Yes, I know it's not Valentines Day, but the idea forced it's way into my head. It may not be my best written fic, but I hope you enjoy it anyways. It's my first dip into the NaruXGaa fandom, so tell me how I do!

Once Upon A Valentine

Naruto smiled, looking up at the school building, reveling in the array of pink and red banners, with the occasional white thrown in for accent. It was happy. It was festive. It was Valentines Day. It was the same holiday as every year, the same events - with only slightly varied decorations depending on who was on the decoration committee that year- But he had never been happier to see it come.

Or more nervous.

Taking a deep breath, he headed into the building, reveling in the festivities. It was more than just the happy chatter or the festive smells of different chocolates. There was something about the very air around the holidays, any holiday, that was just...uplifting. He could almost feel his nerves lifting.

Almost. Not quite..but they were getting there.

Swiftly dodging a group of girls making a mad dash after Sasuke, he ducked into his first hour class. Just as anticipated, the room was empty but for Gaara. The red head was sitting, as he always did, in the very back row, his nose shoved in some strange book by some old dead guy that Naruto had never heard of.

Naruto smiled.

"Hey."

Gaara turned his eyes upwards, even though there really wasn't any point. He already knew who it was. After being friends with Naruto for six years he'd come to recognize his voice...although that wasn't a particularly hard task when one had a voice like Naruto's. It wasn't...obnoxious...really. Just...

Well...frankly he was loud, but that wasn't his voice's fault.

"Hello." He greeted, setting the book aside. Once the blond had arrived there could be no reading. Not if he wanted to comprehend any of it. And considering the fact that he was reading it for school...comprehension was a good thing.

"So", Naruto began, his voice taking on a slightly sing-songy quality, "How's your Valentines Day?"

Gaara blinked.

"What? Don't tell me you forgot."

At that he scoffed. "The entire school looks like cupid threw up, how could I possibly forget?"

"Well you didn't answer!"

Silence.

"Gaara!"

He gave a long, self suffering sigh. "It's just another day of the year."

"Take that back!" Naruto exclaimed, in what Gaara suspected might have been real, heartfelt, horror.

"Well it is."

"No it's not!"

"What's so special about it? You don't even get off school."

"Maybe not", Naruto replied, taking his seat in front of Gaara's. Well, kind of. He was sitting backwards on his desk so that his feet were resting in his chair, his body facing Gaara in the seat behind him. Pulling his backpack up, he set it between his feet and began to rummage through it for his school supplies. "But that doesn't make it any less special. It's all about love and friendship and – Hey, what book were we supposed to get this weekend?"

"The Canterbury Tales", he sighed, "By Geoffrey Chaucer." Picking up the book he'd been reading, he waved it in the air for emphasis.

"Bleh. It sounds stupid."

"You didn't buy it, did you?"

"Nope." He replied with a grin, carelessly yanking a binder from his bag. "So, like I was saying-"

He froze as a slip of paper fluttered from his bag onto the floor, extracted when he'd grabbed his binder. Watching it, Gaara noted that it was red. And heart shaped. And-

"Is that a Valentine?" He reached to pick it up, but Naruto beat him to it, swooping down like his life depended on it.

"Heh heh", Naruto laughed, holding it behind his back. "Yeah. It is."

Gaara was quiet. "Who's it for?"

"Oh, someone", Naruto replied, with a smile, running his finger along the edge of the heart behind him. "Someone special."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"Oh."

Naruto raised a brow, slipping the paper carefully back into his backpack. "Ok then. But anyways, about Valentines Day-"

"I hate it."

Naruto paused, blinking. "Excuse me?"

"I hate this stupid excuse for a holiday."

Naruto's face dropped. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Oh...ok."

Now see, this was a problem. Especially considering that inside that paper heart were words of love.

Addressed to Gaara.

"Do you like chocolate?"

"Excuse me?"

Naruto smiled, taking his seat besides Gaara at the lunch table.

"I asked, do you like chocolate?"

Naruto had been upset before, had barely spoken to Gaara at all through first period. It may have been his one and only chance to learn something. At least, it would have been, had his mind not been clouded with thoughts. Imaginary scenarios he'd imagined of giving Gaara the card, of maybe seeing him blush. He did that sometimes. Red heads were prone to, blushed the reddest.

And Gaara was particularly cute when he did so.

Though he'd kill you for even thinking it.

Imagined rejections. Crushing and cold. Ending their friendship. Breaking his heart.

Needless to say, the Canterbury Tales went right over his head. How could he be expected to learn under these conditions.

They really should let students off for Valentines day.

It wasn't until somewhere around third period that it occurred to him: Persistence! There had to be something Gaara liked about the day, anything. Anything at all. If he could just find it, just find one little thing, then he could give him the card.

And so he waited, smiling, for Gaara's answer. The red head took an unconcerned bite of his sandwich. Before shaking his head. "No. It's too sweet."

"Oh...ok."

Crap.

"Do you like flowers?"

"Some smell nice...I suppose..."

"Valentines Day is full of flowers! All different types of roses-"

"Roses are boring, overused, overrated and painful. A bleeding finger does not say I love you."

"Oh..."

Double crap...

"Do you like hearts?"

"...I like mine...It keeps me alive...Wha-"

"Not that kind of heart! The paper kind."

"Oh. Those. Those are a poor imitation of a vital organ. If anyone had a heart shaped like that they would die."

"That's...um...is that a no?"

"That's a no."

Crap times three...

"Do you like...um...Greek mythology?"

"...Are you alright?"

"What? Yeah. Of course I am. Just answer the question."

"Yes...I suppose I do..."

"Cool! Like Cupid and Aphrodite and Eros-!"

"Eros and Cupid are one and the same. Eros was his name originally, only changed to Cupid later for some God forsaken reason. It's ridiculous really. Especially to think of a Greek God resorting to shooting humans in the ass with heart shaped arrows. It a bastardization of a perfectly good myth."

"And Aphrodite?"

"A whore."

"Damn...dude...just...damn..."

"What about red?" He exclaimed, exasperated. "Do you like the color red?"

"Not particularly..

"But your hair!"

"Is natural. I had no say in it."

"But-"

He sighed, as he so often did talking to the blond. "Naruto what's wrong? Why are you so determined to make me like this stupid holiday?"

"Because its' not stupid!"

"It's fine for you to like it", he replied, his voice sounding just a tinge aggravated. "I don't have to. Just buy some clichéd roses or some overly sweet chocolate and give them to whoever gets that stupid card."

"It's not stupid", he muttered, deflating before Gaara's eyes, though the boy had no idea why. Sure, he'd badmouthed the holiday, but Naruto looked visibly upset. He hadn't thought it mattered that much to the blond, but he felt his heart constrict as he watched his face fall. Felt the fist that had been clenched around his heart since that morning squeeze tighter. More painfully.

"Why?" He wondered softly. "Why does it matter so much?"

Naruto's eyes rose, met his and held. He was silent for a moment, and when he did speak his voice was soft. Almost a whisper.

"Because it's for you."

Gaara froze, felt his heart stop. Felt time stop.

"What?"

"I said it's for you", he repeated, clumsily digging the card from his bag yet again, handing it to Gaara. "Read it."

Gaara took the card from him, unable to make his mouth form a sensible reply, just opening the construction paper to reveal the writing inside. It was written in black sharpie, in Naruto's less than eloquent script, and slanting from the lack of lines, but he could still read it perfectly fine.

Gaara,

I know this is totally awkward and doesn't rhyme or anything, but trust ,me, you don't want the rhyming version. It sucked. I rhymed "tea" with "oligopoly". Don't even ask why that was in there. Whatever. I suck with words, you know that, because you're my best friend. You always have been and well...I want to be more that just your friend...

I love you.

Happy Valentines Day,

Naruto :)

Gaara blinked down at the card, at a complete loss for words. Naruto bit his lip, reaching out to retrieve the card. To take it home so he could cry a little ( just a bit ) before throwing it into a very festive Valentines Day fire.

But Gaara had other plans. Just before his fingers closed on the card he jerked out out of reach.

"What?"

"No."

Naruto frowned. "No?" He paused...before his face, if possible, fell further. "Oh...no."

"What? No?

"What?"

"No...just...I lied!"

Naruto blinked, confused. "What are you saying?" He wondered, while trying to decide if he should be flattered or insulted by this reaction. I mean...Gaara was typically the articulate one. To have rendered him speechless...or at least, vocally challenged...

It was definitely...something...Though what he wasn't sure.

"I lied",Gaara muttered, letting his eyes drop to the floor. "About hating it. Valentines Day, I mean..."

"What?" After all the trouble he went through? "Why?"

He mumbled his answer, his cheeks turning that adorable shade of red Naruto found so attractive. Now, however, was not the time to react. Maybe later.

"What was that?"

"Because I was jealous." He repeated, louder, taking Naruto by surprise.

"Jealous? Of what?"

"Of that card!" He exclaimed shaking the poor construction paper heart. "of whoever I thought was getting this!" He took a deep breath. "Getting this instead of me."

Naruto swallowed. "D-do you want it?"

"It's mine isn't it?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"Then I'm keeping it."

Naruto opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by the press of warm, dry, lips against his own. He groaned just a little at the contact, so long desired before slipping his arms around the other boy's waist, returning the pressure.

Gaara smiled against his lips when he began to kiss him back, both from pleasure and surprise. Naruto tasted like chocolate. And it was just sweet enough...

Wow. This fic came totally out of left field. Seriously. I have no clue why it came into creation, but it has! Whoo! I don't know how good it is, mainly because I'm tired and should really be getting to bed, but I hope everything is okay. No one was OOC or anything.

Well, for better or for worse, there it was. My first ever NaruXGaa fic. But would you believe it was my 3rd NaruXGaa plot idea? Well, believe it or not it was, so if you liked this, look for my other 3 NaruXGaa fics.

Because the fandom needs love.

_Redfaerie :)