75Adulterium
IV: The Man He Used To Be
The car in the driveway made the red head feel a shiver crawl up his spine. He took a futile step back, wishing he was in the safety of Naruto's car again, watching Csaacra sleep blissfully in her baby chair. But Gaara knew it was too late for that now, and even if he could turn back, Neji would somehow find him and punish him. That's why it was better to get over with it all, right now. With heavy steps, Gaara walked towards his small house. He passed Neji's sleek car, went up the stone steps, and fumbled with his keys before opening the door.
He was happy to see the living room empty. It meant that Neji was upstairs. He could faintly hear the sound of a shower running. Good. This gave him time to build up a good fib or two before Neji could come stomping down the stairs, demanding where he'd been, and ruthlessly interrogating him. Gaara checked the clock by the wall. He was early. He usually stared dinner hours after this time.
Hmm. The library was open until 9:00...so he could probably say he was there all day, and the auto repair shop would probably open until about 6:00 pm...and if he claimed to have gone to Temari's house, Neji would have no room to disagree...
Gaara sighed as he searched for the supplies to make dinner. These lies weren't really taking form. He…
He had to tell his husband about Naruto's proposal. He just had to form lies around it to make it work.
You act like he's gonna say you can't do it. You act like it's his decision or no decision at all.
Gaara frowned. It wasn't the time for Naruto's voice to invade his head.
There was no doubt in his mind that Neji came home purposely, just to see if the redhead would be there. The thought pissed Gaara off, but at the same time, he could only blame himself. He was the one who went against Neji's wishes. He probably deserved whatever was to come.
Looking idly around the kitchen, Gaara decided to settle on making rice and dark beans. It was a simple meal, like Neji usually liked. There wasn't a lot of food to choose from anyway. He took a pot from one of the lower cabinets (he couldn't reach the higher ones) and began to wash it. The discharge of water from the faucet was loud, so he couldn't hear the light footsteps that approached him from behind.
"Gaara."
Gaara started violently, causing the slippery pot in his hand fall in a mind numbing, earth shattering clatter into the sink. Embarrassed, he managed to pick the pot back up and settle it beside him on the kitchen counter. With shaking hands he reached out to turn off the water.
They stood there, suffering the few moments of piercing silence. Gaara stood stiffly, his back to the pearl-eyed man with the heel of his palms resting tensely on the edge of the sink. He was still trembling slightly, waiting. Waiting for Neji to make his move.
Neji showed no malice in his features. They were cool, unfazed and patiently waiting for Gaara to explain himself. He was wearing pants, and no shirt. His hair was still a bit wet. Some loose strands stuck to the side of his face and forehead, while the cooperative length stuck to his back.
"Neji..." Gaara breathed as he tried to compose himself. He usually didn't give himself to his emotions, but his limbs couldn't stop shaking.
With his arms crossed against his chest, Neji stared into Gaara's eyes impassively. "I arrived here an hour ago, Gaara." he stated slowly and simply. There was another moment of silence, and the two men stood there. Gaara eyed his husband with cautious eyes while the taller man seemed to be contemplating something. With a curious expression, the pearl-eyed man walked towards the redhead. Gaara instinctively backed up.
Neji didn't even look at Gaara as he leaned over the trembling redhead and closed the cupboards above his head. Gaara looked up with a confused look, but was more than a little relieved when Neji stepped back to the other side of the kitchen again. "You left the cupboard open, Gaara." he said as he turned his back to the redhead and began to walk idly around the kitchen. "The kitchen is your space. Maintain it well." Neji had his hands behind his back now, looking around the room with nothing in his eyes.
"So where is your car, Gaara?" he asked suddenly. He was still glancing around the kitchen half-heartedly. It was like he was looking for something he had no intention of finding.
"It...It's" Gaara started, and just like that the lies he'd formed in his head were falling apart. He tried desperately to find them. "It's still…at the auto repair..."
"Hmm..." Neji replied slowly. He adjusted a towel on the counter. "Do you remember the name of the store this time?" he asked with a tight joking smile on his face. Even his eyes looked humored at his own sarcasm.
Gaara narrowed his eyes. He saw Neji like this so many times before...seemingly normal, but at the same time planning something diabolical in his mind.
"I—" Gaara hesitated, unable to answer him. "It was called...Jiraiya's Engines..." he said finally. It was a few seconds later when he realized his mistake. Neji would immediately look the place up, and he would easily find out that Gaara's car wasn't there after all.
"I-I mean," he stopped when Neji began to smile.
"I've never heard of that shop, Gaara." Neji said shaking his head. Then he turned to face Gaara for the first time. "You should have gone to one near the village..." he suggested in a sickeningly friendly way. Another moment of silence passed and Neji's eyes trailed to stare at the faucet behind Gaara. The redhead found himself wishing he could turn around and continue with the dishes, occupy himself with something that would stop that awful tremor running through his body.
"You know, Gaara..." started Neji suddenly. "I remember something I said this morning...something I can't seem to get off my mind..." he chuckled softly.
Gaara tensed. Here it comes...
"I remember..." he paused as if he was still recalling the memory. "I remember having said something to you...Something along the lines of you having dinner ready before I came home..." he trailed off and looked into Gaara's eyes expectantly. The facade of wonder vanished from his face and was replaced with a look of seriousness. "Imagine my surprise...when I entered an empty house...and there was no sweet aroma of food emitting from the kitchen...there wasn't anything remotely substantial waiting for me at the table...and the most unnerving of it all..." he laughed and shook his head as if even he still couldn't believe it. "...was the fact that there was no you." Neji paused to smile at him.
The redhead looked away; that smile didn't reach Neji's eyes. Gaara's own eyes widened when he heard the soft patter of his husband's feet coming closer, walking towards him. Gaara tried to back up some more, but he was stuck between the sink and the approaching brunette.
"So I'll ask again..." Neji whispered softly as he looked down at the redhead. He moved his arms up on the cupboards above Gaara's head, trapping him between his body and the sink. "...Where were you, Gaara?"
The smile on Neji's face should have made it an innocent question...but Gaara knew better. He knew that the answer he gave would determine whether or not he'd be able to walk for the next few days – or worse –if he'd be able to move at all.
"I was..." His thought train suspended and forgot what track it was supposed to ride on. He forgot the jumble of lies he formed earlier and nonsense began to turn in his head. What day was today? What was the time? Was the library open? "I...was in the library."
Fuck. He thought.
"You're lying, Gaara."
Gaara closed his eyes. "I'm sorry." The emotionlessness was back, and he welcomed the deadness of his voice, the insincerity.
"Are you?" Neji murmured, leaning closer to the redhead. "You're not. I can tell from your eyes you're not sorry." His voice turned hot, and Gaara simply chose to take it, trying to put his mind out of the whole situation. This was the part where Neji would hurt him somehow, teach him a lesson for—
"Do you remember the man you used to be?" Neji hissed. "Do you remember the person I had to rescue you from?"
Gaara didn't nod his head, and that seemed to make his husband impatient. Neji grabbed the shorter man's chin and forced him to look at him. Neji's eyes weren't crazed but they were getting there. "It's as if, despite all my efforts, you still refuse to change," he growled. "You're still a liar, you might still be a thief, and you're still a whore."
Gaara bit the inside of his mouth. He was a lot of things. But he was not that. Not anymore. "I'm not a whor—"
"Shut your damned mouth." It was whispered, but it was enough. Gaara shut his mouth and tried to pull away from the taller man's grip. It was futile.
"Do you want me to show you again?" Neji huffed into his face. His breath smelled like toothpaste. "You want me to remind you where you came from?"
"Please," Gaara was devastated to find his voice thick. Tears were coming to his eyes more from the pain of Neji's nails on his face than actual emotions. He brought both hands to the one that held his face and pulled, but his husband only squeezed tighter, and brought his dormant hand to Gaara's neck.
Gaara choked.
This is it, he thought. He's going to kill me.
Gaara wondered if he welcomed that.
"Sometimes I think I've helped you for nothing." Neji began again, his words were barely audible. "You're the same man you were when I found you. Liar. Thief. Whore."
Gaara tried to shake his head no, but Neji had his head joints on lock. If Neji wasn't squeezing his neck before, he was squeezing it now.
"You're denying it?" Neji sounded genuinely confused. "Fine. Then tell me where you were today." He let go of the shorter man's neck and the Gaara let out a gasp.
"Let go of me." he managed to say around the hand Neji squeezed his cheeks with.
To his surprise Neji smiled. "This pain doesn't scare you away. No…how could I forget. You actually liked a little pain didn't you? The physical kind. I remember. Do you remember?" Suddenly the man was taking something out of his pocket. Gaara didn't know what it was until he heard the familiar chink of his husband's phone being unlocked.
Gaara was confused. Was the man going to make a business call while he held Gaara like this? He squirmed in his husband's hold, and gritted his teeth. He could take the pain, Neji was right about that, but there was harsh cramp forming from his ear to collar bone with how rigid the man held him.
"I'm sure you'll recognize the acoustics of the school bathroom." Neji murmured before he set his phone down on the counter he had Gaara against.
The imprisoned one stared at his husband, not comprehending what the hell the man was trying to show him, but when he heard the first moan come from Neji's phone, he understood.
Gaara's passive eyes turned wide and he tensed. Neji chose that time to throw Gaara's head to the side, harshly letting him go. Gaara would have caught himself but the shock of hearing his voice on Neji's phone of all things caught him so off-guard that he stumbled to the ground.
Skin slapping against skin. Crude encouragements. Wet, sticking sounds.
It was all Gaara. All him.
...haaaahh pleeaase don't stop uugggnnn-
Gaara put his hands to his ears, and his eyes were wide as he brought his knees to his chest.
"Which boy was it that time? Do remember? Was it Kado? Ichi? Yosuk—"
"Stop it." Gaara's voice was a hushed thing. Even with his hands at his ears he could still hear his own voice coming from Neji's phone. Mewling like a cat in heat. "Please—"
"How can you show shame when you're no different than you used to b—?"
"I am different!" Gaara's shout scored through his throat and left pain there. "I'm not the same, I'm not the same—"
"Prove it to me. Tell me the truth."
Gaara had his legs down and his head downcast by now. His face was in his hands. "Being a liar has nothing to do with being a whore." He whispered into them.
"A liar is just as capable as far as I'm concerned."
Gaara wanted to say something, wanted to scream something, but he'd said enough. He would pay dearly for shouting. "I'm sorry." He just said. Hoping the longhaired man would just take it and leave it alone.
The redhead didn't really notice when Neji was in front of him again, staring down at him. "You say you're sorry…" the taller man started, "but you haven't told me the truth. Omission in the same as lying."
Gaara didn't have time to react when Neji suddenly pulled him from the floor, grabbed his arm and turned him roughly around so the redhead's back collided against his chest. Gaara fell limp as he faced the sink, but he would have been unable to move as Neji had a tight hold on both his arms.
And still the sounds of Gaara's past echoed in the small kitchen.
Gaara didn't struggle against the taller man as he pulled him across the kitchen.
"You're not fighting me, Gaara?" Neji asked as he threw the redhead against the stove, and turned on one of the fires at its highest peak. The familiar be-be-be-be-be-be of the stove sounded as the flames surrounded the metal frames. "Is it because you know you're in the wrong? Because you realize that the sins of your past can only be erased once you fully commit to being a good person, no more whoring, no more stealing, no more lying—"
Neji grabbed one of Gaara's arms, twisted it behind the redhead's back and turned the small man so his back could collide roughly against his chest again. Before Gaara could even blink, the longhaired man grabbed his other arm so he could hover it over the fire. Gaara didn't even try to pull away from the stronger man. Neji scowled at Gaara's lifelessness and twisted Gaara's arms behind his back. Gaara didn't even whimper.
Neji moved Gaara's hand right above the stove. The flames were dangerously close to his palm and even without the fire licking his skin, he could still feel the heat.
When he still received nothing from his husband, Neji took the hand that pinned Gaara's own hand behind his back and slapped it across Gaara's mouth. Gaara blinked and shivered once in Neji's grasp.
"I want you to tell me the truth, Gaara." Neji whispered in his ear. "Tell me," he continued, "Or I'll kill you."
"You've already killed me." Gaara breathed back.
There was a pause. Neji made a thoughtful sound.
Then he brought Gaara's hand to the fire.
"So what do you think? The blue skirt or the white one?"
Naruto looked up from tying his shoes to see his wife eyeing two skirts in front of the mirror. "The blue one." he replied, getting up to stand right behind her. "Although, I don't see what the point is when you're going to wear your uniform over it anyway..."
Sakura shook her head, and sighed happily when her husband put his arms around her and burrowed his face into her neck. "You just don't get it," she said, laughing. "To a woman, it matters how she looks before she puts on the uniform."
Naruto didn't comment, and kissed her neck. "You know...I couldn't help but notice...you've only got panties under here." He felt around his wife's bottom playfully. "The kids are sleeping; want to get a little weird before you have to go to work?"
The pink haired woman laughed again, before she pulled away from her pouting husband. "Naruto,"
"We'll be quick, I promise." Naruto said, moving towards her with extended arms, and an inviting smile.
Sakura tried her best to give her husband a serious look, but she couldn't and ended up laughing anyway. "You know, I can't. I have to be out of this house in less than twenty minutes. And," she added, putting up a finger when Naruto tried to interrupt. "The kids are not sleeping. I saw Csaacra fussing when I went to check on her earlier."
Naruto sighed, throwing his hands up in mock surrender.
His wife laughed again, before turning back to the mirror and pulling the blue skirt on. She tucked the button-down she wore into it, and began pulling her hair into a bun.
"You look better with your hair down," Naruto said, sitting back down on the bed.
Sakura turned to him with a frown, "You know I can't work with my hair all over the place, Naruto."
"Yeah, but doesn't it matter how you look before you put the uniform?" he grinned.
"Smart ass." His wife muttered, looking back into the mirror with a smile she couldn't quite hide. "So what are you doing today?"
Naruto leaned back against the headboard of the bed, and shrugged. "I still have to fix up Gaara's car. I'm not sure I'll be able to unless he comes over and watched Csaacra while I—"
"Why do you keep saying he?" Sakura asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
Naruto chuckled. "How many times do I have to tell you that Gaara's a man, Sakura?"
The woman rolled her eyes and turned back to the mirror. "I think I know a woman when I see one. And you don't have to worry about me being jealous or anything." She added. "I can stand having another woman in the house."
"Except," Naruto stressed, "Gaara's a man, and I'm not lying to you."
Sakura sighed deeply and patted down her outfit. "Fine, keep playing this game. She's got a boyish name, I'll give you that. But a man? No. She looked frailer than me."
Naruto rolled his eyes and waved a lazy hand. "Whatever, we'll have it your way, but he might be coming to take care of Csaacra today."
"And how are you going to pay her?" his wife asked, giving him a knowing look.
"I'm not paying him remember? Well, unless you count me fixing his car. He might just stick around just because it'll be hard for me to work on it while Csaacra's out and about, you know?"
"But she's a complete stranger—"
"He's a complete stranger." Naruto corrected. "And no, he's not. Trust me, he's cool."
"She's cool."
"He's cool, Sakura, come on. What do I have to do? Ask him to take a piss in front of you?" he said that in an annoyed voice, and Sakura turned away from him with a frown.
"We'll play your game, then." She muttered, putting on lipstick.
"It's not a—" but Naruto stopped himself before he could continue, and sighed in frustration. He didn't feel like arguing with his wife about something so stupid. He stood up from the bed and began to make his way outside their bedroom.
"Naruto wait," his wife called, her tone apologetic.
The blonde turned. He wasn't sure what expression he had on his face, but it made his wife sigh and fold her arms.
"I just," she started slowly. "I feel like if you would let someone you met just two days ago take care of your child…then I don't see why you shouldn't let Sasuke get a hold of her once in a while..."
The stiffening of Naruto's shoulders was visible.
"Do you remember when I asked if Csaacra could spend some time with Sasuke at the hospital—"
"And do you remember when I said no?" the blonde replied under his breath, trying not to let his voice come out as a growl.
Sakura sighed again, and looked to the ground. "I was thinking…instead of just him having Csaacra alone, maybe it would be nice if I took her to work. Show her around, and maybe Sasuke could have a chance to—"
"No," Naruto said, firmly. It was a surprise he even let himself listen to the suggestion for as long as he did. He couldn't believe Sakura was even bringing it up again.
"Please, Naruto," his wife started, exasperated. "Csaacra is his dau—"
"I already gave you an answer, Sakura—"
"But you aren't being reasonable," she continued, angrily. "It's been two years, he deserves—"
"Oh, please do, Sakura. Enlighten me on what that bastard deserves—"
"You know what," his wife said, shaking her head and taking her purse from the drawer. "I'm not having this conversation right now."
"All the better." Naruto replied caustically, bearing it when his wife shoved passed him to exit their bedroom. He followed her angry and quick steps down the stairs and spoke again as she grabbed her keys from the dining room table. "I won't let him see her, Sakura." He said. "He didn't give a damn in the beginning, so why the hell should he—"
"He's changed, Naruto!" Sakura shouted, her voice suddenly shrill. "And he wanted to keep his distance, because he realized how he hurt you. How we both did." She added quietly, looking at Naruto with deep, apologetic eyes.
Naruto looked down and away, a tight frown on his lips. The two of them stood, there, in a moment of tense silence, before the blonde opened his mouth to speak. "It's just,"
Ding dong.
The blonde looked up, with raised eyebrows.
Sakura seemed to come out the trance she put herself in and blinked. She gave Naruto a final look before, she turned to answer the door. "I'll be right there," she called.
Naruto moved slowly behind her, so that he was only a few steps away. When his wife opened the door, his eyes widened. "Gaara…" he said lightly. "And…?"
"Good morning," said the man before them. He stood next to Gaara with a bright, flawless smile. The redhead stood next to him with his head downcast, and his arms crossed in front of him. "I'm Neji Hyuuga. Gaara's husband."
Naruto didn't know why, but he felt something in him darken when he eyed the man. He was sharp, that was the word. He wore a dark suit and his eyes were such a beautiful, piercing color. He had his hand extended, and he saw as his wife shake it steadily.
"Oh, wow." She said. "So…" she said, looking at Naruto for a moment. "I take it Gaara has agreed to be our…mock-babysitter…?"
The Hyuuga's smile, if possible, widened, and he let out a small chuckle. "Why yes, I thought it was a great idea for Gaara to get out of the house for a while. And he just adores children. I wanted to drop him off and get acquainted with the man who's helping him with his damaged vehicle." He turned to face the blonde expectantly.
Naruto, after a few moments of awkward silence on his part, cleared his throat and laughed softly. "Ha, i-it's the least I could do. I smashed into him…"
The Hyuuga shook his head. "Don't take all the blame. My wife has never been the best driver."
Naruto narrowed his eyes a bit. Wife? He didn't miss the way Sakura turned to look at him with knowing eyes. He didn't manage to glare back at her before she turned back around.
"I'm afraid I can't stay and get acquainted with you as well, Mr. Hyuuga." His wife said, bowing slightly. "I have work. And thank you Gaara, for helping with Csaacra. I'm sure my husband will repair you car in no time at all." She nodded again, and made her way through the door by stepping in awkwardly between the two. Gaara didn't even acknowledge her.
Naruto frowned.
"May we come in?"
Naruto blinked suddenly, at the sound of the Hyuuga's voice, and gave a nervous laugh. "Right," he said, stepping aside. "Please." He said, gesturing inside.
Hyuuga stepped in first, and looked around with a small smile. Gaara followed behind him, head still downcast, and his hands still folded.
"You have a lovely home." The Hyuuga said, turning to face the blonde.
Naruto nodded and walked over to the living room, so they could sit on the couch. His guests sat on the love seat while he sat on the single chair.
"I would like to discuss the money I owe for you helping to repair Gaara's car."
Naruto blinked. "Oh. Well, I was planning on doing that for free. I'm the one who—"
"Nonsense," said the Hyuuga, shaking his head. "I will gladly pay for what you've done."
After a bit of a debate, Naruto finally gave in and settled on a reasonable price for how much he could be paid for helping the redhead with his car.
Said redhead said nothing the entire time, and kept his head down. The blonde noticed the bandage wrapped around his left hand. From time to time, Naruto tried to catch his eye but to no avail.
"I also understand that you drove Gaara home, yesterday." The Hyuuga said. Not once did the smile leave his lips.
"Uh, yeah, that's right."
"I thank you for that. But we owe you so much already. I ask that you don't do that again."
Naruto paused. It was said politely. But…he knew he didn't imagine the small flash in the other man's eyes.
"Uhm…" he started slowly. "Well, it's no problem at all. The weather is getting bad. There are times when I'll feel obligated to—"
"In the case of bad weather, I'll pick him up myself." The Hyuuga said, cutting him off.
"Uhm…" the blonde turned to look at Gaara again, but the redhead pointedly ignored him. "Right…" he said lamely.
The Hyuuga smiled at him, and stood up from the couch. "All right then. If you'll see me out…"
Naruto got up as well, and nodded. He watched as Gaara stood up, following his husband to the door.
When they were at the door, Naruto shook the man's hand, and felt his eyes widen a bit at his firm grip.
"Thank you for your services." The Hyuuga said, smiling. "And Gaara, I'll see you at five." He leaned in to kiss the redhead lightly on the cheek, stepped back, nodded to Naruto again, and made his way back to his car.
Naruto closed the door to his home feeling more than a little…violated. He didn't know why, though. The man had been the epitome of politeness, but…
There was something about him. Something…inside. He didn't know how else to put it.
He turned to face Gaara, who was standing behind him, head still downcast in a way that Naruto realized infuriated him. "So that was your husband." He said, lightly.
"Yes."
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
The deadness of the shorter man's voice wasn't at all reassuring. "All right then," the blonde started slowly. "I suppose …I'll take you to Csaacra now."
To the blonde's relief, the man before him seemed to relax. "Yeah." He said simply, picking his head up.
Naruto smiled at him, but it wasn't a true smile, considering the heavy air that the Hyuuga left behind. He didn't know why, he felt this way. He just really didn't trust the man. It was rude of him to think so, because this was Gaara's husband.
But he couldn't shake the feeling.
"Is she upstairs?" Gaara's low inquiry startled him and he had to shake from his thoughts and gave another smile. "Yeah, just follow me."
He was good at figuring people out, and this Hyuuga person was bad news…but he wouldn't think of such things right now, he thought. Not until he had a tangible reason for them.
End of Chapter
05/24/13
READ PLEASE:
All right, that's the end of the remake. Don't you guy's think Gaara is a lot more believable now? And a hundred times less of a pussy? Do you like the old version better? Tell me the truth! I can take it! .
Three years late, no big deal. Joking. I'm sorry to all those who wanted to see more from this story so long ago and I know I've lost my old fans, but maybe I can make some new ones, who will hopefully receive this story well. And for my old fans who are still reading this story, thank you, thank you, thank you, and I'm sorry, sorry, sorry.
The person I was when I first wrote this story, is a lot different from the person I am now, and so this story will take on the new style that I've acquired throughout the years. I hope that's a good thing. I'm also going to go back to fix my old chapters, since they're littered with errors.
The chapters will be less than 5,000 words each (nothing like LFFB and Oblivion) so the chapters won't be so difficult to write.
So, please review!