The Fox's King

Shukaku

I lifted my head as I snapped back to Gaara's hand running through my hair while the other hand rubbed soothing circles over my back. How was it that someone like him, a cold and supposedly heartless person, could comfort someone so well? He was a man with a love reputation like an ice cube; he never showed his affection to anyone!

"Naruto, talk to me... Tell me why you're so upset all of a sudden!" Gaara whispered as he kissed the top of my head, his nose touching my scalp.

Now it made sense. The reason Gaara was still here, why he had even bothered to help me get home last night. Everything, all the years of support and the friendship was finally clicking into place inside my mind. Gaara didn't just see me as a friend, he saw me as his love. All this time he was hurting to watch me love Sasuke. No wonder he didn't like to stay long when he was in town, it was literally killing him!

"Ne... Gaara... why do you hate..." I choked as I sniffled and held back a sob. "Sasuke...?" I whispered softly.

Gaara's P.O.V

I sighed as I looked down at Naruto. It was obvious to me that he was struggling to wrap his head around something and my money, no my career, was on the Uchiha! In fact when push came to shove, most of Naruto's pain was caused by the Uchiha and I was willing to bet my life that something had happened again!

"I hate Uchiha because of the way he treats you! He doesn't actually love you, he's just using you! Yet it seems everyone can see it but you!" I muttered blankly as I rubbed his back and played with his hair. I wasn't going to hold back on Naruto just because I was his friend, he asked a question and I was giving him the honest answer whether he liked it or not!

"Why did you help me all those times then?" He whispered as he closed his eyes slowly.

I stopped my movements with my hands and looked up at his ceiling. I was in pain and I knew that if Naruto had looked into my eyes that he would have been able to see it in this exact moment. Why? Why indeed had I even bothered to help you and the Uchiha reconnect with one another?!

"I guess because I knew that he made you happy..." I whispered as pain shot through my chest and I closed my eyes, answering both him and myself!

I felt some of the weight leave my chest just as warm hands were placed on my cheeks, cupping them perfectly. "Gaara... Sasuke and I... we broke up!" Naruto whispered like a ghost as he kept his hands on my cheeks.

My eyes shot open at his words. So the Uchiha had hurt my little fox after all! I grinded my teeth together as I glared up away from him. I knew Naruto would like it if I did do something to the Uchiha, there was no way he was going to be over him yet!

"Stupid Uchiha, making your fox cry like that... you going to let him get away with it like that, Gaara?" I widened my eyes as Shukaku sounded out his own opinion.

'I can't do anything to the Uchiha, Shukaku! It'll hurt Naruto more if something were to happen to the man he loves!' I said slowly as I looked down away from him. The last thing I wanted was for him to see my pain and take advantage of it.

"Exactly, Cub...! He would hate to see something happen to the man he loves! He don't love that Uchiha asshat no more! Why can't you of all people see that?" Shukaku growled as he glared down at me.

'What's that supposed to mean?' I growled back at him. 'I'm watching the man I love cry because of that asshat!'

"Because of... not for, Gaara...!" Shukaku said softer and kinder this time. "Kit is hurting that's why he's crying! The Uchiha hurt him by using him! Kit's not crying because he wants him back, it's because he wants to forget him but can't!"

I blinked as Shukaku fell silent and his words rang through my head repetitively. "He wants to forget him but can't!"

"GAARA!" I snapped back to focus and blinked as I realised that Naruto had pulled my face down and was staring at me with eyes that knew. I frowned slightly as I stared into his eyes, what was it that Naruto had finally figured out?

What had Shukaku meant when he called Naruto Kit? And why had he referred to him as a fox? Was he teasing me for my nickname I'd given him because he was cunning and hard to catch?

"You have one too don't you?" He whispered as his blue eyes stared deep into my green ones, searching for something in their depths.

"One what Naruto?" I murmured as I blushed slightly.