Disclaimers: Naruto is not mine, sadly. This is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.

Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, sexual assault, explicit sexual content (yaoi), & angst.

Crazy About You

Chapter 12: Inhuman Things

"He wondered to himself if there were things worse than crucifixion. It turned out there were.

There were teeth."

- Stephen King

--

Iruka sighed over his cup of coffee, his hazulnut stare locked onto its murky contents. He was far too exhausted to deal with the guy who suddenly seemed hellbent on pestering him. Which was pretty ironic considering how fast he had bailed on him when Iruka actually needed him to be there.

Mizuki's sudden disappearance was the very reason Iruka had been knocked out by a patient last week. So why was he bothering him now? The guy had made it quite clear that he didn't approve of Iruka. He had his petty little revenge when Iruka dared to be outspoken about who he was, and the bastard had gotten away with it. You would think that'd mean he'd be done with him and move on, but he hasn't.

If anything, it was getting worse.

Iruka tried ignoring him, but the guy refused to leave. When that didn't work, he even got to the point where he told Mizuki to go fuck off. And yet, here he was.

Again.

What the hell is it going to take for him to leave me alone?

Tired brown eyes slid over to his unwanted guest, noting the guy's casual stance, his unending stare. Iruka shivered. There was something about that look that made him feel sick. He tried not to put too much thought towards it, ignoring the rush of warning signs flashing in his head as he shifted his eyes back to his bitter drink, resigning himself to an equally bitter morning.

Iruka let out another heavy sigh. "What do you want, Mizuki?"

He could feel those dark eyes on him still and his discomfort grew.

"Who said I wanted anything?"

"Then why don't you go make yourself useful somewhere else."

Mizuki ignored his request and pushed off from the wall to take a step towards him instead. Iruka noticeably stiffened, unintentionally peaking Mizuki's interest, drawing him closer. Iruka clenched his teeth as he waited, wondering why the guy was acting so strangely all of a sudden.

What changed?

He was jerked from his musings when a hand suddenly lurched out and grabbed his jaw. Iruka breathed in a sharp inhale as his face was wrenched to the side, his eyes forced to meet those dark pools gleaming with excitement.

One hand was still preoccupied with his coffee mug, but Iruka quickly used the other to try to shove him back. Mizuki simply tightened his grip- refusing to let go.

"Nnnhn! What the hell are you doing?!"

Mizuki rubbed his thumb against the bruise on his cheek, and smirked when he winced in pain. Iruka glared at him and grabbed his wrist, fighting hard to pry it away from his face.

"Let go" he growled, anger masking most of his fear.

He didn't like the look he saw on Mizuki's face- it made his skin crawl. And he was suddenly desperate to get as far away from it as possible. But Mizuki wasn't letting him go that easily. He kept a firm grip on him as he shifted closer.

Iruka's breath snagged in his throat.

"S-stop.."

Mizuki's grin widened, but before he could do anything else another hand grabbed his arm- and this one had a lot more power to it. Mizuki turned to tell off the person who had dared to interrupt him and found a pair of angry dark orbs glaring back.

"I suggest you let him go."

Iruka's eyes filled with relief as Kakashi forced Mizuki's hand away, freeing him at last. The silver fox pushed his brunette back and stepped between them- facing off against the orderly in his place.

"I don't want to ever see that again. Do you understand me?"

Mizuki grated his teeth together but chose not to answer. Kakashi was displeased by his lack of response and decided to give him another chance to fix it.

"I said, I don't want to see that again" he snarled. "Got it?"

"Yeah, I get it."

That wandering gaze made its way back to the brunette behind him, which only pissed Kakashi off more. He scooted to the side, blocking the guy's view, ensuring he got a good look at him instead and the rage he didn't bother hiding.

"Stay away from Iruka" Kakashi growled. "That's an order."

Mizuki finally met his eyes, his own brimming with suspicion and fury.

"What's it to you if I don't?"

"It's my problem" Kakashi shot back. "And I have a feeling you won't like how I solve it."

Mizuki eyed the two a moment longer before finally giving in and retreating. But the anger he felt, the inexplainable jealousy, that remained. And it didn't look like it was going anywhere anytime soon.

I'm not done with you yet, Iruka.

His mouth curled into a venomous, inhuman smile.

Not by a long shot.

--

Kakashi stared after the orderly as he walked away, pondering over the look he had seen on his face. It didn't bode well with him. Especially knowing that Iruka had been on the receiving end of it.

Speaking of which..

Kakashi turned around and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Iruka? Are you ok?"

The brunette nodded, but he kept his head down, his expression obscured by loose strands of hair. Kakashi reached out and slid a finger under his chin. He slowly raised it up, seeking out those beautiful brown eyes.

"Are you ok?" he repeated, knowing he'd be able to see the truth in them.

Iruka didn't answer, didn't even hint at one, which he supposed was answer enough. Kakashi studied his face, noting how pale he was. He watched his teeth find his bottom lip, worrying at it without abandon.

"I'm just.. confused" he finally murmured.

Kakashi considered him a moment longer before responding. "Is that the orderly who was supposed to step in and help you when Sabaku and Uchiha were fighting?"

Iruka nodded.

Kakashi's jaw clenched, a vein snapping to the surface with his sudden anger. "It was on purpose."

He wasn't asking. He had seen cruelty in those eyes. And something else. He thought about the way he grabbed Iruka, how he saw him closing in on him, smiling when he tried to push him away.

"Has he always been like that with you?" Kakashi asked. He let his hand fall back to his side, not wanting to make his brunette feel trapped all over again.

Iruka shook his head. "No. Mizuki is.. he's homophobic. I thought he left because he wanted to see me get hurt, but this…"

Iruka let his voice fade out, not exactly sure what else to say. It was crazy- they were talking about someone who openly hated gay people. How could he think that the same guy was suddenly attracted to him?

But that look in his eyes..

Iruka shivered.

"I want you to stay away from him" Kakashi growled. "I'll change his schedule right now. And I'm writing him up for sexual harassment."

"Kakashi, it's.. there's no way it's what you think it is. I told you, he hates-"

"Yeah, I heard what you said" he cut in. "But I know what I saw." He eyed his brunette closely then added, "and you do too."

Iruka's mouth snapped shut.

"If he tries anything, I want you to tell me right away."

He nodded but continued to stay quiet.

"And Iruka?"

He glanced up.

"Stay close to me. I'll keep you safe."

Iruka gave him an almost pained look, tears floating to the surface. Kakashi smoothed back his loose strands of hair, his touch lingering as their eyes held tight, refusing to let go.

"I mean it, Iruka."

"I know" he whispered. "I'll stay close."

Kakashi looked past him, found Mizuki, then dropped his focus back to his brunette. "Good. Then come with me."

"To..?"

"My office."

Iruka gave him a confused look. "Why?"

"Because I can't kiss you here."

--

"Wow. Some friend you are."

Naruto flinched and spun around in his chair, seeking out the source. A face, monochromatic and surrounded by something like a thick leafy maw, was slowly pushing its way through the wall. His mouth was set in a deep frown, golden eyes brimming with blatant disappointment. Naruto stared at him, his alarm growing as the illusion stretched out past the restraints of the drywall, clearly dead set on reaching him.

"What do you mean?" Naruto finally forced himself to say.

The figure, equal parts human and plant, black and white, fixed him with a sharp look. "Haven't you noticed Kiba's face?"

Naruto was surprised to hear that name and for a second he couldn't place it. Then he realized that the man wasn't talking about another illusion- he was talking about a patient. The brunette who had been somewhat of a friend to him. That is until Sasuke came along and pretty much took his place.

"What's wrong with Kiba's face..?"

Sasuke, annoyed that Naruto was already failing to hold up his end of the deal, grabbed the blonde and spun him back to face him. "Who are you talking to?"

Naruto was nervous to answer him, but he did. He told him all of it. His stomach sank into a deep consuming pit when he saw the shock in those dark eyes.

"Who's Kiba?"

Naruto blinked. That's the part he's confused by..?

"Oh, he's another patient. Mmm.."

Naruto glanced around the room until he finally spotted him.

He pointed. "There."

His hand slowly fell as he finally noticed what the hallucination had been talking about. There was a bruise on Kiba's cheek- large enough for him to see even from where he was sitting. An angry mark the color of a darkening sky.

"What happened to him..?"

"Do you want to ask him?"

Naruto glanced back at the raven. "Should I?"

"I don't know" Sasuke snapped, what was left of his patience dwindling. "Why don't you ask your friend?"

Naruto flinched back from the cruelty in his voice, and Sasuke immediately regretted it.

"This is why I didn't want you to know."

The raven sighed. "I'm sorry, alright. I didn't mean anything by that. If you want to ask Kiba what happened, then ask. And if you want me to go with you, I will."

He paused, but couldn't stop himself from adding, "and tell your plant friend to hang back. You don't need his help for this."

"You sound jealous."

"Yeah, well, maybe I am."

Naruto blinked. "Sasuke, he isn't real."

"He is to you."

Naruto couldn't exactly refute that, so he let the subject drop. He rose to his feet and ignored the man in the wall in favor of the one standing before him. Sasuke held out his hand, but Naruto didn't take it at first. Which bothered him immensely.

"Naruto-" he growled between clenched teeth.

"Do you think we should wait on that?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke looked down at his empty hand, then narrowed his eyes on his uncertain blonde.

"You have a problem holding my hand?"

"No! I just think that.. maybe we shouldn't rub it in Kiba's face."

"Right."

"Sasuke.."

"No, it's fine. It's great actually. Just pretend I'm not here."

"Jesus Christ."

The raven raised a brow as his blonde not only uttered an angry retort like he would have, but also grabbed his hand and jerked it over to him in matching fashion.

"Well, this is surprising."

"Because..?"

Sasuke grinned. "Because you sound like me."

"Is that a problem?"

"Not at all" Sasuke's mischievous smile widened. "I like being a bad influence on you."

"Whatever. Let's just go."

Sasuke was thoroughly amused as the blonde pulled him away from the window and over to his dejected friend, but he forced the smile down and kept his face impassive as they closed the distance. Kiba looked up when they were only a few feet away and his eyes widened at the sight of them. He stared at their clasped hands for a moment before turning to Naruto, though his eyes flickered back to Sasuke several times as he waited for them to speak.

Naruto swallowed as he scoured his mind for the right words. In the end, he decided to just throw it out there. It didn't help any of them to pretend he hadn't noticed.

"Kiba.. are you ok? What happened to you?"

The brunette brought his hand up to cover his cheek, though it was pointless to do so now. "Oh, this. Yeah.. I guess it's hard not to notice, right?"

"Doesn't really answer his question."

Naruto jabbed his elbow into Sasuke's side, another surprisingly Uchiha-like thing for him to do.

"It's just.. I was away for a while" Naruto interjected. "You know, after.." A image of the redhead came to mind but he quickly shook it from head. That wasn't what was important here. "Kiba, who was it? Who hurt you?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters!"

Naruto's head shot to the side, acknowledging a presence only he could see, before turning back to the mulish brunette. Sasuke gave him a curious look but didn't comment on it as he readjusted his focus on the issue at hand.

"I don't want anyone to hurt you" Naruto said quietly.

"Why?" Kiba asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, because you're my friend."

Kiba tilted his head to the side, his curious eyes on the blonde's sincere face. "Am I?"

"I think so."

The two looked at each other, both clearly uncertain. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You don't have to have slumber parties and fucking braid each other's hair to be friends, you know. Naruto gives a shit about you- isn't that proof enough?"

Kiba tilted his head the opposite way, considering the blonde further as the raven spoke. "I suppose that's true."

"Great. Now, how about you tell us who's responsible for this. And before you say anything else- you've got nothing to worry about" Sasuke said. "I'll make sure the bastard never does it again."

"I don't want you to hurt him."

Sasuke's eyes darkened. "Don't piss me off" he growled.

"Kiba, Sasuke's just trying to help."

"I don't need his help" Kiba said matter of factly.

"Oh, yeah, looks like you've got this all figured out" Sasuke spat, not bothering to sugarcoat his sarcasm. "The guy fucking decked you. At the very least he should have someone punch him back for it."

Kiba thought that over before meeting those angry dark eyes, his expression unreadable. "You think so?"

"Yeah. I fucking do."

"Hmm.."

Naruto and Sasuke watched as his gaze slipped away from them. It locked onto something to the far side of the room for a moment before finding its way back. But when he finally looked at them again, they noticed there was something different about him.

Something had changed.

"You know what" Kiba muttered, "I think you're right."

The brunette reached over to his art set, took his paintbrush, and lightly dipped it in red. He used the brush to paint something on his cheek, obscuring some of the bruise beneath it.

"Tribal paint" Kiba explained, as he darkened the triangular mark on his face. "And these- these are the markings of a warrior."

Kiba painted the other side of his face, inexplicably creating the exact same mark in the exact same spot with absolute precision.

"And do you know what my people have discovered?"

The two saw something flash in those cinnamon eyes, a beastly look. Naruto's mouth went dry, his adrenaline spiking at the mere sight of it- a biological response to a dangerous predator in their midst.

"What.. did they discover.." he said quietly, though he wasn't sure he should ask.

Kiba smiled, a dark humorless thing that made Naruto's throat constrict.

"That our spirits are connected to our ancestors" Kiba answered. "Our true ancestors."

His grin pulled taut across his painted face, eyes gleaming with malice as he uttered one final word.

"Wolves."

Sasuke's eyes widened as Kiba's mouth suddenly stretched wide. He watched him bare his unusually sharp canines, saw his eyes flicker with a deep resonanting rage, and felt his feet unconsciously shift back.

What the hell..?

Kiba's head ticked to the side, sudden enough to make his neck crack. His arms did the same, their movements sharp and jarring- like a broken doll roughly reconfigured by rushed senseless hands.

Sasuke took another step back, pulling his dazed blonde with him. They watched in awe and horror as Kiba dropped down onto his hands, the tips of his toes digging against the floor, bracing himself. A feral cry savagely ripped from his throat, their only warning before he sprang into action.

"Kiba, wait!"

Naruto tried to reach for him, but it was too late. His friend moved impossibly fast on all fours, dodging legs- human and furniture alike- as he closed in on his target. Naruto pulled his gaze away from his beastly form and immediately knew who he was after.

The redhead- the guy who had taken his journal and taunted him with it. The one who had pinned him down when Naruto attacked him, who Sasuke tackled and punched across the face, had just walked into the room. And he didn't see Kiba coming.

Not until it was too late.

Kiba leapt up onto the couch between them and launched himself off of it, another inhuman cry spilling from his throat. Gaara had just enough time to feel surprised before the feral brunette slammed into him. He fell back against the floor, his elbows crashing into the linoleum, shooting pain up his arms.

It distracted him a moment too long.

Gaara looked up and saw Kiba tilt his head. Then, with a deep guttural growl, he buried his teeth into the side of his neck.

Gaara cried out and tried to shove him off of him, but Kiba just bore down harder.

Kiba could feel the skin break, could taste the sharp tang of metal as blood filled his mouth, coating his tongue and staining his teeth. He jerked his head to the side, tearing deeper into his throat, and Gaara screamed.

Several orderlies tried to pull him off, but they couldn't pry his mouth away without making things worse. They moved fast to fill a syringe and shoved it into the brunette's neck as they continued to fight to force him away from the bloodied redhead beneath him. When it did finally work, the sedative hit him hard. Kiba's jaw slackened, and they were finally able to pull him away.

Gaara brought his hand up fast and slammed it down on his neck, doing his best to staunch off the bleeding. He could feel the hot sticky mess all over his palm, running between his fingers and down the collar of his shirt. Gaara choked back the pain, the fear, as he sought out someone to help him. He opened his mouth, prepared to set aside his pride and beg if he had to, but the orderlies moved before he uttered a single sound. A towel was pressed firmly against his neck, his hands were pulled away, and he could feel fingers on his arms, searching for a vein.

"I…"

Gaara's fading eyes shot around the room before finally landing on the blonde. He hadn't seen him approach, but there he was- hand in hand with that same raven-haired fiend he had with him before.

Gaara locked onto the two and opened his mouth, forcing the words to the surface even as his mind slipped further away.

"I-"

Gaara took a shaky breath, and the tears finally began to fall.

"hurt him..

first..."

And then he was out.

Author Note:

You had to have known it'd get dark, or at least expected it. I can never hold back my angst demons for too long. I just don't have it in me. Or maybe I just gave up trying a long time ago. Either way, it was always going to happen.

But don't go running off, darlings. You know I'll make it right.

Eventually. ;)