A/N: Thank you a thousand times for all the wonderful support, thank you for reading! :3 You guys truly rock. ^^

Chapter 5: Even When You're Grumpy, You're Cute

Kankuro watched the calendar on the kitchen wall. Compared to how empty their shared calendar had looked only some years ago, now those red rings around weekdays had only increased, as his wife had marked her upcoming business trips there.

He hardly ever saw her anymore. But maybe it was better that way.

It wasn't like he was her dream husband or anything, no matter that she never agreed to admit it.

An enigma that had kept intriguing him for years now returned to his mind. Why had she chosen him out of all people? Surely he had not been the only one to notice her wealth, success and, well―beauty, too.

He had been a college student around the time they had met. Through a mutual friend, he had somehow ended up modeling for her art projects, as she had wanted to balance her busy schedule with a beloved hobby. She was a skilled painter and he had a hunch that if it hadn't been for the family matters, she might've pursued art as a career.

Slowly he had gotten accustomed to her attention, how accurately her brush eternalized the shape of his lips, the length of his legs or the evening light that caressed his face when he lay on the studio floor, shirt open and hair uncombed.

Her attention on him was flattering yet a bit oppressing at times. When painting his appeal wasn't enough anymore, she adopted a habit of unbuttoning his shirt whenever she pleased and he let her. He let her turn that innocent manner into custom where she could touch him freely, making him flustered and hot without ever really doing anything too inappropriate.

She was wealthy and good-mannered and everybody liked her. With her, he felt like somebody better, somebody who mattered. She started giving him gifts, something impersonal at first like expensive watches but soon her tokens of affection personalized into clothes she knew he preferred, or cologne he was sure to like.

And when she had eventually proposed him, he had said yes.

In retrospect, it was a bad choice. He shouldn't have given into her possessive attitude she treated him with but trusted his gut instinct and turned down that deal of a lifetime.

Then again, if he could go back in time, would he really hold to his ethics and refuse the money he had married?

Tch. Hardly.

Kankuro's gaze stopped on the 14th. It was their wedding day. She wouldn't be home then and he had no idea why it made him suddenly sad. It wasn't like he was in love with her and he knew this was a thing that should've made him feel guilty yet it never did.

Their first year and a half had been rosy and springy. Needless to say, everybody he knew was envious of his position as he clung by her arm where ever they went. And whenever she smiled at him in public he felt like a star in a romantic bestseller, only though this wasn't fiction but his very real life.

In the heat of their honeymoon he had given up his family name without much regret, as well as his occupational dreams of working in a theatre. To receive a secured job at Haruno Ltd had felt thrilling at the time and the respect people always treated him with whenever he introduced himself as Mr. Haruno was enough for him to bury the man he had been before meeting her.

Why it had happened, he couldn't really say but slowly he had lost interest in her. Maybe it was the constant stress or the dullness of his work, or the never-ending wealth that made him numb.

He stopped touching her, bringing her pleasure.

At first, she had accepted it as a momentary lapse but when it continued for longer than six months, she became frustrated.

It had started with an innocent brush of her fingers against his orifice. To see him startle so purely, before he could mask his reaction, encouraged her to explore the matter further. Soon that feminine finger pushed inside of him, probing him with embarrassing interest and she saw that her husband hadn't turned into a complete impotent after all.

He had told her to back off but with the same possessiveness she had treated him with from the very beginning she did none of that but instead kept on pleasuring him even more eagerly. Over time she found the spots that made him moan and arch his back in wild want, and even though that uncontrolled passion in his eyes was never really directed at her, it didn't seem to matter.

Her finger was eventually replaced by a strap-on dildo and even though he told her to just forget about it, the uncontrollable desire that had unfurled inside of him when she had slowly pushed deeper was enough to convince her otherwise.

She made him come like that repeatedly, taking joy out of his embarrassment and shame, his obvious reluctance and the blush on his cheeks. His 'no' was a 'yes' to her and whenever he had spent too many days neglecting her presence, she would appear to him with that devilish toy.

He was ashamed how ridiculously hard it got him, when something so slick and thick and hard penetrated him.

More often than not he had wondered what joy she got out of it, for as far as he knew she could never reach her peak that way. Her lack of orgasm ashamed him yet it seemed she found pleasure in humiliating him this way. At least to him, what she did to him felt humiliating.

At some point he had reached his limit and instead of continuing to reject her obsessive ways he had given into her fully. He let her do whatever she pleased with him but his consent didn't seem to bring her the joy he had imagined.

Fewer became the times she would search for his company to remind him of his place. It unsettled him for reasons he couldn't decipher at the time and instead of studying his emotions, he started to look fulfillment from elsewhere.

And thus he had met Naruto.

The blond had ridiculously good manners and his smile was luminous―things he had in common with Sakura but Kankuro would never mention the resemblance aloud to any living soul. But unlike his wife, Naruto never thrived to get the upper hand. No, the blond was a complete opposite to Sakura in bed and with shame again, Kankuro admitted Naruto's submissive mannerism made his heart beat faster. It was something Sakura could never do.

If only had it been someone like Naruto he had once married.

Except Naruto was poor and homeless and a guy and instead of feeling proud to be seen with him, he felt the exact opposite: shame.

But it was only because of the gap between their social classes, right?

Kankuro had never been gay.

To be publicly associated with another man would be awkward yet he couldn't stop the desire that raced in his veins whenever the un-feminine blond would tremble under him in their master bedroom, on the thick mattress he shared with his wife whenever she happened to be home.

Instead of tormenting himself with denial he had come to accept that he was attracted to other men. He wasn't repulsed but actually very fond of having an intercourse with the same sex. And it just happened he felt no desire for his wife but to draw any permanent conclusions from that to determine his sexual orientation would be just unnecessary.

He was not gay.

But he dreamed of seeing blond in the morning, at every morning, sleepy and innocent by his side. And sometimes he went to an imaginary place in his head, a place where Sakura was nowhere around but instead he and Naruto shared a life.

But such delusions could never come true.

Divorcing her would make him lose his face and no doubt would she rob him clean of the little money he had managed to save while working. Even though he could easily get a rather nice apartment somewhere downtown, his possessions were like pocket money compared to the balance of her bank account.

With a tired sigh, Kankuro started to type a message to a certain blond, asking if he would be around on the 14th.

On a Friday morning, Gaara woke up to an empty apartment.

Along with the first rays of sunshine, images of last night flooded into his consciousness.

He shifted under the blanket, stopping all movement abruptly as pain shot through his body. He didn't remember everything that had happened but enough to make him ashamed. Using drugs was something he never did but last night he had been intoxicated to some level. He hadn't asked what it was the woman gave him because he had just wanted to forget his pitiful self for a while.

Talking with people online was easier than face to face. After a few days of chatting with a woman in her forties (or that's what her profile said), Gaara had let her into his apartment. Tsunade had tried to call him a day prior but he had let it ring.

He would admit it got sometimes lonely in here. No matter how much he loved solitude, evenings were long all alone.

A reason why he had turned down that woman from the office, Hinata, was her lack of confidence. It was obvious she would expect him to take the lead which was something he didn't enjoy doing. But last night he had been just a drugged, tied up receiver―a role he preferred over anything else.

And as long as he got the only thing he ever wanted out of these shameful encounters, he didn't care what else would be done to him.

Letting another person on his skin like that made him uncomfortably vulnerable, and he wasn't sure if he could do it while sober.

Limping, Gaara made his way to the bathroom.

He hated how they had soiled the sheets in Naruto's bed. Hold on. Where that strange thought had come from? Gaara shook his head in bafflement. After shower he felt a tiny bit better and managed to change the sheets. However, that small burst of energy didn't last long and so he slumped back to the bed.

He called in sick.

In his opinion getting whacked like this in the work week was utterly despicable yet here he was, suffering on the bed and wishing his existence would someday soon be finally erased.

He had imagined he cared for his work but apparently it was not true. Added to that, he admitted he wasn't as good as an employee as he had thought but at the same time, it all felt trivial. They would have to soon start looking for a substitute for him, anyway.

As he should've guessed, sometime in the forenoon Naruto sent him a message:

'Why aren't you at work? Is everything alright?'

Gaara grunted at his co-worker's concern and replied: 'I'm sick.'

He hoped it would be left at that but of course around 5 P.M. Naruto bothered him with a phone call. He hated talking on the phone but picked it up nevertheless. Despite Gaara's efficient trying the blond managed to get his permission to pay him a visit.

To open the door with only a worn out T-shirt and boxers on was embarrassing enough for Gaara but he chose to not show his discomfort. He was just too damn miserable to change into something more appropriate.

Naruto's usual energetic aura didn't suit here at all. Gaara lay in the bed, his back turned to the room.

Sensing his mood, Naruto left him be and instead made himself useful around the place, washing laundry and making something to eat. But even the delicious aroma of vegetable soup and tea couldn't get Gaara out of the bed.

Not desponding, Naruto placed the tray on the little nightstand by the bed and sat down.

"So… Did the fever get you, too?" the blond smiled even though it had to be clear the redhead didn't have flu.

When no reply ever came, Naruto lay down on the bed behind his back. Gaara startled in surprise but the pain in his rear quickly forced him to his earlier position. Wordlessly, Naruto put his comforting arm around him and just held him.

In the end Gaara wasn't sure how long they stayed like that. Was this what friends did for each other? For someone skillful like Naruto, comforting others came naturally and nothing in his actions was unsuitable or out of place.

When dusk fell behind the windows, Naruto collected the untouched tray from the nightstand and washed the dishes. Gaara expected him to waste energy by asking if he could spend the night in here but instead the blond seemed to stay without usual hesitation.

Gaara knew he should move into the closet and hand over the bed to his guest. After Naruto arrived, his mood had slightly perked but even so, his thoughts still lingered in the murky depths so familiar to him. This night might be the last occasion Naruto would see him.

The thought made him sad but he couldn't express that sadness in any way.

Konoha River would be frozen soon if the weather forecast was to be trusted. Here in the warmth of his apartment it required effort to imagine the embrace of that freezing stream. His birthday was just around the corner and he would not stay around for another pointless year.

The mattress sunk as Naruto lay down behind his back. When his warm body slipped under the blanket, too, Gaara's breath hitched and he squeezed his side of the pillow unnoticeably. Arm came to rest around him again and Gaara closed his eyes, feeling unnecessary wetness pool behind his lids.

That warm hand slowly stroked his arm, soothing and comforting in a way nothing else could. Warm skin against his bare arm made him momentarily forget about the river, about the shame he had felt last night. Of course Naruto would be warm. He was the incarnate of the sun itself.

But even so, no sun could win against the dark depths of a freezing river.

Naruto's hand stopped on his biceps and then he yawned. Sleepily, he hooked his arm around Gaara again and leaned his forehead against the redhead's neck. Gaara tensed and wondered why that was until he remembered they had only one regular-sized pillow. After this realization he relaxed and listened to the soft snores that soon filled the air.

Somewhere along the hours of the night, Naruto's snoring got so loud Gaara woke up. Rather grouchily he nudged his friend with his elbow to quiet him down. Granted, the snoring stopped but before Gaara could rejoice about his master plan, a sleepy blond hooked him into his arms like he was some giant plushie.

Sure, it was now quiet again but Gaara couldn't tell if he preferred that over this awkward closeness.

Damned Uzumaki.

But when had it been the last time he had felt this warm in here? This homey, this safe?

Wetness began to pool in his eyes once again and furiously he blinked to prevent himself from tearing. If anything, he was acting unnecessarily emotional and if Naruto happened to wake up just now, he would get scared and find his way out sooner than Gaara could dry his eyes.

He didn't want Naruto to go, and the realization made his face twist as he tried to stop himself from crying.

Maybe it was the drug still affecting his system, or the dizziness caused by lack of proper nutrition, but his head felt strange. His heart felt strange when his friend held him like this, as if the weight piled up in there over years was slowly dissolving into thin air.

A hitched sob escaped his lips and Naruto's unconscious hug tightened protectively. A calming hand found its way on Gaara's hair and clumsily soothed him, every once in a while stopping until continuing again.

How Naruto could be this comforting even on auto-pilot was a true mystery to Gaara, and with a wavering breath he closed his eyes. When they were like this, he longed for the river a little bit less, and the idea of erasing his disappointing existence seemed a tad more unwise.

Maybe it was safe to admit he didn't detest this kind of closeness in an exceptional situation like this.

Just maybe it was okay to relax some more and let go of his persistent, suicidal thoughts, at least for tonight.

Gaara adjusted himself a little more snugly into his sleeping friend's embrace, comforted by the knowledge that Naruto would never be any wiser of this momentary weakness he had allowed himself to show.

And hopefully in the morning, all these uncommon sensations would be dissolved like they never existed, just like sunlight would burn through these vividly black shadows that colored the room with their bottomless depth.

In the crepuscular room Naruto lay awake and quiet.

Mr. Sabaku was lightly snoring close by, his mouth comically agape like he had no care in the world. It made Naruto smile.

His red hair was messy and wild and it almost hid the large tattoo on his forehead. Those often so intimidating, black-rimmed eyes were now closed in a relaxed way Naruto had never seen them. It was clear there was something wrong with Gaara. If he was correct, the man was in pain but it was unclear what had caused it.

Very gently Naruto pulled the blanket all the way up to Gaara's chin. The sleepy redhead mumbled a line of incoherent syllables, until he rolled on to his side and clutched the front of Naruto's shirt like a clingy koala.

Naruto's breath hitched and he stared at the sweet sight.

Gaara snuggled closer and the movement must've hurt him, for his peaceful face twitched in pain.

He had noticed how he limped and concluded that Gaara had probably hurt his legs, but after some more observation he had come to a decision that the source of pain had to be elsewhere. As he quickly went through the list of possible causes his helpful brain teasingly stopped over one option and highlighted it for him.

Naruto scolded himself for coming up with unnecessary assumptions of what Gaara might've been doing. It was none of his business, and even thinking of things like that could be considered rude. In the darkened room, his cheeks burned. He really cared for Gaara and seeing him happy and balanced made his heart sing. But when he was gloomy and pained like last night, Naruto took it as his mission to help him.

Mr. Sabaku was known for his private nature and stubborn silence. Not even Naruto dared to enter certain areas that their usual conversations didn't cover. Lately Gaara had been more withdrawn than before and the focus in his eyes had dulled into a lack of concentration, like he was in a world of his own.

Naruto gave one last comforting pat on his friend's shoulder, hoping the redhead would be in a better mood when he woke up.

Loud rattle coming from the kitchen woke him up. Sleepily Naruto opened his eyes only to find he was alone in the bed.

From the sound of it, someone was not in a good mood and momentarily he felt sorry for the innocent cups and pans that were handled so forcefully over there.

With extra friendly manner Naruto walked to the kitchen and sat down at the table, smiling brightly like a million watt bulb. But it seemed this was all lost on Mr. Sabaku who grumpily offered him a plate of burnt porridge and a cup of suspiciously see-through coffee. Clearly this was not his day but Naruto decided to keep that notion to himself.

He noticed Mr. Sabaku was once again wearing his accustomed slacks and a dress shirt, no longer walking around in his tight T-shirt and boxers. The earlier relaxation Naruto had witnessed was not traceable on his stiff facial expression anymore.

Quietly Naruto wolfed down his breakfast and brought the dishes to the sink. The look on his friend's face told him he would better retreat and not even think of attending to any housework around the place. Not sure what particular thing had resulted Mr. Sabaku ending up in such a tight mood, Naruto deemed it best to go back to bed.

He took one of Gaara's books and lay down on the bed when somebody rang the doorbell.

Judging by the sudden silence around the apartment Gaara was surprised, too.

Naruto realized that his boxers and a worn excuse of a T-shirt were not something he wanted to be seen in, if that whoever would eventually make their way to the main room. But then the door was already opened and Naruto realized his sweatpants were in the duffel bag, which was conveniently sitting in the bathroom on top of the washing machine. There was no chance of getting them without being seen by Gaara's unannounced guest. Feeling shy, he pulled the blanket over himself to get some shelter.

"What are you doing in here?" Gaara asked.

"Just let me in," a man's voice said. It made Naruto perk his hearing.

"I'm busy at the moment, so state your business and leave," Gaara snapped all but kindly.

The man sighed, clearly not hearing such tone for the first time. "We're getting divorced."

"You can't stay here," Gaara replied and judging by the annoyed clank of a pan, he had made his way back to the kitchen.

"Please. Remember when you went through the same? Who was kind enough to accommodate you back then?" the man reminded.

"You have money, rent a place somewhere. Or go to a hotel," the redhead replied, clearly not interested in his guest's problems.

In the main room, hidden from the view of the two, Naruto squeezed the blanket. It had to be solely his imagination but didn't that voice sound suspiciously familiar?

"Fine but let me stay here for a couple of hours until I get some arrangements done," the man sighed and it threateningly sounded like he was coming to the main room.

And sure enough Naruto was soon face to face with a very familiar someone.

"Naruto?" the man asked and stopped in his tracks.

The blond in question sat up on the bed and stared at the brown haired man in front of him, "Kankuro?"

Out of nowhere Gaara emerged into the room, drying his hands on a kitchen towel. Ignoring his brother completely, Kankuro had only eyes for the blond.

"Naruto," he breathed and sat down on the bed. He squeezed the blond's hands as if confirming he really existed.

"I was about to call you. We're getting divorced, isn't that great? You and I can finally get a place of our own."

The blond wasn't sure how to respond for he was shocked to be put into a spotlight like that. Behind Kankuro's back, Mr. Sabaku stood with an unreadable expression on his face.

"I'm going to look for an apartment today," Kankuro said and kissed him on the lips.

Naruto was too shocked to do anything but let it happen. Brilliant blush exploded on his cheeks and he was sure it was visible all the way to the moon. He couldn't explain to himself why he felt so embarrassed by the situation, or why he was so concerned of what Gaara might be thinking.

But when the brunet stayed by his side, caressing his hair and mumbling something about their shared future, Naruto noticed Gaara leaving the room.

"We're brothers," Kankuro explained.

Naruto nodded but then frowned, "Does that mean your original surname is Sabaku, too?"

"Yeah. But when I married her, I took her name. I guess I'll be Sabaku soon again, heh," Kankuro told, until he finally seemed to realize the scarceness of Naruto's clothes and the fact that he was lounging on Gaara's bed.

"How do you know each other?"

"We work at the same office," the blond clarified. "He's my friend."

"Oh," Kankuro understood but soon seemed to dismiss the idea altogether, "You know, this morning was the first in years I felt truly happy."

It surprised Naruto how lightly he seemed to take his situation. "You don't seem too broken about losing her."

"I can do anything when I have you by my side," Kankuro confessed and smiled.

Naruto smiled feebly back. He hadn't believed the other man really felt that way about him. All this time, he had deemed his declarations of affection as something shallow to keep him coming to his place. He had never believed Kankuro would actually divorce his wife.

"She has somebody else," the brunet whispered.

To the horrid look on Naruto's face Kankuro only waved his hand in a dismissive way, "It's alright. These things happen. And as you know, it's not like I was faithful to her, either."

Naruto knew it all too well. And even though Gaara was nowhere to be seen, he was positive their hushed conversation was audible to the kitchen.

To suddenly find out your friend slash co-worker was actually an extramarital lover of your own brother was perhaps not something that happened every day. Under the surface, Naruto worried how Gaara would take it.

"But as a silver lining, she has no idea of our little rendezvous. And as long as possible, I plan on keeping up the role of a betrayed husband," Kankuro explained.

"Do you mean there's no one else besides me?" Naruto asked quietly. From the very beginning he had not even once believed he would be the only lover this man had.

"Of course Naruto. Haven't I told you that enough times?"

He had, but Naruto had never believed him. If this man's words were really to be trusted, he felt awful for doubting him.

"We can't really be seen in public in a romantic sense, you understand?" Kankuro said with an apologetic voice, "But as soon as I get a place of my own, nothing prevents you from moving in with me."

"How convenient," Naruto said nervously and let the man kiss him again.

Deafening silence fell all over the apartment.

Reluctantly Gaara made some more coffee for the three of them as the brunet didn't get the hint and leave.

In the main room, Gaara now stood next to the window, his attention rather on the piles of books than on the unexpected lovers sitting on his bed.

Cool air streamed feebly from between the window frames and the sensation felt oddly calming. He was reminded of the river again but at the same time, memory of Naruto's comforting hug disturbed his plans. When the blond excused himself and went to take a shower, Gaara was left alone with his brother.

"I didn't know you had an affair going on," the redhead said, "Or that you were gay."

"I'm not gay," Kankuro corrected quickly. "I might not be completely heterosexual but I'm not gay either."

"I thought you could only be either or the other," Gaara said, unnoticeably bringing his hand to the cool stream of air.

"Nah, that's not true. I guess most people are something in between to a different degree, though," Kankuro mused, not sounding particularly interested in labeling himself or the others.

"So you are offering Naruto a place to live in, then?" Gaara asked.

A content smile took over Kankuro's face, "Yeah."

"That's good," he replied automatically, not sure what he felt behind those words. The cool window soothed his heated forehead as he leaned against it, eyes closed. Behind his back, Kankuro hummed happily.

"Mom said dad is drinking again," Gaara told.

The cheery humming stopped.

"Aw man why did you have to tell me something like that? I don't want to know," Kankuro sighed in annoyance.

By himself, Gaara smirked. "I thought we were to inform each other in these cases."

"Screw that. You can leave me out of that," the brunet huffed and buried his head in his hands.

Along with tropical steam, Naruto came out of the bathroom. He smelled of "Super Steel" again but this time Gaara couldn't bring himself to feel offended by the obnoxious scent.

"Well, I better get going," Kankuro announced and left his coffee cup on the table. "Do you want a ride somewhere, Naruto?"

"Um, no thanks," the blond said quietly, folding some of his clothes into the duffel bag he had brought along. "I'll call you."

"Alright," Kankuro said good-heartedly and left with a wide smile.

But Naruto couldn't bring himself to feel the same, at least not now. He had noticed the odd way Gaara was leaning against the window but in an atmosphere like this, he didn't dare to ask what was wrong.

"Hey, why don't I cook us ramen tonight?" he asked, forcing some confidence into his voice.

Gaara leaned away from the window. "I'm afraid I have other plans for today."

"Oh, that's alright. But it's kind of a shame, really, because I was looking forward to spending the day with you," Naruto chatted while making the bed. "They said the river is going to freeze today. I'd like to go and see it. It's beautiful at this time of the year."

Gaara turned to look at him in surprise. "Well… Alright."

"Yosh, it's settled then," Naruto smiled widely, rivaling with the bright beams of sunlight.

Naruto and Gaara walked on the bridge, admiring the river that was slowly chained by ice.

Gaara sipped his warm take-away coffee while Naruto licked his ice cream. The blond smiled by himself as he recalled the unbelieving look on Gaara's face when he had purchased this little treat. Eating ice cream in the middle of winter was indeed something uncommon.

"It's beautiful in here," Naruto pointed out as they leaned on the balustrade of the bridge.

"Yes, it is," Gaara admitted with sorrow in his voice.

"Every year someone tries to commit suicide by jumping off the bridge. I'm glad this year it hasn't happened yet," Naruto commented and took a bite of his ice cream.

The redhead didn't reply, just gazed longingly into the water. Naruto put on a smile and stepped closer.

"Here. Do you want to taste this?" he draped his cone to him.

"I don't know," Gaara said while glancing at the green ball of goody with suspicion. "Pear is not my favorite."

"Well, it's your loss then," the blond shrugged and started leading them along the bridge, to the other side.

It was a week until Christmas. Ground was white with snow and the store windows were decorated with blinking lights and reindeers.

"What are you going to do on Christmas?" Naruto asked.

The odd, saddened aura seemed to persistently hover above his red haired friend, "Nothing much."

"Are you going to see your family?" the blond asked.

"No," the redhead said right away.

"Me neither," Naruto told casually.

Gaara spared him a weird glance, "Because your parents are dead."

"Yeah, because they're dead," Naruto repeated and fell silent after that.

After they had walked for a good while along the river, Naruto's ice cream long ago eaten, they stopped in front a display window. Elves with their beloved Santa Claus managed to capture their admiration for a moment.

"You know, I have to admit something," Naruto started good-heartedly.

When Gaara turned to look at him, the blond kept his attention on the Christmas decorations.

"I was looking forward to spending the Christmas with you. I even got you a present already."

Gaara couldn't believe his ears, "A present?"

"Don't tell me you haven't gotten me one yet," Naruto only replied with a wink.

"Christmas is nothing but a celebration of materialism," Gaara huffed but the positive surprise on his face didn't completely wear off. It made Naruto smile.

"You're right. But the magic of this season is to spend time with your friends and family. And since neither of us seems to have any other plans, I think we should celebrate it together," the blond reasoned.

"I thought you were going to be with Kankuro," Gaara said and sounded a bit sad.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure he'll be busy with other things," Naruto avoided the subject the best he could.

A comfortable silence fell over them again and they slowly made their way back to the bridge. In the middle, Gaara stopped abruptly.

"What did you get me for a present?"

"It won't be a surprise if I tell you," Naruto chuckled.

Gaara let the matter be for now. Walking together like this made Naruto happy, as if there was no care in the world. The way snow landed on Gaara's red hair was sort of cute. It really toned down the familiar stern expression on his face.

Wait a second. Cute?

Naruto chuckled by himself. There was certainly no logic in his thoughts these days.

Later in the afternoon they were sitting at a small diner.

Apathetically Gaara held a French fry in his hand and poked it into a pile of ketchup that lay on his plate. Naruto sat across of him, his jacket casually open while he shoveled his hamburger into his mouth so hungrily Gaara was afraid he'd choke.

"Honestly, Naruto…"

The blond gulped and then wiped his face on a napkin. "Sorry. Hey, um. Can I ask you something?"

Now Gaara was surprised. He tossed his fry away. "What is it?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong but lately you've been acting gloomier than usually. Is everything alright?"

Naruto's concern was almost heart-warming. Gaara picked up his fry again and smeared it lazily on the ketchup.

"I'm fine, Naruto."

"But are you, though? Or is that just something you say in order to get me off your back? 'Cause if it's about that, it's not going to work."

Before Gaara could say anything more to shut him up, Naruto had already stood up and walked to his side of the table. He sat down next to Gaara with a look of deep concern on his face.

"You're barely eating. With no offense, you look damn tired, Gaara. And what was with the sudden grumpiness in the morning? What was wrong with you last night?"

Gaara abandoned his fry again and wiped his salty fingers on a napkin. He was in no mood to talk about what was going on in his mind.

"What's with you sticking your nose into my business?"

That got his friend to shut up. Bittersweetly content, Gaara bathed in his victory but the sense of cleverness soon faded when he noticed the hurt look on Naruto's face.

Ouch.

Maybe he had gone too far?

"I'm―"

"You've got to eat, you know?" the blond cut in with mild nervousness. He picked up a lone fry and held it in his hands like he was showcasing it to Gaara. "Look at this. Don't you want to have it? It's delicious."

"Naruto… I didn't―"

"When I was a kid, I was one goddamned picky eater," the blond interrupted again. Like no error of communication had ever happened between them, he chuckled, "Dad used to coax me into eating in so many ways I can't even remember."

It was hard to imagine Naruto ever needing to be coaxed to eat, Gaara noted a bit wryly by himself.

"Look, here comes a plane," Naruto started in a fatherly voice and flew the French fry in the air with round movements, very much like he was encouraging a child to eat.

"Stop," Gaara ordered albeit he could feel a smile coming up just because of the silly tone his friend had used.

"Only if you eat it. Come on," the blond coaxed and the French fry turned-plane circled near Gaara's mouth, trying its best to catch the reluctant redhead's interest.

"People are looking at us," Gaara noticed and the notion not only made him embarrassed but also humored him, too. It was a strange combination of emotions only Naruto was able to coax out of him.

"Don't mind about them. They aren't important," the blond whispered in his ear and a chill ran up Gaara's spine. "The only person here I care about is you."

"Would you please stop goofing around," the redhead muttered self-consciously and glanced around. "Even the kids are looking at us."

Yes, even the actual children who were dining here with their parents had now turned their curious attention on the two of them. Naruto let out an unashamed chuckle and popped the fry into his mouth. He munched on it way too happily.

"Why are the kids still staring at us?" Gaara asked with a lowered voice.

"They're kids, that's what they do. Children are weird like that. Stop paying them attention and they'll find something more interesting soon," Naruto assured casually.

There was still mayonnaise on his cheek, and his goofy grin only emphasized the detail. Absurd moments like these were only possible with someone like Naruto around. When the general attention of other customers wasn't directed at them anymore, Gaara picked up his napkin and wiped away the stain from his friend's cheek.

Azure eyes darkened a shade or two, and something in the atmosphere changed. With his friendliest smile, Naruto rested his arm on the backside of Gaara's seat and leaned closer.

The redhead looked away, not sure how to read such a gesture. He could feel several pairs of eyes on them, yet even stronger than his embarrassment, was the nervous energy that buzzed in his guts. Warmth was spreading inside Gaara's chest, hidden behind the layers of clothes under his thick woolen coat.

Not letting the heat get to his cheeks, he pulled himself together and met Naruto's azure gaze again with calm coolness―which faltered instantly when his friend touched his face and rubbed his thumb gently against his cheek.

"You had salt in there," Naruto offered as an explanation.

Oh.

And the heat escaped to Gaara's face, coloring his cheeks pink.

Damned Uzumaki.

On the seat next to him, said blond smiled widely and kept on eating the left-over fries. But that flirty look in his mischievous, blue eyes had to be just a part of this goofy joke between them―right?

A/N: I agonized over the scene where Naruto and Kankuro's little affair was revealed. I wrote it in three different ways, but only this version felt correct. I wanted there to be drama, but Gaara is not yet ready to act dramatic. The drama comes in future chapters.

The next chapter is all about Naruto and Gaara's Christmas holiday, hehe. :3