Pulse

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, if I did, my harem would be the most awesome tribute to male beauty ever seen. Additionally, if the thought of two men a kissin' and a touchin' baffles your brain (or otherwise offends it) do not read on. Slight spoiler warning. I don't know where the American version of the show is at, so I'm unsure if I'm actually spoiling anything.

Author's Notes: Many thanks to all of you who have reviewed, I really appreciate the feedback. This is only my second fic, indeed, encouragement makes my little heart sing with joy.

Changes is state of consciousness will be represented by this:~~~~~~~

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The night is darker than usual, icy needles of rain falling downwards from that fathomless abyss of black. I sit crouched and waiting outside Sasuke’s window, watching as the light in his room turns off. ‘Wait…just a few moments’ my mind hisses at me. I wait, letting the rain wash over me, my breathing low and excited. ‘Now!’ The voice in my head commands, and I comply, stealing into Sasuke’s room noiselessly.

Immediately he is awake and crouched in a defensive position, the Sharingan burning red in his eyes like fresh blood. When he sees it is me he relaxes, smiling semi warily. I get the feeling he does not like the look in my eyes, but he does not comment on it.

“What are you doing here?” He enquires, running a hand through his hair.

I smile, feral and menacing as I step towards him. “Do you think this little game is funny, Sasuke? Do you think I enjoy seeing you held out in front of me like some kind of prize I can’t have?” My voice is cold and hard, nothing like it usually is, and I see Sasuke take a step back, confusion written in his eyes. Vaguely, something in the back of my consciousness screams at me, but I pay it no heed.

“Naruto…what the hell are you going on about?” He asks, staring at me with a half angry, half perplexed expression.

I growl softly under my breath, and move suddenly, slamming him up against the wall. “Naruto! What the Fuck?!!” He yells, struggling fruitlessly in my arms as red chakra wraps around the both of us.

“This game…the only game you seem to know how to play…little Uchiha…” I scratch my clawed hand down his shirt, tearing it from him as flesh tears from the bone. He hisses in pain, eyes locking with mine, then murmurs, with dawning awareness. “Kyuubi no Kitsune.”

I smile, so, he does understand. “Yes, young one, it is good that you know who I am. It will not do to fight me, you will only fail. My dear host has watched and wanted you for so long, and I have tired of the game. You humans, you live in a world of darkness, which is a shame, because your lives are so pitiably short. I have been feeling rather caged lately, when I make you his, he will see how necessary I am…” The voice in my subconscious screams louder, but still, I ignore it.

Sasuke’s eyes narrow into slits, and he practically spits. “He won’t thank you for this, he’ll push you even farther back! You can fuck me all you want, but that will never, ever make me yours, you sadistic shit!” He pushes against me with considerable strength and I bare my teeth at him. I knock him against the wall again, tightening my hand painfully around his wrists. The sick sound of cracking bones fills my ears, stark in the quiet of the night. My host rails within me, furious at not only the damage I am inflicting, but also the memories I will dredge up. To give Sasuke credit, he does not scream, but the look in his eyes tells me he wants to.

“You” He gasps out, through lips stained red from biting them. “…are just like my brother…”

“With one very distinct difference, I am stronger than even he. That, and I am certain your brother does not have the same intentions for you that I do.*” His eyes narrow in agony and rage, he gives me an almighty shove, almost causing me to lose my grip on him.

I toss him on the floor, watching almost bemusedly as he grabs a kunai with in his teeth.

“You think a little knife will stop me?” I say, grinning from ear to ear, walking almost casually towards him. The voice in the back of my mind is getting deafening. Stupid boy, will you be silent!

His eyes narrow, and suddenly he is right there, he jumps, with lightning speed, the kunai passing by my eyes with what I think is killing intent. The only sound in the room is our breathing, and the steady driving rain outside. For a moment, I am taken aback, I have not been wounded. Then, I feel my hitai-ate slowly fall, the soft fabric dimming the sound of the clattering metal against the floor.

The Kunai drops from Sasuke’s mouth as he kneels by the one object that, more than anything symbolizes just how far I have come. He stares up at me levelly, there is no more fear in those red eyes. Red…like blood…like the blood that is slowly leaking from the slashes I left on his chest.

“How much….” He whispers softly. “How much will you lose if you do this?”

Like someone who has nearly drowned, I surface from the deep abyss in which I had been submerged. “Sasuke…oh gods! What have I done?” My voice sounds panic stricken, with a touch of hysteria, even to my own ears, but none of that matters.

Sasuke stares at me with an unreadable expression on his face. His old expression, the one I could never get past. I reach out to touch him but he pulls back, gathering the tattered fabric of his clothing against his torn skin.

“Leave me..” Ice, cold as death, void, his voice sounds like all of these things, echoing hollowly in my ears.

I break. Tears stream down my face, as I plead with him. “Please, Sasuke, I didn’t mean to….Please, I can’t lose you.”

He stares at me, his eyes fading to a dead black. “You never had me to begin with.”

The night grows colder.

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I jolt awake, Sasuke’s name on my lips. Immediately, I grab the bottle of pills that sits on my side table. I down three of them, then drag myself to the kitchen for some water.

“Fucking creature…” I spit out bitterly, sinking into a chair. Lately, the Kyuubi has realized that although it may be cut off almost completely, my dreams are another matter entirely. This is the first time it has given me a nightmare about Sasuke, usually it focuses on people I am not romantically interested in.

The dream was inconceivably real, to the point where I think I may just have to drop in on him.

Quickly, I change into my Jounin clothing, and head out the door. I could sail over the rooftops, but I don’t feel much like bouncing around, besides, walking always calms me down.

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I am having a rather pleasant dream about Blue when I hear a knock at my door. “Huh?” I intone inelegantly to myself, slowly regaining consciousness.

“Who would be here at one in the morning.” I wonder grumpily, making my way over to the door.

I check before opening the door. “Naruto…..why….” He cuts me off, grabbing my wrists and examining them, gently, like they might break. “You okay?” He asks with a measure of concern in his voice that confuses me.

Something else strikes me, and I stare at him. When he said ‘You okay?’ he sounded like…like… ‘like Blue’ my mind supplies for me. Only, when Blue asks me that, it is usually in a far different context.

Shaking myself from my wandering thoughts, I slowly pull my hands from Naruto‘s. “Yeah, I’m fine. Now, why are you standing on my doorstep at one in the morning asking me if I’m ‘okay’?” I really do want to know. I invite him in, dropping down on a pillow by the coffee table.

“I was having a dream…” His eyes shy away from me.

“A dream?” Naruto had shared with me that lately the Kyuubi has been giving him some pretty unsavory nightmares. “It obviously concerned you enough to come all the way over here….” I trail off, cutting my eyes over to him to see if he will take the hint and tell me about it, but he seems perfectly content to let me continue. I sigh, and fix him with a piercing look. “What was the dream about?” I know it has something to do with me, that much is obvious. I just want to know the specifics, so he can get it off his chest.

He breathes in deep, and then says somewhat haltingly. “I…hurt you, badly…badly enough that you turned your back on me.”

I do not let him see how much of an impact this short phrase has on me. I swear, will he never learn. “Dobe.” I state bluntly, smiling briefly when his eyes snap up to mine. I have not called him that in a long while.

“I nearly killed you once, and did you turn your back on me? No. You fought all the harder to bring me back.” I hope I sound comforting, but I’m not the best at that sort of thing. Naruto’s lips give away the slightest trace of a smile as he eyes me from across the table, but it is soon gone.

“Yeah….but what I did to you, it was worse than that….it is one of the absolute worst things you can do, or attempt to do to someone. At least as far as I’m concerned.” He sounds so dejected, I have to do something, so I hug him.

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Sasuke is…hugging me?! Whatever disbelief aside, he is doing it, and I like it, a lot. I wrap my arms around him, breathing in the scent of his hair. Aki’s hair smells a bit like his, whoa…bad train of thought to be taking, not if I don’t want Sasuke to freak out. He’s not wearing a shirt under his black silk robe. Silk robe...my hands itch to slide beneath the fabric and onto his smooth skin. I swallow as he briefly rests his head on my shoulder.

“Worse than attempting to kill your best friend?” He asks, absentmindedly running a hand through my hair as he reclaims his seat.

I breathe a mental sigh of relief. I don’t know what I would have done with my hands if he had stayed hugging me for much longer.

I pale slightly, the details of the dream are vivid as fresh paint in my mind. “I think it was….I wasn’t trying to kill you, I was trying to…to…” The words die in my throat, I am afraid, afraid of what will come if I tell him the truth.

“To what?” I close my eyes as he asks that question, but I feel I have to give him some kind of answer.

“I was trying to break you, body and soul.” The words sound so terrible, I am surprised Sasuke doesn’t throw me out. Instead, he just looks blank for a moment and then shakes his head.

“But you haven’t Naruto, you've not done a single thing to me, it was all a nightmare. Yes, a very real one, but it was not, I repeat NOT real. If you continue on this vein of thought, it will drag you into self loathing. If you start to hate yourself, it will give the Kyuubi more strength. Pills or no pills, that is dangerous, and neither of us wants that.” I am glad Sasuke is so rational, and even happier that I came to see him, his reassurances have calmed me considerably.

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I ask him to spend the night, sleep after a terrible dream is often hard to get, especially if you are alone. He accepts the offer, and I let him have one of the guest rooms.

That night I have dreams in which Blue takes off his mask to reveal himself as Naruto. It was a wonderful dream, but totally improbable. Naruto would never go to a club, he once told me they messed with his senses too much.

I am making breakfast when Naruto comes into the room, he smiles over at me, and gives me a quick hug from behind.

I drop my stirring spoon.

His body…pressed up against my back, warm and inviting. He fits against me, I have to resist the urge to lean back against him, it is so familiar. My mouth goes dry, and I see the two of us dancing together, masks covering our faces. Blue, holding me close as he takes me….

Holy shit.


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A/N: * >_> ~~~Uchihacest!!!~~~

*cough cough*

I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself, the thought of the two of them together is tempting. However, I am not going to open that particular can of worms. I will leave that task to other writers.