Title: Someone to Hold
Pairing: Gaara x Naruto
Rating: M
Warnings: yaoi, usage of an OC, mention of three prior character deaths
Author: thatreevesgirl
Word Count: 6700

Someone to Hold

by Lemon Drops/thatreevesgirl (both me)

One-Shot

Gaara ran his fingers over some corded embellishments tied around one of the curtains in his guest quarters. It was always so nice coming to Konoha, a very peaceful and calming place. As the Kazekage, the civilians and the ninja of Konoha always treated him well. Even now, years after having the Shukaku removed, there were some in his own village who refused to accept him. Gaara sighed as he realized that his life still so closely mirrored Naruto's. Whenever the boisterous blond man came to Suna he was welcomed with open arms and great respect, but here in his own village there were still a few who whispered vicious things behind the back of the man who had the demon nine-tailed fox sealed within him. Maybe that was why Gaara's friend came to visit so much, because being somewhere you were appreciated was a refreshing break.

"Yo, Gaara!"

There was that happy, sunny voice of Uzumaki Naruto now. As bright and energetic as Naruto was, it didn't seem to rub off much on the Kazekage. He was still quiet and reserved, but there was something about his stoic nature which seemed to fit so well with his friend. When Naruto talked, Gaara listened. When Naruto got upset Gaara was a calming presence. In the same respect, Naruto helped Gaara as well. Gaara had times where his heart would ache and hurt like it had in his younger years. It was Naruto who stood by his side and reassured him. It was Naruto who recognized and knew that pain and was able to give Gaara the strength to smile.

Gaara released the cord from his fingers, letting the curtain fall back against the window. The kage had been expecting to catch a glimpse of his friend before he popped in, but Naruto seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Gaara was meticulously trained in the art of sensing chakra signatures, mostly to avoid assassination attempts on his life. This meant Naruto was definitely getting better at his ninjutsu, because usually Gaara could sense his friend from at least a hundred feet away before Naruto could get anywhere close to him.

"Gaara, come on. You can daydream later, cause we have ramen to eat!" Naruto's smile grew wide as he mentioned his favorite food, even bigger when Gaara nodded and began to follow him.

They had been friends for nearly ten years now, starting sometime soon after Gaara helped fight the ninja from Sound who took Sasuke. Those years seemed to pass in a blink of an eye, and a lot had happened to the two of them. Both he and Naruto had gone through some extremely difficult times, and both had lost some of the people they considered precious to them. Going through that kind of grief changes a person, so Gaara was grateful for the person he'd been able to rely on during those hard times. Gaara and Naruto hid their pain differently. Gaara's introversion increased when he suffered through personal trauma, while Naruto's smile was used to cover his tears. Neither of them could hide the truth from one another anymore, both able to read the other like a book.

"So when is your Hokage retiring?" Gaara asked as he trailed Naruto along a dusty back road. Naruto shrugged in response, but they both knew it would be soon. Naruto was one of the people on the short list of individuals being considered as Tsunade's successor, so was Naruto former sensei, Kakashi. There weren't many others who seemed to be in the running. Naruto had once told Gaara that he wouldn't mind having Kakashi as the Hokage since he was a good man. Gaara would have to agree with that, because Kakashi was a person who seemed to genuinely care about Naruto. Though as the Kazekage, Gaara wasn't sure he wanted to work with someone who read porn during his downtime.

Naruto got a sad smile on his face, then stopped walking. Gaara followed suit and stopped next to his friend, a curious look in his eyes as he observed Naruto. The taller blond man swallowed hard and then asked quietly, "Do you mind we pick up Aiko? And maybe visit the memorial stone after we eat?"

Of course Gaara didn't mind, Naruto should know that. Without speaking, the Kazekage simply nodded and started walking, taking the necessary detour to the Uchiha district. It was a place that felt completely empty, the ghosts of the past seeming to be the only thing which filled the stale air. It was hard to imagine that one little girl had run of the entire compound. When the two of them got to the right building Naruto knocked and waited for a reply. A little girl, nanny in tow, struggled with the heavy weight of the wooden door. She was a slight, tiny thing, because even for five she was small. Her large, dark eyes traveled upward until she recognized Naruto's face.

"Uncle Naruto!" she cried happily, throwing her little arms around his leg. She had a reddish-brown shade of hair, and a wide forehead, the only large thing on her entire body, a trait courtesy of her mother. "Ramen? Do we get to have ramen today?"

Naruto smirked at her, nodding as he scooped her up in his arms. "And afterwards, do you want to go visit mom and dad?"

The little girl's smile dimmed, but only a little as she told Naruto a quiet, "Yes," before tossing her arms around Naruto's neck and hugging him for all she was worth. She pulled away and started talking about everything she'd done that day. Gaara listened intently as the young Uchiha girl recounted picking flowers and washing her pet cat and even reading the book her Uncle Kakashi had dropped by for her. Naruto immediately asked about that one, but was relieved to find Kakashi had only given Aiko a collection of fairy tales.

Aiko and Naruto waved goodbye to the Aiko's nanny. She was a plump woman in her fifties with a warm smile and a good heart. She was good for Aiko, but wasn't a replacement for either Sakura or Sasuke. She was there to help educate the girl, watch her, and do a portion of the household cleaning. Gaara knew that wasn't any kind of substitute parent. He'd had been surrounded by many of that type of person as he grew up, and yes, his was probably a little different from the situation Aiko had, but he understood the difference between a caretaker and a loved one.

"H…hi Uncle Gaara," a hesitant voice called as the three of them walked toward the ramen stand. The little girl didn't look at him as she said that, she chose to instead hide her face with her hair and bite on her thumbnail, keeping her eyes locked on the ground.

Gaara might have misinterpreted Aiko's timidness as fear if Naruto hadn't leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Awww, it's so cute, she has a crush on you."

The girl was indeed blushing as she reached up and grabbed Gaara's pinky finger in her hand. Gaara immediately scrunched his brows together as he observed Aiko giggle and grip his finger in her hand, still unable to look him in the face as she did so. Women, especially young girls, baffled him, though Gaara had to admit it was kind of cute.

Naruto gave a fake sigh, and kicked the dirt of the street with his sandal. "Oh dear, my Aiko doesn't love me anymore, she found someone new."

Aiko's laugh was like a cheery bell, and she quickly reached for Naruto's hand with her free one. "I could never forget you, Uncle Naruto."

Naruto held Aiko's hand securely in his own, swinging it freely as the two of them carried on conversation. Gaara, of course, merely listened to Naruto and Aiko talk, wondering how his friend became so adept with conversing about things little girls enjoyed. He supposed that it was sometime after Sasuke and Sakura were killed, seeing as Naruto was probably the closest thing to a parent Aiko had in the two years since that time.

When the ramen stand came into sight, there was a tall, silver-haired man standing beside the awning, reading a familiar orange book. When the older man noticed Aiko that book was quickly tucked into a pocket of his flak jacket, just in time for the, "Uncle Kakashi!" Aiko squealed at him. She released Gaara and Naruto's hands in order to take a running start to hug the copy-nin. After only a few steps she stopped, turned and grabbed at Naruto and Gaara's hands once more and nudged them together, throwing Naruto's hand around Gaara's. "There, now you won't miss me," Aiko told them before she ran to Kakashi.

Gaara was shocked for a moment, not knowing how to react as Naruto's hand was holding his, but Naruto didn't miss a beat, he just laughed as told Gaara with a smile, "Wow, I didn't think she'd get that from Sakura too."

Naruto dropped Gaara's hand and walked toward the ramen stand, leaving the Kazekage where he was. Gaara tried to compose himself as he attempted to will the embarrassment on his face away. The redhead could still feel the flush on his cheeks as he began following, but continued on anyway because he didn't want Naruto to notice how much of an effect such a silly thing had on him. When Gaara stepped inside he was greeted by several happy hellos.

Aiko was sitting next to Kakashi on one side, and on the other there was an empty stool. Naruto patted the seat as an invitation. "Aiko wanted to sit by you."

Gaara sat down as Naruto ordered for them, and he noticed Kakashi was now reading a ninja tactics manual, something much more boring than his usually fair, but more appropriate as well. Aiko was happily humming to herself as she kept stealing little glances up at Gaara. Kakashi was watching the situation as well, and with a devilish smile in his uncovered eye, he leaned down and whispered something in Aiko's ear.

The little girl giggled and blushed, and Naruto told the copy-nin to stop corrupting her. This prompted a short argument between Naruto and his mentor, even if it was mostly unserious. Gaara was still observing the two men when he felt a tug on the sleeve of his arm. Aiko looked up at him with those dark, almost black eyes of hers, this time not looking away like she had before. "I have a secret to tell you, Uncle Gaara."

Gaara of course quirked a brow and waited for her to tell it, but Aiko motioned for him to lean down so she could whisper it into his ear. Kakashi and Naruto were still having a heated discussion, so neither of them saw Kakashi's handiwork set in motion, but as the little girl cupped her fingers around Gaara's ear so no one could hear the secret but him, Naruto noticed. The blond sighed, he knew this trick, because Kakashi had taught it to Aiko several months ago, thinking it was so cute for her to do.

Gaara was still waiting for the secret when the little girl pressed her lips against Gaara's cheek and announced, "Kiss no jutsu," giggling as she pulled away.

"Tricky little thing, isn't she?" Naruto grumbled with his arms crossed, glaring at Kakashi. Gaara was still sitting quietly stunned as Naruto leaned down and pointed at his own cheek, "Where's mine, Aiko?"

The little girl hopped off her seat and went to give Naruto a kiss, leaving an empty spot between Gaara and Kakashi. "Are you okay there, Gaara?" the masked ninja asked.

Gaara nodded, bringing his fingers to his cheek. "It's uncommon for such open displays of affection in Suna," he managed, not at all wanting to admit that a little girl was the first person to ever kiss him.

It was rare in Suna to receive kisses from anyone, including family, but Gaara's case was more extreme than most. He had always been too busy to date, and he really didn't have any family of his own other than Kankuro these days. His brother wasn't married, so there were no children in their house, or maybe it would be filled with a bit more love. Gaara hadn't received any pressure to get married either, and though there were some girls in his village who admired him, they did so from afar. Gaara hadn't ever sought out companionship either, seeing as intimacy, even in the way of friends, was very difficult for him to manage. He was happy with the bonds he had already made, and really wasn't looking for more.

"Hey Gaara, snap out of it, did lil' Aiko put you under her spell? Watch out, I think she's going to be mighty tough with that genjutsu of hers," Naruto teased. Any more conversation on the topic was temporarily put on hold, because bowls of hot ramen were placed in front of the four of them, and everyone immediately dug into their meals.

Kakashi was the first to finish his food, and Gaara wondered when the copy-nin had time to eat all his ramen without anyone noticing. Naruto glared with a mouthful of noodles hanging from his lips, growling as the copy-nin waved goodbye to everyone and stuck Naruto with the tab. After so many years of Kakashi pulling the same stunts, no one, not even Gaara, was surprised that the older ninja had done so. Aiko was happily slurping away, but managed to wave a single, tiny hand at Kakashi as he left.

Naruto gulped down his bite and rolled his eyes. "He never changes, you know? I swear he owes me a couple thousand meals of ramen by now. It isn't like when I was a kid. I don't get the free coupons anymore."

Aiko was the next to finish her bowl, and she twirled on her stool as she waited for Gaara and Naruto to finish. Gaara followed quickly, though he knew that they would probably be a while longer. Naruto usually ate several bowls of the stuff. As if on cue, Naruto raised his hand to get the owner's attention, this time choosing pork ramen. Aiko seemed to be getting restless, so Naruto tapped Gaara on the arm.

Naruto held out a couple of coins in his hand. "Why don't you take her over to the arcade across the street while I finish. I'll be over in a minute, and then we can go out to the memorial stone."

Gaara took the money in one hand, and Aiko, who had overheard everything, grabbed his free one. She tugged Gaara from his stool and the two of them were off. Gaara's steps were quick and long to keep up with the excited little girl who was bounding off to the arcade. When the two of them stepped into the shop, they found it mostly empty. Only a few children were scattered about playing games. Most of them were probably in school or at the academy.

Aiko quickly plopped down at a pinball game and held out her hand for Gaara to give her one of the coins. Gaara watched curiously as she played, seeing as he had never been to an arcade and had never played any of this type of game. Suna didn't really have an arcade of its own, and the thought of childhood games started to bother Gaara, bringing up difficult memories. He just stood and stared quietly at the little girl, not wanting to upset her by pulling her outside and away from the source of his current inner turmoil. Instead, Gaara allowed himself to turn to that stony, emotionless void which he commonly used whenever he felt overwhelmed.

"Uncle Gaara?" the little girl asked, tugging on Gaara's sleeve, this time getting Gaara's attention. Apparently she had been calling his name for a while. Gaara looked down at her and waited for her question. "Do you want to play that game with me?" she asked pointing at something called 'Whack-a-fox'.

"I don't know how," he mumbled, still a bit numb from the wash of memories which had taken hold of him only moments earlier.

Aiko didn't find fault in that, instead she just told Gaara that she would show him how. Picking up one of the soft mallets, and then handing Gaara the other, Aiko told him that the goal was to hit the foxes on their heads when they popped out of the holes. Gaara nodded and dropped a coin into the slot which fell with a soft plink. There was a clear line down the middle of the game, showing Gaara which of the foxes were his to hit, and which were Aiko's. The little girl let several of the things that popped out of the holes go by, until she wacked a purple fox on the head and earned herself a point. Gaara, on the other hand, was hitting every single thing which popped out with his ninja-heightened reflexes. He wondered how that earned him a score of negative fifty-eight.

"You aren't supposed to hit anything but the foxes," Naruto said from behind Gaara, which prompted a frustrated growl from the Kazekage.

"She didn't tell me that," Gaara said, this time noticing that foxes popped up fairly rarely, finding that most of the time there were gophers or cats coming out of the holes. They looked so similar to the foxes. It was an easy mistake to make.

"I told you to hit the foxes," Aiko reiterated, smacking a pink fox with her soft mallet, bringing her score to a total of thirteen. Gaara couldn't help but notice the cringe Naruto made when Aiko said this. The Kazekage quickly realized this game was designed to represent the Kyuubi within Naruto, perhaps even Naruto himself. Gaara's heart hurt the next time he thudded a tiny fox with his mallet, it must have been painful for Naruto to see these kinds of things.

Fortunately, it didn't have as much of an effect on Gaara's friend as he suspected. The short period of silence was broken when Naruto laughed as he noticed Gaara's score of negative thirty eight. "When you hit a non-fox it takes away five points. I don't think you're going to win Gaara." Gaara squinted his eyes at Naruto, letting his friend know that the commentary wasn't appreciated.

The game signaled it was over and Gaara placed the mallet back it its holder. The clear winner was Aiko with a grand total of fifteen points, and Gaara was the loser with a negative thirty three. Aiko ran to Naruto's side and grabbed his hand, tugging him out of the arcade. It was rare for a child to be in such a rush to leave an arcade, but today she had somewhere better to be than here. Today, Aiko's uncle Naruto was taking her to see her parents.

There was a time when the little girl was sure that Naruto was actually taking her to see her mother and father. She expected to find the two of them waiting to greet her with open arms, just like nothing ever happened, but it was never true. Over time Aiko realized her parents weren't coming back, and Naruto was taking her to a place where her mother and father could hear her, even if they couldn't respond back.

When the three of them reached the site, Aiko ran and plopped down beside the stone. She immediately started jabbering about anything and everything. Telling her mother and father about all the things she had done in the week or so since Naruto had taken her to visit the stone last. Naruto stood back and watched, Naruto's eyes looking a bit glassy as Gaara noted the wetness accumulating in the corners.

"I miss those two," Naruto managed to choke out. "First the bastard dies, then Sakura, the two of them leaving me and Aiko all alone to fend for ourselves. It isn't fair."

Gaara swallowed the lump in his throat, then responded quietly, "Life isn't fair, Naruto, you should know that by now."

Naruto had told Gaara the story of how Sasuke and Sakura had died many times before, but every time the blond man did, a dull pain seemed to take hold of the Kazekage's heart. Not because he was exceptionally close with either the Uchiha or Naruto's childhood crush, but because of how the loss hurt Naruto. For the longest time Naruto blamed himself for Sasuke's death, and therefore Sakura's as well. Sasuke had been protecting his teammate when he perished, and Sakura had returned to duty too soon after her husband's death. She hadn't been in the right state of mind for battle. Sakura accepted a high ranking mission, but was mentally ill-prepared for it, which in turn cost Sakura her life.

A tear dripped down Naruto's cheek, and Gaara could tell his friend was fighting back more. "At least she has you and Kakashi," Gaara whispered to his friend, watching as Naruto used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe at the moisture on his cheek and the corners of his eyes. "It's better than what we had."

"I suppose," Naruto sniffled, attempting to hide his face from Gaara. Naruto might have been more open with his emotions than most people, but that didn't mean that he liked showing them any more than Gaara. It was obvious Naruto was embarrassed by his tears. Not only that, but if Aiko saw Naruto crying at the stone, she was likely to start as well. The little girl missed her parents terribly.

"Sasuke-bastard was actually a good father," Naruto mumbled into his sleeve, not able to stop the tears, probably causing more by talking candidly about his deceased friends. "Sakura was so happy to have a little girl. I was happy because they were happy."

Gaara wanted to chastise his friend for lying, but now wasn't the time. Naruto had been deeply in love with Sakura, and though the two of them never had a chance for a relationship, Gaara was sure that if she had given Naruto half a chance she would have discovered a similar love for Naruto. Gaara had fewer qualms with Sasuke, seeing as the Uchiha did the best he could to make amends upon returning to Konoha, but it angered the Kazekage to think of how Sasuke started a relationship with Sakura without any regard to Naruto's feelings.

Gaara sighed, he was being protective of his friend again. It was a familiar situation for him. It seemed to happen whenever Naruto dredged up the past. Perhaps it was because Naruto had protected and saved him when they were younger, but Gaara felt it was his duty to shield Naruto from as much pain as he could. Laying a hand on Naruto's shoulder, Gaara felt his friend take a long, shuddering breath. It was difficult to watch, especially since there was so little the Kazekage could do for him.

"Would you stay here and watch Aiko? I need a minute to myself." Gaara nodded and watched Naruto walk from the clearing into a patch of dense trees. Gaara could barely see, but there was a bit of orange propped against a tree. Gaara witnessed as Naruto shuffled his body down to the ground, sitting and cupping his face in his hands in some attempt to cover up his tears. It was an impossible task though, because even if Naruto could have hid his tears, he couldn't conceal the sobs racking his body. Gaara was torn. He knew he was supposed to stay and keep an eye on Aiko, but part of him desperately wanted to go console his friend. He hadn't seen Naruto break down like this since Sakura's funeral.

Gaara was still contemplating the situation when a familiar, "Yo," broke him out of his thoughts. Kakashi was standing next to him, still reading the ninja tactics manual from earlier. "I was thinking that I'd steal Aiko away from Naruto for the afternoon. Apparently the academy is putting on an impromptu sparring exhibition, and I thought she might like it."

Gaara could see right through Kakashi, because though the older man enjoyed spending time with Aiko, he abhorred being roped into anything dealing with the academy. Apparently, everyone had ghosts which haunted them. Naruto had told Gaara on several occasions that many of Kakashi's lie in the school which taught him to faithfully follow the ninja-code without question. Gaara was grateful at the same time to the older man, nodding his ascent to show he agreed to Kakashi's idea.

"Perhaps you should make sure he's okay now," the jounin murmured, referring to Naruto. Gaara could see it in Kakashi's single, uncovered eye, Naruto's mentor was worried about him too. Gaara waited until Kakashi had approached Aiko and informed her of his idea. The little girl was immediately excited. She wished her mother and father quick goodbyes and wandered off with Kakashi. When the two were out of sight, Gaara made his way into the thick, overgrown patch of trees. Moving small tree limbs aside, and stepping over broken branches, the Kazekage finally made it to where Naruto was.

Gaara knew there weren't words which could make this better, so he sat by his friend on a mossy root sticking out at the base of the tree, waiting patiently until Naruto was ready to talk. Even if Naruto decided to not say anything it would be fine with Gaara, because sometimes just having someone by your side could dull this kind of heartache. When Temari was killed, Naruto came to Suna and did the very same thing. Gaara could remember how silent Naruto was, and how it seemed so abnormal for the blond to not say a word as he stayed and sat with Gaara. The young kage didn't quite understand it, but it did make him feel better.

Naruto was attempting to wipe the moisture from his eyes again, and there was a quiet, squeak of a question which was merely Aiko's name. It was about all Naruto could manage at the moment.

"Kakashi took her," Gaara responded. There was a worried tone hinted in the sound of his voice. Gaara tried to hide it, but honestly there was nothing he could do. This was Naruto, his friend, the person who had saved him so many years ago. Maybe it meant Gaara wasn't as strong as Naruto when it came to these kinds of things, or maybe it meant that Naruto was Gaara's weakness. Not in a bad way, mind you, but in a way which made him ponder feelings he preferred to keep hidden, even go as far as to pretend he didn't have them.

"I miss them," Naruto asserted. The bright smile he usually used to shield his pain had all but disappeared.

"We should always cherish the people who are precious to us, I'm sure they would appreciate how you honor their memory." Gaara looked at the ground beneath him, unsure if what he was saying was helping or hurting. "Aiko is lucky that she has you too, because you help her remember her precious people as well."

Naruto shifted his weight, leaning forward and away from the tree trunk. His body was slumped and Gaara couldn't help but think how broken his friend appeared. Years ago he would have interpreted this as some sort of weakness, but now it tugged at his heart to see Naruto like this. There were few times in his life when Gaara had embraced anyone. Temari hugged him once or twice, Kankuro once, half-heartedly at that, Naruto had done it one time without thinking because he was so happy; but Gaara had never been the initiator, and he didn't really want it any of those times. Now he wished vehemently he could embrace Naruto and take away some of that pain just like he saw others do when they were dealing with grief.

One of Gaara's hands balled in the sleeve of Naruto's shirt, tugging softly as he tried to urge Naruto toward himself. Naruto's body didn't budge, and Gaara realized he would have to go to him if he wished to truly hug his friend. Gaara moved off the root he was seated on and tugged at Naruto's shirt once more, this time presenting himself in front of the blond man. Naruto sighed and wiped at his eyes again, but slowly Gaara could tell that he was inching forward. A few more moments and Naruto's head hesitantly bumped into the vest covering Gaara's chest. Naruto let out a frustrated sigh and quickly buried his face against his friend, arms now circling Gaara's waist as Naruto allowed himself to be held.

Gaara was a little unsure of what to do, being completely unpracticed at doing anything like this, but his arms mirrored Naruto's, wrapping gently around his friend's broad shoulders. Unthinking, one of his hands curled at the base of Naruto's neck, running through the soft, sunny tufts of hair. Naruto's body was warm against his, a strange heat seeming to seep from Naruto into him. There was also the slightly disturbing fact that Naruto was slowly molding his body to Gaara's, triggering the Kazekage's senses and sending them into high alert. He was nervous, completely on edge, and every movement Naruto made was felt through the heighted nerve endings of his well-trained body. The fingers which were still gripping the locks of Naruto's hair released slightly as Gaara moved his fingertips upward, the nails raking Naruto's scalp.

Naruto's head shifted, and a slight, airy breath was allowed out between his parted lips. Gaara regripped a portion of the hair he was running his hands through, causing Naruto to shudder against his body. Gaara wasn't sure at what point Naruto's head began moving toward the crook of his neck, but as soon as reached it Gaara immediately felt the warm, moist lips pressed against his skin. It was Gaara's turn to shudder as Naruto whispered into his pulse point, "Help me forget…just today, help me forget."

Everything slowed, time seemed to crawl forward as Naruto waited for a response. Gaara blinked, and looked up through the branches of the tree, trying to ignore his friend's mouth pressed against his neck. Gaara wasn't used to such intimate things, and he cursed himself for ever allowing himself to attempt this. As much as he chided himself for starting everything, there was a little voice in his head which nagged him to continue, to allow whatever was happening between him and Naruto.

Naruto's mouth was lipping a portion of Gaara's jawline, and as Naruto's cheek inadvertently brushed against his own, Gaara could feel the wet streak of tears which hadn't dried yet. Gaara even wondered if a little of that moisture wasn't new, seeing as Naruto had wiped his face before ever touching his friend. Naruto wasn't kissing him, but it was something akin to that. The blond's lips traced along his jaw, upward onto his cheek, and every tiny ministration of his mouth caused a rash of pleasurable prickles to erupt along the nerve endings on Gaara's skin. When Naruto's mouth approached Gaara's, there was a cessation in the Kazekage's breathing, it hitched as Naruto laid his lips hesitantly on the corner of his friend's.

Words tried to form, but Gaara's throat was dry and whatever Naruto was doing was intensely pleasurable despite the personal discomfort it caused the Kazekage. Naruto's mouth was warm, slightly open, and insistent as it settled into the crevices of Gaara's lips. The breath Gaara had been holding was slowly released in a long, steady stream of warm air, the minute part of his lips which it escaped through was quickly filled as Naruto began kissing him. It was the best and worst feeling Gaara had ever experienced. It caused a mixture of sheer terror and searing gratification as his friend's mouth worked over his own.

Slowly Gaara returned the kiss, reciprocating each movement Naruto made, allowing it to grow deeper and more heated with every passing moment. Naruto nipped sharply at Gaara's bottom lip, and when Gaara inadvertently parted his lips to reprimand Naruto a tongue gingerly slipped inside his mouth. It lapped at his teeth, then met and touched Gaara's own tongue, dancing for a moment before Naruto pressed it deeper into his friend's virgin mouth. The kiss was wet, their saliva intermingling as Gaara allowed Naruto to explore. There was something exquisite about the feeling and vibrations of Naruto's voice as he moaned into Gaara's mouth. It was quickly swallowed by their kiss, but Gaara could tell it was low and demanding. Perhaps it was more of a growl than a moan, but either way it caused an array of sensations to shoot throughout Gaara's body.

Their teeth clacked, and the sound was like a bell of urgency. Naruto's clothed body began pressing against Gaara's, and his hands gripped the slim hips of the Kazekage. It scared Gaara, because this was something he avoided purposely, not just with Naruto, but with anyone. The kiss was one thing, but now Gaara was suddenly pushed to the ground, Naruto's body atop his as he writhed, attempting to gain more contact between them. Gaara shoved his hands against Naruto's shoulders, applying pressure against his friend's developed muscular frame. It was a half-hearted attempt to get Naruto to stop, but in all actuality, even though this was frightening to Gaara, he wanted more.

Naruto slowed, but there was a blatant insistency in his actions which Gaara didn't understand. Naruto moved against him again, their chests no longer touching as much as other areas were. Naruto wasn't a large man, but he wasn't small by any means either. His shoulders were broad, and the taught muscles well defined, Gaara ran his hands along both of Naruto's arms, then hesitantly brushed them over the length of his friend's torso. The kiss was momentarily broken as Naruto took a minute to observe Gaara's inherent curiosity. The Kazekage's fingers continued to explore gingerly, a look of confusion still stuck on Gaara's face as he did so.

Why on earth was he doing this? Gaara asked of himself. Naruto's motives were simple, driven by grief and need, but why was Gaara allowing something which terrified him so completely? Perhaps it was just his desire to please his friend, or maybe, Gaara pondered, he actually wanted this as well.

Naruto gave an impatient huff and pressed himself against Gaara once again. A low growl escaped Naruto's lips in lieu of words. Neither of them seemed to desire any more conversation about what was happening. The initial plea which Naruto made was enough of an explanation for what was needed without further discussion. There was more movement, the partial removal of some clothing, a bit of touching, Naruto attempting a hesitant rhythm which caused Gaara to whimper slightly in pleasure followed by a low moan.

It was all happening so fast that there wasn't time to object, nor was there a real desire to do so anymore. Gaara sighed, relishing in the experience he had been so unsure about only minutes before. Naruto's mouth was once again on his. The young kage was perspiring heavily, feeling smothered by the remaining clothing on his body. There was also a pressure which was beginning to drive him insane, his body reacting instinctively rather than by conscious thought.

Gaara wasn't even sure exactly what was happening as an intense shock of pleasure ran through his body. He allowed it, biting down on Naruto's lower lip and shutting his eyes tightly until it was over. There was silence as Naruto released Gaara. There was no happy smile, not even a glimmer of contentment as Naruto worked to clean them up. He seemed completely emotionless as he tucked himself away and allowed Gaara to do the same. Wiping his hands on a rag from his weapons pouch, Naruto sighed and leaned back against the tree again. Gaara might have consoled him if he weren't in shock from having not only his first real kiss, but also his first sexual encounter in a span of less than thirty minutes.

"You don't have to stay," Naruto mumbled, a bright flush covering his cheeks. He couldn't even manage to look Gaara in the eye.

"You don't want me to stay?" Gaara asked, hurt that Naruto might not want him there.

This immediately garnered an emotional response from Naruto, who scrunched his brows together, shaking his head at Gaara. "That's not what I said, it's just…" Naruto tripped over his words, his voice breaking as he tried to explain what he meant. "I don't want you or me to feel obligated."

A hurt anger filled Gaara's eyes as he sat up and gripped Naruto's shirt roughly in his fingers. "Why?" he hissed, "Why would either of us feel obligated?"

Naruto couldn't help the moisture forming in his eyes again. Hadn't this day been tough enough on him? "I'm not into guys," he murmured.

Gaara gritted his teeth in frustration, not believing Naruto would say such a thing after what he did, and definitely not accepting what his friend said as the truth. "You could have fooled me, Uzumaki," he growled, reverting back to a name which was much less familiar sounding, none of their normal informalities present as he scolded Naruto.

Both of them sat in silence for a moment, and after Gaara allowed his rage to subside, he realized Naruto was holding him. Very slightly, but still a loose embrace as one hand was on one hip and the other was gripping his shoulder lightly. Naruto was still unable to look Gaara in the eyes, but even without directly seeing those cerulean depths, Gaara recognized the immense pain Naruto was carrying.

"I won't let you push me away," Gaara whispered. "You refused to give up on me, now I refuse to give up on you."

The fingers which were gripping Gaara tugged harder on the kage's clothing, ever so slightly urging Gaara toward him. Naruto couldn't swallow his anguish this time, so he wasn't able to reply to Gaara's determined words, but he was able to allow himself to be held once more. Naruto shifted, his body lingering near Gaara's before he solidified the embrace. No more words were said, just two friends holding one another and allowing a deeper connection to be forged. The last of their walls, insecurities, and preconceived notions being discarded as the two of them discovered something better than they had with each other before.

A/N's: Now extended! Go read chapter 2