Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, that much is obvious!
Will Ryo take the next step and make Temari his wife? Well, the chapter below ought to answer that!
Ryo was getting to the point where most of the time he was watching his pupils do the work, so he knew his stay was coming to an end, unless his second mission was to come to a conclusion as well, he'd have to make excuses so he would be able to stay here. He was thinking of what to do when Temari stated, "Gaara and Kankuro want you to come to dinner so they can get to know you better."
He jerked a little, confused. "You're serious?"
"Gaara isn't that bad anymore, he hasn't killed anyone outside a mission in ages. Do you think anyone would've approved his ascension to Kazekage if he was a cold-blooded murderer still? I want you to get to know my brothers and I want to let them know we're seriously dating."
"So we're to go there right after I'm done here?"
"Yeah, since neither of them have seen you since that first day. I'm sorry for the bad impression Kankuro and I gave you then, you just looked so sickly I thought you were going to die from the exhaustion alone. I think Kankuro is going to be in a better mood once he sees you're doing fine now. I think even Gaara was concerned for your health in his own aloof way."
"Hmmm…" Ryo thought about his new connections and actual in-laws should he choose to propose to Temari. Since they weren't of Uchiha Clan rank, he couldn't tell them, even after their sister was married to him. Ino's parents were estranged from their daughter, Sakura's parents had been killed during the Pain attack, and Karin had no living relations as far as he knew. They would have to know of the marriage and any children she had, but all other things would still have to be under lock and key.
A kiss to his cheek had him blinking before she hugged him. "Let's get going, Ryo-kun! I want you and my brothers to be the best of friends at the end of the night!"
Halfway there, a Suna Jonin intercepted them. "Uchiha-san, a letter for you from Konohagakure no Sato."
He took it and nodded in thanks, before flipping it to see that it was from Ino and Karin, even though it was merely signed "The Uchiha household".
Temari looked over his shoulder and asked, "Do you have servants running your house?"
"Yes, they're reporting to me about the goings-on, which ought to be a rather boring letter," he lied, slipping the folded paper into his back pocket so it wouldn't get too wrinkled. "I'll read it when I have time."
"So you have somewhat of a large home?"
"Somewhat. I did inherit the entire Uchiha Compound when it became clear that I was the only Uchiha left."
"Isn't it full of bad memories?"
"Some, but I don't let them get the best of me. I want to revive my clan until it's as grand and lively as it once was."
"That'll take generations, not just by you. It would take you having multiple wives to have enough children to carry on the line."
He squeezed her hand as they entered the Kazekage tower, going to a large sitting room, where Gaara and Kankuro were waiting. The elder of the two brothers came over and greeted, "Welcome, Ryo-kun! Look at you, the picture of health!" before grabbing his hand and shaking it firmly.
"Thank you Kankuro-san, for the warm welcome."
"No 'san' here! We're going to talk like good friends, so call me Kankuro-kun!"
Gaara came over and shook hands with Ryo. "Ryo-san."
"Hey Gaara! What'd I say about—"
"Kazekage-sama," Ryo greeted back.
"You two are a couple of stiffs!" Temari protested. "Ryo-kun, this little get-together isn't going to be very fun if you call Gaara by his title! Call him 'Gaara-kun', and Gaara, call him 'Ryo-kun'."
The two looked uncomfortable, but nodded in assent.
"Now try the greeting again!"
"Ryo-kun."
"Gaara-kun."
"No one's ever called me my name with anything but 'sama' or nothing at all, so just call me Gaara if you're going to be informal. I don't like the sound of 'kun' at the end of my name."
"Okay, if that's what makes you more comfortable."
Kankuro grinned and pulled Ryo down on the couch with him and Temari had to sit on another chair because of how her older brother was sprawled. "So, what do you think of Sunagakure no Sato?"
"It's far warmer than what I'm used to in Konohagakure no Sato, and the scenery is quite different, since I haven't been to another hidden village before."
"The desert's kinda hot and bland, huh?" Kankuro laughed. "To me, Konohagakure no Sato is too green and cool!"
"The people are friendly, but are a little guarded around outsiders."
"We haven't been at peace as long as you were, so of course it's like that! Even though they're far warmer to Konoha ninjas because you guys helped us when we were in trouble!"
Gaara crossed his arms and asked, "Since you are the sole survivor of the Uchiha Clan, it has become your responsibility to continue the line. That automatically makes you the clan head. With the matriarch of the clan gone, you'll have to seek another wife so you'll be able to produce a suitable heir. Did you come out here to search for some fresh blood that your genes wouldn't be compromised by any of the other clans of Konohagakure no Sato?"
"Perhaps that was my intention at first, but mostly it was just to get away from anything that reminded me of Sakura, even if her touch is here as well. Anything that's happened since I came here has been of my own choosing, not because of some clan duty. I don't want to marry any woman here just because I need to have an heir to my clan. I want to love her as much as I loved Sakura, and that's all there is to it."
Temari smiled warmly at her boyfriend, thankful he'd brought that out.
"It seems that with your instruction, the medical ninjas of the village have improved exponentially, but it seems that you're not as much teaching as supervising now, so will you be returning to Konohagakure no Sato within the next week or two?"
The golden-haired woman's eyes widened. Ryo was going to leave soon? What would happen to their relationship if he left? Would he forget about her?
"I wasn't planning on leaving so soon, but I have been here for five months and I should let my pupils stretch their wings. If I were to stay any longer, it would be for personal reasons and not because of my mission."
Kankuro raised his eyebrows. "Personal reasons? You already said that the landscape and weather were to be desired, so what could you want here?" He then grinned deviously. "You found a girl, didn't you?"
Before Ryo could answer, a servant came in and announced, "Dinner is ready."
Gaara nodded. "Let us go to the dining room."
When they were seated and began to eat, Kankuro turned back to Ryo. "So, who's the chick?"
The Uchiha man put down his chopsticks and decided now was a good time. "For the past three months, I've been dating your sister."
Gaara didn't react at all while Kankuro almost choked. "You mean, you've been dating for that long and no one noticed?"
Temari blushed. "We didn't make a big spectacle of it, if that's what you mean, Kankuro. Unlike you, I don't party all about the village with those I date."
"I don't party all around Sunagakure no Sato with my dates!"
"Then how come everyone seems to know who your every girlfriend is before you even tell me?"
Kankuro groaned and face-palmed. "You could've at least told me you were dating Ryo-kun here, then I wouldn't have been so surprised by how long you've been seeing each other."
"People don't talk about it because they think I'm escorting him around the village, which is my mission while Ryo-kun's here."
The brown-haired man shook his head, chuckling. "Clever, Temari, clever. So, have you had sex yet?"
Ryo, who'd been swallowing at the time, gasped and started choking. Kankuro slapped him on the back until he coughed up the piece of food. Temari gave her brother a death glare.
"Kankuro! That isn't funny!"
"What? It was an honest question! You ask me that all the time when I tell you about my dates!"
"I do not! You just blab on about it! I've never asked anything of the sort!"
"Kankuro, that kind of question isn't something we talk about at the table," Gaara growled. "You're embarrassing both of them."
"If we have, I wouldn't tell you!" Temari snapped, eyes on fire. "That's something meant to be kept secret!"
"I'll bet I'll be able to drag it out of him by the time the night is over!" the shameless elder of the Suna siblings drawled, grinning.
"I swear, I'll tell the whole village about everything you did as a kid along with the photo album documenting those events!"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"I will! If you say another word about the subject!"
"All right, all right!"
Everyone else in the room relaxed.
"Then I propose a toast!"
As glasses of sake were placed in front of everyone, Temari almost freaked out. Anything but sake! Why sake?! Couldn't they just use water?!
"To Ryo-kun and Temari! May they have a happy relationship!"
Temari hit Ryo's glass so hard it was knocked out of his hand, spilling all over the table.
"Watch it, Temari! That was good sake you made Ryo spill!"
"Sorry, it was an accident!"
"Whatever, it's not like we don't have more."
Ryo lifted the refilled glass up to his lips and Temari squeezed her eyes shut before yelling, "Don't drink it, Ryo-kun!"
The dark-haired man was so startled that he lost his grip and the glass shattered against the tabletop.
"What the hell is wrong with you, woman?!" Kankuro demanded. "It's not poisoned or anything, because the rest of us are drinking from the same bottle!"
Temari gazed at Ryo with tear-filled eyes. "I discovered that you're a born alcoholic, and if you drink any, you're going to have to fight from drinking it every time if you don't know that's what you're addicted to. So please, don't even let it get close to your mouth."
Ryo got up and nodded to his girlfriend, covering his mouth and nose while the servants cleaned up the mess. When everything was clean, he gave her a grateful look. "Thank you for telling me about that, Temari. You've saved my life."
She took his hand and smiled at him. "I love you too much to lose you to such a horrible addiction."
His eyes widened. "You…love me?"
Gaara watched warily as his sister's smile softened.
"Of course I do, Ryo-kun."
The corners of Ryo's lips twitched, before a full-blown smile appeared on his face. "Thank you, Temari. I love you too."
Kankuro shook his head and muttered, "Only you would take a situation like that and turn it into a love confession."
Temari laughed at him, Ryo smiling in amusement.
"And you made him smile twice, that has to be an accomplishment for an Uchiha!"
Gaara made a small smile and commented, "Only you would be sarcastic about such a moving moment, Kankuro."
Ryo chuckled through his nose, Temari giggling at her elder brother's expense.
What did you think of that? I hope it wasn't too mushy for you all!
Please review!
"You're all against me, this just proves it."
After only a week, Ryo and Temari came to Gaara and the Uchiha man bowed to him. "Kazekage-sama, Temari and I have decided that we want to get married, but because we're from two different villages, we need your signature of approval before we get married, because I have the Hokage's already."
Gaara nodded and signed the document. "Go, get married however you want. But I want to be there when each of my nieces and nephews are born."
"All right, Gaara. After our honeymoon we'll be heading to Konohagakure no Sato, so tell Kankuro I'll see him soon enough."
"Sure, Temari."