Disclaimer: Don't sue me! I'm just a silly girl writing love stories that will never happen...
Alcoholic
In the dead of the night, if you look at Konoha from the top of the Hokage Mountain, you will see the night sky reflected in the village: a sea of blackness spotted with occasional flickering lights – stars above and lamps below. Or at least it was what a certain ANBU captain was seeing at that very moment. What was he doing up there after hours? Stargazing? Waiting for a secret encounter with a lover? Hiding from his parents? It could be anything if it wasn't Hyuuga Neji we're talking about. Just like every time his head is troubled, he was there to clear his thoughts.
"Haruno, what the hell are you doing here?" asked a very pissed Hyuuga Neji from afar. She was in his spot, who the hell did she think she was? He got closer to where he was, determined to kick her away if necessary. But when he was close enough, she turned around and he saw her puffy eyes and felt the unmistakable smell of sake.
"What am I doing? Can't you see I'm picking daisies? Moron" she answered, taking a long sip from the bottle and letting the liquid flow down her throat – on the outside.
"Don't be ridiculous, woman. This spot belongs to me, so get the hell out of here before I do it myself" he was having a pretty fucked up day. All he wanted was some peace at his favorite place besides his room, but no, someone had to mess it up.
"I don't see your name anywhere, and I was here first. So fuck off, my sake is getting cold."
"Why are you drinking, anyway?"
"Because it's liquid. Was it solid, I would be eating it. Duh."
"Woman, I had a hell of a day. My team failed a mission, and Tsunade-sama is so pissed she put me on guard duty for a month. A month! So move out!" he wouldn't normally spill his feelings out loud, but she was drunk and wouldn't remember it anyway.
"You had a bad day? Today was my day off, but they called from the hospital at 5 a.m. because they were short of medics. I worked non-stop from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., I passed out from chakra depletion and hypoglycemia, and when I was ready to leave, I was informed that one of my child patients was dying. I rushed to the emergency room and spent almost three hours trying to keep her alive, but there was nothing I could do anymore. All I have left is my private spot and my bottle of sake, and when I thought I would be able to drink until I forgot who I am, you get here trying to boss me. Fuck you, and fuck the hospital, and fuck this putrid village, and fuck this sake for getting cold…" and then she started crying.
For the first time in years, he didn't know what to do. Should he try and comfort her? Should he leave her alone? Should he make her leave? He chose to sit by her side. "How much have you drank?"
"This is the third bottle. Why?" she didn't seem to notice the abrupt change in the subject.
"How can you drink that much without dying?"
She let an unfeminine snort out. "Did you forget who my shishou is? Besides, I can heal myself, thank you."
"So basically you drink like there's no tomorrow, and then take the alcohol out of your system with your chakra?"
"Pretty much."
"How many bottles do you have left?"
"Three or four, I guess."
"Then give me one of them. I need some drinking, too."
He heard her soft footsteps approaching him.
"I thought the fire would be ready by now. We can't drink cold sake, can we?" Sakura asked playfully. She was carrying a heavy looking bag, and he knew it was filled with their precious beverage.
"Hey, I just got here myself! Sit down; I will get everything ready in no time."
Since the first time they drank together, ten years ago, they came to a kind of arrangement. Every time they were not feeling good, they would go to the top of the Hokage Mountain. Sakura was responsible for bringing the sake and healing them both after their meeting, and Neji was responsible for providing fire and shelter, if it was the case. In the first few years, sometimes she had to drink by herself because he was either out of the town or not feeling any need to drink, and sometimes he was left there alone without his drinking because she was either out in a mission or busy in the hospital – since there was no single night she was feeling one hundred percent good, she would normally be there.
But as the years passed on, he started to go there and meet her every night he was in Konoha, regardless of his mood. Some nights, they shared their miseries, and he even let her cry on his shoulder. Some nights, they kept silent, enjoying each one's company and the warm sake that brought them closer. Some nights, they talked about nothing in particular, laughed about silly things, flaunted about their victories. You could safely say they were friends. Good friends, actually.
"Haruno, what the hell are you doing here?" he asked, in a faint whisper.
"I'm pretty sure I've heard you ask me this very same question before, Hyuuga. Should I give you now the same answer I gave you then?" her smirk was mischievous. She knew the right buttons to push.
"Woman, as far as I can see, it is way past midnight. Shouldn't you be on Hokage Mountain?"
"You're right, I should. But I thought you would be pretty lonely here in the hospital, so I decided to keep you company. Besides, I'm out of sake; Tsunade-shishou found out where I stored the bottles and took everything! She told me it was for my own good, but I know she'll drink all of them by herself."
That was a good reason, Neji thought, but he knew it wasn't the only reason why she was there. The mere look in his eyes was enough to force her to speak the whole truth.
"Don't look at me like that, Hyuuga. If you want to know, I'm here because I'm worried with you! I spent the whole day trying to keep this body of yours alive, and I won't be able to rest until I know you're safe and sound. Since I was going to spend the night with you anyway… Oh it sounded so wrong, but I know you got it."
"Worried about me, eh? Why do I deserve such an honor?" his voice was still hoarse, but it could be heard through the beeping sounds surrounding him.
"Oh please! Who would I drink with, if not you? You're too precious, Hyuuga-sama. And even if you weren't, you're my patient and I always do everything for my patients, regardless of who they are. Speaking of them, I should check on the other people here. You should sleep now. I'll be here if you need something, ok?"
Neji nodded and let sleep claim him. When the first sun rays touched his eyelids, he woke up to see a pink head sleeping on his mattress, beside his feet. Was she that selfless, staying in the hospital the whole night just to be there for her patients? That morning, Sakura earned his respect.
The dim light from the fire made her face look golden, just like every other night. Her eyes, which during daytime were a bright green, were now turned into a deep shade that reminded him of a haunted forest. Still, her eyes didn't look frightening. Even when she was sad, or upset, or furious, those jade pools always had that glint of her inherent sweetness. And that glint of sweetness was one of the reasons why Sakura was so dear to her patients and to the village in general. Truth to be told, she wasn't as beautiful and sought after as Ino, not as gentle and demure as Hinata, not as powerful as Tsunade, not as brave as Tenten, not as skilled as Shizune, not as feared as Anko, not as talented as Kurenai. But she had a bit of all those women, and that mixture made her so unique. Adding to that, there was her unusually colored hair, which looked orange whenever they sat by the fire. It was something that Neji could never understand: how could someone have natural pink hair? She said she didn't know herself. Everyone in her family had normal colors in their heads. "Perhaps I was adopted", she mused back then, but soon dismissed the thought because she looked just like her mother.
"So how was your day, Neji?" she asked, truly interested in what he had to say. She handed him a cup of warm sake, which he gladly accepted.
"Not that bad, I guess." He replied, taking a sip of his drink. "But tomorrow I should be leaving in a two-week long mission."
"Yeah, I heard Tsunade-shishou say something about this today. I guess I'll have to drink by myself until then…"
"Or you can save your liver for later. I'm going to the place where they brew the finest sake in the whole world. Of course I'm bringing us some bottles."
She smiled in anticipation. "Neji, you are truly the best drinking partner ever!"
"You say it as if you had any other drinking partners, woman." He finished his cup and handed it to be refilled.
"Still, you are my favorite one! And don't you act like it's not a big deal. We are together on this since ten years ago, and this is something."
"Indeed it is. Actually ten years is longer than most marriages last these days." And it was true. For example, Ino and Shikamaru divorced after four years of marriage. Still, they had their not-so-rare encounters, but that's a whole new story.
"In fact, Neji, it kind of reminds me of something I've wanted to talk to you for a few days now."
He noticed she got a bit tense after she said that. Sure, he noticed she was a bit uncomfortable that night, but he didn't want to press her. If he knew her, and he knew her very well, she would speak about it whenever she felt the need to.
"You know you can tell me anything, Sakura."
"Do you mean it, Neji? Can I really tell you anything?" she said shyly.
"Of course you can. That's what friends are for, right?" he offered her a tentative smile. He wasn't good yet in human relationships, but he was getting there. She smiled thankfully.
"Ok then… The thing is: Tsunade-shishou and I had a talk today. She wants me to be the head doctor of Konoha hospital, since she needs Shizune in her office 24/7."
"That's great, Sakura!"
"No, it's not!" her answer startled him. "Neji, I'm only 19! This is way too big for me. I know I'm a good medic, but I can't take the position."
"Are you insane, woman? If Hokage-sama wants you to take the position, it wouldn't be because she doesn't think you're perfect for it, right?"
"But-"
"Let me finish. Sakura, you are more than a capable medic. The patients like you. Damn, even I accept to be treated by you without any complaints. The other doctors respect you. You are a good leader and you can work as a team with virtually anyone. I can tell no good reason why you shouldn't take the position."
"Do you… do you really think that high of me?" she asked, with a slight blush across her cheeks. He sighed.
"Did I ever lie to you?"
"Well… no."
"Then listen to me: don't turn this offer down. I know you will make a great job as head doctor. Think about how many people you will be able to help."
She smiled. "Thank you, Neji. It means a lot to me."
"Now come here." He opened his arms for her, and she looked at him with doubt in her eyes. "Just do it, woman!" she slowly approached him and let his arms engulf her in a hug. They were in their arrangement for four years now, and he never let her, or anyone else, get into his personal space outside a battle. He wasn't one for physical displays of affection, and he knew she knew it. But that was a special occasion.
"Congratulations, Sakura. This is a huge achievement." The girl in his arms was young, and still the Hokage herself trusted her with a very important position. That night, Sakura earned his admiration.
"I know… It's just that it involves you."
"One more reason why you should tell me what's troubling you."
"Ok… Well, first you have to understand it was totally accidental!"
What would she have to say? "Go on."
"I was in the hospital, inside my office, when two people started talking outside my door. You know I can't just order my ears not to hear, so I heard most of their conversation… And it was about you."
"Who would be talking about me?"
"I recognized one of the voices as being your uncle's. The other one I don't know, but I'm guessing he was from your clan as well." She stopped to take a sip from her sake.
"And what did they say?"
"I wasn't sure if I should tell you or not, but I think you deserve to know. Too bad they were careless enough to talk about that in public. Or perhaps they wanted me to hear…" she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Anyway, they were talking about the future of the Hyuuga clan. I'm not sure if you know it, but genetically you are Hiashi's son, because your uncle and your father have the very same DNA." (A/N: this is true; go study some Biology ;-) )
"Is that so? So does it mean Hinata and Hanabi are my half-sisters?" he couldn't help but think that, if it was known 20 years earlier, perhaps he wouldn't have the curse mark on his forehead.
"Yes! I'm glad you are a genius and understand things pretty fast. So, your uncle is thinking about naming you the next clan leader and-"
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" his eyes were twice as large as normal, and his smile was even bigger. Being clan leader was his dream since he was a kid, but he never thought it would actually come true.
"Of course I'm serious, baka. I heard it loud and clear. But – there's always a 'but' when it comes to good news, right? – before he announces his decision, he wants to be sure you'll have heirs."
"Heirs? It means I will have to…" he trailed off.
"Exactly. You will have to get married and have at least a kid before he tells you his decision. And, of course, you know nothing about this, right?" she winked at him.
"Wow, thanks for telling me, Sakura." His wide smile was now almost gone, and she noticed it.
"What's the matter? I thought you would be happy."
"Sakura, a wife and a child don't just come out of nowhere. And I just can't marry a random woman. It wouldn't be fair to her and to me. I want to marry someone I at least care about."
"And would you by any chance have someone in your mind?"
"As a matter of fact, I do."
Neji was heading to the training grounds when he heard some explosions. He knew very well who the only person capable of making such explosions was; so he went towards the noise and sure enough, there was his pink haired friend, among a mass of splintered wood where once stood trees. The whole scene looked normal, but he knew there was something wrong. Before he could even think, he saw a flash of pink towards him, tackling him to the ground. He never saw her face, but he felt a warm wetness on his neck, where her head was. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around her.
"Sakura, what's going on? Why are you crying?"
She said something between her sobs that he couldn't understand. He decided to let her cry first and talk later. He went up to a sitting position, curling her on his lap, rocking her back and forth in an attempt to comfort the poor woman.
When the worst of the crying was done, she was ready to talk again. "What is wrong with me?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, not really understanding her question.
"Am I unpleasant? Am I unattractive? Am I that hard to be around?" her voice was hoarse from the crying.
"Nonsense. You are nothing like that. What made you think those things?" she didn't answer. She lowered her head in shame, and it didn't take long for him to realize what was going on. "Don't tell me that idiot turned you down." Sakura merely nodded, and Neji felt anger run through his veins. "Really, who in their right mind would turn you down?"
"Apparently, a lot of people would. He's not the first one to dump me."
"These people are crazy. How can they not see the beautiful, kind, intelligent, strong, talented, successful woman you are? The only reason I can think of is that you have bad taste when it comes to men." She had to laugh at his statement, and he was glad he could do something to make her feel better.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I have bad taste regarding men. Otherwise, I would have fallen for you."
"I beg your pardon?" he almost choked on his own spit. What was she talking about?
"Come on, Neji. You are to die for! I won't tell you the reasons because I'm sure your huge fan club already did it a million times before. I would be happier if I was in love with you… But we just can't control our hearts, can we?"
"Wow… thanks for the honesty, I guess. But it's devastating to know that my chances with you are lower than zero." He sounded playful, but somehow that statement hurt.
"As if you would ever look at me like that. And it would never work out between us."
"How can you be so sure?"
"We know each other too well. Besides, there's no love chemistry here." Before he could say anything else, she pulled his head down and caught his lips with hers. He was so shocked he didn't move, but when he finally registered what was going on, before he could kiss her back, she pulled away. "See? No chemistry. Sorry about that, but I needed to prove my point. And now I have to get back to the hospital. Thanks for listening to me, Neji! See you at night?"
"I'll be waiting for you."
"Ok then. Bye!" she put on her happy façade again, and headed towards the hospital.
He let himself stay there for a long while. As much as he tried, he could not keep that kiss away from his mind. 'What is wrong with me? Sakura is my friend. My beautiful, kind, intelligent, strong, talented, successful, funny, tender, warm, good-smelling, good kisser fri- holy shit.' When realization hit him, it was already too late to do anything against it. He couldn't remember since when he felt all those things about her, but, that day, he realized that he was in love with her.
"And who is the lucky one?" she asked, inching closer to him in a gesture of pure female curiosity.
"Someone who doesn't feel the same way" he tried not to sound too sad.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because she told me she didn't love me. Apparently there is no love chemistry between her and me."
"And how does she know…" she stopped. Her eyes widened. "No fucking way. You can't be talking about me."
He shrugged and raised his hands almost apologetically. "I wish I wasn't, but we just can't control our hearts, can we?" once again he stole a quote from her.
"Wow, Neji. I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. But, first…" he moved his head close to hers and captured her mouth in a kiss that started chaste, but soon turned into something deeper. With his tongue, he coaxed her lips to let him in. Slowly, yet hungrily, he savored her mouth, and mentally smirked when he felt she was doing the same. When he ended the kiss, it was clear that she wanted more. "Just for the record, we do have chemistry between us" he said with his lips barely touching her ear. "Now, if you excuse me, I still have to pack my things up for the mission. See you in two weeks!" and before she could say anything, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"You're back! Finally!" she smiled warmly at him.
"Hello, Sakura. It's good to be back." He looked at her and tried his hardest not to remember that day when she kissed him, almost a year ago.
"So, did you bring it?" her eyes lit up in expectation.
"Woman, who do you think you're talking to? Of course I brought it." He handed her a square box, wrapped in purple paper and tied with a white ribbon.
"Thank you, thank you, and thank you! Neji, you are the best! These little chocolates are more precious than jewels! I will never be able to thank you enough!"
"Your smile is more than enough for me."
"Oh, come on, there must be something I can do for you!"
"Actually, there is something you can do for me." He looked around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. Just in case, he lowered his voice. "There was an… accident during the mission, and my ankle is troubling me. Could you please take a look at it?"
"Are you asking for medical help, Hyuuga Neji? My prayers were finally heard! Come with me, let's get you better." She grabbed his hand and dragged him to an empty exam room, missing the reaction her touch brought him.
"Hello, Sakura." He walked into their private spot in the Hokage Mountain, carrying some bags.
"Hyuuga Neji! You told me you would be out for two weeks! And it's been almost a month! Why didn't you tell anyone you would take longer? Why didn't you tell me? I was so worried, you idiot!"
"It is good to see you, too. Here, these are the sake bottles I promised you." He handed her the largest bag, which she took greedily.
"Yay, we're having a kick-ass party!" she then noticed he had another bag in his hand. "And what is this?"
"Oh, this?" he offered her the bag. "This is a little something I brought you."
She opened the bag and her chin fell to the floor when she saw what it was. "Neji! But it's… How did you… Oh." She seemed to realize everything. "You didn't have to get out of your way only to get me this!"
"No, I didn't. But I wanted to." He truly hoped she wouldn't see it as an attempt to buy her love, because it wasn't. It was his way to apologize; he knew her, so he knew she surely got confused about what he did just before he left for his mission.
"Thank you, then! You know how I love those little chocolates!"
"Yes, they are more precious than jewels. I remember."
"Man… You really love me that much, don't you?" it sounded like a question, but it was more like a statement. Deep inside his mind, he had the tiniest hope that she would forget about his feelings for her, so things would be able to get back to what they were. But she didn't, and he was somewhat lost about what to do.
"Now that you mentioned it… I would like to apologize for our last meeting. If you could forget it-"
"Are you out of your mind? I could never forget it, even if I wanted to. And I always thought we had no chemistry…"
"It was your fault! When you kissed me that time, you didn't even give me time to react."
"I thought you hadn't liked it!"
"What? That was the day when I realized I was in love with you."
"And why didn't you say anything?"
"Because you let it very clear that you'd never want a relationship with me. I didn't want to ruin our friendship, or mess up with your feelings. You were pretty upset that day; I didn't want to make you feel worse."
"Hmmm, you're right, I guess. But since the night you kissed me, I can't sleep, eat or do anything without thinking about you! What have you done to me?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
"The same thing you did to me two years ago."
"Does it mean that I'm…? Oh Neji, it is embarrassing!" true to her word, her cheeks were getting red.
"I'm sorry. Do you want me to go away?"
"NO!" she grabbed his arm. "I mean, no. Please stay. But what do we do now?"
"I see three paths ahead. Number one: we pretend nothing happened and we stay like we were before. Number two: we get married as soon as possible. Number three: we get into a relationship and see if things are going to work out between us."
"Number three, I guess? But it's going to be a little awkward, don't you think? I mean, we've been friends since I was 15. You know everything about my life, and I hopefully know everything about yours. What if we blow everything up? I don't want to lose you, Neji." She was looking up to his eyes and he leaned in to her, wrapping her body with his arms.
"I don't want to lose you, either. But we are sort of together for 10 years now. If we didn't screw it up before, I don't think we'll screw it up from now on. And even if it doesn't work out, we can drink until we forget everything."
"You're right! And Hyuuga Sakura doesn't sound that bad, right?" they both laughed, while Neji got up to set the fire. They had ten bottles of the finest sake begging to be drunk by them, and it was already past midnight. They didn't have time to lose.
A/N: Do not drink if you are under age!