Disclaimer; I don't own Naruto or Gaara and Sakura would be together. Yeah, yeah... I know it's SAISAKU, but GAASAKU is my number one! Hee hee. Anyway, enjoy.

Sakura blinked when a drop of blood landed on her cheek as she stared up at Sai, her teammate. He coughed as more blood spat from his mouth, the needles obviously digging deep into his back. She felt alarmed, panicked, and could do nothing but stare at him in shock. "Sai!"

She hurried and got out from under him, pulling the needles out one by one. Sai winced and fell forward onto his stomach, trying very hard to breath. "Sai, never do that again!" Sakura said in between tears, while the warm green glow of her hands healed the wound. The black haired teammate chuckled, feeling himself feel much better than he had two minutes ago.

Once he was healed, Sakura perched him up against the tree and looked at him with soft eyes. "Why did you do that, Sai?" He looked up at her weakly and smiled, one of those annoying fake smiles. "I read in a book, that is common for teammates to sacrifice themselves for another teammate." He winced and Sakura suddenly went into medic mode again, but he smacked her hand away.

"What did I tell you Sai? What's written in books aren't usually important. Don't ever do that again..." She felt her voice get shaky at the end of her sentence, obviously about to get upset again. This wasn't the time or the place to be showing emotions, especially since they were on a mission. Sakura had ended up stumbling upon a trip wire, when her and Sai split up to look for the rogue ninja.

However, she couldn't help but feel relieved that he was there to save her. Even though it could have possibly killed him and she would have never lived with herself again after that. But she smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a silent thanks. When her hand fell away, he felt his skin suddenly burning since her hand had left it.

"We should finish the mission," Sai stood up and instantly fell back to his knees, wincing in pain. "SAI!" He held up a hand to stop her from even touching him, and rose up once more. "But you're hurt!" She yelled again, until he put his hand over her mouth to shut her up. "If you don't quit being loud, we're both dead." And he said this seriously, which made chills go down her spine.

Sakura nodded and he removed his hand from her mouth, looking around cautiously for any of the rogue ninja that were once there. Whoever they were, are gone now and they should head back to the Leaf Village to tell Tsunade that they had failed. She grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder, trying to help him walk through the forest near the village.

"Sakura-san, I never asked you... were you moved when I saved you?" She laughed quietly and rolled her eyes. "It's like the time before when you saved me from that spider. You asked the same question and I didn't answer, so you assumed it was yes." She looked at him and smiled.

"Then I take that as yes." The rest of their walk to Konoha was quiet, neither of them speaking to the other for awhile. Sakura occasionally looked at him through the corner of her eye to make sure he was still awake, because if he passed out, that would not be a good thing.

Finally they reached their destination and Sakura rushed Sai to the hospital, then went to the Hokage tower to tell Tsunade of their failed mission. The busty blond was a little angry, but softenened when she heard of Sai's bravery to save the young girl. "You receive no punishment, but you must look after Sai in the hospital. I'll send Ino and Shikamaru to retrieve the rogue ninja tomorrow,"

Sakura bowed in respect and turned to leave the room. Before she could, Tsunade called out to her, which made her halt while holding the door handle. "Yes, master?" Sakura asked, not turning around. Tsunade drank some of her sake before answering her.

"Don't fall too hard for this one, dismissed." The pinkette's face flushed and she only nodded in response, shutting the door behind her. I'm not going to fall for Sai, she can count on that. She said in her head, ignoring the tiny voice whispering from her heart: I already have.

She left Hokage tower, making her way towards the hospital, grabbing a few apples along the way. Every time her teammates were in the hospital, she cut them up and gave the slices to them with a smile on her face. Sometimes they don't appreciate it, but she does it anyway.

Sakura went to the front desk, signed her name into the little book that laid there, and proceeded to go to Sai's room. When she got there, she grasped the doorknob, but stopped once she heard voices in the room. One she could tell was Sai, the other was obviously Ino, and there was snoring. Shikamaru.

"Sai, how could you save her? It put your life in danger, Sakura is so selfish sometimes!" The blond complained. Sakura felt her eyebrow twitch with irritation and she gripped the doorknob harder, feeling it becoming somewhat bent. "Sakura isn't selfish." Sai's comment made her eyes widen. He didn't think she was selfish?

"In fact, she's the least selfish person I know. At least she healed me, hell, she even cried for me when she thought I would die." Okay, he could have left that part out! "But, I saved her because I wanted to. So stop your blah blah blahing and leave my room." Sai defended her? Sakura felt her heart leap when she heard what he had said about her.

She heard Ino sigh in disappointment. Sakura took this as a chance to walk in the room and when she did, the blond glared daggers at her. "I'm going Sai-kun... later forehead." She waved goodbye and Shikamaru, who was apparently sleeping, woke up, following her out the door. Sakura rolled her eyes and sat down in the chair beside his bed, pulling an apple out from her bag to peel.

"Did you hear all that?" Sai asked quietly. "Yes, I did... thanks for defending me." She blushed and began peeling away the skin of the apple, smiling softly as she did so. "You don't need defending, but she annoyed me..." She then giggled, after slicing the apple into tiny little pieces.

Sai held a book in his hands while they sat there quietly, enjoying the silence. Sakura finished the apple and handed it to him. "Here," He looked at her and took the plate from her hands, placing it in his lap. Sai put his book down on the table beside him and took a bite of the apple slices she had given him.

"Sakura, can you tell me what love is?" Sakura looked at him, trying to see if his question was a joke. When she saw that his face was serious, she knew it wasn't. "Well love is many things I guess. Family love, friend love, and real love." He tilted his head in confusion, so she made it more clear for him to understand just what she was talking about.

"Well, I love my parents. I love Naruto and Ino, sometimes..." She mumbled the last part and looked at Sai who was now nodding. "What about the real love?" A groan could be heard throughout the room, along with a small smack. Sakura had her hand on her forehead, thinking of just what exactly to say to get him to understand.

"It's like... relationship love! Marriage, dating, ... like... the love I used to have for Sasuke. The love between Kurenai-sensei and Asuma-sensei could be a good example, too.." She trailed off.

"But, can you love when you are not in a relationship?" Sakura nodded, unable to answer him further. She felt her cheeks flame with embarrassment from having to explain all of this to Sai of all people.

"Oh, I understand..." She breathed a sigh of relief of not having to explain this any further. Sakura looked up at him and could see that he was staring at her with concern, so she smiled in reassurance. He wasn't convinced with her half-ass smile.

"THEN it's settled... I love you." He said it so seriously. Sakura blushed and looked away for a mere second, before he grabbed her chin to tilt her eyes back toward him. His eyes were so dark, a deep shape of obsidian that seemed to draw her in...

Sai kissed her suddenly, holding her still so she wouldn't fight. She didn't. Sakura kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. When they pulled away. "Sai... I love you, too..."

He gaved her a fake smile, looking straight into her eyes and said... "But you're still ugly," A firm whack resounded.

The END