"Itachi, wait!" The Uchiha stopped, his breathing heavy and angry, his fists clenched in fury, his heart torn and broken, lying in shards somewhere deep within him. He didn't turn around. He knew who it was. And they were the last person he wanted to see.

"What?" he said, his voice dangerously quiet. The one behind him stopped and stooped, hands on his knees, breathing just as heavy as the Uchiha's. His lavender eyes glimmered sadly beneath the curtain of silky chocolate locks, his pale skin glistening with sweat. Hyuuga Neji stood for a moment, trying to catch his breath. When he did, the brunette stood straight and looked desperately at Itachi.

"Please, don't leave," he pleaded. "I'm sorry! I just—I mean, I love—I—" He stopped and broke off, his voice fading. Itachi shook his head. Neji looked up at him, tears sparkling in his eyes.

"I just don't want to lose either of you..!" he whispered. Itachi shook his head.

"But you love him more," he said. "I can tell you love Sasuke more. From the way you look at him, from the way talk about him. I know you choose him over me. I only regret that I…still love you despite that." He still didn't turn around and Neji found himself glad for that. He took a deep breath.

"I loved you so much," he said desperately. "But now, I…I love him more. You're right, but…It just—it doesn't feel right!" The Uchiha was painstakingly still.

"Take it back," he said. Neji blinked and looked at him.

"Wh-what?" he asked, confused. Itachi whirled around to face him, eyes glinting red angrily, face contorted with a pain-filled rage.

"Take it all back!" he yelled. "Every smile, every embrace, every kiss, every touch, every caress, every whispered promise. Take everything back! Along with your hated love! I don't want it anymore." Neji looked at him, hurt in every region of his eyes.

"Wh-why?" he whimpered. Itachi turned away, trying to calm his breathing and his angry pulse.

"I don't want to love someone who'll hurt me," he whispered finally. There was a silence for a moment before the Uchiha continued.

"Let me tell you a story," he said quietly, his voice one of forced calm. "It's about a guy. A great guy. Really cute, bright, adorable, pretty, gentle, sweet, loving. And with brightest smile you'd ever see. I fell in love with him one day and asked him out. He agreed and that was the most exciting day of my life. Soon he moved into my apartment. I thought I couldn't be happier. Every night I'd hold him and touch him and kiss him and I'd whisper to him that I'd always be there for him. And he'd smile and kiss me and say the exact same thing.

"But one day, he disappeared. And he left me with broken promises and all those caresses and kisses hanging there in midair, no one to receive them, and no one to give them. And he left me you. And I don't want any of that. So take it back. Take everything. Everything he left me, and get the hell out of my life. And stay out of my life." Neji could see in Itachi's eyes that the Uchiha was hurt. He could tell and he hated being able to tell. He hated loving Sasuke more than Itachi. He hated what it had done to him. He hated what one too many beers did to him that night.

"Itachi, what about the picture?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. Itachi jerked. He remembered what Neji was talking about. The picture of him and Itachi that was taken one year ago, when they first moved in together. Itachi was holding Neji bridal style in the doorway to his apartment and the Hyuuga was blushing and laughing, his arms slung around the Uchiha's neck. Sasuke was the one who took the picture, which explained why there was a section of a finger present on the side of picture. He had taken that picture before he had developed his own feelings for Neji. Before Neji developed his own feelings for him.

"No," he said. "I'm keeping that picture. That's not a picture of you and me. That's a picture of him and me. I know for a fact that the one in that picture would never hurt me in any way. He loves me too much. And I love him. He'd never do this to me. He disappeared a long time ago, when you started your godforsaken affair with my brother.

"No, this picture is not leaving my wallet." Neji blinked a few tears out and cried desperately and unrestrainedly, "That's me in that picture, you know it is! Don't make me do this, Itachi, don't make me forget you! You know I can't! And you know I love you! Oh, God I love you so much!!" Itachi's fists clenched and his knees buckled, but he remained on his feet. This was more than what could be said for Neji. The Hyuuga sank to his knees, his face in his hands in clear anguish as he sobbed pitifully.

"Where do you want me to go?" Neji wept. Itachi shrugged.

"I don't care where you go," he said. "You can stay here for all I care. I'm the one leaving the apartment, anyway." Neji looked up, tears staining his porcelain face.

"Wh-what?" he hiccupped. Itachi sighed.

"He once told me that he wanted to go to the beach sometime," he said. "I rejected the idea and he didn't say anything more about it. But I knew he wanted to go. Maybe if I move there, it'll make him happy. Wherever he is." Neji was on his feet instantly, and he crossed the distance between him and Itachi in a moment. His hands gripped the other's shoulders and he screamed desperately, "'He' is me! I'm the one who wanted to go to the beach! Please, Itachi, don't leave me! I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" Itachi looked down, tears beginning to well up in his own eyes.

"You should've told me about what happened the first time," he choked. "I loved you and we could've worked it out. You didn't have to go behind my back. For six months." Neji's hands fell to his sides and his gaze turned to the ground. He had no strength to protest anymore. He knew Itachi was right. He'd blown it. He hadn't even loved Sasuke when he'd…messed up. He was just drunk. And he didn't tell Itachi, the one person he did love. It had escalated until he was in love with Sasuke. To the point where his feelings for the younger Uchiha rivaled those for the older Uchiha. Oh, yes, he'd royally screwed up.

"Neji," Itachi's voice startled the brunette, even though it was almost too soft to be heard. "Stay with Sasuke. He deserves love, and I know you have love to give. And I know it's you in that picture. And I know I still love you. But I also know that it's too late to try and fix it. It just wouldn't feel right to me. I'm sorry…I can't…" He broke off and hurried to walk away. Neji watched after him, tears spilling from his eyes, his body quivering, his lips trembling. Itachi was…leaving. Him. Forever. Neji's chest tore with every step the Uchiha took away from him.

"Itachi!!" Neji screamed, bringing his hands up to his face once again and falling to his knees, the tears erupting once more.

"I'm so sorry..!" he whispered aguishly. "Forgive me…Oh please, I'm so sorry..!

"...I love you…"

This idea popped into my head after reading an Itaneji to Sasuneji fic that made me really angry at Neji. I just had to write this. It wouldn't leave my head.

Tell me what u thought and if it's worth leaving this up. Thx u!