A/N: You guys! Stop making me blush! Omg, you're amazing!
I just wanted to give a shout out to Cole-Hyuuga and EatEmUp, two of my long time fans; they stuck with me even though I had all but abandoned my account. Love you guys!
But that doesn't mean I don't love all my other fans as well, Darkstardragon432, Little-neon (Yes the perv was you XD), and littlegirl99, Thanks for your reviews!
Pama loves you!
#
A sharp knife was place down on the Hyuuga's bare chest. He growled as he pulled against the ropes like a rage filled animal.
The chuckle had turned to an almost humming sound as the leader pressed his hot, sweaty hands against the porcelain of Neji's stomach. The brunette tried to suck in his stomach to pull his skin away from the disgusting man's hands.
"Release me!"
A roar of sniggers and laughter.
Neji's glare dropped slightly as he realized his situation. The panic that came with it filled his veins. He pulled harder and heard the tearing noise as well as the few shocked gasped along with it. As soon as the painfully pressure on his wrist was gone he brought a chakra filled punch down on the leader's chest.
The force of the rebound knocked Neji's head agonizingly against the table. And as he regained his clear eyes slight he saw a hand come down on his face, another punch hit his temple making the colored dots dance in from of his eyes.
"You little!" A kick to the table legs made the Hyuuga and the table come crashing to the floor. A kick to the chest and another to the rib cage.
#
A gasp woke the Hyuuga from the scarily real flash back. He sat up in the large bed, scanning the room. Dark green blankets were almost black in the dark night light. And the corners of the room were filled with discarded clothes and lifting weights.
It didn't take much for Neji to figure out he was at Rock Lee's apartment. The Hyuuga removed the sheets and blankets and made his way toward the door. As the soft creaking of the door sounded Neji could hear Lee's low sleepy grumbles from the couch in the living room.
The Hyuuga walked over and saw his teammate sprawled along his couch that was much too short for someone of Lee's height. Neji sat down on the chair across from the other man and watched the green loving chest fall and rise.
The Hyuuga had a wave of grief wash over his mind, he'd cried in front of someone. He showed Lee such a vulnerable part of him. Neji couldn't help but feel a mixture of difficult emotions; Sadness, self-loathing, a bit of anger and the fear of betrayal. He hated himself more than he'd even in his entire life.
He'd attack his mentor, showed weakness in front of his teammate, Lee proclaimed them to be rivals as well. He'd also been cruel and harsh with those close to him, almost as if he was reverting back to his cold, antisocial ways.
The brunette ran his hands through his long hair, trying to fix the frizz that'd appeared throughout the day's events. His lavender eyes calmed as he sent his gaze of the sleeping man, Lee looked relaxed as he grumbled slurs in his sleep.
The Hyuuga smiled as he stared at his teammate, he'd seen Lee sleep before when they were on missions but now the atmosphere seemed to be heavier. Almost as if he wasn't supposed to be too informal.
"Lee?" The long hair brunette spoke calming in a deep tone. "Are you still asleep?"
The bowl haired man blinked sleepily and chuckled tired. "The day Neji Hyuuga asked a question that doesn't make since. If I was asleep how would I answer?"
Lee ran a hand over his face and sat up on the small couch. Neji took in really how much taller the other shinobi was. He grown a lot, no longer was he the weak failure everyone had made him out to be. The Hyuuga began to fully grasp how much Lee had matured since they'd first met.
Neji opened his mouth to say what he wanted but his voice wouldn't come out. His eyes lowered and could feel the cold whip over his skin.
The warmth of skin made the Hyuuga look up, Lee was leaned over, closer to Neji, his hand grabbing the long haired brunette's.
"Take your time, we got all night." The hush, deep tremor of Rock Lee's voice filled the Hyuuga's chest with welcomed warmth. The man removed his hand and watched Neji, waiting. The Hyuuga could feel the warmth of his hand linger.
The best place to start would be to explain why he was telling Lee.
"You know how I attacked Gai earlier today." Lee nodded and glanced at the clock before adding.
"Well, yesterday."
Neji looked over to the clock hanging from the wall and indeed saw it was just after midnight. He smiled sadly at Lee's attempt to lighten the mood.
"I'd gone over to report in about the mission but because of something that'd happened, I had a bit of a loss of reality." The Hyuuga stopped talking; he felt a tightening in his rib cage, stealing his breath away. Was he really doing the best thing telling Lee?
"And you hit Gai-Sensei thinking he was one of the rouge ninja that'd attacked us?" Lee asked trying to understand. The long hair brunette nodded slowly and stared down at the floor.
"He thinks I should go speak with Tsunade." The Hyuuga's words hung in the air for a little while as he hoped Lee could piece everything together himself. Neji felt the awkward mood fill the area between the two of them.
"So that's why you've been so strange lately?" The bowl haired man rubbed his neck; he glanced at the Hyuuga with dark orbs barely visible in the dark room, but still had the shine of the moonlight reflect off them. "Wow, I feel really bad now…"
Neji sent him an odd look. "You feel bad? Why?"
"Well, I've been giving you such a hard time. And I didn't even think about that you might've been seriously hurt." Lee's voice was certainly coated in guilt.
Lee grabbed Neji's hand again and looked him in the eyes, speaking with such a pure apologetic tone. "I'm sorry I've been so difficult."
The Hyuuga chuckled a bit forced. "It's not your fault, I should be able to deal with my problems and act more professional."
Lee's thumb rubbed the top of Neji's hand.
"You don't have to be so guarded, Neji. Let me help you. Get some of this off your chest." The other shinobi stared at the long haired brunette waiting again for Neji to continue.
The Hyuuga gulped and cleared his throat, feeling the dryness rise throughout it.
"After I was captured I was brought to their camp. They wanted information about how to get into Konoha and once they saw I had the Byakugan they wanted to know where they could get it. Because mine are sealed so once they are removed or I die they would be no good."
Neji paused and was well aware of Lee holding on to his hand. A strange abnormal anxiety entered his head, it wasn't bad or fearful just unusual.
"After I refused to tell them anything…" The feather touches curved in his neck and a dull ringing filled the Hyuuga's ears. He gripped Lee's hand and grabbed his arm with his free hand to keep it from shaking.
He felt the gross need to vomit come on. And what was worse was Lee was sitting next to him, starring right at him. He was seeing Neji's weak and frail condition. How he was barely able to form sentences because of how messed up he was. Then there was the self hatred, He felt the rage directed at himself for being so utterly helpless and unworthy of any of his statuses. A Jounin of Konoha, a Hyuuga and just an adult man.
"They…'tortured' me…to try and get information and after awhile I just snapped and you know the rest."
Lee was waiting for the Hyuuga to say anything else but when he didn't, Rock Lee stepped into dangerous territory. "When you say torture, you mean they beat you?"
"They did beat me quite a bit." The Hyuuga unconsciously moved his hand on his arm to his rib cage and could feel the bandages. Neji wanted to explain to Lee everything but he couldn't cut through the shame that held him back.
"But there was more?"
Neji remained quite without answering Lee hoping he'd understand it as a yes.
The two sat in even more silence.
Minutes ticked by as Neji tried to control himself and regain his emotions. Lee just stared at the floor with a weird expression behind his black eyes.
Neji broke the silence by asking. "Is it alright if I stay until morning?"
"Of course, there's no way I'd kick you." Lee smiled a little and slowly released Neji's hand, both of their hands had become sweaty and hot from the heat of each other's.
"Well I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch in your own home. You take the bed, I'll sleep out here." Neji stated, holding his head high, earning a happy look from Lee.
"Neji, you're not sleeping on the couch." The bowl haired man laughed and offered a little more awkwardly.
"We can share my bed; I mean we've shared beds before on missions."
The Hyuuga felt that unusual anxiety rise up his spine. He couldn't quite place it but it made him feel uneasy.
"I see no problem with that."
Lee and Neji made their way into the large bed room. The tanner shinobi went over to the bathroom first and left the Hyuuga to get comfortable before him. Neji sat down on the side he'd been on before. He rested into the blankets and pillow.
He pulled his hair over his shoulder so it wouldn't spread all over in his sleep. He felt that he hadn't said everything he wanted but he was tired and didn't want to be anymore stressed. He sighed and thought about their conversation. He was embarrassed and nervous about how Lee now was able to see Neji's unstable state.
The door clicking caught the long haired brunette's attention and he watched out of the corner of his eye as Lee yawned and moved into his bed. He sat up for a moment, removing his loose green shirt. Then he lied down, facing away from Neji. Their backs faced each other as a dull silence flooded around them. They'd shared beds before but why did this time feel so different?
Was it because Neji had let Lee inside his head a little? Maybe it was the complete change of emotions that happened in the Hyuuga's head every time he thought about something.
"Hey Neji, you awake?" Lee offered in a bit of a smug fashion. Neji soon realized he was teasing the Jounin.
"Get some sleep before I hit you." The Hyuuga smirked as he moved into the pillow a little, getting more comfortable. They both lay still for a while but then the long haired man felt the bed sink a little and Lee turned to face the other shinobi's back. He moved closer to where his chest and Neji's back were almost touching.
The buzz of heat on his back made Neji look back over his shoulder. He met Lee's eyes. He'd looked Lee in the eyes millions of times before but something about the workings behind made Neji feel hot in the face. Does Neji Hyuuga blush? Hell no. He just got a bit of a heat rush from all of Lee's body heat.
"What?" The Jounin tried to be stern but it came out more a confused. Lee's black orbs were calm and his eye lids had drooped a bit. His smile was small but still had a content pleasure about it.
"I'm just happy." Lee chuckle to himself before he snaked his arm under Neji's side and hugged the Hyuuga's midsection. His other arm wrapped around the top of the longhaired brunette's waist. The Hyuuga had become very tense at the strange human contact. He'd never been so informal with someone outside of his family.
Lee didn't seem to notice how awkward Neji felt as he moved the two of them close, Neji could feel the gentle thump of the Chunin's heart on his upper back.
"Lee?!"
"I'm happy that you trust me enough to talk to me, I know that talking about what troubles you is really hard for you. So it makes me happy we're so close." Lee's voice was happy like a child on Christmas. The Hyuuga sighed slightly aggravated but he'd let Rock Lee have his way this time.
The seemly friendly hug made it difficult for the Hyuuga to relax and fall asleep. Lee was knocked out in a mere ten minutes but the strange sensation of such casual body contact was very new to Neji. He never even touched others if they were outside his family. Lee had hugged him a few times out of the spur of the moment excitement so the Hyuuga was never truly angry at the other shinobi.
Neji took the moment in for a bit, the pillow was soft and comfortable as well as the bedding. His long hair tickled a bit under his chin, he couldn't feel it on his neck because of the turtle neck he wore. The shirt was thick but not too hot even when layered with the blankets and Lee's body heat.
Then there was the push against his back when Lee would breathe in. The beating of his heart filled Neji's ears as well as the taller shinobi's breathing. The Hyuuga slowly moved his arm so it lay on top of Lee's warmer arm. His pale porcelain colored skin was so clear against the bowl haired man's. Lee wasn't wearing his bandages on his arms so the many scars and cuts were visible. Neji ran his fingers over the indents softly so he wouldn't wake the green loving ninja.
Even with all the heat around him he felt a chill run over his skin and he moved Lee's arm closer to his chest for warmth. His arms laxly warped around Lee's.
Neji would've just called it his imagination and lack of sleep but he swore he saw a smirk appear on the taller man's lips before the Hyuuga fell asleep.
#
After the leader had finished his violent rage he left the Hyuuga to cough in pain for a moment. Blood mixed with spit as Neji tried to breathe, his lungs refusing to fill with air.
"Now, you little shit." The man kicked Neji's shoulder so he rolled onto his back. He leaned down, one hand on his knee another to grab the bruised Hyuuga's face.
Neji glared as the man tilted his chin in a painful direction.
"I was going to be nice but I think I've changed my mind."
The leader jerked his hand away and stood straight looking over at his rouge shinobi. The Hyuuga could feel the eyes of all the ninja even thought he was still blindfolded.
#
Another morning passed by as the sound of clicking heels and doors opening and closing was heard on the outside of the room. Lee woke up first he lifted his head towards the door but then something else grabbed his attention. The Jounin still in his arms was sleeping soundly like an infant. Rock Lee smiled as his heart beat sped up. He figured he never be able to express the joy just having Neji trust him. And even more than that the Hyuuga was comfortable enough to sleep so close to the green-lover.
Lee grabbed the blanket and brought it closer to Neji's shoulder, his own back now bare in the cold room. He could feel the soft breath on his hand and the Hyuuga's thumping chest on his arm. The overflowing emotions in his head made the chunin lead down so his lips brushed against the soft skin of Neji's cheek.
Before he could enjoy the scene anymore a familiar voice called out as she opened the door.
"Lee! Come on, get up sleepy-" Rock Lee jump up in bed, bare chest, next to a blanket covered Neji, both looking very tired from their midnight talking. But of course the short haired brunette didn't know this. Tenten squeaked like a mouse as two girls appeared behind her, Ino and Sakura.
"Head?" Tenten finished her sentence but was canceled out by the other two gasps.
As Lee tired to begin to explain a tired groan came from Neji and the sleepy Jounin sat up a bit, blanket still resting on his shoulders.
"Lee? What time is it?" The Hyuuga yawned and turned to the other man finding the three girls standing in the door frame. Even with his attempt to keep his hair nice and silky it was still bed tossed and frizzy in places.
"Um…" Tenten began to push the two other girls out of the door frame and said softly. "We'll wait in the other room…"
The Hyuuga confused, looked over to Lee with his pain stricken face of trying not to laugh, Neji quickly understood.
"Oh, God, really!?" The long haired brunette got out of the bed and fixed his hair as he walked into the living room with the waiting girls, leaving Lee to laugh his ass off.
After Neji explain with minimal details what'd really happened the girls laughed with each other recalling the event even though it'd just happened.
"Oh my god! Tenten, your face was so funny!" Ino called over their loud talking and laughing. Sakura held her sides as she giggled and Tenten responded with a smirk.
"Well I think Sakura liked it!"
The pink haired girl turned the color of her hair.
"I-I did not!"
This caused the other two to laugh louder. Meanwhile Neji was back in Lee's bedroom trying to clean himself up. He entered the bathroom before Lee, showered and removed the bandages from his neck and chest. The Hyuuga decided he would run by the complex and grab some more. He didn't really want to ask Lee for some.
As he brushed his hair the bruises on his white skin were reflected in the mirror. The purple colors had left for the most part now most of them were a sickly gray, green and yellow. His ribs were painful if pressed against too hard.
Neji placed his blue turtle neck shirt back on and check to make sure all the marks were covered.
As he made his way into the living room the girls grew a bit quieter and giggled softly. Lee sent the Hyuuga sympathetic look, knowing Neji was the last person that would want to be the center of attention.
"So does Tenten usually barge into your home?" Neji asked as Lee offered him a water but he shook his head. The bun haired girl fake pouted and replied.
"Lee lets me in all the time, plus its way too hard to get in the Hyuuga complex without an invitation." She stood up to poke the Hyuuga in the chest accusingly; even with her heels Neji was still much taller than the weapons specialist.
"And you've been so weird lately that I don't know what to do with you! I was hoping Lee'd be able to drag you out to come hang with us but…I see he'd kind of already thought of that…"
Tenten had a tinge of pink enter her cheeks as she removed her finger from Neji's chest. The Hyuuga groaned annoyed and reminded the girls.
"Once again, that didn't happen. I just stayed the night."
"In his bed?" Ino offered with a smirk. The Hyuuga sent the blonde a warning glare.
"Okay, that was my fault." Lee called, focusing the attention on his bowl hair instead of Neji. "He offered to take the couch but I wouldn't let him."
Sakura blushed as a cheesy Boys Love scene played in her head; Ino noticed her pink cheeks and began laughing again.
As the girl began to blabber again Neji walked over to Lee and flicked his shoulder, sending a bit of chakra with so it actually hurt the green-lover. He yelped and looked to the Hyuuga for an explanation but got none.
Soon enough time ticked by as the group of older ninja made their way around the shopping district so the girls could spend their extra pay on clothes they'd barely wear because they'd be in their work outfits all the time anyway. Lee and Neji were on bag holding duty as the girls spent money.
"It's pretty hot, huh?" Lee offered to start a conversation. Neji'd been stand offish since he woke up. Lee assumed he was just upset about the girls' teasing. The green lover glance over at the Hyuuga, it was clear he was sweating and the thick turtle neck wasn't helping.
"It's alright." The long haired brunette brought a hand to the bottom of his head band and wiped the little droplets from his brow.
"What's with the shirt anyway?" Even with the bags hung around his arms Lee pulled at the shoulder of the basic shinobi issue, navy blue, turtle neck shirt.
"What do you mean?" Neji tired to come off as unfazed but lavender met black worried orbs and Lee dropped the subject for now.
The Hyuuga noticed that Lee had been much more lenient with his questions. Usually the green-lover would pester the Hyuuga until he got something he was satisfied with. Lee's eyes lit up and a smile was painted on his face as they made their way into another store.
As the hours went by, ever so often Neji would look over to meet his eyes with Lee and a strange chill would run up his spine, he wasn't quite sure if it was good or bad. He also noticed that Lee was being a bit nicer to him, not that Lee wasn't already nice, but he had a certain kind of aura around him when he'd do something for the long haired brunette.
Neji drew the line when Lee, arms full of bags, tried to hold the door open for the Hyuuga. He glared daggers and used the other side of the doors. He hadn't minded it in the beginning but then he began to wonder if Lee was being so friendly out of pity or sympathy, which filled Neji with anger.
He was a Jounin, and a Hyuuga. He was not going to let himself be treated like some wounded princess. The bowl haired man didn't catch on to the brunette's anger and kept fueling it.
"I think it's time to call it a night, girls." Sakura sighed as she searched her empty wallet. Ino nodded and stretch her arms.
Even though the girls were finishing up and saying their goodbyes, Neji saw Lee made no move to leave the group. After the girls collected their bags and figured out what was whose, the three left for home.
The chilling afternoon air made Lee crave a hot bowl of miso soup. He turned to look at the brunette, Neji was glaring at him.
"Um... Do you want to grab something to eat?" Rock Lee smiled innocently even though he figured what had made the Hyuuga angry.
"No, I'm going home." Neji's words were like a whip.
"Ah, I see." The tanner man followed the Jounin as they made their way out of the shopping district.
The two were silent as they passed the quieting streets, the children that usually played in the streets were returning home and most of the older Konoha citizens were making their last errands of the day. The sky was turning a ray of pinks and oranges. Lee breathed in and smelled the crisp air with pleasure.
The bow haired man looked forward to see the Hyuuga walking with a familiar pride and superior air around him. The way his hair was perfectly in tune with his legs and his shoulders were firm but not flexed. Lee knew the familiar tug in his chest, he'd felt it when he'd convinced himself he was in love with Sakura.
"Neji?" The taller man called out and saw the other stop. Lee walked up beside him and waited for a reply.
"Have you pitied me all day?" The accusing tone from the Hyuuga made Lee see he'd stepped on a landmine.
"No, I'm just trying to be a bit more sensitive-"
"So you've been feeling sorry for me? That's pity, Lee." Neji scoffed and turned away more angry than he had been before. Lee raised an eyebrow and fueled the fire.
"I'm sorry, I recognize that you're hurt, I think you-" Lee was cut off as a ribbon of dark caramel flew through the air; Neji gripped the chunin by the front of his shirt and brought the two close together.
"I am not hurt." Each word was laced with an invisible poison. Neji's Byakugan was activated as his eyes were squeezed into slits. The tremors in his hands were stimulated by a new found rush of adrenaline.
The chills of the memories ran over his flexed arms.
Lee watched as Neji gulped and released the green lover slowly. The Hyuuga turned away and deactivated his Byakugan. Rock lee saw a flash of guilt run behind the lavender orbs.
"I'm sorry; I just lost my head for a bit." Neji grabbed his forearm where the burn marks began to sting.
Lee began to try and talk to the Jounin but Neji turned away and left. Rock Lee sighed a bit sadly, maybe the best thing right now was a bit of alone time for the both of them.
The green loving chunin watched Neji's long brown hair disappear into the living district. Lee smiled a bit hurt, even if Neji thought he was tricking the other man the taller shinobi knew exactly where the Hyuuga was headed.
#
The dirt he was shoved against was brittle and coarse. The urge to vomit filled his throat, stomach and head. Neji had been left against the disgusting ground, coughing and hurt all over. The leader of the rouges just sat and watched and the Hyuuga weakly pulled at the ties on his arms.
The brunette growled softly as he tried to cover as much of himself as he could. Even though these horrid and morbid men had defiled him he still had his pride as a shinobi.
"Would you stop fighting? Just tell me what I want to go and I'll let you go." The leader's voice rang out in the now empty tent. The others had left when they'd had their turn. Just thinking about it made the Hyuuga want to empty his stomach.
"I'll kill every one of you." Neji snarled as he blindly tried to untie his hands even if it was futile.
The deep chuckle filled the Hyuuga's ears. The man had moved closer, and soon enough Neji could feel the presence next to his bare form.
"Silly little shinobi…" A hand reached out and grabbed a fist full of caramel hair, pulling roughly so the Hyuuga faced the man.
Neji grinded his teeth together and bared them like an angered dog.
The chuckling again.
"Well that's fine, I like them lively." The hand forced Neji closer and he felt the hot and musky breath of his neck. "That way I get the joy of breaking them."
The Hyuuga spit in the man's direction and felt the triumph when the hand released him and the leader grumbled.
"You sound like a cheesy story book villain." Neji hissed as he pulled against the pole his arms were tied to.
Before he could do anything significant a foot came down on his leg, pressing more weight on it slowly. The Hyuuga yelped and bit his bruised and cut lips to keep from crying out. The man could do whatever he wanted but Neji would keep his pride in the end.
"If I'm the villain does that make you the hurt maiden waiting to be rescued?" The rouge ninja snarled as he pressed harder on Neji's leg.
The Hyuuga's knuckles turned a white color as he gripped the binds around his wrists. He wanted to hurt the man, he wanted to hit him, kick him, and murder him. Never had the Hyuuga been filled with such a rage.
"Maybe you just break with time, huh, Maiden?" Neji's hair was pulled against as the man's teeth pressed into the soft skin. The Hyuuga grunted and turned away hoping to faint or make the man stop.
The rough fingers ran over his chest making him move away from the touch but that just made the grip in his hair tighten.
The heat ran over the Hyuuga's skin a swampy, nasty sensation filled his chest as the man felt the areas of his exposed skin, biting and sucking on his neck and chest.
The brunette yelped as his chest coiled in on itself, the man bit down harder.
#
Now I might not get the next chapter up until next weekend, I have school starting Monday, as well as a driving test I need to study for. I'll try my best but no promises right now.
Reviews make me update faster!