Just breathe. Naruto knocked on the door of his father's house. This was it, he was facing his demons, literally. No turning back now.
"Hi. Thanks for coming. Please come in."
"Yeah. Thanks."
"I'm almost done with dinner. Would you like something to drink?" The demon offered as he guided his son to the kitchen.
"Water?"
Minato nodded and served his son a glass of water before returning to the stove. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the pink apron his father wore but made no comment. If he didn't know any better, Naruto would never have even expected Minato to be capable of anything other than a polite gentleman, least of all the original cardinal sin of Wrath. The demon hummed pleasantly as he continued cooking and Naruto took a seat at the table in the kitchen. He fiddled with the zipper on his jacket, unsure of how to start.
"How's Gaara?"
Naruto blinked up at his father as he processed that question. "G-good! Um, he's good."
"He's not giving you a hard time is he? He can get a little intense when it comes to work sometimes." Minato raised and eyebrow in concern as he asked.
"No, no. He's fine. It's fine." FUCK. Naruto's mind went back to last night, with his back pressed up against a wall, his legs wrapped around the demons waist and Gaara's lips trailing down his neck. "Just fine…"
Minato nodded and began serving their food. They sat at the table eating in silence for a while until Naruto spoke up.
"This is good. I kinda feel lame that you and Gaara are practically chefs while I still struggle with boiling water." He let out a nervous laugh.
"It's just practice. Gaara was bad at it at first, it took many years of teaching him before he finally stopped setting the kitchen on fire. I could teach you, if you'd like." There was a hint of something to that offer. Hope, nerves, or a combination of the two. Naruto couldn't tell but his father was trying, and his mother would smack him over the head if he continued to let this opportunity to mend their relationship be for nothing.
"Yeah, that'd be good. It would be nice to be able to cook for Gaara for a change." The halfbreed gave a fond smile.
Minato laughed and nodded.
"So you and Gaara go way back?"
"I guess you could say that. I just helped him get back on his feet. He had a very….troubled past." Minato frowned slightly.
"Oh."
They both fell into silence again after that. Neither one able to figure out how to gently approach the topic.
"So, you were going to school back in the mortal realm?" Minato tried again in hopes of a better conversation.
"Yeah. I was going for history. I kinda wanted to work for a museum after I got my degree."
"I see. Why history?"
Naruto blushed a bit and cleared his throat. "Ah, well... mom said you loved history and you'd always tell her stories of past civilizations and wars and things like that. She'd tell me the stories sometimes as a kid. I thought they were cool. Now I'm guessing it was less because you studied history and more because you actually lived it."
Minato laughed. "I have been around for just about every human civilization and witnessed all of their rises and fallings. But each one was amazing to see, how generations of humans rose above their struggles and how others were ruled by an overwhelming and oppressive societies. Kushina loved to hear about them all, she never minded my mindless ramblings about it."
"How did you and mom meet?"
"I'm surprised your mother never told you the story." The demon quirked a brow at his son.
"She never really said too much about you, other than you loved us and you were away for work or whatever"
Minato thought for a moment before divulging into the story. "Well, your mother was an extremely strong psychic, a clairvoyant unlike any I had ever met. She began developing her sight as a child but it got stronger in her teenage years. The counselors and therapy never worked and by the time she was twenty her parents were strongly considering placing her in a mental institution. She ran away to try and find some answers for her abilities. She visited just about every occult store, herbal healer, magic shop and palm reading psychic she came across. None of them could give her answers as to why she knew things, or saw things others couldn't. Shizune caught word of a woman whose visions were so dead accurate even the oldest psychics seemed to be spooked. And that's how your mother finally found someone to help teach her about her abilities and how Shizune learned she was having visions pertaining to a case we were working on apparently. And the rest was love at first sight I guess you could say. Your mother was amazing."
Naruto pushed some rice around his plate with a fork, his appetite suddenly gone. He couldn't drag it on any longer. "Why did you leave?"
The demon gently set down his silverware as he looked at his son before responding. "I didn't intentionally."
"Bullshit."
"Naruto, I was never gone for long. I always made a point to come back to you and your mother." A sad look took over the demon's face. This was an argument he knew he'd never win. Excuses he shouldn't be making.
"Yeah and then you'd wipe my memories of you and leave again. Was it because of me? You just didn't want to deal with a kid?" Naruto felt his face begin to heat as his anger rose.
"No, you are my son. How can you think that?"
"You kept erasing all traces of you from my mind. How the hell am I supposed to not think you just didn't want anything to do with me?" The half breed clenched his fists at his sides trying to calm himself.
"Your mother was the one who insisted on me doing it." Minato blurted before he could think of a better way to say it.
"W-what?"
The demon sighed "It was to protect you. She didn't want you to know you were part demon."
"Why would she try to hide that from me?" Naruto felt his heart descending into his stomach. All the times he'd ask her about his father, she only ever responded with happy reassurances of how wonderful he was. How could she have been trying to hide Minato from him?
"Kushina had a vision when you were a child. That you would be in danger should you ever come to the demonic realm, or learn to much about your demonic heritage." Minato spoke quietly, as if that would somehow keep his son from harm.
There was a small silence again as Naruto processed the new information. His mind was telling him it made sense but his heart was telling him to just jump ship before he got rejected again. He steeled himself and ignored that feeling that he would regret trying to connect, regret trying to mend something so shattered.
"Just how accurate were mom's visions again?" Naruto spoke finally.
"Very."
"But I've been in hell now for like 8 months and aside from the death match I've gotten myself into, I'm doing alright." He didn't want to think about how perhaps his mothers vision consisted of him dying in the trials.
The demon looked anxious, "We've been keeping our guard up. You have to be careful in the tournament Naruto. Just because nothing has happened doesn't mean it won't happen."
"Is that why mom died? Were people after her because of me?"
"I-I don't know. They were just some hired mercenaries, dealt in cash and their client was anonymous." Minato looked at the ceiling and played with his glass, obviously trying to keep himself together.
"Why didn't you come find me?" Naruto's voice cracked, he mentally berated himself.
"I tried. I nearly tore New York apart looking through every foster home. But I wasn't sure it was safe. I didn't know if the people who paid to have Kushina killed were looking for you too, or if they knew you were my son. Nobody in hell knew I had a son, and given the danger you were in I figured it was best not to tell anyone. So Gaara and I were the only ones looking for you. I'm sorry, I failed you as a father. I have no excuse for letting you down and putting you and your mother in danger. I should have been there. I should have been protecting you both." The glass in the demon's hand shattered as streaks of dark crimson ran down his face.
Naruto took a shaky breath as he watched the tears of blood drip from his father's face and pool onto the table top. They sat as the heavy silence took over once more, enveloping them and threatening to smother them both. He didn't want to forgive him, he couldn't. Despite his newfound understanding of the situation, his self preservation would not allow him to easily brush of everything. But he knew the blame was not just on his father anymore, it's was also on his mother though she was trying to protect him. More than anything it was on himself for not being strong enough to protect her much less himself. Enter the cycle of self loathing again. It was a song Naruto knew all too well. He pinched the bridge of his nose to try and keep from falling apart.
"Dad, I can't forgive you. But I understand why everything happened the way it did. I know you aren't the only one to blame for all of it going to shit. It's unfair of me to continue to just try and blame you for it." The half breed paused to clear his throat in hopes his voice wouldn't break before he continued. "To be honest I don't know if I can ever forgive you, but I want to try. I know you aren't perfect, fuck neither am I. But I'm tired of being mad at you and even though I hate admitting it I don't want to be bitter about not having a father for most of my life. I'd like to try and have some sort of a relationship with you that's not resentful and full of hate."
Minato grabbed his napkin to clean his face. "I don't expect you to forgive me. I still can't forgive myself. I can't change the past no matter how much I wish I could. I can only keep going and carry this guilt for the rest of my eternity. But I would like to try and be a father to you now if you'd let me. I know it won't fix things, or make things right again, but you never deserved the life you had. I never deserved your mother or you. You were both far to good for a devil like me. And I don't deserve to be given the chance at a relationship with you, but I will try my best to be all that I can be for you because you of all people are worth more than I could ever give you."
Naruto jolted awake, the same dream he had the first night he came to hell had been haunting him recently. He was never able to change the outcome or finish it through. Sometimes small things change but he always woke the same; sweaty, shaky, and unable to sleep anymore. He got up and splashed water on his face to calm his racing heart. Recently he got less and less sleep every night and the impending stress of the first task was weighing him down, he was easily frustrated in training because of it. He wandered down the hall, towards the office with the intent to try and at least be productive with his time by studying. He noticed a light illuminated at the opposite end of the hall where Gaara's room was, he followed it. Sure enough the Sin was seated cross legged on his queen sized bed reviewing a file with his laptop opened beside him and an array of books scattered around.
"Do you ever sleep?" Naruto leaned against the wall watching the demon work.
"What are you doing awake?" Gaara glanced at the time on his computer, "It's 2 am."
"I figured if you're up and working hard then I should be too." he joked as a scowl formed on his mentor's face
"You should go back to bed." Wrath advised as he continued to read not looking up.
"I'm having trouble sleeping." He confessed rubbing at the back of his neck.
"Welcome to the club." The redhead made some space and motioned for the half mortal to join him.
"What are you reading?" Naruto sat next to his mentor and and looked over his shoulder.
"Files on the nominees that will be participating in the trials." Gaara reached over, picked up a book on various weaponry and handed it to the figure now seated behind him.
"Really...?" He unwillingly took the book and flipped through the pages.
"Educate yourself." The Sin could hear the young man groan as he threw himself back into the soft pillows in defiance at the order.
"You know taking a small break from talking about all this stuff would probably be beneficial"
Gaara grunted, picking up his laptop and adding to his notes.
"Seriously, all this stress is fucking with my sleep cycle and it looks like it's not doing you any favors either. Then again you're always this intense soooo…"
A hand came down swatting at Naruto's stomach.
"I am not always intense." The demon argued.
Blue eyes lit up as he cackled at the remark. He picked up a pillow to defend himself.
"No but all you ever talk about recently is trials and training. I understand how important it is but you also said small breaks are important too. Plus it'll help build more trust between us." He blocked another haphazard blow with the pillow.
"Fine." Gaara shut his laptop and rubbed his eyes, obviously tired of staring at letters on the screen and on paper. He began gathering his books and setting them to the side.
"Yes!" Naruto reviled in the victory of being granted a break.
"Don't get too excited, just for tonight since we both can't sleep." The sin reminded. "What would you like to do?"
"Let's talk about you. I've been living with you for over ten months and other than random stuff I know almost nothing about you or your past." He sat up and tossed the pillow at his mentor.
"If anything that just proves how unobservant you are?" He caught it with one hand and stared pointedly.
"Ok, I know stuff about you. Aside from being a complete hottie, you have a cati obsession and you cook like a god."
"It's not an obsession." He flung the pillow, hitting the half breed square in the face.
"If you say so…but seriously. I mean, how long have you been a sin, what were you like when you were like me, do you do anything else other than work?" He hugged the pillow and watched the demon think for a moment then disappear out of the room.
"'Tch. Typical." The blonde laid back again and sighed. This would be a long few more months to go, Naruto groaned dramatically.
A clinking sound made him realize Wrath had returned.
"I can't be sober if we are gonna do this" He set the bottle of whisky and two shot glasses down momentarily on the bedside table as he opened the drawer, rummaged around and pulled out a half empty pack of cigarettes. Gaara unlatched the window and slid it up and motioned for the half breed to follow him out onto the fire escape.
"You smoke?" The blonde crickled his nose in obvious dislike.
"Only when I'm not sober. Trust me I've cut back." the sin opened the bottle and poured them both a shot of the dark liquor. They downed it enjoying the familiar burn on their throats.
"Okay, so how long have you been Wrath?" Naruto set his glass down as Gaara poured himself another and swallowed it.
"Three centuries." the demon rested his back on the railing, facing towards his bedroom window.
"And you were a half breed before?" Naruto filled both glasses and watched his mentor quickly drain it.
"I was a halfbreed before." He pulled out a cigarette from its carton and lit it with a snap of his fingers. "My mother was a demon, my father was a mortal." He spoke after taking a long drag and exhaling, smoke spilling from his mouth.
"So how did you get involved with the whole Wrath thing?" the blonde still held his second shot in his hand. He watched Gaara glance at the bottle of whisky before bringing the cig back to his mouth.
"My father wasn't too excited about the idea of dealing with a child. So my mom left him and took me with her. She…. passed away." He regarded his words before speaking again. "She was murdered by some demon hunters my father had hired. He really despised me. Originally I was meant to be killed too but apparently my mother took her revenge on them before dying from her fatal injury." He shifted himself, finding a more comfortable position before he continued. "Life with him was fucking hell. Minato found me the day I was left for dead. He's the only reason I'm not well past the point of decay six feet under somewhere." He took another long drag of his cigarette before glancing back to the half mortal.
"Your dad sounds like shit."
Gaara nodded. "He was."
"So my dad brought you to hell?"
"Yeah, he sort of took me in and trained me, after a few centuries I decided I wanted to take over the Wrath title. He never had another potential nominee step up
to try for the title because he hates setting them up for failure. But since I had several centuries of training under him, he finally agreed."
"Is your father the one who gave you that scar?" Naruto asked, knowing he was prying a bit more than he should. He watched Gaara absently touch the side of his forehead, tracing the faded mark. It was only visible if you got close up, which the demon in questions didn't often allow.
"Yeah. He gave me a great majority of my scars. I was much easier to injure before I got a handle on my abilities." The buzz finally began setting in. Wrath welcomed the slight numbing feeling and began to let himself disengage.
"I'm sorry." he offered
"It's not your fault." the sin snorted in response before finishing his cigarette and putting it out. "In all honesty, Minato may have made some poor decisions, but he has always loved you."
Naruto looked away as the redhead mentioned his father.
A few minutes of silence passed as they each weighed their heavy mental baggage from the past.
"So.. What else do you like to do other than work and be an intense pain in my ass?" Naruto changed the topic.
"Well you know I like riding motorcycles, however someone doesn't appreciate my driving…" He glared over at the younger man who was barely taking a drink of his second shot.
"You drive like a lunatic. I almost fly off and die every single time." the argument came forward
"You're always so dramatic" Wrath laughed
"What else?"
"Hmm, you know I also like to read. I like watching documentaries, practicing martial arts and listening to classic rock. I like watching you train…" Wrath glanced sideways at the blonde assessing how he took that last statement.
"Watching me train?"
"Hmm, yeah. Sometimes it's amusing, but sometimes I see your improvement and determination. It's encouraging I guess." the demon's face was flushed from his slight intoxication and he pulled out another cigarette.
"I've never seen your horns before." he watched the older figure with interest.
"Do you like them? I feel like they get in the way so they usually only appear when I'm drinking or really pissed off." Gaara laughed as Naruto scooted closer to get a better look at the objects that had appeared on his head. He now sat next to his mentor, arms touching.
"They look good on you." he stared a little longer than normal taking in the dark curving shapes that protruded from his head.
Gaara made a mental note to let them stay visible for a while since Naruto seemed so fascinated with them. "My turn to ask you a question." The demon looked over to the half breed.
"Sure" Naruto was definitely beginning to feel a buzz now, his face flushing. He had always been such a lightweight. Kiba used to tease him mercilessly about always being the first one to pass out, since then he rarely touched alcohol and if he did the always made sure to stop once the buzz set in.
"Why do you like me?" The question came out before his better judgment could keep him in check. He had told himself to tread carefully when it came to his feelings for the younger man. The timing for them to figure out exactly what they had between them was absolutely terrible given the trials to be taking place, but he couldn't let the obvious flirting passes and make out sessions after trainings slide by. It wasn't the way the sin worked, he hated being used and had minimal interest in fleeting infatuations that did not last. If that was his intent in he would find someone else who didn't capture his fascination like the blonde did, someone else who had a mutual understanding that there was nothing more to look for. He had to have some idea that Naruto didn't just find him convenient.
"I don't know, Just something about you has me attracted physically, mentally and probably on a spiritual level too." Naruto chuckled his response and let his head fall to rest on the demon's shoulder.
"Why?"
"What do you mean why?" he looked up at his mentor not sure he understood the question.
Wrath repeated himself, wanting an answer. "Why are you attracted to me on more than a physical level?" Most people noted Gaara as physically attractive, but that wasn't what mattered to him. He was not interested in people who saw only surface level and was not willing to deal with all that might lie underneath.
"Well it's a lot of things I guess…" the half breed gave an awkward laugh.
"So enlightening…" sarcasm dripped from the statement
"Ugh, you're gonna make me say it outloud?" Naruto groaned, not expecting the seriousness in his request.
The sin looked over at the blonde, seeing the surprise in his eyes."I'm just curious what you see in me."
"Well, you like me too don't you? What do you see in me? Why am I the one being grilled on this?" he was scrambling to get the attention off of the question directed at him. He had never really given it a lot of thought, too afraid he'd end up not being able to focus through his training if he dwelled on it. The demon glared seeing his intention in the turnaround of the question.
"In short, I admire that you have a strong determination and unshakable will when you put your mind to something. Despite some of the idiotic things that come out of your mouth, you are gregarious and thoughtful of others. You have a desire to better yourself and do right by others despite having been through a mass amount of psychological and physical issues that would have made most people bitter. It says a lot about you as a person. It shows me that you have a good heart." Unlike his mentee Gaara was careful to evaluate the reasons he was attracted to someone, making sure they were valid and honest and it wasn't a simple lustful pass.
Naruto blinked, uncertain he was ready to hear how his mentor felt about him. "Well shit, I didn't know you had a list prepared." It would now make things different for them having their feelings verbally acknowledged.
"Will you answer the rest of my question?" Green eyes curious as he asked again.
"Okay, let's see… Hmm well you were kind of a mysterious guy before I got to know you, it was really intriguing. I mean even up until tonight I didn't know much about you. I guess there were small things here and there that caught my attention like how patient you are with me when I can't get a technique down. You're actually patient with a lot of things in general I've noticed, and you're always so calm. Except for when you drive, you become a fucking mad man." the half breed let out a snicker as he teased.
The demon grunted at the jest.
"You're honest with me, which is something I really value. You treat those around you extremely well, you have a genuine desire for those around you to succeed and you care for their well being. I see the way your employees look at you, with so much respect and gratitude." he mused.
Garra scoffed but gave a small nod."I may be a demon but I'm not heartless."
Naruto adjusted himself to lay down and rested his head in Wraths lap. He may as well get comfortable since he was verbally confessing his admiration and desire for his mentor.
"You know when I first saw you aside from your dripping good looks, you seemed so dangerous and harsh. I thought your were some hardcore emotionless demon capable of crushing my head with one hand. I mean, yeah I was right you are capable of killing without batting an eye but you're actually really gentle, kind and supportive for the most part. Also you're surprisingly graceful. It's interesting." He looked up wondering if the demon minded his change of position, if so he gave no sign of dissatisfaction.
"You think I'm graceful and gentle? That's not how most people would describe me." the words came laced with a slight bewilderment
"Well not in everything. Not when you make me run five miles before breakfast or when you're in public or working with the other sins. But in little things, like when you practice your fighting forms alone, it's not just pure strength. There's a fluid grace to it. Or when you cook, you make it so comfortable to just watch you in silence. Sometimes when you do that little smile thing after we finish sparring or I've said something that takes you by surprise, there's a softness in your eyes and when you help me up after you've knocked me on my ass, your hand lingers just a bit as you make sure I'm ok. I like seeing that side of you. It shows me you have so much more beneath the whole reserved and emotionless bad boy mask you show on the surface." Naruto finished, finally letting go of that apprehension that kept him from admitting how much he really liked Gaara.
Wrath blushed, partially amazed that the half breed picked up on all those little things. "I believe you're this first person to ever perceive me in that way."
"It's just a side of you that a lot of people don't get to see. You're a private person, so you're careful about your actions and words. Maybe it's 'cause I've lived with you for a while now but I'm glad that you aren't as guarded around me anymore." He grinned, truly feeling the simple joy in that last part of his statement.
"Hmm, I guess you've grown on me." the demon gave playful banter.
Naruto was dying for a topic change, he didn't think he'd be able to keep himself from trying to instigate anything too sexual with his mentor if they continued to talk about how they felt. "I have a tendency to do that. So what's the story behind your tattoos and piercings?"
Gaara glanced at his arms, covered in dark ink with splashes of color. They usually spared shirtless so they were both aware of each others bodys. Wrath often hid his full sleeve tattoos for work and during formal meetings however the demon never cared to hide his piercings. While a few like this tongue ring and nipple piercings were easily hidden, Gaara found it was more of a hassle to constantly be removing the vertical labret in his lip and the various bars in his ears for work every day. Even in a fight, regardless of the easy target it made, nobody was good enough to get that close and grab at that bars that were left exposed in his flesh.
"I just like the way they look." He paused in thought for a moment, considering his next words. "The tattoos are a little more thought out i suppose. Apparently my mother was a japanese demon so I got the irezumi style for my bloodline. The Oni on the left sleeve is a sort of reminder to keep my inner demons in check. " He paused to pull up the sleeve and held his arm above Naruto to allow him a better view of the various demons on his skin before he continued.
"The one on the right arm is something your father suggested actually, since I've always suffered from insomnia and night terrors." He rolled up his opposite sleeve to show the mythological chimera like creature on his muscular bicep. It stretched upwards toward his shoulder, surrounded by clouds and traditional japanese chrysanthemums. "Baku, the dream eater. He's supposed to be the protector from nightmares and restlessness."
"Has it helped you sleep any?" The blonde asked as he observed the tattoo he had seen multiple times, now understanding its significance.
The sin laughed, fully amused at the idea, "Not one bit."
"Those are really nice though, they are meaningful. They reflect a part of you." Naruto considered putting more thought into his next tattoo, if he lived long enough for that to happen.
"What about yours?" a long finger poked the blonde's stomach, making contact with the toned abs beneath the thin tank top.
He hadn't told anyone the real reason he had gotten the design. "It's kinda stupid."
"Tell me."
The half breed pulled back the edge of the fabric to show the large black tribal style tattoo that encircled his belly button.
"My mom used to call me her little ray of sunshine. So yeah, it's a sun." he shrugged not having more to say about it.
Wrath recognized the sentiment hidden behind the deep blue eyes at the mention of his mother "That's not stupid. It's something special to you." He watched the swirling symbol disappear as the material was pulled back down. The sins fingers absently found the golden locks that rested in his lap.
"Yeah, it is." the half breed relaxed at the feel of his mentor running a hand through his hair.
"What do you remember about your mother?" Gaara asked with slight caution, unsure of how sensitive this subject was.
"She was great, the best mom anyone could ask for. I mean she was pretty strict sometimes, and she would chew me out for not cleaning up. She would embarrass me all the time in public and every time I came home she had a new cat she would show me that she had adopted and was feeding in the backyard. She always babbled nonstop about the paranormal things she had experienced that day." His face lit up with a smile as he spoke of her.
Gaara continued to listen in silence, allowing Naruto to speak freely.
"She would make friends with everyone. She was always there for me, and worked real hard to give me everything I needed. She had a fierce determination, I always admired that about her. Her cooking was amazing, and she was always so warm and happy…." Emotion caught in his voice as he trailed off and broke eye contact in effort to compose himself.
"She was a wonderful mother." The demon offered, understanding the delicate nature of this conversation.
"She was." Naruto spoke softly as he stared up at the sky, ignoring the small trickle of tears that escaped despite his attempt to hold them back. He had never shared this much about his past to anyone, it was long overdue. He felt an unwinding in his chest as the words came.
The demons free hand gently set itself on Naruto's stomach, in a comforting gesture. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." He reassured there was no pressure for the conversation to continue.
"I was ten years old. She died while I was at school. Someone broke in and killed her for whatever reason. They never really found out why. It wasn't fun coming home that day after she didn't show up to walk with me like she always did. Neither was calling for help, and going into foster care, or anything else that came after that." his eyes shut as he grasped for support, intertwining fingers with his mentors hand pulling it up to rest on his chest. He watched the memories of that day replay in his mind.
A calm quiet, as the demon let the figure in his lap work through whatever memories he held in the dark parts of his heart. Blue eyes opened after a few minutes, ready to continue with the conversation.
"I was so angry for a long time. At everyone. At my non existent dad, at whatever twisted divine power let this happen. But I think mostly I was mad at myself because I couldn't figure out how to stop hurting. But I guess you understand what it feels like being left alone." He found Gaara carefully watching him as he disclosed his deepest suffering.
A sad expression found its way onto Wraths face. "The pain dulls and heals over time but the scar of what happened doesn't ever disappear completely. It's always there, in the back of your heart. A steady reminder of shitty times and an unjust past.".
"Yeah." He had figured there was no way to undo the damage that had been done to his life.
Gaara looked down, practically reading the half breeds mind. "Healing is a bitch, but it's not all bad. Just because it can't be undone doesn't mean it can't get better. You are worth so much, and you deserve the chance to let yourself mend."
"I don't even know where to begin. Everytime I try to figure out how I'm supposed to heal something shitty happens and rips everything apart again. I mean I guess I'm trying with my old man, it's just hard. I don't even know if I'm doing it right." He thought back to the instability in his life, ignored by various foster parents unless they were abusing him in some way. He remembered the panic and pain of Sasuke leaving without word and the overwhelming sense of abandonment that he had been struggling to overcome, take over and swallow him whole once again.
"I had a lot of things to heal from when I was first brought here by your father and I still struggle with them from time to time. I was advised to fill my life with things that make me happy. You can start small, if you feel overwhelmed like inanimate objects, or activities. Eventually you let bigger things in regardless of their stability. For my personal healing, understanding that nobody perfect and asking anyone, including myself, to never do me wrong is an irresponsible request to make. We are bound to fuck up at some point, but you can ask for honesty about it. Accepting that and knowing when to release as things come and go is a part of everything." the demon offered.
"Is that why you have over 40 different potted cacti?" Naruto flinched at the slight flick on his head.
"Yes, actually. I love warm, desert like climates. I can't live there due to my current position but they are a nice reminder."
The younger figure subconsciously let his thumb caress the back of the sins hand that still rested on his chest. "I see...I don't know if I can do it."
"It won't happen overnight, this takes time. It's not easy, and it's horrendously messy. You find yourself fighting the urge to rip people in half often, and isolate yourself completely. Sometimes you pick up undesirable habits along the way…" He released the blonde hair and grabbed the carton of cigarettes, chucking it across the fire escape.
"...but...?" Eager to hear the conclusion to his statement.
"But you become stronger afterwards, you learn to manage your inner darkness, and the pain does finally subside once you learn to coexist with it." Gaara finished.
"Hmm"
"You don't have to do it completely alone either. I am here to support you the best that I can." Wrath gave a rare smile and watched uncertainty in Naruto's expression.
The half breed sat up releasing his mentors hand momentarily before shifting himself from his reclined position to now straddle the demon. He found green eyes, curious but soft. That gentleness that was often hidden to others, on display for the blonde to revel in. He sat back in Gaara's lap and felt the demon's hands find his hips, thumbs tracing small circles over the thin fabric of his shirt. The half breed bit the bottom of his lip, unsure if his next statement would break him. He had to say it, make it known. It had been so long since he had been so intimate with anyone both physically and emotionally. Even though they had made amends recently to be friends after that mess with Sasuke he knew his heart couldn't take opening itself to another person only to have them abandon him like they always did.
"I-" Naruto shifted his gaze down, not wanting to face the demon as he spoke.
"I don't want to disappoint you. Really, I'm just a shitty guy, and you'll get tired of me after a while. You shouldn't have to support me through my mess. I'm sorry, I didn't meant to dump all of my personal baggage on you. I just-" He was cut off as a pair of soft lips found his, familiar and gentle. He melted into the kiss letting his arms wrap around Wrath's neck.
They finally broke away from each other after a few minutes. The blonde was dizzy for a moment as he heard the redhead speak.
"You are amazing, and strong and worth every bit of devotion I have to give. I am not going to give up and leave you." Gaara whispered soft words to the man in his embrace.
A small nod from the half breed, indicated he understood but he averted his gaze. Strong pale fingers lifted the man's chin so they were face to face once again. Wrath wiped at the few tears that trailed down tanned cheeks and pressed small kisses to replace them. His lips trailed up, kissing his nose, both eyes and forehead. Naruto finally gave a small smile as Gaara continued to pepper his face with small, sweet kisses. Their lips met again, this time with a little more hunger than before. The demon tasted like alcohol and cigarettes and something else Naruto couldn't place but he didn't mind as he experimentally tugged at the metal bar, sucking on Gaara's bottom lip. The redhead responded by sliding his hands under his shirt, trailing over the muscles on his back. Naruto moaned at the touch deepening the kiss, fingers entwined in garnet locks of hair when a buzzing from the Sins cell phone brought them back to reality before they could continue any further. The blonde sat back, blushing at the recent intimate moment.
"Sorry." Gaara frowned, displeased at the separation of their bodies. Emails from work and text messages from his assistant appeared on the screen. The demon didn't bother to check them, knowing if he did there was no chance of getting any sleep.
The sin looked at the time, 5AM.
Naruto had his monthly check-in with the reapers at 1PM. He hoped Naruto wouldn't be an exhausted mess. Gaara was used to catching only three hours of sleep a night, but there was nothing he could do to wake Naruto short of physically dragging the blond out of bed in the mornings when he didn't sleep enough.
"Come on, we should probably shower." Wrath stood, crawled through the window and had turned to catch his nominee before he face planted onto the floor.
"Wait, like shower together? It this an invitation?" the blonde was confused as he looked around the room, trying not to fall over as his foot got caught climbing back inside.
"If you'd like." Gaara shrugged, his red flag signals weren't working at the moment. He was still thinking about the feel of Naruto in his lap, on his lips, grabbing his hair.
The sin led the way into his master bathroom and started the water, waiting for it to get warm. He began brushing his teeth as he watched the blonde carelessly rummaged through the cabinets.
"What are you looking for?" The demon mumbled, toothbrush obscuring his words.
"Mouthwash, I taste like that lighter fluid we were just drinking." He held up the bottle in victory and rinsed.
Wrath yanked off his clothes once he was finished, tossing them into the hamper. He noticed the half breed was having a little trouble.
"Need help?" He watched the younger man fight to keep his balance, a grunt came in response.
He helped a stumbling Naruto out of his clothes before he tripped and broke something, amused at the clumsiness nonetheless. The blonde looked up at the sin, taking in the sight of his naked body. He noted how powerful the demon was and how ominous he looked with his horns and tail still showing. A gasp escaped the half mortals lips as he reached out and touched the taught skin, feeling a dark force resonate beneath his finger. Part of him felt he should kneel in awe at the mysterious power that radiated from the being, the other part of him wanted Gaara to shove him up against a wall and have at it.
"Come." The demon took him by the hand and entered the now steamy shower. They both stood for a moment enjoying the hot water as it rolled down their bodies. Naruto leaned back against the tile wall and closed his eyes as he hummed. Wrath took the opportunity to observe the man who had begun to steal his heart as he grabbed a bar of soap and worked up a lather, scrubbing his own body thoroughly. He noted the muscles in his torso, and the strong thighs as his eyes trailed downwards. The half mortal had a naturally lean build but with the past five months of intense training thanks to Wrath, a strong muscular form began to show on the half mortal's body.
"Mmmmm" Gaara smirked as he elicited a moan from the man with his touch, working the soap onto the blonde's chest. He moved the washcloth down Naruto's torso slowly, lingering a moment as he stopped just before the groin. The man had already been half hard sitting in his lap making out on the fire escape, it wouldn't take much to take the half breed all the way.
"You tease" he had opened one eye to see the demon give him a smug look.
"I'm saving the best for last." Wrath smirked then squatted to wash the lower half of the man working his way up. He traced the sensitive skin on the inner thigh with his thumb as the the soap lingered. He heard a sharp inhale at the contact taking it as a sign to continue. The demon took the blonde's length in his hands and gently moved the washcloth over it, watching the arousal grow.
"Fuck" Naruto whispered, encouraging Gaara.
He placed the soapy cloth off to the side and stood allowing the water to rinse them off. Blue eyes looked up at him displeased that the touch had stopped. The demon blinked in amusement before placing a hand on either side of the blonde's head, trapping him with a predatory stare. Naruto's knees went weak under the green eyes, his breath quickened as he bit his lower lip to keep it from trembling with desire. Gaara released a low growl as he leaned in and pressed their mouths together, tasting each other in a mess of teeth and tongue. Hands found their way to rest on the sins waist, slowly moving to caress the tight muscles in his back. Wrath trickled kisses down the man's jaw to his neck where he began to test the area with small nibbles.
"Can I bite you?" The sin asked before continuing.
"Yes" Naruto let out a breathy response.
"Tell me to stop if you don't like it." Gaara whispered against the skin between licks. Naruto moaned in reply as the ball of the metal barbel on the demon's tongue trailed down before he bit the flesh purposefully this time. The sin felt hands fist into his hair as he moved a little lower and bit again.
"Harder" the blonde gasped as he felt the demon's teeth take to his neck. Wrath obliged, adding more pressure to the bite. The half mortal moved his head giving him access to the opposite side of his neck. The redhead flashed a wicked smile before diving in and leaving his marks across the tan skin and let his hands trail down to find Naruto's shaft already hard as he began pumping it slowly. He ran his thumb across the slit as it dripped with clear precum earning a whimper from the man.
"Gaara...please.. pl-please" the demon felt his face flush as his name was whispered and satisfaction rose in him at the sound of his lover begging. He continued to slide along the mans cock, while his free hand pinned him firmly to the wall at his waist. Their mouths collided again, picking up the pace as Naruto's breathing soon became shallow, signaling he was close to finishing. Wrath moved back to the soft skin of the neck as he placed one final bite, claiming the half mortal with its force.
"Fuck...Gaara!" His head flew back with eyes shut, fingers twisted and pulled at the red hair as he came. The demon released the skin beneath his mouth once he felt the body relax against the wall. The water had begun to run cold as he washed away the mess Naruto had made. He shut off the shower and pulled a towel from the hook that hung next to the curtain, ignoring his own arousal. He allowed his horns and tail to disappeared already and after drying himself he turned to the blonde who was still leaning against the shower wall, recovering from his orgasm.
"Naruto, are you alright? Nod if you're ok." The sin took the man's face in his hands and slowly inspected his neck, no blood was drawn a good sign, he was still able to keep perfect control. A slight nod indicated he was fine, but obviously tired. Wrath wrapped the towel around the blonde's torso and pulled his lover's arms over his shoulders, feeling his weight as his body now leaning on him.
"Let's get you to bed. Can you walk?" Remembering that he wasn't fully demon yet and he may be experiencing some side effects.
"My legs feel like jello." the half breed mumbled as his head rested in the crook of the demon's neck.
"I'm so sorry, I should have warned you since you're part mortal. You experience a type of sensory overload, it's a side effect of engaging in any sex with a demon. You'll be better after some sleep." Gaara apologized.
"-s'okay.." blue eyes closed in relaxation as he was hoisted up, bringing his legs to wrap around Wrath's waist. The sin easily carried him to the room and sat on the edge of the bed, Naruto still clinging to him.
"How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" The redhead rubbed Naruto's back in a soothing motion.
"Mmmm..I'm ok." his voice was soft and full of sleep.
"I'm going to dry you off and get you some clothes." Gaara removed the towel from around his torso and gently dried the blonde hair. He moved to drying the rest of Naruto's body before tossing it off to the floor. He helped the man off his lap and onto the bed, leaving him laying on his side. The demon pulled open his dresser to find some sweatpants and t-shirts for them both before walking back to his bed. He sat beside his lover for a moment, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath.
"Can you move yet?' the demon ran his fingers lightly caressing the soft skin of the man's cheek as blue eyes opened sleepily, looking up at him.
"A little." He assisted the half mortal into a sitting position.
"Here." Wrath guided Naruto's limbs into the soft gray cotton t-shirt and black sweatpants. He helped him lay back once he was fully clothed.
"Thank you." he mumbled into the pillow as the redhead dressed and turned off the light.
"Mmhmm" the sin grunted in response. He returned to his bed, sliding under the covers.
He felt hands reach for him, trying to close the small distance between them. The older figure shifted, scooping up the man in one arm, and pulled him close so he could rest his head on Gaara's chest.
"What are you doing to me?" He pressed his lips to the half mortals forehead as he whispered. Naruto had drifted off and Wrath followed, letting his sleep heavy eyelids close without issue for the first time in five centuries.
"What do you have for me? Shisui was irritated you wanted to meet so late."
"Apologies. You know I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think it was important." They sat in Itachi's car, hidden away in an alley.
"Hnn." Itachi grunted, he had begun to show sleepless circles under his eyes. Restless from work and training his younger brother.
"I found something I think you'd like. The Order has a series of covert operations underway. They seem shady at best. I was able to uncover some data on it but a majority of the files are encrypted." He handed over a USB to the Uchiha.
Itachi took it and stared at it for a moment, trying to put all the pieces together. "What exactly is the nature of these operations?"
"Something involving a demon called the Kyuubi. I couldn't find much more information on the demon itself that didn't involve requesting access to restricted files, which I worry would tip them off."
He had heard that name before, there was little information available on it. He was going to have to do some digging. "How many people are in on this?"
"It doesn't seem like the entire order is aware of it. The top 5 members I'm assuming. I really can't be sure how many of the Order are involved in it yet." Kisame sighed.
They had uncovered valuable intel but were stuck trying to figure out the vital details needed. Itachi closed his eyes as he thought out a plan of action.
"I'll have Shisui work on gaining access to the files. I'll see what I can find on the Kyuubi and see exactly what it is they are after. Keep me updated on this if you hear anything else. We need to be prepared to counter if they make a move."
The annoying ring of his cell phone stirred Gaara from his rest. He grunted in irritation as he reached over and grabbed it. 11AM, the time displayed in the corner above the name of the person who was contacting him.
He frowned as he accepted the call, knowing he couldn't hide anything from her.
"What." the sin hoped he didn't sound like he was still half asleep.
"Did I…..wake you?" She picked up on the grogginess in his voice easily.
"What do you need, Temari?" He ignored the question.
"You never sleep Gaara. Are you feeling well?" Concern was noted. It was true Wrath had a vicious case of insomnia. He slept sometimes, but never for more than 3 hours at a time and never past 8 am.
"I'm fine" He sighed in exasperation.
"It's 11AM and you haven't answered my email or texts or called Kankuro and I to add more work to our pile. What's going on?" her smooth voice sounded through the receiver.
"You know most employees wouldn't complain about not receiving extra work for a day." Gaara was grateful for his assistants. They did work nobody else would do with a sane mind, and they did it extremely well.
"Well that sucks for you because we aren't most employees." She raised her voice as she was becoming annoyed with the front her boss was putting up.
"Give me two hours, I'll have something for you both." He gave a dismissive tone, wanting her to be satisfied enough to end the conversation already.
"Two hours!? That's uncharacteristic-" She paused mid sentence as she heard a new voice in the distance.
"Gaara, can you please tell her to stop yelling? It's too early for yelling." Naruto cut in, voice raspy from sleep. He buried his face back into Wrath's chest, bothered by the light.
Silence came from the other line. Gaara knew there was nothing he could say, his assistant had figured it out.
"...I see….. Two hours then." her voice finally came, ending the conversation.
He set his phone onto the side table and let his head fall back onto his pillow. They had slept about 5 hours, but he felt like he had slept for a week. He stared up at the ceiling thinking about last night's events and how this would change things. The last time Gaara was attached to someone was just before he took over the sin position, and it wasn't exactly a fulfilling relationship either. Fuu had been his one serious relationship. He had a few others before her, the demon considered all his past relations, he never really had much luck when it came to finding love, nor did he ever really care for it before.
He listened to the rhythmic breathing of the blonde wondering if a relationship right now was even possible. If he could pass the trials and become full demon then perhaps there was a slight chance it could work out. They were both past the point of being able to pretend all this didn't happen. Besides Gaara was honest by nature, he would not be able to deceive himself or the half mortal about how he felt. He wondered what Naruto would want and if this would severely complicate things in the long run. He stopped his mind before it began to overthink and decided against jumping to worse case scenarios. The sin wouldn't push the thought anymore, he would just let things unfold in their own time.
"Wh- what time is it?" the half mortal rubbed his eyes and groaned.
"A little past eleven" He watched his lover grab the covers and pull it up over their heads to block out the light.
"Can we just stay in here today?" he pleaded and wrapped his arms around the demon.
"I would love nothing more than to forsake my responsibilities and spend the day in bed with you, but unfortunately we have a meeting to attend." the redhead laughed as the man grumbled at the mention of the meeting.
"It's gonna be so boring, I don't get how you can sit through those things and not doze off." Naruto complained as the covers were lifted back and his eyes felt assaulted by the light.
"How's are you feeling?" Gaara sat up and watched the blond burrow his head in the pillows, trying to stop the pounding headache. He had hoped the over sensory side effects wouldn't follow into the morning but thankfully a headache was the easiest to handle.
"My head feels like it's going to explode, but I'm ok otherwise." the muffled voice came underneath the pile of fabric.
"I'll make you something to help with that. Are you hungry?" Gaara stood.
"Yes, food sounds good." the blonde peaked his head out at the mention of breakfast.
The demon left to the kitchen as Naruto slowly got out of bed and found his way to the bathroom sink to wash his face. He looked in the mirror and froze.
His neck was covered in obvious bite marks and bruises. That was going to be hard to hide. Wrath returned with a water bottle and a mug of hot water with herbs in his hands.
"Oh." He paused and stared for a moment at the dark purple marks considering them. He then set down the beverages on the bathroom counter and opened the medicine cabinet to grab a small container of ointment.
"I'm guessing you don't own any turtlenecks?" the half breed joked.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think about the bruise marks when it happened last night. I don't have anything to cover them but this will help speed up the healing process at least." Wrath apologized again as he applied the medicine to the dark sports.
"It's ok, it was fun. But next time you'll have to leave marks in places only you and I will see." He winked and watched the sin give a knowing glance at the thought.
"Drink both of these" He ordered, putting away the medicine and washed his hands.
"Do I want to know what's in this?" the man sniffed at the mug and looked up at his mentor questioningly.
"Have I ever made you anything that tasted bad?" Wrath challenged.
"No" he reluctantly admitted before taking a cautionary sip. It was good, Naruto took a bigger drink of it enjoying the fresh tea.
"Get dressed, I'll make some food." the demon disappeared back to the kitchen.
Naruto got dressed, trying to find something that would at least partially hide the marks on his neck. He stood in a pair of black joggers staring at the small amount of clothes that hung on the clothing rack of his room. He finally just gave up and pulled on a regular t-shirt. He would have to ask Gaara for a hoodie or something. Hoping the weather was somewhat cool today to justify it.
They pleasantly ate breakfast, and for the first time in a week Naruto momentarily forgot about the training. Although the relief of the anxiety would be short lived he was at least grateful that it was there. The meeting this afternoon would be the individual reviews and check ins with the reapers in preparation for the trials. He would be seated among the seven sins minus his mentor and asked a multitude of questions to assess his abilities, talents and progress so far. Then a score review would be the regular once the tasks had begun. They'd be evaluated after each event as the Sins would replay the task footage and review each contestant's performance, allotting points to the candidates, aside from their own. This would help to determine who would be the leader of the Sins for the next century.
"Will the questions be harder? Should I have studied more?" Naruto set down his fork, finished with his meal.
"You'll do fine, you know it's not a test." Gaara noted he only ate half of his food. The blonde had been eating less with the recent stress. He knew the half blood was beginning to feel incapable as he saw how far along his co competitors were. The pressure to become better was beginning to affect his appetite as well as his sleep patterns.
Naruto absently traced the pattern on the wooden table top. The demon frowned as he noted the nervousness the blonde seemed to have. He took their plates to the sink and returned to sit next to the half breed. Gaara took Naruto's hand that was fidgeting and brought it to his lips.
"You've done this before. This time won't be any different. You can do it." The demon whispered the reassurance before placing another soft kiss on the blonde's wrist.
Naruto nodded as they stood to make their way to their meeting. It was going to be ok, the impending anxiety about his mother's visions begged to differ however. The halfbreed shook his head, fighting the self deprecating thoughts. Nothing was certain. He refused to have come this far only to let himself be defeated because of a vision from twenty some years ago. He would make his own future. Nobody else was allowed to define Naruto anymore, he was going to take control and overcome all this bullshit. He'd be damned if he gave up now.
"You ready?" Gaara stood next to the blonde as they arrived at the doors of the ominous conference room Naruto was always taken to be interviewed.
"Fuck it. I'm ready"
