Purple Cocaine Prison

Warning(s): See Previous Chapters
Disclaimer(s): Not mine.

Ebra’s Notes
Gaara warning! I set him kinda loose in this chapter cause he talks a lot more then normal and acts pretty scary near the end of the chapter so you’ve all been warned. Also, thanks in advance for the reviews ^_^ Also, I apologize since the chapter is a tiny bit shorter then usual.

{Sitcom duck(s): are People/Person(s) that sit around in a certain area and simply crowd your place/hang out/do nothing/or imitate ducks by crapping around all over the place and generally being bothersome} Although this isn’t a real definition, it’s what I call the friends of mine that drop by to visit and do exactly that 9_9


~!@!~

‘Purple Cocaine Prison’
Sitcom Duck Central
~!@!~

{Naruto/Saturday/In bed…still]

It’s bad enough that a guy is stupid enough to let Sasuke crawl into bed with him, but shouldn’t that same stupid guy draw the line at morning cuddles?

Sure, Sasuke started out on his side of my bed but the problem stems from the fact that he, somehow, ended up on mine. Trapped as I am, his head pillowed on my chest and his arm lying heavily across my stomach, I take a minute to reflect: This could always be worse.

I also realize that Sasuke has that massive bed back at his place for
a reason. If you have never seen Sasuke sleeping in a bed then you have never truly seen a person sprawl. My bed isn’t the biggest thing in the world but that doesn’t mean Sasuke has the right to simultaneously conquer the Northern, Southern, Eastern AND Western hemispheres of the tiny Island of Naruto.

God…Who’s gonna get me outta under here?

Glancing at my clock, as best I can over Sasuke’s messy blue-black hair, I realize two things: it’s frighteningly early AND that I have to pee.

See, things can always get worse…

In any normal scenario, I woulda just hopped outta bed, hauled ass to the bathroom, and done what I needed to do. Under the current circumstances, I was going to hafta think of something better then just that. I had my hands full with just trying to figure out how to get out of being Sasuke’s personal pillow.

Starring at the ceiling for a few minutes, I start to grin to myself.

Maybe there is a way outta here?

~!@!~

After doing the most extraordinary mattress gymnastics to get out of my own bed, I headed triumphantly to the bathroom. I felt like I had to go really bad, so I suppose that’s part of what motivated me. Feeling surprisingly energetic I sprint the short distance down the hall to the bathroom, skidding to a stop on the hardwood floors.

I brush my teeth and have a long shower. Absently, I trace the lines of the tattoo on my stomach and flinch when my stomach starts to hurt. I rub it and try to sooth away the sudden nausea. I sigh when the feeling passes, especially since I know better then to aggravate my belly…

I head back to my bedroom and decide that early spring-cleaning is in order, Sasuke sleeping like sleeping beauty on my bed or not. I don’t usually have time during the week, between going to school and working, to clean my place, so Saturday mornings are reserved just for the unique chore of detoxifying the whole space. Who knows what’s had time to fester in the fridge left unchecked…or what kind of dirty clothing might be lying at the bottom of my closet…ugh. I shudder to think…

Contrary to popular belief, I’m not a messy person; it’d be a blessing if I was…then I wouldn’t care either way.

Careful to be quiet, I pull on faded cowboy jeans that are too long and pool around my ankles, which I end up having to roll up, and a yellow tee. I glance around.

Where do I start?

I look at the bed and decide if I wanna face the greatest monsters first, second only to what might be ready for battle in the fridge, then that’s probably the best place to start. I spend the next half-hour or so picking clothes out of the strangest places and straightening stuff up. Luckily, Sasuke sleeps like the dead and doesn’t even stir when I turn on the radio on low.

That done, next on the list is to pacify my now growling stomach. Jeez…try to get anything done and the damn thing acts up. I grumble all the way to the kitchen and set about opening blinds and making breakfast. I love Ramen, but it’s not the only thing I eat since it’s just a lot of noodles and water…therefore, I only have it twice a day. I know that only leaves breakfast free but... I can’t not eat Ramen. It’d probably kill me…

Pancakes seem like a good idea so I make a stack. Six raspberry pancakes covered in sugar, a glass of orange juice and two vitamins later, I feel like I’ll make it till I have a late lunch. I do the dishes and absently think of Sasuke. I should probably wake him for breakfast…or not.

Grinning, I laugh at myself.

Who in their right mind would wake Dracula during daylight hours? On Saturday no less?

Besides, Sasuke is definitely the type that sleeps in on any day that’s not a weekday. Those pretty boy types are all like that.

Now that that’s settled, should I really go and attempt to clean out my fridge? I mean, I’m a brave guy when the situation calls for it, but the depths of the fridge might be a little over my head. I walk over and pull it open. The stuff in the front is okay, but it’s the crap hiding in the back that I’m worried about. Plucking up some courage, I push the milk aside and gingerly grab a nondescript plastic container. I roll it over in my hands and shudder at the feeling of something sliding around inside. Oh God…

Deep breath and I dramatically peel the lid clean off and instantly wish I hadn’t. Nasty looking broccoli-cheese whatsit stares back at me. Now I know why it was back there. One, it was from Tsunade-Hag, so it was probably poisoned, and two, I hate broccoli…it’s gross. Well, that was only discovery number one; I can see a few other containers waiting back there to surprise me. Right then and there, I figure that I’ll do it some other time.

I decide that if I want to live to be eighteen, I’d better stop before I hurt myself. Glancing at the neko-shaped clock in the kitchen tells me it’s late enough in the day to risk calling Gaara. I grab the cordless and head into my bedroom to check up on Sasuke. He’s sill curled up peacefully, and sleeping. Smiling, I go back to my living and collapse on the red couch. I add Gaara to speed dial and call.

It rings only once before he picks up.

~ “Took you long enough”~

“Excuse me?” Is this Gaara? “What ever happened to saying ‘Good Morning?’”

~ “Hn…I’ve been up since seven”~

“Gaara”, I start in the most patronizing voice I can manage, “The teenager is a creature rarely seen up before noon on weekends, everybody knows that”

~ “…”~

“Hey, don’t stop now! You were being so talkative…” I pretend to pout but end up laughing.

~ “Can you come out?”~

“Yes, where are we going?”

Gaara pauses before telling me: ~ “I’m getting my eyebrow pierced”~

“…Are you serious?”

~ “…”~

I grin and start to laugh, “Are you doing this to piss off your Dad? Cause I can guarantee you it will…probably”

He doesn’t answer for a minute, but then he says: ~ “Hn…maybe my lip too” I can practically see him smiling.

“Are you telling me that you’ll actually let strangers prod you with needles and things to pierce you and get this permanent thing on your face and in your tongue, just to piss off your dad?”

I can see Gaara rolling his eyes in my mind: ~ “…No, I intended to get them anyway…and it won’t be a problem”

“Really?”

~ “…Truly”~

“Kay, well, when are we going?”

~ “You called me, you decide”~

I blow a raspberry over the phone.

~ “…”~

“Sorry…uh, what about right now?”

~ “Fine”~ He sounds annoyed

“Course…unless you can’t go then we coul-”

He half interrupts me. ~ “It’s fine. Do I pick you up or are we meeting somewhere?”~

I grin, “You’re coming here and then were taking the bus”

~ “…”~

I laugh, “Does the idea of taking a bus really scare you that much?”

Gaara gets drives to and from school as well as to any other place he might wanna go. The bus is like this mythical creature he thinks other people ride. Totally not his thing…

~ “…”~

“I’ll be waiting outside so you’ll see me when you get here”

~ “Hn”~

“Bye Gaa-Chan”

If he though the little name thing was weird, he doesn’t mention it. Besides, he’s the one that let’s me call him that. ~ “…Ja ne”~

I hang up after he does and decide that the man is going to really have to communicate with me more. I mean you have a mouth for talking…not just eating and chewing gum…really. Okay, now I have to get properly dressed. If today is going to be anywhere near as fun as it should be, I have to know what to do. I said I’d go but it wasn’t like I’d ever been, much less seen, where or how someone gets a piercing.

Since I have money left over from when I got my paycheck on Tuesday, money isn’t an issue. The where is what I’m worried about, not the how. I can’t really see Gaara as the shopping type really, so I haven’t got the faintest clue what were gonna do after he gets his stuff; I don’t want him getting bored halfway through.

I rush into my room and pull on army-print pants and a black tee, a black bandana to cover up my hair partially and have to dig around for my favorite studded belt. Pausing, I write Sasuke a quick note and leave it where he’ll find it. I grab my keys and jacket from the hall closet and head out the door. I even almost forget to lock the door in my haste to leave. I bolt down the stairs when the elevator takes too long.

~!@!~

Gaara isn’t there when I get downstairs, out the lobby, and out to the bus stop, which is normal since he lives in Uptown Boston. The only thing I know about Uptown or Downtown Boston is that Sasuke and Haku also live up there. I wouldn’t say that it’s where rich people live, but they are pretty cosmopolitan as far as trends and food and all that other stuff. Haku said that it was only on a side note that he should ever mention that it required having money.

That’s his polite way of saying that you kinda hafta have money, but only because of the type of lifestyle.

To tell the truth, after having been to Haku’s place and Sasuke’s place before hand, once or twice, I know that I’m not especially fond of all that glamour and weird food. Somehow, all those things that they consider normal, like modeling their clothes after magazine spreads or eating the latest Mediterranean dish, seem like things I could totally live without.

Why change styles every time society says there’s something new you should convert to? Why eat only if it’s expensive, foreign cuisine? What’s the point of paying tons of money to buy a classy car that, in the end, you only use to get from point A to point B anyway? Where’s the practicality in having a butler or two or three if your perfectly capable of doing things on your own? And in the end, does having all that make a person happy?

Because I don’t understand these things, I sometimes feel like I can’t or shouldn’t be able to understand certain people. I can honestly say that I don’t understand Sasuke, but I do get along with Haku. As far as Gaara goes, he’s totally chill and Neji is someone who doesn’t need me to understand him right away and will give me the time to figure him out my own way. But really, the only reason I fuss so much about it, is because I get so damn uncomfortable when I have to go to people’s places.

All that…modern society stuff…it’s not for me…

Absently, I glance up at the sky and pull a face. Big, blackish thunder-could-looking guys are settling overhead. They are the kind that you know will be pouring out all day and probably come with explosive thunder. Looking down at myself, I realize that it wouldn’t matter what I was wearing…the rain would still soak right through.

Checking let’s me know that the bus should be here in another ten minutes, give or take. I decide that I’ll be able to make it back to get an umbrella.

When I get back upstairs, the answering machine I bought earlier in the week is going off and Sasuke is up.

He meets me in the hall, his hair all ruffled and his dark eyes still full of sleep. Smiling, I usher him into the bathroom and get him to take a shower. It’s pleasant how sleepiness makes him docile.

The thick clouds outside make the light inside my place tint gray.

Leaving Sasuke to himself, I head over to my hall closet, open it, and peer in cautiously. Last time I was looking for my umbrella, I ended up finding mice instead. Of course, my place didn’t actually have mice…Tsunade-Hag put them there to scare me.

It didn’t scare me, by the way…but who wants to see mice in their closet?

Anyway, so I’m digging in there like there is no tomorrow when I hear a slow roll of thunder. I always though that thunder had a cool sound, sort of like a slow wave that crashes hard. If you stand at an open window when it’s about to rain then you know what I mean. The air kind of lulls, literally a calm right before the storm, before the sound actually hits and rolls over the sky and across air, literally rumbling.

I kick some old stuff in boxes aside before crouching down to check out the back bottom of the closet. I can hardly see in the near grayish dark that has become both my apartment and also permanently resides in my closets. It occurs to me to turn on the light, but I hear Sasuke calling faintly for me before the thought even properly registers.

Sighing deeply, I half crawl out my closet and run back to the bathroom to find out if Dracula melted in the shower and needs help.

“Sasuke?” Knocking lightly, I wait for a response.

The answer is so long in coming that I almost think that he really might have died in there. After a pause, I hear Sasuke yawn quietly, “I need a towel…please”

Before I turn to leave, I pause to ask, “Wanna borrow some clothes?”

Sasuke doesn’t answer right away. Pausing to listen again, he kinda scares the crap outta me when he pulls the bathroom door open a crack suddenly and peers out at me sleepily, “Sure”

His voice is a sleepy murmur.

I would never say this to his face, cause I’m not into getting decked, but he’s just too cute for words. The drowsy look he has on his face makes me wonder what kind of bedroom look he must have…of course, I already do know what his bedroom look is…up close and more personal then was necessary…but I still like to pretend that it was some weird dream I had a while ago.

Helps me cope…

He’s simply too hot to handle sometimes…which is why I’m gonna get him a change of clothes and that towel before hightailing it outta here.

I need to preserve my sanity…

~!@!~

By the time I make it outside again, the rain is pouring and I’ve totally missed the bus. My view is completely blurred by the rain. It gives a very surreal feeling. Standing just outside the doors into the lobby, I try hard to see past the sheets of rain falling. At first, I think that I can see a car coming up towards me, white lights flashing dimly thru the rain. I’m not entirely surprised when the unassuming black Mercedes stops sidelong to me; the back door pops open.

Sighing for the hell of it, I crawl in. I should have known that Gaara wouldn’t dare ride the bus in the rain anyway.

Gaara is staring almost moodily out the rear window. At first, I dunno what to say, so I stay quiet. I study his habitually dark clothes and wonder what seems so off about him today. The car moves away form the curb and I try to look at the chauffeur of the car but see only the back of the black cap he’s wearing.

Gaara turns to look at me finally, and I get my first real look at him. His normally thick panda eyes are a little more thinly drawn, the ends curling up near the corner of his eyes. The catty look is accentuated by the fact that there’s blue eye shadow covering both his lids. It’s faint, but kinda suggestive. His eyes are the same as always, jade green and impenetrable.

Grinning at him and shrugging my shoulders, I turn to look out the window myself.

Gaara offers my half turned back a half smile before turning back to his own window.

That’s the greatest thing about Gaara’s friendship: the caring part is required, but not the talking.

~!@!~

We’re downtown before we know it and Gaara is pulling off his seatbelt and ushering me out onto the pouring rain before I’m really sure what’s going on. I stare, a bit out of place and feeling rushed, as Gaara gives the chauffeur brief instructions. The car pulls away and Gaara holds a black umbrella over our heads, and I realize that, despite the rain, the usual amount of weekend shoppers are walking around.

Standing to look at them, it freaks me out how much they actually look like zombies in raincoats. I mean, it’s the way that they’re milling about and looking slightly more lost then I feel.

Gaara catches my attention by taking my hand, and leading me off down the crowded sidewalk. The sky is the color of concrete and the ground rumbles with the thunder. Trying to see the good side of things, I tighten my hold on Gaara, “So, Captain, we’re setting off at high tide and not lost I hope?”

Gaara doesn’t show any indication of having heard my banal comment, but turns long enough to give me an amused look. Silently, he keeps leading me up the street.

We pass by stores that look more and more out of place, as we go further up the street. Soon, Gaara stops, decided, in front of a Tattoo parlor…or at least, that’s what I’m assuming it is. The place doesn’t look like I would’ve expected, with fully black windows, no actual display and with only a bright green neon sign blaring the name: Threshold.

Gaara doesn’t hesitate to march right in after briefly nodding to himself.

Inside, the lighting is dim, almost creating the sun-setting kind of look. It wasn’t what I expected, to make a long story short. The walls are a deep purple color but laced with paintings of landscapes for added d?or. Gaara pauses to pull off his trench coat and hang it up in the closet by the entrance.

It amuses me to know that the inside part is a vividly bright pink.

Gaara notices my look and smirks. Instead of saying anything fun, he asks me for my own jacket. I make a grimace as I hand it to him cause it’s dripping all over the carpeted entrance.

My interest with my mess is short lived before I focus instead on what Gaara’s wearing.

His t-shirt is black but has a glittery-style picture of the cookie monster on it. He’s wearing white, pinstripe style capris, despite the weather, and gold-colored suspenders. He opted for high top converse sneakers that seem to be the same blue as the cookie monster. The heavy scarf he usually wears is replaces with a thick back ribbon tied around his neck, the bow tied neatly.

Sensing my eyes on him, Gaara turns to give me a mildly questioning look, his eyes almost glowing in the low light. If I didn’t know better, I might’ve thought he was giving me the eye. Shaking my head to dispel the odd though that waddles into my head having to do with Gaara’s blatant display of mockery towards my person using those gorgeous eyes, I should like to think that I wouldn’t have minded if he’d been serious…about the slightly ‘come hither’ look, I mean.

The though should have horrified me, but somehow doesn’t. This is what I get for having such gorgeous guy friends as buddies. Not even the thought of Neji seemed to stop me from briefly checking Gaara out as he took my hand again and led me to the wide reception area.

To distract myself from being more of a weirdo then I already am, I study the place. More deep purple, black lamps, a bookcase, several comfortable looking chairs later, I’m still wondering if Gaara knows that this place looks more like a classy dentist’s office then a place to get his piercings.

The idea that he might actually not know where we are is tossed unceremoniously out the window along with the appearance of the receptionist.

My jaw is hanging open, I’m sure.

She’s short, like me, but has a shock of frizzy bleach blond curls on her head. The strong red blush she’s wearing high on her cheekbones accentuates her round face and her wide, shockingly friendly smile is all frosted blackish-red lipstick. Her ears are lined with piercings and both eye eyebrows look kinda spectacular with two piercings respectively. To top off her look, she’s wearing a white nurse’s uniform, the kind you see in old, sixties movies, along with the little white hat and the high, black pumps. Her name tag let’s us know her name is Patsy.

Gaara doesn’t seem to think that Patsy, or anything about her, is weird. For the most part, I try to keep my staring to a minimum.

“Name?” Patsy asks politely. Her eyes are a clear, baby blue.

She’s probably only wearing contacts, but they didn’t stop her from looking like a Marylyn Monroe back from the dead…or maybe like Betty Boop’s sister.

Gaara doesn’t answer but hands her a paper from his back pocket.

Patsy takes it, smiling, and sits down to type in the info at the computer. Absently, as she types, she looks over at me, “You guys together?”

Gaara shrugs and I turn kinda pink.

Patsy pauses, her hands poised above the keys, “Sorry, I’m kinda nosy”

She has a thick accent…like someone who comes from down south.

Finishing, she asks Gaara to come along with her and asks me to take a seat.

Alone, I sigh heavily and collapse into one of the chairs. I feel like someone waiting for bad news in a hospital waiting room. Since I’m bored, I busy myself by picking up one of the magazines lying on the table. Eying a particular picture of a guy with little barbell-like piercings lining his spinal cord, I don’t hear or see Patsy come back.

“That’s for veterans, not just anyone could bother getting those”

I jump and drop the magazine.

Patsy laughs, “Sorry…you just looked a bit freaked out there; I figured I could explain”

I grin, “Yeah, well, that’s not something you see everyday” I point offhandedly at the fallen magazine.

Patsy nods, understanding, and sits close by on a nearby armchair, “Your friend’s having something done, wouldn’t you like something too?”

I stare at her for a minute, trying to decide if she’s serious and burst out laughing, “No way…I don’t know anything about piercings”

Patsy bites her lower lip, “Well, you might consider getting your tongue pierced”

I raise an eyebrow at her, “What would make you think so?”

Patsy smiles, amused at my sudden partial curiosity, “Well, you smile a lot and you laugh with your whole mouth. Piercings, depending on where they are, can be pretty flattering”

I shrug, “Wouldn’t matter anyway ‘cause you need to be older to have it done”

Patsy grins, “Nope, your buddy could give permission, he’s eighteen isn’t he?”

I stick my tongue out at her, “That can’t be legal”

Patsy’s grin widens, “Who said it had to be legal. It’s not like it’ll hurt that much, and you’re old enough to take care of it. Sides, if you accept now, just cause I like ‘ya, it’ll be on the house”

It’s hard not to like Patsy. She obviously stubborn and outspoken, and besides that, she’s hard to argue with because she makes everything look so easy.

She’s watching me, smiling knowingly, all black-red lipstick and piercing blue eyes, “Well? How’s a ‘bout it?”

Her southern accent peeks out faintly, and I smile, “I dunno”

Patsy clucks her tongue, “What’s the holdup?”

I stare thoughtfully at my hands, “I’d not sure if I’ll like it…and isn’t it dangerous to get your tongue pierced?”

Patsy blinks at me, “Well, I can be a bit of a discomfort when you first get it, and ya have ta take it easy with what ya eat, but it’s not so bad. If ya really don’t like it, you can have it out later”

I scratch the back of my head, “That’s just the thing though, I don’t want to have it out later if I should’ve just not had it in the first place”

Patsy laughs, “Your so argumentative! Live a little! S’not like a boy to be so chicken”

I think, when I look back on this scene in my memory, it’s her teasing that actually, probably, made me do it.

~!@!~

“Let me see”

Shika leans over me and eyes my swollen tongue with a face that clearly indicates how little he actually approves of what I just had done like an hour ago. Gaara, for the most part, is sitting next to me, completely oblivious to Shika’s mild irritation and disapproval.

Must be nice to be so immune…

About an hour ago, Patsy, whose number is sitting in my pocket, convinced me to get a tongue barbell thing. The actual piercing wasn’t as bad as I would’ve thought. It’s the fact that my tongue swelled up so bad afterwards that kinda has me weirded out. Patsy says the swelling will go down in a day or so.

Gaara had easily given his approval, and as soon as we were both done, I suggested we go see Shika. He actually works regularly on weekends at a caf?that’s only a block or so up the street from the arts place I work at. I bothered the crap outta Gaara cause I really needed to get something cool to drink so my tongue would take a break from throbbing.

Because of my tongue’s swelling, I’ve been saved from speaking or having to explain myself.

Shika gives me another dirty look, “You do realize that you were born with all the holes your ever going to need right?”

Gaara snorts and hides it behind his bubble tea.

Shika shrugs, “Well, I guess not everyone can live with having a normal body”

“Phunny”, I manage to say just this side of sarcastically enough. My tongue makes me sound like my mouth is full.

Gaara speaks up for the first time today, “Listen, it’s not as bad as it looks”

Shika raises his eyebrow at him, “You’d think that my bark is worse then my bite, but it’s the other way around. You’ve just never seen me mad”

Gaara raises an eyebrow back, “If you’re busy judging things about people around you, then you have no time to love them for who they are”

Shika smiles faintly, “You got me there. Even when you make something idiot-proof, somebody will make a better idiot”

I sigh and put my head on my arms. I yawn and try not to worry about what Haku is going to say. I haven’t seen much of him lately, what with all that extra work he’s been taking care of at school, but if Shika hates it so much, it’s hard to think that Haku might react otherwise.
Personally, I don’t really think it’s such a bit deal, but aren’t I always wrong about everything anyway?

Shika taps my shoulder and sets another vanilla shake in front of me, “Go home. I get off in an hour or so; I’ll drop by”

Then he ushers Gaara and me out huffily.

Shika likes to take care of people, and that’s really true, but he just hates being caught doing it.

~!@!~

“Jeez, it’s dark!”

My swelling’s gone down since I had that vanilla shake and I can actually speak lucid English.

Gaara just shuts the door quietly behind us.

Because of all the bags at our feet, I have trouble turning around to search for the light switch.

When the light flickers on suddenly, I go temporarily blind, “Gaara, warn a guy next time”

Gaara just smirks, amused, and hauls half the bags into my kitchen.

It doesn’t occur to me right away to see if Sasuke is still here, so I just carry the rest of the bags into the kitchen.

Gaara already pulled off his trench coat and has it draped over the counter. I watch him for a second, rummaging thru the bags with that intent look on his face. I laugh when he turns up with the Chocolate and peanut butter spread. Seeing me laughing doesn't bother him, instead, he just asks me where he can find the bread and a butter knife.

I roll my eyes and show him. He makes a quick sandwich with just that, and abruptly wanders off. Shrugging and smiling to myself, I start putting away my groceries.

Gaara wanders back looking pensive; “There’s a lump on your sofa that mumbles when you poke it”

Raising both eyebrows at him, I head out into the living room and sure enough, the couch pullover is covering someone.

Reaching out tentatively, I uncover the head.

Sasuke’s a little more then half awake by now. His hair’s all over the place, but he smells really nice, probably from his shower. Grinning, I prod him till be opens his eyes and frowns at me, “Morning, Count Dracula”

Sasuke’s frown dissolves and he blinks at me, “I thought you said you weren’t calling me that anymore”

Who knew he even remembered me saying that? I stick my tongue out at him, “Changed my mind. It’s past noon and you’re still not up”

Sasuke is giving me the eye, “It that what I think it is?”

Puzzled, I sit down on the floor nest to the sofa and look up at him, “What?”

“That thing IN your tongue”

Sasuke sits up and the pullover slides off his shoulders enough to reveal that he is in fact wearing my stuff. Before I can answer him, Gaara wanders back into the room and offers Sasuke a sandwich.

Sasuke pauses, gives me a look, shrugs and takes it. Gaara sits beside him and takes another bite of his own sandwich.

I watch, amused, as Sasuke peels back the bread to look at what’s inside. He raises both eyebrows at his sandwich before closing it and taking a bite. To tell the truth, I can understand his surprise, especially since I though I was the only weirdo that still ate chocolate sandwiches.

Not to be distracted, I razz Sasuke, “What about the thing IN my tongue?”

Sasuke just shrugs, “Doesn’t seem like something you’d do”

I fume, “And you know me well enough to be able to tell if it’s something I’d do or not?”

Gaara’s chewing slows down minutely before he suddenly gets up and wanders back into my kitchen.

Sasuke stares after him, “Well, I’ve been your personal bully for like, the whole time we’ve known each other. I know enough to say that you’re definitely not the type to have that done…unless someone planted the idea in your head?”

I stick my tongue out at him, “Screw off, would you? I can’t believe you haven’t gone home yet”

Sasuke doesn’t look at me but his voice is icy, “No worries. I found me cell in your jacket pocket. Aniki is picking me up soon”

That makes me wish I’d swallowed my words instead of saying them.

Hesitantly, I tug at the pullover draped over his shoulders, “He still mad?”

Sasuke doesn’t answer, but accepts the glass of milk that Gaara, who just came back, offers him.

Rolling my eyes, I get up, “I give up!”

~!@!~

I’ve put away my groceries but I don’t dare go back into my living room cause Sasuke’s still there. Gaara is out there too, but I doubt that’ll stop Sasuke from being nasty with me. I have to admit, though, that I shouldn’t have been mean about him staying over.

Sasuke isn’t the kind of person who likes to depend on others. He hates not being able to handle his own problems on his own terms. Both these things make him hard to approach and easy to tick off. Show a little concern and he wants to bite you.

Aside from that though, I’m starting to think that I should call Shika and warn him not to come. I forgot, ironically enough, that Sasuke and Shika aren’t the best of friends and having them together, in my relatively small place, could be just this side of disastrous.

“How long are you going to hide in here?”

I almost drop the cup I’m putting away, “Gaara, don’t DO that. Sneaking up on a guy in not considered cool”

Gaara blinks acerbically at me to indicate how much he cares, “Sasuke’s going downstairs”

I shrug, turning back to my cupboard, “So?”

Gaara ‘hmms’ disinterestedly behind me, “Go with him”

I turn just long enough to give Gaara the eye, “In case you didn’t notice…he’s mad at me…AGAIN!”

Gaara reaches up to adjust his bow tie-shaped ribbon, “Then apologize”

I give up on putting away my dishes, “You make everything sound so easy”

Gaara narrows his eyes at me and cocks his head, “Do I?”

I can’t help but laugh, “Don’t ask rhetorical questions, that’s my job”

Gaara, being the cool guy that he is, just shrugs, “I don’t do easy, I do straightforward”

I grin at him, “Why are you being so literate all of a sudden?”

Gaara shoves his hands into his pockets and turns to leave, “It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for subtlety” Pausing, he shrugs again, “I’m going to watch TV”

Now that Gaara has planted the idea in my head, I think I might want to go down with Sasuke. He may be mad at me, but even he’ll accept an apology if I make it now instead of later. Besides, I’m starting to actually like Sasuke and anyway, someone said that you have to be a friend to have friends.

Leaving the kitchen, I head toward the living room and find only Gaara sitting on the couch and watching TV like he said he would. Looking up at me briefly, Gaara flips to another channel, “He’s in your room”

Shrugging, I head down the hall towards my room. The door is closed but I can hear Sasuke moving around inside. Pushing the door open slowly, I peek in.

Sasuke is changing back into his clothes.

Reddening a bit, I hesitate just inside the door, “Sorry about before”

Sasuke, who is halfway through putting his shirt on, pulls it the rest of the way and gives me a long look, “Don’t worry about it”

The indifference in his tone makes it obvious that he’s not pissed but certainly still annoyed with me. Sighing, I come into the room and flop down on the bed.

Sasuke watches me for a minute before turning away to fold and place the clothes he borrowed on my dresser, “Thanks anyway for letting me hijack your place”

I grin, “Isn’t that what friends are for?”

Sasuke shrugs, “I wouldn’t know”

Rolling my eyes, I sit up and fold my hands in my lap to stop myself from fidgeting, “I know I can be an ass, sometimes, but I do kinda like you…as a friend…when you’re not being scary…”

Sasuke half turns, still folding the large black sweater he’s being lounging around in, “I’m scary?”

I give him a measured look to see if he’s being sarcastic, “Among other things”

Sasuke raises an eyebrow, “Others things?”

I pull a face at him, “Your bossy and a showoff and a smart mouth and a bully and seriously overconfident and full of yourself and kinda sarcastic…as if you didn’t already know”

Sasuke raises the other eyebrow to complete his surprised look but doesn’t answer. After a moment, he kinda smirks, “If you really think I’m all those things, why do you hang around me, Usurakontachi?

That rarely heard hint of fondness when he calls me that mean nickname stops me from saying something nasty, “Yeah, well, you’re the one that kinda hovers around me anyway. Might as well make peace with you”

Sasuke kinda shakes his head and smiles slightly and since there really in nothing else for me to say, I stay quiet.

I watch Sasuke put his bandana back on and check his pockets for his keys. He takes a minute to look around my room before motioning me to follow him out to the hall.

Standing, I follow. At the door, I reach to pull on my jacket but Sasuke stops me, “Don’t bother”

I stick my tongue out at him, “Why not?”

Sasuke takes my jacket from me and hangs it up again, “Do you really want to see my brother?”

I hesitate a second too long and Sasuke smirks, “I didn’t think so”

I frown at him, “I’m not THAT scared of him”

Sasuke smirks again, “Neither am I, but that doesn’t mean you’d want to hang around him more then normally”

My eyes somehow gravitate to Sasuke’s wrists which are hidden again under the studded wristbands, “You never mentioned if he was still mad or not”

Sasuke shrugs easily, “Would it matter if he was?”

I purse my lips, “Why am I the only one worried about this?”

Sasuke calmly turns the doorknob and half steps out, “Because you’re an idiot”

I stick my tongue out at him, “Fuckoff”

Sasuke grins, “I am” Before shutting the door behind himself, he reaches out to put his hand behind my neck and pull me close enough to kiss my cheek, “Thanks for worrying anyway”

Flushing bright red, I shove him, “Teme! Screw off! Go HOME!”

Sasuke laughs and walks calmly down the hall, my yelling follow him all the way into the elevator where he turns to smirk at me before the doors slide shut.

Slamming the door shut, I stand in the entryway for a minute to compose myself.

I’m surrounded by molesters!

Stomping into the living room, I collapse next to a motionless Gaara. Instead of bitching, I glance at the TV. Gaara is watching a documentary about scorpions.

Sitting motionless next to Gaara, we both watch, entranced, as a scorpion female defends her young from being eaten by raising her tail menacingly at a shrew. The baby scorpions are curled up on her back and holding on for dear life.

I kinda cringe when she attempts to sting the shrew and misses. Lucky for her, the shrew gives up and she heads back into her fallen log home.

During the commercials, Gaara mutes the TV, “Sasuke’s gone?”

I nod, still a little peeved.

Gaara sits back and drops the remote between us, “Did you know that some scorpions eat other scorpions when they have nothing else to eat while others are cannibalistic by nature?”

I turn to give Gaara a grossed out look.

Gaara shrugs, “It’s a smart way to survive”

I grin, “Gaara, does that mean you’d eat me if you had no other choice?”

Gaara gives me a long look, jade eyes searching my face. Abruptly, he sits back up and catches my wrist, using it to pull me closer. Losing my precarious balance, I land hard on his chest. Still holding my wrist prisoner, Gaara uses his other hand to tilt my face up to his.

Still a little shell shocked, I still don’t react when Gaara studies my face one last time before leaning down and brushing his lips over mine. I hold my breath, still unresisting, and Gaara pulls back. I let escape a shaky breath and Gaara kisses me again.

It’s kinda hard to tell yourself that what’s happening is wrong when Gaara’s tongue is teaching you the meaning of ‘tonsil hockey’; therefore, it’s kinda hard to muster up the energy to try.

Back when I still though French kissing was gross, I might have weirded out when Gaara starts sucking on my tongue. However, after having been exposed to both Sasuke, who is a vicious kisser and Neji, who’s the exact opposite, I can’t find it in me to dislike any kind of affection given in this fashion.

I think I might be addicted…

Pulling away slowly, Gaara sits back, me still leaning heavily on him, “Does that answer you’re question?”

Breathless, I just shake my head. What I wanna know is how I get myself into these situations.

I have a boyfriend for crying out loud…

The doorbell rings and I sit there like a lump, still kinda dazed. Gaara sits me up and un-mutes the TV, “I’ll go look”

Starring after him, I slowly turn back to the TV when he disappears around the corner.

Sayin’ that I’m a little shocked might be another of the biggest understatements of the century.

I don’t register much else that happens that night.

I can remember Haku popping up and making a huge fuss over my tongue piercing and Shika giving me a big helping of ‘I-told-you-so’ conversation and Gaara sitting passively but protectively at my side, but I don’t remember being quite there myself.

I do know that I am very ashamed of myself.

It’s not that I don’t like Gaara or even Sasuke for that matter, but Neji is my official boyfriend.

It occurs to me though, that I may have a problem.

In Sasuke’s case, he knows damn well I’m attached but just wants to make my life hell for the fun of it AND because he wants to piss off Neji, who still happens to know nothing about the fact that Sasuke is after me.

In Gaara’s case, he doesn’t even know that I’m with Neji. The only people who know for sure that we’re dating are Sasuke, Haku and Shika.

Sasuke wouldn’t suspects Gaara of liking me, and even if he did, he wouldn’t have said anything about my being attached just to get me into more trouble.

In Shika and Haku’s case, they are both assuming that they are the only two who know, which they were, before this whole thing blew up in my face and turned into a massive nightmare.

All this is made worse when I remember that I’m spending the day with Neji tomorrow. How am I gonna look him in the face and act like nothing’s been happening? I’m not sure if it’s even worth telling him what’s going on since he might be mad at me for letting all these things happen to me without telling him when they started in the first place. As far as I can tell, there is no right way to go about fixing this, other then to excommunicate myself and hide away in my place till I can think up a solution.

Then again, I’m not going to gave the luxury of having down time since my place is practically Sitcom Duck central…

I’m officially screwed…

~!@!~

TBC...