Happy birthday, Vera! After lots of bickering and knocking of pairing ideas, the lovely Dana and wonderful Rita have chosen GaaNaru for you as your birthday present! We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it for you!
First bit written from Gaara's POV by Dana
Second bit written from Naruto's POV by Rita
...
At least it was free. That was the only positive thing Gaara could currently point out. Not that his opinion actually mattered. When siblings start getting involved, meddling where they shouldn't even be sticking their noses in, it was hard to voice your thoughts and reject the idea. His phone was grabbed before he could even press the download button, Kankuro too eager to wait for Gaara's reluctant movements to finally catch on.
From his position on the stone bench, posed right in the middle of the shopping street, Gaara could see just how many people were glancing their way, wondering why two adults were giggling like children. Kankuro and Temari were hovering over Gaara's phone, pointing out stuff to each other as they filled in the entire page. Sometimes questions would be thrown his way. "You like long walks on the beach, right?" or "You are totally a dog person, right?" Gaara never got the opportunity to actually answer their questions, Temari and Kankuro already onto the next question. There was something to be said about it though. Those two idiots did know him better than Gaara did himself. Having grown up with him, taking care of him, dealing with his moods when he was still a teen. It still seemed weird of them to do something like this.
"You're sure this is the way to go?" Gaara asked for the hundredth time, not really expecting a different answer anymore. Leaning his head back he gazed up at the sky, a few clouds passing by as the casted shadows down on the ground.
An arm was wrapped around Gaara's shoulder as Kankuro pulled him close, Temari taking place on Gaara's other side. Their pleased smiles was something Gaara didn't really like. "You know this is the perfect way, Gaara," Kankuro started. "This app has the best feedback and a friend of mine used it as well, and is now very happy with the results. She recommends it to everyone." Gaara was all too aware of the fact that Kankuro didn't give the 'friend' a name. "The only thing this app does is match you with someone who has similar interests as you. You fill out this small questionnaire where it sees what you're looking for and then it will start looking for a date for you. I mean look." The phone was shoved under Gaara's nose again, showing the colourful dating app his siblings had just filled out for him. "Over a million people have downloaded this app and are using it. Even you can find a date. You only need one in a million."
Temari took the liberty to give Kankuro a punch on the shoulder for that comment, sticking up for her little brother. Something Gaara appreciated. He may not have the most exciting dating life, but he was not looking for one either.
"So what now?" Gaara asked in his raspy voice. The need for a cigarette suddenly arose, but he had quit just a few weeks ago. He should've known it was his siblings that drove him to smoking.
A slim finger moved onto the screen of Gaara's screen and scrolled down, Temari pointing him to the next step. "So your profile is now ready. People can now see what you do, how old you are, what your interests are. Just the general stuff. You can write a little personal message at the bottom if you like to give it the Gaara flair, and then you save it," she explained, clicking the save button since they both knew Gaara would not leave a personalized message on that page. "The app works with your GPS, so it will always know where you are. May seem strange, but this app actually plans a date for you. So instead of going back and forth with messages, it will match you based on your area as well, and then find the best place to meet up. It's an instant blind date that way."
"You can also just message people if you see someone with a cool profile, but I think you have to pay for that," Kankuro muttered, his own phone now in hand as he flipped through something. Gaara secretly assumed the same app since the guy got dumped recently and he was never single for long. This would be the perfect way to find someone new.
"Yes, you can do that too," Temari copied in an annoyed tone, clearly not happy with Kankuro being distracted. They were supposed to be taking care of their little brother. "But the best thing to do is to let the app know when you have time for a date. You point out some dates and you'll receive a message when it found someone for you who has time as well. So do that now and then you're ready. We can then go and do some more shopping, because I still need a new pair of shoes."
As his siblings started bickering over what store they needed to visit next, Gaara focused on the small calendar of the app. It seemed a little weird to just let the app know when he wouldn't be studying or when he wouldn't be working. He wasn't sure if he wanted the app to know that all. So he filled in only one day, today. Today he had time since he was here out shopping with his brother and sister, and he didn't really mind if he was stolen away from them. He didn't really need to hear them complain and argue all day to each other.
Stuffing his phone back into his pocket, the three of them stood up. Temari and Kankuro took the lead, still not having agreed on what store they were going to, and Gaara was a few steps behind them, not wanting to be associated with them for a moment.
They had just rounded a corner when Gaara's phone beeped softly from inside his pants' pocket. Gaara was not very popular and hardly got notifications, so this was an interesting turn around. Stopping in his tracks Gaara took his cell out and glanced at the small message blinking in the middle of his screen. BARISTAS 2PM. The unexpected had happened. The app had instantly found Gaara a date and had planned it in right away. The coffee place was only a block away from here and he had about ten minutes to get there.
Kankuro and Temari had never noticed Gaara had stopped and were already on the other side of the block. It was the perfect opportunity to escape them. Turning back around Gaara found himself moving towards the little coffee place, some kind of eagerness urging him on. He tried clicking the message to find out who he would be meeting, but he needed to pay for that, and it seemed like a waste of money if he could simply find out in five minutes.
The bell above the door jingled as Gaara pushed it open. Sea green eyes slid through the coffee shop, but it was almost completely deserted, and none of its occupants gave him an interested glance. Well, ten minutes was not a lot of time. Maybe the other hadn't even seen it.
Ordering a black coffee, Gaara took place at a small table and decided to wait for a while. Not too long, so it wouldn't get embarrassing, but he did want the other to get enough time to actually find this place. Maybe he came from far away or maybe he didn't know his way around town. Right as he was about to take a sip of the steaming hot coffee, the bell of Baristas jingled again. Green eyes flew into the door's direction, heart racing fast as he got ready for who he was about to meet for the very first time.
"This seems like an even more desperate form of speed dating. Regular speed dating is desperate enough as it is, what sad slob came up with this idea?!"
"Oh shut up Naruto, just give it a try. That sad slob came up with this for desperate people like you!"
"Wow, Sakura how can you say that?" Naruto gave her a hurt look, but Sakura just huffed and would not be moved by some pitiful crocodile tears.
"Naruto, you haven't been with anyone for awhile and for whatever joke God has on you, you keep getting friend-zoned! This is like a last resort since everything else before has failed." Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her best friend.
"Heh yeah. Even you friend-zoned me after dating for a month."
"Naruto..." Sakura sighed and uncrossed her arms and went to hug her idiot friend. "You know deep down we're better off as friends. You know I love you, but not the kind of love where I can bang with you on every flat surface."
"Yeah, yeah I know, I know." Naruto hugged back and smiled, but it quickly turned into a pout. "But I still don't see why I have to do this. Whatever divine force is out there probably has something nice set up for me. The person of my dreams will come around at some point."
"Oh so then you just plan on sitting on your ass and wait for them to happen upon you? Nu uh, that's not going to work. I'm helping you find someone whether you like it or not. Or at the very least to get yourself out there. You must be sexually frustrated. I mean it's been, what, how long now?"
"...A year, four months, and two days..." Naruto muttered sadly.
Sakura felt like crying for her friend. "You're not serious are you? Over a year?!"
"Well...something like that. I made up the months and days actually, heh heh-OW!"
And to think she felt sorry for him. Well a year plus was way too long to go without sex, even if the idiot did exaggerate a little. While Naruto rubbed the bump on his head, Sakura pulled out his phone and put in his password so she could find the app. "Okay, let's get this over with Naruto. Here is the app," she showed the blond the app called Instant Match-up and then turned it back to herself to start filling information. She put in his name, date of birth, and age for him.
"Okay so there are some questions you gotta fill out too."
"Uh, shouldn't I be the one filling out most of this information?" Naruto glared.
"Yeah, but when you think about it, who really knows you better than yourself?"
"Is this a trick question?" Naruto scratched his head and was about to answer with 'myself' when Sakura bonked him on the head again! "OW! Quit doing that woman!"
"Me you idiot! We're best friends so of course I know every scrap of detail about you. Even the dirty little secrets ever since we were kids. You got nothing to hide from me, even if you tried." Sakura tapped away on his phone filling in information without even telling him what the questions were.
Naruto muttered under his breath, something along the lines of Sakura being a nosy bitch and that's why she knew all of his business, but he quickly shut up after a sharp look was sent his way from the pink haired girl. He stared at her, feeling bored, watching as she filled out info on the app for him. He probably should try to take a little more initiative and take his phone back and fill it out himself. But he was kind of lazy. Why not let Sakura fiddle with it if she was this set on him getting a date?
However, a part of him felt a little anxious of the kind of results he might receive. Sakura just gave him the bare minimum information about this app. You make a profile, fill out the information, answer some questions and then boom, you were done. Everything else was handled by the app itself. It would actually find someone compatible to you based off of your interests and what not. Then narrow that search down even more to someone who lived in your area too, so you could actually meet face to face.
That all seemed a little too good to be true.
"Naruto!"
Hearing his name, Naruto snapped out of his daze and stared dumbly up at his friend. "Uh, yeah?"
"Geez Naruto. I just asked you something like five times already!"
"Oh? Sorry." Naruto grinned apologetically.
Sakura just rolled her eyes, "Whatever. But answer this. Smoke or non-smoker?"
Naruto blinked and tried to think about it. He didn't really have a problem against people who smoked. It only bothered him if he entered a room where someone had been excessively smoking and the smell hung thick in the air. But he didn't really want to be with someone who smoked off the clock every chance they got.
"Non-smoker."
Quickly Sakura put that in and then scrolled up to check if she missed anything. "Alright, it looks good."
"Can I actually see the questions they asked? What if I don't like an answer you put down?"
Sakura held the phone out to him. "It's mostly just multiple choice questionnaire. I can't really go into detail with a lot."
Naruto took his phone and looked it over. It was kind of scary and a tiny bit nerve-wracking, but Sakura really did know him better than he knew himself. He handed it back to her. "Oh you forgot time of availability." Naruto thought for a moment then with a playful grin and checked off Now as his availability. Sakura happened to look over his shoulder after he did that and smacked him once again.
"This isn't some joke Naruto! You should be more precise about when you're available!"
"What! I am available right now though!"
Sakura huffed and snatched his phone back and looked over everything else. "Everything looks good. There's also a small box at the bottom where you can add any additional information or comment if you want. Anything you want to add?"
Naruto thought for a moment and shrugged. "Sure, put: Looking for something more than a one-time thing."
"Okay. All done!" Sakura handed his phone back to him with a big smile on her face. Naruto took it back and stared down at his phone.
"So...now what?"
"Now you wait for a match-up."
"I thought it was supposed to be instant, hence the name."
Sakura sighed in exasperation. "Naruto come on. I know it says instant, but it has to go through the info on your profile, then find someone within the area that's compatible to you and actually available this very moment. Honestly, you have no patience and it was so dumb that you put Now as your-"
A loud buzzing cut Sakura off and they both stared in wide-eyed shock at Naruto's phone. For a moment it almost felt like his heart stopped, but then Naruto just laughed it off. "It's probably Kiba texting me or something. Maybe he wants to go to the arcade-" Naruto swiped the screen to turn the phone back on and felt his jaw drop. "Eh..EHHHH?! It's not serious! Sakura! This can't be legit! This app is evil!"
Sakura snatched the phone from Naruto before he dropped it due to his little freak out, but her eyes widened. "No this is legit! You got a date in 10 minutes at that coffee shop around the corner down the street! You better haul ass and get down there!"
"No way! I can't!"
"Yes you can!" Sakura kicked the blond, then grabbed the collar of his shirt and hauled him to his feet and gave a hard shove towards the door. "Get going!"
"Wait! Does it at least tell me who I'm meeting or show me?!"
"No, that costs extra money! Now go!" Sakura shoved his phone in his hand and then pushed the idiot out the door in a hurry.
The door slammed shut at his back and Naruto nearly whined. This was happening too fast. Fuck, he shouldn't have teased with fate and this kind of crap. He was joking with saying he was available now! He didn't think the Instant Match-up app would be...well instant!
Naruto started looked at his watch and nearly fainted. He had less than 10 minutes to get down there now. He would at least give the app credit of arranging a date somewhere nearby. Which only meant the other person must have been very close by as well. Naruto ran down the stairs, then completely left Sakura's apartment and started a brisk power jog down the street. The closer he got to the coffee shop, the more excited he felt himself get.
Who was he going to meet? Would they get along? Would he actually...possibly fall in love with this person too? That might actually be a bit crazy, but it didn't hurt to wonder!
Finally Naruto saw the coffee shop and came to a halt before he crashed through the door. He breathed in deeply to catch his breath and to compose himself a little bit, then entered the shop. The little bell above the door jingled and there he stopped dead in his tracks. How was he supposed to know who he was looking for?
Naruto looked around the shop and swallowed. There were already a few people in here, but what if the person he was supposed to meet hadn't arrived yet? Naruto walked to the counter and decided to order himself a coffee and then wait a few minutes. Again he glanced over the few customers already here until his eyes locked on one person staring at him. Those sea green eyes were striking and practically made his heart skip a beat. Naruto just might die if this guy was the one he was set up to meet with.
...
Once again Happy Birthday! Hope you ate lots of good food and get nice and bloated from it all :) We'll start on the next chapter soon, so stayed tuned our love!
Love, Rita and Dana