Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Year of Change ❯ Chapter 3, Part 4 ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. The story on the other hand, does. If you take it claim it as your own work, I will find you and tickle you to death. You've been warned.

 

Chapter 3, Part 4: V-day

 

In situations, such as these, people tell you that you need to either put up with it or fight back. How you do either or is up to you, but I would recommend that you fight back. Normally, when it comes to bulling, you are suppose to talk to a teacher or a parent, but in your case I would say that doing so wouldn't help much. You're going to have to fight back, and you'll probably want to be just as dirty as he is when doing it.

 

`The only therapist in the world that would give that kind of advice.' Gaara thought as he sat on the sofa later that day. He'd been flipping through the channels for the last hour, going from a sells special and a movie on the A&E channel.

 

`He has to be number one…' Gaara thought while looking at the over excited expression on the woman's face. `In just about everything. School, sports, social life and even future career. I wonder if that's caused from his home life or his own personal drive.'

 

“And she'll love you this Valentine's Day with the gift that'll touch her heart…” the sells woman said, holding up a shiny fake piece of jewelry. Gaara stared at the screen for a few moments before groaning.

 

0o0o0o0

 

He'd forgotten that it was a big deal. Mostly because he's never partaken in it and his brother and sister. With all that being said though, he didn't really think that it would be a valid excuse to give to Sakura about why he'd forgotten to give her a Valentine's Day gift. Even worse, he wasn't even sure what to give her.

 

You can't ask a brother, because he'd tell you to figure it out yourself.

 

Asking a sister could result in much cooing over and being dragged to every gift store she could find.

 

This would leave the best friend. Although, as Gaara looked at Naruto, he wondered if even that was such a great idea.

 

“How can you be so good at this game? Did you buy it and play it at home or something?” Naruto said, while jerking his controller to the side while smashing a few buttons in the attempt to try and avoid Gaara's attack. It came to no avail as Gaara selected character did a combo moved and brought Naruto's character down to half health.

 

“No, my sister said the game was too violent.”

 

“You could have fooled me… Aww man…” Naruto looked dumbfounded at the screen. “How many wins is that now?”

 

“I donno… 13?”

 

“… let's try a new game.” Naruto got up to filter though his game back.

 

Gaara had come over with every intention of asking him what he should do, but since Naruto was so happy to see him, he couldn't bring himself to tell Naruto he only wanted to see him because he needed something. They'd seen one movie and played this current movie for the last hour. It was getting late and if he put off asking much longer, he would be having dinner.

 

Gaara cleared his throat. “Hey Naruto… what are you getting Hinita for Valentine 's Day?”

 

“I donno, that's ages away, isn't it?”

 

“It's next week.”

 

Naruto looked at him over his shoulder, his eyes holding a panicked look. “You're kidding, right?”

 

“No…”

 

Naruto let out a loud curse and sat soundly on his bottom. “I can't believe I forgot!”

 

“I forgot too… I don't know what Sakura would like in the way of a gift…”

 

“Man, I don't have any idea what to get Hinita either, if that makes you feel any better.” Naruto said. “My dad said it doesn't matter so long as it's something they can show off to their friends.”

 

Gaara raised his non-existent eyebrow. “I didn't think women had pissing contest like that.”

 

“Are you kidding? You should watch them in the girl's locker room one day.”

 

Gaara blinked. “I didn't figure you to be the type to be a peeping tom…”

 

Naruto could only laugh sheepishly while scrating the back of his head. “I'm a healthy young man with healthy needs ya know…”

 

0o0o0o0o0

 

Mrs. Yuhi gave Gaara a look. “Mr. Sabaku… what you are asking for is a little strange.”

 

“I know that it is, but you're the only person I could think of to ask.”

 

“Even if I could do what you asked, the reason alone isn't enough.”

 

“Death in the family?”

 

“Gaara, why are you so determined to not take the finals with everyone else?”

 

“Because I don't need a week and three hours for each test.”

 

Mrs. Yuhi sighed and rubbed her temples. “Let me… see what I can do.” She looked back up at him. “But you promise to come back?”

 

“Mrs. Yuhi, if you do this for me, I will come back and sing in front of as many people as you want.

 

“Alright, let me get back to you on that.”

 

“Thank you, ma'am.” Gaara gathered his things and walked out of her office. Well, if that didn't work then he supposes the next step was to try his brother and sister a little farther down the road. Still, it would pay off down the road, if what he thought was going to happen was true, then it would pay off.

 

“Hey, you're Gaara, right?”

 

Gaara turned to see someone leaning on the lockers. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn that the other youth had been waiting for him.

 

“My name is Kiba, I'm a friend of Hinata…”

 

“… and you're in Mrs. Yuhi's chorus class. I remember you from the concert.”

 

“Ah, well. That's good. Can we talk? There is still ten minutes before lunch is over.”

 

`Why does everyone want to talk to me?' “Sure.”

 

The both walked down the hallway, away from Mrs. Yuhi's office before Kiba spoke.

 

“You know, you are a good singer.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“You know… Hinata suggested that you my be interested in joining our band.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Well… we don't have a lead singer… I mean, I can sing a little, but my other three members don't really sing.” He held up a hand and started tacking off fingers as he talked about each person. “Hinita comes and plays with us, but she only does the piano, getting her to sing is almost has fun as Trig. Shino just does the gatar, nothing else. Even if he did, he wears so much stuff around his face it would be muffled anyway. We have Choji, who plays the drums. I play the bass and a little singing, but it's nothing to write home to… so… we were wondering… would you like to join us?”

 

“Well, I… can I think on it?”

 

“Yeah! Take your time. Hinata just thought you'd like to join us.”

 

0o0o0o0o0o0

 

“Are you sure about this?” Naruto asked, looking at what Gaara had.

 

“It's the thought that counts, right?” Gaara said, pulling it back to look at it.

 

“Who knows, she may really like it. She's always been the sympatric type, she may love it.”

 

“As her best friend, you aren't reassuring me very well.”

 

“Every time I give Sakura a gift, she hates it. I just give her money now and that's it.”

 

“I just didn't want to get the standard candy and flowers. What kind of gifts are you getting her?” Gaara moved away from the glass case they had been looking at.

 

Naruto rubbed the back of his head thinking. “Well, I tried to take her out once when we first met, but she didn't seem to have a great time at Hooters. Another time I got her this Ramen gift card, but she ended up giving it to me that Christmas, I didn't notice till I went to the place and they asked me why I had even gotten the gift card. I got her a playgirl subscription after that, which I think she liked, but plays it off as it being insulting and vulgar.”

 

“You got her playgirl?”

 

“Dude, she's such a super pervert. She's just pretends to be all modest and proper. I would think you would know better then anyone.”

 

Besides the one time in the hotel, Gaara hadn't really… been with her like that. Not saying he didn't want to. It just felt a little awkward when he tried to bring it up, or hint at it. Constant physical contact was still new to him, and sex… well…

 

I do this because I love you Gaara… I love you so much…

 

“You ok?” Naruto placed a hand on his should. Spooking Gaara out of his train of thought. “You suddenly went pale.”

 

Gaara's hand was placed over his forehead, right over his tattoo. He lowered it. “Yeah, my mind just wondered a little bit. Anyhow,” he waved at the shop owner and waited till he came over before tapping the glass case. “Can I get this please?”

 

0o0o0o0o0o0

 

Sakura gave herself a pat on the back. Not only did they look like cookies, but they tasted good as well. She's made a dozen of them as well as a large one that looked like a Raccoon. The large cookie had taken a few tries before she's managed to actually make it work. She'd managed to use black icing to show the fur pattern and used two green MnMs for the eyes. She thought she really out-done herself, especially since she wasn't much of a baker.

 

She would give him the little cookies in the morning and the large one after school. Grinning to herself, she shifted though the draws in the kitchen to look for something to put the cookies in.

 

0o0o0o0o0

 

The next morning she was practically humming to herself as she rolled out of bed and got ready for the day. To make things better, it was a perfect day outside. Sakura could easily tell by looking that that it was going to be one of those perfect days where it wasn't too hot or too cold. It would be perfect.

 

Everything would be perfect. The clothes that she put on was a set that she'd noticed that Gaara seemed rather found of. That is, if you count a double look over as found over. Having everything ready, she opened the door with a bright smile…

 

… and no one was there.

 

It was truthfully the first time that he hadn't been there since they had been seeing each other. For a moment, she was tempted to close the door and open it again, thinking that perhaps she hadn't opened it the right way. She looked around to see if he was sitting on the stairs, but he wasn't. She walked over to the balcony to look at the bus stop and the one person she saw was Naruto, eating her daily breakfast of Ramen noodles.

 

`He must just be running late.'

 

She quickly make her way up the stairs and knocked on the door. When no one answered, she pulled out the spare key and let herself in.

 

“Hello? Gaara?”

 

Everything was quite for a moment, but then she hear someone coughing. She went and made her way to his room. She pushed the door open and peered inside. He wasn't asleep so much, but his face was flushed and he looked sweaty. It looked like he had moved to sit on the bed for a moment, and was now kind of halfway sitting and laying down.

 

“Gaara?” She placed a hand on his forehead and pulled it away almost as quickly: He had a fever!

 

“Hey…” Gaara said weakly, he opened his eyes up to look at her. “Good morning…”

 

“You're sick…” Try as might, she couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice. She shoke her head. “Are you going to be ok?”

 

“Tamari is asleep and Kurano went to work early this morning. Something about a hot nurse…”

 

“You must be delirious… you don't normally make jokes.” She smiled a little.

 

Gaara grunted his agreement. Sakura sighed and leaned over to kiss his forehead. She would like to stay, but there was not much that she could right now besides make him soup and some over the counter medication, and judging from the number of them on the night stand, he was already halfway there.

 

Sighing, Sakura helped Gaara get in a proper laying position before going out the door to catch the bus. Walking there alone for the first time in months.

 

0o0o0o0o0

 

Sakura set her things on the bed before taking her place at her desk. The day had been perfect, but she hadn't been able to enjoy it at all.

 

There is nothing more annoying then being single and watching all the couples be lovely dovey. The only thing more annoying then that is not being single, but still alone on Valentine's Day. For a moment, Sakura could only wonder about how people could be so obnoxious with their love before remember that she was the same that morning.

 

`It's not like this is the last Valentines day of the year.' She thought while looking out the window and spotting a couple walking down the street. `Besides… it's just a day that women whore themselves out for cheap candy and flowers…' the bitter thought flowed in her mind.

 

“Stop it Sakura.” She muttered to herself, raking her hands through her hand while lowering her head. There was the cookies in her backpack… but would he even be able to eat them? She hadn't actually gone up to see him yet… should probably…

 

Thump thump thump

 

Sakura blinked and looked at the window. A small basket with a roped tied to it was bumping into her window. She stared at it dumbly for a few moments before she reached over and pushing the window up. She reached over for the basket, pausing to look up to see where the source that wad dangling it.

 

Gaara, still fever looking, was looking down at her. She smiled at him, unhooked the basket and moved back inside. Inside it was a small box and a card. Good manners said that she should open the card first, but she went straight for the gift instead. It wasn't wrapped and she opened it.

 

Inside was a small key, no bigger then her palm. It was an old fashion looking, bronze in color and had a rather beat up look. She was a little confused at first by it till she noticed that there was a small bit of rolled up paper under it. Pulling the key out, she held in one hand while opening the note.

 

This key belongs to something and precious.

It is small and it is fragile, but it is the most wondrous thing in the world.

It's the key to a heart, thought once to be lost and never found.

You came and changed everything.

No one deserves this key more then you.

 

She looked from the note to the key and the back again. She went to her bag and grabbed her own gift, as well as making a quick stop in the kitchen to pick up the larger one.

 

Sick or not… it would rude not to give him his own gift.

 

Author Note:

 

I had trouble writing this just because I have been out of the rhythm for a while. I thought it turned out ok, of course it could use a little work, but that will be seen to when I go over the whole thing once it is done. I wave very determined to get this chapter done sooner rather then later, if anything, to just get my fingers working again.

 

I hope you all enjoyed it.