Warnings: Spoilers for Part II of the manga. Potential smut in the future.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, unfortunately. Or Naruto would be gay
--
--
A Question of Love
--
--
Gaara cracked an eye open. A character sharpened into focus. Kokoro. Heart. The broad strokes dashed across the white parchment in the artist's fury.
This wasn't his room.
Nor was it the hospital. But he had been allowed to rest somewhere, wrapped chin high in cotton sheets.
He struggled to search the room, but his body quickly protested. His body was still reeling from the separation and his mind struggled with the groggy aftermath of too much sleep. He sank back down into his pillow.
What happened?
A bird. The Akatsuki. A searing pain and darkness.
But then there was a light, and at the end of it was him—waiting, welcoming, greeting him with that smile that once infuriated him. And there were others; his village, holding their breath while Chiyo's sacrifice lay at his feet. Things only got blurrier from there. Sleep was new to him and he was unaccustomed to the task of separating dreams from reality. For all he knew, this could be part of it.
A small sigh wafted up from his lips. He was disoriented and confused and felt entirely unsettled. It was quiet. Too quiet. He could handle loneliness, but he hated the silence. The fact that it was only his voice inside his head now didn't help.
Gaara closed his eyes. He reached back into his mind, grasping for something and coming up short. No trace.
Shukaku was truly gone.
Before Gaara could contemplate the implications more deeply, he sensed another charka signature nearby.
Thunk! Don don. CRASH!
"Gyaaah! Sakura is gonna kiiiill me!"
Gaara sighed again.
--
Naruto panicked as he tried to piece together the remaining fragments of the bowl that once held the kazekage's meal.
"So much for trying to be quiet," he muttered, imagining the personal damage he was certain to receive later.
He ducked his head into the open doorway, hoping the kage was too zonked to wake up at the clatter.
He was met with Gaara's cool regard.
"Crap. Now I'm definitely losing limbs."
Naruto plastered a big smile on his face and tried to laugh it off. "Want some soup? Sakura made a whole batch earlier. I was bringing you some but then this huge bump in the ground swelled up out of nowhere and I sailed over it, soup in tow! I bet someone was spying and used one of those weird jutsus where…"
"Uzumaki."
"Yes?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Oh… okay."
Silence. Naruto shifted.
"Hrm, can I get you anything? Water? Magazine? Ero Sennin's new book? He just finished it, though it's kinda boring."
Naruto piped down at the shake of Gaara's head.
"Your sister wanted to be here, but she had to take care of Chuunin Exam business. Hehe. I bet she's just running back to tell Shikamaru their date is cancelled. Hehehe… ha…" His laughter died at the sight of the glare Gaara directed his way.
Naruto gulped.
"But yeah, the exam is coming up and I still have to take it, which sucks… cuz of course I can kick everyone's butt even though they're chuunin and I'm not, but at least I can show them my cool new jutsus! I can probably kick your ass all over again! Er, after you recover of course, though I suppose, now that you're kage, you'll be watching the fights and not actually be in them. Which is unfortunate… Boy was I surprised to hear you were kage when I got back, but don't be too smug cuz one of these days—SOON that is! I'll beat Tsunade hag and become the number one ninja in the village, and…"
"Uzumaki."
"Hrm?"
"You're loud."
"Eh hehe..haaa, sorry."
Naruto stopped for a moment. His face scrunched, his left hand gravitated towards his cheek and he scratched his whiskers as he thought.
"You think if I kick your ass in the competition they'll let me jump to jounin status?"
Gaara raised a nonexistent brow.
"I did it once, I can do it again, right?" Naruto turned that fox like grin on him, blonde hair framing his tan face. The corners of his mouth tugged upwards in spite of himself. One day, Gaara hoped to smile like that and be able to evoke that smile in return.
Naruto seemed to be looking at him expectantly. Ah, he's baiting me.
"You can try. I've gotten stronger."
Naruto's eyes lit up at that. "You're not the only one! I have a jutsu that NO ninja can stand up to! My super deluxe ero no jutsu! The third hokage couldn't even stand up to the original!"
Ero no…? "Isn't that perverted?"
Naruto chuckled. "Of course! Ero-sennin even helped me with it personally!"
Gaara frowned. "How does it work?"
"I can't tell you! It's my super technique! Why?" Naruto's grin turned mischievous. "Are you a closet pervert too?"
Gaara glared. "You aren't?"
"Course not! After two years with ero-sennin, I'm completely immune! Unless its Sakura…" Naruto scratched his chin, "I could definitely go for Sakura."
The pink haired girl. Gaara frowned again.
Naruto noticed the change of expression and peered carefully at him as if looking for some hidden detail. "How about you? I bet you have girls all over you now! That or you ARE a closet pervert and use that cool eyeball thing in the baths!"
"Baths?"
"Yeah! Don't tell me you've never tried to spy on the girls before!"
Blink.
"Snuck peeks at adult magazines?"
Confused stare.
"Read ero-sennin's books?"
Raised brow.
"What are you? Gay?"
Hrm, never thought about it… Gaara stopped and began to ponder this one.
"You mean you can't tell?"
"How does one tell?"
Naruto's mouth hit the floor. "You've gotta be kidding! No wait.. you don't kid. Alright. Hold on, let me try something."
A few quick hand moments, a definitive popping sound later and Gaara was suddenly being straddled by an overly developed young woman with Naruto's eyes and whiskered cheeks.
"Nee, Ga-a-ra kun!" Her voiced purred. "What can I do to make you feel all better?" She winked.
Gaara gave her a once over, his face never wavering from calm, cool consideration. "You look like one of Kankuro's pinups."
Naruto popped back. "You're no fun. Not even a drop of blood. So obviously sexy no jutsu doesn't work on you, but haven't you liked a girl before?"
"I always hated everyone before."
"Hrmmm, true. Then who did you first like?"
Gaara pondered this for a moment. Yashamaru, Temari, Kankuro, Naruto…
"You."
Naruto sputtered and fell off the bed. His head quickly popped back up again, eyes wide as saucers. "Wha.. what!? But I'm a boy!"
"I'm aware of that."
"You can't like me!"
Gaara tilted his head. A silent "why not" written clearly in his features.
"I like girls! I like Sakura! No matter WHAT they say! That first kiss was a total accident and it was ALL Sasuke-teme's fault!"
Gaara's eyes flew wide. Uchiha? He kissed the Uchiha? A strange feeling bubbled up in his stomach: a mixture of nervousness, hope and anger at the thought of the one who nearly caused so many deaths… Naruto's death.
"Then kiss me."
Not a question. An order.
"No way!"
"You kissed the Uchiha."
"But that was an accident!"
"If you kiss me, I'll be able to understand whether I'm, as you say, gay."
Naruto looked absolutely horrified. "You don't care if you're gay?"
"Should I? Love is love. Hate is hate. Once, there was only one person who I believed loved me: a man. And then I was hated by everyone. Should I turn down love because of gender?"
Naruto slumped down onto the corner of the bed and thought. It was a rather convincing argument. And it's not like he didn't completely dislike the thought. Gaara was kinda pretty for a boy. Maybe if he squinted his eyes a bit and pretended. He would be helping out a friend…Wait a minute! I got it!
"Would using a bunshin be okay?"
Gaara considered this for a moment and then nodded.
"It will suffice."
Naruto took this to mean "yes" and made the proper seals. A "poof" later and a copy of Naruto stood beside him. The real naruto took a step back, giving his copy directions. Gaara felt his heart beat quicken a little as the copy approached him, the same fox like smile gracing his features.
But the clone scrunched up his face, eyes slit into half moon slivers, while his lips puckered up like he was trying too hard to whistle. Gaara nearly chuckled in amusement. His face approached his but stopped just short of his lips as if that was as far as he too was willing to dare.
Gaara tilted his face up and closed the few centimeters separating them and just brushed his lips against the clones. He didn't feel much and was slightly disappointed by the lack of sensation. That was it? What was the big deal?
"That's not a kiss!" Naruto piped up from the background. "You can hardly call that a peck! You have to put your mouth all over his and make weird slopping noises!"
"Slopping noises?" Gaara furrowed his brow in consternation. Just how was he supposed to make slopping noises?
The clone presented himself once more and Gaara pressed his lips against his once more. This time he left his mouth linger, taking in the warmth of soft lips gently pressed against his. He held onto the contact for as long as he dared in front of Naruto's eyes and pulled back. He was still uncertain of how he felt in this situation, like trying to decide if he liked a taste and not quite able to decide on the first few bites.
"No no no! You've got it all wrong. That's how you kiss your grandma or someone like Tsunade-baba! You've got to get all mushy and stuff like in ero-sennin's books!"
Gaara really didn't get it.
"Show me."
"How? I'm not gonna kiss my own clone. That's gross!"
"Kiss me."
Naruto gave him a blank look. "That's why I made the clone, remember? Hold on, let me try something."
Naruto whispered something in the clone's ear. There were many nods of the head and affirmative grunts before Naruto pulled back with an easy grin plastering his face.
"This should do the trick." He stepped back. "Now try again!"
This time the clone looked more eager to participate. Before Gaara could do anything, he felt warm lips shoved roughly against him. The clone delivered a series of sloppy kisses, constantly changing the angle of his head.
Gaara's brow furrowed. Still no slopping noises.
He pushed the clone away for a moment.
"Are you sure he's doing this right?"
Naruto harrumphed and frowned.
"You've never kissed anyone either, have you?"
Naruto's eyes grew wide as he started to protest loudly.
"What do you MEAN I've never kissed someone?! Of COURSE I have! I've kissed PLENTY of people! I just don't like to brag cuz Sakura would get mad…"
Gaara looked unconvinced. In fact, so did his clone.
"Right. The Uchiha."
Naruto sputtered, his face turning purple while his own clone laughed. "Hey! At least I know I'm not gay! And maybe I haven't practiced lately, but I know how to kiss!"
"Prove it."
Naruto stopped for a moment. The faintest hint of a smirk could be traced at the corners of Gaara's mouth.
"I guess you are all talk, Uzumaki."
Naruto's anger boiled.
"Maybe if I ask the Uchiha…"
Steam out the ears.
"Or asked the pink girl her opinion."
Ego deflating.
"Fine fine FINE!"
The bunshin disappeared with a quick pop and Naruto strode angrily towards Gaara's bed. Placing his hands solidly on either side of Gaara's head, he squinted his eyes and placed his lips just above the kazekage's.
Gaara's heart sped up. He braced himself a little, expecting another barrage of half wild kisses, but was stopped short at Naruto's pause. Was Naruto waiting for him to make the next move? He could feel Naruto's warm breath caress his cheek, but he didn't seem inclined to make the first contact.
Gaara felt a little uncertain of himself. Was this okay? Was Uzumaki really offering himself to him or was it just his pride? Gaara felt a twinge of guilt at baiting him, but quickly forgot as Naruto sighed a little.
"I'm not waiting all day"
His lips just brushed the surface of Gaara's cheek.
Gaara blushed and mentally nodded to himself. Turning his head a little, he pressed his lips into the ones waiting just at the corner of his mouth.
Naruto's lips were chapped and rough against his own. The scent of leaves and too many afternoons spent under the sun seemed to fill the air. He would have been content to stay like that—lips chastely pressed against one another, soaking in his scent, but then Naruto's lips moved and seemed to suckle, just barely, on his bottom lip.
Gaara inhaled sharply.
"Do that again."
Naruto smirked against his mouth and then complied.
"Told you I could do it."
Ero-sennin had been thorough in his training. After a failed attempt to impersonate Jiraiya before one of his many courtesans, the famed debaucher gave him a few pointers. Of course, he had never practiced on anything other than his hand, but he wasn't about to let Gaara know that.
Instead he tried to keep his mind off the fact that he was kissing a boy (again…) by concentrating on his technique. Judging by the mew that slipped from the other boy, he was doing everything just right.
He found it surprising how easy it was to keep going. No feelings of revulsion or disgust at kissing his friend, but a kind of delight in how soft lips were being molded against his. He didn't know it could feel so good having someone respond from the other side.
His fingers curled a little, brushing against strands of blood red.
"So soft," he muttered, running a few curls through index finger and thumb.
Gaara was drowning. He had lost track of how long they'd been kissing, but he sure as hell didn't want it to stop. Something about the way Uzumaki touched him left him heady, breathless, and warm. Not the dry warmth of the desert, but something edgier, undefined, yet slightly needy. He never knew there could be anything so utterly delicious about touch.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was surprised at Uzumaki's willingness to participate. Rather than risk notifying Uzumaki of this potential error, he sighed in a tone he didn't know himself capable of.
Maybe we're both gay.
He clung to the thought with the type of childish hope he hadn't indulged in for years.
Yes. If it means more kissing, we can be gay. Just for each other.
As if prompted by that very thought, he felt something smooth, warm and slippery rub over his top lip.
Gaara groaned and opened his mouth greedily; but then the contact was gone.
Something tightened low in his belly at the sound of Gaara's moan. Immediately he knew he was in trouble and broke their contact in his shock. That's funny. Usually that only happened when he did stuff like imagine Sakura in the baths. He wasn't supposed to be getting excited because of a boy-- even if he was kinda pretty.
Gyah! I'm turning into a super pervert!!
"Uzumaki," Gaara warned him, "don't stop."
"But I proved I can kiss! And that you're totally ga..oomph"
Gaara grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down into an open mouthed kiss. Before he could protest, Gaara's tongue darted out to lick his upper lip. Naruto's breath hitched and Gaara's grip relaxed. An unintended moan slipped when Gaara's fingers slid down the sensitive skin of his neck.
Mmm, being a pervert has its good points. Gaara's tongue pressed in a little further, shyly poking the tip of his tongue before pulling back.
An arm snaked its way around his torso and pulled his body down onto the kazekage's. A growl flew from the kage's lips.
Gaara pulled away from Naruto's mouth and gazed at him with an intensity he had seen before. But no murderous intent could be read in his face this time, leaving only one other possibility: lust. Naruto felt his insides squirm a little under that gaze.
"It's hard."
Hard? "Uh, what's hard?"
Gaara's gaze slid downwards towards their pressed bodies. "Down there."
Naruto blanked for a moment before realization dawned on him.
GYAAAAHHH!!
Naruto wheeled away, pedaling backwards in horror. THIS wasn't supposed to happen!!
"Oh, you are too."
Naruto's eyes dropped to his own crotch where a visible bulge had started.
"Gyaah!! I AM a super pervert!!"
"Does this make us both gay? It's not perverted if we're both gay." Gaara fixed him with that lustful gaze. "Now get back here."
Naruto shook his head adamantly.
Something close to anger flashed in his eyes. But before Gaara could pursue that dark road, he stopped himself and all the anger faded to sadness.
"I'm not desirable?"
Naruto stopped sputtering and all the fight melted out of him.
"No! That's not.."
"If I were… a girl… would you have wanted me?"
Gaara was still too weak to use much of his chakra, but he sent a few wisps of sand to caress Naruto's cheek.
"Kiss me." Less demand. More pleading.
Naruto didn't move. Dumbfounded, but still aroused…
Gaara threw down the cotton sheets and swung trembling legs over the side of the bed. His head spun from the exertion and he had to hold his head a little before steadying himself.
Naruto didn't move, but instead took in the kazekage's attire. A lose black shirt nearly slipped off one shoulder and his shirt gaped open as he hunched over. He blushed when his gaze caught a dusky nipple amidst an expanse of pale flesh. He nearly groaned at the thought of touching it.
Whoa whoa whoa, wait! When did I start thinking stuff like that?! Dammit, I can't think straight when I'm horny!
The kage pushed up from the bed and stumbled over to Naruto. His legs gave out halfway and he nearly crumpled to the floor before Naruto caught him.
Gaara panted a little in his arms. His cheeks were flushed from the exertion and his arousal. Before Naruto could get a word in, the kage had his arms around Naruto's neck. He rubbed his cheek against Naruto's whiskers, like a cat marking his owner with his scent. If Naruto could have purred, he would have.
"Are you going to leave me too?"
Naruto's heart clenched and one hand went up to the kage's hair to stroke his neck.
"Never! You're one of my precious people!"
"But it's not love. Right?"
A jab of pain.
"Let me try," a tongue flicked out and just barely nicked the edge of his jaw, "to make you love me."
A flutter ran through Naruto's stomach. He kept stroking the kage's neck warring between arousal and his conscience. :But I'm not … Mmmm.:
Gaara's tongue and mouth had latched onto Naruto's neck, alternating between nips, licks and small suckling motions. Naruto's lust fogged brain refused to protest as he felt himself hardening again.
One hand let go of Naruto's shoulder and began unzipping his jacket. He heard the zipper slide down and felt the air on his skin when the material was pushed open. His breath hitched when Gaara's mouth moved down to his collarbone, licking the small hollow. Without thinking, Naruto moved his head up to encourage his actions. His hand clenched a little at the base of the kage's neck.
Gaara's hand roamed over the mesh shirt, over the sun toned chest, down his side, before creeping up his back. His hand wedged between the jacket and a mesh shirt, he latched onto a shoulder blade and pulled himself forward. His mouth reached to place a small kiss on Uzumaki's chin. His cheek pressed against his whiskers again before lips ghosted over his cheek and licked the top of Naruto's parted lips.
Naruto felt like his whole body was tingling. There was no mistaking the hardness between his legs and he was starting to get impatient about doing something to relieve it. The way Gaara was licking his ear wasn't helping either.
Naruto hissed when Gaara took his earlobe into his mouth and sucked. His arm grabbed the kage around the waist and yanked him forward. The unexpected motion sent Gaara tumbling towards him, knocking both of them onto the floor.
Naruto's head hit the floor with a resounded "thunk" and he grimaced at the pain. His hand let go of Gaara to rub the back of his head. Gaara smirked and crawled over him. .
"If you wanted me on top so badly, you could have asked."
"What!? What do you MEAN on …mmm." Naruto shut up as Gaara's hand slid over a nipple. When did that get so sensitive? And then he remembered the sight of Gaara's dusky little nub. Trying hard to concentrate under Gaara's ministrations, his hand slid up and rubbed over the small nub. Gaara's mouth parted in a groan and his body fell against Naruto's. Naruto continued to rub in small circles while Gaara moaned into his shoulder. He felt Gaara's hips buck against his, hard flesh pressed against his waist and used one hand to shift him over. Grabbing one side of his ass, he yanked the smaller boy against him and both let out unearthly moans.
Naruto's mind faded into a deep fog of lust. Gay or straight, he no longer thought about it-- just the delicious friction of cloth and two aroused bodies sliding against each other. His scent, his moans, the feel of his weight pressing down-- he knew he was too aroused to keep this up for long. Gaara must have felt the same because now both their thrusts were getting erratic, faster, wilder, and the sounds Gaara was making reminded him of the time he fought Shukaku.
Gaara tried to muffle his cries into Naruto's shoulder. His body was on fire. All that seemed to exist was the feeling of their two arousals sliding against each other and Uzumaki's hand, clinging to his ass. His grip grew progressively harder and the grinding followed suit. He had almost forgotten about his kisses when Naruto's head turned to nuzzle his. He raised his head a little, but before he could tease, Naruto's lips latched onto his own roughly. He was pushed back with the force of it.
Gaara reached out with his tongue. He gently caressed the tip of Naruto's but was quickly overpowered. Naruto's tongue chased his into his mouth, plunging in forcefully and exploring his mouth like new territory. Gaara licked the underside of his tongue, calling for his attention, and Naruto complied by lacing his tongue with his.
Naruto moaned into his mouth and he could feel the vibration of it.
The tightening between his legs quickened.
Naruto pulled his mouth away urgently.
"Gaara! I'm gonna… Aaaaungh!"
Gaara could feel Uzumaki's body stiffening beneath him, making his own body buck wildly against his in a heightened sense of arousal. His mind blanked as he felt his loins tightening, a sense of climax just over the horizon, and then he was sailing.
No screaming. Just a well drawn out sigh.
He put his head down on Uzumaki's shoulder. He felt relaxed, content, and never so fully … satisfied. Not even killing had made him feel so alive.
Once the fog of lust was cleared, Naruto began to realize what he had done. Part of him freaked out that he had just totally made out with a boy. Not just any boy, but one who could so kick his ass afterwards. Another part of him wanted to grin mischievously at how utterly hot that was. But I'm not gay…
Naruto thought about the boy in his arms. He thought about the pain of almost losing him, at the way his heart leapt when he opened his eyes and the way his insides squirmed at the look of lust he had induced in him. We're just good friends… right? Naruto frowned. But if Gaara loves me… how can I possibly turn that away?
Gaara's words came back to him. He understood loneliness just as deeply as the former Shukaku container. He had been the one to tell him that it didn't have to destroy his life. And then he had been shocked when he found out how thoroughly Gaara had turned his life around. Was this all because of me?
"Ano sa, ano sa."
Gaara sleepily picked his head up to gaze at Naruto. "Hrm?"
"If I decide to be gay, does that mean I have to stop liking Sakura?"
Gaara failed to keep the amusement out of his eyes and shook his head. "There are people that like both."
Naruto mused over this and nodded. "Yosha. I'll be one of those."
Gaara smiled. "Does this mean I succeeded?"
Naruto pursed his lips and scratched his whiskers.
"Not willing to admit defeat?"
Naruto scowled and turned his head the other way. He muttered something under his breath but Gaara missed it.
"What was that?"
Naruto mumbled again and Gaara poked him.
"I said I get to be on top next time! Okay!"
Gaara smiled and murmured sleepily into his neck. "You'll have to beat me first."
Naruto's pride puffed up and he was about to argue, but he felt the breath at his neck evening out and all his fight deflated. Instead, one hand drifted to the kage's hair and stroked his red locks. In time…
--
--
Sakura made her way to the kage's room to see how Naruto's nursing skills were faring. She peeked into the doorway to find two boys…sleeping, on the floor. Her first assumption was fighting and that Naruto couldn't resist goading Gaara into a squabble despite his recent ordeal. But then she noticed the way Gaara's shirt bunched up to reveal his pale torso, the unzipped black jacket and the way Naruto held the kazekage to his body.
As much as she believed herself enamored of the young Uchiha, a small nosebleed was welling before she could control herself.
"Hot DAMN!" Inner Sakura cheered.
It was a good thing she had refused to let anyone else in.
Sakura closed the door before her imagination tried to play out what she thought happened. She kicked something on her way out and looked down to find the fragments of a bowl and the kazekage's soup.
NaRUUUTOOOOO!
He'd pay for this one…. But later.