Hiraeth

“You want a friend to stay over?” He heard Itachi asked from across the kitchen and he sighed.

“Yes,” Sasuke grit out, glaring at Itachi who was standing by the stove, apron hanging over his midsection. “For a week, actually.”

Itachi hummed and flipped over a pancake with a spatula. “When?”

“Starting tonight.”

Sasuke saw Itachi frown and close his eyes as if thinking about something deeply.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Sasuke folded his arms across the large marble countertop he sat at and hunched over. “Because it’s my house too. You don’t make all the rules.”

“Yet I’m also your legal guardian, so I do.”

Sasuke opened his mouth, irritation flaring up only to be quelled as Itachi slid a plate of pancakes laden with syrup towards him. “...Thanks,” he muttered, cutting into the breakfast and shoving a bite into his mouth.

“Chew with your mouth closed,” Itachi said fondly, hand reaching out to poke at his younger brother’s forehead. Sasuke narrowed his eyes but shut his mouth, swallowing down the bite thickly.

“Of course your friend can stay here,” Itachi began, smiling as Sasuke’s face lit up. “But be sure not to bite off more than you can chew.”

Sasuke frowned at him before diverting his gaze to the large amount of pancake stabbed on his fork. “What do you-?”

Itachi cut him off with a wave, grabbing his briefcase and walking towards the door. “I’ll be home late tonight. Don’t stay up too late, it’s still a school night no matter who you have over.”

And with that he was gone and Sasuke was alone with far too many pancakes.

——-

“Sasuke?” he heard Naruto say and felt a tug on the sleeve of his jacket. He looked down at his boyfriend in annoyance, jerking his sleeve out of his grasp.

“What?”

Naruto looked up at him, hand falling back to his side and expression faltering. “I just wanted to know if you wanted to do something tonight.”

Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek and exhaled through his nose. How the fuck was he supposed to explain this? “I’m busy.”

Naruto narrowed his eyes, arms crossing in front of his chest. “Busy? You’ve been busy pretty much every night the last two weeks! What’s going on?”

The Uchiha placed his head in his hand, leaning over his desk and groaning. This wasn’t how he wanted to spend free period.

“Look, I’m just busy, okay? I can’t spend every second of my time with you.”

“You don’t spend anytime with me! Ever since-” The blond stopped, something like realization crossing his features. “Ever since Gaara showed up! Ino was right, wasn’t she?”

“Ino doesn’t know shit,” Sasuke said as he rested his head on both hands now. “Gaara has nothing to do with any of this, so shut up already.”

Naruto grabbed his arm again, teeth gritting and eyes shining with something he couldn’t make out. “Then how come- you change when people talk about him, you’ve changed since he showed up. Sasuke, I’m just worried about-”

“Naruto, do you want to go to the dance with me?”

Naruto stopped and let go of his arm, expression relaxing. “You mean the fall ball?”

Sasuke snorted derisively at the name but nodded. “Yeah. Want to go?”

The blond smiled and Sasuke felt affection rise up in him along with satisfaction.

“Of course I do!”

——

After the last bell rang Sasuke waited near the back of the school for Gaara, sending him a quick text about his whereabouts. He quickly gazed around the backlot for anyone important before relaxing. No one he or Gaara knew was around.

He heard someone shout his name and spun around to see Gaara walking towards him, hands stuffed in his pockets and posture relaxed.

“Yo,” the small boy said, looking at the ground. Sasuke smiled gently before lifting Gaara’s chin up and letting their gazes meet.

“You ready?”

Gaara nodded and rubbed his cheek against Sasuke’s palm. Sasuke’s heart stuttered at the cat-like action.

“You gonna purr next?” Sasuke asked, soft smile turning into a grin. Gaara didn’t meet his eyes but glared weakly at him before leaning away from the touch and shrugging.

“Maybe if you get me going enough.”

His eyes widened and at a loss for words watched as Gaara turned and began walking in the direction of the Uchiha house. He shook his head to clear it and jogged until he was next to the boy, bumping his shoulder against his.

Neither of them noticed the opening of the back door to the school or Lee’s heavy gaze on their backs.

——-

“Why are there so many goddamn pancakes?” Sasuke stifled a laugh and looked over at Gaara who had dropped his book bag in awe at the sight.

“Itachi knew I had company so he made some,” he explained, gesturing at the mass of food littered around the table.

“Some company? Sasuke, this is enough for a small army,” Gaara blinked and rubbed at his eyes as if he was imagining it all, and Sasuke couldn’t control the chuckle that left his mouth this time.

“Yeah, I don’t know. Itachi’s fucking weird.”

“...That’s like thirty of them at least...”

Sasuke continued laughing at the bewildered expression on Gaara’s face, grabbing the other’s wrist and leading him up the stairs towards his bedroom. He sat on the bed and looked up at Gaara, patting the mattress next to him. “You coming?”

Gaara hesitated, looking around the room and clutching his bag tighter. “Where am I sleeping?”

Sasuke frowned and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Same place you’ve been sleeping the last few weeks?”

He saw Gaara bite his lip and nod, settling his bag on the floor and walking over to Sasuke. He sat next to him, shoulders hunched.

“Sorry.”

“What? Why?” Sasuke asked, looking at Gaara’s meek frame.

The other just shrugged.

“What’s wrong?” Sasuke asked, wrapping an arm around the stiff boy’s shoulder.

“It’s nothing. I just wasn’t sure since it’s for a whole week.”

“Gaara, you’re welcome in my bed anytime.”

Said boy rolled his eyes and leaned closer towards Sasuke, sighing as Sasuke felt some of the tension leave his small body. “Thanks.”

——-

He felt soft hands run down his exposed chest and linger at his sides gingerly. “Sasuke.”

He hummed in response and rubbed Gaara’s shoulder blades, skin smooth and cold to the touch. “What’s up?”

“I like you.”

Sasuke stilled before laughing. “Really? That’s news to me,” He breathed against Gaara’s ear before biting down on the lobe.

Gaara took a shaky breath as his partner began sucking on the sensitive flesh. “No- I... I mean really like-” He let out a high keen as Sasuke bit down again, back arching slightly as Sasuke’s hands roamed all over his body.

Sasuke smiled, eyes sliding up to the trembling boy above him. It always amazed him how sensitive Gaara was, though he guessed it was because he’d hardly had any physical contact his whole life.

It was great though, and he wasn’t complaining.

“You mean like love?” Sasuke murmured, bringing his mouth away from Gaara’s ear so he could look him in the face.

The redhead nodded, face flushed and eyes diverted but determined. “Yeah...”

Sasuke smiled wider than he had in years, index fingers pressing into the dips of Gaara’s slender hips that were exposed by his loose boxers and nodding.

“I know. And I love you.”

He relished in the way Gaara’s face lit up not from a blush but instead pure happiness.

“More than anyone else does,” Sasuke continued.

He pressed a kiss to Gaara’s forehead before moving his head down to mouth at the boy’s jaw.

“No bites there.”

“I know.”

——-

It annoyed Sasuke that he could only mark Gaara in places no one else could see, but with the redhead pressed snuggly against his side he couldn’t find the energy to care.

It was a slightly uncomfortable position, his arm trapped between the other’s back and the mattress, but the way their legs and feet were intertwined and how Gaara’s head was laid on his chest more than made up for it