The Dawn

The sun rose, as it did every day; its warm light spilling out on the once frozen desert.

All around, cold, sleeping things came back to life.

The buds on the cacti bloomed, stretching their petals out from their nightly slumber. Creatures who rested in the darkness, opened their eyes and scurried through the warming sand.

A lizard sunned itself on a flat rock, the inner-workings of its cold body loosening with the dawn.

With the sun came life and with life, came change.

Everything stirred and roused with the new dawn, everything except the Kazekage of the Sand, who stayed pleasantly entranced in his slumber.

Rin stared out the window at the rising sun, memorizing the way it transformed the sky. Hues of pink, orange and purple, layered the dawn like paint from an artist's brush.

There were so many things she hated about the desert, but this kaleidoscope of color was something she'd never be able to see anywhere else.

She treasured it.

Her eyes shifted from the spectacle of nature outside, to the equally impressive marvel before her.

Gaara hadn't moved an inch all night. He stayed draped across the bed, his head nestled on her chest, listening to the steady beating of her heart.

His arms remained wrapped around her body, as if she were the only thing keeping him tied to this world.

She smiled when he mumbled in his sleep, wondering if that busy mind of his would ever calm? What was he dreaming now? Did he even understand what a dream was?

Rin's arms lost feeling long ago, but she didn't dare move. There was no amount of money or jewels, any of the villages could pay, to get her to wake him up. She didn't care if he slept for three days straight, she wasn't going to interrupt him.

Besides...

She brushed her fingers through his hair, loving the way he sighed at her gentle touch.

Rin smiled and pulled him closer to herself.

Being in his arms, wasn't the worst thing in her life.

Thoughts of her previous clients flittered through her mind. She'd seen everyone from children to elderly, each special in their case.

She thought of the little miller boy and how he feared the reoccurring nightmare of dogs chasing him.

All he needed was for her to show him how to tame the beasts inside his imagination and also figure out, that he was really afraid his friends were talking about him behind his back in the waking world.

That assignment took one night.

She thought of the woman who lost her baby and spent her nights walking the village, looking for a child, who would never return.

Sleepwalking was always tricky, but manageable with her jutsu and Rin found a way to turn the woman's thoughts away from the grief and into love for her garden and the promise of another child someday.

Each client held a piece of her heart. She made a business out of solving everyone's problems and gained reward from seeing them thrive afterwards.

She trailed her finger down the bridge of Gaara's nose, sweeping it around his eyes in gentle circles. His face held a kind of peace that made her heart hurt, in the best way.

Nothing was going to hold a candle to how this felt.

Her gaze returned to the open window, breathing deep the scent of the breeze that brought the warm morning to her.

Suddenly, she heard someone in the house.

Her eyes shot to the bedroom door and found Kankuro with his hand up, ready to knock.

Thankfully, he came inside before he hit the frame and her finger shot to her closed lips. "Shh."

His hands came to his mouth, shutting it and freezing at the sight he thought impossible.

Gaara, his little brother, demon of the Sand village, curled around a woman.... fast asleep.

He looked from Rin, to Gaara and back, shaking his head in wonder.

She smiled at him and flicked her up, signaling it was fine for him to get closer, if he wished.

Even though it felt rude, Kankuro wasn't going to miss this opportunity for anything. He only wished Temari could see it, as well.

His steps were careful, as he tiptoed his way to the bedside, bending down to one knee, studying his brother's sleeping face.

How strange it was, that he'd never seen such a thing.

Gaara looked so much younger like this; his features softened and peaceful.

It made him feel stupid and sentimental, but when he heard the faint snoring coming from his brother, Kankuro felt his eyes tear up a bit.

He deserved this, after so much, Gaara deserved to find a moment of serenity in another person.

His hand came to Rin's, which was laying at her side.

With a gentle squeeze, they looked to each other and his eyes said everything he needed to say.

Thank you.

Rin nodded to him.

The captain rose from his crouch and left outside to finish his watch, brushing a hand over his eyes as he left.

The sun's rays melted through the window, their warm fingers reaching up the bed and resting on the Kazekage's sleeping face.

It felt good.

Gaara felt so warm. He wanted to stretch out in the sun like a cat, taking in its light at his leisure.

He must have a billion things to do today, but they seemed out of the question. All that mattered, was this happy, peaceful feeling circulating through his veins.

He inhaled deeply, smelling the lazy breeze drifting through the window and a different scent, one that didn't usually greet him in the morning. It smelt like jasmine.

Rin.

His eyes fluttered open, not finding his bedroom at the village, but the Oasis he rarely visited.

He scanned the room, confused for a moment, a lulling feeling begging to drag him back into oblivion, when he focused on the scent again.

All at once, the previous night returned to him and he jolted awake, sitting up like a curled spring.

"Well, good morning, Lord Kazekage."

The voice both surprised and enthralled him.

Gaara turned his attention to the woman who laid on her back, smiling at him with a knowing grin.

"Rin."

"Hm?"

He stared at his hands, numb from being curled around her all night, and looked outside to the now fully risen sun. "It's morning."

"My, what an astute observation." She teased.

Gaara looked from the window, back to her, his eyes welling up. "I did it. I slept through the night."

Rin sat up from her long-held position, feeling all her joints pop with the movement.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling. "You did. Well done, Gaara."

He wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. It felt like he could do either and feel the same.

Gaara stared at the woman who gave him this gift.

The sun lit up her face in shades of gold, making her seem like an angel. His attention flickered to the pillow, fully indented to her frame, while everything else was pristine.

The realization dawned on him. "Did you stay like that all night?"

She looked at the bed. "Yep."

"Why would you do that? That couldn't have been comfortable."

Rin chuckled, shaking her head. "Wild horses couldn't have dragged me away. I wasn't going to risk moving and waking you up."

"You stayed like that... for me?"

"Mm hm."

Gaara felt a rush of heat flow through him. "Rin."

She waited for him to speak, but instead, his hand came to her face, caressing her cheek in his warmth.

His other arm wrapped around the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. The pale green of his eyes engulfed her, as he tipped her chin up, loving the way her hair fell down her shoulders when he did.

Rin felt like she should pull away.

She was a professional, she'd just completed her mission. It was inappropriate to have him do this and yet, the way his eyes held her, made her want to melt into the bed.

"Rin." He whispered again, his voice sending delicious shivers down her spine.

He said her name like it was sacred, like she was precious to him.

She felt her stomach spin, heart pounding like a bird in a cage, as he leaned in.

His lips brushed the outside of her mouth, teasing the sensitive skin there.

She closed her eyes and waited for him to take her.

Suddenly, the door to the bedroom flew open and Kankuro stood there, his eyes wide, chest heaving. "Lord Kazekage!"

The pair shot away from each other like repelled magnets.

Gaara stared at his brother, exasperated. "What is it?!"

The captain dropped to one knee, bowing his head. "There's trouble in the village. The council has called for your immediate return."

Gaara looked to Rin, who sat with her hand on her lips.

Every part of his body wanted to stay where he was, in this happy moment with his angel, but his village came first.

It would always come first.

He sighed. "I understand. Do we have intel on what the threat is?"

Kankuro turned his gaze to Rin and back to Gaara. "It's the Sound."

Rin stood from the bed. "What?"

"There's been an attack."