This is my (very late) entry for the March prompt "Idle Hands/Trading Favors" for the Tumblr event Naruto Smut Monday 2021! I honestly struggled a lot with this prompt so I apologize if this story isn't as good as my other posts so far! Enjoy some NejiSaku.

***This has been updated for quality and grammar errors!***

Sakura leaned over the bar as she pressed her fingers to her temples. She breathed in deeply before slowly letting the air back out of her lungs. The tension she felt in her shoulders seemed to only build throughout the day. She thought about how she's said that for weeks now, and how it hadn't gone away. The tight muscles screamed against her skin every time she moved.

She took a sip from the porcelain cup of warm sake that sat on the bar before sighing once again.

"Rough shift…?" A cool tone called out.

She turned to face the chatter with a slight grimace of pain and annoyance. The man was in an ANBU uniform, slender and nicely built. Dark hair that was tangled at the ends fell over his shoulders, one of them bandaged carefully. She swept her gaze up the pale skin of his neck and slightly moistened lips before meeting his opalescent eyes. She recognized her former ANBU captain and academy classmate easily.

She rolled her eyes. "Rough mission?"

He shrugged. "I don't feel half as worn as you look, Sakura."

She scoffed before setting down her cup with a little too much agitation, a very prompt clink coming from the bartop. "What do you care?"

"Fiesty as ever," He smirked lightly. "Are you always testy after shifts, or did something else happen today?" He taunted a bit. He just wanted to test the waters. Naruto said she'd been snarky lately, but how much worse could it be?

She set her jaw and forced a gulp. "If you need healing, just fucking ask."

Well, maybe he wasn't exaggerating this time. The vehemence in her voice surprised him. It wasn't like her, but what could he expect after what happened?

He sighed before turning towards her fully. "I'm not asking for anything, I'm offering."

Sakura looked at him like he was ridiculous. What the hell could he offer her? No one ever had anything to give her. She didn't ask him, or anyone else, for anything lately. Maybe she did want something, but no one could fix the past. She ran a hand through her hair before shaking her head.

"Can't offer me anything if I don't need anything, Neji." She kept her tone clipped and to the point. She lifted her dish and tipped it in his direction. "Got everything I need right here, thanks anyway."

Ino had warned against her sake habits. Something about not needing to be like Lady Fifth in every way. But she wasn't. She had a pulse, she could breathe. Lady Fifth couldn't do that… Not since four months ago anyway. And she didn't gamble. What could a little sake hurt?

She felt the stinging in her eyes then, and she blinked a few times, trying to force the tears away. She poured sake into her glass again before taking another drink. If she ignored Neji, would he go away? Most of the flirts did once she gave off the problem vibe, but he wasn't a flirt. He was her captain.

"Sakura…" The voice was soft and deep, and something about it made her know she couldn't look at him without her resolve breaking. "You need a release…"

Her shoulders tensed. Look at that, gonna be another talk about drinking habits getting too bad, is it? Like Neji Hyuga gave a single damn about it in the first place. He just cared about her skill set, but to hell with that. She couldn't save the one person that believed in her, how could she save someone else in the field? Her whole team ended up like the Sannin anyway. Destiny, right?

"If you're about to go on about me drinking too much, we can cut the shit right here, Captain."

He frowned. "I wasn't going to say anything about your drinking. I've no room to talk." He huffed before running his free hand through his hair.

Why in the hell did he think this was a good idea? Damned Naruto, always convincing him to try something.

All of the Konoha 11 have been worried since Lady Fifth had passed. The toll that it would take on their friend as she depleted further and further. She wouldn't talk to anyone. Kakashi tried, but she steered far away from the Hokage tower these days, where her former sensei spent most of his time now, being the Rokudaime and all.

The damn blonde dreamer acts like he and Sakura were supposed to be close. That being on the same ANBU unit meant we shared some secret bond. Didn't he know it wasn't like that? He told her what to do, and she made sure everyone stayed alive. It ended there… or at least he felt it did for her.

Unbeknownst to anyone else, there was no other female Neji wished to have a connection with, so it was worth a try.

"What? Don't like your medic replacement then?" She snapped before putting money on the bar and pushing away from it to stand. She doubted the other girl that took her place lived up to her place in the team, for more reasons than one.

"Sakura, please…" His grip on her shoulder tightened. He activated his bloodline, seeing the weaker flow of chakra in her system, and some of the pulsing points where tension was held.

"You're in pain." He pulled her towards him, her back facing him. "Especially here." He brought his other hand to her left shoulder, before gently squeezing the muscles, feeling the knots of stress in them.

She tensed at his touch, but as his fingers moved over her shoulders, she had to quiet a moan falling from her mouth. She shook his grip off. "B-Big deal. It's nothing."

He firmly gripped her waist and spun her around to face him, their noses nearly touching. He locked his gaze with her verdant eyes before glaring at her slightly.

"You need to loosen up, and that sake stopped helping that a long time ago, Hana." His voice sounded soft but it held a level of sternness to it.

She turned her head away from him and crossed her arms. "Sorry, I don't know what you all expect of me anymore. Damnit, why do you even give a damn, huh?"

He caught sight of the single tear that streaked down her cheek as she snapped at him. He was shocked that she seemed to think he didn't care about her and her well-being. He leaned forward and whispered into her ear, trying to keep a straight face.

He gulped softly before he brought a hand to rest against her cheek. "I give a damn because I care about you, Sakura." His voice was quieter now, just loud enough for her to hear over the music and chatter of a bar. "I was thinking maybe you could come to my place and I could help you, or I can come to yours."

He felt her tense a bit before she looked back at him. She stared at him silently, before her face tinged a bit red. He'd never openly displayed any kind of attention towards her and this was new. She didn't know what to say.

"When was the last time, Sakura?" He asked softly, rubbing circles into her hips and subtly bringing her closer to him.

She bit her lip before leaning against him, resting her forehead on his shoulder. His hands went up her sides to curve around her rib cage and trail up her back, pressing the heels of his palms into tight muscles.

"You…" She said softly as she finally felt some relief from the pain.

"There are much more satisfying ways to find relief than sake." He said simply, as he kneaded the tension in her back. "I think I owe it to you anyways after how much you've helped me…"

"Or does my replacement not have the same indulgences…?" She asked dryly without pulling away from his embrace.

He wanted to think it was jealousy, that maybe she felt something for him, even if it wasn't the right time to talk about it. He just wanted to help her, no matter how she viewed him if she would let him.

His chest tightened at the response before he sighed. "She's not you in any way possible." He commented just as dry.

"Let's go get you cleaned up. I told you to just ask, didn't I?" She said softly before removing herself from his grasp, suddenly annoyed at nothing.

At least it felt like nothing. She refused to let herself think she was jealous, she had no place feeling that way.

"You have fractured ribs on your right side, not to mention your shoulder is still bleeding…"

He nodded as he followed her out of the bar. He tried to ignore the glances people shot their way like they knew exactly what they were doing. Truth was, he was only going to do whatever she wanted, except let her heal him.

He sat on her bed in her one-room apartment, his Anbu gear laying next to him and his lithe upper body exposed. She stood in front of him, standing between his legs, as she examined the bruising around his right side with her chakra. He felt the relief from the pain as she slowly mended the cracks in the bones under the skin, letting out a small breath.

"I didn't come here to get healing. I came here for you." He mumbled.

"Did you think I would take no for an answer?" She asked, but her voice sounded void of emotion.

He sighed softly as he shook his head. She felt his breath against her neck as she had moved to remove the bandages around his shoulder. She frowned at the lack of healing done to the laceration, as opposed to damage control. She checked for infection before moving to heal the cut shut.

"You look disappointed."

"ANBU medics should know better than to leave a wound like this." She grunted in annoyance. "You're too distracting for the younger ones."

He stopped himself from smirking before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against him. "Believe me, I don't try to be, not for that one anyway." He sighed softly as Sakura seemed to frown at him.

"What the hell are you up to right now, Neji?" She had almost healed the cut now, but she was still unsure of what he was doing. "You've always been so distant, why are you here, trying to give me pity?"

He rolled his shoulders as he felt the wound close up and stood up on his feet, holding Sakura to him. "It's not pity, it's understanding." He stepped sideways and around her. "Now lay on your stomach."

Sakura stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "I'm fine, really…" She sat on her bed. "I don't need coddling…"

"I'm not trying to coddle you," Neji said in a flat tone before gripping her chin and making her look at him. "I'm trying to help you because none of our other friends are stubborn enough to stand their ground with you."

She watched him a moment, agitation showing in her eyes. "So, what? I don't need your help."

"Sakura…" The hand that gripped her chin moved to rest against her cheek, stroking his thumb across her cheekbone. "You don't need to pretend you're okay, especially for me…" He kissed her forehead softly.

She froze at the tenderness he seemed to show her, unsure of how she was supposed to take it. She looked into his opal coloured eyes, shocked at the sincereness in them. She bit her lip as his hand ran through her hair and he pecked her lips softly.

"Neji…?" Her voice was small and it almost shook. "What are you doing? Why are you…."

She couldn't help it then, the tears started coming as she realized the last person that stroked her hair to comfort was none other than her passed mother figure. She turned away from his gaze, breaking eye contact. She swallowed before a sob could escape her throat.

"Sakura, please. I'm here for you." He pressed his forehead to the of her head, a quiet sigh leaving his lips.

She bit her lip before turning to face him and stared into his eyes as emotions swam in her own. She didn't want to talk, none of that helped. But truth be told the sake didn't seem to help much anymore either.

She licked her lips before slowly angling her face to brush them against his. "Just… Distract me for a while."

She scooted further into her bed and laid back as she watched for him to follow. She felt nervous, used to being the one to follow him to his room.

He slowly kneeled onto the mattress and moved to hover over her. He touched their foreheads together and ran a hand through her hair. He sighed softly before pressing a quick kiss to her lips.

"Truth be told, I have missed you, Sakura…" He spoke quietly as he began trailing kisses down her neck, being sure to peck all her sensitive spots.

Sakura exhaled deeply at the touch of his lips just as they began trailing down her neck. She whimpered softly before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. She bit her lip as she pushed her body up into his.

"Neji…," She breathed out softly.

He slid his fingers under the hem of her shirt before running them along her sides and cupping one of her breasts. He kneaded her mound softly before nipping her collar bone. He began sucking until he heard her moan and knew a red mark would be left upon her smooth skin.

He moved his free hand to slip into her pants, immediately rolling two fingers over her clit. He was surprised to find she was soaked already as she cried out for him, and it gave him the slightest feeling of arrogance.

"You missed this too, didn't you?" He whispered in her ear before sliding his fingers into her core.

Sakura thrust her hips up against his hand and whined. "I-I… God, yes."

Neji bit his lip before sliding her shirt off. He kissed her hard, and she bit his lip in return, drawing an aroused groan from him. He felt her hands tugging his pants down just enough to grip his length and stroke his hardness a few times.

He sensed a sudden urgency about her as she kissed more fervently. He pulled her pants down her legs before taking his shaft in his hand and guiding the tip over her clit, rubbing circles into her sex.

He smirked when she tried to angle her hips to take him as he pinned them to the bed.

"Neji, please…"

He shook his head before taking one of her nipples into his mouth and sucking hard. She moaned out his name and her hands flew up to grip his hair tightly. He groaned softly against her skin.

He slowly dragged the tip of his length between her folds, enjoying how she writhed and whined for him.

"Please, God, please. I n-need you…"

He kissed up her neck, biting the skin, continuing up her jawline as he continued to tease her. He used his free hand to roll one of her buds between his fingers.

Neji smirked slightly as her back arched into his touch and she whimpered. He slammed himself into her and began a steady pace. He let out a low moan and squeezed her hips hard.

"And don't you forget it, Babe…" He kissed her, pouring every bit of affection into it.

Her eyes widened slightly when he called her 'Babe' as she wrapped her legs around his hips and met his thrusts with her own. She kissed him back, a little taken back by the emotion but welcoming it. She moaned softly before tightening her arms around his shoulders.

Her tightness overwhelmed him, drawing him in deeper into her with every thrust. He slid his tongue along her bottom lip as he pushed into her especially hard. She let out a loud moan and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue along hers.

She met his movements as best as she could as she panted into the kiss. Her heart fluttered somewhere in her chest even though she tried to ignore it.

He nipped her lip before pulling away and touching their foreheads together. He focused entirely on making her feel good. He reveled in the way her back arched against him and how subtle shudders ran throughout her body. She whimpered and whined and moaned for him the entire time.

Just when he thought she might finish he pulled out and sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled her into his lap, making sure her knees were on the edge of the mattress.

"Ride me like you miss me, hm?" He mumbled against her skin before leaving kisses along her shoulders and collarbones.

What if I love you, not just miss you?

She braced herself with her hands on his shoulders before starting a slow rhythm, biting off her moans. She could feel how slick she was with her arousal, and every brush of his length against her walls sent a wave of pleasure she had forgotten existed in her grief

The feeling of his hands on her body was something she was slowly beginning to realize she has missed. Her heart swelled slightly at the feelings she'd been denying forever, in fear of rejection. She risked a glance into his opal eyes, surprised to find herself meeting them.

"N-Neji, I…"

But he cut her off with another chaste kiss. "You don't have to right now. I promise." He held her hips before holding them down against him as he ground against her.

He cupped his face in her hands before shaking her head. "No, I want to." She felt the grip on her hips tighten and she bit her lip, hoping it wasn't the wrong move.

"I love you… Too?" She said hopefully.

His arms wrapped around her waist tightly as he bit down on her shoulder, sucking on the flawless skin as he came, and she followed right after him.

She felt her legs tremble as she fought to ride out their climax. She cried out and clung to his shoulders, whimpering in both pain and pleasure. She looked at him as he pulled away from her shoulder, waiting for a response. He fell back against the mattress, holding her body to his.

He breathed heavily as pain surged through his abdomen, still only slightly sore from his mission wounds. "I love you, Sakura…" He said softly between breaths.

The tears came before she could stop them as she started crying. He held her tight and stroked her hair.

"She knew…" She mumbled softly.

He smiled softly. "Everyone knows…'

"N-No…" She hiccuped softly. "She knew. She knew it was more before we did."

A look of sadness fell across his features as he listened.

"She tried to tell me, but I refused. Damnit, she should be here to see it, to see us…"

He sighed softly, knowing it wouldn't get easier for her, it never does.