GaaSaku's First Meeting/Flashback Chapter

-Gaara's POV-

"You've been here before. What should I order?"

I looked over the top of the laminated menu in my hands to see Tenten fidgeting with the wrapper from her straw as she mauled over her choices in food.

We were at our usual once-a-week lunch and today we'd stopped in at Yoko's Karaoke Bar. We were seated in the private room furthest from the entrance so as to attract the least amount of attention. It'd be bothersome if someone heard Tenten's voice, recognized it, and caused an uproar.

Temari and Kankuro brought me here all the time when I was a kid. My siblings didn't have a lot of money, but they still wanted to spoil me here and there so this place was perfect. I've been in love with music for as long as I can remember and they've been one hundred percent supportive of me no matter the cost. The food's affordable and Kankuro's friends with the owner so we didn't have to pay to use the private rooms.

"Chicken tenders are always a safe choice, " I answered sensibly.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, "I'm on a diet, Gaara."

It was my turn to sigh, "We shouldn't have come here if you plan on sticking to it."

She gave me a playful glare, but was interrupted by a waitress entering the room nervously. Tenten smiled and motioned for her to approach us more calmly. Once the short blond girl was closer, the pop star smiled up at her, "Don't be shy. Are you a fan?"

The employee nodded with her hands clasped in front of her body uncomfortably. There was a bright look of disbelief on her features.

Tenten shot out of her seat and pulled out her cellphone, "Here, let's take a picture!"

They proceeded to take a few selfies, the waitress just barely managing to smile through her shock. Tenten pulled up her Instagram, "What's your name?"

I tuned out their conversation as a sound pouring into the room from the still-open door drew my attention. A girl was singing. My eyes glazed over onto a photo of nachos as I listened.

She wasn't perfect.

Her voice wavered with obvious nerves, her breathing technique needed some work, and the song she'd chosen didn't suit her as much as another genre would've, but none of that mattered. Even if I couldn't see the person singing, the sheer amount of emotion in her voice was mesmerizing. It was obvious she enjoyed singing and that in turn, made me enjoy the experience.

I wasn't familiar with the song she'd chosen, but the girl could've written it just by how confidently she hit the notes. There wasn't a moment of hesitation that would've led her to trail off-key. It was an anthem-type song that was meant to inspire listeners.

Tenten touched my shoulder, glancing down at the picture I was unintentionally staring at, "Do you want to split some nachos?"

I'd been so focused on whoever was performing nearby that I'd forgotten about the other two people in the room with me. I nodded absentmindedly, trying to tune her out again so I could listen to the music, but sadly the song had already ended. I missed the finale!

The menu slipped out of my fingers and I studied the nostalgic pattern on the table-cloth.

"I wonder who was singing just now. She has a pretty voice."

I nodded in agreement. It was odd that I'd let myself analyze someone else so thoroughly. I felt kind of rude, honestly. This person's a complete stranger and I nosily formed an opinion of them out of nowhere.

Tenten flopped down into her chair, "Don't tell Gai that I'm cheating, okay?" Might Guy is the agency's head physical trainer. He's a kind, yet extremely overbearing man who's the very best at what he does.

My fingers ran over the polka-dotted design on the table-cloth once more. A flashback of a tipsy Kankuro singing Elvis Presley songs as Temari shouted insults at him from the seats crossed my mind.

I owe my life to my siblings. In middle school and my first year of high school, I was an absolute terror of a little brother. A week couldn't pass by without one of them receiving a call from the school. I fought others, argued with teachers, and generally caused trouble. Despite this, neither of them even threatened to send me away or abandon me. Even now, I don't know what I was thinking during those years.

I was only shaken from my violent stupor when I blacked out during a fight and woke up in handcuffs because the kid I'd fought was hurt so badly he had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance. When Temari arrived at the police station, still in her uniform since she had to leave work to deal with me once more, and learned the extent of what I'd done, she looked at me with a disappointed expression I'd never before seen and it was like I'd suddenly woken up.

Since that day, I've been trying to make it up to them both for putting up with me all these years. My goal is to become successful enough that I can return the favor and take care of them.

A sad smile slipped onto my lips just briefly before I nodded at Tenten, agreeing to keep her meal a secret. She didn't even notice since she was flipping through the songbook so she could sing something. I mean, we were at a karaoke bar after all.

She selected a song by Konan, the agency's first ever solo artist who typically sticks to rock and alternative music. The brunette mentioned that she'd be covering the song she'd chosen on a variety show in the coming weeks so she wanted to practice.

After flouncing up onto stage, she winked at me before speaking huskily into the mic, "This one's for all of the broken hearts out there tonight!"

I cringed. She's so loud. It wouldn't surprise me if others had heard her.

She began singing and my anxiety slipped away. My chin rested in my palm as I watched her performance in awe. Tenten has a truly remarkable voice. I've yet to meet a single person with as much versatility. She belted out the rock-ballad's lengthy notes with expertise, sounding every bit like a recording instead of live.

Once she finished the song, once again leaving me stunned by her talent, our food arrived. I've been with the agency for nearly a month now and the pop star has graced me with many examples of her live vocals, yet it never ceases to amaze me.

The sound of a few people singing Happy Birthday drifted into the room as the door opened and closed with the two waitresses coming in. Since it was so loud, one could only assume it'd come from the room directly next to ours.

Tenten eagerly took photos with the two new employees and started chatting light-heartedly with them. It was clear that the staff was trying to let everyone meet her. She didn't appear to mind and I knew from the short amount of time since I met her that she truly does appreciate each and every one of her fans so the smile on her face as she spoke to the two girls was not a facade.

About a week after moving into my dorm at the agency, Tenten visited me in the middle of the night after coming home from the club and had drunkenly poured her heart out to me. She was so grateful for her fans that it brought her to tears. As someone who's loved music for so long, I don't particularly have a favorite genre and listen to a bit of everything. I'll admit that I hadn't paid any special attention to her music prior to joining the agency, but after learning of her devotion to her craft, I spent days listening to her albums in a new light.

I put a chip in my mouth just as one of the waitresses whispered loudly and pulled me from my deep thoughts, "Is that your boyfriend, Tenten?"

I choked, immediately causing a coughing fit as I tried to recover. I heard Tenten's reserved giggle. She never laughs loudly, like she usually does when she's around close friends or co-workers, in front of fans because she feels that it would affect her and the agency's image. I think she should just be herself. Even if she comes off a bit hyper at times, she's still a very likable person.

"No no no, girls. He's a trainee at the agency. We're having dinner as friends, right Gaara?"

I nodded, a fist to my mouth as I let out a final cough. They all three laughed.

The same one asked louder, "Can I get his number then?"

An annoyed glare sank onto my face, but I just frowned and aimed it at the table instead of saying something disrespectful. If she wants my number, she should ask me instead, since I'm sitting right here.

Tenten stood up for me without hurting the girl's feelings, "Nah, he's too busy. He wouldn't be able to give you the amount of attention you deserve!" She skillfully steered the conversation away from me and finally the two girls left so we could eat.

Tenten immediately tossed back a big bite, not commenting on the whole conversation. We ate in a comfortable silence. Once we were finished, we cleaned up our table as much as we could before leaving a generous amount of money on the table and gathering our belongings.

As we entered the hall, the same girl from before was singing in the next room over. The song was one of Tenten's this time around and it suited her voice much better. Tenten snickered, "It's her again. Let's sneak a peek!"

She tiptoed dramatically towards the door to the room. I reached to stop her, but it was no use. The door opened just as she reached for it and a blond woman stepped out. She gasped in surprise, but quieted down when Tenten put a finger in front of her mouth to signal her to be quiet. The woman nodded and closed the door behind her with an expression that told us she recognized the celebrity before her.

Tenten smiled, "Hi! I was wondering who's singing in there."

The woman looked surprised, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "Oh! That'd be my daughter. It's her birthday today."

A look of realization dawned her face, "Oh my! Could you meet her? She's a huge fan and it'd be the perfect birthday gift!"

Tenten smiled and shook the woman's outstretched hand, "Of course! Let's let her finish her song first."

The singer's mother nodded and reopened the door, holding it so we could enter the small room ahead of her. There were two males sitting at a table, one adult and one teenager, and then finally a thin pink-haired girl on stage singing with her eyes closed.

Other than the cake sitting on the table, there were no other signs that this was a birthday party. Didn't she have any friends or anything? Mentally, I slapped myself for being rude once more. Who am I to judge when I don't have a single friend of my own.

Shaking the negative thoughts away, I finally looked up to study the singing girl and was taken aback by how naturally attractive she was. Something stirred in my chest and I nervously took a few steps back to lean against the wall. As someone who's been in a daze for the past few years, I haven't had the chance to experience romantic interests. Sure, I've been around beautiful and kind girls over the years, but none have ever drawn my attention.

It's not like I'm asexual and I consider myself straight, not that there's anything wrong with other sexualities, but no one has ever charmed me like this strange girl. Her shoulder length hair was the color of cherry blossoms and framed her face in the most perfect of ways. Tan skin set off the paleness of her lips and hair, making her seem like an angel or doll.

She finally opened her eyes and I had to press my palms against the wall behind me to make sure I wasn't dreaming up someone so perfect. Brilliant green eyes gazed out just above our heads and you could tell she was lost in a dream. She wasn't here in the room with us. Instead, she was on stage somewhere, surrounded by adoring fans.

Her voice was even more appealing close up. Despite her obvious lack of training, her pitch was perfect and her vocal lines were interesting. Instead of simply singing the song as Tenten recorded it, she dared to ad lib once in a while, which is a bold choice for even those who've had training.

I stood there mesmerized by her beauty, trying to burn each second of the remainder of the song into my brain so I wouldn't forget a single detail. There's no way I can leave this place without at least getting her name. Where has this girl been all my life? My face heated and I shook my head as the song came to a close. Why am I having such crazy thoughts? I don't even know this person!

Tenten clapped loudly to my left, drawing everyone's attention to herself. The dimmed lights brightened as the girl's mother flipped the switch.

The pink-haired angel's eyes shot to Tenten and her face turned bright red, "Oh my god!" She quickly replaced the mic on the stand and rushed down to greet us. Up close she was even more gorgeous. Her eyes were so deep and emotional that I found myself lost in them from the moment she approached.

Tenten quickly pulled the girl into a hug, "Happy Birthday! You sang so beautifully!"

My cell phone began ringing, and the two looked over at me as they parted. When her eyes met mine, I felt electricity shoot through my veins and my breath got stuck in my throat.

"E-Excuse me," I somehow managed to choke out before rushing out of the room. I had to create space between us or I'd surely say something stupid and embarrass myself in front of her. I clutched a hand to my chest as I shut the door behind me, leaning against the wall as I tried to catch my breath.

Who is she? What is her name?

I answered the ringing phone before it had a chance to go to voicemail. The screen said it was Temari. "Hello?" My sister's voice was frantic, "Gaara, thank god you answered! Kankuro's headed to the hospital. He got into a car wreck and..." She trailed off. I could hear that she was crying.

I quickly got the hospital information where he was being taken before texting Tenten about what was going on and heading out.

Later that evening, I stepped out of a taxi in front of the agency and paid the driver.

Kankuro, luckily, received just a few scratches and a broken arm from his wreck. Relief nearly knocked me out when I arrived to see him awake and not in critical condition. Temari had made things seem much more dire over the phone.

As I walked through the lobby, I nodded in greeting to those who I passed by before climbing into the elevator and moving to fish my agency ID card out of the wallet in my pocket. Just as the doors were about to shut behind me, a small hand stopped them and they slid back open.

I glanced up from the wallet in my hands to see who it was, only to drop it entirely as my mouth opened slightly in disbelief. My cards and money fell about the floor messily, but I ignored that fact for a moment. It's her! The girl from Yoko's!

She stepped into the elevator and knelt down to help me pick up my mess, "Sorry! I must've shocked you."

My body flinched as I snapped out of my stupor and I knelt down to finish gathering my items and accept those that she'd picked up for me.

The door closed behind her as we rose and she did a double-take after meeting my eyes, a similar look of surprise on her face as what I imagined I had, "Oh, hey! You're the guy from earlier. I'm gonna be a trainee here now, too. I hope we can be friends!"

I swallowed my nervousness and tried to mask the deep breath I took to calm myself. Tenten recruited her!? How did things lead to that after I'd left? Regardless, I was ecstatic to learn I'd be seeing more of this gorgeous girl.

After offering my hand, I spoke as calmly as possible, "Gaara."

She slid her soft hand into mine and shook it firmly with a bashful grin, "Sakura."

I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! Since this fic is so music-inspired, I thought I'd share an artist I've been interested in lately that I feel is super underrated.

Check out the artist Charlotte Cardin! I've yet to hear a song of hers that I don't like.

Anyway, thanks for reading!