Demon Of The Woods Part 17

Darkness shrouded her, it was if she was floating on a sea made of the darkest midnight. Some might have been afraid but Zakuro welcomed it. She had always loved the dark, believing that it didn’t necessarily equate to evil. She heard the sound of her pulse, softly beatinging her ears and everytime it beat a dull pain in her chest throbbed. A strangely good pain, like a healing bruise. She could smell the woods and those black roses, and listened to the sounds that only those who respected the dark could hear.
Zakuro reflected upon her life. She watched in a mirror as she grew into the young woman that she was, always short and always the same blue eyes staring back at her. Who was she really though? She had never really found that out and now she never would. She could see her father’s tanned face and hear his laughter from a time when she was always laughing. She recalled when she used to sing until her soul soared over the highest clouds. She watched herself punch Shikamaru in the face and then laugh with him about it later. Zakuro remembered Tsnade’s quick wit and firey temper as she taught her chakra control. She saw the face of Sasuke’s mother Mikoto, Zakuro’s adoptive mother who had always loved her as her own daughter. She was laughing with Naruto and Sakura. She was playing tag with Sasuke around the big tree in his backyard, their favorite spot. Sasuke was proposing to her. He was comforting her after her father’s death and she after his brother’s. She remembered how Sasuke’s kiss had made her feel lighter than air. Then she was frozen, trapped by the spell of Gaara’s eyes. She watched him save her from the rage of a vengeful wolf and play her the song that had made her heart sing. Her heart beat increased as she remembered how Gaara’s kiss had sent some forbidden heat coursing through her veins. But now that’s all she could do, remember.
The smell of those black roses engulfed her but also there was a musky scent with it. It was so familiar. She felt her eyes open but the darkness didn’t fade, niether did the pain in her chest. In fact it blazed through her chest with every beat of her heart. Zakuro started to cry, panic stricken. She heard soft sobs and realized that they belonged to her. “Zakuro?” A soft whispy voice called out. Why was she being punished like this? She felt a weight at her side and a cold hand found hers. “Zakuro are you alright?” She turned away from the sound of Gaara’s voice and tried to ignore the familiar warmth on her cheeks. “What’s wrong?” He asked.
“You’re not really here.” She choked out, her voice thick with tears. “I died and now I’m being tortured.” She wanted to go back to that peaceful feeling from before and just remember.
Zakuro felt his smile through the dark and felt the quiver of butterflies in her stomach. “Do you want me to show you that you’re alive?” Not waiting for an answer his lips met hers. She shivered inside as the familiar cold taste of his mouth filled hers. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and a blush warmed her face again and deepened as she realized that she was lying in a bed. Probably Gaara’s, it smelled of the roses and musk, the same smell that clung to his skin and hair. She let her fingers lightly trace his cheek and ruffle his hair. This was real, he was real. She was alive. Then Gaara’s mouth pressed harder against hers and his hand tangled in her hair, deepening the kiss like he never had before. Zakuro’s breath left in a sigh as a new heat travled down to her toes. Her hands explored the muscles of his chest through his thin shirt.
Suddenly his lips froze over hers and he drew away from her. His breathing had taken on that strange heaviness from before and his hands gripped at the bedsheets. Zakuro released her hold on him and laid completely still. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark and she could see that his face was turned away and knew that his eyes and jaw were clenched shut. After a moment his breathing returned to normal and he turned back to her. “Are you ok?” She asked worriedly. Still she felt a little guilty because she wished that he would kiss her again.
“Yes.” Zakuro could tell that he was lying. He was too tense now and seemed distant. “I’m sorry, that was my fault. I overestimated my self control.” Gaara’s cheeks turned warm. “I need to behave myself.”
Zakuro blushed a little too. “I’m not complaining and when have men ever worried about moving too fast in a relationship.”
Gaara chuckled as he rested his forehead against hers. “You might not be complianing, but I like kissing you too much and it’s dangerous.”
Zakuro pouted for a moment. Then she reached upand softly kissed his frozen lips. “I love you Gaara.” She whispered.
She could feel his down cast expression. “I know you do. I love you too, more than anything.” Gaara whispered back. He sat up and turned away. For a long moment he didn’t speak. When he did he said. “You shouldn’t love me, Zakuro.”
“What?”
“I don’t deserve it, I don’t deserve you. You know what I am as well as what I’ve done, I don’t deserve your love.” He was suddenly angry. “I’m a monster! What I deserve is to suffer alone for the rest of my life! I deserve to rot inside my own mind, my own personal hell forever!” Gaara buried his face in his hands. “I don’t deserve you.” He repeated over and over.
Zakuro could tell from the choking sound behind his hands that he was crying. “Gaara, please don’t talk like that.” She tried to sit up but the pain in her chest tore through her and she cried out.
Gaara wrapped his arms around her and steadied her. “Stay still.”  He said soothingly. Holding her against his chest he gently stroked her hair and back.
“I wish you wouldn’t talk like that.” Zakuro mumbled into his shirt.
“It’s true.” Gaara said sadly.
Zakuro felt tears welling in her eyes. “I don’t care if it’s true or not.” She sobbed. “I don’t care what you’ve done and I don’t care what you are, I care about you. I said that I’d love you no matter what and I meant it. I love you.”
She cried for a moment before he tightened his hold on her. “I’ve always loved you Zakuro.” He whispered into her hair. Zakuro sniffed once before burying her face in his chest. That small movement sent another wave of pain through her body and she bit back another cry.
Gaara seemed to sense her pain. Reaching into the dark he picked up a glass from the stand beside the bed. “I just remembered, Sakura gave this to me for when you woke up.”
Zakuro’s head shot up. “Oh my god! Sakura, Naruto and Shikamaru are they all okay?” She asked, panic strangling her voice. She decided not to mention Sasuke. She didn’t want to set Gaara off, especially now when he seemed so unstable.
Gaara caught her aversion but didn’t say anything. “Relax, they’re all fine. Shikamaru went home hours ago. Now take this,” He placed the glass in her hands. “Sakura said it would help the pain while you sleep.”
Panic siezed her again. “I don’t want to sleep. I’m.. I’m afraid I won’t wake up.” Zakuro felt new tears trail down her cheeks.
“Of course you will,” Gaara gently brushed her tears away. “You’ll be fine. I wouldn’t give this to you if I didn’t believe that. I want you to heal and in order to do that you need to rest.”
Zakuro nodded, knowing that was true. “Okay.” Raising the glass to her lips she drank the syrupy liquid inside. It was thick and very bitter, it seemed to coat her throat with its stickiness. She cringed after swallowing it all down. Quickly afterward a light warmth bubbled in her stomach and spread out all the way to her fingertips. The pain in her chest dulled to an ache and her eyelids started to droop. Soon her head swam and felt to heavy to hold up so she rested it against Gaara’s chest. He took the glass from her hands and set it back on the nightstand. Then his hand found hers, lacing their fingers together he started humming a song softly in her ear. She hadn’t heard this tune before but she liked it. “That sounds new.” She mumbled.
Gaara smiled. “No one’s ever inspired me like you have.” He whispered. “Now it’s time for you to get some sleep.” Shifting his body he set her back on the pillows and pulled the covers around her.
For a moment their eyes locked and Zakuro was once again left breathless. She could feel his desire in his gaze and felt a blush work its way to her face, wrapping her arms around him she held him close. She felt goosebumps rise on her skin from the cold of his body. Gaara rested his head on her shoulder, his nose softly tracing the edge of her jaw. She never wanted to let him go. “You’ll stay here won’t you?” Zakuro asked fighting against her drowziness.
“Of course,” Gaara said, tracing his fingers through her hair. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.” There was a long silence between them and Zakuro felt the sudden change in him. “Zakuro,” He whispered, his tone sent a heated chill through her. He leaned over her and mumbled his words against her lips. “Promise me you’ll never leave me.”
“I promise.”
Zakuro felt a cold tears fall onto her cheek. “Thank you.” Then he softly kissed her. “Now get some sleep.”
Settling back onto the pillows Zakuro closed her eyes. The warmth from that medicine seemed to leech away her consiousness. After a moment Gaara started to hum her a lullaby and Zakuro slid back into the dark.