endless_scrolls (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
endless_scrolls) wrote2006-10-09 04:19 pm
endless_scrolls) wrote2006-10-09 04:19 pm
TLD: Scratching the Surface
Title: Scratching the Surface
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: Naruto
Character(s): Sabaku no Gaara, Tenten; brief mention of Kyuubi!Naruto, Yamanaka Ino, Hyuuga Hinata, Uchiha Sasuke
Pairing(s): GaaTen
Warning(s): My first Lemon
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: Based off the AU chats between![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
theselostdreams members.
Dedicated to:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
osuwari00, one of two fics written for her birthday
Morning rays filtered through the open window, ushering in a new day with the warmth that the dawn brought. Birds of varying hues filled the skies and ground as they sang their greetings to the coming sun peeking over the treetops. A peaceful buzz of activity was starting on the streets of Konoha as venders and shop owners worked to prepare for the morning rush of pedestrians.
All this had remained unnoticed by Tenten who still laid slumbering warm and comfortable in her bed. Wearing nothing more than a simple white tank top and dark-blue draw string pajama shorts, the kunoichi was sprawled out on the bed, peacefully lost in the world of dreams. Loose strands of hair unbound from their usual twin buns branched out across the pillows and sheets as she quietly shifted onto her side, her skin glowing in the yellow light of dawn.
Unbeknownst to her Gaara observed all of this from where he stood at the door of her bedroom, quietly watching her blissfully sleep away whatever stress she may have acquired the night before from working at the bar downstairs. There was a calmness that came with observing her in this way that he could not explain; a strange comfort at seeing her soft features smooth out in relaxation. It was a bit unnerving in a way to know that such emotions could be brought on by something as simple as this, but he was not going to question it. He was content with enjoying this peaceful feeling while it lasted, rare as they were in his life.
His mood quickly changed, however, when Tenten shifted in her sleep once again, causing the hem of her shirt to ride up bit to reveal the dark wound hidden underneath. The young Kazekage furrowed his nonexistent brows slightly at this new development. He had been standing there for a good few hours just watching her and had not seen the purple and blue edges of the cut until now. It would have been easy to blame the lack of light and the dark shadows of the night for his negligence, but as daylight slowly drifted into the room, the sand shinobi soon realized that there was no excuse for not seeing the dark discoloration against her porcelain skin.
Where did that come from? he pondered quietly to himself.
Idly, Gaara fingered the set of keys in his hand before taking them out to openly gaze at. His thumb traced around the white lettering on the Twin Dragons key chain, spelling out the address of the popular establishment. They had been a gift from Tenten the last time he had stayed in Konoha. It had been a grand gesture on her part, making it clear that the kunoichi was serious about their relationship. For that assurance, Gaara would always be grateful. At the same time a wave of guilt filled his heart as the shinobi realized that he had failed to return the sentiment, at least in his eyes he had. Sorrow followed soon after at the thought of not being able to protect her from whoever inflicted the wound marring her now.
The young Kazekage knew and understood that such things as cuts and bruises of varying degrees were common for a kunoichi of her caliber and rank, but he also knew for a fact that it had been weeks since she had been assigned a mission of any sort. The kunoichi was generally well-liked among the villagers from what he could tell and was too respectful towards others to have any real enemies. The only other explanation he could think of involved her co-ownership of the Twin Dragons Bar downstairs.
A spark of anger ignited within his soul at the thought of some dastardly drunkard laying a hand on what was his, let alone damaging it. Though he would never admit it openly, she was precious to him. It took almost all of his will to resist the urge to seek out and deal with whoever dared touch her. But his plans were quickly put on hold when Tenten began to stir from her sleep, grumbling tiredly as she stretched her muscles. Rubbing away the world of dreams, Tenten slowly opened her eyes and brightened immediately at seeing the Kazekage quietly standing at the door.
“Gaara,” she called softly, a smile instantly forming on her dry lips.
The corners of the shinobi’s mouth turned upwards in response as he remained leaning against the doorframe. It was a small gesture usually reserved only for those dear to him, a privilege she had been proud of earning. But the smile was only half-hearted and fleeting as the sand-nin’s thoughts went back to impurity that tainted her perfect form. Ever observant to his hidden moods and emotions, Tenten had seen the change in his demeanor and became concerned.
“Something wrong?” she inquired with mild concern as she sat up from the bed, “Gaara…are you alright?”
Instead of responding, Gaara cast his gaze to the ground in hopes of avoiding the sincerity and worry in her eyes. Even as he listened to the sound of moving sheets her feet padding across the room to his side the Kazekage found it hard to look up at her. She was limping from what he could hear, the rhythmic beat of her steps slightly off from their usual evenness. Before long her face appeared in his line of vision, the apprehension that he had tried to avoid blazing brightly in her hazel eyes.
Gaara was a man of few words and would only speak when he felt he had something to say, she understood that. And so she made no attempt to question him further, simply calling upon herself to find the answers. During her search, the sand shinobi’s gaze slowly trailed from her eyes to her lips; entrancing lips that he remembered all too well. How he had dreamed of those lips. Soon he found himself kissing those lips, soft at first but steadily it became deeper and more passionate.
The move had taken Tenten a little off-guard, causing her to initially gasp sharply and tensing up in shock only to relax a second later, allowing her to simply indulge in the feeling of having him near her once again. From the way her lips moved against his, the Kazekage could tell that she had missed his warmth and the silent comfort just as much as he had missed her. In that moment, all their problems concerning distance and loyalties didn’t matter; it was just the two of them.
Slowly pulling away from the kiss, Gaara rested his forehead on hers as both took a moment to catch their breath. Sliding his arms around her shoulders, he pulled the kunoichi in closer into an intimate embrace. He had to suppress a contented purr when he felt Tenten’s soft caresses along his clothed chest and sensitive neck.
“I missed you,” Gaara whispered gently against her forehead after kissing it affectionately.
“I missed you too,” was her equally quiet response, smiling at their closeness. But a frown soon took its place as she pulled back a little to say, “Now tell me what’s the matter.”
Her hand reached up to graze her knuckles across his cheek before gliding her fingers along his jaw-line. Unconsciously, the young Kazekage closed his eyes to indulge in the feeling of her touch, making himself vulnerable for a brief moment. He could almost feel the proud smile on her face at the act. She had always taken pride in the rare level of trust he had bestowed upon her, though he knew that it paled in comparison to the complete trust she had given to him. At that thought, Gaara opened his eyes once more to reveal the sorrow that had been hidden within his soul.
“I saw what happened to your back,” he finally replied in his usual emotionless manner.
“…Oh,” was all that she could say, her mood noticeably turning somber, “Is that it?”
“What happened?” the younger shinobi inquired.
“It’s nothing, Gaara,” the kunoichi replied, furrowing her brows a bit before she turned her back to him.
“This is not what I call ‘nothing’, Tenten,” the sand-nin retorted as he pressed his fingers against the wound, just hard enough to make her jump away from his touch.
“Look, just…drop it, ok?” was her quiet request as she started to walk away.
Before he realized what he was doing, Gaara had snatched at Tenten’s hand, taking hold of her wrist and gripping it a little more tightly than he had intended as he turned her around to face him. Her eyes widened a bit, more out of shock than fear, though her heartbeat quickened at seeing the look on the Kazekage’s eyes. They held a determination and fire that was reminiscent of his days before the Exams that had changed everything.
Seeing the look in her eyes and finally realizing what he was doing, Gaara immediately released the kunoichi’s wrist, shying away from the brunette with a mixture of disbelief and regret. The move itself had been unintended and reactionary on Gaara’s part. The kunoichi was running away from the issue and brushing it aside like she would often do. His intention was only to urge her to stay and deal with matters head on for once. There was a sense of urgency inside his heart that the sand-nin could not ignore. He had not meant to respond so aggressively.
“I’m…I’m sorry,” the Kazekage whispered hesitantly, slowly stepping forward and reaching out a hand to her.
Tenten had stood rooted in her spot as Gaara made his advance towards her. They both knew that he would never intentionally hurt her and that it had all been an accident. Even she would occasionally be reminded just how much strength was hidden under the sand shinobi’s small frame during some of their nightly activities. And so he kunoichi welcomed the touch of his arms sliding around her once again to pull her into a comforting embrace. Through his physical reassurance the Kazekage tried to convey all of his emotions to her. He knew it would be enough for her to understand.
“It’s alright,” the kunoichi said calmly, snuggling further into his arms, “I know you didn’t mean it.”
“…Tenten,” he called softly, waiting patiently for her to relax a little before attempting anything, “Tell me.”
“…You really want to know, don’t you?” she asked in response, lifting her head to stare up at him, “You’re really that worried about me?”
The younger shinobi nodded in reply, merely a small dip of his head that would have easily gone unnoticed by most who weren’t accustomed to his discreet behavior. Looking on in utter defeat, the kunoichi bowed her head. She had been afraid of this moment ever since she first received the wound. It wasn’t that Tenten was ashamed of what happened. Fighting against such a powerful opponent, the kunoichi was just glad to come out of the incident with so few injuries as she had. What bothered her was the guilt she knew Gaara would have when he found out the truth.
After years under the mercy of the sand demon, the young shinobi had a tendency of internalizing the problems of those around him. And though the promotion was well deserved, being made the Kazekage of Suna had only added to it. He was dealing with enough guilt from the sins he committed while he was Shukaku’s vessel, the last thing Tenten wanted to do was add to it. But she wasn’t one to deny him anything, especially the truth. He had been lied to enough in his life.
“…Fine,” she sighed after a brief pause, avoiding his gaze as she walked further into the room, “If you must know, the bar got an unexpected visit…from the Kyuubi.”
“…Really?” was his only response.
“Yeah…but it wasn’t as serious as you think,” Tenten quickly said before he could start blaming himself, taking hold of Gaara’s hand to distract his mind, “Ino and Hinata weren’t harmed and Sasuke took the brunt of most of the attacks.”
“Did he?” the sand-nin inquired, still sounding a bit distant, “And you?”
“I’m fine,” Tenten half lied, “The wound on my back was from me falling on some broken glass, that’s all.”
The Kazekage eyed the older kunoichi, watching carefully for the tell-tale signs of and falsities in her story. He could tell that she was still hiding something as she fidgeted under his gaze, but decided not to pursue the matter as hard as he would have under any other circumstances. She had been through enough already.
“Are you sure?” Gaara asked a little suspiciously.
“Well…ok, so I was thrown across a sheet of broken glass, but really I’m fine,” the kunoichi admittedly said, “I’ve received worse on my missions.”
“…Have you?” the Kazekage questioned with interest.
“Yeah, so…stop worrying,” Tenten affirmed, gently cupping his cheek, “It kind of scares me when you do.”
The corners of the sand-nin’s mouth twitched upwards in a faint smirk at her comment, causing Tenten to beam back at him. Seeing her smile again lightened his heart a little, returning the little bit of peace he had felt earlier. With a quick peck on the lips and a playful tap of his nose, she turned to start her morning routine, believing the whole ordeal was finally over. Unbeknownst to her, Gaara was still eyeing the crimson gash peeking out from under her garments. Though she had made it seem like her injuries were well on their way to healing completely, the stiffness of her movements and off-beat rhythm of her steps said otherwise.
Being the perceptive person that he was, Gaara could always tell when Tenten was playing up her role as a kunoichi, holding on to the stubbornness that had always claimed the will of his own sister. He had to admit that for one so trusting of others, Tenten was very good at her deception. And if there was one thing the former demon carrier knew about, it was deception.
She’s still masking her pain and suffering for my sake, the Kazekage noted, If she could do so this easily, what else is she hiding?
“I want to see,” Gaara stated calmly, disturbing the silence that had settled in the room.
“…What?” Tenten questioned, startled by his sudden declaration.
“I want to see your scars,” the sand shinobi elaborated without missing a beat, “All of them.”
The look on the kunoichi’s face was that of what one would call terror. It was something he as Shukaku’s vessel, had seen many times on the faces of his opponents, the majority of them screaming for mercy. But it was never presented in this way, with all the fear and dread all trapped inside her eyes as she stared at him, not a trace of it bleeding into her face. Years of practice had made her emotions perfectly hidden save that one area, much like he had. After a long pause, she bowed her head to look at the ground in defeat.
“Alright,” she finally replied, “But just remember, you asked for this.”
Turning her back to the Kazekage Tenten slowly rolled off her shirt, letting it drop to the ground beside her. Gaara stood quietly waiting as she hesitated to sweep her hair aside and out of the way. Nervously, the kunoichi glanced back at the sand shinobi as if to see if there was a possibility of him changing his mind. When he had made it clear to her that he wouldn’t, much to her dismay, the leaf-nin gathered her hair to sweep over one shoulder to expose her entire back and the scars that resided there.
Freshly made and still discolored, his eyes went straight to the long gash he had seen earlier, finally able to see it in it’s entirety. As he had suspected, the purple bruise spread out further than the actual wound, covering a great surface area on the lower right portion of her back and along her rib cage. There were a few older scratches of a lighter shade running throughout the mauve-colored contusion, small in comparison and less than menacing than the new addition. But what caught his attention was the three white scars that trailed across her back, starting at her right shoulder and spanning all the way across to the left side of her ribs, most likely the cause of a three pronged knuckle claws. Upon closer examination, he found that the scar actually extended to her left arm, three white streaks of skin just above her elbow.
Oh Kami, Gaara thought in astonishment, How did she manage to hide this?
Inside he was fuming and cursing at whoever had done this to her, outside the Kazekage reverted back to his passive mannerism that came in handy during his diplomatic visits to the varying villages and countries. To react the way he wanted to would only confirm Tenten’s reasons for not showing him in the first place. But as he lightly ran his fingers along the three tekken claw marks, his resolve felt as if it would crumble at any given time.
“I had hoped I would never have to show you these,” Tenten whispered over the curve of her shoulder.
“Why would you hide them from me?” Gaara questioned, his wandering digits tracing around the edge of a circular scar on her left shoulder.
“…Because I wanted to be perfect for you,” she replied, looking over her shoulder to stare into his eyes.
A bit in awe of her statement the sand-nin stood there, unmoving save for the hand that rested on the kunoichi’s shoulder. For her to want to be perfect for him was beyond anything Gaara had expected. It was so selfless of her, the sort of kindness and sincerity that was all her own and the means in which she was able to steal his heart like she had. Exhaling thoughtfully, the Kazekage turned her around to face him, cupping her cheek reassuringly before pulling her in for a meaningful kiss.
“You are,” he muttered against her lips, “You always were.”
Tenten could do nothing but smile at the sentiment as he pulled her in for another kiss. Gaara hummed contently when he felt the kunoichi swept her hand over the smooth fabric covering his chest, wishing that nothing stood in the way of feeling the soft pads of her fingers. As if his thoughts were spoken aloud, the leaf-nin started zipping off his jacket, letting it fall to the ground as she took hold of the hem of his mesh shirt. After slowly and torturously pulling it off and over his head, Gaara responded by grabbing the round curve of her bottom and lifted the kunoichi up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. She pressed her body hard against his, arms coiling around his neck and hands gripping at the back of his head while their heated skin rubbed and slid roughly against the other.
He was lowering her carefully down to lay across the bed sheets when Tenten hissed in pain, the fabric of the comforter having brushed against her wound the wrong way. More concerned for her well being than his screaming libido calling out for satisfaction, Gaara stopped all movement to look questioningly into her hazel eyes. With every emotion burning inside of him, the sand-nin tried to convey his every thoughts to her through jaded-green eyes that only wanted what was best for her. The kunoichi responded with a mischievous smirk before snaking her hand in between their two bodies and running her fingers along the growing bulge visible at the front of his pants. There was no question, she wanted to continue despite the pain.
“Are you sure?” he asked one final time to make sure, forcing all his will to not groan under her talented digits.
“I haven’t stopped yet,” she replied with a grin, leaning up to nip at the end of his nose, “I’ll be fine.”
“Good,” the younger shinobi mumbled, kissing his way down the valley between her breasts while cool fingers made to untie the drawstring of her shorts, “I didn’t want to stop.”
Breathing in deeply, she let out a contented sigh at the feeling of his hands slipping the cloth off of her hips, cautiously lifting them so the shorts would slide off easier. Her underwear followed soon after, both being thrown aside to join her shirt in a pile in the floor. His lips and nipping had just reached the bottom of her rib cage when a soft brush of something cold across her stomach sent the older kunoichi into a light chuckle. Grabbing hold of the offending object, Tenten pulled lightly on the Kazekage’s necklace to bring his face back up to her own. She stared at the kanji charm for a moment, an exact replica of the one tattooed on his forehead, before looking up into his awaiting green eyes.
With a smile, her hands ran down to trace over the small curves of his chest, outlining the strong muscles underneath his skin all the way down to the buckle of his pants. Whether because of his need to feel her hands there or to make her work easier, Gaara moved his hips forward, bringing their bodies closer together, close enough to smell the desire dripping from the other’s pores. He remained still while allowing her to go through the motions of removing the article of clothing along with the his underwear, letting them pool at his knees and to drape over her thighs. With little effort Gaara rid himself of both, leaving both naked and yearning for the one thing they had long for since their separation.
“It’s been a while,” the sand-nin warned, leaning down to lick at the column in her neck, “I apologize if this hurts.”
“No need to apologize,” she responded, chuckling at his consideration, “If you’ll recall, we’ve done worse things.”
The Kazekage scoffed smugly as memories from their other encounters filled his lustful mind, bringing him to a new level of desire while he ran his member along her opening. He paused to look into her eyes, the only signal the kunoichi had before he pushed forward into her slick crevice. Both shinobis moaned softly at the sensation, Gaara from the tight pressure against his aching cock and Tenten from the painfully blissful feeling of being stretched from the inside out.
“Are you…alright?” he asked, breathing heavily to fight against his instinctual urge to move within her.
“I’m fine,” she replied with a nod as a tear managed to escape the cage of her lashes, “Though, I can’t say the same for your arm.”
“Don’t worry about that,” was his response as he smiled down at her, taking a moment to wipe away the tear from her cheek, “They will heal.”
Gradually releasing the grip she had on his arm, the leaf kunoichi winced at the little red marks she had made along his forearm as the blood pooled to the surface of the wounds. Before the younger shinobi could say a word about it, Tenten grabbed his arm to apologetically kissed all ten fingernail impressions, licking away the blood in the process. Seeing her tongue dart out and lap up the blood alone was enough to make him submit to her will then and there.
With a groan at the sensation along his arms from her talented tongue, he began thrusting his hips in slow rhythm, maintaining the speed in order to get her accustomed to the feeling in a less painful manner. Tenten’s breath slowly became more shallow with every pump of Gaara’s hips, stifling a moaning as he licked along the pulsing vein at the base of her neck. He brushed his hands along her thigh and the kunoichi took it as a signal for her to bringing her legs up to wrap around the sand-nin‘s slim hips.
“Tenten,” the Kazekage muttered as he kissed his way up her neck to nip along her jawline, “Tell me what to do.”
Rather than respond verbally, the leaf-nin silently turned her head to lick around the rim of his earlobe. He groaned, moving to capture her lips in a heated and open-mouthed kiss while his hands danced along her ribs. Tenten responded by scraping her nails along his shoulder blades as if to mark him with scars like her own back.
“Tenten,” Gaara called again, his voice faltering a little with some urgently.
“Do as you wish,” she whispered breathlessly, lightly caressing his cheek with a smile, “I trust you.”
Returning the sentiment, the young shinobi kissed her more chastely before whispering sincerely, “You’re beautiful.”
“And you’re wonderful,” she countered softly.
Wordlessly, Gaara moved one hand grip her hip to steady them as he sped up his movements. The other hand slipped up to fondle her breast, bringing one up so that he could lick around the her hard nipple. Almost instantly she arched up towards him, gasping and moaning in pleasure while her hands moved to tangle themselves in his red mess of hair. Bending her head down the kunoichi brushed her lips along the kanji tattoo on his forehead, an endearing gesture she knew he had always appreciated.
“Gaara, I’m close,” Tenten gasped, feeling the wave of her climax quickly building.
“I’m close too,” Gaara panted, moving faster towards his release, “Just a little…ah!”
His muscles froze in an instant, his hips twitching as Gaara buried himself in her. The sand-nin moaning loudly as his seed splashed against her inner walls. Throughout her own release, Tenten had held the Kazekage close as she rode the wave of pleasure rushing through her limbs. When it was over, she relaxed against the sheets, breathing heavily and smiling in contentment as he let his head fall forward against her chest.
“…Gaara,” she panted, lazily stroking at his hair, “…I love you.”
“Hm, I love you, too,” he responded tiredly with a smirk, only managing to lift his head high enough to kiss her one last time before drifting off to sleep.
Finished 6-28-06 1:13 AM
Type: Fanfic
Fandom: Naruto
Character(s): Sabaku no Gaara, Tenten; brief mention of Kyuubi!Naruto, Yamanaka Ino, Hyuuga Hinata, Uchiha Sasuke
Pairing(s): GaaTen
Warning(s): My first Lemon
Disclaimer: I own nothing but these words.
Note: Based off the AU chats between
theselostdreams members.Dedicated to:
osuwari00, one of two fics written for her birthdayMorning rays filtered through the open window, ushering in a new day with the warmth that the dawn brought. Birds of varying hues filled the skies and ground as they sang their greetings to the coming sun peeking over the treetops. A peaceful buzz of activity was starting on the streets of Konoha as venders and shop owners worked to prepare for the morning rush of pedestrians.
All this had remained unnoticed by Tenten who still laid slumbering warm and comfortable in her bed. Wearing nothing more than a simple white tank top and dark-blue draw string pajama shorts, the kunoichi was sprawled out on the bed, peacefully lost in the world of dreams. Loose strands of hair unbound from their usual twin buns branched out across the pillows and sheets as she quietly shifted onto her side, her skin glowing in the yellow light of dawn.
Unbeknownst to her Gaara observed all of this from where he stood at the door of her bedroom, quietly watching her blissfully sleep away whatever stress she may have acquired the night before from working at the bar downstairs. There was a calmness that came with observing her in this way that he could not explain; a strange comfort at seeing her soft features smooth out in relaxation. It was a bit unnerving in a way to know that such emotions could be brought on by something as simple as this, but he was not going to question it. He was content with enjoying this peaceful feeling while it lasted, rare as they were in his life.
His mood quickly changed, however, when Tenten shifted in her sleep once again, causing the hem of her shirt to ride up bit to reveal the dark wound hidden underneath. The young Kazekage furrowed his nonexistent brows slightly at this new development. He had been standing there for a good few hours just watching her and had not seen the purple and blue edges of the cut until now. It would have been easy to blame the lack of light and the dark shadows of the night for his negligence, but as daylight slowly drifted into the room, the sand shinobi soon realized that there was no excuse for not seeing the dark discoloration against her porcelain skin.
Where did that come from? he pondered quietly to himself.
Idly, Gaara fingered the set of keys in his hand before taking them out to openly gaze at. His thumb traced around the white lettering on the Twin Dragons key chain, spelling out the address of the popular establishment. They had been a gift from Tenten the last time he had stayed in Konoha. It had been a grand gesture on her part, making it clear that the kunoichi was serious about their relationship. For that assurance, Gaara would always be grateful. At the same time a wave of guilt filled his heart as the shinobi realized that he had failed to return the sentiment, at least in his eyes he had. Sorrow followed soon after at the thought of not being able to protect her from whoever inflicted the wound marring her now.
The young Kazekage knew and understood that such things as cuts and bruises of varying degrees were common for a kunoichi of her caliber and rank, but he also knew for a fact that it had been weeks since she had been assigned a mission of any sort. The kunoichi was generally well-liked among the villagers from what he could tell and was too respectful towards others to have any real enemies. The only other explanation he could think of involved her co-ownership of the Twin Dragons Bar downstairs.
A spark of anger ignited within his soul at the thought of some dastardly drunkard laying a hand on what was his, let alone damaging it. Though he would never admit it openly, she was precious to him. It took almost all of his will to resist the urge to seek out and deal with whoever dared touch her. But his plans were quickly put on hold when Tenten began to stir from her sleep, grumbling tiredly as she stretched her muscles. Rubbing away the world of dreams, Tenten slowly opened her eyes and brightened immediately at seeing the Kazekage quietly standing at the door.
“Gaara,” she called softly, a smile instantly forming on her dry lips.
The corners of the shinobi’s mouth turned upwards in response as he remained leaning against the doorframe. It was a small gesture usually reserved only for those dear to him, a privilege she had been proud of earning. But the smile was only half-hearted and fleeting as the sand-nin’s thoughts went back to impurity that tainted her perfect form. Ever observant to his hidden moods and emotions, Tenten had seen the change in his demeanor and became concerned.
“Something wrong?” she inquired with mild concern as she sat up from the bed, “Gaara…are you alright?”
Instead of responding, Gaara cast his gaze to the ground in hopes of avoiding the sincerity and worry in her eyes. Even as he listened to the sound of moving sheets her feet padding across the room to his side the Kazekage found it hard to look up at her. She was limping from what he could hear, the rhythmic beat of her steps slightly off from their usual evenness. Before long her face appeared in his line of vision, the apprehension that he had tried to avoid blazing brightly in her hazel eyes.
Gaara was a man of few words and would only speak when he felt he had something to say, she understood that. And so she made no attempt to question him further, simply calling upon herself to find the answers. During her search, the sand shinobi’s gaze slowly trailed from her eyes to her lips; entrancing lips that he remembered all too well. How he had dreamed of those lips. Soon he found himself kissing those lips, soft at first but steadily it became deeper and more passionate.
The move had taken Tenten a little off-guard, causing her to initially gasp sharply and tensing up in shock only to relax a second later, allowing her to simply indulge in the feeling of having him near her once again. From the way her lips moved against his, the Kazekage could tell that she had missed his warmth and the silent comfort just as much as he had missed her. In that moment, all their problems concerning distance and loyalties didn’t matter; it was just the two of them.
Slowly pulling away from the kiss, Gaara rested his forehead on hers as both took a moment to catch their breath. Sliding his arms around her shoulders, he pulled the kunoichi in closer into an intimate embrace. He had to suppress a contented purr when he felt Tenten’s soft caresses along his clothed chest and sensitive neck.
“I missed you,” Gaara whispered gently against her forehead after kissing it affectionately.
“I missed you too,” was her equally quiet response, smiling at their closeness. But a frown soon took its place as she pulled back a little to say, “Now tell me what’s the matter.”
Her hand reached up to graze her knuckles across his cheek before gliding her fingers along his jaw-line. Unconsciously, the young Kazekage closed his eyes to indulge in the feeling of her touch, making himself vulnerable for a brief moment. He could almost feel the proud smile on her face at the act. She had always taken pride in the rare level of trust he had bestowed upon her, though he knew that it paled in comparison to the complete trust she had given to him. At that thought, Gaara opened his eyes once more to reveal the sorrow that had been hidden within his soul.
“I saw what happened to your back,” he finally replied in his usual emotionless manner.
“…Oh,” was all that she could say, her mood noticeably turning somber, “Is that it?”
“What happened?” the younger shinobi inquired.
“It’s nothing, Gaara,” the kunoichi replied, furrowing her brows a bit before she turned her back to him.
“This is not what I call ‘nothing’, Tenten,” the sand-nin retorted as he pressed his fingers against the wound, just hard enough to make her jump away from his touch.
“Look, just…drop it, ok?” was her quiet request as she started to walk away.
Before he realized what he was doing, Gaara had snatched at Tenten’s hand, taking hold of her wrist and gripping it a little more tightly than he had intended as he turned her around to face him. Her eyes widened a bit, more out of shock than fear, though her heartbeat quickened at seeing the look on the Kazekage’s eyes. They held a determination and fire that was reminiscent of his days before the Exams that had changed everything.
Seeing the look in her eyes and finally realizing what he was doing, Gaara immediately released the kunoichi’s wrist, shying away from the brunette with a mixture of disbelief and regret. The move itself had been unintended and reactionary on Gaara’s part. The kunoichi was running away from the issue and brushing it aside like she would often do. His intention was only to urge her to stay and deal with matters head on for once. There was a sense of urgency inside his heart that the sand-nin could not ignore. He had not meant to respond so aggressively.
“I’m…I’m sorry,” the Kazekage whispered hesitantly, slowly stepping forward and reaching out a hand to her.
Tenten had stood rooted in her spot as Gaara made his advance towards her. They both knew that he would never intentionally hurt her and that it had all been an accident. Even she would occasionally be reminded just how much strength was hidden under the sand shinobi’s small frame during some of their nightly activities. And so he kunoichi welcomed the touch of his arms sliding around her once again to pull her into a comforting embrace. Through his physical reassurance the Kazekage tried to convey all of his emotions to her. He knew it would be enough for her to understand.
“It’s alright,” the kunoichi said calmly, snuggling further into his arms, “I know you didn’t mean it.”
“…Tenten,” he called softly, waiting patiently for her to relax a little before attempting anything, “Tell me.”
“…You really want to know, don’t you?” she asked in response, lifting her head to stare up at him, “You’re really that worried about me?”
The younger shinobi nodded in reply, merely a small dip of his head that would have easily gone unnoticed by most who weren’t accustomed to his discreet behavior. Looking on in utter defeat, the kunoichi bowed her head. She had been afraid of this moment ever since she first received the wound. It wasn’t that Tenten was ashamed of what happened. Fighting against such a powerful opponent, the kunoichi was just glad to come out of the incident with so few injuries as she had. What bothered her was the guilt she knew Gaara would have when he found out the truth.
After years under the mercy of the sand demon, the young shinobi had a tendency of internalizing the problems of those around him. And though the promotion was well deserved, being made the Kazekage of Suna had only added to it. He was dealing with enough guilt from the sins he committed while he was Shukaku’s vessel, the last thing Tenten wanted to do was add to it. But she wasn’t one to deny him anything, especially the truth. He had been lied to enough in his life.
“…Fine,” she sighed after a brief pause, avoiding his gaze as she walked further into the room, “If you must know, the bar got an unexpected visit…from the Kyuubi.”
“…Really?” was his only response.
“Yeah…but it wasn’t as serious as you think,” Tenten quickly said before he could start blaming himself, taking hold of Gaara’s hand to distract his mind, “Ino and Hinata weren’t harmed and Sasuke took the brunt of most of the attacks.”
“Did he?” the sand-nin inquired, still sounding a bit distant, “And you?”
“I’m fine,” Tenten half lied, “The wound on my back was from me falling on some broken glass, that’s all.”
The Kazekage eyed the older kunoichi, watching carefully for the tell-tale signs of and falsities in her story. He could tell that she was still hiding something as she fidgeted under his gaze, but decided not to pursue the matter as hard as he would have under any other circumstances. She had been through enough already.
“Are you sure?” Gaara asked a little suspiciously.
“Well…ok, so I was thrown across a sheet of broken glass, but really I’m fine,” the kunoichi admittedly said, “I’ve received worse on my missions.”
“…Have you?” the Kazekage questioned with interest.
“Yeah, so…stop worrying,” Tenten affirmed, gently cupping his cheek, “It kind of scares me when you do.”
The corners of the sand-nin’s mouth twitched upwards in a faint smirk at her comment, causing Tenten to beam back at him. Seeing her smile again lightened his heart a little, returning the little bit of peace he had felt earlier. With a quick peck on the lips and a playful tap of his nose, she turned to start her morning routine, believing the whole ordeal was finally over. Unbeknownst to her, Gaara was still eyeing the crimson gash peeking out from under her garments. Though she had made it seem like her injuries were well on their way to healing completely, the stiffness of her movements and off-beat rhythm of her steps said otherwise.
Being the perceptive person that he was, Gaara could always tell when Tenten was playing up her role as a kunoichi, holding on to the stubbornness that had always claimed the will of his own sister. He had to admit that for one so trusting of others, Tenten was very good at her deception. And if there was one thing the former demon carrier knew about, it was deception.
She’s still masking her pain and suffering for my sake, the Kazekage noted, If she could do so this easily, what else is she hiding?
“I want to see,” Gaara stated calmly, disturbing the silence that had settled in the room.
“…What?” Tenten questioned, startled by his sudden declaration.
“I want to see your scars,” the sand shinobi elaborated without missing a beat, “All of them.”
The look on the kunoichi’s face was that of what one would call terror. It was something he as Shukaku’s vessel, had seen many times on the faces of his opponents, the majority of them screaming for mercy. But it was never presented in this way, with all the fear and dread all trapped inside her eyes as she stared at him, not a trace of it bleeding into her face. Years of practice had made her emotions perfectly hidden save that one area, much like he had. After a long pause, she bowed her head to look at the ground in defeat.
“Alright,” she finally replied, “But just remember, you asked for this.”
Turning her back to the Kazekage Tenten slowly rolled off her shirt, letting it drop to the ground beside her. Gaara stood quietly waiting as she hesitated to sweep her hair aside and out of the way. Nervously, the kunoichi glanced back at the sand shinobi as if to see if there was a possibility of him changing his mind. When he had made it clear to her that he wouldn’t, much to her dismay, the leaf-nin gathered her hair to sweep over one shoulder to expose her entire back and the scars that resided there.
Freshly made and still discolored, his eyes went straight to the long gash he had seen earlier, finally able to see it in it’s entirety. As he had suspected, the purple bruise spread out further than the actual wound, covering a great surface area on the lower right portion of her back and along her rib cage. There were a few older scratches of a lighter shade running throughout the mauve-colored contusion, small in comparison and less than menacing than the new addition. But what caught his attention was the three white scars that trailed across her back, starting at her right shoulder and spanning all the way across to the left side of her ribs, most likely the cause of a three pronged knuckle claws. Upon closer examination, he found that the scar actually extended to her left arm, three white streaks of skin just above her elbow.
Oh Kami, Gaara thought in astonishment, How did she manage to hide this?
Inside he was fuming and cursing at whoever had done this to her, outside the Kazekage reverted back to his passive mannerism that came in handy during his diplomatic visits to the varying villages and countries. To react the way he wanted to would only confirm Tenten’s reasons for not showing him in the first place. But as he lightly ran his fingers along the three tekken claw marks, his resolve felt as if it would crumble at any given time.
“I had hoped I would never have to show you these,” Tenten whispered over the curve of her shoulder.
“Why would you hide them from me?” Gaara questioned, his wandering digits tracing around the edge of a circular scar on her left shoulder.
“…Because I wanted to be perfect for you,” she replied, looking over her shoulder to stare into his eyes.
A bit in awe of her statement the sand-nin stood there, unmoving save for the hand that rested on the kunoichi’s shoulder. For her to want to be perfect for him was beyond anything Gaara had expected. It was so selfless of her, the sort of kindness and sincerity that was all her own and the means in which she was able to steal his heart like she had. Exhaling thoughtfully, the Kazekage turned her around to face him, cupping her cheek reassuringly before pulling her in for a meaningful kiss.
“You are,” he muttered against her lips, “You always were.”
Tenten could do nothing but smile at the sentiment as he pulled her in for another kiss. Gaara hummed contently when he felt the kunoichi swept her hand over the smooth fabric covering his chest, wishing that nothing stood in the way of feeling the soft pads of her fingers. As if his thoughts were spoken aloud, the leaf-nin started zipping off his jacket, letting it fall to the ground as she took hold of the hem of his mesh shirt. After slowly and torturously pulling it off and over his head, Gaara responded by grabbing the round curve of her bottom and lifted the kunoichi up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. She pressed her body hard against his, arms coiling around his neck and hands gripping at the back of his head while their heated skin rubbed and slid roughly against the other.
He was lowering her carefully down to lay across the bed sheets when Tenten hissed in pain, the fabric of the comforter having brushed against her wound the wrong way. More concerned for her well being than his screaming libido calling out for satisfaction, Gaara stopped all movement to look questioningly into her hazel eyes. With every emotion burning inside of him, the sand-nin tried to convey his every thoughts to her through jaded-green eyes that only wanted what was best for her. The kunoichi responded with a mischievous smirk before snaking her hand in between their two bodies and running her fingers along the growing bulge visible at the front of his pants. There was no question, she wanted to continue despite the pain.
“Are you sure?” he asked one final time to make sure, forcing all his will to not groan under her talented digits.
“I haven’t stopped yet,” she replied with a grin, leaning up to nip at the end of his nose, “I’ll be fine.”
“Good,” the younger shinobi mumbled, kissing his way down the valley between her breasts while cool fingers made to untie the drawstring of her shorts, “I didn’t want to stop.”
Breathing in deeply, she let out a contented sigh at the feeling of his hands slipping the cloth off of her hips, cautiously lifting them so the shorts would slide off easier. Her underwear followed soon after, both being thrown aside to join her shirt in a pile in the floor. His lips and nipping had just reached the bottom of her rib cage when a soft brush of something cold across her stomach sent the older kunoichi into a light chuckle. Grabbing hold of the offending object, Tenten pulled lightly on the Kazekage’s necklace to bring his face back up to her own. She stared at the kanji charm for a moment, an exact replica of the one tattooed on his forehead, before looking up into his awaiting green eyes.
With a smile, her hands ran down to trace over the small curves of his chest, outlining the strong muscles underneath his skin all the way down to the buckle of his pants. Whether because of his need to feel her hands there or to make her work easier, Gaara moved his hips forward, bringing their bodies closer together, close enough to smell the desire dripping from the other’s pores. He remained still while allowing her to go through the motions of removing the article of clothing along with the his underwear, letting them pool at his knees and to drape over her thighs. With little effort Gaara rid himself of both, leaving both naked and yearning for the one thing they had long for since their separation.
“It’s been a while,” the sand-nin warned, leaning down to lick at the column in her neck, “I apologize if this hurts.”
“No need to apologize,” she responded, chuckling at his consideration, “If you’ll recall, we’ve done worse things.”
The Kazekage scoffed smugly as memories from their other encounters filled his lustful mind, bringing him to a new level of desire while he ran his member along her opening. He paused to look into her eyes, the only signal the kunoichi had before he pushed forward into her slick crevice. Both shinobis moaned softly at the sensation, Gaara from the tight pressure against his aching cock and Tenten from the painfully blissful feeling of being stretched from the inside out.
“Are you…alright?” he asked, breathing heavily to fight against his instinctual urge to move within her.
“I’m fine,” she replied with a nod as a tear managed to escape the cage of her lashes, “Though, I can’t say the same for your arm.”
“Don’t worry about that,” was his response as he smiled down at her, taking a moment to wipe away the tear from her cheek, “They will heal.”
Gradually releasing the grip she had on his arm, the leaf kunoichi winced at the little red marks she had made along his forearm as the blood pooled to the surface of the wounds. Before the younger shinobi could say a word about it, Tenten grabbed his arm to apologetically kissed all ten fingernail impressions, licking away the blood in the process. Seeing her tongue dart out and lap up the blood alone was enough to make him submit to her will then and there.
With a groan at the sensation along his arms from her talented tongue, he began thrusting his hips in slow rhythm, maintaining the speed in order to get her accustomed to the feeling in a less painful manner. Tenten’s breath slowly became more shallow with every pump of Gaara’s hips, stifling a moaning as he licked along the pulsing vein at the base of her neck. He brushed his hands along her thigh and the kunoichi took it as a signal for her to bringing her legs up to wrap around the sand-nin‘s slim hips.
“Tenten,” the Kazekage muttered as he kissed his way up her neck to nip along her jawline, “Tell me what to do.”
Rather than respond verbally, the leaf-nin silently turned her head to lick around the rim of his earlobe. He groaned, moving to capture her lips in a heated and open-mouthed kiss while his hands danced along her ribs. Tenten responded by scraping her nails along his shoulder blades as if to mark him with scars like her own back.
“Tenten,” Gaara called again, his voice faltering a little with some urgently.
“Do as you wish,” she whispered breathlessly, lightly caressing his cheek with a smile, “I trust you.”
Returning the sentiment, the young shinobi kissed her more chastely before whispering sincerely, “You’re beautiful.”
“And you’re wonderful,” she countered softly.
Wordlessly, Gaara moved one hand grip her hip to steady them as he sped up his movements. The other hand slipped up to fondle her breast, bringing one up so that he could lick around the her hard nipple. Almost instantly she arched up towards him, gasping and moaning in pleasure while her hands moved to tangle themselves in his red mess of hair. Bending her head down the kunoichi brushed her lips along the kanji tattoo on his forehead, an endearing gesture she knew he had always appreciated.
“Gaara, I’m close,” Tenten gasped, feeling the wave of her climax quickly building.
“I’m close too,” Gaara panted, moving faster towards his release, “Just a little…ah!”
His muscles froze in an instant, his hips twitching as Gaara buried himself in her. The sand-nin moaning loudly as his seed splashed against her inner walls. Throughout her own release, Tenten had held the Kazekage close as she rode the wave of pleasure rushing through her limbs. When it was over, she relaxed against the sheets, breathing heavily and smiling in contentment as he let his head fall forward against her chest.
“…Gaara,” she panted, lazily stroking at his hair, “…I love you.”
“Hm, I love you, too,” he responded tiredly with a smirk, only managing to lift his head high enough to kiss her one last time before drifting off to sleep.
Finished 6-28-06 1:13 AM