Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.
Compromise
For Mako75
No parent likes to be told their child is weird. Or odd. Or difficult. In fact, most parents only like to hear about how great their child is.
Which was why, at Konoha Day Care, all the children were included. They all played together, no one was left out and no one was excluded.
Until the parents left, that is.
They didn't like doing it, but the main carers Iruka Umino and Kakashi Hatake then had to separate the children.
Iruka took the more lively children, such as the Inuzuka kid, and the little bundle of sunshine that was Naruto Uzumaki, while Kakashi got stuck with the moody, quiet children, like Shino Aburame, Sasuke Uchiha...
And Neji Hyuuga and Sabaku no Gaara.
So while Rock Lee raced Kiba and Naruto around the playground, Kakashi would watch as Shikamaru slept the day away, Sasuke pouted in his 'Uchiha Corner' and Neji Hyuuga would try to befriend Sabaku no Gaara.
The little Hyuuga had announced that Gaara would be his best friend, as Hyuuga's only made friends with the best people. Kakashi had suspected it had all started as a slight against his cousin, hence the pouting in the 'Uchiha Corner' but after Gaara had refused to be friends with him, it became personal. Everyone wanted to be friends with Neji. How could Gaara not?
But the little redhead would just sit in his sandpit, building castles and buildings and other creations, completely ignoring the persistent Hyuuga.
"Gaara,"
The redhead looked up irritably, scowling at the Hyuuga who stood there.
"What?" he grumbled as he shoved more sand together.
"Come play with me on the jungle gym," Neji ordered as he held out a hand to Gaara. Gaara eyed him for a moment before looking around. Kakashi was nowhere in sight.
Neji got a face full of sand.
"Gaara!" Neji cried, hastily wiping the sand off of his face. "You can't throw sand!"
"I'll throw more," Gaara threatened. Neji glared at him before turning on his heel and stalking off. As he left, he didn't see the small smile on Gaara's face.
Nor did Gaara see the tears that crept down Neji's face.
Neji was used to being liked. Everyone wanted to play with him. Except Gaara. Gaara wanted nothing to do with him. He never wanted to play ball with him. He never wanted to play on the monkey bars. He never wanted to do anything.
And it made Neji sad. Because he didn't understand.
--
"Gaara."
Neji was determined that Gaara would play with him this time.
"Come play with me on the swings."
"No."
Neji opened his mouth to demanded Gaara come play but the redhead simply glared at him, eyes burning into Neji's. That green stare unnerved Neji, made him feel worthless and hated.
Neji burst into tears.
The little child ran off, leaving Gaara behind in his sand, feeling a little guilty.
--
"Gaara!"
Neji seethed as he watched Naruto Uzumaki bounce into the sandpit, crushing half a dozen buildings of Gaara's 'ninja village' as he dropped down beside the redhead. If that had been anyone else, Gaara would have crucified them. But not Naruto. Everyone loved Naruto.
"Naruto, you killed the Council," Gaara said quietly, pointing at a pile of sand. Naruto reached over and mashed it into a big pile.
"There!"
"...ok."
Neji scowled before turning on his heel and stomping away. He didn't want to watch Naruto talk to his best friend. If only Gaara wasn't so damn stubborn! Why would he wanna be friends with Naruto over him?
Annoyed, Neji stalked over to the swings, hopping onto one and glaring across to the sandbox.
Stupid Naruto. And stupid Gaara.
--
"Neji?"
Neji glared at the blond who dared to sit down on the swing next to him. Naruto didn't seem disturbed by Neji's glare – of course, he put up with Sasuke's glare, so Neji's probably wasn't that big a deal.
"What?" he said shortly. Naruto just grinned at him.
"You wanna be friends with Gaara," Naruto said cheerfully as he swung. "But he doesn't like you."
"So?"
"Well, I know why he doesn't like you."
Neji stared at the blond before narrowing his eyes. "Why?"
"Because you keep trying to make him do stuff you want," Naruto said with a shrug. "Gaara doesn't like the swings. Gaara doesn't like the jungle gym."
"So?" Neji glared harder. "My best friend should want to do stuff I want to do!"
"Yeah, but maybe Gaara's best friend should do stuff he wants to do..." Naruto smiled sweetly at Neji. "I don't like doing puzzles. But I do them all the time with Sasuke, because he loves them."
"Gaara loves the sandbox," Neji whispered. "So... I should play in the sandbox..."
"Yep!"
"Right...it's all about compromise..." Neji hopped off the swing. "Go away now."
Naruto waved to him cheerfully as he hopped off the swing and hurried off to find and annoy Neji's cousin. Neji himself hurried over to where the play equipment was kept and grabbed a bright red bucket. He filled it with water and hurried over to the sandbox.
Gaara glared at him when he approached, but Neji calmly held the bucket out.
"Sand is better when it's wet!" he blurted out. He was usually so articulate, and smooth. But Gaara just made him mumble. "Here!"
Neji set the bucket down next to Gaara, who stared at it for a moment before he nodded his thanks and poured some onto his sand. Neji smiled slightly before lowering himself onto the sand next to Gaara. Gaara eyed him sharply but otherwise ignored him.
It was a start.
--
Every day Neji bought Gaara water. Gaara was beginning to accept him more and more, always leaving a spot for him to sit down in the sand. At lunch time, he sat next to Neji, much to the Hyuuga's delight.
Neji grabbed two of the big pillows from the pile and dragged them over to where Gaara was. It was nap time, and he was gonna lay next to his friend. He dropped the pillows down and Gaara took one with a nod, setting it down under his head. Neji stretched out next to his friend, closing his eyes happily. Gaara was curled up on his side, facing Neji.
"Neji..." he whispered. The Hyuuga glanced over at him. "Why do you want to be my friend?"
Neji rolled onto his side, facing Gaara.
"Because I like you," he said simply. "You're quiet, you don't like to play noisily, and you're pretty."
"Pretty?" Gaara blinked at that. "I'm not pretty. My brother says I'm ugly.(1)"
"He's just jealous," Neji said as he reached out to touch Gaara's hair. "You have the softest hair. And your eyes are really nice. I like you, Gaara."
"..." Gaara shuffled slightly closer to Neji, resting his head in the curve of his neck. "I like you too, Neji."
Neji couldn't have been happier. He hid it, of course, but he also threw a protective arm over Gaara's waist, cradling him close. Gaara was his best friend. No one would call him ugly or weird again.
He was Neji's now.
--
Twelve Years Later...
--
"Hey! Emo!"
"Freak!"
"Oi!"
Gaara ignored the shouts, rolling his eyes and turning up his iPod to drown them out. Everyone shouted at him. He was so engrossed in his music that he didn't hear the person behind him sneak up on him until the last second.
Warm arms wrapped around his waist, and Gaara was pulled back against a broad chest. Lips brushed his ears before a nose skilfully knocked out a headphone.
"Hey, beautiful," a deep husky voice whispered in his ear. "Can I play in your sandbox?"
"Neji!" Gaara hissed as he detangled from his boyfriend's arms. "I told you not to say that!"
Neji Hyuuga smirked at Gaara, reached out to cup his face softly.
"Sorry," he murmured, quite clearly not sorry at all. "Now come here so I can wet your sand."
"Neji!"