Since this IS the last chapter, please review :)

All Black

Chapter Eight

The next day, as Gaara was sitting in his office, toying with a pen and thinking of his bride-to-be, when the subject of his thoughts, her guardian, and Baki came in.

He raised his nonexistent eyebrow as he stood up, and waved towards the seats in front of his desk.

The pink-haired girl was wearing an ivory-white dress, he noticed with a very self-satisfied smirk.

"Good morning." he said simply as everyone sat down.

"Listen up. We have reached an agreement about the companies when you two marry." Kakashi began lazily.

"What did you figure out?" Sakura asked eagerly.

"Be patient, missy." he reprimanded. "As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, we have a compromise. Subaku and Haruno will join. Their decisions will be in sync with each other. No business deal will be done without the consent of the other."

"But the companies will be separate. It'll remain the same all except for what Kakashi just said. Also, they won't be competitors either. So if one rises higher on the ladder than the other, it's an achievement for both." Baki continued.

"That sounds exceptionally well thought out." Gaara said.

"Do you remember that janitor that was in here when Kakashi and Sakura came for the first time? Well, he was in the boardroom, emptying the garbage cans, overheard our useless blank negotiations, and offered the idea." the Subaku representative smiled sheepishly. "We took it."

"His name is Kaname, and will you please give him a raise?" the green-eyed girl asked.

"Do whatever you like. You own my company now." Gaara pronounced.

She smiled. "Then I'd like to have the rest of the workers, big or small jobs, to come personally to me for anything, whether it's a problem, or an opinion or an idea. I want to have people feeling they are truly a part of our syndicate."

"I'll go and arrange a sort of notice." Baki stood up, and exited the office.

"Sakura, might you be a lovely child, and fetch me something to drink?" her grey-haired guardian inquired.

"Okay. I'll be back!" and she stepped out of the room.

Kakashi leaned forward.

"What did you do to Sakura? Not that it's a bad thing, but…she's wearing white. Not black anymore. I even helped her donate all her clothes and bleached her favourite dresses white."

He settled back against the chair, prepared for the younger man's answer.

"That is a secret that I do not wish to indulge unless Sakura wishes to." Gaara entwined his fingers with his elbows on his desk.

"Then I thank you. My daughter is much more happier." he stuck out his hand, and the red-haired boy shook it.

The pink-haired girl came back just in time to catch the two men shaking hands.

"Here, Kakashi. I got you a Coke." she said brightly, placing the can in front of him.

"And here's your coffee." she grinned at Gaara as she took a sip and put it in between his elbows. "Hope you don't mind that I took a sip?"

"Of course not." he took a swallow, and offered it to her.

She let him carefully pour the plain black coffee down her throat.

"So when's the wedding date?" Kakashi asked curiously, watching their exchange with an openly very wistful look.

They looked at each other, eyes wide.

"We...haven't exactly really thought of it yet?" she answered sheepishly.

"Take your time, I suppose, then. But really, it'd be nice if it was in the next six months or something." the man winked his lone eye.

"Why…why don't we have a double wedding with Temari? She is setting her date sometime, and we could let her take care of everything." Gaara inquired as he gently tugged his girl down to sit on his lap.

"Sounds like a good idea. Now, Sakura, are you going to stay or go? I have to go back to my office to do some work." Kakashi stood up.

"Would you mind if I stay?" she answered shyly. "I'd like to spend more time with Gaara."

"Great. See you later, missy." he vanished out the door.

They sat there long after he left, ensconced in each other, enjoying their timid attentions upon the other.

Nobody had interrupted them, as everyone had actually evacuated the building to celebrate the joining of their companies.

Finally, when night started to fall, they untangled themselves.

"Would you like to come home with me?" Gaara asked her.

"Sure. I'll tell Kakashi I'm staying over longer. But he's probably drunk, anyways." she smiled adorably at him, causing the redhead to reach out and grab her hand.

She clung to his side as they walked the way back.

They were greeted with a visibly happy Shino and a delighted Temari.

"Oh my lord, baby brother, little sister, you won't believe it. I'm pregnant!" she screamed when she saw the pair approaching.

"Congratulations." he carefully placed a kiss on the blonde's flushed cheek.

"Congratulations, Temari!" Sakura grinned at her, sharing their joy easily as she embraced her sister-in-law-to-be.

"Thank you, you two. But now that means that I have to really get married soon before I become a whale." she said amusedly as she retreated back beside her black-haired man.

"Oh! Might we be married in a double wedding with you?" the pink-haired girl asked hesitantly.

"Why not? Shino, do you have any objections to it?"

"It would become a better spectacle, and would draw more attention to the alliance of all three of our com-" he was cut off.

"He means yes." Temari laughed happily.

"We only came to ask you that, really, and congratulations again. Let us know when you set the date, big sister. We're going to dinner." the jade-eyed boy said. "Bye."

"Bye-bye!" Temari giggled, hugging Sakura again before letting them go.

..:黑:..

They arrived at a small, familiar restaurant they had both frequented before.

"Good evening, Miss Haruno, Mr Subaku. It is a pleasure to see you again. We give our best wishes to your engagement and upcoming marriage." the amicable host bowed.

"Thank you. Could we have a table by a window?" Gaara asked.

"Of course. Right this way." the man led them to their requested table, and left gracefully.

They opened up their menus, and the emerald-eyed girl sighed.

"Their menus are always the same." she said happily. "But it's nice that they still give them out even though they already know what we want to eat."

"Yes." but the red-haired boy wasn't concentrating upon her musing; he just noticed that the family of four Uchihas just walked in.

"What is it?" she immediately picked up that his focus wasn't on her anymore.

"The Uchihas are behind you."

Her unpainted mouth shaped a perfect 'O' of surprise.

"I suppose we pretend we don't notice them, then." her excited demeanour returned when a waiter came around.

"Good evening, Miss Haruno, Mr Subaku. Here are two plain black coffees." he spoke amusedly as he set down two oddly tall cups.

"Thank you." they said unanimously.

"And I believe you two want what you usually order when you're with your families?"

"Yes." they handed him the menus.

As Lady Luck would have it, the Uchihas sat in plain view of the couple.

Out of the corner of two different green eyes, they watched as the oldest son, Itachi, settle comfortably and undisturbed into his seat, busily tapping into his phone.

Fugaku, who looked very tired and relieved to be sitting, crumpled into the squishy chair.

Mikoto very obviously pretended to not see Sakura and Gaara, and stiffly sat down, her back ramrod straight.

Sasuke openly glared at the pair as he slumped into his seat.

"Coffee?" the candy-haired doll offered her Subaku boy.

He tilted his head back, and opened his mouth.

They both knew that Sasuke was watching jealously as Sakura delicately poured the black liquid down Gaara's throat.

The tattooed boy in turn did the same thing, admiring the way her white neck was exposed, with strands of florescent hair falling back, and her red mouth poised open to accept the drink.

He could hear knuckles cracking from clenching too hard, and fought the urge to smirk.

Two plates were set in front of them, jolting them from their little daze.

They started to tease and feed each other like the day he proposed, taking unguilted delight in the growing hostility they could feel emanating from the Uchiha table.

Thoroughly enjoying each other's company and losing almost all feeling to the outside world, Gaara ran a shaky finger (the after-effects of overdosing the caffeinated drink) down Sakura's downy apple-white arm.

"Are you happy?" he said hoarsely.

"Mm." she murmured with a smile. "I am completely happy, happier than I have ever been with you."

She leaned forward dreamily, and placed a miniscule kiss on the corner of his mouth.

They awoke with a thump from the left, and saw that the younger Uchiha boy with an angry red face had just thrown his fists onto his table in a childish manner.

"Sasuke!" Mikoto admonished.

She reached out to touch him, but he jerked away, choosing to shoot up from his chair and stalked away from his family, his fists clenched so tightly that bluish veins were popping. He went out the door.

"…It's more prudent to not flaunt a treasure in front of someone who covets it as to maintain a more productive relationship." Sakura observed quietly, but she held a slight smirk on her lips.

He didn't bother to answer her, instead flicking a hand for the check.

Once his card was returned, he stood up, extending a hand to her as to raise her from her position.

She accepted, and rose.

Tentatively, he tightened his hold on her hand.

She laid her pink head on his shoulder, leaning into him as they walked out.

"But I suppose you aren't very prudent." she added as a late afterthought. "Nor I believe you care."

"No, I do not. For only my siblings' happiness and our own happiness matter to me." he stated almost coldly.

"Which I am glad for." she said contentedly. "That is all that you should be caring about."

Yet Gaara still felt dismayed.

Something was missing, he knew it!

But he was sure everything had fallen into place…

They walked silently around town until it was three o'clock, and Sakura became sleepy.

"Can we go back to your house?" she yawned widely.

"If you like." they set off at a lazy pace.

They passed the cemetery, and Gaara froze.

"Stop." he commanded.

"What is it?" she inquired.

He realized what he was missing.

"Come. I have something to do here."

She solemnly understood, and clasped his hand gently as they threaded through the trees and faded gravestones to the barely-old spot where his father was buried.

He let go of her pale hand, and knelt before the stone.

Because he owed his dead father a thank you, at least.

"Thanks." Gaara said awkwardly, staring at the name engraved into the granite. "I met someone because of your funeral. Someone who was like Mother was to you. I hope you found Mother, wherever you went, and that she's happy. And that you're happy, Father."

He stood up, shaking, not taking his jade eyes off of the headstone.

Sakura grabbed his hand again, and they turned to step out of the desolate churchyard, never looking back.

..:黑:..

…And…and…that's the end.

I'm sad that this is over, no more vague and strange and airy GaaSaku. :(

Again, please review for the sake of this being the last chapter.

:E hypheniated

A gigantic thank you to my very awesome tolerant lovely beta, oxsilvermoonxo, and to all that have reviewed. :D