AN: This chapter was a bitch to write. I only just finished it. Partly because there was a huge group scene, which is always a nightmare. But also when I was working on the last scene on Tuesday, I was interrupted by someone banging on our door after 10:00, which riled up our dogs, woke my daughter up, and had my husband loading his gun (Because obviously we aren't expecting visitors after 8 on a school night). After talking with several other neighbors, they confirmed someone was going around casing houses in our neighborhood and the gated neighborhood next to us to break in, and that the police had been called. The stories matched a tactic a lot of cops in the area have been warning about because of break-in robberies, but more specifically there's a believed link to people using this tactic for kidnapping for human trafficking. Also, unrelated, earlier that day, there had been a man hunt with helicopters and everything less than a mile from my house and even closer to my daughter's school, looking for a guy who'd been seen outside a Pre-K with a gun. (Guy was caught, as the construction workers next door to the pre-k saw him and called the cops before he could do anything, causing him to run. Hence, the manhunt. So, that news likely won't go anywhere past local news). In short, this week has been shit, and I haven't been able to focus without my anxiety taking over, because I suddenly don't feel safe in my own goddamned house. Nor have I been able to sleep.

And I have also caught up with myself. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out in two weeks. But there is a possibility I can't, as I have one more big group meeting scenes, which are always difficult for me. It's the last one of the book, but it's in the next chapter. If I can't finish it in two weeks, I will post when to expect the chapter and work the schedule from there.

Ya'll stay safe out there. We aren't even a block away from the town's police department and fire department, and 3 churches within walking distance, and in one of the best school districts in the state, yet this stuff still happens even here.

Chapter 21

"Gaara!?" Emika gasped, snapping upright and jostling him awake in the early morning hours. The moon had set, but the sun was far from rising given the darkness of the night sky. "Gaara!"

"What?" he grumbled sleepily, barely awake. He could hear Emika's breathing was rapid, and she sniffled as she tried to calm herself. Hearing was all he could do. His eyes refused to open in their sleepy stupor. He finally asked, "Emika?"

She took a shuddering breath as she slunk back down in the bed and whispered, "Nothing. Go back to sleep."

He let out a small sigh, and reached towards her, which she flinched from. His brow furrowed as his eyes finally opened, and he saw her staring at the ceiling, her eyes shining. "Hey," he breathed, letting his knuckles brush against her shoulder, and using his chakra to connect to hers. It wasn't something he did often, since a part of him knew it was an invasion of privacy. Naruto had shown him how to do it a while ago, as it was a talent that came naturally to him, thanks to Kurama. It was how he'd been able to turn Gaara back to the light when nothing else had. Doing this allowed Gaara to feel what she felt in that moment, and get a portion of her thoughts and memories. But it also let him pass on some of his own feelings.

He tried to pass onto her soothing concern while he was swept with her feelings of terror and abandonment. Images of her running through Futen Palace, calling out for Gaara as she tried to barricade herself behind doors, crying that he'd promised to protect her, protect them. Then the locked doors would open to an apologetic maid and Touma with a sinister grin. It was just a dream. He pulled his hand away, as he felt tears forming in his eyes and a lump in his throat. It was one thing to know it happened. It was another to see and feel it.

He closed his eyes, willing his tears back as he asked, "Do you want me to –"

"It was just a dream," she repeated in the same tone she'd thought it earlier.

"Yes, but I can make sure it doesn't come back," he offered. She took in a shaky breath, as if not sure to believe him, but also willing to let him help. He scooted towards her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him, their bodies aligning all the way up, and his hand running through her hair as he let his chakra permeate into her with soothing energy. She began to calm until she was snoring softly again, an for a while after that, he made sure to keep the soothing chakra flowing into her, taking in the thoughts and feelings she'd had further down. The constant, exhausting fear she had to keep Hira perfectly safe, and that meant Ginmaru would have to die if he didn't accept their bid, which she didn't want, because at one point, he'd been a good uncle. The war she had with herself knowing she'd used Gaara's feelings to start this, but also knowing that she had no choice in the matter.

It became clearer to him that she hadn't hid Hira from him out of malice, but out of sincere wish to save him from further heartbreak. That she'd thought about it a thousand different ways, but didn't see a possibility of them being together once everything was over. That she'd entered this planning to be cold, shrewd and detached, so to not give Gaara hope in a situation that would not end happily. It had been a reality she'd painfully come to terms with, and had hoped to save Gaara from the unnecessary pain of thinking he could change it.

And oddly enough, the most prominent feeling was how deeply she loved Gaara. That even after everything that had happened all those years ago, she'd did her best to support him even from the shadows, in arenas he hadn't even known there was a fight for. From expediting the process of building the bunkers with her brick company, to even insisting all her companies used Suna ninja to buoy Suna's economy, as Ginmaru had been talking about bankrupting Suna for two years now, and had completely cut them off, because the mafia of Tsumi Shi wanted someone else as Kazekage. That Ginmaru had funded a few attempts to over throw him, including the last one during the marriage meeting, and that Emika was the one who orchestrated the tip off Gaara had received weeks before the marriage meeting happened, which is why he had Kankuro infiltrating Councilman Tojuro's circle.

With this new information, Gaara found himself hugging Emika tighter to his chest, and falling asleep with her in his arms. When they woke in the morning to his alarm clock, there was no acknowledgement of their positions or her dreams other than a curt nod and, "Thank you," before she stepped into the shower. Gaara leaned on his arm as he watched her close the bathroom door, scratching his head as he thought. He wasn't as angry with Emika anymore, even though he still didn't agree that he should let his own son grow up without knowing him. Another part of him still wasn't sure Hira was his, and that part of him told him for Hira's safety, if Gaara wasn't his father, it made sense to let Emika go, despite their deep feelings for each other. But he couldn't give up just yet. The thought made his heart hurt too much. So, he still needed to know if Hira was his son or not.

If Hira wasn't his son, him and Emika staying married wasn't logical. Not because his love for Emika had irreparably changed. Surprisingly, they hadn't at all once he'd felt things through from her perspective. Nor was it because if Hira was another man's son, he couldn't accept him. Gaara was fully willing to be the father Hira never had, regardless of birth. He'd been willing to do that when he originally thought her son was Touma's, a child of rape.

No. It was because if Hira wasn't his son, Gaara's presence would put Hira in jeopardy, especially as a step-father. At that point, to keep Hira safe and considered legitimate, he and Emika couldn't have kids, meaning the Council would pull some scheme in regards to his siblings. He also wasn't sure if he could guarantee he and Emika wouldn't accidentally have a child in the long run, either.

But if Hira was his son, he couldn't just stand aside and let Emika raise him alone. Especially not when a peaceful life with Emika and their children was literally what he dreamt about beyond his duty.

Friday was busy greeting the other Kages and their teams to the village, and by the time one in the afternoon rolled around, Kankuro was beat. He had a three-hour breather before he had to pick up his clothes from the cleaners. So, he made his way back to the penthouse, knowing he'd have time to hang out with his sister, which he was looking forward to all day. Gaara would be out shopping with Emika until dinner. Emika had been very clear at breakfast that they had to match on some level, because the House was casting their votes today via phone in, and the votes would be tallied tomorrow. Meaning there was a good possibility they'd have to address the nation during the reception the next day. So, she had already called the store with the best cocktail dresses and suits in Suna to book some private time in their store.

As he entered the penthouse, he called out, "Hey! You decent?" He long knew walking in on a married couple always demanded an announcement of some kind.

"Sh!" Temari hissed from her reclined position on the couch. "Shikamaru's asleep."

Kankuro mouthed a small, "Oh," then sat in one of the other chairs, tapping her foot, seeing she had a book open on her chest. "What'cha reading?" he asked in a quiet voice. As he read the title, he laughed, "Ichi Ichi Paradise?"

She blushed looking down, casting the book aside. "Gaara used them for a coded email, and some of the quotes got me curious about the context."

Kankuro's eyebrows shot up high. "Gaara used that book for a code?" he asked, pointing at it.

She blushed harder, grumbling, "No. He used the second book. But to understand the context, I had to read the first book first." Kankuro chuckled. "Did you know he read them?"

Kankuro licked his lips, then muttered, "Yeah. Last year. He doesn't know I know, but I caught him a few times in his office flustered when I interrupted him. It was shortly after you and Shikamaru decided to become official." He chuckled as he added, "I think he was surprised by the news, because he asked if I'd picked up on you two, which of course I did. I think it spooked him, so he decided to read a romance novel to pick up on tricks."

Temari chuckled, "God, he's hopeless." She held up the book, and asked, "He knows these are fiction, right? Soap Opera drivel written by a perpetually single pervert."

Kankuro straightened a little as if he took offense to that, saying, "Well, you're reading them."

"I didn't say they weren't entertaining," she scoffed. "Just no one falls in love like that. It's like expecting sex to be like porn."

Kankuro's eyes flew wide as he tried to hold back a smile. While most people would be surprised to hear Temari talk so bluntly, they were so close in age, they were practically twins. "You've watched porn?" he asked with a chuckle.

She smiled coyly. "That's none of your business."

Kankuro scoffed, knowing that meant she had.

She laughed with him, adding, "Kakashi saw me reading it during our journey, and has already requested I discuss it with him when I finish. Apparently, they are his favorite books."

"Kakashi?" Kankuro chortled. "Why does that sound so ludicrous, I believe it?" The siblings shared a laugh. "So, are you going to discuss it with him?"

Temari shrugged. "If I can negotiate that it gives Shikamaru extra time off when the baby comes, absolutely." Kankuro smiled, comforted by how living in Konoha hadn't softened her strategic mind or her drive to negotiate things to benefit herself. She straightened, sitting up to face her brother, then said, "Actually, I have to ask you something."

Surprised by her more serious tone, Kankuro shrugged. "What?"

She rubbed her forefinger along her lips, then said, "How much happened between Gaara and Emika? Six years ago, I mean."

Kankuro pursed his lips, inhaling deeply, then saying, "I told you he fell in love with her."

"I know that," she said. She exhaled, then said, "But surely, he's opened up to you about it a little. It's been six years."

"Like what, exactly?" Kankuro scoffed.

"Well, did anything physical happen between them? How in love was he?" she asked exasperatedly. "I remember him moping for four months about it until the Akatsuki killed him. But it's been six years. Why would he marry her out of the blue rather than just help her marry someone else?" She licked her lips, then said, "After six years, wouldn't his feelings for her have changed."

Kankuro's expression softened. "Come on, Temari. You really think his feelings for her ever stopped?" he asked disappointedly. She frowned at him curiously as he stood, and waved at her to follow him as he grumbled, "Come here."

She got up and followed him down the hallway behind the bookcases to the back to Gaara's study. He led her in, and knelt in front of a bookcase filled with legal tomes and scrolls, kneeling in front of it to open the cupboard on the bottom, revealing several large stacks of magazines and tabloids, each with Emika on the cover. Kankuro stood, gesturing for her to get a closer look. She knelt down, and pushed the top publications aside only to find more underneath it, identical to the ones on top.

Kankuro licked his lips, then said, "Gaara has been keeping tabs on her for years." He sucked on his teeth, then added, "He doesn't know I know he still has this, but remember that package waiting for Gaara when we got back from the trial?"

Temari frowned. "Vaguely," she grumbled as she stood, closing the cupboard doors.

Kankuro took a bracing breath, then said, "I got one of the photos of Emika and Gaara at the Oasis Springs printed, as a joke, so we could laugh at how silly his face was. He asked to have the photo when I realized it was probably in poor taste. He still has that photo."

Temari looked even more perplexed as she huffed, "How did you get one of those photos printed? Chie and Rinri took all the cameras."

"There was one they couldn't fit in their pockets, remember?" he said. "You put that one in your ninja pouch, and I snuck into your room that night and took it. Kura's brother has a dark room."

Temari rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" she grumbled. She shook her head, throwing away her concern and annoyance at her brother raiding her room while she slept, and asked, "How do you know he still has that photo."

"I saw it in his nightstand a few months ago. Now in a laminate case, which I did not give him," Kankuro said with a wince. His sister understood the insinuation from that. It wasn't just a photo he discarded in his nightstand never to look at again. He'd framed it. Meaning he cared enough about the photo to keep it preserved. Kankuro scratched his head where his scalp met his neck, and added, "Gaara never stopped loving her. Never fell in love with anybody else either. He just got better at hiding it."

She crossed her arms, and let out a sharp exhale. That was exactly what she was worried about. Her youngest brother wasn't thinking clearly, and was about to blindly lead their country into war.

There was another thing that was puzzling Temari now. The conversation between her and Emika yesterday. She couldn't help but hear the experience in Emika's tone as they discussed pregnancy tips. Temari was almost certain Emika had been pregnant before, however she had no idea when that would have happened, and if Gaara even knew.

Temari tongued her cheek, then asked, "So, did anything happen between them? Did he say anything?"

Kankuro smirked. "You mean has he ever clarified whatever 'Remember the glen' meant?"

She only gave a nervous, fluttering blink before nodding.

"No," Kankuro answered. "But I have my suspicions, and given what's been said between them this time around, I'm fairly confident in them."

"Like what?" she pressed.

"It's crass," he warned with a chuckle.

"I'm hardly naïve. Just tell me," she grumbled.

He licked his lips, shooting her a pursed smile, then he answered, "Pretty certain she gave him a blow job."

Temari pouted, nonplussed by the answer. "A blow job?" she asked, sounding a little skeptical.

Kankuro nodded knowingly. "Yeah. Hand jobs are a dime a dozen, and he'd have just told her to stop. Think about it. No lotion or lube, so it wouldn't feel great, and it also went against his mission."

"You don't think they had sex?" she asked.

"Noooo," Kankuro whistled. "For Gaara at that age? He was fifteen, and never had date before that mission. Sex was waaaay too far to be within the realms of logic." Temari looked unsure until he held up a finger and added, "Plus what he said after the consummation ceremony, that having sex felt weird. Only a virgin would say that." He sneered a little as he added, "Clearly he's gotten used to it, because they fuck fairly frequently now."

Temari held up a halting hand with a grimace, "I didn't need to hear that."

"I wish I didn't know," Kankuro grumbled. He rolled his eyes, then said with finality, "The only logical thing that could have happened in the glen was that Emika gave him a blow job. A good blow job can stop a man in his tracks, and definitely make any man second guess himself. And if the mouth is good enough, make him think he's desperately in love."

Temari rolled her eyes, muttering, "That's crass."

"You asked," Kankuro rebuked.

She let out an annoyed huff, then asked, "But that's as far as it went?"

Kankuro shrugged frustratedly. "Again, I don't have concrete proof, and Gaara never said anything. So, it's just a theory." Temari frowned, as if still puzzling over things. Kankuro pouted pensively, then added, "Although, something was said on the honeymoon in regards to Emika giving blow jobs." Temari turned to him wide eyed, seeing him smirking. "Truth or Dare, she revealed she only gave one man a blow job. Gaara went bright red at the admission, and when someone asked if it was him, she said it wasn't him rather quickly. In a way that said it most definitely was Gaara." Kankuro smiled cheekily as he finished.

Temari looked at him wide-eyed, then blinked as she turned away. "Well, that is something more concrete."

Kankuro furrowed his brows and asked, "Why are you wondering if something physical happened?"

Temari briefly debated with herself to reveal the conversation she and Emika had had, but decided against it. If Emika had been pregnant at some point, but hadn't told either Gaara or Kankuro, then it was likely not Gaara's, and therefore not their business really. Maybe Gaara's, being her husband. But it wasn't for Temari to blab. "Emika just said something odd to me yesterday, and I was curious."

"Like what?"

"It's nothing," she answered. She took a bracing breath, then said, "Thanks for telling me. I'm still trying to fit all this together logically, especially since I was out of the loop."

Kankuro pouted. "Not because we meant to. She literally gave Gaara a day to decide, and married him shortly after signing the prenup. There was no time to tell you, and wait for you to come."

"I know," Temari sighed. "Gaara said as much in his coded message. Still, I'm trying to figure it all out."

Kankuro shook his head, "You and me both. However, I can tell you Emika came to him with a ridiculous offer our father could only dream about."

She quirked her head. She had no idea what Emika offered, other than the crown. "Like what?"

"A ten-year contract that gives Suna a monopoly on all mission work from the crown," he stated. Temari's eyes went wide for many reasons. No ninja village had a monopoly on their daimyo's works. Kankuro smirked. "That's just part of it. Honestly, Gaara does this, and Suna is set financially. Privately, she's apparently one of the wealthiest people in the world. And that's without her inheritance." He pressed his lips into a pursed smile again, and grumbled, "That is, if he can keep himself from getting her pregnant, which he seems less and less willing to do."

"Wait, he wants kids?" Temari clarified, sounding confused.

"Apparently."

Her brows furrowed. "Why?" she asked. She didn't like the sarcastic tone in her voice, but it couldn't be helped.

Kankuro shrugged. "If she gets pregnant, they can't annul the marriage, which was her original plan. So they would have to stay together. And he's gotten what seems like an OK from the Council, as long as they keep having children until they have three sons. Even if he didn't have to quit being Kazekage, which he most likely would have to do, The Council has stipulated they still want me married, because a guarantee on three sons is a hard ask. Or, they would demand Konoha transfer you back to Suna."

"That won't go over well," Temari grumbled.

Kankuro just gave her a sardonic wide-eyed look, and huffed, "You're telling me." Then he sighed, and asked, "Are you hungry? I need lunch."

"I could eat," she answered.

He nodded, and led her back to the kitchen, and began to make them some tacos. Shikamaru joined them shortly after, scratching his head and yawning. They ate their lunch in familial comfort, catching up on things other than Gaara's wedding.

"Please welcome our honored guests, the Fifth Kazekage, Lord Gaara, and his wife, her highness Princess Emika, the heir of the Land of Wind!" someone announced from within the hall. They made their entrance to the hall, hand in hand, and smiling and waving to familiar faces.

The ballroom of the Suna Premier Hotel was fully decked out for a wedding reception with a full bar and buffet with a meat carving station cutting wagyu steak and duck. The tables were adorned with bouquets of calla lilies, roses, and orchids, and bowls of water with floating candles. The chandeliers sparkled from the up-lighting, and the chairs and tables were gilded with gold and white. Waiters walked around, offering free glasses of champagne to the guests already arrived.

"There is no way the Council paid for all of this," Gaara breathed as he took in the general splendor. There was even a band with strings, a classical guitarist, and a trumpet player playing music for the crowd. It reminded him very much of the ball he'd first seen Emika at, in fact it was the same room, but everyone was in cocktail attire rather than evening gowns. After his extensive time at the store with Emika and Akira yesterday, he now knew the difference.

"Of course not," Emika whispered to him. "I helped pay for some when the Council suggested they do things in their Council room. Hard pass. I figured people were coming to celebrate us, we should treat them."

Gaara blinked, thinking how she'd been almost single-handedly keeping Suna afloat with money, since Ginmaru had wanted him dead long before he married the princess. "You didn't have to do that."

"Of course I did," she stated. "The vote gets counted today. Akira is waiting for the signal to set up our acceptance speech if it is required, and Lord Kyuurou is keeping an eye on the votes. So, if our reception might be seen by the public, should it not look like a royal gathering?"

He stiffened, understanding the logic, but also feeling rather unsettled by it. There was a small dancefloor set out that he was directed to lead Emika to. While he thought they'd be able to skip the tradition of the first dance, Emika informed him it had been requested by several council members. In that regard, he wished Suna was like Konoha. No dancing at the reception, just a meal, greetings, and toasts. And of course cutting the cake, but that was universal.

No, in Suna, it was traditional to have quite a bit of dancing, especially the hand-in-hand Conga, which was to be led by the parents of the new couple. But since only her mother was alive, and had somehow made it to Suna with her family from Sunafuki, the leaders of that dance had been designated as Lord Soseki, Queen Ichika, and Kankuro. The Conga was usually towards the end of the reception, after meals and cake, usually reserved as the last song of the evening, winding through the party, picking up all the remaining guests before taking the couple out onto the street, where the couple would be showered with marigolds as they left the party. However, the reception always opened with the couple's first dance.

Emika had apologized yesterday the Council only gave her a list of 4 songs to choose from for this dance. None of them would be a tango, like he learned on the cruise, but suggested they could just do a simple sway, and throw in a few simple spins. She showed him how to hold her for such a simple dance, close so their small movements would be mistaken for intimacy rather than a cover-up. Again, she told him that if he stayed to the simple sway, she'd make him look good on the dancefloor. He agreed.

Her skirt fluttered as she spun gracefully into position against him. She wore a classic white silk flowing hi-low dress, with navy lace accenting the bodice and giving her long sleeves. Her oasis hair cascaded in ringlet waterfalls around her face, only partially pulled back to hold her sparkling tiara in place. Gaara was wearing a matching navy suit, except his jacket had silvery white brocade in the fabric. Her navy blue heels made them almost match in height, and they clacked against the dancefloor.

Nervously, he pulled her close as they heard the MC announce their first dance, and the first notes of the song began to play. He could feel all the eyes of everyone he knew and more on him as she began to pull him into the simple sway. His heart thudded in his chest and into his throat as she pressed herself against him, and subconsciously his grip tightened at her waist. They spun together so slowly, and silently. She bowed her head to his shoulder, tilting her head to his as she whispered, "I always loved this song."

"I've never heard it before," he lied evenly. It was one of the most well-known romance songs in the world. The way she jerked her head back to look at him told him she'd bought his lie for a second, and he smiled.

"Jerk," she huffed, smiling back at him. He had difficulty telling if it was sincere or not. "I'm still mad at you," she said.

He directed her into a spin, then as she fell back against him, he said, "As long as they don't know that, right?" He was able to keep his smile even, but his tone was a little bitter. He looked at her studiously, although the crowd would take it as tenderly and loving. "United front."

She bowed her head again, then said, "If you knew the sacrifices I've made…"

"I do, though," Gaara stated. She looked up at him skeptically, and he sighed, "Our fight the other night, the more I've thought about it, especially after the nightmare the other night, I think I finally understand what you've struggled with." His grip tightened on her hand, curling it towards her face to rub his knuckles against her cheek, as he added, "This right here, lets me feel the pain you've felt. How you've tortured yourself over it." Again his grip tightened, as he said, "I don't want you to do that anymore. I want you to be happy. And I want your son to be safe."

"You still don't think he's your son?" she asked.

"I'd rather be certain, than going down that rabbit hole just yet."

She looked down, clearly still disappointed with that answer.

"If he is, I'm not sure I can accept him never knowing about me, or growing up a stranger to me," he stated. "I won't be able to just leave him."

"I know," she said. "If you didn't care, it wouldn't be this difficult."

He took a bracing breath, then said, "We could just stay married in that case."

She shook her head. "Suna still needs you."

His lips parted a little bit, but was unable to think of a proper counter. Everything still felt up in the air. "If he's not my son, I can rest easy with the annulment, knowing it's to protect him," Gaara finally stated. "But if he is …" he trailed off, just shaking his head.

The sound of tinkling glass filled the room as the music grew soft. The urging chimes of forks against champagne glasses. Emika smiled bitterly amused, remarking, "They're clinking."

"Yes, they are."

She looked up at him, their gazes finally catching each other longer than a few breaths. She smiled, then said, "Well, I doubt the meaning's changed since our first wedding night."

He smirked a little, then pressed his lips against hers. Just like their first wedding night, their kiss was electric, and he felt the moment literally steal his breath as he pressed his tongue against hers, his hand dropping hers in favor to hold her head at the perfect angle. The kiss only lasted a moment, but the moment seemed to stop time. Then they separated, and Gaara's hand found hers again, and led her into another spin before pulling her tightly against him.

The dance ended, opening up the dancefloor to any other willing dancers, of which there were a good many. Gaara happily retreated to their table, where they were greeted by guests, mostly Council members starting out. Then Lord Soseki came by with Emika's mother, talking congenially. Then after Lord Soseki left to catch up with Lord Kyuurou, again, Queen Ichika asked Gaara, "You didn't answer last time, and given you and Emika are now married, I must demand a proper answer." Gaara was a little nervous until she said, "Are you a family man?"

"Mother," Emika hissed.

But Gaara gave another pursed smile. "Yes, I believe I am. And I do like children, ma'am."

"Straight-forward this time," Ichika chuckled, sounding a little surprised.

"Mother, he knows," Emika whispered.

Ichika nodded, knowingly, "That is good." She sucked her teeth, then said, "I wish we could talk more, but this is a private matter, and it can wait until all this unpleasantness is over." She kissed her daughter's forehead, then held both of their hands. "I pray for you both to have the strength to weather this storm." Gaara was surprised how soft her grasp was. How tender. She may be a queen, but she wasn't a compassionless mother.

"Thanks, Mom," Emika sighed.

Then was time for dinner. They ate in comfortable silence, kissing whenever people chimed their glasses, usually for a toast. The first toast was by Tenshimi as Emika's best friend, which was overtaken by her father Lord Kyuurou, who bragged about hosting their wedding, because Emika was always like a second daughter to him given how close Tenshimi was. Then Baki, speaking as Gaara's old mentor, which spawned a sort of pissing contest of toasts among the Council members, each boasting their constant steadfast support of Gaara. Half of which Gaara knew were bullshit. Gaara couldn't help but note this reception called for a lot more kissing than the last one.

After the thirteenth one, Emika muttered, "I swear, they do that one more time, I'll give them a show," before giving Gaara another kiss.

Gaara blushed. "How about we don't."

Luckily enough, the dancing started again, and Gaara and Emika were fielding off more greetings. This time from the international guests, starting with A and Bee. "Congratulations, Lord Gaara. It's good to see you settling down," A started, which was quickly followed by Bee's lyricality, "Yeah! It bites! We did not receive an invite. But no matter the situation, we'd like to show our appreciation! With pillows, his and hers! For nights of rapture whenever you prefers! Yeah!" Emika frowned, unsure what exactly he was saying while Gaara blushed, and A promptly slammed his fist on his head. Emika squeaked her surprise at the action, as A forced a smile, and said, "Please excuse my brother's lack of propriety. He doesn't interact much with Daimyos."

"I-is he alright?" Emika asked as Bee grumbled on the floor.

"He'll be fine, your highness," A replied, with a small bow. Then he turned to Gaara, and said, "I hope we'll be able to talk more after the reception."

Gaara gave him a pursed smile, and said, "I'm sure most of the Kage will want to discuss things on some level. I'll be sure to set aside a time tomorrow before everyone leaves." A nodded as if that were acceptable, and dragged his brother away.

The silence hung between them for a minute before Emika asked, "Why was that guy talking like that? Is he stroke victim or something? And what did he say?"

Gaara shook his head affably, "I don't know. He just raps everything, so I've stopped questioning it."

Emika blinked, looking off towards the Raikage as he scolded his brother for his behavior in front of a princess. "But what did he say?" she asked.

Gaara blushed. "Apparently he got us his and her consent pillows," he answered in a low voice. He grimaced as his blush reddened. "He got them for Naruto's wedding, too, and it was a bad idea then."

She blinked at him stupefied. "C-consent pillows?" she asked, clearly confused. He only gave a small nod. She blinked again, still unclear on what he meant.

Suddenly he looked up over her shoulder, and his face fell a little to a slightly nervous smile. "Lady Mei," he greeted. "It's good that you could make it."

The thirty-five year old Mizukage smile was forced. "I was sad to have missed the main event, but …"

"Oh, that was because we wanted to keep the ceremony secret and intimate due to the political reception," Emika stated quickly. Gaara's heart skipped a beat, knowing the Mizukage's proclivity to changing even the minutest comment into something she takes offense to. He'd meant to warn her not to say anything. Miraculously over the years, he hadn't been a target of her unwarranted wrath, but it was likely because he didn't talk much, except for whatever they were working on. However he had seen her seconds in command and Bee especially incur her wrath before, and it wasn't something he'd wish on anyone.

What came out of the Mizukage's mouth was oddly, though, a contented sigh. "An intimate ceremony," she purred. "That's romantic. Weddings are so marvelous. Congratulations to you both." She sighed again dreamily as she walked away, and Gaara let out a sigh.

Emika eyed him oddly, and asked, "What was that for."

"Nothing," Gaara answered.

As the Mizukage got back to her table, she immediately began clinking her glass again, looking at Gaara and Emika expectantly. Emika pursed her lips as she held back an amused chuckle. "Emika," Gaara breathed in warning as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders before planting a searing kiss on his lips. This wasn't a short, soft, tender kiss like the kisses before. This was a hungry kiss. He tried to pull back to not fall under her spell, but she held him fast, and powerless to her whims, he kissed her back with equal fervor. The kiss was so sexually charged, for a moment, he forgot where they were, until she pulled away, fixing her smudged lipliner with her thumb. Gaara blushed hard as he saw the surprised faces of the reception hall looking at them.

She smiled a little at him, pointing to her lip, saying, "You have a little something right there."

He blanched, rubbing at his lips, and seeing the pale red smudge of her lipstick on his fingers. He grabbed his glass of water, and sipped it before wiping his mouth with his napkin. "Are you satisfied now?" he asked as she chuckled next to him.

"Very," she answered. "The real question is 'Are they?'"

A small nervous chuckle escaped his lips just as Naruto and Lee walked over. "Well, I heard you were pretty, but Gaara you outdid yourself," Naruto chuckled with a grin. Gaara could see by the slight red in his cheeks, he'd been in the champagne a bit. Lee however looked completely sober, but still smiling just as brightly as Naruto. They both gave a bow, and Gaara introduced them to Emika.

"Lee, as in the student you mentioned," Emika asked Gaara.

He nodded, clarifying to Lee who looked confused, "Apparently, your sensei, Gai, had an impressionable run in with Emika's most loyal bodyguard and head of security, Chie."

Lee looked at her surprised. "When? Was it a mission my team was on?"

"Oh, it would have been well before you became a ninja. Chie became bodyguard when I was about seven," Emika clarified. She pointed over towards the bar, where Chie was talking with Gai and Kakashi. "But the mission left a lasting impression."

Gaara smiled knowingly, but not offering the embarrassing tidbit that Emika had quoted Gai to him. Emika smiled congenially, turning to Naruto, and asking, "Naruto, Gaara mentioned you'd married last year. Could your wife not make it?"

"Well, she's seven, no eight months pregnant today," Naruto explained, scratching his head. "So, she couldn't come for health reasons."

Gaara's brow shot up, not aware of that news. He'd been there in September for Temari's wedding. "Hinata is pregnant?" he asked. "I had no idea."

"Well, Hinata didn't want to say anything until we were passed the twelve-week mark. And she didn't want to steal Temari and Shikamaru's thunder from their wedding," Naruto explained. "So, we didn't announce anything until the middle of September."

"Well, congratulations," Emika spoke up. "Do you know what she's having?"

"A boy," he answered, scratching his cheek bashfully as he added, "Although, we're still picking out names."

Gaara couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy in his heart, seeing how his friend glowed talking about the exciting prospect of fatherhood. Not just Naruto, but Shikamaru had talked about it as well. He'd also talked to Naruto at his wedding with Hinata that he was just excited to finally have a family, which Gaara understood. While Gaara's father hadn't been amazing, he'd grown up isolated from his siblings, raised as an orphan essentially, minus the lessons from his father. And as someone who had achieved everything, a family of his own was something he still wanted.

Naruto laughed, at Gaara's expression, adding, "You know, Hinata's pregnancy isn't even the surprising one. Chouji and Karui announced they were pregnant around the same time. They announced earlier in their pregnancy than we did, just because they hadn't gotten married, but are now. It looks like most of our class has gotten married and started with kids in the same year."

The comment earned a pout from Lee, who added, "Well not all of us."

Naruto rolled his eyes, ignoring Lee. He leaned over to Gaara, elbowing him conspiratorially as he laughed, "You just barely made the boat. You've got two or three months to finish catching up. That is if children are in the cards."

Gaara cleared his throat awkwardly, a small blush on his cheeks. "Uhm, well," he started, but was thankfully interrupted by Lord Kyuurou being handed a mic as he held up a paper and said, "I have the count for the House Votes." The hall went so silent, a pin dropping could be heard. Gaara felt Emika grab his hand, and he could feel her nerves in just that grasp. "150, or 25% have voted Ginmaru retain power." Emika squeezed Gaara's hand tightly. "201, or 34.5% have voted to delay pending the investigation. Leaving 239, or 40.5% have voted Gaara is the Daimyo of the Wind."

"Dammit," Emika cursed, pressing her lips tightly to hide her quivering lip.

"That's good though, right?" Naruto asked. "It means you won." Gaara had the same thought. They had the highest vote.

"Sadly, this means our work is not done," Kyuurou added rolling up the paper. "As this is considered a stalemate, and meaning that a revote will be cast in a month. But it is a good start."

"But you had the most votes," Naruto blurted again.

"We needed 55% of the votes to be considered a win," Emika explained. "We're a hundred votes short." She took a stabilizing breath, then said, "It's a good start. But I'm worried it's going to make Ginmaru more aggressive."

Gaara felt a pit of nerves building in his stomach. Now knowing Ginmaru had been after him for years by pitting his own ninja against him, not to mention bombing the House of Lords, or outright sending assassins, Ginmaru becoming more aggressive was cause for concern. But they were getting support.

Towards the end of the reception, both Kakashi and Ohnoki greeted the couple, congratulating them, as well as recommending a meeting with Gaara on where the 5 Nation Alliance stood in regards to things. If the Wind would have to back out. Kakashi had pressed that they needed to find a solution around that, and Gaara agreed. He decided the best place was here at the Premier Hotel, and left momentarily to make the arrangements with the front desk before his return. He had enough time to inform each of the Kage and their seconds, including Kankuro, that a meeting would be held at Conference room D, which was a smaller meeting room, usually reserved for the Daimyos.

Then Emika came to get him for the Conga, which the band was starting to play. Lord Soseki had grasped his daughter, Ichika's hand, who then grabbed Kankuro's as they started the dance before weaving towards Emika and Gaara, who joined. Then Temari and Shikamaru were brought in, with Temari saying to her husband, "Follow along." Then Tenshimi, Chie and Rinri joined as the line began to weave around the room, starting to grab any and all the guests before leading them out to the street, where Akira and hotel staff handed out yellow gold flower petals that the party showered them in as the conga line danced around them before creating an opening for Gaara and Emika to leave. She linked her arm with his as band led the final march through town. Gaara was surprised to find every street in Suna was filled with people throwing petals and joining the dancing march all the way to Suna's main square, when Gaara and Emika made their escape into the Kazekage tower, and up to the penthouse.

The silence of the penthouse was a stark difference to the party they could still hear going outside. Gaara turned to Emika and asked, "What do you want to do now?"

She dropped her shoulders and sighed tiredly. "I want to not think about anything. I want to relax in the knowledge that we don't have anymore wedding receptions to deal with. And I want to think about the vote tomorrow."

Gaara had to agree.

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