"Welcome!" Manami was cheerful, hands clapping excitedly as Xin stepped into the Hyuga's family room. Gaara was at her side and they each carried a heavily bundled babe. Four months later and they finally made their way to Konoha not only to introduce the twins to Konoha but to attend Temari and Shikamaru's wedding. Manami rushed towards her daughter, ignoring Hiashi as he tried to keep a steady hand on her arm. "Oh, let me see!"
"God, Mom, I'm here too."
"Oh, take no offense dear but I've already met you," Manami smiled pleasantly, hands folded together in front of her. She'd been faring much better in her older years and Xin was glad for it. She'd been sending letters quite often to Suna, eager to meet her grandchildren. "Oh, Gaara, lovely to see you as well! Come closer and let me see!"
She leaned over Xin and carefully peeled the blankets away from Ryuu. His eyes were big as he stared at the older woman for several long minutes before he smiled a gummy smile at her. Manami cooed and held her arms out. "May I?"
"Please," Xin laughed and handed the bundled babe over to her mother. "Look honey, it's mama's mama!" she grinned. "Oba-chan. Say it with me, Oba-chaaaan," she sang even though it was impossible for the baby to repeat her.
Gaara approached Hiashi, lifting his bundle to the older man. "Hiashi?" he prompted simply. He wasn't a particularly affectionate person and Xin was nervous he wouldn't take well to her kids. Gaara could understand where she was coming from. Their relationship was better but it wasn't like he had a good track record when she was a kid. She often joked that she wasn't too sure that Hiashi even held her as a baby.
But he took Riku from Gaara, a soft and small smile playing on his lips as Riku reached for his hair. "Careful, he has this thing where he likes to pull on Xin's hair. I tell her to cut it but she refuses," Gaara's tone was dry but he chuckled, ignoring Xin's pointed glare. He was aware of Xin's obsession with her hair and constantly poked fun at it.
"Xin was the same way when she was this small," Hiashi chuckled quietly. "Hinata not so much. She was too shy even then." It was obvious that he was reminiscing by the look in his eyes. It surprised Gaara because Xin insisted that her father just wasn't affectionate. Maybe he just wasn't sure how to show it and was making up for it now.
"Oh, they look just like you Xin," Manami hummed in a soft voice, bouncing Ryuu. He had a grip on Manami's hair but he wasn't tugging it like Riku was known to do. He seemed more so curious about the woman who looked so much like his mother. "That must mean they'll take after you, Gaara."
"I hope so." Gaara snorted.
"What's wrong with taking after me?"
"You tell me, Xin, do you like having your hair pulled on?" Hiashi mused.
"Oh, look who suddenly has a sense of humor. You're full of surprises, aren't you?" Xin rolled her eyes with her hands on her hips.
They were soon joined by Hanabi who came bounding into the room with an excited cheer. Like her mother, she completely bypassed her sister in order to coo over the twins. Xin wasn't the least bit amused, pointing out, for the second time, that she was here too.
"Why don't you head over to see Shikamaru and Temari? This might take awhile," Xin pulled Gaara aside, voice low. Her parents and sister were besotted with the twins and she would hate to have him just standing around.
"It's fine. I'm glad they're getting along," Gaara replied easily, arms folded across his chest. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Temari and Shikamaru want to see the boys and they'll be disappointed when I just show up. We already sent Kankuro ahead to annoy her."
They were there for some time before they had to bundle the babies back up to take them around Konoha. Manami and Hanabi pouted as they saw them out and Xin reassured them that she would bring them back around.
"Xin," Hiashi reached out for her, pulling her back before she could go bounding off with Gaara. The redhead only glanced over his shoulder but left the father and daughter to have their private conversation. Xin shifted Ryuu in her arms and turned fully to Hiashi, eyebrows raised. Hiashi let go of her arm only to cup the back of her head. "You've done well for yourself."
She smiled at him, warmth settling over her. She didn't need his praise but it was well-received, she didn't crave and obsess over it anymore. She was aware that she'd done well for herself, she wasn't dead somewhere in a ditch. She was happy and determined to raise her kids better than she'd been raised.
"Thank you, Dad."
The cold weather couldn't put a damper on everyone's excitement as they were introduced to the twins. They treated Xin much like how her parents treated her, bypassing her in favor of meeting the twins. Gaara found it amusing and wasn't so offended that they were more excited to see the twins versus the parents.
Xin had given Temari until December before she nearly forced the woman to move to Konoha. The blonde finally relented and quickly left to plan her upcoming wedding. Two months after leaving, they received a wedding planned for February and now here they were.
"February," Xin growled under her breath. "Who gets married in the winter.."
But still, it was a good opportunity to introduce the twins to her parents and anyone else who cared enough to meet them. She'd been a bit overwhelmed that everyone wanted to meet them. By the time they even got around to Shikamaru and Temari, the sun was beginning to set.
"That was exhausting," Gaara announced as Xin leaned over the crib. Despite her parents insisting that the couple stay at the Hyuga manor, they stayed at a hotel. She didn't have it in her to explain to her parents that she didn't feel comfortable there. That all the bad memories festered there.
"Very," she agreed, reaching into the crib. Ryuu was sleeping but Riku was fighting it. She smiled in amusement, brushing her fingers lightly over his face. "Nice to see everyone though."
Gaara joined her at the crib, leaning against it and watching as Riku continued to fight his sleepiness off. "I suppose," he agreed after a short pause.
She glanced at him and watched quietly when he reached into the crib to scoop Riku up. "What's the matter?" she asked as he started to bounce Riku. It was a normal occurrence and Xin insisted that he was spoiling him. Gaara didn't reply for a long moment, too focused on Riku. It only took a couple of moments before his big eyes slowly lowered. Sometimes Riku refused to fall asleep until Gaara picked him up. It often frustrated Xin.
"Do you ever regret not being able to live in Konoha?" Gaara asked while leaning over the crib to carefully deposit Riku next to his brother. He initially didn't look at her, knowing the type of expression she'd be wearing.
"The fuck kind of question is that?"
She didn't sound angry. Just confused. Gaara was sure one of the boys would mistakenly think his name was 'Fuck' because of her.
"You seem happy and you're always sad when it's time for goodbyes. Sometimes I think…"
Xin didn't press him for more information, staring at him. "I hate it here." Her voice didn't quiver. "I'm happy to see everyone but I hate the memories here. Most of them just aren't good, the ones I can remember. I'm sad because it's just a reminder that I couldn't get it right in Konoha and I never will."
Xin tapped her fingers against the crib. She wasn't upset or angry. She seemed thoughtful. "I hate them all. I mean, I love them but there's this small bit of resentment. It's never going to go away and I've accepted it." The two were quiet for several long seconds. "I could never live here with peace of mind. I wouldn't want to. I think I'd burn Konoha to the ground."
"That...sounds about right," Gaara said after a long moment. Xin chuckled, a smile cracking her facade. "You're sure you don't regret it?"
Xin shimmied until she was standing next to him. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her intimately into his side. "Nope. Not a thing. Can't regret it if I never had it, now can I?" she turned her face to his neck, pressing her lips against the pulse point. "It's cute when you get insecure about me."
Gaara snorted and pinched her. "I'm not insecure about anything."
"Sounded insecure to me!" she sang with a laughing kiss to his neck. "Lets me know you still want our relationship."
He didn't immediately reply. "Still? I'm always going to want it. You're it for me."
She cackled. "So romantic."
"Shut up before you wake the boys."
"Why exactly am I here?"
Ino shot Xin a nasty look. "You're her sister-in-law," she said simply as if that explained it all. Xin held her gaze, unimpressed. "For support!"
"I don't think she needs my support for this. I don't think she needs any of our support," Xin pointed out. Ryuu was cradled against her with the help of a thick sash tied around her body. Hinata was holding Riku in a similar fashion.
She, along with the twins, had been promptly dragged from her hotel room one frosty morning. Gaara was left confused, still partially asleep and under the blankets as she was ushered out. Ino screamed something about girls and shopping as the door clicked shut behind them.
That's how she found herself in a frilly boutique with her sister, Ino, Temari, Sakura and Tenten. She was a bit surprised that Temari even got along well enough with Ino for them to shop together. She supposed it had more to do with Shikamaru than anything else. She couldn't see the two blondes being friends on their own.
"I think it's good for bonding," Tenten helpfully said while plopping down next to Xin. "Neji said something about the boys getting together to celebrate Shikamaru being a bachelor for the last time tonight."
"So this is our version of that?" Xin asked with raised eyebrows. "Not sure how I feel about those idiots getting together to celebrate. Alcohol isn't a good mix with...well...any of them."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Sakura waved Xin's worry off. "Sure, there's some knuckleheads like Kankuro or Naruto but the rest of them are level-headed."
"No...no, they're really not."
"I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Enough, enough! Let's try some lingerie!" Ino shot up with a grin. "Come on, Xin, what does Gaara like?"
Xin looked up at the blonde with wide eyes. "Like?" she repeated.
Hands on her hips, Ino leaned over. "Yes. Lingerie. What kind of lingerie does he like you to wear? Silk? Lace? Frills? You should get something to wear for him."
"Oh my," Hinata pressed her hand to her mouth.
"Um," Xin blinked. "I don't wear lingerie for him. I don't...we haven't...we haven't done anything since before the twins were born anyway."
Ino paused. Temari made a face. Somehow she knew this was going to get weird. It's not like she held it against Xin but it was..strange to discuss the other woman's sex life knowing it involved her brother. Still, she said nothing and tried to relax her face.
"Why not?" Ino asked.
Xin rolled her eyes. "You try being intimate with two kids screaming their heads off every two seconds. Kills the mood pretty fast, believe me."
Ino rocked her head to the side, frowning. "Well, why don't you try being intimate now? Your parents can watch the twins! You can buy something sexy and make baby number three!"
"Ino, she's sitting right here. Stop yelling," Sakura rolled her eyes.
"I don't think my parents would want to watch them just so I can get my husband to bend me over the nearest surface," Xin snorted.
Temari choked on her spit.
"Shit, sorry."
"It's fine, it's fine."
Tenten and Ino were cackling. "I don't think you need to tell them why," Tenten said in between her laughter. Xin flushed and would've folded her arms across her chest if it hadn't been for Ryuu. "Besides, they can probably put two and two together anyway."
"Oh, God."
"I'm sure they wouldn't mind," Hinata smiled weakly. "Hanabi or I could watch them for you if that's the case."
"Come on, Xin! Try something new."
Xin faltered before sighing. She untied her sash and shifted Ryuu into Tenten's arms. "Don't make that face, kiddo, she's your aunt," she said when she noticed Ryuu's face twist. "I guess it wouldn't hurt...I'm not sure he'll like it though."
Sakura snorted and scooted closer to Tenten, letting Ryuu curl his tiny hand around her finger. "I'm sure he'll love it, Xin."
Hinata and Temari eyed her, knowing about the insecurities that once plagued her concerning Gaara's attraction to her. It's not like she ever went out of her way to entice Gaara. Still…she wondered if he'd like this sort of thing. She and Ino joined Temari, picking through the selection. She could tell that Temari was disturbed but gave her honest opinions on what she thought would look pretty on Xin. She appreciated the effort but she was glad the other girls were around as well.
"This is mostly scraps of fabric with some lacy string holding it together," Xin said with a frown, holding up the offending garment. She didn't see how it would garner Gaara's attention but her friends decided that it was the one. "You really think Gaara is going to go for this?"
"That's the point," Sakura said with a flirty smirk.
"Xin, I'm going to be honest with you. Gaara goes for you wearing anything. You wear tank tops and skirts and that's enough for his eyes to follow you across the room. He completely ignored Kankuro talking once before because you walked by in shorts," Temari deadpanned. She watched in amusement as Xin's face gradually heated.
"Sounds like he goes for obliviousness. This'll be a welcomed change, I think," Tenten chuckled.
Xin wasn't so amused but she bought it anyway, deciding that it really couldn't hurt to try. Besides, it had been a long time since she'd been intimate with him and if her parents were willing to take the twins for the night…
That didn't make her a bad mother, did it? It was normal to want to have alone time with her husband, wasn't it? Oh, God, what if she were making a mistake? The twins had never been separated from them for more than an hour or two. Not since she passed out from hemorrhaging. How were they going to fare all night? She nearly turned around to return the lingerie.
"You're going to give yourself a headache if you keep worrying," Hinata grinned as she walked Xin back to her hotel. "It's going to be fine, Xin. It's something you two should enjoy together."
She jumped at being caught red-handed. Sometimes she hated that Hinata was so attuned with her. It really was a little on the creepy side. "Ah, I just...I hope he likes something like this. And that it works because this shit wasn't cheap."
Hinata chuckled. "I think he'll like it. Are you going to surprise him with it?"
"Maybe. If he comes back drunk, I'm going to slap the shit out of him."
When Xin returned to the hotel, it was getting late. Gaara was glad to see her back, snatching the twins from her. "You've been gone since this morning," he grumbled in annoyance. Riku and Ryuu fit easily in his arms and Xin found herself smiling at him. He was so annoyed with her that he didn't notice the bag she was holding.
"I missed you too, honey," she snorted, dropping the bag on her side of the bed. "We were doing all sorts of last minute things for your sister's wedding."
"You didn't have to take the twins with you."
Xin's fists rested on her hips as she looked at him. "Oh, shut up. They're here now, aren't they?"
"Sure but I won't be for much longer."
She rolled her eyes at that and heaved a heavy sigh. "Right, this stupid boy's night. Listen, don't do anything stupid, okay? The last thing we need is for the Kazekage to cause a scene or some shit with a bunch of his in-laws and their friends."
"We're adults, Xin, it'll be fine."
She stared at him with a hard look in her eyes. "Don't come back too drunk, okay? It's really important that you're somewhat sober."
"Why?"
"Because I said so, dammit!"
Gaara stared at her like she was crazy but didn't argue. He spent some time with the twins before getting ready. He was a bit surprised when Xin bundled the babies up and followed him to Shikamaru's home. When they arrived, Naruto, Sasuke, Lee, Choji, Kankuro, Kiba, Shino, Sai and Neji were there to greet them.
"Xin, what're you doing here?" Lee asked excitedly while bounding up to her. He curved over her shorter stature to coo over the twins. She smiled back at him before basically shoving them into his arms.
"Hold them for a second, would you?" she asked politely before rounding on the group. "You idiots listen to me, all right? Do not do some dumb shit that'll bite you in the asses later on, do you hear me? Don't break any laws, don't antagonize anyone and don't make a fool of yourselves. You're in your twenties now and the majority of you are married, act like it."
"Xin…" Neji began, offended that she would lump him in with the idiots. He turned to Lee and relieved him of the twins, not trusting him with his cousin's sons.
"Shut the fuck up, Neji. You're going out with them and that makes you a fuckin' idiot. Do not piss me off. If I get woken up in the middle of the night to come bail you motherfuckers out, I swear to any God that will listen, I'll break your shit in half. Understand?"
They didn't say anything.
"Understand?"
"Yeees." They chorused together.
Xin's smile returned as she reached for her kids. "Great! I'll leave you guys to it then." She turned to Gaara and expectantly tilted her face up towards him. He leaned down and dropped a heavy kiss to her mouth before muttering a soft goodbye to the twins. When she turned to leave, she heard soft grumblings about Gaara's psychotic ass wife but that only made her laugh. She could hear the rest of them teasing Gaara about the display of affection and that made her laugh even more.
Her parents were happy to see her and even happier to take the twins for the night. It surprised her and when she pressed whether it was ready okay or not, Manami gave her a knowing smile. She promptly fled after that.
And regretted it seconds later.
She missed her kids. She missed her husband.
"Oh, God, is this what it feels like to be a normal wife and mother?" she grumbled to herself as the hours ticked on. Not having either around was giving her straight anxiety.
But then nearing midnight, she felt Gaara's familiar Chakra signature approaching the hotel. She hoped and prayed that he wasn't drunk and hurried into the bathroom to shower and get dressed. She was vigorously toweling her hair off when he stepped into their hotel room.
"Xin?"
"I'm in the bathroom. Ah, are you drunk?"
"No?"
Xin grunted and pulled the lingerie out, holding it in front of her. It was more lace than anything with a plunging neckline down to her stomach. It reminded her of a thin one piece bathing suit but it was flimsy and see through, causing her to blush. She slipped it on, listening for Gaara as he shifted around the room. "Xin?" he called out as she sat on the toilet to roll the sheer stockings up to her thighs. She felt ridiculous. "Where're my kids?"
She snorted and stood up, staring at herself in the mirror. She might've looked attractive if it weren't for all of her scars. She frowned and tilted her head to the side before turning to stare at her ass. "They're my kids too and they're with my parents."
"...Why?" Gaara's voice was full of curiosity. "Are you in the bath?"
"Because I asked them to watch them and no. I'm coming out, just give me a minute."
"Xin…"
She couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. She picked and fluffed at her hair, wondering if the mussed tresses were appealing or not. Deciding to give up on it, she turned towards the bathroom. "Gaara?" she called through it.
"Xin?"
She nearly jumped, he was standing on the other side of the door. It was almost laughable, how much they needed to be near one another. Maybe it wasn't healthy of them but she didn't care much. There were worse things to be obsessed about.
Like murder.
She stubbornly refused to go down that road. At least right now.
Xin swung the door open, bracing herself for his reaction. The room remained quiet as the two stared at one another. She opened her mouth but found her words failing her. Gaara openly stared down at her, eyes mapping a slow journey from her head to her toes. There was a foggy look in his eyes but he was more so tipsy than drunk.
"Um…welcome back?"
He grunted, eyes dropping to her generous cleavage.
"Did you have fun?"
He grunted again before reaching forward, hooking his finger in the dip at her stomach. He teasingly pulled at the lacy material, eyes focusing on the swell of her breasts. "What's this?"
Xin's face flushed. "Ah, well...thought you might need to be...enticed."
"Enticed."
"Mhm," she stepped closer, hands behind her back. "Do you...like it?" she shifted nervously, impatiently. He was just staring at her, goddammit. She took another step forward, wondering if he could tell how nervous she was. "I just thought maybe…"
"Maybe what?" he pressed when she trailed off. He always liked when Xin was flustered and shy. She always got like that when it came to the more intimate parts of their relationship. It was cute, he thought and he always liked when her face turned that bright shade of red. "I like it."
He couldn't really remember the last time she'd been under him, squirming and squealing. He'd been far too nervous the further along she was in her pregnancy and even when he gave in to her, he still went out of his way to be careful with her. He never realized how aggressive and rough their sex life was until he had to stop himself from shoving her face into the bed and holding her down.
"Maaaaybe you could…" again she trailed off, face brightening as he tugged her closer.
"Maybe I could fuck you?"
She looked away, face a bright beacon as steam threatened to puff out of her ears. Gaara let out a dry laugh. "You'd think the way you curse, you wouldn't shy away like this." He reached up and pressed his thumb to her mouth, roughly drawing her lips open.
"You don't curse that often. I like when you do," she managed to say around his prodding.
"Turns you on?"
"Everything you do turns me on," she laughed breathlessly, puckering her mouth against his thumb. "Especially when you're angry." He felt the tips of her fingers brushing against his stomach as she leaned into him. She leaned to the tips of her toes, supported by his arms wrapping around her waist. She settled her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.
Gaara's body melted from the touch of her lips alone. She fought a smile against his mouth, fingers sifting through the hair at the nape of his neck. Gaara shoved back at her, bracing her against the doorjamb. Xin shimmied up, slinging her legs around his hips with the help of his hands. She faltered and groaned from the friction of their movements, head falling back against the door jamb.
Maybe it'd been too long because she felt the pressing need to skip all the foreplay. She wanted to be thrown down and be fucked and she wanted it now. "Gaara—ahh," she gasped as he bit at her neck. "Just...bed," she grunted as he continued to nip and nibble at her neck.
Gaara peeled her from the doorjamb and carried her towards the bed, dropping her in a heap. She laughed breathlessly, watching with shrouded eyes as he worked his shirt off. She whistled and winked, laughing again when he snorted. Just as he was leaning over her, her arms going for his neck, there was a slight shuffle at the door. The two paused, glancing towards it with a frown. The Chakra signature on the other side wasn't dangerous but the shuffling continued.
"Ignore it," Gaara grumbled.
Xin sat up a little. "What if it's Hanabi? What if something's wrong with the kids?"
"The boys are fine. Lay back down."
"But what if they aren't?"
"Xin."
He watched the veins bulge at her eyes. Honestly it goes without saying that her Dojutsu was a bit creepy but even that wasn't enough to turn him off. Xin studied the door, frowning softly before pushing him away. She scooped his discarded shirt up and pulled it over her head, hiding her sinfully attractive body all wrapped in lace away.
"It's Kankuro," she said while pattering to the door. Gaara grumbled and watched her, noting how the sheer stockings stretched attractively across her thighs and legs. Xin swung the door open, squeaking when Kankuro nearly tumbled into her. She planted her feet firmly and wrapped her arms around his wide torso. "Kankuro?"
He smelled like alcohol and she hoped he hadn't drank past his limit. He hadn't done so since she came back after recovering from her amnesia but she knew alcohol would be involved in their ridiculous boys night out. "Xin?" Kankuro blinked down at her as she loosened her arms but kept her hands at his side. "What're you doing in my room? Where's Gaara? He left early."
She tried not to laugh and managed a small smile. "This isn't your room, drunky. It's mine and Gaara's here," she cocked her head back.
Kankuro blinked down at her before looking over her head. God, she was short. Sure enough, Gaara was standing impatiently by the bed, glaring daggers back at him. Maybe he was too buzzed to take note of his irritation. "Hey, little brother."
"Fuck off, Kankuro."
He harrumphed. "Someone's cranky."
Xin did laugh this time, albeit nervously. "Your room is across the hall, remember? Come on," she managed to snatch his key, the one he'd been trying to use to unlock their door with, and walked him across the hall. She could hear Gaara grumbling but she ignored it, helping Kankuro into his room. She eyed the bigger brunet as he flopped down on the bed, hands on her hips as she stared at him.
"Honestly," she muttered. "I think you're becoming a lightweight in your old age."
"I'm still in my early twenties," Kankuro scowled. She smiled innocently and shrugged. He eyed her with one eye cracked open, frowning. "Isn't that Gaara's shirt? Why are you wearing that?"
Her face flushed, "Because I was going to bed and I like to wear his shirt sometimes."
"Why are you wearing stockings?"
"No reason. Mind your business."
Kankuro squinted up at her, studying her as her face gradually darkened. "You...you guys aren't trying to make another child, are you?" he made a face of disgust. "The twins aren't even a year old!"
Xin savagely slapped the living shit out of him. In his drunken state, he fell backwards on the bed with a grunt. It didn't necessarily hurt, mostly due to the alcohol but he still groaned. His sister-in-law only glared down at him, turning sharply on her heel to march away. "Get some sleep, drunky!"
Gaara was sitting on the edge of the bed when she returned, looking both miffed and amused at the same time. She only rolled her eyes as she closed and locked the door before approaching him, pulling his shirt off to drop to the floor.
He reached forward, grabbing at her hips to guide her closer until she straddled his lap. His grin was wolffish as she settled over him, face already turning a deep red. He leaned back, stretching across the bed. Xin followed him, hair creating a thick curtain around them as she leaned over. Her knees dug into the mattress and she rested her weight on her elbows at his head, smiling demurely as she teasingly brushed her lips against his.
He pulled teasingly at the lace, snapping it against her hip. She peppered kisses at his lips, rocking her hips against his. She groaned softly, lips falling heavily against his mouth as her hips rocked harder against him. She licked and bit at his mouth, sucking his tongue into her mouth with a muffled groan.
Gaara twisted his hips and rolled her over onto her back. She blinked, surprised by his quick movements and face flushing deeply once he settled back over her. Gaara buried his face into her neck, biting at her skin. He palmed the lace at her stomach and Xin stiffened when she felt his fingers curl into the material. "Wait, wait, wait!" she squealed before he could rip the lace from her body completely. He paused immediately, pulling back with a blank look.
"What now?" he rasped down at her.
"Don't you like this? Don't rip it off!" she whined, grabbing at his wrist. "You're so unappreciative."
Gaara snorted before sitting up. "Fine, fine, how do I get it off without ripping it off then?" he glared down at her. She made a face up at him before peeling it down from the top. His eyes followed the path down her body, tracing the roundness of her breasts, the flat of her stomach and the wideness of her hips. "Leave the stockings on." He demanded while sliding the lace down her legs.
She raised her eyebrows at him but nodded, lying back down. Gaara resumed his position above her, kissing her deeply while his hand crept over her hips. Usually he could spend hours devouring her, pleasuring her until her legs tremble and her pretty eyes fill with tears. But he was impatient today, greedy. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he chided himself that he was too impatient in getting her out of clothes so soon.
Because the thought of Xin wrapped in lace with her mouth full of him was almost too much. He amended that he'd convince her to put it back on for him later. But for now, he'd have to skip the foreplay.
Her body welcomed him, takes him in with a lewd slurp, stretched to her limits. Her face flushed but he paid it no mind, laying his full weight against her and trapping her beneath him. She couldn't escape, couldn't do anything but take him fully when he began to rock deeply into her.
Her hands scrambled against his skin, clutching at his back. Her nails dug into his skin and it's his fault alone as they dragged down his back. His hands tangled in her hair as he rocked harder, dragging lustful moans from her with each snap of his hips. "Gaar—a," her mouth trembled. "Harder," she gasped, arching into him.
Gaara sat up, hands at her throat, fingers curling around her to savagely pound into her. The bed shook and her fingers curled into the sheets, eyes closed and mouth opened. Maybe he'd be concerned about his hands around her neck if it hadn't been for that delirious smile at her lips. But she moans louder, whines his name, pleads with him.
He abruptly rolled her over, giving him a short reprieve. Her moans and pleas were enough to do him in and he refused to tap in so early. He shoved her into the mattress, pinned her hands to her back, and savagely continued to destroy her. Xin pressed her knees into the bed and pressed the side of her face into the mattress.
"Gaara," she gasped. "My arms—" she grunted hard, eyes closed tightly. Sometimes she forgot about his freakish need to dominate in bed. It wasn't to say she didn't like it, she did. But her face was beginning to burn from the heat created from the friction against the sheets.
He slowed, leaning over her to brush his lips against her cheek. "Can't take it?" He bit at her ear.
Xin's face was hot. "I can," she grunted, knowing he was teasing her. "You're the absolute worst." Xin pressed her face into the bed. She felt the grip on her arms lessen just a tad before she felt fingers carding through her hair.
Gaara's fingers tightened in her hair, roughly wrenching her head back. Her face twisted, eyes closed with a stubborn tilt to her mouth. He came to a slow pause, lips pressing against her cheek. Xin growled. "What was that?" Gaara chuckled, words punctuated by a deliberate stroke of his hips. "That's not what I want to hear. Be a good girl and tell me what I want to hear."
Xin tried to turn her face away, mouth still screwed. "Sadistic asshole," she snapped instead but her insult tapered off into a long moan, defeating the purpose. Gaara let her arms and hair go, allowing her to take her weight off of her face.
"Not what I want to hear, Xin." She could just hear the smug grin in his voice. "Don't you want to be good and please me? Isn't that why you got dressed up? Just for me?" His hands slid up from her hips, stroking her skin and reaching for her breasts.
She successfully buried her face into the bed, muffling her moans against the sheet much to his disdain. He roughly rolled her over again onto her back. She blinked up at him, somewhat miffed. "Make up your mind, goddammit!"
He ignored her disdain and pressed down against her until it was nearly overwhelming. She gasped and shuddered but there was no escape, no reprieve. Xin arched into him, nails sinking painfully into his back. She could feel him grinning into her neck, teeth scraping at her skin.
"Be good and tell me what I want to hear." Gaara's tongue trailed a path from her neck, over her jaw and found its way into her mouth. She greedily sucked his tongue into her mouth before her head fell back, whimpering and mewling. "Come on, Xin, be a good girl for me."
Her legs tightened around his hips but that did nothing to slow his pace. Xin's mouth trembled, feeling as if she'd gone tongue-tied as she spouted out nonsensical babbles that sounded somewhat like his name to her. His strokes hit deeper, targeting her G-spot.
"Fuck—Gaara." She could feel that familiar tightening in her lower-belly, she felt her muscles tightening in anticipation. She grinned deliriously, breathy pleas spurring him on. "Yes, oh—shit. Gaara—unnn."
His hand curled tightly around her jaw, roughly wrenching her face back. That tight feeling became unbearable, her orgasm fast approaching. "Gaara, I love you, I love you. Only you, always you. Fuck. So, so good."
Gaara's hips slammed into her with bruising force, his efforts causing the bed to rock chaotically with them. He snatched his hand from her jaw, shoving it in between them to get to her clit. It didn't take much, just one bruising pinch and she fell to pieces. Xin's orgasm hit her hard, causing her to arch almost painfully into Gaara. She tore her nails from his back, wrapped her arms around his neck and screamed his name in pure bliss.
His own orgasm followed quickly after, mind-numbing pleasure sweeping through him unexpectedly. He grunted from the sheer force of it, groaning her name like a strangled prayer. He curled around her, burying his face in her neck as he managed a few desperate thrusts, riding out his release until she finished milking him.
The room settled into silence, broken only by their conjoined panting. Gaara moved first, pulling out of her with a wet pop that made her visibly shudder. He hovered over her, eyes raking favorably and appreciative over the picture she presented. A thoroughly fucked Xin was always a favorite.
She groaned when he gathered her up, rolling over and settling down with her cheek resting against his chest. She shifted, kissing lazily at his chest. "Gaara?"
"Mm."
"You're sooo ungrateful."
Gaara barked out a dry laugh and squeezed teasingly at her hip. "I'm very grateful, Xin."
"You stripped me out of that shit immediately. Did you really enjoy it?" Xin pouted against him but tilted her head back, wriggling up his body to kiss and nibble at his jaw. "I put a lot of thought into that, you know." She bit roughly at his jaw, eliciting a pleased grunt from him.
"You could always put it back on," Gaara suggested as she finally brushed her lips teasingly against his. He returned her kiss, groaning when it gradually became drawn-out and aggressive. She sat up slowly, still hungrily kissing him until she swept a leg over him to straddle his waist.
Xin chuckled lazily against his mouth. "Put it back on just so you can take it right off?"
"Isn't that the entire reason you put it on in the first place?"
Xin paused against him, pulling back to look him in the eye. "So you did like it?"
Gaara squeezed at her hips, smirking lazily up at her. Her hair fell messily into her face, flushed prettily just the way he liked. She was smiling shyly at him. He sat up and kissed her forehead. "Yes, of course I liked it. I don't think I would've fucked you otherwise."
Xin snorted and leaned against him, giggling. Gaara smiled at her and kissed along her cheek up to her ear, eliciting more giggles from her. "Now put it back on."
Her giggles stopped.
"You're not secretly pregnant again, are you?"
Xin stared back blankly at Ino, unamused with the question. Ino smiled back at her, armed with two glasses of sake. Sakura stood next to her best friend, rolling her eyes. "Give me the alcohol or I'll cut your hair off," she threatened. Ino all but shoved the drink in her hand, scowling as Xin downed half of it. "I haven't had alcohol in months," Xin said, shifting Ryuu against her shoulder comfortably. She swayed and bounced to the side, keeping him occupied while she meandered about the wedding party.
"It was a beautiful wedding, don't you think?" Sakura asked pleasantly.
"It's cold outside. Who gets married in the winter?" Xin scowled into her glass.
Ino rolled her eyes. "Enough small talk. How'd it go with the lingerie?" The pretty blonde leaned into Xin's personal space, leering as she did so. The smaller of the two women scowled, avoiding the question all together.
"Ino…" Sakura shook her head.
"It worked, didn't it? I knew it! God, I can't believe you didn't think it would work, look at you. How could your own husband resist?" Ino grinned and patted excitedly at Xin's back. "Mommy's got nothing to worry about, isn't that right, Ryuu?" she reached for the babe, pinching gently at his chubby face. Ryuu laughed, reaching for Ino with a gummy smile. It made Xin smile, despite his drool coating her shoulder. Ino continued to coo at him.
"So, is this lingerie going to make more appearances?" Sakura asked with raised eyebrows, smiling at Ino and Ryuu.
"Um," Xin rolled her lips together, flushing terribly. "Well, I suppose…" she trailed off. She looked away, spotting Gaara and Kankuro standing with Temari and Shikamaru. Temari looked beautiful in her wedding kimono and she was holding Riku, smiling brilliantly. The sight of her made her happy. "He did seem to like it. Though I didn't get to wear it long."
Sakura nodded along to her words. "Well, you know how boys are. Impatient. He'll enjoy it more the second time around." Her statement caused Xin's red face to burn brighter.
"I still can't believe his dirty talk kink," Ino snorted, allowing Ryuu to grab at her fingers. "He's so...quiet and polite now."
"Polite?" Xin snorted. "He's a fuckin' ass."
"He makes up for it by bending you over the nearest surface, isn't that right?"
"I'm shaving your shit bald, Yamanaka."
Sakura shook her head. "Oh, come on, Xin. He can't be that much of an ass, you're still married to him. And you've had his children," she pointed out, almost smug. Xin had no comeback, flushing heavily. She avoided having to look at Sakura, finding something else to stare at.
"Oh, shut up," Xin huffed, pausing when Temari called her over. "Oh, hold on. I think they want both Thing One and Two for a picture. I'll be back." She hurried away before Sakura and Ino could stop her, taking the opportunity to flee.
"I'd never say this to her but I'm really glad that she's happy now," Ino said after a pause. "You really did well with getting her back on her feet, forehead."
"Me?" Sakura raised her eyebrows, head tilting to the side. Xin forced Ryuu into Shikamaru's arms, grinning deviously before quickly ducking behind the photographer with Gaara. "I guess I have a hand in it but we all know Xin got herself back on her feet."
"We can expect nothing less of her," Ino agreed with a smile. "I really hope that she's happy."
Sakura eyed the blunette in question, watching in amusement as Xin clapped in order to get the twins to look towards the photographer. The twins only seemed to focus once they caught sight of Gaara standing next to her.
It was strange to remember the shell that had been Xin just two short years ago. There had been nothing but resignation in her eyes and a dark cloud hung over her. She was positive that on some days, Xin would just give up. They wouldn't blame her for it. Maybe they'd be a little disappointed but what could anyone expect?
But eventually Xin stopped feeling sorry for herself. And it was likely that Konoha just plain annoyed her and she probably forced herself to remember out of pure spite. She never said as much but Sakura had her suspicions. It was almost funny if it weren't so sad.
Ino slapped at her back, nearly sending her sprawling forward. "Quit it, Sakura. She's happy. Everything is as it needs to be."
And really, Ino was right. She always had this strange feeling that Xin didn't quite fit in Konoha, which was ironic because she was as Konoha-bred as they come. Loud, brash and combative. Or so everyone else says. Despite Xin sharing those Konoha-bred qualities, she'd always been the odd one out for some reason. Like she'd just been existing but not living. Surviving.
And now, well. Sakura glanced at Xin again. She was talking, her mouth running a mile per minute. Kankuro and Gaara were only half listening, evident by the brunet's distracted nodding or the redhead's casual pat at her lower back, but she didn't seem to care. Joy radiated from her, genuine and pure.
"Welcome to the family, brother. We're all mentally unstable but our sense of humor is great!" Xin cheerfully said to Shikamaru.
Temari wasn't all that amused, waving her ceremonial fan in Xin's face. "You shut up right now, Xin. Your sense of humor is awful."
"I think she's funny," Kankuro pointed out, reaching over to pinch Riku's cheek.
"She has her moments," Gaara agreed, taking Riku from his sister. The babe grabbed at his clothes, wrinkling the material Xin spent an hour ironing. She didn't seem to notice, too busy bouncing Ryuu in place.
"I said our because I was trying to be nice and inclusive but if you're all going to be rude, fuck off."
"Xin, didn't we talk about language around the babies?"
"Temari, they're four months."
"Fine but don't come crying to me when their first word is fuck."
"Evidently I can't since you live in an entirely different country now."
"Like that's stopped you before."
"You all promised to stop bringing that up."
Shikamaru snorted though he was appreciative of Xin's lighthearted ways. He got along better with Temari's brothers nowadays but Xin still took it upon herself to get the conversational ball rolling.
"Your sense of humor isn't what you guys are known for," Shikamaru pointed out, stopping his wife and sister-in-law from their petty arguments. That was just odd to even say. The last thing he'd ever expected was marrying Temari and having Xin as a sister.
The world had a strange, fickle sense of humor.
"Well, everyone just needs to get to know us then," Kankuro shrugged the thought off. "We're nice people. Honest. Except for Gaara's wife, I guess. She bites."
"That was one time and I couldn't put Riku down."
Shikamaru blinked, "you bit him?"
"He wouldn't shut the fuck up."
Temari nearly rubbed at her face but stopped once she remembered she was still wearing makeup. She turned to Gaara, who she thought was the most sensible of the three. "You let her bite him?"
Gaara wasn't the least bit concerned, Riku was beginning to fall asleep. He and Xin would probably leave earlier than the other guests. That was amusing. "She was too fast for me to stop. One minute they're whisper-screeching at each other, the next minute, she has his wrist in her mouth."
Shikamaru eyed Xin. "You're a trained kunoichi and that's the best you could come up with?"
"Shikamaru, that isn't the point," Temari scowled. "Biting, Xin? What are you, five?"
"I was tired and Riku finally went to sleep and he wouldn't shut up. I improvised. Wait until you have a baby and you're surrounded by dumb men who don't know how to shut the fuck up."
They bickered for a few more moments before dispersing, Temari and Shikamaru to make their rounds, Xin and Gaara to make their own rounds with the twins. Gaara had been right to assume that they would take their leave first when Ryuu began nodding off. Kankuro left with them, though Gaara and Xin insisted that he could stick around if he wanted.
"A wedding in the winter," Xin scowled, ambling between Kankuro and Gaara. Ryuu was tucked against her chest, bundled up so tightly she could hardly see his face. "Who gets married in the winter?"
"You and I both were born in the winter," Gaara pointed out. Like Ryuu, Riku was heavily bundled and tucked carefully into his chest.
"You live in the actual desert. You didn't even see snow until you were a teenager."
Kankuro hummed. "That's fair. Maybe they just wanted to get married as quick as possible. You know how Shikamaru is."
Xin looked thoughtful before her face brightened. "I bet she's pregnant and Yoshino wanted them married first. Ooh, the twins are getting a cousin!"
Gaara made a face. "She's not pregnant."
"How do you even know? You couldn't tell when I was pregnant."
"You literally went out of your way to hide it."
"So maybe she's hiding it."
This time Kankuro made a face. "I'd rather not think about my sister being pregnant. It makes me want to hit Shikamaru and I don't think she'd like that."
Xin rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Typical men. We—" she motioned between herself and Gaara. "Have sex. Clearly." She looked at Ryuu and Riku. "And you…" she paused, looking at Kankuro. "Well, I assume you have a sex life. What's different about Temari?"
"She's our sister." Kankuro scowled. "And of course I have a sex life, not that it's any of your business!" He was blushing at her implications, thoroughly insulted. Gaara made a pained noise in his throat, this was not the sort of conversation he wanted to have.
Xin snorted. "So? What does that mean, she's not allowed to have sex? That's a bit unfair, don't you think?" She ignored Gaara's obvious discomfort. "I have never even seen you kiss a girl since we've met, how am I supposed to know if you have a sex life?"
"You're not," Gaara grumbled.
"How would you even know if you saw me kiss a girl? Your memory is shot," Kankuro pointed out. It wasn't often that they really even talked about her strange case of amnesia. For the most part she was just fine but she did have some blank spots here and there. Sometimes they could help her with it, walking her through it until she remembered. Other times, she chalked it up.
She tried not to let it get to her and tried to be optimistic about it. She could make new memories, she found herself thinking a lot. There was nothing wrong with making these new memories but she wished she had some old memories. She wished they sometimes didn't smack her upside the head when she least expected it.
"Well, have you?"
Kankuro opened his mouth and then closed it. Xin smirked up at him, clearly feeling as if she won. Gaara wasn't sure how she won but he felt like he was the one losing with the way this conversation was going.
"Didn't think so."
"What are we even talking about?" Gaara said before they could start their childish bickering. Not even motherhood could erase Xin's petulant nature. Kankuro was no help but he was sure his brother would always be just childish.
"Your siblings and their sex lives."
"Why."
She shrugged one shoulder. "Why not?" she shot back. "I'm just saying, don't be surprised if the next letter we get from Temari says that she's pregnant. And also, Kankuro, seriously. Get a girlfriend already."
The rest of their walk was spent bickering, not that it came as a surprise to Gaara. He was just grateful that the boys slept through it. They continued all the way up to their rooms, so much to the point that Gaara reached out into the hallway to snag Xin by the back of her dress, yanking her inside.
"You're seriously not concerned that he's not dating anyone?" Xin pressed stubbornly, leaning over the crib. She carefully unfolded her children from the heavy layers, hoping and praying to the Gods that they wouldn't wake up and scream in her goddamn face. The Gods, for once, smiled upon her and the twins continued to slumber. Win for her.
Gaara grunted from the edge of the hotel bed, watching as she smiled down into the crib. "No? Why would I be concerned?"
She finally turned to him, hands on her hips and scowling. Clearly that wasn't the answer she wanted. "Because both you and Temari are married and he isn't. Don't you think he might be lonely? Everyone else has gotten together, even Lee has gotten over his weird crush on Sakura!" She threw her hands up. "I hear he's even dating someone! If he has a child before Kankuro, I'm gonna lose it."
Gaara wasn't impressed with her rant. "I never thought you'd end up being a gossiping, meddling wife, Xin. And you're making it seem like Lee is a terrible person or something, he's a good person and anyone would be lucky to have him."
Xin scowled and rolled her eyes at him. "I wouldn't be a gossiping, meddling wife if you hadn't married me. Lee's a great guy but I never thought he'd really get over that crush on Sakura."
"Well, it's only right. She's with Sasuke."
"How unfortunate."
"Very."
Xin tutted and pressed her finger to her lips in thought. She kicked off her heels and approached Gaara. "Maybe we can set him up with someone back home. Who's single? Any ideas?"
"No, Xin. Stop playing matchmaker. If he wants to date, he will."
She huffed and stared down at him, bare foot tapping impatiently. She tried to run down a list of available women in Suna but she wasn't satisfied. Besides, the women closest to them were unavailable. She'd rather him date someone who wasn't so close to them. Just in case it didn't work out, nothing would be ruined. "Sachiko has a sister, now that I think about it. What was her name? Ayame?"
Gaara exhaled deeply, knowing there would be no stopping her now that she had this ridiculous idea. He'd have to warn Kankuro, he supposed. While she busily plotted to herself, he reached for her hips, turning her around and reaching for the zipper of her dress. It slipped down to the floor, pooling at her feet and leaving her in a thin pair of black panties.
She didn't seem to care that she was down to her panties, instead opting to sit down on his lap, still muttering to herself. Gaara ignored all of her mutterings, wrapping an arm around her and settling his hand on her thigh. He tapped his fingers against her thigh and glanced at the crib.
Well, there was one definite way to distract her, he mused.
She picked up on it immediately, words trailing off. "Gaara? You….the boys are right there, you know."
"So try not to be so loud, Xin."
She was aware of what he was trying to do, of distracting her from Kankuro's love life. She'd allow it for now but she wasn't dropping it entirely. With that thought, she leaned into him with a devious grin.
She'd deal with it later.
Suna's warm weather was a welcoming contrast compared to Konoha's frigid winter. Xin was all smiles as Asuna, Jura, and Ukyo greeted the trio of Shinobi at the gates. Ukyo smiled brightly, busying herself with taking Ryuu from Gaara. "Hello again, Ryuu. Did you miss us?"
Riku was lifted from Xin by Asuna, the blonde smiling brightly as she cooed into his cheeks. Xin was amused as she watched them. "Do you guys even care about seeing us again?" she asked in amusement. She was, admittedly, grateful to have her arms free for a bit. Traveling with fussy babies wasn't ideal.
"Of course!" Jura exclaimed jovially, gathering Xin up into a bear hug. He squished their faces together and lifted her clear off her feet, trapping her against him with a satisfied hum. "Suna is far too quiet without you guys around."
Gaara eyed the exchange for a long moment. "Put her down."
Jura did just that, dropping the clanswoman to her feet with a sheepish grin. Xin smiled back at him, patting him on the arm. "We missed you guys too. Winter is the worst."
"You're born in—"
"Shut up, Asuna, we already had that conversation," Xin said before the blonde could finish.
Gaara shook his head. "How were things while we were gone?" He started the trek back home, everyone falling in line behind him. He smiled unconsciously when Xin automatically grabbed his hand.
"Oh, just fine, Kazekage-sama. Nothing to report, just some missions reports but I took care of everything else," Asuna explained with a smile of her own.
"As expected of Asuna," Kankuro said. They made it back to Suna by mid-afternoon and were greeted along the way by villagers out and about. "Brains and beauty."
The blonde laughed and waved the compliment away. "Oh, please, anyone could do it. I don't know why Yoshiko always made it seem like such a difficult job."
Xin immediately made a face at the mention of the redhead. Gaara noticed and snorted. Xin was, after all, a notorious grudge-holder. "How is Yoshiko anyway, I don't see her much."
"Who cares," Xin grumbled.
"She helps minds her family's bakery now," Ukyo piped up.
"Well, that's quite a drastic change in career paths.."
"Xin did knock her marbles loose, she probably wanted to get away from any sort of Shinobi life," Kankuro shrugged. Let the records show that he did, in fact, warn everyone that Xin would hurt Yoshiko and hurt her badly.
"I'm not sorry," Xin said with raised eyebrows. "I'd hit her again if Gaara lets me."
"Which, I won't, so forget it." Gaara squeezed her hand to get his point across.
They spent the rest of the day settling back in when they finally arrived home. Asuna and Gaara busied themselves with the work that accumulated, Kankuro cleaned around the house and Xin mothered after the twins. It wasn't until much later in the evening, right as she was finishing bath time that she had an idea.
She perked up the minute she had it, grinning like a madwoman as she carried the babies into the nursery. She cooed and hummed, leaning over the crib. "Oh, mama is an absolute genius, kiddies."
She waited a few minutes until they nodded off to sleep, sneaking out of the nursery in favor of her bedroom. Gaara was still reading, though Asuna had already gone home. He glanced up, noticing Xin's bubbly energy immediately. "Xin?"
"I've got it!" Xin said, yanking her hair clip out to let her long hair tumble down her back. "Asuna and Kankuro!"
Gaara stared at her. "...what about them?"
"Oh, keep up, honey! They should date!"
"...No…."
"Yes! Hear me out. They've been friends for years, they're both single, they get along really well, she thinks he's funny—for some odd reason."
"Xin…"
"He compliments her all the time and she thinks he's talented and all that good shit."
"Are you forgetting about Genji?"
Xin snorted as she rifled through their closet, digging out her clothes for bed. "Doesn't everyone forget about Genji?" she rolled her eyes, throwing the clothes on the bed. "Anyway, they're both good with kids and…"
"Xin, you can't just make them date. You don't even know if they like one another. Just because they get along as friends doesn't mean they want to date."
"Doesn't mean they won't want to either," she sang while undressing. "Some people need a little push. You didn't realize you actually liked me until Sasori came around."
"Funny how you never have issues recalling memories that involve Sasori."
Xin ignored that jab, tossing him a grin instead. "Oh, come on! Back me up a little. There's got to be someone he wants to date. Everyone around him is getting married and having children, he's got to want that too." She came to a slow pause, holding her tank top to her naked chest. No one wanted to be alone. Not truly. It was a terrible feeling, she thought. She was sure that Kankuro wanted someone to come home to, not his brother's wife and kids but his own. "He must want that for himself. He's got the middle child syndrome and—"
"Middle child syndrome?"
"Mmh, everyone dotes on the first born because they were here first and everyone dotes on the last born because they're the baby. They're so busy with them that the second child—the middle child—is usually forgotten."
"Right….that's not something you made up, is it?"
"I wouldn't expect you to understand, being the baby and all.."
"My father didn't even like me."
She scowled at him. "I bet he still paid more attention to you. And Temari, being his only daughter. Where'd that leave Kankuro? Ignored." She pulled the tank top over her head with a harsh jerk. "Look. You're married. Temari's married. He has to want...something. The world has a lot to offer if he would just look up from his stupid puppets."
"Maybe that's just how he likes it."
Xin eyed him with her fists on her hips. "Okay. Would you rather have your sand or would you rather have sex with me?"
Gaara stared back at her. "I'm not answering that."
"Because you know I'm right!"
Gaara pinched the bridge of his nose. "Xin, why don't you ask him before deciding to set him up with someone? How about that."
"I can't do that! He's going to think I'm meddling."
"You are."
"Oh, shut up. See this?" Xin leaned over, holding out her hand to him. She wriggled her fingers, focused on her rings. "These goddamn ring means you're supposed to be on my side. So enough with the doubt and get on the winning side!"
"Every day. Every day I forget how insane you are and then you say shit like that and I remember." He shook his head, clearly fed up. But Xin only grinned, nearly cackling when he circled her wrist and pulled her down on top of him. "Mind your business, Xin. He's a grown man, if he wants to go out and date, he will."
"I know, I know….but he just needs a little….push."
"Don't threaten him into dating Asuna."
"...I wasn't going to do that."
"Don't threaten him into dating anyone."
She huffed and folded her arms across her chest, she was sprawled out over him but he didn't seem to mind or care. "You are no fun at all, you hear me? No fun at all!"
It was easy to settle back in though it was a little strange. Despite the twins' presence, the house felt a little more empty to the three of them. They were all equally happy for Temari but her absence left a big hole in their dynamics. It took them a while to adjust but as Xin liked to say, life goes on.
"Asuna! Just the woman I wanted to see," Xin strolled into Gaara's office, uninvited and toting Riku and Ryuu. "Here, switch." She undid Riku's sash and deposited him into Gaara's arms before undoing Ryuu and handing him over as well. Kankuro eyed his sister-in-law from the couch warily. She'd been acting strange and if he learned one thing about that woman, it was that she was always up to something.
"Keep an eye on them for a little bit, yeah? I need Asuna's help with something," she reached over for the blonde.
"Help with what…?" Gaara asked slowly as Kankuro got up. He wordlessly took Riku from him, bouncing him gently like Xin showed him. He grinned down at the babe, just as enamored as the rest of them. He teased Xin and Gaara that the babies had them wrapped around their pinkies but he was no better.
"...Stuff." She was dragging Asuna towards the door. The blonde, for whatever reason, didn't put up a fight. She was Gaara's assistant but there was no use putting up a fight against Xin. Oftentimes, she tended to get her way.
"Stuff, Xin? What kind of stuff? Can't be medical, you have Sachiko and Ukyo to help you."
Xin's smile twitched but she didn't falter. He'd been keeping an eye on her in order to stop her from meddling with Kankuro's love life. Non-existent love life, she rudely corrected. She hadn't said much of late but that didn't mean shit when it came to Xin. She wasn't going to stop until she was satisfied.
"Girl stuff…." she continued to smile. She was purposely being vague, he realized. "I'll bring her back in one piece, I swear. I just need her for a little while. Show your sons the exciting job of being a Kage."
Gaara rolled his eyes. "I know what you're trying to pull, Xin. I told you to nix the idea."
Asuna and Kankuro exchanged confused looks, wondering what the idea was. Neither husband nor wife elaborated on what the idea was, opting to continue to glare and smile at one another. "I don't know what you mean. Anyway. I'll be good. Promise. Bye!"
The shorter woman pulled the taller woman out of the office, hurrying away before Gaara could say anything else. He glared at the door for several long seconds, cradling Ryuu to his chest. "Your mother is as stubborn as they come," he said after a long pause, glancing down at the babe.
"This is your fault," Kankuro said, still bouncing Riku. He smiled when Riku made a fist against his shoulder, most likely looking for a lock of hair to pull on. Xin still refused to cut her hair and Riku insisted on pulling on her hair any chance he got. Gaara eyed his brother, offended. "You let that woman get away with literal murder. Besides that, you're just whipped. You don't have to give in to her just because she flashed you a pretty smile."
"Like you don't let her get away with shit?"
"That's different. I'm afraid of her, not in love with her. I do what she says because her threats usually aren't baseless."
Gaara looked like he was going to argue the point before stopping. Yeah, okay. That made a lot of sense. He scowled, knowing he'd lost the battle before setting off to finish his work for the day.
Meanwhile, Asuna was smiling in amusement as she followed Xin out into Suna's bustle. She didn't mind being dragged away from work but she had to wonder what this was all about. She had Ukyo and Sachiko to help her and rarely did she ever need more than that. "What's this about?"
The smaller woman pursed her lips, looking thoughtful. "Um...when you and Genji were together...did you ever...wear lingerie?"
Asuna blinked, she hadn't been expecting a question like that. She eyed Xin, somewhat amused but mostly curious. "Sure."
"Could you...ah...come with me to a boutique? I wanted to look at some things but I felt kind of weird going by myself. Normally, I'd just…" she trailed off before coming to a silent pause.
"Go with Temari?" Asuna helpfully asked. Xin was so focused on getting Kankuro and Gaara to accept their sister's departure that she forgot about her own feelings. Of course, she was over the moon that Temari went and got married. She wanted happiness for all of her friends. But there was a small part that just...well, she was a little bitter about it too.
Temari knew Xin in ways that Ukyo, Asuna, Sachiko and all the other girls didn't. She knew the true nitty gritty of Xin and what's more, she knew the true circumstances of Gaara's relationship with the Hyuga. Things were great with them now but they always hadn't been and Temari had been there, lending a listening ear. They didn't always agree and of course Temari sometimes took Gaara's side but that wasn't the point.
She missed her sister-in-law.
It wasn't like she was trying to replace Temari either but she needed...she needed female friends. She couldn't spend all of her time with Gaara, Kankuro and the twins. She would go crazy and she'd be damned if she asked them to come with her to pick out sexy underwear just for Gaara to impatiently peel her out of it later.
She wished she could have that genuine friendship with Asuna but it was out of the question. That would mean she'd have to tell the blonde the very fucked up tale of Gaara and Xin. It was just a harsh reminder that no matter how happy she might be in life, there would always be some resentment.
"Sure, I'd be glad to go. I didn't know Kazekage-sama was into...that…" she was grinning though, amused. It wasn't like they discussed his sex life at work, she mused. Family friends or not, that was just inappropriate. But Xin was fair game. Xin blushed and avoided Asuna's gaze. It was cute.
"Well, it's a recent development," she rubbed at the back of her neck. "My friends back in Konoha kind of talked me into it. They helped me pick something and well…"
"I'm guessing he liked it if you're looking for more things to wear…"
"Yes, well….I was hardly in it long enough."
"Oh, you should probably buy a two piece set. That way, if he gets you out the panties first, he can still appreciate the bra." She leaned over, blatantly staring at Xin's chest. "I think he'd appreciate that. Oh, maybe some garters too!"
Xin continued to flush as Asuna went on and on. "You're a pro at this, huh?"
Asuna paused with a thoughtful expression before laughing. "I wouldn't say that but...sex is meant to be fun! People take it far too seriously. You should enjoy it and if Kazekage-sama enjoys lingerie, well, who are we to get in the way of that."
"I didn't expect this conversation at all."
"Oh, come on, Xin. You wear revealing clothing without a thought, what's the big deal?"
"Lingerie and what I wear on a regular basis is totally different."
"If you didn't wear a cropped shirt under your ninja-garb, the underside of your breasts would be visible."
Xin gaped but had no comeback because it was true. Besides that, she was known to wear cropped shirts, thin-strapped tank tops and a variety of shorts and skirts. She was no stranger to revealing clothes but lingerie was just a different thing entirely. She was still self-conscious about her scars and now with some added baby weight, she often felt less than stellar.
That wasn't to say she was out of shape because she wasn't. She just wasn't up to her standards anymore and it bothered her. She trained and sparred as much as she could but it wasn't as rigorous as before. She had Riku and Ryuu to look after.
They stepped into the boutique and were immediately offered assistance. Asuna politely waved the salesgirl away before going straight for the lingerie area. Xin followed, still blushing as the salesgirl ogled her. Obviously if the Kazekage's wife was looking for lingerie...well...she certainly had something to gossip about once she closed shop.
They browsed for several minutes before Xin opened her mouth. "So...you and Genji? I hear you're going to divorce him..?"
Asuna sighed at the topic of discussion but nodded her head. "He still wants to live in Suna, even if we're not together. For Momo. I still can't believe he would do something so foolish. I thought...I thought I really knew him but…"
"He's lucky I didn't murder him in the crossfire." To this day, she still couldn't remember much of the Masahiro mess. She had bits and pieces of stray memories and Gaara told her some things but it was still a blank spot. She wasn't exactly sure what she'd done to Genji but he was afraid of her so it was something traumatic.
Asuna shook her head in frustration. "Oh, he just makes me so mad. He always gives me this sad look but how can he expect me to trust him again? What if he does something stupid and Momo is hurt because of it? He was supposed to be smarter."
"He's a guy. They're dumb."
"My lady…"
"Xin. Call me Xin," she didn't look up from the red bra she picked up. Asuna was a bit thrown but she nodded nonetheless. "Do you think you might ever….date again?" she asked carefully, feigning nonchalance.
"I don't know….I mean, who's going to want to date someone like me? Divorced with a four year old."
"Don't sell yourself short. You just need to find someone with an open-mind and who's good with kids," Xin shrugged. "Speaking of good with kids, Kankuro is better than I thought he would be with my sons." She eyed Asuna from the corner of her eye. The blonde paused, frowning at the abrupt mention of Kankuro.
"Well, they're his nephews."
"Yeah but still...I bet it's from all the time he spent with Momo before I had them…"
"My lady—Xin." That was going to take some getting used to. "What are you up to?"
"That's cute, yes?" Xin pointed to a two-piece on display. It was a deep red, a stark contrast to Xin's pale skin and wasn't as lacy as the first outfit she'd bought. She liked it and Gaara's favorite color was red. Asuna looked at it and hummed in agreement.
"You'll need more than one, you know. You have to keep him on his toes."
Xin nodded along to the suggestion, successfully diverting Asuna's attention. She wasn't going to just come out and suggest that Asuna give Kankuro a chance. She was going to make small suggestions, sprinkle some curiosity in her interest until Asuna came up with it on her own.
See? She wasn't meddling, she was helping. Was it underhanded? Maybe, perhaps. But she was a ninja, dammit.
They spent a good chunk of their afternoon in the boutique. Xin was glad to realize that she had a good time with Asuna. She was more of Jura's best friend but she liked the older Mikawa's company just as much. She was a lot more playful than she looked.
"Oh, you should wear it underneath your clothes and just flash him a little," Asuna grinned impishly as they stepped out of the boutique. "You know, wear one of those tank tops with a low cut? Just lean over just a little and…" she trailed off with a wink before she started laughing.
"You're perverted," Xin laughed right along with her. Her giggles gradually died away until she was just grinning. "I miss my sons."
It was nice to say that, she sometimes realized. She was a mom. She had kids, sons. Two of them. And really, the thought should scare the shit out of her. Hell, it did. These were two little human beings that would eventually grow up and be….someone in life. She, along with Gaara, were responsible for making these kids into good people.
"I miss my daughter," Asuna echoed the sentiment, understanding without Xin having to explain the sudden statement. "They make you want to be better, don't they? You just look into their little faces and think they deserve the world."
Xin smiled broadly, nearly bouncing as they neared the tower. It was true, she'd never been certain how to put it in words but Asuna described her emotions perfectly. She thought of the absolute world of Ryuu and Riku and they were hardly five months old. Just like she'd do anything for Gaara, she felt the same need for the boys. But..interestingly enough, she wanted to give them the world, not burn it down for them. She would though, if the need arises.
She let out a small laugh and was surprised when it sounded watery. Asuna paused just outside of the Kage's tower as tears began racing down Xin's cheeks. "I'm not sad," she said quickly, reaching for her tear-stained face. "I just…I just love them so much. It almost hurts. Is that normal?"
Asuna smiled at her and reached out for her, grabbing her hand in a comforting hold. "Very normal, I know exactly how you feel. Don't be ashamed of it. You just love them that much. Come on, let's go see them."
Xin didn't let go of Asuna's hand.
TeeBeMe: Middle child here speaking from experience, lol. The adults in my life always said 'oh we don't have to worry about you, Tee. You're fine.' I was young as shit like bitch PLEASE worry about me. It's probably why I'm much more quiet compared to my siblings. Kankuro is underappreciated. Does that mean Xin is onto something when it comes to Asuna and Kankuro? I don't know. What do yall think?
You know what I've been wondering about the Naruto world lately? What the fuck is the weather like in Konoha? Hinata has been wearing a heavy ass coat ALL her life until the very end and now in Boruto, she wears like a shirt, a long sleeved shirt, a hoodie and shorts. Like sis. What? Sakura wore a coat with a fur collar in Naruto the Last but Ino was wearing her usual skimpy outfit. Yall, there was snow on the ground. I was confused.
Rant done. Hope you guys enjoyed!