According to the Greeks, there are four types of love. Storge: a familial love, affection, belonging - the first kind of love in the human experience. Philia: basically it's the love between friends - the love that bonds two people due to common interests, goals, or some other kind of commonality. Philia was deemed by the Greeks to be the least natural type of love. How odd considering the importance people place on it. Eros: romantic love - in more plain terms, lust. Eros is the love between a man and a woman or more to the point the attraction between a man and a woman which leads to sex. Agape: boundless, unconditional love. Agape is the love that declares "I will love you no matter what. Sometimes that means I will love you despite yourself." This is the love that lasts forever without changing, without ceasing.
Nao stared at the ceiling of her room, watching the shadows dance with the flickers of light from the lanterns outside. The rest of the trip to the hotel had been spent walking and sweating in a miserable silence. The wordless gap between them had extended, only being bridged by a few words before they entered their separate rooms. Naruto had asked her if she wanted to go to dinner. She had declined. Not that she was avoiding him but because she was in desperate need of a shower and a bed. Her appetite had vanished due to weariness. Perhaps it was better they did not discuss the strange and disconcerting encounter in the forest since they were both tired and worn to a frazzle. After washing off the grimy dirt and crusted sweat, she had crawled into the soft, cool bed to sleep. Sleep betrayed her. It would not come. She could hear her companion next door snoring loudly in a deep sleep. At least one of them was getting much needed rest. Rolling over onto her belly, she pressed her face into the pillow, but the images in her head did not flee from the sight of her mind's eye. She could not stop thinking about the attractive and alluring Kurama, a very integral part of Naruto.
Nao. Her name means love and affection. She had been given both in endless amounts by her mother until the day she died. Then Naruto had come into her life; her way to pass on the legacy of love. Naruto the maelstrom who had stormed into her life, and made it take a turn she never saw coming. Many unexpected turns actually. First the adorable, innocent little boy: the quasi-son she tended to and cared for, the little brother she didn't know she had wanted. Later he became a friend to be cherished. Would he become the lover she needed? She groaned, turning onto her side to hug her belly. It hurt. The fox demon within Naruto had called to her, reached out to her, igniting a desire that tortured her in both body and mind. She was not sure if she was a pervert or some other sort of deviant for having these thoughts and feelings. Groaning, frustrated both sexually and cognitively, she got out of the bed to open the glass sliding door that led to the balcony. A chilling breeze rushed in, raising goose bumps along her skin from head to toe. She gasped from the sudden coolness, then closed her eyes to relish the night air that reduced the temperature of her skin and somewhat abated the inferno raging inside of her. Stepping out onto the balcony, she sat down in one of the cushioned chairs to enjoy the calmness of the night. The frogs croaked, blending into a lovely harmony with the crickets. The soft glow of the lanterns illuminated the deserted street below. When they had arrived at the hotel this afternoon, the dirt street had been filled with tourists as well as locals, vendors and street hawkers trying to sell their goods to anyone who passed by. At the moment, they were all gone except for the occasional person or couple who wandered past. Some of the stragglers were drunks staggering to wherever they planned to lay their head for sleep. Others were couples holding hands. A few of the couples paused under the romantic radiance of the multi-colored lights to share a kiss. She sighed, allowing a gentle smile to grace her lips. The breeze caressed her body, relaxing her, while she spied on the couples and watched the miniature romantic stories that played out below. Soon, she fell asleep. To dream again.
Naruto was awakened from a deep restful sleep by another hyper realistic, sexually charged dream. He awoke breathless and sweaty, horny and irritated.
"Damn you demon, stop tormenting me," he grumbled aloud, throwing back the covers. He got out of the bed to step onto the balcony to reduce the heat of his room and his body. Unfortunately, it did nothing to lessen his craving - his craving for her. Grabbing the metal railing, he twisted his hands around it wishing he could break off a piece and beat the damned nine tails until nothing was left but a bloody piece of fur. Taking a deep breath and exhaling noisily until it devolved into a growl, he massaged his tense neck muscles while rotating his head. Opening his eyes as he turned his head to the left, he saw his beautiful Nao asleep in one of the puffy chairs on her balcony. "Well, well, what do we have here?" he murmured to himself, jumping onto the thin iron rail to balance with ease. "Hmmmm...that woman is always falling asleep where she shouldn't."
Naruto leaped across the small divide between their balconies, landing soundlessly in front of her. He hesitated, studying her as she slept. She was wearing a simple purple silk nightgown with miniscule straps that held the piece of material on her body. Her legs were curled under her and her fingers were laced together with her hands resting on her belly. She shifted and moaned, startling him so violently he hopped backwards and nearly fell backwards over the balcony.
"Shit," he hissed, struggling to balance himself. He leaned forward, over balancing and falling to his knees in front of her. His hands shot out in front of him to keep him from tumbling face first into her lap. His hands were splayed against her...her..."Oh, shit," he repeated, staring at his hands that covered her breasts. Since he was going to die anyway, he decided to make the best of a bad situation. His fingers curled to carefully fondle her breasts. They were soft yet firm, fitting perfectly into his hands. His belly tightened with arousal when she groaned and stirred beneath his grasping hands.
"Naruto," she mumbled sleepily, her eyes fluttering open. Her breathing stopped at the same time his did when their eyes met.
"Nao," he whispered, staring into her shock widened eyes.
"Naruto?" she repeated as a question this time. The 'what the hell are you doing?' need not be spoken. They both knew it was the next question.
"Nao, I - I - I - uh, oh...um...dammit," he blew out, lowering his hands and his eyes. There was no explanation for this present awkward situation. Not even the truth would smooth this over.
Nao straightened out her legs, placing her knees on either side of his body. She leaned forward, lifting his chin with her forefinger. Her heart was beating furiously and deafeningly as her eyes gazed into his big blue eyes that were softened by the moonlight. Within their azure depths lay the need, the want, the yearning that mirrored her own. Even his deep embarrassment could not hide the hunger within. How could she be angry with him when she was feeling it too?Although waking up to being groped was surprising, it was not entirely unpleasant.
Naruto did not take his eyes from her sparkling emerald eyes that had always fascinated him. There was no anger. Just...oh, god. The knowledge hit him like a sledgehammer when he realized she was feeling the same thing he felt. When her face moved closer to his, he closed his eyes.
Nao's mouth hovered over his, savoring the stimulating charge between their lips that made the back of her skull buzz and her spine tingle. When she sensed his lips part and his breath drifted over her lips, she pressed her lips to his. The simple kiss was like an explosion in her body that made her extremities sting from the sheer thrill of the contact. Her knees clamped onto his sides, and she scooted forward to wrap her arms around his head. Pulling his mouth tighter to hers, she allowed pure desire and unadulterated lust to control her next actions. Her tongue slowly, experimentally, slipped into his mouth. Fueled by passion and the sensation of his arms moving around her body, her tongue stroked across his enticing a reaction. Receiving a favorable response when his tongue pushed back then brushed across hers, a mixture of a groan and a growl rumbled from within her throat.
Naruto's hands slid down to her hips, bringing her lower body to the very edge of the chair. He pressed his painfully throbbing member into her to relieve his discomfort to a small degree. A grunt of disappointment escaped him when she ripped her mouth from his. But her face, oh dear god , her face. Her eyes were closed, her mouth open, and an expression of remarkable bliss softened her already gorgeous features. Pressing his forehead to her chest, one hand moved to her thigh, gripping the supple muscles that flexed beneath his palm. His other hand gripped her butt cheek, sliding her forward again to rub against the hardness that longed to be freed. No matter how much he wanted her, he would allow her to take the lead, to decide when the time was right to consummate their relationship. He would wait for her until she was ready to elevate things to a new level, to take him completely as her lover. His lips touched the smooth skin of her shoulder just below her collar-bone. He kissed the skin again which caused her to gasp and push her body into his. He shivered from the pleasure that raced through his body. The friction between their lower bodies had to be effecting her positively as well because she began to rythmically thrust her hips, stroking the both of them to evoke more sensations of pleasure. His lips kissed a trail to the roundness of her shoulder, his hand reaching up to slide down the thin strap of her gown between pecks. The material shifted, revealing the pale round top of her left breast. The skin was so delightful, so appealing, he kissed it.
"Naruto," she exhaled, her fingers burying themselves into his hair. She held onto his head, guiding his lips downward.
In a shower of kisses, Naruto excited and teased the sensitive flesh. He pulled down the top of her gown millimeter by millimeter, unveiling more of her stunning skin. The sight of the light brownish pink areola made him gasp. His tongue darted out to taste the wonderful skin. Encouraged to continue his erotic exploration, he slid the fabric down until her hardened nipple was displayed. Licking his lips, he kissed the stiff protuberance that was obviously very sensitive by the way she arched her back and cried out his name.
Nao's whole body vibrated with ecstasy when his warm, wet tongue licked over her nipple. She pulled his mouth against her, shoving her nipple into his mouth. Her lower body rubbed against his more urgently to bring them both greater pleasure to sate the desire within them. Her fingers worked through his hair, pulling slightly when his teeth nipped her delicate skin.
Naruto lifted his head, his eyes centering on her face. Using his fingertips, he softly stroked her cheek until she opened her eyes. Their eyes locked, holding fast, as their gratification heightened during their exuberant experiment in mutual masturbation. He felt her body shuddering which brought him closer to his end.
"Nao," he whispered, holding her whole body close to his. He cradled the back of her head in his hand while she nuzzled into his neck. It tickled and thrilled him all at the same time.
"Naruto," she murmured, encompassing his body with her arms and legs. She held onto him as she experienced an orgasm, writhing against him which sent tremors of sexual satisfaction through her body. Her body quivered when he climaxed, panting in her ear. Thinking about how many times they had spoken each other's names during the unexpected encounter, she giggled.
"What?" he asked, still panting slightly. He loosened his hold on her so he could lean back to see her face.
"I suppose we've gotten acquainted with each other in a whole new way," she murmured, smiling at him before she briefly kissed his lips.
"Do you regret it?" he inquired, pushing the strap back up her arm to cover her tempting breast.
"No. No, I don't," she answered, holding his head against her chest. "Are you afraid how this will change things? Our relationship? Our lives?"
"Not at all," he replied, picking her up from the chair to carry her inside her room. Laying her down on the bed, he kissed her on the lips. He loved doing that. His wish had come true to receive his first kiss from her. Along with an extra added bonus. It wasn't a complete consummation, but it had been more than he had expected. "Our relationship has constantly been changing since the beginning. Wouldn't you agree this is a natural progression of things?"
"I suppose so," she sighed, snuggling down into the bed. She pushed back the covers, patting the bed next to her. She sighed with disappointment when he shook his head. "You're not staying?"
"Not tonight." They were both exhausted and a whole day of travel was ahead of them. His hand cupped her cheek, then he indulged in one more kiss - a lingering good night kiss that was both comforting and regretful. He regretted leaving her because he did want to stay. He wanted to stay and push the boundaries, to see how far they would get to having full intercourse. If he did, there would be no sleeping for either of them. However, it might be best to not force things too fast. He covered her body with the blankets before kissing her one last time on the forehead. He would also be just as happy kissing her and holding her throughout the night.
"See you in the morning," Naruto whispered.
"In the morning," she repeated drowsily, yawning. Nao could finally sleep.
And so begins their experience with the fourth kind of love - eros. Erotic, passionate, physically untamed love. With their new experience, a whole new life was about to begin. They were not only on a journey to the seaside trading city but in their relationship as well.
I know this chapter was a bit brief in comparison to the others. However, I felt it would be better to leave it as is since it's a transition to a new part of their lives and a new part of the story itself. I believe anything else added to it would have been out of sorts and a bit unbalanced. As always, I did my best to catch any mistakes. :)
