I realize this has been a superiorly long wait for a story that has been nearly four years in the making now. I recently looked at the original publish date for this and had one of those cartoon moments where my eyes got really wide and shot out of my face. It happened. Literally.

I really apologize for the many month wait (for anyone who is still reading this) and hopefully will be more prompt with chapter writing for here on out (but like they say about pre-hatched chickens, it might be best not to count on that).

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I own my own plots and characters, etc.

CHAPTER 16

The Revealing of Things Previously Only Guessed

Sasuke had apparently fallen asleep in Naruto's study because when he next opened his eyes Naruto was gone. He knew he had fallen asleep by the taste that had developed in his mouth. He had terrible morning breath; it seemed to haunt him even in the shortest of catnaps. By the way the sun was starting to hang in the sky, however, Sasuke realized he must have been asleep for at least an hour. He decided to brush his teeth and then see what trouble Naruto had gotten himself into. He heard loud music playing from somewhere nearby and he hoped Naruto hadn't started a rave or something without him.

As he made his way over to the bathroom he saw a maid striding swiftly through the hall and he stepped aside to let her pass. She eyes him strangely, as the people at the marketplace had, but she seemed almost shocked. Sasuke had been met with many confused gazes throughout the day but none of such surprise. He almost wanted to ask her what had startled her so, but she seemed to realize that she was staring and scuttled off.

Sasuke brushed his teeth diligently, taking a moment to reflect on the day. It had been like a real date with Naruto, something he had been longing to experience for what seemed like ages. He wondered what other amazing secrets Naruto had been hiding from him. Everything about Naruto's life seemed a fairytale, complete with magic and castles and feasts.

Sasuke sincerely hoped that Naruto was downstairs in the main room where he and Sasuke had spent much of their time already, as it was one of the few places Sasuke knew how to get to in the castle. As he made his way down the hall he realized what he had thought to be music before was actually people shouting. Though Sasuke couldn't make out the words, he could have sworn that one of the voices sounded distinctly like Naruto's.

A loud crash echoed through the entire building. Sasuke rushed down the hall and down the stairs as fast as he could.

He was halfway down the grand staircase when Sasuke could fully behold the scene that was unfolding in the grand hall. Naruto was splayed across the dining table; or rather he was splayed across the ruble. Naruto's body had apparently broken through the thick wooden surface. Broken dishware littered the floor, as did some bits of food. Something was in Naruto's hair, which Sasuke couldn't quite make out, but even from across the room the blond man's eyes were wide open and angry. And red.

Naruto leapt from the remains of the table, launching himself at slightly taller red-haired man, presumably the one who had thrown Naruto in the first place. Sasuke was starting to piece things together. The shouting had been Naruto and the man fighting; the fight had eventually escaladed to violence, and thus the destruction of valuable furniture.

Neither man seemed to care for the state of the room as they tumbled over each other, wrestling on the ground, swiping and punching for any inch of skin either could find. Sasuke stood transfixed by the sheer power of the display before him. The lanky redhead and Naruto, who was more stocky, but with the tenacity of a bull, both of them evenly matched.

Or so it seemed to Sasuke. The fight came to a quick close - though it seemed to Sasuke to last almost an hour – as the redhead finally held Naruto down. Naruto struggled against the taller man's firm grip and swore in a language Sasuke did not recognize. He assumed it was swearing anyway. The man raised his voice and growled out the same melodic words, sounding dissonant in their coupling with the man's angry tone.

Naruto then said something that obviously really angered the man as he pushed Naruto further into the floor, kneeing him in the ribs. Hard. Naruto coughed and Sasuke could see blood matting his bright yellow locks.

"Sasuke," a voice called to him gently.

Sasuke looked up and Enzera was standing above him on the stairs. She reached out and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Perhaps he should let them work this out on their own," Enzera offered.

"That's not… That's not Naruto's brother," Sasuke looked back on the scene in disbelief, both men panting and neither willing to relent. "Is it?"

Enzera nodded. "Unfortunately their style of communication is about as archaic as this castle. No diplomacy, just punching the living crap out of each other." She sighed. "It's a shame. They're both rather skilled formal fighters too."

"How can you just stand here and not do anything?" Sasuke asked in quiet horror.

Enzera shook her head. "They'll be done soon enough. C'mon." She jerked her head towards the top of the flight. "Let's go upstairs, shall we?"

Enzera had brought Sasuke back to the study, asked (read: ordered) him to stay there until otherwise requested (until he was released) and had a tray to tea sent to him. Sasuke had spent several minutes admiring the details of the china – as with everything in the castle it was simply beautiful – and trying not to think about rushing from the room to try to help Naruto. Sasuke had eventually settled himself enough to enjoy a cup of tea but he couldn't manager to indulge in any of the books. He had started to read an old travel journal – assumedly by one of Naruto's ancestors judging by the age – but could not manage to stay focused on the words and had set it down on the table.

Naruto's study was the kind of room he hoped to have when he had a house of his own. The room was not built as an oval as far as Sasuke could tell, but the bookcases had been built to curve in on the room. Each shelf was filled to brimming with books of varying ages and authors; no statues or pictures anywhere. Opposite the doors sat the desk, wide windows stretching from the floor to the ceiling behind the tall chair, tempting anyone who wanted to get work done. Before the desk was a small couch and an armchair positioned around an oval coffee table. It was in the loveseat where Sasuke chose to sit, the cracked green leather indicating that Naruto often chose the couch for himself.

Naruto himself burst into the room as Sasuke downed the last of his tea, the door slamming against the wall with such force that it swung back against Naruto's hand. Naruto winced at the sound but did not both to inspect the wall for damage. He looked surprised to see Sasuke sitting in the study, as if he had forgotten the other boy's existence entirely. He looked frustrated to find Sasuke there, his eyes pressed closed in a brief moment of composure. Naruto refused to look at Sasuke has he strode over to the armchair and threw himself into it, wincing silently as his body made contact with the fabric.

"I hope I don't bleed all over this," he muttered lowly and quickly. If Sasuke hadn't been waiting baited for Naruto to speak he probably would have missed most of the words.

Neither Sasuke nor Naruto said anything for several moments after that. Sasuke could see that Naruto was indeed bleeding from the head and there was blood around his nose and beneath his left ribcage as well. A maid timidly opened the door, carrying a box of medical supplies.

"Master Naruto…" she said timidly. Naruto didn't glance up; he held his head in his hand, gripping his temples, his elbow resting against the wide arm of the chair in an acute angle.

"Away with you," Naruto said firmly.

"But sir," the maid protested.

"I said out," Naruto's voice rose slightly on the second command. It was the rudest Sasuke had ever seen Naruto behave, aside from, perhaps, his torture of the school bullies they had encountered what seemed now so long ago.

Sasuke was, himself, afraid to speak. Naruto was on edge, that much was clear, and Sasuke figured the best thing he could do was to wait. There was an extra cup on the tray, which had earlier seemed strange to Sasuke, but now he was grateful for the spare. He poured Naruto a cup of tea from the pot and set it down in front of the bleeding man. Sasuke then leaned back in his own seat and waited.

He didn't have long to wait – the clock on Naruto's desk ticked off thirty seven seconds by Sasuke's count – before Naruto addressed him.

"Sasuke," Naruto said, a little more gently than he had with the maid. "In the bottom right drawer of my desk there is a first aid kit. Will you please retrieve it for me?"

Sasuke silently fetched the small white box and immediately began attending to Naruto's wounds. He no longer cared if Naruto got angry with him for helping. He was not just going to sit around while Naruto had a pity party for himself, especially now that he had calmed down enough to be a reasonable person again.

"Thank you," Naruto said, his voice rough, likely from the shouting.

"Naruto… Was that really your brother?"

"Indeed it was. You would never know it by looking at us, of course. Kyuubi's got more of mom in him. Yet he's the one who gets to make the decisions. How's that for fair?" he grumbled the last bit to himself. Sasuke got the impression that Naruto had stopped answering the question about halfway through.

"I didn't mean because you look different. Mostly I asked because, well… you guys were so rough with each other. I mean, Itachi and I used to rough each other up a little bit but never like this."

"It wasn't so bad."

"You're bleeding," Sasuke reminded him.

"Just a little. Here and there."

"Naruto he threw you into a table and broke it." Sasuke made sure to enunciate each word.

Naruto shrugged. "Would have hurt more if I hadn't gone straight through."

Sasuke stopped his bandaging work and stared. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I don't break as easily as you might think Sasuke. Ow," he winced, as Sasuke rubbed alcohol on his head cut.

"Yeah. You're so tough."

Naruto glared.

"Sasuke, I would like you to meet my brother, Kyuubi."

Sasuke took the extended hand in his own, returning the strong grip.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Sasuke said respectfully.

"Likewise. Naruto's told me a great deal about you. Sorry I couldn't be here for your initial kidnapping," he joked lightly. Sasuke chuckled along, but noticed that Naruto frowned from beside him.

Kyuubi was tall, taller than both Naruto and Sasuke. His eyes were blue like Naruto's, but more narrowed, as if the elder man was perpetually in thought. His teeth seemed sharp, also like Naruto's. Sasuke could see the slight resemblances of their siblinghood. Kyuubi's hair however was long and a deep orange; he had it pulled into a ponytail high on his head. Sasuke also noticed that his left ear had three piercings. His clothes, however, were very professional. He wore grey suit; no tie.

"You'll have to excuse our scuffle from this morning," Kyuubi continued. "I can understand how you would find the experience unnerving but, naturally, you cannot expect us to fight as humans might."

"Naturally," Sasuke echoed back. He already knew Naruto wasn't quite human, but he was hoping that perhaps if he held his tongue he would learn exactly how non-human he was.

"Naruto, how much have you told Sasuke?" Kyuubi questioned, looked straight over Sasuke's head.

"Nothing out of line. He knows very little," Naruto replied with the air of a diplomat.

Kyuubi in turn said something in the language Sasuke had heard earlier and Naruto replied in a similar fashion. Sasuke was starting to feel out of the loop. It was only when the conversation picked back up in English that Sasuke was able to follow:

"And yet you took him into town today?" Kyuubi questioned.

"Only to Firebrook's," Naruto recounted the name of the pub where they had gone. He said something else in what Sasuke assumed drew from a superannuated vocabulary.

Kyuubi sighed. Naruto's gaze held firm.

"Well, since you seem intent on keeping this boy, I suppose we'll just have to work something out."

Naruto moved just barely to his left, as if subconsciously moving to protect Sasuke. "What is there to be worked out? I'm still in heat. I'll finish making a claim on Sasuke and Hiashi can go—"

"No. Absolutely not."

"I don't see what it is you expect me to do, Kyuubi," Naruto pronounced his brother's name as if it were laced with vinegar.

"Don't make this my fault, Naruto," Kyuubi shot back. "You didn't take precautions when you should have, when I warned you things were going to get out of hand. You decided to ignore me and now you're going to be responsible for an international incident."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Sasuke began. "But I'm a little confused here. What does it mean you're going to claim me?" Sasuke looked at Naruto skeptically. Naruto looked at Kyuubi for permission to explain; the elder man nodded solemnly.

"A bonding ceremony is a sacred ritual to my people," Naruto began. "It's different from a marriage, which is more of a legal agreement than anything else. We kind of copied modern marriage from human kind actually," he added as an afterthought.

"So a marriage is like a sharing of assets, while a bonding ceremony is a sharing of energy." Naruto summarized. "Two demons have to be bonded in order to have children."

"Wait wait wait," Sasuke interrupted. "Did you just say demons?"

"Well yeah. That's the human term anyway."

"What's the, um, demon language translation?"

Naruto looked at him strangely. "That's like asking me to translate English for a monkey. Er, no offense. It's just not like a translatable thing."

"Right. So. Demons. Okay. You're a demon."

Naruto nodded. "Of the fox variety." He grinned proudly.

"That is where the problem comes in," Kyuubi interjected. "The girl Naruto is supposed to marry is a bird demon, and her father is going to want them to have children."

This is took Sasuke a moment to process.

"You're supposed to marry someone!" Sasuke shouted, rounding on Naruto.

"What, you can handle that we're of different species but marriage blows your mind?" Naruto joked nervously, backing away from a seething Sasuke.

"Do not make fun of me Naruto Uzumaki! How could you not tell me you're married?" Sasuke's voice rose in pitch.

"Technically we're not married yet," Naruto held his hands out to stop an advancing Sasuke. "We're supposed to be married. I don't want to marry her. In case you haven't noticed, I'm slightly more interested in you." Naruto's eyes dropped to Sasuke's rear and then back up again, as if emphasizing his point. Sasuke was, however, not amused.

Sasuke turned sharply on his heel and stormed out of the study, swinging the door deafeningly behind him.

Sasuke wasn't sure why he was so angry with Naruto. He understood that Naruto couldn't tell him a lot of things, and he understood that he lost control of himself and that's why things had ended up the way they had, he understood the need for secrecy; yet, he couldn't push away the rage boiling up inside him.

Things were still many things Sasuke didn't understand; he had only just begun to receive an explanation after all. One thing he did understand was that he had feelings for Naruto. Strong feelings. He was starting to feel that Naruto didn't feel as deeply for Sasuke.

There was a soft knock at the door of the bedroom where Sasuke stayed. He knew it was Naruto but did not respond. He stood, his back to the door, leaning aga3inst the windowsill starring out at the trees. The castle was certainly very well hidden in a webbed network of thick trees. Naruto knocked again, a little more firmly this time, and called Sasuke's name gently. Sasuke was almost surprised that the blond didn't just barge in.

"Fine. Come in."

Naruto entered, but did not speak. He did not approach Sasuke either. Sasuke could feel Naruto staring at his back; also he could see the slight reflection in the glass. The sun was setting, casting the room in dim light, a pink shape spread across the floor like the window was covered with colored shrink-wrap pulled tight. Sasuke felt like he was being pulled in all directions; he could smell the smoky scent of new choices on the horizon. As he watched the sun set he wondered if he was really pulling part of his life to a close, or if he was just being overly melancholy.

"Why did you lead me on if you knew you were supposed to be married?" Sasuke asked finally.

Naruto took a deep breath, he pushed it out heavily, inflating his cheeks as he did. He flopped down on the bed, pressing an indent into the smooth comforter.

"Because you hated me at first."

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto who was smiling wistfully. It wasn't the answer he was expecting.

"Sasuke, pretty much everyone I had ever met in my life has revered me because of my station. There are people who fear me, people who want to be close to me for their own gain, but not you." Naruto chuckled. "You intrigued me from the first moment you accidentally knocked me to the ground. Enzera was so confused when I brought you to the cabin that first day."

"Yeah… I've been meaning to ask you about that. Whose cabin is that?"

"Mine. It's my house."

Sasuke looked at him blankly.

"I don't own this castle, Sasuke. It's kind of a family-title thing."

"You have your own room. And study."

"Well, I've lived here all my life," Naruto explained. "But technically my brother is lord of the manor now. Also, it's nice to have my own place to go to once in a while."

"And… 'your station.' What does that mean?"

"Huh?" Naruto looked confused for a moment, crinkling the corners of his eyes. "Oh," he seemed to realize what Sasuke was talking about and laughed. "I can't believe this didn't come up earlier."

Naruto smiled deviously. "Sasuke, I'm a demon prince."

Sasuke stared back silently. He felt that perhaps things were starting to sink in for him.

"Scared yet?" Naruto joked.

His eyes betrayed him; he was goading Sasuke, sure, but secretly looking for a real answer. Sasuke would not be so easily fooled.

Sasuke walked over so that he was standing right in front of Naruto, towering over the blond's seated form. Naruto looked up at him, questioning, the smirk staring to fall from his face.

"Not quite," Sasuke said quietly.

Then, Sasuke lunged at Naruto, intent on drowning the young demon in a passionate kiss.

You don't think it's a cliffhanger, but actually it is.