Be my Teddy Bear
A/N: At last… a kiss! I know it took a long time but I hope it was worth the wait. Thanks for your patience and I am happy to present to you Chapter 10.
*Aurora is the first name of Sleeping Beauty
Chapter Ten.
5:30PM INSIDE HINATA'S BEDROOM AT SHINO AND KIBA'S HOME…
'I can't believe she brought them with her'. On the tiny beech wood desk in front of a large open window was a large vase with the bouquet of flowers he had ordered for her. He saw that she had independently taken out the single sand-coloured rose and placed it in its own porcelain flower holder.
She had been asleep nearly most of the day and soon he would have to leave her and return to the Hokage Mansion, not only to sort out with Naruto what he did but also to change into his Kazekage Uniform. Tonight, he would be attending a meal with the other Kages to formally welcome Naruto as the 'New Hokage'.
Taking the small terracotta-looking flower up from its holder, he examined it carefully. It was then he noticed a pair of bright white eyes staring at him with an equally bright smile. She was sitting up, looking refreshed and happy.
"Hello." He said, gently replacing the flower before gazing back at her with such an intensity she started to go pink.
Hinata didn't know what to say. She remembered his face approaching hers, the touch of his warm, soft lips and then … nothing. Realising she must have fainted, the flush on her cheeks grew with her embarrassment.
"Gaara…" Her face spoke an 'I-am-sorry-for-embarrassing-you' look and the man merely stared at her with a small smile on his lips. He moved towards the doorway of her room, turning the door knob as he smirked into the white door.
"Technically, I was the one who stole a kiss from you…" Looking over his shoulder and saw her looking at him whilst stifling a laugh. Gaara was highly amused and Hinata saw the mischief in him, making her want to giggle even more. "…And I am not going to apologise." With that, Gaara opened the door and walked through it.
As soon as the door closed, she burst under the pressure to laugh … and laugh she did. This was not the 1st time she had fainted in such a situation but to have done so merely because she was so happy … that was a 1st! Not because she was embarrassed or something that was said to her was too much simply, she had her 1st kiss and it was with the man she loved.
'I wonder where he went?' She got up, strolling over to the desk where he had been standing. On the desk in front of the flowers was a small note:
Sleeping beauty,
I have to go back to Naruto's house… I had a small misunderstanding with him and need to sort it out before we go to meet the other Kages.
You must be very tired: rest well for me and eat a proper meal when you wake up. I will see you tomorrow at Naruto's Ceremony.
Just so you know, a kiss is meant to wake you up and not put you to sleep.
Gaara.
'A small misunderstanding…?' She looked at the note again, smiling at the care in it from him and deciding to follow its instructions changed before brushing her hair to go and cook.
"Hi Aurora*," Kiba said with a toothy grin as she came down the stairs. "We are all in the kitchen. Kurenai and baby H are going to eat with us. Is fish okay for dinner?"
"Kiba-Kun… you are cooking?" Hinata said amused.
"What is so funny about me cooking?" He looked hurt and Hinata felt a pang of guilt.
"I didn't mean…" She began but was cut off.
"It's okay, I am." Shino yelled from the kitchen and Kiba grimaced.
"Stop butting in."
"Stop making Hinata feel bad. And both of you, come on in and eat."
The both arched eyebrows and giggled, walking up to the dinner table. Kurenai had sat the curly-haired toddler onto a chair boosted with 2 cushions, but she was desperately trying to get down to play. Giving up, she put her daughter onto the ground where she began to run in circles screaming happily.
"Hinata," Kurenai said tiredly, she felt exhausted after her child's burst of energy after her power nap and was pleased to see the young woman awake. "How are you feeling? You still look a bit flushed."
"I feel very well." She said reassuringly and sat beside her teacher.
Kiba sat opposite them, examining his old friend's face.
"What did he do to you up there?"
"Kiba, come and help me dish out the rice."
"Oh Shino…" Kiba complained, getting up and heading over to the dresser to get 5 large bowls.
"Well," Kurenai whispered into the bluenette's left ear. "What did he do?"
"One moment." Shino spoke authorativley. He quickly took the incredibly sweet-smelling fish from a large pan and placed it perfectly onto the fish plate. Promptly he went over to the table and put it at its centre. Kiba then came back from the now empty rice cooker with 5 overly large bowls of rice balanced perfect;y on his right arm. The canine man put the bowls in front of each person's chair and sitting down with Shino, waited for little Hinata to be helped back onto her seat. Akamaru had quietly pushed his bowl across the floor to Kiba's side and putting his paws onto the table, barked happily.
"Right," Shino began. "NOW you can tell us what he did to you."
"He.. did … nothing."
They laughed.
"Hinata… Hinata … Hinata…" Shino muttered with a smirk, shaking his head gently.
"He did." Kiba spoke excitedly.
"He didn't…"
"Hina," Kurenai said quietly. "The man has refused to leave your side until you woke up and just know we see him leave with a smile and a small blush… the mass-murderer of Sunagakure was blushing. What happened?"
"He… teased me a bit but that honestly was all that happened."
"WHAT DID HE SAY?"
"Wot he shay?" The toddler said, trying to copy them and made the adults laugh.
"He said he stole a kiss from me, was not going to apologise and left."
Kurenai smiled as the two men made 'ku ku ku' noises in amusement.
"Was that all?" Her teacher said and Hinata bit her bottom lip.
"He left a note for me…"
"Where is it?" Kiba asked, trying to sound casual but failing.
"On the desk upstairs."
Akamaru barked loudly, jumping down from the table and sprinting out of the room. Everyone laughed, the small girl even clapping her hands as she laughed in joy. The big, white furry dog bounced back quickly into the room, gently giving it to Hinata from his mouth and earning him a soft pat on the head from the young woman.
They looked at her expectedly, making her laugh nervously. She read it out to them and all of them seemed to looked a bit confused.
"He's a bit bossy," Kiba affirmed. "But to think he even tried to make a joke! It's like seeing an ape using a tool for the 1st time."
"It's a start." Kurenai said amused.
Shino remained silent, everyone now coming to look at him expectedly, though Hinata looked anxious. These people were the closest ones to her save her own family and in truth, it was these people's opinions that she really cared about most. They had helped her become strong when she felt weakest and loved her when the one she wanted to most couldn't.
"…"
The silence was becoming painful and as he leant on the table closer to where Kurenai and both Hinata's were sitting, he stared the white-eyed girl in the face and spoke.
"Sleping beauty, huh?"
The tension left the atmosphere around them and Hinata Hyuga exhaled loudly. Shino smirked whilst Kiba playfully tapped him on the arm with his fist.
"Sometimes…" Hinata began. "You can be really annoying, Shino."
"But loveable."
Kiba burst into giggles at his husband's self-defence and started to tear up from the laughter. Kurenai put a hand over her mouth but she too began to join in the laughter with Kiba.
"What's so funny?" He said, making the laughing duo grow in humour.
"You are loveable, but your way with words is nearly as good as Gaara's ones." Hinata broke down into giggles as everyone gasped for breath before laughing again. Akamaru looked at the tiny child's confused face and went over to her to lick her reassuringly on the nose.
After a few moments, the room and everyone in it became calm and happy. They began to tuck into the delicious food and chatted contentedly together until everyone was full and satisfied. Kurenai and her daughter went home and Hinata collected the dishes to wash up. Shino and Kiba continued to talk amongst themselves as she began.
"He better not hurt her." Kiba said.
"Agreed."
Neither of them wanted to see their friend have her heart broken a 2nd time and when they saw just how jealous he could become over a man who was supposed to be his best friend, they saw danger for their friend.
"If he loses his temper at her or tries to hurt her…"
"…She comes back home with us."
Hinata continued to wash and wipe at the dishes, quietly humming to herself, unaware of what was being said. When she looked over her shoulder at the pair, she saw the closeness between them and felt happy for them. Whatever happened between them, they would work things through together and stick together. She felt confident Gaara and her would be like that too.
1 AM AT THE HOKAGE'S MANSION…
The dinner had ended as usual in several games of poker and far too much alcohol he hated drinking and gambling. Putting his gourd down with a thump on his bedroom floor, he lay on his bed fully clothed.
Thankfully, when he returned Naruto had been good with him. He told him to forget everything that had happened and to go and prepare for their meal. Sakura however was quiet but peeved, muttering things unintelligible under her breath and leaving any room he happened to enter with her in it. Trying to forget her cold treatment of him and the awful images of the Raikage trying to put the moves on both Temari and Tsunande, he stared at the open patio doors to his room and the stars bursting out in front of him.
Somehow, the night sky always made him feel at peace and as he closed his eyes, his mind drifted to thoughts of a certain curvy yet athletic woman with moon-like eyes and a bright smile. That night, he slept unaided and peacefully. He did not know that at the time he was being watched. Cautiously, she deactivated her byakugan, removed herself from the shadows and back towards her friend's home. She was glad he was now able to sleep at night but sad she was no longer needed…