Heart of the Ocean

Once he had made sure Itachi had left for evening brandy and cigars, Sasuke guided Naruto into his cabin, feeling a little self-conscious as he gestured to one of the chairs. "Please, sit down," he said softly, giving the other a coy look. "I'll be right back." He turned into his dressing room, taking a deep breath as he prepared for the moment that could be the deciding factor in his and Naruto's budding relationship.

Nodding, Naruto sat down in a rather comfortable plush chair, glancing around at the room that surrounded him. "It's nice," he said slowly. "Much... more comfortable than a couple of bunk beds and some companionable rats," he said with a small laugh.

Feeling a slight pang of guilt, Sasuke offered the other a shy smile before sliding his screen closed, beginning to peel off his gown, stockings and corset. His entire body seemed to exhale in relief once the uncomfortable garments were shed, and with a final nervous intake of breath Sasuke removed his hairpiece, letting it fall to the ground. Very quickly he swept his kimono over his shoulders, tucking in the sash and stepping quickly into the washroom to remove his makeup. His heart was beating frantically the entire time; would Naruto still accept him once he saw his true self...? Sasuke couldn't even begin to imagine how painful it would be if the other boy pushed him away. But this...he had to know. He was so tired of lying.

Naruto continued to glance around the room, his eyes soaking in the art in the corner, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You've got a good eye," he said softly. "I've never seen that use of colour before. But you've got them hidden away. I think that the brighter the use of colour in a piece of art, the better the artist."

Heart thumping frantically away, Sasuke stepped out from behind the screen at last, smiling as he saw the other boy poring over the many pieces of art Itachi had forced him to tuck against the far wall. "I wanted to place them near the window," he said softly, approaching Naruto slowly. "So they would catch the light."

Smiling a little, Naruto managed to pull his eyes away from the paintings and back to Sasuke, his breath catching a little. The other was so... so perfect. Without all of the make up, he could see the more masculine lines of his jaw, something he'd completely overlooked before. But his eyes were still perfectly shaped, and lips, even though a little smaller than before, held the same lilt as they had before. "Mm... that's good..."

The corners of Sasuke's lips turned up very slightly, carefully hiding the almost dizzying rush of relief that swept over him. But it wasn't over yet. He approached Naruto with measured steps, stopping when they were only inches apart, allowing the other to take in the appearance of his face--his face, without the paint and fake hair and jewelry. "Naruto...there's something I'd like to ask of you. Something I...want." He spoke the words suggestively, but his heart was still dancing madly with nerves.

Swallowing hard, Naruto forced himself to keep his gaze even with the other. He was almost afraid of what Sasuke was going to ask him. Not that he'd ever show that kind of weakness, not when the other boy was looking at him with those eyes, counting on him to be strong. "What is it?" he asked, his voice a little more breathy than he'd wanted.

Eyes never leaving Naruto's, Sasuke reached into his pocket, his fingers closing on the priceless necklace Itachi had given him. Fluidly he presented it to the boy standing opposite him, smiling a little as he saw Naruto's jaw practically fall to the ground. "Nice, isn't it? It's a diamond."

Naruto could barely manage to nod, swallowing hard again, eyes moving between the beautiful jewel and the other boy. "Y-yeah... it's gorgeous. What do you want me to do?"

An almost playful smile graced Sasuke's features and he looked intently at the other, eyebrows raised suggestively. "Naruto, I want you to draw me like one of your French girls. Wearing this," he indicated, hand still lingering over the jewel in the blonde boy's hand.

Almost choking on his next breath, Naruto licked his lips anxiously. "You... you..." he almost dropped the jewel. "You want me to draw you..." he said slowly, blue eyes bright and wide, watching the other. "Yes..."

"That's right," Sasuke responded, sensual half-smile in place. "Wearing only this."

Blue eyes widened further, and he swallowed hard. "Only... you mean...?" he was having a little bit of trouble catching his breath now.

Sasuke stepped back, heart fluttering wildly like a hummingbird trapped in his ribcage. Very slowly and with determination he untied the sash as his waist and parted the kimono, letting it slide off his pale shoulders until it fell in pool around his ankles. With the same measured slowness he clasped the necklace about his throat, eyes still trained on Naruto, watching the other boy's reactions carefully.

Naruto's breath quickened at the sight of Sasuke, his heart beating a little faster in his chest so that he could feel it's thump-thump throughout his entire body. "I..." he whispered, eyes focused completely on the other. He'd never thought it would be possible for him to be attracted to another man. In fact the very thought of it made him uneasy; but Sasuke... he was so... so...

"You're beautiful," he managed.

A blush appeared on Sasuke's cheeks and he bowed his head slightly, feeling a little embarrassed as the other boy's heated gaze moved over his body. He couldn't stop smiling; Naruto had spoken those words again, and this time...he was talking to Sasuke, his true self, his true flesh. For a moment, he felt as if he had nothing else in life to hope for, that in this moment, some fervent unspoken wish had come true. "The last thing I need," he said in a low voice, finally speaking freely, without altering it to sound higher, "is another picture of me looking like a porcelain doll. So if you will..." He moved toward the divan, settling down and stretching out his lean form like a cat.

Moving to where Sasuke had pointed, Naruto fell clumsily into the seat, licking his lips. He really... couldn't get over how much Sasuke made him feel. The heat that washed over him almost relentlessly. It didn't seem to even matter that everywhere that should be soft and curved was hard and lithe, and still so very, very perfect. "Lift your arm up..." he managed. "And don't move around too much, okay?"

Forcing himself to relax, Sasuke settled comfortably on the divan, positioning his arm carefully above his head. His heart had not stopped pounding, but it was a different kind of anxiety. Already, he could feel the heat of attraction between them, something that they had only just managed to hide before.

Licking his lips, Naruto placed his sketch pad on his lap and began to draw, holding the charcoal tightly in his hand as he moved it over the paper, forcing the lines onto paper, his tongue sticking out from between his lips as he sketched. "No smiling," he teased lightly, eyes moving between the paper and the man spread out on the divan. He could feels his cheeks warming as he drew.

Sasuke took a deep breath, forcing his face muscles to relax, but he couldn't help but tease the other back a little. "I do believe you're blushing, Mr Big Artiste. I can't imagine Monsieur Monet blushing..."

Mock glaring at the other, Naruto shook his head. "Shh, no talking," he said with a slight chuckle, shifting a little in his seat as he began to trace the outline of Sasuke's groin, cheeks warming and reddening darker.

Falling silent, Sasuke kept his face carefully still, his body draped sinuously over the cushions. He watched Naruto's eyes as he worked, fascinated by the way they darted between him and the sketchbook, taking in every detail. His heart continued its rapid tattoo against his ribs, speeding up just a little as he saw a droplet of sweat slide down Naruto's brow.

Shifting a little, Naruto swallowed hard again, his body warming as he shadowed in the lines. "Almost done..." he whispered.

"Mmm," Sasuke murmured softly in assent, dutifully holding his pose while the other finished. As tiring as it was to hold himself still for such a long time, he was nonetheless almost disappointed that it was almost over. Naruto was fascinating to watch while he worked, and to be studied in such a way...with Naruto's fierce eyes memorizing every curve and angle of his body, the silence broken only by the scratch of the charcoal and the mingles harmony of their breaths... It was the most erotic moment of his life.

Naruto licked his almost-chapped lips as he dated the drawing and signed it, moving to stand. "Okay, I'm done," he said with a small smile. "I think it looks pretty good," he said with a nod.

Sucking in a deep breath, Sasuke stood and shook the feeling back into his limbs. "Let me see it," he said softly, moving to Naruto's side and glancing down at the paper. His heart nearly stopped. It was....him. Not the reflection he had seen in the mirror, not his brother's pretty little doll. It was him, as he was meant to look, and...it was... "Perfect," he breathed. "It's perfect... Naruto.... Thank you."

Nodding Naruto handed the drawing to Sasuke. "Here, it's for you," he murmured. "I... had no idea that you would look so beautiful," he admitted. "I mean... I've never been attracted to a man before, I just... you're.... wow."

A soft sigh left Sasuke's lips and he shook his head softly, just...looking at Naruto, into his eyes, no longer afraid to be swallowed up in them. The strong emotions that had been building in him the entire length of time on the divan burst forth quite suddenly, and he leaned forward, capturing Naruto's lips all but devouring the other boy's mouth with his own. "Mmm..."

Groaning softly, Naruto wrapped both arms around the naked man's waist, holding their bodies tightly together as they kissed. It would never cease to amaze him how much Sasuke made him feel. They'd only known each other two days now, but he'd never felt anything like this for another person. "M--mm..."

Dizzy with want, Sasuke moved to straddle Naruto's legs in an effort to climb into the other's lap. All the while he kept their lips firmly pressed together, kissing madly, his fingers threading through the thick blonde hair. He'd never wanted another person more in his entire life. He desired nothing more than for the other man to take him right then, right there in the room he shared with Itachi, but such a thing would be entirely too rash. His brother would be returning from smoke and brandy at any moment.

Lifting one hand, Naruto tangled his fingers in Sasuke's hair, kissing him hard and hungrily, disregarding the care he'd taken the previous evening. He didn't need to worry about hurting a woman anymore, and he held Sasuke as close as he could. If he were completely honest, he didn't really know how this was supposed to work, really, with two men, but right now all he could think of was how good it felt. How right it felt to be pressed against Sasuke, feeling how much the other wanted him, too. Long gone were the games that men and women played with each other, like cat and mouse, hard to get, slow and careful. All that was left was the raw hunger and need they felt, the only thing he needed. Sasuke....

Unwilling to break contact just yet, Sasuke continued to kiss Naruto desperately, groaning as the other boy lay rough hands on him, pulling at his hair, displaying the same fierce animal passion that he could feel coursing through his own veins. He wound his arms about the blonde man's neck, tugging him as close as possible, dragging out the kiss as long as he could until he was forced to break for breath. Disappointment evident in his eyes, he gazed down at Naruto, gently trailing one hand along the whiskered cheek. "We should leave," he murmured. "Before Itachi gets back..."

Shuddering a little, Naruto forced open eyes that were barely blue anymore, instead tinged lightly with crimson. "I don't want to go..." he murmured. "Let him find us... I just want you, Sasuke. So bad you can't even imagine." He didn't care about the consequences of anything anymore. He just wanted to take the man away with him, and keep him forever.

Sasuke leaned down, brushing his lips briefly against Naruto's before pushing himself reluctantly from Naruto's lap, reaching down for his kimono. "Don't worry...I'm not about to let you get away tonight," he said with a smirk. Swiftly he threw the kimono over his shoulders, then reached for the drawing and another spare piece of paper, scrawling a small note. "This should take care of Itachi. Just wait one moment, I'll get changed and we can get out of here."

Watching the other man walk away, Naruto nodded, adjusting his pants a little. "Okay," he said, clearing his throat a little. He couldn't remember ever being so aroused in his entire life, and he wasn't about to let all of that just rush away without his permission. That was for sure.

Sasuke dressed quickly, throwing on a light dress and neglecting his hairpiece and makeup entirely. Once dressed he swept into the bedroom, quickly opening Itachi's safe and slipping the drawing, note and necklace within. Panting, cheeks flushed with excitement, he closed it and locked it, hurrying back to Naruto. "All right...let's go."