticky substance in her hand.

“Sakura-san, It will help you detect poison.”

That was when Sakura noticed the girl’s golden nails. She must be talking about nail polish.

“It is nail polished infused with particles of gold. When it meets poison, it turns black.”

Matsuri poured a drop of nail polish on a dried leaf before she poured a drop of poison on top. Sakura noticed how in seconds after contact, the gold turned into coal color.

“Interesting.” So Gaara is afraid we might be poisoned. I heard he survived many attempts to his life.

Matsuri gestured Sakura to have a seat and painted her nails one by one.

“Gaara-sama ordered to take a break from our project until his return. I know Sakura-san couldn’t wait to begin, but I respectfully ask that you have faith in Kazekage-sama and wait together with me.” Matsuri respectfully bowed and left Sakura speechless.

Sakura felt irritated because suddenly she had nothing to do on those 3 days that Gaara will be gone.She will probably be alone when Shinki will be at school. She liked working because it kept her mind busy and she didn’t have time to think of bad things.

Since she had nothing to do, Sakura came back home and stopped at a flower shop on the way. It reminded her of Ino. It’s been some time since I last saw her.

Sakura bought some snapdragons, yellow and beautiful, with upright stems full of small green leaves. The flowers looked very joyful and happy to be alive.

She walked into the house and noticed the door of her room was open, meaning Noriko was cleaning it. Sakura didn’t want to bother Noriko, so she placed the flowers in a vase and left it in the kitchen before she left again. She wanted to go to a tea house and drink some tea. Now that her disease was no longer active, she wasn’t limited to only chamomile tea.

Sakura arrived home at dusk. Both Gaara and Shinki were waiting for her. They said their greetings before Gaara asked her with concern in his voice:

“Where were you?” He wasn’t used to be waiting for her. He was also a little jealous because she wandered the streets of Suna all by herself.

“Huh? I went to a tea house and then I strolled through the city. It is so beautiful when they light up the lanterns.” Sakura answered cheerfully.

Gaara swallowed air before he replied in a casual manner:

“Let me come with you next time. We can enjoy it together.”

“Sure.” Sakura smiled before going to the bathroom to wash her hands. She changed clothes before dinner and that was when she remembered her flowers from the kitchen. She went to take the flowers from the vase, but it was empty. She looked everywhere, but the flowers were nowhere to be found. Her head popped out from the kitchen to call Gaara.

“Have you seen my flowers?”

“What flowers?”

“I bought some snapdragons and I put them here (she pointed to where she placed them) because Noriko was cleaning my room.”

“I don’t know.”

Sakura snorted.

“She threw them away. I knew it. She always throws away my things.” Sakura suddenly became angry and crossed her hands over her chest.

“My dear, you over react. She didn’t throw away anything.”

“You always take her side. You don’t care about my things. She is making fun of me.” Sakura trembled in anger because she didn’t want to raise her voice. That was why her voice trembled even if she didn’t scream.

Gaara scratched the back of his head.

“Tell me what they looked like. I will help you find them. I am sure they are somewhere here.”

He started opening doors of cupboards, he looked on all shelves and on top of the fridge while Sakura described the flowers to him. He was looking under the table when he had a revelation. He closed his eyes tight and pressed his lips together before he slowly got up on his feet.

“Noriko asked me today if I need the green leaves from the vase.” Gaara didn’t have the courage to look at Sakura as he continued with a weak voice. “I am sorry. I didn’t know they were flowers. She asked me about some leaves...”

“You told her to throw away my flowers. You don’t care about anything that is mine. Why didn’t you tell her to throw away your things? I have just bought those flowers.” Sakura saw the air while talking with a voice drowned in tears. She didn’t know why she was so angry.

Gaara endlessly repeated his apologies.

Sakura stormed out of the room and Gaara moved out of her way. He scratched his head and thought he really needed to make up with her before his departure. An idea popped into his head.

An hour later, Sakura heard a shy knock on her door. She was still upset, so she didn’t answer. Gaara had to insist. After he knocked repeatedly on her door, Sakura finally opened the door fully and angrily. Her fingers dug into the wood and her eyes spat fire. Gaara was scared and hid his head behind the bouquet of flowers he made for her. He held the flowers out to her clumsily.

“Forgive me, dear.”

The glass flowers sparkled in Sakura’s eyes and she was able to see how many small details were carved into them. He must have used a technique to burn the sand at high temperatures to be able to make these. They were 6-tepaled flowers in the shape of a trumpet, with reflexed petals, atop stiff, unbranched stems clothed with elliptic leaves. Sakura knew he put a big amount of effort into making them considering how clearly you could see through the flowers and how many details they encapsulated. Her face lit with the brightness of a grin and she took the bouquet from him, brushing his fingers in the process. Gaara relaxed and finally gained courage to look at her. She no longer seemed as angry as she was at first, so he dared take her hand into his and caress the back of it with his thumb.

“Next time I will ask you before I tell her to throw something away. I didn’t mean to upset you. I will buy you some new flowers tomorrow.”

Sakura wrapped her fingers around his and sighed before she smiled. She closed the distance between them and brought him into a side hug. Her head was tucked under his chin. Her right hand circled his waist. Gaara held her close to him with his arms and kissed the top of her head.

“I am sorry I upset you. I never want to upset you.”