A Virgin Kiss

Chapter 28: The Journey

It was a bit after dawn when Neji first checked the area for human traffic, and he informed Gaara that there were ninjas approaching from the west. It was the start of a long day of spent balancing using enough chakra to be elusive and not using enough to attract the attention of any ninjas in range to sense large flares of it. There really wasn’t anytime for conversation, but oddly the silence wasn’t awkward or stilted like yesterday. Both Neji and Gaara had the same goal and objectives, and they moved and worked together smoothly as if they had been teammates for a few weeks at the very least.

The night was spent without fire, without talk, and without kisses. But they passed the night always with some bit of touch. During Neji’s watch he was aware that as Gaara lay looking up at the stars with his hands linked behind his head, the Sand nin's elbow was touching Neji’s calf. When Gaara was on watch, as Neji drifted in and out of sleep close to Gaara’s side, the half-asleep nin could feel little tugs as he shifted that told him Gaara’s hand was on his hair. When they ate a quick breakfast just before dawn, Neji’s left foot and Gaara’s right foot were touching.

They finally hit the desert at mid-morning of the third day. Gaara turned to Neji and said, “There’s a nice cave about two hours ahead where we can eat lunch and rest a bit.”

Neji nodded his agreement, and they moved on again, but it only took ten meters or so before a little smirk was on his face. Rest, yeah right, like Gaara needed rest. It was September—not the hot season in Suna, and there was no reason to rest during the hottest part of the day—it wouldn’t get hot enough for them to be risking dehydration or heat stroke. A cave? Hmmm, well they hadn’t kissed for—38 hours or so, not that Neji was really counting or anything. Fuck, why wait for a cave and lunch?

“So no welcome to Wind Country kiss, Red?” said Neji.

“Oh, I’ll be giving you a welcome kiss, White Eyes, but not until after lunch,” said Gaara.

Neji thought about that for a while, then said, “Well, I guess you might need to eat to get enough energy for a serious kiss.”

“Nope,” said Gaara, “I just prefer food before fucking.”

“I don’t like to fuck on a full stomach,” said Neji.

“Oh really? And how did someone like you who just recently lost his virginity develop that opinion?”

“Well, it doesn’t really matter since I doubt you’re serious. The last time we talked about some fucking after food it didn’t happen.”

Gaara looked over at Neji with a glare, “I don’t like having sex with people who are sleeping. Particularly if they have a tendancy to drool.”

Damn it, he had been the one to fall asleep of course—and that last bit was complete bullshit: Hyuuga Neji didn’t drool. But it was beneath Neji’s dignity to defend himself. So he contented himself with saying, “Well, everybody has their own taste.”

“Ummm, yes, I agree, and some people taste better than others,” said Gaara licking his lips.

That was too much, and Neji just hauled Gaara against him and kissed him hard, forcing his tongue into Gaara’s mouth. Once Gaara started to respond, he broke off the kiss, saying, “Hmmm, yeah, I agree, you sure have a unique taste. Well, I supposed food first is an excellent idea.” He was feeling pretty satisfied with himself until Gaara started laughing.

“Did I tell you today, you’re an ass, Hyuuga?”

“No, Red, you haven’t told me that yet.”

“Ok, well, remind me after lunch to do so.”

“Alright, Red, but I’m not going wait to tell you you are an annoying rat bastard.”

“Don’t you mean raccoon bastard?”

“No, I meant to say an annoying ridiculously sexy bastard. I guess the desert sun is affecting me. Maybe I do need to lie down and rest after lunch.”

“Yeah, you look pale and weak, Hyuuga, that’s a good idea.”

“Well, somebody has to have the good ideas, Red.”

“Nah, not if they’re as pretty as you are, White Eyes, you can get by on your beauty without having brains.”

“I’m glad you appreciate my looks, Red, that’s sweet.”

“Well, somebody has to have the manners, Hyuuga.”

“So, this is desert hospitality, Red?”

“No, but wait until lunch, then I’ll show you just how hospitable the Kazekage can be.”

“Oohh, Kazekage-sama, I’m looking forward to it.”

“You’re an ass, Hyuuga.”

“Getting impatient, Great One?”

“Yeah, I am. I’m not a liar, Neji, I’ll admit I’m impatient at times.”

“Shut up, Red, just shut up.”

But of course he didn’t, and the next hour was spent exchanging more of the same provoking banter. It stopped at that point because after working their way through a number of gulleys and arroyos, they had suddenly emerged from the hills and canyons to a view of sandy flats broken by a few eerie rock formations shaped by the wind into narrow pinnacles. Some of these tall columns looked oddly like giant humans frozen into rock. There was one lone butte breaking the flat expanse spread out below.

“It’s spectacular,” said Neji, “it makes you feel so small, so aware of the immensity of the world.”

“The night sky here seems vaster than from other places. You feel how tiny our whole planet is in the universe and how miniscule you are,” said Gaara.

“Byukugan!” The Hyuuga slowly looked with his blood limit inheritance at the desert land before them. He turned to Gaara and said, “I wish you could see through my eyes, Gaara. When you look at the world in terms of chakra, you dominate the landscape and draw the eye. You are the most vital thing here, the most alive and powerful being I can see.”

Gaara looked away from Neji and stared out over his country. But Neji could see that a bit of the pain that had crept into his face and voice seemed lightened. Then the Sand nin started down the declivity to the flatland, tossing over his shoulder, “Come on, White Eyes, we need to get to that butte and get some food in you.”

“So that’s where the cave is?”

“Where else could a cave be, baka?”

“Well, you could have meant an underground cave, Red.”

Gaara didn’t bother to answer, and after a bit of thinking, Neji asked, “Is your cave a deep one, Red? How far into the butte does it penetrate? I’d love to probe deep into your cave.”

“So you like to probe deep into caves, Screamer?”

Neji grinned—when Gaara called him Screamer, he knew he was feeling Neji had got the upper hand of whatever they were doing. “I don’t know, Gaara, I’m really a virgin when it comes to exploring caves.”

“Well, we’ll have to make sure you get the whole cave experience after lunch.”

The moved on in silence until Neji asked about the unique rock formations, and they spent the rest of the hike to the butte discussing the various names given to the rock columns and proposing alternatives that got progressively sillier as the sun rose higher in the big, wide sky above them.

When they reached the base of the butte with its steep sides, Gaara pointed out the narrow opening of the cave 40 meters above them.

“Well, I see why we’ll need a bit of rest, now. That will use up a bit of chakra getting up there,” said Neji starting to walk up the side of the cliff.

Gaara, however, just began to rise up on a small cloud of sand. “Need a lift, Neji?”

It didn’t take but a few more comments before the two ninjas were racing each other up to the cave, using up more chakra than needed in trying to be the first there. As they squabbled over who had been first to the cave over their lunch, Gaara snapped out, “Give it a rest, dobe.”

“I’m not Naruto, damn it, don’t call me that, slowpoke,” flung back Neji.

Gaara’s mouth dropped open, and he fell silent. As Neji poured the last of the tea into his cup, he said, “Giving up? Figured out that I was faster?”

“We’re acting like Sasuke and Naruto,” said Gaara.

“Well, baka, that’s what guys do when they’re friends. When you hang out with Lee and Naruto do you walk around holding hands and discussing flower arranging?”

“I usually just listen,” said Gaara.

“That sounds like you’re just a fangirl, hanging on their every word, not a friend,” said Neji.

“Well, maybe it’s because they aren’t as annoying as you.”

“I’ve been on Lee’s team for years—believe me, he’s annoying.”

“I’ve never seen you two quarrelling.”

“Rock Lee is Rock Lee—there is no point in trying to point out the error of his ways to him. Now you, Red, if you would just take a few pointers from me, you could learn a lot.”

“So you want to give me some pointers, eh?”

“Yeah, I’d like to give you a pointer right now, Red, how about this one?” asked Neji sliding his hand along his cock, clearly hard and ready under his white pants.

“That’s pretty slutty, Neji, do you offer that tip to all your friends?”

“No, Red, this is just for you.”

“It better be,” said Gaara as his sand hissed out his gourd and formed a soft bed on the rocky cave floor, “or you’ll be living up to your nickname Screamer.”

“Ohhh, scary talk, Kazekage,” said Neji as he moved with the speed of a jounin to pin Gaara down against the sand. As his mouth hovered over Gaara’s, he added, “Any last words before your lesson starts?”

“Yeah,” said Gaara, “Hurry up, slowpoke.”