Catriana (check out her stories. Dooo eet) and I decided to do an RP, and this is part 1 out of ? As we figure out more details that we think you should know, we'll tell you.

Background info yo!: Neji is rooming with Sasuke and Itachi at their house for college. Sasuke is a senior in high school who has just broken off the 'friends with benefits' situation he had with his best friend - due to his new found feelings for Neji.

Unfortunately, Sasuke underestimated his friend's feelings for him, believing that said friend was still in love with Sakura(which he is but it's complicated). Naruto figures out that it's because of someone else and decides to figure out who it is. This leads to the school scrambling to discover who Sasuke has a crush on and then the rumors fly that he's gay.

If you want that in story form go read Break by Catriana (right now. I mean it)

Catriana plays Sasuke and I play Neji and Sakura.

Enjoy

btw: no, neither of us own Naruto. I know, it sucks.

*~OoO~*

Chapter 1

"I'm not going to give up on this."

Sometimes, he wondered if he was a bad friend. It wasn't often, in fact it was very rarely and usually when he was at his most angst and emo ridden, but today was one of those days. He felt as if he should have seen that confrontation going the way it did, but he hadn't. The assumption that they had been on the same wavelength was obviously a false one. It actually made him feel a little foolish, a feeling he didn't enjoy.

How could he have known Naruto had seen their relationship differently? Nothing had ever changed between them, everything had been fine. Now he had this headache to deal with and he really just wanted to be left the hell alone. He had other issues to deal with.

Like the reason he had broken things off with his best friend to begin with. His roommate and current crush.

Annoyed by Naruto's antics for the day, he stormed upstairs and shrugged out of his school clothes and into something more comfortable. Putting on some sweats and a thin black tank top, he grabbed his iPod and went down to the basement where their 'gym' was. He and Itachi had spent a lot of money turning that dump into something where they could work out, and Sasuke definitely got its money worth out of it.

He plugged in the iPod to the stereo, turned on some heavy metal – he was in a head banging, skull crushing mood – and started going to town on the punching bag. Kicks and punches were slammed into the poor thing and it took no time at all for the Uchiha to start working up a sweat.

Damn that idiot for being an idiot! Now the entire school knew he liked men. Not that he really cared – he did, he just refused to admit it – but did he really have to tell everyone? Sasuke was a private person; he didn't like people in his business. He definitely didn't like the weird looks he was getting from guys now.

I don't even like guys! I just like…

He slammed his fist hard into the bag and fought the urge to wince. He had forgotten to wrap his hands and now his knuckles were bleeding. What a way to complete his totally awesome day.

Snorting, he walked over to one of the cabinets and began to pull out the first aid kit. Itachi would bitch if he kept getting blood all over everywhere, so he decided to clean and wrap his hands. He wasn't at all done abusing the punching bag. Not even close.

Neji opened the door to the house he shared with the Uchiha brothers and resisted the urge to sigh. His last class at his college had been brutal—he really hated psychology, mostly because he suspected his partner in that class really did need a professional—and he was glad to be away. At least, he had been until he remembered his uncle was calling later and, honestly, he preferred Lee to Hiashi any day. Any day.

Yeah, really.

His head turned towards the stairs leading to the basement as the sound of heavy metal assaulted his ears. At least one of the brothers was home, and only one of them ever felt the need to listen to someone screech his ears off. He debated on whether or not to let Sasuke know he was there, but Sasuke in the basement blasting screamo meant he was in the mood to pound something until it broke. While the younger Uchiha was pleasant to talk to—and look at—dealing with him in a violent mood didn't sound like the happiest of memories to aim for.

He decided to at least drop his backpack off in his room before deciding to do anything else. It was killing his back. His stomach voiced its displeasure halfway up the stairs, making Neji remember the skipped breakfast and pathetically small lunch. He threw the oversized lump onto his bed and made his way back downstairs.

He wondered if he had gotten lucky and maybe there was some food left over from when Itachi had cooked, but, sadly, the stars were not in his favor. Just when he had settled for a banana, the phone rang. He sighed and made his way over to it, hoping his uncle would have put off their monthly conversation for a few more hours. Or days. Or weeks. It was like mother nature's curse on women crammed into a few hours instead of a week.

"Hello."

"Hi, is Sasuke there?" a distinctly female voice that was not his uncle's replied. Neji almost sighed in relief.

"He's a bit preoccupied at the moment," he replied, not quite willing to submit a stranger to a murderous Sasuke, judging from the noises making their way up to him.

"Who is this?"

"His roommate."

"Oh! Then can I ask you a question?" She took his bewildered silence for a yes. "Do you know if Sasuke is gay? There is a rumor going around school and I wanted to know if it was true." Neji pinched the bridged of his nose and tried not to hang up. Compared to this type, he actually preferred his uncle. "—what do you think?"

"I think I'll let Sasuke know you called."

"Wait! But you don't even know my name!"

"Then what is your name?"

"Sakura, but—"

"I'll let him know you called." Neji hung up and rubbed his temples. The topic of Sasuke's ambiguous sexuality was not one he wanted to consider since, as attractive as the younger male was, he didn't want to be fed false hope. Besides, he wasn't sure his feelings extended past lust, and he respected Itachi—and had grown to respect Sasuke—far too much to pursue him without being certain. He decided to get back to his room before Sasuke left the makeshift gym.

His current train of thought and Sasuke sweaty in his obscenely flattering work-out clothes would not be a wise combination.

After what felt like hours, he finally finished letting all his anger out on the inanimate object. Grabbing a towel from the tall metal cabinet where they kept all their supplies, he wiped down and wrapped it around his neck. He grabbed a water bottle from the mini-fridge and downed half of it before coming up for air.

Idly, he stared at the bottle, not really seeing it, as he recalled the past. He tried to summon the familiar feelings that would come whenever he thought of him and the things they had done together. Normally, thinking of those intimate things would have excited him, for he was male, hormonal, and a teenager. But that had been the problem. That was when he had realized his feelings for the Hyuuga.

It had taken him a while to realize that he wanted more than just something physical. It had felt strange, to know that yes, he wanted sex but that was only a part of it. Just fooling around now made him – dare he say it – incomplete.

Somewhat frustrated, for having such feelings made him feel vulnerable and weak, he tossed the now empty bottle in the trash and headed upstairs for a shower. He really should sit down and talk to Naruto, but hadn't he done that already? Look where that had gotten him.

The entire school now thought he was gay and to be honest, he didn't really feel gay. He didn't like other guys, just one. He didn't find other males to be attractive, so what did that mean?

"Damnit." Letting out an irritated noise, he walked out of the shower, tossing on some drawstring pants and a dark blue shirt. Stomach growling, he walked downstairs and opened the refrigerator, looking for something to eat. Dark mutterings emerged when he remembered Itachi had mentioned no food in his text message and that he was on his own.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he tensed, turning towards the entrance. Just now, he thought he had felt someone watching him…

Neji had come downstairs to grab a bottle of water. He was about to tackle an essay as an attempt to keep his mind off the fact that he was likely alone with Sasuke. The essay wasn't due for another month, but there was nothing quite like macroeconomics to get your mind off of your roommate's attractiveness. Then he came downstairs and was greeted with a rather nice view of Sasuke bent over and rummaging through the fridge. He could feel the warmth on his cheeks from his mind going someplace it definitely was not supposed to go. However, he knew he couldn't simply stay standing awkwardly at the top of stairs.

He took a deep, calming breath and focused on what he had learned from meditation. He raised a hand to his cheek to test if the blush was still there. Deeming it safe, he moved back downstairs and walked towards the kitchen. After he had pulled a bottle of water out, he turned to Sasuke. Not that he would ever admit it, but the unreadable gaze he was sometimes faced with was slightly unnerving. It wasn't quite like Itachi's, which was unreadable simply because there were no clues on his face as to what he was thinking. As for Sasuke, Neji always had the feeling he should know what that gaze meant, but it always eluded him, and he hated that instead of working on his essay to not think about Sasuke he was indeed thinking about him.

And staring at him, judging by how uncomfortable he looked.

He looked away and took a drink. His gaze fell on the phone, and he remembered the female from earlier.

"Someone named," he paused for a minute to remember the name. She hadn't made a very positive impression on him, so he had to fight his natural reaction to forget them and be glad he would never have to talk to them again. "Sakura," he remembered at last. "Someone named Sakura called earlier." He debated telling him that she wanted to know if he was gay, but he would find that out if he decided to call her back. He had thought about Sasuke enough, and having him in his direct line of vision certainly wasn't helping. He turned and began to walk away.

His eyes narrowed at the sight of Neji, but not because he was upset. Quickly, he turned, grateful that his face was still flushed from his shower. Damn, just looking at him was like this? He couldn't stand it, it was annoying.

Then he opened his mouth and the Uchiha tried very hard not to stare at the other's lips. He wanted to scold himself – he wasn't thirteen, he should be able to control his emotions better. All that died a quick death the moment the name 'Sakura' emerged.

Sasuke didn't even bother hiding his annoyance and took a long swallow of his drink. He had an idea of why she would be calling. She had probably tried his cell and when that hadn't worked, had called the house phone.

That means he knows… The thought was unpleasant and it took a lot not to react to the realization. He could not know, Sakura could have said nothing. She could have, for once, squashed her girl tendency to learn juicy gossip.

Yeah, and Naruto could grow a brain.

"What did she want?" he capped the bottle of water and put it back in the fridge, turning to face the Hyuuga. His voice sounded very neutral, although inwardly he was slightly panicked. What would Neji do if he knew? He didn't seem uncomfortable, so maybe he didn't know. If he did, what then? No, it didn't matter; the two of them rarely spoke anyway. If he was lucky, Neji would probably not even care and then Sasuke would just get over him.

Eventually. He liked himself better when he didn't have these emotions.

Neji paused mid-turn and faced the Uchiha again. He sighed, not really wanting to repeat what her shrill voice had been squealing/screeching into his ear. While he wouldn't mind a little confirmation himself—no! No! He would mind.

Maybe if he told himself that enough it would stick.

"Something about a rumor at school." He stood, for once in his life, inwardly praying that his mask of neutrality held up and Sasuke didn't ask for more clarification. That adorable flush from his shower was much more attractive than it should have been, and his slightly damp bangs were pushed back from his eyes. His was a beauty that grew the more you looked at him, and Neji was cursing every minute and hoping his expression remained unreadable.

"Hn." The Uchiha looked at his roommate, trying to see if he was lying or hiding something, but there was nothing revealing in those white depths. "Thanks." He was not calling Sakura back, he really didn't want to talk to anyone, especially not her. She'd just ask a bunch of annoying questions he didn't feel like answering.

He almost wanted to laugh – not in amusement. Sasuke wondered how long it would take for Itachi and the university to find out. Everyone knew he had a brother, those girls would be relentless. Not that Itachi was homophobic, he had known about his 'friend with benefits' deal with Naruto but that didn't make it any less of a pain.

Then came the icing on the cake: his stomach growled. Loudly.

Although he was normally calm, cool, and collected, he was still a teenager and he was just as prone to the stresses of that life as anyone else. He ducked his head, his bangs hiding his eyes. First was Naruto and his antics, then Sakura calls and there was a good chance his crush now knew about his sexual preference…and was probably straight. His knuckles fucking hurt which really shouldn't be included but he was pissy so it was. Now he had just embarrassed himself because his stomach hated him and wanted to add to his social humiliation.

His hand moved to rub the bridge of his nose. He was tired and he didn't think he could deal with anymore tonight. He was at his emotional limit.

"See ya." It was almost a growl as he moved to rush past Neji, salvaging what was left of his damaged pride so he could go upstairs to brood and emo over his completely shitty day.

Neji watched Sasuke's head duck down, completely confused at the sudden change in attitude. Clearly the rumor had upset him, but that couldn't be all. Even he knew about the friends with benefits arrangement with Naruto—he cringed when he remembered how vocal the blonde could be and how Itachi and Neji had taken that as a sign to leave now—so he wasn't homophobic. Although, he remembered having fangirls/boys/ambiguous in high school as well…

He wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but the raven-haired male's empty stomach probably wasn't helping matters much.

"Do you want to get something to eat with me?" he asked before he could stop himself. His hand twitched as he resisted the urge to smack himself in a very un-Hyuuga like fashion for his own stupidity. Even if Sasuke was unaware of his knowledge of the rumors, asking him on what could easily be construed as a date was not a good move. The Uchiha was looking at him with that unreadable expression again, and now it was making him even more nervous than usual.

With an attempt to salvage the situation, he added, "There's no food left in the house, so it's either order in or eat out," he said with a shrug, his Hyuuga background making it look slightly forced on him. "Unless you're expecting more calls," he tacked on to the end, meant both as he didn't want to inconvenience him but also that if he wanted to he could avoid them for a little longer. "I still need to change out of my uniform, so you have some time to think about it," he ended.

It wasn't a complete a lie. Hyuuga or not, he hated ties, and he had been in the same shirt and pants since this morning. He wasn't sweaty enough that he felt the need to hop in the shower, but enough to feel uncomfortable in the same clothes. When his own stomach growled, a light pink dusted his cheeks and he took that as his cue to get ready to leave a little faster. Even if he had invited Sasuke along to be nice, he was pretty hungry too.

"Huh?" had been the rather elegant response. Sasuke looked completely stunned by the question for a moment before he schooled his expression back to normal. Did he want to go eat out with the Hyuuga? Was that a rhetorical question?

Maybe he really didn't know about the rumor. And despite making an absolute fool of himself, Neji still wanted to hang around him. They had never spent any actual time together, and while it was probably a bad idea, he couldn't help but want to. His emotions were all over the place but his mind was working at the same time.

This would be the perfect way to see if he had a shot. He didn't want to guess any longer. If nothing happened, then he'd just get over it and maybe he could somehow get the rumors to stop. If something did happen…well, he'd figure that out when the time came. He honestly wasn't expecting much.

"I wasn't expecting Sakura's." which was the truth. Pulling out his cell phone, he turned it off and glanced at Neji. "Alright. I'll be five minutes. You're deciding, since it was your idea."

He was quite proud of himself for acting normal as he walked up the stairs to grab some more suitable clothing for their…

Wait…is this a date? He dismissed the thought immediately. One had to be dating to go on a date, at least he thought so. No, Neji was just being nice. He was being the rational Hyuuga he always was.

Don't set yourself up for disappointment. Shrugging on a collared dark blue shirt and black pants, he was downstairs in three minutes instead of five, hands in his pockets as he waited for Neji.

Once Neji was upstairs and in his room, he couldn't help it. He smiled. While adorable was not normally a word associated with an Uchiha, that's exactly what Sasuke looked like while confused. He shook his head lightly, reminding himself that he needed to change clothes.

He sighed in relief when the tie finally came off. He really, really hated ties. Call it a pet peeve. He shrugged out of his white shirt and slacks and threw them into his hamper. From his clothes, he picked out a pair of black slacks and a pale gray button-up shirt.

He had no idea what he was thinking, or if he had been thinking at all, when he had asked Sasuke out on the date/not date/overly complicated situation. On the bright side, whatever seemed to have been upsetting the Uchiha was replaced by his usual impassive demeanor, so maybe he had made a good choice.

He couldn't help but chuckle when he remembered how annoyed Sasuke had looked as he turned off his phone. Some things about high school and the girls in it appear to not have changed at all. He slipped on some shoes and grabbed his cell phone and wallet on the way out of his room. If there was an emergency, Sasuke's phone clearly wasn't going to be the best fountain of information. He made it downstairs and saw Sasuke waiting in his usual pose and tilted his head to the side.

"You change fast," he said while he grabbed his car keys from the little bowl near the door. He opened the door and immediately set his brain to work. Where the hell were they going to eat? He didn't want to pressure the Uchiha into thinking this was a date by taking him somewhere to fancy or expensive, but he still wasn't going to take him to a fast food place. He had offered to take him somewhere to eat and whether this was a date or not, his pride would not allow him to just take him to the nearest junk food place. He stopped the groan of frustration at himself before he escaped and started sorting through nearby places with food.

Sasuke's response was to shrug, turning towards the door. He had to do it, because looking at the Hyuuga for any prolonged period of time was sure to give himself away. It didn't help that Neji just naturally looked amazing. What the hell was that, anyway? He thought that was just an Uchiha thing.

He followed the Hyuuga out, locking the door and following behind, hands still in his pockets. He allowed himself to sneak a glance at the other male's figure. Then he had to glance away again, for his mind started holding rather inappropriate thoughts. He was a bit surprised when he felt that familiar stirring within his body, but was able to squash it before it became obvious.

That was odd, was it because it had been a while? Even before he had broke things off, the two of them had not had sex for a while. Weeks at best. Naruto had been curious, for the Uchiha was normally insatiable – mostly because sex was one of the few times he actually felt anything. It had been as if he had become asexual again, where not even Naruto could stir anything.

"So," he began as he slid into the vehicle, looking out the window. "Got any ideas?"

Neji sighed at the question, figuring honesty was probably the best policy.

"Absolutely none," he deadpanned. He avoided looking at Sasuke, glad he would soon have the excuse of having to focus on the road. He pulled a hair tie out of his pocket and loosely tied his hair back. He would probably be confused for a girl anyway, but at least he would be able to see and not have it in his way.

He opened the door and buckled his seat belt, starting the car while Sasuke got in. He turned to the younger male and offered a small smile. "Are you in the mood for anything specific?" He turned to look behind them, the arm not on the wheel resting on the back of the seat as he backed out of the driveway. He inwardly prayed Sasuke would help narrow down the choices.

A shrug "Pasta." It was good enough, and most of them had tomatoes in it. He was in the mood to binge on his favorite food. "There's a place downtown that's pretty good." Turning briefly towards Neji, he smirked slightly.

"I never thought I'd catch the great Hyuuga Neji off guard." He turned back to the window as the car pulled out. "Must be my lucky day after all."

I'm flirting. Why the hell am I flirting? I never flirt.

He never had a reason to, if he were honest with himself. People threw themselves at him, not the other way around. Obviously, he was more stressed out than he thought if he was acting crazy like this.

Neji smirked as he turned the car onto a different street. Eyes never leaving the road, he replied, "I, being as great as I am, was just making sure you didn't want someplace with a kiddie meal, lucky boy."

It was only a one year age difference, but the fact that he was now in college while Sasuke was still in high school, last year though it may be, did make for a valuable teasing technique. He spared Sasuke a brief glance, and, upon catching sight of the unbelievably sexy smirk, immediately turned his eyes back to the street. Those smirks of his should be listed as a safety hazard.

Neji inwardly rolled his eyes at his completely cheesy line of thinking and was glad he never used pick-up lines.

"So what's the name of this place?"

"Jolly Pasta." The smirk widened at the jibe. Feeling a bit more comfortable now that the floodgates had opened, he looked back over at Neji. "That is, if it's good enough His Greatness."

For some reason, he had the strong urge to reach out and tuck some of the Hyuuga's hair behind his ear. It made him frown slightly and he turned to look back out the window. How long until he really slipped up? He needed to make a move, but he wasn't sure how or what to do.

Maybe during dinner. Or after. He was a genius, he'd figure something out.

"Sounds great, kiddo," he replied with a smile, enjoying the light banter. He internally sighed in relief when he realized he knew where that was. "And if I remember correctly, they do have a kiddie meal." He turned the car again, now knowing where he was going. He wasn't a particularly picky eater, so pasta sounded great, and as his stomach rumbled again he vowed he would at least try not to skip breakfast ever again.

He could feel Sasuke had relaxed and could feel some of the tension leaving his shoulders. Of course, he knew he should keep his eyes on the road this time. Uchihas, especially when relaxed, were the most effectively disorienting and distracting people in existence.

And all they had to was sit and breathe.

"Cute, Hyuuga, real cute." Sasuke muttered dryly, getting out of the car. "You know, you might be older and taller than me, but I bet I could still kick your ass." Okay, so challenging the guy one had a crush on was hardly romantic…but a part of him did actually want to spar him. Ever since he had heard that the Hyuuga was a martial arts champion he had wanted to, but had been too lazy/apathetic to do anything about it.

They walked in and were quickly seated, since it wasn't crowded. The waitresses, of course, was giving them The Look. One of them, that Sasuke vaguely recognized from school, came bouncing up to them.

"Sasuke-kun!" she chirped and he tried very hard not to look as irritated as he felt. Was there no place where he could be left alone? "I haven't seen you here in a while!"

"Really." His voice sounded flat and bland.

Fidgeting and blushing, she hastily pulled out her keypad. "It's so good to see you here, Sasuke-kun, what will you have to drink?" then, as if realizing he had a guest, she glanced at Neji and then gasped, her hands flying to her face. "Omigosh, Hyuuga-sempai! You're here too? Wow, this is my lucky night! What can I get you two to drink?"

Now I remember why I don't come here that much anymore.

Neji for a moment only blinked, a blank look on his face as he tried to figure out who this person was and why, apparently, he should know her. He decided he should at least order first.

"I'll have an iced tea," he said at last. She let out a noise that sounded disturbingly like a squeal and he fought the urge to throw his hands over his ears and glare. Not just any glare either. His, as Tenten had dubbed, 'I will kill you with my bare hands and super martial arts skill and even you, pathetic fangirl, will fear me' glare.

She had a way with words, that one.

Considering that overkill—for now—he instead settled for his regular 'you are an annoyance' glare. Lee and Tenten had once debated on whether or not it even counted as a glare, since it was more of an—what was the term?—"unnervingly apathetic" look that somehow managed to look mildly annoyed. However, when he saw the look on Sasuke's face, he didn't know who he should pity more: Sasuke, for obvious reasons, or the random fangirl who might be about to meet an untimely end. The danger seemed to intensify when she leaned closer to ask a whispered question he couldn't hear, looking genuinely curious.

He felt the sudden urge to remind Sasuke that even if the staff would have to clean the blood from the floor, he would still have to get it out of his shirt and deal with the police. He had a feeling that would make matters worse, though and chose to bite his tongue instead.

"Water." It was growled out after she whispered in his ear. She continued to blink at him curiously, apparently expecting an answer. His response?

"Go. Now. We're thirsty." The hidden threat behind the words was heard. With a nervous giggle, she sauntered off, perturbed that she had upset her 'future husband'.

At least the ditz had the common decency not to blurt it out in front of Neji, although he was still highly irritated. He had a feeling Neji wouldn't ask but would listen if he told him. Should he say anything? It might actually cause more good than harm. He could gauge the reaction – if there was one, Neji was good at hiding his expressions.

"The rumor again," he explained after a moment. "Naruto told the entire school something about me. Now everyone wants to know if it's true."

"They certainly are determined," he commented. Then his brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait… Naruto started a rumor?" He almost said 'the' but thought that would clue Sasuke in that he knew about it, and from the looks of it, he would really rather Neji not know. "Why would he do that?"

He tilted his head to the side, hair draping over his shoulder. The tilt was only slight and almost languid but still served to remind someone of a bird.

No matter how often he encountered it, he would never understand the purpose of a rumor. They were mostly untrue and only served to create headaches. Besides, he was under the impression the two were best friends.

"I thought it was more his style to just ask you." He looked up at the Uchiha, only to be met with a rather focused stare.

"Yeah, he did." Sasuke turned his head to the side, looking at the far wall. "Because, he knows I won't tell him outright…it'll only make things worse." He had spared a brief glance towards the Hyuuga, taking in the way his head tilted slightly. There was a certain elegance about the Hyuuga that definitely was desirable.

Should he test the waters now?

"He did ask, but I didn't respond the way he wanted. He thinks there's something more. So now he's doing this hunt, and gave a 'hint' by telling people I'm gay. Now everyone wants to know if it's true." Let's see how you react to that, Hyuuga.

He decided to call his bluff. "And if Sakura called, you probably already knew that. Nice of you to play dumb, though."

Neji offered a small, sheepish smile in response.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted me to know, and I figured if you wanted me to know you'd tell me yourself," he said with a shrug. "On that note, I hope for your sake that… Sakura doesn't know any more of your secrets." He carefully controlled his reaction. Sasuke had neither confirmed nor denied the rumor, besides that he had already resolved that he wouldn't pursue the younger male unless he was absolutely sure he had feelings for him.

He definitely respected him, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued by the potential sparring match that Sasuke may or may not have seriously proposed. He was also easy to talk to, with a refreshingly high intelligence and wit.

"What exactly is Naruto hunting for?" What could possibly be so important that Sasuke wouldn't tell and Naruto wouldn't respect his decision? From what he had heard during his few conversations with Sasuke, Naruto could be pretty understanding.

"Tch. I don't like anyone knowing my business, but that was taken out of my hands." He shrugged. "I don't tell Sakura anything and Naruto…" no matter what, he wasn't going to give the blond the information he wanted. He didn't want Neji getting harassed or challenged to something dumb and nonsensical. There was no competition because there was nothing to compete for.

Neji wasn't stupid, he'd figure out most of everything if Sasuke told him enough. But wasn't that what he wanted? At the same time he was nervous. Him, nervous! Mostly of rejection. It was an emotion he was intimate with thanks to his late father, and it wasn't one he found thrilling. Sasuke hated feeling conflicted about things.

"We were friends with benefits." Might as well just say it outright. "Itachi knows so I'm sure you do…the guy is loud as hell." He rolled his eyes at that, smirking slightly. Even if he held no romantic attachment to him, Naruto was still his best friend. He cared, just not like that. "I told him I didn't want the benefits anymore. He thinks it's because of someone and wants to know who it is.

"It's just a dumb misunderstanding, but he's Naruto and won't listen. He thought we were dating even though it was never like that, and from the beginning we never saw it like that." He shrugged "He's got a reward out for whoever can figure out who I 'like'. He says he wants to fight for me…" he shook his head. It was so stupid and tiresome.

"Here's your drinks!" the girl came back, her grin wide. "Are you ready to order?"

"Give us a few more minutes."

"Alright! Just press the button there on the table and I'll be right over!" flashing them a wink, she sauntered off and the Uchiha resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Neji listened as Sasuke told him what had been happening and tried to see if there was a way he could alleviate the situation, even just slightly or for a short while. From what he had seen of the blonde, he was much worse than Lee and Guy combined, and even though he had been friends with them for years, he still felt the occasional urge to shoot himself in the foot rather than deal with them.

His concern rose a little when he saw the Uchiha's onyx eyes flick down slightly, as if he were nervous about something. Neji found that incredibly strange, especially since Sasuke embodied the classic Uchiha confidence, and on occasion arrogance, so well.

He chuckled lightly at Sasuke's comment about Naruto, once again flashing back to moments when either he or Itachi, sometimes both at the same time, would dash out of the house, not all that willing to be privy to the two friends' activities. His small smile was almost soft, however at the fond look the Uchiha gave.

He was sure the pity was showing on his face, though, when Sasuke mentioned the reward. Naruto, predictably, had no idea how to deal with situations regarding information and the lack thereof.

He nearly glared at the waitress until he remembered that, as annoying as she was, she was just doing her job. At the wink, though, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Did they not realized how desperate they came off? He would never understand how they managed to spin complete disinterest into "cool."

He looked back up and saw Sasuke was tensing up again.

"You like tomatoes, right?" Neji couldn't believe he was doing this.

That got him a strange look. This time Sasuke tilted his head, a dark brow raising. "Sure, I like them." Loved them was a better word, but he wasn't going to say that.

The abrupt change in subject; Neji was giving him an out it seemed. He had to admit he liked the fact that Neji was who he was. He wasn't trying to pry too deep, even though he could have. He had noticed his discomfort and decided to leave it alone. It almost made him wonder if the two could have ever become friends had circumstances been better.

"I usually just get spaghetti with extra tomatoes, but since you've never been here, take your time looking at the menu."

This…felt nice. It didn't really feel like a date, because there was an obvious emotional and physical wall between them, but he liked being around Neji. When he had first realized his feelings, Sasuke had been at a complete loss as to what he wanted to do about it. He had never held romantic feelings, so them hitting him like a Mack truck had been a little…disorienting

It had been weird when he had seen other couples and had actually felt envious of them. Uchiha Sasuke wasn't envious of anyone – that he'd admit to, anyway. He had never wanted to hold hands with someone, to go to the movies, or to kiss them. Never had he just wanted to be in someone's presence.

What it meant now that he had those feelings, he had no idea. Neji had revealed nothing. No real shock, disappointment, disgust. It didn't seem to bother him that his roommate could potentially be gay…but if it had, he suppose it would have come out a long time ago.

Briefly, he wondered if maybe Neji didn't care because he…well, that was going a bit too far. Not being bothered by gay people didn't make one gay. That was just wishful thinking.

Neji only smiled at the strange look. He also chose to hold back that he knew tomatoes were actually Sasuke's favorite food. His eyes flicked down to the menu and looked at the dishes they had to offer. He blinked in surprise when he saw soba noodles with herring. It wasn't exactly an uncommon dish, but he was still surprised to see it.

His eyes subtly flicked back up to take in the Uchiha. He appeared to be deep in thought about something. He wondered what it could possibly be that the Uchiha was thinking so hard about. Then again, considering what Naruto was up to, he wouldn't be surprised if he was trying to think up a way to get him to stop. He lightly set down the menu, already having decided but not sure if Sasuke was choosing something else to go with his pasta and extra tomatoes.

Sasuke appeared to be staring at him, but he couldn't tell if he was actually staring at him or if it was one of those unfocused gazes that only looked as if they were registering what they saw. He turned his head to briefly look out the window. Aside from meditation, people watching tended to relax him, and seeing how Sasuke was doing that sitting and breathing again, he definitely needed to relax before he blurted something out.

He could feel his overactive brain wind back down into a relaxed state, watching the people walk by the window and blurs of color as cars zoomed by, in a hurry to get somewhere. He saw a young boy walking with his father, and one of the corners of his mouth twitch upward slightly in nostalgia.

Honestly, if one ignored the shrill voices of the fangirls/waitresses, this place was actually really nice. The atmosphere was pleasant, the decorations were thankfully not as tacky as they could have been, and Sasuke's subtle death threats were, for the most part, keeping the waitresses from drooling on them.

"It's nice here," he finally said, complimenting the Uchiha on his choice.

A nod. "Yeah. I don't come here as often as I used to, though." As if shaking himself from his reverie, the Uchiha blinked and then focused his dark gaze back to Neji. "You ready to order?" At the affirmative, he buzzed the waitress and the two placed their orders.

Sasuke looked amused at the choice. Soba with herring? Seemed like an interesting combination. He left it alone, though, since liking tomatoes and onigiri wasn't exactly common. Well, onigiri, perhaps not.

Their meals came and went, the two saying little. Not that much needed to be said, but Sasuke was mostly deep in his thoughts. A part of him just wanted to confess and get it out of the way, but his pride kept him from it. Confess just to get rejected? No thanks.

"I don't want to go home yet." He confessed as they finished their meal. "Let's go to the park."

He could think up a plan there. If not, screw it. If something was meant to happen, it would. He had enough to stress over.

Neji allowed himself a smirk at Sasuke's statement. "Avoiding all the phones you can?" He buzzed the waitress and asked for the bill. "I'll pay," he said, ignoring the younger's protests and handed the waitress the money, ignoring her batting her eyelashes at him.

"So any big plans for the weekend?" he asked on the way out, feeling waves of disappointment from the waitresses. He started the car again, pulling out to drive towards the park. Since at this point they were just killing time, he decided to take the long way. He briefly debated buying some form of popcorn or bread to feed the birds, but he tended to get distracted and ignore everything around him when he did that, so he decided against it.

He didn't know why he was bothering with small talk. He normally found it pointless and annoying, but he liked listening to the smooth, deep tone of Sasuke's voice. Besides that he found Sasuke's deadpan way of speaking amusing.

Thankfully, traffic wasn't too bad, so he could mostly listen to what Sasuke was saying. This way, he could sort of hold off the important topics until he wasn't driving so he could give Sasuke his full attention.

"I hate phones." He said honestly. "Mostly because I hate having my ear talked off." He almost protested when Neji declared that he would be paying. Hell, lunch money for later.

He completely ignored the girl as they left, hands in his pockets, his face devoid of emotion. Once again he sat looking out the window as Neji drove. The exchanged small talk, which was nice, but there seemed to be some sort of underlining…tension. An expectation. His body felt somewhat tense by this, but he said nothing about it.

Maybe it was because he had decided he would finally make a move. Sasuke just hoped he didn't make an absolute fool of himself.

*~OoO~*

Don't worry. Part 2 is already in the works ^.^