Hunger

Disclaimer: 'Naruto' belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Warnings: yaoi, INCEST, sexual harassment, AU.
Pairings: At first KankuroxGaara but eventually GaaraxNaruto.
Note: Thoughts are in italics.

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update! But this chapter is really long, if that makes it up. ^^;

This chapter wasn't the easiest one to write, I'll say that. I hope all the feelings and situations are logical and not (too) awkward, I tried my best. The truth is, I've had a huge amount of stress lately, causing me to finally collapse at work and so on, so if there are any illogical parts, I apologize. It's hard to think clearly with the stress in the back of my mind but I tried my best. More author's notes in the end of this chapter.

However, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 8: Stay away from him

Naruto was jogging, almost running as he tried to straighten out his feelings. He had sprinted a few miles already but so far, the physical activity had not gotten his hormones any calmer. He wanted Gaara, he wanted him so bad that it almost drove him crazy at times. He had not been with anyone since Sasuke and knowing how pleasurable certain acts could feel, his mind and body craved them even more.

Lately, he had been having dreams about Gaara, very disturbing kind at that. Those dreams always resulted him having to chance his pants in the morning and take a cold shower. Last night he had had an interesting dream again, featuring his red haired friend of course. In the dream, Naruto had touched Gaara's face again but after that things had gone pretty differently than in reality.

On top of it all, he had now fought with Kiba on a daily basis. It wasn't anything too serious, only arguing but still, it did nothing good to their friendship which was already falling apart. He didn't understand why Kiba couldn't accept the fact that he had now chosen to hang around with Gaara, a lot. Naruto had even once suggested that all three of them could hang around together at school but no, Kiba had of course refused and gone to Sasuke's company instead, only to annoy Naruto even more.

Naruto ran a bit faster. Why couldn't things be easy? He really didn't need any more problems than he already had. He could already see his house, still running deep in thought as he almost bumped into someone. Looking at the person in front of him, he instantly smiled as he recognized the male.

"Hi Kankuro! How have you been?" Naruto asked politely, panting for air after the long run.

Kankuro smiled amusedly at the sweating blond. The boy had looked quite funny, running headlong on the street. "I'm fine, just coming from work," he finally answered.

"Oh, I see. Would you like to come in for tea?" Naruto asked, smiling friendly. He thought it would be rude not to ask since they were in front of his house anyway. Besides, he'd gladly pay back the friendliness Kankuro had shown him when he had been at Gaara's place that one Saturday.

Raising an eyebrow, Kankuro pondered the proposition for a moment. Why would he want to go to Naruto's home? Then again, homes always revealed certain things about people. He could find some important information...

"Sure, why not," the brunette said cheerfully and smiled at the blond.

-----

In the kitchen, Naruto put the kettle onto the stove.

"So Naruto, do you go to work?" Kankuro asked casually.

"No, I get financial support from the state because I'm an orphan and still underage. But it's not much, I barely get along," Naruto told the brunette.

"I understand, those supports are really minimal. But if you ever feel you need more money, come to the café. I bet you'd be suitable for that job, given how social you are and all. I'm sure they'd let you work in the evenings, after school," Kankuro offered. He knew that the state's supports were small, nothing to celebrate with. He and Gaara had gotten financial support, too, before he was able to go to work. Sometimes he was upset how much taxes he had to pay but when he thought that part of that money was used to support the disadvantaged, he gladly paid them.

"Thanks. I'll consider that," Naruto said cheerfully and graced Kankuro with one of his genuine smiles.

Kankuro only smiled slightly for an answer. The blond was actually quite nice like this when the boy wasn't talking too much at once. He could even understand a little why Gaara had let the blond befriend him. The redhead had been a bit happier in the past few days. For example when normally Gaara would've chosen not to answer something Kankuro had said, the redhead had now replied with a few words. Or sometimes when the brunette joked about something, Gaara had smiled faintly when he usually didn't even seem to hear him. That kind of behavior would've gone unnoticed by any other person but Kankuro knew his little brother well.

"Gaara has been a bit happier lately. Thanks for that," Kankuro said suddenly. He knew that the redhead's change of mood was to the blond's credit.

"W-What? Why are you thanking me?" Naruto asked, confused.

The blond received a smile from Kankuro. Obviously the brunette was amused at Naruto's bafflement. "I know my brother better than anyone. I can see you cheer him up," Kankuro told kindly. He was glad that the blond could make his quiet little brother a bit happier, when he himself always couldn't.

"Eh, really? That's nice to hear," Naruto spoke hurriedly. Did he really have that kind of effect on Gaara? He was so happy at the news! Maybe he had finally succeeded in opening up the introverted redhead?

The water was now boiling and Naruto poured it into the tea pot, brewing some rooibos tea for them. "It will take about ten minutes until the tea is ready. I thought I'd take a quick shower before that, make yourself at home," Naruto told his guest. He really wanted to change his sweaty clothes which unpleasantly clung onto his body.

"Go ahead," Kankuro replied, watching as the blond disappeared into the bathroom. As he heard the shower being turned on he stood up and quietly started to inspect the house. The kitchen cupboard revealed a huge stack of instant ramen. Did the boy eat anything else? There was nothing else in the cupboard, so the answer was probably yes.

Kankuro made his way to the hallway and living room but they held nothing interesting in them. Strolling to the bedroom, Kankuro rummaged through Naruto's drawer but found nothing else than the boy's clothes. Was the blond really as dull as his home seemed to be? The brunette sighed, disappointed that he hadn't found anything useful yet. In the distance, he could hear Naruto singing off-key in the shower.

The brunette sat down onto the unmade bed and it was then that he noticed the nightstand. He pulled the chest open in hopes of finding something interesting. He found only some magazines which confirmed his doubts about Naruto's sexual orientation. He then frowned, realizing that the blond might be interested in Gaara. He didn't like that idea - it was okay for Gaara to have a friend but it was a totally different thing if he had an admirer. Kankuro didn't accept competition. Gaara was his and only his.

But he couldn't be sure if Naruto had any kind of feelings for Gaara. He had to find out. Smirking, Kankuro got off from the bed as he heard the shower being turned off.

Naruto had just gotten out of the shower and was drying himself. It was then that he noticed he hadn't brought any clean clothes in which to change. He was used to walking around naked when he was alone but he couldn't do that now when Kankuro was here. After hesitation, Naruto pulled on his boxers and decided he could go that way. The brunette was in the kitchen and couldn't see if he sneaked into his room like that.

When he opened the bathroom door, he was greeted by a friendly smile from Kankuro. The brunette leaned against the wall beside the door, grinning.

"Eh... I forgot to bring clean clothes," Naruto said and stepped out of the bathroom, embarrased. For some reason he felt the need to explain why he only had his boxers on. But what unnerved him more was the fact that Kankuro had been waiting for him on the other side of the door. Had he been there all the time?

Smile never faltering, Kankuro placed his hands on either side of Naruto, capturing the blond between himself and the bathroom door. "Tell me Naruto, what do you think about Gaara?" the brunette asked, as if he was talking about a casual thing like the weather. He knew that to worm out the truth, he had to do this kind of a surprise attack.

Naruto was taken aback by the question. What kind of question was that anyway? A faint blush crept to his cheeks as he involuntarily went through what he had thought and dreamed about Gaara lately. "Eh, he's nice," Naruto finally replied, forcing a polite smile to his face.

The blush was an answer enough for Kankuro, whose friendly smile melted into an evil smirk. So, he had a rival now? Suddenly, he didn't like Naruto so much anymore. Now would be as good time as ever to give a subtle warning which wouldn't reveal his true motives.

Leaning closer to the blond, Kankuro spoke in a low voice, "He won't return those feelings. He's too hard to break through, trust me." It was true because it had been difficult even for him to crack the redhead's shell open.

"Eh, what feelings?" Naruto said weakly, trying to cover the fact that the brunette had hit the nail on the head. Am I really that easy to read? Naruto thought, panicking. What if Gaara had noticed what was going on in his mind, too?

"Don't try to lie, you don't succeed in it at all. You're like an open book, Naruto," Kankuro purred, the blond's name gently rolling out of his lips like a caress. He put his hand on the tanned shoulder, drying a single waterdrop with his thumb.

Naruto shivered involuntarily. For once, he didn't instantly know what to do or say. Just when he was about to open his mouth, Kankuro's voice interrupted him. "Why do you want him anyway when you could get a real man instead?" the brunette whispered to the blond's ear, sending shivers down the younger male's spine.

Was Gaara's brother just hitting on him? Naruto was shocked, his mind full of confusion. A single waterdrop dripped from his wet hair down to his chest as he stared dumbfounded into the bottomless, black eyes. "W-What? I think I didn't get you right because—"

"You got me perfectly right," Kankuro whispered. Gently, he dried the waterdrop from the blond's chest with his thumb again, purposely brushing his fingers over a tanned nipple. That earned a surprised gasp from the blond.

Kankuro didn't really want anything to do with the blond, no matter how good looking the boy was but if he wanted to get rid of him, he needed to do this. Kankuro was sure that Naruto was that kind of honest guy who wouldn't dare to hit on Gaara if he had earlier had something going on with the redhead's brother. That kind of action would surely be against the blond's ethics.

"K-Kankuro, I'm sorry but I don't think I feel the same way for you," Naruto began, gently trying to turn the brunette down. The older male's actions turned him on a little but he couldn't help it, thanks to his romance-deprived state.

As if not hearing the objection at all, Kankuro pushed his hips against Naruto's, pinning the blond to the door. He made sure that the blond felt his growing erection as he gently kissed the tender spot on the tanned neck. He was pleased when he felt a bulge on the blond's boxers and at then, he pushed against the boy a bit harder. "I know you want it. Imagine what I could make you feel," Kankuro purred, his hot breath hitting Naruto's neck.

It was getting harder for Naruto to resist the growing feeling in the pit of his stomach. His morality was fighting against his primal needs. Even though in any other situation he might've accepted the proposal, now he couldn't - he wanted Gaara and only him, not the redhead's brother or anyone else. If he now messed with Kankuro, he could never stand a chance with Gaara again. "No... I can't. I really don't want this," Naruto said, his voice revealing a hint of suppressed desire.

"It's hard to believe that when your body tells me otherwise," Kankuro murmured while he started to caress the blond's sides and chest. This time he tentatively nibbled the blond's neck, searching for stimulative spots. The blond let out a cry and tried to get away from him, in vain. Amused, the brunette bit and then sucked the tender spot harder and rubbed their erections together, slightly moaning at the friction.

A whimper escaped Naruto's lips at the involuntarily pleasure. He grabbed Kankuro's shoulders, trying to push the older male away. "N-No. Stop it. I... I don't want it," he said in a voice full of hidden need.

It was like Kankuro never even heard the words, for his hands traveled downwards, caressing the blond's well shaped abdomen muscles. Naruto was about to repeat his earlier words a bit louder this time, when the doorbell rang.

Kankuro was irritated that they had been interrupted but retreated nevertheless, knowing he should better leave now when their peace was interrupted. Smirking, he eyed the blushing blond before saying, "See you later." He then walked to the door and opened it.

Gaara couldn't quite believe who he was seeing. He had just come from school to see Naruto whose school day had been a bit shorter than his own. Had he come to the wrong address, was this Naruto's place at all but his own home instead? It certainly seemed so, given that Kankuro was staring down at him, a smirk on his face.

"Hi Gaara," the older of the brothers said a bit too happily.

The jade eyes narrowed a fraction. "What are you doing here?" the redhead asked none too kindly. It was then that he looked past Kankuro and noticed an almost naked and blushing Naruto leaning on the bathroom door, looking confused and embarrassed. Taking in the view, the jade green eyes widened in shock.

The smirk on the brunette's face widened. "Oh, nothing. Your friend just invited me over, that's all. But I better get going, seeing that it's your turn now," Kankuro said casually, strolling past his little brother and leaving.

Kankuro had seen the jade eyes narrow even further at his last comment. It amused him but also worried. What if Gaara had feelings for Naruto, too? He couldn't allow that. He would make sure that the redhead had feelings for no one else but him.

Gaara looked at his brother's retreating back, not liking what the brunette had implied about 'his turn', before turning his gaze to Naruto. The blond was still standing on the spot, as if unable to move. "What just happened here?" Gaara asked angrily. He wasn't angry at Naruto but at his brother. What had the brunette done this time? He had a bad feeling about this, he didn't like the idea of Kankuro visiting Naruto at all.

Naruto misinterpreted the redhead's tense tone and thought his friend was angry at him. He was afraid of Gaara thinking wrongly that there was something going on between him and Kankuro. "N-Nothing happened," he said before realizing how cliched it sounded.

Closing the door, Gaara walked to the blond. His jade eyes were icy but the wrath in them was reserved only for his brother. He examined the blond, taking in the faint blush and the well shaped body. Naruto's hair was still wet, waterdrops dripping from the blond locks and wetting the tanned skin. The strange feeling he had sometimes before experienced around Naruto came back to him but this time, it was a bit stronger.

Now, his jade eyes were softer and his earlier anger had dissolved into worry. He wanted to protect Naruto. He hadn't felt this way before but now when he had found his friend half naked and uncharacteristically quiet after his brother's departure, he couldn't help but fear for the worst. If Kankuro had somehow hurt the blond, he would never forgive him. Naruto was the only cheerful thing in his life, his own personal sun that he wanted to shine down only on him. Naruto was his distraction, his way of escapism. He wouldn't let Kankuro or anyone else take Naruto away from him.

It was then that his eyes locked into the mark on the blond's neck. His worry increased instantly. "Nothing? What's that mark on your neck, then?" he asked, not noticing how the anger was still in his voice.

The tone of voice made Naruto almost yelp. He was sure that Gaara was angry at him for messing with Kankuro. What if Gaara didn't believe him and would accuse him of hitting on Kankuro? The brunette had made it sound like that when he had left. Naruto wanted to tell everything but when he tried to find the words, they didn't come. It was simply too embarrassing to voice out what had happened, especially when he had involuntary enjoyed Kankuro's touch.

"Naruto, tell me. I want to know," Gaara repeated in a bit softer voice this time. He took a hold of Naruto's hand in order to encourage him to speak. He wanted to ask a ton of questions but he couldn't - it would be suspicious if he asked certain things. He had to act like he and Kankuro were normal brothers.

"It was nothing, really. I was jogging when I saw him and asked him over. Then I went to take a quick shower before the tea was ready and that's when you came in," Naruto told, forcing a weak smile to his face to convince the redhead.

Gaara didn't buy it. If it had been like the blond had told, there would be no need for Naruto's quietness and embarrassement. When he had first seen Naruto, the boy had been clearly aroused. He hadn't been checking out the blond or anything but after the way Kankuro had acted, it had been like a reflex to check certain things. Somehow it made him angry that his brother had caused that kind of reaction in Naruto. He didn't blame the blond because he knew all too well how 'persuasive' Kankuro could be.

"And what else happened?" the redhead asked patiently.

The blond fell quiet again, not meeting the jade eyes like before. He was about to go into his room and dress properly but couldn't, when Gaara didn't let go of his hand.

The redhead didn't want Naruto to run away. He wanted to settle things and it was important that he heard Naruto's version of happenings. He was going to question his brother, too but there was a danger that Kankuro could either lie or then tell him nothing at all. Gaara felt like he had already used all his verbal skills to coax the blond to speak. He wasn't good at dealing with people and he was already getting frustrated. Searching for ways to handle the situation, he tried to remember how Naruto had reached out to him. With one step he closed the distance between them and pulled his friend into an embrace.

"Come on, you have to tell me. It's not you I'm angry at," Gaara spoke. Naruto's wet hair was dampening his own red locks and through the layers of his clothes he could feel the warmness emitting from the blond. Naruto smelled fresh and his skin was soft and smooth. It was oddly appealing and when they were like this, the strange feeling he had, increased.

The words encouraged Naruto to open up. He was relieved that Gaara wouldn't blame him or anything. He pulled out of the hug and smiled weakly. "I have to put on some clothes first but I will tell you," he said.

Nodding, Gaara took off his shoes and coat. He then followed Naruto to the bedroom and found the blond now fully clothed, laying on the bed. The boy had his hands tugged under his head, looking pensively into the distance while biting his bottom lip. Gaara frowned and got worried again. It wasn't normal for Naruto to be so calm and quiet. He laid down onto the bed and when Naruto only glanced at him but didn't speak, Gaara wrapped an arm around him in order to encourage him to open up. He hadn't really comforted anyone in this way before and that's why he was a bit unsure how he should act.

Gaara had never thought he was capable of feeling the need to protect someone. Until now, there had been no one weaker than himself around, whom he would've had to protect. Now though, there was Naruto, looking so fragile and innocent, and he couldn't help but feel the urge to keep him close, away from anything that might hurt him in a way or another.

"I think your brother likes me," Naruto started and took a hold of the strings in Gaara's fitting hooded jacket, fiddling them nervously. It felt so embarassing to say it aloud. Who could've believed it would be this hard to tell a simple series of events?

"What do you mean?" Gaara asked. He tried to keep in mind that he had to act like he didn't know or suspect certain things.

With a quick glance to the jade eyes, Naruto continued, "He.. I think he tried to hit on me."

A silence fell over them and during that, Gaara's jade eyes grew darker. He was getting more and more angry at Kankuro and felt disgusted at the thought that the brunette could've soiled Naruto's purity. "Really? What did he do," Gaara finally asked in a bit colder voice this time. His hold on Naruto tightened without him noticing it.

"Um... When I came out of the shower he pinned me against the bathroom door and asked if I would have him ins—" Naruto began but stopped abruptly. He couldn't say what he was about to say: if he would have Kankuro instead of Gaara. That would reveal his feelings for the redhead! "I mean... he asked me if I was interested in him," he then continued hurriedly.

"Go on," Gaara encouraged, instinctively tracing small circles on the blond's back with his fingers in order to soothe his friend. He was absolutely sure that Kankuro didn't have any kind of romantic feelings for Naruto and that's why he couldn't help but wonder what his brother was up to.

The gesture relaxed Naruto and he felt confident to continue, "I told him I wasn't interested but he didn't care. He tried to coax me into... things and even though I told him to stop, he didn't. And then you came, fortunately."

Gaara gritted his teeth at the thought. He pulled Naruto a bit closer as if assuring himself that no one was going to take the blond away from him. He was more than glad that he had arrived at the right moment because he had first-hand experience of Kankuro ignoring all the objections. Even though he himself could handle his brother, Naruto couldn't. The blond was clearly too soft and kind and would only get hurt if Kankuro had his way with him.

"I... I don't fancy your brother," Naruto added, embarrassed at pointing out the obvious. He just wanted to make sure that Gaara wouldn't have any misbeliefs.

"I got that from your story," Gaara said. He hadn't believed a second that Naruto of all people would be drawn to Kankuro. To him, that was an utterly ridiculous idea. It was so stupid that he didn't even want to think about it. He was relieved to hear the confirming words spoken, though, for he honestly wasn't sure what he would've felt if the blond had really had some feelings for Kankuro.

"You're safe now, I won't let it happen again. You should stay away from him, just to be sure," Gaara assured the blond, pulling his friend so close that Naruto's face was now resting against his chest. He was quite sure that what had happened between his brother and Naruto, had just been one of Kankuro's tricks to mess up his life. But he couldn't understand how harassing his friend would help Kankuro to achieve anything.

"Thanks," Naruto said. He was very happy at hearing Gaara's protective words and even happier at being held so close. He had to keep his feelings under control, though, so that he wouldn't get too excited. It felt wonderful that Gaara was so protective of him, he would've never even dared to dream about something like this! He wished the redhead would some day return his feelings but Kankuro's mean words about Gaara's unbreakable shell echoed in his mind. He didn't want to believe what the brunette had said.

Gaara inhaled the pleasant scent that lingered in Naruto's hair and skin. It reminded him of pureness and carefreeness. He hadn't realized how much Naruto meant to him until now when the blond had been in danger. It made him very annoyed to think what Kankuro had done to Naruto in order to earn certain reactions from the blond — like the faint blush and the other signs that clearly showed Naruto's arousal. He didn't want Naruto to respond to Kankuro, he didn't want the blond to enjoy his brother's touches or actions. The thought made him even let out an annoyed growl.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked, moving his head upwards to look at his friend. When he met the jade green eyes, he sort of wished he had stayed in his earlier position. Their faces were so close to each other that their noses almost brushed and Naruto quickly realized that those might not be the only parts that could accidentally touch each other. He suddenly felt warmness creeping up all over his body and if Gaara hadn't held him so tightly, he would've retreated a couple of inches.

"Yes, just thinking, that's all," Gaara answered, his warm breath hitting against Naruto's heated skin, unaware of the feelings that he succeeded to cause in his friend.

Before the involuntary blush could get any more visible, Naruto leaned his head on the redhead's chest again, hiding his face from the lovely green eyes. It was getting a bit uncomfortable to be held like this because the supressed titillating thoughts were rapidly taking over his mind. It didn't help at all that just then, the pale hand started to caress his side, stopping to rest on his waist. It was probably just a gesture meant to soothe him but in reality, it had the opposite effect. Gaara's hand was so close to his groin, blissfully close, dangerously close. Naruto had to bite his lower lip not to let out any noises. After the disturbing dreams about Gaara, the arousing yet unwanted touches from Kankuro, and now after being this close to the redhead, Naruto felt the urge to groan. This was pure torture! Pure, sweet torture.

"How are you feeling now?" Gaara asked, breaking the silence. He hadn't missed the red hue on his friends cheeks and the overall tenseness, either. He felt sorry for Naruto, the poor boy was surely still embarrassed and shocked about what had happened.

"I'm better," Naruto managed to say, grateful that the conversation distracted him a bit from the haunting mental images that his improper mind produced.

"Good. I have to go now but I'll be back soon. That is... if it's okay that I'll stay overnight here today," Gaara spoke. He hoped he could spend the night with Naruto, making sure everything was alright.

At first, Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. Gaara wanted to stay the night in here? Was this really happening or was he only dreaming, again? "Of course it's okay, anytime! How... how long will it take you to come back?" Naruto asked, hoping he would have enough time to get rid of his 'problem' before his friend got back.

"I don't know. Maybe ten minutes, or thirty," Gaara said, unsure how long it would take to worm out answers from his brother.

The blond only nodded as an answer and Gaara could see that his answer hadn't totally pleased the boy. He was sure that Naruto didn't want to be left alone so soon after what had happened but he had to visit home in order to get some clean clothes and other stuff. "Don't worry, I'll make it quick," Gaara promised, knowing himself how bad it felt to be left alone after being forced to intimate acts.

Naruto only smiled forcedly, rubbing the back of his head.

-----

At home, Gaara found Kankuro sitting at the kithcen table. His anger rose instantly at the sight. He automatically clenched his fists as he went through the scene he had faced at Naruto's doorway in his mind. "What the hell were you doing in there!?" Gaara spat in a venomous voice.

Kankuro didn't even glance at him but ignored him totally. He was reading the newspaper and casually turned the page, as if he was still alone. That aggravated Gaara even more and with an impulse, he ripped the newspaper off from Kankuro's grip and threw it onto the floor.

The pair of black eyes locked with the jade ones. At first Kankuro was totally serious but slowly, a spiteful smile crept on his face. "Why do you care?" the brunette asked. He was amused at Gaara's reaction but was worried at the same time — what if his little brother really harboured some feelings for the blond?

"Don't you dare to do the same thing for him what you did to me, you stay away from him! If I ever find out you've hurt him, I won't forgive you!" Gaara said, his voice rising dangerously. The jade eyes of his reflected nothing but icy fury.

"So it's about that... I see," Kankuro replied calmly as he stood up and advanced on the redhead.

Raising a non-existent eyebrow, Gaara stared at his brother. "Of course it is. What else would it be about?" he snapped, not understanding the brunette's reasoning.

"I thought you were jealous," Kankuro said, staring down at the redhead. The answer that Gaara would next give, would define his feelings for the blond, if there were any.

"Don't be stupid! Like I would be jealous of you!" Gaara said, his voice rising again.

Kankuro chuckled at the outburst. Gaara could be so clueless at times. It was obvious that the redhead hadn't any romantic feelings for the blond because he hadn't been jealous of him. Relaxing, Kankuro backed off and picked the newspaper from the floor.

"Just stay away from him. I don't want you to soil him," Gaara hissed, still angry. He didn't want Kankuro to corrupt the only pure thing in his life.

"It's not my fault that you've got such a foxy friend. He's so easy. If you hadn't interrupted us, who knows what would've happened," Kankuro said casually, his gaze back on the newspaper.

"He wouldn't have let you go any further! And he's not interested in you, so leave him alone," Gaara snapped. He felt the urge to throttle his idiotic brother because he wanted him to stop talking badly of his friend. When Kankuro was troublesome because of his mental porblems, Gaara could be patient to no end but he couldn't stand it when Kankuro was being difficult on purpose.

"I know he's not interested," Kankuro said, turning the page.

Gaara stepped to stand near Kankuro, putting his hands on the newspaper so that his brother's attention couldn't be caught by it anymore. "Kankuro..." Gaara started, his jade eyes narrowing threateningly. He was trying very hard to keep his irritation under control. "Why were you there? It's not like you to force yourself on people you don't know well, not to mention at their homes! Why?" he then continued, irritation seething in his voice.

"Do I need a reason?" Kankuro asked. He didn't like the direction where the conversation was going.

Gaara barked a laugh at the words. "Like you'd do anything without a reason. I don't understand what you'd gain by hitting on Naruto. So what were your motives?" Gaara hissed, his grip on the newspaper tightening, his nails ripping some of the paper into shreds.

"What if I say I just wanted variety?" Kankuro lied.

"I don't believe you," Gaara said instantly. As crazy as it sounded, in the back of his mind it hurt to think that Kankuro would be bored of him.

"You know what I think?" Gaara started again, his thoughts and reasoning racing a hundred miles per second. "I think you wanted to scare him away. You wanted me to lose the only friend I've got so that I'd crawl back to you like always!" he went on. "Why is Naruto a threat to you, huh? Can't I have even one friend without you messing it up?" he continued, inching closer to the brunette.

Gaara was dangerously close to finding out Kankuro's real motives. The brunette didn't want him to get wind of the blond's true feelings and so he decided it was time to distract Gaara before his reasoning could get any further. "Are you sure it's wise to hang around with him? What if it turns out he's only using you?" Kankuro answered with questions of his own, carefully avoiding the ones Gaara had asked.

"Using? Like you're the one to talk about that!" Gaara shouted.

Anger was starting to boil in Kankuro's veins. He was getting enough of questions and Gaara's shouting. He stood up and gripped the redhead's shoulders tightly. "I'm not using you! How dare you even say that? I care about you and I take care of you. I even love you when no one else in this world does and you blame me for using you?" Kankuro spoke in an irritated voice, pushing Gaara to the corner.

"You're wrong!" Gaara said but his voice lacked the defiant edge it had still had moments ago. He hated it when Kankuro made it sound like he was the bad and ungrateful person. He hated it even more when the brunette succeeded in it — he was starting to feel guilty already. After all, Kankuro had gone to work to provide for them, helped and encouraged him with school and for the most of the time, the brunette was really nice.

"No, you are wrong. I tested your friend and I think he's not trustworthy. I'm just worried about who you spend your time with, is that wrong?" Kankuro spoke sternly, staring at the redhead.

Gaara gulped. How had Kankuro succeeded in turning the discussion upside down? "No, sorry if I upset you. I just want you to keep your hands off of Naruto," Gaara spoke weakly, hating how his brother's anger seemed to eat away his own annoyment so easily.

"You bet you're sorry. After everything I've done for you, you just complain and accuse me of horrible things!" Kankuro went on, fully knowing the effect of his words.

"I didn't mean to! But you just can't harass my friend like that! And you have to understand I was worried and angry—" Gaara started but was cut off.

"No, I don't understand. I promised you to protect you, didn't I? You seem to take me for granted, don't you? Some day I might not be there to help you so be grateful while I'm still around," Kankuro said heatedly, keenly inspecting the emotions displayed on Gaara's face. He was near his goal already.

"I don't take you for granted! Look, I'm sorry if I upset you. Just... stay away from Naruto, okay?," Gaara replied. His earlier anger had vanished and was now replaced by regret.

Kankuro studied the redhead for a moment until he was sure his words had had the effect he wanted. He then changed his ground and soothed the pale cheek, looking softly into the jade pools. "Alright, I promise. But I think you shouldn't be around him so much, either," he whispered affectionately, knowing that he had to be in good terms with his little brother, no matter what.

The answer didn't fully please Gaara. He unsurely glaced at the coal black eyes. "But I like being around him... I know I can trust him," Gaara said.

"Just remember that you can trust me more than anyone. I'll never betray you or plot against you," Kankuro spoke gently, soothing the younger male.

"I know," Gaara whispered, leaning his head against the brunette's chest and letting the older male hug him. He still couldn't understand, though, what Kankuro would gain with his actions, and it bugged him to no end.

-----

Gaara packed some clean clothes to his bag and checked that he had everything with him he'd need tomorrow at school. He left the cellar and was soon on the hallway, putting on his shoes and coat.

"Are you going to Naruto's again?" Kankuro asked, not pleased that the redhead seemed to be so drawn to the blond even after the happenings of today.

"Yes, I'll stay overnight there. See you tomorrow," Gaara said before he exited the house, leaving a sour brunette behind.

Naruto was bouncing here and there, unable to concentrate on anything. He had thought of taking care of his little problem but was afraid he would be interrupted. That would be even more embarrassing than anything that had already happened today. A cold shower would've been a good option, too but what if Gaara had decided to come just when he was in there? Wouldn't it have been a bit suspicious if he had been found taking a shower, again? Naruto gripped his hair, unable to decide what to do. He had already wasted good twenty minutes in panicking! When the doorbell rang, he almost jumped.

Gaara didn't say a word but walked past Naruto as the blond opened the door. He wasn't so angry anymore but actually more pensive after the talk with his brother. It hadn't surprised him that Kankuro had made it sound like it was Naruto's fault that the brunette had harassed him. A brief moment he had even thought he should break away from Naruto in order to protect the blond from his unpredictable brother but after a second, he had written off that plan. He felt the need to keep his friend out of harm's way but at the same time, he couldn't sacrifice their friendship for that. He felt really selfish for thinking that way but he couldn't help it. Naruto was his friend and the only person that could make him feel truly relaxed and even carefree, on some level. There was no way he would let anyone take him away from him.

"How are you feeling now?" Gaara asked after they had settled on the livingroom.

"I'm better, thanks to you," Naruto answered friendly but his voice didn't have the happy tone it usually had. The familiar smile was on his face though, and so Gaara believed that the blond was telling the truth.

They spent the rest of the evening doing their homework, arguing over the assigned math equations, eating supper and talking, even though it was mostly Naruto who felt the urge to speak. They didn't speak of the earlier happenings of the day but instead the blond babbled about his problems with Kiba, telling how Shikamaru and Neji had already gotten bored of his situation and had told him to let time go on and see what would happen.

Gaara had nodded every now and then, gesturing that he was listening even though he stayed silent. To tell the truth, he really didn't care about Kiba and wasn't sorry that Naruto was drifting apart from him. The brown haired boy had often shot nasty glances at Gaara, making the redhead feel threated and even though the two of them had never even talked, he could sense that the other boy didn't like him the least bit.

The night grew darker and at some point, Naruto let out a tired yawn. He was more than glad that Gaara had offered to stay overnight because when the redhead was around, he didn't feel so lonely and abandoned. The whole time they had sat not too close to each other and thanks to that, Naruto was more calm now. The disturbing and alluring thoughts had left his mind, making it easier to be around Gaara.

"I think we should go to sleep, or what do you think?" Naruto said, stretching as he got off from the couch. He picked up two empty bowls, which had earlier contained some delicious ramen, from the coffee table and was about to make his way to the kitchen.

"Naruto..." Gaara started, unsure how to phrase his thoughts.

He wasn't sleepy at all, instead he felt wide awake and alert. He knew that Kankuro could never in the world get in here even if he let his guard down for the night but subconsciously, he couldn't relax. Because of the earlier events of the day he wanted to stay close to Naruto so that he could make sure that nothing threatened the blond. A small part of him wanted to stay the night next to his friend because when he was alone, it was harder to get to sleep. He had always disliked sleeping alone but at home, it was often the better of two evils. With Naruto though, he was quite sure he wouldn't have to worry about letting his guard down. A really small, almost a minimalistic part of him was curious and wanted, in some enigmatic way, to feel the blond, much like the way he had when he had hugged his half-naked friend some hours ago. That part of him was related to the strange feeling he sometimes got when Naruto was close to him, like he was somehow drawn to the blond.

"Could we... could I sleep next to you tonight?" Gaara finally asked, hoping that Naruto wouldn't get him in the wrong way.

At hearing the words, Naruto almost dropped the bowls. His back was turned to the redhead and for that, he was grateful, for he was sure his face would reveal every little feeling the just spoken words had awoken in him. He was getting hotter in an umcomfortable way as some lecherous thoughts popped into his mind. He shrugged them off quickly, knowing it would do him no good to think things like that right before sharing a bed with his crush.

"S-Sure, it's okay," Naruto finally answered, hoping his faltering voice wouldn't reveal his excitement.

As he expected, he got no reply from Gaara and so he made his way to the kitchen. He leaned onto the sink and gulped down a glass of water, for his mouth suddenly felt very dry. Slowly, it began to dawn on him what he had just agreed to. In his fantasies, this kind of opportunity would have felt like a gift from above but now in real life, he realized how dangerous the situation was. What if he did something stupid in his sleep, or spoke in his dreams? He drank another glass of water and tried to clear his mind. It would be better if he thought nothing at all.

When he came to the bedroom, Gaara had already changed his clothes and now had a tight T-shirt with low waist pajama pants. Quickly, before he would start ogling his appealing friend, Naruto grabbed his night clothes and disappeared into the bathroom to change them on. He hoped the redhead wouldn't notice his nervousness or question him about it. Soon, he returned to the bedroom and saw Gaara already lying under the blanket. He gulped and walked to the bed, reminding himself that it was normal for friends to sleep next to each other and that he really shouldn't think anything extraordinary about it. As he laid down, he felt his heartbeat increase and when he finally pulled the cover over him, the beating sounded like drumming in his own ears. In the silence of the house, he was sure that the whole world could hear it, too.

"Is this making you uncomfortable?" Gaara asked, his jade eyes boring into the side of Naruto's head. For some reason unknown to him, the blond hadn't even glanced at him and he could clearly see that his friend was all but relaxed.

"N-No," Naruto answered, giving an uncharacteristically short reply. He stared at the ceiling as if it would help him to get over his nervousness.

"If you want, I can go to the couch," Gaara suggested, already about to sit up.

"No!" Naruto exclaimed, gripping Gaara's arm and pulling him back down onto the mattress. "I mean... please don't go. It makes me feel safer when you're with me," he then continued.

"Alright," Gaara replied shortly, glad that the awkward tenseness seemed to have left Naruto by now. "I'm sorry about earlier, it shouldn't have happened," Gaara started, referring to what his troublesome brother had done. He hoped that the incident hadn't scarred Naruto too badly.

"But it wasn't your fault, it's not you who should be apologizing," Naruto said, turning to look at the redhead. In the darkness, Gaara's pale skin shone like ivory, the dark circles around his eyes even more pronounced. To Naruto, he looked more beautiful than anything he'd seen so far. The sight was so appealing that he had to keep himself in check so that he wouldn't reach out and caress the redhead's face.

"I know but I feel responsible. If we had never met, that wouldn't have happened," Gaara said.

From the beginning he had known that it would be hard to have any kind of relationships with people when his brother was around but still, he had managed to befriend Naruto. At first, he had thought to keep them only as acquaintances but without him noticing it, they had become friends. Even then, at some point, he had thought he could always break away from Naruto if things got too difficult but now he noticed that it wasn't an option anymore. Somewhere along the way had emerged that strange feeling he occasionally got and because of that, he felt a bit more drawn to Naruto. He couldn't explain it to himself, he only thought it was the result of his own longing to feel something normal, something that didn't feel wrong or immoral. And now, he had let himself get used to the blond to the point that he didn't want to lose him anymore. He didn't have a clear concept of how this all had exactly happened but did it really matter? He didn't regret anything, except for not warning his brother earlier to stay away from his friend.

"So do you wish we'd never met?" Naruto asked quietly, his blue eyes suddenly filled with sadness.

"No, I didn't mean that," Gaara said, wanting to cheer up the blond. He didn't like the deep blue orbs reflecting that kind of sorrow, those feelings just looked so abnormal on the usually joyful Naruto's face. "I'm glad we met. You're my friend now and I... I want to protect you," he said quietly, confident enough to reveal such personal thoughts.

"Gaara..." Naruto whispered. He hadn't expected to hear such sweet words from the redhead. His heart started to thump louder in his chest again as the words fully sunk in. Gaara wanted to protect him! That meant that the redhead felt something for him, that he wasn't totally meaningless to him. Could those friendly feelings develop into something deeper? The possibility excited Naruto, sending shivers down his spine.

"I want to protect you, too. You and your friendship are important to me, I hope you know that," Naruto replied, smiling faintly. He wasn't surprised to get no verbal reply from his friend, after all the redhead wasn't a person of many words. What surprised him was that Gaara put the cover more neatly around him, enfolding the blanket more tightly over them both. It was an answer of Gaara's own to the blond's words. At first Naruto tensed but soon got used to the warmness and the blanket entwining them closer together.

"Are you tired?" Naruto asked, yawning. He was more tired than he had even realized.

"Not yet," Gaara replied, watching as the blond's eyelids slowly closed.

When Naruto's breathing evened out and he lost his earlier tenseness, Gaara knew the boy was asleep. He wrapped an arm around Naruto, pulling him closer and resting the blond's head on his chest. Without him actually noticing it, his other hand came to rest on the blond locks, increasing the feeling of safety. In some distant childhood memory, Temari had held him like this when he had been sad or upset. He could still remember the feeling of safety and closeness and that memory guided him now in his task of protecting Naruto.

He was more at ease when he could feel Naruto's steady heartbeat and know that everything was alright. For an hour or so he kept staring into the darkness, every now and then glancing at the doorway, as if to keep away some invisible enemies. When all was quiet and still, he felt his own black eyelids grow heavier and soon after, he too fell asleep.

-----

It rained heavily outside and Gaara woke up to the sound of waterdrops hitting against the tin roof. It was dim in the bedroom because the bright morning light had been darkened by the grey nimbuses clouding over the sky. In the middle of the night, Gaara had woken up and seen a flash of lightning, soon followed by a loud thunder. He had stayed awake for awhile, looking at his sleeping friend before deciding it was safe to go back to sleep.

The blond was now laying on his back, obviously still asleep. To Gaara, Naruto looked so peaceful and even... pretty when he was asleep. Pretty? Was that really what he thought about the blond? Pretty in an artistic way, Gaara decided and felt more peaceful about his own thoughts.

When Gaara laid under the soft blanket, resting his head against the plush pillow and knowing both he and Naruto were safe from the raging storm, he felt really comfortable. Not only that, he felt also safe and rested. He had never before in his life felt so good and that's why, a part of him wished he wouldn't have to get up.

Naruto's slumber soon lost its peacefulness as the blond started letting out incoherent parts of sentences Gaara couldn't understand. The blond was getting more restless and the incomplete mumbles were melting into quiet moans. Gaara eyed his friend suspiciously, feeling uneasy. He was about to wake Naruto up but when he touched the blond's shoulder, Naruto let out a pleading, sleepy whisper, "Mmh... Gaa-ah."

At that point Gaara felt really awkward, as if he was witnessing some personal moment which wasn't his business at all. He couldn't understand the incoherent mumbles but he could see that Naruto was having a rather pleasant dream. He didn't like to admit it but somehow the sleepy moans made that strange feeling come back to him. He felt oddly captivated by the sight of his friend and he was unable to tear his eyes off of him.

Even when dreaming of something probably not so innocent, Naruto succeded in looking pure and uncorrupted. Gaara's hold on Naruto's shoulder tightened the longer he let his eyes rest on the slightly parted lips and the faint blush on the blond's face. He tried to sort out the reasons why he was still staring at his sleeping friend, instead of having already woken him up. His reasoning didn't proceed very far though, it only succeeded in tangling his thoughts even more. It frustrated Gaara that he couldn't explain certain things to himself. When another sleepy moan escaped Naruto's lips, Gaara felt his own cheeks grow hotter. Quickly, he judged it was because of his own embarrassement over the situation, nothing else.

Shaking the blond's shoulder, Gaara ordered, "Naruto, wake up!" He couldn't let the blond dream any longer and addle his own thoughts. He really didn't want things to get more complicated than they already were and most of all, he couldn't afford his attachment to the blond get any further. His friendship with Naruto was already too good to be true and he didn't want to ruin it with his own confusing thoughts. When the sleepy blond didn't show any signs of waking up, Gaara shook him more forcefully, "Naruto! Wake up!"

Slowly, Naruto opened his eyes and felt someone shaking him. He groaned in frustration, for he had just been seeing a familiar yet wonderful dream about his red haired friend and he wanted to know how the dream would end. The unresolved tension caused by Kankuro's unwanted touches and Gaara's closeness had influenced on him, gracing him with the recent dream. Naruto tried to get back to sleep, only failing miserably as he heard someone speak right into his ear.

"Naruto! Are you awake?"

Naruto stopped breathing for a moment as his brain registered to whom that soft voice belonged to. In a second, memories of last night flooded into his mind, reminding him who he was sharing his bed with. The blue eyes shot wide open and Naruto turned his head to look at the source of that sweet voice. His breath caught in his throat again when the pale, smooth face was only an inch away from his own. The jade eyes were boring into him and it made Naruto feel a little uneasy.

"G-Gaara?" Naruto asked in a confused voice. Had he spoken in his sleep, or even worse, had he uttered some other, more embarrassing sounds? The most burning question was, however, why was Gaara so close to him, gripping on his shoulder and staring at him? An involuntary shiver ran down Naruto's spine as the redhead's warm, steady breath hit against his face and he couldn't help but wonder if he was still dreaming. Naruto gulped, deciding to fill the awkward silence with talk, "Is there something wrong, Gaara? Did I oversleep?"

"No," Gaara answered to the both questions, still not looking away from his friend. He hadn't seen that side of his friend before. He had never experienced or witnessed anything even remotedly sexual that one could label as normal or pure. It confused him that that kind of innocence he had just witnessed, even existed and it gave him even more reasons to protect his friend.

On the other hand, he felt sad because the sheer purity that radiated from Naruto reminded him about his own dirtiness and the skeletons he had in his closet. Maybe that was why he felt so drawn to his blond friend, for a small, childish part of him cherished a hope that Naruto's pureness could clean him, too. Realizing that he had been quiet for a while and still holding the blond's shoulder in a tight grip, he relaxed his hand and spoke, "I was just watching you when you slept."

With that said he fell silent again, his arm still draped over his friend's chest, holding the shoulder. He wanted to feel normal human contact. He sighed quietly, remembering all too well that the next night he would have to spend at home. A wave of uneasiness washed over him and he didn't feel like going out to the rain and to the school anymore, or anywhere else for that matter. He just wanted to be with Naruto.

He detested himself for feeling so weak and cowardly. He had now known Naruto for about three months and in that time, he had become this soft. It was stupid to feel this way. No one could help him because things couldn't change. Life just was so difficult and if Gaara hadn't been clinging onto Naruto like the blond was a life buoy, he would've surely drowned into his own depressing thoughts.

Naruto swallowed hard as he imagined Gaara staring at him, looking at his every move when he was asleep. Now he wished even more that he had kept his mouth shut during his slumber. He jolted off from his thoughts as Gaara sighed and clung onto him even tighter. Naruto turned to lay on his side in order to face his friend and noticed that the black eyelids were closed.

"Are you still tired?" Naruto asked.

"No," Gaara replied and opened his eyes. The jade pools were impassive but revealed a hint of sadness. "I was just thinking," he then added.

"Maybe you think too much," Naruto said, hiding his worry behind a carefree smile. He had noticed the sad look on the redhead's face and wondered what had caused it.

"And maybe you think too little," Gaara replied, the corners of his mouth slightly curving up. What he had said was true though, because when it came (for example) homework, the blond didn't really seem to sacrifice his time to think over the assignments.

"Well, maybe that's why I'm so happy all the time," Naruto said, grinning. He knew his playful banter had cheered up the redhead because even though Gaara didn't smile, his pale face held no trace of the earlier sadness anymore. "What time is it by the way?" Naruto asked cheerfully, thinking it had to be rather early since his alarm clock hadn't gone off yet.

"Does it matter?" Gaara asked in an emotionless voice. He had now made up his mind and decided it would be much more therapeutic to stay here with Naruto instead of going to school on this rainy day. Too bad that he coudn't skip home, like he could do with school.

"What do you mean does it matter? We have to get to school in time!" Naruto stated the obvious, utterly surprised at the turn of the conversation. He started to worry about his friend again, wondering what was behind Gaara's strange behavior.

"Do we?" Gaara asked, knowing his words confused the blond. He didn't feel like explaining though, the lesser Naruto knew about his life, the better.

"What? Are you serious?" Naruto asked, staring at the redhead in astonishment. "Since when have you started cutting classes? Haven't you always reminded me about the importance of school?" he went on, not believing that his friend would actually be serious.

"I just don't feel like going," Gaara stated.

"But won't your brother find out?" Naruto asked.

The jade eyes grew darker and he moved his gaze to rest on some spot in the distance, not looking into the blue pools anymore. "Yes," Gaara answered, knowing that his brother would surely scold him later.

"Aren't you afraid he'll be mad at you?" Naruto asked, not understanding the redhead's reasoning.

"No. I don't care about the scolding," Gaara replied, telling the truth. He wasn't worried about the verbal punishment.

"I'm sure your brother is only worried about you if he gets mad, I can see he cares for you," Naruto said, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. He recalled the moment from the day before when Kankuro had talked about how Gaara had been a bit happier lately. The brunette's face had shown genuine care and even love for the redhead.

"Shut up," Gaara snapped, turning his back to Naruto so that the blond couldn't see his face or the feelings he was afraid he couldn't hide. He didn't want to talk about his brother, nor did he want to think about the brunette 'getting mad' as Naruto had put it. The phrase reminded Gaara all too well about those numerous times his brother had lost himself. What he wanted was to spend time with his friend and forget certain things.

"Geez, sorry," Naruto muttered, sad at having to face his friend's back. He was quiet for a while before gently touching Gaara's upper arm, telling he was sorry. "Tell me what's bothering you," Naruto said. He was used to the fact that sometimes Gaara was helplessly grumpy but this time, his instincts told him he should try and comfort him.

"Shut up," Gaara said again, his voice holding no other emotion but a hint of slight irritation.

"No I won't shut up, stop telling me that!" Naruto said, his voice rising. He tried to make Gaara face him by yanking the redhead's arm but the stubborn boy kept his back turned. "If I don't know what's wrong with you, I won't be able to help you or even comfort you!" he continued in a determined voice.

"I don't need anyone's help," Gaara growled. "And what makes you think I'm in need of comfort?" he then snapped.

"I just know it," Naruto said, unable to keep his voice from rising. He was getting frustrated at the stubborn redhead. When the yanking didn't do much good, he leaned his weight on his elbow and peeked over Gaara's shoulder to see his face.

"You know nothing!" Gaara retorted, not bothering to even glance at the blond. All the questioning made him act defensive. He had hoped he could've enjoyed Naruto's healing company without drawing too much attention to the reasons behind his behavior.

"Oh come on!" Naruto exclaimed and pulled Gaara to lay on his back. "I'm your friend and I'm here for you like you were there for me last night, so stop being stubborn. I want to cheer you up," Naruto said as he looked down at the deep jade orbs. Sometimes, Gaara was such a mystery to him.

Gaara studied the blond's face for a moment, as if calculating the boy's trustworthiness. "Fine," he finally said, reluctantly resiling his earlier defensive mannerism. "I just don't feel like going to school, that's all. I thought it would've been nicer to be... with you," he said quietly, hoping the blond wouldn't interpret his words in a wrong way.

"With... me?" Naruto repeated, his mouth slightly open from astonishment. "So you... you really would skip school just to be with me?" he asked, as if not believing the fact.

"Stop questioning me or I might change my mind and go to school after all," Gaara said, irritated.

"No, don't change your mind!" Naruto said hastily, lowering down and entwining his hands behind Gaara's shoulders, as if preventing him from leaving. There was no way he would trade a day off with Gaara to a rainy day at school.

Gaara felt his heart skip a beat at the sudden, desperate hug and when Naruto rose his head to gaze at him, he looked into the bright blue pools and couldn't help but desert his mind from all the previous, annoyed thoughts.

"What would you like to do?" Naruto asked after a while. He had thought they could go hang around outside but since it rained heavily, that option didn't feel so appealing.

"We should study," Gaara said, knowing it did no good to the blond to skip classes. He himself was way ahead in his studies, thanks to Kankuro half-forcing him to study hard.

"Agh, you can't be serious!" Naruto groaned. There would be no point in staying home if he still had to study. When the expression on the redhead's face didn't change, Naruto assumed he was serious. "Do we have to start right now?" he asked, depressed.

"No," Gaara said quietly, a little amused at the blond's reluctance to learn. He really didn't care what they did, he just wanted Naruto's cheerful company to heal his wounds.

-----

The rest of the day went quite fast as they watched TV, drank some tea and to Naruto's great dismay, even studied a bit. They hadn't bothered to change clothes because both of them felt more comfortable in their casual pajama pants and T-shirts. For Naruto though, it was a bit difficult since he had to do his everything to keep his gaze on Gaara's face, not on his waist, where his tight T-shirt didn't quite reach the waistband of his low pants, thereby revealing a part of smooth, pale skin.

"It sure was fun today," Naruto said and looked as Gaara finished packing. "I even enjoyed the studying, can you believe?"

"Hm, I enjoyed this day too and I guess it wasn't too horrible to teach you," Gaara answered as he put on his shoes and coat.

"Hey, you succeeded in it better than most of the teachers," Naruto replied, smiling. He stepped closer to the redhead and looked straight into the jade eyes. "Gaara... Thanks for everything," he said and closed his arms around his friend, embracing him.

Gaara tensed and didn't hug back. The scent of Naruto wafted into his nose and suddenly, their position started to feel awkward. Why did it feel like that now when only yesterday, it hadn't? For some reason, he felt far too aware of the warm body pressing against him. It was awkward, yet he liked it. Pushing Naruto away, he took a few steps back, towards the front door.

"I have to go now," was all he said, his expression unreadable.

Naruto, for that matter, seemed to be his happy and casual self. "I know, see ya!" he said before Gaara left. He went to the kitchen to fix some food and it was then that he noticed the forgotten rooibos tea from the day before, now cold and bitter. Pouring it to the sink, he couldn't help but think what had happened after Kankuro's visit. That unpleasant harassment had surely lead into more enjoyable experiences, and Naruto almost melted into a puddle, feeling happier than ever before.

-----

He hadn't realized how hungry he was until now, when he opened the refrigerator door and noticed a small plate containing Kankuro's self-made sandwiches. His brother often left lunch for him and even though he had said he could make his own food, Kankuro always rejected the arguments by simply stating that he wanted to make sure Gaara ate enough.

Soon the plate was empty and the sandwiches were eaten. Kankuro wasn't at home and because of that, Gaara felt a bit more relaxed spending time in the kitchen. Deciding it would be wise to unpack, he grabbed his bag and headed to the cellar. It surely had been a nice day, after all, Gaara decided as he was about to open the door.

"He's no good for you," came a voice somewhere behind him.

"Kankuro?" Gaara asked but before he could turn around, two hands entwined around him, embracing him from behind.

"You skipped school today," Kankuro stated disappointedly, as he spoke straight to his little brother's ear.

"I know," was all Gaara could say. He felt uneasy because he couldn't face his brother.

"Isn't it a bit suspicious that the day you stay overnight at Naruto's place, you both skip school?" Kankuro said and soon continued, "What were you two doing, anyway?" And then, he pulled Gaara closer to him, his hold tightening.

"We studied," Gaara told honestly. The heavy atmosphere was making him nervous.

"Studied? Is that so?" Kankuro questioned, as if making fun of Gaara's answer. "What else did you do?" he then asked, continueing the interrogation.

"We watched TV. Are you happy now?" Gaara told again, wondering where his brother was getting at. He hoped Kankuro wouldn't think anything stupid.

"Skip school one more time without a good reason and I'll make sure you won't be seeing the blondie for a while," Kankuro said sternly, his grip tightening again.

"You won't hurt Naruto!" Gaara said, his voice rising. He tried to struggle away from his brother, without success though.

"Shut up. If that blond is so precious to you then start paying more attention to your education," Kankuro growled into the redhead's ear.

"Alright I will," Gaara huffed.

"That's a good boy," Kankuro said, smirking, and freed the redhead. "Let's go to the kithcen and prepare some snacks for our movie night," he then continued, planning on spending some time with his beloved little brother.

"I don't think I want to, not after what happened yesterday," Gaara snapped and turned to face the brunette. "I think you were only trying to meddle in my life with your doings," he said, looking his brother straight in the eyes.

"Meddle? You're almost hurting my feelings. Didn't I tell you before that I was only protecting you? Didn't I say that the blondie was no good for you? And wasn't I completely right, given you both skipped school today!" Kankuro defended himself.

"Don't say he's no good for me, you know nothing. He makes me feel better, we're friends," Gaara said, annoyment building inside of him.

"Friends? Hmph. Just make sure it stays only that or I'll make you wish you'd never even met that boy," Kankuro stated coldly.

"Don't be stupid," Gaara replied, defiantly staring back at his brother.

Kankuro looked at the redhead for a while before changing the topic, "Now let's go to the kithcen." It wasn't a request, it was an order.

"But I feel like being alone for a while," Gaara pointed out, not wanting to succumb to his brother's ordering again.

"Oh, I see. It's okay for you to spend your whole day with the blondie, you even skipped classes to be with him but when it comes to me, you only shove me away like some worthless trash. Naruto has done nothing for you, yet I have sacrificed myself for your well-being over and over again," Kankuro spoke angrily, hurt clearly displayed all over his face.

"You know what, Gaara? I'm getting sick of you! Every day I try my best to protect you and take care of you and all it earns me is practically a slap on my face from you!" he said, voice rising. He turned to go to his room, for he couldn't take it anymore. He had planned on spending a nice time with his precious little brother but now the idea wasn't so appealing anymore.

"Kankuro, wait!" Gaara exclaimed, going after his brother and gently taking a hold of his arm. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm not ungrateful for what you've done for me... for us. Please don't be mad at me," he said quietly, looking at his brother. Now he felt like a bad person and probably that was what he really was. He hadn't mean to hurt his brother.

Kankuro's back was turned to the redhead, hiding his face. Kankuro was smirking, for Gaara's words had been just what he had been expecting. Making sure his face hold the hurted expression once more, he turned around to face the younger male. "Do you really mean that? How do I know you're not just playing some cruel game with me?" he asked, looking crestfallen.

"Yes I meant it, Kankuro. And I don't play games with you," Gaara said, desperately trying to make his brother feel better. The negative feelings usually fueled Kankuro's unstability and that was another reason why it was important to get the brunette to cheer up. "If you still want, I'd like to make the snacks now," Gaara said and turned to lead the way to the kitchen.

"Okay," Kankuro said, faking a miserable voice. As soon as Gaara's back was turned to him, the smirk was back on his face again, matching the glint in his bottomless, black eyes. He chuckled inwardly, for it never ceased to amuse him how easy it was to manipulate Gaara.

To be continued...

A/N: Okay, I hope this chapter wasn't too awkward! But these things had to happen. I hope the scene at Naruto's home wasn't boring because it contained a lot of introspection. It was needed though, in my opinion. And I really, really hope that the scene in the morning when Gaara (and Naruto) wake up wasn't stupid, if it was, I'm sorry.

Heh, Kankuro tried so hard to separate Gaara and Naruto but without him knowing it, their friendship actually deepened. I liked the title of this chapter, "Stay away from him", because it could be seen as Kankuro's subtle warning to Naruto to stay away from Gaara or then as Gaara's all but subtle message to Kankuro to stay away from his only friend.

The next chapter will be a bit darker, I apologize that beforehand but things have to go a certain way that some pleasant and nice things can happen.

BTW, I drew a picture about this chapter! It's about Gaara protecting Naruto while the blond is asleep. :) See my profile for links.