AN: Sorry, I meant to update this earlier, but life got a little busy. Sorry for the long wait. Enjoy.
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Swelter 04
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Figuring it out
Inuzuka Kiba's dark eyes were trailing up and down his body. His mouth grinned wide enough on one side to reveal a rather dog-like canine and his tongue slid out along his teeth. Kankuro quickly stood between them and all Gaara could see was the black shirt covering his brother's wide back and hear the sound of the brown paper bag in Kiba's hand being snatched away.
"Watch it. That's my brother you're ogling." Kankuro stepped away and sat on the bed. He pulled out the contents and flipped through the magazines quickly. "Che, you actually look at all this crap?"
Kiba shot Gaara a parting grin. He regarded the leaf shinobi warily, uncomfortable with that stare. He kept his guard up as Kiba turned his back and leaned over the magazines in Kankuro's hands.
"Naw, only about half of those are mine. You can thank my sister for the rest. Only... don't really. She doesn't know I borrowed them."
Kankuro shook his head. "I hope this works," he muttered.
"I made sure I grabbed a variety. There's a little something of everything," Kiba's eyes were on him again. He shot him a quick wink. "Of course, we can also try the old fashioned way." That heated look was back. "I know a few girls," he added hastily when Kankuro glared.
Kankuro shook his head. "I'll have these back to you tonight."
"Take your time with them," Kiba waved him off. He crossed the room slowly as he made his way to the door. "Enjoy them," he smiled each word in a way that put Gaara on edge.
"Him?" Gaara turned to his brother as soon as the door was closed. Gaara realized his earlier assessment of Inuzuka was based on outdated knowledge. Clearly this predator-like young man was not the same as the boy Kankuro once rescued from Orochimaru's minions.
"It was a long time ago," Kankuro said impatiently. His chest heaved and he held up the large stack of magazines. Gaara wrinkled his nose when the top cover revealed two large breasts just covered by the small hands of a woman who tried to exude sex and only accomplished a vague sort of mock horror. "Try looking at these. This is how the rest of the population gets their kicks. Save the ones that... work for you," Kankuro said carefully.
Gaara accepted the large armful and glanced down at the brightly colored cover with skepticism. His brother stood from the bed with the same expression he exhibited when his stomach hurt. "I'll be on the training grounds."
Gaara recalled that Kankuro hadn't attempted to train once since they arrived. He realized, with some amusement, that his brother was uncomfortable. Not that he could blame him. He found the subject a little unsettling himself. He put the stack of magazines down and with some hesitation, he reached out his hand. His fingers recoiled from the high shoulder and he paused. Slowly, he moved forward again and placed his hand on his brother's shoulder the way his brother had so often done for him.
Kankuro startled under his touch and Gaara quirked his lips in apology. "Thank you," he said.
The tension in Kankuro's body disappeared and he offered a grin from behind the white and purple paint. His brother's large hand reached up and ruffled his hair. "Anytime, little brother."
-
Naruto stepped back in time to barely miss Sakura's fist. Her second blow followed quick on his heels and grazed his shoulder with her knuckle. The small spot ached and Naruto struggled to recover his bearings.
Sakura paused and stood up, hands on her hips. "What's wrong with you? You can't even step out of my wide swings today."
Naruto frowned and rubbed his eyes. He too had noticed his sluggishness throughout the day and he considered tagging Sai in order to take over their teammate's spot under the tree. Even with the sun bearing down on him he felt he could sleep anywhere at this point.
"I slept late," he rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing at the sweat that left his hand damp. He pulled out a handkerchief and rubbed the back of his neck again.
"Later than I did?" she raised an eyebrow. She crossed her arms over her chest and stood with her legs apart.
Naruto smiled sheepishly and nodded.
"Tell me you didn't do something stupid."
Sai's head perked up at the signs of confrontation.
"What did dickless do this time?" Sai asked.
Naruto cringed at the nickname and tried to ignore it. Sai had been better about it lately, but the old epithet emerged now and then when Sai suspected Naruto had done something to warrant the insult.
"I didn't do anything!" Naruto yelled at him. "I didn't," he said more quietly to Sakura.
"But you did something," Sakura stated. She looked unconvinced.
Sai watched with interest and Naruto glared at him, hoping his well meaning look would send him away. As usual, all subtlety was either lost or ignored by the other man and Naruto turned his back, grabbing Sakura around the shoulders and steered her in the other direction.
Her green eyes looked up at him, two pink brows lifted in expectation. Naruto took a deep breath and glanced over his shoulder. Sai still sat off the field, his art book in his lap. He made no move to follow them though his eyes remained fixed on their forms.
Naruto leaned over to better whisper into Sakura's ear.
"I went to see Gaara, after I talked to you." Sakura's eyes widened angrily and Naruto fought the urge to jump away. "Nothing happened! I didn't," he paused and looked down. "I didn't say anything about that."
Sakura's anger melted and she put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "So why were you up so late?"
Naruto took a deep breath and tried to think of a way to summarize his impulsiveness that didn't sound completely moronic. "I just... I can't figure this stuff out by thinking. You know that has never been my strong point." Sakura nodded like she understood that point too well. Naruto frowned. "I had to... feel it out for myself."
"You felt up the Kazekage?" Naruto and Sakura both flinched at the same time. Naruto turned to see Sai smiling at the both of them.
"No! Of course not! And when the hell did you sneak up on us?" Naruto tugged on his hair with both hands. Now that Sai knew about his secret, half the shinobi population would know about it by next week. Naruto took a deep breath. He reminded himself that getting impatient with Sai would not help the situation, though he felt a twitch in his fingers that he suspected would only go away with a few punches to the too happy grin on his teammate's face. "I stayed up and talked to him. Like we normally do when one of us is in town," he looked pointedly at both of his teammates. "Like I'll probably do once he's all done with his meetings later today."
"You have a date?" Sai persisted.
Naruto let out a frustrated growl. "No! Leave me alone. You know nothing about this!" Sai's smile faded.
"Is this why you've stopped trying to peak over the fence at the onsen?" Sakura glanced at him in surprise. Naruto rubbed his palm over his face.
"No, that also has nothing to do with this." Sai was quiet, still watching him. "Honest! That's not it... I just... got to an age where I realized it was a little inappropriate..." Which was true for the most part, Naruto discovered. He didn't mention that he had gotten bored of it or only managed to glimpse a few wrinkly baa-chans. He still shuddered when he remembered it.
"So what's wrong?" Sai asked.
"Nothing," Naruto said testily. "As I was telling Sakura, nothing is wrong. I just stayed up late it all."
"With the Kazekage," Sai said. Naruto swore he could detect a hint of amusement beneath the usually dead pan voice.
"Yes. And we talked and that was it and then I went to bed. Alone!" he added hastily.
Sai grinned as though Naruto were only proving him right.
"What's going on over here?" another voice chimed in. Naruto startled and looked behind him to see Kiba approaching them from the other side of the field. "Trouble in paradise?" Inuzuka grinned. His usual jacket was gone and he wore only a mesh shirt that did little to conceal the broad chest and well toned body he prided himself on so much on lately.
"What do you want dog-face? Come to work on your tan?" Naruto said automatically. He didn't know when it started, but somewhere along the line, he and Inuzuka had started a friendly banter that quickly turned into an exchange of insults. Sakura smacked his arm, reminding him to be polite.
Kiba laughed and lifted up the hem of his shirt. "You're just jealous I got all this going on." He winked at Sakura when he caught her looking. Her cheeks flushed pink and she looked away, pretending like she couldn't care less. "Someone hasn't gotten any action in awhile. Oh wait... I forgot. Someone is still a virgin." Kiba laughed and side stepped the punch Naruto threw at him.
"Naruto has a date," Sai piped up, a huge smile on his face, "with the Kazekage." Naruto groaned and slumped his shoulders, his will to fight suddenly deflated. He reminded himself that it was illegal to kill your own teammates. Sakura chortled behind her fist and cleared her throat.
Kiba forgot he was trying to escape Naruto's fist and paused. His face lit up with surprise. "No shit, really? How'd you score that?" He seemed genuinely impressed. Kiba threw an arm around Naruto and he leaned in close enough to whisper in his ear. He kept an eye on Sai, making sure the boy wasn't trying to overhear. "So that's why Kankuro wouldn't let me touch him. Mm mm, if I hadn't already done his brother ..."
Naruto threw off Kiba's arm and shoved him away. "Don't talk about him like that! Leave him alone. He's not like you."
Kiba scoffed and stood his ground. "Come on, like you weren't thinking the same thing."
Sakura skirted them carefully. She grabbed Sai by the arm and tugged him further away from them, keeping her eyes on them all the while.
Naruto took a step forward. "He's the leader of an allied country and deserves a little more respect. Don't put me on the same level as a dog like you." Naruto crossed his arms. He worried that if he left his hands free, he'd start a real fight.
"The fuck, Uzumaki? When did you become such a prude? Weren't you the one sneaking out porn mags before we were 12?" Kiba smiled. His eyes narrowed, gleaming with mischief. He lowered his stance, hands at the ready as he began to circle Naruto. "So what? You wanna fight and defend the Kazekage's honor? All I said is I wouldn't mind tapping that..."
Naruto rushed forward but before either of them could get at each other a wooden figure rattled between them.
Naruto stopped short when he recognized the puppet in front of him. He glanced around him and sure enough Kankuro stood off the field, his fingers twisted at odd angles as he manipulated Karasu's strings.
"How about you save that spirit and spar with me on the grounds?" Kankuro eyed Kiba. The Inuzuka heir smirked, standing up straight and lightly pushed Karasu away from him with a particularly long nail.
"Well if you put it like that, I suppose I can't turn down the challenge." He tilted his head to one side and gave Kankuro a once over. "Akamaru!" he shouted and the large white dog came bounding over from Naruto knew not where. He could have sworn the horse-like dog had been absent a minute ago. "Have fun on your date, Uzumaki," Kiba jeered without taking his eyes off of his opponent. Naruto glanced over at Kankuro angrily, but he realized that the puppet-nin was also riled up by Inuzuka's comments. Naruto hated to step away from a fight, but he could accept it in this case. He stepped off the field and joined his teammates by the sidelines. Naruto didn't feel so tired anymore.
"Stupid dog-face," Naruto muttered. And stupid Sai too, he thought, glaring at the pale boy who was undisturbed by this curious escalation of anger and confrontation. Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't let Kiba get to you. He hits on practically anything these days."
Naruto frowned, looking over at Inuzuka dodging one of Karasu's attacks on the field. It didn't make him feel any better imagining a sleazy guy like that trying to hit on his close friend. And between Sai spreading news of the Kazekage's "date" and Konoha's manwhore of the hour taking note of the Suna leader, Naruto feared this was only the beginning.
"I gotta get out of here. If I watch any longer, I'll try to jump in." He slipped away from Sakura's hand and turned his back on the sparring field.
"Enjoy your date," Sai said. Naruto glared over his shoulder, but the expression was wiped off his face, sneaking into a smile while Sai quietly rubbed the back of his head where Sakura had smacked him.
-
Gaara had resorted to flipping through pages. He paused on one, opening the magazine wide enough to see the entire photo of a rather busty blonde in a coy pose that did more to tease than show off her charms. Her wavy hair fell across her shoulders and she hunched over to blow a kiss. The pose looked somewhat familiar somehow and Gaara smiled to himself when he remembered the childhood jutsu Naruto had invented. He had only seen it once, but while Gaara didn't see its merit, he found it amusing that Naruto had started his pranks at such a young age.
He found himself putting the magazine aside, still opened to the image he figured would look very familiar indeed with a few marks drawn along the sides of both cheeks. Gaara flipped through the next magazine and quickly put it in the discard pile. He paused before picking up the next one, rubbing his eyes a little and wondering how other men could find these magazines so fascinating when all the faces started to blend into one another and all the poses were a slight variation of the last one. He tried to remind himself why he was doing this.
He took a fortifying breath before picking up the next magazine. A masculine smile greeted him, and Gaara lifted a brow before trailing his eyes over the rest of the near naked form. His finger slid down the page, tracing the shadows highlighting the muscular body. He had to admit to himself that he was a little more interested this time and flipped the cover to the first page. His eyes drank in the next image, and the next. But when he checked himself for any reactions he discovered none and continued on to the next page. He paused again on a man looking out a window, the profile of his shapely behind visible while his lean thighs carefully covered his more intimate parts. His hair was a bright yellow, the color of his eyes not quite visible beneath the lowered gaze. Gaara's fingers brushed against the page. He imagined that face turning and smiling at him with blue, blue eyes. He took a deeper breath and slid the pads of his fingers against the slippery paper. His stomach fluttered and closed the magazine quickly. He flicked his wrist and threw it on top of the sizable discard pile. He closed the magazine he had left open on the bed and also placed it top of the pile.
Gaara covered his face with his hands. What am I doing? he thought. He glanced up when a knock at the door caught his attention. Gaara glanced up and nearly answered when he remembered the pile next to him. He picked them up and shuffled them into the brown paper bag, tossing in the ones he had yet to glance through.
"Yes?" he asked and his guard peeked in with an increasingly familiar expression on his face.
"Uzumaki Naruto wishes to see you."
A fluttery feeling rose in his stomach. He nodded to the guard and his dark hair disappeared behind the wooden frame. Uzumaki's sunflower-like hair appeared. He approached sheepishly like he was embarrassed.
"Hey," he muttered. He averted his eyes and Gaara discovered he disliked this. Uzumaki fidgeted, his foot scuffling along the wooden floor.
"Has something happened?" Gaara asked, suddenly concerned.
Naruto stiffened, turning toward the small desk in the corner. He brushed his fingers across a parchment there.
"You can say that." He cleared his throat. He touched other things, while Gaara waited patiently but Uzumaki was silent.
"Will you tell me what?" Gaara said. He shifted on the bed, very aware of the bag of magazines next to him. Naruto sighed, still not looking at him. "Will it explain why you won't look me in the face?"
Uzumaki turned at this, surprised. He grimaced and lowered his face to the floor.
"Sorry... it's just..." he hesitated and the fluttery feeling in Gaara's stomach turned into an anxiety that crept into his chest. "I ran into Inuzuka on the training grounds earlier..."
Gaara's eyes darting to the brown paper bag.
"We were talking and well... I mentioned how we were up late last night and Sai got it into his head that there was something between us and since I mentioned that I was going to see you today since it's your last day and all and that you had nothing to do that it was a date and well, he sort of blurted to Inuzuka that we did and now the guy thinks its true and well... I just thought I would warn you." Uzumaki exhaled a deep sigh and finally smiled. "Wow, that was kind of awkward," he laughed.
Gaara missed his last statement. Gaara had come to expect long ramblings from his talkative friend and he had grown quite proficient at taking in the rapid comments, but his brain had stopped on the part where they had a date.
"A date?" he said aloud, feeling his cheeks heat up at the thought of it.
"Yeah," Naruto sat down on the bed next to him. "Pretty crazy, right? Can you imagine us going on a date?" Naruto chuckled but Gaara's insides twinged at his words.
Was it really such a crazy idea? Though he tried to imagine the Hokage on a date, and he supposed, as leader of a country, it was preposterous for anyone to fathom. Gaara snapped to attention when he noted the rustling of paper and Uzumaki snooping into the brown paper bag next to him.
Gaara reached out a hand for the bag but it was too late. Naruto was picking up the magazine Gaara had put aside earlier; the one with the blonde that reminded him so much of a certain shinobi.
"Oh hey, I have this one!" he blurted before he paused, and his face turned scarlet. "I mean... eh hem, uh, so what have you been up to, I mean! um, how are you?" Naruto grimaced. He slipped the magazine back into the bag and pushed it away from him carefully.
A smile escaped and Gaara chuckled at the other man's embarrassment. "My brother left those here," he said, choosing his words carefully. He wasn't sure he was ready to tell Uzumaki about his experiments.
"Oh yeah?" Naruto sounded amused. He pulled out the magazines again to take a look. His face twisted a little when he reached one with a naked man on the front, his erect penis jutting out. "Your brother has some... interesting taste." He put the magazines back. "I used to look at these when I was younger. A friend of mine, Konohamaru and I have this competition going. Who can come up with the most perverted jutsu and well, these used to be my research materials until Jiraiya taught me how juvenile they were and showed me where to get the really good stuff." Naruto paused and looked up at Gaara nervously. His cheeks turned pink and he looked away. "Sorry, you probably don't want to hear about that stuff."
Gaara tried to hide the warmth in his own cheeks. It was a subject that had never entered their conversation before.
"You don't read these," Gaara gestured, "anymore?"
Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. They're kind of boring actually. All the pictures start to look the same after awhile. It was great when I was 12, but I feel like I've moved on since then."
Gaara felt a slight sense of relief. Apparently not everyone found these magazines interesting. Still, one question begged to be asked.
"What did Jiraiya teach you?" Gaara asked. He kept his voice calm despite the pronounced thumping of his heart, curling his fingers against the cover of the bed.
"The old perv used to spy on the women in the onsen," Naruto chuckled. "Though to be honest, you can have some pretty mixed results," Naruto stuck out his tongue.
"You... spy on naked women?" Gaara said with alarm.
"No!" Naruto raised his hands in protest. "Well... I used to," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I just... didn't think it was right so I stopped. And it was so much work, it wasn't exactly enjoyable."
Gaara narrowed his eyes, still disapproving.
"Hey! I promise you, I haven't done it in years. Honest. It just got boring... like the magazines."
"And now?" Gaara prompted, curious to know what interested his friend. Naruto blushed and scratched his cheek. His blue eyes turned toward the magazines before quickly shifting to the floor. "You get your kicks the old fashioned way?" Gaara said, repeating the expressions he heard earlier in the day. Naruto's mouth fell open instantly, his body protesting with his hands and the stiffness of his body.
"No! Of course not! I... I'm not like that," he muttered, looking away. His jaw stood out in sharp relief, his mouth pouting. "I've never... I mean..." He scowled at Gaara. "I know it's common for people our age, but I always thought..." Naruto stopped. "I'm saving myself," he huffed and crossed his arms. He looked away stubbornly and Gaara realized he didn't know the full extent of the meaning behind his question.
"I apologize," Gaara said. "I was repeating something I heard Inuzuka say. I realize now that I didn't properly understand the implications." He tried not to smile, but it pleased him that the man sitting so close to him valued something like intimacy; that he didn't give himself so freely like others among their ranks.
"Inuzuka!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing his head back and groaning while he threw a hand over his eyes. "I almost forgot," he whined. "Now that he thinks you're dating guys, he totally has it in for you! I came here to warn you!"
Gaara glanced up. "Has it . . . in for me?" He tilted his head to ponder this phrasing. Certainly Naruto didn't mean that the Inuzuka boy meant to make an attempt on his life.
"Yeah, he's... attracted," Naruto coughed. "You should watch out for him. He's rather persistent when he wants to get into someone pants. Don't let him catch you alone." Gaara smiled slightly at this. He remembered the heated look in the other man's eyes and he knew better than to succumb to false charms. "Don't take him lightly. He will see this as a challenge. Just... keep your guard up, okay?" Naruto pleaded.
Gaara noted the wrinkle between Naruto's brows and the bright look in his blue eyes. He realized his friend was being serious. "Are you worried for me? Do you think it so easy to find oneself alone in the company of the Kazekage?"
Naruto paused, looking around the quiet room. "But we're alone all the time," he pointed out.
"And if I spend all my free time in Konoha alone with you, when do you propose Inuzuka will catch me off guard?" Gaara glanced at the brown paper bag. He would have Kankuro return them tonight.
Naruto paused at that one. He blushed a little, mouth quirking up. "Really? You spend all your free time with me?" he said softly. Gaara nodded calmly.
"You're one the few individuals the guards or my siblings will trust with me alone. Inuzuka would have to work hard indeed to seduce a kage."
Naruto glanced down at his lap. "Oh. Sorry... I just..."
"Worried," Gaara supplied. Naruto nodded. Gaara turned away, glancing out the window and noting the sun still high in the sky. "And what if.." His fingers clenched into a fist against the soft cotton sheets. He hesitated to voice the risky question he wanted so much to ask. "What if I welcomed his advances?" he forced out. The room was silent enough he wondered if Uzumaki could also hear the hammering of his heart. He tried to calm the sand before it shifted. He could feel Naruto's eyes on him, but was too skittish to face him. Naruto swallowed and the silence between them felt as thick as the afternoon humidity.
"You... want to see Inuzuka? Like that?"
Gaara stared at his feet, toeing the ground like he was five, on the playground alone. "No," he shook his head. "I. . . don't know," he admitted.
"I didn't... I mean, I thought..," Naruto struggled. His voice was slow with frustration.
"You thought what?" Gaara said.
"I didn't think you were... interested in that type of stuff."
"Interested in what?" Gaara said more harshly than he intended. His heart was hammering in his ears.
Naruto blushed and looked away. He pushed the bag away from him as an after thought.
"Sex?" Gaara hazarded a guess. Naruto's face looked up startled. "Human contact? Love?" Gaara's sand rattled. He took a deep breath, willing his hands not to tremble. "Aren't you?" he said more quietly. Part of him feared the answer.
"Well... yeah," he admitted slowly. "I guess," he sighed, and Gaara forced himself to meet his eyes. Naruto lowered his gaze. "I guess we all do," he said. "It's just... Inuzuka..." he paused and closed his mouth.
"Is it wrong to want another man's touch?" Gaara breathed, eyes roving over Uzumaki's clothed form, and remembering the sun-kissed skin, the warm touch of smooth flesh and hard, lean muscle. His face flared with heat and he looked away.
"That's not the problem!" Naruto said, voice laced with pain. "It's just... Inuzuka is a jerk. You... you deserve better," Naruto said. His jaw stood out prominently, highlighting the whisker-like marks on his cheeks.
"I'm not interested in Inuzuka," Gaara admitted. "And I can take care of myself," Gaara said. He stood up, brushing his robe. "But you cannot rush to my aid every time you think me in danger. This isn't something you can save me from," Gaara turned his back to the other shinobi. "You can't always stop me from drowning," he said softly.
Gaara hated the hurt look in Uzumaki's eyes. He forced himself to look away. "You should go. I have business to attend to before dinner." He stepped forward, his hand reaching for the handle when his sand lashed out behind him. He turned, startled, and blue eyes regarded him warily. Uzumaki cupped his cheek with both hands. Gaara's face fell. "You see?" Gaara glanced down at his hands. "If anything, it's Inuzuka who needs warning."
Gaara's fingers hesitated, turning the knob slowly. He half waited, hoping Uzumaki would once again try to stop him, hoping that hand would reach out again. And when it didn't he opened the door and swept out of the room with his chin as high as he could carry it.