Fake it till you make it

Chapter 9

"Princess, What's wrong?" A voice rang out, pulling me out of my stupor.

I look beside me to see Shuin looking back at me in a concerned manner. I shake my head and say, "Don't worry about it. Everything's fine."

He sighs while shaking his head and saying, "Alright, if you say so."

I grab his hand and laugh as we walk through the red light district. Suddenly the scenery around me changes and Shuin lets go of my hand. "Prince?" I call out but he doesn't answer.

When he turns around he just stands there. I start to walk over to him but I freeze when his whole body jolts forward. He looks down and I follow to see both our gazes fixed on the Sword protruding from his stomach. The color red soaks and spreads onto his clothing. The cloth clings to his body like tape as he bends down slightly to try and pry the sword out. Still, it's too late.

The sword is pulled away and my prince starts to collapse to the floor. I rush forward to catch his falling body. I grab him by the shoulders and gently guide him to the floor beneath us. I want to speak but the lump in my thought forces my mouth closed in fear I would cry, or vomit, or both.

A tear slips from my eye and Shuin lifts his bloodied hand to wipe it away. He smiles before saying something. I can't hear anything he says because of the deafening sound of my heart beating one beat at a time. But what I could tell is that it's brief and simple but filled with passion and love.

His hand suddenly falls to his side and his eyes gloss over. His still warm body is morbidly still. I lift his body and stand up with him in my arms. I carry him over to a nearby wall and lay him down. I close his open eyes and lay his hands on his diaphragm. When I was sure he was settled I made my way over to the still-standing man ahead of me in the Alley.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Two faggots and their disease spreading their germs around. One's a monster and the other's a whore." a man with headphones and goggles says.

I grit my teeth and clench my fists in anger. Then the man starts to speak again, "Sorry about your boyfriend. Or should I say, 'ex-boyfriend' ?"

He laughs giddily. With that, I run forward in anger. Forming a hand signal to call upon the wind to make wind blades. I slash through the man's shirt and pull off his goggles and headphones. He struggles with me; swinging his sword left and right in an attempt to hit me. I finally get leverage from above and fall on top of him. I straddle him and grab him by the throat. He gasps and wheezes. His thin fingers scratch at my own in his attempts to get free. "Why?!"

I ask angrily. The struggle continues until I start to hear a reply.

"Please." he begs, "Naruto... let go-"

-

"Naruto, I can't breathe. You're hurting me."

The sight of the man is now gone and I can see Sasuke struggling against my hold. I immediately jump away, my hands no longer on his throat and his own rubbing the sore skin tenderly. I get up off the bed and start pacing on the cold floor. My heavy breathing starts to turn into quick and irregular breaths that brings me to a panicked state. Then I remembered what happened back then and my whole body freezes.

~

"Why?!"

The man smirks, "Cause' you're a monster and I thought it would be fun."

~

The feeling of disgust rolls into my system in waves. I feel the bile rise from my stomach and make it to the base of my throat. I run to my bathroom that's connected to my room and cough up my last meal.