Okay, there's this chapter, another and an epilogue left. I'll try to get those out by next Friday! Wish me luck! ^_^ So here's this chapter. Sorry if the spelling is off, my program is being a bit mean.
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Naruto.
Help Me Sleep
~Liz
Gaara woke up late in the morning. Naruto wasn't beside him and where he had been was cold. He curled up fearing that the blond had changed his mind. He heard something fall in the other room and a string of curses follow it.
He took the blanket off and slipped a pair of Naruto's black pants on. They slipped low on his hips, but stayed there. He went into the other room and then into the kitchen to see Naruto in there rubbing his foot.
The blond looked up and grinned. "Good morning, love."
Gaara smiled as his worries flew away. "Good morning," he said.
"I was making breakfast. I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed, but I evidently woke you up."
"Thank you," Gaara said.
Naruto stood and wrapped Gaara in a hug. He softly kissed the man's forehead.
"A delagation from Suna is coming today," Naruto said.
"They must have decided that after I left," Gaara said.
"Yeah. I think you'll like who it is," Naruto said, looking down into the redhead's eyes.
"Hmm?" Gaara asked as he snuggled deeper into the embrace.
"It's Temari and Kankuro," Naruto said.
"Do they know I'm here?" Gaara asked, nervously.
"Yes. We had to send them a letter. The one they sent back was that they would be here to 'witness the changing of Hokage,' but it's probably to see how you are," Naruto said. "They're worried about you."
Gaara looked down. "Yeah," he felt bad for not telling his siblings where he had gone.
"Hey," Naruto said, catching a finger under his chin and pulling up. "They worry about you because they love you. Even if you had told them where you were going they still would have worried."
Naruto softly kissed his lover's lips.
"Onii-san! I'm home!" Saki's voice came from the door. She ran in and smiled when she saw the two still hugging. "The group from Suna's here!"
"They are?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah. Temari-nee told me to tell you that she would be coming soon with Kankuro-chan," the redhead said, mischieviously.
Naruto grinned. "One of these days he will catch you when you call him that."
Saki grinned back. "Yes, but it's fun seeing him try."
Naruto turned to Gaara. "We should get dressed before they get here."
"Yeah," Gaara mumbled back. He was still nervous about seeing his family.
They quickly got dressed, just in time for the knocking at the door. Saki answered it and let in Temari and Kankuro. Once Temari saw Gaara she ran to him and hugged him.
"We were so worried! You wouldn't believe how much we were relieved when they told us you were here with Naruto," she gushed as she squeezed tighter.
"Te...mari... can't... breath," Gaara gasped.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said letting go. "I'm just so happy to see you and to know that you're safe."
"Yeah, Gaara. You gave us a bit of a scare," Kankuro said as he slapped the boy on his back.
They went into the main room and sat. Saki on the floor, Kankuro in a chair and Temari, Gaara, and Naruto on the couch. They were quiet.
"So... is there something going on... between you two?" Temari asked.
Gaara flushed, but nodded.
"I love him," Naruto said, blunt as ever.
Tamari smiled. "Good. I didn't want to see him like how he was in Suna."
"Temari!"
"What? It's true. You missed him and it was obvious to all of us who knew you," Temari defended herself.
"She's right," Kankuro said. "At times we thought you may go back to how you were before."
Gaara ducked his head, embarrassed. Naruto took his hand and squeezed it.
"I'm better now and that's what matters," Gaara said quietly.
Temari and Kankuro smiled at their brother. He was finally happy and loved.
The day went on. The two Suna nin stayed with them all day. It became a quiet(sometimes) and relaxing day.
"CHAN? Don't call me KAKURO-CHAN!"
Saki laughed as she ran away from the man chasing her. Temari, Naruto, and Gaara laughed watching the two.
Eventually Kankuro caught Saki. He held her up similar to how he had held Konahamaru when Naruto had first met him.
"You little brat! Call me -san or -kun, anything but -chan!"
"Okay," Saki said, seriously. Then her smiled turned mischievious. "Kankuro-nee!"
He chased her again, but eventually gave up when he couldn't catch her.
Gaara caught Naruto looking around wistfully.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"This is the last day I'm going to be a regular ninja. I'm going to miss it," Naruto said.
"Of course you will. You'll be able to watch over the upcoming ninja, though," Gaara looked at Saki. "You'll see them grow and you'll want to protect them more."
Naruto looked down at his redhead. "Thank you," he said.
That night, after Temari and Kankuro left to go join their group at the hotel, Gaara sat beside Saki's bed, trying to think of a story to tell her. He finally thought of one, but he'd have to change some of the details.
"There was once a young boy. He closed himself off from the world to escape being hurt after someone hurt him when he was a child. He came to a foreign village. He didn't know it but his whole world was about to change.
"He was a monster, and not just because he had a monster inside of him. He would hurt and kill others for no reason. He met a boy at the foreign village. That boy fought him, standing up for those who were precious to him. He changed the boy's mind and helped him become a better person.
"Year's later he met the boy again. He had been kidnapped, but the boy, with others from both their villages, saved him. In more ways than one. The boys fell in love, but they were needed in two different places, so they had to split.
"Finally, the boy who had changed was able to leave where he had been needed. He came back to the foreign village and found the boy he had fell in love with. And they lived. Maybe not always happy, but they lived. Together and in love."
"That's your story, isn't it?"Saki asked sleepily.
"Yes," Gaara said.
"Onii-san told me something like it once. I like hearing both sides," she mumbled as she drifted off to sleep.
"I think she liked it better than any of mine," Naruto said, from where he had been leaning against the doorway, listening to the story.
"I don't know," Gaara said. "She loves you more than anyone else she's met."
"Yeah, but she just got a new brother and she's started to love him just as much," Naruto said as he pushed away from the wall and pulled Gaara into the bed.
"I think I like that," Gaara said.
"Me, too."
"Goodnight. Tomorrow you'll be Hokage."
"'Night. Tomorrow you'll be the Hokage's lover.
That's it for now. I am happy that it's almost over and I hope some people are still reading it. Thank you to you folk who have helped me!
