A/N: I live! Finally, this chapter is ready after numerous rounds of back and forth with my beta, Mei-love. It has finally received the Mei Mei stamp of approval. Enjoy! Once again, thanks to all those great folks who regularly message me and take the time to review or simply lurk around and put this story on alert. I appreciate you your lurking too.

Naruto sat impatiently tapping his foot. He was starving and Sasuke was still no where in sight. Glancing down at the bento in his lap, Naruto gazed longingly, resisting the urge to open it. He knew once he did, all would be lost, and the contents would be swiftly devoured. Shaking his head vigorously to stave off temptation, the blond glanced to the bottom of the stairs. He was sitting on the staircase that lead up to the roof waiting for Sasuke. It had grown too chilly for them to sit on the roof now.

The blond had promised to share his lunch with his friend seeing as how Sasuke's lunches were usually barely edible attempts at food. As cool as Sasuke's brother looked, he was a terrible cook. So Naruto often took pity on his buddy and shared his food. Today though, he was seriously considering leaving his friend to suffer through the torture his brother passed off as lunch. A loud growl indicated his stomach's vehement agreement.

"What took you so long?" The blond demanded as he finally spotted Sasuke.

"Shut up!" Sasuke snapped, clearly disgruntled and out of breath as he climbed the stairs to sink down next to his friend.

"What happened to you?" Naruto asked curiously as he handed his friend a pair of chopsticks.

"They just don't give up!" Sasuke growled as he took the chopsticks being offered to him.

"Huh?"

"Girls! Especially that blonde one and the one with the big forehead."

"They have names, you know." Naruto said distractedly as he opened his lunch, instantly knowing who Sasuke was referring to. He'd been forced to sit through quite a few rants about the girls that chased his friend all over the school. The blond still wasn't sure what they saw in Sasuke.

Grudgingly, under torture, he could admit that Sasuke was good looking but his bastardly personality eclipsed all his physical merits in Naruto's mind. Plus, no one could match Gaara anyway, not even Sasuke.

"Like I give a damn!" The brunet muttered, shoving some rice into his mouth.

"Why are you so mean to them?"

"They won't leave me alone! What part of 'I'm not interested' don't they understand?"

The blond rolled his eyes.

"They're not that bad, especially Sakura. I think she's really pretty." Naruto said absently, starting on his lunch with gusto and completely missing the scandalized look from Sasuke.

"What?" The blond asked between mouthfuls of food, finally noting the odd stare and lack of movement from his companion.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Why would I be? Her hair is a pretty shade of pink."

"You are such a loser." Sasuke said, reaching for the contents of Naruto's lunch.

"And you're such a bastard." The blond shot back before he shoved more food into his mouth. "I don't even know what they see in you."

"Dead last."

"Jerk."

The two boys continued to exchange petty insults as they jostled for the contents of Naruto's lunch.

In a matter of minutes they annihilated the contents of Naruto's bento; both boys sat back satisfied. Well, mostly Sasuke was satisfied. Naruto would have to make do with what he managed to wrestle away from Sasuke and into his stomach.

"Oh! 'Ruka said to give these to you and to make sure you show them to your brother." Naruto said, handing Sasuke a small packet.

"What's that?"

"It's pictures from my birthday party!" Naruto responded grinning.

Sasuke opened the packet and examined the pictures in it. They were all pictures of him.

Naruto smiled mischievously as he poked Sasuke in the ribs. "You had a lot of fun."

"Stop that." The dark-haired boy snapped, swatting at Naruto.

"Admit it." Naruto said, delivering another poke. "You even almost smiled once."

"Stop." The boy said again, swatting at Naruto's hand but missing.

"Say it." Poke.

"Naruto..."

"Admit." Poke. "You." Poke. "Had." Poke. "Fun-OW! What the hell?" Naruto yelled, gripping his arm where Sasuke had punched him.

"I told you to stop." Sasuke said, smirking at the look of pain contorting Naruto's face.

"Did you have to hit me that hard?"

"Did you have to be such a pest?"

"You're no fun at all." Naruto grumbled, rubbing his aching arm in a lame attempt to soothe it.

"Hmph, whatever." Sasuke snapped haughtily, shoving the pictures back into their packet.

"Hey."

"What?"

"Ask your brother to get you a frame for that one with the both of us."

"Why?"

"Because, we're buddies! You should put it in a frame and put it somewhere. Like on your desk or something."

Sasuke shot the blond a blank look. "So the sight of your ugly face could give me nightmares? No thanks."

"If your reflection hasn't given you nightmares yet, you'll be fine."

Sasuke glared and Naruto grinned in triumph.

"Zing!" The blond chuckled, wiggling his fingers in front Sasuke's face.

Sasuke punched him again, feeling particularly satisfied by the yelp of pain it elicited.

"Wanna come over this weekend? We can play that game you bought me." Naruto said, deciding to get his revenge later while rubbing the abused spot on his arm.

"Whatever." Sasuke responded absently, adjusting the pictures in the packet to ensure they wouldn't end up bending.

"Naruto."

"Hmm?"

"I've been wondering something..."

"What's that?"

Sasuke shifted. It was something that he was terribly curious about and had been dying to ask ever since Naruto's party.

"...What's it like...you know...having two dads?"

Naruto stared at his friend for a moment, considering him and his question.

"What do you mean?" The blond asked cautiously and more than a little guarded.

Sasuke thought for a moment about his question, shuffling nervously next to his friend.

"I mean...I dunno...they're both guys...isn't it a little...like...how do they do it, you know?... Like, How does it work?" Sasuke managed to stutter out, his face a bright red and eyes focused firmly on his feet.

The blond simply stared back, utterly confused.

"How does what work?"

"You know..." The dark-haired boy said, his blush intensifying partly from embarrassment and partly from irritation. "IT!"

Naruto gave Sasuke an odd look. "...Are you...bothered that I have two dads?"

Sasuke stared at his friend. Naruto's eyes had suddenly taken on a piercing look. The older boy contemplated the look for a moment. He knew where the question was coming from. His older brother had told him that not everyone would be accepting of the relationship between Naruto's parents, and they'd spent a lot of time talking about same-sex relationships. Itachi had answered all Sasuke's questions, except the one thing Sasuke just couldn't wrap his head around. It was killing him not knowing. Granted, he'd been too scared and embarrassed to ask his brother.

But goodness, was Naruto really this dense?

"No, it doesn't bother me, you idiot. If it did, do you really think I'd come over to your house?"

Naruto observed his friend for a moment longer before his expression returned to one of confusion.

"So then what are you asking?"

"Forget it." Sasuke grumbled, looking away. Maybe he was overestimating Naruto's intelligence. He'd have to find another way to get his answer. It wasn't like he could ask his brother. Just the thought of that alone made him shudder. He was six when he'd asked Itachi how the lady walking by them ended up with a baby in there. He'd received a lecture on human reproduction complete with visual aids and a university level text book. He was six and most of it had gone over his head at the time, but it had taken him over a month to be able to look a girl in the eye again. He sure as hell wasn't going to risk asking his brother about this, not if he wanted to hold on to the remaining vestiges of a normal life.

"Suit yourself." Naruto mumbled just as the bell rang.

Sasuke simply rolled his eyes in irritation as he stood up. He'd just have to do some research on his own.

Even though he didn't look like it, Gaara was in fact listening to every rambling word being uttered by Naruto. Once again, the boy was informing Gaara of his day in as animated a way as he could muster. So far they'd gone over the evils of Mizuki-sensei's pop quiz, the mischief of some kid named Kiba, the great lunch Iruka had made him and they were once more on one of Naruto's most common topics —Sasuke. Gaara turned in his chair to look over nonchalantly at his little friend draped unceremoniously all over his bed. Naruto's diatribes about Sasuke were always amusing to Gaara simply because a riled up Naruto was fascinating to watch.

"He was acting so weird today! I mean, he's always weird, but today was weirder than usual." Naruto declared as he rolled over on his side to get a better look at Gaara while pulling a pillow closer to him. Gaara guessed his arms were probably tired from all the flailing about. The blue eyes were bright with indignation as they latched on to Gaara.

Naruto paused in his ranting for a moment when they made eye contact. Suddenly meeting Gaara's intense gaze made his stomach feel strange. The blond unconsciously bit his bottom lip as he hugged the pillow closer.

Gaara observed the boy curiously. His blue eyes had darkened slightly and his face had taken on a slight flush.

"Are you sniffing my pillow again?" The redhead asked.

Gaara's voice pulled Naruto out of his daze.

"W-What? No!" The blond yelled, shoving the pillow away and sitting up while managing to look only a little bit guilty.

Gaara's eyes shone with amused exasperation but the rest of him barely twitched.

"A-anyway, like I was saying about Sasuke..." Naruto continued, face red as he rolled unto his back. This time, the redhead's lips did twitch in a lame attempt at a smile.

As for Naruto, he quickly tried to hide his momentary lapse by describing his conversation with Sasuke.

Gaara listened patiently, brows beginning to furrow the further Naruto got into his tale.

"And then he asked me how does it work? What the hell did he even mean by that? And he wouldn't tell me when I asked! Stupid Sasuke. And then he looked at me like I'm the idiot 'cause I didn't know what he was talking about, like I'm supposed to be some kind of psychic or something."

The redhead frowned slightly. He had a fairly good idea of what Sasuke meant, and he did not appreciate Sasuke asking Naruto such a thing. That kid was going to corrupt the Chibi; he just knew it. From the moment they'd met, he just knew the kid would be a bad influence on his innocent little friend. The dark haired boy was much too precocious for Gaara's liking.

"Do you have any idea what Sasuke might have been talking about?" Naruto asked curiously while chewing his bottom lip in contemplation.

Gaara answered without missing a beat.

"No idea whatsoever." The redhead said flatly, suddenly rising to his feet and stretching while avoiding eye contact with the blond on his bed. No way in hell he was going to answer that truthfully. Besides, he only had a vague idea himself. His curiosity had yet to build to that point where he'd attempt finding out the details.

The eleven-year old watched as the older male stretched, bending slightly backwards to get the kinks out of his spine. Once again, Naruto found his eyes riveted to the expanse of skin that became visible as Gaara's shirt rode up. It looked so pale and incredibly smooth. Yet again, the blond found himself wondering what it would be like to hug Gaara when he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Sure he'd hugged the older male lots of times, he liked the way Gaara felt against him, all hard lines and unrelenting, wiry muscle. He liked the firm feel of the other male. He wasn't sure why he liked the feel of Gaara so much but he did. It just felt right and sometimes he wished Gaara would let him curl up in the teenager's lap, the way he'd seen 'Ruka do to 'Kashi.

Sure, he hugged his parents all the time, but hugging Gaara was different somehow. Hugging his parents made him feel safe and loved. Gaara made him feel safe too, but there was another feeling he didn't quite understand. All he knew was that he wanted to be with the redhead as much as possible.

"Ketchup-head?"

Gaara sighed. That bloody name again.

"What is it?" The teenager bit out as he walked over and plopped down next to Naruto.

"Do you think... do you think it's weird having two dads?"

The redhead thought about the question as he studied his little friend. Naruto had sat up when Gaara joined him on the bed, legs dangling over the side. Golden hair fell around the little boy's head like a halo, and from this distance Gaara could clearly make out the long golden lashes that hedged brilliant blue eyes. Even he had to admit, Naruto was a beautiful child even with the thin scars adorning his cheeks.

When no answer came, Naruto turned to look at his friend.

"It's not weird." Gaara said. "It's just not as common. That doesn't make having two fathers weird."

The two boys stared at each other for a moment, before Naruto's face erupted in a huge grin.

Turning his body to face his friend, Naruto reached out for Gaara's hand. The redhead said nothing as he watched Naruto fiddle with his fingers. The young boy had developed a strange habit of idly playing with Gaara's hands whenever he got the chance, tangling and untangling their fingers. It was an odd habit, but Gaara simply accepted it and let Naruto have his way. It seemed to make his little friend happy, so Gaara let him continue. Naruto's hands were small and warm and Gaara really didn't mind the blond's touch. It was actually kind of nice in a lazily content sort of way.

The two lingered in silence watching their hands as Naruto lined up their fingers.

"Lots of people think it's weird... I see the looks we get sometimes, when we're all out together." Naruto said softly while wrapping Gaara's fingers around his own. The redhead opened his mouth to say something but was suddenly unsure of what to say. The previous large grin was gone, replaced by a somber expression.

"I hear the other kids at school whisper sometimes when I walk by."

Gaara frowned.

"Do they ever tell you anything to your face?"

Naruto shook his head as he stared at the larger fingers that had suddenly tightened around his hand.

"They're mostly just curious. But it doesn't matter what others think. My dads make each other happy. Besides, the people around here aren't as mean as the ones where we lived before." The blond said, smiling up at his friend and squeezing the hand wrapped around his own.

Gaara continued to stare at his little friend, mesmerized by the sudden bright smile sent his way. The child was like a mini sun when he smiled like that, so bright, that Gaara was warmed by it. It was moments like these that reminded Gaara of the simple fact that Naruto wasn't as truly naive as he tended to act.

"...You're like a vampire..." The blond said suddenly, taking note of Gaara's pale complexion as it contrasted against his own.

"OW!" Naruto yelped as his hand was crushed in the larger one of his friend.

Gaara twitched in irritation as Naruto struggled to get his hand free from the vice-like grip.

Finally satisfied with his revenge, the teenager released the smaller hand from his hold.

Naruto stuck his tongue out after the redhead while cradling his throbbing hand.

"Can't even take a joke." The boy grumbled as he glared up at the older male.

"If my complexion bothers you so much, you don't have to stare at me all the time, you know."

Naruto sputtered, his face a vibrant shade of red as he looked away haughtily.

The redhead simply cocked a brow in question before standing up and looking out the window. The sun was beginning to set. Every day got darker earlier than the day before. From his position, he could see the trees swaying in the evening breeze.

"Ketchup-head?"

At the sound of his nickname, the redhead turned to look at the other boy. Naruto was standing up now, his feet planted firmly on the floor. His face was tinged pink as he gazed at his feet. His posture suddenly seemed nervous and his small fingers picked imaginary lint of his t-shirt.

"...One day...we'll be just like 'Ruka and 'Kashi, won't we?"

At the question, the room plunged into an extraordinarily, uncomfortable silence.

Naruto fidgeted and dared to peek at the older boy through the fringes of his hair. Gaara's eyes were riveted on him, watching him in a way that made the blond squirm. The green eyes were wide as they watched.

Gaara simply stared, stunned, at the little boy standing a few feet away.

Did Naruto just ask what he thought he did? Judging by the uneasy fidgeting, the blond certainly did.

Did he even understand what he was asking Gaara? The redhead doubted that.

Suddenly, Kankuro's grating, teasing voice was echoing around in the older male's head. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he had a crush on you."

The teenager shook his head firmly. That was ridiculous. Naruto had just turned eleven.

Well, shit. How was he supposed to respond? The longer Gaara stood there the more anxious Naruto became, his face becoming redder as the minutes ticked by. The redhead was frozen in place and hadn't budged since the question was asked.

Naruto wanted to say something to break the oppressive silence, but more than that he wanted an answer. It was a question he'd been wanting to ask for a while now and had finally worked up the courage to ask it. In his eyes, they paralleled his parents so much that to him it was the only logical course for them. They were best friends. They would always be best friends. Naruto didn't want to ever be without Gaara, he wanted to grow up to have what his parents had. Except, he wanted it with Gaara. He'd already decided that and in his mind, it made sense.

As the silence approached near unbearable levels, Gaara suddenly felt cornered. The boy standing before him looked so incredibly dejected as the seconds ticked by and there was no answer. Part of him wanted to go to the child and reassure him with a rough pat to his head and a murmured "Chibi", the pet name that always seemed to bring a smile to that face; part of him just wanted to flee from this. How the hell did he end up in such a situation? Did this mean that the little boy before him was...? Dammit, he was eleven! Gaara did not want to go down that line of thinking. There was only one course of action.

"...It's getting late, shouldn't you be heading home?" The redhead asked, breaking the silence and brushing aside the question. Evasion. There was no way he could respond to a question like that! Naruto hadn't even hit puberty yet! He couldn't possibly understand what he was asking.

His adoration of his parents was simply translating into him wanting to be like them. That was all this was. He'd understand when he got older. This was what Gaara told himself as he broke eye contact.

Moving away from the window, Gaara headed to his bedroom door. The question had him incredibly uneasy, and that uncomfortable feeling he sometimes had when Naruto was too close was back. Almost like he was doing something he knew toed a line that should never ever be crossed.

The redhead didn't see the frown or the hurt reflected in the blue eyes studying him, or rather he chose to ignore it, despite the guilt that clawed at his insides. What the hell was this kid doing to him?

"Come on." Gaara said softly. "I'll walk you home."

Naruto wasn't sure what hurt more—Gaara blatantly disregarding the question or the fact that the redhead didn't think it was significant enough to warrant an answer.

Slowly, Naruto followed after his friend. The blond glared at the back of the taller boy's head.

Fine. If he wanted to ignore it, then Naruto would let him for now. It didn't matter because the blond's mind was already made up. He already knew what he wanted. He wanted what his parents had and Gaara would be the one to give that to him. He knew that with every fiber of his being even though his eleven year old mind didn't fully comprehend the unrelenting need he felt for the older boy. All he knew was that he couldn't think of being without the redhead. Gaara was his best friend. He was one of his most precious people and they were always going to be together. So why couldn't they share a relationship like his parents did?

Gaara glanced over his shoulder to meet the glare of the little blond. The redhead simply stared back determined to keep his discomfort from showing.

"What?" Gaara finally snapped, stopping to fully stare down the boy, praying that Naruto wouldn't press for an answer. The two stood in the hallway staring at each other. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Gaara noted that they'd been staring at each other a lot that evening. That sudden awareness only disturbed Gaara further.

"Don't bother! I'm old enough to walk myself home!" The blond suddenly yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the redhead.

Gaara, blinked, even going so far as to lean away from the finger pointed at him. Shocked, all he could do was let himself be shoved aside as Naruto raced past him and down the stairs.

The redhead groaned in frustration as a heavy stone of guilt settled in his stomach. Why was he suddenly feeling like the biggest asshole to walk to earth now?

"Why are you just standing there like the loser you are?"

Gaara turned at the sudden voice. Shaking his head slightly, the redhead shoved past his brother who'd just emerged from his own room.

"Piss off." The redhead grumbled before heading to his room and slamming the door, ignoring the bird his brother flipped him. He wasn't in the mood to verbally spar with his sibling.

"Don't you dare fucking stop!" Iruka growled as he wrapped his legs tighter, digging his heels into Kakashi, forcing the man to go deeper and maintain his speed. Kakashi groaned, spent but knowing better than to slow his pace, not when his lover was so close to the edge. Aside from his own desire to satisfy his lover, Iruka would castrate him if he stopped. The brunet tightened around the older male's now sensitive cock, squeezing and causing Kakashi to shudder. Shakily, the older male managed to wrap his hand around his lover's leaking erection. Iruka was close but Kakashi had gone over the edge first, leaving him unsteady and his nerve endings buzzing from the aftershock of his orgasm.

The brunet moaned loudly at the touch, nails digging into his lover's arms at the dual stimulation. Kakashi's breathing was shaky as he continued to rock into the body under him, pumping Iruka's cock in time with his heavy thrusts. His own need satisfied, the silver-haired man focused entirely on his partner, dragging moans and expletives from that pretty mouth. When they'd first met, he never would have guessed the younger man was capable of uttering half the things he did when in the bedroom. It never failed to make his blood boil and his dick harden. And Kakashi knew he would not be released until Iruka was completely satisfied.

"Fuck, faster!" Iruka demanded, voice shaky and breathless.

The larger male obliged, increasing the pace and forcing himself to go as deep as possible. A few more thrusts and Iruka came, yelling out Kakashi's name and breaking skin with his sharp nails as his body stiffened in release.

As Iruka collapsed back on the bed, Kakashi immediately followed, allowing himself to slump onto his lover in exhaustion. The house was silent except for their tired breathing. Gingerly, Iruka reached up and brushed aside the strands of hair that stuck to his forehead.

"Damn..."

Kakashi chuckled lightly, pushing himself up on his arms to gaze down at his lover's face.

"I take it you approve." The older man said smugly. Iruka rolled his eyes before pulling the other man into a sloppy kiss. Now that they were both satiated, the kiss was slow and contained none of the earlier heat that had scorched them on contact. Finally, after some minutes of basking in their shared afterglow, Kakashi gently extracted himself before flopping onto his back. Almost immediately, Iruka rolled onto his side to curl against the other man.

When lips pressed against his hair, the younger man hummed in pleasure and wrapped an arm around his bed-mate. The two lay like that, enjoying the quiet companionship. Somewhere in the house, one of the dogs yipped, probably Bisuke from the high pitched sound.

"Naruto asked me something interesting today." Iruka mumbled sleepily.

"Did he now." Kakashi said, just as softly.

"He wanted to know when exactly I realized that we belonged together."

Kakashi didn't immediately respond but his arm tightened around Iruka's shoulders, pulling him closer until the brunet's head rested on his chest.

"..And? What did you tell him?"

Iruka yawned, even more comfortable in the new position.

"I told him I knew when I could no longer see my life without you in it."

Fingers moving gently through his hair made the brunet smile tiredly. Kakashi was silent next to him but for Iruka, the older man didn't need to say anything.

The brunet had already succumbed to the strong pull of sleep by the time Kakashi spoke.

"Do you think Naruto seemed a little down when he came home this evening?"

His answer was a soft snore from his lover.

As Kakashi lay in the dark, Iruka's even breathing filling the silence, his mind wandered to his son and what might have prompted the question. He had a strong suspicion that it was somehow related to that redheaded brat that lived next door. The silver haired man frowned in the dark. He didn't have any evidence but his instincts had yet to mislead him. And they screamed at him every time he saw the punk of a kid walk by. Maybe he should talk to Naruto about this. Deciding to spend some one-on-one time with his adopted son soon, Kakashi finally joined his lover in sleep. It probably wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on Naruto's so-called best friend either.

Gaara tapped his pen idly against his notebook. He knew he should be taking notes but he couldn't focus long enough to do so. Every time he tried to listen to the droning explanations of his teacher, his mind rebelled, rerouting his thoughts to a certain little blond. Two days had already passed since the massively awkward incident with his self-proclaimed best friend, and during that time, he'd neither seen nor heard from the eleven year old. It was bothering him. In fact, it was driving him up a wall.

The speed of his tapping pencil increased, and his expression soured further causing the boy that sat next to him to glance over uneasily at the irritated redhead. For his troubles he received a nasty glare which quickly had him facing forward once more.

When at home, Gaara's ears remained trained on the sound of the front door opening and slamming in hopes that it would be Naruto bounding in uninvited as usual. The teenager couldn't remember the last time he'd been this frustrated with anything. Correction, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been this frustrated with anything besides Naruto. He was actually missing the loudmouth, annoying, overly energetic, pain in his ass. On top of that, the image of Naruto's despondent face at Gaara's evasion kept tormenting him, causing his guilt to continue fermenting.

The feel of his phone vibrating in his pocket, startled the boy out of his musings. For a moment he considered ignoring it, too preoccupied with his own aggravation, before eventually changing his mind. Glancing at his teacher to ensure the chubby little man was preoccupied with the equations scrawled across the blackboard, Gaara dug out his phone.

Flipping it open below the desk, the redhead stared at the unopened message. Looking up, his eyes immediately zoned in on the sender. Neji seemed as attentive as ever but Gaara noted the phone the other male was holding beneath his desk. He sat upright in his seat with perfect posture. The redhead didn't dwell on the fact that one glance was all it took for him to noticed the slight change in positioning of the brunet's hair tie. It was a small discrepancy, really, but somehow it was glaringly obvious to Gaara.

Returning his attention to the message, Gaara quickly opened it.

"r u okay? the guy next to u is about to wet himself. You're freakin him out."

A quick glance up and Gaara found himself meeting Neji's gaze. The brunet held the gaze for a scant few seconds before looking forward once more. Taking a deep breath to calm himself and get his features under control, Gaara replied.

"I'm fine."

The redhead's attention turned once more to his partner in crime, watching as Neji opened his phone to read the reply. Gaara wasn't quite sure what about the two words caused a small smirk to form on the brunet's face, but some seconds later the redhead felt his phone vibrate again.

"Can we talk? Will you meet me during lunch?"

Gaara's fingers hovered over the keys of his phone as he considered the question.

"Where?"

"Behind the garden club's tool shed. 30 minutes after the bell rings. No one goes there during lunch."

Gaara stared at the words, an odd feeling of anticipation growing, momentarily replacing the guilt that had been gnawing at him.

His response was simple.

"OK."

After hitting send, Gaara focused once more on his classmate. A tiny smile was flashed his way before Neji shut his phone and shoved it into his pocket. For the remainder of the class, Gaara still found himself being distracted. Only this time, instead of Naruto occupying his thoughts, he found himself studying Neji.

By the time he made it to the tool shed, Neji was already there waiting. The taller male stood casually leaning against the wall, eyes fixed on the ground. His long legs were crossed at the ankle and his hands were tucked behind him.

Silently, Gaara walked over to the other boy and copied his position. The two remained like that in silence as minutes passed. For Gaara, there was nothing he needed to say so he simply stood there, waiting patiently for his companion to speak. Neji cast a casual glance in Gaara's direction before returning his gaze to the ground before him.

Aside from the breeze blowing, it was quiet. Students generally avoided this part of the school during lunch time as it was the furthest from the main building. As the minutes ticked by, a companionable silence descended around them. When Neji finally spoke, his voice was soft almost as though he was loathe to disrupt the comfortable atmosphere.

"I have an answer for you." The brunet said. "I've always had one actually."

His eyes remained on the ground even when Gaara studied him as he spoke.

"... I've had a crush on you since middle school... I just never had the courage to tell you... You always seemed so... untouchable... out of reach."

Gaara shifted his weight to his left foot, using the right to brace himself against the wall. Still, he said nothing.

Taking a deep breath, Neji pushed himself off the wall in order to stand directly in front of the other male. The look of determination on his near flawless features was one Gaara hadn't seen on the other boy before. Neji's typically cocky facade was notably gone. The brunet's confidence was still there, obvious in his stance, the way he held himself but it was tempered somehow. The redhead arched his brow at the change in demeanor but otherwise kept his thoughts to himself.

"I want you to go out with me. I want you to give me the chance to make you feel about me the way I feel about you."

The words were said quietly but in a steady, sure voice. Gaara carefully considered the boy standing in front him. There was no doubt, no uncertainty, just solid determination and maybe a bit of nervousness, judging by how tightly clenched one of Neji's fists was.

Still, Gaara said nothing, letting his silence extend and fill the space between them. After some long minutes, the redhead finally spoke.

"Alright."

The brunet blinked at the word, a look of surprise briefly passing across his face. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but such an easy acquiescence he'd dared not hope for.

Gaara shrugged at the look of surprise. It was a decision he'd already made. He'd had a while to think about it, and he came to terms with the fact that Neji managed to illicit reactions from him. The other boy was sharp, witty, and dedicated. Gaara enjoyed being around him and even found him physically appealing. Maybe a better term would be attractive? Either way, the redhead had already decided he wanted to explore this further, whatever this was that Neji was making him feel. The brunet was the first person to ever peak Gaara's interest in this way. So to him, the strange surprise was unwarranted.

The two boys stood there, looking at each other, not quite sure what to do next. Neji allowed his eyes to roam over Gaara's features openly. He had, at the most, expected a grudging acceptance from Gaara. Most definitely not this sudden agreement.

The redhead just stood there, passively letting himself be studied. Being stared at never really bothered him. He was used to it.

Neji became wrapped up in his scrutiny. Deciding to test his luck further, he moved closer to the shorter male until only an inch or two separated them.

Gaara remained motionless as he stared back; it wasn't the first time Neji had invaded his personal space.

Gingerly, almost as though he was expecting the redhead to bolt, the brunet lightly brushed a finger along Gaara's jaw. The redhead stiffened at the touch, but didn't pull away. Neji knew he was probably overdoing it and that he'd probably get hurt for his actions, but he'd wanted Gaara for so long that he could no longer resist temptation, not when the object of his dreams was standing barely an inch away, after accepting Neji's feelings for him.

Taking a deep breath, the brunet crossed the space between them.

Before Gaara could even begin contemplating the words, the gap between them closed, replaced by the feel of something soft touching the corner of his mouth. Somewhere, his brain registered that the soft brush was Neji's lips, as the brunet kissed him.

All it took was a slight turn of Gaara's head and their lips were suddenly on each other's.

Gaara went rigid, startled by the sudden intimate contact.

Throwing caution to the wind, the brunet moved closer. Letting his eyes slip close, he gave himself over to the sensation of kissing Gaara. The redhead's lips were soft, just as he'd imagined they would be and even though Gaara was yet to react, the brunet added more pressure, needing to increase the sensation. If he was going to suffer Gaara's wrath for this, he was at least going to enjoy it first.

Once again, Neji found himself being surprised. Ever so slightly, Gaara tentatively pushed back. The encouragement was all Neji needed as he closed the small gap between their bodies, allowing his taller frame to trap the shorter boy against the wall. Gaara was forced to tilt his head up slightly to maintain the contact. He let his eyes slip close as everything else faded away except for the warmth of Neji's lips against his own and the weight of Neji's body against him. Every tiny movement made his lips tingle. Having Neji leaning against him was strange yet enticing, sending whispers of something through him that made his heart race. The kiss remained innocent and uncertain in the boys' lack of experience. It was a first for both but it felt like a promise of things yet to come.

Too soon for Gaara, it was over.

Neji was the one to break the moment, slowly pulling away from the other boy. The sight that greeted him lead to the return of his usual confident smirk. Gaara appeared slightly dazed, lids gradually parting to reveal unfocused eyes. It took a few moments for the redhead to pull himself out of the haze that had descended on him.

The sight of Neji's smirk led to an almost automatic reaction as Gaara opened his mouth to deliver another scathing blow to Neji's ego; only this time, his brain refused to cooperate and he was left looking probably as foolish as he felt. Quickly, the redhead snapped his mouth shut and glared instead. The barely visible dusting of pink that erupted on the teenager's face made his companion chuckle.

"If I'd known this would be how you'd react, I would have done that a long time ago."

"Shut up, Hyuga." Gaara snapped, the dusting brightening to a visible red hue. Shoving the other boy away, Gaara continued to scowl.

"You're cute like that."

Gaara hit him in the gut.

"I'm going back to class." The shorter male bit out, before spinning on his heels and walking off. Neji only stared after the other boy, slightly bent over and rubbing his stomach. Despite the pain, he thoroughly enjoyed the view of Gaara walking away, and to be honest his posture was more for show.

Gaara had pulled his punch... It was more like a love tap.