Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.
Heartfelt thanks to those who have left a review or comment. They are always gratefully received.
Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of 'spacers', are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another.
If you do not know why Naruto will not go into one of the showers, read chapter 25 'Here'.
Any scenes considered too graphic are replaced by oo******oo
Sorry that there is so little of this chapter left.
29. The shower
Sasuke pulled Naruto into the shower and locked the door. Naruto started to protest again but Sasuke placed three fingers across his lips.
"Hush, dobe. We are going to make new memories, good memories."
Naruto remained, but Sasuke could see that he was not happy about it. He was tense. Ripples of agitation travelled across his skin. His whiskers jumped every few seconds.
"Naruto, sweetheart, you can't avoid using this shower."
"I can try. There are two."
"Do you want to explain to Iruka-sensei why you won't use this shower? Because he would notice. You know he would."
Naruto's whiskers drooped. "Shi-chan says it is best not to tell anyone other than you." He looked away. "I wish I had never told you."
Sasuke was not going to let him get away with that. "You think I wouldn't have noticed that something was wrong? Do you think I wouldn't have asked Shikamaru? Do you want Shikamaru to have to talk about it?"
"Teme," Naruto muttered. He shook himself. "Shi-chan has forgiven me."
"And that means you think he would like to have a conversation about it?"
"Teme," repeated Naruto.
Sasuke turned to walk towards the faucet and heard Naruto moving behind him. "Dobe, if you leave I am going to go straight to Shikamaru and tell him that you are so hung up over what happened that you can't use this shower."
The movement stopped. "Teme," Naruto growled.
Sasuke turned on the water and set it to a very fine spray. He took Iruka's prized sponge from the rack and slathered it with the only one of the three cleansers that was aroma-free enough for Naruto.
"That's Iruka-sensei's sponge." Naruto was shocked.
"If he knew why I wanted it he would lend it to me," Sasuke told him and closed the gap between them before Naruto could recover from hearing such an outrageous assertion.
He knelt and began washing the top of Naruto's left foot. Then he lifted the foot and wiped the sponge across the sole and between the toes. Naruto, being Naruto, did not need to steady himself on Sasuke but there was a tiny suck of breath; Naruto had very sensitive feet. Sasuke replaced the foot on the floor and carefully washed Naruto's ankle, shin, calf and knee, paying particular attention to the back of the knee, which produced another hitch in his breathing. Sasuke then repeated the process on Naruto's right foot and leg. By the time he reached the back of the right knee, Naruto had started to relax.
Naruto had not wanted to go into the shower. Not even Sasuke was going to get him into the shower. He was therefore resentful that he was in the shower and that Sasuke had found a way of stopping him leaving.
It was difficult to remain resentful as Sasuke bathed his feet and legs, but he tried.
oo******oo
Sasuke was up and reaching for a kiss. Naruto brushed Sasuke's lips with his own, the first step in their favourite sequence of kisses. Some days one of them would break the pattern, teasing with an out of place lick or nip, but not this time: the brush, the peck, lips, tongues, Sasuke plundering Naruto's mouth, Naruto invading Sasuke's. Naruto initiated a seventh kiss, sucking Sasuke's tongue into his mouth. Naruto finished the kiss and smiled.
The seventh kiss was their signal that Naruto wanted Sasuke to fuck him. Sasuke stared into soft, blue, vulnerable eyes. He scooped up Iruka-sensei's sponge and led Naruto to stand under the spray. Slowly Sasuke washed his arms and his chest while Naruto moved in a sensual, lithe dance under the sponge. Then he turned, offering Sasuke his back. Sasuke worked down from his breadth of his shoulders to his slender waist. As the sponge reached his buttocks, Naruto braced himself against the wall and spread his legs slightly. Sasuke made a single sweep with the sponge and then discarded it.
oo******oo
Sasuke was dumped into reality by the sound. Either they moved to their bunk now or spent the rest of the night in the shower. He pulled away.
"Naruto," he warned.
Naruto whimpered. He knew Sasuke was right. Being locked together in the shower would be uncomfortable. He imagined what the others would think and say, the amount of teasing Sasuke would have to endure.
It was both a short time and eternity before they were in their bunk. Naruto buried his nose in Sasuke' slightly damp hair. He smelt delicious. Naruto threw back his head and howled.
