Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto characters.
Beta: (None, just Nik)

A/N: I haven't posted a story in FOREVER! Kinda feels good to be back. This story is just a little something I threw together. Probably won't be very long. I'm not sure yet because I have a few other fics I wanna post before the beginning of summer. Yay! Nik is slightly back!

Chase Chase

Chapter I
Soul Ties

Gaara woke up with a start. His room was humid and hot like the heater in the house had been left on for longer than it was needed. Sweat rolled down the sides of face as he licked his dry lips. He was fidgety and anxious as he kicked his covers off in the dead of night. He reached down to his feet and quickly pulled off his black ankle socks so he could cool off faster. He was angry. He hardly ever slept and as soon as sleep had come to him, a bad dream woke him up.

Rolling onto his side he slowly slid his arm under his pillow. His heart was racing and his fingers twitched impatiently. He listened to the ceiling fan spinning as flashes of his dreams began flickering in his memory.

There were often times when Gaara would make the long journey to the lighthouse just outside of town. Sure it was a long trip but it was always worth it. The calm water that danced on the rocks was so soothing. It always made Gaara forget all his troubles. Not that he had many troubles to complain about. Of course there were times when life could have been better but everyone Gaara's age could say that about their lives.
"Best not complain about things that you have no control over." Gaara's friend would always tell him.

Gaara visited that lighthouse all the time but no one in town seemed to know that it existed. So it was definitely a solitary place to sit and not have to think about anything.

That was his spot until….

Someone else seemed to be showing up at Gaara's lighthouse lately, in his dreams anyway. Gaara had no idea who this boy was but he always looked so solemn and interesting enough for Gaara to be slightly curious about whoever he could be.

Gaara's spot on the rocks near the lighthouse always kept him hidden. No one walking around without knowledge of the place would ever be able to spot him. No one, but the curiously strange intruder.

From within his dreams Gaara kept a close eye on the other. He never wanted to speak to him, only wanted to watch him. This particular dream was different, creepy. Gaara found himself standing in the door that led up to the broken light of the lighthouse where a mysterious boy stood in front of him. Gaara had never seen him up close before. He was taller than Gaara had initially thought and his skin was pale in the darkness of the cliffs. He stared at Gaara and smiled.

That was when Gaara felt a warm feeling fall down his sides and back. The boy's smile was inviting and Gaara was fascinated with the way the boy's eyes squinted when he smiled.

"Do you see something I don't?" The other boy asked, looking behind him as if he had been confused. Gaara said nothing and made no movement. The other boy only smiled again as he approached Gaara and slightly stroked his cheek.

"You seem scared." The taller boy whispered, but it was hardly heard against the crashing of water hitting the rocks. Gaara could smell the scent of the boy's hair. It was long and a deep brown. It fell passed his shoulders down to his back. Gaara inhaled sharply at the pleasant smell of pine and coconut. He immediately thought them to be an awkward mixture of scents but he let the thought pass him when the other boy leaned close to him.

"I forget your name." Gaara said looking off. He was unsure of why he said that but it did not matter much. The other boy was still moving closer, like Gaara had said nothing at all.

"You act tough…but," The boy's lips glazed over Gaara's and the redhead felt a sting that confused his entire body. A rush of heat passed over his skin and down into his blood. His palms grew sweaty and his legs shook. It wasn't a kiss, just a small eager touch but Gaara's breathing stuttered as he quickly backed away and looked at the other boy sideways.

"I wonder how you thought that was okay," Gaara fussed, folding his arms like a pouting child. He closed his eyes and stuck his nose up, listening closely to hear the other say something in response. There was none…

The ceiling fan in Gaara's room clicked again and he was brought out of his memory. His heart was still beating quickly even as he Lid there just remembering. For months the brunette had been standing on the cliffs of that lighthouse and not once had he even noticed Gaara, let alone spoke to him. How was it that he had gotten so close? So close as to…

The phone rang and Gaara looked over at his clock. He was going to be late for school but it was too cold outside to walk today. Gaara sat up and looked out the window behind his headboard. He frowned and made a clicking sound with his tongue in annoyance.

No wonder Temari left the heater on. The first snow is always the worst. School should be canceled. He thought as he got up and answered his phone.

"What?" He said, the irritation in his voice could b heard clearly.

"School's been canceled. Get dressed. I'm headed out in 20 minutes." That was just like Sasuke, short and to the point. There was never anything more from him and never anything less. Gaara preferred things to be that way. He wasn't the talkative type and he surely didn't appreciate being talked to. His relationship with Sasuke, however, put a strain on him since Sasuke was always accompanied but a rather loud mouthed boy. A year his younger, Naruto was annoying, loud, and always in the wrong place that the wrong time. Gaara was often very irritated when he was around.

Sasuke's unusual attraction to him was the only reason Gaara hadn't buried the blonde in his backyard under the doghouse. Plus, Gaara couldn't complain since Naruto hardly talked directly to him. He hoped there would never come a day when he would have to spend time with Naruto one on one.

"I'm leaving," Gaara said and headed out the front door to his house. No one had been in the living room or in earshot. Gaara didn't care. All Temari had said was to say he was leaving when he would go out. If she wasn't specific enough then he wouldn't look for anyone to tell it to.

Gaara hopped in the front seat and closed the door. Sasuke smirked and put the car in gear.

"Warm?" Sasuke asked as they began to pull off down the icy road. Gaara growled back at the smart comment. Yes, in fact he was warm. He was wearing a black thermal long sleeve and blue jeans. He wore a long red scarf around his neck and wool gloves to hide his freezing fingers. He didn't care one bit if he looked goofy. The snow was nothing to play around with.

"Tell me it's just us today." Gaara decided a smart remark back was a waste of his time. He leaned back in the seat and put his hands behind his head instead.

"Naruto is already at the library waiting." Sasuke heard Gaara shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Out of the corner of Sasuke's eye he could see that Gaara made no kind of expression. He just looked out the window and pretended he had something better to think about.

"Don't want to know why we're going to the library on our day off?" Sasuke asked. Gaara's lip twitched. Naruto's talkative mouth was rubbing off on Sasuke. He knew Gaara did not care where they were going. He should not have asked.

"Won't I find out when we get there? Why is the need to ask? Useless." Gaara groaned. He was having the strangest feeling that Sasuke wanted to talk about it so he humored the boy. With a huff he added, "What is at the library? And before you say something even more useless make sure I care about the answer."

Sasuke remained quiet as they pulled up to the curb next to the library. A lot of students from their high school were already waiting outside in the snow. Gaara was certain there were a few people he had never seen before. His over active imagination led him to believe that this was some kind of secret alliance but he blinked the thought away and opened the car door to step out.

The town's only library was huge. It was used to be a big church that most of the people in town attended but as the years had gone by a lot of people lost faith and the building was bought out by a famous family and turned into a place of refuge for people who loved books.

The stairs were big and stretch around three sides of the building, allowing access to all side except the back. The windows were wide and stained with colored glass from the church before. Bricks had replaced the old dirty colored cement of the walls and a small iron fence gated the top of the stairs leading into the building.

Gaara could clearly see everyone standing around talking amongst themselves. On the far end of the building, off to the left, Gaara caught a glimpse of a guy leaning against the fence atop the stairs. Gaara wasn't accustomed to being curious about anyone but he stared unashamed at the guy in the corner. His head was down and his hair was hanging on one side of his shoulder, hiding his face from sight. He would have looked on a little longer if the group of people hadn't started cheering when the doors to the library were opened.

A petite young woman with pale eyes and fare skin stood in the door. She smiled widely and stepped to the side, letting the people in the big room. Gaara had not really noticed, until then, that Naruto had been running his mouth about some convention being held in the back of the library. Gaara growled at the thought of being dragged into some type of cult.

As the people gathered in the first room, the room where all the books and the check out desk was located, the young woman cleared her throat and began to speak softly.

"I will need all of you to take a packet," She indicated the stack of packets on the desk net to her, "and head into the little theater to the left. Someone will be there to explain the rest of the registration process." She quickly bowed and then disappeared toward the desk where a computer and a phone were sitting.

Registration? Gaara looked over at Sasuke and Naruto who were both looking up at the ceiling pretending like they were clueless. He would have groaned and started to complaint but something recently familiar to him caught his attention. A chill and a series of goose bumps slide down his arms as the smell of pine and coconut passed by him. Gaara looked to his left and saw the last sight of the guy outside strolling into the little theater.

For a short moment Gaara almost wanted to laugh hysterically.

Almost.

His mind was a jumbled up mess lately and he couldn't convince himself that he dreamed about someone he didn't even know. Gaara couldn't be certain but he wanted to find out. He glared at Naruto and Sasuke as he grabbed a packet and headed into the dim room.

Naruto stared in amazement as Gaara walked passed them without a word. He was going to say something when Sasuke just shook his head and grabbed a packet for himself. Naruto just shrugged and followed the two boys. He would make sure to ask Gaara why he didn't blow up later.

"Good morning. It is nice to see you all are here on time. I apologize for the change in plans for filling out the applications but since school was canceled today I figured this was the best day to get to know everyone before I decided who would be working here for the remainder of the year."

Gaara sat down in the back of the theater. He breathed silently and mostly ignoring everything the person was saying. He was more interested in the person himself rather than the fact that he had been tricked into working at the library.

Unaware that he was beginning to sweat and fidget Gaara gulped and sat up in his seat. The voice speaking to the people in the room was memorable and it was sweet as it reached Gaara's ears. He would never forget that voice.

You act tough….but

Gaara felt his heart racing at that very moment. It was like a flood in Gaara's mind. His face grew hot and his eyes blurry. He couldn't believe that the guy he had been dreaming about for months was now standing in front of him. Gaara suddenly felt embarrassed and he remembered the soft lips that lightly felt his. The dream was so real yet so unreal.

"Since a lot of us do not know each other we can all go around the room and say a little about ourselves. I will begin." The guy flipped his hair away from his face and peered into the small crowd. He spotted Gaara in the very back and smiled quickly before he looked away.

"This library belonged to my late father. He passed away very recently, I am sad to say, and he left this amazing place to me." He almost sounded a little sarcastic, but Gaara couldn't tell.

"I am the new owner of this library and as such I need help taking care of it. I am going to employ ten staff members to help me maintain this place." He smiled and closed his eyes as he looked up towards the ceiling. "I am Hyuuga Neji," he said, looking directly at the redhead in the back of the room. "It is nice to meet you."

Gaara felt like he was a crazed fan at a concert. He knew Neji couldn't have been speaking directly to him, but it felt like it. He trembled in his seat. All these unfamiliar feelings made him nervous and he found himself dizzy from all the confusion. He mentally pulled himself together and decided that for the time that he had to be here he would just reframe from looking at the Hyuuga, if he could.

Neji retreated to the balcony of the bell tower that had belonged to the church. He watched as all the students left down the stairs and either walked or drove off. His generous heart had forced him to hire all the people that had showed up for registration. He didn't have the heart to turn anyone down.

Walking down the stairs later that day, around evening, Neji pulled out a key and locked the double doors to the library. Suddenly a man appeared next to him and touched him on the shoulder.

"You look tired nephew." He sounded tired himself. Neji only closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was exhausted but he was not going to admit anything that made him look like a failure.

"I am not going to sell my father's only legacy to you, uncle. I have nothing left of him. I wish you would let all of this go. You are fighting a battle you cannot win." Neji folded his arms. The older man simply chuckled and patted Neji on the top of his head.

"Dear Neji, a boy like you cannot hope to take care of this place all on his own. A twenty-three year old is not capable of holding down a business like this. You should be more interested in young girls and parties," the man grew serious, "I will not fight you for something you hold near and dear but I will advise you to take another look at the situation." He began to turn around. "You know where to find me if you change your mind." He was gone as quickly as he had come and Neji was left lonely on the stairs of his Father's last days.

Neji's dreams kept him awake that night into the early hours of the morning. He was laying on his side holding a pillow for comfort as he stared at the light from his fish tank. He sighed a sleepy sigh as he tried to think of something other than the young boy haunting his dreams. Neji was determined not to make true what his dreams had been showing him.

Neji always knew he would inherit the library but he never knew the redhead from the library in his dreams would one day become real. In his dream, Neji always followed the mysterious redhead around the library with curiosity but upon seeing him in the flesh today Neji only feared him.

I must be going crazy. What would my family say if they knew I was dreaming about an under aged student? A boy! Neji threw his pillow at the wall and sat up holding in head in his hands. He would simply have to not dream about him anymore. Then he thought about his last dream with the boy and how he had been eager to touch his face and embrace him.

He felt betrayed by his body. He felt warm and obsessive over the thought. He threw himself on the bed and groaned into the sheets. Here he was trying to prove to his family that he could be a man and now he couldn't stop acting like a child. He felt lost and torn between what he wanted and what he needed to do. He turned and looked across his room toward the window. It would be morning soon.

Neji felt he needed to relax. He took a deep breath and thought about the rest of his day. He had a handful of appointments. He was slowly counting the minutes away when he realized something he hadn't thought of before. If he could convince the redhead not to work in the library then he wouldn't have to see him ever again. All those eerie feelings would go away! The excitement of the thought broke Neji's frustration.

The snow that had covered the ground yesterday was nothing dirty and icy. Gaara was sitting on the stairs that led up to the second floor of his school. He usually waited there for Sasuke and they would go to first period together. He was sitting motionless as the other students walked passed him chattering.

"Gaara, right?"

The redhead looked up and a flare of shock waved over him. He only turned his eyes to look but he could clearly see Neji standing in front of him with his hands gently in his pockets. The brunette had a calm smile plastered over his face and he stared intently at the other.

Gaara didn't answer. He knew Neji knew who he was; he didn't have to bother with petty responses. Neji wanted to roll his eyes in disgust at having been ignored but he was on a mission. He put his hand out in front of Gaara and cleared his throat.

"We didn't officially meet yesterday." He sounded sincere enough, he thought. Gaara stared at the hand in front of him, the one that had gently stroked his face two nights ago. He breathed in and sucked up his pride, shaking the Hyuuga's hand.

"Why are you here?" Gaara asked, trying to seem like he really didn't care. He had never seen Neji there before. Unless he had subconsciously seen him and that was why he was having such freaking dreams. Neji was trying to be as down to earth as possible so he tried to fake a laugh.

"I work here." Neji turned around and pointed down the hall. "There's my office right there." Neji could see that Gaara was still not convinced. "How do you think so many people from this school got a job at my library?" He nodded like he was answering his own question. Gaara admitted that Neji had a point. He stood, finally getting a better look at the older boy.

Neji looked exactly like he did in Gaara's dreams. His skin was pale and his lips were a thin line of light pink. Gaara finally stared into his eyes and felt consumed at once. Neji's eyes were soft and so faint they were almost clear. Gaara knew he had never seen any eyes like these before and he faltered on his usually easy emotionless face. An interest grew over him like a wild vine. He could feel his concentration being pulled toward Neji as he stepped down from the stairs and stood directly under him.

Neji towered over Gaara for a moment. He could feel the boy standing below him and but couldn't move, didn't want to. He could feel Gaara's hair just beneath his chin, touching his neck delicately. He tried to shake off the chill working its way down his spine. Neji's cologne branched out all over his body and surrounded Gaara. For a long second neither of them moved, like they were frozen in passing moments.

Finally the awkwardness of their situation caught up with them.

"You're standing uncomfortably close." Neji stepped back quickly and turned his back to Gaara. He smoothed down his hair and tried to wipe the confused look off his face. He quickly did what he knew he could and put a smile on. Gaara looked up stunned. He was rarely uncomfortable about anything he did. Righting himself he sat back down on the stairs.

"You'll have to excuse me-" Neji turned around half way and eyed Gaara, "-I need to attend a conference." He threw his hand up in a goodbye. "Be at the library at three o'clock." Then he disappeared down the Northern hall.

Reaching the other side of the corner where he knew Gaara could no longer see him Neji grabbed his shirt and squeezed at his chest. He panted heavily and threw his head back into the wall. He could feel his poor heart leaping around in his chest like fireworks.

What the hell was that? He wanted to look back around the corner but he was determined not to keep acting so childish. He coughed trying to catch his breath. He shook his head in shame, he was acting as if he had just run a damn marathon and all he did was stand in front of a student. He frowned when he was finally calm. It was evident that since he body was reacting so harshly that getting rid of Gaara wouldn't be that easy. Neji knew he would be peeking around school for glimpses of him.

Neji was holding a cup of coffee with both of his hands as he sat in a small café a couple of blocks away from the library. He had been heading into his second job a bit earlier when he decided he needed a pick-me-up and someone to talk to.

"I need your advice..." Neji lingered on the last word. He never needed any advice from anyone. He was intelligent enough to work things out on his own, but this time he could not come to a proper conclusion.

"You are so much trouble!" He threw his hands up." What the hell do you need my help with, genius?" Shikamaru was leaning back in the small chair across the table from Neji. "I've barely got enough energy to finish work." He was wearing his work uniform and drinking down a Monster. Neji wanted to groan, he should have known Shikamaru would be no help. Unfortunately there was no one else to consult.

"I've been dreaming about someone, a guy." Neji said and looked up from his coffee to see if his friend had been listening. Shikamaru didn't seem ruffled or surprised. He just motioned for Neji to continue as he finished off his drink.

"I ran into him today and I completely crumbled. I feel like a giddy school girl with her first crush. I might as well put a dress on, wear lipstick, and paint my nails." He sighed. "I'm embarrassed."

"Damn right you should be. Stop acting like your twelve, you are a Hyuuga for Kami sake." Shikamaru finally sat up as he looked down at his watch and then backup at Neji. "I think its best you figure out if this guy even likes you back…not that anyone wouldn't like you, but if he has not interest then you can take off that dress and continue being a man. " He nodded.

"He's a student…." Neji admitted. Inside he knew there was nothing he could really do about it. He would lose both his jobs and his reputation as a Hyuuga would be buried under the ground. He needed to know how to get rid of Gaara, or the feelings, or both.

"You're insane. I can't believe you even called me down here." He leaned in close and whispered, "Look, I know you miss your father but you're acting out now. You do not even know that this is a crush, maybe you're confused about the relationship you have with him, hmmm?"

"Impossible. I've been dreaming about him for months. I only recently saw him for the first time. There is no relationship to be confused about. I barely introduced myself to him this morning." Neji remembered how cold Gaara's attitude had been. He was small, and mean, and…

Neji felt his palms warm with sweat and a flush glide over his face at the very thought of Gaara. "I don't know why I feel this way. It's not like I've never been attracted to anyone before." He sat back in his chair and fingered through his hair. It wasn't like him to be so torn over someone, especially someone he didn't even know.

"Well, you have two options." Shikamaru concluded. "Either make a move or don't. Just remember, your job is on the line."

"As well as my sanity," Neji added. Shikamaru was right though. Neji needed to make a choice and he knew he couldn't lose his job over some guy. He would have to go along with his plan to stay away from Gaara. He just hoped it was possible. The way he was feeling about the boy was no sign that he could.

The redhead walked into the library. It was packed full of people checking out books, reading, and studying. There were people on computers, working in groups, and talking quietly. Gaara wanted to hate the place but something felt comforting about it all. He didn't know if it was the aura or if a certain someone had made the place feel like home. Whatever it was, he didn't want to leave.

Gaara saw none of the people that he had seen during the registration. He wondered if they were all in another part of the building. He didn't want to walk around and look for them so he walked to the check out desk and asked the little old woman sitting there.

"The Hyuuga who owns this place asked me to come here at three. There should be others here, a group." Gaara said, emotionless. The woman looked up from her paperwork and squinted at Gaara. She seemed a little confused but then she smiled and nodded.

"You must be Gaara. Hyuuga-san said you would be coming." He stood and pointed to the last row of bookshelves on the right. "There's a door just behind those books there. That's his office. He said to send you right in."

Gaara gave her an inquisitive look and then slowly turned to make his way to the corner of the library where Neji's office was. As he got closer to the door he began to notice how hot the library was compared to the outside. Gaara could feel himself becoming lightheaded. He was wearing so many clothes to stay warm. He looked down to pull off his scarf.

When he reached Neji's door he peeked inside through the glass. Gaara couldn't see anything so he leaned close and stared harder. Neji wasn't inside the room. Realizing the office was empty Gaara sighed. He was hoping he could see Neji again, even though he was having a tough time admitting it to himself.

Neji was holding a bottle of water and he headed for his office. He watch said 3:15 and since Gaara hadn't showed up Neji found himself roaming the books. He rounded the corner and stopped abruptly, witnessing the little redhead peering into his empty room.

His heart skipped a beat and something close to fright passed over him but he wasn't going to let this end like it did this morning. He was going to be a man about the situation. He could pretend not to be attracted to the other boy. Neji gripped his water and cracked his neck to the side before he continued walking.

"Looking for something?" Neji was leaning down next to Gaara's ear whispering to him. The hairs on the back of Gaara's neck stood up and he jerked back so suddenly that he elbowed Neji in the stomach. The Hyuuga groaned but he remained standing. Gaara turned around with his arms crossed glaring at the Hyuuga.

"Well…" Neji said, rolling up the sleeves on his shirt and folded his arms as well. "You act tough but…." He reached toward Gaara. The redhead froze. This was just like his dream. He began shaking as he could feel the warmth of Neji's arm pass so closely to his face. Gritting his teeth, he wondered if Neji was going to try and kiss him. He became increasingly nervous as he braced himself for impact.

"-you're still just a kid with repressed anger. It's not attractive." Neji reached behind Gaara and turned the knob on his door, pushing it open.

"Neither are you." Gaara pouted and entered the office without another look at Neji. That bastard didn't know what he was talking about. He didn't know Gaara and he sure as hell didn't know Gaara had anger problems. The redhead walked into the big office and marveled at how much it smelled like the brunette. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"I'm beginning to think you hit me on purpose. Is that any way to treat your employer?" Neji closed the door behind him as he came in. Gaara was staring out of the glass sliding door that led out into the courtyard. Neji had it all, Gaara thought.

"That is why I came here…" Gaara remembered Neji's rhetorical question. "I don't want to work here." He turned around. "I'll be running into you far too much. I don't need the extra credit anyway, I'm graduating early already."

"You couldn't have told me that earlier? I've been sitting here waiting on you all day." Neji coughed. How'd I let that slip out? He looked up to see Gaara staring curiously. "What I mean to say is, I've done all this paperwork to get you started. You could have saved me some time." Neji sat down at his desk and put his head in his hands. Even though he was going to deny Gaara the job in the first place he seemed a little sad now.

"Don't seem so stressed out. You have plenty of other people working here."

"Don't worry I'm not stressed over you." Neji stood up and tucked in his shirt which had been riding up all day. "There's the door then." Neji turned his back to Gaara. He didn't want to look like an ass but he needed to get over Gaara and this was the only way. He was taking off the dress and acting like a man.

But…

Neji turned around in a hurry but Gaara was just shutting the door behind him. Neji didn't feel comfortable chasing after him. He growled at himself. He was going to have to fix this somehow. He didn't like the feeling creeping up on him like a shallow emptiness. Maybe he could befriend Gaara until he graduated. The boy had said he was graduating early.

Neji smiled at his luck. Being the Academic Administrator gave him access and responsibility for all the student's academic affairs. He might be able to see Gaara more often this way. First things first, I have to find out if he's even attracted to me…

-End Chapter I
I hope it was enjoyable. I already wrote chapter II. I'll post it in a coupe days I guess!

Laters!

-Nik