What Brings Us Together
Chapter 8
XxXLiliumAngelXxX: SASUKE!!!!!!! GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE AND DO THE DISCLAIMER!!!!!! =Z
Itachi: You better hurry little brother. She might kill you off later on.
XxXLiliumAngelXxX: Damn straight!
Sasuke: Hn. Lili-san doesn't own any of the Naruto characters or Right Here (Departed) by Brandy. Each belongs to their respective owners.
XxXLiliumAngelXxX: Thank you Sasuke-kun!
"I'll find another way Noriko. You won't have to do this." I didn't exactly know how yet, but I wasn't going to let her become something she didn't want. After the elder Uchiha had told her the only ways to break the curse, Noriko jus spaced out. Her glinting jet eyes seemed to dull as her brain began to contemplate the two decisions before her. I had carried her back into her room and placed her on the bed. I stood against the wall with my arms folded, watching her still form.
She finally looked at me and smiled weakly. "It's ok Gaara." Her voice was soft as she stood up and walked towards me. She brought a shaky hand up to my face, and placed it on my cheek.
"Why do I feel so safe with you?" she asked as she ran her thumb over the skin. I just placed my hand over hers while I pulled her close to me.
"I don't know." I answered, stroking her hair.
"Is it ok if I ask you a few things? To get my mind off of things?" she asked quietly. I nodded and sat on the bed, pulling her with me. She draped her legs across my lap, the bright blue tights keeping her creamy flesh from my eyes.
"Um, how old are you?" she asked, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.
"I appear to be 19, but I'm actually 116." I chuckled, resting my arm on her knee and leaning against the headboard.
She raised her eyebrows. "Wow. Ok, next question. Um… can you eat any kind of human food, or does it have to be blood all the time?" Typical question any human would ask I guess.
"I can eat food, but it's a tasteless substance that is like a human trying to eat air. It just helps with the human charade." I closed my eyes, letting my head relax against the wooden headboard.
"Ok. Do your fangs retract or are the always, you know, always long?" I just chuckled again. "They don't really retract. They're just a little shorter when I'm calm. Like right now." I brought my lips up from my teeth and opened one of my eyes. She was gazing in fascination. "But when I'm about to feed or fighting, they grow." I closed my eye, remembering a piece of my childhood, and felt my rage build. I opened my eyes, and my vision was clearer; more pronounced. My lips curled back, displaying my now elongated fangs. Noriko glanced at my eyes first, noticing the change of coloring from green to yellow, before looking at my fangs.
"Can I touch them?" she asked, somehow giving me a mental image of she might've been when she was a child. I just nodded, and she leaned towards me. She brought one of her delicate hands up to my teeth, slowly assessing the situation. She placed a finger on my left fang, gently stroking it from where it met my gums, down to the tip. It tickled greatly. I squirmed, and saw her fascinated expression change into one of mischief. No doubt she was remembering when I kissed her. She had run her tongue over my fangs, and I had let out a growl. Before I could react, she had placed her lips against mine.
"What happened to asking questions?" I mumbled against her warm kiss. She pulled away, smiling.
"It's easy to get distracted with you around." She stated simply. She giggled and gave me a quick kiss on my tattoo before resettling herself into her previous position. She continued to ask me about myself. Where was I from? Did I have any siblings? How did I meet the others? What got me into music? She went on, and I couldn't help but watch her. She used her hands a lot, and tucked her hair behind her ears nervously when she found me staring at her. But, leave it up to Naruto to bust up the fun. He crashed in, with a blushing Hinata behind him.
"Everyone's getting ready to leave. Sasuke and Itachi are kicking us out." He pouted.
"Well, we do have school tomorrow. And me and Sakura have to clean up around the apartment." Noriko swung her legs off of mine and got off the bed. She pulled her shoes on again before packing some of her stuff in her bag.
"Sakura said she'd meet you later. She's going to give me and Hinata a ride home and stay here a little longer so Itachi can help her learn how to port and control her bloodlust." Naruto stated simply.
"Oh ok. Guess it's a good thing though. I need some time to think anyways." She shrugged as she threw the bag over her shoulder.
"A-are you s-s-sure Nori-chan?" the Hyuga girl stuttered. Noriko just smiled and nodded. They left, leaving her and me in the room.
"You want me to take you home? I have to pick up my bike anyways." She nodded and we walked out to the entrance hall. TenTen had her keys in hand with Kiba standing by her. Sasori, Deidara, and Konan had already disappeared, leaving the Uchiha brothers, eldest at the top of the stairs, younger sitting on the 4th from the bottom step. Sakura was standing by the doors, lost in thought. I watched Noriko say her goodbyes before walking outside. I followed, thankful for the clouds that blocked the sun. A fresh blanket of snow had coated the ground, changing the landscape color to a bright white. Noriko shrugged into her hoodie before looking up at me. I pulled her to me again as some rather wet sand began to whirl around us. We arrived inside her apartment; the dark room was still as we entered.
"Great. Can't see the freakin' light switch." She grumbled as she tried to pull away from me. I just held her there.
"Um, Gaara-kun?" She looked up at me; my vision could pierce the darkness, allowing me to see her blushing face as she looked up at me. I smirked and leaned down, kissing her. She stiffened slightly, but relaxed as I wrapped my arms around her small waist. Her hands wandered up, rubbing my shoulders on their trip up. Her fingers tangled into my hair as I licked her bottom lip, seeking entrance. She parted her lips, and I slipped my tongue into her mouth. I pressed her into me and a small mewl escaped her throat. I chuckled and pulled away, allowing her to breathe. She was breathing hard, her face flushing brightly. I dashed to the switch and back to her in 2 seconds flat. The lights flashed on, illuminating the apartment. I smirked at her spacey expression. When she finally refocused on me, her face blushing a shade of crimson. She scowled and gave me a playful shove.
"Do you really want to mess with a vampire, Uchiha?" I challenged, crouching slightly.
"You don't scare me Sabaku." She challenged back.
"You sure about that?" I retorted before growling, tensing my muscles and coiling back. I then launched myself at her, tackling her onto the carpet. She shrieked as I collided with her. We rolled several times before I pinned her arms on either side of her head, letting a snarl rip from my throat. She cringed slightly at my snarl and looked up at me.
"You were saying?" I whispered into her ear.
"You're a terrifying individual who shouldn't be messed with." She gasped out, her chest heaving. Her blush increased as she looked at me.
"What?" I asked. She just looked down, and I noticed the position we were in. I had her pinned beneath me. My hands shackled her wrists and I had my chest pressed against hers. If I had been human, I would've blushed too when I saw that my hips were pressed between her legs. I immediately bolted up, offering my hand to hers after I got up. I helped her to her feet muttering an apology.
"It's ok Gaara-kun. Really." She giggled. There was an awkward silence as we stood there, too embarrassed to even look at each other.
"Did y-you wanna, you know, stay for a bit?" her voice finally broke the silence. I looked at her and nodded. She smiled and went down the hall to put her bag in one of the rooms. She walked out, kicking her shoes off as she went.
"You can sit down. The couch isn't gonna eat you." She joked, walking into the small kitchenette.
"Um, I would ask if you want anything, but…?" I just waved her off as she walked in with an apple and a glass of water. She sat next to me and grabbed a notebook that sat on the coffee table in front of us.
"May I enquire what's in that book?" I attempted to peek over to see the page. She scooted away, waving a finger.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk! You can't see the words, but I will tell you it's a song." I raised a brow and continued.
"Would you sing it please?" Man, I even used the magic word. That doesn't happen often.
"I've only got the chorus and the first verse though." She sulked slightly.
"Can I still hear it?" I don't think I'd ever been this nice to anyone, not even my creator, Temari. I continued to look at her, and she finally gave in.
"Yeah why not?" She turned to me, sitting cross-legged and straightening her back. She bobbed her head, creating a beat inside her head before bringing her voice to life.
When you feel your heart is guarded
And you see the breaks started
When the clouds have all departed
You'll be right here with me
You'll be right here with me
When your life is goin' too fast
Off the train tracks
I can slow it down
Just when you think you 'bout to turn back
'Stead you might crash
I'll be your ground
When you feel your heart is guarded
And you see the breaks started
When the clouds have all departed
You'll be right here with me
When your tears are dry from crying
And the world has turned silent
When the clouds have all departed
You'll be right here with me
I'll be right here with you
You'll be right here with me
I'll be right here with you
You'll be right here with me
Damn, she had a voice. I clapped, and she laughed.
"It's still a work in progress though. I need some inspiration." She shrugged. I decided to take the initiative and leaned forward.
"Maybe I can fix that." My hand took hold of her neck and I pulled her to me, crashing her lips against mine. We stayed like this for several moments till she parted her lips. How was she doing this to me? I'd never met anyone like this since… Never mind that. I began kissing her neck, gently nipping at the skin, careful not to let my fangs pierce the moonlight skin. I pulled away, only to see one of her veins swelling slightly. My more primal side began to surface as I imagined the taste of her blood on my tongue. I stayed frozen for several seconds, trying to wrestle those thought from my head.
"Gaara? Are you ok?" Noriko's voice snapped me back into reality. I looked at her and shook my head.
"I need to hunt. I better go." I got up, grabbing my stuff as I went.
"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow?" I just nodded, placing a quick kiss on her forehead before I ghosted out of the window. I held onto my bike as I ported to the garage under the apartments I lived in. I then saw my elder "brother" pull up in his black Mercedes.
"Glad to see you're back Gaara." He stated as he stepped out. This was one strange vampire. He liked the color black a little too much, and had a fetish for purple face paint.
"You miss me Kankuro? That's creepy." He grabbed at his heart in mock hurt.
"That hurts little brother. It really does." I just rolled my eyes.
"I'm just dropping off my bike. I'm going to the mountains to hunt." Kankuro's black eyes narrowed.
"Hunting what? If it's humans, Temari will throw a fit." I just glared.
"Of course not. There are plenty of mountain lions and grizzlies out there." Did he honestly think I'd hunt innocent humans? I'm not a damn newborn!
"Ok then. Catch ya later little bro!" I didn't want to hear it. I took off at full speed, sprinting towards the mountains. I moved too fast for humans to see me, making it an easy trip. The snow made it easy to track the animals that inhabited the trees and rocks of the slopes. Some rather large bear tracks caught my attention. I let my animal instincts take over as I followed the tracks and scent to a cave a few kilometers east of a picnic range. I stepped into the cave and was met by the sound of animal snoring. A huge, female grizzly was asleep, deep in hibernation. It must've gotten interrupted by something for it to wake up in the middle of winter. I crouched, slinking closer and closer to the unsuspecting brute. When I was close enough I launched for its throat. I sunk my now elongated fangs into the throat, but the pain made the grizzly's eyes snap open. It bellowed and made an attempt to throw me off, swatting at me with a huge paw. I just caught the blow, holding the paw back as I bit harder. My teeth sank through the skin and thin layer of fat till it pierced a vein. The blood touched my tongue and I went into a frenzy. The blood may have tasted like salty vegetables, but you just couldn't help it once you had a taste of it. The bear groaned as I sucked it dry, falling to the ground with a tremendous thud. I licked my lips of excess blood before stepping out of the cave. More snow was beginning to fall, and the wind was beginning to pick up speed.
I darted back to my apartment, only to see Kankuro and my maker, Temari, fighting over the TV remote. Snarls were being flung at each other, till Kankuro finally surrendered. Temari grinned and switched the channels to some concert that was being aired on MTV. I just walked towards my room when Temari called me.
"How was the hunt?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"The grizzly was already hibernating; there wasn't much difficulty." My voice was monotone and low.
"That's good to hear." She smirked and brought her attention back to the TV. I just shrugged and walked to my room. There was a bed, but it wasn't used since I didn't sleep as well as a futon couch and desk. A set of drawers completed the furnishings of the room. I just stripped down on my way to the bathroom, tossing my clothes into the hamper by the door. I turned the hot water knob in the shower before turning to the mirror. I saw my eyes change as a memory from the past played through my mind. Blood, brown eyes pleading, snarls, and death. I shook my head and stepped into the water. The hot water was soothing, if not scorching against my cold skin. I didn't stay in for long, grabbing a black towel on my out and wrapping it around my waist. I grabbed another one and placed it over my head. I went back into my bedroom, drying my hair as I walked towards the drawers. I then dressed in some black sweats, leaving my chest bare. I threw the towels in the hamper and walked to my desk, pulling out a notebook that held my songs in it. I sighed to myself, reminiscing about my past when Sunagakure was still a mere village. She popped into my head again… Matsuri… A sudden wave hit me and I grabbed a pen. Scrawling the words onto a blank page, I poured my emotions out onto the paper. I didn't like displaying emotions in front of people regularly, so I let it out in the form of songs. A place where you could tell stories and people would gladly listen. I finished it up, writing the title at the top of the page before grabbing a book on the desk and my iPod. 4 words that described her memory… Painted On My Heart.
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An awkward silence filled the Uchiha Manor after everyone left. It was only me, Sasuke, and Itachi in the library. I fidgeted as they looked at each other, and Sasuke nodded. He then turned to me.
"Things are going to be tougher from here Sakura." He broke the silence, his voice stern.
"The elders that reign over the our world are going to investigate the matter apparently." He looked away from me, biting his lip.
"How could some elders find out about this?" I still wasn't used to how clear my voice was. Itachi then answered me.
"The elders are linked to purebloods across the world by a strange mental link. No one but the elders knows how it works. But when a new vampire is created by a pureblood, the elders feel a new connection being made by the pureblood and the newborn. It's like a trip wire." That cleared things up a bit.
"And what's gonna be so hard about that?" Sasuke looked at me.
"They test your endurance against bloodlust. If you pass; you live. If you fail; you are killed on spot." A sense of dread filled my being.
"The elders come in 2 days. You just might be able to learn the ropes in time." Itachi pushed off of the desk he was leaning against.
"But before that, Sasuke has something to tell you." Itachi then proceeded to leave the room. Sasuke looked at me with sad eyes.
"This isn't easy for me Sakura. I just want you to know that. I don't know why I care about you so damn much… But…" he trailed off looking away.
"My family is very famous in the Vampire world. We're like royalty. Only a few purebloods are." He began to walk towards me at a rather slow pace.
"A lot is expected of my brother and me. With us being the final of the Uchiha vampires, we're bound by duty." He was now in front of me, looking down at me. I un-crossed my legs and looked up at him, a sickening feeling entering the pit of my stomach. He struggled with words at first before pulling me up into a tight embrace.
"I'm sorry, but it has to end, Sakura. I… I can't be with you." I froze in his arms. My world had been shattered at those last 5 words. I pulled away as the tears began to enter my eyes.
"W-why?" I choked out as the tears fell from my face. His expression grew grim as his eyes began to be rimmed with red tears.
"Me and Itachi have been engaged to the daughters of 2 of the elders. There's no backing out since the penalty is death." His voice cracked every now and then. The tears kept flowing as I walked back. My legs felt like they were going to give out, and a lump was building up in my throat.
"I'm sorry Sakura. I should've never have brought you into this." A single, blood red tear streamed from each of his eyes. I just ran out of the library, sprinting to where Itachi would be, the Den. I bolted into his arms, crying my eyes out. He just stroked my hair gently; like a big brother that I always wished for. He gently shushed me, murmuring words of comfort.
"If he had any other choice, he'd take it, Sakura. I know he would." He tried reassuring me. It helped a little bit. We stayed there for a while until I pulled away; my tears spent.
"Teach me everything I need Itachi." I clenched my fists, and my lessons began.