The Sound of Dreams

AN: Ah, Saturday again! Here is the new chapter, hope everyone enjoys! As always (I'm sure you are tired of hearing it by now), thanks so much reading and so very much for the reviews!

Animejo: I probably won't be posting this on another site. At least any time soon. I feel that the sex scenes are just as important for the developing relationship as their other interactions. And since I am aiming at a more mature (not age but emotionally) audience, I feel comfortable leaving it on AFF.net for the moment. If you want to be updated on new chapters, send me an email (my address was a few chapters back) and I will be happy to shoot one to you. Naturally that goes for anyone else as well, although I have kept very close to the Tues/Sat updates!

/hugs for all!!


Chapter 21


The cave was the first place that the two shinobi had been able to rest at in over a week. While Naruto's clones had thrown off pursuit to begin with, the Sound-nin had been able to pick up their trail again. The two young men were exhausted with the head-long flight through cold weather and unfamiliar territory as they tried to lose their hunters. They had spent the last week cat-napping when possible, eating on the run when they had time and avoiding human habitation.

Sasuke set about trapping the entrance quite lethally while Naruto made some hot tea and rice. He used some drift wood that was scattered about just inside the cave, hoping it would be dry enough. Neither said a word as they quickly consumed their meal. They peeled out of their damp clothes and set them near the small fire to help dry. They used one of the blankets as ground cover and snuggled together under the other, sharing body heat, self-consciousness forgotten in their fatigue. Within minutes they were both asleep, trying to recover from their flight through the wilds.

*****************
Sasuke felt himself surfacing to awareness. The warmth of the body next to him was relaxing and tempted him to sink back into oblivion, but he knew that they would have to move again soon. He opened his eyes to find himself cuddled up to a broad chest. Naruto was once again on his back, snoring lightly, sprawled under the blankets carelessly.

Softly, so as not to disturb the slumbering demon vessel, Sasuke ran his fingertips over the whisker-like marks that so resembled the kitsune within him. His fingers continued up into the downy hair, catching on a few tangles. He smiled softly to himself. He hadn't had time to properly take care of his dobe lately. He could feel something inside himself rail at his thoughts, something that tried to make him clam up again and deny his attraction, but he forcefully ignored it. He was going to indulge himself for these few moments.

His fingers drifted down to that expanse of tanned skin upon which his cheek rested. His hand trembled slightly as his touch ghosted over a painfully familiar area. The skin was unmarred thanks to the Kyuubi, but he knew. He knew that he had been the one to hurt Naruto painfully with his actions. Without pausing to think, he scooted up and leaned over his friend. His precious friend. His warm breath fluttered airily over the flesh as his lips gently caressed it in a fleeting kiss.

The part of him that had been beaten into momentary submission flared to life, giving him so many reasons why he shouldn't be feeling these things for this man. Why he shouldn't feel anything for anyone. Turning away, he sat up and stared at the dimly lit wall of the cave. He missed the blue eyes opening and staring at him with a wealth of emotions displayed for any to see.

He tensed as the body next to him gave a long stretch. "Hmmm, morning," came the sleepy voice. Naruto casually stood, allowing the blanket to slip from his body. He ruffled Sasuke's hair almost playfully before moving over to pull on his clothes.

"Moron," Sasuke grumbled half-heartedly as he tried to straighten up his hair.

Naruto snickered at his friend's lack of progress. "I don't know why you try. It's still going to look like a chicken's butt no matter what you do."

"Hn."

"And so witty, too," Naruto teased, throwing his friend's words back at him. Ignoring the dark look directed his way, he moved to the entrance to take a quick look around. "Think we have enough time for some hot tea before we go?"

"Hn," he grunted in agreement. He stood and quickly dressed while the blonde continued to look out the cave opening. "I've been thinking. Instead of avoiding towns, we need to find a large one to get lost in."

"That should be easy. I've been lost in several."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I mean we need to blend in with the population and lose our pursuers in the crowd. Maybe go so far as to disguise ourselves or something. Otherwise they are going to continue until we have them on our doorstep." He built up the fire until it was large enough to heat water. "Go grab some snow to melt. Preferably not the yellow kind."

"Pfft. Don't you mean slush?" He caught the canteen tossed his way. "I'll see if there isn't any fresh water around."

"Don't go too far. I don't want to have to look for you when I come rescue you from whatever hole you fall into."

Naruto replied in the form of a hand gesture before ducking out the entrance.


Thirty minutes later Sasuke was about ready to go looking for the other ninja. He should have known better than to let him loose out on his own. With his luck, he probably stumbled right into the enemy's camp and then stood there scratching the back of his head while giving an embarrassed laugh. Not that it didn't work some of the times strangely enough, but that was not the point.

Just then a dripping wet, muddy apparition appeared at the cave entrance. He heard teeth grind as the vision came into the cave and held up a water canteen. "Don't say a damn word," came the growled warning.

Sasuke blinked a time or two and calmly took the canteen.

"I found a creek-"

"Apparently."

A bright blue glare was directed his way. "But the melting snow made the banks slippery. They were pretty steep, too."

Sasuke looked over the muddy hair with the occasional bright yellow peeking through, the dirt smeared orange pants and the filthy poncho. He held up the canteen and shook it meaningfully. "I don't think there's enough here to take a bath with."

"Shut up, teme," he growled.

Sasuke shook his head. "We'll cross into Fire Country and hit a large trade town. Something with a transient population."

"We'll have a higher chance of running into Leaf shinobi that way," Naruto warned.

"I know that, dobe. But the Sound-nin will be hesitant about following us there and they certainly won't attack us. Once there, we can lose ourselves either by joining a group of travelers or by sneaking out after we've lost them." Sasuke took out the tea leaves and added the last of the packet to the hot water. "We can also restock on rations." He eyed Naruto gaugingly. "And I know your stomach must be gnawing at your spine by now."

Naruto's stomach took the opportunity to loudly agree. A light blush graced the whiskered cheeks as a hand reflexively went to scratch the back of his head. "Heh, yeah, kinda."

While waiting for the tea to steep, Naruto took the opportunity to wash his face with some cold water and to brush his teeth. He wasn't even going to try brushing out his hair until the mud dried fully and would flake out. He folded up their blankets and was about to put them away when Sasuke called him to tea. After blowing on it a few times, he guzzled his down, emitting little yips as he burned his tongue. Sasuke merely rolled his eyes and drank his at a more sedate pace.

Naruto pulled out both of their packs and started rifling through them, looking for some scrap of anything to eat. Finding nothing, he resigned himself to a day of foraging on the run. His raven-haired friend came up, grabbed his pack and liberated his toothbrush from the blonde's pilfering. Naruto blinked at him a few times as he grabbed the canteen and proceeded to start brushing his teeth. There was a flurry of activity as the blankets were folded and all remnants of the camp was packed away.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment with his toothbrush stuck in his mouth. He only wished that the dobe was always so thorough and helpful in tearing down camp. He spit and rinsed his mouth out as the blonde was heading toward the cave entrance, dropping Sasuke's pack next to him on the way.

'At least the idiot could wait a minute,' he thought to himself. He glanced down to put his toothbrush away when he saw a streak of pink on it. Confused he held it up to the stream of light coming in from the morning sun. He rubbed his thumbnail over the spot and frowned as the blue flaked off to reveal more of the pink beneath. His head whipped around to see the retreating back of his friend ducking through the entrance rather quickly.

"Naruto!!" He knew somehow, someway that the usuratonkachi was responsible for this.

*******************
Naruto looked over the large town spread out before him with heart-felt appreciation. They had spent several days traveling to this trade town, having to circle around to the south so that they weren't seen coming from the direction of Rice Field Country. There were regular patrols between the borders of the two countries and anyone was subject to being stopped and questioned if coming from the direction of Fire's enemies. The patrols had also seemed to work in their favor in that they had lost the presence of their pursuers.

"Let's get a room with its own bath," Naruto suggested.

"The less we're seen the better," Sasuke agreed.

"That, too. I just want a shower and then a hot soak in the bath without interruptions."

"And maybe one with a guest accessible laundry room," his friend suggested, looking at the mud splattered clothing.

"I'm not doing your laundry, teme, so don't even say it," the blonde warned.

"It will give you something to do while I am out getting supplies. I stand out less than you," he rationalized.

"Pfft. A pretty boy like you? You would stand out anywhere."

Was that an insult or compliment? Sasuke decided to go for neutral. "Whatever, dobe." He adjusted his pack and started toward the town. "Besides, I know you too well. We would end up with a pack full of ramen and little else."

"What's wrong with that? It never spoils!"

"Because you are back sliding, dobe. You haven't meditated in gods know how long, we haven't been able to eat well or very often. The only thing you have going for you right now is that you've been able to take your vitamins."

"Awww, Sasuke! I didn't know you cared!" He bumped lightly into his friend, wearing a large grin.

"Hn. I don't. I just want you healthy so you will be useful to me," he retorted shortly, while pushing the blonde away.

Naruto's bottom lip stuck out in a pout for all of three or four seconds before he smiled happily. "Whatever, teme." They walked on for a few moments before he spoke up again. "Hey about those vitamins that you make me take, they are really nasty tasting and are as big as marbles practically. Can we get some chewable ones in town?"

Sasuke snorted sardonically. "Shall we get them fruit flavored, too?"

"Could you?!" Naruto asked hopefully.

Sasuke merely closed his eyes and shook his head in disparagement.

Just before they entered town, Naruto pulled up his hood to cover his hair and pulled his arms into the poncho. Sasuke heard a little mutter that was followed by a few puffs of smoke escaping from the openings. When he saw that the young man's stature had changed to a slimmer, smaller form he understood. It was better that a man and woman was seen entering the town rather than two men. He frowned when he could barely detect the chakra use that maintained the disguise.

Naruto noticed his look. "I improved it to be useful for undercover missions. As long as someone isn't really looking for it, the chakra use is overlooked since it is about the level of your average civilian's," a soft feminine voice said from under the cover of the hood. The tone turned a little smug. "That and I tweaked it a little so I can change the features to what I want."

The hood turned slightly and noticed the look on the pale face. "Don't give me shit, teme! You don't know what it's like having to play cocktease just to get training out of your sensei!"

Sasuke didn't reply but he could feel his face heat up in a deep blush.

"Oh shit, don't tell me you, too?" Naruto frowned beneath the cloth mantle. "You said he never touched you, right?"

"That's what I said," he growled, not wanting to have this discussion.

"You didn't lie to me, did you?" the feminine tone seemed to make the hurt intonation even more forlorn.

"No, I didn't lie to you." Sasuke drew a breath and let it out in a sigh. "He just liked to... watch me."

"Watch you do what?" he persisted.

"Hn. Everything. Like you said, I got better training whenever I was... teasing."

"Ero-sennin would make me use my sexy jutsu just so he could drool over me when he needed "inspiration." Bastard refused to train me unless I would do it." He paused a moment in contemplation. "I think it is official then," Naruto announced. "Sannin are obviously perverts. All of them."

Sasuke gave a snort of laughter.

"You remember Tsunade? The woman that healed you in the hospital, the new Hokage?"

"Vaguely. I have heard Oro- ... my previous sensei talk about her occassionally."

"Yeah, well she is training Sakura now. And she's a Sannin, too." Naruto paused for effect. "Makes you wonder what poor Sakura is having to do for her training."

They both shuddered at the mental pictures evoked by that statement.

*********************
They stood at the reception desk of a hotel that had met with Sasuke's approval, waiting for the matronly woman to assign them a room. "You do realize that you will have to get separate rooms. We do not allow couples unless they are wed. We run a respectable business here," the woman told them sternly.

Sasuke was about to turn and step out when Naruto pushed back the hood of the cloak. He froze when he saw what could have been his twin sister. "You shouldn't worry about me and aniki, obasan. I can assure you we have shared rooms since we were little! No one would dare bother me with aniki here to take care of me!" the throaty feminine voice assured the older woman sweetly.

The woman hesitated, but couldn't help but smile at the endearing, pretty little thing.

"Aniki picked me up from school to go home to see our parents! We have been traveling quite a bit and have found that things are so much more expensive than what we thought! Why traveling has taken up most of my savings from my job as an assistant at the hospital." Naruto gave a very sad face and added tragically, "I don't think I will even be able to bring my dearest mother a gift home to show her how much I have missed her!"

"Oh, you poor thing!" the older woman commiserated. "It is so hard nowadays being separated from family. Well, I am not going to make you spend what little money you have left on an extra room!" She turned and grabbed a key from the wall and turned the ledger toward Sasuke. "This room should be big enough and give you some privacy for your bath."

Naruto gave a grateful smile, looking ready to deliver a hug to the older woman at any moment.

Sasuke and his "sister" walked through the door and entered the hallway leading to the various rooms. Their steps echoed slightly on the polished hardwood floors. "Good performance," he murmured in a low tone.

"Why, thank you," his twin answered with barely twitching those coral pink lips. "I expect to be at least nominated for an award."

Sasuke smirked as he unlocked the door and ushered the other into the room. "You could give Koyuki-hime a run for her money," he said, referring to the ex-actress turned princess of Snow Country.

Naruto gave an unlady-like snort as the door closed. He dropped the jutsu and rubbed a hand over his chest. "Much better."

"Just make sure you don't leave the room as a male. Now go get cleaned up so I can take my turn."

Naruto shed his coat, shirt and shoes before heading into the bathroom. The sound of a shower soon filled the room as Sasuke pulled their dirty clothes out of their packs. He realized with some dismay that they didn't have any clean clothes left. He walked over and knocked on the bathroom door. "Dobe?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to run to grab some clothes," he said through the closed door.

"What?"

"I said I am going to go get some clothes," he repeated.

"Can't hear you over the water. Come in already!"

Sasuke sighed and opened the door. His words died in his throat as he saw the body behind the clear glass shower door.

"Hey, bastard, wanna help me get my back? I think I got mud caked on me and I can't reach it."

'Bad idea. Bad idea. Bad idea,' chanted his brain, but as the blood left and flowed southward, he seemed unable to hear it anymore. His hands moved on their own, disrobing him and dropping the dirty articles of clothing on the floor heedlessly. Before he even realized it, he was opening the shower stall and stepping inside to join a very naked, very wet and very hot blonde.

Naruto half turned and handed him a washcloth with a carefree smile. Sasuke glanced at the only adornment that still graced the tan body in the form of a crystal necklace. He had noticed that the blonde never took it off, but had never gotten around to asking him about it. Looking up, his friend's eyes told him not to ask now either. He took the cloth and nudged the broad shoulders. "Turn around, dobe," he said a little hoarsely.

Naruto turned and placed his hands against the beige tile walls, letting the water cascade down his back. Sasuke soaped up the washcloth and hesitated before placing a hand lightly against the other male's hip. He carefully started to rub the washcloth over the tanned skin, watching as the suds trailed down the broad expanse to slip down firm buttocks and thighs. Sasuke quickly came to the opinion that this was greater torture than anything that Ibiki and Orochimaru could jointly conjure.

Naruto gave a soft moan of appreciation that proved to be Sasuke's undoing. He absentmindedly placed the cloth on a bar set into the wall as his head lowered down to that tantalizing wet skin. His lips brushed over the small of the back, then followed the water upstream along the spine. A groan rewarded his efforts as he continued up and across muscled shoulder blades. He moved closer until his hardness pressed boldly against rounded globes of flesh, finding a cradle between them.

Naruto gasped and pressed back against the cock nestled against his ass. He straightened up, allowing those lips that were trying to devour him access to his neck. They found a meaty spot on the outside of his shoulder and bit down hard. He hissed and jerked slightly. "Not so hard at first, start gently then work your way up," he tried to say as softly as he could so as not to offend the pride of the one behind him. When the mouth hesitated, he carefully reached back to entangle his fingers into the black locks. He guided the head to the juncture of where his neck met his shoulder. "Right there. Start lightly then add pressure until you get the reaction you want. Until you learn what your partner likes."

The mouth lowered over the tanned flesh and gently sunk teeth into it. The jaws tightened until a moan was heard, then started to loosen. "More," Naruto urged a little breathlessly. The teeth bore down once more until the moan turned into a gasp, hips lifted to push back forcefully and the head fell back in pleasure. "Yes," he shuddered, "like that." The teeth reluctantly let go and a light kiss was dropped in their place.

Sasuke allowed his hands to explore Naruto's chest blindly as he nuzzled and kissed his friend's neck. He couldn't help but rock his hips against the silky firmness of the other's buttocks. He wanted to be inside of him so badly that he throbbed with each heartbeat. His own leaking fluid soon had the little valley at the top of the blonde's rear slickened and he slid against him easily.

He felt a hand gently take his and firmly trail the both of them down over a tautly muscled abdomen. The hand guiding his paused as he felt a jolt of pleasure almost leap to his skin as if from an electrical current.

Naruto moaned as Sasuke’s hand rubbed and kneaded the soft, marked skin of his stomach. While the sensation was arousing, he wanted his friend’s hand elsewhere. Exerting a little pressure, he urged their hands down to the juncture between the blonde's thighs. With their fingers still entwined, their hands skimmed over the hardened length that pulsed at the sudden attention.

Sasuke’s hand was guided lower to cup and stroke once or twice over a tight sac, then back up to curl around a thick shaft. Sasuke had never experienced anything as erotic as having Naruto guiding his hand over the younger man's own erection, showing him what brought him pleasure.

Naruto's head tilted to the side and the hand that was still in Sasuke's hair guided his mouth back to the sensitive skin. As his teeth sunk into flesh, Naruto tightened his grip and started moving their hands faster. Sasuke couldn't get over the feel of how hard and hot the other man's shaft was. Touching him like this was completely different than touching himself. It was so much more exciting, so much more arousing. It seemed to bring out his baser instincts toward dominance and possession.

Naruto's breath was coming faster now and his muscles were slowly starting to tighten. Sasuke started nipping and biting along his shoulder and neck, being careful not to bear down too hard but was being rougher than he was previously. If the hair pulling and moans were any indication, the blonde didn't mind in the least. The broad chest was starting to act like bellows, forcing the air out of his lungs fast and hard before trying to drag a ragged breath back in. Sasuke's hips were grinding hard against the blonde's ass now, trying to force his body along the same path, the same timing as Naruto's.

Sasuke felt Naruto tense within his embrace. "Sa..Sas..k..." his lover tried and failed to utter his name. The hand in his hair suddenly jerked his face hard into the juncture of neck and shoulder and Sasuke knew what he wanted. Panting harshly, Sasuke waited until every muscle went rigid then allowed his teeth to pierce skin.

Naruto cried out gutturally as his orgasm ripped through his body, wrenching every muscle, draining every reserve and emptying it out in thick jets onto the slick tiles below. He felt a hot wash go across his back as teeth clenched harder, fingers dug into his ribs and a hand tightened almost painfully around his cock. Sasuke's voice moaned around his mouthful of flesh as he kept Naruto's body in a death grip. The teeth slowly let loose and the muscles relaxed and they leaned on each other, trying to hold themselves up on shaky legs.

"Well," Naruto finally said with a sigh as he straightened up. "If we're doing this for stress relief, I would say it's working. I wouldn't give a shit right now if every damn Sound-nin on the continent knocked on our door." He gave a stretch under the still warm water. "Does this count as meditation? That would be nice." He turned around to look at his glaze-eyed companion. "You know, I am beginning to suspect you aren't worth a fuck after sex. Pardon the expression."

Sasuke gave a sound that Naruto guessed was supposed to be a "hn" but it only came out as a "h." Chuckling, he picked up the washcloth and began to bathe the tired but beautiful pale body in front of him.

TBC