Warnings: MxM action, nothing more.
Disclaimer: Characters are property of a certain Masashi Kishimoto, I'm just borrowing them.

A/N: Um... I don't even know what to say anymore, I just keep having these ridiculously long breaks for no real reason.
Okay, I didn't really have the time to write during the summer thanks to work, but... I'll try to get better. Oh, and I tried to reply to all of your reviews so if I missed you by accident, I'm sorry. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

For Didi

"...Sasuke?"

No answer.

"Sasuke", he repeated a little louder, still getting nothing but silence in return. It was getting on his nerves already, the whole being ignored thing. He knew Sasuke could hear him, the bastard was standing right next to him, yet he decided to act like Naruto didn't exist at all. He didn't even look at the blonde. Perhaps it had something to do with the cold, hard look on his face that had appeared when he'd strode out of the stables, but Naruto wouldn't let such things bother him. Sasuke couldn't block everythingout, that just didn't work, and especially not now when Naruto had something really important to say.

So he tried again.

"Hey, bastard."

The only one reacting to his voice that had suddenly gone lower and much more annoyed was Rayo. The mare lifted her head and turned it so that she could stare at the blond-haired man for a moment, a contemplating look in her eye. Then she huffed dismissively and went back to glaring at Sasuke as the man kept saddling her, a little bit too fast to her liking.

A frown crossed Naruto's face and his forehead wrinkled as he lifted a hand and tugged the rim of his hat, pulling it forward. The morning sun was trying to get into his eyes and spirals of dust rose from the dry ground where Rayo kept stepping nervously. The morning was a pretty one but he didn't have the time to appreciate it, he even ignored the questioning look Whirl was giving him. The horse clearly didn't understand why Rayo was getting ready to leave and Naruto just stood there, watching them like he'd lost his tongue.

Finally, shaken from his thoughts by Sasuke slipping his foot into the stirrup and getting up to the saddle, Naruto blinked and reached out to grab Sasuke's leg, shaking it a little. Rayo immediately stepped to the side, not too pleased by such rude behaviour and the way her rider's leg suddenly started shaking on her side, but nothing she did could match the glare Sasuke gave down at the other man, the look on his face clearly indicating he was ready to kick Naruto off if the man didn't let go on his own.

"What?" the raven hissed, impatience bleeding through to his usually so inexpressive voice. It would've been funny, to see him so fidgety, if Naruto hadn't been so afraid of the man running into the sunrise and never coming back if he as much smiled at him, let alone released his leg.

So he decided to go straight into it.
"We can't leave like that", the bounty hunter blurted out, tightening his hold of Sasuke's calf as Rayo took a few nervous steps more, throwing him irritated looks that were still so weak and pale compared to what Sasuke was giving him.
"We don't have... nothing."

And when Sasuke just kept glaring at him, Naruto decided to go on now that he had a chance.
"No money, no food, nothing. We can't just run off and hope for the best!" He tugged his hat again and then ran his fingertips down his cheek to his neck and the scarf that was still there. He didn't bother pulling it up quite yet though, it wasn't like he had to hide things from Sasuke and there was no-one else here to see him...

His head shot up, the sudden movement making the jumpy mare huff and puff in irritation, some of her mood slowly starting to get to Whirl as well. The blue eyes narrowed and Naruto glanced around quickly, his hand sliding lower on Sasuke's leg until he was holding onto the raven's ankle. As he looked up at the pale face again he couldn't help but to wish Sasuke hadn't been mounted; talking up to him like this was more than annoying.

"Where are they?" This time, his voice was a lot stronger, more demanding, and his eyes met the dark ones, the question hanging heavy between them.
"And who were they?" As the question left his lips, Naruto could feel the tension snapping back to the pale body, even his ankle went tense, and the black eyes turned away from his own in an instant, gazing at the sky and the rising sun.

"Juugo took him to the sheriff. The money will be there for you", Sasuke explained stiffly, feeling clearly uncomfortable again. He was hiding it better than he usually did though, but it wasn't enough for Naruto to turn away just yet.
"You shot him, you know. "

"I know, you told me", Naruto murmured in return, frowning still. He didn't regret it, he would never regret shooting anyone that threatened Sasuke's life like that, but it didn't mean it didn't bother him. He had always been a bit too soft for a bounty hunter and Kakashi had remembered to poke fun at it all too often.
"Why did he help us?"

The corners of Sasuke's mouth turned down and he glared at the clouds, still uncomfortable enough to keep his eyes away from Naruto.
"Can't this wait?" he asked sharply, trying to hold Rayo still as the mare kept stepping nervously.
"You didn't take my dress, right?"

Naruto had already started to answer negatively to the first question when the second and very unexpected one came and messed up his words. He spluttered something incomprehensible for a moment before he caught his tongue again, and he glared up at Sasuke to make sure the man wasn't laughing at him.
"I... No, it can't and no, I didn't. And... The dress? What does... Why would I?" he wasn't making much sense, but he had to admit that if Sasuke had asked about the dress just to distract him, it had worked just fine.

Without even a hint of amusement the raven shrugged, the frown still intact on his face.
"Too bad. Hurry up, idiot. We have to get going."

"I told you bastard, we can't just-"

"To Leaf."

"...oh."

Sometimes Naruto was fairly certain Sasuke just liked messing with his head.

Naruto was slowly starting to get used to the silence around Sasuke. The raven was probably the quietest person he knew, and considering he had worked with people such as Kakashi it was saying a lot. It didn't mean Naruto liked being quiet though, and usually he would've attempted to replace the conversation with a cheery monologue of his own, but this morning was different. The hostility that was oozing from Sasuke in waves didn't really encourage talking and even if aggravating the man was usually an enjoyable experience, Naruto didn't want to end up with a bunch of new bruises covering the side of him Sasuke could reach.

And to be honest, for once he didn't feel like talking either. There was too much on his mind, too many questions still running around in his head and refusing to let him focus on one at the time. Sasuke had been clearly evading his questions about the two men here earlier and that had left Naruto all the more curious. Idly he wondered how Sasuke still hadn't realised that the easiest way to make him shut up was to tell him something, even if it was a lie. Leaving the question hanging was never a good idea.

Despite the funny bubbling curiosity inside him Naruto remained silent until they were back at the inn and in their room. It looked the same as it had when the blonde had dashed out to save Sasuke againand a silent sigh of relief escaped the blonde as he looked around. It looked like nothing had been stolen, and even though they hadn't left anything too important behind he still liked knowing that all his belongings were safe.

With an unreadable look on his face Naruto watched as the older man moved across the room towards the sack in which his dress was. A look that was almost paranoid crossed Sasuke's face as he glanced at the door before he sat down on a bed with the sack and pulled the dress out, starting to examine it with careful fingers.

Naruto frowned in confusion, trying to push away the mental images brought up by seeing the dress that he hadn't realized still haunted him, and stepped closer, trying to take a better look at the dress.
"What are you doing?" he asked, the confusion echoing in his voice. There had to be something extremely special in that dress if it had been powerful enough to make Sasuke return to the town, and he didn't really think it was sentimental value.

For a while Sasuke didn't reply, his eyes glued to the dress as he turned it around and lifted the hem up. He didn't seem to have heard the question and he didn't pay attention to Naruto as the blonde slowly inched closer to him and finally sat on the bed as well, keeping a safe distance. His cheek was still feeling a bit weird after the punches pulled last night and the gunshot wound ached a little but his curiosity was overshadowing the pain easily.

"What are you doing?" the bounty hunter repeated the question, a bit louder, and this time Sasuke glanced at him right before he yanked the hem roughly, causing the seam to tear up. Naruto's eyes widened a little from surprise before the frown came back, his eyes moving from the dress to Sasuke.
"What-"

"Look", he raven interrupted flatly and pulled the seam open even more until it was easy to see between the layers of fabric.

A surprised noise escaped Naruto's lips as he leaned closer, staring at the dress, and suddenly he understood exactly why Sasuke hadn't wanted to leave it behind. There, carefully sewn to the lining of the hem, were rows of bank notes of different values. Some were a little bit torn, many were wrinkled and looked used, but it was money nevertheless, and even though he didn't have the time to count Naruto could tell that it was a lot. Slowly he tore his eyes away from the revealed fortune, turning to look at Sasuke instead, and the lines on his forehead just deepened as he met the cold eyes.

"Wow." That was all the man could think of, his mind hitting blank for a moment. And then...
"Why didn't you tell me?"

Sasuke shrugged softly and leaned down to pull a tiny knife out of his boot.
"Would you have?" he asked in return, starting to gently sever a few notes from the fabric.
"You could've just taken the money and run away."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest but before a single word passed his lips the truth in Sasuke's statement caught up to him and he fell silent, watching the slender fingers work on the money. The other man was right about that. After all, he was a bounty hunter, and even though he had left with Sasuke who had said it had been because of anything but money? He knew men who would have done just that, ran away with the dress and left Sasuke without hesitation to the prairie with nothing but his horse and the clothes he wore, and he really couldn't blame Sasuke for not trusting him right away. It was just wise of him, to keep the money a secret.

And as he thought that, a funny warmth surfaced inside Naruto as he realized another thing. Sasuke trusted him now, at least enough to tell him about the dress. For some reason the realization made the man want to either jump up and dance a little or pull Sasuke to a hug and laugh, but he had a feeling neither would be appreciated. So, instead he just smiled and, feeling brave, reached to pat the raven's arm quickly. In return he got a suspicious glare from the other man but he could also locate a hint of surprise in the dark eyes as Sasuke noticed the smile.

Naruto pulled back his hand before nothing else happened and then got up, stretching a little. Suddenly he felt a lot better, more at ease with the situation, and he turned to face the window, letting the sunlight warm his skin. He closed his eyes, listening to the rustle of the fabric and the sounds of Sasuke breathing, waiting until he heard the distinguish sounds of the dress being packed away. That was when he turned back to the other man, still smiling.

"Let's go shopping. We need some food and other things, and then we can go." Unexpected excitement pinched his insides and the bounty hunter's smile slipped into a bit tighter, sly grin. He was ready for a good hunt, and this time it wouldn't be just him.

"O bury me not on the lone prairie, where coyotes howl and the wind blows free, in a narrow grave just six by three, o bury me not on the lone prairie!" Naruto's husky voice was a bit too cheerful as he sang, sitting on the saddle with a small smile on his lips, the reins in one hand and his posture the one of a man that had nothing to worry about. His hat was pushed back and he had dropped the scarf from his face, wild freckles spotting his nose and the stubble grown a bit out of control already. He looked so completely comfortable it was almost ridiculous, and yet Sasuke couldn't keep his eyes away from the man.

He found himself practically staring at Naruto, the familiar flat look on his face as he kept himself from looking too interested. The raven had to admire the way the blonde carried himself, looking like he had been practically born to the saddle. They were trailing Black Weasel and still the man could be so carefree and relaxed. It wasn't even as annoying as Sasuke had expected because even though Naruto was like that, he knew the man wasn't taking their little trip too lightly. That wasn't it, oh no.

"It matters not, I've been told, where the body lies when the heart grows cold..."

But being as he was, Sasuke couldn't let Naruto's apparent cheerfulness pass just like that.
"Stop singing it like that", he snapped although the usual edge was gone from his voice, a faint smirk on his lips as he glanced at Naruto.

"Yet grant, o grant, this wish to- what?" Shaking his head, Naruto turned to look back at the source of the disruptive noise, wrinkling his nose a little.
"What's wrong with my singing, pray tell?" he asked goodnaturedly, the frown being an odd match to the ridiculously innocent smile the blonde wore as he watched Sasuke with his amused, bright eyes.

Sasuke scoffed and rolled his eyes a little, patting Rayo quickly as the mare huffed as well. There was no need for her to get cranky.
"You shouldn't sound so happy about it", he complained with a frown, running his fingers through the mare's mane. He was slowly getting more comfortable with Rayo and learning to read the horse a bit better so he wasn't taken by surprise every time she threw some kind of a fit.
"It's not a happy song, you shouldn't take it so lightly."

The incredulous look Naruto threw at his direction was almost amusing.
"What?" he asked, frowning as he stared at Sasuke like he had grown a second head.
"What does that have to do with anything?"

The bounty hunter clearly had no idea what Sasuke had been talking about, and the raven sighed, shifting a bit on the saddle.
"I said, you shouldn't sing such songs like they were children's jingles", he repeated, now slightly annoyed by Naruto's attitude. He of course refused to admit that he was making a bit too big a deal about it, it was just a song after all and Naruto was just the type of an idiot to make fun of death.

"But no-one cares, Sasuke! Whoever wrote that song is not going to come after me and hunt me down for singing his song wrong!" Naruto protested predictably, snatching his harmonica from a pocket somewhere.
"And besides, it's so boring to sing otherwise. Listen!" And the screechy sound of a harmonica pierced the air, carrying a melody that started off as slow and quite mournful, but after the first ten notes or so it started to grow and wind, just like it had done when sung by Naruto.

In a little moment Sasuke could've sworn it wasn't even the same song anymore; what Naruto was playing sounded more like a drinking song from a saloon than a slow ballad about the prairie. He did find it interesting how easily the transition happened, how smoothly Naruto managed to create something so lively out of a song of that nature, but after a while he had to wave the blonde to stop, if only for the reason Rayo wasn't enjoying the music as much as the two men (and Whirl).
"That's enough, yacko", he hushed and waved his hand in the air to get Naruto's attention. At times like this the blonde tended to get a bit too caught up in playing; he didn't really pay attention even to his horse. Whirl was just slogging forward on his own and Naruto trusted the animal enough to allow it.

"See?" the blonde asked cheerfully after putting away the harmonica, dusting his hands to his pants with a smile.
"It can be played like that just fine!"

"Don't jinx it, addle-head. If you keep that up you'll end up buried somewhere around here", Sasuke snapped back, not all that annoyed at the moment. Naruto was just being his usual foolish self but it didn't make it any better.

"Oh, aren't you sweet? For someone not the slightest bit afraid of the Uchiha ghost you're awfully superstitious!" Naruto gave right back with a chuckle, either ignoring or not noticing the way the raven tensed briefly at the mention of the dead family.
"But you know, when I am buzzard food, I don't think I really care where I lay. The prairie would be better than many other places..."

Sasuke nodded, more to show that he was listening than to agree with the other man. Now that Naruto wasn't singing anymore he had turned to look forward again, gazing at the direction of the mountains that rose in front of them.

"I mean, I wouldn't mind a coyote or two pissing on my grave if the other choice is getting a fancy speech from a gospel sharp and roses on my grave from people I never knew. At least there would be a chance I had seen those coyotes somewhere", Naruto explained nonchalantly, smiling softly.

When Sasuke turned to him looking like he might be about to argue something the blonde raised a hand and waved him off.
"You see, I don't care so much about people, I wouldn't be doing this job if I did. There aren't many people to mourn for me anyway and I always thought it would be better to go in silence. I'll probably end up beefed by some nasty fellows anyway and they won't bother burying me so it doesn't really matter." Then the man chuckled, waving his hand again.
"But hey, don't think you'll get rid of me anytime soon! I'm planning to stay above the snakes for a good while still."

Not sure what to say to that, Sasuke went quiet again, keeping his eyes on Rayo's neck as he thought about Naruto's words. Or at least the blonde thought he did, glancing at Sasuke, and then his eyes turned to the sky. It would probably be the best if they found a place to put up a camp sometime soon, the shadows were becoming longer and soon it would be dark and no-one liked setting up anything in the darkness.

Against Naruto's expectations, the raven didn't say anything more about the death thing, and after a little while he started singing again, still sounding just as cheerful about it as he had before. He really saw it like that and death was part of his everyday life anyway so he wasn't too bothered about the topic at all. Sasuke, on the other hand, looked a little bit uncomfortable and Naruto figured it was the best to leave him to his own for now. He didn't know how used to the raven was to seeing death around him but knowing that he had been living with Rattlesnake and had even killed the man Sasuke couldn't be all that naive.

Either way, Naruto pulled Whirl to a stop quite soon, glancing at the sky. The sun was setting slowly but there was a lot of clouds and that was already making the temperature drop. They had been riding three days after the episode at the mansion and the weather had slowly been turning to worse, also dragging down the bounty hunter's mood. Sasuke had become even more silent and closed-up than he'd been before meeting Orochimaru's men, it was hard to get two words in a row out of him so the little conversation they'd had about death was a small miracle of its own, and the blonde really didn't know what to do about it.

There was still lots and lots of questions on his mind but he was trying not to think about them because the more he did, the more confused he got. He was sure it was right there, the answers were almost floating around in the air around his head yet he couldn't grasp them no matter how hard he tried. He had decided to stop trying, hoping that it would attract the answers to him like moths to flame. So far he hadn't had any luck but Naruto was a positive person and he didn't believe in pushing things when they didn't want to be pushed. He would get it, with time.

The silence hung upon them as they set up a quick camp, starting with making the horses comfortable and then moving on to the fire and cooking. Naruto was stirring a makeshift soup, yawning a little as he kept his eyes on the other man. Sasuke was brushing Rayo, and as usually the mare was trying to protest. She was stepping away from the raven, swishing around with her tail every time the man went close enough to her behind and even tried to bite him a few times. Or at least pretended to be biting because even though there had been a few clear chances for sinking her teeth to human meat, Rayo had barely touched the man with her muzzle.

The sight was quite endearing, actually. In some ways Sasuke and his horse were so much alike it was making Naruto think that had the raven been a horse, he would've been exactly like Rayo. A bit tricky to handle but when you paid him some attention and had patience he eventually became a bit nicer and just tried to act mean and scary. Rayo wasn't that bad. If you cut out her tough guy act she was quite a nice horse in the end. Nothing to top Whirl though, she didn't even come close, but there was nothing in the world that could top Whirl in Naruto's books.

Pouring the stew to two cups, Naruto sighed and leaned back, watching Sasuke for a little while from the corner of his eye. When the man thought the blonde wasn't watching he got almost surprisingly affectionate with the horse, and while smiling slyly to behind his scarf Naruto cleared his throat, turning to the raven.
"The dinner's ready, ladybird", he announced relaxedly, earning just a slightly annoyed glare from the older man.

Sasuke sat down and grabbed his cup, starting to sip down the hot stew.
"Not bad", he commented distractedly, and when Naruto looked up from his cup in surprise, he found the raven watching the mountains with an almost torn look on his face. He was trying to hide it, sure, but there was something in his eyes or the way the corners of his mouth were twisted down a bit more than normally or how his neck looked tense that told Naruto he wasn't just randomly watching them.

Those mountains were where they had been heading to since they had left the haunted ranch, and now the sun was painting them beautiful red and golden. Soon it would be dark and Naruto sighed, swallowing more of the stew as he played the words on his tongue, wondering if he should let them out. It was just a simple question, but with Sasuke, nothing was simple. And then the raven closed his eyes for a few seconds, exhaling slowly, and Naruto made his decision. He had been three days without questions and it really had to stop.
"Where are we going?" he asked softly, watching Whirl wander around eating the prairie grass. Getting closer to the mountains was sure making the grass greener and apparently juicier too, if the horses' appetite was any proof.

He could feel Sasuke's eyes on him and after a little while he glanced back at the raven, arching his brows. Naruto was fairly sure the action made him look more curious than slightly arrogant which was what happened to Sasuke when he did that. Now the look on the raven's face was hard and empty, not giving out anything as he turned away again, directing his eyes on the mountains. But this time he wasn't looking at the highest peaks like he'd done before, but the oddly shaped cliffs a bit left of a sharp peak people called just 'Beak' around here.

"To those cliffs", Sasuke offered finally, his voice quiet and solemn as he put down his empty cup and sighed.

Naruto followed his gaze, spotting the said cliffs immediately. They looked almost like bull horns, rising up and leaving a small cove between them. They had been visible to the farm as well, probably because they really were close to the mountains already, and a small frown crossed the blonde's face.
"Why?" he asked in confusion, watching the shadows grow longer and darker. In a few minutes it would be dark outside the little circle of light the fire was providing them.

"He's there." Sasuke's answer was short and confident but he didn't seem to be on the defensive mode yet. In fact, he seemed more comfortable than he had in a long while if you counted out the fact that he wasn't exactly present.

That, however, didn't help Naruto's curiosity at all. His brows knit together as he turned away from the darkening mountains to watch Sasuke, the fire creating playful shadows to his face.
"How do you know?" he asked, now a bit more demandingly than before. Much to his delight, Sasuke didn't seem to care. For the first time in a long long while, the raven felt like a real grown-up and not like a prissy young girl.

Still gazing at the mountains, Sasuke shrugged softly, his mind clearly somewhere else.
"He told me", he answered simply, not even noticing how the blue eyes widened and gave him a look that doubted his sanity.

"What?" Naruto asked sharply, not really knowing what else to say. That was... not expected.

Sasuke nodded like what he had just said hadn't been the most ridiculous thing he had never let out of his mouth at least at Naruto's hearing range.
"He left me a message in the barn", the man explained distractedly, his brows furrowing a little as he closed his eyes as though trying to recall something. When he opened them again, he turned to look at Naruto, his gaze cold and determined.
"I think he knew I was around and put it in a place he knew I'd find it..."

Naruto blinked, unable to look away from the unexplainable dark eyes. He could almost see the moths circling closer and closer and this time he was tempted to try and catch them, just because this was getting unbearable. Sasuke was giving him hints, obvious ones at that yet he was unable to connect the dots like the raven seemed to be expecting him to. For once the man wasn't running away from Naruto and the bounty hunter wasn't making out the connection he should just get...
"Why the ranch?" he almost whispered, his eyes squinted as he tried to get through the stupid haze hiding the answers from him.

The raven gave him a long look, something almost like disappointment flashing in his eyes before he sighed and looked away again, the mountains now only a dark silhouette against the quickly darkening sky. It was turning into a full night now.
"When I was young", he started solemnly, his face hidden behind his hair and the almost black shadows playing on his features.
"We used to sit outside and watch the mountains. The horn canyon, that little thing between the cliffs, was something I kept asking him about over and over again, and then finally he promised he'd take me there when I was old enough."

"But-"

"He never told me what old enough was though, it was always just promises", Sasuke went on as though he had never been interrupted. His eyes were cold and empty and there was lingering bitterness in his voice as he stared at the fire, his fingers curled around his other wrist.
"But back then I didn't think it would be smart to leave alone, just the two of us. There are lots of dangerous things out here."

Naruto shook his head, closing his eyes. It was right there, so close, yet he couldn't...

"I guess it makes sense that he left the sign there... I suppose he feels like I'm old enough now."

And that was it. The blue eyes flashed open as everything came together in Naruto's mind.
"You're him", he whispered, sounding just as stunned as he looked. It all made sense now, everything was suddenly explained and the blonde could do nothing but blink and stare at the other man as the pieces clicked together, forming the larger picture he'd been missing the whole time.

This time, instead of keeping on talking, Sasuke closed his mouth and kept his eyes on the fire, throwing in a couple of small branches to keep the fire going while Naruto digested the information, trying to wrap his mind around the realization that had just dawned on him. He felt dumber than ever, now that he knew the truth everything made perfect sense to him, all the little hints and the cold words from that silver-haired man in the ranch and the vendetta itself... It had been there all the time and he had just failed to see it.

"I'm surprised it took you so long to realize", the raven murmured with the same blank voice that had been there for a while.
"For someone so skilled you can be awfully stupid at times."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue but shut it almost immediately, knowing that this time Sasuke was perfectly right. And besides, that had been sort of a compliment as well but now he didn't have the time to get too deep into that as his mind kept demanding answers for all the questions the revelation had brought up. Frowning, the blonde pushed himself up to his knees and crawled closer to Sasuke, keeping just enough distance to make sure the raven wouldn't get so uncomfortable he'd close up again. This time, though, Sasuke didn't seem to mind. He just gazed into the fire, totally ignoring Naruto's presence for now, the stew cup in his hand almost untouched.

"He killed them all, right? Your family? And then took you and sold you to Rattlesnake and that's why you're after him, right?" The bounty hunter asked, his voice low as he leaned even closer to Sasuke, for once not letting himself get distracted by the shadows dancing on the beautiful face in front of him. His eyes narrowed as he tried to catch Sasuke's but the raven was staring straight at the fire, making sure not to look at Naruto. Or it was more like he didn't need to look at Naruto, there was nothing he had to see there so he stayed where he was, staring down at the flames with that unreadable, hard look on his face.

"Why would he do that?" the blonde whispered, trying to understand but failing miserably. What kind of a man would go crazy enough to kill his own family and sell his brother to someone like Rattlesnake, or to anyone actually? He just didn't get it and he wasn't sure if he even wanted to, but at least now he understood why Sasuke was so pressed on going after Black Weasel.

Without a warning Sasuke placed down his cup and stood up, glancing once more at the fire before rolling his shoulders and stretching a little.
"I'm going to sleep", he informed the other man flatly, heading over to his bags and taking out his bed roll.

"H-hey!" Naruto was left gaping at him, his mouth open and closing again. There had been a good nice mood for them to talk a bit and Sasuke had finally been opening up a little and now the man was gone again, fuzzing with his bed on the other side of the fire.
"Don't you dare... Answer my question!" The blonde scrambled up, rushing to catch Sasuke before the man lay down because then it would've been just weird. He caught the raven by the arm and pulled him to a stop, ending up a bit closer to the other man than he'd intended.

For a moment it was quiet, just the bugs buzzing in the night and the quiet thuds of the horses taking a step or two at a time broke the silence as they stood there, Naruto grasping Sasuke's arm while the raven just looked away, the darkness hiding his face from the view. Then the thinner man spoke without looking at Naruto, his low voice melting perfectly into the night.
"I said I'm going to sleep."

It was clear order to let go, to drop the subject, but Naruto refused to have any of that, his hold of the other's arm tightening a bit. He couldn't help noticing how much healthier Sasuke was now than he'd been when they had first met. The raven was no longer the skinny poor creature he'd seen the first time but he'd started to grow some muscles and get real strength to his body, a change that Naruto welcomed with open arms. In the beginning he had been really scared for the raven, he hadn't been sure the man would make it being so weak but he had.

Then, shaking himself out of his thoughts Naruto tugged at the raven's arm and pulled him just a little closer to emphasize his point.
"And I said, answer me", he answered with an equally low voice, hoping that this wouldn't end in another fight, he really didn't feel like arguing now. The mood wasn't right for arguments either but now that he'd gotten Sasuke to talk Naruto hoped he could squeeze something more out of him. If there was something as deep as sibling connection between Sasuke and his target it might make the mission much more dangerous for both of them.

Again the raven stayed quiet for a little while, his shoulders tensing as he bowed his head a little more as though preparing to argue over it, his body language speaking clearly of rejection. After a few seconds, however, his shoulders slumped and he turned to look at Naruto, the fire reflecting in the dark eyes and emphasizing how empty and dull they were. The look on his face spoke volumes of exhaustion and desire to sleep and even the playful light couldn't hide the dark shadows under his eyes.
"I'll tell you tomorrow. I want to sleep now."

Left speechless, Naruto stared into the deep eyes, trying not to be affected by the serious, almost pleading tone in Sasuke's voice. He had stood up swearing he wouldn't let go until he had received his answers yet here he was, already thinking he'd made the wrong decision. And besides, tomorrow would be fine, right? He didn't really feel like making Sasuke talk when the raven looked like that, he couldn't remember seeing the man so tired in a long long while and right now... Naruto felt his fingers slowly letting go of Sasuke's arm and slipping away, his arm hanging useless by his side.

With the smallest nod the raven turned around, his shoulders rising and falling with a soft sigh, and under Naruto's almost confused gaze he stripped off most of his clothing except the dark union suit that the raven utterly hated. The bounty hunter was actually quite surprised that the other man had kept that article of clothing for that long but as far as he knew Sasuke wore something else under that, something like lace knickers or so because he hadn't had time to buy anything more manly. Or so Naruto at least had decided in his little head because in some twisted way the thought wasn't all that unpleasant to him.

He watched Sasuke lie down on the blanket and pull another one on the top of himself, and only when the raven was settled comfortably Naruto turned away to fiddle with the fire. It would be a chilly night and he wanted to keep the fire going as long as possible, even if thnding to it meant he wouldn't be sleeping much. He could always doze off a bit tomorrow when riding, he trusted Sasuke enough to take care of things and get him awake if they got themselves into a bad situation. The blonde sat on the ground again, crossing his legs and staring at the fire with a drawn expression, giving Sasuke quick glances every now and then. Everything was fine, right? Nothing had changed, at least shouldn't have... Yet somehow, as Naruto watched the sleeping man, he couldn't help but to feel something warm and funny crawling around inside his chest, something that definitely hadn't been there before with the raven or anyone else for the matter. Or maybe it had and he just hadn't noticed it before, but right now he was feeling pretty helpless with all that. Dealing with emotions wasn't his strongest point and really, getting this attached to someone who was going after Black Weasel? That wasn't very smart at all.

Sighing, Naruto threw another stick to the fire and pulled his knees to his chest, resting his chin on his knees and wincing as the wound in his shoulder protested. What a mess he'd gotten himself into.

The next two days went by as though in some kind of haze for Naruto, or actually for both of them. They stayed silent while riding and mostly silent during the breaks as well, the only words exchanged were about the travelling itself, food and water and horses and the distance they still had to cover to get to Beak. It was just light, casual conversation and even Naruto didn't feel like forcing it. Sometimes, when the sun had gone down, Sasuke started talking on his own, letting out tiny tidbits about how his life had been back then, in the ranch with his parents and brother and how everything had changed when he'd been thrown to the Lair to live as Rattlesnake's little pet.

But as interesting as it all was, Naruto couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something more to it, something Sasuke wasn't telling him. Not that it was anything new, he often felt like that when he was around the raven, but this time it was different. It wasn't like Sasuke was trying to keep a secret from him but more like there was something he was missing again. The blonde couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was but that something seemed to be the reason why Sasuke was talking to him like this. It was like an aura looming around the man, making everything he did seem like there was a greater purpose behind it all. Naruto wasn't sure if he was just imagining it all but he didn't think he was, yet it wasn't something you'd just straight away ask someone about so he kept quiet, hoping that as long as he didn't say anything Sasuke would keep talking.

And he did, for two days. But as the third night fell and the fire was dying out, Sasuke still hadn't said a word. Instead of talking he got up after eating and changing Naruto's bandage and headed over to his bed roll again, leaving Naruto to take care of getting the fire out and so on as usually. The bounty hunter didn't mind it much, he was used to Sasuke leaving all the work for him, and he whistled softly as he gathered their used dishes and kicked some soil on ashes to make sure they wouldn't start a prairie fire or something. After their little camp looked like it had never been there Naruto headed to his own bed that had already been laid out to the ground, kicking off his boots and dropping his vest to the ground next to his bed. It was chilly after all so he didn't bother stripping anything more, not wanting to freeze to death, and so he slipped between the covers, curling up immediately.

He didn't really have the time to fall asleep though, and it wasn't like his body was willing to sleep either. His eyes just wouldn't fall shut and soon enough Naruto found himself staring at Sasuke's neck, the pale stripe of skin gleaming oddly in the moonlight where it was visible from under the dark tufts of hair. The raven was breathing slowly, his posture as relaxed as it ever got and for once Naruto had the feeling the other man was actually asleep and not faking it. It was almost surprising, he would've thought now was the time for Sasuke to be nervous and awake if ever. They were only one day's ride away from Beak and then the two brothers would be united... Or so Sasuke seemed to believe at least. The bounty hunter hadn't even dared to consider the possibility of their target not being where he was supposed to be.

A chilly gust of wind blew over the open prairie, making Naruto shiver and curl up tighter. It only seemed to ruffle Sasuke's hair a bit, but after a few seconds the raven let out a soft puff and shifted a little. It had gotten a lot colder lately and the winter was clearly coming, that being something the blonde wasn't really looking forward to. Cold meant that it would get harder and harder for him to keep moving around freely like he'd done until now, and he knew for sure that Sasuke wouldn't be able to stand the winters at the prairie. Naruto himself was quite the opposite, not enjoying the thought of having to stay inside for the whole winder appealing at all, but he refused to think about it now. If he let himself do that, he'd end up wondering whether or not he'd have to split up with the other man and just the possibility made him anxious.

Naruto blinked and squinted his eyes in the moonlight, focusing on Sasuke's neck again. For a moment it had looked like the man had moved again and as usually it had Naruto on guard immediately; they were so close now, he couldn't allow the raven to pull any weird leaving alone stunts in the middle of the night. But nothing happened and he relaxed again, trying to get himself to the state of mind required to sleeping. He rolled over to his other side, kicked his legs straight, then curled up again before turning to lie on his stomach, his shoulder aching just a bit more every time he moved. Yet nothing helped. He was still wide awake after almost an hour and again, staring at Sasuke.

Under Naruto's tired, alert eyes, the raven shifted again, a shiver running through him as he muttered something in his sleep. Immediately guilt struck through the bounty hunter, his gaze trailing guiltily down to his own blanket. It wasn't like he was too warm or anything but he was way more used to this and he had been sleeping too heavily the last few nights to notice that Sasuke was actually cold enough to start shivering.

The night air was cold, raising goosebumps all over Naruto's arms despite the shirt he was wearing as he slowly pushed himself up, dragging his blanket with him the few steps it took to get to Sasuke. There he stood for a moment, gazing down upon the man and hoping he wasn't being a total idiot for doing this but not really knowing what else to do either. giving up his own blanket would just get him sick, it was too cold for him too to sleep without one. And with a determined look on his face the blonde knelt down, lifting the corner of Sasuke's blanket and crawling partly under it before spreading his own one over both of them. Then, with a content sigh, he slid down, burying his face to Sasuke's neck.

"Don't mind me", he murmured quietly, not wanting to stir the other man if he really was asleep but not wanting to spook him either.
"'m just keeping us warm."

When Sasuke didn't respond, Naruto chose to take it as a sign to move on. Slowly he pressed against the raven's back, wrapping his arm around the man's chest and pulling him as close as he could, his nose buried in the raven hair. Sasuke smelled like dirt and blood and sweat mostly, but it wasn't like Naruto minded any of those; he was used to it. And in it's own way it was comforting too, to have those familiar scents lingering in his nose as he sighed, his breath making the hair on Sasuke's neck shift a little. It was already a lot warmer, the shared body heat making him relax against the other man's body as he finally closed his eyes, smiling softly as he drifted to sleep.

Maybe an hour or two later, he couldn't really tell, Naruto was startled awake by sudden movement of the body next to him. He pried his eyes open, wondering why he had fallen asleep so close to a haystack for a moment before he realized it was actually hair that tickled his nose and tried to get into his eyes. Huffing a little he blinked, momentarily tightening his hold of the warm body he was curled around, and even as the memories slowly came back he didn't let go. His position was just too comfortable and he was too damn warm at the moment to start moving and possibly letting some of the cold air in under the blankets.

"Don't worry", the blonde whispered out of reflex as the raven let out a low sound, making it seem like he was starting to wake up slowly. The slight shifting stopped and Sasuke lay still for a while, too still to be asleep so Naruto knew he was aware enough of his surroundings to listen to him. The positive thing about this was that Sasuke hadn't tried to push him away or hit him yet and the bounty hunter was hoping they could remain like this for the rest of the night. It was just too comfortable, warmth being rare and treasured luxury out on the plains.

"I'm just keeping us both warm", the man explained, his lips close to Sasuke's ear now. Perhaps keeping them warm was a bit dull way to put it, he was curled around the other man like a horrible leech of some sort, his arm around the raven's chest pulling his fairly tightly against Naruto's own and his legs were tangled with Sasuke's. The blankets still covered them from toes to chins so they hadn't really moved after Naruto had crawled in, but it wasn't like rolling around ever got you more comfortable anyway.

Sasuke was still for a while before slowly nodding his head a little bit, his hair again brushing against Naruto's nose in a ticklish manner. A funny burst of drowsy happiness bubbled up somewhere inside the bounty hunter at that; knowing that he was allowed to hold Sasuke like this, even if only for the warmth, it was almost too much to keep inside. Without really thinking about it he started rubbing the raven's stomach through the union suit with his fingertips, smiling against Sasuke's ear. It was pretty innocent of course, almost the same as petting an animal, but it still made the other man tense for a second. Before long he relaxed again though and sighed, making Naruto smile again with the way he pressed a bit tighter against the younger man.

What made the smile freeze on his face though was the way Sasuke's hand suddenly covered his, stopping the movement of his fingers for a while. Afraid of messing up somehow Naruto stayed completely still, waiting for Sasuke to tell him to back off. But instead of doing that the man just flattened his palm, spreading Naruto's fingers as well before lacing them together with his own. It was a small but oddly intimate gesture and Naruto found himself swallowing around something funny in his throat. Damn, the raven was catching him completely off guard tonight, being more relaxed than the blonde probably had ever seen him. Or so he thought at least, it was probably the easiest to tell now that he was actually so close to Sasuke.

Shifting a bit, Naruto fumbled around until he could run his free hand's fingers through Sasuke's hair, still amazed by how soft it was. then, without a warning, the raven moved, slowly rolling over and forcing Naruto to pull back a little, his hands resting on the blanket underneath them. He kept his head down, waiting for Sasuke to get comfortable again as the man now lay facing him, the completely black eyes still sleepy as they focused on him, watching him in the silent night.

Slowly, the softest of smiles pulled the corners of Naruto's lips and he reached forward again, brushing his fingers against the other man's cheek, easily ignoring the aching in his shoulder. Sasuke's skin was glowing softly in the pale moonlight, giving him an almost ghostly appearance for a moment. It passed quickly as larger fragments of clouds drifted in front of it to cover it up, leaving the prairie in an almost complete darkness. Still smiling, Naruto buried his fingers in the black hair, and much to his surprise the other man returned his gesture, scooting closer. The blue eyes threatened to flutter shut as the tender fingers stroked the back of his neck, absently sliding over an old scar there before threading through the hay-colored hair, leaving the bounty hunter just confused when they finally stopped, staying where they were.

Naruto didn't understand what was going on and why Sasuke was suddenly being so tender and sweet but he sure as hell wasn't complaining, and then he didn't really have time to think about it at all as the other man inched even closer, bringing his forehead against Naruto's and resting his hand on the blonde's hip, slowly stroking the rough fabric.

The kiss was slow and experimenting, nothing like the angry battles before, but just because it was so different it left Naruto yearning for more the second he pulled back to look at Sasuke again. The dark eyes were almost invisible in the darkness, it was only because of their close proximity that he was able to make them out at all. He couldn't figure out the look on the man's face at all but he didn't mind, liking the fact that he could only feelnow. somehow it felt very fitting, and he sighed contently as Sasuke's fingers started moving on the back of his head again, combing his hair gently. Leaning in for another kiss, Naruto pressed his lips on Sasuke's, parting them immediately to push his tongue out and run it along the raven's bottom lip. The other man waited a little before granting the access but as he did, it was clearly an invitation and not just another way to humor Naruto.

Their tongues tangled together, first slow and experimenting but getting the hold of it quite fast while Naruto carefully ran his hand down Sasuke's back, the raven's fingers curling around the back of his neck and keeping him there as the kisses started to get more heated, their bodies again pressing together but with a different purpose now. They weren't just trying to keep warm anymore, no, it was the urge to get closer that drew them to each other.

A soft groan was muffled by their kiss as Naruto's hand took a more aggressive manner and slid down to the other man's behind, forcing their hips together as well. The lack of direct skin to skin contact was starting to get to him and reluctantly he broke the kiss, giving Sasuke's slightly flushed face and swollen lips a quick look that broke his resolve and made him dive straight back in for another slow, intense kiss that drew a soft moan from the raven. The older man reached out, silently demanding Naruto to hold him closer as he grabbed the front of Naruto's shirt, his eyes shutting as he started to undo the buttons of both the shirt and the union suit, his hands slipping in as soon as he got them all done, sliding over the blonde's shoulders to pull the annoying pieces of clothing off.

The blankets shifted on top of them, letting a flush of cold air under them. The freezing breeze brushed against Naruto's shoulders, happily greeting the hot skin and pressing against it, making the man shudder. He didn't dare to say anything though and Sasuke didn't' seem to notice either, fiddling with the union suit to get it over and done with. Soon enough he had it pulled to Naruto's waist and the blonde didn't really have the time to think about cold anymore as the slender hands started moving on his upper body, caressing his skin. He drew in a sharp breath as those fingers brushed against a nipple, staying there for a moment and then letting go, moving to undo Sasuke's own buttons.

Letting out an unsatisfied huff, Naruto ran his fingers through the ink black locks, trying to pull the raven closer but he refused to move, working on the buttons of his union suit. The blonde couldn't keep his hands away for long though; as soon as enough buttons were undone he took the liberty to rid Sasuke of the clothing, pulling it down to his hips but not really daring to go further. He heard a small, relaxed sigh and smiled a little, taking pleasure in the fact that Sasuke seemed to be enjoying himself as much as he did, at least almost so. What he wasn't so sure he enjoyed was how they seemed to be going so slow. Although Naruto had always had the tendency to try and make it nice for the girl too, to make it slow and sensual and just overall enjoyable instead of just a quick roll in the hay (which was nice too, but not in all occasions), keeping it at that with Sasuke was proving to be extra difficult. It wasn't that he didn't want it to be slow with Sasuke or anything but his body didn't like that option at all.

The sleepy haze that had still lingered there was starting to slowly disappear as Naruto refused to give Sasuke another chance to back down, pulling him into a rougher embrace and kissing him again. Their kisses were starting to get more and more heated, the urge to get closer emphasized with the small gasp the blonde let out as their chests touched and their groins pressed together. Allowing himself that one weakness Naruto let himself slowly grind against Sasuke, immediately rewarded with a small gasp and he smiled at the noise, finding it totally intoxicating and leaving him wanting more. Desperate to get what he wanted, the blonde kept moving his hips, his arousal pressing against the rough fabric of his underwear and he shuddered, trying to ignore the blankets shifting and moving until half of his back was uncovered.

Then it didn't really matter anymore. Sasuke's hands were touching him, stroking his skin and hair and running down his back, rubbing his nipples and getting lower and lower, always stopping at the hoarse curls that trailed down from Naruto's belly button, disappearing under the last part of the damned union suit. The blonde could feel the other man stroking them and once Sasuke even experimentally tugged at them, making the bounty hunter twitch and hiss. That was no place to go yanking anything.

The kisses had been left aside for now as the raven kept his hand on Naruto's skin, following the trail with his fingertips and finally dipping them underneath the fabrics. His fingers brushed against the base of the blonde's cock and Naruto drew in a sharp breath, his hips automatically thrusting forward to get more. That couldn't really be even called a proper touch and he was craving for more, needing to be touched by no-one other than Sasuke.

The moon shone softly on the sky, partly illuminating the two dark figures underneath the blankets that were all grumbled on the top of them, the animals of the night hiding any noise the couple might've been making. The covers hid them from the eyes of the world, making it look a bit odd for anyone who could've been watching as the younger of the men suddenly chuckled, his eyes narrowing to the point of being almost closed, and then muttered something, the words slurred and unclear.

The sound had an immediate effect on the dark-haired man. His hand froze where it was, his fingertips again on the blonde curls just beneath the union suit, and he looked up at Naruto, a small frown on his face. He didn't look angry though, just curious, and he didn't withdraw his hand from where it was, giving Naruto a few seconds to start explaining that unexpected expression of happiness and content.

The blonde shook his head slowly, finally looking into Sasuke's eyes again and smiling soothingly, not wanting the man to think he was laughing at him when there was absolutely nothing about the raven that he would've wanted to laugh at right now. Grabbing Sasuke's behind with one hand, Naruto pulled him closer, running his other hand's fingertips over the other man's lips gently and earning a soft huff from the raven. As he spoke, his voice was hushed and low, perfectly suited to the oddly tender moment they had going on.
"The hallelujah trail", he explained, his lips almost close enough to touch Sasuke's as he spoke, "That's what an old friend used to call it." Giving a significant look down at Sasuke's hand the blonde shook his head again, the smile still in place as he relaxed, nudging his hips a bit to get the other man moving again.

Nothing else was said as Sasuke for once did as told, his fingers slowly wrapping around Naruto's erection and starting to stroke it slowly, drawing soft moans out of the younger man. They were quickly muffled by Sasuke, his tongue sliding easily between Naruto's lips and claiming access to his mouth. He caught the moans with delight, only to be thrown a bit off balance as the blonde suddenly got a lot more aggressive, pushing back against his tongue with his own and carefully pulling Sasuke's hand away from his arousal.

Taking a moment to calm down again, he reached down to kick off his clothing completely before returning to the kiss, his both hands now in Sasuke's hair. The kiss was gaining in heat again, getting more sloppy and desire-filled as the blonde rolled himself on top of the other man despite the protests of his shoulder, grinding down against the raven's groin again and pulling out another moan. It was still so much slower than many of his fucks in the brothels where the girls were just meant to satisfy his desire and do nothing else, and it was taking quite a lot to keep his hips at the slow pace. It was easy to tell that Sasuke was starting to get into it too, his hips moving with Naruto's with ease and even urging him to move faster, trying to pick up the pace on their own. Smirking a bit as he pushed himself up on his elbows so he could look down at the raven, Naruto pressed his hips down and totally still, the irritated glare making him just chuckle again.

Planting small kisses on the corner of Sasuke's mouth and his neck, the blonde waited until the other man had stopped struggling and given up the control before starting to move again, this time a bit harder and faster than before, immediately drawing out the first low moan. The sound made his gut cramp as the arousal curled inside him, more blood pumping into his cock as he ground it against the fabric of Sasuke's union suit, totally hating the material. He paused again and reached down to tug at the fabric and this time the raven didn't protest. The blankets had slid off completely as Naruto silently pulled off the fabric, giving the other man's legs a long look before actually daring to look up at the erect member that stood in front of him between the two strong thighs. The blood made it so much darker than the glowing almost white skin around it and the blonde found himself swallowing thickly before looking up at Sasuke, meeting the dark observing eyes.

Heavy silence hung upon them like a blanket or a thunder cloud, neither of them wanting to break it and possibly do something to the mood that rested around them at the moment. It was too tender, too intimate to be ruined with any more talking and slowly Naruto nodded, sliding back up against Sasuke's frame and pulling the blanket along, his breath catching as his arousal brushed against Sasuke's. The body underneath his twitched a little and the corner of Naruto's mouth curled up a notch as he started moving once more, his body fitting perfectly against Sasuke's. He kept his eyes open, observing that beautiful face resting on a bundle of clothing that served as a pillow for now, and again he clearly saw why he had thought the raven was so beautiful in the first place.

Despite looking clearly masculine now, Sasuke still had almost delicate features that were truly visible when he wasn't scowling at something or looking like there was something rotten under his nose. His black lashes threw shadows on his cheekbones and his lips were full and swollen from their slow passionate kisses, parted just a little as he breathed fast, his breath hitching every now and then when Naruto managed to touch him in a good angle. His eyes were almost closed and his hair framed his face perfectly, the slight flush on his face making him even more beautiful. It was almost painful, how perfect Sasuke was in a moment like this, and when the man finally opened his eyes and Naruto saw his own desire and need replicating in the dark depths he lost it, leaning his head on Sasuke's shoulder and starting to really grind down against the man, the small noises that fell from those sinful lips just encouraging him to go further with it.

His breath was nothing but hard and fast panting, the pleasure coursing through him and threatening to take over as the man kept moving, delighted with the way Sasuke moved with him, the long fingers gripping his hair and running down his back, looking for something to hold onto. It was sweet and addicting, chasing all coherent thoughts out of Naruto's head as he gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. It was piling up and becoming harder and harder to handle, his control slipping dangerously as his erection rubbed against Sasuke's with every move they made, the repeated sensation making him shudder and groan.

It happened without a proper warning. Something tightened in his stomach and before Naruto could do anything to stop it, the orgasm grabbed him and dragged him along, smearing Sasuke's stomach and Naruto's too. A low moan was drawn from the blonde's lips and he stilled completely, still panting roughly as he let himself dwell in the perfect feeling of satisfaction for a little while. His skin felt hot all over and as he shifted slightly the feel of his almost oversensitive cock brushing against Sasuke's still hard one made him draw in a sharp breath, a tiny whine escaping his lips.

The feeling that someone was watching him finally caught the man and with a sigh he forced himself to get a grip again. He was feeling good and relaxed but it wasn't enough to make him forget completely. Lifting his head, Naruto caught the dark eyes and immediately registered the observing look in them, relief flooding through him. Smiling down at the other man, the blonde pressed his forehead against Sasuke's, keeping his eyes on him as he wrapped his now slightly sticky fingers around the other's arousal. He took great satisfaction in seeing the dark eyes become dilated and flutter shut at the simple touch and as he started moving his hand the way Sasuke's face reflected the fight between clinging to the control and letting go of it left the blonde speechless. He closed his eyes too, not wanting to watch it. It felt too intrusive, the brief moment the dark eyes had been open had shown too much raw emotion, much more than he could take without falling into it himself as well, and Naruto really couldn't afford falling any harder than he already had.

With his eyes still shut the blonde smiled a little and pressed his lips against Sasuke's, keeping his hand moving as he pried the raven's lips open and gently forced his tongue inside. The choked groan he got in return was almost enough of a reward by itself and the way the other man threw himself into the kiss was just a nice, though huge, bonus. Naruto could almost taste the raven's frustration, the need that undoubtedly was building up in his just like it had done in himself just a while ago, and he let his hand speed up. It seemed that Sasuke had lost the fight, the carefully crafted armor that usually hid his feelings from the world crumbling and finally disappearing as he moaned again, his back arching and his hips bucking into Naruto's hand desperately, seeking for release. It was intoxicating, seeing the man react like that, and without giving it a thought he ran his thumb over the head of Sasuke's penis, making the man's breath hitch.

Smiling still, Naruto pulled back just a little, trailing kisses down Sasuke's cheek to his neck where he remained, just breathing against the raven's skin as he concentrated on bringing the other man over the edge. He could practically hear it in the way Sasuke was breathing, his movements were becoming sharper and faster as he clung to the blonde, letting out a choked, almost inaudible cry as he finally stilled, something warm messing Naruto's hand. Instinctively the blonde wrapped his free arm around Sasuke as well, holding him close for a long while. They remained silent, just breathing heavily in the silence and the blonde kept his nose against the other man's neck, drawing in his scent and trying to memorize it, even for a little while. Sasuke's body felt tense and sweaty against his and he sighed, pressing another kiss on the raven's skin, keeping his lips there for a good while as he rubbed the slim shoulder with one hand, the other still pressed between their bodies.

Slowly, almost painfully so Sasuke finally started to relax, his arms finally losing the death grip they'd had of Naruto and the raven let out a long breath, barely holding onto anything anymore. His eyes remained closed as he let his breathing go stable again, but when Naruto shifted a little and lifted his head again the raven opened his eyes as well, meeting Naruto's gaze. The look in the dark eyes was an odd mix of softness and something much harder, more determined, and Sasuke lifted his head, bringing it close to Naruto's face as though to touch his cheek. Instead he seemed to change his mind and grabbed the blond hair, pulling Naruto down for a quick kiss.

It was unexpected for sure and for a moment Naruto was at a loss of words, his body tensing a little on top of Sasuke. Then, with a sigh, he gave in and smiled into the kiss, rolling off the other man once the kiss finally broke. He didn't let go of the raven though, no, he kept the other man close to him the whole time, pressing one more kiss on his lips before running his fingers through the ruffled black hair and smiling softly as he watched Sasuke's eyes fall shut.