Chapter Five
Tyrranus: I made this one a bit longer--Yay!
"Here we are," Naru announced at the door marked 501. Unlocking the
door with his keycard, he threw it open grandly.
Chuckling, Sasuke entered their suite. "Wow." He stopped in the entryway,
looking around at the lovely room. The living area was decorated in white and soft
blues. A sofa, an armchair, a small refrigerator, a coffee table, and an enormous
television took up much of the middle of the room. At the end of the room, a glass
door opened to a small balcony. Near the glass door were a small table and two
chairs. Two doors on either side of the entryway led to bedrooms, one decorated in
green, the other in yellow.
"Nice." Walking to the glass door, Naru peered outside. "We have a great
view."
Sasuke came to stand by his friend. Their room overlooked the jungle
pathway they.d come in on, and beyond that, the ocean. Watching the blue waves
lapping at the shore was almost hypnotic. Finally, Sasuke's stomach growled. "I.m
starving. Let.s put our stuff away and find something to eat."
"Okay. The bags are right over there." Naru gestured toward the sofa.
Grabbing his suitcase, Sasuke smirked at his friend. "I call the green room."
Before Naru could argue, he went to stand in the doorway of the green bedroom.
"Hey! I hate yellow."
The narrowed blue-and-red eyes promised retribution later, but Sasuke
only laughed, unconcerned. "Give me ten minutes, and we can go eat."
"Whatever." Grumbling about his dislike of yellow, Naru disappeared into
the other bedroom.
Sasuke put his suitcase on the bed and went into the bathroom. After a long
day of travel, he felt dirty and tired. A five-minute shower made him feel better. So
did brushing his teeth and putting on fresh clothing. He was trying to finger-comb
his brown hair and lamenting his need for a haircut when he heard his friend
snickering in the other room.
Curious, he followed the sound. "What's so funny?"
Naru emerged from the yellow bedroom, carrying what appeared to be a
small welcome basket. "Can you believe this stuff?" He began pulling things out of
the basket, including glow-in-the-dark condoms, a bottle of lube, and chocolate
body paint, all emblazoned with the Pleasure Island logo. "This place is wild.
Where else would I get chocolate body paint as a welcome gift?" He stopped
talking abruptly, looking down at the items he held. After a pause, he asked,
"What'd you get?"
Sure enough, another basket stood on Sasuke's nightstand. He and Naru
both went into the room, and he peered through the cellophane. Without even
opening the package, he could see edible underwear, strawberry massage oil, and
more condoms. When he met Naru.s mismatched eyes, he expected his friend to
laugh. Naru had been amused when he brought the first basket in. Now, standing
by Sasuke's bed, Naru didn't seem quite so amused. And was that a blush on
Naru's face?
What could possibly have changed in a couple of minutes? Sasuke nudged
Naru. "What's up? Don't tell me you've never seen any of this stuff before."
Naru shrugged. "Nothing's up. Are you hungry?"
Sasuke was confused, but he let the subject drop. "Sure."
"Let's go eat, then." Naru turned and left the bedroom.
Wondering what Naru's deal was, Sasuke trailed after him.
Five minutes later, Sasuke stood in the lobby while Naru asked the desk
clerk about restaurants. Idly scanning the brochures in the rack against the wall,
he noted that Pleasure Island offered scuba diving and snorkeling, a fitness center,
a spa, and a night club. Filing the information away under possible activities for
the week, he turned back to the desk to see if his friend was ready to go.
Apparently having gotten the information he sought, Naru was headed for
him, leaving a blushing, giggling desk clerk in his wake. Couldn't they go
somewhere just once without Naru flirting? Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Flirting
already? We just got here."
"I wasn't flirting. I was being nice."
The mock-innocent expression didn't fool him. "Yeah, right. Maybe I should
have stayed home so I wouldn't cramp your style." His own words surprised him.
He forced a smile and changed the subject to cover the awkward moment. "Where
are we going to eat?"
"According to the clerk, there are four places to eat. There are two
restaurants here in the main building, a snack bar type thing by the pool, and a
casual place out back somewhere."
He didn't even have to think before making a decision. "Let's go to the
casual place. We aren't dressed for a formal restaurant, and I'm not in the mood for
all the fuss tonight."
Nodding, Naru led the way out the back exit. The grounds in the back
appeared tamer and more carefully planned than the riot of plants in the front.
They followed a stone walkway straight back for a while, and then they came to a
fork in the road. Shrugging, his friend went right. Even though Naru didn't seem
very certain about the direction, Sasuke followed without complaint. If they got
lost, they got lost. After all, he was on vacation.
Less than five minutes later, they arrived at a restaurant styled to look like a
large tiki hut. Outside tables flanked both sides. When they entered, the place
wasn't very crowded. The hostess took them to an outside table with a great view
of the beach. Like the desk clerk, she giggled and blushed at Naru's flirty banter.
In her wake, a waiter arrived. The young redhead, who introduced himself
as Kit, gave Naru an extra-bright smile while taking their drink orders.
Not sure whether he should be annoyed or in awe, Sasuke sat back and
stared at his old friend. "I don't believe this."
"What?"
"We've been here less than an hour, and already you've got a fan club."
Eyes widening, Naru gazed at him, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
Hating Naru for the way he wrapped people around his little finger—
apparently of both sexes—would be easy if it weren't for the simple fact that half
the time, his friend didn't even realize what he did. Naru had a way of talking and
listening to people as if they mattered, which made people want to be around him.
His sense of humor and looks didn't hurt either. "You're telling me you didn't
notice the way the desk clerk and the hostess were flirting with you? Hell, I think
even the waiter is half in love with you already. Which is not fair, by the way, since
you're not even gay."
To his surprise, Naru actually blushed. Scrubbing a hand through his short
blond hair, he stared down at the table. For several minutes, they sat in awkward
silence.
Confused and concerned by his friend's behavior, Sasuke started to say
something. He had just opened his mouth when Naru burst out, "Do you
think—"
Before he could finish, their waiter returned. "Here are your drinks. Are you
ready to order?"
Sasuke started to tell the young man to give them more time, but Naru's
expression had returned to its usual carefree geniality. "I'll have a club sandwich
and some fries, please."
"And for you, sir?"
Not having considered what he wanted to eat, Sasuke asked for the same,
wanting to get rid of the waiter. When the redhead had gone, he turned his
attention back to his friend. "What were you going to say earlier?"
Naru gave a breezy shrug. "I can't remember now."
The offhand reply didn't fool Sasuke. Naru was upset about something.
Sasuke let it drop, despite a slightly unsettled feeling he couldn't shake.
When their meal ended, Naru breathed an inner sigh of relief. Once Sasuke
had mentioned the waiter's reaction to him, he'd finally noticed it himself. The kid
had been practically falling over himself. On the bottom of their receipt, a string of
numbers and the name "Kit" had been written in small, timid-looking print. He
crumpled the paper, not wanting his friend to see.
As he and Sasuke walked back to their suite, he couldn't help thinking about
his own actions. God, I am a flirt. He'd always gotten by on charm and looks. Was he
really that shallow? Lately, he'd felt like there was a mirror showing him who he
was, how he acted, and he hated what he saw.
Stealing a glance at his friend, he wondered once more why Sasuke put up
with him. He knew why he was Sasuke's friend. What did Sasuke get out of their
friendship, though? For nearly fifteen years, Sasuke had helped him through school,
and out of countless scrapes. He'd always been there, no matter what stupid
stunts Naru pulled. But why?
It sure as hell wasn't his intellect. Obviously money wasn't the reason either,
because having a Senator father pretty much guaranteed money and influence.
Though he tended to be quiet, even shy, Sasuke had plenty of other friends. He was
attractive too, with unusual gray eyes, dark brown hair, and a serious face that lit
up when he smiled. "Hey." An elbow in the side jerked him out of his unhappy
thoughts. "You okay?"
He pasted on his best grin. "I was just thinking. You know how hard that is
for me."
Sasuke gave him a mock scowl. "Well stop. I'm supposed to be on vacation,
which means we're going to have fun if it kills us."
"Don't worry, buddy. We'll have fun."
The next morning, Naru awoke early, determined to shake off the previous
night's self-doubt and show Sasuke the good time he'd promised. Quietly, he
dressed and went into the living room to call room service. Twenty minutes later, a
soft knock on the door signaled the arrival of breakfast. He retrieved the covered
tray, tipped the young lady who'd delivered it, and set the food on the little table
in the corner.
The soft click of a bedroom door opening caught his attention. He grinned
when he caught sight of Sasuke. Usually a morning person, his friend looked none
too awake this morning. Sasuke stood in his bedroom doorway in boxers and a t-
shirt, blinking, his hair standing on end.
"Good morning, sunshine."
A scowl told him more than words could have.
Naru's grin widened. "Come and sit. I have coffee."
Shuffling over like an extra from Night of the Living Dead, Sasuke mumbled,
"Coffee?" When he reached the table, he sat and held out his hands.
Naru poured a mug of the steaming, fragrant brew and put the cup into the
outstretched hands. "Didn't you sleep?"
Taking a sip from his mug seemed to perk him up a bit, at least. "Not very
well. Traveling is fun, but I'll need a day or so to adjust."
Smiling, Naru dished up a plate of bacon, fruit, and toast. "Eat up and wake
up, Mr. Grumpy. We've got a busy day ahead of us."
With a long-suffering sigh, Sasuke selected a bagel and some bacon and
began to eat.
An hour later, they had eaten, showered, and dressed, and they were headed
down to the beach. Naru had arranged for them to go snorkeling this morning.
After lunch, they were booked at the spa. The spa thing seemed kind of girly to
him, but he wanted to check everything out before making a recommendation to
his dad.
Snorkeling turned out to be a lot of fun. He'd been before, in Hawaii, but
Sasuke hadn't. He was fascinated by the colorful fish and coral. Watching Sasuke's
sheer delight gave Naru a warm feeling. Every time the other man pointed out
something, he wanted to smile.
The time flew by, and before he knew it they had to turn in their equipment.
One quick lunch at the snack bar later, they were heading for the spa. Neither of
them was terribly enthusiastic about the rest of the afternoon.
"You didn't book us for seaweed wraps or facials, did you?"
He snickered at Sasuke's anxiety. "No, man. I've got us signed up for
massages and the steam room. There won't be anything weird. I don't think."
Sasuke frowned. "You're not reassuring me here."
The spa was a low, minimalist building. Inside, the décor was spare and
simple, with whites and blues and a lot of bamboo. He could hear the sound of the
ocean louder than he should have been able to, making him think they must be
playing some sort of relaxation tape. The overall effect was nice enough, if a bit
clichéd.
A smiling, forty-ish woman approached them. She wore a soft blue outfit
similar to nurse.s scrubs. Her voice was calm and carefully modulated. "Welcome
to the Sea of Pleasure Spa. Have you made reservations?"
Ignoring Sasuke's twitching lips, he focused on the woman. "Yes. I'm
Naruto Uzumaki. We have a reservation for two o'clock."
Consulting a small notepad, she nodded. "And this must be Mr. Uchiha.
Welcome, both of you." Motioning to a tiny young woman who stood nearby, she
continued, "First need to change into robes. You won't need any other
clothing here. Carrie will take you to the changing room, and then she'll direct you
to the next stop on your road to relaxation. Enjoy!"
The small woman, apparently Carrie, didn't even come up to his shoulder.
"Follow me, please."
Though he could hear Sasuke trying to stifle laughter, probably at the road
to relaxation remark, Naru followed Carrie silently. He nodded and smiled when
she gave them both robes and told them to go to room seven when they had
finished changing. When she left, he rounded on his snickering companion.
"Aren't you supposed to be the serious one here?"
Clearly unable to hold in his mirth any more, Sasuke burst out laughing. "Sea
of Pleasure? Road to relaxation?"
His friend's laughter was infectious, and pretty soon he was cracking up too.
"I think you're a bad influence on me, Uchiha. I've been acting like a two-
year-old ever since we got here, and I blame you."
Kicking off his own sandals, Sasuke gave him a half-hearted shove.
"Whatever. You've been a bad influence on me for years!"
"Shut up and strip. We've got some relaxing to do." The far wall featured
wicker baskets to store belongings in. He went over, grabbed one, and brought the
basket over to the bench. Yanking off his t-shirt, he wadded it up into a ball and
dropped it into the basket. Both his and Sasuke's sandals went in next, and then he
slipped off his shorts and underwear and dropped them in too. Moments later he
was swathed in the thick, soft white robe.
Not surprisingly, Sasuke hadn't finished changing. His carefully folded t-
shirt was in the basket, along with his watch and shorts—also folded—but he still
wore boxers. The teasing remark Naru had been about to make caught in his
throat when his friend stripped his underwear off, folding them as well. Having
never seen the other man naked, he couldn.t help but look a little. His studious
friend was surprisingly well-muscled for being so slim. The completely bizarre
thought that Sasuke had been working out flitted through his mind before he
forced himself to glance away.
Trying not to think about what else he had seen, he took the basket back to
where it belonged. Over his shoulder, he asked, "You ready?"
"All set."
Three hours later, having been massaged, rubbed down with some kind of
weird, minty herbal thing, and steamed, Naru had to admit he felt relaxed. "That
wasn't so bad, was it?"
Grinning, Sasuke finished dressing and put on his watch. "There might have
been something to the road to relaxation thing after all."
"What do you say we keep relaxing for the rest of the evening? We can
check out the bars and club tomorrow night."
"Sounds good."
On the way back to their suite, they picked up burgers, fries, and sodas from
the snack bar by the pool. They ate out on the balcony, and talked a little about
things they could do over the next few days. When they were finished, Naru let
the warm sunshine and soft ocean breeze lull him into a doze.
" going to get sunburned if we don't go inside."
The thought of looking and feeling like a steamed lobster for the rest of the
vacation made Naru open his eyes. "You're right. Let's go in."
Once inside, Sasuke found a movie they hadn't seen on television, and they
settled in to watch. The movie, an action-thriller, turned out to be almost all
explosions and chase scenes. After laughing their way through the ridiculous film,
they both decided to turn in. Although he tended to stay up late on normal nights,
Naru found he was tired. Even so, he didn't go to sleep right away. His brain
didn't want to shut off. A lot of things went through his mind: the weird,
depressing thoughts he'd been having lately, the waiter at the restaurant, his
thoughts about the resort. The one thing he couldn't seem to get out of his head
was Sasuke, in the change room at the spa. It was the last thought in his mind as he
went to sleep.