"Okay." Temari shook excitedly. "Turn around."

Hinata turned to see how it looked. Temari had just spent the last half hour fidgeting with the chain in her hair. She had tucked her bangs away and the sides up to fully show her face. Twisting and braiding pieces down her back tediously adding longer stands of the chain in.

Temari waited eagerly for her approval.

"It's perfect." Hinata reached up to lightly touch the dull polished stones. Very her. Her father would never approve of something so simple for a Hyuga.

Temari jittered with joy. "Wait here!" She bolted out of the room while Hinata was left to herself in front of the mirror. She tilted her head, and the pieces jingled faintly. Why did Konoha bother with veils? These were gorgeous.

Temari returned soon after pushing her brothers in the door. Well, pushing Kankuro and telling Gaara he had to see her.

Hinata turned to see what the fuss was.

Kankuro nodded. "Yeah, she does." He agreed to something she hadn't heard. He gave her a big grin.

Did it look that good?

"Gaara." Temari pressed. "What do you think?"

Gaara looked at it with an odd sense of knowing. "Is that mother's?"

The room went cold.

Temari physically flinched and clenched her teeth. Hinata saw absolute fear in her eyes. Kankuro went stiff and stared at the floor.

Hinata sat up straighter, hoping she could take all the attention away from their sudden shift in mood. Partly from him to not have to feel their fear. Partly for them to not feel they needed to fear their brother.

"Yes..." Hinata answered carefully.

"It fits well." That was all he said. Temari quickly changed the subject. She turned her head to show the braid explaining why they decided to have it down her back instead of up directly to Kankuro.

Hinata turned to look at Gaara in the mirror. He didn't seem sure of the situation. His frown wasn't angry, but he walked away. He had a blank look in his eyes that worried her.

Hinata frowned, hoping that they hadn't introduced painful memories to their wedding day.

Hinata settled on his room questions in mind, but no real want to ask them, but his continuous glances for the first hour made it obvious he knew she wanted to ask. Who would break first?

She didn't want to talk about it. Did they need to? It was only going to make them both feel bad.

However, if he didn't like it, she didn't want it at their wedding.

"My mother hated me." Gaara started. She looked up to listen. "She hated me because of what I was, and my birth killed her." His hand raised to the mark on his forehead. She had never asked about the kanji. It had something to do with this.

Hinata's heart ached at the empty look on his face.

"But I don't mind you wearing something of hers." He added. "She loved her other two children, and Temari wants you to wear it. I have no problem with it."

Hinata sniffed as her eyes filled with tears. He got up to sit with her carrying some paperwork but putting it aside for the moment. "That's not true."

"I am fine. My mother grew a monster in her that killed her. I don't blame her for hating what she was forced to carry. It was just a shock that it was dug out." Gaara explained. "We don't go through mother's things often."

She pierced her lips, trying desperately not to tell him he was wrong and his mother had no right to hate him, but she didn't want to open wounds. "How did you recognize it?" She asked, moving to curl up beside him.

"There used to be an album of pictures. It included a wedding portrait. I destroyed them when I was young." Hinata's heart broke. She hugged him tightly, burrowing herself under his arm to tighten to his chest. "I have accepted it."

That didn't help at all. He shouldn't have had to.

Hinata whimpered in her spot. He curled the arm she had moved under around her. Was being too caring a thing?

She cried for him even over things he had forced himself to accept. He was being honest. He didn't think of his mother with anger anymore, dull pain, and resentment if he thought hard enough, but he had become numb. His father had done far worse to him.

Her tears and warmth filled any dull pain he felt. He waited until she settled to speak again.

"It fits you well," Gaara added.

"I like it. Father would never approve." She mumbled with a hiccup.

He thought for a moment. "My father would have never approved of you." She flinched under his arm. Maybe he should have worded that better.

"Do you mind?" She asked.

"I wouldn't care." He replied sternly.

"Good." She mumbled almost defiantly. She pulled the book back up to her lap.

Cute.

"No not that one!" Hinata caught Kankuro's arm before he caused a large problem.

He blinked at it pulling his arm back. "What did I do now."

She pointed. "That one."

"Why do I have the feeling you don't trust me with this." He mumbled, doing the right thing.

"If you would pay attention when I spoke, I specifically told you it will damage it if it had too much." She huffed, going back to her work.

"Do you get all puffed up with Gaara like this?" He asked chuckling.

"Sometimes." She mumbled, embarrassed.

"I have to see that." He paused for a moment and grinned, leaning over at her. She didn't like that look. "How did Gaara kiss you in such a way you fainted?"

She squeaked. "We are not talking about this!" She said firmly.

"Come on, we didn't tease you that bad." He mumbled. "I won't laugh, I'm interested. He has never been in a relationship. He's probably got the understanding of a physical relationship of an academy brat."

She sighed at his expectant face. "We were… talking about physical relationships… kinda…" She scowled. "Shukaku-san thought it was funny." She added irritably. "It was just a peck on my hand he was testing, but I wasn't expecting it. I was just so flustered, I fainted."

"Wait, it was just on your hand?" He began to laugh.

"You said you wouldn't." She pouted.

"The way Gaara had said it, I would have thought he mulled you." She looked up in question as he laughed. "He was about as freaked out as you were, except he was conscious."

She frowned. "I didn't mean to."

"You guys are cute." Kankuro scrunched his nose. "I never thought I would call Gaara cute."

She giggled. "He can be."

"Please," Temari whined.

"I'm not. I refuse." Hinata countered firmly.

"Why not?" Temari whimpered. "It will be hilarious."

"For you!" Hinata snapped back.

Kankuro laughed at the women bickering.

"Forget it, you're not getting her to wear one. She fainted from a kiss on the hand you think she can handle retrieving a garter?" At least he was on her side.

"Come on!" Temari pouted.

"Absolutely not. Not only is it highly embarrassing, but it is also highly inappropriate for a Hyuga!" She scowled at her paperwork, trying to focus. Is this what Gaara did all day?

"You won't be a Hyuga anymore," Kankuro added.

Temari pointed at him. "See!"

"No. For all, we know something like that might make Gaara faint." She took note and looked up. They were oddly silent. They both stared at her with curiosity. "We are done talking about it." They didn't need to know how flustered she had made Gaara last night.

Hinata came in with cheeks puffed in a pout and an air of annoyance. Gaara looked up, giving her his attention.

Was she upset?

"Temari-chan gets to have no more new ideas for the wedding." She huffed, sitting firmly in her spot. He was sure if he should be amused by her behavior or not, Shukaku was, but he was confused.

"Why not?" He asked cautiously.

"We just spent 2 hours arguing about me wearing a garter." She curled up in her spot.

"I don't know what that is." He noted.

She sighed, calming, laying her head to the side, tiredly. "It's a fad more so than a tradition. It's a band on the thigh. After the vows, during the reception, the groom is supposed to remove it." Her face turned red, so this was an embarrassing task.

"Is the removal hard?" He asked, confused.

She looked over with a blink, understanding where he misunderstood. "It's under the skirt. The groom is supposed to go with his hands under the skirt to remove it in front of everyone."

"Oh." That sounded in bad taste.

"The more cheeky grooms think it's funny to remove it with their teeth." She shrunk, cheeks betraying her annoyed tone.

"I see your point." He wouldn't be doing that. It would make her highly uncomfortable. It would make him highly uncomfortable.

"Onee-chan thinks it's funny. Onii-san was little help." She sighed.

Gaara sighed, not sure what more to say. 'I think it's an interesting idea.' Shukaku chuckled.

"What?" Gaara asked, confused.

"Hmm?" Hinata wondered.

He had asked aloud, it would seem.

"Shukaku liked the idea." He mumbled, still in thought.

"Shukaku-san!" His fiancee exclaimed, covering her red face looking at him in horror.

He frowned. "I'm sorry."

Hinata shrank fully into herself, burying her face into her knees.

'This is your fault.' Gaara grumbled at him.

'I take no blame.' He answered with a chuckle.