CHAPTER 7
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It had been 3 days he didn't see Naruto. The blonde had stopped following him. The first day, he was still annoyed. The second day, he was a little happy that finally his life came back to normal, without the annoying blonde. But the third day, he started to wonder what actually happened to the blonde.
'What is going on with my mind? What happened to him doesn't have any matter with me. I should be happy that finally he doesn't come to annoy me, right?' he kept telling himself not to think the blonde who suddenly disappeared from his eyes, but his mind betrayed him. He always wondered what happened to the blonde. It went on until a classmate called him, telling him that the principal wanted to talk to him. He was invited to the principal room during the break.
"Gaara-kun, thanks for coming."
"Hai."
"I have something to tell you." Gaara only nodded. He waited for the next coming.
"I have watched you two. You and Naruto, my son. I know there is something going on with you two."
"Excuse me, Sir. What do you mean by saying that?"
"Ah… you know, like there is something special about you and Naruto."
"There is nothing special between us. We aren't even friends."
"Hountou? What about Naruto's changes? He acted differently lately. I think that's because of you." This statement made Gaara's eyes widen. In his deepest mind, he knew this would happen considering how bold Naruto was. The blonde was never ashamed of showing affection toward him. Of course their surroundings would easily guess that there was something going on between them. 'Shit!' he cursed the blonde for being such a jerk. Now, his father would definitely tell him to stay away from his precious son. Sure, parents wouldn't easily allow their son having a romantic relationship with the same gender. Now, he realized that it might be the reason Naruto vanished without any traces.
But, was it a good way to finally get his peaceful life back? That's when Gaara said, "I don't care about your son's changes. For me, our relationship is only a relationship between a tutor and his student, nothing else. But if your son intends to go further that it, I don't have any interest in it. So, you don't have to worry about it. I would gladly avoid him", this explanation made Minato a little speechless, but he managed to laugh instead.
"My my my…you're so blunt like usual. But it may be the reason Naruto likes you. Well, he likes challenges, and you seem a great challenge for him."
"What do you mean?"
Minato sighed before calmly saying, "Listen Gaara-kun. I ask you to come here not because I want to separate you with Naruto, but it's because I want to ask you a favor. It's about Naruto though. You know it right that he never comes to school for about 3 days?"
Gaara only nodded. Minato's face became more serious right now. "There was something bad happened".
"Someone who was so important to him died." Minato could see the shock on Gaara's face, though the redhead still remained quiet. He decided to explain more. "My father, Jiraiya tou-san died because of an accident. That day, he asked Naruto to come to his house. But Naruto rejected the offer. He said he had a promise. That's why Jiraiya-sensei decided to visit us instead. On his way to our home, his car was crushed badly. His life couldn't be saved." Minato paused only to see Gaara's guilty look.
"He was such a great grandpa for Naruto. Naruto couldn't stop blaming himself for his death. He always said, if he didn't reject the offer and if he were the one who visited Jiraiya-sensei, Jiraiya-sensei wouldn't die. He had locked himself up in his room. He hasn't even eaten anything since that day. My wife and I are so worried about his health. We have tried many ways to calm him down, but nothing worked. That's why we really need your help to console him".
"Me? I don't know how it'll work."
"I believe you can do that. He has become calmer with you."
"B-but…"
"Please, Gaara-kun!"
"I- I just don't know what to do."
"Just try to talk to him. Please!"
"Wakatta. I'll try to help." He wasn't sure if he could help, but there was no harm in trying.
"Thank you so much, Gaara-kun.".
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On the evening, Gaara came to Naruto's house. Minato really thanked him for keeping his promise. The older blonde really hoped the redhead would bring Naruto's days back. He sent Gaara to Naruto's room. Then, they found Kushina standing in front of Naruto's door, carrying a tray of food.
"He doesn't want to open the door." She stated with his gloomy face.
"I bring Gaara-kun to help us."
"Ne, Gaara-kun, please help us!."
"I'll do what I can do."
"Arigato, Gaara-kun. " Kushina said sincerely. Gaara only nodded. Then, Kushina and Minato left him alone.
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Gaara knocked Naruto's door only to get the blonde shouting. "Kaa-san, have I said that I don't feel like eating? Just please leave me alone!".
Naruto was stubborn, but so was Gaara.
"Naruto! Open the door!", he demanded firmly.
"Who is that?", Naruto asked since the voice he had just heard wasn't his mother's or his father's.
"It's me, Gaara."
Naruto's eyes widened, he thought he was imagining thing. "G-Gaara? What are you doing here?".
"I need to talk to you, Naruto."
"I-I… No, please leave me alone!" it's happy to find someone he loved coming to see him, but he wasn't in the right place to feel happy. He just became the cause of his grandpa's death.
"I won't go. I need to talk to you. I don't care if I should wait here till you open the door." Gaara stated it firmly.
"You don't have to do that stupid thing. I won't open the door." Naruto was getting more persistent.
"It's you who did the stupid thing. What did you think locking yourself up in a room for 3 days?".
"You don't understand anything!"
"Then make me understand the thing!"
"That's none of your business!".
"It's been my fucking business since your parents asked me to help them".
"Then you don't have to care about it".
"Don't be selfish Naruto. Open the door!"
"Leave me alone before I start to harm you".
"I don't care. Just open the door, you stupid!"
Gaara knew, he was the stupid one this time. He never cared about anyone's sake. But his mind kept telling him to do what Yashamaru, his beloved uncle had done to him when he almost lost his will to live.
Naruto rose his feet, walking fast toward the door. He opened the door, dragging Gaara inside. He pinned Gaara on the wall, trapping him between his hands. His gaze could kill anything but Gaara. Gaara stared back firmly, showing that he wasn't afraid of anything that would come.
"Why are you so persistent to talk to me, huh?"
"Because I want to make you realize that you've done stupid thing. You've made your parents worried."
"Stupid you said? You don't even know what I feel right now Gaara. You don't know anything."
"I know one thing. You've lost your grandpa and then you started to blame yourself because of it."
"Yeah, right! That's my fault. He died because of me!"
"That's not your fault! Stop blaming yourself!"
"That's my fucking fault! You just don't understand."
"Did you really wish for his death?"
"…"
"Listen, Naruto! God is the one who decides when people will die. We can't run from it. So, stop blaming yourself."
"You… you said it because you don't understand my feeling, right?"
"I do." Gaara said, pausing for a few minutes before continuing, explaining something he had experienced.
"I've lost my mother when I was just five. When she brought me to a park, she kept telling me to not go far away from her. But, when I saw a kitten running in front of me, I tried to catch it. I had got the kitten in my hand when suddenly a truck ran toward me. I was frozen in place. It was my mother who was running to save me. When I opened my eyes, I saw her laying lifelessly. I cried hard, shaking her body to wake her up, but she never woke up again. He had left me forever." Gaara explained quietly, his expression saddened in an instant remembering his past. It was Naruto who felt guilty looking at the redhead in front of him.
"G-gaara." He called out the redhead's name only to get him continuing his story.
"You know. I'd done what you're doing right now, locking myself up in my room from almost 3 days without anything to eat, just crying and having nightmare every night. I couldn't forgive myself for being so careless and I was also afraid that my family started to hate me. Until then my uncle, Yashamaru came, bringing me into his arms. He kept telling me to not blame myself, to stay strong and continue to live so that it's worth for my mother giving her life for me, so that I could remember how much she loved me that she wanted me to be alive…..
The day when I finally came out of my room, I met my father and my siblings. I thought they would mad at me or even kick me, but all they did were hugging me and crying for me. It's when I realized that there were still people who cared for me." Without notice, the tear had running down Gaara's cheeks. Naruto who saw it bringing his fingers to wipe the tear, then he hugged the redhead securely.
"Thanks for sharing your sadness. Thanks for being here. Thank you, Gaara." He murmured into the redhead's ears.
"That's why stop making your family worried", the redhead said.
"Hai..sorry".
"Say it to your parents".
"I will".
"And.."
"Hm?"
"Can you please let go of me? I can't breathe"
"Eh? But I wanna hug you".
"Move or I'll punch you!", Gaara demanded, though the tone of his voice wasn't exactly serious.
"Can you please be calmer for now?"
"I have had enough so let go of me!". He said, pushing Naruto
"Meanie!", Naruto said after breaking the hug. He was pouting his lips like a child who just lost his lollipop.
"Stop playing childish. You're not five".
"Eh…. Meanie meanie meanie".
~kryuuuuk~~
"Huh?"
"He he… I'm starving."
"God! That's because you haven't eaten anything for 3 days. Go get your food!"
"Could you please get them for me?"
"I'm not a servant. Just do it yourself."
Naruto just sighed heavily before starting to walk but failed. Suddenly he collapsed right into Gaara's arms.
"N-Naruto, are you okay?" he asked the blonde, worried.
"Nah…told you! You shouldn't be so mean to me." Instead of being serious, he still teased the redhead
"Don't make a joke, Naruto. I'm being serious." He told the blonde in his arms.
"Hehe", though Naruto managed to grin, he couldn't handle the dizziness. His face was flushing.
Gaara placed his palm on the blonde's forehead to check his temperature.
"Naruto, you're burning up."
Gaara brought the blonde to lay on his bed. When he rose his feet to find anything to cool down Naruto's high temperature, the blonde held his wrist.
"Where are you going?"
"I'll get you something to cool down your fever." He said
"Don't leave me alone".
Taking a deep breath he said, "You need something to cool down your fever Naruto".
"Then, promise me you'll be right back".
"Yeah, I'll be right back", he reassured the blonde before leaving him.
Gaara told Kushina about the blonde's fever. The older red haired woman gave him what he needed and asked him to take care of her beloved son.
Some minutes later, Gaara came bringing cold water and medicine. He soaked washcloth in cold water and dabbed it on Naruto's forehead. A moment later, Kushina came bringing a bowl of porridge. Gaara took it and helped her to feed Naruto. Then he asked Naruto to drink the medicine. The blonde slept immediately after drinking the medicine. So, he decided to take a sleep on the couch beside the blonde's bed when he couldn't handle the sleepiness any longer.
He opened his eyes only to welcome the blonde's face that was only an inch away from his own face. He could even feel the blonde's warm breath gracing his face. His thought started wandering how come he who slept on the couch had suddenly slept on the bed. Did he really sleep like a dead last night that could be easily moved without his concern? Did the blonde carry him in his arms to move him? Suddenly his face heated up imagining those things. He moved the blonde's arms that were hugging him. Then he rose on his feet, walking to the bathroom to wash his face.
When he came back to Naruto's room, the blonde was still sleeping peacefully. He stared at the blonde's sleeping figure for a moment before grabbing his jacket on the couch and taking his leave.
He was welcomed by Kushina when he first opened the door. "Ohayou Gaara-kun. I bring you two breakfast.", Kushina said, a warm smile graced her lips.
"Ohayou Uzumaki-san. I'm sorry, I'm afraid that I should leave right now. My siblings must be worried of me."
"Eh? Can't you stay longer and eat your breakfast?"
"Thank you for offering but I'm sorry I can't. I should go now." He apologized, bowing his head.
"Well, that's ok, Gaara-kun. Maybe next time we could eat dinner together. By the way, Arigatou gozaimasu for looking after my son". Kushina thanked him deeply. He just replied it with smile and a 'Dou itashimashitte'. Then he left Naruto's house.
Kushina couldn't wake up the blonde. She just let his son sleep and placed the food on the table lamp.
"Take a rest", she said quietly, brushing some strands on the blonde's forehead. Her lips tugged up when she saw the blonde smiling in his sleep.
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30 minutes later, Naruto woke up, yawning and stretching. Then he looked around his room to find the redhead. He frowned when he couldn't find any traces of Gaara.
'He must go home already', he thought. He decided to lay back on his bed instead of washing his face and going outside. His lips formed a bright smile when he was remembering something. He was remembering a sweet moment last night, when he woke up in the middle of the night only to find the redhead sleeping peacefully on the couch.
He carried the redhead in his arms. The redhead squirmed when he laid him down on the bed. But he was glad he didn't wake up the redhead. He was laying beside the redhead while staring at his face, smiling upon the redhead's innocently cute face. The sleeping redhead reminded him of a sleeping raccoon. "kawaii desu ne", he murmured, then leaning down to give a light kiss on Gaara's lips.
"Sleep well, my cutie", he said before he took another sleep while hugging the redhead beside him.
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The End of Chapter 7
AN: Sorry for the late update. I didn't have enough time to write this story. I have been working on my thesis. There is a month left to finish it, that's why I should be hurried.
Well, I would like to say thank you for you who still want to read this ff and give some review. Arigatou na~~~ ^^
