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mangoissour · 8 months

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Gaasaku Fne Fest 2023

Day 27: Oblivious/Trapped

Short fic under the cut :>

The tunnel opened into a small room after what seemed like ages. The tiny flame on the lamp danced with a sudden breeze, meaning there was another entrance to this place. Big or small, he hoped the air current would be enough to make the air breathable deeper down – after all, more than one careless explorer had succumbed to the rotten fumes of ancient chambers.

The prince sat down to take notes, feeling unprepared. The afternoon curiosity tour had turned into a full-blown underground exploration, and an uncharted one at that. He had no supplies with him, nor any instrument to aid climbing or opening jammed doors; only a messenger bag with scrolls, paper and a handful of prunes.

After scribbling a rudimentary map he noticed a torch nearby, which he lit with the oil lamp. Slowly his eyes could make out the details of the opposite wall. Carvings on the stone, framing what looked like the entrance of a temple. Or a tomb.

With the toxic gas in mind, he got closer to study the marks. They were rudimentary, yet elegant shapes resembling ancient hieroglyphs he had seen before. Immediately he took another paper out, his copy of a particular old scroll from the Royal library, and compared the pictures to the carvings. They matched.

“Sakura.” He said, turning to the lamp. “Come out.”

From the tip emerged a silky, pink strand of smoke, which grew until it formed the shape of a woman. Her features slowly became visible, as she adopted a pose of reverence.

“Yes, master Gaara?”

“Take a look at this.” He pointed to the stone door with the hand that held the lamp. “Do you recognize this language?” Albeit his usual calm and collected manner, there was a hint of emotion in his tone.

The genie tilted her head and glided next to her master. Her finger hovered over the symbols, tracing their shape in the air.

“I think I do…” she squint her eyes “but I can’t remember well.”

“How so?” he demanded.

“I have been asleep for a long time, master.” She was still facing away.

Gaara returned to his library notes, struggling to keep his annoyance from growing. This was a minor obstacle. He knew the genie was of a low rank, according to his father, so it would be a matter of combining her (low rank) magic to his own research. Just a little more work than expected.

He had to cut her some slack, however. The discovery hadn’t been in his plans: it all began as wandering to see what lied beneath the shrine, and the lamp was both to serve as light and aid in case he needed it.

But he seemed to be on the right track.

While her master mumbled theories to himself, Sakura floated around him, waiting for his next order. She rested her cheek on her palm and observed the young prince with mixed feelings.

During their interactions since he awoke her for the first time, Sakura began to discern something underneath the façade of the prince. Behind the stone face was a young man with a big gash on his heart. Prince Gaara did not disclose much about his personal life or thoughts, but Sakura was good at noticing the details. Like the strained relationship with his father, the distance among the royal siblings, the mysteriously missing mother.

Lately, as his investigation advanced, he had started calling for her presence with more frequency. They had discussions about his findings, and many times she offered some detail or point of view which turned out to be useful. She had knowledge of many things, but not everything. A genie was not a god, and she wasn’t a big one herself. There were many limits to her abilities.

“If this is true,” he told her one day in his room’s balcony “we can enhance your power a little more.”

She didn’t really care about that. In the end, it would be an existence of servitude, no matter her rank. But she saw the hope in his jade eyes and felt a tingle of excitement herself. That feeling grew with time, the same as her worries. ‘Feelings’ weren’t something a genie should have.

One day she had to turn away from the prince to hide her blush. They had just translated a particularly difficult glyph, and he congratulated her with a smile. Small for the normal person standards, but huge for someone like Prince Gaara. The surprise had been double, as she was certain that genies had no hearts. Yet she could clearly feel hers beating inside her chest.

As confusing as it was, Sakura chose to ignore this for the time being. Maybe after this archaeological adventure she could suggest a study on genie nature. So, she would let this feeling be. Denying her attraction to the prince would only make it worse.

She sighed.

“Sakura.” Prince Gaara spoke, cutting her stream of thought. He put his notes back in the bag and got up to face her. “Let’s look for more scrolls about the construction of the shrine.”

Sakura nodded and waited, but he didn’t say anything else. For a moment she had hoped he saw her as more than a supernatural companion.

Don’t be stupid. He doesn’t know, and he shouldn’t, either.

As the prince began his trip back to the surface, the genie returned to her cage. There was a lot she needed to think about.

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mangoissour · 8 months

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"Gaara."

"No."

"It's just a regular check-up!"

"I don't care."

/Sakura angry noises

-♦-

GaaSaku Fan Fest 2023

Day 28: Overprotective

First baby is srs bsnss.

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mangoissour · 8 months

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GaaSaku Fan Fest 2023

Day 25: "You smell so good."

(What shampoo do you use, Sakura-chan?)

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mangoissour · 8 months

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“Shouldn’t you be in the office, love?”

“Kankuro is taking over for the day.”

Sakura frowned. He wasn’t supposed to cover him when the Kazekage was still in the village. Normally she would have dragged him to work, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

A tiny kick brought her back to reality. She put her hands on her abdomen and smiled.

Right. You’re the first and that’s why daddy is so stubborn, huh?

Sakura hummed and went to get her purse. Before she could reach the door, however, her husband grabbed her coat.

“Where are you going?”

“To buy some mochi?”

“I’ll go.” He replied. “You stay here and rest.”

Without another word, he left. Sakura sighed and went to their room. The baby was due any time now, so all she could do was sit around and wait. A part of her was impatient; another found adorable how Gaara fretted over the smallest thing. Was that his inexperience, or did every new parent turn into a worrywart the first time?

Caressing her belly, she imagined the moment they would meet their child. Her lips curved into a smile again.

He’ll be a good father.

-♦-

GaaSaku Fan Fest 2023

Day 23: Family / Domestic

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mangoissour · 8 months

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“Good morning, beautiful.” He whispered into her ear and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. Sakura hugged her pillow a bit more tightly and murmured:

“Just five more minutes…”

Gaara smiled. It was almost a month since they tied the knot and he still couldn’t believe it. It felt dreamlike to have such a peaceful routine after years of insomnia and war. But at the same time, a lot of that struggle had led him to this life, to her.

He gave her another kiss before getting up. Thinking of the days to come by her side, Gaara knew he would do it all over again.

-♦-

GaaSaku Fan Fest 2023

Day 22: "Good morning."

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mangoissour · 8 months

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"How do I look?"

-♦-

GaaSaku Fan Fest 2023

Day 16: Kazekage

Red and green go well wit her :>

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mangoissour · 8 months

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GaaSaku 2023 FanFest Day 22

Prompt: Morning After

(Day 2, Continued)

He had been awake since before sunrise. The dawn hadn’t broken yet, the streets outside his rental hadn’t begun bustling with the morning commute, and where he was usually tempted to rise for an early shower and a quiet morning, he chose instead to stay tucked within his bed.

It had snowed overnight, his windowsill was topped with a fresh dusting of powder, and the air within his bedroom was frigid compared to the heat snuggled up to his side. Her hair strewn about her pillow – his pillow – and his arm thrown over her as it had been all night, Sakura slept between his sheets. Gaara had awoken several times throughout the night, unaccustomed to sharing his bed with someone, and as he found her there with him each time, he drew her closer, breathing her in and thinking of the night they had shared.

When she had kissed him, he’d been stunned beyond words. He’d only meant to flirt with her a little more, the way she blushed for him was so endearing, but she practically jumped him once they were alone together and he had only wished that he’d tried his luck with this invitation sooner. Once she had him, she didn’t let go. Her lips never left his, she grabbed hold of him and pressed herself against him, she was brimming with a desperation that was clearly uncertain and frantic.

He had stepped her back toward the bed, grabbing ahold of her hands and pulling them from about his neck. She sat back, her breaths coming out in shallow puffs, her face flushed, and her eyes glazed. Gaara knelt in front of her, her hands still held in his own, and he couldn’t help but grin at the embarrassed look in her eyes as she avoided his gaze.

“Slow down,” he said to her, his voice carrying that flirtatious tease that had lured her to him. “I’m trying to buy you dinner first.”

She laughed a little nervously, her fingers fiddling in his hands. “I’m sorry,” she breathed.

“Don’t be,” he said through his grin. He moved his hands to rest against her knees before smoothing them up the curve of her thighs and to her waist. She practically shook under his touch. “I’m not.”

Putting her hands to her face, Sakura tried to smooth her expression, though her brow was still drawn and her features still tense. “I was nervous,” she tried to explain.

“You’re still nervous,” Gaara observed. “Do you want me that badly?”

She flustered for a response, her face going red, her eyes focusing anywhere that wasn’t on him, and he had been tempted to rest his head against her lap and enjoy the show she put on for him. Never had he thought that the risk of showing his pointed interest would reward him with her presence in his bedroom and his touch allowed on her body. Had they been more established, had he been able to test the waters of her desires, he never would have dreamt of pushing her away. But she was shaking, uncertain, and perhaps anxious that if she didn’t act then and there that an opportunity would slip her by.

He could’ve grinned, it seemed they shared that in common.

He propped his chin up on her knee, his fingers playing with the hem of her shirt as he pouted. “You never told me your thoughts on my piece,” he muttered. “We’ll have to discuss it over our food.”

When their food had come, they joined his roommate and his girlfriend at the table. Sakura was a little shy at first but the two with were more than social and outgoing enough to lead their conversations. Gaara was relieved that Sakura appeared to become more so relaxed the longer they all sat and talked, and when their company excused themselves to a movie in the other bedroom, he suggested they go back to his.

She was calmer now, didn’t quiver as much under his touch, and even though he’d truthfully invited her over because he had work to do and he couldn’t bear leaving their café sessions early, there was no work being done.

Gaara could have spent the remainder of their night memorizing the sensation of her skin under his touch and the flavor of her lips against his own. Showering her with the affection he’d been harboring, he’d rid her of her shirt, his own as well, and in the darkness of his room, the dim streetlights shining in through his blinds, his fingers found the waistline of her pants. Staying his hands, she was gasping when she broke away from his kiss, repeating for him to wait.

Blushing, she looked to the side and stammered out a meager, “Wait, I don’t –” before she was caught up in another thought and backtracking altogether.

He had removed himself from atop of her, asking what had been wrong, and she’d gone red in the face as she admitted to having gotten her period in class earlier that day. It wasn’t his intention to laugh at her, but he certainly did a little when he followed up by asking, “As a medical major, you’re embarrassed by this?”

She’d told him to shut up even though there was a bit of a smirk pulling at the corners of her frown. He didn’t press the subject after that, she clearly wasn’t comfortable with continuing any further and instead he pulled out his laptop. They spent the next while watching a show as they lay together, she was still very much welcoming to his touch, and she was soon cuddled against him under his covers. He never brought up their projects again that night, and not once did he mention a walk back to the dorms.

When the season of their show ended and she asked when she should walk back, he responded, “In the morning…when we go to class.” He was nearly half asleep with his face tucked into the pillow beside her, and he’d pulled her closer when he answered.

“You want me to stay?” she asked, stroking her fingers through his hair and turning to better face him as she lay there. He nodded, eyes closed, relaxed under her caress. She closed his laptop and continued to appreciate the warmth of him, each brush of her skin against his tempting her to remain with there in his bed.

She had stayed all night, though he’d still been worried that she might decide to leave at any point, but seeing her sleeping in his arms when he awoke in the morning was a sight that he thought himself lucky to behold. He brushed some hair out of her face and his touch tickled her skin, causing her to stir.

She mumbled something, turning her face into her pillow, before stretching out next to him as he admired the shape of her. “What time is it?” she asked, her voice grumbled and half awake.

“Nearly seven,” he answered quietly, joining her on her pillow and pressing a kiss against her forehead. She groaned and snuggled closer. “We don’t have to go anywhere yet.”

“Thanks for letting me spend the night,” she said, pulling the covers over her a little more.

“Anytime you want,” he offered, enjoying the way she hooked her leg over her hip and molded her form against him. “I slept amazingly with you here.”

She scoffed and seemed to laugh a little. Her voice was still very quiet. “Liar, I know I’m a bed hog.”

Gaara ran his fingertips over her skin. “Who told you that?”

“My friends share my bed with me,” she sighed, the feeling of goosebumps on her skin rousing her from the grip of sleep.

“Hm,” Gaara mumbled as he caressed her thigh that she had hooked over him, slipping his fingers behind her knee. “Envious.”

He hadn’t seen her bite her lip to suppress moaning at his touch. “Of my girlfriends?”

“Of anyone to share a bed with you,” he said, the feeling of her breath on his neck exciting him. “Though, I’m sure there are plenty who are just as envious of me.”

“You think other people crashed my studying like you did?”

“Maybe,” he mused. “But definitely not after I showed up.”

She laughed then, remembering how she’d been so awkward about him recognizing her. “I can’t believe you did that,” she said. “You had no idea who I was and I must’ve looked like an idiot.”

Gaara simply pulled her closer and kissed her forehead again. “No, you didn’t, you just looked like a hot mess.”

She ran her fingers over his chest for a moment, her silence reflecting her contemplation, and she said, “Sorry about last night, I should’ve mentioned I was on my period.”

This perplexed him a little, and he clarified, “You have nothing to be sorry for, we didn’t have to do anything even if you weren’t.”

“Well,” she began, again followed by a moment of silence before she said, “I kinda wanted to.”

Gaara followed her avoidant gaze. “What?” he asked, teasing her with that smirk on his face. “Kinda?” She offered him a nod as she hid her face against his neck. “You’re welcome to jump me like that any time you feel like it.”

She peered up at him and asked, “So I can spend the night again?”

“Of course, you could again tonight if you wanted to. Though,” he said as he remembered his latest project sitting unfinished against the wall. “I would need to get my assignment done.”

“Right,” she groaned, remembering her own work that had gone forgotten. “Me, too.”

“It’s a date, then?”

Sakura smiled against his skin, her heart racing just a little. “Sure, it’s a date.”

Thanks for reading!

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaceyJane

FanFiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2120361/WiccadBaltane0501

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mangoissour · 8 months

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GaaSaku 2023 FanFest day20

Prompt: Joint Village Mission

“They sent you?”

Sakura quirked her brow, staring down the man before her and his quizzical gaze. “I could say the same thing,” she stated.

Finding herself in the land of snow, she pulled the cloak closer to her neck, the wind was biting, and she cared not for these pleasantries happening amidst a snowstorm. She was here to better understand the current illness sweeping through the small villages in the area and bring reports back to her homeland. It was a matter of diplomacy; other nations had sent their representatives, like her companion here, and their mission would be to assist in identifying the cause and synthesizing a cure or treatment.

Gaara was the last person she thought that the sand would send, he seemed far too out of place with flakes of snow sticking in his hair and the tinge of red across his nose and cheeks. Even his ears looked to be on the verge of frostbite.

She would forgo the mild insult he’d just given her; it didn’t appear like he was aware of it anyway, and figured he wouldn’t have known of her extensive knowledge of medicine. “Come on,” she said as she turned from him, the snow falling quietly around them. “Our cabin is over here.”

Spread across the land, pairs of the traveling researchers were strewn about the fringe villages afflicted with the mysterious blight. She had been paired with Gaara, it seemed, and she figured it had to do with his history with Naruto and her knowledge of his temperament. They were acquainted already, so this arrangement was likely best.

Their cabin was small but cozy, a woodburning stove kept it plenty warm, a pair of beds were in the corner, though since Gaara didn’t even sleep she hadn’t the need to feel shy about it, and they’d been stocked with provisions of food rations, some sweets, and even some tea. The first few days had been spent meeting with medical staff providing care for the area, gathering information and getting a grasp on the current situation. Sakura had involved herself with the patients after that, whether it be at the meager clinics or during home visits, and she was able to help isolate those suffering from the illness from those suffering from other ailments with similar symptoms.

It had been busy, they didn’t spend much time in the cabin, but then the blizzard came.

Unexpectedly, the clouds dumped several inches of snow in just a few hours and once it began, Sakura had been encouraged to shelter in her cabin for the remainder of the night. It had been empty when she had gotten there, the fire had gone out, and it was incredibly chilly.

With a bit of elbow grease, the fire was started, the stove began to radiate heat throughout the small space, and she set a kettle of water to boil. These were among the nicest accommodations she’d had on a mission and, even though the conditions were serious, she felt at ease enough to make herself a relaxing cup of tea. Sat on the couch, knit blanket thrown over her lap, feet pulled up and huddled next to her for warmth, she sipped her tea and enjoyed the quiet of the falling snow.

Then the door burst open. Frigid wind whipped around her, and a flurry of snow followed Gaara inside. His cloak was covered in a dusting of white powder, his hair the same, and he stepped quickly over to the stove. Shedding his covering, he knelt in front of the fire and held out his hands, sighing as they began to thaw in the heat.

Sakura, perplexed since she first saw him, spoke up from the couch behind where he knelt. “Long time no see,” she greeted.

Gaara nodded; perhaps it was for her, but he had seen her each time he returned in the early hours of the morning, though, she was always asleep in her bed. He hadn’t been sticking around the cabin much for the sake of her comfort, it had been a surprise to be lodged with a woman, and he thought it only polite.

“I don’t mean to sound rude,” she began, the warm cup nestled in her fingers coming to rest at her lips for a sip. “But you have been way out of your element.”

Gaara sighed, picking himself up from the floor and joining her on the couch to enjoy the warmth of the fire. “Tell me about it.” He kicked off his boots, they were soaked, and when Sakura pointed to the door, he tossed his over with hers.

She observed him for a moment as he did so; his hands were going red, the tips of his ears looked wind burnt, and he appeared to be suppressing a chill. She set her cup down and got up from the couch. “Jasmine or honeysuckle?” she asked as she approached the stove. Tapping the side of the kettle, Sakura tested how hot it still was and it gave Gaara the hint he needed.

“Jasmine,” he responded, his answer a bit hesitant.

Pouring him a cup, she joined him on the couch again, facing him this time, and Gaara gladly warmed his hands with the hot drink. “If the cold bothers you so much, why did you accept the mission?” she asked, the question had been on her mind since she first saw him stood frigid and miserable their first day on the job.

Gaara blew on his tea, enjoying the way the hot steam wafted across his icy skin. He was a man of the scorching sands and the blazing sun, his body radiated the heat of the desert, and it made the cold all the more noticeable. “I was tempted to decline, but I’m trying to move up in my station,” he explained. “I’ve been told I need to work on my relations and diplomacy.”

Sakura snickered, Gaara glanced at her before looking back at the fire. “I suppose this would be your ultimate test; a noncombative goodwill mission to the frozen wilderness.”

Gaara rolled his eyes. “Precisely,” he groaned before he sipped his tea. Finally, he was able to feel the warmth permeating him from within and banishing the chill of the blizzard.

She smiled; she hadn’t thought he could look so endearing when put out in the cold. “You’ve been well received,” she said. “I’ve had several people ask me where to find you, but I never knew where you were. Seems like your relations are getting along just fine.”

He pondered that for a moment, replaying the many interactions he’d had during his time out here, and found a small smile forming on his lips. “Good,” he said, his voice quiet, and then he looked over to her, his expression guarded yet determined. “What about you?” he asked, only gaining a look of confusion from her. “Have I made you uncomfortable?”

Sakura laughed and shook her head. “Oh, goodness, no! You’ve barely even been here, you’re a lot of people’s idea of the perfect roommate.”

He watched her as she laughed, the casual and friendly demeanor was almost as warming as the fire they sat before, and there was gratitude to be had for getting paired with her. He wasn’t sure anyone else would understand his peculiarities or be comfortable with his lack of conversation. “Good.”

“It won’t be much longer,” she encouraged him. “We’ve only got a few more days before we should have what we need to research this on our own. You can bring word of your successes back home with you.”

Gaara nodded, there was a feeling a fullness to the atmosphere that had always been so empty as it followed him before. A warm fire, the quiet snow and whistling of the blizzard winds, the smell of jasmine and an easy company in his presence; Gaara began to think he should have spent more time in the cabin, he was sure the next few days would feel far too short.

Thanks for reading!

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaceyJane

FanFiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2120361/WiccadBaltane0501

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mangoissour · 8 months

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This was a hell of a week and not in a good way... Gosh I'm so tired!

Gaasaku fanfest 2023

Days 17 & 18: (Anti) Honey Moon & Masquerade

A year ago Sakura was planning the perfect honey moon in Italy with her soon-to-be-husband Sasuke. After and awful breakup and many tears, Sakura decided she wasn't going to let that travel going to waste.

When she and her best friend Ino went to a masquerade party for tourists, the girl didn't expect to find her old middle school friend there. A nice surprise to say the least ❤️

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mangoissour · 8 months

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@gaasaku-fanfests Day 8: Long Distance Relationships

I have two different ideas for this one piece, so here's both of them and it's up to you which one to imagine

//🌺The first one is that they both were bonded together by an arrangement and had to wait several months to meet each other in order to perform the marriage ceremony. Both Sakura and Gaara weren't pleased but that news so they decided to get to know each other. With the help of their servants, they exchanged letters throughout these month and fell in love through the letters and words📜 //

//📜The second one is that they're the famous poets, who became interested in each others works and decided to dedicate every single poem to each other but hiding their feelings under epithets and metaphors🌺//

I completely forgot about that event plus I didn't have the access to this account so now I'm trying to do as many works as possible. Probably it all would be chaotic and disorganised but anyway. My main goal is to draw in appreciation of this amazing pairing and the event itself💕

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mangoissour · 8 months

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GaaSaku 2023 FanFest Day23

Prompt: Domestic

“What if this is my fault?”

Sakura looked over to her husband, his usually stoic expression was twisted in worry. “Don’t go placing any blame,” she advised, her hand finding his as they walked and giving him a reassuring squeeze. “We still don’t know the whole story.”

Gaara thinned his lips and drew his brow together, he’d been deep in thought ever since their presence was requested at the academy building. “He got into a fight.”

“I bet you it was a scuffle,” she replied.

“Has he said anything to you about this?” he asked, his concern clearly showing through.

Sakura shook her head. “He might be having a hard time adjusting, it’s nothing we can’t work through.”

Gaara sighed, the weight of indecision pressing down on him. “I knew we should’ve waited till next year; it was too soon.”

Sakura let go of his hand and patted his shoulder as he held open the academy’s front door for her. “He wanted to,” she reminded him. “He told us he was ready. We have to trust that.”

A few members of staff were milling about the halls and they lowered their heads as the Kazekage and his wife passed. It was just after noon, in the middle of the week, and they’d left their offices to meet with the head of the academy; apparently there had been a fight at the athletic fields during lunch. Gaara had been precipitating a nervous sweat their entire walk there, thinking of all the things that had gotten him in trouble as a young man, whereas Sakura was more so reminded of the endearing way that her young teammates always found trouble for themselves.

“You’ll be fine,” she teased, nudging him with her elbow.

He nodded, taking a breath and regaining his usual composure. Again, he opened the office door for her, allowing his wife through first before closing it behind himself. The chief administrator got up to greet them and extended an offer to the seats across his desk.

“Please,” he said. “Have a seat. Thank you both for coming on such short notice.”

Sakura took her seat, poised and giving off an air of calm, and said, “Of course, thank you for calling us. Can you tell us about what happened?”

Gaara nodded for the man to begin, he wanted to get right the point, and his eyes slid to the side of the room where a young boy sat pouting with his arms crossed. He looked upset. Sakura leaned out from beside her husband and smiled at him, waving a little hello.

Shinki frowned and looked away.

Keeping his composure, Gaara’s pulse still raced through his chest. He’d been worried something like this might happen, he’d tried talking Shinki out of studying a year at the academy before assigning him a team. He was already so bright and incredibly skilled; he could have passed all the qualifying exams for his certifications with just a few months practice and without the hassle of attending the classes. But Shinki had wanted to give it a try, told him he wanted to be just like the normal kids, how could he tell him no after that? Though, Gaara had a sneaking suspicion it was actually because it was Riku’s first year at the academy.

When the administrator began retelling how the staff had discovered Shinki fighting with a classmate, the boy in question peeked over at the two that had been called to deal with him. Gaara sat composed and stone-faced, much as he always was, and even though Shinki had lived with them for quite some time now, he still found it difficult to get a read on him. Sakura was much more open with her emotions, she’d worn them on her sleeve since day one, and he could plainly see as her worry became more evident the longer the administrator talked.

He sighed, this was so stupid, he shouldn’t even be in trouble, there was nothing else he could have done and no other way he would have rather responded.

“As you know,” the man spoke in conclusion. “We take disputes among classmates very seriously. Having a healthy competition is one thing, but for interpersonal issues we’ve asked for the parents’ involvement.”

Gaara and Sakura nodded, agreeing that more discussion would be needed. Then, Sakura turned in her chair to better face Shinki and asked, “Is that what happened, Shinki?”

He hadn’t looked at her, but he did nod once, and he heard Gaara take a slow breath when he did. Shinki’s hand clenched his arm, he’d come to know some of the Kazekage’s darker past and how easily he could replicate those very same mistakes, and he swore he could feel that radiating disappointment now.

Sakura was talking with the administrator again. “Have you spoken with the other student?” They had, but the student had recalled nothing out of the ordinary and the fight being unprovoked. “So, he claimed no wrong doing?” There was twinge of disbelief in her voice, though – caught up in his thoughts and feeling the weight of his actions – Shinki hadn’t heard it.

“He’s lying,” he grumbled as he slouched deeper into his seat, his eyes glaring at the ground, the iron dusting over his clothes beginning to bristle.

Sakura then asked, “What was that?”

“He’s lying!” he snapped, the anger in his eyes lifting to her face only to be met with that same patient concern that always had him doubling back. He quickly looked away, his outbursts had been feeling more frustrating and misplaced these days, and they no longer helped him deal with his emotions.

Gaara spoke up then, and the patience in his voice gave Shinki a moment’s pause. “Then tell us what happened,” he advised. “Did he do something, or say something?” Gaara had hoped it wasn’t for the same minor infractions he used to send people to the hospital for, but if it was, they were actions he would only come to regret.

Shinki was quiet as he thought, wondering if his actions really had been justified as he thought them in the moment. Now, with three pairs of eyes staring him down, waiting for his answer, he was suddenly overcome with doubt. He’d made his classmate cry after all, and he was sure that he embarrassed him in front of his friends, likely hurting his own chances of finding any for himself, but then Shinki thought of Riku. He was still so young and the older kids could pick on him too easily, it’s why he wanted to go to the academy in the first place. He made no mistake that it would be tough for him, but he didn’t want Riku to go alone, he knew how much being alone sucked.

He grumbled something under his breath, arms still crossed in front of him, shoulders held up to his ears, that sour expression glaring daggers at the corner.

Sakura again had to encourage him, “Speak up, Shinki, and speak clearly.”

He’d gone a little pink in the face, embarrassed to have to say it again, but with his face turned from them he said, “He made fun of Riku for taking after our mom.”

Gaara’s steadying hand immediately found his wife’s knee as she quickly stifled a gasp. She was squeezing his hand then, her other covering her mouth though he could still hear her mutter Shinki’s last words. “Our mom.”

Shinki peaked over upon hearing the small sound she had made. Sakura’s ears had gone red and Gaara was clearly biting the inside of his lip just to keep his composure. The administrator was the most shocked to hear his reasons for starting a schoolyard brawl and asked, “He did what?”

“This makes sense now,” Gaara muttered, halfway relieved that Shinki hadn’t fought a kid for a no reason, and halfway more concerned that it meant his other son was getting teased for having the likeness of his mother.

“Goodness,” the man gaped from across the desk. “I’m so sorry, we had no idea – we’ll look into this right away.”

Sakura took a steady breath and cleared her throat. “That’s all right, I’d like to be connected with the parents first. We will discuss this with them.” The man agreed, apologetic to the very end, and he quickly gathered the contact information of the other parents and gave it to her.

“We’ll be keeping a close eye on things for the next few days,” the administrator assured them as they stood to go. “We’ll be in touch if anything else comes up. Thank you again for coming down right away.”

Sakura smiled and shook the man’s hand. “Anytime, have a nice afternoon.”

Gaara nodded to him and motioned for Shinki to get up and join them. He placed a hand on his shoulder as he led him out of the office, always struck with how small he still was, at how much weight rested on the shoulders of this child just as it had on his own.

Once the door had shut and they walked down the hall, Shinki watched as the two ahead of them led him out of the building. They walked side by side, in line as equals, and Gaara reached out to take his wife’s hand. She was grinning when she held out her hand, a peculiar expression given the conversation they’d just come from as he had thought that he would’ve immediately been in trouble. He thought they would’ve scolded him in front of the administrator, or maybe tried to ground him – little good that would do for a kid with no social life as it was – but he had desperately hoped they wouldn’t pull him from the academy.

He was nervous, incredibly so, but didn’t want to be blindsided later, and meagerly asked, “Um…Am I in trouble?”

The two stopped and turned to face him, no anger or disappointment in their eyes, just patience and an expression he couldn’t quite place, though it always made him feel better to be looked at that way. Gaara leaned down to face him at eye level, though his eyes were always avoidant, and he always had that guarded expression across his young face either way. “We’ll need to discuss this at home, and it is important to work out disputes through conversation rather than force.”

Sakura was knelt at his side then, her hands clutching his and gazing into his eyes with such flowery brightness that Shinki grimaced as he felt his face get hot. He averted his eyes. “You’re not in trouble, sweetheart,” she said, squeezing his fingers in her grasp. “And I’m so proud of you for wanting to stand up for your brother.”

He met her gaze only for a moment before looking to his hands held gently in her own. She always had such a considerate touch and never used any force, even though he had seen firsthand how powerful those unassuming hands could be. “You are?” he asked after a moment, his brow pulled together over his eyes.

Sakura nodded. “Of course, but we need to set a good example for Riku, he’ll be looking up to you, you know?”

Shinki felt a sharp pang in his chest and the twitch of his face expressed it. Now, for the first time, he was realizing what it was that he’d done wrong. He’d made a wrongful choice on behalf of someone close to him and tried to justify it by using the transgression against them as his own. It wasn’t that he’d hit his classmate, or embarrassed him to tears, he could always apologize for that; it was because of the example he’d set for someone younger and more impressionable.

In the light of his mistakes, Shinki felt his lower lip wobble but refused to shed a tear. Though, it was always hard to keep that hardened shell around him when surrounded by such unexpected patience and unfamiliar warmth, almost as if he really did have a family of his own now. “Yes, ma’am,” he muttered, his voice trembling a little before he wiped his nose on his sleeve.

Sakura’s hands moved to his shoulders, keeping him squared in front of her as she smiled a little and asked, “What? What was that?”

Shinki sighed, exasperated that she didn’t know when to quit, and avoided both her and Gaara’s eager eyes as he repeated with a different choice of words, “Yes, Mom.”

Thanks for reading!

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaceyJane

FanFiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2120361/WiccadBaltane0501

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