Bruises & Bitemarks (SasuNaru)

32.

It's a week to February 14th, Valentine's Day: a day for girls, despite everything. Do guys really care that they're being given chocolate by those who admire them? Well, okay, maybe. But girls make such a big deal out of it – friends, lovers, family; it doesn't matter: if you're a guy and you know a girl, you'll be getting chocolate from her. Of course, you're obligated to return the favour the same day next month, White Day. Maybe that's why they made it so that girls give first – if it were the other way around, chocolate sales would probably be a lot lower. (You can't live with Sasuke and not know that every Western-origin holiday is geared towards sales.)

Kyuubi scoffs at the idea of pink and red and chocolate. What a stupid event, he says. "And why's it got to have a colour scheme? Anyway, why is love coloured red and pink? Red is the colour of blood. Oh yes, very romantic. And pink, that's a girly colour to humans, isn't it? Males make up half the population of idiots in love. More than that, apparently, according to what's between you and Sasuke."

He's been ranting for the past five minutes about the superficiality of holidays and how it's weak of humans to celebrate, or some shit like that. Ever since the bell rang after bio class and the girls immediately erupted into chatter about who they were getting chocolates for, and I decided to entertain the thought of how I'm going to get through Valentine's Day with Sasuke, Kyuubi hasn't stopped talking. It's getting increasingly hard to ignore him, and so when I make it to the privacy of my dorm room, I confront him aloud.

"Would you just shut up?"

"What, you don't enjoy my discourse?"

"Hell no. You're not entitled to speak, ever," I add.

"Can't rule a demon, kit."

"I'm not about to let you take over my life, demon. You're going to shut up, or so help me I swear I'll have you surgically removed."

I'm deafened to my surroundings by roaring laughter. My vision tunnels and I have to sit down on my bed to avoid keeling over. When his outburst finally subsides into chuckles, my head clears enough for me to see Sasuke standing in front of me, leaning in to look at my face.

"Naruto? You look like a siren is going off in your ears." He says it more casually than I'm used to from him, like a passing greeting, a learned formality.

"May as well be," I say through gritted teeth. "Kyuubi's got the most fucked up sense of humour."

"You can't surgically remove me! Magic and science mix like oil and water, boy. I'm as big as a mountain, and you think I have a physical form within you? You'd carve yourself hollow before you found me."

"Kyuubi again?" Sasuke frowns. "Can't you make him be quiet?"

"I'm trying," I sigh. "I'm trying. Sasuke..."

I reach up with a hand, and Sasuke takes it. I fall back, pulling him down on top of me, our legs dangling off the edge of the bed. He gets on all fours above me and looks at me questioningly. I shake my head and link my hands together around him. His expression softens, and he closes his eyes as he leans forward to kiss me.

My heart is full by the time we finally pause for a moment, finding ourselves in a tangle of limbs, bodies close everywhere. I notice a clarity of mind, a silence.

"He's gone," I say.

"Hn?"

"Kyuubi. He's... gone. Not just being quiet. His presence is gone."

"Good." Sasuke doesn't care to hear the reason or the details. He nibbles at my pulse.

"Still think I'm a schizo?" I ask somewhat sarcastically, although I really want to hear the answer, now that I realize I never found out last night.