Chapter Three: The apron that screamed evil with a capital Satan

"Don't even try it," Temari slapped Tenten's hand away from the dials on the stove and busied herself in quick movements around the kitchen. The sight of Temari in a frilly apron was completely weird and it also made Tenten want to laugh out loud. And she would if the konoichi wearing it wouldn't string her up by her own intestines if she did. Shikamaru was coming over tonight with one of his former teammates-Ino. Tenten didn't know much about the blonde she admitted; just that she wasn't even close to the loudmouthed vain gossip that she was when they had first met. Ino had moved to Suna, taking a job at their understaffed hospital only a few weeks before Tenten had arrived for her mission. Temari was always up for making friends with others, but the frilly apron and trying to make a good impression on her spoke of deviousness not politeness.

"Are you trying to hook up your brother?" Tenten queried.

Temari stiffened. She had been caught. Temari rounded on her, potholders in hand. She pointed one threateningly at the dual bunned konoichi who was threatened not to help with dinner moments ago. Tenten wondered just how many times she could get the evil eye from her roommate while she was wearing that ridiculous apron and sporting kitchen wear before Tenten broke down into fits of laughter (or got bludgeoned to death). The sight was also a little disturbing. Not wanting to provoke the blonde further, she raised her hands up to say she wasn't meddling. After all, Tenten had nothing against Ino, she was more than happy to make new friend.

"I thought Kankuro didn't like blondes?" Tenten looked at her roommate with a confused demeanor.

"He doesn't," came her reply.

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Tenten opened the front door, letting in a refreshing swoosh of cold air as she did. She looked relieved that it was Kankuro. "What took you so long, you live down the street." Tenten looked at the puppet master with a stern yet concerning glare, then pulled the wall of meat that was Kankuro through the door and slammed it behind him. "Where's Gaara?"

"He's coming," Kankuro frowned, not hiding the fact that he was upset that she left when she did.

Kankuro started to get dressed after his shower when his brother got home. Tenten left at that point. He knew she had to get home and take a shower herself so she left Gaara to continue to babysit him.

Kankuro was thoroughly unaware that Tenten was currently the one scheduled to watch him that night, waking him up every three hours, under the Kazekage's request. Gaara asked her if she would be willing to come over that night and check in on him when they were at the hospital, whether or not to help alleviate Tenten's ultimate guilt issue over this being done on her watch or simply because Gaara felt that she was the best person for the job, Tenten didn't know. She considered it part of her mission with Kankuro and was grateful that Gaara had not blamed her for the accident. Gaara was satisfied that his brother wouldn't have to stay in the hospital that night. Apparently hating hospitals ran in the family.

They shuffled inside and Tenten pulled out a beer from the fridge and handed it to him. They both walked over to the dining room to watch the bustling Temari drain noodles at the sink as if it were entertaining to watch the woman get flustered over something so simple. She looked domestic and feminine, completely the opposite of what the usually intimidating ninja personified. They took a pull off of their beers after respectively clinking them together, taking it all in.

"Creepy."

"I agree."

Temari momentarily stopped to fume at the two. They looked at each other, sharing the same scared expression: no body wanted to be on the receiving end of Temari's wrath.

Apparently that had provoked the beast. Shit.

"What are you wearing your face-paint for? Go wash your face!" she roared above the steam of the noodles. Tenten didn't have time to give him a your-sister-just-told-off look as she continued. "And you," she turned on Tenten, "go pull your hair out, this isn't a battlefield!"

Kankuro and Tenten exchanged looks once again. Was she serious? "What are you two waiting for? Bathroom! Go! Now!" She motioned with her head to vamoose.

They grumbled down the hall and they both reached the half bathroom shuffling inside the small space. Tenten handed Kankuro a towel and he handed her the brush on the edge of the sink. The only sounds coming from the bathroom were from the sink running and Tenten pulling out the knots in her hair with firm stokes. Kankuro turned off the sink faucets and patted his now freshly washed face dry. He stared at Tenten's reflection: she stood behind him leaning her head to the side to work out the snarls. They stared at each other a moment. She had never seen him without his official puppeteer face-paint and he had never seen her with her hair down.

He knew, because he would have remembered. He got lost following her long mahogany locks as it flowed in waves down the front of her body. He understood why Neji had been so territorial of her. He was beginning to feel the same way, he realized.

She squinted her eyes, "Nice mug."

"Nice hair," he shot back replacing the fuzzy hand towel on the rack and straightening up to full size.

He turned around to face her, and in the small bathroom he nearly bumped into her as he did.

Instead of an "excuse me," like he had meant to voice he issued a simple low grunt like a troll as he peered down at the doe-eyed girl in front of him. He placed his hands around her shoulders and picked her up out of the way.

She nearly rolled her eyes as he did so; he noticed how light she was. She really was something. He decided then and there that something had to be done about Neji.

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"So what the hell was that all about?" Kankuro pushed the door open with a broad shoulder and smiled wickedly at his brother. His brother was careful not to answer until they were safely inside the condo.

"Damn that felt good," Gaara closed his eyes and rolled his shoulders, still reveling in the shoulder rub he had received from Ino that night. He hadn't known that mentioning a headache to the medical konoichi would don such attention. Perhaps she was just following up on the physical that got cut short earlier. He didn't care; right now his shoulder wasn't burning from the weight of his gourd.

"Why does our sister insist that she can cook? I've seen people running from demolition sights with better results," Gaara smiled at his brother's comment. Dinner hadn't been that bad. She actually hadn't burned anything, which, in Temari's world, was a vast improvement. Normally when the fire alarm went off, the food was ready. Although she had erred on the side of not enough spice to too little, there were only so many times you could sneak the salt and pepper shaker before she gave you that evil eye of hers.

"So what is going on with Tenten?" Kankuro wasn't good at broaching a subject casually.

"I thought you hated her," Gaara poured himself a glass of water. Man that had been a lot of salt.

"Her I like, it's that asshole that cold-cocked me outta the blue today that I want to kill," Kankuro said with a hint of aggression in his voice. Oh the damage he wanted to do.

"I already took care of him," Gaara emptied his glass and poured himself another.

"Tell me he is in a body bag right now," Kankuro pleaded to his brother, "or at least in pieces."

Gaara smiled, "No, but he isn't here to interfere anymore."