Disappointed

That morning, Naruto had gotten up, put on his own home made sash labeling the words 'BIRTHDAY BOY', and wandered around town aimlessly. He thought that someone had just forgot all those years of no gift-getting and he thought if he just reminded everyone, they'd get him presents as quick as they could. Unfortunately, either no one noticed or no one cared because he wasn't given a single gift the whole day nor any good tidings. Exhausted, he had accidentally stumbled into the forest and plopped himself down against a tree, sprawling out his legs. He was quite disappointed at the new discovery of birthday presents, and how you don't get them if no one really cares all that much about you.

Gaara had been coming back to Konoha for another visit, he wasn't sure why he traveled there all the time. He jumped from tree to tree, then after noticing something that was bright orange, he took a sudden stop, his eyes still on the bright orange. He slammed into a tree branch, grunting as he slipped off and fell towards the ground. Luckily for him, his sand was there to catch him, and he rubbed his head, standing up. He turned around, looking over and seeing Naruto. He walked over to him, kneeling down in front of him. Taking notice to the extra accessory that wrote 'birthday boy', he decided to think of something nice. "Hey.."

It was highly unlike him, but he didn't really care. He reached into his pockets, shuffling his hands around to find something, then remembered his trip to the Oasis, and pulled out his hand, whatever he had being hidden beneath his curled fingers. He held his hand out, forcing a smile that probably cracked his face. He wasn't used to this. "Um.. happy.. birthday.."

Naruto's head rolled back and leaned on the tree, his mouth held a little open like he wasn't completely sober. "Wait.. Really..? Really, someone's here, huh? You're real, right? Are you actually saying-" He blinked a few times and then suddenly sat up as strait as he could, life coming back into his eyes. "Gaara?! Really?! You said it, just now, didn't you! Didn't you?! That wasn't a dream, no way! I heard it! I heard it, believe it! Wait, that's..." His eyes fell down to Gaara's hand and latched there a few seconds before he fell back against the tree, grinning as tear droplets of happiness formed at his eyes. "Really?! Really?! A present? All for me, huh? The sign of a great friend! Truly, my friend does care!"

He blinked, suddenly looking worried. Since he had never done this before, nor had he ever had a birthday at that or even wanted it, he wondered if Naruto was happy at this small act of generosity. "Well.. yeah.. um.. I.. here."

He took Naruto's hand, putting his present for him in it. He pulled his hand away, and within Naruto's was a shell.

Naruto sat up and crossed his legs, staring wide eyed at the shell in his palm. Then he jumped up and started running. "YAHHOOOOO! ALL RIGHT!" He turned around and ran back, past Gaara, and then turned around and did the same thing. "My very first present ever, oh yeah! And it's not even my birthday, WAAAAHOOOOO!" He spun and jumped and twirled and did all manner of joyful things, every once in a while stopping to stare at his gift and then going right back to happiness.

"...It's not..?" He blinked, now confused. It clearly said it was his birthday on the thing he was wearing. Had he been fooled or something? "Then.. what..?"

Would he ever understand anybody?

Naruto stopped and turned around to face his friend, scratching the back of his head. "No, actually. Heheh.." As he walked towards him he stared down at his other hand which was holding the shell. "My birthday's not for a few months. I just.. Didn't really realize people were supposed to acknowledge it until now, so... Heheh.." He stopped in front of Gaara, still looking at his precious little gift. "I guess you want this back..?"

"No.. keep it." He shook his head, then stood up. "Think of it as an early gift, I suppose.."

"Really!?" Naruto almost tackled Gaara in a hug. "Omigawd you're the coolest dude ever, Gaara, thanks a zillion! You wouldn't believe how many people in Konoha don't have enough money to buy presents for their friends birthdays! Everyone's too busy, too!" He was lying more to himself then to Gaara, just to give everyone an excuse for not getting him anything for the last twelve years.

"I'm sure.." He replied, not believing a word. He knew what it was like not to have anybody who cared enough to even wish him a happy day of birth. But, Gaara knew that Naruto probably wanted to celebrate his birthday, which was the opposite of him. "You don't need to lie for your village.."

"Sure I do!" He stepped back and waved his hand in front of his nose, as if blowing the bad thoughts away. "They probably forgot, is all. There's so many people, everyone was out getting presents for them and didn't have enough left for me." He sighed out for the relief of finally getting what he'd been wanting for such a long time. "So when's your birthday, oh great one of mine?"

He still didn't believe Naruto, but he didn't persist. It wouldn't make things better to prove his point that Konoha really didn't just forget about Naruto's birthday. "I don't have one."

Naruto blinked a few times, holding a sheepish smile on his face. "Well when were you born? I'm not asking if you celebrate or not, I'm just wondering your actual date of birth. Cuz then I can get you twelve gifts to make up for all the years lost."

"I don't have one." He repeated himself, staring at Naruto with his usual expression.

Naruto's bottom lip jutted out and he stared puppy-eyed at Gaara. "Oh, c'mon. Everyone's born. Weather they're cut out of their moms bellies or popped out through her junk. Some are even put into a tube and grown in there, but we're all born somehow. What day did you arrive in this world?"

"There is no point in you knowing." He shook his head slowly. "Just forget about it."

"Wah!" Naruto dropped to the ground in a sitting position and stared, teary-eyed, up at Gaara. "But it would just make-my-day to know! And besides, wouldn't it be great to figure out who was older? And I won't celebrate your birthday, I promise! I won't even tell anyone else! Please please please please pleeeeaaase! I'll do an-y-thing! Anything at all! You name it, you got it! Just pleeeeaaaase tell meeeee!" He clasped his hands under his chin in a praying position and closed his eyes. "Oh Gaara, our lord and saviour. Please bestow upon us, your children, the knowledge of your birthday so we can better ourselves as a people. Amen."

He didn't look amused, and his eyes showed a little too much emotion for him to handle. He turned his head, looking away from Naruto, and crossed his arms. "January 19th.."

"YAY!" Naruto jumped up and pulled a pen out of his back pocket, writing the all important date on his hand. "Aw, but I guess that means you're older." He said with not even a hint of disappointment, too much happiness at one time can do that to a person. "But January, huh?" Then he stuck out his hand in props-ready position. "That makes you a new-year's baby!"

"Really.." He didn't want to give Naruto props for something he was somewhat ashamed of. He looked at the blond though the corner of his eye, sighing and taking one hand, tapping his fist lightly against Naruto's. "Huh.. is that supposed to be a good thing.."

"Maybe," He smirked and stucke his fist under his chin in a thinking position. "It might be the best thing in the world... Or maybe the worst. I'm not too sure, but the main point is that you are!" He skipped around Gaara with his hands in the air. "Happy new year! Happy new year! Happy new year birthday baby!"

"..." He kept his eyes on a tree not far from them, making sure he wasn't listening so that he couldn't hear or understand whatever Naruto was saying. "Mmhmm.."

Naruto stopped behind Gaara and reached around, pinching his cheeks and moving them around. "Ey, do you like cake, Gar-Gar?" His voice raised a pitch and he moved Gaara's face around more vigerously.

"Of Coarse, Naru-kun. I luuuuuuv cake! In fact, next time I'm out, I'll get you some."

"Gee, that's swell, Gar-Gar. I've never had cake before. Make sure it's the kind with the cute little strawberries ontop and the whip cream!"

"Sure, and I'll get me a chocolate swirl, mmmmmmm!"

Naruto then made munching noises while moving Gaara's face this way and that. He was definatly having more fun then he should with Gaara's face.

"..." He growled quietly, not taking his eyes off the tree. He was even less amused than before, and he gave a silent thought that he actually hated cake. He wondered if Naruto was having fun with his face, then wondered if he was going to slap Naruto's hands away any time soon.

"Hey, hold on a second! I've got a great idea!"

"Oh! I know exactly what you're thinking, Gar-Gar!" Naruto let go of Gaara's face and in one brisk hop he had appeared on Gaara's shoulders, cheering. "You're gonna give me a ride around town to show everybody what an awesome birthday I'm having, right?! Yaaahoo!"