~Reviewers~

Raven Halley

Kanrei

dragonfire04

Thoughts

Sounds

~PageBreak~

Sasuke quickly pulled into his drive way. A deep frown on his face as he grabbed the human from the back seat and entered his home. Quickly shuffling out of his wet shoes and walking into the living room. The pale man dropped the unconscious body onto his couch and walked over to his coat rack, hanging his soaked business jacket and squinting a harsh glare at the navy blue umbrella that hung from one of the hooks.

Sasuke walked into the adjacent bathroom and grabbed three bath towels from the shelf, tossing one over his shoulder and carrying the other two back to the living room. Rubbing his head and drying his own hair, before quickly doing the same for the blond human who's face landed straight down on the couch, arms and legs sprawled on the cousins. Sasuke pulled off his wet shirt and dried his cold chest and arms. Then bent over to pull the large black coat off the blonde boy. The material easily coming off as his whole body limp from the drug. Sasuke stood and placed the large coat on the coat rack and went into his room for a dry shirt.

"Damn brat." Sasuke grunted as he searched his drawers for clothes that would fit the small human. But all of them were made to fit with room for Sasuke, not a lithe teen. After a few minutes of searching, Sasuke gave up and threw on a random shirt and grabbed one for the blonde along with a pair of night pants with strings that could adjust for size. Sasuke quickly changed into dry pants and then walked back into the living room.

The blonde human hadn't moved at all yet. It was almost unnerving to the pale man. To see a creature that looked so much like a Shifter, as motionless as the dead. The poor creature looked so fragile, as if a simple breath would blow him away. Sasuke quietly dried the teen, careful around the cut on his fore head and a few minor scrapes on his elbows and knees. Slowly the Shifter eased the blonde out of his wet clothes and into the dry clothes he had gathered for him. Out of modesty, Sasuke left the boxers on the boy, they weren't too wet and Sasuke didn't have the courage to take them off.

After completely drying the human, Sasuke threw the damp towels into the hamper in the bathroom and grabbed his dinner. Left over sandwiches and a slice of cheesecake. Settling down on the other side of the couch, Sasuke flipped on the TV and searched for something to watch. It was now passed 10:45, which meant Sasuke's favorite show was over. With a sigh, the Crow Shifter flipped on another station and relaxed as he began watching a fairly decent comedy. But there were no laughs that night.

Sasuke couldn't help but look over at the blond human on his couch ever few minutes. As if waiting for him wake up and move. Maybe I should call the police now. He doesn't seem to have a fever and how could they accuse me of stealing if I am calling to give it back to its owner? Sasuke blankly stared at the flashing television. Trying ignore the object on the other side of the couch. If it ran away, then it would have a collar...wouldn't it? Could the human have taken off it's collar? Maybe a tag? Sasuke's eyes fell onto the small neck of the boy. Slowly he leaned over and looked around for the small blue chip that would be beneath a few layers of skin. But no. There was no collar or chip.

Sasuke, still leaning over the small body of the teen, silently let his hand run through the golden blonde hair. The action didn't stir the boy, so Sasuke let himself do it again. The smooth locks were still a little damp and cold as they passed through Sasuke's fingers. The black haired man touched the boy's arm, it was still frigid from the cold night rain. With a deep breath Sasuke pulled the lifeless body into his lap. Letting the human's head rest on chest and lay on his lap. He continued petting the blonde's hair, a soft smile bloomed on his face as a warm rush went through his heart.

"He's cute...for a human." Sasuke said, soon finding that watching the boy sleep was much more entertaining than the TV. The boy's cold body soon warming as the night went on. But once Sasuke saw that it was already 11:30, he frowned at the human in his lap. Sasuke didn't go to work tomorrow until twelve in the afternoon, but with the human around, he might not have as much time in the morning to himself. Sasuke pushed the teen from his lap and walked into his kitchen and opened the cabinets under the sink and pulled out a small bundled rope. He kept it just in case.

Looking down at the small human, Sasuke reluctantly tied the rope around it's neck, not too tight and not too loose. Making sure that the knots were tight, Sasuke tied the other end to his table.

Hhm...The table might not be enough. How strong are humans anyway? Sasuke rubbed at his chin, looking around the room for something heavy to tie the boy to. Chair? Couch? TV? Fridge? No. Sasuke paced around the house, picking up his tooth brush and walking again while brushing his teeth. There was one thing in the house that the human could couldn't move...And that was Sasuke's bed, which was mounted to the floor. But there would be a chance that the boy would wake and climb into the bed. Not unless I shorten the rope. Sasuke grabbed the boy and set him down on the floor in front of his bed, quickly retying the rope to the bed.

Sasuke returned to the bathroom and rinsed his mouth and put away his toothbrush before walking back into his room and crawling into bed. Sasuke stared at the end of his bed for a few minutes, before turning onto his side and letting his wings relax on the mattress and pulling the comforter over his tired body. Breathing out one last sigh before letting his eyes close.

~PageBreak~

Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch. "Mmm." A voice whined. Sasuke growled at the annoying the sounds that caused him to wake from his deep sleep. The whine was only for a moment, but the scratches kept on. Scratch, scratch, scratch, scracth. Sasuke turned over and stuck his head under his pillow, hope to at least muffle the sounds. Scratch, scratch. Well that didn't work. Sasuke glared at the clock. Its only six forty! Go back to sleep dammit! Sasuke cursed, throwing his pillow off his head and grumpily sitting up. The Crow Shifter tossed the blanket off his legs and lazily got out of his bed. Scuffling over to his dresser and pulling out his clothes for the day, yawning a few times, before turning to head to the floor in front of his bed.

Where's the human?! Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw that the blonde teen was not in the spot he had tied him too. The rope was still tied to the bed, and the end...led under the bed. Oh, for the love of God. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he keeled next to the bed and looked under. Yup, he's under bed. Damn, how do I get him out? Sasuke huffed as he stared at wide blue eyes. The blonde boy had moved as far away as the rope would let him, which meant he was only two and a half feet under the bed. Sasuke would have normally laughed at the boy's actions, but once he saw the blonde's fright, he knew laughing wouldn't be the best thing to do at the moment. So Sasuke laid on the floor and backed up a few feet giving the human some space. The boy was breathing heavily, the rope pulled as far as it could go, leaving his neck bent awkwardly. Sasuke looked at the floor and found faint scratch marks on the floor, most like from the boy trying to pull the rope. Well at least I know he doesn't know how to untie knots. Sasuke thought as he watched the teen stare back at him.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. You can come out." Sasuke said quietly, but with an activated under tone. He was woken up two hours early after all. But he couldn't exactly chastise the creature, anyone would be scared if he woke up in a strange place tied to a bed.

The blonde teen just stared back at Sasuke and stayed where he was. The clothes Sasuke had given him were about two sizes too big. They sagged and drooped off his smaller frame. Sasuke waved at the boy, telling him to come out, but the teen just stared and didn't budge. Sasuke clicked his tongue and tapped at the floor. After a few more minutes of waiting, Sasuke got a better idea than just waiting for the human to come out himself.

Sasuke stood up from the floor and walked out of the room. Crossing through his living room and into the kitchen. Who doesn't like breakfast? Sasuke smirked as he made four pieces of toast, a few fried eggs, and a box of cereal just encase. Grabbing all the food and utensils, Sasuke walked back into his room, the blonde still under the bed. Sitting down with a small smile, the black haired man set out all the food and began eating.

"Mmm, this is delicious." Sasuke said, hoping the teen would come out to eat. So far he had finished one piece of toast and the human hadn't even made a sound. So Sasuke moved on to the eggs. Come on! I know you must be hungry! Sasuke growled in his head.

Gurgle. A strange noise came from beneath the bed, Sasuke smirked as he heard the obvious sound of an empty stomach. Sasuke's feathers twitched as he heard the sound of quiet crawling under his bed. Finally. Sasuke pushed the plate with the rest of the toast and eggs a little closer to the bed, and watched as a hand shot out to grab the food. The black haired man rolled his eyes as the hand shot out again to grab for more food, but Sasuke pulled back the plate.

"No more until you come out." Sasuke said, grabbing a piece of toast and munching on the side. Sasuke waited, but the boy stayed under the bed. Stubborn brat.

The Crow Shifter couldn't just let the poor boy starve, even if he wanted the kid out from under the bed. So he sighed and pushed the rest of the food under the bed. Letting himself give a short laugh as he heard the boy scarfing down the rest of the food.

Sasuke got up off the floor and flopped down on the couch in the living room, bringing the box of cereal with him. Flipping on the TV, he tried to find something, but it was early in the morning...nothing is on in the morning. So he picked out a movie from the free channels and relaxed on the couch. His eyes falling shut after a while, the box of cereal fall from his arms.

~PageBreak~

Thump. Sasuke shot awake from the couch, his foot crunching on the cereal box on the floor in his surprise. Blinking, he scowled at the crushed crumbs that now covered the carpet. Thump. Shit, what is it now? Sasuke thought bitterly as he stomped back into his bedroom, where the loud noise emanated from. He didn't think twice about walking in unannounced, it was his house after all.

The blonde boy was struggling to pull the rope of his neck, small grunts coming from his mouth in his struggles. He didn't even notice when Sasuke walked into the room and watched as he banged his head on the floor in frustration.

"Never knew my knots were that good." Sasuke said, crossing his arms when the blonde teen's head shot up so fast it could have snapped right off. Blue eyes electrified with fear and what seemed to be anger. Its teeth ground out, his small body backing up slowly. Obviously intimidated by the towering Shifter in the room. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat down on the floor, happy to see the creature wasn't running to hide under the bed again.

"Who is your owner?" Sasuke said, his coal-black eyes boring into the illuminate blue. At first, Sasuke wondered if the human would even speak, but then its lips began to move, stuttering with apprehension.

"N-no." The boy said, his eyes fluttering around the room and seeming to size up Sasuke as well. His body stiff against the side of the bed.

"No what?" Sasuke said, pressing the boy to answer the question correctly. The human bit at his lip, his eyes burning as it stared at the door, the only exit in the room. And if he wanted to run he would have to get out of the rope and get past Sasuke.

"N-No…Spe-ak." The blonde said in a deeper voice than his previous tone. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the noticeable lie. This kid must think I'm an idiot. Damn humans. Sasuke let his back rest on the door, arms still crossed over each other and raised an eye brow at the blonde.

"Really now?" Sasuke said skeptically. The human nodded once and turned his head away from the Crow's. "Well what about last night? You knew enough to tell me to not call the police. You can't lie to me, I'm a business man, I know when others are lying just by the look on their face. And your face just screams 'guilty'." Sasuke said, almost laughing when the human's eyes widened. Ch, humans...

The blonde let out a tiny huff, pouting as his lie was clearly seen. Sasuke let a small chuckle slip as the boy pouted. While the the teen's head was turned, Sasuke reached out his hand and dropped it gently on the teen's blonde head. The boy's body jumped, sticking as close to the side of the bed as possible, tense, ready to leap at any moment.

"Shh." Sasuke shushed the stiff boy, his eyes wide in fright at the touch. "Don't worry, I just want to take the rope off." Sasuke said, slowly sliding closer to the blonde. With each inch Sasuke swore he could hear the human's heart beat harder. The rope around his neck, made to be a little loose, had cut into his skin, not enough for blood to appear, but still left most of his neck red and raw. The boy was a statue as Sasuke's hand fell from his head to his neck. The human shook slightly from the contact on one of the most defenseless parts of his anatomy. But quickly the hands were gone, down to the foot of the bed he was resting against. Sasuke quickly untied the knots at the end of the rope and letting it fall. The human was still attached to the rope, but he could now freely move around.

Which he did.

In a flash the blonde teen had jumped over the bed and pushed himself into a corner. Sasuke blinked, standing and walking over to the corner, and kneeling down again. The human no longer shook, but his eyes angrily watching the Crow bend down in front of him.

"See? Not going to hurt you. Now get out of the corner." Sasuke said, beckoning the boy to stand. Who answered with a fierce shake of his head. Sasuke huffed, but calmed himself down before speaking again. "Fine. Will you tell me your name?" Sasuke asked watched as the teen shook his head "No" once again.

Sasuke rubbed his fore head and ran his finger through his hair. God, this is why I never got a pet. Damn humans are just too troublesome. Sasuke laughed at the very Shikamaru-like thought.

"What ever. My name is Sasuke." Sasuke said, putting his hand out to the teen, who just stared at it. The boy's eyes honing in on the folded black wings on Sasuke's back. Then flickering between the man's hand and wings. Sasuke's eyebrow rose as he noticed the boy was staring at his wings. He smirked and pulled out his wings, feeling his ego rise as the boy's eyes widened and mouth opened slightly. "Yes, I am a Crow Shifter also." Sasuke said. The teen's wonder filled expression fell at those words. His blue eyes icing over into a hard steel.

Sasuke flapped his wings once before folding them back, slinking forward to pet the human. The blonde flinched and smacked the hand that came towards him. Sasuke frowned and pulled his hand back, disappointed that he couldn't feel the boy's hair again. I thought humans were supposed to be more tame than this. Either he doesn't like strangers, his owner was a unkind person, or...no...Maybe? Is he a stray?...That would explain a few things. No, he would be much more wild. Sasuke watched the human rub his arm and pick at the clothes Sasuke had given him. He might be a bit hesitant, but I don't think he is wild.

"You do have a name, don't you?" Sasuke asked, getting a small nod from the teen. Ok, he seems to be alright with answering yes or no questions. I guess I can deal with that for now.

"Do you have an owner?" Sasuke asked, surprised by the way the teen's eyes seemed to fall at the question. His head shaking side to side slowly. Hmm, I guess he is a stray. Great, what should I do? Drop him off at a shelter? Sasuke rubbed at the back of his neck, sighing as he put the thought aside for the moment.

"Have you had an owner before?" He asked. Might as well ask the boy questions while he was willing to answer them.

A nod.

"Ok, what was he like?" Sasuke asked, but then remembered that that wasn't a yes or no question. Just as he was about to rephrase the question, the teen spoke.

"He...was kind." The boy said quietly, a sad smile on his face for a moment as he recalled the past.

Sasuke nodded, inching a little closer while the teen was distracted.

"Can I ask what happened?" Sasuke asked softly, trying to gain the boy's trust. But the boy just narrowed his eyes and shook his head no. "Ok. So, what are you planning to do now?" Sasuke asked, keeping eye contact with the temperamental teen. Who gave him no response.

"As from what I saw last night, it seems you don't know where to go." Sasuke said. The teen awkwardly yanked on his clothes, puffing up his cheeks in embarrassment. Sasuke slunk forward, now only an inch away from touching knees with the human. The blonde looked up at the tall man that now sat a breaths away from him. He coward away and sank closer to the wall. Sasuke took a deep breath and slowly placed his hand on the blonde's head, a strange scene of worry came over him when he felt the poor creature shaking.

Gently Sasuke stroked the boy's head, his confidence growing as he noticed his hand hadn't been smacked away. So he continued petting the teen's head.

A pet? Me?! What am I thinking!? I have a time consuming job, bills...I can't just take in a human. That means I have to buy more food, make sure it gets exorcize, and is happy. I've never had a pet. And I do not want one. Sasuke thought grumpily, trying to force himself out of the idea of keeping the blonde. Who seemed to be relaxing as the Shifter continued to pet his head.

"Do you have anywhere to go?" Sasuke asked, still petting the teen. Sasuke would never admit it, but he was a huge push-over. Especially when it came to cute things. And no one could argue that the blonde wasn't absolutely adorable. Even though he was covered in dirt.

The teen shook his head. Sasuke sighed. Of course he doesn't. Other wise why would he be running around the city at night. And attacked no less, by either a hunter or the authorities. Sasuke groaned and let his free hand rub at his forehead and temples.

"I know that you don't trust me very much, and I did tie you to the bed's leg, but...It's not a very large apartment, but there's enough space for two. I also have a job so I will be gone for a few hours everyday. I can afford a little extra food, some clothes, and there's TV and Internet...So you can stay here...if you want." Sasuke said quietly after he realized how strange it was to ask a human if it wanted to be his pet.

The teen stared at Sasuke, his bright blue eyes searching the Shifter's face for any sign of sarcasm or lying. But there was none. The teen blinked dumbly, looking at the hand that continued to pat his head.

The man was a Shifter, the beings that ruled over his kind. But he knew there was good Shifters out there, his past owner being one. He had given him food, clothes, he sat with him and pat his head. Almost...lovingly. And he didn't call the police last night. He asked him to stay. He didn't force him to, but asked, as if an equal. The black winged man had treated him as an equal.

The blonde let a small smile grace his face as he looked at the lightly blushing Shifter.

"I'm Naruto." The blonde said. At the sound of the voice, Sasuke's hand stopped petting the teen for a moment, but continued after the sad blue eyes looked up at him. Naruto would be lying to himself if he said that he hated the man's hand running through his hair. It was calming.

"So, are you going to stay, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, smiling when he saw the teen nod.

"Yeah."