Kagome's sapphire eyes took in the stillness of the red, barren scene around her. The early rays of dusk had settled over the village, seemingly swallowing the city in fire. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, allowing the serenity of the desert to overtake her body. Gripping a mug of cooling green tea, she allowed the aroma exuding from the porcelain cup to calm the storm of thoughts roiling inside of her mind.

Feeling a hand clasp her shoulder, she jumped, then spun around only to discover Sasuke's smoldering gaze.

"It's rude to scare a poor, defenseless woman."

He raised a single onyx brow. "Maybe said woman should be more alert."

She huffed, turning to face the sunset once more. "Looks like Mr. Giggles isn't so giggly tonight." She bit out sarcastically. She felt arms snake around her hips, and slowly, she relaxed into his embrace.

"What's on your mind?" She pursed her lips thoughtfully, but didn't answer. She yelped as he nipped her ear roughly.

She whipped around once more, glaring as she cupped her throbbing earlobe. "What the hell is your problem, Sasuke?"

His colorless eyes bore into her. "What did he say to you?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Please spare me the jealous and possessive male facade. I was having a perfectly nice night watching the sunset. By myself."

His lips thinned, the only sign of his displeasure. "Kagome. You're not acting like yourself. I can tell there's something on your mind, and if I had to guess, I'd bet this is about Gaara. I'm worried about you."

She swallowed, ashamed at her outburst. She held out her arms dejectedly, loosing a breath as he immediately stepped into her embrace. She allowed the warmth of his body and the smell of him bring her back to herself. "I'm sorry, Sasu. I shouldn't have been rude to you."

He gently stroked his fingers through her silky black tresses. He watched hypnotically as his fingers were swallowed by the inky mass of her hair, then as they reappeared again. "You still haven't answered my question. Kagome, I know how he is. What he can do to people. You can talk to me about it."

She gently kissed his shoulder, warmed by his concern. She knew he understood that, despite his attempts, she wouldn't saying anything. He'd allow her time to fix things herself. He always knew exactly what she needed and when. And so when she felt her feet being lifted from the ground, she simply curled into his arms, allowing him to carry her inside and gingerly set her on their bed. She felt his fingers artfully stroke her exposed thighs, then skillfully grasp the hem of her cotton underwear and slide them down her smooth legs. Her breath hitched as their eyes met, the fire in his unfaltering gaze spreading throughout her body, consuming her with want. He gently pried her legs apart and settled before her, his eyes never once looking away. Even as she closed her eyes, she could feel his own boring through her soul as his mouth took her into rapture. Intoxicated more and more with each stroke of his tongue, the unease in her mind disappeared. Even after she came undone, again and again, she still felt his stare piercing through her.

And as the fire in the sky was slowly extinguished, and her lover's eyes shut, the thoughts in her mind churned well into the night, until exhaustion overcame her, sending her into darkness. Or at least she wished it had.

"Shall we?"

She steeled herself, not allowing him to see the shock on her face. She said her thanks and goodbye to Kankuro as she stepped from the elevator, not allowing the unease on the man's purple colored face faze her. She also refused allow herself to feel the chill of her spine as his hand enveloped hers, letting go as they sat at their reserved table.

She settled the napkin in her lap, studying her surroundings. Of course, her time with paranoid and powerful ninjas had made noting all the windows and doors in the layout a force of habit. Then she observed other things, such as the glass chandeliers and golden nametags stuck to the tailored server uniforms. Her gazed rolled over the prestige white and absolute cleanliness of the restaurant. Finally, her eyes met with amused turquoise.

"It is quite nice here, isn't it?"

She nodded, "Yes," Nice? Indeed. Even by the standards of modern Tokyo's elite, not that she'd ever had experience with them or the places they frequented. She only knew from her old friend's gossiping.

It had felt like ages since she'd thought of her three old friends. Or her family, in both the modern and feudal eras. She wondered if she'd ever see either of them again, or if they'd even recognise the girl she had gradually became. She came here naive, kind, and brimming with innocence.

Now? Slowly, and surely, throughout her time in this world she had noticed that her time spent with trained assassins and jail guards was shaping her to be more… cold. Calculating. She wondered if she could ever again spend her days contently braiding flower crowns in meadows with Shippo, or eating oden in her family's loving company. Perhaps her time would better be spent with Sesshomaru, if anyone.

Her jaw clenched at the idea of going back to what she once thought of as home. Of being away from Sasuke, who she knew in every possible way was her soulmate. Even if their personalities weren't always compatible, together they created soul searing passion and love in ways that she knew she could never live without. He was her other half in every possible way, and she didn't dare to think of a future -of a world- without him.

Her eyes snapped to the man across from her, his aimed cough bringing her back from the whirlpool of her thoughts and back to the surface. She hadn't noticed as their server had placed sliced bread on their table and was currently waiting for her drink order. She smiled apologetically and gave it to him, watching as he nodded briskly and went to fill their orders.

Gaara placed a hand on his chin, smirking in amusement. "Kunai for your thoughts, Kagome?"

She thanked their server as he reappeared and sipped her water, the way her name rolled off Gaara's tongue parching her throat. When the uniformed man looked at her, pen and notepad in hand, her eyes darted to her untouched menu. She felt the amusement of her host growing. Thinking briefly of opening it quickly and picking a random item, she instead thought of something else. She bit her lip. "Umm… Do you have oden?"

"Yes, ma'am, that can be arranged." She grinned, handing him the menu.

"I'll have that, thank you." He nodded, took Gaara's order, then once again disappeared.

Kagome squared her shoulders to once again face the redhead and resumed their conversation. "That was a bad joke. And they don't actually have oden, do they?"

He laughed. "They do now." They stared each other down, sizing up one another.

She broke first, stretching to pluck a slice of bread from the table's center. Clearing her throat, she began, "So am I to expect many a lifetime of your crappy jokes?" Translation: was he going to keep her and her lover in Suna forever? Were they trading one prison for another?

His eyelids lowered coyly. "That depends." She glared.

"On what, exactly?" He waved his hand, dismissing her concerns.

"In due time, Kagome." He grinned. "How's the bread?"

She gnashed her teeth and, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of yummy bread, made a show of struggling to swallow. "It's gritty and disgusting." Like you, she added mentally.

He blinked calmly. "Well, if it's so terrible, I suppose somebody is going to lose their job tonight, then."

She balked. "You wouldn't dare!"

His eyes slit. "I would dare. However," he grabbed a slice and took a bite. "I know you're lying to be spiteful. Their bread is the best. Honestly, Kagome, we just met. I don't know what I've done to earn your scorn of my favorite restaurant's bread so early in our relationship."

Being obscure and arrogant. Not answering my questions. Knowing what my boyfriend looks like naked. Having prettier eyes than me. Honestly, I could keep going. Instead she replied, "We must have very different taste buds. Also, not to be rude, but we don't have any relationship."

He chewed thoughtfully. "Hmm… I disagree. And our tastes seem to be very similar." His eyes lit as she glared, knowing he meant Sasuke.

"Are you trying to provoke me?" She seethed.

He calmly took another bite. "I'm not trying to do anything. And if I was, it would be you who started it by hating on my bread."

She inhaled, praying for patience to whoever or whatever would listen. "You get offended by bread, and yet you're leading a whole village of citizens?"

He hummed. "I like to think of my village as my bread. Flakey and easily burnt. However, when baked to perfection and properly flavored, there's nothing better."

Her sapphire orbs glared into his turquoise abyss. "You're twisted."

He smiled disarmingly. "Your eyes are beautiful. They remind me of the ocean. It's quite nice, as we don't have any near Sunagakure. I like them." The chill of her spine returned.

For the remainder of the dinner, she tried her best to keep her eyes downcast and out of his sight. She was angry with herself for playing into his games. It took everything for her to not show any emotion, to not feed into his baiting, and yet it seemed anything she had said caused this look of satisfaction to wash over his expression. She wanted the the most savage weapon from one of Sasuke's magazines to shave it right off of his aloof, perfect face.

Her hands trembled as she cut into her oden, getting even angrier that she couldn't even enjoy the last untouched memory of her home she had. She had no idea what Sasuke ever saw in this red headed jackass. Except, she did. She imagined their combined graces, their bodies writhing ethereally in between sheets. The heated looks they would have passed, imagining what it must have been like for Sasuke's searing, passionate onyx to meet Gaara's frosty and reserved turquoise. She saw how easily she could be both burned and frozen between them both.

As they finished their meals, after sharing a light dessert, she allowed him to lead her up a winding staircase that led through a dark room and to a breezy balcony. For a moment, they stood silently, taking in the sights of the village. Kagome was honestly just grateful for any excuse to distance herself from the kage.

"Shuriken for your thoughts?" She growled, causing him to laugh in response. They looked out over the moonlit city. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" He smiled. "I can't believe it's all mine. I never imagined owning anything at all, let alone a whole village to call mine."

She peered at him from the corner of her eyes."You Like owning things, don't you? You like possessing them and saying they belong only to you. Bread. Suna. Sasuke."

He grinned, baring his teeth more than smiling. "You think you know it all, hmm? Think you have me figured out?" His eyes bore into her own as he sauntered toward her. He backed her onto the railing, his arms caging her. The chill in her spine increased tenfold, his gaze freezing her to the spot. His eyes roamed over the length of her body, leaving chills in their wake. When they returned to look into her own blue gaze, he appeared to be searching for something.

Her back stiffened as he leaned forward, his lips grazing her cheek, her temples, then her neck. His breath ghosted over her as he murmured into her collarbone. "What's so special about you, Kagome? I look at you and I see nothing special. Your beauty? Profound, yes, but easily found. Your eyes? Bewitching, vexing even, though still- not hard to find in any ninja village. Your personality is average. So what is it about you that makes everyone drawn to you? That warmed Sasuke in a way I couldn't?" He pressed his body into her, causing her to swallow as she felt the hardness of his body pressing into her.

His nose nuzzled her slowly, deliberately. "What is it about you that makes even I burn for you? I asked you here tonight to size you up, to pick you apart and exploit all your weaknesses and fears. Believe me, I had plenty of opportunities. And yet… all night, I've caught myself wishing you would look at me. Look into me, and like what you saw. I pictured what it would be like if Sasuke never met you, and he was with me instead… then I imagined a reality without him at all. Imagined that I had found you instead of Naruto." He smirked. "Half in a daze, crawling out of an old,crummy, abandoned well. Innocent. Vulnerable. Easily conquered, just like Suna was. If I had been the one to make you cry with ecstasy throughout the cold desert nights. If I was your other half, the one who made you sane."

He lifted his head, eyes trailing slowly to meet hers. "But I wasn't the one who found you, and I'm not the one who makes you sane." His smile revealed his canines. "But make no mistake, Kagome," she shivered, wishing desperately she could blame it on the breeze. "I will own you, much like I own Suna and everyone and thing in it. I will conquer you." His hands splayed low on her exposed back, venturing lower beneath her dress. "Again. And again. I will be your insanity. You'll beg me for my touch." His fingers dug into her skin as he forced her upper body to hover over the railing. "How does it feel, hovering over the edge of chaos, Kagome?" His lips captured hers fiercely.

No longer frozen, she writhed, struggling unsuccessfully to break free of his embrace. Panicking, she kneed him where it counted and took full advantage of his loosened grip to run and never look back.

That night when she had returned, huffing and borderline panicking, she hastily opened the door to their apartment. She stilled at Sasuke's sleeping body encased in the moonlight pouring from the open window. She felt an instant tranquility spread through her and she loosed a breath. Discarding her clothes quickly, she quietly lifted the covers and slid to hold him.

"What happened?" She smiled, knowing he hadn't been asleep at all. She placed a kiss on his exposed shoulder blade. He turned to her, their bare bodies sliding pleasantly against each other. Moving to straddle him, she kissed him passionately, needing to feel the comfort of his mouth against hers.

She pulled away, catching her breath. "He's a dirty, ugly, red-headed ginger rat." He stared into her, scrutinizing her. After a moment, he nodded and loosed a smile.

"You taste like otoro. I've heard it's the priciest fish on the market. Did you like it?" He asked.

She opened her mouth, then shut it. "Yeah, it was good."

She hadn't eaten any otoro. But Gaara had.