A/N: Alternate Universe. Multi-chapter. Multi-pairing. 7-9 chapters long. Will hopefully update weekly.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Enoy!

brightness, pouring itself out of you

X

Neji doesn't like to think of himself as someone who ever runs behind schedule. It just isn't in his repertoire. Punctuality is key. It worked for him as a child, when being the last one at the dinner table was liable to get you disapproving grumbles for a week and underheated, meager portions. It worked for him through college and his first job, with smiles at his laminated folders and glittering A+'s on his term papers.

It simply worked in general, as a rule or a principle or a priority, and really, Naruto is by this time a half hour late. What does the bastard take him for?

His secretary peeks out from behind the office door. He'd hired her because she obeyed the punctuality principle to a tee, (unlike certain other individuals.) She is quiet, discerning, and can whip up an excellent hangover cure concoction if the need should ever arise. Not that Neji normally needs such things, but Tenten assured him it was quite a useful thing to have on hand.

Neji scoffs to himself. Tenten would know. Tenten spent most of her nights out on the town now, in svelte, body-hugging dresses that looked like she'd simply been poured into them, and red lipstick that leaves sweet-smelling smears on his cheek when she pecks him goodbye, and coiled and oiled hair that shines under the light.

He supposed he should be happy she is choosing this method of coping rather than the one where she stays locked in their apartment for the whole day, but Lee being sick isn't something they are going to get used to soon, he knows.

He knows, but that doesn't mean he has to think about it.

His secretary brought a note and a tall glass of ice water.

"Heat's been awful this year, Hyuuga-san. I thought this would be refreshing while you wait."

"Thank you, Ayumi."

It's true that the heat has been awful. Giant waves of 90 to 100 degree weather are gusting off the sea, so quickly approaching but stagnant the moment they arrive, content to settle onto the shoulders of the city with a heavy, pressing lethargy.

Neji glances at the note, and resists the urge to press the glass of water against his forehead. He suddenly felt another headache coming on.

Sorry about the late notice, but have to cancel.

Something came up.

-Naruto

The bastard.

"Ayumi-san? Cancel the rest of the afternoon." Neji drains the water, feeling decidedly miffed. This was the third time in a month. He was beginning to suspect that Naruto was avoiding him.

In all honesty, he'd suspected that awhile ago.

Ayumi peeked around the door again. She had a face like a bird, all quick inquisitive tilts of her head and bright eyes. Half the office was madly in love with her. Neji liked her because he'd seen her with one of the boys in the office, late one night when he'd finally just gotten his print model finished. She'd had her skirt hiked up and a long sweep of satiny white thigh spread open on the desk. The boy moaned as she dragged her toes up his pant-suited calf, but she just arched her head back and laughed; a breathy, fluttering sound. Neji liked her for laughing, and for the way her hair was still perfectly coiffed upon her head, even while her chest heaved. He liked her because the next morning the boy was late and sulky, but Ayumi was early to her desk, fresh-faced and not a sleek curl out of place.

He liked her for it.

"I can move the Aoyama presentation up to 2:00 tomorrow, Hyuuga-san."

"Yes. Good." Neji distractedly ran a hand through his hair. He is more bothered than he should be. He's annoyed. Tenten would say he was fretting, but that is ridiculous. Neji never frets about anything; He'll settle for being mildly concerned. He got to his feet, grabbed his bag, and rolled a few plans that needed finishing into cylinders with quick, economical flicks of his wrist.

"Should I give a reason for the schedule change to the client Hyuuga-san?"

Neji managed to curb his irritation with Naruto's bold and oblivious lack of appearance for a brief moment to draw level with Ayumi, who is tilting her head sideways again like a slightly curious canary.

"Tell them something came up."

X

As of course Neji knew he would be, Naruto is in a bar that was only a few blocks from the office. It was pathetic really.

Slumped on his stool, knobby fingers just barely dangling a shot glass, and rocking a gold-scruffed bedhead and four-o-clock shadow look, Naruto was in his element. When he saw Neji, the usual smile cracked wide across his face, like the comet end of a shooting star.

Neji didn't bother to exchange pleasantries.

"Something came up Naruto? Really?" Neji slid onto a stool, his voice dry-cut and trying not to be too sharp, massaging his temples. "What would this something be? Is it, by any chance, just your pressing, life-altering need for a midmorning beer?"

Naruto's smile gets bigger, and he slings a gangly, leanly-muscled arm over the angles of Neji's shoulder. "Beer's are no fun, Neji-kun. I've been doin' raspberry-sugar vodka shots." He lolled his neck, making an exaggerated kissy face at Neji to showcase the stained red tinge to his lips.

"They're sweeter than birthday cake."

"Wonderful."

Naruto giggles, knocks back the shot that was still swinging from his fingers with an ease that should make Neji worried.

"Y'know Neji, people are such dicks. I don' like it. Some fucker tried to tell me this-" He brandishes his shot glass in Neji's face, "-was a girly drink. Like I fucking care. I let him know he's an asshole. Don't Tenten drink whiskey like a pro?"

Neji held back a smile. "Tenten has Jack Daniels sometimes. Most of the time she drinks water, like a sensible person. Like you should be doing."

"Sakura thinks I should stop drinking too. Y'all are party poopers."

Neji bites his tongue on Sakura's name.

She'd called him just last week, when Lee had had some sort of infection scare and was thrashing in the hospital bed from fever so hard he needed restraints. Sakura had sounded tight and exhausted through the speaker of his phone and looked worse in person; pale like weak white bread.

That had been a rough night for most of them. But then, Naruto wouldn't know that, would he?

Neji sighed. He tugs the now empty shot-glass from Naruto's hand, hands him a glass of water, kneading his forehead distractedly.

"Why do you keep doing this Naruto? If you don't want to meet at my office, just say so. It's not the end of the world. I clearly can get out."

Naruto tapped his fingers in a drum over the bar, tilted his head back at Neji. "I don' know what you're talkin' about, Hyuuga-san."

"Don't call me that. You sure as hell know what I'm talking about. You could try caring enough to be punctual-"

Naruto blatantly ignores Neji and his glass of water, instead signaling the bartender for another shot. Neji sighs.

Naruto is a force that can't really be stopped, just diverted onto slightly different paths for a short time. He has practically no interest in listening to Neji in his office, and Neji should've known a different venue was hardly going to do the trick. Naruto doesn't really listen to anyone anymore, except Kakashi-sensei, but unfortunately that bridge was burned. By Kakashi himself, quite literally; Kakashi hadn't been seen by anyone since May.

Naruto downed another shot, stretching and smacking his wet lips together in satisfaction. The worn orange T-shirt he wore rides up slightly, exposing a strip of his navel, and Neji lets his eyes linger. He knows that T-shirt. It was one of Naruto's old ones, from college days.

In college, Naruto had been different. He'd smiled because he couldn't stop himself, not because he thought it fooled his friends. Naruto had been crazy about dreaming when he was at University, crazy about being in love, whether it was with an idea, or a person, or the world.

Neji remembers a few times when the world loved Naruto right back. He remembers getting so drunk he passed out in Naruto's bed, amongst yellow-orange sheets and the sweet grassy scent of weed. They'd all smoked a lot of pot during freshman year. Neji remembers Naruto coaxing him into trying his first joint and being rather surprised by the results when his mind floated out softly beyond his reach and everything seemed beautifully hazy.

Naruto had grinned widely. "Check out Neji, y'all!" He's wasted!" Naruto himself was no stranger to pot, and his tolerance seemed to be higher, as he watched Neji drool onto his pillow with unveiled amusement. "Shut-up..'m fine..."

Sasuke, sitting nearby, had hauled Neji into an upright position and gripped his chin with cool fingers. He peered at Neji's pupils with those startlingly dark eyes of his, and declared Naruto right. Neji was actually quite sphongled. Naruto doubled over with laughter, while Neji groaned his disagreement.

"I wouldn't get cocky, Loser. You are too." Sasuke drawled, stretching like a satisfied cat across the tiny dorm bed next to Neji. Naruto had straightened up, gasping for breath and smiling a dazzling smile.

"Course I am!" He bends over Neji's stomach carelessly to smooth his hand across Sasukes ribs, and leaned in for a kiss, high and hot. "Difference is, I know it!"

Neji had watched them kiss. Usually he looked away from them doing that sort of thing, but the drugs always made him feel bold and shameless. He watched Naruto pull his lips away after a moment and whisper something in Sasuke's ear, making the other man snort dismissively. Naruto laughed again; a ringing, bell-like laughter.

Neji closes his eyes on the memories.

That had been a long time ago, and things were different now. Naruto was different now, and Sasuke...

Neji doesn't want to think about Sasuke.

Naruto was still swaying on his barstool.

"Come on Naruto. We need to go. I'll take you home."

Naruto turned to him, his eyes bright in the afternoon sunlight filtering through grubby windows. "Don't wanna go anywhere, Neji-kun." He closed his eyes, tilted his head back. "Don't wanna."

Neji sighed. Right now, with Lee thrashing in a hospital bed, Sakura overworked with worry, and Tenten throwing away her feelings on fast women and faster drinks, and everything starting to crumble apart the same way Naruto is sitting in pieces next to him, Neji doesn't really want to go anywhere either.

But that isn't his choice. Nothing had really been his choice for awhile now.

X

End chapter

A/N: Thank you for reading! All feedback is much appreciated. Next chapter coming soon!