Unbearable

Chapter Five - Cracks in Armour

Warning for Non Gaara/Sakura lemon
Don't worry. It's not Sasuke/Sakura either.

Sakura's thumb was bleeding. She had nicked it while toying with her dinner knife and now blood was welling up along the pad of her thumb. A jolt of chakra from her forefinger would heal it, but Sakura just watched the red creep along her fingerprint. Quickly, the weight of the blood caused it to run, sending a trail along the side of her hand. Just when Sakura was beginning to worry about the blood dripping onto her dress, a pressed white napkin appeared at her side, offered by a pale hand. Gaara was watching her with an unreadable expression. Sakura wiped the blood away with the cloth, healing the small wound as she passed over it.

"Thank you."

He inclined his head slightly in response and leaned back into his chair, his attention passing from her back to the officials sitting around the round dinner table. Sakura was stuck between Gaara and Tsunade. Tsunade was wasted out of her mind, and Shizune fluttered nervously next to the Hokage. Naruto and Hinata were engaging Ino and Sasuke is a lively conversation. Or, Naruto and Ino were speaking loudly while Hinata just watched Naruto, and Sasuke kept his eyes focused on Sakura.

A server leant over Sakura to take her empty plate away, and filled her glass with wine. Sakura knew she should slow down, but her head was already so muddy, a little champagne wasn't going to mess things up too royally, she reasoned. She picked the glass up and downed its contents discreetly. Nobody besides Sasuke was watching, and she was decidedly not looking at him, so he didn't count.

She was trying not to focus on what had happened in the bathroom before dinner. She hated to see Sasuke upset, and being the cause of it made her feel even worse. She knew she had trampled over his dreams in her overreaction. She supposed she could have handled it better, but she was still just as flabbergasted at his suggestion as she had been first hearing it. Sakura grimaced. What had he been thinking? Run away together? It was absurd.

For one, Sakura would never betray Naruto like that. To leave with Sasuke would take away his two best friends, and Sakura wasn't sure Naruto would survive that. Secondly, she could never bring herself to break Tsunade's trust, or Kakashi's. The respect her two teachers had for her was something that Sakura held close to her heart, and throwing it away would be impossible. Thirdly, to leave Konoha, and never see its markets again, the trees along the wall, the riffraff of apartments on the lower end, Sakura could never bear that. This alliance meant that she could still visit Konoha. Becoming a missing ninja didn't offer that comfort. In reality, being a missing ninja offered very little comfort at all.

Sakura could only imagine the conditions she would be forced to live in for the first few years while they dodged their own people. Former friends, hunting them down like animals. It wasn't something Sakura could face. In the end, Sakura knew that Sasuke had been grasping at straws, not unlike her, the night he left Konoha, when she had been willing to promise anything, any future, to make him stay. It hadn't worked then, and it wasn't working now.

Sakura sighed heavily, drinking more wine. Her eyes met with Sasuke's, and she felt ripped to the core, as if he saw her very soul. It was a very uncomfortable feeling, yet she couldn't bring herself to look away.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Kakashi came back from wherever he had been skulking and quietly suggested that Sakura head to bed, for after such a long day, surely she was tired. Thankful for her sensei's somewhat belated intuition, Sakura allowed Aiko to guide her to Gaara's rooms, after she had said goodnight to her friends. She had gotten a tearful hug from Ino, a rib-crushing squeeze from Naruto and stony silence from Sasuke.

She walked beside the Elder slowly, too tired to care if he thought her too slow. They walked in silence for a few minutes, making their way up the stairs towards the tower's top floor. Aiko was the first to break the silence. "Did you dislike the dress we prepared?" he asked. Sakura stared in surprise.

"It was lovely. I already had something, however."

Aiko hummed in response. Sakura fisted up the material of her dress and lifted it out of the way of her feet. She didn't trust her natural grace to keep her from tripping over the fabric and tumble down the stairs. "How much longer?" she huffed, the alcohol shooting her stamina to hell.

"Not much," Aiko puffed back.

"No elevators?"

"Out of order."

Their conversation was clipped and punctuated by heavy breathing. Sakura thought the spiral staircase would never end. Then, out of nowhere, a hallway stopped their ascent. Aiko sighed in relief. "Just this way. This whole floor belongs to the Kazekage."

Sakura just nodded. She felt dizzy and really needed to lie down. Knocking politely at the first door they came to, Aiko put a steadying hand on Sakura's shoulder as she swayed. She batted it away, scowling and rubbing her temple. She desperately wanted out of her dress, and to sleep for a week. The door opened and Gaara stood behind it, already changed out of his robes. Sakura was perplexed at how he had gotten up to his rooms so much quicker, but decided not to question it.

She moved past him without waiting for his invitation. It was her home too now, and she'd be damned before she let him tell her where she could and could not go.

Gaara watched her move past him, into the living room. Aiko stayed at the door. "I had the servants bring your things up, Lady Sakura. They'll be in your room."

Sakura thanked him, and left the living room to explore, and find her bags. Gaara let the Elder in, watching the older man silently. "I hope you haven't played one of your tricks on her," Gaara said mildly. "She's been drinking. She might get testy."

"Not unlike her mentor, no doubt." Aiko agreed. "No tricks tonight, Lord Kazekage. Slow and steady wins the race, if you recall."

Gaara frowned. Aiko sounded very close to insubordination. "Only if the rabbit remains a fool. Do you think me a fool, Aiko?"

Aiko's smile faltered slightly. "Of course not, Lord Kazekage."

Gaara gave a thin, humourless smile. "Goodnight, Aiko."

The Elder bowed slightly and left quickly. He hoped to be very far down the stairs before his little 'trick' was discovered.

Sakura was slightly perplexed. Her bag had been easy to find, but the room it was in was obviously occupied. It was Gaara's room, no doubt, and Aiko had wanted her to move into it right away. Well, he obviously thought she was stupid. She wanted to sleep, and was fishing out her pyjamas from her bag when Gaara came in.

"No tricks, indeed." he chuckled quietly, mostly to himself. Sakura turned around at the sound of his voice, still in that dazzling dress of hers, and Gaara watched her with careful eyes.

"Is there another room for me?" she asked tiredly. Gaara nodded and took her bag from her hands, smiling internally at the sight of her pyjamas. The fabric was decorated with small rabbits. How appropriate.

He led the way down the hall, pointing out the bathroom. "I've never shared it, so my stuff's everywhere. You're entitled to half, so you can just… move things."

He directed Sakura to the guest bedroom. It was roughly the same size as his, only without the balcony. Sakura had large windows along the eastern wall. "It's a nice view in the morning." Gaara told her. He stood, feeling very awkward. He had nothing else to show her, and felt out of place. "If you…need anything, just ask me."

"Okay." Sakura was dead on her feet, and barely noticed when Gaara left the room, shutting the door firmly behind him. She tugged the zipper of her dress down and stepped out of the mass of fabric. She chucked her underwear to the floor, opting for just her pyjamas. The shorts came to mid thigh, and the tank top was cut cutely.

Only then did Sakura notice the bed. It was huge. Groaning in relief and something near ecstasy, Sakura climbed onto it, wrapping a cocoon of blankets around herself. She was asleep within seconds.

Hours later, Gaara was still awake, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep, not with her so close. He couldn't hear her, but he could sense her, could smell her, couldn't stop his sand from swirling around her. He felt violated, having her in his space. His home was his safe place, and she was making it impossible for him to even be in it. He had paced for an hour or so, lay on his bed for a while, then puttered around the kitchen. He was back in his bed now, trying to convince his sand to ignore the unwelcome presence, to convince himself that she wasn't a threat, and that he could sleep safely. It wasn't going well.

He could see her, in a sense. Sand had trickled into her room, against his will, and now, he knew exactly where she was, how she lay, and the expression on her face. He could even tell how fast her heart was beating. Gaara rolled over, burying his face in a pillow.

Bitch. Slit her throat, rip her apart. Teach them to command us. Born of gods, we are. They'll bow and scream for us. Teach her a lesson. Make her beg. Cut. Rip. Tear.

Gaara pushed the bloodlust down. It was controllable now, that he couldn't see her, couldn't smell the blood on her. At the dinner table, he had nearly ripped her to shreds, watching the blood bloom across her fingertip. He wanted her as far away as possible, for there was no feasible way for him to stay strong for much longer. Shukaku wanted her dead, and in the end, it was he that controlled the sand. Gaara was unsure of his ability to control the volatile demon within him.

Ino was drunk. Ino was aware that she was drunk. Ino knew that he knew that she was drunk. Ino knew that he knew that she knew that she was drunk. None of these things stopped her from sputtering indignantly at the older man. "I am not drunk!" she said firmly. The effect was ruined slightly by the slur in her words. "Now let me go see Sakura."

Kakashi shook his head, his lone eye looking to the ceiling as if asking for patience. "She's probably already asleep. You should go to bed as well."

"What if she's not?" Ino demanded. "What if she's upset? I should be there for her. I'm her best friend."

Kakashi's fingers itched to knock the blonde woman unconscious. He was fairly certain he could do it without hurting her. He was positive that he would be faster than her. If it wasn't for that niggling sense of ethics in the back of his mind…

He really wanted her to stop talking.

"Kakashi, let me go to her."

"No. It's not just her place. Are you willing to deal with the Kazekage at this time of night?"

Ino seemed to deflate. "I need to see her first thing in the morning. She'll have a hangover, and I forgot to put her special tea in her bag. It's still in mine. I have to go there!"

Kakashi was aware that Ino was close to crying, and he was looking eagerly for an escape. He had helped the blond woman back to the suite, wondering the whole time why things like that kept happening to him. Now, he just wanted her away.

"In the morning then. Sasuke will take you."

Sasuke looked up from his seat on the sofa, his expression resembling a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He scowled, about to protest, but Kakashi raised his hand to stop him. "No. You're going. You need to apologize anyway."

If Sasuke was the type of person who dropped his jaw, it would have happened then. "What are you talking about?" he demanded. "What do you know?"

"Nothing. I'm just not a moron. Apologize in the morning. You'll feel better too."

Kakashi was feeling distinctly sagely when he went to bed. He didn't know what had happened between Sakura and Sasuke to cause their tension at dinner, but he could guess. Sasuke had let his jealously get the best of him, and made Sakura an offer she couldn't accept. Classic.

Now, they were both upset, and Sakura had let herself get impressively drunk, while Sasuke was brooding. Kakashi burrowed into the small bed, revelling in the cushy pillow. He was considering stealing it and taking it back home when they left.

Naruto was in awe.

Seriously, blown out of the water, worshipfully in awe.

Hinata was beautiful. More beautiful then he could ever have imagined. More importantly, she was naked.

He was in awe.

Naruto wasn't actually sure how they had got to this point, with the nakedness and the kissing and the stroking, but he wasn't too fussed about it. She was straddling him and mostly, he was focused on her feel of her skin. His hands roamed her body freely, exalting in the way she sighed lustfully, squirming as he found her sensitive spots. Her nails pressed lightly into his shoulders as she dominated their kiss. This alone blew Naruto away. Shy, demure Hinata was taking control, taking what she wanted from him. She kissed him as if he was her oxygen, and he returned her fervour.

He felt like he was drowning, and she was the only thing that could save him. One hand gripped her thigh while another palmed her breast. She bit down slightly on his lip when he pinched at her nipple. He smirked into their kiss.

She tasted like wine and apples, and Naruto was so hard for her it hurt.

"Naruto…" Hinata shuddered as his thumb slipped into her folds, where she was wet and hot. "You have to…" she gasped softly as he explored her. "to promise that you'll remember this…ah, in the…in the morning." she kissed him fiercely. "Just…don't forget…"

Naruto nodded. "I promise. Won't forget. I promise."

Hinata was losing coherency as his fingers did unimaginable things to her body. She had never felt anything like this before, and she was overwhelmed by the sensations that his hands brought. "Naruto…please…I'm going to…to…" she panted harshly in his ear, burying her face into his neck. She was sweating, and Naruto could smell the heated scent of her arousal. It drowned out everything in the room. He focused on the feel of her as she cried out and clenched around his fingers. She squirmed against him, breathy groans increasing in volume as her orgasm reached its peak. Finally, she was still, and sat flush against him.

Naruto was unsure of what to do next, but any lingering doubts he may have had were washed away when Hinata reached down between their bodies and positioned his hard length at her entrance. "Are you…are you sure?" he asked. He was hoping she was, else he would probably die of lust and disappointment. He also assumed that Hinata was a virgin, so asking was imperative.

"I'm sure."

She sunk down slowly, taking the pain with a small frown. Naruto couldn't watch her brow furrow like that, so he pressed his forehead against her shoulder as she took him fully inside her. She sat still for a few moments, before pushing herself up slowly.

Naruto thought he would die, the way she felt clenched around him. She rode him slowly, and soon, the pain faded and it started to feel pleasurable. Naruto's hands gripped her hips tightly, and Hinata was sure he would leave bruises, but she wasn't worried. She was just ecstatic to be in the position: Naruto staring up at her in wonder, completely enthralled. It felt empowering, to know he was at her mercy, and would do anything she asked right then. Mostly, all she wanted him to do was keep up that magic he was doing with his tongue. He nipped and sucked at her nipple as she pressed against him; sweat slicking as she started to move faster.

His soft sighs and grunts were getting louder, and he bit into Hinata's shoulder to muffle his groans. She gasped at the sharp sensation. Finally, Naruto couldn't handle the pace and used his hands on her hips to guide her into a faster rhythm. Knowing she wouldn't last much longer, Hinata gripped at Naruto's biceps, nails digging in.

What pushed Naruto over the edge was Hinata moaning loudly and feverishly bucking against him, hands digging into his skin. He came with a cry, his hands gripping her hips. He panted harshly as he came down from the high, his tunnel vision receding. He watched her tremble slightly, before sighing into his skin. As she slowed to a stop, her eyes opened, their lilac depths unreadable. She gave a shaky grin and moved to climb off him. His grip on her tightened.

"Don't go back to your room." he said imploringly, slightly out of breath. Hinata looked down, into the blue eyes that she loved so much and nodded shyly.

"Okay."

She pulled away then, moving from there they had been, sitting against the headboard. Smoothing back the sheets, Hinata climbed into the layers and made room as Naruto followed her.

Hinata fell asleep first, snuggled next to Naruto, who watched her silently.

Sasuke lay on the sofa, the blanket tucked around his chin, listening to the sound of Naruto and Hinata in the next room. They had quieted, and Sasuke was moderately sure that they had finished for the night. Listening to them, to their lovemaking, had made him miss Sakura with an intensity he was unused to.

He turned to lay on his side. He couldn't sleep, thinking of Sakura, only a few floors above him, sleeping in his apartment. The Kazekage.

Sakura had undressed there. Probably showered. In any case, she had gotten naked in another man's home. A man who wasn't him.

Sasuke had distinct issues with that concept.

With a small groan, he swung his legs off the sofa and stood. Checking that he was wearing clothing (because truly, who could be sure?) he made his way into the hallway. He closed the door behind him with a soft click.

He had no real purpose in leaving the suite. He wasn't heading for Sakura. Even he wasn't stupid enough to break into the Kazekage's home. He'd be annihilated by sand in seconds.

Instead, Sasuke walked aimlessly. He headed downstairs, where he knew the library was. It took him a while, but soon, he found a set of doors that looked promising. He pushed them open and was surprised to find himself not in the library, but in a well furnished office with large windows that overlooked Suna.

The Kazekage's office.

Common sense told him to get out quickly, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. He quietly shut the door behind him, before flicking on the lights. The low hum of electricity filled the room softly. Sasuke made his way towards the large desk, and sat down in the comfortable chair behind it. Documents were scattered across the desk, but the one that caught his eye was on top, and of great interest to him.

Sakura's wedding licence.

He skimmed the pages efficiently, pausing at all the alarming spots. Not responsible in case of injury, death or maiming. Maiming? Maiming was a risk? Sasuke did not like the sound of that. He had a hard time believing Sakura had signed this. He read on, nearly having a heart attack when reading the passage about children. He was seconds away from tearing the papers to shreds when he sensed the air change.

It became denser, rougher, and Sasuke looked up to see the Kazekage, dressed in only his black track pants, watching him ominously from the doorway. Sand swirled behind him, making indistinct forms. When Sasuke looked him in the eye, Gaara cocked a thin eyebrow.

"Now, what could you possibly be doing in my office, Uchiha?" Gaara asked, his voice low. Sasuke could hear the threat in his tone. His Sharingan activated immediately in response. Now, he could see every grain of sand in the room, and it was worrying.

"Just some light reading." Sasuke replied, setting the papers down on the desk. "It's been very informative."

Gaara smiled thinly, straightening when Sasuke stood. He was watching the other man warily, and his sand dusted around him protectively.

"I doubt your people would approve off you breaking in here." Gaara remarked. "With the alliance so fragile."

Sasuke gave a small, sardonic laugh. "Haven't you heard? The alliance had been restored to its peak. A joining of nations, some are calling it."

Gaara's chin lifted. "Is that so? Is Leaf so confident of their position that they would send a spy into my building?"

"Leaf is not the one in desperate need of this alliance." Sasuke reminded the Kazekage. "You proved your desperation when you agreed to marry the esteemed Kazekage to a simple medic."

Gaara scowled. "The people of Sand are the most important thing to me. I will jump through political hoops if I must, but I will not accept disrespect from the likes of you." His tone was scathing, and Sasuke's hands itched to do some damage.

"The likes of me? You have something against bloodline limits?" his voice was clipped. Sasuke was barely restraining himself.

Gaara scoffed. "Hardly. Your eyes hold no interest for me. I refer only to your nature, Uchiha. Sand does not deal well with traitors."

Sasuke leapt at him then, rage blinding rationality. He never made contact; instead, a wall of sand blasted him backwards, into the stone wall. After a long minute, Sasuke stood shakily, spitting blood from his mouth.

Gaara watched him, a slightly amused look on his face. "If that is the best the Uchiha clan can offer, then it is no wonder they were destroyed."

Sasuke nearly leapt at him again, but the stinging pain of his broken arm kept him back. The sand had wrapped around his limb and snapped it. Sasuke could see the bone, pressing up just beneath the skin. "You have no idea what you're talking about." he ground out.

"Don't I? I've read the files. I know all about your little miseries." Gaara seemed delighted to cut into Sasuke, watching as the other man tried to keep himself from attacking. "This marriage is just the latest on a long list, isn't it?"

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock. Gaara frowned in disapproval.

"Did you think me such a fool that I wouldn't know that you were involved with her? You smell of each other. She's all over you, even now." he bit out.

"I'm not involved with her. I'm in love with her." Sasuke shot back.

"Too little, too late, then?"

Sasuke couldn't understand the jealous edge in Gaara's voice. For one, Gaara didn't love Sakura. Secondly, he was married to her. Nobody had more claim than him. He stayed silent.

The sand in the room suddenly fell to the floor, and Gaara took a startled step back. He looked at Sasuke in distaste. "Get out." he growled.

Sasuke left without asking twice. He headed back to his room, hoping Ino or Kakashi could do something about his arm until he saw Sakura again. When he did, he was going to make sure she knew everything.

Gaara watched the other man leave. When he was finally gone, Gaara collapsed against the desk, breathing harshly. He gripped the desk tightly, sweat covering his bare chest. His stomach was rolling, and he was pushing down the urge to vomit all over his expensive carpet.

He couldn't believe what had just happened. He had engaged one of the Leaf in combat, injured him, and then sent him on his way. Gaara knew it wasn't technically his fault, as Shukaku had been doing most of the driving, but the repercussions of his actions were still very real.

When he had felt someone in his office, Gaara had been furious. He assumed Aiko was in, scheming over documents. When he arrived to see the Uchiha there, his bloodlust had finally overtaken him. After days of stress, Gaara had snapped slightly.

His primal frustrations with having Sakura so close had been taken out on Sasuke. Irrational jealousy came along with the base nature of his demon. Though Gaara wanted little to do with Sakura, he still thought of her as his. He didn't want someone else touching what belonged to him.

Now that he was in control again, Gaara saw what a ridiculous notion that was. Owning someone like Sakura was impossible, especially when she was bound only by a flimsy signature. He let out a long breath. He had no idea how he was going to explain this to the Leaf, especially to the Hokage, who obviously prized the Sharingan.

"Fuck," he muttered. He wished his brother was around; Kankuro always seemed to know how to clean up Gaara's messes. But Gaara was too tired to send for him. Instead, he slowly made his way up the tower, back to his apartment.

Sakura was the same as before, sleeping soundly in what was now her room. Gaara sat down at the kitchen table, and waited for the explosions that morning would bring.