EDIT: Why didn't anyone tell me I misspelled his name?? Agh! I feel like an idiot...

A/N: I actually wrote this with a fanfiction contest in mind, the rules of which dictate that the story must be appropriate and contain no yaoi or themes like that. Due to that, this story is rather short. Maybe I'll write a follow up... Maybe I won't. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own it

A Nightly Friend

Kankuro's ninja skills failed to hide his mirth, Temari smirked, and in an amazing display of emotion, Gaara's eyebrow twitched.

"What is that?" Sabaku no Gaara asked; he somewhat dreaded the answer.

"His name is Panda-chan!" The enthusiastic Uzumaki Naruto exclaimed. "I won him at one of the game stalls but he reminded me so much of you... that I think you should have him, Gaara!"

Gaara crossed his arms and stared at the black and white panda plushie Naruto was waving in his face. "How am I like a stuffed panda?" He wondered aloud; though he doubted Naruto's answer would make much sense.

Uzumaki's characteristic grin widened. "He's got a heart on his forehead!" Naruto pointed at the said marking.

A muscle in Gaara's cheek spasmed, and Kankuro and Temari burst out into uncontrolled laughter. Gaara had to close his eyes against the urge to crush Naruto's head with his sand. "Baka," he said quietly. "I don't want a panda plushie," Gaara said to Naruto, "you keep it."

Naruto's smile lessened. "You don't like Panda-chan?"

Gaara stared at him blankly.

Naruto sighed. "Poor Panda-chan," he said, patting the plushie as if it actually had feelings that could be hurt. "It's okay; I'll take care of you even if Gaara doesn't want you." Naruto's face lit up as a seemingly wonderful idea struck him. "I know! Let's eat Ramen together, Panda-chan!"

Sabaku no Gaara turned and walked away, feeling extremely perturbed that anyone could liken himself to a plushie. So much for his reputation.

That night, after a hearty meal of barbeque, the Konoha and Suna comrades had fallen asleep at their camp outside of town. Even Jiraiya-sama snored among his subordinates. The only one left awake was Sabaku no Gaara, insomniac that he was. He sat within the dwindling light of the dieing campfire, away from the sleepers. Over the last couple of missions the mixed team had been together, Gaara had become something like the unofficial night sentinel.

Gaara watched as his sand moved stealthily over the sprawled and snoring form of Uzumaki Naruto. He dared not let the sand move quickly, lest he wake the boy. But at last, Gaara sensed his sand close over the prize, and carefully, ever so slowly, he pulled it out of Naruto's loose embrace. The slumbering ninja did not wake, and the sand carried the desired object to Gaara's waiting arms.

Feeling a spark of triumph in his heart, Gaara reached out and embraced the soft body of Panda-chan. Gaara did not smile, for he hardly knew how, but he felt warmth blossom in his chest as he pressed Panda-chan to his breast.

Naruto would never know that it was gone, for Gaara would be sure to return it undetected before dawn light rouged the horizon. But for now, Panda-chan would keep sentinel with the sleepless boy through the night.

Gaara noted with a small measure of contentment that Panda-chan smelled of barbeque, miso, and Uzumaki Naruto.