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Twitterpated

Author: Veta  PM

AU. When Naruto dumps him for Sasuke, Gaara doesn't know what to do. Falling for the Uchiha's mortal enemy wasn't what he had in mind, but he's not about to complain! NejiGaa YAOI.

Rated: Fiction M - English - Romance/Drama - Neji H. & Gaara - Chapters: 5 - Words: 13,068 - Reviews: 96 - Favs: 72 - Follows: 135 - Updated: 10-20-11 - Published: 09-17-06 - id: 3158459

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Pairings: Neji/Gaara; implied Sasuke/Naruto

Warning: AU; Yaoi/Slash/etc.

Rating: M (As in, 'mmm, that was friggin hot')

Twitterpated

Walk away

I could never walk away from you

X

"What the hell is your problem?" Gaara opened the bedroom door that had just been slammed in his face, walking into the room that he shared with his boyfriend. "Am I really that vile to you, Naruto?"

The blonde in question laid back on the bed, his eyes closing as he sighed. "Please, Gaara... I'm just exhausted from work, and-"

"Uh-huh. As if I don't have a life, despite the fact that I actually go to college. I think I'm a little more stressed than you are, especially with midterms coming up." Naruto gripped the sheets, and Gaara visibly winced. Why did I have to say that?

"Naruto-"

"No, I'm sorry for being such a dumbass, Gaara. God forbid my lack of intelligence might start influencing you one of these days."

"Naruto, you know that I didn't mean it that way.." Gaara chewed on his lower lip, trying to think of the right things to say. Why did Naruto always have to make things so difficult?

"Bullshit. You meant every word and you know it." Naruto opened his eyes to glare at his lover, whose face remained as expressionless as ever.

"Stop overreacting. I was just upset, and I wasn't even thinking about what I was saying," He said calmly. "I didn't mean to hurt you." He half expected Naruto to get up, continue swearing, and even throw a few punches around like he normally did. Instead, he regarded the redhead with a look of exasperation.

"Just.. get out. I don't want to argue right now."

Gaara opened his mouth to object, but decided against it. Maybe Naruto would cool down if he gave him some space for a while. Shutting the door and retreating into the kitchen, the redhead inwardly frowned as he sat down at the table. Naruto was acting rather distant lately, and to put it simply, Gaara was worried. There had never been anything that they couldn't talk about before..

"Maybe it's really just stress from work," He mused aloud. The tinge of hope in his voice went unnoticed.

XXX

The next morning, Gaara awoke to the smell of pancakes. Burning. He scrunched his nose ever so slightly at the familiar stench, sitting up and cracking his back painfully. Gaara made a mental note to try and avoid any future nights on the couch at all costs.

Standing, the 19-year-old shuffled into the kitchen and wrapped warm arms around his beloved, burying his nose into the blonde locks.

"Morning," Came his muffled greeting. Pulling back as Naruto turned around, Gaara quirked a brow and sighed when he didn't receive a reply. "Are you still mad at me?"

"No." Naruto's expression changed completely, his usual happy demeanor clicking back into place. "I'm sorry about last night.. I just had a really bad day. It started raining on my way to work, and I forgot my umbrella.." He trailed off and handed Gaara a plate, picking up another. "You know, the usual."

Gaara placed a gentle kiss on his boyfriend's cheek before walking towards the table, picking up the silverware and syrup on his way. "Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have been patronizing you like that. I'm sorry," He added, looking up to meet Naruto's gaze as the blonde sat across from him.

"It's fine," He chirped, nearly drowning his pancakes in syrup as Gaara looked on with amusement. After drizzling some of the sticky substance on his own plate, he dug in. It was rather odd to have crunchy pancakes, but believe it or not, Gaara was a big softie. He would gladly eat a plate of dirt if Naruto served it to him.

Once breakfast was over, Gaara set about to washing the dishes. They had a routine: Gaara washed, dried, and returned all the dishes to their respective places, while Naruto simply watched (all of this to ensure the safety of the dishes, of course).

However, sometimes Naruto didn't particularly feel like 'watching,' and such a time happened to occur that very day. Naruto walked up and allowed his arms to encircle the taller boy's waist, much like had been done to him not too long ago. "Gaara," He breathed, causing the redhead's skin to tingle. Naruto slid his hands beneath his lover's shirt, letting his hands ghost over the taut stomach.

Gaara suppressed a shiver, nearly dropping a glass in shock when Naruto began kissing his neck. Not just any part of his neck, either. The extremely sensitive part of his neck, that only the blonde happened to know about. This immediately produced a moan on the elder's part, his head tilting to provide better access.

Naruto leaned forward to turn off the sink, thus proceeding to lure the pale teen to their bedroom.

Gaara never stood a chance.

XXX

Closing his eyes, a very pleased Gaara smirked a Very Satisfied Smirk. Beside him, a rather exhausted Naruto watched on with delight, for all of Gaara's smirks were incredibly sexy, and when a sexy (and naked) man is lying next to you, you have no choice but to enjoy it.

"Gaara?"

He opened his pale eyes, turning his head to give Naruto an inquiring look. "Hm?"

"What are you thinking about?" The blonde peered at him curiously, and Gaara found himself staring into the sapphire orbs before him. Only minutes ago those eyes were intense and swirling with emotion; passion. Only minutes ago Naruto had been slick with sweat and thrashing beneath him, his name imprinted on the other boy's full lips..

Blinking, Gaara turned his gaze away as a distinct blush settled on his cheeks. "Nothing."

Naruto's typical cocky grin slid into place, and he leaned over to place a chaste kiss on Gaara's swollen lips before standing. "I'm going to take a shower before work," He informed him, knowing that the other boy didn't have a class until three. When Gaara nodded and closed his eyes, Naruto scurried into the adjoined bathroom and shut the door. He could have at least offered to join me… No, Naruto! Bad thoughts! Scowling at his reflection in the mirror, the blonde felt something familiarly unpleasant churning in his stomach. Guilt. He traced his fingers over the marks left behind from their lovemaking, absently wondering what Sasuke would say.

"Why haven't you left him? Don't you love me, Naruto?"

"You know I do, Sasuke! I just.. I can't bear to do it. It'll break him, Sasuke, it really will.."

"Damnit," Naruto hissed, reaching over and turning the shower on to the coldest temperature it would go. The freezing water felt oddly hot against his skin. Tears burned down his cheeks, falling as he hung his head in shame. "Damnit," He repeated. "Why do I keep doing this to him?"

XXX

Naruto wandered into the kitchen after dressing into his work clothes, finding Gaara doing homework at the table. "Do you think you can put that away for a bit?"

Gaara glanced up as Naruto sat down across from him, frowning. "Why, what's up?"

"We need to talk.." The blonde leaned forward in his chair awkwardly, taking a deep breath. "I've been putting this off for too long.. I don't think there is a right time for something like this."

Gaara slowly closed his book, setting his pen aside. "Naruto.. What are you talking about?"

"I.." He buried his face in his hands, shutting his eyes. "I don't know how to say this." Lowering his hands, Naruto kept a firm gaze on the table. "Gaara.. I'm in love with someone else."

"...What?" Naruto finally raised his eyes, biting his lip at Gaara's scathing expression.

"I'm in love with some-"

"Who?" Gaara stood now, his fist slamming against the wooden table. "Who is it?"

Naruto lowered his gaze again, his knuckles white from gripping his pants. "Sasuke."

Gaara stilled, seeming at a loss for words. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet. "Did you sleep with him?"

"Gaara…"

"Did you?"

"..Yes." Gaara felt his temper rising, sanity going AWOL.

"When?"

"Please, Gaara, don't-"

"When, Naruto?" The blonde heaved a sigh, already preparing for the worst.

"Last year's New Year's party."

"Last years?"

When Naruto said nothing, Gaara ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to calm down. "That's almost two fucking years ago!"

"I'm sorry.. I didn't want to hurt you, Gaara.."

"Right, so you just have sex with me, then tell me that you're in love with that fucking Uchiha bastard? What, you just wanted one last fuck, huh?"

"No! Gaara, that's not-"

"Shut up.."

Gaara dropped back into his chair, fingers lost in his hair. "What did I do..? Did I hurt you, Naruto?" The blonde stood now, kneeling next to Gaara's chair and taking the redhead's hand.

"It isn't your fault, Gaara."

"Naruto.." He pulled the blonde close against him, pressing his face into the crook of that ever-so-lovely neck. "Please, don't leave me.."

"Gaara.."

"Please, Naruto!" He pulled back enough so that they were facing each other, eyes wide and pleading. "You're all I have.. I'll forget everything you've said; can't we just be together?"

Naruto shifted away, getting back onto his feet. His eyes were threatening to spill tears, yet his fists shook with anger. "Why can't you just hate me? You deserve someone better than me, Gaara."

"But you're the only one I want!" Gaara stood as well, taking both of Naruto's hands into his own. "I'll never love anyone but you.. Don't go!"

Naruto yanked his hands free without saying a word, turning away before he could see Gaara's pitiful expression. He grabbed his jacket from the hook by the door, already wearing his shoes. "I'll move out by the end of the week."

With those few words, the only person that Gaara had ever loved-

..disappeared from his life.

Gaara tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, absently wondering why it was already so dark when it was only six o'clock. His headlights were off, the radio was silent, and he was driving on the wrong side of the road.

Suicidal, much?

The redhead looked up with mild interest when he saw lights approaching, not at all intimidated by the eighteen wheeler racing down the hill towards him. That is, until the driver honked the horn wildly; until his vision became obscured by white light and he jerked the wheel. The honking dissipated as the tractor-trailer proceeded down the road, but it echoed continually in the Sabaku's ears.

Gaara stared at his hands blankly; they felt as though they were glued to the wheel. When he finally pried them free, they shook uncontrollably, not unlike the way his shoulders were violently quivering. "Jesus Christ.." He muttered, pressing his forehead against the wheel.

"What the hell was I thinking?"

XXX

Neji wrinkled his nose as he entered the on-campus bar, used to the stench of smoke but despising it nonetheless. If you didn't know him well, you would think that Neji was the type of guy who would never be caught dead in such a place. However, it was quite the contrary. Neji enjoyed the horribly loud music, the ridiculously drunk crowd, and the absolutely disgusting food. Who didn't?

He started for the make-shift stage where the next band was already setting up, pausing when a familiar voice reached his ears through the loud chatter and clinking of glasses.

"Come on, I really think you've had enough."

"If you don't give me another drinking.. fucking drink.., I'm going to bash your fucking ground into the.. the.. euurgh.."

Stifling a laugh, Neji slowly turned and made his way to the bar. There, sitting slumped in a chair, was him. Him, the boy from his psych class; the boy who stood out in every way imaginable. The boy who.. just vomited on the bartender.

"Jesus! Now look what you've done, you little shit!"

"Calm down, Jack. Mind if I take this guy home?"

"Is he a friend of yours, Neji? Tell him not to come back until he learns to hold his liquor."

"Sure thing.. Just put all of that on my tab." Neji guided Gaara's arm over his shoulders, heaving the smaller teen out of the seat. "Saa, let's get you home now, Gaara.."

XXX

Gaara awoke with a pounding headache. His vision took a while to adjust, and the bright light made his head hurt even more. Nausea swam around in his stomach, while his throat burned and his tongue felt like a fat wad of sandpaper. "Nng.."

"Ah, are you awake? Sorry about the light." Click. Ahh, sweet relief.

Gaara sat up, banging his head into the bottom of the bed above his. "Shit!" He ducked his head, wincing. What moron had a bunk bed, anyway?

"Are you okay?" The redhead looked up, scowling when he was faced with an obviously amused.. uh, guy.

"Who the hell are you?"

"You don't remember?"

"Well, obviously not, considering I just asked you, dumbass."

"…" Neji's smile widened before he laughed quietly, almost appearing a little evil, in Gaara's opinion. "My name is Neji. I took you back to my dorm last night after you threw up at the bar and passed out when I asked you where you lived."

"Oh." There was a short period of silence, where normally, an exchange of 'Thank you' and 'No problem' would occur, but failed to for this certain situation. After approximately two minutes, Neji retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to the red-haired boy.

"So, what happened?"

Gaara unscrewed the cap and took several long gulps, afterwards wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, you don't seem like the type of person who would go out and get totally drunk just for the heck of it."

"You don't seem like the type of person who would take a totally drunk person home just for the heck of it, and you don't see me criticizing you, do you?"

Neji raised a brow, sitting in a chair across from his guest. "You seriously don't know who I am?"

"Correct."

Sighing, Neji felt his heart sink a little in his chest. "I'm in your psychology class."

After a moment, realization hit as Gaara finally linked face and name together. "Ah, right! You're Neji!"

"…That's what I said."

Gaara scowled, setting the water bottle aside. "I know that.. You sit behind me, right?"

"That's right."

"Ahh, well.. Thanks for taking me here, I guess." He said, seeming to become more relaxed now that he had an idea of who this guy was. Neji smiled brightly, watching as Gaara looked around his room.

"Do you have a roommate?"

"Nope, he flunked out already. They don't allow you to move any furniture out, so I'm stuck with an extra bed and desk.. Hence the bunk beds."

"Ah.." Suddenly thinking of an idea, Gaara leaned forward excitedly, his nausea and headache long forgotten. "Hey, do you think I could move in with you?"

Move in? Neji froze as his brain began to think of numerous perverted things that included him, Gaara, and a lot of whipped cream.

"Neji?"

"Huh? Oh, er.." Clearing his throat, Neji shrugged his shoulders casually. "Sure, but what happened to where you're living now?"

"Thanks to a certain Uchiha, I no longer have a home," Gaara muttered, unaware that his expression had darkened to an almost frightening degree.

"Did you just say Uchiha? As in, Sasuke Uchiha?"

Gaara raised a nonexistent brow. "Yes.. Let me guess, you just happen to be his best friend, right?" He sighed, silently cursing his life.

"Actually.." Neji frowned, disgust lining his voice. "He happens to be more like my life-long enemy."

If Gaara were a dog, his ears would have perked at this amazingly fortunate news. Then his tail would have wagged, and he would have pounced on Neji and probably even licked his face. Fortunately (or unfortunately for Neji), Gaara was not a dog, so instead his eyes grew wide and all shiny-looking in surprise, making Neji's throat tighten uncomfortably.

"Really?" At Neji's nod, Gaara stuck his hand forward with a grin. "Well then, it's a pleasure to be rooming with you, Neji."

Dropping his gaze to the hand extended before him, Neji felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"The pleasure is all mine."

A/N:

Another new story! Ahhh, kill me. I have absolutely no motivation for Ditto at the moment, so give me some good fic recommendations that will hopefully pull me out of my slump. I actually started this fic a long time ago, then I found it and just happened to finish this chapter today. Unlike my other stories (haha), I have a lot of this one planned out, so hopefully there won't be random 1-month delays in updating. Then again, there might be, considering I have another story (NaruSasu!) that I'm in the process of writing.

I feel bad for Gaara in this story.. Naruto is pretty cruel. Sorry about that. XD I didn't have any.. ahem, graphic mmsmex in this chapter since I think GaaNaru is gross. Do not bug me about it, because I will neverrrrrr write it! (evil laughter) o.o

Anyway, please review, reviews are like little mountains of incredibly hot Naruto doujinshi that completely make my day..

Or not, but you get the point.

Twitterpated

haru wo tsuge odoridasu sansai

natsu wo miru uji nohara karakusa kawakuwa

aki no tsuki nobotta manmarusa oiwai

fuyu wo sugi mata tsukihi o kazoeru

X

If you think that Neji Hyuuga is the type of person who doesn't have girlish fantasies and/or thoughts, you are sorely mistaken. Neji secretly enjoys his fair share of giggles and blushes, although such a thing could hardly be suggested from his cool and collected outer appearance.

You see, Neji is a master of Acts. These Acts of his range from "cold, sadistic bastard," to "sweet, quiet boy who would naturally offer to help an elderly woman across the street." Having grown up in a strict household with plenty of rules to shape and mold his personality and behavior, he had mastered the Acts by the age of ten. They became a part of who he was; a part of his desperation to please those he cared about. Those with the knowledge of Neji and his Acts could only help but wonder: "Who is Neji Hyuuga,really?"

"Thanks again for coming with me," Gaara piped up, pushing another box towards the door. After he had officially been deemed 'Neji's roommate' (i.e. They notified the RD in order to get an extra set of keys), Neji had taken him back to the bar so that he could get his vehicle. Afterwards, Neji had insisted on helping him move his things, as one car was unlikely to hold all of his belongings anyway.

They had picked up some boxes on the way to the apartment, and so far Gaara had packed up three of them filled with clothes and other belongings. He had quite literally forced Neji to stay near the door, as he was already uneasy to have him in his apartment to begin with and didn't need him coming into his and Naruto's bedroom.

"It's not a problem at all," Neji commented, continuing to cast his eyes around the room in curiosity. "Do you still have a lot left? I'm sure I could help you or something.."

Gaara hesitated, unsure with the idea of letting Neji wander around his apartment. "Er.." He glanced around the living room, pausing. "I suppose you could pack up those books and DVDs over there." He pointed towards a short bookcase, trying to remember which were his and which were Naruto's. "Only the bottom two shelves, though."

With that, he turned to return into the bedroom. He figured they'd have to make another trip in order to get some of the larger appliances which were his, such as the TV in the living room, the coffee machine, and the toaster. Well, he had bought the toaster for Naruto, so that could stay..

Frowning, Gaara dropped onto the bed and threaded his fingers into his hair. Everything happening seemed so surreal; too surreal. The thought of losing Naruto had never even crossed his mind. The sad truth of reality was rearing its ugly self in his face, and he had no choice but to accept it and try to move on.

When Neji appeared in the doorway, Gaara raised his head, realizing he must have completely spaced out. The Hyuuga noticed the other boy's watery eyes, but decided not to mention it.

"Hey, maybe we should come back another time during the week. You've already packed enough to last that long, right?"

Gaara nodded numbly, gathering his strength to stand. "Yeah.. Let's go."

"Two years?"

Gaara wrapped his hand around the warm coffee mug when it was set before him, leaning his head into his free hand. "Almost two years," He corrected, as if that somehow didn't sound as bad.

Haku sat across from him, shaking his head in disbelief as he gathered his own mug into his delicate hands. "I can't believe Naruto would do something like that." He took a long sip, allowing the liquid to slowly warm his body.

Gaara simply stared into his cup, finding the ominous darkness oddly appealing. "Can't we talk about something else, Haku? I've thought about this enough during my spare time; I don't need to do it on one of the rare occasions I get to see you."

"Alright," Haku agreed, a mischievous glint appearing in one of his chocolate colored eyes. "So tell me about your new roommate." Leaning further over the table, Gaara looked up to find his friend's face eerily close to his own.

"Is he cute?"

"Haku.." Gaara moaned, gritting his teeth together. "Is that all you think about?"

"Well, no," The brunette admitted, settling back against his chair. "I also think about how well endowed they are."

Gaara felt his face grow warm, a vein threatening to pop in his forehead. This was definitely not the type of comforting he had been hoping for.

"If you aren't going to tell me, then I'll just follow you home and see for myself." Haku added smugly, the threat appearing to anger his poor friend even more.

Unfortunately, before Gaara had the chance to reply, Haku had decided that that idea didn't sound bad at all.

XXX

"Ehh, this is exciting. What color hair does he have, Gaara? How long is it?" Haku tugged Gaara's sleeve impatiently, closely resembling a little boy. The redhead jerked his arm away, mumbling under his breath as they climbed the stairs to the floor where his dorm was located.

"It looks.." He hesitated, glancing to the taller teen and frowning. "It looks a lot like yours, I guess."

Haku gave him a thoughtful expression, a slender finger pressing to his lips. "Well, that could be interesting." Gaara merely rolled his eyes, silently praying that his roommate would be anywhere but in their room.

When they reached the dorm, Gaara tried the doorknob before fishing around for his keys, his heart sinking when he realized the door was open—meaning, Neji was most likely inside. Feeling Haku's excitement nearly radiating off of him, Gaara let out an agitated sigh as he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Neji glanced up from his computer, tugging an ear bud from his ear and arching a sculpted brow. "What's up? I thought you weren't going to back until late tonight."

Gaara grimaced as Haku's mouth formed an "O" shape, shooting him a warning glare when the other inconspicuously gave him two thumbs-up.

"My friend wanted to see my new place, and- OW! Okay, geez!" Gaara rubbed his side where he had just been (rather rudely) elbowed, an irritated scowl on his face. "Neji, this is Haku. Haku, this is Neji." He muttered something that sounded awfully close to "stupid bastard," lowering his hand from the forming bruise.

"Haku?" Neji turned more in his chair, appearing interested at the sound of such a name. "Are you Japanese?"

Haku blinked in surprise, beginning to blush under the scrutiny. "Well, my mother was half-Japanese, but I never learned the language."

"Oh? My mother is Japanese as well." Neji gave him a light smile, only a hint of his pearly teeth visible from between two slightly parted lips.

At Haku's breathy "Ooh..," Gaara irately pressed a hand to his forehead. An "ooh" was typically the first sign of Cute Boy Meltdown™, an occurrence that happened often and was quite disturbing upon reaching the 3rd stage. Luckily, they still had time before such a tragedy could occur.

"Haku, isn't Zabuza waiting for you by now?" He placed a significant amount of emphasis on Zabuza's name, hoping to bring Haku out of his dreamlike trance. When he received a pouty glare in response, he knew that his message had gotten across.

"He won't mind if I'm a little late," Haku insisted, feeling intimidated by Gaara's devilish smirk.

"Oh, really?"

Neji felt the sides of his mouth drooping downwards ever so slightly, the closest thing to a pout that he would allow himself to do. He, like most people, didn't appreciate being out of the loop. "Who's Zabuza?"

"Just a-"

"His boyfriend," Gaara stated, smugly enjoying Haku's gaping-fish antics and the Hyuuga's blank stare.

A sudden shrill beeping interrupted the thick silence, and Neji glanced down to his watch before ceasing the beeping with the push of a button. "Well, I'm off to the cafeteria. It was nice meeting you, Haku." He lifted a long, white jacket from the back of his chair and slipped past the other two, raising his hand in a short wave as he started down the hallway. "Bring your boyfriend next time!"

Despite his seemingly natural reaction, only one thought repeated itself in the Hyuuga's mind: His?

XXX

"GAARA, YOU SON-OF-A- Message Deleted.

Message 4 of 22: GODDAMNIT GAARA, IF YOU DON'T PICK UP THE MOTHERFU- Message Deleted."

Gaara closed his cell phone, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up at Haku's madman-psycho-voice. He was definitely overreacting. It wasn't like he had straight-out told Neji that Haku was a transsexual, so what was the big deal?

Sighing, Gaara flopped backwards onto his bed and contemplated the day's activities. Introducing Haku to Neji had been fun, albeit a little embarrassing. He had thought for sure Neji would have believed Haku to be some sort of crazy fangirl-type of guy, but apparently his pale-eyed roommate had actually taken a liking to his starry-eyed friend. Odd as it was, he wasn't about to complain.

Neji walked into the dorm around eight o'clock, having gone to the library after lunch in order to study for the upcoming midterms. He didn't appear to be surprised at seeing Gaara still there, as from what he could tell, his roommate hardly ever went out.

"When did your friend leave?" Neji shifted to sit on his bed, glad that they had gotten rid of the bunk beds when Gaara had moved in. He didn't feel comfortable with the idea of sleeping above or below him, especially considering how old the beds were.

Gaara sat up, frowning slightly. He had been half asleep, not even noticing the Hyuuga's presence until he had spoken. "Not long after you," He admitted, standing to turn on the light.

When he resumed his place on the bed, he was presented with the sight of Neji daintily shrugging off his jacket, reminding Gaara of how feminine he looked with such a figure-hugging garment in the first place. Neji often reminded him of Haku, though the proud Hyuuga seemed much more elegant and graceful when it came to feminity.

"What?" Gaara realized he must have been staring when he took in Neji's confused expression and quirked brow, and silently wondered if he too was catching a case of C.B.M.™.

"Nothing," He hastily replied, diverting his gaze to the window. "I was just thinking.. You never told me how you know Sasuke Uchiha." Gaara internally smirked, applauding himself for coming up with a change of subject so easily. Plus, it was something he really did want to know about.

"Oh, that." Neji sighed, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Our mothers were best friends and grew up together in Japan. Somehow, they both ended up living in the same area, so I basically grew up with Sasuke and his brother." Here, Neji frowned, leaning back on his hands. "Itachi was always friendly, but Sasuke has been an annoying little bastard for as long as I can remember. Always wanting to best everyone and deliberately trying to piss me off."

Gaara resisted the urge to snort at the "little bastard" comment. However, his moment of internal glee was cut short when Neji looked at him pointedly, curiosity lining his features. "What about you?"

"Eh?" Gaara felt his lips part, but nothing came out. He wasn't about to tell someone he barely knew about the biggest life-changing event he'd had since he was six. "Sorry. It really isn't something I want to talk about."

Neji sighed in disappointment. He had hoped that he was more trusted than that; more of a friend than just a roommate. Then again, they hadn't been rooming together long.. but even with time, would it really be possible to break through Gaara's barrier?

Neji had learned two important facts about Gaara over the past week and a half.

One: Gaara hardly slept, and when he did fall asleep, it was usually past 3AM (Hence why he, Neji, was awake at the ungodly hour of 5.)

Two: Whenever Gaara sleeps, he is knocked out. With a capital K.O. (Hence why he, Neji, was sitting at the edge of said redhead's bed and touching said redhead. Not inappropriately, of course.)

That's right. Neji succumbed to his feelings enough to indulge in the feel of Gaara's smooth (but not girly smooth) skin, although he would only allow himself to do so for mere seconds, or a minute at most. There was something mysteriously appealing about Gaara that he could never put his finger on. Was it the three consecutive freckles near his left elbow that reminded him of Orion's Belt? The kanji on his forehead? Or perhaps it was something not so visible; something like the unexplainable heart-wrenching feeling he got whenever he looked at the redhead's troubled sleeping face.

Lowering his head until their noses touched, Neji closed his eyes as he basked in the warmth and feel that was Gaara.

"Whatever it is.. I'll make sure you smile again."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

ZOMGOZMG. I updated. It's amazing, right? Happy New Years, everyone! I'm supermuchoincredibly sorry about the horrific lateness, but I promise I haven't been just sitting around twiddling my thumbs for the past three months. I have three SasuNaru fics floating around in My Documents and a half-finished second chapter to Neji Hime that I seriously want to trash. Plus, I have finals and the SATs at the end of this month, and a semester project due on Friday that I haven't started.. (at least you know I don't just procrastinate with fanfiction…)

I honestly don't know what will be updated/added next. I just randomly started this chapter yesterday when I re-read all of your reviews and felt really guilty for making you wait so long (although this is hardly anything compared to Ditto… aughh.) I'm really sorry. Really.

Anyway.. now that you have my excuses/apologies, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm hoping to make this a slow moving fic since I seem to be horrible at making stories move along at a reasonable pace. Nice, long reviews are appreciated..! And I feel that some authoress-bashing is inevitable (and well-deserved.)

I also apologize for having such ridiculously long A/Ns. T.T Jaaa.

I'm getting wise and

I'm feeling so bohemian like you

It's you that I want, so please

Just a casual, casual easy thing

Is it?

it is for me

And I like you, yeah I like you

and I like you, I like you, I like you

X

Neji twisted his key and removed it from the lock, giving the handle a reassuring press before turning toward the stairs. Once out of the dorm, he checked his watch, noting that he didn't have class for another three hours. Perfect timing to plan an impromptu lunch date with his best friend.

"Hello?"

"Tenten, it's me. Where are you now?" He slid a hand into his jacket pocket, idly fingering his keys.

"At the gym, of course. Why?"

"I was thinking we could grab lunch at the deli. You don't have class today, right?"

"Yeah, sure. Give me ten minutes?"

"Alright, see you there." He folded his phone shut, pushing it into his pocket before setting a leisurely pace toward the deli. It was chilly outside, but pleasantly so seeing as they were fast approaching the end of autumn. Nonetheless, Neji tugged his white trench coat tighter around himself and wished he had brought gloves. It was odd, but despite having been born and raised in the north, his body never seemed to acclimate itself to the weather.

By the time he reached the deli, Tenten was already waiting outside, donning only a pair of yoga pants and a much too flattering racerback tank that clung in all of the appropriate places. Neji clicked his tongue is disapproval, eyeing her top with a frown. "Cold, are we?"

Tenten scoffed, using her reflection in the door's glass to touch up the two buns of hair atop her head. "I forgot my jacket, alright? Don't be such a prude."

"Uh huh," Neji stated dubiously as he opened the door for her. "And then you ask me why all the guys you pick up at the gym are only after a good time."

Pouting, Tenten gave her friend a playful shove as they moved toward the counter. "That's not true! Kidomaru was nice."

Neji promptly issued a glare at the name, recalling one particular fight with said man that had escalated from verbal abuse to full out physical combat. "Ha. Ha. Ha."

Tenten only rolled her eyes, ordering an Italian-style sub with a wide array of various meats and cheeses. Neji, on the other hand, purchased a pita wrap filled with vegetables and a few slices of swiss. Unlike his female counterpart who would eat anything and burn it off by the end of one morning workout, Neji was highly health conscious. In restaurants, he was the type of customer who would request salads with dressing on the side or a chicken alfredo without the chicken.

They chose a table near the window, a seat that they would usually use to people-watch the streets outside. However, both knew that they had a new topic of interest to discuss.

"So," Tenten began, opening the bottle of juice she had bought to accompany the meal. "How's the roomie?"

"Good question," Neji sighed. "He won't talk about himself at all. I still don't even know why he had to move out so abruptly."

"Mmm. Well, obviously he's the quiet type. Why don't you try talking to that friend of his? The 'girly man' – which, by the way, is hilariously ironic given the fact that you look like someone from America's Next Top Model in that ridiculous coat."

Scowling, Neji flicked a sliced pepper toward her and nibbled on his sandwich. "And how should I go about doing that? I only know his first name, I don't know where he lives, I don't have his number.."

Tenten removed the pepper from where it had landed in her cleavage before answering. "Why don't you ask Gaara out to the movies or something and tell him to bring his friend? Duh, Mr. I'm-a-4.0-student-but-I-have-no-social-skills."

Neji was silent for a moment, contemplating the success rate of such an operation. "I suppose.. that's plausible. But why would his friend help me?"

"Woo him with your charm? Bribery?"

"..."

"Or you could be honest and tell him how you feel about Gaara." With her submarine sandwich still in her hands, she lifted one digit to give him a reprimanding finger wave. "Neji, most people don't like seeing their friends feeling like shit. So, chances are, whats-his-face will help you if he thinks you'll be good for Gaara."

"And what if he decides I'm not good for Gaara?"

"Then.." She leaned back in her chair, giving the salt and pepper shakers a thoughtful stare before meeting her friend's gaze. "I'm afraid you'll be S-O-L."

Gaara awoke with perspiration on his brow. He had had a dream – a rare occurrence – about Naruto. Naruto, with his forget-me-not eyes and pink heart-shaped lips..

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Gaara sat up from his position on the top bunk and glanced down to the clock below.

3:23 PM.

Great – he missed his two o'clock psychology class. Sighing, the redhead flopped back down and turned to face the wall, glaring at the white paint.

It wasn't unusual for him to sleep at odd hours during the day, but it was rare that he ever missed a class because of it. Normally, his internal clock would somehow wake him up a good half hour before the class started, ensuring that he had enough time to get there without being too late.

Running a hand through his hair, Gaara grimly noted that he was in desperate need of a shower. He sat up again, swinging his legs over the side of the bed before jumping down. He didn't mind being in a dorm as much as he had thought he would – it was good for him to be around so many people; it kept him from drowning in a sea of self-loathing and depression. However, he did not appreciate the communal bathrooms one bit – especially when numerous residents found the use of a towel unnecessary.

Gaara slid on his shower shoes and grabbed his shower essentials, draping a towel over his shoulder before reaching for the doorknob. Before he could turn it, however, it swung inward, nearly whacking him in the face.

"Ah, sorry," Neji exclaimed, seeming distraught by Gaara's expression of mild shock. "You weren't in class, so I wanted to make sure you weren't sick or.." He paused, shrugging. "Something."

"I fell asleep."

"Oh." The brunette shifted the books in his arms, leaning against the doorframe. "Well, we didn't do much of interest. You may copy my notes if you'd like."

"Thanks." Gaara scratched the back of his neck, finding that this conversation was becoming increasingly awkward for some reason. "I'm just.. going to go shower now."

"Right." Stepping aside, Neji watched as the other teen disappeared down the hallway. There went a reasonably acceptable opportunity to invite Gaara and Haku to a random group outing, he mused.

XXX

Why hadn't he simply dropped off his books and left? Neji didn't know. Perhaps he sought to torture himself in this way. 'This way' referring to the fact that Gaara had just re-entered the room, towel around his waist, hair wet and clinging. Staring at his roommate's milky white chest and freckled shoulders, the Hyuga had a revelation.

He had never seen a red happy trail before.

It was slight – Gaara was an oddly un-hairy individual – but still present, and undeniably appealing. Unfortunately, the sight was gone all too soon as the redhead shut himself in his closet to change.

That was another thing about Gaara. He never changed in front of Neji, even though it would suffice to just turn the other way and pull on some boxers under his towel. Instead, he vanished within his closet and reappeared fully dressed.

Eliciting an airy sigh, Neji rested his head in his hand and looked down at the uncompleted essay on his desk. He thought back to the first time he had noticed Gaara in his class. He had been difficult to miss, given that Neji sat directly behind him and had a perfect view of his flame-red hair every other day. Many days had been spent admiring that hair, the way it cut off barely an inch above his shoulders and framed his tattoo in such an adorably perfect way.

It was unusual that Neji had been reluctant to approach Gaara – he had never been the shy type, yet as Tenten had put it, the redhead seemed to make him socially inept. Perhaps it was because he had never met someone as different as himself. Gaara was unreadable, with little to no facial expressions by which to guess his emotions. Yet, unlike Neji, he didn't appear to have the people-pleasing complex that often made Neji question his own identity.

Several moments passed before Gaara returned to the main room, fingers combing through his hair irritably. Neji couldn't help but watch, eyeing the slightly fitted black t-shirt and dark grey dorm pants that now clothed the other's lean body with a silent kudos. He cleared his throat when a pair of chilling jade eyes met his, offering a smile.

"Hey, I was just reading about this murder mystery dinner theatre that the drama class is putting on.." It was semi-true, at least – the paper was sitting unopened next to his essay. "Would you like to go? You could bring that friend of yours. Haku, right?"

Gaara tilted his head and regarded Neji with yet another unreadable stare. "Alright," He said slowly. "I'll see if he wants to go."

Haku nearly squealed with glee at the proposal later that evening. "Gaara, this is totally a friend date!"

Frowning, Gaara broke off a piece of the chocolate that they were currently adding to the pot of fondue. "What the fuck is a 'friend date'?"

"Language!" Haku snatched the chocolate bar away, pouting. "It's like.. when you want to ask someone out, but you feel weird about it, so you tell them to bring a friend to lessen the awkwardness." He nodded sagely, crossing his legs beneath a knee-length flowery skirt. "Zabuza did it to me once."

"Zabuza has friends?" Gaara blinked in disbelief, then quickly regained his composure and shook his head. "Wait, what? He wants to date me?"

"Yes, Gaara. That's usually what it means when someone asks you out for dinner."

"But.." He scowled, the chocolate melting in his hand with the force of his frustrated squeeze. "I don't want to date anyone."

"Well, I'd gladly take him off your hands, but Z-bear would probably go on a killing spree." Haku gave a tragic sigh of disappointment. "Really, Gaara, you have to get over Naruto sooner or later. And Neji is hot. I mean, he's like Sesshoumaru from InuYasha. He's got an intimidating prescence and a sexy deep voice, but he looks feminine." As Gaara lifted a brow, Haku's eyes widened. "I wonder if he'd even let you top him.." He grinned. "Gaara, you might be turned into an uke!"

Gaara didn't restrain himself. As a result, Haku spent the next three hours whining about how difficult it would be to remove the chocolate from his "beautiful silky tresses."

By the time the redhead returned to the dorm, it was close to midnight. Neji was already asleep, or so his curled form led Gaara to believe. Instead of climbing up to his own bed, Gaara sat at his desk and trained his eyes on his roommate's silhouette.

Could he really "get over" Naruto so easily? Neji seemed interesting, sure, but he was far from the exuberant blonde that he was so used to. He could certainly not imagine Neji glomping him out of the blue, singing Disney songs in the shower, or making burnt pancakes as an apology.

Still.. he had accepted Neji's "friend date" whether he had realized the implications or not. Perhaps, though he found it increasingly difficult to believe, it would turn out for the best.

Author's Note:

It's late. And short. Fail.

You are

the dark ocean bottom

And I am

The fast sinking anchor

Should I fall for you?

Should I fall for you?

X

Friday came far too fast for both Gaara and Neji. Haku, on the other hand, was having a grand time sending Gaara hourly text reminders.

Speaking of which, the redhead flipped open his cellphone to find another one.

Only 5 more hours til your friend date! *smooooooch*

For the umpteenth time, Gaara questioned why he remained friends with the obnoxious romantic. Pocketing his phone, he paused in the hallway of the literature building to grab a copy of that week's student newspaper. Sifting through the pages, he sat down on a bench to read the advertisement for the dinner theatre.

Do you like solving mysteries?

Do you like to eat?

Do you like solving mysteries WHILE you eat?

If so, the Drama department's MURDER MYSTERY DINNER THEATRE is just the thing for you!

Come to Alumni Hall in the Student Union this Friday at 8pm.

Tickets are $6 for students, $11 for guests.

Gaara blinked, unsure of whether he felt the ad was stupid or clever. He folded the newspaper and stuffed it into one of the side pockets of his backpack, figuring he'd read the student-submitted fiction later. He stood and exited the building, zipping up his jacket as he began the trek across the quad. With the cooler weather, less people spent their afternoons laying out on the quad, playing frisbee and whatever other annoying activities they found "fun." Gaara much preferred a quiet route back to his dorm at the end of the day. Plus, he liked to look at the scenery without seeing people everywhere.

Allowing his mind to drift, Gaara found himself worrying over his "friend date" that evening. Haku would be there, but still – it had barely been a month since things ended with Naruto. He couldn't bring himself to forgive the blonde, yet he would still likely take him back without hesitation if the opportunity were to arise. He missed seeing Naruto everyday. He missed his smile, his laugh, and his ridiculously loud voice. But even more, he just missed his friend. Naruto had been the only person Gaara trusted with absolutely everything. And Naruto had accepted and loved him despite it all.. or so he had thought.

Gaara soon reached the dorm, heading inside and making his way to the room he shared with Neji. He was thankful the Hyuga was still in class, sparing him from another painfully awkward conversation. Honestly, how long had Neji liked him, anyway? Gaara dropped his bag onto the floor and flopped down into his desk chair. He couldn't recall anyone ever having a crush on him before. He had been the one to pursue Naruto. Sure, there was no denying that Neji was attractive, but he was so.. feminine. And so different from Naruto.

Sighing, Gaara rubbed a hand over his face and leaned back. But, perhaps that was what he needed. The opposite of Naruto.

An hour later, Neji finally returned from his biochemistry class. When he entered the room, he found Gaara sleeping at his desk, head cradled by pages of crumpled notes. The sight was unsurprising; he had realized long ago that the redhead had greatly unusual sleeping habits.

Neji placed his books on his bed as quietly as possible, moving to sit at his own desk. Opening a drawer, he removed the still incomplete essay that he had started at the beginning of the week. He barely had five hundred words, and the eight page analysis was due on Monday. Normally, he could churn out such papers with ease, but he had been distracted all week fretting over that evening's events. He had never felt so helpless before. Rather than being his usual confident self, he constantly worried that he would do or say something to anger the object of his affection.

He still knew so little about Gaara.. yet his attraction toward the other boy was so strong. Frowning, he turned to look at his roommate's sleeping form. Before he could further wallow in his troubles, his watch beeped loudly, indicating it was time for him to eat. After hurriedly turning off the alarm, he grabbed his keys and left before Gaara had time to awake.

xxx

"I'm not wearing that."

"Oh, c'mon, Gaara!" Haku held the black slacks against his friend's waist, eyes twinkling in approval. "Clothes were meant to be worn. You can't just neglect them."

"I only bought it for a funeral," Gaara stated, grabbing the pants and tossing them back into his closet. "The fabric is too itchy."

Scowling, Haku resumed flipping through Gaara's scarce wardrobe. "Black, black, black, ooh, grey! How adventurous." The redhead rolled his eyes, sitting down on his bed. "Black goes with everything and I don't have to worry about spilling things." Despite the logic, Haku remained unimpressed.

"We really need to take you shopping. Soon."

"No."

"Yes. Or I'll show Neji your baby pictures."

Gaara froze, then scoffed. "You don't have any baby pictures of me."

"That's what you think," Haku smirked. "How's Señor Bear doing these days?"

Paling at the mention of his favorite childhood toy, Gaara pursed his lips. "Aren't you getting ahead of yourself anyway? We don't even know for sure that Neji is gay."

Haku stepped away from the closet to fix him with a skeptical stare. "Uh huh. He's straight and I'm a 300 pound body builder. Seriously, Gaara. You need a gaydar upgrade."

"Well, sorry if I don't go around drooling after every single guy that comes around despite already being taken."

Turning back to the closet with a dismissive sniff, Haku paused at a long sleeved button up shirt. "Z-bear knows I'm his. Besides, I get hot angry sex whenever he's jealous." Extracting the shirt, he whipped around to hold it up for Gaara to see. "How about this?"

Gaara fell backward onto his bed, closing his eyes. "Fine. But I'm still wearing my flipflops."

"It's below freezing outs-"

"Don't care."

When he received a rough smack to the side of his head, Gaara did his best not to cringe. "Hitting the unaware is pretty rude, you know."

"Cutting people off is rude!" Haku retorted, taking a seat on top of Gaara's extended legs. "Sooo.. where is Neji, anyway?"

Gaara shrugged, at which the brunette poked his leg sharply. "Well, do you have his number? It's almost 7."

"It's in my phone." His eyes flew open as his friend began groping at his pockets. "On my desk, idiot!"

"Should have said so." Haku mimicked Gaara's earlier shrug, hopping off the bed to grab the phone before returning. Opening the mobile with his thumb, he went to the contact list and typed "N," which resulted only "Naruto."

"I don't see it."

Sighing, Gaara snatched the device away and scrolled down to the appropriate name, then returned it.

Haku blinked. "'Roommate'? Really, Gaara, you couldn't even put his name?"

"I was hungover when I put it in there. I kept forgetting his name."

Shaking his head in disappointment, Haku began typing a text. "I still can't believe you have a fake ID."

"Naruto made me get one when we were 15 so we could go to some club."

"You? At a club?" Haku snorted, though didn't falter in his typing. "How does this sound? 'Dear Neji, just wondering when I am going to see your lovely face this evening. Haku and I are in the room waiting. Love, Gaara."

Gaara sat up possibly quicker than he had ever moved before, promptly beginning a struggle with his taller yet slimmer friend.

"Ha! Sent." Haku let the phone fall into the redhead's grasp, wearing an evil, satisfied smile. After watching Gaara's expression of horror for over a minute, he finally relented. "That's not really what I said, dummy. Now hurry up and get dressed."

Clicking into the "Sent" messages folder, Gaara was relieved to find that Haku had merely sent a short text asking when they should meet. He pushed the phone into his pocket before standing, tugging off his t-shirt and slipping on the dress shirt that had been chosen for him. As he looped the buttons, he wondered idly if there would be singing involved. Above all else, Gaara hated musicals. People didn't go through their daily lives spontaneously bursting into song, so he failed to see the point of such performances.

He had just secured the last button when his phone buzzed, prompting him to remove it from his pocket and flip it open.

Sorry – got caught up with something. I'll meet you at the doors at 7:30. I already have the tickets.

Haku appeared behind him, reading the message over his shoulder. "Aww, he bought our tickets!"

"He just got them ahead of time so we wouldn't have to wait in line," Gaara reasoned. "He's expecting us to pay him back."

"Suuuure." Haku chuckled, moving to adjust his outfit in the closet's mirror. "Can you tell I'm not wearing underwear?"

Neji smiled, raising a hand in greeting as he saw Haku and Gaara approaching. "Hey. It's busier than I had expected, so we should probably hurry up and find seats." He lifted a brow when Gaara thrusted numerous bills in his face. "What's this?"

"Money. For the tickets."

"Oh. Don't worry about it." Neji waved his hand dismissively, turning to head into the room. "It's my treat." Once his back was turned, Haku gave Gaara a triumphant smirk.

They soon decided on seats in the middle, close enough that they could see but far enough back that they wouldn't be pulled into the act as unwilling volunteers. The show began precisely at eight o'clock, several actors taking their place on stage. The premise was a large Christmas gathering at a wealthy couple's isolated mansion, where one murder quickly became two, then three, and so on. The acting and props were quite good, though all three men grimaced when they were brought what appeared to be no more than rehashed cafeteria food. Before the killer was revealed, the audience was given a brief intermission to write down who they believed had done it and what their motive was.

"What do you think, Gaara?" Neji noted that the redhead had yet to pick up his pencil.

"It's the daughter."

"No way! It's the butler. It's always the butler," Haku exclaimed.

Neji nodded. "I have to agree.. the daughter was the one who spent the last half crying over her father's death. Why would she be the killer?"

Gaara sighed, as if it were highly troublesome for him to have to explain something so obvious to them. "She was his step-daughter, remember? In the beginning, his shirt collar had a pink lipstick stain the same color she was wearing. They were obviously having an affair and she killed him when she found out he was writing a new will that left nothing for her. Then she had to kill the lawyer to cover her tracks. Didn't you catch any of the implications between the husband and the family attorney?"

"Huh." Neji and Haku both sat dumbfounded, the former moreso. He was normally good at these sorts of games, too! He had been absolutely certain it was the butler, especially after the guy stormed across the stage cursing his employers in the opening scene.

The cast members walked around picking up the votes, though Gaara hadn't bothered to fill his in. They were then left with a short break while they sorted through to find any winners of the "Clue" board game prize.

"Soo," Haku drawled out slowly when no one else broke the silence. "Neji, how're your classes going? I think Gaara said you're in the same psychology class – is that your major too?"

Neji's brows furrowed together at this new information. "No.. I didn't know psychology was your major, Gaara."

The redhead shrugged, then winced when Haku poked him sharply. "I just declared it last week."

"Ah. Well, my classes are alright. The aim is med school as of now, so I'm double majoring in chem and bio."

"Oooh." Haku, of course, had a thing for doctors. "What kind of doctor are you gonna be?"

Neji rubbed the back of his neck distractedly. This sort of conversation always made him uncomfortable. "I'm not positive yet.. I wanted to be a surgeon, but it takes up so much time. I might go into pediatric oncology."

"Sounds depressing," Gaara noted, meeting the Hyuga's gaze for the first time that evening. "Are you a masochist or something?"

"Not at all," Neji argued. "I don't believe it would be depressing to try to save children's lives or at least give them the best life possible in their condition."

"And what happens when they die?"

"Then at least they know I tried and can rest in peace."

Gaara continued fixing Neji with a stare that would quickly weaken any other's resolve, but his roommate didn't falter. Finally, his eyes flickered, admitting defeat. "I suppose that's noble of you."

"Well, I suppose I'm glad you think so." Neji smirked, the way Gaara bit his lip not escaping his notice. Before any more could be spoken, however, the cast members again took the stage to announce the results.

"So as it turns out, you're a very poor audience," A pink-haired girl with a bloody knife complained. "No one figured out that I was the killer. I mean, really, was it that hard?" The audience chuckled at her rude remarks, several members murmuring "ohhh" in realization. Her and a few others from the cast went on to re-enact a few key scenes to explain the crime, then awarded everyone with a pair of cheap mustache glasses.

Neji turned to Gaara, impressed. "Why didn't you write it down? You would have won."

"I don't care about winning. I knew I was right; I didn't need to have it reaffirmed in front of a large group of people for some kind of superficial feeling of self worth."

Haku rolled his eyes. "Yeah," He sighed, nodding to Neji. "That's the psychology talking."

At Neji's suggestion, the trio walked to Starbucks for a cup of java. On the way there, Haku conveniently remembered he had an early dentist appointment and needed to get to bed before eleven. Thus, the Hyuga and Sabaku entered the coffeeshop alone, each a bit nervous by the other's presence.

Once they had their drinks and sat down, Neji steeled his nerves and chose to speak first. "Gaara, I don't mean to be nosy, but we've been living together for some time now and I still don't even know why you had to move so suddenly. I don't know much about you at all, really.." He twirled his ponytail around his finger absently. "I was hoping we could be.. friends."

Gaara sipped his coffee, carefully considering Neji's words. After several moments, he placed his cup on the table and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. It was okay to trust Neji, he told himself. The guy had been nothing more than kind and certainly deserved to be treated with the same level of respect. It wasn't fair to punish someone else for Naruto's actions... he couldn't let the blonde ruin his life.

"Remember how we both hate Sasuke Uchiha?"

Neji nodded, watching as Gaara continued staring upward.

"My boyfriend cheated on me for almost two years with him before dumping me. Now they're off living happily ever after... or whatever." He finally dropped his head, taking another drink. There. It was out in the open and off his chest, though saying it only seemed to reignite the pain he had first felt when Naruto had broken up with him.

"Sounds like you're better off without him." Neji stated, feeling a sharp pain in his own heart. What idiot would dump Gaara? More importantly, who could cheat on someone for two years? He had been cheated on before, though certainly not in that magnitude. His roommate's distrustful behavior now made sense.

Gaara simply lifted and dropped his shoulders, at which Neji offered a sad smile. "You loved him, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I guess they're wrong.. love isn't enough."

"Gaara.."

Neji frowned as the redhead stood, loosely grasping his coffee cup between his thumb and middle finger.

"I have things to do. I'll see you back at the room."

XXX

Gaara felt like an idiot for confiding so easily in Neji. He had thought he could handle it, but the uncomfortable feeling in his throat proved otherwise. His eyes stung for the first time in a long while – come to think of it, he couldn't remember the last time he had cried, and he was trying painfully hard to not let the next time be now.

He stood from where he had been lying on his bed, opening the door and going down the hall to the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, he splashed cool water onto his face and rubbed his eyes. After standing there for nearly five minutes with the water running, he turned it off and dried his face with a paper towel. No, he didn't feel any better, but he walked back to the room anyway.

Neji was waiting for him, though Gaara didn't notice until after he had closed the door and turned around. The brunette stood before him with an almost angry expression, brows stitching closer together as he took in the other's red, watery eyes.

Before he had the chance to move, Gaara found himself being held against the door in a vice grip. Struggling to remain impassive, he heard his heart beating loudly in his chest as Neji's seemingly pupil-less eyes bore into his own. "What are you doing?" He growled, flexing his biceps in warning. "Let me go."

"No." Neji's face was suddenly very close, his warm breath like fire on Gaara's freshly cleansed face. "Your ex is a dumbass, Gaara."

"Is he?" He smirked maliciously. "You said it yourself – you don't know anything about me. Maybe I deserved it."

The comment made Neji fume even more. "Stop blaming yourself." His voice was very clearly frustrated. "No one deserves to be treated like that. No one deserves to have their heart broken."

Gaara's smirk turned into a scowl, his head turning away. Neji snatched his jaw, turning it back.

"Look at me."

Reluctantly, Gaara obliged. Tears promptly spilled from his eyes as he was met with Neji's genuine, sorrowful gaze. The Hyuga's grip loosened, his hand moving from the redhead's chin to his neck. He didn't bother wiping Gaara's face clean before kissing him, as if by sharing the tears, he promised to share Gaara's pain as well.

The kiss was soft and simple. Their lips seemed to part as quickly as they had come together, though they remained close - breathing in each other's air - for a long while. Neji pulled the smaller boy into his arms, and Gaara's eyes slid closed as he found himself relishing in how nice it felt to be the one being held. Neji's lips had felt like electricity on his skin. And for the first time in weeks, Naruto didn't even cross his mind.

All of the things that I want to say

Just aren't coming out right

I'm tripping on words, you got my head spinning

I don't know where to go from here

X

Gaara rolled onto his side and stared at the alarm clock sitting on his desk.

4:34 a.m.

Sighing, he kicked off his blankets and sat up. Apparently, sleep wasn't happening. He quietly sidled over to his closet and removed a black Mr. Coffee from the box it had been sitting in since he had brought it over from the apartment. After successfully finding some filters and his treasured French roast, he set up the appliance with as little noise as possible. He had noticed that Neji wasn't much of a light sleeper, so he wasn't too worried. He made a trip to the communal kitchen for water, proceeding to measure out a good six cups worth of ground coffee. By the time he found his semi-clean travel mug, enough had been brewed to fill it. He screwed on the lid, taking a long sip. The bitterness of the black coffee helped ease away the lingering traces of sleep.

It wasn't unusual for him to wake up at strange hours. It was, however, unusual for him to get zero sleep at all. He hadn't even been able to manage a thirty minute nap. He was, he supposed, still filled with adrenaline from the night before.

After the kiss and subsequent hugging, Gaara had awkwardly stated that he was tired and needed to sleep. He then proceeded to climb into his bed and pretend to be asleep for the next hour and a half while Neji paced the room and prepared himself for bed.

Neji had seemed to fall asleep easily, making Gaara feel even more disgruntled. He turned in his desk chair to watch the Hyuga sleep, noting how his long hair seemed to splay out around him. It was.. cute, and he had to force himself to stop being a creeper and look away.

Desperate for a distraction, he found his phone and flipped it open to find a good two dozen texts from Haku, all inquiring about the evening's events post-abandonment. Sighing, he quickly compiled a brief message and hit send. Not ten minutes later, his phone began buzzing and he hurriedly shuffled into the hallway.

"You could have given me a warning before calling. I didn't think you'd still be awake," He growled into the phone's microphone.

"I put you on a special ringtone in case you fiiiiiiiinally messaged me back. And how am I not supposed to call when you say, 'we kissed'? You kissed? Details, Gaara – no, Zabuza, I will not be quiet – and I want them now."

Leaning against a wall, Gaara recounted what had happened with as little embellishment as possible. He was not surprised to hear Haku's dramatic, drawn out sigh.

"Really, Gaara? You kiss, he holds you in an intimate lover's embrace and then you say 'I have to sleep'? What is wrong with you?"

Frowning, Gaara felt his face become warm. "It was awkward," He mumbled, suddenly annoyed at himself as well. He doubted he had ruined things, but he didn't know how he would face Neji now. He had never had to worry about this stuff before. He and Naruto had been best friends, and then a relationship just somehow happened. The thought of Naruto made him pause, Haku's manic rambling not quite reaching his ears. Nothing concerning Naruto had occurred to him since the incident. He slowly slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. Was he even ready to move on? Was it just a pity kiss? Or was he rebounding on Neji? The day before he had been miserable over Naruto, and now he was worrying about how to make sure Neji still liked him.

"Haku – Haku, shut up, dammit." When he finally heard silence on the other line, he continued. "Do you think I'm moving too fast?"

For once, his friend paused before responding. "Gaara, no. You have to date to move on," He advised. "You told Neji what happened with Naruto, so it's not like he's clueless. He knows what he's getting himself into."

"I guess." Gaara glanced over to Neji to make sure he was still asleep. "I'm going to sleep now. We can talk later." He hung up after a quick goodbye and began thinking about Neji.

Neji had saved him from drunken oblivion, offered him a home, helped him move, comforted him.. and what had he done for Neji? Gaara suddenly realized that he had been embarrassingly ungrateful. Further, did all of this mean that Neji had liked him since the beginning...? Or was the Hyuga just ridiculously nice to everyone? His frown gradually dissolved into a set line of determination, and he began cleaning the room as quietly and thoroughly as possible. There wasn't a terrible amount to clean since both inhabitants were already quite well-kept, but Gaara swept, dusted, and rubbed out stains nonetheless. He took out the trash, put away laundry, and organized his desk until it was as nice as Neji's. By the time he finished, it was almost seven, and he sprinted across campus to the Starbucks they had visited the night before to acquire an assortment of overpriced breakfast foods.

When he returned, Neji was sitting up in bed, staring at the (mostly) impeccably clean room with an expression of mixed confusion and surprise. The brunette turned to look at him as the door clicked shut, a smile beginning to creep onto his face. Gaara awkwardly clutched the brown paper bag in both hands.

"Hi."

"Hello," Neji greeted. He gestured toward the bag. "Is that for me?"

Gaara didn't respond, simply holding the bag out. Neji's smile deepened and he stood, walking over to take the offered treats.

"If this is how you react after I kiss you, I might have to do it every day," Neji teasingly threatened as he peered into the bag, removing a pumpkin scone. When he returned his glance to the redhead, he found that Gaara's face had taken on a look of horror.

"Kidding, Gaara." He spoke slowly, pausing before stepping forward and placing a soft kiss on Gaara's lips. "I really don't expect you to clean every night," He whispered.

Neji's breath on his mouth. Neji's lips on his mouth. Again! Gaara didn't know what to do, so he mumbled "okay" and Neji retreated to his desk, munching the scone.

"So.." Gaara drawled out the word to be excessively long, still standing in his same place. Neji turned to look at him, quirking a brow. "You're gay." Haku had been right. As usual.

Neji nodded. "You too," He commented, trying to disguise his amusement. When Gaara seemed at a loss for words yet again, he sighed. "Do you want to go on a date tonight?" There. If the kiss(es) hadn't made his feelings obvious, this certainly did. Neji felt so much more comfortable now that Gaara had not rejected his advances.

Gaara shifted his weight back and forth between legs, doing his best to think quickly. Did he like Neji? Did he want to go out with Neji? Did he enjoy kissing Neji? "Yes," He stated firmly, moving to sit on Neji's bed. "We could go to that sushi place." He silently praised himself for regaining his composure.

"Okay." Neji smiled, and Gaara felt his body tingle in a way it hadn't done in months.

They spent the next hour finishing breakfast, then Neji excused himself for a shower. Gaara immediately pulled out his phone to text Haku.

Date tonight.

Only a minute passed before he received a response.

OMG! how? what are you going to wear? ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE SEX?

Gaara rolled his eyes, composing a response – I don't know, clothes, and no – before standing and walking to his closet. He surveyed his array of black items before picking out a faded shirt and corduroy pants. He was in the middle of changing when he heard the doorknob turning. In a fit of panic, he quickly shut himself in his closet.

Neji entered the room, surprised to find Gaara gone. He had only showered for ten minutes. Shrugging, he proceeded to begin his post-shower routine... of 2 hours.

Luckily, the closet was spacious.

"So you like sushi?"

Neji had ordered an assortment of sashimi, while Gaara opted for two exotic sounding rolls.

The redhead shrugged. "I like the rice, mostly." He grabbed a pair of chopsticks, snapping them apart and rubbing off any splinters. "Have you ever been to Japan?"

"No." Neji seemed pleased that Gaara had remembered. "My dad died when I was little, and my mother never wanted to leave. But I'd like to, someday."

Gaara froze in his de-splintering. "My dad's dead too," He said quietly. "And my mom.. I grew up with my brother and sister." Recomposing, he placed the chopsticks on the table and leaned into the booth's cushion. "Who did not like me very much," He added with a wry smile.

"That must have been hard for you." Neji's brows had come together in worry. Gaara simply shrugged again.

"You too."

The conversation didn't pick up until after the food arrived, when they began discussing favorite films, books, and the like. Gaara bashed Neji's love of romance novels, but they discovered a mutual fondness for science fiction.

They shared a hot chocolate on the way home. It was nearing the holidays and the weather had become brutal lately. When Gaara grunted under his breath that it was too cold, Neji had grabbed him at the waist and pulled him close. In his surprise, Gaara managed to spill the steaming hot chocolate all over himself. He promptly scowled and poured some on Neji as well (who was, thankfully, not wearing white).

When Neji looked down in shock, Gaara took advantage of his distraction and kissed him. He refused to be the submissive one in their relationship. Or, so he thought, until Neji pushed him against the brick wall of a campus building and began doing miraculous things with his tongue.

The intensity followed to their room, with the cup of hot chocolate abandoned at some point during their remaining journey. Gaara found himself loving Neji's lips, and how he tasted so deliciously different from Naruto. Neji also seemed to enjoy biting and sucking Gaara's neck, which he had never experienced before but certainly did not complain about. They were soon against yet another wall, next to their beds, and Neji had pressed his hips so roughly against Gaara's that the redhead emitted the softest, quietest moan. Their kissing continued, but they now found their hands wandering to the tops of each other's pants. Neji's hand felt so good when it wrapped around him. When things became so fervent that their kiss finally broke, Gaara opened his eyes to find Neji staring back at him. Pale, opal irises so different from the blue he was used to.

"Stop," He muttered, pulling his own hands away from Neji and using them to push the Hyuga back. When Neji looked like a hurt puppy, he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Sorry. I just..." He gestured helplessly. He wasn't good with communication.

"It's okay," Neji said finally, reaching for Gaara's hand with his best reassuring smile. Gaara squeezed Neji's hand, then let go and awkwardly buttoned up his pants.

Amused, Neji did the same and suggested they watch a movie in bed. After agreeing on Blade Runner, they proceeded to almost-cuddle and mock Harrison Ford for the rest of the evening.