Title: Reciprocate
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing/Characters: Gaara, Naruto
Warning(s): Spoilers up to the end of Shippuuden's first arc.
Genre: Friendship
Friend was the only way Gaara had come to truly describe Naruto. He was bold, courageous, and his comrades meant the world to him. Naruto meant to slay Gaara even without the use of his limbs in order to protect is friends, and that touched something very deep inside of him. So deep, in fact, that for awhile Naruto's words echoed in his mind every minute of every day, and not once had it failed to shake him.
As a fellow jinchuuriki, Gaara knew that it wasn't hopeless for his kind to establish relationships. He just had to find the right people in order to do so. People that were willing to accept his company. First he chose Temari and Kankuro, as they had no choice but to accept his company. They were a team, and as such Gaara tried to treat them with dignity. It started with a single apology, and escalated into respect. They were fighters, and on the road Gaara allowed them to take control, rather than him taking the lead and killing anyone that so much as sneered at them. His days of causing blood to spray in a spectacular splay of power for the sake of it were over. He had urges, and lapses, but he begged his siblings to, under no circumstance, allow him to act like a monster. They complied, though it wasn't always easy.
As he had progressed into a kinder and calmer human being he made amends with Rock Lee, a boy that survived his wrath by exhausting him. Making contact with him through his sand barrier. Rock Lee was an incredible fighter, the best of which Gaara had ever faced until Kimimaro, the second to survive his wrath. He only died due to living in a defective body.
Along the line he had become Kazekage, and then was kidnaped and killed by Akatsuki. He knew he had died, because he felt himself being torn away. He wasn't ready. He hadn't made amends. He hadn't done anything. Though rather than joining his father and uncle in hell, Naruto saved him, and he was brought back somehow. Then he looked into Naruto's eyes and saw the lines of tears. He knew then that he, too, meant something to Naruto. They weren't just connected by the unfortunate burden of carrying a tailed demon. They were friends, and if the time came Gaara meant to return the life Naruto had given him.
END