Red Roses, Black Wings, and Bleeding Hearts.

Author: Ebraheart

Disclaimer: Naruto and all the really cool characters aren't mine. I would love to have them but alas...

Pairing(s): Established Naruto X Sasuke
Threesome later on

Warning(s): Romance/Fluff, Violence, Blood, Language, Sexual Situations

Summary:
Naruto and Sasuke have finally worked out their differences and are getting along better than ever. Days as ninja in training are spent happily.

Gaara, left to himself, becomes more and more unstable and introverted. While in the village, he watches and never goes near anyone.

What would happen to Gaara if a certain blond took interest in him? How much could getting involved with Naruto and Sasuke change Gaara?

Sasuke; Thinking

Training was over for today and I hadn't seen the dobe anywhere. I was left to myself and had Sakura tagging along all day. I sat with my back to her and lost myself in my own inner thoughts...much like I always did. It was rare for neither Kakashi nor Naruto to not show up. I glanced at the position of the sun in the sky and realized that the day was almost over. Shifting, I listened to the approaching footsteps and decided that it wasn't Naruto. Sakura jumped up to greet Kakashi but I remained silent.

"Hey! Sensei, you're so late!", I hear Sakura say.

Kakashi-Sensei just laughs his little laugh, "On the way here a strange girl jumped me!"

I hear Sakura puff up in irritation, and turn towards me, "Ne, Sasuke, he took way too long!"

I don't answer and continue to watch the sun slide slowly towards the horizon with a sense of growing impatience.

Kakashi-Sensei moves to stand in front where Sakura and I can take a better look at him, "You guys know about the representatives coming from the Sand Village? They will be here tomorrow..."

Sakura nods and I say nothing.

Kakashi-Sensei pulls out his book and flips a few pages, "I want you guys to welcome them, like everyone else and accept them at the academy..."

I frowned minutely wondering exactly what he meant by all that and Sakura started boiling away with questions, "What are they like, Sensei?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head thoughtfully, shrugged and flipped another page in his book, "You'll see"

I glance at Sakura and she's slightly pouting.

"Well..." Sensei says after a pause, "...you guys should get some rest, tomorrow will be as busy as ever..."

Sakura stood up and started to follow Sensei. I stand, dusting off my clothes, before turning and looking after them, "Sensei..."

He stopped and partially turned around, "Hmm?"

I let no emotion come to my face and remained blank and tranquil, never once permitting the feelings I have surface into my facial expression, "Where is Naruto...?"

It's a question, but it comes out more a demand...

Sensei again rubs his head and finally puts his book away all together, "Don't worry about Naruto-Kun, you'll see him tomorrow...", and he walked away.

Sakura stood and waited for me, but I was completely immune to her constant chatter and efforts to catch my attention. My thoughts were focused solely on one person, and he wasn't even here...

Gaara

There are very few things worth true interest.

My arms are folded over my chest, my eyes only half open, my gourd tied securely to my back and only half my mind truly focused on the lecture we are currently receiving.

Temari and Kankuro stand at my side, silent and attentive. My mind picks up vague words here and there, but I neither care nor wonder. We are going to Konoha village, or the Leaf village as it was often also called. My interest in the place was non-existent but I was being sent and I would go. It was not as if I would have anything better to do here anyway.

"Gaara-sama". It was spoken directly to me and loudly, as if the person believed me to be inattentive. I smirked. True, I hadn't been listening.

I raised cold emerald eyes and blankly replied, "Hai?"

Sensei was silently frowning, his face slightly scrunched up with mild irritation, "Gaara-sama, you must remember all these things...they are important...there are not be no mistakes..."

I was silent and mulled over whether or not to even bother answering. I don't understand why this was even been repeated to me again. I had heard it before and I kept re-hearing it. I was beginning to get annoyed. The white scarf around me fluttered with the mild rise in my temper and Temari flinched slightly. Sensei was still looking displeased but said nothing more to me before resuming the lecture.

I returned to my contemplative thoughts and soon had completely tuned out all the noise that was around me. I listened instead to the sound of my heart beating and wondered absently if it sounded like that to everyone…

I had kept my thoughts to myself as we traveled and they extended only as far as to whether or not I could expect there to be any real challenges there. My Sensei and companions left me to myself but I was curious to ask a single question that had floated into my thoughts and stayed there, demanding to be answered and still floating empty and unfulfilled in my head. It bothered me a great deal more than it was allowed to but never the less; I remained silent and attempted to answer it myself.

Pensively, I watch the dunes and the rolling sands as I continue to think.

Sasuke

I woke a little before dawn, like I always do and climbed out of bed feeling oddly nostalgic. I had an odd feeling about today, and I couldn't quite place what it was that made me think so. I was wondering if I was really going to see Naruto today. The day before, early in the morning, he had been called to see Hokage-sama. He hadn't come back since. I had a suspicion that it had everything to do with the seal on Naruto's belly.

A few nights ago he had told me a little about it. I was surprised to see that, when he had shown it to me, that it was in the process of fading. The more Chakra he learned to draw from the demon inside of him, the more dependent on it he became, until he started to automatically draw Chakra from there all the time. Using this power was weakening the seal. He was becoming subconsciously dependent on the extra Chakra since it was already there in the first place.

I was a little surprised when Naruto explained this to me with much simpler words and less talking, but then again, I had begun to realize over the course of the few months that we were together that although he was pretty immature sometimes and also very energetic, he had a lot more depth to him than I had ever assumed. Goes to show that I can make bad assumptions.

I took a quick shower, not lingering and ate a simple breakfast that consisted of a few fruits. I left my house and made my way towards the academy. In the street, in the sky, and all around me, people and animals alike were waking up and starting the new day...

Gaara

We waited, assembled neatly, as people filled the yard. I stood under the shade of the tree and watched with empty eyes as other ninja in training slowly filled the vast space. So far, no one had managed to arouse any of my interest. I calmly closed my eyes and again let the feeling reach out and touch a few people standing nearby. I opened my eyes again and they were blank and still. There had been nothing there. I was beginning to wonder if there would be any challenges for me here at all.

I closed my eyes again and just stood, still as stone and yet alert and poised. I felt something faint and I opened one eye, scanning the now larger crowd and not seeing anything interesting to the eyes. However, when I closed my eyes again, I could feel it. It tugged at me with its familiarity.

Eyes open again and narrowed and I again resumed watching people walk about. Unsure as to whom it was that attracted my attention, I scowled into the mass of people and resumed my mild meditation. Once I had felt it, I would feel it again.

I would find this person...

Sasuke

I walked into the yard and weaved thru the various other students of various other ages intent only on making it to the spot where I always met Sakura and Naruto in the mornings. I was the first to arrive and the fact neither surprised nor pleased me. On my own, people were more likely to want to talk to me. I resigned myself to waiting and plopped down into a seated position and leaned forwards on my intertwined hands and watched over crisscrossed fingers as students continued to arrive.

My mind was adrift with question and full of apprehension. I just couldn't seem to shake the feeling. I was somewhat grateful when Sakura showed up.

"Ohiyo Sasuke-Kun!", she greeted me warmly, plopping down next to me and making a show of leaning close.

I ignored the endearment and glanced at her briefly before preparing myself to tune her out.

Either not noticing or completely unfazed, Sakura plowed on, "I wonder where Naruto is? Don't you, Sasuke-Kun? I mean, he is totally annoying...and bratty...and loud...and interrupts us when we're talking...but it feels weird when he isn't around..."

I listened with half an ear and could only say I was glad that Naruto had finally given up on her. I wondered what it was that he had ever seen in her in the first place. She was loud herself, and highly unaware as to how annoying she was capable of being. I had to agree though, Naruto was all those things, but they made him noticeable and infinitely more special than he already was. I mean, out of all the people I could have been attracted to, he was it. His energy and way of life caught my attention and refused to let go...He was perfectly fine the way he was, and I didn't want him changing...

As for Sakura, she had her good qualities. They just weren't the ones that I, personally, was interested in.

"Ne, Sasuke-Kun?", Sakura asked me.

I shrugged and she laughed and continued rambling. I wondered if she even noticed my lack of attention or interest. It was true that Naruto was known for prattling on too, but at least he was interesting.

Feigning annoyance, I turned and looked to Sakura, "Can't we just sit and wait quietly together?"

She instantly snapped her jaw shut and blushed. I turned away, not recognizing the look on her face at all. She moved closer, touching her knee and her shoulder to mine and fell completely and utterly silent.

I sighed inside…Finally, some peace.

Gaara

I was getting more and more jaded by the minute but there was nothing I could really do about it. I frowned and thought that over. Well, there was nothing I could do that wouldn't cause people to panic and get injured. Somehow, I didn't think that my Sensei would appreciate my potential outburst...or at least, not one so early in the morning. I sighed internally and remained silent.

Disinterestedly, I glance towards the trees and see a boy. Frowning, my eyes rest on him, curious. He looks at the girl by his side and then directly at me…

Sasuke

Finally, people started getting to their teams and classes. I watched people wander away in different directions with a sense of irritation. I sigh and turn to Sakura, whom I noticed has stopped talking.

Following her gaze, I saw a boy.

Tall enough, bloody red hair, green eyes, with dark circles around them, black clothes, white scarf, and gourd on his back. I had never once seen him before but the longer I watched him watch me, the more it felt as though we knew each other. Or at least, there was a vague sense of deja vu and recognition...

"Hey Sakura-Chan!...Yo, Sasuke, over here!"

I turned, nearly forgetting the other boy and watched Naruto run towards us. His bright blue eyes shone at me and his hair gleamed in the morning sunlight. He wore his habitual orange clothes and leaf head protector. He ran, easily side stepping other people and stopped nearly too late. At the last minute he tripped and fell forwards into my lap. I was pushed backwards and landed with a hollow 'thud' onto my back. He quickly kissed my cheek before jumping off me and making a production of pretending to be mad.

"Oi! Don't you know how to catch a falling person! Damn Sasuke! I coulda died just now!"

Before I can retort, Sakura angrily hoped to her feet, "You big baka! You're the one who nearly killed him! Apologize right now!"

I watched them shout back and forth for a minute and took the opportunity to stretch, stand, and dust myself off. I look up when Sakura and Naruto take a brief respite form yelling at each other and Naruto catches my eye. He winks before mock pouting and turning his back on Sakura, "I won't apologize! I'd rather drop dead!"

Sakura makes a face and retorts, "Yeah? Fine, be that way! I really hate when you do that! You're so annoying!"

Naruto pretends to flinch.

Flinch as though those words really hurt him.

Flinch as though he still cares about what she thinks.

But at the last minute, he turns around and faces us both but Sakura is too busy trying to give him the cold shoulder to notice the way Naruto's face lights up when he looks over and smiles just for me...

And while Sakura is still not watching, I smile right back, letting everything I feel for him be seen on my face. I open up for the briefest of instances and shortest of moments, but it's enough because Naruto saw it and that's all that matters.

Behind me, I suddenly feel the presence of the red haired guy strengthen and suddenly vanish. I turn around and there is no one there. It was almost as though I had never seen him there, waiting and watching...

Gaara

Sensei eyes me as I walked calmly back towards the tree. Temari also stares after me, but I make no move to either join them or explain myself. It wasn't like I'd seen anyone really interesting anyway. Well, aside from the blond and the boy with raven hair.

But, I realized, standing alone in the shade and smirking, that I had found my new opponents. They seemed strong enough at first glance...

They were sure to keep me occupied...

Ebra: Another fic that I'm doing. I'm continuing it since I'd stopped it a while back. Please review and enjoy the next chapter.
Jane!