Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Warnings: Two lemons in this chapter. Well, one's more like a lime but oh well.
Author's Note: UBETA'D Thank you all of those who have reviewed! So, this has become so much more than what was originally planned. Sorry if it disappoints anyone. Woot for a plot bunny parade! Smut ahoy!
Read, review and please enjoy!
Beginning of August (Three Weeks Later)
Sasuke was completely lost in thought as he made his way down a crowded street. The week had passed in a blur. His time was completely filled and he was generally exhausted by the time he got home. Between missions and training, he hardly ever was at home. This had been the only night he had been free and now he was making his way to meet his friends for the one time they all could manage to get together.
He reached his desired destination, and pushed the door open. The loud group was instantly obvious and he shook his head at their antics. Naruto and Kiba were arguing over something across the table, their voices rising with each word. Neji was seated by Kiba and ignoring the two men, sipping on his drink with an arm crossed over his chest. Sakura was seated in between Naruto and Neji and looked as if she was ready to pound into Naruto with extra force. Shikamaru was watching Naruto and was looking unusually happy. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. So, he finally owned up to it, he thought. He had known Naruto had been interested in Shikamaru for some time, even if the blonde himself had not known. He smiled, genuinely happy for his friend and ex-lover. He was glad that the baka had found someone with whom he could have a good relationship. The man deserved it.
Walking over, he sat between Neji and Shikamaru, watching as the fighting escalated. It seemed as if the argument was over something insignificant, as usual. The instant he sat down, Sakura's face lit up and Sasuke wanted to groan out loud. The woman was seriously getting annoying. Ino had given up years ago but the pink haired kunoichi in front of him was determined. Despite his many attempts to distract her and make her give up, she kept coming back.
Clamping a hand over Naruto's mouth, effectively extinguishing the argument, she smiled brightly at him.
"Hey, Sasuke-kun," her voice grated on his ears, "How was your day?"
"The same as any other day," the disdain in his voice didn't make it through her head because she just smiled and nodded. He really wished she would get a clue but it was becoming apparent that that hope was in vain. Maybe I should just spell it out for her, he thought. But he really didn't want to be that mean to her. As much as she annoyed him, she had been a friend for a very long time.
A yelp sound from across the table and Sasuke was brought out of his thoughts. A newly pissed Sakura, who was cradling her hand to her chest, was glaring at a smug Naruto. It didn't take much to guess what had occurred.
"You bit me!" Sakura stated indignantly.
"You had your hand in my mouth," Naruto shot back, resting an elbow on the table and his head on his hand. A chuckle was heard across the table and Sakura swung her gaze to Kiba, who had covered his mouth and was shaking with contained laughter. Neji's lips held a small smile and Shikamaru just raised an eyebrow. Sakura huffed and leaned back in her chair. She didn't get a chance to make any smart remarks because at that moment the waitress walked up to take their orders.
Sakura ordered a golden tofu salad*, still glaring at Naruto as she ordered her meal. Naruto ordered four plates of ohagi*, a full serving of chicken scallion rice bowl, and green tea ice cream, sticking his tongue out at the pink hair woman beside him once he was done. Neji's meal consisted of seared salmon with read bean paste*, a salad, a spring roll and with a bowl of white rice. Shikamaru went simple with tonkatsu*. Sasuke decided to go with something filling given the fact that he had been expanding a decent amount of energy keeping up with the kids. He decided on tsukune* and a side dish of spicy fried celery*. Kiba got a few odd looks from the other customers when he ordered shabu shabu*. But the people at his table knew that the man could eat and didn't even bat an eyelash. They also ordered a pot of hot green tea and both Kiba and Naruto ordered lemon, ginger iced green tea.
The group talked about missions, training and the wedding that occurred just two days ago. Chouji and Ino had started dating about a year ago and the relationship had progressed quicker than many of their friends had expected. Before they knew it, the couple was announcing their engagement and wedding. The after party had been crazy and many of the guests had ended up sleeping at the Akimichi compound.
Sasuke smiled as Naruto recounted his night at the Akimichi compound; apparently he had woken up on the roof dressed in a burlesque dancer outfit with no memory of how he got there. Sasuke smiled as he remembered the incident. Naruto had drunk more than enough to make even the largest nin drunk and had proceeded to dance on one of the many tables in the area. Kiba and Sasuke had suggested that he ware a "dancing outfit." The very drunken blonde had agreed and now he apparently he had absolutely no recollection of the event. Sasuke glanced over at Kiba to find that he was smiling to himself as well.
Their food arrived and most conversation was abandoned in favor of eating. Naruto downed his food before any other person, except Kiba, had a chance to get half way through theirs. Naruto began to make eyes at Kiba's food and this opened a door for a new argument.
"Can I have some?" Naruto asked, as he watched Kiba eat.
Kiba glared and swallowed his mouth full of food before replying. "You ate all of that and you are still hungry?" Naruto nodded enthusiastically and continued to stare at the large bowl of food.
"No," Kiba said, pulling the bowl closer to him. Naruto pouted and proceeded to make large eyes at the other nin. Kiba glared at him, but it wasn't long before he gave in and pushed the bowl closer to the blonde. Naruto instantly perked up and spooned some of the food into his empty bowl. Satisfied with his success, Naruto settled in for his second round of food.
"Where's Lee?" Kiba asked as he took a sip of his tea and pushing away his now empty bowl.
"He said he had something to do," Neji said as he leaned back in his chair, "But it's not like I really believed him."
"He's been acting very…odd recently," Kiba said as relaxed in his chair. He was now very full of food and completely content to sit and chat for however long the others wanted to.
"How so?" Sakura asked.
"He's been training quite a bit," Shikamaru said, watching a very happy Naruto and his full bowl of food. He had finally gotten the blonde to confess and now was a very happy man. The blonde had blushed so much that Shikamaru had been scared that the man would faint from blood rushing to his head. They hadn't really progressed far in the relationship, even though they both had prior experience. Naruto seemed to want to take it slow, and Shikamaru was willing to give the man almost anything he wanted. He would wait until he was ready to take the next step, no matter how large or small that step might be.
"That's just Lee-san," was Sakura's instant response.
"Even for Lee, the amount of training he had been doing is over the top," Shikamaru said.
"I haven't really seen much of him," Sasuke said, "The last I saw him was yesterday and he was in Tsunade-sama's office asking for a mission while handing in a thick stack of reports."
"He has been going on more missions than before."
"But Lee-san is just a hard worker, Neji-san."
"No, Sakura. I am saying that he hasn't taken a break from missions in the last month. He has been going nonstop. From border patrol and escorts, to simple delivery missions, he has taken every mission available to him." Sakura didn't reply, just slowly munched on her salad.
"He was acting a bit odd last month," Naruto said, finally finished with his bowl of food taken from Kiba, "I ate lunch with him and during the middle, he suddenly just left. He looked like someone had punched him in the stomach."
Sasuke thought back to the day he had seen Lee going for a run in the early morning. Something had been pulling at him mind since then. He sipped his tea and thought back to the blank look that had been on Lee's face. Those normally glowing gray eyes had been haunted by something. Then the memory hit him. It had been the night before and he had been walking Itachi back to their apartment after a night of partying with his friends. His older brother had been drunk, and thankfully he was a happy drunk. He had just pushed his brother off him for the third time when he had caught sight a Lee walking towards the training grounds. It had been ten at night and no one in their right mind would be going off to train, but this was Lee, not a normal person. But it was the look on the man's face that had been worrying away at his mind. He had looked exactly like he did the next morning, only worse. He could have sworn that he had had tears brimming in his eyes. He had looked as if someone had kicked him when he was down. What could have put that look on his face?
"Something must have happened," Sasuke concluded out loud. Everyone turned questioning eyes at him.
"Like what?" Naruto asked.
"I'm not sure, but whatever it was, it put him in a rut," Sasuke replied as he leaned forward to rest his hands on the table, "I don't think I have ever seen him be this anti-social."
"Nor have I. You are right, Sasuke. I'll try and have a talk with him the next time he pauses in his new regimen," Neji said as he pushed back his chair and stood up.
"It has been nice getting to catch up you guys, but I have other plans for the rest of the evening," Neji said as he laid his part of his bill down on the table. Nodding to his friends he turned and walked out of the restaurant.
Sasuke watched Neji leave and decided that that was the best solution to the situation.
"That sounds like the best idea," Kiba stated, repeating Sasuke's thoughts out loud, "Neji and Lee are pretty damn close."
"Yeah," Naruto said, looking slightly down. It was really beginning to bug him that he knew something was wrong but really had no idea how to help one of his closest friends. He felt a hand squeeze his knee under the table. He smiled, and looked up at Shikamaru. The shadow nin always knew when something was wrong and knew even the tinniest bit of comfort was much appreciated on Naruto's part. They were definitely going to have to discuss this whole Lee subject later when they were alone and Naruto could really talk to him.
"Well, I think it's about time for me to be heading out," Shikamaru said, placing another portion of the check on the table. Naruto stuttered a quick good bye to his friends, and hurriedly followed Shikamaru, slipping a hand into his as he caught up to him. Not that anyone left at the table besides Sasuke caught it. Kiba was staring thoughtfully into his empty bowl and Sakura was too busy finishing up her salad. She said she was going on a diet but Sasuke honestly didn't know where she needed to lose the weight. He thought that she should be putting a few pounds on, really. A super thin woman had never been very appealing.
The last three said their goodbyes and good-nights, placing the remaining money on the table. Sakura tried to insist on walking him home, but Sasuke told her that he would be fine on his own. He waved bye and began his walk home.
Neji watched the stars as he walked down the quite street. He had already made it to through the business district and was now walking past mostly silent houses. Not many people were up at this time of night but there was the occasional light on. His current thoughts were still focused on Lee. He had known the man for most of his life and been on a team with him for years, so he knew Lee's personality almost better than anyone. He was a hard working nin, who rarely let anything get to him, but when he did, it was almost always a passing thing. But this time, it was different. Lee had never worried over something for more than a week or so, unless it had something to do with him being unable to be a shinobi, like his injuries during the chuunin exams. Other than that, Lee's random funks didn't last long. Something extreme must of happened to throw him this far into himself. Neji was noticing that he just kept looking worse and worse. His hair had grown a good inch in the last month and Lee hadn't seemed to notice yet. Plus the extensive taking of missions and training, it all added up to something, Neji just didn't know what yet.
He sighed as he came to the house he had been heading to. He climbed the two flights of stairs to the very top apartment on the third floor. The lights were still on, as was to be expected of someone waiting for someone else. Neji raised his hand to knock and was only slightly startled when the door was opened before he could knock. A tall man leaned against the door jam, a smile forming on his face. He was wearing a pair of purple lounge pants and a black tee shirt. Black hair was mused, as if he had just been napping on the couch. Black eyes met lavender and Neji felt his heart skip a beat.
Uchiha Itachi looked the younger man up and down, taking in the casual outfit he had on. The button down shirt was a dark steel gray and his slacks were black and hugged his hips. Itachi was willing to bet that they looked even better on him from behind.
Moving out of the door way, he said, "Come on in." He watched as Neji walked in he slid his shoes off at the entrance. Yep, they look better from this view, Itachi thought, watching the black haired man walk into the room. He shut and locked the door. He didn't know when Sasuke would be home, but he knew his little brother had a key and if he had forgotten it, well he could just come in through a window. Neji sat down on the couch, picking up the book lying open on the coffee table. He flipped it closed, keeping Itachi's place with a finger, and stared at the cover.
"Another mystery?" he asked the older man as he flipped the book over to read the back.
"Yeah, but it's not really like the ending is a mystery to me at this point in the book," Itachi replied as he sat down beside the younger man. Neji huffed at his response and sat the book back down on the table. He leaned back on the couch, sliding side ways to lean against Itachi. The taller man slid an arm around his shoulders, pulling him that tiny bit closer. Both men sighed at the comfort they found in the feel of being close.
They had been dating for quite some time now, about eight months. It had begun as a passing interest in chakra and who might be stronger, and then they had become friends. Since Itachi and Sasuke lived together and had since the younger brother had been seven, Itachi had generally been home when Sasuke's friends had happened by. Over the months, both men had become even closer and then it had developed into this kind of relationship. They hadn't told anyone yet, except for Sasuke, whom they couldn't really hide it from, and Lee, whom Neji had been confiding in for years.
That was the main reason for Neji's growing concern. He had thought that the two of them were close enough to share anything, but that appeared to not be the case. Lee was keeping something locked up inside and was leaving his friend out in the cold. He wasn't willing to let anyone else see this weakness in him, though. If Neji had anything, it was a pride that could rival anyone else's.
The Hyuuga felt Itachi's hand cup his cheek and draw his head down on to his shoulder. Lips touched the top of his head, a small gesture of comfort.
"What's wrong? Was it something that happened at dinner tonight?" the Uchiha asked, blunt and straight to the point. The question made Neji smile, and he entwined his fingers with the hand that rest in Itachi's lap. Can't get much past him, Neji thought. The Uchiha was a genius in his own right and he could read Neji almost like an open book at times.
"Yeah," Neji replied, "We were talking about Lee and now I am worried about him." He felt Itachi nod against his hair, waiting before commenting, letting Neji speak.
"He has been acting odd lately. I know you have to have noticed. He's been training at odd hours, over training in general, and hasn't really been in the village recently. We all know something is wrong but he hasn't approached any of us to talk about it. I haven't even heard anything from Gai-sensei."
Itachi squeezed the hand in his and practically pulled the younger nin into his lap. Neji's bare feet sat in the couch beside them, his back resting against the arm rest. Long arms wrapped around the smaller man, holding him tight. Itachi knew that the other man was just like his best friend in many ways, pride never letting him show an ounce of weakness, be it hurt or otherwise. Itachi himself took pride in the fact that the man in his lap trusted him enough to confide in him about such things.
"It hurts a bit, huh?" he asked, resting his head once again on Neji's.
"Yes, I thought we had grown close enough to share everything, but it doesn't feel like that now." Very few people in the village would be able to detect the hint of hurt in the man's voice.
"He's just going through some sort of hard time, Neji. I am positive than he doesn't mean any harm by not talking to you. He probably just needs some time, to sort things out maybe."
"I know but…" Neji's sentence was effectively cut off by Itachi's lips. A callused hand cupped his smooth cheek, turning his face to the other nin's. Neji let his whole body relax into the kiss, choosing to feel and not think.
"Shhh," Itachi murmured as he pulled back a small amount, "No more thinking."
Neji was more than okay with that as his mouth was pulled back into a kiss. He wrapped arms around a long neck, turning his body to face the older man, straddling his lap. The kiss was anything but slow. It was meant to be comforting but fast grew into something more. Tongues slid along each other and pushed into mouths. A small groan escaped Itachi as Neji's tongue slide along a practically sensitive spot on the roof of his mouth. Long fingered hands slid through black silken hair, pulling out the hair tie in the process, causing Neji's hair to fall lose around his head. He moaned as his hair was tugged on slightly, and he let his head fall back. Warm lips trailed a line from lips to jaw, nipping at sensitive flesh, and made their way down an inviting neck. Itachi sucked hard at the pulse beginning to beat frantically under the Hyuuga's pale skin. He felt hand's tighten in the shoulders of his shirt, bunching the helpless fabric. He sucked even harder, drawing a throaty moan from the other man. He bunched one hand in his hair; finger's stroking along his scalp, and slid his other hand under the neatly pressed button down shirt. That was about the time he heard the key in the lock.
Maneuvering quickly, Itachi twisted his body around, effectively pressing himself and Neji down into the cushions of the couch. The resulting squeak from Neji was loud enough to warn Sasuke of their presence, not that his younger brother didn't already know. Instead of relenting on his assault of Neji's neck, he continued by nipping a trail down to the little bit of collar bone not covered by his shirt. He glanced up at his lover and chuckled at the sight. Neji had his eyes firmly closed and his lips pressed in a tight line, trying his best to keep his voice from sounding out.
The front door opened and then quickly shut. The sound of the lock was heard and the quick bare foot steps retreating to the other end of the house. Sasuke's room was just to the right of the front door and Itachi's was on the far end of the house, through the living room and kitchen.
"I know you're there," Sasuke said as he retreated down the hall, "Just, for the love of Kami-sama, don't make too much noise!" His bedroom door slammed and Itachi felt Neji jump at the sudden loud noise. Itachi was thrown into a fit of giggles and was rewarded with a punch to the top of his head.
"You did that on purpose!" Neji accused as he glared up at the man above him. Itachi smiled down at him, watching the glare become even stronger, Neji began to try and wiggle out from under his larger body but he was firmly pinned to the couch. Itachi let out a growl at the feel of his lover's body pressing against his, but that didn't deter Neji from his escape mission. He was not going to be toyed with, especially to tease Sasuke. He pressed his hands to Itachi's shoulders and tried to push himself out from under him, but he couldn't get the leverage. He pushed harder and was rewarded with a small movement. Just as soon as he thought he was going to be successful, two hands shoved his shirt up, exposing the expanse of his chest to the cold air and Itachi's waiting mouth. Hands pinned his shirt to his shoulders and, thus, his shoulders to the couch. A mouth closed over one nipple and Neji's lips fell open in a silent gasp.
Itachi worked his lips over the hardened nipple, knowing that Neji was practically sensitive here. He nipped with his teeth and the other brunette let out a moan, his back arching into the feeling. His hands fisted in the older man's hair and gripped hard. Itachi paid close attention to the reactions he got, every gasp and moan registered as a slow climb to a higher level until he felt smaller hips thrust up, searching for some sort of comfort. Itachi pulled back from his chest and looked down at his handy work. One side of Neji's pale chest was covered in red marks and his nipple was still hard, now red from all the attention it had received. Neji's arms fell to the sides, hands letting go of the Uchiha's hair, his eyes were half lidded and his lips, well, Itachi thought they were begging to be kissed. And that was just what he did.
Neji's arms seemed to regain enough strength to clutch at Itachi's biceps. He was breathless again by the time Itachi pulled back.
"What do you say we continue this somewhere else?" Itachi breathed in his ear. The smaller man shivered at the husky tone of his voice and nodded his head, currently unable to find his voice to speak. Itachi took pride in the fact that he could so easily render one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha to a breathless heap, but Neji could give just as good as he could take, the brunette knew that very well. He stood, pulling the other man into a standing position.
Neji stumbled with the momentum, taken slightly by surprise. His slacks had become incredibly tight and he winced at the feeling. But he wasn't left much time to consider the current condition of his pants and how much it hurt to just stand, because Itachi was practically dragging him towards his room. The Hyuuga didn't so much walk, more like stumbled, along behind his lover. By the time they made it to the room, he thought his legs were sure to give out. He huffed as Itachi sat heavily down on his bed, pulling Neji forward to stand between his legs. He nuzzled the flat plane of his stomach, rubbing as if he was scent marking the younger man.
"Itachi." The name was drawn out in a low demand, and Itachi could do nothing but oblige him. He made quick work of unbuttoning the slacks and shoving them down, along with his boxer briefs.
Neji actually squeaked when his cock was exposed to the cool air of the room, and then let out a gasp as his bare ass was firmly grasped. His entire body was thrown off balance when Itachi lifted him up and on to the bed, leaning back as he did so. The end result was Neji on all fours and Itachi directly under him. The smaller man threw out his arms, just barely managing not to crotch the other man in the face. Not that Itachi would mind that too mu-Ah!, Neji's thoughts were thrown on a different subject when he felt hot breath ghost of the head of his erection.
"Nnnn," was the only sound he managed as Itachi flicked the tip of his tongue out and lapped at his cock. His hands fisted in the sheets, mouth falling open as just the head was engulfed in warm, wet heat. A hand slid up his body to pinch at a nipple, adding to the pleasure.
Itachi took him slowly into his mouth, chuckling at the reactions it caused. His tongue slid down the side, flicked over the tip and then slid back up the other side. He sucked hard while his mouth rested at the base; a voice gasped above him and was quickly followed by a moan. The hand that had been ideally playing with a nipple slid the rest of the way up his body, fingers finding parted lips.
"Lick," Itachi commanded, pulling back and kissing at the soft muscled thigh by his face. Neji did as told, coating the fingers in his mouth the best he could. He knew what was coming next and his body shivered in anticipation.
When Itachi felt sure that his fingers were coated enough, he pulled them back, trailing saliva down the brunette's body. He used one hand to skillfully spread Neji's cheeks, his other sliding slowly up the crease he left exposed. One finger pressed gently at his hole and he felt Neji jump a bit. Once again he kissed his thigh, slowly pushing his finger inside him.
Neji let out a low groan as he felt one long finger slid into him. No matter how many times they did this, the feeling always amazed him. He let his head fall forward, trying to resist the urge to push back against the delicious pressure. His whole body tingled with pleasure, winding through him the same way chakra did.
Itachi took his time, pressing his finger in and then pulling it back out slowly, marveling at how tight this small body could be. Right about here, he thought as he pressed against the small bundle of nerves. Neji's body jerked, and his arms gave out. He fell face first on to the bed, panting into the mattress. Itachi smiled, and continued to press against that one spot. The smaller man jerked with each press, his body pressing back against the sensation. Itachi slid in another finger and Neji groaned loudly. It didn't take much more of this slow preparation for the brunette to become a quivering mess and collapse on the bed.
Itachi slid out from under him, turning their bodies so that they lay properly on the bed, with Neji's back pressed against the taller man's chest. Itachi threw an arm out behind him, knocking various objects off of his night stand before his hand closed around what he was looking for. He slid a hand up Neji's leg, sliding his hand under his knee and pulling it up.
"Hold it," he whispered in the younger man's ear. Hands clamored to grasp the leg, pulling it up to his chest. Neji heard the top of a bottle pop and the wet sound of lube being applied. His muscles tightened in anticipation. He felt the taller man move in closer, and then the firm press of a cock against his ass. He hadn't been stretched enough, nor lubed, but that didn't matter. All that mattered now was the hot press of a body into his.
"Oh," he mumbled as his eyes widened. They hadn't done it like this before and the angle was different from what he had grown use too. His breath was coming in ragged pants. His body felt so full, so very full. His hand gripped his leg tight enough to leave bruises.
"So tight," Itachi breathed as he pushed his way inside his lover. One hand was holding a hip, the other curled under his head to brush at a cheek. He could feel the brunette's panting breaths against his hand. Feels so good, he thought as he drew back out, thrusting back in at a faster pace. He just had to move…it just felt too good. He wasn't going to last long and, by the sounds coming from his lover, neither was the Hyuuga.
"Please," came the strangled voice and Itachi kissed the back of his neck, sliding his hand from his hip to wrap it around Neji's leaking cock. He began to stroke it, varying the rhythm from his thrusts, pulling and tugging just there. Black hair spread across the pillow when Neji threw his head back, his hips trying to keep up with both rhythms. Itachi picked up the pace, his thrusting soon becoming erratic as he reached for his orgasm. He heard Neji cry out as his body clenched with spasms, thrusting forward into the long fingered hand gripping his cock. The Hyuuga came hard on his lover's hand and the sheets. Itachi was close behind, groaning as he came, buried as far as he could go inside his lover.
The two men laid there, riding out the last waves of orgasm and trying to catch their breath. Itachi pulled Neji close, burying his face in the nap of his neck. He breathed in deeply, memorizing the smaller man's scent. He would forever be amazed with the fact that he had caught the heart of this man. His beauty and power were beyond anything the Uchiha had ever dreamed of holding in his arms.
Neji lay on the bed, trying to steady his breathing. His whole body still felt as if it was on fire but he was slowly beginning to relax. He was slowly moving past tired and into the realm of exhausted. He felt Itachi slip out and he twitched at the sensation. His eye lids began to droop as he rested in the quite comfort of another body by his. The arms around him made his feel protected, loved even. He felt Itachi shift behind him and the warmth was suddenly gone. He murmured a protest but didn't manage more. He didn't have the strength yet. He heard the bed creak and mustered enough will to roll onto his back. He blinked lavender eyes up at his lover. Itachi smiled down at him before he began to let his eye lids drop closed again. He felt his body being lifted and cradled, and blinked his eyes open once again.
"You can't fall asleep like that," Itachi said, placing a kiss right atop the seal on his forehead. Sometime during the shuffle, his head band must of slipped lose. But Neji really didn't care much at this point. He felt sluggish, but happily so. He was content to let Itachi do as he pleased, as long as it involved sleep.
Itachi looked down at the ninja in his arms. Lavender eyes fluttered open only to become shut once again within seconds. Poor man, he thought as he carried him toward the bathroom, He must be exhausted. He managed a balancing act of keeping Neji in his arms and turning on the water for the tub. Considering the condition his lover seemed to be in, he doubted the man could stand for more than a minute. Feeling the water with his foot first, ensuring that it would be hot enough, he slid into the water with Neji still in his arms.
Neji felt something warm run up his body and surround him. He opened his eyes, rubbing the sleep from them as he realized he was in a tub full of hot water with Itachi still holding him.
"Mmmm," was all he managed as he pushed himself up, sitting straight against the man behind him.
"Itachi?"
"Yeah?"
"What are you doing?"
"Cleaning up."
Neji felt hands run down his sides and stomach, slowly cleaning the mess that was there. He let his head drop back on a shoulder and felt lips brush his in a gentle kiss.
"Just rest," Itachi said against his cheek, "I'll have you clean and back in bed and in my arms in no time." Neji's only reply was a soft mmmm as he slowly drifted off, content with the thought.
By the time they were both clean, Neji had drifted off to sleep three times, only to wake up with a start, splashing water onto the bathroom floor. Itachi glanced down at the floor, wondering what he was going to do about the lake that was now his bathroom floor. He hefted Neji up higher out of the water, and looked down at him. This was going to be a test of balance skill if he had ever seen one. He stood up, water falling off of his body in small rivers. The man still seated in the water began to slide down Itachi's legs. Quickly, Itachi bent down and lifted the man up; even in his sleep Neji wrapped arms around his neck, nuzzling into his shoulder. He kissed him on his forehead and proceeded back into the bed room, making sure not to slip in the water.
Ten minutes later, both men were dry, the sheets had been changed and the bathroom floor was covered in towels. Itachi had his arms wrapped around Neji while the younger man slept peacefully. He was nuzzled against the Uchiha's chest and had a leg thrown absentmindedly over Itachi's. Itachi stroked his hair and drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face.
Sasuke was lying on his bed on his back, blankly staring up at the ceiling. He huffed a sigh and rolled over, clutching a cool pillow to his face. Damn his brother and his antics! Now his mind was wondering to things he hadn't thought of in awhile. He hadn't taken a lover since Naruto and that was a full year ago. No one had really interested him. He had decided he was at least bisexual right after the start of his training with Jiraiya and Naruto. His first real experience with his own sex had been then.
He hadn't really expected that relationship to work out in that way. But they had had some fun times, but they had also had their share of arguments. He remembered one of their fights had leveled an entire plateau. That was about the time had found that make up sex could be so good. Jiraiya-sansei had also walked in on them a time or two, now that had been embarrassing. All in all, it had been an experience that the Uchiha wouldn't trade for anything. He had come to love Naruto, but more like a brother than like a lover. Friendship was just better between them.
Closing his eyes, he let his mind wonder back to those times. They had been a whole lot simpler, but not nearly as much fun. He enjoyed the time he got to spend with his friends; even the small snippets of time he had recently spent with the main part of his family had been enjoyable. He loved his job, even if it was tiring. His students were something else, too. He had never imagined himself as a teacher, but when he had returned and Tsunade had offered him the position, he hadn't been able to turn her down. Between Naruto and her nagging him about it twenty- four seven, he didn't really have the option. He just wished he had someone he could hold like Itachi had Neji, or the way Shikamaru now had Naruto. He smiled at the image they had made at the table that night. If those two didn't love each other, then there really wasn't hope left for the rest of them.
Then another image flashed in his mind and he blinked his eyes open. Why did I think of him? he thought to himself, only partially shocked. Ever since he had remembered that evening, he hadn't been able to get Lee's face out of his mind. Those sad eyes, which were usually, alight with mirth, brimming with unshed tears. And if he knew anything about that man, he knew that he hadn't cried that night and probably wouldn't for some time. He buried his face in his pillow. He had the most urgent need to embrace the man and tell him everything was okay. Sasuke shook his head, his hair falling across the pillow. He could honestly say he had never seen someone look so hurt, as if someone he truly cared about had reached inside his chest and torn his still beating heart out. He felt an odd clenching in his chest. The brunette stubbornly ignored it and tried to force the gears in his mind to stop turning, but they refused. His mind kept on going, flashing pictures in his head. The first time he had battled with Lee, the confidence the man had in his abilities; the need to push himself further, train harder. The force he could use, even without chakra, to beat his enemies into the ground. He really wished he could have seen that fight with Gaara. Lee really was an amazing ninja. He had worked very hard to get to where he was and Sasuke actually admired him for that.
But he knew something had gone wrong with the man's mental state recently. Not that he was crazy or anything, mind you. Just that he was acting very odd. Sasuke had never seen him sink into himself over something. Sasuke knew from personal experience that keeping things bottled up was never good. Your emotions would build and build until you exploded. Sasuke had a mental image of what damage could be done to a place if Lee happened to blow in the village. The thought actually sent a shiver of fear threw him. He definitely didn't want to be in the near vicinity when that happened. But, for some strange reason, he was really worried for the other man. He had never had these kinds of feelings for Lee but now his chest was tight with worry and he honestly didn't get it. What was it about the man that made you worry? Well, there were quite a few reasons he could come up with. His total lack of any survival instincts when if came to battles. He never knew when to give up, even when he was unconscious. His sometime loud nature, his fashion sense, or the lack of one, but none of those qualities really bothered the Uchiha. Except for that green spandex jumpsuit. Then a thought crossed his mind that made his eyes pop open, wide with surprise.
He buried his face in the pillow, trying to push the unwanted thought away, but it was stuck there. It hovered just under rational thought and was slowly bubbling up from the depths of his mind. He really hoped that it didn't make it to- and there was the image that his mind thought should go with the thought. A slight whine escaped his throat as he tried to erase the image from his mind, but it refused.
He was delusional. He had lost his mind and someone was going to walk in his room any minute now and haul him of to a mental facility. That or he was completely sex deprived, maybe both. The picture was still there, taunting him. Pale skin, lean muscles, a power that could make your breath hitch at the sight…He needed sleep. That had to be it. Forcing himself to close his eyes once again, he tried his damndest to fall asleep. When sleep finally came knocking, Sasuke's mind was still stuck on one thought. What did Lee look like under that green jumpsuit?
Naruto blushed as he glanced down at the hand firmly holding his. He hadn't expected to be in this situation anytime soon, lest of all with Nara Shikamaru, but now the confession had been made. Not made, really, more like poked and prodded out. He was still embarrassed by the whole situation; partially so about the memory from a week ago when he had loudly confessed to the brunette. Shikamaru's reaction had been a smile and then the man had had a fit of laughter as Naruto's face continued to become a deep red color. "You're cute when you blush," Shikamaru had told the blond, before he had kissed him. The memory brought color to whiskered cheeks and he nearly tripped on a rock.
Hands gripped his biceps, keeping him from fall face first on the ground. His body was pulled back up and the very hands that had caught him slid slowly down his bare arms, causing him to shiver.
"You have to be the clumsiest ninja in history. So troublesome," the voice behind him stated, and the jinchuriki could hear a smile in the usual statement. He spun around to face the brunette behind him and, as luck would have it, he nearly fell on his ass. Shikamaru tried to catch him once again but Naruto's momentum was too great. Both men fell to the ground, Naruto landing on his back and Shikamaru on top of him.
"Ow," muttered the blond.
"Ow is right," Shikamaru told him, pushing himself up on to his knees beside the other chuunin. A hand came up to rub at the scrape on his chin. It hurt like a son of a bitch and when he pulled his fingers back, they were lightly stained with blood. Troublesome, he thought. He was somewhat glad that the street was devoid of people, so there was no one there to see their tumble.
"Oi!" Naruto said once he caught sight of his boyfriend's chin. He brought a hand up tentatively touching the scrape. Shikamaru winced at the contact. Naruto pulled his hand back and quickly got to his feet. He grabbed Shikamaru by the hand, pulling him to his feet and then down the street. Shikamaru followed without protest, his hand still on his chin.
Less than a minute later, they were climbing the stairs to the second floor of an apartment building. The door was quickly unlocked, and the light flicked on. Shikamaru looked around the medium sized room. The blond had upgraded his living arrangements since the last time he had been to Naruto's place, which wasn't surprising. He had bought the new place as soon as he had moved back a year ago, but he was yet to invite many people over. The living room was a decent size with the usual arrangements, a television, a couch, a few tables, but the room really was a bit of a mess. A pile of clothing sat on the couch, freshly washed the brunette assumed, magazines were strewn across the table along with a mug that looked as if it had been sitting there for at least a week. Various objects littered the tables, from a weapon to a bottle of juice. Shikamaru shook his head and rubbed his eyes. The man he loved really knew how to make a mess.
He was tugged further into the house, a warm hand still holding tightly onto his. He passed the door way to the kitchen, through a decidedly clean bedroom and into a bathroom.
"Sit," Naruto ordered directing to the toilet sitting in front of the sink. Shikamaru obliged and watched as the blonde pulled a blue first aid kit out of the cabinet beside the sink. He squatted down on the floor in front of Shikamaru, spreading out the contents of the kit on the floor. He picked up a small bottle of antiseptic and a piece of gauze. Flipping the cap, he poured some on to the gauze in his hand. He moved the hand still covering the scare and proceeded to apply the antiseptic to the small wound.
Shikamaru really didn't feel the sting that the medicine generally caused when applied. He was a little too caught up in watching the concentration on Naruto's face. Blue eyes were unblinking and focused on the work his hand was doing. The tip of his tongue was poking out of the corner of his mouth. The shadow-nin had the urge to lean forward and break the man's concentration by kissing him, but he held still and let Naruto tend his scrape, minor as it was. He enjoyed just watching this man. It didn't really matter what he was doing. Shikamaru thought that he would like to spend a whole day just watching him. The various facial expressions that ran across that face ranged from cute to slightly disturbing. He really had no clue how the blonde managed to screw his face up into some of the expressions he made. But there was still a few expressions missing from the list that he hadn't seen so far. And some he was pretty sure he could get Naruto to make if he tried. The thought sent a thrill through his body, but that wasn't going to happen tonight. He would wait patiently, even if he did grumble to himself a bit.
Naruto was concentrating on two things; a) not falling over yet again and b) treating the scrape he had caused the man in front of him. He cursed silently to himself about his clumsiness. He really didn't know what was up tonight, but his equilibrium seemed to be completely screwed. Frankly, he was surprised he hadn't fallen forward onto Shikamaru or back into the sink behind him. He concentrated on cleaning the wound, being careful not to apply too much pressure. Once he had whipped away the last bit of blood and grime, he sat the dirty gauze on the floor and picked up a medium sized band aid. He smoothed the cover over Shikamaru's chin and then sat back to smiled triumphantly.
"Done!" He opened his eyes just in time to see a face very close to his before his cheek was cupped and he was being kissed. He blinked in surprise and swayed backwards. A hand grabbed his arm, and he tipped forward, spilling onto a lap. His eyes fluttered closed, letting the kiss happen. This feels nice, he thought as he grabbed a hand full of the other man's shirt. This was better than Sasuke, though he would never tell the egotistical Uchiha that. The hand that held his arm slid up to cup his other cheek, holding him firmly in place. A tongue flicked across his lower lip and he tentatively opened his mouth. If he was going to do this, he might as well do it right. If he wasn't already on his knees on the floor, his legs would the given out about the time the tongue invade his mouth. As it was, he did manage to sag a bit, pulling the other man further down towards the floor.
Shikamaru's back protested at the angle it was at as he followed Naruto down when he sagged. But damn did the man taste good and he wasn't willing to let his lips go just yet. He deepened the kiss even further, swiping his tongue across the roof of his mouth. The action earned him a happy sigh, so he did it again. This time it was a moan. So, he could get different reactions for the same thing. That was something that was going to have to be tested.
They broke apart, both breathing deeply. Shikamaru blinked down at the man on the floor. His face was flushed and his lips looked slightly swollen and were glistening in the light. There was a new expression he could add to the list. He stood, pulling the blonde to his feet at the same time. A hand firmly in his, he led Naruto from the bathroom and into the bed room. The bed was a full, at best, but Shikamaru could care less. He pulled the jinchuriki in for another kiss, walking him backwards towards the bed. Naruto's knees hit the edge and they both tumbled onto the bed in a heap.
A moan escaped the blonde's mouth as hands sneaked up under his shirt, fingers tracing over sensitive sides. He shivered as his shirt was pushed up and over his head. A mouth traced down his neck and to his collar bone, nipping and sucking the whole way. He gasped and shuddered, each reaction seeming to fan the flames and drive the brunette on. Teeth scraped across a nipple, and the blonde fisted his hands in Shikamaru's hair. Cold air was blown across said nipple and his skin broke out in goose flesh. A mouth closed over it and his hands tightened, mouth falling open in a silent gasp. His body hadn't been this on fire in over a year. His reactions were growing by the minute. Was I this sensitive befo-ah! His thoughts were swept away as the mouth on his nipple moved lower, nibbling at his stomach.
Shikamaru was taking note of every reaction he got, eyes watching the blonde's face. He dipped his tongue into his belly button, teeth nipping at the soft flesh there. The hands in his hair jerked. He slid lower still, sliding the top of his jeans down a bit to reach the dip of a hip. The flesh there was smooth and soft, begging for some sort of attention. The Nara sucked a bit of flesh into his mouth. Naruto squeaked above him. He sucked harder, his cheeks hollowing. There was another noise from his boyfriend, something between a whine and a moan. The brunette pulled back, kissing the now abused flesh on the blonde's hip. There was a small red mark forming, yet he knew that it wouldn't be there long. Naruto healed unbelievably fast.
The Nara's figures slid under the top of his jeans, which looked so tight he knew it had to be uncomfortable. He would just have to fix that. His hands were at the button fly, when hands grabbed his wrists. Apparently, Naruto still had reservations about moving this fast. He kissed the back of his hands, letting his own hands still.
"If you really want me to stop I will," Shikamaru told him in a soft voice. Honestly, it would seriously suck if things ended here, but he would only go as far as the blonde felt comfortable. He let Naruto contemplate the thought as he traced the hills and valleys of his knuckles with his tongue. He felt the hands on his slowly loosen and then fall away completely. He smiled. He was going to enjoy this.
The button fly wasn't the easiest thing to undo while lying on one's stomach but Shikamaru managed. Placing soft kisses on the blonde's stomach, he pulled down the jeans and boxers. He felt the blonde shiver. For once, he didn't waste any time. The brunette licked him from base to tip, earning a moan and there was a surprised gasp as he took him into his mouth. Hands fisted in the Nara's hair once again, which was hanging half out of its pony tail at this point. Placing hands on Naruto's hips to keep him from choking him, he took him in inch by inch, letting himself get use to the feel and taste. He had done this before, but it had been quite some time. But some things you just don't forget.
Naruto's breathing was coming in fast pants. He threw his head back and arched his back because he couldn't move his hips. He wiggled under the restraining hands. Fingers on his hips tightened to near painful, and he moaned loudly. He lifted his head too look down the length of his body, and blue eyes met brown and the look in those eyes was a bit scary. I am going to be eaten alive, he thought, unable to tare his eyes away. A blush rose on Naruto's cheeks, this whole situation was beginning to get very intimate in ways he hadn't expected. The blonde closed his eyes, letting his head fall back onto the bed with a thump as the brunette finally took all of him in. He groaned at the feeling, it wasn't just warm anymore; it was hot, boiling his blood. His hips jerked involuntarily and lifted a couple of inches off the bed before they were forced back down.
Shikamaru would always be amazed at the amount of strength that seemed to be housed in this small body. He pressed his hands down, and in turn, pressed Naruto's hips into the mattress. He swiped his tongue across the head before taking him all the way to the base again. With his nose pressed into blonde curls, Shikamaru hummed around the cock in his mouth. This time Naruto's hips did come up off the bed, and all the Nara could do not to choke was follow the movement. Oh well, he thought. He pulled back, sliding his tongue along the bottom of Naruto's cock as he did so. He sucked hard at the head, the moans he earned echoing in his ears. He watched the blonde throw his head back and forth across the sheets, hands clenching in time with his sounds. Naruto's neck was taunt as he threw his head back one second and then hidden when he lifted his head to watch the next. Those amazingly blue eyes were clouded, but open wide, taking it all in.
Shikamaru closed his eyes, setting a faster pace than before. Before long, he was battling to keep the slim hips in his hands from lifting off the bed with each movement. He was going to have to find a way to hold this man down. Maybe I should tie him up, he thought as the hips in his hands lifted up once again. At this point, he wasn't sure if the movement was voluntary or not. Not that it mattered much.
The blonde tried to keep his hips down, but his muscles seemed to have a mind of their own. He was close, the pleasure curling in his belly in an ever tightening spiral. Then a thought occurred to him. Shikamaru was concentrating fully on him and the blonde was willing to bet that the brunette was uncomfortably hard. Sitting up, he made a quick decision. He cupped the other shinobi's cheeks and pulled him up so he could kiss him. He could taste himself on the Nara's tongue and it made him shudder.
"You too," he panted against the kiss, and other things, swollen lips. Shikamaru nodded in agreement. His pants were getting extremely tight.
"How do you want to do this?" he asked the blonde, hands sliding up and burying themselves in soft tresses. Naruto grinned and pushed the man flat on his back. He swung a leg over the other's body, straddling him facing his feet. He bent forward, having to scoot his body backwards a bit to get in the right position. He blushed at the thought of having his bare ass in the air in right in the other shinobi's face but he pushed it down. He could do this.
Naruto slid a hand over the bulge in the jeans in front of him. Hands gripped his thighs, and smoothed up his body to squeeze his ass. He squeaked and glared under his body at the man beneath him. The only answer he got was a smirk. Trying to ignore the roaming hands on his body, he unbuttoned and unzipped the Nara's jeans. He pushed the boxers and jeans down just enough to expose his cock. The jinchuriki pulled back to take in the sight. He was about the same size as Sasuke, but thicker. Pre come was leaking from the head, so Naruto leaned down and flicked his tongue across it, assessing the taste. He smiled when he heard a moan from the nin. He licked down the side, sucking near the base. A gasp escaped his mouth as his own cock was once again engulfed in burning heat. Hands gripped his thighs, holding him in place once again. Not to be out done, he took as much as he could in his mouth all at once. The head hit the back of his throat hard, and he chocked a bit. Bit too fast, he told himself, you're out of practice, so take it slow.
He pulled back, easing the pressure on his throat. He then proceeded to take the cock back in his mouth in small measurements, not wanting to chock himself once again. Each time the head hit the end of his throat, he started the whole process again. Each end point was a little further back in his throat. It was a slow process but well worth it when he could pull all the way back and then take him all the way to the base in one slide. His throat and jaw complained but he smiled when Shikamaru pulled away from what he was doing to moan his name. He was going to feel this later, but at that moment he didn't care. He couldn't deep throat each thrust but he did it often enough that the man under him picked up his pace, moving a hand away from his thigh to gently cup his balls. It was a gentle pressure, barely there. He hummed his approval of the feeling. Shikamaru took it as the approval it was and rolled the sensitive body part between his fingers, tugging gently on the wrinkled skin.
Naruto wasn't sure how much more of all of this he was going to be able to take. Everything just added more and more and that familiar tightening in his stomach was back. He pulled back off of the erection in his mouth to warn the brunette but a distinctively rougher roll of his balls and a forceful suck on his cock sent him spiraling over the edge before he could speak. All that came out of his mouth was an odd gargling sound. He had enough sense as he collapsed on the body under him to try and help Shikamaru find his own completion. He was probably tugging too hard but that didn't seem to matter much because the Nara was coming seconds later.
Shikamaru moaned, his hips jerking up uncontrollably. His breathing was ragged and he fell back against the bed, his body shuddering with small after effects. The blonde on top of him seemed to be in the same condition and unable to move. Every muscle in his body was completely relaxed. He traced the outside edge of the foot next to his face. His finger traced across the center and suddenly the foot was gone, a helpless giggle coming from Naruto. So he is ticklish on his feet, he thought turning to look at the other foot beside him. An evil grim formed on his face and he grabbed the shinobi by the ankle.
"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, trying to jerk his captured foot away. Shikamaru held it tight and began to tickle the bottom of his foot. There was a fit of giggles that fast became full laughter. Shikamaru held on tight to the ankle, following each jerk to ensure he kept his grip. The nin smiled at his now helpless boyfriend. His cheeks were flushed from sex and laughter, gasping for breath as the assault on his foot didn't let up. The blonde went to roll away and promptly fell against the wall beside his bed. He tried to sit up, half on the bed and half on Shikamaru's chest. Finally, with enough leverage, sitting up was managed. The hand still tickling his foot was grabbed and held as he tried to catch his breath.
Shikamaru smiled up him and was rewarded with a smack aimed for his head. The hit didn't connect but failed completely as he was jerked forward by the hand he held. Naruto was suddenly inches from Shikamaru's face and bent in quite an odd position. A hand smoothed through his hair and pulled him down for a soft kiss.
Shikamaru pulled the blonde down beside him, ignoring the sticky hand and his now sticky wrist. He pulled the man close, nuzzling his hair. Why is it so soft? he thought as he rubbed a lock between the figures of his clean hand. It smelled good and felt softer than one would have thought.
Naruto relaxed into the arms that had surrounded him. He hadn't felt this good in quite a bit of time. Snuggling closer, he closed his eyes and let the Nara play with his hair. He wasn't quite sure why he seemed to like it so much but he wasn't going to ask. His mind began to wonder and he was suddenly thinking of Lee. He made a face but worry was setting in. Trying to ignore it, he tried to burrow between the pillow and Shikamaru's shoulder.
"You know you can't get much closer," the brunette chuckled.
"Watch me," was the response as he slid his arms around the larger man. Their bodies pressed close, skin on skin with no breaks in the contact.
"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asked him, kissing his forehead.
"Lee," the answer was muffled by pillow and skin.
"You know, you're a worry wart," he smoothed a hand through his hair. Naruto huffed, the warm breath tickling across the brunette's skin. Shikamaru held him tight. He knew the blonde cared a lot for his friends; hell, you didn't even have to be a friend to qualify. The jinchuriki had gone oddly quite.
"You know you can talk to me, right?" he asked, pulling back to look down at the other man. Hands found their way to whiskered cheeks, cupping them so he could pull him away from his hiding place. Blue eyes looked back at him, and Shikamaru kissed him on the tip of his nose. Naruto wrinkled his face up, scrunching up his nose. Teeth nibbled along his jaw and then down to his lips. The kiss was soft and coaxing, as if he could kiss the worrisome thoughts out of him.
Naruto pulled back with a small sigh. He knew he could talk to Shikamaru about this, anything really. But he just didn't feel talkative tonight. On the other hand, he didn't want to worry him either.
"I just wish he would have talked to someone about what's going on. I know he may not be comfortable talking about some things with me but I had thought for sure he would have talked to Neji by now. But that's not worrying me the most. I am scared he is going to hurt himself with all of these missions and training. I know he works hard but he does have a tendency to overdo it. I just…" he trailed off after his speech. Thumbs brushed across his cheeks, rubbing at the marks that were a sign of what had lived inside of his mother, and now in him.
"I know you worry about people, that's just who you are and I wouldn't want you any other way, but you can't let it get you down into your own funk. You can't help anyone if you don't take care of yourself first. You are the most important person," there was a pause, and then mumbled words.
"What was that?"
"You are my most important person," his voice was still low but Naruto heard all the same. A blush crept up both their cheeks. Naruto blinked in surprise. Out of all the things he could have told him, that was one the blonde had not expected. His mind was running around in chaos. Embarrassment and happiness were at war with each other. Eventually, happiness sat on embarrassment and made happy with the Shikamaru in his brain.
Suddenly, Shikamaru found a pile of happy blonde in his arms. The smaller man was firmly attached to his neck and air was becoming an issue. Lashes brushed his neck where his face was hidden and then he felt wetness there as well. He rolled on to his back, pulling Naruto atop him. He let his hands stroke up and down the smooth back. He wasn't sure what reaction he had expected. Actually, the words had left his mouth the first time without him being overly aware of them. It had just felt like the thing to say at that moment. Obviously, it had made the man in his arms extremely happy.
Naruto pulled back and smiled down at the Nara. Tears were trailing down his cheeks but the smile on his face was a mixture happiness and sadness.
"Why are you crying?" Shikamaru asked him softly, wiping away the tears on his cheeks.
"It's-it's just that I had never expected anyone to tell me that," he sat up, wiping at his nose with the back of one hand.
Shikamaru stared up at the man on top of him. He just looked so sad and shocked. He had known that Naruto had had a hard life, harder than many of the people living in the village, but he had never known that that small statement could affect him this much. There and then a promise was made to himself, he was going to hold this beautiful man close to him for as long as he could and be demanded if he was going to let him ever cry again.
The shadow-nin sat up, pulling the sad face forward and into a burning kiss. Efficiently stopping the tears, he slid his hands around to cup Naruto's lower back. He pushed his tongue into a wiling mouth, and let the kiss deepen even more. Teeth scrapped across a full lower lip. Shikamaru sucked said lip into his mouth, watching the blonde's face go from happy sadness to something close to pleasure. Letting go of the lip with a small pop, he pulled the man closer, hips settling onto his lap.
"Your hard," Naruto gasped as the brunette nipped his neck.
"Mmhum," was hummed against the dip in of Naruto's throat. He rolled them over, pinning the man beneath him. A grin spread across Naruto's face as he slid arms around the man above him. Sleep seemed more and more like a passing thought as the press of hips became firm and the touching of hands more frantic.
A cool breeze whistled through the trees, plastering black hair to a man's forehead. He eyes searched the tress ahead of him, keeping watch for any movement that could be an enemy of some sort. The sun was just setting and the time to make a camp or find a place to sleep was fast approaching. He looked behind him, reassuring that no one was there and then jumped into a high branch in a tree beside him. He settled down with his back to the broad trunk. He stretched out his legs, one slipping off the branch and dangling. A head fell back with a thump.
Lee was tired, beyond tired. His whole body ached and the pain in his chest had only gotten worse over time. He had hoped that missions and training would distract him enough. The process had worked well for the first week but his mind had quickly learned a new form of auto pilot. He could function under the guise that he was his normal bright self while the gears in his mind whirled and clicked away on thoughts better left behind. He knew his mask was failing more and more often but he didn't know what to do about it. He wanted to talk to someone, but the embarrassment kept him avoiding his friends most of the time. By now, he just knew that Neji and Naruto were worried but he wasn't willing to fix that problem yet.
His bangs were blown into his eyes by a night breeze. His hair had grown a good inch or so and was now not a perfect bowl cut anymore. He fingered one of the stands lying across his nose. It was thin and damp with sweat from his early excretion of running along the border. He was now on the south end of Fire country, close to the ocean. He had actually caught a few whiffs of salt on the sir during the day. The thought of being so close to the beach was an exciting. He just wished he could go close enough to hear the waves. But that would before another time. This was just a quick mission, or so he had been told. He had the sinking feeling that the Godaime was catching on to the fact that something wasn't right with him recently. He had been taking any mission available to him and almost begging for a few that weren't. Anything to keep him busy and out of areas where he had a chance of running into anyone he knew, particularly Sakura or Sasuke.
Just the thought of the pink haired woman made his heart clench and anger rise from some bottomless pit he had just found out he had. His emotions had begun to run away with him recently. It was like a bottomless hole inside him had been opened up that night and he had no idea how to fill it in. Things just kept bubbling up from the darkness and began to consume him. At times, he felt as if he had already fallen over the edge and was hanging on by his finger tips. Just when he thought he would fall, soothing in him snapped into focus and he reigned in his emotions and pulled himself back up into what sanity had become for him.
He shivered as another breeze blew through the wooded area. He nights were chilling down here. He pulled his knees close to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around them. Resting his chin on his knees he thought back to the past month. All he really remembered was training and mission. There was the odd chance talk with Neji and Gai-sensei but nothing more. He had caught sight of Sakura a few times and had tried his best to polite and pleasant to the woman but his restraints were slipping each day. It was best that he kept his distance. Then there was his growing issue with Sasuke.
The younger man had never done anything but be polite and a good friend and rival to him. He hadn't ever said anything hurtful about Lee in all the time they had known each other. Growing up in his brother's care had really done wonders for the younger Uchiha's personality and outlook on life. There was no need to impress a parent, no need to strive because you felt as if you were constantly being compared to your brother. Not that Lee had any real experience in that department. He could barely remember what if felt like to have parents but that was a part of his past that was rarely addressed with anyone. But he didn't really understand why his anger wanted to lash out at the Uchiha. He could only assume that it was due to the fact that the words Sakura had said still haunted him. Sasuke was a great ninja and he worked hard to get where he was. So what if he had great control over chakra, hell, he had chakra in general, where Lee did not have much at all. He thought of being constantly compared to the man weighed heavily on his mind. It wasn't something he had gotten down about before, but now…He just didn't know.
Sighing he closed his eyes and prayed for sleep that now was constantly eluding him.
"Nobody, nobody wants to feel like this
Nobody, nobody wants to live like this
Nobody, nobody wants a war like this ."
- "Devour" Shinedown
Author's Notes: Yeah, this was originally meant to be a Sasuke/Lee story but a request for some Shikamaru/Naruto threw in a wrench and it's become this monster. Add a few more couples and, well, this is what happened. I hope I did a decent job with the lemons. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading! Review so I know how I did!
Birthdays during time skip: I'm putting this in here partly for me and hopefully to help some of you if you want to know the ages.
Neji: Went from 20 to 21
Kiba: Went from 18 to 19
Sasuke: Went from 18 to 19
Dictionary:
*Golden tofu salad- salad made up of seaweed, ginger, carrots, and scallions.
*Ohagi- small rice balls covered in such things as walnuts, sesame seeds, sweet bean paste, and soy bean powder.
*Chicken scallion rice bowl- It has chicken, scallions, brown rice, soy sauce, mirin, eggs and in
chicken broth.
*Seared salmon with red bean paste- this one is pretty self-explanatory. It's seared salmon with red bean paste. The spring roll is like an egg roll but is not fried and is a vegetable roll.
The salad is a daikon carrot salad. A daikon is a radish.
*Mirin- an essential condiment used in Japanese cuisine. 40-50% sugar, with about 20% alcohol
*Tonkatsu- deep fried pork or tenderloin sitting on a bed of cabbage with a side of rice.
*Shabu shabu- 2 lbs of boiled lamb with a bowl of rice covered in the broth from the lamb. Also includes plenty of veggies. Basically a hot pot.
*Tsukune- basically a 1 lb of chicken on sticks with onions and lemon peel.
*Spicy fried celery- fried in red chili, sugar and soy sauce.
