TITLE: THROUGH THE STORM
PAIRING: Sasuke/Naruto
DISCLAIMER: I do not and have never owned Naruto.
SETTING: Modern AU
NOTES: Feel free to translate this story or create podfics. :)
It was a dark and stormy night. The wind howled in Naruto's ear, and rain beat down on him as thunder cracked against the midnight sky.
He shivered, clenching his teeth together to keep them from chattering. This is all the fault of the stupid weatherman for promising clear skies, my stupid friends for holding the stupid party, my stupid car for breaking down halfway home in the middle of nowhere, and my stupid cell phone for dying.
With no other option, he had gotten out of his car and tried to find the nearest house, where (hopefully) the kind, considerate occupants would let him use their telephone and call a tow truck.
Which lead to him standing in front of the nearest house he could find. It also appeared to be the only house for several miles.
…Now to convince his fingers to move.
Unfortunately for him, the house looked like it had once been the set of a bad horror movie. The outside was dark and imposing, the shutters creaked and slammed with the force of the storm, and trees surrounded it on all sides, almost seeming to close in…
Shit, this is creepy. Not that he was scared, of course.
Naruto clutched at his soaked orange jacket, fingers trembling as he reached for the house's doorbell.
The bell let out a shrill cry that had him jumping and his heart trying to escape through his throat.
The door opened with a loud, shuddering creak that echoed through the house. On the other side, Naruto got an immediate impression of black. The person had black eyes, black hair, and wore a black shirt and pants. But the light was bad, and he couldn't make out any features…
They gave a snort. "What are you doing here, idiot?"
Naruto mouth dropped open in astonishment. "S-Sasuke?"
"Yeah," the other boy said testily.
Of all people, why is it Sasuke? He hates me! Naruto thought. "My uh… my car broke down, and… well, could I use your phone?"
The boy rolled his eyes, but let the door swing all the way open and stepped to the side. Naruto smiled cheekily as he entered, not noticing as his clothing dripped on the hardwood floor. "Thanks."
No electronic appliances hummed in the background, no television played. The entryway was coated in a thick layer of darkness, broken only by the candlestick Sasuke held, which cast a murky glow over his features. Beyond the entryway, the blackness was too absolute to see anything but large, vague shapes. It was eerie.
"The power went out about half an hour ago," Sasuke explained. "So did the phone."
"Oh…" Naruto considered what the lesser of two evils was – sitting in his old, broken down car until someone found him, or being alone in Sasuke's company in his creepy house until the phone company was able to repair the line.
It was a toss-up either way. The longer Naruto stayed in Sasuke's company, the more likely they would get mad at each other and end up fighting. On the other hand, trudging out in the cold, through the rain, muck, and thunder, to walk back to his useless car, wasn't appealing either.
Sasuke studied him for a moment before sighing. "Stay there. I'll be right back with some towels."
Naruto grimaced. "Yeah, yeah. Jeez."
It was his last chance to escape. Now, while Sasuke wasn't in the room, he could leave. Sasuke wouldn't stop him, would probably prefer if he left, in fact.
Finally, he sighed and slipped out of his shoes, listening as they made a wet, squishy noise as they came off. For the time being, he would stay.
Several minutes later, Sasuke returned with a large, fluffy towel and a thick robe. Naruto tentatively began to hope Sasuke wasn't going to be a bastard for once, and held out his hand.
Sasuke frowned. "Well?"
Naruto withdrew his hand, puzzled. "Well, what?"
"Strip."
Naruto stared uncomprehendingly, a flush suffusing his cheeks he prayed wasn't visible in the nonexistent light. "What the hell?! I didn't know you were a pervert, Sasuke."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Your clothes are soaked through, and you're dripping water everywhere. If you stay in them, you'll just catch a cold."
Oh sure, be logical. "…Hmph, fine." Naruto began unzipping his jacket, but hesitated when he saw Sasuke watching. "Oi, turn around."
Sasuke's eyebrows rose challengingly. "Why? We're both guys."
Naruto hesitated. It was true, after all. Their lockers were near each other in gym class. Sasuke must have seen him undress plenty of times before.
But there was something very different between undressing next to Sasuke in a locker room, surrounded by guys on all sides… and undressing alone right in front of Sasuke while the guy watched.
He gritted his teeth and turned away, attempting to shimmy out of his coat. It stuck to his shirt underneath and refused to budge without some serious pulling on his part. Finally, though, it came off with a wet "shluck." He let it drop to the ground.
His grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head, the wet fabric stubbornly clinging to his skin. He threw it off with a disgusted snort.
Reaching for the zipper to his jeans, Naruto hesitated and glanced over his shoulder at Sasuke. Sasuke was watching from beneath drooping, bored eyelids. The dark haired boy raised his eyebrows when he caught Naruto's look.
Crap. Naruto hastily broke off. He unzipped his pants and tried to shove them down his hips.
If it had been hard to remove his thin, cotton t-shirt, it was impossible to force his jeans down his legs. He struggled for several moments to get the soaked denim off, feeling it scratch against his skin as he pushed desperately, face getting more and more red and a steady litany of curses running under his breath.
Finally, Sasuke sighed and stepped forward. "Look, just sit down for a moment."
Naruto shook his head, sending a "I-can-manage-on-my-own-bastard" glare at Sasuke. But after another minute of struggling, and his jeans moving only an inch or two, Sasuke huffed and carefully set the robe, towels and candlestick down. He hooked his foot under Naruto's knees, forcing them to buckle. Naruto crashed with a painful thump to the floor.
"Oww…. 'the hell are ya doing, bastard?" Naruto grumbled, rubbing as he rubbed his sore butt.
Sasuke kneeled at Naruto's feet and began tugging off Naruto's socks. "I'm helping, idiot."
Naruto felt his face heat up, while his stomach flipped uncomfortably at the sight of Sasuke's head bent over his left foot. This… there's something really wrong with this…
Sasuke worked off the left sock and held it disdainfully up for a second before throwing it to the side. The right sock came off next after a few moments of tugging and pulling, and was thrown against the floor with an audible thwap.
Naruto sat dumbly, watching in mingled horror and embarrassment as Sasuke grasped the bottom of his pants legs and began to tug.
Sasuke looked up at Naruto. By the light of the candle nearby, Naruto was able to make out Sasuke's annoyed expression. "Well, aren't you going to help?"
"Er… yeah…"
By now Naruto was beginning to shiver from cold, and the robe Sasuke had brought was looking better and better. Consigning his embarrassment to the back of his mind, he began squirming on the floor, working the wet, clammy denim over his hips. Combined with Sasuke's efforts on the other end, the pants finally relinquished their hold on Naruto's body. With them also came Naruto's boxers, his last suggestion of privacy.
As soon as they were off, Naruto felt warmth fall over his shoulders. Naruto hastily stood up and pushed his arms into the sleeves of the robe, tying the sash around his waist.
"Th-thank you," Naruto mumbled, looking at the floor as he scrubbed at his hair with the towel Sasuke gave him.
Sasuke shrugged and turned away, taking the candlestick again and walking down the hallway.
"Ah! Bastard, wait up!" Naruto called, cursing as he hurried to catch up to Sasuke. There was no way he was being left in the sinister front entryway!
He followed his classmate into a large living room, a fire crackling in the fireplace, casting golden shadows acrossed the walls. Two leather couches and a matching chair flanked it, with an elegant coffee table in the middle.
It looked like heaven to Naruto, who was still shivering slightly. Gleefully, he ran up to the screen covering the fire and pressed his hands as close as they would go.
Sasuke snorted. "What are you, a kid?"
With the promise of warmth and comfort right in front of him, for several blessed moments, Naruto had been able to forget who's house this was.
He turned back to Sasuke with an embarrassed blush, his lower lip sticking out in a pout. Jerk. I'm just trying to warm up! Still, he puttered back to the couch and sat down.
Sasuke sat next to him, closer than Naruto felt comfortable with. They were barely a few inches apart, and if Naruto moved his leg even a little, it would brush against Sasuke's. Naruto had left plenty of room on the spacious couch; there was no reason for Sasuke to sit so close. Naruto slid a few inches away, and was relieved when Sasuke didn't close the distance.
They sat in silence for several minutes, Naruto watching the fire crackle with slowly drooping eyelids. Despite Sasuke's presence, he was… comfortable. The excitement of the party he'd been at had long since died down, leaving him sleepy.
His eyes were sliding closed when Sasuke spoke, sounding annoyed. "Naruto."
"Huh, wha?" His eyes blinked open, and he yawned. Rubbing tired eyes, he turned to regard Sasuke. "Yeah?"
"What were you doing around here?"
Naruto yawned again and scratched at his blond hair, which was beginning to spike out now that it was allowed to dry. "Mm… went to a party… friend's house… was goin' home."
Sasuke leaned back into the couch. "The one at Ino's house?"
Naruto nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah. It was fun." He blinked, and stared at Sasuke suspiciously. "How'd you know 'bout it?"
Sasuke shrugged. "I was invited."
"And you didn't go?" Naruto said incredulously. "Why? Sakura-chan and Ino were both there, y'know. They would've hung all over you!"
While this appealed to Naruto, it didn't seem to have the same effect on Sasuke, who's face scrunched in disgust. "That's why I didn't go."
Wha…? Not want Sakura-chan? Is that possible? "But… but Sakura-chan is really, really cute! …And so is Ino too, actually," Naruto said, eyes turned inward as he compared their relative cuteness.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Who cares? They're annoying."
Naruto leaned forward, intent on getting his point across. "But… well, even if you do find them annoying, it wouldn't stop most people."
Sasuke waved a hand, "So if one of them wanted to make out with you, you'd actually go along with it?"
"Well, yeah! I mean, horny teenager and all that." Naruto blushed. "…And I like Sakura-chan."
"Have you made out with someone before?"
Naruto blushed and pouted, crossing his arms. "That's none of your business."
"Meaning, no, you haven't." Sasuke's smirk returned full-force. "Is little Naruto still a virgin?"
"O-Of course not! I-I'm a normal, healthy teenager!" Naruto said. He was embarrassed at how weak it came out. Damn it! My masculinity's at stake here!
Sasuke studied Naruto for several seconds, searching, the smirk still in place. "Liar. I bet you've never even been kissed."
Sasuke: 2. Naruto: 0. Damn, damn, damn! When did this conversation become so uncomfortable! "I have so!" he defended hotly, emphasized by the heat coming off of his cheeks. "A-a girl in… fourth grade!"
"Hmm… and what was her name? What did she look like?"
Naruto thought fast. Sasuke didn't believe him; he had to make this good. "Um… Ruka! B-brown hair and… and a… a pink dress… and brown eyes… and… um…"
Sasuke seemed to find this amusing. "Naruto, you're a terrible liar."
"Y-yeah, w-well, well… what about you, then, hotstuff?" Naruto bluffed, more embarrassed than he wanted to admit.
Sasuke was silent. It wasn't the squirming, guilty silence Naruto had been in before, but a thoughtful, studying silence. He was looking for something, but Naruto didn't know what… wasn't sure he wanted to know. Finally, the dark haired boy smirked and nodded.
"Okay. Close your eyes."
The command made Naruto pause. But he was really curious now about who'd kissed Sasuke in the past. He frowned suspiciously. "And you'll tell me who gave you your first kiss n' stuff?"
Sasuke nodded, so Naruto sighed and closed his eyes.
Despite Sasuke's assurances he'd tell Naruto, the silence stretched for an uncomfortable length of time. Naruto could feel Sasuke shifting on the couch, leaning closer. He felt a hand on the white terry-cloth covering his thigh.
The hell? His eyes popped open questioningly. "Sasu—"
Sasuke was close. As in, Naruto could see the little veins in the whites of Sasuke's eyes. Then Sasuke closed the last little distance and kissed Naruto on the mouth.
It was strange, and awkward. Sasuke's lips were just a little chapped, and scraped against his. It wasn't a very good kiss, honestly. But underneath it… it also felt really… good. To feel someone so intimately was strange and exciting. When Sasuke's tongue snaked out and probed at Naruto's lower lip, Naruto gasped. Sasuke wasn't about to let the opportunity slip by, and thrust his tongue in Naruto's mouth.
Without fully realizing what he was doing, he pushed Sasuke off of him. They both panted, Naruto not seeing anything in particular as he regained his breath.
Sasuke's eye gleamed in the darkness when Naruto was able to pull himself together enough to look at him. "What… the hell… was that, you bastard?" Naruto asked, giving a half-glare.
Sasuke leaned forward towards him again, voice low, sending little shivers down Naruto's spine. "Naruto, blond hair, blue eyes."
By now, Naruto was both flustered and confused, unable to think when Sasuke was so close. "…Huh?"
"You wanted to know who my first kiss was, right?"
"Yeah…?"
Sasuke glared. "I'm not going to repeat it."
Finally, it clicked. "Then…?"
Naruto was being kissed before he could finish. Sasuke's tongue shoved impatiently into his mouth, their teeth clacking together before Sasuke seemed to get the hang of it. If Naruto hadn't already been leaning on the back of the couch, he was sure he would have fallen.
But… Sasuke… it's… it's Sasuke!
When Sasuke broke away again, his face was flushed, and his lips were bruised from kissing. Knowing he, Naruto, had managed to make Sasuke look like that was a heady rush.
Aw, screw it, Naruto decided, stomping on the last nagging voice in the back of his head. I never was too good at thinking.
This time, it was Naruto who initiated the kiss. Naruto thought the previous kisses were pretty good, but now, with him actively participating, it was amazing. They were still new at this; it was awkward and felt kind of embarassing. Overlaying it, though, was the intoxicating sensation of having Sasuke close, his lips warm and wet and doing the most interesting things with his tongue…
When they broke apart, Naruto rest his head on Sasuke's shoulder, and Sasuke leaned back against the couch, his hands still tangled in Naruto's hair. For the first time, Naruto noticed he'd somehow ended up in Sasuke's lap, his robe starting to come undone. He couldn't muster the energy to care.
"Evil bastard," Naruto muttered, voice sounding breathless despite his best efforts otherwise. "Stole my first kiss."
Naruto didn't have to look to know Sasuke was smirking.
"Does this mean I can sleep over here tonight?" Naruto asked, lifting his head to look at Sasuke. When Sasuke's eyebrows rose, Naruto blushed and hit the boy on the shoulder. "Sleep only, pervert!"
Sasuke's smirk softened into a smile. "Okay. You can borrow some of my clothes for school tomorrow."
Naruto smiled happily. "Great!" He settled his head back on Sasuke's shoulder, content to bask in his newfound feelings. It was an unexpected, but not unwelcome change.
Suddenly, Naruto's eyes popped open. "Hey, watch the hands! Sleep only, remember? Sleep o-…."
Sasuke smirked.