I don't own Naruto…

Author's Note: Chapter 7. I liked writing this chapter. When I was done with this chapter, and halfway through the next, I decided, what the hell. If you guys take the time to review, I'll take the time to write back. Plus I was kind of sad that so few people reviewed but, meh. (Yeah, 'meh' is a word.)

Pairings: Neji/Gaara, Naruto/Sasuke…Not to sure about others.

Warnings: Violence, guy and guy loving, self-inflicted violence, craziness, OCCness.

Reviewers:

Corvin: I'm updating right now!

Crimsonbloodvampire: (Grins) Maybe he will get a good night kiss…

Demonchildssister: Thank you!

Akai-chou-spirit: I know, Gaara's dad makes everything hell! I'm glad you answered to the Kakashi/Iruka thing. You were the only one.

Naitachal666: I refused myself to mess up Gaara's date. I kept telling my self, no, this is not an, 'I'm gunna be an ass' to Gaara fanfic. And it worked! I'm not sure what I'm going to do with his dad yet…time will tell.

A Dangerous Game: Gaara's First Date

By: Dead Walking Raccoon

"Um…b-bye." Gaara said quietly not looking up to meet any of his family member's gazes. Closing the door behind him Gaara walked down the few steps alongside Neji.

A hand toughed his should lightly. "Are you alright?"

Smiling softly, Gaara looked at the Hyuga. "So where are we going?"

If Neji noticed anything wrong he didn't say anything. Instead, he let his hand fall to his side and gave a small smirk. "It's a surprise."

Gaara was taken aback for a second. Usually any 'surprises' were from his father and they were never anything good. He didn't believe Neji would do anything like that to him, but was a little withdrawn as they walked to Neji's car, or should he say limo.

It shouldn't have surprised him that Neji had his own limo. After seeing where he lived, and the size of his house he shouldn't have. He was suddenly ashamed of his small house in one of the poorer neighborhoods in town. Even in his best clothes he must have still looked like something dragged off the street.

He must have spaced out of a second because Neji nudged him slightly. Looking up he saw the door being held open and Neji looking at him curiously. "Sorry…" He mumbled blushing and ducked down into the limo. The dark haired boy followed after, talking to the drive ahead in hushed voices.

The excitement, as well as nervousness, from before was slowly coming back to Gaara. The car seemed to be moving slower then it really should, almost mocking Gaara, forcing him to wait longer then he needed to before they got to the place Neji had arranged for.

Several times during the ride he would look across the small space separating him from Neji to see him in deep thoughtfulness.

When the car started slowing down Gaara looked out one of the many windows. They were in the richer part of town, but not as rich as where the other boy lived. Going, somewhere there to eat would have made Gaara feel a lot more out of place then he was.

Neji got out of the car first, followed by a timid red-head. Gaara looked at the restaurant in amazement. It had to be the nicest place he'd ever been too. "Wow…" He said quietly.

"It's even better inside." Neji said motioning for Gaara to follow him the rest of the way inside. Gaara did, walking more behind him then beside him, and looking around in caution. There weren't many people in the restaurant, something Gaara was thankful for, the waitress came quickly to take them to their table.

"Here ya go Neji!" The girl said placing two menus on the table.

"Thank you." Neji said back politely, taking a seat. The girl blushed and walked away.

Gaara glanced over the menu as his eyes widened. Everything on it was more then all the money he brought! Well, except for a plain cheese sandwich. He should have saved his money from lunch during the week. Now he was going to look even worse then he already did!

The Hyuga put his menu down and took a sip from his glass of water. "So what are you getting?" He asked conversationally.

"A sandwich…" Gaara mumbled.

Neji looked up sharply and Gaara looked down at his hands nervously twitching in his lap. "You can order more then that, I'm paying after all."

Looking up with wide eyes, Gaara shook his head. "Oh no, I-I'm fine!" His stomach gave a quiet argument. Truth was he was really hungery. He hadn't eaten anything since lunch earlier that day. But he also didn't want Neji to waste his money on him.

"It's fine. I asked you to come with me didn't I?"

"B-but I'm n-not-"

"I said its fine. You should eat more anyways, though, you do look better then at the beginning of the year." He said and dismissed the conversation by starting a new one. "So was that was your father when I picked you up?"

Gaara rubbed the tattoo on his forehead. He would rather not talk about his father but knew it'd be rude to ignore the question. "Y-yes…"

Neji nodded looking up as the waitress came to take their order. Before Gaara was able to say what he wanted Neji cut in to order for him, which turned out to be a lot more then the red head knew he could eat.

"What were you doing after school yesterday?" Neji inquired once the waitress was gone. He rested his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his folded hands.

Gaara was glad for the change of topic. "I was waiting for Temari to get back from her driving lessons. Kankuro was working and I didn't feel like going home. We usually all walk home together." 'Ignore everything else you saw while at school.' He mentally told himself referring to the occurrence with Naruto and Sasuke in the library.

"I think that's the most I've ever heard you talk."

Gaara blushed looking down from Neji's smirking face.

"If you ever need a ride home, I'm sure I could drive you." The white-eye boy said offhand. "I've got practice after school but after I could give you a lift home."

"Um…Thanks." Gaara said, but not intending to take up the offer. He was already letting Neji pay for his dinner; he didn't want to bother him any more with taking him out of his way to drop him off at home. Trying to keep up some kind of conversation, he asked, "How long have you been playing hockey?"

"About since I was six years old." He swung his glass of water in his hand. "My uncle thought it would be a good way to get scholarships for collage."

"Why would you need scholarships?" Gaara asked without thinking. Upon hearing it spoken he slapped his mouth shut and looked at Neji with wide eyes.

Neji smiled looking up at Gaara, putting him a bit more at ease. "That's the same thing I asked."

"Here's your order Neji." Their waitress said as she placed their food down in front of them, a small hit of a blush on her cheeks.

They both thanked her, a small pout on her lips as she was politely shooed away. Gaara mused she had wanted to talk to Neji some more. They talked through their meal, mostly about school, sports, and friends. Gaara was at ease through out the whole meal, which stunned him because he was always tense and nervous, even with his siblings.

He wondered why he felt so safe around the older boy. Sure he'd helped Gaara numerous of times, but so had Kankuro and Temari. In the back of his mind he knew he shouldn't let his guard down so easily. He hadn't known this boy for long; he still could be a threat. It wouldn't be the first time Gaara would be lead into a false sense of security.

But another part of him wanted to let his guard down. Around Neji he didn't have to worry as much because the other had helped him through one of his worst episodes and not thrown him away. Something about the Hyuga was different.

Their dinner went through without Gaara feeling any kind of anxiety between the two. When they were both done Neji paid for the meal. Gaara tried to at least give him the money he had brought for his meal, to give him something, but Neji refused it.

"Would it be ok with you if we walked?" Neji asked as they walked out of the restaurant.

"Ah, sure." Gaara walked down the darkening street next to Neji. Around him, he felt…stronger, like he was worth something and all those years of his father saying he was useless were all lies…

They walked in a quiet, but comfortable, silence. Sometimes one would see something in a store window and say something about it, but for the most part it was a silence event walking to Gaara's house.

"Gaara." Neji said as if he just came to a conclusion.

"Yeah?" Gaara kicked a stray pebble with his foot while resting his hands in his hoddie.

"Would you…" Neji stopped, and Gaara looked up. The Hyuga was thinking, analyzing something unknown to Gaara. He'd never known Neji to be unsure of something. It had to be big. "Would you…like to go out with me?"

Gaara raised an eyebrow. Neji had trouble with asking him if he'd go out somewhere again with him? He didn't have any problem with it before! "Sure, but I don't know when my dad will let me go out somewhere again…he's kind of strict."

"I don't mean going out somewhere to eat again."

Gaara looked at Neji again to see him looking back at him. He gazed down then, feeling something intertwine in his fingers. What he saw was Neji holding his hand. All the blood in Gaara's body went to his face and he looked back up at the older boy in both amazement and realization.

"I mean." Neji said gave a light squeeze to the redhead's hand. "Would you be my boyfriend?"

Gaara legs stopped working. He stared at Neji, face red, feeling light headed. He ran the words over and over in his head. Did he hear right? Seeing their hands intertwined confirmed that. So was this some kind of sick joke? No, Neji wasn't like that. He was strait forward and didn't play childish pranks.

"Y-you mean…like actual d-dating?" Gaara faltered out uncertainly. With the white-eyed boys nodded his eyes extended farther.

"You don't have to answer now." Neji offered release Gaara's hand and walked forward. "You can answer some other time."

Gaara looked at Neji's retreating back, and his heart beat faster in his chest. He knew he liked Neji, he just didn't know if it was in that kind of way. Hell! He had never even thought Neji would like guys! With so many girls hanging around him he just guessed he'd fined some of them attractive.

He reminded himself that no one had ever really taken the time to get to know him and the chance of that happening again was slim. If he let this chance go now, he might never have it again.

"Wait!" Gaara called making a short run to Neji, stopping at his side. He gathered up all of the courage in his body and forced down his blush as best he could, looking into the blank eyes of the older boy. "I'll go out with you."

Gaara was so proud of himself he almost missed the upturn of the Hyuga's lips. He didn't miss, though, Neji's hand once again finding his and pulling the two to continue walking home again. Gaara glanced around only once to see if there was any one watching them, but finding no one out at the late night, before settling back in pace with Neji.

As they neared Gaara's house, Gaara pulled his hand away from Neji's and pretended like he was looking for his key. He didn't know how Neji's family would react to seeing two guys holding hands, but Gaara's father wouldn't approve of it at all. Not hurting Neji's feelings while not getting into trouble with his father were two things he'd have to learn to balance.

In truth he knew where his key was, which was in his back pocket, but put on a show of not knowing where it was so he could disconnect them. They both walked up the few steps to Gaara's front door. He wasn't sure what to do now; he'd never gone out with anyone.

"I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow…" Gaara said playing with the hem of his shirt.

Neji nodded and Gaara took the key in his other hand to unlock the door. In his side vision he saw Neji look around and wondered what he was doing. He felt a hand turn his face and warmth on his lips for a spilt second before it was gone. He blushed, touching his lips and looked at Neji.

"Bye." Neji said, smiling at Gaara, and turning to walk down the steps.

Gaara watched him pull out a small cell phone and call someone while walking down the side walk. By the time Gaara managed to open the door Neji's driver picked him up and was being driven down the road. Gaara went into his house making almost no noise when taking off his shoes and closing the door.

As he pasted by the living room he saw his father on the couch, passed out, with a bottle of beer in hand and several other's around him. He thanked the gods before walking up the steps and down the hall way and to Kankuro's and his room.

When he opened the door, he saw his brother and sister sitting in the room, and closed the door behind him. He picked up his nightshirt from a chair, then finally looking up at his siblings and seeing them looking at him oddly. "What?"

"You're…smiling…" Kankuro said looking at Temari. They both shared a look Gaara couldn't decipher.

Looking in the reflection of a small mirror on Kankuro's dresser, he was indeed smiling.

"Soo…" Temari said, a knowing smile on her face. "How was it? Where'd you go?"

"A place on the richer part of town. It was really nice." Gaara said turning around and taking off his shirts to put on his nightshirt. "I had a really good time."

"That's great Gaara!" Temari stood and embraced her youngest brother.

"And…um, well…" Gaara stroked his tattoo.

"And what?" Kankuro's eye's narrowed in suspicion.

"He, um…-"

Kankuro jumped up from the bed, face red. "I swear, I'll kill him if he did anything to you Gaara."

"Kankuro!" Temari yelled, raising a fist. "Maybe if you shut your big mouth Gaara can continue!"

Gaara raised an eyebrow at his sister and continued before a fight broke out. "H-he asked me out and I said yes."

His brother and sister were still bickering for a few seconds. Both stopped at the same time, eyes fixed on the red head that was nervously playing with the hem of his shirt. He'd said it so quietly neither was sure they'd heard him right.

"He asked you out?" Kankuro repeated, shocked.

"And you said yes!" Temari squeaked, again clutching her brother in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh you looked so cute when he kissed you and you blushed-"

"You two were w-watching?" Gaara asked, mortified. His sister clamped her mouth shut, Kankuro crossed his arms looking away, and both of them gave a shrug. The redhead sighed in embarrassment.

The three siblings walked together to school that morning, earlier then their ordinary time sp they could be absent when their father woke up. Gaara rubbed his sleepy eyes as they school building came in his line of sight, as well as an over energetic blonde haired boy with a few other people.

"He's like the energizer bunny." Kankuro commented. "He just keeps going, and going, and going…"

Temari snickered and Gaara gave a small smile. When their blonde haired friend saw them, he waved over dramatically. "Hey Gaara! Over here!"

Bidding his sister and brother farewell, Gaara walked at a calm pace toward Naruto. As he neared he could see Sakura, Ino, Sasuke, Kiba, Hinata, and Neji sitting or standing near him. Feeling bother delighted and nervous that Neji was there, Gaara stopped near them. He smiled across from him where Neji was sitting and said a soft hi to every one else.

"Hey Gaara what are you doing this Saturday?" Sakura asked smiling.

"N-nothing, I think."

"Well, everyone's going to the movies this Saturday. It's a tradition to go at least once a month." The pink haired girl informed him.

The redhead nodded. "I-I'll see if I can go." He promised. As the conversation transferred to another topic he slowly found his way to the bench Neji and Kiba were sitting at. Seating himself between the two he smiled up at the white-eyed boy.

"Good morning." Neji said softly.

"Good morning." Gaara replied and was slightly happy Neji hadn't tried to hold his hand or kiss him while his friends were around. He wasn't sure he'd be able to deal with their questions at the moment.

Gaara must have spaced out because before he knew it the bell had rung and Neji had grabbed his wrist to get him out of his thoughts. Unknown to the Hyuga he irritated the wrist in which Gaara's father had hurt the pervious night, causing Gaara to flinch. "S-sorry…" Gaara mumbled and stood up, cradling his wrist.

Neji looked down at him in question. "What happened?"

"N-nothing." Gaara said and begun to walk off only to be pulled back by Neji. Gaara looked away from his hard gaze as Neji touched the bruised skin under his hoddie.

When Gaara did nothing, Neji started pulling up the sleeve to have the arm wrenched away from him. Looking up at the redhead he saw his head hanging and shoulders twitching.

Gaara didn't want him to see bruises. If Neji did he knew the other boy wouldn't be as nice as he was to him. Any one who'd ever seen his bruises had turned away from him in discus. His heart, and mind, couldn't stand for that. If pushing away Neji a little would keep his close, then it would have to be done.

Neji must have sensed Gaara's discomfort for he looked at his watch. "We better get to class. I'll walk with you."

Nodding, Gaara walked with Neji to his English class.

"…And there's another school I've been looking into but I'm not sure if I'd like to go there. It's pretty far away and I don't want to move away. Though, their school is pretty good…" Haku mussed. He took a bite of his salad, chewing in thought.

"I t-thought you wouldn't be g-going to college until a-after next year?" Gaara asked eating his own lunch, but mostly poking around at his food. He wasn't really in the mood to eat.

"The university selected me already because of my grades and physical achievements in boxing." The girlish looking boy rolled his eyes. Though Haku didn't seem like the type that would be good at boxing, he was.

Gaara remembered the first time his brother and Haku had met. Kankuro had said something immature about how Haku looked and how he couldn't fight. His brother soon found out that looks weren't everything. Haku had giving him a good lessoning and for some odd reason, that even Gaara couldn't figure out, the two had became friends. Haku didn't believe he was as good as he was. Though, having some one like Zabuza for a boxing teacher would make any one feel inferior.

"You're in boxing?" Naruto asked. He still was having a hard time believing Haku was a boy.

"Yes." Haku smiled, obviously ignoring the way it was asked.

"Dobe." Sasuke muttered from next to the blonde.

Gaara pushed his food around on his plate again. Lessening to Haku chatted on concerning the university and what each of them had to offer. He sighed softly. He knew he'd never get into a good college, not with the way his grades looked. He already had a D in Math and English, with Spanish looking like it would be fallowed soon enough. He'd be lucky if he could work at McDonald's!

The redhead felt Neji shift closer next to him, and a warm had rest over his own. He looked side ways, giving a small smile at the older boy. Nervously he held onto the other's hand, looking around to make sure no one had seen the small display. Thankfully no one was even paying attention and Gaara allowed him self another small smile when Neji's thumb caressed his hand.

Aw, a cute ending. I liked writing this chapter. About freaking time they got together! (Big lengthy sigh.) But I did have a reason for the long wait. Sometimes it annoys me when the two main characters just suddenly get together. If there's a good reason for them getting together then it's all good. (Like say getting forced to or something like that.)

Next chapter (or the one after it) may be a bit more violent, not sure yet. It all decides on if I feel crappy or happy.

I am also having my finals this week and next so I'm gunna study my ass off. xD