Inbred

A short chapter I hate.

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Chapter 21

The room was quiet now except for the mingling of harsh breaths as lungs tried fill with air and regulate themselves into their familiar breathing patterns.

Sasuke was dumbstruck and all he could do was stare at the man beneath him who was crying bitterly. His body shook from the deep sobs that ground out of his throat and his tears fell into his hair that lay in a disarrayed mess around his head.

He had pushed Neji over the edge and he felt awful for reducing him to this but at least now he finally knew, even though the answer didn't satisfy him and it only raised more questions. Neji had suffered enough for now so Sasuke rolled off of him to sit quietly next to him and watch as the small body curled itself into a protective little ball. The sobs soon became hiccups and eventually dissipitated altogether. Sasuke gave him a few more moments to calm himself before speaking.

"So, let me get this straight," his voice was low and contained a heavy dose of the confused anger he was now feeling. "You broke off our relationship and kicked me out of your apartment because you fell in love with me? Shit, Hyuga if this is how you treat the people you love I'd hate to see how you treat the people you hate."

Neji took a deep, shuddering breath and slowly exhaled through his nose. "You don't understand, Uchiha."

"Then MAKE me understand, Hyuga!" he shouted. What was with people being so cryptic and then expecting him to understand when they spoke in riddles?

Neji got off the bed then and headed for the door. Sasuke didn't try to restrain him this time, instead he sighed and got up to follow. He was making his way towards the front door when Sasuke called out to him.

The boy turned sharply and his hair whipped around him like a veil. "Uchiha, look I-"

"Call me, Sasuke."

"What?" They looked into each other's eyes and Neji's breath caught in his throat. The man was looking at him with so much compassion and any traces of his earlier anger and annoyance had completely vanished and Neji wondered if it was, in fact, the same person.

"Uch- Sasuke, look I know this-" he bit his lower lip then turned his gaze to the floor. "I know it sounds...strange but-" he waved his hand dramatically as if that would make the right words magically pop into his mouth. "That night...that night when I hurt myself in the kitchen and you bandaged me and...I know it wasn't a big deal or anything...I mean it was you just helping out a friend, but then...then you kissed it and said it was all going to be better and that was when..." his voice became an almost whisper and Sasuke had to strain to hear him.

"-That was when I realized that I had loved you...with all my heart," his voice broke and fresh tears welled up in his eyes.

"Neji, I-"

"I was scared, Sasuke," he cut him off and Sasuke noticed his voice slip into it's feminine tone. "I loved you so much and...and even though you were nice to me and you took care of me I wasn't sure..." his body shook with a sob. "I wasn't sure if you loved me too."

The tears came now and they streamed down his soft cheeks falling noiselessly to the floor. "Sasuke, it hurt me so much when I thought about how much I loved you and how much my heart ached for you, and how much...and I couldn't...I didn't want to risk...I couldn't bear to think that you only wanted me for sex and that you didn't love me in return."

"Neji how could you think that?" Was this true? Was that really how he had felt? Had Sasuke seemingly neglected to show him just how much he truly meant to him?

"Because you never told me."

"Neji," he ran his fingers through his hair. "Neji, I care for you alot and I thought my actions showed you how I truly felt. You know I'm not the kind of person that writes poetry and gets all romantic and shit."

"Neither am I Sasuke but, I just...wanted to hear you say it." Neji suddenly felt very foolish. Was it so necessary to hear those words that he was willing to destroy the best relationship he had with another human being besides his parents and Hinata? Did those words mean more than the pleasure-filled nights he had spent in Sasuke's arms? Were those words so important that he was willing to make an ass out of himself right this very minute?

He shook his head and suddenly thought they weren't worth it. Sasuke probably thought the worst of him now. He probably thought he was being selfish, a spoiled Hyuga and a manipulative female if he was willing to go this far to hurt him just for three little words.

"Sasuke, I- I'm sorry I-" he was cut off as the other man pulled him into a tight embrace and brought his head low to give him one of the most possessive kisses he had ever experienced. Sasuke broke away and put his mouth against Neji's ear, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin as he made his final confession.

"Neji-koi! Aishiteru."

Neji's heart skipped a beat and he was suddenly overcome with a warm, tingly feeling that spread throughout his body, it made him shiver slightly and caused tears to flow freely again. "Aishiteru gozaimasu! Sasuke!" the smaller man threw his arms around his lover's neck and sobbed happily into his cotton shirt. These were truly tears of joy.

Sasuke ran his hands slowly up and down Neji's side then cradled him in his arms until he composed himself and pulled away to wipe at his tear-streaked face with long, dainty fingers. "Sasuke, I'm so happy I- mmph" he was cut of again as Sasuke pulled him into yet another kiss but this one wasn't one of possession, this one was a kiss of heated desire.

Neji responded to the kiss in a likewise manner and tilted his head slightly to give Sasuke easier access to his mouth, he accepted the invitation and slipped his wet tongue into its accommodating warmth. Neji flicked his tongue against Sasuke's and the taller man made a sharp intake of breath. His actions became more frantic and Sasuke grabbed the sides of Neji's shirt to pull him roughly against his body while the other boy raised his hands to thread his fingers through short, dark hair and pull his lover's head closer.

"Ahem!"

Both men froze and turned to look at the source of the sound. It was Naruto who was fully dressed and looked like he was on his way out. Unfortunately, for Sasuke he hadn't left early enough. Had he overheard the entire exchange?

Neji stepped back and blushed, once again embarrassed at having been caught by Sasuke's best friend. Sasuke, on the other hand was seriously considering sending his friend to an early grave and swore that the next time Naruto interrupted he was going to do just that.

"I'll pick up my books later," Neji whispered awkwardly and made his way towards the door while avoiding Naruto's gaze at all costs even as he said his farewell. "See you later, Uzumaki."

"Call me Naruto," he teased with a wink.

Neji picked up the closest thing he could find and tossed it at the joker's head, Naruto swore as the remote control lashed him against the forehead and clattered to the ground followed by the loud slam of the front-door signaling Neji's departure.

Sasuke grinned as he watched Naruto tenderly rub the bump that was already forming, the dobe deserved it.

"Hey, I'm glad to see things worked out between you too," he said even as he covered the swelling with one hand.

Sasuke nodded, he was pretty glad himself. "Thanks for the advice."

"Anytime," he beamed then started to make his way out.

"You're going to see that girl aren't you?" He had promised himself he wasn't going to try and get in Naruto's face about this mystery-lady but it was hard for him to just sit there and watch Naruto put his heart on the line just to wind up getting hurt.

"Yeah," he heard the reservation in his friend's voice and he knew Sasuke didn't want him to go, but he had to. He knew his friend was worried about him and he knew he didn't trust the girl but Sasuke didn't know Hinata like he did, if he did then he'd understand exactly how Naruto felt and he'd know that she wasn't like that.

"Naruto I don't think-" he sighed and shook his head. It didn't make any sense trying to dissuade him, he knew the boy was determined to help this woman. "Just be careful okay?"

In the end, Sasuke wasn't his parent, he couldn't tell him what to do and who to see so he'd just have to have faith in his friend and be ready to offer a shoulder to cry on if she did wind up breaking his heart.

"I will Sasuke, don't worry about me."

Sasuke nodded and turned to make his way into his bedroom, he'd try to keep his mind occupied by working on his part of the assignment.

"Oh, and Sasuke."

He stopped and turned to look at the boy by the door.

"I wuv you too," he said in a silly little voice and pouted his lips in an exaggerated kiss. The blond laughed and closed the door quickly behind him but not before the cordless phone that came sailing through the air hit him against the top of his head.

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As far as I know Naruto will not be interrupting Sasuke and Neji anymore.