Poof.

In an instant Naruto had memories of pleasure that never touched his body. Hands that ghosted through his flesh. Wave after wave of undeniable exuberation. A thick cock and a sharp bite.

Naruto knew he wanted it.

He couldn't lie.

Not to himself.

Not about this.

He wanted Gaara's claim.

Naruto never should have allowed a shadow clone to go in his place. If he went there he would be complete. Nothing but a puddle of pure pleasure underneath the Kazekage.

The omega reached for his heat aid.

The apartment smelled of fresh squeezed orange juice for a parched traveler. Naruto was on the couch, lukewarm coffee to the side of him. Made this morning and forgotten about.

He's reading up on some scrolls for class or his own learning, probably a bit of both. He'd read some of one, put it down, read some of another, put it down, go back to the first one. Naruto said he'd stop reading once he got bored. Gaara never could understand how he'd do it. It seemed confusing to keep picking something up and putting it down.

Gaara's voice was sleepy-soft and evenly paced, with a little bit of gravel in between, as he said the words, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Naruto's voice chimed through, reading the last sentence, before looking up.

"I'm sorry about-

"Don't be. You were in rut. I knew I shouldn't have seen you when you were like that." He puts the scroll down next to the coffee cup.

"I'm glad you sent a clone," Gaara sat down.

Gaara made it a point to sit down when they had bigger conversations. He realized early on that Naruto would assume every movement was him about to leave. This gave him the security to talk about what they needed without fear. If Gaara was sitting he was going to stay.

"You didn't mean what you said?" Of course -

"I did…" Gaara said, "That's just not the state that we should have talked about it. You were drunk. I was in rut."

"Yeah," Naruto knows he's right. He might live and breathe impulsive activities, but Gaara likes to plan things. He needs the structure of it all. Maybe the omega does, too.

Gaara knows, they talk about it now, "I know you've told me before, but, how much do you rem-

"All of it."

"That's very vague."

"It's really not. I remember all of it. I remember sneaking past your guards. Who by the way, ditch them or get better ones, they are useless. I remember your mouth on me, I could feel it. I remember begging for your cock." Naruto kept getting closer, "I remember begging for your mark. I remember the start of both and-"

"That's enough."

"You wanted to know." Naruto explained, "the shadow clones' memories get enmeshed in my own. Sometimes I see my life in 360. Like, when there's a bunch of them. I see me and me and me. It gets to the point, I don't know whose memories are whose, and it doesn't matter. At the end of the day they are all mine."

"But you've died," Gaara's killed, "many times as a Shadow Clone…"

"Gaara, it's a forbidden technique. They outlawed it for a reason. Most people couldn't handle that, but you know, I'm not most people." Naruto must have judged Gaara's reaction as too much, because he softened the blow, "Besides, that part usually fades away fast."

"Okay." They could get back to that, right now, "You want my claim?"

"I mean, maybe, yeah."

"Is it 'maybe' or 'yeah?'"

"Yeah, I do..." Naruto fidgets away from him.

Gaara scoots closer to him, "I don't know if we're there yet…" he wanted to make sure it was more than just hormones & alcohol, "but, I think we will be."

"Yeah?" Naruto falls into the gravity that was Gaara.

"My next rut is in six months, a little after you leave. We can talk about it again then. Make sure that's still something you want."

Naruto looked down at his hands, paused and said, "I'd like that."

The omega liked that about his alpha. Things didn't feel rushed with him. They could take things at a leisurely pace, and enjoy each moment with each other. Naruto didn't have to worry that if he didn't commit all or nothing immediately Gaara would leave.

It wasn't like with - nevermind. He doesn't matter.

"When's your next heat cycle?" Gaara realized Naruto had seen him through a few ruts since they've gotten close, but he's never seen Naruto have one heat. He didn't think too much of it before. Naruto was an omega, and he was an alpha. It made sense he wouldn't want to be near him during his most vulnerable time. With his past it made even more sense.

"I think you're still on rut-brain there, mister." Naruto jokingly poked at his chest.

"So we're prepared. I don't want it to sneak up on us. Like my rut."

"MmmHm. Okay."

"It's not just the rut still in my system."

"That's what I thought. My heat, it's," Naruto looked away, "Complicated. And I don't think you wanna get into it now with your hormones still raging."

"Does it have to do with…" Gaara didn't have to finish that sentence.

"Yeah."

"I can handle it." Gaara pulled him closer.

Naruto focused on the coffee he didn't drink, "I'll spare you the nasty details. It's irregular. It keeps lasting less time and coming further apart. It's hard to know when it's going to happen next."

"Do you get warning signs?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm not in any danger. I've learned my body very well. Whenever they pop up, I rest up for a few days."

"Tell me about it?" Gaara made sure he knew, "we don't have to do anything."

"Okay… but they might be a false alarm. So don't get too excited, alpha." Naruto kissed him.

A few months went by and the couple settled into a nice routine. It's calm. All the chatter that went on in the background of Naruto's brain was silenced. He could focus on the now.

Gaara was right, he did like having his own place here. The separation did a lot for their relationship, even though it was only a few city blocks. Naruto's been able to make a little life for himself in the desert.

He had friends he hung out with pretty regularly, for ninja. He had a job he liked. He had great students. He had an amazing boyfriend. He wished this dream never had to end.

He knew there's only about three more months left before he had to go back to Konoha. He still had to keep his promise to Sakura. They haven't heard anything about Orochimaru or … Sas-Uchi- Sasuke. Which no news was scary news.

Naruto hoped Sasuke was okay out there. Despite the way they left things, he knows the other alpha deserves a chance of a good life. Not being under the control of that gross older snake.

Besides, if Gaara could turn his life around, Sasuke could. Naruto's alpha had given him a type of hope he couldn't make up. It assured him, there was no one too far gone in their own hatred. Redemption was possible.

Just look at them, two people once considered monsters sitting in an apartment, the whole world in front of them. Both of them committed to making a change for the future. If they could be better people, it was possible for anyone.

Gaara asked, filling out some request forms he brought home, "You're going out with them on Friday, right?"

"Yeah, midterms are next week and we are mentally preparing before all that goes down." Naruto asked while preparing their food, "Did you want to come?"

"I don't think I should."

"Come on, they'd love you." Naruto's gotten a lot closer to his fellow teachers. Some more than others, but he'd consider most of them friends.

"I know they don't."

Naruto shimmied the food around in the pan, "That's in the past, love."

Love.

Love was a nickname Naruto started using not too long ago. He hadn't worked up the courage to say the three scary words 'I love you,' yet. So he thought he'd start simple. He'd work his way up to adding the other two words later.

"I would hate to ruin your night with them." He could smell their meal was almost done.

"You could never."

"I'll think about it."

"Dress casually." Naruto advised, "you know, like, not in your Kage Robes."

Gaara's robes were like his shield. They protected him from social situations that might be too much otherwise. They reminded people he was their leader, not their monster. Without the robes, he was just Gaara.

"I might get out of work later, and-

"And you can wear civilian clothes under the robes. I've seen you do it before."

"Naruto-

"I know you worry about what happened in the past, but it's a new day. I want my friends to see the real you."

"They've seen me plenty before."

"Look. You don't have to if you don't want to, but don't let fear stop you from having fun. Okay?"

"I'll consider it. Okay?"

Naruto knew that was the best he was going to get, "Okay."

The omega plated their food, while Gaara tried to squeeze the last bit of work he could do before he had to stop. He made a deal with Naruto awhile ago that once dinner was served, work had to stop for the evening. Naruto refused to watch Gaara work himself to death.

"What do you think of, 'We have heard of your recent encounter with an organization who wears Red Cloud Cloaks. We are willing to offer up the information Sunagakure had on the Akatsuki. We know others are at risk if they are allowed to continue.'" Gaara looked up at his own love, "Do you think that might work?"

The Kazekages pet project was trying to save the other jinchūriki from the same fate he had a little over half a year ago. Naruto didn't like thinking about Gaara's almost early demise. He almost lost the best thing that's ever happened to him.

Gaara's offered every village help.

None have responded.

"I like it."

"Do you think they'll respond?"

Naruto didn't know, "Hopefully. They have others right?"

"Yes. I worry they must be next."

"Maybe, you should just send over the information we have with it. That way they don't have to worry about doing the whole song and dance of 'I'd love the information. When can we meet?' 'thursday?' 'I"m busy Thursday, how 'bout sunday?' 'sundays no good.' blah blah blah." Naruto pantomimed with different voices.

"Yeah." Gaara knew that meant they weren't going to respond.