Neji ran his hand over an old looking statue. He was nervous. He knew what coming to the Sand castle meant. He was betraying his country. He was risking his knight status. But it didn't matter. Every day he awoke inside Konoha Castle, he awoke to the thought of Naruto. Things might have been different if he hadn't tried avoiding the boy like the plague since their break up.

"Neji."

Neji jumped slightly, and turned to see Gaara standing in the door way. Obviously Gaara was waiting for Neji to say something first.

"You're royalty."

Gaara only nodded.

"Why would they send a prince on an assassination mission? How could we not know who you were?"

"Is this why you came?"

Neji turned his head slightly, a faint blush covering his cheeks. "I…they thought I needed some time off after they found me chained in the prison."

"And you came here for vacation?"

Neji gritted at the condescending tone in Gaara's voice. But he knew from the first time he had actually talked to Gaara that he wasn't the type of guy to beat around the bush with.

With a deep breath, Neji looked Gaara straight in the eye, "I came here because I couldn't get your words out of my head. I had thought…hoped that you were going to…" He couldn't seem to make him say the rest of it. It was frustrating. He was always smooth, always in control, and yet just being under Gaara's gaze made him feel like a horny, needy, and scared teenager.

"The thought did cross my mind." Gaara said, picking up on the rest of Neji's confession, "You looked good chained up."

Neji released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, "Was it just a fleeting thought?"

"If you want me to fuck you, Hyuuga, you're going to have to be more direct. I told you it wasn't going to happen unless you begged me."

Sasuke swallowed. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but at the moment he would have taken just about anything over the overwhelming silence. He shifted uncomfortably; Naruto's glare was weighing down on him.

"I'm sure you remember…"

"Dancer." Naruto seethed. "Why are you here?"

Sasuke bit his tongue to keep from correcting Naruto on the dancer comment. "I had to see for my own eyes."

"Come to finish me off?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and took a step away from the doorway. Naruto's body visibly tensed. "I came to talk to you."

"Want to tell me you were forced into it? How it wasn't really your fault. Hope I'll forgive you for killing me?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to respond, but didn't get the chance.

"I forgive you." Naruto muttered.

That certainly hadn't been what he was expecting. He hadn't planned on asking for forgiveness. He didn't deserve it. He chose himself over the safety of his future king. His life would have meant nothing in the wide scope of things, but Naruto meant something to lots of people. And he still had a few faint bruises to prove it. "Why?"

"Because you never pretended to be anything to me. You don't even know me." Naruto clutched the sheets, "At least you didn't betray me."

"You already know about Gaara." Sasuke stated, slightly surprised.

"So are you going to help me get out of here? I've got to get back." Naruto grinned at Sasuke.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the quick transition the boy made. He went from looking like he wanted to cry to smiling in no time flat. "What? What makes you think I'd help you?"

"Well…" Naruto leaned back in the bed, "I just figured you'd want to make an effort to really show me that you want my forgiveness."

"I never asked for it. If you were planning to use that to get me to help, then you shouldn't have offered forgiveness so easily."

Naruto made a face. "I could pay you."

"I don't care about money."

"Then why do you dance?"

Sasuke paused. He couldn't even remember why he had agreed to any of the dancing stuff in the beginning. Tsunade had promised him something, but it felt so long ago, he had forgotten. "I've only danced for you."

The smile was gone again. "That first night, it was all because you were planning on killing me, right?"

"No. I didn't plan on making out with you. I was just going to dance."

"Then why did you?"

When Sasuke hesitated, Naruto slid off the bed and stepped over to Sasuke, completely invading his personal space. "You think I'm hot."

"You wish…" Sasuke managed to snap out before Naruto grabbed the back of his head and forced him into a kiss.

Sasuke eyes widened in shock before they narrowed in anger. He pushed Naruto away, "Have you taken a bath since you died?"

Neji had a look on his face similar to that of sucking on a lemon. He knew he had heard Gaara right, but he wished he hadn't. "You want me to become a servant?"

Gaara shrugged and looked utterly bored, but truth was, he was interested in seeing what Neji would say. He had waited for the moment to knock the knight off his high horse since he had seen him. He couldn't help the animosity he felt for those that acted superior. But somewhere along the line his desire to kill Neji for it had changed to wanting to beat and fuck him for it.

There was a soft knock on the door and a girl bashfully stuck her head inside, "Lord Gaara, can I speak with you?"

Gaara gave Neji once last look over, "Have your answer when I return." And then he followed the girl outside the door.

The girl stepped back a few feet, scared of being close to Gaara. "What is it?" He growled out. Nothing pissed him off more than people that shivered around him. He was surprised she didn't piss herself at the question.

"Your guest has asked for a bath to be drawn."

"Sasuke?"

"No, the blond one."

"Give him whatever he wants…" Gaara paused, an interesting idea coming to mind. "Is Sasuke still with him?"

"No, Lord. He's back in his room."

"Good. Take the boy in this room down to Temari for a servant's uniform, and have him ready the bath for our guest."

The girl nodded and stepped into the room behind him. Gaara already knew Neji's answer. He hadn't come all the way to the Sand kingdom to leave empty handed. And right now he had something bigger to do than fucking Neji until his pale eyes rolled back in his head.

Gaara's hand shook. Actually shook. It was a strange feeling. But Gaara had dreaded facing Naruto. But now he felt he actually had the means to start making amends. He straightened his body and steadied his hand as he opened the door.

He stepped inside and froze. Naruto looked just like he remembered. Blond hair, tanned skin, blue eyes. But the usual glow was gone from his features. And Gaara felt a twange of guilt. It was all really his fault that Naruto looked so depressed.

"Gaara?"

There wasn't as much hate in his name as Gaara expected there to be, but there was still some there, none the less.

"Naruto."

The boy was looking down at his hands in his lap, refusing to lock eyes with Gaara, "I was wondering if I would ever see you again. I guess there's really no reason for you to visit me after you accomplished your mission."

"The day you asked me to be your friend, I planned on killing you."

There was a look of surprise on Naruto's face.

"I poisoned your food. And when I heard your food taster died, I entered the room with a knife in my hand. I sent your teacher away. Everything was perfect…"

"But you didn't." Naruto finished for him. "Why?"

"Because no one asked to be my friend before. And I knew no one would ask again. So I planned to let you live for a few more years."

"And Sasuke?"

"Just came along at the right time."

Naruto nodded, calmly taking in all the information.

"Do you like him?"

Naruto smiled slightly.

"And Neji? Would you like him back?"

"What's with the questions?"

"I'll give them to you."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Everything sounded so simple when Gaara said it. "People aren't things. You can't just make them…"

"I don't have to. They want it. You can have Sasuke. You can have Neji. You can have…me."

Naruto finally looked at Gaara. There was nothing but surprise etched on his face. "Is this your way of asking for forgiveness, Gaara? By bribing me?"

"Is it working?"

"You weren't pretending to care?"

"I wouldn't know how to."

And Naruto believed him. Maybe he was forgiving too easily today. But he had spent every day since he woke up in loathing. Hating Sasuke, hating Neji, hating Gaara. He hated Tsunade for introducing Sasuke. He hated his father for inviting the dancers. He hated Temari for telling him everything. He had no hate left, but then he never had much to begin with.

"Neji really wants me?"

Gaara smirked, "He will when he learns you're alive."

"And you? Really?"

Gaara stepped up to Naruto and ran a hand down the boy's slightly dirty cheek, "Don't ask stupid questions."

Naruto blushed. He remembered why he had always trusted Gaara. There was something in his features, in his eyes that was trustworthy. Although he wasn't ignorant. He knew Gaara manipulated people in the castle. He knew Gaara had an evil streak. But he also knew none of it was ever directed at him. "When?"

"Enjoy your bath." Gaara answered before turning and leaving the room.

He closed Naruto's door behind him and took a deep breath. Things went better than planned. He would give Neji and Naruto a few minutes before he brought in Sasuke. But as pleased as he was that Naruto had accepted his gift, it hadn't been a selfless gift. Three hot boys, nakedness, and a tub of water. It was Gaara's wet dream come real.

He looked down at himself and couldn't help but give a frustrated stroke to his clothed erection.