a/n: this is a oneshot based on 'brightdown' (the second opening theme for d. gray man). Just so you know for this story, it's non-massacre and Itachi and Neji have been friends for a long time.

Disclaimer on my profile.

Warnings: mentions of sex, boy x boy, slightly hungover Itachi and heartbroken Neji. Lots of cussing.

The Morning After

Neji woke in the morning and carefully slipped out of bed in an attempt not to wake up Itachi.

He should've known that it never would have worked.

Itachi's eyes shot open and he sat up before Neji could even get off the bed.

They stared at each other before Neji gave in and hung his head. "I'm sorry," he whispered softly.

"Fuck. Fuck, what did you do Neji?" Itachi swore and Neji's head dipped even further.

"Does it matter?" Neji asked softly. "It didn't mean anything to you."

"I was drunk. You…oh god. Neji…Neji, why?" Itachi stared at his friend, who was sitting in bed next to him, naked.

Oh fuck.

"It doesn't matter what I did," Neji said softly. "You didn't care last night, you don't care now…when have you ever cared about my feelings, Itachi? You don't need to worry any more. It's ok."

"No, it's not fine," Itachi hissed. "What is this shit? You think that I don't care about you?"

That was obviously the wrong thing to say because Neji was shaking his head and trying to get off the bed again. "You know that you don't care about me. The only people you really care about or Shisui-san and your little brother."

Itachi grabbed Neji's arm and pulled him back forcefully. "You're a fool, Neji. I care about you very much."

Neji looked at him for a moment before gently pulling out of his grasp. "You don't care for me the same way that I care about you," Neji said softly.

Itachi felt like Neji had punched him in the gut. More like Neji had kneed him in the balls, actually.

"I love you," Neji continued. "I love you and I care about you and cherish you. However you just see me as friend. You were drunk last night and I couldn't take you home so I just brought you here. I didn't think you would…" Neji blushed for a brief moment before he hid back behind his hair again. "I think you can tell what happened after that." There was an awkward silence in which Itachi struggled to form a coherent sentence and Neji seemed to be waiting for Itachi's judgment; when nothing happened, Neji sighed and finally stood up and grabbed his clothes.

Rejection sucked.

He pulled his pants on and glanced back at Itachi. "My uncle told me to invite you to dinner next Friday." God, he just loved to torture himself didn't he? "Will you be coming?"

Itachi blinked. Where the hell did that come from? "Sure." He pulled a t-shirt over his head and a pair of boxers on before striding over to the door and standing in front of it before Neji could get there. "Look, Neji. Let's talk about this."

"What is there left to say?" Neji looked at Itachi with helpless eyes. "It didn't mean anything to you. End of story."

"It meant something to you."

"You don't have to spare my feelings."

"I love you."

"…" Neji stared in shock.

"I mean, I love you but I love you as a friend and-" oh god, this was so not what he wanted to say at all. Itachi took a deep breath and started over. "Ok, sorry about that. I love you, and I care about you so…please give me a chance to try and love you the same way you love me."

Neji kept staring at him, and Itachi was nearly positive that he'd destroyed the Hyuga prodigy's brain.

"O-ok." I think…I think he just asked me out? With Itachi, you could never tell. Neji bit his lip while looking at Itachi uncertainly.

"Good." Itachi sighed in relief and moved away from the door. "That means that you're not leaving right now, though."

"Then what am I doing?" Neji moved through the door and stood next to Itachi. A warm, fuzzy feeling started wending its way through his body. Yup. He definitely just asked me out.

Itachi leaned down and kissed Neji. "We're spending the day together."

Neji looked up at him with big eyes and a very cute blush on his face. "F-fine."

Neji closed his eyes when Itachi leaned down to kiss him again.

Things were finally going to be all right.