Coffee.
Tea.
Coffee.
Tea.
Two sugars.
Cream.
Two sugars.
And cream.
Steam billows from the cup placed in [Name's] hands. She's still jumpy from last night, but Neji has stayed by her side the entire time. Making caffeinated drinks just to keep her from nodding off, per her request. She's tired, he can tell by the way her eyes droop close, but as the hot liquid in the cup teeters at the edge of spilling or not spilling, she jolts right back up, eyes fluttering and blinking.
Then she smiles right at him—a pure, sleepy, sad smile.
"You should really get some rest," Neji says. He checks his watch and then continues saying, "It's almost five in the morning."
Sure, five in the morning is early for some and wake-up times for others; but considering their late-night escapades and the fact that someone broke in during the middle of the night, keeping them both up in the late AM, an hour and a half of sleep is not enough for a functioning adult.
[Name] yawns, using the back of her hand to wipe her eyes. "I'll be fine. A coworker is covering my shift today, so I'll have the rest of the day to nap."
Neji sighs. "C'mon, [Name]. You're making me worried."
She grabs his hand, placing the coffee down on the coffee table. The crouch creaks beneath her as she maneuvers into Neji's arms which he so kindly wraps around her. "I told you I'll be fine. Really."
Neji wraps a blanket around her shoulders. "Is it because of the nightmare?"
[Name] will admit the nightmare spooked her. Something so evil wanted and got to her. There was nothing she could do about it either. As of late, her nightmares have increased, from uneasiness edging to pure terror. There aren't many times when she'll take hints from the universe, but something is coming for her, looming over her life, etching its dark lines into her bright canvas.
And it's getting closer.
"Yes," she admits, her voice croaking. "Neji, I'm... Scared. I feel like there's something out to get me."
Neji rubs her shoulder. He never thought his night would come to this. He never thought he'd build such a connection with her. The gala was just a first meeting, the sex was spontaneous, and he never saw the break-in coming, but with each event, Neji grew closer to her. An interpersonal relationship blossomed in less than a day. Regardless of all that, Neji promises to be there for her, to comfort and care, to hold and fawn over---he will be there throughout it all.
"I'll be there for you, [Name]." He doesn't know how long this relationship will last, if it will last at all beyond this morning, but right now is all that matters. "You have nothing to be afraid of."
A light snore breaks him from his rumination. He peeks at her face, smiles, and allows her to rest.
...
Sasuke's muscles creak as he sits up from the front seat of his car, sunlight pouring into his windshield. His clothes, still damp from hours before, cling to his skin. He can feel the bags hanging from his eyes.
The storm is over as if he never began. Only puddles filling potholes and the dewy verdure are evidence of it ever being there.
He checks his surroundings. Nothing but wild, golden wheat stretches in all directions as he sits on a gravel road that expands even further.
"Where the hell," he doesn't finish his sentence. The memories from last night trickle in one by one, and shame wracks his body. Shame and anger. Like a splash of cold water on the skin, it shakes him to even remember what he did.
He covers his face with his hands, digging his nails into his skin, scraping and scratching until red marks form. He bites the skin of his lips until they're raw and bleeding, throbbing from pain.
Neji held her. Neji kissed her. Neji touched her. Neji fucked her!
The frustration builds until he screams. Kicking and thrashing, crying and screaming, tugging and pulling---an entire tantrum. It only lasts a minute. As hot tears roll down his red cheeks, he stops and huffs, cracking sobs escaping his mouth. Nose dribbles with snot as he falls across both front seats, curling his body up as best as he can.
He had driven here after breaking into [Name's] house. After he saw Neji and her together. And the way she looked at him in fear when he left tore his heart out.
In the darkness of that night, he saw her, naked and afraid, shaking in fear of him. The wide-eyed look he saw in that flash of lightning showed him how much of a monster he truly was. How much of a monster he can be.
The pillars of his mental stability crumbles. It eats away at him. The colorful lines [Name] brought to his dark canvas ink to a muddy grey, ridding him of all joy, opportunity, and love.
He is a broken man.
And he tries to convince himself he's not. He tries to convince himself that look she gave him was one of astonishment. An expression of helplessness, and he is her savior. She stood dumbfounded and amazed at his glory in hopes that he'd rescue her from Neji!
He is not the monster but the hero. Neji is just a side quest for [Name], but he is the main event, the main course! He is everything and more, and [Name] is just BLINDED by Neji's muscles and smile.
He can be like that too, you know. If that's what she wants, he'll be just like that.
Sasuke sits up, eyes puffy and red from crying. His knuckles bruised from throwing his limbs all about in such a cramped space. He sets his hands on the steering wheel after starting his car.
The tires crunch the gravel as he makes the slowest U-turn, eyes unblinkingly staring ahead of him. The sun stings his pupils, but he stares on. Determined.
...
[Name] hadn't known when she had fallen asleep. Once again in the arms of Neji, she rises, brain foggy and eyesight blurry. She remembers nothing of her dream, just static or a white, empty space in which she stood, staring ahead into nothingness. Regardless, it was a peaceful sleep, no nightmares, no spooks, and no crushing anxiety about monsters coming to get her. Just blank.
"It's half past noon," Neji says, sitting up in a more comfortable position. "Or just about."
"I really slept that long?" She stretches her arms, feeling her back pop.
"How do you feel?"
[Name] scoffs, pushing the decorative quilt off her shoulders. "Like all that caffeine wasn't worth shit. Now I have to piss like really bad."
Neji covers his laugh with his hand. Those amused eyes follow her as she stomps to the bathroom. He sits up, the air now heavy. Although he loved spending his time with her, slimmed off a few pounds of stress, he has to go home.
He finds his clothes which are strewn about the place. His pants which he had on since last night, crinkle as they sag off his hips without a belt. He slips on his white button-up shirt, only buttoning a few. He hears the water run and the toilet flush, and he prepares himself for a goodbye.
As [Name] trots out, scratching behind her ear, mouth wide with a yawn, he says, "I should be going."
She stops mid-yawn and sucks her teeth. "You look like you already have one foot out the door."
Neji smiles.
She has to remind herself this was a one-night stand. Just a fling that happened after the art gallery. Nothing more, nothing less. And yet, she cannot sever this connection to him so easily, especially when he smiles so prettily at her like this.
She squares her shoulders. "It was nice hanging out with you."
"Hanging out," Neji snorts. "That's a cute way to say: Thanks for giving me the best dick of my life."
[Name] smiles, but it's solemn. The only protection she has had in the last twenty-four hours is up and leaving her. Alone. In this broken-in house!
Neji picks up on her downtrodden vibe and approaches her. He places both hands on her shoulders which relax and slump in his hold. They meet eyes.
"Will I see you again?" [Name] asks. She feels stupid for even saying it out loud, but he's the strongest person she knows, and she has confided so much to him in the last 12 hours. It would be silly to think they weren't friends, at the very least.
"Of course you will," Neji reassures, pulling her into a quick hug. He smells like lavender and the rain mixed with that weird musk all men have. "I gave you my business card, didn't I?"
"Right."
Neji takes a few steps back and heads for the front door, slipping on his shoes as he goes. [Name] follows to give him a proper send-off.
"I'll see you later, okay?" Neji waves from his car. "Call me whenever you wanna set up those private lessons."
He gives her a wink, and she covers her face with her hands.
Then he's off.
...
A/N: I'm such a Bleach fan and I'm so happy it's coming back. I can see my husband Byakuya again 🥹