.: A HOWLING LOVE :.
Chapter Five xx Nightmare
A single orange spark shot up into the crisp early-morning air, hissing and fizzing its way skyward until it came to an abrupt stop and began its suicidal plunge towards the ground once more. It hit the frost-covered, earth floor and gave a short little sizzle before its greedy-red color was consumed by an ashy gray. It's source, a large, jumbled pile of glowing coals, spit up a few more of these sputtering flares before finally settling down into to a low symphony of crackles. The once roaring campfire had indeed shrunk since its initial creation, though the heat that radiated from its center hadn't at all faltered. The hearth filled the clearing in which it was held was with a friendly, red-orange glow and doused the place in a thick blanket of smoky warmth.
The two individuals who dwelt by the hearth were indeed grateful for what the fire had provided during the night.
Another lone spark snapped its jaws loudly as it was spewed up into the air, and almost instantly a pair of gleaming, liquid-obsidian eyes shot open. Though the owner had only been conscious for half a second, the intense gaze that radiated from the hues were eerily aware and intelligent, as if they had just been waiting to snap to life during the many hours of the night. The wolf flicked his ears forward as he stared dejectedly at the fiery little particle as if began its fall, his eyes glinting as it finally hit earth.
The canine had been curled rather comfortably about the fire with his paws and tail tucked in to form a protective ball, and he was a bit grouchy with the irritable little flare that had so rudely awakened him. The Uchiha would have preferred another few hours, then at least he wouldn't have to make up an excuse for the bad-moods that he always associated with his early-morning wake-ups. He sighed warily and idly lay his great head atop his large, jet-black paws almostr in a defeated fashion. His ears flattening against the back of his furry ruff as his eyes began to slide shut once more; all to eager to sleep once more.
His onyx orbs shot open once more when a loud, anguished moaning sound reached his folded ears. He sat bolt upright, ears tilted forward now, fur on end, claws extended, teeth set to bare; ready to stand at a moments notice. Everything in the clearing was still in the clearing, and he felt no prescense lingering in the surrounding darkness. His gaze flickered around the campsite regardless, daring the producer of the moan to show themselves.
Then his human companion gave an agitated stir inside her turquoise-green sleeping blankets as her soft face twisting into an expression of pain. Another moan erupted from her pink lips, followed by another string of rustles from inside her blankets as she tossed and turned. The Uchiha rose to his feet and cautiously approached her writhing form, eying her soft closed eyelids as he came to the steady realization that she was still asleep.
Was she having a nightmare?
The Uchiha sidled up next to the kunoichi, unsure of how to proceed. Should he wake her up? Give her a nudge? Just let her be? He seated himself down beside her while pondered he, watching her as she began to mutter something low and inaudible between moans.
The murmurs became faster paced, louder, and then suddenly fully-comprehendable words were bubbling forth from her mouth, and water had begun to roll down the pale edges of her cheeks from her closed eyelids. Tears? Was she crying?! He blinked in his frustration and ground his teeth together bitterly.
"No... No, no, no..." she moaned, tossing her head uselessly in her thick sleep. The wolf touched his cold nose to her open palm, watching her cautiously. She stopped her restless stirring and her mumbles began to quiet. Her pained expression lightened slightly, and her sobs ceased. though a single tear was left to travel the length of her face. It rolled down her smooth, rosy cheek slowly, carefully... And then she murmured something so quietly that the Uchiha had to strain to catch it.
"Naruto-kun...I beg you...bring him back...please.."
Then she rolled onto her side and was silent, her back to him. The raven-black wolf remained motionless on his haunches, his lupine expression pallid, blank, void of emotion. His eyes seemed dull, far-away, lifeless. He stared at the woman right in front of her, concentrating on the gentle rise and fall of her side as she breathed, watching her long, loose strands of rosy-pink hair cascading down the length of her sleeping bag... A lost sort of feeling was swirling about in his distant expression, like he was drowning. Like the air around him had turned to thick, luke-warm water, and the air that he so desperately needed to breathe was being ripped from his lungs as he sank deeper. He couldn't breath, he couldn't move. It was surrounding him, pressing in on him, drowning him. He was fighting to get away, but he only sank deeper as it rose high above his head. He tore at it with his claws, snapped at it with his teeth, but it continued to swallow him.
Then he looked at the kunoichi. Her expression was serene now, happy. Her thick, rose locks curled about her face, framing her perfectly unmarred skin. Her petite little nose, her full lips, the feminine curve of her jaw, the sweet smell of intoxicating lavender and cherry-blossoms, with that little pinch of vanilla that wafted up around his nose... And then suddenly he could breath, and the thick feeling in the air around him lifted.
The wolf flicked his gaze around suspiciously as the world regained its usual composure, fighting back a growl that urged to ripple past his teeth. Maybe it had been a weird dream, or some illusion brought on by lack of sleep. Perhaps he was just crazy. He raised an amused brow at the prospect, and, too lazy to wander back to his previous sleeping spot, just lay down where he stood. He carefully tucked his paws under his belly and then wrapped his tail around himself, then lay his great head upon the earth and closed his eyes, exhaling deeply as his body rushed to meet with the much-needed rest.
As he faded out of consciousness he was dimly aware of a smooth arm gently wrapping around his ruff and thin, delicate fingers burying into his thick pelt. A small twitch of a smile flickered across his wolfish lips before he was out.
It was a quick morning. There was much to do before they were to set off once more, and because the male companion hadn't the opposable thumbs necessary for completing most of the tasks, the majority of them fell to the female. The cooking, the cleaning, the packing; well, you get the picture. The Uchiha grudgingly sat there, glaring around the clearing with resentful bitterness towards his completely inconvenient body. He ate the small portion of breakfast that she provided for him only because his stomach was gnawing at him for sustenance, though he would have much rathered just ignoring her in his sulking.
The kunoichi healed her ankle without too much problem, and though her subtle little grimaces and flinches were anguished and uncomfortable to watch, it was over quickly. The wolf had raised an eyebrow at her completely unmarred ankle before shrugging off her little feat as if it were nothing at all. He had then trotted easily towards the edge of the clearing, putting on a show of eagerness to get moving.
The Haruno had glared at him profusely before shouldering her bag and flitting after him, slightly annoyed at how he had so easily belittled her technique. She, however, said nothing about it, choosing to instead give him the cold shoulder. She really was just interested in his reaction, for she during all of her genin years had never once tried it. As they sped through the trees, she with her light, gazelle-like bounds and him with his long, predator strides, she watched him. He stayed just ahead of her now, and the kunoichi couldn't help but wonder if it was because of her earlier fall. If the reason for him to go first was so he could watch out for coming dangers and such...
Sakura felt a strange little feeling bubbling up into her chest. A light, sort of care-free feeling that was strange and alien to her. She lightly fingered the deep canyon of her throat, her breath catching there as she mentally explored the oddly pleasurable sensation. The feeling of being protected. Of having someone watch out for her, the feeling of having another being care for her own safety. She felt the corners of her lips turn up into a smug smile as she ran, suppressing a giggle.
Just the thought of the Uchiha caring for anyone but himself sent chuckles flying past her lips.
The wolf before her cocked a quizzical ear, though didn't turn. She shrugged to herself and then sprung easily after him, trees continuing to blur past them in their haste.
They reached the nearest town in the late afternoon, approximately six hours of travel.
They stopped just along the outskirts of the place, choosing to rest for a few moments before continuing. Though the actual area that the smidge of civilization took up was miniscul, the place didn't have any lacking in the population department. It was a bustling little place, cramped with shops and houses and inns. The dirt road that ran through its center was crowded with people, the throng so thick that you had to push and shove to get to your destination. It was a cute town, a homely place. It didn't look like they'd have any problem finding a place to stay and eat.
The duo surveyed the town for a time, debating on how to go forth into the fray. The Haruno already had her emerald eye on a little motel towards the center of the town which had a nice little grocers situated right next door. She also needed to stock up on some healing balms and herbs, for she was running dangerously low after healing herself and her companion. There was a little medicine booth a little ways down the road, which she intended to stop by at as well.
Sakura glanced sideways at the creature to her left, mulling over how to get him through the throng of people. He went up to the thigh on an average person; not quite tall enough to be seen. People would slam right into him, and he could be trampled or worse... She found her heart sinking as her mind whizzed through all of the possible outcomes.
As she stood, gazing despondently out over the town, she didn't even register the approaching individual until she was within striking distance. The kunoichi's training kicked into action as she snapped to attention, her hand already flying to her weapons pouch, even before she even saw who the stranger was. Her hand froze just above the opening flap to her bag, ready to spring it open at a moments notice.
The woman was older, hunched over, with gray frizzled hair pulled up into a disheveled lump on the top of her misshapen head. Her old face was shriveled with age and wrinkles, her movements slow and shaky, yet her electric blue eyes seemed to contradict the weakened state of her body with their lively bit of flair. In her hand was a long, magenta-colored leash, at which the end was tied a tiny, little excuse for a dog.
A chihuahua. A wee little kanine creature that was small to begin with, but even more dwarfed compared to the hulking Uchiha that stood before him. The little black-and-vanilla colored creature gave a pathetic little yip that really sounded more like a pitiful mouse squeak than any sound a normal dog might make and skittered excitedly over towards the wolf, his tiny little limps shaking as he moved. His buggy eyes stared up at its jet-black, kanine cousin with a look of extreme awe. He let escape another faint yip, and then his tiny little twig of a tail started wagging frantically.
Sasuke seemed rather perplexed. He towered over the little midget, his ears tilted forward, his great ruff fanned out about the neck, his tail held up in a superior position. His gleaming obsidian orbs trained in on the little pest, with a look that seemed to be a bit confused. Stuck, rather, between whether to take this new creature as either an annoying pest or perhaps as his prey.
Sakura glanced up at the old woman with the leash, her emerald orbs questioning. What was this woman thinking? Her precious little dog was going to get eaten!
"I hope you don't mind miss, but my little Ponky-kins just loves to play with bigger dogs. I've been trying to train the dear boy to romp about with puppies his own size, but my sweetums just won't listen." The old woman's voice was thick and sugar-coated, with a slight British accent cutting on some of the vowels. Her pruney old face contorted into a very fake-looking smile before she gazed down at her little pet.
Her expression than morphed into one of horror.
Sasuke had stood up from his previous sitting position, and was standing over the pitiful little creature with his fangs bared in a menacing growl. His claws were unsheathed and prominently displayed. His fur rippled as he let loose another harsh growl, and the little dog beneath him backed up a bit, his tail between his legs. Honestly, the chihuahua looked as if it were about to piss right where it stood.
The woman sputtered wordlessly, scooping up her precious little pup in her arms as she pointed accusingly at Sakura and the wolf.
"How dare you let your mangy mutt treat my little darling like that. Shame on you! You better buy that disgusting half-breed a muzzle and a bloody choke-collar or I'll, I'll sue!" The woman's face was bright red with rage as screamed out her rant. Without warning the woman lashed out her one free hand towards the Uchiha and yanked him by the scruff of his neck and pulled his surprised body forward. Then she ripped out her bright pink leash and fastened it around his thick neck and pulled it tight. Then she released his ruff and shoved him off, leash in hand.
This all happened in about a second flat: The Uchiha was leashed.
The woman shoved the leash into the Haruno's hand and then turned on her heels and strode back towards the town. "Keep the leash, it's worth it to keep that dangerous mutt from getting loose," she shot back before disappearing into the crowd.
Sakura stood there with her mouth hanging open. Sasuke stood with his eyes still wide with shock. The bright pink leash hung between them.
And then the kunoichi was laughing. Tears were spilling down her cheeks as she nearly crumpled to her knees, clutching at her sides as she continued with her infectious guffaws. The wolf growled lowly, sitting back on his haunches with an irritable expression.
The laughing continued, and now the Haruno really was on the ground with her cackles, the leash still in hand. Even the Uchiha was able to let an amused smirk slide across his features as he watched this girl and the sing-song laughter than spilled from her throat so intoxicatingly...
The Uchiha sighed and tossed up his head towards the orange-purple sky, his expression the closest thing he could muster to a smile.
What's 'zat? An update? Wow Rainy-poo, you've really outdone yourself. (Rain's my nickname in case none of you guys caught that. ;D )
I could come up with a bunch of excuses for why this is so late, but I'm afraid this time its really just due to my infinite laziness.
Plus I have re-discovered the magical world of Harvest Moon, and I've actually got Leia to green heart level! WOO! /end-of-randomness
Thanks to The Only Sane One for the leash idea. xD At first I was going to stay away from having too many funny scenes, but I could not pass that idea up. Thanks a bunch! :3 333 ...I do apologize for my poor job of describing it, though...
Uhhhh, did you guys read BREAKING DAWN?! Oh my GOODNESS I won't spoil it for you guys up I thought it was really good!! Lot's of EdwardXBella action. :3
And secondly SEASON THREE OF HEROES IS COMING OUT SOON. Yay! More Peter. And Hiro. Lovely. x3
So I'm definitely going with the happy ending for this story, you guys all seemed to really want that. xD I will make another sad fanfiction after I wrap this one up if you are in need of an uber-depressing read just stick with meh here. xD
Okay, now I have a question for you guys. As I've said before, I've got the majority of this plot already mapped out. But the actual amount of chapters I spend on each part depends on how much you guys want me to. So would you guys like more romance, more fighting/action scenes, more funny scenes, more what? Suggestions please ;3
Please review! And thanks for reading!
-- xxIndigo