He had the perfect evening planned for when she arrived. He'd meet her at the city gates, they'd go back to his place and he would change into something nice and lend her one of his sister's kimonos, insisting they both dress nice considering the prestige of the restaurant he was taking her to. He knew she'd turn up in something casual whether he told her to dress up or not (which he had), so the other kimono was on immediate standby. After dinner, they would go watch the sun set. He was determined to make things as romantic as possible so he could make a proper move.
He waited by the gate, hood and make up gone. It would be too much bother to wash the make-up off before going for the reservation, and the hood didn't look right without the make-up, although it was at least good for keeping some of the heat off his face. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he kept his eyes pealed, ready for the all too welcoming sight of his girlfriend.
She made her way slowly through the dunes, towards the welcoming arms of Suna, fidgeting with her fingers, trying to banish the anxiety welling up in her chest. You know when you just have something, some news, and you just know the person you have to tell won't like it? It's like you don't want to be around to see the reaction, you become almost...afraid to admit the truth. Not to mention the fact that the heat was doing her no good whatsoever. Things would be awkward enough without her getting heatstroke over the evening. A slight sigh of relief escaped her as she approached the gates and passed gently into the waiting embrace of Kankurou. "Hey." She breathed, burying her head into his shirt and letting him run his fingers through her hair.
"Hey. I thought I told you to dress up nice."
She stepped back and turned in a circle. "This is nice."
"You know what I meant, Kurotsuchi-chan."
"Yeah..." She planted a kiss on his cheek before they started walking into the village. "Why do you want me all dressed up anyway?"
"No reason." He assured her awkwardly, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Just been thinking, I guess."
"Thinking?" She asked, arching an eyebrow. "What about?"
"Just stuff." He answered quickly, trying to squash his own nerves down. This day could go one of two ways, after all. Joy or embarrassment?
"Kankurou-kun?"
He glanced over, smiling. "Is something bothering you?"
"We...have to talk about something..."
He stopped, turning to her fully. "What's the matter?"
She shuffled her feet, trying to think of a way to break the news. He waited patiently, the sweat on his brow no longer just from the heat. This could mean anything, after all.
"It's just...I...um...I don't..." It wasn't the kind of thing you can just blurt out, especially not in a crowded place. She stepped closer, cuddling up to him with a sigh. Thankful he wasn't about to be dumped, he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her close.
There had to be a sensible, sensitive way to say this. She disentangled herself and crossed her arms, looking away. "Look, I know you don't really...like...kids...like, I know little kids annoy you, but..." A sigh escaped her.
"You're..." He laughed. "You're kidding, right? Tell me you weren't about to say the word 'pregnant'. You weren't, right?"
She stayed silent, but didn't miss the opportunity to give him a look that said 'shut up and just accept it'.
"You were..." He tried to keep his face impassive, but inside he wasn't sure how he felt. It was kind of different to just being around little kids like his nephew and niece, and even then, they were family, he cared for them and was even willing to babysit when it came down to that need. It was different if they shared common blood, facts were facts. He still had no wish in particular to be a father, but was the disappointment he was feeling directed at himself? He shouldn't have felt down in the dumps about it, right?
Shaking himself mentally, he grabbed her wrist and kept walking. "Come on, Kurotsuchi-chan, I have to show you something."
Her look turned into one of disdain, as though wanting to scold him, but instead choosing to humour him. He led her to his home, as he had originally intended, unlocking the door and leading her to the sofa. He gestured for her to sit, and with a roll of her eyes, she did just that, crossing her arms as he disappeared into his bedroom. What kind of stupid antic would he be up to now? Probably panicking, she mused, resting her head in her hands as she awaited the telltale sound of the door sliding open.
There it was. She turned to ask what he was planning, only to find he'd changed into a kimono. He looked nervous, it had to be said, as he came over and sat beside her.
"Look, I had this whole evening planned out. I knew you'd dress like that so I had a kimono ready for both of us, then we were going to go have dinner at the nicest place I know. I mean proper nice, not 'greasy junk I like' nice, or whatever you call it. Then maybe go up to watch the sun setting over the desert and I would ask you to marry me, but with what you just told me you're now in a mood and I have no clue what to say without sounding stupid or making it seem like you've done something wrong, which you haven't. Look, I love you and I really don't care about the kid thing, because it's different, you know? It's different when it's family, it's okay if it's family...and I want us to be family."
She froze as he pressed a small, velvet box into her hands. Of all the reactions, she certainly hadn't expected that. Hesitantly, she nodded.
"I'd love to be part of your family."
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