Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Picture Perfect ❯ Chapter 1

Picture Perfect

Inspired by Demona's gorgeous commission by the same name

Pairing: Sai/Kiba

 

Sai had spent the past week up in a tree. He had been signed off for the duration of said week by the Hokage. Her reasoning? He had been on consecutive missions for the past month and a half and the leader of their village was insisting that everyone needed at least a short break every few weeks - though he didn't feel he needed one.

 

The artist had been sitting in the same tree every day for this last week, his original intent had been to take some time to indulge in his artwork and to improve on some of his jutsu's. Instead, he had found himself whiling away each day watching the boisterous brunet below him and his dog.

 

He hadn't realised when he had first arrived in the silent clearing that it was a place frequented by anyone else. It had seemed the perfect place to settle in for a peaceful day of artistic endeavour. He had been mildly surprised when Kiba arrived with his canine companion. The pair had arrived not long after Sai on that first day and he had found himself watching the two together. Their interactions together intrigued him.

 

Sai had quietly observed as, each day, the brunet went through variations of the same routine, arriving early in the morning and doing what appeared to be more like play fighting than training to the ex-Root members eyes. It was always followed by a brief respite and then more training. The artist had quietly continued his vigil, expecting the other man to eventually notice his presence up in the tree, as he was aware of the Inuzuka's acute sense of smell and knowing full well he was upwind of the man.

 

Instead each day they went through the same routine. Sai arrived first and settled into the now familiar tree, settling his back against the wide trunk and stretching out his leg before him, taking up pad and pencil. Kiba and Akamaru would always arrive around thirty minutes later and began their training immediately.

 

Sai had been certain that the other nin had sensed his presence, the way Kiba had tilted his head up, exposing the sooth column of tanned skin at his throat as he took in deep sniffs of air on the few occasions the two had strayed closer to his tree. But for all intents and purposes, it seemed that the pair had never realised he was there - that or they were making a show of ignoring him. It was odd to realise that something about them not noticing or possibly ignoring him that bothered him a lot more than it should.

 

Sai had sat quietly watching the other two occupants of the glade, taking in the ease of movement and the stretch of honed muscles that flexed in the sun as they exercised their bodies. He could see that Kiba had exercised just as long and hard as many other shinobi, but as Sai watched he could see that there was an innate ease to his movements, an animalistic grace. His discerning eye had never seen that kind of motion in anyone else - it captured his interest, drawing his gaze from his sketches again and again to watch the almost primal motion as Kiba flipped and dodged his partner.

 

He had taken notice of the other man on previous missions that they'd shared and had found himself strangely intrigued by the Inuzuka. He could see from casual observance that his temperament was somewhat like his own blond teammate, though there were subtle differences between the two.

 

It was these odd differences that had pulled him here each day, it was the first time he had felt compelled to sketch someone else after his brother. Though he had grown accustomed to his new team and had slowly shed some of the more restrictive codes and training Root had forced into him, he was uncertain how to clarify this need that he felt inside whenever he was near the brunet and he felt uncomfortable asking his team for advice on it.

 

Sai had arrived here every day with the intent to assuage that feeling, thinking it nothing more than his interest in his chosen subject. He had sat in this tree each day attempting to capture the Inuzuka as he trained with his nin-ken, Akamaru, but each sketch he created was unsatisfactory in his eyes. There was something about the brunet that captured his attention and yet he couldn't commit it to paper.

 

He had decided the day before that he would try one more time to encapsulate the other man in ink and after that it would be a lost cause. So Sai sat for what felt like hours waiting for that moment when the partners were beyond exhaustion and slumped bonelessly to the grass in defeat. Kiba resting back against the broad side of his nin-ken as the two got comfortable.

 

Sai waited patiently for their breathing to even out and the soft snore that reminded him of a contented cats purr to sound and then crept quietly closer, looping around the sleeping pair, the quiet scratch of his pencil against the thick paper of his sketchpad the only other sound in the quiet clearing. He had watched the odd pair sparring only thirty minutes ago they had so much fire, such a deep well of unending energy - they could give Naruto a run for his money. But there was something about seeing them so comfortable together, having watched them collapse here when they had reached that peak of exhaustion, it made his lips tick briefly into a small genuine smile.

 

He stared down at the slumbering Inuzuka, taking in the way his wiry hair looked so much softer up close, his piercing split-pupils covered by smoky soft eyelashes that brushed over familiar crimson tattoos and his typical angry scowl which was currently missing in the comfort of a contented sleep.

 

Sai had found himself not only watching him here but trailing the other man back into Konoha, following Kiba around in the evenings, absorbing small details that he had never known about the youngest Inuzuka,. Sai was unsure what drove him to these ends, but he had begun to feel something stirring around his heart as the new facets of this man came to light.

 

He had seen sides of Kiba that had been surprisingly unexpected. The rugged man showed a care for the civilians of the village that rivalled Sakura and the Hokage's. The Inuzuka still performed many C class missions around the village that the pre-gennin could do and what he found most intriguing was the soft smile he caught on Kiba's lips whenever no one was looking, when he had managed to make someone else happy.

That smile warmed something inside Sai and he found the feeling both irritating and strangely alluring - it was foreign and yet he wanted to know more. The gruff Kiba was a shinobi of the Inuzuka clan renowned for their tracking skills, but this man was someone else to - he was awkwardly kind and protective of his friends and family alike. Sai found himself drawn to the brunet, to that kindness he so infrequently received from others that this man seemed to give so freely.

 

Kiba's behaviour confounded him and yet made him feel oddly happy at the most inane of moments. He couldn't describe what these feelings were that had developed when around the brunet but, according to Sakura, when she had tried to snag his attention he had been miles away. Of course he had denied such a thing but found his fingers touching his cheek and finding the surface flushed and his body deeply aroused by said `daydreams'.

 

Sai's dark gaze wandered across tanned skin as his thoughts came back to the present. He liked the way these clothes fell of the toned physique that was now exposed to his inquisitive eyes. He had never seen the brunet in anything but his mission clothes, but now he could slide his gaze across long legs and strong arms and see the definition of a well-exercised torso under the figure hugging green vest. It was odd how the colours suited him, a rich grassy green vest accenting the tanned skin of his upper body and creamy white short's hugging toned thighs, the unusual dash of colour brought out the stark red of his tattoos and the spiky chestnut bangs around his face.

 

Sai paced back to face the young man, making sure his steps were silent. He didn't think that the slumbering male and his nin-ken would notice him standing this close after their negligence in not noticing him over the past few days. He stood, eyes flicking from the paper he held in his hands and back to the rugged curve of the Inuzuka's jaw; the soft fall of his hair without the familiar hit-ate to hold it back. He wanted to reach out and stroke his fingertips across that tanned skin but he refrained not wishing to disturb such a peaceful scene.

 

Sai yelped quite loudly when Kiba shot up and snagged his wrist in a broad calloused hand, pulling him down beside him with a hard bounce when his ass hit the hard packed earth. He hadn't stood a chance of reacting to the rapid assault and only just managed to rein in his ROOT training to avoid unintentionally hurting the object of his interest.

 

“Kiba.” He gave a disgruntled sigh that was far more familiar than his sudden reaction before.

 

“Hmm... what have a caught myself then?” Sai watched the brunet's lips tilt into a predatory grin, sharp canines denting his lower lip and he couldn't help but feel heat stir in his body at the sight.

 

Sai clamped down hard on the feelings trying to sneak past his usually impeccable control and got his voice to cooperate though his mind was flooding with sensation, “Remove your hand.”

 

“Nope.” Sai stared at the brunet, trying to decide just what Kiba planned on doing if he wouldn't release him. He tried to move his hand in a way that made it difficult to retain a grip on but Kiba's grasp never faltered.

 

Sai couldn't discern what the other man was thinking, plus his heart had started to race in his chest. The artist let out a calming breath before speaking in a cool even tone, “Why not?”

“You've been sat up in that tree for a week and all I hear is the constant scratch of this.” Sai watched as his sketchpad was plucked from his loose fingers, midnight orbs transfixed by the Inuzuka's behaviour, as Kiba brought the pages close to his face warily as though it may reach out and bite him - though that wasn't uncommon for the ink users work.

 

He took in the slight scowl as the brunet gave it a quick sniff and sharp pupils embedded in bitter chocolate eyed the sheets of parchment that were loosely bound together. Kiba had released his wrist long enough to tuck Sai's arm securely under his elbow to hold him in place so he could flick through the pages unhindered.

 

Sai felt his cheeks heat and a frisson of uncertainty coil in his gut as Kiba thumbed through the pages. There were so many images of the other man in this small wedge of paper, and yet there were still more in his home waiting to be coloured. He tried to protest the invasion of his personal property but he didn't think the brunet would listen, “Hey - return that right now!”

 

“No.” Sai watched the expression on the Inuzuka's face shift from that self-satisfied leer to something softer, warmer. It made Sai's stomach do strange little flips in his belly and he felt his free hand come up to hold himself together at the odd feeling.

 

“I...” Sai couldn't find the words, he wanted to explain and yet he couldn't. The words were stuck in his throat, lodged behind a ball of embarrassment that constricted his throat as his cheeks grew hot.

 

“Hmmm... hey Akamaru he's got an interesting subject, ne?” He watched as Kiba turned to his nin-ken showing the large animal the images he had wanted to keep private. He turned his eyes away from the sight, feeling his stomach get tighter and tighter and the need to be somewhere else intensified. He had never known he could feel quite so uncomfortable - so it was no surprise when he jumped at Akamaru's barked response.

 

“So Sai, why have you been following us around all week?” Sai didn't like Kiba's tactics but he knew that the Inuzuka wouldn't release him until he'd given some cursory answer and though he was feeling decidedly uncomfortable the sooner he could get away from the other man the better. He didn't like these new feelings of uncertainty bubbling in his gut one bit.

 

“I was just practicing my drawing. You were a convenient model - that's all.” His words were a clipped, his annoyance slowly seeping through in the face of Kiba's persistence. He would never admit that there was any other reason behind it, he had felt more than a little embarrassed and he didn't want to experience it again.

 

“Hmmm... convenient...now if I believed that I really would be the dumbass everyone thinks I am.” Sai's dark eyes widened at the coarse and pointed reply, not sure what to say in response.

 

“You don't believe me?” Sai instantly regretted the disbelief that coloured his voice, he had been so good at retaining his emotion free facade but how was it this man got underneath it so quickly.

 

“Nope.” Sai watched as Kiba leant forward, returning his grip around his captured wrist so he could pull the artist forward. Sai could see the feral grin that split Kiba's lips and felt a momentary shiver of concern but he knew his fellow nin would not harm him.

 

“Mmmmm... you smell interesting Sai... like ink and parchment, but there's something sweet underneath...” Sai shivered at the soft, breathy exhalation of his name on those lips. So few people got this close to him and nobody had ever said his name like that.

 

He tried his best to reign in his emotional response, injecting as much cool calm indifference into his voice as possible when he replied, “It is understandable that I would smell like the materials of my trade is it not?”

 

“Yes I suppose, but it's that sweet scent that's got me intrigued - some sort of fruit?” Sai turned away from the nosy Inuzuka, it was clear the other man was just following his curiosity and yet it affected him in a wholly different way.

 

Sai couldn't seem to resist answering the other man, his cheeks felt like they were a flame as he fidgeted uncomfortably against Akamaru's soft fur. “Ahh...its strawberry's.”

“Mmmm... smell's good Sai.” Kiba's voice sounded like a soft purr to Sai's ears and he could almost guarantee his flush had spread to the tips of normally milky white ears.

 

He didn't turn to look into those sharp eyes, keeping his gaze fixed on his sketchpad still held hostage in Kiba's hands. He took a few steadying breaths and spoke quietly, “Will you let me go Kiba - I will not trouble you further.”

 

“Now then who said you were troubling me?” Sai looked up with startled eyes at the Inuzuka's words. Not certain how to respond. He eyed the other man curiously, as his belly started to do that flipping thing again.

 

He gave a hesitant response, “I thought...”

 

“You think too much...” Sai's mouth shut with an audible click at this last statement, unsure whether to be offended or not. It was a rare thing for his own blunt nature to be turned back on him.

 

He raised a slender brow at the Inuzuka, taking in the sneaky grin and the gap that was slowly closing between their faces, “But...mmph...” Sai's dark orbs opened wide in surprise when his words were cut off as Kiba practically leapt forward and despite the rapid movement pressed their lips together in a tender kiss.

 

Sai felt that odd flipping sensation in his gut again, but it dissolved into a soft fluttering and there was a deep swell of warmth bubbling up inside him. His eyes slowly drifted shut as Kiba let his lips caress across his own in a teasingly tender yet chaste kiss. When Kiba pulled away Sai couldn't help but whine at the loss. The delicious brush of Kiba's chapped lips; the heat that suffused him when they had touched was so new, he didn't want it to stop.

 

When he heard Kiba's deep chuckle his eyes fluttered open and that now familiar heat flooded his face once more and though he went to turn his face away from the tantalising mouth that had just touched his own he found his cheek was pressed against a calloused palm which prevented the motion. He heard the brunet's quiet growl as he spoke, “Don't look away from me Sai.”

He turned dark eyes' up to the brunet, letting a rare glimpse of his emotions slip through, the curiosity, the uncertainty and the desperate need for touch - for affection that had assailed him. He watched those dark chocolate eyes soften, his scowl shifting into a frown as the coarse pad of Kiba's thumb stroked across his cheek. Sai let out a soft sigh at the intimate touch, his stomach trembling in response as his eyelids fluttered shut. He heard the brunet's quiet words as though they were a physical thing, stroking his skin, “You're not used to this are you Sai?”

 

Sai couldn't bring himself to reply, his throat tight and his mind a mess of confused emotions, he just nodded slightly, before nuzzling subconsciously closer to Kiba's palm. He heard the Inuzuka grumble quietly but couldn't catch the words, what he felt though was a slight pressure against his chest and he allowed the brunet to push him flat. He gave a breathy moan when Kiba's body came down flush with his own, his arms bracketing his head as the brunet looked down at him with a small smile, “Looks like I'll be the first then.”

 

Sai looked up searchingly, trying to see inside the brunet, was this all some kind of game to him? More training? Or was it something else?

 

He watched closely as Kiba's eyes watched him just as raptly and then he saw his lips twitch into a feral grin which made his stomach clench with nerves. “Kiba?”

 

Sai eyed the brunet warily as he leant in over his shoulder, obscuring his face from view. Sai stifled a whine when Kiba's lips sealed over the lobe of his ear and gave a firm suck before releasing a blowing a cool breath across it. “I'm just glad I get you all to myself.”

 

“I...what?” Sai spoke in a puzzled tone.

 

“Mmmm... your scent has been driving me mad for months.” Sai lay there quietly thinking over what Kiba had just said to him. He'd been like this for months? Then his own curiosity about the brunet had been reciprocated?

 

“Is that why you didn't talk to me all week?” Sai felt his nerves slowly dissipating, that odd tingling feelingly returning once more.

 

“Mmmm... I didn't want you ta leave. You're rather intoxicating.” Sai chuckled lightly at Kiba's words, amused at the other nin and the way he was quietly snuffling at his throat like a puppy.

 

“Am I now?” Sai voice came out as a quiet purr. His mind shifting as his body arched just off the ground to rub sensuously against the brunet.

 

“Hell yes.” Sai loved that sound; the rumbling growl that split from Kiba's lips was intoxicating to him, his words edged with the brunet's wild nature. Sai was also loving the feel of Kiba rubbing back against him; there body rolling together in gentle waves.

 

Sai gave a knowing grin before speaking, his words growing heavy with need, “Good.”

 

The artist hoped that later Kiba would consider modelling for him, but right now he had something far more - engaging to do with hungry man rolling their hips together so hungrily. Kiba's voice dripped with lust as he whispered against the shell of his ear, “You're thinking too much.” He punctuated that statement with a much firmer thrust that had Sai whimpering loudly, as the tingling coil in his belly tightened imperceptibly as he rasped out a response, “Then make me stop.”

 

“Fuck yes.”