M-D13: So, I just love how I haven't even gotten a single review for this, but at least 30 hits. ^_^ I'm going to update even if you all want to shoot me for it. I really don't care. But, you know, if you read it ... couldn't you at least REVIEW it? Please? ._. ; I'm not begging for 10 reviews until I update, but at least ONE would be nice Dx

You can even tell me I suck =D I'll take that, too.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this story that is mentioned throughout this chapter or the following; all rights go to the respective creator, same thing as always, yadda yadda yadda ...

... Pein's obviously still on vacation ...

Chapter 2: Between You and Me

Gaara sighed as he pulled himself onto Naruto's flimsy roof (it seemed everything in his house was), hoping the entire time that it wouldn't collapse in on him (the coat rack below him had already met its demise, sadly enough). Already it had become dark out, as winter often did to the earlier times, and only trace amounts of stars were visible among the cloudy night sky. The moon was hidden halfway behind a stretched cloud and the wind whipped hard pellets of snow and ice into his face. It stung his cheeks, turning them red, but Gaara ignored the bitter cold and the pain.

Still, it was silent up there save the occasional howl of the wind—but that was okay, because silence was what Gaara needed right now.

'It's stupid,' He thought bitterly to himself, eyes absently watching a snowflake fixedly as it fell to the dirt street below him. 'It was a stupid idea to come here in the first place…'

Idly, his hand moved up to grip at his chest from underneath the thick dark-red material of the cloak he wore. The more thought about it, about him, the more he hurt… yet his continued to wander back to that pale face with the dark onyx eyes … Gaara shuddered at the thought and shook his head. He couldn't get that boy out of his head—

"Aren't you cold, Gaara-kun?"

The redhead's shoulders seemed to jump slightly, surprised, as he craned his head around. Who bothered to come up here? Better yet, who even noticed he had left?

"Sai …"Gaara mused detachedly, watching the black-haired boy pull himself completely onto the roof. Of all the people in the room, Sai had somehow noticed him leave. It came more so as a surprise that is was Sai specifically (he would've been less surprised even if Sakura had been the one coming up onto the roof); the two boys had never spoken so much as a word to the other. "What are you doing up here?"

The artist just smiled. "I followed you," He said simply. "I remember reading in one of my books awhile ago—"

'Again with the books…' Gaara thought sourly, face in a slight scowl. Sai didn't notice.

"—and it mentioned that if one of my friends left somewhere—"

Gaara cocked his head at that one, 'Since when was I his friend? We've barely even spoken…'

"—without telling anyone, I should follow them to assure his safety," Sai explained, still smiling in that manner that had become trademark to him. He was oblivious that Gaara was making a commentary of him inside his head. Even now, the boy was pondering what sort of books the artist liked to read, seeing as almost any human interaction that was explainable was found in some sort of book that Sai had read. Did people honestly just sit there and record things like this for people like Sai? One had to wonder.

The Kazekage frowned, pushed his thoughts aside, and then turned around so he was facing Sai. "Thank you," He murmured to be polite, "However … I'm fine," Gaara mumbled quietly, bitterly, hoping that the other boy would just leave him alone. He had no such luck as Sai sat down beside him in a cross-legged position, idly resting his hands on his knees.

"I myself," Sai started idly, raising an eyebrow, "am a very good liar." He looked up to the sky with his mind seemingly elsewhere for a moment before he continued, "You're troubled by something, I can see right through you." The black-haired male looked back at Gaara, onyx eyes clashing with blue-green. He smiled gently, meaning no harm, and Gaara stared at him in unhidden surprise. However, he had to admit it—Sai was smart. With all the experience that Sai had with lying himself, it was no wonder that he could, as Kakashi often preached, "see through deception" with ease.

"Well … I …" Gaara broke the gaze to look down at the silent, unmoving street below as he unintentionally trailed off. Frowning, he dug for the thought and how to phrase it. It was exactly the most easily explainable problem, seeing as the young Kazekage didn't even understand fully himself …

"Hard to explain?" Sai assessed after the silence he received from the other boy.

Gaara turned to glare at him. "Stay out of my head," he murmured, although somehow the "threat" sounded amused. Sai smiled softly again at the boy, and then the awkward and thoughtful silence returned.

It seemed like a long time before the silence was finally broken yet again. "I …" Gaara tried to start again, "I'm just … confused." Sai listened attentively, with undivided attention (probably something he had learned from another book); he didn't speak or interrupt, he simply watched, listened, and understood what few words the Kazekage spoke. "I … don't exactly understand it myself…" He mused, furrowing his brows (or lack there of?), "It's … weird." The red haired boy brought his blue-green eyes up to the sky, staring absently at the slowly appearing moon. "I'm not sure how to explain it."

Sai cocked his head. "Well, explain it in parts, then," he said simply, and offered that same smile he had given before.

"Well …"Gaara trailed off again, and glanced to Sai to make sure that the boy wasn't getting irritated at the slow rate of explanation. He wasn't—he was smiling still (he seemed to always, though—at least nowadays it was pure and meaningful), waiting patiently. Urged on by the sincerity, Gaara attempted to think even further, trying harder to dissect the problem. Even though Sai and he had barely even spoken, bare an exchange of a few words now and then, Gaara found himself telling (or, beginning to, at this rate) him about something that was so personal he had barely told himself. "I … think … It's Sasuke," Gaara finally murmured out.

Sai looked thoughtful, "Oh, the asshole?"

"He's not an asshole!" Gaara suddenly snapped, quickly standing up and glaring down at the other boy. Sai blinked in surprise, looking genuinely confused. It took a moment before the Kazekage realized what he had just done, "Ah …" He turned a bright red, "I … Sorry," he slowly sat back down, his bangs hiding his face as he hung his head slightly, ashamed—how could he lose his temper so easily … over something so trivial? "I … don't know why I … why I did that…"

Sai's face had returned to one of impassive features, before he smiled gently again, nodding, silently saying the boy was forgiven. "Actually, it helped." Gaara looked up in surprise, but before he could say anything, Sai continued, smiling. "I understand the problem, now," he replied to nothing, seemingly unaffected by the sudden anger of the usually quiet boy beside him.

"You … understand?" Gaara mimicked, looking curious. How had Sai figured out the problem when Gaara didn't even understand it himself?

Sai smiled a little wider, and nodded, "I'm pretty positive I do." He paused for a moment, and then pointed idly to the boy, "However, may I ask you a question or two? This way I can be sure."

"Uh, sure. Fire away," Gaara mumbled, still in shock. Deep down, he was hiding excitement—he was finally getting an answer soon.

"When you're around Sasuke-kun," Sai started, and Gaara couldn't help but take note of the "-kun" attachment—probably to prevent the redhead from yelling at him again… "How do you feel?" Gaara snapped out of his thoughts just in time to hear the question,

Confusion was evident on the redhead's features, but he replied anyway, "Well … I … I feel weird, almost like I'm … I'm sick or something." He looked down, avoiding eye contact, "I can't talk to him with…without stuttering, and my face gets hot … but, what's weirder is … when he's with Naruto, or … Sakura even, I … I feel jealous for some reason …" He trailed off. "I don't understand why, though..."

'I believe I do …' Sai thought to himself for a moment before responding, "Does your stomach feel fluttery if you're near him?" Sai pressed, but he already knew the answer. It was a given, if the other boy was really what Sai thought he was.

"Yes!" Gaara replied quickly, looking almost excited, Sai noted. "Yes, that's how it feels!"

Sai simply smiled calmly, "Well then … it seems my assumption was correct."

"What assumption?" Gaara pushed, suddenly looking nervous and curious at the same time. Was he sick? Was he messed up in the head? "What's wrong with me?" Sai shook his head, and chuckled lightly, as if warning off those sorts of thoughts. He then brought his onyx eyes back to Gaara's, and offered a gentle smile,

"You're in love with him."

With those words, it felt like the world crashed down all over Gaara's head. Shocked, Gaara covered his mouth with a trembling hand, speechless as he ran over the information in his head. Love … He … was what? With Sasuke?!

"… Or at least you have a crush on him, anyways," Sai continued idly, musing to himself, looking upwards in thought. "Love is quite a strong word."

Gaara had stopped listening.

M-D13: Another short chapter, I know, I'm sorry, burn me at the stake if you want ._. Too tired to care right now.

READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!!!

Thank you~

By the way ... Reviews make me update faster -nudge nudge- HAHAHA like you really want me to xD