Walk The Miles

Title: Walk the Miles
Author's notes: Originally written as a gift for someone as part of narutowishlist, a lj comm.
Pairing(s): Naruto/Gaara, one-sided Sasuke/Naruto
Warning(s): Futile attempts to put a mild ‘plot’ in a pwp. 
Genre(s): Romance/Angst/Smut
Rating: NC-17 (if I’ve done my job right…)
Word Length: 3,465
Summary: Naruto leaves Konoha on a visit to Sunagakure.


Sasuke rounded the corner, deliberately. It was night in Konoha, the damp dusk had long set on this scene. All was still, but for the slow rustle of Naruto’s steps as he made his way along the road towards the North Gate.

He didn’t look back, even though he knew he was here. He never did, anymore. The past was too painful, and Sasuke knew this. Knew that Naruto would never look at him again with that fumbling teenage longing they had both tried to hide deep in their eyes. That flared openly between them in arguments, brought forth by other, smaller events. The cataclysmic clash that tore them apart was all the more painful for it.

Now he watched him leave, as he always did. Leave and head towards Sunagakure and endless sands that would envelope him and make him smile with older eyes.

Sometimes he wished. Wished for things he dreamt of, continuous and unrelenting fantasies in the many shades of the spectrum that could never be.

He watched them until his sight failed him, until he was just a dark smear against the horizon’s canvas. Fist tight, he hoped for the impossible.

***


Naruto entered Sunagakure with a smile. It was raw on his lips, quickening his steps towards Gaara’s home, who would be waiting for him. Pushing Sasuke and his subtle attempts at stalking out of his mind, he made his way down the street, picking out the heavy rise of the smooth brick building against the dawn sky.

He could remember leaving through the door that now faced him. Like every door, it had faded in the unforgiving sun, but it was sturdy and the glass, sand-weathered, still allowed one to see through into the hallway. He’d closed the door behind him, leaving Gaara behind it. Turning, he’d seen him, forehead to the wall. The image of Gaara, the long shock of red hair obscuring his face had been burnt into his mind. It was the candle by which he saw at night. It was how he got through the months without seeing Gaara until a mission, a diplomatic meeting or some other excuse came up.


It was the final proof that he’d found what he was looking for, even if the past haunted his steps on the way out of Konoha. He couldn’t look back though. To gaze at the past was to forget everything he had with Gaara, the simple understanding, the even give and take of their relationship. They thought the same, for all their differences and upbringing. Gaara loved him. And Gaara was the only one for him. For them it worked out. There was no space for anyone else.

The knock on the door echoed down the hallway. A shadowy form appeared in the beaten glass, and Naruto could taste the excitement on his tongue, nervously tugging at his lungs with every breath. As if he hadn’t seen him for years.

Gaara opened the door, a smart smile appearing on a face that looked mere months older, still with the long rust-red hair, green forest eyes dark-rimmed that spoke of nights spent together. A long pause as eyes assessed, looking for change and finding – as expected – none.

Naruto couldn’t help, didn’t want to help the smile that flickered onto his lips, following Gaara into his home, dropping his bag while Gaara shut the door behind them, the only warning being the warm gust of breath across his ear while he allowed Gaara to push him against the wall and hold him tight, returning the embrace because… because. Because Gaara had extended a hand to him when he hadn’t been sure. Pressing a kiss to Gaara’s temple, brushing across the tattoo that defined his motivations completely, Naruto was only aware of the gathering heat between them, the humidity and moisture in the air, the ragged breathing breaching their ears.

“I’ve missed you.” The breathless murmur could barely be heard, teasing along the edges of Gaara’s hearing, tickling the spectrum of sound.

Gaara pinned him with those eyes, bent to press a kiss, murmuring a soft ‘so have I’ before gliding lips across lips that opened willingly on demand, the sound of flesh meeting flaring to life dormant desires. Touching with increasing intensity, as if they could suck life out of the other.

Parting for a long breath, they regarded each other. The look deepened, into something that twisted between them, until Naruto couldn’t keep up the contact, eyes drifting up to the left and away, flickering across the ceiling.

“This place hasn’t changed.” He paused for a moment – felt the eyes. “It lacks character, Gaara.” Naruto forced out a laugh, even though he was comfortable. It was too much, too soon, even though he had come back to Sunagakure for Gaara. Something seemed deeply off.

Nothing had changed, and this didn’t surprise Naruto. It was what he had expected, but nevertheless hoped against. He’d wanted to see some kind of change, something that showed the mark of him on Gaara in his surroundings. Still nothing, just a blank canvas of beige walls warped from the scorching heat; gritty feel of sand beneath feet that took days to fade upon leaving.

Could this work? He missed him terribly when he wasn’t here. Was it worth living for the moments? For these quick-silver touches that would fade in time, painted over by his own artificial recollections of the truth?

Gaara stepped back from him, bringing him back to what was here and between them now. This circular feeling that they were patching up the string that connected them. How could it work?

Every time he saw him, he found himself wracked with these thoughts, with doubts, ones that he knew had everything to do with the shadow he wouldn’t acknowledge.

Perhaps the worst part? Gaara was catching on, pride had outstripped doubt and he knew that there was something, someone else that was keeping this space between them.

“Come in.” Clipped words from the redhead, turning away into the womb of the house Naruto could make out the tense shape of his shoulders against the darkness. The sweat of a long journey clung to him, the coolness of the air inside surprising him as it always did. Still smelt dry, but he could take it. Following Gaara in, the familiar shapes of a couch and television – caked with the fine gloss of sand – presented themselves. He was bone-tired, heavy with the regret of something that was making their reunion uncomfortable.

Throwing his bag down by the kitchen table, Gaara put on some water to boil, keeping his back to Naruto. The tension rose and fell in waves between them, like the sand dunes which surrounded this fortress village.

Naruto pulled out a seat, watching him, eyes glazed at his back. He almost expected the redhead to say something, to stare at him with darkly-rimmed green eyes that would tell him to cut it out.

Gaara wouldn’t let himself be antagonised though. Back straight, pouring the hot water from the kettle into a waiting cup of instant ramen. For a brief moment, Naruto felt himself dry-heave at the haunting smell of artificial miso. It passed, and he accepted the cup with murmured thanks that faltered on the sun-bleached air.

Gaara crossed his arms and leant back, watching Naruto, knowledge growing in his eyes. Naruto could feel it, in the way the air shimmered between them, the lazy glow in Gaara’s eyes that he could see beyond the glare of his bangs.

The noise of him hungrily eating was all that could be heard, the forceful slurp of the noodles an unbearable constant. He wished Gaara would have cooked something, but that would have been too much to expect.

If he was any less of a ninja, he would have been fidgeting under the iron glare Gaara had focused on him. As it was, his eyes slid past the hulking figure across from him, eyes snapping back at the lazy tiger shift from foot to foot. Gaara, compact and lean regarded him.

“It’s him, isn’t it.” He blurts out, somewhere between a statement, a plea, a demand for answers. Breath halts and stills in Naruto’s lungs, and he has to force down the urge to gag and choke. The pause as Gaara waited on an answer fell into the stillness, Naruto chewing thoughtfully while he pulled the silence out fully. Mouth empty, just the tang of miso on his tongue he began to say something, but Gaara had turned away from him, creating his own answer from what he knew, feared, envisioned.

Naruto wished there was more light in the kitchen, to chase away the shadows that were dogging his steps. Gaara and him had been going on for so long, it would make no sense to say anything but that.

Though sturdily built, Gaara moves like a ninja, nimbly and with quiet ease towards the door, and Naruto was stuck clutching the empty cup. He knew that there was no point in making excuses this time, only the truth would work now. A torrent of guilt washed through him, and again the flashing wave of nausea as he attempted to pull it all together.

“Gaara.” He called out; cursing himself for the hesitance he could hear in his voice. Gaara turned to look at him with expecting eyes, lips drawn into a thin line that signalled his disappointment, steeling himself so as not to show the hurt that Naruto knew was there. “It’s nothing. You know that. Please – you know you’re the one. You are the only one.” He faltered on the last words, voice stopping at a whisper, aching to say the words but too scared of the consequences. He feared them, and it didn’t matter, saying such nonsense didn’t keep people together.

Gaara appeared to soften in Naruto’s eyes, curving and relaxing visibly. They were both as uncertain as each other, nevertheless Naruto stepped away from the chair, scraping back with an insistent screech on the linoleum, and towards Gaara, who was both wary and expectant as he came closer. Leaning in slightly, Naruto felt the warm puff of air over their lips before laying a chaste kiss on his lips, holding his eyes with his own.

Naruto had long ago come to the conclusion – a lesson bitterly learnt on the banks of a river – that words spoken in earnest into ears meant nothing, they had to be backed up by action.

Gaara hadn’t as yet moved away, and as Naruto’s hands found their way beneath the robe, touching warm skin drawn over hip bones he felt him shudder, head coming to rest on his shoulder. Naruto pulled him in closer, whispering into his ear sweet nothings and soothing tones. Hoping that Gaara wouldn’t move away from him, from what he offered. He was trying so hard to make this work.

He kissed his way down to his neck, confidence surging in him as he heard a stifled groan and a revealing twitch. Lapping at the tender skin there, he imagined that despite everything there would be a mark there tomorrow, one that would remind him and Gaara what they had between them.

Finally a reaction from Gaara, hands coming upwards awkwardly to clutch at his jacket with painful desperation. Naruto felt it in the other man.

“Let me show you.” Naruto whispered against his neck, quick hands opening up his robe to bare Gaara’s sun-shy chest. He could erase the words, the hurt, could make Gaara forget about shadows that weren’t his, because he didn’t look back when he came to see Gaara. But he knew Sasuke was there anyway.

How could he not?

He slid the brown robe off Gaara, suckled at the exposed skin with the beginnings of a knowing smirk. Knowing that Gaara was his. Gaara’s hands came up once more and clutched at his jacket, and Naruto suddenly felt overly hot.

Naruto forcefully pulled Gaara into the bedroom, teeth clashing as he punished the other with a bruising kiss, lips slicked with saliva glistened in the night. His heartbeat was racing, pacing faster with the scene he was constructing in front of him. He pushed Gaara onto the bed who allowed himself to be handled in such a manner, sprawled with eyes open that watched Naruto intently as he began to strip. His chest rose and fell as the jacket came off, baring smooth golden skin and the hint of a tattoo under the thin white t-shirt, which quickly followed to the ground. Naruto licked his lips, air thick between them, hardening painfully in his trousers as Gaara’s hands crept down the yards of pale muscle that made up his stomach and into his pants, cupping and holding. Turning away from Gaara slightly, Naruto made a modest false show of unzipping his trousers, shaking his hips out of them, leaving him with regulation-type black boxers, tight and firm around the curve of his butt.

As hoped, it had the expected effect, Gaara’s eyes flattened into a predatory glare, falling back into action.

“Take them off.” He growled, and Naruto slowly peeled them down, revealing the hard flush of his cock. Biting his lip; intentionally playing the victim, he waited for Gaara to give him another order. It turned him on. “Come here.” He demanded huskily, and Naruto knew that everything would be fine between them.

He climbed onto the bed, crawling between Gaara’s open legs. The room was beginning to thicken and close in on them both, air heavy with the tang of sweat and arousal, heavy with breathless moans that ghosted over skin. Gaara used a free hand to grab Naruto by the hair, pulling him in for a fierce kiss, lips sliding over one another as he deepened it with an insistent tug. Naruto let himself fall against Gaara, slowly grinding himself against Gaara’s covered crotch shamelessly.

“Want your clothes off.” Naruto murmured hotly as they broke off, proceeding to take a trip down Gaara’s chest, gracing nipples with bold sucks, nibbles and licks. His tongue emerged to dip into the well of Gaara’s navel, he could feel the heat that was emanating from in between Gaara’s legs. He wanted to see it, see the effect he had on the other man. Gaara’s hands were in his hair, massaging and scratching, urging him further down. For a brief moment he hovered above Gaara’s crotch, taking in the dark brown material and the drawstrings which held it up on his narrow hips. Hands skirted the boundary of it, and bringing himself down he buried his nose, taking in a deep breath before engulfing him in his mouth and sucking lightly. Gaara barely resisted the urge to buck against the warm heat of Naruto’s mouth.

“Stop playing around.” Gaara urged, hands on his scalp tightening slightly, sending a spike of arousal down his spine, making him want to grab hold of himself – but Gaara first.

Naruto happily complied with request. He took hold of the waistband, bringing it down and off the legs with Gaara’s help. He appraised Gaara’s arousal, towering proud from a bush of curly red hair. He settled down, Gaara spread his thighs to accommodate him, waiting anxiously as Naruto’s lips engulfed the head of his cock, taking a gentle swipe across it with his tongue. He swirled around, and Gaara fell back onto the bed, concentrating on the heady sensations, clutching at the bed sheets.

Naruto backed off for a moment, taking hold of the shaft, gently nuzzling the balls and giving them a tender kiss, eliciting small jerks and moans from the redhead above. He could only smirk, and then returned his attention to Gaara, expertly taking him into his mouth with a smooth move. He murmured and gurgled in his mouth, knowing the vibrations would enflame Gaara further – he enjoyed the stiffness of the flesh inside him as he wrapped his tongue around it, only to have a hand clutch with considerable force on his hair, pulling him up with a determined grip on golden strands.

He wiped his lips, running a tongue over his mouth; he could still taste Gaara, salty and tangy. Naruto looked up to see what was going on, pushing damp bangs out of his eyes to see Gaara rooting in the bedside cupboard and finding a bottle of lube. Gaara’s skin was slick with perspiration Naruto noticed, much like his own. The room had swallowed them whole, it smelt of them.

Gaara beckoned him back without a word, gesturing for him to sit himself on his lap, back to Gaara’s chest. Gaara playfully bit at his neck, laving the skin he found there, moving upwards to nibble at an ear. Naruto felt exposed, legs to either side of Gaara’s strong thighs. Gaara’s fingers stroked softly on the sensitive skin of his inner thighs, drifting to his stomach to trace the outline of his seal, a reminder of what they both were. Further upwards to tease at a nipple, pulling and twisting slightly, Naruto giving off a brief moan with each tug and pull.

Naruto then heard the flip of a cap, knowing without looking that fingers had been slicked, fingers which now pressed firmly at his entrance, circling. Waiting for him to relax so that a finger could enter him one at a time. Naruto’s breathing hitched as he felt another join the first, slowly plunging in and out of him, teasing the depths that could not be touched.

“Gaara…” Naruto moaned as the third was added, all three stretching and preparing him. His head fell back onto the other man’s left shoulder. Gaara took advantage of this to lick and nibble at the shell of his ear and kissing his neck.

“Ready?” Gaara asked genuine concern in his voice. Naruto was too dazed for a moment to process the question, but nodded. He was so stiff; he really just wanted to come. Gaara switched positions, lying Naruto down so that they could see each other before adding a generous portion of lube to his cock, hands jerking once or twice but careful not to go too far. Naruto’s eyes had glazed over and Gaara knew it would get better in a few moments.

Lining himself up, he slowly eased past the barriers of Naruto’s muscles, bearing down into him in an angle. Naruto merely gasped, shaking his head from side to side and demanding more in a hoarse, husky voice. When Gaara bottomed out he held himself there briefly to look at Naruto and his flushing face, lips open and begging to be kissed. Gaara leant down to do so, finding himself engaged in a rough tussle with Naruto as they endeavoured to breathe each other in. Hips moved impatiently against his, and Gaara complied, slowly pulling out and thrusting back in.

Gaara set a languid pace, watching Naruto attempt to urge him into a faster speed, both of them hard and wanting this to end.

Naruto felt overwhelmed by the heat – he’d forgotten how good this could feel, the way in which Gaara slowly rubbed against something deep inside that shot fire up his spine – it was just out of reach, the goal of this exercise. He needed just a little bit more to get off, but before his hand could snake between their bodies to take care of it Gaara had taken hold of his wrists and was holding them high above his head, changing the rhythm to their lovemaking into something harder, rawer, more primal than before. The delicious friction trebled in pleasure as Gaara thrust hard and deep into him, angling his hips to hit with precision.

“Faster…harder!” Naruto demanded, whimpering under Gaara’s rough handling, he found himself rapidly approaching his limits. He knew Gaara was nearly there by the way his thrusts had become erratic, and knowledge of this made him come between them, eyes fluttering closed with the force of his orgasm. He felt himself clamp down hard on Gaara inside him, who had bucked hard into him coming with him, the warm flush of his release deep inside.

Gaara collapsed on top of Naruto in a sweaty tangle, kissing him feverishly. Naruto held him tightly to himself as Gaara buried his head in between his head and shoulder, kissing gently.

Naruto couldn’t have felt more satisfied than in this moment; couldn’t have felt freer.

It hit him with sudden clarity.

“You’re the one, the only one.” He hoarsely reiterated. He was free of all the shadows that had been haunting him. Gaara’s hand found his own, and they fell asleep curled against each other, hands intertwined between the sheets.