A/N: Life. It happens to the best of us. I hope to finish this story in the coming months, especially now that Bystander is finally done.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto franchise, and I am not making ANY money from the writing of this story. Not one measly dime.

Typos and any mistakes are mine, and will be fixed at some point in the hopefully near future.

Lee stared at the massive, wrought-iron gates of Uchiha Manor with rising trepidation. Had he not been trapped in Neji's car, with the weight of Neji's hand on his knee offering him small comfort, he would have bolted. He swallowed hard, and worried his bottom lip. Seeing their group of high school friends at Naruto's birthday dinner was one thing; seeing them in the intimate setting of Sasuke's home without buffers and distractions was a completely different animal. Try as he might, Lee just could not find his youthful center. His normally blinding smile was nowhere to be found on his face. He jumped when Neji squeezed his thigh. Curiously, his eyes darted to the left to observe the long-haired male.

Neji was staring at him, his eyes soft with concern. "Are you alright, Lee?"

"Never better," he murmured.

Neji sighed. "We do not have to stay. We can go in, give our greetings, and make our excuses. We have had a long week at the clinic; surely, they would forgive us for ducking out early."

"But these are our friends," Lee quibbled. "Surely, we owe them the best of our youthful energy as thanks for this invitation to Sasuke's humble abode?" He summoned a dazzling smile. "We will have the most beautiful of nights!"

Unconvinced, Neji thumbed the switch that lowered his window, and jabbed at the intercom. Naruto's happy face instantly filled the monitor. "Neji! Lee! Hey, guys. Come on in! Everybody else is here already. We're gonna have so much fun tonight, believe it!" As the blond's cheerful babble filled the vehicle, the gates swung open, granting the small silver car access to the large, circular driveway. A line of cars was parked along the curve.

Shutting off his own car, Neji threw a questioning glance at Lee. The other male blinked rapidly, then forced a second smile. "I will give my best!" he said, offering a glove-covered thumbs up.

Neji covered Lee's hand with his own. "We will give our best," he corrected. "I am not going to let you got through alone. We are a team, a unit, and I will prove it to you."

Slowly, Lee extracted his hand. Without a word, he disconnected his seat belt, opened the car door and, placing his feet on the partially frozen ground, stood. He closed the door, noting with satisfaction when he heard the "click" of the catch engaging. He strode forward, and promptly slipped on a patch of slick grass. Before he could blink, Neji was at his side, hauling him upright by his waist. The movement pulled at the scar tissue on his back, and he hissed.

"Lee?"

"I am right as rain," he said through clenched teeth. He righted himself, straightened his coat, and strode to the door, which opened just as he reached it.

"Finally!" Naruto's voice boomed. "Come on, come on! You guys are so slow, geez."

"Let them catch their breath, Naruto," Sasuke's smooth voice interjected. "Not everyone enjoys the cold." The dark-haired male nudged his partner out of the way to allow his final guests to enter his home. He nodded as he greeted them. "Lee, Hyuuga."

"Uchiha," Neji nodded as well.

"My friends!" Lee gushed as he struggled with his coat and shoes. Hopping on one foot, he tried to extract his arms from his coat and remove the loafers he had chosen to wear with a toe. He stumbled, and crashed into a wall that turned out to be Neji. He looked into the other male's eyes and blushed. "I am afraid I am not very youthful tonight," he said in a low voice. "i am causing you trouble."

"No trouble," Neji whispered, his breath tickling Lee's ear. "I am glad that I could be here for you." The unspoken this time hung in the air between them.

The clearing of a throat had them leaping apart.

"Stop mooning over each other and get in here!" Naruto demanded.

"Ah, right. We will be right there," Neji said.

They made quick work of their over-clothes and slipped their feet into leather guest slippers. They padded quietly across the marble floor and into the lavish entertainment room. As they entered, all conversation immediately ceased. Daunted, Lee flexed his fingers at his sides, opening and closing his fists as he tried to smile. He jumped slightly when he felt a hand close around his; a sigh left his lips as Neji intertwined their fingers.

"My beautiful, youthful friends!" Lee exclaimed, having found his voice again.

"I see Fate meant for our paths to cross again," Neji offered the small crowed.

Shikamaru Nara grunted from his spot on the soft, black couch. "Neji Hyuuga," he yawned. "Lee. Good to see you two again." His head dropped back down to the arm rest. He grunted again as his longtime girlfriend, Ino, poked him in the side. "I'm tried," he grumbled. "Troublesome woman."

Tenten, wearing the same two-bun hairstyle that she'd worn since middle school, rushed over to greet the couple. "My god, it is you!" she exclaimed. "When we saw at the club, I thought you looked familiar. Your hair is longer," she observed. "And you don't look quite so stiff anymore."

"A lot has happened," he acknowledged with a nod. "Have you kept up your training at the dojo?"

"I'll say," she snorted. "I'm one of the head teacher now. My specialty is edged weapons. I can cut anything!"

Neji took small step backward, away from the enthusiastic woman, dragging Lee with him.
"I see," he murmured. His pale gaze flicked around the room, nodding here and there at members of their group. He ignored the hopeful, flirty expression on Sakura's face, noted the depressed look on Sai'sa face, and came to rest on his cousin's downcast eyes. "Hinata," he called softly.

She lifted her head, blinking rapidly. A tiny smile graced her lips. "I'm g-glad you came, N-Neji. We haven't really had a chance to talk."

"Now that we're all here," Naruto broke in, "we can get this party started!" He shoved the late-arriving couple toward an empty couch and pushed them down. They flopped, ungracefully, onto the buttery leather.

Lee shifted, a flicker of something Neji did not catch ghosting across his face. He turned toward his partner. "Are you alright, Lee?"

"I seem to have lost a bit of my youthful energy this week," Lee admitted. He shifted again, attempting to find a comfortable angle for his back. He was oblivious to the knowing glances from their group, as well as the daggers that Sakura was shooting Neji with her eyes.

Neji rubbed his thumb across Lee's knuckles. "Do you need me to get you anything? A painkiller, perhaps? We can still leave early, if you like."

This time when Lee smiled, it was genuine. "Thank you, Neji, for your concern. I will manage." He leaned forward, and planted a chaste peck on the other male's lips.

"Get a room, you freaks!" a flustered Kiba yelled. "Look what you've done to poor Hinata!"

"You seem to referring to yourself," Shino told his buddy. "Why? Because you are the one blushing."

"Shut up, Bug Boy!"

"Ahem." Sasuke cleared his throat, and the room fell silent once again. "It has been a long while since the twelve─"

Sai coughed.

"─thirteen of us," Sasuke continued smoothly, "have been together as a group. We should take this time to reacquaint ourselves, and welcome Hyuuga back into our fold."

"You long-winded bastard," Naruto broke in. "You're boring the people!"

"Some of us are able to express our thoughts in a concise manners, and some of us are morons," the Uchiha male retorted.

"Did you just call me a moron, you asshole?"

"I would only call an idiot an idiot, you idiot."

"I guess you found the stick you lost; it's up your ass!"

"Sadly, we haven't yet found the brains you lost. Oh, that's right, you never had them in the first place."

"Jerk!"

"Fool!"

"Stuck up!"

"Dead last!"

"I see they haven't changed much," Neji observed dryly. Lee chuckled softly at his side.

"No," Shikamaru said sleepily. "No, not at all. Except their arguments tend to turn into─Okay, you two, knock it off or take it to the bedroom!" Shikamaru made a tsking sound and turned his head away from the suddenly overly affectionate scene in the middle of the room. "Troublesome."

Servants entered carrying foldaway tables. People in white jackets bearing the word "Ichiraku" stenciled on the back carried is trays and large containers of food. Naruto, pulled away form Sasuke's embrace and began to cheer.

"Food's here!" he announced to the crowd. He sent a wink to Chouji, their resident gourmand and exclaimed, "We even ordered some of that barbequed beef you used to like so much." As if on cue, Chouji began to drool.

"I hope you at least ordered some vegetables," Ino said with a sniff. "Some of us have to watch our figures."

Sakura scoffed. "As if that would matter, Ino Pig."

Ino's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "What'd you say, Forehead Girl?"

Shikamaru merely groaned and tried to sink deeper into the cushions.

"Such beautiful displays of youth!" Lee exclaimed, hopping up. He had forgotten that his fingers were connected to Neji's; the Hyuuga male was dragged upward, and let out an unmanly screech of surprise. Lee glanced at his partner as everyone looked their way. "Oh! Forgive me, my love, for I had forgotten we were joined together in our passion!"

"Oh my God," Tenten shrieked into Hinata's ear. "It's really real? They're finally together?"

"So it would seem," Hinata answered shyly.

"I am fine, Lee." At the other male's frown and slight pout, Neji groaned inwardly. He felt a tightening in his gut that it would rude to have in front of polite company. "Really. I am fine." He inhaled sharply as Lee flashed him a brilliant grin. Giving in, he closed the distance between them, capturing Lee's mouth with his own. He vaguely registered a gasp from one of the women in the room and ignored it. He needed this moment, this kiss, and he would have it.

From far away, he heard the doorbell chime, and the shocked mutterings of Naruto and Sasuke. In an effort to push the world away, he placed his hands on Lee's hips and pulled the male in closer. Lee responded instantly, digging his fingers into Neji's long, chocolate-colored locks. What did register through the haze of lust that covered him was the angry shout of a disturbingly familiar voice.

"Get away from Lee," Gaara ordered, "or I will make you regret it."