I should be writing all my other fics right now… SORRY… I fail… Here's what happened. My beloved computer CRASHED on me… along with my every fanfic… I had a chapter fro Regardless of what I wish, A field of paper flowers, and even How can I burn for always… It was total suck… And now I am frustrated with they way everything is… this hasn't been a good summer for me… I'm so sorry to bother everyone with my life, but it was total suck.

Thank you if you find this story and read it. I am honored that you spend some of your time on reading this. I am sorry if there are too many errors… English is my second language. This isn't the best material I've written either… it was just me being so cranky that I had to re-write all my stories, so I wrote a new one just to defy some unknown force that hates me.

Summery: Uchihas are cursed demons who can't live without their mates. Now that Sasuke has found his not so willing mate Naruto, he looks tries to live on without going insane. Our little kitsune just wants true emotion and love, assuming Sasuke doesn't love him. How wrong he is.

Pairings: SasuNaru (like it would be anything else from me?)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Warning: This is yaoi… I'm tired of flames saying "SasuSaku" or "NaruHina" are the best thing ever… I seriously am. Stop spamming my e-mail and just click the back button… I'm not in the best of moods. No there isn't a lemon in this chapter (for the first time my first chapter does not have a lemon… O.O) but there will be one…

Just Want to Know What You Feel

Chapter I:

The First Touch and Red Tears

It was cold... so cold that his fingers couldn't decipher if they were freezing or burning. The cold wind brushed against his face in an attempt to get a taste of his skin's warmth. A sigh joined the frigid breeze and was absorbed into the vast space around them.

Eyes that trapped the azure skies looked off into the snow white distance. The shell of trees stood there, no longer bearing their paper leaves. Rosy lips exhaled another breath that quickly condensed into a cloud. Delicate, tan hands sought refuge in the confinements of his black hooded cloak.

Golden locks cascaded around whisker scarred cheeks. The wind tossed them aside just as easily as it tossed the cloak behind like a shadow. An all seducing figure was revealed. Luscious hips, taunting thighs, a waist that begged to be grasped, spine shivering shoulders, and arms that seemed to belong behind the sleeves of a geisha's robe all were revealed in that instant.

A startled "ah" abandoned the rosy lips and echoed through the icy forest.

Here he was in the middle of a silenced forest, cold, exhausted, but worst of all, alone.

He was abandoned.

Uzumaki Naruto alone and yet he was sought after by the hungry and lust ridden humans and demons alike.

His slender legs moved with difficulty in the thick snow and grew sluggish with every step. Naruto was never as tired as he was now. The cold air was lulling him to sleep like a siren drew its prey closer with a seducing lullaby.

After each step he would whisper a sincere thank you to any deity and god that would listen to him and then he would prey that he could make another one.

All came to a naught as Naruto watched the sun leave him alone in the forest. Amaterasu seemed to have abandoned him now too. A small sorrow filled smile danced on his lips as he took note that Tsuki-Yomi had no forsaken him. The moon's light had found its way to him and was reflected by the snow around him. Blue light that belonged to the world of faries illuminated Naruto and seemed to add to the coldness of the air.

Naruto's breathing became labored, his eyes drooped down, and his body pleaded against anymore movement.

Tears trailed down Naruto's face as he fell onto his knees. Another "ah" left him as he felt the pain of the cold contact. The snow crunched under his light body weight. He couldn't do it anymore.

His body rammed into the snow as he could no longer hold himself up. His body loosing all sense of feeling except for the throbbing pain that was cold. One side of face was burring into snow and felt as though it had been lost to the ice beneath him.

"Not yet... please... not yet..." Naruto pleaded the gods that roamed. His tears turned to ice as they fell to the ground beneath him. Eyes shut against their will while tears still escaped them.

All was surrendered into a deep, cold, unwelcomed silence. All was dark as the unguided night.

----

Searching... he was so goddamn tired of searching. He wanted to collapse into welcoming arms that would support him, to rest upon the soft lap of someone warm, to trap someone in his arms, to taste a kiss, to breathe in the aroma of the one he sought, to burry himself deep within his beloved.

But what was wished could not be done. The one whom he desired was yet to appear before him and his time was running out.

There he stood, looming in the horizon. Pale skin that rivaled the snow adorned his tall muscled body. Black eyes and raven hair clashed in the most delightful way against his light skin.

Uchiha Sasuke was a demon that brought countless women to their feet and yet he wanted none of it. He wanted the one that could only keep him living. As an Uchiha, a particular part of his demonhood tormented him. Every moment from the day he was born, in his heart that was an insatiable pain that quaked through him. It would get worse until the moment it corrodes his senses, plunges him into a state of insanity and immobilize him. He will die.

And right now, he felt the tug at his chest more than he ever had in his entire life pull him foreword. He had been brought to a cold and forsaken forest where nothing seemed to live except the hallowless demons that were so weak they couldn't take on human form.

Sasuke sighed. He was getting nowhere. Not even a hint of his mate was to be seen. He knew nothing of his other. Not even a name nor an idea.

The wind blew with urgency and with it came a sweet scent. Sasuke's sensitive sense of smell picked it up. It was a soothing aroma despite how faint it was. He shut his abyss resembling eyes and breathed in deeply. He felt the pang of pain stab him as the wind carried the sweet perfume.

Eyes widened in horror as he felt his entire body become consumed by pain. His whole being felt threatened as though he were about to lose something. A grunt escaped him as he followed the path the aroma had come from.

----

Terror filled Sasuke. Every fiber in his being was streamed with pain. His eyes had changed from black holes to the familiar eyes that the Uchiha clan sported, the sharingan.

He ran, the wind whipped past him, his hair blew around him, his black cloak melding into the shadows that trailed behind. Limps moved in a frenzy, the crunching of snow beneath him was left unheard to his ears. All he could hear was his own heart beat pounding in his head.

Sasuke neared a clearing. He was left in a frenzy. Eyes darted everywhere as he looked for what he did not know he needed to find. He no longer ran, but walked at a hurried pace until the wind picked up the scent that soothed him. Eyes widened and shifted to the source of the perfume only to find a dark bundle illuminated by the blue-ish light that had caught hold of everything.

He hesitated before approaching it. Feet moved with slow grace as they approached the shape before them. Sasuke kneeled down to see that it was a person. He moved his gloved hands to pull aside the hood of the cloak.

A gasp left his lips as he looked to the sleeping angel before him. Golden lashes were shut and gave off the impression that the person was sleeping. Lips that seemed soft in appearance to him were slightly parted and letting in slow breaths. Sasuke tore aside the cloak to get a better view of the one laying in the snow. He discovered that this person was a boy. He had figured as much, but the male was far more beautiful than any other he had seen. He had a beauty that surpassed woman as well.

Sasuke felt the pain inside him wash away as he lifted the sleeping Adonis from the frozen grave he had fallen into. He collected the blond into his arms and was fascinated by him. That all came to an end as he realized that the boy was cold as the ground he was found on.

"Shit," his deep voice complained as he stood up with the tanned angel in his arms as though the other were a bride.

Without a moment a due, he ran with all the speed his legs could muster back into his temporary abode.

----

Sasuke dragged the smaller one into a cave he had found. Quickly he rested the other's body against the stony walls and hastily set up a fire. The flame was warm and lit up the cave with a yellow light. Sasuke brought his attention back to the frozen doll he had found.

He found himself taking a quick breath through his mouth now that he saw the other in light. The sleeping boy was beyond anything he had imagined in all of his life. Sasuke wanted to crawl into this male's arms and never leave them.

With a loving touch, he stroked his gloved hand against the golden boy's scarred cheeks only to snap out of his daze upon the cold touch. He ran through all the possible scenarios through his head in order to save the blond.

His quick hands pulled the boy's clothes off him. Sasuke became awe struck as he saw the taunting flesh torment him. But he didn't have the time to be seduced by the Adonis. He had to revive the frozen flesh. All the clothes were set aside except for the other's undergarments. Sasuke found that he wouldn't be able to control his actions should he lay his eyes upon the other in such a way.

He tore off his own shirt to reveal a body covered in tattoos. A single coiling snake wrapped itself around his arms, a dragon rested beneath his collar bone and all along his back was writing of his curse in black ink. Sasuke put his cloak back on and tore his gloved off. His bare hands touched the blond's waist as he attempted to lift the light body.

A single shock ran through his limbs as he felt the other's body. It was soft, smooth, and perfect to the touch. Sasuke swallowed the desire to rake his hands across the sleeping angel's torso and lifted the boy into his lap. More jolts ran through him as the pain that had tormented him for ages subsided and left him wanting the other's touch even more. Skin touched skin, sending longing through his every fiber.

Sasuke wrapped his cloak around himself and the boy, positioning the other so that as much touch was possible. The flame roared warming them, and Sasuke's own body heat began to take its slow affect on the blond.

The tanned flesh began to warm up from Sasuke's blazing touch. Slowly, the boy began to stir in his troubled sleep. The first movement made Sasuke feel a jolt of relief. The soft twitch of his head and the small "umph" that left those parted lips were enough to send Sasuke's senses into a craze.

Soon the Uchiha found his sleeping partner to be filled with warmth. The male began to nuzzle Sasuke's chest in his sleep. The demon didn't protest to the innocent, soft touches that were brought on by the smooth skin. Sasuke's arms around him tightened and were rewarded by a blissful sigh.

A slight "hm" escaped the tan throat as Sasuke saw two blazing blue gems locked onto his own black ones. They glistened with a delightful spark in them and seemed to be illuminating a light of their own.

"Wha..." the voice was soothing and flowed through Sasuke's sensitive ears like a breeze that bore the soft scent of a distant flower. Sasuke wanted to hear more, but he knew that frightening the blond was not a wise choice.

"I found you in the snow, brought you here to warm you up, and here we are now," he answered with his deep voice. He wasn't as curt and cold with his words and tone as he had learned to be. He spoke in a soft calming matter for fear that he would startle his new find.

"Oh..." softly left those lips that were tormenting him. Blue eyes became downcast as they glanced down but only widened upon discovering his current state. "Where are..."

"Your clothes? They're drying right now. I couldn't get you to warm up in those," Sasuke cut the blond off.

"How long...?"

"A few hours."

"Can I finish a sentence?" the boy pouted as he looked into Sasuke's eyes with a slight bit of annoyance. Sasuke chuckled. From the first time since he could remember, a genuine smile and slight laugh left his chest.

"Sorry," he let out with another chuckle.

"Who are you?" the smaller of the two asked. Sasuke sighed. He knew upon saying his name, the other would become terribly formal with him, as always. That's was humans and demons did in this world. An Uchiha was revered, feared, praised and envied by all. Everyone sought out Sasuke for his power and his appearance and nothing more.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he let out in a low rumble.

"Nice to meet you Sasuke, I'm Uzumaki Naruto," he said softly. His blue eyes were tilted in a warming expression and his pink lips were turned up in the best of smiles. Sasuke was shocked. Naruto's heart pace hadn't quickened. His pulse remained calm and steady. The blond wasn't erratic and there was no formality in his voice.

"Do you know who I am?" Sasuke asked with curiously.

"Yes..."

"Then why aren't you afraid?" he asked.

"Because a cold hearted and cruel demon would have left someone like me there to die. Or they would have bound me up and used me for something I did not want. You saved me," Naruto answered with complete belief in his every word. Sasuke was awe inspired at the sight before him. This small male had captivated him with his glowing glory.

"I'll admit, you are intimidating, but perhaps that's because I don't have much clothes on," Naruto said with a slight laugh similar to a giggle and a delightful blush adorning his face.

"There have been others that I've left to die..." Sasuke said darkly. Naruto froze and looked into Sasuke's suddenly cold eyes. The seemed to be off in their own world where everything was dim and terrifying. Sasuke's eyebrows were creased in anger and his mouth arched in an emotion of hate.

Naruto shifted in Sasuke's lap and bit his lip as his bare chest brushed against Sasuke's well built one. An awkward silence took hold of the hallow cave for a few brief moments. He stared at his own thin body and noted how much his body didn't look like a male's at all. His eyes rested enviously on Sasuke's torso.

"If you want me to cower and call you Sasuke-sama, I will... but that doesn't seem like what you want," Naruto spoke with resolution in his voice as he captured Sasuke's eyes once more.

"Now why would you do that?" Sasuke answered as he wrapped his cloak tighter around themselves to fend off the unexpected draft that blew their way.

"I figure dragging me out of the clutches of death should be enough to receive a favor in return," Naruto sighed as he felt Sasuke hold him tighter from the repositioning of the heavy black material around them.

"No need," Sasuke let out a sigh of his own. "What were you doing in that forest at this hour anyway?" Sasuke asked with curiosity.

"What were you doing here?" Naruto questioned.

"That's not much of an answer." Naruto looked down; his golden lashes were lowered closer to his sun-kissed flesh.

"I... I had no where else to go. Mating season is coming and I didn't want to be caught up in the eastern forest... it's terrifying there. The northern and western are just as bad..."

"So you came to the southern forest..." Sasuke interjected. "Why wouldn't you want to mate?" Sasuke asked in hopes that he could claim Naruto.

"That's a bit personal..."

"I did bring you here and save you from the brink of death, did I not," Sasuke said with an air of superiority. A whimper of defeat left Naruto's supple throat. "Well...?" Sasuke inquired.

"All the demons are too... harsh... and they... they don't care... they just... I..."

"I understand..." Sasuke patted Naruto's golden head with his large hands. Naruto admired the long and strong fingers that grasped onto his arm in a form of comforting. Naruto's own hands were so small in comparison to Sasuke's.

"Your turn," Naruto demanded.

"I'm an Uchiha... I can't be at ease until I find my mate..." Sasuke said as though it hadn't bothered him before. Right now the pain was gone. For the first time in all his life, that frantic pain didn't tear through his chest like a dagger secretly nestled into flesh, piercing with every breath and movement. "I'm was looking for him," Sasuke pulled Naruto closer.

He breathed in Naruto's scent. He was so sure this blond was the one. He was soothed, his entire body was feeling a force that passed bliss, his mind was at ease and no longer did he feel the need to search. It was over, and he'd force the blond to come with him even if it meant against his will. Eighteen years or torment subsided for the first time in his life.

Naruto knew this was a sensitive subject to Uchihas. Everyone knew. It was a disgrace to the bread if they didn't have their mate marked and owned.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine... It's over anyway..." he stopped Naruto from continuing. The blond's eyes widened as he began to understand what the Uchiha said. He quickly tried to scurry away, but Sasuke's large hands kept him in place. "I don't waste my time on anything unless I absolutely have to..." he forced Naruto to sit so that they were face to face.

"You couldn't..."

"Do I look like a man who jokes?" Sasuke spoke as his eyes turned into the Sharingan.

"How could you know for sure?" Naruto said as he felt himself growing uneasy with every moment.

While he did find the Uchiha to be the most handsome male he had ever seen and he was quite taken with him, Naruto couldn't just hand himself over to a man he had only known for less than a few hours.

"Eighteen whole goddamn years, Naruto..." Naruto shivered at the way his name rolled off of Sasuke's tongue. "My entire life I've known nothing but pain... fucking never ending pain," he pulled Naruto closer. "I think I'm sure," he stated, leaving no room for argument.

But Naruto still tried. "There's no way... I'm just a kitsune... nothing more... just a..."

"My mate... there's no room for argument... I'm taking you with me."

"You can't just decide!"

"Look at me..." Sasuke ordered Naruto. The blond realized he had stopped looking into Sasuke's face and was staring at the dragon that was chiseled into the other's chest. "I said look at me," he repeated his command as he lifted Naruto's chin to allow cobalt to meet black. "I have decided... and it is done. You are in no shape to argue with me. You can't even fight me and you're too weak to be left alone here."

"What if I don't want to come with you...?" Naruto attempted to defy the demanding eyes he was staring into.

"Oh... you don't do you?" Sasuke whispered as he closed Nearer to Naruto. His breath danced across Naruto's luscious lips. Naruto whimpered against his own will. "Can't move can you?"

Naruto realized Sasuke's words were true. He couldn't find it in him to move. He didn't think he wanted to leave his current situation either.

"Know why?" Naruto shook his head. "Because your body only reacts to me and me alone. That's the way an Uchiha's mate works... need I further proof?"

Naruto shivered against his will. True, he had never found another attractive. Never had he been reduced to an immobile state just from brief touches... or any touch. He had been rendered into a heated, shivering body that merely wanted to feel more. It terrified him and yet gave him the sense of belonging.

"Now go to sleep... I'm taking you with me tomorrow."

Naruto felt Sasuke lean against a wall and force him to lean into Sasuke's chest.

"But..." Naruto tried to protest.

"Hush..." Sasuke ordered as he wrapped his arms tightened around Naruto's small waist.

Words were put aside as Naruto just sat there. He noticed the change in Sasuke's breathing and it dawned on him that the demon had fallen asleep. The Uchiha's grip had not relented in his sleep, and in fact was even tighter.

The kitsune felt strange being in another's embrace. He didn't hate it... no... he even loved the feeling. He pulled himself closer to Sasuke's bare chest and let his own breathing match Sasuke's. His golden lashes fluttered shut and he fell asleep to a single beat, Sasuke's heart.

Deep, soft, thudding... never ending sonata... all for Naruto to hear.

----

He felt as though he was moving... no being carried. Strong, relentless arms were supporting his small body. It was warm and soothing. He was safe... he knew that these arms would hold him tight and never let any harm befall him.

Blue eyes slowly fluttered open. Naruto saw the dark fabric of a clothed chest. Hazy, dream filled eyes looked up to see his knight in shinning armor... Uchiha Sasuke.

"Sasu... ke?" Naruto said the words as though he were breathing them. The demon felt shivers of delight at the sound of his name. Never had it sounded so good before. He let his dark eyes rest upon the kitsune's face.

Sasuke came to a stop and sat himself down against a tree, while keeping Naruto in his grasp all the same.

"Sasu... nhnn..." Naruto mumbled, feeling as though he were dreaming still. Perhaps he was still in the snow and kami-sama was being kind to him, letting him get a taste of what being with someone felt like before he died. Perhaps it was Moui-sama being cruel and showing him what he would never have.

Or... dare Naruto think it...? Perhaps it was real.

"Morning, Naruto," Sasuke welcomed Naruto. The blond began to slowly wake up, taking note that he was now, once again in his grey, form fitting clothes.

Naruto felt a rush of warmth travel from his core out... it was the first time in ages that he heard those two simple words put together...

"M... morning to you too..." he stuttered softly as he noticed how small Sasuke kept the distance between their bodies."Where are we?" he asked after a few moments of silence. He noted that there was less snow around them, and the trees were even denser that the forest they had been in.

"We're near the center of the kingdom... right where the Uchiha clan resides..." Sasuke announced as he tightened his hold on Naruto.

"I never agreed to come with you..." Naruto said with a little bit of annoyance in his voice.

"I never said you had to," Sasuke retorted.

"You just can't kidnap someone!"

"Kidnap? You're mistaken... I'm just taking my mate with me. Simple as that," he replied to the now fuming blond. Naruto wanted to move away from him, but at the same time he was enjoying the other's touch and the man's grip was too strong for him.

"I never agreed to be your mate either... I barely even know you..." Naruto mumbled as he tried to pull back and stare into Sasuke's eyes, but the brunette wouldn't allow it.

"You will learn to know me when we get to the castle... I suppose I should explain to you how this will work..." Sasuke's deep, resonating voice put a stop to Naruto's movement.

"Work...?"

"I won't ask much of you... that is to a certain point. I won't mate with you until you are ready... or at least I will try. It will take a lot of my will power. It may even drive me insane, but that's alright by me... I don't want to force you into something like that. But... I have a time limit... I warn you... after a time frame of six months I will have to find a way to... forgive me if this is crude... but I will have to find a way to come inside you... otherwise I might rape you..." he began to explain.

Naruto couldn't say a word... his face was becoming a darker shade of red with each passing moment. Sasuke pulled on Naruto, forcing the other to look into his eyes. He let a sigh trail out from behind his lips and continued.

"I need to touch you everyday... if I don't... I will hurt you and I won't mean to... I'll try to give you as much freedom as possible... but I can't let anyone else touch you... I will kill them. Male or female, I will kill them and it won't be up to me."

Naruto couldn't speak... he was terrified... he didn't know what to do nor say. Everything was happening so fast, his life was spinning out of his grasp...

"And I warn you... when we mate... that's when you'll become my prisoner... I'll have to mate with you more than once a day... You'll be confined in my corridors upon your heat... you'll be spending your every moment with me... and don't look at me that way... we will mate... there is no argument on this matter..." Sasuke recited this as though he had this speech memorized by heart. "I..."

"No more!" Naruto begged. He fought Sasuke's grip and buried his head into the demon's chest. "No more..." he began to sob softly.

"Don't cry... please... it hurts..." Sasuke pleaded as he watched himself crumble the kitsune's life. His flawless hands found their way to the strands of hair that covered Naruto's neck. He gently toyed with the golden locks as he felt his shirt become wet with his angel's tears. "I'm sorry that you have to put up with me... but I'm not sorry that you are my mate..."

"I want to go home..." Naruto sobbed softly. His body shook uncontrollably as he took deep gasps of air.

"Please... don't do this..." Sasuke begged as he felt his chest swell with pain. That's when he felt it... a small trickle seeped down his face. It was warm and moist. Slowly it made its way down Sasuke's pale skin. "Naruto... please... stop crying... please... I'll make it all better somehow... I'll protect you for the rest of your life... I'll give you everything you want. Don't cry..."

Naruto pulled away from Sasuke's chest and gasped as the sight before him. There upon Sasuke's porcelain skin was tears that trailed from his eyes. They weren't the salty tears that clung to his own long lashes, but trails of blood seeping from his now red eyes.

"Wha...?"

"When you cry... I do the same... ever since you were born and shed tears, I would do so as well. Except I don't cry like you do..."

Naruto's small, soft hands made their way to Sasuke's face and gently touched the pale skin.

"Is this..."

"Blood? Yes," Sasuke answered as Naruto gently touched the crimson tear. "It hurts me when you cry, in more ways than one. So please... please... don't cry..." Sasuke begged as he wrapped his arms tightly around Naruto's waist.

"Every time I cried... you would too?"

"Yes..."

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Naruto whispered as he knew how much suffering he caused this man. Naruto had made it a habit to cry at night when he was all alone. The nights that he seemed particularly sad, he would just let his tears roll freely without knowing how much he hurt Sasuke.

"It's fine..." Sasuke tried to soothe the blonde in his arms.

"No it's not... all those times... I'm so sorry..."

"I said it's fine... Now we should head towards the castle... it's only an hour's walk," Sasuke said as he reached for his cloak to wipe his eyes with. Before he could do that, he found that Naruto brushed them away with his own sleeve.

"I'll try not to cry anymore..." Naruto whispered softly but Sasuke's ears still picked up the ever delightful music that was the kitsune's voice. A weak smile made its way to his mouth as he softly stroked away the remains of Naruto's tears.

Before Naruto could do anything, he found himself once more in the strong arms of Sasuke as though he were a bride.

"We should go."

"I can walk on my own, you know..." Naruto stated.

Sasuke looked into the blue eyes that stared beneath him. He didn't want to let go of the blond. They had been in constant contact since he found his sleeping angel and he was reluctant to let the boy out of his grasp.

"Fine," Sasuke said in a heaving sigh. Gently he lowered Naruto's feet towards the ground and released him. "Don't leave my sight," he ordered and grabbed Naruto's wrist.

"Is this really necessary?" Naruto asked as he lifted his arm that Sasuke's firm grasp held.

"I don't want to lose you... there are a great deal of demons in this area... should they hurt you I might go crazy on you..." Sasuke answered as he gently tugged on Naruto's arm and began to move.

"How did we get here so fast... we were about a two days walk away from the center," Naruto asked.

"I run pretty fast."

"Neh... Sasuke... How old are you?" Naruto asked.

"Nineteen."

"Eh, really? You don't look so old," Naruto answered in an attempt to use witty humor.

"Huh... and how old are you? Sixteen?" Sasuke asked.

"I feel insulted... I'm eighteen..." Naruto pouted. It took all of Sasuke's will power not to kiss those rosy lips that seemed to be begging for Sasuke's touch.

"You're pretty short for someone that old, Naruto..." Sasuke teased Naruto.

"I'm 5'5... that seems tall enough for me..." Naruto puffed his cheeks in an attempt to rid the blush that was threatening to coat his scarred cheeks. "You can't be that much taller than me... can you?"

Naruto began to observe how much taller Sasuke was. For the first time, they were standing beside each other. It dawned on the kitsune that the Uchiha was indeed much taller than him.

"Try 6'2," Sasuke answered.

"Seven inches... that... that isn't too much..." Naruto stated, but knew his defeat.

And so they walked on in that fashion. Words and questions flung through the air like leaves that danced in the autumn wind.

Softly they moved on foreword. Facing the cold breeze, allowing themselves to be care free, if only for a moment.

----

"This... this is...?"

"It's home..." Sasuke answered.

There they stood before a large and vast castle. It was majestic, yet it stood so that it told its story of the demons that lived within it.

"Let's go..." Sasuke tugged on Naruto's creamy arm, but the blond stood still. He turned around to see a worried face looking up at the stone building before him. "What's wrong," he asked with true concern in his voice.

"I'm just a kitsune... I'm nothing in comparison to an Uchiha... would they even let me in..." Naruto's eyes became down cast. Deep within them, Sasuke saw true sorrow. It gleamed and told its own story of pain.

"You're my mate... they can't do anything to you," Sasuke said as he lifted Naruto's face with his strong fingers that were designed for the devastating tale of the blade. "And don't believe a word anyone says when they say something like that!" Sasuke hissed as he released Naruto's face.

"I still haven't agreed to be your mate..." Naruto whimpered as Sasuke dragged him into the daunting castle.

"And I never asked you... I chose for you," Sasuke answered. His voice became a void of emotion.

Naruto sighed with a slight of sorrow. This man wasn't like this when they had been talking and bantering like children. It was refreshing and uplifting when they hadn't touched the subject of mating. Naruto wanted the warmth he had felt when they had been smiling and laughing. It was comforting that Sasuke, not anyone else, would smile that way for him.

But... he didn't want to become just anyone's mate yet. He wanted to be loved... not lusted for. He didn't want just that... and here Sasuke was, taking him just because his body needed him to.

But... what Naruto didn't know was that this cold man's exterior was being melted and reshaped. Sasuke was falling head over heals for the boy he had met for a little over a day.

Towards the gates they want in silence that spoke their uncertainties and fears. The old metal made noise as it yielded to their presence. Sasuke moved on, dragging Naruto with him. And so the kitsune felt his heart tear as he was dragged away from his freedom. He wanted to cry. He wanted to sob, and yet... he held it all in so that he wouldn't see those painful tears on Sasuke's face.

"You want to cry... don't you...?" Sasuke asked as they walked the cobble pathway to the large doors of the building.

"I'm sorry... am I hurting you...?" Naruto managed to whimper.

"It's a different kind of pain I feel when you're sad..." Sasuke said with his back facing Naruto. "When you cry I feel like I'm being stabbed inside out... and my eyes... well... you saw what they did. When you're sad like this... I feel a pang inside... it hurts, but not as much..." he answered. The blond didn't see the own sorrow he had on his face. He could only see those shoulders that possessed strength and a back that seemed like it could support mountains. He didn't see the sad eyes that were there because they were taking away Naruto's freedom.

The wooden doors flung open to Sasuke's presence.

"I'll do all the talking..."

"Eh?"

"Sasuke-sama!?" a screech of joy and astonishment rang through the corridors. Soon it became more than one 'Sasuke-sama' that rang through the halls. Different voices, different people all came towards the raven.

Naruto had only so much time to register his surroundings. It was lavish decorations everywhere. Large windows with just as large velvet curtains to block out the light. Vast paintings, incredible chandeliers... everything was the best of the best.

"Sasuke-sama, you're back... we've missed you so much!"

"Where is your mate? Where, where?" Soon all too many began to ask this. Sasuke allowed them to see the kitsune by stepping aside, but still keeping his grasp on his soon to be lover.

"He's adorable," they cooed as they circled like hungry vultures. Naruto took note that they stood near each other in pairs. Mates he figured. They began to reach out and try to touch him, sending panic through both him and Sasuke.

"Who said you could touch him?" Sasuke hissed as he pulled Naruto closer. The kitsune let out a small whimper as he clung onto Sasuke, afraid for his life. The last time he had seen so many people, he had been surrounded by hungry suitors whom desired to steal his innocence.

"Forgive us, Sasuke-sama," they all pleaded as they saw the blazing sharingan stare hatefully at them. "We're just glad you found him..." they added fearfully.

"You haven't marked him yet... correct?" a man very much like Sasuke approached them. His hair was short and black, his skin pale, his eyes smiling in a false innocence and his dark eyes. Similar to Sasuke... but it just wasn't the Uchiha. He lacked the luster and the strange handsome aura Sasuke had.

"No, I have not Sai..." Sasuke answered in a cold tone, completely unlike the Sasuke Naruto had talked to in the forest.

"Well... I suppose that leaves him up for grabs... doesn't it?" Sai said as he approached Naruto.

"No it doesn't..."

"Oh... I could mark him right now... couldn't I?"

"I'd kill you... Just because you aren't an Uchiha doesn't mean you don't have to abide by our rules. We let you live here because we pity you. Don't make us take that pity back," Sasuke growled.

"Oh-ho... says the mighty prince..."

"Sai, know your place," a nameless woman hissed at the pale boy.

"If you so much as touch Naruto, I'll make you regret even looking at him," Sasuke ordered. And with that said, he grabbed his mate-to-be and headed towards his separate wing of the castle, the wing no one but him and the rare presence of servants and close family had ever set foot in.

The blond looked behind him to see that the boy who was name Sai still followed them with his eyes. They appeared hungry and unsatisfied. Slowly, and in a terrifying manor, the boy licked his lips as though Naruto were raw meat to him.

"Sasuke..." Naruto whimpered softly.

"Hn?" he replied softly.

"Please... never leave me alone with Sai..." Naruto begged as he clung onto Sasuke's firm and strong arm.

"Hn... don't worry... I'd pull his fucking eyes out before I let him be alone with you," Sasuke answered in a not so soft manner.

Another whimper left Naruto's tanned throat.

Sasuke stopped, bringing Naruto to a halt.

"I'm sorry..." he said. He didn't dare look into Naruto's bright blue gems that were burning holes into him. "I tend to forget how harsh I sound... I normally don't get too irritated... but it seems that when it comes to you... all bets are called off... I can't control myself..."

"I... I understand... but... I still haven't agreed to anything. No matter what you say... you can't just chose for me. I... I won't be your mate because you want me to. I want to mate with the person I love..." Naruto added the last part very softly. The word love seemed like something that should be whispered softly in such a situation. It seemed embarrassing to him he even said any of that after hearing 'love' spring from his mouth.

"Love... Naruto... I don't think you understand... You will fall in love with me... it's not because of my deamonhood... nor because your own body needs mine but because I can tell from the way you look at me..." Sasuke defied Naruto's speech.

"What... what makes you so sure?" Naruto half yelled from frustration.

"I've never been wrong, Na-ru-to..." he sent shivers down the kitsune's back from the way the name rolled off his tongue. It was as though his own name was devised to be spoken by that one mouth that belonged to the stoic Uchiha.

No more was said as Sasuke pulled him along towards his part of the castle. Naruto noted the large change in the décor. Everything became full of deep reds, midnight blues and lush blacks. Silver etchings ran along the walls. Large paintings of what Naruto took to be Sasuke's close family were occasionally sighted upon the rich wooden walls. Persian carpets brushed against their feet until Sasuke stopped before a grand door.

"This is my room. No one… and I repeat no one has entered this room other than me… I'm the only one who can open the door." With that said, Sasuke placed his free hand onto the polished surface. A dim red glow surrounded his pale limb and a series of clicks and bolts erupted softly from the door.

It swung open to reveal a lavish and grand room far more amazing than anything else that his eyes had laid upon.

"Hn… it's dusty…" Sasuke sighed with annoyance. "Then again… no one's been here for a good five years now." The raven dragged Naruto into the room.

"Five years?" Naruto asked in curiosity.

"I left home to find you a little over five years ago… I wasn't fourteen yet."

It dawned on Naruto that if he didn't become Sasuke's mate, he'd kill him. This demon had spent his whole life suffering and he was the only one to heal Sasuke.

"Oh… I'm sorry," Naruto sincerely apologized.

"For what?"

"For giving you all that pain, for not being there, and still right now, for not accepting being your mate. But I'll try my best not to hurt you anymore!" Naruto added the last part on a more cheerful note. A smile and eyes burning with resolve were displayed upon Naruto's pretty face.

"You know what…? You're so cute that it's terrifying," Sasuke said with a chuckle.

"Cute?! You don't go around calling men cute!" Naruto pouted.

"Usuratonkachi…" he paused for a moment as he smirked from the joy of the new found nickname. "I'm afraid you're the first person who seems cute to me… you'll have to deal with it," he finished.

"Usuratonkachi?! I feel insulted, Teme! First you call me short and then you call me cute… what's next?" Naruto crossed his arms and turned his head so that only one side of his face was towards Sasuke while a pout still nestled upon his pink lips.

"Teme? That'd better be Seme-Teme to you!" Sasuke chuckled.

It was so heart warming to Sasuke just to joke around and laugh with someone. The strange sound that broke out of his chest in the form of awkward laughter from lack of use seemed to strange, yet welcome. He loved it… almost as much as he loved that delightful smile peek out of Naruto's attempt at a serious face. It terrified him how much this boy broke his shields and weaved his way into his heart, warming him.

Naruto felt overjoyed. He wasn't in a cold forest, he wasn't unwanted… no… he knew that he'd fall in love with Sasuke. In a way, knowing that he would with little time ahead of him left him already with the heart warming emotion. It was small, but it was growing.

That didn't mean they both didn't sense the complications ahead of him. It was faint, but as they were bantering, they both knew something lay ahead. Regardless of the prophecy, they both looked forward to the sweet moments that were nestled in the unseen chaos.

----

Sorry if this wasn't that grand. It's just beginning though… I promise to try to keep up with everything else too. I just felt like I was being swallowed up in the chasm of ew so I had to write this to get some load off. Thank you for reading. The sheer fact that you took time to look at it makes me happy!

(whoa… this thing is 18 pages… I just cut and pasted it into Microsoft word because I've been emailing this story to myself back and forth from a lack of Microsoft office… o.0)

Dead Edged Blade