Chapter 4
When you live in Konoha, you take your life in your hands every time you step outside your house. Every innocent outing from grocery shopping to taking a stroll in the park is an opportunity to be mugged, raped, killed or worse. Don't ask about the worst part, although, if anyone could actually figure out a fate worse than death, they'd live in Konoha.
Naruto knows all this and considers himself prepared for the harsh realities of Konoha streets. He has always seen himself as a survivor, a fighter and yet, he is still surprised to find himself on the short end of the stick. He was born in Konoha, and chances are that he will die here. And judging by his current predicament, that day is looking like today.
The knife pressing into his throat is razor sharp. It stings, like a good weapon should. This can easily be a nightmare, or maybe even another hallucination, but Naruto is not too sure about that. The body pressed into his is real, the breath across his face rancid. This man hasn't bathed in days. There is no way that Naruto's imagination is creative enough to conjure up anything this vivid, this revolting.
"What's a pretty little thing like you doing in a place like this?" His putrid breath washes over Naruto's lips, making the urge to puke that much stronger, but Naruto controls himself. He doubts his attacker is going to enjoy being thrown up on.
It's a good question actually. Naruto shouldn't be walking these streets. There are easier ways to get to school, shorter ways, safer ways. He could have asked his mother to drop him off, called someone for a ride, phoned the school. So many paths that would have kept him away from this horrid fate.
"Shouldn't you be answering my question, princess?" He leans in closer, so close that he will be kissing Naruto in a few seconds. He really doesn't want his first kiss to be with this pile of nausea, so he blurts the first thing he thinks of. "My husband…"
He reaches one arm around Naruto. To an onlooker, it might look like an embrace, but it is anything but. Hugs have a sort of nurturing energy to them. This doesn't. "Your husband?" He echoes. "Then where's your ring?"
Not that he isn't gentle, but then again, he doesn't have to use any excessive force. Naruto isn't going anywhere without his blessing. His arms are trapped helplessly between them, useful in preserving a small bit of his personal space, but ineffective in doing much more. A second later the hand which grasps the blade starts to apply more pressure. Blood trickles down his throat. Warm and sticky.
There's no ring. Naruto's finger is as bare as his ass is going to be in a few minutes. Yes, this man seems to be the kind that would bend him over right here in this alley and rob Naruto of the one thing he has of value. Wouldn't even give him the dignity of a bed. Take him right here, up against a rank wall, like a cheap slut…
"Go on princess, tell me all about your husband." His tone is insulting. Naruto would have answered in a tone just as condescending if he wasn't numbed by terror. His captor has splayed his hand wide across his ass, and pushing Naruto's groin into his rock hard erection.
A choked gasp escapes his lips. Panic is blooming, quickly spreading to his limbs, and his lungs. Naruto can't breathe. He struggles to seep air in and fails miserably. A few more seconds of this and Naruto will pass out; he is sure of it.
The hand which isn't clutching the knife is slowly in the process of traveling down Naruto's body, no doubt reaching for his groin. The hand lewdly massages his chest, his stomach, thankfully ignoring his womb altogether. Naruto tries to press his thighs together as close as possible but to no avail. Eventually the wretched ghoul manages to grab his crotch. A soft, helpless whisper escapes his lips. "P-please…I am begging you…"
Abruptly, the man freezes, and pushes himself off. A powerful wave of relief rocks Naruto's frame and again he feels as if he is going to lose consciousness.
Naruto, who is too busy taking in gulps of precious air, doesn't notice his captor sniffing the morning air cautiously. The air is suddenly thick with venom. His nostrils catch a hint of something foreign. The temperature has dropped very suddenly.
The scent is pure, like fresh cut ice; it can only belong to an Uchiha. His erection steadily starts to soften.
His heart sinks with realization and he, perhaps for the first time, looks at his victim carefully. Young and impossibly beautiful. Definitely an Uchiha's bitch.
There is no point in running. He will not even make it out of the alley. Judging from the severe nature of the scent, the Uchiha is young, and therefore very fast.
His only option is to hold the bitch captive. Use him as ransom and try to get out of this situation alive. The odds aren't in his favor but he is desperate.
But before he steadies his knife and advances once again toward the cowering blond, a sharp voice reaches his ears. "Touch him again and I will use your own knife to chop your testicles off."
He freezes once again and turns around and stares into eyes which shine with an unholy light. If he had any doubt that he was facing an Uchiha before, they are gone now. As are most thoughts from his head. The only thing left is fear, and sheer panic.
Even though running is pretty inadvisable when dealing with an Uchiha – they adore the chase – he runs faster than he ever has in his entire life.
There are three things Naruto feels at this moment: relief, gratitude and a stinging pain which seems to be originating from his throat. Strong hands anchor him, and Naruto follows the trail of clever fingers and slender arms to a hauntingly lovely face.
When the stranger looks up; their faces are mere inches apart, and Naruto feels his pulse speed up at being this close to all that prettiness. Cool black eyes and scarlet red lips. Naruto wonders if this male has sold his soul to the devil to possess this kind of beauty.
The boy looks to be in his late teens maybe. He is dressed in simple, black clothes. Naruto can tell he is from a high-class family. The aristocratic angles of his face scream nobility.
His savior inspects his body for damage. The way those slim fingers map his form means ownership and Naruto's body does not seem to mind.
"Are you okay?" A smooth voice asks and Naruto nods, and then hisses when he feels the scratches on his neck sting painfully. He closes his eyes, trying his best not to show weakness in front of a stranger. "Thanks." He whispers. "Thanks for helping me."
Naruto opens his eyes when he receives no answer and gasps when he finds blood red irises instead of the soothing black eyes he was staring into a moment ago. The boy is glaring at his neck. Naruto's wound has upset him.
Those eyes spin wildly and Naruto looks away quickly. He doesn't want to stare directly into the sharingan.
But a gentle hand tilts his chin back, while another softly massages his belly right where his womb is. "Did he hurt your stomach?" and Naruto instantly feels blood rushing to his face. This Uchiha, this stranger, is making sure he can still have babies.
It can only be for one reason. Naruto chokes out a strangled laugh. "I am your mate."
"I am your mate." Sasuke is pleased at the boy's statement. This means that his intended holds a basic understanding of Uchiha customs and that saves Sasuke the trouble of teaching him.
"Yes, you are." Sasuke replies, and raises an eyebrow when the boy lets out a breathy laugh.
"So you are real, huh. I thought you only lived in my nightmares."
Tsunade mentioned that his mate should be having nightmares, and Naruto recognizes Sasuke from them. The boy continues speaking in that soft husky voice of his. "I knew I had heard your voice before, but I didn't realize where."
Sasuke observes the sparkling blue eyes and the odd whisker marks. He looks at the golden blond hair and the soft creamy skin and decides that he approves of this boy. A lot more than he could of any girl, if the stirring in his groin is anything to go by. Sasuke is insanely glad for the loose folds of his clothes. They will serve to protect him from embarrassment.
The boy keeps talking, and Sasuke finds himself hypnotized by the soft plump lips. They are pink and have a natural pout to them. He instantly wonders how these lips will taste; how good they will feel wrapped around his cock.
Sasuke curses himself when he feels his dick harden painfully and shifts in hopes of hiding it. He tries to distract himself from the boy's lips and to actually listen to what he is saying.
"I thought I was going to die." The boy sounds small, which he kind of is. Sasuke notes critically that his mate seems very malnourished.
"How did you know I was here?"
"I sensed you," Sasuke was wandering around, looking to score some heroine, spotted Naruto and started following him.
"You came just in time." Again, Sasuke's male pride is injured. Deidara would never feel afraid around Itachi.
"I am Naruto." He says quietly. "I got lost on the way to school."
That explains why he was in this dangerous area, but Sasuke feels hysterical anger anyway and fights to control himself. "Don't ever come around here without me again." The demon within him sighs in pleasure when the boy… Naruto nods and lowers his eyes in submission. "I am Sasuke."
Naruto grins but doesn't raise his eyes. Golden lashes flutter as he tries to blink the moisture away. "That's a very nice name." And that's when Sasuke realizes his mate is crying. The scent of tears has been present for a while now.
Sasuke raises the boy's chin with his fingers as gently as possible and asks in what he thinks is a kind tone. "What's wrong? Did he hurt you?"
The boy shakes his head quickly, and then hisses when the wound on his neck starts bleeding again. Sasuke quickly stills the movement by cupping Naruto's face. "Don't move your head around too much. We have to get it looked at first."
"I can still have babies, I swear." The boy blurts.
Sasuke has the sudden urge to fuck Naruto up against the nearest wall.
"He didn't hurt my womb. My belly is fine." Innocent, wide eyes glimmer with tears again. "I am not useless." Naruto then pauses for a second, giving Sasuke a mournful look. "You called out to me, and I never came. I am sorry."
"It's fine," Sasuke smiles reassuringly. "You are here now, that's what matters."
Naruto rubs his eyes in hopes of clearing them. "Every day, I saw you get hurt, but I didn't do anything." Tears still linger in long, golden lashes. "You deserve a better mate than me."
No, Sasuke thinks, You deserve a better mate than me. I should die alone in my own filth…
That raspy voice speaks again. "The nightmares will stop, right? Now that we have found each other."
Sasuke has no idea, but he mumbles out a 'yes' anyway. Naruto lets out a relieved sigh.
Sasuke realizes that his female is currently sitting in a rank alley somewhere in the nastiest slums of Konoha. This place is good enough for a degenerate like him, but someone as pure as Naruto really shouldn't be here. "Come on, I'll take you home."
He helps Naruto up, and inhales the luscious, spicy scent which seems to be inherent to his mate's body. But then he smells a foreign odor and a hateful growl escapes involuntarily.
Naruto looks up curiously. Those thick lashes flutter seductively and Sasuke swallows. He has always had a thing for long lashes, but his mate's are ridiculous. "What's wrong?"
"You need to shower. That bastard's stench is all over you." Sasuke shivers violently and let's his mate go, although only for a moment, to still himself. Some piece of shit had Naruto pressed against the wall and was rubbing against him. Itachi would have cut off the man's dick if he had tried the same thing on Deidara.
And here is Sasuke who let that bastard get away. The demon doesn't approve of that, not one bit. But the other alternative would be leaving Naruto alone in this filthy area, and the demon likes that even less.
A hand on his shoulder snaps him out of his inner reverie. "Calm down. He didn't have a chance to do anything. You saved me." Naruto is smiling gratefully, and the tears seem to have halted.
"He had you pressed against the wall." Sasuke says, "I should have gotten here sooner."
"S-sorry." There is shame in those blue eyes. And he looks as if he is about to cry again.
Sasuke tries to come up with something comforting to say. "What happened today was not your fault Naruto. You have nothing to apologize for." Naruto isn't listening. Those big blue eyes are fixated on his mouth and Sasuke's demon is content that his mate finds him aesthetically pleasing. I guess we both have a thing for each other's lips.
The urge to kiss and lick and suck Naruto's lips is so powerful that Sasuke feels his dick respond again. What is this, his second erection today? Sasuke has never been this turned on… ever.
"You are definitely my mate." Sasuke tells Naruto, as he grabs his wrist, and drags him out of the alley. The boy's face lights up, and it seems as if the sun just made its first appearance after an entire day of sheer rain.
A little voice in the back of Naruto's head, let's call it self-preservation, tells him that this stranger could be lying. Sasuke (is that even his real name?) could be even worse than his attacker, and tomorrow could Naruto in a ditch somewhere, raped and beaten.
But his body doesn't agree, and every time Sasuke leans close, Naruto leans right back. The blade sharp sharingan eyes, which freaked Naruto out not even twenty minutes ago, don't bother him anymore. In fact, every time Sasuke looks away, Naruto feels a jab of disappointment.
Naruto wants those freaky crimson eyes focused on him all the time. A hot blush creeps up his now scarred neck. Yes, I am definitely his mate.
He feels extremely hungry all of a sudden, and his blush seems to worsen when his stomach grumbles loudly. Sasuke gives him an amused look, and Naruto could just die of embarrassment.
"Let's get you something to eat." Sasuke says and takes a sharp turn, and all of a sudden, they are out in the open road, away from the slums. Not that Naruto was afraid of that place anymore. Sasuke would never let anything happen to him.
And there it is. This absolute faith he has in this unfamiliar person. Naruto feels fear creep up his spine. Why do I trust you so much?
Naruto is so lost in his thoughts, that he almost doesn't notice the ramen shop. Pulling the hand which currently holds his wrist, Naruto drags Sasuke into the tiny hut.
"Ramen isn't healthy for you." Sasuke reprimands but lets the blond drag him inside anyway. Naruto pretends not to hear him. All of a sudden he has an intense craving for food especially, ramen. How long has it been since he has had ramen?
"I am hungry," Naruto says simply and pulls the tall, slim body in the direction of the counter. "I want miso ramen with extra pork, and lots of shrimp."
Sasuke wrinkles his nose delicately. "That's disgusting." Naruto finds himself wanting to kiss that noble nose. "What are you going to have, Sasuke?"
"A salad will be fine, with lots of tomatoes." Sasuke too finds himself craving sustenance. But there is no way in hell he is eating ramen. Such food is beneath him.
Naruto mutters a petulant "Asshole," and winces when Sasuke's grip tightens on his wrist in response. "Bastard, stop that. What are you, trying to break my wrist?"
Immediately, an apology is whispered, and Naruto's hand is raised to scarlet lips. A soft kiss is placed on the inside of his wrist. "Stop that." Naruto flushes a bright, embarrassed red and yanks his wrist free. He doesn't see the smirk which is currently playing on Sasuke's pretty face, but definitely feels the pride the bastard feels at making him blush. Like it's some kind of prize. Like Naruto is his to play with; whichever way Sasuke pleases.
Sasuke grabs his waist, and leads him to one of the corner booths. The regular patrons of the ramen hut do not dare to turn in their direction, clearly afraid of the Uchiha's presence.
"Why don't you come to school?" Naruto asks, "People say all these nasty things about you. Why? Do you really do drugs? Have you ever robbed a bank?"
"You ask too many questions." Sasuke snaps, "Don't believe everything you hear."
"You have a drug problem, and you steal things."
Sasuke's silence is confirmation enough.
They are sitting near a window. The weather outside is beautiful and the sun makes Sasuke's skin glow like prized marble. Naruto finds himself staring like a schoolboy with a crush. Sasuke's features are made to be gawked at; delicate and elegant. But as Naruto keeps staring, he sees things which aren't obvious at first. The dark circles under Sasuke's eyes. The sunken cheeks, and of course the scarred wrists.
As gently as possible, like approaching a skittish foal, Naruto leans forward, and runs a hand through thick black hair. Sasuke leans into his hand. "God spent extra time creating you, and you have done nothing to take care of yourself."
Dark eyes narrow. Naruto has only just met Sasuke, but he knows he has angered the other male. "It's not my job to take care of myself. It's yours."
Sasuke's tone is accusatory, but Naruto can't help but feel warm inside. Like he has been entrusted with something rare and precious. "I promise to not let you down any more."
A frustrated sigh escapes blood red lips. "You are such a dobe."
"Who are you calling a dobe, bastard?" Naruto hisses and stops himself. He is a uke, and must show a seme respect. He is asking for trouble if he pisses off a male so much stronger than himself.
Sasuke stills and gives him a strange look. "You are different."
"What?" Naruto fully expects to be hit, or at least glared at. What he doesn't expect is a confused look.
"You are too strong-willed." Sasuke suddenly looks as if he has a very difficult task ahead of him. "I am going to have a hard time taming you. Other husbands have it easier."
"You are not my husband." Naruto bites out, but curses himself to all hell when Sasuke winces violently. "I am sorry."
"Don't be." Sasuke whispers; his demon is whimpering pathetically. "That's what I wanted to talk about. I need to know what your answer is."
"My answer?"
The Uchiha way is to manipulate and string pretty tales, but Sasuke wants to get straight to the point."Don't lead me on. Just tell me. Will you be my wife or not?" It's not until Sasuke reactivates his sharingan, that Naruto realizes it was gone in the first place. Fierce red eyes pin him in place.
"I don't even know you. We met half an hour ago. How can you possibly ask me to marry you?" Naruto keeps his tone as soft as possible. He does not want to hurt Sasuke.
Naruto knows he has failed when he catches the pain in Sasuke's eyes, the despair. The gut-wrenching loneliness. Just a flicker and it's all gone. The mask is back in place. "The answer is no then."
"That's not what I said and you know it." Naruto says quickly. He does not like the lack of expression on Sasuke's face. It's like staring at a corpse. "I am saying that we need to get to know each other a little better. We still have all the time in the world to…"
"No," He says bluntly, "I don't have time at all. Either I have you by my seventeenth birthday or I start dying." Sasuke's voice is devoid of any tone. Naruto can tell that this is as close to begging Sasuke is going to get. "You are my mate, and I need to claim you."
There is silence for the next few minutes. Naruto is speechless.
"Look," Sasuke continues, "I am probably not the kind of husband you are looking for."
"And you know this how?" Naruto snaps. He hates it when people just assume they know what he wants. It's like the disagreements he has with his mother all over again. "You don't even know me."
"I have been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. I have an extensive criminal record. I am a heroin addict; an alcoholic. I run with a gang. I come home late. I…" Sasuke casually starts saying all these horrid things about himself.
"Will you beat me?" Naruto asks quietly.
Sasuke is confused again. His face is still blank, but Naruto can tell. "What do you mean?"
"Will you hit me when I disagree with you? Rape me? What will be my meaning in your life?" Naruto's voice is shaky and he hates himself for it.
"I will never hit you. You never have to have sex with me unless you want to."
Naruto feels himself relax a little bit and smiles. "You didn't answer my last question…. What is my meaning in your life?"
"You will be my submissive."
"I don't understand." Naruto looks frightened, and for good reason. Being an Uchiha's wife is difficult.
"You belong to me and me alone. No one else will have you." Sasuke says quietly and carefully.
"That's it?" Naruto says easily. The tension is gone and the blond looks relaxed again. "Isn't that every marriage?"
Sasuke decides that he likes this boy, a lot. Naruto is easily one of the bravest people he has ever met. He doesn't even flinch at being Sasuke's wife. "Uchiha are very possessive of their females."
Naruto shrugs. "Every husband is. You should see the way my dad is with my mom."
"That's different. If your mother left your father. Your father would somehow move on. But if you left me, my heart will literally stop beating." Sasuke is really understating things. But his intention is not to scare his intended.
Naruto knows that his father will shoot himself if his mother walks out. But that's suicide. A willing death. Sasuke will have no choice. "So your body systems would fail or something?"
Sasuke nods. Again, Naruto has understated things, but he gets the gist of it, and that's what matters.
"When's your seventeenth birthday?" Naruto asks with trepidation. He doubts there is any time left. Sasuke already looks about eighteen or nineteen.
"July 23." Sasuke says and Naruto's jaw drops.
"B-bastard. That's like a month away. You couldn't have approached me earlier?"
"What do you think; I was delaying this on purpose? Every moment I have spent away from you, I have spent in pain." Sasuke growls in a deep, low tone, which does something to Naruto. "My survival depends on you and you alone."
Naruto's eyes soften when he is reminded of the dreams. "No need to get mad. It still gives us one month to understand each other."
"What's to understand," Sasuke says carelessly, "I am your husband, and you are my wife. It's not that complicated."
Again, Naruto's body hums in pleasure and he blushes. "You make it sound so casual. We are going to get married. It's a lot more serious than you think it is."
"We are going to get married?" Sasuke echoes, "Are you saying yes?" His heartbeat speeds up. His demon howls in victory, and his sharingan spins wildly out of control. "You will be my wife?"
Naruto's blush darkens and all he manages is a nod before Sasuke has grabbed his hands and is kissing them tenderly. "You won't regret this. I swear."
"This is happening too fast." Naruto says and Sasuke looks up. The sharingan is gone as quickly as it came and his eyes are a cool dark grey.
"A lot of marriages happen too fast. They still work."
Naruto grins and gently frees his hands. "You get to tell my parents."
Sasuke takes out his phone. "What's their number?" He asks, casually, like one would ask for the weather.
Naruto feels his jaw drop. "Dummy, you can't call them on the phone. You and your parents have to meet my parents…. You know, formally ask for my hand in marriage."
Sasuke shrugs. "If that's what you want." His demon is wagging its tail. For the first time in months, it's actually happy with Sasuke.
"Aren't you even a little scared?" Naruto asks.
"I am not afraid of anything." Sasuke answers truthfully. "My only fear is losing you." He is not trying to be romantic, but Naruto flashes a wide, pleased grin in his direction.
"I meant, of my parents. They are going to be your in-laws after all. What if they say no?"
"They won't." Sasuke promises. "And if they do, we'll just elope, like my brother and his wife. I will not be denied what's mine."
Naruto feels as if he is prey, being hypnotized by a snake. Before he knows what he doing, he finds himself leaning forward and kissing Sasuke.
When the kiss ends, Naruto is breathless, but Sasuke isn't fazed at all. "My brother and his mate will be meeting with your parents as soon as possible."
"What about your parents?" Naruto asks. "Shouldn't they come?"
"My parents don't really care." Sasuke says nonchalantly, and runs a pale hand through dark bangs. "I don't want them meeting your people anyway. They can be really offensive sometimes."
Naruto frowns in confusion, but doesn't say anything. Their food arrives, and the waitress apologizes profusely for the lateness. Sasuke hisses in her direction, and she practically runs back to the kitchens.
"This looks delicious." Naruto says, and snaps the chopsticks apart. Ramen is the food of the gods. He is ravenous. His appetite is back with a vengeance.
"I don't know how you can stand to eat this trash." Sasuke's nose is wrinkled again, and all Naruto can think about is kissing that aristocratic nose. Sasuke's self-importance is charming.
"Shut up and eat your salad, bastard."
Sasuke huffs arrogantly and starts eating from the bowl which consists solely of green leaves and bright red tomatoes. Naruto blinks at the oddness and goes back to devouring his food.
"We have to buy a ring." Sasuke mutters and Naruto chokes on the bite he is eating.
Sasuke ignores him. "We will get sapphires, or blue diamonds, to match your eyes."
Naruto glares. "I don't want anything too pretentious. A simple ring will be fine."
"You are an Uchiha's bride. Your unpretentious days are behind you." Sasuke drawls and licks his lips to clear them of the tomato seeds which linger.
Naruto gulps and looks away. Sasuke's lips are really distracting. "Do whatever you want bastard."