Inspiration has struck again (*^*) and my other story got 300 follows! Huzzah! Please go check that one out and leave a review as well!
Thank you for your comments and don't worry! All of your questions will be answered in the upcoming chapters (not necessarily this one sorry :3 )
This chapters title was supposed to be a play on the cynocephalus of the first chapter (ha-ha get it? DOG days…okay)
Well anyway I don't own Naruto!
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It's been days since the boy last opened his eyes, three to be precise. Sasuke had barely left his side, his wings still visible even though the danger had passed.
It frustrated him to no end that he couldn't control himself. Not being able to control himself was like being fledging all over again and there was no way he was going through that again. He groaned and stretched, his heavy wings aching where the connected with his back.
"Sasuke," a voice called from nearly behind him. His back tensed and immediately his wings fanned out, protecting the boy from prying eyes. He glanced over his shoulder, eyes flashing and the ruby on his forehead glowing briefly. His shoulders sagged slightly when he caught sight of Iruka, the group's co-leader. "You should get some rest, I will watch him and let you know if anything changes…" his soft voice trailed off when Sasuke tensed up again and gave a noncommittal 'Hn'.
Iruka sighed, running a hand through chocolate locks and stepping forward cautiously, having been on the receiving end of this particular dragon's whip-like tail one too many times since the boys arrival. Sasuke's tail flicked once before stopping as he glared at Iruka from the corner of his eye. "I just want to check his pulse rate. Please, Sasuke. I'm only trying to help, we're all concerned for him and…you-…you're acting strange. Just, please…"
It was a struggle to pull his wing back even the tiniest amount to reveal to gift hidden behind them. Iruka darted into the gap Sasuke had made between the corner of the wall he had settled the boy in and his massive wing. Once he had made it past, Sasuke's wing snapped back into place and the area was left in darkness except for the bit of light that shone down from above.
Iruka cast a few glances at Sasuke's rigid stature and emotionless, well aside for the sneer, face before raising a hand above his head to signal to Kakashi and the rest of their group that he was alright. Sasuke's gaze followed his every move and when he leaned over to get a better view of the boy, a strained rumble burbled from inside Sasuke's chest. It was loud enough for Kakashi to hear it call out to see if he was still alright. "I'm okay," Iruka called back as loud as he dared while enclosed in such a tight space with a dragon and his, well he's not sure what the boy is but he must be important.
His eyes slid away from the raven-haired being and down to the boy. He was bruised and a little worse for wear but he was breathing and that was more than he could have ever asked for. Slowly, he lowered his head to the boy's bare chest, the shredded remains of his clothes long forgotten in the rush of escape. Iruka would have to send someone out for new clothes or the boy would surely freeze, but oddly enough, it was warm in the cocoon Sasuke had made, no doubt from the dragons abnormal body temperature.
The rapid intakes of breathe were a little disconcerting but they were most likely because of a fever. Gently, Iruka raised his hand to brush away dirty blonde bangs but a snarl stopped him mid-way. He froze, not daring to move a muscle until the growl rose to a dangerous level. He chanced a glance at Sasuke and scrambled back towards the wall.
"Iruka? Iruka!? Are you okay? Answer me!" Chorused a voice from outside their enclosure. Iruka lifted a hand slowly, stretching to reach his fingers above the enormous wings.
The group on the other side stood as close as they dared to the tail that lashed about in agitation and the wings that shimmered dramatically before the raven head turned and red, bled into the beings eyes. His teeth, fangs, were bared and his shoulders tense as he growled at them. Iruka's voice came quietly from behind the dark wings. "I'm alright. Everything is okay, just, back away. He's not thinking right now but he won't hurt me. I think…I think he's just protecting the boy."
Silence reigned between the two groups before finally, the shuffle of feet told Iruka that the group had backed away. Iruka looked back at Sasuke, noticing the crimson fading from his gaze. Sasuke shook his head, trying to get rid of the remaining haze that lingered in his mind. He tensed as he registered someone watching him but relaxed again when he saw it was only Iruka.
"I'm going to check for a fever," Iruka stated calmly, figuring it would help if Sasuke knew what he was doing. He raised a hand again but a clawed hand caught his wrist.
"Don't!" Sasuke's voice came out garbled, his grip bruising. He swallowed hard and relaxed his grip slightly. "Don't touch his forehead."
Iruka nodded, ignoring the need to rub his wrist and cautiously looked to Sasuke to check his reaction as to where he could and couldn't touch. He pulled the boy up off the blankets that Sasuke had spread out for him gently, placing his hands on his back as he listened for warning growls from Sasuke. The boys back was hot to the touch, almost burning as Iruka laid him back down. He frowned slightly, grabbing a bottle of water from the bag he had brought with him and twisting the cap off before filling it with water and dumping it into the boy's mouth. He repeated the act until almost a quarter of the water was left before he sighed and set the water down.
"I'm going to check his pulse now," Iruka said as he turned the boys head up. Iruka grimaced at the bruising there, like someone had tried to strangle him, but the bruises were faded and obviously old. They must've been a little tender still because when Iruka pressed down, a whimper escaped those parted pink lips. Sasuke's answering snarl was enough for Iruka to jerk his hands away and settle for finding his pulse rate in his wrist.
"Sorry, sorry," He whispered, but whether he was talking to Sasuke or the boy he wasn't sure. He quickly readjusted so that he was next to the boy's hands, his back to a wall and his hair brushing Sasuke's where they bent to look over the boy. Iruka pressed his fingers to the inside of his wrist and closed his eyes as he counted. His pulse was higher than normal but that was only to be expected.
"I'll bring some more food later, you need to rest too Sasuke, or you won't be able to take care of yourself, much less anyone else." Iruka's gaze darted to the boy before returning to Sasuke. He gave a noncommittal grunt as Iruka placed a few energy bars on the ground and waited for Sasuke to pull his wing back.
He was standing just a little too close to those wings as they closed again, bumping his legs and making him stumble into the waiting arms of his co-leader.
"You find out why he's acting like that?" Kakashi asked as he steadied Iruka, eyes roving for anything to suggest he was hurt.
"No," Iruka said as he ran a hand through his hair, "but I think I may have an idea."
Both of their heads turned in unison to watch the normally stoic creature stretch his wings before curling his feet underneath him and wrapping his tail around his torso as he watched over the boy.
If their situation were any different Kakashi may have laughed at his antics, a ginormous watch dog looking over a tiny kitten. He snorted and Iruka raised an eyebrow at him as if he knew exactly what he was thinking. When he looked back at the pair though, another thought startled him.
Sasuke looked like he was protecting something precious, more than a watch dog he was a guardian. "You don't think…" he trailed off, breath catching in his throat as he watched a clawed hand clasp the pale one that peeked just into view.
"I do." Iruka breathed as he stared at the pair with a fond and knowing smile.
XXX
I couldn't breathe, panic was setting in as I bolted upright, or tried to anyways. Something heavy was pinning my arms to my sides, something else curled around my right calf. In my panic I cried out, wriggling desperately with my captor. "No!" I pleaded with whomever or whatever it was that had me.
"Shh, it's okay. You're alright." A voice soothed, a cool hand brushing tears I hadn't known I had shed away. The voice was unfamiliar and made me tense but slowly, I raised my eyelids to meet my captor.
Memories flooded through my mind, every little detail from the manticore to the cynocephalus to the dragon in front of me. The ruby on his forehead glowed in the darkness of the night, a fire just over his broad shoulder smoldered, blinking in and out of existence. I turned my attention back to the man, avoiding his steely gaze in favor of staring at the massive wings draped across us like a blanket and his smooth, barbed tail wound lightly around my leg in an oddly comforting way.
I blushed when I realized I was practically naked, cuddled against this stranger's bare chest, well bare except for the dark tribal markings that crept and writhed across his pale skin as if they were living. The embarrassment quickly faded to terror when I didn't recognize any of my surroundings and couldn't find any of my weapons. My breathing became labored, eyes frantic as a sound like thunder rumbled up from his chest.
It vibrated through my own, rattling my lungs in a purr that made me relax almost instantly. The same cool hand rubbed across my cheek, his thumb motioning in circular patterns that made my eyelids flutter. "You're okay. It's alright. Nothing's wrong." He murmured over again and again until my thoughts were settled as much as my body was.
"You didn't take me back…?" I whispered quietly, hands trembling where they rested in between us on his chest.
He snorted, a small smirk that could almost pass for a smile reaching his lips. "No, dobe. You asked me not to. I haven't said a word but I know that they," he glanced over his shoulder to where I could just barely make out the lumps of sleeping bodies, "are suspicious and have made some assumptions of their own."
I bristled slightly, glaring at him as best as I could but I was simply exhausted. Relief filled my veins as my glare dropped to form a watery smile. "Thank you." I whispered as I ducked my head to avoid his intense stare.
Underneath my head, his arm flexed as his fingers glided through my hair, his claws catching on the snarls. I hadn't even realized I was using him as a pillow. He gave a small hum of acknowledgement before we listened to the sounds of the night.
Will-o-wisps lit up the area outside, safely away from our make-shift camp that seemed to be a hobby shop with a convenient camping area that the group had made their resting place. A Nemean Lion roared in the distance and I couldn't help the shiver that raced up my spine or the way that my body curled into the dragons.
He rubbed his hand down my back, as comforting a gesture as the tightening of his arms around me was. My eyes were drifting closed the next time he spoke. "Are you still awake?"
I nodded my head slightly, definitely not enjoying the smooth skin of his chest as my cheek brushed against it.
"May I ask your name?" he inquired softly. It was strange for him to be so polite after calling me dobe but I wasn't going to question it right now.
I hummed in acknowledgement. "Naruto." I muttered around a yawn.
"Naruto…" He said quietly, testing out my name before continuing. "My name is Sasuke."
"Pleasure to meet you." I sniggered at the obscenity of the situation but stopped when I heard the sharp intake of breath.
Sasuke's fingers brushed through my hair again, coming down to rest on my cheek as he tilted my face up so I was looking directly into his eyes. "I pledge myself to thee." He said, the words spilling from his mouth of their own accord, his eyes flashing crimson as my own widened and he lowered his head so his ruby brushed the light blue crescent in my forehead.
A pulse of electricity and ice rushed through me, cooling the fever that had made me sweat and causing a sigh to rush past my lips and my eyes to flutter like I was dreaming. Images flashed before my eyes; pictures of two fledging raven haired boys playing in a garden, another of the smaller boy looking on in horror as his mother and father were forced from their home and into the streets of a small village, and the last of the moment he had recognized me. The hope he had felt and the fluttering in his wings branded across my mind.
He pulled himself away, grey eyes dazed as they flickered between crimson and steel. "Wha- What did you do?" I whispered feeling the burn of another presence in my mind and something like a chord tugging from behind my navel to the markings on Sasuke's shoulder.
"I don't…I'm not entirely sure." He gasped, eyes wide as he looked at me intently before his eyes shut.
"Hey," I said, voice rising in anxiety and worry for the being I knew would protect me because of who I was. I tapped his cheek with a dirty finger, leaving a smudge on the porcelain skin. He hummed and turned into my touch, eyebrows scrunched together and creating a crease. Automatically, I drew out some of the coldness in his core, placing warmth there and he shuttered, arms tightening around me and wings shielding me from the dangers of outside. Another rumble of his thunder-like purr reverberated through me and the heavy lull of sleep over took my brain as soon as I was sure he was okay.
For once, it wasn't a nightmare the rattled me from my sleep.
XXX
"How long do you think they've been like this?" someone said above me and immediately my entire body tensed. I didn't recognize the voices and they could be any sort of creature.
The rumble of Sasuke's purr calmed me slightly. He was there; he wouldn't let them get me, not if it meant losing the 'gift' of his people. I ducked my head down further into his chest, hiding from the others view and relishing in the warmth and content purr that Sasuke gave off.
"I don't know but they look pretty happy to me. Maybe we shouldn't wake them…" came another, more concerned voice.
"Iruka, we have to keep moving. I know that you're worried but it's not safe here. We already took the risk of staying here for the week but we can't stay any longer."
"I know," the softer voice, Iruka said. "Okay just, be careful. We don't know how he's going to react." I couldn't tell if he was referencing Sasuke or myself but it didn't really matter because the next thing I could here were the trek of heavy boots across linoleum and the pop of knees as someone bent down.
"Sasuke," the man called before placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking him slightly.
Sasuke's eyes flew open, one of his claws catching the man's hand. "Stop." He growled; his other arm and his tail locking me firmly against his torso so that I wasn't jostled.
"We need to get going. We've stayed too long and while I doubt anyone is tracking us, I want to get back to the woods."
Sasuke 'hn'd' his affirmation and rolled his shoulder over so that it covered my body from view. "Did Iruka find any clothes?" He said lowly, his tone bored and neutral.
Something bounced off of Sasuke's back, landing harmlessly on the ground as he turned around, eyes flashing dangerously before the sound of someone being smacked in the head followed by a whined "Iruuukaaa!" followed.
"Oh hush. That didn't hurt and you deserved it." Came a chiding voice.
I smothered a laugh in Sasuke's chest. These people were certainly entertaining that was for sure.
"Hmm so you were awake," Sasuke said, his tail uncurling from my leg and instantly I missed its leathery texture. He sat up, pulling me with him as he situated me in the corner and swept the clothes forward with his tail. "I thought so."
A blush rose to my cheeks and I scoffed, head turning to the side as if I wasn't completely mortified. "I don't know what you're talking about." He raised an amused eyebrow at me before I sighed out a "Don't you ever sleep?"
He snorted roughly through his nose in what may have been an attempt at a laugh. "Here." He said, using his tail to push the clothes closer to me as his wings spread up high to form a make shift changing area.
I took one look at the clothes and looked back to him. "These are children's clothes."
"Yes?"
I grimaced. "I'm not a child. I'm 19, legally an adult for over a year now."
"They're the only thing that would fit you." He said even as he had the nerve to look slightly stunned.
"Curse these stupid cheeks," I muttered pinching them as a form of punishment before catching sight of the smirk on Sasuke's face. "Oh be quiet, we can't all look like that." I gestured to his person; his stupid shoulders and stupid muscles and, oh god, his stupid face. My cheeks flamed as I snatched the clothes from the ground, shimmying into the jeans while trying to hide the fact that my legs ached and the wounds on my side protested every time I moved too much.
The leathery tail pulled my hands away from where they were struggling to slide the jeans over my knees. I looked up; forcing back the tears I could feel in the corners of my eyes. Sasuke's face had softened from when he was growling at the man, Kakashi. "What-?"
"Just come here." He said, a pinkness tinting his cheeks as he glanced sideways. I shuffled the few feet forward that were needed and gasped in surprise as Sasuke pulled my arms around his neck, leaving our faces mere inches apart.
There was nothing intimate though, about the pain that crawled up my spine when the jeans slid over the bruises and cuts on my knees as he pulled them up. I hissed, shutting my eyes against it as he muttered quiet words of apology and offered consoling rubs against my hips.
"Can you put your arms up?" he asked softly, steel eyes more of a soft gray as his thumbs paused in their ministrations. I shook my head, breathing hard as my weight shifted forward. "That's okay, let's just do one arm at a time."
He slowly pried one of my arms from around his neck, stopping every so often when I couldn't hold back some pitiful sound. Gradually, we managed to get the stupid shirt on, followed quickly by a jacket before my arms were around his neck again and I was stepping into socks and shoes, allowing myself to be dressed and pampered like I was back in the palace.
No.
Not thinking of that now.
Not thinking of him.
"Shit," I cursed. My legs were trembling with the effort it was taking to hold up my body but they were swept out from underneath me as I was simultaneously lifted into Sasuke's arms, holding on for dear life when the ground dropped from under me.
"Hold on." Sasuke said gruffly as he gave a shake of his head and his horns and wings disappeared. "Now climb around onto my back, it's much easier that way. I groaned, not wanting to move any more than I had to when he snorted again. "It's either that or you walk."
I grumbled under my breath as made my way to his back. I hissed each time my wounds tugged but Sasuke stood perfectly still as I got into position. His tail wrapped securely around my waist like seatbelt as he grasped my legs and hefted me up, careful not to jostle me too much but that didn't stop the "Teme," from escaping my breath as a particularly sore bruise was crushed against his side.
He huffed. "Dobe."
A snicker broke our moment.
"Well hi."
Creature Talk II:
Nemean Lion: a giant lion with an impenetrable hide and a nasty temper
Will-o-Wisps: strange flame-like lights that seem to beckon travelers to follow, they often me good fortune or their demise.
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