Naruto - Chapter 2 of the untitled horror that I hope will not eat my life
Title: --THIS SPACE FOR RENT--
Fandom: Naruto
Genre(s): Supernatural; Horror; Drama; Romance
Rating: PG-13/T for imagery and adult situations
Words: 1617
Summary: Iruka knows what lurks in the darkness, and now he must invite it in.
Disclaimer: Naruto and all related entities do not belong to me. This is a work of fanfiction and was written for entertainment purposes only. No profits are made from the writing or reading of this story.
Untitled Crapola!
©2008 by not_a_bird
2 - Infringe
Iruka stood in front of the kitchen sink, washing dishes, while Naruto took his bath. Their visitor leaned against the wall a few feet away, grey gaze never leaving the brunet’s figure. Iruka felt sick with vulnerability, his neck naked for the devil’s perusal, his and Naruto’s home and safety beyond endangered by the bloodsucker’s whim and Iruka’s own powerlessness. Even knowing what lay dormant within his charge, Iruka feared for the boy’s life far more than he did for his own. He felt he could go peacefully to the afterlife if only he knew Naruto would be able to live on happily. Now, though, this menace of a vampire hung over their heads.
“So, that kid is the Ninth King,” the vampire said conversationally.
“No, he is Naruto,” Iruka bit out, his grip on the plate in his fist turning his knuckles white. “And don’t you dare mention it to him! I don’t care what you do to me, but if you step one toe out of line where he’s concerned-!”
The creature chuckled awkwardly. “Now, now, no need to get your feathers ruffled. Or should I say flippers?”
Iruka’s protective anger dimmed to righteous irritation. “I bet you’re just the un-life of every party,” he scowled.
“You’re cute, you can cook, and you’re witty, a triple threat.”
“Not near enough of one to you,” Iruka muttered, placing the last of the dinnerware on the drying rack.
Before the demon could articulate a response, Naruto shouted, “Iruka-nii, bath’s all yours!”
“Dry off completely before you come out, Naruto-kun, I’m tired of hearing my feet squelch on the floor!” Iruka called.
“Nag, nag, nag,” the boy mumbled audibly.
“No ramen for two weeks!”
“Wah, no, I’m sorry, Iruka-nii, you’re the best mommy ever!”
“You brat!” Iruka exclaimed, dashing out of the kitchen and into the main room to confront Naruto. The blond laughed and whined at the same time as Iruka gave him a noogie and then started tickling him. He retaliated with tickling of his own, only stopping when Iruka’s hands simply slid around him in a warm hug.
“Were you angling for this the whole time?” the older of the two inquired with a smile, not minding how Naruto’s residual dampness seeped a little into his clothes.
“Boys aren’t s’posed to be all huggy, Iruka-nii,” Naruto said, his voice slightly muffled due to his face pressing into Iruka’s stomach.
“Well, I can keep it a secret if you can,” Iruka whispered.
“I can, definitely.”
“Okay, get out our futons and I’ll be in soon.” Iruka sent the child off with a kiss to the forehead. Naruto stepped away to do as told while Iruka gathered the necessary items to take to the bathroom.
“You really are the best mommy ever.”
The sound of another voice surprised Iruka. He spun around and saw the vampire had come quite close. Playing with Naruto had distracted him from the intruder’s presence.
“Aren’t you gone yet?” Iruka spat.
“From you? Never.”
With a grimace, Iruka stalked off to the bathroom, leaving the unwanted guest alone with Naruto.
Straightening out the futons on the floor, Naruto commented, “Iruka-nii said you’re an acquaintance from work, but I don’t believe him.”
The vampire’s interest was piqued. “Oh? What makes you think that?”
“I can smell lies” was the simple response.
“Does precious Iruka know that?”
“Yes, and he doesn’t care. That’s why he’s precious.”
“If this is the part where you warn me away from him, save it. I’ve made up my mind.”
The youth, finished unrolling and straightening out the futons, turned to face the older occupant of the room. Scarlet had suffused his eyes, formerly bright sapphires, and his eyeteeth had elongated into vicious fangs. His hands had lost their childish chubbiness, becoming long, bony, and clawed. His voice, when he spoke, was no longer that of a child.
“The child is not the only one who cares for the human. With complete awareness of me, he has fought and almost died for this boy and, thus, for me. Do you understand?” the Ninth Vampire King inquired, his mere presence enough to make skin crawl even though he could not fully manifest in the immature body.
“Just what do you think my intentions are?” the other vampire asked.
“You will suck the life out of him, though not necessarily by virtue of drinking his blood. Yours is not a heart capable of love in the way human hearts are. You could gain his trust, perhaps even his love, and then, as years pass and he grows old, his appeal will wane with every new wrinkle, every new malady an aging body inevitably acquires. Your fascination having dissipated, you will leave him to waste away alone, bitter yet pining for the immortal lover who spurned him with his dead, faithless heart.”
The visitor was about to make an indignant answer, but was preempted by the appearance of a terrycloth robe-clad Iruka, whose still damp face was flushed with anger.
“I don’t care what reasons you might have,” he snarled at the Ninth King. “Bring Naruto back.”
An almost unnoticeable inclination of his head and the powerful creature subsided into his shell, eyes bleeding back to blue, hands and teeth normal once again.
“Iruka-nii!” Naruto cried when he glimpsed the brunet. “You got on my case about dripping water and look at you!”
Iruka emitted a rueful laugh. “I know, I know. Let’s forget what I said about it earlier, okay? I won’t scold you anymore.”
The boy laughed, seeming completely oblivious to his own circumstances. “Is it bedtime now? I wanna watch TV!”
“Let me rinse off a little more, Naruto-kun, okay?”
After Naruto acquiesced, Iruka shot a glare at their guest and returned to the bathroom. The vampire, smiling under his scarf, slunk after him.
“Go away!” Iruka spat when a pale hand prevented him from closing the door all the way. “Haven’t you done enough damage?”
With a chuckle and a scant flick of his wrist, the vampire pushed Iruka backward and barged into the soap-scented bathroom. The immense force the bloodsucker could wield in but the barest of touches wrenched Iruka’s stomach into knots. There was nothing he could do to save himself.
Yet from the depths arose the brash impudence that had so often landed him in hot water during his adolescence. He made a mad scramble for the shower tap, hoping the runnels created by the stream from the showerhead would be enough to count as running water, which vampires could not cross.
With all the grace of a gazelle combined with the swiftness of a striking cheetah, the beast intercepted Iruka’s extended arm and, before the brunet could blink, had swept him backward into an unbreakable embrace. The taller male’s remaining arm pinned Iruka’s free one to his torso while his cold right hand shackled Iruka’s right wrist.
Sweat beaded on Iruka’s forehead as his blood roared in his ears. His respiration had grown rapid, but the thing behind him was motionless, as still as the death he embodied. Fear wedged Iruka’s throat closed, and he hated that the monster could probably smell it.
“Iruka,” the vampire whispered into his ear, startling a gasp from him. “Iruka. Iruka.”
Said man could only emit a puny whine into the moist air of the space.
With a chuckle, the human’s captor nosed through the damp, scraggly locks covering Iruka’s nape. Resting thin, icy lips on the revealed skin, he intoned the name once more.
“Why-?” Iruka gasped out as the cold hand on his front slipped like a snake into his robe, causing his skin to horripilate.
“I want your heart, your hidden wings, your whole existence,” the vampire told him, just faintly scraping the tips of his fangs over that exposed patch of skin. “I want to consume you utterly.”
“No,” breathed the ensnared young man, his eyes huge and seeing nothing anymore except the distant image of horror that must surely await him in the near future. The vampire was going to kill him, and what would become of Naruto? Would the King save him? The ten-year-old’s body could hardly bear the weight of such an ancient, powerful entity’s presence.
The meat-tearing teeth retreated for the moment and the grey-eyed creature hummed against Iruka’s neck as if in thought. Then the unclean mouth opened once more.
“I suppose this must be a lot to come to terms with in only one evening,” the predator voiced grudgingly. “But make no mistake, Iruka: I will come back for you. In fact, I’ll leave you with a little reminder of my promise.”
Once more, the movements were too fast to glimpse, to comprehend, and Iruka froze in shock when he realized he was devoid of his robe and pressed face-first into the wall tiles, the vampire holding each of his wrists down at his sides. Iruka squirmed when he felt the frigid lips press against his right scapula, but the struggle came to naught. The extended canines punctured his flesh, drained some of his life away. A wet, chilly tongue like a fat worm licked over the wounds, savoring the sweet, iron-rich liquid.
In spite of himself, Iruka had released a pained cry that drew attention from the apartment’s other occupant. When Naruto called to his brother, the blood-drinker excused himself with a wicked grin, disappearing out of the apartment with impossible speed.
Naruto found Iruka hunched on the bathroom floor, robe on once more, hiding the shameful wound from young eyes. Iruka made up some believable excuses about slipping and unexpected cold water, mostly assuaging the boy’s suspicions.
The bite mark throbbed all night long.
-to be continued-
Afterword: I was so amazed and flattered and deliriously happy at all the wonderful feedback I got the first chapter, which has now been altered (barely) as suggested. I honestly didn't expect such a response. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint too badly. I wonder if I've taken on too much or what. I'll look forward to your comments and concrit to help this become a better chapter and better fic on the whole. I appreciate your readership so much! Thank you~! ♥
Fandom: Naruto
Genre(s): Supernatural; Horror; Drama; Romance
Rating: PG-13/T for imagery and adult situations
Words: 1617
Summary: Iruka knows what lurks in the darkness, and now he must invite it in.
Disclaimer: Naruto and all related entities do not belong to me. This is a work of fanfiction and was written for entertainment purposes only. No profits are made from the writing or reading of this story.
Untitled Crapola!
©2008 by not_a_bird
2 - Infringe
Iruka stood in front of the kitchen sink, washing dishes, while Naruto took his bath. Their visitor leaned against the wall a few feet away, grey gaze never leaving the brunet’s figure. Iruka felt sick with vulnerability, his neck naked for the devil’s perusal, his and Naruto’s home and safety beyond endangered by the bloodsucker’s whim and Iruka’s own powerlessness. Even knowing what lay dormant within his charge, Iruka feared for the boy’s life far more than he did for his own. He felt he could go peacefully to the afterlife if only he knew Naruto would be able to live on happily. Now, though, this menace of a vampire hung over their heads.
“So, that kid is the Ninth King,” the vampire said conversationally.
“No, he is Naruto,” Iruka bit out, his grip on the plate in his fist turning his knuckles white. “And don’t you dare mention it to him! I don’t care what you do to me, but if you step one toe out of line where he’s concerned-!”
The creature chuckled awkwardly. “Now, now, no need to get your feathers ruffled. Or should I say flippers?”
Iruka’s protective anger dimmed to righteous irritation. “I bet you’re just the un-life of every party,” he scowled.
“You’re cute, you can cook, and you’re witty, a triple threat.”
“Not near enough of one to you,” Iruka muttered, placing the last of the dinnerware on the drying rack.
Before the demon could articulate a response, Naruto shouted, “Iruka-nii, bath’s all yours!”
“Dry off completely before you come out, Naruto-kun, I’m tired of hearing my feet squelch on the floor!” Iruka called.
“Nag, nag, nag,” the boy mumbled audibly.
“No ramen for two weeks!”
“Wah, no, I’m sorry, Iruka-nii, you’re the best mommy ever!”
“You brat!” Iruka exclaimed, dashing out of the kitchen and into the main room to confront Naruto. The blond laughed and whined at the same time as Iruka gave him a noogie and then started tickling him. He retaliated with tickling of his own, only stopping when Iruka’s hands simply slid around him in a warm hug.
“Were you angling for this the whole time?” the older of the two inquired with a smile, not minding how Naruto’s residual dampness seeped a little into his clothes.
“Boys aren’t s’posed to be all huggy, Iruka-nii,” Naruto said, his voice slightly muffled due to his face pressing into Iruka’s stomach.
“Well, I can keep it a secret if you can,” Iruka whispered.
“I can, definitely.”
“Okay, get out our futons and I’ll be in soon.” Iruka sent the child off with a kiss to the forehead. Naruto stepped away to do as told while Iruka gathered the necessary items to take to the bathroom.
“You really are the best mommy ever.”
The sound of another voice surprised Iruka. He spun around and saw the vampire had come quite close. Playing with Naruto had distracted him from the intruder’s presence.
“Aren’t you gone yet?” Iruka spat.
“From you? Never.”
With a grimace, Iruka stalked off to the bathroom, leaving the unwanted guest alone with Naruto.
Straightening out the futons on the floor, Naruto commented, “Iruka-nii said you’re an acquaintance from work, but I don’t believe him.”
The vampire’s interest was piqued. “Oh? What makes you think that?”
“I can smell lies” was the simple response.
“Does precious Iruka know that?”
“Yes, and he doesn’t care. That’s why he’s precious.”
“If this is the part where you warn me away from him, save it. I’ve made up my mind.”
The youth, finished unrolling and straightening out the futons, turned to face the older occupant of the room. Scarlet had suffused his eyes, formerly bright sapphires, and his eyeteeth had elongated into vicious fangs. His hands had lost their childish chubbiness, becoming long, bony, and clawed. His voice, when he spoke, was no longer that of a child.
“The child is not the only one who cares for the human. With complete awareness of me, he has fought and almost died for this boy and, thus, for me. Do you understand?” the Ninth Vampire King inquired, his mere presence enough to make skin crawl even though he could not fully manifest in the immature body.
“Just what do you think my intentions are?” the other vampire asked.
“You will suck the life out of him, though not necessarily by virtue of drinking his blood. Yours is not a heart capable of love in the way human hearts are. You could gain his trust, perhaps even his love, and then, as years pass and he grows old, his appeal will wane with every new wrinkle, every new malady an aging body inevitably acquires. Your fascination having dissipated, you will leave him to waste away alone, bitter yet pining for the immortal lover who spurned him with his dead, faithless heart.”
The visitor was about to make an indignant answer, but was preempted by the appearance of a terrycloth robe-clad Iruka, whose still damp face was flushed with anger.
“I don’t care what reasons you might have,” he snarled at the Ninth King. “Bring Naruto back.”
An almost unnoticeable inclination of his head and the powerful creature subsided into his shell, eyes bleeding back to blue, hands and teeth normal once again.
“Iruka-nii!” Naruto cried when he glimpsed the brunet. “You got on my case about dripping water and look at you!”
Iruka emitted a rueful laugh. “I know, I know. Let’s forget what I said about it earlier, okay? I won’t scold you anymore.”
The boy laughed, seeming completely oblivious to his own circumstances. “Is it bedtime now? I wanna watch TV!”
“Let me rinse off a little more, Naruto-kun, okay?”
After Naruto acquiesced, Iruka shot a glare at their guest and returned to the bathroom. The vampire, smiling under his scarf, slunk after him.
“Go away!” Iruka spat when a pale hand prevented him from closing the door all the way. “Haven’t you done enough damage?”
With a chuckle and a scant flick of his wrist, the vampire pushed Iruka backward and barged into the soap-scented bathroom. The immense force the bloodsucker could wield in but the barest of touches wrenched Iruka’s stomach into knots. There was nothing he could do to save himself.
Yet from the depths arose the brash impudence that had so often landed him in hot water during his adolescence. He made a mad scramble for the shower tap, hoping the runnels created by the stream from the showerhead would be enough to count as running water, which vampires could not cross.
With all the grace of a gazelle combined with the swiftness of a striking cheetah, the beast intercepted Iruka’s extended arm and, before the brunet could blink, had swept him backward into an unbreakable embrace. The taller male’s remaining arm pinned Iruka’s free one to his torso while his cold right hand shackled Iruka’s right wrist.
Sweat beaded on Iruka’s forehead as his blood roared in his ears. His respiration had grown rapid, but the thing behind him was motionless, as still as the death he embodied. Fear wedged Iruka’s throat closed, and he hated that the monster could probably smell it.
“Iruka,” the vampire whispered into his ear, startling a gasp from him. “Iruka. Iruka.”
Said man could only emit a puny whine into the moist air of the space.
With a chuckle, the human’s captor nosed through the damp, scraggly locks covering Iruka’s nape. Resting thin, icy lips on the revealed skin, he intoned the name once more.
“Why-?” Iruka gasped out as the cold hand on his front slipped like a snake into his robe, causing his skin to horripilate.
“I want your heart, your hidden wings, your whole existence,” the vampire told him, just faintly scraping the tips of his fangs over that exposed patch of skin. “I want to consume you utterly.”
“No,” breathed the ensnared young man, his eyes huge and seeing nothing anymore except the distant image of horror that must surely await him in the near future. The vampire was going to kill him, and what would become of Naruto? Would the King save him? The ten-year-old’s body could hardly bear the weight of such an ancient, powerful entity’s presence.
The meat-tearing teeth retreated for the moment and the grey-eyed creature hummed against Iruka’s neck as if in thought. Then the unclean mouth opened once more.
“I suppose this must be a lot to come to terms with in only one evening,” the predator voiced grudgingly. “But make no mistake, Iruka: I will come back for you. In fact, I’ll leave you with a little reminder of my promise.”
Once more, the movements were too fast to glimpse, to comprehend, and Iruka froze in shock when he realized he was devoid of his robe and pressed face-first into the wall tiles, the vampire holding each of his wrists down at his sides. Iruka squirmed when he felt the frigid lips press against his right scapula, but the struggle came to naught. The extended canines punctured his flesh, drained some of his life away. A wet, chilly tongue like a fat worm licked over the wounds, savoring the sweet, iron-rich liquid.
In spite of himself, Iruka had released a pained cry that drew attention from the apartment’s other occupant. When Naruto called to his brother, the blood-drinker excused himself with a wicked grin, disappearing out of the apartment with impossible speed.
Naruto found Iruka hunched on the bathroom floor, robe on once more, hiding the shameful wound from young eyes. Iruka made up some believable excuses about slipping and unexpected cold water, mostly assuaging the boy’s suspicions.
The bite mark throbbed all night long.
-to be continued-
Afterword: I was so amazed and flattered and deliriously happy at all the wonderful feedback I got the first chapter, which has now been altered (barely) as suggested. I honestly didn't expect such a response. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint too badly. I wonder if I've taken on too much or what. I'll look forward to your comments and concrit to help this become a better chapter and better fic on the whole. I appreciate your readership so much! Thank you~! ♥