Happy Sunday my darlings,
Would you look at that I'm updating relatively early today! Couldn't keep you guys waiting any longer.
As always many thanks to anyone that hits that Kudos button, leaves a comment, or bookmarks this story. A lot has been going on these last few years, and I gave up a lot of things even prior to that, writing included. When I finally gathered the guts to start No Strings Attached, I wasn't even sure I had it in me...but I loved every second of it...then I dished out Gateway Cruises and I didn't think it would be as long as it was, and now here we are...so just, thanks, thanks for reading, thanks for enjoying with me 3
Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me they belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I just happened to be displeased with the canon and decided to take matters into my own hands, lol.
Rating: M (Explicit) Ummm, I have zero self-control...
After Gateway
Chapter 3: Brunette V. Blonde
Naruto picked up the phone trying not to sound like the complete wreck he felt "Hello?"
"I'm about to pull up to the hotel by the lobby" Sasuke's smooth voice came through
"Ok I'll be right there," Naruto said as he reminded himself of how hesitant Sasuke had been to tell Naruto who he was at the beginning.
"Just, it was nice to have you just be you around me"
"I'll still be me"
"No one ever is, after they find out who I am"
Sasuke deserved better Naruto thought, at the very least an open conversation to walk Naruto through what he'd seen and not the blonde jumping to conclusions. He grabbed his overnight bag and messaged Tsunade to let her know he was being picked up and made his way to the lobby area.
As Naruto walked out Sasuke pulled up rolling his window down "Need a ride?" He asked and Naruto couldn't help but smile.
"Is it free?" He asked and Sasuke's eyes trailed the blonde "No, but I'm sure we can come to an arrangement"
Naruto laughed as he opened the door and hopped inside, once the window was back up Sasuke leaned over to place a kiss on Naruto's lips.
"Did you have dinner already?" He asked as he started driving.
"Yeah, but if you haven't, I'm happy to keep you company," Naruto said as he fiddled a bit with his hands.
Sasuke ran his hands through his hair, which fell in messy strands around his face "I'm exhausted I just want to get home"
When they pulled up to the apartment complex Naruto kept seeing the numbers from the article he'd read earlier, as he looked at the tall sleek looking building, they pulled up to, but Sasuke didn't drive up to the front, he went around to a semi-hidden entrance Naruto turned to the raven.
"Sometimes they wait up front to take pictures, it's always best to come in through the back," He said as he parked the car and Naruto stepped out and realized he recognized the parking lot…it had to be the same parking lot from the picture. Sasuke walked around grabbing Naruto's bag and throwing it on his shoulder while his other hand reached for Naruto's hand.
When he led the blonde into the elevator, he slid his hands through Naruto's waist bringing his back against him as he clicked the P6 Button and scanned a card by the reader which would allow the elevator to open to the Penthouse "Wanna tell me what's bothering you?" Naruto blushed.
"Why do you think something's bothering me?"
"Because you're trying very hard to keep your hands to yourself," The raven said as the door opened, and Naruto walked in his eyes zeroing in on the floor-to-ceiling windows and the city view at night "Wow" the blonde murmured as his eyes moved from the view to the living area then the kitchen, the whole place was slick and dark and sophisticated just like it's owner.
"There is a big master bedroom and two additional rooms, one I use as an office, the other is set up as a guest room," Sasuke said
Naruto turned to the raven "I finally gave in and looked you up" he said softly, trying to keep eye contact with the raven and forcing himself not to look down.
"I guess you have questions," he said as he walked over and pulled Naruto close to him.
"That picture where you're kissing the brunette…that was taken down in the parking garage for this building right?" Sasuke looked downright annoyed, but not at Naruto for asking, but remembering how they'd managed to snap that picture.
"Come here," he said as he walked over to the living area and sat on the couch, Naruto sat next to the raven looking at him, and as always forgetting all rational thought as Sasuke pulled the tie he'd still been wearing off and undoing the first buttons of his shirt.
"Go change," Naruto said at last "This is your house, you're tired, just because we have to have this conversation doesn't mean you need to be uncomfortable while we do"
"You sure?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto nodded smiling softly at the raven. Sasuke stood and stopped leaning down to kiss the blonde "Do me a favor and try not to run off the door while I change ok"
Naruto chuckled "I'll be sitting right here"
Sasuke came back fast, which made Naruto wonder for a bit if he had really been worried Naruto would run off the door. Pants and a t-shirt were not any less distracting than the slacks and button up Naruto thought as the raven sat in front of him. Sasuke figured there was no point in stalling the conversation, uncomfortable or not. He couldn't stand the fact that Naruto was currently uncomfortable, and who knew what thoughts were running through his head...
"The brunette is Haku, he's my administrative assistant"
"He?" Naruto had thought the was a woman…he was so pretty…
"Yes, him" Naruto's mouth opened in an 'oh' shape "And he is your administrative assistant, currently, still" Naruto mumbled irritated "There's an article talking about you two published right before the cruise" the blonde continued
"Haku and I were involved in a physical arrangement"
"Is that a fancy way of saying you two were fuck buddies?" Naruto said bluntly as he felt the pit of his stomach turn into hot scorching lava.
"Were Naruto, I made it perfectly clear to him after I came back that we wouldn't be involved like that anymore"
"And nothing has happened ever since?" Naruto stood unable to stay put, pacing by the couch. Sasuke's eye followed the blonde.
"No, nothing has happened," he said and then continued "Naruto, I don't understand, when we met you were dating Kiba"
"I know"
"And at first, we were just keeping each other company"
"I know," Naruto said as he started biting his thumbnail
"So, it was ok then, when it was happening between us, but it was wrong of me to do it with Haku"
"No…that's not" Naruto stood still and looked up at the roof "I'm not being judgmental because you were with him, or the type of relationship you had with him...I just…I don't understand…why me?" Naruto looked back down, trying not to let emotion win him over.
"Wha—" Sasuke looked at Naruto's wavering eyes move to the floor.
"The other guy that's featured the most with you…Neji is it? Long brown hair, fair skin, big chocolate brown eyes" Naruto rubbed the side of his shoulder
And that did Sasuke in as he stood walking up to the blonde and lifting his chin "Why you?" The blonde bit his lip as he blushed, Sasuke leaned down, catching that lower lip with his teeth, and sucking it in as he pulled Naruto against him.
Naruto gasped as Sasuke took a step back and grabbed his hand leading Naruto over to his bedroom, once inside he walked the blonde over to a full-size body mirror as he stood behind him. One of his hands fell lightly on his hip while the other traveled from his lower belly to his chest and then finally up to his neck closing softly around it. Naruto was enthralled by the sight of Sasuke's hand moving over him, by the time it had made its way up to his neck Naruto was breathless.
"Look" Sasuke's voice rang next to his ear and Naruto looked up
"I like the tan skin" he murmured as the hand on Naruto's hip slid inside his shirt, the shirt rode up and showed Naruto's abdomen, then back down to slide under the blonde's pants, hovering over his semi-erect cock. Sasuke's hand on his neck tightened just the slightest bit bringing Naruto's attention back to him before it slid up and closed around Naruto's jaw, his thumb running over Naruto's lips.
"Ah-Sasuke" Naruto let out as Sasuke started pumping him under his sweats
The raven ate up the sight as he bit the blonde's ear lobe "Do you see your face? This pretty face with those cherry lips, do you really need to ask Naruto?" Another pump and a sweep of his head and Naruto threw his head back against Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke waited until he lifted it back up before he continued.
"The way my name drips off your mouth like I'm all you need, and those sky-blue eyes turn ocean blue just for me, just by looking at me"
He littered the back of the blonde's neck with kisses and Naruto shook with the need to feel more as he felt Sasuke's hardness against his ass. He turned to face the raven and ran his hands through the back of his head pulling him down for a kiss. When they spread apart for air both of them undressed as they walked over to the bed, Sasuke pushed Naruto onto the plush bed. His hand reached out to the nightstand and pulled out the lube and looked over at the blonde on the bed.
"Get comfortable on the pillows," Sasuke said, and once Naruto got comfortable, he placed the lube on the blonde's hands and Naruto blushed "I want to see you prepare yourself"
He sat back "Sasuke," Naruto said the name shily as he looked from the lube bottle to the man in front of him
"I want to see you," Sasuke said again, and Naruto turned to stack more pillows on his back before he opened the bottle and dropped plenty of lube on his fingers, and reached down to his hole his other hand was hovering by his erection. The first finger circled his entrance and he blushed fiercely as he saw the raven's eyes following his movements intently.
Naruto circled for a bit before the finger slipped inside, at the same time his hand closed around his erection "Mmmm" he said softly his eyes closing at the sensation. Sasuke wasn't touching him and yet his eyes were setting fire to every part of his body they fell on.
"You want to touch me," Naruto said "badly" The first finger was sliding in and out and his hand rubbed the head of his erection "Ah"
"Yes," Sasuke said darkly, his own hand coming up to his erection and Naruto thought he would lose it as he saw Sasuke jerking himself off to the view of Naruto preparing himself, he thrust a second finger inside losing himself in the feeling. He added a third finger and found that one spot that made him shiver and gasp.
"I need more…more than my fingers," Naruto said as his eyes centered on Sasuke's erection.
Naruto's fingers slipped out and he missed the touch instantly, but he sat up reaching for Sasuke and pulling him closer into a kiss, biting his bottom lip "Stop teasing me" he said gasping against the raven's lips.
"I'm not teasing Naruto, I just want you to see," he said before he shifted on the bed and pulled Naruto on top of him, his erection resting against the blonde's ass "To feel how excited you make me"
Naruto groaned as he dropped his head on Sasuke's chest "Why you, isn't even a question you should be asking" Sasuke said hoarsely as his hands kneaded Naruto's ass then spread it as his erection rubbed against the blondes lubed entrance "Ah!" He pushed the blonde down on him slowly, taking in the sight of the shaky blonde on top of him, as Naruto raised his head and locked eyes with him again…and there they were, the dark, lust-filled ocean blue eyes he could drown in.
"Shit" He muttered as he pulled the blonde up and back down again, the blonde gasped as he sat up on top of Sasuke "Shit, fuck, so deep" He muttered as he placed his hands on the raven's chest for support as he started riding him. Sasuke's hands moved from his ass to his hips, bringing him down with more strength unable to take his eyes off the blonde as he lost himself in the pleasure. They kept that pace until at last Naruto fell on top of him "Sasuke"
"That's it, let it go," Sasuke said, unable to keep from his orgasm any longer and the blonde let go as he muttered the raven's name like a mantra and looked up at Sasuke reaching to bring him in for a kiss. His, he was with him now. This man that undid him, that made him feel so powerful…was with him now.
The blonde laid on top of the raven letting his orgasm wash over him, as Sasuke's hands trailed his spine up and down ever so softly, Naruto hummed as he closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, Sasuke was sitting next to him cleaning their mess with a wet cloth "You can't just turn me into goo when I ask you questions" Naruto muttered, but he was smiling at the raven groggily.
"Should show you just how attractive I find you, can't keep my hands off you" Sasuke said, and Naruto shivered.
Sasuke left the wet cloth by the nightstand and then turned off the light as he slid into the bed, pulling the half-asleep blonde over to him "Can the rest of this conversation wait until tomorrow?" He asked
"Mmmm, not that we had much of a conversation today" The blonde murmured as his eyelids closed again.
Naruto woke up to the smell of coffee, and as he reached to the side, he realized he was by himself. He saw Sasuke had placed his overnight bag by the door to the room, he grabbed his toothbrush and made his way inside the bathroom and his eyes instantly fell on the walk-in shower, and he blushed, his mind instantly turning to what they could do in there. He shook his head, brushed his teeth, and made his way out just in time to see Sasuke walking in with a tray.
"Morning Sunshine," Sasuke said as he set the tray on the bed and slid it towards the middle, Naruto spotted bagels, different spreads, fresh fruit, and of course coffee.
"Morning lover" Naruto answered as he looked from the tray back up to Sasuke.
Naruto got comfortable on the bed and reached for the coffee cup "Time for the rest of that conversation?" Naruto asked
"Better sooner than later" Sasuke said as he took a bite off his bagel.
"So, you're very rich," Naruto said as he put the cup down and picked up the small bowl of fruit.
Sasuke chuckled "You could say that"
"All those articles, all those pictures…" Naruto started the sentence but didn't know how to finish it "How do you live your life?" He asked in the end
"It takes trial and error to adjust, to figure out what you want to do publicly and what you want to keep private" Sasuke said as he looked at the blonde "Romantic relationships, for example, or any type of physical interactions, I prefer to keep private, but as you saw, I can't always do that" Naruto thought back to that picture of Sasuke kissing Haku
"Renting this place cost extra because they promised high-end security, and even then, a reporter managed to bribe someone to gain access to the parking garage" The raven clenched his jaw
"Naruto, at first they were publishing stories just because of how Haku and I look next to each other, but that one picture lit fire to the story, the only reason they keep publishing is because the public likes to have their opinions about whether or not I'm currently involved with someone...I...Naruto I'm about to ask you something but I don't want you to misunderstand"
"Ok…" Naruto said softly
"I'm really excited about you moving here, but as you saw yesterday, I seem to have no self-control when it comes to you, and I know that your expectation will be to go out and have dinner, go on dates"
"What are you getting at?"
"I don't want any pictures of us out there, at least not yet" Naruto took a moment to collect his thoughts.
"Because what? You don't know if we're going to last and you wouldn't want to put it out there if we're not? —Because I'll remind you, you asked me to move in with you, how did we go from that to this?
"Naruto, I asked you to move in with me, because I want you to, because this right here is the most private space we'll have"
"If I had an apartment we could meet there too" Naruto countered.
"Until some stalker reporter notices and snaps a picture of me going into your apartment, it will take longer for someone to make the connection of you coming here, than me going there"
Naruto bit his lip "If you don't want pictures taken how are we even supposed to date? Go anywhere?"
"We would go to places my public persona usually isn't seen at, I can wear casual clothing, I can go out there without being recognized instantly you know"
"Why are you trying to hide me?"
"Naruto did you read those articles out there? Is that what you want? For people to make assumptions about who you are, where you were raised, the schools you went to, whether or not you measure up to be with someone like me, or if you have ulterior motives for going out with me?" The raven stood, this time he was the one pacing the room "I'm not trying to hide you, I want to protect you"
Naruto wasn't ready for anyone to dive deep into his personal life, so he sat there quietly, frustrated.
Sasuke sat back down "This is why I can't really date unless it's someone from our own social circle, raised like us, but I don't want that, I want you and that makes me feel—helpless, I feel helpless at the fact that I can't control the media, I can't control what others will say or how that will affect you"
Naruto reached out to grab Sasuke's hand, feeling bad for the raven for having to try so hard to live his life constantly having to think about his next move, about how his actions can be interpreted, while at the same time trying to have meaningful relationships.
"You can't keep me hidden away forever, not if this relationship works," Naruto said softly "But for now, I understand, we'll make it work" Naruto could visibly see Sasuke take a breath "But I'm still looking for an apartment" he added to which Sasuke had to try very hard not to roll his eyes.
"But why?" Sasuke literally whined and Naruto's eyes filled with laughter "Did you just whine?"
"No" Sasuke answered
"Did too" Naruto laughed before he grew a little serious "If feels rushed, we were just talking about how we are hiding this relationship...what if it really doesn't work Sasuke? what am I supposed to do then?"
Sasuke walked over to Naruto's side of the bed and sat "If it doesn't work Naruto, I wouldn't just throw you on the street, I care about you too much, I would make sure you get set up somewhere else, Naruto, let me take care of you" Naruto's eyes filled with tears, Tsunade and Jiraya cared for him, everyone at the practice really, as much as he would allow them to. His parents had cared for him…but at first, when his parents had passed, no one had taken care of him, he had to take care of himself, couldn't risk relying on others and being let down…
Kiba…he had taken more care of Kiba than having allowed Kiba to take care of him…but he had cared in his own sort of way. Sasuke was just the first person to come into Naruto's life to want to take care of him so…wholly…he really said it like he meant it, and he wants to believe that it's true. Tsunade had said she'd welcome him at her house any time, and that was not an empty offer, she meant it. If things went wrong here, he would have somewhere to go.
To hold back out of fear (and rationality) or take a leap of faith and just feel…loved, hopefully, cared for "I call the guest room" Naruto said
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked
"If we fight, and I need space, I call the guest room, it will be my space" Sasuke smiled at Naruto "I understand, we can do that" Sasuke pulled the blonde towards him for a hug "I know it's crazy Naruto, I surprised myself the first time I asked you, I said it as a joke and realized that it wasn't, that I wanted you here, that the idea of you being here when I come back from work just…lights me up" Naruto smiled against the raven.
He wanted to be with Sasuke...rational or not...
Consequences be damned.
But the way Sasuke just takes him / he really took 'actions speak louder than words to heart on this one!
And as for Naruto moving in...sometimes things we overthink a lot of things...but you do them anyway and you either realize it was a mistake or it turns out to be the best damn risk you've taken in a long time *hearts* What do we hope the outcome will be for our lovers?
Can't wait to hear your feedback on this one my lovelies,
Chio~
