Resonance (Kakashi x OC, Gaara x OC) -- Book 2

Chapter 15: Gaara, did you know? Yokai like Apples.

Summary:

I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. The title xD

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They walked into the council chamber. Keiko sat down smartly in the chair that had been provided for her next to Gaara. She sat tall and straight, no longer joking or awkward. It amazes him how regal she appeared in public when she had been so flighty and awkward the day before.

"So, for the first order of business," began an elder of the council, " the Kazekage has requested an artificial hotspring commissioned to be made available to the people of the village to raise morale and provide a place for shinobi to relax between missions. The budget for this is on the sheets in front of you." They all leaned over and skimmed over the page. "All in favor say, 'aye.'"

"Aye," they all repeated.

"Any opposed? Good. Motion passed."

They continued on like this for a while, going on about various details. Keiko sat politely interested. She showed no signs of the restlessness Gaara was feeling.

"Finally," droned the elder, "in the matter of the Kazekage-sama's wedding, we estimate that with the assistance of Keiko-sama, we can have the hot spring done in a few days. It would be a great wedding gift to the people. I believe we should start sending out the wedding invitations immediately..."

Gaara raised his palm to stop him, "With respect, elder. Keiko is our guest here and you know my feelings on arranged marriage. If and when she decides..." Gaara felt a hand on his knee beneath the table. He turned to look at Keiko.

"My apologies Kazekage-sama, but I came here with the intent of honoring my promise between our two villages. I am prepared whenever the council and the Kazekage-sama are ready."

Gaara tried to hide his look of surprise.

"Excellent," the elder continued. "I understand you have skills in moving the elements. Would you be willing to help us on the hot spring? We would like to break ground tomorrow."

"Of course."

"In the meantime, we will look for someone skilled in calligraphy that can start on the invitations."

"Finally," said Talemari, stretching as they left the council chambers. The Sand siblings and Keiko milled out into the street. They were met by Matsuri who grinned broadly at the sight of Gaara. "Kazekage-sama! Everyone, how are you today?"

"I'd say he's pretty good for a guy about to be tied down," grinned Kankuro.

"Ah! So Keiko-sama has accepted?" Matsuri asked excitedly, pressing her hands together. "Have you picked out what you're going to wear?"

Keiko watched as the shinobi kept jabbering and escalating in excitement. Before she knew it, Matsuri was leading Keiko down the road by the hand towards a dressmaker, talking all the while. Temari shrugged and followed them.

"Women," kankuro scoffed.

Another shinobi appeared next to Kankuro and Gaara. "Excuse me kankuro-sama, but we have need of your expertise on the mechanisms of some of the new defenses we just installed."
Kankuro waved lazily to Gaara as he followed the shinobi towards the balliste positioned on the cliff.

Gaara was left standing alone to think about all that just happened.

Later that afternoon, Gaara was up working in his office. He heard the door slide open and shut. He didn't even bother looking up. There was only one person that would be. Keiko pressed her nose to the glass looking outside, shifting left to right. After a moments confident she wasn't followed, she slid down onto the couch.

"I take that it didn't go well"

"That girl tried to drown me in fabric from a thousand worlds. I'd rather go to our wedding naked than be constricted in a corset," she groaned.

Gaara's eyes flashed with desire from across the desk. Keiko was leaning back with her eyes closed and missed it.

She opened her eyes and Gaara quickly looked back down at his work. She got up and walked over to the desk. She grabbed an apple from a bowl in the corner and sat down on the edge of the desk.

"Always rude," said Gaara, annoyed as he pulled papers from under where she sat.

"So what are you doing tomorrow?" she asked casually.

"Finishing these reports I expect."

"I think it would be better for 'morale' if you came with me to break ground on the hot spring, since sand is your specialty and all," she said, rolling the apple around in her palm.

"I don't know that they're going to want the Kazekage to do that sort of thing."

"Aren't you kind of the one that gets to boss them around?" she asked.

"It's something I've always kind of had to battle against, my past considered, and because of my age."

"Well they chose you to lead for a reason. I've seen you push back in the council. Maybe sometimes you might need to do that with other things," she said before taking a bite out of the apple.

He watched her lips graze the red skin thoughtfully. "Ok. I will go with you tomorrow, but that means I'm going to need someone's rear off my desk so I can finish this," he said flatly.

Keiko smiled into the apple before walking out of the room without looking back.