Gaara shivered as the wind cut his skin.
He tried to put the sharp cold of the outside into his glare. A glare he aimed at Sasuke. "W-why a-ah are you he-h-here?" Gaara chattered. Damn this cold. Damn his involuntary chattering. It was so frigging cold out here. Damn Naruto!
"I could ask you the same," Sasuke said quietly.
"I don't have to answer," Gaara murmured.
"Then neither do I," Sasuke snorted. "I have another question. Why are you off the path? You're going to get lost."
Gaara didn't respond. He didn't want to talk to Sasuke, especially not now. Every second, Naruto was getting further away. But right now, he wanted to be away with Naruto, instead of alone with the raven. Not that he was scared of him. Just that right now, in the cold and possibly lost, he didn't really want to deal with him right now. Right now, he kind of felt vulnerable. And that was not a feeling he wanted to have with Sasuke around because he was sure the raven would pounce on even the slightest weakness or vulnerability.
The wind picked up, swirling snow around. Gaara flinched as it easily soaked through his coat. Damnit all.
Sasuke took a step towards him. Neither of them were wearing snow boots, Gaara had noticed. It was a stupid thing, he was sure now, but he hadn't been expecting Naruto to run very far. He was such an idiot. Stupid Naruto, stupid Sasuke, stupid weather, stupid him.
"So uh, you cold?" Sasuke said awkwardly.
Gaara stared at him. He smirked in disbelief.
"Too easy," he said.
Sasuke's rather red face split into a grin. "Yeah, sorry," he said. "Stupid thing to say, I know."
They were a foot or two apart now. The redhead waited for the raven to say something else, because he sure as hell wasn't. He did prepare himself for a fight, though he was hoping it wouldn't come to that. If it did, they might be rolling in the snow and that would make him even wetter than he was right now.
"So... um, you come here often?"
Gaara couldn't help it. He laughed.
"Do I seem like an outdoors guy? And why does everyone ask that?"
"What, do guys ask you that all the time?" Sasuke asked.
"No, just that everyone uses that line," Gaara murmured.
"Even you?"
"I have a boyfriend, I don't need cliched pickup lines."
Sasuke's face grew dark for a moment and the redhead tensed. Sasuke was a bit of a ticking bomb, waiting to go off. Any mention of Naruto, even a hint, might make him angry. And then they'd start fighting. But just when Gaara thought Sasuke was going to explode, the raven sighed. He fell to the ground, falling against the tree trunk, near the roots of it. Gaara, tired of standing still, was going to continue looking after Naruto. But... the blond was long gone and his chances of finding him were low. He could stay in one place and hope Naruto found him, but that would feel lazy to him and Naruto's sense of direction was no better than his common sense. What to do, what to do.
"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked.
"Nowhere," Gaara said, making a quick decision without further pondering it. Naruto had gotten himself into this mess, he could get himself out. And if he couldn't, Gaara was here for backup. Geez, Naruto could be such a pain. Like a dog. Constant care and affection.
But also like a dog, he was always there for you when you needed him.
Just the thought made the redhead want to get up again and begin his tiring search in the almost darkness.
But Sasuke began to talk.
And he was tired.
It was dark.
Those seemed like three good reasons not to get up.
Naruto would find them. Have faith, Gaara.
"Why are you here, not at... home?" Sasuke asked awkwardly. "I-I mean-"
Gaara wanted to make him suffer, wanted him to feel awkward and uncomfortable, but it was making him uncomfortable, so he spoke.
"He's not home. And you might've noticed, it's night, almost morning. So I'm allowed to be out here."
"Allowed if they don't know," Sasuke concluded.
"Then what about you? You have a sibling and two parents. How did you get away?" the redhead sighed. He blinked. And was surprised that his eyes felt heavy. Was he tired? How strange. A moment ago, he'd been energetic. Maybe he was expecting some long, angsty speech from Sasuke and was merely getting comfortable. Well, he'd asked the question, so he had to listen to the answer.
"I-uh, couldn't deal with the family anymore," Sasuke shrugged. "They expect you to feel all happy when you're around family, but it's not something you can force, you know? Families are shit. Worthless."
Gaara looked directly at him, straight in the eye, though the raven wouldn't meet his gaze. He agreed. Partly, anyway. Things like that couldn't be forced. Of course, he knew that, he knew it well. But... Sasuke well, he'd probably had a few good Christmases. No, scratch that, he'd definitely had a lot of good Christmases, with Naruto usually around. A few months ago, Gaara would've agreed with him, for sure. He would've agreed that familes were shit and they couldn't be good for anything. Families weren't happiness, he would've agreed. But... things were really different now. He and Sasuke had changed roles, really.
Gaara actually felt a little guilty for a moment, like he'd stolen Sasuke's life.
But not for the first time, he thought, their role reversal, it wasn't really his fault.
Had Sasuke known what he'd been throwing away, when he'd shoved his real friends away? He'd become so bitter and angry and cold. Similiar to how Gaara had been, how'd he'd felt. But it was much worse for Sasuke, because it was self inflicted. Gaara felt a little sad for him. But... he really didn't know what Sasuke's problem was. He'd had everything, it seemed, to Gaara. He had a great family, a great best friend, people he could talk to and laugh with... but what reason could he possibly have for giving that all up? It wasn't a good reason. There was no good reason. He was ruining his own life. Just thinking about that cold place made Gaara feel it in his gut. Not the outside cold. It was awful out here, but cold you could feel squeezing your heart. It was much worse because you couldn't do anything about it. Well, correction. Gaara could do something about it.
But Sasuke couldn't. He'd always feel that cold, but worse, he'd also feel that horrible anger gnawing on the inside.
A combination of both feelings was extremely unhealthy. It felt... indescribable. He could feel it swelling in his gut.
Goddamnit. Naruto, where are you? I need you right now, Gaara sighed.
"They're not so bad if you give them a chance," Gaara told Sasuke. "Don't push them away."
And funny... Naruto had told him more or less the same thing.
Don't worry, Naruto will be returning. He's just gone... eh, feral? He'll be back. I won't spoil Sasuke's reaction to the sugar high Naruto, but I will tell you this: due to again, nasty writer's block and highschool... updates, unfortunately, will take me much longer than before. I'll do my best... but school's been taking all of my creativity. They keep making us write essays... and writing becomes harder for me. So... yeah, sorry. I can sense my writing going downhill... gah, I'm dropping out of school! Anyone want to join me?
Later.
