This is a rather short chapter. It switches randomly between the P.O.V.s of Sasuke and Neji, but it shouldn't be confusing or anything.

Chapter 14: A New Beginning

Sasuke walked out of the store, the new sheets bundled under his arms. All the start of a fresh beginning. Naruto's pained face was still imprinted in his mind. Sasuke shut his eyes, trying to eradicate the image from his memory. He couldn't stay with his former koi. Not now. He didn't want to hurt him anymore. Generally, walking with one's eyes shut is not the best way to get from place to place. It proves ineffective, as it is quite difficult to see where one is going. Sasuke realized this as he crashed into something.

He cursed and grabbed the sheets he had dropped, raising his eyes to see who he had run into. Please don't let it be Naruto. Pale white eyes announced the presence of Hyuuga Neji, who looked a little dazed and concerned. Normally, Sasuke would've snapped at the person to watch where they were going—even if the collision had been his fault—but he swallowed those words and held out his hand to help Neji up. "Sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going."

Neji took his hand and smirked. "I had noticed." The two boys got up, Sasuke not releasing Neji's hand. "Um…Sasuke," Neji whispered, "We're drawing attention."

Sasuke darted his eyes and noticed that a few people had stopped and were watching. He let go of Neji's hand and busied himself reassorting the sheets under his arm.

"New bed sheets?" Neji casually asked.

Sasuke nodded and began walking through the town. Neji followed, as his home was on the way. "Thirsty?" Sasuke suddenly asked.

Neji nodded. "It is a warm day, but I can just get something at home."

"You want to help me carry these?" It did look like quite a bit under the nin's arm.

"Sure," Neji agreed, taking half of the load into his arms. "You've got dirt all over them."

Sasuke shrugged. "I can wash them at home. It's no big deal. I was going to wash them anyway after I got back from the store." He kept walking, Neji by his side. Sasuke felt a bit of comfort in Neji's presence. Looking at him, Naruto's image didn't plague his mind so easily. Sasuke was grateful for this, and he unlocked his door when they arrived. "Just throw them on the floor," he instructed, walking off to the kitchen to fill a basin with water.

Neji did so and then stood there nervously, unsure of what to do next. "I'll just be heading out then," he called out to the empty room.

Sasuke walked out of the kitchen, holding two glasses of lemonade. "Didn't you say you were thirsty?"

Neji smiled and thanked Sasuke, taking a glass from him. The lemonade was nice and cool, with a nice sharp tang to it to balance the sweetness. The brunette smiled at Sasuke. "It's good."

Sasuke smiled and nodded. "I made it fresh this morning." He collapsed comfortably on the couch, resting his arm on the back of it while sipping on his drink. He paused and regarded Neji on the doorstep. "You can have a seat you know."

Neji nodded and paused before sitting on the couch. He felt a rush of warmth come over him as memories swirled in his head of the night he had stayed with Sasuke. Hesitantly, he took a seat beside the black-haired boy.

Sasuke watched Neji as he finished his drink. "Would you like any more?" he asked, standing.

Neji nodded, handing Sasuke his glass. Their fingers brushed past each other for a moment, and Sasuke could feel how warm the brunette's were. Sasuke headed back to the kitchen and poured more lemonade out of the pitcher. Before entering the living room again, Sasuke watched Neji from the door. The nin did not appear to notice the attention, and instead was casting his eyes around the various things in the room. Sasuke observed how smooth and pale the Hyuuga's skin was, complementing his eyes. His dark brown hair fell around smoothly, kept in order by the hair tie near the ends.

Sasuke remembered how Neji had looked when his hair was let out, flowing everywhere wildly like sleek twisting rivers of sepia. He recalled how vividly they contrasted against the white of his pillow, the smoothness of them as he ran his fingers through their tangled depths.

He must have been staring at Neji for a while, because the boy turned around to see what was keeping Sasuke in kitchen. A slight pink stained his cheeks as he realized he was being watched. The same colour they were when Sasuke had kissed them and caressed his hands over the Hyuuga's lithe body. Sasuke shook his head and snapped out of it, carrying the drink to Neji.

"Sorry for the wait."

"It's no problem." Neji focused his gaze on the liquid in his glass, nervous. Memories were flooding back for him as well from that night. He was all too aware of Sasuke's presence as he retook his spot beside him. A part of him felt drawn to the nin. He wanted to nuzzle into the other boy's neck and feel the same pleasing warmth of arms twining around him, cradling him. The memory of his embarrassing moment on the hill with Gaara snapped Neji out of his trance as he was just about to look up to meet Sasuke's dark eyes.

Neji quickly stood up and handed his glass to Sasuke. "I better head out now before I'm missed," he said, thinking what a lame excuse that was.

Sasuke looked at Neji's still full glass in his hand and nodded, standing as well. "I'll see you around?"

Neji nodded. "Yeah…" Damn, why did his voice crack? What was wrong with him? He had to get out of here fast.

Sasuke held the door open and watched the nin quickly walk out and off in the direction of his house. The dark-haired boy sighed and threw the excess lemonade into the grass before heading back in. He'd have to get started with washing those sheets so that he would have them dry and ready for bed that night. A slight ache returned in his chest as he remembered why he was changing them. It would pass in time. Doing his best to ignore it, Sasuke picked up the sheets and took them to the water basin.

Hehehe….lemonade….yet no lemon. ;) How unfair is that?