Author's Note:
Because I am a slave to reviewers, I had to update this story today. (You know who you are. This is all your fault)
Sorry it's been so long, I'll try to write more often.
No warning, no disclaimer:
You've heard it all before. Let's just let you read.
Chapter Eleven: Jealous Of A Food, And Sleeping Together.
"Why not?"
"I don't like being in water."
"It was your idea to come down here."
"I thought we could just drink it."
Neji frowned at Gaara from in the water. "Your eyes were being all sexy and suggestive! You led me on!" He whined, looking exceedingly drenched, his clothes clinging to his elegant body.
"I said 'are you thirsty', and nothing more." Gaara crossed his arms over his chest and nodded, as though to say 'so there!'
Neji waded towards the red-head standing on a rock at the edge of the pool. "Please Gaara!" He pleaded, pouting seductively. Oh the shame, Neji thought, trying to suppress the embarrassment of his own actions.
Gaara peered down at Neji and was angered at how easily his body responded to the brunette. Looking all sodden like that and adorable, Gaara found it hard to refuse him. "I don't like water." He managed to grit out, his body aching to be closer to Neji's.
"You'll like it with me." Neji replied. Gaara found the brunette's voice bewitching.
"No."
Neji sighed angrily, seeming to admit defeat. "Well at least help me out then." He scowled, holding his hands up for Gaara to hoist him up onto the rock.
Completely unsuspecting of Neji's intentions Gaara grabbed onto his hands. They were cool from the water. As Neji felt Gaara's hands grasp his securely he promptly tugged, hard. Gaara came flying into the water, and his expression of shock amused Neji for a split second before the red-head landed right on top of him, sending them both underwater with an incredible splash.
Naruto glanced over at the group of girls gossiping and laughing. Sakura was sitting beside Hinata with a blank look on her face, staring into space. He felt a pang of guilt shoot through his heart, realising how she must be feeling. He'd totally forgotten about her, completely ditched her for Sasuke. Not that they were boyfriend and girlfriend or anything… but they'd still made out numerous times and hung out frequently. Naruto frowned at his own bastard behaviour. Sakura was his friend, and he'd treated her like a piece of crap. She was probably feeling pretty down.
Looking back to Sasuke, Naruto decided he'd set things right with her. Not right now, though; later in private.
"I think its time for lunch, I'm starving!" Ino yelled, picking her sandals up with one hand and slinging her towel over her shoulder with the other. "Everyone, let's go back!"
Stomachs grumbling and bodies chilled from swimming, the group of young adults made their way back to the clearing, relishing the warmth of the sun on their backs.
"Gah! I want Ramen so bad!" Naruto whined, stretching his arms as he walked.
"I think Gaara brought some instant cup-ramen…" Sasuke commented, raising his eyebrow at the desperation in Naruto's voice.
"Really?!" Naruto flung himself at Sasuke, wrapping his arms around the Uchiha and looking up at his face, hope shining in his eyes.
"Uh… yeah… He brought pretty much everything we had in our flat, plus more."
Naruto let out an excited squeal. He kept a hold of Sasuke the whole way back to the clearing, safely out of Sakura's sight (who was far ahead of them) as to not upset her.
Sasuke made a mental note: Naruto likes Ramen; A lot. And doesn't seem to have a problem with touching people… Sasuke didn't mind that second thing; as long as he was the one Naruto was touching.
Impatiently Naruto checked under the lid of the cup-ramen to see if it was cooked. Close enough. He pulled the lid off and dug in immediately, slurping the tasty noodles up faster than Sasuke could blink.
"You really like Ramen then?" Sasuke said, not sure if he was amused or disgusted at the sight of Naruto massacring the innocent noodle soup.
"Hmm." Naruto was too engrossed in his food to respond properly. Ino rolled her eyes at Sasuke from across the table.
"Naruto's only love is Ramen, Sasuke. He can't think of anything else when he's eating it." Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this, and almost laughed when he felt what could only be a hint of jealousy of the ramen. Feeling envious of a food? That's an all-time low for me, he smirked.
With a final slurp Naruto sighed with contentment and leaned to the side, resting on Sasuke. "That was so good!" he declared with a yawn.
Neji wrapped his arms around Gaara, guiding him through the waterfall and underneath. The noon light shone through the flowing water into the small almost-cave and shimmered against the damp rock walls. The waterfall was deafeningly loud, but it was a nice sound, and as the slightly-taller brunette leaned forward to kiss the scowl on Gaara's face away, Gaara found himself thinking he didn't hate water as much as he had previously thought. As soon as their lips made contact Neji could see, and feel, the red-head's expression soften.
"You are not forgiven." Gaara stated as Neji proceeded to kiss along his jaw and down his neck. "Not yet at least…" he added as Neji paused to suck softly on his pulse.
Smiling, the brunette pulled Gaara closer to him, licking the sweet droplets of water from his alabaster skin.
Kiba sat with Shikamaru and Chouji, a safe distance away from the terrifying females and Naruto and Sasuke practically drooling over each other; although at the moment it was mostly Sasuke drooling over the blonde draped sleepily over him.
The three boys sat in silent calculation, wondering at the complexity of women, well… maybe Chouji was just thinking about food, but still, all three of them were deep in thought.
"Sakura and I slept together last night." Kiba said matter-of-factly.
Chouji laughed. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Sakura?"
"Mmmn." The shaggy-haired guy nodded. Chouji laughed again. Kiba turned to stare at him. "What's so funny? I was being serious."
A chocolate bar materialised in Chouji's hand and he began to devour it. "You were in the same tent as me." Chouji said, chewing as he spoke. "So I know you're lying."
Kiba frowned, and then his eyes widened. "Oh no, no, no!" He yelled. "I meant we slept beside each other, like holding each other, on the grass! We didn't sleep together!"
"Right." Shikamaru said. "And how do you feel about this?"
Kiba scratched his head, looking across the clearing at the pink-haired Sakura. "Well… I don't really know…" He admitted. "It was nice, I guess."
Shikamaru lay back on the grass and lazily watched the small puffs of clouds in the sky. "Do you have feelings for her?"
Kiba had to think for a minute. Sure, Sakura was an attractive girl, she was quite fun to be around too (most of the time…) but he didn't really feel anything romantic for her. "I sort of felt protective of her last night. She was crying, crazy hard. I guess she saw Naruto and Sasuke pashing or something…"
"Your relationship is purely platonic then, I think." Shikamaru yawned.
"Mmmn." Kiba agreed. "What about you and Temari, hey?" He said with a grin. Shikamaru sighed as though the weight of the world was upon his shoulders.
"Must we speak of that?"
As night began to fall Neji and Gaara arrived back at the clearing. Amused expressions at the dampened state of their clothing and hands laced tightly together were immediately countered by a death-glare from the red-head: that one look said 'Say anything and you will die a slow and painful death, and no one will ever find your body.
The pair approached the group, who were all cosy and sheltered beside Kankuru's bus, sitting on the old sofas and toasting marshmallows on the campfire.
Obviously immune to her brother's look-o-death Temari asked "Why're ya all wet, Gar?"
Gaara sat on the grass, leaning his back against the front of the sofa. "Slipped and fell in a puddle." He replied.
Kankuru laughed at this, as did almost everyone else.
"It wasn't a joke." Gaara muttered. Neji patted his arm as he sat down beside the red-head, smiling at his seriousness.
"Ooooh," Ino leaned forward in her seat. "Are you two, like, together now?" she said pointing to Gaara and then Neji.
"None of your business." Gaara stated. "You've meddled enough. I shall not provide you with additional ammunition." A chilly breeze swirled through the clearing, and despite him, Gaara found himself snuggling into Neji.
"Awwwwah! That is completely adorable!" Ino shrieked. "Look guys, guys!" she yelled joyously. "Everyone's getting' together!" She pointed at Gaara and Neji, then Sasuke with a sleeping Naruto nestled into him, and as a joke she gestured to Kiba and Hinata, who were sitting side by side on one of the sofas. Hinata's face turned bright red and Kiba shifted almost uncomfortably. Hmmn… Ino thought. This is very interesting indeed. She made a note in her head to find out how Kiba and Hinata felt about each other.
"Now, all we need is," the blonde looked around the circle "Shikamaru and Tem;" she gestured to them both "Chouji and Tenten, and Kankuru and Sakura." She sighed contently and then pouted. "No one left for me though… Oh well. I guess as Cupid I have to live my life constantly surrounded by lovers and always making things work out for others." She put both hands over her heart in mock-drama. "Always so close to love, but never allowed to pursue or reach it."
"That was beautiful." Hinata spoke softly. She sounded genuine.
"Why thank you." Ino stood up and bowed. Everyone apart from Hinata laughed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She repeated, edging backwards till she got to the wood pile. Grabbing a couple of big pieces she walked over to the fire and fed the embers.
Everyone chatted for hours, about nothing in particular. It was the sort of comfortable, random conversations that friends always have. Conversations that don't necessarily have a point, but that still feel important, like how some people's armpits smell nice and some don't (that particular topic set off a group-wide armpit smelling session during which everyone fought over whose armpit smelt the best; the consensus was Sasuke's.)
Nobody felt like going into their tents, even when eyelids were drooping and the talking had died down. Eventually the less lazy people in the group – Tenten, Neji and Sasuke – raided everyone's tents and cars for all the blankets and pillows, and a cosy little sleeping area was set up around the campfire. Everyone snuggled into each other and fell asleep. The fire slowly died down, but no one got cold, and if anyone did felt a slight chill, they just wriggled in closer to whoever was around them and soon they were cosy again.
OKAY SO YEAH I HOPE YOU ENJOYED