A Firefly in the Darkness Chapter 3, a naruto fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not Own Naruto or Evil Angel by Breaking Benjamin

"Speaking"

'thinking'

flashback

"Demon speaking"

'Demon thinking"

thank you for reviewing szhismine, but what happened to everyone else? Pout ah, well. szhismine, you rock!! XD lubs ya!!

Thank you to anyone who's read this far in the story, you rock especially anyone who reviews, luvs ya!! XD

warning: ooc-ness

It was three and a half years since that day when Hotaru and Gaara had shared their tortured pasts. In the past years they only grew closer both known as demons of Suna and were now inseparable. Hotaru had matured a lot and was now a lot less shy but still obeyed Gaara like a faithful puppy. She had let Gaara know every aspect of her past life right down to her father's reasons for everything he did to her and he'd let her know everything about him.

After she had washed many times, her hair had returned to a lighter shade of dark brown with a white streak that went down her left side right after where her bangs stopped. She still had soft brown eyes that were intermingled with deep green in the center and changed dominance with her mood. Hotaru was slim but not anorexically skinny and was... maturing.

Hotaru now wore things more suited for battle instead of Gaara's old clothes. She had also become a ninja in order to stay close to him at all times and sported her black head band around her upper thigh.

Hotaru's outfit consisted of white shorts that went down to about mid-thigh with black feather patterns along the seams going along the sides and bottom, they were shorter than Gaara would like to have other people see but she refused to wear anything else because of the desert heat and her many fire-based jutsu made it insufferably hot. She also sported White tennis shoes with black accents and a large black feather printed on the outside for all to see. She wore a white jacket with sleeves that went down to her just above her elbows folded up once, and unzipped in the front. It had a large black feather embroidered on the back and two velcro rectangles that could be pulled down in order to let her wings out from the two scars on her back. Underneath the jacket she wore a black tank top that also had matching velcro strips along with a black cord necklace with a large shard of crystal-like glass on it from the day when she had first actually met Gaara. She kept her waist length hair down except for when going into battle when it was pulled into a high ponytail by a black hair tie with a grey stone feather charm on it that doubled as a bracelet.

They walked down the main road of suna side by side ignoring the glares and muttering of the people around them.

"Gaara-kun, did you hear the newest rumor about my wings?" Hotaru asked excitedly walking backwards to face Gaara.

"Hn?" Gaara asked, if you would call it that.

"They're saying that I'm an angel that fell down from Heaven for being evil and then when I tried to go to hell my wings were burned 'cause they didn't want to let me in!" she said grinning excitedly at her companion.

Gaara looked at her with one nonexistent eyebrow raised slightly "And you are happy with that?" he asked emotionlessly

"Uh-huh, it's the best one yet!" she replied returning to his side "Imagine that, what if I really was an angel? An angel with black wings?"

"Then God could not have you, you are mine, you would be an angel of death." Gaara said continuing to walk not showing a hint of emotion.

"That's so sweet Gaara-kun!" she said smiling at him

"Hn." Gaara said continuing to walk.

"Hurry up, Hotaru." Gaara commanded quickening his pace.

She obeyed then whispered in his ear "We're being followed again aren't we?" she asked smiling as not to raise any suspicions from their stalkers.

"Hn." He responded, Hotaru had learned how to discern what his hn's a long time ago and knew that he'd meant yes.

"Wanna fight 'em, lose 'em, or run?" she asked

"I don't care," he answered, "though I'd prefer not to run." Gaara didn't like to look weak or cowardly so he generally chose to fight or simply disappear.

"Hmmm," Hotaru thought putting a hand to her chin, "let's lose 'em." She said wrapping an arm around his waist

"Hn." He answered pulling his friend close and continuing to walk disappearing into sand as the wind blew giving them the appearance of disintegrating into sand.

They reappeared inside of their shared home.

"That never gets old!!" she said discarding her jacket and revealing a black tattoo of the kanji for truth on her right shoulder and flopping down on the couch and hanging upside down "I love your sand it's so awesome!"

Gaara smiled and chuckled at Hotaru who was now hanging off the couch mouth wide open chattering away, hair spilling over onto the floor and pooling under her head like a chocolate water fall tainted by a single stream of white. He snapped the buckles that held his gourd on his back and set it down against the wall.

"Hey, Gaara-kun?" she asked

"Yeah?" he asked speaking more freely now that they weren't in public

"How come the basement door is always locked?" she asked curiously

"Because I have private stuff down there." He said simply.

"Oh, ok!" she said cheerily

"If the doors unlocked feel free to investigate but," he paused warningly, "locked doors are meant to keep things secret, so do not go down there if the door is locked, ok? Otherwise, I don't want you down there."

"No problem Gaara-kun" she said smiling at her dear friend

Gaara chuckled again then stopped and blushed when her shirt fell up to the point of being almost to her chest before she stopped it and yanked it back up. Hotaru blushed a shade of red that rivaled Gaara's hair. She then lost her balance and fell off the couch.

"Ow" she said upside down then reached up with both hands to grab her now throbbing head completely forgetting about her shirt which promptly fell down revealing her black bra with lacy white trimming and white feathers patterns all over it. Gaara blushed and looked away from Hotaru who scrambled to sit upright and pull her shirt back into place. When he finally heard her stop scurrying to fix her misplaced clothing he looked over at her to see her blushing and remembering the heat in his own cheeks attempted to look away but couldn't.

"So..." Hotaru said embarrassed "That was embarrassing."

"Hn." Gaara answered now staring down at the floor a blush still adorning his cheeks.

"I-I'm gonna go take a shower now" she said blushing and bowing at Gaara.

"Don't do that." He reminded her quietly.

"Oh, sorry Gaara-kun" she said quietly and went upstairs.

He watched her go then groaned and ran a hand through his blood red hair and flopped back on the couch.

"Hotaru, what have you done to me?" he asked

–With Hotaru–

Hotaru peeled her clothes off and stepped into the shower letting the warm liquid cascade over her tense muscles. She ran a hand through her long hair and sighed.

"Gaara-kun, what have you done to me?" she asked quietly.

After Hotaru finished her shower she walked down stairs in her pajamas, a pair of Gaara's old sweat pants that he'd outgrown and one of his old baggy T-shirts that's collar had gotten stretched out during one of their "fights" and now hung over her shoulder. They only "fought" when Gaara tried to leave to kill for the shukaku when Hotaru was still awake and consisted of Hotaru hanging onto an article of Gaara's clothing until he agreed to stay or told her to let go. On the night that she had stretched out his shirt collar, which was part of his pajama's at the time, it had been storming out. It was a storm with dry thunder and needless to say Hotaru was terrified and had begged him not to leave her alone through tears. Eventually clinging to his neck and sobbing she managed to get him to stay but the next day she had to let him go kill someone for shukaku, no questions or clinging.

Hotaru took her spot next to Gaara who still hadn't moved from his spot on the couch and had his eyes closed but she knew he was awake, he never slept. She started to gently trace his kanji with her finger

"Don't." he said grabbing her hand eyes still closed.

"Sorry Gaara-kun." she said trying to pull her hand back gently but he tightened his grip not willing to let her go. She stopped pulling and squeezed his hand back.

"Mm, Hotaru?" he asked "Why do you bother tolerating me when I'm so cold?"

"Because you're the only person that's not cold to me." she said closing her eyes and leaning against him "You're all I have, and all I need, forever, my first friend. My only friend."

"Gaara?" she asked imitating him "why do you bother putting up with me when I'm so annoying and childish?"

"Because," he said opening his eyes and looking down at her, "you're the only person who doesn't annoy me and understands me, and you're my first and only friend. You are my light and no one else can have you, you belong to me."

She smiled, she was used to his possessiveness and knew that he meant well. The other people in the village didn't understand, though, they thought that he was a horrible monster keeping her in a cage like a bird and forcing her to obey and "sing" for him and him alone. They would never understand either of them, ever. They were the monsters not Hotaru and Gaara. Gaara killed people in the bad part of Suna because if he didn't then Shukaku would go crazy and overpower him and go on a killing rampage and destroy the entire village.

A loud clap of thunder shook Hotaru out of her thoughts as she clung to Gaara who was startled by her at first but soon wrapped his arms around her protectively. Without realizing it he started to hum.

Hotaru whimpered as another roar of thunder sounded through the desert.

"C'mon." Gaara said standing up and dragging Hotaru with him by the hand. He walked over to the door in the basement and used the sand to unlock it. (A/N who needs a key? lol) She followed Gaara down the stairs still clutching his hand nervously when they were just a few steps from the bottom another roll of thunder sounded rattling the windows, Hotaru jumped and wound up tripping and falling onto a surprised Gaara who turned just in time to catch her and fell back only to be caught by his sand. And set down at the bottom of the stairs. Hotaru was blushing madly being wrapped up in Gaara's arms after she'd tripped and he wasn't letting go.

"Are you ok?" he asked holding her shoulders and inspecting her for any minor wounds.

"Y-yeah, I-I'm fine G-Gaara-kun." she said trying to wiggle out of his grip. He looked up at her then straightened his back and smirked. "Hotaru, you're blushing."

"W-Well so were you e-earlier, c-captain o-obvious!" she said in her own defense, he still hadn't let go of her shoulders. "N-Now, please, l-let me go, Gaara-kun."

"What if I don't want to, Hotaru?" He asked, he didn't, he liked having her close to him and wanted to stay close to her, and Gaara generally got what he wanted, at least when it came to Hotaru.

"U-um I-I u-ummm." she stuttered

"This is my basement." he said motioning with one hand then turning her to hold her from behind so she could see the room.

There was an old tan couch with rips here and there, and shelves built into the wall along with a large stereo system and an old black electric guitar in the corner. She could tell it hadn't been played in a while, if at all, from all the dust gathered on it. On one of the shelves an old teddy bear lay discarded along with an old deflating playground ball from the suna ninja academy. There were various articles of clothing scattered throughout the basement along with other various items. A large stack of CD's was placed next to the stereo.

She was pulled out of her observations by Gaara putting his chin on her exposed shoulder. "There's a song that I want you to hear because it makes me think of you." he whispered to her making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and a shiver go up her spine causing her to shudder.

Gaara switched on the stereo using the sand and found the song then sat on his couch with his Hotaru on his lap wrapped in his arms. He didn't know what he was feeling, it was so knew to him and so different than anything he'd felt before, and he liked it and didn't want it to stop.

(A/N songs playing now if you want to know the name, It's Firefly by breaking Benjamin)

"You my friend, you're a lot like them, but I caught your lie, and you know I did!"

"Now I'm lost in you, like I always do, and I'll die to win, 'cause I'm born to lose"

"Firefly, Could you shine your light? Now I know your ways, 'cause they're just like mine"

"Now I'm justified, as I fall in line, and it's hard to try when they're open wide"

"Take my hand, we'll be off and then, we'll come back again to a different land"

"Now I like this way, you can go away, if you guess a name, you can not replace"

"Firefly! Could you shine your light? Now I know your ways 'cause they're just like mine"

"now I'm justified as I fall in line, and it's hard to try when they're open wide"

"Bring me your enemies, lay them before me, and walk away, Walk away! WALK AWAY!"

"Firefly, could you shine your light? Now I know your ways 'cause they're just like mine"

"now I'm justified as I fall in line, and it's hard to try when they're open wide"

"fuckin' Firefly have you lost your light? Now I hate your ways 'cause they're just like mine"

"so you've lost my friend, such a sorry end, and I don't know why so I choke and smile, SMILE!"

The song ended and Hotaru twisted to look at Gaara "b-because my name -mmeans firefly?" she asked

"Yeah that and the actual lyrics." he said eyes closed and chin still on her bare shoulder.

"H-How so?" she asked

"You are a lot like them, but you are a lot like me and I caught you lie about being happy all the time, I know that you're not really happy all the time," he started, "and I'd die to keep you close to me, to win, because I was born to be alone, to lose."

"'Firefly, Could you shine your light' I want you to shine your light on me, and you make me feel right so "now I'm justified" as I fall into place "as I fall in line" and it's hard to try make you open your arms to accept me when they've been open all along accepting me for who I am" a faint blush crept across his face, "'Take my hand, we'll be off and then, we'll come back again to a different land' becomes: I want to hold your hand and keep you away from all the hurtful people, and be the one leading you away from them by the hand and take you away until they change and won't hurt you."

Hotaru was blushing deep red still looking at Gaara as he kept his eyes closed seeming unaffected except for his faint blush.

""Now I like this way, you can go away, if you guess a name" becomes: I like being with you this way, you can leave if you want to, but I'm scared that you might, and then one day call me a monster which is the name you guess."You can not replace" you can't be replaced, you're one of a kind and I could never find anyone else like you," his voice was unaffected but his cherry red blush said otherwise, " "I know your ways cuz they're just like mine" turns into you're a lot like me in what's happened to you but you act nothing like me, the cold sadistic killer." he opened his eyes to see her looking at him.

" 'bring me your enemies, lay them before me and walk away' becomes: if any one hurts you tell me and I will punish them because no one can touch you, you are mine, and turn away so you won't have to see me deal them their punishment." He continued paused for a moment, "the rest is more of in the future. 'fuckin' Firefly have you lost your light? Now I hate your ways 'cause they're just like mine' is that I think that I might take away all of your light and plunge us both into darkness and I don't want you to be like me because I like to see you smile and I don't want to see you have to kill for your demon that you can't control. 'so you've lost my friend, such a sorry end, and I don't know why so I choke and smile' means if you lose your light I'll feel horrible because I turned you into a miserable, dark, and sadistic person just like me and I don't know why I feel this way about you so I'll just choke on my fears and feelings and keep going like nothings wrong" He finished

He stayed emotionless, his only defense against the psychological turbulence he was feeling.

"Gaara-kun," she started, "let me go."

He reluctantly obeyed feeling an immense searing pain in his chest. Then he felt Hotaru's soft gentle hand on his face and quickly covered it with one of his own rough and calloused ones and starred her in the eyes. Hotaru was sitting close to him on the couch and smiling gently.

'She's going to say it,' he thought silently, 'she's going to tell me that she can't be around me anymore, that she hates me and wants nothing to do with me then she'll say it. She's going to call me a monster.'

"You are a not monster, I'll always be by your side, I won't leave you, not now, not ever," she said touching her forehead to his blushing, "I-I love you, Gaara-kun."

"H-Hotaru?" he asked momentarily losing his composure.

The next thing he knew he felt a pair of soft, gentle, hesitant lips on his own. Gaara's eyes went wide with shock. She pulled away blushing profusely and stuttering "I-I-I'm s-sorry Gaara-kun!" she said tears filling her eyes pulling Gaara out of his shock at her sudden actions.

"Don't be." he said then kissed her passionately. She was shocked at first then slowly eased into the kiss wrapping her arms around Gaara's neck. A clap of thunder that had previously been drown out by the music sounded causing Hotaru to gasp and allowed Gaara to slip his tongue into her mouth. There was a short battle for dominance that quickly ended with Gaara as the victor. Eventually they had to part for air panting slightly and flushed.

"I love you too, Hotaru." Gaara said holding her in his arms.

"Mmm." she breathed snuggling into his chest and gripping his shirt with one hand letting him hold her.

The next song on the CD started to play as she slipped into unconsciousness in Gaara's embrace.

(A/N: lyrics are for the song Rain by Breaking Benjamin)

"Take a photograph, it'll be the last, not a dollar or a crowd could ever keep me here"

"I don't have a pass I just have a chance, not a family or honest plea when rains to say"

"Rain rain go away, come again another day, all the world is waiting for the sun"

"is it you I want? Or just a notion love? We're all to wrap around so I can find my way around"

"safe to say from here, you're getting closer now, we never said between were not allowed to be"

"Rain rain, go away, come again another day all the world is waiting for the sun"

"to lie here under you is all that I could ever do, to lie here under you is all"

"Rain rain, go away, come again another day all the world is waiting for the sun"

"all the world is waiting for the sun"

So what'd you think? I know that a lot of it is just the songs but hey at least the second one is easier to read, and it ended differently this time instead of ending with Hotaru answering a question and Gaara saying "hn." please comment, I am begging you, please comment! Zomg this is officially the longest chapter for a story that I have ever written, yay!!

Comment and you'll get a cookie!! XD