Chapter 17

There was an unfiltered ferocity within his glowing gaze that did more to make me freeze than whatever influence he might be using with his vampirism.

The skin on Gaara's fingertips was soft and cold, quite the opposite to the harsh desert where he dwelled. I could feel his heart beating quickly underneath my fingers as I pressed against his chest with what little energy I dared muster. His hand tightened on my shoulder, but he hesitated to bite me.

I took advantage of the pause and wrapped both my hands around his wrist, the one holding my jaw tightly, and attempted to appeal to whatever humanity he may possess, "Please…I'm a-afraid..."

His gaze hovered shakily on the crease of my neck, where he obviously wanted to tear into the flesh, before he squeezed his bright eyes closed. A light shove threw me down to the floor and suddenly the king was no longer in front of me.

I took a moment to calm my panicked breathing before looking up.

He regarded me with a confused stare from a few yards away. Luckily, his eyes had returned to their pretty clear seafoam green, but the expression seemed unfitting on his usually blank features.

"Gaara, I-"

The royal raised a hand to silence me, his face sinking back into his usual, more controlled, one. He turned his back and spoke in his usual gravelly voice, "If you tell anyone about this, I will drain you."

My blood ran ice cold, but I nodded quickly in acknowledgement even though he was facing away from me. As if by some kind of queue that I didn't detect, one of the guards from before entered and pulled me to my feet with a large hand wrapped around my upper arm. I turned to catch one more glimpse of the Sunagakure king's back before I was pulled past the green curtain and led through similar winding halls as earlier.

After a few awkward minutes of silent travel, we stepped into a seemingly random room where Sasuke appeared to have been waiting. The prince shot the guard a thick warning glare as soon as he lay eyes on the man's tight grip on my arm, "I suggest you remove your hand before I do it for you."

An odd mixture of attraction and fear sprang up into my stomach at the enraged expression on his handsome features. I looked at him in shock as the guard removed his calloused fingers from my skin.

The muscular man spoke in an emotionless voice as though he hadn't just been threatened, "The Subaku family wishes for you to relax and make yourselves at home. The king will send for you later this evening." He turned on his heel, then, and left the room without another word.

Sasuke didn't miss a moment and quickly scanned my body for any marks, holding my arms away from my sides with his hands, "What did they do?"

I felt my face start to heat up under his searching gaze and decided it best not to tell him about Gaara almost attacking me, "Nothing. They just gave me some clothes to wear for the day."

He inspected the arm the guard had been holding more closely, looking for any hint of a bruise without replying.

I felt the last bit of anxiety from being in the king's presence leave my body as I pulled the limb from Sasuke's grasp and hugged him tightly around the waist, burying my face in his thin white shirt.

He seemed taken aback by my actions for a moment, but soon gently reciprocated my embrace.

I basked in his attractive scent for a moment before realizing he'd probably start to worry if I stayed like that for too long. When I pulled back, he studied my face for a moment before surprising me by slowly glancing down at my lips.

Does he want to kiss me?

My face warmed as he gently pulled me closer against him. I was about to lean up to capture his lips with my own when the curtain across the doorway suddenly shot to the side.

I jumped out of the prince's arms with a red face, but he simply glared at our visitors. Ino didn't wait for us to greet her and pointedly ignored the position we'd been caught in, "Let's go explore the town! Kankuro said the festival doesn't start until after dinner, but we can still go for a walk."

I looked over at Sasuke to see his reaction and he simply followed the couple out of the room without a glance in my direction. I bit back a sigh of defeat before joining the group.

Perhaps he'd lost interest in me, sexually. After all, we haven't even kissed since the night we first fooled around. It's obvious he cares at least a little otherwise he wouldn't be so protective, but maybe he'd just been humoring me all along.

The prince has never struck me as the type to adjust his actions for someone else's sake, but his brother really seems to like my sister so maybe he's simply putting up with me for now. The thought made my chest tighten, which only made me more upset.

I told myself before we even kissed that I couldn't expect him to ever have real feelings for someone like me and I need to keep that fact in mind.

He's royalty.

He and his brother's notorious promiscuity is one of the reasons I allowed myself to admit to my attraction. That and the fact that I'll most likely die within the next few months by Madara's hand and I don't want to do so whilst being a virgin.

Ino and Sai chatted away as a different guard led the way through the halls. Sasuke and I walked behind them in silence. Sai seemed absolutely smitten with her new look and repeatedly told her so. A small part of me felt sad that Sasuke hadn't said anything to me, but I also knew he isn't the type to shower anyone with compliments.

When we finally made it outdoors, the wave of dry heat from before hit me like a ton of bricks.

My hair started to stick to my bare skin when I started to sweat and I kept having to push it out of my face in irritation. I'd asked one of the women for a hair tie before they'd finished giving me my miniature makeover, but I was told the King instructed them to keep my hair loose. If he didn't terrify me so much, I'd have a word with Gaara about being so controlling of his guests.

The guard proceeded to lead us about the town for the next couple hours, occasionally giving us some information on historical locations or statues. Just as my feet began to get sore from walking around in these thin sandals and my stomach was beginning to growl, our guide let us know that it was time to head back to the castle to freshen up for dinner.

The sun was just starting to set when we arrived. I felt positively worn out and gross by the time we made it to Sasuke's room. I'd been overheating in the sun for hours and wanted to do nothing but to bathe and go to sleep.

Sasuke immediately began pulling his shirt off over his head, tossing it into the awaiting basket in the corner of the room. He glanced at me before wordlessly motioning for me to follow suit. My face burnt bright, but I did as requested.

I turned my back and squeezed my eyes shut when he started unbuttoning his pants. I've yet to see him completely naked, yet he's acting so nonchalant about undressing. Gingerly, I pulled the mesh shirt off over my head.

I heard his footsteps against the stone ground wander through the doorway to the bathroom and the sound of the water starting to run.

My heart was beating so loudly in my ears as I tried to untie the silky cloth around my waist with shaking hands. Why am I so nervous to just bathe with him? It's not like he hasn't seen me naked before and I trust him not to force himself on me, so why?

Moments passed with the running water in the other room being the only thing I could hear before hands suddenly clasped over my still fumbling ones from behind. I could feel Sasuke's muscular body against my back and froze.

He gently pulled my hands away from the cloth and slowly untied the skirt for me. It fell lifelessly to the floor around my feet and I struggled to think of how I should react to him. Calloused fingertips danced around the hem of my underwear. After giving me a moment to object, the Uchiha helped me slide them off. Then, he pressed a slow kiss into my bare shoulder, causing chills to run up my spine.

His rough hands softly ran over my body's humble curves. My skin burned where it met his, like his touch was made of fire.

I turned my head slightly to meet his guarded eyes, but before either of us could do anything else, a brunette young woman flounced into the room with a basket of clothing.

A startled cry slipped past my lips and I rushed behind Sasuke's much bigger body with a bright red face. The young woman offered both of us a casual smile as she bowed politely. Her accent was charming, "Here's a change of clothes for you both. Please be ready for dinner within the hour." She then turned on her heel and left the room as though she didn't just walk in on two completely naked people.

I keep forgetting how casual nudity seems to be in Suna. All that talking Kankuro had done about how different women were here seemed to be true.

Sasuke turned to look down at me and I made sure to keep my gaze on his face, too nervous to look at his body. He, to my surprise, let out a short laugh before pulling me by my hand into the bathroom with him.

We both slipped into the steamy water inside the extremely large tub. I struggled to meet his eye, but also struggled to look anywhere else so the entire situation was stressful. Eventually he got annoyed with my anxiety and offered some short words of reassurance and then I felt my awkward energy melt away. We shared the remainder of the bath in a comfortable silence.

Once we were finished cleaning ourselves and getting dressed, the same young woman from before pushed the curtain to our room aside and motioned for us to follow her to the dining hall.

The dress she'd brought me was still quite revealing. It was made of an opaque white cloth that wrapped around my neck to curve down and cover my breasts, then wrapped around in an elaborate knot at my waist, leaving a long train of cloth following behind me as I walked. Beautiful golden thread was weaved into an intricate design all about the cloth. I'd started out carrying the extra fabric of the dress's train in my hands so it wouldn't get dirty, but our chaperone shooed at me, ensuring that it's meant to trail behind.

When we arrived in the dining hall, I was placed right next to Gaara and across from Ino. Sasuke and Sai were at the other end of the long table. Kankuro was seated next to Ino and Temari was across from him, next to me. Itachi sat at the opposite head of the table with Sasuke and Sai on either side of him.

The seating arrangements made it clear that the Subaku brothers wanted Ino and I separated from the Uchihas, which made for a tense dinner atmosphere. Gaara seemed unfazed by our encounter earlier today and was back to shamelessly studying me as I kept my head down for the entire meal.

Ino'd given me a covert look soon after we'd been seated and motioned toward him. She obviously wanted to know if something happened after she was taken out of the room earlier. I wordlessly reassured her, so she visibly relaxed and returned to exchanging glances with Sai.

The meal was silent and uncomfortable for the most part, but the Subaku King finally spoke as dessert was coming to a close, "Let us enjoy the festival together."

The same brunette from before was helping the other women clear the table and when she reached to gather the plate containing my unfinished food, her grip slipped and the plate fell face down into my lap. I shot to my feet in surprise, "Oh!" and managed to catch the glass dish before it could hit the ground.

The young woman bowed quickly, "I am so sorry! Please forgive me!"

I placed the plate back on the table and waved my hands as she frantically tried to dab at the now-stained cloth of my dress, "You don't have to- It's fine! Don't worry about it!"

Gaara rose to his feet calmly, but the look on his face was terrifying as he glared at her, "Matsuri. See to it that Miss Haruno is given some new clothes to replace the ones you have ruined."

The woman, that I now know's named Matsuri, bowed again in his direction with tears in her eyes before silently leading me out of the room and toward what I assume was a room I could change clothes in.

Once we were past the curtained doorway and I was stripped of my ruined dress, Matsuri helped me into a completely see-through dress that was nearly the same color as the king's eyes, only a white piece of cloth and a pair of very short shorts underneath it to cover the necessities. It was loose fitting, had thin straps holding it up at my shoulders, was decorated with thick gold designs that climbed up from the bottom hem, and ended just above my knees.

I was incredibly grateful we weren't expected to show every inch of our bodies like a lot of the locals do. After slipping my sandals back on, the young woman helped me put on some golden bracelets.

Matsuri spoke in a slightly quieter voice as though she thought someone might overhear us, "What did you do to him?"

I looked up at her before finishing the clasp of the last bracelet, "Excuse me?"

The woman's brown eyes were tearful. She seemed to be trying very hard to control her emotions, "What did you do to Lord Gaara? He's done nothing but stare at you all night."

I didn't say anything in response because it honestly seemed like she didn't want to hear a response no matter what it may be.

She continued, as I expected, "I was his favorite for nearly two months, but he's changed. Ever since he returned from Konoha, he refuses any woman, me included. Just now when I spilled food on you was the first time he's looked at me in over a week."

I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off with her voice fading into an even quieter one as though she thought someone would overhear us, "He hasn't even eaten since his return. It's unheard of for a member of the royal family to go a single day without feeding!"

My blood ran cold in my veins as I studied her concerned face. Her worry seemed sincere, but it was the ease with which she spoke of their vampiric acts that made me uncomfortable. I struggled to empathize with her and hesitated for a moment before laying a comforting hand on one of her tanned shoulders, "I don't know what he wants with me, but I can assure you that I am not interested in taking him away from you, okay?"

She searched my face for what I assumed to be dishonesty and finally offered me a small smile, "Are you lying?"

I shook my head, face warming slightly, "I have…eyes for someone else." Ino would squeal if she'd heard me say that just now.

Matsuri's eyes widened in realization, "The Uchiha prince from earlier, yes?"

I nodded, blush deepening further.

Her expression returned to a distrusting one, "You're monogamous?"

My head bobbed as I simply kept nodding, silently pleading with her to believe me so I could escape this humiliating conversation. Finally, she offered me a relieved grin, "Okay, I believe you, " she suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace, "I'm sorry for doubting you."

I gingerly patted her back, feeling a bit faint with how hot my face was becoming. The way people act in Suna's most definitely different from Konoha.

We rejoined the group in the dining hall before Matsuri bid me farewell and disappeared as the king's glare followed her out of sight. Then, our group headed off to join the town's festival. Once outside, we followed the royals to a small stage above the colorful town, lit only by an array of lamps and bulbs that gave everything a deeply tanned hue.

The bustling streets naturally quieted as their ruler stood in silence and looked around at the many stalls and decorations laying out upon multiple blocks.

Finally, after a few moments, he spoke to his subjects. Gaara kept it short and to the point, as I've learned he usually does, "Please welcome our guests from Konoha and enjoy the festival." The crowd erupted into a thundering applause as though he'd given a riveting speech.

Things slowly melted back to how they were before we arrived and our little posse began to move. I glanced around eagerly as I tried to stay as close to the group as possible, scared to get lost in the sea of people. Multiple armed guards followed us loosely with blank looks on their faces as we strolled comfortably about the streets.

I felt Sasuke's hand slowly slip into mine and looked over to see his gaze focused ahead, bringing a small smile to my lips. Since Madara and Obito aren't here to put me in danger, perhaps this could end up being a nice little break from my duties in Konoha.