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
- 21
- 22
- 23
A/N: Lalala! Hello, my doves! What was originally the second part of the behemoth final chapter is now here. There will be two epilogues- as suggested by the majority of you evil geniuses- to effectively deal with my odd-number issues (which is also an 'odd' number issue. Heh, see what I did there? ...Shut up). I was blown away by the sheer simplicity and brilliance of the solution when the first person suggested it. But then, almost everybody had the same answer- including a psychology disciple who advised me that the best way to deal with my compulsion was to 'go with it'. Like I said, evil geniuses, but I love you all anyway. As usual, I really hope you enjoy and anticipate your feedback.
Brownie points to you, if you guess which scene I referenced from the manga/anime. Hint: The roles were reversed for the story.

Chapter title taken from The Ready Set's 'Love like Woe'.
My Mood Music: Staind 'It's been awhile'; Vertical Horizon 'You're a god'.

Nearly half a day later, as his taxi sped to the Palais Bourbon in the heart of Paris, Sasuke still had no idea what Kakashi had been talking about. However, that was the least of his worries. Right then, finding Naruto in the massive government building had to take center stage. He dumped a fistful of bills into the driver's hand and quickly exited the car. Naruto's conference should be in session; now it was only a matter of getting in.
"I'm sorry, sir, but there is currently a summit in progress and most of the building is off-limits to the public." The cool and definite apology was delivered upon Sasuke's approach by a bored looking young woman who kept her eyes glued to the fashion magazine she had carefully hidden in the guest book. It was clear that her only job was to discourage gawking tourists and that she was giving it the minimal effort she believed it warranted.
"That's too bad. You said 'most of'?" Sasuke replied simply as he drummed his fingers on the countertop of the booth. The repetitive action annoyed the girl enough to force her to glare up at him. When her scowl changed to stunned and smiling, Sasuke knew he had hit pay dirt. "I'm a bit of a civics buff and I so badly wanted to see something of the National Assembly."
"Well, most of the building is off-limits, but the library is still open to public viewing. That's usually the main attraction anyway." The young woman beamed at him as she brushed her long, brown bangs out her eyes. "I'm Genevieve by the way."
She could have been Milady de Winter for all he cared, but a few more minutes of one-sided flirtation later, he was the owner of a young Parisian's phone number, along with directions and instructions concerning the library. Sasuke had hoped it would not be impossible to gain access to the rest of the building once he had gotten in, but he soon found out that he had been hoping in vain. All areas connected to the hemicycle where the meeting was being held were sealed off with a wall of security. It would take a positively James Bond-esque act to slip past the black-suited guards that patrolled the area. Plus, what was he going to do even if he did manage to get into the hemicycle- whistle and wave his hands like a moron while a hundred foreign dignitaries stared slack-jawed at him? Momentarily stymied, Sasuke sat in one of the cubbyholes of the majestic library, unable to appreciate the art etched into the cathedral ceilings or the mountains of books around him.
None of the heroes in any of Naruto's Icha-Icha novels was ever thwarted by something as ridiculous and mundane as the closed doors of a political conference. Then again, this impulsiveness was ridiculous on his part. Naruto was the one who flew by the seat of his pants, did the dramatic entrances and made the big speeches; not him- he planned. He placed the blame squarely on Kakashi's idiocy, which, now that Sasuke thought about it, was completely contradictory to his prior lecture on being true to one's self. This is what you get for listening to an admitted serial masturbator. Right now, what he needed was a well thought-out, properly executed plan of action- 'going big' be damned.
Sasuke's busy mind wiped blank as the implausibility that was Uzumaki Naruto strolled across the entrance of the cubbyhole, following the main passage deeper into the library. For a moment, Sasuke thought it was his imagination since he could have sworn Naruto looked sidelong at him only to continue on his way without any sign of recognition. Sasuke shot out of his seat and rushed out into the corridor, just in time to see the tall blond turn a corner into another of the library's many compartments. Sasuke followed and was about to enter Naruto's enclosure when he thought better of it and instead slipped into the neighbouring one. He watched through the wall of books as Naruto glanced fervently about him before he reached into his jacket and pulled out a candy bar.
Sasuke couldn't help but smile as Naruto cringed with every crinkle of the wrapper as he tried to stealthily open the sweet. Having finally freed the candy bar of its confinement, Naruto quickly bit it in half, shoved both pieces into his mouth and stashed the wrapper back in his pocket. His cheeks puffed out as he tried to chew quickly, casting guilty, furtive glances about him. Watching the scene, Sasuke had to wonder how he had ever thought there was a prayer of a relationship with Naruto working out while he had been married to Sakura. Naruto was clearly not cut out for a life of the illicit.
Kakashi's confusing advice floated back and Sasuke found himself reconsidering it. Dirty old man or not, his former mentor hadn't been wrong yet, and after all that had happened, maybe some sort of grand gesture was needed to push the issue. If nothing else, it would prove how committed he was to making it work this time around. Determined not to think anymore lest he be dissuaded, Sasuke did the first impulsive, seemingly romantic thing that came to mind. He stepped back out into the wide corridor of the library and clambered onto one the unoccupied tables. He cleared his throat loudly, attracting the attention of the small number of visitors and tourists that perused the displays.
"Excuse me, everyone…"

Naruto almost choked on the last bite of his candy. He thought he had been hallucinating earlier when he had seen Sasuke out of the corner of his eye as he entered the library. He had dismissed it simply because he saw Sasuke everywhere. In every instance, the image had dissolved to leave him staring at a suspicious and annoyed individual as he sputtered his apologies and beat a hasty retreat. There was no denying that voice though; that was a hundred percent Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke, who had no business being there and apparently, was in the middle of loudly calling attention to himself. Naruto immediately shot out of his chair and raced for the passageway.
Sasuke had managed to capture the attention of most of the people in the library just as Naruto skidded to a halt in order to stare at him, dumbfounded. Since his target audience had arrived, Sasuke closed his eyes, took a deep breath and prepared to declare his epic love to the world.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Sasuke almost yelped in surprise at the low, sharp hiss that came somewhere from the vicinity of his hip. Naruto had closed the distance between them in an unbelievably short space of time and was now glaring angrily up at him.
"Do you mind? I'm kind of in the middle of something here."
"Get down from the table."
Sasuke wondered if he should be worried about the ominous tone coming from the pissed-looking blond below him, but it had been awhile since he'd dealt with Naruto and maybe he was exaggerating the likelihood of physical injury being inflicted upon him. "But I'm trying to-"
"Get off the goddamned table!"
Suddenly Sasuke didn't feel like gauging the potential for violence anymore and quickly scrambled down to solid ground. Naruto smiled winningly at the befuddled people milling about and offered his apologies for the disturbance in hesitant, broken French, before repeating the same in English. Before Sasuke had any time to predict what would happen next, Naruto's hand had firmly encircled his wrist and he was being dragged towards the nearest exit.

It became apparent after about a minute of unceremonious dragging through the many salons of the national building that Naruto was lost. He had been operating off a vague notion of getting Sasuke away from the area, while having no idea of where he was at any given moment. Naruto would pause briefly for a second or two, silently curse the French and their Louis XIV complexes, try to determine where the most sunlight was coming from, and take off again, with a captive Sasuke in tow.
"I think there's an exit over there," Sasuke said drily as he indicated a passageway that seemed to lead to the colonnade. It was one of the many they had passed in Naruto's frenzied dash.
"Shut up," Naruto bit out tersely, but headed towards it anyway. He could have wept with relief when he saw the platform and the steps leading out to the streets of Paris. He was going to toss Sasuke out on his pale ass safely outside the gates before any of the very antsy security officials could take an active interest in his insufferable ex-lover. Unfortunately, it was at that point that Sasuke decided he was tired of having his arm dragged out of its socket and quite literally dug his heels in, bringing them both to an abrupt halt.
"You're not kicking me out," Sasuke said firmly, even as Naruto whirled on him.
"Sasuke, this is neither the time nor the place to pull crap like this." Naruto's voice was low and forcefully restrained. "What are you even doing here?"
"I'm taking part in the Tour de France. I've been working out; I think I may have a shot this year," Sasuke replied breezily before rolling his eyes at the blond. "Why the hell do you think I'm here?"
Naruto straightened and clenched his jaw so tightly that its muscles twitched. "Sasuke…"
"Going big," Sasuke answered quickly, before judgement rained down on his head. "That's what I came here to do and was doing it, until you stopped me."
The odd answer was enough to bring Naruto's bristling to a halt. He stared at Sasuke blankly as the older man glared back at him defiantly. "Going what?"
"Big- a grand declaration of love or something along those lines, I guess. I'm not exactly clear on what it is supposed to entail," Sasuke muttered as he adjusted his cufflinks self-consciously. Naruto was staring at him as if he had just realized that the man he had loved all his life was mentally retarded. "What? You've never gone big before?"
"I have no clue what you're on about, but whatever it is, why would you choose to do this now, here, during a peace summit?" Naruto spoke slowly at first, as if speaking to a small, slow child. However, as the absurdity of the situation sank home, his temper and volume began rising significantly. "In this type of social climate, you chose to come to a large gathering of foreign diplomats, climb onto a table loudly declaring stuff, looking like some kind of lone, extremist nutcase? What were you going to do for an encore, Sasuke- throw your shoes at His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor?"
Sasuke blinked wordlessly at the inquisition. This was exactly why as a rule, Naruto was the impulsive one and he was the planner. None of that had occurred to Sasuke while he had been trying to do his best romance hero impression. "It was Kakashi's idea."
"And this 'Kakashi' wants you to throw shoes at the Emperor?"
The arrival of this new voice caused both men to turn in its direction. Upon turning, Sasuke was immediately introduced to the human wall that was Morino Ibiki. He may have only been an inch or two taller than either of the star-crossed lovers, but somehow the man in the black trench-coat managed to dwarf them both. Ibiki stared down icily at Sasuke in a manner that spoke of underground facilities and archaic torture devices. Sasuke took in the scarred face and the severe features and vowed then and there that if he ever left Paris alive, he would not only kick Kakashi's ass, but would amputate his favourite arm as well. That would probably put a stop to his manic self-pleasuring for at least a week.
"We were informed of a mild disturbance in the library." Ibiki continued to stare unblinkingly at Sasuke, whose attempt to smile sweetly and innocently failed pathetically.
"Ah Ibiki-san, it's nothing really: it's fine, it's fine," Naruto tittered nervously as he waved a placatory hand at the overwhelming security head. "We were just making a joke. This is a friend of mine, Uchiha Sasuke. He was just leaving anyway."
"That's not a very funny joke to make, Uzumaki-dono."
Naruto's eye twitched at the ancient honorific. Then again, Ibiki was the type of guy who seemed to belong to a time long past, when it was perfectly acceptable to kill people unceremoniously as long as it was a matter of honour and security.
"Uchiha Sasuke, huh? Uchiha clansmen have a tendency to be unstable at times," Ibiki mused as Sasuke sent him a withering scowl. "Since Uzumaki-dono has gone so far as to vouch for you, I'll simply suggest that you desist from making any further disturbances. Neither of us would enjoy a second meeting."
Sasuke was inclined to agree and kept his eyes glued to the immense man until he, his small security team and his oppressive aura finally disappeared into the building. He then turned back to the task at hand, only to find that his real target was no longer in front of him.

He was not going to deal with this right now.
Naruto didn't have the patience, energy or general inclination to engage Sasuke and he had no intention of trying. He paused at the foot of the colonnade steps and contemplated the gate which led to the streets of Paris. He winced when he heard Sasuke calling his name and a brief frisson of panic coursed through him. The Seine was just across the wide streets; he could toss Sasuke into it and be done with the whole thing. He could do it too; he had diplomatic immunity, he guessed. He really should have paid closer attention when Shiho had been outlining just what that covered. To be fair, he hadn't thought he'd be tempted into committing murder, but he should have been prepared for the contingency.
"Naruto!"
He decided against exiting through the gate and instead turned abruptly to his left and started walking, ignoring the pursuing man behind him.
"NARUTO!"
He kept walking, skirting behind the guard house to suddenly find himself in a small thicket of trees, a part of an enclosure before reaching the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He paused a bit, caught off-guard by the small forest almost springing out of nowhere. He could hear Sasuke coming up behind him and he prepared to take off again.
"Are you just going to keep running from me, Naruto?"
Naruto stopped, breathing heavily as he stood frozen in place by the accusation. It was true: he had been running. Why was he running? Only cowards run away when there is no need to, and he wasn't a coward, not now, not anymore. He had promised himself, after all, that he would remember who he was and take charge of his life. How could he do that if he kept running? It was time to stop.
No more running, no more avoiding. No fear…
"I told you to wait back home, Sasuke." Naruto still hadn't turned around, but he showed no signs of taking off again. Somewhat reassured by this, Sasuke stopped a few metres away from him as Naruto continued speaking. "I was going to come back so we could resolve this."
"Were you?" Sasuke asked pointedly. "I didn't want to wait any longer; I've waited enough, Naruto. I deserve to have this resolved now."
Sasuke watched as Naruto's back got impossibly straighter before the blond shifted, half-turning to look over his shoulder at his pursuer.
"You deserve a resolution?" Naruto's voice was one of soft incredulity as he regarded Sasuke steadily. He finally turned completely around, putting his hands in his pockets as he stared coolly at Sasuke. "That's interesting…tell me more about what you deserve."
Sasuke inhaled sharply as Naruto finally faced him, both of them finally resolving to make a decision. It seemed he had already started off wrong and he had to tamp down the urge to backpedal as he watched cold anger frost over the blue eyes he knew better than his own. Had it really been that long? Had they both really changed that much? Once upon a time, he had relished pushing Naruto's buttons. He had known just the right ones to hit and easily anticipated every reaction and their eventual, respective outcomes. But that was then, and pushing the same buttons was likely to produce very different results. He didn't want Naruto to walk away- that was absolutely the last thing he wanted. Still, he couldn't afford to backpedal anymore; he needed to know where he stood.
No more eggshells, no more running. No fear…
"I know I deserve a lot of things, Naruto. I deserve your anger, your contempt, everything you can dish out; but your indifference isn't one of them." Sasuke sighed as he continued to build up his resolve under Naruto's cool, unwavering stare. "I've spent nearly two years waiting for you to decide whether or not you could be with me. You avoided me all this time; you cut me off. Then out of the blue, you show up and ask me to be your friend, as if it's some kind of moral obligation you have to satisfy before you disappear again. You know I can't just be your friend, Naruto."
Naruto was silent for a moment, apparently contemplating Sasuke's words before nodding slowly. "So my offer was inadequate, is what you're saying? That's fair, I guess. It's funny though, because I remember feeling that way a lot when I was with you. I remember telling you that what you offered was inadequate too. What was it you told me again? I think I was instructed to get a grip and that if I couldn't accept it, you'd find someone who could."
It was bitter, this stale anger that seemed to churn in his gut and rise like bile in his throat. Still, Naruto couldn't help but feel it and he had to get it out somehow. He could either purge it or let it fester, and right then, he wanted nothing more than to come clean.
"I never meant it, Naruto; I was a different person then." Sasuke replied softly.
"So was I," Naruto countered frankly. "You waited two years for me? I waited a lifetime for you. Maybe we both should stop waiting for people who may never show up."
"I'm a different person!" Sasuke's adamant declaration seemed to reverberate through the tense air around them. "I know who I was then, but I have changed. I woke up. I've done nothing but try to be a better person since you've left. I've turned myself inside out to-"
"I never asked you to do anything for me, Sasuke. I learnt to stop doing that a long time ago."
"It wasn't just for you," Sasuke retorted as Naruto fell silent once again. "I wanted to be someone who deserved to be with you, yes, but I changed for myself, because I needed to change. I'm not saying I'm there yet, but I'm a better person now."
"Yeah? How's that been working out for you?" Naruto asked coolly, as he raised a sceptic eyebrow.
"Sardonic cynicism doesn't suit you, Naruto," Sasuke said pointedly after taking a settling breath. "That's more my style. You should try another protective façade; it might be more convincing."
Naruto's eyes narrowed at Sasuke's aggravatingly accurate perception. Then again, it shouldn't surprise him any at all. No matter how much time may pass, somehow Sasuke would always be able to locate all the chinks in his armour. It's almost impossible to defend against an enemy that was already on the inside.
"Fucking married men didn't suit me either, but I managed to do that for quite awhile. You'd be surprised at the things you can grow accustomed to, once you practise enough."
"It won't be the same this time." Sasuke started off again. "I'll show you how diff-"
"Oh give it a rest, Sasuke." Naruto exhaled his words in a huff of exasperation. "You're starting to sound like a broken reco-"
"What do you want from me?" Sasuke burst out suddenly, shocking Naruto into silence. "What is it that you want me to say? What is it that you want me to do, Naruto? How many hoops do I need to jump through? Just tell me, because I'm out of ideas. All this time I've been the bastard because I was insensitive and difficult and unrelenting; well, what the hell do you think you're being now?"
Naruto remained in stunned silence, mouth agape and eyes shining with a mix of shock and disbelief at Sasuke's vented frustration. He looked on as Sasuke took another steadying breath and resumed his impassioned speech.
"You left me, and it was right and it was overdue and it was more than warranted. I'm not denying any of that; but I have done nothing but turn myself inside out trying to make myself a better person. I won't let you look down on that. I'll take any punishment you want to mete out but that." Sasuke sighed heavily as he ran a hand over his face. He straightened up as he looked steadily at the still silent Naruto. "I love you. That's something I could never say before. All I want is a chance to prove that I mean it. I know I don't deserve one, but I'm asking for it anyway. If I could change the past, I would, but I can't. I know how badly I hurt you and-"
"Hurt me?"
The quietly uttered words somehow managed to slice cleanly through Sasuke's fiery assertions and it was the latter's turn to trail off into silence.
"Hurt me? Is that what you think you did?" Naruto's soft, incredulous laugh had Sasuke's chest constricting painfully. "You think that's what I'm doing, punishing you because I'm upset; throwing some kind of tantrum because I'm holding on to hurt? You didn't just hurt me, Sasuke. You broke me!"
Sasuke's head snapped up at the sudden burst of ferociousness as Naruto's eyes went from ice blue to blazing within a split second. It was his turn to be left gobsmacked by the unleashing of pent up frustration and anger.
"You broke me, Sasuke!" Naruto reiterated as his fists curled and uncurled in an attempt at self restraint. "Broke me like I was some fragile doll; for days I was curled up on the floor feeling as if my life was ending, like I was some sad little girl, breaking apart, with nothing to hope for. For months, while you were 'finding yourself', I was nothing: a zombie going through the motions. And all of this- after you brought me to a morale point so low, the only reason I was able to look in the mirror at all was that I didn't recognise the person I saw there anymore. I wish you had hurt me, Sasuke, because then I would have gotten over it. You broke me instead, and the time you so diligently spent turning yourself inside out, I had to spend putting the pieces back together! And the worst part of it- the sick, twisted, pathetic part of it- was that I let you do it! I just handed all that power to you and stood there while you sent me back to the same hell I thought you saved me from. The hell I swore I'd ever go back to. I let you do that to me, because that's how much I needed to be next to you."
Naruto paused, panting from the force of the emotions pumping through him. He looked away from Sasuke for a moment, trying to draw some calm from the idyllic scenery around him.
"How am I supposed to do this?" Naruto mused out loud as he kept staring at the trees and greenery about him, trying to center himself. "Kiba wants me to assure him that it's going to be okay, Shikamaru wants me to prove the impossible and Sai thinks that fear is a bad colour on me. How am I supposed to do it all?"
He turned abruptly to face a shell-shocked Sasuke once again. "How much could you have changed? You complain that I just waltzed in and threw some half-assed offer in your face. I know that it wasn't the most ideal or moving way to extend the olive branch; but did you once stop to wonder what it took for me to come to you? What it took for me to come into the place where you mind-fucked me over and over again just so you could prove your point about who it was that called the shots in our relationship?"
Sasuke didn't answer, unable to respond even though he knew it wasn't a rhetorical question; because the simple truth of it was- none of that had occurred to him. Naruto took in the taut silence and nodded briefly.
"Yeah, I didn't think you did. Because maybe under all that improvement and upgrading, there's still the same Sasuke who isn't satisfied unless I'm the same Naruto. The 'Naruto' who is willing to hand over the sharpened knife before baring his chest in offering..." Naruto sighed and looked away before casting tired, defeated eyes at his ex-lover. "That was unfair, because I know you tried the best you can; and I know you've changed as much as you can change, Sasuke. The problem is, I've changed too."
"Naruto, I…"
Naruto shook his head before turning away. There were just too many strong, warring emotions to process at once. He clenched his fists again, tightly enough for his blunt fingernails to dig into his palms as he tried to damp down the potential geyser of confusing, disrupting feelings that always felt as if they were ready to explode. He failed…he was never great at emotional control anyway. He screamed then, anguished and primal- and with enough volume to startle Sasuke, those birds that had chosen to remain in the trees despite the initial commencement of yelling, and undoubtedly some Parisian citizens who were going about their business just meters beyond the small woodland.
Sasuke could only stare at the heaving back before him when Naruto's roar ended. He always hated this feeling- the one where Naruto would be physically within arm's reach, but seemed as if he were miles away and unattainable. He stood in a helpless stupor, trying to kick-start his brain into worthwhile activity. He knew that this juncture was critical, that he needed to be brilliant, sincere and irresistible. He needed to say something, anything to stop the seemingly inevitable from happening. He needed to do something instead of standing there dumbly while the world rushed headlong towards its final, cataclysmic end.
"This is really it, isn't it?" Those weren't the words he meant to say; they weren't the words he wanted. He certainly didn't want them sounding the way they did- scared and uncertain- but there they were in their brutal frankness. "We're really over, aren't we? There's no getting past this. No matter what I do, no matter what I say, you'll never see me the same way again."
Naruto closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He ran both hands over his face and through his hair before letting them fall limply at his sides. He stared up into the treetops and watched the sunlight sparkling through as he contemplated letting it end there and then on that sentiment. It wouldn't be right though, ending it all on a lie. That much he owed to himself and Sasuke. If it was going to end, it was going to end in honesty.
"That's just the thing, Sasuke- the problem isn't that my feelings have changed too much. The problem is that they haven't changed at all."
Sasuke looked up in confusion and found Naruto staring back at him intently. "I don't understand."
Naruto hesitated briefly, clearly contemplating what he should do next within the fraught and brittle moment. Then, with almost grim determination, he closed the distance between himself and Sasuke. Before the latter had a chance to process what was about to happen, Naruto reached out and pulled him against him.
Sasuke's astonishment from the kiss lasted only a second before his body relaxed and he was reaching out in turn and fisting his hands in blond hair. There wasn't a moment of hesitation or restraint as the kiss deepened, hot and desperate under the cool canopy of trees. Sasuke shivered then, relishing the feel of the hardness of Naruto's body against his. He exhaled sharply as Naruto pulled back a little to bite down softly on his lower lip. His eyes opened partly to stare into Naruto's own heavy-lidded gaze as the blond trailed the tip of his tongue from the corner of Sasuke's mouth and up the side of his cheek, licking away the salty trail there that Sasuke hadn't even realized he had made. Naruto pulled away slightly, bringing the all too brief moment to an end.
"It's still the same." Naruto spoke softly as Sasuke searched his face for further answers. "All of it is still the same- the feelings, the pull, the butterflies…everything. I feel the same way I did when I was seventeen and thought you were my salvation. Even now, despite everything we've gone through, despite all the absolute shit that's rained down on us because of what we've done to each other, I still feel the same."
Sasuke's breath escaped in an incredulous whoosh. There was an instant of mind-numbing relief that gave way to a heady mix of exhilaration and confusion. Before now, he would have thought that it was impossible for a person to slingshot from near crippling despair to buoyant elation within a second. It was now evident that it was possible, but it couldn't be healthy. He'd be surprised if he was still standing after the dust finally settled.
"There isn't a problem then." Sasuke reached a hand towards Naruto's face, unable to understand why Naruto's bleak expression still remained. "It's the same for me, Naruto. I still feel the same about you. Why do you think we can't be together?"
"Because it's not supposed to be that way; it doesn't make sense. How can I change and still feel the same?" Naruto's exasperation surfaced again as he stepped away from Sasuke's reach. "I'm supposed to be different; I'm supposed to be smarter. I've been trying so hard these last couple of years to become someone who won't make the same foolish mistakes. Sometimes I think I am, but most times…"
Naruto sighed deeply and ran an agitated hand through his hair.
"I like who I am now, Sasuke. It took a while, but I was finally able to like 'me' again. I look in the mirror now and I'm not ashamed of the person I see there anymore. I love my job, I love being able to do what I do."
"And I'm happy for you, Naruto," Sasuke interrupted quickly, unable to understand where Naruto was going with his line of thinking. "I don't want to take any of this from you; I wouldn't sabotage any of it."
"I know you won't, Sasuke; but I might," Naruto mused softly as Sasuke fell silent once again. "I don't know if you really understand how much I feel for you, just how far I was willing to go for you. The scary thing about it is that I feel that I don't understand it myself. You're still the first and last thing I think about every day. Being away from you was like trying not to breathe. I know it was harsh shutting you out, but I never got to the point where I trusted myself to be with you. Why is it like that? Why is that intensity still there, that insanity?"
"Maybe the feelings haven't changed because they weren't wrong in the first place." Sasuke surprised even himself at how quickly and easily he was able to answer; he was slowly learning, though, that the truth didn't have to be hard and burdensome. Sometimes the truth was easy. "How we felt about each other was never the problem. That was true, that was real; the problem was that we were really bad at managing our feelings- really, very bad- atrocious even."
Sasuke once again reached for Naruto, gently rubbing the back of his hand against Naruto's cheek. He wouldn't be pushed away again- not when he was so close.
"And in addition to that, I may have had some difficulty with expressing affection and emotion in a socially acceptable manner." Sasuke managed to score a small victory as he coaxed a brief flash of a smile from Naruto.
There was a moment of quiet as Naruto raised his hand to cover the one cupping his face. "It makes me worry, Sasuke. If it's the same, couldn't it mean that I really haven't changed? If I haven't changed, then I'm the same Naruto who will hand over mind, body and soul to you until there's nothing left. If the old Sasuke is still there underneath it all, it could be disastrous; because I was nothing once, and I can't be that again. I don't know if I would be able to come back from that. How do I take that chance?"
It wasn't until that moment that Sasuke realized just what 'going big' meant. It wasn't climbing on tabletops or romantic declarations in a room full of strangers. It wasn't about heroics or extravagant dime-store romance novel gestures. It was about handing over your last piece of armour to the very person who had the potential to decimate you, in the hopes of receiving something even greater in return.
"It was a Friday- the last day of school before summer break."
"Um, what?" Naruto's brow furrowed as he stared at Sasuke; the odd statement came completely out of left field.
"We had had a prize-giving or something like that. All the parents were supposed to show up and either watch us perform or get prizes or something. I'm fuzzy on the details of that part, but what I do remember was that all the parents showed up, except mine." Sasuke shrugged with feigned nonchalance, surprised by how easy it was for old hurts to resurface. "I waited until everyone left, just hoping they would show; because that's all I could do then- wait. I guess Iruka-sensei didn't really know how to handle a situation like that, so he let me stick around way longer than he should have; then, even he realized that it was probably a mistake, letting me hope like that."
Sasuke sighed and shot Naruto a weak smile as the latter stood waiting to see where this unfolding story was supposed to lead.
"Normally I would have been devastated that they forgot me again; but by that time, I couldn't even manage that. I was starting to wonder if I even existed- if I was a figment of my own imagination or something. I felt like a-"
"Ghost?" Naruto finished helpfully, seeing himself briefly mirrored in Sasuke as the latter paused before nodding hesitantly.
"Yeah, like a ghost. It was, without exaggeration, the worst feeling I had ever experienced up until then. I figured that I was probably the saddest kid in the world at that point, until I saw you on the playground, that is."
Naruto straightened, blinking in surprise as he finally recognised the pivotal moment Sasuke was describing.
"You were on the swings, just sitting there staring at the ground, barely moving at all. I guess if I had been a little more sensitive then, I'd have realized you weren't doing so great either." Sasuke smiled sheepishly as Naruto stared back wordlessly. "At the moment though, I couldn't feel anything but relief."
"Relief?" Naruto echoed. "Relief from what? We weren't even friends then!"
"But you saw me," Sasuke replied frankly. "You always saw me. You were always glaring at me from across the class, or whenever you passed me down by the pier. I'd always glare back, but it was different with you. Even then, when you looked at me, you weren't seeing Itachi's little brother or Uchiha Fugaku's back-up plan; you saw me- just me. I mean, you clearly weren't too fond of what you saw, but that didn't matter too much. The point is that when you looked at me, I was just Sasuke, and if only for a little while, I existed as is. Right then, on that playground, proof that I existed was the most precious thing in the world. Except, you wouldn't look at me…"
"What?" Naruto raised an eyebrow as Sasuke sighed forlornly and sent him a slightly baleful look.
"You wouldn't look at me," Sasuke repeated emphatically. "I sat next to you on the swing and waited for you to acknowledge my presence- to do something, say anything. But you kept staring at the ground, buried under you own angst. So I got a little panicky and impatient and-"
"Pulled my hair."
"Right."
"And then I kicked your ass," Naruto mused as he scratched his cheek thoughtfully.
"This is where we start remembering things differently," Sasuke stated drily as Naruto rewarded him again with a sudden, sunny smile.
"You said you didn't remember any of that," Naruto said pointedly. "If that day was as important to you as it was to me, why did you get so angry when I asked you about it?"
Sasuke paused again, hesitating briefly as he wrestled with the instinct of avoiding full disclosure and making himself more vulnerable than he was already.
"Because it reminded me of how needy and dependent I was, especially given the precariousness of my position." Sasuke sighed again as Naruto's brow furrowed in confusion. "You don't understand, Naruto; you were my entire world- the reason I knew I existed. You made everything bearable: my family, my duties, my fate; I could face anything as long as you were with me. You were the only thing I ever needed. It wasn't a problem when we were kids, because you were an outcast and I know you needed me then as much as I needed you."
"Sasuke-" Naruto began, but Sasuke shook his head firmly. He wasn't done.
"We needed each other then, so even though the force of my feelings would probably scare you if you knew of it, I wasn't really worried, since you relied on me as well. But all that changed once we entered the Academy." Sasuke's gaze fell to Naruto's shoes before rising again to meet the blond's. "Everything changed- suddenly, you weren't my best kept secret anymore, and I wasn't the only person in your world. You started to make friends and form bonds so quickly- genuine friendships with people who had so much more to offer than I did. I figured it wouldn't be long before you realized that you didn't need me anymore. Plus, all of this was happening while I was starting to struggle with my sexuality and the realization that my growing feelings for you were not platonic anymore. I wasn't equipped to deal with it all, Naruto."
"How could you think that I would ever abandon you?" Naruto instinctively reached out and brushed the back of his hand against Sasuke's cheek- the urge to comfort becoming too strong to resist. "I can't believe you thought I would dump you like that."
"I didn't know if I could trust your feelings; I could only trust my own. I didn't have the emotional intelligence to deal with them, or to come to you with my fears. I only knew that I couldn't lose you and that I couldn't afford to be upstaged." Sasuke's face flushed guiltily as he looked away briefly. "I resorted to the only method I knew for holding on to someone's attention and affection: I withheld my own. It certainly worked on me when my parents did it, and for a while, it seemed to work on you. The more distant and passive-aggressive I became, the more you seemed to chase after me. I knew I was hurting you, but I thought it was the only way to keep you with me. By the time I realized that it was no longer working, I was so trapped in that way of thinking, I didn't know how to stop myself. Before this, I couldn't bring myself to tell you the truth- not without risking exposing how I really felt and giving away the upper hand. I couldn't handle the thought of you realizing the power you had over me. In the end, it backfired anyway and I lost everything. I lost you."
He stared deeply into Naruto's eyes as the younger man stared back silently, fully caught up in the magnetism of the moment.
"You don't have to worry about me being the same Sasuke underneath the change, Naruto. That Sasuke was a shell to begin with. I love you and you still love me. The only thing that could keep us from moving forward together is our own fear. Let me try and make up for my mistakes. I'm asking you to take that chance, Naruto. Please, take the chance."
There was that feeling again- a moment of perfect stasis, where time seemed to stop and stretch indefinitely. Silence reigned as Naruto stared searchingly into Sasuke's eyes, a hand still unconsciously stroking his lover's face. No, his ex-lover, his soul-mate, his tormentor, his fire…
Sasuke could only wait, staring back earnestly with breathless anticipation as blue eyes bored into his dark ones. He waited, trying his best to remain calm and patient as Naruto's mind raced and the blond remained quiet. Sasuke braced himself as Naruto dipped his head briefly, breaking eye-contact as the warm hand cupping his cheek fell away.
"Sasuke, I-"
The shrill sound of Naruto's cell-phone startled them both, causing them to jerk apart in surprise. Naruto automatically fished for the screaming instrument and hastily answered.
"Ah yes, Konohamaru? I'm not far away; I'm on the adjoining grounds." Naruto checked his watch as Konohamaru fired away, giving him necessary updates. The amount of time which had elapsed startled the young politician. He had been completely unaware that he had been away from the Minister and his attachment for so long. "They're adjourning for lunch already? Has it gone smoothly so far?"
Devastation.
It was the only word Sasuke could think of that might describe the feeling resonating through him as he stood watching Naruto fervently check his watch and issue low, indecipherable instructions to his aide. Naruto had been about to reject him- he was almost sure of it; and now, after he'd stripped himself bare, the one who now had all the power and all the answers was on the phone, seemingly growing more absorbed in more pertinent matters. Sasuke stared blankly at the spinning ground beneath him before turning heel and nearly bolting out of the thicket. He needed to get as far away from here as humanly possible. He'd leave despite having no idea where he could run to- where can you go when the world is ending?
He was halfway to the clearing before he was arrested in motion as an incredibly strong fist closed around the back of his jacket and yanked him roughly backwards. He slammed into the hard wall of Naruto's body as long arms enveloped him, crushing him tightly to his captor. Sasuke could only gape wide-eyed as Naruto buried his head into the crook of his neck, warm, heavy breath stirring the hairs at his nape.
"Jeez, it's like you never learn anything," Naruto murmured brokenly into the bewildered Sasuke's skin as he hugged him impossibly closer. "The hero never walks away after the big speech. Not before everything is the way it's supposed to be- especially when he's right, especially when he's won."
Sasuke's eyes drifted closed as he let the warmth flood through him. He had forgotten how good it felt being held like that. He stirred slightly, moulding more comfortably to Naruto's frame.
"Is that how it is?" Sasuke asked softly as Naruto sniffled into his collar. His idiot was crying. "I'm not used to being the hero."

"Welcome to the Four Seasons. My name is Claudia and I will assist you in any way I can." The young woman's automated speech gave way to a warm smile of recognition as Sasuke floated up to the receptionist. "Ah, Mr. Uchiha, so lovely to see you again."
Sasuke blinked at the vaguely familiar woman as he slowly registered his surroundings. The last hour or so had been a dazed blur as everything became blissfully mixed up after he had managed to extricate himself from Naruto's bear hug and claimed his kiss. It had been slow and hesitant, and painfully brief; but it had still been enough to knock the wind out of him. He vaguely recalled Naruto pressing his hotel cardkey into his hand and asking him to wait in his room. Sasuke guessed he must have taken a taxi after that to the hotel, or walked, or flown- at this point, he believed anything was possible.
"Will your wife be joining you, Mr. Uchiha?" Claudia inquired as she looked for Sasuke's non-existent reservation on the system. The couple was easy to remember. There weren't that many pink-tinged, unrequited love-honeymooners that passed through the hotel. "This would be your second anniversary, wouldn't it?"
Sasuke finally realized that he was in the same hotel in which he had spent his honeymoon and that he was dealing with the same receptionist. It seemed like an entirely different place. He hadn't remembered a thing about wedding dates or anniversaries. It was remarkable to think that it was only two years ago, the chain of events that triggered his transformation was set into motion. It felt like a lifetime ago.
Claudia, having not located a reservation, was regarding Sasuke with carefully disguised curiosity. A quick look at his finger revealed not only the absence of his wedding band, but also the fact that the ring hadn't even been on long enough to make an impression. She knew she should have started a betting pool about how long that marriage would last. She could have made herself a few easy euros.
"Ah, no- I don't have a reservation or any anniversary plans." Sasuke flashed a brief smile as he smoothed over his tie. "Actually, I need Naruto Uzumaki's room number. I think he may have told it to me, but I forgot on the way here."
"Of course." She took her time and put on a decent show of hunting down the number, not that she needed to since Sasuke was off in a world of his own. She watched sidelong as Sasuke toyed with the cardkey, staring down at it with an almost moony expression. There could only be one of two explanations for this behaviour: either Mr. Uzumaki was playing host and allowing Sasuke to use his room for some clandestine tryst, or the gorgeous Japanese diplomat was the tryst. Neither of the possibilities was new or strange to Claudia. "I'm sorry, whose room number do you need?"
"Uzumaki Naruto." Sasuke exhaled the name softy.
'Yep,' Claudia affirmed to herself as she made another brief, yet unnecessary show of finding the room number. 'Definitely door number two.'
"Mr. Uzumaki's room is 207. Just take the elevator to the second floor." Feeling a little mischievous, Claudia hazarded asking an old question. "While you're here, Mr. Uchiha, would you be interested in a list of activities available to our guests? Maps of shopping districts or…"
"No, thank you. That won't be necessary." Sasuke replied distractedly as he headed off towards the elevator.
No, she figured it wouldn't. Claudia simply smiled knowingly before turning to welcome her next guest.

It only took the second Naruto's door clicked shut behind Sasuke for him to dissolve into a nervous wreck. He stared into the luxurious room, daunted by the fact that he had absolutely no idea what to do now or what he was expected to do. To be completely honest, he hadn't really thought he'd get this far. He removed his shoes and socks, and put them neatly next to the door. At least he could take comfort that the room, despite its opulence, looked entirely different from the honeymoon suite on the other side of the hotel. The moment was strange enough as it was. He cast his coat aside and sat stiffly in one of the overstuffed armchairs in the sitting area.
He eyed the huge bed apprehensively. He didn't want to expect too much, too soon. A hug and a tender kiss didn't necessarily mean Naruto was ready to consummate their relationship. Then again, once Naruto made up his mind about something, he was never one to stand on ceremony or ease into things, and Sasuke was more than ready to take full advantage of that. With that vein of thinking, Sasuke got out of the chair and sprawled instead on the large cushiony sofa. He didn't want Naruto to think that he wasn't ready in case the younger man was willing to take things further. He unbuttoned the two top buttons of his shirt, trying his best to fake easy, sexy elegance. The sofa seemed like a fair trade. It wasn't as if he was lying naked in a bed of rose petals or something. Sasuke stared up broodingly at the smooth, high ceilings of the room, minutes ticking by as he considered his next move.
Was he supposed to be lying naked in a bed of rose petals?
Screw this, he was going for it. He moved to the bed and tried to relax in the dead center of it; after all, he was Sasuke, and that was what Sasuke would do. He had been waiting and aching far too long for this, to be hesitating and shy. If Naruto wasn't ready to go there, he'd just have to tell him. Sasuke promised himself he'd respect the decision, even if Naruto said no. He'd been waiting so long, a little longer wouldn't kill him. He'd just go sob bitterly in a cold shower later, if need be. With that decided, Sasuke lay in wait predatorily, finally feeling comfortable and in the zone- only for it all to be shot to hell by the sound of knocking on the door.
"Sasuke, are you in there? You have to let me in- you have my cardkey."
Sasuke rolled over and smacked his head into the pillow a few times. He was all kinds of idiot right now. With a sigh, he scooted off the bed and went to open the door for Naruto.
"Hi," Naruto said softly as he entered the room. His smile was genuine, warm and sexy enough to dissipate confident, predatory Sasuke like the façade he was. What was left in his place was an irrationally nervous Sasuke, who gripped the doorknob like a lifeline.
"Hi," he echoed back hollowly, gradually letting go of the door and shoving it closed as Naruto headed to the other end of the room and shed his coat and jacket.
"I had to head back to Sarutobi-sama so I could apologise for my absence and beg him for the rest of the day off." Naruto flopped down onto the sofa and smiled brightly up at Sasuke, who was still hovering near the door. "At least you won't have to worry about my phone going off for the rest of the day."
Sasuke relaxed in increments and was being pulled over to the sofa by the natural magnetism between them even as Naruto spoke. "That's good; I'm starting to develop an unnatural hatred for technology. One more interruption or malfunction and I'm liable to turn into a full-fledged Luddite."
Naruto grinned as Sasuke finally sat down next to him. "I also took a little time to clear my head- think things over a bit more."
Naruto shook his head and waved a placatory hand at Sasuke's immediately concerned expression. "I didn't change my mind or anything! I just had to think for a little bit and process some things."
Sasuke settled down as Naruto regarded the plush carpet and rubbed his toes into it.
"I'm not used to being afraid, Sasuke." Naruto sighed as he leaned back, rested his head against the back of the sofa and looked over at Sasuke. "Growing up, I felt a lot of things- hate, rage, inadequacy; but I was never really afraid. Somehow I believed in myself, because I couldn't afford to believe in anyone else. No matter what was happening to me, I knew I could rely on myself to do the right thing and figure out a way to overcome. I had my unshakeable code by which I survived. That was all I had, until I met you."
Naruto reached up to brush the bangs out of Sasuke's face and smiled as the latter leaned into the caress. "But somewhere along the line, I started to lose that part of me that shielded me all this time. When I couldn't see myself as the person I thought I was, the last of my security left and the fear crept in. Like you said, I didn't handle it well. I shouldn't have shut you out, Sasuke. I should have stopped avoiding the pain and dealt with it."
"You can trust me now. I know you couldn't before, but I need you to know you're safe with me."
"I've been learning that there are no guarantees, but I'm willing to take the chance." Naruto smiled then, and for a moment, Sasuke could see the boy who had finally smiled at him after they had finished fighting on the playground. "Let's do our best."
Sasuke's lips hitched into a half smile at Naruto's characteristic enthusiasm. After being hopeless for so long, the experience of Naruto's smile and caressing hand was almost bordering on surrealism. When the blue eyes reopened to focus clearly on him though, Sasuke's accelerated pulse reminded him that it was indeed reality. There was only the soft, distant sound of a ticking clock as the two stared at each other. Finally it was Naruto who leaned forward and ghosted his lips across Sasuke's, while the latter's heart started thudding loudly in his own ears.
"Shower!" Sasuke burst out suddenly as he shot off the sofa, leaving a bewildered Naruto almost pitching forward into the seat cushions.
"Huh?"
"I need a shower." Sasuke nodded briskly as he retreated towards the bathroom. "It was a long flight and I was up for ages before that, and I probably stink."
"Are you okay?" Naruto asked as he raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Fine, couldn't be better. Will be right back." The last part of the sentence was muffled by the sound of the bathroom door closing firmly behind Sasuke.

The shell-shocked man expelled a breath as he leaned against the bathroom door and resisted the urge to smash his head into it. What the hell was wrong with him? Sasuke chewed his lower lip apprehensively and tried willing his heartbeat to slow and quiet down to less disturbing levels. He quickly stripped off his clothes and stepped into the opaque glass shower. Soon he was standing under a heavy spray of warm water, trying to figure out the most efficient way to kick himself.
He had been standing there for a few minutes, wondering whether his spastic behaviour had brought an unfulfilling end to the evening, when he heard the shower door slide open. He turned to face his visitor as Naruto stepped into the shower and slid the door closed behind him.
"I figured I'd help you get clean."
Sasuke snorted rudely at the nostalgic remark before taking a long look at the display before him.
"Sasuke, if you're not ready yet, it's okay, I'll understand. Maybe we should slow this whole thing down and ease into it." Naruto's considerate generosity was compromised somewhat by the fact that he was still invading Sasuke's shower in all his unabashed nakedness- not that Sasuke minded or felt the need to map out the point.
"I'm ready; I've been ready since I was fifteen. This is not an issue of not wanting to," Sasuke replied huffily as he tried to keep his line of sight above Naruto's waist for the sake of gravity.
"So why the freak-out then?" The gentle question caused Sasuke to redden slightly as water continued to pour over him.
"It's just that…it's just that it's been awhile." Sasuke finally relented under Naruto's scrutinizing gaze. "The last time I had sex was the day you broke up with me."
"Oh," Naruto said as the implications became clear. "Oh…"
Sasuke mumbled the rest of his explanation as he stared at the fogged up glass beyond Naruto's hip. "I might not be at the top of my game."
"Well," Naruto began as he scratched his nose in thought, "what makes you think your game was anything to write home about to begin with?"
Sasuke's head snapped up so quickly, it created a perfect spray of water into Naruto's face. "WHAT?"
"I'm just saying," Naruto continued soothingly, completely unaware of his impending death, "no wonder you feel pressured. You're going on as if you were some kind of sexual connoisseur or something. Whatever would give you such an idea? You couldn't even manage to get your own pants off the first few times we did it."
"I…you…" Sasuke sputtered indignantly as Naruto blinked at him innocently. "I ROCKED YOUR WORLD!"
"Yes- yes, you did." Naruto grinned easily, effectively robbing Sasuke of his sudden indignation. "And you will; so quit being a walking bag of insecurity."
Sasuke stared deadpan at the exasperating blond before deflating dramatically against his chest. He snorted and sighed as he rested his forehead on Naruto's shoulder.
"This is insane," Sasuke murmured as he wrapped his arms loosely around Naruto and snuggled closer to him. "When the hell are we going to get back to normal?"
"We were never normal to begin with, but we'll find our rhythm again. It'll happen sooner than you think, too." Naruto grabbed one of Sasuke's hands and pressed it against his chest so the older man could feel the rapid heartbeat there. "I'm as nervous as you are, but it's exhausting fighting it anymore. It feels like that's all I've been doing lately- fighting my feelings and running from them. Right now, there's nothing I want to do more than give in. If you're ready, Sasuke, then I am too."
Sasuke was able to ascertain from the vibrations in Naruto's chest that he was being spoken to. Knowing Naruto, it was probably something comforting and encouraging, or along the lines of being inadvertently arousing. Admittedly, he wasn't listening closely anymore. The physical contact and the heat from the spraying water had served to remind Sasuke of the last time he and Naruto had shared a shower together. It had been a very moving and satisfying experience- one which was now inspiring Sasuke to slide his hand down to squeeze Naruto's ass as he brushed his lips against the tanned neck. Naruto shifted as Sasuke began sucking on his neck in earnest and leisurely trailed a hand up the pale back until his fingers were tangled in dark hair. Sasuke uttered a soft grunt as Naruto yanked at his hair, pulling him into kiss as the blond shoved him against the warm tiled wall of the shower. They both groaned as Naruto rubbed against him, gradually quickening the pace as the kiss deepened. Sasuke gasped as Naruto broke the kiss to bite and suck at his neck while the blond's thrusts against him became faster and rougher. Sasuke arched into the driving movement, using one hand to hug Naruto's waist as the other fisted into the blond hair.
"Don't stop."
Naruto only grunted in response as he braced an arm against the wall above Sasuke's head. He managed to push his free hand into the almost impossibly tight space between them to grasp Sasuke's turgid erection and start pumping it. Their sharp groans were muffled as Naruto recaptured his lips, thrusting his tongue against Sasuke's in an action that mimicked the frenetic movement of their bodies. Naruto released Sasuke's cock, needing both hands to cup Sasuke's ass as he ground harder against his lover. Sasuke shuddered, moaning into Naruto's mouth as he came hard against the tanned stomach. Naruto gasped as his own orgasm overtook him. He slumped against Sasuke, both of them panting as they tried to catch their breaths.
"Yeah," Naruto muttered as he finally pulled away from Sasuke and turned off the shower. "I think we're clean enough."
Sasuke genuinely laughed then, probably for the first time in forever. If that wasn't the most ironic statement ever made in the history of mankind, he had never heard its better.

Sasuke stared back quizzically as he stepped into the bedroom. Naruto was lingering in the bathroom and showed no signs of exiting any time soon.
"Give me a minute," Naruto called back as he disappeared from view behind the bathroom door. "I didn't come prepared to do any, um, 'preparing'. They might have something in here."
Sasuke dutifully sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Naruto to re-emerge. The interlude in the shower had done wonders for allaying his initial nervousness, but tense anticipation continued to build as he listened to Naruto puttering around in the bathroom. He smoothed out the fluffy white towel he was wearing and glared at the bathroom door, willing Naruto to come out already. At length, the blond finally resurfaced. Sasuke straightened in appreciation at the sight before him. A wet, glistening Naruto, naked but for his towel, was always a thing of beauty.
"Bingo." Naruto grinned triumphantly as he shook what appeared to be a small lotion bottle in his outstretched hand. "They've actually got quite the selection in there, if you know where to look. They should probably mention these things in their advertising. Then again, they probably don't want to openly attract the wrong type of clientele. 'Come to the Four Seasons: we endorse the freaky' isn't the most high-end tagline, is it?"
Sasuke couldn't suppress a smile as Naruto drifted off into his demented imagination. He couldn't believe how much he actually missed even that part of the blond too. Still, there was a time for everything, and there were other aspects of Naruto he would much rather get reacquainted with just then. Sasuke silenced Naruto's thoughts on stealth advertising to wealthy perverts by hooking a hand into the blond's towel and hauling him until the startled man was standing between his legs. The towel was soon pooled around Naruto's feet as Sasuke pressed light, teasing kisses against his lover's inner thigh. Naruto hissed when Sasuke finally relented and slid his mouth down the younger man's rapidly hardening erection.
"You know," Naruto breathed out as Sasuke stared up at him during his ministrations, "I can do that just as well as you can."
With that said, Naruto pulled back, ignoring the feel of his body protesting as he slipped out of Sasuke's mouth and grasp. He bent down and swept Sasuke's legs up onto the pillows resting at the top of the bed. Sasuke obediently shifted further across the bed when he was instructed to 'shove over'. He watched with growing interest as Naruto stretched out alongside him, laying on his side in the opposite direction.
"What are you doing down there- oh, ahh." Sasuke's words and thoughts trailed off amidst his shuddering as Naruto deliberately licked the length of his shaft before sucking lightly at the tip of his penis. He moaned and sighed as Naruto stroked his side soothingly. The gentleness of the caress belied the increasing speed of the mouth now plunging down his cock. Sasuke gasped loudly, revelling in the feel of the warm hand encircling the base of his penis and pumping in rhythm to make up for the shortfall of Naruto's mouth. The tantalizing proximity of Naruto's own erection to his face reminded Sasuke that this was intended to be a cooperative effort. He shifted slightly, propping himself up on his elbow and taking Naruto into his mouth while he bemusedly wondered if his IQ would ever return to normal. There was a surge of self-indulgent satisfaction at the sound and feel of Naruto moaning as he massaged a tanned buttock, and he proceeded to suck harder and faster, matching and challenging the blond's own demanding tempo.
"Don't stop," Naruto ordered huskily as he stopped blowing Sasuke in order to search for the momentarily discarded lube.
Sasuke snorted brusquely, having had no intention of stopping anything, although his body immediately protested the loss of Naruto's attention to his throbbing cock. His disappointment at the deprivation was ended instantly by the sound of a bottle cap popping open. He couldn't believe he had forgotten how insanely arousing a simple sound could be, especially when he was in such a state. Naruto gently pushed him completely unto his back and straddled him, still facing away from his lover as he tried his best to spare Sasuke his weight. The brunet ran his hands over the broad shoulders and back in front of him as Naruto squirted lubricant onto his fingers. Finally, the blond leaned forward, once again taking Sasuke into his mouth, and began sucking hungrily. Sasuke pants came fast and audibly as Naruto pushed his legs further apart and teasingly massaged his perineum.
"You're leaking…"
Sasuke arched up as Naruto made slow, deliberate swipes at the tip of his lover's weeping erection. Pale hands twisted into the sheets as Sasuke tried not to come in Naruto's face, though it was an incredibly tempting thought. He released the sheets to grip Naruto's thighs as coated fingers ghosted over his entrance.
"Naruto…"
It was both a demand and a plea, a combination from Sasuke which Naruto could never ignore. However, when he attempted to comply and started to insert a finger, he was surprised at the resistance he found there. Apparently Sasuke was surprised too because he instinctively wiggled away from the intrusion. Naruto straightened up and got off of Sasuke so he could turn to face him.
"Why are you tensing up?" Naruto sat back on his haunches as he regarded Sasuke. "If you're not read-"
"I just spent the last five minutes trying to swallow your dick." Sasuke rolled his eyes in exasperation at the counterproductive concern. "I'm so beyond ready, I must have lapped it by now. I am not tensing up."
"Then what's the deal? I'm used to you being tight, and I love that, don't get me wrong; but it's never usually this-"
"Didn't I tell you that it's been a while, idiot?" Sasuke huffed defensively, his already flushed face turning a brighter shade of red. "I told you that the last time we had sex was the last time I had sex."
"Well yeah, but I didn't think that included masturbation." Naruto raised an eyebrow as Sasuke's eyes narrowed on him with laser focus. "Masturbation is a perfectly natural-"
"I love you, but I swear on my stock options that if you pull a Kakashi on me and give me a 'masturbation is beautiful' lecture, that this will be the shortest reunion on record. Besides, you know I masturbate; I'm just not in the perverse habit of shoving things up my ass…present company excluded," Sasuke amended quickly before a bemused Naruto could point out everything wrong with that sentence. "Are you going to do anything about it, or are you the one who has forgotten everything?"
"Man, virgins can be so touchy."
Naruto knew he was lucky that there was nothing lethal within Sasuke's reach; the patented Uchiha glare was back and in full effect. He managed to relocate the bottle of lube, which had somehow worked its way under the pillows beneath Sasuke's feet. He squeezed out a little more, preferring to err on the side of comfort, before stretching alongside a waiting and still glowering Sasuke.
"Quit glaring at me," Naruto murmured as he began nuzzling the other man's ear in an effort to distract him from the fingers sliding up his inner thigh. "I'm not the one who can make diamonds in my ass."
Sasuke managed a single huff of indignation before his breath started hitching at the warm intrusion of Naruto's fingers. They just barely entered him as the gentle pressure of Naruto's teeth and lips against his neck gradually increased. Naruto finally moved away from him as the blond kissed and licked him along the length of his body- blazing a wet trail down his torso and towards his abdomen. The further Naruto moved down his body was the deeper the long fingers delved in the tight warmth.
Sasuke moaned and fisted his hands into blond hair as his mind wavered between concentrating on the slight discomfort of Naruto's fingers or the tongue which was agonisingly close to his quivering erection. When the fingers started to push and scissor in earnest, Sasuke was thoroughly distracted by the dizzying sensation of Naruto's mouth on his cock, pumping and sucking away. His body arched automatically, trying to thrust into moist heat, while deft fingers prepared him.
"Naruto," Sasuke panted as his lover finally pulled away and withdrew his hand from between his legs. "Don't make me wait any longer."
Naruto's eyes seemed to darken further at the heated plea. He nodded wordlessly as he nudged Sasuke, prompting him to roll onto his side. He positioned himself carefully, slipping his knee between Sasuke's legs until he was completely straddling the lower one. He rocked forward, pushing deep into Sasuke while he stroked the pale thighs soothingly. His breathing grew ragged as he tried to fight the urge to thrust wantonly into the taut heat coiling and squeezing around him. Finally, he was all the way in and he paused, waiting for some kind of confirmation. Sasuke laid panting, fingers twisted into the thick sheets as his body slowly readjusted to the overwhelming sense of being filled. Dark eyes fluttered open and looked into the blue ones staring down at him.
"What the hell are you waiting for? Move already."
Naruto snorted and grinned as he bent forward, bracing one hand next to Sasuke's head while the other began stroking Sasuke's flagging erection back to full turgidity. "Che, touchy and bossy- there's just no pleasing some people."
Before Sasuke had a chance to formulate a retort, Naruto rocked back, almost pulling out completely before thrusting back in until he was fully seated within the accommodating flesh once more. Sasuke cried out, the sheets bunching in his hand as the electric pleasure screamed through him. Before he could recover, Naruto was thrusting deep within him again, creating aftershocks of sensation as he built up speed and power. Sasuke's moans and gasps became louder as Naruto's control evaporated and the blond continued to slam into his body. It had been too long. What had they been remembering all this time? The pale memories they had been clinging to hadn't even begun to do the real thing justice.
"Missed you…need you…"
Naruto moaned Sasuke's name as his hand fisted into the sheets, willing it to continue supporting his weight as he went mindless. He stared down, mesmerized by the erotic vision Sasuke made as he continued to pound into him while jerking him off. He backed up long enough to swing Sasuke's leg over until the man was completely on his back. Sasuke wasted no time before he reached for him, dragging him down by the nape of his neck so that he could pull him into a passionate kiss. They bit and sucked at each other's lips until they gave in to the need for more. Their kiss deepened, hot and consuming as their tongues plunged and slid against each other. Finally, they broke apart and Sasuke fell back onto the bed, breathless and writhing, while Naruto lifted his hips higher in order to resume his manic thrusts.
Sasuke knew he was being loud. When he was sane, he hated being vulgar; but Naruto made him anything but sane. He called out wildly, caught up in the hurricane as he ordered Naruto to never stop fucking him- even as the hand on his dick and the hard cock pounding into him threatened to completely overwhelm him. The world tilted dizzily and suddenly everything was at odd angles and upside down. It took him a moment to realize that the force of Naruto's body had been inching them towards the edge of the bed and that now his head was lolling off. Unable to put much thought into anything at this point, Sasuke simply planted one foot against Naruto's chest and shoved the startled blond backwards. Naruto landed against the pillows with a soft thud, just narrowly missing a painful collision with the headboard.
"What was that for?"
Sasuke wasn't able to formulate complete sentences then either. Instead, he made up for his transgression by quickly straddling Naruto and easing himself down gingerly onto the waiting erection. Naruto was immediately appeased.
"Oh fuck…" Naruto hissed sharply as his lover began to ride him.
Sasuke braced both hands on the headboard as he bounced wildly, completely uninhibited and revelling in the feel of Naruto's hands digging into his hips and the upward thrusts into his body. He groaned deeply, continuing to fight hard against the oncoming rush of his orgasm. He surprised himself that he'd managed to hang on this long.
"You want to come?" Naruto's rhetorical question was accompanied by hand on the tip of his penis, jerking and rubbing again. Sasuke's eyes rolled back in his head as he lost the battle. "If you want to come, just do it, idiot. What are you holding back for?"
It was beautiful, the way it spurted and splattered over Naruto's chest as if his body was re-staking its claim. He didn't care how archaic and barbaric it made him seem- not when his body was jerking and spastic and waves of white hot pleasure were crashing over him. He clenched around Naruto, milking him and precipitating his lover's orgasm. Naruto gripped his hips and kept him upright while he slammed and spilled into him. Then, for a moment, there was quiet- the silence after the storm- but for the panting and the shuddering intakes of breath. Sasuke stayed seated for awhile, staring down at Naruto while the latter stared back at him. At length, Sasuke dipped his head, getting a last kiss from his best friend before sliding off of him- exhausted and sated.
"Well," Naruto exhaled as he looked over at a heavy-lidded Sasuke, "it's a little hard to tell, but I think we've got our rhythm back."
Sasuke's lips twitched a bit before he finally gave in to the laughter. What precious little energy they had left was promptly burnt up in that last bit of stress relief. Sasuke grinned happily as his body floated off to sleep, no longer able to stave off the effects of jetlag and his reunion with his recaptured soul mate.
"I love you, you total moron."

It was surrealism at its finest.
Lying there watching Naruto while the moonlight slipped in through the balcony doors and windows and framed him while he slept, Sasuke was almost afraid to move- afraid that this whole thing wasn't real. In a moment he might wake up: alone, hard and aching. And Naruto would be half way around the world moving on without him. He brushed away the thoughts, however, and chose instead to lean forward and bite into a hard bicep, causing Naruto to snort awake. The blond blinked for a bit, adjusting to the darkness before rolling over to confront his attacker.
"Ow?"
"Just making sure this was real." Sasuke smiled charmingly as Naruto raised an eyebrow at him.
"I think you're supposed to pinch yourself first, or something."
"Tch, I like my way better."
"Hmm…" Naruto brushed back some of Sasuke's bangs before trailing a hand down his side and leaving it there.
"Naruto, is this okay though?" An odd, serious note crept in Sasuke's tone as he stared at Naruto earnestly.
"I think it's more than okay," Naruto responded automatically. "Then again, there's a good chance that we may not be talking about the same thing."
"I mean me being here, especially like this." Sasuke looked around the room as if expecting to see news reporters emerging from the shadows. "I wasn't thinking very far ahead when I came here. I don't want to make trouble for you. Not while your career is just getting started."
Naruto seemed surprised by this line of thinking. He reached out and pulled Sasuke close to him, snuggling him close. "If I'm with you, I'm with you. I would never hide who I am for any reason in the world, and I would never hide you either. If the path I'm on now won't allow me to have the career I want as well as the person I want, then I'll find a new path, or I'll make one of my own. I love you and you have me- it's been decided. So stop worrying uselessly."
Just like that, the last of Sasuke's anxieties were blown away effortlessly in a way only Naruto would manage. He made a show of sighing and shrugging before graciously capitulating. "Fine, fine, I was just asking, is all. You know, you do sound a little like a nice version of Hitler."
"Oh, not you too..." Naruto groaned as he spooned against Sasuke. "Fine, but that would make you some kind of Eva Braun with or without the cyanide capsules. If you really want to help my political career, you should consider gagging Ino."
"I'll see what I can do." Sasuke yawned as they both settled in to drift back to sleep. The peace and silence managed to last a full two minutes before Naruto shattered it.
"Sasuke, are you staying with me for the week of the summit?" Naruto shook Sasuke awake, causing the latter to sputter gibberish as he tried to process the question. "You should stay with me for the week. Don't go back home yet. We'll have pockets of free time here and there during the days, and the evenings to ourselves. We can explore Paris and see what they have here that's fun to do. Is there anything you want us to do?"
Sasuke stared blankly at the golden dynamo seated next to him. He could never get over how easily Naruto could go from near comatose to rabid in a manner of seconds. He blinked slowly and thought over the question.
"Actually, there are some things. I've just never had the time." Or the energy or interest; but as he had suspected, Naruto could change all that. "It's too bad we can't get to Rouen; I wanted to see where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake."
Naruto's eye twitched. "Once again, your morbid pyromania raises its head. I offer you Paris, and you want to go see where they roasted some chick."
"She's a saint, I'll have you know, not 'some chick'!" Sasuke blasted Naruto who remained unmoved and unimpressed. "And she was so noble and pure that her heart did not burn from the injustice heaped on her. You're supposed to love cheesy crap like that!"
"Who are you calling cheesy, you insufferable-"
The argument lasted for a good half hour before they wound up making love again and then passed out for the rest of the night. It had been a moot point anyway, since they never went anywhere during Naruto's free time. Instead, they spent every minute of it locked in Naruto's hotel room trying desperately to make up for lost time. Neither of them uttered a word of complaint about how the week turned out.
Besides…they would always have Paris.
TBC
- 21
- 22
- 23
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Torrid