Ayo stared above, drunkenly watching as the sand floated back to its master. Her eyes could not hide the shock from seeing him, although she had known that the Sand siblings had already arrived to Konoha.

"Gaara?!" She exclaimed, forgetting for a second what she was about to do before he announced his presence. His eyes gave her with nothing but anger and hurt; it was enough for her to recall the kiss that was about to happen, her head turning as she stared at Neji.

The Hyuuga prodigy stared at her, confused, before looking back at the Kazekage before them. Ayo had called him by his first name; the redhead looked beyond furious and had just stopped them from kissing. It did not take a genius to figure out what was happening and the confusion in his eyes finally turned into understanding. Everything seemed to make sense, then. The reason why she left Suna… The reason why a shinobi of her caliber would ask to be moved out of her original village and into a foreign land. The reason she would cry so often. There were still a lot of unanswered questions, but it was not the time for them and the most important was already deciphered.

She is in love with him, Neji realized, and he seems to return her feelings.

Ayo watched the emotions on his pearl eyes. She seemed to have sobered up drastically, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as a lioness about to get into a life or death match. She stared at Gaara and back at Neji, helpless. Hinata stopped with Hanabi only a few feet away, watching the whole thing as she thought of a way to help her, but there was not much she could say or do.

Neji heard his inner voice telling him. You knew you were heading out for trouble. He wasn't sure of what he was experiencing, anymore. A sick feeling took over his heart and he felt lost, as if he wasn't really there. It was more like watching the scene from above. Well, it seems to be another plot twist in your damned life, Neji Hyuuga. Who would have known that she would be snatched away by the Kazekage? Not that Neji thought of himself any less than the other man; it simply was impossible to compete with someone she was already in love with.

Gaara, on the other hand, felt an anger he could not really describe. It wasn't like before when he would be possessed by Shukaku's hate; he didn't feel the killing intent and he certainly didn't feel like murdering the Hyuuga in front of him. He knew Neji. He and Naruto were friends and the man was an admirable shinobi. He had been of incredible assistance to Suna before. His participation in the war was nothing but extraordinary and he was like Gaara himself in many ways. He did not feel that kind of madness, no. The fury he felt was related to the situation he was in and somehow he was mostly angry with himself for allowing it to happen. Nevertheless, he was angry with Ayo. He saw it all. She was the one to stop the other male. She was the one to lean and reach out to kiss him. He felt betrayed somehow, which he knew was completely irrational. He knew it was bound to happen, he told himself many times; she had moved to Konoha and she would meet someone else, she would have someone falling for her at speed of light. What Gaara did not really expect was for her to fall out of love with him, especially that fast, so easily. She was supposed to be in love with him for years now, from what his sister told him. So why was that happening? He did not expect her to be the one after someone; that hurt him. It made him feel as if he was disposable, worthless and hopeless. Forgettable. In addition, it made him feel like his blood was boiling from despair.

"Neji…" She started, an action that the attention of both men on her. Gaara narrowed his eyes at her. Rejection hit him hard and he watched in disbelief.

Neji simply gave her a soft look. "Ayo-san, I believe you two have matters to discuss." His voice was contained, distant. The golden eyes stared at him in despair as he took the first steps away.

"Neji, please wait!" She called out and he stopped on his tracks, his heart racing. Could it be…? Would she choose him after all?

Gaara felt like he had just been slapped hard on the face. His arms moved as he summoned his sand back. That was too much; he could not watch it any longer. It seemed like Ayo had made her choice, after all. He would stand there to watch. Turning his back to her, the Kazekage looked away, ready to leave. For all he cared, he would go back to Suna right then. He did not care about the stupid wedding, he didn't care about Naruto, he didn't care about Ayo. To hell with all of it. He simply did not care anymore.

Ayo caught Gaara's movement and looked back at him, but he had already looked away. Her heartbeats transformed into painful, rhythmic stings as her eyes looked from one to another. Neji Hyuuga. Sabaku no Gaara. They had their backs turned on her. She felt the world spin. The alcohol made her balance falter as she fought for breath, her lungs suddenly failing her as the sheer panic of losing them both took over her.

This can't be happening. This can't be…

"Ayo-chan!" She heard Hinata cry out before her vision turned dark and her legs collapsed, taking her down to the ground.

Hinata screamed. Neji and Gaara turned around just in time to see the kunoichi fall to the ground soundly. Both stared wide-eyed at the scene, reacting at the same time as they reached out to help her, but it was too late. She had already fallen and no one was there to catch her. Hinata held Hanabi helplessly, looking horrified as she watched the unconscious woman.

"Ayo…" Gaara's voice sounded for the first time as he called out to her, picking her up in his arms gently. His eyes held no anger anymore. Instead, guilt and worry flashed on them. Neji stared at the girl with the same feelings plastered on his face.

"Kazekage-sama." The female's voice was soft, but Gaara's head snapped at Hinata, noticing the hint of annoyance in her tone.

The Hyuuga princess looked upset and it was probably the first time he was seeing that look in her face. "Forgive me if I'm being too bold, but we are going home now. Including Ayo." Gaara opened his mouth, but was cut short. "I apologize once more, but you have no choice on the matter. Ayo is my pupil and I am taking her with me. Obviously, she is too stressed out. You can talk to her tomorrow, once she is well." The Kazekage frowned, making another attempt to protest, but Hinata interrupted him again. "No. No buts, Kazekage-sama. I can't stand the fact that she just passed out because you two." Both Neji and Gaara visibly flinched at her harsh tone and aggressive look and that was impressive enough considering it was sweet Hinata-sama who was speaking. "Neji-kun, pick her up and let us go. Not a word from you, either. I am fed up with you two for now. Try pulling that on my wedding and I will deal with you both personally."

Gaara knew defeat when he saw it. "Very well. I will walk with you, then."

Hinata decided to let it slide. Neji seemed disturbed by the decision, but said nothing. They walked together in utter silence until they reached the Hyuuga gates. Gaara was reluctant, but gave Ayo away and Neji picked her up from his arms.

Hinata turned to Gaara, who watched Neji walk away with his kunoichi. "Kazekage-sama, I know you and Ayo have a history and I won't take sides. If I were completely honest with you, nothing would make me happier than to see her with my cousin, but I know you are a good person as well and a great shinobi. If Ayo decides to be with you, I will be happy too. I respect you." Gaara listened in silence and nodded once, almost solemnly. She continued. "Don't change that, please."

His teal eyes widened at the last words as the Hyuuga princess bowed at him and walked away. He could not deny his newfound respect for the woman.

They cared about Ayo, it was very clear. At least he could rest assured she would be taken care of. He walked away slowly, lost in his thoughts. He would have to handle things differently the next day if he truly desired a different outcome.

When Ayo woke up, she felt like the moon was falling… Right on her head.

The splitting headache burned her eyes and mind. Her body felt heavy, the light was offending and she groaned sickly, covering her face with the blanket. Memories from the previous night came back to her as she blinked slowly, trying to wake up.

"Gaara?!"

The Kazekage stared at her with narrowed eyes; Anger flashed through his teal orbs, his arms crossed. He didn't say it, but his look was worth a thousand words. It was like he was asking what the hell was happening.

Ayo gasped as more memories came back.

She was about to kiss Neji when Gaara showed up. She sat up in a hurry and regretted it immediately, the room spinning from the remaining alcohol in her system, her head pounding painfully.

He had broken them apart. He looked livid. Mad. Hurt. Betrayed.

She felt like someone just punched her in the ribs and her hand held her chest instinctively. Then… What happened after?

Ayo closed her eyes and searched in her mind with all her might, but nothing came. She had no idea of what happened before that. Somehow, her mind was blank. Everything else was erased; she had no idea at all.

She hissed in frustration. She had made a fool of herself in front of Neji and Gaara hated her.

Great.

"And here I was, thinking the wedding would be awkward." She muttered to herself, sighing.

Ayo stared at her own reflection at the huge mirror in Hinata's room. Most everyone was ready, including her. They were only waiting for Hinata, who was still making sure she looked just perfect. Ayo was lost in her own little world as she waited for her lovely shishou to get ready.

Sparing a few minutes of her anxious day, Hinata had told her everything that had happened the night before. The Hyuuga heiress felt it was needed, since Ayo would be seeing the two men in the wedding anyway. Might as well prepare her for whatever would happen. Hinata felt sympathy for the girl; after all, she came to Konoha to run from heartache and now she was bracing for a tsunami of drama. Who would have thought things would get that complicated so fast?

Back to Ayo, the kunoichi stared blankly at her own reflection. Her long, wavy hair was styled in its natural fashion. Hanabi had decorated the long, wild waves with small white flowers. All the bridesmaids had the same dress and flowers in their hair. Ayo did not wear any jewelry. Her eyes were painted with the thick black and gold makeup that was customary from Suna. Her long eyelashes didn't need any mascara and her mouth was clear from lipstick. They had done their nails, but that was about everything Ayo had done to doll herself up. After hearing the facts that Hinata related, she felt a little sad and discouraged.

Neji walked away from her. Gaara turned his back on her.

Things did not exactly look good, as expected. She had a feeling that the wedding would be a disaster for her. She was glad that at least Hinata would be happy. She tried to forget about her own life as hard as she could and focus on Hinata. It was her shishou's day and nothing could diverge her attention from it. Not even the two man she loved.

Her golden eyes widened at the thought. Did she really love them both? She loved Gaara. That was her certainty. Neji, though… What did she really feel about him? She loved being around him, she loved most everything about him, she was always sad whenever they would spend days without seeing each other. Was that enough, though? Was it enough to be considered love?

Then again, she did try to kiss him. Was it only attraction? Was it because she was drunk? What the hell was it?

The kunoichi hissed, looking away from her reflection. She was doing it again. She had just decided to push the thought of them aside and there she was, breaking the resolution before a single minute passed. This was going to be hard as hell.

"Ayo-chan?" Hanabi called softly, also aware of the previous night. "We should get going…"

Ayo looked at her friend and smiled softly.

Shinobi endured.

Time to swallow the fear, bury the nervousness deep down and put a smile on her face.

"Of course, Hana-chan. Let's do this."

Gaara watched quietly as Temari fixed his tie. Kankurou had already gotten ready and vanished from the room, saying something about checking out the bridesmaids. His brother was hopeless, it seemed. Now that he was alone with his sister in the room, he knew it was just a matter of time before she started speaking and he knew damn well what she would be talking about.

Temari's teal eyes, much like his own, narrowed slightly as she pulled her hands away from his tie. Her palms smoothed his already impeccable black jacket. Gaara watched her face twist in concentration and wonder. He knew she was thinking on how to start talking about the sensitive subject that Ayo had become.

His sister took a step back and looked him over. He stared at her, blankly. Her fingers suddenly attacked his red hair, ruffling it until it was back into its spiked, messy form. Gaara knew better than to protest; as she would always say, she knew what she was doing. She smiled brightly, holding her hands to her heart. "My baby brother… You look perfect. You're truly more handsome that any male ever was in our family. I'm so proud!"

Gaara felt the slightest blush tint his cheeks. "Thank you…"

"Look, Gaara… I know that you are not in the best mood right now, but you like Ayo, don't you?"

He nodded. "I love her, Temari."

The blonde woman smiled softly. "Don't let her go, this time. Fight for her."

Gaara stared at the woman, confused. "You mean I should challenge the Hyuuga on his cousin's wedding? Isn't that…"

"No! Not like that!" His sister chuckled softly, her hands resting on his shoulders. "Gaara, not all the fights are literal. You need to show her exactly how you feel. Fight for her; tell her what is in your heart, show her you mean every word. She loves you. Whatever she feels for the Hyuuga is not compared to what she feels for you."

"Tell what's in my heart…" He repeated softly, frowning. "That's not easy at all. How can you be sure what she feels doesn't compare? What if it is even stronger than whatever she thought felt for me?" Ayo had a platonic crush on him. This time, she met someone and probably developed the feelings in a completely different way. There was no way of telling the intensity of those feelings based solely on what he saw the previous night.

Temari shook her head, though, in disagreement. "Trust me on this. I know what I'm saying. She loves no one like she loves you."

Gaara stared at a mirror from the corner of his eyes, checking his own reflection. Temari reached out to place a white flower on his jacket's pocket, something that all the groomsmen were to use. The Kazekage felt confused and nervous, but for the time being, he would have to endure. There was no way of telling how the night would turn out. He thought of Naruto; the Hokage and his friend took years to finally realize what he wanted and who his true love was. Gaara would have to be patient. Luckily, things would turn out on his favor.

They all had rehearsed for the night and, as highly trained shinobi, there was little chance that they would screw it up. At the back room, the master of ceremony went on the main points one last time as the bridesmaids and groomsmen listened quietly, some paying a lot of attention and some simply too bored from listening it from the thousandth time. Three of the people seemed to be in their own worlds, though. Ayo, Gaara and Neji were in the same place again. She avoided looking at them. They kept staring at her and eventually exchanged grave looks, but no words were spoken.

"So, one last time: The best man, Iruka Umino, will come first. After that, the groom… Naruto, stop biting your nails! As I was saying, the groom will follow. The minister walks inside after it. Then, the bridesmaids will walk in accompanied by their respective groomsmen." The man stopped for a breath. "Please stand in groups of two and in line as I call your names. Kakashi and Tsunade." The couple smiled as they looked at each other.

"Neji and Hanabi." The younger Hyuuga squeezed her cousin's hand gently, knowing what was about to come.

"Gaara and Ayo." Ayo felt her hands shake in spite of herself as she watched Gaara take slow steps towards her, stopping beside her. He didn't say a word. She stared at Neji and then back at Gaara. They were both stunningly handsome and she felt her heart go wild on her chest. Where in the universe would that be considered fair?

Both men were basically wearing the same outfit; black tie wardrobe with the white flowers in their pockets. Neji looked like he came out of a novel, the most handsome man in the place. His long brown hair was let lose for the night. Locks of silk brushed his face as his pearl eyes looked down as his hands. He looked like he felt lost, as if he didn't really belong to such happy event. And Gaara… The Kazekage's fiery hair was messy beyond impossible, but instead of giving him a sloppy look, it made him look extremely sexy and alluring. His teal eyes were intense, although there was a hint of nervousness in them.

As she thought about them, they also thought about her. Neji stole a glance and that was enough. Gaara looked up as she entered the room and felt like his heart had stopped for a moment; the caramel skin beauty was gorgeous, shining in glory. The sparkling red dress hugged her curves merciless, showing the lines of her body like painting on a canvas. Her long, wavy hair cascaded to her waist, adorned by tiny white flowers. Her orbs sparkled as liquid gold.

She looked like a queen.

It took them all self-control not to drool at the sight.

Neji did not dare giving her a second look after that. His heart twisted with jealousy and sadness. She was not with him. She would not be with him. He could feel it in his gut and when he had that kind of feeling, he usually was right.

He didn't want to be right this time.

Gaara stopped next to her and looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She held her hands together, biting her bottom lip. He felt his heart speed up; he loved when she did that. He loved most everything about her and the thought of it brought a weight into his chest. He sighed, barely audibly. She heard it, though, and looked up instantly, meeting his eyes.

They looked at each other for a moment. Ayo felt her cheeks redden from the look he was giving her. His eyes burnt her and he did not bother to hide it. She looked away.

It was going to be a long, long night.

They were finally excused. The wedding wouldn't take long to begin, it was now a matter of minutes. Iruka was doing his best to calm Naruto down, but the blonde was hyperactive to the extreme. Ayo chuckled at the sight of him, making her way outside for some air. She needed to prepare for the next hours. She had no idea how, though.

Hanabi joined her after a couple of minutes. The two girls leaned on the balcony edge, staring at the landscape in front of them. It was a beautiful place, filled with nature. The trees were green and filled with life. A lake reflected the sky and they watched quietly as a few leaves touched the surface of the water.

"Ayo-chan…" Hanabi started, unsure of what to say.

"It's alright, Hana… Go ahead." Ayo sighed sadly, a faint smile on her face. "Tell me how awful I am… That's certainly how I feel right now."

Hanabi sighed. "I wasn't going to say that." She paused, looking at the other girl. "I'm sorry about the mess you're in. I had no idea you and the Kazekage were together."

"We were never together." Ayo said, bitterness stroking her words. "That was just a silly dream of mine… A dream that I had for years and that turned into this awful nightmare."

"But you love him, don't you?"

Ayo looked at the sky and sighed, nodding. "I do. I love him so much it hurts."

"Then what about… Neji nii-san?" Hanabi asked softly.

Ayo stared back at the water, thoughts of thee Hyuuga prodigy invading her mind. "Neji… I don't know exactly what I feel for him." She confessed. "All I know is that the thought of losing him is too painful. I miss him whenever he is not around… I'm utterly happy whenever he is." Ayo closed her eyes, sighing. "His voice is soothing and his touch makes me feel safe. I'm a jounin… I can't believe I just said that." She chuckled softly. "I'm so lame." She sighed again, resting her forehead on the wooden edge.

Ayo stroked her friend's hand gently. "Ayo-chan… That sounds like love to me."

Ayo bit her lip to prevent the tears from coming. "Hana… Do you think it's possible to love two people at the same time?"

Hanabi pondered for a moment before replying. "I've never loved before, but yes… I think it's possible. I think anything is possible, Ayo-chan."

Ayo straightened up and took a deep breath. "I don't want to think of this anymore… At least not for now. I need to focus on Hinata nee-chan. These crazy thoughts can wait."

Hanabi chuckled softly and nodded, pulling her by her hand. "I concur. Let's go back inside, shall we?"

Ayo nodded, smiling gently at the girl next to her.

Thank you, Hana-chan…