Chapter Text
It was just after 10:00 pm when Naruto finally walked out of the subway station. His normally bright, blue eyes were dull and tinged with redness as he fought to keep them open. Work was an absolute killer that day but he had finally managed to complete all the extra reports his supervisor Ms. Haruno had assigned him just twenty minutes before closing time. It was the third time that week. Some days Naruto wondered if the bossy, pink-haired woman secretly had it out for him. He couldn’t think of a reason for why that would be, but he also noticed that no one else ever seemed to get these important last-minute tasks.
The blonde sighed as he pushed all thoughts of work out of his head. The ten hours he’d just put in was more than enough for the day. Naruto dragged his feet forward feeling deep fatigue settle into his shoulders. The brief nap he was able to catch during the thirty-minute subway ride had done nothing to soothe the prickly irritation that had settled under his skin since he learned he would have to stay late. Naruto stepped through the front doors of his apartment building, thankful to finally be home.
It was Friday night and he had his whole weekend ahead of him. He would go upstairs, enjoy a nice hot meal, and cuddle with his boyfriend before he finally got some much needed rest. He made his way to the building elevator and groaned miserably as he read the ‘Out Of Order’ sign neatly hanging across the metal doors.
“Of fucking course,” he muttered rolling his eyes.
Naruto adjusted the bag on his shoulder and walked through the side door leading to the stairs. He took the steps two at a time, hoping the climb would seem less daunting if it was over fairly quickly. He made it halfway to the fourth floor before the burn in his thighs demanded he take a break. Breathing heavily, he paused and leaned against the wall, more than happy to oblige his tired, lower limbs.
“Fuck... We need... to move...” he panted. Naruto took a deep breath and pushed himself off the wall. He slowly climbed the rest of the stairs, doubling over to catch his breath when he finally made it to the fifth floor.
He made his way down the hall, taking out his keys as he approached his front door. He opened it and his face immediately twisted into a grimace as the smell of stale marijuana hit him full in the face. He moved inside and locked the door before putting down his bag and removing his shoes.
“Gaara,” Naruto called. He removed his suit jacket as he moved through the apartment, searching for his red-headed beau.
As he passed the kitchen, Naruto noted the soiled dishes piled high in the sink, as well as the overflowing garbage can, and the mess of open food containers scattered across the counters. He moved into the living room and felt his frustration grow as he looked around at the snack bags littering the floor and empty beer cans strewn across the coffee table.
Music sheets and other random papers were scattered about, and there was a thick, smokey haze that blanketed the room. There was an ash tray on the ground with few roaches put out and a faint chemical smell could be detected. It was subtle but it was like the fumes from a burning tire, and he had to stop himself from gagging.
Truth be told, Naruto had no problem with people smoking weed. He would indulge in a joint or two from time to time when the mood struck him, but he never understood why people felt the need to lace it with other potentially dangerous substances. Especially someone of Gaara’s... unique temperament. It was just silly and unnecessary in his eyes. And if he was honest, it just smelled horrible.
“Gaara,” Naruto called again with a bit more edge. He moved to the bedroom and he felt the rest of his energy drain out of him and seep straight through the floor.
The modest bedroom looked like a tornado had hit it. Clothes were piled on the bed and spilled over onto the floor. The dresser drawers were all open and shirt sleeves could be seen hanging out of the ruffled heaps of garb. Several pairs of shoes were sprawled across the room and the large mirror that usually hung in the far corner of the room was now leaned precariously against the wall near now-open the closet. The tiny storage area was a mess as well.
Naruto closed his eyes and tried to resist the headache he felt budding behind his eyelids. He was exhausted and was in no mood to deal with the chaos that was his home. He heard shuffling from the en-suite bathroom and looked up just in time to see his boyfriend step into the bedroom. A white towel hung low on his waist and dipped slightly where it was knotted to expose the chiseled cut of his right hip. The smooth, lean muscle of his abdomen glistened with stray water droplets and was stretched taut around his ribs as he raised his arms to rub a towel against his damp, red hair. His sea foam eyes narrowed lazily and his face broke into a wide grin when he noticed the blonde standing there.
“Hey, welcome home,” Gaara greeted lightly.
Under any other circumstances Naruto would have welcomed the sight of his lover, half-naked, body gleaming and fresh from a shower. But all he could think about in that moment was how long his day had been and the mess he was currently standing in. The red-head’s cool expression in the midst of Naruto’s obvious aggravation told him they were probably going to be in for another night of quarreling.
“Gaara, what the fuck is this?” Naruto asked him haggardly gesturing around the room. “This place is a complete mess. And were you smoking that stuff in the living room again? Why the hell can’t you just go up to the roof and do that shit?”
The red-head sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. He tossed the hair towel into the hamper and moved towards the bed to pick through some of the clothing spread out there. “Hello to you too. My day was great. Thanks so much for asking,” he mumbled sarcastically.
Naruto scrubbed his hands over his face, “Please don’t start that tonight. I really don’t have the energy.”
Gaara grunted his indifference and quickly pulled on a pair of black jeans. He moved to stand in front of the mirror and held up two seemingly identical black shirts in front of himself.
“Where are you going,” Naruto asked him, blinking tiredly.
Gaara exhaled loudly and sat on the bed as he pulled his socks on, “Look, I was gonna clean the place up before you got back. Honest. But I got a call earlier about an audition at a bar downtown and I had to prepare. If all goes well they’ll make me permanent and I’ll have a cushy new gig on Friday and Saturday nights.”
The blonde could hear the excitement in his tone.
“You got an audition? Why didn’t you tell me about it?” he asked, feeling slightly hurt. He watched the other man pull on one of the black shirts and begin to fasten the buttons.
“I really wasn’t thinking about that. They only called me like three hours ago. I’ve just been going over music and trying to decide what to wear. I smoked a bit to help me relax and just lost track of time for a little while,” Gaara explained quietly.
The blonde nodded silently and turned around before he began to remove his work clothes. He didn’t bother to point out that Gaara used to be more excited to share news of his music career with him, though he did wonder what had caused the change. Naruto had always made sure to loop Gaara in on his late nights at the office or stress about big projects. But over the last few months it seemed Gaara had no interest in sharing what was happening with him at all. They barely spoke as it was. Naruto tried not to let their new distance get to him. He figured they were just going through a rough patch. All couples had those at some point.
He sighed and pulled on his night clothes. “Well break a leg I guess,” he muttered.
The red-head glanced over at Naruto and noted the tiredness in his face. He instantly regretted his earlier sarcasm. He caught Naruto’s wrist as he made to pass him by, now dressed in grey lounge pants and a white t-shirt. The blonde stiffened but Gaara ignored it and pulled him to stand in front of him. They were the same height and Naruto just stared at him, blue eyes weary.
“I’m sorry, I was a dick. I’m just nervous about the audition,” Gaara insisted gently. Naruto’s expression softened a bit. “Don’t worry about the mess. I’ll clean it up as soon as I get home, I promise.”
Gaara quickly moved to the bed and scooped up the mess of clothing. He lugged it over to the closet and tossed everything inside. He kicked the shoes along the floor and shoved them into the closet as well. With the bed and floor cleared, the place did look a tad bit better.
“There. Just get some rest and I’ll take care of everything when I get back. I know you’re beat,” he told Naruto. He held his hand out and smiled lightly when the blonde finally took it. Gaara pulled him into a hug and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. He helped Naruto get into the bed and tucked him into the blankets. The redhead grabbed his bass guitar case and slung it over his shoulder.
“Get some sleep. I’ll only be gone a few hours,” Gaara told him before turning off the light and walking away.
Naruto nodded and watched him leave the room. He didn’t want to argue anymore. After a grueling day at work, he was finally settled in his big, soft bed. The blonde felt his eyelids begin to droop. When he heard the front door open and shut, his eyes fully closed and he was asleep just a few moments later.
_________________________________
Naruto awoke the next morning to the sound of a shrieking car alarm going off outside his window. His eyes cracked open and he winced at the bright sunlight that streamed into the room. Irritation began to settle into his body as the terrible noise grew louder. He dragged the comforter over his head and rolled over, trying to get back to sleep. Naruto vaguely realized that there was a lot more of the soft blanket than there usually was when he woke up.
He reached an arm out to the other side of the bed and quickly discovered it was empty. The blonde pushed away the covers and sat up to look around. The room was the same as it had been the night before. He glanced at the clock on the side table and saw that it was just past 11:00 am. His eyes shifted towards the closet and the same pile of clothing and shoes was sticking out from the door.
Naruto got out of bed and went out into the living room. He was not shocked to see that it was still in the same state of disarray as it had been the night before. He shuffled to the kitchen knowing it too would be the same. Still, he was irked to see the same pile of dirty dishes caked with food and grime just sitting mockingly in the sink. A terribly sour smell wafted over from the overflowing trash. Gaara was nowhere to be seen.
Naruto had never considered himself to be a neat freak by any means, but since he and Gaara had started living together a year ago, he found himself constantly picking up after the man. He didn’t mind at first as it was nice to be able to take care of him and show he cared. But lately with all the overtime he’d been doing, Naruto thought it was ridiculous for him to have to come home and still fix a meal and clean up when his partner had been home all day. Naruto had bottled up his feelings for the most part, knowing Gaara had been having a tough time over the last few months. Still, he couldn’t help but think of how unfair it was to him.
The blonde marched back to the bedroom and grabbed his cell phone. There were no new messages or missed calls. He found Gaara’s contact and hit call. The phone went straight to voicemail which probably meant his phone was either switched off or dead. Naruto took a steadying breath trying to keep himself calm. Gaara was known to stroll in as late as 3:00 or even 4:00 am, but this was the first time the man had stayed out all night.
Naruto made it clear that he wasn’t okay with him coming in so late but it didn’t seem to matter much to the redhead. He would insist he needed to network with people to get auditions or gigs and that the late hour was just the nature of the business. Naruto understood it to some extent, but he couldn’t pretend that it didn’t make him uncomfortable. Especially when they barely spent any time together. He couldn’t even remember that last time they had sex. Naruto exhaled heavily and typed a quick text-message to his boyfriend.
To: Gaara
11:07 - Hey, where are you? Call me.
He stared at the phone for a few moments trying to will the tiny grey typing bubble to pop up and let him know Gaara was typing back. It didn’t work. Naruto looked around the room and decided to find something to busy himself with so he could pretend he wasn’t waiting around for a message back.
Deciding to bite the bullet, Naruto begrudgingly cleaned up the apartment. He made the bed, put away the clothes, took out the trash, washed the dishes, and opened the windows to air the place out. As he looked around the tidy space about an hour later, the blonde felt his mood start to lift. Clutter had always made him feel anxious and unorganized so it was nice to finally have everything clean and back in its place. He felt his phone against his leg in his pocket and took it out. There were no missed calls and no new messages.
No surprise there.
The blonde sighed and tossed his phone onto the couch as he tried to ignore the gnawing feeling that started to settle in his stomach. Gaara had never failed to return home so Naruto had no idea what to make of it. He tried not to think of the redhead tangled up in someone else’s sheets, but his overactive imagination continued to supply him with vivid, unwanted images.
Of course there was also the possibility that something terrible had happened to him. Gaara could be laying dead in a gutter somewhere for all her knew. Naruto felt a pang of worry flash through him and quickly shook his head. No. Gaara was fine. He was just going through something and when he got home they’d talk about it. Everything would be fine.
Naruto trudged to his bedroom, pulling his clothes off as he went. He took a long, steamy shower and did his best to ignore the silence from his cell phone.
Twenty minutes later, Naruto emerged from the bathroom. He moved back into the bedroom and pulled on a pair of tight, dark jeans. He hung his towel around his neck as he went to his bedside table to pick up his phone. Still nothing. He frowned as he found Gaara’s contact once more and tried to call him again. It went straight to voicemail and just as he was about to leave a heated message, the sound of the front door opening broke through the silence. Naruto glanced at the time on his phone. It was 12:45 pm.
The blonde moved out into the living room immediately to see Gaara stumble into the apartment. Relief flooded Naruto for a brief moment before his anger came surging forward. He moved towards him and opened his mouth to begin his verbal barrage but paused as he took in Gaara’s appearance. He looked like absolute hell. His red hair was greasy and disheveled and his black shirt was dusty and rumpled. The black eyeliner he usually wore was smudged all around his bloodshot eyes, and he smelled of sweat and alcohol.
“What the hell happened to you?” Naruto asked, face twisted in a weird hybrid of concern and irritation. “Do you have any idea what time it is? Why the hell didn’t you call me?”
Gaara just sighed heavily before stepping out of his shoes. He rubbed a hand across his face and started to stumble down the hall towards the bedroom. He didn’t spare Naruto so much as a glance.
The blonde was stunned and followed him to their room, “What the fuck? Gaara I’m taking to you!”
The redhead stripped off his clothes and silently climbed into the bed, tucking his head underneath the pillow.
Naruto’s eyes widened in disbelief and he snatched the pillow off of him, “What the fuck is wrong with you?! Am I invisible or something?!”
Gaara signed and closed his eyes. “Naruto please,” he croaked. His voice was deep and raspy as if he’d been yelling for hours. “I don’t feel very good. I know you’re upset and I promise we’ll talk later, but I can’t right now.”
“Later for you means never,” the blonde shot back flatly.
The other man simply groaned and turned over onto his other side. He tossed the blanket over his head and his figure was still. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the display but said nothing more. He knew there was no point.
Before he could turn away, he felt his phone begin to vibrate in his palm. He looked down to see an incoming call.
“Hey Karin,” he answered dejectedly.
“Naruto! My dearest cousin, what are you doing this afternoon?” Karin asked getting straight to the point as usual. It sounded as though she was driving.
“Nothing at all,” Naruto replied honestly as he stared heatedly at the figure of the man in his bed. He briefly wondered if he could get him to spontaneously combust if he focused hard enough.
“Perfect! Brunch is it. I’ll be by to get you in ten minutes. Don’t keep me waiting,” Karin said quickly before ending the call.
Normally Naruto would have been annoyed at Karin’s pushiness, but today he welcomed it. Anything that got him out of the house so he didn’t have to be around Gaara today was music to his ears.
Naruto went to his closet and pulled out a white, linen shirt. He slipped it on, rolled up the sleeves to his elbows and left the top three buttons undone. He sprayed on a bit of his favorite cologne and grabbed a pair of black sunglasses. His ensemble was simple, but Naruto knew he looked great. After a quick turn in the mirror, he grabbed his wallet and keys and walked out of the apartment without a glance back.
As he stepped into the warm, summer sun a shiny black convertible pulled up in front of the apartment building. He headed towards it and raised a brow as it came to a stop on the street in front of him. Karin leaned over to hang her arm over the side of the vehicle.
She tipped her sunglasses down her face and looked up at him wickedly, “Get in loser.”
_________________________________
“Ughh, isn’t she beautiful?” Karin gushed to Naruto as she stared dreamily at the shiny, black coupe parked on the street in front of them. “I can’t believe she’s finally mine!”
They were seated outside on the patio of the restaurant in the warm, fresh air while they enjoyed their veggie omelettes and bottomless mimosas.
“Yeah it’s great,” Naruto replied quietly, not bothering to look up at her.
Despite the beautiful day, the blonde couldn’t help his foul mood. He was grateful for the distraction but he couldn’t stop his mind from drifting back to what happened with Gaara earlier. He tossed back the rest of his drink and signaled to the waiter for a refill.
“Wow. Thanks for the enthusiasm,” Karin replied dryly. “You know how long I’ve been wanting that car. How about a little congratulations? I sold four condos this month to finally get that damned thing!”
Naruto sighed and sat back in his chair, “Sorry Karin. I’m happy for you, really I am. It’s just... been a rough week.”
“Oh? What is it? Spill,” she pressed, immediately intrigued.
Naruto glanced up at her hesitantly trying to decide how much to share. Karin was nosey beyond belief and loved a good piece of gossip. On the other hand, she was also a good listener who could provide pretty decent advice when she was so inclined. Naruto quickly decided he needed to vent and soon the words just came tumbling out of him.
“Well work’s been killing me. My supervisor’s been on me nonstop and I ended up staying late to finish reports three times this week. It’s fucking exhausting. And now I think Gaara’s in another one of his weird... moods again. I don’t know. Last night, I get home and the place is a mess and he just leaves. He stayed out all night and just strolls back in at damn-near 1:00 and doesn’t say a fucking word to me! Like really? What the fuck is that?” he huffed. His eyes were wide and his brow was wrinkled in frustration.
Karin’s eyes shot up and she adjusted her glasses on her face as she spoke, “Wow, that’s a lot babe. No wonder you seem so wound up.”
Naruto leaned his elbows on the table and rested his chin in his palms. He took a deep breath as their waiter came over and poured them both another round of mimosas. Naruto couldn’t help but eye the man’s strong forearm as he tilted the pitcher to dispense their beverages. His eyes quickly trailed up to his broad shoulders and the small tattoo situated on his neck, just under his ear. His long brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and a few shorter strands hung forward to frame his face. The waiter smirked when he noticed Naruto was staring and the blonde quickly cleared his throat and looked away. He muttered a quick “thanks” and the waiter turned and walked away.
Karin suppressed a grin at the brief exchange but said nothing about it. “Are you and Gaara having problems?” she asked gently.
“I’m not sure. He’s been really distant lately and we barely spend any time together so it’s not like we’re actually fighting a lot,” he explained. “I know he’s still upset about the band letting him go, but he won’t talk to me about it at all. It’s been almost three months now. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“He hasn’t been working at all since then?” Karin inquired.
“Not really. He’s filled in a few times at a couple bars with live music but nothing permanent,” Naruto replied picking at the remains of his omelette.
“Damn. That sucks. Do you think maybe he’s depressed again? He must be having a hard time with all that.”
“Maybe. But he won’t talk to me so I have no idea what’s going on with him,” Naruto stated dropping his fork in frustration. He winced at the loud clatter it made when it hit his plate.
“I mean we know how Gaara is. He’s never been one for talking and sharing his feelings.”
“I get that but I’m not asking for poetry or anything. I just want him to let me in a little. How the hell am I supposed to be in a relationship with someone who won’t talk to me?”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Karin agreed, nodding her head. “What’s it been now? Three years for you guys?”
Naruto sat back in his seat and stared off across the street, “Yeah, just about...”
“Hmm,” Karin mumbled. Her face scrunched in thought as she swirled her drink in her glass. “I feel like I should help since I’m the one who set you guys up.”
Naruto snorted humorlessly.
“We know Gaara takes his music very seriously so maybe you just need to keep reassuring him that he’ll get another gig soon. He’s all tough on the outside but he’s super sensitive on the inside.”
“Yeah? Doesn’t seem like it these days.”
Karin smiled and rolled her eyes, “Maybe you guys should just have some really good sex. You know. A nice little reset.”
The blonde raised a brow at her. His face was unamused, “Did you miss the part where I said we barely talk to each other anymore?”
“You don’t need to talk to have sex.”
“So what, I’m just supposed to jump him? I can barely stand to look at him right now. And did you forget the part where he stayed out ALL night? Who knows what he got up to,” Naruto told her bitterly.
“Gaara has problems but he’d never cheat on you Naruto,” Karin said definitively.
Naruto just scoffed and took a sip of his beverage.
“Okay yeah, you definitely need to find out what that was about but just try it! You guys still need to talk, of course, but you also need to find a way to reconnect so you can get to a place where you can talk. And if anything it’ll certainly take the edge off,” she explained confidently.
Naruto looked up at her questioningly and saw her incline her head subtly towards their waiter who was handling a table a few feet away from them. She wagged her eyebrows at Naruto and he immediately blushed and turned away.
“See?” she laughed. “Go home and get some before you do something stupid.”
The blonde just sighed and shook his head.
The rest of the afternoon went by very smoothly. The cousins finished their brunch, and had a nice walk around town as they waited for the mimosas to wear off. They stopped in a few stores and did some light shopping to gently pass the time. The easy day out was just what Naruto needed. He knew there was a lot to sort out when he got home, but he felt hopeful about it.
_________________________________
It was just after 6:00 pm when Naruto got home. He huffed raggedly as he leaned back against the door to push it closed. The walk up to the fifth floor was still as tiring as ever with no signs of getting any easier. He slipped off his shoes and moved into the apartment.
Gaara was seated on the floor in the living room with large headphones covering his ears and his guitar in his lap. He was totally engrossed in something on his laptop. His head bobbed like he was listening to music, and his fingers strummed the guitar lightly. Gaara was dressed in a clean, white t-shirt and grey sweatpants. His face was clear and his red hair was fresh and damp. He looked infinitely better than he had earlier.
The man didn’t look up as Naruto passed by and the blonde felt a new surge of irritation overtake him. The rational part of his mind, knew Gaara probably just didn’t hear him over his noise-cancelling headphones. His face was also ducked down into the computer screen so he likely didn’t even see him. The larger, angrier part of Naruto’s mind was still mad about being ignored though. He ground his teeth together and marched into their bedroom to take a shower.
He emerged fifteen minutes later feeling refreshed but still annoyed. He threw on a pair of black joggers and as he moved to pull a t-shirt over his head, the door to the bedroom was slowly pushed open.
He looked up and saw Gaara standing there. Naruto huffed and turned away to roll the shirt down over his torso.
“Hey, I went to grab a drink and saw the light on in here. I didn’t hear you come in,” the redhead said cautiously.
“Yeah,” Naruto replied quietly. He moved to the dresser and pulled out a pair of white socks.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Gaara asked leaning against the doorframe as he watched him.
“You seemed busy,” the blonde replied flatly, still avoiding eye contact. He sat on the bed and lifted one foot onto the mattress as he started to put on one of the socks.
“Where’d you go today?” Gaara asked pleasantly, trying to gauge the blonde’s mood.
“Out,” Naruto spat. He set the foot down and lifted the other one to put on the other sock.
Gaara sighed and moved fully into the room. He carefully sat down on the bed next to Naruto, but the blonde immediately got up to walk away. Gaara’s hand shot out and grabbed Naruto’s wrist gently. He felt him tense under his grip but he didn’t pull away. Gaara took this as a good sign.
Naruto kept staring forward, even as he felt Gaara start to tug his arm back towards him. The redhead pulled him back gently until the backs of his legs hit the edge of the bed. With one more tug, Naruto was sitting on the bed between Gaara’s spread legs, back pressed to his chest. He kept his face forward, still refusing to meet the man’s sea foam eyes.
Gaara gently took Naruto’s hands in his own and slowly intertwined their fingers. The blonde remained defiant and kept his digits loose so as not to return the remorseful grasp. Gaara hugged their arms around him and drew the slightly smaller man deeper into his chest.
He sighed softly as he closed his eyes and nuzzled his face into the crook of Naruto’s neck. The blonde remained stiff but Gaara held firm. A few moments passed and the redhead was pleased when he finally felt some of the tension begin to dissipate from Naruto’s body.
“I’m sorry for earlier,” he muttered, voice deep. “I was an ass and you didn’t deserve that.”
Naruto snorted but otherwise said nothing. Gaara hooked his chin over Naruto’s shoulder and rubbed his thumb across the the back of his hand.
“Can I tell you what happened?” he asked gently.
After another moment, Naruto just grunted his approval, still clearly upset with the man.
Gaara smirked as he felt Naruto lean further into the embrace despite his prickly response.
“Well, I didn’t get the gig last night so I was upset,” he continued with a sigh. “They ended up going with some hack just because he had more social media presence. He was nowhere near my skill level. I was embarrassed and disappointed so I just spent the whole night drinking. I didn’t want to come home empty-handed and have you look at me like a loser.”
“You know I’d never think that,” Naruto stated immediately.
“No, I know. It was more me being in my head. Plus I was wasted. I ended up falling asleep on a damn park bench... Stupid huh.”
“Very,” Naruto replied quietly. A touch of humor colored his tone. He felt the redhead chuckle behind him and finally closed his fingers around Gaara’s. “You never need to be embarrassed about that kind of stuff with me. I know how talented you are.”
“I know. Sorry if I worried you. But there’s some good news,” Gaara said perking up a bit.
“What is it.”
“I met these guys while I waited for my audition,” Gaara told him earnestly. “I thought they were gone by the time I went on, but I guess they heard me play. One of ‘em got my information from the bar manager and he called me this afternoon. They’re short a band member and want me to play bass for them. I said yes and they already have a gig lined up for next weekend. That’s what I was working on in the living room just now.”
“Wow, really? That’s... great Gaara,” Naruto said eye wide. He chose his next words carefully so it wouldn’t seem as though he was trying to rain on Gaara’s parade. “So are they... like legit? Or is it more of a... casual thing?”
Gaara smiled behind him, “That’s the best part. It’s totally legit. With a manager and everything. They have a large following and play most of the big summer concerts. They get booked for fancy weddings and live stage shows and a bunch of other special events, but I can see them getting offered a major record deal really soon if they want to go more commercial. I’ve heard some of their original music and it’s really good.”
Naruto turned slightly to face him and couldn’t help but smile at the excited grin on the redhead’s face, “So... this is for real then?”
Gaara nodded as he beamed at the blonde, “I’m back.”
Naruto turned fully around in Gaara’s lap and wrapped his arms around his neck to pull him into a tight embrace. The redhead smiled as Naruto’s momentum pushed them back onto the bed.
“Congratulations,” the blonde said gently.
“Thank you,” Gaara said quietly.
Naruto loosened his arms and moved back so his face hovered over Gaara’s. His blue eyes darted between his boyfriend’s sea foam pair and his soft, pale lips. He slowly leaned down, finally kissing the man for what felt like the first time in months.
He’d almost forgotten what it was like and sighed in contentment when the redhead kissed him back. Naruto felt a fluttering in his chest and tilted his head to slide his tongue past Gaara’s lips. He heard the man underneath him gasp in surprise and the blonde felt a familiar tug in his stomach at the sound. His touch-starved body reacted immediately and he brought his hand up to cradle the side of Gaara’s face as he deepened the kiss.
Raw desire soon overtook Naruto and suddenly he wasn’t close enough to Gaara. He pressed himself into the man, groaning against his lips as he ground their hips together.
“Mmm,” Gaara mumbled, breaking the kiss. “Naruto, wait.”
The blonde pulled back slightly when felt Gaara’s hands grip his waist and start to push him back.
“What’s wrong?” he asked breathlessly.
“We can’t do this now,” Gaara explained. His eyes were closed and he panted slightly.
Naruto stared down at him in confusion and pushed their hips together again. Arousal was evident for them both.
Gaara shuddered and groaned underneath him, but gripped his hips harder to still the movement.
“Are you sure?” Naruto asked, suggestively. “Because it seems like you want to.”
Gaara sighed and turned his head away, eyes still closed, “Of course I want to. I just can’t right now. I have a lot of music I need to learn for band practice on Monday.”
“Babe, it’s Saturday night. You have plenty of time to study,” Naruto insisted. He ducked his head down and nibbled at the side of Gaara’s neck while one of his hands strayed down to the man’s sweatpants. His fingertips grazed along the edge of the soft cotton before slowly sliding underneath.
“Naruto stop,” Gaara groaned. He grabbed the blonde’s wrist before he could reach his destination.
“You don’t need to practice for practice babe,” Naruto mumbled as he kissed along his jaw.
“You don’t understand. There’s a lot to learn and I don’t want them to think I’m not serious about this,” Gaara insisted, voice strained. He turned his head away and from the blonde’s lips.
Naruto pulled off of his neck and hovered over his face again. He felt frustration lick at his spine and knew he wasn’t about to give up so easily. He leaned down to kiss the man again but the redhead moved his head to the other side so Naruto caught his cheek instead. The blonde made due with the contact and kissed his way over to his ear.
“Gaara please,” Naruto breathed as he nibbled on the pale earlobe. “We can be quick, I promise. I’ll let you get back to work right after.”
The blonde dragged his lips down the side of Gaara’s neck, gently nipping at his pulse the way he knew he liked. He felt the man’s breath hitch and knew he almost had him.
“It’s been so long. I miss you,” he whispered fervently against the hinge of his jaw. He took Gaara’s hand and pressed it firmly against his own rapidly-hardening length.
His heart jumped as he heard Gaara groan below him. The excitement was short-lived however once the redhead grabbed him firmly by the thighs and gently moved Naruto off of him. He was panting slightly when he sat up and turned to look at him.
“I’m sorry baby. I want to be with you but you know how it is. We’ll both pass out as soon as we’re done and I’ll never want to get back to work,” Gaara explained gently.
Naruto exhaled loudly and laid back on the bed. He stared up at the ceiling thoroughly vexed and more than a little frustrated. “Gaara it’s not even 7:00 yet. You can’t spare fifteen minutes for me?” he chided.
“I’m sorry,” Gaara said leaning over him to quickly peck him on the cheek. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
Naruto’s narrow blue eyes tracked the redhead as he scooted off of their bed and headed back out towards the living room.
“So much for reconnecting,” Naruto muttered to himself. He squeezed his thighs together to try to relieve some of the pressure growing in his nether regions. He briefly considered just taking care of himself, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough.
After a two-month dry spell Naruto craved intimacy. He wanted to be touched and teased and kissed and held. His right hand could only do so much for him.
The blonde sighed and decided to try to rid himself of the excess energy by getting a jump on the upcoming work week. He went over to his work-bag and grabbed his company-issued laptop. He settled back onto the bed and turned on some music before beginning the mind-numbing task of updating client profiles.
As he worked, thoughts of Gaara continued to enter Naruto’s brain. Over the past few weeks he’d started to feel more anxious about the state of their relationship. It felt like there was a steady distance growing between them and Naruto was scared to think about what it would mean for them. He loved Gaara and wanted to be there for him as much as he could, but he could sense a small part of himself hardening each time the redhead pushed him away. Naruto tried not to look too closely at that.
On the bright side, Gaara would be back to his old self soon. Now that he was employed and back to doing what he loved, their relationship would get back to the way it used to be. He just had to be patient.
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