Pranksters

To anyone waiting on this story, apologies. Between real life and no reliable internet connection, I couldn't post too often. Updates should be a little better now. :)

Pranksters 6
Half-hearted Resolutions

Naruto sat at the dining room table trying to concentrate on work. He picked up the small wooden tree, holding it over the model carefully and held it still a moment. He tilted his head first to one side and then the other, pausing and shaking his head. He placed the small figure back on the table. Sighing, he glanced at the clock and noted the slim black hands pointed to a later hour than he expected. Client or no, it was still a Saturday. Naruto wondered who could possibly be so important.
His fingers reached for the lid of the pizza box an arm’s length away, lifting the top and glancing at the cooling pizza resting inside. He broke off one more slice, holding it up and stared down the caramelized toppings. Slowly, he lowered it back into the box.

“Maybe it’s time for a run,” he said to himself, pushing back his chair and standing up. He picked up the pizza box and carried it to the oven, pressing the thin buttons that set the oven to keep the pizza warm. He pulled down the heavy door, placed the box inside and closed it with a sharp clang.

If he hurried, he could sneak in a good jog before the gym closed. He trotted over to his room, throwing off his clothes and pulling out his gym gear. He grabbed a pair of ankle socks and his Ipod, tossing them into the blue duffle bag with his running shoes. The gym would be open for a few more hours at least.

He had a lot of things on his mind and running was one way of organizing them. Sitting at home, staring at the clock and waiting for the door to open wouldn’t get him anywhere. Naruto shouldered his duffle bag and grabbed his keys off the dresser. He slipped into his walking shoes at the genkan and exited the apartment into the empty hallway. The rubber soles of his shoes padded quietly along the beige carpet. He kept looking around wondering if Gaara was perhaps behind the next elevator door. But the elevator, like the halls was empty when it arrived.

Naruto entered the lobby and waved to the door man. Tanaka tipped his navy hat to him, his round cheeks puffing up into a smile. Naruto forced a smile in return as he pushed open the building door.

The night was chilly, but still people milled around outside. Outdoor tables were crowded with dates and parties laughing over pretentious French cuisine. Naruto passed them quietly and slipped into the alleyway sandwiched between the restaurant and the hotel. Walking down to the next large street he turned the corner and entered the large building. He went straight to the elevator and pressed the number four.
The gym would probably be empty at this hour. It meant he could take his time on the treadmill. It meant he could take his time to think.

The doors opened onto the warmly lit gym inside. The girl at the counter smiled and greeted him, receiving his membership card with both hands before scanning his number. She checked the screen carefully, her smile brightening when it cleared and handed him his card.

Naruto went upstairs to the men’s locker room, nodding at the workers as he passed. He knew some of them by name, chatted with them sometimes when he wanted tips or advice or just someone to spot him. He pushed the door open to the locker room, kicking off his shoes and picking them up before stepping up to the wooden floor. He found the nearest available locker and threw his shoes inside. He pulled out his Ipod, his running shoes and sweat towel before throwing the bag in too.

A tall man with thick eyebrows and a bowl cut stepped up to the locker behind him. Naruto nodded in greeting, slipping his membership card into the slot and closing the locker door. He turned the key and removed it, slipping the band around his wrist.
Gaara had signed up for this gym too. They had signed up together and yet Naruto was always here alone. He wondered if Gaara had kept his membership or if he had forgotten about it entirely.

Naruto took a seat on the bench at the entryway. He dropped his stuff next to him while he put on his shoes, pulling his laces extra tight and doubling the knot. His mind replayed the many bizarre events of the past week, starting with the confrontation after the superglue incident and ending with today’s little modeling stint. These events had not occurred by chance. Something had started them all. Certainly there was a time when Naruto didn’t pull so many pranks on Gaara—a time when he didn’t need to pull pranks to merit Gaara’s attention.

When he was twelve, Naruto believed it would be easy to be lifelong friends. He had made so many lifelong friends, or so he was certain of. These days he found himself lonely sometimes and wondered what had happened. When did everyone start growing apart?

Sure he had taken that superglue prank too far, but since then, things seemed to have spiraled out of control. This game he was playing was new to him. He wasn’t used to deceiving and lying to people, especially those he cared about; but Sasuke said that’s how the adults play and if he was going to win over someone like his roommate, he needed help whether he liked it or not. So many years of pranks had achieved nothing. If this is what it took then he would do his best.

Naruto stood up, grabbed his things and made his way back down the stairs. A few people were working on the machines, but the treadmills were relatively empty. He found a spot on the mats and started to stretch.
He had to admit that since Sasuke came crashing back into his life, his world had changed a little. He really hadn’t meant for Sasuke to take things so far, but he was drunk and not thinking straight and somehow his former lover’s plan seemed a lot smarter then. But since then, things at the apartment had changed. Gaara was quieter around him, like he was ignoring him as opposed to tolerating him like he usually did. Naruto’s small jokes received no response and every time he tried to invite his roommate to do something together he was turned down with vague excuses before Gaara shut himself up in his office entirely. It was like they had become strangers living together.

But then today they modeled and everything seemed completely out of order. As often as he tried, Naruto couldn’t stop thinking about it. He tried to hold back, he really did, but when Sasuke told him to touch the long held object of his desire, he discovered that he simply didn’t want to hold back any more.

Gaara must have understood those touches for what they were. The way he looked at him, there was no mistaking it. He touched him with all the pent up longing he had suffered so acutely for the past year. He could pretend he was just acting, or say he was just following orders, but the way Gaara tensed beneath his fingertips told him that excuse just wouldn’t work.

Naruto stepped onto the treadmill and punched in his settings. He set the time for an hour and started at a brisk jog.

Was Gaara really pretending or had that moment been as honest as it felt? Did Gaara really know his feelings? Was he deliberately finding ways to discourage him? To tell him that those feelings weren’t welcome? And if so, then why did those pale arms wrap around him so carefully and hold him like something fragile?

Part of him wanted to hope. Part of him was so afraid this was just a way to toy with him. Gaara could be cruel at times. Naruto knew that first hand, but not in this way. He didn’t seem like the type to toy with feelings; to deliberately give false hope to someone. At least he thought so until Sasuke told him about Matsuri. Now he didn’t know what to think. All this time Naruto had been receiving one signal; but that embrace—that embrace was his first mixed signal and he didn’t know what to do about it.
He wanted to ask Gaara about his feelings, or his intentions, to touch him again or woo him as though he actually had a chance. But Sasuke told him not to do anything. He had to allow himself to be pursued for once, or so Sasuke said. He really didn’t get it and he didn’t enjoy this cat-mouse dynamic that had never been his style. But as Sasuke had reminded him, his usual style wasn’t all that effective to begin with.

Naruto picked up the pace. He picked up his knees faster and pumped his arms back and forth, feet pounding against the conveyor belt. He would comply with Sasuke’s plan, no matter how frustrated he got or until he was sure enough that Gaara wanted to hear the words he’d been meaning to say.

* * *

Gaara swore the lock was moving on him. He tried to place the key at the keyhole again, shoving it forward with a little more force, but it wouldn’t budge. Dammit,” he muttered, rattling the doorknob futilely.

He heard the lock sliding back and stared at the phantom doorknob turning. Behind the creaking door was a familiar set of abs.

“I was wondering when you’d get home.” Gaara’s eyes slid up the slick body. Slowly, he made it to the dazzling smiling waiting for him. “Man you reek. Get in here,” he nodded inside. “I was just about to shower. You’re lucky I heard you fumbling at the door.” Uzumaki grabbed him just as the floor started rising. Gaara’s feet remained somewhere between space and the rest of his shoe. “Whoa there, how about I help you?” Naruto held his hand.

“I’m not a kid. I can do it myself,” he said, kicking off the rest of his shoe. His body felt sluggish and uncooperative. He tugged on his tie feeling too warm in his suit.
“I know, but even I’m a bit unsteady when I’ve had a few too many.”

Gaara only managed to tighten his tie, not loosen it. He tugged on it harshly, wincing when the fabric rubbed tighter against his neck. Naruto’s fingers pushed his hands away, loosening the tie with quick, fluid movements. He slid the gray material from his neck.

“Need help with anything else?” His eyes dipped to the small buttons down his vest.

Gaara flushed, shaking his head and undid all of them quickly just to demonstrate his point. He stepped up from the lowered entryway only to trip over the ledge. Naruto caught him again. Gaara curled his fingers against the smooth, naked chest.

“Come on,” Naruto chuckled. He took Gaara by the hand, leading up the tricky step and over to the couch. Gaara fell into the plush cushions, letting his head sink back. “Don’t go to sleep just yet.” Naruto was trotting over to the kitchen. Gaara could hear cabinets banging and the sound of the tap running. When Naruto re-emerged he held a glass of water. “Must have been some client,” he commented, holding out the glass. “Drink this. You’ll thank me in the morning.”

Gaara’s eyes narrowed in on the dusky brown nipples staring at him. He forced himself to focus on the outstretched hand holding the glass. He grabbed it tentatively, nearly flinching when his fingers closed over Naruto’s.

“Thanks,” he said. He took deep gulps of the cool water. Some dry part of him felt a little better. He forced his eyes to stay above Naruto’s neck.

“No problem,” Naruto smiled. Those blue eyes watching him quietly and waited perhaps for him to finish the glass in his hand. Gaara dispatched it straight, hoping he would stop looking at him like that. It only made him remember more strongly those big arms wrapped around him, squeezing their bodies together...

“Earth to Gaara,” Naruto said waving a hand in front of him. “Wow, I forgot liquor did such a number on you.” Naruto pulled the empty glass away from him. “Can I get you some more water? Anything to eat?” Gaara’s eyes slid back to the bare chest and the muscled expanse he’d noticed little until the past week or so. How had he not noticed Naruto’s attractiveness? Of course Uchiha wanted him. Gaara’s eyes trailed down the spiraling tattoo. How could he not?

“Stay right here, I’m getting you some more water.” Naruto left again. Gaara watched him absently, noting the way his loose shorts hid those powerful looking thighs and… Gaara shook his head. This wasn’t the time to flashback to Naruto in his underwear. Gaara leaned his head back and wondered if a cool shower would easy the burning in his cheeks.

He is not attracted to Naruto, he told himself. Not like that. He admits that his roommate is attractive before reminding himself that he is also taken.
Taken, Gaara reflected bitterly, by that asshole Uchiha. Taken until Uchiha decides he’s done playing with Naruto and skips along on his merry way.

“Oi, Gaara are you feeling okay?” Gaara looked up and wondered when Naruto returned. “You need to puke?” He held up the refilled glass.

Gaara shook his head and accepted the glass, drinking the water quickly.
“There’s some pizza in the oven if you’re hungry. If you’re not feeling well, I understand. I just thought I’d let you know.”

“I’m not hungry, thanks,” said Gaara. He put the glass down on the coffee table. For the first time he noticed the manila folder resting on top of the magazines. Naruto’s name was scrawled across the tab.

Gaara grabbed the folder and flipped it open only to be greeted by an image of Uchiha wrapped up in Uzumaki.

“Oh yeah, Sasuke had some of the photos developed.” Gaara hated how pleased Naruto sounded every time he mentioned that bastard’s name. “I can’t have the one for the ad campaign yet, but he gave me the copies of the better test shots. He said to put it in my portfolio,” Naruto chuckled. Gaara grit his teeth.

So Naruto really was considering modeling, Gaara reflected. It would only be a matter of time before he chased after Sasuke again.

Naruto’s hand pressed against his forehead. The back of his hand lingered against Gaara’s cheek. “You looked pained a moment ago. Maybe I should put you to bed.”
Gaara turned his face. His cheeks burned more than a second ago. “It’s the liquor,” he commented. “My cheeks always turn red.”

“At least your speech isn’t slurring,” Naruto joked.

“My mind is clear, just my coordination is gone. I’ll take a shower and go straight to bed.” Gaara glanced over at the photo on the coffee table.

There is no reason why he should be feeling regret right now. So why did he feel like he was missing out on something?

“You sure you’re feeling okay?” Naruto asked. A solid worry line bridged his eyebrows. “There’s no rush. We could sit here and talk a little while until you sober up a little more. The last thing we need is for you to trip and fall in the shower. Unless you want me to help you,” Naruto waggled his eyebrows.

Gaara turned his face quickly to hide the flush spreading quickly through his body. His annoyance peaked when Naruto burst into raucous laughter.

“I forgot how easy it is to tease you,” Naruto said. Gaara was caught off guard by his tone. It was an old expression he hadn’t heard for some time. Gaara looked at Naruto for a brief moment and remembered a time when these sorts of conversations were commonplace; before the elaborate pranks and the mind games that now seemed to have driven a wedge between them.

Gaara wondered when things got so complicated.

“It’s good to know some of the things I say still reach you.” Naruto looked almost sad.
Gaara felt a pang of guilt. Once upon a time Uzumaki’s words meant everything to him. They were the words he lived by, the standards he strived for and the reason why he ever turned his life around. But these past few years had been different between them. Somewhere down the line Gaara realized he had changed too much and somehow their once close relationship had petered out into cohabitation.

Gaara opened his mouth, pondering what to say.

“I… still think highly of you,” he thought, pausing. No, that’s not right. “I…still value our friendship?” No, that sounded like a break up. “I, still care about you.” He paused. “I…” Gaara spoke aloud.

Somehow these words felt right. Gaara looked up at his roommate again and remembered when that smile was the only one in his life. How had he forgotten how much Naruto once meant to him?

“I…” Naruto looked at him expectantly. “I need a shower,” Gaara finished. Mentally he kicked himself.

“You do kinda reek,” Naruto nodded seriously. He cracked a smile. “Or maybe that’s me. I think I’ll hit the shower myself.” He sniffed under his arm carefully wrinkling up his nose. “Oh yeah, I was definitely smelling me.” He stood up and took Gaara’s empty water glass to the kitchen.

“You feeling any better?” Naruto asked from the doorway.

“The water helped,” Gaara said. His head was feeling clearer than it had when he walked through the front door.

“Good,” Naruto replied before disappearing into the kitchen.

Gaara watched him go. He smiled half-heartedly. When had this stopped? His eyes roamed to the open file and the black and white photo reminding him of everything he didn’t know about Naruto. How had he missed out on such important things in Naruto’s life? When had they become so distant?

Naruto re-entered the room carrying a slice of pizza in his hand. Gaara recognized the kind.

“I think you made me a fan of this one. I was walking past the pizza shop again and couldn’t help myself.”

He raised the slice to his mouth and opened wide.

A light bulb suddenly switched on in Gaara’s head. He opened his eyes in panic and lunged forward. He knocked away the still warm slice, watching it fall to Naruto’s lap.
“Hey! What was that for!” Gaara groaned. He had gotten a little too drunk.

“No midnight snacks. Not for the next few weeks anyways.”

“What are you talking about? You’re the one who introduced me to midnight snacks! Wait, what’s in the next few weeks?”

Gaara hunched over holding his head in both hands.

“My client tonight was a project manager for the Japanese branch of Calvin Klein. They contracted a Japanese model for their international men promotion, but something happened and he dropped out. He asked me to find him a replacement.”

“So talk to Sasuke and see if he knows someone,” Naruto said, not realizing yet what he was implying.

“I already did,” Gaara said slowly. “I recommended you.”

“You did what!? But you know I’m not a model!”

Gaara’s eyes flitted to the photo on the table. Sasuke’s words floated back to him. “You are now.” He looked up at Naruto and kept the apology out of his eyes.

“You had no right to do that! What if I refuse?” Naruto crossed his arms.

Gaara sighed. He leaned back into the couch, resting his head and throwing an arm over his eyes. “Please Naruto,” he said.

“We can tell Sasuke about it and he can find you a much more suitable model and certainly someone…”

“It’s too late. The name was submitted. Trying to recall you know would be an embarrassment to the agency. He wants a no name model and you were the first person I thought of. The shoot is coming up soon or I’d try to find someone else.”

“As in how soon?”

“As in a week,” Gaara said. “So no midnight snacks. You need that six pack intact if you’re going to model underwear.”

“Whoa, wait a minute! This is an underwear ad!? Forget it.” Naruto jumped to his feet and started marching away. “I’m taking a shower. I suggest you do the same.” He sounded angry.

Gaara pushed himself up to his feet. His coordination was still a bit off, but the floor wasn’t swaying anymore.

“Please, Naruto.” He took a few quick steps not noticing the shirt on the floor and caught his foot on the collar. One minute he was following Naruto’s back and the next the floor was rising again. He braced himself for impact and was relieved when his knee didn’t hurt as much as he expected.

No, it was the arm around his waist holding him up. Gaara looked up to see Naruto’s blue eyes wide with fright. This close Gaara could smell his sweat and musky scent. He could feel the warmth of that arm through the thin cotton layer of his shirt. He even imagined a dust of pink across Naruto’s cheeks.

But that couldn’t be. Because he was Uchiha’s. And no matter what the Uchiha said, no matter how many times Gaara searched for signs of Naruto’s so called attraction, ever since the famed ex-lover stepped back into their lives, he had found none.
Gaara leaned into Naruto, resting his forehead against his chest.

Naruto didn’t belong to him. He belonged to Uchiha and in his world. Maybe this modeling job would help him make a step in the right direction.

“Please, Naruto. He’s a valued client. I need you to do this for me. As… your friend.”
Naruto’s free hand stroked the back of his head. He held him there, without flinching or pulling back or pushing him away. Gaara felt his chest rise slowly, hearing the deep inhalation of breath and feeling his hair ripple when Naruto exhaled.

“Okay,” he said. His hand rubbed up and down one of Gaara’s shoulders. “But only because you asked, as a friend.” Gaara could hear the smile behind his words. The corners of his mouth turned up and his body pressed forward a little, still off balance were it not for Uzumaki’s arm. His hand lifted itself, reaching for Uzumaki’s arm like he had just earlier today. Suddenly his eyes widened and he realized what he was doing. He pressed his palm against Naruto’s chest and pushed.

“You stink,” he said.

Naruto’s arm recoiled. “Yeah well, you don’t smell so pretty yourself Mr. ash tray! Geez and after I agreed to help you,” he muttered. Naruto stalked away, slamming the bathroom door shut.

Gaara watched him go, quietly smiling bitter-sweetly.

“Thanks,” he said aloud to the quiet room.



* * *

Juugo stared at the blackened screen of the television. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his legs and tapped his foot impatiently. He listened carefully to the sounds in the apartment: the loud ticking of the mantel clock, the buzz of the refrigerator, the occasional crash of ice cubes falling and the guttural sounds wafting down the hall from Sasuke’s unlocked bedroom door.

He kept his fingers tightly locked together, waiting for the wrong type of cry, waiting for the sign that anything going on behind that door was unwanted—waiting for anything that would allow him to rush through that door and tear Uchiha’s partner limb from limb.
Uchiha’s heady groans escalated. He recognized that timbre and knew the expression that went with it. He had them all memorized.

He heard the lock at the front door turning. Not a forced entry, but someone with a key. The entryway light flipped on suddenly. Suigetsu looked around, flinching when he spotted Juugo. He punched the wall panel turning on the living room lights.

“Damn, Juugo, you freaked me out. What the hell’s wrong with you, sitting in the dark?”
The voices down the hall rose in crescendo. Suigetsu smirked and looked at Juugo knowingly. He loped over to the couch and hunched down to meet him at eye level.

“You know, if I knew you were this much of a masochist I could have fixed your boat long ago,” he teased. Juugo glowered at him silently. Suigetsu smirked and shrugged his eyebrows. “Have it your way. Just warn me before you two finally have angry sex.” He traipsed over to their room and closed the door.

Juugo sat quietly, waiting for more sounds. Everything was silent again except for he usual ticks and tocks. He stood up reluctantly and walked to the entryway to turn off the living room lights. He glanced carefully at the door down the hall, fingers brushing the entry way light before pausing. Juugo removed his hand slowly.
Returning to the window he pulled back the thin white curtains to gaze out at the sparkling city. He wondered how many lonely people were sitting behind each illuminated window.

The door down the hall creaked open. Juugo could make out the rustling clothes and hushed whispers before the quiet footsteps approached. He spared a glance for the disheveled figure carrying his jacket with one hand and hurrying into his shoes with the other. He looked up at Juugo and smiled sheepishly, or so he guessed. The man’s turtle neck was thrown on so hastily it covered half his face while his silver hair covered one eye messily. Juugo looked back out the window. He snorted when he heard the door slam shut.

Juugo stared down at the empty streets below. He wondered how many more of them would sneak in here before disappearing into the dark.

The lock clicked shut behind him and the one light visible to him winked out. Juugo whirled in surprise.

Sasuke stood before him, naked save the sheet clasped haphazardly around his waist. His pale skin glimmered in the light filtering in from the city lights.

“It’s dangerous to leave the door unlocked,” he said.

Juugo wanted to turn away, but his eyes were riveted on that pale body. “Your friend doesn’t know how to lock a door? He seemed old enough.” Juugo hated the edge of jealousy in his voice. When Sasuke smiled he hated that Sasuke noted it too.

“Old? More like experienced. He teaches me something new every time.” Juugo realized Sasuke was teasing as soon as he opened his mouth. “Besides, the man is hung like a horse,” he dropped the sheet keeping him less than decent. Sasuke sauntered slowly towards the window with feline grace. Juugo’s eyes dropped to the thick appendage bouncing a little with each step. It was limp now, but one touch could change that, he reflected. Juugo pulled his hands close to himself.

Sasuke reached for him, brushing his lips with a thumb. “But he doesn’t compare to you. They never do.” He brought their bodies close. All it would take was one step to bring their bodies together.

Juugo raised his hand. He reached for Sasuke’s body, gritting his teeth before pushing him away.

“I’m your employee, not your toy. Clean yourself up and go to bed.” Sasuke’s eyes searched his carefully. He didn’t believe the words and well he shouldn’t. Juugo averted his gaze. “I’m not your whore,” he ground out harshly. When he looked up again, he clenched his jaw and watched Sasuke’s backside retreat quietly down the hall.