Chapter Text
The cold gnawed at bone and marrow alike. Snow blanketed the forest in a suffocating silence, each breath misting from the muzzle of the large black wolf moving through the drifts- slow and uneven.
Blood followed his trail through the white blanket. Staining it with a dark red that wasn't fresh, nor clean. It clung to fur that had long since lost its shine.
Sasuke didn't remember when the fight had ended. Only that it hadn't ended quickly.
The boar had been massive- territorial even more so now that it was winter. Sasuke had been trying to avoid the large tusks on his opponent, but he was exhausted. Travelling alone for weeks had left his defenses weaker and his openings wider.
Its tusks had carved through flesh like bark, tearing through the muscle along his shoulder. He'd fought back, of course. He always did.
Now- he was wounded, hungry and nowhere close to shelter.
Sasuke's paw slipped and he stumbled, catching himself before collapsing fully into the snow. His vision blurred at the edges, darkness creeping inward.
Water.
He needed water.
But every stream was frozen over- solid and merciless. Sasuke had tried clawing through one earlier. The thick ice hadn't given and his strength hadn't lasted.
Sasuke wouldn't make it through winter like this. He wouldn't even make it through the next two days.
A low sound left his throat, like a half whine, half growl- pathetic as the strong winds carried it away.
That's what they had called him- pathetic.
~○•~
Sasuke felt his world slipping from under his feet. Quietly like something sinking into dark water, too deep to pull back up.
The silence stretched on, thick and heavy in an endless descent.
The doctor's office- sterile and suffocating, seemed to warp at the edges of his vision. The walls bent inward and pressed closer, like they were trying to crush the air from his lungs.
The words... they refused to settle- refused to make sense.
"...What?"
The doctor flinched. His hand jerked as he adjusted his glasses, pushing them further up his nose with unsteady fingers.
His eyes darted between the four people in his office. Like he was looking for an escape.
Uchihas did that to people. Even now, even here.
"The results show that Sasuke-" he gives Sasuke a pitiful glance, before turning back to Fugaku and Mikoto. "-has the Omega genome-"
Omega
Fugaku, the alpha head of the Uchiha pack- breathed out, voice rough and on the edge of losing control. "How is this possible?"
Sasuke's spine went rigid. He refused to look up. Refused to face the disappointment so clearly outlined in his father's voice.
"I-... uh-" The doctor checked his clipboard again, as if the answer that was written there would somehow change.
"Our family," Fugaku continued, each word sharpened to a blade, "is a powerful line that has only ever produced alphas and betas."
Fugaku pauses and draws in a breath, control slipping from his usual facade.
"How," Fugaku said, slower now, quieter in a way that carried a dangerous tilt to his words, "is this possible?"
Sasuke's fingers curled tightly against the edge of the examination table until his knuckles turned white. He still hadn't moved. If he didn't move... then maybe this wasn't real.
"Dear..." Mikoto's hand came to rest on Fugaku's arm gently, trying to calm her husband.
Her gaze shifted and landed on Sasuke, filled with worry. He wished it wasn't. The concern in her eyes felt like something slowly breaking.
The doctor swallowed audibly in the quiet room.
"Sir, this phenomenon is the first I've ever seen. A recessive genome such as this one has somehow fought its way into-"
"Perhaps it was a mistake." Itachi's voice cut in, calm and measured as always.
Something inside Sasuke twisted, and he lifted his head slightly. Hope for what his brother said to be true flickered in his chest- small, fragile and desperate.
Itachi's brows were furrowed in thought, as if trying to make sense of something that just didn't fit.
Mistake. Yes, it had to be. This had to be some kind of mistake.
But the doctor shook his head immediately, certain in his abilities. "The reading is correct. Such an error isn't possible."
And just like that- The fragile thing inside Sasuke shattered.
"Now I know this is a first in your family, so it is important to discuss the needs of an omega-"
Fugaku stood abruptly. The sound of his chair scraping against tile was sharp and final.
Sasuke flinched. He thought his father might speak again. Might argue, or deny it, or fix it.
Instead, Fugaku looked at him, a sharp, cold glance that felt more like a glare. Then he turned away and left the room without a word.
Mikoto followed behind him quickly. But she hesitated at the door for just a second, her hand tightening slightly at her side.
Then she looked back at her youngest son. And there it was, the grief Sasuke had glimpsed briefly before. Her lips parted like she wanted to say something. But she closed them again and turned away.
The doctor silently exited the room with a hesitant glance thrown their way.
Silence rushed in to fill the space they left behind. Sasuke felt it then. Like something hollow opening up inside him.
This just wasn't possible- it couldn't be. Uchihas were alphas or powerful betas. Always, without exceptions, without failures.
And Sasuke-
His hands trembled against his lap.
Why him?
"...Otouto."
Sasuke flinched at the familiar voice cutting through his fragile thoughts.
Itachi hadn't moved.
Sasuke looked up from his hands slowly. His vision blurry as his eyes met his brother's own gentle ones. He blinked to try and clear the haze.
When had he started crying?
He quickly wiped at his face, anger flaring sharp and sudden. He couldn't be seen as weak. Not now. Not when-
Not when this was already-
Shit.
If they hadn't come. If they had just let Sasuke go alone. Maybe he could've hid this somehow. Could've lied and lived how they expected him to. But they were all hear when his world shattered beneath his feet.
Sasuke hadn't expected this- they hadn't expected this.
They'd expected something else. Everyone had. An alpha or a beta- something worthy. He had already been late in presenting- already a disappointment.
He was nineteen without a second gender when most presented by the age of thirteen. But it was fine, he was an Uchiha. Presenting wouldn't make a difference in his status.
And now-
This.
"...Let's go." Itachi had turned away, his back to Sasuke. His voice didn't betray anything of what he was feeling. Sasuke couldn't see his face like this.
Sasuke's chest tightened painfully.
"Wait-"
Itachi moved towards the door, ready to leave too.
Panic flared high and sudden within Sasuke. Was Itachi disappointed in him?
His father, he could bare. His mother he could tolerate. But Itachi- no not Itachi. His brother wouldn't turn his back on Sasuke. He'd never recover if he did.
Not him. Anyone but him.
"Itachi-"
The name broke on his lips. His brother paused just for a second, and Sasuke's breath caught in relief.
"...We should go. Father is waiting." Itachi said. Controlled and distant. The door clicked shut behind him.
Sasuke sat there alone in the doctor's office that smelt like machinery and nausea.
Omega.
It didn't feel like a mistake anymore, it felt like a sentence.
°◇°
The memory was as painful and vivid as the day it happened. How long ago was that?
Days? Weeks?
Sasuke couldn't remember. His mind was hazy, his ears were ringing, his wound throbbed even worse than it did earlier. Most likely from the beginnings of an infection.
Instinct screamed at Sasuke to find shelter within the treeline just a few feet ahead. Being out in the open like this left him exposed to both the snow and enemies. Shifters or not.
His dark fur was a deep contrast to the white blanket of snow around him.
The tall trees offered some cover from the harsh winds. Sasuke wandered in deeper, only collapsing once he deemed himself as safe as he could get.
The snow still pelted down between the leaf-less branches on the tall trees, blanketing Sasuke's fur with white dots that seemed to cling to his soul in an icy grip. He shivered out, shaking his head to get rid of what had gathered there.
The movement alone seemed to drain his energy.
A strong gush of wind ruffled his fur. Sasuke grimaced at the sharp sting against his muzzle. With the wind, came a scent he had missed before.
Something layered and warm, but screamed 'do not cross'. The meaning of it took much longer than Sasuke liked to admit to hit him.
This was pack territory.
Sasuke needed to move, to get as far away as possible before they knew he was here.
But it was too late. He'd already crossed the border. And if this pack was any good, scouts would be on his tail in seconds.
》》
Naruto was the only one on patrol today- per his orders. He wouldn't have his scouts out here in such harsh conditions. He alone could handle it just fine.
The snow was relentless as it settled along his golden fur. The wind was harsh against his muzzle as he pushed through, scenting the trees to keep the territory line clear to any wandering travelers.
Rogues weren't common, especially in the winter season. Traveling in this weather was a death wish. But Naruto wouldn't be a good pack leader if he didn't take precautions anyway.
A particularly strong gush of wind made the blonde wolf clamp his eyes shut, turning his face away from the onslaught to lessen the sting against his nose.
The scent hit Naruto then- something sharp and metallic.
Blood.
Naruto's head snapped up, ears twitching as the scent cut through the cold, slicing past the familiar layers of his land.
His large paws sank into the snow as he moved, silent despite his size, his blonde fur looked almost white against the weather, a perfect camouflage.
His blue eyes narrowed as instinct sharpened every sense. The border had been crossed- there was no mistaking it. The scent was too close, too deep within Konoha's land.
And beneath the blood was something else.
Naruto slowed, his nose turned upward to try and catch it better. Something sweet, tanged with the underlying bitterness of distress.
... an Omega?
The word barely formed in his mind before his body reacted. His pulse spiked. Something low and ancient stirred in his chest, coiling tight and restless. Not just recognition.
An immediate pull, strong and unfamiliar.
Naruto pushed forward faster before he could decipher what it meant.
Naruto found him in a shallow drift between the trees, half-buried where the wind had started to claim him.
A black wolf curled in on himself. Large despite being an omega.
But he was still. Naruto could tell he was alive, maybe just unconscious.
Blood matted his fur, dark against darker, frozen in places where the cold had already begun to take hold. Cuts gashes carved along his side, one shoulder torn badly enough that bone might have been visible beneath the matted fur.
Naruto's breath caught. The rogue was badly injured. The decision was up to him whether to help or not. Rogues usually weren't welcome, but Naruto wasn't one to watch them die just becuase of that.
He stepped closer cautiously. The scent hit him fully then, beneath the omegan mist, beneath the blood.
Him.
It slammed into Naruto like something physical- warm despite the cold and sharp yet grounding. Something that sank into his lungs with a vice grip and stayed. His chest tightened, heart stuttering hard enough that it hurt.
Mine.
The thought wasn't his. It didn't feel like his.
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"...What...?"
The black wolf's eyes snapped open, so quickly it almost frightened Naruto
Onyx locked onto him. Sharp and aware.
Dangerous.
A snarl tore from the rogue's throat, low and vicious as he lunged, despite everything- despite the blood loss, the shaking limbs, the way his body clearly couldn't handle it.
Naruto barely had time to react before they collided.
°○●¤°
Pain lanced through Sasuke's side the moment he struck, but he didn't stop. With his sharp teeth bared, he twisted and aimed for the throat.
Instinct had been drilled into his very bones by now. The constant fight for survival these past weeks left him more wolf than human at this point.
His vision swam, black bleeding into the edges like spilled paint in water, but the other wolf's presence burned too bright, too close.
Obviously an alpha. A strong one, a threat.
Sasuke wouldn't die weak. He wouldn't-
The world flipped.
Suddenly he was slammed on his back, snow crushed beneath him as a heavy weight pinned him down. Warmth enveloped him so quickly that it almost left him delirious with the rapid change.
A growl rumbled from above him, vibrating through his own chest at the proximity. The feeling made him still on instinct.
"Stop." the other wolf said, voice low and firm, but not threatening. A command- not a compulsory one, but a command no less. It slipped into the air between them and turned to ash against Sasuke's ears.
How dare this alpha try to command me.
Sasuke's body jerked as fury exploded. He snapped again, claws raking upward to snag at the skin beneath thick blonde fur, but his strength faltered.
His limbs felt distant and unresponsive. The more he struggled, the more the world tilted, slipping further out of reach.
"Hey- hey," the alpha said, quieter now, shifting his weight to not crush, but firm enough to hold him still. "You're going to make it worse."
Sasuke snarled, the sound breaking halfway through. Pathetic.
Sasuke wondered why he wasn't being attacked. He was an intruder in the other wolf's territory, a rogue, a potential enemy.
Sasuke's chest heaved, breath coming too fast, too shallow. The cold wasn't biting anymore. But the feeling of helplessness still crept in. This wolf was larger, healthier, faster. Sasuke wouldnt stand a chance in this state.
"Don't-" His voice cracked. "-touch me."
The other didn't move away. Instead, he leaned closer, blue eyes intense as they seemed to pin Sasuke in place. Sasuke watched as his mouth opened slightly, giving a glimpse of sharp white teeth.
Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut. But only felt a large snout press against his neck. He stilled immediately. As if an off button was clicked as soon as the alpha made contact with him
And then- he inhaled.
A shiver ran down Sasuke's spine that had nothing to do with the cold. The cold that was currently being shielded from the large mass covering him- sniffing him.
What the...
The grip around him tightened.
"...It's you." The blonde wolf above him murmured, voice almost disbelieving.
Sasuke went rigid.
Heat flared under his skin- sudden, sharp, completely out of place in the frozen air. It spread from where the wolf's breath ghosted over his neck, sinking inward, making his head spin in an entirely different way.
No.
No- this wasn't-
But Sasuke could smell it too. With the wolf so close, with his struggles unwillingly put aside. His scent filled him from the inside out. Something familiar and grounding, even though they'd just met.
A weak sound slipped from Sasuke's throat, halfway between a growl and something far less controlled.
His body betrayed him as his own scent shifted in recognition.
The alpha froze, eyes darkening slightly, dark pupils almost swallowing striking blue.
How can his eyes be so blue?
Shit, he was hot all over.
"Easy," the other wolf said, quieter now. But his voice wasn't steady anymore. Not even close.
Sasuke twisted again, weaker this time, panic threading through the haze. This man was supposed to be his mate.
He'd heard about the stories but never gave them any attention. Stories of two parts of a whole finally coming together, of the feeling of everything clicking into place when it did.
Most people never found their true mate. But yet still Sasuke just did. Right after finding out he was a secondary gender he couldn't accept. This wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen.
He should've been a beta, or even an alpha. He wouldn't complain with either. He'd take over the company one day, he'd still be with his family-
But the scent of the alpha above him screamed otherwise.
My alpha.
No, no no-
"Get- off-"
Sasuke's strength gave out mid-struggle. The world dipped and tilted on its axis as darkness surged up to meet him.
°•◇•°
The first thing Sasuke felt was warmth.
It seeped into him slowly, unfamiliar after days of cold that had bitten down to bone. It pressed along his side, steady and solid, surrounding him, dragging him up from the heavy pull of unconsciousness.
Even with the comfort of warmth, Sasuke still felt like a truck had turned over and landed on him, then stayed there for a good 2 weeks.
Sasuke struggled to open his eyes. Blinking to adjust to the surprisingly low lighting in the room.
...room?
His eyes snapped wide then, breath flaring aggressively as he looked around his surroundings. The scent of wood, herbs and smoke filling his senses as he came to.
The lighting was low, but Sasuke could see just clearly in his wolf form.
The ceiling stretched high above him, supported by high cedar beams carved with subtle spiral patterns.
The bed beneath him was massive, large enough to swallow a wolf twice the size of a grown man and leave plenty of space.
Layered in heavy pelts and dark woven blankets. A fireplace flickered off to the side, extra wood layered in a basket to keep it burning.
Tall glass panels cover one wall of the room, curtains left open to the huge yard outside, lined by a forest that reminded him too much of hurtful memories.
It was dark out. How long had he been unconscious?
This was obviously the kind of space built for an alpha who commanded both pack and territory. And as Sasuke pushes himself upright, already scanning for exits, he realizes with a flicker of irritation that everything in the room smells like him- the wolf who probably dragged him here- warm, cidar, and entirely too close.
Sasuke's memory quickly resurfaced with the thought of the blonde wolf. The scent of him, the feeling he'd gotten, the way he'd went pliant beneath the other.
Sasuke needed to leave. And quickly.
Sasuke's body moved before thought caught up.
A small hiss ripped from his throat as he surged to his feet- and immediately staggered.
Pain exploded through his side, white-hot and blinding. His leg gave out beneath him, claws scraping against the blankets as his vision swam.
But Sasuke didn't stop. He couldn't. Not when he was in unfamiliar territory, not when these people could be enemies. He was an omega- who knew what they'd want from him.
The door creaked.
Sasuke spun toward the sound, every muscle coiling tight, ignoring the sharp protest of his wounds.
It opened slowly, allowing light to spill in.
And with it-
Him.
He was in human form. But Sasuke knew it was him- the wolf from before. Messy blonde hair, tall, built frame, muscles shadowed beneath the tight black shirt he wore, whisker like scars adorning his cheeks. His eyes were the same striking blue, even more visible now in the soft lighting. They seemed to pin Sasuke in place again.
And his scent- even more prominent now that the haze of harsh winter winds weren't messing with his nose. The man smelt like sun-warmed pine, citrus and clean smoke. Undoubtedly alpha, but not suffocating.
For a moment, they both stood there-
Then Sasuke lunged.
Despite the dizziness and the instinct screaming at him not to attack an alpha- this alpha- Sasuke went straight for the throat.
Sasuke could take him now. His human form wouldn't stand a chance against a wolf almost twice the size of him. If he was going down, he wasn't doing it quietly.
His jaws snapped through empty air.
The blond barely twisted out of the way in time, sliding across the wooden floor as Sasuke's teeth clamped shut where his head had been a second earlier.
Sasuke skidded, claws scraping hard against the polished wood as he struggled to turn. He wheeled around just in time to see the shift.
The man blurred, bones cracked and muscles swelled. The human was gone, replaced by a massive golden wolf that dwarfed Sasuke entirely.
"Calm down," the wolf said.
Shit.
Sasuke's ears flattened in caution. He'd never seen someone shift that fast before.
His lips peeled back anyway, a low, vicious growl rumbling up from his chest. He would never roll over for them. Never.
He needed to escape. He'd heard the stories about stolen omegas. Trafficked and locked into breeding dens like livestock. Used until their bodies broke.
He didn't care if this alpha smelled like-
No.
Sasuke pushed the thought down voilently. Mate or not meant nothing. The bond didn't decide his life.
Sasuke growled low in his throat, teeth bared in defiance. He dropped low and lunged again, aiming for the alpha's feet this time. He could still use his size to his advantage.
Bu the golden wolf was faster than his size guaranteed. Sasuke's jaw snapped shut where a large paw should have been-
Then the world flipped.
He was slammed onto his back with a heavy, oddly familiar weight crushing down over him. He'd been pinned easily.
"You're just making it worse." The alpha said, teeth bared but his voice strangely calm. "I wont hurt you."
Like hell Sasuke would believe that.
He snarled and snapped again, teeth flashing dangerously close to the other wolf's muzzle.
The alpha flinches away, still keeping his weight on the black wolf below him to hold him still.
"Are you-" he sputtered incredulously. "Are you serious??"
Sasuke glared up at him.
What did he expect?
For him to roll over and bare his throat to a complete stranger? Yeah right.
"Get off me." Sasuke growled.
Instead of the wolf complying, blue eyes gave a mischievous gleam. Then he dropped down his full weight.
Sasuke gets the air knocked out of him as the impact slams into his chest. He struggles in the grip, trying to push the massive wolf from off of him.
The wolf didn't budge, only seeming to snuggle in closer.
Sasuke twisted, snapping at the thick fur near his shoulder, but he couldn't quite reach. Frustration built sharp and hot in his chest.
Sasuke wasn't small- not by any standard- but this alpha was massive. Broad and heavy. Built like something carved from the mountains themselves.
And the worst part-
Even pinned beneath him, Sasuke could smell him.
Warm and wild.
Sun-warmed pine and something deeper beneath it that wrapped around Sasuke's instincts and pulled.
A whine threatened to spill from his throat.
Mate.
The word scraped against his skull like broken glass.
Sasuke thrashed harder. Pain flared through his wounds as he struggled, breath coming shorter now.
The alpha had shifted his weight carefully though, avoiding the worst of Sasuke's injuries like he knew exactly where they were.
Which only made the pull worse.
He wont hurt you. It screamed, and for a second against his will, he considers it.
The alpha could've seriously hurt him by now if he wanted to, right? He'd given enough signs that he was capable of it- but instead chose to pin Sasuke in this humiliating press.
Sasuke's strength bled out slowly with each useless movement until finally-
"Okay," he wheezed. The word scraped out of him. The golden wolf's ears twitched against his own. "Okay, fine."
Silence settled between them, broken only by uneven breathing. Sasuke was beginning to wonder if maybe the other hadn't heard him.
But then he felt warm breath ghost over his ear.
"There you go," the wolf murmured.
Sasuke's eyes stayed sharp and cold despite the shiver that went down his spine. He'd comply- for now. Play weak and tired. Then wait for the moment they dropped their guard to escape.
The weight above him slowly eased and air flooded back into Sasuke's lungs as the pressure lifted, though the alpha still hovered close.
"How can I trust you enough not to attack me again?" the wolf asked cautiously.
"I wont," Sasuke lowered his ears against his head as if in shame. "I don't have the energy."
Not really a lie. But the promise rolled off Sasuke's tongue easily- even though he wouldn't mind breaking it.
The other studied him for a while, as if searching for something. Something deep and ancient within Sasuke's core stirred, and before he could question it, he lowered his gaze in false submission.
He'd never actually submit to anyone, so he quells the anger by observing the tiles by the blonde's feet.
He seemed convinced enough and finally stepped away.
Sasuke rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up, legs shaking slightly.
"I actually came to check your wounds." Blue eyes dropped to his bandages. "...which are now bleeding."
He sighed and sat down heavily.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Leader of Konoha." He introduced himself with a tired smile. Sasuke froze.
Konoha.
Everyone knew that name. The largest pack in the Fire Lands. Strong. Loyal. Territorial as hell.
And he had just tried to rip their alpha's throat out.
Brilliant.
"Sasuke." He said after a moment. He wouldn't be stupid enough to give his last name too. Questions would immediately arise if Naruto found out he was an omegan Uchiha.
Naruto's ears perked up.
Sasuke ignored the feeling that pooled in his spine the way Narutp said his name next.
"Well... Sasuke," his voice was lower now as if to taste the name on his tongue. "Welcome to Konoha-"
"I'm not staying." The words slipped out before Sasuke could stop them.
What happened to the plan of slipping free without anyone noticing??
Naruto just huffed, "You can't go anywhere like that." He said, pointedly looking at the bandages wrapped his matted fur. "And you stink."
Sasuke's ears flattened automatically in annoyance. Yet he couldn't take much offense since it was true.
"Baa-chan said its not safe for you to shift back yet." Naruto stood and padded over to a door Sasuke hadn't noticed before. "Your wounds are too much to handle in human form, so you're stuck like that until you recover."
He already knew that. The shift could worsen his injuries. But being stuck like this for so long would make shifting back more painful than called for.
"I'd give you a bath." Naruto continued, pushing open the door to reveal a large bathroom. "But I don't trust you more than you trust me. I mean, you tried to take my head off."
Sasuke huffed and looked away.
'I'd give you a bath'
Normally that wouldn't be strange for pack wolves. But Naruto wasn't pack.
Sasuke didn't have a pack anymore. He didn't need anyone to bathe him.
Still...
Warm water sounded dangerously appealing after weeks of winter travel.
If the blonde tried anything, he'd be in human form where Sasuke wouldn't miss again.
"...I won't try anything." Sasuke muttered, voice much smaller than he'd like to admit.
Naruto paused.
For a second something flickered across his expression- something Sasuke couldn't quite decipher.
"Alright," he said finally. "Give me a second to change."
He disappeared into the bathroom.
Gosh, what am I doing?
Did the thought of a shower really leave Sasuke throwing all his defenses away?
Yes.
Yes it did.
Sasuke stood there for a moment, tail flicking irritably behind him. The mate pull tugged faintly in his chest again. He shoved it down hard.
He ignored the fact that this alpha being his mate was a part of the reason he felt even a semblance of trust in this situation- along with the fact that he hadn't tried anything funny, even when he could.
Was Naruto stupid for trusting him?
Probably. But maybe the blonde felt it too. That constant ball of trust between their bond that wouldn't leave no matter how much Sasuke shook it away.
"Sasuke, you coming?" Naruto called from the bathroom.
Sasuke exhaled slowly, then stepped inside.
Naruto stood at the counter rummaging through cabinets. Up close in human form again, Sasuke realized something with a childish smug satisfaction.
It was Sasuke's turn to look down at the other. The shift of height between Naruto's human and wolf was really impressive.
...
Oh who was Sasuke kidding, Naruto was still tall even in human form- taller than Sasuke in his.
"Here, let me removes these." Sasuke watched as Naruto pulled the bandages free, grimacing slightly as it stuck to the wound on his shoulder.
"You're strong. Fighting off that boar couldn't have been easy." Naruto said softly, his tone was indescribable as he observed the gash.
Before Sasuke could say anything, the alpha stepped away.
"Head under the shower," Naruto said, holding up bottles of shampoo and conditioner. "Water's warm."
Sasuke tried very hard not to get too excited at the thought of warm water finally hitting his skin after so long.
He stepped into the large shower space easily with a distant realization that the house had clearly been built for hybrids.
The Uchiha compound wasn't like that. They preferred to use their wolves less, seeing it as more 'civilized'.
They even leaned more to their human counterparts rather than being equal between the two. Owning million dollar companies throughout major cities and preferred actually buying their food instead of hunting for it.
Sasuke shook the thought of his family from his mind. They weren't really family anymore, they'd made that very clear.
Naruto rolled his sleeves up. His shirt pulled tight across his broad shoulders as he moved, sweatpants sitting low on his hips to reveal Calvin Klein boxers that had no business making Sasuke feel so warm. He immediately looked away.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
"Don't worry," Naruto said lightly. "My sensei had a bunch of dogs he made me bathe. I'm basically a professional."
"I'm not one of your sensei's pets." Sasuke growled.
Naruto doesn't even look phased by the sound, only shrugging his shoulders. "Right. Same concept though?"
Sasuke wants to snap at him for comparing him to a mutt. The pride his fanily was known for roaring in his chest. He was a wolf almost twice the other's size right now.
But he barely got the chance to glare before warm water suddenly poured over his head.
"Oh shit-" Naruto quickly turned it off. "Sorry." He said sheepishly.
Sasuke stared at him flatly, water trickling down his face. He was really starting to regret his decision now.
With a low grumble, Sasuke steps forward until his snout hovered just inches from Naruto's nose. The proximity flooded him with the blonde's scent- but Sasuke wasn't here for that.
Naruto seemed confused at his approach, stepping back only slightly in caution.
With a flat look that said he'd have no regrets. Sasuke shook his head violently.
Water exploded everywhere.
"Hey-!" Naruto yelped as water splashed against him, wetting his face and soaking straight through his shirt.
Sasuke stops with a triumphant smirk just to rub it in. A petty decision he wouldn't apologize for.
Naruto looked down at himself. The wet fabric clung tightly to his chest and stomach, outlining hard muscles even more.
Ok. Maybe Sasuke regretted it now. Because what was he supposed to do with all that?
"You're seriously trouble..." Naruto muttered. Then without warning- he sprayed foam on Sasukes nose.
The wolf snorted violently, sending shampoo foam flying as he did. "Are you-"
Naruto burst out laughing.
The sound caught Sasuke off gaurd.
It echoed off the marble walls, warm and unrestrained, nothing like the mocking laughter he expected alphas to have programmed in them.
Naruto wiped his eyes, still grinning. "Man, you're something else."
Sasuke snapped out of his trance and huffed, blowing remaining foam from his nose as he avoided eye contact. But the faint smirk on Naruto's face made something he couldnt quite place settle in his chest.
This bond was annoying.
The overhead shower turned on again- this time not waterboarding him. Warm water cascaded over his fur. It soaked deep quickly, stinging slightly as it touched his wounds.
It was nothing compared to the bliss of heat that sunk into his muscles that had been locked tight for weeks.
Sasuke didn't mean to let out the low sound that rumbled in his chest, startling both him and the man before him.
Naruto's hands paused. "...Good?" he asked.
Sasuke ignored him, lowering himself carefully to sit so the water could run down his back. The heat eased some of the stiffness in his side, washing away the crusted blood and dirt that had been clinging to him since the fight.
It felt good, alright.
Too good.
Naruto stepped closer to scrub him better, the indication that Sasuke didnt completely hate this giving him a little boost of confidence. "Tell me if I hurt you."
Sasuke watched from the corner of his eye as the alpha worked shampoo between his hands before pressing them into the thick fur along Sasuke's shoulders.
His touch was firm but careful, like he was handling something delicate.
Sasuke's ears twitched with an emotion he couldn't name.
Naruto scrubbed slowly, working the soap into Sasuke's coat while avoiding the wound with surprising precision.
"You're filthy," Naruto muttered, half amused.
Sasuke didn't answer. His attention had drifted elsewhere.
Naruto was close- way too close.
The alpha's scent hung heavy in the steam now, warmed by the water and the enclosed space. What had been faint in the bedroom was impossible toignore here.
Sun-warmed pine mixed deliciously with a citrus aroma. Something deeper beneath it, something warm and grounding that wrapped around Sasuke's instincts and pulled harshly. As if to point to what was obviously right there.
Mine.
Naruto leaned closer to reach the base of his neck. The scent hit him full force and something in Sasuke's chest tightened suddenly.
Heat spread beneath his fur, starting at the base of his neck and bleeding down his spine. His tail flicked sharply.
Naruto paused again.
"...You okay?"
Sasuke swallowed down the instinctive whine threatening to crawl up his throat. The urge to bare his neck and feel.
"I'm fine." The words came out a little rougher than he intended.
Naruto hummed but continued scrubbing, fingers digging through the thick black fur along Sasuke's side. If he realized Sasuke's dilemma, he chose to ignore it.
Steam curled around them from the humidity of the space, almost suffocating his sensitive nose with the condensation curling in his lungs.
"You smell good." The blonde said absentmindedly, a simple observation on his part.
But Sasuke froze. His body reacted before his brain could catch up. Dark ears flattening as his scent poured out in waves- exposing just how pleased his omega was to hear that.
Fuck.
Naruto pulled back, eyes wide.
"...Oh"
Sasuke's tail lashed. "Don't."
Naruto blinked at him. "…Don't what?"
Sasuke's teeth clenched. "Don't do that."
Curse his omega for embarrassing him like this, he could barely reel his scent in- he didn't know how. All this was so new to him. It felt as if he'd been thrusted into this without instructions or warnings. He'd found his mate only two weeks after presenting- with no one to teach him what to do.
Naruto stared at him for a long second. Then realization dawned slowly across his face.
"...You feel it too."
Sasuke growled low in his throat. "No."
The lie was pathetic, even to his own ears. He'd be blushing red if he was in human form for sure. He could feel the warmth on his cheeks even now.
Naruto huffed a quiet laugh under his breath. "You're a terrible liar."
Sasuke snapped his jaws shut a little too loudly. A threat for the idiot to back off. Naruto held up both hands in surrender, Sasuke ignored how his own scent shifted when his eyes caught the movement of the blonde's biceps.
"Relax. I'm not gonna jump you or anything." Naruto smirked slightly. "Though I can't say the same about you."
He laughed as Sasuke growled low in his throat, cheeks still warm beneath his fur. The alpha was getting too comfortable too quickly... and so was Sasuke.
Shit.
Naruto's tone softened a little after a moment. "You're half-dead and covered in scratches. So relax."
Sasuke's ears flicked irritably. Naruto grabbed the shower head again, rinsing the foam from his fur. Warm water cascaded down his back, washing the soap down the drain. Sasuke chose to pointedly watch as the foam disappeared by his feet. Though the heat under his skin didn't fade.
If anything, it got worse.
Naruto's scent lingered in the steam-filled air.
And every time Naruto's fingers brushed against his neck again, Sasuke's traitorous body reacted.
He hated it. Hated the pull. Hated the instinct whispering that the alpha behind him was safe.
Naruto finished rinsing the last of the soap away before stepping back slightly.
"There," he said. "Way less gross."
Sasuke flicked water off his ears, splashing Naruto who didn't even bother to flinch away.
Naruto was looking at him now, blue eyes thoughtful. "...You're really not planning to stay, are you?" His tone was almost unreadable.
Sasuke didn't hesitate.
"No."
Naruto studied him for a moment.
Then he nodded, as if to himself. "Fine."
Sasuke frowned slightly.
"...'Fine'?"
Finding your mate wasn't very common. And now he was telling his that he didn't plan to stay with him. He'd expected some fight, at least.
Naruto turned off the shower.
"Yeah, fine." He grabbed a thick towel and tossed it over Sasuke's head. "But you're still not leaving until you're fully healed."
Sasuke told himself that he didn't care. But why did the nonchalance of it leave a hollow pit in his chest?
Sasuke let out a low grumble. This was so annoying. Has he said that already?
Naruto grinned.
"And," he added casually, "you still owe me for trying to bite my head off."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Naruto just laughed again, flashing sharp canines that added to his charm.
The sound filled the room with an ease Sasuke didn't understand.
And didn't trust.
Not even a little.