Turmoil and Manipulation:
The sun shone brightly on the village as the Konoha Shinobi went about their daily business.
A depressed Sasuke walked down the street heading towards Gaara's office as was pretty usual by now.
He walked inside without so much as looking at Gaara. "Yo."
Gaara looked up from his desk and watched Sasuke questioningly. "What's wrong with you?"
Sasuke let out a heavy sigh and sat down on the couch, slouching forward with his head bowed. "Nothing. I'm perfectly fine," he replied staring at the floor.
Gaara looked at Sasuke with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah-huh. Cause you look perfectly fine."
"Shut up. There's nothing wrong with me."
"Whatever. What did you come here for then?"
"Uh...," Sasuke stuttered before letting out another sigh as he sat up and laid down on couch. "Damn it."
"Hmm...so there is something wrong?"
"Is it that obvious?" Sasuke moaned.
"Yeah, especially since it's been about 30 seconds since you've been here and you haven't even bothered to hit on me yet."
"You're hot."
"...I didn't mean that I wanted you to."
Sasuke gave no reply.
"Well..."
"Well...what?"
"Oh, so you just came here to sleep on the couch?"
"Maybe."
Gaara, realizing that Sasuke wasn't in the mood to cooperate, hit Sasuke across the head with his sand. "Am I going to have to play 20 questions again?"
"Ow! Would you stop doing that! Last time you played 20 questions with me you didn't like the answer."
"True...but that's irrelevant right now."
"Fine...," Sasuke replied in a slightly annoyed tone as his eyes shifted suspiciously around the room. "It...it's about Itachi."
"Itachi? Isn't that your older brother? I thought you were trying to kill him?"
"I am, but this has little to do with that."
"Ok, then what does it have to do with?"
Sasuke let out another depressed sigh. "He found out about me and Naruto."
"And...," Gaara motioned for him to continue, knowing there was far more to the story.
"And he won't let it go!"
Gaara waited patiently for Sasuke to continue.
"He keeps taunting me every chance he gets. "Haha, no wonder your so week.", "That explains so much.", "You really aren't even worth killing.", "No wonder you don't have enough hatred to kill me.", and the list goes on." Sasuke continued, mumbling curses at his brother. "Stupid freakin'...older brother...damn him..I'll freakin' kill his ass..damn it...stupid nail polish wearing Atkatsuki freak...thinks he's so damn cooler then me...stupid ass...tch..."
"Ehem..." Gaara cleared his throat trying to bring Sasuke's attention back. Noticing that it didn't work Gaara again hit Sasuke across the head. "Back to reality please."
"Ow! I told you to stop doing that! I'm sorry... he just pisses me off."
"...I can see that."
"Stupid Itachi. What the hell makes him so much better then me?" Sasuke mumbled before sitting up and facing Gaara. "Do you and Kankuro ever fight?"
"Huh? Me and Kankuro?" Gaara paused as he looked off to the side. "Um...our fights end quickly...heh heh..."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, my siblings have always been afraid of me so...I just had to glare at them and they'd back off immeadiately and start apologizing fifty thousand times."
"But...isn't that a little different now?"
"Yeah, they don't fear me like they used to. Kankuro will actually fight me, but either I win, it's a tie or...Temari intervenes. Either way it's never lasted more then 3 minutes and...we keep having to fix our house."
"To stop both you and Kankuro, is Temari that strong? Wait...why do you have to keep fixing the house? The fights are that bad?"
"Yeah...usually they get pretty out of hand. Um...just a couple weeks ago Kankuro couldn't find his face paint so I helped him look for it and accedentally mistook Temari's make up for his. She found out and got pretty mad. It ended with the house practically in rubble, Kankuro unconscious on top of the smashed coffee table and me hiding behind the little remaining furniture protecting myself with sand as she screamed "You're damn lucky you have that sand Gaara or I'd knock you unconscious too!" and then she made me and Kankuro fix the house."
"Wow...um...why didn't you just fight back with sand?"
"It was taking all my chakara just to hold her back. Temari can be rather frightening when she wants to be."
"And...all that happened in three minutes or less?"
"Yeah...compact sand, high speed winds and explosive poisoned puppets don't mix well."
There was a small period of silence before Gaara unexpectedly hit Sasuke twice across the head.
"Ow! What the hell?! What was that for?!"
"...You've been asking far too many questions and I've been letting you get away with it but...I changed my mind." Gaara replied simply, hitting Sasuke twice again.
"Ow!..."
There was another small moment of silence. Sasuke, who had been pretty much staring at Gaara the whole time suddenly turned away as he began to blush.
"...What?" Gaara asked, noticing this strange action.
"Oh...nothing I just...haven't seen you in awhile I just...forgot how um...beautiful you are..."
"...Why do I bother with you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well you certainly do put forth the effort I'll give you that."
Sasuke turned to face Gaara again looking up at him with hopeful eyes. "Does that mean your considering it?"
"...It? No." Gaara stated, hitting Sasuke again.
"Ow! ...Please..."
"No." Gaara said continuing to hit him after each response.
"Ow! ...Can't I just-"
"No."
Sasuke was hit with another blow to the head. "Ow! Just a little-"
"No." Gaara replied sternly, hitting Sasuke for the third time within the minute.
"Ow! And after we spent that night together. Did that mean nothing to you?"
"That night? Geese Sasuke, you make it sound like we actually did something."
"Didn't we?" Sasuke asked as a small smirk crept across his face.
"No." Gaara replied, hitting Sasuke yet again.
"Ow! Really, I remember a quite vivid-"
"I already told you all you did was rest on my shoulder cause you were acting like a pathetic crying child." Gaara explained as he hit Sasuke...again.
"Then how come I remember us-" Sasuke continued but was soon cut off by another blow to the head.
"That, was in your dream."
"Well, if it was just my dream, then how would you know?"
"You talk in your sleep."
"What? I do?"
"...yes."
"Hmm...well that would explain why I remember you-" Again, Sasuke was cut off by a smack across the head.
"Sasuke."
"Ow! what?! Stop hitting me!"
"I heard all about your twisted fantasy while you were sleeping. I do NOT need a recap."
"Well, for you to remember it must mean that-" Sasuke began but was interrupted by another hit.
"I never said I remembered it. I said I remembered hearing it through you talking in your sleep and I don't wish to be reminded of the details." Gaara explained.
"Hmph. Not even one last kiss?"
"No." Gaara replied, hitting Sasuke again.
"Ow! Please..."
"No." Gaara continued, hitting Sasuke yet again. "You've already kissed me, twice directly on the lips, and that was quite enough thank you." And with that he hit Sasuke with another block of sand.
"Yeah but...that was against your will and I ..." Sasuke stammered as he began to blush. "I just ...wondered what it'd be like if you...kissed me back."
"Are you asking me if I'm a good kisser?"
"Well...I guess but...I wanted to know for myself. I want to know what you-" And he was again interrupted by a woosh of sand hitting him across the head.
"You really are pathetic you know that?"
"...Ow...," Sasuke moped as he bowed his head down.
"...You really want to know what it's like to kiss me?" Gaara asked suddenly.
"...Y...yeah..." Sasuke blushed, looking up at Gaara with hope-filled eyes.
Gaara then casually walked over to Sasuke and leaned in close, only centimeters away from Sasuke's face.
Sasuke, began to blush even more.
"Ask Hinata." Gaara replied bluntly, hitting Sasuke again as he turned to walk away.
"Ow! wha- Gaara...that's not what I meant." Sasuke replied angrily, blush fading.
"To bad. It's as close as you'll ever get."
"But...that's not fair...it's like torture. You're teasing me."
"Your point being...?"
"You're cruel."
"Meh. Yeah, I guess I am."
"What about a hug?"
"No." Gaara sighed becoming increasingly annoyed with Sasuke.
"Can't I-" Sasuke was stopped mid sentence by another pound of Gaara's sand hitting his head.
"Sasuke."
"Ow...but..." Sasuke pouted looking of to the side.
"Sasuke, look at me."
Sasuke paused for a few moments and then turned and looked at Gaara.
"Good. Now are you listening, cause I'm about to tell you something very important and I want you to remember it well."
Sasuke said nothing, look of dissappointment in his eyes.
"Okay, watch my lips."
Again Sasuke gave no reply.
"I. Am. Not. Gay."
"...But..."
"Okay, repeat after me: Gaara is not gay."
There was a short moment of silence before Sasuke looked away, obediently repeating the sentence. "Gaara is not gay."
"He will never be gay."
"...He will never be gay."
"I will not hit on him."
Again there was a small silence before Sasuke repeated the words. "I will not hit on him..."
"Good. Now let's review: Am I gay?"
"...Not yet." Sasuke smirked.
Gaara just stood there glaring at Sasuke, un-amused.
"...What?"
"... Forget it. This is pointless. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"
"No..." Sasuke replied hesitantly, as he looked off to the side.
"Oh, yes there is."
"Well forget it. I'm not telling you now."
"Oh, so now you're mad at me?
Sasuke gave no comment.
"Hmm...I wonder..."
"Tch. Nothing you say or do will make a difference. You missed your chance to find out. I might have told you but not now."
"Hmm..." Gaara's face bore a small smirk as he appeared in front of Sasuke. "Ok, I'll tell you what. I might let you kiss me if you tell me what you're hiding."
"Hmph...I can't be bribed that easily. Especially for just a might."
"Ok, fine, you can kiss me then. But you have to tell me first."
"...Hmph"
"Ok then, if that's how it is..." Gaara sighed as he crouched down in front of Sasuke and whispered something in his ear.
Sasuke's eyes began to widen as he looked up at Gaara surprisingly. "Wha- really?"
Gaara noded, letting out another sigh. "But first...you have to tell me..."
"...Well...uh...there's a little more to it then just Itachi finding out about me and Naruto..."
"Is there now?"
"Well...I uh...also found out that he's also..."
"...Your brother's gay too! What is this an Uchiha family trait?!"
"Shut up! The point is...he...tried to take Naruto from me..." Sasuke, continued as his eyes shifted around the room.
"Yeah...but isn't that because he wants the nine taile-"
"That's not the only reason."
"Yes but Naruto wouldn't leave you for your brother..."
"Yeah but well...he's better at everything then I am and I'm afraid that..."
"...You've got to be kidding me? That's what your depressed about? Tch. For all you know it could be the one thing your actually better at."
Sasuke paused for a moment and looked up at Gaara. "G...Gaara...that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me..."
"Yeah, yeah, lets not get carried away."
Sasuke then suddenly jumped from the couch wrapping his arms around Gaara's neck causing them both to stumble on to the floor.
"Woah! Hey! Yeah, I get it Sasuke. Your welcome." Gaara shouted, pushing Sasuke off of him.
"But...why are you pushing me away...? You still have to give me your side of this deal." Sasuke noted as he began to move closer to Gaara.
Gaara stood up and quickly brushed the dust off his cloths. "Hmmm? What? I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Like hell you don't! I told you what was wrong now pay up your side!" Sasuke shouted, standing up from the floor.
"Sorry. I still don't know what you're talking about." Gaara replied casually as he began to walk back to his desk.
"What?! Don't you walk away from me! Gaara you promised."
"Heh...I did no such thing."
"That's not fair!"
"It's not my fault you're manipulated so easily."
"Damn you! You played me!"
"So...It worked out in the end didn't it. You feel better now right?"
"No! It didn't work out! You didn't uphold your part of the deal!"
"Oh well. Not my problem."
"A shinobi never goes back on his word!"
"Tch. It seems your confusing me with Naruto."
"Damn it! Gaara!"
"I don't know what made you think I'd actually do that Sasuke but honestly, that's pretty naive."
"Shut up." Sasuke pouted turning around facing his back towards Gaara.
Gaara let out a simple sigh. "Mad at me again huh?"
Sasuke gave no comment as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Let me try to explain this. Ok, when you first kissed Naruto, when you first got together, what was his reaction?"
"... His reaction? Uh...he didn't respond for a couple seconds and then he kissed me back and..." Sasuke began as a smile crept across his face remembering the night he and Naruto got together. "Then we fell onto the bed and-"
"Okay. That's more then I needed to know." Gaara interrupted.
Sasuke remained silent.
"Alright. Now what was my reaction the first time you tried that? It was before you and Naruto."
"Um...you pushed me off and yelled at me." Sasuke replied as he turned to face Gaara again. "And that hurt by the way. Those were cement floors."
"Exactly my point. With Naruto he responded by accepting you and I responded by pushing you away. Why the difference? Because I'm. Not. Gay."
"So you're saying if you were then your response might have been the same as Naruto's?"
"Well no, I probably would have ...well...you were there when me and Hinata got together...but do you get it now?"
"...But it's not fair."
"But that's the way it is, so deal."
"Just one kiss...I swear I'll never ask for another-"
"No Sasuke."
Sasuke, refusing to give it up, appeared suddenly behind Gaara and placed a hand delicately on his shoulder leaning in close. "Please...You won't regret it..."
"Sasuke...remove your hand from my shoulder and stop trying to use that damn seductive tone of yours. All it's doing is pissing me off."
Sasuke chose to ignore Gaara's warning and began to kiss his neck and moving up to his cheek.
Gaara, loosing patience, slowly turned and glared at Sasuke again warning him to stop.
"Come on...you know you like it." Sasuke said seductively as he continued to lean in closer to Gaara. However he was soon stopped when Gaara hit him violently across the head.
"Ow!"
"For the 544'th time, no I do not!!"
"You can't even humor me." Sasuke pouted folding his arms.
"You haven't been taking your medication have you?"
"Wha-"
"I didn't prescribe those pills to you for no reason you know."
"But I ...well..."
"Take them."
Sasuke reluctantly walked back to couch and sat down looking depressed. "Why are you so mean to me?"
"I'm freaking Sabaku no Gaara. What, do you expect me to skip around the room handing out flowers singing love songs. It's not going to happen."
"...There's a vivid image." Sasuke replied in a low voice.
Gaara overheard Sasuke's comment and responded by hitting him across the head again.
"...Ow..."
"Okay. That's enough of this." Gaara sighed. "What really happened between you and Naruto?"
"...What...?" Sasuke stared blankly up at Gaara.
"Come on...something happened. You two got in a fight or something. I know of your inferiority complex but this is just ridiculous. Did you really expect me to believe all that Itachi bullshit?"
"...If I tell you will you-"
"...I might."
Sasuke paused for a few moments before letting out a deep sigh. "Well...Naruto...he...he..." Sasuke began but looked away, trying not to cry finding himself unable to finish the sentence.
"...Sasuke?" Gaara asked with concern as he walked over to Sasuke.
Sasuke couldn't hold it back anymore an began to cry, still finding the words he was trying to say stuck in his throat.
"Wow...so, it was that bad?"
Sasuke bent over the couch burying his face in his hands. "He...Naruto threatened to leave me!" he finally blurted out.
"Wha- oh come on now Sasuke. I'm sure he was just mad at you."
Sasuke only began to cry more.
"...Uh..."
"He...he went back to his apartment!"
"...So...you're not living together anymore...?"
Sasuke shook his head still sobbing.
"But...you're still together...?"
Sasuke nodded.
"...Geese Sasuke what'd you do?"
"I...he said it's cause I don't care about him enough and...that I'm not committed or...oh...I don't know...I don't remember all of it."
"All of it? What, did he have a whole novel written or something?"
"...Pretty much..."
"...Um...did you ever consider what he was trying to say...?"
"Of course I did! I...I'd do anything..."
"Then why do you hit on me?"
Sasuke stopped crying and looked up at Gaara. "...Huh?"
Gaara let out a sigh and sat down on the couch beside Sasuke. "Clearly he means a lot to you, so why do you hit on me?"
"I ...uh...because..."
"You know...that's probably a good part of why he's mad right?"
"...What are you saying?"
Gaara let out another sigh as he tried to explain. "Naruto probably doesn't understand why...Sasuke you obviously love him and I'm sure he knows that but if you hit on other people it's probably making him question it. If that's the case then he probably doesn't think your taking this seriously enough which is probably causing him to doubt your feelings and possibly his own as well."
"...G...Gaara...I didn't realize you were actually good at this job..."
"What?! What's that supposed to mean?!"
"...Well...uh...It's just..."
Becoming annoyed again, Gaara hit Sasuke across the head. "I wouldn't still be doing this if I wasn't good at it!"
"Ow...well yeah but...you've never given me advice like that before..."
"Yeah well...I guess there's more to me then just what you see."
"But...what do I do now?"
"Hell of I know. He's your boyfriend." Gaara shrugged.
Sasuke paused, bowing his head down again. "...I take it back..."
"Hmm? Take what back?" Gaara asked looking towards Sasuke.
"You're no help at all..."
Gaara stayed silent for a few moments before hitting Sasuke again.
"Ow! Would you stop hitting me damn it!"
"Hey, I'm aloud to have some fun with this."
Sasuke looked up, glaring at Gaara.
"...Is that supposed to scare me?"
Sasuke bowed his head back down. "...You're irritating."
" ...Heh...I'm irritating. You're the one to talk."
"Is it really proper for you to lower and/or use your patients self esteem to your own advantage?"
"...If you hate me that much then why are you still here?"
Sasuke gave no reply.
"Further more, why do you keep coming back?"
" ...Cause...I...you're..." Sasuke stuttered looking up from the ground.
"...Because you don't hate me 'that' much and I'm actually pretty good at this arn't I? Even if I don't exactly tell you step by step what you should do."
Sasuke, turned to look at Gaara.
"If I did that then...anything you did because of me would be meaningless. It's far more productive if I simply help you understand your mistakes. You're quite capable of coming up with a solution on your own. Also, if you do that, then, it will mean more to Naruto."
"...Then...you..."
"I always have a reason for the things I do Sasuke. I have my fun with it yeah but, it seems to work doesn't it?"
"...I...Uh...yeah..."Sasuke sighed as he stood up and began to walk towards the door. "So...I don't suppose that you're going to..."
"What? Oh, hell no. That was just to get you to tell me what was wrong."
"...Yeah...I figured. Um...Gaara?"
"...Yeah?"
"Uh...thanks."
"Yeah,...you're welcome. Oh, Sasuke, one more thing."
"...Hmm?"
"Take your medication."
Sasuke stopped and paused for a few minutes and then stomped out of the room slamming the door behind him.
"..."
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OMG!!! I'm done!!!! Gomen nasai!!!! I know it took me forever to get this chapter uploaded. But here it is. Chapter 8. It's done. Finnished. woo!
You know it's interesting that I didn't have Naruto make up with Sasuke by the end of the chapter like I usualy do but hey...gives you something to look forward too .
Naruto's on the verge of leaving Sasuke and Sasuke's having a mental breakdown and annoying the hell out of Gaara. Drama is in action. All is right with the world. lol.