Disclaimer: Inuyasha and Naruto belong to their respective authors/owners.
A/N: To kb / o0kittyblue0o : I've recently tried using the mobile edition on my phone but for some reason it won't let me sign in =.= So thanks for dropping a review either way! :)
Onwards...
"The real demon crafts expert bows."
.
Kagome was not one to judge people by their appearance, in fact, she was usually one who went out of their way to befriend someone. However, it was possible that her efforts had previously blinded her to a certain person's 'true identity', one that was hiding just under the surface if only the miko had trusted her instincts. Blond hair tied up in four bunches...it was probably purposely styled to hide a pair of devil's horns. That's right, Temari was the real demon.
The older woman deliberately blinked, reopened her eyes and asked, "I'm a what?"
"You are a demon." After the latest assassination attempt, the term no longer bruised anyone's heart but the definition was still intact.
She raised a brow (was it a family thing?), "Uh-huh, enlighten me. How did you figure that out?"
"Your hair, your temper, your skills, your schemes..."
The last word crooked a smirk on the other woman, "Schemes, whatever gave you that idea, Kagome?"
She huffed, "I'm tied up in bows and you're holding the ends. Not the best way to wake up."
"Hmm, so I am," then she had the nerve to chuckle, "in my defense, didn't think you'd recover so quickly."
Kagome sighed, "What are, were, you planning anyway?"
"What I'm still doing is preparing you for your first official date!" Temari smirked, "Did you think I'd let yesterday's fiasco go? Besides, first date, which is the reason why you're still wearing clothes. If this had been an anniversary or something..."
The miko flushed, "Temari!" She was almost as bad as Miroku!
The blond laughed outright, "Don't worry, we'll let you and Gaara ease into your new relationship first."
Kagome raised her tied hands, "Hold on, hold on...who else is involved?"
"The question should be; who isn't?"
As if on cue, a bundle dropped in front of her; a tattered brown teddy bear. Temari stared at the interruption, her smiled drooped as she gently picked up the toy, a precious memory. Kagome watched as Temari's dark eyes softened but they brightened when she caught the miko's gaze.
It wasn't a smirk this time but a loving smile, "I'm glad that my brother met you."
The demon theory was forgotten as Kagome's lips curled up, "Me too."
There was shift in atmosphere and an unholy gleam emerged in her eyes. "So let's continue!"
...
Kagome sighed as she peered at the darkening sky from the rooftop and waited for Gaara to arrive. Her hands, feet and most of her torso were bound by a wide silky material. The loops were carefully arranged with a few bows expertly tied. If it had been anyone or anything else, she would have thought that Temari's work was beautiful, but since it was her, she found the whole thing annoying. At least it wasn't a larger, more important occasion... She sighed again.
The sun was setting and cast a brilliant crimson across the sands. The deepest shades were lovely like the colour of Gaara's hair while the lighter tinges were more like his rare blushes. Kagome giggled as she recalled one such occasion where he had unexpectedly entered her room while she was changing. Although her face burnt, it was worth the look on his face! She shivered when a cool breeze interrupted her thoughts. The desert nights could drop to dangerously low temperatures.
Her shivering ceased when the wind suddenly stopped. Kagome glanced around to see a wall of sand blocking the breeze. Gaara? She kept turning and there he was; the bold red hair, the aqua-green eyes and the faintest touch of pink across his cheeks.
"Kankuro explained a few things to me," Gaara started but then abruptly coughed while his cheeks darkened, "But this is still the first date..."
Kankuro! Temari! Kagome glanced away as she willed her the own blush to subside. The silence was a little awkward so she broke it.
"Um...it's still cold...so, hug me?" Her voice hitched at the end and she wondered if Gaara heard her.
Just as soon as she thought that, two warm arms loosely wrapped themselves around her. She leaned back, smiling. She could get used to this sort of wrapping and pulled (as best as she could with bound hands) his arms to tighten the hug.
...
Kagome sighed happily into Gaara's embrace but then snapped out of her daze; why was she still tied?
"Gaara, untie me please?"
He leaned back to study the picture presented before him (and perhaps some inspired possibilities too, courtesy of Kankuro) and the pink crept back onto his cheeks. He pulled one end and the bows easily unraveled.
"Red suits you," he nodded and then stared at the silky material thoughtfully, "You were wrapped up...like a present. It is customary not to return one's gifts, not that I would want to. I will treasure you forever."
For a socially inept person and a guy at that, Gaara's words were the sweetest thing to Kagome's ears. She cupped his cheeks and smiled brilliantly, "Like I've said, you're my Gaara." She watched as his stoic face gave way to a small smile that spoke volumes.
Then tipped forward from a gust of wind. Her lips met his.
...
"If it wasn't for our efforts, their relationship would creep along at a snail's pace!" Temari snapped her fan closed.
"How troublesome."
"At least she's not your sister." Whack. "Hey!"
They didn't hear the faint laughter of another couple nearby.
.
A/N: Credit for this drabble partly goes to Foxluna, zoey tamagachi and KaneRyuMoon for pointing out a certain possibility ;) Also, Ashleigh131 and kakashixangela for their input :)
It especially helps when you point what you liked/didn't/thoughts because sometimes you picked out things or think of things that (may seem obvious to you but) I miss :/
But thank you for everyone's reviews! You've managed to speed up the process :O I'm also working on other writing projects ;) (finally! I know...)
Airily