A/N: Naruto is not mine. Neji's pink tie is.
Hehe, Neji's sense of style is very metro to me…
Chapter 3
It had been two days since his dream, two days since those green eyes had penetrated his subconscious. In two days, he had attempted to achieve a state of self-induced amnesia, only to find himself in a state of extreme arousal instead.
Neji was sinking. He could feel it. He was being sucked into something he couldn't explain, and whatever it was, it left him stripped and bare.
Vulnerable.
He hated that word, but it was what best described him as he went to work Monday morning.
Neji walked through the lobby of Hyuuga's executive offices, past the security guard and towards the elevator that would bring him to his office on the 37th floor. He approached his office exuding his normal air of confidence and pride, determined to allow business to proceed as usual.
Despite his outward appearance of control, Neji's mind was waging war on itself. The thoughts that he'd tried to suppress these past couple of days were violently beating on the inside of his skull.
Gaara's words echoed in his mind.
"Are you gay?"
In his attempt to seek the answer to this question, Neji came to the realization that it could go unanswered. If it were true, he reasoned, there was little he could do about it. He would have to come to terms with it eventually.
Do you like Gaara?
This was the question that was nagging at him incessantly.
Neji wasn't stupid, just in denial. He couldn't ignore the warnings blaring in the back of his mind, it was only obvious.
He was having wet dreams about a guy he hardly knew.
Neji had never truly felt a connection with anyone, nor had he went out of his way to find one. The time he'd spent with women had been brief encounters in which he could allow his mind to be free from thought, a break from the loneliness that he refused to give in to.
But Neji had recognized the moment the two men had shared the other night, and in that moment, he was instantly drawn to Gaara.
Clearly, Gaara was insane. He had tried to punch him as if he was used to that kind of stuff. As if punching strangers was the most natural thing to do at a dinner party. Neji couldn't forget the look of determination on his face when he'd swung his fist, a look that was bordering on desperation.
And it was that look that Neji couldn't ignore. It was a look that Neji understood well, one a man wears when life bears no meaning, when hate and resentment defines your very being.
The pain eats away at you until all that is left is a hollow shell, a hard exterior masking the weakness within.
Yes, Neji understood this all too well.
But Neji was curious about what was under that mask. Surely, there had to be something more, something beyond the hard exterior. And if there wasn't, what did that say about himself?
Where the fuck am I?
Gaara had to pee like none other. Any moment now, he was going to start doing a very embarrassing dance just to keep from pissing all over himself.
He hoped he would find his way before that happened.
He could just ask someone, but that would require human contact.
No, the Peepee Dance would have to wait.
He had been wandering through these offices for nearly ten minutes, weaving in and out of the cubicles in a vain attempt to find a place in which he could relieve himself.
Turning a sharp corner, Gaara ran head on into someone who, he decided, would soon be dying by his death glare. He found that he was also on the receiving end of a glare that rivaled his own, a glare that belonged to none other than Hyuuga Neji.
Gaara thanked the gods for his luck. He didn't have time for surprise and shock. His current state was urgent.
"I need to pee," Gaara stated without preamble. "I can't find my way in this damn place and I need to pee."
Neji smirked at Gaara's bluntness.
"Go down the hall past the marketing offices, and make a right when you hit the cubicles―"
Gaara's leg began to twitch.
"―keep going until you pass the cubicles and make another right after the elevators―"
The twitch crept up to Gaara's thigh…soon he would be doing the full fledge Peepee Dance.
"―once you do that you should see—"
"Can you just show me?"
Neji quirked an eyebrow at him. "Fine," Neji replied coolly. "Follow me."
Gaara cast the Hyuuga a sidelong glance while making an effort to walk alongside Neji without seeming like he was having a seizure.
Gaara couldn't help but notice the smooth physicality of the man beside him, his body fluid, graceful.
Although not as formal as the dinner, Neji was still finely dressed. He wore a simple black suit, a deep purple shirt and a silver tie, his hair pulled back loosely at the nape of his neck.
Gaara suppressed the urge to reach out and run his fingers through Neji's hair.
"…here." Neji's voice broke through his thoughts.
Gaara stood, blinking at the door to the men's restroom. He hurriedly pushed the door open, desperate to be out of Neji's commanding presence.
Neji gave himself props for how calmly he had handled the situation, showing Gaara to the bathroom as if Gaara's sudden appearance hadn't made the visions in his dream flash across his mind.
Neji stared at the door through which Gaara had disappeared.
What was he supposed to do now? Wait?
And what the hell is Gaara doing here anyway!
Neji began pacing in the narrow hallway in front of the bathroom.
For the first time in his life, Neji wasn't sure how to react. He had never been in this type of situation before. He had never been unsure about himself, much less display any type of self-consciousness.
"Neji ni-san."
Neji looked up, relieved that his cousin would provide him with a distraction.
"Yes, Hinata-sama?"
She gave him a soft smile that portrayed more confidence than in years past.
"I finally found you. Security said that you'd entered the building but you weren't in your office. Anyway, um…" Hinata's voice faltered.
Neji knew it had something to do with her father. He was the only person capable of making Hinata revert back to a twelve year-old girl, another reason why Neji resented his uncle.
"My father said...uh, he asked that you come to the conference room immediately. I think, um, some papers that he wanted you to look over and sign…"
Neji felt a sudden pang of guilt run through him. He knew that any papers he needed to look over, Hinata would eventually have to look over as well. Technically, she had the same amount of authority as he, if not more so, but Hiashi always overlooked his daughter, putting his trust in Neji instead.
He gave Hinata an honest smile that was reserved only for her. "Thank you. I'll be right there."
Hinata nodded and left as the door to the men's bathroom swung open.
Gaara scowled when he realized that Neji was still there.
"You didn't have to wait for me," Gaara said, warily approaching the man before him. "I'm not a little boy, you know."
Neji eyed Gaara with amusement. "Really? Could've fooled me, what with the leg twitching. I'd say that was very much like a little boy asking his mommy to go potty."
Gaara's glare was venomous.
"Anyway," Neji continued, "I wasn't waiting for you, so don't flatter yourself."
Neji turned to go, hoping that last comment didn't sound too harsh.
Gaara silently watched as Neji's form disappeared down the hallway. He was suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of people rushing about the office and realized that, although he'd found the bathroom, he still didn't know where the hell he was.
Deciding that pride could take a back seat at the moment, he followed after Neji.
Gaara trailed Neji a distance, unsure how to get the other man's attention, and even more nervous about what to do once those pearly eyes were on him again.
"Hyuuga."
Neji didn't seem to hear him
Gaara felt his irritation grow at being subjected to such a compromising situation in which he was forced to ask for help.
"Hyuuga!"
Neji stopped mid-stride, confused as to why Gaara had dropped the polite suffix to his name. Was it that he really thought they were friends, or was he just too lazy to be bothered with such formalities?
He watched attentively as Gaara stalked towards him.
Gaara mumbled something under his breath. Neji caught the gist of what he had said, but couldn't help teasing him a little. It was amusing to watch Gaara squirm.
"What was that?"
Gaara frowned. The bastard was being difficult on purpose.
"I said, whoever designed this office was fucking stupid. It's impossible to find your way. I need to get to the fucking conference room. Would you happen to know where that is, Hyuuga?"
Neji wanted to laugh. After being surrounded by stuffy white-collared businessmen all the time, Gaara's attitude was refreshing.
Neji nodded, signaling Gaara to follow him.
Replaying what had just happened, Neji was shocked to realize that their little interlude resembled what one would usually call friendly banter. An unfamiliar feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.
It made him feel…human.
Lost in his thoughts, Neji didn't question why Gaara was there and why they were both going to the same place.
They reached the conference room soon enough, both men failing to make further conversation.
Neji stepped into the room, confronted by a look of extreme impatience on his uncle's face, as well as Kaze Keiji's expression of barely suppressed anger.
It was Keiji who spoke first.
"Where have you been, Gaara? You're fifteen minutes late."
Gaara shrugged. He didn't feel like divulging the fact that he had gotten lost looking for the bathroom.
"It was my fault, Kaze-san," Neji replied coolly. "I wasn't aware that there was a meeting, and I had engaged in a conversation with Gaara-san in the hallway before Hinata-sama told me we were needed here."
Keiji's eyes moved from Gaara to Neji, unsure if he should question the validity of the Hyuuga's statement. His gaze finally settled on his son, who merely shrugged again, neither refuting nor confirming Neji's explanation.
Sensing the potential for disaster, Hiashi quickly changed the subject. "Well, at least they're getting along, right Kaze-san? Why don't you two take a seat? Neji, I need you to look over a few things before we proceed."
Neji sat next to his uncle while Gaara slowly moved to the other side of the table to sit by his father.
Hiashi handed Neji a folder of papers, summarizing the contracts inside.
"Don't embarrass me like that again," Keiji whispered harshly to his son.
Gaara fixed his father with a cold look. "Then don't force me to come again."
Keji was unable to respond. The discussion between the two Hyuugas had ended..
Hiashi smiled broadly. "Well, my lawyers approved the papers earlier this morning, and now that Neji read them, we can go ahead and finalize the deal. Welcome to the Hyuuga Empire, Kaze-san."
Once again, Gaara found himself leaning against a bar, looking somberly at the celebration around him. It was tradition, Neji had told him. Everyone in the executive office goes out for drinks after a deal like this goes through. He was about to decline for the seventh time before Keiji had given him an uber-evil look that told him he was going whether he liked it or not.
So, after multiple death threats (which he knew weren't entirely bluffs), Gaara found himself in a bar downtown, sipping idly on a beer. Within an hour, everyone around him had reached questionable levels of sobriety.
Gaara had watched Neji, telling himself it was natural for him to keep tabs on the long-haired Hyuuga since he was the only person in the bar that Gaara actually knew. Neji had downed about six shots of sake and was now drinking what Gaara could only assume was another vodka tonic.
Neji was sitting casually at a table full of coworkers. He was no longer wearing his suit jacket, and his silver tie had been loosened. Even Neji's hair had been released from the confines of the hair tie he had been using earlier, allowing dark strands to frame the Hyuuga's face.
Gaara noticed, that despite Neji's relaxed demeanor (mostly due to the alcohol), he wasn't smiling. Even surrounded by all these people, Gaara got the sense that Neji was still all alone.
He felt something inside him contract. People are meant to endure many things, but loneliness wasn't one of them.
Gaara didn't realize he was staring until Neji caught his gaze and gave him a small smile. It was the first smile that he'd seen on Neji's face all night.
Gaara swallowed visibly as the Hyuuga slowly got to his feet and made his way over to the bar. Although Neji wasn't as steady as normal, Gaara marveled at how he could still cross the room with such feline grace.
Neji sat down heavily on a stool, his class clinking in his hand. Gaara noticed that the intensity of Neji's eyes hadn't been dulled by the effects of alcohol. He felt as if it were déjà vu, Neji sitting at the bar beside him drinking a vodka tonic silently, while he was stealing looks at the Hyuuga like some demented schoolgirl.
"You didn't have to do that," Gaara stated solemnly.
"Eh? Do what?" Neji's hair cascaded down his shoulder as he turned his head to look at the redhead.
It pissed Gaara off. The Hyuuga had no right to be so damn attractive.
"Lie to my dad for me. And you don't have to call me Gaara-san. It's a stupid rule."
Neji chuckled deep in his throat. "Fine, Gaara. And I didn't do it for you, my uncle was pissed too. It was easier to lie."
There was a short pause before Neji spoke again.
"You really hate being helped, huh?"
Gaara turned away from the other man. Even drunk, Neji was as perceptive as ever.
He heard Neji chuckle again.
"Well, I guess it's just another thing we have in common," Neji added.
Neji finished off his drink and set it down with a distinct thud on the bar. He stood up and blinked rapidly, trying to keep the floor in focus.
He didn't know why he had come over to talk to Gaara. All night he had been avoiding the other man, opting to drown out his thoughts instead. It seemed the plan hadn't worked out all too well. He was now thoroughly intoxicated and now his muddled brain refused to let go of any thoughts pertaining to his attraction to the man beside him.
"I'm drunk," he heard himself mutter lamely.
Gaara snickered at that.
Neji pouted. He hoped he didn't sound too dumb.
"Uh…Gaara…"
Inquisitive green eyes turned to focus on him as he gripped the stool for balance.
"I need someone to drive me home."
Gaara's first impulse was to say no. He didn't like do others favors.
His second impulse was to say yes. Neji looked sexy as hell drunk.
Gaara chose not to say anything.
He merely stood up and walked out of the bar as Neji shuffled behind him.
Gaara allowed a small smile to form on his lips. Neji had said he hated asking for help, yet the Hyuuga had still asked him, of all people, to take him home.
The pair walked down the block towards Neji's car parked on the corner. They approacked the passenger side of the car as Gaara heard Neji fumble around, searching his pockets for keys. A distinct beep echoed through the silent street, unlocking the car doors. Gaara reached for the keys hanging from Neji's fingers.
He saw it coming, almost in slow motion, and had no idea what to do. Neji's hand pressed against his chest, forcing his back to lean against the car. His mouth suddenly felt dry. He knew what was going to happen…
Neji's lips tasted like sake, warm and sweet and powerful. He felt Neji's hair fall forward onto his face, the smell of soap permeating the air around him. Gaara found it hard to breathe.
Neji's soft lips gently massaged his own while he was too stunned to respond. Finally, something in his brain clicked. His limbs began working again.
His hands found Neji's shoulders and pushed back hard.
"What the fuck, Hyuuga!"
Neji stumbled back, shocked by what he had just done.
"I…I'm drunk."
There was nothing else he could say. It wasn't an excuse. He had wanted to kiss Gaara, the alcohol had only made it easier.
Gaara's eyes were icy.
"Get in the car, Hyuuga. I'm taking you home."
A/N: I'm sorry if it was little OoC; I'm having a really hard time getting everything to make sense without having it be too far fetched. This chapter was so hard to write! Any suggestions are welcome!
Sorry if I teased you guys with the A/N last chapter, but lemons aren't coming quite yet…I want to make this somewhat realistic so I'm taking it slow.