AN: Okay, well I figured you guys would appriciate me actually uploading something here, considering I haven't done in a little while.

As I say, I'm a slow updated because I'm a slow writer, I'm sure people can understand that. This chapter is... probably one of my least favourits... which is diffuclt because I'm looking back at this wondering what I was doing. Hopefully my chapters will pick up... maybe...


SasuNaru - It's a Hard Life
Chapter 3

Naruto yawned and open his eyes vaguely. He was on the couch in his rented flat, which was somewhere in Konoha. His hangover was making his head hurt far too much too remember anything else other than that. Sighing, he rolled onto the floor in a bid to get up. His clumsiness however, caused him to just smash his head on the glass coffee table he owned.

"Kuso!" He swore, getting up quickly and clutching his head. He opened one eye to check everything was where it should be and what the time was.

The walls were plain white as was the style of the flats and it was a pretty small flat. It had one bedroom and a bathroom. The main room was half living room with one couch and an armchair, and half kitchen with an empty fridge and cupboards filled with ramen. He'd separated the ramen into his favourite in one cupboard and the things he ate for a change in the other. Then they were set out into flavours on the inside so he knew what was where. The time was 1:00. He assumed that because it was light outside that meant one in the afternoon.

He went over to his cupboard and checked inside. The beef was out and so was the egg fried one. In the other cupboard he'd run out of chicken. He was feeling boring though today so he reached into the second cupboard for the original flavour and set about preparing it.

Just as he went to sit at the breakfast bar part, which faced into the living room, he noticed a slip of paper on the side.

Naruto,

Don't go out today. I've gone to sort some things out after a few things caught my eye. I'd prefer to know where to find you afterwards.

Gaara.

He chuckled lightly and chucked the paper across the tabletop.

"Like I'm going anywhere with this hangover…" He muttered, eating the ramen quickly. Afterwards he looked briefly around his room before sulking back into his bedroom.

After opening the curtains and tidying up marginally he laid on the bed and reach under, pulling out a small little box in which a writing pad and a pen and pencil lay. Picking them all up and kicking the box back under the bed, he flipped open the first page. In it he'd drawn a small, rather rough picture of himself, smiling happily out of the page. He'd written some details about himself as well, but otherwise the page was blank.

On the second page there was a small picture of a nude man, though the figure seemed to be missing its head. There was also no writing on the page so Naruto skipped straight past it.

For the next few pages, an elaborate story was taking place in which Naruto and the mystery male seemed to be the main characters. In short, the mystery man was predominately torturing Naruto in a varied amount of ways. As the pages went on the different methods grew steadily more and more intricate and sophisticated. Dotting here and there about the page were also small sketches, though not in vast amounts of detail, of the assorted activities the couple were taking part in. Now and again Naruto would be seen assuming the role of uke, but otherwise he was the less dominate of the two.

There did come the point where it was beyond the realms of reality in what was happening but Naruto seemed to take no notice of the fact and continued writing as if it was a real life happening.


When Gaara came in a few hours later, he noted the cupboard was still hanging open. He would have commented about the door being open but he soon remembered it was because he'd picked the lock to get in. He noted that the sofa was unusually tidy for this time in the day. Sure the floor boards weren't the best in the world but this was, after all, one of the slightly cheaper flats in the building.

The TV that stood on a simple flat pack dresser opposite to the couch was also off which made Gaara wonder exactly what Naruto was doing. His usual remedy for a hangover was to drown himself in the TV considering it was the only time he'd use making, meaning he would still be able to afford the bill.

A light snore broke the silence from the bedroom, relieving Gaara. Lucky for him Naruto seemed to have forgotten suicide existed. He walked into the room casually enough; knowing Naruto probably wouldn't be able to hear him anyway. He noted Naruto's writing pad was out again so he picked it up to see what the blond had been composing and sketching this time. The text depicted two bodies intertwined on the bed with one pumping the others penis, before that particular stage got more heated and seemed to repeat the happenings of a previous chapter with a slight new twist. There weren't any clear pictures regarding who was who just yet, but he again assumed Naruto was the one on the bottom, skilfully running his hands along the apparent soft strong muscles of the others chest.

He flipped the pad shut and placed it and the writing equipment away before creeping back into the living room to check the TV and wait for Naruto to get up. He fell asleep for the shortest amount of time, yet was unfortunately reawakened by a certain advertisement. Though by that time he was too pissed off to bother which one it was before he began throwing silent fits of insult in the television general direction.

"Morning…" Mumbled Naruto, emerging from his room, still clothed from the night before.

"It's evening, baka." responded Gaara, flicking off the TV. He was wearing dark trousers now, most likely black. As well as his deep red, or maroon, top with the sleeves rolled up and the top two buttons undone.

"What are you trying to get?" asked Naruto, heading into the bathroom to change.

"I could ask you the same." challenged Gaara, hiding his blush. Naruto just shrugged and carried on. He emerged in jeans and a normal orange T-shirt despite the cold.

"Where were you today?" He inquired, getting a diet coke from the fridge for the both of them. The blond was only just beginning to feel hurt because he hadn't had a chance to do his usual hangover cure antics this time around. It usually involved sexually attacking Gaara for a few hours before they both settled down on different chairs to watch some mindless TV show. Naruto never got anywhere with Gaara of course because he was far too good at fighting Naruto off. The most he ever got to do was make-out and that was only when the red head was feeling lonesome enough.

"A job and the apartment next door," Answered Gaara casually enough, though Naruto started chocking on his drink. "You're supposed to drink it, not choke on it."

"Gaara!" shouted Naruto dumbstruck, "You got a job, and moved in next door?!" Gaara himself winced at the blonds' loudness. The broadest grin stretched over his face and he bounced over to Gaara to hug him. He got as far as sitting next to him and leaning over because of their drinks.

"I don't actually have the job until tomorrow." He corrected plainly. "But yes, I do now live next door."

"That's great news!" Naruto laughed with joy, chocking on his drink again. This time he got a pat on the back off of Gaara because they were sitting next to each other. "Hey, I got a question." started Naruto. He got an 'hm?' off of the red head so he continued without interruption. "I had a weird dream last night about some stripper guy. He looked like the guy that was onstage in the bar you took me to last night." He ended there looking quizzically at Gaara. "I wasn't just imagining that guy was I?"

Gaara got up carefully and took a final sip of his coke and set it down. "I asked Sakura about that for you." Naruto blinked in confusion. "She was serving us. According to her that guy you couldn't take your eyes off was the Uchiha. You remember him don't you?" Naruto chocked again and his eyes bulged even more in denial. Uchiha Sasuke. The guy he had hated to pieces in the school he'd gone to; the guy with all the popularity who acted as if nothing mattered. The one who acted like he owned everything yet was about as well off as he himself was. "And to top things off." Continued Gaara, opening the door just in time to watch someone with raven hair close the door opposite and walk off. He hadn't seemed to see either Naruto or Gaara which was probably just as well. "It looks like he lives just opposite." Then Naruto seemed to crack, a million denials and insults wanted to spring out at one. He settled for one word, which Gaara could hear even as he shut the door.

"WHAT?!"


AN: Ugh... I'm sorry, but I'm in opinion this chapter just completely fails... dies

I wrote this so terribly, but if I try and go back to change it I feel the next chapter I'm writing will suffer so very immensely. Please bear with me on this one, to all those deciding to read this.

I haven't much else to say... only that the manga is now irritating me for reason I'm sure many people could work out.
And the anime is taking a very different turn, but I'm not really complaining about that, it's something new and unexpected.

Also, sorry if any characters are too OOC for some people, this is technically an AU so I figured they could change marginally. I think I've wrecked Gaara with all his blushing and stuff, which is quite odd because he's my favourite... anyhow, I do get him to stop with all the emotion stuff eventually. Don't quote me on when, I've can't wholly remember. Sorry dies again

Many thanks to my reviewers and anyone else so is reading this.

- Layalas -