A/N: No, this isn’t an illusion before your eyes... it isn’t a hallucination and it isn’t a joke either.

Yes, it’s an update!

I know no words can express my apologies for my long absence. I just hope my writing will, some way or the other, make up for it (even though I’ll have to write one hell of a lot in the near future for it to be proper compensation!).

To all of you who have been waiting for an update and who have sent me messages asking me when I will be updating, I want to thank you most sincerely for your patience.

My muse finally retrieved me from the lost and found of fanfiction. Being reunited once more, I hope we’ll be able to give you a good read.

Enjoy!

Chapter IV – Rearranging the furniture

“HE’S WHAT!?” Temari yelled on the other side of the phone.

Kankurou was forced to extend his arm to get the receiver away from his ear in an attempt to preserve his hearing capacity. He blinked for a few seconds as the throbbing of his eardrum subsided but managed to listen to his sister as she fell into a diatribe of curses so creative, she could’ve only learned them from her husband. Even though he was holding the phone at arm’s length, he could hear her clearly.

When she finally stopped to take a breath, he took the opportunity to give his opinion.

“I know I’m being paranoid but there’s no helping it… especially not with our brother’s history with women. I’m also aware I’m being a meddling busybody but I thought you were in your right to know.”

“I’VE GOT EVERY BLOODY RIGHT TO KNOW!” Temari bellowed.

Kankurou didn’t manage to get the phone away on time and his ear started throbbing all over again.

“HE’S GOT THE ENTIRE FEMALE POPULATION OF THE CITY TO CHOOSE FROM! BUT NO! HE’S GOT TO MESS WITH MY PAEDIATRICIAN!” his sister continued to yell.

The tattooed-faced man sighed, knowing very well he had stirred the hornet’s nest. Still, he had done it with the best intentions for everyone involved. It was of the utmost importance he prevent Sakura from being hurt; she was his client and was the doctor of his niece and nephew. For her to end relations with the family, professional or otherwise, because of what his emotionally inept brother could or could not do was simply not an option. Also, he did not want Gaara to go around acting behind Temari’s back and end up having the male parts of his anatomy chopped off when he blew it with the pretty doctor. It was better for their sister to know before the shit hit the fan. This way, the redhead would have more than fair warning and would be given a chance to reconsider what he was getting into. If he still decided to proceed despite the very harassing threats Temari would elicit, so be it. It was his call to decide whether he’d become a eunuch or not.

After his sister finished shouting once again, Kankurou attempted to calm her down somewhat.

“Don’t worry so much, nothing’s happened so far. There’s much that can be prevented,” he finally said.

“You’re damn right it will be prevented!” Temari replied acidly yet a bit more evenly.

Taking a deep breath, the teal eyed woman tried to get her emotions under control. She knew her brother could hear her teeth grinding over the phone but she simply didn’t care. The temper they had inherited from their father usually lay dormant inside her… yet it could rear its awful head whenever something of this calibre came knocking on her door. Just thinking of Gaara using the woman who had saved her son’s life just for kicks was enough to make her want to start snapping necks.

Her baby brother wasn’t the only one entitled to vicious temper tantrums.

Still, she needed to play this right. Knowing Gaara well, she realized if she went into the fight head-first without thinking over her arguments thoroughly, she would end up screaming her throat sore to no avail. She needed to out-think him and present her reasons for not wanting him to get involved with Sakura in a way he couldn’t argue against.

Temari knew she was capable of doing this… but not when she was so riled up.

“This is the last thing I need when I’m going away for a week,” she said with an exasperated sigh, finally letting the last of her temper expire. “I won’t be able to be here to wring his neck if the situation calls for it.”

“Don’t worry,” Kankurou replied, “I’ll keep an eye on your kids as well as on him.”

“Having them act as spies during the days he gets to babysit might not be such a bad idea,” Temari conceded.

“I’ll ask them to report to me directly,” he replied with a grin. “I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to oblige”.

Temari didn’t doubt it for one bit. If she asked Kamlyn and Nyoko to spy on their uncle on her behalf, they would take up the challenge in an instant. Maybe they wouldn’t be able to garner much information but they were sure to drive Gaara insane.

The situation did have its merits.

“He just had to choose the week of Hidan’s conference to seduce my children’s paediatrician, didn’t he?” she said finally, narrowing her eyes. “It’s almost as if he planned the whole thing.”

The tattooed-man chuckled at the thought. “Gaara, plan? You’ve got to be kidding me! He writes the script of his life as he goes”.

Temari couldn’t help but smile at the truth behind his statement. Their baby brother’s impulsiveness and rashness were infamous. “I guess it might give us some kind of advantage over him,” she said.

“Yeah, if we could only read him correctly. You know his unpredictability is one of his most dominant personality traits.”

The teal-eyed woman sighed again, shaking her head. “Indeed.”

Kankurou let silence fall between them for a few seconds before asking, “so, what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to go talk to him, that’s what,” she replied, steel in her voice. “Tonight, without fail. Hidan and I have to be at the airport early Sunday morning so I’ll be busy all day tomorrow.”

“He was supposed to go out with Sakura tonight… I’m not sure he’ll be home.” Kankurou commented.

“Oh, he will be,” Temari said. “I’ll make sure of that.”

The tattooed-faced man gulped quietly at the cold tone of her voice. He momentarily pitied Gaara and didn’t envy what he would be facing when their sister showed up at his door.

“I’m going to have a nice, long chat with him,” she continued to say, “and everything will be made clear.”

“Good,” Kankurou said, happy with the decision he had taken of informing his sister. Temari was the only person in the world who could keep Gaara in line, courtesy of her years as their impromptu mother.

With that whole thing settled, he was free to change the subject. “At what time are you dropping the kids off tomorrow?”

“We’re taking them out to the kiddie matinee and lunch, so probably around 4 o’clock. Is that alright?” Temari replied.

“No problem. I know you guys will most likely be doing your packing at the very last minute and will call it a night as early as possible,” he said.

Temari grimaced. “Yeah, we have to be at the airport around 3am. Damned tickets, they were cheap because of that!”

Kankurou laughed. “If they were cheap, then you have no right to complain.”

His sister simply humphed.

“See you tomorrow, then. Wish you luck with Gaara tonight,” he said.

“Huh!” Temari replied, her ire coming to the fore once again. “I’m not the one who’s going to need it.”

Kankurou wholeheartedly agreed with that statement.

- XXXXXXXX –

Sakura didn’t know how it had come to this.

She was standing in front of her closet in her bath robe, arms crossed over her chest, surveying the clothes hanging before her eyes.

For the past 20 minutes, she had been standing in such a position and was going nowhere fast. Sure, there were days when you simply had no idea of what you should wear, but even so, you started rummaging and trying things on. You systematically went through your closet until you found the right outfit.

Not this time, though.

She’d been overlooking her clothes all this time and hadn’t even reached out for a single blouse or skirt.

The pink haired doctor, so self-assured in most aspects of her life, simply had no idea of what to wear.

Grinding her teeth, she reminded herself it was not her fault. The annoying redhead hadn’t had the decency to mention where it was he planned on taking her to dinner. As a matter of fact, she was sure he had no clue either. He’d asked her out on a spur of a moment thing and definitely had not planned ahead at all. She was as likely to end up having dinner in one of the most expensive restaurants in town as sitting down to eat at a fast food restaurant. Somehow she wouldn’t put it past Gaara to treat a girl to a burger and greasy fries on a first date. Everything was a possibility when it came to his unpredictable nature.

Hence her hesitation when it came to choosing an outfit.

‘Remind me again why I’m doing this,’ she said to her inner persona.

Because the guy’s hot and you lost your temper.

Sakura sighed. That basically summed it up. If she’d been more mindful of her raging emotions the day before she wouldn’t be in this mess. Of course, this didn’t mean going out on a date with him had no appeal. She’d been battering her brain over the whole ordeal during the past twenty-four hours and had been finally honest enough with herself to admit it: she was attracted to the redhead. Not even a blind woman would deny his physical allure. There was an aura of maleness surrounding him that couldn’t be ignored. She’d been aware of it from the very first time he’d knocked on her door but it had been overpowered by his infuriating and intolerable personality. It had taken no less than a few minutes to categorize him as a jerk.

But then, things had taken another route altogether and no matter how irritating he was, Sakura’s thoughts seems to stray to him more often than not. She’d gone out of her way to pick up her vestibule stand just to avoid him. When was the last time a man had affected her in such a way?

Too long to even mention, Inner Sakura replied.

And she was right. It had really been a long time.

Gaara was handsome and, even though she hated to admit it, crafty and intelligent. There was no denying he had an amazingly quick wit. This, coupled with his handsome looks, should have spelled the recipe for the ideal man. Sakura appreciated men with sharp minds above anything else; there was nothing worse than having a conversation with an idiot who didn’t get any of her witty comments or jokes. Even though Gaara used his wit to enhance their bickering and fuel her annoyance, Sakura had to admit he would never be boring. She had to keep on her toes when it came to arguing with him. He forced her to stay two steps ahead if she wanted to grasp a chance to win their verbal spars, something she hadn’t done the day before.

It was his victory this time around and she promised herself she wouldn’t be a bitter loser. She would get him next time and would be the one to have the last laugh.

Lips curving up into a mischievous smile, Sakura stepped forward and started rummaging through her closet.

Admit it, Inner Sakura interrupted, you’re having a good time with all this.

She chuckled at the statement and made no attempt to deny it. ‘Oh, just shut up.’

It took her less than five minutes to settle on a light brown cocktail dress. It had short sleeves and a satin trimmed v-neckline of a darker brown colour; it reached just above her knee, exposing just the right amount of leg. It wasn’t fancy and was casual enough for her to walk in unnoticed at the burger shop around the corner. Even so, if she walked in to take her place at a table at an expensive restaurant downtown, she wouldn’t call any attention to herself either.

Happy with her choice, she applied make up, picked out some earrings and placed her things in a matching purse. All in all, she was ready ten minutes before eight o’clock and sat down to wait at her kitchen table. She read through the newspaper while she did so, wondering every once in a while just where they would end up having dinner. Hunger was starting to make itself apparent and she hoped Gaara would pick her up on time.

She wasn’t harbouring such hopes when, half an hour later, she was still sitting in the same spot and had read all the articles of the health section of the paper. Glancing at the time on the microwave, the irritation she’d been trying to hold back started simmering. She would’ve called him already to ask what was going on; however, due to the unusual circumstances of their acquaintance, she didn’t have her date’s number. Thus, all she could do was wait until he saw it fit to show up or to call.

Sakura leaned back in her chair and grinded her teeth. It occurred to her that he might be doing it on purpose. Being the infuriating person he was, it was possible he was making her wait just to get her riled up. It certainly seemed like something he would do just for kicks.

She pictured his face in her mind, a mocking grin on his lips while he thought of her sitting at home waiting, all dressed up and ready to go, but unable to call him so she could scream her head off at him. It was a scenario that would undeniably bring him mirth. She stomped her fist on the table and rose. She was going to wring his neck when he showed up... if he ever did.

That was another possibility. Could he have asked her out just so he could stand her up? Somehow, it seemed too cruel an option even for Gaara. Besides, with the way he’d cleverly talked his way around her defences to get her to agree on going out with him, it wasn’t likely for him to go back on his word. He’d put too much effort into the scheme just to let it drop.

Sakura settled into her TV room couch and flipped through the channels, cell phone on the cushion next to her. It was necessary to distract herself from the fantasies she was entertaining of clobbering the redhead over the head with a baseball bat. Maybe if she cracked his skull like an eggshell, she might be able to cure him of his perpetual egotism. Her imaginative exploits of torture continued and reached unprecedented levels as her hunger increased.

A whole episode of a sitcom and packet of crackers later, there was still no Gaara. When her phone told her it was fifteen minutes past nine, her rage started to subside only to be replaced by a completely different emotion.

Worry.

What if something had happened to him?

Admittedly, she’d been so angry at being stood up she hadn’t even considered this other possibility. He could have flown out of the windshield in a car accident and might be sprawled on the pavement while here she was, contemplating violent ways with which to maim him!

She stood up abruptly and started pacing round the room. Who could she call? She considered phoning Temari.

Temari, hi, its Sakura. I’m going out on a date with your youngest brother but he hasn’t showed up yet. Do you happen to know where he is? Inner Sakura mocked.

Cheeks flushing a deep red at the prospect of admitting to Temari that she was going out with Gaara, she dismissed the idea. It wasn’t something Temari would ever find out about if she could help it! This meant calling Kankurou was out of the question as well, not that she had his cell phone or home number. How could she find out if Gaara was alright?

Swearing to herself she would wring his number out of him the next time she set eyes on him no matter what condition he was in, she flipped her phone open. She went through her directory and found the numbers she was looking for. A couple of colleagues were working the ER at different hospitals in town; if they were on duty they’d be able to tell her if a tall redhead with a crimson tattoo on his forehead had been brought in.

She was about to dial the number when she heard a car pull into her drive.

In a blink of an eye she was at the window, pulling back the curtain just a little so she could see out her front garden. A silver and black Jeep Wrangler had just parked in front of her garage. Its occupant was rummaging in the passenger seat beside him. He opened the door a moment later and got out, a couple of plastic bags in his hand.

Sakura thought she would scream in frustration.

There he was, wearing jeans and a gray long-sleeved button-up shirt with his hair tousled in the usual manner, looking gorgeous. The semi-casual look suited him very nicely, a fact that made Sakura’s temper go off with alarming intensity.

And here she was, worrying over the asshole!

She swore to herself, this time around, she really was going to kill him.

- XXXXXXXX –

Gaara wondered if he could murder his family and get away with it. Even if he didn’t manage to avoid getting caught, it might just be worth the trouble. It would certainly be worth the satisfaction of being rid of them forever.

Never in his life had he detested having siblings so much.

He had just spent the past two hours in a verbal battle of epic proportions with his older sister. No matter how hard he tried to talk his way around her and to make her leave his apartment, Temari had not budged. She had stood her ground, bombarding him with calm, logical arguments. It was inevitable for her to have noticed the way Gaara kept glancing at the clock on the wall of his study but she had decided to ignore it. She had showed up to talk to business and didn’t care what plans her brother had for the night.

No, that wasn’t exactly true. Her endless tirade was testament to the contrary. She did care about his plans... she wanted to ruin them. And she wanted to make her position clear in the process: she wanted him to stay away from Sakura.

The redhead had lost his temper when the clock’s hands showed it was fifteen minutes past eight. The thought of his pink haired spitfire waiting for him at home while he wasted his time with his sister did wonders in shortening his patience. He held no qualms in sending his sister to the nether realms at the top of his voice. It was none of her business with whom he chose to go out with; she had no right to butt into his personal life.

But Temari refused to take the bait. She waited patiently for his outbursts to end before continuing to argue in a perfectly calm manner. This only enraged Gaara further but his angry shouts didn’t work with his sister. He should have known better, though. Temari was the only person out there who was immune to his wrath; she had never been intimidated by it and never would be. Realizing he wouldn’t get anywhere by screaming at her, he sat down to try to listen to her. It was the only option he had if he wanted to be able to see Sakura that night. So he let his sister talk and present her view of the situation.

He had to agree she was right on some points. Sakura was her children’s doctor; she had a right to butt in when her children’s welfare was concerned. She wouldn’t permit for Sakura to refer her children to another paediatrician after her liaison with Gaara ended in disaster. Because it would end up a catastrophe, his history with women was evidence enough to prove her point right. Sakura would want nothing to do with the redhead or anyone related to him; that was how badly all his affairs ended. When Gaara grew bored with her and chucked her out, it would be Temari’s children who would suffer the consequences.

But that was the point, Gaara had thought. He wasn’t getting bored with Sakura. Somehow, he thought he never would get bored with her. She was always throwing surprises his way and her sharp tongue was always coming up with inventive ways to counter his bickering. It was the reason he had pursued her in the first place. She didn’t cower before his temper and wasn’t intimidated by him. Sakura stood her ground and stared him straight in the eye. None of the women he’d been with before had ever done this.

But he knew better than to mention any of this to Temari. She simply wouldn’t believe it.

Just like he planned to do with Sakura, he would simply have to prove his sister wrong.

The wind finally went out of Temari’s sails and at last she got up to leave. She’d said everything she wanted to say to him. It was his call to think things over and make the right decision. Despite his gruff exterior, Temari knew her brother wasn’t such a cold-hearted bastard as he wanted people to think. He was devoted to his family and even though his niece and nephew drove him up the wall, he was dedicated to them in his own way. He wouldn’t bring harm to them in any way if he could help it.

Ending her speech on that note, she reminded him to take good care of her children while she and Hidan were out of town before walking out his door.

By then, it was useless to call Sakura and make excuses. Besides, his control on his temper had been precarious and he needed to cool off a little bit before speaking to her. It wouldn’t do to take out his anger at his sister on his pretty pink haired date. He’d hopped into his car, paid a quick visit to the supermarket and headed towards her house.

When he arrived, his wrath was under control once more and, admittedly, he looked forward to the tirade that would surely be dropped on his head. Unlike his sister, Sakura could rant at him all she wanted. He enjoyed watching her get all riled up, especially when he was the source of her irritation. A good verbal spar with her was just what he needed to improve his mood. She wouldn’t disappoint when it came to giving him his due for making her wait so long.

It was just as he predicted.

She didn’t open the door after he rang the doorbell three times.

Gaara chuckled. It was his just desserts, after all.

“Sakura, I know you’re in there. Open up.”

Silence.

“Come on, stop wasting time. I know you’re definitely hungry.”

He could hear the crickets chirping in the grass lawn behind him.

“Sakura, open the door,” he said a little more forcefully.

There was no response.

“If you don’t open this goddamned door I’m going to kick it in!”

“If you dare do that I’ll beat you up to a pulp with a baseball bat!” she shouted back from the other side of the door.

He grinned. That was more like it.

“I know you’re pissed and you’re entitled to throw a hussy fit. But I’m standing here with dinner in my hands and, just like you, I’m really hungry,” he told her in an amused tone.

“And what’s it to me? That doesn’t explain why you’re late by an hour and a half,” she replied testily.

“Well, if you’d open the damned door I’d be able to explain it to you.”

“I can hear just as well with the door closed!” she shouted back.

The redhead chuckled. “So you mean to tell me you’re not hungry?”

Even through the door it was evident that she hesitated. “What did you bring?” she finally asked.

“Something real tasty,” Gaara replied. “C’mon, open the door and I’ll show you.”

After a moment, the door opened just a crack and Sakura peered through it at him. She couldn’t believe she had given in! But her hungry stomach had gotten the best of her. Bringing food was a good start to pacifying her anger towards him.

She eyed him suspiciously. He was standing in the doorway, a bottle of white wine in one hand and a couple of supermarket bags in the other.

“That doesn’t look cooked,” she stated dryly while arching an eyebrow.

Gaara barked out a laugh at the statement and stepped forward. Before Sakura could react, he pushed the door open, forcing her to stand back. She sucked in a breath to complain but he didn’t give her a chance.

“It wasn’t my fault I was held back. Believe me, it was terribly annoying,” he told her. “Here, hold this for me.” He handed her the wine bottle as he closed the door behind him. “It was my sister’s idea of a really bad joke. I’m afraid we lost our reservations at the fusion restaurant I was taking you to.”

Emerald eyes narrowed at him but he ignored her.

“Trust me, I’ll make it up to you. I just need to borrow your kitchen.” He turned on his heel and walked into the house, leaving her standing at the door holding the bottle.

He showed up amazingly late and he had the nerve to walk into her house like if he owned the place? The unbelievable arrogance of the man!

She spluttered her way into the kitchen after him, ready to give him a piece of her mind. But the sight of him rummaging around and putting things into the fridge only caused her mounting irritation to sky rocket.

“What the hell are you doing?” she shrieked.

He didn’t even turn around to look at her. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m cooking dinner.”

Sakura jaw fell open in incredulity, anger abruptly forgotten. He was doing what?

Gaara backed up his statement by filling up a pot with water and putting it on top of a burner. He turned towards one of the plastic bags he’d brought and started depositing its contents on the counter.

She couldn’t help but laugh nervously. “You’re kidding, right?”

He did look at her then, pinning her with an arrogant stare. “What are you implying?”

“You can cook?” she spluttered out. It was inconceivable.

“So you’re making a jibe towards my culinary skills,” he replied with a snide grin. “You just proved my point. It just goes to show you just how little you really do know me. We haven’t even sat down to dinner and you’ve already proved yourself wrong.”

He turned round and opened some drawers while looking for a knife, leaving Sakura looking mutinous.

Truly, his conceit had no limits! She was tempted to throw the wine bottle she was still holding at his head but she kept her temper in check. If she calmed down enough, it was easy to concede that she had been wrong. She really didn’t know him at all. She’d been terribly prejudiced. He was entitled to a chance to show her just who he was underneath his arrogant and volatile exterior. The least she could do was let him.

“What are you standing around for? Get some ice and chill the wine,” he ordered over his shoulder before proceeding to fold up the sleeves of his shirt over his elbow.

Sakura grinded her teeth and cursed him under her breath but did as she was told. She placed the bottle on the counter before squatting down to open one of the lower cabinets. It was a moment before she found the metal champagne bowl she was looking for.

She entirely missed the look Gaara threw her way and the wicked smile forming on his lips as he finally gave himself a chance to take in her appearance. The dress she was wearing suited her; it clung to all the right curves. The sight of her legs sparked an entirely different kind of hunger in him. She was bare footed, which meant she had thrown off her shoes while she waited for him. All in all, she looked beautiful.

“So, you went out of your way to get dressed up for me?” he teased while he emptied a bag of pasta into the heating water.

Sakura slammed the door of the cabinet shut. She rose, levelling the metal bowl at him. “No, as a matter of fact I didn’t!” she yelled. “I had to choose a damned dress because I had no idea of where the hell you were planning to take me.”

“I see,” he replied not looking abashed in the least. “It suits you.”

The pink haired girl was caught by surprise with the unexpected compliment. But her ire at him didn’t subside. She decided to ignore the remark and proceeded to fill the bowl with ice.

When the wine bottle was settled and placed to one side, she sat down at the kitchen table. She refused to help in him in any way. He deserved to do all the work himself.

Gaara didn’t mind. He went about the kitchen like if it was something he did every day.

“You still haven’t explained yourself,” she said after a while, her temper getting the best of her. She tapped her fingers on the table.

“It was my sister’s fault,” he replied without stopping in his work. “She found out I was taking you out on a date and decided to intervene.”

“She what?” Sakura exclaimed in shock.

Gaara sniggered at her response. “She decided it was against her children’s interest for us to get involved.”

The blood was flowing up to her cheeks and Sakura knew she was blushing furiously. Temari knew about all this? It was the last thing she needed. How was she going to face her when Kamlin and Nyoko showed up for their next check up?

“And why would she think that?” she asked nervously, dreading the answer.

“Because I always screw up with women. They always end up hating me and wanting to spill out my guts,” the redhead admitted calmly.

“And you’re telling me this?” she shouted angrily at him. He was unbelievable.

He simply smiled at her. “I’m just giving you fair warning.”

Sakura wanted to bury her face in her hands and weep. It was all she could do to prevent herself from pulling her hair by the roots and screaming in aggravation. How the hell did she end up in these situations?

Gaara noticed the look of despair coming over her features and laughed quietly. He put down the knife he was using to chop up some celery and walked over to her.

“Listen,” he said, leaning one hand on the table and the other on the back of her chair. “I asked you out yesterday because I plan to prove you wrong. Well, it turns out I’m going to bring down two birds with the same stone. I plan on proving my sister wrong as well.”

His sudden proximity was doing strange things to Sakura. She was suddenly aware of how much his shirt showed off the breadth of his shoulders. Her eyes roamed his face and she was once more taken aback but how handsome he was. But she was determined to keep on her toes. You never knew what he might throw her way.

“And how do you plan to do that?” she asked, trying to imitate his arrogant town.

The haughty look she gave him had Gaara leaning down closer to her. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he all but whispered. He stopped only when his lips where a hairsbreadth away from hers. Sakura’s eyes widened as she braced herself. But after surveying her for a couple of intense moments, he pulled back, brushing his lips against her forehead.

The spark elicited by such contact travelled all the way down to her toes.

Gaara threw her an amused look. “Now that I think about it, you’re not allergic to shrimp, are you?”

Sakura blinked. “No,” she replied.

“Good!” he exclaimed. With that, he turned around and walked back to the preparations of the meal he was making.

- XXXXXXXX –

She was aware she’d had a little too much to drink. She held herself blameless, though. A bit too much wine was necessary when it came to dealing with the man sitting next to her on her living room rug.

Dinner had been delicious. Sakura gave him all the credit he wanted in that regard. He’d cooked up a tasty shrimp fettuccini in a creamy alfredo sauce. She’d tried to get the recipe out of him but he refused to divulge his secrets. She somewhat regretted not helping him out but not much. It was better if he cooked it again for her whenever she felt like having some.

The evening had been full of surprises. Not only had he prepared an amazing dinner but he’d turned out to be an amiable date companion. Not that dinner at her house counted much as a date. Before the evening started, Sakura would’ve bet her lifetime savings that they would squabble throughout the whole night. It was, after all, their default means of interaction. But she was forced to swallow her words when Gaara kept an interesting stream of conversation throughout the meal and talked to her about his experiences working in the investment market.

Sakura couldn’t help but be genuinely interested in what he had to say, especially when it came to the idiot Tohru. She helped him abuse him when Gaara told her all about his last job. Which was why, when the meal was done and the redhead stood up to take out the caramel fudge ice cream he’d bought for dessert, she didn’t hesitate in opening up another bottle of wine she had stashed in her pantry.

One thing led to the next and before she knew it, they’d rearranged the sofas in her living room and settled down on the rug, sitting on cushions and leaning against the couch. With only a couple of spoons, they dug into the ice cream and continued drinking the wine. Sakura was aware of the way Gaara kept refilling her glass but she was beyond caring. It was her house, after all; she could get drunk in her house whenever she wanted.

“I’m still amazed at how well you cook,” Sakura commented, sipping on her wine.

The redhead shrugged at the compliment. “I promised myself back when I started college that I wouldn’t starve to death. So I set out to learn the basics.”

“That meal you just prepared wasn’t basics,” she said.

“Well, it’s been a long time since college. I hope I have progressed somewhat since then,” he admitted.

“Did you want to study business from the very start?” Sakura asked.

“Yes, I sort of knew where I wanted to go and a business degree was the fastest way to getting there.”

He proceeded to tell her all about his time at college. She laughed and felt sorry for his teachers; having him as a student must have been hell. Sakura wasn’t sure if it was the wine or if he’d finally loosened up around her, but she found his personality a lot more tolerable than when she’d initially met him. Sure, his gruffness and egotism were still there; they were an integral part of him. Even so, from the things he was telling her, she guessed his haughty manner and biting tongue were the way he’d learned to look out for himself in the world.

Before she knew it, it was two in the morning.

“I should get going,” Gaara said after watching her try to stifle a yawn.

Sakura scoffed. “Can you drive?”

He laughed mockingly at her. “I’m afraid to inform you that you drank down that second bottle of wine almost exclusively by yourself.”

Pink eyebrows scrunched together as she surveyed the empty bottle on the floor next to them. “You’re kidding.”

He lifted his wineglass up to her; it was still half full and she didn’t remember seeing him refilling it.

“You got me drunk on purpose!” she accused.

“No, I didn’t. You got drunk by yourself,” he replied.

“I’m not that drunk.”

“Of course you’re not.” His patronizing tone was almost too much for Sakura to bear.

She glared at him. “Well, you can’t leave until you give me your cell phone number.”

It was Gaara’s turn to be surprised. “Excuse me?”

“I said you can’t leave without giving me your number. I won’t be subjected to what I suffered today ever again. I couldn’t even call to scream at you!”

He blinked at her. “I guess you’re right. But why I would want to give you my phone number so you can shout at me is beyond me.”

“I was worried!” Sakura exclaimed, glaring at him. “When you didn’t show up, I thought something had happened to you!”

Once more, the pink haired spitfire knocked the floor from under his feet.

She had been worried? It had never even crossed his mind for it to be possible. For her to be angry, yes. For her to want to maim him for being late, of course! But for her to worry over him? It was almost too much to believe.

Nonetheless, when he looked into her eyes, he knew she was telling the truth. Once more, the strange warm feeling that was becoming familiar around her filled his chest and he took out his phone without hesitation. He dialled her number and heard her own phone ring in the direction of her TV room.

“There,” he said, hanging up. “You’ll be able to store it now.”

“Good!” Sakura said with a smug smile. “Now I can call and shout at you all I want.”

“Don’t push your luck,” Gaara warned with a glaring look. “Do I have your permission to leave now? Or do you want me to take you up to bed and keep you company?”

She blushed up to the tips of her ears but was ready with a retort. “You wish! You’d better haul your rear out of here, buddy, before you get any more dumb ideas.”

The redhead chuckled, standing up and helping her to do so in the process.

“Wait a minute, I take it back. You can’t leave yet,” she informed him. “You need to help me move the sofas back into place.”

“I’m sorry but this visit isn’t taking place during working hours,” he replied.

She responded by swatting him in the face with a cushion.

Sakura’s effort to try and help him put the couches back into their original position failed miserably. Her world started to spin when she bent down to try to push one of them and she decided against it. Gaara laughed mockingly at her, making remarks about her not being able to handle her wine.

“It was your fault,” she accused again. She picked up the glasses and the wine bottle and took them back to the kitchen. Gaara followed suit with the empty ice cream tub and the spoons.

“I’ll leave the cleaning to you,” he remarked snidely, placing them in the sink along with the other dirty dishes.

“You did the cooking, so fair’s fair,” Sakura replied, sticking her tongue out at him.

She walked him to the door and opened it for him. “So that’s your car,” she said, gesturing towards the Jeep.

He nodded. “I refuse to drive anything that’s not a four by four.”

“Ha! And he said he didn’t need to drive around in a big car to feel good about himself.”

He sneered at her. “No, I do that when I drive around in my work truck.”

Sakura couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“Thanks for the meal, again,” she told him.

Gaara shrugged. “It was the least I could do for what happened.”

“I assume I’ll see you when you deliver my next piece of furniture,” she said with a resigned look.

“You assume correctly.”

He stood there on the threshold, regarding her thoughtfully.

“What?” she asked with a timid smile.

“Still no tip?” he countered. The mischievous expression on his face made him look like a very naughty cat.

Sakura laughed. “I haven’t given you a tip even once, have I?”

“I’m beginning to feel terribly exploited,” he stated with mock frustration.

“Fine,” she replied. She stepped forward, stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

The feel of his lips sent a jolt down her spine that was intensified even more by all the wine she had drunk. All through the evening she’d admired his handsome features and her alcohol induced mind had wondered if he would try to kiss her at some point. The evening had dragged to its end and when he hadn’t made the attempt, Sakura decided it was time to take things into her own hands.

Of course, when it came to Gaara, she always got more than what she bargained for.

He didn’t waste any time in wrapping his arms around her, hauling her against his chest. With his height, it was easy for him to take control of the kiss and his tongue invaded her mouth with an intensity that was characteristic of him. It made Sakura’s senses soar and all thoughts fled from her mind. Heat poured through her, swelling with each caress of his tongue. She lifted her hands and dug them into his hair, enjoying the havoc he was wreaking upon her to the fullest. His kiss became increasingly hungry, narrowing down her perception to the hard, masculine body she was being pressed against.

Sakura was floating in a cloud of pleasurable sensations. She never wanted to come down ever again. But even though there was wine pumping through her veins, she registered the moment when Gaara’s hand lowered to the hem of her dress. She tried to pull back then but the sudden feel of his fingertips making their way up the back of her thigh made her jump. Without releasing her mouth, he chuckled, relishing in the uncontrollable shivers racing through her frame. He let his hand stay there while he continued to kiss her, fingers swirling in a soft caress. But when he tried to lift his hand even higher, his spitfire didn’t allow it.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, pulling back from the kiss abruptly.

Trapped in his arms like she was, she couldn’t go anywhere.

He smiled down into her lips. “What does it feel like I’m doing?”

Emerald eyes glared at him. “It feels like you’re taking advantage of my semi-drunken state!”

He couldn’t help it... he threw his head back and laughed. “Well, you were the one who started it.”

“You were the one who asked for a tip,” she countered. “It was meant to be only a quick kiss.”

“For cooking you dinner?” he complained. “A quick kiss wouldn’t have sufficed as a tip.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You were late, which means you’ve had more than enough tip.” She lowered her arm down to where his hand was resting against her thigh and pulled it up.

Gaara allowed her to do so, all the time regarding her with an impish smile. “Do I take it you prefer to give me a more thorough tip when you’re not under the effects of too much wine?”

“I’ll think about it,” she replied arrogantly.

He lowered his head down again and kissed her once more, finally pulling back while capturing her lower lip between his teeth. “I’ll look forward to my next delivery, then.”

With that, he pulled away and started walking toward his car.

Sakura stood in the doorway until he had driven off, trying to fight down the excited fluttery feeling in her tummy. Sure, she’d done something impulsive but she didn’t regret it. Not after such a scorching kiss.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered what she had told him, about him always screwing up with women. Breathing in deeply, she closed and locked her door. She refused to think about it now but one thing was perfectly clear.

For her sake, she hoped Gaara would prove Temari wrong.

Leave your comments, guys!