The haze that veiled his thoughts moved like it was caught in a soft breeze, giving him flashes of clarity that were gone too fast for him to take advantage of. It was like he was divided into two parts; his inner self that knew there was something wrong and he needed to wake up now and the rest of him that had no will of his own. It was like ( Read more... )

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 ( Read more... )

Chapter 9: The Simplicity of Breaking…

The letter lay in his lap the entire day-long trip back to his palace, its edges crinkled from his own angry fingers twisting and pulling at it and a tear ran halfway up the bottom of the page. He didn’t need to be looking at the neat, swirling words to know what they said. He had already memorized them. ( Read more... )

Aoshi had asked about the pendant in his navel one night, when the moon was gleaming on their skin and the man’s beautiful hair was tangled around the blonde’s limbs. For a long time Daisuke had not said anything, staring up at the high beams of the ceiling as if they would spare him having to answer, fingers reaching down to touch the small, ( Read more... )

The ceiling was dark and too far away for him to be able to make out but he kept staring and straining his eyes as of that would award him with the sight of it. It was a useless activity but it kept him from dwelling upon the burning ache that flared out from his chest like someone had stomped on his sternum and ground down with their heel, ( Read more... )

Chapter 8:A Rose by Any Other Name…

The night air was passing cool against his skin as he watched with half-lidded eyes the other man stepping into the room.

Despite the two personalities warring and struggling with each other so close under the surface of his emotions, he couldn’t deny the heat as their eyes met. He had known as soon as he has ( Read more... )

And then, one night going into the third week he had been there, the entire game got turned on its head.

It started at dinner. He had been busy during his stay at the Feudal Lord’s palace and the heated want in the blazing green gaze had started to become unbearable. Yet while it was clear Aoshi wanted him, he had only gone as far as a few simple ( Read more... )

That was why, during breakfast that morning, Naruto gathered all of his strength and determination to himself to make sure that any thoughts Aoshi might have of pursing Sasuke would be drowned in his desire for Daisuke. No one would “tame” Sasuke but himself. As much as the weight of what he had to do sometimes felt as if it would crush him into ( Read more... )

Chapter 7: Balancing the Fine Line

Once he put his mind to the task of drawing the Feudal Lord into his clutches, he found it was almost too easy.

Of course, it certainly helped that the man was already interested in him but he nudged it along whenever he could, making sure that the noble would want Daisuke so bad that whenever they were in ( Read more... )

...“Why is it that you aren’t eating with us, my Lord?” he asked quietly but he could feel the rest of the table tense up around him, listening in to see what the man’s response would be. Yet instead of being put off by the question, Aoshi swirled the untouched glass of wine before him between his fingers and leaned back on his cushion.

“I have ( Read more... )