A/N: First of all thank you so much for all the lovely feedback! *heart* I'm literally melting into a warm happy puddle over here. ^^

I hope this chapter is okay. It won't be as fluffy as the previous one, though.

Chapter 7: Quit Messing With My Head, Naruto

In the afternoon of December 30th, a day before New Year's Eve, Naruto stood in a spacious loft where natural light flooded in even in the middle of winter.

Kankuro had found a place of his own, a home for them, and for the past weeks he had been furnishing it.

Granted, it was certainly not as luxurious as the man's previous home but was definitely more upscale than all the other places Naruto had ever stayed in.

In the roomy kitchen, appliances looked modern and expensive. Floor was not made out of vinyl but dentless hardwood. Lamps he had only seen in magazines hung from the ceiling with carefully measured style.

This was a dream come true. Somebody's dream.

"Oh wow," Naruto breathed.

"I hope you like it," Kankuro said. "You can move in tomorrow," he continued softly with a clear innuendo, "Or tonight."

Naruto smiled a little nervously and remained on the spot. Kankuro's hands rubbing his shoulders continued their silent persuasion.

"I guess I could forward my mail here from now on," Naruto concluded.

Kankuro's massaging hands stopped abruptly, "Well, no."

To the blond's surprised look he only explained, "I'm sorry. It's too soon. Imagine what would happen if somebody found out I was officially living with another guy. Sakura wouldn't leave that opportunity to humiliate me unused."

Naruto nodded, for his throat felt too tight to speak. Of course he understood. He had to. But no matter how time-consuming it sometimes was to deal with his mail sent into a postal box on the other side of the area, at least now he had a permanent home, albeit only unofficially.

Kankuro continued massaging his shoulders and then kissed his neck. "You can spend all the time you want in here. I just think it'd be better, at least for a few months, if you wouldn't stay the night more than four times a week. People start to notice things, you know, even in a city as big as this."

There it was again. The tightness that stopped all Naruto's movements from within and pressed him into an anxious statue made out of doubt.

He nodded in agreement again. What other choice did he have in the end?

Ever since Naruto came back from his visit to Kankuro, he had been beaming like the happiest person on earth. At first Gaara had thought nothing of it but when he saw Naruto bite his nails whenever he thought no one was around, he wondered if there was a reason for his hidden nervousness.

Now, however, they were standing in the middle of the main room. Gaara looked at his smiling friend suspiciously. There was no way he would agree to such a plan.

"Please, it'd be fun," Naruto pleaded in his friendly way.

To go to a bar between Christmas and New Year didn't sound like an ambitious plan, no matter that it was only because of celebrating his friend's new home.

"I don't know what I'd even wear," Gaara told, glancing at his slacks and dress shirt. In any hip place, he'd stand out like a sore thumb.

"Well you know, how about you wear that fishnet and the hoodie again?" Naruto suggested nonchalantly, reminding him about that one evening they'd accidentally met in that downtown bar.

Gaara hesitated. In his opinion, the fishnet was too revealing for a casual night out with his friend. But when he noticed the tight shirt Naruto planned on wearing, he realized he would have to look 'trendy', too, no matter how much he detested such social obligation.

In a not-too-awful bar, Gaara and Naruto sat on high bar stools and leaned on the counter.

Naruto had stuck a tiny cocktail umbrella behind his ear while fiddling another one between his fingers.

"You should've seen the place. It was so roomy and elegant and expensive," Naruto told about his visit to Kankuro's new place.

Gaara stared at his drink, "Sounds nice."

"Yeah, doesn't it," Naruto replied but his voice had a hollow tinge to it. He tossed the tiny umbrella to the counter and sipped his drink.

"Is everything alright?" Gaara asked.

"Better than ever," the blond said but this time he didn't smile. Even though his voice was happy, something was missing.

Instead of pursuing the subject further, Gaara glanced around the place. A few people had tried to make their way towards him throughout the night but always in those occasions Naruto's hand had found its way on his shoulder while the blond spoke something in his ear.

It wasn't that loud in here. He would've heard just fine from half a meter away.

But in a way Gaara was thankful. He wasn't in a mood for any new acquaintances and in his fishnet shirt that peeked from under his half-zipped hoodie, he felt naked to some level. But Naruto had encouraged him to wear it, telling him he looked fine and that in this outfit he would blend in to the crowd seamlessly.

And it hadn't been a lie, Gaara had to admit.

When he lifted his gaze to his silent friend, he caught blue eyes staring at him rather openly. Naruto's instant smile was more luminous than the lamps above them and rather amusedly the blond stuck that abandoned little umbrella behind Gaara's ear.

"It suits you," the blond laughed kindly.

"We are pathetic," Gaara sighed but couldn't erase amusement from his voice.

"Yeah, that might be true," Naruto chuckled and ordered another one, "But at least we're in this together."

Gaara raised his glass, "To your new home and better life."

"Cheers," Naruto said but his smile was tight and humorless. His azure eyes were serious for no apparent reason.

Gaara wondered if there was something he was left out of.

On their way home they crossed the river. On the cobblestone bridge, Gaara halted and gazed down at the frozen water. A sensation of sadness pushed itself into his heart.

Maybe it was those two drinks he had consumed, or the sight of the river that was infamous for offering a quick way to end one's life. As he squeezed the tiny cocktail umbrella in his pocket, thoughts of his nonexistent future slithered to his head like thieves and robbed him of the last bits of happiness he had managed to keep.

"A penny for your thoughts," Naruto said softly.

When did he step up so close?

Gaara fiddled the small umbrella in his pocket, probing its fragility. Naruto had given this to him and he didn't have the heart to snap it in two.

"My ex-wife was an alcoholic," Gaara found himself telling, "And maybe that's why I'm not so keen on going to bars."

"I understand. I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable," the blond apologized.

"It wasn't that bad when you were there."

When had he become this soft around people, around Naruto especially? He tried to glare in order to fix his reputation but the heartwarming smile on his friend's face erased all his attempts.

Damned Uzumaki and his ways.

"I haven't heard you mention your ex-wife much, or your parents," Naruto pointed out boldly, but without any trace of nosiness.

Gaara gazed at the snowy mass of ice blocking his world from the watery one below.

What was there to say about Tsunade, that mature woman who had never really earned his family's trust for reasons so many Gaara could write a book of them. With the looks of his mother and with the habits of his father, Tsunade had been a mixture of rebellion and safety that was sure to get Gaara hooked before he realized his mistake.

"I don't really keep in touch with my parents. They're problematic," Gaara explained. Naruto seemed to understand.

"And my ex-wife wasn't an easier case, either."

Mute―that's what she had made him. That's what mom and dad made him, each in their own way.

Defeated and mute and appetite-less. Someone who didn't say no. Someone who didn't say yes either but it was alright because the lack of 'no' was really a silent 'yes', wasn't it?

And he couldn't help but wonder if he would've ever entered such a relationship in the first place if the environment he grew up in hadn't been so thoroughly oppressing. At the age of eighteen he had moved out, at first to live with his sister but soon carrying his scarce belongings under the same roof with the woman who had been bold enough to approach him on his way to school six months prior.

While tremendously better than living with his parents, sharing an apartment with his wife had not been a picnic, either. Time after time, he had been fooled by her groundless promises of a brighter future that always waited just behind the next corner.

In the first months of their odd relationship he had been cultivating silly hopes that secretly, Tsunade was his long-lost mother and that the family he had grown up with was just a horrible, horrible mix-up.

But of course, her kindness had not been because of that.

Gaara tore his gaze away from the frozen river. Suddenly he was feeling the freeze again, the chill in his bones that might be born from something else entirely than the current weather.

"My dad thinks he's the wisest man in the world, and mom never corrects him," Gaara said.

"I know the type," Naruto replied with a hint of sadness in his voice. "How did your parents take your marriage?"

"As long as I was marrying a woman, they didn't mind," Gaara said, and then laughed bitterly, "And we all know now how well that turned out."

Naruto considered this for a moment. "Sometimes parents only mean their best, but end up doing the opposite."

"Dad hit us when he was drunk. Mom looked the other way. It's hard to see how they thought it would be good for us," Gaara said accusingly.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea," the blond said and put an arm around the redhead. Gaara swatted the hand away.

"That's why I don't like conflicts or speaking up my mind. And that's why my brother has developed a habit of lying, because most of the times it saved us all from lots of trouble," Gaara explained, still angry. The look in his eyes was so chilling it could freeze air.

But Naruto stepped closer again and glomped him, his warmth melting the freezing tone from Gaara's expression.

"No matter what your parents are like, you're a wonderful person, Gaara. And your brother is, too," Naruto assured.

"I… I can say the same about you," the redhead admitted and swallowed hard. He pushed Naruto away and turned his back on him. He so much more preferred the wintry chill that kissed his skin until it turned numb. Naruto's energy was doing the exact opposite, and he was not sure if he liked that.

This time, the blond kept his distance and Gaara shivered comfortably when the freeze slowly erased all traces of Naruto from his skin.

When the wintry chill became too much to endure, they started walking again. Gaara, accustomed to numerous layers of his usual protective clothing, now shivered in his trendy attire. Not even his woolen coat could shield him from the freeze.

As a solution Naruto's hand was suddenly around him, rubbing his arm in order to warm him up. He let him do it, for now. Thankfully not many people were around to misunderstand their close proximity. Then again, maybe it wasn't about what people thought but how cozy it made Gaara feel.

This felt natural. More natural than any relationship he had ever had.

With a sharp glare, Gaara broke free from the one-arm hug and pushed his hands deeper into his pockets. He'd rather freeze than to… than to allow such irrational thoughts sprout into his mind.

And come April and spring, he would definitely live up to his earlier, currently postponed plans concerning this damned river.

It was December 31st and a small crowd of people had gathered in Kankuro's new quarters to celebrate New Year.

As far as Naruto knew, that brown haired man called Kiba Inuzuka was not only one of Kankuro's friends but his new boss, too. A silent, tall man next to him was Shino if he remembered correctly, and the calm-looking woman with two buns on top of her head was Tenten, a legal consultant who also worked in the same company as the other three men.

And then there was Gaara, of course, standing in the corner and reading the room.

And of course he, Naruto, was introduced to everyone as 'Gaara's friend'. He and Kankuro were not to exchange any signs of physical or emotional attraction.

The eight other people Kankuro had invited he didn't know and quite frankly, he wasn't feeling like getting to know them either.

From what he had been able to read between the lines, Gaara and his brother didn't really get along. Because of that it was strange why the redhead had agreed to join this little party. Naruto kept his distance to everybody, smiling politely whenever someone looked at his way but on the inside, he wished he was somewhere else.

Now that he lived here―even though it would only be three or four days per week―his undercover lover wouldn't be gifting him with stacks of money each time he left the place. Being alive was expensive in every way and he missed the weight of dollar stacks in his pocket. But thinking on the bright side, being able to stay here was a gift generous enough, wasn't it?

That bun-headed woman was keeping her eyes on Kankuro, laughing at his feeble jokes and pouring more champagne to him whenever his glass threatened to turn empty. Kankuro didn't seem to mind. Of course Naruto knew it was just a part of keeping up the appearances but even so, he couldn't chase away the little sting of jealousy in his heart.

When midnight drew closer, Naruto's mood grew more and more anxious.

Another year was about to end and what lay ahead scared him.

People started gathering in the living room to count down the last minutes of the year. Everyone was cheery and he felt excluded from the joyous atmosphere. Kankuro was all smiles, Tenten standing near him to no one's surprise. Kiba and Shino had their glasses risen and Gaara… Where was Gaara?

But the weight on Naruto's shoulders forced him to leave, and so he slipped out of the room without anyone noticing.

He made his way to the darkened guest room and closed the door behind him.

After a few calm breaths, he was starting to feel better. Maybe he would pull through whatever life had in store for him.

Behind his back, the door opened soundlessly. For the short moment it was open, he could hear the happy chatter of other guests. To see Gaara walking to him was a pleasant surprise.

"What are you doing in here all by yourself?"

"I just needed a moment alone," Naruto explained.

"Do you want me to go?" the redhead asked, already about to turn around and leave the room.

"Don't go," the blond pleaded hastily.

There was no doubt that Mr. Sabaku was a handsome man. In the darkened room, his ivory skin glowed in the moonlight that poured from the window. Those black-rimmed eyes of his looked too old and too numb for someone his age but every now and then, Naruto had witnessed an excited glint light up in there.

Those were precious moments.

The countdown had already begun and exuberant voices carried all the way to the guestroom, albeit faintly.

"30… 29… 28… 27…"

With a smile as mysterious as the moonlight surrounding them, Naruto looked at his friend and stroked his cheek with his thumb. Cold and smooth. Just like he had imagined.

"20… 19… 18…"

Gaara's eyes glinted in the dark and his skin was getting warmer. Naruto's smile mellowed into something serious. If only he could stop the clocks. He didn't want to move forward.

"15… 14… 13…"

Naruto pulled his friend into a hug, his fingers finding their way into the red hair and taking in its softness. He knew he should be out there celebrating with his secret boyfriend instead of hiding in the dark, holding his friend in his arms with unexplainable desperation.

"3… 2… 1… Happy new year!" the voices yelled happily in the distance.

"Happy new year," Naruto whispered in his friend's ear. His fingers smoothed down those red locks and before letting go, he stopped by his ear to say something more. But the words died in his throat and the only message he was able to forward was a slight brush of his lips against the hot skin on Gaara's cheek.

As it dawned on Naruto how close he'd allowed himself to go, touching his hair and face like that, panic started to climb up on him. First it got to his knees, making them wobbly and then it quickly traveled upwards to his heart.

Before any idea of fleeing the situation could be put into action, Gaara's soft gasp nailed Naruto in place. It flew through Gaara's mouth and gave Naruto's skin a quick, fleeting caress as it passed. Air turned into cement in Naruto's lungs and he couldn't breathe. All he could respond with was another sensual twitch of his fingers that were buried tightly in the red hair. And then his dry lips brushed against Gaara's warm cheek.

"Naruto…" His voice was barely threatening, the sharp edge gone this time, yet the demand of explanation surely echoed in there.

Naruto let go of his hair, of him altogether, and didn't know what to say.

"Hey," he then grinned joyfully, his face smiling while his heart shivered in fear, "Happy new year."

But Gaara saw through his barrier. "I would've gotten your well-wishes just fine, without you inviting yourself into my personal space like that." There was no mistaking the indignation in his tone.

Naruto's smile never dropped. "Well, what's a wish without a hug?"

"Just keep it to yourself. I don't want you shoving your way at me like that again," Gaara told, his words dripping coolness, yet it looked like the coolness was everywhere but at his cheeks.

Naruto's grin only grew wider, but Gaara didn't notice this, as he leaned against the windowsill and admired the nocturnal landscape. Fireworks lighted up the sky and their racket momentarily deafened all the other sounds away. They were beautiful but Naruto found it hard to concentrate on such a thing.

"When I was a kid, I was scared of fireworks," Naruto told.

"Are you afraid now, too?" Gaara asked.

"Yes. I am."

And by the time Gaara turned to look at his friend, Naruto was staring at some spot in the distance, his back turned to the explosions on the sky, and his face obscured from the light.

When they eventually returned to the crowd it looked like no one had noticed their absence.

Unsurprisingly, Tenten was following Kankuro around like a puppy. It annoyed Naruto but he couldn't show it in any way. He tried to exchange looks with his secret boyfriend to no avail. Kankuro just never happened to look at his way. The man was so good at keeping their relationship undercover that he started to wonder if a large part of it was in fact unintentional.

Does he even care about me, after all?

Gaara was the first to leave and instead of announcing his departure to everyone, he only shared it with Naruto. The two of them stood in the hallway alone. The blond watched as his friend put on his woolen coat and a warm scarf.

There was that mysterious glint in Gaara's eyes again. It made Naruto happy for reasons he didn't care to go through right now.

Hands in his pockets, Gaara looked at him softly. Or at least that was how Naruto interpreted that expression: it was kind, soft, friendly, caring… Or maybe he was overanalyzing it again.

"Happy new year," the redhead said and reached out to squeeze his hand.

It was not an official gesture like a handshake would be but something more personal and caring. Naruto squeezed his hand back and hesitated to let go. When it sounded like some other guests were coming their way, Naruto reluctantly withdrew his hand.

With a wordless nod, Gaara left but the sensation on Naruto's skin made it feel like he was still there.

On January 4th it felt duller than ever to be at work. After so many eventful vacation days with his friend, real life felt like a punishment.

Just this morning Kankuro had told him to find accommodation elsewhere for the upcoming two nights. With a confident smile, Naruto had nodded and kissed him goodbye before heading to the office.

Naruto clutched his chest. It hurt.

But after coming this far, showing weakness was not an option. The last thing he wanted was pity.

In the end, all he had to do was endure this arrangement for the upcoming year. If he could do that, they would be finally able to live normally together like any other couple he knew. Sure, their sex wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst either. He could live with that and the safe luxury Kankuro offered him.

Around six in the evening Naruto started to clean up his desk.

While packing his bag, he pondered his options. Hooking up with a one-night stand in exchange for accommodation was out of question this time, as it felt like cheating on his boyfriend.

Naruto sighed at the word. Were he and Kankuro really boyfriends?

If he was honest with himself, their mutual arrangement didn't feel like that of a proper relationship. But it was the best he could have in a situation like this.

"Working late again, Uzumaki?"

"G-Gaara?" Naruto breathed as the man suddenly stood there next to his cubicle. Mr. Sabaku's office-self was a striking contrast to the man he had seen during their holiday.

"I was just about to leave," Naruto told and zipped up his duffel bag.

The redhead noticed his large bag and lifted a nonexistent brow in wonder, "Why are you carrying your belongings with you?"

Naruto swiped invisible dust away from the surface of his desk. "I'm not going home tonight."

"Why not?" Gaara asked, surprised.

"I don't go there every night," the blond explained and brushed past his co-worker. "It's safer that way."

"Yes, for him," Gaara's voice came coldly behind his back. Naruto stopped.

"Look, it's alright for me. He's in a tough situation right now."

But it seemed his reasoning didn't convince Mr. Sabaku.

"Where are you going to go tonight?" Gaara asked.

For some reason, Naruto felt slightly irritated by their conversation. He hadn't liked the accusing tone Gaara had used when talking about his brother.

"I'll find a place," the blond said a little more angrily than he had intended. Feeling already bad because of it, he slowed down his steps and looked apologetically at his friend. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so angry."

But Gaara didn't seem to mind about it, as he only looked at him with a concerned expression.

"Let's go," the redhead said quietly and walked past him, expecting him to follow.

A strange, bubbly feeling started to spread on Naruto's heart. A stupid, honest grin took over his face and with lightness in his steps, he ran after his friend.

Ramen cooked by Naruto was put in a large bowl in front of Gaara. That was a ridiculous amount of food. He couldn't possibly eat that much.

As he was about to point that out, Naruto had already sat down at the table and begun wolfing down his share. With a defeated sigh, Gaara dug into his meal.

Albeit reluctantly, his blond friend told him about the terms that concerned him living at Kankuro's place. No matter how cheerful Naruto tried to mask himself into, there was a certain amount of sadness in his eyes that didn't go unnoticed by Gaara.

When Naruto had finished his usual round of housework―despite Gaara's continuous remarks of quitting such fuss―the blond plopped down on the floor next to the redhead who was currently reading a book.

"If you want I can iron your shirts," Naruto said.

"For god's sake Naruto," Gaara sighed and snapped his book shut. "Stop it already. Rest while you're here."

"You always keep saying that," the blond huffed.

"Yes. Because you look more tired than you should," the redhead told and opened his book again.

"Aww come on," Naruto cooed playfully, "Out of the two of us, I'm not the one with dark rings around my eyes."

Even though he tried his best, this time Gaara couldn't master up his trademark glare. "During the holidays I slept alright. There's nothing wrong with my eyes, either."

"I didn't mean there was. Your eyes are―" Naruto stopped abruptly and swallowed back the words. "Your eyes look rested. And while I was here I slept well, too so you don't have to worry about me."

Gaara glanced at his friend softly, momentarily letting go of his accustomed shield of impassiveness. No matter that he had indeed slept better with another soul in here, with his friend occupying the hollow spot right next to him, he would never admit such a thing to Naruto.

"Hey Gaara."

He was so very close to him again, and Gaara ignored his presence completely. This time, he would not be fazed.

"Do you want me to sleep in the closet, next to you?"

Gaara's gaze stopped on the page of his book. Just to give an impression he was still reading, he moved his eyes, not really seeing the words. He didn't need much to remember the way Naruto's warm hand had hooked him in place to rest over his heart. He didn't need that. He didn't want that.

"I don't think it's something Kankuro would approve of," Gaara only replied.

But unlike he had expected, there was no drop in Naruto's mood. Instead, the blond touched his shoulder and rubbed it absentmindedly.

"He wouldn't mind. We're friends, and there's nothing wrong with that."

Gaara leaned away from his touch. He accidentally dropped his book and quickly picked it up, not sure if he was on the right page but not really caring. He was getting irritated again. It was not fair, nor was it alright in any way, that his blond friend had such an influence on his moods. Like a clever fisherman, Naruto could pull reactions out of him that were better left under the surface.

Gaara closed his eyes in hopes of escaping his confusion. He felt heat radiating on his other side, and he was certain the stubborn blond had leaned closer. When he opened his eyes, Naruto was not nearer but going through his phone in an absentminded manner. A flicker of disappointment swirled in his guts.

This was stupid.

Gaara gritted his teeth, ready to get up and escape the room. But then Naruto's warm hand was on his shoulder again, stealthily sliding down his back until it hooked around his waist, pulling him closer.

"You look damn tired, Gaara. You should go to bed. And me, too. You know how curious those gossipers will be at work if we both show up at the same time in the morning, looking like we hadn't slept a blink."

"Such idiotic assumptions couldn't be further from the truth," Gaara snapped and pushed Naruto away.

It was one thing letting Naruto lure a blush to his face, but letting him put images in his head was a thing he wouldn't allow. He was tired of Naruto planting him into these embarrassing situations, for it always looked like the blond had the upper hand and Gaara was just a helpless test subject. Naruto was such a horrible, terrible bully. No matter how much he wrapped it into a packet of cheery sun-like friendliness, he was still a bully. And Gaara was about to grab his lunchbox and give him some metal.

With a fleeting touch Gaara brushed his fingers against Naruto's bare leg―the goof was lounging around once again in his boxers and T-shirt, how else. Attention was instantly drawn and Gaara had to stifle his snort when he saw the honest surprise swirling in those azure eyes that were staring at him, unblinking.

"You know, maybe we should stay up all night and… give them something to talk about," Gaara said quietly, tracing the spine of his book with feigned innocence. He bit the inside of his cheek in order not to burst out laughing and ruining it all.

This was stupid. And he had to remind himself again why he was taking part in something like this in the first place.

Between his fingers he twiddled the ribbon that was attached to the spine, serving as a bookmark. He bit his lip like he was hesitant and then―as a final blow―lifted up his pleading gaze to meet the bewilderment sparkling in those navy pools.

Naruto was staring at him, his eyes attentive yet at the same time it looked like he was not seeing him at all. His lips were parted, and the skin on his arms and legs was covered in goose bumps and the little hair he had there, was standing up like someone had breathed against his skin.

Naruto looked like a complete dork.

And Gaara finally let out an unrestrained chuckle, his smirk growing to unforeseen depths. Heat flooded to Naruto's face and he pulled his legs closer, like he had been exposed in a way he hadn't expected. He looked absolutely disgruntled.

Gaara smacked him on the head with his book and got up.

"Now go to bed. It's getting late."

The blond was rubbing his sore scalp and staring at him like he had just stolen his lunch money.

Feeling better than in a long time, Gaara stretched and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

Hushed chattering carried from the coffee machine thanks to his idiotic co-workers who couldn't keep it down. Their annoying gossip moment was momentarily cut off when one moron ran out of the office and slammed the door shut.

Gaara muttered in frustration as his concentration was interrupted time after time.

Now even grouchier than normally, he stood up and made his way to the nerve center that was the cause of this annoying ruckus.

Almost all of his colleagues had gathered around Ino who stood in the middle, proudly showing her phone to everyone willing to see. And boy, did his co-workers seem curious. Gaara glared at the fools and made his way closer.

"Oi Gaara," Ino called snootily, "I bet you want to see this."

Glaring at the obnoxious woman, Gaara lowered his gaze to her phone screen. What he saw in there was certainly something he hadn't been expecting.

"What the…?"

Ino grinned at him mischievously, "It's him, alright. Wouldn't have believed of him, would you?"

It was a picture of a very naked Naruto, spreading his legs to the camera and offering a view of his puckered hole and lengthy erection.

"Quite a view, isn't it?" Ino smirked, studying his facial expression way too interestedly.

Gaara tore his gaze away from the picture and scanned around the room. The only one missing was Naruto.

"Shit..." he cursed under his breath as he realized the person who had left the office with such hurry had to be the blond.

Without saying a word to anyone, he quickly fetched his bag and ran after his friend.

Those fricking idiots!

The image haunted his thoughts as he hurried along the streets to catch up with his friend. No wonder if Naruto had left in a rush. Even though it wasn't any of his business, he wondered what the source of that picture was. Wiping Naruto's seductive pose out of his mind was easier said than done, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was something he did with Kankuro.

Chasing away his unnecessary ponderings, Gaara fastened his pace. He found Naruto at the train station, sitting on a bench and crying.

"Naruto," he called, out of breath.

His friend's reddened eyes noticed him and instantly shame washed over him.

Gaara sat down and put a protective arm around him. "Are you alright?" he asked even though he knew he wasn't.

"I can't go back in there," Naruto sniffed in desperation. "My life is ruined."

The redhead squeezed his shoulder compassionately and wiped away a tear that was running down on Naruto's cheek.

"Let's go home," Gaara told and called a taxi for them.

At Gaara's apartment, Naruto lay down on the bed and curled up into a ball. After brief hesitation, Gaara decided to settle next to him. This was, after all, how his friend had comforted him way back when he had been in a state of emotional turmoil.

"I'm sure everything will turn out better. Ino will get a notice for sure," Gaara said and gazed reassuringly into the saddest blue he had ever seen.

"It's not about her. It was bound to come up in a way or another. It was just a matter of time," Naruto cried and wiped his eyes.

Anger flared inside Gaara every time he thought about the cruelty of his co-workers. How could they do something like that to a friendly person like Naruto?

"It was in my last year of college," the blond suddenly explained. "My parents had kicked me out and I was living in my friend's garage at the time. I had two jobs already but I desperately needed more money. Since there just weren't enough hours in a day, I couldn't take a third one. That led me looking for a quick way to earn money."

Gaara caressed his arm tenderly, and absentmindedly wiped away tears that threatened to pool in the corner of Naruto's eyes.

The blond sniffed before continuing, "I ended up selling pictures of myself. Sometimes I video chatted but I tried to avoid it. I was frightened of where it might lead but even so it felt safer behind the screen than actually meeting with those people and letting them have their way with me."

"It was not your fault," Gaara knew, "And I understand you."

Naruto's crying grew louder and he squeezed the redhead's shirt, as if he was the only part of his life that made sense, anymore. With uttermost care, Gaara traced his thumb over the whiskered cheek to dry his tears.

"It'll be alright, I promise. And you'll always have my support."

He smoothed down Naruto's blond hair and marveled at the texture. It was coarser than his, yet still on the softer side. When another set of tears welled up in his blue eyes, Gaara wiped them away with his fingers.

Naruto leaned against his chest, hiding his head under his chin and seeking for comfort. His silent sobs began again and Gaara protectively entwined an arm around him. In the end he wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, maybe an hour or two.

Time seemed to stop, the city around them vanished, and for once even his neighbors were quiet.

In his opinion, Naruto was the friendliest and most unselfish person he had ever met, and the most co-operative employee their shabby office had seen so far. To think how unfairly he had been treated made blood boil in Gaara's veins. Why was it that those who were already leading difficult lives, were dragged down at every possible point?

One thing was sure though. Justice would prevail, even if a little bit of help was needed.

Around bedtime Gaara realized an unfortunate fact.

Both of his protective pajamas were in the hamper. Briefly he thought of digging them up until he recalled the soiled state he had left them in.

In defeat, he opted for a pair of boxers and a T-shirt which was a little too tight and a little too short for his liking. But given how his friend constantly strolled around in a similar outfit, he most likely wouldn't stand out in a bad way.

And just as he had guessed, Naruto didn't seem to notice anything different in him but only lounged on the bed, going through his phone. A little relieved, Gaara sat down on the bed, too.

Naruto put his phone away and moved closer to the wall, granting Gaara a wider space to sleep on. The redhead lay down and soon after a warm blanket was thrown over his underclad body.

But even warmer than the blanket was Naruto's whole being which radiated cozy hotness all over him. He was definitely like the sun, bright and warm and vital.

Vital?

Gaara recoiled at his thoughts. What he had meant was that Naruto was the most precious person one could think of, with his sunny attitude and altruistic way of thinking. And the thought of someone hurting him made him unimaginably angry.

Rudolf the lamp stood in the corner of the room, even after it was past Christmas. When his friend had moved into Kankuro's place around New Year, Gaara had asked him to take the hideous piece of decoration with him.

The blond had only smiled and told him it was something that wouldn't suit in the brunet's decorative style.

Oh really?

And thus the tacky thing had remained here, reminding him of the eternal-like vacation days they had spent together. In retrospect, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing, after all.

"I'll make sure Ino gets a warning or hopefully something worse," Gaara muttered and caressed Naruto's whiskered cheek comfortingly. But it looked like his words didn't bring the solace he had hoped.

"She's the manager's daughter. If someone's going to get in trouble, it'll be me," Naruto knew.

"Nonsense. That wouldn't be right," Gaara told.

"I know. But that's the way it is, I'm afraid. While I appreciate your concern and support, I wish you'd let me handle this on my own way, if that's okay?" the blond said quietly like he was apologizing.

It was hard for him to agree, but eventually Gaara nodded and let out a frustrated sigh. Even though his friend wasn't crying at the moment, he still traced his thumb along the underside of his eye, as if drying nonexistent tears. And while he knew he was certainly not the best person to console others, he wondered how his brother would've done the job.

As far as he knew, Naruto hadn't contacted his boyfriend tonight and told him about the crisis. And the lingering doubt in the back of his mind told him he never might. It wasn't any of his business, but he had noticed a certain distance between Naruto and Kankuro.

And while he really shouldn't concern himself with it, he couldn't wipe away the thought that their relationship didn't look like that of the most balanced. His brother had the upper hand when it came to financial stability, and for some reason Naruto willingly followed the absurd rules that had been made up.

No matter what his friend's reasons were to stay in that relationship, Gaara decided he would do his best to be a great friend for Naruto.

When the blond closed his eyes with a sigh and pressed his head against his chest, seeking for comfort no doubt, Gaara felt his heart jump at the sudden proximity. With shaking hand he smoothed down the blond locks and tried to massage his scalp in the same, calming way Naruto had done many, many times.

They were friends.

And he was going to be the best goddamned friend Naruto had ever had.

Nobody could take that away from him—not Ino, or the rest of their meaningless colleagues, or Kankuro.

Under the blanket, Naruto's hot hand rested on his side and thanks to the thinness of his shirt, he could feel him radiating all over his skin. Naruto slid his hand to his backside and Gaara's shirt rolled up a bit and exposed his skin to nothing in particular.

Nothing was touching his exposed skin, yet the closeness of Naruto was somehow detectable in every part of his body.

He missed his protective pajamas but even without them, he was feeling warm, hot. Maybe Naruto was getting fever again, or maybe it was just him?

And when the whiny snores eventually began, Gaara kept on holding his precious friend in his arms. Even though there was no actual reason for the awkwardness he was currently feeling, he couldn't let go of it.

Thought after another swirled in his head throughout the night, and even though he had slept surprisingly well during Christmas, in the next morning he couldn't say he had rested well.

When Naruto pointed it out at breakfast, Gaara was too tired to even glare.

Even though he was his best friend, he wasn't about to tell him what images in particular had kept him awake last night.

Three days after the incident, Naruto and Gaara were having lunch together.

Ino had not gotten out of it without a warning, and before Naruto had even had a chance to ask Gaara about this, it turned out that Lee from marketing had made a complaint against her.

But that was not what the gossip of the day was about.

Sure, the uncensored image of Naruto wouldn't fade away from the minds of their colleagues anytime soon, and the idea of Ino getting an actual scolding from the management was definitely something that had never happened before. But these things aside, there was something even juicier going on that was now on everyone's lips.

"You don't happen to know anything about it?" Naruto asked casually, but in his dark blue eyes there was a slightly disappointed look.

"Me? No. How would I?" Gaara only replied, catching a slice of tomato with a sharp poke of his fork.

Naruto didn't look convinced. With a strange mixture of resentment and amusement, he put the straw between his lips and slowly sucked his juice.

"Well, whoever was the mastermind behind it, I just want to say it was not the right thing to do," Naruto pointed out like a reasonable adult he was, but the twitch of a smile on his lips betrayed him.

"Of course it wasn't right. It was downright horrible," Gaara admitted calmly.

"Ino told someone put laxative on her smoothie," Naruto repeated the thing he had heard at the copy room. "But the others say it was more likely that it was her coffee that was… altered."

"Those two things don't necessarily exclude each other."

An impish glint lighted up in Naruto's eyes. "Are you saying someone put laxative to both on her smoothie and her coffee?"

"I'm not saying anything. I'm just giving a logical approach to this gossip you brought up in the first place," Gaara only said and sounded a bit hurt. But the way he quickly averted his gaze made Naruto wonder.

"She's pretty down about what happened next. They said she got a week-long extra holiday just because. I guess being the manager's daughter has its perks," Naruto mused wryly.

"I can imagine that shitting one's skirt in front of a conference room full of new customers can be pretty embarrassing," the redhead admitted stoically.

"That's a goddamned dirty trick," Naruto said accusingly, until he continued with a more casual, almost humorous tone, "Whoever did it, I mean."

"Yeah. It's strange how no one's ratted out anyone by now. Maybe they're all just so sick of her," Gaara wondered aloud and placed his fork and knife at five o'clock to signal he had finished eating.

A/N: About the lunchbox and metal (metal referring to the material of the lunchbox, not to a gun or anything, for god's sake). I got the idea/image from Marilyn Manson's song "Lunchbox" which is one of my favorite songs.

The next chapter is going to be a bit… uhm… restless.