"There you go," Temari exclaimed as she finished fidgeting with the robe. It fit perfectly. "Go show him." Temari shooed.
"Are we allowed?" Hinata asked, hesitant.
"Why wouldn't we?" Temari asked, confused.
"In Konoha, it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in the wedding gown before the wedding." She explained. "He's not supposed to see her before she comes down the aisle."
"Is that the part where you walk in with your father?" Hinata nodded. "We don't have that, you're supposed to see him before then, it's not that ceremonial. Do you want to do that?"
"No, it's kinda silly anyway." She let Temari tug her out and spin her to Gaara and in front of the mirror. The shirt fanned evenly out as she was twirled before falling in drapes back down her legs.
"So?" Temari asked them.
It was flattering the Hinata would have liked. She was thankful for the high neckline. It was a simple dress, just a fitted plain dress that had a simple round collar. Full-length sleeves that fit slightly loose as most did here, the skirt was a full circle skirt, and the bottom hem hung just at her ankles. She noticed the glitter of the hem taking a closer look at her sleeve; it had a silvery thread in a simple design for accents. They were also on the neckline. She had never seen a long-sleeved wedding dress, but she would gladly take it.
She was just glad there were no layers under the skirt. Her hips didn't need to look any more prominent, and she didn't want to look like a cupcake.
"How does the sash go on?" She asked. Temari quickly grabbed the long fabric also now embroidered and draped it over one shoulder. It was then crossed at her hip and did an odd knot to keep it placed flat at her hip. It blurred her chest line slightly, which was a relief but also accented her hips. The light color didn't bring too much attention to the light tan robes.
"It's much more subtle than most brides," Temari commented. She reached forward and pulled Hinata's hair up, twirling it with her fingers just to keep it there. "We decided, right?" She showed her in the mirror.
"It would be far too warm to have it down." She agreed, looking through the mirror. Gaara examined her but said nothing, which she took as a silent approval.
"Aren't you going to say anything, Gaara? Why did we bother to bring you?" His sister scolded. He narrowed his eyes.
"You tell me." He said sternly.
"Tell her what you think." She demanded.
"It's fine, Temari-san." Hinata waved her hands. "He doesn't need to tell me." She pressed. She knew he approved by not complaining to the contrary. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable being forced to give false compliments.
Temari sighed. "I don't understand you two." She shook her head. She played with the sash before asking. "Who plans weddings in Konoha?"
"Well, it depends, most times it's the maid of honor or females in your family, but Ino-chan's family will plan them for a fee. In most Hyuga weddings, it's your mother and aunts." She explained.
"Maid of honor?" Temari asked.
"Uh, she's head of the bridesmaids. The bride's version of best man." Hinata explained knowing Temari knew what a bride's maid was.
"Oh." Temari thought. "Maybe you'll be my maid of honor someday." Temari thought aloud.
"Planning to have a Konoha wedding?" Gaara interjected.
Temari turned red. "They are very interesting." She defended.
Hinata giggled. "Make sure you add him to the guest list. We'll be happy to have Shikamaru-san."
Temari huffed at her. "You guys aren't supposed to gang up on me."
Hinata flopped down on his couch with a sigh. Her hair was wet, she didn't usually shower before coming to see him, but the last few times, she had started to. She looked more tired as the days went on. She never complained outwardly, he didn't even notice the change at first, but it was starting to show on her face. She had light dark circles forming under her eyes that matched his. She curled up in what she had silently claimed her spot in the office with her book. She drifted as she read.
"Hinata." She jumped, looking over at him, looking more awake than she had all day. "Go to bed."
"I'm reading." She lifted her book.
"No, you're falling asleep with a book in your lap." She gave him a puffed out face, a pout? Was she pouting at him? Had anyone pouted at him before?
"You're not going to bed." She mumbled.
"I'm not allowed to sleep much." Did she cringe?
"I still didn't try to help with that." She asked, closing her book.
"It's not something I think you can cure." Shukaku had yet to give an opinion on her. When she was around, he was silent and observed, like he was trying to figure her out, just like he was. It made his life much more peaceful when she was around.
"It's still worth a try sometime." She looked off to the side, then shrunk into herself and played with the corner of her book. "This may sound horrible, but have you tried asking?"
He stared at her blankly. He wasn't sure if that could be considered funny or not. "Shukaku is not one to honor requests."
"Oh, okay. I don't know much about him. I heard a few things, but they were rude, and I don't like to believe rumors." Gaara wondered if it was possible for someone to be so ridiculously pure. He could feel Shukaku's amusement, though he wasn't sure what he found funny. That she thought as she did or that she thought the rude comments might not be true.
"He doesn't seem to dislike you." He commented.
She gave him her attention. "Really?"
"He voices his dislikes loudly. It makes meetings with politicians interesting and frustrating." He explained.
She seemed interested. Setting her book to the side and positioning herself, so she was facing him more. "So he talks to you regularly?"
"Yes, he has become calmer since I gained better control, but he is very vocal when he wants to be." Gaara set down his pencil to give her his attention. "He doesn't seem to have an opinion on you, it's odd for him to be so silent. I didn't notice it at first."
"He just ignores me then?" He tilted his head, not sure if that was the answer. She paused then asked. "Is it rude to talk about him in the third person even though he's present?"
Gaara stared at her without an answer. Amusement again rippled from Shukaku, but he continued to stay silent and watch his vessel stare at his fiancee in confusion. "I don't have an answer to that, though he's never protested to that specifically." He was starting to think that Shukaku's amusement was more in his reactions to what she said rather than what she was saying. He didn't appreciate being laughed at.
"Oh, okay." She looked off to the side thoughtfully.
"You were going to bed." He remained.
"I didn't agree to that." She mumbled, puffing out her cheeks again.
He decided pouting was 'cute'.
"Really?" Hinata whimpered, settling herself into a sitting position in front of her fiance.
"He'd much rather you do it than me or one of the servants, right?" Temari asked her brother to confirm.
He gave her a single nod, and he did want to do this at all either. "Fine, but I'm telling you I don't think it will suit him."
Hinata held her hand out. Temari put some of the clear goo in her hand. She rubbed it in her fingers lightly and leaned forward, lightly combing it into his hair.
She combed her fingers across his scalp, smoothly distributing the gel evenly as she could. He leaned forward and closed his eyes, giving her full access to his head. His hair was incredibly coarse, thick, and slightly tangled in some places, but it still felt soft. She tried to be as gentle as she could. She ran her fingers back slowly so that if she caught any small knots, she wouldn't hurt him. It was pretty clear these knots were from him scratching at his head and running his fingers through his when he was stressed. She worried about him sometimes.
"Now, just comb it down. Maybe he'll look like an adult." Hinata did what she was told, but she wasn't sure where to part it. She smoothed it down and stepped back, taking the towel from Temari for her fingers.
"I don't like it." Hinata immediately voiced.
His hair pressed down didn't look like him at all. He looked like Sai. Hinata didn't know the artist well, but his smile made her extremely uncomfortable the few times they had met. Something else was off. His cheeks were flushed slightly. She must have made him too warm, leaning over him like that. She hoped she wasn't breathing on his face.
"You don't think it's cute?" Temari laughed.
"No." She covered her lips with her clean fingers as he looked in the mirror and frowned.
Temari burst into a fit of laughter. "I want a picture of this."
"Let's try something else." Hinata reached forward, quickly undid the flat hair, and pushed it straight back. "Hand me the towel, please." She asked Temari. She took it and used it to take some of the gel from the back of his hair before sitting back.
"Better," Temari remarked.
"I prefer his normal hair," Hinata mumbled.
"It's your wedding. I just thought we should try it. He would have never let me do his hair when he was little, so at least I got you to do it." She laughed.
Hinata felt that she was being used for torture. Gaara's face was still flushed. She worried that his sister was embarrassing him.