Of forgotten Anniversaries and unexpected Gifts - Gaara x Reader
You wake up to an empty bed, the place next to you cold.
For a minute, you stay where you are, one hand resting under the other pillow.
But you have to get up, even if you don’t want to.
The blue sky is taunting you, promising a stifling heat. You dress for it, anticipating the worst.
The kitchen is empty, only the dirty dishes in the sink indicate that you’re not living alone.
With a grimace, you scrub the plates down. It’s always the job of the last one to get up and Kankuro has made it a habit to get up extra early to get out of the chore.
At least he made sure to leave enough Porridge for you to also have breakfast.
You meet him where you expected him to be, hunched over yet another puppet in his workshop.
Two knocks on the doorframe to alert him.
“What?” He asks without looking up.
“Have you seen your brother?”
“Why are you asking me? He’s your husband.”
“He didn’t leave a note, I just thought-”
Kankuro looks up now. You’re pretty sure he’s measuring you, reading you in a way you don’t want to be read.
“He’s the Kazekage. I’d look for him in the tower.”
“Thanks,” you mumble awkwardly before turning away to leave.
“Be nice to him,” your brother-in-law yells after you. As if you’d ever been anything else.
-
“Lord Kazekage is in a meeting,” a young Chunin declares with an air of arrogance.
“For how long?”
“I don’t have the permission to tell you that.”
Someone calls your name just as your grip on your bags tighten. You can’t sock a Chunin in the face but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to.
Matsuri walks down the long hallways, smiling.
“What brings you here?”
“I wanted to see my husband,” you point out.
“Oh, Gaara-sama? He’s in a meeting until nine but then he should have a fifteen-minute break before the next meeting.”
The Chunin pales at your conversation.
“You’re…?”
“Yes,” you tell him pointedly.
“You are not dressed in-”
“I am dressed in standard uniform because I have work to get to. Do you think I just sit at home and stare out the window?”
Matsuri’s hand on your shoulder tells you that you’ve been a bit too harsh on the poor guy.
“You’re excused,” you tell him and he slinks away as quickly as he can.
“Everything okay?” Matsuri asks as soon as the guy is out of sight.
“Just peachy,” you breathe out through your nose.
“I… I’d better get going then. When’s Gaara’s Lunch break?”
“He usually doesn’t take one. Rice cakes are served during meetings so if he gets hungry, he eats those but he usually just eats in the mornings and evenings.”
You purse your lips, thinking.
“When does he get out?”
“He should be done at six, but sometimes meetings run later. Do you want me to notify you?”
“I don’t know.” You fight with the uniform that suddenly feels too tight.
“I’ll... I’ll get going.”
“What are your plans for today?”
“I was going to visit the outposts. I was planning on doing that since I got here but everything else kept me busy.”
“I’ll accompany you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I will,” she smiles. “Come on, let’s get going. It’s going to get even hotter and we want to use the shadows as long as we have them.”
-
“Today is your anniversary,” Matsuri comments on your first break.
“Yes.”
“Is it weird?”
You know exactly what she means and her direct approach is exactly what you need. It’s not without reason that Matsuri has quickly become the person closest to you in this village.
“Yes, it’s weird.” You purse your lips. “We’ve been married for a year but living together… it’s been barely three months now. Everyone has a set routine, too. Don’t disturb Kankuro while he’s cooking, or working on his puppets, or painting his face. Don’t eat anything without asking first, because it could be poisonous. Don’t touch Gaara without warning him first.”
“I know it’s hard to believe sometimes, but Gaara really does care for you.”
“I know,” you nod with a heavy heart. “I know. It’s just… I don’t think he knows what being married means sometimes.”
“I think he doesn’t know he’s allowed to exist as a human being too. He never complains when he gets scheduled for meetings back to back. I’m pretty sure he’d love to have a Lunch break.” Matsuri huffs. “But his secretary is a bitch.”
You gasp. She laughs.
“She really is. She’s some old hag that worked for his dad. Oh, please, can you tell her off? If you tell her to give him a lunch break and an early evening, she will have to listen. You’re the Lady Kazekage now.”
You purse your lips. It does sound appealing.
“How about…” You hesitate for a second. “How about we plan a celebration? For my anniversary? I could surprise Gaara with it. A weekend just for the two of us.”
“Oh, I’m sure that would be lovely. You could take him to the bathhouse. It’s a rare treat for anyone and I’m not sure he’s ever been there.”
“A bathhouse?” The idea does sound appealing, you have to admit.
-
You return to Suna in the late afternoon, the sun still baking the village, even though the shadows are now growing longer and longer.
The guards greet you with welcoming smiles.
Not everyone in Suna likes you, but you can feel them slowly warming up to you.
Your family’s roots are just as strongly tied to Suna as those of the Kazekage Family. But when it became clear that they’d never rule the village, your grandfather relocated the whole Clan to a smaller village at the border of the Land of the Wind, easily taking over the reigns there.
Marrying Gaara has been just as much a political decision as it has been a romantic one.
After all, it’s hard not to fall in love with Gaara, with the calm confidence he exudes and the gentleness he treats you with - well, when he’s not drowning in work
You stop at the market on your way home, buying groceries, snacks and, following an instinct, a Cacti you haven’t seen yet in your husband’s collection.
But Gaara’s not home yet.
-
Ashikaga-san furrows her brows at you when you enter.
You changed into more formal clothing for this visit, the gold and diamonds glittering on your hands and neck. The jewelry isn’t technically necessary for your outfit, but you’ve noticed how often it humbles the people trying to pick a fight with you.
“I want to see my husband,” you tell her.
“He’s in a meeting.”
“And when was that meeting supposed to end?”
“It’s going to end when it’s going to end.” She sneers.
You smile but it’s more like baring your teeth at her.
“When was the last time he had a break?”
“He used the restroom an hour ago.”
“Do I have to repeat my question?”
She huffs. “It’s a normal workday for a Kazekage, I don’t see why you should have a problem with that.”
“How old did the last Kazekage get?” You ask, your tone sweet.
She immediately bristles. “That has nothing to do-”
“I disagree. Overworking the person you should be assisting isn’t going to give you brownie points.”
“Well I can’t end the meeting now, can I?” She hisses back.
“No,” you agree. “You can’t do that. But you do have influence. Let’s start with clearing his weekend first, shall we? I’m going to pick him up around noon, so make sure there are no appointments after that.”
“But-”
You glare at her until her mouth closes again and she nods.
“I know he’s busy, so how about we plan fifteen-minute breaks every two hours and half an hour for Lunch?”
Her mouth is pulled into a straight line as she goes through his calendar under your watchful eyes.
You know very well that Gaara’s an early riser. Not to mention that the early hours of the morning are the ones most enjoyable in the desert. It wouldn’t make sense to force him to push those early appointments further back only to be able to curl into him in the morning. But now you might have the weekends to do that, at least.
“And now,” you pull a little note out of your bag, “you’ll go into that meeting and hand him this note.”
Ashikaga-san doesn’t look the least bit happy to be ordered around this much, but she does as she is told.
Only fifteen minutes later different officials file out of the Kazekage’s office, leaving only Gaara behind, his hair mussed and his face pale with exhaustion.
“Hey,” you knock lightly against the doorframe. “Can I come in?”
“Yes,” he nods, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “Come in. Close the door.”
You round his table and take a seat on the armrest of his chair, leaning into him.
“Hey,” you whisper, only now feeling just how much you’ve been yearning to be close to him.
“Hey.”
“Can I touch you?”
“Yes,” he nods, catching you as you slide onto his lap, your arms circling his shoulders.
You sit like that for a while, basking in each other's presence.
“I missed you,” you tell him quietly, face hidden against his neck. “The bed is cold without you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know you are,” you hum. “But…”
“But?”
“I am like a plant too,” you pull back to look into his eyes, pale green and beautiful. “I’ll starve if you don’t give me your attention.”
“I’m sorry.” Gaara presses a kiss against your temple, the tip of your nose, your lips. “I’m trying to be better.”
“Do you know what today is?”
“Wednesday?”
You smile ruefully. “It’s our anniversary.”
“Oh.” His brows crinkle. “Has it really been a year already?”
“It has. Though I think we could celebrate our marriage twice. On the day we married and on the day I moved in.”
“Celebrate it.” He repeats these words as if he’s tasting them for the first time. “How?”
“Well,” you get comfortable with a smile. “For one, the husband has to stay home and spend time with his spouse.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Like staying in bed longer or taking a bath together. Breakfast in bed is also highly encouraged.”
Gaara’s lips stretch into a shy smile.
“You do like staying in bed longer,” he points out and you nudge his shoulder with your head. “It’s great,” you tell him with a smile. “You should try it sometime.”
“What else?” He asks.
“Well, kisses. Lots of them. I think at least a hundred.”
“A hundred?” You can hear the laughter trying to spill but he’s keeping it at bay. “Only a hundred?”
“Mhm, it can be more though. As if there could ever be enough kisses, you know?”
“I know.” His right hand has found your hip, his thumb drawing circles into the fabric and the skin underneath. “Go on.”
“Gifts, too. Not that I need much, but flowers are usually nice. Or jewelry.” You look down at the diamonds adorning your hands, set into intricate golden chains that are wound around your wrists and fingers, up your arms and around your neck.
“That reminds me,” you pull a little sachet out of your bag. “I got you a gift. Well, I got you a few gifts, but this is your first.”
His shy smile is back, quivering at the edges.
Gaara opens the sachet slowly, pulling out a single golden ring.
“And here I thought I’d get some chains,” he teases.
“Maybe later,” you hum, taking his hand and slipping the ring on. “When I’ve properly measured your shoulders. But this ring will remind you that you’re married.”
He lifts his hand, looking at the evening sun reflecting off the gold.
“Thank you.”
“Now,” you lean back to press a single kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Are you ready for tonights celebration? I set up a table in your garden. Just the two of us, your Cacti and a nice bottle of wine. I won’t keep you too long, I know you need to get up early tomorrow.”
Gaara hesitates.
“What is it?”
“I want to give you more,” he admits, the grip he has on you tightening. “I don’t want you to starve.”
“How about… How about we leave now and talk about the details over Dinner? I do have something planned for this weekend.”
He agrees quietly, his hand never letting go of yours.
-
Monday
You wake up to an empty bed, the place next to you cold.
For a minute, you stay where you are, one hand resting under the other pillow.
When you pull it toward you, you find a single sand rose sitting in it.
Carefully you place it in the vase on your nightstand. So far you’ve collected five of them, one for each day since your anniversary.
The blue sky promises a hot day, but you don’t mind it much. You’ve been able to cool down over the weekend at the bathhouse, already planning your next visit.
The kitchen is empty and you hum a tune as you do the dishes, prepare Lunch for you and Gaara, and because you feel generous today, one for Kankuro as well.
Two knocks at the doorframe of his workshop.
“I made Lunch for you.”
“Oh,” his head snaps up. “Thank you. Is it poisoned?”
“Not this time,” you tell him with a smile. “But I hope you like pickled Onions.”
Kankuro grimaces. “Not particularly.”
“Too bad. The one making Lunch picks the dish.”
“Like I’m going to start making Lunch for you.”
“Too bad, you better get used to pickled Onions then.”
-
You visit the hospital today, promising to come back in the afternoon to help out after Lunch.
Ashikaga-san doesn’t look happy to see you, eyeing the Bento Boxes in your hold with thinly veiled disdain. But you don’t care about her.
Gaara’s smile at your sight is more important to you.
“How was your morning?” You ask, settling on his lap instead of one of the chairs. You raise the chopsticks to feed him pickled Onion.
“Too early,” he reminisces. “I would have liked to stay in bed.”
“I wouldn’t have complained,” you take a bit for yourselves. “Yeez, these are strong.”
“Yes,” he smiles. “I like them like that.”
“I was thinking about working part-time at the hospital.” You tell him more about your visit, opening your mouth in between sentences when he feeds you as well.
“I agree with your decision,” he nods his head to emphasize. “Though I might have a few other missions in between for you. We got some interesting news today, but I haven’t had the chance to check it out yet.”
“Tell me about it when you did,” you lean for a last kiss, knowing full well that Ashikaga-san is waiting on the other side of the door, anxiously checking the clock.
-
Matsuri reaches you shortly before you’re meant to leave for the night.
“Hey,” everything about her, from the way she holds herself to the way her brows are furrowed, is telling you something is up.
“Yes?”
“Gaara-sama asks to meet you at home? Right now, if possible.”
“What has he gotten up to now?” You ask, but she doesn’t answer, just hands you a note.
Gaara’s handwriting is a familiar sight.
“I’ve gotten you a belated gift. I hope you’ll like him.”
You sigh. “He better not have gotten a dog.”
-
You spot Gaara first, and the streak of red on his cheek.
“You got hurt?!” You reach for it and he lets you, no sand coming in between.
The gash heals quickly under your hands.
“What is going on?” You ask, breathless and confused.
“The interesting news I mentioned… it’s a boy, a sand user as well. He’s… He’s not used to kindness.”
You can read more hiding in the depths of his eyes.
“You’ve taken him in?”
Gaara lifts your hand, the one you gave him in marriage. Even without the gold chains covering it, you know what it means when he kisses the knuckles on your hand.
“Please?” He asks and you nod.
It’s Gaara after all. He never asks for anything.
He leads you down the hallway to the guestroom, your hand in his.
“This,” he explains as he opens the door slowly, “is Shinki. Shinki, this is my wife. She will be your mother.”
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