A/N: Hello yet again, loyal readers and new ones alike; welcome to yet another songfic for the same shounen-ai Naruto pairing that I consistantly write for. This time it was a request, kind of. It was hinted at in an e-mail... point is, here you go, and yes the ending is meant to drift off where it does. Nothing is solid in this; it's like a small clippit, a glimpse, into the slightly angsty, love-filled world of Gaara. Heh. Enjoy, suckas.

The song, if you didn't read the summary, is 'Pieces' by Red. Great band. Great song. Wish I had been clever enough to come up with it. Or be in a band. That's be sweet.

Gaara crawled inside himself and buried his emotions as deep as he could, forcing them to remain dormant and not erupt through his eyes. Yet behind his lids a war raged, burning and stinging with an ache that begged him to cry, to let it all out.

I'm here again
A thousand miles away from you
A broken mess, just scattered pieces of who I am

He missed Naruto. He missed the ditzy blonde in flamboyant orange and dark black, the Kyuubi vessel and his best friend. He missed the Leaf shinobi so much it broke him inside. Why did he hurt so much? Why does being in separate villages make Gaara want to scream? How can he be sliced into pieces this way? Nothing had ever taken him over with so much raw force, not even Shukaku.

I tried so hard
Thought I could do this on my own
I've lost so much along the way

The redhead had lost everything throughout his life thus far. He's given up his faith in love when he was seven, his sanity between ages eight and twelve, his pride at the same age when the blonde first entered his life, his will to destroy when he was thirteen, his lack of confidence in himself when he was fourteen and became Kazekage, and his life for his village and his demon when he was fifteen. And through he had the idea that he could suffer all these trials and tribulations by himself, he knows now that he was dead wrong. All long he needed his family – protective, cocky Temari and cheeky, slightly perverted Kankurou – and his friends whom he's gained from Konoha, like Lee and Sakura… and Naruto.

Then I'll see your face
I know I'm finally yours

Gaara stood from his crouched position on his bedroom floor and moved towards his office. "Baki," he called dimly, an inner battle raging while he forced his vocal cords to keep his voice calm.

The older man appeared. "Yes, Kazekage-sama?"

"Please," he murmured in reply. His eyes refused to make contact, least he reveal his emotions through them. "Alert my siblings that they are in charge. I… I'm having some problems as of late that need to be sorted out. I'm taking two weeks off."

"Ah… but, Kazekage-sama…"

"Surely you three can manage Suna for half a month?" Gaara retorts darkly, his tone forceful.

Baki swallows, a small bubble of fear welling in the pit of his stomach. He knows that Gaara is very serious about his job, and is changed, but can still be very violent. Yet, since he does work so hard, Baki realizes that the redhead needs a 'vacation'. "Y-yes, sir. I'll alert them. But may I ask where you'll go?"

"Where else but to Konoha?" Gaara rhetorically asks. Then he's sweeping out of the room, stuffing a small amount of belongings into a bag to take with him. And once he gets to Konoha, he knows, he'll feel much better.

I find everything I thought I lost before

On his two and a half day journey to Konohagakure, Gaara couldn't only think of how strange he felt. It was as though he was possessed, an unknown force inside him driving him onward to Uzumaki Naruto, a close and dear person to his heart for reasons he couldn't begin to grasp. All Gaara knew was this: everything he thought was lost he gained back through Naruto. The blonde, with a rather crude gesture of butting his head, returned his sanity to him; Naruto gave him confidence to be a leader; what's more, Naruto let him live again after the white sheet of death had been drawn over his eyes.

After hours of thinking of this and not once sleeping and rarely stopping, Gaara arrived at Konoha's gates. He walked through, the guards up front waving him inside generously. Then, tired and on the verge of releasing his emotions, Gaara sought Naruto even if he didn't know where the kitsune lived.

You call my name
I come to you in pieces
So you can make me whole

"Gaara…?" a voice says dubiously behind him. Gaara whirls around on Konoha's streets, eyes searching wildly. Then they land on a dark green t-shirt with an orange swirl in the middle with matching orange pants. And, further up, a pile of bright blonde hair with no headband, and below that, a pair of questioning blue eyes.

He couldn't hold it in any longer. Years of suppressing emotion made him a time bomb, and the loneliness that once drowned him evaporated, leaving Gaara soaking in relief. He burst into tears, his outer shell crumbling. He ran at a ferocious speed to the blonde, nearly making Naruto fall over when he crashed into him.

"Whoa! Gaara, what's wrong?! Why are you crying? Jeez, I didn't even know you could cry, dattebayo…" he muttered idly as he held the redhead and rubbed his back. "Oi," he said after a coupe minutes, "My house is right over there. Let's not make a scene, alright? You can explain everything to me there."

I've come undone
But you make sense of who I am
Like puzzle pieces in your eye

Naruto dragged him inside, gently caressing Gaara's back to coax him to sit down on his bed, one of the few soft surfaces he has in his home. "Now what's all this about?" he asks with a teeny smile.

Gaara stifles a sob, like he has been this entire time. He wipes at his eyes and clears his throat, trying to calm himself and ready himself to elaborate on the cause of his tears. Finally, he's able to say: "I've been hurting for you."

Naruto cocks his head, attempting to figure Gaara out. He hums thoughtfully, coming up with all the possible meanings of Gaara's words. "You mean… you missed me?" the blonde guesses, a slightly puzzled frown on his golden brows.

The Kazekage nods his head and moves to hold his own knees. Naruto recognizes that motion, and his heart softens. Somehow, he always sees what Gaara hides, and understands. What's more, he seems to know all the unspoken words the redhead expresses.

'I can't be complete unless you pick up the pieces and take care of me.'

Then I'll see your face
I know I'm finally yours
I find everything I thought I lost before
You call my name
I come to you in pieces…

"Gaara," Naruto whispers softly, taking the redhead in his arms once more.

He turns and looks at the kitsune, his cool-colored orbs absorbing the features of the tan face in front of him. Naruto's eyes are closed, tears leaking through the lashes and dropping on his 'Kage robes.

Naruto is crying with him.

"Stay here with me for a while. I missed you, too, 'ttebayo." He clings tighter to the Sand nin and wipes his tears on the sleeve of his t-shirt.

Unspoken words linger in Gaara's ears, for once the words being noiselessly uttered by someone other than himself.

'I'll take care of you.'

So you can make me whole