Silver and Emerald Days # 3 [NejiSaku]
And just like that, after being asleep for over a year, my inner Neji suddenly woke up.
WOW. :O
I guess this whole 'writing leads to more writing' thing really does work. *is impressed*
Once again, these drabbles take place after my fic Hidden Green Behind Silver.
~xxx~
Sleeping habits
Neji guessed it was a trait most doctors possessed, especially medic nins. With the way their shifts at the hospital would rotate or how during missions they were forced to even harsher schedules than any other ninja, it was key to develop such abilities.
Getting rest whenever possible was, after all, essential.
Nonetheless, his lover’s habits never ceased to surprise him. During the first months of their relationship, it had provoked keen moments of shock in him. Now all it did was make him smile in resignation.
It was a universal truth: Haruno Sakura could fall asleep anywhere.
Her current state was a testament to that. Sprawled on the kitchen floor and leaning against the lower cupboards, the evidence around her pointed to the fact that sleep had overtaken her while she was cleaning out the fridge. There was topper-ware filled with leftovers scattered around as well as some old cartons that had found their way to the back of the refrigerator and needed to be hastily thrown out. The fridge door was open just a crack and her cheek was pressed against the cold metal, a chilly waft of air caressing her face as she slept.
Neji shook his head in patient endurance. Considering the summer heat, Sakura’s position was the equivalent to sleeping in an air-conditioned environment. This was most likely the reason why she hadn’t been able to fight back the clutches of slumber. The ANBU Captain had tried in vain to normalize her sleeping schedule at least a bit and he had managed to do so to some extent. It all worked pretty well except when it was Sakura’s turn to take shifts at the hospital.
It was when she made the rounds that scenarios like this one became extremely common.
He stepped forward and kneeled down on the floor beside her. It was never a good feeling to realize that she was over-working herself but in the current situation, there wasn’t much he could do.
Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against her ear to whisper her name.
She only moaned a little in response.
“Sweetheart, you need to get up. You’re going to get a cramp in your back if you keep sleeping like you are.”
A small groan was all the response he got as she turned her face away from him and leaned closer to the small crack of the fridge door.
Sighing loudly, Neji realized she wouldn’t wake unless he threw a bucket of cold water in her face. He wasn’t willing to go to such extents, though. It was likely that she had decided to clean the fridge to occupy herself while she was waiting for him to show up. As much as Sakura had tried to fight it, exhaustion had conquered. Moving silently, Neji slid his right arm under her knees, supported her back with his left and lifted her up.
Sakura elicited a low mumble in complaint at being shifted but otherwise remained completely asleep. Neji made his way over to the living room couch and deposited her there. Their room would be too hot at the moment since the afternoon soon always hit their bedroom window directly at this time of day. The shadowed living room would suit her just fine.
But as he straightened up to go and pick up the mess on the kitchen floor, Sakura’s hand shot out. She grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and wouldn’t let go. Neji smiled. Even though she was only semi-conscious, he knew very well what she wanted. She had expressed her preference of napping beside him more than once.
He guessed fifteen minutes wouldn’t hurt. In a swift movement he removed his shirt; it was definitely too hot to sleep in the close confines of the couch with it on. Shoving Sakura slightly, he lowered himself beside her and pulled her towards him, nestling her chin on the curve of his neck. She sighed contently in response, snuggling happily.
Closing his own eyes and listening to the surrounded sounds of the still summer afternoon, Neji let sleep overtake him.
~xxx~
Joined Mission
“Haruno-san, you should really consider retiring from this dangerous ninja life,” the middle-aged man remarked, “It’s a shame for a girl of your beauty to find an untimely end at the hands of some brutish enemy. Besides, a man like me could give you all you want and more.”
For the umpteenth time in the past half hour, Neji promised himself he would not snap the man’s neck with his bare hands. Bringing down the killer instincts that rose to the surface, he reminded himself of the responsibility of their mission.
Sakura glanced at him over her shoulder while she walked beside the Feudal Lord they were escorting, smiling apologetically. She was very much aware of the turmoil raging within Neji; he made absolutely no effort to hide it. It was really too bad the moronic lord couldn’t sense his chakra emanations. If he’d been able to, he would’ve shut his blabbering mouth the moment he’d made the first insinuating comment.
As things stood, the half-wit had no idea of how precariously close he was coming to losing his life.
Their small entourage group had been accompanying the Feudal Lord for the last couple of days. The man had visited Konoha on a diplomatic mission and was now returning home. Being such an important Lord, it was natural for him to be escorted by a group of nins from the village. It hadn’t surprised anyone when he had requested for some of the Hokage’s best to accompany him on the trip back.
What had surprised everyone, especially Neji, was the way the man had instantly taken towards Sakura. At the beginning they all thought the Lord was joking but as time passed, it was evident he meant every single one of the insinuations and blatant proposals he was throwing the kunoichi’s way.
At first, the ANBU Captain had laughed at the man’s stupid attempts to seduce his woman. They were obviously bound to fail, thus, there was no reason to get upset. But when Sakura laughed at his efforts, the Lord’s comments started taking on a keen edge. They weren’t disrespectful but they were far from being innocent. It was as if the more Sakura rejected him, the more he persisted. The whole scenario had been grating on Neji’s senses for the past 48 hours and he wasn’t sure of how much more he could take.
‘STOP HITTING ON MY WOMAN, YOU BASTARD!’ he thought with vehemence. The angry emanations of chakra from his inner outburst made Shino, who was walking some distance to his left, chuckle darkly.
Neji didn’t consider himself a jealous man. Jealousy was only a symptom of deteriorated self-confidence. And if there was someone who exuded self-confidence, it was him, after all. Therefore, he had never had issues when it came to this sort of thing. Nonetheless, any man who didn’t become upset under similar circumstances couldn’t be considered human. It was simply impossible not to harbour deadly desires towards the lewd Feudal Lord.
“When we get to my home, I’m going to have to show you my bedroom,” the man continued to say. “My mattress is made from the most exotic of feathers. Once you touch it, you’ll just want to try it.”
It was too much. Neji’s byakugan activated without him willing it.
Sakura smiled politely at the man’s bawdy proposal but refused him outright. “No thank you, sir, I’m very happy where I’m sleeping.” As she said this, she glanced back at Neji once more. “Besides, I don’t think we’ll be lingering at your estate. I’m sure we’ll be heading out immediately.”
‘Damn right!’ Neji thought fervently. With some great effort, he brought his bloodline technique back under control.
The Lord’s home was only a few hours away if they kept this pace. Neji had to remind himself of that. It wouldn’t do to murder their charge just when they were about to arrive at their destination.
A sound to his left signalled that Kiba was approaching. The nin took one look at the Captain and at the pink haired kunoichi walking some distance away. Lifting a comforting hand to Neji’s shoulder, he remarked, “Hold out just for a bit more. I’m afraid this is the sort of thing you’ve just got to take like a man.”
The Hyuuga grinded his teeth.
“Take a break,” Kiba offered with a wry smile. “I’ll take your post for a while so you can get some distance between you and the lewd geezer. If you don’t, I don’t think any of us will survive this... we would be forced to come between you and the man due to our mission, after all.”
Nodding slightly, Neji welcomed his friend’s suggestion. He looked one last time towards Sakura, meeting her apologetic emerald gaze. She puckered her lips for an instant in a silent kiss; it was all she could currently do to sooth his raging instincts.
The Captain hoped she would do a whole lot more later on that night. He was going to need it if he wanted to retain his sanity.
With that thought in mind, he fell back among the trees, allowing himself a much needed breather.
~xxx~
Awkward Moment
“Neji, open the door!” Sakura exclaimed, biting her lip to avoid chuckling.
“NO!” he countered from inside the bathroom. “I’m fine.”
Emerald eyes glinted with laughter at the Captain’s expense. He might be her lover but he still had pride. Lots of pride, actually.
“Love, I’m a medic,” she reminded him patiently. “I’m supposed to examine this sort of thing. Besides, it isn’t as if I haven’t been up close and personal with that part of your anato-.”
“That was different!” he protested with indignation.
Sounds of movement filtered through the door as he bustled with the mirror cabinet. Sakura could only guess what he was going to apply to his affected area.
“This sort of thing happens to anyone,” she said, her tone understanding. “Everyone’s susceptible when out on a mission. Hell, we women are even more vulnerable while peeing out in the open.”
Silence was the only response she received.
Nonetheless she went on valiantly. “Could you describe the plant you happened to brush against once more?”
“I told you, it was star-shaped with dark purple blotches... and it was...well, fuzzy.”
“Fuzzy?” Sakura asked, her eyes lighting up. When he had described the plant before, he hadn’t mentioned that detail. It narrowed down the possibilities a whole lot. She quickly catalogued all the likely plants that he could’ve come in contact with.
Still, she wouldn’t be able to be sure until she had a look at the rash the plant had triggered. Letting out a deep breath, she tried once more. “Love, I need to look at you to be able to diagnose you correctly.”
“I said I’m fine,” Neji answered through clenched teeth.
Sakura rolled her eyes. It seemed she had no other choice. If they were going to get anywhere, she would have to start throwing threats his way. It wouldn’t do to spend the rest of the night leaning against the bathroom door and pleading with him.
“Alright,” she remarked casually, “if you don’t want me to look at you, I’ll just call Tsunade-shishio. I’m sure she’ll be happy to help.”
“WHAT?” Neji exclaimed. It seemed that the possibility of his current condition being examined by none other than the Hokage was a little too much for him to take.
“Well, someone has to look at you. I mean, you said it stings really badly. If you don’t get treatment soon the rash might just spread.” This last wasn’t exactly true but Sakura didn’t care. All was fair in love, war and making sure you lover received medical attention. Besides, it was of her great interest to ascertain that the affected part of his anatomy didn’t receive any kind of permanent injury.
Come to think of it, Neji was being plain selfish. This whole thing affected both of them. As things stood already, he would most likely have to take on an oath of celibacy for a few days. And he was certainly not considering how Sakura would feel about that!
He was quiet for a couple of minutes. “You really think it could spread?”
The anxious tone of his voice made Sakura want to laugh out loud. Poor distraught male. “It could,” she replied. “That’s why I need you to open this door so someone can look at you. I’ll go call Tsunade-shishio and let her know that you-“
“DON’T!” he shouted through the door. Sakura could picture him perfectly: his hands on his hips and that stubborn look in his eye he got when he was forced into a decision that went against his better judgement.
She pressed her cheek against the door. “So you’ll let me look at you?” she asked in a pleading tone. She knew he was powerless to deny her anything when she spoke to him like that.
Neji’s answer came in the form of unlocking the bathroom door.
Sakura smiled and turned the knob, intent on seeing just what the damage was.
~xxx~
Needless to say, I greatly enjoyed writing that last one. 8D *cackles*
WOW. :O
I guess this whole 'writing leads to more writing' thing really does work. *is impressed*
Once again, these drabbles take place after my fic Hidden Green Behind Silver.
~xxx~
Sleeping habits
Neji guessed it was a trait most doctors possessed, especially medic nins. With the way their shifts at the hospital would rotate or how during missions they were forced to even harsher schedules than any other ninja, it was key to develop such abilities.
Getting rest whenever possible was, after all, essential.
Nonetheless, his lover’s habits never ceased to surprise him. During the first months of their relationship, it had provoked keen moments of shock in him. Now all it did was make him smile in resignation.
It was a universal truth: Haruno Sakura could fall asleep anywhere.
Her current state was a testament to that. Sprawled on the kitchen floor and leaning against the lower cupboards, the evidence around her pointed to the fact that sleep had overtaken her while she was cleaning out the fridge. There was topper-ware filled with leftovers scattered around as well as some old cartons that had found their way to the back of the refrigerator and needed to be hastily thrown out. The fridge door was open just a crack and her cheek was pressed against the cold metal, a chilly waft of air caressing her face as she slept.
Neji shook his head in patient endurance. Considering the summer heat, Sakura’s position was the equivalent to sleeping in an air-conditioned environment. This was most likely the reason why she hadn’t been able to fight back the clutches of slumber. The ANBU Captain had tried in vain to normalize her sleeping schedule at least a bit and he had managed to do so to some extent. It all worked pretty well except when it was Sakura’s turn to take shifts at the hospital.
It was when she made the rounds that scenarios like this one became extremely common.
He stepped forward and kneeled down on the floor beside her. It was never a good feeling to realize that she was over-working herself but in the current situation, there wasn’t much he could do.
Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against her ear to whisper her name.
She only moaned a little in response.
“Sweetheart, you need to get up. You’re going to get a cramp in your back if you keep sleeping like you are.”
A small groan was all the response he got as she turned her face away from him and leaned closer to the small crack of the fridge door.
Sighing loudly, Neji realized she wouldn’t wake unless he threw a bucket of cold water in her face. He wasn’t willing to go to such extents, though. It was likely that she had decided to clean the fridge to occupy herself while she was waiting for him to show up. As much as Sakura had tried to fight it, exhaustion had conquered. Moving silently, Neji slid his right arm under her knees, supported her back with his left and lifted her up.
Sakura elicited a low mumble in complaint at being shifted but otherwise remained completely asleep. Neji made his way over to the living room couch and deposited her there. Their room would be too hot at the moment since the afternoon soon always hit their bedroom window directly at this time of day. The shadowed living room would suit her just fine.
But as he straightened up to go and pick up the mess on the kitchen floor, Sakura’s hand shot out. She grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and wouldn’t let go. Neji smiled. Even though she was only semi-conscious, he knew very well what she wanted. She had expressed her preference of napping beside him more than once.
He guessed fifteen minutes wouldn’t hurt. In a swift movement he removed his shirt; it was definitely too hot to sleep in the close confines of the couch with it on. Shoving Sakura slightly, he lowered himself beside her and pulled her towards him, nestling her chin on the curve of his neck. She sighed contently in response, snuggling happily.
Closing his own eyes and listening to the surrounded sounds of the still summer afternoon, Neji let sleep overtake him.
~xxx~
Joined Mission
“Haruno-san, you should really consider retiring from this dangerous ninja life,” the middle-aged man remarked, “It’s a shame for a girl of your beauty to find an untimely end at the hands of some brutish enemy. Besides, a man like me could give you all you want and more.”
For the umpteenth time in the past half hour, Neji promised himself he would not snap the man’s neck with his bare hands. Bringing down the killer instincts that rose to the surface, he reminded himself of the responsibility of their mission.
Sakura glanced at him over her shoulder while she walked beside the Feudal Lord they were escorting, smiling apologetically. She was very much aware of the turmoil raging within Neji; he made absolutely no effort to hide it. It was really too bad the moronic lord couldn’t sense his chakra emanations. If he’d been able to, he would’ve shut his blabbering mouth the moment he’d made the first insinuating comment.
As things stood, the half-wit had no idea of how precariously close he was coming to losing his life.
Their small entourage group had been accompanying the Feudal Lord for the last couple of days. The man had visited Konoha on a diplomatic mission and was now returning home. Being such an important Lord, it was natural for him to be escorted by a group of nins from the village. It hadn’t surprised anyone when he had requested for some of the Hokage’s best to accompany him on the trip back.
What had surprised everyone, especially Neji, was the way the man had instantly taken towards Sakura. At the beginning they all thought the Lord was joking but as time passed, it was evident he meant every single one of the insinuations and blatant proposals he was throwing the kunoichi’s way.
At first, the ANBU Captain had laughed at the man’s stupid attempts to seduce his woman. They were obviously bound to fail, thus, there was no reason to get upset. But when Sakura laughed at his efforts, the Lord’s comments started taking on a keen edge. They weren’t disrespectful but they were far from being innocent. It was as if the more Sakura rejected him, the more he persisted. The whole scenario had been grating on Neji’s senses for the past 48 hours and he wasn’t sure of how much more he could take.
‘STOP HITTING ON MY WOMAN, YOU BASTARD!’ he thought with vehemence. The angry emanations of chakra from his inner outburst made Shino, who was walking some distance to his left, chuckle darkly.
Neji didn’t consider himself a jealous man. Jealousy was only a symptom of deteriorated self-confidence. And if there was someone who exuded self-confidence, it was him, after all. Therefore, he had never had issues when it came to this sort of thing. Nonetheless, any man who didn’t become upset under similar circumstances couldn’t be considered human. It was simply impossible not to harbour deadly desires towards the lewd Feudal Lord.
“When we get to my home, I’m going to have to show you my bedroom,” the man continued to say. “My mattress is made from the most exotic of feathers. Once you touch it, you’ll just want to try it.”
It was too much. Neji’s byakugan activated without him willing it.
Sakura smiled politely at the man’s bawdy proposal but refused him outright. “No thank you, sir, I’m very happy where I’m sleeping.” As she said this, she glanced back at Neji once more. “Besides, I don’t think we’ll be lingering at your estate. I’m sure we’ll be heading out immediately.”
‘Damn right!’ Neji thought fervently. With some great effort, he brought his bloodline technique back under control.
The Lord’s home was only a few hours away if they kept this pace. Neji had to remind himself of that. It wouldn’t do to murder their charge just when they were about to arrive at their destination.
A sound to his left signalled that Kiba was approaching. The nin took one look at the Captain and at the pink haired kunoichi walking some distance away. Lifting a comforting hand to Neji’s shoulder, he remarked, “Hold out just for a bit more. I’m afraid this is the sort of thing you’ve just got to take like a man.”
The Hyuuga grinded his teeth.
“Take a break,” Kiba offered with a wry smile. “I’ll take your post for a while so you can get some distance between you and the lewd geezer. If you don’t, I don’t think any of us will survive this... we would be forced to come between you and the man due to our mission, after all.”
Nodding slightly, Neji welcomed his friend’s suggestion. He looked one last time towards Sakura, meeting her apologetic emerald gaze. She puckered her lips for an instant in a silent kiss; it was all she could currently do to sooth his raging instincts.
The Captain hoped she would do a whole lot more later on that night. He was going to need it if he wanted to retain his sanity.
With that thought in mind, he fell back among the trees, allowing himself a much needed breather.
~xxx~
Awkward Moment
“Neji, open the door!” Sakura exclaimed, biting her lip to avoid chuckling.
“NO!” he countered from inside the bathroom. “I’m fine.”
Emerald eyes glinted with laughter at the Captain’s expense. He might be her lover but he still had pride. Lots of pride, actually.
“Love, I’m a medic,” she reminded him patiently. “I’m supposed to examine this sort of thing. Besides, it isn’t as if I haven’t been up close and personal with that part of your anato-.”
“That was different!” he protested with indignation.
Sounds of movement filtered through the door as he bustled with the mirror cabinet. Sakura could only guess what he was going to apply to his affected area.
“This sort of thing happens to anyone,” she said, her tone understanding. “Everyone’s susceptible when out on a mission. Hell, we women are even more vulnerable while peeing out in the open.”
Silence was the only response she received.
Nonetheless she went on valiantly. “Could you describe the plant you happened to brush against once more?”
“I told you, it was star-shaped with dark purple blotches... and it was...well, fuzzy.”
“Fuzzy?” Sakura asked, her eyes lighting up. When he had described the plant before, he hadn’t mentioned that detail. It narrowed down the possibilities a whole lot. She quickly catalogued all the likely plants that he could’ve come in contact with.
Still, she wouldn’t be able to be sure until she had a look at the rash the plant had triggered. Letting out a deep breath, she tried once more. “Love, I need to look at you to be able to diagnose you correctly.”
“I said I’m fine,” Neji answered through clenched teeth.
Sakura rolled her eyes. It seemed she had no other choice. If they were going to get anywhere, she would have to start throwing threats his way. It wouldn’t do to spend the rest of the night leaning against the bathroom door and pleading with him.
“Alright,” she remarked casually, “if you don’t want me to look at you, I’ll just call Tsunade-shishio. I’m sure she’ll be happy to help.”
“WHAT?” Neji exclaimed. It seemed that the possibility of his current condition being examined by none other than the Hokage was a little too much for him to take.
“Well, someone has to look at you. I mean, you said it stings really badly. If you don’t get treatment soon the rash might just spread.” This last wasn’t exactly true but Sakura didn’t care. All was fair in love, war and making sure you lover received medical attention. Besides, it was of her great interest to ascertain that the affected part of his anatomy didn’t receive any kind of permanent injury.
Come to think of it, Neji was being plain selfish. This whole thing affected both of them. As things stood already, he would most likely have to take on an oath of celibacy for a few days. And he was certainly not considering how Sakura would feel about that!
He was quiet for a couple of minutes. “You really think it could spread?”
The anxious tone of his voice made Sakura want to laugh out loud. Poor distraught male. “It could,” she replied. “That’s why I need you to open this door so someone can look at you. I’ll go call Tsunade-shishio and let her know that you-“
“DON’T!” he shouted through the door. Sakura could picture him perfectly: his hands on his hips and that stubborn look in his eye he got when he was forced into a decision that went against his better judgement.
She pressed her cheek against the door. “So you’ll let me look at you?” she asked in a pleading tone. She knew he was powerless to deny her anything when she spoke to him like that.
Neji’s answer came in the form of unlocking the bathroom door.
Sakura smiled and turned the knob, intent on seeing just what the damage was.
~xxx~
Needless to say, I greatly enjoyed writing that last one. 8D *cackles*