Chapter 2: Soulmate
That evening, midnight, Neji was hurrying his way through the forest, towards the small river. He had lost one thing that was very precious to him: a silver medaillon that was being passed down his family. It had been done for thousands of years now, so he couldn't have lost it. He ran and ran, sweating like he had ran all day, and finally saw the river coming into view. But then he saw something that made him freeze. Werewolves. He quickly hid in the bushes. Shit... they were drinking in the river now. It were a whole lot. Probably a whole clan. Shit... he had to get out of here before they could smell him.
But right when Neji wanted to leave one of the werewolves sniffed in the air. "Elf." It growled to the others and they started to walk towards Neji, who was hidden behind a tree. They walked slowly, and low to the ground, ready to strike at any second. Their claws were spread and their teeth were showing. They were hungry.
Neji felt his breath got stuck into his throat. Shit. He quickly jumped into the air, into the tree, and started to climb as fast as possible into the tree. Shit, shit, shit. He wasn't allowed to curse, but couldn't do else now in his head.
"Get him!" One of the werewolves growled and they suddenly all jumped up, grabbing to Neji's feet, climbing into the tree after him, all howling and growling at the rest, at Neji. Their red and yellow glowing eyes were pierced on Neji. There was no escaping the clan.
Neji gasped as he felt panic rising and started to climb even faster and higher. He let out a panicked yell when he felt a strong tug on his ankle and he fell down, landing on his hands and feet, like a cat would do. He was surrounded by werewolves now. Oh god.. he wasn't going to survive this...
"Well, it seems we get a nice, easy meal today." One of the werewolves, apparently the pack leader, growled and they all moved closer slowly. Neji was sure to be dead. "Wait." One of the werewolves suddenly growled and walked forwards.
Neji had stood now, looking around in panic, now looking at the werewolf that told the others to wait.
"What is it pup." One of the huge werewolves growled at the one that had moved forwards. "Don't keep us from our meal."
"Can't we get another meal? This one's so bony." The werewolf growled and moved between Neji and the pack leader.
Neji took a step back, as he smelled the terrible smell of the werewolf very close to him.
"You go search for something with more flesh on it." The leader of the clan grumbled. "Move it, pup." It growled dangerously at the smaller werewolf.
"No." The other growled back, showing teeth now. Somehow, it wasn't moving.
"Wanting to spare the life of a mere elf, pup?" The leader growled, while starting to walk circles around both the smaller one, as Neji. Neji swallowed. He felt that he was shivering.
The smaller werewolf moved his head with the leader and growled. "Just leave him, he hasn't got the flesh to feed us all."
"Then what about we eat you?!" The leader growled and then jumped onto the other werewolf, biting it into it's back. Neji jumped back in shock as more and more werewolves started to attack.
The smaller werewolf howled and tried to kick off and bite off the other werewolves. It was starting to become a heavy fight on the smaller one, who looked like he was the smallest of them all. "LEAVE!" He barked at Neji while being scratched and bitten from all sides, trying to fight them off.
Neji looked at it in shock and then did as he was told. He fled. He couldn't help but feel guilty about the werewolf that was sacrificing itself for him. Why would a werewolf do that? While Neji hurried away, he kept hearing the howls and whines from the smaller werewolf. He hoped it would be ok.. somewhere..
A week later Neji arrived at the river, like he always did. With his dish and basket. He sat down and filled his dish with water, while he stared at the bushes at the other side of the river. Sasuke had been gone for a week now. He didn't knew where he was. He missed him. Not that he missed Sasuke, but more like that something was missing. Something had gone out of his daily routine.
But that day, there was a sound heard in the bushes. Someone or something was getting closer now. It wasn't just Neji today. Not today.
Neji looked up. Who would that be? Haku? He looked around, to see where the sound was coming from. Bushes were everywhere, so..
At that moment a figure came walking out of the bushes, head down. Then he looked up. Pitch black eyes met Neji's. And he glared.
Neji looked back with a frown. Why was Sasuke glaring?
"..Hey." Neji said. "Where have you been?" Ok, why was he acting nice all of sudden?
"Away." Sasuke said as he kept staring at Neji, almost piercing Neji with his eyes.
"..Why are you staring at me like that?" Neji asked, a bit uncomfortable. He got up now, leaving the dish on the floor.
"...Do you like me?" Sasuke asked suddenly, looking at Neji needing. Pleading almost.
Neji frowned. "..Well.. you're nice, but I almost don't know you.." Neji said. "What's wrong?"
Sasuke kept glaring at Neji a while longer. "...You're my mate.. soulmate." Sasuke suddenly said.
Neji looked at him as if Sasuke had become completely mad.
"Where are you talking about?" Neji asked, with one eyebrow pulled up. Soulmate? Mate? Wasn't that something for.. dogs?
"You're my soulmate." Sasuke repeated. He wasn't gonna use the word 'mate' anymore.
"..I don't know why you're thinking that, but I'm sure you made a mistake." Neji said. Ok, what kind of creature was Sasuke? Elves didn't even had something like soulmates or something. Most of them changed mates a lot of times. And they didn't even called that mates. He felt a bit uncomfortable now.
"..I'm not mistaken, I'm sure you are." Sasuke said and moved closer to Neji slowly.
Neji took a step back now.
"How would you be? I don't know what you are, but I'm an elf, and we don't even have soulmates.." Neji said. Sasuke's glance was too intense. Shit.. what was going to happen now?
"But I do. And you're it." Sasuke said and kept walking closer to Neji. And closer. And closer. And then stopped right in front of Neji.
"Why?" Neji said, almost holding his breath. What was going to happen now?
"Because I just know." Sasuke said and then grabbed Neji's shoulders and placed his lips on Neji's.
Neji was so startled that he didn't know what to do. He just stood there. But after a few seconds, he woke up and pushed Sasuke away.
"..Look, perhaps you feel that kind of way for me, but I barely know you.." He protested. He knew that if he truly was Sasuke's soulmate, Sasuke wouldn't rest until Neji gave in to him. But it was just so soon.
"But you're my soulmate." Sasuke said and grabbed Neji's neck with his hands to keep him in place.
Neji looked at Sasuke, not knowing what to do. Was Sasuke supposed to be the one to take his virginity...? This might be in Sasuke's nature, but 'not' in his. This wasn't normal to him.
But Sasuke obviously didn't care as he pressed his lips onto Neji's again, holding tightly onto Neji's neck.
Neji frowned. It did felt good, but so wrong.. they shouldn't kiss already. Neji barely knew the guy. He couldn't just let himself be used like this, only because Sasuke told him that he was his soulmate. Neji turned his head away now.
Sasuke growled and then pushed Neji away to sit by the water again, hitting it in annoyance. He growled once more.
Neji looked at him while he touched his lips. Ok, that was weird. But he was glad that Sasuke wasn't forcing him into something. Though he was slightly surprised that Sasuke didn't claim him or something. It was part of mating, right? Neji now laid his hand onto the tree trunk, like before, and let his energy flow into the tree. He was a bit distracted by what just had happened.
"You're just gonna stand that and go all elf magic on that tree after what happened? Jeez, I got one shitty soulmate." Sasuke snapped as he hit the water with a growl.
"..Look, I don't know how I have to react at this ok." Neji snapped back, while continuing his work.
"If you want me to act all submissive or something you probably should do more then only kissing, that doesn't make a lot of impression." He added. "And I don't love you, so don't expect love."
Sasuke looked at Neji. "What's that supposed to mean? You want me to fuck you?" He asked confused.
"No." Neji said, while his head got red. "I was only telling you that I can't see you as a mate now. And I know that there is a submissive one and a dominant one in that kind of relations, and I don't think you're the submissive one."
"So? Why would you care anyhow." Sasuke said and turned back to the water again, splashing it violently like it was something he hated and wanted to kill.
Neji grabbed Sasuke's hand all of sudden and pulled him up.
"Don't you dare to turn your anger towards the nature, that would be unthankful." Neji snapped. "And I don't care at all." Ok, he knew that this was a lie. But it just scared him.
Sasuke looked at Neji with those intense eyes again, but this time he looked more angry. "If you don't care then just go away and let me do whatever I want. I get the point that you're pretty good at rejecting me." Sasuke snapped as he didn't even make an attempt to pull his arm away.
"I know that, thank you." Neji said, while letting go of Sasuke and getting his basket from the ground, and placed his hand onto the tree trunk again.
"I hate you. Who chose you as my soulmate." Sasuke snapped as he sat down again and started hitting the ground now, instead of the water.
"No idea." Neji said. "And you're very good at coming to conclusions in such a short amount of time." Neji let the tree give some apples again and caught them with his basket. He had his back to Sasuke now.
"I have my reasons for that. You don't have any reason to be a jerk to me." Sasuke said and pounding a deep whole into the ground.
"Now I do." Neji said and pulled Sasuke up again. "Stop using your aggression on things that don't deserve it."
"The ground doesn't feel." Sasuke said and pulled away, hitting a tree on the way. "And the tree doesn't either. And neither does the water. And apparently, neither do I." He snapped angry.
"Everything feels because it's alive." Neji snapped, pulling Sasuke back again. "Look, just stop it ok."
"I do what I want." Sasuke snapped back and pulled his arm free again. "Why don't you just heal that tree now and leave me alone you ungrateful brat." Sasuke turned away again and scratched his stomach.
"What did you call me?" Neji snapped. Ok, now it was enough with the offending. He was sick of it now. The guy might be hot, his so called soulmate, but this went too far. Why would he be ungrateful?
"Nothing. Just go away." Sasuke snapped and roughly sat down at the river again.
"Do you really think I can go away now, now you are saying that I'm your soulmate?" Neji asked, frowning.
"Oh so now you care? You didn't really care when I told you. You just got busy with your plants. You don't care. You don't care at all. I should've known you're just a stupid elf. Elves are plain selfish unless it's about trees or bunnies. Fuck you." Sasuke said and then stood up, ready to leave.
"Well then think like that." Neji snapped and grabbed his stuff again, turning around and walking away, pissed off.
Sasuke grabbed an apple from the floor and threw it at Neji, hitting him on the head. "Fucking lousy soulmate." He snapped and then started walking away, disappointed and angry.
"Hey, do you think that that's normal or something?!" Neji yelled, looking at Sasuke furiously. How 'dare' he?
"Well that's what you get for being such an ass to someone who's TRYING to be nice! You get apples thrown to your head!" Sasuke yelled back as he continued stamping away.
Neji looked at him furiously and then grabbed the apple from the ground and tossed it back, onto Sasuke's head. Then he walked away. He'd never ever talk to this idiot anymore.
Sasuke looked at Neji walking away and then at the apple. He picked it up, wiped it clean and then took it with him when he walked away.
The next day, Neji was on his way towards the river. He hoped that Sasuke wouldn't be there. But somewhere, he hoped exactly the opposite. He hated himself for it. He sighed a bit, while walking a bit slower.
When Neji was slowly walking, a sound was heard from the bushes. Neji, of course, thought it was Sasuke, but he couldn't have been more wrong. A big, musculared guy, with grey, pushed back hair, walked up to Neji with a smile. "Hello." He said with a calm voice.
Neji looked at him. Who was this then?
"..Hello." He said, looking at the guy with a frown. The guy was handsome. Really handsome.
"You look rather familiar here. Do you maybe know where I can find a river to bathe in?" The guy said and looked at Neji.
Neji smiled at him.
"Of course." He said. "I'm heading towards that river anyway."
"Can you bring me there then?" The guy asked and smiled back.
"Of course I can." Neji said, nodding. He started to continue walking, looking at the guy, so he would follow him.
And the guy did follow. With a brief smile. "Oh, let me introduce myself. I'm Hidan. I come from far away." He said and walked next to Neji now.
"I'm Neji." Neji said and smiled again. "I'm familiar in this area, like you said."
"That's good. Seems like I found the right guy then." Hidan said. After a while of walking, they arrived at the river. "Ahh, that looks good." Hidan said and suddenly pulled of his shirt.
Neji looked at him for a moment and then blushed. He quickly kneeled at the riverside, to fill his dish with water.
Hidan pulled down his pants too and then walked into the river. He started washing himself rather...sensually, the sun reflecting on his wet skin.
Neji tried his best to not look at Hidan's musculared body. Damn.. that guy looked hot... Neji filled his dish with water, while keeping his eyes fixed on the water. He felt that he was as red as a tomato now.
"Hey Neji. Why don't you take a dip in the water too. It feels great." Hidan said and gave Neji a wink as his hands washed his musculared chest.
"..I bathed this morning." Neji softly said. He wanted to get into the river with Hidan, but he knew that it was too soon. He only knew him for a few minutes.
"Ah that's too bad now. I would love to see what you look like." Hidan said and smirked at Neji, then climbed out of the river to dry himself with his shirt.
Neji blushed again and stood, laying his hands on the tree trunk, to get some apples.
"Oh, you're an elf right? I just noticed your ears. They suit you." Hidan said as he put his pants back on.
"Thanks." Neji said. "And yes, I'm an elf. What are you?" He let his energy go into the tree now. The tree was used to this treatment, so it accepted the extra energy thankfully.
"Ah I'm a creature from far away." Hidan simply said and then suddenly stood behind Neji. He put his hands on Neji's shoulders and started massaging. "You seem tensed." He simply said.
Neji was startled at first, but then he relaxed.
"..Thanks." Neji said, not really knowing how to react. Damn, this felt great. He saw that he wasn't giving energy to the tree anymore, and he let out a soft moan.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Hidan asked as he massaged Neji like he was a professional.
"..Yeah, it does.." Neji said, as he leaned in a bit to the touch.
Hidan suddenly turned Neji around, holding his shoulders. "I know something that will relax you even more." He said and then pressed his lips onto Neji's softly. There were noises heard in the bushes.
Neji was confused, as he was being kissed for the second time in one week, by a total stranger. He frowned and then pushed Hidan away.
"..Don't." Neji said. "It's too soon, I don't even know you."
"..Oh...I'm sorry, you're totally right." Hidan said as he took a few steps back. "I am so sorry, you are just so beautiful." He apologised.
And Neji blushed, again.
"...I-it doesn't matter.." Neji muttered. "..I guess."
"No, it does matter. I am so sorry. Please, if I can just see you again then I will apologise for it greatly." Hidan said.
"..Well, I'm here everyday, so.." Neji said, still red. "..And you're forgiven."
"Good. I will bring you my apologies tomorrow. Please excuse me now." Hidan said as he gave a slight bow towards Neji and then quickly walked away.
Neji looked after him and then focussed his attention to the tree again. He felt the blush slowly disappear from his cheeks. That was weird.. Did that guy just.. flirt with him?
At that moment the bushes made noises again and Sasuke stormed out of the them, towards Neji. "What do you think you're doing!?" He yelled.
Neji turned around, a bit startled.
"What?" He asked, confused. What was going on?
"Why did you do that!?" Sasuke yelled again, growling and showing teeth in anger.
"Do what?" Neji asked, taking a step back. He didn't liked it at all how Sasuke was doing now.
"KISS HIM!" Sasuke yelled furious as he took a step closer again.
"I didn't kiss him." Neji said. "And even if I did, it would have been my own choice."
"But you're my soulmate! MINE! NOT HIS!" Sasuke yelled, his face just inches away from Neji's now.
Neji was silent now, while looking at Sasuke. He felt a bit afraid now. Sasuke acted so.. jealous.
Sasuke looked at Neji in silence now, breathing heavily. He then gave Neji a push and turned away. "...I hate you.." He murmured.
Neji was silent now, looking away. He didn't knew why, but it hurt. And he couldn't even bring it up to yell or snap at Sasuke now. He couldn't even bring it up to defend himself, to grow angry. He was confused.
"...Do you ever even 'think' of other people? Do you even care about anyone but yourself..?" Sasuke asked softly as he kept his back to Neji.
"..Of course I do." Neji said, as he leaned against the tree.
"..You don't give a shit...And you're stupid.. ignorant...Why did he fucking do this." Sasuke said angry and hit a tree next to him.
"..Stop talking like this." Neji snapped. He finally had managed to get a snap out of his mouth. "I'm not stupid and ignorant. You act like I'm your property, which I'm not."
"But you are my fucking soulmate!" Sasuke yelled and looked Neji into the eyes. He didn't even look angry. Just...disappointed..
"Well.. I don't see it like that." Neji said. "I barely know you."
"You barely know him and you've gotten VERY friendly with him!" Sasuke yelled again.
"Yes, because he treated me like a human creature, and not like some kind of animal that he wanted to observe." Neji snapped.
Sasuke looked at Neji and then turned away again. "...Yeah well...I don't know how else to act." He murmured.
"Oh well you act human enough now, since you're jealous as hell." Neji said.
"Shut.up. Every creature gets jealous." Sasuke snapped and stared at the floor now.
"Yes but they react different on jealousy." Neji snapped. "If you just talked to me nicely and act interested, and then not in the wow you're an elf so I'd like to know everything about elves and your life, but just interest yourself in me. Only me. And don't ask stupid questions like 'what do you do all day?' Because, if you are a normal human like creature, you should know that no day is the same."
"Well maybe I would've done that if you didn't push me away with every single question I asked. Because frankly, you made it a lot easier for him then you did to me. You hated me from the start and you like him. There. That's it. That's all there is to it. And I hate it." Sasuke said, his hands shaking.
"I made it easy for him because he came to me in a normal way and asked normal questions." Neji said. "And why are you so angry anyway? He just kissed me. Nothing more."
"It's nothing ok! Nothing! You don't care anyway! Why don't you just go back to him and let him claim you again and have fun with it! He's an ass by the way, just so you know! He kisses you on the first day and it's all fine, at least I knew you a couple days longer! But you just decided to hate me! YOU JUST DON'T GIVE A SHIT!" Sasuke yelled. But it was not anger in his eyes at all.
"It's not fine, I didn't pushed him away for nothing." Neji snapped. "And I don't hate you. I just don't like you a lot." Neji looked at Sasuke now, waiting for him to do something.
"..Yes...that's so much better.. You just don't like me.. Fine. Like I said, have fun with him.. Just forget about the whole soulmate thing. I guess I was mistaken anyhow...It can't be you, because HE already claimed you now." Sasuke said and turned away just to start walking a few seconds after.
"What are you talking about?" Neji asked. "He didn't claim me, that's ridiculous."
"Never mind...You don't care anyhow." Sasuke said, softer then he had ever spoken and kept walking away.
"Why would I ask if I didn't care?" Neji asked, while pulling Sasuke back.
"...I meant you don't care about me.." Sasuke said and pushed Neji away, looking at him with eyes that said nothing at all.
"...I have to admit that I'm disappointed when you're not at the river." Neji admitted, while looking away.
"..Why? Because you have no one to dislike then?" Sasuke snapped.
"Don't act ridiculous, I hate my uncle." Neji snapped. "No, you're interesting. Fascinating. I don't know, there's just something that says me to keep talking to you. Even if it's snapping or yelling."
"...Oh..great.." Sasuke said and walked to the river, sitting down beside it.
"...Now what was that claiming thing about?" Neji asked, and after doubting for a few seconds, he sat down beside Sasuke.
"..Nothing...You lie.." Sasuke said and turned his head away.
"Why would I lie?" Neji asked. "What would be my goal with that?"
"I don't know.. But if you were interested in me, then you wouldn't keep walking away angry, yell at me and what not.. you'd ask me questions.. so..." Sasuke answered and kept his gaze on the moving water.
"..I'm more interested in how you act and stuff..." Neji muttered.
"..I thought you were the one who said to approach others in a human like way...not like an animal you wanted to observe...but you do exactly the same with me AND you dislike me and tell it to my face...you're not nice.. you're an ass...and I don't know who the hell picked you as my soulmate, but he must've disliked me a whole lot too..." Sasuke said, not moving even one inch the entire time.
"It's not that I want to observe you.." Neji said. "..I just want.. well you know, let it be." Neji snapped finally. He almost went too far, became too nice. "I'm finally trying to be nice around you and now you're pushing me away. Perhaps it's true that I'm an ass, but you're as much of an asshole as I am." He stood again, looking angry.
"..I hate it...I hate it all.. I hate I can't hate you...I hate I can't leave you alone...I hate you like him more then me...I hate that I hate life.. I hate it...Just go away.. Don't be nice to me.. I'm just wasting your time right..." Sasuke said, almost whispering.
Neji didn't really know what to say, so he looked at Sasuke, silently. He still felt angry.
"You still haven't answered my question." Neji said. "If he claimed me, I want to get it off me. I'm not his."
"...You 'will' be.." Sasuke mumbled and pulled up his knees, resting his head on them.
Neji looked at him for a moment and then turned around, grabbing his things, and he left. He walked away from Sasuke now. If Sasuke expected him to give him comfort now, Sasuke had it wrong.
"..You're still my soulmate..." Sasuke mumbled, not sure if Neji had heard it. And not really caring either.
"No one knows, so people will keep coming to me." Neji snapped, then walked away.
Following your instincts isn't always the easiest way.. Review Please!
