Loving Pillow Fight
Gaara of the sand, the current Kazekage, watched a hyperactive blonde juunin jump around the small house he was staying in while he visited Konoha on official kage matters. The juunin exams have taken place a few days ago and Sand needed to open a new trading policy with the leaf village since they were now allies. Gaara refused to stay in a hotel, much to the residents of Konoha’s surprise. They wouldn’t offer Gaara a room if he wasn’t Kazekage, so he didn’t want anything to do with them. Besides, Naruto was willing enough to let Gaara stay at his small house. In fact, Naruto was happy Gaara could trust him enough to even want to stay. It’s been two weeks now and everything was running smoothly.
“I still can’t believe it. I’m a juunin!! Only one more step away from becoming the Hokage!” Naruto exclaimed, jumping on his futon and smothering his face in his pillow.
“Naruto, it’s been a week. You can quit…..spazzing about it.” Gaara said pausing to try and find the right word for the situation. Ever since Naruto saved him last year (from the group trying to collect the demons), Gaara and Naruto had wrote letters back and forth trying to stay in contact. Gaara found this easier then actually talking, so Gaara opened up a bit more. Only towards Naruto though. He wouldn’t change for any one else.
“Mn nfft sffussink.” This translated from pillow talk to English “I’m not spazzing.” Gaara was used to it.
“Then you wouldn’t be jumping around your house. You haven’t changed in five years.” Gaara claimed.
“But what fun would that be if I did change?” Naruto asked removing his face from the pillow. “Besides, I think it would scare people even more if I was serious and responsible.” Gaara only nodded his head in agreement. It would probably scare him too. No, Naruto was better off not changing. Besides, Gaara like the blonde the way he was.
“So what do you want to do know? It’s not too late so I’m sure the ramen shop is still open.” Naruto suggested.
Gaara smiled his small smile and shook his head. “Save hour money. You just ate an hour ago.”
“But I’m bored Gaara!” Naruto whined. He might be a juunin now, but he was still Naruto. He whined a bit longer, but in the end the two teens (Gaara was 18 and Naruto was 17) just sat in silence enjoying the others company. Gaara’s thoughts trailed to what they were going to discuss tomorrow at the meeting with the Hokage while Naruto thought on how he was going to break the silence. Naruto smiled his trade mark fox grin as he thought of what to do.
Naruto’s large fluffy pillow soared through the air and connected with Gaara’s face, taking the older boy completely by surprise. In Naruto’s house, Gaara left his sand by the door because he knew that he wouldn’t really need it when it was just the two of them. Gaara couldn’t hide his shock as the pillows fell from his face to the ground with a flop.
“What?” Gaara asked looking up to see Naruto standing there with another pillow he grabbed from Gaara’s futon. The sand leader still didn’t sleep, but Naruto insisted that Gaara should still have a bed to lie in.
“That was far too easy.” Naruto taunted, the smile never leaving his well tanned face. “I expected you, the strongest sand ninja, to notice a large pillow fly towards your face. Even the Kazekage is no match for the future Hokage of Konoha.”
“Really?” Gaara replied picking up the pillow off the floor. So Naruto wanted to fight with pillows? Gaara would play, and the red head had no intentions of losing either. “If I were you, I wouldn’t be so confident.”
“Good thing that you’re not me then.” Naruto countered charging at Gaara, swinging his pillow down towards Gaara’s head. The red head easily dodged managing to hit Naruto in the back of the head easily. “So you know what you’re doing. I’ll give you that.”
“Surprised?”
“Yes, but that’s not going to stop me.” Naruto declared charging again. This time he swung right, making Gaara duck and swing his pillow in an attempt to knock Naruto off his feet. Naruto jumped, dodging successfully and this time managed to hit Gaara in the head before Gaara could move out of the way. “Ha! See, you’re no match for me.”
“Don’t get too excited.” Gaara warned. Smiling his normal small smile that only Naruto has been able to see, Gaara charged. Unfortunately for him, Naruto was also charging. Right before they could attack, Naruto tripped over…..something, and was sent flying right into Gaara’s chest. The impact knocked both boys to the ground, stunned in surprise.
The surprise wasn’t that Naruto was sprawled over Gaara. As they fell, Naruto some how managed to land on Gaara just right so his lips landed right over the red head’s/ They just lied like that, too shocked to move. Finally, to blood rushing to his face, Naruto scrambled off the teen and moved to the other side of the room. “I quit. You win.” He mumbled avoiding all eye contact. “Really sorry.”
Gaara was just lying there, hand still keeping a tight grip on his pillow. Naruto…..just kissed him. Yeah, it was a total accident, but still. How could Gaara ignore the shivers that traveled down his spine? What was this feeling in his chest? If Gaara had to pick a word to describe it, it would be…..longing? Why though? Was it because Naruto was the only one who really accepted him other then his brother and sister? Was it because the blond could relate to his past? Naruto experienced the same loneliness he went through. Is that why?
Similar thoughts were running through Naruto’s mind. ‘But guys don’t normally do that.’ Naruto thought. Was Gaara going to leave because of Naruto’s accident? Would he leave because secretly, Naruto didn’t want to pull away? Gaara was the only one who could relate with him. Would he have to feel the pain of being alone because Gaara would leave?
Gaara’s mind was made up as he slowly sat up, finally releasing the pillow. Gaara didn’t understand this feeling in his chest, but Gaara’s instincts told Gaara he should ask about them. Being a ninja, instincts and hunched could keep you alive. “Is that love?” he softly asked randomly. Yashamaru, before he attempted to kill Gaara, told him that only love could stop the pain Gaara felt in his heart. Now that Gaara thought about it, whenever Naruto was there, the pain disappeared.
“Love?” Naruto repeated, surprised by the question.
“When……” Gaara spoke up trying to explain. “When I’m around you, my heart…..it doesn’t hurt any more.”
Naruto just sat there on the other side of the room listening to Gaara’s every word. He knew that this had to be hard for the red head, but Naruto was glad Gaara was saying it.
Gaara was saying the same thing Naruto has always wanted to say, but didn’t in fear of being alone again.
“I was told that only love could stop that pain. You take that pain away. I don’t want anything to happen to you and I’m…happy when you’re happy. Does that mean…I love you?” Gaara finished, staring at the floor not knowing how Naruto was going to react. When Naruto didn’t reply right away, Gaara was beginning to regret acting on instinct. He just couldn’t’ help it. He had to know.
“I’ve always wanted….to hear some one say those words to me.” Naruto finally replied. Gaara looked up, wide eyed, to see tears flowing from Naruto’s happy blue eyes. Tears silently rolled over Naruto’s whiskered cheeks as he smiled. “I’ve wanted to say that to you for so long, but I couldn’t because I never wanted you to leave. I don’t care if no one else is there for me. All I want is you. I couldn’t’ take it if you weren’t there.”
Gaara stood and walked over to the currently crying Naruto and sat down on his knees next to him. He wanted to comfort Naruto, smiling or not. What was it people did in these situations? Hug? Gaara slowly wrapped his arms around Naruto’s shoulders letting Naruto know that Gaara wasn’t going to leave. Gaara pulled away and wiped the tears off Naruto’s face with his thumbs.
“So it is love?” Gaara asked to make sure. Naruto chuckled slightly and nodded. Gaara, once again acting on instinct, slowly brought his face to Naruto’s, capturing the blonde’s lips with his own.
Naruto blushed slightly as Gaara kissed him, but relaxed closing his eyes, and kissed Gaara back. He shivered as Gaara’s hands moved, untying his head protector, so he could run his fingers through his silky golden hair. Naruto’s hands traveled up to Gaara’s neck and slowly back down; memorizing every curve and muscle he could feel under Gaara’s shirt. “I love you…” Naruto said pausing from the kiss.
Gaara pulled away, opening his eyes to look at the blond. His blond. If this indeed was love, and Naruto loved him back, he would make sure that Naruto never was alone. He didn’t’ know how he was going to do that, being Kazekage and all, but he would think of something later. “I love you too.” Gaara replied, smiling a true smile for the first time in his life.
