Naruto One-Shot (Yaoi)

All the lights are shinning

"No, no trust me, it’s definitely supposed to be exactly like that,” Naruto explained as he led Gaara around his small living room.

“It just seems off somehow,” Gaara commented, circling the small oak tree centered in the middle of the room. It was taller than both of them and Gaara couldn’t help but wonder how Naruto had managed to dig it up and get it in his apartment.

As a matter of strength, well, he had full faith in Naruto. As a matter of grace and maneuverability… Gaara couldn’t help but think the tree was in surprisingly good condition.

“Well, Kakashi-sensei said most people usually get fake trees these days, that might be why,” Naruto said, knocking his knuckle against the thin trunk of the tree.

“It’s just so… tall.”

“Most trees are tall, Gaara.”

Gaara was unsure if his lack of enthusiasm had begun to upset Naruto and so he did not respond for fear of further dimming his spirit.

Naruto huffed and clapped him on the back. “Awe, come on! It probably just looks weird because you’ve never done this before. I bet in Yuki or whatever country Kakashi-sensei visited this is totally not weird at all!” Naruto paused, scrunching his nose in thought. “I’d kinda like to know what we’re supposed to do with the tree afterwards, though.”

This was, thankfully, more familiar ground for Gaara. “A cactus probably would have been easier to manage. What are you going to do when it grows too large to keep?”

“Well. Kakashi-sensei said the tree is only brought out for the holiday, but um… I don’t remember what else he said,” Naruto replied with a cheeky grin. “I guess we can just replant it and dig it up next year? Or get another one if it won’t fit anymore…” Naruto tapped his cheek for a moment before shrugging. “It’s the sentiment that counts, though, right?”

Gaara nodded along even though he was completely lost. “Right. The sentiment.”

A dead silence fell between them and Gaara was not sure if he should be the one to break it. Beside him, Naruto was still staring at the tree, beaming with the sort of innocent pride only someone with as pure a heart as Naruto’s could manage.

Gaara cleared his throat. “What… I mean, which sentiments are we talking about here?”

Naruto paused for a moment. “Ah… Happy things! Peace, hope, joy! You know, Gaara, shinobi values,” which Gaara mentally corrected to Naruto’s shinobi values.

“How does a tree represent that?”

“It… It just does. Trees are happy. Peaceful. What’s not to like about a tree, huh?”

Gaara didn’t have a good answer for that, and so they lapsed into silence again.

“So what do we do now?” Gaara eventually asked.

Naruto grinned, opening his arms like he was going to hug the entire tree. “We can decorate it!”

“We decorate it,” he echoed. “How do we do that?”

Naruto held his hand up as if he were going to say something, but then put it back down, frowning. “Um. Well. That’s a good question, isn’t it?” He gave Gaara a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s a really good question.”

“Do… do we carve something into it? Are we supposed to paint it?” Gaara looked to Naruto for guidance but was beginning to think Naruto had greatly overstated his familiarity with this holiday.

“Well… Let me see what I have around the apartment and we’ll work from there. I could always call Kakashi-sensei but… Hm, I think he and Gai-sensei had plans!”