Hm, I find it interesting how many of you reviewed my last chapter. I was wondering if anyone really cared about this story. Now, I've seen that you DO care. I'm sure most of you were not happy with the last chapter. Not just what happened but the length as well. I apologize. I promise this chapter will be longer. Not by much… It's just a little of a filler I suppose for the drama that shall happen in the next part.

Please, Enjoy.

Warning: We're looking at a significant time jump here. A year. Which means that Adrian has graduated and in college. A year after Kiba left him. We'll get into that. But I just want you guys to know that.

One Year Later

To lose the one thing you've ever loved takes a toll on you. It's true; Kiba leaving him had a huge effect on Adrian. It killed him inside. To the point where he didn't leave his room for almost three months. The only reason he left was because of Gaara. The redhead convinced him to leave. If it wasn't for Gaara and Naruto, Adrian wouldn't of even graduated high school.

For the past year, Adrian was not himself. Worse than before he met Kiba. He didn't speak. To anyone for that matter. Not even Gaara or Naruto for the first six or seven months. But the worst part was how much he let himself go. He didn't care about how he looked anymore. He let his mother do whatever she wanted with him.

Thing was, his mother didn't want to change him. For once in her life, she wanted to keep Adrian's look. Only because she knew deep down, it was the only thing he had left to hold on to. So when she would take him to the salon, she kept his hair style. She just didn't want his hair to grow out and look nasty.

The worst of it was how much Adrian attempted suicide. Within the first month after Kiba disappeared Adrian attempted atleast ten times. It scared his parents to the point that they had to keep him on suicide watch. Even now he's not left alone. Ever. Nor is he left near anything sharp.

Everyday people could see it in Adrian's eyes just how heart broken he was. But it wasn't just heart break. He was abandoned by someone who promised to never do so. Thus, he lost all faith and trust in humanity. He trusted no one. Not even Gaara or Naruto.

For the longest time, no one knew what was going on in Adrian's head. In fact, Adrian didn't even know what was going on in his head. It was blank. The less he thought the less he felt the urge to kill himself. Of course he was sent to a psychologist but Adrian didn't speak, so it didn't seem to be working.

But things seemed to be looking up. Occasionally Gaara or Naruto would get a smile out of Adrian. Naruto more so than Gaara but only when the blonde would do something stupid. Which was all the time. Getting a smile out of the boy was like fucking Christmas to his two best friends. And they would continue to try their best to get Adrian close to how he used to be. They knew he would never be the same, but they could atleast try to get him close.

A loud crash woke the two boys from their slumber. Gaara sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes and switching on the light. He looked at the door to see Naruto bent over, picking up the standing lamp he knocked over. The redhead shook his head, running a pale hand through his bright red hair.

The blonde grinned at his redheaded friend. "Sorry." He said softly.

"I just got him to sleep…" Gaara told him with a glare. But that glare softened when Adrian tugged on his arm, pointing at the clock. He blinked noticing it had actually been four hours since they fell asleep, curled together on Naruto's bed.

"Why are you guys on my bed?" The blonde asked, dropping his backpack on the floor by his dresser.

"You were supposed to be home at ten." Gaara told him, glancing at the raven haired boy beside him. Adrian buried his head in the pillow, curling farther into a ball.

"Sorry. Shika didn't show up so I had to take part of his shift until Chouji showed up." Naruto told him with a yawn.

"Oh." Gaara stretched, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, it's your turn to stay with him."

Naruto grinned, bouncing on his heels. "Yay!" He received a groan in return. The blonde blinked, staring at the lump under the covers. "What? You have a problem being left with me? Gaara has an early class before we leave tomorrow. You have no choice." He said with a huff.

Gaara resisted the urge to giggle. "He's love you and you know it, Naruto." He said as he moved to get out of the bed.

The blonde's grin was back. "He better love me."

Gaara rolled his aquamarine eyes. "He's your boyfriend, of course he does." The lump under the covers stiffened and a glare was sent to Gaara by two different people. The redhead blinked, glancing between them. "What? Am I wrong? You two can't hide things for me, it's not possible. Neji agrees with me too. It's obvious."

Adrian returned to hiding under the covers, leaving Naruto to explain to Gaara. The blonde sighed, averting his bright blue eyes to the floor. "We're not… officially together. It's just a trial thing."

"But exclusive, right?"

"I like to think so…"

Gaara kneeled on the bed and tugged the blanket off of Adrian's head. He was met with intense green eyes that he had become use to. That glare didn't work on him anymore. "Are you?" He asked seriously.

Adrian's glare disappeared and his eyes softened. A very faint blush came to his cheeks before he hid his head in the pillow.

Gaara smirked softly, placing the blanket back over his head. "Wonderful then." He picked up his shirt from the floor and pulled it back over his head. "I'm going to get going." He grabbed his bag from beside Naruto's. "Neji's probably feeling lonely by now." He patted Naruto shoulder before leaving.

Naruto smiled at him. "We'll met at the car around noon, kay?"

"See ya then." Gaara waved at him before walking down the hallway and disappearing. Naruto closed the door before glancing back at the bed. He let Adrian be for the moment while he went to their bathroom to get ready for bed.

When they graduated from high school, all three boys decided to go to college together. Montana State University which happened to be a good three hours away from their homes. Far enough away for them to be away from their family but close enough for them to go home when they needed to.

Like tomorrow. They were going home from Christmas which was in three days. They would have left earlier but they had to wait for Gaara who happened to have a class tomorrow. They were only freshmen in college but it was working out pretty well for them.

Naruto and Adrian requested to share a dorm room before school even started and they were lucky enough to achieve such. The same for Gaara and Neji who were still going strong. The room came with two beds but they were only there for a month before they were switched out for a queen sized bed.

Perhaps that was when Gaara started to suspect something between them. But back then, nothing was going on. It had been Adrian's idea to share a bed only because he couldn't sleep alone and Naruto twin sized bed could only get so comfortable with two full grown boys in it.

In fact, the bed may be where Naruto and Adrian's relationship began. Naruto had always felt an overwhelming urge to protect the boy. He cared about Adrian but for that feeling to cross over into something more serious was an event he never thought would happen.

Naruto was not gay. He wasn't even bi. Or so he thought. But he couldn't help how he felt about Adrian. It was only a few weeks ago that they decided to be exclusive. Naruto knew Adrian wasn't ready for a full relationship. He still needed time to recover from Kiba. But Naruto could be the person Adrian turned to. For comfort and affection. That was enough for Naruto.

They hadn't kissed yet and Naruto wasn't sure if they would anytime soon. But they cuddled like no other. Adrian clung to him like Naruto was his life line. And the blonde had no problem with that. Perhaps that was another thing that made Gaara suspicious. It wasn't like they were trying to keep it from Gaara. They just weren't sure how to tell him. Naruto was a little relieved though. Gaara seemed perfectly fine with the whole thing.

Naruto let out a soft sigh as he left the bathroom, switching the light off. He wore nothing but his boxers as he moved to the bed. Adrian hadn't moved and Naruto wondered if he fell asleep again. He pouted lightly, switching the bedside lamp off before lifting the blanket and crawling underneath.

Adrian didn't move as the blonde wrapped his arms around his bare waist and pulled him back against his chest. He nuzzled into the back of his neck, sighing softly. He blinked when he felt Adrian's hands clamp onto his own. He smiled softly, nuzzling a bit more into his neck.

Adrian's hands gripped his tightly causing the blonde's smile to grow. Adrian could feel Naruto's smile since the boy's lips were pressed close to his skin. He smiled softly, happy to have someone with him. He hated being alone. It wasn't a matter of fearing for his life. It was just a matter of him losing his mind if he was left alone.

It took time but Adrian could feel he was slowly moving on from Kiba. He wasn't ready to move on to anything serious and he was sure he wouldn't for a while. But he did have feelings for Naruto. He loved how comforting the blonde was and how he could always make him smile. He made him feel super special but it was more than that.

Adrian wasn't completely sure what his feelings for Naruto were because he knew he couldn't love. Not yet and he wasn't sure if he would ever love again. He hoped he could. And if he were to love anyone again he'd want it to be Naruto. For many reasons. Naruto wasn't Kiba. Obviously. But Adrian hoped that the blonde could replace the brunette in his heart and never destroy him like Kiba did.

"Adrian?" Naruto asked softly, lifting up a bit to look into the boy's face. His eyes widened, his arms tightening around him as he noticed the wetness to the boys eyes. "Adrian…" He rested on his elbow as he leaned over him a bit. "Don't cry…" He kept his voice soft as he nuzzled against the boy's cheek gently.

Adrian released a soft whimper, closing his eyes tightly and trying his best to hold back his tears. Crying was an everyday event for him. But if he cried, it was only in front of Naruto. He wasn't sure why that was, but it just was. He couldn't help it when his thoughts drifted to Kiba. He tried to control it but it just wasn't possible at the moment.

"It's okay baby…" Naruto said softly, kissing the boy's cheek gently with slightly chapped lips. "I won't let you hurt anymore." He squeezed the boy back against his chest, hoping to calm him down. He'd never felt the pain that Adrian was feeling but he knew it was painful and he wanted to make it better.

Adrian shifted, flipping over to face Naruto. The blonde let him do as he wished. The raven haired boy curled into Naruto's chest, slipping his arms around his waist tightly and clinging to him for dear life. Naruto tightened his arms around him tightly, holding him to his chest. He could feel hot wet tears press against his skin and he did his best to ignore it.

Every time Adrian would break down, Naruto felt the strong urge to murdalate(1) Kiba. Naruto wasn't a violent person. But he really wanted to hurt Kiba for abandoning Adrian the way he did. It just wasn't right. He couldn't understand why someone would hurt such a precious little boy like Kiba did. Naruto just couldn't fathom it.

But one thing he did know was that he would never be like Kiba. He would never abandon Adrian like he did. Naruto wasn't that type of person. And he never would be.

The sun was high in the sky, making the air a little warmer than it would have been. There was a cool chill so Adrian wore a zipped hoodie as he leaned back against the black Mercedes. Naruto was pacing around before him, a notebook in his hand as he checked off his list. He wanted to make sure they didn't forget anything for their two week long trip.

"I think we have everything." Naruto said with a grin, looking up at Adrian.

The raven haired boy blinked before shaking his head.

Naruto returned his blinked and tilted his head to the side, cutely. "What did we forget?"

Adrian glanced around before pressing off the car and stepping up to the blonde. Naruto blinked in surprise when his head was grabbed. Adrian cupped the boy's face between his hands, leaning close. He had to lift up on his toes in order to be even with Naruto. Adrian was atleast three inches shorter than Naruto.

"W-What?" Naruto whispered softly, a deep blush coming to his cheeks.

Adrian leaned up farther, barely pressing their lips together before tilting Naruto's head to the side. Naruto's cheeks were a bright red and he was a little out of it before noticing Adrian was showing him Gaara, who was walking toward them with Neji.

Gaara had an eyebrow raised as he walked toward them, his hand clamped with Neji's. "Hey guys." The redhead said softly, glancing between them.

Adrian released Naruto and returned to his spot against the car. Naruto blinked, a grin coming to his face. "Hey!" He said excitedly, bouncing lightly. "Ready to go?"

"I am." Gaara glanced at Neji who smiled softly at him, kissing his cheek before going to put Gaara's bag in the trunk. Neji had to leave with his cousin Hinata a little later but they still planned to spend Christmas together. Adrian found the idea that they had lasted so long to be comforting. It was obvious how in love they were. Just by looking at them together you could tell. Adrian was happy for his best friend even if he didn't show it that well.

Naruto bounced on his heels, glancing between Adrian and Gaara. "Who's driving?"

Adrian and Gaara glanced at each other before the raven haired boy grabbed the keys from Naruto's pocket and opened the driver's side door. Naruto blinked. "Okay. That answered my question."

Gaara smiled softly before turning to Neji to say their goodbyes. Naruto bit his lip, going over to Adrian who was sitting in the drive's seat with the door still open. Naruto squatted down, his hand on the door as he peered in at Adrian.

"You okay?" He asked softly.

Adrian nodded, tilting his head at him with a soft smile on his lips.

Naruto returned the smile. "I'm glad."

Adrian leaned forward a bit and pressed his lips to Naruto's cheek gently. The blonde blushed, his smile growing. He couldn't help the warm feeling that flowed over his body. Adrian had a weird way of making him feel like he was the only one that mattered to him. Though Naruto knew that wasn't true, it was a nice feeling that he didn't want to go away.

"Let's get going boys." Gaara said, slipping into the back seat.

Naruto blinked, nodding and getting up to close Adrian's door. He walked over to the passenger side and climbed into the car. Adrian smiled at him before starting up the car.

"Am I the only one dreading going home?" Gaara asked softly, clicking on his seat belt.

Adrian shook his head while pulling out of their parking spot. Naruto smiled softly, nodding, clicking his seat belt on. "Adrian's parents are going to a new church and are more or less demanding him to come along."

"Well are you?" Gaara asked Adrian.

The boy shrugged, glancing at Naruto. The blonde answered for him. "He's not sure… I told him I'd go with him… But we'll have to see I suppose. Are Temari and Kankuro coming home too?"

"Temari is… Not so sure about Kankuro. I really hope that he isn't." Gaara rolled his aquamarine eyes, looking out the window.

"Thing still tense between you two?" Naruto asked while Adrian glanced at him from the rearview mirror.

"Things will always be tense between us…"

Naruto nodded. "Well, atleast you have Neji."

Gaara's cheeks turned a soft pink as a small smile came to his lips. "Yes, I do… And you two have each other."

Naruto glanced at Adrian who had a smile on his face. "Yes, we do." He reached over and took Adrian's hand in his.

Adrian's smile grew as he glanced at the other from the corner of his eyes. He bit his lip before shifting his eyes back to the road, linking his fingers with Naruto's. It was a small action of skin to skin that made him feel better about going home.

He wasn't looking forward to having to deal with his parents. He hadn't seen them since he left for college back in August. His relationship with his parents was still on edge. After Kiba left, things became to tense between them all. Edward still wouldn't even look at his son while Claire was slowly downing herself in her religion and alcohol.

So, Adrian dreaded going home but he was happy that he didn't have to be alone. He would be with Naruto. Naruto was his rock. Through everything, Naruto stayed with him. He wouldn't want it any other way. But still, having Naruto beside him, clutching his hand, didn't make the painful clench of dread in his stomach go away.

Well, as I said, this was a filler. Or was it? Are you surprised? Adrian and Naruto. Didn't plan it, just kinda happened. I think it works well. I didn't want to go deep into what Adrian suffered through because that would be opening a personal door that I just don't want to open. Thus, you get a big time skip. But understandable.

Now, don't worry darlings. The next part? Kiba makes his return. How will things play out? Seriously, how will they? Cause I have NO clue. Haha. I like that though. You have no idea what's going to happen and neither do I. Makes things interesting.

Don't forget to review.

Maybe give me some ideas as to what to do? I'm pretty open to anything.

Thanks everyone.

Oh and

(1)- Murdalate. The combination of murder while mutilating as well. I'm not sure if this is a real word or not… I think I made it up.

~Neo~