Losing Battles

To everyone who has taken the time to review, thanks :) I'm glad that many of you are enjoying the multiple points of view. It's a challenge and I'll continue to try my best. If there are characters in particular that you'd like to hear from, drop me a line. :)

Now on with the story.


Losing Battles
Temptation

"There are times in politics when you must be on the right side and lose."
~John Kenneth Galbrath


~*~Battle 15:~*~
Shizune


Day 5 of Conference…


For men supposedly not in the medical field, they certainly followed her explanation well. Sure all ninja were supposed to know body basics, but the quality of their questions was suspiciously as apt as her students. It was Naruto himself who asked the type of questions she had expected from the Mizukage’s representatives.

“Does everyone understand?” She finished her display, turning off the microscope and stepped away from the counter littered with materials.

No one responded so she took this to mean yes or that they were too hesitant to admit they didn’t understand in front of the others. Not that it mattered. She would find out soon enough. She walked towards the back of the lab to the set up tables and gestured the group forward. The white countertops gleamed in the fluorescent lighting. She cleared her throat, drawing their attention to the set up laboratory equipment.

“If you please, I would like you all to take part in a demonstration lesson. Our medical cooperation includes not just the sharing of information, but teaching practices and student exchanges.” She looked around at the delegates present. Naruto stood between the Kazekage and Haruno Sakura, the Suna medical nins clustered together and the Mizukage’s representatives segregated themselves on the far right. She smiled to notice how behavior was the same regardless of age or nationality. A smile slid into place as a mischievous thought occurred to her.

“If you will, I’d like to mix the groups. What better way to facilitate exchange between villages?” She smiled congenially, trying to mask her amusement. There was a general look of surprise, some not so pleasant, but no one voiced a complaint.

Shizune grouped Sakura with one of the sand shinobi, the Kazekage with one of the more touchy delegates from Hidden Mist and the rest were paired arbitrarily; until she reached Naruto that is.

One of the Mizukage’s supposedly non-medical representatives was particularly astute. She had a feeling there was more to him than he was letting on and there was one way to find out.

“Uzumaki-kun, please join Hirata-sama.” Naruto took a look at the only member left and smiled brightly. His way of being friendly, she guessed.

“Looks like we’re partners!” He bounded over to the lab setup.

Shizune looked around the room at the quiet, patient faces- well, make that mostly patient faces, all waiting for her instruction. Her smile was sincere this time. It looked like they were ready to begin.



All was progressing smoothly for all of three minutes before a minor disruption came from Naruto’s direction.

“No no! She said to put this solution on top. That one is for the next sample.” Shizune tried not to giggle. It was evident Naruto was trying to be patient, but his exasperation was clearly evident.

Everyone paused to look at Naruto’s group, rather alarmed by his tone.

The man by the name of Hirata pushed up his glasses calmly and repeated Shizune’s directions verbatim. Naruto scowled, insisted that he had mixed up the two bottles and though Shizune herself had noted the mix up, she looked around at the other stations, pretending not to notice. The Kazekage quickly caught on and continued the experiment, demonstrating as Shizune walked by.

“That’s right,” she nodded. “You got it.” She praised his work while keeping an ear out for the mounting debate.

“This slide is for the cheek sample. That one is for the specimen. Geez, even I understood that much,” Naruto grumped.

“I know what I heard. I believe it is you who is mistaken.”

“Che, well do what you want, but I’m putting this clear stuff on my slide.”

Hirata shook his head and handed Naruto the dye. “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, well why don’t we trust me since I was obviously listening. This blue stuff is going to kill the cells and then we won’t see anything!” Shizune tried not to chortle.

“No,” Hirata began in a condescending tone, “the cells are already dead. You don’t need the clear solution because they won’t be moving and the blue dye will add a tincture to the cells that make them more visible.”

Naruto was quiet. “Then why didn’t Shizune Nee-san tell us so?” He grabbed the blue solution and squirted a few drops onto his slide. He reached for the cover slip but before he could put it down, Hirata was looking panicked and stopping him again.

“Don’t put it on that way! You’ll scratch the slide or get bubbles trapped in the dye.”

“Geez you’re strict. Why don’t you prepare if you know so much.”

“This isn’t a difficult lab.”

“Yeah! Well I’ve never tried it before!” Naruto was clearly annoyed at this point, his defense rising with each syllable.

“My first years could do this with their eyes closed.”

Both men paused at the admission. “I thought you weren’t a medic-nin.” Naruto stated bluntly.

Hirata paused. Shizune noted the glances between him and his comrades. “I’m not,” he said hesitantly.

“You mean they let unqualified people teach in hidden mist?” Naruto seemed genuinely shocked, and more amusingly, concerned.

“I am qualified and I don’t appreciate the implications that my village is inept.”

“You’re the non-medic nin teaching medical classes. You do the math.” Naruto rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. The rest of the class tried to appear like they were not listening to the argument going on by busying themselves with their own lab. The argument had taken on a rather disagreeable note leading Shizune to conclude that now was a good time to step in.

“My apologies, Hirata-sensei. I was told that there would be no medical staff present. The lab was designed for beginners, as you undoubtedly noticed.”

He blushed a rather noticeable shade of red, flushing down to his neck and nodded awkwardly.

“Please, try to enjoy the demonstration,” she continued in her gentlest voice. “Please be patient with Naruto-kun. Studying was enver his strength.” Naruto huffed, but one look from the Kazekage and he calmed down.

He picked up the cover slip again and stared at his slide. “So how do I put this slide thingy together?” he asked.

Shizune returned to patrolling the other desks, smiling.

Thank you, Naruto.


"Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it -- but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor."

~Oliver Wendell Holmes


~*~Battle 16:~*~
Kankuro

Day 7- Last day of the Conference

The party was in full swing. What had started as a civilized formal closing dinner had turned into an all out bash with just a few hours of unlimited sake and beer.

Not that it wasn’t warranted; there was a lot to celebrate. Kankuro had spent half his day yesterday sitting in a grueling meeting. Representatives shouted, argued, accusations flew and general distrust was spreading. For a moment his brother seemed tempted to throw in the towel. He was perhaps the angriest to discover the Mizukage’s deception. Kankuro feared that the treaty would fall apart. And then miraculously, Uzumaki got them all to shut up.

He seemed annoyed more than angry, set off by the silly accusations and threats being tossed around. It was the dumbest speech Kankuro had every heard; and it was fucking brilliant.

Naruto told them of a friend- someone he trusted, loved, respected and with whom he would be willing to share just about anything- how that friend trained with him and they both pushed each other to become stronger. But when that friend tried deception as a means of learning one of his jutsus, all it did was cause hurt and distrust. Had that friend simple asked, Uzumaki stated, with dead seriousness that he would have taught his friend all he knew.

He said, in a family, you help each other out. Gama Bunta taught him that- it was the family way. And wasn’t that what a village was? One big family.

The dissenters were shamed into silence. Having nothing to say for themselves, the Kazekage suggested a short break. When they returned, there was a lot more discussion and a lot less debate.

For a moment, Kankuro understood why his brother was so enamored of the silly knucklehead that brought him back from the Akatsuki’s grasp. He had hoped it was a small matter of confusion, willing his brother to move on after Naruto left him. But after that night in the corridor, and the look of admiration in his brother’s eyes as he watched Uzumaki speak, he knew his brother was hooked.

Kankuro glanced around the well lit room. He smiled when his eyes settled on Haruno. She was beautiful, as always. She smiled graciously, wine glass poised in her hand while she divulged some sort of medical know how to Hirata, who had finally admitted he was the leading doctor in his village. She was working it, so he decided he wasn’t going to disturb her… yet.

His eyes roamed again, settling on Uzumaki who was boisterously talking to some younger shinobi from Suna. Most likely, he was exaggerating his heroic efforts in some C rank mission.

He wondered where his brother was, but quickly answered his own question. Standing only a few tables away, Gaara stood chatting with another dignitary. His full robes hung loosely on him, making him look like a doll next to the rather large man Kankuro was guessing was not an active shinobi. The dignitary seemed to drone on and on and Kankuro wondered how he managed to breathe after expelling so much breath. Gaara seemed attentive enough, but following the line of his vision, Kankuro chuckled.

He had it bad.

Kankuro decided to save his brother from both the dignitary and himself. Easing his way through the crowd and mingling when appropriate he was nearly side swiped by the brunette that had been after him for weeks, but with a whisper about brotherly duties she let him go with a pout.

“Sorry to interrupt gentlemen,” Kankuro slid up to Gaara’s table, resting his hand on the edge to get their attention. “I was hoping I could steal my brother for a moment. Something urgent has come to attention.”

The foreign dignitary bowed and moved on. Gaara looked at Kankuro surprised and alarmed.

“Has something happened?”

“Yes, come with me,” Kankuro steered Gaara to a side room and closed the door. Gaara looked at him expectantly, glancing at the door as if he was waiting for it to burst open with more people at any moment. “Relax, the village is safe. It’s you I’m worried about.”

Confusion washed across Gaara’s face. “I’m fine.”

“And you might want to try blinking once in a while when you’re staring at Uzumaki’s ass. I hear it creeps people out when you don’t.” His brother blushed. “They’re leaving tomorrow.” He didn’t expect his brother to respond, but Gaara lowered his eyes as if disappointed. “All of them. And we don’t know how long it will take to set up the next conference.”

Gaara seemed irritated now. “What’s your point?” he snapped.

“Are you going to keep mooning over him or are you going to go get him?”

“He’s taken.” His brother was definitely irritated.

Kankuro chuckled. “I didn’t see a ring on his finger.”

Gaara’s eyes flashed angrily. “There’s someone else in his life.”

Kankuro sighed and put his arm around his brother’s shoulder. He sat him down on the couch.

“You remember when we were little and broke into dad’s secret files? It had all those great scrolls inside.” Gaara nodded. “I saw that protection seal and it scared the crap out of me, but when I suggested backing out, do you remember what you told me?”

Gaara groaned and Kankuro knew that his brother remembered exactly what he said.

“If there’s something you want, take it. There are no barriers, just obstacles.” Gaara glared at his brother, obviously not wanting to hear this bit of advice right now. “Well, Baki reamed our asses pretty good after that, but for a time, we had exactly what we wanted, didn’t we?”

He jostled his brother until Gaara too began to smile. “Besides, I think both of you need to get laid badly. If *I’m* noticing it, you know it’s gotta be bad.”

Gaara went back to glaring. Kankuro laughed and slapped his brother on the back. “Now go have some fun. I’ll be checking on you tomorrow… that is, if I’m not too busy with a certain Konohan flower.” Gaara smiled.

“Be careful. She packs a punch.”

Kankuro waggled his eyebrows. “I know.”



By the time Kankuro got back to the party, Haruno was talking to another shinobi: a lower ranking medical nin Kankuro recognized as being from his own village. He stopped by the bar whispered something to the bartender and waited for his drinks. Leaning against the counter, he watched her.

She was wearing a dress for the occasion: a red Chinese style dress that fell past her knees. Slits rose against her thighs, the lines of her muscular legs highlighted by green and gold threads embroidered in spidery patterns. She added white silk pants underneath for perhaps the sake of modesty.

He smiled, because he knew just how good that dress looked on her without the pants. He had picked it himself.

“Kankuro-dono, your drinks are ready.” He took the glasses of red liquid and carried them- one in each hand. The liquid smelled sweet, the fruit and wine producing a delightful fragrance- one he knew she enjoyed.

He came up from behind, reaching around her to place the glass carefully on the table. She paused, but allowed the action, not moving away when his arm brushed against hers. “I asked the bartender for these especially. Thought you might enjoy one,” he said in hushed tones. She tried to suppress a shiver and nodded her thanks. “Sorry to interrupt you.” He smiled at the Suna shinobi and bowed. Kankuro paused before leaving, taking a sip of his drink, letting the cool liquid slide over his tongue and relishing every drop because it reminded him of her. He let his appreciation show.

“Mm, simply delectable.” He shot her a meaningful look, pleased by the light flush that rose to her cheeks. “Enjoy your evening.” He bowed, but never lowered his eyes from hers. He gave her a look and a smile: the one that said tonight he would be her puppet, if only she’d pull the strings.



"About the only time losing is more fun than winning is when you’re fighting temptation."
~Tom Wilson


~*~Battle 17~*~
Naruto



He was undeniably still attracted. His eyes peered at the pale face so close to his, feeling the warmth of Gaara’s body beneath the arm that had casually wound its way around a shoulder; thinking about how much he wanted to change that embrace- how much he wanted to turn the Kazekage into his arms and kiss him.

But he had vowed not to take out his sexual frustrations on his closest friend. If only it didn’t become so much harder every day. He had only one more night to endure. After one more night of being his good friend only, he would be safe. Safe that is, until he got back to Konoha.

The night’s revelries and the euphoria of success had made him bold, had made him foolishly throw an arm around the Kazekage’s shoulder and pull him close. He could feel every brush of the official robes against him, his body overly sensitive to the way their hips bumped into each other a little when they walked. It had been careless and now he warred between pulling away guiltily or holding on in the hopes of feeling a hip, a leg, anything brush against him once more.

The party had officially come to an end, but Naruto didn’t want to say good night to Gaara. Tomorrow he would be gone and this peace, this respite from all the shit that was his personal life back home, would be over.

Gaara stopped and for a moment Naruto didn’t understand why until he realized where they were. They stood in the entryway, the Kazekage’s wing splitting off to the left while the guests’ quarters branched the opposite way.

“I know it’s late, but will you join me? There is something I’d like to give you before you leave.”

Naruto nodded a little too enthusiastically. He was less cheerful than he was a moment ago, for he imagined the errand would not take long, but it was better than saying good night here and now.

He pulled his arm away from Gaara, suddenly self conscious of how they must appear to the other guests and followed the smaller man down the dimly lit corridor.

They were relatively quiet on the way. Naruto babbled on about a few things, but his mind wandered and the conversation trailed off. His thoughts kept racing ahead trying to think of any excuse he could come up with to justify staying longer- for delaying their good-bye.

He failed to produce any he considered convincing by the time they reached Gaara’s door. Gaara unlocked it, opening and entering quickly to turn on a light. He left the door open for Naruto who followed hesitantly and closed the door behind him. It had been reflex, but he looked at the closed door, pondering if that was such a wise idea. He decided he was uncomfortable about it after all and turned to open it again, but Gaara bade him to leave it.

Naruto gulped when he turned around to see Gaara tugging off his kage robes. He knew Gaara usually wore full attire underneath, but today he wore only mesh over a black tank and standard black slacks. His taut, pale skin seemed to gleam against the black.

“So….” Naruto broke the silence, “you have something for me?” Gaara turned and smiled at him; a sexy little curve of the mouth that made Naruto’s stomach flutter.

“I wanted to say thank you.” Naruto felt a slight sense of disappointment. “I didn’t get a chance to properly thank you for what you’ve done. You saved us from a potentially disastrous situation.”

Naruto grinned from ear to ear. “I do what I can.”

“I know now why Tsunade-sama chose you. It wasn’t easy for her, you know.”

The last bit came to Naruto as a surprise. He had taken his Hokage’s decision for granted- had actually dared to complain about it, but Gaara’s small admission made his chest swell with newfound gratitude and pride. “Close your eyes.” The sexy curve of his mouth was back. Naruto hesitated, eyeing Gaara warily. “Just for a moment.” Naruto was curious about all the mystery, but he did as he was told, fighting the urge to peek.

He could feel Gaara’s presence drawing nearer- the invisible energy his body was always conscious of. His nervousness escalated and the temptation to peek grew stronger.

He jumped when he felt something being placed over his head, a slight heaviness caught on his ear before Gaara’s hand pulled it free. It settled over his shoulders and a slight weight pressed against the back of his neck. He could feel the outline of a pendant against his chest. And then his body was being pulled forward, his head forced to bend at the neck. Naruto would have protested except he was stopped by a pair of lips.

And then he froze.

In his shock, his eyes flew open and sure enough, Gaara’s face was pressed close enough that he could see the curve of each eyelash arching gracefully from his closed eyes. His mouth was pressed firmly against his and Naruto could do nothing but stare. The pangs of longing rose from somewhere deep inside him. His hands pulled Gaara’s face up, changing the angle of their kiss and allowing him to return the gesture.

They stood there for what was perhaps too long to be appropriate and still not enough to satiate the hunger it had awoken. Still, it could be the kiss of friends- lips joined chastely in silence. Gaara pulled away first. Naruto’s hands still held him, feeling the shudder that ran through him as he sucked in a shaky breath.

Naruto whispered a why, pressing his forehead against Gaara’s gently.

“I thought it was something you wanted.”

Panic shot through him and he pulled away like someone stung. Suspicion knocked like an unwanted guest.

“Don’t play games with me. You were the last person I expected games from.”

Hurt flashed across Gaara’s face. Most people mistook it for anger, but Naruto had learned the difference. In a few swift steps, Gaara had him fisted by the front of his shirt. “I do not play games. Not with you.” The anger drained from his voice. His grip relaxed, replaced by the weight of his head against his chest. “Tell me I didn’t imagine it. That I’m not the only one who wanted it.”

The swift change in emotions was startling. Gaara had always been the rational one between them- the calming force. Naruto cursed Sasuke for sharpening his capacity for distrust, his hands rubbed up and down Gaara’s arms in apology.


Gaara had never cried when they broke up. As always, he had been calm, rational, and far more understanding than Naruto felt he deserved. It had hurt to see Gaara look so unaffected then, but Naruto had the suspicion that Gaara might be crying now.

Pushing him away, Naruto lifted his chin and noted the moisture pooling in the corner of one eye. Something raked over his heart at the sight of an emotion he understood only too well. He kissed the tear away, lips gliding over his skin and breathing in the other’s scent. He kissed Gaara’s nose, feeling the hand at his chest tighten its grip. He tried to avoid it, but was inevitably drawn to those parted lips. He tried to weigh the consequences of his decision, but then Gaara kissed him and he decided he didn’t care.

All restrictions lowered, Naruto pulled Gaara into a devouring kiss. Their tongues battled like dying men, desperate to taste, and touch and feel. Gaara pressed his body closer, pushing him back until Naruto felt himself wedged between the wall and the firm body squirming against him. Between a rock and a hard place, Naruto thought with amusement, welcoming the danger, not caring about the potential repercussions this might involve. Naruto kissed him back like a man starving- driven by a frenzied desperation to steal as much as he could before someone said stop. Perhaps the result of too many nights feeling deprived in Sasuke's bed.

He could taste the wine on Gaara’s breath, could feel the other’s body shoved up against him as though he could meld their bodies together through sheer force. A knee wriggled its way between his thighs, the body pressed closer and began to rouse the desire Naruto had so foolishly tried to suppress. The ensuing wave of lust made it difficult to think. Acting on instinct, his hands clutched the Kazekage from both of his hips, forcing their bodies together- propelling a rhythm that had them both moaning and wriggling against the wall.

Lust spiraled through his belly and the predator in him insisted he take more. Lowering his hands to the muscular thighs just below the swell of Gaara’s firm behind, Naruto secured both sides and hoisted the smaller man to his waist. Gaara’s knees banged into the wall trying to latch onto his hips and Naruto was carrying him with a single goal in mind: the bed.

Gaara kissed him furiously, nipping and biting unrelentingly as though he were rewarding and punishing him simultaneously. Naruto’s knees hit the edge of the bed and both bodies tumbled forward. In his impatience, he yanked at Gaara’s clothes, undoubtedly tearing a few links of mesh in the process. His mouth latched onto the pale chest and dusky nipples before he could get the material over Gaara’s head. Gaara pulled off both tops in one fluid motion and Naruto expressed his appreciation by nibbling a perky nipple and pressing their groins together. Gaara moaned and Naruto sighed at the pleasant sensation produced when Gaara ran fingers through his hair.

Narutos’s mouth worked lower, tongue lavishing careful attention on Gaara’s most ticklish part: his bellybutton. But Gaara wasn’t giggling now- Naruto’s penis twitched at the sound of his name whispered in a throaty moan.

Naruto slipped his fingers to the simple snap on the Kazekage's pants, palming the protected erection through the dark material appreciatively before undoing the zipper. A pale body strained against his hand, whispering for more.

Naruto smiled, tugging the dark pants down and easing them off slender hips. Gaara raised himself to help and Naruto couldn’t help feeling pleased at his eagerness. He almost forgot how satisfying it was to pleasure someone else. The honesty in former lover's reactions only turned him on more.

He breathed in the familiar musk through the fabric of burgundy boxer briefs, licking along the length of the fabric. Gaara’s breath hitched, his body arching forward to meet his mouth before descending to the mattress. Naruto suckled him and licked, grinning when Gaara arched sharply into each tease. He demanded nothing, only spread his legs wider and curled his toes against Naruto’s lower back. Naruto, feeling particularly pleased with this submission rewarded him with a kiss to the hip, fingers catching the material of his waistband and tugging the underwear down. Gaara slid one leg out, briefs hanging around one knee before spreading his legs once more. Naruto licked his lips at the tasty sight and kissed an inner thigh, sucking harsh enough to leave a small memento. His eyes watched Gaara’s expressions as he dragged his mouth away from creamy thighs to attend the weeping shaft that was obviously as frustrated as he was.

He licked from base to tip, bestowing slow, full strokes on the sensitive underside of the mushroom shaped tip before swallowing as much as he could. Gaara’s hips jolted, hands tugging at Naruto’s hair while Naruto sucked greedily on the drops of precum flowing from the smooth rigid flesh. Gaara’s thighs began to quiver and Naruto knew that he was close. One hand slid from Gaara’s belly to rub circles behind his tightening sac. Gaara mewled, raising his hips and pleaded for more. Naruto pulled off of the twitching member to mouth his testicles, still massaging that spot he knew Gaara loved so much.

Gaara’s hips began to jerk erratically- the sign that his body’s reactions were no longer in his control. Smiling predatorily, Naruto went down on his shaft, down to the base, deep throating that slick digit while his fingers slinked further back. Naruto’s fingers found its target, rubbing circles around the sensitive edges of Gaara’s puckered hole while Gaara practically fucked his mouth.

He kept his eyes locked onto Gaara’s expressions, loving the texture and thickness against his tongue, and the fine arch of that pale chest as the Kazekage came hard into his mouth. Gaara’s eyes clenched shut, his fist in his mouth in an attempt to muffle his passionate cries. Few would believe the Kazekage was such a passionate man. It was one secret Naruto delighted in keeping.

Naruto pulled off of the softening member carefully, his fingers still teasing the puckered entrance to the private heaven Naruto had experienced firsthand. Gaara’s thighs trembled in response, his labored breathing still not recovered and his body sank heavily into the mattress. Naruto pressed kisses between those thighs eliciting a contented sigh. Gaara’s feet scrambled to find purchase on the bed, raising himself to his partner. Naruto recognized the gesture.

Naruto grabbed Gaara around the waist and flipped him onto his stomach. He
pulled Gaara up by the hips roughly, exposing the other man openly. He nipped a cheek playfully; biting spots he knew would arouse his partner before slipping out a tongue to trail down the cleft that split two symmetrical halves. His tongue reached the end of its path, circling the ring of muscle before pushing his tongue in forcefully. Gaara squirmed, guttural groans hushed by the sheets he pressed his face into. Naruto continued teasing that opening, his own cock painfully hard and wanting nothing more than to shove himself inside and nail Gaara until morning.

“Gaara,” he nipped at the fleshy swell of creamy skin. “I can’t hold back much longer.” He unbuckled his pants hurriedly, not even bothering to remove them. He pulled his clothes down far enough to free his erection and slinked forward. Draping himself over the body beneath his, he glided his erection between the valley of Gaara’s delicious ass. “Forgive me.” He rubbed the tip of his own leaking arousal against Gaara’s entrance. “Stop me now or there’s no turning back.” He kissed the base of his neck.

Gaara sighed beautifully, but pulled away.

“Naruto stop.”

His world halted with those words. Gaara shuffled away throwing his legs over the bed and rummaged on his nightstand. Naruto ran his fingers through his hair, not looking at Gaara due to his embarrassment. To say he was disappointed would be an understatement. He had warned him as a courtesy. He hadn’t expected the other man to actually say stop. He felt annoyed. Though mostly he just felt stupid and awkward sitting on Gaara’s bed with an erection peeking out of his unzipped pants.

The weight on the bed shifted. Arms snaked themselves around his chest, caressing his torso while soft kisses were pressed along his neck. A hand slid down and touched him and Naruto felt his heart racing again while fingers spread the precum around his erection, gliding up and down in slow gentle strokes. Naruto moaned, pressing his back against Gaara’s chest. “It’s been awhile.” Gaara whispered into his ear. “If you’re not going to prep me, then use this.” Naruto felt something drop into his lap. Leaping a little in surprise, he looked down to see a familiar looking bottle of lube.

The bed shifted again. Gaara crawled into Naruto’s lap, his naked skin pale against Naruto’s black pants. “And I want to be able to see you.” The greatest sense of relief filled him. No- not just relief, but other emotions he couldn’t put a name to just now. Gaara kissed his mouth gently, tongue wiggling between his lips. Naruto deepened the kiss, moaning when Gaara’s hand stroked him again. Naruto’s hand went to Gaara’s own partial erection, keeping in time with Gaara’s strokes, both panting into each other’s mouths as they kissed.

Naruto missed this: the feeling of something more than just a naked body rubbing against his. He hadn’t realized how distant Sasuke had kept himself until now.

Naruto pulled Gaara’s hand away from his erection, uncapping the lube and pouring some into the paler hand. He looked at him pointedly, kissing his mouth chastely while guiding that same hand back to touch him.

Gaara smiled against his mouth, taking his time as he coated Naruto’s already slick arousal. Naruto coated a finger and reached for Gaara’s entrance, spreading a small amount around the edges before slipping it in. Gaara sighed and attacked Naruto’s neck, sucking harshly on the sensitive portion of his neck. Naruto sighed, bucking into the hand that still stroked him attentively and moving his finger in and out of Gaara. He tried to add another finger, but Gaara pulled off of him, raising himself and rubbing his entrance over the tip of Naruto’s penis. “I can’t wait any longer.”

Gaara kissed him fiercely as he impaled himself roughly, taking Naruto deep inside. Both men groaned, kissing furiously while Gaara worked up a dizzying pace. Naruto’s hands seized Gaara by both cheeks, fingers digging into the skin and urging him to move faster.

“Kami-sama,” Naruto groaned. “I forgot how good you feel.” Gaara’s erection pressed against his belly. Naruto stroked it absently, mind too caught up in his own lust to register anything but the feeling of Gaara’s heat consuming him inside and out. Gaara’s arms wrapped around Naruto’s neck hanging on as Naruto thrust his hips up making Gaara bounce up and down his shaft. Naruto’s hands went back to Gaara’s ass, holding him in place as he drove in and out, something inside him winding a little tighter with each thrust.

“Gaara… I…Ah… I’m… Ah.”

“Come inside me, Naruto,” Gaara whispered into his neck.

He needed no prompting, grabbing Gaara by his thin waist and squeezing him as his body shoved himself deep inside and emptied himself of all his pent up lust.

Naruto dropped his head onto Gaara’s shoulder. He panted and tried to regain control over his breathing. Now that he could think again, he tried to comprehend what he had just done.

Gaara moved to pull off of him, but Naruto held on, keeping him in place. He had no more desire to say his good-byes now than when the night had begun. “Don’t,” he requested. “I like feeling you like this.” He ran his fingers up and down Gaara’s back, his other hand sliding up and down the hard shaft still pressing against his belly. Gaara kissed him.

Their desperation gone, they both kissed gently, lovingly, conveying to one another how much some things hadn’t changed. Gaara broke away and cried out, body arching into Naruto’s hand.

Naruto slowed down before pulling his hand away.

“Gaara,” he pressed kisses into the other man’s neck and shoulder. “I missed you.” He brushed kisses all over his face.

“Even though you were with him?” Naruto felt the bite of those words, knowing he deserved twice as much.

He took Gaara by the chin and looked into those green eyes.

“Especially when I was with him.”

Gaara’s eyes widened, his face a mixture of indecipherable emotions before Naruto was being kissed fiercely again and knocked back down onto the bed. Gaara pulled off of him, busily working to remove all his clothing instead. He seemed rushed- perhaps caught up in the nameless emotion still clouding his eyes until both of them sat nude before each other for the first time in what felt like ages past. Naruto grabbed Gaara’s hand, motioning him to crawl back on top and Gaara complied.

Gaara kissed him while fitting himself between Naruto’s thighs.

“Naruto,” he whispered between kisses, “let me show you how much I missed you.” His hand caressed his hip bone, rubbing circles with this thumb. Slender fingers slid lower to his groin. “How much I still love you.” Gaara’s erection pressed into his thigh. “Even now.” Naruto’s heart was in tumult, like someone had scooped up too many emotions and condensed them- a Rasengan in miniature swirling furiously in his chest.

Naruto took Gaara’s hand, entwining their fingers and offered an ordinary kiss.

“Take it slow?” he requested.

Gaara looked uneasy. He knew what was being asked, but looked unsure.

“Are you sure that’s allowed? You’re not going to regret it?”

Naruto caressed Gaara’s smooth cheek and kissed him again- letting his lips linger in a way he hadn’t experienced in so long.

“You’re still the only one I can make love with.”

Gaara looked pained, but Naruto had the terrible notion that it wasn’t for himself. The hand entwined in his tightened its grip and when they kissed, the edge of lust had been erased- the demons in both their hearts subdued.





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A.N: Where is Sasuke you ask? That will come up next chapter :) Hope you enjoyed it. Please read and review.