Gaara of the Desert × Reader (Complete)

Chapter 2

I rushed over to the '7th room on the 3rd floor'. I entered the room with the guard assigned to me and was so startled to see a room full of various kinds of artistic people from all ages and all walks of life.
"Okay. Everyone!" I said as I clapped my hands to get their attention. When all eyes were on my, I continued,
"We need you all to be the best artisans you can for the event. You will be judged on the basis of design creativity, quality of work, precision and speed. I hope you guys do your best. We shall have the selection tomorrow as I need to prepare the selection materials for you. Also, I will be getting another judge along with me, so better not cheat or anything tomorrow. You will be given the topic on spot tomorrow. Anyone, who tries to win by ruining other contestants' work, will automatically be disqualified." I announced and everyone slowly got up and left the room.
"Now, I need to prepare and get another judge" I sighed and dropped down. I looked around a little but couldn't see anything. I had been getting a feeling that someone was watching me continuously, but I didn't see anyone around or sense anyone around.
"Hey! Whoever you are, I know you're here and I also want to tell you, if you do something to me, you will ruin Temari-san's wedding! Are you sure you want that? I mean can you imagine she must be so happy to get married to the man she loves. This wedding is extra special for me because this is my First bug order. Temari-san has been kind enough to give me the job and the money. So, I can help my parents and grandparents at home. I just want you to not do it because at least a wedding. It's a start of a new life for her. A life of love and companionship with someone who she choose to be with her through her hardships, share her joy with, be her family, protect her although she doesn't need it, provide support emotionally and mentally and financially. She is about to start a new life in a new world." I said and then sighed. "Thanks. If you didn't attack when I was rambling on, I don't think you intend to attack. I am grateful for your kindness. If you would like to come for the selection for making the perfect wedding dress tomorrow, please. You are welcome to join us." And I bowed to the direction in front of me even though there was nothing.
When I brought myself up, I realized there was an eye staring at me. It was weird but I liked the idea of an eye floating around.
"Thank you. I'll leave now, I have preparations to make, okay?" And I smiled at the eye before leaving with a goodbye wave.
Me, and my assigned guard who was supposed to be with me at all times protecting me before the wedding was standing outside the room as I talked to Kankuro-san about tomorrow's selection.
"Kankuro-san, I will need 1 doll for each contestant. So, 11 dolls. And we will need a metre white cloth for everyone with a quilt as well. So, 11 meters of white cloth and 11 assorted quilts. Sewing machines we will provide. Rhinestones, decorative materials like brooches and laces and stuff they have to get on their own. Selection can take place by tomorrow morning, right? I mean I just want to get started on the dress as soon as possible." I questioned Kankuro-san who ordered the required stuff and beckoned me to prepare myself as well.
I went to my room, assigned to me for the wedding days and stared at my drawing soft board.
I sat down at my desk and started drawing something. I closed my eyes and imagined Temari-san in that dress. I quickly ran to the corner of the room and pretended to be in that dress as Temari-san. I held up a small corner and I twirled around for a photograph. I imagined a beautiful studded with rhinestones on top but I thought myself out of making that dress because I thought it wouldn't be her style and I pinned it on my soft board as well.
I noticed the same creepy eye staring at one of the drawing underneath another one. It was very attention catching. A bright white colour with small brown lacing and some roses. I discarded it because it was sweetheart. I picked up the drawing and put it aside. I neatly arranged all the drawings side by side to each other for the eye to see.
"How about this?" I said as I brought it closer to the floating creepy eye and it looked away.
"This?" This time it lingered a little longer.
"Then how about this?" I could feel the eye looking from over my shoulder as I drew a dress. The eye moved closer to the drawing and just stared at me.
"I will take that as a yes!" I said excited beyond control. "Okay!" I said to the eye, "After tomorrow's selection, we'll start working on this one!" And I started drawing the dress in more detail on a bigger sheet.
Finally after I was done, I removed all the other dresses from the board and put this huge one up in the middle. I just stared at it, ran in a corner and closed my eyes.
"Now, I bride, Sabaku no Temari, shall arrive." I whisper announced.
And I pretended to have my hand with Gaara's. I had the fluttery feelings and I blushes all over my face as if it were my own wedding.
I walked slowly pretended the dress bounced a little with every step and flew with the wind. Temari-san gleaming in the desert sun. All smiles and cheers everywhere, food and partying and everyone happy. I liked imagining this scene.
The creepy eye probably was watching me but it didn't matter because I was in my creative zone. I imagined the dress completely.
"Yosh!" I said when I had memorized it and made little tweaks in the drawing.
"Are you ready?!" I asked the creepy eye excitedly. "Ta-da!" I moved aside and let him see the drawing. "So, what do you think?" I said "Ne? Ne?"
"It's beautiful" I heard a much less anticipated voice before the eye started disintegrating.
"Hein?!" I was scared and I was freaking out now. A strange eye appears, I befriended it and now it's disintegrating?!
"Hey? Are you alright? Little eye?!" I was concerned about it now. It was such a cute little friendly eye. It followed me around, but I couldn't do anything. I just looked at it sadly as it was nothing but a heap of sand anymore.
"Oh! It was someone's jutsu! Thank goodness. I thought the poor eye." I sighed of relief. I noticed a pale hand, offered to me through the corner of my eye.
"Gaara!" I exclaimed as I looked at him sitting there on the floor. "I-I-I-I mean Kazekage-sama!" I stuttered when I realized his status.
"Just Gaara is fine." He smiled as I took his hand to get back up. I noticed the sand going back in his gourd.
"I..uh...was working on the dress for Temari-san's wedding" I said
"Yeah. I know. It was my eye following you around. I know everything." He chuckled a bit.
"Oh. Oh yeah. Sorry. So, what do you think?" I gestured him to step forward and take a look.
"I still think it needs a little oomph to it, you know. Like it should tell everyone that Temari-san is a princess and the Kazekage's elder sister. I was thinking more of a-"
"If you keep thinking of ways to make it better, you'll ruin it." He interjected not looking at me.
He slowly turned around, placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "It is beautiful the way it is. Temari will look very much like our mother, in this dress. She will like it. Keep it this way." He smiled.
"Umm... Okay then! It's decided this is the dress." I smiled back.
"How are you planning to test the contestants tomorrow?" He asked.
"Oh. There are different elements in this dress right? So, I'm gonna ask everyone to make one of each of those elements. Like I'll ask them to make flowers and laces and everything individually and judge according to their speed, precision, beauty and delicacy of the design." I explained.
He just nodded in agreement and in his formal tone thanked me and left the room.
"By the way," he stepped back a little. "If you have time later on, I would like to talk to you. I'll summon you." He said and left.
I was curious as to what he wanted to talk about, but I just shrugged it for the time being and rushed to Kankuro-san who was going to help me prepare for the selecting tomorrow.
"Kankuro-san!" I rushed to his office where he almost lived. I barged into his office and before I could say anything, he said,
"Yes. I have finished preparing for your selection tomorrow. Please do not panic. I understand you're excited but please, the wedding has to take place in a month. We're working on it. We'll get there in time even if we don't rush so much."
"Kankuro-san, I plan to stich a new dress for Temari-san. An entire new dress starting from white cloth without rhinestones is actually a 3 month job with a team of 4 professionals." I informed him.
"3 months?! What are you guys doing for 3 months for 1 dress?!" Kankuro-san almost yelled because he was so surprised.
"Yes. It takes a lot of efforts to actually cut and sew everything together, even generally, but this! This is a very special event for Temari-san, her family, her village, Konohakagure and everyone else. So, I want to make it special. So, hurry up. Thank you"
I felt a familiar feeling and realized that Gaara's eye was around again now. I went back to my workspace and decided what the contestants will make tomorrow. I cut out a bunch of colours that I liked and put it up on the soft board, and was imagining stuff and I realized I needed a mannequin or a model.
"Oh no! I have to do the guys' suits as well!" I said as I clutched my head.
I quickly started looking through the photos and started making a list of people who I was supposed to make suits for.
"Kankuro, Gaara, Shikamaru-san, Kazekage's associates atleast 10, Hokage Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage's associates" I muttered to myself as started scribbling down names.
"Okay." I said firmly. "We have to make 25 suits. Out of which 15 will be different and 10 will be different. Plus, I will roughly make another 25 dresses." I put the pencil over my ear, which is a very designer thing to do but I did it instinctively.
I sat down on my table, stretched out and cracked my neck. I held my pencil and started sketching a few dresses and suits as they appeared in my mind occasionally giving the setting sun a quick glance.