Disclaimer: Naruto and it's characters belong to their rightful owner.
Warnings: Shounen ai/yaoi, angst, swearing, etc. The usual.
Chapter 18: The Beautiful Side of Somewhere
"Um...Sasuke?" Naruto spoke up timidly.
Sasuke looked up from his menu and raised his eyebrows in question. Naruto smiled hesitantly at him and shifted once more in his seat. He had a feeling that Sasuke was getting a little annoyed at his shiftiness, and made a conscious effort to sit still.
"I don't...I don't know what half of this stuff is," he admitted, feeling his cheeks bloom with new color.
Sasuke appraised him for a moment before glancing back down at the menu. There was no judgment in his eyes though, so Naruto felt a little reassured about the whole thing.
"How about you let me order for you," Sasuke suggested. "Soup? Pasta? Or maybe that burger you suggested earlier."
There was a twinkle in his eye that made Naruto look down shyly.
"Anything. I don't really mind."
"Okay then." Sasuke closed his menu decisively and signaled a waiter.
The waiter bowed when he arrived at their table.
"How can I help you, sirs?"
"Two burgers with the lot please. With a side of fries and garden salad." Sasuke replied promptly, looking at Naruto as he handed over the menu's.
"Anything to drink?"
"Two cokes please."
The waiter nodded, and left them.
Naruto tucked his hands under his legs and hunched forward slightly, studying the intricate patterned stitched into the white table cloth. Sasuke was...He was so different from the person he was used to seeing at the estate. He wondered if this was the real Sasuke he was seeing, and if the man he knew from home was just a cover for this...warmer version of Sasuke.
"So uh...you mentioned you wanted to talk about something?" Naruto ventured after a few minutes of silence. Sasuke turned from looking out the window and looked at him, his face devoid of emotion once more. Naruto straightened a little as Sasuke sat forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"Yes, I did. I take it that you've heard of my intention to enter the Southern Showmanship Competition this year."
Naruto nodded, the meeting from yesterday still fresh in his memory.
"You'll be riding Taira?"
Sasuke nodded. "I will. But I'm also thinking of purchasing a second horse, and that's where you come in."
"You want me to help you select a horse?" Naruto questioned doubtfully.
"I do. But not only pick one out, but train it too. And ride it for me in the competition."
Naruto's stiffened in his chair.
"Wha...you mean...actually compete? Sasuke...I'm not sure that's..."
"If you're worried about controversy, then you needn't. I've requested that Kakashi select two other stable hands to also compete. We don't have enough time to find and hire suitable professional riders. It's the only option we have at the moment," Sasuke interrupted him.
"But Sasuke...are you sure? I mean, I've ridden competitively before but never...never at the level we're talking about now." Naruto tried to quell the self-doubt and nervousness in his gut as he fiddled with his napkin. "I'm not sure..."
"From what I've heard, you've got more than enough talent. And you're an excellent trainer. So what's the problem?" Sasuke's gaze was probing. "Could it be that you don't want to work that closely with me? Because if that's what the problem is, then I can assure you that I won't interfere with you when you're working."
"It's not that," Naruto shifted uncomfortably.
The implications of what Sasuke was proposing were plenty and varied. The first and foremost being that he wasn't sure if he could control himself around Sasuke for such extended periods of time. The second being that he wasn't sure how discrete either one of them could be. If the others weren't suspicious already of what was going on between them, then they definitely would know something was up if he accepted. And he wasn't sure if he could deal with that. Not when what they had together was so new.
But the real reason was that he wasn't sure if he was good enough to ride at such a high level. Sure, he'd ridden many competitions before, but that had been years ago. And this was a televised event to boot.
Not to mention that he would have to get to know the new horse and train it as well.
"Then what is it?" Sasuke asked, gently probing.
"Sasuke...it's a big responsibility. I really don't think that I can. I mean..." Naruto was frustrated at himself for not having the words he needed to convey what he meant. Sometimes it really bothered him, not being able to function like a normal person. How hard could it be to speak the words that were tumbling around in his mind?
He frowned, and tried not to work himself up too much in front of Sasuke.
"So that's what the problem is," Sasuke had been studying him intently as he spoke. He reached across the table and covered Naruto's hand with his own.
"You have nothing to fear, Naruto. We'll take it one step at a time. You don't have to give me an answer now. First we'll find a suitable horse. Then we'll get you started on training it. And if you still don't want to do it, then we'll talk about finding someone else okay?"
It sounded like a sensible solution. And if he had time to think about it, then maybe it wouldn't be so daunting to him. Besides, this could be the step forward that he had been looking for. One more step towards the future, one step away from his past.
Exhaling slowly, he nodded in agreement, focusing on the warmth of Sasuke's hand on his own. It felt so...right. So natural. Was that what it was supposed to be like? Was it supposed to feel so easy to be with someone?
When it was just them together, with no one else around, he actually felt like it was the easiest thing in the world to be with Sasuke. When the world didn't get in the way, then he felt like he could be like this for the rest of his life, and he liked the thought of that.
"Okay," he breathed, finally looking up at Sasuke once more. "So what do we do now? What kind of horse are you looking for?"
"Right now? Right now we eat." Sasuke sat back, slowly sliding his hand away as the waiter appeared with their food. "After that, I have a few people in mind that might be able to help."
-
Naruto gaped in awe as they pulled up the long sweeping driveway of the Riverview Stables. The place had the reputation for breeding some of the most valuable and prestigious race horses and competition winners in the entire country.
Naruto had never even set eyes on the place before, and the prospect of actually talking to the people who worked there was daunting. His father had held the place with great regard when he had been alive, and Naruto had seen the evidence for himself. Every horse he had seen that had been bred here had been exceptionally beautiful, with excellent turn out.
"You...we aren't seriously..." he began, looking at Sasuke in surprise.
"Yes we are. We've often bought horses from this place. Regale was bought here. And so was Constantino."
"I didn't know that."
"The horse I would have bought instead of Taira was born here," Sasuke informed him, as he parked the car underneath a strand of beautiful oak trees. "I've been asking around about horses with potential, and the owner of this place contacted me about a horse he has for sale. I thought we'd have a look at him before we headed back."
Naruto nodded as he climbed out of the car once more. He looked around at the green fields with the white painted fences, and the long driveway lined with old towering trees.
The stables were kept immaculately clean, much like the ones at the Uchiha estate. Naruto breathed deeply, taking in the familiar scent of clean horse and fresh hay. The place was bustling with activity, and Naruto stuck close to Sasuke as he led the way through the stable yard. A stocky man with a great bushy mustache was approaching them.
"Uchiha Sasuke?"
Sasuke nodded.
"Misoru Kota."
"This is Uzamaki Naruto," Sasuke introduced as the two shook hands. "He'll be the one training the horse."
The man nodded, and looked Naruto over speculatively. "I haven't heard of you before. The names familiar though."
Naruto swallowed, and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"You might have heard of my father. Uzamaki Arashi?"
The man clicked his fingers, smiling widely. "Ah, that's right! I remember him now. Tall fellow, hair like yours?"
Naruto nodded and looked down at the ground. He felt Sasuke's hand settle on his lower back, and was grateful for the silent support.
"If you please, Mr Kota, we'd like to have a look at the gelding you mentioned yesterday." Sasuke interrupted coolly, his facade back in place. It was a fascinating thing to watch really, and one that jolted Naruto when he wasn't expecting the startling transformation.
"Of course, Mr Uchiha. This way, if you please."
The man turned and led the way into the barn. Naruto followed Sasuke slowly, as he regained his equilibrium.
A warm hand wrapped around his arm and urged him forward. He stumbled slightly as he was drawn to Sasuke's side. Sasuke kept his hand under Naruto's elbow, and it was all he could do not to focus solely on the point of contact.
"Here he is," the man announced proudly when they came to a halt in front of a large stable.
Inside was a medium sized chestnut, who looked over his shoulder at them curiously for a moment before approaching them. He was a pretty thing, obviously young, and splendidly built.
"He's a Swedish Warm blood. Four years old and mostly trained for dressage. He's got a gentle temperament, and good strong gaits. Comes from one of my best lines," Mr Kota said proud, patting the gelding on the neck. Sasuke was running critical eyes over the animal.
Naruto stepped forward, and offered his hands for sniffing. The gelding, nudged them curiously before lipping them gently and moving on to inspect his shirt sleeve.
He was a beautiful animal, but Naruto could already tell that he was entirely unsuited for Sasuke. He had a gentle temperament, and would not be a very competitive horse at all. Naruto knew that to compete in competitions such as the ones Sasuke wanted to, the horse needed to have drive and a strong competitive streak.
This gelding seemed to be lacking in those departments, but he would be a perfect horse for more nervous riders, with his steady temperament.
"Would you like me to get him out for you?"
Sasuke nodded sharply, still not saying anything, but Naruto could tell that Sasuke already knew he would be buying the gelding.
Naruto stepped backwards as the owner set about slipping on a rope halter and leading the gelding out.
"What do you think?" Sasuke asked him quietly as the horse was led and walked around.
"He's got good lines. And a nice temperament," Naruto replied, moving closer to him so he wouldn't have to raise his voice. "He's inexperienced though. Might not be so good for what you need him for."
"You can say it Naruto. I won't bite," Sasuke said bluntly.
Naruto tried to halt the small smile that threatened.
"I don't think you're suited to each other. And I don't think we have enough time to condition him to what we need him for."
"That's what I thought." Sasuke nodded. He straightened up as Mr Kota led the chestnut back towards them. "Why don't you have a wander around and see if there's anything else with potential while I distract him."
Naruto nodded in agreement and drifted away as Sasuke started to discuss something with the owner.
All the horses were large, and healthy in their stalls. Some of the mares were heavily pregnant, and he spared a few moments to give each of them a pet. But there was no horses there that really stood out. Sure, some of them would have been great for competition riders, and a lot were highly praised for their winnings, but he knew that Sasuke liked flashy horses, horses with large personalities that were unique in their own right. And he had noticed that Sasuke liked a challenge with his horses.
The early afternoon sun was bright and warm on his skin. He was full and he was warm, and he was with Sasuke. He wasn't sure if he had felt this...normal in a long time. He looked up at the sky above, and wondered what would be waiting for him when he got home. Maybe he'd curl up in his room and go to sleep. The perfect end to one of the best days he could remember having.
A shrill whinny cut the peaceful quiet, and he looked up to see an impressive display of agility from a blood bay in a round yard off to his left.
The horse was on a lunging rein, and the trainer in the center of the yard was trying desperately to get the animal to calm down. The horse was plunging and shying violently, obviously having been frightened by something.
It was a striking animal, with black legs, a dark muzzle and a flowing black mane and tail, whilst it's body, neck and most of it's face were a deep red chestnut.
Naruto was captivated by the horse, and found himself moving closer. The trainer had somehow managed to get the horse to stand, and had moved to stand by the creatures head. The horse was obviously still agitated, tossing it's head and stamping irritably.
"What's it's name?" he asked the young girl who was stroking the bay's neck soothingly.
The blond girl looked at him before smiling up at the large horse.
"Her name is Sora." the girl replied.
Naruto stopped at the fence and rested his arms on the railing.
"She's beautiful."
"She is isn't she?" the girl smiled at him. "Mr Kato doesn't like her much. She's difficult to handle, and she doesn't like people touching around her head. But she's a hard worker, and willing to please if she trusts you."
"What breed is she?"
The girl walked towards him, with a significantly calmer mare following.
"She's full blood Trakehner." She paused for a moment and looked him over a little closer. "Are you looking to buy?"
"I'm helping my boss look for a horse." he replied, his eyes still on the mare.
"Well, she's a lovely animal if you treat her right..." she seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if she wanted to say something, but wasn't sure if she should.
Naruto looked at her for a moment.
"What is it?" he asked softly.
"My boss will get me in trouble if I..."
"It's okay. I won't tell him." he assured her, liking this softly spoken girl almost immediately. "My name's Naruto."
"Kaede. My names Kaede," she laid a hand on the mare's neck as she lowered her head and sniffed at the ground. "It's just...my boss will tell you that she's ill tempered and badly trained. He's been trying for weeks to get her up to his selling standards."
"Why would he think that?"
"Because she never does what he wants her too. She's very strong willed when she wants to be, and she has her bad days. It's just every day he goes to work with her, she's been stressed out. I don't think she likes men all that much."
Naruto nodded as he looked at the mare once more. So she was damaged goods, just like him. He understood that all too well. She was a horse that he could relate to. They could do well together.
"Would you mind if I..."
"Go ahead."
He slipped under the fence, and accepted the lead rope that Kaede held out. Slowly he approached her, watching as she visibly tensed, and pricked her ears.
"Just be careful," Kaede told him, stepping back to the edge of the yard.
But Naruto was focused solely on the mare before him. She was staring at him, sussing him out blatantly.
"Hey there, girl," he murmured.
She stretched out her nose, not moving a step forward to meet him. He had stopped a few feet away, giving her her space and letting her make up her mind if she wanted to greet him or not.
Naruto reached out a hand and offered it to her. She sniffed him for a few long moments before dropping her head and stepping a little closer.
"See now," he murmured so that only the mare could hear. "I'm not going to hurt you. I think we're more alike than we know."
She responded to the sound of his voice and moved even closer, sniffing first his tattered jeans, and then his shirt, and his hair.
He laughed softly, and stroked her shoulders and chest, savoring the feel of the silky smooth coat beneath his fingers.
Sora truly was a magnificent horse. She stood at about 16.2 hands high, with an elegant and refined way of carrying herself. Her shoulders were deep and sloping, and her back was perfectly curved and of moderate length. She possessed powerful hindquarters characteristic of the breed that made them such good jumpers. Her color was deep and bold, and her eyes were intelligent and keen.
He could work with the behavioral problems. Tender love and care could solve those problems, along with a great deal of patience. It was only a matter of finding out just how well she was trained, and how experienced she was.
"Naruto?" Sasuke was calling.
He turned to see Sasuke and Mr Kato exiting that barn. Once he had caught sight of him in the yard, Sasuke headed towards him. Naruto didn't miss the frown on the owners face, but said nothing.
Sasuke leaned against the fence, and Naruto led Sora a little closer.
"This is Sora," he said. "I think she..."
"She looks promising," Sasuke interrupted as he turned to the owner once more. "What can you tell me about her?"
"Her?" the owner was still frowning as he looked first at Sasuke and then over to him. The mare had pinned her ears back and was stamping impatiently once more.
"She's about six years old. Born and bred over in America. Full blood Trakehner."
"And what about her temperament?" Sasuke questioned.
"Forgive my boldness, Uchiha-sama, but I'm not sure this horse is the one you're looking for. She's ill-tempered and stubborn, and definitely not for the competition world. She gets worked up easily, you see and..."
"We'll be the judge of whether or not she's good enough," Sasuke interrupted. "Does she have papers?"
"She does. They...They're in my office, if you'd like to come with me," the owner replied, cowing instantly.
Naruto looked at Kaede; she was scuffing her boot into the dust, and looking unhappy. He approached her, a little tentatively.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly.
She looked up at him, and smiled, looking sad.
"Yeah, I'm okay. It's just, she's one of my favorites, and I want her to go to a good home. But the way he's trying to convince everyone not to buy her makes me think that he's going to sell her to a meat factory or something."
Nartuo laid a hand on Sora's neck, and stroked her soothingly. She seemed to calm down a little more now that the owner was gone, and had lowered her head to nibble at a tuft of grass.
"I don't think that's going to happen. I'm going to do my very best to make sure that she comes home with me," Naruto murmured to her. "She's the horse we need."
Kaede looked at him, surprised. "You can tell that already? I mean, you've just met her and all. You haven't even ridden her or anything."
Naruto looked up at her, and flashed a shy smile. "I've worked with horses my entire life. I've been told I have an eye for spotting horses with potential."
"And you think she has potential?"
Naruto looked Sora over once more, feeling a flush a fond pleasure when he saw that she was sniffing his boots. She wasn't short of curiosity, that was for sure.
"Oh yes," he replied. "She has plenty of potential. It's just sometimes horses get trapped within their fears. It's our job to help them get past that and become the horses that they have the potential to be."
Kaede was listening to him with wide eyes, and Naruto flushed. It wasn't often that he got the chance to talk about his very deep and abiding love for horses, and whenever he did, he often lost himself within memories of his father. He owed his dad a lot; he had taught Naruto everything he needed to know from a very young age, and he would be forever grateful for the imparted wisdom and the deep respect for horses that he had passed on. It was one of the only legacies that he had left behind, and Naruto always made sure that it was honored in the proper manner. He would never disrespect his father's memory by forgetting a single thing he had been taught. He would always put his knowledge to good use in helping horses that needed his help to grow.
Naruto smiled at her once more, before handing over the lead rope.
"I promise. I'll do my very best." he told her solemnly.
"Thank you, Naruto," Kaede replied, accepting the rope back. "I appreciate it."
Naruto nodded, patted Sora's shoulder once more before ducking out of the yard and hurrying over to where Sasuke was waiting by the car. He held a folder in one of his hands, and he gave it to Naruto.
"I thought you might want to look these over before I did. You have a better idea of what to look for anyway."
Naruto accepted the folder and looked up to see Sasuke looking over to where Kaede was lunging Sora once more.
"She is a beautiful creature." he said. "Impressive movement."
Naruto nodded as he watched. "She can be a bit difficult apparently. But Kaede said she's a hard worker, with some experience. She could be what we're looking for."
"You don't need to try and convince me, Naruto. If you think she's good enough, then she's the one we'll get. I've organized for us to come out here again tomorrow morning so that you can ride her and see how she feels." Sasuke finally looked down at him. "Think you can handle that?"
Naruto nodded.
"Good. We'd better be heading back now. It's starting to get late, and I imagine you want to help with the evening feed."
Naruto blushed, and heard Sasuke's rumbling laughter. He slid into the car, his mind full of all the possibilities of working with a horse as beautiful as Sora. But more importantly, he wanted to ride in that competition, if only to see how well she would perform. And so he could see if he could really make it in the horse world, as his father had. If he could do it, then maybe he had a chance to make something out of his future, something more than a stable hand.
It was worth a shot, anyway.
-
Naruto slipped into the stables unnoticed, and grabbed two buckets of feed before slipping away without anyone asking him questions. He opened the door to Ani's stable and slipped inside, shutting it after himself and approaching the colt. He was on his feet at least, and he shuffled towards Naruto, his stitches obviously not bothering him, but pulling none the less.
He was pleased to see that Ani seemed placid and calm, and not stressed out in anyway. It would help speed the healing process if he could remain that way for as long as possible.
"Hey there, boy." he murmured, approaching him.
Ani nuzzled his hands in welcome, and Naruto smiled as he ran his hands over his warm face.
"It's good to see you on your feet again," he told the horse. "I was so worried about you."
Ani huffed sweet breath over his hands and nudged him gently.
"How did you know I bought you a treat, eh?" he asked with a smile. "You're a smart boy aren't you?"
He fished the wedge of apple out of his pocket and Ani lipped it up from his palm delicately. Naruto rubbed his ears as he studied the dressings covering Ani's injuries.
"It's gonna be a little while before we can get you out of here, boy. You have to be patient like me, okay? I promise you though, no matter how many horses I ride, you'll always be my favorite."
Ani nudged him again, and Naruto gave him another rub around his delicate nostrils.
"Be a good boy tomorrow and I'll come and take you out for a walk, okay? Just you an' me."
He gave Ani one last pat, and turned around to find Sasuke standing there.
For a moment he just stood there in surprise, his eyes wide before Sasuke laughed gently.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."
"N-no, that's okay," Naruto stammered, feeling his color rising. "Have you...been there long?"
Sasuke smiled at him and came closer. "Yeah."
"Oh. Right."
He stared at the toes of his boots in embarrassment.
"I actually came here to give you this. You left it in my car." Sasuke explained.
Naruto looked up to see Sasuke offering his worn wallet. He stepped forward and took it.
"Thanks," he murmured as he tucked it into his pocket. "I...I'm sorry to make you come all the way down here."
"That's okay," Sasuke said, his eyes softening as he caught Naruto's hand and pulled him closer. Naruto flushed and looked down at their entwined fingers. "It gives me an excuse to see you."
"Sasuke..."
Naruto's stomach tightened with nerves but somehow he found himself leaning upwards and placing a fleeting kiss on the side of his mouth. A moment later he stumbled backwards and backed off.
"I...I'm sorry, I didn't..."
Sasuke caught his hand and pulled him back, that stunning smile on his face once more.
"You have nothing you apologize for." he whispered, before gently pressing his lips against Naruto's.
His kisses were chaste and gentle. Naruto felt himself melt against Sasuke's solid chest, grasping his expensive silk shirt with his hands to steady himself. His heart was pounding furiously in his chest, and when Sasuke licked his way into his mouth, Naruto was lost within the myriad of raging emotions.
When Sasuke pulled away and trailed his lips across his cheek and down his neck, Naruto sucked in lungfuls of air as he clutched the back of his shirt. His gasping for air sounded impossibly loud in the silence of the stable yard. Everyone would be getting ready for dinner, so it meant that they were all alone.
Sasuke bit gently into his ear lobe and Naruto shuddered involuntarily, feeling too hot and flustered all of a sudden. He gasped when a cool hand slipped under his t-shirt to caress the skin of his lower back softly.
"S-sasuke..."
"Shhhhh..." the Uchiha whispered against his lips, his breath warm. Naruto wordlessly offered his mouth again, and was rewarded by Sasuke claiming his mouth once more. He opened his mouth when Sasuke licked his lower lip, and their kisses became wet, and hot and Naruto moaned slightly when Sasuke's hand caressed up and down his back and pressed him flush against the hard length of his body.
It was dark, and quiet and cool and Naruto thought that this couldn't be more right. He was willing to give anything if it meant having Sasuke here like this with him, Sasuke's hands on his skin.
Sasuke ended the kiss slowly, and pulled back to smile at him, raising a hand to caress his face.
"I have to go. I'm expected at dinner."
Naruto nodded wordlessly, although every fiber of his being was screaming for him to stay, to take everything he had to offer and more. Sasuke pressed another kiss to his lips before stepping back. Naruto missed his warmth almost immediately, and almost as much as he missed his touch.
"I'll stop by and pick you up at 7:30."
"Okay," Naruto breathed, trying to still his pounding heart and will his body to calm down once more.
"Goodnight, Naruto."
Sasuke disappeared into the shadowed aisle, back the way he had come, and back to the life he led. Naruto staggered backwards and leaned against the wall and wished that he didn't feel the sudden, overwhelming urge not to be alone anymore.
-
Tenten covered her mouth as Sasuke left the stable. She watched as Naruto leaned himself back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling.
This couldn't be happening. Not...surely not Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke was...
She could hardly believe what she had seen, but when she really thought about it, it made sense. The strange absences, the distracted behavior, the crying. She had to do something about this.
But first of all, she had to confront Naruto, and find out if Sasuke was really forcing himself onto her blond friend or if Naruto was willingly going along with...whatever it was that was going on.
Surely she wasn't the only one who could see that it was all going to end in disaster?
A/N: Yes, peoples, I am back from my month long holiday overseas, and I hope you all missed me. As a reward for your patience, I present you with this gift…..ANOTHER CHAPTER!!!
Lol, things are finally going somewhere huh? About time too! As usual, any questions, comments or suggestions are always welcome. All you have to do is click that little purple button on the left hand side of the screen. Go on, feed my ego!!!