Hotshot: Hes, my OTP again! Got this idea from watching a video about this pairing plus soulmates. Might bot be as good as the other but I tried...so enjoy!
Pairing: GaaNaru
Summary: Naruto has the Kenji of love on the inside of his wrist.
Rated: T
Warnings: Soulmate AU- Identifying marks
Naruto has had the kenji of love on the inside of his wrist ever since he could remember. The first time he had noticed it was when he was four, cleaning himself up from being beaten around by some older kids. He had stared at it before tracing it with a finger. He had heard of soulmates before, how you got them when your soulmate was born. He knew that his soulmate was born first because, as he thought about it, he remembered the Sandaime talking about it when someone asked about his mark Maybe it was Iruka...but he didn't remember. In that moment, he had hoped that he would be able to meet his soulmate and finally have someone who doesn't look at him with hateful eyes.
Although it seemed that word traveled fast through Konoha and every time he went out after that, He could hear the whispers of those around him, expressing their sympathy for the one who has that monster as a soulmate.
At the age of twelve, He meets Sabaku no Gaara and his siblings.
As soon as the read head had came down from his perch to his siblings, Naruto couldn't help but glance at the kenji on the other's forehead. It had looked just like his soul mark...but dismissed it as coincidence. That's what he's telling himself at least, even after a unexpected flash of hurt pass through him when Gaara dismissed him with little interest...and after seeing what looked like a orange fox face with yellow whiskers coming from the snout, three on both sides.
He met Gaara again while visiting Lee and listened to Gaara's tale, horrified. What really hurt him was Gaara's words about soulmates.
"What about your soulmate?" Shikamaru had questioned. Gaara had paused and lifted his arm, looking at the inside of his wrist- the same wrist where it had the kenji on Naruto's.
"Soulmates are useless. I don't have a use for one."
Once Gaara had finally left, Naruto had gripped his shirt, shoulders shaking.
"Naruto, what's wrong?" Shikamaru asked, worried. Naruto looked up at him and, to the Genius' surprise, Naruto's eyes were shining with unshed tears. He slowly showed Shikamaru his wrist and the boy's eyes soften in understanding.
"Naruto..."
The final time he mt Gaara during the Chunin Exams was when the invasion started and he had to fight Gaara. Each blow they did to each other had hurt Naruto more and more deeply, but he couldn't stop, not with his friends' life on the line. He endured, even when the other had unleashed Shukaku.
Eventually, he found himself landing hard on his front and had began to slowly crawl towards the downed Gaara with his chin, reaching the read head with the words of his own childhood, his own almost darkness, before proclaiming that he would protect everyone he holds precious, even if that means he had to kill his soulmate.
Then, Gaara was gone, taken by his siblings and leaving Naruto to pass out with Sasuke right next to him, watching.
The last time he met Gaara was when he was thirteen but before he went off with Jiraiya to train for two years. Although, 'met' isn't the right word for it.
The blond was laying in a hospital bed, wrapped up in bandages that covered his wounds that were still healing. The steady beat of his heart monitor filled with the otherwise quiet room. He was alone, Tsunade making it clear that he was not able to receive visitors until he had woken up.
Gaara ignored her words and appeared by the other's bedside, jade eyes staring down at him. His eyes were full of remorse and guilt from what he had said and done in the past at the Chunin Exams. He reached a pale hand out and smoothed Naruto's blond locks, before bending down and, after some hesitation, pressed his lips against the bandaged forehead.
"Gomen, Naruto." Gaara rasped as he pulled away. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the corner of Naruto's lips twitched upwards in his sleep and that took the weight off of Gaara's chest.
"I promise I'll make up for everything I have done..." Gaara vowed and then he was gone in a swirl of sand. The only indication of his presence was small grains of sand fluttering to the floor.
The next time they met, it was after Naruto, his team and a few others had saved the red head's life after Shukaku had been extracted. He stood as close as he could to Gaara on the way back to Suna and while Gaara was recovering. The blond told the other about his training with Jiraiya and trying to kill the chakra of the Kyuubi. The other had just listened, a small smile on his face.
That following nights were his first nights of safe sleeping, especially with Naruto staying in the same room as him thanks to Temari.
When it was time for the Konoha group to head home, Gaara held his hand out and manipulated particles of sand to bring Naruto's own hand up and their hands grip each others, the contact sending sparks through them.
They crossed paths other times...but only one time scared Gaara shitless.
It was during the Forth Shinobi War and Gaara, Naruto and the Bijuu were facing off against Madara, doing everything they could to beat him. He managed to get Rinnegan in one eye and summoned the Gedo Mazo, which lunched attacks at the Bijuu, knocking them back and wounding them. Nine chains spewed from the statue's mouth, ensnaring all nine Bijuu and Gaara felt his heart stall at the sight of Shukaku and Kurama chained. He could see the small speck that was in Kurama's chakra and he knew what was going to happen...and he will know just how it would feel to lose his soulmate just lie Naruto did when he died.
He tried to free Shukaku from his entrapment but it was no use. Even when they did break the chain, it just remolded. So, he had to watch as the Bijuu started to get dragged towards the statue until Kurama caught his attention. He listened to the fox' instructions, nodding once and, with a throbbing heart, watched as Shukaku was dragged forcefully inside along with the others...and his heart clenched at the sight of Naruto falling out of his partner's chakra.
The Kazekage quickly flew and caught the blond, bringing Naruto close to his chest before starting to make his way to the others.
"Naruto, you hold on." Gaara growled, tightening his grip. "You're not allowed to die, not after everything...not when we will be able to be..."
Naruto grinned as he walked stood at the Konoha gates with Gaara, Temari and Kankuro in front of him. It had been weeks since the war had ended and his fight with Sasuke happened. He was finally discharged from the hospital and managed to catch the siblings before they left for Suna again. The only evidence with the said battle was that he only had one arm left while the other was just a stump now. It didn't didn't seem to bother the blond though.
"Have a safe journey back home!" Naruto chirped.
"Thanks." Temari smiled. Kankuro just gave the other a thumbs up before nudging Gaara with his elbow slightly.
"Naruto." Gaara step forward. "I..."
Naruto stared at Gaara, blue eyes wide with curiosity. The red head tried to find the right words but he couldn't, he wasn't good with words...but he was good with actions.
Gaara reach forward and gripped Naruto by the back of the neck before pulling him close. He captured the blond's lips in a chaste kiss and it was as if floodgates opened in that moment.
Naruto instantly kissed back, gripping the other's shoulder as he finally felt complete. He felt whole, after so many years of feeling incomplete...
He finally felt like he truly belonged in Gaara's embrace.
