A Matched Set

I’m soooooo sorry for the long wait. I swear, I will try better.
Anyways…this time I’d like to thank ednama, who always loves and reviews even though she’s allergic to SasuNaru, and whose stories never fail to leave me happy with the world in general. Thanks to PotionsPet, I promise I’m getting the email-y thing up soon. Thanks to Crimson_Batwings, who drew my first fiction inspired artwork (http://mangamistress.deviantart.com/art/eperimenting-97307014)
And lastly, thanks to Sneakyfox, who was my first review, and who’ll probably be their ‘til the end. You guys rock.


“A Matched Set”

Chapter 7


“Wake-y, wake-y Sunshine!”

Naruto’s voice called from the kitchen, causing Gaara’s darkly ringed eyes to slam open as he popped wide-awake.

The hot, greasy smell of crisp bacon drifted through the air, making his tummy rumble from where it lay on the couch, buried under a massive blanket.

He ignored its protest and rolled to face the coffee table.

“Gaara? Are you hungry?”

Naruto stepped lightly into the room, his bare feet making no sound on the plush carpeted floor. He still wore his sleeping pants, but a sunshine-daisy-blinding-light-bulb yellow apron, that draped over broad shoulders and fell across a tan stomach, had replaced his shirt.

Gaara groaned and rolled to face the wall instead. ‘Why did I have to wake up?’

“Gaara? Are you okay?”

The concern in the blonde’s voice hurt his heart, making him want things that were clearly out of his reach. But he didn’t want him worried. The redhead rolled onto his back grumpily, jade eyes glowering at the ceiling above him. The bastard had kissed someone else…

“I…I made you breakfast.” Naruto said, worry weaving through his voice.

Gaara sat up, pale arms crossing tightly around his knees, holding himself together.

“I’m not hungry.”

Naruto’s face fell a little at the words, that smile faltering a little at the ice of the tone. It made Gaara sickly happy, his heart clenching and his mind loosening. Why did he care what the fool did anyway? He’d kissed someone else. Pressed those soft lips to someone else’s, wrapped those strong arms around another person.

Gaara realized he had no claim on that mouth. He also decided he didn’t have to be happy about it.

He sighed suddenly, propping himself up on his elbows. He had to get out of this house soon, out of the smothering comfort that the pretty blonde surrounded him with. If only it wasn’t for his damned ankle…He tried shifting it gingerly, stretching the bruised muscle. He hissed at the pain shooting up his leg in a swift dart.

“Don’t move!” Naruto exclaimed, hands reaching forward quickly to steady the smaller boy as he rocked backwards, the blood draining from his face leaving him paler than even before.

Gaara tensed at his hands, face tightening.

Naruto pulled back quickly sensing the tension, but unsure of what to do.

He scratched awkwardly at the back of his head, trying to avoid Gaara’s stony expression. ‘What did I do? He was so…calm last night.’

“I was…uh…planning on heading back to work today, and I uh…I was wondering if you wanted to come with me? I thought maybe you’d like to get out of the house.”

The blonde watched, a little worried, as Gaara’s eye’s slid shut, and he let his upper body flump back onto the couch.

“Sure.”

Naruto watched the plump pink lips part to whisper his reply, then blinked rapidly to dispel the image. He was with Sasuke now, right? He had no business finding Gaara utterly irresistible. His mind slowly trailed back to the kiss from the night before, replaying the feel and taste with incredible accuracy. He’d tasted like dark chocolate, rich and bitter. And he’d felt like…

“Who was he?”

“What?” Naruto asked flushing, snapping his mind back to the present.

“Who was he? The man at the door last night. Was he you boyfriend?”

With the last insanely neutral statement, Naruto felt a blush rising up to taint his cheeks. How had Gaara guessed something was going on with him and Sasuke, unless he saw…

The blush drained away faster than it had appeared, leaving his face pale and drawn.

He’d seen.

It shouldn’t matter. This sense of guilt, and the shame of betrayal, should definitely not be here. He also shouldn’t want to suck on that lower lip.

He examined Gaara’s face, which had turned, from his own, lingering on the bright eyes and the delicate curve to his chin. A sudden surge of guilt swamped him. He’d hurt him. WHY did it matter?

“I…don’t really know what we are.” Naruto answered truthfully, working hard not to stutter, as he often did when feeling in the wrong.

Gaara nodded, eyes fastened on the knit blanket before him, one graceful hand plucking hesitantly at the puffs of cotton.

Unable to bear it any longer, Naruto stood abruptly.

“Well. If you’re coming to work with me you’re going to have to borrow some of my clothes. I couldn’t get all the blood out of yours”

He paused thoughtfully. “Maybe I won’t go in ‘til eleven. It’ll give you time to eat, and that way Sasuke can stew for a bit longer.”

Gaara nodded once more, wishing the blonde was smirking about him, before letting out a yawn, his body rippling in a lingering cat-like stretch, working out all the kinks his muscles had attained the night before.

He gave himself one last quick glance at the blonde, his jade eyes widening in surprise for what he saw.

Naruto’s eyes slunk down the line of his body, stopping and burning like a brand on the tiny strip of pale skin revealed on his abdomen, the shirt having ridden up as he tossed and turned.

The blonde blinked slowly, then jerked a quick thumb behind him. “I’m uh, I’m just…gonna go get break…fast.”

Gaara nodded, a wicked little smile curling his lips. Maybe he did still have a chance.

If he, you know, decided he wanted him.

/../../../../../../../../../../../../../../../../../

He could feel him glaring, seafoam rip-tide eyes, crashing against the back of his skull and slowly eroding his headrest.

If only he didn’t feel so fucking guilty!

His hands slid tersely on the wheel, indigo eyes narrowing to slits as he tried not to glance into the rear-view mirror. He already knew what he’d see.

Condemnation.

If only he was certain of his new relationship with Sasuke, knew that the kiss was a commitment. Were they dating? Or was he just a toy, someone to screw around with, then leave? He’d had too many unsuccessful relationships to have any hope.

That kiss, as mind-blowing as it had been, confused the fuck outta him. And…

He scrunched lower into the seat, feeling the evil, guilt-inducing G-aura pour back around him. ‘Jesus, he does guilt better than a nun…’

He flicked his turn signal absentmindedly, eyes resigning themselves and flicking through golden lashes to
gaze into the mirror.

Gaara was looking out the window, the lemon-coloured morning sun mixing with his eyes to turn them a bright and volatile chartreuse, the pupils narrowed to kitty-cat slits. His hair glowed copper blood.

His long, slender legs stretched before him, clad in a baggy pair of blue-green jeans that hung low on slim hips. The shirt was a deep navy, a faded pseudo-mascot imprinted on the once designer front, making his already petite form seem tiny and overwhelmed. The low neckline only helped emphasize, framing the graceful curve of his neck and the delicate veins over the winged arches of his collarbone.

SCREECH!!

Naruto jumped as the car behind him behind him began honking in quick repetitive bleats and pulled quickly through the light he’d almost missed. The man behind him, stranded in the red light, waved a furiously winged middle finger, his fist pumping vehemently.

As his driving smoothed out, Naruto quickly realized Gaara’s attention must have refocused on him because of the noise (like any good predator…or mother), because the presence was back.

‘evil, Evil, EVIL!!!’

He scrunched farther down into his seat, one hand groping frantically for the elusive radio button, hoping for anything, even badly made commercials, to break the silence.

“Naruto?”

The blonde jumped again, squeaking slightly.

“Uh…Yes, Gaara-kun?”

“What do you do for a living?”

Gaara had been sitting there, enjoying the soft, lay rumble of the sleek car underneath him, when he realized he had no idea where they were going. Or even what sort of place Naruto worked at. Or even, what this man’s last name was.

And he still trusted him.

Which had led to once more feeling confused and betrayed, because the blonde, who he wasn’t even sure he was interested in, had kissed another man.

After all, he could have kissed a girl.

Except that this man, besides being forceful and darkly handsome, not to mention older, was also prettier than any girl Gaara had ever seen.

And he was tall.

Obnoxiously tall.

And this man was Naruto’s boss. At a job he didn’t know. Which led to the question.(No one said his thought patterns had to make sense.)

“Me? Oh, I’m a graphics designer and all-around gopher for Uchiha Corp.” He smiled victoriously into the mirror. “However I have been promised a promotion.”

Gaara nodded, blinking thoughtfully.

“Oh.”

Naruto turned the radio down a little, the guilty lines of his fox-like face fading now that the Aura from Hell had cooled off.

“Yeah, it’s not bad and I make really good pay. Besides, I’ve made a lot of friends there so the atmosphere is really good.”

Gaara nodded again, head turning as if on axis back toward the window as Naruto swung the car easily into a dim parking lot, loving the soft crunch of gravel beneath his nearly new tires.

“We’re here.”

* * * * * *

Getting Gaara out of the car and into the building wasn’t so bad, the constant motion keeping almost all movement light and platonic, though the tiny whimpers falling from his mouth when jostled were distracting.

The elevator ride however, was a level of hell. Like the seventh.

Gaara was leaning heavily against him, his warm breath coming out in moist pants against Naruto’s collarbone where his chin was tucked. He could feel all the extra body heat seeping so deliciously into him and had to swallow hard. ‘But Sasuke…’

The doors slid open with a disgruntled clank at the seventeenth floor, groaning as they stepped onto the well-lit blue-carpeted office floor. Naruto stepped out first, before turning back and easing Gaara out gently, maneuvering his ankle over a bump in the carpet with solemn concentration.

Then the office exploded.

“Naru-chan?”

“Naruto, what?”

“Are you back?”

“Didn’t you quit?”

“Who’s the guy?”

Naruto dove into the crowd, Gaara secure at his side, one arm wrapped around the boy’s waist and worked through the crowd with smiles and jokes, brushing past hugs and pats on the back with an apologetic gesture at Gaara, or a naughty wink. They parted like melting butter, clearing an easy path to a specific cubicle.

Finally reaching his desk (a simple wooden affair, covered in papers and a small plaque: ‘Naruto Uzumaki’), The blonde eased Gaara down onto a softly cushioned swivel chair, one broad hand lingering on the red-head’s shoulder, branding him through the thin cotton.

Gaara watched as he straightened quickly, facing the twenty-odd coworkers clumped curiously around his workspace, almost all staring, bemused, at the pretty teen perched in his chair.

“This is my friend Gaara. His been injured, ankle badly sprained, so he’s here with me today. Be nice and keep an eye on him okay?”

Most nodded or smiled, slipping back to their cubicles now that they’re curiosity was sated.

“Hey, Naruto-kun?”

He turned, watching the stylish blonde woman smiling brightly at him. Oh dear. Ino-chan needed something…

“I need your help with the filing system. I got sorta ticked at Uchiha-sama yesterday and may have ‘lost’ all of 2006 and 2007 customer files.”

Her smile went wider. Naruto flinched.

“But now I really don’t know where they are.”

She batted her large blue eyes hopefully, mouth tilting even higher in the corners.

“Sure, Ino-chan. No problem. Let me just get him settled okay?”

She nodded eagerly, high ponytail bouncing vigorously at the movement, and walked off, pulling the last few gossipmongers along with her.

“You’ll be okay here, right?”

Gaara nodded solemnly at Naruto, brilliant jade eyes wide, unnerved by the large contingent of people that had just swarmed his borrowed cubicle.

Naruto smiled, mouth curving in a warm arc at the vulnerable expression.

“If you need anything at all, tell Hinata-chan” (he pointed to a quiet looking girl, sitting in the desk across from his, who waved nervously) “And she’ll come and get me.”

Gaara nodded once more, then smiled softly at Naruto, the worry fading quickly from his eyes.

“Thank you. For caring.”

>.< ^.^ U.U >.> <.< O.o

It was chaos.

After spending two hours helping Ino-chan find her ‘missing’ files, (who had somehow managed to spread themselves throughout the entire saved office system, rename themselves, and multiply into a thousand copies. He didn’t even know.), he’d had to call Neji, tell him he’d come back, and make him promise to speak to Lord Uchiha Pants about rescinding his resignation.

Neji was happy, but overly inquisitive. Like a friggin’ bloodhound. Naruto demurely told him they’d resolved their issues (he left out the fact that they’d done it with their tongues.)

He was on his way toward Gaara, (slightly worried; the redhead did not strike him as socially adept), when he was waylaid by Kiba, who was stressing about finding a basement layout from 2005 that had never been scanned onto the computer.

After a quick (tedious) trip (literally) down two flights stairs (the elevator did not go that far, damnit) into the basement, they dug through three boxes worth of mildewing folders, only to discover it had been scanned to the computers, and the hard copy summarily destroyed. And, while doing heavy lifting and sneezing, Kiba told him of Sasuke getting cursed out by the janitor, in tones of high hilarity.

After the blonde had located Eduardo’s employee file, he sent an email to Sasuke (who he most infuriatingly still hadn’t seen) and received clearance, he called his wife, telling the beleaguered women he’d gotten her husband’s job back, had listened to her teary thanks, and fended off her attempts to marry him to her niece.

And on his way to check on Gaara, five and a half hours later, Sasuke’s voice rang through the office, arrogance clearly audible even over the intercom’s extensive network.

“Uzumaki. Come to my office now.”

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Gaara blinked.

This place was pure pandemonium.

After Naruto had wandered off with his overpowering blonde friend, Gaara had expected to laze around, maybe read one of the romance novels on the tiny shelf by Naruto’s desk (sandwiched between architecture books and computer manuals, so as to be unnoticeable) or even catch up on some sleep.

Sadly, that did not happen.

It started with some loud pink-haired girl stopping by to chat for FORTY-FIVE MINUTES. ‘What’s your name, what happened to your leg, Are you a natural redhead, Are you related Naruto or just a friend, what do you do, how old are you, what neighbor hood do you live in, ON and ON and ON.

She left when his Glare-O-Meter was set to kill, instead of merely stun.

The Hinata had come over, blushing and stuttering, and had asked whether he was Naruto’s boyfriend.

He replied no.

She had looked at him carefully, head cocked to the side, then had asked whether he wanted to be, stuttering worse than before.

He replied yes.

She had smiled, beautifully and mysteriously, then wandered back to her desk. Later she brought him several tasty chocolate chip cookies.

So when she couldn’t find a case file that was due that day, Gaara had hacked into Naruto’s computer (the password was ram3n43v3r) and located the errant file.

Soon Kiba, a dark-haired boy who had been passing by, spotted Hinata’s excited and gratuitous jabbering and had headed over.

Gaara found three potential new land sites that had just opened up at his request, as Kiba was in charge of most new acquisitions. But mainly because Hinata seemed to like the idiot.

Kiba had thanked him profusely, and headed off. He then, apparently, opened his giant mouth and told the entire office about ‘Uzumaki’s whiz kid'.

He found two files Ino had lost the week before.

He found the location of a new Chinese restaurant the large guy named Chouji asked for (that one wasn’t hard at all, he mainly employed Google).

He found the New York Supreme Court rulings on wills and settlements for a drawling man named Shikamaru whose’ cousin was contesting his grandmother’s will.

He also found a carnival glass lampshade from the 1960’s for a creepy looking woman named Anko who had pinched his butt as she left.

It was then that Gaara decided he REALLY needed some alone time, so stood (wobbling a little on the bad ankle) and limped quickly for the lavatory.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

He smiled softly.

Oh, thank god, it was finally quiet and cool. The bathroom was chill, but not icy, smelled brightly of lemon pledge and the gentle natural lighting pouring in through the wide windows warmed the otherwise impersonal blue walls.

He turned the corner, eyes slipping closed and head falling forward to rest against the wall. His ankle throbbed painfully and his head ached from the constant chatter of people and work and living.

“Oh, you must be Gaara, Naruto’s…cousin.”

Gaara turned slightly, eyeing Naruto’s boss (boyfriend) through weary slitted eyes.

The man before him was impeccably handsome, silky black hair cut in a fashionable cut that fell just across the shoulders of his expensive suit framing a delicate yet masculine face. His dark eyes roamed lazily over the redhead, boredom and heat floating across the fresh tar, hands stuck deep in pants pockets, as leaned against the far wall arrogantly.

“You’re not really his cousin, are you?”

Gaara jumped, finally turning to face the brooding man, those gorgeous jade eyes widening comically.

He certainly wasn’t what Sasuke had been epecting. His hair was a vibrant garnet, the dim bathroom lighting tinting it darker. He seemed very young, body small and slim. Sasuke could probably tuck him under his chin. Young and innocent…

“You’re not just his boss, are you?”

Scratch innocent.

“No, I am definitely more than just his boss…Gaara-chan.” Sasuke stalked forward, lithe body still tense and predatory, hands deeply pocketed. His eyes burned as he saw Gaara back away from him unconsciously, lighting his eyes from within.

Beautiful.

“However the real question is…Gaara-chan…what are you, to him?”

Gaara swallowed hard, throat tightening at the soft hiss Sasuke’s voice had ended in, hoping his own voice wouldn’t waver as he answered. The black haired god before him gave off such a presence, wicked and dangerous, like a pet panther…

“Just friends…”

Sasuke smirked (the same one Naruto blushed at, though with slightly more malice) watching with pleasure as Gaara’s eyes gained a dazed look, those sweet, pouty pink lips parting softly. One hand left a pocket to trace the arched bow of that upper lip.

“As long as that’s how it remains…” He whispered, leaning close enough to smell clean skin and the soft scent of earth, rich and baked.

The boy nodded stiffly below him, back splayed against the wall, those pale turquoise eyes never leaving Sasuke’s face.

They stayed, poised like that for a minute, then Sasuke spun away, striding smoothly toward the door.

‘A pleasure, Gaara-chaaaan…”

He was gone, the slowly halting door the only sign he’d ever been there.

Gaara sank to the floor, eyes falling closed, as his head rested against the cool wall. He was so pissed and nervous and confused and…

He glanced down at his throbbing erection, feeling his breath catch again at the force and power in those dark eyes.

And…

A few moment’s later he felt the intercom click on, a coffee-rich voice heading over the air.

“Uzumaki. Come to my office now.”