Whew, 14 reviews on one chapter! I'm so happy :O
Ughh, but I'm also tired. School hasn't been kind to me, and I freakin' have to do this research paper in Writing. So don't expect me to update everyday and don't try to pressure me (or threaten me) because that just drifts me away from writing more.
Okay, so I've come to a conclusion: Sasuke will be a Nekomata instead of a regular neko. Don't worry, it adds to the dark theme. Though, I'm a little upset since the conversation between Sasuke and the girls made them sound like vampires... and not like nekos... TT^TT This isn't a Twilight story! Or a vamp one either. IT ISN'T A WEREWOLF FIC EITHER. XD
oh oh, i drew a neko-sasuke pic on how he looks in the fic! I'll update it later on in my old account (please don't look at my old, crappy drawings TT^TT) once I have a good drawing program to use. My account name is SwiftWolfgirl44, and I'll say when I have it up soon.
I decided to have Sasuke speak because he needs to communicate to his father some how, right? But he doesn't know English. And if he does speak, it's rare. I wanna keep the 'I don't really know English; I don't speak much' feel on Sasuke.
I also think this chapter is really, really crappy, so... be warned.
If you're really reading this, include the word 'pickles' in your review. xD
Well... here we go!
Started on: 5-10-11
Prompt: Crazy-Sasuke in SasuSaku is one of the things I can't find these days. Neko-Sasuke is cute in SasuSaku, and also hard for me to find. Put them both together…? X3.
Summary Attempt: The acute ears atop his head twitched, eyes glimmering and tail swishing. He needed her; he needed her now. He let out a piercing yowl and disappeared into a flurry of leaves; gone.
Disclaimer: I have said this many times, and I will say it once again. I DO NOT OWN NARUTO.
Author: CiiCiinREX.
Note/WARNING: Insta-fluff! x3 and possible dark themes. Some parts might seem strange because I wanted an anime feel complete with drama and light humor. A little fast-moving chapter since I didn't want to fill the first few chapters as fillers, so please bear with me.
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.
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I'm face down, flat on the floor
lips locked, as still as can be; stuck
trying to scream,
but my voice is stuck in my throat.
Just as I am
about to lose my mind
I feel your warm hands
wrap around my waist
and pull me up gently in a hug
pressing your lips against mine
whispering into my flesh,
"Mine."
.
.
.
His Never-Ending Radiance
"Don't expect me to leave you alone; I've been away from you long enough."
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Chapter 4
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Sasuke stared down at the pinkette in confusion, holding her closer to his chest as he shook her limp body, "Sakura?"
Sakura had gone wild-eyed and fainted, practically frothing at the mouth as she let out unintelligible sounds. Apparently, the shock of his sudden physical proximity, the tests she had taken earlier that day, and the stress of being lost and almost ran over by a car seemed to catch up with her.
Sasuke stuck his bottom lip out, oblivious to the reasons the rosette in his arms just gave up on her consciousness. He had been very careful in approaching her - sure, he had lost all of his self control and pounced on her, and the scare the girls gave her didn't help, but that didn't give her the right to just faint right at their reunion! All he did was greet her like his mom and dad used to do fondly when he was a little kid and she goes on to black out! Growling, he experimented on her reflexes by poking her and nearly whined when she didn't even blink. Now what?
"Sasuke, have you lost your mind?" Tenten said, brown fur disappearing as she rushed up to him, halting in front of the eye-twitching boy to stomp her foot. "What you did was reckless, and we could've been found out by the humans! What would the King - your father - say if the humans started panicking about nekomatas eating their kind all because you slipped up?"
Stepping out from the blanket of darkness, Ino timidly strolled over to the brunette's side and frowned when she noted how the Prince ignored his best friend's lecture to stare unwaveringly at his prey with intense eyes. Karin was at her side, boldly walking closer to the two fallen figures.
"I mean, really, what kind of Prince goes out hunting and practically rapes his food?" Tenten raved, pulling at the strands of hair that weren't pulled back into her two buns. Sasuke glanced up at her with wide eyes. She had just disregarded her cool position as his bodyguard and one of the best, professional fighters and just snapped. "Humans are prey, not toys that you can use for your sexual desires! That's just wrong! They're inferior, weak! You belong to be with your kind, not fooling around with your food!"
Sasuke blinked, obviously confused that she wasn't supporting him like all the years they had known each other, when he scowled. "Sakura is NOT a toy, nor is she food!" He spat out in his native, royal tongue, mews bubbling up in his throat followed by a low growl. Pulling the unconscious girl closer to his body, he continued, "Besides, you are neither my mother or my father, so you shouldn't be lecturing me! You may be one of the strongest in our army, but I am the Prince, therefore only I have the right to lecture YOU."
The bun-haired girl flinched back at his strong, striking tone - one that should have deteriorated into a hoarse voice due to his rare speaking habits. For a moment, Ino reveled in the husky voice that she had been dying to hear for years. Ohmigosh, ohmigosh, he spoke! He spoke when I was around! "Sasuke-kun!" She sang, soaring towards him as he adopted a facial feature that clearly said "what the hell?" eyes widening as he attempted to scramble out of the way with the pinkette clutching his shirt by his chest. Unfortunately, as he scraped the ground to push himself on all fours both he and his pink-haired friend were assailed by a glomping blonde.
While the dark-haired boy thrashed around, completely mortified and terrified at the sudden attack, the blonde rubbed her cheek against her as her yellow tail intertwined with his stiff and fluffed one. As she closed her eyes and poured her affection onto him, Sasuke had to resist the sudden urge to cry out like a baby. Karin gaped, then turned around to cross her arms and let out a "hmph". Tenten, however, was fuming. "OI, blondie! Get the hell off of Sasuke before you cause a scene!" The brunette hissed under her breath, ears flattening threateningly against her round cranium and eyes dilating wildly.
"Are you sure, Tennie?" Ino said as she seductively rubbed her paw on a frozen Sasuke's neck as he clutched Sakura's limp body, petrified at the experience he would come to hate for years to come. "There's no one around to hear us for miles off in this part of the city; Karin-san told me since she's a chakra sensor. And why would I even want to get off of my Prince?" She purred, nearing the unmoving boy slowly as the brunette turned an angry shade of crimson.
Karin suddenly twitched over to the opening of the alleyway, her red ears flickering. However, the action wasn't noticed as Tenten completely shrieked in fury. "I MEAN IT INO, GET OFF OF HIM NOW!"
"What will you do?" Ino retorted, grinning maliciously as she grinded her hips into a now-stiffened Sasuke underneath her. "Lecture me?"
Before the brunette could reply, Sasuke, apparently recovering from the shock and irritation building up in his body to the point that it was shaking, roughly pushed the blonde off of his body and carefully wrapped his arms around the rosette. At first, Ino whined but quickly quieted down as fear struck her down in swirling black and red eyes. Tenten shut her jaw instantly, stepping back from the chocking aura that the Uchiha was practically pooling out of every cell of his body. The blonde cowered under his biting gaze, gulping as she observed how the blurred black and red seperated, the red staining the whole orbs as the black turned into hypnotic designs around his pupil.
His Sharingan... Tenten thought, glancing back and forth from the furious Sasuke whose muscles in his nose and lips crinkled upwards with his sharp teeth showing, to Ino who was now bowing at his feet humbly. Her trembling was showing as she gently lowered herself down in submission, hoping to ease his mood, but she whimpered when Sasuke disregarded her stance as he angrily moved forward. That only activates on its own when Sasuke's really pissed off... But he's always tolerated Ino's unpredictable pounces and he never got this angry. The Sharingan... Tenten tensed when he placed the pink-haired girl gently on the floor - she never saw the way his hardened facial expression faltered for a moment - and stalked silently over to the blonde. Whenever a sign of submission was shown between two nekomatas, one satisfied and the other losing a large part of their pride, there was no more fighting nor was there any signs of hostility; only frustration and superiority were portrayed after the fight. However, it seemed that Sasuke wasn't trying to put Ino in her place, even though he probably would have in another situation. He'll be able to predict her movements, trap her in genjutsu, and intimidate her all at once with that dojustu activated. Ino won't stand a chance!
Immediately, the brunette interfered by stepping in front of the shivering fangirl, staring Sasuke down as he halted in his steps. "She's already submitted to you, Sasuke," Tenten explained, meeting his gaze evenly. "There's no point in harming her." Sasuke growled instantly, his eyes spinning slowly as if to warn her to get out of his way.
You don't seem to understand.
She may have pounced on me like she usually does,
but she tried to mark me when I was holding my Sakura close.
I do not give mercy to those
who are completely ignorant to the world around them.
"Neko-chan..." Sasuke completely forgot about his anger as he swiveled back, all sets of eyes on the peacefully slumbering girl on the concrete. Now lying on her side in the alley, her quiet exhales of breath from her parted lips echoed slightly between the brick walls. He noted how her white sweater was now a little scratched up from sliding across the pathway, but overall her whole being was unharmed.
"This is stupid, Sasuke! Stop playing with her," Tenten urged, her eyes flicking back and forth between the cat prince and the human. "If you're going to eat her, eat her now before some other human passes by." Ino, seeing that the Prince's attention was averted, scurried near the redhead whom was still staring off into the distance. If the dark-haired teen noticed, he didn't say - or rather gestured that he saw - anything.
The Uchiha strolled to the pinkette's side, turned to Tenten as he pointed at the girl, "Sakura."
"Yes..." The girl replied slowly. "I know she smells like cherry blossoms, so she must taste like them." However, at the explicit suggestion, Sasuke merely scowled as he picked the girl up to his chest, eyes rolling over to Karin as if he knew what was coming.
"Neko-chan?" Feeling a tug at the cloth of his dark shirt, he glanced down at the girl only to spot sparking emeralds peeking behind her lids. He made a noise in his throat when he noted the way she perfectly and comfortably melded against his body, how her body fit the way his muscled arms were curved. Unknowingly a minuscule shade of pink crept up his neck all the way to his cheeks, suddenly feeling sleepy.
"She saw us," Ino whimpered panickily, staring at the rosette who had her eyes half-lidded, and also gave the girl an evil eye for she desired to be the one held in Sasuke's arms. "She saw us and now we're screwed!"
"No," Tenten corrected her. "She's delirious; she most likely won't remember this ever happening. If she lives, anyway."
"It is you, Neko-chan... Where've you been?" Sakura mumbled, snuggling deeper into Sasuke's chest as he, shocked at the out of character action, felt his eyes widen and heat travel stronger through his veins with a now-obvious blush. Ino was fuming as she bared her teeth when she saw her crush's reaction, while Tenten's patience was also running thin. "Sasuke," She snapped, ears laid back. "If you don't eat her now, I swear -"
"Human!" Karin hissed as the sound of rubber sliding against concrete met their sensitive ears, all the nekos glancing at one another knowingly. First, the initial one who would have been caught in the alley - the redhead - leapt onto the fire-way apartment stairs, flipping as she landed gently on the roof. Ino followed gracefully, and much more quickly than the one before her. Tenten - albeit not after she shot the Nekomata Prince a look that meant she wouldn't let this go - begrudgingly darted up the walls with chakra in her feet.
Sasuke, however, lingered despite the burning, calculating stares he could feel from above. It was very, very hard for him to leave her when they just saw each other again. Hearing the vehicle speed closer, he jogged over to the opening of the alleyway - his light hind claws clicking against the rigid floor - and gently placed her on the ground near the wall in a comfortable sitting position. When he felt the girls on the roof avert their gazes to the probably incoming car, he leaned in to the sleeping girl and gently brushed his lips against her cheek with his tongue shyly peeking out to lap at her once, dragging the muscle all the way to the back of her ear. Sakura involuntarily shivered under him, but whether it was the cold or his ministrations they probably would never know.
Her skin tastes like...
Strawberries...
Instantly, he tore himself away from her as if she burned him and disappeared into a flurry of light wind. He stood in front of the girls, their differently shaded eyes staring unwaveringly as the car screeched to a stop and a woman rushed out, darting into the alleyway as she knelt by the pink-haired girl. Sasuke turned away, knowing she was safe, and they all obediently followed as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop aimlessly, their only source of light glistening the full moon. Soon, their forms would blend in with the dark midnight and no trace of their being would be left behind.
.
There he was, standing in the middle of the meadow.
His back was turned to her, the black of his clothing and hair sticking out easily in the fields of green, red, blue and brown. Tail flicking and ears averted forward, he stood still in the paradise.
"Neko-chan!" She hollered, her stumpy legs unable to make the long strides she needed to reach him faster as her green sundress - one that she hadn't worn since she was seven - fluttered around her petite body.
The boy swayed and then he faced her as she panted, an almost-smile warmly stretching at his lips as he watched her with intense eyes.
She called out to him again, grinning as she slowed down to meet him, never noticing how the sunlight flicked off like it was controlled by a switch or how the grass beneath her disappeared.
He began to walk towards her with calmer steps than hers, and it was then she halted and glanced around and was frightened at the bleak change in setting.
"N-neko-chan?" She called, but it was then she noted how his used-to-be curved face was carved into a narrow jawline, and his eyes much more sharper in the time she looked away.
"Kill the girl," A whispered echoed in the darkness.
"Devour her flesh," Another replied, much louder than the other.
She flinched as the voices gained in volume, quantity and speed, but she stared at the cat-like boy in front of her as his expression never changed.
The smirk he quirked was unintelligible as she shakily reached out with her arms, desperately seeking comfort from the harsh voices. Taking a few slow strides that had Sakura scared, as if a hand might suddenly rip her away in his deliberately decreased speed, he wrapped his own arms around her and laid his chin on the crown of her head.
That moment, when the voices were screaming and at their peak, as if a bubble had burst, they disappeared without a trace as their bodies swayed in a rhythmic motion.
And they stood there in each other's embraces, and the pinkette suddenly shivered as she picked up her gaze.
His red eyes were wide but shadowed.
"You're not supposed to hide secrets," She whispered and he closed his eyes, the emotion on his face screaming regret.
And she was ripped out of his grasp by an unknown force, and she was screaming out his name as he desperately yowled out hers.
She watched as her voice failed her and as he ran towards her, but grew farther, and farther...
Until nothing was in sight.
.
"Nnghh..."
Bed sheets ruffled until they fell to the ground, leaving a certain pinkette bare who felt she was burning up to the refreshingly cold air in the air conditioned house. Groaning again, she rolled onto her side and buried her face deep into her soft pillow when she felt a wave of nausea trickle up from her stomach. She blinked over and over again as she attempted to fight off the sickly haze that lingered in the inner cores of her body. Feeling the curtains on the window right next to her rustle, she flinched when the sunlight poured into her room and blinded her for a second.
"Are you alright, Sakura?" Her mother was instantly at her side, the backside of her hand placed on her forehead. The older woman pulled back, sensing the overbearing, unnatural heat that radiated out of her daughters pores.
"No..." She mumbled, reaching for the pile of fallen covers on the floor - she felt so horrible that she didn't even feel like lying. What was the point?
Her mom helped her pull the blankets up and tuck her in snuggly, shooting the white bundled girl a look of sincere pity. "You can skip school for one day, right? You're already ahead in your studies, so anything that you miss for a while can be made up as well."
"Okay," Sakura nodded slightly, a headache prodding her cranium as she inwardly hissed.
The older woman rushed out the door after she told the rosette that she would be right back. As she waited, Sakura peered at the dark green papered walls and beige ceiling and linings without processing a single sight that passed in her eyes. Shivering at the overwhelming heat that built up again, she felt sweat dribble down her back as she wrapped the blankets tighter around her body. The longer she stayed warm and sweated the fever out, the earlier she could feel normal again.
"Here," Her mom jogged over to her side as she placed the silver tray on her bedside table, handing Sakura a thermometer. "I made some chicken noodle soup and brought a pitcher of water and a glass so you can drink whenever you need to," She leaned forward and rubbed her daughter on the shoulder gently. "Hope you get soon, baby girl."
She watched as her mother glanced at the black-strapped watch on her pale wrist. "You're... you're not staying?"
The woman instantly frowned. "I wish I could baby girl... But the bills are just piling one on top of another and we need the money to stay in this house..."
"Oh, okay," The girl leaned back into the abundant amount of pillows, reveling in the soft sensation that pool around her. That's right, the only times she got to see her mom was either when she was awake early in the morning or very late at night. Sure, there were times when she came home from school to be greeted by her mom, but those days were thinning to the point that she felt she couldn't even talk to her mom anymore. Her mother was her safeguard; she was the one Sakura confided in with her secrets and what went on in school - though she purposefully left out the negative parts or twisted them to make them seem not so drastic.
Their small family, only consisting of them, was fairly poor ever since Sakura's dad left her mom - why, she did not know. Being a parent was truly a hassle, especially if you had to take care of two children at the same time. Sakura's older sister, Tsubaki, had already graduated high school and transferred to a top-notch college, which would explain why Sakura's room had two beds - one away from the door and the other very close to it, both having windows - and the pinkette had to shake off the feeling of loneliness and force herself to look at the bright side: she had a bigger variety to choose where to sleep now. Of course, that didn't really help. Despite the obstacles, Sakura was able to socialize with her far-off sister in one way or another each day by either text, IM, PM or webcam.
Sensing the disappointment in the girl's voice, the mother Haruno kissed Sakura on the forehead despite the threat that she herself could get sick. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"'Kay," Sakura softly smiled through the heat and unbearable haze. "Bye, mom."
The woman hesitated, but then rushed out of the building when she saw that she was about to be late. After telling the rosette the standard child-to-parent guidelines -"if anything, anything is wrong, just call", "don't open the doors or windows no matter who it is"- she was twisting the key in her ignition as Sakura watched from her post from the window, sighing when the car drifted out of her view. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but she desperately wanted someone to dote on her for once. Turning away from the window, she flopped on the pillows in thought.
She squinted her eyes as her migraine lessened.
"She saw us! She saw us and now we're screwed!"
"No, she's delirious; she most likely won't remember this ever happening. If she lives, anyway."
Remember what? Involuntarily shuddering as the fever throbbing within her entire being, she moaned when the sweat caused the covers to stick to her. She whimpered and stuck her head in the tight space of blankets in order to cocoon herself in a ball of warmth.
What happened last night anyway? Sluggishly blinking, she shut her eyes and felt her body almost drift off into sleep.
That's right... I saw Neko-chan...
She sighed and waited for darkness to grasp her.
Her emerald eyes shot open suddenly.
Wait, what?
Feeling her intakes of air heighten, she attempted to calm herself down. She peered around as she flew into an upright sitting position, whirling at the strange, floating sensation she received due to the sharp movement. When she saw nothing out of the ordinary, she laid back down and tried to wave of the disappointment that wiggled into her system at the thought that what she presumed had happened was just a dream.
Then... did I have two dreams? I can't really remember what happened last night, and mom didn't tell me... She probably forgot, again.
From the shift of tiredness to excitement, she could tell that she wasn't going to sleep anytime soon. Boredly, she turned to stare at the window, only to jump when she saw a pair of wide red eyes staring straight into her. Only for a moment was her voice stuck deep within her throat, her mouth gaping with her lips fluttering when she took note of his proximity - his nose was just grazing hers, a whisper away from a soft kiss. The dark haired boy inclined his head a little to her right and blinked, oblivious with his eyes sparkling innocently like expensive rubies. "Nya?" He mewled strangely, sounding like a cat and a human at the same time. His lips twitched downwards - at least in her perspective - into a ghost of a smile, sharp dagger-like teeth peaking their way behind his plush lips.
Something wet and warm brushed against Sakura as she flushed, realizing that the dark-haired boy - now grinnning - had licked her. On the lips.
Finally finding her voice, she screamed.
.
"Hmmm," Naruto muttered, strolling up the Haruno sidewalk thoughtfully. "Sakura's not waiting here... Maybe she's still getting ready?"
Complete with his dark blue backpack and his large orange sweater, the whiskered boy knocked on the pinkette's door. "OI! SAKURA-CHAN! WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!"
When no one replied, he contemplated on the doorstep. "Should I barge into her room before we're too late?"
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
Freezing at the high-pitched scream and the sound of a body tumbling to the floor, the blonde stood wide-eyed and wondered if she was in trouble or just angry.
"WHAT THE HELL?"
He sweatdropped, backing away from the house slowly. "Umm... maybe later then?" And he dashed off, not wanting to be her immediate punching bag.
.
In that moment, Sakura found herself on her back with her limbs entangled in the covers on the floor, staring straight into fluttering red eyes. In her shock, she had managed to sputter out several curses and fall down. A seemingly perplexed Sasuke still had his head tilted to the side in question, his whole body upside down from her perspective from outside the open window.
"N-neko-chan?" She muttered in disbelief.
For a while, they said nothing until the Uchiha let himself in, swinging gracefully from the window. "M-matte," Sakura said, scrambling to pick herself off the floor as she felt defenseless in that position with Sasuke around in her house. "You can't just swing in her uninvited!" When she saw how he just blankly stared at her, she resisted the urge to palm her face and make her headache worse.
"Look," She said slowly, and he seemed to sense the patronizing tone as he narrowed his eyes. "People don't - HEY!"
Sasuke lightly pounced on her, causing her to fall back into laid-back position on the floor again. She panicked and attempted to shove him off of her, but he was way too strong for her. "Too close, too close, too close!" She squeaked, struggling as the Uchiha didn't even notice her ministrations. Purring, he wrapped his paws around her waist and brought her close, reveling in her scent and warmth. The pinkette blinked from hearing such an inhuman sound and paused as he relaxed against her and closed his eyes in relaxation, her eyes softening at the sight.
Why, Sakura pondered as she played with his soft bangs, am I not surprised that you're back? Why am I so comfortable around you when I should still be angry?
I missed you...
Tadaima.
Feeling a strange, tickling sensation deep in her throat, she began to hack violently. Sasuke, alarmed, stretched his neck in her direction. Now that he was calm, he noticed the dullness in her usually cheery scent, which usually meant that her health was declining a little bit. The pinkette flinched backwards when she heard the boy above her sniff at her, a little weirded out. "What are you doing?" She asked whilst leaning a little of her weight on her hands on his chest. He complied, although he whined, and leapt off of her as he nestled in her covers and watched her sluggishly walk over to her bedside. Curious, he bounded up on the bed to check what was so transfixing on the table when a warm, meaty smell wafted into his nostrils.
Glancing at her side, she decided to take this time to actually look at the Uchiha boy. His babyish fat had detriorated and only well-developed muscles were let in its wake; his facial features were as if they were chiseled by an artist, his jawline narrow and feminine-like, although for some reason the look fit him well. Neko-chan was definitely bigger - both in weight, she thought begrudgingly, and in height - and he could've easily mauled her to death if he wanted to with his pounces and such. He had such pretty eyelashes, she observed enviously as the small, dark hairs fluttered along his pale cheeks and enhanced the way his crimson eyes popped out. As he leaned towards her, she noted how his black shirt opened at the neckline despite the high collar, showing the underlying muscles that portrayed his sheer strength. When she heard the sheets shuffle underneath his weight, her eyes flickered down to observe the dark-furred arm warmers he had... attached to paws?
Her pink brows furrowed as she scanned his body: acute ears that seemed to blend into his spiky hair, paw-like accessories, and a... tail. Did that thing just move?
She jolted when she felt a sudden imbalance on the tray she was holding and turned, glaring at the culprit whom was pawing the bowl filled with soup curiously. When she opened her mouth to scold him, she sneezed. An embarrassing move, yes, however it was effective as the boy flinched back and wiped away any residue like a kitten cleaning itself with a scrunched up face. "Great, just great," She grumbled as her nimble fingers rubbed the underside of her nose. The rosette could feel mucus building up in her airways. "Not only did I get sick, but now I have a perverted kitty boy on the loose in my house." (A/N: IKUTOOOO!)
What should I do? The pinkette pondered as she side-glanced the Uchiha whom was staring at her with unwavering, sharp eyes. I've always wanted him to come back, but this is just too random, too unexpected. I can't just run back into his arms - err... paws like I used to when I was little. I've changed and so has he, but... should I hug him or what?
Feeling a headache form slowly, she groaned and decided to ignore him for the time being. The feverish heat might just be getting to her and she could just be imagining all this. Yeah, anyway, there's no way a human can have cat-body parts.
Sounds like someone's in denial.
She dipped her finger into the chicken noodle soup and nearly groaned when she saw that the liquid had run cold. She had wasted so much time when it was warm by having a one-side bicker with an uncaring neko-boy.
Sensing heat run up and down her body, she breathed out heavily as she gripped the table weakly. As soon as the hot flash came, a sudden chill wracked her bodies nerves into overdrive. Fuck, I need some warm soup pronto.
But, can I really leave him up here? What if he breaks something? Too sick to care enough, the rosette propped the tray onto her chest and began stumbling over to her open door - which her mom had left open in her hurry. Sasuke, seeing the girl moving to a different location, was only two steps behind her as he padded at her uneven pace, all of his limbs working like a locomotive as he devotedly followed the girl. "No," Sakura said nasally, pointing at the dark-haired boy tilting his head to the side. "You stay here." She made a move to leave when she saw that he had frozen in his spot.
Hearing footsteps right after hers, she spun on her heel and glared into wide, red eyes. "I said stay!" Without giving him enough time to respond - if he was, anyway - she attempted to storm off with a wobbling balance.
Lingering behind, Sasuke pursed his lips out into a pout and momentarily slumped onto the carpeted floor, wondering why she was ignoring him and adopting such a rough, commanding tone. He wasn't a Inugami! And so, having the ideology of a cat, he bounded after her freely despite her angry mutters as he brushed lightly against her leg. Squeaking when his furry tail slid gently across her bare flesh - as she was wearing basketball shorts - she almost tripped and dropped the tray filled with her necessities down the stairs. "Hey!" She snapped, glaring at the innocent Sasuke who mewed in response and acted oblivious. He seemed to say, "is something wrong?"
Ugh, cats.
As soon as she was strolling down the first flight of stairs, the subtle sound of her neighbor's doorbell resounded in the quiet setting. However, in Sasuke's ears the sound was loud and piercing. Normally he would have been able to ignore the pain after a sharp wince, but when ferocious barking echoed around him from the house on his right, his pupils began to dilate into animalistic slits.
Oh, hell no.
"OI!" Sakura was lucky enough to predict the dark-haired boy's path pattern as she stumbled out of his way as he flew down the stairs, his dark tail fluffed up dangerously and erectly in the air. The rosette nearly panicked when the dog's staccato woofs transformed into angry-sounding snarling - as if the canine were attempting to tear something apart. Turning pale, the girl slammed the tray down on the nearest surface, the empty tabletop in the hallway, as she clumsily faltered several times trying to mirror the path the cat-like boy had slid onto.
The neighbor's dog was a mean German Shepard, the black smothered all over its muzzle and eyes on its grey and tan fear giving the illusion of a mask as it peered at anyone with its sharp, azure eyes. Teeth like daggers and lips twisted into an ugly snarl as it leapt at your direction whether or not you meant to make eye contact; Sakura remembered her first encounter with that dog named Kaiton. She was merely five and bumbling around happily when she spotted the multi-colored canine lazing in the sun, front legs crossed as a pillow with his eyes closed and collar locked around his thick neck tightly. Naively she had loudly stumbled over to Kaiton and his eyes snapped open, growling louder and bearing his silver knives as his threats went unheard. "Doggy!" She had chanted, little hands outstretched as she wobbled on the grass near the house's gray-and-white porch. She recalled a blur soaring upwards and screaming so hard that her throat burned and crying so much that her vision blurred for so many minutes. Her mom and her neighbor had been idly chatting in the building when they heard her blood-curtling shriek, and they both had arrived just in time to see Kaiton howling in frustration as he clawed the ground, dirt flying as the collar chained to the building kept him in place and she, on her back and trembling, curled up into a ball in the face of possible-death. Since then, she had a horrible trauma of dogs.
Kaiton, he was huge! Her neko-chan didn't stand a chance against that monster dog! And with that thought in mind, she began to sweat in panic and held her breath in anticipation as she turned into the corner of her house.
...
Sasuke was, well, hissing with his ears laid back into his spiky hair as he swat angrily at the dog with his two paws through the closed window, comically pounding lightly on the glass with a breakneck speed, spitting out what sounded like insults and threats in the overall animal language. Kaiton was viciously snapping his dark neck back and forth with his tongue lolling out onto his teeth as he, chained, spun around in circles in an attempt to find an escape. The pinkette blinked then sweatdropped at the strange sight, wondering why she was so wound up in the first place if there was a building wall separating the two anyway.
"You," Sakura hissed at the dark-haired boy whom snapped his head in her direction, red eyes flickering in question as he ignored the dog whom looked as if he had rabies. "I can't believe I was worried for you for a second!"
Clenching his teeth, the Uchiha nekomata narrowed his eyes lethally at the retreating back of the Haruno as she yanked up her tray and stomped into the kitchen in a huff. At one point he had found the imbecile mongrel who had challenged him an event of amusement, but right now the sound of Kaiton's grinding howls only added to his building anger.
'What's wrong? Scared little kitty?' Were the basic words the German Shepard was spitting out repetitively. 'C'mon, FIGHT ME!'
Muscles tensing as his vision bled to a bright crimson, Sasuke snapped his jaw shut to prevent the roar gurgling in his gut from tumbling out of his thin lips. His form began to blur as did his shadow - the black form elongating and bristling as soft yet intimidating growls and the sounds of bones snapping echoed in the room. Blue eyes wide, the German Shepard stopped barking when it felt an overwhelming, unnatural fear overtake its body when the shadow continued to seep in onto its porch and front yard. Kaiton attempted to back away when the collar's safeguard yanked onto it and held him in place. No one - not even the neighbors - heard as the monster dog's ferocious snarls were reduced into painful shrieks and yelps.
Red eyes wild, the form knocked into Kaiton with its jaw slack open.
No one noticed as the Haruno's neighbor's porch was dyed a sickly looking red.
.
Sakura winced at the sound of blaring beeps as the microwave informed her that her soup was warmed up. Sighing as another set of horrible chills ran down her spine, she set an even pace as she stood on her tip-toes to open the contraption door and retrieve her food. Whimpering when the bowl's hot sides began to burn her fingers, she quickly slammed the bowl on the counter, whipping her hands around in the air with her red fingers flying. "Itai," She muttered to herself.
Blinking sluggishly, she truly hoped the meal would at least temporarily assist her in her health as he pulled out a silver spoon. "Itadakimasu," She announced after sneezing to the side.
It was then that the rosette took note of how the howls and hissing had died down, and although she was curious, she was too tired to get up and check on Neko-chan. It wasn't like she was obligated to watch over him and make sure he didn't get into trouble! ...right?
Not denying the fact that she genuinely cared for the boy, she unsurely hollered out, "Ano... Neko-chan?"
Her voice echoed around her, and for a long moment in her life, she felt as if she were truly alone. "Neko-chan?"
"Sakura!" Two warm, furry appendages flapped against her arms as the girl blushed at the sudden surprise attack that she didn't even hear was coming. Sasuke was at her left side, only centimeters away from her as he leaned his chin in the junction of her shoulder. Instinctively, she shoved her arms at his chest at the epiphany of his proximity. Sasuke didn't seem to catch what she wanted as he swat her arms down, probably thinking it was a game with his red eyes transfixed on her hands. She sweatdropped, then sighed. Can't I be sick in peace?
But isn't this what you wanted? A voice asked her inside of her mind as she scrutinized the Uchiha boy sniffing at the chicken noodle soup. You've always been dreaming about the day he came back for you, so what are you complaining about?
That's right... The pinkette's emerald eyes glazed over in thought as she held her head, sensing the threat of a head-shattering earthquake if she used her brain too much. I've always wanted him to come back, and now he's probably upset that I'm pushing him away... But still, we've changed! At least, I think we have. But... that doesn't mean we can't try to be the same as we were before.
"Want some?" She offered politely and stuck out her spoon in his general direction. He sniffed it before letting out a 'hmph!' and turning away as her eye twitched. Catching the suspicious glint in his eyes, she encouraged him, "Here, it's not that bad."
Demonstrating to him, she slid the utensil into her parted lips before she spat it out in alarm, the spoon clattering to the floor. Sasuke began to thrash in a frenzy, yowling as he squeezed in closer to her side with his red eyes swimming with worry.
"Hot, hot, hot!" She chanted, waving her hands towards her open mouth whilst whimpering. Not knowing what to do but feeling the insane burn to help her, Sasuke pulled her in by the back of her head and lapped at her scorching tongue.
Sakura's eyes were wide as she felt a warm muscle prod at hers... exploring... grazing the sides of her teeth...
"WHAT THE FUCK," She coughed out as she pulled away from his grasp, her eyes aflame with anger as she smacked him on the back of his head. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I NEEDED, BAKA!"
The dark-haired boy could only sulk in the middle of the kitchen floor, rubbing the sore spot on his cranium as the pinkette ran around with an empty glass, desperately twisting the knob for water.
What did I do wrong?
Huuuuuu. He sighed.
Operation: Get on Sakura's Good Side. FAILED.
.
The pinkette sighed as she carried her white laptop in her arms, wobbling violently as she felt the stress of all the previous events catch up with her body. Struggling up the staircase, she cried out in relief as she passed the open doorway of her room and flopped on her bed, her covers shifting around her. Tiredly she gently draped her beige blankets over her feverishly warm flesh, wiggling her toes as she felt the heat become almost unbearable. Still, she needed to keep herself cocooned so that she can sweat at least the worst of the fever out of her system. Rolling onto her back, she slid the computer onto the carpeted floor and spotted the blotch of darkness in the corner of her eyes.
Sasuke was there with a slight pout sketched upon his lips and shoulders slumped. The stubborn rosette, however, wouldn't give into his unspoken pleas as she huffed and turned onto her other side to face the window.
Stupid, perverted, cosplaying Neko-chan! She raved in her mind with a furious blush scrawled across her pale cheeks. He stole both my first kisses! First the one of the lips, then my first French! And what the hell is it with him and licking? Recalling the early happenings, her body tingled with an increasing heat as salty drops slid down her back, and she groaned at the discomfort.
Desperate for a comfier position, she faced back to her doorway only to stare at her Neko-chan - eyes wide and pleading with his ears and tail drooping - whom she noticed was closer than last time, but still keeping his distance. Last time she peeked, he was still teetering in the doorway. Now he was in the middle of the room but not making any inclination to move closer, as if he were asking for permission. "No," Her voice rang out strong, and Sasuke could only slump into the ground sadly. Seeing the dark-haired boy like this for the first time, pitiful and sad-looking, tugged at her heartstrings until she reminded herself that it was only a facade so that he could get what he wants.
Don't give in.
He won't learn if you give in.
Don't give in.
Don't - aw, hell.
"Fine," Sasuke blinked, pawing at the ground in front of him hesitantly. The pinkette saw he needed an encouraging push and sighed, patting at the floor near the bed. "Come here."
The dark-haired boy beamed and strolled over, disregarding her suggestion of napping on the floor as he leapt onto her bed and knocked her lamp over on the bedside table. At the sound of the object shattering, she was practically livid. "NEKO-CHANNN!" The boy happily snuggled into her side, wrapping his arms tightly round her body as she squirmed, wanting to let out all of her anger. He was totally oblivious to her rambling as he sighed into her shoulder, curling his body into her own. However, he was yanked out off cloud nine when a sharp pain shattered throughout his head, glancing up to see a scarily-grinning Sakura staring him down as she pulled onto his ears. "You're pissing me off..." She calmly stated to the boy who swallowed, easily interpreting the looming threat.
"Nya?" He inquired, willing the tears he felt burn his eyes when she squeezed his ears and pouting. His lips quivered as his canine teeth sank gently into his bottom one, the ears in her hand sliding in sync with his spiky hair.
"Don't give me that look, you're going to have to find a way to pay off for that lamp!" Can you even UNDERSTAND what I'm saying?
Sasuke, hearing the resolution, nodded into her neck as her rubbed his nose into her skin, his soft hair tickling her chin. The pinkette gulped, not only feeling very, very uncomfortable with the physical contact, but also scared that if she did one more wrong thing, she would set him off. She had seen it time and time before, and you would never want to be the target of Sasuke's anger. She was lucky that she was untouched for just yelling at him, but she knew that Sasuke tried his best to hold in all of his frustration towards her. There would be times she would find him, jaw clenched, pupils dilated and claws sheathing and unsheathing after she would have a one-sided argument with him. She saw the way he attacked blindly when he was furious. None came out with just small scratches and with their sanity still intact.
She attempted to get some sleep, she really did, but the closeness of the now slumbering boy whose limbs were intertwined with hers kept her heart pumping loudly in her ears. Who could sleep with that noise, anyway? Well, other than Neko-chan...
And just a curious thought; if her Neko-chan wasn't human, then what exactly was he?
Pulling out her laptop, she typed in the words 'red eye cat boy' in the Google Search. She sweatdropped as she realized how her situation was very, very similar to that book, what was it called... Twilight? Except Neko-chan wasn't a vampire or anything that was out to eat her and he wasn't enrolled into her school with a motley of 'siblings' or something like that...
Shaking her head, she glanced at the search engine only to find that useless links had popped up and the only thing interesting in the whole page were the images of cats with photoshopped red eyes. Pretty yet very creepy.
Sakura pursed her lips, sniveling with her clogged nose. Those were the only words she could use for the most part; there were no other clues.
This is only for fun, Sakura convinced herself as she deleted the previous words in the address bar. Of course Neko-chan is human! Although, having red eyes is kind of unusual... and that's coming from a girl with pink hair. He even seems like... a demon sometimes.
The pinkette shrugged and typed in the words, "Cat Demon". Pressing the enter button, she watched as a foreign website was the first link to pop up. Not exactly sure if I'll understand this, but... She clicked on the link.
LIST OF JAPANESE FOLKLORE LEGENDARY CREATURES:
Kitsune; ...
Inugami;
Kasha;
Oni; ...
Bakeneko, Nekomata;
Sakura blinked as her vision swam momentarily, the mixed in hirigana and Kanji confusing her for a second. She had taken written Japanese classes for about two years until she couldn't afford the class anymore and dropped it in order to keep her required courses so that she could transfer to a good college in the future. Lately, she hadn't been able to read any writing or speak in the language, so she was fairly rusty. She was only able to pick out twenty familiar names out of the hundred in the list.
Bakeneko... "Monster-Cat"? She double-clicked the name.
Bakeneko... "Monster-Cat" - ... certain age, years, size, or - ...long tail. In... last case, the bakeneko's tail splits into two in a fork... Haunts household, ghostly fireballs... changing... human... eat mistress, take her place... - danger, fresh corpse... bakeneko jumps over corpse... reanimation... belief. Paranormal powers... eat anything. Main food is poison - snake... Nekomata is a bakeneko with a fork splitting the tail into two... Nekomata - "Forked-Cat" - walk on hind feet... manipulate dead... happen - strange fires... cut off kitten tails - won't become a bakeneko or nekomata...
Sakura stared at the screen, unable to digest the all the information as her Japanese reading skills ultimately failed her. All of it sounded so out of place, like most foreign folklore. Haunting several buildings, reanimating corpses... but the thing that bothered her the most...
"Changing... human... eat mistress, take her place..."
Slamming her laptop shut as fear overrode her, she let the electronic fall to the floor as her breathing quickened, Sasuke stirring at her side. She could see his half-lidded eyes peering at her questioningly.
"Y-you would never eat me, right Neko-chan?" Sasuke blinked and propped himself up as the anxious girl flinched at his fast movement. His lips parted when he felt her nearly tackle her as her heart pounded against her ribs, dry sobs wracking her throat.
"Sakura..." Red eyes softening, he pulled the shaken girl close to his chest and let his purrs wash over her wave after wave with his warm tail wrapped around her waist along with his paws tugging at the column of her spine. Sakura felt her eye-lids droop as she recalled the fact that cats didn't always purr because they were happy...
Feeling the tension simmer down, the two slipped into a subconscious comfort and the only sound echoing softly throughout the room was the boy's unnatural rumbling.
Cats also purr to comfort themselves and others when... they're afriad...
.
Bahh, I'm sick. So this chapter might make you sick. I'm not exactly happy with it. -_-
Anyway, review if you wanna but please tell me if there's something wrong because I'm VERY sure there's something I didn't do right, but I can't figure it out... and it's BUGGING me. DX
I needa take a nap...
Anyway...
ANOTHER LONG CHAPTER! Hihi. Longer than the last. :)
Hope this makes up for my absence...
Next chapter! Sasuke's, uh, REAL hunt with the three girls! Foursome maybe? xD And who do they meet during the hunt? Ooo, I feel some tennn-sion. And what is this? Sasuke, popular?
Until next time!
Please, read and review!
Reviews make me write.
Without reviews, I forget to write.
And when I forget to write, I think back on it and sulk. (xD)
Ja ne~
~CiiCiinREX.