Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!

2nd Disclaimer: I don't own any songs mentioned in this fic!

Sky-eyed Kitsune: Alas, my last-second bomb shelter almost didn't make it…you guys are fierce! But for good reason, I should say. I spent this chapter re-building my shelter with some stronger material, because the torture isn't over yet my lovelies, I'm sorry. In the real world, things are a regular shit storm. So much sadness right now...

…..this plea falls on deaf ears but don't kill me. Because then I can't finish the chapter to come…

Oh the reviews made me smile, scary as they were! And I could really use those smiles right now...thank you everyone, sincerely!

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Chapter Seventeen: Beautiful Lie

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Naruto stretched as he turned over in bed, sighing happily as his muscles flexed. He buried his head in a pillow, reaching out for the warm body beside him.

…beside him.

Naruto huffed a little. "S'ukeeeee," he whined, refusing to open his eyes as his hand searched the bed.

"Ohayo, Naruto-kun," a voice that was very much not Sasuke said, and Naruto's eye shot open.

Madara stood with a white towel tied around his waist, his long black hair wet down his pale back and sticking to his neck. He smiled good naturedly at Naruto. "Sleep well?"

"What?" Naruto said, feeling completely disoriented. He sat up in bed and immediately collapsed as his top and bottom ached. His head was woozy and he felt slightly nauseous, a searing pain splitting up from his hindquarters to his back when he moved.

"Wha…" He put a hand to his hot forehead. "What happened last night? I thought….Sasuke…"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Madara said, laughing a little as he sat on the bed. He reached down, tipping Naruto's chin up, and kissed him deeply.

Madara was already expecting the immediate shove and gasp from the blond, blue eyes wide and terribly confused.

"Ma-Madara! What the hell!?" he snapped, and Madara frowned.

"You don't remember any of it?" he said in mock hurt, and Naruto glared at him.

"'It'? What the hell is 'it'?" There was a thick silence between the two of them, before Naruto's hand suddenly slapped over his mouth, eyes wide with horror.

"No, we…we didn't, you and I? I mean that was with Sasuke I-I did that with Sas…" Naruto's voice died out as Madara stared at him sternly.

He furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his legs.

"Yes, we had sex, and you wanted to. You seemed to enjoy yourself, as did I." He raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me now that you regret it?"

"Yes! I mean no that's not how I—" Naruto's hands were gripping his hair down to the root, his eyes sharp yet flustered. "I…I was—I thought—"

"That I was someone else? A lover?" Madara murmured quietly. He closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and flashed the blond a bitter smile. "It's alright, Naruto."

Naruto was panting quickly as he fisted the sheets, staring at man he had had sex with the night before, mouth slightly agape.

"I'm sure if you just explain the situation to your lover, they'll understand," he said gently.

"But…but how?" Naruto flopped onto the pillows in misery. "What happened to me? Was I drunk?"

Madara shrugged. "I didn't see you drink anything alcoholic, but then again I don't know how long you were at the club before I found you. So you may very well have been."

Naruto grimaced up at the ceiling. "I'm so fucked."

"If your lover really cares then they'll forgive you," Madara said, setting the scene up. He reached a hand over and carded it through Naruto's weightless blond hair. Naruto flinched at the contact, and Madara reeled his hand back.

"Sorry…" he said quietly. At that very moment when Naruto looked at him with the most guilty, saddened eyes, Madara knew that his acting was superb.

…although he did admit that Naruto had grown on him, and he wished that the blond would be happy with him instead of his lesser cousin.

He would be soon anyways.

"No…I'm sorry," Naruto sighed. "I've put you and my lover in a terrible situation. I'll…I'll make this right." Naruto's sapphire eyes looked up to Madara's gentle gaze before they turned away, Naruto groaning in pain as he gathered his clothing and began to dress.

Madara walked into his closet, pulling on a pair of black boxers and jeans and grabbing a pack of cigarette and lighter on the nightstand. He walked to the entrance of his suite where Naruto was putting on his shoes, tapping out a cigarette and lighting up. He couldn't help but hide a small smirk as the blond's nervous fingers fumbled with his shoe laces.

Naruto stood, locking eyes with the brunette again, and Madara knew it was time for the final pull.

"Naruto-kun, I know that after today I might not see you again, so…" He bit his lip a little, some smoke wavering between his them. "Can I kiss you? One last time?"

Naruto's eyes reflected his confliction as he looked down to his shoes, before nodding slightly.

"Yea…"

Madara stepped forward, discarding his cigarette in favor of something much more addictive. With two hands he cupped Naruto's face, shared a gaze with him, and delivered the most passionate, the most bottomless and sincere kiss in his entire life. If anything he wanted Naruto to remember this last kiss, this last moment of electricity between them.

That however was something that Madara could never fake or act out; there was no denying that when their lips met, something undoubtedly happened—sparks flew.

Naruto's eyes rolled back. He almost became limp and would have collapsed if not for the steadying hand on his back. A shudder ran through him as memories of the previous night's passion flooded his mind, and he found his hands gripping Madara's shoulders tightly. He tasted like fresh mint and nicotine, a combination he was sure he wouldn't soon forget.

Something snapped inside as Naruto suddenly came to his senses and pushed Madara away, wiping his lips furiously with his sleeve. "I-I'm sorry…I—"

"It's nothing," Madara sighed, tapping out a new cigarette. He leaned heavily against the entrance way, silent. What else could he say after the most amazing kiss of his life? Perhaps he and Naruto were meant—

"I'll see you soon," Naruto said, and Madara was only able to stare as the door to his room closed. His eyes shifted to his cigarette, the bubbly flavor of Naruto still on his tongue.

The moment he knocked on the door Naruto found himself taken in a death grip by his collar and yanked inside Sasuke's apartment harshly.

"Where the hell have you been!?" Sasuke shouted at his face, and Naruto blinked several times, assessing the raven. His hair was a mess compared to his particular style where normally not a single lock was out of place, his pale skin flushed from neck to cheek, black eyes almost crazed. Naruto was surprised to see the heavy dark circles under his lover's eyes.

Had…he been worried? Actually concerned?

"Say something, dobe! I was up all night over you and nobody knew where you were! You have no idea of how close I was to calling Jiraiya and freaking out!" Sasuke screamed, before pulling the blond into a fierce kiss. Naruto did all he could to keep his knees from buckling, hissing as Sasuke bit his lip in frustration, and then groaned as he tenderly licked the pain away. He gripped Naruto's shoulders forcefully, but all the blond could feel was the desperation and relief beyond his lover's passionate kissing.

Sasuke didn't let him go until Naruto thought he would pass out from oxygen deprivation. They parted with a sharp smack, panting as their forehead's rested together, Sasuke's hands that once gripped Naruto's shoulders strongly suddenly gentle.

"I was scared," Sasuke murmured, and Naruto closed his eyes. He couldn't stand to hear anymore. He felt like filth—no, worse than filth at that moment. While Sasuke had been up in the late hours of the night distressing over him, he had been in another man's bed, enjoying himself.

He felt so dirty.

"Sasuke, I…" No, he had to do this right. Naruto looked up into the relieved coal eyes of his lover, placed his hands on the broad shoulders…and pushed him away at arm's length

"I…" Naruto exhaled firmly and stared Sasuke straight in the eye.

"I want to break up."

Jiraiya choked a little as he spit his wine out and it spewed at least three feet across the room, decorating the carpet.

"He what!?" the man practically screamed, slamming his hands on his desk and standing.

Pein sat across from him, smiling contentedly in his seat though spots of red wine flecked his jacket here and there.

"Yes, it is surprising to me as well, but I couldn't be happier with the outcome."

Jiraiya's eyes rolled up to the ceiling before he crumpled back into his leather seat.

"H-how?"

Pein shrugged with a knowing smile. "I'm not entirely sure myself. Perhaps Naruto-kun further assessed my offer?"

"But Gaara-san…he wouldn't just leave him?" Jiraiya blinked owlishly at the young billionaire.

"Naruto-kun explained that the circumstances were extenuating and Sabaku-san bought him out of his contract with Sungakure Studios immediately." Pein reached forward and grabbed the bottle of wine, refilling a dazed Jiraiya's glass and one for himself. "So starting today Naruto-kun will be our new star model. There is much to celebrate, Jiraiya-san.

Pein smiled and held up his glass.

"To good business," he said, waiting expectantly. JIraiya suddenly fumbled for his glass and clanked it gently against the redhead's.

"To good business…"

Naruto patted Lee on the head gently like some sort of dog as he cried and clung to him. Gai pulled his student away, his eyes a running faucet as he shook Naruto's hand until the blond thought his arm would fall off.

Naruto held his portfolio tightly to his chest as he walked through the entrance way to Sungakure Studios. Garra was waiting outside for him, his hands behind his back, ever the business man.

He turned as Naruto approached, and they locked eyes for a moment.

"I don't need to know everything now..." Gaara said, his voice soft. He sighed. "It won't be the same, but we'll survive."

"Gaara…" Naruto looked down to the sidewalk, too cowardly to face his friend, to witness his own betrayal.

A hand clapped him on the shoulder and Naruto looked back up into his friend's stern yet concerned face. There weren't any more words exchanged—their eyes had a silent way of communicating that their mouths were inept to.

Their stare broke as a black sports car rolled up, and Madara stepped out, walking around to stand at Naruto's side.

"You all set, Naruto-kun?" he said, tapping off the end off of his cigarette, the strong afternoon sunlight glinting off his sharp designer sunglasses. Naruto nodded as the man wove a hand around his waist and kissed the side of his neck.

Gaara narrowed his eyes to the man as Naruto ducked away into the car with a quiet, "Sumimasen…" The redhead took two steps towards Madara until they were less than an inch apart.

"You hurt him, and I'll kill you," he breathed, and the raven smirked.

"Now why would I damage what belongs to me?" He raised a surprised eyebrow as the redhead suddenly fisted the collar of his shirt fiercely.

"I don't know what kind of game you're playing here, but I know that Pein is involved." Emerald eyes narrow to slits. "It is only for Naruto's sake that I am not calling security to taze you up the ass right now."

"Oh, kinky," Madara grinned. The grin stayed on his face as he walked around to the driver's seat, hopped in the car, and Gaara watched with concern as it disappeared down the road.

"Ah, this is great, ne Naruto-kun?" Madara said, the smile from earlier still on his face as he drove, the windows down to let in the warm, breezy day. "This time next week you will be Akatsuki's star model and we'll always be together from now on." Madara couldn't have lowered his happy tone if he had wanted to; he had never smiled so genuinely or felt so light in his entire life. He wasn't acting anymore—what he felt was real.

"Ah, yea," Naruto said wistfully. He turned as they stopped at a red light and stole the cigarette Madara was about to bring to his lips.

"Hey," Madara chuckled as Naruto took a deep drag, coughing a little on his exhale. Naruto smiled sheepishly back at him, putting the brunette at ease. "Oi, don't take in so much at once, yea?" He plucked the cigarette from between the blond's fingers. "And don't pick up my dirty habits."

"I like the smell," Naruto said, looking down at the portfolio in his lap. "It smells like you, is all." Cigarette smoke. He had always hated it…what changed?

Naruto gasped a little as Madara suddenly turned the blond's head to the side and kissed him deeply.

"Don't say such arousing things," he murmured as they parted, and the light turned green. There was a brief silence between them where Naruto just felt the wind in his hair and tried to forget everything.

"Naruto-kun…why me?"

Naruto looked over to Madara at the serious tone in his voice.

"Why?" he repeated back.

"You chose me, right? Why?" Madara said firmly, eyes on the road, and Naruto looked down at the portfolio on his lap.

"I love you," Naruto said, and he gasped as the car suddenly screeched to a halt on the side of the road, the car in park, and Madara turned to him sharply.

"No you don't," he said, pushing his sunglasses on top of his head. "And if that's the reason you're telling yourself why you're with me, then you shouldn't even be sitting here next to me." What the hell was he doing!? He had the prize, he had won, it was over; why did he care so damn much about this?

Naruto's eyes flickered up to him, and Madara instantly knew why.

Because he didn't win Naruto's heart…and he wanted it.

"I don't feel like I can go back to Sasuke," Naruto sighed truthfully. "It's not that I don't think he would understand or forgive me but…but I couldn't forgive myself for doing that to him. I think that this way will cause him the least amount of trouble. Moving away from Sungakure will assure that we never need to see each other again through work."

Madara leaned over and gently tilted Naruto's chin up.

"That's better than what you said before, because it's the truth," he said. "But I will make your previous statement true. I want you to fall for me, because I swear to god every time you look at me I fall deeper for you." He grazed his lips against the blond's gently. "But I also want you to let me…let me love you, and maybe you'll love me too." He planted several small, feathery kisses on Naruto's lips, each touch like a burst of static against him.

Madara paused, assessing the blond's face, and he smiled widely as Naruto slowly nodded, even if only a little.

He leaned back to put the car in drive when his neck was suddenly seized and pulled down for a deep, sweet kiss. His eyes rolled back as Naruto lapped at his lips gently.

"I can't promise anything," the blond breathed between them, continuing to kiss Madara. "But I'll try…I owe you that much." Naruto smiled weakly at him and Madra pulled him into a tight embrace.

"I'm a lucky guy."

"This is Madara," Naruto said albeit quietly. He gave the man's hand a squeeze. "…my lover."

Jiraiya's eyebrows shot up high. "I…see," he said. He leaned forward in his chair, placing his hands on his desk, and looked to the raven. "Madara; you work as a model for Akatsuki, correct?"

"Yes sir," Madara said politely, keeping a firm grip on Naruto's hand. Jiraiya crossed his arms.

"If you know anything about Naruto then you should be aware that I like to keep his media exposure as discreet as possible in terms of relationships."

Madara raised an eyebrow at the man's hostility, Naruto looking away the entire time.

"Do you find it shameful for two men to be together, Jiraiya-san?"

Jiraiya unlocked his arms and shook his head. "No, that's not it at all. The media eats up Naruto like candy, something that you should have experience with. I want to protect him as much as possible."

"Wouldn't it be beneficial to Naruto-kun's career to be seen in a relationship with another model of his caliber?"

Jiraiya paused. "…it would either tank his career or boost it tremendously. I'm not sure if I want to take the risk."

"Take no offense Jiraiya-san, when I say that I will not go out of my way to hide my love for your son, but neither embellish it." Madara slipped an arm around the blond's waist, pulling his close, and Naruto blushed a little. "If I am out with Naruto-kun I will not stop holding his hand because of the media, and I will not hide my affection."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at his new lover's serious tone.

"I intend to love Naruto as I wish, without care of criticism."

Jiraiya looked taken aback, and Naruto couldn't help but feel important as Madara held him close and stood up against his father, something that Sasuke had never had the gumption (or foolishness) to do. Naruto had always wanted a normal relationship that he didn't have to hide, but Jiraiya would never—

"Fine."

Ever—

"..huh?" Naruto said, dumbstruck. His father smiled at him and shrugged.

"If being away from you has taught me anything, it's that you aren't a child anymore. Even though I am your manager I'm also your father. Some slack on the reins is necessary." He whipped his gaze over to Madara. "But if I see any indecent exposure in the public papers there will be repercussions. Understood?"

"Indeed," Madara said, slipping a smile down to Naruto, who couldn't help but feel warm inside at the thought of an uncensored relationship, something he had always dreamed of with Sasuke.

His smile faded a little.

Sasuke…he had probably forgotten about him already.

Naruto leaned up on his toes and gave Madara a quick peck on the cheek, to which his father rolled his eyes and Madara smiled sweetly back.

But that was ok. He had someone else, and Sasuke probably would soon too.

In the next chapter we hear things on Sasuke's end...but my my, Madara is doing things that Sasuke didn't-even standing up to Jiraiya! Hm does this make him more fit for Naruto? Is this how things should be for the better!? Share your thoughts!

Sky-eyed Kitsune