Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Torrid	By : KageKitsuneXXX Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 4665 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
A/N: Long but necessary a/n, so buckle up. My comp is clinically dead. I have it on life support, but I fear it's only a matter of time. It's a gamble every time I turn it off for the night, since I fear I won't be able to turn it back on. Why should you care, you ask? Well if I can't boot up, I can't type, and if I can't type… well you get the picture. I'm update fairly frequently and at regular intervals, so if two or more weeks pass without an update, someone please play 'Taps' for my computer. In the mean time, keep your fingers crossed that my inner tech genius keeps on shining and my computer doesn't give up the ghost.
Also, I got a surprising number of reviews ('surprising' being more than zero) expressing concern that I might get upset about getting too many reviews from a particular reviewer or about the review being inarticulate. Are you kidding me? I've never met an author complaining about getting too many positive reviews, and if such people exist, I'm sure they're pretty rare! I don't mind if you want to review every paragraph- in fact, please do! *waggles eyebrows*
Now about any review being 'ineloquent'; you took the time to actually drop a line whether it was criticism and/or encouragement, and that is the world to an author. You could've just 'read and run', but you didn't, and I'm grateful for that. All reviews are welcomed, loved and given warm cookies and milk before bedtime!
Now go enjoy the chapter!
Naruto felt his heart stop. There was a moment of complete silence, before it started racing again. He struggled to breathe and stay calm under Sakura's eagle gaze.
"What are you-" Naruto stopped and swallowed, trying to keep his voice even. "What do you mean?"
Sakura took another generous sip of the sake and closed her eyes against the burn. "I've been trying to figure it out, you know? Break it down to its base components and then try and put it back together. I've been trying to work out the mechanism and construct the formula. That way, I can reapply it under different conditions."
Naruto's brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of Sakura's technical speech, his heart still thudding in apprehension. "What?"
"I don't understand it, Naruto. I'm missing some component- the catalyst or something." She huffed in frustration at her friend's obvious confusion. "I'm trying to figure out how you and Sasuke work. So I need you to tell me what happens between you two. What do you do that makes it work? What is the formula?"
Naruto felt nearly dizzy with relief as Sakura put the bottle down on the kitchen counter. For a moment, he had been so sure that it was all over. His relief was short-lived, however, as he looked up at her approach. Her desperation was evident on her face and in her agitated movements; and Naruto felt his heart sink.
"Tell me what you do to make him see you. I don't know how, and I need to find out. He doesn't see me, Naruto- I'm nothing. I can't be 'nothing' to him; so I need you to tell me how to make it work. Tell me why he sees you."
Naruto stood in silence for a moment as he replayed the question in his mind. He looked sadly at the broken girl before him; and felt bitter empathy tighten his chest.
"I don't know how it works, Sakura. It's just the way it is. I don't think he sees me either- not really; and I honestly have no idea how to change that."
Sakura searched Naruto's face, trying to figure out if he was simply holding out on her in her moment of need. But his look convinced her that he spoke the truth- that the answer she was looking for wasn't there. She stared in silence for a moment longer, before she suddenly started snickering. She didn't know if it was the alcohol, her exhaustion or just the insanity of the situation; but at the moment, Naruto's ignorance seemed like the funniest thing in the world. The concern on his face only sent her into peals of laughter that much faster.
"You don't know? Really? Well, if you don't know, Naruto, how the hell is anyone else supposed to figure it out?"
Naruto stood dumbstruck at Sakura's wild laughter, becoming frightened by the touch of hysteria in it. He was at a loss for a moment before acting on his instinct, and grabbing her. He gave her a quick, hard shake, yelling at her to stop. The sudden action startled Sakura out into silence, and she stood shocked, as Naruto gripped her.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you really falling apart over this?" Naruto felt like shaking the stunned girl again, but restrained himself. "Since when is being Uchiha Sakura all there is to you? You're supposed to be smart, the one who has it all together!"
Sakura stared, wide-eyed, as Naruto let go of her. She was still reeling from the unexpected act; but was more distracted by the thought that she hadn't seen him look this upset in a long time. He shook his head as he ran a tired hand over his face.
"This isn't you, Sakura. You're not supposed to be the person who builds an entire life around someone else. You're not the person who goes to pieces because the person you love can't love you back. Only a pathetic person does that, someone who doesn't know better, someone who-" Naruto's voice broke for a second, and he struggled to contain the raw emotions coursing through him. "-someone who probably doesn't deserve anything else. But you're not that person; you're supposed to be better than that. You're…"
Supposed to be better than me.
"I know you feel like you're nothing now, Sakura; but you're not. There's more to you that this. There's more to you than being Sasuke's wife and getting him to love you. You can be sad that this is happening and you can be angry; but you can't fall apart. Try and remember who you are."
Sakura took a shuddering breath before bursting into tears again. She was getting tired of crying; but it seemed to be the only outlet she had anymore. "I don't know what's happening to me."
For Naruto, the crying was worse than the manic laughter. He hugged the sobbing girl tightly to him as she bawled against his chest. The more he tried to hush her, the more she seemed to cry. Finally, he picked her up and walked into the living room, cradling her against him as he sat on the sofa. It took awhile, but finally, the wracking sobs reduced to sniffles.
"It's not supposed to be this hard, Naruto. I thought that if I loved him enough and tried hard enough; eventually he'd love me back. But it's not supposed to be this hard, is it?"
Naruto had been wondering the same thing, himself. He kissed the top of Sakura's head and held her closely, trying to soothe her. He then told her the same thing he'd tell himself when he felt the way she did.
"I think that some people might have a painful type of love; where the challenges in the relationship just seem kind of insane. But then, that's the type of love that makes up the legends, right? All the really great and epic love affairs had the painful type of love at some point. Romeo and Juliet had it, Antony and Cleopatra… so, okay, those didn't end so well, but you get my drift. Maybe we have it hard because we're meant for epic loves."
Sakura didn't respond, having fallen asleep a good while ago. Naruto sighed as he shifted to settle into a more comfortable position. Either he was meant to have an 'epic' romance with Sasuke, or Sakura was- and he knew it couldn't be both. It was time to find out once and for all.
Naruto had been rehearsing the scene all day, and had no confidence in any of the happy endings he had planned. Sasuke didn't respond well to ultimatums; so when the man showed up in his apartment, Naruto tried to brace himself for the worst.
Sasuke felt Naruto's unblinking stare the moment he stepped through the door and took his shoes off. It continued as he went to the fridge for something to eat, and didn't break as he sat down at the table.
"What?"
"Sakura was here a couple days ago. She was really upset."
"Hmm…"
Naruto waited for further comment from Sasuke, but he seemed far more interested in his cold cereal. Naruto decided to try again.
"She was really upset- crying and everything. It took her awhile to calm down, no matter how I tried to comfort her."
For some reason, that got his attention. "Really, what comforting methods did you end up using?"
"I'm trying to tell you that your wife was here, going to pieces, because she thinks she's a non-factor in your marriage."
"We both know Sakura tends towards the histrionic. Our marriage, considering the circumstances, is fine. Besides, I've told you time and time again, that it is none of your concern."
"When it lands on my doorstep, it becomes my concern. You said you could handle it."
"I am handling it."
"Well then you're not doing a very good job!"
Sasuke only glared in response as Naruto tried to keep hold of his temper.
"Obviously everything is not okay, or she wouldn't have shown up here. She's in love with you, Sasuke and she thinks she's nothing but wallpaper."
"Sakura's in love with the idea of love. It seems to be a common delusion in this town. I'm sure the state of affairs leading up to our marriage has taken their toll on her. There's not much I can do about that." Sasuke sucked on his spoon in deep contemplation. "She should get a lover…maybe that's why she was really here. Just how did you comfort her again?"
The man was a sociopath- that's the only answer Naruto could think of, that explained Sasuke's nearly absurd nonchalance to obvious crises.
"I didn't sleep with her, Sasuke! Where the hell do you get off implying that?"
Sasuke shrugged; apparently unaware of how close he was to having his bowl of cereal forcibly shoved down his throat.
"What can I say? I was curious. Are you telling me you haven't thought about it? From your point of view, I would think there'd be a level of poetic justice to it if you were screwing both of us. After all, you said you loved her too at one point. Maybe that's the answer to all our problems. You won't feel guilty, she won't be so hysterical anymore, and both of you can get off my back."
Naruto could only look at Sasuke, completely dumbstruck by the statement.
"I can't tell if you're joking or not, Sasuke. That's where we are now- that's the point we've reached. I can't tell if you really believe that's an option." Naruto sighed heavily and massaged the bridge of his nose. "You know what… screw this, I'm done. Get out."
Sasuke rolled his eyes and gave a longsuffering sigh. "You keep blowing everything out of pro-"
"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY APARTMENT!"
One minute the table was in front of Sasuke, and the next, it was flying across the kitchen and crashing into the wall.
Sasuke blinked slowly; having fought hard to keep down his startle response. He was well aware of the potential depth and intensity of Naruto's temper, and judging from the blue steel in Naruto's look, now would not be the time to test it.
"Do I have your attention now? Try listening to me when I say something. I said I'm done, and I don't want you here. I'm sick of having this conversation with you, Sasuke, so I'm not having it anymore."
"You don't want me to walk out that door, Naruto." Sasuke spoke softly and deliberately; as if trying to get through to a stubborn, petulant child. It wasn't helping his case.
"Either you walk out of your own volition, or I can put you out- your choice."
Soon, Naruto heard the door closed softly behind Sasuke and he expelled a breath he hadn't known he was holding. He waited for the feelings of devastation and finality, but they never came. He knew Sasuke, and he could tell from that look the man gave him, that this wasn't over.
Now all he could do was to wait for the other shoe to drop.
"Breakfast is almost ready, so come and get it!"
Naruto squinted in confusion at his telephone receiver. Sakura's cheery voice on the other end of the line surprised him on several levels. He hadn't seen or heard from her or her husband for almost a week.
"Breakfast? Does Sasuke know you're inviting me?"
"Yes, why- are you guys fighting or something?"
Naruto ignored the question. "Look Sakura-chan, I don't think that's such a good idea."
"Naruto, please? Just come over. I have lots of food!"
For his second surprise of the morning, Ino was the one who flung the door open to greet him. She grinned as she waved him inside.
"You got the breakfast invite too, huh?" She quickly yelled back to Sakura. "Naruto's here!"
Sakura waved from the kitchen, the picture-perfect embodiment of the domestic happiness. "I'm almost done, just hang on a bit."
"Ah, do you need any help, Sakura-chan?"
Ino snorted and hauled him aside. "Let the tramp cook, we have things to discuss."
Naruto allowed himself to be pulled into a corner, all the while looking around for Sasuke. He didn't see him, and he wasn't surprised. Even if Sasuke was actually willing to see him, it usually took superhuman effort to get the man out of bed on a Saturday morning.
"So just so you know, you're my religion now."
The odd statement distracted Naruto from his futile search. "Huh?"
Ino grinned up cheekily at him. "I don't know what you did or what you said and, frankly, I don't need to know. My faith is strong, and I know your ways are superior and mysterious. I never doubted you! Okay, maybe a little bit at one point; but I mostly never doubted you. I, for one, will welcome you when you become our new blond overlord."
"Alright, Ino, not only are you confusing me; you're starting to creep me out a little. What are you babbling about?
"Sasuke and Sakura, or should I say Ward and June Cleaver. Sakura didn't give you the run down?"
Ino rubbed her hands together gleefully, relishing the opportunity to give the scoop.
"Well, she told me that a few days ago, Sasuke came home and did the unimaginable." Ino waited patiently for Naruto to either guess or urge her to tell; so she was a bit annoyed when all he did was stare blankly.
"You said it was unimaginable…" Naruto muttered in his defence against Ino's pointed glare.
"She said he apologised." She nodded excitedly at Naruto's incredulous look. "Yep, said he had no idea he was being so inattentive to her and promised to do better."
"Sasuke did?"
"Uh huh; said he also knew that circumstances leading up to the marriage couldn't have been easy for her either, but now they're in it together, he wanted to at least try and make it work."
Naruto gave a weak, disbelieving laugh. This was the furthest thing from what he was expecting. As Ino continued to cheerfully recount the resurrection of Sasuke and Sakura's marriage, he felt as if his air was slowly being cut off.
"Um, are you sure? I don't think I've ever heard Sasuke apologise for anything…ever."
As if on cue, Sasuke emerged from the master bedroom. He coolly inclined his head in greeting to Naruto and Ino, before wandering into the kitchen to greet his wife. The two blondes in the room stood, mouths agape, as Sasuke stood behind his wife and slid his arms around her, quite effectively startling Sakura.
"See, I told you." Ino whispered conspiratorially as they watched the couple. "She says he's being doing things like that all week. And well, maybe, he didn't say 'I'm sorry' in so many words, but she swore his tone was apologetic. She says he's making a serious effort. I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it for myself these last couple of days. I guess that's why we're both here- the official unveiling of the new and improved Uchiha marriage."
"That's…great." Naruto replied hollowly.
"Heads up," Ino elbowed him in the ribs as Sakura called them both into the kitchen's dining area. "It's show time."
It was the performance of a lifetime. The key to the whole thing was to not oversell it. Sasuke didn't have his hands all over Sakura. He wasn't hand-feeding her fruit, and he wasn't complimenting her with every other breath. That would have been cheesy and way too obvious. Besides, absolutely no one would have bought that. It was the subtle things that were supposed to do the talking for his alleged new attitude. Naruto took a small sip of orange juice and watched the farce unfold.
He kept his attention on her the entire time- responding with casual ease to whatever she said. There were small, not-too-hidden smiles, and Naruto had to admit, the accidental meeting of hands when reaching for something, was a singularly brilliant touch. Sakura had been pulled back into the role of the blushing bride. She was clearly still a little off-kilter by this dramatic turn around on Sasuke's part; but despite her obvious uncertainty and skittishness, she was already won over. She had to remind herself that she had guests to whom she owed her attention.
"Naruto, are you okay? You barely touched your food."
Naruto smiled awkwardly. "I'm fine, Sakura-chan. I guess my body just hasn't woken up yet. Besides, you made enough to feed an army."
She really had gone all out. Naruto only saw breakfast spreads like that on buffet tables in hotels. There was everything from natto to bacon and eggs. Even if everything he ate didn't taste like ash in his mouth; Naruto would still be hard-pressed to make even dent in all the juices, tea, jam and toast. All this production was a testament to Sakura's nervous energy and excitement, and Naruto struggled to appear as if he was enjoying himself.
The breakfast dragged on, and it took Ino's initiative to bring it to a merciful end.
"Okay, let's go!"
"Go where?" Sakura asked blankly as Ino clapped her hands on the table and stood purposefully.
"Shopping! You need a break from the emotional rollercoaster, and I need shoes; since you apparently have no intention of returning mine."
"Ino!" Sakura was horrified at Ino's blatant lack of diplomacy towards Sasuke. Her friend wanted to make it clear that, in her eyes, Sasuke was still on rocky ground. "We'll go, but let me clear the table first."
"Naruto and Dr. Jekyll can do it. It's the weekend and there are sales and by mid-day it will be like competing in the Iditarod, so mush!"
Sakura's face reddened at Ino's rudeness. However, it was Sasuke who had the final say.
"It's fine, Sakura. I can clear a table. It happens to be one of my many talents."
Sakura's blush deepened as she nodded. "Naruto, I didn't call you over just so I could ditch you…"
"It's okay, Sakura-chan. Thanks for the meal."
A few minutes later, the chattering women were out the door, and a deafening silence settled over the condo. Naruto stared at his plate, feeling Sasuke's eyes boring into him.
"So, you wash while I dry?" Sasuke asked lightly.
Naruto pushed away from the table. "Clear your own damn table."
Sasuke snorted at the brusque response and remained seated, waiting until Naruto had drawn abreast of him before speaking again.
"You were right, you know. I was being unfair and close-minded when it came to this marriage. I did need to take a different approach."
"When I told you I was done screwing around with you, Sasuke, I meant to include the mind-fucking." Naruto continued towards the door. "I'm not playing this game."
"You think this is a game?" Sasuke was on his feet then, his words halting Naruto. "You've known me forever, Naruto. So you should know better than anyone, that I don't play games."
Naruto turned back, raising a disbelieving eyebrow at Sasuke's statement. "Then what do you call this then? What you're doing with Sakura?"
"I'm making the effort. That's what you've all been telling me to do. I'm just trying to make everyone happy. I'm doing what you want."
"You don't have a fucking clue about what I want." Naruto muttered softly before turning heel and attempting to walk away again.
"It wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be." Sasuke called out, the edge of desperation barely concealed in his voice. Naruto halted again, against his better judgement. "After I got over the initial uneasiness, I actually found that I was enjoying myself. After awhile, I realized that this might just be able to work. Maybe it was only a matter of not having enough exposure and experience. I was surprised at just how right it felt."
"Shut up." Naruto still hadn't turned back; but the quiet warning came across clearly.
"I'm not going to say which is better: being with you, or being with my wife, because that would be juvenile, right? Besides, I find that to be a pointless endeavour, since it would be like comparing apples and oranges, or in this case, oranges and cherries."
"I swear to God, Sasuke…"
Sasuke continued recklessly; feeding off the growing tension in the room, knowing he was pushing all the right buttons.
"But you know how that goes, don't you? You keep having one thing over and over, eventually it starts losing its flavour; but you keep at it, thinking that's all there is. Then you follow some sage advice and try something new, suddenly you find just what you've been missing. Makes you wonder just what you've been doing- wasting all this time on the wrong path-"
Naruto closed the distance between them almost instantly. He grabbed Sasuke's shirt and slammed him against the wall so hard that, for a moment, all the man could see were stars.
"Shut up, shut up! I'm not going to let you stand here and-"
"And what? Tell you what you don't like to hear, even if it's true?" He grinned up malevolently at Naruto's rage, looking unflinchingly into the narrowed eyes. Naruto's face was barely a breath away from his, and he could feel the heat radiating the body pressed against his. His body responded automatically, his arousal already chafing from the material of his pants.
"I don't understand what you're getting so upset over, Naruto. I thought you'd be ecstatic that it's working out so well. After all, Sakura and I may just be able to live happily ever after."
Naruto crushed their lips together to silence him. Sasuke had figured it would have been a toss-up between that or being throttled. Luckily, his gamble paid off. Sasuke responded eagerly, the rough kiss deepening as Naruto ground against him. He didn't hesitate for a moment- pulling up Naruto's shirt so he could feel the hot skin underneath. He dug his blunted nails into the tanned back as he thrust his tongue against Naruto's and bit at his lower lip. He was panting as Naruto broke the kiss and moved to his throat; groaning as he felt Naruto's teeth graze against the sensitive spot at the base of his neck. He thrust into the hand groping his crotch, and hauled Naruto by his hair, pulling him into another eating kiss.
They finally paused, oxygen deprived, and Sasuke rested his head on Naruto's shoulder. He ran his tongue over his bruised lips and began nuzzling Naruto's neck. He trailed kisses along the smooth jaw-line and sucked lightly at the other man's ear lobe.
"Then again, it's kind of hard to lose appreciation for a good piece of citrus." He didn't want the anger to ebb, not yet, and he felt satisfaction course though him as Naruto stiffened at the loaded remark.
"I thought I told you to shut up."
He would have gloated about just how easy it was to rile Naruto up, had he not been busy getting his fix. He felt as if he was on fire as Naruto pushed him onto the dining table, sending several dishes crashing to the floor as his pants and underwear were yanked down. His erection was almost painful, and he desperately needed relief. He turned, bending over the table and hissed at Naruto to hurry up. It had been an awful week and he needed this badly. He almost came when he heard Naruto unzip his pants.
"Ugh, will you hurry up already!" He tried to remember not to tense and make it harder on himself. It was never easy without the lube, but as with all those moments before, they were both too far-gone to care.
Sasuke cried out in surprised pleasure as Naruto's slickened fingers entered him. Trust Naruto to do something like that even after losing his temper. Sasuke couldn't keep back a smile- his lover was such a boy scout.
"You're always such a nice guy, Naruto," Sasuke gasped as the fingers scissored deep inside him. "How has that been working out for you?"
He didn't have to look back to know Naruto's eyes were darkening at the taunt. Abruptly, the fingers disappeared and a heartbeat later, Naruto was inside him.
Sasuke's hands fisted into the tablecloth, tipping over the tea and the orange juice. Naruto drew back and plunged into him again, hitting with perfect accuracy the spot that made Sasuke's pain and discomfort dissipate on impact. Sasuke moaned Naruto's name brokenly as the speed and power of the thrusts built. He clawed at the table, Naruto harsh breathing above him muting the sounds of breaking plates and tinkling glass.
"Oh God, Naruto, don't stop." His vision flickered wildly as Naruto's hands dug into his hips. He groaned wantonly as his legs were kicked further apart and Naruto continued to pound into him. The force of their movement inching the heavy table forward. "Yes…so good, don't stop…please."
He grunted as Naruto's hand fisted into his hair and yanked him backwards. He reached back automatically, tangling his own hand into the blond hair and half-twisting to initiate another kiss. He shuddered as Naruto stroked the length of his turgid erection, the pace of the thrusts not slackening.
"Is it better than this?" Naruto whispered hoarsely as he rubbed the head of Sasuke's dripping member.
Sasuke had no idea what Naruto could be taking about. How could something else be better when there wasn't anything else? Only they existed- just him, Naruto and the inferno surrounding them.
"It wasn't a rhetorical question, bastard. It is better than this?"
"No…" Sasuke responded honestly, all plans and strategies having scattered from his mind the minute Naruto entered him. Nothing could possibly be better.
"Do you belong to me?" The question was soft and uncertain, and it belied the hard, authoritative thrusts of Naruto's body into his. Sasuke only gasped wordlessly, fighting against the oncoming rush of his orgasm.
"Do you belong to me?" Naruto demanded again, pumping Sasuke's weeping erection.
"Yes, god, yes…"
Later, Naruto would kick himself for not asking that question; but at his limit, he found himself confessing yet again.
"I love you, Sasuke." Naruto buried his face in Sasuke's neck, feeling his own climax rapidly approaching. "I love you so much."
There was no stopping it then- Naruto's words destroying the last vestiges of his self-control. Sasuke's body locked up, and his orgasm hit hard; spilling through Naruto's fingers and splattering wetly unto the table. He whimpered, riding the waves of pleasure as Naruto continued to move inside him. He clenched around Naruto, milking him through his climax, before they both collapsed onto the ruined table.
Naruto tried to catch his breath as he stood up, momentarily distracted by the sound of Sasuke's exhausted moan as he pulled out of him. He tried to get his bearings as he leaned against the wall and pulled up his boxers and pants. He blinked as he surveyed the dining area.
It looked as if a small hurricane had hit. They had shoved almost everything off the table. What hadn't fallen off, or been smashed, sat or lay at precarious angles. The tablecloth now looked like some sort of freaky modern art piece. Splotches of colour from the natto, jam and sauces stained the material- not to mention the effect of Sasuke's own contribution. The spilled tea and orange juice soaked the cloth; and it slouched pathetically to the floor, one edge remaining on the table since it was trapped under Sasuke's prone body.
Stupid, stupid, stupid…
Why was he always so stupid? Naruto looked around a bit panicked, half-expecting to see Sakura march through the door and catch them in the very indelicate position. He quickly shifted to damage-control mode and tried to figure out what he should do first. Despite the mess, he was certain finding her husband slumped over the kitchen table, naked from the waist down, would be the biggest shock to Sakura. He dragged Sasuke to his feet, since the man seemed to have no intention of ever moving again.
"Will you cooperate just once in your damned life?" Naruto hissed in exasperation as he half-dragged, half-carried Sasuke to his bedroom. After he dumped him unto the messy bed, he quickly headed back into the kitchen to clean up the dining area.
The amount of broken cutlery horrified him, but all he could think to do was to dump them in the trash. The tablecloth went into the bin as well. Even if all the stains could be washed out; the idea of Sakura or anyone else eating off it was simply too much. The unbroken things were placed in the sink, and he then switched his attention to cleaning the floor. Eventually, the area was clean again- significantly more bare than before- but clean. He finally headed back to the bedroom to take care of Sasuke.
Sasuke awoke to the sensation of Naruto's fingers lightly skimming over his hips and backside. It was a wonderful feeling, and he sighed to show his appreciation.
"Did I hurt you?"
"What, you mean the sex? We've done it like that a lot of times, Naruto."
"That wasn't an answer…"
Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned over so he could look at Naruto. "No, you didn't hurt me. Probably because I'm not a paper-doll. You like to play rough sometimes, I do too."
Sasuke smiled suggestively as he pushed his foot under Naruto's shirt and used his toes to caress the abs beneath it. Naruto captured the foot and pulled it from under his shirt.
"Rough sex is one thing; doing it while I'm in a rage is another. I don't want to hurt you, Sasuke. I'm not supposed to be with someone when I get like that."
"Your sentiment is moving, but again, I'm fine." Besides, he was the one who put him in that temper, and for that exact purpose. Naruto was always afraid of losing his temper or self-control around people, including him; and Sasuke sometimes went out of his way to trigger it. He wanted every part of Naruto, not just the nice, normal bits; but the darker, hidden sides as well. It irked him whenever he felt that Naruto was holding back from him.
"You can see where all ten of my fingers were on your hips. I marked you everywhere- you look a freaking tiger. Even the table made an impression." Naruto muttered as he trailed a finger across the dark imprint of the table edge. "Your skin shows everything. I'm such an idiot; I gave you hickeys all over your neck."
Sasuke smiled again, revelling in all the fuss and attention after being deprived for nearly a week. He didn't mind the marks and was usually disappointed if they all faded entirely before being replaced by new ones. Since the marriage, Naruto had been especially careful not to mark him, yet another idiotic compromise he had been forced to make.
"I can never mark you, no matter what I try. Your bruises always seem to fade in minutes. It's kind of unfair." Sasuke remarked quietly as Naruto continued the physical assessment, not hearing the musing. He recalled sucking on Naruto's neck for nearly an hour once when they were in college. He had waited until Naruto had fallen asleep, feeling a little like a creepy vampire. It had been necessary, since he would have been leaving Naruto alone for the weekend to attend a family conference and he had needed a mark of ownership. He had been so pissed to find Naruto completely bruise-free when they had gotten up the next day.
"You're sure you're okay?"
"I don't know…maybe it'll hit me later." Sasuke decided to capitalise on all the useless and unwarranted guilt Naruto was feeling. He took hold of Naruto's shirt and slowly pulled him towards him. "Why don't you make it up to me then?"
The next time he awoke, the mid-day sun was streaming into the bedroom, throwing light everywhere. Naruto sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the wedding picture on the night-table. Sasuke sat up slowly, trying to shake off his lethargy.
"You know, when you told me that you were marrying Sakura, I promised myself that I would end this, because it wasn't just us anymore, and I didn't want to hurt a friend. I held on for awhile until your wedding. That night, I felt so miserable and hollow, and all I wanted to do was reclaim you, even for a little while, even if it was on the worst possible day at the worst possible time. After that, I said that I would never allow myself to be the other person in the marriage." Naruto chuckled ruefully. "We both know how long that resolution lasted."
Sasuke remained silent, unsure of what he should do or say. Something was happening, shifting, and he felt powerless to stop it, as if he was trying to grasp at water flowing through his fingers.
"After that, I said I would never be with you when I knew Sakura was home waiting for you, but I could keep that one either. I just kept making resolution after resolution and kept breaking them, because I was just that weak. The last resolution was that I would never do it in this house, not in this bed. At the very least, I thought I could keep that one promise to myself. I'm out of resolutions, Sasuke. I don't think I have much further to sink." Naruto turned to look at him over his shoulder. "I noticed the bed wasn't made when I brought you in here. Why was that? I know you can be kind of a slob sometimes, but Sakura-chan isn't. Were you still sleeping when I came or did you tell her to leave it alone, in case you needed to show me some evidence of how 'close' the two of you got last night?"
Sasuke didn't respond, choosing to simply stare back until Naruto turned away to look towards the window.
"You were working me from the second you got Sakura to call me over here, weren't you? It was a good plan, you always know just how to play me. I didn't even manage to hold out for you to show me your trump card." Naruto nodded slowly and sighed.
"It's not 'nothing', Sasuke, when someone loves you the way I do. It's not 'nothing'. I know you don't want it and won't return it, but that doesn't mean you can't respect it. If you knew what it meant to grow up without it, to think you would never have it or experience it, you'd know it wasn't 'nothing'. If you had any concept of it at all, you wouldn't use it as a weapon against me. It wouldn't be a means to an end, so you can have your way or make your point. If you had even the slightest idea what it was, you'd care that I feel less than human and that I can't look myself in the mirror anymore. I love you with everything I am, Sasuke, but you need to know that it's not 'nothing'; and neither am I. So I think it's time I stopped acting like it."
Naruto stood up and moved towards the door, pausing as he opened it. "You're no longer welcome at my apartment, Sasuke, and please make up a plausible excuse for the condition of the kitchen."
He stared at Naruto's front door for a moment, hesitating, wondering if he should be there or not. He hated how they'd left things before, but he also figured Naruto probably wouldn't be in a place to hear from him right now. Still, nothing ventured…
He knocked and was surprised as the door pushed open with the minimal force. He hesitated for a moment and stepped in. "Naruto?"
He moved through the silent apartment, looking about as he walked through the kitchen. He finally came to a stop at the bedroom door. He found Naruto lying on the floor, staring blankly at the bedroom ceiling.
"Naruto, are you okay?"
"I think I may be dying…" Naruto spoke softly after awhile. "I think something poisoned me. Everything hurts. It hurts to move, it hurts to think, it hurts to breathe. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm dying."
The man stood silently in the doorway, trying to think of the right thing to say.
"You ended it?" Neji asked softly, and sighed as Naruto nodded- the small movement barely discernible.
He stepped into the room and lay in the opposite direction next to Naruto, momentarily distracting the latter with the flow of dark hair. He looked at Naruto for a moment, the other man still staring unblinkingly at the ceiling.
"You're not dying… You're just heartbroken. It only feels like dying."
"Oh…" Naruto whispered back. "So that's what this is?"
Neji felt his heart squeeze painfully at the broken catches in Naruto's words.
"Heh, I think I preferred it when I was just dying." Naruto held out for a second more before covering his face with both his hands.
Neji didn't say anything, couldn't say anything. He opted instead to simply stare at the ceiling. He would spend the rest of the night in the dark, listening to Naruto cry.
TBC

A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Tell me what you think!!
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