AN: My first series fic is now complete. As it was drawing to a close I wanted to focus on it for the time being. Now that it's done and I've finished my Christmas fic I can focus all my attention on this now. Thank you so much for your patience.

Happy New Year everyone!


More Precious Than Gold


"Sasuke wake up," Naruto shook him gently and Sasuke muttered turning away and trying to bat the hands away from his face. Naruto laughed softly by his ear and tightened the arm around him. "Sasuke open you eyes."

"Just a few more minutes…" Sasuke groaned, "I still hear the rain outside."

"Yes, but your brother will be here shortly." Sasuke's eyes flew open as he flailed but Naruto had him wrapped up tightly in his blankets and pressed against his chest. His cheeks darkened as he stilled.

"Why am I in your arms…?" He asked.

"So that you don't try to run away of course." Naruto whispered, his breath tickling the shell of Sasuke's ear.

"Why would I do that? I trust you. You weren't… molesting me in my sleep were you?"

Naruto laughed rich and deep and Sasuke had to stop himself from swooning when he felt Naruto shake behind him. "No I would never touch you," Sasuke pursed his lips and rolled his eyes, yes yes Naruto had made that clear, "but that's not why I bundled you up. Your brother will be here in a few moments."

"What? Are you serious? Then what are we doing here? We need to go!" He tried to break free from Naruto's grip but Naruto was unmovable.

"There was nowhere to run and no one to hold your brother back."

"You're a dragon! There's plenty of places to run!"

"Not in the dark." Naruto shook his head, "There's a reason we brightly coloured dragons don't hunt at night. Our scales give off their own glow. It is something that can be controlled but I am terrible at controlling my body's magic." Naruto laughed softly meanwhile Sasuke's heart was racing. If his brother crawled through the entrance of that cave and saw him sitting in the arms of a man. A dragon man. Then he was sure Itachi would kill Naruto and beat him to death.

"Then what do we do? Sit here and wait to die? Itachi will be furious! Where are his men?"

"Hmm from what I could hear there was a fight of some sort. They overpowered him and knocked him unconscious and tried to bring him back but now he's back and on his own. He was quite ire to have lost the trail but he found it again." Naruto shook his head. "That man is skilled." Meanwhile Naruto was proud of Itachi's tracking capabilities Sasuke was trying to keep the rabbits down.

"Oh I think I'm going to be sick. Itachi will be mad, he'll be so mad…" Naruto tightened his arms around him and then and then wrapped his wings around them, cocooning Sasuke was his warmth.

"Breathe my young friend," he murmured soothingly and miraculously Sasuke could breath a little better.

"Please help me. I don't want to go home just yet…" he whispered harshly, he felt the need to, "Please just this once. Don't kill him, he's my brother, I love him so much but I- I just want a little more time with you please. I want to-" Naruto started to rock him gently, his chest rumbled with a purr.

"Breathe Sasuke…" he whispered. Sasuke stared ahead at the wings, thick and leathery, and counted in his mind, one, two three, as he calmed down.

"I'm okay now. Sorry…"

"Don't apologise," Naruto unfurled his wings and pointed to the center of the cave where there was a small heartless fire. Burning there on the stone.

"Is this your magic? Fire without wood?"

Naruto chuckled, "partly. Sasuke you must promise me to be quiet do you understand?"

"...why?"

"I had not meant to but I watched you sleep. You look so peaceful. So beautiful. I fly beneath the sun all day, my people all have skin as dark as my own, but never before had I seen a diamond complexion as yours. I was entranced." Sasuke flushed and stuttered. He shifted in Naruto's arms wanting to fan the heat from his face.

"W-what are you talking about all of a sudden?" he stuttered, laughing and coughing and clearing his throat.

"It may be selfish of me, it's against my ways to interfere in matters that do not concern me but I wish to keep you by my side." If Naruto was hoping Sasuke was falling out of love with him then he was doing a poor poor job. Did Naruto even realise the effects he was having on Sasuke's heart?

"So… what does that mean…? You'll help…?"

"Yes. I'll protect you with all the magic available to me. Itachi will not take you from me. For now, you are my most precious treasure." Naruto said it so tenderly that Sasuke's whole being shuddered.

"Naruto…"

"Dragons are very possessive creatures Sasuke. What is mine is mine."

"That's the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me…"

Naruto smiled and rocked them gently. "Do you promise to be quiet? You'll disrupt the magic if you speak." Sasuke nodded.

"I'll be quiet, what exactly will you be doing to him?"

"Nothing. The flames will show him what he wishes to see and set him on the path opposite our own. The effects will wear off in a matter of hours. Days if we're lucky."

"Will you see what he sees?"

"Yes."

"I want to see it too."

Naruto grimaced, "I do not know what his intentions for you are, I would prefer-"

"I want to see. So when I go home I'll know what I'm up against. Please."

Grumbling came from the entrance of the cave and the sound of shuffling as someone climbed in. Sasuke held his breath and gripped his pants as his brother's dark head came into view. He opened his mouth but Naruto's claws pressed firmly against his lips.

"Trust me," Naruto whispered in his ear and Sasuke nodded. Itachi was right there. Setting down his spear and setting aside his weapons belt, his hunting bag and kicking off his hunting shoes. The back of the cave was cast in shadows yes but it was a wide area. Sasuke didn't understand the mechanics of magic but it seemed to be a wonderful thing if Itachi couldn't see them. It made him wonder why Naruto didn't just cover them before while they were running away. There would be no tracks to follow and Itachi would only have to rely on what he said earlier to even hope to find them.

Itachi sighed and pushed his wet hair out of his face before he shuffled over to the flame and sat down next to it to warm himself. They were facing each other now, Sasuke was looking straight at his brother's face. His face was as passive as ever but he somehow looked angry. There was a scratch on his cheek and a swell on his head, probably from when the other clansmen knocked him unconscious.

He worked the kinks in his neck before he pulled out a map and a marker and started jotting down, perhaps the route that he had taken and the possible destination of his prey. Sasuke shuddered at the thought but the feel of Naruto behind him and his strong arms around Sasuke gave him comfort and strength. So far it didn't seem strange to Itachi to stumble upon a fire already lit and that was burning on solid stone.

After he finished drying and setting his gear up he sat, his posture as impeccable as always, and slipped his eyes closed. When he opened them again his shoulders had sagged and he was calm again. He gazed ahead and Sasuke could swear he was looking right at him but he shifted and looked down, into the flames and he didn't move again. He just stared at it. He wanted to ask Naruto if Itachi was seeing what he desired but if he spoke he would disturb the magic.

He nudged Naruto with his elbow and kept doing it until Naruto grunted and bit his ear. He almost squealed. Almost. "Be still. I need to concentrate." Naruto grumbled when he released Sasuke's ear and Sasuke could still feel it. His ear felt hot and throbbing and at the moment that wasn't the only thing that was throbbing. He shifted, trying to get his pants in a more comfortable position but Naruto muttered and he really didn't want to get bit again so he sat still and waited for it to be over.

Waiting was the most boring thing. He'd only napped earlier but now he was nodding off again. It had been hours. Trying to stave off his boredom his wiggled until his hands were free and shuffled away just a bit do he could tilt his body, just enough with Naruto's arm supporting him, so he could look at the dragon's face. His eyes were closed and his face looked serene and calm. As if he were sleeping.

Just out of curiosity he ran his hands down the side of Naruto's face. The blonde prodded his side probably warning him to be careful but Sasuke ignored him. He touched the blonde's neck, his arms, his sides and noticed that Naruto's scales only went in one direction: down. He stroked over the scales in a downward motion and was delighted when he neither felt a prick nor a scrape. Naruto prodded him again and this time when he looked up Naruto's eyes were a vivid red and his pupils were slits.

Sasuke's eyes widened at the sight, he prefered the blue but the red was attractive too. He doubted there was anything Naruto could do that wouldn't be attractive. So far Sasuke hadn't seen anything that would prove otherwise.

Naruto was probably uncomfortable with him touching him all over like that without his permission but since he was in a trance at the moment what better time would he have to do it. He shrugged apologetically and averted his gaze his palm still pressed flat against Naruto's thick muscular chest. He had no plans to move it either unless Naruto verbally told him so. Naruto grunted and he looked up against his will to see Naruto intently staring at him.

"Sasuke," Itachi muttered and Sasuke jolted. He'd almost forgotten that his brother was nearby. He looked over to see Itachi packing his bag and redressing. His eyes looked glassy and unfocused but it seemed as if he had a destination in mind. He muttered Sasuke's name once again and continuously as he got ready and left, out into the night.

They sat silently for a while longer before Naruto sighed, "Sasuke… what are you doing?" Naruto shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I was seeing if there was a non dangerous way to approach your scales." Naruto gave him a dull look. "And your chest feels nice…" Sasuke looked away guilty before he unravelled himself from the blankets and crawled away. "Just because you say you have a mate that doesn't mean I'm not still attracted to you…"

"Yes I understand that but…" Naruto sighed again. "As a man myself you must understand that…"

"I'm not trying to…" Sasuke blushed, "Have sex with you or something… I mean you know, your mate and all and monogamy and all…" Naruto sighed and rubbed his face before he stood and set Sasuke's blanket aside. He looked down and Sasuke followed his stare to see that Naruto had a thick bulge in his pants. "Oh…" now the dots were connecting. "You're hard too." Sasuke was feeling incredibly proud.

"You shouldn't be so happy about this." Naruto muttered moving toward Sasuke.

"I'm trying not to be but… maybe if you didn't have a mate we could…" well he wasn't quite ready to take the step to having sex yet but kisses would be nice.

Naruto shook his head and stepped forward, his eyes blue again as he stared at Sasuke his eyes drifting down to Sasuke's lip. Nervously he licked them and wondered, hoped, that Naruto would kiss him. All he had to do was tilt his head up and lean forward and their lips would touch. But he also admired the sanctity of marriage and he didn't want Naruto to cheat on his mate. If he were Naruto's mate he wouldn't want him cheating on him. Guilt gnawed at him.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have. I wasn't thinking. Or rather I was thinking but I didn't care. I shouldn't have…"

"You are much too honest with your feelings…" Naruto gently chastised and Sasuke nodded. He'd spent so long being quiet and dishonest with himself that now that he was in a new place with a new person he wanted to be himself as much as he could be.

He wasn't quite sure what his true self was though.

Before he would have never tried to seduce a man. Nevertheless a married man.

"So… what do we do now?"

"I believe that we should sit and collect our thoughts." That sounded incredibly dull but Sasuke nodded anyways and went to wrap up in his blanket and wait for his erection to go away. A beat later and Naruto came to sit at his side, warming him considerably. "We need to find a middle ground Sasuke."

Sasuke bit his lip and nodded. "If I promise not to do what I just did can we move past it."

"It won't be that easy Sasuke. Your feelings for me are true. If I do not properly acknowledge them then I fear that it will create a rift in our relationship."

Sasuke's heart pounded in his chest. "How… what do you want to do…?"

"I must be truthful with you. My mate, is not my lifelong partner. He is my breeding partner. The food that I have been collecting is in preparation for my gestation period." Sasuke cocked his head to the side. "Carrying the eggs would have me too heavy to fly and my breeding partner will abandon me once his seeds take root." Sasuke cocked his head to the other side.

"I'm sorry what?" He blinked rapidly his eyes owlishly wide.

"What do you not understand."

"The gestation bit. You're a man… you're going to be pregnant…?!"

Naruto smiled, "yes."

"Wha-?!" Sasuke stuttered unable to form his rolling thoughts into words.

"I understand that only magical creatures several centuries old have the ability to adapt this way. Unfortunately humans do not have this concept so it may be odd and grotesque to you."

"No… nothing like that. Just… a little, I'm not." He turned to face Naruto and took one clawed hand into his hand. His heart was racing and it was hard to picture Naruto with a distended belly and waddling around but then he pictured Naruto beautiful children and he was suddenly jealous of this sperm donor. "I just don't quite understand the concept that's all. But I have lots to learn about magic right? You'll teach me right? I mean… who am I to judge?" He laughed nervously. Seeing Naruto look so self conscious then so relieved lifted Sasuke's heart.

"I have heard many things about humans Sasuke but even now I'm sure that you are a different breed than them all. Especially your brother." Naruto ran a clawed hand over his knuckles and he licked his lips.

"W-what does that mean for us? Is there an us now…?" He was trying not to sound too hopeful but by the sagging of Naruto's shoulder it didn't seem as easy as that.

"My mate, however temporary he is, is still my mate. In order for us to explore what this is between us I must first break my bonds with him. It would not be moral of me to form a bond with another when I am promised to him."

Sasuke's shoulders sagged. "Oh, yes of course." He would like to not be there when that conversation happened. "When will you do it?"

"My mate will flying high above the clouds. We need to get to higher grounds so that I can contact him with my magic."

"Oh… well that's easy. You can just fly up to him."

Naruto shook his head. "No. I am grounded for the time being. My magic has not worn off your brother yet, I cannot perform another magical task while I am still tethered to his mind."

"Oh. I see." He chewed on his lip and stared out to the cave. The rain was drizzling but as he glanced at Naruto softly looking at him he really just wanted to crawl into the man's arms and have his cuddle him. "Then we should go." He shrugged off his blanket, stood and went to wrap it around his spear.

"We still have time to wait. You can go back to sleep." Naruto interjected but he still got up. Sasuke was way too excited to fall asleep again besides the thought of his brother back tracking and finding them was rather unappealing.

"No I'm awake now so I want to get started."

Naruto nodded and after helping Sasuke pack his belongings and helping him to carry his backpack they set out into the dark night, the rain drizzling lightly around them. True to Naruto's words his scales glowed in the dark and made it a little easier for Sasuke to see where he was going. He still stumbled around though and cursed several times when he tripped on roots. "I don't see any branches dry enough to make a torch." Sasuke muttered.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Naruto gently suggested and Sasuke scoffed.

"No thank you." He was trying to start a relationship with the blonde not regress to stage one where Naruto treated him like a grandchild. He preferred to grit his teeth and bare it.

He breathed a sigh of relief when the sun finally peaked from above the mountain tops and he could actually see better. He was happy he was wearing closed toed shoes because there was mud caked all over the front of his shoes. He glanced at Naruto's feet and they were almost completely covered in mud. "Naruto your feet. Jeez, you should have told me to bring you shoes!"

Naruto looked down at his feet then down at Sasuke's. "The soles of my feet are very hard and calloused. I supposed our feet would be different. I have never worn shoes in my life."

"Oh wow. We're really strict with what each of us wear. Women aren't allowed to wear pants. Hunters wear hunting gear in dark colours. Tailors wear bright coloured clothes. Cooks wear full white." Sasuke shrugged, "stuff like that."

Naruto nodded. "Odd. And are all your people the same colour as you?"

"You said you liked how I looked!" Sasuke argued suddenly feeling aware of how he looked. He brushed at his hair angrily a flush on his cheeks. Naruto chuckled and smiled at him.

"I do like how you look Sasuke. It is just that your complexion is so fair I doubt you could survive on the mountain top."

"What's on the mountain top?" Sasuke asked squinting through the first rays of sunlight trying to look at the top of the mountain but there was just clouds.

Naruto looked off ahead in the same direction, "Oh I suppose a human like you wouldn't be able to see it. My home is heavily shrouded in magic so that only dragon kin can enter there and several magical beings we allow. Like the dwarves who provide us with food."

"What other sort of magical beings are there? Are there fairies and trolls and such."

"Oh yes. Trolls are such tricksters. They are such pests, they sneak in more often than they are allowed in. Fairies are guardians to all beings. Both magical and not. They favor the innocence of children the most."

"Do we have fairies?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side, "it is hard to say. While you are full of childlike wonder you have many impure thoughts don't you?" Naruto smiled easily at him but Sasuke flushed and looked steadfastly ahead. Naruto's body looked as if it were glowing in the sunlight. His smooth abdomen and thick arms and broad shoulder, Sasuke rolled his eyes. Who wouldn't have impure thoughts of a man like Naruto.

"I'm having impure thoughts right now. Put a shirt on you exhibitionist."

Naruto tossed his head back and laughed, the thick middle section of his tail bumping into Sasuke's thighs and propelling him forward. He stumbled as he tried to keep himself from falling. He glared at the blonde who was still laughing. "Ahh humans," he sighed and grinned at Sasuke.

"Okay so I don't get a fairy because I have impure thoughts?" Sasuke felt like he was in a magical class. Learning a bit at a time about the world just beyond his.

"Fairies are pure magical beings. No one really knows much about them. They are neither good nor evil nor do they interfere in anything. I know of a druid who tried to capture his own so he could learn about it but as soon as he saw one he died. Or at least I was told he died. No one knows where he is. Perhaps it was too pure to harvest."

"Oh… I see. What other magical creatures are there. Do dragons have enemies?"

Naruto frowned as his face darkened, "yes. The elves."

"Elves…? I've watched a few movies and elves are pretty cool."

Naruto nodded. "The elves I have come across are mean, self righteous and evil. Never trust an elf Sasuke. They claim to want the world at peace but they would sooner commit genocide than work at true peace. They believe the only perfect race is them. They are the true monsters. Wrapped in pretty silk clothing and green skin." Naruto stopped and glanced around.

"What is it?" he started to slip his backpack off. If it was Itachi then he needed to set his spear in his hands so he could properly run.

"Listen Sasuke. The forest, every green plant, is elven territory. We are still in the mortal world so to speak but when the flowers begin to sweeten we will have trespassed on their territory. If we are to encounter one you must not speak to it, for it will read your heart."

Sasuke shuffled nervously from foot to foot. "My heart? What do you mean…?"

"They will compel you to do acts you would never normally do." Naruto turned on him and cupped his hand to his jaw. Naruto's hands were rough but his palms were soft and warm. "You are strong Sasuke. You can overcome anything even if I am not there to help you."

As Naruto started to pull away Sasuke gripped his wrist. "You'll be here. We're crossing the mountain together. You owe me a life dept. Don't try to worm your way out of it."

Naruto smiled at him as he purred softly and that was something new that had Sasuke staring at Naruto's neck. "What is it?"

"A-are you purring?"

Naruto smiled at him, "yes, for I am contented."

"Huh… weird." Sasuke nodded. Well if Naruto could get pregnant then why couldn't he purr? That was logical. "Hey how old are you?"

"Old enough to be your great great great great-"

"Okay I get it." Sasuke pushed his hands away and started to walk again.

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh well… just you know," Sasuke shrugged.

"No I am afraid I do." The genuine concern in Naruto's face was endearing.

"It's just that… after you break your mating bond with your mate. I was wondering what we're going to do…? I mean yea I know we're going to give us a try but you don't know much about me and you're not even human."

"I'm half human."

"But more beast than human. Yes I know that. I just think that in order for us to get close as… more than travel companions. We should do companion like things… But nothing that would cross the line!"

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "I am not sure I follow."

"Well we can just do a basic background history. You'll teach me about magical folk and I'll teach you about contractions." Naruto's confusion was just too adorable. "You know like… what you just said was totally weird. 'Yes, for I am contented' not even my grandparents or village elders talk like that. It's weird. Plus we can do other stuff like hold hands and sleep next to each other."

"Why would I want to hold your hands?"

"Because it's romantic. Couples do it all the time. What do mated dragons do to show their affections?"

"Well we bring each other precious minerals and shiny objects. Pieces of gold and silver, chalices, crowns, jewels are best." Sasuke took note.

"I see and what about kisses and cuddles?"

Again Naruto looked confused. "I have kissed before but it is odd. What do I do with my tongue. It was purely experimental. I have yet to do it again." Well Sasuke had kissed before, girls but kisses were kisses, so maybe he could teach Naruto a thing or two about what to do with his tongue. He smirked at the thought.

"Well then we can do a human courtship. Hand holding, kissing, hugging… stuff like that." Sasuke flushed. "So if you don't kiss and stuff…" he stuttered over his words, his neck and ears colouring red. "Then what do you do when you mate…? Do you just put it in…?" Sasuke was fanning his face now. Wow, that had taken all of his courage to stutter out those few words. His breathing felt a little laboured too.

"Biting and licking."

"Oh… oh." He said, the thought of Naruto sinking his teeth into his shoulder was just too much. He had to take a stop and lean against a tree. He hadn't even realised how sweaty he'd gotten even though the air was so chilly. It was hard for him to breathe too and it had nothing to do with Naruto.

"Sasuke?" Naruto stooped by the tree and looked up at him.

"Sorry I just can't seem to catch my breath. Could you give me a minute to rest?" Naruto nodded and helped Sasuke shrug his backpack off. The young man sat at the root of the tree and sipped from his bottle of water.

"This is where the humans start to turn back. The air here is too thin… I can shield you in magic but once I do that…"

"The spell on Itachi will break. Yea I get it. I'm fine, really, just need a minute."

"Very well-"

"Just say 'alright' like I would." Sasuke smiled as he took another swig of water.

Naruto took a moment, as if practising in his head then he said, "alright then."

Sasuke chuckled, "close enough." he congratulated. While Sasuke sat propped against the tree Naruto sat in a patch of sunlight, his wings splayed behind him as if he were gathering the rays of light. He looked quite serene and handsome. His tail was curled around his leg a long half circle drawn in the damp ground when he'd curled it around his leg.

"How do you feel Sasuke?" Naruto asked breaking the silence.

"I'm better. I just needed a moment to catch my breath. I'm fine." He got to his feet and brushed the dirt and sticks off. Naruto took the pack from him and slung it over a shoulder.

"I will, I'll," he corrected, "help you carry this from now on. It will only get harder and harder for you to breathe the higher we travel. I promise to find suitable places for you to rest during that time."

"You sound like a news reporter." Sasuke chuckled and he stretched and flexed. "You probably don't know what that is." Naruto shook his head and Sasuke smiled softly. He was smiling a lot today and it had only been a few hours into the new day. "Well don't worry about that. Let's go." The sooner they got high enough the sooner Naruto could break up with his mate and the sooner they could have an actual relationship.

Sasuke suspected that it wouldn't be so black and white though. Dragon politics were different. What if Naruto's mate was as possessive of Naruto as Naruto was of him. What if he didn't want to let him. Sasuke would like to confidently say he would fight for the blonde but he was just a human and there was no way he could win against a dragon. At least not without his clansmen.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn't be negative. Naruto had feelings for him. He wasn't sure how far those feelings extended but they were there. Naruto was willing to give him a chance to sort through who he was and what he wanted to do. Who he wanted to become.

He was also very worried about what would happen once they reached across the mountain. Naruto had said he wanted to hurry home but if he broke things off with his breeding partner would he still need to go home? Where was home anyways? Would it be with Sasuke? Or would their relationship end as soon as Naruto was reunited with his people?

He gnawed on his lower lip and glanced at Naruto from the corner of his eye. Naruto was looking ahead, his skin glowing and his blue eyes seemed to shimmer and glow. As if they were actual pools of water. The dragon turned to him and smiled and Sasuke felt all warm inside. He could worry about all of that tomorrow. He inched closer to the blonde, wanting to at least walk side by side when Naruto's tail slapped into him and sent him staggering forward.

"Oh my apologies!" Naruto quickly caught him and righted him before he stepped back and widened the gap between them even more. Sasuke's shoulders sagged as he sighed. The questions he should be asking was how he and Naruto were going to get close as more than just companions if they couldn't even walk side by side…


A/N: The other fic I finished is called The Village, a SasuNaru fic so if you want to give it a read go ahead~ Still no set update date for this fic but there will be more frequent updates I promise.