A/n: Look! I'm alive! Erm, merry x-mas? *whistles*

Disclaimer: I got nothing.

Naruto Uzumaki pulled away from the moist, inviting lips of his lover and frowned. Ignoring Sasuke's curses, he extracted his limbs from the other man's death grip and stood. He padded to the window on sock-clad and peeked through the through the blinds. A silver sedan was pulling up to the iron gate that enclosed the Uchiha property.

Grunting, Naruto looked around for his pants.

"Why are you getting dressed, idiot?" Sasuke questioned his lover with a pout. "We weren't finished yet."

"You've got company," Naruto commented dryly, just seconds before the buzzer rang.

Annoyed, Sasuke reached for the tablet on his bedside and scrolled through the icons on the screen. Tapping the one labeled "security", he opened the feeds to the cameras that were placed around his home. Squinting at the gate, he made an ugly sound in his throat.

Activating the "talk" option, he growled into the built-in microphone. "What do you want, Hyuuga?"

Neji's voice sounded strangely muffled as he replied, "Trust me, Uchiha, this is not quite where I wish to be, either."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I do not have anywhere else to go."

A snort and the sound of spitting reached the ears of the Uzumaki-Uchiha couple, and they shared an unhappy glance. Naruto shrugged. "Your house, your choice, Sasuke. But," he sighed, "we should probably hear him out. If he's here and asking for help, something's wrong."

"Agreed," Sasuke responded. "Neji?" he called to his former classmate. "Are you alright?"

"Great," the Hyuuga replied, "though blood isn't really my color."

"Blood?!" Naruto shouted. "Holy crap, Sasuke! Buzz him in!"

"I'm sure he's exaggerating," the Uchiha countered, tapping the "unlock" button and replacing the tablet on the small table. He stretched, arching his back and rotating his neck and shoulders, making Naruto's mouth go dry. Noticing the expression on his boyfriend's face, he chuckled. "See something you like?"

"I just hope Neji doesn't see it," Naruto snapped. He threw a bundle of material at the Uchiha's head. "Put on your clothes. We've got a crisis to avert."

"How do you know it's a crisis?"

"When is the last time Hyuuga actually came over here?"

After a long pause, Sasuke answered, "Good point."

Once downstairs, Naruto and Sasuke were greeted with two flustered servants and a swollen, bleeding Hyuuga. They stared in silent shock at the injuries on their former classmate's face. Naruto recovered first.

"Neji, what the hell happened to you?"

"Lee happened to me," Neji mumbled around the wet cloth that was suddenly pressed to his face. "I told him I loved him, and he attacked me. He hates me," the man concluded. "He really hates me."

"Lee would never say that!" Naruto exclaimed, flopping on the floor in front of Neji. "Tell him, bastard!"

"The moron's right," Sasuke sighed. "Lee isn't the kind of person to-"

"He said it," Neji whispered, removing the cold, damp cloth from his nose. "He told me hated me, right before he kneed me in the face. Gods," his voice shook. "I must have hurt him so badly."

"Yes, you did," Naruto said, clapping a hand on Neji's trembling thigh. "But now you're back, and we can fix this."

"I don't know how," the Hyuuga admitted, blinking back tears. "It's not like I wanted to leave him. My unc-" Neji's speech sputtered to a stop. "Nevermind," he said, looking away. "Can I sleep here tonight, Uchiha? I don't have anywhere else to go."

Sasuke pursed his lips, a refusal on the tip of his tongue, but a glance toward Naruto gave him pause. The blond man was glaring at him, his expression clearly saying "Don't be a bastard, bastard." The Uchiha male sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. "Fine," he choked out. "Kimi? Show the Hyuuga to a room and take his clothing to be cleaned." Fixing his gaze on Neji, Sasuke said, "We'll talk about this in the morning."

"Thank you," Neji mumbled, rising to his feet to follow the servant woman. "I appreciate this. I know we're not really friends anymore, so really, thank you."

"Oh, we'll always be friends, Neji," Naruto promised, also getting to his feet. "I'll go call Lee."

"Is that wise?" Sasuke questioned.

"Do you think he really needs to be alone right now?" Naruto fired back.

"Good point. Go call Lee and see if he needs anything."

Confused, Neji whipped his head back and forth between the two men. "What are you - What's going-"

"Don't worry about it. Get cleaned up. Kimi, take him. Naruto, we can call Lee from my office."

"But-"

"Good night, Hyuuga. Neji." Sasuke sighed again. "Just..get some sleep. We'll talk to Lee, alright?" He made a shooing motion with his hand, and Kimi dragged the Hyuuga gently from the room.

"This can't be good," Naruto noted once they were alone.

"Hn."

Lee ran all the way home.

He blew past startled dogwalkers, people working the late shift, and rebellious teenagers hanging out after dark against their parents's wishes. He acknowledged no one, narrowly missed being hit by no less than three cars, and was severely winded when he reached his apartment building. Sweat rolled down his body, plastering his scrubs to his skin. Shaking and pumped up on adrenaline, Lee rocketed into his small residence and threw his bag to the floor. Still in motion, he stripped, leaving a trail of damp clothing from the front door to the bathroom.

He flipped the light switch, flooding the bathroom with light. On his way to the shower, he glanced at the mirror and froze. His eyes were wild and shiny, his face horribly flushed. The worst part was the unhappy grimace that stretched across his face. Unable to bear his reflection, Lee lifted a fist, and slammed it into the offensive glass.

"Pathetic," he growled, nearly startling himself with the harshness of his voice. He turned away from the evidence of how badly Neji had unsettled him, and open the faucets in his shower all the way. Rapidly warming water filled the small room with steam. Uncaring about the temperature, Lee stepped under the roaring blast and shoved his head into the liquid assault. Hoping the loud rush of water would cover the noise, he screamed. It was a rough, primal sound; he felt it burn through his body and settle in his chest.

"Neji," he growled to the empty apartment. Dropping to a crouch, he wrapped his long arms around his legs and buried his face into his knees. The scars on his back throbbed, reminding him of why he needed to keep Neji at a distance.

"Why, Neji? Why now? I was doing so well without you."

The water turned cold far too soon for Lee's liking. Reluctantly, he stood, shut off the icy deluge, and stepped out of the shower onto the cold floor. He dripped as he searched for a towel. Not finding one, he remembered that he had meant to do a load of laundry that evening. Which meant that he was currently shivering in his bathroom with no clean towels and dripping water everywhere. He cursed himself for his forgetfulness, then cursed Neji for distracting him. Sneaking a glance at the foggy mirror, he flinched when he saw the same feverish shine in his eyes as he did when he first arrived home.

"I must calm myself," he spoke to his reflection. "I must. Not. Think." Shivering harder, he wanted to escape into his bedtime, dry off, and dress in warm clothing, but he found himself unable to pull away from the mirror.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped at his reflection. "This is most likely your fault, for being weak. You have not trained enough. You must be stronger. You must resist." Lee could hear his breathing becoming ragged; he needed to get warm and dry but he just could not bring himself to move. "You..came so close to forgetting. Why did he come back? Why did you let him come back? You said it was for the best that he was gone, but now he is back and asking you to pretend to be his lover? Saying that he loves you? And you are close to giving in to him. He left you!" Lee slammed his fist against the mirror; a small crack appeared in the reflective surface. "He left you, and you let him go, because you had to. Your scholarship was on the line, and then you lost it anyway! You are weak, and you should have died. Why did he not let you die?" Vaguely aware that he was no longer referring to Neji -

- pale skin, warm lips, rough hands skimming across his scars -

Lee punched the glass and watched the crack spider web across the surface. Curious, he pushed the broken surface and reflexively closed his eyes as the mirror shattered, spraying bits of glass into the air. The biggest chunks fell into the sink, and a few landed on the floor, shattering further. He stepped back to avoid the glass and slipped in a puddle of water on the tiled floor. Arms flailing, Lee went down, landing on his knees. His teeth slammed together with a clatter, and a hot pain traveled up his thighs to his lower back. Moaning in pain, Lee lay on the floor, in the water, and curled up into a ball.

He heard a muffled ringtone floating through the apartment, followed by loud knocking on his door; someone was trying to contact him, but he was hurting and he was tired and he wasn't feeling cold at all anymore..

Naruto frowned at the phone in his hand.

Sasuke noted the look and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Lee's not answering." He turned to his lover, bright blue eyes dimmed with concern. "Do you think something happened to him?

Sasuke grunted in the negative. "I'm sure he's fine. It's late; he probably went straight to bed. He did work today, after all."

"Yeah, but..It's Lee. And Neji," Naruto stressed the names.

"Do you want to go over there, and possibly ruin the man's sleep?" Sasuke asked, half-teasing. He pushed back from his desk, walked around it, and used his hip to nudge Naruto's arm. Understanding, Naruto opened his arms, and was rewarded with a lap full of Sasuke. He buried his face in the man's stomach and grumbled.

"Hn?"

"I said, should we be doing this?"

"What, you suddenly have an aversion to holding me?"

"That's not what I meant!" Naruto pulled back and glared at Sasuke who chuckled. "I mean, should be even be interfering in this? Lee might be insulted if he knew how much has been done in his life without his knowledge."

Sasuke sighed. "We're his friends; we're supposed to look out for him. Besides, you know how he was."

"He was a wreck then, yeah, but he's changed so much, gotten so much stronger. Maybe we don't need to do anything anymore."

"I know he still hurts," Sasuke snapped. "He hides everything behind that dumb grin and goes out of his way to help people, like another idiot I know, but he hurts."

"Maybe, just maybe, you bastard, he really is happy and is dealing with things the way he knows how. Neji has always been a cold, pompous bastard with a stick up his butt, holding on to outdated ideas of family honor, like other bastards I know," Naruto growled. "Maybe if he backed off a bit, Lee would open up to him and just tell him how he feels." He retracted his arms, and shifted, as if to stand, forcing Sasuke off of his lap.

Angered, Sasuke clambered to his feet and glared down at the blond man. "Sometimes idiots don't know what's good for them, and they need direction."

"Maybe idiots are idiots because they have too much direction and they're confused and dealing with crap from everywhere!" Naruto spat.

Sasuke froze, Naruto's words sinking in. He searched his the other man's eyes, and felt something squeeze his heart. "Naruto," he whispered. "Gods..this isn't about Lee and Neji at all, is it?"

Naruto stood, giving his back to his longtime boyfriend. and looked down at floor. "There's so much pressure," he told his socks. "To finish the experiments, to publish the findings, and," he exhaled bitterly, "to find out why my parents died and what was done to me." His fingers curled into fists. "I know I've made progress, but you're right; it still hurts."

"Naruto," Sasuke's voice cracked. Swiftly, he closed the short distance between them and wound his arms around Naruto's waist. He kissed Naruto's neck and waited, trying to transmit that he was there and he would remain. The two stood there, silently, each lost in their own thoughts.

Neji growled and tossed his phone onto his borrowed bed. Five times, he had called Lee, and five times, his calls had gone unanswered. Annoyance and fear fought for dominance in Neji's brain; fear was currently winning.

Fear? No, not fear; what Neji was feeling was akin to abject terror. He cursed himself for leaving when he did, how he did, but, as he had told Lee, he had no choice.

"Hey, Lee," a girl in their study group, Tenten, called out as she sat down at their table. "Did you hear back from Konoha University yet?"

"I did, Tenten," Lee replied. He dropped his eyes back to his bowl of curry, as if not noticing that his friends were waiting for him to continue.

"And? What'd they say? Are you going or not?" Tenten asked, too nosy for her own good. Neji would never admit that he was just as curious to hear the answer.

With a sigh, Lee explained, "My application is in order, but I am missing a single paper of the utmost importance. I must convince someone to write a letter of recommendation. Mr. Maito can not do it, as he is also listed as my legal guardian. The lovely, youthful woman I spoke with on the phone suggested I would help if 'someone of prominence' signed it."

"Can't you ask Uchiha?" another voice chimed in. "He's the head of his family - the only one left of his family, if the rumors are right - and you don't get much more prominent than that in this city."

"I do not wish to take advantage of our friendship in that way," Lee addressed his lunch.

"I'll ask Uncle Hiashi," Neji blurted out. Several stunned pairs of eyes turned his way. He ignored their looks of shock and spoke directly to Lee. "I'll ask him, okay? I'll make sure he understands how important this is." Neji tried very hard to force his heart rate to slow when Lee flashed him a beautiful smile of appreciation. He could do this, he decided. He would do this for his friend. It was a good deed, it would improve the public image of the Hyuuga family, and it would make Lee happy.

But Hiashi Hyuuga did not agree.

"No."

"But Uncle! He needs help. I want to help him," Neji's voice cracked.

Hiashi regarded his nephew carefully, not liking the emotion he saw swirling in those pale eyes. "What is this boy to you?"

Neji choked, and tried to cover it up with a cough. "He's a good friend, Uncle." Pain exploded in his face almost begin he finished speaking. Shocked, he glared through watery eyes at the elder male and caressed his cheek with a shaking hand.

"I've seen the looks you two give each other. You fancy yourself in love with this boy, don't you?" Hiashi's eyes narrowed as Neji's eyes widened. "You disgust me."

"But-"

"I will write this letter. In return, you will leave."

"Leave?"

"I forbid this..relationship of yours."

"We don't have a relationship! He's my best friend!" Neji shouted, sickening himself with how quick the denial slipped from his lips.

"And he will no longer be that," Hiashi continued.

"Wha-wha?"

"All contact with this boy will cease. After graduation, you will get on a plane and travel to a destination of my choice. and you will stay there until you reach the age of majority and receive your inheritance. If you fail to comply, I will ruin this Rock boy's chances of living in this city. Is that understood, Neji?"

The implications and consequences hit Neji like a speeding train. Leave, live without contact, or ruin Lee's life. Defeated, he knew there was only one correct response.

"Yes, Uncle Hiashi. I understand."

Silently, Neji reached for his phone to try calling Lee again. He needed to hear the other man's, even if it was just for Lee to tell him that he didn't want to talk. At least then, he'd know that Lee was alright.

As the sixth, seventh, and eighth calls also went unanswered, Neji started to shiver. His memories, it seemed, wanted to torture him.

"Dammit, Lee kicked a hole in a the wall! Somebody grab him."

"Got I him!," Neji slurred, stumbling, drunkenly toward the anxious sounding voice. "Lee! My rock, my friend!"

"Beloved Neji, my companion of - hic - youth!" Lee answered. "We shall race toward the - hic - sunset!"

"Iss two inna mornin', Lee," Neji chuckled, "No more sun inna sky."

A loud groan filled the air. "Somebody dump these two idiots in a room and let them sober up. Crap, Mr. Maito is gonna kill us for this mess."

How they got to a bedroom, Neji would never know, and he said as much to his green clad. Propping himself up on elbow, he stared into Lee's face. "Say we nevah drunk again, hn?"

"That idea sounds most beautiful," Lee croaked. "Oh, Neji, my beautiful friend, I could kiss you for proposing that brilliant plan."

"Perhamps you zhoul, Rock Boy," Neji giggled. "Here, let's kiss." He dragged himself closer to his friend, and they pressed their lips together. Expecting to pull away and laugh at their foolishness, Neji did not plan for the heat that bloomed in his belly, nor did he account for the strong arm that wrapped around his waist to pull him closer.

"Neji," Lee whispered, sounding very sober, "I've been waiting for you to do that for a long time."

"Hn," Neji responding, seeking the lips that had stopped pressing against his. "Lee, I-"

"Me, too, Neji. I know."

"Shh."

The next morning, Neji slipped away while the other youth snored peacefully. He called his uncle while stepping over sleeping teenagers, and a sleek, black vehicle met him at the corner. Neji opened the back door of the car and got in, never once looking back at who and what he was leaving behind.

Weary, Neji pressed his face into his hands, welcoming the pain that radiated from his ignored nose.

"I have to fix this."

Sakura frowned at the glowing computer in front of her. The results of her long and tortuous web search were not giving her the answers she sought, and she was frustrated. It was days like this when she wished she was some sort of super hacker, or at least in a position to uncover hidden information. Biting back a yawn, she raised her arms over her head and stretched her aching muscles. Sitting hunched over a laptop for hours on end was not a pleasant way to spend an evening alone.

Terribly, completely alone.

Flopping backwards onto her bed, Sakura shoved a hunk of strawberry-blond hair and forced it away from her face. She had spent the last few days being miserable; her friends were keeping secrets from her, and the hostility from some of them was beginning to take its toll on her health and sanity. She had not been to work, and she had been skipping meals. she spent most of the time on a self-imposed mission to track down any information about two people: Lee Rock and Neji Hyuuga. She wanted to know how two, seemingly opposite people had gotten so close.

"I can't believe they think I'll just let this go," the woman grumbled to her empty room. "What do they take me for? Lee is my friend; I'm just trying to protect him."

"Are you certain of that fact?" Sai's low voice invaded what she thought were her private musings.

"Ahh! Sai! Why don't you ever knock?" Sakura screeched to her housemate as she sat up, almost knocking her computer to the floor. "I could have been naked."

Sai blinked slowly, and asked, "Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

Sakura growled in response, and Sai lifted his hands, showing the reason he had entered the room in the first place. Curious, Sakura nodded her head toward the small, grease-stained paper bag.

"Dinner," Sai said simply. "You haven't eaten."

"Oh. Thank you." She held out her hand, and the male closed the distance between them, placing the offering in her cupped palms. She happily opened the container, and gasped when she saw the wrapped sandwich and inhaled the heavenly aroma. "Basil chicken wrap?"

"Of course," Sai retorted. "You don't eat anything else from that place."

"Ah, Sai, you know me so well."

"..Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

Ignoring the male, Sakura unwrapped her sandwich and took a small bite. Heavily seasoned, roasted chicken breast, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and a special sauce filled her mouth. "Yum!" she cried, closing her eyes to savor the flavor. Maybe she could take a break from searching for the truth. Just this once.

Sai smirked inwardly while watching the his housemate devour her meal. He knew that she had been sniffing around Lee and Neji's relationship, and he knew that she was not the type of person to just let it go, even if threatened. He had not been asked to intervene, but he felt that it fell upon him, as he was, quite literally, the closest person to her; living with Sakura gave him a unique perspective concerning her state of mind. Sai knew that having their friends pull away from her was wrecking havoc on her mental state. He also understood that whatever was going on between Lee and Neji could only be solved by Lee and Neji; the two had their unbreakable bond, and no one else could interfere. He just wished that Sakura understood that; watching over her was going to cut into his reading time, and that was something that Sai hated more than anything.

He exited the room, making a note to call Sasuke in the morning; the others needed to know that Sakura was a bigger problem than they had originally thought.

He watched Lee sleep, stroking his cheek and gently wiping away the tears that slipped through the tightly closed lids.

"I'm glad I've been watching you, Lee," the red-haired person said. "I won't let you slip back into the darkness," Gaara promised.