Gaara rubbed his sore throat, setting down his pen and shutting the heavy calculus book before him. Neji had taken it upon himself to bring him the homework from his other classes as well, so whenever he wasn't half-dead from exhaustion, he had lots of work to keep him busy. Why was he taking pre-cal as a first-year anyway?
"Thank God it's almost summer break," He muttered to himself. Hopefully, he'd be able to recover a few weeks before finals so that he'd actually be able to catch up and understand the material.
Buzzzz.
Jumping up, Gaara stared in shock at the spot where his desk had suddenly begun vibrating under his arm. He cautiously leaned forward, opened the drawer… and saw his cell phone flashing.
"Stupid thing." He picked it up, checking the caller ID and frowning. Neji.. why is he calling at midnight? Bastard, bugging me this late at night..
"What d'you want, Hyuga?"
"Gaara.. I told you to call me Neji."
"Just because you insist that we're friends doesn't mean that I believe you."
"You're just mad because I gave you all that extra homework." No duh.
"…"
"Gaara?"
"What, was I supposed to disagree?"
"No.."
"Why are you calling me, anyway?" Gaara flopped down onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep was looking pretty appealing right now.. His body still burned with fever, but the fatigue wasn't as bad- a sign that he was getting better.
"To see if you were still up. You should be sleeping by now."
".. You called just to see if I was awake? What a stupid thing to do."
"Well, I don't want you overexerting yourself.."
"Right, so you just gave me all that homework to keep me company? You enjoy watching me suffer, you little sadistic- Hey, stop laughing! I'll go over there and kick your sorry ass, I swear.."
"Heh.. Sorry."
"Yeah right." The redhead pursed his lips and turned to gaze out his window, contemplating whether or not to crawl out onto his roof. With his luck, he'd probably trip and fall to his death.
"So, what're you doing? I find it hard to believe you're actually doing the work I gave you."
"For your information, I already did the math and English assignments. All I have left is history, but I'm too tired to finish it tonight."
"Oh, are you going to bed?"
"No.. I think I'm going to watch the stars for a while."
"..The stars? Why?"
"Because I want to. Is that a problem?"
"Not at all.. Geeze, why are you so harsh? Someday someone's going to beat the shit out of you for being such a smartass."
"If you're only going to criticize me, I'm hanging up."
"Hey, I'm just telling the truth."
Click.
Gaara tossed the phone towards the end of his bed and closed his eyes. "Who does he think he is? I may be a smartass, but at least I don't think I'm better than everyone else… Bastard." He snuggled beneath the blankets, ignoring the phone when it started vibrating again. "When I'm better, I'll definitely kick his ass."
xxx
Neji set his cell phone aside and frowned. He actually hung up on me..
He settled back against the pillows, grinning despite the situation. "I still got to hear his voice before I went to sleep.."
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"Oh, look who it is. The critic. Or are you a psychiatrist today? I'm pretty sure my regular shrink is working just fine, thank you."
"Cut it out, Gaara." Neji rolled his eyes as he stepped into the house, taking off his shoes and hanging up his coat. "You didn't have to get so mad. How can I know when you're taking me seriously if you laugh at something one day, and get upset about it the next?"
"Well, you could just try being nice for a change," Gaara replied, narrowing his eyes. "It's not like there's a rule somewhere that you have to be a jerk 24/7."
"Not that you know of," The elder pointed out, sliding his hands into his pockets. "On a lighter note, it's Saturday, meaning I'm not going to harass you about doing your work. What do you want to do?"
"Rest. I have a migraine like you wouldn't beli-" Gaara froze when Neji pressed a hand to his forehead, the palm cool against his scalding skin. He leaned into the touch, closing his eyes as relief washed over him. It felt so good..
"Erm.." Neji cleared his throat, pulling his hand away in surprise. "You still have a fever.. Go lay down and I'll make you something to eat."
Gaara slowly turned, his eyes widening in panic. He ran up the stairs, tripping over one or two on his way. "What the heck was I doing? He probably thought I wanted to make love to his hand or something!" His pace slowed as he replayed what he just said in his mind. "Actually, that probably wouldn't be too bad.."
xxx
Neji slammed his fist onto the counter, inhaling sharply. "What was he doing?" He wondered aloud. His mind was reeling.. Gaara had been so close, all he would have had to do was lean forward a little and-
"No! Bad… bad thoughts.." He slumped against the refrigerator and attempted to recollect himself, brushing a few nuisance strands of hair from his face. Next time- if there was a next time- he just might not be able to control himself.
xxx
"Geeze, did you take long enough?" Gaara gave the brunette an annoyed look as he entered the room, sitting up a bit in bed. He gawked when Neji placed a tray over his legs, for it looked- and smelled- like misonikomi udon.
"You made this?"
Neji nodded, propping his feet up on the bed. "I saw the noodles and figured I might as well use them. It's a bit plain, though.." He paused, arching a slender brow at Gaara's flushed face.
"What is it? Don't tell me you don't like miso.."
Gaara shook his head quickly, looking up at his tutor with wide eyes. "No, I do! I've just never had a homemade meal that looks so.. edible." He chuckled at Neji's blank look, picking up his chopsticks. "Never mind. Itadakimasu!" He tried the noodles, deemed them as positively delicious, and immediately fell in love upon tasting the soup.
"How in the world did I ever live without you?" Neji started to reply, but stopped when he realized Gaara was talking to the food. Not just talking to it, but cuddling and caressing the bowl.
"Gaara, if you continue to do that, I'm never going to cook for you again. It's embarrassing." The redhead gasped in horror and moved to set the bowl down as quickly as possible, deciding against it when he caught sight of Neji's pouty frown and furrowed brows. "Well, well, well.. Are you jealous of a bowl, Hyuga?"
Neji's jaw dropped at the ridiculous, but miraculously true accusation. "I- of course not!" He fumed, ivory eyes narrowing dangerously. Gaara placed the bowl on the tray and laughed loudly, wiping his eyes when tears began to form. "Oh… You really are… jealous.. of a bowl!" He burst into giggles once again, only stopping when Neji smacked him upside the head.
"I said I wasn't jealous, you moron! What kind of a pathetic person would be jealous of a bowl?" His eye twitched when Gaara murmured something that sounded suspiciously like 'You, apparently.'
"I'd just.. Like some appreciation, that's all." He finally said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away. Gaara fought not to snicker, instead patting Neji's arm comfortingly. "Come on, Neji.. I couldn't live without you, either." He blinked when Neji suddenly started to blush, the pink color even spreading to his neck.
"..Are you okay?"
Neji turned to look at him, his expression a mixture of shock and bliss. "Say.." He cleared his throat, trying to make his voice come out a little clearer. "Say it again.."
Gaara stared at him in confusion. "Say what?" What had he said? Come on, Neji.. Neji! Ah, he'd said his name! That was the first time he'd ever called him by his first name, wasn't it? Gaara blushed himself at the thought, but quickly willed it away. He leaned towards the older boy, keeping a teasing distance between them.
"Neji.." He whispered, his voice husky and laced with want. The addressed teen stared at his pink lips and half-lidded eyes, and unconsciously started forward to close the distance between them.
"Goddamnit, Gaara! I was going to make udon tonight!" Temari burst through the door, just as Gaara and Neji separated as quickly as possible. Gaara pressed his back to the wall, a blanket pulled up to his neck as Neji slid his chair backwards across the floor, leaving black skid marks from the movement.
"…What the hell? You guys weren't making out or something, were you?"
Neji's skin somehow became a shade paler, whereas Gaara was slowly turning into a tomato. Temari wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Ew. I'm not going to wash your sheets anymore, Gaara." She turned to walk back into the hall, shutting the door behind her.
"…" Gaara watched the door in fear that she would return, his eyes seeming close to popping out of their sockets. Did she… really just say that? He cast a glance to Neji, who was frozen in his chair. I hate you, Temari..
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"So, uh.. Thanks for coming over and fixing me lunch," Gaara muttered, leaning against the door and fiddling with the sleeve of his shirt. "My sister-"
"Is standing right behind you." Temari helpfully pointed out, stepping between Neji and her brother. "Neji-kunnn.. If you want to stay for dinner, I could surely make you something!" She smiled brightly, yet something in her eyes told him that if he did stay, it would be the last meal he ever ate.
"N-no thanks.." He slowly backed away from the door, nearly tripping on the first porch step. "I've got to get going.. See you later, Gaara."
Temari shut the door, whipping around to face her bristling little brother. Normally, his glare would frighten her silly, but today was different. Today, he had been thinking of doing unthinkable things!
"Kisama.."
"Now, now, Gaara.. I think we need to have a talk. As you may already now, there will come a time when boys will want to touch you…"
And so, poor Gaara's screams were heard throughout the neighborhood, waking children from their afternoon naps and causing Sasuke to cling to a teddy bear in fright (He would later say that he had been watching a "very scary movie". Sure, Sasuke).
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Neji pressed his cheek against the cool glass of his window, letting out a sigh of despair. Sunday was coming to an end, and he had been too scared to return to Gaara's house considering the events of the day before. What kind of a girl could say such things so easily?
Poor Gaara.. I wonder what he's doing right now..
The brunette scowled, pulling out his cell phone when an annoying 'dadadading' notified him of a new message. Text messages were so anno-
From: Gaara
Gaara.. was texting him? He hesitated before opening the message, nearly dropping the phone in shock upon reading the mere eleven words.
Neji kun!
I
LOVE YOU! I miss you soooo much! (chu)
.. Chu? A kiss? Something was definitely wrong. Gaara wouldn't write that, would he?
Neji took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. It was coming from Gaara's number, so it had to be him.. was he playing some kind of weird joke? Revenge for the homework? Or what if.. what if he really meant it.. ?
xxx
"Naruto, damnit, give me back my phone!" Gaara struggled against the blonde's restraining arm, wishing he wasn't such a puny brat.
Naruto laughed maniacally, releasing his hold on the redhead and reluctantly handing over the object in question. "Sorry, but the deed has already been done."
Gaara grit his teeth, eyes narrowing to slits. "I'll kill you.."
xxx
DADADADING.
Gaara.. again? Neji gulped, scrolling down to read:
Sorry, that was Naruto..
The Hyuga's brow twitched in annoyance. Naruto would be dead in approximately 12 hours.. Yes, he'd he lying lifeless on the floor, maimed so that you could no longer recognize him as the demonic, evil blonde he once was..
Etcetera, etcetera. Reading on:
come over at 10 if you want. Tem. won't be here, so it's ok.
Come over? At TEN? What could they possibly do that late at night, especially while his sister was gone, except for—
Gah. Nosebleed.
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Gaara pulled open the door just as Neji raised his hand to ring the doorbell, looking mildly surprised. "Oh, you came after all.."
Neji pouted slightly, or as much as a Hyuga could pout, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, don't you sound enthusiastic." He glanced past the shorter boy into the house, an intent to kill resonating off of him. "Naruto still here?"
"Nope. I kicked him out after siccing Temari on 'im." He smirked wickedly, pleased with the look of approval Neji gave him.
"Anyway, be quiet coming upstairs.. If we wake Kankuro, he'll be worse than my sister on a bad day." This alone was enough for Neji to make as little noise as possible, not even breathing until they were safely in Gaara's room.
"Ahh.. Why am I here, exactly?"
Gaara grinned widely, kneeling on his bed in a rather compromising position. He opened the window before glancing back at the other boy, who looked rather dazed. "Come out and I'll show you."
So, Neji followed Gaara onto the roof, pretending as though he wasn't deathly afraid of heights. He laid down when his pupil did the same, startled when he looked over to find Gaara staring at the heavens with wide eyes, the moonlight bathing him in an unearthly glow.
"This is my favorite place to be. Gazing at the stars, the moon.. It makes me forget about everything that's happening in the world. You told me your father died.." He closed his eyes, and when he opened them he was looking into Neji's own milky irises.
"My mother has passed as well.. not even a day after I was born, actually. I sometimes wonder what things would be like if she hadn't died.. I wonder what it's like to have a mother, someone who will care for you no matter how many wrong decisions you make or bad grades you get." He sighed and turned his head, eyes diverting to the side. "It's selfish of me, I know. I took her from my father, my siblings.. She was the core of our- their family, and because of me…" He trailed off, lips trembling slightly.
Neji reached forward, gripping Gaara's shoulder with his hand. "Gaara, it's not-" The redhead laughed sourly, facing him again, this time with tearing eyes. "Not my fault? I was unexpected, Neji.. They already had a son and a daughter, they didn't need me.. It's not like I'm going to write a revolutionary novel, or become the Emperor of Japan. Was it really necessary for her to die in order for me to live?"
"Gaara.." Neji bit his lip, unable to speak the words he wanted to say. If Gaara was gone, who would I fall in love with? Who would make my heart hurt; my eyes sting at the thought of them being in pain? He shifted onto his side, placing his hand against the redhead's cheek.
Gaara shut his eyes as Neji's thumb brushed away the tears threatening to fall, his heart stopping when a pair of soft lips covered his own. Neji pulled away before he could react, watching as Gaara raised his fingers to his lips and turned to look at him.
"What.."
"I'm sorry," Neji interrupted, his cheeks quickly flushing. "I shouldn't have-"
"Don't.. Don't apologize unless you didn't mean it." Gaara lowered his hand, watching Neji expectantly. When the elder took him by the shoulders and kissed him again, he returned it with fervor. The kiss was sloppy, both boys lacking experience, but it was sweet nonetheless.
They laid together the whole night, neither worrying about the past nor future, simply enjoying the present moment. Neji took the redhead's hand into his own and guided it to his heart. Unknown to Gaara, he already held it within his hands.
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Phew. Sorry I didn't get a chapter out before my trip (Why the heck isn't the line working? Tsktsk).. I really suck. OTL v.v Well, anyway, I'm leaving again until Thursday, so I dunno when the next chapter will be up. The next thing I post will probably be a new fic I've been working on, so.. be patient and don't hate me.
Pleaseeeee review! Let me know if you think I'm going too fast.. I'm an impatient writer, hence why I kept nudging in those convenient time-skips.. Heh. I love making Temari so purely evil. Also: Why was Naruto at Gaara's house? Use your imagination. Why would Sasuke need to explain why he was hugging a teddy bear? Because Itachi found him when he let out a girly scream, that's why!
Lastly.. This week's chapter of Naruto and Bleach? Awesome. I can't wait until Naruto finally kicks Sasuke's sorry ass.
