Neji was more than happy to enter the apartment after the long day. There was a pile of homework that needed to be done from his absences, and he was eager to see Gaara again. By the time he had arrived back to the apartment, it was nearly four. Knowing Gaara did not partake in club activities or classroom duties, he was hoping Gaara would be back soon.

He placed the new books he bought for his "research" on the dining room table, eying the snack that had been placed for him along with a small note card leaning against the wrapped onigiri. In Gaara's handwriting, it simply said, "Be back late".

Well, he could read those books in private now as well as finish his homework without distraction. Whenever Gaara was in a room, Gaara was all Neji could think about. He worried his strange behavior was going to give him away eventually. He really was a love-struck idiot.

To prove his point further, he smiled at the snack Gaara had prepared for him, taking one of the onigiri to snack on.

He was settled in, ready to make a large dent in his homework when the elevator dinged. He leaned forward in his chair, anticipating Gaara exiting the elevator with excitement. It wasn't Gaara, much to his disappointment, but the principal and chairwoman, Tsunade.

Neji stood from his seat, cautious at her appearance and stepping away from the table to push the chair back in. "Principal Tsunade," he started, but unsure of how to finish. He had only seen her from a distance, attending the school ceremonies and functions but had never spoken to her directly.

"Hyuuga-kun. I'm glad to see that you are all right." She greeted him with a professional smile. It was polite but obviously fake. He didn't know how he should interpret that but kept his guard and distance between them.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" he asked with confusion.

"Gaara-kun told me you were in need of medical assistance. Could you describe the problem for me?"

"You're a doctor?" Neji asked. He resisted taking a defensive stance. He wanted to ask about Gaara since Gaara went to go see her, he just didn't know how to bring it up without being rude.

"In a way." She pointed to the couch. "Sit down."

Neji moved to the couch, eying her slowly. Since finding out about Gaara's secret, Tsunade's name popped up frequently, from his uncle to Gaara's deal. He knew nothing about her beforehand other than her role as principal and chairman before. Now that he had snippets of something more, he had questions weighing on his mind; however, after all the lies he had been told from the people around him, he did not trust her intentions.

Her eyes were following him. Behind that polite smile, there was something sharp behind the eyes, a look he was beginning to notice more in the people he was discovering to be hunters. Always assessing. Always judging. Kind of like him. He couldn't say he wasn't doing the same thing now, suspecting them of being more than they seemed.

"Could you show me the injury?" she asked, divesting of her coat and draping it over the arm of the couch.

Neji's lips thinned with displeasure but did as he was told, removing his school blazer and then his shirt with difficulty. Pain radiated through his arm in a sharp throb as he carefully maneuvered to remove his clothing, biting the inside of his cheek to keep his face neutral. While Gaara knew, he didn't want Gaara to think it still caused him pain.

The chairwoman kneeled in front of him, running her hands over his injuries. Her fingers were freezing against his skin and pain flared up. A hiss escaped his lips, but she paid no mind. "I can heal it," she replied. "But it will nearly deplete your chakra reserves. It will exhaust you."

"I'll be fine. You don't have to help me." Neji grabbed his shirt, ready to put it back on. He would rather heal slowly and have the ability to help Gaara than not.

She smiled a little too brightly before pressing a hand against his chest and pushing him back. "Sorry, Hyuuga-kun, but I need you to cooperate for a little bit. It will keep Gaara out of trouble."

Hyuuga stopped trying to sit up, meeting her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Lay down."

After a few seconds, Neji complied. He wasn't going to let the subject dropped but angering her wasn't going to help get the information he needed.

Cracking her neck, she inhaled slowly and exhaled through her mouth, laying her hands on his arm. Her touch quickly became hot and the feeling of ants underneath the skin of where she touched nearly made him squirm. Pain ebbed and flowed throughout his arm in waves.

Trying to divert his attention from the weird sensation, he asked, "What trouble is Gaara in?"

She hummed, never taking her eyes off Neji's arm as she worked like she was pretending to contemplate whether to tell him or not.

"I know about everything," he insisted. "If Gaara is in trouble, please tell me so I can help."

"A pretty big claim, even if you were a full-fledge hunter," she pushed a pressure point, making his arm go numb to the pain and sensations. "Gaara carries a lot of trouble with him and his business is his own. I have no right to disclose it to you, especially when I do not know your intentions."

With his uninjured arm, he grabbed her wrist, stopping the procedure. "I know more than you think," he whispered. "I understand him, and I know Gaara has no one to turn to. If there is anything I can do, I want to help."

Tsunade chuckled, extracting her hand from his grip with ease. "Bonds between friends is a nice thing to have, and should be cherished, especially in your youth, but the thing about being a hunter is the anticipation that your friend will eventually die in battle." She lifted her hands from his arm, the discoloration completely gone. "We live and act with that thought in mind."

Neji didn't understand what she was trying to say to him. Her eyes had grown sad when she spoke, staring into space as if recalling a memory. Then she came back, focusing on his ribs next. "If I told you that Gaara-kun has taken a mission that may be related to his past, how do you expect you could help?"

"Well—"

"Can you fight on par with a vampire?" She continued. "Can you heal? Can you track, divine, or give support?"

"There are other things I can do."

"Is there?"

It wasn't much to be honest. He wanted to go with Gaara and help. It wasn't a feasible thing to do. He would get in the way and cause more problems. All he could offer was companionship, but was it enough when Gaara was putting his life on the line? "Yes. It's not much, but it's something."

She inhaled deeply and the pressure against his ribs intensified as they mended. He had to remind himself to breathe through it. A coldness was seeping into his bones. He was losing strength in his body, his body feeling heavier each passing moment, like his body was turning to ice.

"I'm sure Gaara-kun appreciates the thought." She removed her hands from his body. "I can't tell you what the mission is, but Gaara could use a friend, a good friend, when he returns."

Neji was about to press when the elevator door pinged, and Matsuri stepped off. "Gaara-senpai!" she called out happily, a cake in her hands. "Welcome hom—" Seeing Neji on the couch with his shirt off and their principal kneeled in front of him, she instantly misunderstood, her face heating up yet unable to look away. "Sorry. I didn't know that you were… that you guys are—"

"It's not what you think," Neji quickly corrected, jumping to his feet. He wasn't going to let Matsuri get the chance to misunderstand and tell Gaara. Once on his feet, the room swayed and he lost strength in his legs, his knees buckling not even a second after he had risen.

Tsunade grabbed hold of him by his arm, gently setting him back down. "You're low on chakra and need to recover," she scolded him.

Neji's vision had blacked out for a moment when he stood. So this was what chakra depletion felt like he thought grimly. He never felt so weak in his life.

"Matsuri-chan, could you come here and help him?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," she piped up, hurriedly placing the cake down and going to her side. "What can I do?"

"Just keep an eye on him and keep him out of trouble. His body isn't used to being pushed passed their limits quite like this." She picked up her coat.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll take very good care of Onii-san," Matsuri bowed with enthusiasm. He wasn't sure why she was so fired up or eager when she was roped in by essentially just passing by.

"Good. Good." Tsunade nodded approvingly, going to the elevator. She pushed the button, and as she waited, she found it fit to deliver one last word of advice. "Hyuuga-kun, one last thing I want you to keep in mind. In the world of hunters, things are not always what they seem. You should have a serious talk with your uncle. If you wish to become a hunter, putting aside childish behaviors and taking a look into the depths of one's heart to understand them is the first step." The elevator dinged, and she stepped inside. "Say hello to Gaara-kun when he gets back for me." With that, the doors closed.

Put away his childish behavior? What did she know about his family situation? It wasn't her place to say or get involved. She didn't know or understand the things he had gone through or the relationships he had to endure. What right did she have to say that to him?

"Matsuri-chan, what is Tsunade-sensei to the hunter community?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Tsunade-sama? I'm not sure. I think she's the leader of the hunters on the island?" Her eyebrows furrowed. "It could be Japan," she proceeded to smile guiltily. "Honestly, Gaara-sensei never really explained how the hierarchy works, but Gaara-sensei and the others report to her, and she gives a lot of orders."

She was that important, and Matsuri didn't think to follow up on it? Well, she was a child. It couldn't be completely helped she didn't think things through completely, and she was watching over him with worry.

"Should I take you upstairs?" she asked.

Neji shook his head. "I'm going to wait for Gaara to come back." He thought of telling her that he lived here now. He stopped when he realized how that may come across. If Matsuri knew that it was a one-bedroom apartment, she may misunderstand. She looked up to him, and he didn't want to disappoint her or tarnish Gaara's reputation in her eyes.

"Can I wait with you then?" She went to retrieve the cake she had brought. It had white frosting and a bunch of strawberries on top with the message welcome home on an edible chocolate sheet. "I wanted to celebrate Sensei's return."

Matsuri was a good kid and cared about Gaara a lot. He wished Gaara could see it too. "Sure thing. We can wait together."


Yanagawa was a small town not far from Fukuoka. It was a popular tourist spot thanks to the canal that flowed through the town, allowing people to see historic sites from the canal. Gaara had never been to the small town, and he had little interest once he arrived. The town was surrounded by a forest and that's where he headed the moment he arrived.

There had been a large forest surrounding the town. After a bit of investigation, he discovered that a few days ago, there had been a large fire in the forest, not far from the village. Naturally, this was the first place he headed to after hearing about it. As fall was settling in, it was getting dark by the time he and his babysitter for the day, Jiraiya, arrived at their destination.

This was only the second time he had worked with Jiraiya. While it wasn't the first time he had met Jiraiya, he had rarely been alone with him. His personality while on a mission was radically different than when he was at home with Uzumaki. The Jiraiya Uzumaki knew was boisterous, kind, funny, clumsy, and a little perverted when it came to women. He was the uncle most people wanted to have though he lacked a bit in his parental duties.

There was none of that Jiraiya here. Despite Jiraiya's doting nature on Uzumaki, it had always been directed only at Uzumaki. Jiraiya paid Gaara little mind even with the large amount of time he had spent in the Uzumaki household. Uzumaki was the exception or maybe Uzumaki was just the only one who was privileged enough to see such a side of Jiraiya. Or maybe that Jiraiya had always been a façade. The Jiraiya who walked into the clan meetings and went on missions with him was borderline emotionless, quiet, relentless, and merciless. He had not earned the title of master for nothing. He was the ideal shinobi in attitude and spirit, and someone who should be feared.

Which made Gaara all the more cautious when Jiraiya was sent with him. Tsunade was really not taking any chances in any regard. Throughout the trip Jiraiya hadn't said a single word to him, letting Gaara lead. As they headed to a more remote location, Gaara felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. If Tsunade found him to be too dangerous, Jiraiya would not hesitate to strike him down.

So Gaara's attention was divided between Jiraiya who walked behind him and his destination, worried that if he dropped his guard even a moment, he could be slain. Surely Jiraiya must have noticed, but he said nothing, continuing to walk in silence and letting Gaara remain on guard. If Jiraiya decided to attack him, could he even win?

Thankfully, he did not need to find out as they reached the area without incident. The ground was covered in ash and the trees and debris that remained were blackened. Amongst the ruin was a building. It had collapsed in on itself, nothing remained standing.

Gaara searched the perimeter first, figuring out the approximate size of the structure that had fallen. It had been roughly the size of a small warehouse, perhaps 2 stories at most and a basement. To keep this place hidden required skill. Maybe an illusion was used or a barrier. He could not tell, but the fire had been contained in some manner as the forest had largely been preserved except the area around the structure. There was a clear line where the fire had stopped.

Seeing no traps prepared, he went to search through the debris. The fire had been hot. Hotter than what a fire could get on its own. Gaara couldn't make out much of anything. He couldn't tell what the warehouse had been used for. There was barely any trace of anything that could be useful. Carefully, he moved debris, his clothes becoming stained black as he worked, making his way to the basement. If anything survived, it would be there.

And there he found a clue. Charred corpses that managed to retain some of its shape, and judging from the sizes, they were children. Ranging from what looked to be the size of a 2 or 3-year-old to maybe pre-teen. The corpses must have been spared from the more intense flames from the cages they had been in, keeping them from being turned completely to ash.

Seeing the bodies, Gaara's blood turned to ice and his stomach churned. His hands shook and his chest was tight. Flashes of the lab he had grown up in obscured his vision. This was Orochimaru's place. It had to be.

Jiraiya approached, squatting down to examine the remains himself while Gaara remained frozen in place. He picked up a body, examining the skull and teeth.

Gaara stood, turning his back on the children. There had to be a clue left. Some clue that could help him find something, anything. He searched, moving things with much more urgency. Ash. Ash. ASH! Hadn't anything else survive the flames? He knew Orochimaru was thorough in his destruction, but if there were child remains, surely there had to be something else. There had to be something.

"We should ask for a proper forensic team," Jiraiya's cold voice broke through the silence. "Orochimaru wouldn't be careless enough to leave something behind we can see."

"If we leave, any possible evidence here that was missed could be destroyed," Gaara's voice shook, and he didn't slow his search, his eyes scanning the debris.

Jiraiya stood, dropping the skull. His footsteps couldn't be heard as he traversed the short distance. "Are you willing to accidentally destroy evidence in your haste?"

Gaara's hands stopped. He stood facing Jiraiya's cold gaze with a fiery one. "Don't you feel anything?" Gaara growled. He pointed angrily to the remains. "That could have been Uzumaki. That could have been him 12 years ago. That monster is still out the—"

Slap.

Gaara's cheek stung, his voice and thoughts stopping as the sting on his cheek swelled.

"Are you finished?" Jiraiya asked. His monotoned voice didn't change. He didn't sound angry or upset in any way. He just looked down at Gaara, with a blank face. "If you are, use your head, and calm down."

Gaara stayed silent. Now out of his frenzy, his legs felt weak, and they nearly gave out from under him. Jiraiya walked around him, leaving Gaara standing alone in the center of the wreckage. Jiraiya was right of course. His carelessness could have destroyed anything that could be saved, but he was desperate. Orochimaru threw him away. Orochimaru wouldn't care much for him, but he had always been obsessed with Uzumaki. What if Orochimaru found out about Uzumaki?

Gaara heard some of the debris being shifted. Thinking Jiraiya may have found something after all, Gaara turned around carelessly. The smell of something sweet hit his nose. The smell of rosin. Jiraiya was examining something on the ground, and Gaara intended to find out what.

Each step grew more and more unsteady. His head pulsed, growing with each step. Jiraiya was standing, but to Gaara it was in slow motion, rising from his squatted position and turning. His vision darkened with the pulsing, and the world around him distorted. Bright white walls. Blinding lights. And a too familiar silhouette standing where Jiraiya should have been.

"Gaara-chan," the voice sang. It was cold and slimy, making Gaara feel gross as the sound entered his ears. "Who said I was done with you?"

Fear clutched his chest so tightly, he couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. His mind just shut down as the man turned towards him little by little. He took a step to retreat and found that he could not move his feet. Freaked, he looked down to see his feet chained into place. The sounds of medical equipment in the background growing louder and louder.

"I may still have some use for you." Orochimaru walked towards him, his footsteps echoing.

Why? Why couldn't he move? His eyes searched around, seeing familiar Uzumaki watching in the distance. Uzumaki stared at him, watching the events unfold. Then those blue eyes closed, and Uzumaki started to walk away.

No. Don't leave him. Not again. He opened his mouth to scream out for Uzumaki, but his voice was silenced too.

Orochimaru, now within arm's length, reached up with his bony fingers, touching Gaara's face almost lovingly. "So many things I could do to you. Are you looking forward to it as much as I am?"

Too frightened to do anything, he could only stare into the dark eyes boring into him.

Gaara was pushed back, falling onto his backside and hitting his head, grunting in pain. His vision blurred, the facility walls fading in and out with the burnt warehouse. He wiped at his eyes, trying to regain see through the illusion that had appeared before his eyes.

Orochimaru was fading in and out. In the distance, he could see Jiraiya fighting someone. The sound of clashing metal echoed into the night. The smell of rosin grew stronger, but this time, Gaara knew better, surging chakra throughout his body to overpower the foreign influence that had taken over his thoughts.

His vision cleared, and he was able to see Jiraiya, holding his katana in one hand and a dismembered arm in the other. At his feet, just under his boot was a person Gaara recognized, but it wasn't possible. Gaara stood, getting a better look. The person Jiraiya had under his foot was a hunter that had died nearly a year ago. He was an illusionist who used aromas to trap opponents in their greatest fears. He had been killed by a demon. He had been severely unprepared for the attack as usually vampires and ghouls were the only active supernatural creatures these days. It had taken everyone by surprise.

Yet here he was, under Jiraiya's foot. Not cremated and missing an arm and not even flinching. His face was slack and looking into his eyes it was hard to see him as anything other than dead. Yet, he moved.

The dead hunter used his remaining hand to try to push himself up underneath Jiraiya's foot. Jiraiya added pressure, but he kept trying to rise even as his skull was slowing crushed with no sound of pain or exertion.

"A zombie?" Gaara asked. It didn't appear to have a conscience so it couldn't have been a ghoul.

"No. Zombies don't have chakra abilities," Jiraiya replied. "Kuge-san, if you can understand your sensei. Speak."

The hunter named Kuge kept trying to uselessly rise. He was adamant in doing so, the flesh at the neck tearing as the head started to separate from the body, blood spilling out of the mouth and neck. Jiraiya removed his foot, wanting to capture the thing alive for questioning. Kuge used the chance to attack, his remaining hand holding a shard of metal he had picked up from the debris. He avoided a swing of the sword from Jiraiya, moving unexpectedly fast and changing direction, heading straight towards Gaara.

Gaara drew his khopesh from his hip, taking a stance, waiting to take the attack. The hunter took a swipe at Gaara's face. Gaara sidestepped it last minute, using the same move he used on Hyuuga, using his sword to slice cleanly through the leg. The hunter was prepared for it though. While a normal human would pull back, hesitate, or be incapacitated from the pain, he wasn't slowed in the slightest, throwing off the rhythm of a normal fight.

Kuge intentionally sacrificed his leg, in order to charge through, digging, the shard into the center of Gaara's chest.

Gaara gritted his teeth. Grabbing the hunter's wrist and twisting the arm until it was broken, swinging uselessly at his side. Still, the hunter did not stop. Hoping away to gain some distance. Gaara pulled the shard from his chest. Annoyed, but still alive, he moved to finish the hunter, aiming for a swift decapitation.

Jiraiya beat him to it. His katana sliced through the flesh like butter and even caught the head with the flat of his blade while the rest of the body fell to the ground. Amazingly, the head was still moving. There were very few things where the head would continue living after decapitation, and none of them would explain this hunter surviving a decapitation from Jiraiya's sword.

"We should report back," Jiraiya said. He wasn't even affected by the fact he had decapitated his own student thought to be dead. But Gaara was off balance. The images he had seen were not easily forgotten. The feelings were so intense, and they felt so fresh. Could he truly face Orochimaru the way he was now?

Returning to their point of pick up was awkward. Gaara's chest had healed by the time they had arrived, and he was only slightly hungry from the result. His mind was filled with thoughts of his past, Uzumaki, and Orochimaru.

Jiraiya didn't speak to him either. He seemed lost in thought as well, but no less dangerous, and Gaara was fine with it. Truthfully, his mind was struggling. His performance today had been less than shameful and that was just an illusion. Was he going to just forget how to fight altogether if faced with the real thing?

Gaara separated from Jiraiya once they had reached the mainland. He would give the report in person and do a better job than Gaara would. Jiraiya didn't stop him from leaving, so Gaara went home, still out of it.

He didn't remember walking inside the embassy and stepping out of the elevator. He plopped down onto the sofa, staring blankly at the wall in front of him.

Images assaulted his mind once again. He closed his eyes, trying to block it all out. Strapped to a table. Bound and gagged. Nearly dissected. Tossed and beaten. Alone and isolated.

His body shook, and he held himself to try to make it stop. Pull himself together. He needed to pull himself together.

"Gaara?"

Gaara felt himself flinch at the sound of the voice, temporarily forgetting that he was no longer living alone. His body didn't relax even remembering. It was wound so tightly he was afraid that his body would break.

Hyuuga did not say anything at first. The soft patters of his feet walking along the wooden floor was the only thing Gaara focused on. His footsteps were light due to his martial arts background and though usually comforting, Gaara could only associate it with danger.

Hyuuga came around the front, pausing for a moment as he took in Gaara's state. Gaara did not look up or acknowledge him in any way, continuing to stare out in front of him blankly, his hands tightening their grip on his own arms making his hands go turn white and go numb. Hyuuga squatted in front of him, getting into Gaara's line of sight.

His voice had sounded drowsy before as if he had just woken up. His hair was braided into one long strand and he was only dressed in a pair of pajama pants. His knees shook from weakness, struggling to keep himself in that position without falling, but he didn't allow his struggle to appear on his face. "Gaara?" he said again, much softer this time. He was much more awake than before.

Gaara for the most part was still looking through Hyuuga but the soft call of his name eased some part of Gaara's mind. He was listening, waiting for him to speak.

Hyuuga didn't sound drowsy anymore and there was some concern in his voice. Gaara however had shut down, unable to respond, unable to do nothing but be frozen in place.

Hyuuga opened his mouth a few times but no sound came out. His eyes glanced at Gaara's chest, worry showing briefly. Then Hyuuga did what no one else would have done when he was like this, unpredictable and ready to defend himself. He gently brought Gaara's hands into his, not even wincing when Gaara grabbed hold to what was probably a painful degree. His hands trembled in Hyuuga's, and with a smile, Hyuuga warmly said, "Welcome home. You've been working really hard, lately."

Gaara's eyes finally focused on something. Hyuuga's hands. They were warm and very steady.

Through the contract, Hyuuga sent a small current of chakra. It was quite small compared to what he normally gave, but it warmed Gaara's body and managed to get through to Gaara's shocked mind, affirming Hyuuga's existence. That he was really in front of him. "Come on. Let's go to bed."

With a little bit of pulling, Hyuuga managed to stand and urged him to do so as well. Gaara found himself allowing Hyuuga to direct him. As long as Hyuuga didn't let go of his hand, he wanted to follow. Obediently and silently, he followed Hyuuga to the bedroom.

Hyuuga's steps were unsteady, and he was clearly struggling. Gaara watched distantly, noting it but unable to verbalize or process it enough to verbally make a comment on it. He just focused on Hyuuga himself and that fact he was there.

During attacks like this, he had always been alone. Dealt with it alone. Came out of it alone. As hard as he tried, he would just break when pushed too far, when backed into a corner with no place to vent his bottled up emotions. He had to endure it alone because there was no one there who would sympathize and comfort him. He learned not to cry, not to complain, not to look at anyone else.

He watched Hyuuga distantly. Somehow, he managed to gain enough awareness to prepare for bed himself. He didn't remember doing it. Hyuuga had stayed by his side the entire time being patient without being discouraged at his lack of responses to him.

Gaara got in bed, and Hyuuga made sure he was settled before getting into bed himself. It was then Gaara noticed that Hyuuga's skin was no longer discolored. "Your injuries…"

Hyuuga had a look of surprise that he spoke then looked down as if to confirm himself. "Tsunade-sensei came by earlier," he explained.

Gaara reached out, touching the now smooth and healthy skin of Hyuuga's arm, his touch light. It was too good to be true. This kindness and compassion. It did not exist. People didn't treat him like a human. They didn't worry about him, knowing what he was. This had to be one of Seth's tricks. Another illusion that Seth put in front of him to corrupt his view, but it felt so real. Hyuuga felt real. "This is real, right? Not a dream?"

Hyuuga grabbed Gaara's wandering hand, sending chakra to him. There was no mistaking it. Seth could not copy this person's chakra. This was in fact Hyuuga sitting before him. Caring for him. "Yeah, it's real."

Gaara nodded, not knowing what else to say.

Gaara and Hyuuga got under the covers and Hyuuga turned off the lights. Gaara didn't sleep. He couldn't. Now that it was dark, now that he couldn't see where he was, he could not verify his location. It was like the isolation room all again. Closing his eyes he could see Orochimaru there, ready to perform the next experiment, ready to give him that creepy smile or speak to him in that high pitched tone as if talking to an infant.

It was too fresh in his mind, and he curled up in bed. He needed to make sure of where he was and who he was with. Shamefully, he pressed his forehead against Hyuuga's back and grasped the boy's arm, hearing the change in Hyuuga's breathing. He had woken Hyuuga up from the brink of sleep, and he was ashamed of his own behavior, acting like a child seeking comfort. He had stood up by himself this long. How could he give in now? Worse yet, what if Hyuuga hated him for clinging onto him like this?

Hyuuga shifted in bed, and Gaara waited for Hyuuga to push him away or refute him. Instead, Hyuuga faced him and wrapped his arms around Gaara, pulling him into the safety of his arms without question. Why? Why was he so nice to him? Why didn't he push him away? Why did he allow him to hold onto him like this? How come every time he felt like he would break, Hyuuga was there to keep him together?

Gaara felt tears roll down his face, one after another. He couldn't stop them. His body shook, and he held onto Hyuuga tightly as he silently cried and broke down. Hyuuga didn't say a word, just held him close. Gaara cried well into the night until he finally gave in to his exhaustion, lulled by Hyuuga's scent and body, drifted to sleep.


Neji found himself constantly sneaking glances at the time on his phone during class. Every couple minutes he would secretly check his phone, wondering how time could drag on for so long. With his body healed, he had more energy than he knew what to deal with, but that wasn't what made him restless, though it also didn't help.

His constant checking didn't go unnoticed either. His classmates around him had caught him several times and even the teacher noticed at some point. Because Neji was the top-scoring student in the class, he didn't dare say anything. He finished the problem set before anyone else, so now he was just counting down the minutes until lunch.

The bell rang, signifying the lunch period, and Neji was out of his seat before anyone else, grabbing the lunches he had made early this morning from his desk.

Neji didn't sleep well the night before. How could he when Gaara had been so distraught? His worry had seeped into his dreams, waking him multiple times so he could check on Gaara. Each time, Gaara would be asleep in his arms. Due to there being a lack of windows, there was always a very low light in the room, illuminating just enough to get a basic view of the things around him but not bright enough to disrupt sleep. The last time he was awoken from his dreams, he satisfied himself by watching Gaara sleep. Gaara slept soundly, curled up against him.

Thankfully, Neji did not have a reaction he had to take care of this morning, so he could watch Gaara, occasionally brushing his hair. He had become a little better at controlling his chakra, and with his weakened state, he did not transfer chakra instinctually as he normally did. Having recovered some from sleeping, he would send little waves through his touch occasionally. Gaara would sigh contently in his sleep and nuzzle closer to him, much to Neji's happiness.

Neji got out of bed early, a frown appearing on Gaara's lips once he had managed to detangle himself from Gaara without waking him. He wanted to wipe that frown away and get back in bed. However, he had made a decision last night, and he wanted to stick to it.

Moving around was still strenuous on him, but he went through his morning routine as quietly as he could. It was worrying that Gaara didn't wake. Gaara was an insanely light sleeper. Still, he managed to shower and dress quickly. He had just sat down to do very light chakra exercises meant to recover energy when Gaara walked out of the room.

It had not been long since Neji got out of bed, and he wondered if he had awoken Gaara after all. Gaara did not say a single word. He simply walked into what Neji was told was a simulated desert and locked himself in.

Thinning his lips, Neji stood. He'd like to think he knew Gaara decently well, and if he guessed, he believed Gaara would skip eating. Stalling on his training, he had made breakfast and lunch for both of them. He hid the lunches so it would be a surprise and put together a simple breakfast, knowing Gaara would not eat much. He made the omelet extremely sweet, knowing how much Gaara would enjoy it.

Neji put the food on the table, checking the time. Gaara wouldn't come out until last minute, so he went back to chakra training, waiting to eat until Gaara emerged.

Sure enough, Gaara had emerged with very little time to spare. Lightly, Neji said that he was hungry and hadn't eaten yet. Gaara, who was about to head back to the room paused, glancing at the food. He changed his direction and sat down, waiting for Neji to join him. Neji sat down, and they both ate in silence.

Gaara barely touched his food, but his eyes did light up a little when he ate the egg. It was the only dish that Gaara finished entirely. It was something so Neji didn't complain and was proud of himself for his foresight.

They went to school, arriving barely before the bell. Gaara had acted no different than he normally did in the car, and Neji wanted to ask what had happened. He wanted to ask so bad he had almost given in to his urge to demand answers. Seeing Gaara last night had scared him. He had seen many sides of Gaara, but not once had Gaara looked lost. Whether sad, angry, or joking, Gaara was resolute in his actions and decisions. Last night, it was like Gaara's soul had just left his body, leaving behind a shell. His heart broke when he saw that. He never wanted to see that again.

It was a relief when Gaara cried, but it didn't make it any easier on Neji's heart. Tsunade's question had resurfaced during that time, and it stuck with him. "What can you do?"

Indeed, what could he do for Gaara. He felt pretty useless the more he thought about it.

This time, he didn't care what people thought of him as he walked through the gates with Gaara. He even exchanged some words in front of his peers, telling him he'd find him during lunch. Due to this, the questions surrounding his disappearance continued along with a few who were beginning to be very skeptical about his hospital stay. After all, his skin that had been fairly light was now quite dark from his time in Gaara's home country. Some had even joked about him ruining his skin.

That comment had irritated him quite a bit. He wasn't an idol or a celebrity. He happened to be good-looking, but he didn't spend time trying to be. If his skin was light or dark, it didn't matter to him, so it shouldn't bother anyone else.

Neji happily escaped the classroom before anyone could ask to eat with him. Within a minute, he was standing in front of class 3-E. He entered, ignoring the looks, and looking straight at Gaara, holding up a bento.

Gaara blinked, showing a little bit of surprise at the invitation. And Neji couldn't stop the smile and the warm feeling he felt when Gaara got up and joined him. "Do you want to go to the roof?" Neji asked, his tone light and a little teasing.

"Wherever you want?" Gaara replied, already moving towards the roof entrance.

Gaara was finally speaking again after being silent all morning. Smiling, he placed a juice box of strawberry milk on Gaara's head as they walked, causing Gaara to quickly react to catch it as it fell. He had used the excuse of using the restroom to purchase it shortly before the lunch bell rang.

Again, Gaara's eyes lit up for a brief moment, already detaching the straw so he could drink it as they walked. "How can you eat so much sugar?"

"How could you not?" Gaara said, drinking his milk contently. It was a good thing Neji bought two of them.

"I don't have your metabolism I guess."

Neji entered the roof first, glad to see they had gotten here before anyone else could claim it, and they settled in a corner. Neji opened the two-tier bento and Gaara immediately eyed the piece of cake. Knowing what Gaara was thinking, Neji handed him a fork. Gaara attacked the piece of cake. His face lit up as he savored his first bite. It appeared Gaara was back to normal.

He wanted to mess with Gaara a little more, using his chopsticks to get a small piece of cake. A fork stopped him, trapping the pieces of wood between the prongs. "I can't have any?" Neji feigned hurt.

"Those who complain about sugar don't get to eat it."

Neji lifted an eyebrow in challenge. Using his free hand, he picked up one of the strawberries off the cake, hurriedly trying to put it in his mouth. Gaara growled, using his other hand to grab Neji's arm and stop him. "Don't you dare," Gaara said in warning.

Neji leaned forward to eat it anyway, but Gaara overpowered him, yanking Neji's arm towards him and eating the strawberry right from Neji's hand.

Neji felt Gaara's lips wrap around his fingers, and his face heated. He struggled not to notice. Once Gaara had successfully gotten his strawberry, he released Neji's arm, continuing to devour the cake. Neji distracted himself by eating real food. "I make us lunch, and you can't even share."

"You should have made separate lunches then."

Neji's eyes glanced at the white frosting on the corner of Gaara's lips. Really, was Gaara trying to torture him. He thought of reaching over and wiping it off with his thumb. That however was way too forward, so he handed him a napkin. "Children aren't as messy as you."

Gaara just licked away the frosting, not wanting to waste a single bit of sugar. He completely ignored Neji's statement, finishing off the cake. Finally, Gaara switched to his own set of chopsticks and started to eat the real food though it was with a lot less enthusiasm.

Neji poked his forehead. "I worked hard you know; you could show a little gratitude."

"I didn't know your ego was so fragile that you needed my approval."

Neji's response was stealing the chicken Gaara was about to pick up and ate it.

"Aren't you being petty?" Gaara asked.

"Says the one who ate my strawberry."

"Do you normally dwell on the past for so long?"

Neji laughed and moved a lot of the food to Gaara's side with his chopsticks. "Eat as much as you want. You didn't eat much for breakfast."

Gaara's face soured just enough for Neji to notice. He was getting quite good at depicting Gaara's subtle emotions or maybe he was just paying attention more than he had in the past. He placed the second juice box in front of Gaara as well who took it without a word.

They ate in silence for a little bit when Gaara spoke, staring at the meal, "You're not going to ask?"

There was no need for Gaara to clarify. The question was still burning at the forefront of Neji's mind. Neji chewed on some rice, giving him a brief second to think. "I can wait until you're ready to tell me. I'm just happy you came back without getting hurt. I can wait for the rest."

Gaara exhaled, relieved, eating another bite of chicken.

Taking the opportunity, Neji switched the topic into something much lighter. "You should thank Matsuri-chan for the cake. She made it for you as a welcome back gift. She waited for six hours before I sent her off to bed just to give it to you."

The comment didn't quite have the effect that Neji had expected. There was almost annoyance on Gaara's face.

"Do dislike her?" Neji asked, unable to quite understand why Gaara seemed so cold to the sweet girl.

Gaara lowered his chopsticks, taking his time to think about his answer. "She is naïve," he finally said. He made it sound like a bad thing. He did not bother to expand further on it.

"I don't think so," he replied lightly. He opened up the canned coffee he had bought for himself, the corners of his lips twitching when he saw Gaara's subtle glance of distaste at the beverage. "She left the safety of her home and a loving father by herself to look for answers. Despite running into perverts and even someone who wanted to kill her, she hasn't run away and works hard to learn how to control her powers." Sympathy seeped into his eyes. "It takes a lot of strength and courage to smile through the pain and still be a sincere person. I could learn a lot from her."

Gaara snorted, and responded with sarcasm, "If you were that type of optimistic young master, I would have left you on the streets."

Neji pointed his chopsticks at Gaara. "Hey! This young master isn't a stray. What streets do you claim to have picked this young master off of?"

Gaara glanced at the chopsticks pointed at his face, picking up some cabbage to eat. "And yet, the young master is so lacking in manners he points his chopsticks at me. If you didn't come from the streets, then is it the Hyuuga manor that has taught its young master so poorly?"

Unable to keep to up the pretense and longer, Neji laughed, leaning over to grab the rest of Gaara's milk. "Well since I don't have manners, it's okay to take back what I gave right?"

Gaara's eyes widened, but he moved too slowly, just missing Neji from grabbing the carton.

Neji managed to get the straw to his lips, thinking about the indirect kiss with secret pleasure, when Gaara nearly tackled him, landing in Neji's lap as he reached for the beverage. Shocked, Neji moved the carton just out of reach. "Who's being childish now?" Neji said in between his laughter in trying to fend him off.

He realized pretty quickly Gaara was controlling his strength to normal human levels and movements, so Neji continued playing along until the carton was forgotten and they were wrestling on the ground throwing the occasional insult. Even without using his enhanced speed and strength, Gaara had the advantage with experience. He pinned Neji more than once, quirking an eyebrow up in a mocking way. Even Gaara had a playful side if the right buttons were pushed.

Neji was breathing heavily, and eventually, he just laid on the ground, Gaara on top looking quite smug. "Fine, I give. You win," he relented. Nothing made up for the experience. He would just have to gain some to continue getting better.

Gaara didn't get off of him, looking to the side to notice they had knocked over their food in their excitement. "Sorry," he whispered quietly. It came out weird like he wasn't used to apologizing, and his smug look degraded into something negative like he had done something terribly wrong and was putting his defenses back up.

Neji looked at the meal and snorted. "It's no big deal. Wasn't as good as yours anyway." His eyes held a mischievous glint. "If you're feeling really bad about it, you could make me lunch all next week."

Gaara's features smoothed out some. He leaned forward to pinch Neji's cheek, making the pinned teen wince with pain. "Uzumaki's is right, you are a cheeky bastard."

"What else is new?" Neji was starting to get uncomfortable. With the blood pumping and Gaara seated on top of him, now that they had ceased playing around, Neji's attention was drawn to their current position and Gaara moving around. Fighting down a blush so Gaara wouldn't notice, he took Gaara by surprise, pushing him off. "I even cheat," he said, covering for himself and trying to calm himself down.

"Hn," Gaara sat up, watching Neji's back. "You can't cheat in a battle. Only survive."

He was right, so Neji didn't bother to argue. He really needed to be more careful. The last thing he wanted was to have a reaction in front of Gaara and scare him off with disgust.

Gaara moved towards his school bag he had taken with him when he had left the classroom. It had been forgotten on the ground the entire lunch period. He quickly searched the contents before pulling out coffee-flavored chocolates and handing them to Neji. His face was slightly red, and he avoided looking at Neji directly.

"Aren't these yours?" Neji asked.

Gaara's face turned a darker shade of red, but still calmly responded, "Take it before I change my mind."

Neji accepted the gift. Since it was coffee-flavored, it was likely Gaara had chosen it specifically for him who favored bitter-tasting snacks. Neji smiled to himself then turned that sincere smile to Gaara. "Thanks."

"Should I come back later?

The sudden voice of an intruder in their space brought both the teens on alert, bringing up their defenses. Gaara's face became stoic once more and Neji's showed a cold annoyance.

Nara was standing near the entrance, lingering with his nonchalant appearance. Neji's lips thinned. On one hand, he was happy it was Nara who had seen them and not one of his classmates, but on the other hand, the peaceful atmosphere had been popped by an outsider's interference.

Neither Gaara nor Neji spoke, giving their cold stares to Nara who sighed. "Since I have your attention," he muttered unhappily, "Tsunade-san wants to talk to you before the lunch period ends. It's about what you found yesterday."

Gaara got up, irking Neji more that his lunch was disturbed, but as Gaara passed, he placed a hand briefly on Neji's shoulder. Neji had almost missed it, the touch was so brief. With that hand, Neji's annoyance and worry were addressed, and he let Gaara go, watching him walk back into the building.

Nara shot a look between them. In the end, he only nodded to Neji, acknowledging his presence before following Gaara out.

Neji stayed on the roof a little longer, thinking about the touch Gaara gave him. He felt giddy. He could barely contain the feeling. With the lunch bell ringing, Neji quickly cleaned up the area and headed inside as well. If he could bring out that side of Gaara once, he should be able to do it again. With that thought in mind, he went through the rest of the school day in a daze, thinking of what he was going to do to surprise Gaara next.