Unexpected measures
Naruto cried for hours after he returned home, and all the while he berated himself for his foolishness. Sasuke had never led him to believe he was anything more than mildly fond of him. Naruto had amused the dark haired lord with his naïveté, nothing more. He had laid his heart bare, and Sasuke had scorned it.
He would not humiliate himself in such a fashion again. And he would marry for love, or he would not marry at all. Clinging to that thought, he fell asleep.
The maze rose up in the night, a twisting wall of greenery that separated him from the rest of the world. Drawn into its heart, Naruto collapsed near the statue of the bronze wolf. He drew a deep breath, and his nostrils filled with the scent of roses. Only then did he notice that they were no longer red.
Dozens of blooms grew on the trees, but they were all black.
Curious, he picked one, gasping as a thorn pricked his finger. A drop of bright red blood oozed from the wound, and suddenly Sasuke was there, towering over him, his dark eyes ablaze with an unholy light as he took his hand in his and slowly licked the blood from his finger...
"No!" The sound of his own horrified cry roused him from sleep and he sat up, glancing wildly around the room. "Only a dream," he whispered as he snuggled under the covers again. "Only a dream."
The familiar words hovered in the back of his mind.
"Only a dream..."
He closed his eyes, but sleep eluded him. With a restless sigh, he sat up and gazed out the window, his mind filling with images of Sasuke as he had seen him last, his fathomless black eyes filled with torment. Sasuke was lonely, so lonely. Why? He was a handsome man. A wealthy man. Why did he not marry and raise a family? Why did he live in that cold, lonely castle? Why had he sent him away?
Naruto had learned much in the four years he had been away. He had, on rare occasions, flirted with young men and women. In Paris, he had learned the power of a coy glance, a shy smile, a laugh, a come hither look. He knew when another wanted him. And Sasuke wanted him. The Uchiha lord had wanted him from the beginning. Why, then, had he turned him away?
Why had he bought Naruto in the first place? He had assumed Sasuke had wanted him to warm his bed or be a servant. He wondered now if Sasuke had bought him simply for companionship. But surely a man like Sasuke had no need to purchase any person for companionship.
Naruto thought of all the strange rumours he had heard about Sasuke, about his peculiar habits. Since returning home, he had overheard other things, stories told in hushed whispers that hinted at evil, at bargains made with the devil. Was it possible that the people of the town believed such outrageous tales? Naruto’s friends and neighbours were humble, superstitious people, frightened of what they didn't understand, of what couldn't be easily explained.
Snuggling under the covers once more, he closed his eyes. As much as he had loved Paris he was not going back.
This was his home. This was where he belonged, and he would not let anyone, not even the master of castle Uchiha chase him away.
======================================================================
The next day was market day. With Kakashi's list in hand, Naruto took the carriage Sasuke had bought for the family and went into town. It was good to see familiar country faces again. Because of Sasuke's generosity, he was able to purchase fresh bread, prime cuts of meat, and a bottle of fine red wine.
Naruto was sitting in the window of a tearoom, wondering if Sasuke would haunt his thoughts forever, when he saw Neji Hyuuga. He saw him at the same time. Tipping his hat, Neji crossed the road, a broad smile on his face. He was as handsome as Naruto recalled. Several women turned to stare at Hyuuga, their gazes frankly admiring. He wore a coat of dark green broadcloth trimmed in black velvet, buff-coloured breeches, and black boots. His linen was impeccable; a diamond stickpin sparkled in his cravat.
"Good afternoon, Naruto-kun." He bowed. "May I join you?"
"Please do."
"It's been a long time," Neji said. His gaze moved over him, warm with affection and approval. "Your stay in Paris seems to have agreed with you."
"Thank you, my lord," Naruto replied, acutely aware of the admiration in his eyes.
"I was sorry to hear about Chiyo," Hyuuga said. "Is there anything I can do for you or your family?"
"No, thank you. Lord Sasuke has been most generous."
"Indeed." Hyuuga sat back in his chair. "Are you returning to France soon?"
Naruto shook his head. “No. As much as I loved Paris, I've decided to stay here. It's home, after all." And Sasuke is here.
A slow smile spread over Hyuuga's face.
That's good news indeed," he said. "There's a new play at the theatre. I'd like very much to take you."
"Would you?"
Hyuuga chuckled softly. "If you'd like to go. And if you think you could tolerate my company for the evening."
"I should like that very much indeed," Naruto replied. In truth, it would be no hardship to spend time with Hyuuga. With his dark brunette hair and gentle eyes, he was quite the most blatantly handsome man he had ever met, and he had met many during the last four years.
"Very well." Rising to his feet, he took Naruto’s hand in his. "I hate to leave you, but I have a business appointment." He kissed Naruto’s hand. "Till Saturday next, Naruto-kun."
"Till Saturday."
======================================================================
Hyuuga arrived at six o'clock sharp. Naruto grinned openly as he introduced him to the household children. One and all, they stared at him, hardly able to speak coherently as he bowed over their hands.
Even Hinata seemed awestruck.
"I'm sorry about my family," Naruto remarked later, in the carriage. "They've never met anyone quite like you. One of them asked me if you were a prince." Naruto chuckled at the memory.
"And what did you say?"
"Why, I said you were, of course."
Neji laughed softly as he took Naruto’s hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "Hardly that."
For a time, they rode in silence. Hyuuga studied the young man beside him. Naruto was even more beautiful than he remembered. Four years at school had refined him, given the blond an aura of self confidence that he had lacked before. It occurred to him that it was past time for him to marry and extend his family name.
Neji thought of little else during the play. None of the ladies he knew could hold a candle to the young man sitting beside him. True, he came from a poor family, but he himself was a wealthy man and the fact that Naruto probably had no dowry mattered not at all.
There was only one drawback that he could see, and that was the fact that everyone in the valley knew Chiyo had sold him to Sasuke, that he had lived in his house. Neji didn't care a whit what the people of Konohagakure thought, but it would likely cause a stir should his family ever find out.
But he would jump that fence when he came to it.
After the play, he took Naruto out for a late supper.
Naruto continued to charm him with his openness, his candour. Flirting came naturally to the blond; it wasn't something he had learned at school, or studied in front of a looking glass.
By the time his carriage drew up outside Naruto’s home, his decision had been made.
"Thank you for a lovely evening," Naruto said.
"It was my pleasure," Neji replied gallantly.
He kissed Naruto’s hand and then, unable to help himself, he drew Naruto into his arms and kissed him.
Naruto closed his eyes as his lips touched Hyuuga’s. It was a pleasant kiss, gentle, tender. Unbidden came the thought that, while Hyuuga's kiss was pleasurable, it had no fire. Comparing Neji's kiss to Sasuke's was like comparing the warmth of a firefly to the warmth of the sun.
Neji’s arm tightened around Naruto briefly before he let go. "Will I see you tomorrow night?"
"If you wish."
"Seven?"
Naruto nodded.
"Good night, Naruto-kun."
"Good night, my lord."
====================================================================
Neji came for him promptly at seven the following evening, and every night for a week thereafter. They went to a ball at another Lord’s home, to supper in the city, to another play, to the opera.
As much as Naruto enjoyed Hyuuga's company, he couldn't help feeling that he didn't belong in the crowd they associated with. They dined with barons and counts. Once, Naruto found himself dancing with an earl. On the outside, he knew he looked as though he belonged. The numerous suits and tuxedos Sasuke had bought him were every bit as costly and fashionable as those of the other people. Thanks to the training he had received at the boarding school, he knew how to behave at the dinner table, which fork to use with which course, but on the inside, he was still a country boy, unsure of himself, in awe of the highborn men and women who were Hyuuga's contemporaries.
Naruto said as much one night, at supper.
"Nonsense," Hyuuga exclaimed. “There is no shame in being born poor.”
"But ..."
"I'll hear no more of it," Neji said firmly. He took Naruto’s hand in his. "You're more amazing than any of them, Naruto. You have no need to feel inferior simply because you were raised in an orphanage. Not all of us are born to our titles."
Naruto smiled at him, reassured, at least for the moment. "Will I see you tomorrow night?" he asked.
Neji shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I've agreed to meet Tobi and Sasuke at Shushu-ya's."
The mere mention of Sasuke’s name caused a sharp pain in his heart.
"Is something wrong?" Hyuuga asked. "You look pale all of a sudden.'
"I feel a headache coming on," Naruto said apologetically. "Would you mind if we went home?"
"Of course not." Neji summoned the waiter, took care of the bill, and wrapped Naruto’s cloak around his shoulders.
Minutes later, Naruto was comfortably settled in Neji’s coach, a blanket over his lap. He closed his eyes to discourage any conversation and all the while, in the back of his mind, he heard Neji's voice telling him, over and over, that he was meeting Sasuke tomorrow night. He wished he had the nerve to follow Hyuuga to Shushu-ya's so that he might see Sasuke again, if only from a distance.
He bid Hyuuga good night and went into the house. Standing at the window, he watched the coach pull away. Overcome by a terrible sadness, he removed his cloak and went into the bedroom he shared with one of his little brothers. Hyuuga cared for him. Neji might even ask for his hand in marriage, but Naruto knew he would never love him as he loved Sasuke.
Why had Sasuke sent him away? After living at the boarding school in Paris, he understood what it was like to be lonely, to be different from those around you. He knew, from the rumours he had heard, from things Sasuke himself had said, that Sasuke felt estranged from society, though Naruto didn't understand why. Was there some incident in Sasuke’s past that made him feel inferior?
Naruto told himself it didn't matter, that he didn't care. Sasuke had sent him away, first to Paris, and then away from the castle, sent him away and told him, nay, warned him, never to return.
So be it, he thought, blinking back tears he refused to shed. If Sasuke didn't want him, he knew someone who did.
=============================================================
At the invitation of Lord Tobi, Hyuuga escorted Naruto to a masquerade ball at Tobi’s home the next week. Neji dressed as Robin Hood, complete with bow and feathered cap. Naruto wore a long black tunic, complete with a black mask and cape, gloves, posing as the evil sheriff.
They arrived at eight, had supper at nine. It was after ten when Neji led Naruto into the ballroom.
A huge crystal chandelier cast soft candlelight over the dancers. The orchestra was partially hidden behind a wall of lacy ferns.
He danced with Neji, and with Tobi, and then with Neji again. Neji flirted shamelessly with him, declaring Naruto to be the most beautiful and amazing person in the room. His hand caressed and traced his shoulders, down his back to his hips. He boldly brushed his lips over Naruto’s cheeks, even his eyelids.
Light headed from too much wine, feeling lonely because Sasuke had rejected him, he allowed Neji to kiss him. He even kissed Neji back, telling himself it didn't matter. Sasuke didn't want him. He had even told him to marry someone else. Why not marry Hyuuga? He was young and handsome and rich, and he adored him. He would never send Naruto away.
At the end of the waltz, Hyuuga left him for a moment to fetch a glass of champagne.
Feeling suddenly warm, Naruto left the crush inside the ballroom and went out on the balcony that overlooked a rather exotic topiary. A breeze ruffled his hair and cooled his flushed cheeks.
Away, off in the distance, he could see the tall spires of Castle Uchiha. In spite of his resolution to put the dark lord from his mind, he wondered what Sasuke was doing, if he ever spared a thought for him.
A sudden chill caressed his nape, and with it the sense that he was no longer alone.
He whirled around, gasping when he saw a tall man standing in the doorway. The man was dressed all in black save for the stark white death's head mask that covered the top half of his face. A wide brimmed black hat adorned with a curling black feather was pulled low over his brow. A cloak of fine black velvet billowed around him.
The stranger held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"
The voice caressed him, calling up images of roses and moonlit nights. Naruto never thought to refuse him, but willingly placed his hand in the other.
The stranger held Naruto close, his body brushing intimately against his at every turn. Trapped in the web of the strangers gaze, Naruto let the man waltz him around the balcony. The music faded into the distance. The crush of people inside the ballroom ceased to exist. There were only the two of them, dancing beneath a sky sprinkled with stars, and the awareness that crackled between them, as sharp as a sliver of glass.
Naruto gazed into those eyes, fathomless black eyes that stared back at him, eyes that burned with hell's own fires.
Suddenly breathless, the stranger murmured his name.
The stranger’s arm tightened around his waist, drawing Naruto closer. He felt his body burn at his nearness; his heart was pounding furiously.
Was it he?
It had to be.
Slowly, the dark eyed stranger lowered his head, until the dark eyes blazing from behind the mask burned everything else from his sight, until Naruto saw nothing, was aware of nothing, but the man who held him close. Naruto lifted his face for a kiss, felt the touch of cool lips scorch a bright path to the very heart and soul of him.
When the stranger drew his mouth from his, Naruto stared up at him, a curious lethargy stealing through his limbs. If not for the strength of the arms around him, Naruto thought he might have melted at this man's feet, like butter left too long in the sun.
Naruto wasn't aware that the music had ended until he saw Hyuuga standing in the doorway.
His current dance partner bowed over his hand and then, his cloak swirling about him like smoke, he walked away from him to disappear in the darkness at the far end of the balcony.
"Who was that?" Naruto asked, though he was certain, within his heart, it had been Sasuke.
Hyuuga glanced after the man in the black hat and cloak. "I don't know."
"I thought ..."
"Thought what?"
"I thought it was Sasuke."
"Sasuke? Here?" Hyuuga chuckled softly as he handed Naruto a glass of champagne. "He loathes masquerades. Loathes parties of any kind. I've never known him to attend one."
"Have you seen him at Shushu-ya's recently?"
Neji nodded. "Blast the man. He's impossible to beat, you know. Sometimes I think he knows what cards I've been dealt before I do."
"Indeed?" Naruto stood on his tiptoes, trying to see over the heads of the crowd.
"Come," Hyuuga said. He placed Naruto’s glass on the balcony railing, then took his hand in his. "I believe this is my dance."
.
.
.
Naruto dreamed of Sasuke that night, dreamed that he came into his room, that he was standing beside his bed, his long black cloak enfolding him like loving arms, a hideous mask hiding his face.
Not the white mask he had worn to the ball, but a mask with glowing red eyes and sharp white fangs dripping blood.
He woke with a gasp. Or was he still dreaming? He blinked into the darkness. Was Sasuke there, in the corner, or was that merely a shadow cast by the moonlight?
Heart pounding, mouth dry, he stared into the darkness of his room. "My lord?"
"Go to sleep, sweet Naruto"
"Let me see your face,” he whispered.
"You would not like what you see. Sleep now. Sleep, sleep, go to sleep…”
He struggled to stay awake, but could not resist the hypnotic sound of Sasuke’s voice. His limbs grew heavy; his eyelids refused to stay open.
"Please come to me," he begged, though it was in effort to think, to speak. "I know you're there."
"This is only a dream, Naruto. Only a dream…”
How could it be a dream, he wondered, if he was telling him to go to sleep?
And then he was asleep, or was he merely dreaming he was asleep? Confused, he tried to call Sasuke’s name, to climb out of the lethargy that was dragging him down, down, into nothingness…
He woke determined to see him again.
============================================================
In spite of his resolution, it took him a week to get up the nerve to travel the narrow winding road that led up Fire Mountain to Castle Uchiha. He dressed carefully for his journey. The silk shirt that complimented his eyes, as Sasuke had requested when they first attended the oprah. The sapphire he donned around his neck on a gold chain. Form fitting jacket and trousers, to compliment the final look. Slipping on a warm cloak, to aid against the chill, he took a last look in the mirror before leaving his room.
Not wanting anyone in the house to see him, he tiptoed out the back door, saddled one of the horses, and rode out of the yard.
It was a bit nerve racking, riding through the night toward Castle Uchiha. The trees cast ominous shadows on the road. He felt his heart drop into his stomach as an owl swooped past his head.
Dark clouds gathered overhead, shutting out the moon and the stars. A cold wind rushed down from the mountain, keening sadly as it swept across the land.
He was shivering by the time he reached the castle. Dismounting, he tethered the horse, then climbed the steps and knocked on the door. Several minutes later, the door opened with a creak.
"Young master," Iruka exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to visit Lord Sasuke."
Iruka looked momentarily taken aback. "No one has ever come to visit before," he remarked in astonishment. "Is Lord Sasuke expecting you?"
"No. Is he here?"
Iruka hesitated a moment, then nodded.
"Can I see him?"
Iruka frowned. "Truly young master, I don't know what to do."
"Is something wrong?"
Iruka took a step forward. "He's been in quite a bad mood," he said, his voice lowered conspiratorially. "I'm not sure that seeing him just now is a good idea."
"Iruka!"
Naruto jumped back, his eyes widening as Sasuke stepped into the hallway.
Very slowly, Iruka turned around to face his master. "Sir?"
"You may go, Iruka," Sasuke said, his voice like ice.
"Yes, my lord. Good night, young master," Iruka continued to delay before the door.
"Iruka, you have my leave to go."
"Yes, my lord," Iruka said. He sent Naruto a glance that might have been meant to be reassuring, then hurried down the hallway.
Like statues, Naruto and Sasuke stood staring at each other until the sound of Iruka's footsteps disappeared.
"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, his voice carefully controlled. His eyes, those depthless black eyes, held his captive.
"I… that is… I… " Naruto couldn't speak, couldn't think coherently, with Sasuke staring at him like that.
He licked his suddenly dry lips. Sasuke looked so angry, so ominous standing there. He wore black, always black, Naruto thought. Had he made a mistake in coming here? Had he been mistaken at the ball? Perhaps it hadn't been Sasuke at the masquerade after all.
Sasuke walked down the hallway, rapidly closing the distance between them, until they were only an arm's length apart. "I told you never to return here."
Naruto nodded. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his cloak and balled them into tight fists to still their trembling. "So you did, my lord."
"Then why are you here?"
Naruto lifted his chin, refusing to let Sasuke intimidate him. "If you never wanted to see me again, why did you come to the masquerade? Why did you dance with me?" He took a deep breath. "Why did you kiss me?"
Sasuke stiffened. Naruto saw his hands clench at his sides, and knew it was not to still their trembling, but to restrain his anger.
"I know it was you," Naruto said, "so you needn't try to deny it."
"Leave my house," Sasuke said, biting off each word. "Leave now, while you can."
Naruto looked deep into his eyes. Past the anger lurking there, beneath the harsh timbre of his voice, he sensed the loneliness that plagued the dark lord.
"I've missed you, my lord," he said quietly. "I had hoped you missed me."
A muscle twitched in Sasuke's jaw. It was the only visible sign of the tension that was spiralling through him. He drew a deep breath, and the scent that was Naruto assailed his nostrils—the soap he bathed with, the mutton and cheese he'd had for supper, the scent of his hair and skin. He could smell the nervousness that made his heart beat fast, smell the blood that flowed in the blond’s veins.
A sharp blast of wind buffeted Naruto's cloak, its chill breath making him shiver. A moment later, there was a blinding flash of lightning, followed by a tremendous clap of thunder, and then it began to rain.
Sasuke swore under his breath. Even the elements seemed to be conspiring against him. He took a step back so Naruto could cross the threshold.
"Come in," he said, though there was no warmth in his voice, no welcome in his eyes.
"My horse…”
"Iruka will see to it," Sasuke said brusquely. "Come in."
Afraid he might change his mind, Naruto quickly did as bidden. He unfastened his cloak, felt Sasuke's hands at his shoulders as he took the cloak and hung it on a wooden clothes peg, then shut the door.
Wordlessly, Sasuke walked past him.
Naruto hesitated only a moment, then followed Sasuke down the long narrow hallway that led to the library. How many hours had he sat in this room, reading to Sasuke? he wondered. How often had he watched the dark haired man, wishing he would take him in his arms, that he would kiss him as he had longed to be kissed? Had he known how Naruto felt? Was that why he had sent him away?
He paused in the doorway as a horrible thought crossed his mind. Perhaps Sasuke was in love with someone else. Perhaps Sasuke hadn’t wanted to be bothered with Naruto’s silly infatuation. Only it wasn't some childish infatuation he felt for the dark lord.
Sasuke sat down in his favourite chair, his back to him. "Come in, Naruto," he invited softly.
Feeling suddenly shy, Naruto crossed the floor and took a seat in the chair across from Sasuke. It seemed strange to sit there, as if he were his equal. Most nights, he had sat on the floor with his back to the hearth.
Naruto glanced around the room, finding it exactly as it had been the last time he had seen it four years ago. An ancient looking sword hung over the massive fireplace. A long oak table covered with a black lace cloth stood beneath a pair of tall, stained glass windows. A narrow shelf made of dark oak held several pewter figurines in the shapes of snarling wolves and ravens in flight.
There was no other furniture in the room save for the two high backed chairs.
"You should not have come here." Sasuke’s voice was low and soft.
"I'm sorry if my presence upsets you."
One corner of Sasuke’s mouth turned down in a wintry smile. "You have no idea what your presence does to me."
"I am most happy to see you again, my lord," Naruto said candidly. "I had hoped you would feel the same."
"Naruto, I have longed for you these past four years in ways you cannot begin to imagine."
Naruto shook his head. "Then why are you so angry with me?"
“I am not angry."
He looked angry, Naruto thought. Sasuke’s hands were curled over the arms of the chair, his knuckles white with the strain. His posture was stiff, unyielding. He could almost see the tension radiating from the man.
"What is it, then?" Naruto asked.
"I fear you are not safe here."
"Not safe?"
Sasuke stared past the blond, listening to the rain drumming on the roof. It was going to storm all night, he mused bleakly. There was no way he could send Naruto home, not now.
His gaze skimmed Naruto’s tanned face and figure. No longer the young boy, but a strapping young man of (22 or 23 years now?) with firm features and muscles. He was so beautiful and magnificent. His skin was the colour of honey; his blond hair was a bit longer, and fuller, looking like a mass of sun gold waves. Naruto watched him through guileless blue eyes, his affection for him evident in every glance.
Naruto could not stay here. The years without the blond had not lessened his desire. He wanted him, burned for him, ached for Naruto in ways unknown to mortal man.
Hunger roared through him. Hunger for Naruto, for the blond’s touch, the very essence of his life.
He felt it rise up within him, demanding to be fed, and felt the thirst clawing at his insides. Naruto’s nearness, the remembered sweetness of him, magnified his longing, his need for this one person above all others.
His fingernails dug into the arms of the chair, gouging the wood. His breathing became shallow and erratic. "Naruto."
"My lord?" The blond leaned forward, his eyes narrowed as he studied Sasuke’s face. "Are you well, my lord? Can I get you a glass of wine?"
"Go to your room.”
"But…”
"Go!"
He didn't argue, didn't waste time saying good night. Bolting from his chair, Naruto fairly flew out of the room and up the stairs to the chamber that had once been his.
Inside, he locked the door, then stood with his back against the portal, his breath coming in laboured gasps.
He had fled from Sasuke once before. The memory came surging back, as bright and clear as if it had happened only yesterday instead of years ago.
He remembered feeling as though he had escaped a terrible fate that night. He felt much the same way now. When his breathing returned to normal, he noticed that the room was just as he had left it.
Crossing the floor to the armoire, he opened the elaborately carved double doors. Inside were the many clothes he had not taken with him when he left for Paris. He had regretted leaving so many behind, but Sasuke had given him more clothes than anyone could wear in a lifetime.
Closing the doors, he went to the dresser and opened the drawer that had held his night shirts. Selecting one, he undressed, drew on the long shirt. He was about to climb into bed when he noticed that the full length mirror Sasuke had given him had been covered with a dark cloth.
Curious, he thought, as he removed the cloth.
He gazed at his reflection. He had been but seventeen the last time he looked in this mirror. He had grown taller, his figure was more hardened and broad, more masculine, but other than that, he looked much the same. He wished suddenly that he was handsome, that he had red hair like his friend at the boarding school, Gaara, and that his eyes were emerald green instead of ordinary blue. Wished his shoulders could be broader, his chest more rippled with muscles. No wonder Sasuke had sent him away. Why would he choose him when he could have his pick of any beautiful men and women?
Turning away from the mirror, he drew back the covers and slipped into bed. If the rumours were true, Sasuke had many, many partners, yet he had married none of them. He couldn't help wondering why. Surely a man of his wealth and breeding desired an heir.
A baby, he thought dreamily, a son with Sasuke's black hair and eyes. Closing his eyes, he imagined himself as Sasuke's partner, the mother of his children.
.
.
.
As he had so many times in the past, Sasuke stood beside Naruto’s bed, watching him sleep. The softness of his skin tempted his touch, and he curled his hands into tight fists to keep from stroking the smooth tanned cheek. How beautiful Naruto was! And how he adored the blond. The years without him had been the worst torture he had ever endured. He had thought of Naruto daily, hourly, the memory of his face, his laughter, tormenting him far worse than any pain the heat of the sun might hold. The remembered sweetness of his pink plump lips, the nectar of his essence, had forever spoiled him for the taste of anyone else.
Ah, how he had burned for the blond, the yearning within him more excruciatingly painful than the dark hunger that plagued him. Naruto.
He had watched Hyuuga dancing with Naruto at Tobi's masquerade, and he'd wanted to kill the man, to rip the heart from his chest. Never in all his four hundred and thirty one years had he experienced such blinding jealousy, such hatred, such an intense urge to destroy. He had known it would be a mistake to attend the masquerade, just as he had known, from the minute Hyuuga had mentioned the ball over drinks at Shushu-ya's, that he would go. Just to see him. But seeing him had not been enough. He had wanted, needed, to hold Naruto in his arms.
His fingernails cut into his palms as he fought the urge to gather the blond into his arms, to kiss the soft curve of his cheek, to run his tongue along his neck…
A red mist rose up before his eyes. Hunger cramped his stomach and ran like molten lava through his veins. He felt his fangs lengthen, felt the urge to feed rise up within him, a ravening beast straining to be released.
"No." The word whispered past his lips. He would not. Could not. Fear drove him toward the door.
"My lord?"
He stopped, his hands clenched at his sides.
"My lord? Is that you?"
"Go to sleep, Naruto," he said. Slowly, he glanced over his shoulder, unleashing the full force of his gaze upon the blond. "Go to sleep, my sweet, and dream your young man dreams while you still can."
Naruto gazed into the dark depths of his eyes and felt a familiar lassitude steal through him. His eyelids felt unbearably heavy. With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes.
Just before sleep claimed him, he thought he heard the hauntingly lonely cry of a wolf.