Chapter 7

Love or just Lust

Naruto never had so much fun in his entire three hundred years. He had met lots of people, both humans and demons; he had traveled and visited far away countries from beyond the sea, and however nothing could compare to the thrill of having Sasuke living under the same ceiling as him.

After one week, the human had recovered from his injuries and spiritual energy lost, just like Tsunade had predicted. The demon fox was amazed by how fast he had healed, considering he was only a human. And like he had imposed, they had a match first thing, after the female demon gave him the green card.

They went to the back of the mountain at Sasuke's quest. Something about not wanting to destroy the garden, was the human explanation. As soon as they reached a somewhat clear area, they started the fight.

That particular fight didn't last long.

Why?

Well let's say Naruto shouldn't have made the human wear sexy kimonos that would open on the side to reveal long milky legs. That and the fact that he had underestimate the human, but mostly the sexy kimono matter.

The demon slayer was not satisfied, and even though the fox demon was quite pleased with the view at the time, latter he came to regret having lost. His demon pride had been hurt and both of them had agreed to another match.

The second confrontation had lasted an entire day. Between katana swings, wind magic, fire and lightning blasts, multiple illusions created by the fox demon, and a lot of other weapons used, both were pretty exhausted by the end of the day.

There was a third, a forth, a fifth, and a tenth match.

At the end of a week, the back of the mountain was pretty much a desert of leaves and decapitated trees.

And guess who won EVERY FRICKING TIME!

Oh yes, Naruto was pretty much sure he would never underestimate a human ever again. Sasuke was awfully powerful and resourceful, never wasting a spell or a move. The fox demon had inclusively taken a secret liking to the fact that the human had a lot of stamina. Because even though the raven would end up exhausted he would always have energy left to threaten him with a kunai at night when he made his attempts of seduction.

It was indeed thrilling and fun to have Sasuke Uchiha living under the same roof as him.

When both awoke in the next morning, the human left the room followed by the demon.

It was the usual routine they got used to. They would spend the morning eating, bathing and teasing, while Tsunade left them having their newlywed life, only daring to go to them when she wanted to yell at both for destroying the mountain. After lunched they would have a match or two, in case Naruto called another because he got distracted gawking Sasuke's legs, until sunset. At night they would do the same as in the morning, and would go to bed. The time where the raven haired boy would lower his defenses to the demon's perverted side.

That morning was slightly different.

Sasuke as usual was drinking tea and eating onigiri, sitting while gazing the view of the garden he liked the most. Naruto was sited at his side observing the serene expression of the human, taking a few bites of his breakfast: a bowl of rice and sardines (Tsunade was strict when it came to the male demon's diet).

"What are you thinking off?", the fox asked.

"A lot of things.", was the human teen's reply.

"That isn't very specific. Care to explain?", the blonde was starting to get used to the human's personality.

"Hn."

Well most of the times.

"Come on. Why can't you tell? Are you thinking of me? Because you don't need to be ashamed. I know I'm awfully good looking and handsome and I'm also the greatest demon ever."

At this, the human chuckled, letting a smirk take form on his features.

"For future record I will never think of you being handsome or being the most powerful demon in the land. We both know I can kick your ass anytime I want, usuratonkachi.", he pronounced the last word slowly.

"Why you! Take that back, teme!", the blue eyed demon shouted.

"Keep dreaming, dobe!"

"This time I am going to win.", he stated confident.

"Oh, really? What happens if you lose?", the black eyed teen said, maliciously.

"I'll stop making you wear those sexy kimonos. BUT…" this time Naruto was the one grinning mischievously." If I win, you will let me touch you.

The Uchiha heir lost his smirk for a second.

"What do you mean?", the raven asked cautiously.

The fox demon's blue eyes shined red. Putting his mouth near the human's ear he whispered:

"Do you want me to be specific?"

Sasuke mentally shuddered at those words. He couldn't help thinking about the second conversation they had. The word 'play' kept repeating itself. A light suddenly clicked in the human's mind. He had always thought Kyuubi had demanded a sacrifice to feed of its spiritual energy; it never crossed his mind that Naruto was talking about…

"Do fox demons mate for life?", were the words that slip through his lips.

At this Naruto simply tilted his head, looking confused.

Sasuke observed the blonde. Was it possible he didn't know? The human was taught young that demons were creatures with specific traits like animals. Knowing the weaknesses of the simple animals, was knowing the weaknesses of demons of the same species. Cats hated water, bears were strong but couldn't run down a hill, Dogs had sensitive noses, and foxes were flirts and pranksters. Some kinds of demon species were of gentle nature (in comparison with others, they were still dangerous no matter what kind), and others were more agressive. Demons like the animals that they were associated also had the same mating behavior. He knew wolf and swan demons mated for life, and others like cats and raccoon demons only looked for a temporary mate during the right season.

"Naruto?"

"I don't know. I mean… I lust at the right time of the season, and I had plenty of good-looking candidates in my life time but… I never mated. I flirt and play but that's all. Believe me I had to deal with a lot of angry lustful demons. Sometimes two at a time, fortunately they were too frustrated and they ended up together, ignoring me, in the same room…"

"I got the point. You mate for life.", the raven haired boy stated somewhat sad. "And you are obviously acting according to the season."

The fox demon nodded.

Sasuke fell deeply in his thoughts. He couldn't help feeling disappointed and sad, even though he should be expecting this. Naruto was bound by his needs, and he was only the new toy he wanted to play with. However he was glad that he was only that to the demon. Being more than a toy to him would mean that he was his mate, and that meant death to the demon.

Demons that mate for life were meant to share the fate of its partner, meaning their life time. Normally demons would look for the same species as their one, but sometimes demons choose other than its species or humans. Both had their problems if the demon in question mated for life.

If for example a wolf demon and a cat demon would mate, eventually the cat demon would eventually betray the other. Cat demons were not loyal, unlike wolfs. But if a wolf demon chose a human, their union even if their love was mutual, would be short.

It was a sad reality, and it was heard in many villages. Normally the stories had a beautiful girl has a protagonist that refused to marry her husband candidates. She would meanwhile meet a demon that saved her life and fell in love with her. The girl eventually would get over the conceited laws, and would fell in love with the demon as well.

At that point of the story, there were many kinds of endings; the ones that he heard had three different lines of direction: the first was that the couple would live happily in a faraway place with their children, dying happily; the second was more brutal, where the former candidates of the human girl or the demon's enemies would kill the girl as revenge, leaving the demon to go crazy and kill every living being that crossed its path until it committed suicide; and the last was one, Sasuke was sure it was just a myth without real facts has base, where the demon had enough power to turn his lover into a demon, so they would live forever.

The raven haired boy ignored the fact that the main line of the stories had a lot in common with his situation. However he was no defenseless maiden in distress, or was in love with the demon even though he came to enjoy the fox demon's company.

"No definitely, not.", he thought out loud.

"What?"

The onyx gaze locked with the clear blue eyes of the demon.

"Nothing. Then how do we officially make the bet?"

"Is my word not enough?"

"Just remember it was you who said it when you lose."

Sasuke was in deep trouble.

He shouldn't have taken his winning for granted. He should have predicted that a single movement of the kimono to the side wouldn't make Naruto get distracted from his goal. He should have expected the shadow clone disguised as a dead tree, purposely put there to catch him unguarded.

Now, he was immobilized by a strong hold of a clone while the real Naruto rushed at full speed to give the final blow.

The demon hunter's mind was working at a thousand miles per second! His first thought was to figure out a way of getting free from the iron grip which forced him still. The second thought travelled faster telling him he was going to lose, and the blonde would have the chance to molest him all night. The last thought was that he really didn't want to have the demon taking advantage of him.

He was still not very fond of touching, though he wouldn't mind if it was Naruto. Truth be told he did more than just tolerate the demon's touch. The raven enjoyed having the grinning fox, stroking his hair, or tickling him. God, he even had liked when the blonde had liked and sucked his neck. What disturb him the most was the fact that he didn't thought of it as wrong or dislike it as a matter of fact.

He blamed his hormones.

It was however strange that only Naruto was able to provoke those feelings in him. His body never reacted that way, not even with Sakura (in a friendly way). It was probably the allure, after all he was a demon and he was a human on his youth of time, and a virgin nonetheless.

Sasuke cleared those thoughts. Even if he did like the touches, he wouldn't enjoy the blonde molesting him. But if it was just lust, and his body reacted well to the demon, and he was sure he would like it, then why was he holding back? Why was he telling himself he wouldn't like it, when he obviously would? Was it because it was wrong when he didn't love him that way? Was it because he knew that kind of intimacy was designed for lovers and not friends or whatever they were?

Naruto had acted so unattached when he talked about his partners for his playtime. Was it because he didn't want to be just one more or a toy? God, was it possible he had actually fallen in love with the demon? No it couldn't be.

People in loved acted like it. They would think of the other every moment of the day. People in love would hold hands; tell how much they loved each other every single moment. People in love were the ones that plan their lives together, choosing the number of kids they would have.

That was his definition of what a regular couple of lovers was.

The clammy hands, the fastening of the heart rhythm, and the blushing were the normal reactions, the sign that a person was in love.

At this he swallowed dry.

No, my hands are clammy because it's hot and I'm sweaty, my heart his accelerated because I'm battling, and I only blush because he says and does things that are and sound perverted!

It was only his body's reactions to Naruto.

Just reactions!

Just lust!

And again, the idea of just lusting for the demon felt wrong, because he didn't want the demon to just lust for him.

The realization came hard, hitting him, squashing him like a mountain.

Sasuke Uchiha was in love.

Naruto was high! He was floating in cloud nine! He was finally going to beat the Uchiha! The demon was going to prove himself to the human this time, and he would have to acknowledge him as the stronger one. It was not just about the bet; he really wanted to show the human his power, without hurting him too much.

It was not the first time he fought to prove himself to others. However those fights had been a matter of live and death, or just a show of dominance between demons. Most of the demons he fought ended up being his partners in the mating seasons, even if he hadn't meant it; he of course had the right to top, since he won. However it was the first time he fought for fun, and even stranger than that was the fact that he really did wanted to be acknowledge this time.

He needed it…!

…because Sasuke had agreed to be his partner if he won…

…and he would have earned the right to top…

Hold on! Put the brakes just there! Just wait!

Was he actually trying to win this fight, giving all of all to… earn the right to top him? No, that couldn't be it. Because that was what it was done when dominant demons wanted to mate. Dominants would show they were worthy of mating with the submissive by demonstrating their strength, by defeating them without hurting them.

Did he actually want to mate with Sasuke?

That wasn't possible.

Yes, he had felt attracted to the human, but not at first sight! And he tried to kill him. Fated mates couldn't try to kill each other it was wrong. It was beyond wrong, it was a punishable crime between demons. To intentionally hurt a submissive or force him to mate, those were unspeakable crimes in the demon society.

However he never meant to hurt Sasuke, he had felt terrible, like the lowest of warms after that. He had been so depressed about it he had locked himself in the kitchen storage for hours, wanting to just die like the despicable bug he was. He hadn't even notice the human had ran away.

And now he was battling for the right of mating, because said human had agreed.

Naruto's blue eyes widened in the moment he was about to give the human the final blow.

Sasuke had agreed to the bet, which meant…

He had agreed to mate with him!

Oh, holy heavens!

Sorry for taking so long, my mother and aunt kidnapped me to the middle of nowhere with no internet. I'm uploading two chapters at once to compensate. My next upload will be on next thursday.