Ha ha ha! Some of you reviewers seemed a bit upset over that last line in the last chapter. Whoops. -laughs- Well, under the threat of The Spork of Doom and Gaara's caged up fangirls, here's the next chapter. Thanks to all you reviewers!! XD You guys are so awesome. This chapter made reader friendly by my beta, the ever wonderful Ugawa. [seriously, I just keep getting worse...]


Chapter Six

-Gaara-

Naruto didn't meet my eyes after I'd come back with the cocoa. He didn't look at me the entire walk back to the apartment, when we made dinner or at any point through out the rest of the evening. I sat on the bed after Konohamaru had been put to sleep, wondering what I could've done wrong, when a knock on the door made me jump. "Come in." I responded, annoyed that my voice sounded weak. The tall blond walked in, giving me a smile but still unable to meet my eyes. There was an old looking, brown book in his hands, the spine and cover tattered and worn, but he held it as if it were a delicate treasure.

"Sorry to bother you so late." Long legs strode over to the bed languidly, and he took a seat next to me. His eyes finally latched onto mine as his mouth seemed to fumble with his words. The deep crystal-blue of his eyes seemed troubled while they searched my face. "I think we have a bit of a problem."

"Problem?" I asked as a lump formed in my throat.

"Konohamaru... said something earlier, and I imagine it won't be the last time he says it." His long, graceful fingers fiddled with the book before opening it. "I think you'd want to be prepared if, or when, he does." He laughed lightly, tearing his eyes from mine. "These are the last pictures that was taken of our family..." I looked down at the picture he was pointing at.

Two identical blonds stood in the background. One was Naruto, in his late teens, smiling brightly as a bronzed hand ground down into his hair. The other was almost his duplicate, the same mischievous glint in his amazing sapphire eyes, the same stunning smile, he even had the same golden skin as the man sitting next to me, the only difference I could see was the man was older. The next thing to catch my eye was the pale, breathtaking woman. Her eyes light blue eyes almost closed to the camera as her smile lit her face, but her hair... her hair was the same vivid red as mine, though it hung to her waist and seemed a thousand times softer. There was an equally pale baby in her arms with wild, brown hair, his mother's reddish tints shining in the sunlight. The blond next to me cleared his throat and shifted.

"That's me." He pointed to the younger him. "That's baby Konohamaru. He was only thirteen months old in this picture." He laughed and his finger shifted to the older blond. "That's our father Minato. He was rarely seen without a smile on his face." He touched the last figure gently. "And that's our mother, Kushina. She was the most gentle person... I've ever met." He laughed again, the sound soft. "She'd always be yelling at our father for doing the stupidest thing, but they rarely ever really fought."

The picture under it showed the woman holding Konohamaru high in the air, smiling at the laughing baby who had a lock of her hair in his little fist. The picture was warm, happy, and amazingly beautiful. It took my breath away and made my heart ache to know that the scene would end tragically, to know that the stunning woman would be taken from her children.

"They were so happy when he was born. Tsume said it was the same when I was a baby, she said they were the happiest couple on Earth when they heard my mother was pregnant with me." He flipped the page to reveal more pictures that I assumed were from the same day. He cleared his throat again, and I looked up to see him staring at me.

"You look almost exactly like your father." He nodded and grinned as if he got that all the time. "And your mother, she was a very beautiful woman."

"Yeah. We weren't a half bad looking family." His smile fell a bit, and he sighed. "The reason I showed you this, the reason I wanted you to see... Konohamaru said something that I think might cause... problems for you." His eyes filled with worry, and the book slid shut.

"Problems?" I asked again

His laughter became uneasy, and his hand swept through his golden hair. "Our mother was pale, her hair was almost the same shade of red as yours, her frame was tiny even for a woman." Something equivalent to a ball of steel formed in my stomach, and I grabbed my abdomen before I could stop myself, praying he wasn't implying what I thought he was. "and her eyes... were a light blue... almost a greenish color. Today in the park, Konohamaru compared me and you with that picture of our mother and father." And the steel ball dropped. Silence filled the room as I tried to catch my breath.

"What should I do?" I breathed out, my voice stuck in a whisper. His smile was gentle as he ruffled my hair.

"You don't have to do anything. I just wanted you to be prepared if he did say something about it to you. Don't have a panic attack." He grinned, and I glared up at him.

"I wasn't having a panic attack." I muttered, moving my face to the side and forcing his hand to slip off my head. He chuckled and stood up.

"Sure you weren't." He yawned loudly and walked to the door. "I'm gonna go to bed now. Don't feel shy about getting up and doing whatever. You live here now. Goodnight, kid." He smiled, I blinked, and he was gone. I stared at the door for a minute after he had left, wondering why he always left the doors open slightly, before pushing it from my mind. I got up and turned off the light before crawling into the bed, burrowing into the soft cotton sheets. I'd been staring at the ceiling for a while, thinking about the family in the pictures he'd shown me, when his words came back to me.

'We have a bit of a problem.'

I didn't have to think to know why Konohamaru's comparison of me and his mother was a problem. I wasn't going to be a permanent part of the toddler's life. If he got it in his head that I was some sort of replacement for the woman in the picture it would be even worse when I left. When Naruto did find a woman to spend his life with, a woman who would be Konohamaru's mother figure and I had to leave, it would affect him even more. A part of me seemed to break off at that thought. I knew from the start my place here wasn't set in stone, but it still stung more than a little to have that fact reinforced.

I rolled onto my side and watched the square of moonlight on the hardwood floor, trying to imagine the woman who would capture the warm and caring blond's heart. I imagined she'd be sweet, compassionate, more likely than not she'd be beautiful. She'd probably adore kids, maybe even have one of her own. I wondered how Konohamaru would react to having to share his papa's attention. I think he'd be too delighted at the prospect of a new brother or sister to mind much, but then again, who was I to know?

I didn't even falter as I took the woman's place in the imaginary family in my mind as I drifted off to sleep.

-

I awoke early again, fallowed moments later by the wail of Naruto's alarm clock. I let the annoyance go on as I got up and dressed slowly, still being careful not to tear the clothes given to me by the kind woman, though I knew it would take a lot more to damage them than just putting them on. I wandered through the kitchen, stretching and yawning, hitting the button on the coffee pot as I passed. I didn't creep into the room as I had yesterday, no longer afraid I'd wake the pair on the bed. Turning off the alarm, I retreated to the living room. Naruto's despair at being woken up too early remembered, I decided it would probably be best just to wake him at six fifteen.

Without having the little brunette or the blond to occupy my attention, I looked for the first time at the pictures on the walls. Of course I'd seen them and acknowledged they were there, but I hadn't paid too much attention to them. Most were of Konohamaru and Naruto. Their smiling faces looking out at me, happiness evident even in photos. As I went down the wall, the smile on the blond's face seemed a bit more forced, even desperate, while the child's remained happy and carefree.

Then the blond disappeared from the pictures all together. A younger Konohamaru still smiled at the camera appearing with a number of people. Kiba and his family, an odd looking guy with a bowl cut, a dark eyed, raven haired male who scowled slightly at the camera, another man with the same eyes as Hinata as well as the young woman herself. There was a schism in the pictures, Konohamaru going from about a year and a half old to the thirteen month old in duplicates of the pictures I'd been shown last night. I stared at the obvious gap in the pictures and wondered about it.

I don't know how long I'd been standing there observing and thinking, but when I looked at the clock it was time to wake my employer. I wandered back into the room, unsure of how to approach to keep a repeat of yesterday morning from happening, shifting my weight from foot to foot before coming to a decision. I lifted my right foot and tapped his tanned shoulder with my toes. "Naruto. Naruto. It's six twenty." When that produced nothing, I shoved harder.

I let out an indignant yelp as my leg was caught in his strong grip and yanked forward, forcing me to fall to the floor and land on my upper back. "I think I preferred the arm crushing." I snarled, thrashing around, careful of my now sore back. "Wake up! Damn." I cursed, throwing my other leg over the edge of the bed and kicking my captor. He shot straight up once more, forcing me to wince as the action forced me to roll over. "Please let go of my leg." I growled, tugging on my trapped limb.

"Wha...?" Was all he could say.

I lashed out with my foot once more, smirking slightly as it hit. "This actually hurts. Let go."

"Oh shit!" The pressure released before two strong hands pulled me up into a sitting position. Blue eyes looked concerned but his pressed mouth told me he was amused. I just glared at him, wondering how he got on the floor so quickly, while he shook with silent laughter. His eyes squeezed themselves shut as he stood, grabbing my hand and pulling me from the room. As soon as the door shut, he roared with laughter. I huffed and glared at him until he reeled it in slightly. "How? How did that happen?" he managed to ask before leaning against the wall and laughing some more.

"I'm glad you find it hilarious." I muttered, fighting to keep a smile off my own face. He followed me to the kitchen and finally seemed to reign in his ridiculous reaction.

"It was the funniest thing I've ever woken up to. Will you pour me a cup? I have to know. I have to know how that happened." I rolled my eyes and poured a second cup of coffee, handing it to him before I took the seat on the opposite side of the table. He burst into random bits of chuckling as he drank the strong liquid. I waited until they grew farther apart to open my mouth.

"I didn't want a replay of my arms being crushed. I thought if I shook you awake with my foot it wouldn't." I groaned and held my face up with my hands as that incited another round of Gaara inspired glee.

"I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say that it didn't go as planned." His deep chuckles made me blush and want to laugh as well.

"You think?"

"Only sometimes."

I looked up at him and he smiled at me around his cup. I grinned back. "How do people usually wake you up?"

"Ha ha. No way. I wanna see how many ways you come up with." I glared. He grinned. "What time is it?"

"Six thirty-seven." His eyebrows raised in surprise and he gulped down the liquid and took off for his room. Konohamaru emerged seconds later, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he climbed onto my lap and settling there sleepily.

"Gaawa. Papa lou." He mumbled and buried his face into my chest.

"Yes. Your papa is very loud." He nodded and fell asleep in my arms. Naruto sauntered out seconds later, smiling as he spotted the sleeping boy in my arms. He walked over and planted a kiss on the toddler's forehead and rose, freezing momentarily before snapping out of it and messing up my hair with his strong hand, reminding me that the others would be up again today and disappeared into the hallway. As the door clicked shut, I couldn't help but wonder what that five second pause had been about.

-Naruto-

"Yo! Naruto! What's up, man?" I turned as I hopped out of the tractor at the sound of Kiba's voice, cursing as I almost missed a step. The Inuzuka waved both arms over his head like a moron as Akamaru jumped around excitedly at his feet. I mimicked his moves until he lowered his arms and grinned. "I figured it was lunch time at the construction site, so I thought I'd hop over." The puppy yipped happily as if in agreement.

I grinned. "Good timing. Lets go find something to eat." After we found a food vendor and had our lunch in hand, we sat on a bus stop bench and dug in.

"So how are things working out with Gaara and Konohamaru?"

I averted my eyes and swallowed the food in my mouth. "Good. Really good..." He waited, knowing there was more. I took another bite and chewed slowly. "He compared him with the pictures of our mother."

Kiba chuckled and handed his puppy a hot dog. "Let me guess, you didn't see it until he pointed it out to you?"

I turned to look at him. "What? Well, yeah, but... what?"

"You didn't!" He laughed and, I punched him in the arm. "What? Geez. You're a spaz, dude." He rubbed his arm.

"Are you telling me you noticed?"

He nodded then frowned. "Well, ma noticed it first, then told Hana who already noticed, then they told me... But I still knew before you." He grinned. "I guess I should've called and told you." I glared at him. "What? I didn't think Konohamaru would notice until after you did. That boy looks a bit like your mom. I mean, he's taller and male and his hair is darker, but he's got the face shape and skin tone that reminds me of Kushina." I sighed and tossed my sandwich to the eager Akamaru at my feet.

"Whatever. Konohamaru adores the kid and it's freaking hilarious when he wakes me up in the morning!" I snickered, thinking back to this morning. "Seriously, you'd have to see it!" He laughed as I roared. "I couldn't stop laughing even when he looked pissed. It was..." My words hung in the air, and my laughter died as I thought of what else happened this morning. It took Kiba a few seconds to realize I'd stop laughing and sobered up when he did.

"What'd you do?" I looked over and raised an eyebrow in question. "You've got that 'I've done something stupid' look on your face."

"You mean the one you see everyday in the mirror?" I tried to wipe whatever look he was talking about off my face and smiled.

He punched me playfully in the arm. "Don't skirt the question. What'd you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" I protested as he began poking me in the head. "It's what I almost did..." Kiba dropped his arm and scooted closer to me on the bench. I let out a frustrated breath as he waved off the oncoming bus and turned back to me. "When I kissed Konohamaru goodbye, he was sitting on Gaara's lap, I mean, he was right there, and, well... I almost kissed him, too..." I trailed off, waiting stiffly for the laughter that was sure to follow. I was surprised when he bumped me with his arm, and I looked up at him.

"So? I mean, he's a cutie, as far as guys go." He made his whatever face before smiling at me. "And I know you don't have a thing about discriminating against gender. You dated--" I held up a hand.

"Don't even bring that up." He nodded. "I just can't get passed the fact that I almost kissed him. That'd fuck up this whole arrangement. Besides, it was just a spur of the moment thing, so I'm positive it won't happen again." I felt a little odd as the words left my mouth. It wasn't a good feeling, nor was it a bad feeling, it was just an odd emotion that settled in the pit of my stomach and left me feeling odd for even saying them.

He watched me for a moment, eyes studying my face, before consenting. "Okay then."

A nice silence settled between us, and we watched the cars pass. "So..." I grinned over at him. "What's up with you and Hinata?" Kiba blushed and smiled.

-Gaara-

Ino, Hinata and I were laughing as the toddlers beneath us giggled madly. "One, two... three!" Ino shouted, and we lifted the sheet quickly, making it arch as it filled with air, and the little ones ran out and back under as it fell slowly back to the ground. I couldn't stop laughing though my arms were beginning to ache from throwing the blanket up and down for the past fifteen minutes. I was just praying they'd loose interest soon enough and we could stop. My prayers were answered when Konohamaru's voice shouted 'Pe'er Pan' from under the sheet and was joined by the two others. I heard Hinata give a sigh of relief and Ino shouted for joy.

They settled down and I popped the DVD into the player. Ino stood and motioned for Hinata and I to follow her out of the room. The fair eyed woman stood, bustling after the pale blonde in a hurry, I just rolled my eyes before following suit.

While the cries of Wendy, John and Micheal poured from the living room, we sat around the kitchen table, mugs somehow filled with coffee before I could even say a word. "I just wanted to apologize to you, Gaara." Ino smiled over at me, leaning onto the table, both arms spread out on the table in front of her. "I really didn't mean to get so... over the top with my questions and for upsetting Konohamaru so badly and then bailing."

I nodded and took a sip from the mug in front of me. The two women seemed to relax at that simple gesture, and their bodies lost the stiffness between their shoulders, moving around a little less gently. It was about the time Peter Pan decided to save Tiger Lily in the other room when curiosity finally broke me. "What kind of relationship did they have? Sakura and Naruto, I mean." Hinata raised her eyebrows in surprise and leaned back in her chair, allowing Ino to assert her control over the conversation.

"Well." Blonde hair was flipped back, and I smirked. A true sign of a gossip lover. "Naruto used to have, like, this totally obsessive crush on Sakura when they were in junior and senior high school, but after Naruto got into collage he totally got over it, like without warning, I guess. They still hung out but he didn't bother her for a date for two whole months, and then just outta the blue asked her out." She giggled at this point and sipped the liquid in her cup before continuing. "According to Sakura, she handled it all wrong cause she was caught off guard. Nobody heard from him for weeks after that, a month later we found out." Her voice dropped, and she leaned toward me. I was irked to find I was leaning forward as well, hanging on her every word. "That was the day of the accident. Well, they did. I'm new to this group of old time friends, so all I've got is second hand info. If you wanna know more you'd gotta ask Sakura, Kiba, or Sasuke, maybe even Naruto himself. I don't think he'd talk about it, though."

Sadness seeped into my heart. Naruto had been turned down badly and found out his parents had died? That seemed more than a little unfair. The blue eyed man was too gentle and caring for that kind of luck. It was too harsh. I felt tears prick at my eyes but I battled them back. "It's all old news, anyway. Naruto takes being a father very seriously." Hinata chimed in and diverted the conversation. "So, what are you both doing for Halloween?"

Ino groaned and let her head flop down. "Moegi's parents are going out of town so I'll be taking her out trick or treating. It wrecked all of my plans, but whatever, I guess. The pay is double. Moegi wants to be a flower fairy, though. Oh, my gosh, her costume is the cutest!! What about you two?"

Hinata blushed. "Kiba and I are thinking about going to see Razed In Black."

"Are you dressing up?"

"I don't know yet. Kiba says I should, but... I can't think of anything."

The blonde's mouth fell open. "No way, I'm totally dressing you up. Halloween is all about dressing up and being a weirdo."

"If you're a kid." I put in, taking another sip from the cup in my hands.

Ino just rolled her eyes. "Pish. Not even. Kids get dolled up for the candy. Adults do it for the parties and the booze." I laughed. "What are you planning on doing?"

I thought about it for a minute. "Naruto will probably want to spend it with Konohamaru, so I'll probably be off, but... I'm not sure what I'd do."

"Geez. Why am I the only one with absentee parents? Whatever you decide to do, I'm making you dress up, cutie." I scrunched my nose in distaste at the nickname. "Seriously you two, I will make your lives a living hell if you don't let me get you all prettied, or scarified, up before you leave for your nights out on the town." She pointed at me. "I know you aren't old enough to drink, but they've got some wicked parties and shit that are all ages. Like the concert Hina and her man are going to, not my mug of beer, but each to their own, and that seriously seems like your kind of scene. You crazy scene kids and your weird music."

Both Hinata and I laughed when she rolled her eyes. We sat there in a cozy silence for a second before I noticed two pairs of eyes on me. I sighed. "What is it?"

"If this is too personal, you can tell me to shut up, kick my ass or whatever, but I gotta ask. What's up with the tat?"

I reached up and brushed my fingers over the red mark. It wasn't a bad subject, it wasn't exactly a wonderful memory either, but I'd gotten over it and opened my mouth to share. "The first man I loved bought it for me as a birthday present."

"What's it mean?"

"Love."

"Why'd you get it there of all places? And why 'love'?"

I thought about how to word my answer, but just decided to go with "Shut up, Ino." Both woman looked at me like I was crazy before the dark haired girl broke into giggles followed instantly by her blonde friend. I just smiled at them. We finished off the entire pot of coffee before I heard the movie end in the living room and we all stood.

Ino and Hinata gathered up their little ones, who had fallen asleep and bid me farewell as they left while Konohamaru jumped up and grabbed a big, blue book from the shelf. I smiled when he had to drag it slightly just to make it and lifted it from his grasp when he got close enough while he crawled into my lap. As he flipped the pages to the one he wanted me to read, I wondered how one little kid could like listening to someone read to him so much. "Dis one, Gaawa." I smiled at the way he said my name and began the poem he was pointing at. It was half way through when a sentence jumped out at me.

"Arresting is this alluring creature, deep, blue eyes a striking feature." My mind flew to the blond before I could stop it. Deep, sapphire eyes filled my mind, and I shuddered, my mouth reading the words without my mind catching them. Alluring was a great word to describe him, his eyes, his personality... his body. I could feel myself almost start drooling as I remembered it. All the tight angles I'd normally be jealous of suddenly attracted me in an indescribable way. I shook the images out of my head and finished the poem.

"Why is it I always come in when you're reading about fairies?"

"Papa!" Konohamaru lept off my lap and jumped onto the blond's legs. The blond laughed and scooped him up into his strong arms, cradling him gently. He smiled at me and my heart jumped. As Konohamaru jabbered on about our day, I gathered the discarded toys and books, putting them away and tidying up the house. After Naruto took a shower, we sat around the living room, because it was apparent they were not going to let me leave after the twelfth try, the two joked around and wrestled while I watched and occasionally got picked on.

As I dressed the little brunette for bed, Naruto walked into the room, a puzzled expression on his face. I gave him a smile and continued to button up the fuzzy, green footsie pajamas while Konohamaru mumbled lazily. "Gaara, have you been making the beds?" I only nodded focused on my task. He let out a deep chuckle that seemed to roll right through my body. "You know you don't have to."

"It's okay." I lifted the small child who immediately leaned into my chest, eyes drooping. "It gives me something to do when he naps." The blond smiled and took the offered toddler when I got close enough. As he leaned forward to take his son, our eyes connected, and I froze. A warm feeling spread throughout my body from my chest, making my breath hitch and heart skip several beats. It would take only a slight lean forward, just a little push, and I'd connect with those inviting lips. I panicked and tried to break the moment that was both terrifying and thrilling all at once. "It's no trouble." I whispered. He nodded, but we didn't move. I could only think about his lips and those few inches separating me from them.

"I wan pay moe." Konohamaru mumbled. I jerked back, thankful Naruto had a hold of the little boy, otherwise my action would have made him fall. "No tir." His papa just laughed and turned to leave.

"You're tired, just listen to your voice." Konohamaru continued to protest as they walked down the hall. I just sank to my knees, staring at a stray toy as my mind melted. There was no way I could get a crush on the blond. No way. I was just... it was just... He was my employer for Christ's sake. I tried to rationalize by an adoration of the blond's Hero Syndrome that he seemed to suffer from. Yes. That was it. It would pass and I'd be okay. I just had to calm my over active imagination until it did. For a moment it seemed as if he wanted to kiss me, too. But that was just my imagination. My imagination. Nothing more. Nothing at all. "What are you doing on the floor, kid?"

I jumped when his voice sounded out in front of me, grabbed the toy automatically and held it up, unable to look at him at the moment. "Picking up." He laughed lightly.

"Okay then. Can I get you something? You look like you're gonna pass out."

I shook my head and got up, putting the toy in its place. "I'm fine." I finally met his gaze and gave him a soft smile, trying not to turn into a puddle as he returned it. By some miracle, I survived and had the body strength to stand. "Goodnight." I whispered, careful not to make eye contact. His hand reached up and tousled my red locks gently.

"Goodnight, kid," he returned, leaving me alone in the room. I shook myself, slipped off to the bedroom that had been deemed mine and fell into a restless sleep.

-Naruto-

I stared at the dark ceiling above me. My three-year-old nestled against my chest, trying to rid myself of the increasingly odd thoughts I was having about the tiny redhead. Twice in one day I'd had the urge to kiss him. Twice. I rubbed my eyes with my palms and let out a frustrated sigh, trying to rationalize it in my mind.

He was good with my kid. I adored that. No matter who it was, if they were good with Konohamaru I automatically liked them. Konohamaru seemed to love him. That just made the redhead an even better person in my eyes. He was a nice, gentle, soft spoken kid whose smile and face reminded me of the woman who raised me and gave me my son. He was just all around a good person, though he'd probably seen a lot more in the years he'd been on the street than I had in my lifetime, and for that I admired him. It was as simple as that.

I rolled my eyes at myself and sighed. "Admit it, you idiot. You're crushing a bit." I whispered to the quiet room and nodded. So what? Oh, well. Gaara was still a minor, and I was officially putting him off limits and out of my mind.

I smiled. Yup, when I woke up tomorrow and from that point on, Gaara would be just like another little brother to me. I let my eyes slid closed and let the darkness take me as that thought settled my troubled mind.

-Gaara-

It was troubling to say the least. Very. The problem facing me was one I was determined to solve with success and the least amount of discomfort.

The sleeping blond tossed onto his side, mouth hanging open with a soft snore that made me smile. Tapping on the shoulder was out, poking with my foot a no-no, so what the hell was left? I smiled again as an I idea came to me. I crept to the side of the bed, counted to three under my breath and gave a good hard shove on his chest before jumping back. I laughed lightly when that evil hand shot out and swiped at the air before settling in a dangle off the side of the mattress, but the blond still didn't wake up. I cursed and crept forward again. My hands shot out quickly and found their target.

I cried out as that stupid hand snagged the hem of my shirt and snapped me into his arms. I struggled, pushing against his body with my hands while my legs flailed about. "This fucking sucks." I growled. My body was still hanging off the bed held up by his arms and one of my awkwardly bent legs. Waking Naruto was harder than anything I'd ever done before. I sighed and another brilliant idea came to me. I went limp and played dead weight in his arms.

Well, it certainly helped with the one leg holding my body up, it, however, did not help with the awkwardness.

We both crashed to the floor with a loud smack, Naruto's body landing on my own, pining my smaller body to the hardwood floor. I winced when my head hit it and his body landed roughly on mine, pain spreading from the spot I'd damaged and from the sound of the blond's smacked against the floor in the space by my head. He shot to his knees immediately, grabbing his forehead. "Shit fucking cocksucker grapes on a fork!" He cried out. I would've laughed at his switch between curses and kid friendly shouts, but he was still kneeling over me, forcing a blush across my face. I just waited there ignoring my own pain while Naruto wiggled around and cursed. "Damn. What the shit happened?"

"We fell." I answered.

His long fingers parted and crystal-blue eyes peeked out at me. I raised an eyebrow as his brain seemed to try and put what he was seeing together. I was becoming uncomfortable fast when he smiled and threw his hands into the air. "Fine! You win! Most people usually steal my blanket, climb onto the bed and shove me out of it!" He cried out, rising to his feet.

I grinned. "And that was all I wanted. Not too hard was it?" I responded, standing as well.

"Hard? It was painful." He moaned out as he followed me to the kitchen. "Damn. Are you okay? I hit my head pretty hard, but I landed on you, are you hurt?" His hands turned me around as I reached for the coffee pot, eyes giving me a once over. I shuddered.

"I'm fine." I muttered, pulling back and returning to pouring the coffee into the mugs, trying to calm my crazy heart. He chuckled and snagged a cup when I finished pouring it, hopping onto the counter. I listened to his meaningless chatter half heartedly and tried to steady myself. Geez. I wasn't some stupid virgin. I'd been touched before, touched by gentle hands as well as rough, there was no reason to get all warped from it. No matter who it was touching me.

"Okay. I'm gonna go take a shower and get ready for work. You sure I didn't crush your ribs or something?"

"Would I be walking around calmly if you did?"

He laughed as he walked from the room. "Good point." I smiled and washed the cups, hanging them on their hooks before taking a seat at the table. I groaned and hung my head in my hands. I was really going to have to work on this 'overactive imagination' thing. It was becoming a problem. Naruto didn't help when he did things like that, though. Touching me, smiling at me, acting like he cared about me... I sighed and laid my head on the cool, wooden surface, the only sound in the apartment was the shower. I tensed when another sound made its way to my ears. It took me a second to place it.

A key in a lock... a lock sliding open.

I jumped up and ran to the hallway, freezing at the sight that met me.

A pink haired woman in a black jean skirt and red blouse stood at the door, hand halfway to the hook beside her with keys dangling from her fingers. Her light green eyes narrowing dangerously at the sight of me. "Who are you?" I asked, my eyes matching her glare without hesitation. Something about her screamed dangerous. She didn't answer. Instead she stalked forward, arms tensing as if preparing to launch back and hit me.

"Don't you question me! What are you still doing here?!" She hissed. I recognized her voice from the other day despite the distortion. I fought the urge to step back and didn't move an inch. "You look all better, so why are you still in this house!" she screeched, hands reaching for me. I flinched away but she kept coming. When her hands finally reached me, though, she didn't hit, she didn't scratch, she just grabbed me by the shoulders and started dragging me towards the door. I pulled against her, making her eyes light up in anger. "What are you still doing here you little whore?! You can't think this 'nanny' arrangement is real." I flinched internally, but my eyes met hers evenly and jerked from her grasp.

"I live here now." Her eyes widened briefly before glaring daggers at me. "I'm Konohamaru's new nanny." My voice was flat and dead by this point. It looked as though I'd slapped her in the face from the way she drew back when the words left my lips.

"WHAT?!" I willed my hands to not cover my ears at the sound of her screech. "What the fuck did you do? Suck Naruto off like the little tramp you are so he'd let you stay?" Her hands were on me now, and I forced myself to not fight back. This was bad. I knew it, but I also knew my spot in this household was not set, and if I damaged the woman Naruto was attached to, I would probably be kick flat out on my ass within seconds. And this life... this chance at a life was not something I would throw away to fight with this woman. I felt her nails scratch deeply into my cheek, the sting making me wince. Her hands were in my hair and throwing me back before I could catch up. I braced myself for the impact.

"Sakura!" Warm arms caught me before I could smash to the floor. I looked up to see a furious blond glaring at the woman in the doorway. "What the hell?!"

"Naruto! You can not be serious!! Whatever the fuck this slut did to convince you to let him stay here you've got to snap out of it!! I couldn't believe it when Ino called me yesterday to say this... this... WHORE was Konohamaru's new babysitter!" Her words stung again, though I willed them not to. "Are you out of your fucking mind?! He may have you, Ino and Hinata convinced he's a good person, but seriously?! What the fuck?!"

"Sakura." The blond's voice was a growl, and I struggled to get out of his strong grip, but his hands just tightened. The pink haired woman went on.

"This is just so fucking ridiculous! I'm calling Jiraiya tonight. Someone has to talk some sense into you! Oh, god! I can't believe this... I just can not believe you'd do this!!" She grabbed my hand and yanked me forward, the force making me nearly fall to the ground. "He's going back to the streets where he belongs and you and I are having a talk!" I began to panic.

His strong hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me from her grip and placing me behind him, making me notice he was in a towel, soap running down his back. "What the fuck are you doing here? And who the fuck do you think you are?"

"This is the stupidest thing you have ever done, Naruto Uzumaki!!" She shrieked, stomping her foot.

"Coming back here is the stupidest thing you've ever done, Sakura Haruno!" he shouted back. "What goes on in this house is no longer your concern, and I'd very much appreciate it if you'd turn around and leave this house and never return. Whoever I choose to replace you is my decision and my decision alone. You do not come into my house and attack people! What the hell is wrong in that fucking bubble gum head of yours to think this was okay?"

"Just because some little whore comes along and--"

"Do NOT call him that!!" I winced at the volume in Naruto's voice but moved closer to him.

"Be sensible, you fucking idiot!!" she screamed back, flinging something at him. He dodged it, but I didn't react fast enough, not knowing what it was or which way it was coming from. It grazed my ear, and I felt it begin to sting.

"Shit!" He turned to me. "Are you okay, Gaara?"

"Oh, now you've named it!! Why not?! Take it in, feed it, trust it with your child, why not give it a fucking name?!"

He whirled around and stalked towards her. "Get. The. Fuck. Out. NOW!"

She raised her hand, slapping him hard across his face, and I prepared to pounce. She crossed the line at that point. "You stupid son of a bitch!! I don't think--"

A wail interrupted her, and I turned to see the three-year-old sitting on the floor crying his eyes out. I reacted instantly, using the energy forced into my legs when the woman slapped Naruto to rush to his side and gather him into my arm, rushing him back into the room he'd emerged from. Silence fell in the hallway as I rocked the small body, whispering gentle words into his soft chocolaty hair. Tense words started again once the wails fell into soft, silent tears. I jumped when the woman screamed again. "Fine! You and your harlot can rot in hell for all I care!!" The door slammed seconds later and the blond was beside us. I passed the child over immediately and stepped away.

"Man, what a first week. Sorry, kid."

"That was new. I've never been called a harlot before." I forced a smile at my joke and retreated to the living room. The need to fight had slipped from my body once Konohamaru started crying, and the whole experience wiped all the energy from my body. I collapsed onto the couch and let out a deep breath, letting my eyes close. The past few days had been crazy, but I still wouldn't give it up. All the ups and downs were a hundred times better than where I had been.

After a while, a warm body crawled onto my lap, and my eyes opened. Big brown eyes, red from the tears he'd shed, looked up at me innocently and a tiny hand touched my cheek. I jerked back automatically as it sent a sharp sting through my body. "You beedin, Gaawa. You beedin." I reached up and gently touched my cheek, the fingers red when I pulled them back. I was confused for a moment until I remembered the woman had scratched me. I reached for the ear that I knew had been hit as well and cringed when I brushed against it and brought back more blood.

"Watch out, baby. I gotta patch up the kid." Naruto smiled at me apologetically. "Why don't you get dressed, and he'll be all better when you're done." The toddler nodded and hopped to the floor, running to his bedroom. I flinched away from the cotton swab of hydrogen peroxide and the sapphire eyes smiled at me. "It's got to be done." I eyed him carefully before nodding in consent. My eye twitched, and I sucked in a deep breath of the disgusting chemical smell when it began to burn. He laughed lowly. "He was more scared of her slapping me than the yelling." He pulled away the red stained ball and swiped at my cheek with a new one before moving on to my ear. "I was surprised you reacted as fast as you did." That blinding smile was back as he pulled some gauze and medical tape from a kit beside him on the floor. "I knew I'd made a good choice." A frown crossed his face when he finished, and he grabbed both of my shoulders, eyes catching mine. "Don't let anything she said get to you. Don't."

I opened my mouth to tell him her words were true, but Konohamaru ran back to us, clothes in hand, eyeing my bandages. "Papa. Dee you kiss the owies betah?" I blushed madly when the blond laughed.

"Of course. Now, come here and let me help you." I snagged the clothes before he could grab them and he turned a questioning look to me.

"You still have soap on you." He looked down and started laughing.

"Damn. Crazy woman. I think I left the water on, too." He kissed his child and ran back to the bathroom. Konohamaru giggled.

I dressed the little boy and had his oatmeal almost ready when Naruto walked into the kitchen, fully dressed and grabbing a cup of coffee before joining me at the stove. He lifted a lock of my hair and gazed at the damaged ear. "She threw her keys. Crazy that it'd cut you, though. You must have some pretty weird luck, kid. I shouldn't have dodged it and left you standing there. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." I whispered, pulling away from his hand. "She could've flung something bigger. I'm just grateful it was small." He laughed again and ruffled my hair gently.

"Have a good day, kid." I returned the sentiment gently. He pushed off from the counter, poured the remainder of his drink into the sink, said goodbye to his child and left. I watched the little one dig into his breakfast, made a face at the tasteless gunk before adding several spoonfuls of sugar to my bowl and eating as well. As we ate happy, pointless chatter from the little one filled the air and I set my plans to avoid Naruto's touch once more.

Man. It seems like I hate Sakura in this story. I don't though. I think she's a bundle of fun. Don't worry, there will be less drama for a while.

I'm not actually sure how much nannies make these days. My nanny made 150 a week, but that was a long time ago so I don't really know the wage these days. Ha ha! I used to call her 'Me-Mah', I don't even remember her real name... Dang. Anyway, new pollie poll on my page, you should votie otie. Ha ha ha. Oober thanks.