Gaara and TenTen start paying attention to each other after attending Naruto and Hinata's wedding.
He keeps looking at her. Gaara can't remember the last time he saw Tenten. But today feels like the first time anyway. He’s scouring his memories, the exams, Tenten soaring through scrolls, his sister’s easy win. In each memory of Tenten, Lee and Neji are right next to her. That couldn't be right. It seems impossible that her looks and demeanor are only noticeable to him now.
Should he ask Lee about her? How could he get his friend alone? How could he get Tenten alone? Though no one can read his thoughts, he still finds his face dusted with pink at the thought of spending time alone with the woman. Maybe this was something to ask Temari about? But the idea of his older sister pinching his cheek and cooing about love made him reconsider.
The sensible thing to do was tag along with Tenten and Lee through Konoha. He’d deal with this feeling later.
“Don’t worry, you’re definitely her type,” Kiba slung his arm over Gaara. Gaara could smell the alcohol off of Kiba, but the other man didn’t seem too different from his typical demeanor. Perhaps he was speaking a little louder than usual. Everything was so loud here, so Gaara repeated what Kiba said, wanting to make sure he’d heard right.
“Her type?”
Kiba made a peace sign and gestured at Gaara’s eyes, and Gaara understood. He remembered Neji, whose pale eyes matched those of the bride. Now that he thought about it, every time he’d seen Tenten prior to the war, Neji had been by her side. “It’s not just the eyes either; trust me on this one.”
Gaara didn’t have much else to say on the topic because Kiba had pushed him fully onto the dance floor. Kiba was not a wallflower but had struck up conversation at the edge of the dance floor to sip his beer in peace. Gaara didn’t have to do anything other than enter the proximity of the kunoichi to be swept up in their motions.
Sakura, healthily drunk judging by her flushed face, hugged him. “Ah, Gaara, have you come to dance with us?”
Ino bumps Sakura with her hip, her blonde hair swaying, “Let him dance with me! I’ve always thought you were so cute,” she says it so plainly, like it’s a fact, and it makes him blush.
“I actually came to dance with Tenten,” Gaara says, waiting for Tenten’s eyes to meet his. She looks a little surprised but is quick to cut between Sakura and Ino, grabbing Gaara’s hand in the process.
“Wow, I’m so honored, Kazekage,” she says in a faux stilted tone. Gaara hasn’t stopped blushing since approaching Tenten, and her light teasing only makes his face a brighter red. At first her hands are clasped together at the back of his neck; Gaara takes one of her hands into his own. “Is this alright?” He asks, and she nods.
He spins her, smooth and well-practiced. Her laughter ringing out with the music, a few people glancing at the pair as they glide through the crowd. She slaps his chest a little before giggling into her hand, “You told me you couldn’t dance!”
“I’m just leading,”
“No, you’re good.” Tenten has to look away when she says this. Tenten felt small in his arms, not just because he was the perfect height to gaze up at, but because the last time she’d felt this way, she was a girl. Her smile is uncontrollable as gentle images of Neji briefly cross her mind.
“My siblings and I, we had to take lessons,” Gaara says, eyes glancing down at his feet. Memories of late summer afternoons parading around an empty room with his siblings, each holding an invisible partner. Baki had to convince them it’d be beneficial for battle. Gaara didn’t like to admit how he’d learned to be graceful from imaginary women he asked to dance. Tenten is definitely not imaginary. He can smell her perfume; it’s flowery with some sort of spice. Would it be rude to ask what it is?
Then the music picks up. Gaara looks away from Tenten and at the people around them. Couples have split apart to move freely and with more force. But Gaara doesn’t want to let go of her just yet. “Can I spin you again?”
“You can do whatever you want,” And before Tenten can correct herself or add an embarrassingly long explanation of what she meant to say, she’s being thrown out into the center of the floor.
Gaara has spun her with a flurry; she laughs heartily when Gaara tugs her back to him, spinning her back into his chest. She teeters, buzzed from the alcohol, disoriented from dancing. Gaara steadies her, his hand on her waist. “Sorry, that was too much—“
“Again!” She’s definitely a little more than tipsy. Gaara happily indulges the woman. Tenten doesn’t know how Gaara is able to spin her into a crowd of people with no one getting in their way. She spins back to him; he takes her hands and swings them apart from his. When they come back together, Gaara guides her hand from his shoulder down the length of his arm. When they are connected only by fingertips, he spins her. It’s gentle, an opposing force to the boisterous music.
Tenten’s hands come back together around his neck, and his own hands are lower than his first stiff movements with her. They sway in slow circles, Tenten’s head tucked into Gaara’s shoulders. He knows he should say something about how pretty she is, and in the time it takes to will his mouth to speak, the couple stumbles.
More accurately, it's her teammate who pushes them. Tenten slips, her feet sending her falling back, while Gaara trips forward, able to keep his body upright for the most part. Tenten desperately wants to escape now; she can feel every pair of eyes on the three of them. Lee, his voice as loud as ever, begs her to dance with him, while Gaara hovers inches away from her face. Their right hands are still connected; it’s what kept her from hitting the floor. Gaara had pulled her into his arms.
“You’re…elegant,” is all Gaara can think to say, and he’s so close that he can see the soft peach fuzz on her cheeks and above her lips. Her lips become all Gaara can focus on. It’s Lee who pulls the couple fully to their feet.
Tenten, grounded by embarrassment, saunters away from both men. No one’s ever called her elegant. It’s definitely not a term she’d apply to herself. She’s fuming a bit when she returns to the two kunoichi, who have moved from the dance floor to sit at a table together.
“Look who’s back!” Sakura says, pulling a chair up for Tenten to sit with them.
“Gracing us with your presence, Lady of the Sand?” Ino says, unable to keep from laughing at the blush that sprouts on Tenten’s cheeks.
“Gah,” Tenten swats her hand in Ino’s face, trying to force Ino’s words away, “It’s not like that.”
Sakura scoffs playfully, “Does he know that?”
Tenten can’t help the way her voice seems to shrink, how she can’t control her blush, “He just doesn’t think of me that way,”
The other two women roll their eyes. “You’re blind,” Sakura says, taking another sip of champagne.
“You know, if you’re so sure he doesn’t feel that way about you, ask if he’ll take you home,” Ino says, immediately raising her arms to brace herself against Tenten.
“What! I can’t ask him that; he’s the Kazekage!”
“Ask me what?” The three women freeze and then turn to find Gaara. He has three chocolate-covered strawberries in his hand; he offers one to each woman. Ino and Sakura are laughing their ‘thank you’s’ while Tenten shields herself from Gaara’s gaze.
Tenten stutters, unable to form any sort of lie that could appease him. She looks to Ino and Sakura for help, but this is a mistake. Ino takes that invitation to help, ready to pounce on the pair, “Gaara, what would you think of walking Tenten home?”
“Now?” He asks, looking around for his siblings, ready to tell them goodbye.
“No, no, later,” Sakura says, reaching for Tenten’s uneaten strawberry, popping it in her mouth. “She probably wants a strawberry or another slice of cake before she goes,” Sakura smiles again. Sakura collapses into Ino's side as they laugh together.
“Come on,” Tenten says, leading Gaara away from the table and back into the crowds of people. The crowd erupts with applause; Naruto and Hinata are both shy as they separate from a kiss on the dance floor. Tenten can’t help clapping too. In a way, it feels like part of a burden has been lifted from her shoulders.
Hinata is married to the man she’s loved for years and has someone who’ll always be on her side.
When Neji died, it was hard for Tenten to see Hinata at first. Their eyes and features were so similar; eventually, Tenten was happy to recognize her friend in Hinata, like part of him was still alive. They started having tea where Neji used to read. And slowly, tea turned into training sessions and outings in town. Now she babysits and helps Hinata do the more rigorous chores around the house.
“Tenten!” Hinata releases herself from Neji to jump into Tenten’s arms.
“You’ve been so busy I haven’t been able to congratulate you yet!”
“It’s okay! I know you’re happy for me! I’m so glad you’re here too. I wish…” and Hinata trails off. Tenten knows what’s coming; Hinata always hesitates when bringing Neji’s name up. Tenten grabs her friend's hand in reassurance. “I wish he were here. If he were, you’d already be married, and I could come to you for advice,”
Tenten’’s smile, squeezing Hinata’s hand, “I’ll do my best for you, Hinata; you can always come to me for anything you need,” which is true. It’s also something she knows that Neji would want her to say and do. In the beginning of the friendship, she would have said it just for Neji, but these days it comes from her own desires.
“Aw! Tenten!” And she’s engulfed by Naruto, blonde hair in her mouth as she struggles to pull him off.
“Give her some space,” Gaara’s voice is right next to her ear, cool and deep like always. The shiver that runs up her spine is involuntary.
“Gaara!” Naruto is drunk, not tipsy, drunk. He clings to Gaara, which only attracts Lee again. And this time, Tenten cannot escape a dance with her teammate.
It’s late, the moon is full and illuminating the village. Tenten felt like she’d spent a day training, her body tired but mind content. The wedding had been beautiful, and being able to spend time with friends, family, and allies made her feel like everything was in place.
To her surprise, Gaara did not leave with Kankuro; instead, he stayed behind with Tenten, Lee, Shino, and Kiba as they made a quick scour of the party grounds. Stacking chairs and throwing away empty bottles and plates, they wanted to make the morning clean-up easier. The three boys were likely at a bar still drinking, but Tenten and Gaara were strolling along the river.
“Were you betrothed to him?” Gaara asks this with such a tender seriousness that Tenten can’t help but cackle. He’s really too cute for his own good, she thinks. Tenten knows he means Neji. She finds her hands clasped together at her back; she resists the urge to fidget with them under Gaara's scrutiny.
She shrugs. “That sounds so serious.” She peeks at Gaara from the corner of her eye; he’s watching her. His eyes are so eager, so genuine and curious, it makes her feel light. “I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told anyone besides Lee,”
Gaara expects himself to stiffen and become awkward, but he’s so engrossed by Tenten that he finds himself listening with ease.
“When we all departed for war, Neji promised that when it was over we’d have a life together. When I asked what that meant, he said he’d propose to me. Even then I laughed. It had never occurred to me that I could have a life without Neji.” Gaara is surprised at her tone, her smile. She speaks of the broken promise so fondly.
“When he died, I didn't know what to do with myself. It wasn't just that he was gone, but our way of life. There's so much I want to tell him about how the world’s changed. He’s from a different time. He was my first love and my best friend. These days though, I’m just happy I knew him at all, that our time together lasted as long as it did.” She stops walking, turning to look at Gaara with an embarrassed expression. “Sorry! I was rambling a bit there.”
“You look extraordinary today, Tenten!” Lee greeted his teammate with a jump kick. Tenten moves out of the way and dusts off her dress. It’s not much different than what she usually wears, but she is wearing a new pair of earrings. Their glass flowers, the petals move around the flower bud, so they twinkle when she moves.
“Thanks, Lee,” She’s in such a good mood that his overenthusiastic nature hasn't gotten to her yet. She promised to meet Lee on the training grounds but decided, for once, that she’d rather spend the time applying a light coat of makeup. She’d train with him later.
Lee leans down to sniff her hair. “You even smell better than usual.”
“Okay, enough,” Tenten steps away from him; maybe that extra spritz of perfume was too much. “Should we head to the gates?”
“Let’s waste no time!” Lee knew they would likely arrive early, but he liked being early. Tenten found herself keeping the same pace as Lee, running almost to the entrance gates.
“Wow, it looks like the Kazekage had the same idea!” Lee’s voice catches the attention of the sand siblings.
“Welcome back!” Tenten surprises everyone, including herself, with a volume that matches Lee’s. “Happy you’re here,” This she tries to obviously direct at Gaara, meeting his gaze for the first time in months. The last time she’d seen him, he was on duty. But there was a knock on her door late that night. They’d spent the moonlight hours talking on the steps leading up to her apartment. He gives her a small smile and nods.
Lee ends up taking Gaara by the arm, while Tenten chats with Kankuro and Temari. They don't get very far before Temari separates herself from the group. Temari doesn't say it, but Tenten knows Temari’s on her way to meet Shikamaru. Tenten chats politely with Kankuro, but her eyes keep wandering back to Gaara, who she manages to catch looking over his shoulder at her.
Kankuro hums, and Tenten looks at him, “I’ll make you a deal.”
“For what?” She asks.
“Buy me a drink, and I’ll make sure you sit next to him,” Kankuro laughs when she shoves him. But when they all sit down to order food, Kankuro keeps his promise and pulls the chair out next to Gaara for Tenten to take.
“Thanks.” The word dry and flat leave Tenten’s mouth. The meal is lively, though. The four of them are friends after all, so the conversation flows between them easily. With dessert on its way and their glasses empty, Tenten has almost forgotten how nervous she was to see Gaara again. Lee, with an endearing smile, finds a way to make her eyes bulge and starts shaking her head.
“Tenten! I see you have a purse today; have you brought along your cards? Or maybe tea leaves?” Lee asks excitedly.
She hadn't been thinking about her fortune-telling cards when she grabbed her purse, but Lee is right; she does have them. “Ah, I’m sure you guys don't want to do that.”
Kankuro perks up, “Do you read fortunes?” He removes his gloves, then sticks out his palms to her. “Tell me I’m going to get lucky,”
Tenten rolls her eyes, “That's not how it works,” but she still takes Kankuro’s hands in hers. Tracing her finger over the lines on his palm. Kankuro delights in the way Gaara’s shoulders tense.
“Hm, you,” she chuckles, “you worry a lot.” Tenten points to a cluster of lines under his thumb. “These lines make it harder to read the rest of your palm.”
Kankuro pouts at his short palm reading, “What about the cards—” Kankuro shushes himself. Gaara has stuck his hands out to Tenten.
“Please,” he says with a tilt of the head. Tenten nods, taking his hands.
She points at his palm, and Gaara feels as if he’s been struck by lightning. “Your lifeline shows impaired health until your early teens. The lines of influence strike the headline young too,” of course the Kazekage’s palms read like this. She stumbles over her words for the next part of his reading. “Your heartline, it um, it reaches, this is the year that it—”
Lee intercepts, piecing together what Tenten is saying. “Congratulations, Gaara! This will be the year you find love!”
Gaara puts his gaze on Tenten. “Really?” The word is so pointed Tenten swears a blade has brushed against her skin.
She throws her shoulder into his, “You don't have to say things like that,”
“Like what?”
Tenten laughs; it's light and free, and it twines around Gaara’s heart. “Yes, I’m likely here,” They sit on a grassy hilltop, the dusk a blazing gold. Tenten runs a hand on the blades of grass next to Gaara’s. He doesn't move his fingers to grab hers, just watches as she plucks out a few blades of grass. She ties soft green blades into a ring.
“Here,” For the second time that day, she grabs his hand. This time she slides a simple grass ring onto his middle finger.
“I should be the one giving you a ring.” The peaceful look on Gaara's face erupts into a bashful red. “I didn't mean that, not that I wouldn't want to,” He forces himself to stop talking. He knows the longer he drags it out, the worse it’ll sound.
Tenten kisses him on the cheek, “Relax, Lord Kazekage.” He hates when she uses his title like that. Whenever she did, he wanted to grab her by the shoulders and demand she use his given name. He startled, sitting up to rest on his knees; did she know that? How it grounded him when she teased him that way?
She’s tentative when she leans her head on his shoulder. The trees rustle and bend as a breeze runs through the field.
“I like the way you smell. I've wanted to say that to you when we danced together.”
Tenten laughs, “Is it really becoming to speak so freely with a woman?”
Gaara clutches at his shirt collar, “I don't suppose so. But if I don't… He didn't want to say it felt like he’d explode if he didn't tell her these things. That it was imperative to find ways to soothe the burning he felt, and right now talking to her is what helped.
She pulls Gaara’s arm down to his side. “I like it. Besides, I wore a little extra perfume today just for you. It’d be a waste if you didn't notice.” Tenten wants to be closer but knows that if she did, it’d be too much. Her heart is already racing; she takes forever to piece together her words; she's simply nervous. But he’s so warm.
A/N; As with most fics, Ive arranged a playlist just for the occasion; https://open.spotify.com/playlist/57d4eNnIHt77KJfDksHJwg?si=9c837b97b9794fe8&pt=ee981c5adee2bcda8d74aeca5f1e7aa9
Ive been a Neji/TenTen shipper since I saw them on screen as a child lol. Ive read lots of NejiTen, and even written some, but it recently started to bug me that TenTen is so alone ??? same with Gaara tbh. Also why does he have that stupid ass haircut in the most recent episodes?????? GET A GRIP LET HIS HAIR BE WILD AND MESSY. ITS CUTE.
adrenaline.
no proof reading.
I like writing cheesy stuff like this cause my orignal works tend to skew more violent and heavy.
If you still have a slot left, would you fit in Tenten and Gaara for an acts of kindness piece? I realize that you already have a bunch of “Naruto” requests, so if you have too many arriving at the closure I can save it for the summer or fall. Thanks!
GaaTen! That’s cute! Always here for some cute Gaara ships, he deserves all the love <3 And not to worry! I usually just go ahead and take last-minute requests, because I try to be fair when people are jostling for the last couple of slots, especially if it happens when I’m asleep or something.
Not Good For Business
He’d been staring at her for at least three minutes now-- definitely too long, but Gaara couldn’t help it. She was slumped over the counter of her weapons stall, mouth parted as she breathed deeply and steadily. Her breaths clouded before her face, dusting her cheeks and eyelashes in frosty crystals, and her cheeks were a ruddy red compared to her pale skin. Even if Tenten was dressed in a scarf and a downy overcoat, it certainly wasn’t the weather to be dozing out in the open.
Blanket, Gaara thought, the first coherent one he’d had after spotting the girl fast asleep at her weapons stall. He walked into the nearest general store and found a display of thick, downy blankets stacked near the front. He rifled through them, scrutinizing each one-- which would she like? He decided on one patterned with camellia blossoms. Girls liked flowers, right? Even if Tenten wasn’t exactly the most ordinary girl...
After paying, he walked back across the street, where she was still snoozing against the cold wood of her weapons stall. A fine layer of frost adorned the various weapons hanging from the hooks behind her. Weapons weren’t exactly selling in bulk in this new era of peace, he thought wryly. Gaara carefully edged around the counter so he could unfold the blanket and drape it over her slumbering form.
He froze when she inhaled sharply, and her eyelashes fluttered open to gaze up at him. At first, her eyes were hazy with sleep, but they gradually cleared and flooded with curiosity.
“You fell asleep,” he said dumbly.
She looked around, taking in the puddle of drool on the wood and the impression of the wood grain on her cheek. She rubbed her eyes with an incomprehensible grumble, squinting at the snow-dusted street.
“Oh. Well, that’s not good for business,” she joked and looked back to him. Gaara flushed. How could she look so pretty just glancing at him like that? “Thank you,” she said and pulled the blanket around her shoulders. “It’s really pretty.”
“You like it?” Gaara couldn’t help but ask, his heart fluttering in his chest. Tenten smiled and nodded. Her smile was pretty, too. “I’m glad.”
“I feel honored, being doted on by the great Lord Kazekage,” she giggled with a little wiggle of her shoulders. Gaara grimaced in embarrassment and scratched at the back of his neck. “Sure makes a girl feel good.”
“I... Well...”
“Care to keep me company?” she asked, scooting down her bench a little to pat the spot beside her. “It’s not like I’m busy, so if you’re not too caught up in official Kage business, I’d love to sit and talk.” The way she was looking at him, peering expectantly at him from underneath her lashes, made it impossible to refuse if he’d even wanted to. She laughed as he plopped down clumsily beside her, rattling the counter as he bumped his knee against it. He curled up with a groan, trying to pretend the pain shooting up his nerves wasn’t agonizing.
“I imagine inviting someone to chat isn’t exactly good for business, either,” he wheezed through the pain, looking at her through his peripheral vision. She tipped back her head in an airy laugh.
“Yeah, but it’s not like I’m selling anything anyway, so I might as well take my chance to flirt with the Kazekage, eh?”
Gaara’s face flooded the color of a tomato, making Tenten laugh more. He really didn’t know much about girls, but he knew she was pretty and he knew he liked her, so what more did he really need to know?
Enjoy this drabble? Feel free to find more on my Table of Contents!
