Yay narcolepsy!
Who: Gaara and Naruto
When: Yesterday evening after the whole GaaranotwantingTemaritodateSasuke fiasco.
Where: Mostly at a random construction zone, but also between there and the Konoha Bunch house.
What: Gaara angsts, is narcoleptic, and Naruto finds him passed out somewhere. They talk. Yay. :D
Pale green eyes were fixated on the path he walked, watching as sidewalk became grass and grass became dirt and he honestly had no idea where he was going. He didn't really care at that point, as long as he didn't have to think about it. Anywhere that he wouldn't run into Temari or hear from her was a good place to be right then, though being alone was definitely preferable.
He honestly had to wonder why he was suddenly so protective of his sister, though, when before he hardly acknowledged her as such. Why had he brought his own grudges into this? If she wanted to date that sorry fool why should he care? If she wanted to be happy, why couldn't she be? It made sense that she would want to be, who wouldn't? He wanted to be, but...
It made his heart hurt just thinking about it, and he tried not to, the sudden wave of fatigue that washed over him helping just a bit. He had to finally stop and sit down, fighting just to keep his eyes open. Going out hadn't exactly been the best idea, in hindsight, but he'd needed it. Despite how hard he tried to keep his eyes open, though, he felt the grip of unconsciousness dragging him down yet again, and it wasn't long before he succumbed to it.
If he had known how close by Naruto was, he might have had more reason to resist the pull of sleep. The blond had followed after Gaara a few minutes after he'd left the house in his angsty stupor, following the trail of chakra down the road, off the pavement, off the grass and into the dirt. He found himself in a construction zone a few blocks down the road, deserted for the night.
Why would Gaara come here?, he had to wonder, stepping aside to avoid a muddy ditch. The chakra suddenly became much quieter, and Naruto hurried to find its source--a redhead sleeping against the side of a porta-potty.
"Gaara!" Naruto crouched by his side, shaking his shoulder gently (and offhandedly wondering how he could possibly lean against anything with that gourd on his back).
The redhead in question made a quiet sound, eyes opening slowly to stare, unfocused, at Naruto. A few blinks later and he was marginally awake again, though he had to stifle a small yawn. "Naruto...?" A glance around enlightened him to where he was, and his lips twitched into a slight frown. He hadn't been paying attention, but he hadn't expected to end up in a place like this.
The blond frowned. "If you're tired, you shouldn't be wandering around outside!" He scolded.
"I wasn't tired when I left..." Gaara pointed out. "I'm not that tired now..."
"Which is why you're sleeping against a toilet. Right?"
Was he really? A glance at the object he was leaning against proved that yes, yes he was. He promptly pushed away from it, getting to his feet. That was a choice he almost instantly regretted, seeing as his head spun from the swiftness of it and he nearly passed out again.
Naruto caught him quickly by the shoulders, supporting his weight. "See, see? You're tired."
"Dizzy..." the redhead corrected.
"Well, that's even worse!"
For a moment, Gaara simply leaned against Naruto, not really protesting. It eased his mind a little, even though the ache in his chest was back again.
"What's it about this time?"
"What?"
"Your angst-walk. What's it about?"
"....." The redhead suddenly leaned a bit more heavily, the slightly pained look on his face probably one of the most emotional expressions he'd ever worn. "I was being selfish... It's nothing..."
"It's always nothing and it's always something," The blond insisted matter-of-factly, readjusting himself to properly support Gaara's weight.
"I have no right to be keep happiness from her... If she wants to date that Uchiha it's her own business, not mine..."
A frown was his response, followed by a few seconds of silence. "....well, good then!" Naruto smiled. "I agree with you entirely. Though, I do understand why you'd do what you did."
"You...do?" Gaara blinked slightly.
"Yep, I do. It's not like it's an inhuman thing or anything."
The barest hint of a smile teased the corners of the redhead's lips, though it still hurt on the inside. Naruto would never stop being something he wanted to keep, even though he couldn't.
Suddenly a very strange feeling overcame the blond--he told himself not to give into it, but he'd never been one to ignore his base instincts. Loosening his grip on the redhead's shoulders, he carefully stretched his arms out further, instead supporting his friend with a hug from behind.
For a moment, Gaara was tense, not entirely sure what to do. After that moment, however, he let his eyes fall closed and just felt, a tired sigh escaping his lips as he leaned back just slightly now. Even though he knew the gesture couldn't be anything but friendly, it brought him a bit of happiness. This was what he wished he could always have, but even just a little bit of it every now and then...
After several seconds, Naruto loosened his hold. "Let's go home, 'kay?"
The redhead nodded slowly in agreement. He was mildly hungry now, and tired again. He'd certainly be glad when he could stay awake for more than a few hours at a time.
The blond carefully helped Gaara stand on both feet again, in case he was, in fact, able to walk on his own.
Despite feeling mildly sluggish, Gaara could walk on his own, but he was inwardly glad for the help that was given, and murmured a quiet 'thank you' to Naruto.
The blond nodded to him and the pair began to walk back across the mud toward home.
They'd nearly gotten all the way back before pale green eyes fluttered closed for a moment and Gaara nearly collapsed, fatigue catching up to him once more. He pondered that he really shouldn't leave the house alone again until this was over, it could seriously get him killed.
When he opened his eyes he was looking up at Naruto's face, having been caught by the blond.
"Can it be estimated how much longer this is going to last?" he murmured, a slight frown in place.
"No clue. But don't worry, as long as I'm here, if you fall asleep I'll catch you."
He didn't quite understand it, but Gaara felt a little flutter in his chest at those words, frown twitching almost imperceptibly into something close to a smile.
"Now!" In a fluid movement, Naruto switched their positions and lifted Gaara onto his back, grabbing hold of his thighs.
Gaara's arms automatically went around Naruto's neck to keep from falling, and he was completely unable to stop the blush that crept onto his cheeks.
It was good that Naruto couldn't see this, especially with the way that they ground together with each hop-like step Naruto took.
In attempts to hide the blush, Gaara tried to bury his face in Naruto's hair. He was very much awake at this point, and bound to have interesting dreams once he fell asleep again. One of these days, the blond was going to kill him, and he might have gone so far as to swear by it.
Naruto was quiet the rest of the way home, assuming from the head resting against his own that the redhead had once again fallen into slumber.
When: Yesterday evening after the whole GaaranotwantingTemaritodateSasuke fiasco.
Where: Mostly at a random construction zone, but also between there and the Konoha Bunch house.
What: Gaara angsts, is narcoleptic, and Naruto finds him passed out somewhere. They talk. Yay. :D
Pale green eyes were fixated on the path he walked, watching as sidewalk became grass and grass became dirt and he honestly had no idea where he was going. He didn't really care at that point, as long as he didn't have to think about it. Anywhere that he wouldn't run into Temari or hear from her was a good place to be right then, though being alone was definitely preferable.
He honestly had to wonder why he was suddenly so protective of his sister, though, when before he hardly acknowledged her as such. Why had he brought his own grudges into this? If she wanted to date that sorry fool why should he care? If she wanted to be happy, why couldn't she be? It made sense that she would want to be, who wouldn't? He wanted to be, but...
It made his heart hurt just thinking about it, and he tried not to, the sudden wave of fatigue that washed over him helping just a bit. He had to finally stop and sit down, fighting just to keep his eyes open. Going out hadn't exactly been the best idea, in hindsight, but he'd needed it. Despite how hard he tried to keep his eyes open, though, he felt the grip of unconsciousness dragging him down yet again, and it wasn't long before he succumbed to it.
If he had known how close by Naruto was, he might have had more reason to resist the pull of sleep. The blond had followed after Gaara a few minutes after he'd left the house in his angsty stupor, following the trail of chakra down the road, off the pavement, off the grass and into the dirt. He found himself in a construction zone a few blocks down the road, deserted for the night.
Why would Gaara come here?, he had to wonder, stepping aside to avoid a muddy ditch. The chakra suddenly became much quieter, and Naruto hurried to find its source--a redhead sleeping against the side of a porta-potty.
"Gaara!" Naruto crouched by his side, shaking his shoulder gently (and offhandedly wondering how he could possibly lean against anything with that gourd on his back).
The redhead in question made a quiet sound, eyes opening slowly to stare, unfocused, at Naruto. A few blinks later and he was marginally awake again, though he had to stifle a small yawn. "Naruto...?" A glance around enlightened him to where he was, and his lips twitched into a slight frown. He hadn't been paying attention, but he hadn't expected to end up in a place like this.
The blond frowned. "If you're tired, you shouldn't be wandering around outside!" He scolded.
"I wasn't tired when I left..." Gaara pointed out. "I'm not that tired now..."
"Which is why you're sleeping against a toilet. Right?"
Was he really? A glance at the object he was leaning against proved that yes, yes he was. He promptly pushed away from it, getting to his feet. That was a choice he almost instantly regretted, seeing as his head spun from the swiftness of it and he nearly passed out again.
Naruto caught him quickly by the shoulders, supporting his weight. "See, see? You're tired."
"Dizzy..." the redhead corrected.
"Well, that's even worse!"
For a moment, Gaara simply leaned against Naruto, not really protesting. It eased his mind a little, even though the ache in his chest was back again.
"What's it about this time?"
"What?"
"Your angst-walk. What's it about?"
"....." The redhead suddenly leaned a bit more heavily, the slightly pained look on his face probably one of the most emotional expressions he'd ever worn. "I was being selfish... It's nothing..."
"It's always nothing and it's always something," The blond insisted matter-of-factly, readjusting himself to properly support Gaara's weight.
"I have no right to be keep happiness from her... If she wants to date that Uchiha it's her own business, not mine..."
A frown was his response, followed by a few seconds of silence. "....well, good then!" Naruto smiled. "I agree with you entirely. Though, I do understand why you'd do what you did."
"You...do?" Gaara blinked slightly.
"Yep, I do. It's not like it's an inhuman thing or anything."
The barest hint of a smile teased the corners of the redhead's lips, though it still hurt on the inside. Naruto would never stop being something he wanted to keep, even though he couldn't.
Suddenly a very strange feeling overcame the blond--he told himself not to give into it, but he'd never been one to ignore his base instincts. Loosening his grip on the redhead's shoulders, he carefully stretched his arms out further, instead supporting his friend with a hug from behind.
For a moment, Gaara was tense, not entirely sure what to do. After that moment, however, he let his eyes fall closed and just felt, a tired sigh escaping his lips as he leaned back just slightly now. Even though he knew the gesture couldn't be anything but friendly, it brought him a bit of happiness. This was what he wished he could always have, but even just a little bit of it every now and then...
After several seconds, Naruto loosened his hold. "Let's go home, 'kay?"
The redhead nodded slowly in agreement. He was mildly hungry now, and tired again. He'd certainly be glad when he could stay awake for more than a few hours at a time.
The blond carefully helped Gaara stand on both feet again, in case he was, in fact, able to walk on his own.
Despite feeling mildly sluggish, Gaara could walk on his own, but he was inwardly glad for the help that was given, and murmured a quiet 'thank you' to Naruto.
The blond nodded to him and the pair began to walk back across the mud toward home.
They'd nearly gotten all the way back before pale green eyes fluttered closed for a moment and Gaara nearly collapsed, fatigue catching up to him once more. He pondered that he really shouldn't leave the house alone again until this was over, it could seriously get him killed.
When he opened his eyes he was looking up at Naruto's face, having been caught by the blond.
"Can it be estimated how much longer this is going to last?" he murmured, a slight frown in place.
"No clue. But don't worry, as long as I'm here, if you fall asleep I'll catch you."
He didn't quite understand it, but Gaara felt a little flutter in his chest at those words, frown twitching almost imperceptibly into something close to a smile.
"Now!" In a fluid movement, Naruto switched their positions and lifted Gaara onto his back, grabbing hold of his thighs.
Gaara's arms automatically went around Naruto's neck to keep from falling, and he was completely unable to stop the blush that crept onto his cheeks.
It was good that Naruto couldn't see this, especially with the way that they ground together with each hop-like step Naruto took.
In attempts to hide the blush, Gaara tried to bury his face in Naruto's hair. He was very much awake at this point, and bound to have interesting dreams once he fell asleep again. One of these days, the blond was going to kill him, and he might have gone so far as to swear by it.
Naruto was quiet the rest of the way home, assuming from the head resting against his own that the redhead had once again fallen into slumber.