Spartan Ninjas (Abandoned WIP)

Disclaimer: We do not own or gain any profit from Naruto.
Reviews are 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 talking in Japanese
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Spartan Ninjas
~ Chapter Seven ~
By: Cecilia Tsukineko and Kirei Kitsue

---------That Saturday---------
"See you later, Kiba," Naruto said as he walked into his room, back from three hours of Judo Club. After shutting the door he sat next to his boyfriend on the couch. "Hey Sasuke. How you feeling?" he asked, kissing him right behind the ear.

"Better," was the absently mumbled reply. Sasuke was staring – and had been for the last hour – at his cellphone. He was deciding on whether or not to place the call to the number showing on the phone's screenface.

"Watcha doing?" Naruto asked curiously, resting his head on Sasuke's good shoulder and looping an arm around his waist.

"Making a phonecall," Sasuke decided and lifted the phone to his ear as he hit send and tossed his bangs out of his face. The phone rang only once and was picked up immediately. The phone on the other end of the line was both cool and collected and eager and excited to hear from him. "Ohayo..." he said simply. There was a pause from Sasuke and then a soft chuckle. And for the next two and a half hours, Naruto was subjected be being cuddled and nuzzled lightly, all while listening to Sasuke speak in fluent Japanese to someone Naruto couldn't hear.

"Who was that?" Naruto asked, deathly curious, when Sasuke finally hung up. He was lying down with his head in Sasuke's lap. Whoever it had been, Sasuke was clearly really good friends with him/her.

"Someone you'll like when you meet him next weekend," Sasuke murmured and curled his body over Naruto to kiss him gently. Despite being injured he was still really quite flexible.

Naruto pouted a bit. "Who is it?" he insisted, wanting to know. That and he felt a little jealous since it wasn't normal for Sasuke to spend such a long time on the phone... and if this friend was male it meant competition.

"An old childhood friend of mine. I know him through close family ties," Sasuke answered, reading Naruto's emotions easily he straightened and then lifted Naruto's head with one hand while maneuvering to stretch out behind him. The couch had become their permanent bed because Sasuke simply couldn't get into his bunk or Naruto's at the moment. Carefully he removed the sling and tossed on the back of the couch, then stretched his arm to rest the cast along Naruto's stomach. His shoulder was stiff and needed to rest in a new position because Sasuke said so.

Naruto was about to point out that the doctor had told Sasuke to keep his arm in a sling for the next week, but he decided it wasn't worth the argument. Sasuke would just win anyway. So instead he rolled over and pushed Sasuke onto his back, resting his head on Sasuke's good shoulder while draping an arm over his waist. That way his bad arm was in the same position as it would be in the sling, and Naruto could use the argument that he was comfortable if Sasuke tried to move.

Fully aware of Naruto's intention and not caring, Sasuke didn't say anything. Sighing contently he let his arm rest across his stomach above Naruto's arm and laid there. Life was as good as it could get. A police report had been filed, there was a restraining order against his foster family and Sasuke was on the way to removing them from his life through paperwork and anything else that he could. He waited for a long time until he heard Naruto's even breathing and felt the soft rise and fall of the blond's body in sleep-breathing before he reached over and pulled his cell off its charger. He'd be quiet but he needed to talk to Mika. Naruto was a sound sleeper so he had no fear of waking the blond up. Speed dialing Mika's number, Sasuke waited for an answer.

"Hello?" Mika answered after the third ring. There were loud voices in the background. "Shut up you biddies, I can't hear anything! Hello?"

"Hello, Mika..." Sasuke's voice murmured over the phone. "How are you?"

"Hello Sasuke! I'm quite well, thank you. Winning the Saturday night poker game as usual." There was a chorus of "Liar!" in the background. "How are you and Naruto?"

He chuckled faintly, but kept his voice low. "He's asleep and I'm as well as I can be with the prospect of him driving me to and from classes next week." He and Naruto had determined with the University's permission that it would be best for both of them if the Chevelle was used. That way neither would be terribly late and Sasuke didn't have to try to drive or carry his backpack.

"Why is driving you to your classes? What happened?" There was a note of honest concern to her voice. Naruto hadn't gotten around to telling her about Sasuke's arm yet since they'd been too busy figuring out how exactly to work around it.

"Well, my arm was broken and Naruto's been taking care of me beyond what he's needed to. I wanted to do something nice for him... I have a friend in Japan, a singer that is sending us tickets and backstage passes, so I'm calling to let you know that we'll be gone all next weekend," he said calmly, expecting at least some form of surprise or protest from her since he'd be taking Naruto out of the country.

"Well that's nice-JAPAN?!" Mika squeaked, the other voices silencing immediately to listen. "You're going to Japan for a weekend?! For a concert?! ...Wait, you're friends with the singer?! And how did you break your arm?!"

"He's a close childhood friend of mine, Mika... He won't let anything happen to us," Sasuke said and said nothing else. He didn't want to talk about his arm and if he could avoid saying any names all the better. That way, even if Naruto was awake right now, which Sasuke seriously doubted, he wouldn't know exactly what was in store for him.

Mika sighed. "I suppose it's alright... Even if I said no, I know Naruto wouldn't listen to me anyway. He's always wanted to go to Japan. All I ask is that you two make sure your homework's done before you leave and that you come back in one piece. I know you both have 8 AM's on Monday, so you'd better come back early on Sunday to sleep off the jetlag."

"I've got everything under control, Mika... don't worry," he assured her. "I just wanted to make sure you knew, because Naruto only knows we're meeting a friend of mine next weekend. Not who, where or how..."

She laughed at that. "Then I suggest you prepare yourself for being hugged to death. Naruto's bearhug is lethal and should be used as a national weapon."

Sasuke chuckled softly again. "I know..." ::I survive it every night...:: Sasuke deemed it wise not to say anything about them sleeping in the same bed seeing as he didn't know how Mika might take it and whether she knew or not already.

The other voices had picked up again, demanding that Mika explain what she was talking about to this strange boy and that she get back into the game because it was her turn. "Oh learn some patience," she scolded them tauntingly, earning her some interesting insults. Laughing she said to Sasuke, "I'd better go, kiddo. Give Naruto a kiss for me, and mind your arm!"

"I will, thank you. Oyasumi, Mika-san," he said softly and hung up when she had said her final farewell. And then he dropped a kiss on the top of Naruto's head and settled in for some sleep.

----------Next Monday---------
Naruto just managed to get into his history class on time after driving Sasuke to the other side of campus. Panting a bit from running up the stairs he dropped into a seat and rested his head on the desk as he got his breath back.

Class was relatively short that day and by the time it was over there was a half an hour left. The students were dismissed by Jiraiya immediately but he stopped Naruto with a hand on his shoulder. "Wait... I have something for you, brat... Ready for your first assignment?"

"Yeah but be quick. My roommate's waiting for me to pick him up."

"You mean your boyfriend, gaki... Here. I want you to translate this from the original as best you can. Then I'll compare it with the original translation of it and then I'll translate it from there. I want several takes on it before I start looking into it. Maybe you'll view a character differently that this guy did, eh? Have fun." And Jiraiya handed him an ancient looking tome writing entirely in olden Japanese.

Naruto nodded, carefully yet eagerly flipping through the book. "Will do, old man." He tucked it into his bag and dashed out the door for the parking lot. He didn't want to keep Sasuke waiting. "Later!" He double-timed it to Case Hall.

Jiraiya shook his head. The boy was truly a boggle to his brain. Stretching he gathered up his things and headed to his office.

-------------Friday Morning, 7:00am-------------
"Naruto... You have to get up and pack... we're not going to classes today..." Sasuke prepared himself to sit up, even if Naruto still refused to wake. He could do it, it would just apply a pressure-pain to his shoulder from working the muscles attached to those shoulder muscles. Naruto would get up.

Naruto stirred and sat up with a yawn. Zombie-like he rolled off the couch and went through his morning routine mechanically. Almost a half hour later, still half asleep, he picked up his schoolbag and looked expectantly at Sasuke.

Sasuke sat there ready to go and chuckled. "We're not going to class... Make sure you've got enough stuff to live out of that thing for a weekend..."

"But... I have a test in chem..." Naruto protested, blinking at him in sleepy confusion.

Sighing a little Sasuke shook his head. "Alright... go, but come straight back here afterwards. We'll have to eat breakfast on the go rather than sitting down."

Nodding Naruto left – Sasuke often skipped out on his organic chem so he didn't bother forcing him to go. He returned a little over an hour later looking fully awake and triumphant. Sitting next to Sasuke on the couch he gave him a sweet kiss. "I have the best boyfriend in the world," he chirped. He'd just aced his test thanks to Sasuke's tutoring.

Sasuke smirked and set his phone aside for the moment. It was off anyway, so it didn't matter what he did with it. He'd finished talking with their soon to be host about fifteen minutes ago. "You're going to love me even more in a few hours. Let's go. I'm sure you are as hungry as I am," he said and stood, dragging Naruto with him on the way up with his good arm. "We've got breakfast and a plane to catch."

"Plane? What plane? Where are we going?" Naruto asked curiously, dumping his school stuff out of his pack and throwing in clothes. "How long are we gonna be there?"

"We'll be there until Sunday... and you'll know when we get there." Sasuke was already carrying his suitcase in his good hand and heading for the door.

"Waaaaaiiiit!" Naruto called, adding his laptop and the book Jiraiya had given him to his pack before throwing it over his shoulder. After locking the door behind them he grabbed Sasuke's suitcase. "So where are we going?" he asked again, hoping that he could get an answer by being annoying.

"You'll know when we get there..." Sasuke said again and led the way to his car. He handed Naruto the keys after they put everything in the trunk and then got in on the passenger's side. "I'll direct you. Let's go," he added as Naruto got into the car.

Dutifully Naruto followed his directions to Lansing International Airport, buzzing with curiosity and asking Sasuke every ten minutes where they were going but never getting the answer he wanted. He didn't find out their destination until they got to the terminal and he read the sign at the counter. "Tokyo?! We're going to Tokyo?!" Naruto burst out, not quite daring to believe it.

Shaking his head in amusement Sasuke nodded. "Yes, Tokyo..." he said.

"ALRIGHT!!" Somehow not managing to jar Sasuke's bad shoulder Naruto glomped him and gave him a very enthusiastic kiss. He was going to Japan!!

Unmindful of those around him Sasuke returned the kiss until Naruto'd had enough. "It's not just Tokyo, though we'll get a personal tour of the city and everything by my friend on Saturday. Saturday night... is when the real fun begins."

"You mean there's more?! Sasuke, I love you!!" Naruto bubbled, giving him the bearhug of doom Mika had warned him about.

Bearing the bearhug with good nature Sasuke chuckled softly. "Oh, it's not over yet. Just wait until we get there for the rest though, ne?"

"Okay!" Grinning hugely Naruto let Sasuke go and carried their bags over to the seats in the terminal, sitting down. He couldn't stay still though and kept squirming in excitement. Japan!!

It wasn't long – or at least with Naruto to entertain him it didn't seem like long – before Sasuke was settling in his seat in the totally empty first class section of the plane. They were seated a little back of the middle and Sasuke sighed as the relatively comfortable seat enveloped him a little. It could be so nice... at least nicer than it would be in coach. He felt a little badly for those people.

Naruto was busy examining everything from his aisle seat, even looking through the door that led to coach class. The seats back there were a little smaller and a little less plush. There were barely any people back there. By the time the attendant came by to tell them the emergency procedures he was reading all the cards and magazines in the pouch on the back of the seat in front of him. "This is so awesome!!" he said excitedly to Sasuke when the attendant left, securing his seat belt. This was his first time on a plane and he was going to enjoy it!

"As long as you are enjoying yourself..." Sasuke murmured and settled more comfortably while Naruto helped him by putting his belt on for him. "I can't wait to see your face when we get there... if this is how you feel now." He chuckled softly at the envisionment of it.

The captain announced the weather conditions in Tokyo at the moment, the time in Tokyo, and their expected time of arrival a few minutes before the engines came to life and they began to move backwards out of the gate. Growling in frustration that he couldn't see anything by leaning over Sasuke to look out the window, Naruto unbuckled and got into the window seat right in front of Sasuke. He put his seatbelt on at the attendant's reminder and watched excitedly as they taxied to the runway. He pouted when the plane stopped just before it got to the runway. "Why aren't we moving?" he complained.

"No reason... Well, not one that will delay us for very long, so stop being so impatient, usuratonkachi..." Sasuke scolded lightly and leaned back a little. It wouldn't be long and he could take a nap to pass the time to Tokyo. "We'll start moving again any minute now."

Sasuke was right. Not even a minute later they were accelerating down the runway and taking off. It felt like the bottom of Naruto's stomach had dropped out as the plane lifted from the pavement, but he didn't even notice as he watched Lansing shrink first to a doll-town, then to a detailed map, and finally to just splotches of green and gray. It wasn't long before they were flying above the clouds and the seat-belt sign was turned off, signaling that they'd leveled in their flight. Naruto moved back to his original seat next to Sasuke with a grin. "This is so cool!!"

Sasuke cracked an eye open at him and smirked faintly. "Like I said. As long as you are enjoying it..." He was incredibly relaxed, which was probably a by-product of Naruto's happiness. If Naruto was happy so was he.

"I am!" Purring Naruto hugged his good arm and nuzzled behind his ear. "Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me yet... not until the weekend's over, ne?" Sasuke murmured and let his eyes close both to half-mast. "I keep telling you there's more but I'm not sure if you're listening."

"I am listening!" Naruto said, licking the sensitive skin behind Sasuke's ear.

A shiver ran through Sasuke's body. "Alright then... you are listening... but are you registering it all or is it going in one ear, leaving vague remnants in your mind and then flying out the other then?"

"The registering is taking a while... I'm still convincing myself this isn't some wonderful dream." Naruto let go of Sasuke just long enough to examine the arm rest between them. Discovering that it went up he pushed it out of the way and snuggled into Sasuke's side, nuzzling at his neck. He was so happy he was practically glowing.

Sasuke had taken his seatbelt off already and he sighed, looping his good arm over Naruto's shoulders, thankful that they had ended up on the side of the plane that the window sat on his left. "Don't worry... you won't be able to think of it as a dream soon enough... then the confusion of your two or three braincells will end and everything will be well again with the world..." he teased.

"Bastard," Naruto grumbled playfully, biting the juncture of Sasuke's neck and shoulder in retaliation. "I have more than three braincells, thank you very much!"

Sasuke tightened his arm around the boy, amused. "I know... There would have to be for you to be able to hang around me and still be alive," he purred and tilted his head to leave room for Naruto to do as he would with his neck. Naruto still sported a fair number of very rapidly fading bruises from the week before.

Naruto blew a messy raspberry on his neck while poking him in a ticklish spot as his answer to that taunt. "You are so mean to me," he complained lightly.

With a soft grunt Sasuke started and shied away from Naruto's mouth. And here he'd been so nice to offer Naruto his neck... Fine. "Sit in your seat, dobe..." he muttered and reclined his own right then, prepared for a long nap.

"Sourpuss," Naruto murmured teasingly, leaning close again to nuzzle Sasuke's neck. He reclined his own seat and burrowed into Sasuke's side, resting his head on Sasuke's shoulder to use it as a pillow as he watched cloud formations drift by the window.

Sasuke shifted, slipping his right arm under Naruto and hooked it about the blond's shoulders. Holding Naruto close he sighed and set himself to rest.

----------Ten Hours Later-------
Someone gently shaking his shoulder woke Naruto up from his sleep and he blinked dazedly up at the flight attendant. "Mmm?"

"We're almost there sir. We'll be landing in about half an hour. If you could please wake up your companion and the both of you put your seatbelts on."

"Okay," Naruto yawned, sitting up and stretching as she returned to the front of the plane where the other attendants were. "Sasuke. Sasuke, wake up." He pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Time to get up, sleepy."

A soft murmur answered the kiss and then Sasuke's eyes were fluttering open. He blinked sleepily and then realized that they must have been about to land. He brought his seat back up and then waited for Naruto to finish putting his seatbelt on so that he could help Sasuke put his own on. Trying it one-handed was a little difficult.

Naruto put his seat back upright, buckled both their seatbelts, and returned the armrest to its position between them. "So are you finally gonna tell me who your friend is?" he asked, not as hyper as he could be yet since he just woke up but definitely on his way to getting there.

"You'll just have to wait until I can introduce him to you," Sasuke said. "And that won't be until the hotel, whenever he gets out of rehearsal." Sasuke's smirk was that of the cat that ate the canary. Naruto still had no idea what was planned for him this weekend. Not a clue. Sasuke touched the tickets and backstage passes in his back pocket and that smirk only grew.

"You're scary when you smirk like that..." Naruto muttered, making a face at him. "Is there a plan to what we're gonna do or is it a 'by the seat of our pants' kinda thing?"

"Oh, there's a plan. You just won't know what's coming until it actually happens," Sasuke stated, still smirking though less so now than before.

"You never tell me anything..." Naruto complained, razzing him and slouching in his seat to pout. As much as he loved surprises, he wanted to know!!

------------Tokyo International Airport------------
A young man in black clothing and sunglasses leaned on a black limo in the carousel outside the airport, watching the crowd for his guest. Spotting a familiar rooster tail he straightened, watching amused as his guest's companion gaped open-mouthed at everything and asked a million questions. "Sasuke, oi!" he called out, waving.

Dark eyes lifted and met with shaded contact-blue. "Ohayo!" Sasuke called back in greeting as he headed towards the man and the limo. As he neared he bowed politely in greeting, elbowing Naruto who was conveniently on his right side for it to do so as well. The blond only managed to half bow, more interested in observing the things going on around him. Sasuke chuckled, shaking his head at Naruto, and then offered his hand for a handshake.

The man took Sasuke's hand and yanked him into a hug. "~Long time no see!!~" he said as he pounded Sasuke on the back. "~You got taller!! And didn't I tell you that you need to visit more often?~"

The sudden movement getting his attention, Naruto watched wide-eyed as this strange person assaulted his boyfriend. "What the hell...?!"

Sasuke actually chuckled a little and leaned into the hug. He couldn't exactly hug back because of his arm and the fact that his other hand was clasped firmly in his friend's. "Aa, hai hai… ~It's been really long. I've just been really tied up. Foster family never let me go away. Tried to keep me on as short a leash as possible for as long as possible.~" He made a gesticulation with his casted arm as he was released from the hug to emphasize his words with a small grimace. "~I'm in college now too, so that takes up a lot of my time too.~"

The man sighed. "~I told you after the first incidence to file a complaint and get rid of them, but noooo. You need to learn to listen to your elders,~" he teased while being serious at the same time. "~'I'll be okay,' you said. 'I can handle it,' you said. Masochist.~"

"Uhm... there's a person in the dark over here..." Naruto said, his brow furrowed in confusion. He was trying to piece together some idea of what they were saying and having absolutely no luck.

Naruto suddenly found himself the focus of two sets of incredibly intense eyes. "Sorry, Naruto," Sasuke said softly and explained, "We were basically just greeting each other. It's been more than a few years for us. I had to explain this." And he lifted his arm again to gesticulate.

"And he is...?" Naruto prompted.

"~I think introductions are in order, Sasuke,~" the man agreed, knowing enough English to understand at least that much.

"Aa, hai," he said in an aside to his old friend and then looked to Naruto. "Naruto, this is Camui Gackt. ~Gackt, this is Naruto.~"

"Kimi no koibitto?" Gackt asked with a lopsided smirk at the same time Naruto exclaimed, "WHAT?!"

"Ha~…" Sasuke murmured again displaying his lack of desire to say any more than needed to be said by leaving off the 'i' in 'hai'. Reaching out he ruffled Naruto's hair affectionately. He'd answered Gackt. Now it was a matter of answering Naruto. "What do you mean 'what'?"

"GACKT?! As in the singer whose songs you use to... never mind," Naruto muttered. "But... Gackt?!"

"Hai?" the older man asked brightly, smiling. He was finding this all very amusing.

Another chuckle from Sasuke, not something that was normal for the Sasuke that Gackt knew. "Yes, Naruto. Gackt. We're here for his concert tomorrow night with backstage passes so we can 'party' – as you'd put it – with the band afterwards. He's going to give us a tour of Tokyo as soon as we're done eating at whatever restaurant he deems best for us."

There was a moment where Naruto's surprised blinking was almost audible, and then, "ALRIGHT!!!!" as Naruto glomped him. This was going to be so awesome!!

Laughing Gackt opened the door to the limo and climbed in. "~Come on you two. It's time to grab some breakfast. I know how bad airplane food can be, even in first class. Does he know any Japanese, Sasuke?~"

"Iie," Sasuke answered, following him with a shake of his head that was more meant to get his bangs out of his face. "~Naruto's from a Japanese-American family, quite literally split down the middle. A descendant of all male children on the Japanese side at that so he keeps the name Uzumaki Naruto but not the heritage.~"

"What about me?" Naruto asked as he climbed in and shut the door after tossing their bags in.

Gackt called out the name of a restaurant to the driver before saying to Naruto, "Neber mindu. ~Looks like you get to play translator, chibi.~"

"Chibi" Naruto understood. "Who's he calling little? You?" he asked with a grin.

"Careful, Naruto. You're shorter than he is," Sasuke retorted and looked to Gackt again. "~He knows a few words here and there from anime, but for the most part anything of importance will have to be translated for him. How much English do you actually remember?~"

"Eheheheheh... ~Not very much...~" Gackt admitted sheepishly, laughing as Naruto slumped with a pout. "~What did you say to him?~"

"~I only pointed out that he was shorter than you,~" Sasuke said with a shrug and a smirk. "~Shrimp.~"

"Gaki," the singer shot back, looking miffed. He hated being called short.

-------------The Hotel, Hours Later-------------
The room... well, suite... the really big private suite in the best hotel in Tokyo... Gackt had reserved for them was beautiful. They had a Jacuzzi big enough for four people, they had their own mini-kitchen, a small living room, and the bed was king-sized and buried in pillows. Whooping happily Naruto dove in, disappearing and leaving behind a trail of flying pillows, the shopping bags he'd been carrying forgotten in the doorway of the bedroom.

"~He reminds me of a huge puppy,~" Gackt laughed as he watched Naruto play. "~How do you keep up with him?~"

"~I give him as much leash as he wants and call him back only when I need to,~" Sasuke answered metaphorically, smirking himself as he watched Naruto burrow in the pillows. "~Generally, he comes back before I call.~"

Gackt didn't even have time to respond to that as Naruto leapt out of the bed, grabbed Sasuke's arm, and threw him into the bed, diving after him with a laugh. "Sasuke pile!" he yelled, piling the pillows on top of his boyfriend and then flopping on top.

There was a soft grunt and then the mass of pillows lifted slowly as Sasuke forced himself up on his good arm. He'd landed on his stomach which put him at a slight advantage, though a big enough one that he was able to deposit Naruto on the floor in a pile of fallen pillows. "Usuratonkachi," he taunted. "It'll take more than that…"

"~It's not nice to call your sweetheart a moron,~" Gackt laughed, happy to see Sasuke willing to play and be silly. It had been years since he'd last been this open. "~I think I'll leave you two alone now. I'll come back later and get you for dinner. Baibai.~" He left the suite.

"Bye!" Naruto called after him from under the pillows. "Where's he going?" he asked Sasuke as he tried to stand up and failed.

"Sayonara, Ga-chan," Sasuke called and sat on the edge of the bed. He didn't speak again until the door closed behind his childhood friend. "He's giving us a little time to ourselves," he said finally.

"Oh, okay." Naruto tripped backwards over a very large pillow and grabbed the offending cushion, growling and wrestling with it.

Looking down at Naruto he smirked a little and stood, heading over to take it away. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

Roaring Naruto dove after his stolen plaything as soon as Sasuke grabbed it, sending the both of them into the pile of pillows on the floor. "Yes!" he chirped, purring and snuggling into Sasuke's good side. "Very muchly!"

"Good," Sasuke said after regaining his breath. "Are you going to stay this hyped up all weekend or will there be a point when I can cuddle with you for a good length of time and not have to worry about you darting all over the place like an oversized hummingbird on caffeine?"

A soft snore was his answer. Naruto had apparently used up every single ounce of his energy and now could very well have passed for someone in a comatose state.

Sighing heavily, Sasuke shook him. "If you're feeling like that let's at least lay on the bed."

No luck. Naruto was dead asleep and very comfortable in the pile of pillows (Sasuke being one of them).

Well, then Naruto could sleep on the floor, he decided and slid out from beneath him. Sasuke's shoulder still wasn't up to par and really it had only been since the Thursday before the one just past, so it was normal that it wasn't. He looked down and wished for a moment that he had the ability to pick Naruto up, but that being an impossibility he shoved all but a few of the piles off the other side of the bed and settled on the mattress.

---

A couple hours later, wide awake but not quite as hyper, Naruto crawled up onto the bed and lay down next to Sasuke on his good side. He watched him sleep for a moment before blowing lightly into his ear. "Sasuke," he purred. "Sa~su~ke..."

Sasuke stirred and then his head flopped to the side from where it had rested aligned with the rest of his body laying on his back so that he now faced Naruto. Dark eyes open a little. "Mmm?"

"Hello, beautiful," Naruto purred, giving Sasuke a sweet kiss. He cupped Sasuke's jaw in one hand and tenderly caressed his cheekbone with the pad of his thumb.

"Calmer I see," Sasuke murmured softly and turned his lips to the palm of that hand, giving it a soft brush of his lips.

Naruto grinned mischievously. "For now. What do you want to do until dinner?"

"This trip is for you... so whatever you want to do is fine with me," he murmured and scratched his tummy lightly by lifting the hem of his shirt up. He was sleepy and content having just been woken up by his boyfriend's voice and breath in his ear. Life couldn't get any better could it?

"You forget that giving me multiple choice is a bad thing," Naruto said playfully, sliding his hand down Sasuke's body to join the pale hand on his stomach. Light fingers traced the muscles on Sasuke's stomach while Naruto ghosted light kisses over his face. A sleepy Sasuke was an irresistible Sasuke.

Suffused with a gentle slow burning heat Sasuke shivered a little at the touch and felt his breath hitch. Oh, Naruto was definitely making this a wonderful waking up experience. "Is that your final answer...?" he purred and let his hand join Naruto's in caressing his own stomach but mostly he caressed Naruto's hand lightly, every so often tickling the sensitive, tender side of his wrist and occasionally twining their fingers playfully.

A slow, teasing lick to the shell of his ear and a playful murmur of, "Maybe," were the only answers he got. Gradually Naruto's fingers traveled south on Sasuke's stomach, tracing the lines of his abs to circle his navel before sliding underneath his waistband, caressing the thin strip of skin. "Do you want this to be my final answer?" he purred right into Sasuke's ear, his smirk evident in his voice, before he ran his tongue over the sensitive patch of skin right behind Sasuke's ear.

"Mm, yes... I mean No!... Naruto..." He wanted more than just these light touches. He also didn't want Naruto to stop touching him period though. His voice was husky. Breathy... needy. Naruto and Sasuke had both wordlessly agreed that they wouldn't be doing more than cuddle until Sasuke could do more with his shoulder. And it was obvious that now he could do more considering their earlier pillow tumble.

"Well which is it?" Naruto teased huskily right into Sasuke's ear, bringing his hand up to trace the underside of Sasuke's ribs. He could feel the pale teen's heart pounding beneath his fingers and his own heart sped up in response.

"I don't want you to stop..." ::That's my final answer...:: Sasuke moaned softly, belly quivering at the touch of those light and arousing fingers. That voice in that tone was enough to make him hard right then and with the additional stimulation of fingers...

"Good enough for me." Lifting his hand just long enough to turn Sasuke's face to give him a deep kiss, Naruto slipped his fingers between Sasuke's pants and boxers. Purring into the kiss he applied light pressure to Sasuke's arousal, just enough to give him the barest relief.

A soft grunt accompanied the gentle pressure and Sasuke lifted his hips into the hand, asking for more. All the while his tongue laced and twisted with Naruto's, exploring the blond's mouth, licking teeth and lips and the insides of Naruto's cheeks.

His own body coming to life as he stroked Sasuke, Naruto pulled his hand away to gently rotate Sasuke's broken arm so that it lay at his side. It wouldn't do if he damaged Sasuke's healing shoulder. Not breaking the kiss once Naruto lifted himself to straddle Sasuke's hips, bringing his own hips down and beginning a slow grind. Being very careful to not put any of his weight on Sasuke's bad shoulder, Naruto lay down on top of Sasuke and cradled the pale face in his hands as he moaned into Sasuke's sweet mouth.

Sasuke eased his arm in the direction Naruto guided it and murred into Naruto's mouth. He wanted exactly what Naruto was giving him and he made that plain by lifting his hips into Naruto's grinding in matching counter-rhythm to Naruto's own. Sasuke's useful hand found Naruto's back and slipped eager fingers slowly down the blond's spine before slipping it into his pants to cup one flexing buttcheek. Squeezing Sasuke lifted a little harder, asking for more again.

Groaning loudly Naruto ground down harder in response, delicious friction adding fuel to the fire within him. He was drowning in a haze of bliss as his body reached full arousal, Sasuke's scent flooding his nose and making him feel heady. Breaking the kiss to gasp for air he nuzzled Sasuke's face, slipping one hand underneath Sasuke's shirt to caress his chest. He found a pert nipple and rubbed the pad of his thumb over it.

The stiff feel of a thumb rolling and rubbing the hardened bud of his nipple sent a pulse of arousal straight to Sasuke's groin. Panting heavily he moaned and flexed his body upwards, straining towards fulfilling the pressure building within him. His hand flexed on Naruto's rump again and then pulled his hand out of Naruto's pants to slide up his spine and caressed the hair at the base of Naruto's scalp on the back of his neck.

"Sasuke..." Naruto gasped into his ear, his voice heavy with passion and need. Tangling one hand in raven locks he pulled Sasuke into another deep, passionate kiss; his other hand continued its sweet torture on Sasuke's chest. Grinding hard against the squirming body below him, he felt intense heat spreading outward from his groin and seemingly consume him. And suddenly it all collapsed back towards where it had originated from, driving him into madness. A loud moan that could have been interpreted as Sasuke's name had their lips not been melded together tore through Naruto as he shuddered in climax, becoming limp a moment later.

The shuddering of the body above him and the moaning, nearly incomprehensible utterance of his name sent him over as well, the tightening of his body released him instantly into an oblivion of bliss. It was so wonderful to have Naruto limp on top of him and to know and feel the evidence of their... affections for each other. Sasuke's hand cradled the back of Naruto's neck gently, every muscle shaking with the aftershocks of release. "Naruto..." he whispered then, sounding incredibly content and fulfilled.

Panting quietly Naruto just rested his head on Sasuke's good shoulder, a tiredly content smile on his face. "My Sasuke..." he murmured lovingly, turning his head just enough to press his lips against the base of Sasuke's neck. Every time he came with Sasuke it was a short trip to heaven, and never did he get tired of them. Every trip was just as wonderful if not moreso than the last, and he wouldn't have had any other companion for the journey. It all just felt so perfectly right... Naruto was beginning to seriously believe in soulmates, and that he'd found his.

Sasuke's arm suddenly wrapped around Naruto's shoulders and he held him tightly, hugging him. Nuzzling Naruto wherever it was easiest to reach, the dark teen purred and shifted a little. "How about we take a shower? Gackt should be showing up soon to take us to dinner." Sasuke hoped that Naruto would read into that exactly what Sasuke meant. Having Naruto in his arms, to himself, was indescribably wonderful. Inhaling deeply he took in the blond's scent and then – after holding it for a moment – he released it in a deep sigh. "Ne?"

Smiling against Sasuke's neck Naruto nodded. "Okay." Slowly he climbed off his boyfriend, his limbs still a little wobbly, and helped Sasuke to sit up. Once they got themselves into the giant Western-style bathroom, Naruto helped Sasuke strip before doing so himself. He'd been giving Sasuke catbaths since he broke his arm and no longer blushed at the sight of him, but he did blush at being naked in front of Sasuke. Unlike the dark-haired teen, Naruto was body-shy. But Sasuke'd already seen him naked once (he'd "accidentally" walked into the bathroom back in the dorm just as Naruto was coming out of the shower) and he knew there was no good reason to try and hide anything anymore.

The shower/tub in this bathroom was huge, large enough that Sasuke could stand well out of the spray of the showerhead and yet still be in the shower with Naruto. He trusted that Naruto would bathe him and looked forward, briefly, to the day when he could return the pleasure before he stepped in and waited for Naruto to come in and start the water. And while he waited for Naruto to join him... he admired the view. ::He's delectable...:: he thought while unconsciously licking his lips.

His blush deepening at the look Sasuke was giving him Naruto muttered, "As much as I like you looking at me, I'd prefer it if you didn't look at me like I was a piece of meat." He stepped into the shower and closed the sliding glass door. Starting the water he grabbed the bar of soap and bathsponge – both provided by the hotel – and got the sponge wet, giving Sasuke a rubdown before lathering soap into the sponge and repeating the process. He was especially gentle with Sasuke's left shoulder and was careful to not get his cast wet.

The whole time Naruto was cleaning him Sasuke let his one usable hand wander over Naruto's smooth skin. "But Naruto... you're _my_ piece of meat..." he murmured and leaned closer to nuzzle the other boy's jaw gently. He was enjoying this quiet and companionship. It was something he'd longed for for many years and now he had it... in abundance.

In retaliation Naruto shoved the sponge in his face, washing it. "Horny bastard," he taunted, playfully slapping Sasuke's hand away when it got just a little too close to his groin. Once Sasuke was completely soaped up, Naruto rinsed the sponge and began to wash all the suds from his body.

After a soft chuckle Sasuke was still and patient, waiting to be finished before he kissed Naruto's forehead. "I'd help you... but that's a little difficult with one hand... I'll get out and get ready and then at least one of us is ready for when Gackt gets here," he stated, looking into Naruto's eyes.

"Okay. I can wash your hair in the sink when I get out." Naruto kissed him lightly before shooing him out of the shower, slapping his rear lightly. "Now out with you so I can get clean."

Growling slightly, Sasuke got out and toweled off. Then he went back into their room and dressed from the waist down. He figured there was no point in putting a shirt of any kind on if Naruto was going to be washing his hair in the sink in a moment.

It didn't take long for Naruto to come out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel around his waist. Finding Sasuke in the living room he hugged him from behind and kissed the nape of his neck. "Hey. Wash hair time."

Leaning back Sasuke nodded but lifted his good arm up to loop it around Naruto's neck, holding him for a moment. Then after a second of warm embrace, he stood from the couch he'd been sitting on and they headed for the sink. He'd found, in this last week plus... that Naruto's fingers in his hair was one of the few things that could truly make him mush, like Naruto's hands elsewhere on his lower body and like Naruto's hands massaging away the knots in his back and shoulders occasionally.

Naruto took his time in washing Sasuke's hair, turning it into a scalp massage more than anything else. He loved the feel of Sasuke's soft hair between his fingers. When he finished and got Sasuke to straighten he laughed. "You look like a cat that just ran through a field of catnip," he teased.

"Take it as a compliment, Naruto..." Sasuke stated and pulled the blond to the couch he'd been sitting on before they'd washed his hair. Naruto could get a brush for his mop if he really wanted but Sasuke was more interested in having a little snuggle time on the couch. Sitting them both he leaned back and opened his arms... well, arm.

Shaking his head in amusement Naruto went to the bedroom just long enough to pull some pants on. He came back with a small towel and, straddling Sasuke, began to rub his hair dry. "So I take it I'm your catnip?" he joked, wiping up the water that was trekking down Sasuke's left arm to his cast.

"No," Sasuke stated bluntly. Then after a small pause he said, "You're my heroine... I'm completely addicted and I'd pay any price... to make you happy." ::I can't just take and not give in this relationship. I won't. Naruto's not some dumb chick to be shut up with a few pity dates.::

Smiling softly Naruto leaned forward to rest their foreheads together, wrapping his arms around Sasuke's neck. "All I need is you, Sasuke... just you... here with me always..." he said honestly, gazing into Sasuke's eyes. That was all Naruto had to offer himself and he didn't expect any more in return.

"Always," he promised and tipped his head, brushing his lips over Naruto's lightly. Then he gently nibbled and sucked at Naruto's lower lip, teasing him gently and occasionally licking the inside of said lower lip. He was trying to tease Naruto's tongue out.

Purring Naruto let his tongue out to play, but a loud knock on the door made him break the kiss and twist around at the waist to glare at the interruption.

"~Are you two decent?~" Gackt called teasingly from the other side of the door. "~It's dinner time. Though if you two want to be left alone I'll leave.~"

"~We'll be out in a moment, tomodachi...~" Sasuke called and looked to Naruto. "Come here," he ordered and pulled Naruto back into the kiss for one last quick moment, sucking Naruto's tongue into his mouth and sucking on it lightly, teasingly before letting it go and licking Naruto's lips. "We'll continue this later... ne?" he purred.

"As if you need to ask," Naruto purred back, biting the end of Sasuke's nose lightly before climbing off him. He went to the bedroom to fetch their shirts, coming back fully dressed to help Sasuke wrestle into a t-shirt and put his sling on. Once they were both dressed Naruto led the way out of suite, opening the door to make a face at Gackt.

"~What did I do?~" the singer asked "innocently" as Naruto walked by him and Sasuke closed the door.

"~He doesn't deal well with interruptions,~" Sasuke answered and smirked faintly as he locked the door and then they were all heading down to the limo. "~Where are we going for dinner?~"

"~A place I think your koibitto will really like.~" Gackt took them to a place that was half restaurant, half arcade. Laughing as Naruto began to buzz like a kid in a candy store he handed him some change as soon as they'd gotten their table and ordered. "~Like I said, a big puppy,~" Gackt laughed as Naruto ran off to play. "~He must make your life very interesting, Sasu-kun.~"

"~He makes my life worth living these days. ...I've only thought of him a few random times... since Naruto and I got together,~" came the soft and thoughtful answer. "~I've been far more busy... re-learning to live with and trust another human being.~" Sasuke watched Naruto flit from one game to another and occasionally smirked when he "buzzed" up to their table in search of either food or beverage. It brought to mind his hummingbird comparison earlier and that made him chuckle a little.

"~Watching him it's a little hard to believe he's your age,~" Gackt said with a smirk, amused by Naruto's antics. He was serious though as he stated, "~It's good that Naruto's taken your mind off your brother. You were becoming dangerously obsessed with him. I haven't seen you smile or laugh this much since before the tragedy.~" Lowering his voice he asked, "~Do you love him?~"

Startled Sasuke turned his attention completely onto Gackt. For several seconds he stared at him and then replied softly, "~I think... that I do...~" and that answer, as honest as it was, surprised Sasuke himself. Even what he might have retorted about his attention to his brother was forgotten, swallowed up by the thought of... could he really truly love Naruto... like that? So soon?

"Sasuke Sasuke, lookit!" Naruto bubbled, sitting down next to him. "I found a crane game and I actually won something!" He held up a little plushy of Kumaguro, Ryuichi's pink bunny in "Gravitation". Noticing the serious looks on Sasuke and Gackt's faces he mellowed a bit. "Is something wrong?" he asked, honestly concerned.

Sasuke was quiet a moment and then reached over with his right arm and pulled Naruto close. "Nothing, Naruto... we were just talking about something a little depressing is all," he murmured into Naruto's ear, burrowing his nose against Naruto's temple, hugging Naruto's shoulders. "You have a Kumaguro now, I see..."

"Yeah. I'll go see if I can win one for you too." Naruto gave Sasuke a brief, tender kiss before getting up and going back to the games.

"~Looks to me like he loves you too,~" Gackt said softly after Naruto'd left, noting that the blond was a little less bouncy now and kept looking in the direction of their table as if watching Sasuke for signs of distress.

"~I hope so... I want to keep him beside me... but I'm afraid of losing him somehow. I'm afraid Itachi will learn about him and come to take him away from me...~" His expression darkened. "~My brother will die before I ever let him hurt Naruto. I'm afraid that he might leave me too...~" His eyes had lightened again and he was watching Naruto's every move while still following those of Gackt beside him.

"~And why would he leave you? You're a wonderful person – once you drop the 'I am a cold bastard' mask,~" Gackt stated, teasing just a little. "~As for your brother... well, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Naruto looks like he can take care of himself rather well in a fight.~"

"~Itachi... isn't normal...~" But Sasuke was interrupted and thankful for it when Naruto came back bearing two Kumaguros. "Are you some kind of freak... or just special?" he asked Naruto as the blond sat beside him. Sasuke hated the crane game because it was the one thing that he was never guaranteed to win.

"I kicked it lots and demanded that it give me another one," Naruto joked with a grin, tucking the second Kumaguro into Sasuke's sling. "Now stop looking like somebody killed your favorite pet. I like it better when you smile," he ordered playfully, kissing Sasuke's temple. "And I don't mean that creepy smirk of yours."

A soft chuckle ghosted past Sasuke's lips and he wrapped his good arm around Naruto once more. "~So, when do you want us to go to the concert tomorrow night?~" he asked Gackt, glad that Naruto couldn't understand. The concert was still a surprise, though Sasuke had the suspicion that Naruto just might have been intelligent enough to realize that they'd be going to a concert since they were friends with Gackt.

"~Don't worry, I'll pick you two up a couple hours before. Ne, Sasuke, could you please do me a favor?~"

A suspicious look came over Sasuke's face immediately. "~What kind of favor?~"

Gackt put his hands together in front of his face. "~Please sing on stage with me tomorrow night? At least one song?~"

Their food arrived then and Naruto cheered. "Eat a duck I must!" he said before digging in. It took him a couple failed attempts with the chopsticks to get it right, but once he got the hang of it he was a black hole.

Barely sparing Naruto's silliness a glance, Sasuke shook his head. "~You now how I feel about that...~"

"Onegai shimasu, Sasuke! ~Just this once! One song!~" Gackt begged. He'd been trying for years to get Sasuke to join him in the music business – he'd even tried to get him to join Malice Mizer – but every time his friend turned him down.

"No," came the flat answer. He knew Gackt would understand the simplest of English and if he was saying it in English he was dead serious. He didn't want the grief singing on a stage with a superstar could potentially bring him.

"No what?" Naruto asked around a mouthful, looking back and forth between the two young Japanese men questioningly.

"Want Sasuke singu in tomorrow show," Gackt explained as best he could. Maybe Naruto would help him convince Sasuke.

"Tomorrow show? You mean concert?" Naruto asked, now all excited. "Yeah! C'mon Sasuke, you should sing in the concert!" he chirped, a huge grin on his face.

"~See? Please, Sasuke?~"

"No," Sasuke repeated adamantly. It would take a hell of a lot more convincing than that to get him to do anything to begin with. Singing on the stage... no, he didn't want to deal with whatever might happen afterwards. He wasn't vain but he knew how girls in his everyday life responded to his appearance. How would they respond once they'd seen him on stage with Gackt?!

"~Just this once! Then I'll never ask you again!~" Gackt insisted.

"Why not? It'd be fun!" Naruto hugged Sasuke's good arm and gave him his most deadly weapon – puppy eyes of doom. "Please, Sasuke? Just one song? Pleeeeeeeeaase?"

Looking from one face to the next – one with puppy eyes and the other looking as cool and collected as usual and at the same time pleading – Sasuke growled a little. "Maybe... ~I'll think about it...~"

"Yeay!" Naruto gave his earlobe a little nibble before letting go and diving back into his food.

Knowing that he wasn't going to get any other answer out of Sasuke, Gackt nodded happily and began to eat his dinner.

Reluctantly Sasuke began to eat as well. By the time the meal was over he'd convinced himself that one song couldn't hurt... and perhaps... if he didn't have any bad experiences with that song, he might do more... maybe. His mother had always said to try things before turning them away anyway, hadn't she? He stretched when he was finished and looked between his two companions. "Ready?" He was really feeling the jet-lag at the moment and it was obvious in his lazy expression and drooping eyelids.

"Aa. ~Let's get you two back to the hotel before you fall asleep right here,~" Gackt chuckled, watching Naruto try to stay awake and failing somewhat.

The ride back to the hotel was silent, Sasuke and Naruto dozing. Gackt saw them up to their room to say good night. "~I'll pick you up at six tomorrow night.~ Oyasumi."

"Ni-ah!-ght," Naruto said around a yawn, shutting and locking the door. Zombie-like he shuffled to the bedroom, stripping down to his boxers on the way. With a grunt he dropped onto the pile of pillows that was the bed.

Sasuke said goodnight to Gackt and then shut and locked the door as the singer turned and left. Feeling a lot more awake now that he'd climbed up some steps and stripped down to his boxers, Sasuke headed towards the gigantic four person hot tub, intent on a long relaxing soak before he went to bed. Once in the little side-alcove that housed the construct, he turned it on and stretched carefully where his left shoulder was concerned and then headed out to the linen closet to grab some towels, one for the floor and the other for himself. Sasuke groaned and laid the towel within easy reach of the tub the slid his boxers off, laying them beside his towel. He'd want them as soon as he got out anyway. He figured Naruto to be asleep already so he quietly eased himself into the near boiling water and sighed, keeping his arm on the ledge where it was dry for the cast, the rest of him submerged as far as he dared with his shoulder lifted thus and he closed his eyes, lounging and reclining his head on the plush, plastic-leather covered "pillow" fused to the backrest of the curved, smooth lounge seat on his side of the whirlpool. There was a seat for every side and Sasuke decided then and there that he would certainly buy one of these as soon as he had his own place.

Not able to sleep peacefully without Sasuke in the bed with him, Naruto shuffled out of the bedroom over to the Jacuzzi. Not even bothering to take his boxers off he climbed into the water right by Sasuke and sat sideways on his lap, resting his head on Sasuke's good shoulder. He sighed in sleepy contentment and relaxed, leaning against his boyfriend. "Hi Sasuke," he murmured.

The Uchiha's right arm came up immediately and looped about Naruto's waist, holding him loosely, and he tipped his chin down to rest it on the top of Naruto's head. "Hi, Naruto..." he answered softly and then the hand that was on Naruto's side at his waist slid more towards the blond's tummy, the arm constricting like a snake around Naruto's midsection and gentle fingers surrounded by warm and moving water caressed the hypersensitive skin beneath the elastic waistband of Naruto's boxers. "What's with these?" he asked, his tone lazy and a little husky. Naruto's weight in his lap was reminding him of their promise earlier that day... about picking up where they had left off...

"Too lazy t'take em off... sleepy... full and sleepy..." Naruto yawned, murring at the caress on his stomach. Wrapping an arm around Sasuke's waist he snuggled up against him, nuzzling at his neck. "Comfy..."

Smiling softly, Sasuke let his hand splay over Naruto's relaxed stomach and sighed, closing his eyes.

It was when his shoulder twinged that he realized he'd fallen asleep and slid down some that he decided it was time to get out. Shaking Naruto until the boy woke up enough to get out of the tub Sasuke stripped a still half asleep Naruto of his soggy boxers and toweled him off. A feat to be preformed when only using one hand. Then Sasuke toweled himself off and guided Naruto to the bed where they stretched out together and were both promptly asleep once more, snuggled together in the middle of the giant mattress amidst piles of pillows. Sasuke never even gave their nudity a thought since he slept nude sometimes... and he was too tired to think that Naruto might be uncomfortable waking up that way.

TBC...