Suigetsu grinned at the redhead condescendingly, but said nothing. "Sorry I'm late, teach," Sasuke said jauntily. "Been busy."
It was all for show, though. The teacher didn't look up and didn't even seem aware of him. Stupid Uchiha just wants to seem badass walking in ten minutes late and acting like he had something better to do than go to class, Shukaku snapped. Gaara made sure to keep any and all aggression hidden, keeping Shukaku's anger back. He was impassive, his eyes flickering from Suigetsu to Sasuke, then to Naruto, who was babbling about something, probably Sakura, without the slightest change of expression, without blinking.
"Oh yeah, it's you from before," Suigetsu drawled. "Asshole."
Immediately Naruto was up out of his seat and throwing himself at the white-haired boy. Kiba stood up and held him back, but the blond began to flail against his hold and the kid was like a fish on a hook. "Someone... help- Naruto, you ass-" he resisted the urge to punch the blond only because Naruto was clearly upset. Oh, the temptation. It increased as Naruto slapped him. It didn't hurt too much, but something about being slapped really pissed him off.
Neji stood up and assisted Kiba. He got in front of Naruto and held him back with his own back to Suigetsu, one hand firmly planted on Naruto's shoulder and chest. "Naruto, now is not the time, nor place."
"But-you were there... you saw him throw that goddamn basketball!" Naruto yelled. "Believe it!" Neji rolled his eyes at his friend's use of his catch phrase, but didn't comment on it.
"No, no one knows if it was him or not."
Sasuke smirked. If it had been Suigetsu, then Suigetsu was better at getting away with shit than he'd first thought. His respect for the white-haired freak was growing.
"Wipe that grin off your face, Sasuke! Punch him in the gut! Punch him in the gut!"
"Ooh, are you going to listen to your mommy?" Suigetsu asked Sasuke. "If I punch you, then it's because I fucking want to, not because someone tells me."
"I knew I liked you," Suigetsu chuckled.
"Asshole!" Naruto screamed. "I know it was you, believe it! You're not tricking anyone!"
"Oh shove a dick in it, you don't see Gaara complaining, do you? There's nothing personal between us, right Gaara? We're cool? It was just an accident, right?" Suigetsu asked the redhead, who was looking at the floor. "Naruto, relax," Gaara said quietly. "Drop it." Naruto scowled at Suigetsu, then Sasuke, and finally Gaara. "I-I-eaaarggghhhh," he yelled frustratedly. "I know it was you! This isn't over!"
No, hell no, it wasn't over.
Gaara wanted his vengeance to have the element of surprise. But if Suigetsu thought he was acting, then he wouldn't have that element, so he'd better make this convincing.
"I'm sorry for attacking you, Suigetsu. I wasn't thinking. It was just an accident," Gaara echoed Suigetsu's earlier words. "Relax, Naruto, it was just an accident."
That's what he said. That's what everyone heard.
But his green eyes were narrowed, like chips of ice or daggers, piercing into Suigetsu's eyes.
You'll pay for that, they said. You'll pay for it.
Inside his head, Shukaku cackled.
Suigetsu was eventually noticed by the substitute teacher and sent away.
He saluted to Naruto, who glared at him, and smirked at Gaara, who didn't react, and waved to Sasuke, who flicked him off.
"It's so great being loved," he'd laughed before leaving, slamming the door shut behind him hard enough to make the door knob rattle and Gaara's sensitive ears ache.
"Jackass," Naruto yelled after him. "Language!" the sub yelled, but he was ignored. "I can't believe you believe him. There's no way that was an accident," Naruto yelled. "It was. Drop it," Gaara said. "I-" he paused as if a thought had suddenly occurred to him. Then he grinned, the kind of grin everyone who knew him, hated because it was a condescending look, the I-know-something-you-don't look. No one liked to see that look on Naruto.
"Okay. An accident. Everyone makes 'em," he'd chuckled.
"Yeah, some more than others," Shikamaru said with a pointed look at Naruto.
Everyone had laughed and Naruto had blushed. "Oh because you're all perfect human beings."
"At least we weren't born mistakes!" Sasuke laughed.
Naruto was now shunning Sasuke, though Sasuke didn't have Naruto's Science Class, so Sasuke didn't really feel punished. And besides, by the end of Science Class, Naruto had forgiven him. For that last insult. Not for getting aparently buddy-buddy with Suigetsu, but for that last insult. Naruto was actually going to have a talk with Sasuke about Suigetsu later on... oh wait, he couldn't because he had detention from that lunch monitor from when he'd been Gaara-hunting.
"Hmmmm, what's the problem, Mr. Uzzzzuma-ki."
Naruto jumped spasmodically as he felt hot breath on his ear.
"No-nothing, Mr. Orochimaru."
"Nothing? You're staring at Mr. Sssssa-baku again."
"Huh? Oh I wasn't- I was staring at- in that-general... direction," Naruto stammered.
"Right, well Mr. Uzumaki, I'd appre-ciate it if you'd, mhhmmmm, look at me instead," he purred.
Shivers ran up Naruto's spine and he gulped, fighting the urge to flinch. "Sorry, sir," he said, his eyes wide. If only Orochimari was in front of him, not behind him.
Behind him was way creepier than in front of him.
"Hmmm, good boy."
Naruto couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified and pale than he did right then. He gulped again and his eyes were almost perfect circles. Most of the kids hid snickers in their hands or leaned under desks or covered their amusement with coughs. Gaara fought the malicious desire to smirk at the blond's discomfort. All of them pitied him. Orochimaru was scary, especially with his little hum/chuckles and his way off drawing out names and words and making everything he said sound suggestive and lascivious.
"All right, grab a lab partner, we're di-ssecting toads today," Orochimari said. He winked at Naruto. "You can grab Mr. Sabaku."
Naruto flushed, but he did get up and grab Gaara's arm.
Gaara fought a flinch as pain spiked up his bad shoulder, but Naruto noticed the pain in his eyes anyway, and let go. "I'm sorry," Naruto whispered. "Forgive me?"
"There's nothing to forgive. It was just a mistake. Just an accident."
Naruto froze. Gaara picked up the scalpel and poked at the toad's stomach idly. "You don't seriously believe it was an accident, do you? I saw him, I saw him laugh, I saw his face, it was no accident. He was laughing, smirking, seriously, you know it wasn't an accident, right?" Naruto watched as Gaara's scalpel mimed slicing through the toad's body the way they'd been taught the day before when they'd been dissecting frogs. "Hey, where are your gloves, man? And I wanted to dissect it! Believe it!"
Gaara handed him the scalpel and Naruto snapped Latex gloves over his fingers before taking it. He sliced the toad's gut open. "Wonnnnderful," a voice hummed in Gaara's ear. The redhead's facial expression didn't change, but he did inch away when he felt Orochimaru's body pressing closer than comfortable to his backside. "I really hate toads." He looks more like a snake, so I guess it makes sense, Naruto thought. Snakes hate toads, right? Or do they eat toads?
"Naruto, you're cutting too far up."
Naruto's hand jerked and he made a little bit of a mess with the toad's guts. "You should take this," he said. Gaara pulled the Latex gloves out of the box and took the scalpel. "Do you?"
"What?"
"Do you think it was an accident?"
Gaara sighed. The toad lay on their tray, forgotten, as he turned to look Naruto in the eye. Pure blue met hazy, ocean green.
"No. I don't. Drop it, okay?"
"But-"
"I want you to drop it, Naruto. Why can't you understand that?" He grabbed the knife again.
Naruto grabbed his wrist. "Gaara, I'm sorry," he said solemnly. So solemnly Gaara felt his heart hurting. Naruto wasn't meant to be sad. He was meant to be happy, like a ray of sunshine. He felt guilty for hurting Naruto's feelings and that guilt surprised him. He shouldn't have slipped up, let out even a hint of his anger, of Shukaku's anger at Suigetsu that was still boiling beneath the surface. "Sorry," he muttered.
"Gaara-"
"I'm sorry for snapping at you. Please drop it, okay?"
Naruto let go of his wrist. Gaara placed the knife down on the tray.
Neither of them spoke for the rest of the period.
Gaara sat in the library, IPod headphones pumping songs directly into his ears, drowning out all other noises and distractions. Which had it's advantages and disadvantages. Major advantage: No one could talk to him. Major disadvantage: Naruto could sneak up on him without his knowing.
Which he did.
Gaara resisted the urge to jump as Naruto snuck up on him and jumped on the table in front of him.
"What?" he asked, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. Naruto grinned like the Cheshire cat and laid on the table, planting his elbows firmly in front of Gaara and putting his head on one hand
"I have to stay afterschool."
"So?"
"So you and Jiraiya are going to be at my home. Alone. Together. Alone. Two words. Alone-" Gaara held up his hand. "I got it."
"Okay, so stay after, all right? We can walk home together."
"Whatever."
"Great! You're the best, Gaara!" Naruto swung his legs off the table and pulled himself down off the table before one of their really old librarians came and had a heart attack.
"Wait, Naruto, is Sasuke staying after?"
"Bye, Gaara."
"Naruto."
"Bye!"
Hey, does anyone remember the last time Naruto, Gaara and Sasuke stayed after school together? Yay, writer's block has died completely! Yipee! Will celebrate by updating uber fast.