A new beginning
Naruto woke shortly after four the following afternoon, his lips turning up in a smile as he remembered the night before. Making love to Sasuke had been everything, and more, than he had hoped.
Sasuke. His husband. After lighting the candle on the bedside table, he rolled over and felt the smile fade from his lips when he saw Sasuke lying beside him. Hardly breathing, Sasuke lay as still as death beneath the blankets. The skin on his left cheek, once ravaged by the faint light of the rising sun, was nearly healed.
He stared at the dark lord a long while, a part of his joy diminishing with the full realisation of what it meant to be married to a vampire. They would never get up early in the morning and watch the sunrise together; never linger over a quiet breakfast; never share the joy of watching their children grow. Sasuke would never be able to accompany him when he went shopping in the village, or stroll down a fashionable street in the middle of the afternoon.
From this day on, he would have to spend the daylight hours alone, or adjust his days to Sasuke’s. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to a smooth cheek. Sasuke’s skin, always cool, seemed more so now.
Drawing away, Naruto glanced at his surroundings. There were no windows in this room, no lights of any kind save for the single candle guttering on the bedside table.
Feeling suddenly trapped, Naruto slid out of bed and made his way to where he thought the door should be. He ran his hands over the smooth stone, his movements becoming jerky with desperation when he couldn't find the way out. It had to be there! But where? He felt a surge of panic as he realised that he couldn't get out, that even though the chamber held a bed and a table, it was no more than a crypt.
He glanced at Sasuke, lying still as death upon black silk sheets.
Vampire. Undead.
He knew Sasuke would never hurt him, knew there was nothing to fear. Naruto reminded himself of how much he loved the dark lord, of the ecstasy he had found the night before, but to no avail. A wild unreasoning panic grasped him firmly in its clutches, and at that moment, he had no thought save to escape.
"Help me!" Naruto pounded his hands on the cold stone wall. "Help me! Iruka, please, let me out!"
The underlying hysteria in Naruto’s voice, the rapid thudding of his heart, penetrated Sasuke's deathlike sleep. Naruto! He was afraid, in danger...
"Naruto..."
Naruto whirled around at the sound of Sasuke’s voice, too frightened to wonder how the vampire could be awake when the sun was up. "I can't get out!"
With an effort, Sasuke focused on the faint light of the candle, fighting through layers of darkness toward consciousness. Summoning what energy he could, he focused his mind on the doorway, heard Naruto’s sigh of relief as the portal slid open, and then he was gone. For a timeless moment, he stared at the open door and at the empty room beyond. And then the darkness enveloped him once more.
Later, sitting in his room after a hot bath, Naruto realised how foolish he had been to flee from Sasuke’s presence. The room where the dark lord passed the day was only a room, after all. Feeling sheepish, he slipped into his sleeping shirt, drew on a robe, and climbed the stairway to the east tower. He would spend what was left of the day beside Sasuke, be there when he woke.
He felt himself smiling with anticipation when he entered the outer room, thinking how pleased and surprised Sasuke would be to find him there, but the portal that led to the inner chamber was closed. Crossing the floor, he found the distinguishing mark in the stone and placed his hand on it, but nothing happened. He pushed against it, then knocked softly hoping Sasuke would hear him, and then called his name.
"Sasuke?" He pressed his ear to the stone, but could hear nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat. Frowning, he called again, and then again.
Discouraged, he went to the window and watched as the sun sank from sight in a blaze of crimson. The colour reminded him of blood and death, of red wine in a crystal glass. He had married a vampire. The thought, which should have given him pause, filled him with joy. Naruto was Sasuke’s, truly his, and soon Sasuke would rise to be with him again. Anticipation fluttered deep within his heart.
He whirled around when he heard the portal slide open. Sasuke appeared in the doorway. He was dressed all in black from his shirt to his boots, and his cloak fell in graceful folds to the floor. Naruto smiled, his heart skipping a beat as his gaze moved over the dark lord. How handsome he was, and how much Naruto loved him.
“Good evening, my lord." He started toward him, then stopped, his smile frozen in place by the icy expression in Sasuke’s eyes.
Dark eyed gaze swept over him as if he were a stranger. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to be with you when you awoke."
He lifted one black brow in a look of clear disbelief. "I find that difficult to believe, considering your eagerness to flee my presence earlier.”
Naruto lifted his chin, determined to make Sasuke understand. "It wasn't you I was running from.”
"Indeed? Need I remind you there was no one else in the room?"
"It was the room I was running from, my lord, not you."
Sasuke regarded the blond for a moment, then glanced over his shoulder into the room behind him. "What was it that frightened you?" he asked, his voice heavily laced with sarcasm. "The bed? The armoire?" His gaze was hard and cold as it met Naruto again. "The table, perhaps?"
"It was the room," Naruto repeated. "I felt trapped because I couldn't get out. I couldn't find the door, and there are no windows, and… I… It was foolish, I know, but I couldn't help it."
Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes like shards of black glass as he stared at the blond. When Sasuke spoke, his voice flowed over him like a wave of dark, bitter water. "Are you sure it wasn't the corpse on the bed that frightened you?"
Naruto regarded the other for a moment, dismayed by his anger, and then realised it wasn't anger Sasuke was feeling, but a keen sense of disappointment and hurt. "Sasuke, don't! Please, don't."
"I cannot change what I am, Naruto, not even for you."
"I'm not asking you to change."
"Look at me, Naruto. This is what I am."
Naruto wanted to look away, to run from the room, away from the pain he had caused the dark lord. Instead, he held his ground and challenged the dark lord’s gaze.
And Sasuke let Naruto see him as he saw himself, a man who lived but did not grow old, who was, and was not. Four hundred years a vampire, and the hunger was still his master. He had learned to control it, but never to subdue it. He unleashed it now, let it rise up within him until he knew his eyes burned with need. He drew back his lips so that the blond could see the sharp white fangs he had always kept carefully hidden from his view.
It was a sight that had terrified others. It terrified Naruto, as well. Every instinct he possessed urged him to flee, to run from the dark lord’s presence and his house and never return.
Instead, he clenched his fists at his sides and held his ground, determined to prove that he wasn't afraid, to convince Sasuke once and for all that he loved him, that it didn't matter what he was so long as he loved in return.
A strangled sound that might have been a growl or a sob rumbled deep in Sasuke’s throat. He took a determined step toward the blond, wondering if he would bolt from the room. He saw blue eyes widen as he closed the distance between them, sensed the blond’s uneasiness. He could hear the frightened pounding of Naruto’s heart, see the rapid pulse throbbing in the hollow of his throat, but the blond stood firm. Everything he was feeling mirrored in the clear blue depths of his eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Sasuke leashed the ravening beast within him. He had let Naruto see him as he was. Would the blond leave him now? A part of him, that part that feared for Naruto’s safety, prayed he would go, even as the more selfish part of his nature hoped he would stay. You could make him stay. He dismissed the thought before it was fully formed. He would not keep Naruto against his will.
"Naruto, will you come to me?"
"Always, my lord," Naruto replied tremulously.
Hardly daring to believe, Sasuke held out his arms, and waited. With more bravery than he thought the blond possessed, Naruto took the steps that put him within his grasp. Blue eyes looked up at him, love and trust shining in those eyes as he drew Naruto into his arms and then, with a sigh that seemed to come from the very depths of his soul, a warm tanned cheek rested against his chest and Naruto closed his eyes.
"Could we not leave your chamber door open, my lord?" he asked after a time.
Tenderly, he stroked blond hair. "If you wish, my sweet. I shall have Iruka install a bolt on both sides of the tower door, and you shall have the only keys. You must promise to lock the door from the outside if you leave the inner chamber during the day."
"As you wish, my lord."
He held Naruto close for endless moments, basking in his nearness, chiding himself for his earlier fit of temper. It had taken years for him to adjust to being vampire; he was a fool to think Naruto could adjust to what he was in a matter of days. And yet they had so little time...
He grinned as he heard the faint rumble of Naruto’s stomach. "Come,” he said, taking the blond’s hand, “let us go down and see what Iruka had prepared for our supper."
"I am hungry," Naruto admitted. "Have you eaten nothing in all these years?"
"Nothing."
"Have you tried?"
He nodded curtly. He had tried, but only once. That had been enough. Soon after he'd been made, before he had fully accepted what he was, he had gone into a tavern and ordered a meal. He had forced it down even though the smell of cooked meat had sickened him. And then he had gone outside and been violently ill. He had not endeavoured to eat solid food again.
Naruto sighed and shrugged. "It doesn't matter."
"Would you prefer to dine alone?"
"No," Naruto said quickly. "Please don't think that. It's just that Iruka is such a good cook, I wish you could enjoy what he prepares."
When they reached the dining room, Sasuke held out a chair for the blond, then took his usual place across from him.
A few minutes later, Iruka entered the room bearing a large silver tray that held a covered plate, a decanter, a crystal goblet, a silver teapot, and a delicate china cup. He placed the decanter and goblet in front of Sasuke, then served Naruto's dinner.
"Thank you, Iruka," Naruto said, smiling at him. "It smells wonderful."
"Thank you, my lord."
"Iruka, I want you to install a heavy lock on the tower door, both inside and out, and give the keys to Naruto."
"Yes, my lord. I'll see to it tomorrow, first thing.”
===================================
Sasuke had expected his bride to make changes in his life, and he did. In the weeks that followed, Naruto transformed the interior of the castle from a dark, dreary place into a home.
The fireplace in his chamber, which had been used but rarely, blazed cheerfully every evening, adding warmth and light to a room that had ever been cold and dark.
The black canopy and linens were stripped from the bed. The new canopy cover was made of dark blue velvet with gold tassels. The new sheets were white linen, the comforter the same dark blue velvet as the canopy.
Naruto brought in a delicate oil lamp made of amber glass and brass so he could read in bed.
He bought a small cherry wood table and two overstuffed chairs covered in a dark blue fabric so they could sit in front of the fireplace in the evening.
Gradually, more of Naruto’s clothes took up residence beside his in the armoire and the blond’s shoes rested beside his. His bedchamber, once as cold and barren as the grave, soon became a room vibrant with the life of its newest lord of the castle.
Sitting before the hearth late one night, waiting for Naruto to join him, he realised anew how alone, how separate, he had lived from the rest of humanity.
And he wondered how he would ever let Naruto go.
He had voiced a desire to visit London, where he had never been, to stay in one of the plush hotels, to take in a play, to dine in one of the city's fanciest restaurants. And Sasuke, finding himself more deeply in love with the blond each passing day, never thought to deny him.
Deciding they would make a holiday of it, they packed a small trunk and left the castle two nights later.
Naruto was thrilled by the idea of spending time in London. Sasuke had told him he could spend his days shopping, so long as he took Iruka with him, and the blond could buy whatever he pleased for himself, and for his family.
Sasuke really was the most generous of men, Naruto thought as he watched the countryside pass by in a blur of moon dappled trees and rolling hills.
The shelter in the village now housed five women, two infants, a crippled old man, and a homeless ten year old boy, providing them with a place to live, clean beds to sleep in, food to eat. Because Sasuke had declared that he did not believe in handouts, Naruto had found ways for those who lived in the shelter to help each other. The women took turns doing the washing and the ironing, the old man looked after the babies when their mothers were busy, and the boy gathered firewood. It was an arrangement that suited everyone.
Pushing thoughts of the shelter aside, he glanced over his shoulder at his husband. Sasuke was watching him, a half smile playing over his lips.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Naruto asked.
"Like what, my sweet?"
"Like I was a mouse, and you a hungry cat."
"Perhaps because I am hungry, and you look very tasty."
A shiver of anticipation ran down Naruto’s spine, followed by a little chill of apprehension. "Did you not eat before we left home?"
"A glass of wine."
"It did not satisfy you, my lord?"
Slowly, Sasuke shook his head. Naruto could feel the dark gaze on the pulse throbbing in his throat, felt his heart begin to beat faster as he imagined Sasuke bending over him, his teeth grazing his tender flesh.
"Naruto..." Sasuke’s voice was low and raw, and underlying it like a dark shadow, Naruto heard the faintest hint of pain.
"My lord?" He tucked his hands under his legs to hide their trembling.
Sasuke’s dark gaze met his. Naruto saw the unspoken question in the depths of his eyes, and knew the dark lord would not take what he did not offer freely. They had made love often in the two weeks since their marriage, but he had not drunk from him again. Remembering that Sasuke had once told him he must occasionally take human blood to survive, Naruto wondered if Sasuke had taken nourishment elsewhere.
The thought of Sasuke turning to another to satisfy his need for blood filled Naruto with an odd sort of jealousy. He was Sasuke’s, after all. If Sasuke needed sustenance, Naruto would give it to him. He tilted his head to one side, granting the dark lord easy access to his throat.
Wordlessly, Sasuke’s cool fingers closed over his shoulders as he drew him into an embrace. He sighed with delight as Sasuke’s lips teased the sensitive skin along his neck. He closed his eyes as he felt the sharp prick of the vampire’s fangs, gave himself over to the sensual pleasure that flowed through him at Sasuke’s touch.
Too soon, he drew away, his dark eyes filled with concern. "Naruto?"
Blue eyes gazed up at him through eyes hazy with desire. "Surely you can't have taken enough so soon.”
"Quite enough." Sasuke caressed a tanned cheek, loving the blond for his willingness to give him that which he needed, despising himself for being at the mercy of what he was, for having to take the very essence of his life to survive. "Naruto..." He wanted to tell the blond how very precious he was to him, how much his generosity meant to him, but there weren't words enough to convey what he was feeling.
Naruto snuggled closer. "I love you, Sasuke," he murmured, and then, with a sigh, he fell asleep in Sasuke’s arms.
He watched the blond sleep, one hand idly stroking blond hair. Never before had he realised the awesome responsibility that came with love.
===============================
Naruto glanced around, unable to believe the splendour of his surroundings. Sasuke had taken two adjoining suites in London's finest hotel. He walked around, admiring the paintings, the plush carpets, the luxurious draperies, while Iruka unpacked their belongings. Sasuke sat in a chair, watching him, his mouth turned up in wry amusement.
"You're pleased?" he asked.
"Oh, yes. It's lovely. What shall we do first?"
"Whatever you wish, my sweet."
"Could we go for a walk?”
"If you wish." Rising, he settled his cloak on his shoulders, then helped Naruto into his coat. It was new, made of deep rich burgundy velvet trimmed in black fur.
Naruto glanced in the mirror, smiling at his image. He looked like one of the wealthy, he mused. No one, seeing him now, would ever guess that he had been born in a small, remote village, or that he was the child of an orphanage who’s lady of the house had sold him, the oldest, to provide for the rest of the household.
Naruto was suddenly eager to go shopping, to buy gifts for the children. New clothing and hats and perhaps a trinket or two. The only thing that marred his excitement was the fact that Sasuke would not be able to go with him.
Standing behind Naruto, Sasuke felt his heart swell with emotions he had not experienced in centuries—love, jealousy, tenderness, an almost overpowering urge to protect the blond. His hands clenched at his sides with the knowledge that what Naruto most needed protecting from was himself.
"Ready?" Naruto whirled around, his cheeks flushed, his eyes glowing.
With a nod, Sasuke offered his arm and they left the hotel.
They spent the next two hours wandering the streets of the city. Most of the shops had closed for the night, so Naruto was surprised when, every time Sasuke knocked on a shop door, they were permitted to enter.
"I sent Iruka round earlier to make arrangements," Sasuke explained.
Naruto felt like royalty as he moved through some of London's most exclusive shops. He had only to look at something, to wonder what it cost, what the children would think, and it was his. He picked out many various items for all the children at the orphanage.
"But you've bought nothing for yourself," Sasuke remarked.
"I have everything I need."
"Then I shall pick something for you," he said, and guiding him into a jewellery shop, he purchased a small gold heart-shaped locket on a fine gold chain.
"It's beautiful," Naruto exclaimed softly. He turned his back to Sasuke while he fastened the chain.
Sasuke’s lips brushed his nape. "It's to remind you that my heart is yours," he murmured. His breath fanned tanned skin, making Naruto shiver with anticipation of the time when they would be alone again.
Naruto's fingers brushed the locket. "I should like to have our portrait done to put inside," he remarked as they left the shop.
Sasuke was about to refuse outright, but then he saw the eagerness in blue eyes. "One day, perhaps."
Iruka was waiting for them when they returned to the hotel.
"My bride has made numerous purchases," Sasuke remarked. He helped Naruto out of his coat and tossed it over a chair, then shrugged off his cloak and laid it across the foot of the bed.
"They should be arriving on the morrow."
"Yes, my lord. I'll take care of everything. Will there be anything else?" Iruka asked in a bow.
"No. You may retire for the night.”
"Yes, my lord." With a slight bow in Naruto's direction, Iruka took his leave.
Sasuke moved up behind Naruto and began to unfasten the buttons on his shirt. Naruto shivered with pleasure as Sasuke’s fingers brushed against his skin.
"You are so beautiful," Sasuke murmured, dropping kisses on tanned shoulders. The shirt slid to the floor. "So warm. So alive…" He caressed Naruto out of his undergarments until he stood naked before him. "I cannot believe you are here, that you are mine."
Naruto turned to face him, his arms twining around Sasuke’s neck as he pressed himself against the dark lord. "Believe it, my lord Sasuke," he whispered huskily, and covered his mouth with his.
Sasuke's arms circled his waist, drawing the blond in closer, revelling in the warmth of his body, the sweet succulent scent that clung to his tanned skin, the softness of blond hair. Naruto pulsed with warmth and life, intoxicating him with his nearness. He could hear the blond’s heartbeat increase as he deepened the kiss. The scent of Naruto’s desire filled his nostrils; he could smell the blood flowing in his veins, hot and sweet.
Naruto’s hands trembled with eagerness as he divested Sasuke of his clothing until there was nothing between them but desire.
"Naruto." Just his name, but Naruto heard the words Sasuke couldn't say, heard the love in his voice, the need, the fear. Always the fear, Naruto thought, saddened that their love was tainted by it.
With a smile of reassurance, Naruto took the dark lord by the hand and led him to the bed. Drawing back the covers, he sat down on the mattress and drew Sasuke down beside him.
"Love me, my lord." He caressed his smooth cheek. "I think I shall die if you don't kiss me."
Naruto regretted his choice of words as soon as they left his lips. Though unspoken, he heard Sasuke's reply echo in his mind: And you might die if I do.
Naruto pressed himself against the other, loving the touch of their bare skin against each other. Sasuke fell back on the mattress, carrying him down, his arms locking around his waist in a desperate embrace, his mouth closing over his, his tongue teasing and demanding.
Desire unfurled within him, like a flower opening to the sun. Threading his fingers through dark hair, Naruto kissed him with all the love and passion in his heart. His hands skimmed Sasuke’s body, boldly exploring, learning anew what made the dark lord smile, what made him groan with delight.
He gazed into the depths of dark midnight eyes, felt the heat of Sasuke’s desire sear a path to the very core of his being. With a low groan, Sasuke rolled over, carrying him until he covered his body.
Naruto arched his body, hissing with desire when their cocks rubbed together, causing a friction that had him demanding more. Sasuke’s tongue devoured his mouth, his hands touching, pinching, grasping everywhere at once. The dark lord’s touch set sparks of fire everywhere and Naruto wrapped his legs around Sasuke’s waist, a quiet demand of what he sought.
Sasuke growled, his teeth nipping at perky nipples, causing whimpers of lust to escape Naruto’s lips. His cock was swollen, aching to penetrate what was his, to feel the silkened heated glove. But he would wait, first, he would taste the sweet nectar that was his blond, the nectar that was his alone.
He slipped down between tanned legs, his tongue tasting the tip of Naruto’s cock, that glistened with precome. Naruto grabbed his hair with a moan when he assaulted the slit with his tongue, suckled his lips around the shaft and began to move the blond’s hardened member into his mouth.
“Ahhh… Sas’k…” Naruto choked out his love’s name while his fingers tightened on black locks.
Sasuke watched his love’s face, his skin turn flush, the shivers of pleasure rippling through his body. He could watch this reaction forever, he thought. His fingers gently probed the blond’s opening with two fingers. The area accepting his fingers greedily, as if begging for Sasuke to fill him completely. Naruto’s body quivered from the penetration, soft groans coming from his lips as his hips swayed to each thrust.
Sasuke growled hungrily when tanned fingers pulled his hair so tightly, Naruto becoming demanding, dominating, guiding his head to engulf the hardened cock more. Allowing Naruto to take control, burned his cock with such sexual need, his balls tightened up painfully, but he held back and swallowed down till his nose rested within the neat nest of blond curls.
Naruto’s toes curled, feeling his cock deep within his husband’s throat, his heated opening being stretched, massaged and cried out in ecstasy when those fingers pressed into the sensitive area deep within. He gripped black locks tighter, forcing Sasuke’s mouth deeper while his hips thrust uncontrollably, spilling his seed deep into the dark lord's heated mouth.
Sasuke lapped and swallowed, taking all what Naruto had to give, until the blond released his hair, his body trembling and heated breath left pink plump lips. Sasuke could hear the quickened heart rate and the blond’s blood was practically singing to him with how quickly it flowed. Placing a final kiss upon the softening penis of the blond he slowly crawled his way up the blond’s body, his eyes watching Naruto’s face closely.
“M–My lord… Th-that was…” Naruto breathed out between breaths. He finally managed to open his eyes when he felt Sasuke moving up his body. He did not miss the clear lust hunger filled look that was directed at him. His lips gave a coy smile and he adjusted his legs, putting his hands behind his knees, presenting himself willing and submissive.
Dark eyes blazed with a clear black flame when taking in the view presented before him and Sasuke buried himself deep within his blond with one swift thrust. The world seemed to tilt as their bodies merged. Hands caressed every area of tanned skin, igniting fires of pleasure where they touched. He whispered Naruto’s name over and over, his voice rough.
Naruto cried out as he was swept into a maelstrom of sensations—the cool sheets beneath him, the desperation of Sasuke's kisses, the smoothness of his skin, the fire left on his skin with each touch, the husky sound of Sasuke’s voice as he whispered to him in a language he did not understand. And always Naruto had the feeling that he was holding back, that he was afraid to let go for fear of hurting him.
The dark lord’s thick cock pounded quickly into him, his thick girth leaving no area untouched deep within. Sasuke’s hands squeezed his thighs tightly, holding him steady as he thrust into him, again and again. The sounds of their skin meeting thrust after thrust filled the room, along with mewls of pleasure escaping his lips. He called Sasuke’s name when the waves of ecstasy crested in an explosion of heat and colour, closed his eyes as rivers of pleasure rippled through him.
He then felt Sasuke's teeth at his throat, felt him convulse above him one last time, filling him with his seed. Joy rose up within him as shudders of delight wracked through Sasuke’s body. The dark lord then sighed deeply, and Naruto felt the tension drain out from his body.
"Did I hurt you?" Sasuke asked gruffly.
"No, my lord." Naruto forced Sasuke to look at him. "I love you, Sasuke. Please don't let your fear of what might happen ruin what we have."
"Naruto, you don't understand…" How could he tell him how it was, how closely the lust for blood was tied up with his desire, that he would never be free of the fear that plagued him, that he would ever be afraid that the hunger would overpower his self control, that one night his control would shatter and he would drink and drink until he had destroyed him.
"I love you with all my heart and soul," Naruto said again, more forcefully this time. "Please believe that.”
He rose up on his elbows and stared down at the blond. Was it possible that his love for Naruto was stronger than the hunger, that his love for Naruto would protect him from the blood lust? Maybe the blond was right, he mused. One small sip of Naruto’s precious blood quieted the hunger stirred by his desire.
"I'm not afraid of what you are, my lord. I believe in the power of our love, but you have to believe too.”
Naruto’s words soothed his troubled soul as nothing else could. Rolling onto his side, he cradled the blond in his arms and held him tight. "I pray you are right, beloved," he murmured.
"I know I am. I love you."
"And I love you." He pulled his cloak over the two of them, then drew Naruto into his arms once more.
It had been centuries since he had dared to pray, but now he closed his eyes and beseeched the God of his youth to protect Naruto who rested so trustingly in his arms, even if it meant protecting the blond from himself.