a/n: okay, because I feel so bad about making you all wait this long there is going to be a mass upload today on this story! I swear that I feel horrible making you all wait this long for a new chapter, so here is the latest!
disclaimer: still don't own Naruto
PLEASE REVIEW!
The cleaning doesn't take me too long, and since my danna has yet to wake up by the time that I'm finished I lie down beside him again and curl up as if I had never moved. Even in his sleep he curls against me, his head pressing to my chest. I wrap my arms around him when he starts to shake again. He whimpers once and I fear that the nightmares have begun. He turns away from me, struggling worthlessly at my arms until I let him go. I gently brush hair that has strayed to his eyes and he whimpers, tossing himself back and forth, pitiful moans escaping his lips. To believe that this is my stoic danna would be impossible, if I had not seen these same effects before.
He suddenly jerks awake, my arms around his shoulders. He's gasping, panting, unable to catch his breath, which is rare even when he runs, so to see his eyes darting around the room his frantically is painful. Finally those eyes settle on me. I place a hand on his cheek, hand-mouth closed tightly, thumb massaging his jaw bone lightly. His eyes soften, though his body remains just as stiff as ever, but I blame that on the fact that he's a puppet. I feel him lean that warm cheek into my hand, a light bead of sweat ghosting over my finger.
He makes a great effort to remain sitting, shifting here and there as the pain finally sets in after the adrenaline washes away. He also shifts in an effort to see past me, "You cleaned the room?"
I nod, "Yeah, un." Things seem to be going better this time, he's taking things better this time, but maybe that's just because there wasn't too much left in him to break.
"It's not like you to clean," his face and voice are so empty.
"I needed something to keep my hands busy, un," I shrug, half smiling.
I lean in with the intent to kiss him, his lips parting as I do, ready to accept. But there's something to him that freezes me. Despite that oh so ready expression there's something there that doesn't encourage me. I finally blame his eyes. They're so raw, so hurt, I can't be the cause of any more pain, not to my Sasori-danna.
His breath wisps over my lips, "Why did you stop?"
I shake my head, "I can't hurt you, un."
"You won't," he insists, pulling me to him before I can protest again. I move my lips softly against his, still unsure of him and anything that I may end up doing. I don't trust myself to be gentle, not when I'm lost in the sensation of kissing those all too ready lips. He doesn't seem in a hurry either, accepting the soft pace as if that's all he ever needed, barely taking part in the kiss at all. I pull back first, barely, just enough to focus on those eyes. They're still open and raw.
I sit up, and when I meet no resistance I move to stand, only to be stopped by an arm around my waist, and two simple words, "Don't go…"
"I'm just getting you clothes, Sasori-danna."
"I don't need clothes, I need you."
"You're shivering, un."
"I'm scared."
"You're never scared, danna."
"I was terrified by the thought of you dying."
I turn around and his eyes have broken. Not like glass breaks, but like a soul can break. There's nothing to show for it on the outside, there's nothing visible to break, but the heart can break, the soul can break, and my danna's eyes can break. They're laced with an unnamable fear, one that consumes him from the inside out, to the point where you wouldn't need shinobi eyes to see the shivers wracking his body. Despite the strain he continues talking, watching me with those incredibly sad eyes, "All I've needed since hearing those words is you beside, so I can tell myself that you're okay."
He doesn't need to say anything twice, I lie down next to him. Wrapping my arms around him I whisper, "It's alright, Sasori-danna."
His hands travel under my shirt and they don't stop until it's half way up my chest, his arms at an awkward angle, but completely pressed to my flesh. When his hands settle his eyes look more like him. My flesh has become an anchor for his sanity.
I bring one hand to his hair, brushing at it lightly, "It's alright, Sasori-danna, he won't get me that easily, un."
I can feel his lips form a fleeting smile, "I know."
I'm about to whisper some more sweet nothings to him, as those seem to help, but a knock at the door interrupts me. I manage to jump up and pull the covers over my danna before Kisame barges in.
He looks at us before asking, "Am I interrupting?"
Sasori-danna glares at him, "What do you want?"
"So I am interrupting," Kisame grins. "You know, you should lock the door if you're gonna do that, someone innocent may walk in."
"Not what you think, but we are busy. Un! Besides, you can not seriously call yourself innocent when it comes to that."
"Guilty as charged," Kisame laughs, then calms down to a smile, "Either of you seen Zetsu around?"
I shake my head, as does my danna, as I answer, "Sorry un, haven't seen anyone except Sasori-danna since I got back."
Kisame heaves a sigh, "I had shown him something I picked up for Itachi as a peace offering for not going with him. I think a put it in the wrong bag. Speaking for the trip though, how'd that go?"
"We didn't kill each other, un…" I sigh, "but seriously? Okay, un."
"He won't tell me about it," Kisame leans against the wall, "though he never talks about it normally, normally I'm with him."
"He seemed pretty upset, un, his brother had been screaming and crying across the lake. They both seemed in bad shape that close to each other if you ask me, un."
"They always do," Kisame nods.
"I've been here since I got back with Itachi though, un. Try the training grounds," I shrug, "he's been training that kid, hasn't he, un?"
Kisame grins, "Thanks."
"What did you get him?" my danna asks.
"I'll show you if and when I find it," and he leaves without another word.
"He'll be back, un," I sit down on the edge of the bed.
My danna nods, pulling himself up to lean against my side. I wrap my arms around his back and I have to force myself to repress a shiver as I touch the blades on his back, sheathed but with the promise of danger and pain. I kiss his forehead lightly before wiggling out of his grip and moving to rummage through his dresser, pulling out fresh pants and tossing them at him.
"You're dressers too clean, un."
"If you cared yours could be just as neat," he looks over at me with the pants now in hand.
He stands as I answer, "I don't care, though, Sasori-danna."
"I've noticed," he ends, pulling the pants on and miraculously standing up straight. I wrap my cloak over his shoulders, which he slips on moments later, burying himself in the warmth and depth. He further adds to the burial by buttoning it from bottom to top securely. I smile at him as his eyes heal a little more behind that cloak, identical to his but I'm sure is smells more like me, and reminds him of me, making it all the more therapeutic for him now. I turn to the door as Kisame's chakra signature draws close again. This time he doesn't even knock.
After he shuts the door I grin, "Welcome back, un."
He grins back, showing off his razor sharp teeth, "Thanks."
Sasori-danna sighs, sitting down with the slightest wince. I put my hand on his shoulder as Kisame rummages through one of his cloak pockets. I watch as he pulls out a standard leather string, and then I see the stone attached to it.
"A tooth?" my danna asks, and I have to look at it from a couple of different angles to see that it is a tooth.
"It's a shark tooth, found it along on the coast. Zetsu scared the crap out of some travelers and I got the leather from their packs," Kisame laughs.
"Neat, un, but will Itachi really wear that?"
"We'll find out," he hands it to me as I hold out my hand to receive it.
I fumble it around in my hands until a knock on the door startles me. I almost drop it as Sasori-danna okays Itachi coming it. It doesn't hit me to hide it until the door handle is turning and I know that Itachi sees my hand go behind my back. He looks over at me with mild interest.
Itachi's eyes stay on me as Kisame growls, snatching the necklace away from me. When he gets close enough to be a potential threat to Itachi those sharingan eyes move from my eyes to Kisame.
"What did I miss?" That's the closest I've ever heard Itachi come to being playful.
Kisame smiles, opening the hand and offering the necklace to his lover. "I got you something on my mission."
Itachi picks up the necklace by the tooth, pricking his left index finger with it. He switches hands and Kisame swoops to hold the left, pressing down on the bead of blood. Itachi smiles, vaguely, his uninjured hand moving to Kisame's face, his uninjured index finger caressing the gill marks. I still can not tell if those are real gills or not.
Kisame leans down, nuzzling into the soft skin of Itachi's neck, gently nipping at the junction between neck and shoulder. Itachi tilts his head back, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips before taking his hand back and fumbling with the necklace. Kisame pulls back and Itachi puts it on. Kisame starts to run his hand over the necklace as my danna wraps an arm around my waist, sucking on my earlobe possessively. I bite my lip and squeeze my throat into a tight, painful knot to prevent a moan from escaping. I reach back and take his free hand in my own, squeezing in both pleasure and warning. I squeeze again as his tongue flickers along the shell of my ear.
I turn and cover his lips with my own, nuzzling into his cheek as his mouth finds my other ear. He then pulls back and turns to our audience, Itachi held just as tightly in Kisame's arms as I am held in Sasori-danna's. I smirk up at him knowingly and I watch his eyes, they meet mine for once with utter emptiness, neither hatred nor disgust, nothing I have seen there in the past.
"I had come to say thank you," Itachi sighs, now a little annoyed, but I think more with himself than me.
I shrug, "Sure, un."
He half smiles, "Always the optimist."
"Guess so, un!"
He turns, Kisame turning with him, "I don't get it."
Kisame lets go and Itachi leaves, though he does play with the shark tooth lightly as he departs. Kisame smiles back at us once Itachi is gone, "At least he liked the necklace."
"You could give him just about anything and he would like it," my danna points out.
"What can I say?" Kisame smirks toothily, "I've made an impression."
My danna pulls me back against him, "It's good to know he has someone there for him."
Kisame smiles, almost as if remembering something very private, almost a lost look, "He's different, but that doesn't mean he's as terrible as everyone seems to think he is."
"I don't think he's terrible, un," I shrug, "but I don't know if I could put up with him as calmly as you can."
Kisame laughs, "Sometimes I don't think I can either. We probably wouldn't even be this close if Sir Leader hadn't paired us up."
I don't think that Kisame sees it, but I can feel my danna flinch at the mentioning of that name. I nod as if nothing happened, "Fair enough, un."
He motions with his head for the door, "I should go…"
"Go ahead," Sasori-danna nods, his voice a little tight.
He opens and closes the door with the barest of waves, and I turn to Sasori-danna, "Are you alright, un?"
He smiles and nods, "I needed to see that."
"What did you need to see, danna?" I gently caress his cheek.
"That we can survive, if they can we can," he half smiles. "If those two can stick together the way they do, nothing can stop us now, not even Sir Leader can come between us."
I pull him towards me, resting my lips on his forehead. He shifts so that our lips are touching, and this time he's the one to kiss me. His tongue is quick to prod my lips, and I open them eagerly. His tongue explores my mouth, every inch of it, and all I can do is wallow in the taste of my danna. I moan into his mouth, the sound traveling from my throat to his. When we pull back I can see his eyes have healed, and I don't worry about him any more.
