i don't own Naruto.

thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

warnings: drug use, infidelity, implied incest. unbeta'd. feel free to leave predictions in your reviews, i really enjoy reading them!

also, if you think that there's something off about Haku and Sai at the end, you're not crazy.


Petroleum


Saturday, July 5

seven years ago

2:26PM

- o -

"Itachi! Itachi! Look, I caught one!"

Itachi looked up just in time to see a tiny green blur leap from between his younger brother's caged fingers.

The younger Uchiha's face fell as he looked down at his now empty hands. "I had it, really! You saw it, right?" He asked, wiping his hands off on his shorts before hurrying over to his brother. "Right, Itachi?"

The two of them are in a small clearing in the woods that bordered the left side of Konoha. It is a humid spring afternoon, and the one day that week that Itachi had been available to spend time with his brother. He had signed up for a number of advanced classes this semester, as well as a large amount of extra curricular activities.

Itachi would take on anything to keep himself occupied and away from home these days.

"I saw it." Itachi confirmed with a smile, poking his brother in the forehead with two fingers when the younger Uchiha reached him. "Why don't you try using the net?"

"No! Naruto said he caught a frog with his bare hands, so I have to do it too!" The younger Uchiha said stubbornly, crossing his arms across his chest.

Itachi shrugged, closing his eyes and folding his arms behind his head. "What are you going to do when you catch one?"

"I'm gonna give it to Naruto!"

An amused smile spreads across Itachi's face. These are the days he loved the most. Warm afternoons, spent in the company of his brother, the one person he loved more than anyone else in the world. When Sasuke was around, his life didn't seem quite so horrible.

Itachi re-opened his eyes when he felt a droplet of water hit the side of his face.

"Shit." He mumbled under his breath. Neither him nor Sasuke had brought an umbrella.

"Did you just swear?" Sasuke asked, whirling around to face his brother. A raindrop hit him on the nose. "Hey! It's raining!"

Itachi got up quickly, reaching for the bag he had brought their lunches in. "Come on Sasuke, let's go back home."

"But I didn't catch a frog!" The younger Uchiha protested, tossing a longing glance back towards the pond.

"If we stay out here, the only thing you're going to catch is a cold." Itachi chided.

Sasuke pouted, but reluctantly took Itachi's hand. He squealed and pressed closer to the older boy's as the rain started coming down heavier. Together they ran from the depths of the forest to the edge of town, stopping to protect themselves from to downpour in a bus shelter.

They stayed on the bench in the shelter, watching the rain come down in grey sheets. Sasuke leaned against his bother, eager to share the other boy's body warmth, even though Itachi had become nearly soaked while trying to shield Sasuke from the rain.

"Will you read to me tonight?" Sasuke asked excitedly. "Please?"

Itachi shook his head, wrapping his around around his brother. "I can't. I promised Hidan I'd hang out with him."

"Oh… Okay. I'll just ask daddy to read to me, then."

Itachi paled. "Sasuke… ask mom instead. She does the funny voices better, remember?"

"Okay!" Sasuke chirped.


Saturday, July 3rd

4:15PM

- o -

These days, Sasuke never goes straight home.

The area has become overgrown with weeds. The water in the pond is dark and murky. Few, if any, fish reside in it. The ground is littered with candy wrappers and empty beer cans.

Still, it is a comfort to Sasuke. He has been coming here everyday since he found out about his brother's death. There is a harsh stillness that keeps his mind clear from trivial things. He spends his afternoons sitting cross-legged on the grass in front of the pond, staring into the dark water and drawing up memories of times spent with his brother. The only thing he wants to think about is Itachi.

School doesn't matter to him anymore. He keeps his grades up just to avoid suspicion. He makes up stories about what he does after school to keep his mother happy and unworried, even though these days she always looks at him with a sad sort of smile on her face. He doesn't attract attention to himself. He keeps an appropriate distance from his father, and makes sure he is always unavailable when Fugaku wants to speak with him.

There is a rustling noise coming from the bushes behind him. Sasuke doesn't react. He doesn't care if anyone finds him here.

"This is the last place I'd expect you to be." Naruto's voice cut through the still silence.

Sasuke closes his eyes.

Of course it would be Naruto. Who else?

"Me and Kiba sometimes come up here to drink." Naruto continues as he approaches the other boy. "I didn't think anyone else knew about this place."

Sasuke doesn't respond. What can he say? He and Naruto haven't spoken to each other since the day of their last fight. He knew that he shouldn't have antagonized the other boy like that, but after that day, he didn't really feel like being friends with anyone. Most of the people at school avoid him, afraid that his brother's death would drive him over the edge.

"I've been looking for you all over town. I thought you had pulled a 'Neji'." The blond tries humorlessly, taking a seat on the grass next to the other boy. Sasuke flinches away from him, making the other boy frown.

"I heard about your brother." Naruto starts again, pulling a handful of grass blades from the earth and tossing it into the murky waters. The blades separate slowly, resting on the surface of the pond.

The Uchiha stays silent. By now, the entire town had heard the news. The local papers and journalists had milked the story for all it was worth, printing stories describing in detail how the oldest Uchiha son had been shanked in the showers, or had been killed during a prison riot, or whatever ridiculous theory they had come up with that week. All of them were lies, created by the news stations and the imagination of the town people. And the worst part was, those rumors were not being denied at all by the Uchiha family. Fugaku hadn't spoken out against them, and was possibly even encouraging them. The head of the Uchiha family was as determined as possible to make clear the differences between Itachi and the rest of the family, and the crazier Itachi looked, the better he did.

The funeral had been brief. It had been held behind the Uchiha Mansion, beneath a large, sprawling oak tree. Mikoto had insisted that the location had been Itachi's favorite place, even though Sasuke knew that wasn't true. There was no body- the orderlies at the asylum had said that Itachi had drowned in a nearby river during an attempted escape. Sasuke was glad. He didn't want to see what Itachi had become.

He didn't want to see what his brother looked like, dead.

"I'm… sorry. Again." Naruto cuts into Sasuke's thoughts. "Jeez, I keep fucking up with you, don't I?"

Yes. Sasuke doesn't say it out loud. This was a time where he was supposed to reflect on his memories with his brother, not Naruto. It feels as if the other boy is intruding. Once again, he stays silent, even going as far as to purposely look away from the blond.

Still, Naruto is not deterred by Sasuke's standoffish behavior.

"I miss you." He tries, reaching out to place a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry." He says again.

Sasuke has had enough. He doesn't want to hear apologies from Naruto. He doesn't want to be lured into that false sense of comfort once more, only to have everything ripped away from him in the form of an argument or a letter on a desk. He is done with that.

Without a word, Sasuke stands up, picks up his bookbag, and exits the clearing.

Naruto sighs.


Saturday, July 3rd

8:55PM

- o -

"You have a monster inside of you."

Gaara stares at the younger male, who is slumped against the door frame, his eyes half lidded and unfocused. Those were honestly the last words Gaara had ever expected to hear coming from the boy's mouth.

"What?" He asks a bit dumbly.

"A monster.'" Neji repeats. His eyes briefly meet Gaara's, and for some reason, in that moment Gaara feels as if Neji can see straight through him. "He, uh… he doesn't like me."

Gaara breaks their connection, not understanding the cold feeling that washes over him. Even Shukaku seems shaken by his own apparent exposure.

He takes a step towards the boy, not knowing what to say to him. Does Neji know about Shukaku, or is he just messing around? If he does, then how did he find out?

"Uh… what does this 'monster' look like?"

"Hmmm…." Neji closes his eyes and tilts his head up towards the ceiling. "I dunno."

What? Gaara scratches his head, noticing for the first time that there is something off about the boy. He doesn't seem to be able to look at anything for longer than two seconds, and his speech is slower than usual.

"Are you okay?" Gaara asks, looking at the boy with a gaze that borders on concerned.

"Mmhm. I'm…" Neji reopens his eyes, interrupting himself with a short giggle. "I'm alright."

"…you sure?"

"Yeah… why are you moving around so much?" The younger male asks with excessive curiously, despite the fact that Gaara is standing still.

Before Gaara can respond, Sai appears behind Neji in the doorway. "Did you get your wallet, Neji?"

"Oh! That's what I came up here for." The Hyuuga says, his eyes lighting up.

Sai offer a short wave to the redhead standing in the room. "Hello, Gaara." He says, his customary fake smile firmly in place on his lips.

Gaara's eyes narrow at Sai. He had disliked the boy from the moment he saw him at the club nearly five months ago, and he is sure that Sai feels the same way. The fact that Neji has practically become attached at the hip with the other boy only increases Gaara's hostile feelings toward the other boy.

He doesn't offer Sai a greeting in response. Instead he jerks his thumb to the left. "Your wallet's over here, Neji."

"Kay." Neji doesn't move.

Was he sick or something? Gaara wouldn't know if he was; they haven't slept in the same bed for the last two weeks. Still, he hopes it isn't contagious.

When it became obvious that Neji wasn't going to come into the room, Gaara grabs the wallet from the desk himself and walks it over to the boy. Neji blinks at it three times before smiling and taking it from him. "I found my wallet!" He announces, pushing off of the doorframe and subsequently loosing his balance. He falls back against Sai, who catches him about half of the way down to the floor. Neji tilts his head back to look up at the paler boy, then starts laughing hysterically.

The redhead narrows his eyes. What the hell is going on?

Sai straightens the Hyuuga up, but doesn't remove his hands from the other boy's waist.

Gaara grits his teeth and looks up at Sai's face. "…Should he be going out like that?"

"He'll be fine." The paler boy smirks at him. "Don't worry. We'll take good care of him."

"Bye, Gaara…" Neji totters forward and presses a wet kiss to Gaara's jawbone, then returns to Sai. The paler boy gives one last smug look to the redhead before guiding the Hyuuga down the hall, his hand dangerously low on Neji's back.

Gaara stays where is is, wondering what the hell just happened. Why the hell was he acting like that?

Are you an idiot? He was obviously high out of his mind.

"What?" Drugs hadn't even occurred to Gaara. Neji was too pure for that. "Are you joking? His father's practically a narc."

And he's not here, right? Of course the kid's gonna go crazy.

For some reason, the thought of Neji on drugs did not sit well with Gaara. Perhaps it was because it corrupted the image of the boy Gaara still maintains in his mind- innocent and pure, even though by all means and purposes, Neji wasn't either of those things any more.

Of course, Gaara was no stranger to illegal substances. Shukaku, however, was not a fan of them- most of the ones Gaara had experimented with in the past had suppressed the entity, something which did not sit well with Shukaku at all.

So what if he's on drugs? Shit, you're not his father. The entity paused, then cackled. Unless you want to be, pedophile.

Shut. Up. Gaara is not in the mood for this old routine again.

You want him to call you daddy, right?

SHUT UP. I don't want to hear it. The redhead growls in his mind. The entity ignores him.

So… your little Hyuuga is experimenting with drugs now. I wonder what other… wild things he gets up to with those two?

The redhead is forced to shut his eyes tightly to ward off the unwanted visions Shukaku's words assaulted him with. Images of the three boys together… all that soft pale skin and dark hair, entwined together. The vision was practically a work of art, but one that left Gaara feeling sick to his stomach.

"Neji. Wouldn't. Do that." Gaara grounds out, pressing a hand to his temple.

Of course he would. Shukaku continues gleefully. Think about it… they're around his age, and they're both fucking hot. Why on earth would he even think of sleeping with you when he has them around?

To Gaara, there is truth in Shukaku's words. Why would Neji even want to be with Gaara anymore, when he has essentially replaced everything Gaara was good for in the first place? Companionship, money… and if what Shukaku is saying is true, then he has replaced his source of sex as well. Gaara was practically useless to the boy. Why hadn't he seen it before?

The more Gaara thinks about it, the angrier he becomes. What was the point of staying here? For a boy that barely even acknowledged his existence anymore? Sure, the pay was good, but Gaara could get a job anywhere he wanted. He has no problem with sleeping in motel rooms, or even his car; and he certainly has no problems with eating microwave dinner every night. Most of the things he had done in the last six months were for Neji, and this is how the little brat repaid him? By screwing the first two friends he made?

He realizes that by now, his hands have clenched into fists, blunt nails digging into the flesh of his palms. He forces himself to calm down, knowing full well that it was dangerous for him to get so worked up. Unfortunately, Shukaku is determined to keep the conversation going.

What does it matter to you if he's with them?The entity asks slyly. You don't love him, right?

"Of course I don't." The redhead snaps.

So let him fuck around, just like you did to him.

Gaara has no response. He doesn't know how to say that those are two different things… because deep down, he knows that they're not. He shouldn't care if the boy is sleeping with people other than him. As a matter of fact, he should be ecstatic that the kid is less clingy than ever. But he's not, and he doesn't know why.

A knock on the door draws him out of his inner turmoil. Gaara stands up immediately, his heart rate speeding up just a little bit. If it is Neji, he doesn't know what he will do. Yell at him, maybe. This was all the kid's fault anyway. Gaara had never had this much trouble sorting out his emotions before that night in his driveway. Neji was messing him up, making Gaara think things that didn't need to be thought and feel things that didn't need to be felt.

He reaches the door and yanks it open.

Two women, roughly around his age, stand in front of the door. The shorter haired one has her hand on her hip and the other one is leaning against her friend. They are wearing very little; the first one has on a tight t-shirt that reaches her upper thighs, and the other one is wearing shorts and a tight sleeveless shirt that shows off her midriff. Gaara recognizes them as the two whores he had seen on the grounds that one day.

"Hey." The one with the shorter hair murmurs, raking her gaze up his chest and to his face. "Gaara, right?"

"Yeah."

"My name's Matsuri." The girl in front says. "This is Sari." The other girl winks at him.

"Okay… can I help you two with something?" The redhead mutters, still trying to stifle his anger.

"Aren't you going to invite us in?" Matsuri asks innocently, attiring up at the redhead with wide eyes as she twirls a lock of hair around her finger.

If it were four months ago, Gaara wouldn't have even considered letting two girls into their room, if only to save himself from the theatrics he would have to endure if Neji ever found out. Four months ago, he wouldn't even have had a reason to allow two girls into his bedroom- they were still regularly having sex at that time.

But somewhere along the line, things had changed. At some point Neji had decided, consciously or not, that he wanted to spend more time with Sai and Haku than with Gaara.

Gaara is grateful for the distraction, and it is honestly quite a welcomed one indeed. He'd briefly considered the possibility of sleeping with one (or two) of the other brothel workers, but he knew that if he did, the news would spread like wildfire. Everyone knew everyone else's business in the brothel, and he wasn't going to risk Neji finding out and pitching a fit.

But now… things are different. He steps away from the doorway without a word, granting the two passage. Once they're inside, he shuts the door and locks it behind them. Neither girl seems to mind.

"We saw your boyfriend going out again tonight." Sari tells him, taking a seat at the foot of his bed. She crosses her legs and leans back a little, putting her body on display.

"So?" Gaara asks, crossing his arms.

"Sooo… we thought that you might want some company." Matsuri says, walking a full circle around him before stopping at his back. She places her hands on his shoulders and stands on the tips of her toes to whisper her next line in his ear. "It does get awful lonely around here, doesn't it?"

Gaara smirks, glad that they weren't wasting any time. Matsuri takes his silence as permission to continue. She gently pushes him forward, until he is right in front of Sari. The longer haired girl smirks up at him.

"We've been watching you." Sari purrs, trailing a hand down Gaara's chest.

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hm. And we…" The other girl murmurs, flicking out her tongue and running it along the shell of his ear. "…wanted to get to know you better."

"Much better." Sari finishes, sliding her hand up beneath his towel. Gaara hisses as she takes a hold of his cock.

This is what he was all about. Fuck Neji. He had made his choice. And if he had decided that he wanted to be with those two whores, than Gaara would be with these two.

It was as simple as that.


Saturday, July 3rd

seven years ago

10:58PM

- o -

The rooftop was still wet with the rain from that afternoon's shower. Itachi was careful in hoisting himself over the ledge from the fire escape, not wanting to accidentally slip and fall off.

Once he was standing, he gestured to his friend to pass him the large black duffle bag. Hidan did so with a huff, then hoisted himself over the ledge as well.

They were standing on the roof of Kikyo Castle, the tallest building in Konoha.

The view from the rooftop was nothing short of magnificent, but Itachi didn't feel like enjoying it tonight. He could see nearly all of Konoha from here, but no one could see him. The great thicket of trees that surrounded the town looked like dark clouds of smoke instead, and for some reason this makes Itachi feel a grim sort of satisfaction.

He turned to the boy standing behind him. "Are you scared, Hidan?" He asked softly.

"The fuck do I look like?" Hidan snorted, running a hand through his hair.

"You remember what you have to do, right?"

"Stand here and make sure no one comes up." Hidan recalled with a roll of his eyes.

"Good. This shouldn't take long." Itachi hoisted the bag up over his shoulder. and headed over to the reason he came up here.

On top of Kikyo Castle was a gigantic billboard. On it were the words KONOHA POLICE DEPARTMENT, with an image of Fugaku Uchiha next to them, his arms crossed and a sharp glare on his face. It wasn't an advertisement, but a warning to criminals.

The billboard was fairly popular among the citizens of Konoha, with many of them reporting that it made them feel safe. Itachi was not one of those people. He was forced to pass it everyday on his way to and from school. He tried to avoid looking at it as much as he could, but it was always there- taunting him, mocking him, watching his every move. That's why he had decided to do something about it.

The billboard was a lot bigger up close. Itachi took a step back, trying to size it up. His plan was to only spray paint the picture of his father- the rest of the force didn't deserve the disrespect. However, the longer he stared at it, the more uneasy he became. For the first time tonight, he thought that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He hadn't realized how… large the billboard would be, or how threatening his father would look like, glaring down at him.

Itachi took a step back, unaware of the fact that he was trembling ever so slightly. 'You can do this.' He told himself. 'You're going to have to confront him eventually; this is just practice. He won't be this big when you do. He won't be this… overbearing…'

He took another step back, then slipped on a puddle of water. His eyes widened as he felt the strong hand of gravity tugging him backwards off of the building.

For a brief moment, before the fear set in, Itachi was almost happy. Falling to his death was an easy way to escape the inevitable clash with his father, and he had a short moment of cowardice, where he embraced his unintentional surrender.

The feeling was gone in the next instant, replaced by one of terror. Itachi could feel his body falling back over the edge, almost as if in slow motion.

He was too afraid to scream- a frightened gasp caught in his chest was all his vocal cords allowed him. 'Oh God Oh God Oh God I'm gonna die- this can't happen to me, not before I've killed him, not before I've saved Sasuke- Oh God, Oh GOD-'

A large hand grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him back onto the building. Itachi stumbled forward into the person who had saved him, gulping in deep breaths of air.

"Shit, kid, you trying to get yourself killed?" A gruff voice asked. Itachi desperately tries to regulate his breathing. Good God, that had been close.

"…No." Itachi forced out when he had finally caught his breath. "I… I wasn't thinking correctly."

The older boy snorts. "Dumbass."

His heartbeat still racing, Itachi took a moment to look at the other boy. He was tall and broad, with messy, flaming red hair and green eyes. He looked to be in his late teens, far older than Itachi was.

"How did you get past Hidan?" The Uchiha asked quietly, someone irritated at the fact that he had to be saved now that he had calmed down a little.

"Who, that idiot over there?" The older male gestured to Hidan, who was blissfully unaware of the fact that Itachi had nearly lost his life just now. "We didn't have to. Me and my friends have been up here for hours." He gestured over to a group of guys sitting together in the corner of the roof. Itachi had walked right past them in his hurry to get to his task.

"…Oh."

"What are you doing up here, anyway? I'm pretty sure it's past your bedtime."

"I was planning on tagging the billboard." Itachi admitted, turning to look up at said object. His father glared down at him. Itachi resisted the urge to shiver.

"Are you serious? Why?"

Itachi closed his eyes. "Because I hate him."

The other boy looked surprised. "Oh. Well, that's a pretty good reason, I guess."

Itachi doesn't say anything.

"Hey… I'm not a big fan of Uchiha myself. You think you could use some help?"

"Sure."


Saturday, July 3rd

11:10PM

- o -

"I'm soooo jealous of your hair!" A dark haired girl gushes, running her fingers through Neji's dark strands. The Hyuuga flinches and shifts away as much as he can without looking as if he was doing it on purpose.

"Thanks. Yours is... nice, too." Neji glanced sideways at Sai, who rolls his eyes at him. Neji smirks slightly.

He had come down from his high about an hour ago, forty minutes after the time they had arrived at the club. Now, Neji is seated on a comfortable couch in the lounge section of the club, surrounded by his friends as well as about eight other people (Sai had run into Torune with a group of friends on his way back from the bar, and had invited the group to come join them). There are a lot of them, and Neji was actually trying to make an effort to remember all of their named- the girl who is invading his personal space is named Kurotsuchi, for example- but in the end, it really didn't matter. He was just trying to relax and have a good time tonight.

Haku is seated next to him. Next to him is Fuu, another one of Torune's friends, who has an arm slung around Haku's shoulders, and is trying to coerce the other male into giving him a blowjob. Sai is on a couch across from them, perched on Torune's lap and engaged in a deep kiss with the other male. The conversation is light, nothing too serious, but it is heavy with innuendo as well as outright propositions. Apparently Torune's friends all knew of Sai and Haku's (and Neji's, by extension) occupation.

"You three are like, the hottest prostitutes I've ever seen." Dajimu, one of Torune's friends, comments loudly, uninhibited because of the alcohol. Neji disguises a snicker as a short cough, earning a discreet jab in the ribs from Haku.

"Aren't you sweet?" Haku purrs, turning his attention away from the man to his right.

"What can I get for like, ten bucks?" Fuu asks, already reaching for his wallet.

"You can buy us some more drinks." Sai briefly separates himself from Torune to answer.

Realizing that he isn't going to get anywhere with Haku, Fuu expands his attentions to Neji as well. "So… you two are close, yeah?"

"Mm-hm. Very." Haku emphasizes, shifting closer to Neji and away from the man next to him. He places a hand on Neji's knee, and the Hyuuga knows that the game is on.

"You guys ever… you know… get together?"

"What do you mean?" Neji asks innocently, playing along. This was a routine he practically knew by heart. Men seemed to like envisioning them together, whether it was Haku and Neji, Sai and Neji, or any combination of the three. Teasing them was fun, and it allowed them all of the luxuries that flirting provided (meaning free drinks) with only a minimal amount of interaction with the men supplying them.

"Have you two ever fucked?" Fuu clarifies, leering at the two long-haired boys.

Neji lowers his head in a bashful manner, trying to seem as convincing as possible. "No!" He says, feigning shock. "I would never… he's my friend!"

"You're so cute, Neji." Haku says teasingly, leaning closer to the other boy and cupping his face. They now have the audience's undivided attention.

"I am?" Neji asks, fighting a laugh by biting his lip.

"Yeah…" Haku leans in closer, tucking a piece of Neji's hair behind his ear. "Sometimes I just want to…."

Haku trails off, flicking his eyes towards Neji's bottom lip before leaning into the other boy, closer and closer. At exactly the right moment, when their lips are about to touch, Neji stops him with a hand to his chest.

"I don't want anyone watching." He whispers, laughing inwardly at the groans he received from their audience.

This was normally the end of their little act. At this point, Haku would usually coo, "It's okay… I'll wait until we get home." Thus ending their show for good and disappointing countless amounts of men.

However, Haku is now looking at him with a mischievous glint in his eye. Instead of pulling away, he coos, "Oh, Neji… you don't have to be shy. There's nothing to be embarrassed about, right boys?"

The crowd around them murmured their assent, all eyes on the amorous couple.

Neji is curious to see how far Haku is planning on taking things, so he continues to go along with it. "Are you sure, Haku? I don't think they would be that interested in seeing us… you know."

Haku smirks, flipping his hair over his shoulder and turning his upper body towards the people surrounding them. "Do you want to see me kiss him?"

"Fuck yeah." One of the men groaned, and the others chimed in with enthusiastic agreement.

Haku places a hand on Neji's knee, gently caressing it. Something flutters in the pit of Neji's stomach. "Are you suuure?"

Their small audience nods eagerly, including Kurotsuchi. Even Torune, who had been busy leaving a chain of hickeys around Sai's neck for the last few minutes, raises his head in interest.

Haku smiles. "Okay." He says, then closes the short distance between them and gently presses his lips against Neji's.

Neji didn't think that Haku was actually going to do it. His eyes widen in surprise for a short moment, before he remembers that it's still all an act.

Or at least, he thinks it is.

Haku lip's are soft and warm against his. They take it slow at first, engaging in short, gentle kisses that leave Neji craving for more. He parts his lips unconsciously, subtly asking for the kiss to be deepened. He feels a sharp jolt of pleasure when Haku's tongue slides against his own.

The older male doesn't try to dominate the kiss, like Gaara would; he is content with the slow, wet duel their tongues engage in. Neji relaxes into the other boy, allow Haku to slide his hand up the outside of his thigh. He tangles one hand in Haku's hair, pulling the other boy closer.

Haku pulls back ever so slightly, putting just enough space between their mouths so that their oral activities can be viewed more clearly. Neji lets out a soft moan. Haku's lips quirk upwards briefly before he responds with a soft, pleasured noise of his own, for the sake of their show.

"…Hot…" One of the men breathes.

Soon, the need for air becomes apparent. Haku licks at Neji's tongue one last time before drawing back slowly, allowing a glistening thread of saliva to briefly stretch between their mouths before it snaps.

The crowd around them is silent for a brief moment, but then breaks into uproarious noise of cheering and catcalls. Sai is still seated on Torune's lap, eyes wide and his mouth hanging open, looking as if he has just died and gone to heaven.

Neji raises a hand to his lips. He hasn't feel this dazed after a kiss since the first time he met Gaara…

Oh.

OH.

"I just cheated on Gaara." Neji whispers, barely overhead by Haku, who is smoothing down his shirt.

Haku turns to face him, his lips turned up in a sensual smile. "What?"

Neji can hardly say the words out loud. "I… I just cheated on Gaara. With you."

He had kissed Haku and he had enjoyed it. More than that; he had practically loved it. And he had done it for free- not for money, but for his own selfish reasons. God, did he have no shame?

Neji stands up abruptly, his hands shaking at his sides. "I- I have to go home. I need to tell him."

Their capricious audience doesn't even notice his outburst; their attention has been drawn to a pair of girls who had seen Haku and Neji's little show and had decided to compete with them.

Haku had stopped smiling, and is now looking at Neji in a way that could only be described as calculating. "Neji," He starts, and the Hyuuga has to keep himself from focusing on the other boy's lips. "Maybe you should think about this. It was just an act."

…Was it really, though? They had never gone that far before, and there was no reason for them to have done so now. Haku must have really wanted to kiss him. But why?

It is too confusing. Yes, their performance had gone too far, but in Neji's mind, it was his fault, and his fault alone. He should have been able to have the control to reign himself in when Haku got too close, but instead he had eagerly given in like a weak-minded slut.

"Oh, God." Neji whispers, clapping a hand to his mouth. What have I done?

"Calm down, Neji. It's not a big deal." Sai stated matter-of-factly, rolling his eyes as he threaded his hand through Torune's hair. It seems as if he has gotten over his reaction to their show.

Suddenly overcome with anger, the Hyuuga whirls around and glares at the other boy. "Oh, right, like you would know anything about relationships." He snaps harshly.

For the first time ever, Sai looks taken aback. He opens his mouth to respond, but apparently can't think of anything to say, so he closes it just as quickly.

"Neji…" Haku tries.

"Stop. Just- please. I have to go. I have to tell him as soon as possible."

"Are you sure-"

"Yes." Neji says, absolutely sure of this. Haku and Sai exchange a look, and Neji, for the first time in months, feels left out.

If they didn't want to go with him, then fine. Neji turns quickly, intent on making his way home as quickly as possible, before he is consumed by guilt.

"Wait."

Neji stops then turns around. He is extremely surprised to discover that it was not Haku or Sai who had spoken, but Torune. His confusion increases as Torune gently, but firmly, lifts Sai off of his lap and places him on the couch next to him.

In what may be the first words he has ever spoken to Neji, Torune says sincerely, "I'll take you home."


11:32PM

- o -

Neji is disgusted with himself.

How could he have been so stupid? He practically ignores Gaara for weeks on end, then betrays him? What kind of horrible person was he?

His mind is clear for the first time in weeks. What would Gaara think of him kissing the other boy? Would he be furious? Would he… would he leave Neji? The thought is unbearable. Sure, they haven't actually been together in weeks, but Gaara was always still there. His clothes were on the floor, his toothbrush in the sink, the scent of his skin in their sheets… something of Gaara's was always present in his life. Neji can't believe how much of a fool he is to risk throwing that away.

He honestly can't even remember the last time he had conversed with Gaara, let alone kissed him. This was supposed to be his boyfriend, the man he loved, and Neji apparently couldn't even be bothered to hang out with him anymore. How was he supposed to get Gaara to fall in love with him if he spent all his time with Sai and Haku?

It's okay, He tells himself fiercely. You'll just tell Gaara what happened, and say how sorry you are- for everything. He'll forgive you, and everything will be alright.

They pull up in front of the brothel. Neji throws open the door without thanking the older male and runs up the front steps to the mansion doors. He jets right by the night security and to the large marble staircase in the center of the vestibule. Taking them two at a time, he rushes up the stairs, then down the hallway to the second flight that would take him to his floor.

I'm so sorry, Gaara. He thinks as he runs, his eyes tearing up.

Neji skids to a stop as he reaches the his door. He sobs a sigh of relief as he finally gets the key in the lock. Frantically he pushes the door open, then fumbles along the inside of the wall for the light switch.

"Gaara!" He finally locates the switch, and then flips it upward. "Gaara, I need to talk to you-"

Neji stops short.

Takes a step back.

And stares.

Gaara is on the bed, completely naked and fast asleep, as are his two bedmates. The shorter haired girl, who Neji recognizes as Matsuri, is curled up under the redhead's left arm. The other girl, Sari, is draped over Gaara's chest. All three individuals are blissfully unaware of the shocked brunet standing in the doorway.

Neji feels like throwing up.

As his heart sinks all the way down to his stomach, Neji can only think of one thing:

Well… at least he won't be mad.