Xxxxxxx

So I can't sleep. I can't sleep at all and it's driving me fucking crazy! All I can think about is that idiot Naruto and what happened at the hot spring. Damn. It. All. What the hell is wrong with me? Ok. I know that Naruto and I have gotten closer. In fact, now that I take the time to mull over it, he and I are a lot closer than Sakura and me. Strange. Both are two very annoying creatures but I really would rather hang out with the blonde than miss prissy. Naruto is a clueless idiot that loves to play around. But…I can't really complain. That idiot always makes me smile. I can be having the most fucked up day but he always manages to brighten it. Fuck. I sound like a sissy. Maybe I need a girlfriend. I thought about asking Sakura to be my girlfriend but I don't know. I like her. She's cute. Not all that but cute. She looks better than most but she's so…clingy…and needy…and stalkerish. Her body is alright but it's no more special than Naruto's. He has nice a nice lean torso, a rock hard six pack, but his shoulders aren't that broad. In fact, he has girl arms but I can't deny that he's strong as fuck. And I should be shot because I have just described Naruto's body. Yeah. I need a break. Think I'll go for a dip in the hot spring. It's almost 2am. I doubt anyone's around.

Xxxxxx Uchiha

Xxxxxxx

You will not believe what happened last night. I am really losing it. Well maybe not but maybe I need to test the boundaries of my sexuality because I seriously think I have a thing for that idiot. Ok. Well I went to the hot spring last night in order to clear my head and guess who was there? Yep. The idiot. In the flesh. He was lying back in the water trying to teach himself how to float. Fucking idiot. My first thought was why in the world won't he just use his chakra but when I asked him he replied, 'What if I run out of chakra?' Yeah so the idiot had a good point. Anyway, I got in one corner of the hot spring and leaned back watching the idiot try in vain to teach himself how to float. After about ten minutes of this, I seriously couldn't take it anymore. I got up to help him and well…I don't know what came over me…

"Lean back Naruto. I'll hold you up," Sasuke mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Just do it!" he insisted. Naruto leaned back in the water while Sasuke held him up with one hand on his back. "Now relax. If you don't relax I swear I'll let you go and you'll sink."

"Uh…I'll try."

"There's no try in it. I'd never tell you anything wrong."

"Really now?" he huffed. "Well that's comforting."

"Well, okay. Maybe I've lied to you before but you're seriously ruining my quiet evening alone."

"I was here first," he muttered.

"Whatever, just…just do it!"

"Fine!" Naruto started to lie back onto the water with Sasuke supporting him. He closed his eyes and allowed his muscles to relax. Sasuke watched the young kit as his jaw muscles relaxed forming the perfect kitty like face. Naruto did not realize it but he was floating on his own. Sasuke had long removed his hand from underneath him.

"Naruto," Sasuke whispered.

"Hmm?"

"You're floating."

"Am I?" he asked excitedly.

"Yeah but you have to keep still," he grinned. Naruto smiled and continued to lie back floating on his own in the water. Sasuke started to go back to his spot and relax but there was also something making him stay put. He could tell that Naruto was very happy. He kept purring softly while making little splashes with his fingers. Cute. He watched Naruto for several seconds before picking at the kit's toes.

"Te he he Sasuke quit it! That tickles," he giggled. Now that's really cute. I wonder…Sasuke began running a finger up the right side of Naruto's leg, past his thigh and up to his waist. Naruto continued to twist and turn giggling hysterically until he lost concentration and sank beneath the water.

"Awe dang it," he spat as he resurfaced. "Sasuke! What was that all about?" he whined.

"I dunno. Your giggles were…cute and I wanted to hear 'em again," he shrugged. Naruto stared at him curiously for several seconds before bringing a hand to his head to scratch. He scratched his head and then frowned as he tried to scratch an area of his back.

"Gahh!" he yelled.

"What? You can't scratch an itch?"

"Yeah well…I can't reach it," he whined.

"God you're such a dork. Come here Naruto." Naruto sulked as he inched closer to Sasuke turning so that the raven haired shinobi could scratch his back.

"Where Naruto?"

"Honestly," he giggled, "all over."

"Figures," Sasuke mumbled though secretly he didn't mind at all. He began lightly scratching the blonde's back starting with the area around his shoulders. Naruto started giggling again, annoying Sasuke to no end. "Can you keep still?" Sasuke grumbled.

"I can't. That tickles."

"God, are you ticklish all over?" Sasuke asked.

"I…don't know," he replied airily.

"Would you like to find out?" Sasuke challenged.

"Uh…" Sasuke leaned over and rested his head on Naruto's shoulder.

"Come on. Don't be such a genin…Naruto. I promise not to tell if you're ticklish all over."

"Uh…ok," he said softly. "Uh…how are you…?"

"Oh, I don't know. I just thought I'd…test a few areas," he whispered. "Starting with your neck." He pressed his lips to the young blonde's neck, gently kissing him on his pulse. He brushed his lips up and down his neck then to his shoulder kissing him lightly.

"Sa…Sasuke…" he purred. Sasuke's lips trailed a path back to his neck and then his ear where he captured the kit's earlobe in his mouth.

"Tell me…Naruto, did that tickle?" he hissed.

"Uh…no," he managed. Sasuke buried his face in the kit's neck as his hands trailed a path down his arms, detouring to the kit's sides. He could feel Naruto shudder with every light touch and it was turning him on. Sasuke slid his arms around the kit's lean waist, then easily guided his hands over Naruto's rock hard abs. Another soft purr escaped Naruto sending Sasuke over the edge. He suckled at Naruto's pulse causing the kit to moan with pleasure. He couldn't take it anymore. He quickly spun Naruto around, so that he could see his pretty face. The blue-eyed blonde was dazed and confused. Sasuke gave him no time to ask questions. He cupped the boy's face pulling him into a deep, passionate kiss. It surprised him when Naruto's lips responded, allowing his tongue easy entry into his mouth. Naruto threw his arms around Sasuke's back, clinging to him as Sasuke explored his mouth.

"God Naruto…" Sasuke murmured. Why is he turning me on like this? His lips left the blonde's and explored his neck again. This time, his tongue made light circles around his pulse before weaving a path towards his ear again.

"Oh Sasuke…why are you…"

"I don't know," he whispered. "Dammit, I don't know!" He somehow managed to tear himself away from the blonde and without another word he left the hot spring mad as hell.

I'm still mad. I'm mad and I really have no idea why. On one hand, I wish I would have stayed to find out where all of that could have led. On the other hand, if I would have stayed then I probably would have found out that I'm gay. Gahh! This is bullshit! I can't believe…no. There's just no way I like that loser like that and I am definitely not gay. Maybe…maybe it's just the spring season. Fuck. No. I know. I'm horny. That's all. But even if I'm horny, I'd much rather give myself a handjob than to fuck with Sakura or Ino. For starters, I bet Sakura talks during sex and Ino, well…yeah. I'll go tease Ino and see what I can get.

Xxxxxx Uchiha

--

--

"No. There's just no way Sasuke wrote that," Kakashi said clearly disgusted.

"You say that like Naruto's a bad looking kit."

"Well, it's not that. It's just…are you sure you're reading…?"

"Yes, this is definitely Sasuke's journal. Whether you like it or not, he had feelings for Naruto and from the sound of it, strong feelings though right now he's in denial."

"God, I hope not. I really hope Sasuke hasn't been seeing Naruto and Naruto letting him go. This just makes it easier for the Akatsuki," Kakashi grumbled. He leaned back against his pillow and sighed. Just how much had he failed to notice with his Team 7? Was it possible that all the signs were there?

"Kakashi what's wrong?" Jiraiya asked.

"Nothing. I just…is it possible that I am partly responsible for Naruto's aloofness? I mean, I did captain Team 7 and so I should have known that there was something going on but…even after the chunin exams, it seems like all the signs were there."

"Even so, we never could have predicted that Sasuke would actually take Orochimaru up on his offer. Besides, if he truly loved Naruto he would not have left in the first place."

"Maybe, but I have to hope that there was more to it than that."

"Yeah. So shall I keep reading?"

"Sure. Why not?"

--xx--

Garra headed down the hall, his eyes barely open. It had been a long, tiring meeting but very important indeed. There was news from the Fifth about Naruto which only made it that much more serious. The Akatsuki were possibly planning to make their move soon and with Sasuke running amok, the Fifth wanted to insure that the Sand would be willing to cooperate 100 percent, and they were. Apparently, of all the jinchuuriki, Naruto was in the most danger, even more danger than Gaara himself but that was alright. Gaara now had another reason to be stronger than ever and it was to protect a friend, a good friend that he cared deeply about.

"Hey Gaara?" Gaara looked up to see Naruto standing a few feet away. They were both in the hall and Naruto was standing outside his room door. He was wearing nothing but his headband and some black shorts revealing his small, muscular frame.

"Oh…Na…Naruto," he said quickly. "What are you…?"

"I told you that I don't like to eat alone," he said with a smile. "Besides, I promised you that I would wait up for you."

"But…you know you did not have to," he mumbled.

"Naa, it's cool. Besides, you look as though you're about to kill over."

"Uh…the meeting ran kind of long," he managed.

"Yeah, you've been in there for five hours," he grinned. Gaara looked at him, clearly shocked but Naruto only smiled. "I was bored and was counting the time. Anyway, I ran into Temari and she set up dinner in your room. I…hope that's alright. I'm not trying to intrude or anything but…"

"It's fine Naruto." They walked in silence up the hall until they reached an elevator. Once inside, the sand carried them up two floors. When the doors opened, Naruto found himself walking into one of the most interesting, yet beautiful rooms he'd ever seen. It was decorated much like the bathroom though sand was an intricate part of every design in the room. The four poster bed was made with mahogany wood, but there was sand blended with it. There were lots of luscious green plants in the room, giving it a tropical vibe. There was a statue of Gaara, the kazecage on the right side of the room. His mouth was open and water was trickling out of it like a waterfall. There pictures of Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro all over the room. There were even pitures of some of the Sand's academy students. There were two nice bedside tables on either side of Gaara's bed. In each corner were tropical potted plants, but on each table was but a single picture in a frame. On the left was a picture of Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. On the right was a picture of…

"Me," he whispered.

"Huh?" Gaara asked. He was making his way towards the small round table on the left side of the room by the window.

"Me. You have a picture of me on your bedside table." Gaara's face turned red and he almost dropped his punch.

"I…"

"That makes me feel special," the kit grinned. "Even Sasuke never had…an individual picture of me." There was an awkward silence but then Naruto headed for the table. "Come Gaara. Let's eat." He held the chair for Gaara and Gaara took his seat, his face burning with embarrassment the entire time. No one, except the elders had ever held the chair for him like that. Though just a simple gesture to most people, for Gaara, it was something more. Naruto fixed Gaara's plate and then fixed his own before taking a seat across from the shy red head. They both ate in silence. Every now and then Gaara would look up and see Naruto staring at him. Why is he watching me so?

"Gaara?"

"Hmm?"

"I…I just…I've been thinking today while you were in your meeting about what we talked about this morning." At this, Gaara almost choked on his rice. He took a sip of his drink and stared intently at his blonde friend. What's he going to say? "Gaara, I think I am going to move on."

"Move…on?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah," he grinned. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I do want to bring Sasuke back home so things could go back to the way they used to be but…after thinking about things this afternoon, I realize that nothing will ever be the same again. Sasuke and I have two very different goals in life and in order to achieve those goals we'll have to go our separate ways."

"But…hasn't he been trying to contact you?" I hope I haven't said too much…

"Hai, he has. In fact, I've seen him once or twice since we fought in that cave but…I am tired of feeling like this. I care for Sasuke and I might even be in love with him." For some reason, this news only made Gaara anger on the inside but he did his best not to show it. He knew that his feelings of anger could be wrong but then he also couldn't understand how someone could hurt Naruto so badly.

"Are you sure you want to forget about him?" Gaara asked. "I know I may have told you that this morning but I was only telling you what my heart would lead me to do though I have to question the boundaries of my heart. I still…haven't figured out all of this feelings stuff and I'm…trying everyday to understand things better. Taking my advice may be in the least, almost suicidal."

"I understand that Gaara, but I have put a lot of thought into this. There's no denying my feelings for Sasuke and I'm sure he cares about me too. At the same time, I can't just sit around waiting on him to come back to me you know? Especially when…I have someone else that I am starting to care about as well." Gaara looked away from the blonde's piercing stare and went back to sipping his drink. Naruto stood up from the table and started clearing it, taking Gaara's plate and stacking it into his own. Gaara put down his drink grabbing some of the dishes to help Naruto.

"No, I got it Gaara. You should get to bed. You look really tired."

"But you're the guest. I can help you…"

"That won't be necessary." The door swung open and in walked Temari followed by two of the kitchen staff. She ordered them to clear the table then dismissed them just as quickly.

"Temari what are you doing here?" Gaara asked.

"I came to get the dishes little brother," she grinned. "Besides, you looked all droopy coming out of the meeting and I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Naruto, you seem to be taking good care of my brother."

"Yeah well he took care of me the other day. It's only fair that I return the favor, but I don't mind doing it for really good friends."

"Alright then. I'll leave you two. Night Gaara," she grinned before the elevator doors closed behind her. There was a brief moment of silence until Gaara yawned.

"Aye, Gaara get to bed," the kit ordered. "I should get going too."

"Well…"

"Go," Naruto urged. "Or I'll put you in bed myself." Gaara slowly glided across the room on a small area of sand. There he proceeded to undress himself but he forgot that Kankuro was usually the one to unzip him. "I'll get that," Naruto whispered. Gaara had no idea how long Naruto had been standing behind him but he soon felt the cool air of the room graze his back as Naruto unzipped him. Gaara's kimono robe hit the floor without a sound. Naruto turned the covers back for Gaara prepping the bed for his friend.

"Naruto, you don't have to…"

"But I want to Gaara. That's what friends do. They look out for each other." When Naruto was done preparing the bed, Gaara started towards the bed but the young kit dashed across the room in the blink of an eye. "I'm putting you to bed whether you like it or not," he said softly. Naruto scooped Gaara into his arms then carried him across the room placing him on the bed. Gaara was so shocked and embarrassed that he could not bring himself to say one word. The blonde covered Gaara up with the blanket then leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"Na…Naruto?" The blonde had started for the elevator but stopped short when he heard his name being called.

"Yes?"

"Why did you…why did you kiss me just now?" he asked softly.

"I honestly can't answer that completely just now. All I can say is it just…felt right. I never had anyone, friends or parents to tuck me in on a regular basis. Iruka did it once when I was little and Sasuke has done it before, but I have no recollection of it really. It's all…just a blur."

"Oh ok. Good night…Naruto."

"Aye, good night Gaara."

AN: What can I say? I like fluff. Don't like well...you better get used to it because I adore fluff from time to time. Gah. Sorry about the delay but seriously, I've updated once already with hardly a response, but I'm not one to care about receiving a buttload of reviews. Why? Because I value quality over pointless smut and lots of reviews. Oh and I'm happy with it so far and if I'm happy then that's what matters. Like seriously, if you're not happy with your own story, how can you possibly expect others to feel happy about it? Let's see...I don't think I confused too many people. If I have, seriously let me know and I will try to unconfuse you. Next update? In like three months. No seriously, it could be that long. Why? Because I am about to get out on summer break soon and I have to update my other stories on both accounts at least once. So...yeah. I'm sorry but it just depends on whether or not I stay at school for the summer. Highly doubtful since school's expensive but we'll see. In the event that I am uh...absent for a period of time, check out some of EroSenin's favorites. I can tell you now to read 'Unspoken Desires'. It's a Kakashi/Hinata story but it has a lot of great side pairings as well as a great plot. (This comes from 'J'.) Go find it and read it. Yes, there is slash in it as well. Now review. If time permits you'll get another update before I am absent for a while.