Helloo! Yeah, another story! We are going as fast as a rocket now! )
Chapter 1: First meetings
A green glow appeared on the apple tree, standing in the middle of a huge forest. A pale, slender hand was laying on the tree stump, moving it's energy into the tree. You could see the tree growing, and more and more apples appeared on the tree. Now the hand let go of the tree stump and bent down to get a basket from it's place on the grass, made of fallen branches. The person, the owner of both the hand and the basket, walked around the tree, catching the few apples that fell from the tree. When he was done, Hyuuga Neji nodded, satisfied. He and all the other elves, gathered their food by taking what the nature left for them. That way, the nature wouldn't be harmed. Sometimes, like now, they helped the nature a bit, for their own good. Because, were would the forest be without elves? They were pure and didn't do things that were violent, unlike the other clans which lived at the edges of the forest. Like vampires, werewolves. All evil beings. Neji squatted onto the grass, where he looked into a small river with water of the mountains.
He let an earthenware dish slide into the river, getting the water he needed, and then stood. Every time he was at the river, three times a day, he felt eyes gaze upon him. He couldn't find the owner of those eyes, but he knew that he was being watched.
That day too, eyes were set on him. But today would not be like any other day. Today the owner of the eyes had decided on something. Right when Neji wanted to leave the river again a voice came from the woods. "What's your name?" The voice sounded low, manly, but calm too.
Neji was silent. So the owner of those eyes had a voice too? And had finally decided to speak to him. What should he do? It couldn't be an elf speaking. The voice was too low for an elf.
"I asked you something." The voice said and now it came with a person too. A raven haired boy with quite the feminine look except for his eyes stood by a tree. He looked at Neji intense, as if wanting something from the other boy. "Well?" The raven haired said.
Neji looked at the boy. It was not an elf indeed. How old would he be?
"Why should I tell you my name?" Neji asked. "If you want it, you should tell me your name first."
The other boy looked at Neji, narrowing his eyes a little before speaking again. "Sasuke." He said, somewhat of a growl hear able in his voice. "Now tell me yours." He demanded.
Neji looked at him for a moment, before getting the dish and basket off the ground.
"That's none of your business since I don't know you." He said, and then he walked away.
But the raven haired wouldn't give up just yet. He started to follow Neji, without speaking a word. He kept a good ten feet between the two, walking in the same pace Neji was. He wouldn't back off any time soon.
"Why are you following me?" Neji asked with a frown, while he kept walking.
"You didn't answer me." The other boy stated as he kept walking too, following Neji's pace all the while.
"..It's Neji." Neji said, while he started to walk faster. He didn't liked it to be followed.
But Sasuke just followed Neji anyhow, walking faster too. He wasn't making any sound, probably because he wasn't wearing any shoes. "That's a nice name." Sasuke said, though the boy didn't sound interested in names at all.
Neji stopped now, turning around.
"Why are you following me?" He asked again.
"Why are you letting me follow you?" Sasuke asked as he stopped too, looking into Neji's eyes as if following someone was normal nowadays.
"I'm not letting you follow me, you're following me, not the other way around." Neji said. "...What do you want from me?" This guy, this Sasuke... he was strange, very strange. What kind of creature would he be?
"You're not scaring me away or trying to get rid of me." Sasuke stated. "I'm just interested." He added as he shifted onto his other leg and crossed his arms.
"Back off." Neji said, turning around again and then walked further.
But Sasuke didn't back off. No. He just followed Neji again, walking exactly the same way he had just a few seconds before. It was like he was magically stuck to Neji somehow.
Neji stopped again and turned around, again.
"Would you just go stalk someone else?" Neji asked. He got crazy like this.
"No. Other elves aren't interesting." Sasuke answered and stopped again too, this time closer to Neji then the time before. He looked at Neji again.
Neji looked back.
"What do you want from me?" Neji asked.
"What do elves do?" Sasuke asked as he narrowed his eyes in confusion. It was pretty obvious it was a sincere question. But he did change the subject.
"I asked you a question you know." Neji said, now narrowing his eyes too. If the guy wanted to play dangerous, he'd play along.
"And I answered it with another question." Sasuke said and crossed his arms again. He just wanted to know.
"It's none of your business." Neji snapped. "Now what do you want?"
"I want to know about you." Sasuke simply answered and kept looking at Neji as if it was all perfectly normal.
"And why?" Neji asked. He was a bit surprised at this answer. A bit much.
"I just want to know. So what do elves do?" Sasuke asked again, keeping his gaze on Neji.
"I said, it's none of your business." Neji snapped, as he started to walk again.
Sasuke started walking next to Neji now and kept looking at him. "Why not?" He asked.
"Because you're not an elf." Neji said. "Now leave me alone."
"Well I'm nothing frightening either. I'm just asking you what you elves do." Sasuke said and started walking in front of Neji, himself walking backwards.
Neji frowned. "Because you're not an elf you have nothing to do with business about elves." Neji said, he walked to the right now.
Sasuke followed again, running a bit to gain up with Neji. "I'm just asking you what you do, not the almighty secrets of the elves." Sasuke said, a bit annoyed.
"We live, search for food, sleep, keep in contact with nature. There. Now leave." Neji said.
"Are you always like this?" Sasuke asked. You could hear the annoyance in his voice.
"Not always, only when I'm being followed around." Neji said, now stopping again. He breathed in deeply, put his things on the grass and then gave Sasuke a push. "Go away." He demanded. He never hit someone in his entire life, pushing was the worst he'd ever done.
Sasuke though, didn't seem frightened or whatsoever by the push. He just looked at Neji. "Can't you be nice?" He growled.
"I can." Neji said. "Why do you care? Just leave me alone."
"I'm just curious. I thought elves were supposed to be nice." Sasuke said annoyed and glared at Neji.
"If you don't like it then go." Neji said, glaring back. He hoped he would be left alone now. He looked at Sasuke better. He had to admit that Sasuke was good looking. Really good looking. But he couldn't be trusted. Who knew what this guy wanted?
"I just wanna know what you do." Sasuke snapped and just kept standing there, glaring at Neji.
"I already told you, so go away." Neji said and pushed Sasuke again.
"Why do you keep pushing me, it's not like it's gonna make a difference. And I still don't get what you do. Like what you do with the trees pretty much everyday." Sasuke said.
"I'm letting it grow so the apples fall down." Neji said. "And I'm pushing you so you go away."
"Why? Aren't you supposed to be friendly to everything that's nature?" Sasuke asked annoyed. "And that tree grows by itself, why do you have to make it grow?"
"..So I don't have to pluck it's apples and hurt it." Neji said. "And yes, I am, unless it's not leaving me alone. Please, leave." He said, this time sounding nicer.
"And what if I don't?" Sasuke asked politely, acting the way Neji was.
"Then I'll push you again and then run away from you." Neji said, as he already raised his hands.
"..Why? Am I that scary?" Sasuke asked, suddenly looking serious.
"No, I just don't like to be followed." Neji admitted.
"I wouldn't follow you if you wouldn't walk away." Sasuke stated.
"But why do you even talk to me?" Neji asked.
"Because I'm curious." Sasuke answered honestly.
"Go back to your own clan." Neji said and took his stuff of the ground again, turning around and walking away.
"I don't have one." Sasuke said and started to follow Neji. Again.
"Oh so you are born out of animals hm?" Neji asked. "Stop following me." He snapped.
"I just don't have a clan. And no." Sasuke simply said as he started walking next to Neji again.
Neji bit his lip now, to stop himself from yelling to the guy. He choose to just ignore him and walked faster now.
Sasuke started walking faster too, just to keep up with Neji. "Would you mind it if I kept watching you when you come to the river?" Sasuke suddenly asked.
"Yes." Neji said. Where was this conversation going? The truth was that he didn't cared at all about the guy watching him. As long as he didn't stalked him like that. That's why he said yes.
"Why? I know you know that I have been watching you." Sasuke said.
"Yes, but back then I didn't know you." Neji said. "I want you to leave me alone." He knew he'd anger the guy if he went on like this, but he just wanted him gone.
"Well why? I don't get it, it's not like I carry diseases or anything." Sasuke snapped.
"You keep following me." Neji said. "I don't like that." He walked faster now, knowing that the guy would snap any moment. And then he'd have his peace. Hopefully.
Sasuke walked faster too, obviously annoyed. "Then stop walking and then magically, I'm not following you anymore." Sasuke snapped again.
"Yeah and then you keep standing with me." Neji said, while he kept walking.
"Yes well, if you tried to get to know me, I wouldn't have to bother you like this." Sasuke snapped.
"Yes but why would I try to get to know you?" Neji asked, still trying to get the guy angry. When would that idiot snap?
"Because it's interesting." Sasuke said in a tone that meant 'I find it interesting, so you should obviously do too'.
"I don't think it is." Neji snapped. He quickened his pace even more.
Sasuke had to walk pretty fast to keep up with Neji now, but he still did it. "Are you just scared of me or is this common habit with elves?" Sasuke asked.
"Why would I be scared of you?" Neji snapped. "It's common for elves to not like it to be followed without an obvious reason."
"Would you like it better if I was trying to eat you then?" Sasuke noted as he gave Neji another glare.
Neji glared at him too.
"Perhaps, because I'd have a real reason to run away then." He snapped.
"Why does it bother you anyway? I'm not here to eat you, I'm not here to hurt you, I'm not here to find out all sort of things about elves, I'm just here to find out about you." Sasuke snapped back.
"But why? What do you reach with it?" Neji snapped.
"Nothing. I just wanna know about you." Sasuke snapped annoyed and started walking in front of Neji again, backwards.
"Why?" Neji asked.
"..Because you seem interesting." Sasuke admitted.
"So?" Neji asked. "There are more interesting people in this world."
"So? Does that mean I can't talk to you? Maybe everyone on the world should just stop talking to each other, I mean, there are always others to talk to right? Wow, wouldn't that make the world so much better." Sasuke said and then glared at Neji again.
"Look, I'm not interested." Neji said. "And elves just focus on other elves and nature. Ok?"
"No, not ok. Is being a total ass part of being an elf, or did you just decide to be one? Because if that's the case, then you'd better get that pole out of your ass, you stuck up idiot." Sasuke snapped. So he was totally losing it, who cared.
"Don't you dare to insult me again." Neji snapped. "And since you don't like me, leave me alone."
"I don't like your attitude right now, but I still wanna get to know you, you stuck up brat." Sasuke snapped.
Neji put his things on the ground and turned around again, giving Sasuke a huge push.
"Leave me alone!" He yelled.
"Why!?" Sasuke growled as he grabbed Neji's wrist while Neji had pushed him.
"Just do it!" Neji yelled, while he tried to pull his wrist loose. He had to admit that he was a bit scared now. He didn't liked it to be held by someone.
"I don't get why you don't wanna know who I am. Do you wanna be spied on by someone you know nothing about?" Sasuke asked annoyed.
"I don't want to be spied upon at all!" Neji snapped, while pulling his wrist free.
"Well I'm not stopping!" Sasuke yelled, angry now.
"Why not?!" Neji yelled. He became a bit frustrated now.
"Because you interest me!" Sasuke growled into Neji's face.
"So what are you going to do, find out about my whole life, and then?!" Neji snapped.
"Do you have to have a goal to get to know someone nowadays!?" Sasuke growled back.
"When you act like you do yes!" Neji yelled.
"What's so wrong with getting to know me!?" Sasuke yelled back, furious now. You could see it in his eyes.
Neji didn't wanted to discuss this further. He didn't felt comfortable at all and took his things again, walking away. That would shut the guy up.
"You don't even have an answer to that do you!? You're just a paranoid brat! I'll see you another time!" Sasuke yelled at Neji.
Neji hated himself for it, but turned around, again.
"No, we'll not meet another time, you're just going to leave me alone!" He yelled.
"Well I'll still follow you around and spy on you, whether you like it or not. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty good at it too." Sasuke snapped and with that turned around and walked away.
Neji grumbled something after him and then, at a very un elf like way, stamped away.
Neji arrived, a few minutes later, at the place he lived. It was all high in the trees, you had to walk a few stairs before you entered the city. He walked up the stairs, and when he arrived there, he saw Haku, his best friend who he saw like an elder brother, coming towards him.
"Hey Neji. How has it been in the forest?" Haku asked politely and smiled.
"It was.. strange." Neji admitted. "You know that creature that was spying on me every time? I met him." Meanwhile he walked towards the place where all the food went to. It was a big ballroom, and everyone would eat there that evening.
Haku walked with him. "Really now? And how was he? Was he ok?" Haku asked and smiled the familiar feminine smile. Haku looked feminine all the way for that matter though.
"..He wanted to know how we lived and stuff.. I didn't trust him so I told him to get away from me." Neji said. "I didn't felt comfortable around him."
"Ah. But you told him that nicely right? We wouldn't want the creatures of nature to get angry." Haku said and kept smiling.
"..Well not really.. but he kept following me." Neji said. "He was really annoying. He kept walking with me and asking me what elves do and well, I just didn't trusted him."
He placed the apples and the water onto the table in the dining room now.
"But surely you know you should be polite to all creatures of the forest. You should go back and apologise Neji." Haku said as he started helping Neji with setting the table.
"...But what if he's a monster?" Neji asked, while groaning from the inside. Why did he had to go apologise to that jerk? "And only sorry right?" He hoped he'd not had to ask if he could do that guy a favour..
"Well you might have offended him, so you should bring him something to apologise with. And I'm sure the boy wasn't a monster otherwise he would have kindly eaten you." Haku said and smiled at Neji. Luck was not on Neji's side today.
Neji looked at Haku as if he was going to kill him.
"And what do I have to bring him then?" Neji asked, putting his arms over each other. "Stop smiling."
"It is polite to smile Neji." Haku said and just kept smiling. "And I don't know. You could bring him one of your apples."
Neji snorted. "One apple?" He asked.
"Or two. It's about the gesture Neji. You should know that." Haku answered.
"Yeah yeah.." Neji muttered.
"Speak with two words Neji." Haku said as he made sure the dinner table was set correctly.
"I'm sorry." Neji said.
"That's ok Neji. There. Now all we have to do is wait for the others." Haku said and smiled, once more, at Neji.
Neji nodded, still not smiling.
"I know." He said. "..Hey Haku, I have a question.."
"Go ahead." Haku said and nodded his head to Neji as a sign he could ask everything.
"..Well, elves have a few things they have to do at some kind of age, and well.. what if they haven't done one thing?" Neji asked. "Is that ok, or is something going to happen then?"
"Well Neji, we both know there are a couple things boys have to do before a certain age or they will not receive the blessing of nature. And you know what those things are, don't you?" Haku said and looked at Neji.
"..Yeah..." Neji said and didn't looked Haku in the eyes now. Damn. He was screwed now.
"Why, might I ask, do you wonder about those things Neji?" Haku asked.
"..Oh well, just wondering.." Neji said, while he felt a blush getting on his cheeks. Shit.. he couldn't lie.. Elves couldn't lie..
"Really? That's an awkward thing to wonder about Neji." Haku said, for the first time, suspicion was heard in his always so well covered voice.
Neji looked around them and saw that they were alone.
"..Ok Haku.. promise me that you won't tell anyone ok..?" Neji asked. He guessed it would be fair to tell Haku.
"I promise. Now what is it?" Haku asked.
"..I'm still a virgin.." Neji muttered.
Haku looked at Neji for a while in silence. "I already thought that." He finally said and smiled slightly.
Neji looked at him surprised.
"Why?" He asked. "Aren't you mad at me?"
"You still have time. Not much, but you still have time. And you're easy to read." Haku said and smiled at Neji.
"..Oh.." Neji said. "Can you see that someone is a virgin then? And how much time..?"
"Till you are eighteen remember. That's the age. And no, I just know you better then any other elf." Haku said.
"..Ok." Neji said. "..But that's just two months." Neji said then, a bit panicked. "I'm eightteen in two months Haku."
"I know. But there's still time." Haku said and still smiled. "I think you'll be fine Neji."
"I don't think that." Neji said. "How do I have to find someone to have sex with in two months?"
"You will be fine." Haku just repeated. "Now shall we tell Hiashi that dinner is ready?"
"..Fine.." Neji muttered.
"Two words Neji. Two words." Haku said and just smiled again.
"..Yes Haku." Neji grumbled. Damn that smile of Haku sometimes.
The next day, Neji arrived at the river again and put his things down, with a sigh.
"..You can come out." He said, as he already felt the eyes upon him.
It took a few seconds for Sasuke to come out and walk towards Neji. "So, you still mad?" He asked as he crossed his arms again.
"..No, I'm here to apologise." Neji said, while taking three apples out of the basket.
"...Why?" Sasuke asked and narrowed his eyes at Neji. That was just plain weird. And suspicious.
"I'll explain something." Neji said with a sigh. "I'm one of the youngest elves in the forest, so I have to learn a lot. I discussed it with the one who looks over me and he said that as long as I'm not being hurt, I can talk to the person talking to me. So.. sorry for misjudging you."
"Oh. How old are you?" Sasuke rudely asked. Something that elves never asked. He looked Neji in the eyes. Sasuke changed subjects fast. Why did he even bother putting up a subject to dismiss it like that after the answer.
"...Seventeen." Neji muttered. "Do you want the apples, or..?"
"..I don't really eat apples." Sasuke answered.
"Oh.. well.. do you want something else then?" Neji asked. "And how old are you?"
"Sixteen. And no...I'm pretty fine." Sasuke answered, surprised by the change Neji had made in just one day.
Neji nodded and then he sat down at the river, filling his dish with water.
"...So.. do you really just do this everyday?" Sasuke asked as he sat down by the river and let his feet soak in the water.
"No, I do other things too, but it's different every day." Neji said. He still didn't trust Sasuke.
"Then what do you do on other days?" Sasuke asked interested.
"Bathing, learning, reading, playing instruments, healing, that kind of things." Neji said, shrugging. "You?" He didn't had to search for apples or other fruit today, thank god.
"..I do.. other things." Sasuke said. "What are instruments?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Obejcts were you can make music with." Neji said.
"Ok.. so what is music then? Is that that hideous sound you elves make when it's getting dark?" Sasuke asked.
"No that's when we are going to eat." Neji said. "We are very strict."
"..Then what is music?" Sasuke asked again.
Neji sighed softly. "I'll let you hear something next time, I'll take one of my instruments with me." He said. Now he stood again.
"Oh. Hey where are you going?" Sasuke asked and turned his body towards Neji slightly.
"Well, towards the other elves again." Neji said, looking at Sasuke. What did he want now?
"Why? You could stay longer." Sasuke said and looked at Neji.
"I know." Neji said. Ok, there he was going, with the rude attitude again. Speak with two words.. hey he just did that. Oh whatever.
Sasuke growled. "..Fine." He said and turned to the water again, quietly splashing it with his feet.
"..Why do you growl?" Neji asked. "Do you have some dog blood in you?"
"..No. I just do that." Sasuke answered, trying to keep his voice as calm as it should be.
"Hm." Neji said, as he let his hands slide over his clothing, to brush the leaves and dirt off.
"Do elves have sex?" Sasuke asked out of the blue.
Neji frowned and looked at Sasuke.
"Of course they do, why?" Neji asked. What a stupid question. Why the hell would elves exist if they never had sex.
"..I was just wondering.. since you don't seem interested in anything but getting water." Sasuke said and turned to Neji again, glaring at him once more.
Neji let one eyebrow up.
"Of course I'm interested in more things." Neji said.
"You're lousy at showing it." Sasuke said.
"You're only interested at stalking people, so you're no better then me." Neji said. Ok, wrong thing to do, but he just couldn't stop himself. Why was this guy offending him in the first place?
"I'm not only interested in that, I'm interested in YOU." Sasuke said. Once it dawned into his head what he had said he turned away from Neji. Embarrassed.
"...Do you want sex with me?" Neji asked with a frown, not even realising how much of an invitation that was. At least it sounded like it.
"...No.." Sasuke growled. Luckily, Neji couldn't see his bright red face.
"Then why are you so interested?" Neji asked.
"Didn't I just tell you." Sasuke growled annoyed as he washed his legs off.
"..Perhaps." Neji said and shrugged.
"Hmm.. nothing." Neji said and then turned around, to leave.
"..I don't get it." Sasuke said, still confused.
"You don't have to." Neji said and shrugged, then he started to walk.
"You're an ass." Sasuke snapped.
"Thanks." Neji said, and walked away. It hurt. He knew he was an ass. But he just couldn't help it.
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