AN:Hey guys! Long time no read amirite! Exams are finally over! Well they've been over for about a week but i need my relaxation time too ya know! Here is the long awaited chapter for social skills and let me tell you it gets dramatic after this! Well, as dramatic as a mediocre fanfic can get... I apologise for the long wait but exams were physically and mentally straining, i felt so dead when they were over! It was my birthday the other day and i literally just remembered this story so now i have updated! I hope you like it and once again, i apologise for the long wait ;)

Thank you: Night-kun, Nad1809, the blackbird13 and strawberrycut9 for following.

Thank you: The Secret Sal and oreochippy12 for favouriting.

Review replies at the bottommmm! XD

The Favour

S

I'll deny it if asked but on my way to school on Thursday I was worried. Deathly worried that I would walk into school and just like he did yesterday, Naruto would ignore me. I didn't want that to happen, I didn't like feeling weak, feeling helpless and upset because of one person.

I shook my head slightly as I stepped off the bus and made my way towards school, I knew this was going to happen, Naruto was going to leave me as soon as Gaara showed up, I knew that and yet, my heart throbbed at the thought of not seeing Naruto again.

"Oi, Uchiha." My head snapped up to see a very familiar red head leaning against the front gates of the school. He made his way towards me with a blank expression and I smirked, "well look who turned up to school without having to be dragged."

There was no reply; Gaara only continued to stare at my face. I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off, "are you ok?"

My mouth fell open in surprise as he continued to speak, "you looked like you were hurt." He reached out a hand to touch me but I stepped back, a scowl forming on my face.

"Don't touch me, I'm perfectly fine." I hissed but it did little to deter him, he only raised an eyebrow at my reaction.

Gaara looked around at the surrounding students who inched by us before grabbing my wrist and pulling me in the opposite direction of school.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I asked as I tried to pry his hands from my wrist but his grip was too strong. I eventually gave up and let him pull me away from school towards whatever destination he had in mind.

My thoughts drifted as we walked, would Naruto worry about me? Would he even care if I was late since we were no longer friends? Why did all of my thoughts revolve around Naruto? Did I l-l-l-like him?

I could feel my face flush in embarrassment at just the thought of liking Naruto, he said he liked me too but he was obviously just joking if he could easily throw me away like tha-

"We're here." Gaara's voice had once again broken me out of my stupor. I looked up to an empty unfinished building that had been abandoned.

"Are you serious?" I asked him as he scouted the area for anyone watching before dragging me inside. "Gaara, we could get in huge trouble for this!" I hissed although I continued to follow him. I had never been into an old construction site before, it was sort of intriguing.

The red head shrugged as he maneuvered through the debris like a pro, "I used to come here all the time when I didn't want to stay at home and nobody has ever caught me."

I watched the back of his head in interest as he lead me to a room which he had obviously been using frequently, it contained an old couch, an old table and a couple of old wrappers and cans, what would've brought him to share such a secret place with someone like me?

"Why are you showing me this?" I decided to voice my thoughts. Gaara fell onto the old couch letting his bag drop to the floor and smirked at me, "despite your cold and uncaring attitude, I know your sincere and honest with me; I may not know your reasons but I know your desire to get me back to school was true and that's enough to make me trust you, as a friend."

I wanted to laugh, I really did, Gaara obviously couldn't realise how I was just using him, once the history project was over I would throw him away, there would be no more use for him… and yet, all I could do was smile, and it wasn't just any smile, my face was splitting in half as it was definitely the biggest smile I had ever given.

A chuckle fell from my lips as I fell to sit next to Gaara on the couch, was this what is was like, to have a true friend, someone who trusts you and talks to you?

"So what's wrong?" I glanced at Gaara briefly before turning back to scout the rest of the room, I didn't like the way he seemed to be able to read me, we were too similar.

"We're very alike Uchiha, that's why I know there's something wrong, don't try to lie to me."

A small smile crept up on my lips, "my thoughts exactly."

Sabaku's expression didn't even change and my smile fell instantly, I sighed and shifted slightly in my seat. "Let's say I… had feelings for Naruto, what would you think?"

My companion cocked his head to the side as he turned his attention away from me to the wall we were facing, "why does it matter what I think? Anyways, it's kind of obvious you and Naruto have a thing going on."

I could feel the whiplash from the speed I had turned my head to face Gaara, "no it's not." I denied feeling a blush creeping up my face.

He turned to me, "uh, yeah it is, I've only been in school for half a day and even I could see it. You're fighting now right? That's why he didn't talk to you yesterday; I could tell it was killing you that he chose to go home with Kiba instead of you."

I buried my face in my hands and groaned as the redness spread to my ears, was I that obvious?

"So what did you do?" Gaara asked this with a mazy smirk which irritated me to no ends; I tried to scowl at him but it looked a lot less threatening when my face was red with embarrassment.

"How do you know I did something? Why couldn't Naruto be the one in the wrong?"

Gaara didn't see this question worth of an answer and merely raised an elegant eyebrow. Sighing once more I ran a hand through my hair, "fine, it was probably me but I don't really know what I did, well I do, and I was prepared for this to happen I just didn't expect it would hurt this much."

I was shocked to feel an unfamiliar stinging in my eyes, before anything could fall I rubbed the angrily. Uchiha's don't cry, especially over things like romance.

Gaara shifted in his seat with a sigh and all of a sudden a felt a hand awkwardly patting my head, "what are you doing?"

I saw him shrug from the corner of my eye and turned to see a semblance of a smile on his lips, "I saw friends do this on a TV show once."

I rolled my eyes and shrugged off his hand not allowing myself to consider that it actually helped. "Listen Uchiha, it sounds to me like you're in denial, as I said before, you're a lot like me, I was in denial too until a certain stubborn teen and his brother forced him to face my problems." He nudged me lightly in the ribs with a playful smile that I never thought I would see on his face making me smile back.

"I don't know the secret that you and Naruto have and it's none of my business either; what I do know, however, is that you need to accept the changes that Naruto and all your other friends have brought into your life and rather than accepting when they go and forcing yourself to forget, fight for them because that's what'll make you happy."

A silence hung in the air as I stared at Gaara in awe, an awkward blush lay lightly on his face and he scratched his head in an embarrassed fashion.

He looked at me, and I stared right back before opening my mouth, "I don't think I've ever heard you speak for that long."

For the first time in my life a friend smacked me up the side of the head for being stupid while cursing my name and for the first time in what felt like forever, I laughed wholeheartedly as an imaginary weight lifted off of my chest.

N

For the second day in a row, Sasuke had not appeared before lunch time. It was worrying, I wanted to talk to him, ease his worries that had obviously accompanied the fact that I had ignored him.

After my talk with Kiba I realised how stupidly I was acting, why would I even entertain the thought of ignoring Sasuke? I liked him, loved him even and if I was going to show him my really feelings and reciprocate them ignoring him would not do any good.

But now it was my turn to be ignored, I had no idea where Sasuke was and it was tearing me apart. I had caught a glimpse of him this morning on my way to school but he disappeared round a corner before I could even call out to him.

I sat anxiously at the lunch table, there were two trays in front of me but they were both untouched and cold. My leg shook endlessly as my eyes constantly shifted towards the door; Kiba didn't even try and calm me down, only glanced at me knowingly and indulged in Hinata.

Only 15 minutes after the bell for lunch had gone I finally saw him. Both Sasuke and Gaara strode into the lunch hall as if they hadn't once again missed the first half of school.

A bright smile emerged on my face, one that I couldn't help and without even thinking, I raised my arms and waved them, "Sasuke!"

S

Gaara and I had walked into school after a quick phone call to my brother asking for a favour once again. We walked down to my locker where he once again threw his bag in without asking, "you have your own locker you know." I said with a sneer.

The red head only smirked infuriatingly with a shrug, "I don't remember where it is and I wouldn't use it anyway."

We walked towards the lunch hall as I realised that we had once again missed morning classes, "is showing up to only the last part of school going to start being a habit with you?" I grumbled and he let out a snort, "better that than never showing up in the first place right?"

I didn't want to agree with him so just kept shut and walked into the lunch hall and scouted the tables for a familiar mop of hair.

"Sasuke!" Nearly every head turned to the source of the noise, a smiling and waving Naruto before turning in the direction he was looking at, me.

The embarrassment I felt from the situation could not match up to the utter relief I felt at the fact that Naruto was finally talking to me again. Gaara seemed to notice the small smile on my face and nudged me forward with his elbow.

I began walking to the table once again, this time with a quicker speed before happily seating myself next to the confusing blond while Sabaku took a seat next to a blushing Neji. I sent him a knowing look and he winked back at me, cheeky red head.

Turning slowly, I faced Naruto; a bright smile covered his face while a soft smile showed on mine. "Hey," we both breathed out at the same time, it was like we were in our own little world, nobody else mattered.

"Where were you?" He asked softly, as if scared to break the bubble around us and his fingers shifted on the bench to meet mine. Despite it being a mild touch I could feel the small blush rising to my face, why was I so sensitive all of a sudden?!

"I-I was just sorting some things out with Gaara."

"Did you just stutter?!" Kiba's voice immediately broke the trance we were in and I looked around to see the whole table's attention focused solely on us and glared at Kiba, "no I didn't."

A large grin grew on his face, "oh I think you just did. What my best friend to dazzling for you Sasuke, he making you stutter?" He mocked me, and my face grew redder, I could tell that Gaara was smirking at me so I scowled at him too, I scowled at everyone, they were so annoying!

"Shut up Kiba," Naruto said, I looked at him to see he was still staring at me, his eyes had yet to leave me since I walked into the room and the thought made me blush but I wasn't the only one, Naruto was sporting a faint blush also, "I think Sasuke's stutter was cute." He commented while leaning in closer to me giving me the impression that that was for my ears only but I was sure the others had heard it as they all fell quiet and my face literally exploded.

Naruto smiled brazenly at my reaction and leaned in even further as if to kiss me, I didn't try to stop him, I couldn't, I was too giddy on the inside to even think straight, let alone push him away.

His lips became impossibly close to mine as his arms snuck around my waist to pull us even closer together; my hands clenched at his shirt and I could feel my breath quickening. Our foreheads came together softly and his breath fanned my face causing my eyes to flutter shut, he moved slowl-

"Ahem."

My eyes snapped open immediately as I pushed Naruto away from me with new found strength causing him to fall off the bench. How could I forget we were in a public place, the schools lunch hall was not the ideal location for a quick make out session!

I turned to look at the person who had interrupted -saved- Naruto and I to find the long blonde haired girl who had approached me in history. I opened my mouth to ask what she wanted but Kiba cut in, "hot damn that was close, thanks a lot Ino!"

Oh so her name was Ino, this was a passing thought I had as we all turned to a now red faced Kiba with raised eyebrows. He shrugged, "Naruto may be like a brother to me but even I can admit that was fucking hot."

There was a moment of silence before everybody nodded in a agreeance, I looked at them with a deep scowl, "too bad you'll never see it again." I mocked them with a sneer and Gaara's infamous smirk made its way onto his face again, "oh, I beg to differ."

Before any other comments could be made, Naruto finally sat up from where he had fallen –was pushed- onto the floor and smiled at the girl, "what can I do for you Ino."

"It's not what you can do for me," Ino spoke, her gaze drifted from Naruto to meet mine, "it's what you can do for me, Sasuke."

I felt a sneer form on my face; I didn't like the tone she used with me, "what do you want?"

Naruto sent me a reprimanding look as he sat back down but I ignored him and focused on the other blonde, "I have this childhood friend, his name is Shikamaru Nara, I'm sure you've heard of him, he's in a few of your classes I thi-"

"Get to the point." She glared at me but I only glared back, she was going on for far too long.

"Anyways, recently he's been skipping classes cause he's lazy but he's a really smart person and I don't want him to waste his talent like that, so I was wondering if you would help persuade Shikamaru to come back to classes."

"What makes you think I could do that?" Her eyes flicked behind my shoulder before looking back to me, "you persuaded Gaara so why can't you help Shika?"

I raised an eyebrow in disinterest and crossed one leg over the other, "let me rephrase that question; what makes you think that I would do that?"

I smirked sadistically when she spluttered for an answer, "why should I help him when it wouldn't benefit me in any way?"

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish as she searched for a reply to give her and I watched in obvious amusement. Apparently I was the only one enjoying the show as Naruto stepped in to help the girl, "there's nothing wrong with doing a good deed, whether it benefits you or not."

I felt my anger rising, why was he sticking up for her, he was supposed to be on my side, "there's something wrong with sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, she asked me, Naruto and I'm saying no."

The guilt overwhelmed me when I caught a glimpse of hurt flash through Naruto's eyes, "I thought friends help each other out." He tried to muster a smile.

A frown covered my face and I squashed any ounce of guilt in me, he just didn't get it, "they do but we," I gestured between me and the blonde girl, "are not friends."

With that, I stormed from the room, I didn't bother turning back or showing pity, I don't do anything that doesn't benefit me, Uchiha's are selfish and that's something people are going to have to learn.

N

I watched Sasuke leave the hall in awe and slowly stood to go after him, I didn't know why he was being so stubborn, had I really misjudged him?

Shooting Ino a distracted smile I placed my hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry Ino, we'll talk to Shikamaru, Sasuke's just being pissy today."

I left the room to follow the angry Uchiha and ignored the piercing gazes of my friends from behind me; something tells me this whole social plan was about to blow up in our faces.

Review Replies:

Uzumaki Naho: Gaara is like my third fav character (right after Naru and Sasu of course;)) I know and im so sorry but i promise updates will be more frequent now until this fic is finished, i only have 5 or 6 chapters to go i think :) I have no idea, i remember reading a fan fic on them then immediately shipping them, maybe its because of their similar personalities?

Misakichan123: Hehe thank you, i worked ery hard on it ;) Thanks, i needed all the luck i could get, they were horrible!

Randomly Talented: Thank you, your luck is much appreciated :] Haha, he knows how to flirt with a guy despite being a hermit.

mocca (Guest): Thank you very much :D Sorry to dissapoint but i dont think they'll officially get together for another few chapters.

berry5tz: Your optimism is great but also untrue, very much appreciated though ;D, He sure did, it was love at first sight as Tenten put it and yes, Gaara is very bad arse now. Well even an idiot could figure it out after what they talked about when Neji and his gang joined the table.

The Secret Sal: Hehe thank you, im very glad that you like it :)

AN: Once again i apologise for the long wait, blame exams and my lack of ability in multitasking, hope you guys liked this chapter and please go check out my other works! XD