Casually Sai walks over to the tall man in green, so large and loud and strange. The one Naruto calls Bushy-Brow senior. "Excuse me?" The ever expensive brown face turns to him dark brown eyes candid in their study of him from beneath long lashes. "Ah…. What can I do for you Sai?" The little Gai clone looks between the two too naïve to decipher the tendrils of something moving between them. "May I speak with you alone?" He can feel eyes burning into him from all sides although conversation never cease, never changes in tone. "Oh, of course Sai! Lee find out where Neji and Tenten have hidden themselves this time."

With a bewildered frown the little Green Beast sprints away as the larger eyes the boy before him with warm, curious eyes. "Perhaps we should talk elsewhere? It is far too noisy in here." So he noticed too. Seated at a battered table in Kohona's best hole-in-the-wall they study each other through veils of steam as their three star coffee cools. "So what can I do for you that neither my eternal rival nor your own 'resources' could?"

Sai's fingers itch to grip his pencil. Gai's eye have become leonine in their curiosity, in their calmness. 'Is this why you act a fool?' Eyes too Other to be seen calmly, clearly - eyes that can only be met in the form of ridicule and scorn. "Sai?" Yes, this jounin is leonine in spite of his facial eccentrics - no because of them. Sai stares deeper, ever deeper into those honeyed depths as his mouth moves without him. "I want you to pose for me?" Those lips move - 'pose? me? why?' - and lo' and behold his art pad lies before him. Between them half the quizzical face he studies stares up at them.

'His hands are large.' A strange thought bringing up conversations overheard between Sakura and Ino friends despite their bickering. Large hands meant - He blushes watching awe soften hard lines into something childlike, something younger then he supposed. Gai's large fingers tenderly tracing the picture and Sai can't help wondering if his feet are as long and finely made. 'And large…' He's managed to gather his wits together by the time Gai looks up at him from beneath his lashes - "So this' - he points at the picture - 'is what you want?" Blank-faced Sai struggles not to say what will surely sent Gai running away. "Yes… I want you to model for me." He is looking away when he adds, "preferably naked, but we can make adjustments."

Gai's face is rosy as he fiddle with his cup. "Oh - okay. When?" Sai attempts to speak before realizing he isn't actually breathing. With a 'discreet' gasp he eyes everything, but Gai. "Tomorrow, in the afternoon to start." They talk a little while longer Sai's eyes huge in his face as his mind tries to make it past Gai actually saying yes. "Do you want this picture?" 'Such eyes.' Wary, hopeful eyes that still and suddenly brighten. "Thank you!" Those bright eyes see the clock over Sai's shoulder widen and suddenly there is a sheet of paper in his hands as a green blur exit's the door.

…

The house lies upon the edge of town blending into the trees, the streams, and the skies. As light in statue as a latern as self-contained as a puzzle box it's color scheme is blue and cream. He finds Gai on his kneees in the sand garden by the stream tracing patterns across its surface. His hair is messy shading his eyes shaving off years. "You're early." The sun is closer to west than east, close eough. "I'm sorry Gai-sama, but the site I want to set up at is a good pace awat." His voice is polite, attentive - his eyes are taking in the loose blue shorts, the baggy grey t-shirt, and the shite sock/tennis shoe combo he wears. Gai stands still until he's done and then he dusts off his hands and knees. With a cocky grin he shrugs, "Let's go."

The dust rises from his snadels as he lands like a cat. Gai is standing a little ahead of him turing slowly in a circle. "How did you find this place?" Closing his eyes with a frown Sai tries to remember. He gets nothing ubt the slimmest recollection of a missed fist and the sense of failure, of needing to escape. Gai is taring him in the face only a very few inches between them. His warm breath smeells of mint and something almost spicy. "Are you okay?" 'Why do I keep blushing?' "Of course, um… if you could disrobe?" Sai has previously been unable to understand why men get nosebleeds from Naruto's Sexy no Jutsu. As Gai kicks the blue shorts off to join his shirt naked, but for a skimpy pair of black, leather shorts laced-up with black slik drawstring he has a suddenly epitfuny.

His hands itch for more then his pad and pencil. "Is this okay?" 'There's that not breathing thing again, but otherwise sure!' Blinking at just how badly Naruto has infected his subconscious Sai nods dumbly. H eswallows and reaches for his santel. "Gai-san, if you can step up on that rock there and…" This won't do - bleeding on his deawing pad is not conductive, but… tiny black leather shorts and long, brown legs. "Like this?" Breathing is good. "Ah… let me help you. Gai-san."

He touches the body before him adjusting the tilt of the hips, the stance of the legs. Watching his pale hands on the warm, well-defined body; one so much older, stronger and darker he feel himself going inot a trance. Willing his hands to behave he allows them to finally settle on the leather-clad hips. With a sigh he takes notice of the new folden light coating both their skins. This is what he came her for - this breif moment when all things are mythical, magical. Slowly he pulls his hands back and moves to his materials.

An hour or two spent in quiet as the area stands ignited tiny motes as bright as suns drifting like snowflakes. The still youg man staniding upon the rock face turned to the horizon, stance loose and ready light pouring down hairless planes. The still younger man sitting cross-legged on the ground before the rock face attentive and yet distant as he picks up first charcoal then pastel. When the light finally fades to blue, then black they seem to wake up eyes strange and breath quick. "Are we done?"

"Yeah." 'No.' But Gai is shivering slightly while lloking yearn fully at his clothes. The man is dressed in less time then it takes to think it. Today was good work. "You did well, Gai-k-san." In the growing gloom Gai's smile is a beacon. "Do you have everything Sai?" Hming significantly Sai shoulders his santel and turn to him. "Are you hungry?" Green eyes alight with curiosity as a wondering voice attempting to be wordly explains after event behavior between couples. Gai's hair is swept across his face from the tilt of his head. "Kind of." Kakashi loos odd equal parts bewildred and smug. "He loves curry." "We can get curry." 'How scary, he's worse then Naruto… almost.' Considering how much curry Gai puts away it's almost a good thing Gai is in the house waving good-bye before Sai can try for an 'accidental' kiss.

…