I love you for this request. ⏳

Characters: Gaara, Kankuro, Temari

Contents: gn!reader, sand

Gaara

The Sand siblings have always been in a position of political importance for Sunagakure, even when they were just kids. As children of the Kazekage, there was always some speculation about whether they would be used to make advantageous marriages in future.

All except Gaara. No one even dared to speculate if the sand-crusted, sleepless demon child would be married off. Not only was he one of Suna's greatest weapons, even if handling him was about as dangerous as juggling live grenades, but he was far too volatile to consider as a future prospect.

Gaara himself was fine with that, even when he started to calm down. His peace wasn't to last, though.

He became Kazekage and the hoes, they began to gather, as if milkshake drew them to a proverbial yard. Not only is Gaara in a position of power, he's no longer a homicidal maniac, and he even took a normal bath instead of a sand bath.

(Please pause to imagine Gaara spinning in a sand bath like a chinchilla.)

He doesn't know what to do with the amount of people trying to get into his good books now. People commenting on his looks, his power, his strength... At first, Gaara is deeply uncomfortable and overwhelmed. All these people want something from him, and he's not been raised to be able to navigate all these political mind games.

Then you hit him with: "I hate sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth."

Gaara of the Sand, Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand, who is carrying a giant gourd full of sand, gives you a look of pure, unadulterated bewilderment. You're both surrounded by sand. His skin is coated in a fine layer of sand was a protective armour.

"If you don't like sand, then you're probably in the wrong place..." he says after a long, awkward silence.

Then he turns and walks away, leaving you and your attempt to flirt gaping at his retreating gourd.

Kankuro

Kankuro has a tendency to fade into the background a little between his spunky older sister and his maniac-turned-Kazekage little brother, so he's never had to deal with the same amount of scrutiny and speculation. He didn't escape completely, but he had plenty of free time to spend working on his puppets.

That's where he is when you deliver your little sand speech, rubbing fine-grit sandpaper across a freshly-carved limb joint, smoothing down the seasoned wood.

He stops and stares at the wall for a moment, as if his brain needs a moment to catch up with the sheer dumbassery of what you just said. Then he turns toward you.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asks you, wearing a confused, scrunched-up expression, like a cat smelling something weird. He looks around at the puppets lining the walls. "Soft and smooth? Where?"

You're left floundering, trying to account for what just came out of your mouth. It sounded good in your head, but you regretted it almost as soon as you said it.

Kankuro eyeballs you for a moment, before he bursts out laughing.

"No way!" He grins at you. "Were you trying to hit on me or something?"

"Uh, well..."

His laughter gets louder, echoing off the walls of his workshop, but it doesn't feel mocking. Kankuro is just tickled by the fact that a) you were trying to flirt with him and b) that you're so adorably bad at it.

"You hate sand," he echoed. "That's how you hit on a guy from Suna? That's like telling a Mist-nin that you hate water. Jeez, you're about as smooth as this sandpaper."

Despite your poor choice of ice breaker, Kankuro doesn't shut you down. If anything, he wants to keep you around to see what else comes out of your mouth.

Temari

Temari thought she'd heard it all. It was like the moment she hit puberty, every social climber has been comparing her hair colour to the dunes around Suna, or telling her that her eyes are the clear blue green of a hidden oasis.

That, or there are shinobi who think they have to act tougher than her in order to get her attention. They posture and pose, try to stare her down, or even outright challenge her to a sparring match. As if they're hoping to turn that steely glint in her eyes into lovestruck stars just by flashing around some ninjutsu.

Quite frankly, Temari is sick to her back teeth of it.

As if she doesn't have enough to deal with without people eyeing her up as "the Kazekage's daughter", and later, "the Kazekage's sister". Her connection to that particular political seat has caused her a lot of headaches.

When you approach her and open your mouth, she wonders what flavour of bullshit is going to come falling out. Poetic drivel or foolish bravado?

She almost stops listening, before she clocks what you're actually saying.

"...you what?"

She gives you a look like a cat that's been sprayed with a water bottle. (You see the family resemblance to Kankuro.)

"You walked all the way up to me to tell me that you don't like sand?" she asks, deadpan. "What do you want? Tips on how to keep sand out of your crevices?"

"Uh...no, I just—"

"You're kinda weird, aren't you? Whatever. You can stick around for now. It'll keep the others away."

"Actually about that sand thing..."

"Sorry, there's no way to keep it out," she says, smug. "Sand prevails."