"Closer! Lean down! Twirl! Yes smile. Smile. Happy happy happy!"

I moved with the camera. The set for the shoot was a very nice winter ocean look. We had on thick coats. This was probably the fourth outfit I'd tried on that day. It was a rocky ocean with a boat and a dock. The sun was close to setting by now. For the past half hour I'd been twirling around on a rock, the boat, and the deck. I felt silly but so relaxed.

Gaara was standing with the rest of the crew. I sent him the occasional smile.

"Send us that flirty look. Kick some water with your boots." Called the director.

I did as he said. I twirled, kicked a little water. I tried to balance on the wet dock, placing my arms out.

"Cut!" He yelled. I stopped and looked at him expectantly.

"Brilliant." He gave me a thumbs up. "Very good. Let's bring Utakata back now. We're going to head over to the rocks. Utakata are you ready?"

Utakata walked out of a tent. He was dressed to kill, his outfit matching mine well. We walked together to the next scene.

"How are your shoes?" He asked, leaning in.

"Killing me. Yours?"

"I'm about to throw them in the water." He admitted with a half smile.

The director let the camera's set up again as we made ourselves familiar with the new scene.

"Okay back to the romantic set up."

Whenever I was pared up with Utakata directions weren't shouted out. Occasional twirks would be made but in general we'd have some free roam to move however.

"ACTION!"

First Utakata helped me up onto the rock. He wrapped his arms around me and we spent a minute looking out at the sunset. I smiled and he would laugh and return a mischievous look that said he knew something we didn't.

Then he took my hands and we intertwined them, holding each other in different positions. He spun me around and our movements melded into a slow dance. Our faces came teasingly close several times and he kissed me on the cheek.

"Closer!" the director called.

Utakata spun me around. I had the distinct feeling that he was in charge of this shoot, he was the one leading and making it into whatever he wished. I was just going along with it. That was the difference in our experience levels and skill.

We ended our standing game and I lay down on the rocks, something that was rather uncomfortable. He laid besides me and we positioned our bodies perfectly for the sunset to hit our sides. The camera's spun around us. Utakata rubbed my arm. I placed mine behind his head. He went in for the killer kiss.

He came back up. The thing about the shoot was, whatever we did, it wasn't real. This was pretend. We both understood that and it was well because the last thing we needed were emotions getting involved.

"Try that again, I want the camera's to get a close shot with the sunset like that." The director commanded.

We wound up meeting lips a few times with different angles until the director was satisfied. After that we changed. I sat down on the rocks and Utakata bent over for another kiss. We danced on a boat, twirled around some more and acted like we were having a good time. Which we were. I only wished the clothes had been more comfortable.

Finally the director called it quits for the day and sent us off with praise. Utakata and I sat in the tent together, wiping off piles of makeup.

"Good work today." He praised.

"You were't too bad yourself." I winked.

He rolled his eyes. "When did you turn into such a narcissist?"

I playfully nudged his shoulder. "That's all your fault. If such a big shot wasn't always modeling with me I'd be sure to sober up."

This actually brought a laugh from the older model. "I doubt it love."

The tent flap opened loudly. Utakata and I turned from our mirrors to the intruder I grinned when I saw Gaara. "I'm almost done with my makeup. Then we can all go back to the hotel together."

Gaara remained silent, making me look up from the mirror. He was standing right besides me. I looked up in earnest curiosity. He seemed to be trying to make up his mind on something with his face distorted with concentration.

"Are you hungry?"I asked finally.

Gaara slowly nodded. "Sort of."

"Ah, we can all stop somewhere. Are there any good places here Utakata?"

"It's eight Zena. We shouldn't be eating." He reminded me.

I frowned. "But it's sort of in celebration. A small salad wouldn't hurt hm?"

Utakata remained still.

"Oh come on. You can't refuse me." I gave him a sweet look.

He sighed. "Fine. There's a famous fish house nearby. We can hit it on our way back. You owe me, bending the rules I've obeyed for five years."

"Which is why you're my favorite." I winked. Then I turned to Gaara. "So how does Fish sound?"

Gaara was behaving oddly. I could sense it. He looked between Utakata and I several times.

"Gaara?" I asked again.

He shook his head. "Fish is fine."


Gaara and I shared a room that night. Gaara had remained eerily silent for the entire time since the shoot was over. Even Naruto would have noticed something was wrong. I came up behind him when he was unzipping his bag and put my hands on his shoulders, rubbing them.

"You seem out of it. Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.

He was still silent, his shoulders tense.

I rested my forehead on his shoulder. "You can tell me."

He touched my hand. "Zena."

In a second he'd spun around, still holding my hand. I searched his eyes for an answer to what was wrong.

His lips crashed down on mine before I could find what I was looking for.

I tensed at first out of instinct. But slowly I relaxed. Gaara waited for that until he deepened the kiss. I wrapped my legs around him on the bed. "I'm better now." He said.

I laughed at him. "If a kiss is all it takes to turn your entire attitude around..."

"Hm?"

"I wonder what a little more would do?"

Gaara grinned, clearly liking where the conversation was going. "Should we find out?"

Then someone knocked on the door, snapping us out of our bliss.

Gaara groaned.

"Sorry." I smiled sheepishly. "Might be important."

I opened the door to see Utakata there.

"Was I interrupting something?" He asked.

yes I thought bitterly before shoving it aside and shaking my head no.

"Mm. Good. Do you have sweats?"

I nodded. "I have pajama sweats. Why?"

"Let's go for a jog. Tobi said there may be a few reporters loitering about. Besides, exercise would do us both good."

I didn't feel like jogging. "Ah sorry, but I haven't got a shirt."

"I'll be back in a few minutes with one. Be ready." He turned around before I could make up another excuse.

I let out my own small groan of annoyance. "Well there goes that." I mumbled.

"Tell him no." Said Gaara. He kissed my neck.

I shook my head and pulled away, walking over and taking off my pants to change into sweats. I removed my top and placed on a sportsbra. "Sorry Gaara. He's right. We need to be seen together more. And I've been lazy with my exercise."

Gaara poked my stomach. "Doesn't look like it."

I rolled my eyes. "Sweet talker. I'll be back in an hour mkay?"

Gaara reluctantly nodded. The door reopened and Utakata handed me a shirt.

Before I could slip it over the Bra Utakata narrowed his eyes and leaned over so he was parallel to my stomach and to a small cut right above my hip bone. It was left over from Ukon. I tensed.

"What's this mark? We have a swimsuit shoot in two days. How did this come about?"He looked up at me suspiciously.

I couldn't think of an excuse. My mouth felt dry.

Utakata reached out and touched it. "It will be hard to cover up Zena. You're a model. Why aren't you more careful with you body?"

Gaara stood up as soon as Utakata touched the cut. He grabbed Utakata's wrist.

I blinked. Utakata looked up at Gaara now, his eyes testing."Something wrong?"

"Who do you think you're touching?" Asked Gaara.

Utakata pulled his wrist away and gave a calm look. "Try to control your jealousy. It's unattractive."

"Don't touch her." Gaara crossed his arms threateningly.

Utakata seemed close to laughing with amusement. "You do realize our profession?"

Sensing something bad growing I stepped in. "Okaaaay boys. If we're going to return before midnight we'd best get going Utakata."

I slipped on the shirt and gave Gaara a small peck on the cheek. "I'll be back."

He grunted but didn't push any issues. I walked off with Utakata, waiting till we got down to a sandy part of the beach.

"Sorry about that." I said. "He's just a little protective."

"A little?" Utakata asked, starting to jog.

I chased after him. "I don't mind it. Makes me feel wanted." I smiled.

"I think you're a masochist." Utakata shook his head.

I laughed loudly. "I think that sometimes too."

Utakata shook his head in disbelief again. "Wanna race?"

"Where?"

"To the river?"

"You're on. Ready, set-" I sped up before I said go. Utakata picked up his pace.

It was pitch black, the stars and moon our only light. We ran in the sand, sweat forming on our bodies. I felt Utakata catching up to me and tried my best to speed up. But Utakata gained on me and I had a feeling he was merely toying with me. I closed my eyes and tried even harder but my lungs felt like they might explode.

"Zena!"

I opened my eyes just in time to see the log in front of me. I tried to pivot around it but my legs tangled up and I went down.

I stayed down, rolling onto my back and looking up at the stars. I chuckled.

Utakata tilted his head back and laughed. "You're so messy."

"But cute." I laughed.

He sat down next to me. "And Hopeless."

"Not to mention a masochist." I winked.

He agreed with me. We looked up at the sky.

The ocean sang a theme song for us, crashing against rocks in the distance.

"So this is a tie right?" I asked.

Utakata shook his head with another laugh. "Sure." He plopped down next to me and we looked up at the sky.

"Do you ever wonder where we're going?" He asked.

I turned my head to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what's the point in all of this? I feel like I'm the ocean, always moving but always coming back to the same place and same patterns."

I frowned. "What are you running away from?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're not at all like the ocean. You're more like a river. You're running forward And I get the feeling that you'll never return to the same place Utakata. Like, if I take my eyes off you you'll disappear. What's making you run like this? I don't know a thing about you."

Utakata didn't answer at first. He took his time looking away from me and up at the stars. "I don't have a family. I was raised in an orphanage until Tobirama recruited me on the streets. I was fifteen. He took me in as his own."

There had to be more to it, but I didn't push. Utakata wasn't someone who talked about himself often. What he'd just revealed to me was probably unknown information.

"What's wrong with wanting to move forward?" Utakata returned.

I shrugged. "I just feel that, if you never slow down you miss so much. Take the stars for example. Isn't it pretty? Hear the ocean. Feel the sand. Smell the salt. This day will never happen again. We can try to recreate it but tomorrow will be a different day. We'll never hear the ocean and see the stars and feel the sand in the exact same way again. It will always change. And if you don't slow down..."

"You won't see it." Utakata smiled. "You believe in living every moment to the fullest hm?"

"Yeah. Live like you're dying I guess. I mean, if you died tomorrow what would you wish you did today?" I asked.

Utakata rolled over on his side. "What would I wish I did..." He contemplated. He opened his mouth and I waited for him to continue. But he sighed and plopped back down, obviously changing his mind on something.

"I wonder..." He mumbled.