The Deception (Chapter 9, part 2)
Cold metal bit into his wrists, arms, hips and ankles. It wound tight and unforgiving, the links biting into his clothing and pinching the pale flesh underneath. Normally such a thing would be barely an obstacle for a ninja, even one who was not as strong as he was but these were no ordinary chains. As they hung about his body, ensuring he couldn’t move, they also created a barrier within him so that his chakra was completely inaccessible. There were seals on the locks and some kind of jutsu worked into the chains themselves which meant they were made specifically to hold a shinobi so that they couldn’t even entertain thoughts of escape. Even his hands were kept apart by thick, metal rods so he couldn’t even hope to pick the locks manually. All Sasuke could do was kneel on the cold, polished wooden floor in the impressive throne room and glare at the man before him.
The green eyes stared back with steady coldness that he didn’t think even he could master. He didn’t understand what was going on since he had been told nothing before he had been dragged here and dumped unceremoniously to the ground but he would be damned if he would be the first one to speak. Even so, his heart pounded rapidly in his chest, fear coursing through his veins. It wouldn’t do to look at the blond man chained to the large, wooden chair but he longed to call out Naruto’s name and force those unfocused eyes to fix on him. Something was wrong with the blond and it was scaring Sasuke more than his own chains or Aoshi’s impressive gaze ever could.
He couldn’t remember how he had ended up bound like this, only that he had somehow fallen asleep while he was in the middle of his daily exercise routine and woke up face down and chained upon the damp floor of his favorite balcony. There was no reason for this, nothing for Aoshi to have suspected him of; he had not changed his behavior the entire time he was here. Yet there was Naruto, his face blank and his shoulders rounded as he stared off into space, looking like some wild pet the Feudal Lord had tamed and drugged so he could place his prized trophy at his feet. It was all he could do not to snarl and rattle his chains in rage.
“You do, of course, know why you are here,” the Feudal Lord’s voice was heavy and full of shadowy anger that made Sasuke feel like he had been filled with ice. He sat very still, making sure his mask of fury didn’t slip while his mind raced with possible ways of escape. If only he could call upon his chakra or even move his hands an inch. Instead the chains seemed to mock him and the distant look on Naruto’s face distracted him. What the fuck had been done to him that his entire personality seemed to have been wiped out and his eyes were nearly transparent as they tried to focus on the floor and couldn’t?
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he snarled, pulling at his bindings even though he knew it wouldn’t do any good. The dull rage had banked within him until it was a steep, roiling inferno, flashing within the depths of his eyes which would have been blood red and trying to burn the noble to a crisp if he could just reach his chakra. Aoshi sat upon his chair, chin resting on his hand looking completely unimpressed. What was even more strange was that his face was bare as if he wanted to give his frozen expression more weight. A single slender eyebrow arched high on the pale forehead, nearly obscured by chestnut curls and there was disbelief in the expression.
“Really,” he murmured before flicking his gaze to the blond kneeling at his feet. There was possessiveness in that look that made the Uchiha’s throat ache and burn with jealousy even as his own eyes followed. The blonde’s hair fell across his face and was coming free of its bright yellow ribbon that matched the rich yukata he wore with a pair of gold hakama. Sasuke was used to seeing him in warm, bright colors but for some reason, his expensive, fancy clothing mixed with the blank look on his face made him look vulnerable, exposed. It made him look like someone had cored his very soul and left him a shell dressed prettily enough to deter searching gazes. His heart, soul, very being blazed to see Naruto, his Naruto, the strongest person he had ever known and the only one who could have captured Sasuke, reduced to such a state that he couldn’t even lift his head and look around him.
Aoshi must have noticed his stare because he suddenly leaned over, brilliant, icy green gaze never once wavering from the Uchiha’s face and curled his hand possessively under the blonde’s chin. Naruto barely responded to it, just titling his head a little bit to the side but his eyes remained blank and far away. Then the Feudal Lord traced a line with his tongue up one of the blonde’s cheeks and Sasuke saw red. He tried to jerk to his feet, face twisted in a snarl but only managed to stagger before falling back to his knees again. The urge to rip the man’s tongue out of his head nearly choked the dark haired man. Unfortunately, it gave him away and the older man sat back in his chair again with a look of grim satisfaction.
“As I thought,” the deep voice was quiet but it might as well have been bellowed in his ear for all the effect it had on him. Sasuke went very still and he stared at the arm of the chair the noble occupied, trying to keep his breathing calm. Every muscle had tensed as if he could charge the throne-like chair and rip Aoshi apart with his teeth. He was almost angry enough to try it, “You have touched something that does not belong to you as you have betrayed my trust of you,” he almost sneered, teeth clenched together so tightly his jaw was aching. And as he stared at the man with the pretty face and the wide green eyes, the truth came swirling up the back of his throat, flooding his tongue with bitterness.
“You think he’s yours?” he rasped, ducking his head as he affected a laugh that was entirely without mirth. Sasuke was shaking and he knew it would show his weakness off all the more but he couldn’t seem to stop, “He was never yours. He doesn’t belong to anyone but himself,” he didn’t really believe that because Naruto would always belong to him whether the blond wanted to or not, “Even so, I have not touched him,” and the admission hurt more than he thought possible. If he wasn’t so afraid of what would be done to the blond if he didn’t deny it, he wouldn’t have bothered but there was a hint of steely resolve in the blazing emerald gaze that spoke of an anger that was possible of doing anything. Of course, it didn’t matter if Aoshi wasn’t going to believe him.
“Is that so?” still he spoke in that soft, gentle way, as if he was doing nothing more than settling a dispute between two of his subjects. It set Sasuke’s teeth in edge, “Imagine my surprise when I got a letter stating how you let yourself into his rooms and stayed there the whole night. If you had nothing to hide, then you wouldn’t have waited until I was gone. What else, then, am I to believe if you weren’t fucking him behind my back?” the crude words made the back of his mouth taste sour and he felt his lips curl in an ugly sneer. Hate beat frantic black wings at the corners of his vision.
“What the fuck did you do to him?” Sasuke asked instead of bothering to answer the other man’s question. After all, it was clear Aoshi wouldn’t hear anything that was said to him anyway. Involuntarily, his dark gaze flickered to where Naruto knelt again and he wanted to scream. All the light in the deep blue eyes had diffused, the color turned dark and cloudy. It was clear that he was in there, somewhere, but whatever the drug did that he had been given tore away all of his personality. The Feudal Lord shifted restlessly upon his chair, the first sign of his agitation and the Uchiha bent a glare upon him that would have sent any lesser man scurrying.
“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt him,” there was a sneer in his voice that made the dark haired man’s skin crawl but he wouldn’t let his gaze waver, “It merely scatters the will and makes it difficult to concentrate. It also has a lovely side affect,” the grin these words were spoken with was sharper than steel. The chestnut head twisted and Aoshi looked down at the blond kneeling upon the floor, “Daisuke, come here,” he held out one slender hand in command and the blond, his motions broken and choppy, lifted himself to his feet and slipped onto the noble’s lap. Sickening acid filled Sasuke’s stomach, made worse with the knowledge that Naruto had no choice, no chance to fight. Aoshi chuckled though, running his fingers over the blonde’s cheek, “It makes for a very obedient little pet, don’t you think?” Sasuke chains clinked and dug violently into his skin as he once more tried to launch himself at the man. Once again, he was unsuccessful.
“So that’s your answer then?” he growled, pulling and yanking at the chains as frustration and rage nearly clogged his lungs. He should have known that nothing good could have come from this whole thing; after all, didn’t everyone fall in love with Naruto? Of course Aoshi would view a spied upon meeting as betrayal; that would mean his possession over something was incomplete, “You drug him against his will because you think he as cheated your own? How very noble of you, especially since you did not even bother to ask him the truth before you did it,” the words were mocking and bitingly calm but the hateful swirl of emotion still held him in its talons, only stoked hotter and brighter when he stole another look at the blond man sitting demurely upon the Feudal Lord’s lap. Surprisingly enough, Aoshi didn’t give into anger. He just tipped his head to the side and pondered the Uchiha bound and practically helpless before him.
“Did you realize that for such a betrayal, I could have you killed? As the person who accepted my courtship, Daisuke is as good as betrothed to me. It would be within my rights, as the Lord of this land, to punish you how I see fit,” he regarded the dark haired man as if he was just dirt upon the bottom of his shoes. Once, that might have battered Sasuke’s pride but now he couldn’t take his eyes away from Naruto’s blank face, his helplessness cutting the Uchiha like a knife. For someone so strong to be brought down like this, to the point he no longer even had a free will had him struggling to reach for his chakra so that he could tear Aoshi apart. But just like the other times he tried, it shredded away like thin cloth under hook claws. A slender hand buried itself in the blonde’s long hair and forced him to lay his head upon one of the noble’s shoulders. He did without a protest or a flicker of life in his gaze, “But I think I’ll keep you alive. That way you will be forced to remember that he never belonged to you and he never will. You’ll have to think about me touching him, instead, and if he is even thinking about you while you rot away somewhere to be forgotten,” There was a heavy victory in Aoshi voice. Yet instead of yielding, Sasuke lifted his chin in a show of defiance, a laughing sneer caught in his throat.
“You are deluding yourself. You don’t even know who he is. How could he belong to you?” it was just truth, the sharpest kind, the only weapon he had left but he couldn’t stop laughing because he was afraid if he did, he would start calling Naruto’s name. His real one. If there was anything he could do now, it was to make sure the blond stayed safe. Aoshi’s face was immobile ice as he glared down at Sasuke before he lifted his free hand and gestured to the guards that were expertly hidden in the shadows behind his chair. Their faces were expressionless too as two of them stepped into the light, ignoring Sasuke as if he was another inlaid decoration upon the wooden floor.
“Yes, my Lord?” one of them asked as they willingly knelt down, fists pressed to their hearts and heads bowed. The Uchiha struggled against his frustration and the first niggling of fear. He had not been this helpless since he was a Genin and he still had no luck reaching his chakra or finding a way free of his chains.
“Take him to the Cliff Holdings,” it seemed Aoshi was done talking with Sasuke and he merely turned away, looking at Naruto instead as the two men in the green guard uniform hauled Sasuke to his feet. A whirlwind of fury filled him then, blazing along under his skin like bright, consuming fire. He was being discarded and Naruto had been turned into a mindless drone. A single mission that should have been so simple and straightforward destroyed by a misunderstanding. He held himself limp as the two guards pulled him roughly by his elbows, making it seem like he had given up the fight. But as they were about to maneuver him away, he bent his knees, getting both feet underneath himself so he could push off of them, launching out of the guards’ rough arms and towards he chair where Aoshi sat. There was a loud exclamation behind him and the green eyes jerked to him, widening as they realized the Uchiha was a lot closer than before. He had gotten a good distance out of the single spring and he managed to catch himself against the arm of the chair with his hip and knee so that he was looming threateningly over the smaller man. Naruto still stared out into some far away landscape, oblivious to the struggle going on around him.
“If you hurt him,” Sasuke’s voice was a deep growl as the wide, emerald gaze bore into his own, “I will rip you apart limb from limb and then feed them to you,” venom and promise dripped through the air between them and he had a moment to make sure his threat made an impact upon the man. Then he was being hauled away by strong, unforgiving hands, not even bothering to wince when he got a fist in his side. It was nothing to the sharp throb that was stabbing over and over at his battered heart.
As he was dragged from the room, he didn’t look back over his shoulder for a glimpse of Naruto. If he did that, the pain would twist and bite so deep he was sure it would kill him. How could this have happened? He wanted to fight, to rage, to rip into his captor’s flesh with metal and teeth, the only weapons he had left and then dash back into that room to snatch Naruto away. This had become more than an infiltration, a spying game or any mission had a right to be. This had become deadly and the stakes were much higher than he had realized. Bile rose at the back of his throat and he swallowed it thickly, hiding his face with his bangs so that the people they passed as he was marched from the palace and along paths he had never realized existed wouldn’t see the anguish written upon his features.
The triumph in Aoshi eyes in the last moments when they had stared into Sasuke’s cut him deepest of all.
They were the eyes of a man who knew he had won a major victory and didn’t care who got hurt in the process. He might be in love with Daisuke but he had stopped seeing the blond as the person he valued and loved. Naruto had been claimed as a possession, as a prize. In Aoshi’s eyes, he had seen that in hurting the blond, he would only be exercising his right as owner.
Despair rolled over him so thick, he could taste it.
In the deep, clear green of that unforgiving gaze, there had been a promise. Naruto was Aoshi’s.
And he was going to hurt him.
Helpless and chained, Sasuke’s heart screamed and battered at its broken prison walls. Naruto was going to be in pain and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
~~~
The three days that Aoshi was gone after that morning Naruto had woken with Sasuke in his bed were the most peaceful he’d had since he had arrived here. He still sang at night for the Court but other than that, there was absolutely no demands on his time. There was no concern over whether he was putting on a convincing enough show for Aoshi or if he was paying the noble enough attention. It had been a balancing act, putting on his best show for the older man and trying to keep his heart buried enough that it couldn’t be wounded in the process. He still hung out with the ninja in the lower court and Sumie kept up his lessons but there was a freedom to his movements and his thoughts that he didn’t realize had been restricted until he didn’t need to wear Daisuke’s mask all hours of the day.
But more than that was Sasuke’s presence.
After coming to their understanding, the Uchiha made a point of finding the blond during some point of the day, usually staying until the moon had set in the early morning sky and then he would slip unobtrusively back to his own rooms. It had surprised Naruto at first, how willing the dark haired man seemed to be, keeping the blond company. They were careful about it, of course. It wouldn’t do to be seen in each other’s company but the other shinobi would materialize into the garden as the blond sat beneath one of the many full, shady trees, his guitar or a book on his lap. It was almost as if now that they had seen the strength of the connection they had with one another, they couldn’t bear to be apart. And Naruto loved when the Uchiha stepped around the large trunk, his hands in his pockets and his eyes as dark as midnight. He would never smile in greeting but there was this gentle expression on his face that Naruto would end up grinning enough for the both of them.
Sometimes they talked, their voices rising and falling in low, measured tones. They were safe from prying eyes in the garden since it was the one place Aoshi wouldn’t allow servants while it was occupied so he let himself listen to the way their voices twined together so perfectly, it was like a seamless dance. The sounds contrasted amazingly well, Naruto’s a rough, strong tenor that always sounded as if it was ready to break into clear, bubbling laugher while Sasuke’s was a deep baritone, smooth and dark like his eyes. It was more solemn than the blonde’s but there was always some hint of emotion within it. Like that they would talk about anything that came to mind and if Naruto found that he had to carry more of the conversation than Sasuke did, he knew it was more than the Uchiha had ever given anyone else.
It was the last night, though, that he would forever remember with a striking clarity like a crystal bell tapped with a diamond hammer. Perhaps because it was the last moments of gentleness he would see once Aoshi returned or maybe it was the conversation that hung about him like a promising dream. Sasuke had been sitting on the ground beside him, arms wrapped around his knees as he watched the stars glittering in the darkening sky while Naruto hummed along with the soft notes he plucked out upon his guitar.
“When did you learn how to sing?” the dark haired man asked abruptly, his voice cutting through the easy silence that had settled between them and the blond glanced over to study the shadowed profile. Sasuke hadn’t moved but his face was pensive, the sharp angles of his nose and cheekbones softened by starlight. The blond hummed a few more notes before he answered.
“Well, I guess I’ve always kinda known how,” he didn’t stop plucking gently upon the steel strings, now moving his fingers in a familiar pattern of one of the prettiest songs Sumie had taught him, the gentle melody done in a melancholy minor key, “I needed some kind of selling point of sorts and this was the best we could come up with on such short notice. Singing is fun, though. It used to help me relax, I think,” he chuckled softly as he remembered how flustered he had been when he realized his team had heard him one night as he was gathering firewood. Even though their teasing had been kind, it had never occurred to him until he met Genma that it was a trait to be proud of. The dark haired man made a soft noise in the back of his throat before dropping his forehead to his knees, turning his head so he could regard the blond. It was the most relaxed and calm Naruto had seen the Uchiha.
“You had training for this then. You weren’t just sent in and told to use your instincts,” it wasn’t a question but it made the blond laugh softly, bending his head over the guitar for a moment when his fingers stumbled. When he picked up the melody again, he lifted his head to smile at Sasuke.
“Of course. I mean, if Kakashi had wanted that, he would have sent me with a team and I would have just flailed around before seeing what really needed to be done. This needed delicacy and strength. So yeah, I had training,” the dark haired man was quiet for long moments and they listened to the low, mellow song spiral to the canopy of leaves above their heads. Then he breathed a soft sigh and leaned back against the tree trunk again.
“Interesting kind of training, if it can turn you into a completely different person,” the words were bitter and Naruto shot him a quick look. But he couldn’t tell what the real emotion was behind the shadowed eyes. He bit his lip before making a spit decision.
“I thought it would be horrible,” his voice was soft and he finally gave up pulling another song from the instrument in his lap, setting it beside him on the grass. He could feel Sasuke looking at him intently but he couldn’t look at the other man as he spoke as if he was afraid of what he might find on the pale features, “I learned all kinds of things that would turn me into someone I was not. I learned how to act, how to write formally, how to say one thing and mean something entirely different. I was taught manners and how to wield senbon,” the dark eyebrows when up at that and Naruto flicked his wrist so that a thin, metal needle gleamed between his fingers. It was gone, back into the seam of his sleeve a second later and Sasuke was now watching him thoughtfully, “I also learned that I liked to learn. I mean, more than just Justus and techniques to make me stronger. There are other ways to be strong other than just physically,” his companion made a soft noise and he looked at the dark haired man to find him wide eyed and incredulous.
“Are you sure you’re Naruto?” he asked, voice breathless and the blond couldn’t figure out why that would be. Instead he grinned and nudged Sasuke’s shoulder with his own.
“Very funny. I’m not that different. And anyway, how come everyone else is allowed to grow and mature and it’s a shock for everyone when I do?” he received a flat look at that and he knew he was about to get a sarcastic remark. He didn’t really mind though; they had lost their sting a long time ago.
“Because you were always a bumbling idiot that spouted the same ideals over and over again,” This time Naruto managed to get a sharp punch in on the Uchiha’s ribs, making the dark haired man growl and glower at him. The blond just glared back. It meant nothing, though, because a moment later Sasuke’s face softened and he looked back up at the stars, black bangs brushing over the collar of his shirt. Without thought, Naruto reached out and brushed away a stray strand or two, “I didn’t say the change was a bad thing. I know it’s still you,” the admission warmed the blonde’s heart like a blazing fire and he turned his face away so that the other man could not see his ridiculous grin, “Were you…taught anything else?” the question was hesitant and quiet but it wiped the smile off the blonde’s face anyway. He plucked at his soft blue hakama before sighing.
“The whole point in learning how to be a courtesan is about seduction. I learned that too,” just like that, their air between them became flat and stale. He winced and snuck a glance at Sasuke again to see him frowning deeply. The blond swallowed and then leaned forward, pressing his arm against the dark haired man’s shoulder, “Sasuke-” he started but the intense black gaze jerked up to meet his own, cutting off whatever reassurances he was about to say. He didn’t know why he was; they hadn’t defined what their bond was slowly evolving into and neither had brought up the subject of sex except when the Uchiha voiced his displeasure with Naruto lingering in Aoshi’s bed.
“What does that mean? How much were you taught?” his voice was sharp but, for some reason, it made that warm bubble within the blonde’s chest only seem to expand. Sasuke sounded angry and he was beginning to think that his reasons behind his protests weren’t as innocent as he made them out to be. Still Naruto blushed furiously as he thought of his answer.
“E-everything, I guess,” he whispered now twisting the silk of his pants in his hands, a nervous gesture he didn’t make as Daisuke, “You know, how to make someone take notice of me, how to make them want me…sex,” he cleared his throat before speaking again, “Everything about sex. With a man, anyway,” Sasuke was very still, like he had been carved from marble and onyx and Naruto began to wonder if he had said too much. But before he could open his mouth to say anything more, the deep, black eyes were boring into his own and they flashed with a determined fire that stole his breath.
“So how many people have actually touched you?” the possessive question caught him off guard and he blinked for a minute, wondering again if Sasuke really cared how many people he’d had sex with. He was beginning to think he did.
“Just my teachers, Genma and Raido, and Aoshi,” he answered quietly, dropping his gaze as he blushed again. He didn’t have to tell Sasuke the names of his teachers but for some reason he felt like he owed the other man that much. Maybe it was the way the shadows had arranged themselves upon the Uchiha’s face, making him look like a jealous angel or the dangerous gleam in his eyes. Though Naruto knew all the dark haired man had to do was ask and he could deny him nothing. Then his hand was caught in a strong grip, the pale fingers holding so tight he felt the small bones creaking in protest and Sasuke was turned so that he faced the blond completely. The air hung about them in heavy drapes, making it suddenly hard to breathe and he could feel the heat racing up his arm from the touch.
“I’ve stayed out of this as much as I could because I understand the importance of your mission, as much as I detest to see you with that man but that’s it. No more. You can’t touch anyone after this is done and you can’t let anyone else touch you,” his voice was a low snarl, rough with emotion and Naruto stared at him, caught between annoyance and pure, ecstatic joy. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, eyes wide but the words seemed to be caught in the back of his throat. The other man seemed to take his silence as a negative because a moment later he was bearing the blond to the ground. The dark gaze seemed to have swallowed all of the stars and they were peering back at him in a blaze of determination and raging jealously. Naruto didn’t even get a chance to protest, just staring up at the Uchiha who straddled his waist and was leaning so close he could see his individual eyelashes even in the dim light.
Then he drew the blonde’s hand between them and pressed it to the side of his face. It was a tender gesture, made even more potent when Sasuke turned his head and pressed a kiss to Naruto’s calloused palm. The message in the action was clear and backed with a burning strength that it stole his breath. In that moment, as the feeling of the warm, soft lips pressing into his skin tingled through his blood and the insinuation of Sasuke’s words pounded furiously like a final note of a song, he was caught in the dark, dark gaze, knowing that he had just been caught forever. Finally, as his motor functions came back to him, he rubbed his thumb along the pearly skin of the Uchiha’s cheek and nodded.
“I promise,” he breathe because what else could he say? He would have promised the sun and earth and everything between if Sasuke asked. There was a flash of relief that flooded the pale features, as if the dark haired man had been afraid of the blonde’s refusal, his mouth curled in the most beautiful, sincere smile Naruto had ever seen the man make.
And then, before he could move or react, Sasuke was slamming his lips to Naruto’s in a painful kiss like the sealing of a vow. It wasn’t a good kiss and their teeth cut into their lips at the hard impact but that didn’t matter. It was the best kiss he’d ever had in his life.
The Uchiha was gone before the blond could even wrap his mind around what had happened, the kiss so quick, the only proof that it had happened was the pain of his swollen lips. When he finally managed to worked through his shock, he let out a loud bark of laughter before draping his arm over his eyes. It didn’t matter that his tears were staining the rich, delicate fabric because Sasuke had kissed him after making him promise not to touch anyone else again. There must be a name for the buzz of boiling emotion he felt then but he couldn’t think of it. All he could think of was the way the dark eyes had looked and the words that lingered in his ears long after the dark haired man had departed.
“You’re mine…Naruto…”
~~~
Daisuke sat on his knees upon the hard, unforgiving floor, his hands folded in his lap and his eyes fixed on the far wall. He had been like that for a good half hour, not moving and barely even breathing. The drug he had been given was an extract from foxglove mixed with the diluted venom from a small spider whose bite paralyzed prey but didn’t kill them. It was a potent mix and affected the person’s will as much as their body so that they were absolutely helpless and couldn’t free themselves from the trap of their own mind.
Absolute possession in a form of poison and Aoshi had felt that it was only poetic justice when he had given it to the blond.
Even with the vacant look on his face and the knowledge that he couldn’t smile at the Feudal Lord nor laugh at something that was said, he was still strikingly beautiful. He looked like a mote of sunlight molded into the form of a person, his yellow hair bright and his skin glowing gold. Rich silk nearly as formal as Aoshi’s own robes flowed about him like a soft, rippling sea, the deep yellows and gold of the fabric enhancing his feverish flush that was a side effect of the drug. But no matter how stunning he might have been, his eyes were still lifeless and the rich blue hue was flat and nearly gray. The sight of it nearly choked the brunette and filled him with a cold, guilty rage that left him momentarily blind.
It didn’t have to be this way. It shouldn’t have turned out this way. There had been happiness and the warmth of trust and affection in their relationship, all emotions he had been sure Daisuke had felt too. He didn’t want to make the blond his just because he was beautiful and willing; he’d wanted it because underneath the stunning exterior, there was a heart made of even purer gold and the capacity for love so strong and hot, it poured forth like floes of lava. Aoshi had wanted Daisuke because he had, against his better judgment, fallen in love with him. Even though he had made a promise not to allow himself to feel like that again, even though he had tried to make himself steel and ice, he had been captured by bright blue eyes and the warmest smile he had ever seen on anyone’s lips. Of course it was only natural to want to keep that for himself.
So why had it played out this way? It was so similar to what happened the first time that he felt the old wounds that he’d thought healed over and neatly scarred ripping open until he was bleeding out, chest filling with his life’s blood. Because he had been betrayed. Because he had been convinced Daisuke loved him back, or was at least getting there, and had learned the blond was no better than anyone else.
Sasuke’s taunts and the memory of his black eyes filled with rage still cut and beat at the inside of his skull until he had to grit his teeth and dig his fingernails deep into his palms to keep from screaming. He had denied anything happening between himself and Daisuke but the way he had looked at the blond and the way he had blazed even though he was bound had told the truth. There had been conviction in his gaze, a confidence that said the singer belonged to him instead of Aoshi, so strong that it had nearly rendered the brunette speechless. What right did the Uchiha have to look that way when the blond had been with the Feudal Lord longer? It had been all he could do not to run the bastard through with his sword, though the urge had been so strong at one point, he had practically vibrated with it. Even so, he would not break his promise not to kill the man; the one thing Aoshi didn’t want to be was a murderer.
Still, Sasuke’s parting warning had incensed him so much, he had been sitting here ever since, staring at his captive and unfaithful lover, trying to get his rage under control. It wasn’t working. The more he looked at the handsome yet blank face, the more he wanted to mar it, to put his own mark upon it that would make the man that much more his. Thinking about the Uchiha touching that, claiming it, watching Daisuke come undone with his cold, black eyes made him sick with fury. So strong was the emotion that he sat forward with a sharp motion and snatched the strong chin, forcing the blond to turn his face to the noble while making sure his fingers dug into the tawny skin. He wanted to leave bruises.
“Why did you do it?” he snarled, green eyes flashing with anger and hurt, “Why did you let him touch you? Did he fuck you? Is that what you wanted?” his teeth ached with the force of his agony and he shook the blonde’s head, nearly howling when the flat, blue gaze wavered as if the blond was trying to break free of the chains around his mind, “I could have done that, if you wanted that. All you had to do was ask; I would have giving you everything! Why did you turn to that bastard?!” the full lips parted, expelling a breath but the words never came, just as Aoshi knew they wouldn’t. The man trembled ever so slightly but he could not acknowledge the brunette. For some reason, it only made him angrier.
Aoshi let go of the blond with a jerk, causing him to sprawl upon the floor and he stood from his chair as gracefully as he could manage. He was going to erase every last trace of that Uchiha from the blonde’s skin, placing his own mark there as he claimed the man completely. No one was going to leave him ever again. With quick, jerky movements, he freed the end of the chain that bound Daisuke’s feet and gave it a sharp tug.
“Get up,” for a moment the noble thought the taller man hadn’t heard him, that the drug gripped him too strongly and he would have to be carried to Aoshi’s rooms but he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position and then climbed laboriously to his feet where he swayed, as vacant as ever. The older man snarled at the sight and turned away, unable to face it. He just pulled the chain again like it was a leash and began to lead the blond from the room, “Come with me,” The drug gave Daisuke no other choice but to obey.
Oh, yes, he would make the blond his and he would make sure Daisuke would never, ever forget it...
next part
The green eyes stared back with steady coldness that he didn’t think even he could master. He didn’t understand what was going on since he had been told nothing before he had been dragged here and dumped unceremoniously to the ground but he would be damned if he would be the first one to speak. Even so, his heart pounded rapidly in his chest, fear coursing through his veins. It wouldn’t do to look at the blond man chained to the large, wooden chair but he longed to call out Naruto’s name and force those unfocused eyes to fix on him. Something was wrong with the blond and it was scaring Sasuke more than his own chains or Aoshi’s impressive gaze ever could.
He couldn’t remember how he had ended up bound like this, only that he had somehow fallen asleep while he was in the middle of his daily exercise routine and woke up face down and chained upon the damp floor of his favorite balcony. There was no reason for this, nothing for Aoshi to have suspected him of; he had not changed his behavior the entire time he was here. Yet there was Naruto, his face blank and his shoulders rounded as he stared off into space, looking like some wild pet the Feudal Lord had tamed and drugged so he could place his prized trophy at his feet. It was all he could do not to snarl and rattle his chains in rage.
“You do, of course, know why you are here,” the Feudal Lord’s voice was heavy and full of shadowy anger that made Sasuke feel like he had been filled with ice. He sat very still, making sure his mask of fury didn’t slip while his mind raced with possible ways of escape. If only he could call upon his chakra or even move his hands an inch. Instead the chains seemed to mock him and the distant look on Naruto’s face distracted him. What the fuck had been done to him that his entire personality seemed to have been wiped out and his eyes were nearly transparent as they tried to focus on the floor and couldn’t?
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he snarled, pulling at his bindings even though he knew it wouldn’t do any good. The dull rage had banked within him until it was a steep, roiling inferno, flashing within the depths of his eyes which would have been blood red and trying to burn the noble to a crisp if he could just reach his chakra. Aoshi sat upon his chair, chin resting on his hand looking completely unimpressed. What was even more strange was that his face was bare as if he wanted to give his frozen expression more weight. A single slender eyebrow arched high on the pale forehead, nearly obscured by chestnut curls and there was disbelief in the expression.
“Really,” he murmured before flicking his gaze to the blond kneeling at his feet. There was possessiveness in that look that made the Uchiha’s throat ache and burn with jealousy even as his own eyes followed. The blonde’s hair fell across his face and was coming free of its bright yellow ribbon that matched the rich yukata he wore with a pair of gold hakama. Sasuke was used to seeing him in warm, bright colors but for some reason, his expensive, fancy clothing mixed with the blank look on his face made him look vulnerable, exposed. It made him look like someone had cored his very soul and left him a shell dressed prettily enough to deter searching gazes. His heart, soul, very being blazed to see Naruto, his Naruto, the strongest person he had ever known and the only one who could have captured Sasuke, reduced to such a state that he couldn’t even lift his head and look around him.
Aoshi must have noticed his stare because he suddenly leaned over, brilliant, icy green gaze never once wavering from the Uchiha’s face and curled his hand possessively under the blonde’s chin. Naruto barely responded to it, just titling his head a little bit to the side but his eyes remained blank and far away. Then the Feudal Lord traced a line with his tongue up one of the blonde’s cheeks and Sasuke saw red. He tried to jerk to his feet, face twisted in a snarl but only managed to stagger before falling back to his knees again. The urge to rip the man’s tongue out of his head nearly choked the dark haired man. Unfortunately, it gave him away and the older man sat back in his chair again with a look of grim satisfaction.
“As I thought,” the deep voice was quiet but it might as well have been bellowed in his ear for all the effect it had on him. Sasuke went very still and he stared at the arm of the chair the noble occupied, trying to keep his breathing calm. Every muscle had tensed as if he could charge the throne-like chair and rip Aoshi apart with his teeth. He was almost angry enough to try it, “You have touched something that does not belong to you as you have betrayed my trust of you,” he almost sneered, teeth clenched together so tightly his jaw was aching. And as he stared at the man with the pretty face and the wide green eyes, the truth came swirling up the back of his throat, flooding his tongue with bitterness.
“You think he’s yours?” he rasped, ducking his head as he affected a laugh that was entirely without mirth. Sasuke was shaking and he knew it would show his weakness off all the more but he couldn’t seem to stop, “He was never yours. He doesn’t belong to anyone but himself,” he didn’t really believe that because Naruto would always belong to him whether the blond wanted to or not, “Even so, I have not touched him,” and the admission hurt more than he thought possible. If he wasn’t so afraid of what would be done to the blond if he didn’t deny it, he wouldn’t have bothered but there was a hint of steely resolve in the blazing emerald gaze that spoke of an anger that was possible of doing anything. Of course, it didn’t matter if Aoshi wasn’t going to believe him.
“Is that so?” still he spoke in that soft, gentle way, as if he was doing nothing more than settling a dispute between two of his subjects. It set Sasuke’s teeth in edge, “Imagine my surprise when I got a letter stating how you let yourself into his rooms and stayed there the whole night. If you had nothing to hide, then you wouldn’t have waited until I was gone. What else, then, am I to believe if you weren’t fucking him behind my back?” the crude words made the back of his mouth taste sour and he felt his lips curl in an ugly sneer. Hate beat frantic black wings at the corners of his vision.
“What the fuck did you do to him?” Sasuke asked instead of bothering to answer the other man’s question. After all, it was clear Aoshi wouldn’t hear anything that was said to him anyway. Involuntarily, his dark gaze flickered to where Naruto knelt again and he wanted to scream. All the light in the deep blue eyes had diffused, the color turned dark and cloudy. It was clear that he was in there, somewhere, but whatever the drug did that he had been given tore away all of his personality. The Feudal Lord shifted restlessly upon his chair, the first sign of his agitation and the Uchiha bent a glare upon him that would have sent any lesser man scurrying.
“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt him,” there was a sneer in his voice that made the dark haired man’s skin crawl but he wouldn’t let his gaze waver, “It merely scatters the will and makes it difficult to concentrate. It also has a lovely side affect,” the grin these words were spoken with was sharper than steel. The chestnut head twisted and Aoshi looked down at the blond kneeling upon the floor, “Daisuke, come here,” he held out one slender hand in command and the blond, his motions broken and choppy, lifted himself to his feet and slipped onto the noble’s lap. Sickening acid filled Sasuke’s stomach, made worse with the knowledge that Naruto had no choice, no chance to fight. Aoshi chuckled though, running his fingers over the blonde’s cheek, “It makes for a very obedient little pet, don’t you think?” Sasuke chains clinked and dug violently into his skin as he once more tried to launch himself at the man. Once again, he was unsuccessful.
“So that’s your answer then?” he growled, pulling and yanking at the chains as frustration and rage nearly clogged his lungs. He should have known that nothing good could have come from this whole thing; after all, didn’t everyone fall in love with Naruto? Of course Aoshi would view a spied upon meeting as betrayal; that would mean his possession over something was incomplete, “You drug him against his will because you think he as cheated your own? How very noble of you, especially since you did not even bother to ask him the truth before you did it,” the words were mocking and bitingly calm but the hateful swirl of emotion still held him in its talons, only stoked hotter and brighter when he stole another look at the blond man sitting demurely upon the Feudal Lord’s lap. Surprisingly enough, Aoshi didn’t give into anger. He just tipped his head to the side and pondered the Uchiha bound and practically helpless before him.
“Did you realize that for such a betrayal, I could have you killed? As the person who accepted my courtship, Daisuke is as good as betrothed to me. It would be within my rights, as the Lord of this land, to punish you how I see fit,” he regarded the dark haired man as if he was just dirt upon the bottom of his shoes. Once, that might have battered Sasuke’s pride but now he couldn’t take his eyes away from Naruto’s blank face, his helplessness cutting the Uchiha like a knife. For someone so strong to be brought down like this, to the point he no longer even had a free will had him struggling to reach for his chakra so that he could tear Aoshi apart. But just like the other times he tried, it shredded away like thin cloth under hook claws. A slender hand buried itself in the blonde’s long hair and forced him to lay his head upon one of the noble’s shoulders. He did without a protest or a flicker of life in his gaze, “But I think I’ll keep you alive. That way you will be forced to remember that he never belonged to you and he never will. You’ll have to think about me touching him, instead, and if he is even thinking about you while you rot away somewhere to be forgotten,” There was a heavy victory in Aoshi voice. Yet instead of yielding, Sasuke lifted his chin in a show of defiance, a laughing sneer caught in his throat.
“You are deluding yourself. You don’t even know who he is. How could he belong to you?” it was just truth, the sharpest kind, the only weapon he had left but he couldn’t stop laughing because he was afraid if he did, he would start calling Naruto’s name. His real one. If there was anything he could do now, it was to make sure the blond stayed safe. Aoshi’s face was immobile ice as he glared down at Sasuke before he lifted his free hand and gestured to the guards that were expertly hidden in the shadows behind his chair. Their faces were expressionless too as two of them stepped into the light, ignoring Sasuke as if he was another inlaid decoration upon the wooden floor.
“Yes, my Lord?” one of them asked as they willingly knelt down, fists pressed to their hearts and heads bowed. The Uchiha struggled against his frustration and the first niggling of fear. He had not been this helpless since he was a Genin and he still had no luck reaching his chakra or finding a way free of his chains.
“Take him to the Cliff Holdings,” it seemed Aoshi was done talking with Sasuke and he merely turned away, looking at Naruto instead as the two men in the green guard uniform hauled Sasuke to his feet. A whirlwind of fury filled him then, blazing along under his skin like bright, consuming fire. He was being discarded and Naruto had been turned into a mindless drone. A single mission that should have been so simple and straightforward destroyed by a misunderstanding. He held himself limp as the two guards pulled him roughly by his elbows, making it seem like he had given up the fight. But as they were about to maneuver him away, he bent his knees, getting both feet underneath himself so he could push off of them, launching out of the guards’ rough arms and towards he chair where Aoshi sat. There was a loud exclamation behind him and the green eyes jerked to him, widening as they realized the Uchiha was a lot closer than before. He had gotten a good distance out of the single spring and he managed to catch himself against the arm of the chair with his hip and knee so that he was looming threateningly over the smaller man. Naruto still stared out into some far away landscape, oblivious to the struggle going on around him.
“If you hurt him,” Sasuke’s voice was a deep growl as the wide, emerald gaze bore into his own, “I will rip you apart limb from limb and then feed them to you,” venom and promise dripped through the air between them and he had a moment to make sure his threat made an impact upon the man. Then he was being hauled away by strong, unforgiving hands, not even bothering to wince when he got a fist in his side. It was nothing to the sharp throb that was stabbing over and over at his battered heart.
As he was dragged from the room, he didn’t look back over his shoulder for a glimpse of Naruto. If he did that, the pain would twist and bite so deep he was sure it would kill him. How could this have happened? He wanted to fight, to rage, to rip into his captor’s flesh with metal and teeth, the only weapons he had left and then dash back into that room to snatch Naruto away. This had become more than an infiltration, a spying game or any mission had a right to be. This had become deadly and the stakes were much higher than he had realized. Bile rose at the back of his throat and he swallowed it thickly, hiding his face with his bangs so that the people they passed as he was marched from the palace and along paths he had never realized existed wouldn’t see the anguish written upon his features.
The triumph in Aoshi eyes in the last moments when they had stared into Sasuke’s cut him deepest of all.
They were the eyes of a man who knew he had won a major victory and didn’t care who got hurt in the process. He might be in love with Daisuke but he had stopped seeing the blond as the person he valued and loved. Naruto had been claimed as a possession, as a prize. In Aoshi’s eyes, he had seen that in hurting the blond, he would only be exercising his right as owner.
Despair rolled over him so thick, he could taste it.
In the deep, clear green of that unforgiving gaze, there had been a promise. Naruto was Aoshi’s.
And he was going to hurt him.
Helpless and chained, Sasuke’s heart screamed and battered at its broken prison walls. Naruto was going to be in pain and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
~~~
The three days that Aoshi was gone after that morning Naruto had woken with Sasuke in his bed were the most peaceful he’d had since he had arrived here. He still sang at night for the Court but other than that, there was absolutely no demands on his time. There was no concern over whether he was putting on a convincing enough show for Aoshi or if he was paying the noble enough attention. It had been a balancing act, putting on his best show for the older man and trying to keep his heart buried enough that it couldn’t be wounded in the process. He still hung out with the ninja in the lower court and Sumie kept up his lessons but there was a freedom to his movements and his thoughts that he didn’t realize had been restricted until he didn’t need to wear Daisuke’s mask all hours of the day.
But more than that was Sasuke’s presence.
After coming to their understanding, the Uchiha made a point of finding the blond during some point of the day, usually staying until the moon had set in the early morning sky and then he would slip unobtrusively back to his own rooms. It had surprised Naruto at first, how willing the dark haired man seemed to be, keeping the blond company. They were careful about it, of course. It wouldn’t do to be seen in each other’s company but the other shinobi would materialize into the garden as the blond sat beneath one of the many full, shady trees, his guitar or a book on his lap. It was almost as if now that they had seen the strength of the connection they had with one another, they couldn’t bear to be apart. And Naruto loved when the Uchiha stepped around the large trunk, his hands in his pockets and his eyes as dark as midnight. He would never smile in greeting but there was this gentle expression on his face that Naruto would end up grinning enough for the both of them.
Sometimes they talked, their voices rising and falling in low, measured tones. They were safe from prying eyes in the garden since it was the one place Aoshi wouldn’t allow servants while it was occupied so he let himself listen to the way their voices twined together so perfectly, it was like a seamless dance. The sounds contrasted amazingly well, Naruto’s a rough, strong tenor that always sounded as if it was ready to break into clear, bubbling laugher while Sasuke’s was a deep baritone, smooth and dark like his eyes. It was more solemn than the blonde’s but there was always some hint of emotion within it. Like that they would talk about anything that came to mind and if Naruto found that he had to carry more of the conversation than Sasuke did, he knew it was more than the Uchiha had ever given anyone else.
It was the last night, though, that he would forever remember with a striking clarity like a crystal bell tapped with a diamond hammer. Perhaps because it was the last moments of gentleness he would see once Aoshi returned or maybe it was the conversation that hung about him like a promising dream. Sasuke had been sitting on the ground beside him, arms wrapped around his knees as he watched the stars glittering in the darkening sky while Naruto hummed along with the soft notes he plucked out upon his guitar.
“When did you learn how to sing?” the dark haired man asked abruptly, his voice cutting through the easy silence that had settled between them and the blond glanced over to study the shadowed profile. Sasuke hadn’t moved but his face was pensive, the sharp angles of his nose and cheekbones softened by starlight. The blond hummed a few more notes before he answered.
“Well, I guess I’ve always kinda known how,” he didn’t stop plucking gently upon the steel strings, now moving his fingers in a familiar pattern of one of the prettiest songs Sumie had taught him, the gentle melody done in a melancholy minor key, “I needed some kind of selling point of sorts and this was the best we could come up with on such short notice. Singing is fun, though. It used to help me relax, I think,” he chuckled softly as he remembered how flustered he had been when he realized his team had heard him one night as he was gathering firewood. Even though their teasing had been kind, it had never occurred to him until he met Genma that it was a trait to be proud of. The dark haired man made a soft noise in the back of his throat before dropping his forehead to his knees, turning his head so he could regard the blond. It was the most relaxed and calm Naruto had seen the Uchiha.
“You had training for this then. You weren’t just sent in and told to use your instincts,” it wasn’t a question but it made the blond laugh softly, bending his head over the guitar for a moment when his fingers stumbled. When he picked up the melody again, he lifted his head to smile at Sasuke.
“Of course. I mean, if Kakashi had wanted that, he would have sent me with a team and I would have just flailed around before seeing what really needed to be done. This needed delicacy and strength. So yeah, I had training,” the dark haired man was quiet for long moments and they listened to the low, mellow song spiral to the canopy of leaves above their heads. Then he breathed a soft sigh and leaned back against the tree trunk again.
“Interesting kind of training, if it can turn you into a completely different person,” the words were bitter and Naruto shot him a quick look. But he couldn’t tell what the real emotion was behind the shadowed eyes. He bit his lip before making a spit decision.
“I thought it would be horrible,” his voice was soft and he finally gave up pulling another song from the instrument in his lap, setting it beside him on the grass. He could feel Sasuke looking at him intently but he couldn’t look at the other man as he spoke as if he was afraid of what he might find on the pale features, “I learned all kinds of things that would turn me into someone I was not. I learned how to act, how to write formally, how to say one thing and mean something entirely different. I was taught manners and how to wield senbon,” the dark eyebrows when up at that and Naruto flicked his wrist so that a thin, metal needle gleamed between his fingers. It was gone, back into the seam of his sleeve a second later and Sasuke was now watching him thoughtfully, “I also learned that I liked to learn. I mean, more than just Justus and techniques to make me stronger. There are other ways to be strong other than just physically,” his companion made a soft noise and he looked at the dark haired man to find him wide eyed and incredulous.
“Are you sure you’re Naruto?” he asked, voice breathless and the blond couldn’t figure out why that would be. Instead he grinned and nudged Sasuke’s shoulder with his own.
“Very funny. I’m not that different. And anyway, how come everyone else is allowed to grow and mature and it’s a shock for everyone when I do?” he received a flat look at that and he knew he was about to get a sarcastic remark. He didn’t really mind though; they had lost their sting a long time ago.
“Because you were always a bumbling idiot that spouted the same ideals over and over again,” This time Naruto managed to get a sharp punch in on the Uchiha’s ribs, making the dark haired man growl and glower at him. The blond just glared back. It meant nothing, though, because a moment later Sasuke’s face softened and he looked back up at the stars, black bangs brushing over the collar of his shirt. Without thought, Naruto reached out and brushed away a stray strand or two, “I didn’t say the change was a bad thing. I know it’s still you,” the admission warmed the blonde’s heart like a blazing fire and he turned his face away so that the other man could not see his ridiculous grin, “Were you…taught anything else?” the question was hesitant and quiet but it wiped the smile off the blonde’s face anyway. He plucked at his soft blue hakama before sighing.
“The whole point in learning how to be a courtesan is about seduction. I learned that too,” just like that, their air between them became flat and stale. He winced and snuck a glance at Sasuke again to see him frowning deeply. The blond swallowed and then leaned forward, pressing his arm against the dark haired man’s shoulder, “Sasuke-” he started but the intense black gaze jerked up to meet his own, cutting off whatever reassurances he was about to say. He didn’t know why he was; they hadn’t defined what their bond was slowly evolving into and neither had brought up the subject of sex except when the Uchiha voiced his displeasure with Naruto lingering in Aoshi’s bed.
“What does that mean? How much were you taught?” his voice was sharp but, for some reason, it made that warm bubble within the blonde’s chest only seem to expand. Sasuke sounded angry and he was beginning to think that his reasons behind his protests weren’t as innocent as he made them out to be. Still Naruto blushed furiously as he thought of his answer.
“E-everything, I guess,” he whispered now twisting the silk of his pants in his hands, a nervous gesture he didn’t make as Daisuke, “You know, how to make someone take notice of me, how to make them want me…sex,” he cleared his throat before speaking again, “Everything about sex. With a man, anyway,” Sasuke was very still, like he had been carved from marble and onyx and Naruto began to wonder if he had said too much. But before he could open his mouth to say anything more, the deep, black eyes were boring into his own and they flashed with a determined fire that stole his breath.
“So how many people have actually touched you?” the possessive question caught him off guard and he blinked for a minute, wondering again if Sasuke really cared how many people he’d had sex with. He was beginning to think he did.
“Just my teachers, Genma and Raido, and Aoshi,” he answered quietly, dropping his gaze as he blushed again. He didn’t have to tell Sasuke the names of his teachers but for some reason he felt like he owed the other man that much. Maybe it was the way the shadows had arranged themselves upon the Uchiha’s face, making him look like a jealous angel or the dangerous gleam in his eyes. Though Naruto knew all the dark haired man had to do was ask and he could deny him nothing. Then his hand was caught in a strong grip, the pale fingers holding so tight he felt the small bones creaking in protest and Sasuke was turned so that he faced the blond completely. The air hung about them in heavy drapes, making it suddenly hard to breathe and he could feel the heat racing up his arm from the touch.
“I’ve stayed out of this as much as I could because I understand the importance of your mission, as much as I detest to see you with that man but that’s it. No more. You can’t touch anyone after this is done and you can’t let anyone else touch you,” his voice was a low snarl, rough with emotion and Naruto stared at him, caught between annoyance and pure, ecstatic joy. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, eyes wide but the words seemed to be caught in the back of his throat. The other man seemed to take his silence as a negative because a moment later he was bearing the blond to the ground. The dark gaze seemed to have swallowed all of the stars and they were peering back at him in a blaze of determination and raging jealously. Naruto didn’t even get a chance to protest, just staring up at the Uchiha who straddled his waist and was leaning so close he could see his individual eyelashes even in the dim light.
Then he drew the blonde’s hand between them and pressed it to the side of his face. It was a tender gesture, made even more potent when Sasuke turned his head and pressed a kiss to Naruto’s calloused palm. The message in the action was clear and backed with a burning strength that it stole his breath. In that moment, as the feeling of the warm, soft lips pressing into his skin tingled through his blood and the insinuation of Sasuke’s words pounded furiously like a final note of a song, he was caught in the dark, dark gaze, knowing that he had just been caught forever. Finally, as his motor functions came back to him, he rubbed his thumb along the pearly skin of the Uchiha’s cheek and nodded.
“I promise,” he breathe because what else could he say? He would have promised the sun and earth and everything between if Sasuke asked. There was a flash of relief that flooded the pale features, as if the dark haired man had been afraid of the blonde’s refusal, his mouth curled in the most beautiful, sincere smile Naruto had ever seen the man make.
And then, before he could move or react, Sasuke was slamming his lips to Naruto’s in a painful kiss like the sealing of a vow. It wasn’t a good kiss and their teeth cut into their lips at the hard impact but that didn’t matter. It was the best kiss he’d ever had in his life.
The Uchiha was gone before the blond could even wrap his mind around what had happened, the kiss so quick, the only proof that it had happened was the pain of his swollen lips. When he finally managed to worked through his shock, he let out a loud bark of laughter before draping his arm over his eyes. It didn’t matter that his tears were staining the rich, delicate fabric because Sasuke had kissed him after making him promise not to touch anyone else again. There must be a name for the buzz of boiling emotion he felt then but he couldn’t think of it. All he could think of was the way the dark eyes had looked and the words that lingered in his ears long after the dark haired man had departed.
“You’re mine…Naruto…”
~~~
Daisuke sat on his knees upon the hard, unforgiving floor, his hands folded in his lap and his eyes fixed on the far wall. He had been like that for a good half hour, not moving and barely even breathing. The drug he had been given was an extract from foxglove mixed with the diluted venom from a small spider whose bite paralyzed prey but didn’t kill them. It was a potent mix and affected the person’s will as much as their body so that they were absolutely helpless and couldn’t free themselves from the trap of their own mind.
Absolute possession in a form of poison and Aoshi had felt that it was only poetic justice when he had given it to the blond.
Even with the vacant look on his face and the knowledge that he couldn’t smile at the Feudal Lord nor laugh at something that was said, he was still strikingly beautiful. He looked like a mote of sunlight molded into the form of a person, his yellow hair bright and his skin glowing gold. Rich silk nearly as formal as Aoshi’s own robes flowed about him like a soft, rippling sea, the deep yellows and gold of the fabric enhancing his feverish flush that was a side effect of the drug. But no matter how stunning he might have been, his eyes were still lifeless and the rich blue hue was flat and nearly gray. The sight of it nearly choked the brunette and filled him with a cold, guilty rage that left him momentarily blind.
It didn’t have to be this way. It shouldn’t have turned out this way. There had been happiness and the warmth of trust and affection in their relationship, all emotions he had been sure Daisuke had felt too. He didn’t want to make the blond his just because he was beautiful and willing; he’d wanted it because underneath the stunning exterior, there was a heart made of even purer gold and the capacity for love so strong and hot, it poured forth like floes of lava. Aoshi had wanted Daisuke because he had, against his better judgment, fallen in love with him. Even though he had made a promise not to allow himself to feel like that again, even though he had tried to make himself steel and ice, he had been captured by bright blue eyes and the warmest smile he had ever seen on anyone’s lips. Of course it was only natural to want to keep that for himself.
So why had it played out this way? It was so similar to what happened the first time that he felt the old wounds that he’d thought healed over and neatly scarred ripping open until he was bleeding out, chest filling with his life’s blood. Because he had been betrayed. Because he had been convinced Daisuke loved him back, or was at least getting there, and had learned the blond was no better than anyone else.
Sasuke’s taunts and the memory of his black eyes filled with rage still cut and beat at the inside of his skull until he had to grit his teeth and dig his fingernails deep into his palms to keep from screaming. He had denied anything happening between himself and Daisuke but the way he had looked at the blond and the way he had blazed even though he was bound had told the truth. There had been conviction in his gaze, a confidence that said the singer belonged to him instead of Aoshi, so strong that it had nearly rendered the brunette speechless. What right did the Uchiha have to look that way when the blond had been with the Feudal Lord longer? It had been all he could do not to run the bastard through with his sword, though the urge had been so strong at one point, he had practically vibrated with it. Even so, he would not break his promise not to kill the man; the one thing Aoshi didn’t want to be was a murderer.
Still, Sasuke’s parting warning had incensed him so much, he had been sitting here ever since, staring at his captive and unfaithful lover, trying to get his rage under control. It wasn’t working. The more he looked at the handsome yet blank face, the more he wanted to mar it, to put his own mark upon it that would make the man that much more his. Thinking about the Uchiha touching that, claiming it, watching Daisuke come undone with his cold, black eyes made him sick with fury. So strong was the emotion that he sat forward with a sharp motion and snatched the strong chin, forcing the blond to turn his face to the noble while making sure his fingers dug into the tawny skin. He wanted to leave bruises.
“Why did you do it?” he snarled, green eyes flashing with anger and hurt, “Why did you let him touch you? Did he fuck you? Is that what you wanted?” his teeth ached with the force of his agony and he shook the blonde’s head, nearly howling when the flat, blue gaze wavered as if the blond was trying to break free of the chains around his mind, “I could have done that, if you wanted that. All you had to do was ask; I would have giving you everything! Why did you turn to that bastard?!” the full lips parted, expelling a breath but the words never came, just as Aoshi knew they wouldn’t. The man trembled ever so slightly but he could not acknowledge the brunette. For some reason, it only made him angrier.
Aoshi let go of the blond with a jerk, causing him to sprawl upon the floor and he stood from his chair as gracefully as he could manage. He was going to erase every last trace of that Uchiha from the blonde’s skin, placing his own mark there as he claimed the man completely. No one was going to leave him ever again. With quick, jerky movements, he freed the end of the chain that bound Daisuke’s feet and gave it a sharp tug.
“Get up,” for a moment the noble thought the taller man hadn’t heard him, that the drug gripped him too strongly and he would have to be carried to Aoshi’s rooms but he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position and then climbed laboriously to his feet where he swayed, as vacant as ever. The older man snarled at the sight and turned away, unable to face it. He just pulled the chain again like it was a leash and began to lead the blond from the room, “Come with me,” The drug gave Daisuke no other choice but to obey.
Oh, yes, he would make the blond his and he would make sure Daisuke would never, ever forget it...
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