Clarity
Theme: Ano Sa (You Know)
Title: In-Laws
Pairing: Kankuro-Hinata, also some 'subtle' hint of Shikamaru-Temari
Warnings: Slight OOC-ness, some language and of course crack pairing. Also italics indicate flashbacks.
Dedicated to: Sanoru…again!
…evil evil Sanoru for suggesting yet another rare Hinata pairing that got my little plot bunnies doing cartwheels, back flips, bouncing balls off their noses, anything to get my attention! So once again Sanoru, thank you for sparking yet another crack pairing one-shot
Neji was determined not to ask the most obvious question, because frankly…he just didn't want to know the answer.
Yet Hanabi was not as reserved. The younger girl curiously eye her elder sibling, tilting her head from right…then to the left as if seeing her sister for the first time, but rather than recognizing her saw a complete clown sitting in Hinata's place.
Hiashi choose to ignore the matter all together burring his nose into the news paper, outright ignoring the fact that his eldest daughter had bright violet face paint smeared across her face in striking bold lines that clashed harshly against her character.
Hinata for the part tried to calmly eat her breakfast, asking Neji for the milk just barely refraining from asking just why her elder cousin was staring at her so peculiarly.
Finally Hanabi couldn't stand it any longer, sitting up she pointed at her sister.
"What on earth happened to you?" the girl asked in a shrill accusatory tone.
"Hanabi, sit down." Hiashi said, drinking from a coffee cup before turning his pale gaze to Hinata.
At last Neji caught on, "Wait don't tell me, let me guess…the Suna delegates are back in Konoha."
Fidgeting slightly Hinata nodded, face turning a shade of pink to contrast the face paint.
"I knew it," Neji mumbled arms crossed haughtily over his chest.
Hanabi rolled her eyes muttering under her breathe, "I am sure that you did Neji."
"Um father may I…?"
He nodded, "You are dismissed...but Hinata,"
The girl paused in arising from the table, "…sir?"
"I want to see a ring on your finger before this afternoon, understood?"
Reluctantly Hinata nodded, "Hai, father."
Once Hinata had left the dinning room Hanabi's lips curved down ward into a frown before turning her gaze to her father, "I don't get it. What does Suna have to do with Hinata's face being painted?"
Hiashi merely rolled his eyes, going back to the newspaper while Neji stood, patronizingly patting Hanabi on the head.
"One day you will understand," Neji said which an outright lie was since even he, the supposed genius of the Hyuuga clan couldn't figure this relationship out either.
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Hinata sighed a little, lightly kicking her bare feet back and forth while sitting on the edge of the bed of the room at the inn, looking to Kankuro who in turn was looking into the mirror applying his own face paint.
"So…your old man wants me to give you a ring huh?" he said as middle and index fingers smoothed on a bold line of violet.
Hinata nodded, "Hai."
"Hmm," Kankuro said noncommittally as he smeared yet another line on.
Clearing her throat Hinata spoke up, "You know…it is customary in Konoha for there to be an engagement ring. It is well a bit…odd to paint the faces of your betrothed…what…why are you laughing at me?" the female Hyuuga asked indignantly as she heard Kankuro start to chuckle.
"You…snicker...actually believed me when I said that it was a custom in Suna for engaged couples to paint each other's faces?"
Hinata bit her tongue for a moment, but the genuine expression of hurt told the puppeteer all he needed to know.
Shaking his head Kankuro motioned for Hinata to come across the room to him. Stubbornly Hinata turned her head, chin held high and out with her nose in the air.
Not one to listen to 'no' spoken or otherwise Kankuro instead crossed the room over to her side, "Come on, you're not mad at me."
"…I could be." Hinata said softly, frowning and turning away once more.
Kankuro grinned, "Yeah…but you're not," he replied hooking one arm around Hinata's waist and dragging the young woman back.
Hinata's face pinked but she didn't pull away, instead she turned to face him, "I hate you…you evil wicked thing."
Kankuro rolled his eyes, "Yeah Hinata…you hate me so much that you agreed to marry me last night."
"I could take it back you know…what hey stop that! No…no no tickling!" Hinata squealed in between laughter as Kankuro started to tickle her middle.
Between gasps and giggles Hinata decided to turn the tables by trying to tickle him but Kankuro kept dodging her fingers.
"Hold…giggle still please," Hinata said as she tried to dance around both his fingers and to get close enough to trap and tickle Kankuro.
However wandering around the room for tickle fight turned out not to be a good idea and pretty soon:
Thunk…
Pale lavender eyes stared down at Kankuro whom she had fallen on top of when they had both tripped and fallen to the floor.
"…"
"…You know usually I prefer being on top, but this works too." Kankuro said with a wicked grin as his reached to pull Hinata closer, the young woman's face becoming redder by the minute.
"Epp!" Hinata squeaked but just before she could get off of Kankuro the door to the room opened.
"Alright Prima Donna time to put up the make-up and…"
Hinata glanced up to see Temari and worse…the Kazekage a.k.a Gaara staring down at her and Kankuro sprawled out on the floor.
"Um…hello Temari-san, Kazekage-sama."
Temari blinked large dark blue eyes, "Uh yeah hi," then she looked to Kankuro, "I'll give you five minutes to finish well whatever you guys have started. After that your ass had better be downstairs."
"Wait just five!" Kankuro protested.
Temari smirked, "Yeah you strike me as the 'minute man' type. So five minutes is being more than generous."
"Hey!" Kankuro started to protest loudly, but his sister quickly slammed the door shut.
Hinata looked slightly bemused, muttering to herself, "Minute man?"
Kankuro shook his head, "Don't listen to Temari, she's just talking trash again…hey we've still got four minutes right?"
"Um yes…but I don't see what that has to do with…" Hinata began only to find herself being the one on the floor this time, looking up at a smirking Kankuro before he leaned forward and kissed her soundly.
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"So…we're technically related to the Hyuuga clan now?" Gaara asked his elder sister as the two of the three Suna siblings walked down the stairs of the inn.
"I suppose so. I mean the whole village must know about them now…and if the village knows Hinata's dad most likely knows so if Kankuro wants to live long enough to see his next birthday he should at least assure the Hyuuga that he's going to marry Hinata."
"Ah I see."
For a moment the only noise between the siblings was the clank of feet against the staircase until Gaara spoke up again.
"…This doesn't mean that we have to add the entire Hyuuga clan to our Christmas card list does it?"
Temari stood, frozen on one of the steps before whipping her head to stare in shock-horror at her younger brother, former beast of the desert and violent container of the one-tailed raccoon.
"We have a Christmas card list?" she asked, thunderstruck as to where Gaara got such an idea.
Gaara shrugged, "No…well not yet at least. But it sounds like a good idea. Lee suggested it once."
Temari rolled her eyes, of course she should have known.
"You know…maybe we should seriously reconsider our alliance with Konoha. These leaf nin are poisoning you and Kankuro past the point of no return," Temari remarked dryly.
Gaara refrained from commenting on that rather hypocritical comment, he knew how 'sensitive' his sister was about people pointing out her flaws. Even if said 'flaw' complained all the time, was lazy, had spiky hair….
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Notes: Yet another silly-romantic fluff fic. I am sorry about the OOC-ness, but well if you've read to this point of my one shots then I guess it's kind of expected now…but you know I still like to warn in advance. You know the drill: If you like review and of course pairing suggestions.
Though I am this close to saying that Sanoru quit suggesting so that other people can have a chance…-laughs- I am just kidding, I just love the ideas you gave me for this one shot and the pervious one as well.
