Complications
by Nilladriel

7: naruto

They packed. Naruto more-or-less threw everything into his bag. Neji took more care and folded his clothes, putting scrolls into their proper pouches and making sure the weapons were at the top, and so easy to pull out. Even so, he finished packing first—a fact which made Naruto role his eyes and grumble under his breath—and stood at the doorway, waiting.

Watching Naruto pack, Neji decided, was a curious thing. It was a wonder how he managed to make everything fit. Possibly he just used his ninja strength to force everything in.

Finally Naruto stood up, swinging his pack onto his back, and followed Neji out of the house and through the streets of Sand. They didn't talk, not until they reached Gaara's office.

Neji bowed formally; when he straightened, he found Gaara looking at him, his eyes alive and green. Neji had the impression that he was being studied or judged, like a particularly interesting specimen. After what seemed like minutes he broke his gaze and turned to Naruto, who looked a little nonplussed, and said, "I'll wait for you outside." Naruto and Gaara, after all, would probably like the chance to say goodbye to each other.

He left the room and closed the door behind him. Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms and stared at the opposite wall.

He'd always been very good at waiting. A few passing people stared at him as they walked by, or at least at the headband on his forehead; most avoided his eyes.

He just stayed absolutely still, kept his gaze on the wall and, because Gaara and Naruto were taking their time, recited poems and scrolls and songs in his head.

Finally—finally—the door opened. "Are you a statue or something?" Naruto said, and Neji straightened, shooting him an annoyed look.

Something about Naruto's expression made him pause. He looked puzzled and a little distracted, as if a worry was gnawing at him. "Are you alright?" Neji asked. What had they been talking about?

"What?" Naruto said, and then: "Yeah, sure." He shook his head violently, as if that would shake away whatever was disturbing him, and readjusted his backpack. "Come on, let's go," he said, and walked off down the hallway, leaving Neji to trail after him with a bemused look on his face.

And Naruto didn't seem able to shake himself out of that strange mood, either. The first few days passed in complete and total silence. Naruto didn't even try to start conversations, as he usually did.

Neji was dismayed at how happy he was when, refilling their bottles at an oasis, Naruto looked up and said, "Could you pass me your water bottle?"

He was even more dismayed at how upset he was when Naruto didn't speak at all the rest of the day, or the day after that, when they finally reached the forest and when, by all rights, Naruto should be whooping and celebrating and being generally obnoxious.

Naruto dropped his bag, apparently a signal that they would stop and rest.

"Wait," Neji said. "The river we passed by on our way to Sand—we can stop there instead."

For a moment Naruto only stood there, blinking at him. And then he smiled. "Sure," he agreed, and Neji released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

They swam at the river, but Naruto didn't yell or splash about. He caught fish methodically, throwing the big, silvery, squirming things onto the riverbed for Neji to gut, clean, and cook, and then leaned against a rock and simply sat in the water as if he were at a hot springs.

Neji looked at him worriedly, but decided to concentrate on washing his hair and getting as much grease and sand from it as possible. Once satisfied, or as satisfied as he would get, he climbed out, readied the fish and set them cooking, and then sat back and braided his hair while he waited for dinner to cook.

Naruto seemed to be dozing; his eyes were half closed, his head tilted back, his still-wet headband sending drops of water down over his face.

Suddenly his gaze focused on Neji. "You're doing it again," he said.

Neji raised an eyebrow.

"Staring," Naruto elaborated.

The muscles in Neji's jaw tensed. Had he been that obvious...?

"Aw, damn," Naruto said, straightening and giving Neji an alarmed look. "Don't look so guilty, I just—it's just uncomfortable, sometimes."

Neji stared, blinked, and looked away. He heard Naruto sigh.

"Never mind," he said. "I shouldn't have mentioned it anyway. Um, is—is dinner ready?"

"Yes," Neji managed, and absolutely did not look when Naruto hauled himself out of the water. It didn't stop his imagination from supplying mental images, though.

"You've been quiet lately," Neji said, because he couldn't think of anything else to talk about. "Is something bothering you?"

Naruto looked guilty. "No!" he said, and then, when Neji looked at him with narrowed eyes that seemed to glow: "Well, a little."

"What is it?"

For a while Naruto didn't say anything. He just sat and chewed.

"That night," he said, just as Neji was about to give him another verbal poke, "when you said, um..."

Neji waited.

"When Temari was at the door," he said. "And she said that you looked at me like..."

Oh.

... Oh.

Neji felt his face heat.

"Does that bother you?"

"No!" Naruto said, straightening and looking at Neji with an alarmed expression. "I mean, it does, kind of, but it doesn't, I mean—not in that way—"

He growled, a sound that made Neji startle. "I really wish you would stop looking like that!"

This was as aggravating and confusing as the time Naruto had stormed into his room.

"Never mind!" Naruto yelled, throwing his hands up and waving his fish around. "I—just—aargh!"

"I see," Neji said carefully, even though he didn't. Naruto just looked at him moodily and savagely bit into his fish.

"Can I have your fish?" Naruto said, probably seeing that Neji wasn't too eager to finish his dinner. Without a word, Neji handed it over, before dragging out his bedroll, not quite sure what to say—or think—and quite certain there wasn't much to say anyway.

"It doesn't bother me," Naruto announced the next morning as he wrestled his bedroll into a vaguely circular shape and tied it down. He looked tired, which indicated that he'd perhaps stayed up late thinking.

Neji, who was swiftly re-braiding his hair—there was absolutely no way he was going to tie it off like usual, not when it'd gone curly after he'd left it wet and braided—carefully took the time to finish what he was doing. Only then did he let himself think about what Naruto was talking about.

"What?"

"What bothers me," Naruto went on, in the tone of one who has come to an important realization and is going to tell it to someone, dammit, "is the way you always act so guilty about it. Like it's wrong."

Neji didn't look at him.

"I just don't think love is wrong," Naruto said to his back.

He took a few steps forward, almost leaped up to the trees, and stopped. "That... was surprisingly mature."

"Shut up." But he could hear the grin in Naruto's voice. "I mean it, you know."

Neji looked up at the sky, or at least the little patches of it the thick canopy occasionally allowed through. He saw a bird, swift and little, and then it was gone, swallowed up by the branches and leaves. His lips twitched.

"Thank you," he said.

"Sure," Naruto said. There was a pause. "After we get the scrolls to the old hag, do you want to have lunch with me?"

That, Neji thought, sounded rehearsed. "Dinner," he corrected.

"Huh?"

"Dinner," Neji repeated, his tone softening. "We'll arrive during the evening."

"Shut up," Naruto said.

Neji glanced at him, smiling. "You're paying."

For a moment Naruto only looked at him—and then he shook his head, grinned, and leapt up to the trees. "Like hell I am!" he called down, and sped away before Neji had a chance to reply.

"You seem happy."

It was Hinata, bearing tea. Neji had come home barely thirty minutes ago and had just stepped out of the shower, and he was toweling his blessedly clean hair dry.

"Do I?" he asked, accepting a cup.

"You do." She smiled. "I take it the trip went well?"

Neji looked at her sharply. She'd sounded smug right then. Hinata just wasn't the sort of person to sound smug. She just wasn't.

But she had.

"You set it up, didn't you?" he asked.

She didn't answer, just looked at him innocently with her big, pale eyes, which were a shade darker than his own—almost a light, light lavender. "So did it?" she said, obviously choosing to ignore his question, although the way her cheeks went red gave him answer enough. She never had been too good at controlling her expression.

"It went... fine," he said—"fine", in this case, meaning something like "disaster." "You shouldn't meddle with my affairs."

Hinata looked guilty then, absurdly so, even if she tried her best to look defiant. Neji studied her for a few seconds, and then decided abruptly that it hadn't been just her—after all, Ino had always liked sticking her nose where it wasn't wanted, and Sakura probably wouldn't object to a little bit of match-making. It didn't make him feel any less irritated, though.

"Did it?" Hinata said. "I'm glad. Because you really do seem happier now."

Neji nodded and sipped his tea. Perhaps he was. Perhaps Hinata was just being hopeful. "Tell Ino and Sakura that they're to keep out of my life," he said.

Hinata flushed. "A-actually," she said, "it was Ten-Ten who came up with the idea..."

Neji massaged the bridge of his nose. He was going to kill her.

... Later. After dinner.

"Where are you going?" Hinata asked, when he drained the rest of his tea and stood up.

"Out," he said. "To dinner."

"Oh," she said, and, after studying him for a moment, smiled. "I hope dinner goes well!"

Sometimes, he thought, Hinata was far too perceptive.

As Neji was walking through the main gates of the Hyuuga compound, he saw Naruto waiting for him; his hair was damp, and he was wearing a black shirt along with his usual, too-bright orange pants. The necklace he always wore seemed to glitter against the blackness of his shirt.

"No ramen," Neji said immediately. Naruto made a face at him.

"I... kind of wasn't planning on ramen, anyway," Naruto admitted, pushing off from the wall. "If you don't mind eating at my place, Sakura brought a ton of food and her cooking's really, really good. Come on."

Surprised, Neji followed. Naruto made small talk as they walked, regaling Neji with bits of gossip he truthfully didn't care about, but it was nice just hearing Naruto talk, even if the light tone of his voice seemed forced. Sometimes he'd glance at Neji, expression almost scared—and then he'd look away before Neji had a chance to really make sure.

He's planning something.

He nodded his head, offering a few comments and sometimes smiling; sometimes Naruto smiled back, and to Neji's relief by the time they were climbing up the stairs to Naruto's apartment it seemed Naruto felt a little less awkward. Neji could tell by the way he moved: he was a little less tense, and his smiles were just more genuine.

Naruto unlocked and opened the door. He switched on the lights, and then went around throwing all the windows open. The night air rushed in, sweet and too cool. "I just miss the cold," Naruto explained when he saw the way Neji raised an eyebrow in question. Neji just nodded.

Sakura had been over; the kitchen table was covered with bags and containers full of food. "She's trying to get me to eat less ramen," Naruto said, grinning. "So you can eat whatever."

They ended up eating in the living room, Naruto sprawled on the big couch, occasionally waving his chopsticks as he talked and spilling little drops of soup everywhere. He was eating ramen. Neji had settled on rice, figuring Sakura would appreciate her food not going to waste.

"Sakura's not going to be happy that you're eating ramen," Neji said.

"Whatever," Naruto said, and grinned.

There was a pause, during which Naruto went to get more food. Neji poked at his rice, and then sighed, putting the bowl down onto the table. "Naruto," he said when the blond ninja returned.

"Yeah?" Naruto said.

"Why did you ask me to dinner?"

And Neji saw it again—that almost-scared expression. And then it was gone, replaced by determination: a set jaw, eyes slightly narrowed, a corner of his lips turned up. "I wanted to."

"You normally drag Sasuke out after missions."

"Sasuke can wait. He'll understand," Naruto said, and then: "Just eat you dinner, Neji."

Neji obeyed silently. After a moment Naruto went back to talking, and it was as if the last few minutes had never happened.

Afterwards Neji volunteered to do the dishes, while Naruto put away the food Sakura had brought, meaning he just opened random cupboards and shoved the containers inside. Probably he'd forget about them by next morning.

Neji rinsed the last bowl and put it on the drying rack, turned around, and stopped, because Naruto was standing right there—

"Let's go spar," Naruto said, standing unnecessarily close, and Neji slowly nodded, his face as blank as stone. Naruto smelled like cheap soap and cheaper shampoo. He radiated warmth and heat, even as the cold wind rushed in and curled itself around their faces, their hair.

And then Neji stepped around Naruto, heading for the door, his hands shoved in his pockets. He released his breath, slowly and calmly, and then turned his head. "Well?" he said.

Naruto grinned and followed.

"Let's stop," Neji said, an hour and a half later. Without bothering to wait for a reply he turned and walked out of the clearing and into the greenery; there was a stream nearby. He could see it through some trees.

"Oi," Naruto said, a little belatedly. "Why are we stopping?"

Neji snorted and dropped to his knees, switching his Byakugan off, and suddenly Naruto disappeared from his vision. He cupped water in his hands and splashed his face, washing the sweat off. "It's no use sparring if our hearts aren't in it," he replied, turning his head to watch Naruto approach the stream as well.

"I guess," Naruto said, and brushed his hair back with damp hands. He was close; their shoulders were brushing.

Neji turned and abruptly kissed him.

It wasn't like the first time, possibly because he hadn't just spent nearly half an hour agonizing about whether or not he should do it.

Naruto froze. Neji didn't care. He felt very, very drunk.

He felt very, very alive.

Naruto's lips weren't particularly soft. In fact, they were chapped, rough underneath Neji's, and he smelled of sweat and dirt. The kiss lasted only a brief moment—not even a second—but when Neji finally pulled away he felt as if it had lasted an eternity.

He liked the expression on Naruto's face. His eyes were impossibly wide. His cheeks were impossibly red.

"What the fuck, Neji?" Naruto said.

Neji licked his lips, slowly, aware that his cheeks were burning as well. "Sorry," he said, but before he could even get up Naruto's hand shot out. "Wait," Naruto said, sounding and looking panicked.

Neji looked down. His wrist was going to be permanently bruised at this rate.

He waited.

"Um," Naruto said, and it occurred to Neji that he probably hadn't even thought about what he'd been doing. Naruto was like that. Impulsive. Very bad at planning.

Also, his eyes were very, very blue.

"This is really hard to do with you staring at me like that," Naruto finally said. Startled, Neji blinked and shifted his gaze away, although there really wasn't much to look at. Trees, for one. And the stream. No birds, though, considering it was a few hours after dark.

"You know what?" Naruto suddenly said. "Never mind."

Suddenly Naruto's other hand was there, at Neji's cheek, turning Neji's head and tilting it up, and then he was leaning forward, and—

Hmm, thought the small, small part of Neji that was capable of thought.

It wasn't much of a kiss, just lips meeting lips, but it sent an electric jolt through him just the same. "What?" he breathed.

"Shut up," Naruto ordered, a little irritably. His breath was warm, and it ghosted across Neji's lips and chin and nose.

They kissed again. Neji didn't know much about kisses, this being his forth one. He hesitantly brought his hand up—the one that wasn't being gripped to death by Naruto—and put it on the blond's neck. It felt strange there, but nice, so he let it stay.

Naruto, who predictably knew what he was doing—or at least knew more than Neji—nudged Neji's lips open, and—

Suddenly there was a tongue inside his mouth.

It was... wet. Very wet, considering the amount of saliva involved. Messy, too. And, well, strange, because—tongue! In his mouth!

But it also felt very nice, so as soon as they'd broken apart for a bit of air Neji leaned in for another kiss.

A part of him—the small, ignored part that had gone, hmm—was wondering why Naruto was kissing him. Why now.

The rest of him didn't care, because Naruto's tongue was in his mouth, and Naruto's fingers were wrapped firmly around his wrist, and Naruto's hand was on his cheek and stroking softly, and each movement was causing little sparks to dance on his skin and it felt—messy. Messy and nice.

Neji tightened his grip on Naruto's hair for a moment, and then let go.

"Not that I'm complaining," he said, panting slightly, his lips tingling. "But—why?"

Naruto shifted. "Why not?" he said, looking defiant. At Neji's look, he blushed. "I've been thinking about it, okay?" he said. "Ever since you kissed me. And, you know. I thought maybe I didn't mind as much as I thought I did."

"Ah," Neji said.

"Gaara helped," Naruto went on. "Sakura, too. They talked to me, basically. Made me think about things."

He shifted uncomfortably. "Want to kiss again?" he asked.

Neji closed his eyes, breathed in, breathed out, opened them.

Leaned in.

Kissed.

Dug his fingers into Naruto's hair and couldn't help but smile while he sucked lightly on Naruto's tongue and liking the way he felt—free, like a bird.

Later, while he was slipping through the halls of the Hyuuga compound, he saw Hinata, waiting by his room.

She smiled at him and said, "I take dinner went well."

He looked at her, blinked, and slowly nodded. He knew he had a smile on his face, that he'd had one ever since he and Naruto had parted. He couldn't get it off. He didn't want to, anyway.

"I'm glad," Hinata said, managing somehow to look infinitely pleased and yet a little sad. She turned around and ghosted down the hall.

Neji brought the tips of his fingers to his lips. He felt... giddy. Giddy.

Oh, well.

"I'm glad, too," he told Hinata, even though Hinata had already turned the corner and was probably already walking the path to the main building. He entered his room and crossed over to his bathroom.

His lips were swollen, and Naruto's hand had left five smudges of dirt on his cheek.

Also, he was definitely smiling. And he looked dazed—not at all how a Hyuuga should be acting. How a ninja should be acting.

He didn't care.