Sweet Surrender
Naruto was asleep at his side when dusk released him from his prison of darkness. Blond hair was spread across his pillow, a splash of gold against the black silken case. An arm rested on his chest, the blond’s head was pillowed on his shoulder. One slender leg was nestled between his.
The heat of Naruto’s smooth sweet flesh against his own, the sun sweet fragrance of his hair, the scent of rich blood, had him awake and aching between one breath and the next.
What was he to do with the blond? He refused to be intimidated by him, refused to leave when he gave the chance. Last night, when he should have run screaming from his presence, he had offered Sasuke the very essence of his life. No other person had ever come to him willingly, nor looked on him with love. No other had ever looked past the monster to the lonely man who yearned to be free of the darkness that housed him.
Naruto…
The blond had looked into his heart and soul and given him a gift that he could not buy at any price—he had given him the sun he had not dared look upon for four centuries.
Turning his head, Sasuke studied the painting.
Even in the darkness, he could see it clearly; the warm hues of the sunrise, the azure blue of the lake, the bright bold colours of the flowers, the bird sitting slightly askew on the branch of a tree. So long since he had seen flowers in the clear light of day, a bird, a lake sparkling in the sun. He had seen paintings created by masterful artists, but none more beautiful than this.
Naruto…
He brushed a featherlike kiss across a tanned cheek. The blond had given him a glimpse of the sun again. If he had any honour at all, he would give Naruto freedom in return. He would leave now, while he slept. Leave and never see the blond again.
But he wouldn't. Couldn't. In four hundred years, Naruto was his one chance for happiness. Tonight Naruto would be his partner, his beloved, his wife. He would coddle him and love him for what was left of their year, and then he would send Naruto back to his own world, where he belonged. His heart, which he had thought as hard as the stone walls of his castle, seemed to crumble at the thought.
With a sleepy sigh, Naruto stirred in his arms, opened his eyes, and smiled up at him. Such beautiful eyes the blond had, he mused, as blue as a summer sky at midday.
"Good evening, my lord," he murmured. His sleep roughened voice caressed over Sasuke like velvet.
“Good evening Naruto.”
"Might we have some light?"
With a soft grunt of acquiescence, Sasuke fixed his gaze on the bedside candle, which instantly blazed to life. "Is that better?"
"Yes, thank you."
"I never thanked you for the painting."
"Do you like it?"
"Very much." His fingertips stroked the soft curve of a tanned cheek. "Why did you not leave when I told you to go?"
“Because you need me my lord, no matter how you may wish to deny it.”
"And why are you here, beside me?"
"You once said you liked having me here beside you when you woke," Naruto replied candidly. "Should I go?"
"No." Sasuke tightened his arms around the blond. "My deathlike sleep does not frighten you?"
"A little."
"You are a most amazing child."
"I'm not a child, my lord." Though he supposed, to one of Sasuke’s vast age, Naruto seemed very young indeed. "Your face." He lifted a hand to a marble smooth cheek, his eyes wide with wonder. Sasuke’s skin, though still red, didn't look nearly as bad as it had the night before. "’Tis much better."
Sasuke glanced at his hand. The awful rawness was gone, though the skin had not completely re-generated. Other injuries healed overnight while he slept, but burns always took longer to heal.
"No doubt I'll frighten your siblings when they see my face."
"The wedding!" Naruto bolted upright. "What time is it?"
"Near six."
"Six. And we're to be wed at seven! Why didn't you wake me sooner!" Naruto exclaimed, and then blushed furiously.
Sasuke laughed softly as colour flooded Naruto’s cheeks. "You have not changed your mind, then?"
"No, but I've got to go." Naruto stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll never be ready in time. I've got to bathe, dress, arrange my hair..." He bent to brush a kiss over Sasuke’s lips. "I've got to go."
"Take your time, sweet Naruto. There's never yet been a wedding that wouldn't wait for the bride."
.
.
.
The chapel was located on the far side of the castle. Built of white stone, it shimmered beneath the light of a full moon. An intricately carved wooden cross stood to one side of the arched double doors. Lacy willows whispered secrets to the night while shadows played hide and seek with the moon.
Sasuke stood in the darkness, his gaze fixed on the chapel. He had been inside only once in all the years that the castle had been his.
He whirled around as a familiar scent reached his nostrils. "Madam." He bowed at the waist.
"Is there nothing I can say to persuade you to call off this wedding?"
Sasuke shook his head. "Nothing. He will be mine."
"What are you?"
He glanced away, then met her gaze once more. "I love your brother Lady Hinata. I swear I will do him no harm."
"I don't believe you."
Sasuke shrugged. “I find your concern well placed but rather late.”
"What do you mean?"
"Have you forgotten Chiyo sold Naruto to me?"
Hot colour surged into Lady Hinata’s cheeks. "Of course I've not forgotten!"
"I could keep him with me for the rest of his life," Sasuke said quietly. "Do not begrudge me a single year." He lifted his head, his senses testing the breeze. "He's here," he said, and whirling away from Naruto's sister, he disappeared into the darkness.
He entered the chapel through a side door and took his place at the altar. The light from a dozen tall wax candles filled the edifice with a soft golden glow.
Neji Hyuuga stood beside him, his expression solemn. Hyuuga, who preferred coats in brilliant hues of green and gold, looked almost subdued in a dark blue coat, striped cravat, and buff-coloured breeches.
Iruka, looking solemn and quite handsome in a dark brown suit and cravat, sat alone in the front pew on the left. Naruto's young siblings along with Kakashi sat on the right. Sasuke did not miss the furtive glances that Iruka sent in Kakashi's direction, or the wink and coy smile Kakashi gave in return when he caught Iruka looking his way.
The priest took his place at the altar. And then he saw Naruto. Hinata and Akari walked him down the aisle, but Sasuke had eyes only for Naruto. He wore a full white suit; the roll collar of his dress coat was silk that shimmered in the moonlight. A soft white dress shirt, with button up corset, that had golden branches embroidered throughout, matching the golden silk tie around his neck. His trousers, also white, was tailored to suit his thighs and long legs. He looked like an angel, Sasuke thought, the very essence of purity and light.
He was aware of Hinata's tears, of the jealousy that radiated from Hyuuga like waves of heat off hot desert sand. He sensed Iruka's good wishes, the misgivings of the priest.
The small chapel seemed to resonate with the sound of their combined heartbeats, their thoughts clamoured inside his head, a chorus of unwanted voices.
I love you, Naruto. I pray you will be happy.
Does he know what he's doing? Is it too late to warn him?
I'll miss you, Naruto. Please come and see us often.
He felt Kakashi's concern, Hyuuga's broken heart, the priest's anxiety, Hinata's curiosity as she wondered what had happened to the left side of his face, Akari's certainty that all the wealth in the world would not be enough to make her live in Castle Uchiha with its dark lord.
He took a deep breath, and his nostrils filled with the scent of the blood flowing in their veins. But he had fed well this night, and the hunger slept within him.
And then Naruto was there, at his side, and he blocked everything from his mind but the beauty of the young man who was about to become his bride. He could hear the excited drumming of the blond’s heart as blue eyes looked up at him. His skin was soft and warm, his eyes shining with love as he placed his hand in his.
Together, they turned to face the priest.
The ceremony was brief. Sasuke listened to the words that bound the two of them together and thought he had never heard more beautiful words spoken in all his life.
And then it was over, and Naruto was his. He could not stay the trembling of his hands as he gently cuffed Naruto’s face. Never, in four hundred years, had he imagined a moment like this. Time lost all meaning as he gazed down at those blue eyes, glowing skin, imprinting this time as he gazed down at the blond, imprinting the image deep in his mind and heart so he could recall the quiet beauty of Naruto’s face and form when he was gone.
"You may now kiss your beloved," the priest repeated in a loud whisper.
Sasuke nodded. And then, with a near forgotten sense of reverence, he drew Naruto into his arms and kissed him. I love you, sweet Naruto. I swear to love you and care for you so long as you are mine.
Naruto looked up at him when he ended the kiss. Had he imagined Sasuke’s voice in his mind?
"I love you, sweet Naruto," Sasuke said quietly. "I swear to love you and care for you so long as you are mine."
Sasuke repeated the words with quiet intensity, the same words Naruto had heard in his mind. Before he could ponder what it meant, Kakashi and siblings surrounded him, creating a barrier between he and Sasuke.
"Congratulations, my lord," Neji said, offering Sasuke his hand. "I hope you and your bride will be happy together."
"Thank you, Hyuuga," Sasuke replied sincerely. "I know how hard this has been for you."
"Indeed." Hyuuga glanced over at Naruto, who was being hugged, kissed and congratulated by his small family.
Never had the blond looked more beautiful, more innocent. More desirable. "Would you mind if I kissed the bride?"
"It's tradition, I believe."
With a nod, Neji made his way toward Naruto. "I wish you every happiness," he said, taking his hands.
"Thank you, Neji."
His gaze held blue. "You are happy then? This is what you want—not what he wants?"
“Believe me Neji, it’s what I want. I've never been happier.”
"Then I'm glad, for your sake." Bending, he kissed Naruto’s cheek, then whispered, "If you ever need anything, you have only to send word, and I'll be here."
"Thank you, Neji."
With a nod, Neji turned away and left the chapel.
Iruka had prepared a late supper for the guests. If anyone thought it odd that the groom didn't eat, no one said anything.
When the meal was over, Hinata insisted on giving her husband a tour of the castle and urged Naruto, Kakashi and their siblings to go along, even though they'd already seen it.
With a helpless shrug, Naruto went with the others.
Alone in the dining room, Sasuke sat back in his chair, one hand curled around a crystal goblet. He drained the glass in a single long swallow, refilled it, and drank again.
Naruto was his bride. Soon, he would make the blond his in the most intimate sense of the word. The mere idea frightened him as nothing else had.
He filled the glass a third time, determined to drown the hunger in a river of blood in hopes that his bride would be safe in his arms. "Have I done the right thing, Iruka?"
Iruka paused in the doorway. Even after fifty years, it sometimes surprised him that his master could read his thoughts, could sense his presence even before he entered the room.
"My lord?"
"I'm..." he took a deep breath as he contemplated the crimson droplets that shimmered in the bottom of the goblet,"... afraid."
"Naruto loves you, my lord. He trusts you."
Sasuke nodded. "But can I trust myself?" Iruka crossed the floor. Kneeling before his master, he rolled up his shirtsleeve and extended his arm. "Take what you need, my lord."
Sasuke lifted the empty goblet. "This should be sufficient."
"On this night, the blood of sheep may not be strong enough to keep the hunger at bay."
Sasuke nodded, silently admitting the truth in his servant's words. And then, humbled by the understanding in Iruka's eyes, ashamed of the need that controlled him, his fingers closed around the other man's wrist.
.
.
.
"Have they gone?" Sasuke stood up as Naruto entered the study.
"Yes. Why did you not come out and say goodbye?"
Sasuke snorted softly, remembering the way Hinata had looked at him, as if he were a bug that needed squashing. "I doubt I was missed."
"Sasuke, what a thing to say!"
"Your elder sisters bear me no love, my sweet, and your siblings look upon me as though I were a cross between an ogre and a warlock. I thought to spare them all my odious presence."
Naruto wanted to argue, but knew it was useless.
Hinata and Akari had spent many a day trying to talk him out of marrying the Lord of Castle Uchiha; his younger siblings had admitted Sasuke was quite handsome, but they, too, feared Naruto was making a grave mistake.
"You look wondrous fair, my sweet Naruto. White suits you, but then, what else would an angel wear?"
"And black suits you," Naruto replied.
He smiled as his blue eyed gaze moved over the dark lord. His black broadcloth coat emphasised the spread of his shoulders; the velvet lapels added a touch of elegance. He wore a black cravat, black trousers, and black boots. The white of his fine linen shirt provided a stark contrast.
"Truly, I have never known such a handsome man all my life."
Sasuke chuckled softly as he swung Naruto into his arms and carried him up the winding staircase to the east tower. "And have you known many men in your short life?"
"No, nor do I desire to do so. You are man enough for me, my lord."
"I am not a man at all," Sasuke said quietly, and emphasised that fact by opening the tower door with the power of his mind.
Naruto placed his hand over Sasuke’s mouth as he carried him into his bedroom, then set Naruto on his feet. "We will not dwell upon that tonight, my lord husband."
He removed his hand from the dark lord’s mouth and replaced it with his lips, kissing him deeply, passionately. He had no need to be cautious now.
Sasuke was his husband, and he could touch him to his heart's content. To prove it, he pressed himself against the other, the smoothness of his wedding attire whispering against his clothing.
Sasuke groaned low in his throat when Naruto skimmed his tongue along his lower lip, gasped with surprise when Naruto bit him.
"Careful, love," Sasuke warned. "You will not like what my blood will do to you."
Naruto leaned back a little so he could see Sasuke’s face. "What will it do?"
"Enough of it will make you as I am, a creature damned for eternity, doomed to live forever in darkness. You do not want that, my sweet."
Sasuke did not mention that to make Naruto as he was he would first have to drink from him, to the point of death, or that he would then have to drink his accursed blood to return from the abyss of eternity.
“Surely a little would not harm me,” he remarked, repulsed yet intrigued by the thought of tasting his immortal blood.
"No." But a tremor of excitement tightened his loins as he imagined the blond’s teeth at his neck.
"Will you help me out of my dressings, my lord?" he asked, blue eyes shining with mischief.
"It will be my pleasure."
"I hope so, my lord," he retorted, and turned his back to him as he slid his coat off his shoulders, slowly.
Sasuke was surprised to find his fingers trembling as he reached for the blond, finding the smooth tiny buttons of the white silk white corset that secured the smooth sun kissed skin. As his fingers gently flicked each button, he lowered his head, kissing the smooth tanned nape, the shallow vee between the blond’s shoulders. With the corset finally off, he moved to remove the white shirt next, his fingertips gently dragged across tanned heated skin, while the shirt silently slipped off Naruto’s shoulders and to the floor.
He gently turned the blond around, marvelling in the sight of the tanned toned chest, rosy coloured nipples, lines of muscles and blue eyes were hooded and darkened with excitement.
Dropping to his knees, his hands trailing Naruto’s ribs and hips, he removed the trousers, then slid his hands over the curve of the blond’s calf. Не paused to massage the hollow behind the knee, then his hand moved up the length thigh, lingering there a moment before sliding his fingers beneath the band of the light cotton underpants. Naruto’s breath hitched, his heartbeat sped up and Sasuke could hear the smooth pumping of his love’s heart and quickened breaths from pink lips with each touch.
Licking his lips, he tugged loose the tie that secured the undergarment, sliding the soft garment down smooth hips, curved ass and down each leg, feeling the inferno of heat coming from tanned skin.
Naruto shivered with pleasure as Sasuke’s hands trailed down from his most intimate area to the ankles of his feet. His hands, though cool, caused his insides to flame with desire. His breath hitched when Sasuke nuzzled his nose into his groin, planting soft kisses on his sensitive skin, and his knees almost buckled when Sasuke’s lips found the head of his cock.
His fingers gripped dark locks tightly to hold his balance, and Sasuke let out a quiet chuckle that had Naruto feel suddenly embarrassed at the situation. He quickly released the dark lord's hair and tried to step back. But strong large hands on his hips had him stay where he was, and dark eyes gleamed up at him, a small smile on Sasuke’s lips as he slowly began to stand.
When Sasuke stood up, his eyes giving a silent challenge, courage returned to the blond and Naruto began to undress him, his hands eager, curious, as they rid him of his coat, vest, cravat and shirt. He grinned as Sasuke’s breathing increased in tempo with every item of clothing he tossed aside. The dark lord was trembling visibly by the time he stood naked before him.
Head tilted to one side, Naruto regarded the man who was now his husband. Lord Sasuke was tall and muscular, broad shouldered and slim hipped. His skin was the colour of pale cream, unblemished, save for the half healed burns on his left cheek and hand. His legs were long and straight, his stomach ridged with muscle. His breath caught in his throat, and he felt his cheeks flame, as his gaze skimmed over that part of Sasuke that made him a man. For some reason, Naruto hadn't expected him to be so well endowed.
Sasuke basked in the warmth of Naruto's gaze upon his naked flesh. The touch of blue eyes was like fire, chasing away the cold, the darkness. It had been over four hundred years since anyone had looked at him with longing instead of terror.
He glanced at the bed, and into his mind came the image of the last woman he had taken to his bed. Even now, after more than four hundred years, he could see her clearly, her brown eyes open and filled with horror. Her body, drained of blood, had been almost as white as the sheet upon which she lay. The drops of bright red blood that had fallen from his lips had added a garish note colour to the macabre scene.
His desire shrivelled at the memory.
What is it?" Naruto asked. "What's wrong?"
Sasuke looked down at the blond, his eyes filled with torment and a deep seated fear. "Naruto... I cannot…”
Naruto knew immediately what Sasuke was afraid of. Wrapping his arms around the dark haired man’s neck, he drew his head down and kissed him.
“It will be alright, my lord husband," Naruto murmured. "I'm not afraid."
"Naruto…”
Naruto kissed him again, warm tan hands gliding over broad shoulders, sliding over his chest, each touch a little bolder, until the dark lord was on fire for the blond, until his fear was smothered by the love he felt for this man who had taken him into his heart, into the very sanctuary of his soul.
He carried the blond to the bed and placed him reverently upon it. For a timeless moment, he stared down at the blond beauty, imprinting the image on his mind against the time when he would be gone, and then, gently, he lowered himself over him, intent on making the blond his.
He laid kisses upon tanned skin, on every inch he could touch; tonguing, tasting, creating waves of shivers in the blond. Naruto’s body jerked from the sensations, lewd breathy moans escaped the blond’s plump pink lips and his body arched when Sasuke’s fingers probed the sensitive and innocent entrance.
Stretching and thrusting gently with his oiled fingers, Sasuke took his time, ensuring that that blond would be prepared for his swollen manhood. When Naruto’s body began to move in time with the gentle movement of his fingers, he mounted between smooth tanned legs and with gentle movements, he sheathed himself within the blond’s welcome embrace.
Naruto was warm wine and honey in his arms, intoxicating and sweet, and he knew if he lived a thousand years, he would never forget this night.
Naruto cried Sasuke’s name as all thought, all reason, was swept aside in a whirlpool of sensation. He felt loved, cherished, protected, but it was more than that and he knew—knew that what he was sharing with Sasuke was far beyond what he would have experienced in the arms of a mortal man.
Love and longing and flesh merged together.
Naruto sensed the dark lord was holding back, and knew Sasuke was afraid of hurting him. Closing his eyes, he felt his soul blend with Sasuke’s, and as his passion bloomed, he let his heart speak to the other, assuring the dark lord of his love, promising that he would never be alone again.
For a moment, Naruto was overwhelmed by feelings he knew were Sasuke’s — fear of causing him pain, the loneliness of four centuries, the constant yearning for that which was forbidden, and then, swept up in an ocean of need with Sasuke’s girth hitting and rubbing deep sensitive spots within him — Naruto plunged over the abyss into ecstasy, Sasuke’s name a cry on his lips as he convulsed beneath him.
And then he felt Sasuke's body convulse above him, his cock swelling as it released its seed and heard the darked haired lord whisper his name as he buried his face in the hollow of his neck.
Seconds later, Naruto felt the quick sharp bite of Sasuke’s teeth at his throat, felt a wave of heat surge through him that blended with the shudders of pleasure rippling through every fibre of his being.
His body twisted and jerked with pleasurable sparks, moans escaping his lips. Never had he felt such exquisite rapture.
Warmth spread through him. He was now drifting, floating in a hazy world of sensation, drowning in a sea of crimson silk...
"Naruto? Naruto?"
Sasuke’s voice drew him back to reality. He shook his head, wanting to sink deeper into the scarlet cocoon.
"Are you all right?" Sasuke asked anxiously. "Did I hurt you? Naruto? Naruto, speak to me!"
Slowly, eyelids fluttered open and Naruto smiled, his blue eyes glowing with pleasure. "I've never been more all right in my whole life, my lord husband."
Weak with relief, Sasuke stared at the two tiny puncture wounds in the blond’s neck. The hunger had not overpowered him. He had not savaged Naruto’s throat, or drained him to the point of death. He had taken only a little, a single swallow, no more, and it had been enough. One swallow of Naruto’s sweet essence had appeased his hellish thirst as completely as making love to him had fulfilled his desire.
Relief washed through him. Perhaps there was hope for them after all. Gently, tenderly, he ran his tongue over the tiny wounds on Naruto’s neck. They would be gone by morning.
Rolling onto his side, he carried Naruto with him, holding him close. The musky scent of their lovemaking filled the room.
Naruto sighed with contentment as he made lazy circles on Sasuke’s smooth back. "Tell me what it was like in the beginning," he said, "when you were first made a vampire."
"I've already told you how I was made."
Naruto shifted in his arms, pressing himself against Sasuke’s muscular chest. “I want to know more. I want to know everything." Blue eyes kept their hold on the midnight black ones.
Absently, his hand stroked blond hair. "In the beginning, the hunger ruled me. I was terrified of the hunger, of the pain that engulfed me when I abstained. I killed and killed again." He looked past Naruto, remembering the beginning as if it had been yesterday, regretting the lives he had taken that he might have spared.
"Once I had been a knight, a man of honour. Now I was nothing but a monster ruled by fear. Each life I took added a burden of guilt to my soul, or what was left of it. I hated what I had become, hated the killing, hated the hunger that was my master. I longed for death, but I was afraid." He laughed softly, bitterly. "I, who had once been a knight without equal, lacked the courage to give myself to the sun and end the hell in which I was living.”
"It wasn't until years later, when I met Orochimaru, that I learned I didn't have to kill to live, that I could take a mortal's blood without taking his life. Fuuka had never told me that, never taken the time to explain that it wasn't necessary to kill to appease the hunger. But then, Fuuka enjoyed the hunt, the smell of fear. The kill.”
He felt the old anger rise within him as he spoke his creator's name. Fuuka could have told him so much, made his transition from mortal to immortal so much easier to bear.
"I'm glad she made you a vampire," Naruto murmured, snuggling closer against him.
"Are you?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice.
"Indeed." Naruto gazed into his eyes and saw himself reflected in the inky depths. "If she had never made you what you are, you would have died long ago, and I would never have known you."
"I love you, Naruto," Sasuke whispered, his voice raw with emotion. "You will never know how much you mean to me."
"You could show me, my lord husband," Naruto responded with a beguiling smile, tracing a fingertip suggestively down Sasuke’s firm muscular chest.
Sasuke growled playfully as his arms tightened around the blond, as though he feared he might disappear from his sight. "I shall do my best," he murmured, brushing his lips across the blond’s. "So long as I am able."
Naruto purred in response as Sasuke gently rolled them to mount him once more. Lewd moans escaped his lips feeling strong hands push his legs up, thick cock easily slip into his slickened and well stretched hole and Sasuke’s tongue conquered his mouth once more. He slipped his ankles together behind the dark lords back, with each deep thrust, his own cock stimulated once more between their bodies.
Sasuke’s muscles tightened and flexed with each thrust, each push, his fingers gripping tanned thighs while heated velvet walls of his love continuously pulsed around his swollen member. Naruto’s gasps, lewd moans and nails dragging across his back sparked his lust to create more of those sounds, more vibrations and erotic music from his mate’s body.
But he would take his time, Naruto deserved all the simulations of pleasure at all angles and Sasuke was determined to provide.