19. Dappled and Drowsy and Ready to Sleep
Sasuke Uchiha sat at his desk in Kakashi's class that Friday, feeling unusually anxious. It was the last class of the day, and Kakashi had announced that he would be handing back their essays at the end of the hour. This normally wouldn't have bothered the Uchiha – he never particularly cared about his grades, after all. He always did well, even when he wasn't trying, so why fret over something like getting high marks? If he got an 'A,' then great – if not, he could always do better the next time. There wasn't any academic obstacle he couldn't overcome if he put his mind to it.
Of course, this essay wasn't just another grade, though. It was a paper about Naruto – the boy he loved, for reasons he still didn't quite understand. For the first time in a while, Sasuke needed to get a good grade on this assignment – he didn't think a 'C' would cut it when dealing with something so personal. It was all or nothing, and the anticipation of getting that paper back was enough to keep him completely distracted all hour.
Sasuke rapped his fingers on the desk, staring up at the clock as the minutes ticked by. Kakashi was talking about Emily Dickinson while reading, "Hope is the Thing with Feathers" line by line. Had Sasuke been paying more attention, he might've considered the way the poem contrasted so sharply with Dickinson's usual topics of death, and possibly thought about the clash between him and Naruto – but, of course, all the Uchiha saw was that clock ticking, ticking, ticking.
"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me."
Hearing these lines, Sasuke unconsciously turned his gaze to Naruto, who seemed to be in a similar daze, staring at his page as he drew figure 8s over and over again. Was he also worried about his paper? Did the blond spend as much time on his assignment as Sasuke did? Was Sasuke as important to Naruto as Naruto was to him?
"Sasuke? What are your thoughts on this poem?"
The Uchiha snapped his head forward to find Kakashi looming over him, his usual enigmatic smile visible through his mask. "W-what?" Sasuke said dumbly.
"The poem we were just reading, Sasuke. Why don't you share your thoughts on it with the rest of us?" Kakashi said, pointing to the page in his hand.
Damn you, Kakashi. You know exactly what's going through my mind, and yet you're expecting me to pull some brilliant analysis out of my ass here…
"Well, uh," Sasuke started, trying to skim the poem as he developed his thesis on the fly. "I'd say Dickinson is comparing hope to a bird, because it's a sign of life. Birds sing in the spring, when everything is coming back to life, and it sings without words because its song is universal. Hope affects everyone equally."
"Interesting, interesting," the silver-haired teacher replied, nodding his head sagely.
"And later on, when Dickinson describes the bird in the storm, it demonstrates how hope is most powerful in times of strife. When things go wrong, hope is always there to help you back on your feet. It takes something severe to "abash," the bird, because hope is strongest in those hard times."
"What do you think that sore storm is, then? That can abash hope?"
Why won't he leave me alone?
"Well, it would have to be something particularly traumatic, I suppose. Something that can shake you to the very core, so that you lose your faith in the world. But, like Dickinson says, you can never really destroy hope. It can only be shaken, not destroyed. It's always there, even in the harshest times, ready to help you, but never asking for anything in return."
Kakashi's hidden smile widened. "I see. Very good, Sasuke. I want you to think about that now – all of you, that is – while I hand back your papers."
Sasuke froze as the mysterious teacher began to circle the room with his stack of graded essays. Regardless of what Kakashi said, that message had been solely for the Uchiha. Why? What did Kakashi see in this poem that was so meaningful for Sasuke?
Does he think that I've been ignoring hope all this time or something? That's too corny, even for him. I'll admit that I gave up on forming meaningful relationships with people, but that's not a loss of hope – that's a fear of loss. Unless…
Unless maybe my hope was shaken when my parents died. That was a traumatic experience – it changed me at the very least – but… no. That doesn't sound like Kakashi. No, I think it's something else. The bird isn't hope – it's him. It's Kakashi, Shikamaru, O… Naruto – all those people who stuck with me, even while I tried to brush them off. That's what he wants me to understand – that he doesn't expect anything in return for his kindness. It's enough for him just to see me happy.
It was cheesy – really cheesy – but Sasuke was sure that was the reason Kakashi decided to read that poem on that particular day. Sasuke hadn't given up hope – he'd given up his friendships. But they'd never left him – they must've felt like it was hopeless at times, but they persevered. And now Sasuke was with Naruto – it felt so strange, yet so natural and right at the same time.
I was the sore storm – I was injured, and I tried to hurt those around me, the ones that truly cared for me. But… they never left me. I've… I've really been a terrible friend, haven't I?
"Sasuke? Daydreaming again, are we?"
Again, the Uchiha raised his head off his desk to find Kakashi standing before him, dangling a graded essay in front of Sasuke's face. Without so much as a word, Sasuke snatched the paper out of Kakashi's hands and threw it into his backpack, pretending not to care about his grade – after all, he still had to keep up appearances, lest his fanclub discover that something was amiss. Thus, it was only after Kakashi had walked away chuckling to himself that the Uchiha dared to pull the crinkled paper from his bag, just to glance at the grade on the back page.
An 'A.' That's a relief…
That was all he needed to see. Although there were numerous comments in red ink left by Kakashi for him to read over, Sasuke knew those could wait for another time. Somehow, that grade washed away all of the raven-haired teen's doubt. It was almost as if Kakashi had given Sasuke his blessing with that simple 'A,' telling him that this was right. Even though it was a frightening change, having these strong feelings for Naruto, Sasuke felt that it would work out. The ocean might be fraught with storms, but there was always the hope that would see him through to happiness.
Geez, I need to go listen to some goth rock or something – this sappiness is just too much…
Of course, even as he thought this, Sasuke smiled despite himself. It was unlike him to feel this content, but that was okay. There was no reason the old Sasuke and the new Sasuke couldn't share the limelight, right?
"Psst! Hey, Sasuke!"
The Uchiha glanced to his right to find a grinning Naruto wielding his own paper in both hands. For a second, Sasuke was confused, until he noticed the bright, crimson 'A' on the bottom of the page. "Congratulations," he said with a smirk.
"You don't understand – I've never gotten an 'A' on a paper before. Ever. I don't think I've even gotten a 'B!'" Naruto exclaimed, pointing proudly at his grade as he spoke.
"You're exaggerating."
"Am not! Look, last year I spent a whole week writing this paper on The Catcher in the Rye, and I didn't even realize that I spelled Holden Caulfield's name wrong until I got it back with a big fat 'C-' on it."
Naruto scratched his cheek sheepishly, clearly feeling embarrassed by this most recent confession. Sasuke sighed – he'd never thought Naruto was lying, but he was hoping he could mess with the blond a little bit. Seeing how much this grade meant to Naruto took all the fun out of it, though – Sasuke knew he couldn't tease him any longer. "So this was your first 'A' paper, huh?"
"Yeah! And I owe it all to you, Sasuke. If it weren't for you, I never would've had the, um… inspiration to write it," Naruto responded with a slight blush.
"Well, how should we celebrate it? I can take you out for ramen again if you want…"
"Ooh! Ramen!" Naruto began, rising excitedly to his feet before stopping himself and sitting back down. "I mean… I'd love to, but I had something else in mind."
The blond's lips spread, revealing a sneaky smile – Sasuke didn't like the look of it. "And what is that, exactly?"
"To tell you the truth… it's something me and the guys have been cooking up all week. I wanted to keep it a secret until today," Naruto began, covering the side of his mouth with his hand to keep out any eavesdroppers. "You see, we're gonna throw a party."
"What kind of party?" Sasuke asked, speaking in a similar whisper with his arms crossed over his chest. "If you think I'm going to some beerfest, you can forget it."
"No, nothing like that," the blond replied, leaning in even closer to the Uchiha. "It's just gonna be us – you know, me, you, Shikamaru, Kiba. Our lunch table, pretty much."
"What about Gaara?" Sasuke continued in a dark tone. He still did not particularly trust the redhead, nor did many of his new companions.
"Shoot! I forgot about him!" Naruto cursed, putting a hand to his chin. "I'll have to ask Shikamaru to invite him, or something. Anyway, we're just going to get together, play some games, watch a movie, eat some pizza – you know, the usual stuff."
"And why do we need to do this?"
"What are you talking about? We're all friends now, don't we need to hang out after school?"
"No," Sasuke mumbled, turning his head towards the blackboard. "Look, we're together now – that doesn't mean that I have to be with your friends all the time, does it?"
"But they're not just my friends! Everyone there cares about us, not just me," Naruto argued, his voice no longer a whisper. "Come on, just try it, all right? It's nothing big – we'll eat, talk, and watch a movie. That's all."
Sasuke eyed the blond momentarily. Apparently, this party was really important to Naruto – that much was obvious. He'd been planning it all week, but Sasuke wasn't sure about getting to know these new friends. It felt like all of these relationships were being piled on at once, and the Uchiha found it a bit overwhelming. Still, he knew he couldn't say no to Naruto's sad puppy face.
"Fine. When's the party?" Sasuke sighed, much to the blond's delight.
"Tonight. Now let's go!"
"Wait, wha –"
Before Sasuke could protest this sudden revelation, he was jerked to his feet and dragged out of the now-empty classroom. Somehow the raven-haired teen had been so focused on his conversation with Naruto that he hadn't even heard the bell ring – or noticed the subsequent exodus of restless students. It was hard to believe that the blond could really have that strong of an effect on him, one that was almost hypnotic, but Sasuke knew it to be the truth. He smiled.
The thing with feathers, huh? I could get used to that…
xxxxx
Shikamaru Nara walked down the streets of Konoha staring vacantly up at the sky, watching the clouds as they passed between the buildings. About a half hour after school had let out he'd received a call from Naruto, who begged the Nara to go and invite Gaara to the party later that night. It was troublesome, as most things were, but Shikamaru couldn't exactly refuse – as much as he distrusted Gaara, the lazy genius could see that he was somehow important to Naruto. So, there he was, walking along while repeating the redhead's address over and over in his mind – it would've taken too much effort to write it down.
6633 Shukaku Lane, 6633 Shukaku Lane, 6633 Shukaku Lane…
After making several turns and crossing through the busy afternoon traffic, Shikamaru came to Shukaku Lane. It was a small side street just outside the main urban center, with a few trees offering shade over the sidewalk. Had the Nara not been on a mission, he might've stopped beneath one of the little maple trees and taken a nap – it was a surprisingly quaint area, considering its one particularly bloodthirsty inhabitant.
As it turned out, 6633 Shukaku Lane was the third house on Shikamaru's right, wedged between two similar homes. It was a simple, two story house, with white vinyl siding and an, albeit small, freshly cut lawn. Shikamaru scratched his head and checked the numbers above the door, just to be sure he had the right place.
It looks so… normal…
Shrugging his shoulders, the Nara dragged his feet up the front door, deciding that Gaara must be the black sheep of his family. Once at the door, Shikamaru rang the bell twice and waited, sliding his hands casually into his pockets. He waited for a minute, before yawning and pulling out his phone.
Better make sure Naruto had that address right again…
Before the lazy genius could enter a single digit, however, he heard the door swing open, followed by a long stream of curses from a booming voice.
"Dammit, Kankuro! Next time when someone's at the fucking door, why don't you get off your lazy ass and answer it, you bastard!"
Shikamaru looked up from his cell in surprise, only to drop the phone in shock at the sight. There, standing beside the open door, was a girl in her late teens with blonde hair tied into four ponytails that inexplicably formed an X. What the Nara couldn't help but notice, though, was that she was currently clad only in a black, lacy bra and panties – and the look suited her.
"I'm sorry about that. What can I do for you, now?" the girl asked, leaning against the doorframe with her hands crossed just beneath her breasts.
Don't just stare, Shikamaru! Say something!
"Oh, um… is Gaara here?" the Nara asked, averting his eyes as his cheeks turned a touch red.
"Hmm.... no need to be such a prude," the girl replied with a laugh. "I take it you're one of Gaara's new friends, then? Let me guess… you're Naruto, right?"
"Shikamaru," the lazy genius replied, shifting his focus between the ground and the girl's black bra. "Has Gaara really talked about us?"
"Are you kidding? He barely talks period," the girl murmured, before leaning in close to the Nara. "Between you and me, I sneak peaks at his journal every now and then."
Don't stare, don't stare, don't stare…
"Gaara keeps a journal?" Shikamaru asked in a hushed tone.
"Well, it's a journal of sorts. Usually he writes down information about his next victim – his entries a few weeks ago were filled with stuff on Uchiha – but ever since that Naruto kid beat the crap out of him, it's starting to look more like an actual journal," the blonde explained, stepping out onto the front porch and closing the door shut behind her. Apparently she was more afraid of her brother overhearing their conversation than the whole world seeing her practically naked.
"Do you think he's plotting something?" the Nara replied, checking left and right for any passerby that might see him with this buxom beauty.
What's with her? Is she crazy, or does she really not care what anyone thinks?
"Not this time," the girl continued with a relieved sigh. "Usually when Gaara's planning an attack, he writes down the person's schedule, as well as his friends', family's, neighbors' – just so he can find the proper time and place to strike. He got lucky that Uchiha walked right into him last weekend, because he got to skip all of that preparation. But recently, with you guys, all the stuff he's written has been about what you like, what you dislike, who you're friends with – it's like he's trying to form connections."
"But analytically," Shikamaru concluded. He could certainly sympathize with Gaara's position. He, too, tried to approach most things logically.
"Exactly – it's a step forward, at least," the blonde continued, smiling gently at the Nara before suddenly giggling embarrassedly. "Geez, here I'm talking and I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Temari, Gaara's sister."
"Pleased to meet you," the Nara replied, shaking Temari's extended hand.
Eye contact, eye contact…
"Hmm… I'll bet," Temari mused, sticking the tip of her finger absentmindedly into her mouth. "Gaara's inside with our brother, Kankuro. I'll go get him for you."
"I'd appreciate it," Shikamaru said, his eyes practically glued the blonde's butt as she walked back inside.
Cute…
"Oh, Gaara!" Temari called in a singsong voice from somewhere inside the house. "Your little friend is here to see you!"
"Jesus, Temari! Put some clothes on before you go walking around like that!" Came another, gruffer voice – Kankuro, Shikamaru guessed. "You want the whole neighborhood to see you or something?"
"Hmm, you're just jealous that you can't have delicious curves like me, Kankuro," Temari replied, her voice growing louder as she drew near the door once more. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Shika, I have to finish getting ready for work. Gaara'll be here in just a second."
"Thanks again," Shikamaru responded, forcing himself to maintain eye contact.
"My pleasure," Temari said with a wink before heading upstairs and out of sight.
Shikamaru remained at the door for a minute or so, trying to regain his composure before Gaara arrived. For one, the Nara didn't want to let on that he knew about the redhead's journal – or the thoughts that it contained. It also didn't help that Shikamaru couldn't get the image of Temari in her underwear out of his mind. Thus, when Gaara finally did show up, the lazy genius still had a hint of a blush on his cheeks.
"What's with you?" the redhead asked, his face stolid as usual.
"What? Oh – I ran all the way over here. I guess I must look a bit flushed, huh?" Shikamaru replied, brushing a hand against his burning cheeks.
"You'd better not be having thoughts about my sister," Gaara continued, apparently seeing right through the Nara's lie.
"Me? No, no – of course not," the indolent teen insisted, waving his hands dismissively.
"I see – not good enough for you then?" the redhead asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
"No, it's not that – I mean, she's hot and everything –"
Shit…
"Hmm, so you do like her," Gaara chuckled, a smirk crossing his lips. "Well, if you plan to make a move with her, just remember that you'll have to deal with me, first."
Shikamaru stood his ground, his own eyes narrowing at the other teen's tone. "Is that supposed to be a threat or something?"
The redhead was similarly unfazed, choosing to brush off his opponent with a wave as he walked by. "You still think I'm out to get you, don't you? I pity you, in a way. Naruto trusts me – why can't you?"
"Just answer my question," the Nara persisted, unconsciously forming a fist.
"So angry – and here, I thought you were the reasonable one. All right, then. – I'm not threatening you… I'm warning you," Gaara concluded, shooting Shikamaru a dark glare. "Even if I don't particularly care for my sister, I still intend to protect her as her brother. If you really think you have a chance with her, though… well, then what's one little obstacle before love, right?"
With that, Gaara descended the steps and started down the driveway, only stopping once to look back at the bewildered Nara. "Well, are you coming?"
"But… where are you going?"
"To Naruto's party, of course. Isn't that why you're here?"
Shikamaru was dumbfounded. "You mean you knew about it?"
Gaara laughed drily. "Of course – Naruto told me about it on Wednesday. I assumed you were here to escort me to his house, or something. Was I wrong?"
An escort? Who does this bastard think he is?
"Whatever, let's just go," Shikamaru concluded with a sigh, sticking his hands back in his pockets as he descended the front steps. Walking alongside Gaara, the lazy genius shook his head in irritation.
Temari, huh? And now Gaara's gonna be on my ass… how troublesome…
xxxxx
Naruto sat on the couch in his apartment between Kiba and Sasuke, anxiously awaiting the arrival of his other guests. The clock in the kitchen read 5:00, and the vulpine boy was starting to get nervous that the others wouldn't show up. Had Shikamaru gotten lost on his way to Gaara's? Or did he have to wait for Gaara to get ready or something? And what about Choji and Lee? They should've been there by that point – what was taking them so long?
"Just calm down, Naruto. They'll be here, all right?" Kiba groaned as he stretched his arms over his head, causing Akamaru to shift in his lap. "Look, I know you want this to be perfect and everything, but you can't expect to control everything – that'll drive you insane."
"He's got a point, you know," Sasuke concurred, apparently shocked that he was actually agreeing with the Inuzuka. "You've done everything you could to prepare for this – now all you can do is relax and wait."
"You're probably right," Naruto conceded, shaking his head slightly. "It's just… well, I want you to have a good time, you know?"
"Well, if you want him to have a good time, why don't you actually do something instead of just sitting there?" Kiba interjected, indicating to Sasuke with a bob of his head. "I mean, how much fun do you think he's having here on the couch, anyway?"
Shit! He's right!
"I'm sorry, Sasuke! I wasn't even thinking," the blond exclaimed as he leapt to his feet. "Let's see – do you want to play some Soul Calibur or something? Or, let's see… the Simpsons are on now. Do you like the Simpsons? Or maybe you wanna help me pick out a movie for tonight…"
"It's okay, Naruto. I can wait," the Uchiha interrupted with an amused smile. "I know you've put in a lot of work for this already, so don't worry yourself any more over me."
"Here's what we'll do, Naruto," Kiba announced in an authoritative tone. "You and Sasuke sit here and watch the Simpsons or whatever – I don't care – and I'll go pick out a movie. Any objections? Well tough luck, I'm doing it anyway. Come on, Akamaru!"
The white puppy yipped excitedly and chased after his master as he walked across the room to the stack of DVDs, which he began to scan carefully. Meanwhile, Naruto remained on the couch next to his boyfriend, still feeling unusually anxious.
Why am I acting like this? It's like I can't do anything all of a sudden. I mean, I know I want Sasuke to enjoy the party, but is that any reason to be so nervous? I'm never like this!
"Naruto," the Uchiha murmured suddenly, as if he had read Naruto's mind. "Look, I just want you to know that… well, even if tonight's a total disaster, I won't think any less of your friends or anything."
"What do you mean?" the blond asked with a weak smile.
"That's what this is all for, right? To officially welcome me into the group, or something like that? Well, I don't want you to think that this has to be perfect, or else I'll never like your friends. Even if I end up hating the party, they'll all still matter to me because… well, they matter to you. Okay?" Sasuke asked, his voice just above a whisper, lest Kiba overhear.
"Even if that's the case, I still want you to have a good time," Naruto said stubbornly, almost as if he were pouting.
"Good – it's not like I want to have a miserable evening myself."
"But –"
Before Naruto could offer any more words of protest, Sasuke quickly pressed his lips against the blond's, stifling the sounds immediately. It was only a short kiss – a few seconds of sweet pressure, and no more – but it was enough for Naruto to get the message. Whatever happened, Sasuke still loved him, and that was all that mattered. The rest would work itself out in time.
"There," the Uchiha whispered as he pulled out of the kiss. "Now, try to relax, okay? This is supposed to be a party, right?"
Naruto only nodded in response, a bit caught off guard by how much concern Sasuke was showing all of a sudden. He had seemed so reluctant to even come to the party in class, but now here he was, kissing Naruto with Kiba just a few feet away, and for what? To calm him down so that he could enjoy that party.
Was I really that obvious? Could they tell I was that nervous just by looking at me? No – anybody else would've missed it. I was talking with them – laughing, telling stories, just like any other day – but they know me too well. They could see that I was checking the clock, that I was missing punch lines because I was distracted, and not just because I didn't get them. This is why it's good to have friends, I guess – so they can help you with your problems, even when you don't say a word about them.
"Thanks, Sasuke," the blond said finally as the Uchiha switched the television on.
"Don't mention it," Sasuke replied, lying back in his seat. "But if you start moping again, me and Kiba are gonna make you have fun, all right?"
"I'll keep that in mind," Naruto said, laughing at his boyfriend's dubious threat.
Moments later, a completely oblivious Kiba rose to his feet in triumph, holding his selected movie high in the air. "All right! After going through every single movie in our combined collection in alphabetical order, I, Kiba Inuzuka – VJ extraordinaire – have selected… drum roll please… Zoolander."
With that, the dog-boy tossed the DVD case over to the couch, where it landed neatly in Naruto's open hands. "Don't you think this movie's a bit too… silly for, let's say, Gaara? Or Sasuke?"
"I'm fine with it," the Uchiha replied, gently smacking the blond in the back of the head. "And what did I tell you about being so anal? You can't please everyone, Naruto – especially Gaara. I doubt he's ever seen a movie he's actually enjoyed."
"He's right, you know," Kiba added, collapsing on the couch once more. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but that Gaara's kind of a prick, even more than Uchiha – no offense, of course."
"None taken."
"Besides, by the time we actually sit down to watch the movie, everyone's going to be drunk on pizza and caffeine, they'll think anything's the greatest movie ever," the Inuzuka continued, gently nudging his housemate with his elbow. "As long as you laugh loud enough, everyone else should join in."
"By the way… did you guys already order pizza and everything? Do we need to run out and grab beverages or anything like that?" Sasuke chimed in, most likely trying to change the subject.
"We're going to order the pizza once everyone gets here. Choji and Lee are supposed to bring extra drinks for everyone – we should be fine," Naruto replied, tapping a finger against his lips in thought.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, which sent Naruto flying out of his seat in a combination of anxiety, excitement, and relief. "Speak of the devil…"
Darting to the door, the blond nearly tripped over Akamaru, who ran yelping back to his master's lap on the couch. After stumbling into the wall, though, Naruto managed to recover and swing open the door, where he found Lee and Choji standing with several 2-liters cradled in their arms.
"Hey, guys! You made it! Come in, come in – you can set the drinks down in the kitchen. Here, let me take a couple," Naruto said hurriedly as he ushered his guests inside.
"No, Naruto! Let me take the drinks! I told Choji that if I couldn't carry eight two liters over here, then I would have to run fifty laps around the park tomorrow," Lee exclaimed, pumping one fist into the air and inadvertently dropping several bottles in the process. "Oh, no! I've failed! I'll make it one hundred laps!"
"It's okay, Lee – your goal was the apartment, and you dropped them inside. You're fine," Choji said, giving Lee a hearty smack on the back. "Of course, we'll have to remember not to open those for an hour or so – wouldn't want them to spray anywhere, right? That would be a disgraceful waste."
Lee considered this for a moment, as he gathered up the scattered two liters. "Well, you have a point, I guess – I did make it to the apartment. Still, I feel like I failed somehow, after you challenged me like that."
"But you made up that challenge yourself…"
"I know!" the energetic teen exclaimed, his bowl-cut swishing as he spun to face Naruto. "Why don't you come up with a tie-breaker challenge, Naruto! If I lose, I have to do whatever punishment Choji decides, but if I win, he has to join me for one hundred laps in the park tomorrow!"
So, either way, Lee's going to run laps, huh? Figures…
"All right – rock, paper, scissors. Easy enough, right?" Naruto offered, patting each of the combatants on the shoulder.
"Fine, by me," Choji groaned as he cracked his knuckles. "And if I win, let's just say you have to do twenty pushups or something."
"One hundred – but I don't plan on losing," Lee boasted as he formed a fist.
Naruto rolled his eyes. It was pretty obvious who was going to win this match, and he had trouble keeping a straight face as he counted down. "Okay – rock, paper, scissors… shoot!"
On his word, both Choji and Lee shot their hands forward with their respective choices – Choji's was flat like a pancake, while Lee's remained in a tight fist. "Paper covers rock – victory goes to Choji," Naruto announced, raising the plump teen's arm like a boxing champion.
"But… but how? How did you know what I was going to pick?" Lee exclaimed, staring at his fist in disbelief.
"Everyone knew you were going to pick rock," Kiba replied from the couch, with Akamaru barking once in agreement.
"Yeah – Rock Lee," Sasuke continued with a smirk. "I don't think I've ever seen your hand form anything but a fist."
"What? No way! Am I really that obvious?"
"Yes, you are," Naruto laughed, gently punching Lee in the shoulder. "But that's what we like about you. Now, hurry up and give us our pushups. We'll wait."
Lee gave a single, vigorous nod before dropping to the floor, where he began to pump his arms up and down like pistons. It was truly amazing to see him go faster and faster, until he was practically a green blur on the carpet, his voice rapidly counting off each pushup.
"One-two-three-four-five-sixseveneightnineten…"
This continued for a minute or so, until Lee had reached pushup number fifty a few drops of sweat forming on his brow, when suddenly the door swung open once again. While the thick eyebrowed teen continued his pushups with fierce determination, Naruto and the others turned to find Shikamaru and Gaara standing in the doorway. As they both stepped inside the apartment, neither of the new arrivals could help but stare at the strange sight of Lee furiously exercising in the middle of the room.
"Should we ask?" Shikamaru asked as he sealed the door shut behind him.
"He lost a bet," Naruto explained simply, hoping it would suffice.
"So you made him do pushups? I thought the idea was to make him do something he'd hate," Shikamaru mused, as he tiptoed around Lee.
"Well, do you have a better idea, then?" Kiba asked, raising an eyebrow at the Nara. "Or is it too troublesome?"
"Exactly," Shikamaru replied, slumping down on the floor beside the couch.
"ONE HUNDRED!" Lee exclaimed, causing everyone except Gaara to jump ever so slightly. With that, the energetic teen leaped to his feet, raising a hand triumphantly in the air. "I have an idea! Let us have a series of contests, where the winner gets to provide a punishment for the loser! It'll be a fine activity to exercise our youth!"
There he goes with the 'youth' thing, again. Sometimes I wish he wouldn't hang around with Gai so much – it's a little creepy, really.
"Hmm… I dunno. What do the rest of you think?" Naruto asked, staring directly at Sasuke in hopes he'd take a hint.
"Sounds fun to me," Kiba said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
"Why not? As long as we get food."
"Whatever – if Choji's okay with it, I don't mind," Shikamaru said with a shrug.
"This could be interesting, I guess," Gaara concurred from his position by the door. He seemed to be observing the others from a distance.
They all waited for a second, realizing that there was one vote missing. Naruto's eyes were still fixed on Sasuke, who was glancing back and forth, as if suddenly aware that the whole room was staring at him.
"Well, Sasuke? What do you say?" the blond asked in a hopeful tone.
Maybe this'll be a good way to get everyone to interact with each other. Especially Sasuke…
The Uchiha considered the proposal for a second, running a hand through his raven locks before coming to a conclusion. "All right – I guess that's fine. Let's order the pizza first, though, before we forget."
"Great! You've got a good point, though – if we want the pizzas to be here by six or so, we'll have to order now. So… what does everyone want?" Naruto asked, as he walked over to the kitchen to grab a pen and some paper.
"Sausage!"
"Pepperoni!"
"I don't care…"
"Oh! Oh! How about sausage, olives, mushrooms, pepperoni, pineapple…"
"Calm down, Choji – somebody has to pay for all that, remember…"
"Cheese?"
"All right, all right – everyone shut up for a sec, okay?" Naruto shouted over the din, causing a hush to fall over the group. "Let me see – we have one with everything for Choji, sausage for Kiba, pepperoni for Lee, cheese for Sasuke. I take it Gaara and Shikamaru'll be fine with anything, right?"
"Fine by me," Shikamaru replied with a yawn, while Gaara simply nodded once in agreement.
"Sweet, so it's four pizzas for all of us. I think that should work. You guys just hang tight while I place the order," Naruto concluded as he picked up the phone and dialed the familiar digits.
As he waited for the pizza place to pick up, Naruto found that he had actually calmed down considerably now that everyone had arrived. They weren't trying to kill each other, like he'd feared – in fact, they were actually getting along rather well. Sure, Gaara was still being anti-social, but at least he'd shown up. That was a start. As for Sasuke… he was trying to interact with everyone, but it was clear he wasn't quite sure how to behave. Even as the phone rang in his ear, Naruto could tell that Sasuke felt uncomfortable on the couch, not sure of what to say to his more outgoing companions.
It's not necessarily a bad thing… I didn't expect him to dive head first into this thing. It'll definitely be an adjustment, but I think it'll be good for him. He needs to interact with other people, even if he claims he doesn't want to.
"Hi, TJ's Pizza, what can I do for you?"
The sudden voice on the other end of the line caused Naruto to snap back to reality. "Oh, hey, I'll have one large pizza with everything, one large with sausage, another with pepperoni, and another with just cheese."
"And will that be pick up or delivery?"
"Delivery, please. Our address should be in your system, right?"
"I've got it right here, Mr… Uzumaki. Now, your total will be $45, today. And remember, if your order isn't there in a half hour it's free! Thank you, and have a nice night."
Naruto clicked off the phone and set it back on the receiver, pleased that all the preparations for the night had now been made. Thus, it was with an air of triumph that the blond reentered the living room, where he found Choji, Kiba, Lee, and Shikamaru laughing on the floor, while Gaara and Sasuke looked on from the outside.
"All right, guys. Pizza should be here in a half hour," Naruto announced as he took his place on the carpet. "So, the question is, who's paying?"
"How much is it?" Sasuke asked from the couch.
"Forty-five big ones," the blond replied, "so I think if we all chip in seven bucks or so we should be fine."
"Wait a minute… I've got an idea," Kiba interrupted, picking himself off the couch. "Why don't we make this interesting?"
"Meaning…?" Naruto asked in a worried tone. There was something in the Inuzuka's wolfish grin that he didn't like.
"Remember those contests we were talking about? Well, let's make this the bet for the first one. Whoever loses has to pay for the pizzas!"
"You just don't want to cough up the cash, do you?" Shikamaru chuckled, shooting Kiba a skeptical glance.
"Maybe – I guess it's not my decision, though. Since Lee lost the last challenge, he gets to make the call." Kiba turned to Lee and put on his most pitiful expression. "Well, Lee, what do you say?"
"Sure! And the contest will be… um…" Lee began before putting a hand to his chin. "Let's see here… oh, I know! I'll think of a number between one and one hundred! The one furthest from my number has to pay for the pizza!"
"Doesn't that mean that you can't lose, though?" Choji pouted, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"Good point… how about, if someone picks my number exactly, then I have to pay for the pizza. Sound fair?"
The others nodded in agreement – or, at the very least, offered no protest. Satisfied, Lee ran into the kitchen, where he wrote down a number and tucked it in his pants pocket. Naruto still wasn't thrilled about the whole idea, but he figured the game would at least kill some time before the pizzas arrived.
"Okay, I've picked my number. What're everyone's guesses?" Lee asked, his voice dripping with enthusiasm. "Naruto – you go first."
"9." "37." "79." "54." "1." "27."
"All right, and my number was 100," Lee announced, holding his piece of paper up triumphantly. "So, that means… Shikamaru, you picked 1. You lose!"
Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders, "I only have ten bucks. Sorry, guys."
"Oh, no you don't," Kiba interjected, shaking his finger in the lazy genius's face. "You're not getting off that easy. We'll help pay for the pizzas, but you still have to give the pizza guy the money."
"Yikes, you're making me walk a whole five feet to the door? So cruel…"
Kiba's grin widened, sending a brief shiver down Naruto's spine. He knew that look – the Inuzuka had just received a brilliant idea, which could only mean bad news for Shikamaru.
"Ah, but there's a catch – you must answer the door in your underwear," the dog-boy revealed with a somewhat malicious laugh.
"And if I refuse?" the Nara asked, his deadpan expression unfazed by the challenge.
"You can't refuse – it's a bet," Kiba replied, his sly smile growing increasingly obnoxious and childish in his mannerisms.
Shikamaru considered this proposal for a minute while the others watched him in anticipation. Even Gaara seemed interested in how the events would unfold, and Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle at the Inuzuka's dare. Naruto knew better than to interfere in this case – it was too priceless an opportunity to pass up. Everyone's head spun towards the door as a sudden knock was heard, which caused Kiba to repeat his challenge.
"Well, Shikamaru – now's the moment of truth. Are you up for it, or are you too chicken?" the dog-boy asked while Akamaru barked in support of his master.
"Fine, fine – just get the money ready. So troublesome…" Shikamaru concluded as he rose from his seat on the carpet.
He's actually going through with it? Oh, this is too much…
With the others forcing themselves to hold back their laughter, lest the pizza man grow suspicious, Shikamaru began to undress, pulling off his t-shirt and tossing it to the ground. He then untied his shoes and removed his socks before undoing his belt, all of which he dropped to the ground. Then, with a final flourish, the Nara dropped his shorts to the ground, leaving him in just a pair of gray boxerbriefs.
"Looking good, man," Kiba said, tears forming in his eyes from stifled laughter.
"Just give me the money, guys," Shikamaru asked, extending his hand with an expression of annoyance.
By this point, most of the guys could barely resist letting out a few giggles as they handed Shikamaru their money. Lee and Gaara appeared to be the only ones unaffected – for Lee, all he could say was, 'use your youth, Shikamaru!' while Gaara watched on in silent amusement. Even Sasuke was starting to crack up – most likely because he already knew Shikamaru well enough. He let out a quiet wolf whistle as he handed his bills over to the Nara.
Gaara was the only one to elicit a reaction out of the lazy genius, though, as he stuck his money in the waistband of Shikamaru's underwear. "Put on a good show, now."
"Shut up," the Nara muttered, adding the bills to his wad of cash as he approached the door.
Geez, I've never seen Shikamaru snap at anyone like that before. Did they have a fight earlier or something? Or maybe he just doesn't trust Gaara yet… I can understand that, I guess. It's just like with Sasuke the other day…
The more Naruto thought about it, though, the more he became convinced that there was something more to the animosity. The smirk on Gaara's face as he slipped the bills into the waistband – he wasn't just amused by Shikamaru's embarrassing position. No, there had been something left unsaid between the two of them – something that grated Shikamaru's nerves enough for him to lose his cool. After all, Shikamaru wasn't the only one in the room who was wary of Gaara's presence. Just about everyone – and especially Sasuke – had glanced at him from time to time, keeping tabs on his position, as if he'd strike at any moment.
Yes, something had definitely happened between Shikamaru and Gaara recently, and it made Naruto uneasy, sensing that apparent tension. Still, he had no idea what the source of this hostility was, making it impossible to know how to resolve the issue.
I'll just have to keep an eye on them, I guess. Maybe it'll all become clear in time…
Meanwhile, the knocking on the door grew louder as the deliveryman grew impatient. Naruto and the others watched from the living room, practically giddy with anticipation – even Sasuke had moved from his position on the couch to get a better view – while Gaara remained by the door, eyeing the Nara with quiet amusement. Taking one last look back at his friends, Shikamaru sighed and threw open the door, hoping to get everything over with quickly.
When he actually looked the deliveryman in the face, though, the lazy genius grew noticeably flustered, freezing at the sight. He knew that face – that smirk, those green eyes, and those four ponytails poking out from beneath a black TJ's Pizza hat.
"H-hi, Temari…" Shikamaru scratched the back of his head as he tried to act cool.
Naruto was surprised to hear Shikamaru address the girl first, but found the entire situation all the more hilarious. To think that the deliveryman would be a girl, and one he knew! Too perfect… still, the blond couldn't help but note the subtle look of surprise on Gaara's face as well.
"Well, hello," Temari said, her tone a mixture of titillation and laughter. "Shikamaru, right?"
"R-right. Good memory," the Nara replied with a forced laugh, though it came out more as a cough.
"Oh, I have a feeling I'll be remembering this for a while," the blonde mused, placing a finger to her lips as she scanned Shikamaru's mostly naked body from head to toe. "So, just what kind of party did you drag my brother to, exactly?"
"I lost a bet," Shikamaru explained, ignoring the girl's question entirely.
"Hmm… well, it's only fair, I guess. After all, you already saw more than enough of me, right?" Temari continued with a giggle as she playfully snapped the waistband of the Nara's boxerbriefs.
"Umm… well, yeah – you could say that."
Naruto could tell, even with his view obstructed by his friends' stray limbs, that Shikamaru had turned a deep shade of red. He grinned.
Oh… Shikamaru has a crush…
"All right, all right – I'll stop harassing you… for now," Temari said, noticing the other boys in the background rolling on the floor in laughter. "That'll be $45."
Shikamaru handed the blonde his wad of bills, which she began to count deliberately slowly. As he stood there, his blush deepening and his hands shaking nervously, the Nara turned towards Kiba and shot him a quick, but pointed glare.
He's gonna want revenge for this. Poor Kiba…
"Okay, everything seems to be in order. Here are your pizzas," Temari concluded, piling the boxes into Shikamaru's open arms. "Have fun, now – you too, Gaara!"
With a final wave to the redhead, Temari started down the path and out of sight, at which point Shikamaru heaved a sigh of relief. After kicking the door shut, he set the pizzas down in the kitchen and turned to the crowd, his face still red with a combination of embarrassment and anger.
"Kiba! According to the rules, it's my turn to pick the next contest, right?"
"Yeah, sure is. Though I suggest you put on some pants first," the dog-boy cracked, apparently oblivious to the Nara's vengeful tone.
"No time – I want you to guess how many fingers I'm holding up behind my back. You win, I have to run out and give Temari her tip. I win, and you take my place. Got it?"
"Whatever," Kiba groaned, "just get on with it."
"All right – I'm ready. Naruto's a witness, so I can't change the number," the Nara announced, one hand pressed to the small of his back.
"Let's see… three?"
"Nope, one," Shikamaru said, waving the digit tauntingly before the Inuzuka's face. "Right, Naruto?"
"He's not lying, Kiba – I saw it. You lose," Naruto concurred with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Fine, just hurry up and give me the money, then…"
"Not so fast," Shikamaru interrupted just as Kiba rose to his feet. "I said you'd be taking my place – there was a reason I didn't get dressed, you know."
Kiba's eyes widened in realization. "You mean…"
"That's right – now take 'em off. Or are you too chicken?"
Oh, he's got him now. Well played, Shikamaru, well played…
"But… it's still light outside. And it's rush hour – there'll be people out there!" Kiba protested, gesticulating towards the door.
"Not my problem, Kiba. Now hurry up before she drives off – it's a much longer walk to TJ's Pizza," Shikamaru said smugly as he picked up his discarded clothes from the floor.
The Inuzuka briefly looked to the other guys, hoping someone would intervene, but met only unsympathetic eyes. Everyone knew that Kiba had brought it upon himself, and to step in now would only spoil the fun.
"Just get it over with, Kiba," Sasuke commented from the couch, knowing that the dog-boy was trapped.
Hearing this, the Inuzuka removed his shirt in annoyance, tossing it forcefully to the floor. "All right, all right – I see how it is. See if I help you guys out anytime soon…"
Like Shikamaru before him, Kiba undid his shoes, removed his socks, and unbuckled his belt, adding them all to the pile before him. He then unbuttoned his shorts and, hesitating, dropped them to the floor – causing much of the room to burst into laughter. Indeed, the source of Kiba's extreme reluctance became immediately clear, for he was left standing in nothing but a very revealing pair of black briefs.
"Phew-whew! Nice, Kiba!" Naruto whistled, thoroughly enjoying his friend's utter humiliation.
"Naruto! Come on – you can't expect me to go out there like this, can you?" Kiba pleaded, indicating his exposed state.
"To be fair, you did kind of ask for it," the blond replied, patting his housemate on the shoulder sympathetically. "I mean, after what you made Shikamaru go through – plus that time you pantsed me in the pool, not to mention…"
"Okay, I get it – just deserts and all that. Well, just hand me the money so I can get this over with."
Shikamaru, now fully dressed, handed the Inuzuka a few bills, trying to hide his satisfied smile. "Go get 'em, tiger."
Sticking out his tongue childishly, Kiba took the bills, chuckling to himself as he darted out the door. "Well, here goes nothin'."
No sooner had Kiba disappeared down the pathway, calling out to Temari to wait for her tip, than Gaara sealed the door shut and turned the lock, much to the other's amusement.
"Isn't that a bit much, Gaara?" Naruto asked. Even if Kiba had brought this all upon himself, the vulpine boy didn't want to completely humiliate him.
"Don't worry, I'll let him back in. I just want him to sweat a little first," the redhead replied, his expression emotionless as usual.
"All right, then – that'll give us a chance to talk to Shikamaru," the blond began, turning to the aforementioned lazy genius as he spoke. "So, fess up – who is she?"
"I take it you mean Temari? She's Gaara's sister," Shikamaru answered as he collapsed on the floor. "We met when I went to tell him about the party."
"Oh, is that all?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.
Sasuke seemed eager to join in on the fun, sitting up on the couch to face the Nara. "Come on, we saw the way you were blushing like that. What really happened?"
"You want to know why I was blushing? Maybe you'd like to have a chat with her in your underwear – see how long it takes before you're red in the face."
"Sounds awfully defensive to me, don't you think, Naruto?" Sasuke continued, nudging his boyfriend gently.
"Yeah, something else definitely happened – you didn't start blushing until she said something about seeing 'more than enough of her,'" the blond responded, further analyzing the facts and enjoying it all far too much. "I'll tell you what, let's ask Gaara! Maybe he can tell us all about this, huh? Say, Gaara – do you know why Shikamaru was acting so strangely around your sister?"
"I might," the redhead said cryptically, shooting the Nara a smirk, "but I think Shikamaru would rather tell you himself."
"Yeah, Shikamaru – just tell us! Naruto and Sasuke told us all about their relationship. What's so special about this Temari girl that you need to keep it a secret from us?" Choji asked from the floor, staring up at his housemate.
"Yes! Love is meant to bloom during youth! Please, tell us more about your new girlfriend!" Lee exclaimed, joining in the chorus.
"She's not my girlfriend!" Shikamaru exclaimed, silencing the rest of the room. "Look, the thing is… well, when I went to get Gaara, she answered the door and… well… she was… in her underwear."
Again, the Nara blushed in spite of himself, causing Naruto to smile teasingly. "So, I take it she's quite a looker, then? Big boobs and all that?"
"I think what Naruto's trying to say is – did you like what you saw?" Sasuke asked, finally taking pity on his good friend.
"Well… yes," the Nara admitted, eliciting cheers from the others.
"So what's the problem? I say go for it, man – she was totally flirting with you back there," Naruto continued, throwing an arm around the lazy genius.
"Plus, she works at a pizzeria – maybe she could bring us free samples…" Choji mused, a thin stream of saliva dribbling onto his 'I'll have a cow, man" t-shirt.
"It's not that simple, guys!" Shikamaru muttered in frustration, running a hand through his pineapple-shaped hair. "I barely even know her, and besides…"
"He'd have to go through me."
The guys all turned to stare at Gaara, who had approached their circle during the course of their conversation. His arms were crossed, his eyes only half-opened, and his tone seemed distant. Still, his presence was somehow chilling, even to Naruto.
"What do you mean?" the blond asked, unconsciously taking a step towards Sasuke.
"Well, she's my sister, after all. If someone falls below my standards, then it's my job to make their life a living hell, so she can find someone better," the redhead continued, shrugging his shoulders. "I have very high standards, I'm afraid."
Is he joking? I still can't really tell with him – I know he doesn't mean any harm, but even though I trust him, I just find him so hard to read…
"So, yeah – there's that, too," Shikamaru said finally. "I'll think about it, though – how about that?"
Nobody said a word for a full minute. Everyone stared at their feet, checked the clock on the wall, or whistled awkwardly to break the silence. Then, as if to rescue them from their discomfort, there was a sudden, frantic pounding on the door, which caused everyone to forget about their previous conversation.
"Come on, guys! Let me in! There are people coming! H-hello, ma'am. Uh, nice weather we're having?"
Before Kiba could suffer any more, Gaara unlocked the door and stepped back just in time to avoid the Inuzuka's tumbling entrance. The redhead then shut the door just as calmly and joined the newly formed circle surrounding the now red-faced Kiba.
"So, how'd it go?" Naruto asked with a cheeky grin.
"It was fucking awful!" Kiba explained as he hastily stepped into his shorts. "First, I had to shout after Temari before she could drive away, and that drew a lot of attention from our neighbors. Of course, they all came outside to see what the hell was going on, and there I am running by in just my undies, which they found oh-so funny. Temari heard me coming, though, and stopped, but that hardly made things any better, since I had to hand over her tip right by the side of the road. Do you know how busy it is around this time? I wouldn't be surprised if half the fucking city has seen my practically naked by now!"
Now fully dressed, the exasperated dog-boy took a deep breath and continued. "And then, to make matters worse, on my way back up, I ran into our landlady. She thought it was all just a prank, so she slapped me right across the face. See this?" Kiba shouted, pointing to a fresh red mark on his cheek. "That's what that psycho bitch did to me! Thanks a lot, guys."
Naruto and the others were silent for a moment, realizing that things had gotten a bit out of control. "So, I take it that was who you were talking to outside, huh?" the blond asked eventually.
"Yeah – I don't think she was too happy about it." Kiba continued solemnly, causing Naruto to scratch the back of his head awkwardly. Gaara, however, wasn't quite as sympathetic.
"That red spot on your face – that was there before," the redhead stated simply – not a question, but a mere fact.
"No it wasn't," the Inuzuka responded with a dismissive wave.
"Yes it was – it looks more like a sunburn. You had track practice after school, right? That's why Lee was late – he always stays after to help Gai. And my guess is you wear briefs on days when you have track practice, right?"
Kiba looked dumbfounded. "What are you talking about? I never said that…"
"You complained about it the other day. You said your boxers were chafing too much when you ran. I bet you went out and bought some briefs that day," Gaara continued, his simple question quickly becoming an all-out interrogation.
"Well… yeah, okay – they're more comfortable when I'm running, and I did have track today. What of it?" Kiba said defensively as he shifted his feet nervously under the redhead's gaze.
"So, you didn't have your sunscreen today. Naruto said you loaned it to him before gym class, and I saw him throw it in his backpack during lunch. I'll bet it's still there."
Taking Gaara's hint, Naruto hurried to his room and found his backpack, which he dragged back to the witnesses. Sure enough, the bottle of sunscreen was nestled at the bottom of the bag. "He's right! It's still here!"
How does he know all of this? Has he been studying us that closely all week? Remembering everything we say and do? If he's really trying that hard to get close to us, maybe he's actually taking this friendship thing seriously. Either that, or the other guys are right, and he's just gathering information before exacting his revenge…
"Well then, Kiba, why don't you tell us what really happened?" Gaara asked, his arms crossed in victory.
The dog-boy hesitated for a second, trying to think of some excuse that might get him out of his current predicament. Seeing that he'd only be digging himself into an even deeper hole, though, Kiba finally conceded defeat with a sheepish grin. "Geez, Gaara – way to spoil my fun. I really had them going, too."
"Wait, so you mean all that stuff that happened?" Lee asked, looking positively confused by the revelation.
"I spiced it up, okay?" Kiba admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. "Yes, I had to call after Temari, and yes a few people saw me, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Embarrassing, yes – traumatic, no. I just wanted to make you guys feel guilty for a bit, that's all."
"So you were just talking to yourself outside?" Choji asked, having been close enough to the door to hear the dog-boy's conversation outside.
"That? Well, there was a woman who passed by and gave me a funny look, but it wasn't anyone I knew."
The others let the details of Kiba's elaborate scheme sink in for a moment, unsure of what exactly to say. It was brilliant, but they were all still too irritated to admit this to the Inuzuka. After a moment, however, Shikamaru stepped forward and extended his hand to Kiba.
"Touché, Kiba, touché," he said simply and calmly. "Truce?"
"Truce," the dog-boy agreed, shaking the offered hand. "No more humiliating bets. For now, at least…"
"You two gonna kiss, or can we eat?" Sasuke asked as he rose with a groan from the couch.
"We must fill our bodies with delicious sustenance if we are to truly exercise our minds and bodies!" Lee shouted as he rushed into the kitchen.
"Hands off my pizza! I must get the first slice!" Choji roared as he barreled down after the mop-topped teen.
"Not if I get there first!" Naruto exclaimed, racing after the duo, with his other guests following close behind.
In the chaos of flailing limbs, flying boxes, and vanishing pizza that followed, everyone somehow managed to get at least three slices, while many had more. Choji simply ate out of the box, taking several bites of his enormous pizza at once. Not to be outdone, Lee had begun shoveling as much pizza into his mouth as possible, coming close to choking as he tried to wash it all down with Coke. Meanwhile, Naruto grabbed several slices from different boxes, taking a bite out of each before moving on to the next. The only ones to eat reasonably were Sasuke, Gaara, and Shikamaru, who each found a topping of their liking and placed a few slices onto their plates.
As his guests wolfed down their respective meals, Naruto took a moment to look around the room and reflect on the night thus far. The bets had gotten a little out of hand, the blond concluded, but nobody had been harmed by them. Everyone had enjoyed the game – even Kiba, who would've had every right to be angry with the rest of them, was still laughing and having a good time.
Still, the question remained of Sasuke. While he was certainly trying to have fun, the Uchiha had been relatively quiet during the game. The only people he seemed to talk to were Naruto and Shikamaru, and while that was nice, it could hardly be considered an improvement. Naruto wanted Sasuke to interact with his new friends – Kiba, Lee, Choji, even Gaara, to a certain extent. The blond reassured himself, though, that the night was young – Sasuke still had plenty of time to warm up to his new companions.
"Okay, I got dibs on the next contest, right?" Kiba asked, his voice muffled by a mouthful of pizza. He swallowed before continuing. "Well, I've got one – between me and Gaara."
Oh geez – this is gonna end well…
"What did you have in mind," Gaara asked before sipping on some ginger ale.
"It's simple – whoever can eat a slice of pizza the fastest wins. The loser has to kiss Akamaru."
"Who's Akamaru?" the redhead asked, raising an eyebrow – or, where an eyebrow would be if he'd had one.
"This little guy right here," the Inuzuka replied, holding up his white puppy by the armpits. "Well, what do you say?"
"I think it sounds asinine."
Kiba turned to the others at the table, "I don't know, guys – sounds like he's afraid he might lose. Not that I can blame him – he probably eats like a bird."
Gaara closed his eyes, ignoring the growing catcalls from the others. Naruto found it a bit surprising that they'd gang up on the redhead so easily – then again, they were supposed to be treating him like one of the group. This was almost like an initiation for him, which was good, in some strange, twisted way.
"Fine, I'll do it," the redhead said. "Don't even bother with the contest, though – just hand me the mutt."
"What? But what kind of bet is that?" Kiba protested, feeling somehow cheated by Gaara's indifference.
"Please. This game has been about embarrassing dares from the beginning. Now hand me Akamaru."
He's got a point. The contests have pretty much been an excuse to make people do embarrassing things…
"Fine, have it your way. Now pucker up!" the Inuzuka said in a singsong voice.
Handing the perplexed Akamaru over to Gaara, Kiba seemed genuinely excited for what was probably the most childish act of the night. Despite how juvenile it was, though, Naruto also found himself strangely intrigued. Had it been someone like Lee kissing Akamaru, it wouldn't have been a big deal. To see Gaara doing something so silly, however, was a different matter altogether. The image did not seem possible in Naruto's mind, and he was curious to see whether the redhead would actually go through with it.
Taking the puppy by the armpits, Gaara tentatively drew him towards his face, eyeing the dog with disgust. When Akamaru was just a few inches from his face, the redhead closed his eyes and prepared for the inevitable. What he discovered, however, was that Akamaru was ready to make the first move, curiously licking Gaara's face while the table burst into laughter.
"Looks like someone's happy to meet you, Gaara," Naruot teased as the redhead's face twisted into a look of disgust.
All the laughter died instantly, though, when Akamaru made an unplanned move. Rather than simply continued licking Gaara's face, the puppy decided, at that moment, that his bladder was full. Everyone only watched in silence as a yellow stream flowed onto Gaara's shirt, producing a light, splattering sound.
We're all gonna die, we're all gonna die…
"Charming little mutt, isn't he?" Gaara muttered before setting Akamaru on the ground. Almost immediately, the petite, white puppy scampered off, sensing that it had done something wrong. "I take it he's not house trained?"
"Geez, Gaara… he must've gotten too excited," Kiba offered, fearing some sort of retribution.
"No kidding," the redhead replied, staring at the wet area on his shirt in revulsion.
"Look, why don't you come with me and we'll find you a new shirt," Naruto interrupted, seizing Gaara's wrist. "Unless you want to smell like dog piss all night."
Gaara nodded, and together he and Naruto started for the blond's bedroom. There, with the door shut, Naruto began rummaging through his drawers for a shirt, feeling incredibly guilty for what had happened.
What a disaster. So much for Gaara fitting in with the others… we'll be lucky if he doesn't kill us all by the end of the night…
"I'm so sorry about that, Gaara," the blond stammered as he tossed a shirt out onto the carpet. "Please, don't hold it against Kiba. He didn't mean for it to happen…"
"Oh, I know – I probably had it coming, anyway, after I locked him out earlier," Gaara replied as he looked around the room with apparent interest.
"Still, I'm sorry about your shirt. I'll try to wash it this weekend and give it back to you on Monday…"
"Don't bother," Gaara said quickly with a wave of his hand. "Just throw it away. It was getting old anyway…"
"If you say so… but let me at least find you a replacement shirt. Something you can keep, you know?"
Naruto continued his search, trying to find something that would fit Gaara's smaller frame. He had never considered it before, but despite Gaara's reputation as a fearsome, brutal maniac, he didn't exactly have an intimidating physique. In fact, he looked completely average in size – but Naruto knew from experience how misleading that appearance was. It showed in his eyes, that murderous power that Gaara had put to use time and again, but Naruto couldn't help but notice that the glint had dimmed in the past few days. It wasn't that Gaara had lost his fighting spirit, but more that he'd shifted his focus to something else. He almost looked calm.
"Ah, here we go!" Naruto announced in satisfaction, holding up his find. It was a faded green t-shirt bearing the image of the Konoha leaf. "My dad bought me this when I first started here at Konoha High. It doesn't fit me anymore, though – you can have it, if you want."
Naruto tossed the shirt to Gaara, who caught it with one hand. "Thanks."
They stood there in silence for a moment, before Naruto finally laughed awkwardly. "Well, are you gonna put it on or what?"
"Oh, right…"
After a second's hesitation, Gaara dropped the new t-shirt onto Naruto's bed and stripped off his own, urine-soaked shirt, which he rolled into a ball. Tossing the wet shirt into a nearby trashcan, the redhead reached for the new shirt, which he began to pull over his head. Before Gaara could pull the shirt on completely, though, Naruto couldn't help but notice his bare midriff, which was still bruised from their fight the weekend before.
I wonder how many times he's been bruised like that. How long has he been pushing the rest of the world away? Is this what would've happened to me… to Sasuke… if we hadn't found someone we could trust? Would we have beaten ourselves up so badly, suffered blow after blow, until we no longer even cared about the pain? Until the pain we received and the pain we inflicted were the only things reminding us that we were alive?
Is that why he didn't want to take off his shirt? Because he wanted to hide that part of himself, the part that wants to resist the world? Or is he ashamed to have been defeated? Just give me a sign, Gaara…
"What's with you?"
Naruto looked up and found that Gaara had finished donning his new shirt, and was now staring at him curiously. "Oh, I'm sorry – just spacing out, I guess."
"I see," the redhead said simply before plopping down on the bed. "Tell me, do you think Uchiha's enjoying the party?"
"Always with the 'Uchiha' thing, huh?" Naruto replied, completely ignoring the actual question. "What do you have against him? You get along okay with everyone else… even Kiba, and his dog just took a leak on you! Do you really hate him that much?"
"No, I don't hate him. I don't think I could actually hate any of your friends… even Uchiha," Gaara responded, staring intently at the blond, as if he was reading Naruto's very soul. "No, I'd say he's more of… a rival, I suppose."
"A rival? But you're not even competing in anything? How could he possibly be a rival…?"
"All in good time, Naruto," the redhead whispered before turning his head to the door. "Now, you still haven't answered my question."
"What?"
"Do you think Uchiha's enjoying the party? He's been awfully quiet all evening."
Naruto considered the question for a minute. He'd been avoiding the very same issue himself, and was hoping that he could just brush off Gaara's inquiry. Seeing that this would be impossible, though, the blond decided to simply think aloud.
"Well, I'm not sure. I'd like to think so, but I know that Sasuke's not really used to this type of thing," Naruto began as he put some of the scattered shirts back in their drawer. "I mean, he doesn't really like to be connected with people, you know? He's… he's afraid that he might lose the people he loves, so instead of going through the pain of loss, he'd rather just try to avoid love altogether."
"That must be rough for you. Do you ever think it'd be easier to find someone devoted entirely to you?"
"That's just it, though! Sasuke is devoted to me… or, at least, I'm devoted to him. I can't really know what he's thinking, but I feel like he cares about me just as much. He doesn't have a lot of people he really trusts, and most of those relationships took months, maybe even years to develop. But I've known Sasuke – I mean really known him – for just over a week, and we're boyfriends. He must feel something for me, right?"
"That makes sense. Has he ever told you so?"
"Well, in his own way, yes. He's kind of indirect, but that's fine with me. It's new for him, so I know every little expression of affection means a lot. That's why I think this party is so important. I wanted to give him – and you – a chance to meet with the rest of my friends, so we can be like our own little family." Naruto scratched his head at this point, feeling rather sheepish. "Wow, that sounded even cornier than I thought it would."
"Not at all."
What's with him? Why's he being so… weird, all of a sudden?
"So, I guess the bottom line is, I don't know. I want Sasuke to have a good time, but I'm not sure if this is the type of thing he'll enjoy. He's here, so that means, whether it's for me or for himself, he wants to be here. I guess that'll have to be enough."
"All right, then. As long as you're happy," Gaara concluded as he rose from the corner of the bed.
Before the redhead could leave the room, Naruto stopped him, grabbing his shoulder as he reached for the doorknob. "I'm sorry, there's just one more thing I wanted to ask you. It's about Shikamaru… you see, he's my friend too, and if you're really planning to make his life miserable, I'll have to stop you."
"Oh, that," Gaara said, turning his head to look at the blond. "I'm not planning on actually stopping Shikamaru from dating my sister. I'm just messing with his head a bit – think of it as a mind game. He likes those, right?"
"A mind game? Is that what this all is to you? One big game, so you can play with our emotions?"
Naruto was fuming on the inside over Gaara's flippant remark, but he tried this best to keep those feelings hidden. After all, he was trying to be friends with Gaara – he didn't think another fight would do much to further his cause.
"This? A mind game?" Gaara replied in a somber tone. "Never, Naruto. Not with you – now let's get going. They're probably wondering what happened to us."
Naruto nodded, still a bit perplexed by the whole conversation, and followed Gaara back out to the kitchen area. There, the others were gathered around Choji, who was chugging a bottle of root beer, having already finished his entire pizza. Seeing Naruto and Gaara's return, however, their attention was quickly diverted.
"About time you guys got back," Kiba said as he returned to his seat. "Sorry about your shirt, Gaara – I put Akamaru in my room for the night."
"Don't worry about it. Let's just eat."
And eat they did. They piled on more slices, until the four cardboard boxes were completely empty, and several empty 2-liters lay on the floor. Before they were all finished, however, Gaara spoke up, much to everyone's surprise.
"Uchiha, I've decided on my dare for you," the redhead said, causing Sasuke to freeze with a slice of pizza between his teeth.
"No contest? You're not even going to try?"
"I could, but that would just be a waste of time. Now, I want you to answer a little question for me," Gaara continued, leaning forward expectantly. "When Naruto stepped in to fight for you the other day – I'm wondering, would you have done the same thing for him?"
Dammit, Gaara! Why would you ask him that? Are you just trying to cause trouble?
"Sasuke! You're all out of Coke, there. Let me get you some more," Naruto interrupted, handing Sasuke a fresh 2-liter of cola.
Before he had time to realize what he'd done, Naruto saw Sasuke unscrew the cap, his eyes still focused on Gaara. In an instant, the frantic teen remembered why that particular 2-liter had been put off to the side, but it was too late – the liquid burst force, spraying right into Sasuke's face.
It only lasted a second, but to Naruto it felt like an eternity, seeing that Coke spraying into Sasuke's face, running down his shirt, all while the others looked on in surprise. When the explosion stopped, however, replaced only by the carbonated fizzing, it was the Uchiha who broke the silence – with a laugh.
"Well, that was different," he replied, wiping some of the cola from his face with a napkin. "I hope you know this means war, Naruto."
Oh shit…
With that, the Uchiha reached for the nearest, unopened bottle of Mountain Dew, which he began to shake vigorously. To Naruto's right, Choji and Lee blocked the path, eager to prevent the blond's escape and witness some action. With the pop now fizzing rapidly, Sasuke rushed in and opened the bottle in Naruto's face, sending a flood of Mountain Dew into his open mouth and up his nose.
Spluttering and coughing, Naruto wiped the soda from his eyes and began to laugh uncontrollably. Somewhat confused, Sasuke leaned in, afraid that he'd somehow hurt his boyfriend.
"What's the matter with you? Did the caffeine go straight to your brain or something?"
"No! It's your face!" the blond exclaimed, clutching his sides as he laughed. "You look like a drowned rat!"
"You're not much better," Choji countered, gasping for breath between outbursts.
Indeed, everyone at the table was quite entertained by the whole ordeal – even Gaara was chuckling to himself. Naruto was pleased by this, as it seemed that the redhead had forgotten about his question, or at the very least had let it go for the moment. It was clear that the question had made Sasuke uncomfortable, and Naruto was determined to keep the Uchiha in a good mood for the remainder of the night.
"Well… now that we're completely soaked, shall we go get changed?" the blond asked, turning to his boyfriend with a grin.
No sooner had these words left Naruto's mouth than a sudden clap of thunder caused the windows to rattle, drowning out all the other noise in the room. For a moment they all remained silent, listening to the low rumbling as the thunder resonated, not sure of how to react. When they finally heard the pitter-patter of rain falling outside the apartment, there was a single, collective sigh.
"So – I guess we're staying overnight, huh?" Shikamaru said, glancing at Naruto.
"Looks like it," the blond replied, putting a hand to his chin. "This storm's gonna last for hours. Do we have extra blankets, Kiba?"
"There's some in the closet, I think. You know Iruka, he had to make sure you'd be set for every emergency imaginable."
As the Inuzuka walked into the hallway to find the aforementioned blankets, Naruto turned his attention back to Sasuke and their still-drenched state.
"Well, do you need extra clothes for tonight, then? Or are you gonna stay in those sticky clothes all night?"
"Look, we're just gonna watch the movie and go to sleep, right?" the Uchiha said, nodding his head towards the living room. "I'll just get undressed now, then. Not a big deal."
"You're sure? What if you get cold?"
"I'll have a blanket. I'll be fine, Naruto. What'd I say about being such a worrywart?"
He's got a point. Still, I can't tell if he's just lying for my sake, or if he really doesn't care. Why can't I read anyone today? Am I just distracted? But what?
I guess I just want Sasuke to confirm for me how he feels. It should be enough for me that he's here, that he wants to be around me… but I want to hear him say it! Gaara's right – I want him to tell me how much I matter to him. He said I could write about him in the essay – that means he thinks I'm important, right? But… I can't take these hints forever. I need something concrete!
"Got the blankets! Let's get on with the movie already!" Kiba announced, holding a bundle of sheets in both arms.
The others nodded in agreement and headed for the living room, where they all picked their spots by around the television. Most were satisfied with a spot on the floor, while Naruto and Sasuke shared the couch. With the lights out, everyone got ready to watch the movie and go to sleep. Naruto and Sasuke stripped out of their wet clothes to their light blue boxers and black boxerbriefs, respectively, before climbing onto the couch and wrapping a blanket around themselves. Kiba, likewise, undressed to his briefs, while Shikamaru simply removed his pants, opting to keep his t-shirt on. Lee wore only his tighty-whities underneath his sheets, Choji slept in his undershirt and boxers, while Gaara remained fully clothed, resting his head against the couch.
Once everyone was settled, Kiba popped in Zoolander, and they all sat back and watched the film. It was, as Naruto had determined, silly, but everyone enjoyed it because it was so ridiculous. About an hour and a half into the movie, though, the sugar high the teens had received from their soda binge wore off, and by the time the credits rolled, the music was drowned out by a combination of light snores and the drone of pouring rain.
It was then, as the screen went black, that Naruto realized how close he was to Sasuke. Even though they had made out on multiple occasions, he'd never spent such an extended period of time in intimate contact with the Uchiha. After all, he was lying in just his boxers, with Sasuke's bare body pressed up against his backside. At any other time, he might've focused more on this sensual moment, how he was practically naked and being embraced by the boy he loved. Right then, though, Naruto's mind was not on sex – but rather, on Gaara's question.
I need an answer… I need to know, somehow…
"Naruto," Sasuke whispered, causing the vulpine boy to stir suddenly. "Are you awake?"
"Yeah," the blond replied, turning his head to glance at his boyfriend. "What's up?"
"It's about what Gaara said… his question, I guess," the Uchiha said, shifting uncomfortably under the blankets. "I wasn't sure about it at first – that's why I hesitated. I mean, I was mad at you when Gaara started that fight… I didn't want to see you again. But… now that I think about it, I know I would've stepped in if he'd been fighting you instead."
"But… why?"
"I don't know. Probably for the same reason you defended me," Sasuke replied, his voice now lower than a whisper. "I know I would've regretted it for the rest of my life. Even though I was mad at you… even though I'd tried to convince myself that I hated you… I knew you still mattered to me. And to let someone I care about get hurt… I just can't do that. You know why."
Naruto did. He also knew that anything he said would completely ruin the moment, so he just rolled around on the couch, facing his boyfriend, and kissed him gently. They lay there for a moment, each enjoying the feel of the others embrace, before pulling out of the kiss in a sort of mystifying unison. As they lay there, neither one able to see the other's smile, but both knowing it was there, they suddenly heard a third party enter the conversation from the foot of the couch.
"I knew it, Uchiha."
Naruto gently nudged Gaara with his foot, to which the redhead chuckled before nestling into his blanket. With a satisfied sigh, the blond decided that it was an appropriate time for him to go to sleep as well. Thus, with one arm draped over Sasuke, Naruto faded into sleep, with one final, affirming thought crossing his mind.
I knew it too, Sasuke. Somehow, I knew it too…