Dangerous Lives

Valentine's day

Asuma was gone, away on a mission and Aya sighed in annoyance, it was Valentine's day. Her first Valentine's day while dating someone and she was spending it alone. Granted she could ask her dad for a mission, but it would be her luck that while she was being sent out, Asuma would be coming back and any possible chance of anything would be blown to bits. So she flopped around the house, lounging in her room, lying on the stairs, sitting upside down on the couch with her feet at the top and her head near the floor, this was how her little sister found her.

"Uhh, Aya what cha doing?"

"Waiting." The blonde said simply with half a shrug.

"For…?" the red head pressed watching as her sister's face grew pink from being upside down so long.

"Well Asuma should be back today or tomorrow and I'm really hoping he'll be back today, it's Valentine's day."

"Oh I see… so why are you upside down?"

"Why aren't you?" the blonde countered making the ten year old laugh.

"I have to finish making my Valentine's, when I'm done I'll come sit upside down with you if you haven't passed out ok?"

"All right, later Kazu." Aya watched her sister make her way up the stairs and sighed wondering where Asuma was.

O0o0o0o0

You know for February the desert was still really freekin hot, and as he made his way towards the hidden sand village Minato wondered if they would even have flowers. He'd wanted to bring Naminé flowers but thought about it and realized that if he'd brought them from Konoha they would be a wilted heap before he even got there. The sight of the gates of Suna was a relief and as he hurried through them nodding to the guards who had recognized him Minato wondered just where he would find Naminé.

Making his way through the plaza he'd found a place selling flowers, and they were crazy expensive, with a sigh he spent a good majority of his money and bought the red head roses that had been sent in from Konoha, he'd recognized the Yamanaka crest on the side of the boxes and knew that they'd last for quite a while. Finally he made his way to Naminé's house.

O0o0o0

"So you haven't tainted this holiday for my dad right? There's no ghost hauntings, no offerings of any sort it's just a normal Valentine's Day correct?" Naminé asked her uncle down in his shop.

"Yep, well after the whole Christmas thing your mom threatened me with painful senbon death if I messed up any more holidays like that."

"You know I really don't blame her. But I'll leave you be, mom wants to decorate a bit and we all know how that goes."

"Yeah there'll be red Christmas lights everywhere and hearts on the walls and ceiling…"

"I need to put a halt on at least a bit of her creativity, baking yes, decorating my room pink, oh god no." with that Naminé hurried up the stairs in search of her mother. She found the brunette stringing up red lights just as her uncle said and could smell something baking in the oven, already there were multitudes of valentines baked goods, everything ranging from cookies to cakes to chocolates, all made by her mom. Reaching over the red head grabbed a cookie 100% sure of her plan, this would so make her mother stop decorating.

"Hey mom can you teach me how to bake something?" Naminé was steeling herself, she was not a wiz in the kitchen, cooking normal food she was passable, baking she may as well just substitute sugar for arsenic and put the tasters of her food out of their misery now. Nia turned beaming at her daughter.

"Oh baby! What do you want to bake?" Naminé was already regretting these words, it was the most pain in the butt recipe she knew and took forever…

"Four layer valentines cake." Hearing this and knowing her daughter's history of baking Nia's smile fell just a little bit.

"Don't you want to try something just a tad easier hun? Like cupcakes?"

"No, it has to be this cake. I want to…send Minato something for valentines day!" yes, she'd pin it on him, hell he was in Konoha and she would mail the damn cake to prove a point if she had to.

"Are you sure? It's a tough cake to make Naminé and you're so….baking challenged." Her mom said trying desperately to soften the blow, Naminé didn't care it was nothing she didn't already know.

"I know, but I really really want to make this one, please?" she said pouting and giving her mom a pleading look. Finally Nia gave in with a sigh.

"Ok, go grab a few bowls and get an apron…this…you're gonna get messy."

O0o0o0

Everywhere Aya looked there were couples people walking hand in hand couples out getting food, it was starting to get late she even watched as a young man proposed to his girlfriend at the park and the sight made her melt. She really missed Asuma right now and knew that at the sight he would have squeezed her hand and pulled her close so they could continue on doing whatever they had at that point been up to. He was just nowhere to be seen, and was still on his mission.

With a sigh Aya walked over and sat on the swing at the park slowly going back and forth and staring at the ground when suddenly a sound in the bushes caught her attention. Turning she looked, but seeing nothing she waited wondering if it would move again.

"What're you looking at?"

"The bushes." Aya then suddenly realized that someone had spoken to her and turning she was covered in red glitter and confetti as a valentine was held out for her. With a smile Aya took the red construction paper heart from her sister.

"Thank you Kazu, it's beautiful."

"Open it." The red head urged. Placating her sister Aya opened it and inside said :Happy valentines day to the best big sister ever.

Reaching over the blonde pulled her sister into a hug.

"Thank you, I love it."

"Good because that took me forever." The red head said as she sat on the swing next to her sister. "Are you done being gloomy?"

"Maybe." The blonde said with a grin

"Aya."

"Fine, yes I'm done being gloomy."

"Why were you gloomy?" another voice asked, and the moment it did Aya's swing bumped into someone behind her. Turning the blonde beamed when she was met with red eyes and a devilish grin belonging to her boyfriend.

"Asuma!"

"You really don't think I'd miss valentines day do you?" he said wrapping his arms around the blonde and kissing her making the red headed girl gag very loudly before announcing her return to the house making the two teens laugh as Aya stood from the swing hugging Asuma tightly.

"Come on, let's go get dinner." He said taking her hand and leading the blonde into the village.

"But I'm covered in red glitter and confetti…"

"And you still look beautiful, let's go." He said smirking at Aya who grinned back holding his hand tightly as they made their way towards their destination.

O0o0o0o0

It was done, the cake was made layered and frosted, and it looked beautiful…but looks could be so deceptive. Naminé had made far too much cake batter and not being one to needlessly dump food Nia had made a second cake and stared at it nervously. Naminé stood looking proudly at the cake, it was beautiful and not on fire that was a pass in her book. At some point, the red head had actually gotten into baking the cake and was now eagerly staring at her mother pushing her to try it. Nia, with her hand on her belly was truly conflicted and feared hurting not only her daughter's self confidence, but harming her unborn child by eating the cake.

"So you will try it right?" Naminé asked cutting a large slice and handing it to her mom who accepted it warily.

"Of course I will baby it looks amazing…" just as she was about to bring the fork to the cake the door opened and she almost wanted to cry because she was saved. Quickly walking over she handed the slice of cake to Gaara knowing his sweet tooth and his ability to never disappoint his daughter.

"Gaara Naminé made a cake today, try it." Immediately the red head looked at his daughter who was waiting for his response to the cake.

"It looks good…"

"Will everyone stop saying that and just eat it jeeze!" Naminé snapped cutting herself a piece, though even she stared warily at her own slice of the cake she made. It did look amazing, each slice was a different color, the bottom being red, and the next slice up was progressively lighter until the top slice which was a very light pink, the frosting was very similar as well going from red on the bottom to pink on top.

Deciding to be brave Gaara lifted the fork but before he too could cut into the cake a knock came to the door and immediately he stopped and walked over opening it. He was surprised to see the bluenette standing at the door and knew he had a way out.

"Minato come in, Naminé made a valentine's day cake, have a piece." He said handing the plate to the teen who simply blinked. It was not every day that the scary father of the girl he liked gave him a slice of cake.

"Oh wow this looks awesome!" not knowing of Naminé's disastrous baking history Minato grabbed the fork and took a bite of the cake not noticing as Naminé's parents cringed. "Dude this is delicious!"

"WHAT!?" Gaara snatched Minato's plate away and took a bite of the cake.

"But that's my cake…" Minato said oh so confused.

"He's right it is good." Gaara said with wide eyes to his wife.

"No way!" Nis took the plate from her husband and took a bite. "Naminé you made something edible! Oh my goodness I'm so proud of you!"

"Wow…"the red head said shaking her head. Taking a bite of her own slice she smiled, it was good, at least this time she knew that Tbs meant table spoon and not three big scoops, oh her last confection had been so salty… with a smile she handed her plate to Minato who looked dismayed that her parents had stolen his cake from him.

"Happy valentines day." She said softly smiling at him. In return he handed her flowers.

"I got you these, they're still not dead so that works right?" hearing this Naminé laughed.

"Yeah it works, thank you they're beautiful." Leaning over Naminé gave the bluenette a kiss, and once she put the flowers in a vase and walked over to get another slice of cake, she led Minato to the living room to watch a movie, today was a good day.

O0o0o0

The dinner was lovely and Aya honestly wondered what else he had planned, there was that mischievous glint in his eye though she knew that he wouldn't tell her what was going on. After the meal he dragged her to the movies, another scary movie and she immediately caught on grinning at him. He'd chosen the 3D viewing of My Bloody Valentine, and Aya knew they were going to have a blast, however before they went inside the theater Asuma stopped her and pulled a box from his pocket.

"I know how much you like shiny things." He said simply handing it to her and with a nod at the truth of his words and a smile Aya opened it to find a silver necklace with a purple crystal. "I know it's not much-

"I love it. Asuma you knew I'd love it, and you know how much I love things like this it's beautiful. Thank you."

"You really do like it?" honestly he'd sounded surprised as he watched Aya pull the necklace from the box and put it on.

"How could I not? I'm so happy." She said with a beaming smile making the red eyed teen smile too.

"Good, I'm glad you like it. So are you ready to go scare the pants off some people?"

"You'd better believe it!" with that hand in hand Asuma and Aya went off to be public menaces for the night thoroughly enjoying their valentines day.

Happy valentines day! I decided to put this up instead of chapter 20 which I really don't want to put up because a whole bunch of terrible things happen for no reason other than to progress the plotline of my story….but anyways I have up to chapter 31 done so when I do post chapter 20 tomorrow please don't hate me for it.