Everything in Between
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Chapter 1
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"Are you sure you have all your bags? Didn't you have another small bag? Where's your computer? Did you get all of your clothes? Because I would rather we get everything squared away now, rather than when you really need it." The blonde girl wrung her hands in concern, counting the bags on the floor and on the bed, trying to do an inventory of their contents. She had supervised packing, after all, so she felt confident she knew what was in each one. "Did you get all your toiletries, too? We should check that they didn't come open in the bag, you don't want shampoo all over your shirts."
"Lay off, seriously." A young man who was leaning lazily against the door frame of the dormitory rolled his eyes, scrubbing his hand through dark brown hair, clearly not wanting to get involved, but also clearly starting to get annoyed with her behavior toward the only other person in the room, a very pale young man with bright red hair and mint-green eyes. "He's not a freaking baby."
"Kankurou, honestly, the liquor store isn't going anywhere! And if you keep rushing me, I won't take you, so that'll be the end of it, won't it?" she snapped at him before turning back to the redhead, who seemed to be simply tuning all of this out, unpacking his things with a level of attention that showed he would not notice if she left. He was used to her fussing over him; he supposed that was the way it was supposed to be with the youngest child in a family. "Gaara, do you know if anything's missing? Because if it is, we can get it for you. And if there's anything else you need, I can take you to the store."
"He can take himself, he has his own car." Kankurou pointed out. "Seriously, Temari, you're acting like his mom." She shot a look at him that was so full of venom he felt guilty without even being sure what he had done wrong. It was one of her talents.
"Kankurou, that was a horrible thing to say." She shook her head at him in disapproval. "Don't talk about his mother."
"Damn, cause I forgot, he always starts crying when I do." Kankurou snorted. "Right Gaara, doesn't it make your heart ache to think of someone you've never met?" The redhead blinked at Kankurou and Temari as though trying to decide whether this question was rhetorical, and if it was, whether or not it had been meant as a joke. It was clear it would take a while for him to come to a decision, so he moved back to unpacking.
"Oh no, don't put them in like that!" Temari shot another look at Kankurou and rushed over to assist Gaara with his work. She pulled half the clothing out of the drawer he had been putting it in and began unrolling and refolding each piece. "They'll be so wrinkled, and some of these you should really hang up. Oh! Did you need some hangers? I brought extras."
"Temari." Gaara pointedly recovered his shirts from her possession. "You are living down the hall. If I have a problem, I will tell you."
"That means he's sick of you, so leave." Kankurou added on, and Temari glared at him again before turning to Gaara in a decidedly tearful fashion.
"Do you want me to stay until your roommate gets here?" Temari asked him, her arms twitching as though she wanted desperately to hug him, but knew that he would draw the line at that sort of contact. "So I can make sure he's…okay?"
"I am an adult." He told her in what he felt was his most patient tone, but she still looked as though she would start crying. He was not sure how he would react if she actually did cry. He had not seen her cry in the entire time that he had known her, since his uncle had died and he had been dropped off like a forgotten parcel at his father's doorstep at the age of nine. His mother had died when he was born, and her brother had been his guardian when he was a child. Temari seemed to feel that since Kankurou and her mother was still alive even though she had divorced their father and visited about once every five years, Gaara was in intense need of a mother. And now that their father was gone as well, she was more "attentive" than ever.
He had known that when Temari applied to the same colleges as him, she would try her best to follow him to school to "watch out for him." He was not sure still whether this was endearing or very aggravating. He had been under the understanding that college was the time to strike out for yourself and become your own person. He was not sure college would be such an experience for him if his siblings would be around every corner. Kankurou had been hen-pecked into transferring his community college credits into the same school as them, and Temari had told him that if he did not agree to this, she would cut off his share of the inheritance from their father's death almost two years ago. It was still a bitter sting to Kankurou that she had been made executor of his estate once she reached the proper age when Kankurou was the eldest, but Gaara couldn't help thinking his father had known them better than he had suspected from his nearly constant absence, and had been aware that Kankurou was not exactly the epitome of responsibility, while Temari had that trait in spades.
Gaara privately suspected the reason they were living in the same dormitory was also to be laid down at Temari's door. She would have probably wanted them all in one room, except the school did not allow co-ed rooms, even if it was a family situation, which Gaara felt a bit grateful for. He did hate the idea of living with someone who would be randomly selected to live with him, but he also hated the idea of sharing a room with his constantly bickering siblings. He was able to maintain patience with their behavior because he gave himself private time away from them every day, but in a large estate, it was easy to find a place where no one would find him for an hour or so. It would take time before he found secret niches on this campus, but this would be a priority if he disliked his roommate. He disliked most people, so this seemed a forgone conclusion. For some reason, Temari had a single. He wondered if he could play on her sympathies and get her to give him her room, but he doubted it.
"Just…just call me, or come by my room if anything happens. I'm in 312, remember?" Temari reached out as though she wanted to touch him, but she stopped herself, conscious of his wariness with physical contact and with Kankurou's boiling impatience. "Don't just suffer alone, okay?"
"Oh my god, this is ridiculous." Kankurou grumbled, and Gaara saw that there was only one way he would be able to satisfy her. He nodded at her and forced a smile, and she looked as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. He hated having to do that, but he had learned that she thought a smile meant that everything was okay, and it would get her to just leave him alone, so it was worth the sacrifice.
"Do you need anything from the store?" she asked, as she turned to join Kankurou, who looked so grateful to finally have her attention back where he wanted it that he might hug Gaara. Although he knew better, so probably not.
"I'm fine." He assured her, and she nodded firmly, gathering herself into her usual bossy and unflappable demeanor before leading Kankurou away for his "important errands."
When he had first moved in with his father and siblings, Temari had been a bit afraid of him, possibly because he was nearly expelled from their school within his first week of transferring in for putting a classmate in the hospital. Gaara had been teased for being small and pale and quiet since he first went to school, and he had swiftly learned how to end the teasing. After that incident, no one at his new school teased him about anything, much less talked to him, for fear of causing him ire. After a while, Temari had learned more about him, and had decided that Gaara was misunderstood and needed her to coddle him. He sometimes thought he would be happier if she was afraid of him, but in his heart, he knew that he did care for his sister. She saw him in a light that very few people ever had, and she was honest with him. The same was true of Kankurou, despite the fact that his siblings had vastly different relationships with him.
Gaara unpacked everything, but he saved the bed for last. He thought it vaguely twisted that Temari had insisted on him having bedding when she knew for a fact that he rarely slept, if ever. Although, he supposed it did make the bed a more comfortable place to sit, but he had a chair for that sort of thing. Beds were a furniture he didn't trust, as they were dedicated to making people sleep. Being open on all sides, they appeared an easy place to escape, but he knew that wasn't the case. Yes, he preferred chairs, or even couches. He wondered if he could find a couch and just throw this bed away. He didn't often ask to access his inheritance, so he doubted Temari would refuse him. She knew he hated beds. Perhaps he could smash the frame of this one with a hammer. The idea was appealing, certainly.
As he sat speculating at his desk, the door opened, and without any sort of verbal greeting, another young man who he had never seen before entered the room. His manner made it clear that he felt he belonged here, and Gaara was immediately on his guard. This must be the roommate. He had long black hair pulled back from his face, and very oddly colored silver eyes. Gaara had never seen eyes like that before on anyone, and he almost thought this person was blind, but if so, he was one of the best guessers ever, because he proceeded to the empty bed and dropped his belongings before leaving, clearly to get more things. He did all of this without once acknowledging Gaara's presence and the redhead felt wary. He located the cell phone that he never really used and wondered if he should call Temari. The more he thought about sharing his personal space with a stranger, the worse this idea seemed. He assumed she had pulled strings to acquire her own single room, and he was annoyed she had not done him the same courtesy. He knew that she would not agree to this, however. Temari seemed to dote on him to an extent in private, but there were things she felt Gaara needed, and she stubbornly insisted on making sure he got those things. One of them was friends. This was clearly a plot to make him know people, which was seriously irritating.
"Is this it right here?" The roommate had returned with a girl in tow, although he acted as enthusiastic for her company as he had for Gaara's. The girl had the same odd eyes as him, and Gaara felt she must be his sister. He knew the look on the other man's face too well, the look that said he was annoyed with people caring about him and would rather they all just go away and leave him alone. "This is great, Neji, it's right around the corner from me! Oh, after we get you settled, you should come by for tea. I asked my roommate and she is very excited to have the electric kettle in the room, so she won't mind. She is very nice. Is this your roommate?" Her tone was much gentler than that of Temari, and Gaara speculated that she was a younger sister, not as used to getting her way as his own.
"I suppose." The young man looked over at him for the first time, and they seized each other up for some time. The girl was not the sort for treating strangers with caution however, and she smiled, rushing forward to offer her hand to Gaara.
"Hello, my name is Hinata Hyuuga, and I am pleased to meet you. Have you two met already?" she asked, prompting Neji to shrug noncommittally. "Oh no, I seem to have interrupted your first meeting. I apologize." She smiled sweetly, and Gaara found her innocent demeanor suspicious at once. He didn't trust people who were friendly. They clearly wanted something. He eyed her extended hand with caution and wondered if he should shake it. Before he could decide, she withdrew, clasping her hands to her chest. "What is your name?" she prompted. Gaara considered her for some time, and then glanced at his roommate, who managed to make a very similar set of features look much different. He was glaring at Gaara, and somehow this was much more reassuring than this girl smiling at him and trying to make friends.
"Gaara." He answered grudgingly, darting a glance back at the girl before returning his attention to Neji, who seemed to be considering whether he was an enemy or not. Gaara was positive that if this smiling girl attacked him, he could take her down, but Neji was about four inches taller than him and looked physically fit, so it was hard to say if he could present a challenge or not. Gaara did not necessarily liked getting into fights, but he did like to know that if anyone in the room attacked him, he would be able to win. Temari didn't understand this attitude, and she often despaired of him being so hostile toward everyone that he never seemed to make friends, but Temari had lived a much different life than him, so she couldn't hope to understand.
"Neji, introduce yourself!" Hinata nudged the taller man and he seemed to go through a brief internal struggle before stepping forward and offering his hand, which Gaara took, using his grip to judge the strength of this person.
"Neji Hyuuga." The silver-eyed man managed not to glare at Gaara, but he still looked extremely wary of him.
"Would you like to come have tea with us, Gaara-san?" Hinata asked, looking very pleased, as though this had been an extremely successful social exchange for all involved. Gaara frowned, glancing from Hinata's bright smile to Neji's look of resignation. This could be acceptable.
"Tea is fine." He nodded, thinking suddenly of how later, Temari would probably go into paroxysms of joy knowing that he had spent time with people. He quelled the nervous fluttering in his chest as he thought of how this girl might want him to talk, and how he would have to wait to be alone. College was about changing. Perhaps here he could learn to be around people without wanting to hit them. That seemed a suitable course of study.
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"Yes, mom." A girl with pink hair spoke into her cell phone while lying sprawled across her bed, tired after so much time spent unpacking. "Yes, I have it with me. Yes, of course I didn't. No, I'll remember. Mother, please, I think I know how to…well yes, of course." Her tone sounded resigned as she rolled her green eyes and twisted a lock of her recently shorn hair between two fingers. "I know that. Yes, I will. Mom, I can't call you every three hours, seriously. No, I do. Love you too. Yes, later."
With a deep sigh, she flipped her phone closed and tossed it carelessly toward her purse, coming very close to actually making her goal. Sakura understood that her mother was concerned about all the changes that going to college would mean, and wanted to protect her, but she needed to learn to just cut the apron strings. At least she hadn't spent the night, like she had clearly wanted to. Sakura loved her parents, but she felt that it was important that she get into the world and see it for herself, and she wished they could just trust her not to be an idiot about it.
"Hello?" Sakura glanced over at the door when she heard a gentle knocking and couldn't stop herself from giggling slightly when her roommate poked her head in hopefully. "Hinata, it's your room too, you don't have to knock all the time."
"Yes, but what if you had been changing or sleeping?" Hinata opened the door a bit wider and Sakura noticed there were a pair of guys standing behind her, both looking about their age. "I have guests if you feel up to company. I thought we could all have a cup of tea, which can be quite relaxing."
"I'm tired, I'm not infected with plague." Sakura shook her head and stood up, trying to get a closer look at these young men. Maybe she was just delusional with exhaustion, but they both looked extremely attractive. Sakura was impressed. Hinata had left the room maybe thirty minutes ago and she'd picked up two of the hottest guys Sakura had ever laid eyes on. She wouldn't really have pegged the sweet, shy girl as that sort, but clearly she was full of surprises. "Tea sounds great. Who are your friends?" she smiled brightly and smoothed her hair, trying to remind herself that with all the homework she would soon be doing a boyfriend would be very taxing.
"Oh! How rude of me!" Hinata flushed and ushered both men in, gesturing first to the taller one with eyes like hers and long, silky black hair. "This is my cousin, Neji Hyuuga, and this is his roommate, Gaara…" she looked expectantly at the redhead who blinked at her like he wasn't sure what she wanted. "This is my roommate Sakura Haruno. I hope we can all get along!"
"Oh, your cousin?" Sakura extended her hand, which Neji shook in a stiff, formal manner. Gaara also shook her hand after looking at it as though concerned it was a small, vicious predator in disguise. Sakura was too busy wondering how many other gorgeous guys went to this school to really notice. "And his roommate…so nice. And you guys go here too?"
"They live just around the corner!" Hinata beamed in pleasure before gesturing for everyone to sit and sweeping over to plug in her kettle. "I am glad, as Neji and I have been close for some time. He is like a brother to me, and we have known each other since we were quite small. He has always been very good to me. You are very lucky to have such an honorable man as your roommate, Gaara-san. Neji can seem reserved at times, but he is such a loyal friend, you will be happy to have met such a person."
"Hinata, please stop." Neji looked uncomfortable at all this praise, "I do not deserve such praise."
"I'm sure if she says you're a good man that you are." Sakura neatly joined the conversation, feeling a pleasant warmth in her chest as Neji looked at her. Honestly, he was so completely beyond the boys she had known in high school, he made her feel a foolish girl just looking at him. They both did! "Do you have lots of friends back home? A girlfriend, maybe?"
"I don't make friends." Gaara answered, so far the most words anyone in the room had heard him string together in one instance. Everyone was looking at him, and he remembered that he hated being around people. "I don't." He repeated and stared at the carpet.
"We'll be your friends, Gaara-san." Hinata assured him, preparing the cups and taking out a package of shortcakes, moving a box full of books and clothes over for them to use as a makeshift table. "It's okay if you didn't have a good time in high school. Neji was popular, but he did not like to make friends, either."
"Hinata, stop." Neji heaved a sigh. "I'd rather not talk about it."
"So neither of you have girlfriends?" Sakura could see that these boys were both a bit less social than what might be ideal, but they were also very cool and mysterious, so she was willing to overlook that.
"I'm gay." Neji answered her bluntly. "Now stop staring at me, because it isn't going to happen."
"I—I wasn't…" Sakura flushed red, feeling an utter imbecile. She was never very good at talking to boys, and it seemed that she had fouled up again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"Neji, do not be mean." Hinata chided him with a stern look, and he shrugged slightly. "I must apologize for Neji, he does not mean to be cruel when he says things like that, but I think he becomes nervous and cannot help it."
"She was the one looking at Gaara and me like she was starving." Neji grumbled, and Gaara blinked in surprise, realizing what he was saying and looking at Sakura in surprise. She was interested in him? He had never really given dating a second thought, since everyone was too scared of him. Interesting. Perhaps if he didn't send anyone to the hospital, he could learn what normal socialization was like. Temari would be very excited.
"Tea's ready!" Hinata clapped her hands, changing the subject. She handed the tea out and sat down just as there was a knock on the door. She leapt up once more to answer it.
"Hello! My name's Ino, I live across the hall there." A blonde girl stood in the doorway and greeted the room at large, shaking hands with Hinata. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you have a vacuum, or you know where one is? I was unpacking and I knocked over my roommate's houseplant, and there's dirt everywhere, and I just…" she trailed off, no longer really looking at Hinata, and instead trying to get a better look at the two men drinking tea with Sakura deeper in the room.
"Ino!" A girl with dark haired pulled into buns ran up holding a dust buster. "Some guy down the hall had this, don't worry about it!"
"Oh…yeah, that's really good." Ino nodded vaguely at her roommate, peering into the room again. "So…what did you say your name was?"
"I am Hinata Hyuuga, and I am very pleased to meet you, Ino-san, as well as your roommate…" she tilted her head to one side and extended a hand to the girl in buns, who rubbed it off on her pants as though it was dirty.
"Aha, sorry, I was trying to just pick up and I'm a little messy!" she smiled nervously. "My name's Tenten." She took Hinata's hand, shaking it briskly. "Are you having a tea party for real?"
"It isn't really a party, I wouldn't say…" Hinata demurred and Ino angled her body slightly, sliding into the room easily.
"I haven't met any of you, either." She wished she didn't have her hair pulled back today. She would have to remember to wear it down if this was any example of the type of guys she would be living with. "Ino Yamanaka. I live just across the hall." She winked broadly. "I'm assuming you aren't all living with Hinata-san in here."
"It's very rude to barge into rooms uninvited." Neji advised her, annoyed that yet another girl had turned up to ogle him. It was unfair that he was forced to choose between looking bad or having to deal with all these women. "You should apologize to Hinata."
"N—no, it's okay." Hinata smiled shakily, regaining herself slightly. "It is good for us all to get to know one another. Tenten-san, would you also like to join us?"
"Maybe in a bit, I have to clean up a dirt explosion still." She shrugged sheepishly as if the mess had been her own.
"Do you mind if I help you? I would like to see other rooms as well." Hinata followed her, leaving the door open and Neji felt a frown take hold of his face. He wished that he could be as cruel to her as he could to most people, but he found it quite impossible, and then he always ended up in situations like this because of his stupid weakness for her.
"Looks like I'm invited now!" Ino smiled and sat in the chair recently occupied by Hinata. "So where do you guys live?"
"They live down the hall." Sakura cut in, annoyed with the temerity of this girl, although privately hoping Neji would redirect his ire at her. She still felt incredibly embarrassed at what had just happened.
"Who are you?" Ino asked, as though Sakura had no business in her own room.
"I'm Sakura Haruno, and this is my room as well." She told Ino sharply. "You should get out of Hinata's seat so she has somewhere to sit when she gets back."
"Hey!" two young men that none of them had ever seen before barged into the room suddenly, apparently taking the open door as an invitation. "Hey, are you guys going to the party tonight?"
"Party?" Sakura frowned in slight disapproval. "School hasn't even started yet."
"Exactly, so we have tons of time to sleep it off!" exclaimed a blonde young man with bright blue eyes. "It's college, you have to party, right Kiba?"
"Right! We're gonna go get a bunch of booze. Are any of you old enough to buy alcohol?" Kiba, the other young man, was a brunette, but Sakura thought they were both a bit plain looking compared to the two men sitting with her.
"We're freshmen." Neji answered in a cold tone, and it was clear he was not interested in any sort of party.
"Don't worry about it, Naruto, we'll find someone." Kiba patted the blonde's shoulder.
"Come on, you should all come to the party, it'll be awesome." Naruto bounced onto Sakura's bed next to her, and she looked at him as though he could be carrying a deadly disease. "Our first night! We should celebrate!"
"That sounds cool." Ino considered aloud, turning to Gaara and Neji. "You guys should come. I bet they'll have something much better than tea there. What room is it in?"
"307, right out there, two doors down." Kiba gave her a double thumbs up. "Come on, Naruto, we gotta invite more people!"
"Kay! Seeya later!" he jumped up and then stopped himself at the door. "I forgot, my name's Naruto Uzumaki. What's yours?"
"I'm Ino, and this is Sakura." Ino answered, and Sakura scowled at her. She didn't want to go to any parties, and she wasn't interested in goof-offs like that Naruto guy. She wanted someone serious if she was going to date.
"Sakura, huh?" he grinned at her and nodded. "What about you guys?" he asked, and Sakura was surprised when Neji answered without venom.
"My name is Neji, and this is Gaara." The dark-haired man answered.
"Awesome! Hope to see you guys at the party!" he gave a swift wave and disappeared down the hall."
"Great, a party two doors down. I guess I won't be getting any sleep tonight." Sakura sighed heavily.
"I have never been to a party." Gaara spoke up suddenly, and Ino looked at his as though he'd grown an extra head.
"What, were you home-schooled?" she asked.
"I don't like people." He answered, and she wilted slightly.
"I have to go unpack." Neji stood up suddenly, not willing to sit here making small talk with these girls anymore. "Gaara, come on." To his own surprise, Gaara stood and followed the other young man back to their room, secretly relieved to be done with his brief visit, but still shocked that he had simply obeyed Neji without question. Once they were back in their room, Neji gave him a considering look before speaking. "You really don't like people, do you?"
"No, not really." Gaara answered.
"I think this could work out." Neji nodded and went back to unpacking. Gaara wasn't sure what that meant, but he supposed it meant that they wouldn't have to see who would win in a fight yet.
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"Come on, it'll be fun!" A chubby young man with reddish brown hair was invading Sasuke's room. He did not approve. "Hey, are you Shikamaru's roommate?" he asked when he noticed the dark haired young man standing in the doorway with an annoyed look on his face.
"No, I just like spending time with people I've never met." Sasuke retorted, staring down his nose at the cheerful looking young man. That was the sort of person who wanted to make noise when Sasuke was studying, he was almost sure. Shikamaru, his roommate, had seemed a reasonably good deal. He was studious, quiet, and slept a lot. Sasuke found these arrangements agreeable, but he did not find Shikamaru's friends visiting his room to be agreeable at all. "Of course it's my room." He snorted.
"Sasuke, this is Chouji, we went to school together." Shikamaru stretched and yawned as though he had just been napping.
"Great. What's he doing in our room?" Sasuke asked, with the air of someone who was used to everything being done in the way he demanded it.
"He's in a triple down the hall, and his roommates want to have a party tonight for the beginning of the year, kind of thing." Shikamaru shrugged, slumping slightly and tucking one leg under him where he sat on the bed.
"You should both come!" Chouji exclaimed pulling a bag of chips out of his jacket pocket and beginning to crunch down a few of the snacks.
"I hate parties almost as much as I hate people eating in my room." Sasuke answered with a sour face. "Out!"
"Sorry bout that! Seeya later Shikamaru!" Chouji did not seem fazed by Sasuke's lack of enthusiasm, and he waved before leaving the room, happily snacking on the bag of chips. He liked to keep at least a couple bags on his person. You never knew when you would really need a snack. "Whoa!" he stopped himself short as he almost ran straight into a young man wearing a coat and sunglasses, which was a rather odd combination. It wasn't necessarily very bright inside, nor was it very cold.
"It is good you did not run into me." The young man hefted the cage he was carrying, and Chouji saw that there seemed to be a pair of scorpions inside of it. "They are extremely susceptible to stress, and I am hoping to mate the pair."
"Um…" Chouji wasn't sure what to say to that, though he had to admit the prospect of baby scorpions was not one he relished. "That's…nice. Hey, wanna come to a party tonight? Just you, not the bugs."
"They're arachnids." The boy answered, and Chouji was thrown off balance again, just as another young man popped out of the room across from Shikamaru's door, looking extremely excited.
"Did I hear someone say party?" the young man was wearing a green track suit, and he had black hair in a bowl cut with extremely bushy eyebrows. "I am always ready to join into an impassioned celebration of youthful joy!"
"Hey," Chouji waved, brushing chip crumbs off his hand. "My name's Chouji. My roommates and I are throwing the party down in 307, just down the hall. You should come!"
"I will make a point of it!" The strange boy punched the air. "My name is Lee, and this is my roommate, the quiet and mysterious Shino. I will be sure he comes as well, so that he can see there is more beauty in the world than that of his insect collection."
"They aren't all insects." Shino grumbled and pushed past him into the room. Chouji shrugged and moved on, determined to help his roommates make their party a success.
--
To be continued…