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: Back today with more of the boys :) Hope you're excited!

Bite Me

Chapter 22: Options

Not even ten minutes later, Sasuke was eyeing him, and Naruto was still a giddy, giddy mess. He'd ended up taking a (brief!) shower to make up for Sasuke's (um, longer) one, and although he hadn't totally made it back to the shirt he'd bought weeks ago just to tease Sasuke, Sasuke hadn't made it back to any shirt at all, so…

"You're kinda cold," Naruto said, tracing a hand down his stomach. "Need some breakfast?"

Sasuke's lips quirked up.

"Brunch at best, Naruto," he said, "and even that is generous. I thought you were saving that blood for later?"

Naruto ducked his head.

"I mean, I was," he said, biting down on his laugh, "but I was the one who ended up doing the sucking, so—"

Sasuke shoved him off the couch.

"Wh—hey!" Naruto laughed, rolling around to glare at Sasuke's smug face.

"You're an idiot," Sasuke said.

"You're a dick," Naruto replied in kind. "And biting me might help your hand. Right? It looks kinda angry after the shower, um..."

Sasuke huffed out a breath.

"And I'd finally gotten you to stop your relentless worrying. Come here."

"You're never gonna get me to stop that," he said, dutifully moving closer. "I like you."

Sasuke's lips twitched.

"Inaccurate. Please correct yourself."

Naruto huffed out a breath, exaggeratedly rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm falling in love with you, blah, blah, blah—"

Sasuke kissed him. And yeah, it was probably to shut him up, but the way Sasuke's smile pressed to his was just so good. It was so good, so perfect, it reminded him of all the happiness in his heart and sent it all billowing through him like a whirlwind—

Sasuke pulled back, and Naruto couldn't stop the smile if he had all the strength in the world.

"You're a sap," Sasuke told him. Naruto ducked his head, huffing out a breath.

"You're the one who keeps asking," he pointed out, nudging his head to Sasuke's shoulder...

"Mm," Sasuke said, noncommittal as usual. Naruto thought his eyes gave him away, though—something about the way they softened, as if to match the smile… "What were you saving your blood for?"

"Huh?"

"Earlier," Sasuke said. "I wasn't allowed to bite you. Now I am."

"I—" Naruto laughed, hiding his face in Sasuke's skin. "That was—um. Like I said—for what we—uh—just did."

There was a pause.

Naruto felt his blush grow—

"I thought I wasn't allowed to bite your dick?"

Naruto crumbled into laughter.

"Sasuke!" he said, rolling around the floor to swat at Sasuke's entirely unfazed self. "That—oh my god. You know that's not—"

"What?" Sasuke asked, innocent as ever. "There aren't that many options. You had a very clear plan."

Naruto ducked his face into the couch.

"Well, I—I—um." He swallowed. "Y'know. I wanted to—I've been wanting to—it was good, though, right?"

Naruto lifted his head, and Sasuke's fingers gently threaded through his hair.

"I mean, if it—um—" Naruto let out a nervous, breathless laugh as he looked back down. "We've only been dating a week, so—crap. We've only been dating a—"

"Do you feel rushed?" came Sasuke's soft voice, and Naruto's head jerked up.

"I—no. I mean—no, I don't, but—"

"Do you feel you don't know enough about me?"

"I—I mean yeah, but that has nothing to do with—"

"Do you feel I don't know enough about you?"

"Tha—okay, nice try," Naruto said, pointing right at Sasuke's face. "If you're trying to get me to tell you way more about me, you're gonna have to give me something first."

Sasuke's lips quirked up.

"I've never gotten a blowjob before," he commented, and Naruto nearly choked.

"You—"

"Never given one, either," he continued, casually stretching himself out along the couch.

Naruto's mouth snapped shut.

Sasuke's lips twitched.

"Mhm."

"That's not what—I didn't mean—Sasuke!"

Sasuke laughed into the back of his hand, and Naruto stuffed his embarrassed face right back into the couch again.

"You're mean," he grumbled, and he heard Sasuke laugh.

"Hm, maybe," Sasuke said, sounding far too amused, "but this is no longer about me, is it?"

Naruto...reluctantly peered up.

Sasuke held up three fingers.

Naruto let his head fall again.

"Ugh," he groaned. "Got a question I can answer, at least?"

"Hm," Sasuke said, rolling over. "You can follow the theme I set, if you'd like."

Naruto's face burned.

"You—" he breathed out, "you're using this power for evil. Like right away. A day in and that's all it took—"

Sasuke reached out and swatted at his nose. Naruto laughed and made a show of biting at his fingers as they pulled away—and as they reached back again, flicking his cheek, his chin, grabbing his ear and pulling his hair—

"Hey, hey, hey! Asshole—okay, okay, you win!" Naruto said, but Sasuke's smile was tender and beautiful, and Naruto found that giddiness wrapping his heart right up yet again. "Fine, okay—I, um. I have a thing for giving blowjobs? Don't laugh!"

Sasuke made a very suspicious noise.

"Right," he said, back of his hand over his mouth again. "No laughing. Continue."

"You asshole," Naruto said, because he could see that smile, even if he couldn't see it at all. "Fine—here, you should know—um. I guess I—I don't—I don't know what you like—or even if you're—if you're open to sex, I'm fine if you're not. Uh. Are you?"

Sasuke's eyebrow raised. His hand didn't leave his face.

"Right now? I think I still need a few minutes."

"Wh—Sasuke! You know that's not what I meant!"

Naruto pulled Sasuke's hand away from his face and that smile finally broke free. Something about his face told Naruto that a blush should have been there, too, but Sasuke's face was looking awfully pale…

"I—am," he said, glancing away for a moment. "Although, I—you know that I don't exactly know what I'm agreeing to."

"Yeah," Naruto said, feeling something like breathless. "Yeah, of course. I—um. Um. I—"

He breathed out, running a hand through his hair.

"I forgot what my point was."

Sasuke snorted.

"Something I should know?" Sasuke prompted. "About sex...with you...?"

"I—yeah, right, yeah, thanks, I, um—" Naruto ran a hand through his hair, laughing a little. "I'm so nervous. Sorry, um, I—I'm a switch. So you should know that, I guess."

Sasuke leaned down, pressing one hand to Naruto's carpet and falling off the couch just enough to press their lips together. Naruto relaxed into the kiss—once, and then again, as Sasuke's cool touch left him…

"Better?" Sasuke asked, pulling back to the couch.

"Yeah," Naruto sighed.

"Good. What's a switch?"

"Oh!" Naruto let out a small laugh. "Sorry, I should've—just that I don't have a preference for—like, sex. In terms of positioning, y'know."

Naruto awkwardly waved a hand.

Sasuke rolled onto his side.

"That...is good to know."

Naruto let out an embarrassed laugh, biting his knuckle. Sasuke's smile widened.

"You still owe me a third."

"I—" Naruto laughed, "still?! I'm not that interesting!"

"That's not for you to decide," Sasuke said, "or complain about. Three."

Naruto huffed out a breath, but shuffled a little along the floor to get closer to Sasuke all the same. Sasuke got the hint, going back to playing with the tips of Naruto's fingers.

"Um," Naruto said, watching Sasuke's cool fingers trace around his. He could see the new scars along Sasuke's palm, still red and swollen and angry—they were much better than when he'd first seen them, but Naruto still… "Oh. I've got one."

Sasuke's hand paused.

"It's not—sorry. It's kinda out of theme."

Sasuke snorted.

"You can make it up to me later. What is it?"

"It's—I've only talked to—um, really, dad about this. Sakura a little, too. I don't usually bring it up 'cause it's not really—anyway, um—"

Sasuke sat up all the way, keeping his legs on either side of Naruto.

"It's not really an issue anymore, but I—used to really hate the...scar—things. On my cheeks. And stomach. I—actually, modelling for the class was like—was a bit of a breakthrough for me. Letting everybody just kinda—see me and judge me as I was, y'know. Nothing to really hide behind. Turns out nobody cared as much as I did, but I guess that really isn't that surprising."

Naruto laughed a little, twisting just enough to rest his head on Sasuke's knee.

"But—yeah. It was one of those things that made me—y'know, visibly obviously different from everybody else. Like the first thing people would notice, and ask about and I—I kinda hated them for that. There you go."

Sasuke watched him for a moment longer.

"You don't hate them anymore?"

Naruto breathed in.

"I mean, I—no. I don't hate them. But it's not like I—I guess I'm just kinda...neutral. Used to them and stuff. I don't think I'll ever love them or anything."

Sasuke shifted, and Naruto looked back up just in time for Sasuke to gently fall to the floor, easily slipping his hands under Naruto's shirt. Naruto followed the touch, obediently raising his hands until his shirt left his fingertips, and Sasuke pulled him back, pressing Naruto's bare back to Sasuke's bare chest, fingertips poised just over the pattern on Naruto's stomach…

"But you don't mind them on others?" he asked quietly, and Naruto nearly jolted.

"No! No—not at all, I—sorry, if that seemed—"

"It didn't," Sasuke said, quietly cutting him off, "but I'd like to know."

"I—good. No, I—scars don't bother me. It's not even the scars—or whatever they are—that got to me anyway. It was the way people...reacted to them. Reacted to me because of them."

Sasuke breathed in and then out again, still close to Naruto's skin...

"I suppose that explains your silence about my bite mark," he said softly, and Naruto glanced over at it. It was hard to see, nowadays, but Naruto couldn't exactly blame Sasuke for hiding it…

"Well, you," Naruto said, "you didn't really show it off or anything, and I didn't want it to be like—like—"

"Like the first thing you'd notice," Sasuke said, nudging himself a little closer, "and ask about?"

Naruto let out a small laugh, ducking his head.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said, rocking himself back. Sasuke snorted in his ear, but didn't pull away. "It wasn't, by the way. I was pretty fucking preoccupied the first time you didn't wear a bandage or anything."

That made Sasuke laugh—small and soft, and Naruto felt the warmth against his skin. He leaned back just as Sasuke leaned forwards...gently pressing a kiss to Naruto's neck...and another...Naruto closed his eyes...

Sasuke breathed in, gently pressing a kiss to Naruto's neck in answer.

"But, um," Naruto said, swallowing, "that was three."

"Was it? Hm," said Sasuke's voice. "I miss tomatoes."

Naruto opened his eyes.

"You—huh?"

"I miss tomatoes," Sasuke repeated. "It's strange. Just raw tomatoes. Sometimes I find myself craving them."

"Huh," Naruto said, relaxing just a little more. "If it makes you feel better, I think I've thought about garlic bread like every day this week."

"It—so get some. What's the problem?"

Naruto laughed, snatching Sasuke's arm by the wrist and holding his wound up to him.

"I'm not gonna try to kill you," he said, dropping the hand, "over some garlic bread."

"You...have you not been eating garlic?"

"Yeah," Naruto said. "I haven't had it since we started this whole thing. Thought I'd play it safe. And good fucking thing I did, y'know—"

"I don't want you to give up anything for me," came Sasuke's soft voice, his hand pausing its gentle pattern along Naruto's stomach.

"I dated a guy who was vegan and switched to that for a bit. I'd give up way more to date you," Naruto said, snorting. "And you don't get to decide that, either. I do."

He turned back to stare Sasuke dead in the eyes, daring him to argue. Sasuke stared back for a moment—then two—then—

He leaned back, breathing out as he tightened his grip on Naruto. Naruto relaxed back into the touch.

"Do you keep in touch with any of them?" Sasuke asked, after a moment.

"Any of who?"

"Your exes."

"Well...does Sakura count?"

Sasuke snorted.

"No. Moron."

Naruto laughed.

"Then no. I mean—I tried. Did the—did the whole 'let's stay friends' thing where you don't end up staying friends at all. I dunno. It was pretty shitty on my end, anyway."

"How so?"

"I—you know. They liked me. Or—some of them did, anyway. I think. And I—I didn't really…people can tell, I think, when your heart isn't in something. I was dishonest from the start. I don't blame them for not wanting to be around me after something like that."

Sasuke flicked the skin under Naruto's chin. Naruto yelped but looked up, glaring up at Sasuke just as Sasuke firmly glared down—

"You weren't dishonest, moron. You were hoping just as much as they were that it would somehow work out. If anything you were too nice. And optimistic and empathetic; be honest—how much of your saying yes had to do with not wanting to disappoint anyone?"

Naruto's jaw clicked shut.

"Mhm," Sasuke said, and it sounded like a laugh.

"I—that—it's still nicer not to do that! I was just—I was dumb about it!"

"Well, I'll give you that," Sasuke said, laughing softly. "But you meant well. You still don't deserve to have anyone leave you."

Naruto's breath suddenly felt...far heavier.

"Um," he said, swallowing—looking down, quickly, before the lump in his throat and burning in his eyes could get any worse, "um—"

"You don't have to believe me right away," came Sasuke's voice, soft and warm. "But it's something you should think about starting. I have more questions for you."

Naruto breathed in.

"I—" he said, "it's—it's your turn. Isn't it?"

"It can be," Sasuke muttered against his neck. "Alright. I...know my way around a stove. And ovens. And baking in general, really."

"Oh—yeah?" Naruto said, pulling himself together just a little bit more. "I thought the stuff you made was way too damn good. You a chef or something?"

"I don't think so," Sasuke said softly. "I...don't know much about working in a professional kitchen. I keep expecting to…"

He trailed off.

"Expecting to…?" Naruto asked, tracing his fingers along Sasuke's arm.

"Hear someone singing. I keep expecting to hear singing." He felt Sasuke swallow. "I don't know."

Naruto turned around all the way, taking Sasuke's hands and squeezing them with something gentle, but firm.

Sasuke continued to look at the floor.

"I don't know," he said again, quieter than before. His voice was a whisper—thick, but not quite trembling. Naruto knew if he pushed, it would get there—and yet—

"Can I ask you about it?"

Sasuke looked up. What he was looking for in Naruto's eyes, he didn't know—but he must have found something, because it was only another moment before he softly, slowly nodded.

Naruto breathed out.

"What kind of...voice?" he asked, feeling something close to breathless.

"A woman's. My—"

Sasuke cut himself off before he could finish the thought. Naruto heard it all the same.

"Um. Did you—do you know—"

Naruto breathed in, trying to find the words that would hurt Sasuke the least—

Sasuke leaned forwards, gently pressing his forehead to Naruto's, and closed his eyes.

"I think she taught me to cook," he said softly, hands slipping out from under Naruto's grip only to find his hands again, holding them tighter. "I think my...father," he said, the word careful and hesitant on his tongue, "taught me how to—"

Sasuke breathed out, leaning back against the couch. (His hands stayed still, in Naruto's.)

"How to quickly convert fractions back and forth. Percentages...that sort of thing. I'm good at math. Some of it has to have been from practice."

"I mean, yeah," Naruto said. "You probably went to school and stuff, no?"

"I don't know. I'd assume so."

"Huh," Naruto said, scanning Sasuke's face as he flipped through his own vague memories— "what's the twenty-third element of the periodic table?"

"Vanadium," Sasuke said immediately, and then his head jerked up. His eyes were wide and his eyebrows furrowed, but Naruto couldn't help but laugh—

"I knew it," he said, "you're a goddamn nerd."

Sasuke's face relaxed into a disbelieving smile.

"This is ridiculous," he said, leaning back. "It's so bizarre. I have no idea—"

Sasuke shakily exhaled, lifting a hand as if he didn't know what to do with it.

"We need to get somebody smarter than me to quiz you properly," Naruto said, shuffling closer. "Then we could actually pinpoint some stuff…"

"You're plenty smart," Sasuke said, putting his hand down again. "What do you want to pinpoint?"

Naruto ducked his head to hide his grin.

"What you're good at," he said softly. "What you're bad at. What you trained in. If you—if you went to a school, sometimes they post—like, names of people who graduated. Names of people who won stuff. Don't they?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"I wouldn't know."

Naruto ran a hand through his hair.

"If we could," he swallowed, "if we had your last name, we could—"

"I still haven't decided yet, Naruto," Sasuke said softly.

Naruto looked down at the floor.

"I know," he said, nodding. "I know. I just—I'm trying to find some—some other options. For you."

He swallowed. He couldn't begin to compare the helplessness he felt to what he knew Sasuke did, but—but this sucked. This sucked—surely there had to be another way to—

"You're going to be quietly worrying all weekend, aren't you?"

Naruto looked up to meet Sasuke's gently teasing eyes.

"I—I mean, I don't—"

"I'll tell you what," Sasuke said, leaning forwards. "I won't do anything on Monday. We'll see how he responds, and go from there."

Naruto swallowed.

"We...?"

Sasuke's face softened.

"Stupid," he said, head tilted as he scanned Naruto's face. "You think I'd leave you here? Alone? You'd lose your head within the hour."

Naruto's mouth opened and closed. He—he definitely wasn't wrong. There was no way Naruto would be able to relax knowing Sasuke might in be in any sort of danger—in fact, the more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that he might end up trying to follow Sasuke, just in case, in secre—

"Mhm," Sasuke hummed, apparently reading exactly what he'd expected in Naruto's face. Naruto huffed out a small laugh, falling forwards to nudge his forehead into Sasuke's shoulder.

"Thank you," he whispered, and he felt the soft pressure of Sasuke's hand on the back of his head.

"Stupid," he said again, and Naruto was...ready to accept that. He was an idiot. He couldn't believe he'd ever doubted Sasuke. Between last night and this morning, Naruto had been so thoroughly reassured that he wasn't sure he could ever doubt him again—

"You'll come with me to work," Sasuke said softly. "Pretend you don't know me. I can get away with gloves outside and in the kitchen."

"Okay," Naruto muttered, closing his eyes. "We could find some driving gloves or something for the summer, too, if you—if you need that then. Um. Okay. Okay."

Naruto pulled back. Sasuke gently let him go.

"Let's make a plan."

A/N: Aaand we're moving! Sort of. Feels like we have so little and yet so far to go!

See you tomorrow,

- Kinomi