She's a Lady

Requester: stereotype_vamp / CellaN

Pairing: Gai x Sakura

Rating: T

Words: 868

It loomed over her like an omen. A leafy, cheery, innocent omen.

But when were omens ever innocent?

Holiday parties were normally not Sakura's thing. In fact, parties in general were usually not Sakura's thing. She avoided them in favor of resting her sore feet at home, taking a nice, hot, long bath, and reading a nice book. Or, hell, even studying. Long nights at the hospital and on the field left her more tired and more impatient the older she grew.

But tonight, tonight was different. She was twenty-one--finally!--and she had forced herself to don a nice, poinsettia-red velvety dress for this outdoor Christmas party at the park. This winter was a mild one, which was rare for Leaf, and did she mention she was twenty-one?

She was currently wearing a black suit jacket that was two sizes too big to cover her suddenly cold shoulders. She was also holding a red plastic cup of some whisky-and-cream-based liqueur. It warmed her bones and made her throat constrict all at the same time. She nursed it gingerly.

The jacket, as it happened belonged to Gai. Maito Gai, the Green Beast, as they called him, but he wasn't very beastly at all, in fact, and, quite the contrary, he was acting very subdued tonight. Maybe it was the alcohol and maybe it was just how Gai was when he didn't have an audience of students or friends.

Sakura didn't dare glance at the mistletoe above them. She didn't want to know what would happen if Gai noticed it.

He shifted where he leaned against the wooden railing of the gazebo, folding one leg over the other and taking a sip of his drink. His high, sharp cheekbones held more color than usual, but otherwise, there was nothing at all that hinted at Gai being intoxicated. So maybe he wasn't.

Things were getting awkward. The conversation had progressed from "Strange weather we're having," to "Are you cold? Here, take my jacket," to "I'll keep you company," to where it was now: nothing.

"I should head home," Sakura said quietly, cupping both hands around her drink. "It's getting late."

Gai beamed down at her and then moved to guide her down the gazebo steps.

Don't look up, Sakura thought. Oh, please don't look up.

"I've enjoyed talking to you," Sakura admitted, even if the conversation had been stilted and a little one-sided and very, very awkward. "We should...talk again sometime."

He just smiled again. His lack of commentary was unnerving her.

"Well!" She slipped the jacket from her shoulders and handed it to him, feeling distinctly uncomfortable when his eyes strayed too long on her collarbone. "Thanks for the...jacket, as well."

"My pleasure." He folded it over his arm, setting his cup on the railing. "It's been a beautiful night."

"Yes, it has. No clouds at all. And it wasn't too chilly."

Gai looked up.

NO.

"Mistletoe," he mused, blinking at the plant hanging from the lattice of beams above them. "Who would put that there?"

"I'm not sure," Sakura continued hurriedly.

Gai looked at her expectantly.

Sakura swallowed thickly.

He started to speak, but Sakura, decided that, oh, to hell with it, she was twenty-one and it was Christmas and the mistletoe was being annoying with it's foreboding, looming danger, and she stood on her tippy-toes and grabbed Gai by his collar. She missed and kissed the corner of his mouth first, and then her nose crushed his painfully, and through the stinging of her eyes she finally fit her lips over his, tasting the spiked eggnog he'd been drinking and minty freshness that probably always hung around him. Jeeze, how many times did this man brush his teeth a day?

There was no tongue. Gai's hands stayed obediently put. He responded, but it felt scripted.

Sakura pulled away. She felt cheated.

Gai looked stoic and unimpressed.

Sakura suddenly felt angry.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" she seethed, pouting. "It's mistletoe. I had an obligation!"

"Well," Gai said, sounding a bit stunned. "...Well."

Now veritably pissed off and feeling every bit a woman on a mission with something very drastic to prove, she shoved him back against the pole and crashed her lips against his, shutting her eyes tight, tongue running over his bottom lip and over his tongue and angling her head and threading fingers into his hair and pressing her hips into his thighs, because he was too tall.

Gai did respond this time, and it felt less mechanical and more hesitant. Hands touched her bare shoulders and then slid down her waist and settled on her hips and Sakura arched her back, because that was just when women did when they kissed and enjoyed it.

And Sakura pulled back, and...and...

And Sakura enjoyed it.

She turned a lovely shade of red at the moment, stepping politely away from him and smoothing her dress across her thighs. She almost apologized, but her pride would not allow this.

"I really should get back," she whispered instead. "Thank you again. And merry Christmas."

He grabbed her shoulder gently and then stood beside her as they exited the gazebo.

"Perhaps I should walk you home."