So funny I had to look up 'Purple Pose' and I kind of am worried my writing might veer that way. We all know Gaara has never felt emotions besides the lust for blood and hate, so slowly but surely he will learn what it means to be a husband. I want to thank you for all the reviews I love them.

Chapter 9

Hinata woke up late; the sun had filtered through the bamboo blinds to flint across her face. Sighing she buried farther in the bed memories of last night penetrated her mind and she wished to death she could push them aside. The memory of his hot breath against her bare skin, the intense pain, squeezing her eyes shut didn't help, because then his green eyes haunted her. Finally she sat up, the sheets pressed against her bare chest. Tears burned beneath her eye lids and she stifled a cry against the back of her hand. She felt dirty, used and sore. Sighing she swung her legs out of the bed and hurried to the bathroom, she proceeded to fill the large bath tub with hot water, grasping the violet bath salts she dumped them in. Waiting for the tub to fill, she walked to the bathroom mirror and stared at her reflection, blood shot eyes held a haunted look; her lightly tanned skin was pale. Frowning she turned away swept her hair up into a messy bun shut the water off and stepped into the steaming bath.

Hinata leaned against the edge of the tub and tried to relax, but it didn't help every time she closed her eyes she remembered where his hands had been. Her eyes flew open and she grasped the bar of soap and began scrubbing her arms, he had touched her there. Her face flushed as she recalled his mouth had rested against her neck; furiously she scrubbed the side of her neck until it burned. Stopping she realized how foolish she was being.

"What are you doing?" Gaara's cool voice cut through her like a knife.

Hinata swirled around in the bath water sloshing it over the rim from her movement. He stood there a manila envelope in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, his eyes were questioning as he stared at her neck where she had been scrubbing.

"Are you trying to flay your skin off?' Gaara asked coldly as he set the coffee cup down on the side table by the tub and the manila envelope next to it.

"I am taking a b-b-bath." Hinata managed to say as she sank into the water letting it come to her chin as she eyed him.

"I can see that." Gaara muttered as he straightened. "I won't be able to spend the day with you as I have pressing business matters to attend to. I thought you might want to spend the day reviewing your three students, so I sent for their files."

Hinata rose a little in the bath and peeked at the envelope on the table. "Thank you."

"The coffee is for you too, Greta will be around and if you want breakfast sent up it can be arranged." Gaara commented.

"Uh…thank you." Hinata said again she didn't know what else to say.

Gaara just stared at her in cold silence before he turned and left without a word. The only sound was the click of the door as he left. Sighing in relief Hinata sank back into the water she really didn't want to spend the day in his presence after last night she'd probably stutter so bad that she wouldn't be able to take a breath then faint right there at his feet. The thought made her smile; she reached for the cup of coffee and took a sip. She wrinkled her nose slightly at how dark and strong the brew was not even a hint of cream or sugar, oh well.

Hinata finally picked up the envelope after drying her hands and took out the contents. Three files on her new students, all had failed their Chunin exams which wasn't too hard to believe since they were a young team only together for a little over a year. As a team they had performed several D- Rank missions and only one C-rank mission which they failed. Hinata found it odd that Gaara was even giving them a second chance by sending them to Konohagakure in three months to retake the Chunin exams. Usually if a team failed their sensei took a year to build up their skills. But as Gaara pointed out a few days ago the three students were from prominent families in the village and to keep the peace among his citizens Gaara was making an exception

She pulled Shawna's file out first the only girl on the team and opened it; a small passport picture was clipped at the top page. A young girl with a hesitant smile, bright blue eyes and short dark red hair that fell in short layers around her shoulders on closer inspection she noticed a scar across the girls right eye. Hinata continued to read the rest of the document.

Name: Shawna

Age: 13

Family: Father: Sekka a well known medical ninja in the Sunagakure village

Mother: Sonya deceased died protecting Shawna

Ninja Level: Genin

Skills: Medical ninja specializing in medical treatment and use of medical-oriented jutsu to heal others. Intense training in Taijutsu, and evading enemy attacks.

Comments: Unable to respond appropriately under pressure. Shows insecurity and hesitancy with trusting her team mates.

Hinata frowned as she read some of the missions, Shawna did appear not to trust her other team mates to the point where she would put herself in danger when a medical ninja was supposed to hold back and trust that her teammates could handle it.

Hinata pulled out Shima's file the picture showed the young boy grinning widely showing off his white teeth, his red hair was wild and unruly much like Kiba's.

Name: Shima

Age: 12

Family: Grandfather Sajo one of Gaara's council men.

Cousin; Kano

Mother and Father deceased.

Ninja Level: Genin

Skills: Relies solely on Tiejutsu shows weakness in Ninjutsu and refused to even attempt Genjutsu.

Comments: Shima acts first and thinks later, he relies solely on his physical strength, and because of this his use of chakra is weak and at times useless to him. Shima comes across high strung and out of control sometimes letting his emotions rein over common sense. Has a bad habit of teasing Shawna to the point where he has lost her trust and respect.

Hinata closed the file and picked up Kano's file the last one, glancing at the picture of a young boy with short brown hair and brown eyes. He had a bored expression on his face one bordering close to laziness. He looked to be the very opposite of his cousin as she continued to read.

Name: Kano

Age: 13

Family: Grandfather Sajo one of Gaara's council men.

Cousin; Shima

Mother and Father deceased.

Ninja Level: Genin

Skills: Trained in Genjutsu very good with playing mind games with his opponent, finds Tiejutsu to exhausting physically to even try it.

Comments: Kano does exceptionally well with Genjutsu. Has problems staying awake and alert during missions. His greatest strength is his trust in his fellow team mates, and his ability to get along with them.

Hinata closed the file and tucked them back in the manila envelope. She was excited and nervous at the same time three students for the first time she would be teaching. She remembered when Gaara had said no missions that had hurt, all her training and hard work for nothing. She was a Jonin after all and fully capable of teaching. Smiling all thoughts of last night gone as she finished her bath and got dressed. It was almost noon and she was feeling a little hungry.

Softly she made her way down the stairs and toward the kitchen, she grabbed an apple and a slice of bread and headed for the gardens she had spotted the first day they had arrived. Hinata loved flowers it was a passion she treasured especially when her Father had mentioned once that her Mother had loved flowers just as much as Hinata did. Walking through the gardens Hinata stopped in front of a patch of Dandelions, frowning she half wondered what a patch of weeds were doing in among all the flowers when the other beds had been weed free. Kneeling on her knees she bent to pick the yellow weed.

"What are you doing?" A young voice cried in exasperation.

Hinata startled as she looked up tosee the young girl Miyo. Miyo had her hands on her hips, her long silver blond hair tied back in a ponytail with a few strands sticking up here and there. Brown eyes glared at her in rage.

"I…they are weeds." Hinata said lamely as she waved a hand at the yellow flowers.

"Dandelions are not weeds they have medicinal properties to them." Miyo said indignantly.

"Oh…" Hinata replied understanding now that Miyo was probably a medical ninja if she knew that.

Miyo bent down and picked up one of the flowers Hinata had pulled and pointed to the root.

"An infusion of the root encourages the elimination of toxins from the body. It can help edema associated with high blood pressure and heart weakness. It has been used to clear the skin and is effective in fading freckles."

"What Miyo isn't telling you is I use the Dandelion fermented flowers to make a sweet wine." Greta's gentle voice said from above.

Miyo rolled her eyes good naturally at her mother. "Ok that also."

"Lady Hinata, don't let my daughter lecture you. This is the Kazekage's garden and yours also, change the layout how you see fit." Greta said with a kind smile.

Hinata stood up wiping the dirt from her knees. She felt completely uncomfortable next to Greta's striking beauty. Greta was wearing tan shorts a white tank top that showed off her sun kissed skin, a large straw hat and to finish it off a pair of green garden gloves. She carried a basket with freshly picked lettuce, spinach and tomatoes. Her long blond hair fell in waves around her shoulders lifting ever so slightly in the light breeze; her dark brown eyes offered nothing but kindness. Even with the small thin scars on her cheek bones Greta still held an elegant beauty about her that made Hinata feel clumsy.

"Miyo, did you get the Cleavers I asked for?" Greta asked her daughter.

"No." Miyo said standing up.

"How about the Lemon Balm?" Greta asked as she raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"Alright mom, I get the hint." Miyo said with a sigh.

"You do that I have to start dinner." Greta said with a soft smile at her daughter.

"Do you need help?" Hinata offered.

"Oh you're so kind I have everything under control, but why don't you go with Miyo get a lay out of the garden." Greta suggested as she turned and walked back toward the house.

"Your Mother is very knowledgeable with plants, is she a medical ninja?" Hinata asked as she followed Miyo down a path.

Miyo looked up sharply at Hinata. "No she isn't." Miyo's tone was finale.

"Are you?" Hinata asked.

"As a matter of fact I am, I just passed the chunin exams last month." Miyo said with a note of pride in her voice.

"Congratulations." Hinata said with a smile.

"One team didn't pass though, which isn't surprising, they fight amongst themselves often, and that's not what team work is about." Miyo said with a sad nod of her head.

"I heard that also." Hinata said with a smile as she thought about the files she had just read on her three new students. "I am to be their new sensei."

"Oh." Miyo said in surprise. "I didn't mean they are a bad team they just don't work together."

"Then I will keep that in mind." Hinata said patiently. "Who is your sensei?"

"Lord Baki." Miyo said as she bent to pick a plant careful to pick the leaves without tearing them. "This plant is Lemon Balm, Mom says it is both great in salads as well as curing insomnia."

"Insomnia?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Yes the Kazekage suffers from insomnia. Mom always brews it for him before he goes to sleep."

Hinata was shocked, now she understood why he didn't return to bed last night, Gaara had trouble sleeping.

"I didn't know that." Hinata said a bit ashamed that she couldn't figure that out.

"You didn't know your husband suffers from insomnia?" Miyo asked in surprise. "Mom knew everything about my Father, how he liked miso soup with eggplant, how much he loved reading, that his favorite animal was a dog."

"Who is your Father?" Hinata asked softly as she took the leaves Miyo handed to her and placed them in a bag.

"I don't know who my Father is and I don't ask it only makes Mom cry more." Miyo said briskly as she stood up and headed for another plant. Miyo touched the long stem with gentle fingers. "The seeds are round vessels covered with hooked bristles that protect the seed. Cleaver seeds are one of the best coffee substitutes you merely have to dry them and lightly roast them they have the same flavor of coffee. Mom says that the Kazekage is addicted to coffee and she feels the caffeine only adds to his problem of sleeping. So she brews Cleaver coffee instead, it also reduces inflammation, fever and pain."

Hinata smiled she was very impressed, Miyo was very knowledgeable when it came to plants.

"Well that's all Mom wanted so I'm going to help her finish dinner." Miyo said with a smile as she accepted the bag of lemon balm and headed for the house leaving Hinata to continue her tour of the gardens on her own.

….

Gaara sat in the finished office that was part of the pottery business he was having built. He stared at the papers he had on his desk, he couldn't concentrate. That never happened to him, he could stay focused even during one of Temari's tirades. Now all he could think about was Hinata and last night.

He couldn't understand why she was scrubbing her skin so hard that it left red marks on her pale skin. Now after thinking on it she was trying to clean herself of his touch. The thought of it hurt too much to think on. It was early evening and he knew he wasn't going to get anything done he might as well see his wife. He wasn't going to apologize it was his right as a husband, but maybe she would end up pouring her feelings out explain to him why she was so hurt. That much he noticed about his new wife when she was nervous she tended to stutter and when she was upset about something she tended to let it all out.

Finally he stood shut the binder and walked out of the office locking the door behind him. Slowly he walked through the gardens that made up a large part of the estate. He spotted Hinata a few feet away her long black hair hung down her back, her violet eyes sparkled with excitement when she spotted Gaara, and her lips pulled into a small smile. Gaara was taken aback at her excitement of seeing him; he expected her eyes to have that haunted look of this morning.

"Gaara." Hinata waved him over to the orange flower she was admiring.

"It's a desert Mariposa lily." Gaara said naming the flower.

"What an interesting name." Hinata said not taking her eyes off the flower.

"Mariposa means butterfly." Gaara explained.

"I thought y-y-you were going to b-b-be busy all day." Hinata suddenly said she wouldn't meet his eyes she just stared at his chest.

"It has been all day." Gaara commented dryly. "In fact its past dinner."

"I lost track of time." Hinata blushed.

"Did you read your students files?" Gaara asked as he led the way to the house. The delicious aroma of dinner was floating in the still air coming from the house.

"Yes… I read them and I am very excited." Hinata said with a trace of a stutter, but when she turned to see his eyes on her she became flustered and her next sentence came out at a rush.

"The Chunin exams are three months away and when they are held at Konohagakure… it t-t-takes almost a month for the testing."

"I am aware of that." Gaara said with a nod of his head.

"You are fine w-w-with me being gone for that long?" Hinata asked.

"When the time comes, Temari or I will be accompanying you." Gaara commented.

"Oh…" Hinata breathed out in a rush.

They reached the patio deck to see Greta setting the table so they could eat outside to enjoy the pleasant evening. Bamboo lights were glowing softly in the descending darkness, evening primroses were slowly opening there pink and yellow petals to the night air, a few night cereuses had already opened up fully to show off their fragrant white petals that seemed to glow in the evening air. It was the most romantic setting Hinata had ever been in. They sat down and ate in silence Gaara seemed content to not say a word while Hinata tried hard not to show her nervousness. When dinner was finished Gaara finally made eye contact with Hinata, and she blushed.

"Are you tired?" Gaara asked.

"No." Hinata said quickly.

Greta walked out with tall glasses of Lemonade and two quilts of which she placed on the table between them. Gaara stood up and pulled two lounge chairs next to each other and nodded his head that Hinata should sit on one. Hinata quickly did and took the quilt Gaara handed her and the lemonade glass. They reclined next to each other watching the garden unfold before them; the sweet fragrant scent of the flowers was intoxicating to ones senses.

"Why do you fear me?" Gaara asked his voice was low sending a shiver of unease down Hinata's spine.

"Um…I just d-d-don't know you." Hinata managed to say as she absently twirled a piece of her black hair around her finger.

"Last night…" Gaara began only to have Hinata jump slightly and cut him off.

"Last night…I wanted to…y-y-you didn't force me. It is your right…and w-w-we discussed that when we signed the document." Hinata rushed out.

Gaara held his silence pleased that she had opened up to him that she had confessed what she was thinking.

Hinata suddenly reached out and took his hand in hers. "You have not h-h-hurt me. I was more shocked than h-h-hurt."

Gaara liked the feel of her small hand in his so he held on to that bit of comfort.

"You can ask me anything." Gaara replied his eyes gazing out into the night.

Hinata was thoughtful for a moment pondering what she would like to know about her new husband.

"What do you value most in people?" Hinata finally asked, it was a deep question but it was also one that she would find helpful later on in married life. She would learn what Gaara respected in other people.

"I value honesty above all else." Gaara replied his voice held strength in his statement.

"Oh…even above love and friendship?" Hinata asked hesitantly.

"Honesty leads to that." Gaara explained. "You can't have friendship or love without honesty."

Hinata unconsciously was squeezing Gaara's hand as she bit her bottom lip pondering on what Gaara had just said. He found it cute how she worried her bottom lip with her perfect white teeth.

"What's your favorite letter?" Hinata asked suddenly.

Gaara gazed at her in surprise. "Favorite Letter?"

"Yes…Like mine is the letter 'L'." Hinata offered with a shy smile.

"Why the letter 'L'?" Gaara asked a little confused why she even asked the question.

"Well… 'L' stands for the words that I live by…such as Loyalty, Laughter, and Love." Hinata explained.

"'G'." Gaara said finally.

"Why the letter 'G'?" Hinata asked with a smile.

"It stands for my name." Gaara said as if it was obvious.

"That's good but is there any other reason." Hinata asked with gentle pestering.

"'G' stands for…Gallows, Guilt, Guts." Gaara was getting the hang of this letter thing as he rattled off the words. However when he heard a small gasp from Hinata he stopped.

"Those… a-a-are kind of v-v-violent." Hinata commented with a shiver.

Gaara stared at their hands intertwined in his lap and tried to think of words that would put her at ease.

"Gardens, Games, and… Goodness." Gaara surprised himself at the last word; goodness was defiantly not something you would use to describe him. It was something that he wanted to obtain but didn't know how.

"Goodness…I like that." Hinata whispered as she rolled onto her side so she could look at Gaara's profile that was hidden by the shadows that were being cast by the bamboo torches.

They finished the rest of the evening in comfortable silence enjoying the evening in each other's company.