Countdown to Valentine's: One and a half days.

Time: 5:15 pm

Sasuke wondered what time it was. With the torrential rain and the elephant-grey clouds overhead, he couldn't really tell, but he knew he'd been running for a while. Neji can't be far from here, he thought, slowing down. He sidestepped so that he partially sheltered under an abandoned stall. He wrung out his sleeves, his pants and his coat. Cold water dripped from the ends of his hair and onto his face, making it look like he was crying. He reached into his bag and got out the stuff he had changed out of yesterday. He wiped his face with it, not caring that it was probably unhygienic. He sneezed. His clothes were sticking to him and usually he hated this feeling, the feeling when the rain made the fabric cling to his skin, but he was too anxious about finding Neji to even notice. He pushed his sleeves up to his elbows and set out again, at a slower pace. He walked for a while, until he sensed some movement nearby. Not too close, but not too far. He looked to his left. Too bad there were no footprints to be seen, since the rain had seeped through the dirt and turned it into sloshy, heavy mud. But between the trees, there was a makeshift pathway. It was tiny, but it definitely led to something, didn't it?

Sasuke's quieted his heavy panting, trying to breathe slow and controlled breaths. Up ahead, he could see one those dark brown wooden porches and…

Sasuke's chest thudded and he walked over to Neji.

Neji looked up, not entirely surprised by Sasuke as he swept under the roof of the gazebo. Neji watched as the Uchiha didn't even bother to take off his obviously heavy and saturated clothes and just headed over to him, his every step making squelching noises on the floor.

"Neji," Sasuke said breathlessly. Neji looked drier than him. Probably because he had reached this place before the rain had really started bucketing down. Sasuke reached behind himself, moving his black coat out of the way. He untied the orchid from him and held it out awkwardly to Neji.

"I got this for you,"

Neji was surprised, however, at how Sasuke wasn't asking him why he left, and did he love him anymore? Neji looked at the thing in front of him. It looked like a potted plant of some sort. And although Sasuke was dripping wet, the soft crepe paper that was loosely wrapped around the plant was completely dry. Neji reached out slowly to accept it.

"What is it?" he asked peering at Sasuke. Sasuke just looked at him intently.

"Open it,"

Sasuke's heart leaped into his throat as he watched Neji's delicate hand find where the crepe paper started and peeled it back. His hands were shaking visibly and this time he didn't bother to hide it. His Adam's apple moved up and down as he swallowed.

Neji gently peeled away the last of the wrapping paper. His face softened when he saw the little orchid lily twisting out in front of him. He fingered the edges of the pot and couldn't help but smile.

Sasuke's heart did another leap—this time, of pleasure, not out of nerves—when Neji smiled. He took a step forward, his knees touching Neji's bent ones.

"Do you like it?"

Neji gave a little, short chuckle. He touched one of the blossoms and looked up at Sasuke.

"Yes," he answered simply. His cheeks were pink, and Sasuke thought he was the best looking guy he'd ever seen. Not that he'd never thought that way—he always thought Neji was this perfect looking guy. He was always so flawless. But right at that moment, it was the only thing that popped into Sasuke's mind. Neji left the plant in his lap and he looked up at Sasuke. The guy had raindrops running down his face, because his hair was still trying to get rid of the water it had soaked up when Sasuke was running through the rain. He looked undeniably sexy. Neji put the plant aside. He stood up. He and Sasuke were very close now, the tips of their noses almost touching. Neji reached up with his sleeve, because it was pretty much dry, and wiped the area beneath Sasuke's right eye. Sasuke couldn't help but just look at Neji as he did this. Into those Hyuuga-exclusive pale eyes, wrought with concentration as he continued to wipe Sasuke's face; and since they were pretty much the same height, Neji couldn't help but notice every little detail on the Uchiha's face.

Sasuke leaned forward a bit, just to see what Neji would do. The rain continued their relentless onslaught. The tip of Sasuke's tongue darted briefly between his lips. Neji paused in his wiping and looked at Sasuke seriously, but otherwise his face gave nothing away. He was not inviting Sasuke to kiss him, but he wasn't trying to deter him either.

Sasuke reached up and held the hand which Neji was wiping him with and was sure to hold it tightly this time. He inched forward, his lips moving in anticipation. It wasn't like kissing Neji was anything new, but…after that two year gap, it certainly felt like something new. He wondered if he tasted different, if his lips felt different.

Their lips touched. It was like someone had touched a cut wire to Sasuke's lips and electricity was coursing through every little nerve. He tilted his head slightly to the side. Neji's lips were warm and soft. Sasuke's were a little cracked but greatly dampened by the rain. He tasted a bit salty.

Sasuke pressed his mouth further down hungrily. His other hand slithered up to Neji's shoulder. Their heads moved as they kissed. Sasuke was the first to incorporate some tongue. He opened his mouth a little wider and allowed his tongue to slide between Neji's lips, licking around. Neji's jaws slackened, and Sasuke knew that this was his permission. Neji wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and pulled him closer.

Valentine's could've been canceled for all they cared.

My God, this brat is getting kind of heavy.

Hidan almost wanted to drop him as soon as he walked into the Lair, but at the last minute dumped him on the dining table instead. There was no one in sight. Hidan put the giant sword next to him and took off his Akatsuki coat, annoyed.

"I fucking hate RAIN!" he shouted to no one in particular. His voice echoed slightly in the gloom. Shirtless, he slung the wet coat over his shoulder and was about to dump it in his room when Kakuzu came out of his room, carrying a bunch of keys. His eyes skipped over Suigetsu.

"Hidan…," he said in a tone that sounded almost paternal, like he was thinking there has to be a good reason for this, and you're going to tell me, son.

"Oh! Hey Kakuzu," Hidan stretched out his sore muscles and stabbed his pike into the ground. "Look what I brought,"

He looked at Kakuzu expectantly, but then remembered Kakuzu didn't know about his Valentine's Day revelation-of-Itachi's-secret-love life-plan.

Kakuzu would have rolled his eyes if it wasn't for the fact he was in a rush.
"That's nice," he said hastily. Then he disappeared into a puff of grey smoke. Hidan raised and lowered one shoulder in a shrug, then looked down at Suigetsu, who was still out.

"Sorry," he said to the unconscious guy. "I had to,"

Hidan left the dining room, wanting to take a good, hot shower.

Deidara hugged Sasori tightly. He'd come back and told Sasori everything, about Hidan, about why Deidara had been so cagey and wanted to stop their relationship, and about how he'd told Hidan about them. Sasori thought it was the smartest thing the Iwa nin had ever done in his life.

Sasori never hugged that much before. He knew now why people yearned to be touched and loved all the time. He smiled to himself.

"So does this mean we have to celebrate Valentine's Day together?" Deidara withdrew from the hug and grinned mischievously at Sasori. Sasori played with the ends of Deidara's fringe.

"I suppose," he said, his mind already whirring with ideas about how to surprise Deidara.

"Hmmmmmmm," Deidara tapped his fingers against Sasori's collarbone as he thought. He looked so damn cute. Sasori kissed him on the lips quickly, and when he drew back again he was blushing his ass off. Deidara smiled.

Then his stomach rumbled.

"Looks like I'm hungry," he said, looking down at his stomach. He patted it. "Wanna come make some dinner?"

Sasori nodded. Kakuzu had just left, Kisame and Itachi were still out and Hidan knew about them—this was the perfect time to bask in their coupledom. The two walked outside, Sasori still too shy to hold Deidara's hand, when he saw the pale-blue haired boy just lying there on the table.

"Whoa," Deidara walked over to the table. Was this the guy Hidan had been talking about? Itachi's lover? Deidara had to admit, Itachi didn't strike him as a guy who liked…these types.

Sasori blinked impatiently. He'd much rather cook with Deidara than have to watch over this kid. His eyes spotted Zanbatou.

He must be…

"Did Hidan just bring him in? Or Kakuzu?" Deidara asked. The guy was positively drenched. Whoever brought him in obviously didn't give a shit about whether or not he caught a cold. And Deidara's recently acquired boyfriend-ness made him inclined to cover the guy up or something. He looked around the room and found nothing, so shed his own Akatsuki coat and threw it with a flourish over the guy's body.

Sasori watched with disguised interest.

"Do you know him?" he asked. He knew at once he was going to be one of those jealous types. He knew Deidara was probably being nice, but—

"Nope, un," Deidara said innocently. He looked at Sasori and held him by the waist. "But at least now I'm pretty much naked riiightt?"

Sasori nodded in agreement. Deidara's upper body was freaking hot. He leaned in for a kiss when Hidan walked in the room.

"Guys! Guys, seriously,"

The Jashinist's voice cut through the air like a knife. Sasori drew away from Deidara, but Deidara didn't look go of his waist.

"Can we keep the PDAs to a down low while I'm around?" (Author's Note: PDA stands for Public Displays of Affection.)

Hidan waved his arms about as he toweled himself off. He was wiping his arms when he walked over to Suigetsu.

"Isn't he cute?" he cooed. Sasori hoped he wasn't serious. "Look at his little teeth,"

He used the same towel and plopped it over Suigetsu's neck, giving his chin area a little bit of a wipe. Roughly. Sasori rolled his eyes.

"Let me do that," he said.

He looked down at Suigetsu and patted him gently, his face growing hot. Well, this was new, cleaning up a human instead of cleaning out a human.

"Since when did the Akatsuki become a babysitting service anyway, hmmm?" Deidara asked, clearly addressing Hidan and not Sasori, even though Sasori was the one patting Suigetsu dry.

"I'm not babysitting," Hidan answered. "I'm merely helping out Itachi and bringing his little friend back here so he doesn't have to find him in that shitty water pump again,"

"What water pump?"

"You don't know it?" Hidan said in disbelief. Deidara shrugged and looked at Sasori.

"The old one," Sasori said. "Down the road,"

He straightened up again and put the towel next to Suigetsu's head.

"Yeah, that one," Hidan chirped. "Fucking breaking down, that building is,"

Suigetsu moved a little. Three Akatsuki member's heads turned down to look at him, but he didn't wake up.

"Sooooo. Were you guys gonna make dinner?" Hidan asked. "Cos I want some,"

Deidara exchanged a glance with Sasori, smiling. His cheeks were starting to ache from grinning so much. "Yeah. But I don't know what we're maki—,"

"You'll figure out," Hidan flapped a hand dismissively at him. "Now stop acting so newlywed around me, it's making me taste my lunch,"

Sasori glared at him. Deidara always admired how Sasori's looks could intensify but he could still look blank. Hidan seemed to shrivel under Sasori's scowl.

"Well, I mean, don't you think it's the least you could do? I am keeping you guys a secret after all,"

Deidara patted Sasori on the shoulder. "Let's cook some eggplant," the blonde winked. Sasori smiled.

"Blech! Okay, okay," Hidan licked his lips decisively. "Do whatever. I'm going to wait till this guy wakes up,"

He pulled out a chair and rested his chin in his elbow, humming tunelessly while drumming his fingers against the table, making loud tapping noises.

They were stripped down to the waist. The wetness of Sasuke's skin had slicked off onto Neji, so now they were both slightly damp. The wind was blowing again, making the rain come down slanted, and the drops flicked against the slight curvature of Neji's back and dribbled down into his pants.

Sasuke's top had come off easily. Neji had reached in and let his hands roam around. Sasuke had grown up quite nicely, and, even though he was clearly not a bodybuilder, he had nice ripples of muscle here and there. The sounds of their kissing were loud, even against the rainstorm. Sasuke was obsessed with Neji's back. He couldn't stop running his hand up and down. He nudged Neji backwards, against one of the hexagonal wooden posts, and as their mouths separated for just a moment, Neji let out a small groan. Sasuke hooked his fingers around Neji's pants, ready to go a bit further.