So, this is the obligaotry vampire fic. Because real vampires don't sparkle, damn it.

Warnings: Blood, gore, romance between two boys, character deaths and re-deaths, and lots and lots of blood.

Prologue:

How the Hell did he get himself into this mess?

Naruto had been asking himself that question a lot, especially recently. He must have done something incredibly wicked in a past life. Though, he didn't, couldn't really, regret anything that brought him to being here in this torture chamber surrounded by monsters. No, he couldn't even regret that he was about to die, probably very painfully if Itachi's sadistic smirk were anything to judge by. No, it was all for Sasuke, and he could never regret Sasuke.

Sasuke, for the first time since he met the man, was completely out of control. He was screaming, struggling against his chains, alternating between cussing, in several languages (how could Nartuo never fail to be impressed by this man?), and his more bestial snarling.

Naruto recognized one of the languages as Sausuke's archaic tongue that he would use sometimes when speaking to his comrades. Sometimes, when they were simply lying together, Sasuke had used this language to whisper words of love, or what Naruto assumed to be words of love, in his ear. He remembered thinking how beautiful it sounded, so much more ethereal than his own common day language. Now, interspersed with the snarling and gnashing of teeth, it sounded as if the words themselves were created to tear and kill their intended target. It made the hairs on Naruto's arms stand up, but he wouldn't back down. He had already made up his mind and, as he had been told several times before, he was rather stubborn when he put his mind to it.

In the shadows, he could hear Itachi's damned minions chanting. He only hoped that they were chanting the right words that would set Sasuke free. Itachi had given him his word that there wasn't going to be any tricks, and although he only trusted Itachi as far as he could throw him (which wasn't much- he had failed gym class), he trusted him this one time. It would hurt Sasuke so much more if Itachi was actually telling the truth.

"Itachi, you fucker! This is my choice! You wanted me to make this decision and I have! I desire not to be set free- you cannot continue!"

Itachi chuckled, dark and foreboding. "Poor baby brother. It appears as if the decision has been made for you. It is quite out of my hands at this point."

Sasuke snarled, baring his fangs. Naruto, for the first time since he came back down to Sasuke's cell, finally looked at the man. For the first time, Sasuke looked a whole lot like the monster he claimed to be. Naruto would give anything to be held by that monster one last time.

"Naruto, look at me. Please, do not do this. I wanted you to live." Naruto cringed at the raw look of betrayal in Sasuke's eyes.

"And I want you to be free. I promised you I would free you. And you know I never back down from a challenge." Naruto tried to smile, but it came out more of a grimace. The chanting had stopped. It was time.

A large, stone bowl was placed in front of Naruto. It had intricate designs carved into the sides and in the basin of the bowl. Naruto thought it would be rather pretty if he didn't know what it was used for. It was a sacrificial bowl. And the chanting had linked it directly to the chains preventing Sasuke from carrying out the very colorful threats he was now screaming rather hysterically at anyone who would listen.

'Right," thought Naruto, 'all I have to do is bleed into the bowl.' Itachi had given him explicit instructions. The deign in the inside of the bowl, a calendar, Naruto remember Itachi saying, had to be complete submerged in Naruto's blood for the spell to be broken. Somehow, it seemed so much larger from this angle.

"No! Naruto!" Naruto's attention was snapped back to Sasuke. A split second later, it was snapped back down to his own abdomen.

Or what was left of it.

A blood soaked, clawed tipped hand was protruding through his stomach. Vaguely, Naruto thought it should hurt a lot more than it did. 'Probably a side affect of being Sasuke's chew toy- a higher pain tolerance,' he thought. He also thought he should be more disturbed than grateful that the hand, Itachi's he knew, was still there. He didn't think that he would be able to support himself and the bowl was only half filled.

He choked on something tasting familiar and coppery. His hazy mind identified it as blood, and he relished in the comforting taste before it started to spill out over his chapped lips.

Sasuke was completely feral, struggling against his chains. His language had been reduced to growls and snarls interspersed with cries of Naruto's name. He had, at some point, gouged his head on the stone floor and was bleeding. Naruto wanted so desperately to go to him, comfort him. But he knew that that was a long lost cause at this point.

'Just wait, Sasuke, you'll be free soon.'

Finally, the bowl was filled. Itachi withdrew his hand to complete the ritual, and Naruto, as he had expected, collapsed. His vision was going spotty and he could no longer distinguish Sasuke's handsome features. He wished that he could live long enough to see Sasuke rip Itachi's head from his shoulders, but his tunneling vision signaled to him that he wasn't going to last much longer.

"Naruto, hold on! Do not leave me! Please!" Sasuke's voice. Naruto tried to answer him with a "I won't ever leave you Sasuke, I'm not going anywhere" but all he could manage was a weak smile.

And then, like a flipping of a switch, everything went black.