Back again to give you that fire you so desire, ma darlings. Anyway, here you go, the next Go Round of this Merri.

Bad Habits(If Time Was My Friend)

by CickCycleCarosel

Chapter Two: Zombie Walkings and Love Talkings

If there was anyone Sakura hadn't been expecting to be laying in that bed, it was Sasuke Uchiha. The sight of him was almost enough to make her start hyperventilating but she had a job to do and a duty to her village to fore fill.

She moved swiftly towards his bruised and battered body laying on the hospital bed and began to heal the internal bleeding along with as many cuts as she could before she started to feel woozy from the loose of so much chakra.

She looked down at his still body and watched as he breathed in a daze. His eyelids fluttered open and she faintly heard him calling her name before she collapsed onto the ground. She looked up at the ceiling with glazed eyes before closing them and letting the darkness that had been following after her since she had healed Naruto and Neji consume her.

Gaara looked up from his paperwork and up at his older sister Temari, lifting a nonexistent brow.

"Can you repeat that?" he asked with his eyes narrowed

"Well, they sent a messenger and his version of the peace treaty is completely different from what they sent us in the beginning. Listen, Gaara, I looked it over and I even sent them an eagle demanding the meaning of this and they said that the one they sent was the original peace treaty and we must have gotten a draft. They also agreed to all our terms and conditions if comply with their's," Temari said, every now and then looking down at said peace treaty.

"They have more conditions they want us to abide by? Do they not understand who has the upper hand here? We've already agreed to give his son back, to provide two ambassadors, and to help pay for public destruction," Gaara stated waving his hands in exaggeration.

Temari nodded her head and wrote down some notes of a piece of paper. "Gaara, you're not going to like what their last condition is. So, to avoid being the barer of bad news, I'll let their messenger tell you the news.

Gaara nodded his head and waved his to dismiss her and let the messenger from Lord Toshio's village.

Sakura blinked twice and coughed as she tried to sit up before falling back onto the hospital bed. She sighed and licked her dry lips before looking around at the room they had placed her in. Not surprisingly, everything was white. The door, the walls, the dresser where they had, no doubt, but her clothes in. It was all so blindingly white that it was giving her a headache.

She closed her eyes once again and relaxed, she had all intentions giving into her exhaustion and falling back to sleep when she felt something warm wrap around her hand and shift by her side.

She cracked one eye opened and looked down at her right side. The sight that greeted her was surprising to say the least. Sasuke Uchiha was laying sleeping at her bedside, his hand gently holding her's. If this had been any other time she might have started to swoon but the only reaction she could muster was a blank stare. What was he doing here, in her room?

Why had the nurses let him in? Why had Tsunade let him in? Why was he holding her hand and why were her eyes beginning to water?

She lifted her left hand and brought it to her face before touching her cheeks. She was crying, to her great astonishment and distaste. Hadn't she cried over him enough?

"Sakura?" he questioned as he looked up at her. Her tears hurting him in a way he hadn't thought possible.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with a shaky voice. This wasn't how she had pictured him in all her dreams of him coming back. He looked worn out and older that he really was. But so handsome it hurt.

"You passed out, I was worried. They only allowed you one visitor," he explained, his eyes holding a look she knew well but one that had never been offered to her before. "I missed you, Sakura. I missed you so much," he whispered as tears gathered in his own eyes. It wasn't a lie, either. He had thought about her the most out of everyone.

"I," she tried to speak before the sob that was rising from her pit broke through, taking her breath away. He moved quickly and pulled her close to him.

"So much, Sakura. I missed you so much," he murmured into her hair before raising her chin so that she could see the sincerity in his eyes. And just as they were about to kiss, a kiss that held promise, Lee burst into the room with sweat dripping down his brow like he had just run 34 laps around the village walls.

"Sakura-san! The Hokage needs you in her office pronto!" he yelled. Sakura whiped her eyes and nodded her head before looking at Sasuke who was glaring at Lee for interrupting their moment.

She stood on shaky legs and made her way to the cabinet that held her clothes and then turned to the two males. "f you wouldn't mind," she trailed off suggestively and they both nodded taking the hint.

She quickly dressed and then walked out of the room to where Sasuke and Lee stood waiting for her.

"I'll... I'll talk to you later, Sasuke," she murmured before following after Lee.

Gaara looked at the messenger and gritted his teeth. "Let me get this straight, you want one of us," he stopped and gestured between himself and his brother who was standing on the right side of him," to marry Lord Toshio's daughter?" he asked. His eyes were blazing hot jade fire but that didn't seem to bother the messenger. Had it been any other man, Gaara was positive he'd have had a wet spot on his carpet and the smell of piss lingering in the air.

"Yes, that's exactly what Lord Toshio has in mind. It would be a way of strengthening our alliance," the messenger stated clearly.

Gaara waved his hand and dismissed the messenger and gritted his teeth as the man bowed and left the room. He looked between both of his siblings and motioned for them to sit.

"So Gaara, what will we do? Which of you two will marry her?" Temari asked, her voice filled with concern.

"I-I... what about Shino-san? He'll be so sad if he hears I'm getting married," Kankuro murmured. Gaara rolled his eyes and Kankuro's mention of his boyfriend.

Gaara rubbed his temple and sighed in aggravation. "I don't know what we'll do but we'll figure out a way to make this work," he muttered.

"But... but if it's for the good of the village..," Kankuro protested. Gaara silenced him with a look before looking back at the peace treaty.

"We'll figure something out."

"If you were both already betrothed then they couldn't do anything. Even if it was to a man," Temari said, the last part for Kankuro's benefit. "They want you to marry in two years time. That's plenty of time for you both to get engaged to someone else," she continued on.

Gaara nodded his head as he listened to his sister's idea.

"And then they'd just have to settle with her marrying one of the councilmen's sons," she stated. "All that you two have to do is find the right bride or groom," she finished.

Gaara nodded is head. At this point, he'd do just about anything to keep himself from marrying Lord Toshio's daughter. It wasn't like she wasn't beautiful, he had seen her before, but he was sure that Lord Toshio would try to influence policies by using his daughter and that was just something he wasn't will to put up with.

"Then it's settled, that's what we'll do," Temari said with a triumphant smile.

So, what do you guys think? And yes this is still a Sakura/Garra fic but the plot won't run as smoothly without the Sakura/Sasuke love. Just bare with me and all will be revealed in due time! So until next time, bye bye!

- Caro-kun signing out!