Difficult Engagements

Chapter 20

Gaara POV

We walked to our next destination in a more comfortable silence than the day before. He's still a little bit zoned out, but it's not as bad as it was before. Our next stop isn't too far off, just about over half a day's travel from the oasis. It's one of the oldest tourist towns, most people use it as a rest stop on their way to the capital.

He trusts me again.

Because he doesn't know what you've done.

He doesn't need to.

Keep convincing yourself that, kid.

He'll understand… it's Naruto.

Without any memories of you.

He'll get them back. I'll make sure of it. It's definitely Kyuubi's doing. That seal wasn't there before.

I still think you should mark him, too, just to be safe. He trusts you now, but how long will that last? At least with a mark, he'll be forced to stay by your side.

I'm not Kyuubi, I'm not going to force him by my side.

What are you doing now? Do you think he has a choice in this? Stop lying to both of you and just mark him.

Naruto always has a choice. He wouldn't be here if he really didn't want to.

Old Naruto wouldn't… this new Naruto, do you see him? Really look at him.

My clothes practically overshadow his smaller form, baggy in all the wrong places. His hands are so much softer than before. It's still the same blue eyes and golden blonde hair… but he's quiet now.

I don't like that.

Took you long enough.

He's also still got another potential mate out there. One who's probably not above marking the blonde.

One who's brazen enough to come out of hiding the first day you come to see Naruto.

One who Naruto seems to actually li-

Stop.

Not until you get it through your dense little head and mark him yourself. Too many people can take him away now. And I don't want to deal with your little pity party spiral again.

"Is that the next stop?" Naruto points ahead of us.

In the distance I can see the gates of the town, "Yes."

As we walked through the town to the inn, everyone stopped what they were doing and bowed either saying pleasantries or nothing at all. Whatever they felt was more respectful. Even though neither of us are in any recognizable garments, it was obvious who we were. It isn't like this was our first time here.

It's nice to be looked at in reverence rather than fear.

I want to show off that I became closer to the image of the man Naruto always saw me as. The people outside of my territory feared my strength, the people inside felt my protection. I take us the longer way to our destination.

Some of the people seemed surprised that we were even passing through here again. Even fewer are confused at Naruto's presence at all. Many people think our potential betrothal ended years ago when Kyuubi stopped contact.

This is our first public appearance as mates.

Slowly again, I try to get closer to him. Make it obvious to everyone around what's going on. Bridging the distance between us, I move my hand to my foxes lower back. Without any resistance, I pull him closer to me. I make it obvious to anyone watching Naruto is my mate now.

Not my friend.

My mate.

Are you sure about that?

"Stop that." Naruto says.

I release my grip around his waist, "... Sorry."

"Not that." he pauses, trying to hold back his obvious anger, "You promised you'd be here, and you're not. You're in your head again."

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh.'" he rolls his eyes and returns the closeness we just had, "Now how far are we? I want a shower, it's too hot here and I'm sweating."

"We're not that far, it's just a street over."

He points, "That way?"

I nod.

He grabs my hand and pulls me impatiently. I see small beads of sweat forming at the nape of his neck, dripping down the back of his shirt. My shirt. On his body. It might take him a while, but he'll get used to the heat again.

"This one?" He stopped in front of the right building.

The sign made it clear it was the only Inn on this street. The facade is much more worn than it used to be. Soft red brick aged with the times, the windows have a faded gleme cast on them. The whole town is that way, actually, and it didn't seem as crowded as it once was.

"Yes. Naruto-kun, tonight I'd like to take you out on a date." I let him know of my plans of continuing to court him.

"Okay. Let me take that shower first." wanting to clean off all the sweat off of his tan body.

"I'll take one after you." I said, while really wanting to take a shower with him.

"Hello and welcome to our Inn!" a group of the inn's staff said in unison as we walked in, "Let us take your bags up to your room."

I gave the man both of their bags, then glanced at the inn owner.

"Kazekage-sama! We've reserved the room you've wanted and we are glad that you've chosen us to stay with your lovely mate." The woman said overly enthusiastically while walking over to us.

She was wearing an extravagant set of garments to honor our arrival, it was an older style, probably from her youth, "The list of the local restaurants is on the table as requested. I hope you enjoy your stay here. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask our staff!"

"I'm sure we will!" Naruto agreed with the long winded woman. He seems excited to be outside of Konoha. Knowing his home life, I understand why.

"I'm glad you have enthusiasm. Your staff already got the keys." The woman with auburn hair gestured to Naruto two guards in the lobby.

"Naruto-kun! I should have stayed if you needed help getting into your clothes." Haku says noticing he's not in whatever silly outfit Kyuubi wants him in, but what is clearly my clothes.

"These are his clothes. He didn't need help." I answered for Naruto, he seemed relieved at my words.

"You should find him more like this while we're here." I command.

I wonder who the pair's allegiance really lies with. I know the two were a mercenary group before becoming Naruto's personal guards. I bet their allegiance is still with whoever is paying or right in front of them.

"Of course, Kazekage-sama. Do you have anything in mind?" Haku is smart. His allegiance is with whomever could change the script first, good self preservation skills.

"Something that fits." I don't have time to discuss fashion, I remember, "Better shoes."

"Of course, Kazekage-sama." Haku bows at me, while his mate stands solid as a statue behind him.

Naruto seems a bit more relieved after this conversation.

The two of them escort us to our room for the evening, our bags are already on the floor. The room was as big as a medium sized apartment, I ensured to get the best this town had. All of the furniture feels older, but still well taken care of.

The whole town felt older.

When I'm done with making sure Naruto is mine I have to fix its tourism problems. Places like this need to be more inviting for outsiders. I already ensured our water utilities were up to date in all of our major cities. So that shouldn't be the problem here.

This used to be one of the more popular spots to visit. Instead of growing like all the other city's it's stayed mostly the same. Something must have changed in the last couple of years. Maybe as many people aren't coming from Konoha as they used to. With our union, they should be coming back, at least officially.

"I'll take my shower now." he breaks me out of my thoughts. Now they take the form of Naruto's body, I got such a good look at the tan beauty earlier.

"Uh… Yeah." is all I can manage to say.

He just rolls his eyes with a soft smirk and walks into the adjoining bathroom.

The way Naruto's underwear conformed to his body earlier, left just enough to the imagination to say that it still exists in the first place. His tanned skin glistened so perfectly with the water and the sunlight. Golden hair matted to his face from the weight of the water.

He's just in the other room, with only a door separating us.

I can't think of that right now. Removing my own clothes, I toss them atop the bed. My shield safely tucked away in my gourd, I won't need it now. Taking one of the robes the hotel offers I prepare myself for my own shower later. My mind keeps wandering over to my fox in the other room.

Just one turn of the knob.

I hear the water stopping, Naruto just finished his shower. He came out of the only bathroom in only a towel tied loosely around his waist and a black necklace with three round charms. I can't help but to stare, again.

"Gaara-kun, stop staring." my fox said, getting more assertive in his actions as time goes on.

I think he's more comfortable with me, if he could show his true colors. He wasn't a doll to be done with as anyone pleases, he was Uzamaki Naruto. I liked that. It's more like him anyways.

Imagining him is one thing, but seeing him as an adult is very different than when we were kids. Just being near him brings out my dominant side. Part of me hates that I'm seeing him this way knowing how he feels about his biology. That's the rational part of my brain.

The Alpha part of my brain says to mark him. It says to cover him with my own scent. It drinks in his sweet scent like it was the last source of water before a long drought. It says to fuck him sensless. It says to protect him as my mate. Kill anyone who tries to hurt him.

I'm usually very good at ignoring the less savory Alpha parts of my brain. I had to get good at subdung Shukaku, and the Alpha part of my brain is surprisingly similar. Around Naruto, though, I don't want to ignore my Alpha side.

I want to give in to my desire.

I don't even know if he's really accepted me as his mate yet. He acts like he does. He said he did… but can he even really accept me without his memories?

I don't want to think of that right now.

He trusts me right now. He's with me right now. That should be enough.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun… you're just so hot." I saunter over to him, wanting to continue our activities from before.

"Shut up," He looks down embarrassed, I tilt his head up.

"Make me…" I want this to sound playful… I don't want to fuck this up.

Please take this as playful.

He laughed and just kissed me.

That worked.

He's taking pity on you.

"Stop that." he pouts.

Oh fuck. Stop what? What am I doing wrong?

And you just got his trust back too. Maybe you're a bad kisser.

"... What?"

"You're staring off and over thinking or something."

He noticed?

"I thought you wanted to kiss me, but I guess if you're too busy thinking..." he's teasing me now.

"Oh, I want to kiss you."

"You sure? Because you're not doing it. Because if you really wanted to-"

I kissed him.

I didn't think. I just did it.

Taking his bait, my arms wrap around his body, pulling him closer. Dragging my fingers in his damp hair, feeling each strand tangle it's way in between my fingers. Keeping the physical distance between us as close as possible.

I finished his sentence. "I would just do it?"

"Ummm… yeah." He breathes out, biting at his lower lip.

He wants more.

I can give him more. I let my hands continue to explore his body. Feeling the slight musculature of his back as it divots and peaks beneath my palm. Slight trails of water still cling to his body.

He feverishly kisses me back, his scent is mixing with arousal. I kiss down his neck to go to the source of that sweet tempting smell of honeyed oranges.

"Do you know why we mark each other?" I ask into the crook of his neck, the spot that will one day hold my mark on him.

"To show the world who you belong to…?" he says in a sad voice, it almost sounds like a question coming from his lips.

"No," I chuckle into the words I say, of course that is what he would be taught. "It's for our partners to always feel us around them."

"What's it like?" I almost feel like I'm taking advantage of him.

"Remember when I was examining your seals?"

"...Yeah?" He sounds excited. I brush my fingers over his seals to remind him of before at the oasis.

"Kinda like that…" I tease him with that idea.

"Oh?" his body is leaning closer to my own.

"Yeah." I trail my hand up his damp arm, resting it on the same spot on his neck, lightly rubbing into it. "I can show you."

He's pushing towards my fingers.

I pull away from his neck, he looks at me desperately saying softly "...okay."

I focus a small amount of my chakra at the tips of my finger, slowly bringing it to his neck. "Are you ready?"

He nods, "Yeah."

I press it lightly into his scent gland, pulsing my chakra just below the surface. Soft moans start to escape from his lips at this. My fox starts eagerly exposing his neck to me even more. The rest of his body is relaxing around mine.

"It feels like this. Your partner's chakra sits just beneath the surface of the skin. Reminding you of their presence, always. It's not for the world to see, it's for you to feel."

I pull my fox on top of me as I sit on the bed, making sure to keep my fingers on that spot. His body reacts so naturally to mine. Going as far as slumping atop mine for support. His legs spread open more, tugging at the edges of his towel, to straddle me fully. His hands rested on my chest for guidance.

"Do you want to try doing this to me?" I tilt my head slightly to expose my neck to him.

"Are you sure? I don't have that good of chakra control… You said so yourself."

"I trust you." he smiles at that.

He's sitting on my lap - so fucking close to me. The only thing separating us is the smallest amount of fabric that threatens to open at any second. This moment is perfect.

I take my fingers off his neck and Naruto gasps. I don't think he was ready for the pleasure to stop, because he jolted forwards closer to me at its absence.

I take one of his hands from my chest, and put it in mine "Let me show you. Focus your energy at the tips of your fingers, like before. Imagine a light spiraling motion."

He's able to do this surprisingly easily.

I don't know why I'm so surprised, he's the one that showed me this. I pull his hand closer to my exposed neck, inviting him to press down.

Fuck.

I buck my hips forward as soon as he does it, letting out the most guttural moan I've ever let out in my life.

I knew it would be good, but this, this is everything I ever wanted. This feeling is what I have been fighting the last 5 years for. This is the feeling I would fight the rest of my life to keep. I look up into his soft blue eyes as his familiar chakra fills me. I feel so close to him. I am complete at this moment. I never want this to end.

Then it does. I'm left breathless.

"Do you want to do it to me? For real." The little bit of energy he already used was enough to get me drunk off of him for weeks. I can't be without it. I can never be without him in my life again.

"Won't someone say something?" He asked. If he's worried about the consequences he's tempted. I put my hands on his lower back keeping him close to me.

"What would they say?" By pulling down my shoulder I expose more of my neck to him.

I was marked by Naruto the moment I laid my eyes on him. The physical mark would just show the world what I knew since the beginning. I'm his. I have always been his.

He doesn't say anything, but he puts a hand on the same spot on his neck as if trying to cover it a bit.

"Don't worry… I won't do it to you, until you're ready. Hell, even if you're not ready at the ceremony, we'll wait till you are." I reassure him.

"Wont people say something?"

"They can say what they want. What can they do? No one can make me mark you. I refuse to mark you until you are ready. If you never want me to mark you, that's fine too." I shrug it off. I want him to bear my mark one day, but it wouldn't mean anything if he didn't want it as well.

"What if -"

I cut him off, "The only person on this earth who can get me to mark you - is you. All you have to say, in clear mind, is that you want my mark on your body. I will give it to you. Until that happens, don't worry yourself."

"Are you sure you want this?" He's still so hesitant.

"I want you to." I'm basically begging him now.

I don't know what I'd do if he were ever not by my side have been so many times that could have taken him away from me. One that did, and he left so quickly last time. What if he's taken away again?

I need his mark on me.

I don't want to ever feel alone again.

Both of his hands are resting on my chest again. I wrap my arms around his body, keeping my neck exposed for my fox. Inviting him to bite down on me, to mark me, make me his. His mouth is naturally moving towards the spot on my neck. Teeth resting on the spot almost asking if I was sure.

"I want this." I press up against his mouth letting him know it's okay.

He bites down slowly as if to give me time to say no to this. I would never say no to this. Piercing my skin, pain, blood trickles down my chest. Then he pours some of his flamed chakra to rest beneath the surface of my skin. It brands the mark on me forever.

My body and mind moves into pure bliss.

9 Years Ago

"Hey Gaa'! I've got something to show you!" Naruto excitedly shouts while breaking into my room again. I never mind the intrusion, but I wish he'd give me more warning sometimes.

"Hmm?" I looked up at him from my book.

"The medic showed me this cool technique. You wanna see?" he's practically bouncing up and down as he makes his way over to my desk.

He seemed really excited about this, so I closed the book his uncle gave me to see what he's talking about, "Okay."

He focused his red chakra at his fingertips so it was visible. Nothing seems too out of the ordinary with it. It looks like he's got more control over it. The only real difference from his usual chakra is instead of flaming up, it looks like the flames are spiraling around his fingers.

"You've been able to do that forever."

"Oh, but it's what I can do with it now… wanna see?" he smirks a wide grin across his face.

"Sure." I don't know what's new about it.

"Hold out your arm."

I do what he says and out stretch my arm to him.

He holds it steady with his left hand, slowly inching his right over my exposed arm. His chakra at the tips of his pointer finger vibrates past my sand sheild causing it to melt away at his touch, fuck.

His skin touches mine.

It's electric.

Am I under attack?

"You're okay." He reassures me, "It's a medic technique. I probably should have told you what it did first."

I try to keep focused, this is Naruto, he would never hurt me. I steady my breath as he runs his fingers down the inner of my wrist, ending at my palm, lacing his hand in mine. It doesn't hurt, it just feels different… well feels at all.

I don't know how to feel about it.

With my shield almost constantly up it's very rare for people to be able to touch me. I've let Naruto do it a few times… because he wouldn't hurt me.

He's not going to hurt me.

"See you are just fine." he squeezed his hand in mine, dissipating his chakra from it. I could put back up my shield now if I wanted to, but…

I think I like it. I think I like Naruto's hand in mine.

"What are you doing?"

He grins again, "It just lets me see you better."

"With this I can see what it's really like under your thick skin." He jokes.

I can feel the clauses of his palms, like a thick mountain ridge meeting where his fingers attach to the hand. A small amount of his chakra residue stays inside me where he touched. Leaving behind a temporary reminder of his presence.

Put the shield back up.

It's just Naruto.

And he can still hurt you.

"Tell Shukaku to shut up." His energy is so warm even this small residue feels like it's spreading through my body.

Fuck.

"How do you know?" I asked, sometimes it feels like he's a mind reader.

"You get this look on your face." he sounds so concerned for me. I don't want his pity.

I just saw it for a second, but I think I know how the technique works. I quickly use his hand in mine to flip our positions of power. Pinning him against the wall, and holding his limbs back with my sand.

"So you just do this, right?" focusing my chakra at the tips of my fingers like he did. I let it vibrate the same way I would my sand.

He looks at it and grins, "Try it."

He didn't even tell me how it works and he trusted me just to do it with him. Okay.

I place my fingers over his willing flesh. I can feel my energy pulsating with his. It's like I'm looking at him in a deeper way. I can feel his life energy spiraling around his body through my fingertips. I traveled up the unblocked pathways of his upper arm.

It feels good.

"See you got it."

"What is it for?" I loosen the grip of my sand around his body to the point that if he wanted to he could escape.

"It's a medic technique. They use it to find Chakra Disturbances… There's a lot of techniques, especially in my country, that can block or even cut through chakra lines. So you gotta be able to find them to fix them." he doesn't escape just yet.

"Oh?" I've seen medics do something similar, but they've never broken through my shield like Naruto just did. If they could, there's no doubt I would be dead right now. My shield immediately covers my once exposed arm.

"Yeah. So when they showed me… it got me thinking, ya' know."

It's dangerous when foxes start thinking.

"Your shield, it's held together by chakra." my sand reflexively tightens around him again, "Gaa', stop, you know I'd never hurt you."

"Yeah…" he wouldn't, but he also couldn't before… could he?

We should end him now.

No.

"Gaa'." he's stern now, "let me out."

I do.

My sand loosens around his body and cascades down to the floor. I don't put it away though.

"I am going to put my arms around you now."

Naruto does just that.

His arms wrapped around my midsection, "I'm sorry."

He tucks his head under my chin, my shield is fully up, I can't feel him, but I know he's there.

"I should have thought about it more before just doing it to you. I got excited, I thought you'd think it was cool." he pauses, "I know you're not really the touchy feely type. You rarely let your shield down, even around me."

Naruto is the touchy-feely type, he's always been. He likes to hold people and be touched… I don't, usually, but it's not bad when he does it.

I wrapped my arms over the blonde foxes shoulders, "It's okay."

"It's not. I freaked you out. I didn't even know I could do that… Honest! Just thought I could see under it. Then I did and something clicked, I tried something without even thinking about it. I didn't mean to scare you.. I just." he keeps speaking over himself with each new sentence.

Naruto likes to be touched.

He's never tried to hurt me.

He's not like the others.

I dropped my shield entirely for him.

Now feeling his warm skin pressed against mine. His breath ghost over my neck at each word of his never ending rambling.

I kinda like it.

He stopped talking once he noticed, his soft blue eyes looked into mine, "Huh?"

"It's okay." I reassure him, "Just tell me before you do something like that again."

He smiled while squeezing me closer, "Yeah!"

Am I just chasing a ghost?

I told you to mark him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I say quickly, while covering the spot he just made. The mark now felt hollow being made by someone who didn't remember me. "Get ready, we'll leave as soon as I'm done with my shower."

I hop in the shower as soon as I can. I'm all alone in the bathroom. My limbs all feel heavy like they might just fall off of me.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

You took advantage of him. He doesn't remember you and you made him bite you.

Fuck.

I am so hard. This is the worst fucking time for that. I let the water bounce off of my back as I hang my head in the shower. Having him do that to me… fuck. I just got his trust.

What did I just do to him?

You just made the little Omega mark you. You're going to look like his bitch.

I don't care about that.

Fuck. I'm too hard.

Go in the other room and pound your dick into the boy you let mark you. It's the least he can let you do after you just let him make you his bitch.

Shut up.

I just mastubate in the heat of the shower. I press down on my fresh mark while thinking of Naruto in the other room. My fox's scent was already turning into something that wasn't just on me, but forming inside of me. Mixing with my own.

Planting orange trees whose roots penetrate themselves deep within my earth, going so deep as to never to be up rooted. Already in bloom for ready pollinators to take their fill. Each one prepares them to be ready to bear sweet fruit for the fall.

Fuck.

I imagine it's him doing this to me. I thrust animalistically into my own hand imagining it's the others. Naruto is in the shower with me, wanting me.

His soft blue eyes look into mine, begging me. Wanting me. It's Naruto's hands around me. I feel his energy living in the mark on my shoulder. It's almost like he's really here. It takes me to the edge.

My knot inflates as with desperate desires to trap the omega in the other room. Wanting to feel the warm heat of his body convulsing against it. Milking my body for all it has. As if my body has the only thing satisfying his desperate need to be filled.

My cum falls down the drain as my mind clears up reminding me of what I just did.

Fuck.

Naruto POV

What just happened? I feel out of it again, like I'm swimming in the middle of the ocean at night. Where am I?

Nothing looks familiar.

I'm alone.

No.

Slick is trailing down my thigh. I can't be on my heat cycle, it doesn't come for a while...

Was it everything that just happened? I've heard sometimes it can happen when you're not in a cycle, even if you're not bonded. But that's really rare.

Gaara is a strong Alpha.

I didn't want to recognize this, but he did just get off a rut before we met. I could smell it on his body that first night. His scent is so powerful, a desert cactus, it's mellow but fills the room before you even notice it's surrounding everything. There's a deep earthiness to it, like the heat of the desert baking the ground beneath it. That had to be what triggered my body to do this.

My body is shaking, touching the spot on my neck, I still feel some of his chakra signature there. I press down, it feels so good. A small moan escapes my lips. I cover my mouth, I don't want to make a sound.

I can feel the heat rising from my lower half. I need to touch myself before my mind will let me think of anything else. The desire to be taken becomes all consuming.

My dumb, stupid, Omega instict tells me to go into the other room and get mounted by that man. Let him inside of me, fuck me sensless. It says to submit to that man. It says to make him my Alpha.

I'm already knuckles deep into myself thinking about it. I didn't even notice I was doing this. Thinking of that redhead mounting me is getting my body so hot. I fully collapse into the bed, ass up in the air as I finger myself to thoughts of him.

It would be so embarrassing if he walked into me doing this. Or is that just what I want, him to walk into me like this. I am displaying myself perfectly for him to take my fingers out of me and fill me himself.

Oh fuck, his clothes. He left them on the bed. It smells just like him. That deep desert smell envelopes my senses. Fuck. I keep my face pressed into it, covering myself with it. I am shivering just from his residual Musk that lingers on the fabric.

My nipples are so sensitive rubbing against the sheets. I want that door to open. I need Gaara.

Fuck.

I spread my legs more to grant me easier access. I start stroking myself too. I keep imagining all the things I want him to do to me. Bucking against my fingers. His dick felt so big earlier. It would fill me to the brim.

My dumb omega side wants to feel his knot. It wants to be trapped on that big fucking dick. Forced to stay on it until I could please the alpha in the other room. Getting the ultimate reward of him cumming in me, filling my body even more, but only if I pleasured him right. If I was a good Omega I would get my reward.

I cum into the towel as my mind clears up. The sound of running water is still heard coming from the other room. Thank god he takes long showers. I don't know how to even start explaining something like this.

Oh sorry, I masterbated while smelling your clothes, like the dumb, stupid, fucking slut that I am. Oh, why did I do it you ask? I don't know, maybe because the urge to be fucked by a strong alpha overrided any sane part of my stupid head. Because that will go over well.

Before I start to get dressed, I take time to look at myself in the mirror. It's been awhile since I really looked at myself. I usually just avoid mirrors. I don't like to see myself.

I'm a mess. My features are so soft. I'm too thin. My hair doesn't seem to ever know what direction to go in. Haku tells me I'm attractive all the time. I think he has to, because I just can't see it. I am just...

I am just an Omega.

Who just marked an Alpha.

Not just an Alpha, The Kazekage.

A man I just met. I have permanently bonded him to me with that bite. He was so ready for it, he practically begged me for it. Alphas don't usually take bites… especially not without getting theirs first.

He left my neck bare. I know I should be grateful, but I almost wanted him to do the same to me now. It's just stupid hormones wanting me to complete the bond mark. I have to remind myself.

My body is designed for a person like him in mind. But unlike other Alpha's, I feel like my body was actually built for Gaara. It fit together with his so perfectly when I slept next to him last night. Other alphas are so big and bulky, I feel so tiny next to them. But Gaa-

I can't think about that.

I have to get ready… I don't know what to wear. Maybe there's something comfortable in my bag. I don't want to wear my fem clothes after that. Would he be upset if I wore his again? I would be comfortable. I would be covered by his scent.

He wouldn't be mad… I hope.

I grab a red turtleneck and black pants from his bag. They are both a little big for me but I cuff the hems of both to fit me a bit better. I'll wear my own underwear… I don't want him to think I'm weird.

It takes him a while to get out of the shower and even longer for him to join me again. When the door finally opens hot steam smokes out into this room. Almost as if it were announcing his presence.

"I hope you don't mind…" I talk about the clothes, before I see the mark I left on him.

I can't look him in the eyes, "I'm sorry about that."

"I asked you to do this to me, don't be sorry." he tries to reassure me, but I still feel bad about it. "You look good like that, by the way."

My heart stopped for a second. Why did his compliment make me feel this good, "...thank you."

He picks out something from his wardrobe that shows off the mark I just gave him. It's a simple black top with a large scooped neck and black pants. He wraps a white linen cloth around his body in a ceremonial way. He really doesn't care who sees it.

More than that he wants people to see his mark. My mark.

"You ready?" Gaara asked.

I don't know if I am, "Yeah."

What's up demons? It's ya' boi.

This was originally going to be one really long date chapter, but I have to finish refining some of the parts of the actual date part… so enjoy this goodness. It's a good place for a chapter to end.

I wanted to include Gaara finding the courting gift, but there is no part for that in this story, so I might do a one off of this story where it's just him looking for the gifts he gives in the previous chapter. Cause I think it would be cute and fun.

TigrezzTail I can't say much, but I will say almost everything in each part of the story is interconnected. It is all just a different part of the same story being told.