The art of sand

Chapter1

"Oh, you have to! You promised!" The yell echoed through the streets.

Several people stopped walking to glare at the rambunctious, blonde, spiky-headed boy. He was tugging on the arm of a raven-haired boy. The taller boy’s glare was sure to kill someone soon, if the blonde did not stop pulling. Sai shrugged Naruto off with a sigh.

"If it shuts you up," he conceded.

"Yes! You’ll love it, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, punching the air.

Naruto literally drug Sai down a few more blocks of Konoha to reach the small café on the edge of town. A smile ghosted across Sai’s features as he drank in the sight of the café. It was fairly small. The design was simple, yet quaint. The building was painted white. The green ivy growing up the sides was set off beautifully. Little bushes and assorted flowers grew in a maintained area around the walkway to the door,G which was propped open on the warm spring day. Sai stopped resisting, and took the initiative to keep up with Naruto’s strides. Naruto’s voice echoed, as he announced their arrival to the patrons and employees.

"Gaa-kun! I brought my friend from school!"

A red haired man turned to the loud voice. His expression betrayed nothing as he nodded to the boys. Sai’s breath caught in his throat. He took in the sight of the gorgeous creature before him slowly. The red hair that laid messy, yet well kept, across his forehead. The jade eyes outlined heavily. Sai could just make out the tattoo on the man’s forehead. The man walked into the back of the café without so much as a glance to Sai. He felt himself pushed into a booth, and he returned to earth. Naruto was grinning, the whisker-like marks on his cheeks making him look very much like a content fox.

"That’s Gaara. He doesn’t talk much, but we’re about as close to friends as possible."

Sai nodded to acknowledge the information relayed to him. Naruto slid a laminated menu across the table for Sai to study. He saw a small arrangement of sweets and sandwiches. The list for drinks was much longer. Naruto rambled on about one class, and a certain dark-haired, pale-skinned boy that seemed to exist to piss him off. Sai smiled and nodded but did not really hear any of it. It was not long before Gaara was standing next to them. He had a half-hearted smile planted on his face.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" he asked in a sugar coated voice.

"Ne, Gaa-kun, still being forced to smile?" Naruto teased.

"I wear the mask while at work, yes. One day the man will suffer greatly for forcing this on me," Gaara swore, smile still there.

Naruto laughed, and ordered his drink. Sai was staring openly at Gaara. A foot connected with his shin, and he hissed sharply. He noticed the frown in Gaara’s eyes as he waited for the young man’s order.

"White chocolate mocha," Sai muttered.

Gaara nodded, and went back into the kitchen. He appeared behind a counter in the front of the café. The glass in the front displayed the sweets they offered. Behind the counter, Gaara was working on the coffees. Naruto questioned Sai with a piercing look. Sai ignored him, opting to look out the window beside them.

"You’re acting weird, Sai," Naruto observed.

"Maybe," Sai replied with a wave of his hand.

Naruto pouted and slumped back into the booth. Their drinks arrived quickly. Naruto ordered a few sandwiches while Sai sipped his drink. A noise akin to a purr escaped his throat. Naruto snorted in laughter and Gaara raised an eyebrow at Sai. His pride denied him the embarrassed blush. He ignored the reactions altogether.

"What the fuck was that?" Naruto managed between laughter, after Gaara had once more retreated.

"What?"

"Were you purring?"

"I enjoy a good mocha."

Naruto continued to laugh. Sai held his head high. He made a mental note to return to the café every day for another mocha. Well, every day that the red-headed beauty was working. His hands were itching to put pen to paper. He wanted to attempt capturing the beauty on paper. His mind wandered to the unspoken beauty beneath the black shirt and jeans clinging to Gaara’s body under that white apron. The blush on his cheeks was too small for Naruto to notice. He thanked the gods for that. Naruto was edging over in his seat for a man with long black hair to slide in next to him. Sai nodded to Neji Hyuuga. Neji nodded back. Naruto wrapped both his arms around one of Neji’s.

"Almost off?" Naruto whispered seductively.

"Almost," the reply was short and almost cold.

Sai watched as Naruto nuzzled into Neji’s shoulder. Neji was another cold, reserved person. Sai had to wonder what attracted the loud-mouth, obnoxious blonde to people who would rather be left alone. But then again, what attracted said people to the blonde? Sai chuckled as he toyed with the idea of a certain Uchiha heir seeing Naruto and his current boyfriend snuggled together in a café. The only person oblivious to the Uchiha’s crush was the crushee. A check was slid into Sai’s view. The hand touching the paper was pale. Long, delicate fingers would haunt Sai’s fantasies for weeks. Possibly longer. Sai followed the fingers up, drinking in the man’s body with his eyes. Fuck, it was definitely going to be longer than weeks. Sai forgot how to breathe. He imagined Gaara’s skin must feel like silk. Sai just loved the feel of silk on his body. Gaara smirked at Sai. The raven-headed man blushed. He nodded and picked up the check. Naruto was too busy murmuring into Neji’s ear to notice the silent exchange between the men across from him. Sai slid a credit card Gaara’s way. Their fingers touched briefly. How did that breathing thing go again? Inhale. Exhale. Sai chanted in his head as he watched Gaara walk away. Sai pinched his thigh under the table. This was no dream. And he was sure heaven would not allow the pain either. Sai praised the gods for the red-haired man.

"Ne? Sai? Are you listening?"

Sai jumped. His face flushed crimson. Neji chuckled. Naruto frowned.

"Jackass. I wanted to know if you would help me with the upcoming test. You know, in psychology."

"Sure," Sai muttered,

Sai cursed himself internally. Once his card had been returned, he gathered his things and muttered a farewell to the lovers across the table. Gaara watched him leave. The curiosity was hidden well beneath the steel gaze.

"Wonder what his problem is," Naruto commented.