A/N: Thanks for your reviews, as always. Time for a little story progression I think. This chapter takes a pretty big leap in terms of development between Naruto and Gaara so I hope you do enjoy it. Let me know what you thought after reading the A/N at the end.

Thanks in advance!

Warnings: Strong language, sexual scenes

Breaking The Shell

"Alright, Naruto," the now braless Tenten said with a smirk. "Boxers come off!"

Gaara was staring intently now, not bothering to pretend he was engrossed in his manga anymore. No one was paying him attention anyway, so why go to the effort of being stealthy? He knew perfectly well the details of this game and what it might lead to- Tenten's exposed breasts were evidence of that- but Naruto seemed to be doing so well he never considered this moment would come.

The redhead was far more interested in seeing what was under those boxers than he should have been. That may be weird for a gay, hormonal teenager to say but- always claiming to be asexual- his interest in most things of that nature was lacking. But there was something about Naruto. He'd figured that out a while ago. Seeing the blonde's exposed body had sparked something inside Gaara and he couldn't ignore the occasional twitch of his own member in response. Seeing Naruto naked was very much at the forefront of his mind.

So he watched anxiously as the slightly blushing blonde climbed to his feet with a shy smile and hooked his thumbs under his waistband- hesitating for a moment.

"C'mon, Naruto!" Kiba yelled, "It's not like I haven't seen it before!"

"Same here," Sasuke added.

"I've seen it a number of times." Ino chimed in.

"Those were all by accident!" Naruto snapped, his blush deepening. "Showing it by accident and doing it on purpose are different, ya know!"

"Well I ain't seen it," Tenten said, that smirk still crossing her lips. "and I'm waiting so hurry up!"

"I gotta admit," Shikamaru interjected, with more awakeness than he'd shown all night. "now I'm interested in what you're packing."

"You're all damn perverts!" Naruto shouted, pushing the shorts down a little to reveal more of the perfect 'V' of his pelvic bone. Gaara was completely entranced now, his eyes focused on the offending waistband as he prepared to drink in the sight as best as possible. "Back me up here, Gaara!"

"Wha-?!" The redhead stumbled as his name was called suddenly, crying out as he leaned too far on one side and rolled right off the edge of the bed. "Shit!" He groaned as his body slammed into the floor and his head smacked against his bedside cabinet roughly. Gaara's head was filled with pain at the knock and his level of embarrassment was at an all-time high. As though to add insult to injury…his manga fell and landed right of his face.

"Gaara!" He heard Naruto yell in shock, before footsteps told him the blonde was rushing over to his aid. Just what he needed…attention drawn to his stupid stunt. "You okay?" His roommate asked, picking the manga off Gaara's face.

"F-fine," Gaara mumbled grumpily, coming face-to-face with the kneeling blonde's groin. He glared at the bulge angrily, as though blaming it for his fall. All interest and adoration for it had gone, now Gaara hated it for making him look stupid. "I heard you say my name and it made me jump, that's all."

"Made you jump? More like made you fuckin' shoot off like a rocket!" Kiba yelled, laughing hysterically at the whole situation. Gaara shot him a hateful glare through Naruto's legs. As if this whole thing wasn't bad enough now he had a moron mocking him too.

"Shut up, Kiba!" Naruto snapped back, silencing the brunette before turning back to inspect the blushing redhead. "You sure you're okay, Gaara?" He asked softly as he helped the smaller boy into a sitting position. Instantly, Gaara lifted a hand to rub the back of his sore head while cursing under his breath. It really did hurt.

"Yeah, just knocked my head is all." He lied, not wanting any fuss to be made. He just wanted everyone- including himself- to forget this whole thing ever happened. He had never embarrassed himself like this before and it was a horrible feeling.

…

Gaara froze.

The feeling of Naruto's warm and gentle fingers running through his hair shocked Gaara into stillness. Naruto's hand was bigger and far warmer than his own so he allowed his to drop to his side in order to give his roommate better access. Naruto was caressing his scalp beneath the hair, fingers rubbing tender circles along the surface as he continued searching the mass of red hair. Eventually, the blonde's gentle search led him straight to the site of injury. Gaara hissed under his breath and, instantly, Naruto's touch lightened as he carefully pressed against it with those wonderfully skilled fingers.

"Ah, starting to get a bump there." He whispered in that beautifully soft tone of voice. It sent shivers and tingles throughout Gaara's body. "And it feels like a small cut or graze too. There's a really tiny amount of blood." The redhead looked up in confusion, gazing into the face of his cursed roommate with curiosity. It wasn't the nature of his injury that had him confused. It was Naruto himself. Naruto was staring down at him with an expression Gaara couldn't quite put his finger on. His eyes seemed caring and gentle and his lips were slightly stretched into a comforting smile. He looked beautiful like that. That expression, that voice and the artificial light of the room making his bronze skin glisten. This moment felt…almost intimate to Gaara. "Come here."

"W-wait!" Gaara choked out as he was lifted up by those strong arms, the biceps tensing slightly, before being placed down on the bed carefully. He lied there, staring at Naruto still.

"I'm gonna go get you an icepack before that bump swells too much." Naruto said in the same soft voice, ruffling the top of Gaara's hair gently. No one had ever ruffled Gaara's hair before- except with the intent to annoy him. It was…actually rather nice.

"You don't have to," the redhead began. "I just knocked my head." He felt like a helpless child whose pathetic excuse of an injury was being tended to just to humor him.

"He's right, Naruto. It's just a bump, he'll be fine." Kiba chimed in from the middle of the room, chuckling slightly still. Gaara would have shot him another glare if he didn't agree with the brunette. Who had ever heard of being so tender and gentle just because someone had bumped their head?

"I don't care, I'm getting one anyway." The teen said determinedly in defiance, heading straight over to the kitchen area.

There was a silent pause of awkwardness in the room. No one quite knew what to say. The whole mood had shifted so suddenly. Just moments ago, Naruto had been calling them all perverts whilst they waited for him to strip naked and now the blonde was tending to a minor injury that someone outside their little group had sustained as though it were something serious. The awkwardness was almost painful. Finally, the blonde girl, Ino, got up with a knowing smile on her pretty face.

"It's been a long night and I'm sure poor Gaara has a headache now so everyone get dressed and let's go." She said, glancing at Naruto's back as he searched the freezer. Gaara noticed that there was something about this girl…like she was all-knowing or something. It was actually kind of creepy. But she was right- his head was throbbing with pain and he doubted he could handle any loud noises right now. This was worse than any hangover.

"Well, see ya tomorrow!" Kiba called to Naruto as he pulled on his clothes and stumbled over to the door. Yup, loud noises really were painful. Gaara glared one final time at the brunette for being so damn stupid before he left the room. One by one, the teenagers all said their goodbyes before filing out the dorm. The last one to leave was Ino, who stopped on her way out and glanced between Naruto and Gaara briefly, before finally leaving. Now they were alone. And, just like that, things felt even more awkward than before.

"Here you go- knew there was one somewhere." The blonde said with a triumphant smile as he headed back over to the bed with an icepack in hand. "Guess they expect us to injure ourselves or something, huh?"

"I guess," Gaara added unhelpfully, not knowing if he could really cope with an awkward silence right now. He didn't understand why his roommate was being so nice to him. Comforting him when he had a panic attack could be passed off due to the fact few people would just ignore that but this was…It was obvious Naruto was kind and caring but this was going above and beyond necessary. Surely a kind person would just ask if he was okay and then leave it at that.

"Head up," Naruto commanded softly. That tone of voice was odd too. Gaara had never heard anyone use that kind of tone with him before. He had heard parents use it when their children were hurt or upset- but he didn't have parents. He had heard children use it when they were sleepy- but he didn't have children. He had heard lovers use it out of affection but…Gaara wasn't loved like that. Either way, he couldn't help but obey, almost as though he were caught in a trance.

Once his head was raised, Naruto sat down behind his head and gently placed the icepack on the forming bump. Gaara hissed out at the slight sting but quickly calmed once he felt Naruto tracing his fingers along his arm soothingly. That touch was so strong but so gentle. It was comforting…something Gaara had never felt.

"You don't have to go to all this trouble for me." He mumbled, glancing up at the blonde's face. The slightly hurt look that crossed his roommate only added to his confusion. What was wrong?

"Helping you isn't trouble, Gaara." Naruto said firmly, staring deep into his eyes. "You need to value yourself more."

"But it's just a bump."

"But it hurts, right?"

"Well…y-yeah."

"Then I'm helping to make it hurt less." Naruto said, pressing the icepack closer to the bump but still with the same tenderness as before. Gaara couldn't help but sigh out as the sting eased. To his surprise, the combined feeling of pain relief, the gentle caress of his arm and the soothing warmth of Naruto's body heat were actually making him relax so much that his eyelids were starting to flutter close. He was starting to drift.

'Now isn't the time.' Gaara inwardly warned, trying to fight the feeling of sudden tiredness. That was until he felt Naruto press closer to him so that Gaara's cheek was pressed against his lower stomach and the icepack was shifted into a more comfortable position. Gaara glanced up at Naruto's smiling face curiously.

"It's okay. Just go to sleep and I'll stay here until the swelling goes down." That soft, gentle voice made it impossible to argue. Pretty soon, despite his confusion and conflict, Gaara found himself drifting off…

As per his usual routine, Gaara awoke half way through the night and glanced around the room worriedly. Every time his eyes opened he panicked- afraid something horrifying might lie on the other side of his eyelids. But, to his surprise, the room was illuminated to the point that he could see everything. His bedside lamp wasn't on; instead the main lights were on. Why did Naruto forget to turn them off? It seemed odd.

However, Gaara's question was quickly answered by the gentle snores that he recognised to be his roommate's.

'He must've fallen asleep.' He concluded amusedly. 'Wait…' Naruto had fallen asleep…in his bed.

Gaara lifted his head, discovering that his 'pillow' had actually been the blonde's warm abdomen all along. Looking up, Gaara saw that Naruto had fallen asleep in his seated position, back pressed up against the headboard and his head hanging to one side. The blonde's lips were parted to allow those soft snores to sound out and his face looked…heavenly. The tattooed boy couldn't help but watch for a moment as Naruto's strong chest rose and fell with each snore in a soothing rhythm.

The icepack had been dropped at some point and the arm it had been at the end of was now wrapped around Gaara's frame protectively. Smiling slightly, the still sleepy redhead couldn't help but drop his tough front for a moment. Because, at that moment, he realised something incredible. Something he had only guessed since the previous night. Naruto made him feel safe. At this point in the night, once Gaara had awoken, whether he had a panic attack or not he always had to get out of bed and go for a walk until morning. He could never relax enough to get back to sleep. But here he was, held within Naruto's strong arms and pressed against the blonde's body in an almost possessive hold. It didn't matter that it was night, it didn't matter that Naruto was asleep therefore unable to protect him. All that mattered was that Gaara felt truly safe there.

'Loveable idiot.' He thought suddenly as he allowed his head to fall back onto Naruto's stomach. He nuzzled the man's abs briefly in an attempt to get comfortable before closing his eyes. There was just something about Naruto Uzumaki that broke through Gaara's shell. Up until now, Gaara didn't even know it was a shell, he thought that was just who he was. Incapable of love, carrying a hatred of affection and human touch, always wary and untrusting of others…that was Gaara. But here he was, snuggling up to someone he had only known a few days and feeling oddly calm and comfortable. He could blame it on his tiredness but he knew the truth.

'I'm not as cold and empty as I thought…' That was his final thought before, for the first time, he drifted back off to sleep in the middle of the night.

"Why'd you pull me away from the game?" Naruto whined. "I was totally winning! What's the deal, Ino?"

"We need to talk." The woman said simply once they were in a private spot away from the basketball game. The last thing she wanted was an angry Kiba interrupting them and demanding his teammate back or a curious Sasuke spying on them.

"What about? What did I do wrong?" Naruto asked worriedly, taking a slight step back as horror spread over his face. Ino couldn't help but roll her eyes, grasping the man's top and yanking him closer again.

"Nothing. We need to talk about Gaara." She whispered in his ear, in that sort of way that made all the boys' knees go weak- including Naruto's. They would never cross the line of friendship but man did she turn Naruto on sometimes. She sometimes did it deliberately just to tease the poor guy.

"G-Gaara? What about him?" He asked curiously, pulling away from her seductive lips for the sake of sanity. "What's up?"

"I know you're oblivious, Naruto. But last night made something very clear to me." Ino said, staring at her friend's confused face with sympathy. "Why do you want to befriend Gaara so much?"

"What do you mean? The guy doesn't have any friends; I wanna make sure he isn't lonely."

"I don't believe that anymore, Naruto. That may be true but it's not the whole truth. Now talk." She said firmly, knowing she'd get the answer she wanted one way or another. Naruto had never kept any secrets from her before and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now. Ino knew he wasn't keeping the truth secret on purpose, he just needed a push to realise it.

"I dunno…"

"Let's start with yesterday then, shall we?" The woman said, watching Naruto closely for any change in expression. So far, nothing. "When you were helping Gaara, what was going through your mind?"

"Well, I…I just sorta…was worried about him." Naruto mumbled, staring at his own feet as he tried to remember. "I wanted to make sure he was looked after 'cause…well I don't think he's ever been looked after before. And when he fell asleep while I was looking after him, I was really happy that he'd felt comfortable enough to relax around me and I couldn't help but wanna…l-look after him and keep him safe."

"Right…" Ino said, listening to every word intently. For now she'd just let him talk as much as he wanted and then try and add everything up. It was the best way after all.

"Before I knew it I fell asleep on the bed with him, guess I just couldn't stay awake. B-but when I woke up in the morning, Gaara was still there cuddled up to me and he looked so peaceful. It was the first time he's still been in the room when I've woken up. Normally he leaves 'cause he can't sleep but he actually slept all night with me and that…that made me feel special and helpful and…needed." Naruto started to blush while talking. He would never dare say this kind of stuff to anyone but Ino because of how weird and stupid it sounded. "I've never felt like that before…like I'm actually needed and important. When he woke up I thought he'd be grumpy or angry with me but instead he was alright and thanked me for helping him. Then I went for my jog and…I couldn't stop thinking about it."

"I see…" Ino began, starting to understand the situation. It sort of made sense to her, the rest she could take a stab at. "So Gaara's never had someone look after and care for him like that before and you've never felt like you're looking after and care was needed. So, naturally, it all fit together. You made him feel safe and cared for and he made you feel needed and important. Makes sense."

"Yeah," Naruto said with a slight smile, glad Ino didn't misinterpret his words.

"So you see him like a brother?" And with that, Naruto's smile faded and a gentle blush rose on his cheeks as he looked away. That pretty much told Ino all she had to know. "When you see Gaara, what goes through your head?"

"Well…whenever I see him I just wanna make him feel like he doesn't have to be so defensive and cut off and that he can let loose and be himself. I just wanna look after him and make him feel safe and worth something. I wanna make him feel…"

"Loved?" Ino finished for him, watching as embarrassment and horror consumed the young man.

"Y-yeah, but not in that way!" He snapped hurriedly. "I j-just mean I wanna make him feel like someone cares about him, I don't mean it in a…in that sort of way. I wanna be his best friend!"

"I get the picture." The woman assured him, giggling slightly at how flustered and worked up her friend was getting over the conversation. It was cute in an endearing way. This was the side of Naruto which made him different from Kiba and the side Ino thought deserved to be appreciated by someone. "That's all I wanted to know. You can get back to your game." She said nonchalantly, waving a hand as she started heading off- leaving the poor guy in deep thought. "Oh, and Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Gaara does appreciate you, he's just not used to it." She said with a smile, leaving Naruto alone once more. Ino had done her bit for now, feeling rather damn pleased with herself. And Naruto…he couldn't help but smile slightly…

Naruto greeted his roommate happily as he wandered into their shared room, glad to see the redhead look up from his manga to respond. Gaara was reclining on his bed, reading the same manga from the night before.

"What have you been doing?" Gaara asked him, observing the hot and sweaty blonde with a towel draped over his shoulders. Naruto looked soaked.

"We had a little basketball competition today," Naruto said with a grin, heading over to the tattooed teen. "I totally won!"

"Good for you," Gaara muttered indifferently, eyes glancing back down at the page open in front of him. That lack of enthusiasm earned a pout from the exhausted and proud blonde.

"So…this any good?" Naruto asked curiously, looking over the redhead's shoulder to get a look.

"Kind of bland and one-dimensional but it's good enough to pass the time." Gaara grumbled, glancing at the sweaty man beside him. "You going out tonight?"

"Nah, thought I'd have a quiet night in with you!"

"Lucky me," Gaara spat sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Gee, thanks." The blonde muttered, not letting it get him down. He remembered what Ino had said earlier so Gaara's attitude didn't affect him anymore. He was damn optimistic about the whole thing. "You're having a shower before anything else. You stink." The redhead said bluntly, earning a scowl from his roommate.

"Fine, if you say so." Naruto mumbled with a mischievous smirk. "Be back in a sec!" He shouted, throwing his sweat-covered towel right at Gaara's face before sprinting off to the bathroom as fast as he could manage. He practically burst into laughter at the scream of 'Bastard!' calling after him and locked the door with a triumphant grin. Breaking Gaara's shell was gonna be damn fun, that was for sure!

Seeing Naruto exit the bathroom did nothing to help Gaara's predicament. Seeing that toned, gorgeous body covered in droplets of water, his blonde spikes framing his face from dampness and nothing but a towel covering that cursed bulge had the redhead cursing life itself for being so damn unfair. Naruto was just amazing in every way.

"All done!" The blonde announced proudly, spreading his arms out for inspection, those biceps bulging and tensing with each movement.

"Good, at least the smell is gone." Gaara said, dragging his eyes away from that perfect body to focus on his manga again. With Naruto's body constantly on display, there was no way he was ever going to finish the stupid story. He could have easily finished the night before if it wasn't for his damn accident! Still, despite his curses, his teal eyes soon found themselves focused on his roommate once more as Naruto crossed the room and crouched down by his dresser to search for clean clothes.

Gaara watched intently as the muscles of the blonde's back, dusted with the occasional droplet of water from his hair, tensed with each movement. He followed one of those droplets with his gaze right down until it hit the low-hanging towel around his waist. The very top of the idiot's backside was peeking out of the towel, teasing Gaara cruelly.

"Aha!" Naruto said happily, obviously finding whatever clothes he had been looking for. Gaara's eyes practically bulged out of his skull once that towel was dropped right there to reveal two perfect, toned ass cheeks to the world…and something visible dangling between…Instantly, Gaara's eyes were forcibly torn away from the sight and back to his manga until he was sure Naruto was fully clothed. The temptation to take a look at his roommate naked was damn strong but…he resisted somehow. He hadn't seen anything in detail and he was proud of himself. Though somewhat disappointed…"So…how do ya wanna kill time?" The blonde asked, completely oblivious to the perverted thoughts of the tattooed boy.

Gaara was going to hell…

The two of them spent the night chatting about this and that, nothing really important. It was mostly small talk with a good deal of jokes, playful insults and challenges of intelligence until they were both ready for an early night. Tomorrow was Sunday- the last day before courses began- so there was a lot to do to prepare. The more sleep they got the better, even if just to get into the routine necessary for the term ahead.

This time they stuck to their own beds and, secretly, they both missed the others company. They both had different reasons for missing the closeness they had shared but the mutual feeling of loss was still there…

With the previous night just a memory, they returned to old routines. Gaara would awake during the night and leave the room…and Naruto…well…

"P-please…Naruto!" His lover moaned once more as he thrust deeper in passion and longing. He was desperate for release and the person beneath him was the only current means of getting it. So tight and hot and good…it was perfect.

"Almost there, baby." He moaned lowly in their ear, almost like a growl, as he started increasing the roughness and speed of his thrusts- pumping his cock deeper inside them.

His faceless, nameless lover always pleased him in his dreams- usually taking the form of a random girl whose appearance changed each dream. But this time was different…this time the form his lover took wasn't random at all.

"Naruto!"

"It's coming, baby."

"Ugh…"

"G-Gaara!"

A/N: Well, there you have it. A lot of progression happened between the two of them, as I'm sure you'll agree. It's becoming clear they both have something the other needs emotionally and…Naruto's having dirty dreams about his roommate? But he's straight! :O

Anyway, I know many of you were hoping for the boxers to come off this chapter but come on guys. Wouldn't you rather Naruto's manhood was beautifully described during an intimate scene with our favourite redhead? Think about it…

That and I'm a major tease!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Leave a review to let me know your thoughts!