The Return of Something

Chapter Twelve- Hardly Mine

The two young men were engulfed in each other's warmth. Hot breath, curious hands, inaudible murmurs of sweet nothing's. This first kiss after so long was intoxicating. So much, in fact, that neither of them noticed that Sakura hadn't closed the door when she exited the room that evening.

Humming to himself, a night guard of the Kazekage tower started his rounds on the second floor. Nothing was out of the ordinary until he reached the last two doors on the floor.

'This is odd.' He thought to himself. Gaara always required that doors be shut in the building for security measures. The guard peered into the slight opening. He noticed the familiar bright red hair. "Kazekage-sama? Everything alr—" the gentleman trailed off, eyes widening to the size of small dinner plates, mouth agape. Gaara's head whipped around, and he started quickly toward the guard. In a deep growl that the redhead hadn't used in several years, he addressed the guard,

"Not a word. Do you understand?" The guard didn't move. "If I so much as hear a peep about what you've witnessed, you will be exiled. I ask again: do you understand?" The guard gained enough sense about him to close his mouth and nod his head. "You are dismissed." The Kazekage snarled. He closed the door with attitude in the guard's face, turning exasperatedly towards Naruto. The raccoon lifted a hand to his forehead, rubbing his temple.

"Gaara-Sama," the blonde cautiously started. The redhead lifted his seafoam green eyes to Naruto's.

"Yes, Naruto-Kun?"

"Wh... what was that all about?" he asked bashfully. Gaara gave him a look of slight confusion. The blonde continued, "why does it matter if your guard knows? Why does it matter that we kissed?" Gaara let out a little snicker and shook his head. This slightly offended Naruto, it was as if he were a small child inquiring about the color of the sky.

"Naruto-Kun—"

"Why did you just scoff?" Naruto interrupted.

"I didn't scoff."

"Yes, you did. You just laughed at me." Gaara furrowed his brow.

"That's not what a scoff is—"

"Why did you laugh at me? Why do you care that a guard saw us?" The blonde's voice wavered with frustration.

"Naruto, I did not mean to laugh at you. The issue with the guard is a complex one. You needn't worry about it." Strong start, poor ending. Naruto felt as if his friend was now insulting his intelligence.

"Too complex? Do you think I'm too much of a knucklehead to understand, Gaara-Kun?" Naruto snipped. Gaara exhaled with annoyance,

"No, Naruto. The matter doesn't concern you. Drop it."

"Doesn't concern me? Your tongue was just down MY throat. I think it concerns me deeply." Tension began to rise in the air, and so did Naruto's voice.

"Keep your voice down." Gaara demanded. Naruto's temple throbbed. He stormed past Gaara, toward the door. The blonde yanked the door open, revealing a still very shocked guard standing behind it.

"Would'ya beat it already?!" Naruto exclaimed. The guard shook his head, and scuttled away into the darkness like a cockroach. The fox stormed down the hallway, now regretting the fact that he and Gaara would be sharing a room tonight.

"Naruto-Kun," Gaara called after him. Naruto ignored him, proceeding towards their shared headquarters. "Naruto-Kun," he called again. The blonde stopped, allowing the Kazekage to speak. "You're going the wrong way... it's actually the room to the left of this one." Naruto's temple throbbed again as he whirled around, stomping rapidly in the opposite direction. Once he made it to the room, he slammed the door in Gaara's face. "Very mature," the redhead mumbled.