Three times when Sasuke took control, and one time when he yielded
N/A: 100 reviews! Thank you oh so very much. I'm very glad you're enjoying this - and so I'm posting early.
And thanks as always to Kantayra-the-fantabulous.
With each step, pain shot through Sasuke. He felt none of it. His mind was a jumble of raw emotions, and it was all he could do to find his way back to his apartment. He knew startled eyes followed his progress, knew offers of help were given, but he didn't pay attention to any of it, focused as he was on what had happened that day, the events replaying in a loop in his head.
He had awoken in the hospital. Again.
He had fought Naruto. Again.
Naruto had shown himself stronger than him. Again.
Kakashi had tried to rein him in. Again.
Orochimaru, through his envoys, had offered him power. Again.
Sasuke was tired of it. Tired of it all. He had waited long enough. He had given Konoha all the time he could afford, and Konoha had given him all the power it could. Now, he had to go look elsewhere. He had to stop allowing other people to dictate what he could or could not do, and had to take control of his life.
His decision was made before he got home. He stopped just long enough to grab a quick dinner, change clothes, and pack a few things. He was about to leave when his gaze fell on the framed picture – the only picture in the room. He froze, the other option, the one he had refused to consider until now, jumping to the front of his mind.
There was another way for him to gain power – the same power Itachi possessed, the same power he had urged Sasuke to obtain if he ever wanted to kill him. His fists clenched at his side. If he went to Naruto now, if he took him by surprise…
He took a deep breath and, picking up the frame, set it flat down.
If he went to Naruto now, not only would he not get the power he needed, he might not even manage to leave Konoha.
…
The three-year mark was approaching. With every day that passed, Sasuke could imagine that the blade hanging over him descended just a little more. It wouldn't be long, now. Soon, Orochimaru would demand the price he had set for teaching Sasuke.
When he had come to Sound, Sasuke had been ready to pay for what he learned in any way he needed to. Now… things had changed. He had changed. His goal was still the same, but he now wanted to achieve it by himself – not as a silent witness from within a body that wouldn't be his anymore. Not only that, but he actually had the beginning of an idea of what he might do after. It was a stupid idea, and he'd probably get burned badly, but maybe, just maybe…
He shut down that train of thought and stood from his seat on his bed. He stretched slowly, pushing away thoughts of an eventual return to Konoha, even putting aside, for now, his desire of revenge. He would confront Itachi soon enough. Before that, he had to correct the trajectory his life had taken. And to do so, he would kill Orochimaru. Now.
…
It was at the end of the battle with the Eight-Tails, when everything could have taken a turn for the worse, that it struck Sasuke.
Up until that moment, Hawk had been nothing but a tool to him. He had chosen its members for the abilities they could bring to him, and he had taken advantage of them in any way he had seen fit. He had not led them; he had used them.
But the way they had all acted since he recruited them… As much as they had glared at each other, even insulted each other since the beginning, something had happened to the three of them. They had stopped looking only at the reasons why they had joined him, stopped trying to reach their own goals, and instead had thrown themselves entirely into the pursuit of Hawk's goals.
They had protected each other.
They had protected him.
They weren't just a collage of mismatched shinobi anymore. They were a team.
Sasuke had almost forgotten what it felt like to belong to a team. He had almost forgotten the feel of adrenaline surging through him at the thought that his teammates might get hurt protecting him - almost, but not quite, and for a fleeting second, he longed for Team Seven.
It was different, though, very different. He wasn't simply part of Hawk. He had formed the team. He had named it, given it a purpose. And now, it was time for him to stop simply using it, and start holding the reins.
He closed his eyes for a second. When he opened his left eye, he was ready to truly take control and lead.
…
"If the clan leaders don't punish them," Naruto said very quietly, "I'll help Sasuke kill them. I don't care that I'd have to leave Konoha. If that happens, this isn't the village I thought it was."
He didn't wait to see how Tsunade would react. He turned, ready to leave, and met Sasuke's wide, bewildered eyes. He tried to smile at him, but the grin felt like a grimace. Sasuke's fingers tightened over his. They left the Tower as they had arrived, without a word. Something fundamental had changed, though. Coming in, Naruto had felt like he had to protect Konoha from Sasuke. Now, he wanted nothing more than to protect Sasuke from being hurt again by Konoha.
The village was now awake, and villagers and shinobi were walking through the streets. If they looked at Naruto and Sasuke oddly, Naruto didn't notice. His own words were still ringing through his mind, as truthful as when he had pronounced them, but only now did the consequences truly reach him. His heart was beating too fast, and a bead of sweat rolled down his back.
If it all turned sour, would he be able to do it? Would he be able to kill in cold blood?
Deep inside him, the Kyuubi laughed. "If you need lessons, I'll kill them for you. Just let me free for a while."
Naruto refused to answer or even to acknowledge that he had heard the fox. He was a ninja. This was what he had been trained to do. As far as he knew, he had never delivered a fatal blow, but it wasn't as though he were incapable of doing it.
So, yes. If it came to it, he'd help Sasuke kill them. He'd leave Konoha with him, be a missing-nin for the rest of his life, with no village to call his home, no future beyond the knowledge that he had a price on his head. He'd do it for Sasuke, but for himself, too. He'd do it for the Konoha that existed in his head, even if it wasn't the same Konoha he lived in anymore.
Lost in his thoughts, Naruto didn't realize they had arrived in the Uchiha District until the apartment door closed behind him with a soft click. He blinked, and was surprised to find Sasuke's eyes inches from his, piercing him. Their bodies were so close that he could feel Sasuke's warmth – or was he only imagining it?
"You meant it, didn't you?" Sasuke's gaze searched Naruto's features, and whatever he found, his eyes widened a little. "Of course you did. You do what you say. It's your way of the ninja."
Naruto gave him a goofy smile, hoping his hesitations and fears didn't show through. "It is. And yeah, I meant it. I just hope it doesn't come to that. The clan leaders—"
Sasuke stopped him with a brief but searing kiss. "Let's not talk about this."
Naruto blinked and shook his head to clear his mind. "But you've got to decide!"
Sasuke nodded, but his hands, pulling Naruto's shirt over his head, gave a very different message. "I will decide. But not now. Now I want to kiss you."
He did just that, his mouth crashing hard on Naruto's and his tongue pushing past his lips almost roughly. After a second of hesitation, Naruto joined him, fighting back and trying to take control of the kiss. Their hands clawed and pulled at items of clothing, so that they were naked when they stumbled into Sasuke's bedroom and to his bed.
This time, Naruto was ready. As the back of his knees touched the bed, he captured Sasuke's hands and used the leverage to push Sasuke onto the bed, trapping him beneath his body. Gasping, Sasuke broke off the kiss and started saying something. Whatever it was, it was lost in a louder gasp when Naruto thrust down, his cock sliding against Sasuke's hard-on between their bodies. Wanting to hear that gasp again, he slid back, and forward again, just a little harder. Sasuke could call him 'dead last' all he wanted, the truth was, when Naruto wanted to learn something, he learned fast.
He watched closely every little bit of pleasure that fluttered over Sasuke's face, and couldn't help but be awed that he was causing this. That flicker in Sasuke's so-dark eyes, that rapid blink, the catch in his breathing, and the color rising in his cheeks… He was doing this to Sasuke – him, Naruto, and no one else. He frowned suddenly, staring hard at his panting lover. Had he ever—
He chased the thought away by letting go of Sasuke's wrists and sliding his hand between their bodies. Resting his weight on his free arm, he closed his fingers over both their cocks and tightened his grip. No one else would ever touch him from now on, that was all that mattered.
Sasuke's now-free hands came down to clutch at Naruto's shoulders, his short nails digging in lightly into his skin to the beat of Naruto's pumping hand. And then, he did it yet again. Without warning, and so fast that he had to be using some kind of forbidden jutsu, he flipped them over so that he was lying on top of Naruto. He pressed his mouth to Naruto's, hard and fast, then said, "Slow down. I want more this time."
He stretched his body over Naruto's. His cock left a wet trail over Naruto's stomach. Naruto groaned at the sensation, then became very still when he realized what Sasuke was doing, reaching for the bedside table. He didn't even wonder when or where Sasuke had bought lube. He just stared, wide-eyed and his mouth suddenly very dry, as Sasuke knelt astride his thighs and flipped the cap of the small tube open with his thumb.
"What…" He swallowed hard. "What if I don't want more?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. He didn't say a word, but his eyes flickered from Naruto's face to his hard cock and back.
"Frottage is just fine for me," Naruto muttered, doing his best to pretend he wasn't blushing.
Sasuke's expression became bemused. "You actually know what it's called?"
Without conscious thought, Naruto's hands came up to rest lightly on Sasuke's thighs. "I traveled with a porn writer for three years. I've heard about stuff I wish I didn't know existed."
Sasuke let out a little noise that sounded like a cross between a chuckle and a snort.
"Well, I've got a feeling you won't mind knowing about this." He squirted lube onto his fingers and rubbed them together. "Trust me."
Naruto gulped and couldn't help tensing. It was the worst thing to do, he knew that much, but—
All thoughts left his mind and he could only stare as Sasuke reached behind himself with his lube-covered fingers. Abstractly, he knew what Sasuke was doing, but he still couldn't wrap his mind around it. From his vantage point, he could guess Sasuke's movements more than he could see them. Still stunned, he focused on Sasuke's face again, and realized that Sasuke was watching him right back, a slight frown pulling at his brow.
"Don't get any ideas," Sasuke said with a slight hitch in his voice. "Next time it's my turn to fuck you."
Naruto's cock twitched, though he couldn't have said whether it was from impatience or dread at the thought of what would happen the next time. He'd cross that bridge when he got to it. In the meantime… He tried to swallow, but his mouth was very dry suddenly. Sasuke's slick hand had closed over his cock and was pumping it tightly. Naruto tried to warn him – if Sasuke kept this up, all his preparations would be for nothing. Before he could say anything intelligible, however, Sasuke stopped. He held Naruto's cock upright and raised himself to his knees above it.
When he descended and Naruto's cock slowly slid inside that tight warmth, it was all Naruto could do to stop himself from coming at once. He wanted to close his eyes to calm himself, but Sasuke's eyes pinned him, commanding his attention. Not even daring to blink anymore, Naruto held his breath. Fire was coursing through his spine, demanding that he move, thrust up and make Sasuke his. Sasuke's hands on his chest, however, simply said, "Don't move. Let me," and he couldn't not listen.
He listened as long as he could. He listened to the bed squeaking every time Sasuke thrust himself down on his cock. He listened to Sasuke's breathing and his own, both increasingly ragged. He listened to the slap of flesh on flesh, so much like the sounds of a fight, and yet so different. He listened to his accelerating heartbeat and the blood pounding in his ears.
He listened – until all he could hear was his own need – his need to come, his need to make Sasuke come. Grabbing Sasuke's hips, he pulled him down to him, kissing him harshly before he reversed their positions. Sasuke started protesting, but a deep thrust changed his word into a low moan. His eyes widened, and he blinked rapidly before closing his eyes on Naruto's next push.
"Look at me," Naruto demanded, panting.
Sasuke's eyes fluttered open again. "Just… get on with it."
Naruto groaned. He pushed Sasuke's legs farther up, giving himself more room. His tempo accelerated and pulled continuous groans from Sasuke's throat. He fisted Sasuke's cock and pumped it, spreading down precome on each down-stroke. He was going to show him. Damn bastard.
After mere seconds, Sasuke's eyes were shut again, and he was biting down on his bottom lip to stop his whimpering. He clutched at Naruto's shoulders again, drawing him down and trapping his cock between them. Naruto buried his face against Sasuke's neck. Just a little more. Just…
The feel of Sasuke's body jerking beneath his, the warmth of his come pulsing between them, and Naruto let go, thrusting one last time and allowing his tenuous grip on his control to slip. Pleasure exploded in myriads of colors in front of his eyes. He breathed, "Sasuke…"
Sasuke's hands flexed on Naruto's shoulders and he grunted. "Heavy."
Naruto felt too boneless to do more than pull out and lie next to him, his hand resting over Sasuke's chest, his head turned toward his on the pillow. Over the years, he had seen a lot of ice over these familiar features; a lot of annoyance; a lot of anger and hate. He'd never seen this… contentment, or that feeling that he didn't dare name, even in his own mind.
Sasuke was breathing hard. His lips curled into a half grin. "So… that stamina of yours works for this, too. Nice."
Naruto wasn't sure whether he should blush or laugh. He did both before closing his eyes. His hand moved with each of Sasuke's breaths. Beneath his fingers, Sasuke's heart slowly calmed down to a gentler rhythm. Naruto lay silent for a while, clinging to the happiness that had cleared his mind of everything that wasn't Sasuke. But as time passed, reality reasserted itself and the questions returned, robbing him of his afterglow.
"Sasuke?" he murmured. "Do me a favor."
Sasuke sighed. "Should have known you'd be a pain even with sex."
Huffing, Naruto poked at Sasuke's ribs. "You weren't complaining earlier."
Sasuke's chest shook beneath Naruto's hand. Only when he opened his eyes did Naruto realize Sasuke was laughing silently.
"So what's the favor?" Sasuke asked, sounding resigned.
Naruto sat up and leaned against his forearm so he could see Sasuke's face. "Do the trial thing Tsunade suggested," he said quietly. His hand slowly slid up to Sasuke's neck and curled there gently. "I swear I'll do anything you want if they don't punish them. Just… just give Konoha a chance to make things right."
Biting down on the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't add anything more and become obnoxious, Naruto waited, his eyes locked with Sasuke's. Unsurprisingly, he couldn't tell what was going on in Sasuke's mind. He could only hope that Sasuke would tell him.
"Akatsuki will be here in three days," Sasuke said after a minute or two. "That should be enough for the clan leaders to pass judgment, one way or the other."
Beaming, Naruto kissed him again.