Neji entered his bathroom and turned on his shower, waiting for the hot water to kick in. He stripped down to his bare skin and entered one foot at a time, testing the water like he always did before fully sub-merging his body into the warm spray. He glanced at the line of grooming products neatly placed on the shower walls and searched for one to use. His hands fell upon the one he frequented when he and Shikamaru were dating. The hyuuga smirked, not knowing why and picked the bottle up. There wasn't much left in it, Neji shrugged and pressed the rest of the shampoo in his hand. He figured he might as well use up the last of it now especially since he no longer felt any pain in his heart thinking about the nara boy, unless it was out of concern. The nin began to lather up his hair like he usually did when his stomach lurched violently, making him double over into a coughing fit. Neji landed on his knees as he coughed himself blue in the face, bringing his hands up to shield his mouth and his eyes from the suds that began to wash out.

When he removed them, he stared at the palm of his hands a good while. Blood pooled along the wrinkles and slowly began dripping down his arm. He coughed up blood, and on top of that, his belly ached violently. He wiped his mouth only to discover more blood running down his lower lip, that can't be good either. He mind raced, focusing mainly on how stupid Dr. Reese was and some good insults to call him when they next met, his thoughts were quickly interrupted as he heard a loud pounding on his door. He groaned, he really didn't feel like moving but managed to pull himself to his knees. He was about to turn the water off when he remembered the red liquid dripping on his hands and held them up in the air to have the water wash the mess away.

The water didn't even have a chance to do its job when two rough hands latched onto the taller nin's wrists and pulled them back roughly. The hyuuga felt his heart stop when a wet tongue made it's way between his fingers and lapped at his palm. He made his way to face his attacker but was shoved forcefully against the wall of the shower, the strangers tongue still licking at his fingers. He felt the rough texture of some fabric rubbing against his back, which meant the other person was still clothed at least, that brought Neji some relief.

The sound of the knocking grew louder and a voice was heard, however Neji couldn't put a face to it, since his current problem grasped all his attention. He heard a low growl when his fingers were licked clean and felt a hand latch onto his chin and pull him to face his aggressor, but before his could focus his eyes he felt a mouth pressed against his violently.

The kiss wasn't meant to be passionate nor possessive, it wasn't even meant to be a kiss Neji concluded when he felt the blood in his mouth practically sucked off his tongue. The hyuuga formed a fist with his free hand but before he could act he felt a hand on his naked belly thrust forward, causing him to sputter up more blood, which was quickly consumed and he collapsed into his assailants arms.

Any strength Neji previously had was literally knocked out of him, he cursed himself for being so weak and managed to look up. Furious eyes glared back, never in Neji's life could he ever imagine such a look on Shikamaru's face, especially when he saw the fangs. White eyes widened in fear as pointed teeth lowered onto the exposed flesh of his shoulder, somehow Neji found within him the power to shove the vampire and break away. Escaping from his shower, he barely made it out of the room before Shikamaru was on top on him, pinning him to the floor.

Neji hit the floor and let out a loud yelp, then made a grab for the bed sheet in a lame attempt to both cover himself and distance himself from the aggressor. Shikamaru hissed, showing no sign of self-awareness as he shredded the expensive sheets and made his way to the boy underneath. Neji whimpered as he quickly became tangled in the torn sheets and struggled wildly as the other boy crawled over him. He saw the gleam of the sharp fangs lower back onto his skin, his franticness sending him into another hacking fit. Shikamaru eagerly redirected his lips onto the other's mouth and drank the blood that was made available before returning to the hyuuga's tender throat. The tangled boy felt two sharp pricks on his neck and let out a loud gasp, a strong hand covered his mouth, muffling the weak cries for help. The hyuuga shortly stopped resisting, too weak to try to push away anymore.

Crash! Both Shikamaru and Neji's attention became focused on to door that was just knocked down. Sasuke stood on top of the fallen wooden door, staring down at Shikamaru with a murderous look on his face. His Sharingan already activated, he lunged forward to strike the boy over his friend. Shikamaru dodged and leaped away from the weak nin, landing on the bed. The vampire let out a loud vicious hiss and swiped at the air defensively. Sasuke gathered Neji up in the ripped sheets and held him protectively sending the bloodthirsty nin a look that just dared him to try and take him away.

"Don't kill him…he's not….not normal."

Neji managed to breathe out lightly, praying the Uchiha was able to hear him. His friend nodded and sized the other nin up, he grabbed onto one of the bedposts, tore it off in one clean sweep and pointed towards the nara boy threateningly. As if on cue the vampire lunged towards the leaf nin, claws lengthened and snarling as Sasuke clutched Neji tightly in one hand and his weapon in the other. Shikamaru leaped towards the Uchiha who gripped tightly to the post and rammed it into the other boy's gut. Not penetrating his flesh like Sasuke had hoped he used the momentum of Shikamaru's jump to toss him into the closet. The attacker landed with a loud thud and was already back on his feet only to see the Uchiha close the door and begin barricading the vampire inside.

Howling and scratching could be heard within the walls for a small amount of time before it died down and Neji figured he must have given up. He sighed and rested his head on his rescuers shoulder, grateful for Sasuke's sudden appearance. The injured boy paused, why was the Uchiha here? "S-Sasuke? What are you doing here?" he asked slightly confused yet still very grateful. His friend set him down on the bed and went into the bathroom looking for something, he heard the shower being turned off.

"I got worried when you shoved past me a little while ago when you were heading back to your house. I figured you would have at least recognized me and said hi, but you kept running."

The Uchiha rummaged around some cupboards looking for something to stop Neji's bleeding with. He knew the hyuuga wasn't badly hurt, but it was mostly because he didn't want his friend to notice his hands were shaking upon seeing him again.

"Where are your bandages? Oh, nevermind found them."

He stood from crouching by the bottom cupboard and returned by the other boy's side with them in hand.

Neji sat up on the bed and asked if he could pass him some shorts, he felt uncomfortable in the torn sheets, especially if Sasuke was going to be looking at his wounds. His friend threw him over a pair of shorts and turned around to give him some privacy while he changed, preparing the bandages as he waited. Neji was much more comfortable upon having a secure article of clothing on himself and allowed the Uchiha to start wrapping his neck gently. Sasuke sat behind the hyuuga on the bed and began fixing his neck, his hands wavered a bit before he shook his head and placed them on Neji's skin. If his friend wasn't going to think anything of the contact, he knew he shouldn't either.

However the hyuuga did think something of it, he must have because he blushed. Since he had his back to Sasuke, his friend didn't notice, and the weak nin leaned against the others chest for support. He smiled as he felt his bare back connect with the silkiness of the others black shirt, it was the exact same sensation he had during their first encounter together. He closed his eyes while Sasuke bandaged him and remembered his friend's scheme to make Naruto jealous, his face burned redder when he came upon the memory of their passionate kiss. He turned his head to see Sasuke's face, his eyes were also closed as he worked. The hyuuga smirked, knowing exactly what his friend was daydreaming about.

Neji inwardly giggled, now finding humour in Naruto's expression when he walked in on their make-out session, he paused, what did they talk about again? Naruto never did tell him. He gasped as his friends hand slid down his back and prod at something sore.

"What are yo-"

"You have some small cuts on your back, they must be from Shikamaru's claws. I'll take care of them."

The taller nin felt wrapping around his stomach and his back, loving every moment of contact the Uchiha was giving him. He watched as a finger circled around his belly button before tugging the bandage around. Neji grinned, Sasuke was milking this for all it was worth and he was going to let him. He loved every small extra gesture Sasuke added just as an excuse to touch him, he wanted his friend to run his fingers down his back, even if it was to 'search for more cuts' and to feel Sasuke exhale on the back of his neck even if he was pretending he didn't 'realize he was that close'. He even allowed the Uchiha to lay his chin on his injured shoulder with the excuse that he wanted to rest his head, Neji smiled, if his friend had gone as far as to press his lips on the skin of his throat he would pretend it never happened. He secretly wanted to feel Sasuke's lips against his skin just one last time, but it never came.

He knew why too, there was no excuse if he called him on it. All the other actions had some type of excuse connected to them but kissing the hyuuga's neck could have crossed a boundary. Even though he would have said nothing about it, Sasuke remained in his place, daring not to make Neji uncomfortable.

Neji sighed, he wouldn't have felt bad about rejecting his friend if he actually didn't feel anything for him, but somewhere deep inside him got excited every time he saw his friend. He just didn't realize it until Sasuke confessed to him. It really was a shame the Uchiha was too late.

"Sasuke?" The Uchiha tilted his gaze up to the others.

"Hm?"

"What did you and Naruto talk about?"

There was a pause, Sasuke searched his mind for something he could say without really saying anything. He came up with nothing.

"Nothing important."

He lied lamely, yeah he knew Neji wasn't going to buy that.

"No really…I want to know Sasuke."

He was too curious, and if he had to be sneaky about getting an answer he would be. However Sasuke wasn't going to just confess everything that went on at Naruto's that day, it was private, it was about Neji.

"If it was about you, I'd tell you."

He lied again, thinking that the taller boy wouldn't notice.

"Liar! Naruto told me it had to do with me, I have a right to now."

The hyuuga huffed, eager to hear what was said about him. 'Damn, there was a slim chance that excuse would work anyway' the shorter haired nin thought and inwardly sighed. Maybe silence would work better? Neji glowered at him when he didn't respond and decided he'd have to try harder.

"Pleeeease?" he pressed his back into the others chest firmly.

"You sneak. That won't work, you don't even know how to tease correctly."

His friend mocked trying to hold back a laugh at Neji's failed attempt. The injured nins face grew flustered as he turned to face his friends and lightly shoved him.

"Just tell me."

"No."

He softly shoved back only earning himself a slightly rougher push sending him against the pillows on the bed.

"I win, now you have to te-"

The hyuuga was pushed backwards and landed near the end of the bed with the missing bedpost. The taller boy quickly grabbed a hold of his shoulder and let out a pained hiss, within seconds Sasuke was by his side checking to see if he's okay. Neji smirked evilly and heaved the Uchiha off the bed, laughing that his friend fell for the faked injured look.

The other boy stood up and sat himself back down on the bed with an expression of disbelief and amusement.

"As I was saying…I win, so you have to tell me."

The hyuuga grinned, he'd use any excuse he could get.

"Tell you what?"

Sasuke smirked, playing dumb only gained him another playful shove to the chest. He reached out and quickly caught his friends hand and pulled the hyuuga to his chest,

"You really want to know?"

Neji rested his head against his friend's chest and mumbled a pouty 'yes'. Sasuke took a deep breath and tried to think how to begin. He intertwined his fingers into Neji's damp hair and breathed in the scent, the light fragrance of shampoo smelled so nice.

"After our moment in the school, I went to Naruto's like I said I would to discuss what happened…"

He took another deep breathe of the shampoo's scent and smiled into the other's hair from the dizzying smell.

He felt Neji nod into his chest and look up, his nose softly grazed the bottom of Sasuke's chin causing him to blush faintly. The hyuuga smiled at the pink taint in the other nin's cheeks that was brought on from such small contact from him. Neji nuzzled his nose in the shorter boy's chin, sliding it down against his adam's apple and back up, urging the Uchiha to continue his story. Sasuke brought up his free hand and gently stroked Neji's cheek and continued.

"That was when I first confessed how I felt about you. It accidentally slipped and Naruto was the first to hear it. That was why he kept glaring at you."

Neji couldn't help but find Naruto's angry face a little humorous now and laughed lightly at the thought of it.

"Naruto got all bothered because you admitted to liking me?"

"No."

Neji stopped laughing and looked up confused, his eyelashes fluttered against the Uchiha's jawline. The hand caressing his cheek stopped and moved his face up in to view of the Uchiha's lips, it was brief but he caught it, he watched as Sasuke's lips mouthed the undeniable words:

'I love you.'

Neji felt his heart swoon, his expression filled with surprise as he rested his head against Sasuke's, his lashes trembled at the younger nin's bottom lip.

"Oh." He stammered, not knowing how to respond to his friend's confession

"So that's what you two talked about."

He whispered still trying to take in the information.

"I told Naruto that I had to tell you, that I needed to know how you felt too…to see if it was a lost cause or not." Sasuke spoke tenderly so as not to move the Hyuuga face resting against his.

"What did Naruto say to that?"

The taller boy asked, stalling for time trying to sort out his feelings before Sasuke inevitably asked him how he felt. Sasuke frowned, not at his friend's obvious stalling but because he really didn't want to answer the question.

"It sorta got turned into a bet…"

"A bet?"

Neji arched his eyebrow at the shorter haired boy, already not liking where this conversation was headed.

"Naruto didn't think it fair that I have feelings for you and admit them to you if he couldn't do the same for Sakura. Well, by this point we were both angry and yelling so I may have agreed that if you didn't return similar feelings that I'd have to give up something precious to me. If Naruto couldn't get Sakura he'd have to do the same."

Neji glared into Sasuke's chin as he spoke, hearing how Naruto and the Uchiha could make a bet out of such a pure emotion deeply bothered him. He contemplated how his friend could even consider that possibility.

"So what did you have to give up if your feelings weren't returned?"

The shorter haired nin frowned again

"It was a necklace with my family's Uchiha symbol. Only thing I really managed to salvage after…what happened."

Neji nodded and found comfort inbetween Sasuke's shoulder and neck

"I see."

"So…I need to know, do you feel the same way about me?"

He gazed down at the nin cuddled up to him, stiffening as he waited for a response. The hyuuga froze, trying to sort out his feelings in time to give a correct answer. He took a moment and nuzzled the Uchiha, did he feel anything for him? He knew he liked whenever they talked, their game they made up in school. When they played sports in gym, he remembered even blushing once when Sasuke's sweat-ridden shirt rode up just a little. He remembered how his heart fluttered a little every time he saw that Sasuke had waited for him after school and they would walk home. It wasn't often, which made it all the better when it happened. He never thought about the Uchiha as a partner, Sasuke never let on that he was interested ever…until now that is. He reached up and ran his hand through the Uchiha's dark hair, arching his head back to stare into his hopeful eyes.

"Well…do you?"

Sasuke swallowed, tense for an answer and growing more confident with each stroke of his hair the hyuuga gave him. Neji stared into his friend's eyes, suddenly coming to the realization that he may just love him back and smiled sadly at the nin. He was too scared to speak the truth, he already said it was too late. Sasuke nervously smiled back as the taller boy spoke.

"Sasuke…….no."

He lied knowing that the truth would only hurt him more. He had Gaara now, confessing how he felt to someone else, no matter how honest the emotion was, he felt would be wrong. He patted his friend's cheek kindly only to have it held gently in Sasuke's who was wearing the saddest smile Neji ever saw.

"That's okay…I didn't think you would anyway."

He spoke as if holding something back and continued to pet the hyuuga's hand.

"I just had to hear it."

He whispered, eyes watering despite how much he was trying to hold back tears. The injured boy's forced smile wavered when he realized just how much hurt Sasuke was holding back again, he suddenly regretted lying but knew it was the easiest way for both of them.

"I'm sorry you lost your bet."

He murmured, hugging his rescuer close who returned the embrace like he never wanted to let go.

"It's okay, it's not…it's not important."

'It's not what I'll miss the most.' He thought to himself, finishing the sentence he truly wanted to say.

"Yes it is…it's important to you and you shou-"

Crack! The hyuuga's attention was brought to the closet door which currently had a hand rammed through the hard wood. Correction: a clawed hand. Crack! Okay, two clawed hands.

Kowaikage- Yay another chapter down, not many to go! I can't wait to have this whole thing done with. Hope you liked the chapter, there may be some spelling errors and what-not. That's cause I was a lazy bum and only skimmed the chapter. So I apologize in advance.

Kokuryuuha018- Okay, first of all I have to thank you for commenting on the 'freaked out Neji eye' line. I actually had my fingers crossed that someone would envision what it looked like cause I did while I was writing it. So when you reviewed on it, you completely made my day! Thank you so much just for that! Also, I love plot bunnies…heehee /cuddles a plot bunny/

HikAri Aki- Awesome, hope you had a fun trip and I look forward to getting more reviews from you. Hopefully they all start with 'Heller'. :)

BlacKat- Heehee a lot of stuff happens to poor Neji. I still have a rabid fear that your all gonna join together, track me down and beat me up when you find out how I ended it…oh well, I gave it a good run…

Ho-sama- Whoopies, sorry I forgot to thank you in the last chapter. I noticed your review after I already posted. So I had to wait until this one to thank you. Thankies:)

Kowaikage- Okay…I think I got everybody…