Chapter 18: Gaara

Naruto brought Gaara back to his apartment. He looked forward to spending some time with his friend, but he knew it was going to be difficult. Kankuro was pretty adamant about not letting Gaara out of his sight. He also kept reminding him of all the work he had to do today. If Gaara hadn't opened his mouth, Naruto might never have gotten Gaara here.

Naruto took off his shoes and tossed them aside while Gaara took care to set them down neatly. Naruto was eager to show Gaara around and have some fun, but right away he could tell that it was hard for Gaara to separate business from pleasure. Even just coming into his home, Gaara treated it like business. Everything from the way he put his shoes down to the way he carried himself inside.

"You know this is a social visit, right?" Naruto asked him. "There's no need to be so proper."

"Sorry." Gaara didn't seem it. He looked around the apartment, observing everything around him. "I don't get many social visits. No one really invites me anywhere so I'm not sure how to act."

"Oh." Naruto felt bad for him. Gaara didn't have a lot of practice when it came to simply hanging out. Interacting with people was foreign to him. Naruto imagined that such a thing would leave someone in his position a little shy and nervous. But Gaara was pretty fearless, so Naruto wasn't sure what to expect.

The more he watched Gaara stand in one place until he was given permission to move, the more he started to understand. This was how Gaara conducted himself in these situations. He didn't know how to act socially so he acted the way he was told during business meetings. But knowing this wasn't business resulted in Gaara simply keeping his hands to himself and allowed himself to be led around by his host.

In light of this, Naruto knew Gaara needed help.

"You never hung out with people socially, have you?"

"I think that's pretty well established," he answered.

"Well, you can loosen up here. We're friends."

"Yes, but I don't know how to do that. I don't know what friends do. The proper etiquette and all that." Gaara had watched children interact with each other all his life, but all he ever did was watch. He was never invited to join. Naruto was his first friend. He didn't want to mess things up. "I don't want to make a mistake."

Naruto pitied him. Naruto could be socially awkward, too, but at least he had practice dealing with people. Gaara did not. Who was to say he would have been any better if their positions had been switched? Naruto wanted to help him.

"You don't have to be worried about making a mistake," he said. "I'm not going to judge. Besides, I know it took you a long time to make friends. I'm not going to blow up on you. Part of being friends is understanding each other and helping one another. You really think I would kick you out or get mad at you over a little thing?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Then take it easy and relax. I never get to see you, so this is exciting. I can't wait to show you around the place."

It wasn't much of a tour. The apartment was rather small. Gaara kept his mouth shut, stepping around piles of discarded ramen containers and dirty clothes. It didn't take long for the filth to pile up again. Thankfully it was just in one area of the place. The other rooms were a lot cleaner.

"And this is my bedroom- Ahh!" Naruto jumped back, startled to find someone sitting in there. "Oh, yeah, I forgot about you."

Gaara peered over Naruto's shoulder and saw Neji sitting in the bedroom as if waiting for them.

"I left him in here," Naruto explained. "It's ok. He won't bother us."

Gaara saw the blank expression on Neji's face and had to ask, "Is he alright?"

"Him? Yeah, he's cool."

Naruto showed him into the bedroom and went down a list of what they could do. He pulled out a deck of cards and said they could play a quick game. Gaara eyed Neji up and down as he watched them calmly. He seemed to be observing them, but Gaara knew this wasn't a natural state for the Hyuga. Something was up.

He tried to ignore him when Naruto came over to the small wood table with some games. He didn't have much. He tried to interest Gaara in a card game, but he didn't know how to play any. Naruto offered to teach him.

Naruto noticed that Gaara hadn't taken the gourd off his back since they arrived. He also noticed that Gaara seemed a bit restless. He tried to rush through the explanation, but Gaara seemed very distracted. He looked at the clock several times. When they started the game, Gaara seemed torn between playing and looking at the clock.

A quarter through the game, Gaara gave the clock a disappointed look. "Maybe I should get going."

"But you've only been here for twenty minutes," Naruto whined.

"I'm sorry. I don't want Kankuro to get flustered. I do have work later today."

"But that's hours away."

"He'll probably want me to go over a few things before the meeting. He gets nervous when I'm out of his sight during things like this. It's his job as my escort to look after me. He didn't even want me to come here. I wanted to spend some time with you, but I just can't enjoy myself worrying about what he's going to say and if I'm taking too long or if I'm even doing it right."

"Don't worry about all that," Naruto told him. "You're working a lot, so you could use a break now and then."

"That's true." Gaara sighed. "I do work a lot. All the time. I knew I needed a break, so that's why I came here when you offered. I wanted to spend time with you, too. But now that I'm here, all I can think about is all the work I have to do. I can't get it off my mind. That's part of why I'm so stressed."

"Stressed?"

"Yes. I work so much, I can't wait to take a break. I want to take it easy. But when I do, all I can think about is the stuff I need to work on. I just can't get it off my mind. It's frustrating. I want to be social but all I can think about is work so I can't enjoy myself."

"You need balance in your life, Gaara."

"I know I do. But I don't know how." He rubbed his shoulder where the strap to his gourd was digging in.

Poor Gaara. He needed help. It wasn't good to be this stressed. It was wearing him out.

That got Naruto thinking.

"I can help you relax a bit. That way you're less stressed for your meeting tonight and you'll do a lot better. If you're too stressed, your meeting won't go well and stress isn't good of anybody. I'll help you out by taking your stress away."

"How are you going to do that?" Gaara asked, intrigued.

"Well, for starters, you can take that gourd off your back."

"My gourd?" Gaara turned his head to look at the thing slung over his shoulder.

"Yeah, carrying all that weight can't be good for your back and shoulders."

"I have it with me most of the time so I don't really notice it."

"You don't need it right now. You're here on social terms. There's not a battle going on or anything, so you can take it off."

"Well… Alright." Gaara hesitantly removed the strap from his shoulder and slid the gourd off his back. It hit the floor with a loud thunk. Naruto guessed it must have weighed about as much as Gaara did. Maybe more.

"Great. How's that feel?"

Gaara shrugged his shoulder and turned his neck from side to side. "Different, I guess."

"I've seen you take the thing off before. You don't wear it at your desk."

"True, but I still know where it is." Like his old teddy bear, his gourd was a security object. It comforted him. Considering the fact that it was one of his greatest weapons, how could he not feel secure with it so close to him? As long as he had it, he had this sense of invincibility.

"You know where it is here, too. It's right behind you."

"I suppose."

Naruto got up from the table. "Stand up for me, would you?"

Gaara stood up. Naruto motioned for him to turn around and he did. Naruto gave one of his shoulders a squeeze and Gaara flinched. "What are you doing?" he asked, spinning around.

"Your shoulders are so tense!" Naruto was amazed. "They're like rocks."

"You sure that's not muscle?"

"Muscles get tense." Naruto had an idea. "Have you ever had a massage before?"

Gaara shook his head.

"Not ever?"

"Never had one."

Naruto clapped his hands together. "Then you are in for a treat." He turned his head. "Neji, stand up. Gaara sit here."

Gaara was reluctant.

"Come on! Sit!" Naruto was smiling.

"Mm… Alright." Gaara took his time sitting down. He seemed very nervous. "What do I do now?"

"Just sit there. Neji will handle the rest. He gives really good massages."

"But I've never…"

"You're going to now. They're very relaxing."

"Um…"

"Trust me."

Gaara did trust Naruto. He was also curious. No one ever gave him a massage before so he wasn't sure what to expect. Apparently, people liked them. He was willing to give it a shot. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Neji stood beside the cushioned chair Gaara was sitting in. He would only listen to Naruto.

Naruto was still deciding what to do first. If Gaara had to carry all that weight on his back, his shoulders undoubtedly needed it. But walking around supporting not only his own weight but the weight of the gourd told Naruto that Gaara's legs were also in need of some relief.

"Ok, Neji. Give Gaara a massage. Start with his feet first."

Neji bent down. He picked up one of Gaara's legs and supported it on his knee. Gaara watched with uncertainty as Neji grabbed his foot with both hands. He squeezed, pressing his fingers into Gaara's skin.

"Ouch!" Gaara pulled his leg off Neji's knee.

"Gaara, let him do it."

"But it hurt. People like this?"

"It gets better. Trust me. Please?"

Gaara sighed and reluctantly surrendered his leg. Gaara tensed up when Neji continued. He squeezed his foot and Gaara grit his teeth and shut his eyes.

"Ow… Ow… Ah! Ah! Ah…" Gaara grew less tense and started to unclench his jaw. His groans of pain soon turned to groans of delight. He loosened his grip on the chair and sat back in his seat.

Seeing Gaara visibly relax, Naruto smiled. "How's it feel?"

"It's not bad."

Neji started on Gaara's other leg and Gaara shut his eyes, enjoying it. Naruto then told Neji to work on Gaara's shoulders. Neji walked behind the chair and started to knead Gaara's shoulders with both hands. Gaara let out a moan, melting into the chair.

"That does feel good," he muttered.

The massage went on for a while. Gaara closed his eyes lazily and didn't say a word. When Neji was finished, he stepped back and Naruto told him to rest in the other room. Neji left.

"How do you feel?" Naruto asked Gaara.

He opened his eyes. "That felt really good." He started to sit up. He stretched, causing his joints to pop, and he rubbed his neck. "That's a huge difference. My body feels… It feels lighter."

"See? I knew the massage would do the trick."

Gaara looked around for the clock. "It's a few hours before my meeting still, but I should probably go."

"What? No!" Now that Gaara had finally loosened up, he wanted to leave? Naruto couldn't let him. Not now that he finally got Gaara in a good position. He thought they could finally have a good time and socialize.

"I don't really need to and I certainly don't want to, but I don't think Kankuro would…"

"He's fine and you need a break from all that work. Now that you're relaxed, you want to go out there and stress yourself out again?"

"I don't want to, but…"

Naruto had to do it. He wanted to anyway. As long as Gaara was mellowed out from that massage, it should be a lot easier.

"Before you go, can I show you something?"

Gaara didn't mind. He didn't want to go anyway. "What is it?"

"Come over here. To the bed."

Gaara stood up and started walking the short distance to the bed, but staggered a little bit. His legs felt like mush. Maybe that massage relaxed him a bit too much. With Naruto's help, he made it over to the bed and sat down facing Naruto.

If this was the only way he could spend time with Gaara, then so be it. He needed to relax anyway. This wasn't really exploiting Gaara. It was helping him.

"Look here." Naruto pulled out the necklace.

Gaara looked at the sparkling jewel. It was lovely. He wasn't sure why Naruto was showing him this. He liked looking at it, though. The way it twinkled so prettily, the light causing the jewel to cast tiny rainbows; it was hard to resist.

Then Naruto started to spin it. It was harder to study its details now, but it became a lot more interesting to look at. Like the licking flames of a bonfire or the twinkling of a babbling brook under the sun. Or the way waves stretched to the hot beach sand and retreated back into the ocean.

It was… hypnotic.

"Just relax," Naruto told him in a soothing voice. "Just relax."

He was relaxed. Gaara couldn't remember a time when he was so relaxed. This tranquility was long overdue. He embraced it avidly, wanting more. He felt so at peace.

"Your eyes are getting heavy," Naruto told him.

His words seemed to cradle him. Gaara felt like he could trust Naruto completely.

"You're feeling sleepy… Very sleepy… You're getting sleepier… And sleepier…"

Naruto's voice enveloped him. His words seemed to rock him gently back and forth. Back and forth. It was so soothing. So comforting. He felt so relaxed.

"You're falling into a very deep sleep…"

This feeling was wonderful. He let his body slump, giving in to the wonderful feeling. His body was starting to go numb. His limbs felt heavy.

Just as Gaara's eyes were beginning to droop, Gaara picked himself up, blinking. He was just about to fall into a trance, but broke himself free. Naruto could see that Gaara was resisting so he tried harder to get him under.

"It's alright… Just relax… Relax…"

Gaara's eyes started to droop again. He lifted his hand up and rubbed his eyes. "I'm starting to feel a little…" he mumbled sleepily. He was starting to fall under Naruto's spell but a part of him still resisted.

"You're alright, Gaara… You're alright…"

Gaara lowered his arm and continued to stare at the jewel. He watched it spin, his eyes following it lazily. Gaara let out a yawn. He dimly wondered what time it was. All his thoughts were growing faint. Was this normal? It was nice not the think, but wasn't there something he was supposed to do? What was he forgetting?

"Let your mind go blank for a while," came Naruto's soothing voice. It put him at ease. "It's alright... It's ok... Just relax."

Gaara yawned again, feeling a lot sleepier. It was so hard to keep his eyes open. His head was starting to bob.

"Relax… Relax…"

"My… My eyelids won't stay open…" Gaara mumbled.

"That's ok… You're just tired… Your eyes are getting very heavy… So heavy… You're getting sleepy… Sleepy…"

Gaara's head bobbed again. If he relaxed any further than this…

"Sleepy… Sleepy…"

He liked this feeling so much.

"Your whole body is so relaxed…"

It was. It really was.

"Feel all the stress leave your body… Feel the tension leave your toes… Your feet… Your legs… All the way up to your shoulders… Feel the stress leave your body… You feel so much better now…"

He did feel a lot better. All the pain and stress was gone. Every ache and pain was a thing of the past. He felt so good. His whole body felt so good.

"A warm, pleasant feeling is filling you up... Your whole body feels warm... Warm and comfortable…"

He felt as if he were wrapped in a soft blanket. He felt so secure.

"You're safe… You're calm… and relaxed…"

He was safe. He was calm. He felt so relaxed. It was so hard for him to keep his eyes open. He felt so sleepy.

"Relax… You're getting sleepy… You're feeling sleepy… Sleepy… Sleepy…"

Gaara's body was beginning to slump. He couldn't stay awake for much longer.

He felt so at peace. He was so tired.

Gaara gave Naruto a sleepy look. "Your eyes are really pretty…" he mumbled. "So blue…" He looked at the jewel again and his eyes drooped a little more.

"Just relax… and sleep…" Naruto's voice was a lot softer now. "Go to sleep…"

Naruto's words seemed to caress him, lulling him to sleep. He couldn't fight the urge anymore. The invitation was too good to resist. Such temptation…

"Go to sleep, Gaara… Just close your eyes… and sleep…"

He finally gave in to the soft darkness. Gaara closed his eyes.

"Sleep… Close your eyes… and sleep… Relax and sleep…"

Gaara's head tipped forward, causing his body to do the same. Naruto put the jewel back under his jacket and caught Gaara before he fell. He let Gaara rest in his arms. He thought he felt Gaara stir, so he stroked the back of his head and repeated the word 'sleep' over and over again. Gaara relaxed with a sigh. He treated Naruto's chest as a pillow, lulled by Naruto's soothing heartbeat and his words.

It took a long time to get Gaara into a trance. Naruto assumed it was because he hadn't been able to sleep in the past so he had become accustomed to fighting off the urge.

He thought of all those long sleepless nights Gaara must have had to endure. All those years he spent alone, longing for friendship. It seemed like ages for Naruto during his childhood, but at least he could escape into his dreams. Since he couldn't sleep, the crushing loneliness must have felt like an eternity for Gaara. The pain must have gone on much longer for him.

Now that he didn't have the tailed-beast inside him anymore, Gaara was free to enjoy slumber, but again, old habits die hard. A part of him must have still been afraid to sleep, worried about what might happen if he did.

Naruto felt so sorry for him. As much as he suffered, Gaara must have suffered a lot more.

He looked down at the boy sleeping on his chest. He looked so peaceful. This was a sleep he could enjoy. A sleep without fear or pain. A deep, restful slumber.

Before he had some fun, Naruto was going to do him a favor. He needed it.

"Gaara, can you hear me?" he asked gently.

Gaara nodded into his chest.

"When I snap my fingers and say 'sleep', you will fall back into a trance, only it will be far deeper than before and even more soothing. When I snap my fingers and say 'awake', you will wake up from your trance and not remember being hypnotized. Do you understand?"

Gaara nodded again.

He had to make sure it worked. Naruto snapped his fingers. "Awake."

Gaara shifted slightly but his eyes remained closed. Then he started to come around. He opened his eyes and realized he was on Naruto's chest. He sat up and gave Naruto a sleepy look. "What happened?" he asked.

"I guess that massage really wore you out, huh?"

"Oh. I guess." Gaara sat back on the bed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I feel kind of strange. Like my mind… I don't know how to put it. My brain just feels kind of foggy."

"Oh, that's fine. It's ok." Naruto knew having that massage would help Gaara relax a lot more. It really helped him put Gaara into a trance. It was hard enough to do while he was still mellow. If he had jumped right to it without the massage, it might have been nearly impossible.

"What time is it?" he asked. Gaara was still fixed on his duties, even though the actual event was hours away.

"There's one more thing I want to do to help you relax."

"What's that?"

Naruto snapped his fingers. "Sleep."

Gaara's body went limp and he started to fall over. Naruto reach out and grabbed Gaara with one arm. He slowly lowered Gaara to the bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, Gaara started snoring.

"Gaara, you are going to fall into a very deep sleep. A very restful sleep. You will only be asleep for ten minutes, but when you wake up, you will feel rested and energized." Naruto snapped his fingers. "Awake."

Gaara opened his eyes, then closed them again, falling asleep just as Naruto instructed. He snuggled into the pillow and curled up. Naruto wanted to cover him with a blanket, but Gaara's legs and body were on top of it. He seemed pretty comfortable without it so Naruto let him be.

He needed his rest. Being the Kazekage must have been very taxing on him, so Naruto wanted Gaara to get some rest and rejuvenate.

"Sweet dreams, Gaara," Naruto whispered as he moved away from the bed.

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