Week #5 -- Phobia
Title: Rock And A Hard Place
Rating: PG
Characters: Mid-20’s Neji /Sakura
Spoilers: None
Words: 1787
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't profit.
Summary: In the most unlikely of circumstances, Sakura discovers something about her love interest.
"What's your problem, Hyuuga?"
The Hyuuga in question stood near the mouth of the cave, dark hair heavy with sleet, frozen eyebrows twitching together in obvious irritation. In an effort to dismiss his companion's irate demand, Neji calmly brushed the accumulated slush from his sheepskin-clad shoulder, only for it to be rapidly replaced by the wet mix falling from the dismal gray sky.
"There is no problem, Haruno." His voice was as cold as the wind shrieking through the frozen forest as he stubbornly refused to enter the shelter Sakura had found.
He's doing this just to piss me off, isn't he? Sakura mused as her anger bloomed on her face, high and pink as she stalked from the stuffy confines of the crack.
But he sure looks good with his hair wet like that, doesn't he? Her mental companion taunted.
Now is not the time, she countered, suppressing her fierce attraction to the Hyuuga genius as her Inner snickered deviously.
It was supposed to be a quick and easy early March mission, Neji escorting Sakura to teach medicine at a small hospital far to the north of Fire country, but the weather had caught them unawares as they traveled home; the sunny morning had given way to a cloudy and brisk afternoon, and as the first slags of ice began to fall they shared a moment of hope that it would pass through quickly. Less than an hour later, tree branches were coated in ice, visibility was near zero and faces and fingers were numbing with cold and damp; the pair of shinobi genii realized the bad weather was here to stay. It wasn't much, but without the shelter of the tiny cave the two of them would surely freeze to death in the dark before the whirling dervish of a storm front passed through.
As the sleet fell in sharp, painful waves, Sakura - ever the practical nin - had refused Neji's suggestion they build a small lean-to of pine boughs as she caught a glimpse of a small fissure in the rock face. They had worked well together, tendrils of something stronger than friendship lurking beneath the surface of their relationship, but she was so focused on the tiny cave that she missed Neji's grimace and what she would have suspected was a shiver of fear - not that the Ice Prince was afraid of anything.
If the lump lodged in his elegant white throat was any indication as he stared into the confined space, Sakura couldn't be more wrong. From the outside the cave looked to be little more than a crack between two granite faces, the dirt floor barely large enough for one small adult to sit comfortably; the canted ceiling looming slightly less than chest height meant he wouldn't even be able to stand up. He could imagine the feeling of the walls closing in around him, the rock roof slowly crushing him under the weight of his fear; even the beautiful pink-haired kunoichi who intrigued him so much would have her hands full coaxing him into that small space.
Neji tried to swallow around the lump, forcefully stilling his trembling hands.
"You're going to freeze to death, you stupid man, now get in here," Sakura snapped, wiping the blowing slush out of her eyes with one mittened hand.
"No."
Was that a waver in his voice? Her Inner snickered. Jump him now, while his defenses are down!
"It wasn't a question," she grumbled at her companion, shushing her mental roommate and ignoring her further incendiary comments.
Disregarding completely his stubbornly planted feet, quiet protests and wide white eyes, Sakura charged her arms with chakra and forcefully shoved Neji into the cave, following his shivering figure and huddling close to share body heat, much to Inner Sakura's vocal delight. The cave, though larger than Neji's imagination had proclaimed, was still barely large enough for the two shinobi to sit comfortably next to one another; Sakura found herself smashed between a granite wall and the solid arm of the man beside her, personal space be damned as she arranged her pack to cushion her back against the rock and leaned into the comfort of the body beside hers.
In other circumstances, Neji would have thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of Haruno Sakura pressed warmly to his side; they had been dancing circles around each other for months as their friendship deepened and a budding attraction began. The pink hair he had at first found irksome on a ninja was now among his favorite sights, and those green eyes threatened to melt him on the spot when Sakura looked at him just right. Their time together in the small foreign town had solidified in his mind that this was a woman worthy of his attentions; her strengths complemented his, they worked well together and she wasn't boring and complacent like the other women he had attempted dating. Most curiously - Neji found himself smiling at her for no reason at all, just hoping to see her brilliant smile in return. Unfortunately, his mind and body were too occupied attempting to control the rising panic to notice she was sitting closer than necessary.
His silence continued as their temperature rose slightly; but even as Sakura could feel her limbs and face warming comfortably after several minutes out of the vicious storm, she felt his involuntary shivering beside her worsen. Twisting uncomfortably to face him, she found Neji's eyes pinched shut, his mouth drawn in a grim line as he took shallow, quick breaths.
Disregarding his obvious irritation with her but unable to suppress her blush at his proximity, Sakura planted a bare hand to her companion's smooth cheek, surprised to find that his skin was flushed and sweaty. The medic immediately pressed two fingers to the hollow of his throat, finding his heart thrumming away at a too-rapid pace - not a good sign after being out in the cold for so long.
"Are you ill, Neji?" she asked softly, her green eyes soft with concern.
Eyes still pressed firmly shut, brows drawn together painfully, Neji shook his head abruptly.
His body temperature is normal and he looks fine physically, what is going on?
"Open your eyes and look at me, Neji," Sakura asked quietly.
"No, too dizzy," he mumbled, still breathing shallowly.
Dizzy, sweaty, short of breath and a racing heart - is he having a panic attack?
Sakura discreetly slipped her hand through his long, dark hair to palm the back of Neji's neck gently, fingers rubbing the tense muscles around his skull gently. Bringing a trickle of chakra to her hand, she pushed the soothing energy into his skin, masking her forced calming by continuing her tender massage. In only a few moments, his breathing steadied and the tense posture of his broad shoulders relaxed as the adrenaline leeched out of his system.
"Better?" He responded with a gentle nod. "Are you still too dizzy to open your eyes?"
His lids slid open tentatively, measuring his surroundings with suspicion as if Neji expected the walls to come crashing down at any moment.
"Now, could you tell me what the hell is going on?" Sakura tried to keep her frustration out of her voice, but her concern for this handsome man she desperately wished was more than a friend was easy to read in her near-exhausted state.
"When I was a small child, I became trapped in a cave-in," he explained tersely, roughly slogging his still-wet hair over a shoulder. "It took them nearly an entire day to find me. Since then, I have preferred a different sort of shelter."
Way to go, baka, Inner Sakura piped up.
"I'm sorr--"
"Do not apologize, Sakura. If we were still out in that storm, we would indeed be frozen to death." His pale eyes softened and a tiny half-smile graced his face. "You were right to force me in here."
She found herself transfixed by the tiny up-quirk of his lips, her own mouth mimicking and amplifying its movements into a full-fledged smile as he turned awkwardly towards her.
"Thank you," Neji murmured, gently sweeping a thumb across her cheekbone and tucking a few wayward strands of pink hair behind her ear.
Struggling to muffle her blush at his tender gesture, Sakura contented herself with checking his physical condition yet again. His breathing was still harsh, but the racing pulse and the shaking had stopped, leaving Neji completely exhausted.
"I think we should try and get some sleep," he sighed, leaning his head against the rough stone.
"Hyuuga Neji, how dare you suggest we sleep together?" she said in mock offense as a wide grin spread across her face, teasing him. "You owe me at least a date and a kiss before that happens!"
Blushing almost imperceptibly at her words, Neji moved toward her suddenly - the dark head swooped down and his cold-chapped lips touched hers lightly, brushing a gentle kiss across her mouth.
"I could get you a ration bar right now, but I would prefer to take you to dinner when we get back to Konoha," he murmured, his mouth hovering over her own as one strong hand came up to cup the back of her sensitive neck.
Sakura whimpered quietly as his lips brushed over hers again, inciting her Inner personality into a frenzy of longing and lust.
A date? You’re going to make me wait for a stupid date?
"I think dinner is a good start," Sakura managed to squeak out before his mouth covered hers insistently, ignoring the mental commentary in favor of pressing her torso as close to Neji as she could.
Neji’s mouth was soft against her lips and cheeks, his fingers twining though her loose pink strands as Sakura’s hands scrabbled through his heavy coat to press against the warm flesh beneath. Slowly, ever so gently, he touched his lips to her forehead and sighed in content exhaustion.
“We’ll sleep here tonight and finish the journey to Konoha tomorrow,” he said, peering out at the swirling whiteness at the mouth of the cave.
“If you’re uncomfortable in here, we--“
A finger to her lips hushed her.
“That won’t be necessary,” Neji said gently, smiling down at her.
Sakura’s mouth curved up into a mirroring smile as her green eyes twinkled brightly. As they settled into a marginally comfortable heap of limbs and supplies she found herself clutched firmly to his chest, Neji absently playing with her hair. As she slipped into sleep, she felt the gentle press of his lips against the crown of her head and the vibrations of his whispered words.
“With you here, suddenly the cave doesn’t seem so bad at all.”
Rating: PG
Characters: Mid-20’s Neji /Sakura
Spoilers: None
Words: 1787
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't profit.
Summary: In the most unlikely of circumstances, Sakura discovers something about her love interest.
"What's your problem, Hyuuga?"
The Hyuuga in question stood near the mouth of the cave, dark hair heavy with sleet, frozen eyebrows twitching together in obvious irritation. In an effort to dismiss his companion's irate demand, Neji calmly brushed the accumulated slush from his sheepskin-clad shoulder, only for it to be rapidly replaced by the wet mix falling from the dismal gray sky.
"There is no problem, Haruno." His voice was as cold as the wind shrieking through the frozen forest as he stubbornly refused to enter the shelter Sakura had found.
He's doing this just to piss me off, isn't he? Sakura mused as her anger bloomed on her face, high and pink as she stalked from the stuffy confines of the crack.
But he sure looks good with his hair wet like that, doesn't he? Her mental companion taunted.
Now is not the time, she countered, suppressing her fierce attraction to the Hyuuga genius as her Inner snickered deviously.
It was supposed to be a quick and easy early March mission, Neji escorting Sakura to teach medicine at a small hospital far to the north of Fire country, but the weather had caught them unawares as they traveled home; the sunny morning had given way to a cloudy and brisk afternoon, and as the first slags of ice began to fall they shared a moment of hope that it would pass through quickly. Less than an hour later, tree branches were coated in ice, visibility was near zero and faces and fingers were numbing with cold and damp; the pair of shinobi genii realized the bad weather was here to stay. It wasn't much, but without the shelter of the tiny cave the two of them would surely freeze to death in the dark before the whirling dervish of a storm front passed through.
As the sleet fell in sharp, painful waves, Sakura - ever the practical nin - had refused Neji's suggestion they build a small lean-to of pine boughs as she caught a glimpse of a small fissure in the rock face. They had worked well together, tendrils of something stronger than friendship lurking beneath the surface of their relationship, but she was so focused on the tiny cave that she missed Neji's grimace and what she would have suspected was a shiver of fear - not that the Ice Prince was afraid of anything.
If the lump lodged in his elegant white throat was any indication as he stared into the confined space, Sakura couldn't be more wrong. From the outside the cave looked to be little more than a crack between two granite faces, the dirt floor barely large enough for one small adult to sit comfortably; the canted ceiling looming slightly less than chest height meant he wouldn't even be able to stand up. He could imagine the feeling of the walls closing in around him, the rock roof slowly crushing him under the weight of his fear; even the beautiful pink-haired kunoichi who intrigued him so much would have her hands full coaxing him into that small space.
Neji tried to swallow around the lump, forcefully stilling his trembling hands.
"You're going to freeze to death, you stupid man, now get in here," Sakura snapped, wiping the blowing slush out of her eyes with one mittened hand.
"No."
Was that a waver in his voice? Her Inner snickered. Jump him now, while his defenses are down!
"It wasn't a question," she grumbled at her companion, shushing her mental roommate and ignoring her further incendiary comments.
Disregarding completely his stubbornly planted feet, quiet protests and wide white eyes, Sakura charged her arms with chakra and forcefully shoved Neji into the cave, following his shivering figure and huddling close to share body heat, much to Inner Sakura's vocal delight. The cave, though larger than Neji's imagination had proclaimed, was still barely large enough for the two shinobi to sit comfortably next to one another; Sakura found herself smashed between a granite wall and the solid arm of the man beside her, personal space be damned as she arranged her pack to cushion her back against the rock and leaned into the comfort of the body beside hers.
In other circumstances, Neji would have thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of Haruno Sakura pressed warmly to his side; they had been dancing circles around each other for months as their friendship deepened and a budding attraction began. The pink hair he had at first found irksome on a ninja was now among his favorite sights, and those green eyes threatened to melt him on the spot when Sakura looked at him just right. Their time together in the small foreign town had solidified in his mind that this was a woman worthy of his attentions; her strengths complemented his, they worked well together and she wasn't boring and complacent like the other women he had attempted dating. Most curiously - Neji found himself smiling at her for no reason at all, just hoping to see her brilliant smile in return. Unfortunately, his mind and body were too occupied attempting to control the rising panic to notice she was sitting closer than necessary.
His silence continued as their temperature rose slightly; but even as Sakura could feel her limbs and face warming comfortably after several minutes out of the vicious storm, she felt his involuntary shivering beside her worsen. Twisting uncomfortably to face him, she found Neji's eyes pinched shut, his mouth drawn in a grim line as he took shallow, quick breaths.
Disregarding his obvious irritation with her but unable to suppress her blush at his proximity, Sakura planted a bare hand to her companion's smooth cheek, surprised to find that his skin was flushed and sweaty. The medic immediately pressed two fingers to the hollow of his throat, finding his heart thrumming away at a too-rapid pace - not a good sign after being out in the cold for so long.
"Are you ill, Neji?" she asked softly, her green eyes soft with concern.
Eyes still pressed firmly shut, brows drawn together painfully, Neji shook his head abruptly.
His body temperature is normal and he looks fine physically, what is going on?
"Open your eyes and look at me, Neji," Sakura asked quietly.
"No, too dizzy," he mumbled, still breathing shallowly.
Dizzy, sweaty, short of breath and a racing heart - is he having a panic attack?
Sakura discreetly slipped her hand through his long, dark hair to palm the back of Neji's neck gently, fingers rubbing the tense muscles around his skull gently. Bringing a trickle of chakra to her hand, she pushed the soothing energy into his skin, masking her forced calming by continuing her tender massage. In only a few moments, his breathing steadied and the tense posture of his broad shoulders relaxed as the adrenaline leeched out of his system.
"Better?" He responded with a gentle nod. "Are you still too dizzy to open your eyes?"
His lids slid open tentatively, measuring his surroundings with suspicion as if Neji expected the walls to come crashing down at any moment.
"Now, could you tell me what the hell is going on?" Sakura tried to keep her frustration out of her voice, but her concern for this handsome man she desperately wished was more than a friend was easy to read in her near-exhausted state.
"When I was a small child, I became trapped in a cave-in," he explained tersely, roughly slogging his still-wet hair over a shoulder. "It took them nearly an entire day to find me. Since then, I have preferred a different sort of shelter."
Way to go, baka, Inner Sakura piped up.
"I'm sorr--"
"Do not apologize, Sakura. If we were still out in that storm, we would indeed be frozen to death." His pale eyes softened and a tiny half-smile graced his face. "You were right to force me in here."
She found herself transfixed by the tiny up-quirk of his lips, her own mouth mimicking and amplifying its movements into a full-fledged smile as he turned awkwardly towards her.
"Thank you," Neji murmured, gently sweeping a thumb across her cheekbone and tucking a few wayward strands of pink hair behind her ear.
Struggling to muffle her blush at his tender gesture, Sakura contented herself with checking his physical condition yet again. His breathing was still harsh, but the racing pulse and the shaking had stopped, leaving Neji completely exhausted.
"I think we should try and get some sleep," he sighed, leaning his head against the rough stone.
"Hyuuga Neji, how dare you suggest we sleep together?" she said in mock offense as a wide grin spread across her face, teasing him. "You owe me at least a date and a kiss before that happens!"
Blushing almost imperceptibly at her words, Neji moved toward her suddenly - the dark head swooped down and his cold-chapped lips touched hers lightly, brushing a gentle kiss across her mouth.
"I could get you a ration bar right now, but I would prefer to take you to dinner when we get back to Konoha," he murmured, his mouth hovering over her own as one strong hand came up to cup the back of her sensitive neck.
Sakura whimpered quietly as his lips brushed over hers again, inciting her Inner personality into a frenzy of longing and lust.
A date? You’re going to make me wait for a stupid date?
"I think dinner is a good start," Sakura managed to squeak out before his mouth covered hers insistently, ignoring the mental commentary in favor of pressing her torso as close to Neji as she could.
Neji’s mouth was soft against her lips and cheeks, his fingers twining though her loose pink strands as Sakura’s hands scrabbled through his heavy coat to press against the warm flesh beneath. Slowly, ever so gently, he touched his lips to her forehead and sighed in content exhaustion.
“We’ll sleep here tonight and finish the journey to Konoha tomorrow,” he said, peering out at the swirling whiteness at the mouth of the cave.
“If you’re uncomfortable in here, we--“
A finger to her lips hushed her.
“That won’t be necessary,” Neji said gently, smiling down at her.
Sakura’s mouth curved up into a mirroring smile as her green eyes twinkled brightly. As they settled into a marginally comfortable heap of limbs and supplies she found herself clutched firmly to his chest, Neji absently playing with her hair. As she slipped into sleep, she felt the gentle press of his lips against the crown of her head and the vibrations of his whispered words.
“With you here, suddenly the cave doesn’t seem so bad at all.”