A/N: Hello everyone and Merry Christmas (or Happy New Year LOL?) I do apologise for the immensely long break Arm Candy has been on. While writing the chapters this month, I was experiencing a major writing block. One of the things with leaving a story and then coming back to it much later is that time lets you see the story's flaws way more clearly, and you no longer believe in it as much as you used to when you first started writing it. But I'm not going to break my promise to readers out there who have been waiting aeons for the next chapter of Arm Candy. I will attempt to finish writing this fic in 2018 (keyword being attempt) in a bid to improve my writing too and to learn from my plotting mistakes etc. Thank you so much for your kind notes and comments for the previous chapters. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, even though I haven't been exactly up to par. Y'all deserve better, so please bear with me for now. XD

Disclaimer: Naruto and all characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto. All cities located in Suna in this story are fictional. All non-Naruto characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

10.

"The team photoshoot is pretty straightforward; it's a standard photocall with all fifteen players of the official Sand Hawks team. The photo will be issued to the press after, which also serves to confirm the official roster of players on the team." And this is the part where we all drown in testosterone and find ourselves in rugby heaven, Hinata added mentally, but her new intern Todo Heisuke didn't need to know that.

Hinata almost thought they'd send the wrong kid to the Sand Hawks when she interviewed Heisuke. He resembled a high school student more instead of the twenty-two year old undergraduate that he was. Hinata glanced over at the thin, bespectacled young man, and a faint smile drifted across her lips at the glassy-eyed look in his wide green eyes.

Yeah, she felt that way too, the first time she oversaw the photocall. Everywhere they looked, Suna's rugby legends were milling around in their tailored suits, deep masculine laughter bouncing off the walls as they ribbed each other and helped themselves to hot coffee from a side table.

"This year, we've hired Butter Fingers, an ad agency to execute and conceptualise the shoot. After all the photo edits are done and we've approved of the pictures, we'll release the team photos, along with the press release to the press along. This includes a full list of the team members and details of the suits." Hinata explained.

"Three-pieced Armani suits tailored for each player, consisting of a two-button single-breasted jackets with a waistcoat and matching trousers." Heisuke recalled.

"And I see you memorised the press release." Hinata chuckled.

"Yeah…" Heisuke said. "God, how am I supposed to work when they're all here?" He gestured at them, looking half-torn, when his eyes suddenly widened. In a hushed, reverent tone that would not have sounded out of place in a temple, he leaned toward Hinata and spoke quickly.

"That's Uzumaki Naruto isn't it? He won the International Rugby Board Sevens Player of the Year Award in 2002, 2003 and 2004, and he's among the top 10 of the all-time try scorers for the IRB Sevens World Series with over 150 career tries." He inhaled deeply. "Here in the friggin' flesh!"

"That's him." Hinata smiled.

"This is fucking awesome." There was another beat, and he shot Hinata an apologetic glance and a grimace. "Oh shit. I'm sorry about the f-bomb. Damn it, I was going to impress you on the first day of work."

Hinata chuckled and raised her tumbler to her lips, which was brimming with hot green tea. "You already impressed me with your statistics. Is Naruto your favourite player then?"

"All of them are."

"Come on, everyone has a favourite player."

"Alright, alright, he is. I wanted to play Naruto's position - inside-centre - on my school's rugby team so badly because of him. But don't tell any of them that." Heisuke said sheepishly.

Hinata chuckled and shut the lid of her tumbler. "You ready for some work then?"

"Bring it on," Heisuke said enthusiastically.

Hinata gave Heisuke an easy first task, which was to publish several Instagram stories of the photoshoot to the Hawks' official Instagram account.

"Uchiha Shisui has a potty mouth. Try not to let him get any swear words in." She warned.

"Okay gotcha."

Heisuke got cracking with his smartphone after Hinata gave him access to the account.

She introduced him to left winger Uchiha Shisui, right winger Uchiha Itachi, fullback Uchiha Sasuke, and the very intimidating-looking loosehead prop Kirabi 'Killer-B' B. Heisuke looked as though he was trying very hard not to die from being star-struck when he shook hands with them. Hinata excused herself with a smile as the guys began hamming it up for Heisuke.

Due to the group's sheer size, Hinata and her colleagues, Saeki and Araki, had divided the fifteen players among the three of them to make sure they were all ready for the shoot.

Hinata checked her players mentally as she looked around the room: Flanker Sarutobi Konohamaru was getting a last minute hair check by by a harried looking hairstylist, while number eight Ryūchi Jūgo, and scrum-half Inuzuka Kiba were standing around in their suits with styrofoam cups in their hands, engaged in conversation.

And with them was their captain, one hand shoved into his trouser pocket as he listened attentively to his teammates, jade eyes unblinking.

Hinata paused, and studied him from afar. Gaara in a jeans and a shirt was swoon-worthy, but Gaara in a suit? Her ovaries were exploding. And whoever had done his hair needed a pay raise. He looked so good with his short, crimson hair combed away from his face, highlighting his sharp cheekbones and jawline, she could almost picture him as a handsome young man with a wife and two young kids, not a single, hotshot athlete.

She had been avoiding him all morning. After last night, it was a little difficult to meet his gaze, especially when others were present. It was as if everyone would know they had kissed just by seeing her look at him.

She had thought about what happened for a good long time yesterday night as she lay in bed. It was clear to her why he had done something so ridiculously out of his mind, and kissed her. Hinata was confident that Gaara was probably feeling guilty for snapping at her. He had come over to apologise after all. Then she had made herself look all pathetic with that stupid confession about her old feelings for Naruto.

Conclusion? Gaara had probably kissed her out of pity. Or as a form of comfort. Whatever.

It was a pity-kiss. It was best not to dwell on it any further for it wasn't bound to go anywhere. Gaara was her client and given ordinary circumstances, he could have his pick of any women, not some ordinary looking woman with bad hair and white eyes.

Plus, he could very well have asked for permission first, she thought indignantly. Sure the kiss was nice (more than nice actually) and she had kissed him back, but c'mon, he could have asked first, instead of doing as he wished. And he treated his half-siblings badly, Hinata tried to reason with herself.

She mentally shook herself out of her reverie, and looked down at her watch. Oh good. They were on time. She spotted Saeki and Araki with several of the other rugby players, and made a beeline for them. The three of them were supposed to regroup and gather all-

"Morning Hinata,"

Ah, crap.

"Morning Gaara," She said pleasantly, pretending as though she wasn't going to scuttle away. "Have you had breakfast?"

"Yeah. Had a granola bar after I worked out." He stared at her from beneath thick lashes. "Do you have time for lunch later?"

"I'm afraid I can't. I've got a meeting with Kurenai and the team at one."

"Dinner then? We need to talk." He said in an undertone, jade eyes pinning her with his direct gaze.

"About your schedule, yes." Hinata said busily, flipping the stapled sheets she held in her hand. "You have an interview with Suna Weekly after your training at The Recovery Bar at four today, and-"

"Goddamn it, I meant about last night." He interrupted.

She leaned into him and lowered her tone. "You know, you should really ask for permission before you kiss someone. But I get it - you were giving me a pity-kiss. Don't worry about it. I've forgotten about it. It's all water under the bridge."

His eyes narrowed. "Pity kiss? The hell it is! And may I remind you that you kissed me back too?"

"Shh," Hinata muttered, her forehead creasing. "Not so loud. Your tie is crooked by the way." She said, in a bid to throw him off track.

"It's not," The confident bastard didn't even looked down at his tie, which was actually perfectly knotted and straightened. "I checked it in the mirror. And yesterday was not a pity-kiss, damn it. I liked it and I'm pretty sure you did-"

"Have you used the bathroom? We're going to start the shoot in five."

"Jesus, Hinata-"

"Hey Gaara," Araki materialised beside them in her size four perfection and smiled up at him, her red lips perfectly painted with a fresh coat of lipstick. Hinata could have thanked her for her timely appearance.

"Wow, you look really good." Araki crossed her arms and blatantly appraised him.

"Thanks. Apparently, that's what Armani does to you."

"And they do it too well." She winked. "I need you in position right now, along with the rest." She said, and Hinata could have sworn she had horizontal positions in mind instead of vertical ones.

Not that Hinata cared anyway.

"I'll be there in a sec. I just need to check my schedule with Hinata." He said glancing back at Hinata.

"Sure."

The moment Araki was out of earshot, he immediately turned to Hinata, piercing jade eyes seeking her. "I don't kiss women out of pity. Period." He said, managing to look all pissed off and hot at once.

"Regardless, it's all water under the bridge now." She patted him on the arm as his brows drew together. Hinata offered him a buddy-buddy grin, the kind that you gave someone when you were in cahoots with them. "I've forgotten about it. Come on Gaara, let's go get your mugshot taken."

And she practically dragged him off to join his teammates in all their suited up glory, stuffed him into the front row and watched as he glowered at her from his place. The camera's flash went off, catching Gaara with a perfect scowl that to anyone, might have hinted at the demolishment of the Hawks' future opponents.

But no one except Hinata knew better.

Forgot about it my ass, Gaara thought darkly as he shrugged out of his suit. Dropping his jacket onto a bench in the locker room, he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his crisp white shirt and undid the cuff links. A toilet flushed and someone emerged from a stall.

"Hey Capt," Shisui said cheerily, as he turned on the tap at a sink. "What's got your panties in a twist?"

"Stuff it, Shisui," Gaara said without heat as he divested himself of his white shirt and pulled on a black Sand Hawks training tee. Most of the guys were already at the gym working out. Apparently, except Shisui.

The Uchiha brothers, Itachi and Sasuke, and their cousin Shisui, were famous for their speed and ability on the field, but it was also often remarked that they had faces fit for the silver screen. Which Gaara supposed was true, judging from the female screams that often permeated the air whenever the Uchihas appeared, but the three men had chosen to devote their skills to the Hawks, thank Kami for that.

The three men bore trademark Uchiha features that made them stand out from the rest of the men on the team: ridiculously handsome with thick black hair, chiselled jaws and cobalt eyes. But their similarities were superficial, for Shisui and Sasuke were polar opposites. Sasuke was cool, collected and reticent, a perfect fullback really, given his ability to keep a cool head when under high-pressure on the field. Shisui however, was humorous, glib and charismatic - he would have excelled as a talk show host if he were ever kicked out of the Hawks for giving Baki an aneurysm. Then there was Itachi, who was closer in age to Shisui, a gentleman with an uncanny mind and ruthless play on the field. Shisui and Itachi were left and right wingers respectively, both incredibly elusive on the field, exhibiting the sort of astonishing speed that often brought audiences to their feet.

"Come on, no one likes a thundery looking captain just before training's about to start." Shisui grinned broadly and dropped onto the bench beside Gaara, already dressed in a pair of grey shorts, a short sleeved top and his Nikes.

"What's bothering ya? Lady woes? Family trouble?"

"Who's got lady woes?" Uzumaki Naruto asked, emerging from deep within the bowels of the locker room. Shirtless, he sat beside Gaara on the bench and began pulling on a pair of orange socks with black stripes on the toes. "I can help too."

"You're here too?" Gaara asked in disgust.

"Aren't you glad?" Naruto grinned boyishly.

"Your dating advice fucking sucks, Uzumaki." Shisui leaned forward and smirked at Naruto.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I'm dating a woman who rejected me five times."

"She pitied you then."

"She's now my girlfriend, shithead."

"Both of you," Gaara said, annoyed. "Shut the hell up."

Great. Now that Naruto had brought up the issue of his girlfriend, it led to thoughts of Hinata, who had taken it upon herself to become maddeningly forgetful about the kiss. And thinking about Hinata also reminded him of Chiyo's cold war.

Women. They were killing him. He would be dead before the fight for the Cup at this rate.

"What's eating you? You've been moody since the photoshoot." Naruto stated, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Bloody hell, I'm not moody," Gaara retorted. "And even if I was, it's none of your business."

"Aw c'mon G," Naruto said, pretending to look hurt. "What about those camp nights when we were thirteen? When we complained about stuck up girls who wouldn't make out with us? When we gave each other advice and sobbed into each other's arms?"

Shisui choked on his water. "What. The. Fuck."

"I kissed someone." Gaara said without preamble. "But she refuses to talk about the kiss. Said it's water under the bridge."

"You were that bad?" Naruto asked, and Gaara shot him a dirty look while Shisui began laughing. The blond man sighed. "You and your ugly mug, G."

"Lucky for you, I'm here to give you some fucking real advice, unlike Uzumaki." Shisui said, straightening, a wide grin on his face. He held up one hand. "No don't thank me, it's no trouble at all." There was a beat and he looked at Gaara with sudden horror. "Wait, this has got nothing to do with Miraimi Yui, does it?"

"Fuck no," Gaara said, looking offended.

"So who's she?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Not telling."

"Doesn't matter," Shisui said. "Do you think this mystery woman liked your kiss?"

"I suppose. She did kiss me back."

"Good. She liked it then. Do you think she likes you? Some women like kissing, but they don't necessarily like the man they're kissing."

"What the hell?" Naruto said, looking confused, but Shisui ignored him.

Gaara thought about their Scrabble game, and the whole fiasco with Miraimi Yui when she had protected him. "Bloody hell I don't know."

"Okay, uh, at least it isn't a flat out no. Is she a celebrity?" Naruto asked, his voice muffled as he pulled on a bright, day-glo orange training shirt.

"How's that relevant?"

"That's because you're a public figure." Naruto said reasonably, blue eyes flicking to Gaara as he jammed his sock clad feet into his orange and grey sports shoes. "If you're dating someone who's not used to the limelight, it does makes a difference. I know for sure Sakura wasn't used to it. Still isn't, in fact."

"If you aren't dating a girl who's used to the limelight, it might be intimidating. There are women who like it. Then there are also women who like their privacy." Shisui added.

God. He hadn't thought about that.

"And, there's also your track record." Shisui held up one finger as he flicked his water bottle shut with the other. "Blondes. And unless this mystery woman's also a blond, she's going to wonder, what the hell is this guy thinking? Am I just an anomaly? Maybe he's just fucking around with me y'know?"

"Jesus. That didn't occur to me."

"Now that's five dollars, Capt for my advice." Shisui held out his hand. "Where's your moolah?"

Gaara stood up, cuffed him on the neck and dragged him on the way out of the locker room while Naruto followed suit, laughing his ass off.

"So is he as hot as they say?" Hyuuga Tenten asked over a bowl of piping hot ramen later that evening in a window seat at Manki's, a ramen restaurant.

Beside her, Hinata's cousin, Hyuuga Neji, shot his pretty, dark-haired wife a look. "Really? That's the first thing you're asking?"

"Priorities." Tenten said dismissively to her husband as she snapped her chopsticks open.

"You need to get your priorities straight." Neji said.

"My priorities are perfectly fine." Tenten replied. "That's how I ended up married to you. And a mother of twins to boot."

Neji turned to Hinata. "I can't argue with that."

Hinata chuckled. It had only seemed like yesterday when you had to practically pry a smile out of Neji, but it was tough to reconcile her cousin with the self-deprecating and sometimes humorous man he now was. Hinata and Hanabi had her sister-in-law, Tenten, to thank for that. Pretty, quirky and funny, the brunette had hurtled into Neji's life like a tornado and turned his life upside down, for the better.

"Speaking of the twins, they're wondering if you can get an autograph for them from Gaara." Neji said, looking a little sheepish. "They've been bugging the both of us for ages, and it's driving me insane. They pasted photos of Gaara all over the wall in our living room just so I would be reminded of it everyday."

"That's very creative," Hinata laughed.

"Not kidding." Tenten said. "At all. I have to walk past it every day."

Hyuuga Hayanari and Isao were Neji and Tenten's five-year-old identical twins. Unfortunately, the twins were home with a babysitter tonight. Hinata and her younger sister Hanabi loved them to bits and seized any opportunity to spoil them rotten whenever they got the chance to. They were inquisitive cherubs who wore their parents down with their incessant questions, the most popular question being "Why?". It often broke the austere atmosphere in Hinata's home whenever the twins were around. In fact, Hyuuga Hiashi's craggy face would break into a wide smile when the twins came visiting. He turned into a doting grandpa, spoiling them with sweets and treats instead of the strict, stern and intimidating man that Hinata had known as her father.

"I'll ask Gaara. I'm sure he'll be happy to give them an autograph each." Hinata said.

"So what's Gaara like?" Tenten probed. "Is the news right about him? Hot, but reticent and aloof?"

She thought about the time when he played Scrabble with her, and then during the Suna Weekly interview, when he talked at length about his grandmother for bringing him up single-handedly, and how she'd scrimped and saved just so he could buy his first pair of rugby boots.

Hot definitely, Hinata thought. "He's human. Like any of us."

"I'd ask you to make a move on him, but since you're working with him...wait, actually, why not? A little fling with a hot athlete never did anyone any harm." Tenten winked.

Hinata face turned red. "I think it's a bad idea to date your colleagues. And even if I were interested in a fling, you gotta ask him if he's interested in me to begin with."

"Wasn't it just last month that he brought a dark-haired woman to some party? Could we say that he's into brunettes now?"

Hinata felt a furious blush covering her face. "Is that right? I'm not sure."

"Anyway, he's technically not your colleague. He's a hot, beddable, temporary client and you're a perfectly attractive woman. Geez Hinata, you can have your pick of men if you put yourself out there."

"Yeah and look what it got her. Remember that weirdo with a fetish for sex dolls who asked her out?" Neji's white eyes narrowed. "He was attracted her just because she's got -" He broke away, colour dusting his cheeks.

"Big boobs." Hinata completed the sentence for him. Neji coughed.

"That weirdo was an anomaly. He doesn't count." Tenten said dismissively. "Hinata, you gotta reach for the stars. See if you can't get the stars, at least you hit the clouds on the way down. That's what I did."

"Are you saying I'm sub-par?" Neji demanded, and Hinata laughed at the expression on his face.

Tenten ignored him. "Okay, enough about Gaara. So, are you seeing anyone?"

"No." Hinata said, and with the way Tenten looked at her, Hinata felt as if she was at the principal's office, trying to explain herself.

Gaara occupied her thoughts day and night. One, because he was part of her job. And even when she wasn't working or scheduling publicity matters for the Hawks, it was tough to put him out of her mind, especially after that kiss. She needed to focus on other things apart from him and stop fixating on the redead. Perhaps she needed to jump into the dating pool. Meet new men and stop being so passive.

"But, I am trying to work on it." She added.

"Hinata, that's what you said last year."

Hinata sighed. "Alright, alright I'll take the first step then. I know people love using dating apps, but maybe I should take the old-fashioned route. Set me up on a blind date with someone you know?"

"What have you done with my cousin?" Neji asked Hinata dubiously.

"Now I like that," The gleam in her chocolate brown eyes was scary. "And I might have just the person in mind."

"Whoever you're suggesting, please set her up with someone sane." Neji said. "Or someone Hinata can at least take to the annual White Charity Ball with."

Hinata winced and Tenten groaned.

"Shit. It only seemed like yesterday when we attended the last one." Tenten said. "I was gonna freeze from the iciness of the atmosphere. And I'm not talking about the air-conditioning, mind you."

Hinata and Neji exchanged a wry grin. Hinata had almost forgotten about the annual White Charity Ball, where she would have to come face-to-face with her relatives again and a bunch of other socialites she had never gelled with in the first place. Every year, the White Charity Ball sucked all the life and self-esteem out of her, and Hinata looked forward to the day when her father declared that he wouldn't chair the White Charity Ball anymore.

"Well that's what you get when a bunch of Hyuugas take it upon themselves to organise a charity ball and invite high society to attend." Neji deadpanned.

"Will Hanabi be attending the ball?" Tenten asked Hinata.

"I think so," Hinata said. "Provided she's not jetting off again for work during that period."

"Oh I really hope she'll be attending to give us some much-needed comic relief," Tenten grinned at her husband. "No offence, but your family's a little..." She trailed off.

"Icy, uptight and frigid." Neji supplied without missing a beat.

Tenten snapped her fingers. "Perfect description. At least you guys will be there." Tenten nudged Hinata, who was trying not to laugh. "Makes it all the more tolerable you know?"

"I could say the same." Hinata said, as she helped herself to some pickles and grinned. "I'll make sure Hanabi comes back and suffer with us. It's the least she can do."

Thank you! Stay tuned for more chapters in 2018!