Sorry about the delay. As always the most I can say is life is hectic. Been traveling almost an entire week to get home for the holidays with friends…and nothing went right…but was interesting! That is sure. I wont bore you with details but to make up for it I offer you this yummy bit of which I think is the longest I have yet to write in this story I have finally gotten time alone within myself alone in which to write….enjoy!

Green eyes stared into blue once more in a long silence. Naruto gulped naturally hearing himself and wondering what would happen to him for the first time sound of mind.

In front of him the towering redhead kept his face masked and eyes hardened, showing no more the joy he once had in them at the discovery of the music when he had seemed so child like and pleased with himself. It was like a total image change, and Naruto was the reason for it. He pondered this, Upset with himself more then anything now…he had hoped to gaze at Gaara just a little longer from afar while his brain struggled to work things out.

What was this pull towards him?

Naruto could not really deny such a thing existed…he would not be in such a position now if there had not been something tugging at him…a familiarity calling to him within Gaaraa and himself. Biting his lip he stared into those eyes unwavering. Did Gaara really want to hurt him? It seemed that was so.

Looking only a moment longer the blonde took enormous notice to the face his feet did not steady him, hanging several inches off the ground the grip tightened constricting around his neck like a serpent. Except a serpent didn't have claws, claws digging away at his skin. He could feel blood escaping beneath them…dripping and escaping farther down his neck. Gaara's eyes only reflected this honest truth growing wider with excitement a crazy sort of smile broke across his face, but flickered as the other did not seem affected in any way besides the blood.

Naruto stayed facing him, even as Gaara lowered him the rest of the way to the ground expecting him to freak out and run. He waited for it…Holding back the laughter that usually won at this point of going over the edge, but no. Still the young boy just watched, blinking up at him. Eyes full of sadness.

"Yeah…I know how that feels. I am sorry" All that the fox finally said before touching the wound, and bring his hand to his face to look upon it, evaluating the damage.

His eyes showed no anger…his face merely calm and his eyes kept their sadness. He did not look at him again mistrusting him. Or expecting him to jump at him again.

"Why are you here…" he heard his own voice break the silence which had developed around them, uncomfortable and stinging his fading memories of terror reawakening.

Images spilled through his sights. Lines of visions taking only the freshly painted sight of his room before he had left and the terror it had brought with it…the demon inside his head had seemed satisfied then…like any other time. Only now had he failed to please it, when Naruto wouldn't run away. Wouldn't show the slightest emotion when it came to him going over the edge but the sadness. Why those pitying eyes? Of all things…why pity him? Everyone feared him…if anything given to him during these times of isolations that was his one gift and all that mattered.

What made him so different?

Over the countless many that he had terrorized…wounded or made living just genuine hell Gaara could not understand, not even while his brain was working away searching for the answer itself. Running full throttle without him in his spacing out.

He knew how it feels? He couldn't possibly…there could be no other that could understand being the demon that tore your family apart. Unknowingly as it had been on his part. Just the same…no other in all the world could understand it. At least…that is what his inner self told him. The demon always per swaying him to hurt people rather then let them in…Closing his eyes he let his mind clear wondering if it was the same this time, the same as every time. The one person he had ever trusted had only betrayed him. He felt the other boy…felt his sapphire eyes burn as he watched him. Offering a sideways glance, acting as if he had not known he was still standing there- that he no longer cared if the boy stayed or go- lowering himself in one of the stage surrounding chairs to calm himself and escape into deeper thought. Discussion with himself...No not himself entirely. Himself wasn't the right word for it. Discussions with the demon...with…

Nartuo had been watching, but the more he watched the other boy the more he felt to be sorry for. It wasn't like him for pitying in the least, but he felt the others soul had seriously been slipping somewhere along the way. He knew that feeling…to loose to despair and yet it only made him that much more determined to understand.

Gaara turned to look at him, looking almost as if he had been snapped out of deep thought of something. Was it himself? Naruto was curious. But he couldn't just ask him about it either…

Something in those eyes green as emeralds earlier had reminded him very much of a killer. An unwillingness to understand or be understood. Maybe the madness of a dog thrown into it were most just could not understand. But then really what would he be dealing with if he were to ask these questions? Not really sure…Naruto ruffled the back of his hair with a weak smile not really ready to risk it.

"Hey" he started again, "Lets start over okay?"

Offering his hand in what he hoped to be a symbol of friendship even in Gaara's twisted mind he smiled wider, "My name is Naruto Uzimari! Just call me Naruto!"

The redhead did not accept the hand…but he did not exactly deny it right away either. Glancing at it a moment or two showing no emotion which Naruto figured was usual for him to be guarded of himself.

"Your name is Gaara right?"

No answer.

"The silent type? Hey cool man, I can respect that…"\\

Nothing to respond to yet again.

Naruto let a nervous laugh escape ruffling his hair yet again as those eyes turned to him shaded around them a mask of brilliant black rings.

"A Raccoon! That's what you remind me of with those dark circles…do you wear it like that for a reason?"

No answer again.

This guy was making him a little on edge. Gaara had tensed a bit more on his last comment but still gave no sign of an answer. Tough cracking the shell, huh? Well Naruto smiled, he was sure to be the one to do it.

Gathering his guitar from the back of the massive collection of interments, he noticed the redhead watching almost curiously. He shot a smile knowingly across his way. Despite lack of emotion in the eyes the transfer turned out pretty easy to read.

"Its mine…school was borrowing it for awhile, and I guess me as well" he let himself sound a little more confident. Nothing too bad, but he saw the sarcasm the other must have been feeling towards him with a slight smirk and a step to recoil.

Why would the school want him to do anything with a guitar no less? Played on the smirk making Naruto smirk silently to himself.

"Well I'll have you know the whole reason I came to this school." Not really like his adopted father had the money to send him, and with all else he loved the chance to brag. " Is music…I'm in a band smart one"

Gaara eyed the interment once more out of fascination, tilting his head in curiosity.

Naruto smirked once more at this, letting just the tiniest twisted corner of his mouth change his look drastically. No longer did he seem the naive child that Gaara pinned him as in his entry, but a bad boy with just the tiniest bit of mystery. Gaara almost could admit he was impressive having deceived his look so far to be harmless…but then again there was a problem with that, in Gaara had never admitted any living human could be impressive to him in any standard.

Well then…that was easy to fix one way or another. The simplest solution aroused itself as if it had always been there inside his mind, Well then…I will just have to kill him before I admit it...won't it?

A pleasure filled idea. Too bad it was too late in which to act upon it…

Upon snapping out of it Gaara would notice the blonde already half way up the steps heading higher up towards to door or more, stopping only to raise a hand in a quick goodbye.

"See you later Gaara…I don't know about you…but I'm late to class!" he shot off then without father explanation, not like he needed any.

And in pondering of the current situation the redhead paused for the first time to suddenly realize he felt cold that the other had left him before he had the chance to leave him. Nothing new. The cold had always been waiting, simply waiting. A long time friend which Gaara had come to rely on, now only painfully more obvious as the absence of the blonde youth which he had taken to calling "fox"

Gives a pretty good look once more into the mind of Gaara don't you think? I honestly creep myself out when writing about him, through him (in a good way). More to come as always!

Hope everyone is having a good year so far…And happy late new years!