Simple Choices
Chapter Six
Four days later…
As Neji pried open the large, black and metal door to the oven to check on the food he currently had cooking inside, the young man could not help but sing to himself as he was all alone inside the impressive and extremely spacious wooden and glass house belonging to his beloved, Itachi.
Itachi Uchiha was at the hospital at the moment, having switched shifts with another doctor so the raven could work during the daytime for the next few weeks and thankfully be home in time for dinner with his new lover…the exact reason why Neji was taking it upon himself to prepare a nice, home-cooked meal for the two of them to enjoy.
Long locks of remarkable, chocolate hair were elegantly tied back in a low pony-tail; a habit the Hyuuga had quickly picked up from the good doctor; as Neji peeked inside the hot oven to see how his much time his hearty, tomato and cheese-topped lasagna still had left to bake.
Neji had spent the day peacefully by his lonesome, but not without joy in his heart and butterflies in his stomach, as he did as he pleased and finally had some time to himself.
However, the pale-eyed man had recognized earlier on just how he intended to spend his solitude, as his young heart could not stop feeling such immeasurable gratitude towards his rave-haired caretaker – a smile becoming common on his pale, lovely features as the Hyuuga could practically feel his love for the other man become a tangible, living entity within himself. It was with pleasure and sincerity that Neji had cleaned the upstairs work-out room, where the large windows that overlooked the forestry were washed and the heavy equipment and weights were dusted off and organized a little better. Also knowing of its need for some attention and care, Neji had picked up around his and Itachi's modernly designed bedroom; placing discarded clothes inside appropriate hampers and fixing their disaster-ridden bed until it was bordering on perfection.
Now, the Hyuuga was caught up in the process of making the two of them Italian for dinner…still with an expectant, almost giddy smile gracing his lips and a cheerful song escaping him as he worked.
Neji knew that Itachi especially loved Italian food, and he could not help but feel obliged to make lasagna, a simple, tossed salad to accompany it, with a light, red wine to drink.
"What a day it has been, what a rare mood I'm in…why it's almost like being…in love," Neji sang the soft, bluesy lyrics of Dean Martin aloud in a quiet but soothing tenor voice as he closed the oven door and mentally regarded the meal as needing another good fifteen minutes, "There's a smile on my face for the whole human race…why it's almost like being…in love…"
Ding-dong.
Neji jumped a little upon hearing the front doorbell sound throughout the entire house, his thin, dark eyebrows rising up at the prospect of having to answer Itachi's door for him, making him feel slightly uncomfortable and out of place at handling Itachi's business for him.
Ding-dong.
"Alright, alright…"Neji made himself snap out of his initial sense of reservation as he tossed the navy and silver oven mitt onto the black, granite countertop and hurried out of the honey-hued kitchen to receive the guest, "I'll be right there…"
After exiting the open kitchen and rounding the white, painting-covered wall that ran from the first floor, up the stairs to the second floor and also bisected the living room from the rest of the house, Neji rushed towards the front door before another ringing of the bell would sound.
"Yes? Can I help you?" Neji asked politely as he opened the door to specifically reveal only half of his body, not particularly keen on the idea of a potential stranger seeing inside Itachi's exceptionally lavish and furnished house.
"Hey, Itachi…er, wait…you're not Itachi, un," a tall, older male with long, blonde hair partially tied up with his lengthy bangs covering half of his face said to the Hyuuga…his striking blue eyes and unusual speech impediment thoroughly puzzling Neji before a sickening reality strove to make itself known to him.
"I uh…"Neji blanked, suddenly fearing the man standing just a few feet in front of him as his body froze up and his brain momentarily forgot how to process logical thought.
"Hold on…don't I know you from somewhere, un?" the blonde man continued as his eyes narrowed skeptically at Neji, obviously trying to sort out his half-hidden face before bright, blue eyes widened dramatically when he realized the same thing Neji had.
Suddenly, the blonde pushed the door open the rest of way, making Neji have to stumble backwards a few steps in order to avoid being hit by the large, wooden door – the smiling, older man entering the Uchiha abode without permission as his eyes positively glinted at the frightened brunette.
"Now I remember…"the blonde antagonized the Hyuuga as he quickly kicked the door shut behind him and started taking slow, dangerous steps towards the younger man, "…you're that little bitch I fucked that one night a while back, right? You're living with Itachi now, un?! What the fuck does he have that I don't, huh?!"
Unconsciously, the brunette had been taking measured, trembling steps away from the approaching blonde who seemed to get angrier the more he entered the house and glared directly in Neji's pale, scared eyes – the younger's hands coming up in a pleading, defensive manner as the Hyuuga still was battling his mental blockers that were making it impossible for him to speak.
"N-no…you…you need to stop right there…d-don't come any closer…!" Neji managed to choke out, his stomach in painful knots as he kept his beautiful, lavender eyes on the crazed, older man who seemed to only become infuriated by Neji's negative, rejecting words and his own sadistic ideals.
"Sorry, but I think I'm going to have that sweet, expensive ass of yours again, un," the blonde announced with pure, hateful venom in his voice before lunging himself at an unsuspecting Neji; roughly tackling him to the ground with his larger weight and build that served to make Neji smash onto the floor partially on his side and at a staggering speed.
In the process of Deidara slamming him down onto the floor, Neji had bumped his head on the edge of a nearby coffee table, delivering the Hyuuga massive amounts of swirling, spinning pain in his temples that seemed to slowly ebb away as quickly as it came in favor of turning into a deafening, confusing blur to his senses.
Neji watched through half-lidded, incomprehensible eyes that felt like they were not his own as Deidara savagely tore open his grey T-shirt with furious, rushed hands, and then began fighting with the clasp on his belt buckle.
"S-stop…stop it…please…"Neji spoke slowly, quietly; his own voice ringing like a horrid scream to his own ears; as he tried to lift his hands that surprisingly felt like dead weight at his sides – his very grasp on a manageable reality fading blindingly fast as the Hyuuga felt the need to throw up but lose consciousness at the same, horrible time.
"You…you were good that time, you know," Deidara continued to the barely-awake and active man lying underneath him on the soft, cream-colored carpet, as the blonde succeeded in unbuckling Neji's pants and was now unzipping them wickedly slow while he spoke to him, "…it's not fair that Itachi is the only one that can fuck you now…so I am…going to…remedy that…"
Deidara was forcefully tugging down Neji's blue jeans off his hips as he illustrated his twisted words to the Hyuuga who tried to lick the inside of his rapidly drying mouth as his vision began to dull around the edges, hazing the image of the angry blonde man above him as he pulled at his clothes with pure malice in his one, visible blue eye.
"Don't do this…you h-have to…stop…"Neji willed himself to plead once more, feeling as if his own voice was failing him as his eyes yearned with the burdening sensation to close and remained closed so he may finally experience some sort of relief from his dulling but maddening pain and disorientation.
Suddenly, just as Deidara was inching down his own pants now that he had had Neji almost fully exposed for him, the blonde was violently ripped away from the fuzzy-minded brunette, and tossed backwards onto his ass.
Neji did not understand what was going on, but could not find the strength to lift his head to see what happening, so he just lie there and try to regain his senses while waiting for his debilitating pain to finally lessen.
Itachi Uchiha had opened his front door to see one of his good friends about to rape his lover, whom, by the looks of the situation, did not appear to be willing or unscathed from being in the same vicinity as the fiery, loud-mouthed Deidara.
Itachi's mouth had been open and ready to say to his brunette 'Neji, I'm home!' but he had said nothing at all as his eyes narrowed in befuddled, white-hot rage as he could only watch Deidara grab Neji's bare, pale legs and spread them open to his fiendish desire.
That was when Itachi had snapped out of his moment of frozen shock and rushed forward, completely disregarding to take off his shoes and jacket, before he snatched the back of the blonde's shirt and threw him off of his hazy-eyed, whimpering lover that looked so impossibly helpless; leading Itachi to believe that Deidara had harmed him in some way.
More rage poured into Itachi's very soul at the sinister prospect as he dragged Deidara to his feet and slammed his other fist into the man's cheek, instantly feeling the other man's teeth rattle inside his head while he smashed and bruised the tender flesh of his face.
Deidara crumpled to the ground upon receiving the blow from the seething Uchiha, using the opportunity to grab the parted folds of his pants to hold them together, as he sputtered out to Itachi, "Wh-what are you doing, un?! It…it's not what it looks like; he came onto me, I swear!!"
Itachi did not say anything nor did he believe what this man was telling him as the fuming Uchiha only had to glance one more time at his unmoving, stripped lover to realize that Deidara had obviously tried to force himself onto the younger man.
"Get the fuck out of my house, Deidara. Now!!!" Itachi yelled, his hands fisted at his sides in order to restrain himself from just beating the blonde senseless inside his home – said man shakily getting to his feet while still being weary of the glaring, furious Uchiha before him.
"Oh, come on, Itachi," Deidara attempted another angle with his old friend as he looked at him straight in his face while he spoke pleadingly, "he's just a whore. I mean, we've been friends forever. So, which is it…him…or me?"
Itachi ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth, sighing audibly at his friend's words, before saying solemnly, sternly, "You're right."
At this, Deidara smiled and breathed out a sigh of relief as he said, "Thank God, so let's just forget this whole thing ever…"
Abruptly and uncaringly cutting off any further words from the blonde, Itachi slammed his fist into the same cheek that he had hit before, making the blonde stumble ungracefully in the opposite direction from the impact as his face contorted to that of pain and confusion.
"What the hell, I thought we had an agreement, un?!" Deidara stammered despite a throbbing jaw and an already blue and black face – Itachi wasting no time in harshly seizing the blonde by the front of his collar and dragging him to the door.
"Yes, and I chose him," Itachi rectified plainly as he opened his front door with his free hand and then promptly shoved Deidara out of his house.
"Ugh, how…why, un?!" Deidara fumed at being handled so carelessly as he had to struggle not to stagger and fall on the paved pathway that led up to the front door on the outside of the house; his eyes glaring angrily at the Uchiha who only looked down at him coolly and with complete control adorning his handsome features.
"It was a simple choice, really," Itachi continued somberly as he almost looked upon the glaring, internally raging blonde with pity in his eyes, "…because I love him. I don't ever want to see your face again, Deidara. Good-bye."
Slam!
Now looking at his closed, wooden door, Itachi took a small moment to take a deep breath to somewhat calm him adrenaline-infused nerves and to gain his wits about himself again…before snapping his jet-black eyes open with utter worry written all over his face.
"Neji!!" Itachi hollered as he quickly turned away from his door and ran towards his lover who had still not moved from his spot on the floor – pale limbs strewn about every which way as his blue jeans were pulled down to his thighs and his shirt was left in tatters around him.
Neji's eyes were closed, his breathing shallow but present, and Itachi's frantic eyes roamed all over Neji's body to see of there were any marks, cuts, bruises, bites…anything…anything that needed treated or that would explain why Neji was currently passed out on his floor at such an odd angle.
An odd angle…Itachi's oak coffee table was practically right above where Neji was lying…
Itachi's teeth grit in anger as well as panic as he could practically imagine the blonde bastard knocking Neji to the ground and making him hit his head on that thing.
"Shit… Neji…you need to wake up for me, okay?" Itachi pleaded as he dropped to his knees and hastily scooped up the lithe, younger man in his arms, cradling him against his kneeling form as he tried to lightly shake his Hyuuga awake, "Neji…wake up!"
Nothing.
"Neji…come on…" Itachi continued, his heart beating painfully fast inside his chest; making his throat threaten to close up before the Uchiha suddenly got an idea.
"Neji, I'm going to be right back…you hear me?!" Itachi told the warm bundle in his arms before lifting him up of the floor and carefully depositing his treasured lover on his couch.
Getting his breathing back under control, Itachi pulled one of the long, soft maroon blankets off the back of the couch and deftly laid it on top of his unconscious Hyuuga, tucking him in as his genius mind was already planning his next, crucial move that he knew he needed to make right away.
X
"I can't believe he actually did something like that," a deep, baritone voice sounded gently, as if a little far away and with a purposed, hushed manner; the sound of which pleasantly hitting Neji's ears and making his senses gradually come back to him from his slumber.
"I know…I feel like that this is my fault, "came Itachi's voice, just as soft as the other man's, but definitely belonging to the Uchiha from its rich timber that served to coax Neji even more out of his drowsiness, "…I shouldn't have left him alone."
"Well, how were you supposed to know something like would happen…?" the baritone voice replied to Itachi, obviously trying to comfort the downtrodden Uchiha, "Besides, he's alright, so don't beat yourself up too badly."
"Ugh…"Neji softly groaned as he made to sit up, the dull pain behind his eyes protesting the movement as well as his attempts to open them up and see the owners of these voices apparently talking about him and what had happened.
"He's awake," the first, deeper voice stated positively before Neji heard two sets of footsteps make their way over to where he was on the couch in the living room.
At last, Neji succeeded in sitting upright with opened but not pleasant eyes as his brow was scrunched together and he sported an overall sour expression.
Cautiously, a man knelt down by Neji's side so he was eye level with the Hyuuga and the brunette immediately recognized him.
Despite how it hurt a little to do so, Neji's eyes widened a bit at the sight of bright, spiky orange hair, strange but alluring grey eyes, and the tremendous amount of black-studded piercings the man had in his ears, nose, and bottom lip.
"Hi, Neji. I'm Pein, a good friend and co-worker of Itachi's at the hospital, and he asked me to come here and have a look at you. Is that alright?" Pein stated politely, courteously as any good doctor would to a possibly wounded and traumatized patient as he reached inside the breast pocket of his black jacket to retrieve a small pen-light.
Neji licked his lips and then nodded positively at the rich-voiced, heavily pierced man he remembered well from his time in the emergency room.
Itachi was standing behind Pein, watching Neji with a genuine look of anxiety marking his sharp, chiseled features.
"Okay, Neji, I'm going to have you follow this light with your eyes, please," Pein instructed before casting the soft glow into Neji's eyes and then moving the pen from left to right a few times; Pein's knowing eyes studying how well Neji's cornea was perceiving and responding to the light.
"Good," Pein commented as he tucked away his slender pen-light before raising three fingers up in front of him, "now how many fingers am I holding up?"
"Three," Neji replied quietly, his unused voice still a bit hoarse and scratchy as he spoke the single syllable to the doctor.
"Mhmm…try to squeeze my hand for me," Pein commented again before lifting his hand up for Neji to take and perform the test.
Complying, Neji grasped Pein's hand and squeezed with all his might, which, at the moment, was not much, but enough for Pein to make another positive comment.
"Okay, good. Do you have any ringing in your ears right now or blurred, blotchy vision?" Pein asked the Hyuuga after taking his hand back so he may bring both of them up to Neji's throat to press his first few fingers to certain glands underneath Neji's jawbones to see if there was any inflammation or signs of damage.
Neji answered by shaking his head from side to side as he felt Pein remove his fingers from his throat.
Next, Pein brought both of his hands up to Neji's head and gently turned his face to a side; his grey eyes inspecting every inch of Neji's scalp as he used his fingers to carefully move his long, dark hair away in different places.
"Now I'm checking the area where you hit your head. It doesn't appear to be anything serious, so that's good."
Neji gulped as he forced the saddening images of the crazed, psychotic blonde out of his head while he cast his worried, pale eyes on Itachi who gave him a reassuring nod as he watched over his beautiful Hyuuga.
"There is some bruising, but thankfully no cuts or breaks," Pein reported to Itachi and Neji both as he removed his hands from Neji's head, regaining Neji's adamant gaze as the Hyuuga was becoming more hopeful with Pein's positive assessment about his condition.
"So, what do you suggest?" Itachi asked his comrade as he began stepping closer to the both of them in the living room.
Pein cast Neji one more, serious look before standing up to face Itachi.
"He'll be pretty sensitive to bright light and loud noises for a while, keep some ice on his head for the next few days to help with the swelling, and make sure he gets plenty of rest. Other than that, he can take normal, over-the-counter medicines for any pain. It was in our favor that there was no damage to his skull or brain from the fall, but Itachi…if he would have hit his head any closer to his occipital lobe…there would have been," Pein informed gravely, meaning every word of his diagnosis as well as his warning to the Uchiha who looked like he had just swallowed a bitter poison.
"Thank you, Pein, for everything. I really appreciate you coming all the way out here like this," Itachi expressed to his friend, making his uneasy expression lift from his face as he was genuinely grateful that Pein had rushed over to his house upon receiving his extremely distraught telephone call.
"Think nothing of it," Pein replied good-naturedly with a firm pat to Itachi's shoulder before turning his attention back to his patient still sitting on the couch with his large blanket all around him.
"Take care of yourself, alright Neji? We can't have you giving us all heart attacks, you know," Pein joked with a playful smile at the Hyuuga who, in turn, offered him a small, bashful smile of his own towards the orange-haired man to whom he was truly grateful, if even just for his kind smile and mild humor.
"I sure will. Thank you, Pein," Neji replied back shyly and with some effort from his parched throat and mouth.
"Alright, I'll see you guys later," Pein concluded with a tug to the front of his black jacket to adjust how it was fitted across his shoulders before he began moving to the front door to let himself out, "both of you take care, and I'll see you at work in a few days, Itachi."
"I'll see you then and thanks again," Itachi said, more and more relief flooding his every spoken word as he saw his guest out and softly closed the door behind him.
As soon as the door was closed, Itachi rushed over to Neji's side, kneeling down beside the couch just as Pein had done so he could look his injured lover fully in his lovely, porcelain face while he spoke to him.
"I am so sorry, baby…so sorry," Itachi said, heavy-hearted and practically dying softly as he gingerly took one of Neji's hands in both of his and lightly squeezed the warm, soft flesh, as if savoring Nejis very existence that was still thankfully by his side.
"It's not your fault," Neji tried to console his pleading, guilt-ridden lover as he squeezed Itachi's fingers in response and smiled down at him, "Pein said I'm going to bejust fine…so…please…it's not your fault."
Itachi, truly moved by Neji's infinitely understanding and loving words, leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Neji's own petal-soft ones – the two sets carefully melding together in an angel-soft, meaningful kiss where one said 'I'm sorry' and the other said 'it's okay now.'
"I am…so glad…that you are alright," Itachi breathed as he continued to press feather-light kisses to Neji's supple, perfect lips, his hands still holding the Hyuuga's hand on top of the couch as he did so, "I don't know what I would do if you weren't…"
"I love you," Neji cooed simply, affectionately as he slowly brought both of his small, delicate hands up and then wrapped them around Itachi's wide back; embracing him with weak arms and a strong heart as the Hyuuga laid his cheek on top of Itachi's shoulder and continued to squeeze him as much as he could.
"Oh…Neji, baby…"Itachi breathed, completely beside himself with how precious and fragile Neji was pressed against him, as he mindfully wrapped his longer, stronger arms around his brunette lover, "I love you, too. I'm never letting you go again…I promise."
Adorably and only melting Itachi's sensitive heart even more, Neji turned his face into the Uchiha's neck and buried his nose in Itachi's shirt, as if afraid to see the rest of the world and solely wanting Itachi and no one else to be there for him.
"I'm right here," Itachi whispered to his beloved as he freed a hand from Neji's back and brought it up to Neji's hair, tenderly brushing back some of the thick, brown strands as he knew the kind gesture soothed him so, "I am right here, Neji…always. You're safe now."
Neji stayed silent, more than content to just listen to all of Itachi's carefully-spoken words and feel his delicate stroking of his hair as he remained perfectly coddled in the Uchiha's warm, peaceful embrace.
"Neji, do you want to go to bed?" Itachi asked the bundle in his arms politely as he ran his fingers through more strands of Neji's lengthy mane.
Neji nodded his head still tucked against Itachi's neck, making the Uchiha smile at the endearing reply before he mindfully lowered his hands down Neji's back and effortlessly picked up the young man.
Neji kept his arms wrapped around Itachi's shoulders as his lover interlaced his own fingers underneath Neji's thighs so he may carry him that way through the house and towards their bedroom.
The couple reached the unlit, spacious bedroom after only a moment; Itachi's hold on his Hyuuga possessively tight the entire time he had walked while carrying him; and soon, Itachi was setting his beloved down on top of his perfectly-made bed with the utmost care any mere mortal could ever manage.
The lights were kept off as per Pein's orders, and Itachi made sure that Neji was snug and warm underneath the soft, silver sheets and comforter and that he had many pillows to use as he saw fit.
The raven-haired man with eyes as deep and dark as a still and somber midnight, placed a loving, chaste kiss to Neji's forehead before looking upon his lover once more – Neji already looking like he was fast asleep as his enchanting eyes were closed, his lips barely parted as he breathed, and a genuine look of peace was present on his gorgeous face.
"I'll check up on you in a little bit, okay?" Itachi told his resting lover in good faith, his heart still painfully heavy inside his chest as the older male could not even fathom the magnitude of such a horrific mental state one must require in order to desire to harm something so pure and magnificent and beautiful as Neji Hyuuga.
"How's um…"Neji's suddenly asked in the softest of voices as he just barely opened his eyes to look up at his lover who was still standing by his side and looking over him with a myriad of emotions collecting inside of him, "…how's my…lasagna? I made us…some lasagna to eat…I know you…love Italian food…"
Itachi chuckled sadly, almost letting his tears that were cruelly threatening his lovely eyes run freely down his cheeks at Neji's impossibly selfless words as he had to swallow down the lump that had formed in his throat before he delivered the bad news to the one person he never wanted to say anything negative to.
"Well, you see…it sort of…burned in the oven since I didn't know it was in there, but…."Itachi said quickly before slowing down his words, his thoughts, his emotions, "…but I'm sure it would have tasted superb."
Upon hearing Itachi's finishing, positive words, Neji smiled and closed his eyes again; sleep truly claiming the exhausted, younger man this time as his breathing evened out and his chest began to rise and fall with each, great breath he took.
Itachi pulled his lips inside his mouth and briefly ran his tongue over them, wetting them, while he unconsciously bore the look of a troubled, desperate man as he watched Neji sleep peacefully; safe in his bed, safe from harm, safe from the world, and guaranteed a full recovery in only a few weeks time…all he had to do was wait.
However…
Itachi sucked in some air into his lungs as he lifted a hand to his tranquil lover and affectionately, lightly brushed some loose strands of his chocolate hair out of his face and off of his long, pale neck – the rest of the Hyuuga's hair was fanned out amongst his silver and black pillows which only made the contrast of Neji's smooth, pallid skin against the colors stand out that much more.
Itachi blinked at the gorgeous, heavenly sight; something he realized whole-heartedly that he would not trade for the world but was thankful that the world had even produced; and warm, wet tears silently ran down tanned cheeks, making tiny translucent lines across Itachi's handsome, determined features.
X
Author's Note: I have to admit…I just wanted to bring Pein back, even just for a minute. XD Love that man lol. Anywho, the story is about over, so drop me a line and let me know what you think, yes?
