Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ From Here to Eternity ❯ Romantic Tension and Happy Teriyaki ( Chapter 15 )

Kat: I craved conflict, so I decided to update AGAIN! WOW! Aren't I SPECIAL? -sigh- Okay. I hope the suckage meter is down a notch. Please review!

 

 

66666666666666666666666666666666

 

 

Gaara climbed the stairs slowly, counting each stair, testing it under his weight, trying hard to delay the inevitable.

 

`Calm down, Gaara,' he told himself, climbing even slower. `It's just Sasuke. You're just checking on him. You're checking on him because his brother sent you. Yeah, Sasuke, your brother sent me up to check on you. Yeah, he is kind of weird, but he's sorta nice. At least he brushes his teeth once in a while, right? Kankuro'd die before he even THOUGHT about flossing…'

 

He was at the door, now. It was partially open, and a pale light was streaming from inside.

 

`Just knock, dammit, KNOCK!'

 

Gaara raised his closed fist, and knock lightly on the door.

 

“Sasuke?” he said softly, gently pushing open the door with his fingers. “Is this even your ro…”

 

Oh, it was Sasuke's room all right. And there was Sasuke, standing right in the middle of it. Shirtless.

 

Gaara's voice caught in his throat, and he backed away from the door as soundlessly as possible. He pressed himself against the wall next to the door, and pressed his hands to his blazing, blushed face.

 

`Holyshitholyshitholyshit,' he thought. `Please don't let him have seen me. Aaaaaaahhhh shiiiiiiit…'

 

“Hello? Is someone out here?” It was Sasuke. He came out of his room, now, thankfully, wearing a shirt. “Naruto, you dweeb, is that you?”

 

Gaara swallowed.

 

“Sasuke, there you are!” he said quickly. “So THIS is your room?” He forced a weak laugh, praying that the worst of the blush had disappeared. “Wow, I could get lost forever in your house.”

 

Sasuke gave a lopsided grin, appearing relieved that it was Gaara.

 

`Well, at least he isn't mad at me,' Gaara thought.

 

“You think my house is bad,” Sasuke said, running a hand through his hair, “you should see the Hyuga mansion. It's… well…”

 

“Big?”

 

“And then some.”

 

Sasuke turned slightly pink, and stared down at his bare feet. “Sooo… Gaara,” he said.

 

`Is he blushing?' Gaara thought. `OhmiGod… he IS! He's BLUSHING! What'd I DO? … Did I just think “OhmiGod”?'

 

Suddenly, an evil voice broke through the awkward silence.

 

“Awful quiet up there, guys!” It was Itachi, standing at the bottom of the stairs, and giggling. “Are you making OUT?”

 

“Shut your sorry ass up, Itachi!” Sasuke hollered down the stairs, the pink on his cheeks turning the most adorable shade of magenta. At least, Gaara thought it was adorable. He wondered if HE was still blushing. He never turned pink when he blushed. He turned the color of his hair.

 

Itachi's laughter floated up the stairs like bubbles. If Gaara hadn't been blushing, he sure was now.

 

“Bastard,” Sasuke hissed, clenching his fists. “That's just so typical of him.”

 

Gaara licked his lips.

 

“You don't like your brother, Sasuke,” he said, more of a statement than a question.

 

“God, no. I hate him!” Sasuke said, grinding his teeth.

 

“Oh.”

 

Sasuke took a calming breath, and loosened his fist.

 

“You wanna go downstairs, now?” he asked.

 

“Sure,” Gaara said with a nod. Sasuke turned, and started down the stairs, and Gaara followed him.

 

“Careful on that step. It's a lot higher than the others.”

 

“What step? WAH!” Gaara felt his foot slip out from under him, completely missing the stairs. His body was flung forward, hitting the solid mass known as Sasuke. Gaara's face was up against the back of Sasuke's neck, and his arms had instinctively wrapped around the dark-haired teen's waist. He could feel the hardened muscles through Sasuke's thin shirt.

 

`Someone works out,' he thought wryly. He could have stayed there forever, but then he realized where he was and who he was and who Sasuke was and his brain went on auto pilot.

 

“Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry! Oh my God, I am SO sorry!” Gaara squeaked. In his mad rush to try and push himself away, he slipped again, this time falling very inelegantly on his butt.

 

“Are you okay?” Sasuke asked, his eyes wide as he turned.

 

“Oh God, I'm a so so so so so sorry!”

 

“It's all right!”

 

“That was awful, I can't believe I did that, I'm so clumsy and dumb, I'm really, REALLY sorry-“

 

“Gaara, for God's sake, calm down!” Sasuke was laughing now. Gaara's head floated down from the clouds for a moment. The blush on his face had no doubt increased ten-fold. Sasuke leaned forward, and grabbed Gaara's shoulders.

 

“It's all right! Jeez, it was just an accident!” Sasuke was laughing. Laughing, not angry, laughing. Gaara blinked. “God, Gaara, you freak out over tiny things.” Then he turned, and continued down the stairs. “Coming?”

 

Gaara blinked again.

 

“Uh… Yeah,” he said, swallowing. He stood shakily, and almost fell again, but kept his feet firmly on the ground. “Coming.”

 

 

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 999999

 

 

Sasuke hurriedly pulled the belt buckle closed.

 

“I can't believe they saw me in my fucking pajamas,” he hissed. He rubbed his eyes, and made sure he hadn't put his jeans on backwards. He pulled off the pajama shirt, just in time to hear something outside. Was that a knock? He turned, to see that his door had swung open.

 

“Hello? Is someone out here?” he called, pulling a shirt down over his head, and stepping out of his room. “Naruto, you dweeb, is that you?”

 

“Sasuke, there you are!” It was… Gaara? “So THIS is your room? Wow, I could get lost forever in your house.”

 

Thank God it was only Gaara, not Naruto, or worse, Itachi. Sasuke grinned.

 

“You think my house is bad, you should see the Hyuga mansion. It's… well…” Come on, Man, think of a word!

 

“Big?” Gaara offered.

 

“And then some.”

 

That was smooth, Sasuke, REAL smooth.

 

Sasuke felt his cheeks turn pink, and he dropped his eyes down to his toes. “So… Gaara…”

 

“Awful quiet up there, guys!” Oh sweet God, was that ITACHI? “Are you MAKING OUT?”

 

Sasuke felt his embarrassment film over with rage.

 

“Shut your sorry ass up, Itachi!” he spat down the stairs, his blush deepening. Itachi burst out laughing, and Sasuke felt even more heat slide up into his face. “Bastard,” he hissed, his clenched fists shaking. “That's just so typical of him.”

 

“You don't like your brother, Sasuke?” Gaara asked softly.

 

“God, no,” Sasuke snapped. “I hate him!”

 

“Oh.” Gaara turned his face away. Sasuke sighed, and loosened his fist.

 

“You wanna go downstairs now?”

 

“Sure,” Gaara said, looking up, and nodding. Sasuke turned, and started down the stairs, hearing Gaara's soft footsteps behind him. Then he remembered something.

 

“Careful on that step,” he said. “It's a lot higher that the others.”

 

“What step?” Gaara said cluelessly. It was followed by a high pitched yelp, and before he could stop him, Gaara had tripped and fallen directly on top of Sasuke.

 

`He's so… light,' Sasuke thought, as Gaara's arms wrapped around his waist. `You can't even tell how skinny he is, he wears such baggy clothes. I wonder if he ever eats…'

 

For a heartbeat and a half, neither of them moved. The Gaara pressed his hands against Sasuke's back, and pushed himself away.

 

“Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry! Oh my God, I am SO sorry!” Gaara cried, falling backwards onto the stairs.

 

Sasuke's eyes widened.

 

“Are you okay?” he asked, surprised by how worried he was.

 

“Oh God, I'm a so so so so so sorry!” Gaara cried, pressing his face into his hands, blushing.

 

“It's all right!” Sasuke said, now VERY surprised by the boy's odd reaction.

 

“That was awful, I can't believe I did that, I'm so clumsy and dumb, I'm really, REALLY sorry-“

 

“Gaara!” Sasuke cut him off, trying hard not to laugh, but failing miserably. “For God's sake, calm down!” He grabbed Gaara's shoulders to keep him from freaking out any more than he already had. “It's all right! Jeez, it was just an accident!”

 

`To bad, though, right?' Sasuke thought, before he could stop himself. He shook the thoughts away.

 

“God, Gaara, you freak out over tiny things.” Then he straightened up, and forced himself to continue down the stairs. He turned for a moment. “Coming?”

 

Gaara blinked in surprise.

 

“Uh… Yeah,” he said, swallowing. He stood shakily, and Sasuke thought he might fall again, but he didn't. “Coming.”

 

Sasuke grinned, and traipsed to the bottom of the stairs.

 

“There you are, Dear Brother,” Itachi said, taking a sip of his soda, and smiling. “I almost went up after you, but I didn't want to interrupt.”

 

Sasuke almost snapped his neck right there, but he felt Gaara place a hand on his shoulder, so he bit his tongue.

 

Naruto was playing with the controls on the loveseat, going up and down, up, and down, up, and down, and giggling like a moron. Kankuro was on the loveseat with him, laughing as well. Gaara came around Sasuke, and nervously sat down on an overstuffed chair.

 

`He's like a mouse,' Sasuke thought. `It's like he's going to run away and curl up in a ball.'

 

“Itachi,” Sasuke announced loudly. “I'm hungry. It's almost one.”

 

“I'm hungry, too!” Naruto squawked, completely forgetting his manners. Kankuro gave him a light punch on the arm. “I mean, I'm hungry, too, please!” Naruto corrected himself, nodding. Kankuro laughed.

 

“Yes. Well, interesting as that may be, I have no money,” Itachi said, shrugging. Sasuke jumped over the back of the couch, and tried to land on Itachi's legs, which were crossed over the couch cushions, but Itachi quickly drew them up against his chest.

 

`Damn, he's fast,' Sasuke thought.

 

“You liar,” Kankuro said, crossing his arms. “You've got tons of money!”

 

“Yeah, I know,” Itachi said with a laugh, sliding his feet to the ground. “All right, fine. But Kankuro, you have to promise to let me help direct the next play.”

 

“Fine, fine, fine,” Kankuro said. “You can help.”

 

Itachi sighed.

 

“Guess that's as far as I'm gonna get,” he said, setting his soda down on the coffee table, and standing. “Okay! Where does everyone want to go? I'll drive.”

 

“McDonalds!” Naruto squeaked out immediately, thrusting a fist into the air. Kankuro and Itachi made sickened faces, and Itachi sat back down, a hand on his forehead. Naruto blinked. “What?” he asked.

 

“That… movie…” Kankuro said shakily, wrapping his arms around his waist. Then he started to sing crudely, with odd hand motions in the air. “McDonalds, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hutt… Gaaaah…” He shivered, and shook his head. “No McDonalds for me, ever, EVER again.”

 

“Yeah, no kidding,” Itachi said, nodding. “How `bout I order out, so we don't have to move?”

 

“I can live with that,” Sasuke said, taking Itachi's place on the couch as he stood again.

 

“Hell yeah!”

 

“Sure, why not?”

 

“……”

 

“What about you, Gaara?” Itachi asked, walking around the redhead to get to the phone. “Happy Teriyaki sound okay to you?”

 

“S-sure,” Gaara said quietly.

 

“I want Teriyaki chicken!” Naruto howled.

 

“Yeah, me too,”

 

“I want Teriyaki beef,” Sasuke said, putting his arms behind his head.

 

“That sounds good,” Itachi said. “Gaara?”

 

“Uhm…” Gaara pulled at his dark cargo pants for a moment, then said, “Can have the, uhm… honey garlic chicken?”

 

“…Okay, I want that, too,” Naruto said.

 

“Me too!”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Itachi nodded. “Okay. I actually kind of want that as well. Way to go, Gaara, you saved the day.” He dialed the restaurant's number, then pressed the phone up to his ears. “Hello? Yes, this is Itachi Uchiha. I'd like to place an order? … Okay. Can I get five orders of honey garlic chicken, all with rice, and three large salads? Uh huh… mm hmmm… yes… just a moment.” He paused, then reached down onto the table that the phone was on, and picked up a credit card. “The number is…” Then he said the number, but Sasuke could hardly hear him anymore. He was busy watching Gaara. The redhead was determinedly burning holes in the coffee table with his stare.

 

“I wonder why he's so quiet,' Sasuke thought, frowning. “He's hardly said a word since we got downstairs. Come to think of it, he hardly speaks, ever. It's probably Naruto's fault. He's always running his mouth, never giving Gaara a chance to speak!'

 

Of course, Sasuke was neither stupid nor thick, and he knew this probably wasn't the case.

 

“That's the address.” Itachi's voice broke his thoughts. “Okay. Twenty minutes? All right. Thank you.” Then he hung up the phone, and collapsed on the couch next to Sasuke.

 

“Twenty WHOLE MINUTES?” Naruto cried in dismay, throwing his hands to his forehead. “UGH! I'm gonna DIE!”

 

Itachi watched him with amusement.

 

“…Who wants to watch TV?” he said quickly, whipping out the remote.

 

“ME!” Naruto cried, suddenly distracted.

 

“I NEVER get tired of doing this!” Itachi laughed, pointing the remote at a seemingly bare wall, and pressing a button. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

 

The wall suddenly slid open, and a big screen TV thrust itself through the wall. Naruto stared, open mouthed, and wide-eyed at the sight.

 

“You're drawing flies, Naruto, close your mouth,” Sasuke said.

 

“Shut up, Sasuke-bastard!” Naruto cried. He stood up, and said, “Once I was lost, but now I am found.” Then he dropped down on one knee, and bowed to the TV. Kankuro and Itachi laughed and applauded, and Naruto hopped back onto the loveseat.

 

“Let there be television,” Itachi said, pressing another button on the remote. The TV turned on, in all its glory.

 

Much to everyone's horror, it was a cooking show.

 

“Oh God,” Itachi said, quickly changing the channel. Another cooking show. Sasuke shut his eyes in horror, until Itachi said, “Pro Wrestling! Why not?”

 

Sasuke opened his eyes. “Ugh… That wasn't pretty…” The surround sound system sent the sound of groans, and drunken shouts from the crowd echoing through the room.

 

“I'm losing my appetite,” Kankuro informed Itachi, as one of the overly-steroided men body slammed the other one.

 

“Yeah, no kidding,” Itachi said, changing the channel again.

 

“AAAAAAH!!! TELETUBBIES!!” Naruto shrieked in horror, covering his eyes with his hands.

 

Itachi changed the channel.

 

“… Dragonball Z?” Kankuro said questioningly, glancing at the shock-stricken Itachi.

 

“This or Teletubbies,” Itachi said, dropping the remote.

 

“Dragonball Z.”

 

“Hell yes.”

 

“Mmm.

 

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.

 

“… You wanna get that for us, Sasuke?” Itachi said, fully mesmerized by the television, as was everyone else.

 

“I'll do it,” Gaara said, standing.

“Here, I'll help,” Sasuke said, also standing. Itachi gave him a knowing look, which Sasuke ignored, and led Gaara to the door. He pulled it open, and was met with the sight of…

 

“Kisame?”

 

“Hey, Sasuke,” the older teen said. “Delivery.”

 

“…Oh, yeah. Thanks,” Sasuke said, taking the bags from him. The odd-skinned teen passed him a piece of paper on a clipboard.

 

“Sign here.”

 

“Okay,” Sasuke said. Gave the bags to Gaara, and signed his name in more of a scrawl than a signature. “You're a Teriyaki Boy now, Kisame?”

 

“Yeah,” Kisame said, shrugging. “Trying to get some extra cash.” Sasuke passed him back the clipboard, and Kisame handed him a receipt, and tapped his forehead in a salute. “Tell Itachi I said hey. Have a nice day.” Then he walked around to his car, and drove off.

 

Sasuke decided that Kisame wasn't too bad. He shut the door, and took one of the bags from Gaara.

 

“That was… Kisame?” Gaara asked softly, following Sasuke back to the den.

 

“Yeah. One of Itachi's friends.”

 

“O-oh.”

 

They walked back to the living room, to discover that everyone had changed seats on them. Naruto was now messing around with the chair, turning the massage on and off (how there was a massage in an over stuffed chair was beyond Sasuke), and Kankuro and Itachi were now on the couch. Itachi twisted around to look at Sasuke.

 

“Food!” he cried, snatching the bag out of Sasuke's hand, giving Kankuro a Styrofoam box, tossing one to Naruto, and keeping one for himself. Sasuke realized the only seat left was… the loveseat… Oh God.

 

He glanced at Gaara, who was now staring at the bag in his hands. Sasuke sighed, and walked over to the loveseat. He sat down, and motioned for Gaara to follow him, which he did. Sasuke pulled out his own box, chopsticks and all, and attempted to eat. The chicken was sweet and tangy, and made his throat sting. He glanced around to see if everyone else was having a similar dilemma. Itachi coughed, and Kankuro's eyes widened. Naruto was shoveling food into his mouth, not even tasting it.

 

Gaara seemed to like it, though, so Sasuke shrugged, and suffered in silence.

 

 

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888