In the cold of space you find the heat of suns

Thank you for the reviews. They are most welcome.

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

Spacer crews travel the Far Borders and the Fringe of occupied space, trading. Spacing is an ancient and honourable profession carved out by millenniums. Most spacers start out as fourteen-year-old boys seeking a future. Few survive a decade spacing.

33. Naruto

Naruto was glad that Shikamaru was happy. Why Shi-chan was so happy when he and Neji were not even fucking was beyond Naruto but he did not let it bother him. His best guess was that Neji did not like fucking in the same way that Sasuke had not liked fucking. Naruto smiled. He hoped that Shikamaru was as successful in changing Neji’s mind as he had been in changing Sasuke’s. He pulled Sasuke closer to him and smelt his hair. Sasuke was so accustomed to it that he did not even stir in his sleep.

He could hear Iruka-sensei alone in the galley. Naruto slipped noiselessly out of the bunk, slipped down to the floor and padded quietly to the head and then to the closet. He grabbed the first pair of pants and top that looked like it would fit and joined Iruka in the galley. Iruka smiled at him and offered breakfast.

“Jump today,” Iruka acknowledged as he filled Naruto’s plate. “Hopefully it will be less eventful than last time.”

That explained why Iruka was up so early. He was anxious about the possibility of another battle. “We have friends this time,” Naruto reminded him.

“And more time has elapsed for the news to spread. It was never the plan for Sasuke to travel openly on a ship like this. Its travel is too predictable, because it has to use gates.”

Naruto tried to remember everything he had been taught about travelling in space. “So we have a ship with a Mulligan drive from now on, one that can jump through ungated holes.” He wrinkled his nose. “It’ll be huge and slow.”

Iruka put an empty plate on the table. “The mother ship will be large and slow to change direction.” He placed a number of teacups on it. “The smaller ships docked inside are more like the Silver Leaf. The mother ship allows the smaller ships to jump without a gate. They have the option of jumping through a gate on their own or through an ungated hole in the mother ship.”

Naruto tapped the edge of the plate with a nail. “Uchiha owns ships like this mother ship?”

“Yes.” The voice was from the doorway. It was Kakashi, wearing nothing but a loose pair of pyjama pants. “Like all Uchiha ships they are docked in storage bays or rented out.”

“Shirt, ‘Kashi,” Iruka insisted.

Naruto ate nothing while waiting for Kakashi to return wearing a shirt. He waited for Kakashi to sit down at the table and then asked his question. “How soon could we expect one of these Uchiha mother ships here so that we can take a less predictable route to Tarrasade? Before an escort of ships to take us through the gates?”

Kakashi’s bit his top lip. Naruto knew that was a bad sign. He pushed harder.

“Tarrasade will have received the first messages from Chanx twenty-two days ago. We are half expecting an escort of ships from Tarrasade at the jump in four days time. But if it is a mother ship using ungated holes, we could expect them sooner than that. Maybe even at this jump. Kakashi-san, why haven’t we been talking about this?” Naruto asked.

“We have,” Kakashi admitted.

Naruto was annoyed. “It has not been discussed at a ship’s Meeting or an Uchiha meeting.” He tapped the plate bearing the teacups. “These mother ships allow free movement between the ships docked in them, yes? They would expect to meet Sasuke in person. He will be wearing his knife and we have nothing worked out. The first possible face-to-face meeting is not on Tarrasade in twenty-nine days time, it is today or tomorrow. I needed to know this, Kakashi. Why was I not included?”

“Naru-kun…” Iruka began.

Naruto cut him off. “No, Iruka-sensei. I need to hear from Kakashi.”

Kakashi bit his lip again. “It never occurred to us to discuss the mother ship scenario in detail. The escort of ships is more probable and that was discussed with the whole crew. You are correct. There is a possibility that there will be a mother ship at this gate. If there is, there could be a face-to-face meeting. This is not a scenario we have discussed. That was an error.”

Naruto waited.

“If you had been included in the discussions you would have seen it. As you saw it now.” Kakashi conceded.

Naruto pushed his plate away. “Please think about the way you see me, Kakashi. I am more than an attack dog to protect Sasuke from immediate danger.” He stood up. “If I wake Sasuke now he and I can run through the signals and some possible scenarios before we go to battle stations. Can someone improvise a set of bodyguard tags? It would be helpful.”

He walked purposely to their bunk and swung himself up. Sasuke was still sleeping peacefully. Naruto calmed himself and gently shook him awake.


They ran through their positions, the wording and the hand signals in front of Ibiki. The big man was not happy with what he was seeing.

“This is very rushed,” Ibiki complained. “Sasuke, your hand needs to be higher. Your body is shielding the signal. Naruto, exuding that much aggression is unwise as well as unnecessary.” He looked beyond them. “Is it urgent, Kakashi-san?”

“I have these for Naruto,” Kakashi said, proffering a deep box the size of a hand.

Naruto did not move forward to take it.

“Please, Naruto-san. I was forced into giving you the plaque. These I give you of my own free will. As a gift. He died before I got to wear them. He died when I should have been beside him wearing them.”

Naruto still did not move.

“Naruto!” Sasuke chided.

Naruto finally stepped forward and took the box. “I accept the gift and I am honoured, Kakashi-sensei. I will wear them with pride and in memory of the love the two of you shared. It does not address the other matter.”

Kakashi took a deep breath. “We were wrong. Please accept my apology. It is nothing to do with you being a hybrid. It is that we have not adapted to you being an adult and not the boy who first came into our lives.”

Naruto bowed slightly. “I accept your apology.”

Sasuke looked from one to another, “Kakashi-sensei?” he queried.

“It is between Naruto-san and me, Sasu-kun,” he answered.

“And it is resolved,” Naruto added.

“Is there time to look at them?” Sasuke asked.

Ibiki smiled. “I think checking the fit is part of the preparation,” he suggested.


They went to the low table. Everyone about crowded around with those who knew what was in the box telling those who did not. The more beautiful the tags, the more the bodyguard meant to him guarded. These were an Uchiha’s tags for his Beloved.

Naruto opened the lid.

They were exquisite. The ear tags were sinuous masterpieces of platinum wire studded with sapphires and diamonds. Naruto lifted out the first tray and was relieved to see that the tags for wrists and throat were more practical; solid platinum choker and cuffs with sapphires and diamonds embedded in patterns that reflected the curves in the ear tags. At the front of the choker was a setting for the plaque.

“Good,” Sasuke stated.

Naruto flushed. Trust Sasuke to be worried that they would be too plain. He hated to think what he would be wearing if Sasuke had designed them for him. He lifted out the second tray. At the bottom of the box were the much simpler but matching earrings and bracelets for Sasuke to wear.

Sasuke took each piece in turn from the box and fastened it to Naruto’s body. Each fitted, even the choker. Haku brought a mirror so that Naruto could see. The ear tags hugged the outer edge of his whole ear. The way they ended at the top made the tips of his ears look pointed. Naruto liked that.

He risked looking at Kakashi, who stood with his arm around Iruka. He noticed that Kakashi, who usually dressed so plainly, was wearing various pieces of jewellery: a pendant on a leather thong, a plaited bracelet, earrings and a ring. He realised that these must have been presents from Iruka and that Kakashi had taken care to put them on before Iruka had to witness the evidence of Obito’s ardent love for him. The gesture brought tears to Naruto’s eyes. He blinked them back as he turned away. Shikamaru and Neji were holding hands. It was nice.


Passing through the gate was an anticlimax. There was no mother ship on either side of the gate and the ships they encountered were careful to announce that they were queuing. The decision to allow a report of the battle to be relayed light speed towards Tarrasade appeared to have been a good one.

Once they were through the gate they had an Uchiha meeting in the crew room where they discussed all possible scenarios and decided which tasks were the most urgent. Other than Naruto and Sasuke perfecting what they had been practicing that morning, the priorities proved to be clothes, in case they met a mother ship, and food, in case they did not and therefore had to survive on their meagre supplies until Tarrasade.


That evening Kakashi asked Sasuke to play for them. Instead of playing one piece and then encouraging them to sing, as he usually did, Sasuke continued playing. Naruto sat at his feet. Haku sat staring at Sasuke, as he always did when Sasuke played. Iruka was sitting in Kakashi’s lap, held in his arms. Neji was sitting on one of the couches and Shikamaru was lying curled beside him with his head on Neji’s thigh. Neji fingers were petting Shikamaru’s hair. Ibiki, Shino and Rin were sitting at the galley table, listening while they drank what purported to be tea. Jiraiya was nowhere to be seen but Naruto knew he was sitting on his bunk, transfixed.


Later, in their bunk, Sasuke stripped for him, his body moving to the music he hummed. The scent of their combined desire was so great that Naruto could taste it. When Sasuke moved toward him, naked, Naruto’s control almost broke. Instead he held himself, whimpering slightly, as Sasuke’s hands moved over his skin, removing his clothes. He was guided to lie on his front and Sasuke massaged his back, lulling his desire to possess.

Then he was on his back and Sasuke was straddling his thighs. Nimble fingers played with his nipples and stroked his skin. Lips kissed and teeth nipped. Naruto knew what came next. His hips gave the smallest of thrusts. His erection jumped, signalling its desire to be engulfed in Sasuke’s talented mouth.

Instead, Sasuke positioned himself with his hole over Naruto’s prick. Naruto’s eyes widened. This was new. It was risky.

Sasuke looked so earnest as he concentrated on sliding down Naruto’s erection.

It felt amazing.

Sasuke swayed. He rose and fell. His eyes were closed, his lashes on his cheeks, then open and clouded with lust. He bit his bottom lip before gasping, head back, lips parted. He leaned forward, his fingertips stroking Naruto’s skin, then back, his palms sliding up and down his torso.

Naruto had never seen him more beautiful.

He growled.

Sasuke froze, his eyes suddenly focused, his lips parting to speak, but Naruto was moving, lifting, turning, Sasuke feather-light in his grasp.

This was his mate; he must possess his mate. Sasuke was on his hands and knees, Naruto embedded deeply within him, his hands gripping Sasuke’s hips. He relaxed his grasp, stroked his mate’s back to reassure him. Sasuke relaxed into submission.

Naruto howled.