Disclaimer: Don't own nothing.
If: First off, DON'T KILL ME:hides and cowers: A plot is developing and I promise it will eventually be SasuGaaSasu (or whatever)... eventually. But I can't make it too easy for them, now can I?
LETmeCRY: lol, its attack of the emo-angsty ness. Trully. DRAMA! ... anyway... thanks for the review, I know that chap was a bit quick, but... alright, I don't have an excuse. It was just fast moving. :shrug:
YINGYANGBLOSSOMS : I'm glad you're loving the story! Thanks for the reviews, I love getting your reviews! I'm glad you liked that last bit, a little humor is good when I keep making this story so angsty. :)
blackflame180: Heh, when doesn't a love triangle cause problems? (Disregarding those threesome, love triangles that work or whatever...) But yup, it will most definitly create problems.
Ninee Kisuragi: Oh yes we will eventually learn what became of Orochimaru, I wouldn't leave you people hanging, and I hate leaving loose ends in a story. He'll be back in all his evilness. Thanks for the review!
xX-Angel.Eater-xX: Thank ya, I was trying for a bit of lightness at the end of that last chapter. It can't all be dark...
RabidFangirlMoo : Why thanks! And yes, eventually it will be SasuGaa, the story is just taking its precious time getting them together. But rest assured, they will get together eventually! (the author doesn't even know when... I don't have a master plan for this story) Because SasuGaaSasu is LOVE! ... yeah...
Gaara'siceprincess: Thank ya for the review!
And now, without further ado: Lunch and Anguish
It was another three days before Gaara was deemed able to leave the hospital. When asked about payment, Gaara told them that it would be billed to the normal place. Sasuke turned a questioning look to Naruto who only shrugged in response. Sasuke furrowed his brow, wondering where or who Gaara got money to pay for these visits to the hospital from. Naruto tugged on his arm and Sasuke blinked out of his thoughts. Gaara was heading out the hospital door and Naruto rushed after him. After pausing for a moment to reflect on all that had happened in the hospital, Sasuke rushed after Naruto and Gaara.
It seemed that Gaara was determined to get away from the hospital. He was walking fast and the Uchiha and Naruto found it hard to keep up with their friend. Yes, Sasuke had resigned himself to the fact that he would have to be friends with Gaara first before he could make any moves, especially since Naruto was watching him like a hawk. Sasuke didn't necessarily like this situation, but it was what he had to deal with. He couldn't just rush into this, he had finally realized. He needed to gain Gaara's trust, and learn everything about him, not that he hadn't wanted to do that anyway, but he needed to do it before he tried to get anything more than friendship from the red head.
"Hey Gaara!" Naruto shouted, snapping Sasuke out of his thoughts. Gaara paused at a crosswalk and turned his head towards them. "Where are we going?"
Gaara blinked, his impassive mask having been put firmly in place the second they left the hospital. Sasuke missed the expressions that he had seen in the hospital.
"We are going to go get real food," Gaara stated, not turning around. Naruto whooped and started to skip around. Sasuke hung his head. He hadn't exactly expected this out of Gaara, but he didn't really mind it, what he minded was Naruto clinging to Gaara's arm. Scowling, the Uchiha marched up to his red head and his blonde companion and grabbed a hold of Gaara's other arm. Gaara deadpanned at both of them and tried to free his arms. Naruto glared at Sasuke, Sasuke glared back, and Gaara found he couldn't get away from either of them. Twitching, Gaara crossed the street, receiving many strange looks, glares and the occasional giggle. Muttering to himself, Gaara pulled his clingy companions into one of his favorite restaurants. Raising an eyebrow, Gaara frowned at his brother and sister, who were already there, smiling at him. Gaara wondered how they figured out he was coming here.
"Hey Gaara!" Temari called out. Gaara's face blanked and he sighed, hanging his head. Walking to the table with just as many chairs as needed to sit both siblings, Gaara and the two leeches glued to his arms, Gaara sat in a seat placed next to his brother. Naruto immediately jumped into the seat beside him and Sasuke growled at the both of them. Gaara shrugged and gave him a look that said 'nuts, you can't sit beside me' and Naruto grinned like a Cheshire cat. Twitching, Sasuke resigned himself to sitting beside Gaara's sister Temari, but Kankuro quickly jumped up and sat in that seat. Sasuke gave him a grateful smile, to which Kankuro scoffed, and sat beside Gaara. Poor Gaara was twitching so bad Naruto almost thought he was a massage chair. Sasuke smirked at the blonde before batting his eyes at Gaara. Gaara let his head drop onto the table.
"Why me?" he asked, his voice muffled by the plate his forehead was resting on.
"Why not?" Kankuro asked from across the table, earning him three deadly glares. Kankuro immediately scooted closer to Temari, who was laughing at his plight.
Muttering some curses, Gaara brought his head up from the table and pinned his siblings with a questioning look. "What are you two doing here anyway?"
Temari shifted nervously in her seat and Kankuro just looked at his brother. Sighing, Kankuro brought his elbows to rest on the table and put his chin in his hands.
"You always come here," he said simply. "We thought we'd treat you to some good food. It's the least we can do… we feel kind of guilty about what happened, and not being able to visit or anything."
Gaara nodded. Sasuke looked at the two contrite siblings and cocked his head to the side a bit. Naruto just smiled brightly.
"You guys are awesome!" the blonde exclaimed. Gaara rolled his eyes as the blonde glomped onto his brother. "You're buying for me and Sasuke-bastard too, right?"
Temari twitched and glared at him but nodded anyway. Yipping with joy, Naruto shook Kankuro. Gaara's mouth twitched, he wanted to smile.
"You know, no one cares if you show what you're feeling," Sasuke whispered to the red head. Gaara blinked a few times and turned to stare at Sasuke. Taking the initiative, Sasuke reached out and brushed a few fingers across Gaara's left cheek. "You have a beautiful smile."
Gaara blushed a little and felt himself being pulled backwards into a tight embrace. Blinking, Gaara looked up at Naruto.
"You may have a point teme, but keep your hands to yourself," Naruto growled. Sasuke just rolled his eyes. Gaara sighed and patted Naruto's arm.
"You can let go now Naruto," he said. Naruto shook his head.
"I don't want to let go," he said stubbornly. Gaara just looked at him.
"You need to let go so I can sit up and order my food baka," Gaara said. Naruto's eyes darted all over the place at the mention of food.
Spotting the waitress looking at him with a pretty red blush across her cheeks, Naruto instantly brightened and rattled off all the food he wanted to eat. Gaara stared at the blonde, wondering how he was still that thin when he ate so much. Turning to the waitress himself, Gaara ordered a modest lunch for himself. Sasuke ordered a lunch, salad and desert.
Conversation started up immediately after the waitress left, Naruto and Gaara's two siblings filling in the other two on all that had been happening at school for the past week or so. A light suddenly went off above Gaara's head and he pinned his siblings with an intense stare.
"It's Wednesday, why aren't you two at school now?" he asked. Temari and Kankuro both blushed.
"We kind of… called in sick," Temari confessed. Gaara sighed.
"You know, you're going to get into trouble because of this," he said and then flinched. "And he'll probably know you went to get me."
Temari shook her head fervently. "Nope. We convinced him we were sick. He sent both of us to friend's houses and we each convinced them not to tell him about us going to meet you."
Gaara raised an invisible eyebrow. "That was pretty smart of you."
Temari beamed at her brother and Kankuro chuckled. Gaara shook his head and let a small smile grace his face. Everyone just grinned back at him. Feeling uncomfortable, Gaara stopped smiling and scowled at all of them instead. Naruto laughed, as did Kankuro, Temari sighed and Sasuke just looked happy. Deciding that it might be a good idea to show emotion, Gaara silently thanked Sasuke, but he would never admit it.
Sasuke had reluctantly left the group halfway to Gaara's house, simply stating that his house was in the opposite direction. As he waved goodbye to his crush, Temari and Kankuro, he noticed that Naruto wasn't waving back. Something wasn't right and Sasuke didn't have a good feeling about it. Furrowing his brow, as soon as he turned the corner and was out of sight, Sasuke started to tail his friend and crush.
Naruto walked beside Gaara, occasionally stealing glances. Temari and Kankuro waved as Gaara decided to walk the blonde home, at the blonde's request. Chatting idly, Gaara didn't notice that Naruto had started to wring his hands, or that he was looking around nervously. Stopping in Naruto's driveway, Gaara said bye.
"Wait!" Naruto called out, snagging the red head's arm. Gaara was startled and let his face show it. Naruto looked at the ground.
"Can I just talk to you for a while?" Naruto asked, never looking up. Gaara's brow furrowed, his friend never acted this way.
"Sure…" he said. Naruto smiled, but it was only a small smile. Gaara was officially worried.
"What's wrong?" he asked as they sat on the curb of the street. Naruto stared at him with startled eyes.
"Huh? Wrong?" he asked. Gaara deadpanned at the blonde and bopped him.
"Yeah… wrong. You're acting weird," Gaara said. Naruto laughed nervously.
"Its just that… I don't know how to say this, and I'm afraid of what you'll do," Naruto admitted. Gaara blinked.
"You know I could never hate you, or shun you or anything," he said, wrapping an arm around Naruto's shoulders. Naruto leaned his head on Gaara's shoulder.
"You never know…" he murmured. Gaara sighed. Taking the blonde's chin and tilting it with his left hand, he made Naruto look at him.
"Never," he stated firmly. Naruto smiled softly.
"Thanks," he said. Gaara nodded, never moving.
"Now what was it that you wanted to tell me?" he asked. Barely getting the question out, Gaara was floored when Naruto's lips crashed onto his own. Gaara couldn't move, he couldn't think. Naruto's lips were pressed against his own, and Gaara didn't know what to do. On one hand, this was Naruto. Naruto was like a brother to him. On the other hand, it was Naruto, the one who was always working him up and never doing anything about it, dropping it before finishing what he'd started.
Gaara could only stare as Naruto pulled away. Naruto's eyes full of tears and Gaara regretted not having done anything. Pulling the blonde into a tight hug, Gaara held onto him. Gaara could feel his friend crying.
"Naruto…" Gaara said quietly. Naruto pulled away, trying to run from the situation.
"I'm sorry, I… just forget it happened… I don't know… what got into me…" Naruto stuttered, trying to get free of Gaara's firm grip on him. Gaara grabbed Naruto's chin again. Naruto opened his mouth to argue again, but lips pressed tentatively to his. Closing his eyes, Naruto relished the feeling of Gaara's lips on his own.
In a bush across the street, Sasuke silently fumed, tears running down his face and not even noticing. Thrashing wouldn't help his situation, screaming would only get him caught and there was nothing he could do to turn himself away from the scene unfolding before him. Sasuke wanted to hurt Naruto, he wanted to gather Gaara up in his arms and take him away and lock him in a cage all for himself. Gaara was his Damnit! Not Naruto's! Hot tears poured from his eyes, and Sasuke barely noticed as it started to rain.
Pulling away from Naruto, Gaara blushed bright red. Naruto seemed to be out of it. Gaara just stared at his best friend for a moment. Where did this leave them? What were they now? Sasuke flashed into his mind and Gaara suddenly felt guilty. He didn't know if he liked Naruto the way his friend obviously liked him. He couldn't get Sasuke out of his mind and that bothered him. Did he like the raven haired stalker pervert? What did all this mean?
Naruto meanwhile had come to his senses and was smiling happily at Gaara. Blinking out of his reverie, Gaara smiled crookedly at his friend in return.
"Can we talk about this tomorrow?" he asked. "I need to think about some things."
"Sure," Naruto said, nodding. He stood up and started to walk away. Turning back for a moment, both friends looked at each other for a moment and then Naruto turned around again and went inside, out of the now pouring rain.
Sighing, Gaara stood. Shaking his head, he turned and headed back to his house, cursing the rain in his mind. Something caught his eye though, there was someone just lying in the rain in a bush. Though he was never one to investigate such things, Gaara did so anyway.
"Sasuke?"
