A/N: Hey lovelies! Here's another chapter for ya! This one is a little short, but they'll start getting longer after this. I have a rough outline of where I want everything to go, but as always I am open to any suggestions! Also, thanks everyone who has been reviewing-it means a lot! I rarely message anyone back to personally thank them for reviewing but please know that it really does mean a lot to me that people are enjoying this story that I never even planned to continue. So thanks guys! Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

Chapter 5

Hinata gazed out the floor length windows to the sun setting over the horizon. The view was breathtaking and she was in awe that this would be her view every evening. She put a hand against the glass and sighed with a small smile. Hinata was a believer in omens, and this, she decided, had to be a good one.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her growling stomach and she gave a small frown. She didn't want to move but after her travels she was famished. She reminded herself once more that she would see this view every night and therefore she shouldn't fret too much over it. She smiled softly and, with a short nod, she left the room to search for dinner.

It wasn't long after she descended her staircase inviting aromas filled her senses. Soon the now familiar voices of her siblings-in-laws reached her ears. She could hear them bickering and the thought of that made her giggle to herself. However, she did not hear Gaara's voice and came to find out when she entered the dining room that he was no where to be found.

"You're such a hard-ass Temari," Kankura groaned as he leaned back to stretch.

"And you're an ignoramous," Temari scoffed as she fanned herself with a tiny version of the fan she used for combat. She looked to see Hinata who had entered the room.

"Ah, there you are. We're about to have dinner," she smiled warmly.

"That sounds great, I'm starving," Hinata sat down adjacent from Kankuro, "Where is Gaara?"

"Probably in his office still. He loses track of time." Kankuro answered as he started eating. Hinata felt a small pang of sadness in her chest. There was an enormous banquet spread out before them that made Hinata's mouth water. Unfamiliar spices filled the air though it all looked delicious—salted meats, fermented vegetables, and dense looking bread as well as rice. However, she made no move to eat though the others were starting to. She felt like she should wait for Gaara despite how hungry she was.

"You should go ahead and eat," Temari voiced Hinata's thoughts, "Gaara sometimes skips meals. He had a lot to catch up on today so it's no surprise that he stayed in his office.

Hinata sighed and slowly began fixing her plate. She guiltily put a bit of everything onto her plate until an idea crossed her mind. She set the plate she had prepared for herself aside and began fixing a new one. She felt Temari and Kankuro eyeing her though she didn't comment on it.

"Eating for two?" Kankuro smirked though Temari smacked his head. Hinata only shook her head and stood up holding the two plates in her hands.

"I'm sorry but if you could excuse me," Hinata breathed and Temari smiled warmly at her, knowing her intentions.

./././

Hinata felt her heart flutter nervously as she stood outside the Kazekage's office. Her husband's office. She hadn't seen him all day, and she had missed him. Or rather she missed his company. In truth, she had been bored most of the day. After she had bathed and took Zephyr for a short walk around the compound she didn't have much to do aside from flip through a few of the books in their room's enormous library.

She took a breath to steady herself and moved to knock on the door. However, a thought crossed her mind. I am the wife of the Kazekage, I shouldn't knock. She didn't want to seem weak to Gaara. She reminded herself that this was her fresh start and she squared her shoulders back and walked into his office.

She saw Gaara immediately. The room was dim as the sun was nearly setting in the background and she took a moment to take in his silhouette. He hadn't changed into his robes as he must have gotten straight to work, and he looked tired. He didn't look up at her though she knew he must have sensed her presence.

"I brought you dinner," Hinata murmured, not wanting to disturb him. Gaara scribbled on a document before looking up at her with a perplexed look about his features.

"Thank you, but that was unnecessary."

"I thought you might be hungry."

"I have a lot of work to do," Gaara said, though he was not dismissing her.

"You need to eat something," Hinata tried as she moved to stand in front of his desk.

"Are you telling me what to do?" Gaara smirked up at her and Hinata blushed.

"N-no! I just…" Hinata looked for what to say though Gaara chuckled.

"Thank you, you can put it here," He cleared away a few papers. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief and was surprised to see how neat he was. She placed his food down as well as her own.

"I thought we could have dinner together," Hinata explained as he eyed her.

"Hinata…" He started.

"I understand you are busy." She stated, "I have grown up with very important, very busy men. However, my father always ate dinner with us. W-within reason of course. But he made it a point to spend time with family. To me, meal times are important for family. If you do not wish to eat together I-I understand. But…" She trailed off, unsure of what to say next though Gaara put up a hand to stop her.

"I understand. Please sit. Tomorrow I will be at dinner as well," Gaara said and proceeded to eat. That was easy, Hinata thought and offered a small smile to him. He returned it briefly before taking a bite of his food.

Hinata also tasted her dinner. She had had Suna's cuisine before though it was nothing like this. She had mainly had street food that was sold from carts when she stayed here before, it was nothing extravagant. The spices used were different from Konoha's. Everything was spicy, Hinata thought, though she didn't mind. The rice seemed more hearty and rarely were the vegetables fresh as most were fermented.

"I should have notified the staff to cook a meal that is custom for Konohagakure," Gaara stated after a small bite.

"No, this is perfect. Especially after traveling," Hinata smiled.

"There is a garden on the grounds that hasn't been used much over the years but if you want anything planted. Just let one of the staff members know."

"Thank you," Hinata nodded, thinking of the possibilities.

"It's hard to grow things in the desert, and even harder to store them. That's why fresh vegetables and fruits are hard to come by. We have to ferment most things or else they go to waste," Gaara commented as he bit into a radish. She nodded once more, trying to take in as many details of her new home village as she could.

Hinata breathed out, feeling her hot breath escape her tingling lips. Her mouth was on fire and she noticed Gaara looking intently at it. Hinata blushed, felling her face heat up close to the temperature of her tongue.

"Is it too spicy?" Gaara asked though he seemed distracted as he was still gazing at her lips.

"N-no," Hinata assured as she took a sip of water, "I like spicy food. I'm just not used to it being so… spicy."

Gaara nodded and gave a small smirk as they continued to finish their meal in silence. Hinata noticed just how tired her husband seemed to be after a day of not only travel, but work as well. She reached over and put a hand on his that was resting on the table.

"How much more work do you have?" She asked.

"It never ends," he said wryly though he smirked at her.

"Then you should be able to take a break," Hinata stated.

"Hinata I—"

"I know you're busy," Hinata repeated, "It's just that… Everything here is so unfamiliar if I'm being honest. And well… You're not. Unfamiliar that is."

Gaara was silent for a few moments. They had both finished their meal and were now only enjoying each others company. Hinata was pushing her luck, she knew. Gaara had already agreed to have dinner with her despite having so much work to attend to. However, for reasons she didn't understand she wanted to prolong the time spent with him. It was a bit childish, she knew, but for once she didn't care. Maybe it was something in the Suna heat, or maybe it was the spicy food, that made Hinata feel bold.

"Would you…" Gaara started rather awkwardly, interrupting her thoughts, "Like to join me for a walk?"

Hinata smiled, "That sounds wonderful."

./././

The newlyweds walked in comfortable silence out of the compound. By now it was night time and most of the citizens of Suna who knew how brutally cold the nights were had taken shelter in their cozy homes. There were only a few shinobi from what Hinata could see, that were out and about at this hour.

It was strange. Konoha nights were often filled with noise and laughter and the bright lights that made the town seem more alive even in darkness. However, Hinata did notice that the joy of the evening was not absent despite everyone being inside. She could faintly hear the jovial sounds of merriment when passing the homes of families or tea houses. It was a pleasant discovery, and she couldn't deny that she did indeed liked how peaceful the evening seemed.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a shiver than ran up her spine.

"Cold?" Gaara eyed her though they kept walking.

"I'm fine," Hinata breathed, though she only had worn a light jacket. She wanted to scold herself—she knew what Suna nights were like. The weather in Suna was never mild. It was either extremely hot or extremely cold and to dress like she did was an amateur mistake. She didn't want Gaara to think her arrogant or needy. So Hinata ultimately decided to suck it up.

"Here," Gaara said, and with one fluid motion he had removed his kage robes and wrapped them around HInata.

"Agh…" Hinata started, she was taken completely aback, "I… I can't wear this!" She moved to untie the strings at the top.

"Why not?" Gaara breathed as gently swatted away her hands and continued to tie the robes.

"T-they're not for me!" she stammered, "This isn't okay!"

"I say it is. And so it is."

"B-but… aren't you cold?" she tried lamely, unable to ignore how nice and warm she now felt.

"I am used to this cold. And no one will see us. And if they do they won't think anything of it."

Hinata was silent as Gaara finished tying the strings and looked into her eyes. He was stoic as ever, though Hinata smiled at his kindness. She gave a small nod as thanks and moved to take his hand in hers though she had to roll up the sleeves of the robe a bit.

They walked once more in silence, though now instead of Hinata taking in the wonders of Suna, she marveled over the wonders of Gaara. She was completely distracted by the scents on his robes—cinnamon, cracked pepper, dark chocolate, sand, sun, and a scent that she only knew as Gaara's. She no longer noticed the chill of the air, only the warmth of his hand in hers.

They walked about the streets for half an hour. And Gaara was right, no one noticed the robes or if they did, no one commented on it. They didn't speak much. But Hinata was content, and from what she could tell, so was Gaara.

They arrived back at the tower, and Hinata noticed how this time instead of being welcomed by cool air it appeared they were met with warmth. How fitting, she thought. She breathed a sigh of relief at the warmth and looked to her husband who was watching her. It appeared they were both waiting for some cue from the other. That cue came in the form of Hinata trying, and failing, to stifle a yawn.

"You're tired. You should get some rest." Gaara stated as he remained watching her.

"But it's still early," Hinata breathed.

"Yes but in Suna the day starts before dawn and you'll need to be well rested for tomorrow," He explained, "There is a council meeting in the morning that you will need to attend with me."

"Oh…" Hinata said, of course. She had duties now.

"Mm," Gaara nodded and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you…" Hinata started though the blush creeping up to her face stopped her, "Are you coming to bed too?"

"I have—" Gaara stopped. I have work to do, Hinata knew he was about to say though now he was silent. She peeked up over her lashes to look at him. He looked to be pondering over something.

"I can bring some of my work to do in the room. Would that be alright?" He is compromising, Hinata thought and that made her smile broadly at him.

"I'll see you there," she said boldly and walked ahead of him to the room without glancing back.

After she rounded the corner, though, she bumped into Kankuro.

"Whoa!" He gasped and moved to steady Hinata who was rubbing a shoulder, "Where's the fi…re." Kankuro looked at her a bit confused at first until he erupted into thunderous guffaws. Hinata looked at him, perplexed.

"What is it?" She asked finally after he had calmed down a bit.

"I always knew Gaara was possessive," he wiped an eye, "But this is just juvenile."

"What are you…?" Hinata started but was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder from someone standing behind her.

"Kankuro," she heard her husband mutter dangerously low behind her. She saw Kankuro's face go a bit pale before as he scratched his head.

"Oh come on baby bro."

"Don't," Gaara stated before looking to Hinata. She felt her heart quicken though she wasn't sure if it was due to his dangerous tone or how close he was behind her. She could feel his breath on her neck.

"Bedroom," he ordered and Hinata nodded, not sure of what else to do. It was the first time she had seen him act that way. So… ominous. However, by now she was used to his mood swings and ultimately decided to think nothing of it. She climbed the stairs to her room and went to open the door. When she went to grasp the knob she had to role her sleeves up a bit and only then did she realize what Kankuro found so funny.

Gaara's robes.

They were still on her. Hinata giggled. It was such a small thing although she could see how Kankuro thought it to be juvenile on Gaara's part. Wearing the clothes of your significant other showed that you belonged to them. Hinata doubted anyone else had ever worn his clothes, much less his kage robes, and for some reason that made her smile as she entered their shared bedroom.

./././

Hinata observed Gaara for the umpteenth time, watching how focused he seemed at his bedroom desk. They had been in their rooms for about an hour and had barely spoken though, Hinata knew it wasn't because he was ignoring her. Gaara, she had decided, wasn't one who stretched himself too thin by focusing on more than one task at a time. He completely devoted his all to whatever task was at hand.

She fondled the fur blanket that covered her on the bed and smiled. She rather liked this bed. It was much more cozy. Warm. The air in the room was frigid though the vast blankets kept her nice and toasty despite the fact that she could see her breath. As she had been observing her husband she was often mesmerized by watching the soft white puffs of air leave his lips.

Upon arrival to their room Gaara had offered to build a fire for her, though she assured him it was unnecessary. In truth, she found herself strangely warm already whenever she was in his presence. It was such an odd feeling though Hinata couldn't find it in herself to be anything but comforted by her husband. She thought on how afraid she had been, at the idea of marrying such a man, and almost laughed. After only a few days all of her anxieties had been quelled.

Hinata laid back on the bed, realizing how tired she truly was after all of the events of the day. She sighed dreamily. She sighed once more, feeling completely at ease despite being in a new bed for the first time.

The bed was so comfortable, more so than her old one though she hated to admit it. She closed her eyes and felt herself doze.

She could hear Gaara scribbling away at his desk as well as Zephyr snoring softly beside the bed. She smiled, the pup seemed to know instinctively to not try anything with Gaara in the room. He had eyed him with a slight grimace when he entered the room.

Hinata felt herself drifting in and out of consciousness. She barely registered when she felt the weight of the bed shift nor did she register when she felt something brush against her hair. A hand maybe? She wasn't sure, she was too tired—too warm and comfortable.

./././

Hinata busied herself anxiously. She was running late. She had awoken just before sunrise which, in Suna was extremely late. She knew she should have set an alarm, but she was so comfortable after getting into bed that she completely forgot. Gaara was no where to be found when she awoke, and Hinata was a little miffed that he didn't think to wake her.

She fumbled with her new headband—fastening it around her neck without dwelling too much on its new color and symbol. She had too much to do today for her to be lost in thought.

She and Gaara had a meeting with the council today, though she had no idea what time. She had to take on whatever responsibilities that was expected of her, and she had no way to prepare for it as she didn't know what she would be doing. Officially, the role of the wife (or husband) of a Kage is more a status title than anything else. However, Suna is a bit different. Their small size as well as their tough culture made it necessary to have a more involved Kage family as well as the fact that all Kages had come from this clan. It was expected for every member to be elite.

She had been briefed when the marriage was being discussed—she would oversee the academy, take on low ranked missions when nin were short, review and sign files in the stead of the Kazekage—a task that she was sure she wouldn't be trusted with yet—and essentially tend to all tasks her husband deemed fit for her. She wouldn't be given anything too dangerous though whether this was due to keep her from harm for the sake of the peace treaty or possibly that Gaara thought her weak—Hinata didn't know. She tried to assure herself that it was the former.

She was going to be great here, she ultimately decided. She was going to do her best and damnit she would not look weak. She would make herself worthy of being the wife of a Kage. She raked her fingers through her hair before bolting out the door towards Gaara's office to get her orders for the day and also confront him on why he didn't wake her.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I know it was really short, but I couldn't think of anywhere else to end it and I didn't want to go into the next part yet. As always if you have any comments or suggestions don't hesitate to reach out! Thanks again and until next time :)