Characters: Hinata, Temari
Summary: She is, of course, a rose, to have so many stinging thorns.
Pairings: None
Author's Note: Kinda bizarre, since they've never met canonically, huh?
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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Hinata wasn't aware that a kunoichi from a place almost entirely without plants could have thorns, but Temari has her thorns, spilling out from the skin to prick and tear at any who would venture too close.

She is, of course, a rose, to have so many stinging thorns. Hinata can see that, has watched the Suna kunoichi as she does everyone else—from a distance, so as to have that distance to form some sense of perspective. She's never known Temari all that well personally, but she knows her well enough from her own observations.

Hinata isn't sure why Temari has all those thorns, though she thinks she can divine why she thinks she needs them. She knows that she's not the only one who can see these thorns, and that the awareness of them serve only to make Temari more enticing to those around her. An element of danger always makes the pursuit sweeter, even if it's destined to come to naught.

That makes Temari an enigma to her.

Hinata can't understand the smell of desert spices, the way she can't understand the beautiful savagery, the way she especially can't understand all the stinging, blood-drawing thorns.

But no desert rose is complete without her thorns. Where there is beauty, there must also be savagery.

This, even a little violet that droops with the rain and bows with the wind can understand.

This, Hinata can understand, and she always knows when Temari carries her thorns with her. She can sense them, as clearly as she can smell all the desert spices on her.