Sorry, you guys. This chapter was tough for me, but I got it up as quickly as I could. I'm still not 100% satisfied with it, but I think I'm as close as I'm going to get. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it, and thanks as usual for reading and reviewing. Now, without further ado, on with the chapter!

48. Juniper and Lamplight

Sasuke Uchiha strolled down the streets of Konoha that night, his hands in the pockets of his blue jacket as he went. He was in no particular hurry – he knew exactly where he was going, and he knew he had plenty of time to get there. He wasn't sure how he knew where Naruto had gone after leaving the party so abruptly, but somehow he was certain of it. Call a sixth sense, call it lover's intuition, call it whatever – Sasuke just knew. If there was one place Naruto would go when he was upset, it was Ichiraku Ramen.

Of course, before Sasuke got there, he had to figure out what exactly he was going to say, which was one reason why he was moving at such a leisurely place that night. He couldn't say he was proud of what had happened at the party – in fact, even if Naruto hadn't said anything, he would've felt incredibly guilty about it later on. The fact that he had ticked off his boyfriend only made things worse, though.

So why had he done it? Sasuke only wished he knew. Maybe he still held a grudge against Gaara for their little fight, not to mention the fact that he tried to steal Naruto away from him. That kind of history was enough to spoil any friendship. But Sasuke knew there was more to it than that. Yes, it mattered that it was Gaara who said it, but it mattered more that Sasuke was… well… Sasuke.

Was it pride? Some sort of lingering Uchiha sense of self-worth that meant Sasuke couldn't just ignore Gaara when he was openly attacking him? Sasuke kicked a can out of his path and frowned.

No, that wasn't it.

The truth was, Sasuke knew all along why he hadn't been able to fight that urge to take down Gaara. It was because everything Gaara had said was spot on. Sasuke had been keeping things from Naruto, and it was because he was still afraid. He wanted to trust Naruto fully and completely, he wanted to share every single ideal of love with his sunshine blond, because that's how he felt about him. For him, Naruto was his savior – the person who rescued Sasuke from himself, the one who brought him out of his little funk of self-pity and back to reality. Contrary to what Ace of Base said, someone had "dragged him up, to get into the light where he belonged."

But it still wasn't enough. He might not have had the paralyzing fear that had made him run away, but there were still some doubts lingering within him. What Gaara had said about being cursed… it was too true.

I don't want him to get hurt because of me. That's why I don't tell him everything. Because if he knew all of my concerns, if I told him every little thought that crossed my mind…

Sasuke shook his head. If he did that, then Naruto would truly know Sasuke – he'd understand him completely. And, as soon as he did that, Naruto would be doomed. It was absolutely ridiculous, Sasuke told himself. Logically, there was no sense in thinking he was cursed. But then he thought about what happened to his parents, to Itachi, to O… they were all the people he trusted most, and they had all died, either literally or figuratively.

Maybe this is just a final step for me. I've already dealt with the more rational fears… I just have to do something about this paranoia. Either that, or I'm even crazier than I thought…

Turning the corner, Sasuke paused. There it was – that little ramen shop he had taken Naruto to just a few months before. It seemed like ages ago, now. He had brought him there because he felt guilty, and that had been the beginning of the end. The beginning of his relationship with Naruto, the beginning of understanding that little thing called love, the beginning of his new life, but also the end of his fear, the end of his loneliness, and the end of the old Sasuke. He took a deep breath.

Well, here goes nothing.

Stepping towards the ramen stand, Sasuke brushed the sign out of his way and ducked as he stepped inside. There, he found only one patron sitting at the bar – a familiar teenager wearing an orange jacket with bright yellow hair.

"Mind if I sit down?" Sasuke asked standing beside his boyfriend – assuming he could still call Naruto that.

"Sure," Naruto mumbled, staring blankly at the bowl of noodles before him. To Sasuke's surprise, it was the only dish on the counter – usually there were at least two stacks of empty bowls resting in front of the vulpine boy.

"Not hungry?" the Uchiha asked as he plopped down on an adjacent stool.

"What do you want?" the blond asked abruptly, causing Sasuke to momentarily freeze up. "You do want to eat, don't you?"

Sasuke was relieved – he had thought he'd angered Naruto just by showing up. "Umm… some shio ramen, I guess."

"Hey, old man. A bowl of shio ramen, please," Naruto said, indicating Sasuke with his free hand.

Nodding, the noodle chef proceeded to whip up a bowl while the two teens waited in silence. When the chef set the steaming bowl before Sasuke, the raven-haired youth only stared at it in silence, inhaling the odors, savoring them in an attempt to stir his appetite. As good as the food smelled, however, it only made Sasuke think of Naruto, and there was no way he could eat with that weighing on his mind.

Staring at the food before him, Sasuke sighed. 'I'm sorry."

"And I forgive you," Naruto replied flatly as he swirled his noodles with his chopsticks. "But I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

"I know – I'm going to talk to Gaara as soon as I get the chance – but right now I need to come clean with you."

Naruto glanced up at his boyfriend, meeting his eyes for the first time. There was a hint of concern and, unless Sasuke was mistaken, fear in his expression. "What do you mean?"

"Everything Gaara said… it's all true," Sasuke confessed, setting down his chopsticks with a clack. "The truth is, I have been hiding things from you… my feelings, I mean. When I first learned that O had died, for instance, I… I really thought I was cursed. That's what Gaara was talking about earlier. What he didn't say, though, was how he snapped me out of it."

"Gaara did?"

Sasuke nodded with a slight smile. "I said everyone would be better off without me, and ye just snapped. He told me that you all were so concerned for my safety because I was important to them – that O sacrificed himself for me so I could truly be happy. It made me feel, well… blessed."

Naruto rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "Drop this sappy stuff, Sasuke. It doesn't suit you."

"I know… I mean it, though. Despite all that happened, I still have my friends, a family… he made me realize that it's not so much what I've lost that's important, but more what I've gained. But still…" Sasuke said, his hands starting to tremble. "I have those dreams every so often – dreams where I'm all alone again. They're not as frequent now, but when I do have them… it terrifies me. I think about what happened to Kakashi and Obito. They were so happy, and then it was taken away in a split second. You could be with me one day, and the next…"

Sasuke's eyes went misty, the bowl of ramen appearing fuzzy as the tears welled up. He hated to show his weakness like that, but at the same time it was a relief to make his feelings known.

"Did I ever tell you how I spent that night while you were in the hospital?" Naruto asked enigmatically. "I was waiting outside your room for hours, praying for some news. After a while, I didn't even care whether it was good or bad – any news was better than being left in the dark. My mind kept jumping to the worst possible conclusions… that you were going to die in there, and I would be left with endless questions. I thought it was my fault you had left… I was afraid I'd never know what made you leave in the first place. It made me want to throw up, Sasuke, that's how bad it felt."

"What are you saying?"

"We were afraid of the same thing, Sasuke. Being alone, losing the people we love… that's part of life. It's one of those things we have no control over… not even me," Naruto admitted, much to Sasuke's surprise. "I know I promised I'd never leave you alone again on the bridge that day, and I meant it. I'll do everything in my power to be with you forever. We'll be there for each other – that's what being in love is, right?"

Sasuke bit his lower lip. "You're right, but… what if something does happen? I'm just so afraid of losing you, Naruto… that's why I acted the way I did back there. When Gaara pointed out those fears, I felt like I had to do everything I could to silence him – even though it meant resorting to such low blows."

"I don't really know what to tell you, Sasuke. If something happens and we can't be together – whether temporarily or not – we'll just have to move on. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but love isn't supposed to be easy. Look at Kakashi… it took him years to get past Obito, and when he did, it was because he had his friends to help him along," Naruto said, before placing a hand to his chin. "That really shouldn't matter, though. We shouldn't be thinking about what to do if we can't be together. You make it sound like we're buying a life insurance policy. We have to live for today! It's like those poems we read in Kakashi's class… the ones on 'crappy dime.'"

"Carpe diem," Sasuke corrected with an amused smirk.

"Whatever! The point is, Sasuke, there's nothing we can do about the future. All we can do is enjoy each other while we can! It doesn't matter if that's for another seven months or seventy years, as long as we make the most of it, right?"

"I know, I know, I know," Sasuke said, resting his head on his hand in frustration. "I've told myself that time and again, and I've heard others saying it. Rationally, I know that. But this isn't a rational kind of fear… this is something I've been living with ever since my parents died. I can't get rid of it just like that."

Naruto grasped the Uchiha's hand firmly, forcing eye contact. "Sasuke, I don't expect you to get rid of that fear right away. I just thought it would help to talk."

Sasuke rubbed his arm with one hand, a smile creasing his lips. "It did. At least a little bit. So… did you really mean what you said about fearing the same thing?"

"That nightmare you had? I had the same thing not too long ago. I was reliving that night when my parents died… Kyuubi had just killed mom and was coming to finish me off next. Then you showed up with that katana of yours and stopped him," Naruto said, blushing at his story. "I know, it's a bit silly, but I felt that same fear of being alone… the vulnerability. The thing is, as soon as you arrived, it changed completely. Suddenly, it was like everything was okay."

So he had the same kind of dream, huh? That's a little eerie… but comforting, I guess.

"You never told me about that dream," the Uchiha said after a moment, more as an observation than anything else.

"Well… to tell you the truth, I was a little embarrassed about it. I didn't want you to think that you were my knight in shining armor or something…"

"You mean I'm not?" Sasuke challenged with a playful grin.

"I'd say we're both knights who happen to be totally into each other, but I see your point. It was a stupid reason to keep it from you."

"Then we're both guilty."

"Exactly," Naruto said before glancing back down at his ramen. "You know, I'm not really hungry anymore."

"Me neither," Sasuke concluded, shoving the bowl forward. "What do you say we go back to my place? We can tell each other all about our little secrets, like how I used to be afraid of clowns."

"Used to be?"

"Well… more than I am now."

"Sounds like a deal. You're paying for the food, though."

Pulling out a few bills from his wallet, Sasuke slapped them on the table and turned to leave, with Naruto at his side. The whole way home they talked about their dreams, their fears, and all their other seemingly innocent secrets – and never once did Sasuke worry about losing that happiness he'd found.

XXXXX

"No way."

"What's the big deal? Come on, just do it."

"There's no way I'm going in there like this, Temari! What if Kankuro's there?"

"You don't have anything he's never seen before. At least I hope not…"

"That's not the point! Look, I rode all the way here like this – isn't that good enough?"

"Not even close, Shika. Not even close."

Shikamaru stared at his girlfriend in disbelief. They were sitting in her cherry red car outside of the Subakuno residence. He was still in his birthday suit, with only his hands to provide him with any decency, while Temari stared at him with a grin practically glued to her face. She was enjoying the lazy genius's humiliation far too much – though Shikamaru hated to admit that he was enjoying it a bit himself. There was a rush to being forced to bend to her will, even if it resulted in some embarrassing situations.

Em-bare-ass-ing is more like it…

Still, as strangely fun as driving through town had been, Shikamaru had his limits. He did not want to go inside Temari's house as he was – he could just think of far too many things that could go wrong. Most of those ideas involved Kankuro attacking him in painful ways in very sensitive areas, and Shikamaru preferred to avoid such a confrontation if at all possible.

Yes, despite the Nara's objections, Temari still held his clothes hostage. He glowered at her. "Look, Temari – there's no way in hell I'm going in there like this. Now give me back my clothes."

"You knew the rules before we played, Shika. I can do whatever I want with your clothes now – if you want them back, you'll have to do as I say. Now, are you coming inside, or would you rather walk back like that? It's awfully chilly out tonight…"

Yeah, as if the cold air is my biggest concern…

Shikamaru fidgeted uncomfortably – Temari had a point. What choice did he really have? "All right, all right… you can be so troublesome sometimes…"

Satisfied, Temari bundled up the Nara's clothes under her arm and unlocked the car. After she popped the door open, the interior lights clicked on, leaving Shikamaru feeling quite vulnerable and exposed. Hurriedly, he stepped out of the car and shut the door, causing the light to go out in a flash. Leaning back against the car, Shikamaru let out a surprised yelp as his bare backside brushed up against the cold metal.

"Better keep quite, Shika – don't want to wake the neighbors," Temari said as she fumbled with her keys. Holding up the remote, she examined it in mock confusion. "Hmm… now which button locks it again?"

His eyes widening, Shikamaru watched in horror as Temari's thumb hovered over a red button, a wicked grin crossing her features. "Temari! Don't!"

Ignoring her boyfriend's pleas, Temari pressed the button, causing the car alarm to blare and the lights to flicker on and off. Immediately, Shikamaru rushed over to the bushes near the house and hid as the irritated neighbors began to file outside to see what was causing all the commotion. Meanwhile, Temari doubled over with laughter at the sight of the naked Nara fleeing from view.

"Oh, are you gonna be shy now?" she taunted as she approached the bushes.

"Look, having you see me is one thing – I don't want to put on a show for the whole neighborhood!" Shikamaru whispered as he poked his head through the leaves. "Now would you shut it off?"

Rolling her eyes, Temari pressed another button on her remote, silencing the alarm. "You're just lucky I decided not to swing by McDonalds on the way home. I'm sure the girls at the drive-through would've loved that."

Hesitantly stepped out of the bushes, Shikamaru brushed a few leaves from his butt as he sighed. "You just want to make this as painful for me as possible, don't you?"

"What? Because I want to show off your sexy body?" Temari asked, running a finger down her boyfriend's bare torso. "Your flat stomach… your toned chest with those cute little nipples… not to mention that ass…"

Shikamaru reddened visibly, his mouth suddenly dry as Temari explored his features. When she playfully squeezed his butt, however, the lazy genius snapped back to reality and stood up straight with his hands cupping his groin. "Umm… can we go inside? It's getting cold out here."

"Well, since you asked so nicely," Temari said, grabbing Shikamaru's wrist. "Besides, as much as I want to show you off, it's nice to have you all to myself, too."

Stepping onto the front porch, Shikamaru waited behind a white column, his legs shaking nervously. He wasn't sure why – maybe it was just the fact that he was outside in the buff – but something about this night was making him both extremely excited and equally anxious. It was like waiting for Temari outside the theater all over again, only this time he didn't have a cigarette to calm his nerves.

Women… I'll never understand them. Maybe that's what's so exciting about them? Is that why Dad fell for Mom – because she was a mystery?

The door squeaked as Temari pushed it open to reveal a darkened house. Shikamaru sighed in relief – that meant Kankuro wasn't there. He also realized, of course, that this probably meant he wouldn't be getting his clothes back any time soon. Following Temari inside, he felt oddly only more nervous as he tried to figure out just what she had planned for him.

"So… can I have my clothes back now?" he asked, though he knew perfectly well what the answer would be.

"Of course not, silly. The fun's just getting started," Temari said as she tossed the bundle of clothes off into the corner of the stairwell. She held up a finger as she headed upstairs. "Now, wait right there – I'll be back in a second."

Yikes… that can't be good…

Shuffling his feet nervously, Shikamaru glanced down at himself, thinking about what his girlfriend had been saying a few minutes before. She liked to his body? Really? He had never really considered it before, but that was most likely because he never took the time to study himself in the mirror. As he stood in the entryway, staring down at his naked body, however, he realized he was by no means in bad shape. He was lean, he supposed – flat stomach, visible pecs, thin legs. If anything he was too thin.

Removing his hands from his groin, Shikamaru flexed his bicep and examined the muscle. He didn't think it was very impressive, but again, it wasn't bad. If he started hitting the gym after school, he could probably see some improvement in only a few months.

"Oh, look at you! Are you posing for me now?" Temari asked as she emerged from upstairs, stifling a giggle as Shikamaru flexed at the base of the stairs. Shikamaru couldn't help but notice as her eyes wandered further south, at which point he realized he'd left himself completely exposed.

Oh well… it's not like she hasn't seen it before…

"Would you like me to?" Shikamaru replied, raising an eyebrow flirtatiously.

"Of course – but I have something else planned," Temari answered as she held out a black bowtie. "Here, put this on."

"A bowtie?" the Nara asked, taking the accessory in confusion. "What for?"

"You're going to be my nude butler, obviously. Now, hurry up and put it on – we have so much to do!"

"You're joking right?"

Temari laughed, patting her boyfriend's cheek. "I'm dead serious, Shika. I've wanted to do this for a long time."

Gulping, Shikamaru attempted to tie the bow, but realized he didn't have any idea on how to put the damned thing on. Seeing his frustration, Temari stepped towards him and grabbed the tie, deciding it would be faster to fasten it herself. Meanwhile, Shikamaru only stared at his girlfriend, his heart pounding as she pressed up against his naked skin.

Baseball… cold showers… Kankuro walking in on us…

"There we go, Shika. All set," Temari said as she stepped away. Glancing down at the Nara's groin again, she smiled broadly. "Looks like you're ready to go, too, aren't you?"

"Umm… sorry about that…"

"Oh, no need to apologize. I'll take it as a compliment. Now, let me get you a tray…" Dragging her boy toy by the arm, Temari entered the kitchen, where she grabbed a serving tray from one of the cupboards. "Now, take this and bring me a drink."

"What do you want?" Shikamaru asked, holding the tray in front of him modestly.

"I don't know – surprise me," the blonde responded as she disappeared around the corner into the living room.

Yes, dear…

Grumbling, Shikamaru searched through the cupboards, opening them one by one until he found a shelf full of glasses. Placing it under the faucet, he filled it with water and set it on the tray, which he then balanced precariously in one hand as he stepped out of the white, tiled kitchen and into the carpeted living room, where he found Temari busy lighting candles.

"Umm… your drink?" he offered, extending the tray to his girlfriend.

"Thank you, Shika," she responded, taking the drink. "Now, come closer – I have something to tell you."

"Okay?" the Nara said, leaning in towards the blonde. He only moved a few inches, however, before her hands suddenly entwined behind his head and pulled him downward, causing him to collapse on top of her. "What the he–"

Temari silenced the teen immediately with a kiss, effectively ending his protests. For a moment, Shikamaru watched as the candlelight flickered in Temari's eyes, but he soon closed his eyes and became absorbed in the kiss. It was different, but pleasant, being the only one naked in this particular situation. Sure, they'd had sex before, but somehow this was even more exciting. It was about her pleasure – living out her fantasy, in a way, and the knowledge that she was enjoying every second of it made Shikamaru's heart race.

I actually turn her on… I have to admit, that's a pretty nice feeling…

With her hands running down his back, feeling his muscles as they traveled down to his butt, Shikamaru's pride swelled further, as did something else further south. Suddenly, Temari backed out of the kiss, and Shikamaru stared at her with a sinking feeling in his gut.

Shit, what did I do wrong?

"I hope you know you're not getting your clothes back till morning."

Shikamaru smiled and leaned in for another kiss. "I can live with that."

They continued to make out on the couch for a time – Shikamaru lost track somewhere along the way. It hadn't felt like ten minutes, but for all he knew it had been an hour of just the two of them being together. Despite the cool November air outside, the body heat was more than enough to keep Shikamaru warm. After a while, they simply lay on the couch, with Shikamaru resting his head on Temari's shoulder, while she wrapped her arms around his back, one by his neck, the other at his waist.

"How was that?" Shikamaru asked with a somewhat cocky, somewhat bashful smile.

"That was… nice," Temari responded with a satisfied sigh. "Shika… thanks for putting up with me tonight. I know I was pushing your buttons all night."

"It was my pleasure, though I'll admit I probably wouldn't have done this if you hadn't forced me into it," the Nara said with a blush. "I had fun, though."

"Good, because we're just getting started."

With that, Temari pulled Shikamaru back into a kiss, at which point they were both startled by the distinct squeak of the front door as it swung open. They froze.

XXXXX

Gaara felt physically ill. As he and Lee walked through the streets of Konoha, he tried to understand exactly what had happened at Sasuke's party. He hadn't even realized what he was saying until the words had already left his lips. Why had he felt the need to corner Sasuke like that? He thought he had moved on by now – he had Lee now. Sure, he still felt something for Naruto, but was that really enough for him to risk the love he'd found in Lee?

Apparently, it was. There had been something burning inside of him at the sight of Naruto and Sasuke together right then. Something about knowing they were together, that they were happy, that they were intimate – it made Gaara sick. So he did the only thing that his irrational heart could think of – he tried to sabotage Sasuke's relationship with his beloved blond. If Gaara couldn't have him, then no one could. Love for Naruto had momentarily blinded all of his other senses, and when Sasuke turned the conversation around on him, it all blew up in his face.

Now, as they walked past restaurants, cafés, and other little shops, Gaara watched Lee, his heart practically splitting apart with regret. Lee had put on a good act – he had not once broken his slight, almost determined smile, and he had never once said a word about the doubts Sasuke had placed in his mind.

The problem, though, was that Gaara could easily see straight through this façade. Though his smile was nearly perfect, the redhead could tell that the happiness had drained from Lee's eyes – that usual glimmer had faded, making him almost look half-dead. He also hadn't spoken a word about anything, leading Gaara to believe that he was still trying to find the right way to express his feelings. Most painful of all, however, was the fact that Lee refused to make eye contact with Gaara whatsoever. From the moment they left Sasuke's house, Lee had faced forward, his eyes turned downward dejectedly.

Naruto was right… Lee's the real victim in all this. How could I possibly do that to him, after all he's been through for me? He stayed with me even after what happened with Dad… he's shown me nothing but love, and I just threw it back in his face for someone who's already taken…

Crushed, Gaara suddenly felt his legs start to give out, causing him to collapse in the middle of the sidewalk. Immediately, Lee abandoned his misery and rushed over to the redhead in concern, getting down on one knee to help him up.

"Gaara! Are you okay?" Lee asked as he propped Gaara's head up in his lap. "Should I call someone?"

"No, no… I'm fine," Gaara responded weakly as he sat up and buried his face in his hands.

"No, you're not – tell me what's wrong," the mop-topped teen demanded, setting his feet over the curb before sidling up to Gaara.

And there it was – that same blind devotion that had been haunting Gaara all this time. Nothing Gaara ever did could shake those feelings. Lee loved him – this was a fact, like how two and two equaled four, or how there were 365 days in a year, or how Kanye West's ego was bigger than the sun.

It's how I feel about Naruto… that idiotic sort of feeling that means I'd give anything for him…

"I'm so sorry, Lee," Gaara choked out as he bit his lip in an attempt to stifle his tears. He had no right to cry right now. "Everything he said… it's all true. I still love Naruto. I don't want to! I've tried – I've tried so fucking hard, but, dammit, I just can't get over him. You've been so good to me… better than I deserve… but I can't do it…"

"Then I guess I'll just have to try harder," Lee replied, throwing an arm over Gaara's shoulder. "As much as you may love him, I swear I'll love you ten times more."

"No! I can't let you do that. It's not fair for me to take advantage of you like that. I can't be with you when I know I still have feelings for someone else. You deserve someone better."

Up above them, the traffic light changed from green to red, casting a faint glow on the pair. Lee looked positively angry, and when Gaara saw this, he realized he'd never actually seen the teen mad before. "I don't want someone else! I love you, Gaara. I'm not going to say I'm happy that you're still in love with Naruto, but I understand. These things take time, and you'll probably have feelings for him for the rest of your life. The guy helped you realize there was something good in life… he's important to you. Aren't I important to you, too?"

"Of course you are! I love you too, Lee… really, I do. But I love him too…"

"Gaara!" Lee snapped, causing the redhead to go silent. "I told you I don't care about that. You love me, right? As long as that's the case, I don't care if you still have feelings for Naruto. If you loved only him, then that'd be another matter. As long as we love each other, then I have no reason to be jealous. I'll make you forget him in time."

Gaara stared at the mop-topped teen in astonishment. How could he possibly say that, even knowing what he did now? "What makes you so sure?"

"Because you made me forget Sakura. I used to think she was the one – I asked her time and again to be my girlfriend. Then I met you… and after I went to your house that day, I knew I was wrong. I still have feelings for her, I guess, but she's not right for me," Lee said as he rose from the curb, dusting off the back of his green Speedo. "I'll see to it that you wonder why you ever fell for Naruto in the first place."

Staring up at his boyfriend, who was now extending a hand to the redhead, Gaara felt something stir inside him. Something warm. Lee really was hopelessly devoted to him, and to be the recipient of that much love… it felt good. Despite his guilt and his general disgust with himself, Gaara found himself smiling. He grabbed Lee's hand and rose to his feet, where he planted a kiss on the teen's lips. It was short and sweet, but as the light overhead switched back to green, he realized that Lee was right – Gaara could find happiness without Naruto.

"Let's go home. You can spend the night in my room."

Lee blushed at the sight of Gaara's seductive smirk. "Umm… sounds good."

With that, the duo crossed the street and continued through town in continued silence. Unlike before, though, they were not searching for the right words to voice their thoughts – there simply was nothing left to say. They were together, and they were in love – that was all that mattered.

After only a few more minutes, they arrived outside the Subakuno residence, where Gaara spied Temari's cherry red car parked in the driveway. More importantly, he could see the faint light of a few candles glowing in the living room window.

"Brace yourself, Lee."

"For what?" the teen asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"You'll see," Gaara replied before pushing open the front door.

As they stepped inside, Gaara and Lee could hear some hurried shuffling coming from the living room couch. Turning the corner, they found Temari laying casually across the couch, with a clearly naked Shikamaru sitting with a throw pillow held over his crotch, looking quite mortified. Lee stifled a laugh, while Gaara looked completely unfazed.

"Having fun?" Gaara asked, leaning against the doorway.

"Well, we were," Temari replied irritably. "Why'd you guys leave the party so soon?"

"There was an incident – I'm sure you'll hear all about it later," Gaara responded as he latched onto Lee's arm and started up the stairs. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone, then – we'll be upstairs. See you in the morning."

"Night, lil' bro," Temari said before pulling a bewildered Shikamaru towards her.

Continuing upstairs to his bedroom, Gaara shook his head in amusement. Only in their family could they be so completely nonchalant about sex. I guess being dysfunctional had its good points.

Turning the corner into his room, the redhead paused. Though they had cleaned the room and replaced the carpet since the incident, it still seemed strange, taking Lee there. It had been only been a month, after all – a month since his father died, a month since he last had brought Lee to that room. Still, he wanted this.

Squeezing his boyfriend's hand, Lee seemed to read Gaara's mind. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah… I just needed a second there," the redhead said as he stepped inside and crawled onto the bed. He looked around his room, studying it for the first time in a while. The new beige carpeting, the red paintjob, the poster for Dexter – it was Gaara's space. He couldn't let his father's memory haunt it forever.

As he turned his attention back to Lee, his eyes paused for a moment on the tattered, old bear in the corner. He smiled, remembering when Lee had given it to him at the hospital. Finally, his eyes settled on the mop-topped teen, who was standing awkwardly in the doorway in his Robin costume. Gaara burst out laughing.

"All right, first off – that's going to have to go."

"This?" Lee asked, glancing down at his outfit. "But it's all I have."

"I know," Gaara replied, stepping towards his boyfriend. He slowly began to undo the buttons. "I'm going to show you just how much I love you."

His cheeks burning crimson, Lee had no chance to respond as his lips locked with Gaara. Together, they tumbled to the bed, and for the next hour they became lost in each other, surrounded by a thick fog of lust, desire, and love.

XXXXX

Sweaty and exhausted, Kakashi rolled off to the side of the bed and stared up at the scarlet ceiling. Beside him, an equally drained Iruka breathed heavily, his face red with pleasure. Together, they basked in their afterglow for a time, enjoying each other's company as their musk mixed with Iruka's scented candles.

"That… that was…" Iruka began, wiping some of his sticking hair from his brow.

"Yeah… you were too…" Kakashi agreed, his bare torso exposed over the edge of the luxurious sheets.

Rolling over, Iruka draped an arm over the other man's body a nuzzled against his chest. "You think the boys are okay? They seemed to be awfully loud down there for a while there."

"I'm sure they're fine. Whatever it is, they'll work it out," the teacher said reassuringly, running his hand through Iruka's hair.

"I hope you're right," the brunet said, gazing into his lover's eyes. "I really want them to be together – Naruto and Sasuke, that is."

"Really?" Kakashi asked in mild astonishment. "I thought the idea would bother you."

"Well, it's not exactly what I expected. I didn't even know my son was gay, let alone that he was dating your son-to-be. Still… I can tell they really care about each other. The way Naruto waited all night for Sasuke in the hospital… they have something special – something I hope we can have one day."

"Whose to say we don't?" Kakashi asked, glancing down at the other man.

"Maybe we do – I guess I can just see it so easily in those two. They were really meant for each other, and it would be wrong for me to stand in their way just because we're in love."

"So they have your blessing?"

"I guess you could say that, yes."

"I'll be sure to tell them," Kakashi concluded with a chuckle before rolling back on top of Iruka. "Now, about us. I think you need a bit convincing on how much I love you."

"Round two?" Iruka asked as he lay back on the pillow.

"With many more to come," Kakashi replied before planting his lips on the brunet. Their eyes closed, they tumbled in the sheets, oblivious to what was going on just on the other side of town, at the Konoha County Jail

XXXXX

"Chief Jiraiya!"

Sitting at his desk scribbling a few notes in his latest novel, Jiraiya looked up irritably. "Yeah, what is it?"

"It's Itachi Uchiha – he's requested to see you. He says he has something to tell you," a young officer replied with an unnecessary salute.

Jiraiya clamped his book shut with a sigh. "All right – let's see what he has to say this time."

Strolling down the hallway, Jiraiya entered an interrogation room. Itachi had been held in a cell at the jail ever since his arrest a month before. During that time, he had not spoken a word to the police. He remained silent and stolid throughout their interrogations, and they were unwilling to go to trial until they could get a statement from him. As Jiraiya entered the room, however, and saw Itachi sitting beneath the white lights, he realized that they might finally get his story.

"All right, Itachi – you said you wanted to see me?" Jiraiya asked, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. "So, what is it? Are you ready to tell me your side of the story?"

Itachi hesitated a moment, staring at a blank spot on the table with his dead eyes. He looked defeated, sitting there in his blue prison uniform. Finally, his mouth opened. "I did it."

Jiraiya's eyes widened. He checked to make sure his tape recorder was on. "I'm sorry? What was that?"

"I did it – I murdered my parents. I confess."

Dun-dun-dunnnn! Itachi confesses. Gaara confesses. Sasuke confesses. Iruka confesses... sort of. Shikamaru gets naked for Temari - not quite a confession, but whatever. What's going to happen now? Will Gaara and Sasuke patch things up any time soon? How will Sasuke react when he hears about Itachi? And is Kiba ever going to find a special someone? Find out next time in For Naruto, Whenever I May Find Him!