The year following when Naruto gave his friend a present, Gaara had assigned himself a mission as was his occasional wont. He recalled the fact that it was his birthday only as he left the village; he remembered it only while finishing off the first of his targets, decidedly unkind civilians with dangerous political allies among Hi no Kuni dissenters. And when he returned home several weeks later, there was a little wrapped package sitting idly atop the mountain of backlog paperwork fit only for the Kazekage and not his stand-in older brother.
Two years after Gaara was presented with his first birthday gift by his first friend, he worked well into the night on a Suna-Kiri treaty revision, and continued being Kazekage the next day, just like any other day. He checked with village guards to discuss how few sandstorms the west wall would take before repairs were needed, he watched his sister help what was left of her escort team to the hospital, he filed paperwork that was too influential for his assistants, and the only messenger who stopped him had a missive from the Mizukage, not anything more. A week after he'd decided it didn't matter so much, he returned home for an hour to find ten little wrapped presents taking up space on his bed, arguably arranged into a smiling face. The tongue was a note, Sorry, I'm an idiot ten times and Happy birthday, anyway just once, signed with a thumbprint of orange paint. Gaara decided it didn't much matter, but it was nice just the same. He spent his hour off unwrapping each box.
The fourth year was different. Naruto bounded up to him at breakfast, talking a mile a minute until Gaara had excused himself from the café table with a nod at those seated and left with his over-excitable friend. They made their way toward Ichiraku, but Naruto only waved to the aging shop owner before all but dragging Gaara the rest of the way to his apartment. And while he sat on Naruto's bed piecing together the seven-piece puzzle Shikamaru had given to him with a shrug, Naruto had ducked into the kitchen -- and brought back something which yipped indignantly when it was dropped onto Gaara's lap. The fourth year was different, because Naruto gave his friend a responsibility of trust as well as a kindness.
(And he was perfectly on time.)
For the fifth year Gaara gave Naruto a present. Naruto gave Gaara a hug.
Author: jagter se maan
Status: Complete