Neji was in a wonderful mood. He had just returned from a very successful mission in one week, when it was estimated that two weeks would be needed; Lee had not been difficult with the mission report as Neji had predicted and they had finished it very quickly, and then, in a spectacular twist of fate, Gai had not called an immediate post-mission training session for old time's sake as he usually did, which meant that Neji could go home and spend a relaxing evening in his lover's company doing absolutely nothing but allowing the blonde maniac to wait on him hand and foot.

He allowed himself a small smile as he fitted his key into the lock of his and Naruto's shared apartment, berating himself for being so excited at the prospect of seeing the Uzumaki again. He opened the door, prepared to see a mess of an apartment that Naruto would somehow manage to persuade him to clean.

What he found was infinitely worse.

Naruto. His Naruto. His boyfriend, his lover, his beloved. On top of Uchiha Sasuke, on their bed, naked, pounding into him. Hard.

Neji froze and stared. Against his will, he blushed bright red. His heart began to pound in his chest and he soon found it hard to breathe. However, before he could voice any indignation at having caught his lover having sex with another man, he turned around and swiftly left, closing the door firmly behind him. He quickly fumbled with his key and relocked the door, taking no notice of any of the sounds emanating from his apartment. He just wanted to be as far from that place, and Naruto, as possible.

The Hyuuga hurried down the hall and to the stairs, ripping the door open and all but flinging himself down the dangerous steps. He wasn't one to cry hysterically, but that didn't mean that he wasn't hurt. No, the sight of the man he loved intentionally cheating on him with someone he believed to be a friend hurt more than he could possibly describe. And it didn't help that Naruto had changed Neji's life in both the best and worst way possible. It didn't help that Neji had believed the blonde's words and built his new life with them as its foundation! That only made it worse.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and doubled over, falling to his knees, his heart clenching in a mixture of anger, hurt, and confusion. Had he done something wrong? Had he said something wrong that made Naruto stop loving him? Was Naruto still too angry at him after all these years and had just had enough? Well, why couldn't Naruto just tell him that, then! Why did he have to cheat on him!

Neji shut his eyes tightly, trying to block the images out, determinedly ignoring the prickling of a few tears at his eyes. Dammit, Naruto was not worth crying over! Naruto was not worth getting angry over! If Naruto was willing to throw everything they had away, then so be it! Neji would not be the one to go to pieces!

Taking deep calming breaths, Neji slowly pulled himself up and willed the tension in his shoulders to pass out of him. He relaxed his eyes and parted his lips to allow the soothing air to pass through them easier.

Calm down... he told himself. Just calm down and analyze the situation. Neji froze at this thought. Analyze what happened? Naruto cheated on him. There. Done. Nothing more to analyze, nothing more to the situation. Naruto was unfaithful, and that was it. All there was to it.

Closing his eyes, Neji let out a sigh and turned around.

Dammit all. Neji remembered a time when he wouldn't have been this vulnerable, when he had been able to push these feelings down in an instant. Now that self had been destroyed, Naruto had banished him from Neji's heart, mind, and soul.

And right now, Neji missed him. A lot. And was willing to get on Naruto's bad side again to have this former self back, just so no one could see how much he was really hurting.

Turning on his heel, Neji walked calmly back to his apartment, this time knocking on the door softly.

"Naruto?" he called to the large red door, sincerely wishing that Naruto would just stay on the other side of it. "I'm back from my mission." There was a noise inside the apartment that Neji chose not to associate with Sasuke, and it took a while for Naruto to get the door.

Before, he would've been all over Neji as soon as the other opened the door.

Now, it seemed, he was busy hiding Sasuke away so he wouldn't be caught. And to think Neji had put so much faith in him.

The Hyuuga let out a sigh and the door was opened, revealing a rather disgruntled Naruto. Neji had to fight from wincing at the blonde's beaming face. His smile was so like the ones he had always given Neji. Had they all been lies too? Had Neji just been something with which to pass time until the Uzumaki could get Sasuke? Neji inwardly shook his head. If so, then he had been foolish.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but Neji beat him to it, locking his eyes on the blonde's claw marks, not his deep blue eyes that he didn't trust anymore.

"Are you busy?" he asked. Naruto blinked and shook his head, slightly taken aback.

"No, why would you say that, Neji?" he returned evenly, his voice conveying innocent confusion, as Naruto-like as always. Neji looked away from him, harshly closing his eyes and releasing a breathy sigh.

"Very well," he said. "I'm going to bed now." Leaning up to peck Naruto quickly on the cheek, as far from the other's soft lips as possible, Neji turned and walked off to the bathroom to perform his nightly rituals, leaving a rather puzzled Naruto in his wake.

As soon as the door closed, Neji activated his Byakugan and watched as Naruto moved cautiously to the closet in which Sasuke hid. Neji looked on silently, tense, as Naruto pulled Sasuke out of the confined area and gestured for him to leave. Neji was thankful he couldn't hear the words Naruto spoke to the Uchiha.

Sasuke nodded once and moved to leave, but Naruto stopped him and turned him around, dropping a kiss on his lips.

Neji's breath caught in his throat.

He absentmindedly deactivated his Byakugan and turned away, shutting his eyes, debating with himself. Should he just leave now? Or should he stay and maybe try to figure out more about this affair? How long it had been going on? When it had started? Why it had started?

Neji paused, bringing this thought to a stop. If he were to do this, then he would have to sacrifice the rest of his heart. Bringing his hand to his chest, Neji's brow furrowed and he shook his head.

No. He would not bring further pain upon himself by suffering silently. He would not go through hell once more just to try and bring Naruto's love back to him.

"Neji! What the hell are you doing in there?" Naruto's boyish voice sounded through the door and Neji flinched. "Come on, what does a guy hafta do to get his boyfriend to spend five minutes with him!"

Neji gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists so tight the skin on his palms began to break under the pressure of his nails. So Naruto was just going to keep lying to him about it? Did he not mean enough to the Uzumaki so that he did not feel the least bit of guilt over what he had done?

Once more biting back tears, Neji moved swiftly to the closed window and quietly opened it, jumping into a crouched position on the sill.

Ignoring Naruto's questioning calls for him on the other side of the bathroom door, the Hyuuga jumped from the sill and fled, heading to the one place he knew he could be alone.

Naruto blinked confusedly as his calls went unnoticed by his boyfriend. That was odd. Usually Neji would be all snugly and adorable when he or Naruto just returned from a long mission. What was up?

Naruto moved to the bathroom door, pouting slightly from the lack of attention his lover was giving him.

"Oi! Neji!" he tried again, pounding on the door loudly. "Come on, get out here! You haven't even been here that long, come on, throw me a bone, here!" Yet again, his pleas were ignored, and the blonde began to worry slightly. What was wrong with Neji? Did something happen on his mission? Did he get hurt? Did he see something that he couldn't forget? Did something happen to Lee or Tenten? What the hell was UP!?

"Alright, that's it, I'm coming in!" Naruto shouted, throwing caution to the winds. He pulled back his fist and let it fly with a grunt. It slammed into the door, sending the innocent thing flying off its hinges. Naruto ran into the room and stopped, frozen, when he caught sight of the open window. Neji was nowhere in sight.

Somewhere within him, something laughed...a deep rumbling sound that sent shivers down his spine, as a very familiar voice growled cruelly in his ear.

He knows.

Ok. So, this is something I just randomly came up with, and might continue, depending on my muse, which, right now, is exhausted.

Honestly, I have no idea where this fic will end up, so if I continue it, I'm going to be adlibing basically the entire thing!

Read, review, all that jazz.