"You want to stay here and wait for Itachi then, yeah?"
Mustard looked at Suigetsu, waiting for an answer. The blondie had been the only one who was fucked to come out and check on him, even though the mist nin was pretty sure he and Ketchup were busy making a hot dog in their rooms.
Suigetsu shrugged, slightly touched by the nicety. "I don't when he's gonna come back," he said, letting the sadness creep into his voice. Mustard coughed into his fist.
"He won't be too long, un," he said. "He doesn't…usually take that long. Maybe tomorrow morning,"
Then he left.
Suigetsu nodded at Mustard's back and looked back again at the Lair entrance which he knew he couldn't leave from, because he didn't know how to. Maybe he could ask—
"You're still fucking here?"
Suigetsu looked up. Hidan brushed a loose strand of hair from his face and stood with his hands on his hips, not seeming to notice that his pike was stabbed through his right chest. Suigetsu fingered the blade of Zanbatou and didn't answer. He had learnt very quickly during dinner that if there was one thing Hidan didn't need, it was motivation.
"Look, Itachi's not gonna be back any time soon. So I suggest you get some sleep, or else that Sharingan bastard is gonna have my ass kicked for allowing you to stay up all night,"
"Touching," Suigetsu said. He leaned back on his arms. "But I'm not sleepy,"
He was half-lying. He had yawned a few times in the past half-hour. But he guessed it was mostly because he was bored too.
"Do whatever," Hidan said. "Just don't let me catch you wanking or something,"
"What about you?" Suigetsu shot back. He looked over his shoulder at the Jashinist.
"What? Are you asking me if I wank?"
"No," Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "What are you going to do?"
Hidan rubbed the back of his head. He'd never really had a person take interest in what he did, and he had to admit, he was getting a warm fuzzy feeling from the attention. "Um. Pray? I guess,"
It sounded lame out loud, but all Suigetsu did was nod. "Your religion, right?"
"Yeah,"
Silence.
"Maybe you should stay in Itachi's room," Hidan said. He jerked his head in the direction of the dark hallway which Suigetsu hadn't wanted to walk into uninvited. And because he was too anxious about Itachi coming back any minute. "It's just down this way,"
Suigetsu made a show of sighing heavily and grabbed Zanbatou. He didn't want to leave it here in case Kisame took it. He followed Hidan, who stopped at his own and just nodded in the general direction of Itachi's room. "Three doors from this one. Now fuck off, little one,"
Suigetsu didn't look back. One of the doors he passed was closed, and Suigetsu thought he heard muffled kissing noises coming from within. He shivered a little and walked into Itachi's room.
Like Itachi, it gave nothing away. Organized, nothing personal hanging around, just a desk, a chair, a bed and a lamp. And a closet. Suigetsu opened it. There were just clothes inside, and a shoebox. Suigetsu didn't bother. He closed it and went to the bed. He slid Zanbatou under it and kicked off his shoes.
"Time to relax," he said to himself.
Sasuke panted. He was almost there—there. He let out a loud moan before sighing in relief—Neji relaxed beneath him and Sasuke withdrew. The rain had stopped, and the only sound was the water running off the roof of the gazebo and slowly dripping off the edge. Sasuke got off Neji and rolled around onto his back. He was sweating his ass off, he hair plastered to his red face. He looked at Neji, who was pretty much in the same state as him. Sasuke smiled and reached over, brushing Neji's hair back.
"I love you," he whispered, so softly he didn't know if the Hyuuga could hear him. But he did, and he turned to face Sasuke.
"I love you too," he said.
Sasuke smiled. It was bittersweet. He suddenly remembered why they were here in the first place—he rested his hand on Neji's sexy bare shoulder.
"Are you…are you still leaving?"
Neji paused for a second, apparently deep in thought. Then he slithered over to Sasuke.
"Don't think about that, Uchiha," he breathed. "I'm here now,"
"But—you're not going to go after this, are you?"
Sasuke suddenly felt like he was going to cry again. Like Neji would leave in the morning before Sasuke woke up and by then he would surely be back in Konoha. And most importantly, completely out of reach for Sasuke.
Neji sighed, relenting. He got up and pulled on his pants.
"Sasuke…," he began, but he didn't even have to finish because his tone gave it all away. Sasuke stood up and grabbed Neji by the shoulders. The Hyuuga avoided his gaze.
"Neji, please,"
You don't want to leave me. Tell me you don't.
Neji said nothing.
Sasuke felt himself blubber like a baby. This was getting really fucking ridiculous. Sasuke Uchiha didn't cry. He didn't beg, he didn't plead, he didn't—but Neji Hyuuga made him do all of those.
"You can't go," Sasuke said. Neji looked at him mournfully. He reached out and gently grasped a lock of Sasuke's hair, stroking it.
"I have to, Sasuke," he said gravely. "I can't become a missing nin like you,"
"I…,"
Neji bit his lip. Sasuke looked so…lost. Without Neji, he had nobody. It was certainly a tough decision. Neji knew it wasn't his job to keep Sasuke happy all the time, but…
"You and I," Neji began. "We both want different things. You joined Orochimaru for your reason and I…," he paused. "…I stayed in Konoha because of mine,"
"But—,"
"Sasuke," Neji said. "Grow up. Not everything will go your way,"
"But you can't leave," Sasuke said helplessly, not caring how he sounded. "You can't. Not you too…,"
Neji felt his heart ache. He took a step forward and hugged Sasuke tight, a thousand thoughts flapping around in his head, making him dizzy.
"I'm sorry Sasuke," he said. Sasuke closed his eyes.
The next morning
Countdown to Valentine's: One day.
Time: 4:30 am.
Sasuke stirred. Birds chirped loudly. He groaned a little, having slept on the hard-ass wooden flooring of the gazebo. He reached behind himself to sleepily massage his back—
Neji!
Sasuke sat up suddenly, his eyes flying open. He looked around.
Neji was gone.