Disclaimer: No, I do not own Naruto!

Note: Oh wow! Look how long it's been! Well, it took me awhile to get this going again. Writing from Gaara's POV is kind of difficult because who knows what he's thinking as opposed to what actually comes out of his mouth!

Enjoy the chapter! And do review! Reviews are a good way for me to keep track of how the fic is going and feedback is always welcomed!

Thank you!

PART V: Green-Eyed Monster

Not quite sure if the Uchiha thinks he's Cyclops or whatnot, but I'm sure he's trying to burn me alive with his eyes. It's that or as Naruto puts it, flirting with his eyes.

I blink back at him and he frowns in reply.

Nope, definitely not flirting with me. Which brings me back to square one.

"Uchiha," My mouth decides to talk. What is Uchiha Sasuke doing at the flower shop? And why was Yamanaka so perturbed by his presence?

"Sabaku."

"Eh?! You two know each other?" Yamanaka spouts loudly from my left. Is that slight panic I hear in her voice? I'm not too adept at determining ranges of emotions yet. I think I've got Naruto's spectrum of responses down well, but Yamanaka is quite perplexing when it comes down to it. I can never tell when she's joking or not. It's almost like her entire life revolves around making a fool out of people.

"Yeah," The Uchiha turns to me, "Hey, can I have a private moment with Ino?" Well, doesn't he sound like he's in a hurry. Too bad I slightly dislike his face. I think I'll milk this moment.

"No."

"No."

We answer at the same time and I'm actually surprised at the similarity between our answers. But turning to the woman beside me, I can tell one thing. Yamanaka is not in her usual teasing mood. Something inside me squirms uncomfortably. I don't think I should like this interaction.

I've only known her for a couple months, so I can't say I've seen all the shades of Yamanaka Ino. The current glower on her face pretty much rivals the laser eyes Uchiha Sasuke stuck on me earlier. Or still as of current.

Unintentionally, I step back a bit. Incidentally, Yamanaka is making a particular snarling sound that resembles a feline baring its fangs, ready to pounce and rip Uchiha Sasuke's carotid artery out. And the younger Uchiha is seething like a fire-breathing dragon, still attempting to burn me alive.

I honestly, from the depths of my heart (though I'm sure it's not that deep), will like to decline this standoff.

I rather not become fodder during this battle. The saying really is curiosity killed the cat. And I am not about to be that cat.

"I can wait outside." My feet are not listening to me. They're refusing to move as I am directing them to.

The answers were almost immediate.

"No."

"Thank you."

Uchiha Sasuke sighs, "Ino, look. We need to talk. You can't avoid it."

Yamanaka is cracking her knuckles one by one and I think my body is finally listening to me. I take small steps away.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about. I'm not avoiding anything. I've moved on. Like a sensible person." She stuck her nose in the air.

This sounds like a conversation I should not be involved in now. But there's this modest alarm bell that's firing somewhere in the depths of my brain that's telling me not to leave them be. I mean, I don't know? I don't like this chicken-haired asshole anywhere near Yamanaka but at what right do I have to stop him?

I don't even know where I stand with her.

She groped me.

Well maybe I did react back to her too.

But still. That doesn't give me permission to slam his face through the flower pot even if my hands are itching to. I also feel a bit odd. There's an unusual sensation in my stomach and I'm not sure if I'm coming down with food poisoning or not. I feel tad nauseated and anxious.

I look at Yamanaka at the same time she decides to turn to me. I'm not sure what my expression is at the moment since I've never really paid much attention to the movements of my facial muscles—and the fact that I also don't express much—but she grins at me.

"Gaara's my boyfriend, so whatever you want to say to me, you can say to him too." She smirks, placing one hand on my arm and the other on her hip.

Ah, I can already feel the impending migraine.

Uchiha Sasuke cross his arms, still glaring at me, "Are you sure?" He more or less growls and I want to roll my eyes. This is too childish.

Sticking my hands in my pocket, I stare back, "As she says."

"Well?" Yamanaka's tapping her foot now, eyebrow rising.

"Break up with Sabaku and get back with Itachi," For once, I think my non-existent eyebrows are raising, "I don't care what excuse you give Itachi, just take him back."

Wait.

"What?!" Yamanaka sqawks, "What?! NO!"

Wait wait wait.

What?

"If you don't, I'll tell Itachi the real reason you broke up with him."

"You don't dare!" She slams a hand on the tabletop and I think her screech popped my eardrum.

Perhaps it would've been better if I had just left when I had the chance. This sinking feeling in my stomach is starting to overwhelm me. I think I'm coming down with something for sure.

"I will." Uchiha frowns even more.

"WHY?!"

My palms are getting sweaty and I feel a bit dizzy. I think there's a weird chest tightness going on too.

"I don't care. I can't live with this guilt anymore!" Did Uchiha Sasuke just raise his voice? "You don't have to see him every day. You don't have to pretend that everything is okay. You just ran away!"

"Do you think I left him because I wanted to?! I left because I had to! You told me to!"

Well…now I really think they forgot about me.

"Well fuck me! It's eating me alive!" Sasuke roars and lunges towards Yamanaka. She swats him away with a withering bouquet.

I'm not sure when I even gave the thought to move. Somehow, I am directly in between the two quarreling parties.

Damn.

My stomach flops again and my chest tightens. Involuntarily, I wince and cough at the reaction. I really must not be feeling well.

"So I'm supposed to go back into pretending nothing ever happened and that I just needed a 3 year self-vacation?!" Yamanaka shrieks.

"YES!" Damn, Uchiha isn't holding back either.

"YOU'RE RIDICULOUS! I'VE MOVED ON!"

There is an eerie silence and the emotion on Uchiha's face was indecipherable. It is kind of foreboding and I step back slightly, away from the duo.

"And I can't. Either you go back and rebuild your bond with him or I'll tell him that you broke off the relationship because we got drunk, slept together, and you couldn't deal with the guilt—"

"WHAT THE SHIT?!" Her iron grip on my arm is starting to be painful. And seriously, what the shit, Uchiha?

"And why I'm doing this? Because I can't deal with the guilt anymore." He slams his hand on the table, rattling the vases.

What.

I didn't know I had been holding my breath this entire time. The information startles me just as much as it surprises Yamanaka. She sighs softly, placing a hand on my arm again.

"Gaara, can I take a raincheck on our dinner tonight?"

Azure eyes blink back up at me and I can feel my resolve crumble. She is sending me away. The nausea is back and I nod numbly at her.

I mean, at this point…I'm the odd man out, right?

xXx

I'm not sure when I arrived home but somehow I'm standing in front of my own apartment, knocking. I blink a couple times. I have a key. What the hell am I doing?

Why do I feel so off?

Is it over then? I unclench my hands. Since when did I have my hands in such a fist?

I fumble for the apartment key and it opens at the same time. The keys fly out of my hand and I curse.

"Fuck."

"Gaara?" My sister peers at me from the other side, eyebrow raised, "You okay?"

My hands shake as I pick up the keys and push past her. I really don't want to talk about this. I don't even know what's going on. Everything seems oddly hazy and I feel incredibly hot. And irritated. Very irritated.

The hulking mess of an older is brother is leaning against the kitchen counter, drinking orange juice out of the bulk carton again.

Gross.

"Uh-Hey Gaara!" He gulps loudly, much to my chagrin, "I thought you were out to dinner tonight with In—"

The juice carton flies out of his hand and splatters its contents across the kitchen as it rolls.

"Shut up."

I never knew my voice could tremble like that. Nor did I know I could move so fast. I didn't even think—I didn't mean to slap the carton out of his hand. I just—I just don't want to hear her name right now. Or anything associated to her.

Pressing my lips together, I frown. Everything feels really warm and humid at the moment.

A hand squeezes my shoulder gently. Looking over, I see my sister give me a half-smile, "Sit down, Gaara. Let's talk about this."

Nodding numbly, I follow her guidance to the dining table. Kankurou flies out of my path, terrified. I almost roll my eyes at that. I really didn't mean to—but sometimes he's always takes the brunt of my attacks. It's not like I plan it that way.

Temari disappears somewhere and comes back with Shikamaru. Damn, does this guy ever go home to his own place?

The poor unfortunate soul looks like he has his tails between legs. My lips nearly twitch upwards.

"Gaara, what happened?" Temari cross her arms after she pushes Shikamaru into a chair. He reassumes his usual bored façade and I shrug. Do what Temari demands and everyone lives. That is rule.

"She canceled," I think maybe these talk sessions are helpful, as lame as they sound. Temari raises an eyebrow and I can see Kankurou peering from around the corner. Ah, they're prompting for more. I guess.

"Some guy showed up and they started arguing," Plain, so plain. I shrug again. I mean, they say your first relationship can either go really well or crash and burn like a meteor going through the atmosphere. I think mine lasted a good hour? I guess I should just celebrate that.

"Who?" Shikamaru finally speaks up, and I glance at him. Though his eyes are half-lidded, I think he's paying attention. Maybe it is useful that he's here. He is her childhood friend after all.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Somehow, we all sat up straight, the expression on Shikamaru's face was one none of us having ever seen before.

"And what did he want?" Shikamaru almost, almost scowls. The boredom wiped from his face. I'm still at a lost here. What the shit is going on? Shikamaru never shows any interest in anything.

"What," I'm stumbling over my own words, "What is he to her?"

Can Kankurou grip the wall any tighter? I think his knuckles are turning white. I think mine are turning white too, actually.

"A pain the ass," Shikamaru snorts slightly, and then sighs, "Ino and Sasuke are like eternal enemies."

"But he said they slept together," The words flew out of my mouth before I can stop it. I don't even care how desperate I sound at the moment.

But pray…I guess I do want to know what's true and what's not. Curiosity. Not desperation. Definitely not. I am not desperate in knowing their relationship. Just curious…right?

But what business is it of mine? When has it that I've been so concerned about someone else?

Yamanaka does not belong to me.

My chest tightens again and I feel unwell at that thought.

"Tch. Troublesome," Shikamaru sighs again and stands up, "He's lying. It would be better if you ask Ino about it directly. She'd have my head if I went around town talking."

I should ask her? But she was the one that told me to leave? I feel like my blood is boiling, figuratively speaking. I feel hot. And angry. At least I think that's anger.

"Where are you going?" Temari cuts in and I notice Shikamaru was hopping towards the door, trying to slide his shoes on.

He gives Temari a groan, "Community service. I'm going to prevent the murder of Uchiha Sasuke."

"He can go ahead and die," I mutter under my breath. I hadn't realized I was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Shikamaru and Temari blink a couple times in my direction—but it was Kankurou that spoke. And I swear the grin forming on his lopsided toothy mouth is enough for me to punch him in the gut.

"Gaara, are you jealous?!" He wheezes loudly, excited.

What the shit? Jealous? Me?

Jealous?!

I pick up the salt shaker on the table and hurl it towards his head.

Me?

END PART V

Sooooooooo….how was it?! . I'm so sorry for the wait!