A.N- Hi there everyone! I finally have chapter 10 finished! Yay! I wrote and rewrote this like fifty times XD might not be an exaggeration there...
I just wanted to write this in a way where no one looked like the bad guy because honestly this story doesn't really have one XD at least not yet I have no idea what is to come so don't quote me on that lol
In this chapter it is just a series of unfortunate events that take place and make for some saucy drama.
For those of you who hate Sasuke... :( I'm sorry. But I like him in this story so he probably won't get some evil fate and he will get his love because if it weren't for him loving someone else Naruto wouldn't go to Gaara... XD and I'd have no story lol
With that said, I hope that everyone continues to enjoy this story! I love all the reviews that I'm getting for this story! Thank you all so much for your support! I can't wait to hear what you guys think of this next chapter. :P It starts off rough but I think it ends on a rather sweet note.
Love
FanggirlX
Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine.
Laying face down in his bed still snuggling Gaara's captive arm, Naruto woke to the sound of his doorbell ringing relentlessly. Blinking drowsily, the rumpled blonde moaned softly, his body still aching all over.
Naruto realized he had a slight smile on his face, despite the state of agony in which his body remained. He also noted that he was incredibly warm and comfortable. He looked to his side where he knew Gaara was, due to the fact that Naruto still held his arm hostage.
The red head's intense gaze locked with his.
Maybe it was Naruto's imagination but he thought that maybe he knew what Gaara was thinking.
It was like his look alone said it loud and clear; 'You get visitors at this hour?'.
Pretending his thoughts were correct Naruto answered the possible silent question of Gaara.
"I dunno who that could be…" Naruto yawned self consciously covering his mouth and moved to get up, releasing Gaara's arm as he sat up.
Just as the blonde was getting to his feet he was halted by Gaara's hand on his chest, "Rest."
Naruto chuckled and stood up anyway, "And keep whoever that is waiting? Like what, you want me to ignore them? No way, dude, that'd be evil. They're killing my doorbell so it has to be important, right? I mean…you'd think it was anyway..."
Gaara watched Naruto leave the room and start for the stairs.
With a soft sigh, he stood and followed after what he was certain had to be the dumbest person to ever exist.
Any person who came punching a doorbell so much at two in the morning deserved to be left outside, and more, much more.
Gaara walked to the top of the stairs and sat down. Whatever it was didn't truly concern him, nor did it matter to him.
The grumpy goth watched Naruto answer the door and try to sound cheery and upbeat as he did so, "Hey, what's up?"
Gaara rolled his eyes; the moron didn't always have to smile for other people. Shouldn't an expression of emotion be something personal and solely for himself?
Naruto's smile faltered for a brief moment when he saw that it was Sasuke at his door.
"Dude, what're you doin here? Is your dad out cold or somethin?" Naruto asked, concern filling his voice as he moved to let his best friend inside.
Sasuke smirked and entered the small house, hands casually in his jeans pockets.
"Yeah, he is actually. So I was bored and thought I'd come over, see if you wanted to hang a while."
Naruto smiled apologetically, "I would but…I'm kinda not feeling so hot. I caught some stomach bug or something. So I was just gonna sleep in…maybe skip one more day of school…"
Sasuke nodded, "Alright. You skipped with me, I'll skip with you. You want something to eat or do you just barf it all up if you eat?"
Naruto shook his head, "No, I, uh, had some soup earlier and it didn't make me throw up. But seriously, I'm just gonna sleep, you will die of boredom, dude."
Naruto glanced up the stairs and saw Gaara sitting at the top, nearly out of sight. Unless Sasuke looked up there actually looking to see him he'd never spot the redhead.
Sasuke chuckled, "So? With your movie library over there, I think I'll manage."
Naruto sighed and muttered, "Fine, just let me go grab a shirt."
Sasuke eyed him with a strange look, "But you're all sweaty…aren't you hot?"
Nodding, Naruto answered, "Yeah, kinda…"
With an eye roll Sasuke ushered the blonde over to the couch, "Then why bother? Just sit down before you pass out on me."
Naruto had no choice. He didn't know what to do.
He wasn't entirely sure why he was hiding Gaara from Sasuke, but he couldn't help but feel that if his best friend knew his new friend was here at this hour there'd be a butt load of trouble.
Resting back into his couch cushions Naruto turned his head to look upstairs again and didn't see any sign of Gaara.
A stab of guilt went through him and Naruto hoped Gaara wasn't angry.
Sasuke walked into the kitchen and grabbed the pizza box from the fridge; it contained the left over slices from their recent skip day.
He came back and plopped down beside Naruto, "I have food and," the black haired boy stretched for the TV remote laying on the coffee table and turned it on, immediately turning the volume down, "I have entertainment. Go on back to sleep. I just…I had a pretty great day and being there is murdering my joy buzz."
Naruto nodded his understanding and he tried to lie down and get comfortable on his half of the couch, but he couldn't help but miss his previous sleeping situation with Gaara upstairs. It had been more comforting and more comfortable period.
"Why was it so great?" Naruto mumbled, figuring he wasn't going to get to sleep just lying there trying to not be uncomfortable.
Sasuke grinned, "I finally met someone who interested me."
From his contorted position Naruto glanced up at Sasuke and saw the smile on his friend's face. He'd met someone…and he liked them a lot.
"Interest like…what?" Naruto asked, yawning and snuggling deeper into the cushions, brushing against Sasuke accidentally.
The raven haired boy scooted a bit closer to the arm of the couch to give Naruto more room and shrugged, "Like feelings, I won't say it's romantic but, shit, Naruto she's so…different. I actually sat and talked with her on some weird spontaneous mini date thing. That's…really unlike me, but…some reason I did it, cuz she told me to."
Sasuke truly did seem to be in higher spirits than he had been in what was probably years. Naruto smiled a little, though his chest was beginning to hurt and he couldn't help it but he was getting angrier and angrier, with no reason at all.
"Heh, go figure, someone you can stand to be around who can stand to be around you." Naruto said, his speech slurring more, sleep was coming slowly.
Sasuke nodded, "Heh…yeah, intriguing right? You're gonna have to meet her if it gets too, uh, real, I guess is the word. Right now we're just in the talking stage, but seeing as I've never been this sure of anything, I know it'll go further."
Naruto nodded, a smile still on his lips, "Mmmhm, that's great, man."
Sasuke looked down at Naruto and shook his head, friendly amusement in his eyes, "Are you really comfortable like that?"
Naruto imagined he looked something like a cat trying to sleep in a ball like this. "Mmm."
He didn't feel like trying to convince him he was fine, so he figured he'd try that trick Sasuke and Gaara both used where they just made some noise and try to pass it off as words.
It worked, because Sasuke shrugged and turned his attention back to the TV.
Naruto bit back a moan, his stomach was twisting into painful knots and he felt like he was about to throw up the soup he'd eaten earlier, which would be a damn shame since Gaara had worked so hard on it. Trying to hold it back but to no avail Naruto knew it was coming but he couldn't get up fast enough to get to the bathroom.
He suddenly vomited. It had a serious splash field because it hit Sasuke and the couch and the floor and the coffee table…
Sasuke leapt up in shock, accidentally knocking Naruto in the face with his foot.
Naruto recoiled and held his lower lip that was already swelling.
Sasuke's eyes doubled in greater surprise and he bent to check on his friend, "You ok? I didn't mean to get you like that…I was just…I mean…that was just so…"
Naruto shook his head, "Don't worry about it, just…could you go get a towel?"
Trying not to gag at the smell Sasuke nodded and hurried away.
Naruto sat up and frowned at the mess. Great. Just great.
His friend returned with a towel held out at arms length, trying not to get too close to the mess again.
"You ok, man?" Sasuke asked, grimacing at the sight and smell of the puke.
A nod was his only answer. The blonde was preoccupied with cleaning his face and chest, and then his table, and couch, and floor… Jesus what a mess.
Sasuke stood there, a disgusted look unintentionally showing on his face. He was at a loss for what to do, he wanted to help but…he didn't at the same time.
"Hey…Sasuke…" Naruto's soft unhappy voice muttered.
"What?"
"Could you maybe just go for now? This is…kinda suckish; throwing up on you and shit…and you watching me clean up is just…weird. It's ok, honest. It's just a violent stomach bug. I'll message you when I feel up to doing anything besides sleeping and barfing." Naruto knew he was rambling but he was on the verge of tears and he couldn't explain why. He'd already been really upset before he'd gotten sick all over the place but now that he'd actually barfed on a person he couldn't help but feel mortified and even more upset.
Sasuke frowned; he didn't want to abandon his friend…but he could understand being embarrassed and just wanting a moment to collect.
"Uh, you sure? I could run home and change and be back in like half an hour." Sasuke offered, feeling guilty, feeling that this was somehow his fault. Maybe he should have just left when he'd seen Naruto was sick, making him stay downstairs so far from the only bathroom was just cruel. But he hadn't thought of that at the time…too little too late he supposed, mentally kicking himself.
Naruto shook his head, "I'll be done and probably asleep by the time you get back. Honest, it's cool. I'll text you tomorrow or something."
Sasuke nodded and turned to head for the door, he glanced back at the back of his friend and frowned as he left the house.
Naruto waited, practically holding his breath until he heard Sasuke's car start and pull away.
When he felt the coast was clear Naruto crumpled.
He doubled over in agony and let the tears slide out. He felt awful and the embarrassment of this just made it all so much worse. And even beyond that he was so angry about this girl Sasuke liked, maybe because she jeopardized his time with his main friend; although he had another now and he'd actually turned out to be a pretty good friend it just wasn't the same. Sasuke had been his first and only for so long it pissed the blonde off to think he'd have to share that bond with someone else. This must have been what Sasuke had felt when he'd found out about Gaara…
Gasping, Naruto's hazy blue eyes snapped up to the stairs and he didn't see Gaara there, but somehow he'd known he wouldn't. Somehow, he knew Gaara wasn't up there…when he'd looked back earlier and had seen he wasn't there, Naruto had known instantly Gaara had left somehow.
Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto went about finishing cleaning up his mess, at least enough so that he could go take a quick shower before he actually cleaned it up properly to get rid of the stains.
Once the mess was at least somewhat under control, Naruto headed upstairs and searched for Gaara just in case but of course there was no sign of him, except Naruto's open bedroom window.
Somehow the red head had climbed down so he could leave without causing a scene between Sasuke and himself.
Ice gripped his insides and Naruto knew Gaara was angry.
And he had every right to be.
The blonde couldn't help but think he should call and apologize to the guy but…a shower was direly needed first.
Stumbling into the darkness of his home, Gaara cursed as he tripped over the threshold and stumbled to the floor. Quickly reclaiming his feet Gaara stomped inside, trying to tug off his black boots.
Losing balance, he nearly hit the floor again, however, his reflexes saved him and he grabbed out for the wall to support him.
Yanking the shoe off he threw it as far and as hard into the dark as he could, hoping the action would ease his anger.
It did nothing for him.
He was still furious!
Gaara switched feet, still leaning against the wall, and threw the second boot as well.
Once he was rid of his shoes, he stood there silently seething, unsure of what to do with himself.
That bastard, the ungrateful fuck!
Gaara had gone out of his way to help the fucktard and his thanks was shown in being cast aside as soon as the precious Sasuke came over.
Gaara had never once played second fiddle to anyone and he would not now.
No matter how important Naruto felt, or what the fucking ass did to his mind, no person meant enough to endure such humiliation. In fact, the next time he saw that disrespectful blonde prick he'd kill him. …Well, he was trying to quit with the killing thing… so ok; he'd beat the stupid fuck within an inch of his life. No one treated him like this. No one.
His fist hit the wall behind him and he slid down to the floor where he stood.
His head hurt.
And his chest hurt…
Why had Naruto just gone with it all?
He'd known Gaara was up there waiting. He'd even looked up and seen him watching, waiting to see how he'd get rid of the late night visitor.
It made no sense why he was so upset, but even before Naruto had ditched him upstairs to cuddle up next to Sasuke like a lap dog he'd been furious already.
He didn't understand it, he didn't want to. He'd waste no more thought or energy on the blonde.
Gaara bowed his head and ran a shaking hand through his unruly red hair.
Huffing, he reached for a cigarette and lit it once it was in place.
Taking a deep pull on it he held the smoke in, letting it fill every crevice, before letting it out on a long heavy sigh.
Leaning his head back against the wall, Gaara stared up at the dark ceiling of his entryway. It was technically the living room…but there was a small square of space with some type of brown linoleum meant for coming in before it opened to the tiny living room. This is where he sat now, right on the edge where linoleum met old carpet.
His head was a mess.
Naruto confused him.
Those blue eyes…they weakened him.
He did too much, tried too much, for that shithead.
Gaara wanted it to all stop, but even now…as angry as he was at Naruto, he felt concern for the blonde; thinking thoughts such as, "Is he asleep again?" "Is Sasuke still with him?" "Is he sleeping with Sasuke like he had been with me?"
He despised it all.
Thinking about it all, Gaara imagined Naruto as he had been curled up snuggling him and that strange feeling came upon him as it had at the time. Naruto had trusted him, without question. It was a pleasant change from the ever present hesitated courtesy people dealt him, if they addressed him at all, most weren't even brave enough to do that much.
His cell phone vibrated in his pocket.
Gaara glanced at the buzzing pocket and ignored it, looking back to the ceiling.
It was Naruto.
No one else would call him.
The fuck could afford to leave a person waiting, so he could afford to wait now.
It stopped vibrating.
Gaara glared at the shadows on his ceiling.
Asshole. That's what he was. Nothing else. Nothing more.
Naruto meant nothing to him. Gaara didn't need friends. He'd gotten by fine without them up until this point and he'd continue to survive without them now.
His phone began vibrating again.
Gaara sighed and stared at his pocket again.
Should he…?
No.
He didn't want to talk to the traitor.
He'd kept Gaara a secret, hiding him away from his precious best friend like he had a plague of some sort. fuck that shit.
Granted, Gaara could understand it. That's what anyone would have done. No one would want someone they thought highly of to know they had The Gaara in the house so late at night. But hell, no one else would have even had The Gaara in their house, no one else even tried talking to him much less invited him places.
He'd begun to expect different from Naruto.
So that was it.
Disappointment.
That's what this pain was.
Cursed emotions springing up in him…useless things, they really were.
His phone stopped buzzing again.
Before he could release the breath he'd unconsciously been holding, it started up again.
Finally, after debating it several times over in his head, Gaara caved and answered it.
He didn't say anything. He just waited to hear what Naruto would say.
"Huh? Hello?" he heard Naruto's weak shaky voice from the other end of the phone.
"Gaara? You there?" the sick blonde asked softly.
He sounded absolutely miserable.
Gaara took pleasure in that. Then…it was gone and replaced with that damn concern again.
"Yes." He said, voice low and neutral as always.
He heard Naruto gasp in surprise, as if he truly hadn't thought Gaara was there. Yeah, because cell phones answered themselves.
"Oh. I, um, couldn't hear you…" Naruto mumbled, sounding embarrassed.
Gaara resisted rolling his eyes. He waited for Naruto to get to the point of why he was calling.
After a minute of silence though, the red head was beginning to think that maybe the blonde had fainted again.
He was just about to say something to get Naruto's attention when the blonde spoke.
"Gaara? You still there?"
There was something wrong. Gaara couldn't place it, but something had upset Naruto. He sounded different from before when he'd just sounded sick.
"Yes."
"Oh…ok." Naruto's voice faded off.
Gaara sighed. "The reason for calling me?"
It came out angrier than intended, but fuck it. He was still angry and he wasn't like Naruto, he didn't have practice with containing and concealing how he felt. Shit, he didn't have practice in feeling!
"Oh…right." Naruto muttered. "My reason…"
There was a short pause and Gaara waited, wondering what it was.
"I'm sorry, Gaara. I couldn't figure out how to even go back and tell you to hang tight or anything. I just…couldn't think straight. Maybe cuz I'm sick, but I know that's no excuse. And I know leaving you up there was rude, I just…I knew him finding out you were hanging out would cause a fight…and I was selfish. I didn't want to deal with a fight so I was a coward. And I'm sorry. I'm just…sorry. I shouldn't have acted so retarded about it…"
Naruto chuckled humorlessly and added, "If it helps, Karma got me back for you. I threw up all over Sasuke and he left. So…there's that…"
Gaara sat listening to Naruto's heavy breathing and he slowly realized, it wasn't normal breathing. It sounded broken and more spaced. Gaara didn't understand why. Was he getting sicker?
"I don't care." Gaara replied. Karma didn't have to fight his battles. He had that shit taken care of if he needed to.
"Oh…" Naruto sighed, "So you're really pissed, huh?"
Gaara felt that was too obvious and didn't deserve to be answered.
"Can't say as I blame you…" Naruto mumbled. "But anyway, I just wanted you to know I was sorry."
Gaara grunted quietly, letting Naruto he knew and that this conversation could end now.
But…even though it seemed the time for the hang up had come, Naruto lingered on the line, hesitating to cut the connection. Gaara questioned everything he knew about phone conversation etiquette as time passed by slowly.
After several awkward feeling minutes Gaara sighed, "Anything else?"
Naruto didn't answer.
Gaara huffed. If the bastard called just to faint on the phone and call him back over again he really would kill him.
"Anything else?" he repeated a little harsher.
A startled grunt and gasp coupled together came from the other side.
"Gaara?" Naruto murmured.
"Mm." the red head responded softly.
"Oh…did I…fall asleep?" Naruto whispered, sounding drowsy and yet still managing to also sound mortified.
"Mm." Gaara supposed that would account for why he'd faded out like that.
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…I just…after barfing on Sasuke and hearing about some girl he's in love with and cleaning my barf off my furniture and slipping in the shower I just…I don't know…it was nice to talk to someone." Naruto's sleepy voice rambled quietly. "It's nice to know that someone is there…" Naruto sighed, sounding sleepier by the second.
Gaara knew the boy was going to fall asleep again.
He should just hang up, but…his gut told him not to.
Naruto was drifting back to sleep.
With a soft sigh, Gaara puffed on his cigarette as he rose to his feet, gathered his boots he'd thrown in a fit, and went up to his room.
It was nice to know someone was there, huh?
He supposed sitting with a phone to his ear wasn't too hard…even if he'd been angry at the blonde…for some reason after Naruto apologized and honestly admitted to being cowardly about it and sounding as if he actually regretted it, Gaara got over it.
He could just imagine Naruto's sheepish expression and knew his eyes would be sad and genuinely apologetic.
Apparently those blue eyes had more sway over him then even he'd known.