Night fell upon the pair and the forest grew active with the sounds of nocturnal creatures moving about with their lives. Gaara, the request of Naruto, had placed the gourd from his back against the wall and was probably talking more than he ever had in his life as Naruto kept posing questions about 'the Outside World' as the blonde was calling it. It was actually slightly funny to Gaara, for he couldn’t exactly imagine what it was like for the poor blonde to be as isolated as he was all these years on this cursed mountain…The little one was reluctant fell asleep though; her eyes drooped heavily as she fought valiantly to stay awake and keep her papa from further being eaten by the 'Panda eye wunamic' that resided in ‘her’ home.
Alas, despite her most noble of efforts she failed and fell asleep in her father's arms, her tiny hands still clutching at his black shirt like little pearls in a sea of darkness. Naruto smiled down at the little blonde, stroking some of the golden hair away from her face.
"Let me go put her down real quick and I'll make tea or something for us." He said to his guest, as he stood up carrying the limp body to their room.
"Why don’t you let me do the tea just tell me where and I can do."
"Well… On the first shelf, over by the cabinet to the right are the tea bags," He nodded in the direction of the kitchen area as he went down the hall, "Hot water dispenser is next to the rice maker. It’s one of few of my few luxuries I got out here." He said in somewhat joking manner.
Gaara watched the blonde disappear into the first doorway to the left of the main room, and then turned in the direction of the kitchen. So…tea… Right… He could make tea...No problem…so he thought.
A brief search of the indicated cabinet produced a tin of green tea and another of cocoa. The little one had a sweet tooth he hazarded to guess, he couldn’t imagine it the other way around. Another brief search through the cupboards provided a pair of thick, traditional style earthenware mugs. Taking the tea tin and the mugs he turned his attention to the hot water dispenser and stared at the contraption as if it were some grotesque alien life form that had suddenly sprouted tentacles. He has never seen such a machine in his life let alone tried to operate one.
That is to say, he gave it an utterly blank look marked only by the slightly puzzled crease between his nonexistent eyebrows.
Right... So…how did this work again? He frowned trying to remember. He'd seen Temari do this numerous times back home, so why was it so hard for him to remember how she did it? He could do this simple task, it was not brain surgery. Holding a mug under the opening, he carefully pressed a random button.
The thing beeped at him.
Frowning, he pressed another.
Another beep and still no water.
Another press.
Another beep.
Argh!!! What was this thing's problem?! Anger rushed through his veins like molten lava and sand began to circle around the stationary dispenser. No…wait… Can't destroy it… One of his few luxuries, Naruto said he recalled. The blonde would probably not be happy to return and find his hot water dispenser destroyed by sand it would make things very awkward to say the least. Okay…breathe… He could do this. He was Gaara of the Desert, Suna’s ultimate weapon and defender, after all; a genius Sand nin. And no stupid water dispenser in this life was going to get the better of him.
He glared at said dispenser. The dispenser sat there innocently, its plastic gleaming in the light. It mocked him with its pearly complexion and beeping buttons.
Snarling, he slammed the mug down to the side of the accursed thing, grabbed the base and viciously jabbed one final button.
Steaming hot water dropped down from the opening. Of course it dropped down directly over his forearm. His sand curled up around the flesh to protect him, but then again Sand isn't exactly alive and therefore isn't very intelligent.
Scalding hot mud dropped onto his pale skin.
He stared at it for a moment in shock. It…hurt. It…burned. Oh crap! It burned!!!
"Ow… Ow!"
"Hey, what're you…Shit, you idiot!! Get over to the sink!"
Naruto grabbed his arm, careful not to grab where the burn was and dragged him over to the sink where he threw the knobs causing icy cold water to come rushing out of the spigot. Gaara felt sure that his face was turning as red as his hair as the other man held him close, holding his burnt skin under the cold water.
They stood like that for about five minutes, the water rushing over his pale skin contrasting with the tan hand that held his wrist, keeping it under the water. He could feel the blonde's steady breath against his ear, the warmth of the other's body against his back, and was acutely aware of that the other lean, tan arm was wrapped around his waist. After what seemed like both an eternity and a micro second at once, Naruto turned off the water and inspected the reddened skin.
"It'll be okay. It wasn't that bad and we got you under the water quick enough."
Suddenly he came to the realization of the position they were in and the wide green eyes that were staring up at him with an adorably deep blush across their pale features. Heat rose across his own whiskered cheeks as he moved away hurriedly and snagged the mugs and tea. Naruto try to use coughing as a means to clear up the awkwardness that was heavy in the air.
"So…um…what were you trying to do?"
"Your hot water dispenser is possessed." The redhead responded in an emotionless voice. His eyes were like ice as he looked at the dispenser with much anger.
"Really?" The blonde blinked, shoved a tea bag in each mug and pushed a button. The dispenser gave off a stream of steaming water perfectly. Gaara snarled and swore internally, glaring at the mug set on the table before him.
"Never made tea before, huh?"
The redhead took a swig of the liquid, as if it were hard liquor instead of tea. "Shut up. Temari normally does it."
The fox boy chuckled at the remark and took a seat across from him, leaning on one hand, gave the Sand nin a closed eyed grin. The fingers of his other hand drummed along the side of his mug. He just sat there and grinned at the other man for several minutes until Gaara, shifting uncomfortably under the grinning stare, growled at him irritably.
"What?"
"You've changed a lot, haven't you?"
"So have you."
Blue eyes opened at this and he looked as if he wanted to say something, but instead shrugged the comment off. Placing both hands around the warmth of the mug, Naruto stared into it as if the answers to life, the universe, and how to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever were contained within the tea. Gaara cocked his head to the side, studying the man across from him and then hesitantly reached a hand out to touch the tan one wrapped around the mug. The blonde looked up, startled out of whatever thoughts he was lost in and then broke out into an easy smile.
"Sorry, I would set up an extra futon, but I don't really get visitors, ya know."
The Sand nin shook his head. "I can't sleep or else Shukaku will take over."
"Oh…right….I thought that maybe…"
"I've gotten better. I've trained a little to wake myself up before he can take over and can manage about 10 minutes…but not an entire night. I don't think I'll ever be able to do that."
The fox boy looked thoughtful. "Have you ever had anyone stay with you? You know, to wake you up when the sand starts gathering?"
Gaara snorted at the notion. "Sand Demon, remember? Psycho killer? 'Panda eye wunamic' as your daughter so kindly put it.” He jerked his thumb at himself as continued, “Do you really think anyone's going to volunteer to stay in the room with me while I sleep?" He then took a sip of the tea before him.
"I would."
"Wha…?" It was all the redhead could do to keep from spraying the man across from him; his eyes were wide with utter surprise at Naruto.
"I mean it! I'd stay with you. Hell, I whooped you once, I could do it again if worse came to worse. Besides, I'd have the advantage of actually knowing what the hell was going on this time around." The blue eyes were so incredibly earnest. Gaara felt something warm within his chest. Someone would…someone would voluntarily…
"Thank you." He replied quietly, shyly staring down at his mug.
"No problem…Hey! Let's try it."
"What?"
"Right now! Let's try it. We can see how long it takes, and that way you'll know if you ever wanna like train for it or something in the future."
Naruto stood up from the kitchen table, placed the mug of tea in the sink and headed towards the second of the smaller rooms, snagging a pillow from the living area on his way. He turned and beckoned to the stunned redhead. "Come on!"
The only thing Gaara could do was follow with a dazed look on his face.
Naruto sat against the wall of the bare room, his legs folded and the pillow placed in his lap.
"It'll be easier this way." He explained at the Sand nin's wide eyes and blush. "I'll have better access to you, so I'll be able to see the sand and I can wake you up better from this position."
His face still flush with embarrassment, Gaara lay down with his head on the pillow and looked up into the blonde's face.
"Need a lullaby? I've gotten pretty decent at this entire 'tucking in' thing."
Red locks brushed back and forth across the dark material of the pillow as he shook his head. "No, just stay close."
Naruto grinned and Gaara closed his eyes with a sigh.
He lasted 30 minutes. Whether it was the fact that it was normal sleep and not the forced sleep of a jutsu, or if it was because there was another person there, or if it was just because it was Naruto, he didn't know. All he knew was he awaked to a slap across the face and blue eyes shining happily above him.
"How…How long?"
"The sand started gathering around 25, but I gave you until 30 when it started to worry me a little."
"3…30 minutes?" Lime green eyes grew large. And Naruto smiled, nodding happily.
"For real. 30 whole minutes."
He sat up and just stared at the blonde in disbelief for a few minutes. "I've never slept that long in my entire life."
Naruto just grinned like a maniac. Gaara felt the area in his chest grow warm again. Without really knowing what he was doing, he reached out and pulled the other boy to him, burying his face in the crook of the blonde's neck. Naruto went shock still at first, but then tentatively placed his arms around the redhead's back and returned the embrace. He could feel the other's hair under his cheek, the blood colored locks much softer than he would have guess, not at all gritty from the sand. The scent of wind, and the hot sun and the desert filled his nose, all with an underlying scent that identified him as something not quite human, much like Naruto's own. The blonde lay back, never relinquishing his hold on the other, nor Gaara letting go of him, and the two lay on the floor, Gaara's warm body completely on top of the boy beneath him. Both had been so utterly alone for so much of their lives that neither seemed to want to let go now that they had someone to cling to.
"Thank you…you let me sleep…you weren't afraid…" Pale lips brushed the tan neck as the whispered the words. Gaara felt the arms around him tighten.
"Thank you…I can't remember the last time someone other than Kizuko hugged me…"
The Sand nin lifted his head and gave the blue eyes below him a shy smile. "It took me a long time to learn how…and Temari nearly had a heart attack when I did."
Naruto laughed and Gaara lowered his head to rest against the blonde's chest.
"You know…this is the first time I've used this room for something happy." He mused, staring up at the ceiling beams. Gaara made a vague 'hmmm?' sound as he glanced up at Naruto questioningly.
"This is…this is where I would…after they exiled me…I spent so many nights in here crying…and…and cutting…and…yelling at the hallucinations…and I tried to kill myself a couple of times in here when the loneliness got too bad…you can still see some of the blood stains…it’s the reason I don't want Kizuko in here…so I don't use it much."
Whatever contentment the redhead had been feeling quickly faded as ice flooded his veins. Desert sun…he'd never thought about that…what if he had been too late? And the blonde had killed himself…Gaara had his sand to keep him from committing suicide, but Naruto…. Naruto could have taken a kunai to his own throat anytime he had wanted. Suddenly, he was immensely grateful to the Kyuubi and the little girl. Stiffing, he moved to straddle the body below him, placing a palm on either side of the fox boy's head and looking him directly in the eye. Lime green met clear blue and they stared at each other for a long moment.
"Gaara…?"
"They'll never know what fools they are." He said simply.
He then lowered his head and captured the lips below him. This time it was much better. The blonde began to respond after only a moment of hesitation and uncertainty. Arms wrapped around his waist and the other boy tilted his head a little. Suddenly there was a presence in the back of his mind, sending mental images, showing him how to make it better. Here, tracing his tongue lightly against lips that suddenly opened for him. And there, as he explored every inch of the fox's mouth and their tongues twisted together.
Suddenly, Gaara realized the demon within him was not only psychotic and bloodthirsty; Shukaku was also a horny bastard. Finally, something useful. He pointedly ignored the quip the tanuki made about being trapped in teapots and scrawny pale kids being bad for one's sex life. Fuck the tanuki's sex life. He was trying to get his own sex life off the ground. He kissed Naruto a little harder, his hands tugging at the soft blonde spikes, and felt something…really nice run through him and settle in his groin as the blonde moaned against his lips.
Tanuki sex life: 0 Gaara: 1.
Oh yes. Life was good.
Reaching back, he grabbed Naruto's right hand from his waist and intertwined their fingers, scooting back a little as he did. In doing so, he accidentally brushed their groins together.
Oh.
Dear.
Sands.
Breaking the lip lock, he repeated the action. The blonde below him moaned, tossing his head back and forth, those blue eyes squeezed tightly closed and a deep blush covering his face. Gaara smirked the smirk of those about to get laid.
Naruto gasped and opened his eyes, taking deep gulping breaths. "W…We need to stop…"
"Don't wanna..." Hmm…that neck looked tempting.
"Kizu…Kizuko is right next door…"
"Yay for her." A few nibbles and licks along the tan skin.
"Co…Come on…sto…Oh Dear Hokages!!" The blonde gasped, his eyes glazing over, as he arched beneath the Sand nin.
Hmm…have to remember that spot for later.
Gaara lowered his head to the tan neck again, only to find himself shoved off. Glaring, he sat up looking at the rumpled ex-Leaf nin sitting on the floor a little away from him taking deep breaths. Naruto finally opened his eyes and looked at the redhead seriously, if a little frustrated.
"Not now. You just got here and my daughter is asleep in the next room."
Gaara pouted and crossed his arms. He had a complete 'yeah right' air about him.
"I want to. Oh great Hokages, do I want to. But, it's too soon. And…truthfully, I'm a little scared."
Gaara blinked. Naruto continued on, a little nervous.
"I've been alone for so many years…and the only one I see is Kizuko, no one else knows about her, not even the village. And before when I was back in Konoha I'd never even kissed a girl. And, well, then I was exiled and alone for all those years….And then suddenly you appear and this begins to happen and…just… give me a little time… okay?"
Gaara nodded slowly. "But…kissing's okay?"
"Kissing…is a must." The blonde decided with at look of determination.
Gaara leaned over and kissed him softly, sweetly, and chastely. There were several different types of kisses; the Sand nin was coming to learn. And he really really wanted to find out what all of them were. Good thing kissing was a must.
Moonlight poured in through the window, coloring everything pale and silver as shadows crawled across the walls. Naruto smiled softly as the kiss ended, and then yawned.
He then blinked embarrassedly. "Sorry…"
"Get some sleep."
"But you…"
"Don't worry about me. You've already let me sleep."
He grabbed the pillow from where it had been tossed aside and repositioned it before pulling the blonde towards him and laying them both down. His own head was on the pillow and Naruto rested his fair head on the other's shoulder. Nuzzling into the redhead's warmth he yawned again.
"Thank you."
"For?"
"Coming. You're the only one who's ever looked. Who's cared…"
A gentle kiss on the forehead.
"Go to sleep."
Gaara pulled him closer. The blonde opened his eyes, looking, ya think?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So what did you guess think? Like it, love it, meh? Let me know!
Encase there are some things in the chapter you didn't know what they here's a list of some of those things and their defintion, english translation, or use:
Tanuki - The tanuki is species of dog found in Japan. The species has been called "raccoon dog" because of their similar appearance. The tanuki has been renowned for its mischievous nature and ability to shape shift and bring good fortune. The Naruto Shukaku has ties to several tanuki archetypes. One is the Bunbuku Chagama tale, where a tanuki transformed into a tea kettle. In the series Shukaku was reported to have been sealed within one. Some tales state of shrine priests being tanuki in disguise, which ties into how early in the series Shukaku was reportedly a corrupted Sand priest.
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Chapter notes: *sigh* Well been gone a lot longer than expected. Gomen, just been dealing with a lot of personal business and schoolwork; computer programming is no walk in the park those that know what I mean. Anyway, here's the newest chapter to the story, I hope you guys enjoy and review your opinions. I'll try to stay on time with my releases but, no guarantees on it because of the above statement.