Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Happiness, by Accident ❯ Happiness, For Sale ( Chapter 3 )

Heads up: NaruSasuNaru, AU, Sasuke POV, some language, eventual romance, drama and action. Oh and violence, I keep forgetting to add violence.

 

Happiness, by Accident

By: Lotus-chan

Ch03: Happiness, For Sale

 

I walked back into my room, still towel drying my hair, to see that Naruto was still asleep on the recliner next to my bed. I stood there for a moment, watching him. We'd talked almost all night and I couldn't help remembering one of the last things he'd said to me before falling asleep.

 

“Naruto?” I asked from my place on the bed. I'd forced him onto the recliner because although my room was spacious the bed wasn't big enough to fit two comfortably… I don't think I could've handled the awkwardness of sharing it with another guy even if it had been.

 

Naruto shifted in the recliner, the blanket I'd given him wrapped tightly around him like a cocoon. “Mm?” he mumbled groggily.

 

I hesitated a moment, not really knowing if I wanted an answer to my question after all. “Naruto, this morning… did you hear everything I said? When I was reciting the spell?” I'd initially thought he hadn't because he couldn't remember the words I'd used to summon him but I had this feeling…

 

He was silent a moment, “not everything. Just the parts where you were giving me orders.”

 

`That makes sense.' I thought. `He had to know I'd asked for his name, and that I'd asked him to… drink my blood.' The thought made me squirm uneasily, especially when I remembered how having his lips on mine had made me feel. I banished the thought quickly, I couldn't deal with the implications of that at the moment. Right now, there was something more important that I wanted to know. “Then… didn't you hear me when I asked you to kill me?” I asked and cursed the hesitation in my voice.

 

A rustle of fabric as he shifted again preceded his reluctant answer, “…yeah, I heard you.”

 

“Why didn't you then?” I said plowing forward.

 

There was a long silence next to my bed; so long I thought he wasn't going to answer, and then… “Because that's not what you needed.”

 

I rubbed at the scars on my left wrist absentmindedly as I remembered what he'd said. I'd reflected on that a long time last night and had to reluctantly admit to myself that he was right. Even with the spell incomplete, which was the answer I'd expected him to give me, Naruto had already established enough of a connection with me to know that the reason I'd been able to summon him in the first place was because dying was what I'd wanted… but it wasn't what I'd needed. What I'd needed was an out; an escape. I'd needed one so badly and been so desperate for it that I'd made a rash decision that almost got me killed. What I needed was to get away from my problems and especially from my father, who made no secret how much he hated and resented me. Who I knew had every intention of forcing me into living my life in a way that suited his needs and who had expectations of me I knew I could not fulfill.

 

After all, how could I possibly tell my father, who measured what little worth I had based on my fertility and future offspring that the thought of being with a woman in that way repulsed me. He would disown me or worse, fly into another uncontrollable rage and kill me himself. I felt my hands shake as I threw the towel on my bed and slipped on my underwear and a pair of jeans. No, I didn't want to die but… I was tired of living like this.

 

There was a light snore from a few feet away and I looked up. Naruto was still sleeping, the blanket I'd given him was tangled around his legs and I felt like smiling at the sight of it. The sudden reminder of his presence had such a calming effect on my rising anxiety that it surprised me. I didn't know if it was my own cursed luck or just an accident but I was glad for the outcome of my rash decision yesterday. I didn't think I was ready to adjust to the idea of immortality yet, if it was even true - I was probably still in some denial over it, but I reluctantly admitted to myself that having Naruto here just might be worth it.

 

I walked over to the recliner and kicked it. “Nuh..? Wha..?” Naruto said, starting awake and looking up at me.

 

I smirked, “Get up, moron. Its morning and you haven't had a bath in several hundred years.”

 

He glared at me, “What way is that to wake someone up in the morning?!”

 

“Mine,” I said grabbing his arm and hauling him to his feet.

 

“Leggo, asshole. I was trying to sleep!” Naruto said, yanking his arm away and making to get back on the recliner.

 

I grabbed his arm again and started pulling him to the door. “I'm not asking you, I'm telling you.” I instantly felt him stop resisting and glanced back. Naruto was glaring at me and I realized that my power over him had forced him to obey. I stopped, “Look,” I said, annoyed by the feeling of guilt that had crept up on me. “We're moving into the city today and there's a lot we have to do. I want us out of here as soon as possible.” I finished, suppressing a chill as I remembered the blood on the carpet near the window. I needed out of this old mansion as soon as possible.

 

Naruto seemed to mellow out a bit, glancing back to the same window and a thought occurred to me. “Can you hear my thoughts?” I blurted out in sudden realization.

 

He looked at me, “I kinda sense your emotions a bit, not your thoughts. I told you last night that you messed up with the spell and there's a lot of static in my head.” Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head as if in illustration. I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

 

At any rate, I grabbed his arm again and he let me pull him out to the hallway and into the bathroom. That's when I stopped and looked at him curiously, “You do know how to use the bathroom, right?” I asked.

 

Still rubbing the back of his head, he nodded. “Yeah, sure. I'm still absorbing a lot of information from your memories but yeah.” He said and began untying the belt of his hakama.

 

I quickly shut the door and high-tailed it outta there. I did not need to see Naruto undressing right now. I walked back into my room and ignored the blush on my cheeks as I stood in front of the mirror to brush my hair. That's when I first saw the mark. I leaned closer to get a better look and saw there was a dark ring encircling the curse mark like a tattoo. It was where I'd drawn the circle of blood that Naruto had… licked…

 

“Argh!” I leaned back and started brushing my hair again. I did not need to be thinking about that right now! “Stupid, idiotic…” I didn't even know who I was talking about anymore and finally just banished the thought entirely and went looking for the rest of my clothes. I pulled a white tee over my head and slipped a blue long sleeve flannel on over it, leaving it unbuttoned. After that I put on my watch and a sweatband with the logo of my favorite band on my other wrist to hide the scars. I was putting on my socks when Naruto came walking back into the room dripping wet with nothing but a towel around his waist and I just stopped.

 

Naruto blinked and made this weird face at me. “What?”

 

I gave myself a mental slap. “Um… you need some clothes.” I said distractedly and rushed to my dresser. I pulled out a pair of jeans and threw them at him. “By the way, that was kind of a fast shower.” I said, taking what even I knew was a weak stab at him in the hopes of deflecting from my obvious staring a moment ago.

 

“Tch, it's not like you gave me much choice. You flew outta the bathroom like a bat outta hell and I can only be away from you for a few minutes, genius.” He said, sliding the jeans on under the towel. I looked away again and pulled a black t-shirt out from my bottom drawer. It had the Uchiha crest on the sleeves but it would do until I could get him his own clothes.

 

“Here.” I said standing up and handing him the shirt. He tossed the towel next to mine on the bed and pulled the shirt on over his head. The borrowed jeans appeared to fit him fine but the shirt looked a little tight on him. He was so physically fit underneath it though that I didn't think anybody would be able to tell that it wasn't supposed to fit like that. Looking away again, goddamnit, I tossed him a pair of sandals. “Put them on downstairs.” I said, grabbing my cell phone off the dresser. I lead him out to the stairs and down to the first floor where the butler was waiting for us.

 

“Good morning young master, would you and your guest care for breakfast before you depart?” he asked, bowing in greeting as soon as we came off the stairs.

 

“Breakfast?” I heard Naruto say hopefully.

 

“No thank you, I want to leave immediately.”

 

He nodded, “I shall have the car brought around, sir. Your honorable mother left instructions for all your belongings to be moved to the penthouse this morning, rest assured they will be there when you arrive.” I nodded to him and he walked off to get the chauffer.

 

Naruto made a noise of disappointment behind me, “It wouldn't kill you to have breakfast, Sasuke.”

 

I sighed ignoring him and decided to wait for the car outside. My desire to get away from this house hadn't changed, rather, it had intensified and I could no longer stand to so much as wait in the sitting room much less have breakfast. I walked out the door and Naruto grumbled but followed behind me. Outside, I gave it one last look. It was an old Meiji era western style mansion that was more museum than home. I hated it. Most of my worst memories had happened while staying in this house because the servants were discrete and my father didn't feel like he needed to keep up appearances while away from his social circle. I'd run away from this prison more times than I could remember and nearly succeeded in ending my life twice in that house. Hopefully I would not have a reason to come back soon, if ever.

 

The car pulled around in front of us and I didn't bother waiting for the chauffer to get out to greet me. I opened the door of the backseat and got inside. “Just drive.” I said curtly after Naruto had gotten in and shut the door. The driver acknowledged my order with a `yes, sir' and finally drove us away from the house. The farther from the house we got, the more relaxed I got and I was finally able to enjoy Naruto's reaction to seeing the outside world for the first time in hundreds of years. As soon as we got into Tokyo proper and were surrounded by all the lights, people, and skyscrapers Naruto glued himself to the window, staring out of it in awe.

 

I had to suppress the urge to laugh at his childlike curiosity. “See something you like?” I teased.

 

Naruto was smiling, “It's just like you remember it but I didn't want to believe it.”

 

We entered the shopping district of Shibuya and I told the chauffer to pull over. “Shall I wait for you, sir?” the chauffer asked as we got out.

 

“No, I'll call if we need you again.” I said closing the door. He nodded back to me and drove off as I pulled away from the street and rubbed my arms. It was still fall but the chill air was coming early. Turning around, I found Naruto a few feet away not appearing to be the least bit bothered by the cool wind. Instead, he was staring in rapt fascination at the giant video screens and neon lights that lit up the signs above several shops across the street.

 

There was a wide grin on his face. “It's so awesome finally seeing it for myself like this.” He said, his gaze shifting to the cars and the people.

 

I smirked, “Well, you can people watch on our way to the department store.” I said as I started leading him through the crowd. “The first thing we need to do is get you some clothes.” There was a good store somewhere nearby that sold brands I liked.

 

The crowd began to thin out on the side walk as a large group of people left to cross the street. I was looking around distractedly, trying to find the right place when I heard a scraping noise from above and someone yelling. “Watch out!” I looked up to see a large paint can falling fast from several stories above me. I only had time for my eyes to widen in horror when Naruto suddenly grabbed me, pulled me sharply into his arms and turned me away from the sidewalk. Not even a second later the unopened paint can hit the pavement with a heavy crash, spilling red paint all over the sidewalk, right where I'd been standing.

 

“Sorry!” I heard somebody yell from a suspended platform above us. “Are you ok?!”

 

“Sorry?!” Naruto yelled back. “Come down here and I'll show you how sorry you are!”

 

I stared at the red paint covering the sidewalk for one shocked moment before I finally snapped out of it and covered Naruto's mouth with my hand. “You're making a scene.” I hissed, glancing at all the people who were staring, horrified by the almost-accident. I grabbed his arm and pulled him away before we attracted any more unwanted attention.

 

“Stupid, sonofa… that thing could've killed you!” he said, indignant. I sighed, remembering the curse.

 

“Things like that are going to happen from now on, that's why you're here.” I said, finally spotting the store and pulling him inside. Once we were inside I steered us toward a display of blue jeans. “Could that really have killed me?” I asked quietly, once I thought we had some privacy.

 

Naruto sneered in the direction of the doors, still apparently thinking of that guy who'd nearly dropped the paint can on my head. “Well no, but it would've hurt like a mother, and been really hard to explain to a paramedic hours later when you got back up without so much as a concussion for your trouble.” He looked back at me, “Nothing short of another really powerful demon, an exorcism or a heavily warded place or object can kill you now, mostly because you tied your life force to mine and those are the only things that can kill me.”

 

I nodded, turning to the display. So no more temple visits then. That was fine, I'd never been especially religious. I pulled out a couple pairs of jeans, one dark blue, the other stone washed with the knees torn, “What do you…” I started but when I turned to show them, Naruto wasn't there. “Naruto?” I looked around and spotted him in another section holding up an orange hoodie with red pockets. I nearly facepalmed thinking of the outfit he'd been wearing when I'd summoned him. “Of course.” I said to myself walking over to him.

 

“Yeah? Yeah?” He said smiling and pulled it on over his head right there. I tossed the jeans at him and he caught them with that grin still on his face.

 

“Yeah, it suits you.” I admitted. “C'mon, we need to get you more than just a hoodie.” He beamed at me and I felt my heart skip a beat. I turned around quickly and started walking through the displays, gathering more clothes I thought might look good on him. That's when I started to feel this prickling sensation at the back of my neck… like someone was watching me. I turned around slightly, looking towards the section for sports wear. There were two guys there, one in a green shirt with a bowl cut admiring an olive green jacket and a redhead who looked like he belonged in a rock band. It was that guy who caught my attention. He was wearing all black, with more piercings in his ears than I could count, including a labret, overdone eye makeup, and hauling a large guitar case on his back. He was also openly staring at me.

 

I looked away uneasily. What a creepy guy. “Naruto.” I said finding him at another rack with an armload of shirts. He looked up, a question on his face. “Lets go try these on.” I grabbed his hand quickly without waiting for his answer and headed for the fitting rooms. Glancing back I noticed that the redhead was still staring at me, this time though his stare had gone from neutral to angry. I pulled Naruto into a room and closed the door behind us, breathing a sigh of relief.

 

Naruto raised an eyebrow at me while hanging his clothes on a hook. “Something wrong, Sasuke?”

 

“No.” I didn't want Naruto to know how easily that guy had unsettled me. There was just something about him that seemed… off.

 

A black shirt hit me in the face and I turned to yell at Naruto when what I saw paralyzed me. Naruto grinned at me shirtless. “Don't space out so much Sasuke or something else might fall on your head.” He unbuttoned his jeans and slipped them off.

 

I hadn't given him any underwear this morning.

 

It was suddenly too hot in that dressing room. “I think I'm gonna wait outside.” I said looking away and practically making a dive for the door knob.

 

Just as I got the door open a crack, a hand reached from behind me and slammed it closed. “Geez Sasuke, I'm naked here. Can't you wait `till I put some pants on at least??”

 

His voice was right next to my ear. I could feel his body heat against my back. I knew my face was beat red because I could still see him in my mind, standing naked behind me, and suddenly I couldn't breathe. “Yeah,” I finally managed to squeeze out. “I know that you're naked.”

 

There was a pause, “Oh.”

 

Mortified, I pulled open the door and slipped out fast. “I'll be right outside.” I said and quickly shut the door. He didn't answer, which was fine because I needed a moment to pull myself back together. What the hell was wrong with me?? I could still feel my heart thumping a mile a minute in my chest. I walked a few steps away and leaned against another fitting room door. `There's no way…' I thought, trying to chase away the image of Naruto naked in my head and failing miserably. All I could think of was how close he'd been to me just now, the feeling of his arms around me when he'd pulled me out of the way on the sidewalk outside, his smile when I'd said I'd liked that stupid hoodie…

 

`Oh my god… I've barely known him a day!' I thought to myself, beyond mortified. `But I think… am I attracted to him…??' And then all I could think of was what he'd told me earlier. I kinda sense your emotions a bit, not your thoughts. I slid down the door to the floor and put my face in my hands. `He should've let the paint can hit me…' I thought miserably. `It would've only delayed the inevitable.' A treacherous voice in the back of my head responded. `This probably started developing when he kissed me…' My thoughts kind of crashed against a brick wall as I remembered it and I raised my fingertips to my lips. They tingled at the memory. It had been my first kiss.

 

The door opened and Naruto stepped out of the dressing room with his armload of clothes. I stood up quickly and he smiled at me. It looked kind of forced. “They fit.” He said looking at me then away while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as if he'd done something wrong.

 

“Hn.” I responded intelligently and walked away knowing he would follow me. The next thing I tossed onto the pile in his arms was a handful of boxers.

 

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Hours later I was still fighting back the embarrassment from the Fitting Room Incident which we were both pretending had never happened. The high rise that contained the department store where we'd bought Naruto's clothes was part of a series of stores that occupied the first seven levels of the building/shopping mall. We were on the sixth floor in the food court. I was picking at a salad, my appetite had long since gone the way of the dinosaurs, but Naruto had discovered his love for ramen and was on his third bowl. I sighed and got up, “going to the restroom.” I muttered, needing an excuse to get away from him for a few minutes.

 

He mumbled an affirmative, or it could've been a moan of ramen-induced ecstasy, at the rate he was going I couldn't tell anymore. I shook my head and made my way through the surprisingly thin crowd to the restrooms. When I walked through the doors I immediately sensed something was wrong. I couldn't place it right away; all the stalls were empty and I was alone in the bathroom. That's when I noticed all the sand on the floor. “What…?”

 

I didn't have time to say anything else. The sand leapt up like something alive and grabbed me, wrapping around my legs and arms, pinning them to my sides. I tried to yell for help but the sand crawled up my body lightning fast and covered my nose and mouth. I felt it harden around me and it lifted me up off the ground. Movement to my left caught my attention and I watched the redhead from before emerge from the shadows behind a door. “I figured the Uchiha's had captured him,” he began in a dark voice, “I just didn't know what was taking them so long to summon him back.”

 

`What the fuck?!' I thought frantically. I tried to struggle but I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. The redhead almost looked amused by my efforts but his face remained mostly impassive. “I'm not going to let you kill him.” He said raising an open hand in my direction. “I'll kill you first.” He began closing his hand into a fist and I felt the sand tighten around me. I made a strangled noise deep in my throat and in that moment of desperation, for some crazy reason I would never be able to explain, I thought of Naruto.

 

“Sasuke!!” Naruto burst through the doors and the sight before him stopped him in his tracks, “Gaara?!”

 

The redhead, Gaara, turned and acknowledged him, “You'll be free soon.” He squeezed his hand tighter and I heard a snap as the bone in my arm cracked. I wanted to scream but I didn't have the breath for it, couldn't even open my mouth. Tears fell from my eyes and my struggles increased but it was more in response to my lack of oxygen than to the intense pain coming from the brake in my arm.

 

“Let him go right now!” I heard Naruto say in a dark voice I'd never heard him use before. His eyes were red again, the claws had grown back and he was baring his fangs menacingly. Gaara reached up with his other hand and the rest of the sand leapt up around Naruto, restraining him.

 

“I know that you've been ordered to protect him. Don't worry, once he's dead you'll be free to make your own choices again.” Naruto made a deep animalistic growl and was suddenly surrounded by a red aura of chakra. Black spots began to dance in my vision and I no longer had the strength to struggle. Naruto ripped out of the sand restraints just as a green whirlwind came from out of nowhere and attacked Gaara from behind. I heard something crack inside my chest and finally passed out.

 

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“… deep breaths. That's it, keep it up Sasuke. Come back to me.” I woke suddenly to the sound of that soothing voice, letting it guide me into taking those shallow yet almost gasping breaths I so desperately needed. Every breath I took was painful as my lungs expanded against my fractured ribs and a small whine of pain escaped me. I felt Naruto rest his forehead against mine and realized he was holding me against his chest. “I'm sorry,” he whispered, and there was heartfelt regret and pain in his voice. “I'm sorry, I should've been here sooner.”

 

I still felt like I was struggling to breathe so I just lay there limply and let him hold me, listening to his heart beating in his chest and centering myself on that sound. There was some noise from the other side of the room that sounded like a heated argument but I ignored it for now, taking a guilty pleasure in the feel of Naruto's arms around me. “I'm sorry,” he said again and I felt a clawed hand holding my face gently. I finally opened my eyes and the first thing I saw were his blood red eyes filled with fear and guilt staring back at me.

 

I was finally starting to calm down and I raised the hand of my good arm to cover the hand he'd placed on my cheek. “...fine. I'm ok.” I said reassuringly even though I knew I wasn't. It seemed to be what he needed to hear though. He closed his eyes again and I felt the claws on that hand retract as Naruto himself took a few calming breaths and glared across the room.

 

“… and you promised me! You promised you wouldn't fly off the handle like that ever again! That you weren't going to kill anymore!” The stranger's voice was furious and I finally turned my head to look across the room and saw something I did not expect. The guy with the bowl cut I'd seen earlier was yelling at the sand demon, or whatever he was, and was absolutely livid. Gaara on the other hand, was leaning against the tiled wall of the bathroom glaring all the sand in the room back into his velvet lined guitar case.

 

“You jackass!” Naruto yelled joining in, “Did you even know what you were doing?”

 

Gaara turned his glare on Naruto. “The Uchiha's have been enslaving and killing our kind for centuries. I've been waiting a long time for them to free you from that tablet so that I could finally help you.” He said with an even tone of voice despite the two people yelling at him.

 

Naruto seemed a little taken aback by that answer at first but his face soon dissolved into another frown, albeit not as harsh as it had been. “Enslaving yes, but we die because we're bound to them and their human life spans not because they murder us intentionally. Sasuke read the spell differently when we were bound together and now he shares my life span instead the other way around. So I'm in no danger of dying unless of course, another well meaning demon does something stupid! If you'd killed Sasuke, no matter how I was bound to him, you would've killed me too!”

 

Gaara actually looked stricken by the idea but eventually glared back and said calmly, “You're still a slave. Besides Lee, you're the only other person in my life who's ever mattered. I had to do something.”

 

Naruto was still obviously angry with him but seemed to be calming down. “You could've asked me, did you think of that?”

 

The guy in green sighed heavily and walked over to us. He bent down and spoke to me, “I'm really sorry about what Gaara did. How're you feeling?”

 

`Like I've been run over by a truck.' “Better.” I said, which was not quite a lie.

 

“My name's Rock Lee,” he said, holding out his hand. That's when I realized I was still holding onto Naruto. I pulled my hand away from that of my demon guardian and shook hands with the friend of my would-be-killer. I was having a bit of a surreal day.

 

“Uchiha Sasuke, nice to meet you.” I said automatically, polite custom sort of taking over in this awkward situation.

 

Lee smiled at me, “Do you think you can get up Sasuke? Or do you need more time? Naruto told us that you should heal almost as fast as he does.”

 

“I don't know,” I answered honestly and made to get up. The excruciating pain in my chest and left arm stopped me in my tracks. I gasped and tensed in Naruto's arms, who watched me alarmed and immediately moved to support my weight again. I'd have been embarrassed if I hadn't actually needed his help.

 

Just then I heard footsteps and a pair of black boots came into my line of sight. Gaara bent down next to Lee and scrutinized Naruto's worried expression for a moment before seeming to come to a conclusion, “I see now that you're not a slave at all. That your relationship with the Uchiha is much like my own with Lee.” I saw Naruto blush for the first time since I'd met him and realized exactly what Gaara was getting at. If I was mortified before, it was nothing to how I felt now. “Bearing that in mind, I've made a grave error in judgement.” He turned his head to look at me, “And I hope you can accept my apologies.”

 

I covered my face with the hand of my good arm. “Yes, fine, whatever. I just want to go home and chug a bottle of painkillers.”

 

“Can you get our stuff Gaara?” I heard Naruto ask in a much friendlier tone of voice. There was apparently a silent exchange and then the black boots got up and walked away.

 

“I really am sorry about all this. I hope we can meet again under better circumstances.” I pulled my hand away from my face to give Lee a sarcastic glare but the genuine contrition on his face stopped me.

 

“Yeah, sure.” I said, relenting. It's not like I met people everyday who knew about and thought it was perfectly normal that demons existed. I didn't think I'd sounded too enthusiastic but Lee smiled at me as if I'd given him an open invitation. Good lord, “We need to get out of here.” This was a public restroom after all. I was surprised no one had walked in on us already.

 

I heard Gaara re-entering the restroom and looked up to see that he'd brought all our shopping bags with him. That's when I felt Naruto hook an arm under my knees and he stood up in one fluid motion, carrying me in his arms. “What the…!” I gasped when my ribs protested the sudden movement. “Put me down right now! I am not going out in public with you holding me like this!” I said in an embarrassed panic. I held on to his shirt with my good arm while Gaara slipped all the bags onto the hand that was holding up my legs.

 

“We're not, don't worry.” Naruto said.

 

I instantly didn't believe him. “Put me down, damnit!”

 

He looked me right in the eyes, and I watched as the red in his irises surrendered to the blue once more. “Do you think I'm going to drop you?” That stopped me. No, I didn't… but that's not what this was about! “Listen, Sasuke. I can't take us to the apartment directly because I don't know where it is. I don't have memories of it, but there may be enough of my chakra in you that you and I might be able to do it together. All you need to do is see it in your mind and concentrate on being there. I'll do the rest.” I blinked at his strange request and then suddenly remembered what he'd done that first night after we'd come upstairs to my room. Naruto had disappeared for several seconds and then reappeared with the spell book in hand… he had gone down into the basement to get it.

 

Naruto smiled when he saw the realization dawn on me. “Ok...” I said reluctantly, still somewhat irritated that he hadn't put me down. Especially since I knew, what with the sharp pains in my chest, that I'd fall flat on my face if he did. Goddamn it all… I closed my eyes, concentrating on the image of the penthouse living room.

 

“I'll see you guys around.” I heard him say to the other two people in the room. There was a sudden rush of air warmed by pure chakra. I felt it crackle and surround us, sweeping my hair into my face. My stomach bottomed out abruptly and all the lights went out.

 

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The lights were still out when I opened my eyes but we were in familiar surroundings. The living room of Itachi's penthouse apartment was dark and quiet. The curtains had been pulled on the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up one whole wall of the apartment and I could see rain clouds crowding the sky outside. Thunder rumbled threateningly over us, the clouds preventing the afternoon sunlight from shinning through to illuminate the room. Naruto shifted his hand under me and I heard the shopping bags fall to the floor.

 

“Where's your room?” he asked quietly and I pointed to the open door near the wall of windows. Naruto carried me into the room and I let him without a fuss. I was feeling a little uneasy now that Naruto and I were here alone in the dark. I wasn't sure what to do next. Naruto however, didn't seem to share my uncertainty. He carried me over to the large bed and set me onto it gently. I sat stiffly, gritting my teeth against the pain until I was finally settled and stopped moving.

 

Then he sat down next to me, reached for my shirt and tried to slip it off. I quickly grabbed his wrist with my good hand. “What're you doing?”

 

“Taking your shirt off. I want to see how much damage Gaara did.” He insisted and slipped the flannel off my shoulders. I didn't know why I was letting him but told myself it was because I was curious to see it too. Getting the t-shirt off was a bit more difficult because raising my arms over my head was too painful. Eventually Naruto pulled the back of the shirt over my head and slid it down my arms without too much trouble. He tossed both shirts onto the floor and inspected my chest and left arm in the poor diffuse sunlight that made it through the rainclouds outside.

 

I looked down at myself and sighed in resignation. Yet again I was a rainbow of painful bruises. I was so used to seeing myself like this that it just didn't affect me anymore. Naruto however, looked devastated. “I'm sorry.” He said again and I frowned.

 

“No, don't even think it. This was not your fault.” He just shook his head at me and laid a hand on my chest. I flinched and pulled back a bit, both in pain and surprise. “What're you…”

 

“If I push more of my chakra into you, you'll heal faster.” He said and put his hand on my chest again. Almost instantly his hand grew warmer and I could feel that warmth entering my chest and moving inside me. Rather than feel alarmed by the alien sensation, I leaned in to the touch slightly. It was soothing, like a balm on my aches and the pain slowly began to recede. I closed my eyes and let his chakra warm me from the inside out, wishing this illusion of intimacy could last.

 

I opened my eyes again when I felt Naruto's other hand touching my face. He was biting his lip, looking at me with a mixture of emotions including guilt, curiosity, apprehension, and a strange vulnerability that I had never expected to see from a being as powerful as him. Naruto caressed my cheek with the palm of his hand and slowly trailed his fingers down to my chin. The feather light touch of his fingertips to my lips made me part them subconsciously and I felt my heart race. Lifting my chin slightly with those fingers Naruto leaned forward.

 

I placed a hand on his chest to stop him, “I don't want your pity.” I said more frustrated with myself and my attraction to him than angry with him. I knew Naruto must have figured out what feelings I was developing for him the moment I had but I'd be damned if I let him do anything because he felt guilty or sorry for me. The prospect was more humiliating than I could bear.

 

I watched the transformation of Naruto's face as he went from surprised, to confused, to angry. “The only thing that could make me do something I don't want to do is an order from you… and I don't remember you giving me any orders.” He said, locking his gaze onto my eyes. A moment passed as he absorbed the surprise I knew was evident in my face and his expression gentled. “But I will accept your permission.”

 

I nodded silently before reason caught up with me but by then it was mercifully too late. Naruto leaned down the rest of the way, capturing my lips with his… and it was like I'd been waiting my whole life for that moment. When his lips, soft and firm began moving against mine, I felt it everywhere. His hand moved back to my cheek to hold me as he touched his tongue to my lips, asking. I parted them instinctively and shivered when I felt his tongue enter my mouth and touch my own.

 

I tilted my head slightly to the side and straightened my back despite the pain to push forward into his touch. He took the hint and reached past my face, lacing his fingers through the short hair at the back of my head and pulled me forward. I made a small sound of appreciation, welcoming the new aggression.

 

The warm hand on my chest reached up to touch the base of my throat, then slid down slowly, dragging over my right nipple. I felt Naruto's fingers teasing it and if I wasn't already sure my face was bright red then I would've flushed with embarrassment as another desperate sound escaped me. Using the same hand I had initially placed on his chest to push him away, I fisted his shirt and pulled him closer instead.

 

He pulled back slightly and I opened my eyes, not knowing when I'd closed them. “How do you feel?” Naruto whispered against my lips. His eyes were half-lidded with desire and his fingers at the nape of my neck were stroking the locks of hair in an absentminded caress that was driving me to distraction. I almost reached up to kiss him again, nearly forgetting that he'd asked me a question.

 

“Feel…?” I asked, coming back to myself a bit. There was no way to describe how his touch had made me feel. The desire on his face slowly gave way to concern when I couldn't give him a coherent answer and I realized he was asking about my injuries. “Oh, uh…” I felt the warmth return to my cheeks and let go of him to place a hand on my chest. It still hurt but the pain had gone from excruciating to just this side of tolerable. The bruises already looked old. “It feels better.”

 

“Oh, good.” I heard Naruto say with a great deal of relief. When I looked at his face again, my breath caught. No one… no one had ever looked at me the way he was looking at me now. My heart skipped a beat and I was too caught up in that gaze to react when he placed a hand on my shoulder and pushed with gentle pressure until I was laying back on the bed completely. Naruto climbed over me, keeping his warm hand on my chest, the other on the bed beside me, and leaned down.

 

When I felt his lips on me again, I didn't hesitate. My lips parted instantly and I thrust my tongue into his mouth as he'd done to me only a moment ago. I heard him growl appreciatively and hooked my good arm around his neck needing him closer. I lost myself in that second kiss. Lost track of time, of where I was, or why this was happening; lost track of everything except him. For as long as I'd lived I never imagined that anything or anyone could mean so much to me when my own life held so little value… but here he was.

 

Naruto pulled back and leaned down again to place a kiss on my neck near the curse mark. He lifted his head and looked down at me a moment before giving me a brilliant smile. “Stay here and rest a bit. I'll keep pushing chakra into you until you're completely healed, then you can show me around our new place.” My mind came to a sudden halt. `Our new place', I thought not without some wonder. I liked the sound of that. Naruto reached out with the hand not on my chest and traced the smile on my lips with a finger. “You look good like that Sasuke.” I blinked. I hadn't even realized I'd been doing it.

 

Naruto did a poor job of stifling a laugh and laid down beside me, switching hands so he could keep one over my heart where he was still pumping warm chakra into me. “Moron,” I said under my breath, not looking at him. I ignored the second bout of poorly concealed laughter from the boy beside me and let myself reflect on what was happening for the first time. I hadn't known Naruto more than a day and a half but it felt like much longer. I was more than just comfortable feeling him here beside me… I felt whole. In the short time since we'd first met he'd awoken a part of me I'd thought long dead and there was no measuring the value of that. I turned my head to see he'd curled up beside me and closed his eyes, not sleeping I knew, but resting. No… there was no measuring the value of what I suddenly had; even if I didn't quite understand what it was yet. I knew at the very least it was something to live for.

 

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AN: Hmm… I might have to move this fic into the `M' category sometime in the future. My boyfriend (who's my on-and-off beta) keeps demanding smut from me. Lolz, gotta love him…

 

Anyways, there are plans to further explain the speed at which this relationship is moving in the next chapter as well as Lee and Gaara's presence. The next chapter will contain some nasty surprises in store for Naruto and Sasuke as well. Sasuke is soon to learn he's not quite as `immortal' as he thought.

 

I apologize profusely but it's getting harder and harder to find time to write with my busy schedule. I've already started on the next chapter but I don't think it'll be ready for 1-2 weeks.

 

Also, please keep reviewing. I hate asking but I enjoy hearing what you all think and am completely open to constructive C&C as well as comments on the plot. Believe me when I tell you that I take everything you guys say seriously and reply to everyone who has something to say or a question to ask.

 

Minor Footnotes/Additional Comments/Less Important Stuff:

 

… Damn, I'm wordy.

 

1) I regret that I couldn't have had them spend more time in Shibuya because it's such a cool place. I'll probably try to take them back there in the future if plot allows.

2) I also meant to describe the department store as Shibuya 109-2 (or 109-mens) but the flow did not allow it u.u so just pretend like I did, plzkthnx.

 

I'll try to keep the rant to a minimum next time but thanks for reading and I'll see you next update! ^_^