Unwind

They checked into the inn at the nearby village only after meeting with the local leader, a middle-aged woman with graying hair and mild eyes. She thanked them and had her aide copy the list of names of the slain Sound collaborators down for the village’s records, and then they were done, finally. Days awake, but now they could afford to rest.

The inn was homey, almost rustic. It was small but clean and welcoming, the nervous staff unfailingly polite to the pair of ninjas.

Inside the bathing room, Naruto stripped and cleaned himself off. He’d just begun washing the dust and sweat out of his hair when Neji entered. They exchanged murmured acknowledgements, and Naruto emptied the bucket over his head to rinse away the suds.

When all the soap was gone and he’d cleared the water from his eyes, Neji was naked, seated on the stool next to his, and a there was a red, seeping line slashed down his arm.

“Fuck, Neji, you didn’t say anything,” Naruto shook water drops from his hair, and shifted so he could reach Neji’s arm.

“It’s nothing,” Neji replied, and he was right. It was a few inches long, but barely a scratch. No unusual redness or inflammation to indicate poisoning. Still, Naruto soaped up a cloth and carefully cleaned it while Neji sat and let him, just as weary as he.

The skin under Naruto’s fingers was warm and slightly slick from the steam in the room, and beneath that was muscle, relaxed just now but still firm with resting strength. The bloody line held his attention now, tired enough he couldn’t tamp down the rush of protective worry and anger it provoked in him.

“Naruto,” Neji murmured, and gently freed his arm from Naruto’s grip. He didn’t like to put off his washing up.

“Mm,” Naruto made an absent noise and leaned back. He propped on elbow on his knee, resting his chin on his palm and watched Neji wash his hair. This was usually a prime opportunity for some teasing about the maintenance of the yard-long brown-black curtain, but that didn’t interest him now. “Lemme wash your back,” he said. Neji nodded, pulling his hair forward over his shoulder.

Kneeling on the slippery tile, Naruto ran the cloth slowly down Neji’s back. His body was narrower than Naruto’s, leaner, taller. Pale scars drew ragged lines across his back, some recent, some from back in their genin days. Naruto lay a hand flat below Neji’s shoulder, looking at the contrast between their skin tones under the washed-out electric light. Neji’s persistently light skin under his tan-darkened fingers seemed ghostlike, even though he could feel the heat rising from it. Neji had rinsed his hair now, and was wringing water from it. A few strokes of a comb to remove tangles, and he tied it back at the nape of his neck and again halfway down the long tail.

Naruto leaned forward and slid his hands around until they rested on the tops of Neji’s strong thighs, leaning his chin on Neji’s shoulder blade.

He didn’t ask, and Neji didn’t answer, just leaned back into Naruto’s arms, and then stood, slowly. Naruto kept his hands on Neji, his arms rising to keep his palms flat against warm skin, sliding to rest on lean hips, and with the slightest of pressures, turned Neji so Naruto could look up his long body, past the half-hard cock that was right up close, past the flat stomach and defined chest to tired eyes that nonetheless didn’t hide their interest.

Neji tilted his head slowly at the door, and Naruto grinned at him, leaning in to breathe over Neji’s cock, getting a hand in his hair in reaction, gripping just enough to be a clear warning against the unlocked door of a bath open to all guests, but not really stopping him, which made Naruto consider doing it right there.

But he didn’t want fast and nervous, he was tired and Neji was tired, and so he exhaled a final time and stood up, Neji’s hand falling from his head, and they separated to gather their things and shrug into the light yukatas the inn had provided, and left the warm, wet air of the bath for more private quarters.

*

Behind a safely locked door, Naruto gave Neji only enough time to put down his bundled clothing before he shouldered him gently back against the wall, resting his full weight against him while he untied the yukata.

Neji’s cool hands slid up his arms, under his sleeves, and down again, and repeated the motion, grip firm but easy, until Naruto opened the yukata and knelt, sliding down the length of Neji’s torso, cheek pressing over the planes of chest and abdomen until he reached the soft skin inside the edge of his hip, and the springy hairs that meant if he moved just a bit over… he rubbed against the warm, hardening shaft, turned a bit farther and caught at it with the corner of his mouth.

Neji’s eyes were hidden now under closed lids, but hands settled in Naruto’s hair again, fingers twisting, tugging insistently, and Naruto grinned, and laughed in his chest. His fingers were spread flat over Neji’s upper thighs, and he rubbed them up and over and behind and forwards again as he mouthed at Neji’s cock and breathed, still grinning, still playing. One hand dipped farther between Neji’s legs, moved up, thumb stroking at his balls, touching the softest-of-all skin lightly, tenderly. And then Neji shifted, feet sliding farther apart, heels resettling as he opened his legs in request and invitation.

“Heh.” Naruto closed his eyes a moment in satisfaction, and swiveled his wrist, turning his hand to cup and gently, gently tighten. He pulled his head back just far enough to finally bring his mouth down around the head of Neji’s cock, tongue spreading to slip and smooth over and around, tasting clean salty musk, and Neji’s hands weren’t tugging at him anymore, only stroking lightly through his damp hair, now assured that the teasing was done.
A firm fist around the base of Neji’s cock let him stroke the length while he drew back for just a moment, licking his lips and leaving them wet to slide over the tip and down, tightening to offer slippery resistance that had Neji moving his hips slightly with each stroke and slide. It started a rhythm that Naruto kept while he palmed and caressed the fragile weight in his other hand, the slightly-cooler temperature from the rest of Neji’s body contrasting against his hand, and against the blood-hot weight moving over his lips and tongue.

He paused slightly on one downstroke, opening his mouth to inhale cool air before closing it again, sucking, tongue flattening wide across the underside, and he took in more, enough to taste the tang of precome at the back of his throat. Neji made a little noise and Naruto grinned inwardly. He slid his tongue up and over, drawing back enough to swirl just around the head before descending again, as far as he could this time, and then Neji’s hands tugged firmly on his hair. Enough. Time for something else. Naruto felt a thrill that shot straight down to his groin, and pulled back, letting his hands drop and releasing Neji’s hard, wet cock to stand free.

Naruto closed teeth lightly on the inside of one cheek to stop himself going back for more, getting up instead. He didn’t stop his hands from roaming, though, upwards under the open yukata. Neji opened his eyes again when Naruto’s hands reached his chest, lids at half-rise with lust and fatigue, and he tugged at Naruto’s yukata, alternately loosening it, and pushing Naruto back towards the futon that was spread out and ready on the floor of the small room.

Not until Naruto had thumped down into a sitting position did Neji do more than prod him back. After Naruto shoved himself backwards to the middle of the futon, Neji knelt and moved in at last, leaning forward, to press his lips to the corner of Naruto’s mouth, tongue touching in a brief kiss, and Naruto thought a silent curse at himself for not starting with a decent make-out session back there against the wall. Neji didn’t like the taste of himself, and that light touch was his best concession to kissing afterwards. But that brief gift made Naruto greedy, and he took advantage of tired, worn-out reflexes, catching the back of Neji’s neck with one hand as he pulled away. He pressed a light, close-mouthed kiss of his own to Neji’s lips, not lingering, though he wanted to, and the mild, reflexive distaste that flickered over Neji’s features became relieved indulgence at Naruto’s greed and restraint both, before he detached the hand behind his head to slide the yukata back off Naruto’s shoulders.

Naruto sank back farther, braced on his elbows, and Neji settled closer, kneeling near enough that Naruto felt the soft heat start to pool between their groins and stomachs, Neji’s cock bumping at the inside of Naruto’s thigh. Neji dipped his head to Naruto’s neck, still-damp hair too cool against Naruto’s cheek, but utterly disregarded once one long-fingered hand came to rest on his hip and slid up and over to wrap gloriously around his cock. Naruto rolled his hips at the contact, urging motion, and Neji obliged.

Neji mouthed and bit gently at his neck and pulled slow, languorous strokes up Naruto’s length that Naruto met with the eager rocking of his hips, slow-burning desire gathering like the heat between them. Until Neji paused to brush fingertips lower and back, grazing Naruto’s balls in the most aggravatingly ticklish way he could, lips curving in a hidden grin against Naruto’s neck.

Naruto let out something that was definitely not a squeak and squirmed back. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry,” he muttered, apologizing—under duress—for his earlier teasing in the bathing room and against the wall. Neji’s shoulders shook slightly with silent laughter, and Naruto snorted softly, moving back to where he’d been and angling his head to trap Neji’s earlobe between his lips. A graze of teeth and a gentle suck and Neji shivered and got his grip back around Naruto’s cock, and Naruto chuckled approvingly.

He shifted his weight to one elbow and set his other hand up on Neji’s still-covered back, fingertips drawing idle patterns through the thin cotton of the yukata. Neji sucked at his neck and turned his hips just enough to let his cock, slippery at the tip, rub against Naruto’s thigh. Naruto drew a final line down Neji’s spine and flattened his hand at the base, encouraging him to move, and he did, slow friction against Naruto’s thigh, long strokes up Naruto’s cock. There was nothing but rocking motion for a time, quiet and easy. It was relaxed, but with purpose, and when Neji let go of him a second time, it wasn’t for anymore teasing warfare, but to slide that hand down the back of Naruto’s thigh to grab at his ass.

His fingertips edged between the cheeks, teasing just the perimeter of the sensitive skin at the opening there. Naruto lay back the rest of the way, his braced arm sliding flat and head landing on the pillow, and so they were face to face. The simple headband that Neji had tied on when they left the baths was shifting, and Naruto slipped his index fingers lightly behind the cloth to put it back where it belonged. That done, he reached up to lightly twist a stray strand of hair around his finger before tucking it safely back behind Neji’s left ear and dragging his fingers down Neji’s neck, over his collarbone and down his chest. He saw lust and affection in the gaze that met his, and relished this rare opening of Neji’s expression. The emotions were clear enough that anyone would be able to read this, but Naruto was the one who got to see it.

Neji drew back, turning aside for a few seconds to root through Naruto’s backpack where it lay at the head of the futon. Naruto turned his head to watch, idly running both hands over Neji’s stomach. A tube of lube was located quickly enough, but with it tumbled out a number of other odds and ends, including a comic book, a pencil case, and packet of mint candies.

Naruto blinked.

Grabbing for the candies, he tore the packet open and shook one out, popping it into his mouth. Neji stared at him, lube in one hand, looking disgruntled. Naruto smiled back, sucking hard on the sharply flavoured sugar drop. He crushed it between his teeth for good measure, and then grabbed for Neji, sitting up halfway as he pulled him in, and kissed him properly.

The candy’s taste was enough to overcome Neji’s aversion, after a bare instant of surprised hesitation, and he sank into the kiss as deeply as Naruto. Naruto hummed happily in his throat as the minty illusion of cold mingled with warm, wet tongues. No, he hadn’t been distracted by sugar, and while Neji now seemed quite reassured of that, mouth open and entirely welcoming, Naruto curled a hand around his waist to tug at him, hoping it was fully clear just where his priorities were at this moment.

At that, Neji pressed Naruto onto his back and pulled away. “That works, though, huh,” Naruto asked, grinning at his own cleverness, and Neji nodded with only the slightest—and still affectionate—long-suffering look as he popped the lid on the tube. His tongue slid out to taste his lips as he squeezed a generous amount of lube onto his fingers, and he smiled.

Naruto, feeling smug, spread his legs, and Neji slipped one arm gently under a bent knee, raising it. He sighed, closing his eyes, as he pressed slippery fingers into Naruto. Their entry stretched and opened him and he shifted down on them, eager and impatient as Neji was deliberate and careful.

Finally Naruto leaned up slightly and reached for where the tube dangled from Neji’s free hand, snatching at it and then thumping back when Neji’s fingers slid deeper, and crooked inside him and he panted, jerking his hips to increase the pressure, wanting nothing but that exact touch, now and again and again. He did get a second delicious bit of pressure right there, but then Neji pulled his hand free, wiping three fingers on his yukata.

Naruto shifted, content with the extent of the preparation but less content with the removal of Neji’s deft fingers. He tugged Neji up over him, and Neji hung there on hands and knees, dipping in for a kiss while Naruto coated his palms with lube and closed both hands around Neji’s cock. The sudden grip made Neji’s breath hitch, and Naruto slid his hands firmly along the length, rewarded by answering thrusts into his slick grasp that jerked Neji’s whole body.

“Yeah. C’mon,” Naruto mumbled, letting go. He had to resist the urge to grab himself, rubbing the excess off against the futon instead. Neji backed up enough to slide an arm around Naruto’s waist to lift him, and reached down between them, guiding himself, and Naruto angled his hips just right. Neji slid into him with a single motion and a low grunt, his arm sliding until his fingers dug firmly into Naruto’s ass, squeezing, and Naruto sucked in a long breath. He felt a little proud that he could make Neji relax control enough to just react. “Yeah,” he said again, gruff. “C’mon.”

Neji moved, a few short thrusts, before pausing to adjust his position, leaning forward, and Naruto curled his back, drawing his knees wide against his chest and holding them there. Neji huffed a breathy sound of appreciation and withdrew almost all the way to sink in again, smoothly, completely. Naruto lolled his head back from the sensation, the stretch and fill and the movement of a trusted person inside himself. He shifted his hips just slightly, and Neji altered his angle, and yes, there. Naruto moaned roughly, short on actual words, but Neji understood. From nearly-closed eyes, Naruto saw him smile, opened-mouthed. His face was flushed and eyes unfocused, undone yukata hanging loose, and Naruto didn’t think he’d ever need another fantasy once he’d committed this image to memory, and so he watched, panting, as Neji moved, struggling against the tides of pleasure urging him to close his eyes and let go.

It was worth it.

People weren’t beautiful during orgasm, and yet they were. Faces grimaced and scrunched, or they were strained and flushed and gone. A perfectly serene orgasm was unnatural, its very nature being a sensory overload. And nothing was farther from Neji’s normal reserve than this. His open mouth pulled from slack raptness to narrow, raw urgency, and his eyebrows drew together as he gave in. He thrust hard and fast, the final stroke emphatic and deep, fingers digging into Naruto’s hips, clutching, holding the two of them tight together for seconds that stretched out longer than they could possibly be.

When Neji released his hips, Naruto relaxed his grip on his knees, letting his legs settle straight again as Neji slowly pulled out of him. Breathing slowing and eyes nearly closed with after-orgasm lassitude, Neji stripped his yukata off at last, exchanging debauched and disheveled for heat-flushed, languorous and naked. He dragged a swath of the garment under Naruto, and Naruto laughed a little at Neji’s automatic tidiness even as he reached for Neji and pulled him close, still hungry for him, still needing that long body against his.

Neji quieted Naruto’s laughter with a sleepy kiss that deepened with Naruto’s urgent response. Neji leaned down, stomach brushing agonizingly lightly over Naruto’s cock, and Naruto arched up against the firm body over his, throwing his arms up over Neji’s back, delighted at the skin-to-skin contact. Naruto arched under him, cock seeking Neji’s body, and felt Neji’s hand curl around him as his weight settled into Naruto’s hungry grip.

Neji pressed down on him, legs bracing against Naruto’s. With gravity accommodating Naruto’s cresting desire for contact and heavy motion, he thrust into the hot, tight space, and Neji’s hand ran gently through his hair as he clung and bucked and finally spurted through Neji’s fingers, cheek pressed roughly against Neji’s while he panted through the shuddering pleasure.

He felt Neji slide his hand free, and they rested. Naruto hugged Neji with both arms, loose and comfortable, as his body wound back down again. Neji shifted slightly to get comfortable, but otherwise obliged him in the hug. The post-coital need for sleep crashed over him along with his temporarily displaced battle fatigue, and he drifted a few moments.

He’d almost succumbed to sleep when he twitched and opened his eyes. To his sleepy amusement, Neji had in fact dropped off completely, and Naruto had to wake him, rolling him off gently and getting a grumpy glower in return.

He used more of the nobly sacrificed yukata to wipe away the remains of lubricant and come from them both. He hauled himself to his feet to drop it in the hamper and came back with a wet cloth from the basin that made Neji squirm and mutter and rouse enough to slide into a pair of boxer shorts and a shirt.

Naruto pulled on his own sleepwear, so very glad to finally get back to the futon and drag the cover up over them and drop off in a cocoon of soft, shared warmth.