Midnight Memories

Warnings:violence, blood drinking, vampires, blood



Midnight Memories



Chapter Nine.



May 3, 2008



Naruto grinned happily as his two best friends in the world fought over who had to buy the next round. He was just happy it wasn't him. Both Sakura and Kiba were a year older than him since he'd skipped a grade in elementary school. He didn't turn twenty-one for another five months, not that he mooched alcohol off of his friends. He paid for his fair share but tonight was very special. Tonight he was on a date.



He'd asked Sakura and Kiba to come with him to make it sort of a double date. He thought for sure when he'd asked the most popular girl at their university on a date, he would get shot down right then. Ten-Ten had surprised them all when she accepted. Naruto hadn't known how to react.



For the last four years, he'd tried to push away thoughts of his dream man. He was young, in the prime of his life. He couldn't date guys. He constantly compared them to the sultry voice and dark piercing eyes of his dream man. Finally, giving up on ever having a relationship with a man, he turned to women. Not to say, he wasn't attracted to women, because he was. Women were soft where men were hard. Maybe a woman could give him the emotional connection he desperately wanted without the constant comparison to his dream lover.



In the last few years, since his eighteenth birthday, he'd felt so empty, there were days when it took every ounce of his being just to get out of bed for class. His grades began dropping. His friendships began to suffer. He was slowly withering away from the inside. He turned to Itachi, hoping for some sort of soothing affection only to be disappointed when even his growing connection with his former guardian did not ease the emptiness looming.



In an effort to quiet the growing restlessness, here he was, seated at a small table with Ten-Ten and his two best friends. It was a comfortable atmosphere, and his date seemed at complete ease with his friends. He enjoyed her company. She didn't come off as stuck up as most of the popular crowd did. In fact, she seemed completely down to home. This should be a sign of a match made in heaven, yet the disquieted ache continued to eat away at him. He was even more aware of it tonight because of Ten-Ten's presence.



"Your friends are interesting, Naruto." smiled Ten-Ten, stirring her drink while smiling sweetly at him.



"They are the best. I've known them both since the third grade. I was a crying shoulder when Sakura came out as a lesbian and Kiba announced he was actually a woman in a man's body."



The fighting ceased as twin pairs of incredulous eyes turned to stare at him. Sakura was the first to break the silence with her indignant screech. "What did you say, you lying sack of shit?"



"Did you say something, Sakura? I think my eardrum just ruptured." Naruto grinned sneakily at her, watching with delight as her face soon matched the color of her hair.



"That's not the only thing I'm going to rupture." She pulled back a fist only elbow some idiot stupid enough to stand behind her. Said person then turned and slapped her; not a wise thing to do.



Naruto's eyes widened almost comically as an honest to God bar fight erupted before his very eyes. He'd seen a few drunken patrons swing at each other a time or two before, usually taken care of by the bouncers. Not this time. Sakura retaliated with fists blazing, sending her knuckles straight into the other woman's nose. Blood gushed out before the girls' boyfriend, thinking Kiba was Sakura's significant other, plowed his fist into the other's jaw in retaliation for Kiba's 'girl' having hurt his.



Ten-Ten clutched at Naruto's shirt as the body of some random bar goer was sent flying across their table. That was when pure mayhem erupted throughout the entire place. Bottles and glasses shattered as men and women fought, some not even knowing what they were doing, simply joining in the 'fun'. If he'd been in a corner with his friends watching the events, he was sure he would have been laughing his ass off. Now he simply stared in shock at the mayhem playing out before him.



The sound of sirens drained the blood from his face and sent him into overdrive, grabbing all three of his friends to escort them quickly out of the door. He wasn't sure he could survive a night behind bars in the emotional state he was in. Itachi was out of town on business and not due back for another week. He had several large companies in Europe that required his presence periodically. If he was arrested, there was a damn good chance he would spend the night or longer in either a holding cell full of criminals or alone in a tiny cell awaiting the appearance of his court appointed lawyer.



"Go! Go! Go!" he yelled, grabbing Kiba by the collar and Ten-Ten by the arm.



They four raced from the bar, rushing down the street to the parking garage where Naruto and Kiba's cars were parked. Naruto didn't allow them to rest until they were in sight of their vehicles.



"Jesus Fucking Christ, Sakura. What the hell were you doing starting a bar brawl?" yelled Kiba, doubled over as he attempted to catch his breath while gingerly probing the swelling on his own face.



"I started it? I didn't start shit. Naruto started it by telling Ten-Ten I was a lesbian. If it wasn't for the fact that I am currently too tired, I'd have his balls attached to my cell phone as a charm. I'm surprised you aren't more upset, he called you a transvestite." Sakura growled, her eyes flashing dangerously towards her friend.



"Well, if being gay will get me more girls, I figure what the hell." Kiba grinned at Sakura, taking it all in stride. "Not to mention, I'm too drunk to care or I would be in much more pain."



"Idiot." Sakura spat, turning to Naruto. "And you…I'll deal with you later when my knuckles aren't throbbing. I'll take Kiba home, I don't think he should drive and I'm sober now."



"Alright…Sakura…I was only joking. I didn't think it would blow up like that." Naruto tried to sound properly contrite but he couldn't help but feel a little in awe of the entire seen. One tiny sentence, nearly lost in the noise of the bar had stemmed a huge bar brawl that would most likely make front page news. They had even resulted to contacting the police. One little joke and all Hell broke loose. It was requiring of the proper amount of humility.



"I know, Naruto. That's why you are still alive. Why don't you take Ten-Ten back to her apartment and go home. I think we have all had enough excitement for the night." Sakura smiled, her eyes losing their murderous glare.



Sakura exited the garage quietly, Kiba now sound asleep in the passenger side of the vehicle. Ten-Ten snickered, drawing Naruto's attention. He tried to smile but all he wanted to do was go home.



"I hope you will invite me again. That was the most fun I'd had in forever. Too bad I didn't get a chance to join in the fighting but I was so surprised, I was frozen stiff." She giggled, cracking her knuckles.



Naruto plastered a happy smile on his face before sliding into the driver's seat. The entire drive to Ten-Ten's apartment, she chattered on and on about the excitement. When Naruto pulled at the entrance to her apartment, she sent him a sultry look. "You want to come up?"



Now, Naruto couldn't say he wasn't tempted. He sure as hell was, but he found the thought of sex with her less than appetizing. She was beautiful with bright eyes and soft clear skin. Her bosom was adequate but she wasn't him and that alone made any thought of sticking his dick anywhere inside of her, very distasteful.



His one attempt at sex had been horrible. He hadn't even been able to orgasm and it because almost painful as his partner attempted to get him off. All he got out of that night was a sore ass and a case of blue balls that only eased when he was alone fantasizing of Sasuke. He broke up with Gaara the next day. There was no point; his heart wasn't in the relationship. The last he heard, Gaara was happily involved in some foreign student. They talked from time to time and neither felt animosity towards the other. They were just simply not meant to be.



"I'd better be getting home. I have to be up early tomorrow." he lied masterfully.



"We are going to go out again?" she asked hopefully.



"Heh…sure." he said, allowing her to lean in and kiss him on the cheek.



Naruto made his way home, his feet dragging as he trudged up the steps. He felt more tired than he had in ages, just wanting to sleep. That tomorrow was Saturday was a relief as he had every plan of staying in bed all day.



August 12, 1867



"You cheated, asshole." Naruto jumped to his feet, pointing a finger at the casually smiling Asian man sitting across from him in the local saloon. Naruto couldn't help but see how the other was mocking him with that fake smile as he raked in the small pile of money. It wasn't so much that he lost pissing him off but that he lost the entirety of his wages save for a bit of small change in his pocket.



Sai, as the man was called, kept egging Naruto on each time he tried to leave the table. Each derogatory phrase thrown his way was enough to bring Naruto back with the urge to make the man eat his words.



Ever since the railroad came through, men and women of Asian decent had taken up residence in the country. They'd originally come to build the rail along with the Irish and German immigrants but after its completion, chose to settle in the various towns that cropped up along its route. It wasn't an impossible event to see a china man; it was just rare as most continued with the train construction all the way to California, choosing to settle there. In Paradise, Texas it was as rare a sight as seeing a purple buffalo.



Paradise was a moderately sized town, home to mostly ranchers and homesteaders. It wasn't big enough for the rail to come through but at the same time, it was ideally located as a central meeting area and supply stop for both ranchers and the stage route. There were two hotels, three saloons, a general store, a feed and tack store, a public bath house, jail, a church, and a post office. There was even a small school set up beside the church though it was never very full of children. Most of the ranch children were schooled by their parents due to the distance between the town and the various ranches. Most of the students were the children of the various people living in the town.



All in all, it was a pleasant place to live even if it didn't have the excitement of the larger cities. The general peacefulness of the town didn't stop cons and thieves from coming in and making trouble. Sai happened to be one of those bits of trouble that trickled in from the bigger cities. It wasn't that he was particularly skilled at cards, or no more than the average person. No, Sai's skill came with his ability to hide his emotions while enraging his fellow players. An angry person was easy to manipulate and Naruto was easily angered.



"I didn't cheat…you were just too stupid to remain calm during the card rounds." Sai smiled that annoyingly pleasant smile. Even his slight accent annoyed him. God, he was a dead man.



Naruto reared back a fist before plowing into Sai's smiling face. Who was smiling now? The spurt of blood from Sai's nose was somewhat satisfying but no where near as much as the crunch of bone as the other's nose broke. He kept plowing his fist into his face, pleased by the grunts of pain from the china man. Fucking asshole, stealing his hard earned money. So high was he on his pounding on Sai, he didn't notice when Sai reared back his fist and plowed it into his temple.



The tables were quickly turned and soon it was Naruto who was bleeding. The bartender tried to pull them apart only receive a random fist to the eye. Even he couldn't say whose fist it was. It wasn't until the sheriff fired his gun into the ceiling did the two break apart. It was hard to say who looked the worse. Naruto had a cut on his cheek, a swelling eye, and a split lip. Sai wasn't much better with his still gushing nose and black eye. There was so much blood; it looked as if one of them should be dead.



"Alright, what the fuck is going on here?" growled the sheriff.



Naruto growled as Sai stepped forward. "Naruto-san became angry when I won his money while he proceeded to continually lose. He became angry and accused me of cheating."



"That's because you did cheat, you fucking china man!" Naruto yelled and would have punched him again had not the deputy grabbed him under the arms.



"Naruto-san, I am from Japan, not China." Sai said calmly, his blood clogged nose adding a slightly stuffy sound to his voice.



"Same fucking difference!" Naruto began to struggle in earnest.



"Shut up, Naruto. Was anyone watching the game?" Sheriff Backer rubbed his temple, knowing the headache that was to come form this.



"I was." whispered one of the whores. "Business is slow this time of day. I thought I would try and saddle up with the winner."



"Did either of these gentlemen cheat?" Baker eyed the whore, weighing how much he could trust her. She'd been around for a few years, her eyes still caked with last night's make up she'd probably been too worn out to wash off. She might be a whore, but he had no reason to doubt what she said was the truth.



"No, Sheriff. But I can't really say it was a fair game. Mr. Sai was driving Naruto into a rage something awful. I don't know how Naruto was even doing as well as he was. He was pretty damn mad. So, if making someone so mad, they can't think is cheating then, yes Mr. Sai cheated but as far as the cards go, Naruto lost the games fairly." she said, biting her lip. She didn't want Naruto to lose his money but she couldn't very well lie since several of the other saloon goers witnessed Naruto's growing agitation with his card opponent.



"Hmm." Baker grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Naruto, I'm going to split the difference with you. You can have half your money back. The rest, the China man can have. Now, get on home before you end up with a bullet in your back from some person who pissed you off enough to make you lose your temper. And, you…"



Baker turned to Sai who was dabbing his nose with a rag acquired from the barkeep. "I better not hear of you playing cards like that again. You are welcome to play if you are going to do it with a bit of honor. Otherwise, I think you had best hop the next stage elsewhere."



Sai snorted, but nodded his understanding. Taking his winnings, he chose to exit the saloon as well in favor of his room at the hotel across the dust covered street.



Naruto watched him go from the bench outside the saloon. He was pissed at only getting half his wage back but he wasn't going to risk getting thrown in jail going after the other half. He wasn't as dumb as some of the folks thought.



Pulling himself onto his horse, Kit, he winced at the throbbing in his ribs. He didn't think they were broken but they sure hurt like hell. That fucking China man didn't pull his punches. Slumped in the saddle, he kneed Kit into motion hoping his horse wouldn't need too much guidance to find his way back to the ranch.



The heat from the sun didn't help the aching in his head but he wished it had stayed sunny. Clouds formed quickly over the once clear sky, a sure sign that something was brewing in the heavens. At the first drop of rain, Naruto scowled into the darkening horizon. "Fuck You!"



Knowing full well God must have let the Devil have his way with him today; he took a moment to consider his options before the storm hit. They'd been having a lot of flash showers of heavy rain. They usually didn't last longer than an hour or two but would be enough to make travel difficult. Grumbling, but knowing he was too far to make it back to town before the rains started, he took note of his location. There were several small caves and over hanging cliffs in the area. He and Kit could wait out the rain in one of those natural shelters until it eased enough for them to make it home.



"Come on, boy." he grumbled, guiding the horse up a shallow incline and towards one of the larger shelters.



Pulling his rifle from his saddle, he cautiously hobbled Kit to the ground just under the shelter. The horse seemed particularly nervous, tossing its head and pulling at the secured reigns. Naruto clenched tightly at his rifle. If a wild bear or cougar had taken up residence in the cave, it could prove dangerous to be unprepared.



"Shhh, Kit. I'm right here." Naruto whispered, rubbing the horse's damp neck in a soothing stroke.



The wind picked up, whistling through the crags in the bit of mountainous area. Rain quickly followed, pounding hard on the over hang. Naruto glanced into the darkened part of the cave. He could hear movements that while could be explained by the wind rustling old leaves and dirt, did nothing to put him at ease.



He felt almost as if the devil was breathing down his collar. His eyes jumped back and forth as the shadows became larger and more ominous. His glove clad fingers clenched on the butt of the gun as he prepared to swing around, only to have a cold body slam him into the wall of the opening.



The gun dropped from his fingers as the breath left his lungs. Kit screamed, rearing back to tug even more futilely at the hobbled reigns. He felt the panting breath in his ear, in and out. There seemed almost desperation in it. For the first time in his life, he was truly terrified.



"You smell like him. I can taste the way your blood courses through your veins." The voice purred, long slender fingers wrapped around his throat to squeeze ever so gently.



Naruto said nothing, his body beginning to quiver in fear. It was shameful to think of him shaking like a girl but he couldn't move, fear held him petrified. "Please…"



"Please…I wonder if you are another ghost sent to taunt me. I stopped caring…not even Itachi knows where I am. Hmm…I wonder if you taste like him…are you real? If I squeeze hard enough…will you die?" The purred words washed over Naruto, teasing some hidden memory forever lost.



"I don't have much money…but you can have it…please just let me and my horse go." Naruto tried to keep his voice steady but was unable to stop the faint quivering in his tone.



"Did you know that I am cursed amongst my people? I long for what I can only be denied. What is a year or two in a life that extends for millennia? It is a moment's breath. You haunt me. He haunts me." He continued to whisper in Naruto's ear.



Naruto's heart pounded with each word. The utter despair tore at his soul in ways that none ever had. What this man must have gone through to be able to express such loneliness and despair made him ache.



When the lips trailed down his jaw, he could do no other than shiver beneath the touch. When they paused to suck at the skin above his pulse, he moaned. When the teeth, sharper than any beast he knew scraped along his skin, he gasped in anticipation. He could taste death on the wind and he embraced it.



"Naruto…mine…" Teeth buried in his neck, forcing a cry of pain from him.



The world seemed to blur. Pleasure and pain mixed in an intoxicating swirl of color and sound. The harsh sheeting of rain against the shelter. His emotions, painted before his eyes in swirls of red and black. Each inward draw upon his neck from his assaulter sent another wave of emotion through him.



"Sasuke." He wasn't sure where the name came from. It held hints of the exotic. His own name was exotic, named for some character in a book his mother had read while pregnant. This name, though, held a darkness tinged in blood.



The frame behind him stiffed before wrenching itself away. Naruto, lacking the brace of the other to hold him aloft, crumpled to the ground in weakness. His hand lifted to his neck, feeling the slight ooze of blood from the puncture wounds. Unable to run, he merely turned to look at the pitiful creature pressed against the wall.



"I know you…" he whispered, pulling his hand away to stare at the red staining his hands.



There was a whimper as an otherworldly pale hand was lifted to press to a shaking head. "Stop."



Naruto could not stop. His mind buzzed with feelings and emotions he should not be experiencing. "How do I know you?"



"A dream…A memory…They are the same to me." The reply whispered across to weave around Naruto in a near caress.



"Are you sick?"



"I am…starving."



Naruto frowned, blinking as the thin creature crept into the light. Blood dripped down pale lips, the skin seemed cracked and brittle. Shaggy black hair framed the pale face and sunken cheeks, seeming soft despite the unkempt manner of it.



"I have a bit of hard tack and jerky in my saddlebags." Naruto rose to his feet, his energy restored. He'd thought he'd lost more blood than he had.



A dry chuckle erupted from the other. "Your food cannot nourish me. Only your blood sustains me. I choose to hide from the nightmares and still you find me. I ignore your call, and still you find me. I relinquish my hold on you…and…still…you…find…me."



"How long have you been here?" Naruto gaped at the other as he crept closer.



"Long enough." Sasuke hissed, his long fingers gripping Naruto's shirt.



"I…I…" Naruto gaped as pushed his head aside followed by the swiping of a tongue over the deep puncture wounds. "Stop."



Sasuke did not stop. His tongue continued to lap at the blood soaked neck, sending tiny flicks of arousal through Naruto. He'd never been molested by a man but damn if he wasn't responding to it.



"Are you here to torment me…or sustain me?" he asked, drawing his tongue over the skin one final time before withdrawing.



Naruto's hand lifted to his neck. The slow throbbing pain in his neck gone. Where before there had been small wounds, now was clean unblemished skin. What had happened? "How?"



"Hmm, there is a healing agent in our saliva. If we chose, we can leave no trace of our existence. But you know that, don't you? You have it all locked away inside. You always know. Hn, still as obtuse as ever." Sasuke closed his eyes, leaning against the cold stone.



Naruto watched in awe as his skin, brittle and pale grew supple before his eyes. The sickly pale vanished to be replaced by a cream colored tone. The thin, gaunt frame began to slowly flesh out with muscle. "Who are you?"



Eyes no longer crimson in hunger opened to reveal pure obsidian; the iris so dark, not even the pupil could be disguised. Surprising intelligence peered out at him from those depths; a strange change for the wild madness possessing them before. A delicate pink tongue darted from between soft appearing lips to flick at the remainder of blood drying there.



"You said my name, idiot." growled the other, rising from the ground in a motion that could only be described as poetry in motion.



"You just looked familiar is all." growled Naruto, stumbling to his feet as well.



"Hn." Sasuke smirked, his eyes closing as he breathed in the fresh air, mingled with blood and Naruto.



"What are you?"



Sasuke's eyes drifted open once more. "Yours."



Naruto's eyes widened as he stumbled against the wall, spotting his rifle. He grabbed the weapon, pointing the barrel at the other. Dark eyes rolled as he began shedding the dirty, torn clothing. A pale lean back was revealed, followed by a smooth perfect ass. Naruto immediately averted his eyes only to have them drawn to the pale perfection once more.



"What the fuck are you doing?" he yelled, trying hard not to watch the play of muscles across the revealed back.



Sasuke ignored him, pulling musty clothes from a leather bag hidden in a dark corner. He wrinkled his nose at the smell before sliding the material over his arms. Black trousers were then pulled over his hips, hiding the pale skin. Naruto didn't know if he was happy or depressed at the stunning ass being hidden from view.



"I'm still hungry."



Naruto nearly groaned. The statement wasn't overly seductive nor was it violent. It was simply a statement made almost as if two friends were speaking. When had the atmosphere become so familiar? When had this…thing become a man? When had he stopped being afraid?



"May I?" Sasuke asked, the question in his eyes as well as his lips.



"What?" Naruto was confused.



Sasuke moved as stealthily as a cat. His face radiated calm while his eyes flashed with promises of pleasure far outweighing any release found between a whore's thighs. Naruto's breath caught as Sasuke took his hand, pulling the thick gloves from his fingers to reveal calloused work hands. His fingers soothed over the rough skin before rubbing the smooth skin of his wrist.



Naruto couldn't fight the pull as his wrist was brought to the pink lips. He didn't even bother to stop the moan from escaping. Those bottomless dark eyes continued to watch him as fleeting pain shot through his wrist. This time, there was no fear. There was only the mind numbing pleasure racing up and down his spine. He would have closed his eyes had it not been for the obsidian gaze keeping him locked.



"Sasuke…" At the murmur of the name, dark eyes closed. Naruto was left feeling only the pleasure of each pull of lips. He felt both euphoric and conflicted. It was as if he was waking from a dream he had no memory of. There was only Sasuke; only the blood flowing from him and into the other.



His eyes closed as the world imploded in heat. It wasn't like an orgasm of the body. It was so much more. It wasn't his cock that pulsed, but his entire soul. The last thing he remembered before oblivion took him was passion laced eyes staring directly into his soul.



~*~



Sasuke's hands cradled the sleeping head, fingers running through his hair. The darkness clouding him had lifted, upon the taste of his blood. He chuckled mirthlessly, wondering if it was fate's intention that he be fully competent to watch Naruto's life drift from him. He ran his fingers over the tan skin of his neck. He was darker than he remembered, probably a result of his life in the sun.



The pulse beneath his fingers throbbed in a steady beat. It would be so easy to kill him. The thought wafted through his mind. Death. Naruto was born to die. Sasuke was created to watch it. He chuckled at his logic.



"Naruto…how easy it would be for me to drain you dry…to snap your neck. I could save myself the pain by ending it now." His finger ran along the scarred cheeks before once more burying in the thick hair. Maybe later.



Naruto stirred beneath the touch, blue eyes blinking open to stare at the stone ceiling of the small cave. The smell of rain reached his nose. The storm had passed quickly, just as they always did. "Why is my head in your lap?"



"Would you rather I have left you on the ground?" Sasuke growled, dropping Naruto's head from his lap and relishing in the grunt of pain as it hit the hard floor.



"Ouch!" moaned Naruto, rubbing his head. "Who are you?"



"You don't remember?" Sasuke ran a finger over a crack in the wall of the cave.



"I remember coming here to get out of the rain. You were doing the same?" Naruto jumped to his feet. Kit was still shifting around in nervousness.



"I live here." Sasuke murmured.



"Oh…well, I have a small cabin on my boss's land. I can put you up for a few days. It's the only Christian thing to do since you did put me up for a bit. You don't seem like a bad person." Naruto scratched his head, struggling to remember what had happened to make him pass out.



"Christian…it amuses me for you to use that term." Sasuke smiled, turning to face the other. "I'll take that offer."



Naruto scratched his head again before nodding. He set about checking Kit before leading the horse from the shelter. Sasuke followed in suit. He could return here quickly if need be.



"We'll have to ride double." Naruto said, placing a foot into the stirrup and pulling himself onto Kit.



"Fine." Sasuke said, wincing a bit as the sun glared off a buckle into his eyes.



Kit fought the bit for moment before Naruto's hands forced him into the pace he wanted. The slow trot seemed to satisfy the horse, though he seemed more skittish than normal. Sasuke knew why. He was still very weak from his confinement in the cave. Even Naruto's amazing blood seemed only able to restore him at a slow pace. His hunger continued to beat at him. He knew it wasn't so much hunger as the need to devour.



"We're almost there." Naruto kneed Kit into a light gallop, ready to be home. The sun was setting and he didn't want to risk Kit's health by riding him at night.



Sasuke appraised the small cabin as he dismounted, followed by Naruto. Naruto began brushing down Kit as Sasuke took in his new surroundings. It was almost ironic that he could have been so close to Naruto and still allowed himself to be dragged into the darkness. It was only a blessing he hadn't killed anyone in his maddened state.



Naruto's blood…it forced him into sanity…it forced him to understand his surroundings. He wanted to drain it all…no! He needed Naruto…he wanted him alive. He wanted his smile. His blood was just an added bonus.



The dark creeping sensation wormed its way through his heart. It wanted Naruto's blood. It would have Naruto's blood. It was as if he was torn in two. Two parts of his soul vying for control. The darker part wanted to kill, while the lighter part wanted to caress.



He moved towards the cabin, pausing in the doorway, fully aware when Naruto came to stand behind him. "I can fix up some dinner. I usually eat with the other hands but since you are here…"



"You've already fed me." Sasuke stated calmly.



"I did?"



"Yes. But I'm sure you are hungry. Go eat at the main house if you like. I can find something to do keep myself busy." Sasuke offered Naruto a lantern, watching as he pulled out some matches.



"Well…if you get hungry…there's some jerky in my saddle bags. I won't be long." Naruto blinked a few times as if trying to grab the memory just on the edge of his consciousness.



Sasuke watched as he disappeared towards the lights of the main house. He could smell the change in the air. Something was coming on the wind, and fast. His body thrummed with both excitement and dread. He would lose Naruto soon. It was always the same. He was brought into the light only to be eclipsed in the shadows it created inside him.



"Hey, Sasuke. I'm back. I brought you a couple of biscuits and some meat." Sasuke blinked, turning to Naruto. Hadn't he just left?



"Hey, why didn't you like a lamp? Or the stove? You didn't have to remain in the dark." Naruto set about lighting the stove and a few oil lamps.



"Welcome back." Sasuke brought a shaking hand to his head. He'd lost time. Had he gotten so lost in his mind, time had passed unnoticed?



"You hungry?" asked Naruto, smiling.



Yes. Sasuke closed his eyes at the whispered voice in his head. He was always hungry. Nothing but Naruto satisfied him any longer. The taste turned to ash in his mouth, nourishing his body but not his hunger. Only Naruto. He both satisfied and intensified the hunger.



"No."



"Well, I'll put it here on the table in case you want it later." Naruto set it on the table, stoking up the wood burning stove.



"Will you remember me next time? Or will you forget again?" Sasuke asked, his hand lifted to settle around Naruto's neck.



Naruto blinked a few times in confusion. "What?"



"Nothing."



Naruto frowned, settling before the warmth of the fire. "I don't know anything about you other than your name is Sasuke."



"Maybe you do, you just don't want to remember it." Sasuke smiled, stroking the wooden arms of the chair.



"I think I would have remembered you. You kinda look like a China man, like that asshole Sai. If I see him again…" Naruto fumed at the memory.



"I'm from Japan originally, though, my family now resides in this country…amongst others. May I ask you something, Naruto?" Sasuke edged closer, his fingers clenching on the armrests.



"Sure…" Naruto answered cautiously.



"Are you happy for your freedom? Was the sacrifices of those before you enough to make you happy in the country you live?" Sasuke's eyes darkened as the memory of blood soaked earth followed by dark madness rushed through his mind. Were his own sacrifices worth it in the end?



"Huh? Yeah, I suppose. I never really thought about it." Naruto ran a hand through his hair, having trouble following the conversation.



"Hn."



"What's that mean?" Naruto reached out a hand, only to have it slapped away.



"Don't touch me. I can't control it when you touch me." Sasuke hissed low, his fangs throbbing in his mouth.



"Hey, are you alright?" Naruto reached for him again only to find himself flat on the floor, Sasuke's body pinning him to the ground.



"I want to taste you again, before you are taken from me. I want to be filled with you essence. I want you to sustain me because soon I will join you in the darkness. Soon I won't allow you to return to this world because I will keep your soul with me." Sasuke whispered in his ear.



"Let me up!" Naruto struggled futilely against Sasuke.



"Will you sustain me?" Sasuke purred into his ear.



"Yes, just let me up." Naruto was struggling in earnest now.



"Shhh. I'll only take a little." Sasuke slid his cool hand beneath the loosened shirt, splaying it across Naruto's abdomen. He felt the tiny muscle jerks wherever he touched. His mind was a swirling vortex, madness and sanity warred with each other in a never ending battle for supremacy.



Naruto's breath caught in his lungs. "What are you doing?"



Sasuke didn't answer, his eyes locked with Naruto's as he pushed the flannel up to reveal a tone abdomen and firm chest. His nails scraped downward, stopping at the edge of his pants before working their way back up. "Naruto…you destroy my control."



His hand released Naruto's wrist, joining its partner beneath the shirt. His eyes lowered to watch as Naruto's lips parted. He wasn't fighting now, merely lying calmly under the touches. "Stop…"



"No. " Sasuke stroked Naruto's face before unbuttoning the shirt. The edges fell away to reveal deeply tanned skin. He smirked. Naruto was never quite the same. In the beginning his muscles were large from working his father's forge. His skin was pale as he suffered through consumption. His body slender as he tended the wounds of the dying during the war. His eyes, however, stayed the same. The same rich blue reminding him of the ocean surrounding the land of his birth.



He kissed the corner of Naruto's mouth before lowering his lips to the hard chest. The flavor of sweat coated his tongue as he swiped it across the unblemished skin. A wave of chill bumps rose on the chest before him, making him chuckle before nipping at the skin. "Mine."



He plunged his teeth into the flesh violently, letting Naruto feel the pain and the pleasure. This Naruto, he would want the pain. He would relish in the contradiction between the two. He was hard, tanned from the sun. He was not someone who would want to be treated gently as a woman.



As the blood coated his tongue, pouring down his throat, he felt relief from the creeping madness. His thirst was satiated by the thick liquid. He was free from the madness that haunted every moment of his life, staved only by the presence of Naruto.



Naruto screamed out, his hips nearly tossing Sasuke as his fingers reached up to plow through the other's hair. Sasuke understood the need in it. He knew it well for he felt the same pulse. Blood sharing could be an extremely erotic experience. The drinker was overwhelmed by the emotions of their prey. The prey, their desires and lusts were played through their mind, sending them into a euphoric state.



Tossing back his head, Sasuke moaned along with Naruto. Blood trickled down his arched neck as his body shuddered with the feeling of completion. He liked the added earthy taste of this incarnation. It reminded him so much of his original. The taste of nature, not overpowered by sickness and war, it was ambrosia.



Lowering his lips once more, he lapped at the skin with his healing tongue. He felt the hardness in Naruto's pants. It matched his own. As much as he wanted it, he would not take him. He would not break the vow he made to himself. He would not allow the body to rule him. He would only be satisfied with his soul, locked away carefully.



He drifted for several minutes, contentment flowing through him. Things felt different. The sense of the end was more potent but it still felt far away. He could feel the pull of fate on his soul, driving him towards a path he wasn't sure he wanted to see.



Closing his eyes, he listened to the thrumming beat of Naruto's heart. He listened, and prayed for some relief from the torment that seemed to be coming to a head. "Naruto."



~*~



Naruto jerked awake at the crow of the cock. He sat up, finding himself in bed. He ripped off his night shirt to reveal nothing but flawless skin. A dream? A nightmare? An erotic fantasy? The cool body pressed against his was fully clothed as well.



"Sasuke…I need to go pick up some things in town for the boss. I'll bring you some clothes, your's look like shit." Naruto said, feeling like a husband running errands for his wife. A mumbled reply was given though Naruto had the feeling the other never awoke.



He saddled up Kit and began the hour long ride into town. The sun was beginning to heat the dusty streets as he tied off the reigns in front of the general store. "Hello, Jeremiah."



"Oh, good morning Naruto. Here to pick up Mr. Sean's order?" Jeremiah's eyes smiled over his glasses as he began to sort through several packages behind the counter.



"Yeah, if I had known he had a package waiting, I'd have taken it with me when I was in town yesterday." grinned Naruto sheepishly.



"Well here it is." The shopkeeper opened the box to reveal a beautiful doll. Her dress was blue, made of the finest satin; her hair styled in perfect ringlets. "He came in a few weeks ago. Wanted to order it for his daughter's birthday. I was beginning to think it wouldn't come in time."



"Just in time. Her part is on Saturday." Naruto chuckled as he accepted the box. "Take care."



Naruto secured the box in his saddlebags and pulled onto the horse. Maybe if he was lucky, there would be some left over breakfast. Kit trotted along, seeming a bit nervous but no more than usual. The bay was a bit skittish but was probably the best ride he'd ever had. He just needed a firm hand to tame his wilder instincts.



A gunshot sounded. Kit reared, tossing the now limp body of his master to the ground and racing towards the ranch.



~*~



Sasuke's eyes shot open. Black faded to red. Destiny had found him once more but this time, he would return the favor. There might not be war to hide the feeding but in this untamed land, there were ways.



"I'll avenge you once more, Naruto. This time, I'll be in perfect control."



Sasuke slid from the bed. His white shirt billowed around him as he tucked in the waist, calmly adjusting his appearance as if he was going to town. He knew where to go. There was no rush.



He paused by the bed, rubbing a hand over the now cold sheets. He would miss what never was with this Naruto. It was a shame. This one was his equal much as he had originally been.



His reflection shone in the mirror, giving him pause. There would be no hiding his eyes. The madness would come soon but his control was absolute. Now wasn't the time to slaughter the world. He would save that for later.



The sun began setting in west. His ears could still hear the panic ensuing at the main house as the boss and a few of the hands went in search of Naruto when his horse wandered up riderless. He knew what they would find. There was no point in hope. He'd felt him die.



As soon as the sun set, his power reached his zenith. The moonless night gave him pause to smirk. It seemed even God was turning a blind eye tonight. Fitting. Breathing in, he located his prey before fading into the night.



~*~



Sai's eyes darted around the campsite. He'd known he couldn't stay in town after he'd shot the blond. His honor demanded he avenge the shame brought to him by the blond hothead. He'd seen the look of disgust in the eyes of the town's folk. He hated these small towns but they made it easier for him to rile.



Naruto had been especially easy to drag into a rage. He grabbed a stick, stoking the fire before pulling his blanket around him. He'd reach Bovard in two days. From there he could decide his next destination.



"Konbanwa, Sai-san."



Sai jerked his eyes to the shadows. "Who's there?"



"It has been a while since I used the language of my birth. My brother would be ashamed of me." Red eyes came into view as a slender man of obvious Asian decent stepped from the shadows. Sai knew immediately, this man was no human. He'd never believed the tales of spirits and demons his grandmother spoke of. Now, he wished he'd listened more.



"I'm going to kill you now, Sai-san. You took something very precious to me. You took away a piece of my soul. I'm going to take the payment for it in you blood." Sasuke grinned, showing lengthened incisors.



Sai was on his feet a moment later, his revolver drawn. "Stay away."



"Now, what do you think you can do with a western weapon?" Sasuke smirked before vanishing from Sai's sight only to appear behind him. "You forgot where you came from. You forgot the things that linger in the shadows. Let me remind you."



Sai's screams echoed through the plains. Coyotes howled in accompaniment to the screams and pleas for mercy. They merely waited their turn with the human. They knew a meal would be left for their delight; it was only a matter of time.



Sasuke dropped the drained body. He doused the campfire and freed the terrified horse. Sai's blood wormed through him, leaving an almost disgusting feeling. He was tempted to vomit it from his body. Compared to Naruto, Sai was nothing but ash.



He didn't need a mirror to know his eyes retained their red glow. He would no longer be able to blend in with society as easily. He would be forced to remain in the shadows. It suited him fine. His kind was born from the shadows.



"I'll be waiting for you, Naruto. Your blood is mine. I won't resist the call any longer."



~*~



October 2, 2009



Naruto jerked awake. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Itachi was on one of his long trips and would return home within a day or so. It left him alone in the large house. He wasn't sure what awakened him but he couldn't stop the chill of foreboding creeping up his spine.



He rubbed his face before grabbing his baseball bat from the corner. Slowly opening his door, he crept down the hall, searching the house. Even a state of the art burglary system could be broken if the criminals were really intent.



As he reached the kitchen, he felt that strange pull. He'd felt it off and on his entire life. It was as if something was waiting for him, calling him. His eyes jumped to the forbidden door. Itachi was anal about the basement. Naruto once asked him about bodies hidden in the basement. He'd expected a laugh. What he got was an angry glare along with a warning to never go down there.



Unlike before, this pull was strong. It was almost as if he wasn't in control of his own body. Something in the basement was calling him. And he wanted to go to it with ever ounce of his being. Opening the door, he disappeared down the darkened stairs.



To be continued.



Big A/N I dedicate this chapter to Akiruchan because she lives in Texas and is ass crazy about cowboys. I still owe her a cowboy Naruto fic and I will write it...one day...She also made a request of me when I told her about this crazy vampire story I was gonna write. She said, can you please have a wild west section. And I was like okay



Phew, really just a filler chapter. More of Sasuke's deterioration. You'll notice how he jumps from crazy to sane...completely intentional. A lot of you will probably go wtf at this chapter because it seems so disjointed. The first part of the flashback is Naruto's perspective followed by Sasuke's. I really enjoy writing Sasuke's struggle with his own sanity.



Please don't ask me anymore to not make it Ita/Naru. It will not be so you don't have to ask. I never intended it to be Ita/Naru but if I did, your pleas would not sway me. I think the last chapter had me so annoyed with the PMs and reviews I got asking for no ItaNaru. It tempted me to add it just to be mean but alas I don't like changing to something I had no intention of doing since I have other plans for Itachi that don't involve Naruto.



Vocab Time

hardtack- was a hard cracker or biscuit that people traveling carried with them. It was basically flour, water, and salt. It lasted a long time and was good for traveling.



hands or cowhands- workers on a ranch or farm



consumption- tuberculosis(in case you didn't figure it out from two chapters ago)



cock- rooster



Additional note 2: The town I created for this (Paradise) is completely fictional. I'm sure there is a Paradise, Texas...it's just not this one.