Warnings: rated T for 'Sensual' dancing, swearing, shonen ai, water, Neji's thoughts, and whatever else I can come up with.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! All rights go to the mangakas and the companies that actually own it. I don't. This fic is for entertainment purposes only. I own nothing but the plot, my OC Ruka, and the words on the page!
Pairings: (so far, implied and otherwise) NejiGaara, ShinoKiba, SasuNaru, (main 3) LeeSakura, ChojiIno, ItachiKyuubi, and whatever else I decide!
AGES!:
Temari- 21
Kankuro- 19
Gaara- 16
Neji woke up the next morning to the sound of his alarm clock. Scowling, he sat up and jerked it off the nightstand.
8:30 a.m.
He growled quietly in annoyance as he pressed the off button and tossed it back on the nightstand. Groaning, he fell back into the pillows and pulled the covers up, trying to block out the sunlight streaming through the window over his bed. As he started to drift off again the door opened quietly and soft footsteps padded across the floor to his bedside.
"Um…Neji-nii-san… it's, um, it's time for you to get ready… you asked me to wake you up, remember…?" His cousin, Hinata, asked quietly. Neji groaned softly and sat up, pushing the covers off. Hinata looked unsure, worried that she had annoyed her cousin in some way. Neji smiled kindly at her, reassuring her that he wasn't angry.
"Thank you very much Hinata-sama." The girl smiled shyly and quietly walked out. Neji swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching, and sighed as he felt the muscles in his back ease up. Walking over to his dresser, he pulled out a black button-down, a pair of dark blue denim jeans, a pair of white cotton boxers, and a pair of socks before walked into his adjoining bathroom. He grabbed a towel out of the closet, set his clothes on the counter, and turned on the shower. He checked his cell while he waited for the water to heat up. When it was finally warm enough he pulled off his tank top and stepped out of his boxers, throwing them in the hamper in the corner. He stepped into the spray and sighed, relaxing as he allowed the hot water to warm him up. His thick curtain of hair, usually a dark brown, was now black and dripping from the spray. He sighed contentedly and grabbed the shampoo bottle, pouring some into his hand and reaching up to scrub it into his hair. Once he was done he washed out the soap and finished scrubbing himself down with a washcloth and some body wash.
Neji turned the shower off and stepped out, grabbing the towel off the counter and drying himself thoroughly. He wrapped the towel around his waist and pulled another out of the closet, wrapping it around his head so his hair wouldn't drip more water onto the tile. He walked back over to the counter and sighed, towel drying his hair slightly and pulling out his hairbrush, gently working through the tangles until it hung in a soft, damp curtain around his face, tumbling down his shoulders. He pulled out his hairdryer and plugged it in, immediately getting to work drying his hair. After a few minutes he unplugged the device and ran the brush once more through his hair, reaching back to pin it like he always did. He pulled on his shirt, boxers, and jeans quickly, brushing his teeth and grabbing his cell and his socks as he walked back into his bedroom. He pulled on a pair of black tennis shoes and grabbed his keys and his wallet as he headed out the door and downstairs, flipping his phone open.
'12 new messages. 16 text messages. 15 missed calls.'
9:19
Neji swore quietly and jumped the last few steps, already making his way to the front door.
"Um…. Neji-nii-san…aren't you eating breakfast?" Hinata asked quietly, peeking out from the kitchen. Neji smiled kindly and shook his head.
"I'm sorry Hinata-sama, I'm a bit late, so I'll be leaving. Please don't worry about it and tell uncle that I'll call him if anything changes." The girl nodded and smiled sweetly as her cousin's phone rang and he practically ran out of the house. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, the indigo bangs that framed her face swinging, and turned back to the stove.
Neji ran out of the house and across the yard just as Sasuke's car pulled up. Before he could open the door Sasuke shut the car off and stepped out, shaking his head.
"You didn't look at your messages did you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Neji stared at him, confused, until he realized what his friend was wearing.
Sasuke had exchanged his usual jeans and T-shirts for a pair of checkered black and white swim trunks, a black tank top, grey flip-flops, and a pair of black sunglasses. He was also wearing a necklace with alternating black beads and small shells. All in all he looked ready for a day at the beach.
"…I guess I'm changing." Neji said, smiling sheepishly. Sasuke just gave him a 'No shit.' look and turned around, already making his way towards the Hyuugas' front door. Neji followed him up the steps and into the foyer, making their way back upstairs to the brunette's room. Hinata peeked out from the kitchen as they trooped back upstairs, but after taking in Sasuke's appearance just smiled softly and went back making breakfast, humming quietly to herself.
Neji walked over to his dresser while Sasuke sat on his bed to wait. After a few minutes of searching Neji finally found a pair of black swim trunks, a long black tank top, his black flip-flops, and his sunglasses. He walked into the bathroom to change and rifled through the drawers until he found a hair tie. He took out his usual hair-piece and put his hair up in a high pony-tail that reached about halfway down his back. Satisfied, Neji grabbed a large towel from the closet as he passed. Grabbing a bag from the cabinet, he threw his towel, sunscreen, and a T-shirt and some shorts he'd left on the counter in and zipped it shut. He walked out and glanced at Sasuke before turning to head back downstairs.
Neji locked the door behind them as he and Sasuke made their way out. Sasuke opened the trunk for the brunette, who threw his bag in and climbed in the passenger seat. Sasuke smirked as he turned the radio on and pulled away from the curb. Neji watched as neighborhood after neighborhood flashed past, eventually giving way to open highway. He didn't worry though. The city they lived in was about an hour away from the coast, so he just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
Gaara Sabaku woke up with a massive headache. He groaned and rolled over, flinging a hand out and groping blindly in the hope of shutting off the infernal torture device known as his alarm clock. After a few moments of fruitless searching the red-head finally succeeded in putting an end to the shrill chimes, pulling the blankets tighter around himself in an attempt to block out the sunlight pervading the room. Luck, however, was not on his side.
"Gaara! Wake UP!"
Correction. The universe was not on his side.
'I'd finally gotten to sleep too…damn.' He thought dimly.
Groaning and only semi-conscious, the red-haired boy sat up just as the door to his bedroom was practically thrown open to reveal two very happy, extremely ANNOYING, individuals.
AKA his best friends.
"Gaara! You're up!" His best (male) friend, Kiba Inuzuka, said, smirking good-naturedly. Gaara frowned, taking in their sudden appearance, deciding to ignore Ruka's 'I told you he would be up' rant.
Kiba was wearing a pair of crimson swim trunks, a cerulean blue tank top, and a pair of navy blue flip-flops. He had a pair of sunglasses resting atop his head and one of the shell 'chokers' you get from shops on the boardwalk.
Ruka had on a black lace bikini and a pair of black flats. The sheer, sleeveless cream-colored cover-up she had on reached to about her mid-thigh. Her silky raven hair had been left un-styled and allowed to flow around her face and down her back in shiny black waves. Though she wasn't wearing much, the outfit still succeeded in accentuating her every curve and drew attention to all the right places. She really knew how to work with what she had.
Gaara sighed and tuned back into the conversation just in time to hear his name called. He looked up at Ruka, who was smiling sweetly, not even trying to hide the slightly sadistic glint in her eye.
"Gaara! You need to go get dressed!"
Deciding to play dumb, Gaara just raised an eyebrow at her.
"Oh no no no! I don't care if Kiba and I have to drag you kicking and screaming, you ARE going to the beach with us! Mk?" She threatened sweetly. Gaara just rolled his eyes and stood up, already making his way to his dresser as his friends closed the door, waiting outside for him to change.
'It's already Saturday…' He thought dimly as he grabbed a pair of black and red checkered swim trunks, a crimson tank top, and a towel from the closet. He threw them on, grabbed a bag, and stuffed the towel, sunscreen, and a book off his shelf in. He snatched a pair of sunglasses off the counter, ran a brush through his sleep-mused crimson locks, and slipped on a pair of black flip-flops. He grabbed his cell phone, wallet, and his I-POD off the dresser as he made his way out.
"That was fast!" Ruka said, smirking. Gaara just mock-glared at her, which she ignored, and followed the two downstairs.
"Kankuro-kun! Temari-chan! We're leaving!" Kiba yelled towards the kitchen. Gaara's siblings poked their heads out.
"Ok then. Gaara, make sure you get in touch with us every now and again. Dinners at 7, and of course Ruka and Kiba will be eating with us." Temari gave them a look that clearly said that nothing she'd said was up for debate. Ruka and Kiba laughed and waved before pulling Gaara out, who nodded politely to his siblings as he went.
Gaara and his siblings looked nothing alike. They had moved here from the desert after their father died, the year Gaara started 5th grade, and were dubbed the 'Sand Siblings' because of where they had lived prior. However, if you didn't know better, you wouldn't think they were related at all. His sister, Temari, was the oldest. She had sandy blonde hair, which she often put up into four spiky ponytails, and dark green eyes. She was average sized, lean, and could be overbearing at times. But she was also a caring older sister.
Kankuro, Gaara's brother, was the middle child. He had spiky brown hair and dark green, almost black, eyes. He was the tallest of the three and often used purple face-paint to make the almost tribal lines that he was rarely seen without. He was a little eccentric at times, but he actually cared a lot about Gaara and Temari. You fucked with them, he'd kick your ass.
Gaara was (of course) the youngest. He was a few inches shorter than the 'average' male his age. His blood red locks long enough to brush his chin. He had light teal-green eyes, which he outlined with a heavy layer of kohl* in an attempt to hide the true extent of his insomnia. Not that anyone else knew that of course. He had alabaster skin and a red kanji tattoo for 'love' (ai) on his forehead above his left eye, his hair was parted to the right in order to see it better.
They didn't really look like siblings at all.
"Gaara! Are you listening?"
Gaara was pulled from his thoughts by Ruka's probing question.
"Ah, sorry. What were you saying?" Ruka rolled her eyes at this but never lost her smile.
"I was asking if you or Kiba wanted to grab something to eat before we get on the road."
"No thanks." He said simply. Ruka stared at him for a moment before shrugging uneasily and climbing into the drivers seat. Kiba had already taken the passenger seat, and Gaara was more than happy to have the whole backseat to himself.
As Ruka pulled away from the curb Kiba turned around and smiled brightly at him.
"So, you wanna try and guess where we're going, or should we just keep it a surprise?" He asked teasingly. Gaara rolled his eyes.
"Eh, I don't really care. I'll find out when we get there anyway. I have patience, unlike some people." The red-head said, smirking slightly.
"Hey! I do too have patience!" Kiba said loudly, pouting.
"Sorry Kiba, but you are the most impatient person I know!" Ruka said, laughing. Kiba whirled around to start arguing with her as Gaara pulled out his I-Pod and slipped on his headphones.
Lincoln Park blasting, Gaara turned to stare out the window at the cars and houses flashing past, allowing himself to disappear into the music.
"We're here!"
Gaara jumped slightly and looked up, pulling his headphones out and turning off his I-Pod. Ruka was smiling brightly at him from the front seat.
"C'mon, let's go grab a bite before we hit the beach." She hopped out as Gaara and Kiba followed, locking the car up behind them. The two glanced at each other and shrugged, Kiba rolling his eyes good naturedly, as they followed their friend towards the boardwalk they had parked near. They caught up and fell into step beside the girl, who smiled brightly.
"I used to come here all the time when I was a kid! It sure has changed a lot." She said, staring at all the different shops they had started to pass. Gaara glanced at the small shops and food stands as they walked. He had never spent much time at the beach before he met Ruka and Kiba. He had always preferred his solitude, and had never really made an effort to make friends as a child. He had rarely even left his house. After he met the other two, his entire lifestyle had been turned upside down. Ruka had vehemently refused to let him stay home for any outing the girl decided to plan, and Kiba had been just as persistent. And though he hated to admit it, he was glad they had dragged him around with them.
"Oh! Oh! Let's eat here!" Kiba said loudly, pulling the red-head and the black-haired girl over to a small pizza place on the corner. Kiba ran up to order as the two sat down and waited for the brunette to return. Gaara started out at the beach beyond, filled with tourists and other beach-goers. The water was the clearest blue he'd ever seen, even rivaling the cloudless, 'forget-me-not' blue of the sky above. White sand practically sparkled in the sun, which beat down from overhead. Laughter and shouts echoed in the air, mixing with the crashing of the waves, the cawing of the gulls, and the music from various sources across the beach. Ruka glanced over and smiled quietly at him.
"So what do you think?" Gaara glanced at her for a moment before smiling softly.
"…I think I may not have to kill you both for waking me up."
Ruka blinked, surprised, before smiling her signature thousand watt smile (reserved specially for Kiba and Gaara). Kiba ran over to the two, carrying a large cheese pizza, some plates and cups. Gaara rolled his eyes and reached for a slice as Ruka and Kiba began a scuffle over the soda bottle.
'…maybe today will be fun after all.'
*Author's note*
Ok, I need to apologize for the horrible chapter and the long time between updates! *bows apologetically* I know there's no excuse, but I've been so busy, it's not even funny. I have 5 classes a day due to an online Japanese course I'm taking, honors level homework/papers (math and u.s. history), ROTC, rifle meetings twice a week till 5:30 (I'm captain), and online language coaching twice a week. I barely have time to get online anymore! But that's still no excuse! I've decided to try and write every weekend, so I may only be able to update 1-2 times a month, however, I suppose it's better than nothing!
I am so sorry! I'm a horrible author who can't meet her deadlines! *sits in corner*
Anyway, once again, I apologize for the horrible chapter, and hope everyone will bear with me. I'll try and update again this weekend since I have a 3 day weekend, but I can't guarantee it due to a HUGE U.S. history paper. However, I'll do my best!
Thank you to everyone who faved, followed, or reviewed! You guys made my day every time I got a notification, and gave me the resolve to make time to update!
