Vindicated

Chapter 16: Kankurou's Secret

K-Bob: I love Sakkon…but Ukon is just so much more funnier then Sakkon…which I realized today is actually the complete opposite of what they really are in the manga…I think I just read mah sister, Sand-nin-gurl's stuff too much…Ukon's a main character in it…Crimson Love read it it's goooood

Shinobi Gaara of Sand: yay! It's my seme! (glomp) I heart u soo much! If u read this before I talk to u tomorrow I still canna wait for that surprise you told me about

Junsui Kegasu: u know what? I missed the fireworks this year (sob) it's horrible! I love fireworks! Dude…that's weird that u were thinking about that scene…cause the other day I was replaying the scene in urs when Gaara goes "HE DOESN'T HIT ME!" freaky…we're starting to share thought wave lengths again….

Ebony: I over exaggerate…ed? How and where? Dudette! Ur giving me real critique I so happy!

Alisha: meh….Gaara is a badass…but then it's like my thought train went Gaara … uke … kawaii … ADORABLE (glomp Gaara) I first heard mad l33t gay skillz from my sister…I was writing one of the chapters and she's like man…Haku's gots mad l33t gay skillz…I think she heard that from KageNoKatana which wouldn't surprise me, they're practically twins separated at birth (glomp Kage) lol on the bribery …trust me….it works…(coughs and glances away)

Sha: U think this chapter's depressing? ……oooh…. (clicks tongue once) … yeah … there's a more depressing chapter later…(remembers something) on and that HORRIBLE chapter I wrote a head of time cause its so bad! (pauses) oh shit… damnit! (smack self) no spoilers no spoilers no spoilers!

Sketch13: lemme ask u one thing……do u hate Gaara's dad:heart: Gaara's dad did die for which I am very pleased and give Orochimaru a cookie

"Bye," Kankurou said, then clicked the phone off. "Damn that bastard!"

Haku stared, nearly horrified. "Who? Gaara?"

"No!" Kankurou snapped, glaring. "My dad."

"Oh."

Ukon leaned back and watched Kankurou. "You want me here? Or with you?" he asked.

"I don't know," Kankurou said, shoving his phone in his pocket and kicking the wall. "Maybe with Temari, I don't want to see her getting hurt accidentally."

"And I'll stay with Gaara-chan?" Haku asked, happily.

"Yeah," Kankurou said, eye twitching. He turned and pointed accusingly at Haku. "Don't you dare do anything that'd make me want to hurt you."

Ukon turned to Kankurou as Haku flipped out angrily in the background.

"Alright then," he said, grinning. "I feel like some crazy secret agent!" he added striking a pose.

Kankurou rolled his eyes and watched him leave. Turning he saw Haku fixing his hair in the mirror.

"Why doesn't Gaara-chan want to come to soccer practice?" he asked, pulling a fold up brush out of his pocket.

Kankurou gave him a weird look as he started brushing his hair. "Itachi," he replied shortly.

Haku glared at the mirror. "I don't blame him. That asshole, I can't believe he did that to Gaara-chan."

"How do you know Itachi?" Kankurou asked.

Haku paused in his brushing, and then slowly continued, not letting Kankurou see his face. "Gaara-chan made a mistake…I made one to…that's all…I was too stupid to see Itachi for what he really was."

"Oh…sorry…I shouldn't have asked," Kankurou said quietly.

"It's ok…I'm just glad Gaara-chan got away before it was too late," Haku said.

"Thanks…for your help," Kankurou said, giving him a small smile.

"No problem," Haku said, turning and giving him a cheerful smile.

"I won't tell anyone if you don't want me too," Kankurou said quietly.

"Thanks," Haku said, before turning and going into one of the bathroom stalls.

Kankurou turned and walked out of the bathroom, ignoring the teacher monitoring the bathroom who wanted to know why he was in there for an entire period.

Haku sighed as he leaned against the inside of the bathroom stall. He waited until he was sure Kankurou was gone before silently sinking down onto the floor, his hand going over his mouth as painful tears rose up. Horrible memories filled his thoughts, obscuring his vision.

Flashback

"Are you jealous of him? He's much cuter then you were…" Itachi purred.

"He's bad news Haku, don't go out with him!"

"He's really nice to me! You just don't understand."

"Your hair is so pretty…" Itachi said, holding Haku close, running his fingers delicately through Haku's hair.

"Stop! Get off me!"

"Shut up! Hold still!"

"No…please stop!"

"Haku, what happened?"

"I told you so! You should have listened to me!"

"Your hair is so pretty long…" Itachi purred, wrapping his arms around Haku's waist, nuzzling his face in his soft hair.

"Haku-chan! What did you do to your hair?" Ino cried.

"He likes it…"

End Flashback

Haku picked up a lock of his long hair and stared at it, tears streaming down his face. He'd grown his hair out again since that time. He had demolished it after his relationship with Itachi. Ripping it and cutting it, hating it because Itachi liked it. Ino had helped him come out of his smothering pit of depression. He was glad Gaara didn't have to go through that too.

Kankurou waited not so patiently for fifth period to be over. He was worried whether or not Neji could actually get Gaara out of the house. He could be pretty stubborn when he was freaked out. He glared at the wall, picturing his father there. 'Dammit,' he thought. 'Gaara won't just leave the house!' he realized suddenly.

Cursing ran through his head as he thought it over. Gaara would never leave the house. Their father had wanted him to stay. He and Gaara both knew how angry he'd be if Gaara was gone when he came back. Neji would have to drag him out kicking and screaming to make him leave. Neji wouldn't do that. He was too nice.

The intercom beeped and the principle's voice sounded.

"Kakashi?"

"Yes?" Kakashi asked loudly as to be heard through the intercom.

"Is Kankurou in class today?"

"Yes."

Kankurou looked up surprised.

"Please send him to the office with his belonging for an early dismissal."

"Ok."

Kankurou grabbed his things and left the room. An early dismissal? What the freak? How did that happen? He mounted the stairs and turned down the hall into the main lobby where the office was. As he walked into the office he stopped short as a man and the secretary turned to look at him.

It was his father.

A very fake smile was on his face as he thanked the secretary and led Kankurou out of the office, handing him a blue dismissal pass as he did. Kankurou followed him out to his car and got in the passengers side. They drove off and out of the school grounds. Questions ran through Kankurou's head, and he regarded his father with suspicion. As they came to a stop light near their street, his father finally turned to him.

"Where is he?" he demanded.

Kankurou blinked and stared. "Huh?"

"Don't play dumb! Where the fuck is your brother ...and his freak of a boyfriend?" his father glared over at him.

"I don't know, I was at school," Kankurou said, mentally praising Gaara and thanking Neji. "You don't know where Gaara is?" he added forcing worry into his voice.

His father scoffed, pretending he saw through Kankurou's lie, which he now wasn't sure if it was a lie or not. "Obviously not. That Hyuga kid got out and probably let that bastard out too."

"…did you look at Neji's house?" Kankurou ventured.

"'They're both at school'," his father quoted, sounding somewhat like George, who'd been the one who answered the door. "Apparently, Neji called and told them he had a ride home from school. But he didn't go to school; he was in the closet. I think you had something to do with this."

"No," Kankurou said shaking his head. "I was gonna skip school and come home early and let him out," he added, knowing this laid on a thicker layer of belief on his father's part. It made him nervous though, he could see how angry the man was.

They said nothing for the rest of the trip home, but his father kept him with him at all times, to make sure he wouldn't go off and help his younger brother. Kankurou didn't mind though. His phone was still on silent so if Gaara called him he could answer it without any confrontations as his father asked around. But he still didn't know where Gaara was, and it worried him. He hoped Neji really did get him out of the house and safely to school where Haku was waiting. Haku could get Gaara far away and to safety after that. He had planned with the boy to maybe take Gaara to his house for a while until he could get arrangements to get Gaara somewhere else. Haku was very surprised when he learned Kankurou was going to help Gaara run away, but didn't pry into the matters of why.

Kankurou stared out the window, hoping everything would go according to plan.

'Please Gaara…I know you can do it…'

Even after their conversation with Kankurou on the phone, it took Neji quite a while to get Gaara to leave the room. Neji wasn't even quite sure whether Gaara even knew he was in the room. The boy was curled up on Kankurou's bed whimpering quietly, gripping the blankets so tight his knuckles were white. Neji sat at Kankurou's desk watching him, trying to rack his mind to think of something to do to help Gaara. He hadn't lied when he told Kankurou he wouldn't let him touch him. He couldn't stand the tiny pathetic noises Gaara was making.

Sighing, he got up and left to go to the bathroom, sure Gaara would be fine for a few short minutes.

Neji rolled his eyes. 'He doesn't even know I'm here. It sounds so mean, but this is getting frustrating. Ultimate patience has its limits damn it!' He glared at his reflection. 'Damn it, don't think like that! Gaara needs your help!'

When he came out again, he was startled to see Gaara sitting on the floor next to the door, leaning against the wall, waiting for him, looking terrified. Thankful that he now knew Gaara would leave Kankurou's room on his own, Neji ignored him and went down stairs to the kitchen, trying to formulate how he was going to do this. He hadn't meant to ignore him completely, but he felt frustrated and didn't want to be bothered with his ignoring him.

Genma might question why he wasn't in school. Even though he wasn't in any of Genma's classes, the coach had an uncanny way of knowing when one of his players wasn't in school (see Genma's speech in chapter 7). Maybe if he told him that Gaara had a problem, he would bypass him, but that would mean that Coach might suspect things about Gaara and give the boy a hard time.

Everything he thought of had a bad end to it, he realized, stopping suddenly. Something bumped into him as he stopped and he was surprised to see Gaara behind him, chewing nervously on his sleeve, staring at the floor looking completely out of it.

Neji gave him a small smile and reached out, cupping the boy's cheek in his hand. He watched Gaara flinch at the touch like he always did, but Neji tried to discard it.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

Gaara bit his lip and reached up to grasp Neji's wrist with a trembling hand. "Don't leave me alone," he whispered. "Please."

Neji smiled warmly and put his arms around Gaara and hugged him. "I won't," he assured him. "I promise." He felt Gaara grip onto the front of his shirt and bury his face in Neji's chest. Neji held him for a moment, then let go and took Gaara's hand, leading him into the kitchen.

The breakfast Temari had made and left on the dining room table was now on the kitchen counter. It was all cold, but Neji heated up some in the microwave. He threw away the toast because reheated toast it disgusting and Neji was a picky eater. (Blame it on the money) He made more and buttered it then set the stack down on the table.

Gaara sat on one of the kitchen table stools watching him intently, but not speaking. Neji would turn and smile at him every once and while to show him that he knew he was there and that everything was fine.

Neji put a plate of toast down on the table for him, but he wouldn't eat it, mumbling something that Neji only caught part of: 'eating between meals'. Neji frowned slightly; he was refusing because he was afraid his father would get mad. This disheartened Neji, since he knew, via Kankurou, that Gaara hadn't eaten in a while and was starting to worry whether he might accidentally starve himself to death. He finally convinced him to eat a little toast. They sat in a long silence as Neji ate and Gaara nibbled.

"Neji, you should go home."

Neji looked up in surprise as Gaara spoke. He wasn't looking at him though. His body was slouched over, head down and eyes half shut, staring at the tiled table. There was no expression on his face, but his eyes were filled with emotion. Neji sighed and put his fork down.

"I'm not leaving you," he said, nodding, assuring him and himself.

"He'll hurt you if you don't. I don't want you to get hurt. Kankurou said he wouldn't let him hurt you, but then he'll hurt Kankurou," Gaara's voice spoke from far away, very sad…quiet, completely depressed.

"We won't be here to let him hurt us," Neji said, with a sly grin.

Gaara glanced up at him.

"We're going to go to school and stay for practice. Remember? Kankurou said he wanted you to go with me to practice, and Haku's staying after to sit with you. Haku won't let anything happen to you. Remember what he did to Itachi?"

His smile widened as he finally got a reaction from Gaara. He blinked and a smile twitched at his lips, but it faded quickly.

"I can't leave," he said, eyes widening.

"Why?" Neji asked, startled, a frown forming.

"That'd be bad, Dad would get mad at me," Gaara said, the look on his face told Neji that Gaara didn't understand why Neji didn't understand this.

"Gaara, that's why we're leaving," Neji said, pushingly.

"But…Dad's always mad at me," Gaara said quietly, staring down at the plate of toast. "I don't want him to be mad at me anymore. I don't want to be bad anymore. I'll stay. You go."

"I'm not leaving you," Neji said. "Gaara, even if you stay, your dad'll get mad at you. He's crazy!"

"I've done it before!" Gaara cried, stopping Neji. "When he's mad, Kankurou sometimes lets me out, but I stay near the—the door cause I wasn't suppose to leave and Dad was happy with me! He said I was good and he never says that! I want him to say that I was good! I don't want to be bad anymore!"

Neji stared, not sure of what to say. Just like Gaara didn't understand how Neji didn't understand his reasoning, Neji didn't understand why anyone would want to make someone like that like them. He'd heard about it though, in Health classes in middle school and programs held at schools that administrators made all students go to. Abused children wanting to make their abusers proud of them, even if it meant hurting themselves.

Neji sighed, frustrated, and lean down on his elbows, running his fingers up his face and through his hair. Gaara saw this and dropped the toast he'd been holding onto the plate like he was touching something he wasn't supposed to and backed away from it. Neji watched him. He was beginning to learn to read what Gaara was thinking by the way he acted.

"I'm not mad at you, Gaara," Neji said quietly. "I swear I'm not."

"You're disappointed," Gaara mumbled.

They sat in silence for a while. Neji wasn't sure of what to say now and Gaara went back into zoned out mode. To cover for the silence, Neji got up and took both their plates to the sink and set them in. He was just about to turn to Gaara and try to convince him to go when the sound of a key in the front door made him freeze. He wasn't positive that's what he heard until he saw Gaara's eyes widened in fear as he stared at the front door.

Without thinking, he grabbed Gaara by the hand and pulled him to the nearest door away from the front door. It was the basement door, which he opened quietly and led Gaara down the stairs. It was to risky to turn a light on so he led Gaara carefully down the stairs and made a right, feeling carefully with his foot before each step. They got to what he felt was the middle of the room and sat down, pulling Gaara with him.

They waited in silence as the foot steps walked around then went up the stairs to the second floor. Neji and Gaara had firm locks on each other as angry cursing and shouting could be heard. Gaara whimpered and started pulling away from Neji, trying to get upstairs to his father, but Neji held him tight and refused to let him go. He didn't know what Gaara would do if he went up to his father, but Neji knew what his father would do if he did.

"It's too late to go back now, Gaara," Neji whispered. He started calmly making shushing sounds to calm Gaara down, but it was also to calm himself down. Gaara buried his face in Neji's arm and let Neji hold him, scared to death.

After a few minutes, that Neji thought was Gaara's father searching the rooms upstairs, storming footfalls sounded on the steps and the first floor was searched. Neji didn't think that the basement might be searched to until the basement lights flickered on, and froze as the door opened.

"Boy!"

Gaara started violently and Neji clamped a hand over the boy's mouth to keep any sound from coming out. They froze on the floor, eyes squeezed closed, and mouths clamped shut. There was a pause.

"If you're worthless ass is down there, you better get it up here now before I beat you senseless and lock you up in the closet for the rest of your miserable life!"

As the threats fell in the air, Gaara shook horribly in Neji's arms, but he didn't move or make a sound. Neji held him closer, feeling him self shaking slightly. He found even himself completely terrified of the man at the top of the stairs. He seemed low enough to do anything, no matter who it was to. Neji wasn't sure if he would be safe from the man's anger. A horrible jolt of fear struck him when he realized no one but Kankurou and Temari knew where he was. If he came down stairs and found them it would be possibly death for Gaara and torture maybe for him.

Nothing happened though. No one came down the stairs and the basement door was snapped shut and the foot steps walked away from the door. His father must have thought Gaara wouldn't have come down there. They waited until they heard the front door shut and heard a car drive away before letting out the breath they were both holding. Gaara let out a long whimpering sob and clutched Neji's shirt tighter. The light had been left on and Neji took this time to look around.

"Neji I have to go back to the dark place," Gaara whispered suddenly, his face still buried, small sobs still lingered in his voice.

"Why?" Neji asked, still looking around.

"Because daddy's mad…and I'm scared. I don't want to make d—daddy mad at me anymore."

"What's all this stuff for?" Neji asked, unintentionally ignoring what Gaara had said. He glanced down at Gaara who sat up in his lap and started fidgeting.

"Daddy bring me here…when I'm bad. I disobey…and then…I …get punished," he mumbled after a moment's silence.

Neji stared, his face blanch, mouth open. "He—he uses …this…stuff too…Oh, my god. I—I'm sorry, Gaara," he stammered out in a whisper. "I wasn't thinking. I shouldn't have brought you here. Let's go."

He quickly stood and held his hand out to Gaara, but it wasn't taken. Gaara remained unmoving, sitting on the cold floor on his knees, staring at nothing. Neji knelt down and gently took Gaara's hand and lifted him up to his feet, off the hard floor. He led him to the back of the room where the door was and Gaara went with him, his pace slowing at every step. Gaara felt as though he was walking closer and closer to a reality of his worst nightmare. Memories struck him hard.

Flashback (Gaara's voice 'narrating')

No one can hear me.

Please stop.

It's dark down there.

Where's Kankurou?

I was bad.

I don't want to go down there.

Please don't make me go down there.

Kankurou, please help me.

Please don't take me back there.

It's dark.

I'll be good.

Please don't tie me up.

Stop daddy it hurts!

Kankurou!

I'll be good! I promise!

Daddy, you're hurting me!

I'm sorry! Please daddy!

Let me out! I'll be good I promise!

Don't leave me down here!

What did I do wrong?

I'm scare.

I was bad.

Please untie me.

They hurt.

Please untie me?

I promise I'll do better.

I'm sorry Daddy.

End flashback

Gaara stopped walking altogether. He stood, rooted to the ground, shaking horribly. He didn't want to go any further. Kankurou never came back here unless it was to get him out.

Neji turned back to him, a hand on the doorknob. One thing he was greatly gifted in was Ultimate Patience, as he had already mentioned. He waited for Gaara, talking to him in a reassuring voice. He could see Gaara's thoughts written all over his face, but, finally, he took Neji's hand with both of his as if it were his anchor and slowly stepped out of the house; eyes squeezed shut as if expecting to be struck at any moment.

He opened them as Neji quietly praised him and put his arm around his shoulders, leading him up the steps and off the property.

Haku was waiting for them on the bleachers by the soccer field when they got to the school. He ran up to them, braided hair bouncing at his back, and asked if they were both ok. Kankurou hadn't told him any details what-so-ever and all he knew was that something was wrong with Gaara that needed comfort, not questions. His suspicions were frighteningly close though he didn't know it.

Neji assured him that they were ok, but Gaara had returned to the way he had been acting in Kankurou's room, possibly worse. Very jumpy and clinging to the back of Neji's hoody, walking behind him. As he had been with Kankurou's bed, he didn't want to leave Neji, his object of security, but Haku, who was also blessed with patience (Neji suspected was from the thought of being with his crush) spoke gently and quietly to him, until he finally let Haku even come near him.

Haku took his hand and put his arm around him, gently rubbing his back. Even in his out-of-it state, Gaara recognized the comfort he found in Haku comforting embrace and finally let Neji go. He let Haku lead him over to the bleachers and sat with him in the shade of a tree as Neji went and talked to Genma. Haku had no idea what Neji was using as an excuse, but the man nodded and Neji went into the school, coming back out a few minutes later dressed for practice.

Before running out onto the field with his team mates, Neji stopped at the bleachers and stepped up to Gaara.

"Don't forget to call Kankurou ok?" he reminded him, smiling. Without thinking, spurred unconsciously by the moment, he leaned down and kissed Gaara's forehead before turning and falling in place with jogging.

Haku glared after him, eye twitching, but quickly brought his attention back to Gaara, who was staring blankly at the ground, so out of it, he hadn't even reacted to Neji's kiss. He put his arm around the smaller boy and pulled him close. Gaara sank into the comfort in them he found before. If it had been any other moment, Haku would have freaked and ran around the field with the soccer players squealing, but this was not the right moment. He took his cell phone out and held it out for Gaara.

"Come on, Gaara-chan," he cooed gently. "Don't you want to talk to your brother? Come on."

Gaara didn't move, just continued to stare blankly ahead. It frightened Haku. His eyes were the same ones he had seen in the mirror after his ordeal with Itachi, but deeper. Farther down in the pit then Haku had ever gone. It scared him; Gaara wasn't supposed to be that deep, he was to gentle and fragile to be that far down.

"Gaara-chan…?" Haku cooed again, slightly worried. "Come on…here." He turned the phone on for him and leaned forward so he could see his face. "No?"

Gaara didn't move.

"Ok...hold on."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the piece of paper with Kankurou's phone number on it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kankurou? It's Haku."

"Oh, hey. Where are you?"

"I'm at school. Gaara's right here—who's that?" he asked as another voice sounded.

"It's a friend of mine. We were planning on going to see a movie this weekend," Kankurou said to who ever had spoken. "It's my dad," he added to Haku.

"Oh."

"Hang on." Haku waited as Kankurou must have gone somewhere so that his father couldn't hear him. "Sorry about that. Where's Gaara?"

"He's right here with me," Haku said, looking down at him. "But he's real quiet and shaking like a leaf. Poor thing," he said, making a teary face. "It breaks my heart to see him so upset!"

"Haku, please don't start acting weird," Kankurou said, a 'dot dot dot' face practically obvious over the phone.

"I'm sorry, but it's true!" Haku insisted. "He looks so depressed and he's not moving!"

Kankurou sighed. "Really?"

"You wanna talk to him?"

"Yeah."

"Ok. Hold on." Haku put the phone to Gaara's ear, but still got no reaction. "Gaara-chan, it's Kankurou," he said in a coaxing voice. "Talk to Kankurou, Gaara-chan."

"Gaara?"

At the sound of Kankurou's voice, Gaara snatched the phone from Haku and spoke frantically to his brother.

Not purposefully eavesdropping, but unable to not listen to at least Gaara's side of the conversation, Haku learned that Gaara hadn't wanted to leave the house in the first place. Something about making his father angry. He asked if Kankurou would come and take him home, but Kankurou seemed to say no. Actually, Haku knew he said no, he didn't have to see the disappointment on Gaara's face, Kankurou had asked him to take him to his house for the night at least. Gaara started protesting, but Kankurou seemed to have changed the subject. Haku could somewhat hear Kankurou on the other end. He was asking about the soccer players. Gaara lifted his head for the first time and looked around the field. He told Kankurou everything the soccer players (focusing mostly on Neji) were doing and each drill they were running through. Haku noticed that the more Gaara talked the more relaxed and normal he became. As he talked on, his voice became more cheerful and his words quicker and his stutter began to leave. Haku smiled slightly, new respect for Kankurou rising. The guy should be a psychiatrist or something.

After a long conversation, Gaara said bye to Kankurou and handed the phone to Haku.

"Hello?"

"I got to go now," Kankurou told him. "Just keep him talking and he'll be fine."

"Alright, bye." Haku put his phone away then turned back to Gaara who was now watching the players work on ball control, doing drills Neji had shown him at their first trip to the mall.

"Do you understand anything about this?" he asked, pointing at the field.

Gaara shook his head, dropping back into his previous state.

"I heard that Neji's really good."

"He is good!" Gaara insisted, finally looking up at him. "Neji's the best player from both teams combined!"

"Both teams?" Haku asked, feigning stupidity. "Isn't there only one?"

"The JV and Varsity," Gaara said. "They practice and warm up together, and sometimes do drills together, but usually they practice separately. Neji and Kiba are on the JV team."

"Do we know anyone on Varsity?" Haku asked looking around at the players.

"Just…Itachi…" Gaara said quietly, glancing at the tall Uchiha.

Haku's eyes burned. "Bastard," he muttered.

"Ok, I just want to get one thing straight here. I'm doing this as a favor as a friend. This is not a date, I'm sorry if you want it to be one but—"

"Ukon shut up," Sakkon said.

"Ok."

Temari gave the two twins an odd look as she sat in the window side of Sakkon's big red truck. The two had come up to her after school and said Kankurou went home early and he wanted them to take her out for an after school snack and then home. She understood the take home part, but why out for a snack that looked suspiciously like a date? She wanted to go home to Gaara and to Kankurou.

What was Kankurou planning?

"Hey Gaara, nice of you to join us," Genma said coming up to them. "You feeling better?"

Gaara shrugged slightly, still under the comfort of Haku's arm. "A little," he mumbled.

"Alright," Genma said, shrugging as well. "I'm glad you decided you wanted to join us at practice. Would you like to play with us?"

Gaara shook his head frantically.

"Why not?"

"I can't kick," Gaara told him in a muttering voice.

"Aw, it's not that hard," Genma said, taken aback at the thought of not being able to kick a ball. "Haku, you know how to kick a ball don't you?"

Haku held his hands up. "I kick a ball and fall flat on my face," he said.

Gaara stared at him. "You do?"

"Yeah, it's really funny," Haku said, sticking his hand behind his head.

Genma picked up a spare ball and tossed it to them. "I've never met anyone who can't actually kick a ball," he said, giving them a twitching look. "This will honestly bother me until I die. Go play with this, before I go crazy."

With that he turned and went back to change the drill to suicide runs (anyone who plays sports should know what this is and groan loudly at the thought (Shukaku: GROAN) You don't play sports… (Shukaku: I've watched you run suicides. It looks painful!)).

Haku stood, ball in hand and turned excitedly to Gaara.

"Come on! Let's play!" he hopped down the bleachers as Gaara got up and slowly stepped down off the bleachers. As he did, he looked up at Neji and met his eyes. Neji smiled at him and nodded encouragingly.

Haku set the ball down on the grass. "Watch. Ready?" he went to kick the ball, but missed it completely, his feet flying up from underneath him, causing him to land on his back.

Gaara stared, not expecting that at all, then started laughing, covering his mouth as he did to try and hide the fact that he was. This of course had been Haku's objective and he smiled as he sat up.

"See? I suck!" Haku said, crossing his arms and legs. He rolled the ball over to Gaara. "Your turn."

Gaara kicked at the ball, but his attempts sent the ball going a pathetic three feet away, no where near where he wanted it to go. Haku laughed at this as well, as Gaara chased after the ball. Gaara blushed, but shyly laughed as well. He sat on the grass a small distance away in front of Haku and tossed him the ball. They played the tossing game until Genma noticed them and came over to them, of course giving the lecture that in soccer you do not toss the ball, you kick it. After he said this, they both got up and demonstrated their pathetic attempts to kick the ball, causing him to smack a hand over his face and groan loudly.

"We'll work on this," Genma said, motioning for Gaara to follow him. "Are you still up to helping me out this season?"

"Sure," Gaara replied.

"Good, cause I could use a good smart kid like you to help me out," Genma said, smiling and giving him a hearty pat on the back.

Gaara blushed darkly and mumbled something embarrassed but neither of them heard what he said.

"What?"

"I'm not smart…" Gaara said quietly. "I'm…I'm stupid."

Haku made noise that sounded like air blowing out of a balloon. "No, you're not! You're the smartest, cutest little redhead I have ever seen!" Haku said, wrapping his arms around Gaara's and jerking him into a glomp.

Gaara blushed even darker at his words and covered his face with his hands. This action however, only succeeded in making Haku squeal a little and hug him tighter, lifting him off the ground and swinging him in a little circle.

On the field, Neji bit his lip to hide his smile. He loved seeing Gaara interacting with other people like a normal teenager. And he looked so cute when he blushed like that. Last time he blushed like that was when he first kissed him, even if it was just on the cheek.

He was pulled back out of his thoughts as a ball came suddenly sailing in his direction as his partner in passing kicked the ball harder then he intended.

After practice was over, Haku drove Neji home to the Hyuga estate. The three said their good byes and the two boys watched until Neji closed the door behind him, then they drove off, back onto the street.

Temari and Ukon had come in to the house, hearing the argument before they even opened the door. Kankurou and their father were having a heated argument in the living room, shouting angrily at one another. When they walked in, her father glanced over at her.

"Where were you?"

"Um…sorry dad… I went to the deli to study with Ukon and his brother. We both have a big test coming up and we were helping each other," Temari said quickly, apologizing.

Her father gave her a hard stare then looked over at Ukon, who grinning somewhat stupidly and waved. He pointed to the sofa. "Sit there, I'll deal with you in a minute," he said, then continued his argument with Kankurou for another ten minutes.

The door opened again, causing all four heads to turn to the door as a fifth person stepped into the room. Silence followed instantly. Kankurou stared and Ukon glanced over at Kankurou then at his father. Gaara looked down at the floor.

"I'm sorry Dad," he said quietly. "I shouldn't have left. I came back so you would be worried or get mad."

Temari didn't move her head, but her eyes flashed over to Kankurou as she realized why he had asked Ukon and Sakkon to stall her trip home. Her eyes turned back to Gaara as their father moved. Gaara swallowed hard as his father slowly approached him. Instead of lashing out or yelling at him, thought, he placed a hand on Gaara's ruffled hair, but Gaara flinched anyway.

"Good boy," he said, smiling almost fondly at him. "I'm proud of you."

Ukon and Sakkon, who had followed Gaara in unnoticed, both turned in unison from Gaara to Kankurou, seeing both of their reactions. Gaara's face lit up and a smile broke out over his face, eyes shining happily. A cloud of anger and a look of disbelief passed over Kankurou's face, but both twins also saw jealousy in the cloud and glanced at each other.

"What are these?" their father asked, looking down at the folder of papers in his hand.

"Genma-sensei asked me to go over these and fill them out for him cause I'm his helper…and all," Gaara replied, holding the folder out.

"We'll look at them while we're waiting for dinner," his father said, leading him into the kitchen.

Temari immediately bustled about the kitchen, refusing the help Gaara offered. She washed the dishes and then quickly began making dinner.

Kankurou was silent as he watched his family enter the kitchen. He watched Gaara happily open the folder and begin showing their father the things he was supposed to do. Kankurou clenched and unclenched his fists in anger. The two twins watched him for a moment, then Sakkon gave Ukon a nudge with his elbow and Ukon stood up and asked Kankurou to come outside with him. They stood out on the porch and Ukon pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, lighting it before speaking.

"Seems your dad was pretty pleased birthday boy came home," he said casually, blowing out.

"No shit," Kankurou snapped. "That means to him that a) Gaara didn't tell anyone, b) he can still have something to beat on when he's pissed or drunk and c) he knows Gaara's still terrified of him and my plan went down the drain," Kankurou yelled angrily.

"Yeah, but at least he's safe."

"No, he's not!" Kankurou insisted. "It's just an act! It'll last another day or two then everything will go back to normal! Gaara's just too stupid to see that!"

"Kankurou, why are you so obsessed with helping your brother?" Ukon asked casually, flicking ashes away.

"He's my brother, you asshole!" Kankurou said angrily.

"Look, just hear me out before I come to my senses," Ukon said, his mellow voice, only heard when he wasn't high, droned, as he gestured at his cigarette. "I was thinking. See, I know that if my parents were picking on Sakkon—my baby bro—I'd get help, like, right away. Even if I grew up watching it happen and was scared, the moment I had proof I'd turn them in. That's what I thought. And then I tried to put myself in your shoes and wondered why you're always helping your brother get through this rough stuff, but you never turn your dad in. Then I thought of something. I didn't like it, but I thought about it a lot and….I think it's true."

He took a large puff of his cigarette and let it out slowly.

"I think, the reason you try so hard to help little birthday boy, is cause you know how he feels. I mean, you know how he feels and you understand completely why he came home tonight. And that's why you're mad he did."

He paused and let the words sink in. Kankurou was staring at him, eyes wide and mouth open.

"I'm guessing…that when you all were little, it wasn't baby bro who was getting the brunt of daddy's anger. Birthday boy just don't remember that part of the story."

He waited for Kankurou to respond, but the boy was now staring at the ground.

"That's why you're mad at him, cause you did the same thing when you were in his shoes."

He took one last long breath of his cigarette then put it out on the sole of his boot and tossed it into the trashcan.

"See? I'm a good friend," he said with his dumb grin. "I'm right, aren't I? That's why? You know…you should tell Gaara this—"

"Ukon, please…stop," Kankurou said, his breath coming out in controlled rasps as he continued to stare at the ground.

Ukon smiled and put his hand on Kankurou's shoulder. "I'll stop, but I want you to know: I'm here for you and I'm willing to listen, so'll Sakkon. Don't blame little birthday boy, 'kay?"

He opened the front door and called Sakkon out. The two left, driving off towards their house.

Kankurou sat down on the porch and placed his head in his hands.

'Oh, God…'