Dial It In

2. Fragile

"Hinata, dear you're not making any sense. What did you see?" Ino asked as she came over next to Neji.

Hinata jerks upwards and runs over to the potted plant in the corner and empties her stomach, holding her hands over her chest. Sasuke walks over and kneels down, rubbing her back, until she calms down, while Ino holds her hair. When she seems like she's done, Sasuke stands, and carries her, and holds her while he sits in a chair close to Neji.

"He's here. He was gone but he's back. He's was right there. But he was gone."

Neji and Sasuke look at each other, both obviously trying to decipher what she's saying.

"I saw him. There. He's been gone... I don't know but he's.."

Neji puts his hand over his eyes, and inhales deeply. He's back.

Shino suddenly runs into the room, sees Hinata in Sasuke's lap, and rubs his temple.

" Fuck"

There was obvious confusion in the room. 

"But everyone's here."

"No ones been gone."

"Did someone go on vacation?"

"Did someone move?"

"Is it family from out of the country?"

"Is it an ex lover?"

"GUYS!" Everyone turned to look at the extremely irritated Neji.

"Who, tell me, is the ONE person, who up and fucking vanished, that could cause her this much instability?"

..3

..2

..1

..

Everyone went wide eyed.

Suddenly, almost eerily, there was a loud bang coming from an indistinguishable location in the party. Soon after followed by a shatter... maybe a crash? Something breaking, in any case. Followed by a string of what could only be assumed was profanity.

Then there was the laugh. It was loud. It was obnoxious. 

But most assuredly,

it was his.

~XXX~

Neji walks into the living room, where the friends have convened in the aftermath of the earlier events. He looks on his floor to see Lee, face down, ass in the air, drooling. Asleep. At least he can hold his liquor. 

Sasuke sits on the chair in front of him, but across the room, and Shino, Sai, and Ino are sharing the couch.

As Neji leans against the door frame, everybody turns their attention to him.

"She's in her room, she was still asleep when I left and I doubt she'll wake up anytime soon."

Shino nodded, "She's probably going to have a severe hangover. She is not big on drinking, and from what I have seen, she took in quite a lot."

"And HOW," Neji started, glaring darkly at Shino and Sai, "did she manage to get to the alcohol?"

With the look Sai was getting, he thought he better not point out that they were at a rather large party hosted by the girl in question, so he went with explaining the events previous to her cousins arrival.

"She had set up the bar, not taking too long, saying she wanted to focus more on the food dishes, and she went to set up the table in the foyer, and never came back."