Learning to Love, a naruto fanfic

Summary: Snippets of an arranged marriage, and learning to love someone unexpected. Each side told from both POV's. HinataXGaara

Learning to Love

Before the day they wed, Gaara had met Hinata less times then he could count on his hands. He had never so much as held a conversation with the Hyuuga Heiress, let alone had time to develop any romantic interest in her. Their marriage was strictly political, meant to strengthen the bonds between the Leaf Village and the Sand. She had been offered to him, and he reluctantly had accepted.

Gaara had never imagined getting married. With his past still haunting him, he had assumed that the female population would leave him alone. Not that he minded. Although women were nice to look at, tying himself down to someone, having someone expect him to be there, to care, to love them…

Gaara had feared very little in his eighteen years of life, but he quickly found that marriage was making the list. Gaara could love no one but himself. He knew it for a fact, and had been taught that at an early age. He feared for the Hyuuga girl, that she would be stuck in an incomplete marriage, a loveless, bitter marriage that she would never escape. He feared being the one to cause it.

A soft knock at his door broke him from his thoughts. He called for the intruder to enter, and was surprised to see his future wife standing shyly in his doorway. She stepped in, closing the door behind her.

Gaara was not tall, nor was he of a broad build. But Hinata Hyuuga made him feel huge. His future wife only made it up to his shoulders, and her frame was lean, though curvy. As she stood in front of him in a stark white shirt and a light lavender pair of slacks, he found himself appreciating her figure. Gaara shook his head slightly, for this was not the time for such pleasures.

"I'm sorry t-to intrude, Kazekage-sama. I-"

"Gaara." He immediately corrected.

"Yes, G-Gaara. I apologize. I just f-felt as though I needed to come here and s-speak with you."

Gaara watched the Hyuuga stutter slightly, though he recalled that she was much worse as a child. Her fingers nervously played with her sleeves, fidgeting every so often and catching Gaara's attention. Her dark hair gleamed in the Suna sunlight. He clenched his hand, stopping himself from reaching out to touch it. He gave her a nod, signaling for her to continue.

"I wanted to k-know what your expectations a-are of our marriage." Hinata said softly, white lavender eyes meeting sea green.

"It's too late to back out now." Gaara told her with a look of sympathy. She had missed that chance, and unfortunately leaving now would only bring her and her family dishonor.

"I'm not b-backing out."

Gaara's eyes opened slightly wider, and he quickly cleared his face of any expression. He contemplated her question, and tried to come up with an appropriate answer. After a moment of silence, he finally gave his answer.

"My expectations of our marriage are these: I expect you to support me in public, though you are welcome to have your own opinions and discussions with me in private. It is important for us to present as a united front. I expect you to perform wifely duties, by taking over the scheduling of events and organizing. I expect respect. In return for this, I will give you a safe home to reside in. I will not allow anyone to treat you disrespectfully, I will protect you when you cannot protect yourself, and I will do what I can to give you what you may need or want within reason."

"What about c-children?" Hinata asked, and he felt her eyes studying his face.

He hesitated.

"I do expect children." Gaara confirmed after a moment, and her cheeks turned a slight red.

"I'm g-g-glad. Children are something I-I would like very much." Hinata admitted, a soft look in her eyes.

Gaara felt his heart race up, his mind turning to thoughts of a family, something that he had given up on as a child. He turned his back on his future wife, and walked over to his window. The Hyuuga took a step behind him, only one, and then stopped. He could feel her eyes on him, watching him. Gaara studied the city outside his window, watching the busy people. He finally spoke.

"I can offer you many things, as my wife. It is what I cannot offer you that I am worried about."

Hinata took a few steps towards him, stopping a few feet away.

"And what is it t-that you cannot offer?" She questioned.

"Love." Gaara answered simply. "I cannot offer you something that I myself do not know. Something I have never known."

Another few steps, and a hand on his arm startled him. Not many people dared to touch him, and he was surprised that this woman was brave enough to venture so far. He turned towards her, allowing her to see his face yet again. Her eyes were still soft, and he felt as though he needed to look away again, lest he get lost in them.

"I-I've only loved once. It was not wanted, n-nor returned. I will not a-ask for your love, I can live without it. What I-I wish to ask for is simpler right now."

Gaara raised an invisible eyebrow, and Hinata's face brightened as she hesitated to speak. Finally, she finished.

"M-May I kiss you Gaara?"

Gaara was surprised, and the look of shock managed to make it to his face. He had never kissed anyone before, nor had anyone ever asked to do such an act with him.

"What do you hope to gain?" Gaara asked, eyeing the small woman, eyes drifting to her pink lips. Her cheeks were flushed a bright red, eyes drifting over his face, trying to find something, anything, about how he was feeling at the moment. He was not kind enough to let anything slip through his perfect mask.

A first kiss? Gaara had never held hands with a woman, let alone kissed one. He regarded his wife, studying her and she stood flushed and embarrassed. Would he allow her to kiss him before she legally became his wife? Should he?

Perhaps it would bring her some comfort? He would never be able to love her, but if this was something she required, he did not want to deny her.

"You may kiss me." Gaara stated awkwardly, not sure what to do with himself.

His small future wife hesitated for a second, then stepped closer to Gaara, her body barely brushing up against his. He met her eyes, and could see the clash of emotions she was feeling. Excitement, anticipation, nervousness, fear. Her hand rose, and he felt it land lightly on his chest. His heart fluttered under it. She rose to the tips of her toes, and Gaara watched her lavender eyes flutter shut, and felt her soft breath on his lips.

Their lips touched, and Gaara's stomach felt as though it was full of butterflies, all twisting and fluttering inside of him.

The moment ended, and Hinata pulled away, stepped away. Her face was flushed, and Gaara has a sneaking suspicion that his own face possibly looked the same. His soon to be wife excused herself, and he watched her leave.

As he stood in the silent room yet again, he found that he may not fear marriage nearly as much as he thought.

Hinata's POV

She paused outside his door again, for the third time. She just could not bring her hand to the door, to bring attention to her presence.

Her soon to be husband, the Kazekage of Suna, stood just beyond the door. She was sure, as she had activated her bloodline to peek in. Hinata had debated with herself since last night, debated wither or not she would confront him about their marriage, and his thoughts on it. She needed to know what she was in for, for the rest of her life. She swallowed hard, and let her fist tap on the door at last.

"You may enter."

She turned the handle, and slowly pressed against the door, revealing Gaara on the other side. He looked surprised to see her, and she couldn't say she blamed him. Up until this point, she wasn't even sure they had ever had a conversation. They had barely even seen each other. Hinata was sure that she was the last person he had expected to see. Hinata closed the door behind her.

"I'm sorry t-to intrude, Kazekage-sama. I-" Hinata began, but was quickly cut off.

"Gaara." He immediately corrected.

"Yes, G-Gaara. I apologize. I just f-felt as though I needed to come here and s-speak with you." She continued, taking a deep breath. She could feel his eyes on her, and despite her fear and nervousness, she admitted to herself that her future husband had beautiful eyes. Sharp, clear, and beautiful.

Gaara gave a slight nod, signaling for her to continue. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I wanted to k-know what your expectations a-are of our marriage." Hinata said softly, watching his face for a reaction. Any reaction.

"It's too late to back out now." Gaara stated as a fact, but she noticed a sadness as he said it, and knew he had misunderstood her.

"I'm not b-backing out." She told him firmly. And she wouldn't. She had made her choice, and in the end she hoped that Gaara would prove to be the correct one.

She patiently waited for her question to be answered, and Gaara did not disappoint.

Hinata lost herself in thought, considering what he said. It seemed reasonable, and logical. It sounded like a sound marriage, one that she could be happy in. But he had not covered one thing.

"What about c-children?" Hinata asked, watching his face yet again for any signs of emotion. She saw a slight hesitation, as though he was unsure if he wanted to answer. Nervous.

"I do expect children." Gaara confirmed.

Hinata felt her cheeks heat up, knowing now that her husband would expect a sexual relationship, not that she had expected any less. She felt relieved though, for her fear in entering into such a marriage was that her future husband would be opposed to having children, and she would never be a mother.

"I'm g-g-glad. Children are something I-I would like very much." Hinata admitted to Gaara with a soft smile on her lips.

She watched as his eyes flickered with emotion, and he quickly spun himself around, walking over to the window on the far side of the room. Hinata took a step, meaning to go after him, then hesitated. He was not her husband yet, and if he needed a moment to himself, she would respect that for now and not press any issues.

"I can offer you many things, as my wife. It is what I cannot offer you that I am worried about."

Hinata took a few steps towards him, stopping a few feet away. She studied his back. Gaara was much taller than she was, and although he was not broad like his brother, his frame was bigger than hers as well. She desperately felt the need to comfort him, as one would a child. She wasn't sure why, and had to stop herself from walking to him and encircling him in her arms.

"And what is it t-that you cannot offer?" She questioned, eyes watching his reflection in the window.

"Love." Gaara answered. "I cannot offer you something that I myself do not know. Something I have never known."

Hinata felt her stomach quiver at the thought of a loveless marriage. Would everything he was offering be enough to make up for it, if he would never love her? She wasn't sure, but her feet took her to him of their own accord, and she reached out, placing a hand on his arm. She felt him jump under her touch, and his eyes met her own. They were beautiful. He was beautiful.

"I-I've only loved once. It was not wanted, n-nor returned. I will not a-ask for your love, I can live without it. What I-I wish to ask for is simpler right now." Hinata stated, her gaze never wavering, although where her bravery was coming from, she hadn't a clue. Her eyes locked onto his pink lips, and she knew what she wanted from him.

She watched as Gaara raised an invisible eyebrow, and Hinata's face brightened as she hesitated to speak. Finally, she finished.

"M-May I kiss you Gaara?"

She was surprised to see his emotions so visible on his face. She wondered if perhaps asking something so boldly would disgust him, and found that she feared his rejection. She didn't want him to tell her no.

"What do you hope to gain?" Gaara asked her, and she felt his eyes studying his face, her lips, her throat. She swallowed, her heart racing.

"N-Nothing! It's just, just that today w-we will be married, and I've never kissed anyone. I-I don't want my first kiss to b-be that of my wedding. It's t-too much pressure." She said, stumbling over her words in embarrassment. She cursed her stutter silently, and hoped that she had not make a bad impression on the man that she would be spending the rest of her years with. He was silent for a minute, and she knew that he was hesitant to grant her request. Finally, he spoke.

"You may kiss me."

Hinata watched as he shifted slightly back and forth on the fronts of his feet, as though he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. She took a deep breath, and stepped closer. She could feel the heat rising off his body, and it sent a chill down her spine. It aroused something that had previously lay dormant. She boldly met his eyes, and let her hand flutter to his chest, feeling the hard muscle under his clothes.

It was odd, knowing that this man, this beautiful man, would be hers by the end of the day.

She felt his strong heart beat under her palm, and by its pace, she knew he was as nervous as she was. That fact made her press on, and she rose to the tips of her toes, and watched and his head dropped down just a touch, anticipating… Her eyes drifted closed, the moment too intense.

Just a press further, and she felt his lips, dry and soft. Warm. She didn't want to pull away, but feared his rejection if she stayed any longer. She wasn't even sure he wanted this, it would be unfair to press the matter any farther. She had gotten what she wanted.

As Hinata pulled away, she felt her face brighten with her blush. Gaara's eyes looked slightly dazed, as though he could barely comprehend what had happened, and she wondered if this had been his first kiss as well. A breeze came through the open window, ruffling his bright red hair, and Hinata excused herself before she could give into temptation, and run her fingers through those bright red locks.

Although Hinata was not sure that the future held, she felt much more confident that she had made the correct choice in agreeing to marry Gaara.