Previously-

Naruto's heart. I drew in a ragged breath as my head fell into my hands.

It stopped beating.

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Now-

The silence was consuming everything. When had I grown so accustomed to hearing the steady beat? Or the flustered beating sound that echoed when he got excited or aroused? I felt a madness leak in, and I couldn't control myself. I ripped at the furniture around my. Tearing and scratching the floors. I stopped after I realized I had ripped the New Years gift I had started to work on earlier. It was a painting of him sleeping. The smell of blood was over powering and it clouded over my mind. If it was not Naruto lying there, I wasn't sure that I would be able to refrain from attacking him. My head was heavy in my hands, and I felt a wave of numbness wash over me as I sat an waited to die. A vile consequence of untimely death. At least, I would be able to see the sunrise. My eyes slid closed. When was the last time I saw a sunrise? I had hoped I would one day be able to see it with Naruto. It was inevitable I suppose. The moment I fell for him, death began to make its way toward me. The gloomy thought proliferated through the hazy which seemed to me to block any other reasonable thoughts other than those about death and the emotional agony that I was suffering through. I also knew, at least in some part of myself that once Naruto died I would die with him. Yet I always dreamt of being by his side forever. If I could really even dream. Sleep. A luxury I had lost. However I liked to watch Naruto dream. It was nice. Sometime he would talk in his sleep and it would no sense what-so-ever. It would give me things to think about during the day. I always did my best to pretend to sleep with him. I think it made it easier for him to forget that I would remain the same while he aged. I remember thinking to myself once about it. About Naruto becoming an old man, while I took care of him. I would do that. It would break my heart to do so, but I would take care of him with the utmost care. I would do anything for him. The sun was closer now. It wouldn't be long. I crawled my way back over to Naruto. I wanted to be near him. I can't take being apart. Tears. Such strange things. I have not cried in such a long time. I can't remember ever crying with Naruto. He always made me so happy. The last time I cried, was when my father had forced me to receive the curse. It hurt. I shut my eyes. My human life was something that was grey and blurry. I had forgotten what it ha felt like to have human contact. To feel sad. To feel anger. Emotions that I had forgotten. At least until I met him. He dragged out my emotions and slung them all over coating my heart in vivd colors that wiggled and shimmered with a lovely vibrance that made my grayed world shine with a brilliance that unparalleled the sun. It seems however, that every brilliant thing must come to an end. I gently wrapped my arms around his waist and sobbed softly. A sound that I hadn't heard before, or at least hadn't noticed began to find itself in my ears. The sound if breathing. I shook it off. Its most likely mine. I took another deep breath and stopped sobbing, instead opting to simply lay there with him. I didn't need to breath. so I stopped. It kept messing with me. Normally I wouldn't mind, but It kept giving me false hope. Hope that It may be Naruto that breathing. It's stupid to think like that really. I mean his heart is dead. It's not beating anymore. It's gone. He is gone. It hurts to keep that hope alive when it just comes crashing down on me later. So I stopped my breathing. That when I realized, i wasn't the one breathing. If my heart could race.... I say up and looked down at him. At my lover. Breathing heavily his fingers twitched. He can't be. It's just not possible! His heartbeat is gone! Yet there his was, breathing. His chest rising and falling in a ragged heavy sort of way. I glanced over at the sun which had gotten so close. Not now. I won't die on him. My strength of will returned I lifted him up and dashed. Summoning all of my vampiric speed to aid me as I escaped from the sun. How could I have thought such things? I wondered at myself shocked, then found myself arguing back, how could not I have thought such things considering the alternative would be to live with out him?

Hope. Such an odd thing. I retreated to our bed room quickly and laid him on the bed. Listening to his breathing, I waited. I don't know what I was waiting for. Naruto's hands gripped the sheets, his knuckles turning white. His skin went slick, and I placed my cool skin on his forehead. A fever? None of this made any sense to me. Naruto, should be dead, though I am glad he is not. A fever. I should leave it be. At least for a while. Maybe he is fighting something off?...

I shuddered once more as I my nose smelt his blood again. I think I should go get some blood. However I don't want to leave him. I watched, and tried to gauge how long I could be away. As Much as I don't want to be apart for him, I must think of what is safest of Naruto.

At least, that what I should be thinking. I sat down on the bed next to him and thought carefully of why I was to do. He was sweating bullets, trying to cool his fever. I stroked his cheek. What can I do to help him. I need to cool him down. I stood up and went to the bathroom. Turning on, or I should say, opening the valve which kept the water from flooding the tub. Water splashed around and surged out of the spout. A bath would do him good. I hoped. Let the bath run while I went and got Naruto. I picked him and held his tired body in my arms while I carried him to the bath. Everything seemed so off. It made no sense. Naruto is supposed to be dead, and here he is sick and I am giving him a bath.

Common sense just took its final bow and left. I gently removed his tattered clothes and folded them up placing the a little ways from the tub. I did the same with my own clothes and gently eased us into the water. It was not at cold as It will be. The summer air heated the water to a suitable temperature. It's in the winter that one has to heat the water. I scrubbed him down gently, my focus was center entirely upon him. Throughout it all he responded with trembling, and heavy breathing. As though he had just run a long distance and was about to collapse from exhaustion. I cleaned him up and dried him off, before dressing him in simple clothes, and laying him back down. I took his own clothes and set to mending the tears in them, and then wash them so that he could wear them. Naruto relaxed, well somewhat, after he laid back down and I finished mending and washing his clothes. I felt like a wife, doing all of the chorus normally designated to a wife or even a maid for that matter. I suppose though, I thought glancing at my blonde as the sun fell beneath the earth with Rays of light the color of blood, that if it's or him I could do any job he required of me. Or at least most of them in any case. I had not resumed breathing since I gave him a bath. The scent of blood was still strong and it made my throat burn with flames brighter than any they could posses in the darkest depths Of hell. I licked my lips. Even without breathing I can still taste the flavors on my tongue. Taunting me, toying with me just begging me to take a little

Nibble. My heart jumped in my chest as I realized that I was not even a inch away from his throat. I stepped away. I need to eat. I won't be able to retain my self control forever. I was glad that the sun had finally gone down, and I made a mad dash to the cave where I had stored things for so long. I went straight to the coolest part. The part where I stored my blood. I frowned. I hadn't realized I was so low... This amount would only be able to sustain me for another two or three weeks. I shook my head. I'm over thinking this. Every moment I am away for Naruto something could have happened. I grabbed the nearest bottle and went back to my love.

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