Epilogue: At Home
Epilogue: at home.
Disclaimer: Not mine, alas! Not for profit either, woe!
WARNING: Most likely, you will NOT like this chapter, particularly if you wanted everything to end at least semi-happy at the end of The Little Things. It’s all going pear-shaped for one person.
PS:I’m writing this to satisfy those people who wanted to know what happened to Gaara at the end of The Little Things. This is what has always been in my mind as the 'end' of Gaara in that particular storyline. I fought with myself for a long time before writing this little chapter up, as I really liked the note the other one ended on.
For it to make sense, you'd probably need to read that first. A quick summary, with spoilers: Gaara was in love with Naruto, but Naruto loved Sasuke instead. The night before Gaara nearly entombed them both using his sand, it was only through Naruto's tendency to burst into flames that he managed to escape. Gaara fled into the mountains on the island (Konoha moved). Naruto went to Sasuke's and they finally got all hot and sweaty... Next day Naruto leaves with promises to return.
R & R always welcome!
Naruto exited the village, calm, knowing that what he would have to do would never leave him. His past years had been building up to this point, this eventuality.
He needed to find Gaara in order to finish this.
The guards nodded to him as he left, alone but fully prepared.
His flat had been nothing but a small blackened shell. It didn’t matter. It was a signal of the end, it was fitting that it had been burnt. Burnt like his home when he was born, this was merely a new chapter, the conclusion of everything he had been working towards.
The air hummed, lightly, a fragrant song lingered on the back of fresh green leaves that smiled at the dawn-sun. It could have been any other day to the rest of the world, but to Naruto it was… something else. It was the end, the beginning, the phase that met the two conditions. He was ready, had been for a while now. He had merely required confirmation.
It would’ve appeared to anyone else that he was wandering aimlessly, without a fixed path, towards an unknown destination. They were not too wrong, he had a path, though he would know it when he stumbled upon it. The trees would tell him. He had a destination, though it was yet to be found - the earth would tell him.
He knew what would happen at the end though, and this was without dispute,Gaara.
He hummed to himself, in tune, out of tune with the world, but at peace with himself. Naruto was at peace. And so he stepped, without water, for the sky would provide, without food, for the earth would provide, fresh fecund earth and the heavy tang of autumn rains in the air prepared him.
He found himself walking, running, searching and waiting for the signs that would lead him to the path he searched, unfettered by any chains he lost his tongue, it seemed stuck to the bottom of his jaw bone, heavy and unable to move. Tails danced in the wind, a complicated spiel that spelled his moods out to the rest of the animals.
Danger,peace, kindness, grace, mercy, fear and boldly - WARNING.
He was not meant to be, and yet he was, and yet he was home.
He would learn its limits. Taste them, feel along the edges, then break them down and establish them anew further a-field.
He was water, gliding along rich red-black earth, against the tug of gravity upwards towards the mountains. He was drawn to it, and he went, the day falling into noon while he was shaded by the canopy of the forest.
He was at the foot of the mountain now, trekking upwards at a rapid rate - the trees led him onwards, the wind upwards, the earth into the bosom of the cave hidden behind a grove of trees. Gaara.
He was here. He could tell. He couldn’t see him, he would’ve retreated to the very back of the cave. Licking wounds. Perhaps - and Naruto felt the surface calm bubble and break slightly - perhaps Gaara would no longer be himself.
Naruto knew. He feared. He feared what he’d always feared for himself, and it had only been a matter of time before it happened to one of them. He was just lucky. Not lucky enough for Gaara, the one who’d kept him sane by the value of his own insanity, and he could only thank him for releasing him from the loneliness of carrying this demonic weight.
He nearly felt guilty for not- for not- he almost couldn’t articulate it, and he didn’t want to use the same words he’d use for Sasuke… but he didn’t love him. Not as Gaara wished. And he’d known this.
The cave hummed with this knowledge, and as he came upon Gaara, the slumbering ancient awareness darkened the cave. Breath halted and reversed in his lungs as his eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, took in Gaara. His entire left side had been burnt, he was a light pink down his arm, he smelt singed. He was surprised it hadn’t healed better by now.
“Go away.” Gaara spoke in a rough voice. Naruto said nothing, coming closer slowly. Gaara had a dark pair of slacks on that collided harshly with the pale white of his skin, the pink burnt areas and the shock of red hair that hadn’t been burnt away. And in it all, eyes dark green looked at him with hate - but Naruto didn’t step away. This was his fault, it was his fault he’d hurt him. He should have known better.
“No.” he said, finally, a small step away from Gaara. “Come back?” he asked, simply, although he knew the answer to that - he was merely playing a game he was too good at. Pretending he wouldn’t do what he had come to do. He liked to think himself too human.
The tails danced behind him, exultant in mourning.
“No.”
“Please?” he wheedled lightly, attempting a light tone that died the very moment it hit the dead stillness of the air.
“No!” and this time the ancient burst forwards, darkness seeping out, sand beginning its slow dance around him because Gaara was ready to die but the demon wasn’t.
He stepped up to Gaara, touching foreheads, noses then briefly, chaste lips, ignoring the sand that swaddled him.
Gaara had never meant to hurt him. He was possessive, just like he was. Once upon a time he could squash fire, but he’d weakened himself, and his fire had grown stronger.
The sand stilled. The rumble of their chests could be heard on their lips. They heard nothing but each other in that brief moment.
Gaara opened his eyes, and behind the brilliant green the suppressed yellow demon lurked.
“I thought you were mine.” He said. Naruto slowly shook his head.
“Were you mine?” Naruto asked. Gaara looked at him, confused.
“I brought everything to you.”
“I’m sorry.” Naruto apologised unreservedly, and Gaara had to take it as the final answer to any of his questions.
They stood for an endless moment, lying in wait for the end. Naruto imprinted this on his mind, to examine it later for flaws. Gaara experienced it in the fullest, unable to muster any defences other than those that were his by birthright.
“I know.” He said, finally. He brought a hand up to Naruto’s jaw line, caressing it tenderly. What else could Naruto do but let him. Let him slide his lips across his. This was, after all, the end for him. “Remember me.”
“I’ll never forget.” Naruto choked out his promise, even though he was still calm, still in control.
“Go on.” He nearly urged, sick of this.
“I’m sorry.” Naruto said again, seeing just the close of Gaara’s eyes as he acknowledged before he was behind him, hands firm on his head.
Then; the crack of a neck in the stillness.
The body crumbled even as the darkness attempted to hold it firm, to resurrect itself. Naruto stepped back, heart clenched as he tried not to break down at what he’d done, at what he had to do. It’d been inevitable. He would mourn, because no one else would do so truly, he would mourn and then he’d be free, even if guarded soft green eyes would haunt him forever.
He was ready. He would keep his promises.
Read A Return to see how Naruto copes a year later.