Thanks for the reviews.

By the way, this chapter follows Gaara.

Gaara was standing in the kitchen on the phone with Neji. The brunet had called to tell him about a party the Hyuga were having. He had asked the red-head to come and meet his family but Gaara had refused.

"I don't know if I can. What if they don't like me? What if they're like father? I don't want you to get in trouble because of me."

"I won't. And I know that they'll like you whether you're gay or not."

"How can you be so certain when you haven't even told them you're gay?" He wanted to ask but decided not to. He stood there for who knows how long until a sigh escaped his lips. "Can you please give me some time to think about it?"

He heard some shuffling on the other side before Neji's voice said, "Alright. Take your time."

"Thank you Neji. I'll talk to you later, okay? Bye." And with that the red-head hung up.

He stood in the middle of the kitchen thinking about the brunet's request. He let out another sigh.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Gaara turned around and saw Naruto standing there. He shook his head. "No. Not really. Just…" he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

The blond was silent for a moment before he said, "Just, what?"

The red-head ran a hand through his hair. "Neji wants me to come to this Christmas party the Hyuga are having."

"Well, isn't that good then?" asked the blond before he sat down on a chair. "You get to meet his family."

"Exactly. I get to meet his family for the first time." He sighed once more. "He also hasn't told them that he's gay."

"Oh." The blond was silent for a moment as Gaara thought about what to do. Then he heard the other's voice again. "Come here Gaara."

The red-head looked at the blond who seemed a lot more serious now than before. He hesitated for a moment but eventually walked over to his friend.

"Take a seat," he said and gestured to the chair opposite him.

The red-head complied as he took a seat opposite the other. He placed his hands on top of the wooden surface before looking up at the blond both worried and curious about what he wanted.

Naruto gave him a reassuring look that made him relax a little before he reached over to grab his hand. "What I am about to tell you is something my mother told me before coming here." There was small pause as he watched the other take a deep breath before continuing. "It's fine if you're scared. It's okay if you're nervous. No one is going to judge you for it. Not when it's something you've never done before."

Gaara instantly relaxed when he heard the other say that. It was as if he'd wanted someone to say that.

"I was absolutely terrified before coming to the city. "What do I do? How do I act? What if going is a huge mistake?" That's what I was thinking at the time. And I'm guessing that it's something similar to you?" The red-head nodded. "Will you tell me what you're thinking? What it is that actually worries you?"

It took Gaara a moment for him to respond. "I'm afraid that they'll react in the same matter my father and friends did. That they'll call me disgusting, or tell me to get some help to cure this disease I carry. I'm afraid-"

He was cut off by his throat closing in and he could feel tears forming in his eyes. He brought his free hand to hide part of his face, not wanting the blond to see.

"It's okay. Take your time."

The gentleness of the voice made him remove his hand enough so that he could see Naruto smiling at him. He could clearly see from that look that the other wasn't judging him of feeling what he was because he knew. He knew it was hard because he'd had experience with it. He might not have had something like this and their lives may have been different. But at least they had something more in common, the fear of doing wrong.

He rubbed the tears away and took a deep breath before continuing where he left off. "I'm afraid of being a burden. I don't want to be the cause of Neji getting thrown out of the family like I did."

There was another pause that lasted for a while before the blond spoke up again. "Gaara," he began and the red-head looked at him. "I have no words to reassure you that it's going to be fine because there's a possibility that it won't. But what I am going to say that if it does comes down to them blaming you for turning Neji gay, or saying anything bad about either of you, then I want you to stand up for yourself."

Gaara visibly gulped. "I – I don't think I can-"

"You can," said Naruto and gave his hand a light squeeze. "Because you're strong and I believe you can do this." He smiled at the red-head which always made him feel good. "And you won't be alone. You'll have Neji there with you."

Gaara thought about it for a moment until he came to a decision. "I'll try."

The blond gave him a beaming smile. "That's good to hear." He gave his hand another squeeze before letting go. "I think Neji will be delighted to hear that." The blond then got up and left the kitchen.

The red-head watched the other leave before he picked up his phone again and dialed Neji. It didn't take long for the brunet to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hello Neji, its Gaara."

"Gaara? Why are you calling? I thought that you needed some time to think."

"Yeah, and I have."

"Oh." The brunet sounded surprised which made the red-head smile.

"I would like to meet your family. Is that okay?"

He heard an intake of breath before the voice of his lover gave an answer, "It's more than okay. It's wonderful."

"So, I'll see you in a week?" he asked.

"Yes. I'll pick you up. Does two sound good?"

"Yes. Bye Neji."

"Bye."

A week later the red-head was standing in the kitchen fidgeting. His blond roommate sat by the table eating lunch as he watched his friend. Gaara glanced over at the watch again, it read that it was five minutes left until two.

Naruto couldn't take the fidgeting of the other for very long as he put down the cutlery and then stood up. Without a word he walked over and wrapped his arms around the man, pulling him in close.

Gaara was surprised by the sudden warmth but welcomed it gladly as he relaxed in the other's embrace. They stayed like that for a while until the blond pulled away and they locked eyes.

"Feeling any better?" he asked.

Gaara nodded slowly, now understanding why the blond had suddenly hugged him. "Yes. Thank you."

Naruto smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder before he went back to his half eaten lunch. The last few minutes seemed to pass by rather quickly now and before he knew it the doorbell rang. He looked at the blond for a second who had a reassuring look in his eyes. The red-head smiled, glad that the other was his friend before he went to open the door.

"Hey," was the first thing he said when he saw Neji standing there in front of him.

"Hello," greeted Neji before he leaned in to give Gaara a kiss on the cheek.

The red-head had told him early on that he had never been in a relationship with anyone and therefore had difficulty in expressing himself when it came to affection. The brunet had told him something similar, but unlike him he had no real issue with expressing it but took some precaution and would often warn him before doing anything. Gaara liked that and after a while he'd gotten used to little things as holding hands and kisses on the cheek as a way to greet each other. They still hadn't done much sexually but they tended to talk about it every so often. The red-head having told him he hadn't done it yet and the brunet having had sex before. It had been an embarrassing but also fun time.

"Shall we go?" asked Neji with a smile and raised eyebrow.

Gaara returned the smile and nodded. He went back into the apartment for a jacket and pair of gloves before he stepped out. When he turned to close the door Naruto stood in the hallway.

"Good luck," he said with a big smile.

The red-head nodded, thankful for the kind words before he shut the door. He turned to Neji and said, "Let's go." Before taking the other's hand in his.

To say that Gaara was nervous was an understatement, he was absolutely terrified. He kept close to the brunet as they went up the stairs leading to the mansion but not too close so it looked suspicious. When they were standing inside the mansion he felt a little bit better but it didn't last for long as they were led to the ballroom. The red-head wanted to faint, there were so many people there already.

"Take a deep breath," said a gentle voice beside him and he turned to find Neji looking at him.

The red-head followed the other's instructions and it didn't take long until he'd calmed himself. "Thank you," he said the moment his voice worked again.

He got a soft smile in response before the other moved and Gaara followed after him. The ballroom they were in was huge for a lack of a better word. It had a few big windows and a set of doors that led outside to a balcony. The floor was made out of some dark wood and walls a soft shade of brown. It was in no doubt a very beautiful place.

"Father."

The voice of his lover brought him back and as he looked in front there stood a man which strongly resembled the brunet who stood beside him. The man had long dark brown hair and white eyes. He wore a black and white suit much like what Neji was wearing.

"Neji, it's good to see you son," he said and shook the younger brunet's hand. His eyes then turned and landed on the red-head which was slightly hiding behind his son. "Who's this?" he asked as he glanced towards Neji.

"This is Gaara, father. The man I told you about?" said the brunet as he took a step away from the red-head so that his father could see him.

"Oh yes, now I remember. Sabaku Gaara right?" he said and stretched out his hand for a handshake to the nervous red-head.

Gaara slowly but surely accepted the hand as he responded quietly, "Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you Hyuga-san."

"The pleasure is all mine." He smiled which made the red-head relax a bit. "And please call me Hizashi."

The red-head couldn't do anything else but nod. The two then moved away from Hizashi to a man who looked exactly like him, though this man gave him a bad feeling while Neji's father gave him a good one.

"Uncle." The man turned and looked over at Neji. His stern expression did not change but his eyes seemed less strict. He watched as his lover bowed to the man before him and he went to follow suit.

"And who might you be?"

The red-head felt his back stiffen but tried his best to appear calm. "My name is Sabaku Gaara, Neji's friend." The brunet had told him to call him that when meeting his family and after they've gotten the chance to know him a little he would break down the news.

Neji's uncle studied Gaara for a moment until he seemed to come to a conclusion in his mind. "My name is Hyuga Hiashi. Head of Hyuga Cooperation."

The red-head had heard of the head of the Hyuga before, from his father. He bowed deeply. "It's an honor to meet you Hyuga-sama."

The stern-looking Hyuga seemed pleased at the young man's behavior. He only showed it briefly though but the red-head managed to catch the look before it completely disappeared. He then excused himself from the two, saying that he had to welcome some people.

The red-head let out a breath of relief when he was gone.

"Are you alright?" asked Neji.

Gaara nodded.

"Ready to meet my cousins?" he asked and held out his arm.

The red-head smiled before enveloping his own arm around the other's.

…

"Father, Uncle, Hinata-san, Hanabi-chan, there's something I need to tell you."

Gaara and Neji had gone around to introduce the red-head to the brunet's cousins and a few of his friends. Hinata had seemed nervous but also a kind person and Hanabi had been very polite.

Now it was a few hours later and the brunet had told him that it was time. The red-head was nervous but tried his best to appear as calm as he could for Neji.

Hizashi turned his head towards the two. "What is it son?"

The young brunet took a deep breath to calm his nerves before he decided to talk. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a very long time. I apologize in beforehand for not telling you sooner." He then looked over at Gaara who nodded once, giving him a small smile. "You see, Gaara and I are not just friends. We are lovers."

The surprise was apparent on everyone's faces. Hizashi was the first to recover himself as he took a few steps towards his son. He looked stern but that expression quickly melted away as a smile took its place.

"I'm glad you told me, son. Though I would've liked if you'd told me about your preference earlier."

"I know. And I'm sorry for that."

"Why didn't you?" Hizashi looked curious.

"I wanted to tell you once I had found someone whom I am willing to spend the rest of my life with."

Gaara looked at Neji in slight shock. Spend the rest of his life? With me? He was so stunned that he forgot to breathe for a moment but took in one when the brunet's father began to speak again.

"I see. Well, I am glad that you told me and I wanted to say that I don't care. I don't care whether you're gay, straight, bisexual, or whatever. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters to me."

The young brunet smiled at his father. "Thank you."

The older Hyuga returned the smile. "You're welcome." He then turned to the red-head who had witnessed their little conversation. "I welcome you to the Hyuga. Is that alright with you Nii-san?"

Gaara looked over at Hiashi who shrugged. "It's fine."

Relief washed over the red-head and he couldn't help but smile. He looked over at Neji who was smiling as well. They took hold of each other's hands before they set out to enjoy the rest of the evening.

An hour later Gaara was standing to the side speaking to Hinata when suddenly he heard a familiar voice. He turned only to see his father standing there.

"What are you doing here Gaara?" asked the man whom the red-head had once thought as his father.

"Well, I was talking to Hinata-san until you interrupted us." He glanced over to see the girl looking nervously at the two.

"What I meant is, what are you doing here? At Hyuga mansion. You have no business here."

"On the contrary I do. You see, I'm here with my boyfriend, meeting the family and all."

"Boyfriend?" his father looked both disgusted and surprised. "Since when do you have a boyfriend?"

"Since a couple of months ago. I met him at the nightclub I work at."

His father sneered. "I bet he's some low citizen who gets drunk all the time and can barely even afford his rent."

"On the contrary, he's not," said a voice from behind Sabaku. The man turned and was more than a little bit shocked to see Hyuga Neji standing there.

Gaara was relieved to see the other, but the battle wasn't won yet as he turned back to his father. "As you can see, my boyfriend isn't some "low citizen who gets drunk all the time and can barely even afford his rent." He's much more than that."

Sabaku glanced over at Gaara and then back at Neji. "No way. You're...?"

"Your son's boyfriend? Yes, I am."

Gaara watched in slight amusement as his father seemed to have trouble processing this new piece of information. He walked up to Neji and took hold of the other's hand.

"Your father must be disgusted with you." The red-head turned around to look back at his father. "To find out that his only son is gay."

"It's quite the opposite actually," said the brunet. "My father doesn't care about my preference and seems to like my choice in partner."

"You're kidding."

The brunet shook his head. "Not at all. If you don't believe me then go ask him yourself."

"I will," said Sabaku before he turned and left.

He would get the response he knew he was going to get from Hizashi and this little game would all end. It didn't take long to spot the man. He was standing talking to an older couple together with his brother. This is perfect.

"Excuse me? Hizashi-san, Hiashi-sama, may I have a word?" he asked politely.

The two men turned around and the younger of the two said, "Of course." He told the couple that he would speak to them later before turning to Sabaku. "What is it Rasa-san?"

"I just ran into my son and he claimed that his so-called boyfriend is none other than your son, is this true?"

"It is."

Rasa stopped for a moment to stare at the man. "What?"

"It is true. My son and yours are going out. Is there a problem with that?"

Rasa looked at the younger of the twins as if he has never seen him before. He then turned his gaze to the older and said, "What about you Hiashi-sama? Are you okay with this?"

Hiashi walked up until he was standing beside his brother before speaking. "I'll be honest with you Rasa-san. I was shocked when Neji told us of his preference and that the man he had introduced me to earlier wasn't his friend but rather his lover. I can't say that I fully accept it, but I can clearly see that Neji is happy with your son, who is a decent man I might add."

Rasa had no words to describe what he was feeling at the moment. It was a strange mix of anger, betrayal and hatred. Why couldn't they see that it was wrong for two men to be together?

"Unbelievable," was the last word he said before he turned and stormed away.

The two brothers just looked at each other and shared a secret smile before they continued greeting their guests.

"Fuck, I'm tired," said Gaara as he ran his hands over his face.

"Such a vulgar word. It doesn't suit you Gaara," said a voice from above him.

The red-head removed his hands and looked into the face of his lover. "Shut up."

"I don't think I will. I think I'll keep talking to make you stay awake." Neji smiled which made the other glare at him.

The red-head then slowly sat up on the bed before he reached over to wrap his arms around the brunet's torso. He then pulled the other forward with all his strength, making the other lose his balance and land on top of the red-head.

Laughter escaped Neji's lips before he could stop it. "What are you-"

He didn't get to finish as a pair of lips pressed on his. The brunet didn't really like getting cut off but if it meant getting a kiss from his boyfriend, then he wasn't going to complain. He opened his mouth as he slowly moved his lips with the other's. His tongue poked out between his lips as he thrusted it into the other's mouth, tasting him. A moan ensued, but it was difficult to tell who had made the sound.

There had been very few times when the red-head let him kiss him like this. And all of the times he did, he had been the one to make the first move. Now however, it had been Gaara to make the first move and Neji was more than happy for that.

They continued to kiss for many minutes, not once pulling away as if they were afraid that if they did then it would come to an end. Their hands were wandering around their bodies, stroking their clothed forms, or running their fingers through the other's hair. The brunet eventually wanted the clothes gone, feeling that they were getting in the way. But at the same time he didn't want to scare the other off by making him think he wanted to do it. He just wanted to feel Gaara's naked body on his. That was all.

In the end the urge of tearing the clothes off became too much and he pulled away. He clearly saw that the red-head was none too happy about that but he quickly went to explain himself.

"I want to touch you Gaara. I want to feel your skin on mine," he said huskily, making the other visibly shudder. "Will you let me remove the clothing from your body?"

Gaara didn't need to think about it as he smirked and said, "I thought you'd never ask."