What Hinata was expecting even less than Gaara's panic attack was his attack on her afterward. She wasn't sure what compelled him to be so affectionate after his near breakdown, but she was starting to worry her. He was fighting himself.

Not Shukaku, himself.

Her back jammed up against the wall in the gentlest way he could manage, suspended by his strength alone. All the sand in the room retreated, as it usually did when they were intimate.

Gaara's fingers twitched at their place on her thighs, simultaneously trying to be gentle and tense. He was trying to imitate their short-lived wedding night with the placement on the wall, but she was far too distracted by his shaking to be quite as turned on as she was that night.

Gaara explored her lips, not like he usually did, so curious about feeling her and how she reacted, invested in his thoughts, his hand roaming out of sheer interest and instinct. Right now, he was desperate. Not desperate to have her, but desperate to please her. Hinata couldn't keep up with him. All attempts to slow him were met with more fidgeting and a clear misunderstanding of what she was trying to do.

Her worry won. Hinata pushed him back just enough to gasp. "Gaara, I think you should calm down first. You're going to hurt yourself."

Gaara's hands twitched as he continued to shiver. The fears still emanated in his eyes. "I thought this was something you wanted."

"Not because you feel you need to," Hinata gently ran her finger back on his hair around his ears to calm him. "You're shaking, and you're still coming down. I think we should just settle down with some tea."

Gaara's confusion set into his eyes, and she felt horrible. He was trying to please her, and her refusal scared him further.

"I'm only worried about you," Hinata gave him a less heated kiss.

Gaara slowly removed himself, letting her down, but she stopped him from fleeing, snuggling into his chest. "I am doing this wrong again." He voiced.

Hinata mumbled into his shirt. "It's okay."

Gaara held tightly to his wife in her sleep. Hinata snuggled up to him and changed the topic to mindless things until he calmed down naturally. She then fell asleep, wrapped up in him. They usually slept close, or he would find himself clung to her, but never the reverse, but she latched to him tonight.

Was intentional to show him that she was going nowhere, or was it her nature since he had such a violent episode? He buried himself further into her as he tried to will away the thoughts of his failures. He couldn't even give her the affection she wanted on their wedding night when he tried.

Hinata assured him that she was only worried, but he was sure this was, in most ways, his fault. His possessiveness would drive her away. It was only getting worse with time, and despite that, he had no intentions of distancing himself. Shukaku growled violently at the idea.

Shukaku was silent during the attack but now was berating him for scaring her.

Gaara didn't mean to snap. He wasn't angry with her. He was angry with Shukaku's constant points on whose side she would take on whatever they were arguing about. Hinata didn't need to be the mediator for every argument. It wasn't her job to make peace with his demon. She did it because she cared, and Shukaku wanted to exploit that.

"Gaara?" Hinata hummed, rubbing her eyes. "Are you still awake?"

Gaara wouldn't lie. He dug his nose into her neck to hide his face.

Hinata yawned audibly and shifted, guiding him to lay over her flat with his head on her collarbone. She laid her fingers through his hair like she did to put him to sleep. She had done it so rarely anymore since their wedding night. Her calm, unfrightened, trusting presence and Shukaku's unwillingness to wake her left him to sleep on his own since she moved into his room.

The tingling sensation of the chakra over his scalp was calming and comfortable. Gaara knew that before long, he would wake up with no recollection of how long she did the motions before he gave in.

It was odd for knocking not to wake a ninja, even odder for Gaara not to be stirred. Naruto knew they were in there. Their guard told him they had been yelling the night before, but it calmed, and they hadn't come out since. They didn't want to risk that the one-tailed beast holder wouldn't kill them for intruding after not answering their calls. Naruto tried the door before finding the owner of the building to open the door.

Naruto peeked in with another call to them, and only then did someone inside react. A massive ball of sand was hurled at him, stopping at the door to form a rabid-looking tanuki. Gaara's eyes flew open as he jerked upward, making a bridge over what he was laying on, which Naruto could now see was Hinata in only a loose chest binding. "Sorry!" Naruto yelped, covering his eyes with one hand.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata sat up.

"Get out," Gaara growled. The door slammed, knocking him back.

Rustling could be heard from the other side of the door. Hinata squeaked as she realized she wasn't covered.

"We slept in," Gaara groaned.

"It was rather late when I treated you. I'm sorry, I was just hoping you could sleep." Hinata's voice was muffled through the fabric.

"What are we supposed to do today?" Gaara mumbled weakly as the bed creaked under his weight.

Silence fell, and it was a few moments before Hinata hummed, and he heard a single pair of footsteps come to the door. Hinata opened the door and peeked out with un-brushed hair and only the outer robe she held closed. "Naruto-kun, you wouldn't mind if we stayed in today? Gaara wasn't feeling too well last night. I don't want to push him today."

Naruto stared blankly at Hinata and realized how different this was from the last time she apologized to him. Last time she was in near tears over what the Hyuga was forcing her to do, reluctantly taking her place. Now she was giving a warm worried glance behind her husband with a sand creature rubbing its face at her hip. She seamlessly moved her hand back to appease it by rubbing the side of the massive head. She invested in Gaara in a way only she could, entirely without fear for herself.

Naruto always worried about his friends' tortured souls. Hinata only did things out of duty and rips herself to shreds for her clan, never receiving anything but rejection back. Gaara never had anyone who truly cared about his well-being without them giving up out of fear.

Naruto would have never pictured the two broken, misshapen puzzle pieces to fit together, but there it was in front of him. Hinata gave her open heart to someone who would take it instead of abusing it. Gaara got the needed attention he was starved for.

Naruto's face stretched into a happy grin. "Yeah, I'll cancel whatever comes up. Hey, when you're hungry, send for me. We could do dinner." He pulled the door closed with a wave to her confused look and waited only a moment more to hear a grateful, relieved sigh from Gaara and a light hum followed by a squeak from Hinata as the bed creaked and the blankets rustled.

Back at home, much better.

Hinata never really realized how much it became home. It was where she lived. It was where her husband was, where she worked, where she had family, made friends, and investments.

Temari and Matsuri met them at the gate. Temari blushed when presented with a package that she was sure was much bigger than she expected to receive back. Hinata gave Shikamaru more than enough time by giving him his so early into the visit. He was able to battle his nature long enough to pick her up something more than writing a letter.

Luckily, nothing too horrible cropped up while they were gone. Most of the work could be done with those who temporarily took their positions and signed what needed to be signed.

Hinata checked on the Hyuga compound and the greenhouse. By the end of the day, she found herself so completely exhausted she hadn't even noticed she fell asleep on Gaara's couch until he woke her by trying to slip the papers out of hand.

Hinata rubbed her face and yawned. He responded by leaning down and kissing her lightly. She blinked, not expecting it, and smiled as he sat down beside her, letting her curl into him while he continued his paperwork.

She was back home.