Chapter 21: Pajamas

Sasuke and Gaara looked at each other over their sleeping companion, sharing tight, happy smiles. Carefully, they carried Naruto through the house, little streamers of sand reaching out to turn off the lights they passed as they made their way to the palatial bathroom in the master suite. Slowly, they lowered him to his feet, Gaara surprised that Naruto remained standing when then let him go.

"Naruto, if he needs to, can run in his sleep. But that's nothing compared to Lee, he can still fight in his sleep." Sasuke said with amusement. "Why don't you start the water, then come help me undress him." He quickly reined in his mind and forced it down a less . . . enticing path.

He started from the top, removing the mask and hitai-ate beneath it, placing them carefully by the sink, and briefly giving in to the temptation to place a soft kiss on the blond's forehead. Then the straps for the tactical vest, and the fingerless gloves on his hands. He took hold of the high-necked shirt, intending to lift it off, when a black-clawed hand stopped him. He looked up to meet dark, glittering ruby eyes.

"What are you doing?" Kyuubi asked with a frown.

Gaara joined Sasuke as they both considered the answer to that very carefully.

Keeping his eyes locked with the demon, Sasuke cut right to the point. "Gaara and I plan to ask Naruto to marry us in the morning. In hopes of his agreement, his belongings have been moved here. Right now, he needs a bath, and we won't be able to clean him properly with clothes in the way."

Kyuubi cocked Naruto's head to the side. "Marry him--both of you?" His gaze moved to Gaara.

The sand-nin nodded. "Both of us. And each other."

Kyuubi's grip on Sasuke's wrist relaxed, but didn't let go. Red eyes narrowed.

"You were the one who held Shukaku, yes?"

Gaara nodded again. "I was."

Kyuubi huffed. "You have my sympathies for having to deal with that slobbering lunatic." He gave a smirk as he looked back to Sasuke. "This is acceptable, to me, so long as you both understand that you cannot have bonds with him that do not include me."

Sasuke and Gaara's smirks mirrored the demon's as they exchanged a glance, and then together leaned forward to place soft kisses on whiskered cheeks. "That was understood from the beginning." Sasuke murmured.

Sasuke's hand was released. "Very well," the demon sighed, a very faint smile threatening to tug at his black lips. "I will keep it a surprise."

Naruto's eyes closed again as Kyuubi raised his arms, letting Sasuke and Gaara finish uncovering the body they'd been waiting so long to see. It was hard to resist the temptations his bare skin presented, but each resolutely held their desire in check—far better to have permission to grope and squeeze and lick and—

Sasuke shook his head to clear his mind as they lifted Naruto into the large tub, sand holding his shoulders in place as they stripped to their boxers and climbed in after. Sasuke grabbed a bottle of shampoo as Gaara scooped water into the blond hair, and soon Naruto was purring in his sleep as Sasuke and Gaara's hands massaged his scalp. Then Gaara was pinching Naruto's nose as they swiftly but gently lowered his head beneath the surface to rinse.

That done, the two each took washcloths and set to work, washing off weeks' worth of dirt and grime. It was a delight for both to be able run their hands over every inch of his body, but they were still hesitant when the arms, legs, and upper torso had been completed.

Sasuke grimaced. "Well, we can't exactly not clean down there . . . but I don't think I could be . . . clinical about it at all . . ."

Gaara frowned. "I suffer from the same predicament. It's been hard enough--"

Sasuke snickered before he could stop himself, and Gaara blushed as he realized what he'd said. "Well, that too. . ." he admitted with a small grin.

Red eyes opened again. "You humans. I don't understand you at all." He took the cloth from Gaara's hand and the soap from Sasuke's, and reached beneath the water.

Neither of the other two dared to think too much about what he was doing, each looking away with small blushes. The demon growled. "There. Who would have thought you two, and you especially—" he looked at Sasuke "—would be so damn chaste about things! Your mating rituals are so weird, you should be more like us. If we wanna fuck, we just say 'Hey, wanna fuck?!' and it's either yes, or no. No hassles, no worries, none of this dancing around ever-so-delicately crap—"

Sasuke and Gaara growled right back, startling the demon mid-rant. "It's not just fucking!" Gaara said. "You know that, so stop your complaining. You're just afraid of what this all will mean for you. Tch. . . "

Sasuke looked at Gaara with a wry smirk and a wink. "Who would have thought that the Great Kyuubi Kitsune would fuss like a horny fishwife?

"I don't fuss like a –!" The demon cut off as Gaara started chuckling. "Fine, whatever. He's clean." The eyes closed again.

Sasuke was still grinning as they pulled Naruto out of the tub and dried him off. Gaara went to the bedroom and came back with the set of pajamas they'd picked out to be Naruto's first Christmas gift. The pants and button-up shirt were black silk, embroidered at the edges with red foxes playing in bright green leaves.

They were sad to cover the beautifully tanned skin as they dressed him, but he certainly looked more comfortable than when he had been delivered. They sat him on the closed toilet as they changed out of their wet boxers into their own pajamas—Sasuke's blue with the Uchiha fans, Gaara's dark green with frolicking pandas. Then they picked him up again and carried him to the center of the large bed in the bedroom.

Sasuke turned out the lights as Gaara climbed in next to Naruto, pulling the sheets and blankets up over them both. Sasuke settled in on Naruto's other side, leaning over to press a soft, chaste kiss to Gaara's lips, and then another to Naruto's forehead.

Naruto shifted as Sasuke laid down, reaching out in his sleep to grab Gaara's far hand, and then pulled it under his own as he turned to drape himself over Sasuke, Gaara ending up wrapped around Naruto's back like a living blanket.

"Hn," was all he said, looking into Sasuke's surprised and amused eyes. The latter freed the hand that Naruto had rolled over, reaching around them both to lightly caress their hair.

"Well, I guess he recognizes us even when asleep . . ." he mused with a sigh. "Goodnight, Gaara. I do hope this is a first, and not an only."

Gaara nodded as he snuggled down into the back of Naruto's pajamas. "Me too. Goodnight."

They drifted off the join Naruto in sleep. All three had very sweet dreams.