Purple Cocaine Prison

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything…cept the fic.

Warning(s): See Previous chapter(s)
Pairing(s): Various

~!@!~
‘Purple Cocaine Prison’
Fun In the Sun…mostly

~!@!~

{Naruto/Wednesday Morning/Outdoors}

Since today happens to be a half-day, about half of the student body is outside. Not screwing around, mind you, but planting flowers. Sounds weird, but it isn’t. Mrs. Zen, our cooking teacher, explained that it was ‘Landscaping’ and that it would make the school look much nicer.

I’ve been on autopilot all morning. Math and Cooking were cancelled in favor of letting us toast outside, but thankfully, I don’t have to deal with Sasuke by myself. Unfortunately, we’ve been divided up into different ‘Task-Forces’ as Kakashi-Sensei teasingly calls us.

I’m with Gaara and we’re planting the actual flowers. Haku is an organizer so he’s somewhere chatting peoples’ ears off on how to properly water new flowers, Shika snuck off to sleep under the tree behind the gym, Sasuke is actually getting dirty and digging holes and Neji is helping with the actual flower arrangement so he tells Gaara and I where to actually plant certain flowers.

I’m glad because it’s nice out and we’re progressing pretty well. Gaara seems to like the weather too and is more talkative then usual. Another thing I forgot to mention that the girls are on the other side of the yard so I don’t have to worry about Sakura ripping my head off if Sasuke attacks me and I bite him.

I tell myself not to worry about that since I’m with Gaara.

Gaara, despite the heat, is decked out in his typical flowing white scarf, and converse sneakers. Today he opted for brown Dickies and a black shirt with a band name on it. Even during the planting, he didn’t take off his wristbands. One of them caught my eye because it was hot pink and had black cats all over it.

Frowning behind my bandana, I tug playfully at his sleeve, “Aren’t you hot?”

Cool jade green eyes turn to me and I get a shrug in response.

Shrugging back, I wait while he hands me another mini rose bush and yelp suddenly when I get pricked, “Geez, these things are sharp…”

Because it’s childish instinct, I go to stick my injured finger in my mouth, entirely forgetting that it’s highly unsanitary to do so.

Gaara suddenly catches my wrist and shakes his head disapprovingly, “Germs”

Blankly, I stare up at him until it occurs to me he’s right. Laughing, I nonchalantly wipe the dot of blood onto the grass, “Right, forgot” It still kind of stings though.

Gaara eyes me and shrugs again. He’s getting used to me and I to him. Funnily enough, besides Shika and Haku, I think he’s probably someone I feel just as safe with. Certain guys in my life seem to be suddenly deciding that they like me…and I’m supposed to cope with semi-sexual harassment from a certain dark-haired and velvet eyed someone. Luckily too, I’m already attached so it shouldn’t be too bad.

Only…being attached doesn’t seem to be a big enough deterrent and I don’t really want it to escalate into anything more then it is now. Sasuke’s probably trying to play games with Neji using me as middle ground but I’m not going to let that happen. Still, the reality is that Neji is probably going to find out about Sasuke one way or another and I don’t know whether to be more scared about what they might do to each other or how mad Neji might be at me for not telling him straight when it first started.

Absently, I tuck the rose bush into the hole pre-made by Sasuke’s team and pat it in. Next to me, Gaara is doing the same albeit more meticulously. Pausing, I watch the way he tucks in all the roots properly and cups his hands around the base as he pats down to make sure everything underneath is covered up.

Grinning ruefully I realize that I’m not being nearly as careful.

“Ne, Gaara?”

“Hn?”

“D’you plant stuff, usually?”

Gaara shrugs while pulling putting some plastic wrap in the trashcan next to us, “No…first time”

This strikes me as weird cause, lookit, he’s a natural, “Your really careful”

Gaara shrugs again, “Mistakes mean having to do it again”

I muse over this as I sit back to look at the long line of holes still waiting to have flowers planted in them, “Do you suppose we’ll ever finish in time to go back to Cooking?”

Gaara, uncharacteristically, smiles, “You ask too many questions…I am not young enough to know everything”

Laughing and trying to puzzle that out, I stand slowly, dusting myself off. I turn to head back to where Neji is posted to ask for more flowers when Kiba comes running past.

Kiba and I used to really, really not get along. He and Sasuke were the biggest problems when I was a brat. They both semi grew out of beating up on me, but that doesn’t mean they’ve stopped. Kiba was always an instigator and once a prankster always a prankster.

So when he shouts my name and tosses a mini rose bush right at me, it doesn’t surprise me too much. The surprising bit happens when I actually catch the thing. The damn thing pricks me so hard that I yelp and drop it.

Gaara stands abruptly and comes to check. Around me, I’m aware of people stopping to come and take a look. It surprises me when Neji takes my hands and examines them carefully.

When did he even get here?

Glancing up at the people surrounding us, Neji asks them to go back to what they were doing before and informed the mildly curious bunch that I would live. He even shoos Sasuke off… if you can call a raised eyebrow and coolly turning away being shooed off.

I’m relieved when people do as their told. I hate being the center of attention.

Neji turns to Gaara, “Take him to the infirmary for me? I’ll meet you there”

Gaara’s forehead creases and he kind of frowns, “Sure”

“You don’t have to come with,” I say. Gaara looked sorta annoyed just now…

Gaara shrugs, “It’s fine. Let’s go”

As if to stop me from protesting anymore, he takes my arm and steers us both towards the building. Once people are out of earshot and out of site, I relax a little more, “You honestly didn’t have to come. I’m a big boy”

Gaara pauses long enough to look down at me.

I pull out of our lopped arms and whack his arm lightly. Fuming, I tell him: “I meant mentality wise, not height wise”

Gaara shrugs, “Neji asked”

I grin, “You could’ve said no”

Gaara holds the door open for me and we enter the cooler building, “Didn’t need to”

I grin. People may say Gaara’s weird but there is no denying the fact that he’s actually a really cool guy.

We wander off to the right and take a few turns before we reach the actual infirmary. The door is wide open but Gaara knocks lightly anyway. We both wait but there’s no answer.

Shrugging, Gaara goes in and waves me in after him.

I can remember coming here once during grade ten when I picked a fight with Kiba and it got me more then I bargained for. The nurse was a nice lady, a bit old, and seemed to know just what to do for any situation.

The room matched the lady: soft-spoken and welcoming. It has the typical clinic-like white walls and widows that had blinds and not curtains.

Gaara made me wash my hands while he looked for peroxide. Standing at the sink, I watch him pull a stool out from under the desk and use it to climb up to the medicine cabinets. Balancing perfectly although the stool seemed narrow, Gaara roots thru the first three before finding what he’s looking for.

I sit on one of those beds with the scratchy blankets and hold out my hands obediently when Gaara asks me to.

Tipping some of the peroxide onto a cotton cloth, Gaara goes to wipe down my hands but I flinch away.

Patiently, as if talking to a four-year old, Gaara pauses, “It won’t burn”

“How do you know?”

Gaara shrugs, “It’ll bubble and when it stops, all the germs are gone”

I frown at the cloth, “Stuff like that always burns”

I’m feeling childish…sue me.

Gaara looks up at the ceiling, as if thinking before looking back down at me, “Watch my face while I do it”

“Huh?”

He elaborates, “If your watching my face, you’ll be concentrating on me instead of what I’m doing”

I laugh, “What if it stings though?”

Gaara seems to roll the question over in his head, “It won’t”

“Promise? Cross your heart and hope to die?”

Gaara doesn’t even bat an eye, “I promise”

See, this kind of childish behavior that I break out into every once in a while usually gets on people’s nerves. I’ve learned to keep my complaining to myself, mostly. Gaara isn’t most people though and doesn’t seem the least bit wound up with me for being stupid.

Resigned, I hold out my hands. You can see all the little pinpricks from the rose bush because blood is welling up from every little hole. Fascinated, I flex my hands slightly and more blood surfaces.

Gaara puts a cool finger under my chin and makes me look up at him. I laugh. I completely forgot! I’m supposed to be looking at him.

Patient, Gaara lets me focus on his face and when he sees that I do, he quickly wipes my hands down.

“Geez! That’s COLD!”

Gaara smirks, “But it doesn’t sting”

I grin; looking at my hands and watching the small wounds bubble like Gaara said they would, “Yeah, yeah, alright”

Gaara gently takes my right hand first and bandages it with gauze and does the same for my left hand afterwards. He’s surprisingly gentle. Not because I wouldn’t expect him to be but more because he’s not the kind of person I could typically picture standing around and doing this for me.

Sighing, Gaara finishes by cleaning up, “Feel better?”

I let myself drop back onto the bed, “Yeah…but I’m kinda sweaty…uh, gross” I squirm a bit when my shirt sticks to my back because of the sweat. I shut my eyes and decide that I’d rather stay here then go back outside; at least there’s air conditioning in here…

Somewhere off to my right I hear Gaara rummaging. Sitting up on my elbows, I peer over at him.

He’s riffling thru a black satchel bag that I hadn’t noticed him having and produces a red and white bundle.

Glancing at me, Gaara holds out the bundle, “You can wear this”

Tentatively, I slide off the bed and reach out to take it. Unfolding it, I see that’s it’s a long sleeve shirt. It’s stripped red and white and has a small skull insignia in the center of the chest. The skull is kinda unusual because it’s dark purple and has a grin that shows a few teeth missing.

I grin, “Do you carry a whole wardrobe in there?” I point to indicate the satchel bag.

Gaara shrugs, “Only when I know I’m going to be needing it”

I smile at him before going to pull off my plain gray tee. I freeze when I realize Gaara’s eyes on me. We stare at each other a moment before Gaara, without being asked to, turns around. I smile at his back and pull my gray gym tee over my head. It’s not that I can’t change in front of him; it’s more that people have a tendency to ask about my tat…and I never have anything to say about it.

The cooler indoor air makes me shiver a bit. Glancing down at my stomach, I use a finger to trace the tattoo wrapped around my navel like a tribal signature. Frowning, I press my hand flat against it. I never did know where this tattoo came from…

Shrugging, I pull on Gaara’s shirt. Hearing this, Gaara turns back around.

The first thing I notice is how light the fabric actually is. The second thing is that the sleeves are too long. The third thing is that the neck of the thing is so wide that it leaves one of my shoulders bare. On the plus side, it’s comfortable and I love the colors.

Gaara eyes me, conclusive, “You look good”

Somehow that simple compliment warms my cheeks. I’m being stupid because Gaara is just being nice. On the other hand, it’s nice to get a compliment from someone who seems to know what they’re talking about.

“Thanks” Out of habit, and out of nervousness and embarrassment, I rub my stomach.

Gaara nods and turns to sit at the open window, “We should wait for Neji”

“Okay”

I look around and spot a Cosmo magazine. Curious, I pick it up and sit back down on the bed. I never could understand why girls read these things and it’s not because I didn’t like to read either. Flipping it open, I scan the pages: 250 New Spring Fashions You’ll Love…10 Things You Never Say To Your Mother-In-Law…8 Bedroom Tricks He’ll Love…

Okay…

The last few pages are a bit safer: A mini booklet Bedside Astrologer/Horoscope.

I’m a Libra so I go and read what they have to say about me since I’m interested. I scroll down the page and read the pink box labeled Libra: You’re emotional, commit easily and are always looking towards the future. Your creative personality is a boon to your sexual abilities. Nothing’s sexier to you then a man willing to talk ‘we’ instead of ‘me’.

Okay…

Laughing, I flip to the Bedside Astrologer part and read a few other things.

SUPER-STRENGHTS:
Open-mindedness, sensitivity, diplomacy

Diplomacy?

I skip the WEAKNESSES and PET PEEVES to read GUILTY PLEASURE which happens to dictate that my guilty pleasure is: Sneaking a peek at porn when my guy’s not around because erotic eye candy appeals to me.

Who writes this stuff?

My BIGGEST CHALLENGE is supposed to be: Telling the truth even if it might cause conflict and that I need to learn that a disagreement doesn’t have to be the end of the world…or a friendship.

I’m supposed to LOVE big cities and new experiences, HATE phoniness, SECRETLY WISH to be pampered, and CAN’T RESIST being teased…

And to think, people get paid to try and figure this stuff out and make it new and original every month that you read it…

Grinning, I get a this great idea, “Gaara, what’s you sign?”

Gaara turns away from the window long enough to give me the eye.

I laugh, “I’m serious. Tell me, please?”

Gaara’s frown creases up his forehead adorably as he continues to give me the look. At length, he answers, “Capricorn”

Smiling, I thumb back to the Horoscope and read his out to him: “You’re a true romantic, known for your love of life, beauty, and all things sensual and exotic. Your man is as charming and idyllic as you are”

Gaara snorts and surprises me by coming to sit on the bed with me. He peers over my shoulder as I flip over to his Bedside Astrologer predictions.

His STRENGHTS are professionalism, responsibility and loyalty. True enough.

His WEAKNESSES are supposed to be pessimism and stubbornness, which is also a bit true.

Even Gaara laughs a bit when we read that his GUILTY PLEASURE is supposed to be bragging.

In his case, he’s supposed to: LOVE anything that makes him feels like he’s on top, HATE being poked fun at, SECRETLY WISH to be ordered around and CAN’T RESIST an ego rush.

At that point, with both Gaara and I on the verge of laughing ourselves stupid, Neji pops in unnoticed and watches us curiously. By the time I calm down, Gaara is already aware of Neji and decides to let me in on his little discovery, “Neji’s here”

I grin and motion Neji over. Frowning a bit, Neji comes but hesitates when I tug on his wrist to get him to climb onto the bed with Gaara and I.

Dropping the magazine, I wrap both hands around his wrist, “C’mere”

Neji shakes his head and smiles at me, “Why?”

I turn to look at Gaara and mouth ‘why?’

Gaara sits back and blinks slowly, “Because you said”

Turning back to Neji, triumphant, I re-declare, “Because I said so”

“There is no space up there and no time for this” Neji warns. He isn’t annoyed; I can tell because he’s smiling.

I decide that desperate times call for desperate measures. I break out into my best set of puppy dog eyes and watch smugly as Neji melts slightly. Rolling his eyes, he sits on the edge.

Content with that, I ask him what his sign is.

Neji gives me a look that speaks volumes about what he thinks but decides to indulge me anyway, “Cancer”

Grinning, I flip to his horoscope and let Gaara read it to him: “You are passive by day, aggressive by night; a shy side replaced by a seductive alter ego. You love the romance and ritual of capturing a man’s heart. You’ve got taste and all your picks are sophisticated as you are”

I don’t think there’s a price tag fit to match Neji’s expression. It’s halfway thru incredulous, partially skeptical, and like a hundred percent weirded out. It’s too funny.

While I’m busy trying to recover my wits, Gaara flips to his Astrology reading. I calm down and rattle off the important bits:

“Your STRENGHTS are intuition, compassion and generosity. Your WEAKNESSES are moodiness and vindictiveness…” Which is sooo not true, by the way, “…GUILTY PLEASURE’s supposed to be watching chick flicks, PET PEEVE is being manipulated-your trust is given away freely but not without lock-and-key insurance, YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE is learning how to be honest about your feelings instead of bottling them up…”

You know, I finally understand why people read these. The shear entertainment value is priceless. Neji is now giving me the raised eyebrow look, but I’m too happy to be concerned. Somehow, laughing always makes me feel better.

~!@!~

{Naruto/Lunch}

They let us off a little earlier then usual for lunch. Since both Haku and Neji are still busy, I grab Gaara and head off to find Shika. He was resting behind the gym but when Gaara and I get there, he’s gone. Probably already wandered off as far as I know. I drag Gaara into the building and head for the cafeteria.

Since having put on the shirt Gaara lent me, people have been giving me the eye. All that undue attention makes me a bit nervous but I feel that I can ignore it easily enough for it not to be a massive problem.

Gaara tugs at my sleeve to get my attention when he sees Shika standing just off the gym doors. We wander over and Shika wordlessly hands me lunch. Surprisingly, he hands Gaara some too. Gaara pauses, as if trying to puzzle out any motive behind it, but thankfully only shrugs and thanks Shika in his usual monotone.

Personally, I’m glad that my friends have so easily accepted Gaara.

We never really sit in the cafeteria cause there are about a zillion other people sitting in there so its like the noisiest place on earth…but today is an exception. This is another of the only places within the school that has any air conditioning. Shika calmly leads the way thru the masses to a round corner table and plops down unceremoniously into a seat. Gaara sits on his left and I sit on Gaara’s other side.

I eye Shika before making a comment, “Why do you look so tired…you haven’t done anything all day”

Shika, ever the cheeky kid, has a ready reply, “Being smart is enough work”

Gaara smirks but hides it behind his Pepsi can.

I sit back and survey the cafeteria from our vantage point, “Anyone seen Kakashi-Sensei? He’s like the only person not working”

Gaara shrugs and Shika laughs, “Who do you think was keeping company back there? I wasn’t actually sleeping, you know”

I raise both eyebrows at Shika in an attempt to look scandalized, “You were what?”

Before any reply is made, Haku slides into the seat across from mine, next to Shika, and promptly folds his hands down and drops his head onto them.

Shika pokes him, “Earth to Moonbeam…you’re tired already?”

Haku looks up long enough to give a dirty look, although since were talking about Haku, the look isn’t exactly that dirty to begin with.

We all chat for a bit and mostly complain about the labor. Generally, though, we’re all in a pretty good mood. I have to admit though, that I drank a surprising amount of water, and when you drink a lot, you end up needing to go to the bathroom. I dread the fact that I’m gonna have to leave my friends, especially since I’m not sure I’ll be able to find them again. The prospect of the cooler air-conditioned cafeteria air has brought and kept too many people indoors. Anyway, I excuse myself and hurry out of the place.

Once out the big blue double doors, the silence and heat hit you like they are one and the same. Relieved, I breathe out slowly. Maybe staying out of the cafeteria isn’t a bad idea at all, right?

I take the nearest stairwell up and walk down the leftmost corridor to find the bathroom. Right when I’m about to round a corner, I hear voices.

“Check out all the numbers…he knows so many people!”

A smaller, more timid voice, speaks, “A-ano, Sakura-Chan, Ino-Chan, we should give it back, he probably just d-dropped it…” Whoever it is trails off without much conviction

I recognize the next voice as being TenTen’s: “ Let them be, when it comes to Sasuke, there’s no point in trying to talk sense into them”

Temari, a girl I knew as being Gaara’s sister when he pointed her out to me before, speaks up, “Right, and if they do get out of hand, we’ll do something about it”

Ino’s voice drowns out the rest of what is being said, “What did you DO?”

Sakura giggles, “I erased a number, but there are so many…he won’t notice”

I realize that if I’m caught by the Divas it could spell massive trouble for me. Sakura and Ino together aren’t a nice pair to ever run into if they both dislike you, but I’m beyond curious now. What thing of Sasuke’s did they find? I flatten myself against the cool brig wall and peer, mission-impossible style, around the corner.

They’re all standing outside the girl’s bathroom and yapping. I ignore the chatter and focus on an object Ino plucks out of Sakura’s hands and holds over her head and out of reach.

Sasuke’s cell…

When they start moving to go somewhere else, I duck back down the hall and slide to a halt behind a few lockers. They walk past, still chattering, and don’t notice me. I breathe another massive sigh of relief and stare after them.

I have to admit that Sasuke scares me a bit, and I know I should stay away from him if I can manage, but the fact that those girls took his cell makes me a bit angry. I mean a cell is a personal piece of property. I know for a fact that Sasuke’s probably really pissed off about misplacing it, and knowing those two, he wasn’t likely to get it back until they had thoroughly gone thru the contents of the small, stylish, black and red, Sony phone.

So what was I supposed to do about it?

Technically, I had two options. The safer, more though thru one, was to tell Sasuke about it later if I saw him and let him get it back himself. The second, more unsafe and definitely less thought thru one, was to go after the girls myself and see if I could get it back.

Although there was absolutely no reason for me to even care enough to even be considering any of this, the idea of trying to get the phone back myself appealed to me more then it should have, if you know what I mean.

Suddenly, I can’t help the grin that breaks out onto my face. I should think of this more as a test…I’m good at being quiet and it’s not like they can really kick the crap out of anything, or me for that matter, if I’m caught.

Smiling, I head quietly after them; if I don’t get the phone, it’ll be fine, but if I do get it…maybe I can blackmail Sasuke into behaving when it comes to respecting my boundaries.

In the end, putting Sasuke in his place was too appealing to pass up…

~!@!~

I had always wondered what the hell it was that these girls got up to during their time spent together and now that I knew, I was less then impressed. They poodled around, talking and trading gossip, and did not much else.

Sakura had finally gotten the phone back and had secretly slipped it into her prized pink Prada handbag without anyone really noticing, except me. They finally took a break and headed towards the computer lab on the third floor in the red building. It’s the only lab open for students’ personal use during lunch because there were always teachers supervising.

They all settled into a corner and signed on to MSN.

Now, I was kinda discouraged. They’re all in there which means that they will notice me if I wander in, not to mention the fact that stealing Sakura’s handbag, if only to get the phone back, was next to impossible, considering that the thing was practically surgically attached to her side.

I sit down juts outside the door and try to think.

“N-naruto-Kun?”

I jump, and glance up to come face to face with Neji’s silver eyes. I realize suddenly, that it isn’t Neji, but his timid little cousin, Hinata.

I clutch my heart, and laugh lightly, “Hi Hinata”

She smiles slightly, a blush creeping into her cheeks and crouches down next to me, her hands in her lap, “What a-are you, um…is t-there something you w-wanted?”

I rub my stomach thoughtfully, “You guys have Sasuke’s phone right?”

Hinata shakes her head vigorously, “L-lie…Sakura-Chan and Ino-Chan have it…I w-wanted to give it b-back...b-but…”

I put a finger against her lips to stop her from babbling, “Relax, Hinata, I’m not going to tell or anything”

She visibly reddens more, and I write it off as embarrassment, “Anyway, it doesn’t matter, because it looks like Sakura is going to get to keep it”

Hinata hesitantly reaches up to pull my hand away. Her hands are way smaller then mine, so she doesn’t manage to fold my larger hand in her own, “Maybe…I c-can get it for y-you?”

I raise an eyebrow, interested: “How?”

She looks away and idly traces small patterns on the back of my hand with her free hand, “It w-wouldn’t matter h-how…b-but I c-could if…if…y-you wanted…”

I grin at her, “That would be chill…but don’t get caught, alright? Nothing is worth being caught”

Hinata nods vigorously, her hair falling over her eyes.

I’m suddenly struck by how cute she is and lean over to press a kiss to the back of the small white hand holding my much larger, tanned one, “Thanks”

She turns fifty shades redder, but I dismiss it. I stand and tug her gently to her feet, “I’ll see you later, then?”

Hinata nods vigorously again and almost runs into the computer lab. I stare after he for a minute and laugh quietly. She’s like that little sister I never hand.

~!@!~

I make it back to the cafeteria in time to be subjected to the Inquisition and am saved by the bell. People are happy about going home early, so the rest of us just go with the flow. Literally because the sea of people flooding out the doors practically drags us more easygoing types right along with them.

I say early goodbyes to Gaara, Shika and Haku before heading off towards my own locker. I ignore the way people eye me when they think I don’t notice and think ahead to where I was most likely to find Neji.

It kind of surprised me to see someone waiting for me at my locker, but not so much when I saw that it was Hinata. She smiled broadly at me and handed me the cell. Surprised, I grin at her: “Hey, you did it!”

She turns scarlet: “It was n-nothing…”

I smile at her while opening my lock and kicking the door. It pops open and I toss my books in. Hinata stands next to me, finally a little more at ease.

“N-naruto-Kun?”

I look up and she stammers a bit more but stops dead.

“Nani? Hinata?” She sounded like she wanted to ask something.

I peer over my shoulder and notice Neji wandering over.

He’s changed clothes since this morning and is deck out in a silver shirt and black jeans. His hair is up in the ponytail I love so much and hair is falling every which way onto his shoulders and face. He’s topped off the look with comfortable looking black and white sneakers and is wearing a fetching pair of pale blue shades that make his already silver eyes look a really nice metallic sea blue.

He looks gorgeous…but anyone could have told you that.

Coming to a stop next to me, Neji smiles enigmatically before turning to address Hinata, face serious, “Is Hinata-Sama going home?”

The formality of the way he talks kind of catches my attention.

Hinata doesn’t look up at Neji directly; “A-ano…would Neji-San mind driving me h-home?”

Neji sighs, “Hinata-Sama, you should not feel uneasy about asking simple things of me”

He sounds a little chiding.

Hinata smiles a watery smile, “A-ah, Sumimasen”

Neji shrugs, “You are also not in need of apologizing”

Hinata falls silent.

Something tells me not to say anything.

I turn back to my locker and pull out my cooking workbook before slamming the door shut, “I need to go find someone and I’ll be really quick. Why don’t you two go ahead?”

Neji smiles slightly at me and asks Hinata to come with him. I watch when they leave. Something about the way they are together makes me think of a master and a servant…but I can’t place who as being who…

~!@!~

Sasuke isn’t at his locker, but that’s to be expected. He’d probably get mobbed if he were. I eye some of the girls that are kind of still hanging around and head for the exit. I sprint down the stairs to the third floor and suddenly, there he is, right smack in the middle of the stairwell.

Sasuke is brooding…there is no other word for it. There’s practically a black cloud hanging over him. I take in his appearance without surprise: a red sleeveless tank, several wristbands, black capris and black flip-flops. He cleans up well, this guy.

He hasn’t noticed me yet, so I try to make my presence known without incurring Dracula’s immediate wrath, “Yo”

Sasuke’s head whips around and I am fixed to place, practically physical pinned, by his look. He eyes me up and down before black-velvet narrowed eyes relax and his face looses its frown. He turns back to the window, the one that let’s you see out onto the parking lot, and sighs, “What, Dobe?”

I feel myself wanting to get mad, but I don’t have time to play games with him today…not with Neji waiting for me, “Listen, I found your phone so…”

Sasuke glances back at me over his shoulder, “Come here…”

I don’t even hesitate and before I know it, I am standing next to him

Sasuke turns towards me, a decidedly evil twist coming to his mouth, “Found it where?”

I stare up at him, defiant, “With girls”

Sasuke smirks, “I should’ve known”

I am starting to get a little bothered y the way his eyes keep roaming over my face, “Ne, Sasuke, I gotta go so…”

Sasuke tilts his head questioningly, hair falling into his yes, “Where?”

I don’t want to answer.

“Are you going out…” Sasuke starts slowly, reaching out to run the back of his hand along my jaw, “…with a certain someone?”

My voice sticks in my throat and I only manage to shake my head.

Sasuke leans forward, his warm breath ghosting past my ear as he whispers, “You’re a crap liar”

I shudder despite myself and let it happen when Sasuke wraps his arms possessively around my waist, “Think you’ll have fun?”

I slowly reach up and press my palms against his chest, my intent to push him away. Only…I’m not pushing him away and I’m noticing how warm he is and how I can feel the steady beating of his heart under my palm instead. My throat is getting dryer by the minute and I know, I feel it even…he could do anything he wanted and I wouldn’t be capable of stopping him.

He knows this, the bastard.

A hand slides into my hair, fingers curling into the strands and a palm pressed against the back of my neck, “Let’s make a bet”

I look up slowly. Sasuke’s smiling evilly, like someone who knows they are in total control and leans forward enough to brush our lip together. Compared to the first time we kissed, it’s much softer. But he’s got me right here he wants me because I’m already having to bite my lip and look away to stop myself from doing anything stupid…like kiss back.

Sasuke laughs darkly against my neck as he nuzzles me. This softer, more teasing side of Sasuke is really off-putting; I can’t read into his motives at all. Before, it was about embarrassing me, trying to prove that he had an effect me, that he could worm his way into my fantasies and pretend to be someone real to me…it was about winning.

Now…I couldn’t tell and when you can’t tell…it’s like unknown poison…you don’t know what it is, so you can’t find an antidote. It eats you slowly from the inside.

I bite my lip until a can faintly taste blood in my mouth. Amazingly, this brings me back to myself. Taking a deep breath I push Sasuke away firmly, my whole body focusing on trying to reject him.

Keyword being trying…

Sasuke’s arms leave my body and there is suddenly a more normal distance between us. I breathe out slowly, proud of myself.

Sasuke laughs, dark, but tinged with amusement, “Cute…”

I scowl at him, but he doesn’t seem to even notice. Brushing the hair back out of his eyes, he continues, “You’ll think of me”

I stick my tongue out him, “Your crazy”

Sasuke smirks and continues, totally unfazed, “When he touches you…or kisses you…and whispers in you ear…you’ll think of me”

I pale, “Shut up” I’m too scarred of his mind games to take this lightly.

Sasuke’s smile gentles, “When I’m all you can think of…even when you have him, you’ll realize that I’m not playing these games with you just for fun”

I swallow thickly and do the only thing I can.

Run…

~!@!~

Neji and Hinata are waiting for me when I make it outside. Shockingly, my little trip to hell while visiting Dracula only lasted maybe five minutes. Goes to show that time passes more slowly when you visit the twilight zone.

I act as normally as I can. I smile; make up a lame excuse for being late, slide into the passenger seat next to Neji, chatter about nothing and everything, and most importantly, patch up any and all cracks in my mask while Hinata stutters timid answers to my questions and Neji drives carefully.

I am not proud of this mask; to say that I was would make me a liar. Reality is that it’s both my best defense against life and the only thing that I hate so completely about myself. However, I do respect it. It’s the one thing that keeps me together when the rest of me is falling to pieces.

Hinata starts to point out things to me as we get closer to the Hyuga estate and I am more and more uneasy about the place. Knowing that someone has money and seeing that they have money are two completely different things.

The trip up to the main house if definitely and eye opener.

Neji parks and lets Hinata clamber out. She pauses to ask him something and he nods before she hurries up the steps and disappears thru the huge double door entrance.

I stare after her and Neji explains, “She wants to lend you a movie; she thinks you’ll like it”

I smile.

Turning back to fiddle with the sleeves of the shirt that Gaara lent me, I try to figure out a way to explain to Neji that I don’t really feel like going out…and that I’d rather crash at my place.

Neji gets my attention by reaching over to take one of my hands. I glance at him and he’s looking at me with soft eyes, “Would you rather do something less…” he looks for a word before continuing, “…stirring…then going out?”

I laugh, “You practically read my mind”

Neji smiles.

Hinata wanders back with the movie and Neji and I take off after saying goodbye to Hinata. We decide to order out and crash at my place, which by the way, suits me perfectly.

~!@!~

"The greatest problem in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished”

I swallow the sushi in my mouth before giving Neji the eye, “Who said that?”

Neji smiles, “Daniel W. Davenport”

I chew my bottom lip while I try to think of something to say back: “Using a feather is erotic, using the whole bird is kinky”

The desired effect is achieved. Neji chokes on the ginseng tea he’s drinking and gives me the most disbelieving look ever.

Laughing, I shrug at him, “Something I heard once”

Neji gives me a look, “You spend too much time around Shikamaru”

That makes me laugh. Shika does have sense of humor, but he rarely makes lewd jokes…but it does happen.

Neji brushes his hair back past his shoulder and takes another bite of sushi. He chews thoughtfully before saying: “There are a lot of things in life that make living impossible, but independence isn’t one of them”

I muse over that one for a minute.

Neji shifts next to me and I snap back to the present.

We’re curled up on the floor in my living room in front of the red-suede couch. The painting Neji and I had drawn together last week is tacked to the wall next to the bay window. It’s already dark outside despite the fact that it wasn’t all that late.

We’d moved the TV and my futon from my room to the living room so we could be comfortable. Neji had ordered out and picked sushi. When we had started eating, Neji had insisted that I open my fortune cookie before eating. That had got us talking about funny or interesting quotes we’d heard before.

So anyway, things were going really well despite the fact that we’d dropped all or any previous plans we’d made and opted to just curl up in my place. Soon after we finished eating, we opted to watch the movie that Hinata had lent me.

The Motorcycle Diaries

It was about Ernesto Che Guevara, a guy who had started getting out into the world and seeing his own country by leaving his home in Rosario, Argentina. He studied medicine and even spent time with Leapers.

Neji explains to me afterwards that he teamed up with Fidel Castro in 1959 to force a revolution in Cuba and traveled the world to offer assistance in various other countries but was captured in Bolivia by the U.S backed military and executed in 1967.

Since I still couldn’t understand why they had killed Che, Neji elaborated: “People are afraid of you if you can affect change. To do that, Che had to have influence and more importantly, people’s confidence. You are a threat if you have that kind of non-violence based power: to be seen, heard and followed. Affecting change, whether it is to start it or stop it, is critical in the way the world works. Evolution, specifically, is the course of change”

My boyfriend can be shockingly serious at times but he’s also majordomo smart…

~!@!~

I’d fallen asleep a little bit after the movie was over so it was normal for me to be e bit disoriented. Neji was nowhere in sight and the room was dark except for a lamp that had been left on near the bay window.

Everything had been cleaned up and there was nothing in the room except for the couch, the futon, the silence and me. It took my dazed mind a few minutes to realize that one very important thing was missing.

I pulled the sheets off myself and wandered out into the dark hallway. While hobbling past the kitchen I noticed that it was already eight-ish. Pausing, I listened to the silence and caught the distinct sound of the shower running.

Interest perked, I walked quietly towards the bathroom and stopped just outside the closed door. Light flooded out from under the door and steam billowed thru when I lightly pushed the door open a crack wider.

Abruptly, the shower flicked off and the shower curtain was pushed aside as Neji moved to get a towel. Afraid to be caught, I held my breath and flattened myself to the wall. I listened as he toweled down and when I dared to look again, he was mostly dry and somewhat dressed.

He stood, pausing, in front of the sink, a towel in hand and his silver button down in the other. He was only wearing his black jeans and had his hair down.

He moved slightly and disappeared beyond my line of site…I held my breath and wondered if now was a good time to sneak off…

Suddenly, the door is yanked open and the warmth of the bathroom hits me full in the face. The bright light makes me squint a bit and Neji, who just caught me, laughs lightly and pulls me in.

Blushing, I stammer an excuse, “I was looking to see if you…were…you, know…”

I give up and fall silent.

Neji, standing again at the sink, takes my rarely used brush and slowly eases all the tangles out of his hair. The little blond bit is still there from before.

He looks at me in the mirror, “You were sleeping”

I grin, “I was…not anymore though”

Neji smiles, agreeing, “That’s fine…shall we go back?”

I nod and Neji leaves the comb in favor of reaching for his hair tie. Moving, I wrap my hand around his wrist, “Leave it…your hair’s fine down”

Neji indulges me and leaves the hair tie.

I, having a solid grip on his wrist, drag him back to the living room.

It occurs to me to ask: “When are you going home?”

Neji drops gracefully onto the futon and pulls me down to sit in his lap, “When you want me to”

I smile at that.

These are the parts that make me nervous. I really, honestly feel like I like Neji, but I can never make up my mind about what too do with him once were alone. Thankfully, Neji is a born leader so he starts to do what he does best.

Reaching up slowly, as if letting me keep track of his movements, he smoothes a hand into my hair. It’s been a pretty long day, so the hair gel I dump on every morning has long since faded. I go with the flow, pressing myself to him. I lift my arms from my lap and wrap them tentatively around his wide, smooth, slopping shoulders. It’s reassuring when I can anchor myself to him like this.

Neji’s second hand is pressed at the base of my spine and creeps up only as far as the center of my back. For a time, we just hold each other. My chin is against his collarbone and I can feel the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Neji’s nuzzles the top of my head, “Ready?”

That word has several meanings...most of which I’m hopping that I’m ready to deal with. There is a lot of permission I’m signing away, and I feel it, when I say, “Yeah”

Neji, and this is why I love this guy, doesn’t take my affirmation as a signal to just dive in. Slowly, the warm hand settled on my back slides up and cups my face. Using the leverage that he has on me, Neji tilts my head back and away from the shelter of is body. His eyes are luminescent and warmer then I have ever seen them.

Suddenly relaxing, I smile a small smile for him. Neji doesn’t quite smile back, but he doesn’t have to; I can see it in his eyes. Leaning down, he kisses me. The softness of the kiss shocks me into remembering Sasuke’s kiss earlier in the afternoon. Resolved to forget about Sasuke, I press my lips more firmly against Neji’s.

Slowly, Neji sets me back down against the futon. His mouth leaves mine and he trails off along my jaw and neck. My right hand is still slung around his shoulder but my left has a fist-full of silky brown hair. Until now, I’d never really thought about the height and size difference when comparing myself to Neji. I didn’t think it would be a big deal.

Neji’s got me 100% distracted when he presses a knee between my own. I part my thighs instinctively and his leg slides between my own. Slowly, the weight of his lower body shifts and aligns itself to me. Something very prominent settles itself against my hip.

This makes me gasp in such a way as to make Neji smirk.

Blushing, I chance a joke, “Is that for me?”

Neji looks almost amused but he’s too busy eyeing my shoulder where I’m sure a very obvious hickey has bloomed, “Do you want it to be?”

I laugh, albeit breathlessly, and pull him down for another kiss. I suddenly become very aware of both Neji and my own body. When Neji shifts slightly against my lower half, the friction makes me squirm.

Neji is very different in that way that he’s gentle with me, careful of everything and cautious because he seems to already know what he’s doing. I know were not going to have sex...but the way he’s going on might make me consider it.

If I was going to say anything, I stop myself when Neji starts to lift the bottom half my shirt. The intent look on his face makes it apparent that no matter what I may say; he’s not going to stop. I’m a bit worried that he’s going to see my tattoo but that’s only because he’s going to want an explanation that I can’t give.

I shut eyes tight wait for the question I know is coming.

No question is asked.

Instead, I feel his hand smooth itself over my belly. Using a finger, Neji lazily traces the tattoo from the outside edges all the way around the spiral and straight into my navel. The hand lifts itself away and traces the outside symbols last. When I open my eyes, Neji is leaning over me, hair sliding over his bare shoulders and brushing my face and neck.

“It’s beautiful”

It takes me a minute to register that he’s talking about my tat. I grin up at him, relieved, “I’ve seen more beautiful things”

He laughs lightly and leans farther over me. I reach up to wrap my arms around his shoulders again but he catches both my writs and lays them aside. Obediently, I leave them where he places them, palms up, just above my head.

Neji shuts my eyes with a finger and presses a kiss to the back of each eyelid. One of his hands slides beneath my neck and tilts my face upwards. Neji nips my bottom lip before kissing me. It’s as gentle as before but more exploring. I’m no expert at kissing, so I hold my breath while we kiss so when he pulls away and nips my bottom lip, I’m completely breathless.

The second nip he gives me stings mildly, but as if sensing that, Neji sucks gently on my lip to soothe the mild twinge pain. Since I can’t resist, I reach up and wrap my arms back around his shoulders and he doesn’t stop me because he’s otherwise occupied. Opening my eyes a sliver, and watch the way my tan skin looks so stark against his lighter skin.

Neji pulled away slightly and kisses the corner of my mouth gently, “Bedtime”

“Are you serious?”

Neji laughs and hides his face in the crook of my neck, “Either that or you’re not going to school tomorrow”

It takes me a minute to try and figure out what exactly that means, “What if I don’t mind?”

Neji doesn’t answer right away, but reaches over to pull the blanket over us, “I’d feel bad”

I pull Neji’s half hidden face up to mine and raise my eyebrow at him.

He shocks the crap out of me by full out laughing. Stunned, I don’t protest anymore when he rolls us over and tucks me against his chest, my head under his chin.

Grinning against his collarbone, I lean away to look at his face, “Was that a freak accident or will I see that more often?”

Neji doesn’t answer but raises an eyebrow and it’s my turn to laugh. He reaches out and pulls me back into him.

We fall silent and slowly, I start to drift to sleep.

It occurs to me then, that I’ve got to have the most caring and considerate boyfriend in the world. Not to mention the fact that he’s also gorgeous.

So…how did he end up mine?

~!@!~

TBC...