Day 9
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How many times had she been here? She shouldn’t be this anxious.
Biting her nail, Sakura willed the thumping of her heart to subside. Nervousness wouldn’t become of her, and she’d managed to keep her cool thus far. Three weeks she had been in Suna as an enthusiastic volunteer of a two-month pilot program for academy students, assessing the demand and benefits of foreign exchange within the medical sectors of the academies. Sharing knowledge and securing connections were the anticipated surface level benefits that would have long reaching effects as the students gathering here would eventually become industry leaders and innovators.
Being the apprentice of the Hokage, Sakura had been acting as their ambassador of sorts; she headed all of their official interactions, represented the Konoha medics within the walls of Suna, and submitted regular reports of engagement and overall projected retention of the program. This year’s pilot program was being heavily monitored; it was at least once a week that she stood before the council along with the head of the Suna medical division to discuss curriculum and student comments.
Though, all other times she was called to the Kage tower, much like this one, she’d been summoned to Gaara’s office, and their conversations had so far been private ones.
At first, it had been strictly business, they were both busy people with plenty of others that were bargaining for their time, and their meetings were brief. After her first weekend in town, Temari had treated Sakura to lunch with the family and, following that, their conversations then strayed from the topic of the exchange and migrated to more casual and more personal things. She found herself taking a leisurely seat across from him quite often now, even having tea with him once during the evening, and it had been so natural that she hadn’t thought twice about him wanting to see her back to her accommodations after their teatime went on a little late.
At her door, she bid him goodnight and said that she would see him around.
He had wished her the same and said that he would see her tomorrow.
Well, it was tomorrow.
Something in his voice had told her to anticipate his call, and something in his eyes tempted her belief in all the suspicions she’d been having of his uncharacteristic behavior. These butterflies in her stomach weren’t unfamiliar, neither was the weightless feeing in her chest, her hands touched her face, was she blushing?
Gaara had been called out of the city before her arrival and she stood in an empty office waiting for his return; hopeful, anxious, and no longer able to ignore…
It might not be the right time
I might not be the right one
But there's something about us I want to say
'Cause there's something between us anyway
Ground floor of the Kage tower, a quiet evening on a Friday, and the doors of the reception lobby swung open for the Kazekage as he returned from his call. A gust of wind followed him in, the last of his teleportation to fade away, and the few people still mulling about bowed respectfully to him as he walked through.
The receptionist nodded to him with a soft smile as she greeted, “Welcome back, Lord Kazekage,” as he walked by the desk.
Gaara nodded back, he was already through the lobby and heading off down the hall to the stairs; he was late, and he loathed the thought of keeping her waiting.
He’d needed to be out of the city most of the day and had traded his usual robes for the formal cloak that he often traveled with, his hair was a windblown mess – he was sure, and even though he’d hurried to return, he was growing more and more anxious with every step he took.
Three weeks Sakura had been here, three weeks he had been hopelessly distracted and endlessly conflicted. He’d just been trying to make sure everyone was settled nicely at first, he wanted to know right away if there were any issue with their accommodations, but then his sister had invited her out to their weekend lunch and he’d been making excuse after excuse to call her back to his office and speak with her again.
Ever hesitant, it took a few times for him to build the courage to keep her around for casual discussion, there was only so much to be reported on the program when he insisted on seeing her practically every other day. Once he did though, her professional exterior cracked like a shell and she welcomed a friendly conversation with him, and he was encouraged on by the small achievement. He’d since been monopolizing her free time, though she hadn’t yet complained, and he took that as a sign to take a little risk.
Gaara brushed his hands through his hair as he walked down to the hall to his office, the administrators were nearly all gone and the building was quiet save for the sound of his blood rushing in his ears.
With the weekend upon them, he would dare to ask for an afternoon of her time, offer to show her another favorite local spot for lunch, and see what she might think of it being just the two of them. If she found it favorable, and if she enjoyed their afternoon, he could even ask for another, maybe even a dinner that he might convince her to turn into a private drink.
Perhaps he was delusional, he could very well be grossly misreading her ques, but at the same time he thought…
I might not be the right one
It might not be the right time
But there's something about us I've got to do
Some kind of secret I will share with you
The door to his office clicked open and Sakura turned to face him as the light of dusk illuminated the air around her. Gaara stepped inside, apologizing for keeping her waiting, she assured him it was fine. When the door shut behind him, he inquired about her day; nothing exciting. She asked about his time out of the city; uneventful. There was a pause in their small talk, a little awkward for the first time in over a week, and Gaara struggled to find the right way to ask, he was hoping he could steer the conversation to the topic naturally but he couldn’t think straight with the question waiting to leap from his tongue.
But Sakura wasn’t naïve, this hopeless back and forth was getting nowhere and she had a lingering suspicion as to why she had been called to Gaara’s office for the fourth time that week. “So, does Temari have plans this weekend?”
Gaara’s heart flipped, and he shook his head; he’d been tiptoeing around this for the last few days and he could do it no longer. She knew why he had called her here; he could see it in the expectant look in her eyes, and she wasn’t asking about Temari, not really. “No,” he said, clearing his throat. He swallowed, now suddenly fearful that his next words may very well ruin his ability to see her like this. “By the way,” he said, again running a hand through his messy hair and looking down for a second. “What are your plans for the weekend?”
Sakura eyed him and absentmindedly pulled her lip between her teeth, as if studying him. “Nothing, why?”
Gauging her reactions, he began, “I was just wondering if you’d, maybe, want to join me for lunch?” he managed to say, the weight of her gaze forcing him to avert his eyes when the question finally came. When he looked back, though, she was smiling and she nodded a little coyly, accepting his invitation with the rosy dusting of a blush across her cheeks.
He didn’t know for sure, and neither did she, but maybe, just maybe…
I need you more than anything in my life
I want you more than anything in my life
I'll miss you more than anyone in my life
I love you more than anyone in my life
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