Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any of its associated characters!

Summary: Sasuke is tired. Sasuke is hungry. Sasuke is...well, hunting, now. Vampire AU, SNS, will be explicit. Two years later...it's done! New chapter will be up every day until the fic is finished!

A/N: Here goes! I've been waiting to post this for so long, I think I'm in denial that I'm actually doing it right now. I won't keep you for any longer!

Bite Me

Chapter 2: Invitation

He wasn't there the next week.

Naruto wasn't sure what he'd expected. It wouldn't've been the smartest thing for the guy to show up again once his secret was out...for all he knew, Naruto could've rounded up the whole class to wait with pitchforks, flipped upside-down and sharpened.

Hey—he wondered if wooden stakes were actually a thing, too. Probably not, but…maybe, if he ever saw the guy again…

Naruto let out a breath, heaving up the pile of canvases to the next shelf.

He'd met a vampire.

He'd met a vampire—right? That was the only explanation. Other than—than if he'd been on—like a prank show, or something. One that was really realistic and didn't even seem that funny...it could've maybe been a dream, one of those super real dreams that messed with your head, but Naruto never remembered waking up...and the guy had been here, in this class, for ages—Naruto was the one who'd bumped into him. And he'd always kept to himself, but his dad totally remembered him too, so unless they'd both been hallucinating the same thing—or, well, person—over and over again…or maybe the guy had been real, but the night hadn't—

"We're almost ready to go, Naruto."

Naruto bounded up to Iruka as he poked his head through the door.

"'Kay! Need my help or can I sit in the class?"

"You can sit in. Shouldn't be too much trouble today. We've got another model."

"Oh, awesome! Thanks, dad."

Naruto had been forced to step in more than once—not that he really minded letting people draw him anymore; he'd gotten over it after the first few times, and now it was kinda cool to see what everybody else picked out and focused on. And yeah, it was usually still his weird cheek scars, but he honestly hadn't noticed how much they really did look like whiskers until everybody drew them like that. So that had been kinda cool—but it got like...really drafty in there. And the stool made his butt hurt.

He pushed the half-broken door to the side as he slipped out. The place was kinda falling apart, but Naruto loved it all the same. There weren't a lot of people looking to fund free art classes in a random little building like this, but they had just enough to keep them going. Much better, Iruka said, than before Naruto had come into the picture—but he was pretty sure that had more to do with his dad landing that long term gig as a grade school teacher. His dad still insisted on calling him his good luck charm, though.

"Naruto," came his voice, and Naruto stopped— "you remember Sasuke. He's going to sit out the class this week so we can have a model. Thank you again."

Iruka turned to him with a kind smile, and the very-obviously-exhausted-maybe (probably)-vampire nodded his head.

Naruto smiled and said nothing, eyeing him as Iruka ran off to set something else up.

"I would appreciate," the guy started, sounding completely drained, "your discretion."

Naruto's grin widened.

"Yep, yeah, sure, quiet as a mouse." Naruto zipped over his lips, stepping closer. "So do we have to draw you with that hood up or—"

"Fuck you," Sasuke said, voice as tired as the rest of him looked. "I need the money."

Naruto scanned him again.

"You look like you need a lot more than that," he pointed out, double-checking his dad was out of range. "D'you always let yourself get like this?"

Sasuke's eyes focused on him in a loose, frustrated glare.

"I don't exactly have a lot of options."

The weirdest guy.

"Yeah, you do," he said, grabbing Sasuke by the wrist, "c'mere."

He pulled him back the way he'd come—into the storage closet with the half-broken door, locking it behind them. It wouldn't stop someone who was really determined, but it'd buy a bit of time, at least—

"You—"

"I'm not gonna let you collapse from sitting in a cold room for four hours. There are better ways to go than naked in a room full of people you don't know. Come on."

"I—"

"The more you argue the less time we have. Wrist good?"

Sasuke snatched it as soon as Naruto lifted it up. He, uh, took that as a yes—especially when he looked up and his eyes glowed that bright, eerie red—Naruto watched as Sasuke grew fangs right in front of his eyes—

And still, it didn't hurt. It was kinda weird, though, like a strong pressure—plus, y'know, the whole bit about feeling a stranger's mouth and tongue on him, which wasn't exactly something he was used to—

"Okay," Naruto said, feeling a little more than light-headed, "that's enough."

The saliva linked Naruto's wrist to Sasuke's wet, panting lips. He hovered close to Naruto's skin, his warm breath dancing over it, unmoving—

"Or is it—is it not?"

Sasuke just stared at him, with shining, glazed over eyes.

"Just," Naruto said, swallowing, "just another second, okay?"

It was the only excuse Sasuke needed. Naruto's wrist was back in his mouth within the second, and Naruto felt his world shift around him—

"That's it," he said quickly, pulling his arm away, "that's it—no more."

Sasuke put his hand over his mouth, breathing heavy. His eyes slowly faded back into something darker...and focused.

"Are you—I didn't go too far, did I—"

"You're fine," Naruto said, waving his non-drained arm. "Just go—go pose for the people and I'll be out in a sec. Go."

Sasuke glanced at him about three more times before he finally made it out. Naruto thought it was his eye-roll that finally delivered the message that he was fine—just weird and lopsided and a little out of breath...

So—breathing. He just needed to breathe.

Plus grab some paper and then he'd slip right into the back. Maybe some water before that, though. Iruka had been on him enough about trying to drink from the sink back here as a kid—he knew, now, that the water was shitty, so he'd have to sneak around to the store across the street or something...maybe. He didn't know, but they'd made him drink a crap ton whenever he'd donated blood, so…

He'd grab everything, and then he'd sit the hell down and not move for a while.

Water first, though.

This was both more and less comfortable than Sasuke had thought it would be.

On one hand, no one seemed at all fazed by him—which wasn't altogether unexpected, Sasuke wasn't particularly shocked by the human form either at this point—and he was certainly grateful that they had had no qualms with the bandage on his neck, although Sasuke wasn't sure the scar would even be visible at a distance anymore—

But on the other hand, it was...cold. He was cold. He'd only just gotten warm again—he was always so sensitive to everything when he had new blood in him, and now he was naked and could feel every breeze and every person's gaze and every slightest shift in the air…

Not for the first time, Sasuke let his eyes wander to the blonde in the back. Naruto had slipped in far later than Sasuke had expected, and had spent the vast majority of time hunched over his page. They had to be at least halfway done, now—although Sasuke had yet to have his break—and either Naruto was incredibly focused and needed no reference image, or…

Naruto's slumped over figure slid onto the floor.

For one horrible, gut-wrenching moment, Sasuke was sure he'd done it. He'd finally done it—he'd known it would happen eventually, with all this blood on his hands—and of all the people to kill, he'd chosen the one who—

It was Iruka's panicked shout of "Naruto!" that jerked Sasuke's mind into reality. He fled to Naruto's side just in time to see—

"Thank god," he whispered, as Naruto's eyes focused onto him.

"...Huh…?"

"Are you okay?" Iruka said, hovering over him. "Naruto? Do you need to go to—"

"I'm okay—I'm—um, what—what's..."

"Oh—right, ah, class—let's take our break now," Iruka said quickly, "ten minutes! Sasuke, we have—we have a robe back here—Naruto, can you—"

"Thank you," Sasuke said automatically, the panic still humming firmly under his skin. Naruto was still pale and unfocused and how had Sasuke not noticed this? How had he let himself do this? He followed behind them, watching Naruto wobble on his feet, vacantly taking his robe on the way—

"Sasuke," Iruka said, "you can take your break—"

"This is my fault," Sasuke said, staring at the person who had saved his life twice in a row. The person he'd thanked by promptly nearly killing. "Naruto—"

"It's not your fault," Naruto said quickly, looking up.

"It is. You know it is."

Naruto let out a breath.

"It's just as much mine," he said.

Sasuke stared at him, incredulous.

"How on earth did you rationalize that?"

Naruto laughed—

"I'm sorry," came the voice that Sasuke had intermittently forgotten existed since the moment Naruto had hit the floor, "what's going on?"

Sasuke's mouth opened.

"Sasuke and I went out last night," said the blonde, smiling as he rubbed the back of his neck, face not as flushed as Sasuke thought it ought to be— "we kinda—uh—stayed up. Real late."

Sasuke's eyebrows raised. Naruto met his eyes for a hard, intent moment.

"O-oh," Iruka said, "oh—okay—well, ah—congratulations, then—"

"Yeah, uh," Naruto said, laughing a little, "can you get me some water, dad?"

"Oh—yes, of course," the man said, fleeing the room as if there was nothing he wanted to do more.

"What?" Naruto said, as Sasuke's gaze turned back on him. "Saved your ass and we've got an alibi if he catches us in a closet with your mouth all over me again."

"...Is that why you keep letting me do that?"

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Bite me, vampire."

Sasuke snorted, but the amusement faltered after only a few seconds.

"I'm not," he said softly. "I won't do it again."

"What?" Naruto said, straightening up. "Why?"

"Are you completely stupid? Look at yourself." He couldn't even stand. He'd collapsed the moment they'd made it back here—

"Okay, yeah, but that's my own fault for letting you drink too much—"

"Letting me—I should be able to control myself!" Sasuke hissed. "I shouldn't go completely batshit at the sight of—"

"Well maybe you wouldn't go completely batshit if you didn't keep starving yourself, genius," Naruto snapped. "Be honest—before today, when was the last time you had any?"

Sasuke pressed his lips together.

"Be honest," Naruto insisted.

Sasuke breathed out.

"C'mon," Naruto prompted.

"...The last time I saw you."

Naruto threw his hands up in the air.

"Sorry!" Iruka said, bursting in. "There was a line at the store and I wasn't sure where else—I didn't see water, but I did find—"

"Dad," Naruto stopped him, unscrewing the lid, "this is great. Thank you."

"Okay. Okay," Iruka let out a breath as Naruto chugged half the bottle down, "how are you feeling?"

"Full. Way more awake," Naruto said, laughing out a breath. "Sorry for disrupting the class and stuff."

"No, of course you—you—tell me if you're feeling like this, Naruto, I don't care about the reason—"

Naruto laughed and ducked his head.

"I will, I will," he said. "Sorry."

"Okay," he said, breathing out again, "okay—I'll, ah, leave you two to it then."

"Thanks, dad!"

"Thank you, Mr. Umino," Sasuke offered softly, feeling even more guilty at the warm smile the man threw him. He'd been shown more kindness in the past four hours than in the past four months—not including, of course, the last time he'd seen Naruto—

"Okay, back to you being a dumbass," Naruto said. "Maybe if you—"

"I'm not going to risk more people getting hurt. I can't take any more than I need. I'm already taking too much."

Naruto's protest faltered.

"Do you—you could get like, raw meat, couldn't you?"

Sasuke inclined his head.

"I tried that. It's expensive and not very filling," he said, looking away, "and rather suspicious in large quantities."

"Eh, just pretend you own a restaurant."

Sasuke met Naruto's wide grin with a deadpan gaze. Still, there was something about the man's relentless optimism—

"Okay, between that and me—"

"No."

"Sas—"

"No."

"Can't we make like, rules or something? You can only do it when you can hang around after and make sure I'm okay and we're in range of a hospital or something—"

"You realize we're talking about your life here, right?"

"—and you have to answer—yes, I know, prick, don't interrupt—you have to answer all the stupid questions I have about being a creature of the night and that includes doing weird-ass experiments like trying to enter my apartment before I've invited you—"

"You don't need to try it. I can't."

Naruto stopped.

"What—really?" he said, some mix of surprise and thrill in the grin spreading across his face. "Of all the things, the invitation thing is real?"

"I told you I didn't have that many options—" Sasuke snapped, face burning—

"You've gotta be kidding me," Naruto said, finally dissolving into the laughter that had so clearly been building, "that's—oh my god—"

A knock on the door.

"Can I, ah…?" Iruka's voice came filtering through the wood.

"Yeah, dad," Naruto said, shooting Sasuke a wink, "we're decent. I mean Sasuke's still technically naked, but—"

"You're an idiot."

"Break's up," Iruka said, popping his head back in. "Are we okay to continue?"

Sasuke let Naruto answer.

"I mean—I'm okay. You okay?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"I was never in the equation. You're the one who collapsed."

And Naruto gave him a look, then, as if to remind him of the state he'd come in today—

"Did you want to head home, Naruto?" Iruka offered, slipping into the room a little more.

Naruto shook his head.

"Nah," he said, hopping to his feet. "Sasuke owes me a walk home."

Sasuke's lips twitched.

"Alright," Iruka said. "In that case, let's get back to it, then."

Naruto shot him a brilliant grin and leaned in.

"After you, Nosferatu."

For god's sake.

The rest of the class went off without a hitch. After that little—uh—brief fainting spell, Naruto felt way better. He probably still needed to drink more, but he'd already been running to the bathroom way too much—and actually being awake for this was way more fun. He wasn't really any good at drawing—he'd never had any particular talent for it or anything, but he liked to do it anyway, every now and then. He still did usually tend to get bored in these long ones.

Not this time, though.

Whether it was the fact that this was easily the most he'd ever seen of Sasuke (by a lot) or the fact that he had managed to keep his body...at least looking like that of a pretty attractive, young guy...Naruto didn't know. He did know that Sasuke was about as pale as the stories said he'd be—but a little more full of...colour. He didn't look dead or anything. Wasn't he supposed to look, like, sickly? Maybe it was because he'd just drank blood? Naruto's blood? Weird.

He had nice thighs, though. And a nice neck that met his nice shoulders, nice collarbones, nice...did vampires have to work out, or did they just keep their bodies like whatever they were at? Probably the latter—the lucky bastards. He'd have to ask Sasuke.

As if on cue, Sasuke's dark eyes met his—before they quickly looked away. It was about as close to an expression he'd gotten since he'd freaked Sasuke out, but the weird part was that it kepthappening. Or well, not that weird, but weird in a way that it made Naruto want to laugh, and he really wasn't that good at hiding his laugh—and he'd already interrupted everything once, so—

He bit his lip and stared down at his paper. He'd really only drawn Sasuke's eyes over and over. And his hair and stuff, sort of, in a messy, shit sort of way—and yeah, he might've made the pupils a little more narrow than they were right now, and maybe he could add a mouth in there or something, if only to show the fangs...

Hm.

A vampire that hated hurting people. A vampire that had to do it anyway. Naruto scanned the bandage on his neck...his jawline, too, and the way it clenched together...

"Alright, that's it for today everyone!"

Naruto flipped his sketchbook closed. The room stood up around him, everyone shuffling with their own stuff, tired and just about ready to leave—one way more than everybody else.

Sasuke sauntered back over to him, tying his robe up as he tucked his clothes under his arm.

Naruto crinkled up his nose.

"You don't seem any more graceful than anyone else," he said, barely lowering his voice under the chatter around them. "Aren't you supposed to be—like—all floaty and stuff?"

Sasuke closed his eyes for a long moment, blinking them open again as if not quite ready to admit this was the reality he was living in—

"Is this what I have to look forward to for the foreseeable future?"

Naruto leaned back and crossed his legs over his desk.

"Oh, it's gonna get way worse than this. Go put your clothes on, batman. Wait, are bats a thing? Can you turn into a bat?"

Sasuke turned on his heel, walking away to the sound of Naruto's smug, triumphant laughter.

"So...you can't turn into a bat?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes for the millionth time.

"I would have flown away from you long ago," Sasuke said. "Although I imagine finding food would be far easier…"

"Maybe only, like," Naruto said, hopping over a pothole, "high level vampires can do that? Can you like—master your powers?"

Sasuke shot him a look.

"Can you keep your voice down?"

Naruto laughed.

"Sasuke," he said, "there ain't a damn person on this earth that would think we're talking seriously. I told Kiba you looked like a vampire like a year ago."

Sasuke let out a breath.

"...Fantastic."

"It's the clothes, man," he continued, babbling on like he had been the whole walk. "The black and the turtlenecks and hood always up, plus you're so quiet and shadowy—"

"There are plenty of goths in the world," Sasuke protested, and Naruto laughed. "And black is comfortable. It's—it holds all the—shade the best. White is the least comfortable. I don't know how to describe it."

"No," Naruto said, shaking his head with another laugh, "no, I think I get it. You're allergic to colour."

"I am going to push you into oncoming traffic."

"As if!" Naruto laughed, spinning around to walk backwards. "Then you'd lose your blood bag, and where would you be? Right back where you—"

"You're not my blood bag—"

"I could be if you play your cards right."

Sasuke stared at him, incredulous. Naruto waggled his eyebrows.

"You are," Sasuke said, relenting with a sigh, "so dumb."

"Yup, I get that all the time," Naruto said, falling back into step with him. "You better hope this brain is non-transferable."

Sasuke didn't quite manage to stifle the laugh, that time.

"Oh! Oh, look at that!" Naruto yelled, pointing at him. "I got a smile! With teeth and everything—"

Sasuke snatched his finger out of the air and threw it back at him.

"Fuck off, moron."

"Nah, I'm learning. Vampires can smile," he said, shooting Sasuke a grin. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Is the colour thing only with fabric?"

"From my experience, I believe so," and then, as Naruto opened his mouth, "no, I don't know why."

Naruto threw him a laughing grin, and Sasuke knew he'd hit the nail on the head.

"Hm, okay," Naruto said. "What else can vampires do? Like—getting hurt by sunlight? That's a thing, yeah?"

Sasuke sighed, vaguely glancing into a shop window as they passed. A flash of colour caught his eye—a small red statue of a fox, with smiling eyes and fluffy, fanned out tails—

"Yes, I—" he said, watching the small statue for a moment longer. "Yes. It's a thing."

"...D'you sleep in a coffin?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke caught back up to him.

"No, you idiot, curtains exist. And my apartment has no windows anyway."

"Wh—really? None? Do you live in like—a center room or something?"

"Basement."

Sasuke regretted the word as soon as it left his lips.

"Ah," Naruto said, sounding strained, "that's, uh, fitting—"

"Oh, just laugh," Sasuke snapped, walking faster. He didn't even know which way they were going at this point, but—

"Hey, no, wait, we gotta turn here," Naruto said, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him back.

Sasuke stared at the warmth.

"Oh—uh, sorry," Naruto said, snatching his hand back to himself.

Sasuke looked away.

"That's alright," he said softly.

He couldn't remember the last time someone had...touched his skin like that. On their own. Gently.

"You...you okay?" Naruto said, and Sasuke was slapped with how blue those eyes were all over again. It was uncanny. He'd done the same thing during class—catching Naruto's eyes again and again and again and again, like something just kept pulling him to look at them…

"Fine," he said, searching for a distraction. "...Are you okay lying to your father?"

Naruto blinked.

"Lying to—oh. Oh, about the dating you bit? No, I don't mind at all." Naruto laughed a little. "He's been getting way too worried about my love life recently. I think we were like a week away from him just starting to set me up with...hang on, he didn't recruit you, did he?"

Sasuke blinked at Naruto's suspicious gaze.

"Recruitme?"

"Uh-huh. Pretty convenient that you've been coming to class but only just now needed money enough to model…"

"I got fired, dumbass. Is your sex life that pathetic?"

"It—oh, we're doing this? We're really doing this? Can you even get erections, Dracula?"

"Fuck off."

"Oh my god," Naruto said, turning to him with a laughing smile and wide eyes, "is that a no?"

"It's a—" Sasuke snapped, cheeks burning—as if to prove that his blood could still move where it pleased, "it's—my body works perfectly fine, thank you."

"Uh-huh," Naruto said, still eyeing him suspiciously, "no dysfunction considering you're probably a million years old? Can you take Viagra or does it—"

Sasuke slapped him upside the head.

"H—ow, I was kidding! Asshole," Naruto grumbled, rubbing the spot Sasuke had slapped—but that smile didn't let Sasuke be fooled for a second. "Is the immortality bit a thing, though? Did you stop aging?"

Sasuke's good mood faltered.

"I...don't know."

Naruto blinked.

"You don't know?"

"I," Sasuke started, keeping his gaze firmly on the graffiti-laden brick beside him, "haven't been like this long enough to know."

"Oh," Naruto said, "okay. Not a million years old then."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's laugh.

"You don't mind that I'm fake dating you?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"Makes no difference to me."

Naruto glanced over at him.

"Your sex life worse than mine?"

"Take a guess."

Naruto laughed.

"Okay, okay, no kinky vampire sex—got it. This is my apartment building, by the way."

Naruto grabbed his keys—and, if he'd had any doubts, there was the small key that hid the blade that had so firmly held Sasuke down—and opened the door to step inside.

And then he stopped.

"...Oh, come on," Sasuke said, hissing the words out through his teeth.

Naruto's smile widened.

"I had a nice time tonight, Sasuke," Naruto said, fluttering his eyelashes at him. "Something stopping you from coming in?"

Sasuke's glare sharpened.

"What would happen if I, like, shoved you in?" Naruto asked, grinning.

Sasuke crossed his arms.

"I think that would be considered an invitation."

Naruto laughed.

"Good point," he said. "You got a phone?"

Sasuke pulled it out, and then paused, narrowing his eyes.

"What? You didn't think you were getting out of this, did you?"

"I said no."

"Yep, but that's a stupid answer so I'm ignoring it," Naruto said, leaning against the door. "Listen. You can try to keep doing whatever you're doing, but that's obviously not working, so..."

Naruto snatched the phone out of his hands.

"Naruto—"

"I'm putting my number in here. You don't have to use it. But if you're dying, you idiot, call me. Preferably before that point, 'cause I'm pretty sure if you just start getting regular—uh—food, you'll find this all a lot easier."

"Or," Sasuke offered, "I won't know when to stop."

Naruto tilted his head, passing the phone back.

"Or," Naruto offered back, "you'll finally see what it feels like to be full."

Sasuke frowned.

"N—"

"You've got a tell, y'know," Naruto said, leaning against the doorway, "when you're losing control. I've been waiting for it, 'cause we've been alone this whole time—and it's dark, so there's no way I missed it."

Well, he—

"Your eyes aren't really subtle."

…

Sasuke conceded the point.

He knew they weren't. He'd seen them in his reflection more than once, be it non-silver mirror or puddle in an alleyway, and he had never liked the look. Not the least, he thought, because of the way Naruto was completely right—although he could make the choice to use them, they usually…

"But they haven't flickered since class started. I think that's kinda telling, too."

He had a point. Damn it all, Naruto had a point. But Sasuke still—

"Just think about it. Bye, Vladamir!"

"Vlad—"

The door swung shut.

'Why,' said the unknown number, 'are you like this.'

Naruto couldn't help but laugh.

'How about Count Saskula?'

'Delete my number.'

A/N: My philosophy when writing this was asking "will this make the fic more fun?" and adding in anything that the answer was yes for...which is probably why it got so big. Whoops! I hope you end up agreeing though :)

See you tomorrow!

- Kinomi