I feel so guilty for taking so long to update. See, I'm editor for the school paper, and the last week is like, total chaos. I didn't have the imagination to write anything. And then, when I did, I ended up hating it. I restarted this chapter three times, until I got this, and I'm still kinda weird with it.

Sorry, again, for the delay.

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine. Dammit.


Cheesecake

Sasuke entered Neji's line of sight, again holding a rose he'd never give Naruto and buy some cookies Neji wasn't sure the Uchiha ate or not.

Nevertheless, Sasuke was here everyday.

Fate. See, no one believed him, but the evidence was right there. Fate led Sasuke to Naruto. Sort of irked him that no one else saw that. After all, Naruto and Sasuke had attended the same high school, except Sasuke was two years older. Neji remembered though. Naruto had been in his journalism and computer class. He had been bad at both, so he regularly sought Neji's help during the two periods. At first, Neji had been dismissive of Naruto, referring to him frequently as an idiot. Naruto hadn't been without surprises though, and beat Neji for the editor-in-chief position of the school newspaper. They slowly became friends after that. Neji couldn't call him and idiot then. (He was still clumsy, that Neji could say.)

Neji had helped him when he received the bakery shop after his father's death.

There were many things Naruto was to Neji. At one point, he believed he had a crush on the blond. That lasted for some time, until Naruto introduced him to his other best friend, Gaara. Things changed so fast after that. Naruto became a very pivotal point in his life. It had been fate.

Because Gaara was there right now, his flame like hair covering Sasuke's image from Neji's view. There was an intent glare on the man's face. Well, there always was, he supposed. The dark circles under the eyes, the pale skin, that tattoo... Gaara always looked mad.

And he always ate cheesecake. And drew on the table napkins. And left them for Naruto to pick up and stow away. So when Gaara came back to ask him for the so-and-so picture he so-and-so drew that other day, Naruto had it ready to give back. Perfect and clean for Gaara to transfer it onto a canvas, have an amazing portrait or some such done in a week, or a month, or a year. Maybe if he did the insomniac thing again, a day. He'd for sure have something done, and Neji and Naruto would be the first to see. Gaara's way of thanking them, Neji surmised, for putting up with him.

"Hn."

Now, his conversations with Gaara were very limited, he knew. Everyone knew. People asked him if he had ever heard the sound of Gaara's voice. Of course he had. It was rare, and Gaara preferred that Neji figure out what he wanted to say without saying it, but he had heard Gaara's voice. There must be something about artists with their symbolism and little to no talking. Neji somewhat taked. Neji wrote music. That was his correlation. He was to be a business man. Oh well. He liked writing music. No one would ever know it was him saying all that stuff during the Top 40 Music Countdowns. No one would ever know it was Gaara who had used all that color for his paintings at the Modern Art Museum.

"Neji."

Although, when Gaara did say his name, it was very sensual. Strange and rare it was for his name to come out of that mouth. Neji liked it that way. If Gaara said his name frequently, it wouldn't sound as special as it did now. Ah, he better answer...

"Do you want more Cheesecake?"

Gaara grew even more serious. That hadn't been what he wanted. If he got irritated, Gaara would smirk and almost laugh, and Neji would have played right into his hands. Not this time.

Sasuke bought his cookies and stomped his way to the door. He hesitated a moment, looking at the rose, looking back at where Naruto stood, and then the door. Neji guessed it to be around 7:59 p.m. Another moment, a sigh, and Sasuke left, looking depressed. Eight o' clock. You could set your time by the Uchiha. Since Gaara, the slightest things became amusing.

"Fine. Get me more."

Gaara had given up trying to telepathically send Neji his thoughts. Slouching a bit before getting up, he gave a little victory dance around his head. Gaara had been unsuccessful today.

Naruto's impish grin grew at the sight of Neji. Out of all their friends, Naruto appeared the most bent on making fun of Gaara and his relationship. He called them the two chopsticks, explaining that they were both sticks that could go up your ass. Neji never understood Naruto's humor either.

"Naruto, may I hav--"

"Cheesecake?"

"Hn."

"You're just like Sasuke bastard, quiet all the time. You two should become mimes. Oh, and Gaara. Wait, he'd go crazy. Nah, never mind."

"Naruto, just give me my piece."

"Fine fine, I wont hold you from your boyfriend. Why so in a hurry, hmm?" Naruto took out the whole cake, a wonderful light peach-yellow that looked to have a sponge like texture. The knife cut through easily, evenly spreading the pieces for future customers, "OH! I know what you're going to do! That's nasty." Naruto wrapped the piece delicately on white wax paper, then placing it on a Styrofoam box along with little complimentary caramel candy.

"What, pray tell, are we going to do?" Gaara stood behind Neji, waiting for his delectable favorite cake in the whole world. And he didn't mean Neji.(1)

"Ahahaha, see, you're going to... yeah... that..." Naruto blushed, he wished he hadn't said anything at all now.

"Have sex?"

"AH! Neji, not so loud! You see the children? They're my future, my customers!"

"You brought it up. How much?"

Naruto handed the package of sweets to Gaara, who had pink around his cheeks. He had caught the sex part. Naruto was wrong, Neji and him haven't had sex yet. They were about to... but something always got in the way! Neji would always mumble fate or something right after too...

"Neji, why ask? You don't have to pay, you own half this place."

"How much?"

"Agh! Okay okay, see, my cashier is broken, and you know how bad I am with numbers, so I wont be able to give you change or anythin--"

"Two fifty? Okay, here. Come on Gaara."

As they left, Naruto smiled at his young assistant, Konohamaru, "See, that way, I get out of the guilt of having him pay."

"Just admit it," the boy said, "You're greedy!" then he stuck his tongue out and ran to get more flower, just missing being hit by cooking utensils.

---------------------

Ino stepped aside as Sasuke ran out of the bakery, a somewhat happy and agonizing look across his face, though if anyone else cared to look at him they'd say his features hadn't changed at all. Sasuke always held an image of composure. Nonetheless, that composure must have failed him today, if his heated walking towards his very luxurious car was any indication.

Peering through the window, Naruto was smiling merrily at Neji and Gaara, his eyes void of any feeling the rest of his own countenance expressed. Naruto always looked so depressed after Sasuke left. Really, men were such complicated creatures.

Naruto had confided to her and Sakura once that Sasuke must have someone he dearly loved already. If not, who were the the roses for everyday? Naruto believed he didn't stand a chance against whoever Sasuke fancied. That Sasuke would never look at him in any amorous way.

Ino knew who they were meant for. Her father always talked about Sasuke and the money he got everyday from his patronage. Ino rolled her eyes. Her father was too much a fanciful man himself.

Adjusting her purple top, she ambled on forth. Today she meant to see her husband, Chouji, and help him with the afternoon customers, the busiest time for the restaurant. If Naruto meant to talk to her, he'd arrive with Sakura and Lee, maybe Ten Ten, and fill the metaphorical void in his heart with Ramen. Which they didn't sell, but he'd bring along by his own accord and eat with them.

Iruka always expressed concern regarding Naruto's nutrient choices. He bewared Naruto that if he ate too much Ramen he would grow too chubby for anyone to like. This gesture wasn't meant to be cruel in anyway, since Iruka smiled throughout and wished to give Naruto an incentive to eat healthier. Yet Naruto didn't care in the end, proclaiming that Sasuke didn't like him anyways, and went back to stuffing his face.

There couldn't be much done, in any case, Ino thought. Naruto's visage was already plump and round, very childlike, something that had been constant through their elementary school years. If Iruka wanted Naruto to be nice and thin, then he was too late. And Sasuke loved Naruto that way anyways. Ino ended up encouraging Naruto's eating habits. He wasn't on the chubby side, he was well cared for.

At least, that was what Chouji would tell her when he demanded that she eat more.

Speaking of, she should hurry on. Even from outside, she could hear Jiraiya and Tsunade's cry for more Tequila. Those two drank it like water. She imagined little Hinata blushing and trying to calm down the professor and the doctor. In a few moments, Kiba and Shino would walk out of Ten Ten's establishment and pick up some fruit drinks at their own restaurant, with Kiba's little dog, Akamaru, obediently following.


(1) I couldn't help, corny as it sounded, I had to:P

Okay, short, yes. You guys deserve better, lol.

Gracias, a todos, por sus opiniones. :)

There, that's for those that sent me stuff in spanish, lol. Okay, really, thanks for review, it really made me happy, I got so many! Yet, would you all mind doing it again? Haha, that's all I do, whine and whine for more.

Please, review! Review!

Take care