"and then the tea fell from the bag!" the councilmen from the land of rivers laughed.
Hinata faked laughed while Gaara stood next to her with a straight face.
The councilmen grinned. " you know lord kazekage, it's not every day a kage has someone this pretty on their arm. Maybe I should take her from you?"
Hinata watched as Gaara's eye twitched but covered it with a simple comment.
" I appreciate the compliment councilmen. Maybe we should talk about that trade agreement."
The councilmen sneered and going to say something mean before Hinata interjected. She stepped forward and laid a gentle hand on the councilmen's shoulder.
"councilmen, I think your village and suna can work together to help fix the gold mines, don't you? I mean you do have the greatest manipulator of sand, the kazekage himself. Wouldn't that be beneficial?"
The councilmen blushed and made a weird smacking of his lips sound. He then turned towards Gaara.
"lord kazekage, you have yourself a trade agreement. I will send word soon. and you lady of suna, we shall meet again."
With that said, he walked away.
Hinata sighed and turned to Gaara.
"Lord Gaara, I apologize, I hope I wasn't crossing any boundaries when I interjected. I could tell the councilmen was irritating you and I could see shukaku starting to rise." She explained
" Why did you touch the councilmen?" Gaara asked anger lacing his words.
Hinata was taken aback by his tone.
"I was simply trying to display a softness that you had not. It was obvious you were irritated with the councilmen, as you had a right to be. I could see that you and shikaku were both ready to cut his head off. So why are you angry at me?"
"you touched the councilmen. You do not touch me. Do you find me repulsive? I normally do not want to be touched but seeing you touch the councilmen and not me, has made shikaku and I angry."
It was then a sudden revelation hit Hinata. Gaara was jealous and touch-starved.
It all clicked together now. Gaara had never had a precious person before, someone to intimately care for outside of his siblings, and even that relationship was strained. He was touch starved due to the rejection and abuse he suffered from those around him. Even now, it was safe to assume that his siblings did not make efforts to touch him either. Did they even spend time together?
"oh, Gaara kun. I-"
Before Hinata could say anything a loud voice interrupted them.
"lord kazekage!"
Hinata and Gaara looked to see the Raikage and his entourage approaching them.
"lord raikage. Is there something I can do for you?" Gaara asked,
"Yes, I wanted to talk to you privately." The raikage told him.
Hinata moved closer to Gaara, making her presence known.
Something is not right she thought.
"what do you wish to discuss?" Gaara asked.
The raikage opened his mouth to speak but then the ballroom doors burst open.
"That's not the raikage! It's an imposter!" a kumo shinobi screamed from the door. The real Raikage standing behind them.
Like lighting the imposter tried to run but Hinata was faster. She disabled the imposter, cutting off their movement and making them fall to the floor.
Behind her Gaara subdued the entourage, trapping them in sand.
"ge them out of here!" the real raikage ordered.
Once the tension died down, the real raikage approached them.
"lord kazekage."
"lord raikage. Why are their people impersonating you?" Gaara asked.
"lord kazekage, why are the people impersonating me wanting to question you?"
"I guess neither one of us has an answer to that," Gaara told him.
"Well, it seems we need to sit down soon and talk."
"yes, we do. I will be in contact soon. Now if you excuse us."
Gaara then motioned Hinata to follow him. he led them out to the courtyard garden the music from the ball still being heard from the inside. When Kenji and Sasori tried to follow gaara motioned them away.
"you protected me." he stated. "why? To make your village look good?"
"I protected you because I care for you gaara kun. I feel as if there is a change in our dynamic. Are you still angry with me?"
"I am feeling multiple emotions. shukaku's mixed with my own. I do not know how to feel."
Hinata's eyebrows furrowed before she decided to be bold. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Gaara's waist burying her face in his chest.
She felt him tense up and ask "What are you doing?"
"Earlier you asked me if I was repulsed by you and why I had not touched you. I want to show you right now that I am not repulsed by you and I didn't touch you because I did not want to make you uncomfortable."
"but you touched the councilmen." He questioned
"I was trying to get him away from us gaara kun."
"by touching him?"
Hinata sighed.
"the councilmen was lusting over me gaara kun. Because of my clan, I have attended many leadership meetings and the fastest way to shut up an elder is to charm them."
"so in other words you manipulated his feelings towards you for your benefit. Is that what you are doing to me now?"
"no. I would not do that to you gaara kun. You have a good heart."
"you do not know the darkness that had once laid in my heart hinata."
"but you're not like that anymore. You may struggle from time to time but we all do. Would you like me to let you go?"
"no….i…like your body close to mine. It is warm and I detect no fear or uncomfortable nerves from you. but I do not know what to do with my hands."
Hinata couldn't help but blush tomato red and say "Well, we are hugging so you can hug me back. Just wrap your arms around my waist and then you can lean your head on top of mine."
Gaara did as so, confusion and warmth filling him as they hugged. After a few minutes, he spoke.
"This is …calming."
"hmm, it is nice when you have someone to hug."
"Who else do you hug?" he asked
"Mmm…I hug my sister once and a while. That's about it."
"Are there….any males that you hug?"
Hinata couldn't help but laugh when he asked the question.
"Gaara Kun, you truly are the jealous type. As of right now, there is only one man I have hugged and that is you."
"jealous?" he questioned
"it means if you were seeing another man hugging me you would have an uncomfortable or angry feeling about it. I… experienced that when Lady Mei touched you. I did not understand at first but now I do. I didn't like to see another single woman touching you. It is a feeling I am not used to. I will be honest with you gaara kun. My affection for you keeps growing… the more time I spend with you, the more I desire to be near you. you are on my mind often."
This time hinata dared look up into Gaara's turquoise eyes. his eyes shining with an emotion she didn't understand.
"I have read in a book that dancing is something dates do at a ball. Please dance with me."
It was then that Gaara took her hand and placed his other around her waist.
The couple slowly danced under the moon, only focused on each other.
"I am not good with words." He admitted. "but.. when you are not near me I think of you often. Shukaku asks about you often. We like your presence, it is calming and you have been kind to us. and even now your touch calms us and we yearn for more. But there is always that doubt in the back of our mind that the closer we get to you, that leaves us open for betrayal."
They had stopped dancing now, both of them looking into each other's eyes searching for a sign of betrayal or questioning.
Neither found it.
All they could see was each other. Two souls looking to be found.
"lord kazekage!" a voice called
Hinata and Gaara looked to see Kenji looking between them in confusion.
"yes, kenji."
"My uh apologies for the interruption but the wind daimyo is looking for you."
Gaara turned to Hinata.
"later tonight, we will not be interrupted"
….
Hinata was waiting patiently by the front door of the inn they were staying in when Sasori appeared before her.
"Haruhi is it? I think we should talk." He said sternly.
"is there something you need Sasori?"
"yes. I don't know what your intentions are with lord Gaara but whatever they are it needs to end! He doesn't need the-"
"Sasori." Gaara deep baritone called.
Sasori turned red-faced at being caught. "lord Gaara I was just-"
"leaving." Gaara corrected. " good night."
As soon as Sasori was gone, Gaara apologized.
"I apologize for his behavior. Sasori and Kenji see you as a threat since they do not know you and they are not used to seeing me so close to someone. Anyway, there is a quiet tea shop lady Mei recommended. Would you like to go there? "
"yes. that sounds wonderful." Hinata agreed. " w-would you like to hold hands gaara kun?"
"I would like that yes."
Hinata couldn't help but blush as she held Gaara's hand.
For the rest of the night, Gaara and Hinata talked. They talked about her clan and his family. They talked about their favorite foods and the foods they didn't like. When the tea shop closed Gaara found a tall building for them to sit on and talk more.
He was honest with her about never dating anybody and never thinking he wanted to. Hinata was honest about her fading feelings for Naruto and what that meant for them. Gaara told her about his mother and how much never meeting her impacted him. and when the night grew darker they just sat in silence enjoying each other's presence.
"When I realized I had growing affection for you, I began to read relationship books in secret. One of the books mentioned having a goodnight kiss when a date is over. Should we kiss?" Gaara asked
Hinata panicked.
"k-kiss! I mean no! I mean we can! We don't have to! Im sorry but I've never kissed anyone before!"
Gaara didn't seem bothered by her panic. " so I will be your first kiss as you will be mine?"
"um..yes.." she replied shyly.
Before she had any time to prepare Gaara kissed her.