Title: Infinity
Chapter Title: Running Away
Summary: AU, Naruto transfers to a new high school and makes new friends, enemies, and runs into an old lover
When I get close you turn away,
There's nothing that I can do or say
So now I need you to tell me the truth
You know I'd do that for you
Running Away - Hoobastank
When they got out of the car and began making their way to Naruto's apartment, Naruto could almost feel the sexual tension mounting. They almost made it through the elevator ride, but their bodies were so close, and Gaara just had to shift, ever so slightly.
And then Naruto was straddling the taller boy, pushing him against the wall, lips fused together. Gaara didn't pull away, but kissed Naruto back, hands resting on the soft jutting out of Naruto's hip bones.
Fire. It played along their skin and danced up and down their arms and legs, settling near their crotches as their lips played and danced and seared along each other, teasing and taunting and soothing and promising.
Passion. It rode through them and enflamed them and made them into just bundles of lust, broken open and waiting to be fulfilled with that burning searing heat and flame of the other.
They stumbled out of the elevator, neither caring if they were spotted by Naruto's neighbors. Naruto clumsily broke the lip lock and opened the door, and they slammed the door, lips finding each other again.
Then Gaara had him against the wall, leg pressing in between his own, nudging against his growing erection. Naruto's hands were tossed around Gaara's neck, fisting in his hair in desperation.
Gaara broke the kiss, and stared into Naruto's eyes. Those pure blue eyes flickered open, to look questioningly upon Gaara's pondering face.
And then, Gaara's heat was gone, and when Naruto's eyes finally focused, they found him sitting on the couch, pulling out his lighter and drawing out a cigarette.
"W-what?" he managed to get out, despite his mind reeling. Gaara just looked at him, and to the casual observer he would have seemed unperturbed, but his fingers trembled just a little too much, and his legs were crossed to hide his erection.
"W-why did you stop?" Naruto still was leaning against the wall, legs slightly spread, panting in an image of perfect beauty.
"Because you deserve better," Gaara said, and stood up, opening the door and starting to walk out. He stopped though, and called behind him, "See you at school."
Naruto swore violently at the closed door. Stupid Gaara. Stupid hormones. Stupid Itachi for making him such a needy little whore. He had half a mind to call up his ex-boyfriend for some help fixing his little problem, but nothing with Itachi came without a price, and he knew what price Itachi would ask.
So he stood straight on shaking legs, stumbling into the bathroom and closing the door. He got out of his clothes quickly, stepping into the shower, drawing the curtain closed and turning the water on cold.
It sprayed around him and caused goose bumps to rise on his skin. He took his erection into his hand and began to pump himself, head laying back on the tiles as his mouth opened and his eyes closed.
He came quickly, and finished his shower, stepping out. He looked into the mirror and pulled a towel around him. His eyes widened as he realized that this was the first time in months he'd gotten himself off without crying Itachi's name.
"Gaara," he said, and smiled. The name felt right on his lips, just the right amount of purr in it to make it beautiful. He grinned, and dried himself off. Sauntering into the kitchen, he started making dinner when the phone rang.
"Uzumaki Naruto," he answered. Tsukiko, his stepsister, answered.
"Hey, Naru-chan, have you settled in well?"
"Yeah, I met this really cute guy today, too." Naruto said, grinning.
"Oh, what's his name?" Tsukiko was always glad to hear about Naruto's boyfriends and crushes.
"Gaara," Naruto responded.
"What's he look like?"
"He's got short, red hair, beautiful aqua eyes surrounded in black eyeliner, and a definite fetish for fishnet."
"Sounds tasty," Tsukiko said and they both giggled. "Straight or gay?"
"Gay, might be bi, not sure. He told me I was cute today in lunch, then he offered to give me a ride home."
"Sounds promising."
"Yeah, but then I invited him up to my apartment, and we were making out pretty heavily, and he pulled away, said some crap about me deserving better and left."
"That's sucks."
"Yeah, what do you think he meant?"
"Probably doesn't think very highly of himself." Tsukiko was in college and was getting a psychology major, so Naruto trusted her opinion on this. "But if you really think he's worth pursuing, I'd track him down tomorrow if I were you."
"Thanks, Tsuki-chan."
"No prob, Naru-kun, just keep that grin of yours on your face and you'll be fine."
"Talk to you later."
"Bye."
Naruto hung up and finished making his ramen, sitting down and digging in. Afterwards, he did some homework and went to bed, completely tired.
The next day he went into school, finding his way to his homeroom and sitting down next to Gaara.
"Listen, Gaara, about yesterday, what happened?" Naruto asked, dying to know. Gaara turned stone-cold eyes to him and just stared, not responding. Those eyes seemed to search him and find all of his secrets he had worked so hard to hide.
"Don't sit with me at lunch today," Gaara warned. Then, he got up and left the room, not caring that he wasn't supposed to leave in the middle of homeroom.
Naruto's morning classes passed slowly. He was bored out of his mind and completely and utterly frustrated with Gaara.
Lunch came, and Naruto found a seat next to some people he didn't know. It was fairly close to Gaara's table, so he had a good view of the boy when Sasuke came up and sat down.
He didn't realize he was growling until a few people got up and moved away from him. He strained to listen in on Gaara's and Sasuke's conversation. They seemed to be fighting about something.
"He dated Itachi, Gaara," Sasuke was saying, and Naruto had no doubts about who they were talking about.
"Since when do you care who I chose to date, Sasuke?" Gaara asked, glaring.
"Since he's obviously everything you have to avoid."
"Sasuke, we're not dating anyway, so give it up."
"Gaara . . ." Sasuke said warningly, and Gaara gave him one last glare so he gave up, stood up and went back over to his own table.
Naruto, gathering his bravery, stood up and sat down across the table from Gaara. Gaara looked up at him, glaring at the boy. Naruto ignored him, eating his food. When Gaara didn't stop glaring he looked up and unflinchingly met the other boy's eyes.
"You know, you're quite good at glaring, but I had to deal with Itachi for a whole year. You don't quite compare," Naruto said, grinning. Gaara's eyes narrowed more.
"I thought I told you not to sit with me today," Gaara said, a hint of a threat behind the words.
"Why not?" Naruto asked, foot playing with Gaara's underneath the table. "We seemed to be getting quite close yesterday." His foot trailed up the inside of Gaara's calf and back down. Naruto grinned when he saw Gaara shiver convulsively.
"Go away," Gaara said.
"Not until you tell me why you don't want me around all of a sudden. You seemed quite willing yesterday."
"Yesterday I lost control, okay? Now go."
"Lost control? Is that such a bad thing? Gaara, if you're worried about getting hurt, I promise I would never hurt you," Naruto's grin faded, eyes pleading.
"That's not it," Gaara said, shaking his head and frowning.
"Then what is it?" Naruto asked.
"I'm worried about hurting you," Gaara said, sighing.
"Why?"
"I've hurt too many people in my lifetime."
"How?"
Gaara took his hand and rested it gently against Naruto's own. Slowly, he drew his nails down the soft, unmarred skin, pressing deeper and deeper until he broke skin.
Slowly, he raised his hand, nails with just the smallest amount of blood on them, to his lips. He licked them clean, watching Naruto's shocked reaction.
"I like pain," he said, frowning. "I wouldn't be able to control myself around someone as . . . breakable as you."
"Itachi liked pain, too," Naruto said, whispering in slight shock.
"So Sasuke tells me."
"That's what you were fighting about!" Naruto said, something clicking in his brain. "He knows you like pain, and since I was obviously Itachi's sub, he knew you wouldn't be able to resist someone who was . . . well . . . a masochist."
"You're a masochist?" Gaara asked, eyes widening. Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"You thought I stayed with Itachi for a whole year and didn't enjoy the pain?"
"No, I just . . . I didn't think."
"Well, I am," Naruto said simply, eyes sad. "And believe me, there's nothing I can do about it."
"Why did you dump Itachi then?" Gaara asked.
"I thought, foolishly, that if I stop receiving pain, I would stop craving it. Believe me, that drove him insane. I tried . . . and I was almost successful."
"What happened?" Gaara's eyes were wide, slightly with anticipation, slightly with fear of himself.
"He called me. Just his voice. Just his damn voice was enough to cause me to break down."
"What did he want?"
"He wanted me back. Said he wouldn't be able to find another whore as needy as I was, which was probably true. Gaara, the only way you'll be able to truly hurt me, is by breaking my heart."
Naruto lifted the hand that Gaara had scratched, holding it out to the other boy. Gaara took it, raised it to his lips and began to lick the blood off like a cat with cream. Naruto almost groaned at the softness of Gaara's tongue and the pain/pleasure stinging of the saliva as it entered his blood stream.
Gaara seemed to come to, dropped Naruto's hand, and walked out of the cafeteria. Naruto watched sadly, and didn't follow.
In art, Sasuke glared at him throughout the class, and Naruto knew he'd seen and probably heard the two of them talking.
"Hey, Naruto," Shikamaru said. Naruto looked up from his drawing. "You like Gaara, right?"
"Maybe," Naruto shrugged.
"Every other day, he works after school at the book store downtown," Shikamaru informed him.
Naruto didn't say anything, but the wheels inside of his head were turning. He had an idea.
End Chapter 2
I don't want your heart, I want all of you, and that includes your pain.