"Naruto, can I look at your phone?"

"Sure thing, Gaara, go crazy…"

All went silent, Lee's eyes went entirely too round. Gaara turned an alarming shade of red and Kankuro stopped mid-step, turned slowly and eyeballed Naruto…

"I mean… er…"

Kankuro continued walking slowly, this blond kid with the fox-like grin was ticking him off, so was the green thing that appeared every now and then in the kitchen to offer help with dinner (usually knocking things over- and therefore not helping- when he did so), but he wasn't going to say anything; seeing as they were Gaara's friends. And- by the looks of it: just the things he needed right now- Gaara seemed a hundred times more relaxed in their company. They were following Tsunade's tips (orders, more like) carefully and Temari had suggested that Gaara invited a friend or two over that day, as it had been a while since he'd had company his own age.

Now, Kankuro knew that he was a rather eccentric guy; he had arguments with cakes, he was afraid of Power Rangers and he befriended masked porn-readers in bars (the young, but grey-haired man from the bar, Kakashi, had become somewhat his equivalent to Temari's friend, Jiraiya); but he had limits. He didn't violently vomit the colours green or orange on himself, for instance, like these two seemed to make a habit of doing; he didn't have a bowl-cut (thank Christ); he didn't say "BELIEVE IT!!!" at the end of every. Fucking. Sentence…

Kankuro rubbed his temples as another object went flying in the kitchen. They were Gaara's friends. He would suffer. He was a good big brother. He would survive.

"Agh! You're such a klutz, Lee! BELIEVE IT!"

"Temariiiiiiii" Kankuro began to wail, "I need you!"

Temari emerged from the kitchen with a hand full of porcelain, followed closely by a profusely apologizing Rock Lee.

"It's really fine, Lee. Just relax! Just… go into the lounge room, please."

"I will replace it as soon as I can, Temari!" Lee flashed a determined grin at her, sticking out his thumb.

"You can't, sweetie, it was a family heirloom."

Kankuro paled. Gaping at Temari like a mad fish of some description- she rolled her eyes and waved it off.

"Lee. Lounge room. Sit. Now."

Lee nodded and obediently seated himself next to Gaara. Gaara automatically shifted closer to Naruto, who grinned. "Temari, you're one scary lady when you wanna be! Even Sakura can't carry out orders with that much authority, believe it!"

In the distance, the sound of Kankuro sobbing could be heard.

"When are you planning on coming back to school, Gaara? We all miss you!" Lee asked.

Gaara shrugged in response. Not looking Lee in the eye…

An awkward silence ensued for a minute or so (silence being defined as silent, except for Lee's constant chatter) until Kankuro indicated subtly for Temari to follow him to the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

"Leave them for a while. I just want to watch."

Temari eyed him curiously, "What for?"

"It's just… yeah, leave them."

She shrugged, And leaned to the side, eying the three younger boys still on the couch. To any other than her trained eye- Gaara had eyes for no one but Naruto, but she was well aware that he was well aware of everyone in the house. "Sure, whatever."

"Does Gaara look a little… into Naruto… to you?"

"Well he seems to enjoy his company a lot-… he- he…" Temari glanced at her brother. Then at Naruto. Then at Kankuro. She blinked slowly, then repeated the process before hissing "No!"

"So I'm not going crazy, then? You can see it, too?"

"No… freakin' way!"

"Aw, calm down Temari, Gaara might be gay,- but there's still me, you'll be an aunty one day!"

"Oh, like you'll ever get laid…"

"I hate you (but you have a point, and I hate children, too)."

"Yeah, yeah, it's mutual, whatever… but… what the hell!" she whispered, watching her brother and his friend (boyfriend?) intently. Naruto was chatting animatedly to Lee, who was chatting animatedly to Gaara, who was staring pointedly at Naruto- Lee didn't seem deterred. In fact, his eyes were locked on Gaara. Temari wondered vaguely if he was a little on the dim side of life.

XxXxXxX

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Temari read the fifteen-year-old banner over the bar in a falsely cheery voice "Shouldn't you be releasing an… extra special book today?" She asked the wall.

A booming, cheerful, and clearly drunk voice answered "No, my beautiful friend! I, Jiraiya, world renowned super-perv (and part-time author) am working on a non romance!"

Temari very nearly dropped the heart-shaped apron she was tying around her waist. "You've had a few too many, don't you think…"

"I am being entirely serious, regardless of the copious amount of alcohol that is slowly seeping through my bloodstream. It is an action/ thriller!"

"Name one of the characters after me- okay! Just an extra, nothing too big." Temari laughed, "I wouldn't want too big a part in the movie, after all…" she added sarcastically.

Jiraiya roared with laughter, "Better still, my dear- the heroine is based off you!"

This time, Temari did drop her apron. "Now I know you've had too many. What sparked this madness, I ask you?!"

"Because, 'cept for 'suunaaadee, you are my very, very, bestest friend!" Jiraiya slurred, bloodshot eyes sliding shut.

"Oh, god…" Temari sighed, folding her arms. Missing the mention of Tsunade's name in her shock. "What am I going to do with you?"

As if in response, Jiraiya slumped over the bar and snored loudly. Temari rolled her eyes and fetched a glass from the cupboard beneath her, filling it at the sink and dumping it over the white-haired man's head. He merely grumbled at her. She shrugged and continued cleaning the bar around him, she'd take him home at closing time (after a certain amount of time working at the bar, employees were given a spare key to the writer's house- this spoke sad volumes about how much time he spent there).

After staggering under Jiraiya's weight for five blocks, dumping him in a pile of snow on the fourth to wake him, then assisting him into his house- Temari was looking forward to nothing more than getting home, taking a well-earned bath and curling up in bed. The very millisecond she spied Kankuro's mischievous grin, however she knew that wouldn't happen anytime soon.

"What?"

He simply grinned, and indicated the pile of letters (bills) on the tiny kitchen bench. She ambled over to the pile, on top of which a red envelope sat, with her name on it in beautifully neat cursive.

"Go on, read it!" he gestured excitedly to the envelope. She opened it tentatively; it was a card, decorated elaborately with pictures of hearts in many shapes and sizes;

"A Valentine's card?! Are you sure it's for me?" Kankuro rolled his eyes, "I mean, there are plenty of other Temaris in Suna, surely…" she opened the card as though it was trapped;

I couldn't help but notice how beautiful you are when you're in danger- but it's not my fault that I love you.

"What- what the hell is this?"

Kankuro shrugged, brows knitted in concern.

Temari frowned, it sounded almost like a… threat. Placing the card carefully on the bench- "Kankuro, do me a favour: stay here." she ordered softly, retrieving her little gun from her bag and creeping slowly into the next room, and the next, weapon raised. Eventually, after checking over cupboards, under beds, in the shower and any other, human-sized places in the house, Temari was forced to conclude there was no one else inside, "Lock the door, Kankuro."

He did as he was told, "Should we call the police?"

She rubbed her temples, "No. They're no good to us here. The cops would rather all of Suna rot than actually help us. That… businessman- in Konoha… He's corrupted the whole system by the looks of things." She sighed, "What's his name again?"

"Uchiha, isn't it?"

Temari faltered. "Yeah… yeah, that's it…" she replied in a strained voice.