Authors note:

Where I live High school is what we call College. And College is what we call Uni (university).

Disclaimer:

Sadly I don't own Naruto and Co.

I wish I did...

But I don't...

Warning:

I have this story as an M so that I have creative freedom, although I have plans in my mind that make this rating necessary.

Chapter 1: Arrival

Sasuke sighed dramatically from the back seat of Gaara's car as his hand surfed out the window, aiming to catch the redhead's attention. Gaara either didn't get the hint or was ignoring him, keeping his hands firm on the steering wheel and staring straight ahead. They'd seen no other cars on the dusty countryside road for at least 200 kilometres and Sasuke was feeling sceptical about whether or not Gaara knew where to go.

"Soo…" Sasuke started. "…are we–"

"We are not lost." Gaara said calmly before Sasuke could finish his question.

Sasuke nodded to himself and wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. 'Right' He muttered sarcastically and wriggled around, trying in vain to get comfortable amongst all the "camping gear" that Gaara had insisted they needed for a week camping by the river. Sasuke picked up a pillow that was on top of Gaara's fruit juicer. Who brings a juicer camping? Sasuke thought, rolling his eyes. Insane people that don't understand the concept of camping and don't take into account that there will be no electrical outlets beside the river, that's who.

Sasuke tucked the pillow behind his head, ignoring the fact that he was dripping with sweat, and leaned back.

"So, do you know what we are gonna be doing?" Sasuke asked, watching a fly buzz around the ceiling of the car before getting sucked out one of the open windows.

"No." Was Gaara's brilliant reply.

Sasuke sighed again. Of course he knew Gaara wasn't a big talker; they'd been flatmates for two years and Sasuke couldn't remember one time they'd had a proper conversation. Sasuke suspected that the strength in their friendship was not from an ability to talk non-stop like some friends, but their ability to sit in complete, comfortable silence for hours on end. Usually Sasuke was happy with this, since he too preferred controlled silence as apposed to messy, uncontrolled conversation that could start off going in one direction and end up in a completely different place, but today, in the unnatural, bloody, stinking heat he just wanted something to distract him from his feeling of impending doom.

The dark cloud that was settling over Sasuke was the reason Sasuke had decided to come on this stupid trip, the reason he would brave six whole days of socialization with seven people he hardly knew and the reason why he had blew off a very 'important' family dinner party. Uzumaki Naruto.

*Oooh La La Flashback*

Sasuke sighed with relief as he closed the front door behind him and tossed his keys into a bowl to his left. He walked to the lounge and shrugged his book-bag and jacket off onto the floor before slumping lazily onto the sofa. Gaara sat in the corner of the room on his computer, tapping at keys almost rhythmically with the occasional click of the mouse. He didn't turn round.

"I am officially finished every exam for the year," Sasuke said, yawning and stretching his arms above his head. Gaara didn't reply for ten minutes, but after saving whatever he'd been working on and swivelling round to face Sasuke on the sofa he said "So you are on holidays also now." It was almost a question but Sasuke didn't answer, knowing Gaara meant it as a statement. Sasuke almost smiled at Gaara seeming to not care about him completing his last exam; he knew that Gaara was actually extremely proud of him, not that he'd ever say it.

Sasuke lay back on the sofa and closed his heavy eyelids, while Gaara sat staring straight ahead, thinking about something.

"I have been invited to go camping by the river. You will also attend." Gaara spoke, his voice was quiet but commanding. Sasuke opened one eye to look at Gaara. Most people seemed to find him intimidating, but the cold look on his face didn't faze Sasuke at all.

After a few minutes of them watching each other Sasuke said "No." and rolled over so his back was to Gaara. He snuggled into the soft couch and started to drift off to sleep. No way was he going to go camping with Gaara's other friends: some of them actually liked to talk… and have fun. Shudder.

Gaara stood and walked slowly towards the kitchen. He stopped and a smile almost played on his lips. "Naruto will be there," he said devilishly as he left the room.

Much to Sasuke's embarrassment this statement stole any sleepiness he was feeling away and made his heart skip a beat. Naruto, Sasuke thought to himself as a blush began creeping over his ivory face. Well damn, I guess I'm going then.

Later, when Sasuke and Gaara were eating dinner, (in silence, of course) Sasuke couldn't get Naruto out of his mind. They'd only met a few times around the University when he'd been hanging out with Gaara but often he would see him out in town at nightclubs with his friends. From his few interactions with Gaara's fun-lovin' friend Sasuke knew a lot about Naruto… except how he felt about him. Whenever he saw the carefree blonde he was surrounded by people. The young man left a trail of laughter behind him and he socialized with others with the slightest of ease. He was the complete opposite of Sasuke. Mostly Sasuke maintained in his mind that he hated the blonde idiot. He was loud, obnoxious, always wore orange which Sasuke concluded to be the most hideous colour in the world and the thing that got on the black haired man's nerves the most, was the fact that Naruto didn't treat Sasuke like he was superior. Being an Uchiha, Sasuke was used to people treating him with utmost respect and fawning over him, but Naruto treated Sasuke the same as any other person and that made him see red. Sometimes though, Sasuke felt something other than anger when he thought about the blonde. He would look at Naruto's tall, slim body (always from afar of course), his soft blond spikes that framed his handsome, tan face and the sparkling blue diamonds that were his eyes and his heart would flutter. His hands would get clammy and he'd imagine what it would be like to have Naruto laugh at something he'd said, or to dance with him at a nightclub, or to have those soft pink lips against his, desperate, passionate… Ugh! Those thoughts only made him angrier. You or I might call this feeling sexual frustration but Sasuke tried to convince himself and others around him that all of what he felt about the tall, tan, handsome, sexy… er… idiot was complete and utter hatred.

"So I guess I'm going to come. I mean, I have nothing better to do. It might be bearable." Sasuke said as he scrubbed at an already clean pan in the sink.

Gaara couldn't stop the small smile that came onto his lips. Luckily Sasuke was facing away from him so he didn't catch it. "I'm glad." he replied.

*End-o-Flashback*

After what Sasuke concluded was 'forever', Gaara pulled onto a less dusty side road surrounded on both sides by trees. The road quickly became narrower until there was only room for one car. Sasuke sat up, thoughts of Naruto quickly being replaced with fear for his life as Gaara sped down the narrow road which was becoming more overgrown and wild-looking the further they went. The car bumped and jerked around as the car gained momentum on the uneven ground.

"G-aa-r-raa!" Sasuke yelled, his voice shaky from the vibrations running through the car. Branches from both sides scraped and hit the front of the car and leaves were ripped off and moved to the side by the windscreen wipers which Gaara had turned on at some point.

The road (if you could still call it that) started opening out and getting lighter. Gaara slammed on the brakes as they entered a clearing surrounded by trees and Sasuke who had taken off his seatbelt to get more comfortable flew over the front seat and landed on Gaara's lap. Sasuke just sat there, dazed, his legs on the pile of stuff on the passenger seat and his back leaning against Gaara's door.

Someone appeared at the passenger window and leaned down to look into the car. Sasuke recognized the shaggy brown-haired man as one of Naruto's best friends but couldn't place a name to his face.

The man had an amused expression on his face as he spoke "Well, Gaara… I see your driving hasn't improved since the last time you were here." He chuckled.

"Kiba" was all Gaara said. Sasuke wasn't sure if it was a greeting, but Kiba took it as that and grinned, observing the car crammed full-o-crap.

"You guys bring enough stuff?" Kiba joked.

Gaara said nothing, just shifted slightly in his seat and Sasuke remembered where he was sitting and swivelled round to open Gaara's door, forgetting that he was leaning against it, and tumbled out backwards onto the soft grass. He lay in a heap for a few seconds until he heard a very familiar laugh.

"Stunning entry," the golden voice of Uzumaki Naruto teased. Sasuke looked up as holiday Naruto, in orange board shorts and a white singlet, offered his hand. Sasuke grabbed it and was hoisted up, never breaking eye contact with the amused blonde.

"Glad you could come, Uchiha," Naruto said, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Whatever, idiot." He muttered embarrassed at having to be helped the second he'd arrived. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked round to the back of the car to unpack some of the stuff in the boot.

Naruto wasn't fazed by Sasuke's rudeness and pulled Gaara, who was stepping out of the car, into a friendly embrace. 'Good to see you here, my friend' Naruto said, releasing Gaara from his bear hug. "You look like you need a bit of sun," He teased.

Kiba had begun to walk over to where everyone else was hanging out. There were two other cars, an orange Jeep (obviously Naruto's) and a purple Mini, parked beside one another in the shade and everyone had started unpacking their tents and food. Naruto and Gaara followed behind, deep in conversation. WTF?! Sasuke screamed in his mind. Gaara, deep in conversation, Gaara… Deep in freaking conversation. In Sasuke's mind the two phrases went as well together as water and oil.

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke. "Just bring the car over here," he grinned "bastard."

Fuck! Sasuke's inner-self yelled. I'm gonna fucking kill that idiot!

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