Spartan Ninjas (Abandoned WIP)

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THE NOTE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER!!

DO NOT ASK US IF YOU CAN PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF. WE WILL NOT GIVE THIS STORY TO ANOTHER AUTHOR.

Disclaimer: We do not own or gain any profit from Naruto.
Reviews are more than welcome.

Author's Note: for further reference here is a key to help you follow the story:
::this:: is a character's own personal thoughts
"~this~" is speaking in Japanese

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Spartan Ninjas
~ Chapter Twenty-Two ~
By: Cecilia Tsukineko and Kirei Kitsue
Beta'd by: AkaiTsume

-----------Back at the apartment-----------
"I'm home!" Naruto called, tossing his keys onto the kitchen counter and pulling his coat off. It had just started to snow outside, and he shook the powder from his hair.

"Upstairs," Sasuke called, his voice clear and strong, leading Naruto to believe him to be waiting just at the top. Sasuke trembled a little with anticipation and felt his blood warm slightly. He was a bit nervous, but hadn't Naruto been so very willing yesterday? He was more anxious to get the night started than nervous, truth be told. He looked behind him at the softly lit ante-room and the slightly more brightly lit bathroom doorway over his right shoulder. He was naked to the waist, wearing his typical pair of sleeping pants in deep, deep blue, but he wouldn't be wearing those for long. Silently, he praised his insight on having dimmer-lights instead of harsh, normal lights or trying to rely solely on candles. The candles were being used elsewhere...

"'Kay! I'll be up in a bit!" Naruto dumped his bag into his desk chair and went to the bedroom to shed his sweater and wet socks, throwing them into the hamper. Down to his t-shirt and jeans, Naruto climbed up the stairs, grinning when he saw Sasuke in the open doorway. "Do I finally get to see what's up here?" he asked playfully.

Sasuke nodded, his smirk smooth in dimmed lights. As Naruto approached him, he took two steps back and opened his arms, giving Naruto just enough room to get up onto the actual second floor. He wanted at least a hug before Naruto saw too much. "Yeah... it's ready."

"Finally." Naruto gave him a tight hug and a gentle nibble to his bottom lip in greeting. "I was starting to plan ways to break the lock so I could see," he joked.

"Impatient," Sasuke breathed against Naruto's mouth softly, turning the word into a few soft kisses before he pulled away. "I'm glad I got it done before you followed through. Come on. A hot bath sounds good, ne?"

"Very good. It's _freezing_ outside." To prove his point, Naruto put his cold hands on Sasuke's neck with a smirk.

Sasuke's nose wrinkled, but that was the only implication that he was displeased with the experience. Then he smiled a little and pulled Naruto close to him, tightly. He whispered in his ear, "Then let me warm you up..." before he took Naruto's hands and started heading towards the bathroom. He led Naruto to the bathroom door, then released his hands and leaned against the outside of the doorless frame, crossing his arms. It was up to Naruto which he noticed first: the redesigned bathroom... or –

"We have a Jacuzzi?!" Naruto exclaimed happily, having noticed it when he looked around as Sasuke pulled him towards the bathroom. There was a little nook next to the stairwell that now housed a black and white Jacuzzi. "That wasn't there when we moved in!"

"That talk I had with the landlord was to get written permission to alter the apartment anyway I saw fit... so long as I returned it to it's former state of being – save for the Jacuzzi – before we moved out. I added a little bonus for his troubles too of course," Sasuke replied and straightened from the doorframe, unfolding his arms. "The bath?"

Grinning, Naruto nodded and looked around a bit more, taking in the black tile floor and the stained wood paneling... He spotted a black curtain and started moving towards it. "What's over there?"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Sasuke gently reprimanded and grabbed Naruto's elbow. "That's where your last presents are... Bath first," he said firmly and pulled Naruto into the bathroom. There he released Naruto's arm, trusting him to behave, and headed over to the deep black shower/tub and turned the gold faucets on while plugging the drain.

The bathroom floor was done in large tile slabs of black marble, part of which was covered by a large area rug to make the floor comfortable and offset the coldness of the space, making the room both efficient-looking and welcoming. The toilet was black and the vanity had a black marble basin-counter sink with gold fixtures and black-gloss-stained wood for the cabinet. A mirror crowned with a dimmer-light fixture hugged the wall above the sink.

Small black marble tiles went a quarter of the way up the wall. The wall above was done in white – as was the ceiling – and it was edged at the top in paper wall trimming that matched the picture that hung on wall immediately to the left when one entered the bathroom.

Black panthers with fiery green eyes walked amongst black vases holding red, red roses with tall black roman pillars set on a white background. The picture contained a bit more than that, though. Although he wasn't aroused by the female body, Sasuke could appreciate it for its beauty... and knew his koi would certainly do so. He watched Naruto examine the bathroom for himself and waited for a response.

"Man, you really went all out... this must have cost a _fortune_..." Naruto murmured in awe, eyes wide as he took everything in. It was all so extravagant – thankfully in a very tasteful way – that he was having a little trouble believing that they were still in their apartment and not in some five-star hotel or movie-star's mansion. "This is really _ours_?"

His eyes fell on the painting and he looked at the center of it appreciatively, admiring the naked woman lounging on a Roman-style couch with a panther lying on the floor in front of her. She had eyes as green as the big cat's and long, thick, black hair that fell in waves to the floor. Had he not been with Sasuke he would have definitely been more than just appreciative, but now he compared everyone he saw to Sasuke and always found others lacking. "Hey look, it's you with a chest and hips," he teased with a grin.

"It was worth it," Sasuke murmured and wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist from behind. "I'm glad you like everything so far."

"And I don't have green eyes, baka," he added with a playful lick to Naruto's cheek. "Strip. The tub's almost ready." Releasing Naruto's waist, he turned and moved over to the tub, turning it off. When the two of them got in they'd be up to their shoulders, maybe even necks. Plenty of warm water. Straightening, Sasuke let his drawstrings out, pulled the pants off, revealing the fact that he wore no underwear underneath, and hung them neatly on the towel/clothes rack that hung on the wall between the tub and the full length mirror by the door.

"Well, if you had green contacts it would be. And if you grew out your hair a bit," Naruto insisted playfully, pulling his clothes off and draping them on the rack. On his way into the tub, he teasingly patted Sasuke's firm rear. A delighted sigh passed his lips as he sank into the warm water. "Feels gooooood... was cold..." Smiling, he slid down until he was up to his chin in water.

To save the rug, Sasuke laid a large, folded black towel in front of the tub where they'd be getting out and then climbed in with Naruto, settling with his back to Naruto so he could lean back into the blond for a little while. A little relaxing in warmth and quiet was first on his list for the evening. He leaned back into Naruto's chest and sighed, reaching up – water running down his arm – to tangle his fingers in the back of Naruto's blond spikes. "I love you..." he murmured, his eyelids drooping with contentment as he rested his head back against Naruto's shoulder.

Strong, loving arms circled Sasuke's chest and held him tight as Naruto sat up a little straighter so he could comfortably nuzzle Sasuke's neck. "I love you too..." he murmured, lipping lazily at the spot where Sasuke's jaw met his neck. Naruto brought his legs up closer to his body to cradle his lover between them. Slowly, he let one hand slide down Sasuke's torso to idly trace the muscles on his stomach, loving the feel of having Sasuke in his arms like this.

A soft sigh brushed past Sasuke's lips and his stomach jumped a little at the tender caressing it was receiving. Naruto wasn't the only one who was slightly ticklish. Sasuke lounged like that for a while longer, cherishing the warmth and peace of the scene, but the night had to progress eventually and after a long while of soaking, he shifted gently, pushing Naruto's hand out of the way, and rolled over slowly onto his knees until he was on his hands and knees in front of his lover. Moving forward, he rose up, one hand splaying against the wall beside Naruto's head and the other curling long elegant fingers in the back of his hair again. Warm lips brushed Naruto's mouth, and then Sasuke pulled away a little. "When we're done soaking we'll shower... and then I'll show you the rest of this level," he murmured, his eyes searching Naruto's lazily and his lips just brushing Naruto's.

"Mmmm... Sounds like a good plan," Naruto murmured back, his tongue tracing the outline of Sasuke's lips while his hands ran up and down the front of Sasuke's thighs. His eyes were at half mast, shining with deep love and quiet passion. He felt wonderfully relaxed and warm and content.

Satisfied with that, Sasuke parted slightly smiling lips and kissed Naruto, his tongue brushing Naruto's bottom lip, asking gently if Naruto's tongue would come out to dance. Sasuke let his legs fold to the side and settled on his hip without breaking the kiss. It was an effeminate pose, but it was more comfortable than kneeling, and Sasuke was, at the moment, more engrossed in Naruto's wonderful mouth than the position of his own body. The kiss was slow and gentle, slowly building the heat up, just a little, between them. It was relaxing and wonderful to have Naruto quietly to himself like this. Intimately to himself... all his.

More than willing, Naruto curled his tongue around Sasuke's, pulling it into his mouth before sliding his tongue into Sasuke's mouth to explore it lazily. Purring quietly, he held Sasuke close, his arms snug around a pale chest. To bring them even closer, he looped one leg over Sasuke's hip. "My Sasuke..." he breathed, the words kisses in themselves. He would never trade a moment like this for anything... Any time spent just holding or kissing Sasuke was time dearly treasured, a growing horde of jewels and gold kept safely in Naruto's heart.

Scooting closer, Sasuke murred wordlessly and let his hand drop from the wall to lie around Naruto's neck and across the back of his shoulders. The hand in Naruto's hair tightened a little as Sasuke's tongue lapped at Naruto's lips. "All yours," he whispered finally and then lowered his head until he could tuck it under Naruto's chin. Right now was the time to take it slow and easy. In fact, the whole night was going to be slow and easy. This was going to be a night Naruto – a night neither of them would ever forget.

Naruto held Sasuke even tighter and sighed contentedly, nuzzling at Sasuke's soft hair. ::Heaven...:: They sat there in peaceful quiet until they had thoroughly become human prunes and stood up to make use of the shower, unplugging the drain. With loving caresses and tender kisses they bathed each other, taking the time to worship each other's bodies with gentle hands and soft lips.

As the last of the suds disappeared down the drain, Naruto turned off the water and reached for a large, plush black towel. Holding it behind him, he reached forward and looped his arms around Sasuke's neck, wrapping them both in the fluffy cloth as his eyes danced in lazy playfulness.

Sasuke's arms settled about Naruto's waist, comfortably resting on his nonexistent hips. Dipping his head, he nuzzled Naruto's chin up so he could nip and lick and suck at Naruto's neck. Gentle hands caressed Naruto's back and rump, stroking his backside from hairline to thighs.

When he deemed them dry enough, he lifted his mouth from its non-marking-nibbles on Naruto's throat and stepped out of the tub with him. He grabbed the clothing bag hanging from the large rack by the mirror and pulled out two heavy silk, deep blue kimono robes and turned, offering one to Naruto with a smile as he prepared to put his one. Instead of an obi, it was to be tied loosely with a belt made of the same material.

Curious, Naruto took the kimono Sasuke handed him and pulled it on. The soft silk glided in a cool caress against his skin and he couldn't help but purr as he tied it shut, the robe a comfortable weight on his shoulders. A happy-cat smile on his lips, he lifted the sleeves and rubbed his face in them. "Yeay, silk," he crooned as the cloth slowly absorbed his body heat, making the little caresses as he shifted even more pleasurable.

Naruto's child-like reactions always made Sasuke smile inside. It was something he adored about his lover. Robed in his own blue silk kimono, tied loosely shut so that the chest fell mostly open, Sasuke smiled softly and started walking towards the doorway. He stopped in the frame and turned, stretching his hand out to Naruto. "Ready?" he asked gently and waited for Naruto to put his hand in Sasuke's.

"Yep." Impulsively, Naruto opted to jump on Sasuke's back instead of taking his hand, latching on like a baby koala. "Onward!" he commanded.

"Omf!" Sasuke staggered a little and looped his arms under Naruto's knees by reflex to keep Naruto – and himself – from toppling over. "Baka..." Sasuke grumbled and carried him only to the curtain. There he stopped and dropped Naruto's legs expectantly. He wasn't going beyond the curtain with Naruto piggyback.

"But you love me anyway," Naruto purred right into Sasuke's ear, nibbling at it until Sasuke made him get down. "Are you gonna tell me what's in there before I go look?" He smirked playfully.

"No... It's best viewed without prior knowledge," Sasuke murmured and took Naruto's hand, pulling the curtains aside. The candles were all already lit, releasing the scent of Ylang Ylang into the room to blend with the scent of sandalwood from the few incense sticks smoking lightly about the room. There were so many candles – on the floors, on every available surface – that the room glowed with the soft golden light.

Sasuke moved over to the low table and knelt on the far red sitting pillow. Reaching for a topless strawberry, he dipped it in the warmed chocolate pot held over a three flame candle by a wire frame before looking to Naruto and holding it up. "Want it?" he asked softly, taking in Naruto's first expression as the contents of the room filtered into the blond's brain.

Naruto's smirk immediately dropped, along with his jaw. Speechless and wide-eyed, he stared, not even hearing Sasuke's voice. The walls were the same stained wood paneling as the landing, but in here the candlelight brought out the rich color in the wood and made it vibrant even in its darkness. The only thing on the walls was a huge Japanese fan with a beautiful scene of cherry trees in bloom painted on it, hanging beside the lush bed. Dark wood – darker than the walls – made up the frame of the low bed, on which a thick black comforter was draped and on top of that was a multitude of red and purple and blue pillows. A low table sat beside the bed, made of the same wood as the bed frame and housing two drawers. On it sat a round silver tray that held three candles and an incense burner. More of those trays littered the floor, each of them holding three candles but only a handful had incense sitting on them. Beneath Naruto's feet was a plush black carpet that just about swallowed his toes and was wonderfully soft.

Eventually Naruto's eyes fell on the low, Japanese-style table in the corner opposite the doorway, upon which was a bowl of small fruits and the chocolate pot and a crystal goblet filled with some ruby liquid, along with another tray of candles. Slowly, as if in a dream, Naruto moved over to the unoccupied sitting cushion and sat down. "This is really ours?" he whispered in awe.

"All ours," Sasuke whispered reassuringly and cupped Naruto's chin in his free hand, lifting the treat towards Naruto's lips. The strawberry was still warm but the chocolate was starting to harden. "Taste..." he purred, his eyes glued to Naruto's lips as he waited for compliance.

Naruto blinked a couple times as he returned his focus on Sasuke, and then smirked slightly. Slowly he parted his lips, sliding his tongue out and cupping it underneath the strawberry to draw it into his mouth, along with a couple of Sasuke's fingers. He chewed the fruit in the back of his mouth and, after he swallowed, sucked lightly at Sasuke's fingers. "Delicious," he purred, looking right at Sasuke's eyes as his own smoldered.

Sasuke's black eyes smoldered like ash-covered embers as his fingers lightly traced the outline of Naruto's lips. He picked up a small slice of papaya and offered that to Naruto as well, letting him take it. "Good?" he purred, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Why don't you tell me?" Naruto breathed, scooting over with the papaya tucked in his cheek. Circling Sasuke's neck with a hand, he pulled him close for a deep, slow kiss. The papaya moved back and forth between their mouths as their tongues danced, and when they had to break apart for air it was in Sasuke's. "Good?" Naruto crooned softly.

Chewing slowly with his eyes closed, Sasuke replayed that erotic moment in his mind over and over again, finding it to be more than... arousing. He shivered lightly as Naruto's breath caressed his cheek and opened his eyes, hooding them with long black lashes. "Delicious..." he purred and dipped his fingers in the warm chocolate, touching them to his lips before cupping the back of Naruto's neck in one hand and pulling him in for another deep kiss. His still chocolate coated fingers caressed Naruto's neck, leaving behind tasty streaks of sweetness, so that when they had to break for air again Sasuke's mouth trailed warm kisses to Naruto's neck, where he licked and sucked the chocolate off the blond's skin. "Very... delicious..." he purred against Naruto's mostly cleaned throat before lapping up the last of the chocolate.

Small breathy pants escaped Naruto's lips as Sasuke's mouth danced over his neck and jaw, making him shiver in delight. His eyes hooded and glazed over with arousal, Naruto reached into the chocolate pot, coating his fingers up to the first knuckle. With his clean hand he gently pushed Sasuke onto his back and opened his kimono wider. Smirking wickedly, he trailed candy-covered fingertips down Sasuke's chest to his navel before leaning down to lick it up, starting at Sasuke's collarbones and working his way down slowly, making sure to keep his own kimono clean of the sweet. As he did so he pressed his chocolaty fingers to Sasuke's lips in silent request for him to "clean" them.

The ceiling had Sasuke's whole visual attention as that warm, slippery tongue danced down his body, following the smooth heat of liquefied chocolate. He wasn't really seeing it, though. His mind was on only two things: Naruto's mouth on his tingling skin... and Naruto's fingers as he pulled them into his mouth, sucking on them and swirling his tongue all around each coated digit until they were clean. Panting, he released Naruto's "washed" fingertips and made some small noise in the back of his throat that was indiscernible as anything normal.

Naruto lapped up the last of the chocolate in Sasuke's belly button, the rest of the pale skin clean, and leaned up a bit, licking his lips and looking very much like a cat that had just gotten a large bowl of cream. Eyes glowing with desire, he looked over the foods on the table and selected a fig, dipping it in the bowl of honey. He used it to draw a spiral on Sasuke's stomach, radiating out from his navel. Leaning down again, he pressed the fig to Sasuke's lips and began to lap at the honey, starting at the outside of the spiral and working his way in. This was going to take a lot longer than the chocolate to clean... not that Naruto cared any. He loved the taste of Sasuke's skin and the sweets just made him taste all the better.

Sasuke's breath shortened suddenly as Naruto's tongue pressed at the outward point of the spiral Naruto had created. His lower abdomen... ::Oh god...:: "Naruto..." he gasped as his lower abdomen quivered. That was one of his favorite spots... caresses, licks, lips, and nails dragged lightly across the expanse of skin between his navel and hairline always brought him to full and painful arousal almost instantly. This time was no different. Taking the fig into his mouth – loving the mix of intense, chewy sweetness and thick, rich, gelled saccharine – Sasuke tucked it into a cheek and pulled Naruto's fingers into his mouth again, sucking them clean once more. One of his hands clutched the edge of his sitting cushion while the other hand was flopped and limply curled above his head, fingers twitching every time his breath hitched.

A warm hand slipped underneath Sasuke's kimono to glide up the inside of his thigh, caressing the junction of leg and hip. Purring quietly, Naruto finished cleaning Sasuke's abdomen of honey and moved downwards, untying Sasuke's sash with his teeth and gazing up at him heatedly. All the sounds his lover was making sent delightful tremors straight to his groin and made him groan low in his chest. Once the sash was undone, Naruto pulled Sasuke's robe open with his teeth and lowered his gaze to the prize waiting for him. "Hmmm... now what do I do with this?" he purred teasingly, running his fingers down from Sasuke's mouth to his hip to help its mate hold Sasuke still.

Sasuke's hands both came to meet in Naruto's hair, lacing in spiky, tangled locks. "Whatever you want to..." he breathed, sounding so much like he was in painful anticipation. His eyes were now unwaveringly glued to Naruto and he was almost holding his breath. "Tonight... is for _us_. It's whatever you want it to be."

Naruto smiled lovingly up at him, eyes bright with passion. He shifted a bit as he thought about what to do and the gliding of silk against his back gave him an idea. His smile melted into a wicked smirk as he picked up the edge of Sasuke's sash and wrapped it once around Sasuke's erection. Slowly he began to pump him, his hand just tight enough that the silk whispered against Sasuke's heated flesh.

Sasuke's back arched up slowly, pressing the back of his head into the plush black carpet. Groaning, he squirmed, unable to really fight Naruto's hold on his hips. That was a sensation he'd never thought of... and oh it was... "Hnh~" he whimpered a little.

"You like that?" Naruto purred roughly, crawling up Sasuke's body without stopping his ministrations. Tightening his hand a bit, he licked Sasuke's lips, his tongue asking for its playmate to come out.

Sasuke's fingers tightened in Naruto's hair as his tongue swiped out and brushed Naruto's, coaxing it into Sasuke's mouth where he alternated sucking at it and caressing it... a semi-suggestive pattern of what he could be doing elsewhere. His hips bucked up a little, Naruto being unable to hold his hips properly in the position he'd moved into. Sasuke finally let Naruto go, turning the kiss into something slower, more passionate. Then he pulled away and shuddered under Naruto's hand. "Bed," he gasped.

Nodding breathlessly, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and hauled them up to their feet, not letting go of Sasuke's erection. In fact, that was how he pulled Sasuke to the bed. They fell into the pile of pillows in a tangle of limbs and Naruto rolled them over so he was on top again, moving back down between Sasuke's legs. Leaning down, he took the head of his lover's arousal into his mouth, suckling on it as he stroked the base with the silk sash.

Sasuke's mind was foggy with a hazy passion, the sensations shooting through his body making him shudder. The softer bedding made Sasuke squirm; the situation was getting out of hand and he'd had plans... hadn't he? Yes, he had. He squirmed more and forced one set of his fingers carefully from Naruto's hair. Tugging lightly, he silently asked Naruto to let him go, let him think, while his other hand caught at Naruto's wrist, trying to stop him. It felt so good that his attempt was weak at best, but he had some things that needed to talk about.

Knowing Sasuke well enough to tell when he actually wanted him to stop and wasn't just play-resisting, Naruto lifted his head and stopped the motion of his hand. "What?" he asked softly, his brow knitting slightly in confusion.

"We need to talk..." Sasuke panted. He had to calm down just a little bit first or he wouldn't make it all the way through their brief discussion. Gently, he urged Naruto to move up his body so he could look into his face.

Naruto crawled up and draped himself along Sasuke's side, propping himself up on one elbow. "What do you want to talk about?" he murmured, running light fingers over Sasuke's collarbones.

Sasuke's hand came up and he gently brushed the back of his knuckles against Naruto's cheek as his breathing evened out a little, "Naruto... I want to share everything with you at least once." His palm cradled that same cheek gently. "I want to complete this union between our hearts with a union between our bodies..." he murmured, not sure if they were the right words but that was the best way he could think of to put it so that it didn't come out crude or overly lame.

"You mean..." Naruto whispered, feeling his heart stop for a moment as he took in Sasuke's words before it restarted with an almost painful thump, beating at a much faster pace from both excitement and nervousness. He felt his arousal twitch strongly at the thought of making love with Sasuke. He'd dreamed of it for so long but had never made any moves towards it because, frankly, he was too unsure about how to go about it and too worried that he'd hurt Sasuke in the process. But now that Sasuke had expressed his desire to take the final step in the physical aspect of their relationship... A loving smile slowly took over Naruto's face and he leaned down to kiss Sasuke sweetly, cradling his face. "Yes," he murmured.

Relief, something Sasuke hadn't anticipated feeling, washed over him. "I have two questions for you then, koibitto... How and do you trust me?" He kept his voice low.

"Of course I trust you, idiot... Inside me?" Naruto said softly, stroking Sasuke's cheekbones with his thumbs. He didn't want to chance hurting Sasuke with his ignorance and he wasn't worried about himself in the least. His trust in Sasuke was absolute.

Either way would have worked fine for Sasuke, but at least like this, there would be less explaining and more... playing. "Ha~..." he murmured and then he was pushing Naruto onto _his_ back. "There are only a few things that I need to tell you, koi..." he whispered as his hand stroked Naruto's stomach while Sasuke was propped up on the other elbow. "Entrance is easier on you if you sit, so you're in control of how fast you take it. The only other thing is how you sit. Don't worry, I'll guide you, okay?" he asked, patience and understanding practically radiating from him, as well as love and lust simultaneously. He had to explain things a little bit, otherwise all the careful planning in the world on his part still wouldn't do a lick of good for Naruto.

Naruto nodded in understanding and reached up, combing his fingers through Sasuke's hair from the front to the back and tangling at the back of his head. Gently, he pulled him down for a loving kiss. "I'm yours completely," he whispered, nuzzling noses with him and spreading his legs. "Show me... I want to be one with you, Sasuke..."

Taking Naruto's lips in a gentle kiss, Sasuke took off his robe and dropped it onto the floor before reaching up and dipping his fingers into a deep, jewel-blue glass bowl sitting on the nightstand by the bed. Again it was held aloft by a wire frame, hanging it over some tea light candles to keep it moderately warm. Lounging beside Naruto like he was gave Sasuke the perfect angle to stretch Naruto and lubricate him thoroughly, definitely an advantage in this situation. Pushing Naruto's right leg flat against the bed, Sasuke gently tapped Naruto's left thigh and murmured softly, "Draw up this knee and spread your leg to the side like that..." directly into Naruto's mouth in a low, soothing voice.

The blond did as told and in the process his robe hiked up a bit, making him hiss quietly as the silk glided against his arousal. He squirmed a bit as Sasuke untied his robe and opened it so that it surrounded him in wings of ocean blue against the black of the bed, but he kept his legs where they were. The slick fingers pressing against his entrance made his breathing quicken in anticipation as his body remembered what had happened the last time Sasuke'd inserted his long fingers there. Tanned hands slid out of raven locks to squeeze pale shoulders in encouragement and he spread his legs a little wider, biting his lip at the strange sensation of having two fingers inside him. It wasn't long before Sasuke found his prostate and Naruto arched with a loud moan as white-hot pleasure raced through him. "Sasuke..." he gasped.

Sasuke's smile was soft as he crooned quietly into Naruto's ear, singing softly in slow rhythm in Japanese. The song itself didn't matter so much as the soothing and yet enticing voice. "Vanilla – Night Version" was working just fine, but he slowed down a little. It was one of Naruto's favorites and had always served them in similar situations in the past when Sasuke sang it to him. Without breaking rhythm in his voice, Sasuke avoided Naruto's prostate and actually began to seriously and carefully stretch his lover. His fingers pulled out and pushed back in gently, scissored softly, the split of his fingers widening with each spread, taking his time in ensuring Naruto's preparedness for the intrusion of something far larger than two fingers. When he was finished, he removed his fingers and quickly wiped them clean on the bedspread.

He suddenly propped himself up and reached over Naruto, stretching into the top drawer of the nightstand and pulling out a small square packet. Health was equally as important as pleasure and this was just one of the steps he had decided to take on this night, for Naruto's safety. He opened the packet with a quick rip and removed the condom, putting it on quickly. With a deep breath he turned his attention back down to Naruto. "I'm going to lie on my back... What I want you to do is kneel so that your left leg is between mine, with your back to me," he explained softly, guiding Naruto with his voice and hands since he'd taken up Naruto's right hand. Leaning back he tugged gently, encouraging Naruto to get up.

A little confused at first – that was a lot for his pleasure-muzzy brain to absorb – Naruto eventually managed to maneuver himself so that he was in the position Sasuke wanted. With a little help from his lover, he lined up his entrance with the head of Sasuke's erection and slowly sat down on it, gasping at the amazingly glorious sensation of being filled. It _was_ a lot bigger than two fingers, but it wasn't terribly uncomfortable after Sasuke's thorough job of stretching him. When Naruto had all of Sasuke's length in him, he sat there for a moment, getting used to the feeling of having something large and thick and _hot_ inside him. After a moment he shifted experimentally, gasping harshly at the little ribbons of pleasure that ran through him.

For the whole of the experience Sasuke held Naruto's hand, clutching at times and comfortingly gentle at others. Naruto's slow taking of his erection had been torture, but for Naruto's comfort it was worth it. Every minute of it. "Naruto..." he whispered to get the blond's attention. "Listen one last time, koi..." he murmured and squeezed Naruto's hand while his other hand came up to splay supportively against his back. "Let me guide you back slowly... you'll be more comfortable. Then just wrap your legs around my thigh..." Sasuke himself was trembling with the effort to hold back. His whole body was inflamed and raging at him for friction, constriction, movement, and Naruto's voice moaning his name like he did when Sasuke pumped him just so. Slowly, Sasuke started to tip himself back onto his side, his hands supporting Naruto's weight on the way onto his back.

Naruto allowed Sasuke to guide him down so that he lay on his back on the bed and twisted his legs around one of Sasuke's, reaching back with his free arm to tangle his fingers in raven hair. "Sasuke..." he breathed, squeezing his lover's hand and shifting encouragingly. He wanted Sasuke to move, wanted to hear him as he took pleasure in his body. His own arousal had deflated a bit during the process of coming down on Sasuke, but he didn't really care at this point as long Sasuke was satisfied. "Love..."

Sasuke withdrew, pulling his hips back just a bit and then pushed back in. At this angle, with Naruto's legs wrapped around his right thigh, Sasuke's range of movement was limited, but according to Sasuke's research this position gave maximum stimulation without actually providing a lot of friction. There was plenty of lube and with the condom... Naruto would only feel the pleasure in a moment. At least that was Sasuke's plan, and he pulled back farther and pushed back in again and again, gaining only a little speed.

Being inside of Naruto was more than he could coherently describe. It was like being enveloped in the tightest and most loving of embraces, warm and snug. It made him tremble a little harder than before as his nerves quaked with pleasure. It was impossible for him to even think about remaining as quiet as he had started. Burying his nose against Naruto's ear, Sasuke moaned softly and flexed his arm so that Naruto's head was cradled in the crook of his elbow and his hand rested on Naruto's shoulder. The hand Naruto held extracted itself to trek down and stroke Naruto's stomach up and down with gentle fingertips, flip to the back of knuckles and then head back up again with the fingertips. His lips sought Naruto's jaw, that one spot that made Naruto drip with anticipation of whatever Sasuke might do next. "Love..." he repeated softly.

"Mmmmnnnnnnn..." Naruto moaned when Sasuke found it, the touch to his jaw and the hot length moving inside him bringing him back to full arousal. He shifted in time with Sasuke's gentle thrusts, meeting him every time he slid all the way in with a groan. There was no discomfort, only the sensation of being very full, which was quickly becoming immensely pleasurable as it sent intense heat throughout his body. The hand Sasuke'd released clutched at the silk of his robe. ::We're actually doing it...:: he thought muzzliy and he felt his heart swell with heavenly bliss. Turning his head, he nuzzled Sasuke's lips with his own. "Sasuke..."

Willing lips played with Naruto's own, hungrily caressing and tongues dancing, while the hand on Naruto's stomach slid down to caress the top of Naruto's right thigh where it arched over Sasuke's hips. Upon reaching Naruto's knee, Sasuke let his hand press-slide down the inside of Naruto's thigh, down to his hip and then back up his stomach to his nipples, rolling them with gentle fingers until they were hard buds. His arousal rubbed against the soft inside of Sasuke's right thigh, which sandwiched Naruto's left leg between both of Sasuke's, caressing the over-sensitive skin there. The smooth, hard glide of Naruto's arousal was driving him as crazy as the tight heat in which Sasuke buried himself with every thrust. Carefully, experimentally, Sasuke pressed his thigh harder into Naruto's body, trapping Naruto's erection more firmly between thigh and his own stomach, something that made Sasuke moan deeply into the kiss. His slow, steady thrusting was pulling them slowly towards that brink, building everything – every sensation and wash of pleasure – slowly, soothingly, yearning towards completion with a patience that Sasuke hadn't known his body or Naruto's could display.

Naruto whimpered and panted as Sasuke played with his body, feeling as if every inch of his skin was on fire. But Sasuke pressing his arousal between leg and stomach made him gasp roughly. He shuddered fiercely and stilled in the meeting of Sasuke's thrusts to regain his footing on the clouds he was soaring through before moving again, meeting his lover with more force now. Never had he felt so... alive. Every atom of his being was thrumming with love and lust and passion and pleasure... He took hold of the hand on his chest and guided it down his torso to his aching arousal, throbbing hotly between their flesh. "Please..." he begged breathlessly, wanting to feel Sasuke stroke him. Experimentally, he clamped down a bit on Sasuke's arousal to see what it would do.

Sasuke's body shuddered fiercely, Naruto's pleading voice and the sudden and unexpected tightening of Naruto's hot body around his aching member giving him a moment's pause. Gently, he pulled his fingers away and leaned over Naruto a little, rocking their bodies and sending a bolt of pleasure through both of them at the shift, until he reached the small glass bowl of lubricant. Dipping his fingers in, he shifted back onto his side and lifted his thigh just enough to slip his now slickened hand between his own thigh and Naruto's stomach. Fisting Naruto's arousal gently, Sasuke's fingers gradually tightened as he began to pump, hand slipping over and tugging at Naruto's erection. His hips pumped slowly into Naruto again, his thrusts harder but not much faster. This night was meant for slow passion.

"Nnnnn... oh god... Sasuke..." Naruto whimpered, rocking against him and not able to decide whether to meet Sasuke's thrusts or to arch into his slick hand. So he did both, and quickly found a rhythm that worked. The fire on his skin was radiating inward to meet the heat in his core, driving him into blissful madness. "I love you... so much... Sasuke..." he gasped against sweet lips, pulling Sasuke's face closer to his own by tangling his fingers in raven hair. His other hand released silk to clutch at Sasuke's right thigh as he took his lover's lips in a hungry kiss. Wanting to feel Sasuke shudder again, he clamped down on him slightly every time he slid all the way in. This felt so right... it felt perfect... they way they fit together, the way their bodies responded so eagerly to each other... Perfect.

"I love you..." Sasuke whispered back, his voice hoarse and shaky. He grunted softly when Naruto clamped down on him the second time, but for each thrust thereafter Naruto received either a hitch in Sasuke's breath or a deep rumbling moan. "Naruto..." he panted and pumped his lover's aching need faster. His hips jerked a little; the slow swell of pleasure was nearing its peak. His hands trembled as he tightened his arm around Naruto's neck, holding him more solidly into their passionate kisses.

Slowly, the edge came into view for Naruto and he hovered there stubbornly, wanting this moment to last for eternity. But then the fire outside met the fire within and he couldn't hold back anymore. He fell into heaven with a long, loud moan of Sasuke's name that shook his entire body, making every muscle tense and his back arch impossibly. This time his release was different though... This time he felt his completion with every particle of his being, making him tremble like a leaf in a storm. Atom by atom he fell apart, only to come back together unchanged but for the fact that he belonged to Sasuke now more than ever. Slowly, he floated down back to earth, his chest heaving and his skin slick with sweat.

Climax came only milliseconds later for Sasuke, his body shuddering to completion with a long drawn out moan of Naruto's name and Sasuke burying the bridge of his nose against Naruto's hairline above his forehead. Sasuke's lips brushed Naruto's forehead and then pressed there as he came down from the blinding, numbing, soul quaking pleasure. Never in his entire life had he ever felt anything so astoundingly good, so absolutely _right_ before. "Naruto," he whispered shakily as the haze of completion left his vision and his body settled into only small quivers of after-bliss. "_My_ Naruto..."

"Yours... always..." Naruto whispered back roughly, weakly tugging on the hand between his legs until Sasuke's arm was wrapped around his waist. "Always..." A tired, blissful smile curled at the corners of his mouth as he snuggled into Sasuke, shifting so that Sasuke's chest was against his back. He basked in the afterglow of their tender lovemaking, feeling as if he and Sasuke had just traded pieces of their souls. Wanting this feeling to never end, Naruto snuggled closer. The sweat covering him began to evaporate and he shivered at the sudden loss of heat on his front – his back was pleasantly warm from Sasuke's chest.

Sasuke curled around Naruto's body, freed from Naruto's intimate embrace, spooning around him so that they lay almost in a ball. He rested his cheek on Naruto's. "Forever..." he whispered, his voice rough, and then he tightened his arm around Naruto's waist, completely ignoring the feeling of the remaining lubricant between his fingers. Their legs were still twined together, tangled in a manner that it was difficult to tell which legs belonged to whom. One of the legs stretched down, catching edge of the folded blanket at the foot of the bed and lifted it up until Sasuke could grab it and pull it over them, his arm encircling Naruto's waist instantly afterwards. "Mmm..." he purred and held Naruto snugly to him, fitting them together like two pieces of the same whole.

Sighing in absolute contentment, Naruto grabbed one of the many pillows and tucked it under his head, folding his arm beneath it. His other hand reached back to cup Sasuke's jaw as he turned his head to nuzzle at his cheek. "That was... _amazing_..." he whispered, voice husky from his still-rough breathing. It was going to take a long while before his breathing settled and his body stopped trembling, not that he minded. More important was the calming bliss running through his veins.

Nuzzling back, Sasuke shifted until he could kiss Naruto easily and did so lingeringly before whispering against his lips, "_You_ are amazing." His slick fingers drew little nothings on Naruto's abdomen, just below his navel. The serenity of the moment was breathtaking... if they'd had any breath left to take.

Naruto purred quietly at the caress and lapped lazily at the corner of Sasuke's mouth. "Thank you... for all this," he whispered.

"You deserve it and so much more, koi..." Sasuke whispered and licked at Naruto's tongue in return.

Smiling, Naruto rested his forehead on Sasuke's, the sides of their noses brushing. "I love you so much, Sasuke..." he whispered.

"I love you, Naruto." Sasuke returned the vow of affection immediately and nudged Naruto's nose. "We should clean up... before we fall asleep." There was something he needed to dispose of and he figured they'd sleep better if they were clean. Luckily for both of them all of their mess had been contained to their persons.

"Yeah..." Naruto slowly uncurled and, as soon as he and Sasuke were lying straight, he kicked the blanket off them and stood up, his legs a little shaky still. He stretched with a quiet moan, glad that he only felt a mild discomfort from his rear instead of the sharp-shooting pain he knew he could have had if Sasuke hadn't stretched him so thoroughly. "Shower?"

Sasuke came up behind him and hugged him close, kissing his cheek. "Yeah," he murmured and nuzzled Naruto's cheek. "Let's go shower."

They moved towards the bathroom and Naruto spotted the Jacuzzi. He'd forgotten about it. "Soak instead?"

Sasuke's eyes drifted to the Jacuzzi. "Ha~..." he breathed and released Naruto. He headed into the bathroom, removed the condom, and then headed over to the Jacuzzi. He brushed by Naruto, caressing his stomach on the way. Turning the tub on, he climbed in and then spun in place to look at Naruto. Sasuke opened his arms, waiting for Naruto to come join him so they could find a comfortable position to cuddle in.

A soft smile on his lips, Naruto climbed in with him and put his hands on Sasuke's upper arms, gently pushing him onto one of the seats. He then sat down sideways in Sasuke's lap, using his shoulder as a pillow and wrapping an arm around his waist. Naruto's other hand rested on Sasuke's chest right over his heart. The Jacuzzi filled quickly and stopped on its own, leaving the young men up to their mid-chests in wonderfully warm water.

Sasuke's arms settled snugly about Naruto's waist and Sasuke turned his head to rest his chin on top of Naruto's head as the bubbles and jets kicked on medium. The chair they were sitting in, just like the other two chairs, was a lounge chair. He was comfortable and, with Naruto in his lap, was cozy.

"When did you start doing all this?" Naruto asked with quiet curiosity, lightly doodling nonsense on Sasuke's chest. "There's no way you completely redid all this in only five days."

"I started planning weeks before we got out of school, made decisions on the carpet and furniture and walls, and then conversed with the manager. He and I made arrangements with companies to come in and renovate. Then I called in orders and got the manager to let the delivery guys in. After that it was me rearranging and decorating..." Sasuke shrugged a little.

Naruto nuzzled his neck happily. "And you say I'm too good to _you_."

"You _are_ good to me," Sasuke answered.

Chuckling, Naruto kissed Sasuke's neck.

They lounged in the hot tub for a long long time, relaxing and caressing each other soothingly. After they started to prune a little, Sasuke whispered softly, "Let's go back to bed..."

Nodding, Naruto stood up and climbed out onto the thick mat on the floor, grabbing a thick towel from the small table next to the tub. He wrapped it around his waist and grabbed another towel, waiting for Sasuke to get out.

He was right behind Naruto and lifted his arms out of the way so Naruto could wrap the towel around his waist. Sasuke's hands settled on Naruto's shoulders then and he pulled Naruto close to him. "C'mon," he murmured and guided Naruto back to their bed, where he dropped the towel and climbed in after pulling Naruto's robe off the mattress and dropping onto his own on the floor.

Naruto climbed under the sheets and curled up around Sasuke with a happy sigh, loving the feel of silk all around him – both the cloth and Sasuke's skin. "Can we just stay up here forever?" he murmured, his smile evident in his voice.

"We can do... whatever you want to do..." Sasuke informed him and held him close.

Purring blissfully, Naruto cuddled closer. "I love you, Sasuke..."

"I love you," Sasuke whispered back and kissed the top of Naruto's head.

"Sleep time?" Naruto asked quietly, feeling a peaceful sleep beginning to take him over.

"Ha~..." Sasuke murmured and nuzzled his crown. "Oyasumi."

"Oyasumi..."

---

There was noise outside. A lot of it. Naruto sleepily cracked an eye open and listened. It was people cheering and yelling "Happy New Year!" and singing Aud Lang Sane... It was midnight, and a new year had started. Smiling, Naruto pressed a gentle kiss on Sasuke's lips, so as not to wake him up, and murmured, "Happy New Year, beautiful."

"Happy New Year, yourself," Sasuke muttered when Naruto had leaned back. He'd been awake since the shouting began. It had taken Naruto a little longer than him to wake up to it. Not much, but enough that Sasuke was dozing again by the time he did. Of course, that wasn't saying much because he was relaxed enough that he could start dozing again in moments.

Naruto kissed him again and tucked his head back under Sasuke's chin, smiling against his neck and holding him close. A new year... together... Naruto got the sudden strong urge to ask Sasuke something and leaned back a bit so that he could look into his lover's face, but the words froze in his throat. Some of the candles were still lit and Sasuke glowed in the soft light...

Black eyes slid open to meet hooded blue and Sasuke raised a hand to Naruto's cheek, caressing the skin with gentle fingertips. His life had never been happier than the days he'd spent with Naruto. He couldn't see a future without the rambunctious blond beside him. Feeling lazy, loved and completely untroubled by anything in his life at that moment, Sasuke cradled Naruto's cheek in his palm and stroked his thumb over Naruto's cheekbone. "Naruto..." he began softly. There was something he'd been contemplating asking his lover for a little while now. Now was probably the right time to say it.

Sasuke's voice shook Naruto from his stunned state and he swallowed a bit from nervousness. What if he said no? He'd given Naruto a promise ring, but what if he refused him? Naruto wanted so much to spend the rest of his life with this beautiful soul lying next to him, but... Forcing down what he knew to be irrational fears – ::Sasuke loves me. I know he loves me, and I love him. I just have to ask...:: – Naruto took in a deep breath and blurted out, "Will you marry me?"

------The Curtain Closes...------

IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE:

It has been a year this January since we last wrote anything for this story. After a careful review of what we've still got "Open" on our desks, we've decided to lay "Spartan Ninjas" to rest. Our views on storylines and plots has changed too much to just pick up where we left off, and so has our writing style in the two and a half years we've been a writing team. While we love "Spartan Ninjas," we lost too much of the material we'd had written when Cecilia's computer crashed. We were almost 6 chapters beyond where we leave you and neither of us has the motivation to rewrite that much of the story considering this was our second attempt to write this story as is. So, we apologize to those of you faithful to this story. We've just got too much on our plates at the moment.

Another thing is, we'd like to let you in on something. It's nothing big, but still, for your peace of mind and ours, we'd like you to know that we are constantly trying out new ideas. We just don't keep writing stories that we don't feel we can finish well. From now on, nothing will be posted unless it is either completed or capable of standing all by itself as is. It's more fair to all of us then. No guilt for us and no more disappointments for you guys.

We just want to be honest with all of you. We'd hate to leave you completely high and dry and never tell you that we're unable to continue something. That would just be cruel, so here's the truth. Thank you again for your patience and your understanding.

We DO understand how well-loved this fic was, but we won't continue something we can't finish to its fullest potential. We've lost too much of the story and it was NOWHERE NEAR finished, and neither of us wishes to pick it up again with so much going on in our lives. Please don't ask us for more of it. There won't be any.

Thank you for your understanding,
Kirei Kitsue and Cecilia Tsukineko

PS -- WE ARE ABSOLUTELY GOING TO FINISH "REFLECTIONS"!!! So have no fear. We love that far too much to let it fall away into the abyss of "Unable to Finish."

PPS -- For the record, they got married.

PPPS -- DO NOT ASK US IF YOU CAN PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF. WE WILL NOT GIVE THIS STORY TO ANOTHER AUTHOR.