Sand whipped around outside of its own volition. Gaara ruffled his clean hair as his wife combed the sand out of hers.
"This is unfair." Hinata giggled. Her face was caked with dust and small blotches of blood, not her own, thankfully.
"You did not wish to come with me." Gaara reminded her. Hinata originally came with him to check the wall but insisted they split for duties.
Hinata pouted, turning her eyes back down to her dark hair. He didn't understand. She wanted to go on her own. Why would she then complain about the consequences?
Gaara moved forward to slip off her scarf, leaving sand to pile on the floor. She flinched. "I think I got more in my clothes than out."
For some reason, that amused him as he continued to unlayer robes from her, briefly interrupting her combing. She giggled, looking at him through the mirror, turning red. "Are you trying to tell me something?"
"Your clothes are covered with sand," Gaara shook out her robes, leaving the sand to fall to the floor.
Hinata hummed and got an odd shy smile as she returned to focusing on her hair. She eventually set her comb down with a click and sighed, looking down at her underset of clothing. "You didn't finish." She stated in a mumble her face was getting redder.
Was she wanting to be naked while brushing her hair? Taking off the rest for her would have been difficult while she was combing.
Hinata giggled, covering her face with both hands, hiding behind them. "I don't think you understood."
Gaara hadn't.
Hinata thought she was naive, or at least, that's what she was told. She couldn't try flirting without actually showing physical attention to have him understand. She didn't mind his blank, confused expression. It was cute. She couldn't help but laugh at his face as it got more confused with every try.
If she wanted attention, she would have to ask for it or get it herself. It would help if she didn't find it so embarrassing.
"Why don't you bathe with me," Hinata finished undressing
"I am not dirty," Gaara replied, watching her with mild interest, though he seemed more interested in how the sand stuck to her skin than what skin the sand was on.
"I know." Hinata hummed, starting the water, feeling the need to cover her chest. "I still would like company. I will be here for a while."
"You will be clean when you enter the bath," Gaara mumbled, confused but still undressed per her asking as she sat at the shower station outside the bath.
"I know," Hinata affirmed again, holding out a sponge to him and pulling her hair from her shoulders, showing the set of scratches she knew laid over her shoulders from his dull nails. She hoped he could see them over how red she was becoming. She could feel him stare at her before finally getting her point.
"I see." Gaara set the sponge aside for better use of his hands.
Hinata's office door slammed open, making her jump and look up at the arch at someone she didn't recognize but looked upset. "Is this how you treat guests to your village!" He snapped.
Hinata tucked away sensitive documents and sat straight up. "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what you mean."
"To have us come in the horrid weather. What is wrong with you!?" He shouted.
Hinata knitted her eyebrows together and thumbed down through her notes. She tapped her finger on what was most likely what he was a part of on her list. "Might you have the scroll we sent? All trade agreements and travel between villages unless urgent supplies are scheduled before or after storm season. We warned any group coming in that we advise to wait until it is safe to travel to this part of the desert."
Hinata could feel the man's rage heighten with her low, calm tone. "You should not have us here in this!" He waved at her covered window. "This should have compensation."
Hinata pierced her lips together. "If you risked your life to come during storm season when we told you to reschedule with the thought in mind that you would be able to blame our village and make your negotiations easier, you are mistaken."
"Are you accusing me of…!" Hinata cut him off.
"Yes," Hinata stated. "I am sympathetic to misunderstanding, but Suna does not take well to being conned."
He snapped his mouth shut as his head turned redder. "Be glad you burst into my office rather than that of my husband's. I will allow you to redeem yourself. He would toss you back into the storm."
"Your Kage would force us out into a deadly storm?" He accused her.
"Well, you've made it one way," Hinata stated. "I will dismiss you for now. Feel free to wait to use our care facilities as the other citizens do. Special treatment is for those who have made mistakes. I would be happy to hear your negotiations when you have the mind to apologize and work fairly." Hinata waited for a rebuttal, but instead, he stomped out, nearly running into Temari, who gave him a wide, amused smirk as he continued his fluster retreat.
"I think Gaara is rubbing off on you." Temari hummed as she closed the door.
Hinata looked for traces of her husband's blood-colored hair before catching the meaning. "Was I too harsh?"
"No, in fact, I would have thrown him out to fend in the storm," Temari sat, crossing her legs. "I don't have your patience for bullshit."
"I believe that mistakes should be given a second chance. However, I also know that Suna is very strict with deception." Hinata hoped she was clear enough. She never knew if she was doing a good job. Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Matsuri, and Baki were all blunt and to the point, but she also knew that they treated her with far more care and kindness than other staff. She wasn't sure if that was due to her Konoha birth or her being Gaara's wife.
"It was fine. We're all too hard on things like that anyway. Cuts out a lot of deals we should have made." Temari waved her hand, pushing away some of the insecurities. "Though Gaara has grown to his position, I enjoy watching him rip into politics and merchants with his tone rather than his sand."
Hinata's nose twitched at the morbid notion. "I would hope it's better."
Temari laughed at her face.