Six

THREE-QUARTER MOON

"Hey," Tayuya wrapped her arms around Sasuke's neck, burying her head in his shoulder. Sasuke swiftly gathered her up in his arms and carried her over to the stove. She wrapped her long legs around his waist and licked his ear. "Anything new? Growing a tail, perhaps?" She giggled.

"Boy, you're taking this lightheartedly," Sasuke muttered. Shifting Tayuya's weight over to his left arm, he supported her on his hip like an infant and resumed eating the raw bacon with his right hand.

"Let's go out and do something," Tayuya suggested, nuzzling his neck with her nose.

Sasuke felt a tremor run down his spine at her touch, and the breath caught in his throat, mingling with the pounding of his heart. He swallowed and set Tayuya down. "Excuse me," He whispered in her ear, then swept down the hall to the bathroom.

Sasuke barely had time to lock the door before that horrible pain set up again; that agonizing hellfire that surged through his veins that was supposedly a perquisite to the change. He grimaced, doubling over and inhaling raggedly, praying for the pain to pass. Instead he got a fresh bout of nausea. Fear coursed through him. If this is what I have to look forward to…he couldn't bear the thought of what was in store for him in the next few nights.

He curled up on his side, his back pressed against the cold bathtub. He groped desperately for a happy thought, memory, anything to ease the pain. He found himself wishing wildly for Tayuya. She wouldn't know what to do! He chastised himself, but still…the mental image of her face helped a little.

Finally, gradually, the pain ebbed away. He lay motionless for a few moments; then pulled himself up and heaved over the side of the tub. Tayuya…I have to get back to her, he realized as he slowly rose to his feet.

Needless to say, Sasuke was not expecting to see Tayuya standing outside the door.

"Sasuke, you look like shit." She commented bluntly, although Sasuke couldn't miss the concern in her voice.

"I feel like shit," He replied despite himself.

Sasuke closed his eyes as he felt Tayuya's fingers descend on his forehead. The equivalent of ice, her hand felt better than anything he could've imagined at the moment.

"Is the fact that you're burning up a result of preparing for the transformation? Or are you really sick, Sasuke?" Tayuya sounded so matter-of-fact when she spoke of his transformation. Shouldn't she be afraid?

"Don't sound so nonchalant," Sasuke pleaded. He gently lowered her hand and made his way into the bedroom without bothering to turn on the light. His head spun at the mere concept of the metamorphosis, and that coupled with the pain he'd just experienced was almost too much to bear.

He didn't have to open his eyes to know that Tayuya had followed him. He felt her lie down on the bed beside him and wrap her arm around his shoulder, her hand resting on his scarred chest. "We don't have to go anywhere tonight," She murmured. "If you'd rather stay home."

Sasuke was vaguely surprised at Tayuya being so uncharacteristically considerate. He reached up and wound his fingers in between hers, bringing her hand up to his mouth and nipping at her knuckle. "I'll be fine, babe," He reassured her. If she wanted to go somewhere, then dammit, Uchiha Sasuke would not hold her back.

They ended up going to the park. It was quiet, deserted at night, perfect for lovers. A few lamps cast eerie golden pools in the darkness, illuminating the three ivy-strangled benches and the ancient gazebo in the middle of the park.

"It's a lovely night," Sasuke observed, pulling Tayuya close to him beside the bench.

"How cliché," She chuckled and settled herself into him, her womanly contours fitting perfectly with his muscular chest and arms.

Sasuke wrapped an arm around Tayuya, letting his other one drape limply over the edge of the bench. That hand played with a few stray blades of the ankle-high grass, his fingers twirling the smooth stalks. He plucked one out and slowly pulverized it between his fingers, feeling the sticky chlorophyll ooze onto his flesh as the grass disintegrated. He flicked the remains away and resumed rubbing his thumb and index finger together. He found that he liked the feeling of skin on skin, the sound of his talons clicking together. It sent a delicious chill through his blood, gooseflesh rising on his arms.

Tayuya sighed quietly. She raised her eyes to meet his, and Sasuke could recognize the sparkling glint in her hazel orbs—it meant she was about to ask something she'd pre-meditated for a great amount of time. It was probably something very important, he knew. He'd had plenty of experience with her before, so it wasn't hard to tell. But still…

"Sasuke," She began tentatively.

How unlike her, Sasuke realized. Then again, Tayuya had been surprising him a lot lately. Perhaps having a suitor had made her more feminine. Who knows, just respond, he thought. "Hm?"

"…Tell me about being a werewolf," She murmured into his chest, her lips lingering by one of the long, long scars he'd received the night he was attacked. It seemed like ages ago, he realized.

"What's there to tell?" He replied, staring off into the woods bordering the park instead of at Tayuya. "I haven't transformed yet…" A shudder coursed through him, and again he recalled the nightmarish agony he'd been succumbed to earlier. He detected a tightening in his lower back that made him wince and unconsciously clutch Tayuya tighter.

"Ow! Your nails…" She wriggled beneath him.

"Sorry," He muttered, withdrawing his hand from her arm and flexing his fingers. Damn claws, he cursed silently. He suddenly got the urge to get up and walk around. He rose to his feet, but instead of walking, he lowered onto all fours and raced over to the nearest tree, scaling it with the ease of a panther and clinging to a high branch.

"Sasuke! What are you doing?" Tayuya called up to him, giggling.

Sasuke felt uncomfortably hot in his clothes, but he couldn't very well strip naked in the park, could he? He settled by kicking off his shoes and peeling off his shirt. He would have to bear with his jeans. He dug his nails into the bark of the tree, savoring the tingling vibrations in his fingertips and the intensifying odor of damp mold and moss saturating the cool night air. His toes curled, biting gouges in the wood and sending a tremor through his body that coursed from his feet to his scalp. It made him impulsively click his teeth, his jaw tensing. He narrowed his eyes and watched as the night began to take on a new form—the hairs on a leaf magnified a thousand times like a forest of redwoods, the grooves in the bark of the tree began to resemble the great trenches of a canyon.

He closed his eyes then, and he could hear the soft cry of an owl from who-knows-how far away; the trickling of water in the creek deep in the woods. A pleasant hum coursed through him, and he made a warm throaty sound of contentment.

But his eyes shot open again as the prickling sensation swept down his back, the sensation he'd never felt before but instinctively knew it was caused by hair growing. He craned his neck to see over his shoulder, and a rough trail of white tufts was shooting down his spine. Bit by bit, he realized with a grim smile.

There was a rustling below, and Sasuke knew Tayuya was trying to climb the tree. Silly girl, he thought. He leaned over the branch to watch the human female clamber and swing up the branches. "Not bad," He called down to her.

"I'm coming to get you, Uchiha," She threatened.

"Oh no," He cried with mock alarm.

Below, he could hear a muffled grunt of effort as Tayuya came closer, and finally, she climbed up onto the branch and grabbed Sasuke's ankle. "Gotcha," She grinned wickedly.

"I see," Sasuke replied. He abruptly jerked his leg upward, sending Tayuya sprawling. For a brief moment, he thought she might have fallen off the branch. Uh-oh, he thought.

But Tayuya clung to the branch like a bat, curling her legs around the wood and letting her torso fall. "This is fun," She mused.

"I can see up your shirt," Sasuke commented nonchalantly.

"Enjoying the view?"

"Quite nicely, actually."

"Good."

Tayuya pulled herself back up into a sitting position. Even in the darkness, Sasuke could see the rush of blood to her face at the sudden change in gravity. He laughed, a deep sound that resonated from his chest and crescendoed to the stars. It felt good, whole. Sasuke always felt torn-apart these days.

He rose up to perch on the branch instead of lie on it, his muscles quivering. He felt the urge to run. Without a second glance, he flew off the branch, soaring to the ground below. He hit the ground running, his hands and feet pounding the earth in perfect sync. His heart pounded fiercely, sending absolute torrents of blood surging through his veins. Bursts of knife-sharp chilly air seared his lungs like silver mercury with each inhalation, adding to the exciting high. His muscles writhed and uncoiled like snakes, great electric sparks exploding beneath his flesh. His body was rewarding him with bursts of exhilarating adrenaline in exchange for releasing all that pent-up energy. If this is what it's like to be a wolf, Sasuke thought, then I can't wait to change.

"Shut up!" Tayuya screamed, her face glowing with excitement.

"I'm not kidding," Neji smirked. He held aloft the flyer in his hand like a letter from the president—its importance was the equivalent, anyway.

The House of Hair was holding its annual Battle of the Bands, and Homicidal Transfixion was a competitor. Amateur garage bands from different communities all over the area, and it was nearly impossible to get in the top ten after the first elimination round. Homicidal Transfixion had tried before, but they had ended up in the thirties.

"We didn't even make it to twenty-five last time," Gaara scowled.

"You're such a pessimist," Tayuya sneered. "We'll kick their asses this year, for sure!" She pumped a fist in the air for emphasis. "Isn't that right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke wasn't paying attention. He was more preoccupied by the squirrel darting between the trashcans next to Neji's garage. The little black creature was frolicking in the pieces of rubbish that had overflowed from the cans, grabbing a bite to eat from a moldy pizza crust or licking the inside of a busted beer bottle (the latter, the squirrel discovered, wasn't as satisfying as the pizza crust).

Quick as lightning, Sasuke reached out and bit the squirrel's head off. He spat it out, then squeezed the fluids from its body into his mouth. He disposed of the body afterward, then turned to face his friends, which were staring at him incredulously. Mostly Neji, seeing as he didn't know Sasuke's secret yet.

"…What the fuck was that?" The Hyuuga demanded, furrowing his brow.

"So, anyway, we should get practicing," Tayuya quickly averted the subject, ushering Neji into the garage and practically shoving him into his drums.

Sasuke, taking his place at the microphone, mouthed thanks to Tayuya.

No problem, she mouthed back before strumming the beginning riffs to the song.

But halfway through, Sasuke started to feel the beginnings of that horribly unspeakable pain he'd experienced twice before. Not now…he pleaded. The sun hadn't even set yet. He thought the pain only came at night, when the moon rose. And that's when he remembered—full moon was tomorrow night.

No! He realized, dread squeezing his stomach cruelly. He felt like he was going to be sick. He doubled over, clenching his knees with his hands, and tried pitifully to force the nausea down as the muscles of his back tightened to the point where he thought he was going to scream.

The others abruptly stopped playing and watched as Sasuke bolted behind the garage. Tayuya immediately followed, abandoning her guitar, not even bothering to unplug it from the amp. Neji looked like he wanted to follow as well, but Gaara held him back. Gaara knew very well what was happening; there was no need to draw a crowd. "Leave him be," He ordered the Hyuuga.

Behind the garage, Sasuke had bitten down on an old rusted pipe to keep from crying out. The pain had never been this horrid before. It was unbearable. He screwed his eyes tight and brought his knees up to his chest, trying to crush himself as if to crush the agony.

Tayuya rushed over to him. "Sasuke, what's happening?!" She knelt down next to him, unsure of what to do with her hands. He seemed to be in so much pain that she knew any touch would probably do more harm than good. But he blindly groped the air as if searching for something, and Tayuya instinctively grabbed his hand. She ignored the fact that his talons were biting gouges in her skin and instead ran her thumb down his palm rhythmically.

Sasuke felt as if someone had taken a running chainsaw and was slowly dragging it down the soft tissues of his vertebrae, while at the same time taking an iron clamp and squeezing his skull with it. His muscles felt like rocks weighing him down to the point where it was difficult to breathe. Sweat drenched every square inch of his flesh. I must be dying, he figured. There's no way this agony can be anything but the breast of death.

And yet, the pain began to cease, as if proving him wrong. How morbidly ironic to even think of pain as forgiving. Pain—if one could even profane the trivial word in this current situation; it was very clearly agony—was anything but. This Sasuke grasped very well.

He collapsed into the grass, panting heavily. He reached up and grabbed the pipe from his mouth, ignoring the coppery metallic taste lingering on his tongue. His teeth seemed even sharper now, which made no sense.

"It's over," Tayuya breathed a sigh of relief, reassuring herself as much as Sasuke.

Sasuke cautiously opened his eyes. He still felt sick. Groaning, he released Tayuya's hand and crawled over to a pile of old chicken wire, retching. His heart pounded in the aftermath, and he grasped his chest. He suddenly felt very exhausted, the kind of exhaustion one feels after undergoing a great ordeal. He got the distinct feeling that he would have to get plenty of rest before his final transformation. The thought made his stomach turn, and he doubled over again, succumbing to the nauseous spasms.

"Oh shit, shit…" Tayuya whispered frantically behind him. Sasuke heard her scramble to her feet and run back to the garage. Instinct told him to flee, but he couldn't even bring himself to open his eyes all the way. He gladly let the darkness creeping into his vision take over. A dead numbness spread slowly through his veins, winding like clockwork and immediately enticing him to lose consciousness.