Okies, I decided to add a second chapter, just for you guys. Squee, fear it.

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Nighttime is lonely. Especially when you can't sleep. It's even lonlier when you haven't slept in...well, your whole life.

These were Gaara's thoughts as he sat on Naruto's bed watching Naruto sleep. The blonde was snoring gently, his chest steadily rising up and down. His lips curled into a smile and he muttered something incoherent as he dreamed. It wasn't a nightmare, Gaara could tell that much, but was unable to tell anything further for Naruto rolled over and the muttering stopped. Gaara was saddened, he had never slept, so he had never gotten a chance to dream. Sitting back against a pillow, he recalled the day Naruto had explained to him what a dream was. It was a fond memory and he thought of it often, especially at night.

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"Uwaaah!" yawned Naruto, "Man, I had such a weird dream last night." Gaara looked confused.

"What's a dream?" Naruto stared at him in disbelief.

"What kind of a question is that? You mean you've never had a dream before?"

"I've never slept before, and I'm fairly certain you have to be able to sleep to dream. At least, that's how I figure it, seeing's how I watch you. You talk sometimes, it's funny."

"What?! I don't talk in my sleep!"

"Yes, you do. Last night you said something about drowning Sasuke in a bowl of Ramen."

"What a waste of Ramen."

The two laughed and Gaara asked again.

"So, what is a dream?"

"Well, it's kinda hard to explain, but a dream is like...hmm...it's like your mind takes everything you've ever done, said, seen, etc. and takes some of everything and mashes it up. Like I've dreamt before, that I'm in the desert fighting a rabid chicken."

"That...is completely ridiculous."

" I know! They don't always make sense. Sometimes you can control what happens and what you say and stuff. Sometimes it's really scary!" Naruto waved his arms around for emphasis. Gaara raised a nonexistant eyebrow and laughed at him.

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Gaara looked back at Naruto and sighed. He was tired of not being able to sleep like a normal person. He should have been used to it by now, but he wasn't. He knew there was no helping the raccoon-like bags around his eyes from the lack of sleep, but it would be nice to sleep once in his life without Shukaku doing horrible things to his mind.

'You know I can hear you, brat.'

'What do you want, Shukaku?'

'You to stop whining.' The Tanuki was obviously irratated.

'Well, if you didn't have to be so corruptive to me, I wouldn't be complaining, would I now?' Shukaku snarled at him.

'It is my nature, I like to kill, I like to maim, I LIKE to corrupt minds and drive people insane.' Gaara pulled a disgusted face as Shukaku sent him visual images as he spoke. The Tanuki laughed and the images faded.

'If you were a little better about that, your containers would last longer and you wouldn't keep being put in worthless infants, stupid.' Shukaku was getting really annoyed with the sarcastic comments and sent a shockwave of pain through Gaara's head, something he did quite often.

'If I could, I would kill you myself.'

'Leave me alone, I hate you.'

'I assure you, I hate you, too.'

Gaara rubbed his throbbing temples as Shukaku receeded. That animal was so difficult sometimes. Like a small child. He groaned as Shukaku sent another wave of pain shooting through his skull for the remark. Naruto shifted at the noise, then awoke. Looking up at Gaara through bleary, sleep-filled eyes, he asked,

"Wha's a matter, Gaara?" He rubbed at his face and yawned hugely.

"Nothing, Shukaku's being an ass, go back to sleep." Gaara groaned again as Shukaku punished him yet again.

"Don' wanna." He yawned again.

"It's four a.m."

"So?" Gaara shrugged and sighed again.

"Really, What's w-w-r-r-ong?" he asked, yawning through his words.

"Just thinking." Gaara sounded sad now.

"'Bout what?"

"How lonely nighttime is when you're the only one awake."

"Aww...Poor you." Naruto reached over and hugged Gaara. Gaara wrapped his pale arms around Naruto and rested his cheek on top of his head.

"I was just thinking about how depressing it is that I can't sleep, I can't dream, and I never will as long as Shukaku is here in my head. I want to dream at least once in my life before I die, but I know Shukaku won't let that happen." He was almost in tears at the thought.

Naruto tightened the hug and Shukaku growled in the back of Gaara's head. 'Go die, Shukaku.' 'Make me, brat.'

"I'm sowwy, Gaa-chan. If I could help I would." Gaara smiled at the cute talk Naruto was giving him and fluffed his hair.

"I know. It helps that I can watch you sleep. It helps me understand a little better what I'm missing."

Naruto smiled and yawned again. "Maybe I will go back to sleep." Gaara chuckled.

"You should, otherwise I'll never be able to get you up in the morning."

"Hahaha, true. G'night, Gaa-chan."

Gaara kissed him before the Kyuubi drifted off back to dream land. The golden haired boy smiled happily and started snoring quietly again.

"Yeah, good night, Naru-chan."

He ran a hand through Naruto's hair, and Naruto cuddled to him like a happy cat. It was Gaara's turn to smile, and he continued to pet the boy. If Naruto had been able to purr, he would have done so. Unfortunately, Kyuubi was a fox and foxes did not do such things. Especially demon ones.

"I watch you sleep. Because I can't."

He leaned down and whispered into Naruto's ear.

"I love you, have a happy dreamtime." Naruto giggled in his sleep.

"Wuv you too."

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yay fluff! Review!!