Waiting for a Yes [Modern!Neji x Reader]

PART 31

"Gaara, please, listen to me," [Name] says softly, holding her cell to her ear. Back and forth, she paces the kitchen, her feet softly padding against the floor. After many call attempts, Gaara calls [Name] back, but immediately they start an argument. She leans away from the phone, and Neji can hear Gaara bellow from the receiver.

"No! Why is he still there?! Tell him to take a fucking hike and walk his ass home! Or I don't know! Tell him to call his cousin to pick him up!"

[Name] hums, pressing the phone back to her ear. "Gaara, it's not that serious."

"Why are you taking his side?!"

"There are no sides! I'm just being a good host and an even better friend!" She huffs. Gaara scoffs at her words. "I'm not just going to send him out to the wolves."

"Fine, then I'm coming over!" He declares.

[Name] shakes her head even though he can't see it. "No."

"Why not?! You getting cozy with him now?"

"How dare you," she seethes. "I'm only telling you no cause you're angry with me. I don't want you over here if you're mad at me."

There's silence on both ends. Every second he doesn't speak feels like an hour. Her heart drops cause right now, this argument makes her feel like shit.

Finally, his voice comes out softly, sweetly, "I'm not mad at you. I'm just... I'm sorry. I'm sorry, baby."

He sighs, and she stays silent. "Please say something."

She still doesn't answer cause she doesn't know how to answer, what to answer. She just wants this all to be over. They were so happy a few days ago, and she wants to return to that.

With a final sigh, Gaara says, "I'll call you later, okay?"

The call goes dead, and her hand falls limp to her side. She wants to cry, but she holds it all back.

"Why is dating so hard?" She grumbles to herself. "Can't even have guy friends, or else your boyfriend goes fucking apeshit."

[Name] turns around, smiling at Neji, who sits cross-legged on the couch. "What should we get for dinner? I could order something."

Neji honestly couldn't stomach anything, especially after hearing how Gaara spoke to [Name] like that. It makes him sick.

He shrugs. "Doesn't really matter to me."

[Name] comes to sit next to him, pulling out her phone to order delivery. Neji looks at her.  He wonders how she can push aside that argument as if it were nothing. No tears, not even the sound of disappointment in her voice---just a smile.

Does Gaara's jealousy mean nothing to her? He questions.

A burst of confidence and bravery rushes through Neji's body. He grabs her wrist. [Name] expresses her bewilderment.

"Ah! What? Do you not like Korean barbeq-"

He yanks her into a hug, squeezing tightly to show his support and to savor this fleeting touch. She feels the softness of his hair, the warmth of his skin, and feels this heat all over her body. Her heart flutters.

"Ah, Neji?" [Name] says meekly.

"He should never yell at you like that." The voice he uses holds such sincerity, such tenderness that it shocks [Name] into place. She squeezes his shirt.

Although she bottles it up well, [Name] wants to cry on Neji's shoulder. Ever since that party, the emotions inside her affect her more than usual. She wants to be numb again; she wants to be happy, oblivious to the pain she keeps pushing inside her glass heart.