A/N: Hello readers! Thank you all for over 4000 hits! I'm completely flattered xDDD
and so, enjoy this chapter
Naruto slept a long time, when he opened his eyes it was already dawn. He blinked, still drunken from the sleep and yawned, rubbing his eyes. Comfortable and warm, but once more his back hurt a little bit because of the sofa. But why was it so warm all of a sudden? He sweated with his pullover, even if it wasn't that warmish in the living-room.
When he sat up a blanket rustled which was laid over his body, holding him warm. Once more someone prepared him a soft, comfortable nestle while he slept. Easy to figure out whotook care of him. He stretched his arms with another yawn and put his legs on the floor, curling his toes. Just then the phone rang next to him, loud and noisy, and the blond touched around for it still a bit asleep.
When he found it he put the phone on his ear and yawned, "Hello~o...?"
Morning babe! Finally woke up, do ya? a male voice yelled and the Uzumaki felt the urge to throw the phone away. Tonight you're coming to my New Year's Eve party, right?
"New what...?" the youth murmured, scratching his head. He heard a deep sigh on the other side.
Dude, today's December 31th! New year, man!!! Kiba explained and the lad nodded, waking up. So, are you coming or not?
The blond thought for a second, his face serious.
"Can I take some friends, too?" he asked, sure he would quit the party if he wasn't allowed.
Friends? I know them? the brunette wanted to know, still unsure.
"I don't think so." the blond answered, laying back and looking out of the window. "First there is maybe Gaara, my friend at the centre. Then there are two guys called Deidara and Sasori. And... Sasuke."
Uchiha?! the Inuzuka growled, obviously pissed.
"Yes, Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto repeated.
But... He's always around you... Kiba whispered and the Uzumaki smirked.
"You think we're in a relationship anyway, especially after the videoyou lend me." he breathed, smirking evily when he heard the other's gasp.
But I don't like him. he answered, finding another excuse. The bright-haired narrowed his eyes in anger.
"Well, I'm not coming without Sas'ke. Thank's for the call and happy new ye-"
Fine! the other interrupted him angrily. ... So I'll see you... two... tonight. 10pm at my place? he growled and made Naruto smile.
"Yeah! See you Kiba! … And thanks." he smiled, happy from the bottom of his heart. Maybe some human company would help the isolated vampire. And he thought getting close to him would be a problem for Orochimaru if he was in the middle of human beings.
After the other lad hanged up Naruto got up completly, noticing the Uchiha's drawing-pad on the table, along with a new sketch on it. When he eyed the thing better he flushed, swallowing heavy. With wided azur eyes he took the pad and turned even redder when he glanced at the line-art.
The Uzumaki was sleeping on the sofa, his body rolled together and eyes closed, a peaceful and serene expression on his face. On the drawing he was wearing only a shirt and the blanket, next to him was a plate with the rest of a piece of watermelon. Some black seeds were still around his mouth, giving the sketch a childish touch.
Fuck is this embarrassing... …,he thought, blushing even more. But, somehow, he really liked it. Sasuke really had talent, his pictures had always something which caught him.
Speaking of him – where was the older?
The blond left the living-room and heard just then a door was opened. He looked down the corridor and saw the raven stepping into his room, a towel around his hips. The youth waited a few minutes before he went over to the door, knocking before he opened it.
"Good morning!" he smiled, biting his lips when he got a view of the vampire. His whole back was full of little, red holes where the needles dig into his flesh. The Uchiha could move again, but some movements still hurt him.
The older ignored his greetings and was busy massaging his legs with some kind of cream before he wrapped a bandage around it. But he had defenetly problems on caring for his back. Even if he was something else than a human, there was no way he could supply his back as well as he did with his legs.
Naruto swallowed, taking a deep breath and going over to the mattress where the raven was sitting. "Let me help you with your back." he said, reaching for the older.
When he was only one inch away the other hissed, "I don't need help from a human, especially one like you." He slided away and tried to build up some distance between him and the other. The Uzumaki stared at the pale, injured back and knew he needed harder words for reaching the pale man. And he knew he was going to be unfair now.
"If you let me help you now, you'll heal much sooner and you'll be able to look after yourself. But if you don't, you're nothing more but easy prey for Orochimaru." He could see how the vampire flinched, gasping for a moment. Naruto went to far. Quickly a grin was over his lips and he added, "Besides, I'll go on your nerves until you lemme help you." He lifted his hand next to the raven and – after a while – the other even put the tube into the tan hand. "Thank you." the bright-haired said and started putting some of the creme on the pale back, massaging it into the skin.
Sasuke said not a single word, just closed his eyes and relaxed after the first few moments a bit. He was a bit tired, he had only had a short nap before he showered. "It would work better if you would lay down..." the blond whispered, feeling the urge to make the whole situation more pleasurable for the older. Enjoying was not the right word... Like. Yeah, he could almost tell the Uchiha liked the treatment.
"Don't go over the top, baka." the vampire breathed, cold and distant.
But the younger only grinned, "Ah, don't be such a bastard! Take it as an apologize!" The older rose one on the brows of his eyes.
"Apologize?" he repeated and the other nodded.
"I was pretty rude yesterday. I'm sorry. And now let me help you properly." the Uzumaki answered and graped the raven's shoulders gently, pushing him down onto the mattress. And, against his expectance, the dark-haired sighed and laid down, his head rested on his crossed arms. Naruto was perplex for a moment, but soon a huge smile was over his lips and he knelt down next to the taller man, massaging with slightly more pressure.
Soon the blond noticed how relaxed the other got, breathing lowly under his touches. The Uzumaki enjoyed that moment, he liked the way the dark-haired looked like when he was completely calm. He seemed to be stressed all the time, always ready to jump up and run away like a wild deer.... or to attack like a murdering tiger.
"Thank you." suddenly the vampire said, causing the younger to stop his actions. The older felt the confusion and added, lowly, "At the hospital. I thank you for...," he taught hard, very hard about the next word, "... protecting me." The lad smiled and kept going with the massage.
"Never mind. After all, when you didn't protect me first you would have never needed a protection either," he furrowed his eyebrows, "Man! Relax a bit! Tch... Your muscles are almost rock-hard!" the blond complained and the raven smiled, now showing to the youth.
"Rock-hard? I'll show you 'rock-hard'..." he whispered and tensed the muscles of his back, turning it to an unbreakable wall. Naruto wided his eyes and gasped.
"Wooow! I take it back – this is really rock-hard!!! Believe it..." the lad said and touched the hard skin only with his fingertips. What on earth was that? Hard as a rock, cold as a rock, but still... not rock at all. Vampire's skin... …,he thought, fascinated by the pale flesh.
Meanwhile Sasuke relaxed again, silently enjoying the touches. He had turned his head away from the human, sighing slightly with a small smile over his lips. He had never expected he would be able to like being touched, even if the hands were warm and vivid. Was he feeling so good because the Uzumaki was a human? Because he wasn't a dead, cold vampire? Or was he feeling so well because it was Naruto who touched him?
He didn't know.
He didn't want to know.
"Lift your arms a bit more, please..." the Uzumaki breathed, concentrated on the bandage in his hands. He had massaged the other for over an hour and the Uchiha even allowed him to put on the dressing for him. Good for the blond, he really liked touching the other and he knew it was special getting in physical contact with the older. He was really proud of himself, after all he managed to be somehow accepted by the bastard and that wasn't that easy. He carefully wrapped the bandage around the strong, pale torso and said, "Ah yes, Kiba called and invited us to his New Year's Eve party."
"Us?" Sasuke repeated, not moving so the youth could dress him easily.
Naruto nodded with a, "Deidara, Sasori, maybe Gaara, you and me. We're meeting him on 10pm."
"Who said I'm interested?"
"I did, teme. C'mon, it's gonna be funny!" he grinned, finishing the dressing.
"Not interested, baka." the Uchiha answered, pulling out a shirt and putting it on.
The bright-haired stepped next to him and smiled, "C'mon... We'll drink a bit, dance and celebrate the new year!"
The ravenette looked over his shoulder and said, "I don't think they offer some blood at the party, dope. And I stopped dancing, hm, 50 years ago." For a second the human lost control over his face, especially his dropping chin, and the other smirked over that.
"Is there something you've never done in your life?" the younger asked, a bit pissed. He got his first invitation to a private event and damn it if the Uchiha thought he could rain on his parade!
"Hm, I tried a lot. Wait, I'll show you." the raven answered and walked over to a big cupboard, opening it.
Naruto widened his eyes as far as he could, his chin dropping once more. Hundreds of cups, trophies and medals filled the furniture, golden figures and some sheets on the side, probably certificates of victory. The vampire lifted his index finger and pointed at some of them. "Over there is sports, dance and artistry, there cooking, art and knowledge, and then a bit of everything, like invention and special thank." He reached inside the cupboard and took a big cup, giving it to the blond.
The Uzumaki read loudly, "'Sasuke Uchiha – Winner of the yearly dance-challenge of mixed styles, Germany, 1949'..."
"I like this one best," he added, taking off his necklace. He hold it in front of the bright-haired, watching how blue orbs eyed the small thing. "It's a special thank I got for working at a hospital. It's out of platinum and I draw the plans for the fret. I waited for ages before getting it." The blond kept starring at the small, black cross, blinking sometimes. It looked really great and surely it was crazy expensive as well.
"... And what did you want to show me that way?" the youth asked after a while and the other sighed heavily. Naruto rolled his eyes, knowing that the bastard wanted surely to showing off with all his prices. 'Oh look at me, I'm sooo great and cool and selfish blah blah' - just teme-like.
"What about chilling a bit in the living-room? I've still to call Gaara." the Uzumaki considered, walking out the door. Sasuke rose an eyebrow, not noticing he followed the youth.
They sat down in the soft pillows and the older took his pad and the pencil, drawing concentrated while the other watched him. Naruto graped the phone and pushed some bottoms before he said, "Hi, this is Naruto. Are you allowed to go out tonight? … … No?... Ah, fuck... But there's always a next year, right?... … Bye bye." With a sigh the lad laid back, closing his eyes. He heard the raven's pencil making lines on the white sheet.
A blond head turned towards the artist and azur eyes snapped open. "Why do you pray for dieing?"
Not looking up, asked man answered, "Why asking all of a sudden?"
"I wanted to know it earlier, but then came the... accident." Naruto explained, lifting his legs and wrapping his arms around them. He promised to himself this time he would be careful and ask sensitive instead of angering the vampire. Yes, a good plan.
"Why do I pray to die? Hmmm..." the Uchiha repeated and put away his things. "My brother leaded me to the Christianity. He grew me, so I used to pray as well." He graped the black cross, his red eyes slightly closing. "... Books, films, legends – absolutely everywhere vampires are only bad monsters right from the dark side. Devils who live through killing humans and drinking their blood. Inhuman beings which are completely cut from the rest of the world..."
"Could you stop talking only negative about yourself?" the younger interrupted him, an angry shine in his blue orbs.
The older smirked, "No."
"Bastard."
"Whatever," he added and took a deep breath. "It's not a secret I hate what I am along with all who are like me." He tilted his head, eyeing the blond, capturing him with his deep, red eyes. "When you get 'woken up' or 'transformed', it feels like you're dieing. You can feel how you're leaving the world you lived in for so many years... And when you're done, on the other hand, you feel like you were reborn. The feeling is just... fantastic." Naruto swallowed but didn't notice it. "But I wish nobody to feel the same. No feeling can balance out the feeling of dieing... No one. And when I think about the believe of Buddhism... That you get reborn until you found mental enlightenment I get sick." He relaxed a bit, laying back on the sofa with closed eyes. "For that I pray to God for taking my soul and banning it into the eternal fire of hell – as well as the souls of all the vampires on world. The human race suffered more than enough because of those like me."
"Sorry, I don't get it." the Uzumaki said after a while of silence. "Why would someone choose voluntary to get punished like that?" He looked at the raven who had opened his eyes again. "I mean, that's a kind of punishment, right?"
"Yes, it is. And I've done and will do such horrible things it isn't even enough." He sat up, starring at the floor. "And besides, if I don't pray for mercy, who would? For the people who died through vampire hands, for the humans I meet..." He took a short break. "But more than all, I believe that there's something. Something which gives me the power to resist, something which protected you from me." Sasuke turned his head towards the lad next to him, red eyes loosing themselves into deep blue.
"I almost killed you once, my instincts wanted to kill you twice. It's close to a wonder you're still alive. Even now," He lifted his hand, softly stroking golden locks,
"I could suck you off in seconds – you would have not the smallest chance to escape from me."