Naruto fic: Not Quite There, Naruto/Neji
Title: Not Quite There
Pairing: Naruto/Neji
Warning(s): Mild spoilers
Genre(s): Bit of humor, bit of angst
Rating: PG -13
Word Length: 1.000
Description: He kisses Naruto, because there is nothing he can say to unmake the Kyuubi, or any of Naruto’s past hurts.
Hurriedly written for myrafur while she sketched NaruNeji on the other side of the table.
Not Quite There
It’s not the way things should have turned out. It’s complicated and messy, there is too much laundry to be done and, hell, the man can’t cook to save his own life. Neji knows that if there was ever a chance of him and Hinata getting along, it is now long gone. Hanabi’s resentment surprised him the most, though he’s not sure what it is that bothers her: that he hurt Hinata? That he will not have strong Hyuuga children?
“Doesn’t that bother you? The not having kids part?” There is longing in the voice that asks this question. Neji pushes his hair out of the way, bending to press an open-mouthed kiss against warm skin. He loves the throaty sigh this elicits. It’s a thick sound, like molasses.
“No.”
“Really?” Disbelief, now, colors that voice. The skin under his tongue is salty and Neji lets himself focus on that for a while, instead of answering. A thumb prods his side. “Neji?”
Neji sighs and pulls back slightly. “They would be born into Branch House. This…” His forehead aches. He presses a hand against it, to ward off the ghostly sensation. “I wouldn’t wish this upon my own flesh and blood.”
“Oh…”
“Do you want children?” They have never talked about this. Neji doesn’t like the topic. He is comfortable with the way things are, regardless of the general conflict. They keep the peace, but there are some things they don’t discuss.
(like Sasuke)
Naruto frowns as he thinks about this question. Neji thinks the answer is probably yes, but he won’t say it. Naruto wants a family, that much anyone can tell. What kind of family, though, that is still debatable.
(team seven was a family too, wasn’t it?)
“I… don’t know.” He grins, a flash of white teeth and crinkling blue eyes. “Do you think you could get pregnant with my Sexy no Jutsu?”
Neji snorts and sprawls on Naruto’s chest. He is used to this kind of inane comment, and rather enjoys them. Naruto laughs to himself, smoothing the palms of his hands over Neji’s back. It’s a wonderful feeling, it makes Neji’s legs and neck tingle oddly. Naruto’s hands are always restless, always touching and pawing at him. It was hard to get used to, that encroaching familiarity.
Naruto basks in their relationship like a cat might feast on cream. It’s not the sex that draws him in, but the fact that he can be this close to someone. Neji wonders, sometimes, just how many roles he is filling in Naruto’s life right now. How many absences is he covering for, when Naruto presses up against him as if he could somehow crawl into Neji’s body and stay there? He is a bed-sheet hog, but what he hogs the most is Neji’s attention.
“Why don’t you try it first?”
Naruto’s smile fades a bit. “I don’t think I’m allowed to have kids.”
Neji raises up on his elbows. “What?”
“Tsunade-granny said… well, she didn’t really say it, but she hinted that… I don’t know, the council thinks the Kyuubi might…” He stops and sighs, but his eyes are bleak. “I don’t think I’m allowed.” There is no way for Naruto to hide the yearning in his voice. Neji wants to ignore it, but it’s there already, in his mind: all the things Naruto wants that he can’t have. Neji would, if he could, give them all.
This is ridiculous.
Neji doesn’t know what to say. Naruto would probably be a great father. If he had ended up with Hinata --- No, the Hyuuga’s would have never allowed that. It’s a moot point, anyway.
Naruto laughs nervously. “Man, if looks could kill. Though yours kind of can, ahahaha. Neji? Please stop frowning like that? It’s kind of creepy.”
He kisses Naruto, because there is nothing he can say to unmake the Kyuubi, or any of Naruto’s past hurts. He can only think of the future, however strange theirs might be. Naruto arches beneath him, eyes sliding closed in pleasure. He soaks up the attention, moving against Neji with abandon. He never holds back, it’s not in him to do such a thing. Neji drinks it all in, the warmth, the click of teeth when the kiss turns rough, Naruto’s short breaths, the way Neji’s name is distended and broken into smaller sounds, the ache of having let someone get so close to him, the way Naruto throws back his head and groans.
The village is still in uproar over them. Neji has never done something so selfish, and now he has been banished from his clan, and he can’t find the strength to regret it. Hinata is in tears, TenTen is furious, and Sakura watches Neji with something that wavers between envy and approval - Naruto is happy, she can’t hate him for that, he knows.
Their friends are still trying to figure out how it happened.
Neji himself isn’t sure. He knows it’s something he always wanted, but he wonders about Naruto. Did he say yes because it was Neji, or did he say yes because it was someone who loved him? The difference is a heavy weight on Neji’s mind. He knows how much Naruto craves that kind of bond. But Naruto would never use someone like that.
Then again, if he were in Konoha, would Naruto still be in Neji’s bed?
These are questions Neji bites his tongue on. He thinks - hopes, rather - that if there is enough time, he might get under Naruto’s skin too. Sometimes, when Neji holds him, he believes he is embracing all of Naruto, even the sorrows and hollows they never discuss. Neji thinks he’d like to occupy all those empty spaces, given a chance.
It was Naruto that gave Neji his freedom. Neji would like to think he can do the same for him, too.
"None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free."
-- Goethe
The End
Feedback, as always, is loved on. :3 (and if you spot typos, please tell me!)
Pairing: Naruto/Neji
Warning(s): Mild spoilers
Genre(s): Bit of humor, bit of angst
Rating: PG -13
Word Length: 1.000
Description: He kisses Naruto, because there is nothing he can say to unmake the Kyuubi, or any of Naruto’s past hurts.
Hurriedly written for myrafur while she sketched NaruNeji on the other side of the table.
Not Quite There
It’s not the way things should have turned out. It’s complicated and messy, there is too much laundry to be done and, hell, the man can’t cook to save his own life. Neji knows that if there was ever a chance of him and Hinata getting along, it is now long gone. Hanabi’s resentment surprised him the most, though he’s not sure what it is that bothers her: that he hurt Hinata? That he will not have strong Hyuuga children?
“Doesn’t that bother you? The not having kids part?” There is longing in the voice that asks this question. Neji pushes his hair out of the way, bending to press an open-mouthed kiss against warm skin. He loves the throaty sigh this elicits. It’s a thick sound, like molasses.
“No.”
“Really?” Disbelief, now, colors that voice. The skin under his tongue is salty and Neji lets himself focus on that for a while, instead of answering. A thumb prods his side. “Neji?”
Neji sighs and pulls back slightly. “They would be born into Branch House. This…” His forehead aches. He presses a hand against it, to ward off the ghostly sensation. “I wouldn’t wish this upon my own flesh and blood.”
“Oh…”
“Do you want children?” They have never talked about this. Neji doesn’t like the topic. He is comfortable with the way things are, regardless of the general conflict. They keep the peace, but there are some things they don’t discuss.
(like Sasuke)
Naruto frowns as he thinks about this question. Neji thinks the answer is probably yes, but he won’t say it. Naruto wants a family, that much anyone can tell. What kind of family, though, that is still debatable.
(team seven was a family too, wasn’t it?)
“I… don’t know.” He grins, a flash of white teeth and crinkling blue eyes. “Do you think you could get pregnant with my Sexy no Jutsu?”
Neji snorts and sprawls on Naruto’s chest. He is used to this kind of inane comment, and rather enjoys them. Naruto laughs to himself, smoothing the palms of his hands over Neji’s back. It’s a wonderful feeling, it makes Neji’s legs and neck tingle oddly. Naruto’s hands are always restless, always touching and pawing at him. It was hard to get used to, that encroaching familiarity.
Naruto basks in their relationship like a cat might feast on cream. It’s not the sex that draws him in, but the fact that he can be this close to someone. Neji wonders, sometimes, just how many roles he is filling in Naruto’s life right now. How many absences is he covering for, when Naruto presses up against him as if he could somehow crawl into Neji’s body and stay there? He is a bed-sheet hog, but what he hogs the most is Neji’s attention.
“Why don’t you try it first?”
Naruto’s smile fades a bit. “I don’t think I’m allowed to have kids.”
Neji raises up on his elbows. “What?”
“Tsunade-granny said… well, she didn’t really say it, but she hinted that… I don’t know, the council thinks the Kyuubi might…” He stops and sighs, but his eyes are bleak. “I don’t think I’m allowed.” There is no way for Naruto to hide the yearning in his voice. Neji wants to ignore it, but it’s there already, in his mind: all the things Naruto wants that he can’t have. Neji would, if he could, give them all.
This is ridiculous.
Neji doesn’t know what to say. Naruto would probably be a great father. If he had ended up with Hinata --- No, the Hyuuga’s would have never allowed that. It’s a moot point, anyway.
Naruto laughs nervously. “Man, if looks could kill. Though yours kind of can, ahahaha. Neji? Please stop frowning like that? It’s kind of creepy.”
He kisses Naruto, because there is nothing he can say to unmake the Kyuubi, or any of Naruto’s past hurts. He can only think of the future, however strange theirs might be. Naruto arches beneath him, eyes sliding closed in pleasure. He soaks up the attention, moving against Neji with abandon. He never holds back, it’s not in him to do such a thing. Neji drinks it all in, the warmth, the click of teeth when the kiss turns rough, Naruto’s short breaths, the way Neji’s name is distended and broken into smaller sounds, the ache of having let someone get so close to him, the way Naruto throws back his head and groans.
The village is still in uproar over them. Neji has never done something so selfish, and now he has been banished from his clan, and he can’t find the strength to regret it. Hinata is in tears, TenTen is furious, and Sakura watches Neji with something that wavers between envy and approval - Naruto is happy, she can’t hate him for that, he knows.
Their friends are still trying to figure out how it happened.
Neji himself isn’t sure. He knows it’s something he always wanted, but he wonders about Naruto. Did he say yes because it was Neji, or did he say yes because it was someone who loved him? The difference is a heavy weight on Neji’s mind. He knows how much Naruto craves that kind of bond. But Naruto would never use someone like that.
Then again, if he were in Konoha, would Naruto still be in Neji’s bed?
These are questions Neji bites his tongue on. He thinks - hopes, rather - that if there is enough time, he might get under Naruto’s skin too. Sometimes, when Neji holds him, he believes he is embracing all of Naruto, even the sorrows and hollows they never discuss. Neji thinks he’d like to occupy all those empty spaces, given a chance.
It was Naruto that gave Neji his freedom. Neji would like to think he can do the same for him, too.
"None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free."
-- Goethe
The End
Feedback, as always, is loved on. :3 (and if you spot typos, please tell me!)