Chapter 27: Midnight Float

"You know, coming on to the bus, I figured that most of the conversation would be on the photo-shoot itself. You know, because we all managed to survive with all of our fingers and toes intact," I mumble as we stepped onto the bus aisle. Since Gaara and I were the last ones on board, we were forced to take the seats in the very front. "But yeah, I'm hearing none of that right now. Don't you think that's odd?"

"A little; it seems that all that anyone wants to talk about is the reward that's supposed to be waiting for us back at the house," the redhead mumbles, taking the seat by the window. "Everyone's trying to guess what it is."

"Do you think anyone will get it right though?" I ask, just as the bus started moving.

"Not in the slightest."

We didn't speak for the rest of the drive, mainly because we were too interested in listening in on all of the guesses and theories that was being spread throughout the cabin. There were some decent ones in the mix, like the exercise equipment Lee suggested, the ski ball table suggested by Suigetsu, the volleyball net that Temari offered, and the pool table that Shikamaru pulled out of thin air when he was asked to offer a guess one too many times.

The most unlikely one had to be Ino's though. She suggested a car, one that everyone could use when it was time to go on errands or travel to whatever reward the challenge winner of the week received.

We all knew that it was just too impractical for it to be a likely possibility, and it was shut down immediately, much to the blonde's annoyance.

"Guys, we're home!" Matsuri calls out as our house comes into view. Even from where we were currently sitting, we could all see a green envelope that had to be a Tsunade Mail taped to our front door, waiting for one of us to open it up and read what's inside.

When the bus finally came to a stop, I was barely out of my seat when Sakura and Ino barreled past me and down the steps.

"Damn! They couldn't wait a couple more minutes?!" I grumble as I watch them push and shove each other on their way to the door.

"I guess not. They're really eager to see what this reward is supposed to be," Gaara mumbles as we stepped off the bus. The rest of us walked up the driveway at a much more leveled pace, curious to know what the hell was in the letter, but we were not too eager to start running toward it like some people we know. Sakura and Ino were waiting for us on the porch, and Ino was glaring daggers the pinkette's way.

It wasn't hard to see why

"You didn't open it yet?!" Kiba called out as we stopped just in front of the small steps, most of our eyes trained on the envelope Sakura currently held in a death grip.

"We figured we'd wait for you guys to come up here before we read it," said Ino as she finally ripped her gaze from the pinkette. "It was the least we could do after we pretty much bum-rushed our way off the bus, isn't that right Sakura?"

"Yeah; sorry we acted a little too eager back there," she says, not really looking that sorry as she looked down at the envelope in her hands. "But anyway, who's ready to see what's inside?"

"Don't make us wait Sakura!" Matsuri calls out from her spot in the back. "Open it up already!"

"Alright, alright!" she exclaims before the rest of us could start voicing our agreement. With a quick flick of her wrist, she snaps open the flap and pulls out the letter, her eyes scanning the contents with a keen gaze. "Models, you dealt with the cold, but now it's time to relax in the warmth. I hope you all enjoy . . ."

"Enjoy?" I ask as she cuts herself off, her eyes widening in disbelief as she slapped her hand over her mouth. "Enjoy what Sakura? Don't leave us hanging!?"

"Allow me!" Ino mumbles as she looked over the pinkette's shoulder to read what was left to be said. "I hope you all enjoy your new JACUZZI AND OUTDOOR SAUNA!"

Of course, everyone was ecstatic to hear about the two new additions to our backyard, rushing past the two on the porch to get into the house and out the back. Some in our little group even moved to circle around the building to get to their faster, which was probably the smarter option.

I didn't understand the fascination of running to check them out right now when we had all the time in the world to do so, so I held back and watched the frenzied crowd disappear before moving toward the living room to put down my stuff. I could hear their ecstatic screaming and shouting from the back with ease, but still, I was in no rush to join them out there.

Apparently, Gaara, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Neji, and I were all of the same mind because we were the only ones to not go to the back just yet. We all just congregated in the living room, waiting for everyone to get over the high of seeing the new equipment.

"It won't be long now before everyone starts fighting over who gets to use the new stuff first," Shikamaru grumbles as he sits down in one of the bean bag chairs, stretching out like a cat. "We may have a civil war on our hands before the day is up."

"I don't think it's going to get that far. We now have a sauna to go along with our jacuzzi and hot tub," I remind him as angry screams could be heard from the very back. "I'm sure we can all come up with a reasonable agreement that everyone can be happy with."

"So far, it's not happening." says Neji as we could hear the screams get louder. "Is it just me, or is most of the screaming coming from the other guys?"

"Yeah, you're not imagining that . . ." Gaara mumbles as Kankuro stomps into the room. "What happened out there Kankuro?"

"Suigetsu and Kiba happened, that's what," he grumbles as he drops his butt into one of the other chairs. "Well, technically Suigetsu started it by saying he was calling dibs on using both the jacuzzi and the sauna first. That rubbed Kiba the wrong way, and now their shouting match has snagged everyone within hearing range. It has become a mess out there."

"Is it really that bad?" I ask, just as the sound of a large splash could be heard from outside. "Never mind . . ."

x - X - x

It turned out that both Suigetsu and Kiba were shoved into the pool for starting the arguing in the first place. Not liking that one bit, they quickly crawled out and worked together to try and throw anyone they could get their hands on into the pool in retaliation, even though it was only Karin that had shoved them in.

Impressively enough, they managed to get Hinata, TenTen, Naruto, Choji, Shino, and Ino into the pool before getting locked out of the house by Sasuke, who threatened to never let them back in till they agreed to stop shoving people into the pool.

They agreed, but as soon as Sasuke unlocked the door, they managed to get both him and Karin, who had been standing the closest to him during the entire exchange, into the pool. They got Karin easy enough, but they had to get some assistance from Naruto and Kankuro to get the Uchiha into the pool.

Yeah, Sasuke was not happy with any of them once he emerged from the water.

Once all of the 'refreshing dips' were over and done with, we called a meeting to discuss the use of all our water-centered toys outside. We couldn't come up with an order that everyone was satisfied with, or how long each person could use any of them for that matter, so we decided whoever claimed it first, got to use it first.

Basically, good ol' first come, first serve. It never gets old.

The Tsunade Mail mentioning the next elimination panel came just after dinner, which soured the mood for the rest of the night. Well, except probably mine.

I was looking forward to tonight, though Gaara didn't seem to share the same sentiment whenever he caught my eye. I think he was getting more nervous as the day wore on, always looking toward the clock every half hour to see how long it would be till it was time to take the plunge.

No one really called him out for his behavior, not even his siblings, who were more interested in playfully insulting each other than paying attention to their dear little brother. I think it helped that for the most part, Gaara acted normal, well, normal for him. Still though, there were signs that showed he was nervous.

Tonight, it was my job to make sure that feeling nervous was the furthest thing from his mind.

Once the clock struck eleven, everyone that could go asleep, was asleep. I had packed a couple of swimsuits for the competition, so once I had the first one I found in my grasp, I booked it to the bathroom to change. I was done within the first five minutes, switching out my t-shirt and jeans for the light blue one piece with the circular cutout in the back.

I had originally bought the thing as part of a 'Buy One Swimsuit, Get a Second One Half-Priced' deal my favorite department store had as part of its summer clearance sale. I was a high school freshman at the time, and I needed a one piece for the swimming unit in gym class since bikinis weren't allowed, for obvious reasons. Apparently, a whole bunch of girls had the same problem, and by the time I got to the store, most of their one-piece selection was picked clean.

The swimsuit I ended up with was simply the best from the worst. Also it was the only one that fit me well without chafing me in certain areas. It was simple in design, with a slight high neck customary for more athletic swimwear, and a back cutout shaped like a diamond that barely covered my shoulder blades. It ended up serving me just fine, and I did ace the swim unit, and even though I did end up buying a few other different swim options since I made that particular purchase, I always did end up using the light blue confection as my dependable 'I'm not in the mood to show off my stomach' option.

Gaara had opted to change in the living room and told me that he would meet me by the pool, so I made my way there as soon as I was done changing. The night air was cool, reasonable enough for a nighttime swim lesson in the pool, and I ended up finding him sitting at the shallow end, his feet already enjoying the water.

He was dressed in a pair of dark red swim trunks that looked black in the dark, a nice contrast with his brighter red hair, and did I mention how it was so unfair that he looked so good under the moonlight? He definitely wasn't the bulkiest guy here, but he was slim, with a hint of a six pack showing along his bare torso.

Damn, I'm going to have a hard time paying attention during this lesson, aren't I?

He looked like he was deep in thought, so instead of startling him with my voice, I decided to come up behind him and tap his shoulder. Two quick taps did the trick, his head jerking up to see me in all my swimsuit-wearing glory.

"Ready to do this?" I ask, putting my best smile forward as I sat down beside him. "If you're not, I understand. We have all the time in the world . . . We'll start when you're ready."

"You don' t have to worry about me. I'm ready. Nervous, but ready." he whispers, looking deep into the water before us. "I'm not going to act like I'm not scared, because I am. I've lived with my fear for so long now, but not anymore. It's time for a change. I need to learn how to swim, so teach me well sensei. I'm in your hands now."

"Damn it, stop being so cute!" I couldn't help but scream in my head as I fought the blush that was trying to appear on my face. Not trusting my voice just yet, I nodded before slipping into the pool, walking out a couple of feet before turning around to see him watching me. "Okay, first things first, you need to get comfortable in the water. You're good in the shallow end right?"

"I'm good here," he mumbles as he starts glaring at the other end of the pool. "It's the deep end I'm not good with."

"Oh yeah, you're very uncomfortable in any body of water you can drown in . . . I remember that," I mumble as I spot one of the beach balls lying a little further away, and that's when a brilliant idea came to my mind. "Well, if I'm going to teach you how to swim, you're going to have to get comfortable with that area first. Come on in, and bring that beach ball over there with you please?"

"Why?" he questions, doing as he's told as he walks to the blue and white striped ball I'm pointing at. "How is the ball important?"

"You'll see . . ." I tease as I watch him grab the ball. After slipping into the pool at its shallowest point, he slowly waddles his way over to me, the ball kept tucked under his arm. When he was only a foot away, I took the ball and threw it toward the deep end before turning back to him, my hand now outstretched in his direction. "Come on, take my hand."

"Wait, why?" he asks, confused as he reaches it for it.

"Because I'm going to take you on a walk into the deep end, toward the ball in fact," I tell him, my news earning me a surprised 'Are you kidding me?' look from the redhead. "We're going to inch our way, step by step, but we will be going at the pace that you're comfortable with. Holding my hand is necessary because I'm going to act as your support. I will help you stay steady the entire way, but you're going to have to trust me on this. Okay?"

"Oh, o-okay . . ." he mumbles, doing his best Hinata impression as he finally takes my hand in his. He only seemed to calm down once I gave him a reassuring smile. ". . . Are you ready? I won't move unless you're ready to."

"I'll be fine . . ." he says, putting on his best brave face, whether it's to reassure me or reassure himself, I have no clue. "Let's do this Izuka."

"Ok, remember, one step at a time . . ."

When I said that we were taking things one step at a time, we really took things one step at a time! Gaara held my hand in a strong, almost vice-like grip as we inched our way toward the ball floating in the middle of the deep end. It probably took us about an hour to get there, but I was willing to wait the entire night if it meant that he would make some progress.

When we finally reached the ball, I waited until Gaara was finally comfortable with the idea of floating in the deep end by himself before letting his hand go. I wouldn't move away until I was sure he was steady by himself, and once I knew he was good, I moved a little further away to start the next phase of the lesson.

We ended up playing catch with the beach ball for a little bit. I wanted to get Gaara's mind off the idea of being in the deep end, so I figured playing a little game would help do that, as well as help him tread water and calm his fraying nerves.

I knew teaching someone to swim wouldn't be something I could do in the span of one night, so I decided to break it up into steps. Treading water and having him float on his own was the main task for tonight. Once I was happy with his progress, we would move on to learning some starter moves before we really started swimming. So far, Gaara was really doing well, and he looked a lot more relaxed then when we first started.

Here's to hoping it continues over the next few nights.

"Okay, I think we've done enough for today." I announce as I chucked the ball off to the side.

"Are you sure?" he asks, a little confused as I swam over to him. "Don't you think we should do more?"

"Eh, one step at a time buddy," I remind him as I guided us over to the side of the pool. "I want us to tackle this over a series of nights. Tonight's main goal was to have you tread water here in the deep end, and thankfully, you did just that."

"I did, didn't I?" he asks, so unsure that I was almost compelled to give him a hug, yet compelled to slap his shoulder all at the same time. "You know, this was the first time I didn't feel worried about being in the deep end. I actually feel . . . okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, okay," I hear him say as I pull myself out of the water. "It's going to take a little while longer for me to really get used to being in this side of the pool, but for now, I'm good."

"That's good to hear," I say as he pulls himself up. "I wanted you to get more comfortable with this side of the pool before we continued with anything further. That's why I wanted you to get the ball. It was to help distract you from thinking about your surroundings too much."

"So instead of focusing on staying afloat so much, you had me focus on playing catch with you . . . Well played," he mumbles as he gets to his feet. "The distraction really did help me, because I'll admit, up until that point, I was scared for dear life."

"Yeah, I could tell when I escorted you into the deep end."

"I had a very good reason for acting like that of course," he was quick to say, justifying himself when he didn't really need to. ". . . And thank you, for putting up with me on this."

"Eh, I don't want to hear that kind of language out of you!" I grumble, giving him my best 'stern teacher' expression to boot. "Don't make yourself sound like a burden, cause you're not! Everyone has their fears, and you are simply working to overcome yours. That isn't something to feel bad about. . . I'm happy to work with you on this, but if you speak badly about yourself again, I'll pull a Temari and chuck you into this pool myself."

"I got it. Message received." he mumbles, a smirk tugging at his lips as he helped me up. I wasn't sure he said that because he agreed with what I said, or was worried I would actually carry out my threat. "Anyway, same time tomorrow?"

"Definitely," I say, my eyes noticing something off by the back door. I may have left the it a little open, but the curtain behind it was rustling a little too much for it to be the wind. ". . . I think someone was watching us."

"The hell?!" Gaara almost exclaims, his head whipping to the backdoor to see a pair of eyes staring back at us, a very familiar set of eyes. "Kankuro! What the hell man?!"

The half smug, half bashful expression on his face confirmed our suspicions, and the next thing I knew, Gaara was slowly marching toward his brother. Kankuro didn't bother to move, either because he thought he would come out of this just fine, or because he was paralyzed in fear at the glare that he was receiving from the redhead.

"This should be interesting . . ."

Here's to hoping that Kankuro could make it to panel in one piece.

A/N: Please review!