Sing for Valediction

Chap 2: Haunted

Awakening.

Such a pure phase between slumber and awareness.

Such an alleviating chapter from lecherous nightmares and tortures, to the sweet recognition of reality.

Neji heaved a relieved sigh when he noticed that he was actually in his vast, richly decorated room instead of that place that triggered so many things… Today was the date of their departure for the Hidden Village of Arts, and still he felt as if there was something wrong with that place…

Neji's memories took him back a week ago, as he was in an intensive solo training session on the grounds of the Hyuuga residence. Exhausted by this particularly difficult working out, the raven-haired Nin sat leaning on a tree, only discerning his rewarding work and sweat gliding on his fair skin. Since Naruto had defeated him at the genin exams with such… ease, such spontaneity…Neji had given himself a new goal; he had certainly no intention of making the blond loudmouth feel sorry regret what he made him feel that day, on the contrary. Naruto had showed him a new way to consider many things, including his soft spoken cousin Hinata. The Hyuuga boy would just get as powerful as possible, and confront Naruto once more with a purer decision in heart.

Neji reflected on such points with a gentle smile, his sharp kunai twirling between his lean fingers… such lean fingers… until the sharp pain fell.

The young Nin stared in astonishment as crimson fluid trickled from the small incision; since when did the blunt blade of his training kunai turn this sharp? And how come his fingers were starting to feel so numb?

Neji could feel each of his senses gradually renounce him; subtle lethargy invaded his entire body, his eyes the only things still living; someone was lifting him up; Neji could still faintly sense it on his anesthetizing skin. Before blacking out, the Hyuuga met a pair of viridian irises inquisitively question his own, pure ones.

Then Neji resigned himself to nothingness.

Several hours later, Neji stirred from a bottomless sleep, to find himself bare chest and resting on a velvety, cozy bed, itself located in a huge room, with walls made of fresh-scenting pine wood.

Not knowing whether to feel amazed or alarmed of this new situation, Neji decided to select the second option; after all, he had been poisoned to be carried all the way here… Speaking of which… where the hell was that stranger who had the nerve to kidnap him? Didn't even have the nerve to challenge him to a real duel… Neji decided to explore the strange habitation he landed in.

And that's when he actually noticed, that he was fastened tightly to the bed with resistant cords, his hands tied up to the bedpost..

To this, Neji lost all form of his legendary patience; not only did a total stranger captured him in the most miserable of ways, but he also had the presumptuousness to attach him like a rude… thief? Getting more and more exasperated and even a bit panicked, Neji bonded his muscles as hard as he could, but to none avail.

-Stop moving like that. You'll just end up hurting yourself.

The raven-haired nin jumped at the rich, quiet voice which resounded somewhere on the left side of the large bed he was lying on; since he couldn't activate his Byakugan vision because of his inability to use his hands and signs, the Bunke Hyuuga spoke out:

-Who's there? Who are you?

The silence which followed irritated Neji, who this time shouted in the direction of the mysterious person:

-If you're the one who fing tied me up here, then you might as well show yourself before I ever/even have the opportunity of getting myself out of here…

And before he could complete his sentence, Neji had beside him the most peculiar creature ever seen before.

A fair-skinned boy with fiery, rich locks and a particular, intense jade gaze was staring at Neji with inquiry painted in his eyes. So many questions probing his gaze.

-…is there something I said wrong, there?

However, the strange teenager did not seem to pick up the irony of the other boy's remark; he only leaned closer to Neji, who started to feel much more unpleasant by this situation… and those eyes.

And without a warning, the stranger pressed his lips against Neji's, who let out a muffled cry of surprise… but certainly not of disapproval.

The redhead broke off the kiss and smiled lightly, as if at least one question had been solved in the depths of his irises.

-I like the color of your lips…and the one of your skin as well, confided the teenager, as his fingers trailed along Neji's white arm. Still with no warning, he revealed a sharp kunai, and incised it slowly, painfully through Neji's belly, as the blood gradually trickled off the fair skin.

Neji was in a state close to when he'd gotten poisoned some hours ago, only this time he could still think, and anesthesia had not gained his body as possessively as before; he could still feel the cruel blade part his skin so leisurely… either this fascinating creature was crazy, or there was something he expected from him…for now, though, the other boy was scraping the crimson liquid on his kunai and painted it on his lips. Then once more, he reached Neji's lips and kissed them even deeper than before, with muse more passion and leisure.

- I like them better this way, told he teen, seeming far more satisfied of Neji's bloody lip shade.

-What is wrong with you, whispered the Hyuuga boy; is there something you want from me?

The same inquiry returned in the young boy's eyes; he bent into the tied boy's ear, and murmured:

-When the time comes, you'll find out; for know, I just want to feel your existence…

And several hours later, Neji was found in front of the Hyuuga's residence front door, unanimated and shirtless; his body covered in blood and cuts, with a streaming kanji carved in the middle of his chest.

Love.

…chapter numbah 2, thru! Let's hope you'll be more eager to vote this one cuz last time, no one did…WAAAHHH! Anyways…plz vote! I promise it'll get spicy…