Heart of the Ocean

The sunlight felt magnificent, warming Sasuke's skin as if he hadn't felt it in years. His hairpiece knotted elegantly on top of his head, milky white gown swishing about his ankles, he attracted many a glance as he strolled about the docks, breathing in the sweet sea air. He could almost feel the eyes darken in confusion as he unlatched the gate to the third class deck, passing over confidently into the realm of the commoners. It was a loud, boisterous place, rife with people enjoying daily life. Sasuke watched as children played with tops and tossed balls, men sat poring over chess boards, and girls read dime novels in their own little corners. His eyes moved over the crowd, searching for a particular face, and lit up when he saw Naruto busily sketching away.

His presence did not go unnoticed by the people around him, who fell into a hush, staring at him in a mixture of resentment and awe. One of those individuals was Kiba, who quickly nudged his friend, hissing in his ear. "Naruto! Naruto, damn it, it's her!"

Naruto frowned a little at Kiba, glancing up from his drawing and glaring at the other. "What are you talking about?" he hissed. "You almost ruined my drawing. Damn, Kiba, paper ain't cheap!!"

"It looks quite lovely," Sasuke observed aloud, bending slightly over the blonde boy's shoulder. He laughed a little as Naruto's friend sprung to the side, looking at him disbelievingly.

Naruto's senses were filled with the sweet smell of flowers, and he turned around a little, coming face to face with the girl from the previous evening. Habitually he shut his sketchbook almost anxiously. "Sasuke," he said with a slight nod. "I... really didn't think I would see you here," he said with the slightest curve of his lips.

A bright smile spread over Sasuke's face and he nodded at Naruto, ignoring the brunette boy's open-mouthed stare as it moved between the pair of them. "I was wondering if I may speak with you," he said cordially, then added, "Alone."

Naruto nodded giving Kiba a rather pointed glance. "Of course. Here or...?" he asked, glancing around wondering if there would be anywhere else for them to go.

With a small laugh, Sasuke gestured for Naruto to follow him, turning his back on the stunned third-class passengers as he headed back to the main part of the dock. He strolled along, feeling rather self-conscious as people from all over the ship stared at him and his companion. He was sure there couldn't be an odder-looking pair.

Following behind Sasuke, Naruto shook his head, smiling brightly. He was impressed that she'd sought him out, but not entirely sure that it wasn't just to beg him not to tell anyone about what she'd done. "So we're going to first class, then?" he asked, wanting to break up the lack of conversation.

"Mmm...not quite. We can just...walk around deck," Sasuke said a little nervously. He glanced away from the boy, cheeks flushed lightly in embarrassment. "I um...Uzumaki-san...I..."

Tilting his head, Naruto eyed the pretty girl carefully. "What is it?" he asked softly. "You're not afraid I'm going to tell everyone, are you? Because I won't. I mean, I definitely haven't planned on it."

Sasuke shook his head, bangs falling delicately over his eyes. "N-no, that's not...I mean...I just feel like such an idiot. It took me all morning to pluck up the courage to face you." He took a deep breath, staring at his hands. "I just...I want to thank you sincerely for what you did. Not just for saving me, but for your discretion."

Blinking a little, Naruto nodded, smiling brightly still. "It was my pleasure," he said with a nod. "It's not as though someone gets to meet someone like you every day anyways," he pointed out, clutching his sketchbook under his arm.

Blushing, Sasuke shook his head. "I know what you must be thinking," he said with a bitter sort of smile on his lips. "'Poor little rich b--girl. What does she know about misery?' Pathetic, right...?"

Naruto shook his head slowly then, frowning at the girl at his side. "That's not what I was thinking. What I was thinking was... what could have happened to hurt this girl so much she though she had no way out."

Afected by Naruto's words, Sasuke bowed his head, making a low, frustrated sound. "It...it's just...It's not even one thing! It's everything. It was...them, and their whole world, and I was trapped in it, and I..." The words started tumbling out of his mouth relentlessly, unchecked. "I just thought I could run...run away, far away, but I got to the end and there was nowhere left to run, and before I knew it, I was over the rail. 'I'll show them', I thought, 'They'll be sorry'! God, I'm just...just an utter fool."

Nodding slowly, Naruto watched the frustration move over Sasuke's face. "Uh-huh... they'll be sorry because you're dead. But last night... that penguin... is he one of them?"

Sasuke's eyes widened at the word 'penguin', but he quickly put two and two together. "Oh--Itachi! Yes, that's...he is them, I'm afraid." He looked away, shaking his head. It wouldn't do to divulge the truth to Naruto, it was just...too twisted. "He's my fiance."

Naruto glanced down at her finger, noting the ring. "Wow... with that thing you would have sunk all the way to the bottom," he teased softly. "So you feel like you're stuck on a train and you can't get off because you're marrying this guy, right?"

A passing steward gave Naruto a rather scathing glance, but Sasuke quickly glared him away, nodding at the boy walking next to him. "Yes, yes, that's it exactly."

Nodding a little in understanding, Naruto lifted his head, blue eyes focussed intently on the girl. "...So don't marry him."

"If only it were that simple," Sasuke breathed, glancing off the edge of the ship at the blue, blue waves, which only last night appeared black and menacing. Naruto didn't know the marriage was only a facade, and he wanted to keep it that way.

Naruto frowned a little, shaking his head slowly. "It is that simple," he said in disagreement.

"Oh, Naruto," Sasuke sighed, looking almost pleadingly at the other boy. "Please don't judge me. At least not until you've seen my world."

Sighing a little, Naruto nodded, shrugging. "Well... I guess I will tonight, hm?"

Sasuke bit his lip and paused, glancing about for an alternate topic, when his eyes settled on the sketchbook Naruto had clutched underneath his arm. "Those...that's your artwork, right? Could I have a look...?"

Naruto glanced down at his book, gnawing a bit on his bottom lip. "Yeah... I guess. It's not very interesting, though. Just some doodles and... stuff."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke grabbed the book from Naruto's hands, sitting down on one of the deck chairs and opening it. "Doodles, hm? Sounds like nonsense to me..." He began to leaf through it, and was quite taken aback by what he saw. "These...these are rather good," he said a little faintly, utterly impressed by the young man's talent. "These are very good."

Naruto rolled his eyes, sitting down as well and watching the girl as she leafed through his book. "Nah, you should see some of the other stuff I've done. All of that is from when I was in Paris. They didn't seem to think too much of them there. I will say, though, there's no shortage of pretty ladies willing to take their clothes off in Paris."

Letting out a soft laugh, Sasuke shook his head, eyes still moving over the pictures. They were so lifelike, so fluid... So attentive. "You...you really do have a gift, Naruto. You...see people, for who they truly are."

Naruto flushed a little at that, shaking his head with a small smile as he took to scratching the back of his neck again. "Well... I guess," he said a bit sheepishly. "I do see you, after all."

A searching look came over Sasuke's fair features and he peered into Naruto's eyes, the endless blue seeming to wash over him much like the waves of the sea. "Oh...? And...what do you see...?"

Naruto licked his lips, watching Sasuke carefully before he grinned a little wider, shrugging a bit. "You... wouldn't have jumped," he said simply.

A pause followed that statement, broken only by the swishing of the waves. Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, but found that he had no words. Instead, he offered Naruto a nod and stood, handing the other his sketchbook and straightening out his skirts. "Well then, I best be getting ready for dinner," he said briskly, then tilted his head slightly, smiling. "I'll see you then...?"

Naruto grinned, nodding as he waved her off. "Yes, of course, I'll see you at dinner," he said, rising when she did. He'd be better off not staying longer on this deck then was necessary.

----

As Sasuke moved to descend the staircase to the dining hall, he couldn't help but feel the heavy weight of dread weighing quite familiarly on his heart. He was looking forward to seeing Naruto again, yes, but he knew right from the start that no matter what impression the other boy made, Itachi would be undoubtedly horrible to him. Still, his heart was thrumming with more than just nerves as he walked carefully down the stairs, dressed in a beaded gown that trailed behind him with each step.

Naruto was standing at the bottom of the stairs, facing the dining hall and watching all of the people as they spoke and gestured, everything about them looking really fake. He was wondering to himself if he would be capable of acting like that while he was down here, or if he even wanted to...

Lifting his chin up, he practiced how he would hold his arm out for Sasuke. He'd be the best gentleman she'd ever seen.

A smile spread over Sasuke's face as he caught sight of the boy standing near the bottom of the steps, looking every bit as nervous and jittery as he felt. He was surprised, and more than a little relieved to see that someone had lent Naruto a suit, and talked to the young man into doing something with his hair. He actually looked...very nice. Quite indistinguishable from the rest of the young men there, if but for awkward way in which he was shuffling about. It was...endearing.

"Good evening," Sasuke said as he reached the bottom of the staircase, looking the other up and down with an appreciative smile.

Startled, Naruto turned towards the sound of Sasuke's voice, beaming bright. "Hi!" he said, rather loud before he remembered and bit his lip, still smiling. "Hello," he repeated, this time more quietly. "You look.... wow."

Pink dusted the silken white of Sasuke's cheeks and he lowered his head demurely, offering the other a small smile. "You look very handsome," he said appreciatively, moving to the other's side. "Shall we go...?"

Naruto nodded, holding his arm out and trying to pose like the perfect gentleman, a bright smile still on his face, blue eyes shining happily. This was actually... kind of fun. And he'd never had such a beautiful girl at his arm, it was pretty amazing. "Yeah... so you don't think I look like too much of a penguin?" he asked with a small teasing smile.

The rich boy couldn't help but laugh, grasping Naruto's arm firmly and allowing the other to steer him toward the head table. "No, not at all," he assured his friend, stomach twisting slightly when they drew closer to where Itachi was sitting. He saw the way his brother's eyes narrowed when they fell on Naruto, and it made him nervous and thrilled at the same time.

Naruto lead Sasuke to the table, his chin held high as he copied the movements of the people before him before he plopped down into the nearest seat, glancing over at Sasuke, hoping she would sit beside him.

Itachi watched the blond man with undisguised contempt, shaking his head. "It's nice for the two of you to finally join us," he said coolly.

Sasuke took the seat between Naruto and Itachi, settling himself in carefully and nodding to the rest of the table. "Good evening," he said smoothly, sitting up straight and glancing over at Naruto with a small smile. He removed his napkin from his plate, placing it carefully on his lap, and gestured for the other boy to do the same.

"Itachi, surely you remember Uzumaki Naruto?" he said pleasantly. "The one who saved me when I slipped?"

Itachi nodded towards Naruto, although his eyes remained cold and disinterested in the blond. "I remember. Thank-you for taking the time to come. I'm surprised someone of your... status cold find such a decent looking suit for tonight," he said, leaning in to kiss his brother softly on the mouth as if marking his territory. "Uzumaki-san is gracing us from third class. He was of some help to my Sasuke last night."

Naruto nodded, doing his best not to stare when the other two kissed. "Yeah, thanks. It's on loan from a really nice woman I met," he said with a nod, staring at his plate when a rather strange looking dish was placed before him. It was so stuffy here, and even the food looked stuffy and uncomfortable.

Pulling back from his brother's kiss, Sasuke selected the appropriate utensil for the dish presented and looked meaningfully at Naruto. "Just start from the outside and work your way in," he whispered. He took a deep breath. So far so good. Itachi hadn't crushed Naruto's pride yet, and the third class boy was still going strong.

Naruto nodded, and picked up the same utensil as Sasuke, beginning to eat the food when the waiter walked by.

"How would you like your caviar, sir?"

Naruto stared at the man who looked like he probably slept down on the same deck as him. He really had no clue how to answer this.

Smirking a little, Itachi lifted his chin, feeling far superior to this child who was trying to impress his Sasuke. "With a bit of lemon," he said coldly to the waiter before turning to the blond. "It improves the taste with champagne."

A small flush moved over Naruto's cheeks, and he shook his head, offering the other man a small, fake smile. "No caviar for me, please. I never did like it," he turned to Sasuke, smiling brightly and honestly.

A knot formed in Sasuke's stomach at Itachi's attempt to embarrass Naruto, but he felt relieved and impressed at the blonde boy's ability to bounce back. It was amazing, really, how easily he seemed to fit in with everyone. They were all regarding him with a mixture of awe and contempt, mystified that this strange, dangerous creature had wandered into their midst. Though they spoke to Naruto as cordially as possible, he could see the disapproval in their eyes and could only imagine what they'd say once the meal was over.

Listening to all of the chatter around him, Naruto spent most of the dinner, watching Sasuke and the way the girl's fiance seemed to keep a possessive arm around her shoulder, even though he barely spoke to her. He wasn't even shaken out of his stupor until another course arrived at the table and he stared at it dubiously. It was supposed to be the main course, but he couldn't even tell what it was. He begged Sasuke with his eyes. He didn't really want to eat something strange and questionable. Rich people ate really strange and disgusting things quite often.

Itachi glanced at the boy, smirking a little as the conversation dimmed down and the others at the table began to eat. "Uzumaki-san, do they not have chicken in third class? How are the food and the accomodations there?"

A prickle of frustration moved through Sasuke, but he kept his expression neutral as he gestured to the appropriate fork, beginning to carve slowly at his own chicken breast. He could feel the eyes of the surrounding guests as they watched Naruto carefully, as if afraid he would do some outlandish thing. His heart began to beat a little faster, and for once, he wished Itachi would just gloat over his riches with the other men like he usually did, instead of stubbornly sizing up Naruto.

Naruto followed Sasuke's movements, glancing between them and the older man. "They're pretty good," he said, still smiling brightly. "Barely see any rodents at all! The best I've ever seen!"

Nodding slowly, Itachi leaned back, eating his chicken slowly, one hand moving down to rest on Sasuke's thigh. "Mm, I see."

Sasuke squirmed slightly, a flush appearing on his cheeks. Itachi normally never touched him this much when they were in public. It was...inappropriate by any standards, really, and he was sure it had something to do with the presence of Naruto. He ate carefully, glancing up momentarily to see how Naruto was faring. So far the other boy had made it through most of the dishes, and if he were to trust the looks on the first class ladies' faces, they all found him rather charming. He fought to keep the smirk from reaching his face when he saw that the husbands were taking note this as well, and were looking none too pleased.

Shifting a little, Naruto ate his entire plate, a little ashamed when the waiter came to clear away their empty dishes. It felt wrong to let someone who was probably of a higher station than him to wait on him.

Glancing around the table Itachi's lips quirked a little, noting that the men all seemed a little agitated. He leaned in and kissed Sasuke firmly on the mouth before he stood.

A small whimper escaped Sasuke when his brother kissed him rather roughly, and he pulled away, pursing his lips as he saw one of the older ladies eyeing Naruto as if attempting to dissect him from where she was sitting. He knew her well; Tsunade, the wife of one of the engineers, and a very powerful woman in her own right.

"Where exactly do you live, now, Mr...Uzumaki?" she said with a raised eyebrow, lifting her glass in delicate but sure fingertips.

Grinning softly at her, Naruto shrugged. "Right now, well, this is my address, same as all of you. After we dock, well... that's not up to me," he said a bit sheepishly. He just wanted to get home. "It's a big world, and I want to see it all before I go. Everyone always tells me that my father was always talkin' about goin' to see the ocean. He died in the town he was born in, so he never did see it. You can't wait around, because you never know what hand you're going to get dealt next. See, my folks died when I was born, and I've been on the road since I can remember. Somethin' like that teaches you to take life as it comes at you. To make each day count."

"Hear, hear!" the master at arms cried, face reddened with wine and champagne. Sasuke saw Tsunade's lip curl, and Itachi bristle slightly as he waited for the rest of the men to rise and join him in the smoking room.

"Before we leave for brandy, perhaps a toast?" the master at arms continued, raising his glass. "To making it count!"

A smile spread on Sasuke's face as he raised his own glass, and he could practically hear Itachi seething. When the time came for all the men to depart for the smoking room, he saw his brother turn on his heel without a second glance at Naruto.

"Now off they go to take turns praising each other on being masters of the universe," Sasuke muttered.

Laughing a little, Naruto watched as the men left. "I guess that's my cue," he said, smiling brightly to Sasuke as he stuffed his hand into his pocket, pulling out a small note he'd written during dinner. "It was very nice to see you, Sasuke," he said softly, offering the girl his hand and turning to the other women. "It was also great to eat with all of you beautiful ladies and I hope to see you again," he said graciously with a nod as he stood. "Thanks for having me, but I've got to trudge back to my humble quarters." With that he reluctantly released Sasuke's hand and moved towards the stairs.

Sasuke's eyes never left Naruto for an instant, following the young man as he turned away and weaved back through the tables to the entrance hall. They even lingered in the distance as the figure of the other boy disappeared from view. Blinking softly, Sasuke allowed himself to be pulled back to reality, but only somewhat. Naruto had pressed a note into his hand.

He opened it eagerly, an irresistible grin spreading on his face when he saw what was written.

Make it count. Meet me at the clock.

Carefully containing his excitement, he crumpled the note in his hand and stood, politely excusing himself before walking briskly across the entrance hall and to the staircase.

Naruto was already waiting for him.

Standing by the clock as it struck the hour, Naruto turned back towards the stairs, blue eyes brightening when he saw the beautiful woman coming up the stairs to him, and he reached out his hand. "I'm glad you came," he said softly with a nod, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it lightly.

A soft blush appeared on Sasuke's cheeks and he raised his eyebrows, clearly wondering what surprise the other boy had in store for him.

Smirking a little, Naruto tugged Sasuke up the last stair, beaming. "Are you ready for a real party?" he asked softly, licking his lips.

---

Joyful music and moving bodies surrounded Sasuke, and he was overwhelmed be the riotous energy that seemed to be present everywhere in the third-class dining hall. People of all ages danced about the ad-hoc band, the lively fiddle and accordion playing music from all corners of the world. Drinks were poured and the air was filled with the sounds of laughter and stomping feet.

At first Sasuke felt very out-of-place, receiving stares from all across the crowd, but began to loosen up rather quickly once Naruto's friend handed him a large pint of dark beer. He drained it, amusement dancing in his eyes as he watched Naruto twirl a little girl about the floor.

Twirling the young girl in his arms, Naruto laughed, lifting her up and spinning her around. "There you go~" he laughed as the song came to an end and he placed her on the ground once more. "Save me a dance later, okay?" he said, ruffling her hair as he moved back to Sasuke.

"Feeling better?" he whispered into the dark-haired girl's ear.

A small shiver moved through Sasuke at the touch of the other's breath on his ear, and he looked over his shoulder, gasping softly as he saw how close Naruto was. "Mmm, yes," he said happily, accepting another drink and all but gulping it down. It dribbled down his chin and splashed slightly on the front of his gown, and for once, he couldn't care less.

Laughing a little once more, Naruto shook his head, tangling his fingers with Sasuke's, and tugging her towards the dancefloor. "Let's dance," he said loudly, beaming. "I can't wait to see what you can do!"

Sasuke's eyes widened and he stumbled against Naruto's chest, caught up in the furious movement of the dancers around him. "I-I don't know the steps!" he cried, clinging rather helplessly. He'd only ever received ballroom dance lessons, with Itachi as his partner.

Naruto shook his head, chuckling as he began to spin them around and around in step with everyone else, her body pressed tight against his. "Just move with me~ You're thinking too much."

"A-all right!" Sasuke stammered, holding onto Naruto's hands as tightly as he could. His body moved on its own, carried by the music and the other boy steering him about, and he was swept up in the energy of it, laughing as the pair of them moved wildly about the dance floor. The band had started up some raucous Celtic folk song, and Sasuke kicked off his slippers, slipping about in his stockings and clinging to Naruto for support. "This is--I've never danced like this before!" he cried breathlessly.

Still laughing, Naruto shook his head, eyes focussed intently on the girl's face as they span. "It's fun, just let it all out. I'm not going to let you go~"

A laugh escaped Sasuke's throat and he began to move his feet, catching on to the rhythm of the music. People had started clapping from all around them, the sound blending in with the music, a wild buzz filling his ears. He'd never felt this reckless, this energetic, this free.

Naruto pulled her closer, spinning her around and lifting her in the air a little. "You're beautiful," he murmured as they danced, still beaming happily.

The words were barely audible over the boom of the music, but Sasuke still caught every syllable, his eyes fixed on Naruto's parted lips. All the sound that had swelled so gloriously in his ears began to fade into a lifeless drone, and he suddenly felt sick, as if someone had hit him hard in the stomach. This...this was...wrong. So wrong, because Naruto wasn't saying those words to him, he was saying them to the girl he thought he was, and that was. Devastating.

"I...I have to go," Sasuke said abruptly, face pallid as he pulled swiftly away from Naruto.

A frown fell over Naruto's face, and he shook his head, moving after the girl, pushing a few larger men out of his way as they moved out into the hallway. "Wait! Wait, Sasuke!" he called loudly, completely confused. Why had the girl run away from him?

Sasuke quickened his pace, feeling moisture gather in his eyes as he left the dining hall, turning sharply into a corridor, skirts whipping past him. He had to end this, whatever it was, before...before Naruto found out the truth.

Naruto jogged after the other, finally catching up, and grabbing her wrist, tugging her around. "Why are you running away from me?" he asked softly, blue eyes searching her face. "What did I do? I thought... everything was going so well?"

Looking away quickly, Sasuke shook his head, black tendrils of hair obscuring the tears in his eyes. "It was going well, Naruto," he murmured softly. "But it's...we can't...this can't go on. It just...can't." He bowed his head in shame, the pain in his chest almost crippling. This hurt so much. Worse than anything he could imagine, and yet...he was going through with it anyway.

Shaking his head a little, Naruto reached out a hand, tilting Sasuke's face up to his, swallowing hard at the tears he saw there. "Don't cry..." he said quietly. "I don't want to hurt you. I'm not going to hurt you... I just can't help it. There's something about you... I just want you," he whispered, moving a little closer to her.

"No...no," Sasuke mouthed, trapped in Naruto's gaze again. "Naruto, you don't understand...I trust you, you saved me, it's...It's just..." He shook his head furiously, loose hairpiece falling about his shoulders. There was no other way, he...he had to say it. Taking a deep breath, he looked determinedly at Naruto, a tear sliding down his slightly flushed cheek. "You don't know what...you don't know who I am."

Naruto shook his head, brushing the tear away with his thumb as he moved closer, lips only a breath away from Sasuke's. "I want to know who you are..." he whispered. "More than I've ever wanted something before." He closed the distance between them, his lips moving slowly and very carefully over the girl's.

Oh, no... No, no... Sasuke's eyes fluttered closed of their own accord, and his heartbeat quickened, and he...melted, right there, falling into Naruto's kiss as if he'd been pushed off the edge, into the endless ocean. What little resolve he had crumbled away, and his hands moved up to clutch at the dress shirt the boy had borrowed for the evening, which was now wrinkled and dampened with sweat. "Mmm," he murmured helplessly against the other's mouth, feeling the strength fast leaving his knees, causing them to buckle slightly.

Naruto wrapped his free arm around Sasuke's waist, still cupping the girl's cheek as they kissed, his head tilted a little so that he could deepen it, his tongue brushing at her lips. She tasted a little bitter, like the beer she'd been drinking only a few moments previous, and he pressed his body against hers. She was so perfect... moreso than any other woman he'd touched before.

Whimpering softly, Sasuke allowed himself to be pulled close, pressed between Naruto's body and the wall at his back. A few more moments...just a few more moments, and he'd pull away. He'd stop this...

Once he felt Naruto's tongue, however, his body went rigid, warmth rushing to the tips of his fingers. A flush appeared on his cheeks and he squirmed slightly, the closeness of their bodies causing an inevitable reaction.

The kiss deepened a little further, Naruto's arms wrapped around the other as he pressed tightly against her. It took a moment, but underneath all of the skirts he felt something... almost alarmingly familiar. Blue eyes opened, confused, and he pulled back a little. "What....?" he said slowly.

Alarmed, Sasuke pulled back, eyes wide with fear and shame. "I--I'm sorry! I tried to tell you, I---" His heart was beating so hard it hurt.

Shaking his head a little, Naruto pulled back, taking a half a step backwards. "I don't understand..." he whispered, eyeing the other carefully. "You're... you're a....?"