Memories of Green
AN: Naruto is not owned by me, and yes, I was inspired by the music of Vangelis to write this. Look for this song and another one, Tao of Love, on youtube, they're very good. Tao of Love was just too cheesy of a title for my tastes. So was Love Theme from Bladerunner. And I already used Tears in the Rain...
Uh... sorry for rambling. Anyhoo, enjoy my nice one-shot about Neji and Gaara!
Don't fret, I'm returning to my ongoing ficlets soon, I'm just fighting a bit of writer's block on Fragile.
One step then another, he went through the movements of the kata as if they were a dance. Long hair flung out around him, wisps of it fighting the band that held it in it's ponytail, and his eyes, through the byakugaun, glowed like soft pearls.
He had an audience, one he didn't need his clan's eye technique to know was there. He had felt the red-head's presence, a feat only accomplished by a very few, as the man entered the clearing, though the Kazekage had done his best to conceal himself in the surrounding trees as he watched.
Perhaps fueled by the presence of his watcher, he poured more effort into the gentle fist, trying not to think of those teal eyes, the quiet yet powerful voice...
It was spring in Konoha, and the trees and plants were in full bloom as Lee and Tenten led Gaara along, the former talking animatedly as he happily pointed out different landmarks in his home village.
Neji walked behind them, quietly reflecting on the Kazekage, something that he had started doing after the former jinchuuriki had woken up from the dead. Something about the whole ordeal sparked the brunet's curiosity, but he hadn't the chance to speak with the red-head, so he opted to observe instead, taking careful note of the mannerisms of the younger man, which for some reason seemed to affect Neji in ways he didn't quite fathom. Then the war came, and his team was assigned to the unit that Gaara was personally leading, and he watched even more, even more emotions stirring in him as they fought side by side.
Gentle petals of wysteria floated down and some landed in the Kazekage's hair, and Neji resisted the smile that almost came as Gaara took one of them and looked at the petal as Lee and Tenten walked ahead.
Neji waited as Gaara turned to him, "They look like your eyes."
It was such an odd thing for him to say that the Hyuuga didn't have time to respond before he heard Lee shout something about the upcoming storm and Tenten's suggestion that they find some shelter.
The first rain drops began to fall, and instead of rushing inside as Lee and Tenten did, Gaara simply looked up at the dark clouds, letting the rain gently pelt him.
Neji turned to the tea-shop his teammates had ducked into and he waved at them as watched behind a window, silently saying "I can handle the escort on my own, you two take a break." He glanced sideways at the red-head, "Would you prefer to walk a bit in this or go inside?"
"It's strange. In Suna, this would be considered a miracle, but here it's merely an annoyance," Gaara looked to the empty streets, "Yes... I like the feel of rain, so I wouldn't mind going a bit further."
"I imagine that when you first saw Konoha that it was a shock compared to the terrain you were so used to," Neji said as they continued on their way.
"I didn't notice it," Gaara almost whispered, "There was so much I missed in those days."
Not having anything to say to that, the brunet chose not to speak, and the two continued in silence, not caring that their clothing was becoming more and more soaked, not worrying about the rain that seemed to be falling harder by the moment. Neji found he liked the quiet comfortable presence of his companion, and again wondered at his feelings towards the red-head.
Thunder clapped overhead, "Perhaps we should seek shelter," Gaara said quietly.
Neji looked around, they were near one of the training fields, one he knew to have a small building on it, and nodding, took the red-head's pale hand and led him to the small barn.
Once inside, he made an attempt to wring out the water from his hair, and debated taking off his clothing. A dropping clunk behind him made him look at Gaara who had already taken off his breastplate and robes, and was using the sand to suck the water away from the clothing.
"Put yours over here, It might take a moment but I think I can dry them enough," there was a wry smile on the Kazekage's lips, "I suppose I had forgotten exactly how wet rain is."
"That's a handy use of your abilities," the brunet noted, taking his own robe off and placing it with the other articles of clothing.
A small bit of the sand drifted around them, "I suppose I don't like the idea of weapons being exclusively used to harm others."
"No I suppose you wouldn't," he took a seat next to Gaara, "Still, it's very creative."
"It doesn't work right," Neji fought back a chuckle at the annoyed face, "I find sand in the strangest places afterwards."
"Thank you for the warning," without thinking about it, he rested his hand on the red-head's.
He felt the small spark of electricity as they touched, but neither pulled their hands away, didn't even look at the intertwined fingers as they sat there, watching the rain pour outside the shed.
"It seems greener when it rains," Gaara noted, as he tightened his grip around Neji's hand, "I like it."
Neji would never mind the rain again.
The kata stopped, and he tried not to look where his silent watcher was, not wanting to give in and let Gaara know that he knew, that he enjoyed the fact that he had came to watch his training, even after the months that had passed since they last saw each other.
It didn't really matter, but Neji wasn't quite ready to give up that last little bit of pride where the Kazekage was concerned, having almost every bit of his armor taken away already.
He closed his eyes as he drank some water, pretending not to notice the small floating grains of sand drifting closer to him.
It was a quiet night, the summer air smelling clean after a rainfall, and Neji was pouring tea as he prepared himself for an evening alone, a rare event for him, usually Lee and Tenten decided to visit him and drag him away from his small house on the back end of the Hyuuga compound.
He didn't even mind that it meant spending his birthday alone. It was actually something he was looking forward to after last year's fiasco that involved his teammates, his jonin instructor, and a karaoke machine, something that still gave him nightmares.
He sighed as he sat down, breathing in the herbs and hot water, for once those two had a mission without him, and he planned on spending the next few days until their return in nice, reflective, quiet, meditation and training.
There was a knock on his door, and he raised an eyebrow in confusion as he went to answer it.
"Kazekage-sama?" he asked in surprise at the red-head at his doorstep.
"Hyuuga-san," Gaara said, then held up a small pot holding a cactus, "I've heard that it's customary to give a gift to your friends."
Neji smiled and asked him to come in, "I didn't think you knew."
"Lee wrote me and begged me to come check on you," the red-head placed the plant on the table as Neji poured another cup of tea, "But I would have came anyway."
The brunet smiled, "How are things in Suna?"
"I have about fifteen migraines on a good day, that should tell you," teal eyes looked around the home as he sat down, "I always thought that your quarters would be this clean."
"I imagine that your private quarters are actually strewn with different books and scrolls."
"You're right, Temari keeps telling me I should organize things better, and I keep the offices I use as such, but in my room, I like the chaos. Besides, I took to reading to keep my mind occupied at night" He suddenly gave Neji a mischievous look, one that almost shocked the Hyuuga, "Out of complete curiosity, your bedroom?"
"As neat as the rest of the house," he assured the Kazekage, "But then, I hardly ever spend anytime here."
The two sat in silence for another moment after that, drinking the tea as they enjoyed each other's company, and Neji once again thought on how comforting he found the red-head.
"Do you want to get something to eat?" Gaara suddenly asked.
"I would love too," Neji smiled.
As the night went on, he and Gaara talked over many things as they walked through Konoha, neither could really say later as to what the conversation had centered around, it seemed to flit from topic to topic.
"Don't call me Kazekage anymore," Gaara's voice almost shook as he said that as the two returned to Neji's home.
"So long as you don't call me Hyuuga," the brunet said smiling.
For some reason, both started laughing, and if there had been any onlookers they would have found the sight strange.
"I've left the care instructions for the cactus on the table," Gaara said when he had calmed down.
"Thank you, I'll cherish it," for some reason the comfortable feeling he had around the red-head was gone, replaced with a deep tension as it seemed even the stars above were waiting on something to happen between the two.
Teal eyes met pearl and for a long moment neither said anything, both not daring to even move.
It was Neji who broke the silence, "Are you staying at the embassy tonight?"
"I haven't made any arrangements, Temari had been invited to the Nara household when they found we were coming, and I wasn't going to worry on it."
"You still don't sleep?"
"It's becoming easier, but there are still the nightmares from memories of things I've done and memories that were the Shukaku's that I witnessed," Gaara chewed his lip a moment at that, "I suppose sleep isn't a luxury that I will ever really have."
"Come inside," the brunet said quietly, fully aware of the amount of need in his voice and inwardly kicking himself for it, "If anything, I have some books that you might not have read yet."
Both were quiet as they entered the house, neither said anything when Neji retired to his room, leaving Gaara on the couch with some very worn novels.
It was sometime after midnight that the brunet came back into the living room, unable to sleep.
Gaara looked up at him, almost as if he had expected it, as he waited for the Hyuuga to do something.
"I couldn't sleep either," Neji sheepishly admitted, "Would you mind the company?"
The red-head smiled as the brunet sat down, picking up one of the books. Near sunrise, Neji did finally drift asleep, and he had a pleasant dream of someone running their fingers through his hair.
When he awoke, near noon, he was back in his bed, and there was a neatly written note sitting next to the cactus and the instructions on his table.
Thank you.
He smiled, and sat at the table for a long time, quietly reflecting on Gaara.
"Neji."
He turned, "Gaara, it's been a long time since I saw you last."
"I've made a request to Tsunade, one that I hope I don't regret," Gaara chewed his lip, "I've been asked who I would like to have as an ambassador from Konoha."
Neji nodded, it made sense as Shikamaru and Temari's engagement had become final only a few days before. "Who did you choose?"
Teal eyes stared at him, and the brunet resisted the urge to laugh at the sheer exasperation pouring from those orbs as he walked over to Gaara and lifted his chin, brushing their lips together.
The sand instantly surrounded them, but neither seemed to notice as the kiss slowly became more passionate, the red-head's pale fingers drifting towards Neji's hair.
"What are you smiling so smugly about?" Gaara asked, as he looked up from the Kazekage desk where he was going through the stacks of treaties and mission reports.
Neji glanced over, his pearl eyes sparkling as he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss against the kanji on the forehead, "Memories," he whispered.
"Do you ever regret?"
The Hyuuga thought for a moment, going through the years the two had spent together, the good and the bad, and weighed through all the different things that he could judge his relationship by.
He knew the answer, but it was fun to tease the pensive red-head sometimes.
"No," he finally said, "I would do it over again and end up with you every time."
The small smile that appeared on Gaara's face at that was worth everything to him.