Year of the Fox

Disclaimer: Even after all this time I do not own ANYTHING. Which makes me sort of sad.

Author's notes:

Omg.... Sorry for the huuge delay!
NaNoWriMo went well, so thanks to all those who wished me luck! I hit 50k on day 19, but I have yet to finish my novel. If anyone's interested I'll start posting it up on my LJ when I finish it. ^-^

After NaNo, I took some time off, and slept. And what do you know? Real life caught up with me, leaving me with little time to write, apart from a few minor fics, like a NaruSasu chapter thing for my uke's bday...
So I feel sort of lost right now, but I'll get back into shape quickly!


*takes deep breath* Please enjoy the chapter!
For my dear Maruko-chan.

Warnings:
For this chapter: Angst, language, lemon! *cackles*

Kugatsu,
part 1:

Sasuke tried to force himself to look away.
As much as he'd agreed to coming here voluntarily, he was all but going into convulsions as the car drove through the gates to the enormous property, with the hospital centered in the middle.
Within these walls an artificial environment had been constructed; The buildings were large, built in red bricks, rather than looking like the modern constructions in the city. Around them there was a vast lawn, graveled paths, hedges and flowers.
On the other side of the main building, a soccer field and basket ball field were located.
This was all to make the patients feel like they were still a part of society, with something to do, even thought they were all hospitalized.

Sasuke snorted audibly. He didn't want to look at all of this.
He didn't want to remember it.
And he didn't want to stay here.
Asking Anko to turn the vehicle around was a lost cause though, so he sat in silence, glaring down into his lap again.

The car came to a stop on the parking lot in front of the main building; the hospital itself. Or, clinic, Sasuke corrected himself.
Supposedly it was a far less threatening word than 'hospital', but as far as he knew, a clinic was a small building with little funding, a small staff and few patients.

"Here we are," Kakashi turned to him in the backseat, smiling.
The idiot.
"Sasuke," Anko said, "Would you like a minute to prepare, or should we just go straight ahead?"
"Tch," Sasuke bit his lip, unfastening his seat belt, "Let's just get it over with."
Anko nodded, getting out of the car.
As did Kakashi.
When the therapist shot him a glance, the man said calmly; "I think it's best that I go with him, being his guardian and all."
Sasuke glared up at him through his window. He didn't need a guardian.
What he needed... the teen clenched his fists.

The door was opened, Kakashi's hand coming to rest on his shoulder.
"Come on then," the teacher said.
Sliding himself out of the seat, getting out of the car, Sasuke followed behind the teacher as Anko dragged them both towards the entrance.
"Are you nervous?" Anko asked him.
He didn't reply.
Nervous wasn't the right word anyway.
Neither was comfortable.
This place was where he least wished to be in the entire world right now, so why had he agreed to coming here again?

He walked through the door with the two others, his mind preoccupied with the thought of the way Naruto had looked when they'd parted, a few hours earlier.
If someone had ripped his heart out of his chest and stepped on it, it couldn't hurt more than it did knowing that he was the reason behind this face.
He'd made Naruto cry, and it was unforgivable.

"You're going to be fine," Anko said, slowing down so he could catch up to her.
Kakashi was already making his way down the hall towards the reception desk.
The woman slipped her arm around Sasuke's shoulder, well-knowing that he hated her for doing so. But Anko's will to help never failed.
He sighed deeply, allowing her to lead him to the counter.
He could've talked for himself, but he didn't bother. Remaining still, he listened as Anko informed the receptionist of his name and why he was there.
The woman at the counter peered up at him through her large specs, smiling hurriedly. She obviously remembered him, and Sasuke did not like it, his paranoia was telling him she had already labeled him as a nutcase - or as a self-mutilator.
Maybe even both.
Sasuke scowled at her, making his way over to the purple couch in the waiting area. In the corner of his eye he thought he spotted a familiar teen with light hair disappearing through the door further down the hall.
Anko and Kakashi seated themselves on either side of him, without saying a word as they waited for some doctor to come and get them.
Briefly, the Uchiha wondered if it'd be one of the doctors who'd been 'in charge' of him before.

After only a couple of minutes, a doctor he didn't recognize from before came through a door, asking the three of them to follow him.
Sasuke stood, following the man, walking a couple of steps in front of the two others.
He stared straight ahead, not a thought on his mind as he followed the man into the next room, the door shutting behind him.

****

Naruto picked at the food on the plate before him on the table with his fork.
Even though Iruka had taken him back to his house preparing a breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast when Naruto turned the offer of ramen down, the teen had no appetite whatsoever.
The omelet on his plate now resembled soggy scrambled eggs more than anything else, and it was getting cold.
Iruka looked over at him, sighing.
The usually talkative teen had been quiet ever since they drove back here from Sasuke's house.
It was understandable, but worrying all the same.
"Naruto," he tried, "You should eat a little..."
Naruto looked away, putting down his fork.
Iruka sighed again. "Not hungry, eh?"
The blonde shook his head, standing. Without a word he took his plate over to the sink, disposing off the breakfast, and leaving the empty plate on the counter.
When he turned around to look at the teacher, he finally spoke; "Sorry."
"Don't be," Iruka replied, pulling himself together. He shoved his own plate aside.
"That scene back there was pretty strong..."

Naruto plopped down on his chair again, looking dully back at the man.
"I just didn't think...it'd be that quick!"
"Hm?" Iruka looked at him in confusion.
"All of a sudden he just up and tells me that he's leaving today, and... He could've said so earlier!"
Naruto fisted his hand, glaring down at the table. "Did you know? Did Kakashi-sensei tell you?"
"I didn't know much," the man admitted, "But..."
"You knew he was sick?" Naruto demanded, hating himself for using that word. Sasuke wasn't sick. He'd said so himself. The medicines made him sick, and still he needed them.
"I didn't know, no." Iruka shook his head, "Kakashi expressed his worry to me, but I didn't know anything more than you until just last night."
"Why were you there?" Naruto wondered.
"Someone had to drive Kakashi's car back..." Iruka started, but interrupted himself, looking down at the table.
"Actually," he mumbled, "I came with because I knew you were there. I thought you might need someone to talk to."
There was a hint of gratefulness in Naruto's eyes.
A soft smile crossed Iruka's scarred face, he reached out, stroking over Naruto's blonde locks.
"You needed it more than I thought, didn't you?"
The teen said nothing, averting his eyes. "I'm not..." he started.
The teacher cocked an eyebrow.
"I'm not upset...for my own sake," Naruto said, looking up at Iruka again, "It's just that... Sasuke's gonna be alone again... He's probably used to it, but I don't think he likes it."
Naruto shook his head. "I don't think he likes it at all..."

There was no answer to that, Iruka thought. Naruto was right, that was obvious, but telling him so would only add to his burden. The teen had enough to think about.
And for that reason, the teacher kept quiet, even though he had more than a few questions he wanted to ask.
Come to think of it, maybe that brief conversation they'd had just after Anko and Kakashi took Sasuke with them was answer enough? The scene itself had been pretty clear at least.
Naruto didn't need him to ask questions about Sasuke, not now.
He needed to calm down. They could talk later, when Naruto himself decided he wanted to.

Again the teacher ran his hand through Naruto's hair. A simple gesture of comfort that said more than any words could have in this situation.
Naruto sighed. "I'm tired." he said.
It didn't matter that he'd slept for hours the night before; Sasuke's departure had worn him out, mentally and physically.
"Why don't you go to your room? Rest a little," Iruka's eyes were full of concern, "I'll call Chiyo-san."
"Okay," Naruto replied, nodding slowly, starting to head out of the kitchen and towards his own room.

He didn't even bother to flick the light switch when he entered the room. Not that it would've made much difference in broad daylight.
Stumbling over to his bed, which was neatly made as always, he collapsed, falling face first into his pillow. It felt good to drown out the world in the darkness.
His eyes were still burning from the tears he'd shed without wanting to, the dark providing a slight relief from the sensation, though he had no idea whether they were shut or not.

He tried telling himself that he had to be strong; that breaking down like this wouldn't make things any better.
Sasuke was the one who was suffering, not him. He had to keep that in mind.
And Sasuke would come back! It wasn't as if he'd be locked up forever.
Naruto doubted the Uchiha would want to come back and see him like this, like he was the one who'd been taken away and medicated.

From the bottom of his heart, Naruto wished that these logical thoughts would cut through to himself, but they didn't. At this time he was far too irrational and upset to suppress the misery he felt.
Turning his head enough to allow himself to breathe, Naruto stared out into his room.
It was rather naked, apart from the TV, desk and bookshelf. A thin layer of dust was covering the TV screen, proving that even Iruka could be sloppy when it came to housework once in a while.
His eyes fell to the carpet on the floor; it was deep red. A shade that almost burned his eyes, and made him think of his best friend.
But calling Gaara now would be stupid, he thought, killing the intention before it had time to arise; Gaara didn't know anything about Sasuke's problems, and the Uchiha probably wanted it to remain that way. Which reminded Naruto that he had to think of a way to explain Sasuke's absence... They all knew he was going away. But what if he didn't come back before school started again?
Had they already told them something? Naruto couldn't remember. His thoughts stood still.
His eyelids were heavy; sliding down to shut his swollen, red eyes.
The blonde welcomed the sleepiness, allowing it to take over him and chase away everything that hurt.
***

Gaara peered his eyes open, yawning.
It was bright, he noted, brighter than mornings usually were.
He squinted, lifting his head from the pillow.
It took him a couple of seconds to realize that the room he was looking around at wasn't the crummy room he shared with Naruto; it was neither cramped or dark. There were no flaccid paint that was supposed to brighten up the far too dark oak panels.
This room was light and spacious; white walls and doorframes, three grand windows along one of the walls, covered by long, dark drapes.
At the other wall there was a large closet, a shelf and a door.

A little confused, the redhead blinked a couple of times, surveying the room once more.
He attempted to sit up in the bed, and winced as a slight pain established itself in his lower back. At about the same time he realized that someone was sleeping next to him; soft breathing being the only thing disturbing the silence in the room.
Dark rimmed eyes widened; last night coming back to him.

In the blink of an eye he remembered everything; how he'd been harassed by those guys when he was on his way home and how Neji had appeared out of nowhere.
He remembered lying to Chiyo about where he was and then going home with Neji.
And then.... He allowed himself to sneak a peak over at the brunette who was sleeping next to him.
An insecure smile caught his lips as he recalled last night and what he didn't understand how he could've forgotten for as much as a nanosecond.
----

They hadn't spoken much to each other in the car after Neji had agreed to take Gaara home with him, just a sentence or two here and there about the festival and stuff.
Neji had stayed away from the subject of what had just happened, and for that Gaara was grateful. He liked to think that he'd been fine by himself, - and he would, but the others wouldn't. It was a good thing Neji had showed up when he did, before anyone got hurt.
And, Gaara reasoned, it was good because he hadn't felt like going home at all.
Staying with Kankuro and Temari would only stress him out and make him dwell too much on everything that had happened years ago. He couldn't stand the very thought of it.
Going back to the orphanage wasn't better either; that itself was a reminder. But the real reason was that he didn't want to face Naruto. He couldn't bear seeing the other down.
And even if Naruto didn't show that the season bothered him, he'd know it. Besides, the blonde would probably be talking non-stop about Sasuke anyway.
And as much as he felt guilty about it, Gaara was glad to escape all of that, for just one night.

That may have been the reason why he was so unaffected when they drove up to Neji's house.
Neji's mansion.
Gaara eyed the manor curiously through the window. Everyone knew that the Hyuugas were well-off, so the size of Neji's home came as no surprise to Gaara.
However, he wondered how he could be so calm. He had been raised in crummy apartments and the orphanage, and knew with certainty that if it had been Naruto in his stead, the blonde would be all over the place with excitement.
He stepped out of the car, into the driveway and let his gaze wander down the path and gates they'd just come through.
"You call this a house?" he asked dryly, directing his green eyes to the Hyuuga.
Neji's lip quirked.
"It's my uncle's," he replied calmly, "My dad spends most of his time abroad with the company, so they took me in. I've been living here most of my life."
The tone in Neji 's voice was a little harsh, he snorted softly. But Gaara didn't allow himself to react to it, and in the next second, the tone in Neji's voice was back to normal.
"There shouldn't be anyone at home," he said, starting to walk up to the front door, "They're all attending the Farewell Bon Odori festival."
He reached for the doorknob and furrowed his brow; the door was unlocked.
"Okay...Maybe they're not..." he pushed the door open, leading Gaara into the hall. "That's odd though."
He shrugged, "It doesn't matter...Come on."
The red took off his shoes, placing them next to the expensive-looking ones already lined up at the wall, and followed Neji.

His gaze ran along the walls in the hall; various paintings and family photos decorating them.
Though he was sure the entire first floor of the orphanage could fit in the space that was this hallway. From the outside the Hyuuga mansion looked rather pretentious, but on the inside it wasn't quite as stuck up as Gaara had imagined it to be.
The interior was designed to look like a mix between western and traditionally Japanese, something that worked surprisingly well.

Gaara was lagging slightly behind, distracted by the sights.
He turned his attention back to the Hyuuga when he heard the other speaking;
"Oh hey," Neji said, "You're here?"
The brunette had stopped in front of a doorway apparently leading into the living room.
"Yeah, Hanabi was tired, so I took her home. She's in bed now."
Gaara recognized the meek voice to be Hinata's.
"You've got comp-" Hinata started, her voice falling slightly when Gaara came up to the doorway as well, "-any..?"
A weak flush spread on her neck and cheeks, the girl averting her eyes.
Neji mumbled something like a reply. "We'll be in my room."
Gaara thought he saw Hinata's blush deepening.
A sweet anticipation was rising inside of him. He wondered if he should talk to the girl, but it would probably be a little weird to strike up a conversation with her when he came with her cousin...Or maybe it was stranger not to? He hadn't even said hi.

Before he could give it any further thought, Neji had signaled to follow him up the stairs.
He probably should have been nervous, but instead he felt tired.
He rarely went out on his own, and when he did it wore him out pretty quickly. Like all of his energy evaporated, just from leaving the house, leaving him emotionally exhausted.
And at the same time his heart was beating just a little faster, anticipation rising a little higher with each step he climbed up the stairs.
The pictures on the walls faded before his eyes, as if he no longer saw them.
And the house itself wasn't as impressive anymore; he barely noticed anything but Neji's back when he followed the elder teen down another hall, to the door at the far end.

Neji's room was just like the rest of the house; grand, light and tidy.
The walls were naked, with the exceptions of a cork board above his desk, and a framed calligraphy poster above the bed which was larger than his own and Naruto's put together.. Dark drapes were pulled aside at the grand windows, swaying slightly in the weak breeze that came through the open window closest to the bed.
On the wall opposite the bed there was an LCD TV, and a shelf holding a DVD player and stereo.

Neji gestured towards the bed. "Sit," he offered.
Gaara sank down on the mattress, still staring around the room.
"Are you hungry?" Neji asked, "Do you want something?"
Gaara shook his head, "I'm fine."
The other regarded him silently, as if not quite believing him.
Gaara shifted on the bed.
"I'm just a little tired," he admitted.
"Well, I'm starving," Neji said, taking off his college sweater, tossing it into the hamper by the door, "I'm gonna go look for something to eat. You just relax here, okay?" he handed Gaara the remote, flicking one of the buttons, turning it on, "Feel free to watch TV."
Gaara nodded, eyeing the screen lazily.
The music video that rolled over the screen didn't impress him: Some ridiculously skinny girl was bouncing around in a bikini whilst lyrics that could only be described as awful came out of her mouth.

As Neji stepped out into the hall, Hinata's voice called him from downstairs;
"Neji!"
"I'm on my way down!" he answered, "Hold on!"
Gaara thought he heard the Hyuuga muttering something under his breath, but he wasn't sure. And he was too tired to stress it.
He allowed himself to fall back on the soft pillows, not bothering to turn off the noisy spectacle that was the TV.
A strange calm came over him, similar to the one he felt when he took sleeping pills and steadily grew drowsy, awaiting much needed sleep. He yawned, turning his head to the side.
The pillow was weakly scented of Neji's hair; his shampoo and the smell that was unique to him only. A small smile crossed Gaara's lips, before he yawned again.
The anticipation from before lay dormant in him now; the four sleepless nights he'd suffered this week, and tonight's events had left him exhausted.
Without being able to stop himself, he slipped from consciousness, falling asleep on the bed.

****
Neji cursed under his breath as he came back up the stairs, carrying a plate of baguettes.
Why was it that everyone had to interfere with what he and Gaara were doing?
As much as he cared for his cousin, he couldn't stand how she meddled sometimes. She had no business asking him about why he'd brought the red here, and that comment she'd made about Naruto and Gaara being close just pissed him off even more.
Naruto had nothing to do with him and Gaara, even if he was Gaara's best friend. And sure, being overprotective was one thing; but the red had decided on his own accord to come here, proving he was ready to deal with whatever consequences that came with that choice.
He followed the hall down to his own room, shaking his head. It was fine that she was worried on accord of Naruto; but frankly, Hinata should just keep her worries to herself.

Opening the door to his room again, Neji found something he hadn't been expecting at all; Gaara was sleeping.
Carefully, the Hyuuga stepped over to his desk, setting down his plate, regarding the other teen who was fast asleep on his bed.
He wondered whether he should wake him up, but decided against it, knowing that Gaara hardly ever got any sleep. So the brunette settled at the desk, dully watching the TV screen as he ate.
***

Gaara shifted on the bed, emitting a soft whimper.
Averting his eyes from the TV, Neji turned to look at him, furrowing his brow slightly as the red's hand moved, gripping a hold of his shirt, whimpering again.
Feeling a little uncomfortable, he approached the boy on the bed. Coming closer, he realized that Gaara was sweating. No wonder really, considering how hot it was outside as well as in the room, despite air conditioning. And Gaara was fully dressed.

Neji sat down on the bed next to the sleeping teen, placing his hand on his forehead.
Gaara didn't feel feverish, but he was hot.
"Gaara?" Neji tried, touching his hand to the boy's chest. The red head moved a little, but didn't wake.
"I'm just gonna unbutton your shirt..." Neji said quietly, moving his fingers to open the first button in Gaara's shirt.
When he reached for the fourth button, Gaara shifted again, his eyelids fluttering slightly before peering open.
Their eyes met.
The red's lips parted, his green eyes quizzically digging into pale orbs.
"Neji?" Gaara mouthed.
"You're hot," the Hyuuga explained, his words hanging in the air for seconds after they left his lips, the atmosphere in the room changing, tension arising.

Surprised at his own boldness, Gaara didn't allow his eyes to look away, instead closing his hand around the Hyuuga's.
His lips parted into a small smirk.
"Really?" he said, letting his voice drop a notch, coming out as a hoarse, coaxing whisper.
The elegant Hyuuga above him raised an eyebrow, his grip on Gaara's shirt tightening as he pulled the boy up towards himself, pressing their lips together.

Gaara squeezed his eyes tightly shut, melting into the kiss.
When it broke he gasped for air, but longed for the kiss to continue.
He tilted his head upwards, catching Neji's lips again, attempting to sit up enough to press closer to the elder teen as he did.
Neji held him back though, pushing him back down on the bed, his lips moving down the red's jaw, settling on his neck where they proceeded to nip and suck gently.
A slight gasp escaped his lips, and another, as Neji bit down on his jugular, his tongue making circular movements over pale skin.
"Do you know...." Neji growled huskily, "What you're doing to me...?"
"Mmh..." Gaara found himself unable to reply with anything except a soft groan.
He knew what to expect from this, and that there was no turning back at this point; little shots of excitement went up his spine.
His hand, still clenching Neji's wrist tightened it's grip.
The Hyuuga's tongue brushed along the shell of his ear, toying with his piercings. Shivers ran down the teen's back. He arched up to the other, allowing another whimper-like sound to fall from his lips.
"You know why I brought you here, don't you?" Neji whispered into his ear, as if he'd been reading his mind.
Gaara gave a slight nod.
He felt dizzy at the sensation of Neji's breath on his ear, hot from the feel of the other's hand on the bare skin of his chest. He probably wasn't in any state to make a decision like the one he was about to make, but he didn't care.
He wanted this.
Again he nodded, more determined this time.
"And you're alright with it?"
For someone who was known to be a notorious virgin-killer, Neji wasn't uncaring or insensitive, that much was obvious. Yet at the same time, he was possessive and determined.
In response, the red pressed as close to the Hyuuga as he could, bringing their lips together in a starved kiss, moaning into Neji's mouth as their tongues met. His hands slid down the other's body, gripping a hold of his shirt, pulling it upwards, and over the Hyuuga's head, revealing perfect, rippled abs and a muscular frame.
Gaara heart pounded hard in his chest, and his pulse was racing.
He forced himself not to think about how Neji's words corresponded with Naruto's warnings. He pushed all thoughts of it to the back of his head, refusing to wonder how many people had been in this bed like this before him.
It didn't matter.

Neji's free hand wandered down Gaara's chest, unbuttoning the rest of his shirt, unraveling pale, ivory skin.
His lips followed, tracing a path from Gaara's ear to his lips, drawing a line down his neck and towards his collarbone.
Kisses and scarce bites scattered over his chest. The hand continued to move, loosening his belt, unzipping his pants, and Gaara allowed it.
In the back of his mind something was telling him that they were moving way too fast but he ignored it. He allowed Neji's free hand to clasp around his wrist and hold him still on the bed.
The other hand had stopped roaming, it had gripped a hold of the waistband of his pants.

Neji watched Gaara through half-lidded eyes while his free hand tugged the red's pants down with determination.
He offered his lips, pulling the younger into a kiss that made it all but clear what they both wanted. He hissed against Gaara's pale lips, nipped slightly at it with his teeth and then let go.
Something like a protest sounded from the boy. Neji smirked, resuming his trail down towards his navel. The boy's skin tasted salty from sweat, goosebumps spreading in response to the trail of kisses.
Pale orbs kept an interested eye on Gaara's face, seeing how his expression changed to one of surprise and excitement as Neji's tongue swirled over his belly button and moved down across his hip, towards the waistband of Gaara's boxers.
The redhead shuddered lightly, gasping at the sensation of warm breath approaching his growing excitement. He was unsure of how to handle the situation, and tried gripping for Neji's hand, hair or something. But the other forced his hand back, mumbling against hot, flushed skin; "Relax."

The Hyuuga was still fairly calm, but Gaara sensed how excited he really was. He figured it must have been difficult for Neji to hold back his excitement in this situation.
His suspicions were confirmed as his boxers were pulled down as well, so quickly, Gaara hardly had time to react.
Vulnerability and embarrassment washed over him the moment he was exposed like this; completely naked with exception of the open shirt he was still wearing.
Still, that did nothing to hide the erection he was sporting.
"N-" he started.
"Ssh," Neji shushed him.
"Relax," he said again, his grip on Gaara's wrist finally loosening.

Slanted, green eyes tried to follow the Hyuuga's moves, but the angle rendered it difficult.
Thus, his gasp was one of surprise when a warm wetness closed around his arousal.
"Nn-ah!"
The lips enclosed around him quirked, smirking.
Neji's tongue flicked out, running along his hardness, following the vein on the underside as Neji sucked hard down.
Trembles ran through him, caught up with his feverish mind and it struck him; this was actually happening. They were actually doing this.
Neji's mouth working his shaft had him emitting one quiet moan after another, making it clear to him how much he'd actually wanted this.
It made him arch backwards into the pillow, whilst thrusting his hips gently upwards meeting with that warm, wet heaven.
He let out a ragged breath, curiously welcoming the pleasure that came with Neji's lips moving up and down his shaft, teeth scraping along ever so gently.

His head was spinning, his mind unable to comprehend this sensation.
Never in his life had Gaara imagined that anything could feel like this; so lost in pleasure.
And just as it all built up inside of him, bringing together more shivers and warmth than ever, it stopped.
He peered his dark rimmed eyes open, regarding Neji curiously.
The brunette had pulled away, and was looking back at him, licking his lips thoughtfully.
"Don't..." he mumbled hoarsely.
Neji continued to stare, quizzically.
"Don't stop..." the words sounded hollow. It was embarrassing.
Though Neji seemed pleased at his words; a faint grin spreading on his lips.
"Okay," he nodded, kissing the inside of Gaara's thigh gently, pushing his legs further apart, "I won't."
That one kiss spawned another trail, moving along the red's inner thigh before Neji's lips once more found their way to the younger's need, caressing the crown gently.
Neji's tongue darted out to run teasingly over the slit, earning another gasp and a shiver.
He took the red's length into his mouth, sucking all the way to the base; thin, pale fingers reaching out to grip convulsively at his shoulder.
Then he released again, moving lower.

Gaara shuddered, Neji's breath tickling him in the most intimate of places.
And then he froze; something moist and warm briefly brushed over his entrance.
A flush crept across his face as he recognized the feel of Neji's tongue.
"N-no!" he croaked, attempting to close his legs - but they were forced apart again.
Neji replied calmly; "I don't want it to hurt."
The tongue brushed over his puckered hole, tickling him, pressing slightly against it.
"N-Neji!" he protested, groaning, "D-don't!"
"Ssh," came the reply, tongue darting out again.
It slid across his sensitive skin, probing slightly at his entrance.
A hiss escaped Gaara's lips.
Even if he was deadly embarrassed, he couldn't deny that he sort of liked the way it felt.
He couldn't help the soft noises that came from his throat, or the gentle movements of his body, urging Neji to continue.
To his growing annoyance, the Hyuuga chose that moment to stop again, as if he enjoyed teasing him. He rose to a sitting position, staring at the other, like he was demanding an explanation.
Neji leaned over him, catching his lips.
Gaara tasted himself in the kiss, his chest tightening in excitement.
Neji' chest lowered and rose against his own, his hardness pressing against Gaara's groin, making it painfully clear what he wanted.
They rocked towards each other, sweet friction bringing moans to both of their lips.
The fabric of Neji' slacks felt rough against Gaara's want, and as his skeletal hands moved down to unbutton the Hyuuga's pants, his leg wrapped around Neji's, pulling at the pants to get them off of him. Somehow it worked, and he managed to tug them down to his knees at least.
Another kiss broke, Gaara staring up into pale eyes, his own heavy and questioning.
"Lube," Neji explained, just as calm. Though, his eyes seemed heavier now Gaara noticed, glazed somehow.
His heart pounded in the red's chest.
Just the sound of that word had chills of anticipation running down his spine, almost more so than they did when Neji uncapped the small bottle he'd fished out from inside his desk.

Neji didn't say a single word while squirting a generous amount of lube into his palm, or when he lead his lube-coated fingers in between the red's legs.
Any other partner might have felt a little uncomfortable, - like Neji wasn't really interested in them compared to in the act itself. But not Gaara.
The teen's erection was twitching in excitement, his lean frame shivering with anticipation.
He hissed as two fingers, slick with lube brushed against his entrance.
It felt cold.
He shuddered.
A shudder that evolved into a tremble as the first finger pressed against his tight hole, pushing past the ring muscle and inside.
"Ah!" he bit down on his lip, clenching his eyes shut.
It wasn't really painful, but it was uncomfortable; a feeling that was close to impossible to explain. The second finger that followed, gently wriggling its way inside of him made him groan with discomfort.
"Mmh..."
He thought he heard something like a half-choked moan coming from Neji, but he wasn't sure; the fingers moving inside of him, thrusting carefully, stretching him gently were too distracting for him be able to focus his mind on anything else.
"Ah...." he whimpered, finding himself to move slightly down towards Neji's hand, accepting the fingers deeper. He had no idea why.
It was pure instinct.
This time he was sure he'd heard Neji's voice in response.
The Hyuuga was getting impatient now, he felt it on the way the shallow thrusts of his fingers changed, how he moved them in a different way.

Gaara still couldn't say that it felt good, but it wasn't as uncomfortable anymore.
And when Neji pulled out the digits, he felt strangely empty.
A longing arose in him.

His eyes were still closed, so all he could hear was the rustling of clothes, a soft noise following as the garments fell from the bed to the floor.
He peered his eyes open just in time to see Neji leading something that looked like candy-wrapping to his mouth, ripping it open with his teeth.
Realizing what it was, he closed his eyes again, cheeks flushing.

Neji glanced down at the red headed teen before him, licking his lips.
He threw away the condom wrapping, positioning himself in between Gaara's legs.
The red's hardness twitched and jumped against his stomach. He smiled, leaning down to kiss the boy. His hair fell in dark tousles onto Gaara's shoulders, wrapping itself like a curtain around their faces.

"This might hurt a little," Neji whispered quietly, his lips brushing over Gaara's for each word he spoke.

Gaara didn't reply.
He snaked his arms around Neji's neck, clenching his eyes shut harder, trying to breathe normally.

The blinding flash of pain he'd been expecting never came.
Neji was pushing himself slowly into him, patiently waiting for the red's entrance to stretch and give in, until he was buried to the hilt inside of him.
The pain was certainly there; stinging, shooting through him. But there was also a feeling he'd never had before; being so close to someone, being fulfilled in this way.
He could feel Neji pulsing inside of him, the Hyuuga breathing into his ear.
Gaara himself was breathing in short, sharp breaths, trying to embrace all these new sensations and wait for the pain to subside.

Gradually, Gaara's convulsive grip on Neji's back loosened, his nails no longer digging into his skin.
Neji looked down at the red, waiting for him to open his eyes and return his gaze.
Gaara felt hot and tight around him, his inner muscles trembling around his cock. That alone made it difficult for him to hold back, but when green eyes opened and stared back into his own; heavy, glazed and overwhelmed, he thought he'd lose what little control he actually managed to retain.
"Are you okay?" he asked hoarsely.
Gaara blinked, continuing to stare up at him. Then he smiled; an allusive, short smile, nodding as he did.
"Yes," he mouthed, pulling the Hyuuga down to kiss him.

Their tongues met, clashing against one another fiercely, like that night in the kitchen.
Gaara pressed himself tighter against him, gasping into the kiss.
It was like a sign; a sign for Neji to continue.

Gently, with a stifled moan, the Hyuuga thrust into the younger teen.
Gaara tightened around him, emitting a growl of sorts.
"Relax your hips," Neji instructed, "Breathe..."
"Nnh..."
The warmth surrounding him tightened more, causing Neji to let out another moan, louder this time.
He slipped a hand in between their bodies, beginning to stroke Gaara's erection, as he started moving rhythmically inside of him.

"Ah," Gaara hissed, pressing his lips to Neji's neck.
The brunette's pulse raced under his lips.

With Neji's lips on his own, meeting and parting in a endless dance, Gaara accepted the Hyuuga deeper. With the help of the hand stroking him, he found himself relaxing, giving himself over to Neji, almost forgetting about the gradually subsiding pain.
He found himself gasping out into kiss after kiss, his hands roaming over the Hyuuga's back, nails scraping gently over alabaster skin.
His legs spread wider on their own accord, just like he started moving carefully himself, meeting with each gently aimed thrust that Neji directed inside of him.

He felt weird.
Weird in a good way; detached from everything, existing for nothing else but this moment and the pleasure that was steadily building up, coaxed by Neji's moans, touches and movements.
He knew what was happening to him, yet he didn't.

Warmth pooled in his groin, shooting up his spine.
Again his nails dug into Neji's back.
"Nn-aah.." he breathed, pressing closer to the brunette, "N-Neji..."

The indescribable feeling inside of him peaked, exploding into warm little shards that scattered everywhere in him and had him crying out.
Warm, soft lips silenced him, stifling Neji's own cry as well.
***

After that Neji had stood from the bed, and walked away.
Gaara remembered his heart sinking at that moment; realizing that everything he'd heard was true. He wanted to get up and leave as well, but couldn't.

And then Neji had returned, with a towel, handing it to him. Gaara must have smiled or at least looked relieved, because the Hyuuga had asked him why he looked so happy.
"I..." he started, "...thought you left."
Neji smiled at him, and leaned over to kiss him gently on the lips.

Now the Hyuuga was sleeping next to him, showing no sign of awakening.
Gaara didn't know what to do next. Should he wait for the other to wake? Should he get dressed and leave? Maybe Neji didn't appreciate people sticking around the next morning.
In any case, he remained where he was, feeling sort of smothered by all the silence surrounding him.
He rose to a sitting position, grimacing at the sharp pain that jabbed him in the lower back and his ass. And for the second time that morning, the whole evening before flashed through his head.

Darkly rimmed eyes shifted to look at his bedmate.
Neji was sleeping peacefully on his stomach, his head turned to the side. Dark lashes were caressing his cheek, and his lips were parted slightly, just like right before a kiss.
The thought had Gaara flushing a little again; he mentally scolded himself for thinking such stupid things.
He waited, studying Neji's sleeping face, hoping that the other would wake soon, so the awkward morning after thing could just be over already.
In typical Neji-behavior, the Hyuuga read his mind. Choosing that moment to stir, and wake up.
His pale eyes squinted at the red sitting up next to him.
He yawned, "Gaara?"
Then he seemed to catch up with himself, mumbling; "Oh, right..."
He sat up, yawning a second time, stretching. The duvet slipped down and revealed more of his body. Gaara had to force himself not to stare.
Neji noticed though. He smirked, leaning closer to him.

Soft lips touched to Gaara's forehead.
"Does it hurt?" Neji asked softly.
"Uh..." Gaara stuttered, "A little...But I'll manage."
Neji nodded, "You will. It's a little rough the first time, but it gets better."
"I thought it was..." Gaara stopped himself, reddening again.
The elder smiled at him, standing from the bed. He was still naked, Gaara noted, turning away, as if it was any different now than yesterday. But then again, he didn't see much the night before...
He was sure though, that the red scratches on Neji's back had not been there before.
"Does that hurt?" he asked quietly.
Neji shook his head smiling, "Don't worry about it."
The Hyuuga made his way over to the door leading to his own bathroom, "I'm taking a shower," he said, "You coming?"
Gaara hesitated before shaking his head, "I'll just wait here."


When Neji returned, the red had gotten dressed and was patiently waiting for him, sitting on the bed.
"You want breakfast?" Neji asked, tossing the towel he'd used for his hair away.
"Sure," he stood, following the brunette downstairs to the kitchen.
Hinata's little sister, Hanabi was sitting at the table, a half eaten sandwich on the plate before her. Minutes later Hinata appeared too, brushing past them.
"Where did I put my-" she stopped herself, glancing over at the two boys, pink spreading in her cheeks.
"Morning," Neji said, completely unaffected.
"Hanabi," Hinata said sharply, "Finish your breakfast."
She nodded at the two of them and scurried back out into the living room.
Gaara shifted his weight from one foot to another.
"Maybe," he started "It's best if I head home now..."
The Hyuuga looked back at him, "If that's what you want. Want me to drive you?"
Gaara shook his head, "I can walk."
Walking would be the best; things were just too weird and awkward right now for him to catch a ride with the Hyuuga. He needed to clear his head.
"Don't be silly," Neji didn't listen, "I'll drive you. It's too far to walk."
The red opened his mouth, but couldn't make out the protest. He gave a nod, glancing over at Hanabi, who still hadn't made any effort to finish her sandwich.
The pale-eyed girl looked curiously back at him. She stood, taking her plate over to the counter, dumping the sandwich in the bin, and then left the kitchen, turning to look at him one last time.
She was probably used to strangers coming in with Neji, Gaara figured, again feeling misplaced.
"Let's go then?" Neji urged.
Gaara bit his lip, hoping Naruto wasn't at home when he returned.
"Yeah."
****
Naruto groaned, shifting on the bed, hitting his hand on the wall.
It was the sound of a door slamming that had awoken him. The room was lighter now, and it was hot. He had been sleeping with his clothes on after all.
The buzz of voices from the living room prevented him from burying his aching head in the pillow again. He sat up, listening curiously.

"How did it go?" he heard Iruka ask.
There was a sigh, and then Kakashi's voice came;
"It went well I guess... but he didn't say much. Poor kid."
"Always playing strong, right?" Iruka sighed as well.

Naruto sprung from the bed, rushing into the living room.
"How is he?!" he exclaimed, staring at the two teachers before him.
"I thought you were sleeping?" Iruka mumbled.
"I was." Naruto replied, turning to Kakashi, "How did it go? Is he okay?"
Kakashi brought his hand up to his face, rubbing his temple.
"Sasuke is fine," he nodded, "But he's not happy about the situation. He thinks that it's enough to just take him off the medicines. Being put under observation like this is probably hurting his pride more than anything else."
"When can we go see him?"
"Naruto," Iruka tried.
Kakashi interrupted him; "When the doctors allow it. For now, they want to observe him and evaluate his condition. I'm not allowed to see him either."
"Then, they're cutting him off from the world?"
"Only so he can relax and focus on why he's there. That's why they took his phone away from him."
"They took his cell? That sounds stupid," Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, "It'll only make it worse."
"Maybe," Iruka said tentatively, "It's for the best. If he has no contact with those around him, he'll be able to focus on getting better."
"But he's not sick," Naruto shook his head, "And he's just gonna be miserable."
"At first, yes," Kakashi said honestly, "But he's going to be glad when it's all over. And so will you, I'm sure."
The blonde teen turned away.
It was true that he'd probably feel even worse if he got to talk to Sasuke, knowing that he couldn't do anything for him. But he hated this feeling.
He hated not being able to do a single thing, and being the last person to know.
"I'm going back to bed," he mumbled, glancing over at the clock on the wall.
It was already three in the afternoon.
"You don't want dinner?"
"No." he brushed Iruka off, heading back to his room.
***

Having slept for almost twenty four hours had done nothing to the exhaustion that had taken over Naruto's body, but he'd forced himself to get up, hoping to get some more details out of Kakashi. Much to his dismay, the teacher had already left when he woke up.

"Where did he go?" he demanded.
Iruka sat down next to him in the couch; "He had some business to take care of at School."
Naruto sighed.
"He'll be back in a few hours," the teacher continued, "But I don't think you'll get much more out of him. Sasuke was just admitted this morning, Kakashi doesn't know anything more than he's already told you, and it'll probably remain that way for at least a few days."
Naruto sighed heavily.
"You're still not hungry? There's some dinner left over, I could heat it-"
"I think I'm gonna go home," Naruto interrupted him.
The teacher stared blankly at him.
"Are you sure? You don't want to stay here for a few days? You don't think you'll be stressed with everyone around you all the time?"
"You're worried," Naruto stated, frowning as he saw the worried face of Iruka, "Okay fine... But let me go home and get a change of clothes and some stuff."
"Alright, I'll ready dinner for you then." Iruka smiled.
"Thanks mother," Naruto's lip quirked.
****
Back at the Orphanage, everything seemed to be as usual. Chiyo barely had time to greet him when he came through the door; she was too busy trying to make the younger of the kids eat their vegetables.
Not surprisingly, Neji was there too. In the living room.
Naruto offered a nod, but nothing more, in the brunette's direction.

Gaara lifted his gaze from one of the books he was always plowing through, when Naruto came through the bedroom door.
"Where have you been?" he asked.
"Iruka's," Naruto replied, a little dismissively, pulling open one of the drawers in his dresser.
"Neji's here."
The blonde wasn't sure why he'd said it, but was half-expecting some sort of reaction from the red.
"Neji's always here," Gaara said, shifting on the bed, coughing.
"And why is that?"
"Why?" Gaara sounded annoyed, "He's supposed to be here remember? Give the guy a break."
Naruto sighed, wishing his best friend would stop defending that guy.
"Sorry," he muttered, stuffing two pairs of socks into his duffel bag.
He turned, looking at Gaara, "You know, you look pretty alright today..."
Gaara coughed again, burying his nose in the book, "Yeah. I slept pretty good the other day."
"That's good," Naruto forced a smile.
"You on the other hand..." Gaara said quietly, looking back at him, "You don't look so good. What's wrong?"
Naruto's chest stung.
"Nothing really..."
"Yeah right," Gaara snorted, "There's never nothing with you. It's Sasuke, right?"
"Why-"
"Because it's always Sasuke. That's why."

Naruto sighed, clenching a cotton shirt hard in his grip.
He didn't want Gaara to know. Still, he had to voice the words; "He's sick."
"What's he got? The flu?"
Naruto's azure eyes dug into Gaara's emerald ones.
"Drop it," he muttered.
"Sorry," it was Gaara's turn to apologize, he put the book down, "You're leaving again?"
"Yeah, Iruka wanted me to stay a while... And frankly I need some time alone right now," his voice fell to a tone ridden with guilt; "Not that you... I mean..."
Gaara rolled his eyes, "You care too much about people, you know that right?"
"Probably," Naruto agreed, zipping up his bag, "I'm off."
He threw a last glance at his friend, before changing his mind, coming over to the bed, hugging the red head tightly to his chest.
"Naruto, what-" Gaara objected.
"Be careful with that Neji, okay? You never know what he might do," Naruto warned, mumbling the words into Gaara's hair.
The other teen's hand fisted, tugging slightly at the back of Naruto's shirt. He swallowed.
It was too late for warnings.
"There you go again," he muttered, pulling out of the blonde's grip, "I'll be fine. And you?"
Naruto nodded bravely, trying to swallow the chaos of emotions that had ledged inside his throat.
"Give my regards to Uchiha then," was the last thing Gaara said to him as Naruto headed for the stairs.
The fox didn't answer.
"I would if I could."
*****

Over the course of the next week, Naruto's feelings towards the current situation had spanned over a wide specter of emotions.
The despair and sadness that had taken a hold of him at first had gradually changed into anger.
He was sick of being depressed.
And he was pissed off at everything that made him feel this way; including Sasuke.
He knew that Sasuke couldn't help it, but the bastard could have told him something in advance before just disappearing to a hospital! He could have confided in him more.
He could have trusted him!

In reality, his anger probably came from the sadness too, evolving from the hurt.
It was just that Naruto didn't see things that way right now.

During the whole week he'd only been back home a few times. He didn't want to bother with the kids, or with seeing Neji every single day.
It annoyed him that the Hyuuga was there. It bothered him that Gaara still seemed to ignore his warnings. And still, he was just too listless to do anything about it.

Iruka and Kakashi had been fussing around him all week; moving furniture, making room for Kakashi's stuff and trying to get him to help them. Anything to get him out of his room it seemed.
But as long as he knew nothing, and didn't get to know anything, Naruto didn't care.
He wanted to sleep, just so he could forget.
It was so unlike him, and it obviously upset Iruka.

For that specific reason, Kakashi had forced him out of bed this morning when the blonde teen's phone had rung.
It was Sakura, wondering if he wanted to come to the park and hang out with them. His initial thought was to refuse, but the silver-haired teacher practically threw him out the door.
"You need to get out a little," he demanded, "You're driving Iruka nuts, and it's not like anyone's gonna call just because you sit around sulking all day. Now go have fun."
And then the bastard had locked the door.
He'd locked him out.
Naruto turned to the locked door, scowling. Lifting his fist, he pounded at it three times;
"I know what you're gonna do!" he yelled, "You could've just said so!"
Naruto sneered, stuffing his hands in his pockets, heading towards the park, whilst kicking a rock down the sidewalk.

As it turned out, the whole group was gathered at the park, over by the soccer field.
"Naruto!" Sakura's voice tore him from his thoughts.
He waved unenthusiastically at her, walking over to the group.
"What's wrong with you dude?" Kiba asked, punching him lightly in the shoulder.
"Nothing," Naruto shook his head, forcing himself to straighten his back and smile, "I'm just a little tired, that's all."
"Sasuke-kun's still away?" Ino appeared at his side.
Always Sasuke.
The whole world revolved around the Uchiha, and it did not ease Naruto's troubled mind one bit.
"Have fun, my ass." the annoyed fox thought to himself, cursing Kakashi, "Perv."
He nodded.
"Have you heard from him?" Sakura urged.
"No," Naruto replied.
"And you don't know when he'll be back?"
"In a couple of weeks I guess," Naruto shrugged, "I don't know."
"I hope he's back before school starts..." Ino sighed, plopping down on a bench.

"Ah, there they are," it was Shino's voice, he was pointing at a crowd of children coming towards them.
"Hm?" Naruto looked up.
"H-Hanabi's soccer team," Hinata stuttered, "They're playing a match today. That's why w-we're all here."
The blonde kept his eyes on the kids, nodding.

"Wait," Sakura's eyes widened, "Gai-sensei trains the junior teams, right?"
Hinata nodded.
"That means...." the girl frowned.
"Sakura-chan!"
The group turned to see Lee jogging vigorously towards them.
Naruto had to stifle a chuckle. As pissed off as he might be, Lee chasing after Sakura was at least entertaining.
"You look dazzling!" the hyperactive boy announced.
Sakura frowned again, but Naruto couldn't help but notice the slight pink that was creeping up in her cheeks.
Lee beamed towards her.
"It's so wonderful to see you all here to support the team!" he continued, grinning, "They're really excited!"
Hinata smiled shyly, "That's all Hanabi has been talking about lately."
"Isn't it?!" Lee guffawed, "And with good reason! She's really good that girl!"

Moments later, the noisy boy was called over by Gai to help with the warm-up exercises. Suddenly the spectator site seemed very bland.

"I can't believe we came here to watch a game of kiddy-soccer," Shikamaru sighed, laying back on one of the benches.
"Have you never heard of supporting others?" Ino snarled at him, "Besides, I think they're adorable."
While the two of them bickered amongst themselves, Kiba plopped down next to Naruto.
"Where's your friend?" he asked curiously, eyeing the Hyuuga girl sitting in front of them on the lawn, watching the kids as they were warming up on the field.
The other team had arrived as well; kids from Kirigakure, dressed in black soccer uniforms. They must've been feeling really hot, Naruto thought.
He bit his lip.
"Gaara?" he asked, looking back at Kiba, "I guess he's back home. I haven't been around much lately, so I don't really know what he's up to."
"You remember Gaara, right?" Kiba placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder, grinning in a way that was anything but subtle.
Naruto frowned.
"Yes," she nodded, flushing a little, "He came over to our house the other day..."
"He did?!" Kiba exclaimed, "Really?!"
Naruto looked over at the girl in disbelief.
"Gaara did?" he said, sounding surprised. A knot tied itself inside of him.
She nodded, waving to her sister.
"I'll be back," she excused herself, "I think Hanabi wants something."
Naruto watched her walk across the field, increasingly uncertain. Gaara wasn't the type to just go over to people's houses, especially not people he hardly knew.
Gaara didn't like people.
And Naruto was too unbalanced to worry at the moment. Even if his gut told him he should.

Hanabi's team won the match.
To celebrate, Gai decided to take the whole team - and their teenage supporters out to eat. While the others gladly accepted, Naruto turned the offer down, claiming there was something he had to do. His friends tried to talk him into changing his mind, but gave up once it was clear that he wouldn't.
"I'll see you guys later," Naruto smiled, walking off.
He could feel their eyes in his back, but refused to turn around. Maybe it was selfish, he thought, that he didn't let them know anything. But then again, that was probably what Sasuke wanted; Sasuke was selfish after all. He was selfish not to tell anyone, not even Naruto until the last minute, and then he just disappeared, with no means for Naruto to contact him by.
That probably wasn't intentionally on the Uchiha's part, but still. Naruto clenched his fists at his side.

He walked without purpose, down street after street, lost in his own thoughts, until he found himself on the other side of town. He never came here.
And part of the reason to why was standing across the street from him.
"Uzumaki!"
Naruto turned around stiffly. Not only had he wound up on his side of the city, but also on Sai's street.
He frowned, glaring at the raven who was now striding across the street towards him.
Plastered on Sai's face was one of his signature smiles.
"What do you want?" Naruto muttered, wanting to get away from there.
"You're the one who's on my street," Sai smirked, "I thought you might have come here to see me."
Naruto snorted, "Why would I come here to see you? Why would anyone want to see you?"
"Tch," Sai huffed, "Nevermind then."
His dark eyes gleamed, "Hey, I heard Uchiha finally snapped?"
Chills went down Naruto's back.
"What?" he hissed.
"He's committed, isn't he?"
"H-How do you know?" Naruto croaked, trying to sound stoic.
"The world has eyes and ears everywhere," Sai winked at him, "I take it the other's don't know? You don't think they should?"
"Fuck you," Naruto hissed.
"What, they're his friends, aren't they? Don't you think they deserve to know?"
"Why should I listen to you?" the fox snapped, "You don't know shit about Sasuke."
"And you do?" Sai cocked his head to the side, "He didn't tell you, did he?"
The blonde took one surprised step back.
How could Sai know?

The raven sneered.
"So he didn't. Heh, some relationship the two of you have."

Naruto grit his teeth, glaring daggers at the other teen.
"Shut up," he ground out hoarsely, grabbing Sai by the collar, "What the hell do you know, huh?!"
"Clearly I know more than you give me credit for."
Naruto's grip on Sai's collar tightened. An intense urge to punch the raven in the face rose inside him. It didn't matter if Sai was just assuming.
Naruto was not in the mood for his bullshit today anyway.

It was a man's voice that stopped him from actually punching Sai in the nose.
A man had opened a window in the second floor, and was looking out at them.
He shouted again, more angrily this time; "Sai! Get in here!"
Naruto didn't let go. He glared at the raven haired teen in his grip.
"Sai!" the man yelled again, "NOW!"

Obviously the man didn't think Sai reacted quickly enough, because he yelled down at them again;
"Did you hear me?! Sai! I don't want you hanging around scum like the Uzumakis!"
A knot tied in Naruto's chest, his eyebrow twitching.
Naturally Sai's father, if that indeed was who this man was, hated him too, just like everyone else.
No wonder his son was such an asshole.

The smile on Sai's face was almost apologetic.
"We'll finish this later," he said, tearing himself from Naruto's grip.
"You'd better hope that we don't," the Uzumaki growled, pushing the other back.
"What the hell are you dawdling for!? Get in this house right now!"
Sai looked up towards the window, nodding just as it slammed shut.
"See you around, Uzumaki," he mumbled sourly.

Naruto didn't bother watching him get into the house. He turned on his heel, starting to walk in the opposite direction.
His hands found his pockets, one of them clutching something hard and metallic.
Sasuke's key.
****

"How ya holdin' up?" a boy with semi-long white hair dropped down on the couch next to Sasuke.
It was the same boy he'd seen on his first day back here, and the same guy who had been hanging around him ever since then, and even before that, back when Sasuke had been living here.
Most people assumed they were friends, something that irritated the Uchiha. If anything, this guy was an acquaintance who was nice to have around now and again. Most of the time he was just annoying though, and too familiar with him - almost clingy.

Sasuke didn't answer.
It didn't seem to bother the other teen though.
"Man, you should've gone with us! It was great to get away from this place for a little while!" the boy chewed on his already stubbed nail, "Or...You're not allowed outside, are you?"
He poked Sasuke in the ribs.
"Being under supervision must really suck."

Sasuke sighed with annoyance.
The two days where Suigetsu had gone away with some others and a few doctors to a hot spring had been like paradise to him.
With the other not hanging around him constantly, he had welcomed the silence that came with his absence. And at the same time he had hated it.
Silence meant room for thought, and that never brought anything positive.
Nevertheless, he wished he could escape his 'friend' for a little longer at least. Or that someone would realize that he didn't need to be under supervision all day any more now that the Xanax was out of his system. Preferably he'd get his phone back as well.
But that didn't seem like it would happen anytime soon.

He was still unable to forget how Naruto had looked on that morning, when he'd left. And he couldn't help but wonder if the teachers were busting his humps about the kiss.
A slight smile crossed his face.
"What are you smiling about?" Suigetsu nudged him in the side, "It's almost as if you're human."
Sasuke didn't reply. He stood, heading out of the common room.
"I have a session," he said, giving half a wave.
"See ya," Suigetsu stared after him, smirking slightly.

***
Sasuke glared at his therapist.
"When will I get my phone back?"
The woman in front of him corrected her glasses, frowning at him.
"When we can establish that any emotional unbalance you experience has nothing to do with the change in medication."
Sasuke sighed, glaring out the window, at the yellowing leaves of the tree outside.
"Tell me, why are you so insistent on this matter?" the woman asked him, leaning forward, still clasping her clipboard.
The Uchiha shifted in his chair, even if he told her it wasn't like she'd let him have it. He'd tried that approach before.
This woman was nothing like Anko at all. Her way of dealing with him was anything but brash and untraditional. This woman was one of those 'how does that make you feel' people.
She was fresh out of college, and seemed to think that he was made out of porcelain.
"Sasuke," she reached over, placing her hand gently on his knee.
He scowled down at it.
"Who is it you want to talk to, Sasuke?" she asked, moving her hand slightly, peering curiously at him through silver-rimmed glasses.
"None of your business," he ground out, pushing her hand away, "It's not like it matters to you people anyway. You just want to drug me and send me on my way again."
"Is that what you think?" the therapist chanted.
"That's what you did the last time," Sasuke replied coolly.
"How d-"
"If you're about to ask me how that makes me feel I'm gonna fucking go nuts!" he hissed, glaring at her.
The woman looked straight back at him, before lowering her head, making notes on her clipboard; "Agressive," she wrote.
"Are we done here?" the glaring teen opposite her demanded.
"We still have five more minutes, won't you spend them more wisely?"
Sasuke snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. If he was gonna talk to anyone, it would be to the person who knew what he'd been through. And he was prevented from doing so.
"Very well," the woman concurred, putting aside the clipboard, "We can stare at each other for five minutes then, if that's what you want."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, but remained seated. There was a light pounding in the back of his head.
He knew it well.

When he stood up, a dizzy spree hit him, and let go just as easily.
He closed his eyes tightly, taking a deep breath. Having been on the medicine for so long, Sasuke had forgotten all about how Seroquel made him feel the first few weeks.
Including the disturbing thoughts that shot through his head whenever he was alone.
But it was a hell of a lot better than being on Xanax, so he'd cope.

"Are you alright?" the woman asked sternly.
Sasuke glared at her, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"You know, there are other medicines that-"
"I know," he cut her off, striding through the door.
He'd overheard some of the doctors talking earlier; they'd talked about trying some other medicines for him, even though the Seroquel worked fine. But there was a certain risk involved in taking it, and they apparently wanted him to try something a little milder. Prozac, among other things had been mentioned.
He'd stopped listening at that point. Prozac was such a cliché.
He didn't need it anyway. He just needed to go back home, and finally live a normal life, away from doctors and therapists and medicines.

Without realizing it, he'd stopped in the middle of the corridor.
His therapist was already far ahead of him, heading upstairs. His headache was getting worse. And he needed sleep.
The only way to get enough sleep around here though, with the constant supervision, was for him to stay awake for long enough periods of time to make him utterly exhausted.
That way he could sleep undisturbed for hours. Hours that were free of everything he loathed.

*****
Wind caressed Naruto's whiskered cheeks, pinching carefully at them. For some reason the air was crisp, almost sharp in a way.
He huffed, pulling the sweater he wore tighter around himself.
Albeit being a bit worn out, it provided warmth.
Warmth, - and a sense of familiarity and security. The soft cotton brushed lightly against the bare skin of Naruto's arms when he walked, swinging them back and forth, as if someone was caressing his arms as well.
Naruto buried his nose in the soft fabric, breathing in a scent that was unmistakably Sasuke's.
He wrapped his arms tighter around himself, turning the corner at the grocery store.
He'd promised Konohamaru to buy him a candy bar after it turned out that the one Naruto had used for Sasuke's cake had belonged to him, and partially because the boy had been nagging him about not being around lately.

Naruto had wanted to take Gaara along with him, but the red had been nowhere to be seen.
When asking Chiyo about it, the old lady had replied that Gaara was at his siblings' house.

His quick paced steps came to a stop when he spotted Sai.
The other boy was stuffing a grocery bag into the back of a car.
Why was it that Naruto ran into this jerk everywhere lately?
He wanted to turn and walk away. But at the same time, his pride told him not to let Sai think he was afraid of him. And the other teen had already spotted him.
Sighing, Naruto resigned, walking across the parking lot, with the intent of brushing past Sai, ignoring him completely.

"Dickless!"
Too late.
Naruto turned around, gritting his teeth in annoyance.
"Nice sweater," Sai commented, flashing a grin, "Why don't you just wear a sign saying Property of Uchiha Sasuke while you're at it?"
Naruto turned a deaf ear.
"How is he?" Sai asked, smirking.
The bastard.
Of course he knew that there was no way Naruto would know that.
"You haven't talked to him?" the other gasped, still smirking.
Naruto balled up his fist at his side.
"Listen, asshole-" he started.
It was the ringing of a cellphone that interrupted him.

As if on cue, Sai's expression changed at the sound of the phone.
With a look in his eyes that was very different from the sinister glare he'd just had, he pressed the phone to his ear.
"Yeah?" he said, sounding different as well.
"At school...Yeah I have the car," he answered whoever was on the other end, he sounded annoyed now, "Yeah of course I wouldn't leave it with you! You're in no state to be driving!"
Naruto's gaze shifted, studying Sai.

Briefly he wondered why he was still standing here like this.
He never reached an answer.

Even from where he was standing; several feet away, he could tell that the person Sai was talking to was aggravated.
That he was yelling.

The tip of Sai's shoe was drawing circles in the gravel on the ground.
A sign of insecurity.
But his voice was harsh and angry; "No. I'm going. I have a right to go, and you can't stop me! No. You can't. And even if you could, you'd be unable to."
He clenched his fist.
The yelling on the other end intensified.
Sai stared down at the ground, like he'd forgotten all about Naruto being there at all.

He wasn't the same person he'd been only minutes before, that much was clear.
His voice was meeker now, but just as angry.
"Yes," he muttered, "Yes. Yes, Yes. I know."
Then something flashed in his dark eyes.
"That has nothing to do with him!" he almost yelled into the phone, "I'll be back tonight! Bye."
Without waiting for a response, he hung up the phone.

Naruto said nothing.
He didn't know what to make of what he had just seen.

Sai looked back at him.
His eyes were ice cold.
"What?" he asked gruffly.
Naruto shook his head.

Sai turned his back to the blonde, shutting the back door.
"You know...." he started, still not turning around, "Sasuke's gonna be okay."
Naruto's heart skipped a beat.
He felt his own fingernails digging into his palm as he asked; "How do you know?"
Sai didn't reply.
"Why do you even care?" Naruto demanded, muttering.
"I just know okay?" Sai replied, annoyed.
There was something about the look in his eyes though, something that made Naruto want to believe him.

"Get in the car," Sai ordered, opening the door to the passenger seat.
Naruto just stared at him, dumbfounded.
Like hell he'd get into a car with someone he couldn't stand.
"Don't you want to see for yourself?" Sai coaxed.
"See what?" Naruto replied dryly, expecting a lame-ass joke or insult.
"That he's okay," Sai replied, his expression serious, not cracking for as much as a split second.

It was absurd to think that Sai would ever do anything for anyone, especially Naruto.
No one would ever listen to him, much less believe him and go with him.
And yet, Naruto found himself to be walking towards Sai's car.
Sasuke's scent caught his nose as the wind caressed them.

"How?" he asked, placing his hand on the car door.
"I'll take you to him," Sai replied calmly, without seeming sarcastic or spiteful. Without seeming like himself actually.
Naruto stared at him, searching for words. He didn't know whether to believe Sai or not, he didn't know if it was wise, but he did want to believe the other.
"Why?" he asked, unable to say anything else.
"I know someone there," Sai replied, looking away, "So I know how it feels."
His words were uncertain, as if being nice for a change really was new to him.
"Who?" Naruto asked, his mouth felt dry.
They had something in common. Unless Sai was lying.
But it seemed unreal.
Sai licked his lips.
"My brother," Sai's voice was low.
****** TBC****

A.N: Someone asked me to e-mail them when a new chapter is up.
If anyone else is interested in getting a heads-up when a new chapter is posted, please let me know in a review, and leave your e-mail address! ^__^

[The last chapter got so many reviews! *__* And here are the replies:]

Chibi: ^____^ Haha, well there's alot of chibis out there, so I just had to ask xD Anyways, thanks again for the review and the treats! *loves* And I guess this chapter answered your questions ^-^

ari: Haha, Naruto-style always works! I did the same earlier this week! xD Thank you so much hun! I'm glad you liked it so much! And of course you went into the A.N! You helped me ALOT with the last chapter.

animelover: Thank you very much for the review! I'm so glad you like YotF so much! ^__^ Sasuke's probably stay for a while, but at least you got your NejiGaa ^__~

mayana: I'm so sorry it took so long! Thanks for the review!

Remi: Thank you very much! I'm so sorry this chapter took so long for me to finish! I hope you didn't worry about them too much! X__x Please review again, ne? ^-^

SneakyFox: haha, thank you muchly! *loves*

Deadly Teardrops: I always feel bad when I make people cry, even if it's supposed to be that sad xD Thank you very much, for the candy as well!! THREE HOURS?! Man, that chapter was long ^^;;

Hirae: Thank you so much! And this really was as soon as I could update! Sorry it took so long! X__X
Haha, yeah. For some reason I hadn't thought of the whole SasuNaru vs. NejiGaa like that! xD But I'm glad I still HAVE a plot! xD

oohshiny: Thank you very much for the review! *3*
1. I'm SO SORRY! xD It's all because each chapter is ideally supposed to be an entire month...X___X
2. I don't really know...I just write. Glad you think it's original! :D
3. Done! You're on the YotF mailinglist! ^___^

Reyn: Thanks for your reviews dear! *3* Glad you loved both chapters!
As for the NejiGaa! I'm STILL thrilled I converted you! And I have an idea for a multi-chapter NejiGaa in the future. ^__^

PansyLane: I would LOVE fanart even if you say you can't draw. I can't draw either xD I'm so glad you still think Sasuke's IC. I was worried for a bit!
This chapter wasn't always fun to write, but I finally pulled it off. Yay for NejiGaa, ne? Hope you like! ^__^

XoXGaaraXoX: Thank you! Here's an update!

Louvette: NaNoWriMo is kind of a writing competition. Everyone wins as long as they manage to write a 50 000 words long story in one month. Thanks for the support! ^__^
Heh, you know, I'm not really majoring in anything. I don't go to school. but I've recently started going to a Graphic Design class. However, I've been dealing with anxiety and depression myself for a few years, so I know one or two things about it. Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^___^

Hakai: I'm so glad you gave YotF a new chance! The chapter titles aren't really that complicated, every chapter is the name of a month in Japanese. But I can understand that it's a bit confusing. I hope you continue to read though! ^__^
Of course I won't end it here! I'm not sure how many chapters are left, but I intend to keep going till the end!
Please enjoy the update! ^__^

Nusku: Thanks hun!!! *takes cookies* Hope you liked the new chapter! Sorry for the wait!

Dace: CHOCOLATE! *___* Thank you very much! Sorry it took so long! I hope you liked the new chapter!

Death: Haahah, no need to sacrifice anything xD Here's the update! I hope you liked it! Thank you very much for the review! *__*