AN: Its been awhile ne? LOL actually, Ive been slow (but consistent) in the updates… reason for slowness is school…. Have been very VERY busy… but I haven't forgotten you dear readers…. And as per usual, don't forget to review… I know I get some awesome reviews here and Im grateful! (Although I don't answer them all…. But only because Im SUPER busy) Don't think I don't appreciate! ^.^
Naruto quivered over him. They were both still breathing heavily, looking into each other's eyes. Naruto was looking for something in Sasuke. And the raven was determined not to break the eye contact to prove his truth in them.
He could see the disbelief in those blue eyes. It was clear, Naruto wasn't ashamed to hide his doubt. He kept searching… he couldn't find. Either that or he didn't want to see it.
"Don't be foolish." He sighed and moved himself away. Leaving a quite confused Sasuke to raise himself and stare at him questioning. "you're deluding yourself Naruto."
"Why would you think I am?" Naruto raised his eyebrow at him even as he was preparing the horses. Fixing the saddles and putting away their remains of their food into one of his horses saddlebags.
"Because you wanted this."
"I don't deny."
"Well then what is your problem?" Sasuke let his anger take over and he stormed up to Naruto, putting his hand on his in order to stop him fixing the blasted bags. "why do you do one thing and say another?"
"Because I'm mostly rational… with an occasional slip." He looked like he regretted saying that, but his jaw was clenched, it showed Sasuke that he wouldn't take it back.
"So you're calling what happened here irrational?... is that all this was for you?... really?" Sasuke couldn't believe it. He saw…no felt… the passion in Naruto… he knew better… but this blatant rejection angered him.
Without another word he pulled out the reigns of his horse and mounted in one swift jump. His eyes met Naruto's once again, him still being firmly on the ground. The anger was blatant in his eyes, he didn't hide it. But his pride prevented him from saying another word, his back stiffened into a straight line and he regarded the blonde down the length of his nose.
He was once again the lord.
XXxxXX
Naruto was close to breaking, he saw how malleable Sasuke was, he practically melted in his hands. The sudden change in the raven's stature both pleased him and alarmed him.
He wanted him, Gods he wanted to forget everything and take him then and there. He would have too, but those eyes prevented him from doing something that would have ruined him.
Naruto knew very well what would have happened if he had, Sasuke would have been ruined in his society. Not only because he would be seen with him, but also because what Naruto found normal… these feelings, would be rejected harshly and Sasuke would have been cast out.
He preferred for Sasuke to hate and blame him now than rip his life apart later. His love wouldn't be enough to fill the void Sasuke would be faced with should his society turn on him. He needed their support; especially that he was a new lord and already an outsider. There would be no way he'd make it harder for him.
He cursed himself for the slip in judgment, that's kind of what it was… that and his overactive dick. He hated that he had a chance to let Sasuke down easily and he hadn't taken it, fulfilling himself instead of thinking rationally. He knew better, no matter how much he wanted this, he couldn't have him. Not once.
He looked at him now, hand still burning where Sasuke touched it, aloof and cold on him mount, angry eyes still flashing. Sasuke had evey right, and it was better this way.
He turned away and went to pick up the blanket, looking also for his hair tie. He couldn't find it anywhere, and decided to screw the hair tie And hurry up on the road instead. He did thus, and was mounted and ready to leave shortly after.
Sasuke still hadn't said a word to him, looking ahead and prodding his horse into a gentle walk. He followed suit, deeming the way correct, he wasn't prepared to talk to him yet, not after all that he said.
XXxxXX
Sasuke would curse himself and his entire family if he said a word to that fiend again. Deep down he knew that it was him who started the onslaught of lust, but he couldn't help feeling that had Naruto been so disgusted by him, he would have said something strait off. As such, he felt used by him… and a bit betrayed… he had never shown himself so vulnerable to anyone… and now to be so completely turned away… it was more than he bargained for. Too much.
They slowly made their way by the river, only moving away from it when it got a bit darker, not wanting to come across any animals that might be drawn come evening.
It was twilight now, and would stay that way for a bit, so Sasuke calculated that soon they would have to break camp.
But they kept going, it got dark, Naruto lit a lantern and passed it on to Sasuke to carry. He took it without a word, lighting their way. He was growing a bit unruffled, not wanting to say a word to him, and not wanting to sound needy either. He did chance a quick look in his direction and found Naruto watching him intently.
"We won't be stopping for the night." He cleared up.
"Why?" Sasuke deemed it all right to ask, since he wasn't the one who started talking and he was after all, in need of such important explanation.
"I don't want to be caught off horseback by a wild and possibly very dangerous animal." He shrugged. "I though that was obvious… its safer on horse… what did your lordship expect?" he added
His lordship was fuming over being called in such a mocking tone. He had tasted the sharp end of Naruto's tongue before of course, but he also tasted the sweet, and so he had forgotten momentarily how cruel the blonde could be.
"I don't recall complaining." He scoffed him, raising his hand to show silence, even though Naruto didn't even look like he was going to speak.
He looked mildly amused in fact… that pissed Sasuke off to no end, but he decided that commenting or speaking further would infuriate him into saying something he might later regret, especially since he had already made an arse out of himself once, he was damned if he should do so again.
Instead, he put his horse into gear, distancing himself a bit from the infuriating blonde.
He caught the flash of orange, but never heard it coming. As swiftly and silently as the night around him, he was thrown to the ground, his horse shrieking in fear, already up from the fall and rearing up into the air, kicking up as it went. Sasuke rolled out from underneath it, the lamp had fallen, and there was now a small trickle of a fire around the shattered glass. He could only be thankful that the forest floor was moist, had it been dry, a forest fire would spread quickly.
He was crouched on his fours, looking around the clearing frantically, this was something big, much bigger that he expected, and fiercer, since it attacked him.
Blood was pounding in his ears, fear settling in but not yet taking over. He couldn't hear, a steady pound in his ears instead. He supposed he had hit his head when he fell, because the image of the night forest swam in and out of view. His horse was gone, he felt it pass him as it galloped away into the undergrowth. He was alone… or so he thought.
Across the clearing, by the faint glow of the lamp, her could barely make out a pair of gleaming green eyes. They were low by the ground, unmoving he supposed, since they wavered with the rest of his image.
He looked back, knowing that the creature had him targeted. He wanted to bolt, but he knew he had no chance, no weapons and not many good plans through the throbbing.
The eyes neared him, a silhouette of a huge animal showing itself to him, not yet able to make out the colours, he could tell that it was long and packed with muscle. By its slow moves he could tell that he was the prey, the muscles were taut, ready to spring.
The beast reminded him a bit of Naruto.
Naruto…
He stared at the eyes, afraid to look away. He thought he should make his peace, he had a feeling he wasn't going to come out of this in one piece. The beast advanced. The orange fur rippling over the huge muscle mass waiting to spring.
Sasuke's eyes widened as the animal came into view, right before him, he thought it was the devil himself. The orange fur was striped, thick slabs of black rigged its body, ending in a twitching tail.
He thought it was quite beautiful actually, once you got over the initial shock of seeing the demon in front of him, it was quite majestic. That and its being lighted by the firelight, it looked like it walked out of that fire altogether.
A low growl-like purr escaped from its throat, and Sasuke was presented with a row of shiny fangs, glistening in the night, and surrounded by the black lips of the beast, it looked like it was smiling at him. Laughing at its prey…
The beast readied itself, Sasuke saw, its front paws crouched, tail twitching… it was about to jump.
He closed his eyes, turning his head.
He heard the animal leave the ground, heard the leaves shudder at the impact, but the teeth never came. Just a wheezing sound above him. Something that finally pierced his ears.
He opened one eye, curiosity getting the better of him in the end.
The cry that tore from his lips was involuntary.
Naruto was standing over him, he was shivering, pitting his strength against that of the beast. His hands were on its jaws, and he was trying to keep its jowls open. Sasuke's eyes trailed the rivulets of blood that trickled down the raised arms, molding themselves to his muscles, like streams in mountain grooves.
The beast was in a state of confusion, but soon recovered, landing a claw filled blow to Naruto's side. He hissed but instead of letting go, he flung the beast with all the force he had.
It landed some meters away, jumping back up and shaking its head. The fur was raised, the claws fully visible… threatening.
Naruto was no less scary to behold. Crouched as he was, he had no weapon on him that Sasuke could see. The beast was crouching again, and beginning to move to the side, circling its opponent. They set forth into a dance. The beast lunging, Naruto dodging and trying to get in an attack on his own.
All Sasuke could do was stare, his head was still spinning, and he assumed that his moving about in such a hazed state could do more damage than good.
He hadn't expected much more strangeness that night.. yet it occurred.
From his left, he heard a soft mewling, as if a cats, and a few moments later, he saw a fuzzy orange furball stumble into the clearing, so close to him he could reach out and touch it if he so wished.
He stared at it, and it stared back, mewling piteously. The beast saw this, and roared as it came full speed at Sasuke, only to be knocked back by Naruto. It roared again, and crouched its eyes flashing from the furball to Naruto to Sasuke. It looked unsure of what to do.
And then, to Sauske's amazement, two more came out, following the first in their mewling and bumping around in a semi blind daze. The beast tried to move, to get closer… Naruto understood well the situation they were in. He moved towards the kittens and Sauske, his front still turned to face the beast.
His stance was defensive, but his slow movements made it known to not be alarmed.
By this time, the kittens had on their own made it to Sasuke, and crawling into his lap had begun to settle themselves in for a nap.
Had this not been the middle of a forest in the night, had not Naruto been wounded and a beast trying to snuff both of tehm out, this might have been comical. As was, there was a dumbfounded Sasuke, on the floor, with three of the monsters obvious offspring sleeping peacefully in his lap, Naruto, a mediator between him and the beast, watching both with a slight look of disbelief and anger. And then there was ofcourse the beast itself, most likely the Mother, looking frantic and livid, tail twitching, as if trying to decide whether she could chance a move or stay put.
This was the way the white haired stranger found them when he stumbled into the clearing, hollering for them not to move.
AN: Annnnnnd here we have another chappie… enjoy peeps… enjoy!