Waiting for a Yes [Modern!Neji x Reader]

PART 30

The clinking and clanging of things waken Neji. Thankfully, it's the start of a long weekend, so he doesn't worry about school, wake up times, alarms, nor homework. All he has to figure out is his location.

Where am I? He wonders as his glued eyes pry open. His hazy gaze clears after a couple of blinks, and he sees an off white ceiling above him. The knocking in his head is thanks to a slight hangover, but he ignores it to the best of his ability with the noise.

The sofa underneath him creaks and sinks as he pushes himself up. He brushes his messy brown tresses back with one hand and searches for the noise.

In her big t-shirt, [Name] moves swiftly from one part of her kitchen to another. She places a pan down on the stove and drips a bit of oil in it.

Neji watches her from his spot on the couch, his heart skipping. Heat rushes over him once he gets one good look at her thigh. The shirt is a bit too small.

Neji looks away, peering at the minimally decorated walls instead. As he stares at the modern art piece on the wall, he thinks of how he should greet her. His brows furrow, thinking that a simple Good Morning is too formal and What's Up isn't his style.

His eyes close as he breathes in.

You just gotta do it, okay? Is his mental pep talk.

"H---"

A plate of food enters his vision, cutting him off. [Name], with a cute determined face, holds breakfast for two in her hands. "Here! I heard eggs were good for a hangover!"

Neji holds back a stupid, lovesick grin. "Thank you."

"There's also bananas and blueberries and oranges in the fridge!" [Name] says. Her pouty determined face makes Neji fall deeper and deeper in love with her. "I woke up early to look for the best foods, and then went to the supermarket to buy them."

He smiles, holding back laughter behind his hand. "I really appreciate it [Name]."

She glances at him, noting his soft gaze and the smile upon his face. The kiss from last night pops into her head, and she must look away from him. Her heart pounds at the sudden thought, and she feels a rush go through her.

That kiss was an accident, she reminds herself. He was drunk and fell over. He didn't mean to kiss you.

She glances at him again. His messy hair fits him beautifully. Brown stands fall between his kind eyes. Some curl at the ends or even leave the pack to stick straight out. Whichever way Neji's hair decides to stand or stick out, it's all beautiful to [Name's] eyes.

With a hesitant but not trembling hand, she gently pushes back his hair, just to watch it fall back into its disheveled place. Neji seizes up at first---his cheeks turning pink---but soon, he relaxes. Her touch is gentle and warm, and he leans against it.

"Your hair," she starts, still playing with it---not that Neji is objecting to it. "It makes you look a little undignified, in like, a good way though."

"Would you like me to fix it?" Neji jokes, smirking playfully.

"No, no. You look good."

It's flirting. It feels like flirting to [Name]. She knows it wrong since she has a boyfriend already, but she can't stop. Something about that kiss stirred a new feeling inside her.

Her hand comes down to cup his cheek. Once again, she focuses on his lips. A weight falls on her shoulders the moment she realizes what she's doing.

"Neji," [Name] curses his name in a woeful tone. "Why did you kiss me?"

He smiles again and takes her hand. It's the perfect time to tell her how he feels, and yet he shies away from the opportunity. "To be honest [Name], I don't even remember most of last night."

It's not the answer she's looking for. In fact, she hoped he would confess a little something about himself.

The warmth of his hand leaves her, and she wishes it stayed.

"Let's just eat," Neji says. The smile that accompanies those words makes her heart flutter. "Our food is getting cold."

...

"Gaara hasn't texted me all day," [Name] says, her phone in her hands. She texted Gaara a good morning and asked him how he felt, yet there was no response.

So far, she sat with Neji on the couch. Played a few card games with him to distract herself from the lack of notifications. But ultimately, her mind reels back to Gaara.

Worry bubbles in her stomach. The argument from last night replays in her mind. She thinks about calling him, but that thought whisks away from a simple shoulder touch from Neji.

"Don't worry about it." Like sweet honey, his voice comes to her. "He might be sleep. You know he has insomnia."

"Yeah, but." [Name] pauses and bites her lip. It's important to trust a friend; everyone knows that, but how much does she trust Neji? This burden on her chest sits heavily, and guilt eats away at her current thoughts. She wants to tell Neji all about the argument, and yet, she wonders if she can trust him with this sensitive information. "We had a---"

"Fight? Yeah, I know," Neji says. "I heard some yelling. You said his name a couple of times. Told him to get out, and then I heard the door slam. I didn't hear all of it, though."

[Name] lets her head hang. "I'm worried."

Sunlight filters in from the window, striking her face just right, and from Neji's view, she appears to be an angel, a forlorn, enervated angel, hoping for their lover's return. She leans back, her head resting against the couch cushions, and once again, she's human.

"I hope he doesn't hate me," she says with such fear and certainty that he quickly comes to her rescue. As if she's falling from the sky, Neji is there to cushion her fall.

"I know he doesn't hate you! He loves you, right? There's no way a small fight can rip you two apart."

She runs her hands over her face, trying to wipe away the worry, the sadness, and the yearning from her face. "You're right. You're right."

It's a subtle movement, a gentle way to ask for affection, but she leans against Neji. Her head on his chest.

"You're such a good friend," she mumbles. "I don't know why he doesn't trust you."

...

A/N: Late Holiday Gift.