Chapter 20:
Two months later
One hour before sunrise:
The Grand High Prince wakes and commences warm-up exercises. Glares into middle distance and remembers older brother denying everything. Denying everything in front of the entire palace. Suppresses a sigh.
Half an hour before sunrise:
The Grand High Prince commences physical training and swordsmanship practice in his private arena. Imagines stabbing his brother and has to apologise to training partner for infliction of rather serious injuries.
Just before sunrise:
The Grand High Prince nibbles on a freshly picked fig from the Uchiha pavilion orchard. Sees a flash of yellow in the corner of his eye and freezes for a moment, only to find that it is a blond servant. An old, manky, female blond servant. Sighs. Sexual frustration. Not. Good. For. Brain.
Sunrise:
The Grand High Prince bathes in the Imperial Spring. Stares into the middle distance and remembers the expression of innocence on a blond boy's face when a certain perverted captain invited him into the ship's spa. Realises he probably looks wistful and decides to glare instead. Hears a giggle through the steam, followed by a loud groan and exclamation of pain – sees Suigetsu wave at him carrying over his shoulder one of the now-unconscious palace girls who had managed to infiltrate the bathing chamber. Suppresses a sigh.
Mid-morning:
The Grand High Prince breakfasts in the royal hall. Sits alone at the high table. Ignores flashes of memories of conversations, chats and jokes shot across the imperial table by his family. Ignores, as well, suspicious glances from a part of the courtiers – Itachi supporters pinning him with the label murderer. Hates that sitting by himself is the best option, even if it's lonely. Ignores a sulking Princess Sakura and a glaring Ino. Represses the urge to issue a royal decree informing Princess Sakura that Ino fancies her, as well as making it illegal for her not to do anything about it. Suppresses a sigh. Not gonna happen.
Noon:
The Grand High Prince holds a meeting with his supporters and the Regent, discussing the army rumoured to be under Itachi's control. Discusses possibility of having to raise his own army. Does not want civil war. Suppresses a sigh. Has to avoid Princess Sakura, who has been waiting outside the room for three hours. Thinks the window is a good exit to make. Yes, the window, perfectly respectable. Finds that some minor lord's daughter has also been waiting for three hours, but outside the window. Doesn't feel that bad about Suigetsu knocking that one out.
Mid-afternoon:
The Grand High Prince commences overseeing the backlog of court hearings that could not be heard in the absence of an Imperial family member. A backlog of two thousand seven hundred cases. God damn negligent, murderous brother. Looks out the window. Sees a blur of yellow. Knows it had to have been a bird, not a flying blond boy. Suppresses a sigh.
Evening:
The Grand High Prince commences magic training with the Regent, Orochimaru. Is told by the Regent that some of his followers are disloyal, are spies for Itachi. Feels very tired. Makes a note to inform Hebi and have them follow up the accusations. Suppresses a sigh. On way to Hall, sees his mother's favourite flower garden – remembers her rooms always smelt like that one rose.
Sunset:
Stares at his supper. Peas. Carrots. Stares at the orange. Thinks: orange. Orange boxers. Hmmm. Blond. Has to forget everything and keep blond person safe and far away. Shakes himself out of a reverie and realizes that his moment of distraction allowed Princess Sakura to get too close – cannot ignore her now. Personal bubble space assaulted by giggles and high-pitched voice.
Suppresses a sigh. Thinks: every day is the same.
xXx
That night . . .
Sasuke stared at his ceiling, high above him as he lay on his bed. He closed his eyes, but after a moment of frustration he sat up and walked to the window. He wouldn't get to sleep for hours.
As he looked out at the city glowing below him, he felt nothing – he simply carried on planning: for tomorrow, the day after, how he would slowly take his kingdom back, how he had to make his brother pay.
The young prince stared out at the night and pushed away so many thoughts. He stepped out onto the balcony, feeling the breeze brush his skin, cooling it slightly.
Something small dropped onto the balcony beside him with a clink. His eyes shot down to find . . . a . . . chain?
'Teme,' said an achingly familiar voice.
Sasuke's gaze followed the metal links up and up and up to the roof above his room – a steep, tiled roof in the Uchiha compound in the Imperial palace. To get here one would have to pass the City Guard, the Palace Guard, the Imperial Guard, and Hebi.
'Baka,' responded the black-haired boy. Even with his glare, he couldn't keep a grin out of the corner of his mouth.
In the moonlight, he saw spiky strands of blond hair and was hit by wide, flashing blue eyes. Amazing blue eyes. And a crooked grin.
'I like the robes,' Naruto said casually, swinging his legs over the side of the roof, 'but I did prefer you in these.' The boy dropped something else – as it landed with a clunk, Sasuke made out his pirate boots. The Uchiha's eyes narrowed and darted back to the blond boy.
'How did you get those?'
'Same way you would. Out of your dressing room.'
'When?' The noodle boy was being far too casual. And he was smirking. Sasuke's eyebrow began to twitch.
'Few days ago,' Naruto said merrily, and dropped down off the roof. 'I've been exploring the palace,' – he took a step toward Sasuke – 'eating food' – another step – 'bathing . . . liked that bit.' Naruto's grin widened.
The prince was definitely not beginning to blush. And his blush was definitely not rising to his cheeks. Something was horribly wrong with this situation. The blond boy smirked again – the extremely close blond boy. What else could Sasuke do, really, from such a short distance, except jump him?
Immediately, his conscience screamed at him: No! Wrong! Bad! He's not safe here! It took the thoughts a good few minutes to get through, and when he did try to pull away, Naruto wasn't having any of it. None of it at all.
Think, think – argh!
They were on the balcony still – that had to be remedied. Fast. Very fast. Where could they go from here, but the . . . bedroom? His body was working against his brain.
On the one hand, he didn't want Naruto's hands to stop where they were going – though on the other, he didn't want to give palace spies a reason to go after Naruto straight away.
Hmm . . . disappearing into the bed chamber for hours would give the spies something to talk about, but so would ripping off Naruto's clothes out here in the open . . . Decisions, decisions, and smooth skin under his palms – slender muscles he could trace with his fingers. The smell of him, which he breathed in as he bit his neck, his shoulder, his bottom lip.
'Ow,' said Naruto slowly, looking up at him, not moving away. So Sasuke kissed him again. Too many words- he was distracted by Naruto fumbling behind him.
'What are you doing?'
'Trying to get my hands into the imperial pants – I'm liking these robes less and less.'
Sasuke gave an evil grin – 'The chastity of the Uchiha clan must be preserved.'
The blond boy snorted and dragged a nail down, ripping open Sasuke's attire. It was then that the heir to the empire thought he should do something about their location. It was time to choose whether he was going to risk Naruto's life and losing his campaign for the throne, or simply shag the boy out here in the open on the balcony. He gripped the hair on the back of Naruto's head and pulled him away, in an effort to think. It was proving tricky. But of course, looking into very big, very amused, very blue eyes was just as bloody distracting . . .
Before he knew it, Sasuke was reaching up Naruto's loose white shirt and down – finding that the good old pirate pants were not nearly as tricky to get into . . . Must change imperial uniform . . . not practical . . .
After half a second's indecision, he grabbed Naruto's shirt, pulled him inside and slammed the door.
xXx
Typo extraordinaire: this chapter, big pirate managed to whip this one out:
'His boby was working against his brian.' O.o what is a boby? you ask. Who is Sasuke's Brian? we want to know.
big pirate has Typing Dyslexia