Hinata smiled with open arms as Konoha natives bombarded her with affection. It was all loud. She seemed to melt into the middle of the attention, taking in the joy around her. He stood nearby uncomfortably with the loud growling that started the first hug.

Gaara was soon attacked with Naruto excitement. He asked questions with high energy despite Gaara's calm answers. They had been writing to each other, so there wasn't much to go over.

As her friends filtered off with his siblings to their places to rest. Naruto finally turned to her.

Hinata gave Naruto a smile and open arms. He picked her up in a warm hug. She giggled, but Gaara felt something rip through him. Not his own discomfort, but extreme anger and protectiveness coming from his beast.

Hinata squeaked as she was forcefully separated from Naruto's arms and pushed back into his chest. He caught her and kept an arm around her ribs to keep her steady. In her arms, she cradled a forming ball of sand that swirled to form a familiar small tanuki baring its teeth.

"Is that Shukaku!?" Naruto reached forward to touch the sand creature, and it snapped at him.

Hinata held the beast back, putting her hand in the way of damage. Shukaku retracted, burying his face in her ribs.

"What is wrong with you?" She asked in more of a soft voice than a scold as she held the beast to her chest. "Feeling left out?"

"I believe it is more malice than simple attention-grabbing." He frowned at the beast.

"Aw, he doesn't like me hugging Hinata-chan? That's not fair." Naruto whined.

"I'm sure he's just not feeling well. The wedding preparation is stressing us all." Hinata tried, always the peacemaker.

He released his fiancee but kept his hand on her back. She kept her attention on the little ball of sand.

"My head hurts," Hinata mumbled as she joined her fiance on the couch. She curled up into his side with a sigh, finally in silence.

She felt the sand beast in her lap, an arm curl around her waist, and her headache ebbing away.

"The women were loud." He noted.

"I feel bad, but I am honestly glad that they didn't come earlier. I couldn't take a week of all this." She mumbled, barring her nose into his shoulder.

"I wouldn't want that either. I would never get anything done." He grumbled.

Hinata giggled. "One more day."

"Then you will be my wife." Hinata could hear the odd realization.

"That is the idea." She laughed.

The tanuki rubbed its nose into her stomach as she petted it wanting her attention.

"What is it, Shukaku-san?" She asked, giving the beast her attention.

"He wants to give you a wedding present," Gaara informed her.

"Oh? I don't need anything. I have my ring." She said.

"He wants to... be dormant for our wedding and wedding night?" Gaara seemed confused.

She blinked as a blush rose to her cheeks. "Oh… OH! Thank you, Shukaku-san, that's very thoughtful. I appreciate it." She shrank. She hadn't thought about that. Their wedding day would be their first real full kiss. They hadn't got there yet, and then the wedding night... They hadn't talked about it.

"I don't get it." Gaara paused for a moment, then tensed against her. The beast grinned in her lap in amusement. "We haven't spoken about that." He added aloud.

"I think it will be fine. We can just see what happens." She mumbled, looking at him.

Hinata could see the light blush to his cheeks and the unsure look in his eyes as he moved forward.

She smiled, lifting her head to meet him.

The light touch of their lips was a comfortable press that set nerves off in waves. Hinata let her eyes slip close to focus on the building feeling. She almost missed the weight dissipating from her lap.

Soft. Soft and damp. That's what Gaara would describe her lips at first. He felt the familiar heat rise in his chest and face as she tilted her head and pressed more comfortably forward. He was surprised she would want to further this relationship and even encouraged it. He pushed the thought aside and focused on her comfort.

Gaara watched her eyes slowly close, and the absolute trust she was giving him started a new fire. He felt himself press his lips closer, blindly setting the papers in his lap aside and burying his free hand into her loose hair as instinct took over. He was glad he had something to go on, but would this be what finally drove her away?

Hinata responded by pulling both hands up to grip the front of his shirt and pull him to her. Her mouth opened to take a breath but didn't back away, and he felt himself shiver. He realized he, too, had closed his eyes and opened them only briefly to see her red face and hooded eyes. His hands twitched, wanting to bring her closer, but he fought himself. Don't scare her. He reconnected their lips soon after. He felt her weight shift. Suddenly she kicked a leg over him and was hovering over his lap. She buried her fingers in his hair. The hand that was around her waist moved to her thigh. If ever asked, he would say to keep her in place.

A knock on the door distracted them both. "Kazekage-sama is onee-chan in there? Temari said to check here if she wasn't in her room." Hinata quickly removed herself. He instinctively tightened his grip on her thigh and her head to keep her there. She stared at him with her wide white eyes and swollen lips with what looked like what he was feeling. The unguarded attraction and raw emotion made her even more attractive.

Hinata breathed heavily over his face to try to even her breath and leaned forward for the last light kiss. He deliberately released her, laying his hands to the side and letting his brows furrow as she stepped off him as she, too, tried to detach himself from the situation.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to." She bit her lip and looked down, still breathing heavily. Fiddling with her ring behind her back.

"No." He told her too quickly. "No, don't apologize." He mumbled, glancing up. Her face lit up, and the tinge to her cheeks became bright with the smile she tried to hide.

"Kazekage-sama?" Hanabi asked again.

"I should go." She whispered, leaning down to give him another kiss before stumbling off to the door as she straightened the clothes he crinkled. She looked back one last time with a light touch of her fingertips to her lips and an embarrassed smile.

She was beautiful.