Authors note; So, this is my first actual fanatic. I wasn't aiming for it to be a master piece but rather a story that will be as much fun to read as it was to write. Please do leave reviews and critique!

also, I do not own Naruto, yada-yada-etc.

I forgot but here is a quick warning; mature content, drugs use, alcohol use and general idiocy but you'll find that in most of my fics.


"That sounds awful..." The mumbled words were uttered in a monotone manner and accompanied by a soft awkward pat on the back. The hand couldn't be anymore hesitant if Naruto was a porcupine.

"It's not just awful!" Naruto whined loudly as he removed his head from a pillow he had snatched from Gaara's bed before the redhead could silently and weakly object. "I mean, she is really nice and she deserves so much better, but it's just not working for me! And oh god I'm pretty sure Sakura will punch a new dent in my head!" He continued to cry out loudly. "This is going to affect the entire group, you have no idea just how awkward it will be to face them!"

Gaara made a bit of a face, the ghost of a frown plaguing his forehead upon hearing that. "Uhm... Yeah," he softly said in lack of better words. He guessed that having an insomnia and personality disorder induced violent outburst and nearly killing three people wasn't nearly as bad as a break up within a group of friends.

"God! Fuck! Gaara! What should I do?!" The blond continued, too swept up in his own melo drama to realise that Gaara was trying to answer his rhetorical question.

Gaara's eyes darted across the room, looking for answers before he shrugged a little.

With a loud whine Naruto looked up from the pillow, awaiting an answer only to realise that maybe Gaara wasn't the best person to ask that particular question. "Oh never mind," he sighed and rubbed his temples before felt the slight awkward pat on his back once more. It was that exact moment that he realised that most of his friends sucked for the most part and he actually had to remind himself just exactly why he came to Gaara for this.

Clearly he couldn't go to Sakura, she wouldn't let him hear the end of it. Sasuke was too much of a self obsessed prick to be any help. Lee? No, aside from that awesome fashion sense, the last thing Naruto wanted at this moment was that upbeat blabbering about the power of youth. He hadn't felt like youth in a particular while now, considering he was reaching his late twenties. Kiba and Shikamaru weren't exactly prize options either considering neither would care enough to be of any help. He wasn't really close enough with any of the others to really confide in them. So the redheaded socially detached outcast it became. At least Gaara would try and not directly slam the door on him before a friendly 'go fuck yourself.'

"I don't really know, Naruto," Gaara finally sighed as he retreated his hand again and places it back upon his lap where it joined his other hand. "I could go ask Temari, or Kankuro," he shrugged but Naruto just waved him off.

"Nah, it's fine, I'll find something," he sighed and slumped.

"Do you want to go out for food?"

Naruto shrugged a little. "I don't know, in all honesty I didn't really feel like going outside, nor do I have money," Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I'll pay..." Gaara softly offered.

Before the last word was even able to exit the redhead's mouth, Naruto looked up; a twinkle in his eyes. "Thank you so much! I love you man!" He yelled, practically throwing himself at the man besides him.

Gaara gasped and stared at the wall like a deer in headlights when he felt the larger body press up against him. A faint blush painted his white face and a weak smile vaguely tugged the corners of his mouth. "Don't mention it," he softly said, not sure if he wanted to push the other man away or wrap his arms around him. Finally he managed to move his arms from besides his body to ghost over Naruto's back when the man ripped himself loose again, leaving the redhead awkwardly with his arms still in a vague hugging position. With a soft 'oh' he dropped his arms again and stood up instead. "Let me just check my cash," he mumbled, quickly turning away, looking through the drawers like he was lost in his own room.

"Yeah, sure," Naruto replied a little absently as he looked at his phone and contemplated turning it off. "Come to think about it, it's almost seven, don't you have to pop your pills?" Naruto said bluntly as he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

The redhead blinked a little at Naruto's question, actually amazed that the man with the attention spawn of a puppy half of the time managed to remember what time he took his medication. On the other hand, the amazed and even somewhat disturbed expression that Naruto wore upon seeing the amount of pills he chucked down just to keep his mood in balance would still break a small chuckle from him. "Actually I'm trying to get off them." Gaara finally said as he found his wallet and silently counted the money in it.

A small frown tied blonde brows together. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Naruto asked, concern dripping from his words. "I mean... Like.." He scratched the back of his head. "What if you go batshit again?" The blonde had to put bluntly.

Gaara shrugged. "I'll probably be institutionalised again and put back on my meds," he calmly answered and didn't seem very fazed by the potential threat that lingered. "But I want to try something else since the antidepressants and anti-psychoses just make me feel so..." He paused and looked for a way to properly put his thoughts. "Hollow.." He finally said, nodding slowly to his own conclusion.

"So, what are you going to do?" Naruto squinted a little.

"Pot," Gaara answered as he picked up a pair of shoes from his closet. The redhead blinked a little curiously when he turned around and was met by a mouth open far enough to land a plane on the blond's tongue. That however was slowly replaced by a grin that ran from one ear to the other, making Gaara swallow softly and inch back a little. "What?" He softly questioned.

"Do you have some on you now?"

"I have some in my room, yes,"

"Who's your dealer?"

"Kankuro supplies me, it was his idea. I don't know where he gets it from though," the redhead played with his sleeves a little uncomfortably.

"You know that as a friend, I should probably test it for you, right?" Naruto continued through the same grin.

Teal eyes moved around the room, darting from one side to the other. "You're making that up," Gaara finally concluded after a long moment of silence. "But if it'll make you feel better I guess I don't mind sharing,"

"See! This is why I went to you man! You don't make shit overly complicated!" Naruto grinned deviously as he quickly stood up.

"Thanks?" Gaara said through a bit of a questionable smile. From his nightstand he took the plastic box with pills for every day of the week and opened it accordingly. Without the aid of water he laid a total of four tablets upon his tongue and swallowed them one by one. "Are you ready?" He asked as he put the box away and picked up his shoes and jacket. Quickly Naruto nodded in reply and jumped up and with a bit of a skip in his step he followed the redhead to the front door.

The walk from the apartment that Gaara and Kankuro shared to the little Japanese restaurant that Naruto so fondly picked every time they went out for dinner was not really different from how it usually went. Naruto did most of the talking, or in this case more whining about how he loved Hinata, yet he didn't. Gaara didn't quite follow but could to a certain extent understand where his friend came from. They sat at their usual table and even a big bowl of his favourite noodles on Gaara's bill couldn't make him shut up.

Naruto stiffened however when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and quickly took it out, not bothering to read the caller ID when he answered.

"Hello? Naruto here," he said, his voice echoing through the empty streets.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! You first degree cockhead!" Both men jumped a little at the scream of Neji's voice through the tiny speakers. Quickly Naruto pulled the phone away from his ear as the stream of name calling and psycho analysing continued. In the back he could still hear Hinata's soft voice pleading for Neji's to stop, but all was in vain.

"Wow, wow, wow, Neji..." Naruto tried to calm the man at the other end of the line down but when the torrent of condescending remarks didn't stop it took the blond no less than five whole seconds to lose his temper.

"You know what Neji?! You go stick your cock in her if you love he so much!" He screamed before practically slamming his thumb down in the little red button.

"Better?" Gaara softly asked, arching a non existing brow.

With a grunt the blond shoved his phone back in his pocket. "No," he huffed, and crossed his arms over his chest.

Silently Gaara reached out, resting his hand upon Naruto's shoulder with the slightest hint of hesitation in his movement. Not a word was uttered and instead he just watched his worked up friend try to calm himself down by taking deep breaths.

The eyes that Naruto had closed opened with a final deep breath and slowly he turned to Gaara, smiling wryly. "Would you mind if I stayed at your place tonight? Y'know, just in case Neji decides to burn down my apartment," he joked half heartedly.

A faint smile ghosted over Gaara's lips and slowly he nodded. "Of course, you're always welcome," he mumbled, this time a bit more audible.

"Thanks," Naruto wrapped an arm around the shorter man, pulling him a little closer and with little to no struggle, Gaara moved.


thank you everyone that took the effort to read!