"Itachi! Over here, un!" Itachi turned and smirked when he saw the grinning blonde standing next to the blue-haired Kisame, grinning just as largely. He turned to Neji and gestured for him to follow. He almost laughed at the Hyuuga's barely concealed nervous expression.

"Itachi, when'd you talk to the Hyuuga?" Deidara asked incredulously, his attention shifting to Neji. Itachi shrugged.

"After the ceremony," he said. "I was talking to his uncle, but then I started talking to him. He'd like to join our study group." Neji blinked at the bluntness of the statement. Deidara put is hands on his hips and leaned towards the Hyuuga.

"Really, un?" he asked the brunette boy. "When'd you suddenly get that urge?" His eyes flashed to Itachi with a certain slyness in them. Neji arched a brow.

"When Itachi made it clear that the option was open," he said. "As a lower classman, I'm pretty desperate to find someone to show me the ropes." Kisame smirked.

"Well, you're lucky, Itachi's never done that with anyone else," he snickered. "He must really like you." Neji hid a blush and tried his best to hold Kisame's stare, which was surprisingly hard. Itachi chuckled and shook his head.

"Back off, Kisame, the boy looked like he could do with a little help," he said. "You should've seen who he was with. They were swallowing him whole. Now, back to the original question, can he or can he not join our study group?" Deidara smirked at Itachi's insistence. The guy seemed really keen on getting the little Hyuuga to join them. Maybe he could have some fun with this.

"Well, it sounds like you want him to join, un," the blonde shrugged. "I've got no problem with it. What about you, Kisame?" Kisame followed in kind with Deidara, shrugging and expressing that he didn't mind and that it would be nice to have someone new join their little circle. Neji couldn't help but feel that he was being accepted into a cult.

"Well, thank you for accepting me," he said, bowing slightly. Deidara laughed and flung an arm around the Hyuuga's pale neck.

"Aw, look, un!" he said, his voice rising. "He's ever the polite prude!" Neji went slightly pink at the title, but showed no other signs of reaction. Itachi only arched a brow.

"Well, I suppose we'd need another one around here," he smirked. "God knows I've had my hands full trying to keep you under control, Dei." The blonde smirked and separated from Neji, giving a mockingly swishy bow.

"I do my best, un," he said, smirking. Itachi returned the gesture halfheartedly and turned to Neji.

"You want a tour?" he asked, his voice stoic once again. "These idiots may not know much, but they know their way around the school. It'd be a great first step towards showing you those ropes you seem so interested in." He winked and Neji allowed his mouth to turn upward in the smallest of smirks. He nodded.

"That would be nice, thank you," he said, instinctively offering a small bow once more. Deidara laughed.

"Aw, you are just too cute, un!" he said loudly. "It's going to be fun having you in our study group!"

"Everyone eats breakfast, lunch and dinner in this hall at the same time," Itachi explained. Neji arched a brow.

"Sounds hectic," he remarked. Itachi shook his head.

"This is prep school," he replied simply. "Nothing is hectic here. For that, I'm thankful. I don't like loud, chaotic things." Neji turned to him and nodded.

"I agree with you," he sighed. "But unfortunately, living in the same house as an important businessman and his sex-mongering wife is not exactly a very quiet environment." Itachi scoffed in agreement and shook his head, deciding to change the subject.

"How about I show you the campus?" he suggested. "That's actually a very quiet place; admittedly quieter than it is here." Neji gave a small smile and nodded.

"Ariga—I mean, thank you, Itachi," the Hyuuga said. "I would like that." Itachi raised his brow at the Japanese utterance that had escaped Neji's mouth, remembering his uncle's threat. He almost opened his mouth to tell Neji that he could feel free to speak in Japanese but refrained. He didn't want to be the one to get the brunette Hyuuga in trouble with his family. Instead, he settled for a small nod.

"Alright then, Neji, follow me," the Uchiha said, turning towards the exit of the fancy dining hall.

The campus was beautiful. Of course, Neji had spent a little time familiarizing himself with it before the start of the ceremony. He had found himself entranced with the green forests and the wide stretching fields. It was exciting to him to be able to walk their lengths now and experience their soft natural freshness as opposed to watching it from afar. The young Hyuuga followed the experienced Uchiha away from the building and all of its Gothic architecture down to a small courtyard. There were numerous benches that outlined a fine walkway that twisted and turned beautifully throughout the small garden. Growing along the sides of these paths and benches were beautiful bunches of blue Forget Me Nots and white Hawthorns and many more flowers that Neji couldn't name. All set against a neatly cut bed of green grass. Occasionally Neji saw a tall ash tree standing quite proudly to the side of the pathway. The serenity of this courtyard's countenance calmed Neji and he sighed contentedly.

"Would you like to stop here?" Itachi asked, turning to regard the Hyuuga with thoughtful eyes. "Or would you like to continue?" Neji looked at him.

"What else is there to show me?" he asked slightly curiously. Itachi turned and pointed to the forest.

"There's a pathway that leads into the forest," he said. "Students aren't always allowed in but that's never stopped anyone I know. The path leads to a clearing that provides a spectacular view of the lake down below, as well as the school. It's actually a very romantic spot, depending on who you're with." Neji felt the pale skin on his face fall subject to the light pink of a blush and he turned away to hide it. Why was he reacting this way? Never before had a mere comment reduced him to such a...an unwelcome action before, even if he was gay.

Itachi fought back a grin. He had hardly missed the hint of color that had crept its way onto the Hyuuga's face and found it intriguing that he took such amusement in drawing such reactions from the brunette boy. The Uchiha waited silently for the Hyuuga to get his 'raging hormones' under control and raised his eyebrows slightly when Neji turned back to face him.

"I think I would like to see this spot that you deem worthy of such attention," he said, smirking slightly. Itachi returned the playful grin.

"I had no idea that my opinion was of such value to one so eloquent and of such stature as yourself," he bantered. Neji arched his brow and stood with a mocking, elegant poise; equilibrium.

"Of course it is, Mr. Uchiha," he said, his voice imitating that of his stiff uncle. "The thoughts and opinions of one such as yourself in such an excellent situation are never overlooked." Itachi bowed mockingly.

"Well, then let me show you that which you seem so eager to see," he said, standing to the side of the paved path and gracefully gesturing for Neji to move onward. The Hyuuga bit back a smirk and complied, still acting like the impossibly formal aristocrats people like his uncle always played the part of. Itachi followed, wondering when the hell he had become so comfortable around Neji.

"My goodness!" Neji exclaimed. "Is there never an end to the surprises of this place?" Itachi smiled to himself at Neji's reaction. They had reached the end of the forest and were now standing, consequentially, at the end of a cliff. Well, more of a steep hill, actually. The trees had backed off a few meters back, as though afraid of falling off the edge of the dangerous and abrupt end to firm ground. Neji, however, wasn't at all afraid to get close to the danger that the trees seemed to shrink in the face of. The young Hyuuga stood right at the edge of the drop and looked eagerly out at the tranquil sight that Itachi had been right to deem beautiful. The school was before them, standing tall and proud on the long grassy field and surrounded by decorative paths and gardens and absolutely spectacular in the light of the setting sun. It looked very small from where Itachi and Neji stood. Beyond it and down a gradual sloping hill was the lake that attracted so many spectators and even some students, though now, completely devoid of any life forms besides the small creatures that resided in or around it. The sight was breathtaking.

"You sound excited," Itachi remarked, coming to stand beside a very enthusiastic Hyuuga. Neji turned to the Uchiha with arched brows.

"Well, those are most definitely the kind of observations that get you into prep school," he said sarcastically, a laughing tone apparent in his voice. Itachi looked at him and fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Oh, absolutely," he agreed, just as sarcastically. "People underestimate the power of simple observation. Sometimes, one can jump to the wrong conclusion, and making a speculation that might seem obvious is the best way to avoid doing so, especially since making a wrong conclusion can ward very lethal results. Do you not agree?" Neji turned away and shook his head, sighing.

"There is absolutely no way that I can argue with you and come out as the victor," he said. "Not even in simple banter." Itachi chuckled.

"You'll get there someday," he said, a patronizing tone edging his voice. Neji turned to Itachi and just looked at him, unreadable expression on his face. Itachi held his gaze for a moment and then Neji turned away and let out a breathy sigh of something akin to contentment.

"What do you do out here?" the Hyuuga asked, his voice now serious but quiet. Itachi raised his brow and thought for a moment.

"I write," he replied. Neji didn't look at him as he responded.

"What do you write?" he asked.

"Poetry."

"Poetry?"

"Yes." Neji looked at Itachi and his brow furrowed slightly.

"I didn't associate you with poetry when I first saw you," he admitted slightly guiltily. Itachi turned to the Hyuuga, hints of a soft reassuring smile on his face.

"Well, that's understandable," he said, his voice in no way mocking or irritated. "No one really would make that sort of connection. I am, after all the eldest son of Uchiha Fugaku, head of the Uchiha Corporation. Poetry does not become me." The raven turned back to the view of the slowly setting sun and sighed inaudibly. Neji's gaze still rested on the soft features of Itachi as he thought. Very unfortunately for him, the young Hyuuga was becoming more and more attracted to the Uchiha with every passing moment. The soft looks he was given, the soft words that were spoken; it all resulted in a mounting attraction. Neji was internally panicking. Before he met Itachi, he'd never had to worry about his homosexuality all that much. Beyond a passing glance, he had never shown any more interest in men than was necessary for a possible business relation. But now, things were rapidly becoming difficult to handle, and he didn't know how he would explain this to Hiashi if the man ever found out.

Suppressing a small sigh, Neji pushed the thoughts aside and allowed his gaze to return to the peaceful view before him, as though his eyes never left it.

"...Compose something about this."

"What?" Itachi turned to face the youth standing beside him. Neji's eyes never left the sight of the slowly setting sun and the glittering colors playing on the smooth glassy surface of the lake.

"Write a poem about what you see now," Neji reiterated. "Even if you don't have the proper writing utensils you can still come up with one in your head, right? I want to hear what poems you can compose spontaneously. If you don't mind, that is." His soft eyes of opal now rested on Itachi's surprised orbs of onyx and his face was serious. There was no laughing tone to his voice. No smile on his face, only expectancy. Itachi was caught off guard but quickly recovered, nodding. Neji, sensing that the Uchiha didn't perform well under pressure, turned back to the picturesque view before him. Itachi's eyes fixed themselves on the sight, never blinking as he silently composed a poem in his head.

After a moment his brow creased. What next? He was stuck. Of course that was normal for one writing a spontaneous poem or any sort of piece, actually. But he did not like leaving his poem without an end and he most certainly did not like the ending it would be left with had he chosen to recite it to the Hyuuga just then. The Uchiha turned to Neji and blinked, a slow smile coming to his face. He was silent for another moment, watching Neji stand; quiet and still, his hair fighting to stay against his back in the face of the assaulting wind, but losing spectacularly as it was lifted and forced to flow gracefully in the air around him; his eyes, wide and innocent, like a child's, darted quickly from one sight to another, drinking them all in; skin once the palest ivory, now tainted with gold as the sun's fading red light danced upon it. Itachi could clearly imagine wings sprouting from Neji that would carry him off into the sky, into the lasting sunset as he left for whatever haven his wings intended for him.

Turning back to the sunset, Itachi shook his head and sighed. Neji turned to him.

"Finished?" he asked a little cautiously. He didn't want to disturb Itachi's thought process. The Uchiha turned to face him and nodded.

"Yes," he replied. "I am." Neji looked at him, a sort of eagerness present on his face, his eyes slightly wider than normal and his brows arched only a scant bit; the look of a young child awaiting a bedtime story.

"Will you share it with me?" the Hyuuga asked. Itachi looked seriously at him.

"I forgot it," he said simply. Neji blinked, taken aback.

"What?" he asked, his voice everything that was confusion. Itachi shrugged.

"I forgot it," he repeated. He turned and started to walk away but Neji reached out a hand and grasped his wrist. Itachi stopped and turned back to the Hyuua.

"We really should be heading back," he said. "There is a very strict curfew, and it would simply be disastrous if you should show up late to anything on your first day." Neji looked at him with slight shock adorning his features before he slowly let fall the hand that clung to Itachi's and nodded once.

"Very well," he said, his icy exterior once again in place. Itachi had played him for a fool! He probably didn't even know how to write poetry. He was probably just trying to get close to Hiashi by getting close to Neji. And the Hyuuga had fallen for it! After everything he said. Itachi most likely thought him a freak now. God, he had been so stupid! Why couldn't he have just gone on his way and ignored Itachi's little mind games? Stupid, stupid, st-

"Neji," Itachi spoke softly, halting Neji's mental rant.

"What," Neji snapped, turning to face the Uchiha. Itachi looked at him, amusement showing in his smile.

"I meant everything I said," he said matter-of-factly and sincerely. "I really do write poetry, I really don't like my family and I really am gay. However, I can't share with you a poem I don't remember." Neji looked at him cautiously, arching an eyebrow and not letting himself relax in the slightest.

"And how can you not remember your poem?" he asked a little pointedly. Itachi grinned and took a step closer to the pouting Hyuuga(pouting being Itachi's term for it, as Neji would have vehemently denied that he was doing anything of the sort).

"That's what the writing utensils are for," he pointed out patiently. "Everyone has the feelings and emotion necessary to become a poet, but only a select few have the ability to accurately translate those feelings into words, and those people are given the title 'poet'. But even those people sometimes forget the words they used to describe the endless chaos of their emotions. The pencil and paper provide an outlet for those emotions, and since I have none, my words were quickly lost deep in my mind. But why would I need to share a forgotten poem with you that you probably already know?"

Neji was silent, contemplating Itachi's words, while the Uchiha simply stood there, watching the young Hyuuga with a steady eye.

"And, just what do you mean by that?" the prodigious Hyuuga finally asked, his voice slightly shaky. Itachi arched a dark brow.

"I mean only to say that your mind works in the same way mine does," he replied. "You could have a million poems spinning round in your head and hardly realize it. Many people don't. But then again, what other people do and don't realize is hardly of any concern to you, is it?" Neji blinked, feeling slightly surprised and quite guilty.

"I—That's very...deep—I..." he stuttered. Itachi chuckled and took yet another step towards the now flustered Hyuuga.

"I've left you speechless, haven't I?" he said smoothly. Neji was silent, averting his gaze from the all-knowing Uchiha as he fought back a blush. Itachi chuckled, reaching out and placing a hand on Neji's shoulder.

"Come on," he said. "Let's head back. You don't want to get in trouble on your first day, do you?" Neji looked at Itachi and shook his head, regaining his composure.

"No," he said, still a little rattled. "But, thank you for showing me this, Uchiha Itachi. And I...I'm sorry I...jumped to conclusions." The smile he sent Itachi felt different on his face than the others. It didn't feel forced as they usually did. No, this felt...well, it made him feel slightly vulnerable, as though showing his true feelings in any way would allow someone to hurt him.

But, looking into Itachi's endless soulful eyes, the Hyuuga knew that the Uchiha would never hurt him.

"It was my pleasure," Itachi replied, dipping gracefully into a mockingly swishy bow that Deidara was all too good at. "And don't worry. We all have our moments of weakness." He looked meaningfully at Neji before adding, "And anytime you wish to visit again, you have only to ask." Neji laughed and returned the bow with one of his own, also very exaggerated.

"How very kind of you, I shall have to take you up on that offer very soon," he said, grinning. Itachi smirked and nodded once before the both of them turned and left the beautiful vision behind, heading back to the wonderful preparatory school that they both loved sooo much.

Ok!! Major fluff chptr!! Srry if anyone thinks that I'm moving too fast with the romance, but this story's main problem is Itachi and Neji trying to deal with the problems that arise because of their love, not the actual confessing of their love to the other.

How'm I doin?? Good? Bad? Horrible? Excellent? Cookie? No cookie? I need reviews people!! I personally, thought the interactions were pretty good, but tell me what u think, please!!

Review!

Deidara and Kisame might be given the roll of matchmakers!! OOooooh, that would be fun to write!!