Gaara is learning.
He is learning about the multi-faceted personality of Uzumaki Naruto. He is still learning about all the things that make Naruto that laughable, hard-working, vivid, '20th cup of ramen, and counting', 'I'm going to strangle you if you don't SHUT the FUCK UP', gold-haired idiot that has manage to carve a piece of Gaara's heart, leaving a hole.
And Gaara is learning that the hole is impossible to fill without too-bright smiles, and blueblueblue eyes.
Gaara is learning the difference between Naruto's ramen eating faces. And from his observations, Naruto has quite few. First off, he has the 'OH, MY BEST FRIEND, THE KAZEKAGE IS VISITING. AND AS MY BEST FRIEND, YOU'RE OBLIGATED TO TREAT ME TO RAMEN' face. It's the most common face Gaara sees, and he's pretty much immune to it, but he likes to humor Naruto anyways.
Secondly, he has the 'Oh…you're talking. So I'm going to pretend to listen' face, which has earned him considerably sized bruises on his head, and sand in places that he tries not to think about. Over the years, that face has morphed into the 'Oh, you're talking. And you have problems that need fixing. Let me attempt to think of solution' face, which has earned him more ramen visits.
It's Naruto's default face.
Previous faces include 'Pretend you're not here', 'Politics have nothing to do with ramen', 'Why are you talking about your siblings while I'm eating?', 'I'm angry and every time I turn around, my ramen has a high chance of disappearing', and 'I'm sad, so I'm going to pout in an attempt to get you to buy me more ramen'.
"…And Iruka-sensei tells me not to eat so much ramen." Naruto slurps, eyes wide and nodding like it's the first fundamental truth of life. "But it's so delicious. And I eat it with vegetables!"
"Naruto." Gaara says, lips twitching. Naruto knows a smile in the language of Gaara-speak when he sees one. "Vegetables that have been fried can hardly be considered vegetables."
Naruto smiles calmly.
"You sound like Iruka-sensei."
Gaara learns that Naruto is very much an awkward, teenaged romantic at heart. He speaks of love and sparkles, of happiness and sunshine. But, he speaks of this love as something unattainable.
When Gaara and Naruto first kiss, Naruto blinks a lot and blurts out, "It's supposed to be raining."
It's not raining, actually. It's brighter than a supernova and hotter than the ninth level of hell, but Gaara, of course, freaks out because holyfuckingshit, it's supposed to be raining.
"I'm sorry," Gaara speaks hesitantly. He turns to leave, but Naruto grabs his hand, and gives him that smile.
"You're also supposed to hold my hand."
Gaara immediately pulls him close, aiming for another kiss on the lips, but Naruto accidentally turns his head at the last minute, so the kiss ends up on the corner of his mouth.
"I will walk you home," Gaara tells Naruto slowly. Trying another kiss is out of the question, because who knows where it will end up? Obviously not where it's supposed to go.
They walk, and Gaara continues to mentally freak out. Naruto, being Naruto, swings their hands together, humming and taking note of all the butterflies. When they arrive, Naruto stands still and kisses Gaara on the mouth. Gaara is still freaking out, so he has no warning before Naruto begins to kiss him.
And then there's water on his face.
"The sprinklers." Naruto murmurs, before pulling away, eyes hazy and starry.
"It's raining."
"It's raining." Naruto affirms, pulling Gaara close. "But I changed my mind." He smiles while caressing Gaara's cheek, and looking him straight in the eye. "It doesn't have to rain to be perfect."
Gaara is learning that making love to Naruto is an experience.
Naruto is soft and giving, with just enough soft sighs and moans to never be boring. He is also very loud, as Gaara has learned the hard way.
There are sensitive spots, yes, and when it gets to be too much, too good, Naruto looks up at Gaara with those blueblueblue eyes, and smiles like the damn sun. And he kisses Gaara, kisses him like nothing in the world compares to his gorgeous, redheaded Panda-chan, because nothing does. He kisses Gaara long and sweet, and says "I love you".
And it's always enough to send Gaara over the edge.
Gaara is learning that Naruto has people that care. Not that Naruto wouldn't have people that don't care, it's just that Gaara learns that Naruto's people care more than he thought they did.
Gaara understands, he really does. He now knows what it's like to have someone to protect with your entire being, to take pride in holding that someone and kissing them like no one else gets to, to pull them aside and say, 'Hey. You can't do that, because if you get hurt, I'll explode'.
He understands. He doesn't know how, but that hole in his heart gives off a certain contentment, that only comes with having that someone.
He's unsurprised when gets congratulatory threats from both Iruka and Kakashi. Well, as congratulatory as being castrated and gutted, Kage or not.
He is surprised, however, when the 'Protect Naruto' fanclub elects Uchiha Sasuke as its representative.
"Naruto—" Sasuke begins, pursing his lips as if he has nothing to say. "—Is very giving."
Gaara blinks once.
Twice.
But doesn't say anything.
"I have no qualms about shoving a chidori through your chest," Sasuke continues.
Gaara shrugs.
"We'd have matching scars," is all he says, before turning away.
Gaara learns.
He learns about all the things that make Naruto unique.
He learns to tell the difference between the bubbly personality Naruto puts on when troubled, and the one he puts on when genuinely excited. He learns to decipher among the 'Come hither', 'Oh my god Gaara, we need to fuck now', and the 'OH MY GOD GAARA, STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BECAUSE WE NEED TO FUCK NOW!' glances. He learns that Naruto loves to be touched everywhere, which prompts him to leave no patch of skin unkissed. He learns that Naruto cries when his plants aren't watered adequately enough.
He learns that Naruto is just Naruto. And it's pretty much everything he's needed to know.
But.
Gaara is still learning.
He is learning to tell the difference between the sun and Naruto's smiles.
He finally learns that it's Naruto's smiles.