Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, but I have somewhat decent reasons. One being that work did a 471-hit combo on my behind and forced me to put writing fanfiction WAY on the back-burner. Additionally, there was an issue with my muses wanting to start a whole new (and much darker) story, and the fact that writing Gaara and Hinata in love without applying the 'love-at-first-sight' stamp is stupidly hard. I mean it; It took me 5 drafts to get this even SOMEWHERE plausible, and that's only because I said screw it! Fast OOC route! Urgh, why do I find the two of the emotionless, hardest characters to write in an extremely emotional situation? Oh well, at least i'm past it and can just write fluff and eventually smut. (note to self, raise rating).

Unfortunately the first reason is also something to be concerned about, since there is a good chance i may need to delay or drop this entirely. Hm, i'll think that over later.

Gaara being this OOC makes me cringe, but I want to get this over with.

Over Time

Chapter 6: Declaration

The door slammed against the wall as it, seals and all, was forcefully opened by blunt force. Quickly removing his own footwear, Gaara disappeared into Hinata's bedroom.

"What the hell?!?" Tenten blurted out, hopping on one foot trying to get her own sandals off. Flinging them off, she stormed in after the Kazekage and froze as she watched him sit, as if he was used to it, and set Hinata down. Half of Hinata's body was on the bedding while the other half was seated in his lap. Ino hummed as she joined Tenten beside the door, eyes gleaming a wicked blue.

"Maybe you shouldn't be telling a certain 'nii-san' of hers about this?" Ino whispered in the older girl's ear, before leaning heavily on Tenten's shoulder, a thoughtful grin on her face.

"Well, I do like my eardrums." Tenten admitted, crossing her arms across her chest, giving Ino a thoughtful look.

"Do you think they're?" At this Tenten frowned.

"This is Hinata we're talking about." Tenten hissed.

"Hey, when she wants to, she could charm a smile out of a diamond. She's IS close to your teammate and that sourpuss teammate of hers." Ino shot back, giggling slightly.

"…Point taken. But you're STILL talking about Hinata." Tenten whispered to her friend.

"Mmmmm, are you sure that someone had planned this?" Ino said softly, face oddly blank. Tenten ground her teeth together, but remained silent.

Gaara knew that he had an audience of sort, but really, he didn't care. The two women stayed by the door, thankfully, while he got Hinata settled in. What he didn't expect was for her to latch onto his robes, curling her body slightly around his. Forced to sit down, he struggled to come up with an answer on what to do. Logically, he could of just pried her fingers off, but he was comfortable with her clinging to him. If it had been anyone else, Gaara knew he would of felt that uncontrollable urge to push them away before he could relax, but with Hinata, it was a comfort; It confused him greatly. Shifting slightly rewarded him with Hinata wriggling closer and making a noise. One of the women in the doorway gushed while the other hissed slightly, and Gaara stopped focusing on Hinata, eyes darting up to glare at them. The blond smirked and the brunette sighed when a soft groan surprised them all. Hinata's eyes fluttered open for a moment, trying to focus on where she was, when Gaara panicked. His body reacted before his mind could even recognize what he was doing, and stared as Hinata fell back asleep. Mentally swearing, Gaara felt Hinata's fingers relax as the sleep inducing jutsu took hold and her body go unnaturally limp.

"…I dunno if that was a good or a bad idea, but anyways, I'd take this chance and disappear for the night." Ino teased, walking into the room. Gaara tensed as she got nearer, pressing Hinata closer to his body, but she merely laughed. "Don't worry, she'll be fine tomorrow, Kazekage-sama."

"Hn." Gaara grunted before carefully sliding Hinata off his lap and standing up. Walking past the women, he calmly slid past them, kneeling only slightly to slip his footwear back on.

"Inform her to arrive at my office by 2 tomorrow." Gaara said curtly before disappearing around the corner. Ino and Tenten exhaled in relief before Ino kneeled before Hinata, hands pressed against her forehead and chest while Tenten closed the door, ripping off the ruined seals and throwing them in the nearby waste bucket.

"Don't even think about it." Tenten suddenly blurted out, moving past the bedroom door and into the kitchen.

"'Course not." Ino shot back, half focused on her patient. "Besides, someone's gotta lay down the rules."

"We're not here to play matchmaker Ino!" Tenten growled as she came in with two glasses of water.

"No, we're here to get blackmail!" Ino grinned before taking a glass and chugging it down.

"That's not it either." Tenten rubbed her temple with one hand. Ino raised an eyebrow.

"Even if I share?"

"…"

"Aw, no fun." Ino stuck out her tongue a little before. "Can you blame me for trying?"

"Easily."

Slowly coming to, Hinata opened her eyes, only to wince as the bright rays of the sun. Sitting up slowly, she rubbed her head, feeling uneasy at how fuzzy her head was at the moment.

"Oh, you're up, and at a reasonable hour for once!" Ino suddenly said, leaning into the room. Hinata blinked twice before her mind finally wrapped around the fact that Ino had mentioned a form of time. Glancing at the clock by her bed, she flopped back into her bed, covering her face with a random pillow. It was 9 in the morning and that meant the piles and piles of papers, some which had been left over from yesterday, (don'tthinkaboutwhy!) on her desk were starting to reproduce like bunnies. Maybe if she smothered herself to death, they'd disappear back to the senders.

"Hina-chan, what are you doing?" The pillow was plucked away and Hinata stared at Tenten, who was grinning. "It's not like you to sleep past 6 in the morning."

"Which can't be healthy! You of all people need sleep, no matter what you say!" Ino added from the kitchen.

"It… has been a very interesting week." Hinata admitted, turning on her side to clutch another pillow to her chest. She felt Tenten sit down beside her, and stared out the window.

"Would it have anything to do with a certain member of the male population?" Ino questioned as she came in a plate piled high with toast and eggs in one hand, a jar of strawberry jam and a butter knife in the other. Hinata immediately flushed pink, and tried to shake her head. Failing miserably, she curled around her pillow, hiding her face against it. Tenten and Ino shared a look before the blond began to poke Hinata in the hip. "No need to deny it, he was the one who carried you back home after all."

"Gaara-kun did what?" Hinata shot up, face as red as a tomato.

"Oh my god, a guy managed to lose the formal suffix!" Ino cried out in mock shock as Tenten snickered.

"I refer to Shino-kun and Kiba-kun in the same manner!" Hinata tried to argue.

"Yeah, but they've also been with you for how long?" Tenten shot back, grabbing a slice of toast, tossed an fried egg on top, and took a bite. Hinata could only groan and clutch her pillow close again.

"You know, at this rate, you're gonna have your first kiss when you're like 30." Ino grumbled. "By then, you'll be old and have like hundreds of cats hidden away in your apartment!"

"I-Ino, we've been over this before…" Hinata groaned into her pillow.

"None of those count!" Ino screeched out, leaning in close.

"Does it really matter?" Tenten said, rolling her eyes at the absurdity of the conversation.

"Yes! I mean, Hinata's sweet, kind, intelligent, got boobs that makes melons seem small, and she hasn't even kissed a guy, much less slept with one! It's almost so wrong it should have been labeled a crime!"

"Ino…" Hinata mumbled, not really sure if that was a compliment or insult.

"What about with that asshole of a man-whore, two years ago?" Chewing on her toast, Tenten thought back to said asshole who had pinned Hinata to a wall and snogged her once while groping blindly for a breast. Then Kiba, Neji, and even Shino got their hands on him; There were laws of nature and physics that somehow had been completely ignored that day.

"Doesn't count. Stolen kisses never count." Ino wagged her finger in Tenten's face, before swinging her finger at Hinata. "So that means no, no, heck no, no, …you're kidding right, no, no, doubtful, no, no, no, lollipops don't count, no, no, no…"

"Do I even want to know the details?" Tenten interrupted.

Pausing mid breath, Ino blinked. "We've had this argument way too times."

"Maybe…" Hinata agreed.

"Just proves my point. I just hope Gaara-san got a pretty decent package" Ino said, wagging her eyebrows. Tenten choked before forcing down the mass of break down her throat before snickering merrily.

"Package?" Hinata asked innocently, only for frown as her question sent Tenten into a breathless peel of laughter and caused Ino to get a devious look on her face.

"Sweetie, when a guy and a girl love each other enough, they'll eventually want to have sex. There's this thing on a guy called a …" A pillow to the face immediately shut Ino up, who only grinned as Hinata scooted off the bed.

"Where are you going?" Tenten asked, getting up after Hinata.

"Sorry, but I have to get to work before meeting with the merchant guild."

"Whom you apparently find distasteful." Ino suddenly said, which gained her two questioning looks. With a smile, Ino, lay down to lounge in Hinata's now vacant bed. "You never change."

"B-b-but I…" Hinata mumbled.

"I told you once, I told you twice, when it comes to me, you're as easy to read as a picture book when it comes to men." Ino teased in a sing-a-song way.

"Oh?" Tenten's eyebrow rose.

"It's easy. She didn't react emotionally at all." Ino pointed out.

"Ohhhhh, you mean the more the asshole, the more she acts like Neji on a bad hair day?" Tenten said with a giggle.

"You two are relentless." Hinata rolled her eyes before leaving the room and entering the bathroom. One quick shower later, Hinata attempted to dress herself, but the whirlwind pair that lay in wait quickly pounce on her and shoved her into clothing of various types. Managing to get some say in how her naval didn't really need to be shown, Hinata tried to leave, only to found herself followed out.

"Ino-chan, Tenten-san, no matter what you say, I have to at least finish my paperwork before it piles up." It was all Hinata managed to get out before a piece of toast smothered in strawberry jam was crammed into her mouth.

"Fine, fine, Paperwork we'll let you do, but other then that, we've got a marketplace to explore and tour guides are too expensive." Ino grumbled, shooing Hinata further down the hall. Sighing for the umpteeth time, Hinata couldn't help but smile; her friends always seemed to know when she needed a change in pace.

Standing by his window, Gaara tried not to scowl at the clock. The day had started off as it usually had, but as it came closer to his impromptu meeting with Hinata, he felt nervous. It was well past two and Hinata had not appeared yet, making Gaara go from nervous to disgruntled. A loud knock echoed through the room, and Gaara called for the stranger to come in, knowing full well that it was not the one he expected.

"Sorry to bother you Gaara-sama, but Hinata sent me to drop these things off." The blond said with a cheery smile on her face. Gaara nodded from his place by the window, fighting the urge to vocalize his irritation. She automatically placed the pile on his desk before leaning against his desk. "She says sorry for the trouble."

"Since you are here in her place, I take it you did not relay my orders then." Gaara snapped, eyes furious. Ino shrugged off, not even reacting to the unsaid accusation, eyeing the rattling gourd for a moment.

"Hinata-chan works too hard anyways, she needs a break once in a while." Ino replied, giving him a flirtatious look (or what Gaara could only assume was one).

"Hyuuga-san was informed when she arrived here that she has the right to request personal days off." Gaara said in a monotone voice, which caused Ino to blink. That was not the response she had been expecting.

"Well now, you don't know anything about the girl, do you." Ino shot back, a little spite managing to worm itself into her voice. "She would, actually she has overworked herself straight into the hospital; all with a smile may I add. Seems like you didn't pick up on that." Gaara didn't bother responding.

"You should give up on her; She's got too many actual suitors at the moment. If you want a quick screw, find someone else." Gaara clenched his fist, shooting Ino the most murderous look he could fathom. Ino couldn't help but swallow nervously and shiver.

"Don't assume you know anything." Gaara snarled, taking a single step towards Ino before reigning himself in. The scalding flash of possessiveness and raw anger sang through his veins at the blond's audacity. He was having enough trouble AS IS with his own jumbled emotions with Hinata, and did not need some gossipy twit telling him what to do. Trying not to cower before the barely contained storm that was the Kazekage, Ino gathered enough courage to give him a patronizing glare of her own.

"Maybe, but if anything, I can put two and two together. You're deeply attracted to her, aren't you…" 'And, while neither one of you realize it, she's already reciprocating those feelings. While normally good that she got over the blond moron, right now...' Ino finished in her mind. Gaara bit down a flinch before glaring out the window. Ino groaned, unsure of how to make a conversation out of nothing; it wasn't her forte after all. Dealing with the anti-social, the un-motivated, the oddities of society, and the eternally brooding was, ironically, Hinata's job. Minutes of uncomfortable silence stretched between them before Ino turned on her heels to leave. Pausing, she sighed.

"Hinata is… complicated, and doesn't need an half-hearted asshole chasing after her skirts. Hurt her, and I promise you, there will be nothing able to keep all of us from shoving your balls down your throat, Naruto be damned." Ino stated, back still turned towards him. "Ciao."

Finally alone, Gaara slammed his fist into the wall. Part of him wanted to simply blow a hole into any random target, but he deferred to the part of him that mulled over Ino's words. Falling back into his chair, he flexed his hand absentmindedly. No longer filled with fury, he let himself actually decode the hidden meaning under the blond's façade. Taking one of the captains of the interrogation squads in Konoha at face value was a foolish thing to do, and in no way was Gaara an idiot.

Turning the corner, Ino raised an eyebrow as a pudgy, short man rolled head over heels from Hinata's office, a very sharp and well-kept spear sinking itself into the wall behind him.

"And stay out you corny, greasy, little puffball!" Tenten roared, before slamming the door. The half-bald human cueball whimpered before scrambling to his feet and running past Ino. Opening the door, Ino quickly plucked the kunai flung blindly at her out of the air.

"Oh. It's you." Tenten deadpanned, yanking on the spider thread thin strings to retrieve her weapons.

"Yes, fall to your knees in adoration, my lovelies, your mistress has returned!" Ino sarcastically replied, twirling the end of her ponytail. From her desk, Hinata barely looked up before pressing her seal on the contract she was finishing up.

"What, no hello for your messenger?" Ino said with a pout as she leaned against Hinata's desk.

"I'm sorry." Hinata said automatically, giving Ino a smile. Ino grumbled softly under her breath before grabbing a stack of papers from the desk and started to flip through them as Tenten stood watch at the door.

"So how many horndogs since I left?" Ino asked Tenten, absentmindedly skimming through a packet of papers.

"4, and 3 fathers as well as one singing courtier. If Neji-kun knew it was this bad, I think there'd be a full squad of the Hyuuga's best guards would be trailing Hinata-chan here like a hawk." Tenten replied, giving the now blushing Hinata a grin.

Ino sighed dramatically, leaning back against the couch. "Hopefully not, otherwise poor Hinata-chan will never get to prance off to a midnight tryst." Both girls ignored the loud crack as Hinata gripped the bamboo handle of her brush a tad too tight.

"Meh, it's not like she'd be missing much. Hinata, breath." Tenten ordered, patting Hinata on the back as she sputtered for breath. Looking at the two very amused looks on her friends face, Hinata knew she need a distraction, and fast. While it may cause her some physical agony and a few nightmares, she immediately came up with a plan.

"Well that's enough paperwork for today. If we're not fast enough, many of the fabric stalls and herbal stores will close for the day." Hinata said as neutrally as she could, before her arm was nearly yanked out of her socket as Ino yanked her out of her chair.

"While it's a good attempt, you really need to work on your excuses." Ino said, twirling Hinata around and shoving her towards the door.

"I-I-if you know it's a lie, then why are you shoving me out the door?" Truthfully, Hinata already knew the answer, but she may as well play the innocent card everyone claimed she played so wall.

"You mentioned shopping, do I need another reason?" Ino purred, eyebrow raised.

"I suppose not." Hinata replied, her voice tinged with a hint of regret. Before they exited the door, Ino remembered something before jerking Tenten along by her collar. Both of her captives had a look of dread of their faces and wondered if they'd survive the day.

Rubbing her wrist, Hinata groaned softly as her muscles struggled to stop their cramping long enough to let her finish her final report of the night. The tedious job of playing both tour guide and dress up doll for Ino for three days straight had been taxing, and it did not help that Tenten had discovered the weapons district. Add in the last 5 hours of non-stop writing trying to make her workload more manageable, it felt like her arm, no, her entire body was on fire. Biting her lip, Hinata attempted to massage the strained muscles, ignoring the pain. It was well past 3 in the morning, but she was so close to finishing.

However, the tremors that ran through her hand made it impossible to make the smooth strokes on the paper, which made the task even more frustrating. Leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes to focus on the circling motions. Her oversensitive senses suddenly kicked into high gear and she snapped her eyes open to catch the doorknob beginning to rattle. Jumping up unsteadily, her hand snatched up the kunai hidden under her chair. Moving slowly away from her chair, Hinata waited for the door to open, only be greeted by an empty door way. Her instincts screamed at her to turn around, and (much to the protest of her muscles) twirled around, only to have her come face to face with Gaara.

"G-g-g-Gaara!" She blurted out in a hushed whisper, the kunai slipping from her now shaking fingers. Her knees gave out, but Gaara had already trapped her within his grasp and she collapsed, head resting against his chest. His hands shifted and pushed her up his body and closer still, until she was at eye level with his collarbone.

"Hinata…" Was all Gaara said, his husky tone sending a shiver down her spine and her fingers instinctively clinging to his jacket. Hinata could feel one of his hands trailing down her spine. Before she could smother it, a moan tore itself from her throat as his fingers tickled the small of her back. The muscles under her hands twitched and he repeated the motion, earning Gaara a breathy coo from Hinata. Squeezing her eyes tight, she tried to calm her herself down, fingers letting go of his coat and curling into fists.

"No…" Hinata whispered to herself as she tried to ignore the warm body and seeking fingers. "This… this is wrong." The petting motion stopped and the warmth disappeared, and when Hinata opened her eyes, she found herself staring at her desk and that last sheet of paperwork. Shaking her head, she inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to calm down her now racing heart. Rubbing her temples, she sighed. So she was hallucinating, a sure sign that she was overexerting herself. Hinata quickly scratched out the rest of her letter before putting it to the side. Standing slowly, she turned off the lamp on her desk and slowly made her way to the door. Locking it, she placed a hand against the wall and started on her way home. The darkness of the halls were periodically interrupted by the guard's flashlights, who quickly gave her a nod of recognition before moving on and continuing on. Reaching the stairs, Hinata bit her lip before stepping down. Ignoring the sharp twinge of pain from her lower back, Hinata somehow managed to get down in a respectable time.

"Ow." Leaning against the wall for a moment, Hinata groaned as she rubbed her back with one hand. Her moment of tranquility was shattered as the hairs on the back of her neck stood straight and she lashed out, adrenaline surging through her veins. However, it seemed her 'attacker' was either prepared or fast, as she found herself slammed hard into the wall. Sliding down, Hinata grimaced as the pain roared back to light and quickly opened her eyes, finding herself staring into the sea green eyes of the Kazekage.

"K-K-Kazekage-sama, I'm sorry! I-I-I meant no offence!" Hinata stuttered out, automatically moving to get on her knees and lower her head to the floor, when the sand tightened itself around her stomach, making her jerk back up. The sand tugged and lifted her back to her feet, but it did not fall away or return to it's owner. As if almost caressing her, it rubbed against the thin silk of her shirt, at times dangerously hovering close to the hem of her shirt. Shivering a bit, Hinata pressed herself to the wall, suddenly afraid of the intense flame now burning in Gaara's eyes.

"You have been avoiding me." Gaara said, words blunt and eyes locked on her. Breaking eye contact, Hinata bent her head to stare at the floor. A heavy sigh was the only warning she got as Gaara pressed his forehead to her shoulder, his own shoulders hunched. "Do you find me that disgusting then?"

"Kazeka…" Hinata trailed off, feeling him back away only to cage her. His eyes, normally calm yet intense were now wild, tortured even.

"Answer me…" Gaara whispered, pulling back slightly. The silence between them was thicker then paste when Hinata realized that, without her realizing it, her hand had moved towards Gaara's face. Trailing her fingers across his cheek, she leaned forward and for a moment, Gaara jerked back but it was enough to snap Hinata out of her daze. Hand dropping, she wrapped her arms around herself and falling back against the wall.

"I-I…" Steeling herself, Hinata met Gaara's eyes, "I could never hate you, but I cannot let myself indulge in my feelings."

"I don't understand." Gaara answered. Hinata's eyes burned slightly.

"It's better this way, so no one gets hurt." Hinata answered cryptically. Something snapped and Gaara grabbed her shoulders.

"It's a little too late to say that!" Gaara growled, fingers clenching tighter. Hinata shivered, before letting him pin her between the wall and his own body, arms wrapped tightly around her to prevent her from escaping too soon. "Stop being so elusive and give me your reasons, or do you take pleasure in word games?"

"That's not it at all!" Hinata blurted out, not caring if she was being louder then usual. Biting her lip, she focused on his fingers digging into her shoulder blades, the soreness; it kept her mind sharp. Gaara stared at her, eyes asking, demanding for her to continue. "Even though I… if I were to… No, I could never betray my family… it would just hurt us in the end. Love has no place for the women of Hyuuga decent."

"Naruto would disagree in an instant, so would your friends." Gaara argued.

"Yes… But it's not simple at all. The women of the Hyuuga, for as long as we can remember, has never married out of the family." Hinata said softly, eyes focused on the wall opposite of them.

"Your family is entrenched in the political and business hierarchies of several villages. Several of your kin have even married into various clans here in Suna over the years, actually." His tone was accusing.

"All members of the branch family, and most of them male. The women of main house is too precious to let it fall into other hands. When a daughter of the main family comes of age, they are placed with a consort within the family, or, very rarely, offered as a bartering chip with families involved in various enterprises. The man will marry into the Hyuuga family, cutting off all personal ties with their own kin. There have been those who've tried to get around this, but... If only it weren't so complicated." Hinata trailed off, falling forward slightly as she fought with the bitter taste in the back of her mouth. Gaara grimaced; It was becoming clear why she had forced herself to distance herself. His position as the Kazekage would never allow him to accept the harsh terms dictated by her family. It was ironic that being in a position of power was the source of his current woes and frustrations. But…Didn't she just admit to having feelings for him? Suppressing a shiver, he waited for her to continue.

"It's because I love you, that I'm being selfish and doing this." Hinata whispered into his chest, more to convince herself of this then to tell him. She was deliberately skirting around things and forgoing certain bits of infomation, but it wouldn't matter. Once Gaara had decided it was too much of a bother, Hinata hoped, she could slink away to lick her wounds. "I'm sorry."

"No." Gaara said, voice low and dripping what Hinata assumed to be disgust. Her breath hitched and she dug her nails into her arms before letting them fall lifeless to her sides. This was what she wanted, wasn't it? To drive him away before it could really begin to hurt him; As for her, Hinata was used to disappointment and pain, she supposed. She tried to move away, but his hands refused to let her go.

"Please, let go." Hinata pleaded. Instead of answering, he pinned her to the wall and brought her closer until he caught her lips with his own and, simply put, ravished her in that one kiss. Head spinning, Hinata melted against him, simply letting him take control. When he broke for air, he lifted her up the wall so that his face rested comfortably against the spot where her neck and shoulder began.

"Gaa-ra?" Hinata said, mind still reeling from the kiss.

"I once read somewhere that love was selfish in many ways, while remaining seemingly pure. It turns men into demons, who coveted and yearn to steal their precious ones away and take all they can into themselves. Trapping them, protecting them, trying to devour them whole, and utterly destroying whatever gets in their way." Gaara said, watching her from the corner of his eye. "The story was stupid and corny, the explanation somewhat romanticized… but it make sense. Perhaps it's fitting that I bore the title. Your reasoning is flaws, nor will I let it get in my way. Because whether you like it or not, I am not letting you go."

"Th-there are others who…" Hinata stopped as he suckled her neck slightly before nipping his way up her jaw, sand crawling up her body as well.

"I want you, and it is very rare that I do not get what I want." Gaara whispered in her ear. Suddenly there was a flash of hot pain in said ear and Hinata jerked away instinctively, but Gaara pulled her back. Wincing slightly, she moved her hand to cup her throbbing earlobe when something cool and glass-like brushed against her hand. Tracing it slightly, Hinata realized it was some sort of carved or molded glass earring, which was strange since she did not possess pierced ears before this. When her fingers touched the back, she couldn't find any latch or stopper, and she stared at Gaara, who had the smuggest look on his face for a moment. "You're mine."

AN2: reviews feed the muse. Just a hint.