Their time together was coming to an end, and soon Sakura would have to leave him. As the Kazekage and Commander of the Allied Shinobi Force’s Fourth Division, Gaara’s duty was to strategize and distribute resources to those beneath his protection, and as a combat medic, Sakura’s duty was on the front lines, fighting back the monsters that Madara sent their way, and healing those that were felled in battle. They’d had two days and three nights of reprieve from their separation, granted only due to a blitz attack on the Fourth Division’s flank that caused Gaara to request additional medical aid. Sakura had come in with a small team, as he’d hoped she would, and immediately went into triage.
Although both their schedules had been filled with meetings and surgeries, Sakura’s temporary reassignment to his division had allowed for more opportunities for them to connect than they previously had been granted. Hands brushed as they walked past each other in camp, lightning quick kisses were stolen in between tents, and at night, long past midnight when even the White Zetsu slept, Sakura would find her way into Gaara’s tent for a proper reunion.
As like any other time spent inside Gaara’s war tent, the two lovers found themselves in a tangle of limbs atop his bed. Leg was over hip, nose buried into neck, fingers twisted around hair, and yet it still took all Gaara’s willpower not to pull Sakura closer, to try and press her chest into his own until they were one flesh. He could feel the steady beating of her heart through their clothes, his lips were anchored to the pulse humming through her neck, and his body trembled with the prospect of that rhythmic music one day turning silent.
They were at war and Gaara wouldn’t kid himself. People died. He read the reports, he received the daily numbers of those lost fighting for the freedom of the world, he knew the odds. So when Sakura had come to say goodbye, he’d pulled her close and wasn’t sure if he’d be able to let her go.
“Gaara,” Sakura’s voice was soft, so soft, and gentle as she pressed a kiss to the tender spot behind his ear. It made him shiver.
“I can’t,” he choked, pulling her even closer still. Even though he knew his grasp must be painful at this point, he couldn’t bring himself to let go. To let go would be to lose her. “I can’t let you leave.”
What would all of this be for, he wondered, if Sakura didn’t make it through to the end. After all the heartache and loss he’d experienced in his life, he wouldn’t be able to bear losing her.
The protective sand encircling the perimeter of his tent shifted, reacting to the threat in Gaara’s mind. He thought about summoning enough to cocoon himself and Sakura inside it, so that they’d never be separated again, and no one would ever be able to hurt them.
Fingers tugged at his red locks, reminding him why that would never work. Sakura was much too strong to seal away, and her heart was too big to let him try. She’d never hide away while others suffered, no matter how hard he pleaded.
And then there was Naruto. The one who’d convinced Gaara of the world’s goodness, of the love that could be found there. Sakura was going back to him; to help him, to fight with him. As much as it pained him, Gaara couldn’t be selfish, not after all Naruto had done for him.
“I wish I was your heart,” Gaara confided quietly, his raspy voice speaking directly into Sakura’s ear. The grip of his arms lessened ever so, and he pressed a kiss to the side of her head and let his lips linger against her skin. “I wish I was your heart, so that we’d never be apart. So that when it stopped beating, that would be the end of me too.”
Pulling back enough to connect her emerald green eyes with his jade ones, Sakura tried to smile for him. “Oh Gaara,” she sighed, her voice thick with emotion and withheld tears. “But then I wouldn’t be able to kiss you.”
Leaning forward to press her lips to his own, Sakura reminded him of what he would miss out on if his wish came true.
Both their lips were dry and more than a bit chapped, but that didn’t matter to either of them. Sakura, ever the braver of the two, tangled her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck while her tongue swiped against his bottom lip. Gaara moaned into her mouth, wanting this moment to extend into eternity. When Sakura’s tongue met his own, a soft sound of pleasure made its way from her lovely throat.
One hand twisting into her short, pink locks, Gaara’s other hand drifted lower until his fingers skimmed along the edge of Sakura’s shirt, where he found a thin strip of skin between fabric. Goosebumps bloomed across Sakura’s back, causing her to shiver.
Kissing Sakura was like finding an oasis in the desert after days of thirst. The looming, greedy monster living in the back of his mind tried to rise again as Sakura bit down on Gaara’s bottom lip and then sucked it into her mouth to soothe it with her tongue. More, the monster begged. More, more, more.
Pulling back for air, Sakura’s breathing was shallow and unsteady, her smile hungry and proud. Leaning back in to sneak one more peck of a kiss, Sakura sighed and said, “Would you be able to give that up, Gaara? Because I know I couldn’t.”
“No,” he admitted quietly. Kissing Sakura was something he couldn’t live without, not even if he were her heart. Leaning his forehead against hers, he whispered, “I can’t lose you.”
Arms tightened around her shoulders and nails dragged against his scalp. “You won’t, Gaara,” she tried to reassure him. “I promise, you won’t.”
Drawing back as if he’d been burned, Gaara’s anger flared. “Don’t,” he told her roughly. “Don’t lie to me and make promises you can’t keep. You don’t know what will happen, none of us do.” The fears and anxieties that he’d hidden so deep within his mind rose up and all he saw was blood and sand and limbs and gore and—
“Breathe, Gaara,” Sakura said, but it wasn’t his Sakura’s voice. It was Medic-Sakura’s; stern and unyielding and cutting to the quick. A minty green glow emanated from the corner of his eye, but the only green Gaara could see was that of Sakura’s eyes. With his chin pinched between her thumb and forefinger, Sakura held his gaze while a rush of calm seeped into his muscles and blood stream. “I need you to breathe.”
Nodding, Gaara closed his eyes and basked in the feeling of being in his lover’s arms while her chakra soothed him.
“I know what’s at stake, Gaara. I know the risks,” Sakura said, not unkindly. “So believe me when I say this: I will come back to you.”
Gaara’s eyes snapped open, the air leaving his lungs as he stared at her uncomprehendingly.
“What?” Sakura asked, a sly smirk cutting across her face. “Did you think Naruto was the only one capable of making promises?”
A huff of laughter escaped Gaara’s throat. He nodded and felt something uncoil from deep within that chest. The monster in his head quieted some. Of course, he told himself, Sakura was Naruto’s teammate. A promise from one was a promise from both. If Sakura swore she’d come back to him, then she’d come back.
There was movement outside his tent, making his sand fidget about restlessly. It was Sakura’s team, ready to head out. All they needed now was their leader.
“It’s time, Gaara.” Sakura pulled back, just an inch. Just enough to test his reaction.
Exhaling slowly, Gaara nodded and stiffly pried his fingers off her body. “Okay,” he said, his voice so soft he wasn’t sure she even heard him.
Sakura stood and grabbed her pack, settling the straps comfortably on her shoulders. Trying to give him a bright smile—it was a bittersweet thing, really—Sakura took his hands in hers. “I’ll send letters or Katsuyu when I can.”
She gave his hands a squeeze, leaned up to press a kiss to his check, and whispered into his ear, “I’ll be okay.”
She barely took half a step back before Gaara pulled her back towards his chest, his hands cupping her face so he could look straight into her eyes. “Say it again,” he growled.
Knowing exactly what he needed, Sakura leaned into his touch and without looking away, said, “I promise.”
Nodding once, Gaara pressed a kiss to her Byakugou Seal. “I love you. Be safe.”
With that, Gaara let her go.