Negotiated Infidelity 02
Guilty Conscience
A pale body snaked its way between his legs. Strands of red hair tickled his jaw as kisses were dropped along his neck, his shoulder, and along his chest. A tongue teased the sensitive parts of his flesh, working it's way lower, and lower until he felt himself quivering with anticipation. Two strong hands lifted his thighs, pushing his legs back to expose him completely.
Naruto reached for him in alarm. "I don't bottom," he said.
A tongue swirled around his scrotum. His protest petered out into a groan that grew hoarse when the appendage was sucked into the other's mouth entirely. Naruto sank back into the sheets.
"Everyone bottoms," the redhead challenged. His tongue dipped lower. Naruto shivered in spite of himself, trying to focus enough to speak coherently.
He shook his head against the pillow. "I don't enjoy it," he clarified.
The other man ignored this, tongue swirling against him in a way that made him writhe; that made him toss his head back in complete surrender. And then the whole world stopped when that hot mouth descended on his cock, enveloping him entirely. He panted a series of praises and encouragements, told him dirty things to make him continue and when the other man paused and pulled off his weeping cock, he noticed it- the intrusion- the finger that had slipped inside while Naruto was too engrossed in getting his dick sucked.
The redhead smiled at him as his finger curled, touching Naruto in a way that shocked him with pleasure. "You will tonight," he smiled.
Naruto's eyes shot open. He relaxed when he realized he was curled up in his bed and not the sheets of a hotel room. He breathed a sigh of relief into the dark room, picked up his phone and squinted at the bright screen. 5a.m. He had hardly slept.
Naruto rolled onto his back and covered his eyes with one hand. There, behind his closed eyelids, the redhead was waiting for him; ready to touch him with hands and mouth. Ready to bring him pleasure in ways he hadn't experienced before.
Naruto opened his eyes again. Aware of the side effects of such dreams, the shower was out of the question. Taking a shower now would wake up Sasuke and prompt more questions. Sliding free of the covers, Naruto decided it was time to run instead.
He grabbed his gear and crept quietly out of the room, not bothering to change until he got to the living room. He hadn't swapped out his stuff from the day before, but right now he didn't care. Right now he just wanted to stop thinking about the night before, to stop feeling those hands or the feel of another man inside him. To not think about the way he had not only wanted him, but enjoyed him.
Naruto laced up his running shoes and grabbed his keys. Closing the door quietly behind him, he hoped the cold morning air would clear his head, and his heart.
Sasuke leaned against the metal lockers in nothing but a pair of shorts that clung to his slender hips. He crossed his arms over his bare chest as his dark eyes followed Naruto. His target smiled in return, trying not to call attention to the fact that he was already dressed in his trademark black shorts and bright orange practice jersey.
"You left early," Sasuke said without inflection.
"I went for an early jog!" Naruto chirped. "You know how jittery I get before a game." He wiped his face down with his sweat towel and rubbed his hair for good measure. Sasuke said nothing. Naruto tried to ignore the air of impatience. He went about his usual routine and tried not to squirm under the attention.
Sasuke slid onto the bench beside him. Naruto could feel his gaze on his back, the silence between them filled with expectation. Naruto tried to pretend like it wasn't there, like everything was normal. He sat down and unlaced his running shoes, pulling them off and setting them neatly on the concrete floor. He stood to open the locker, fingers clumsy as they spun the dial. He felt more relief than he should have when he managed to pull it open.
He pulled out his cleats and when he turned, Sasuke was there. One pale hand pressed against the gray metal, blocking Naruto from running away.
"Why are you punishing me?" The lack of inflection was in a way, more damaging than a wounded tone. It was a reminder that Sasuke didn't deserve punishment. He hadn't done anything to merit it. In fact, it was very much the other way around.
Naruto turned his face, avoiding those searching black eyes. He had never excelled in lying.
Sasuke's finger traced his jaw. Naruto startled, realizing his folly and snapped his head forward. The other man's face darkened.
"Who was it?" he demanded.
"It's nothing," Naruto shook his head. "Some guys got a little too drunk at the bar last night. Shikamaru and I handled it."
"Who was it?," Sasuke persisted, slamming his hand against the metal. His jaw clenched in anger while his other hand pressed against the locker, effectively trapping Naruto entirely.
Naruto closed his eyes and let out a sigh. When he opened them again, Sasuke's stormy expression hadn't diminished in the slightest. It was almost a relief to see him so angry, even if the anger wasn't directed at him. Naruto touched Sasuke's wrist gently, tugging downward to urge him to let go. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against the ones white with anger. This one gesture, this sense of familiarity calmed him. Naruto thought of how he had worried his best friend and pressed their lips a little harder. When he pulled away, the tension in Sasuke's body eased.
"I've never met the guy before and I have no idea where he's from. I didn't say anything because I handled it. Really. And I didn't want you looking for a fight at 2am."
Sasuke looked disgruntled, but he didn't argue. He released Naruto and turned to his locker, slamming it open a little harsher than necessary.
"Just don't tell Kakashi-sensei, okay? I'm nursing a left shin so watch those passes."
Sasuke pulled his jersey on. "You remember what he looked like?" he asked.
Naruto shrugged. "He had black hair, if that's any help." Naruto grinned when Sasuke rolled his eyes at him. Naruto laughed and Sasuke's lips tugged up slightly. He sat down and bent over the bench, tossing his hair out of his eyes while his fingers tugged on his shinguards.
Naruto thought of what came next, what happened after the fight. His face grew hot at the memory. He placed his bag on the other side of Sasuke and fished out his own gear, willing his face to cool down while he pulled out his things. He tried to think of a way to broach the topic.
"Hey, Sasuke," he strapped on his shinguard. He pulled the sock on and tugged the edge up firmly.
"Hrm?" Sasuke replied.
"How was your night with Kiba? Did the bruise heal?" he asked carefully. He thought of the marks along his own torso- the ones that couldn't be explained away by a bar scuffle.
Sasuke snorted and slammed his locker shut. "I'll tell you about it tonight," he said. Naruto laced up his cleat. He thought about pressing the issue, thought about coming clean while Sasuke had little time to react. If he told him now and got angry, he could take it out on the field. He could have some time to cool off before they had to go into the details. But this was also a coward's way out, he realized.
"Sure, tonight then," he agreed.
Sasuke's arm wound around his shoulder. A hand guided his jaw the other way and then Sasuke's lips were on his, firm and reassuring. Naruto responded and deepened the kiss, relieved that this had not changed. Every part of him still wanted this. Every part of him still responded to just Sasuke's lips on his. Despite the night before, everything would be okay.
"Don't sound so disappointed, dobe," Sasuke grinned against his lips. "I'll deliver all the dirty details tonight." Sasuke squeezed his shoulder. "See you on the field," his partner casually stood and strolled away. Naruto shook his head, smiling.
He always felt better when he was doing something. Whether it was lifting a weight heavier than he was or running farther than his lungs thought possible, the simple act of remaining active always cleared his head. It was a relief really, to focus on nothing but the rhythm of breathing and the clash of feet against the grass; or to narrow one's scope to a single ball and guiding its trajectory on the field.
Here on this stage, Naruto knew his role. He knew who he was and where he belonged. And what's more, he was reminded of whose side Sasuke chose to be on.
The muddle of thoughts in his head had cleared as soon as he had stepped up to the white chalk lines. Even in the hazy heat of late summer, everything was clear. It made sense. Sasuke was where he should be- right beside him- coming up the center field. They were a team, a unit, a dangerous force; and when they were determined, nothing could come between that.
Kiba grinned as he came at him. He made a wide sweep for the ball and Naruto yelled out Sasuke's name, sending the ball spinning sideways. His toes pushed off the ground, carrying him over the pointed foot meant for his leg.
Sasuke accepted it easily and ran head on into Neji. The sweeper was on him, and Sasuke's quick steps sent him lunging in the wrong direction. Sasuke escaped before the other could recover and sank the ball clean into the goal.
Kakashi-sensei blew the whistle. Shikamaru pushed aside the net and fished out the ball, rolling it back out to the field. He left it there as the team assembled at the half way line. Naruto breathed heavily, trying to suck in slow breaths. He placed a hand on his hip and wiped the sweat off his brow with his shirt sleeve.
"Can't we play a little longer?" Naruto asked. Kakashi shook his head. "Gai-sensei would let us play longer," he whined.
"It's just a scrimage, Naruto. You'll get your chance to play in a few days. I know there's a lot of talk about the match, but don't stress it boys. Just go out there and have fun."
"What can you tell us about Suna?" Shikamaru asked. "All we ever hear about is their goalie."
Kakashi nodded. "They're practicing on the other fields right now. I sent Gai to observe them and report back. I'll have more to tell you tomorrow. From what I know, they have a few strong strikers, but it's really their defense to watch out for. Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, you three watch yourselves. Naruto," Kakashi singled him out and beckoned forward with his hand. "The rest of you can go."
Sasuke frowned, feet still planted on the ground. He looked from Naruto to Kakashi with a questioning glance. Naruto shrugged. "I'll catch up with you," he yelled, walking over to his coach. Sasuke's gaze lingered as his feet took him the other way.
Naruto waved to his teammate cheerfully, trying to cling to that smile when he turned to regard his coach. Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest and fixed him with one eye. Even with the mask over his mouth, Naruto imagined he was frowning. He gave his most winning smile as he approached.
"You want to tell me what happened?"
Naruto touched his bruised jaw. "I was trying to show off by doing tricks on my skateboard and I..."
Kakashi shook his head. "Try again. And let's see that left shin while you're at it."
"What? It's fine!" Naruto protested.
"Naruto, you're the most reckless player on this team next to Kiba. I just saw you jump over at least three kicks aimed at your leg. Drop your socks. Let's see it."
Naruto grumbled, but he listened to his coach. He sat on the grass and undid his laces pulling it off before unfurling his sock. Slowly, he removed his shinguard from his sweaty leg. The dark bruise stood out next to his tan, a nasty purple turning blue around the edges. Fortunately there was no swelling. He had iced it in time. "Some jerk was picking on a little guy and I got angry and told him off. He fought dirty," Naruto said.
Kakashi bent over and poked and prodded. "It looks bad, but I don't see any swelling. You don't need to baby it, but apply a warm compress and massage it gently. That should speed up the healing." Naruto nodded, already poking it experimentally. "Now take care of it or you're sitting out half the game. Suna's defense is known for being violent."
Naruto whined and picked up his gear. He walked across the grass half barefoot. When he returned to the locker room, his teammates huddled in a circle. Shikamaru sat in the middle.
"Has anyone actually seen him before? There must be photos," Neji said reasonably.
"I heard the last reporter who tried got his camera smashed... on his own head," Chouji said. He shoved a potato chip into his mouth.
"Lee, you saw him," Neji prompted. "What was he like?"
Everyone's attention shifted to the guy in the tight green workout gear and the black bowl cut he had kept since kindergarten. His eyes turned bright with excitement. "He was a powerful opponent with the ferocity of a..."
Neji held up his hand. "What did he look like, Lee?"
Lee scratched his cheek. "It was in middle school, so he probably looks different now, but he was kind of small."
"Small?"
"But he had a great presence like a giant ogre looming in the goal!"
"What else," Neji prompted, his voice heavily laced with annoyance.
Lee stuck his tongue out and raised his eyes to the ceiling as though the answer was written there."
"He had light hair and eyes like Naruto." Everyone looked at Naruto in surprise.
"You think he's half?" Kiba asked. Naruto grimaced and looked away.
"Not that it matters," Shikamaru said, catching Naruto's look. "I tried searching, but rumor is he's extremely private. The most I could find was that his brother is on the team. Their sweeper, in fact."
"So who wants to head over to spy?" Kiba grinned.
Naruto was tempted. Really tempted. His competitive side was itching for a chance to go scope them out, to show them he wasn't afraid. He wanted to see this goalie and prepare himself. To see the guy whose season he intended to ruin with the first game.
Sasuke approached, shirtless as he he toweled his hair. His jeans clung to him tightly and his bare feet left wet imprints against the floor. He eyed Naruto's bruised shin and beckoned him to follow with one nod of his head.
"You played it too safe out there," he said. He straddled the bench by their lockers and pat the space between his legs.
Naruto nodded. He sat facing his teammate, bringing his foot up to the bench. "Kakashi made me show him. He told me to watch it, but he'll let me play."
Sasuke rubbed the towel down Naruto's sweaty leg. He looked at it closely and tossed the towel into his open locker. Naruto braced himself as Sasuke's thumbs rubbed along the blue edges of his bruise. He grit his teeth as Sasuke dug his fingers in.
"Suck it up," Sasuke told him. "We'll put a heating pad on it tonight and I'll massage it again."
"Goody," Naruto said sarcastically.
"No one made you go out last night," Sasuke reminded him.
Naruto shut his mouth. He looked down at Sasuke's pale hands, fingers pressed against his skin and remembered the man who handled him gently. He couldn't help but compare how different they were. Sasuke who was firm, but rough, oblivious to anyone's comfort but his own versus a stranger who concentrated with such intensity; whose hands were careful, but firm as he handled his leg and wrapped the ice snugly against him.
Naruto tossed his head back and closed his eyes trying not to remember what happened after that. Trying not to compare them any more than that. His thoughts began to tangle again.
"Oh yeah," Sasuke said, interrupting his train of thought. "Juugo and Suigetsu are in town. They want to hang out tonight."
Naruto groaned. "I didn't realize you still talked to Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber." Sasuke snorted.
"I can tell them I have something else to do," Sasuke offered. Naruto stayed his hand. He pulled his foot off the bench and shook his head. He thought of the phone call he ignored while another man touched him, and while his own hands were so deliberately occupied elsewhere. Guilt gnawed at him again.
"Don't let me get in the way of your fun. I'll see if Shikamaru wants to hang out." He leaned his elbows on his knees, resting his head in his hands. Maybe he could tell Shikamaru before bringing it up with Sasuke. Maybe he, being responsible for said bright idea, could shed some light on whatever the hell was going on with him.
"Dobe," Sasuke warned. It was Sasuke's name for him whenever he was annoyed, whenever he thought Naruto was being stupid. "What's wrong?"
Naruto shook his head. "I've just got a lot on my mind."
"That's a first," Sasuke retorted. Naruto growled. He tried to ignore the remark, tearing off his other shoe and sock instead. He was about to begin changing and he paused again.
"What's going on, Naruto?" Sasuke asked more seriously.
Naruto shook his head again. He had hoped things would feel normal after a good practice. In some ways they did, but the marks on his chest, the small marks that prevented him from taking off his jersey reminded him of why they weren't.
"Something else happened last night," he said. This caught Sasuke's attention. He sat on the bench and looked at him, waiting for an explanation. Naruto considered how easy it would be to take off his shirt and to show him. The small marks littering his body could not be mistaken for anything other than what they were. But Sasuke needed to be told. He sat up and met Sasuke's look. He paused when he saw Kakashi-sensei approaching.
Sasuke paused and followed his look. He nodded in respect to their coach and the older man was careful not to step on their gear.
"I didn't want to add any pressure to you boys, but Shikamaru informs me that he's already spilled the beans. Naruto, I know you must be concerned about the scrimage, especially with a scout present, but remember, it's just that. A scrimage. Go out there and have fun and watch that leg. There will be plenty of opportunities."
Naruto frowned. Kakashi-sensei pat his shoulder and he made an effort at smiling.
"Good work out there, Sasuke," Kakashi-sensei said before disappearing.
Sasuke watched Kakashi until he was out of earshot before turning his attention to Naruto. He stood up and went to his locker, pulling out his t-shirt and tugging it over his head. He said nothing and proceeded to go about dressing quietly. Naruto reached for his hand.
"I just found out last night, okay? Shikamaru told me at the bar. I don't know what team it's for but they're here for Suna."
"The goalie," Sasuke said. Naruto nodded and let go. "It's our chance," Sasuke finished.
"Yeah," Naruto frowned.
"I'm guessing that's what you had to tell me? That's what has you so tense?" Sasuke smiled at him and continued to throw his stuff into his locker. Naruto felt sick with anxiety. Here was the moment of truth. Here was his chance to come clean.
Sasuke smacked him on the back. "Relax, we're going to make that goalie regret choosing us for a practice match. Just wait." Sasuke slammed his locker shut, and without waiting for Naruto's answer, walked away.
Naruto drove his foot into the ball and sent it sailing into the air. It swished past Shikamaru's gloved hand and into the net. He kicked the second ball before the goalie could recover, sending it high enough to go in before bouncing off the top bar. Naruto kicked his third and final ball and sent it so wide Shikamaru just glared at him. He hated running after the ball.
"Want to tell me what I did to merit such wrath?" The goal keeper tossed back the one ball that had managed to enter the net. "Should I just stand still and see how many hit me?"
Naruto shook his head. He ran after the ball that flew wide of the net and was now rolling into the track field. When he returned, two of the balls has been returned. Shikamaru sat cross-legged beside them. He took a sip of his water bottle and held it up, offering Naruto some as well. He declined.
"Sit, tell me why we're really here." Shikamaru pat the grass beside him. Naruto did and made a show of pulling down his sock and his shinguard. He rubbed the bruise that was still as purple as it was that morning. Shikamaru whistled.
"This isn't the problem," Naruto grumped.
"Then what is," Shikamaru asked. Naruto looked at him with annoyance. "You're throwing a fit because Sasuke is at home having fun right now? Who is it this time? Sai? Ino? A cute new freshman fan?"
Naruto shook his head. "I don't care that Sasuke is sleeping with the bad touch duo tonight. I'm not looking forward to talking about it when he's done."
"Why? Still not a fan of Suigetsu's make out style?" Shikamaru teased.
"No! Because after I hear all the nitty gritty details, I'll have to tell him about what I did last night!" Naruto scowled and dug his thumbs into his own bruise a little harder. Shikamaru was silent. Naruto could practically hear him smiling. "Shut up, it's all your fault."
"Yeah, well judging by how you're reacting, I'd say you enjoyed it so you're welcome. So how come this is a problem? Sasuke won't be angry you slept with another guy."
Naruto whined and fell back onto the grass, covering his face in his humiliation. He mumbled his response into his hands.
"What was that?" he asked to which Naruto mumbled louder. "I can't hear you," Shikamaru teased.
Naruto uncovered his face and sat up. "He will when I tell him I bottomed!" Shikamaru's face fell. Shock was his first reaction. Amusement was second.
"I thought you didn't like to bottom," he grinned. "Isn't that one of the reasons why you agreed to this little arrangement?"
"Among other things," Naruto turned red. "It's just, I was never too comfortable with it and Sasuke was always understanding." Naruto didn't mention that it had always hurt and he felt undignified complaining about something like that.
"But you enjoyed it this time?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto groaned and rolled over on the grass. He kept his face covered. His friend laughed and a gentle hand pat him on the shoulder. "I still don't see any problem. If you discovered that you can enjoy being on bottom, maybe now Sasuke won't feel the need to experience so many other guys. In fact, you might find that he's too busy with you to seek out other men. At least for awhile."
Naruto had to admit, the thought had never occurred to him. He had assumed that enjoying the experience had in some way betrayed Sasuke. He had assumed that in telling Sasuke, his partner might find his own skills called into question.
"You went out and found new things that you liked. I think Sasuke would want you to tell him so he can use that in the future. Where do you think he tests out all his new moves, huh?" His friend grinned and waggled his eyebrows. Naruto scowled. "Relax, Naruto. You've done worse stuff than this and Sasuke may have punched you for it, but he always forgave you. I'm sure you would do the same. The more important question is, what sort of man picks up a guy who looks like he just got his ass kicked?" Naruto opened his mouth to protest.
Shikamaru ignored him and got back onto his feet. "Don't answer that, I don't want to know any of the details. But now that's resolved, you can thank me by buying me dinner. Compensation for wasting my time pretending you wanted to practice soccer."
"For your information I am very concerned about the soccer game coming up!"
"Uh huh, and avoiding your boyfriend." Shikamaru picked up the soccer balls and threw them into his net. He shouldered the bag and started walking toward the gate at the edge of the field. "But if it's any consolation, the guy you slept with was a stranger, right?"
"Yeah," Naruto said. He picked up his few belongings and trotted the short distance between them.
"Did you get his name, his phone number, his personal information?"
"No," Naruto said, realizing, he hadn't even asked the stranger's name. He hadn't given his either.
"And we live in a big city so the chances of running into the guy again randomly are slim. Don't worry about it Naruto. It was a one night stand. Chances are you'll never see this guy again."
Naruto nodded, as he mulled this over. True it was different from Sasuke's one-night stands. Those partners were often classmates, people on campus, or acquaintances they saw every day and Naruto personally didn't know how Sasuke could handle it. Naruto had found he enjoyed his experience too much and this in part had bothered him. True he felt no compulsion to leave Sasuke for this complete stranger, but it didn't sit well with him. It was a relief to think that he might be able to put the entire thing behind him for good.
With this conclusion, the anxiety gnawing away at him since morning had begun to ease a little. "Yeah," he thought, realizing that the first step would be to tell Sasuke about it tonight including the reason for his missed phone calls as well. The sooner he was straightforward and honest about the situation, the sooner things would get better.
Feeling confident in this decision, Naruto felt almost light on his feet. Turning to say thanks to Shikamaru his feet skipped along backward as he turned the corner leading to the gym. His back collided right into another body, and he flinched when hot liquid splashed his back.
Fanning his shirt hastily he wheeled around to find a red hood bent down, inspecting the dark stains across his front. A student held out a half-emptied cup of steaming coffee, muttering angrily to himself. Naruto moved to offer his towel, but the other flinched back. The stranger looked up and scowled at him with a familiar pair of green eyes.