Stoic expression set onto his face Neji stood in row with his cousin, wondering over and over again just why he had to play chaperon, and in a public pool as well. Didn't his uncle know that he was the one who'd need a chaperon more? His cousin had Shino who'd make sure that Kiba and Naruto didn't overdo it in their attempts to win Hinata's heart. And Sakura who was even better at keeping the loudmouths in check. She didn't need her cousin to ward off unwanted admirers.

He needed someone to ward off unwanted admirers though. He still didn't get why the girls were still following him around. Hells he didn't even like girls, especially not in the barely there something they called swimsuits. To him they just looked plain ugly with all their skin flashing and swaying and just. He held back a shiver when he thought back to the horrors that'd been his last time at the public pool.

When they reached the front of the line he payed for his and Hinata's tickets. Handing the younger her ticket he once again told her they'd meet outside and he'd go find a shady place before he fled into the changing area. At least here he'd get his bit of privacy. None of the boys payed him much attention since Lee was not around to draw it to them. Feeling relaxed he picked out a locker, placing his sandals and bag inside before he got out his swimming trunks, a plain beige pair. Then he picked out one of the bandana's he wore when he had to forego his forehead protector.

With those items he slipped into one of the stalls to change from his pants to the swimming trunks. He kept the shirt since he had no intention to a) swim, b) get burned and c) attract any attention. Then he switched his forehead protector against the bandana and after putting the pants and underwear away he grabbed his bag and made his way over to the shower area.

Here again he searched for one of the few stalls, quickly taking the required shower before drying off his chest and leaving for the pool area.

When he stepped out of the climated shower area he felt like he was walking straight into a wall. Sighing he moved along the side of the pool to the wide lawn where people had laid out blankets and were sun bathing or eating or playing with their children. He quickly found a place in the shadow of one of the big trees with only a few older woman who seemed to be here with their grandchildren around. There was also a vacant towel and bag which looked suspiciously like a standard-shinobi bag. He payed it no attention, thinking that most shinobi knew better than to approach or bother him.

The dark-haired laid out the blanket he'd brought and settled down on it, turning his gaze to the exit of the woman's shower.

It didn't take long and Hinata came out, together with Sakura as well as Ten-ten. As he'd expected there'd be little need for him guarding the younger. But it was a requirement to have him around if Hinata wanted to be here, so he'd indulge here and spend the afternoon reading in the shade. He wasn't all that surprised when the younger dropped by first, placing her bag next to the blanket.
"I'll go over to the others. Would you want to join us, Neji-niisan?", she asked softly, but Neji just shook his head.

"No, thank you Hinata-sama. I'll watch from here, please don't walk off far.", he told her. The girl nodded and left the shadowy area to make her way back to the large group of shinobi that seemed to occupy the whole area close to the pool and in the bright sun.

Sighing he picked up a bottle of sun-screen and walked briskly after Hinata, waving his way through the people easily. Unfortunately his cousin was just as skilled so he was already in reach of the other group when he caught up with there.

"You forgot this", he told her, pushing the bottle into her hand, making her blush faintly.
"Make sure Sakura puts some onto your back", he added and then turned to leave again.

When he heard someone call for him he merely turned his head and gave the loudmouthed blond an icy look before he stalked back to his blanket. Really, Naruto should have learned by now that he didn't swim if it could be avoided and also wouldn't engage in some sort of stupid challenge to find out who had the bigger cock. If you asked Neji, which no one ever did, the winner usually had the smalest brain.

Back at his blanket he dropped down onto it and picked up a book, fully ready to now finally get his deserved hours of rest while Hinata had fun with her friends. But it seemed like today just wasn't his day, because just as he settled comfortable on his stomach something wet and icy dropped onto his back, making him jerk up and glare at the boy who was now settled on the blanket close by.

"How do you manage to get them to leave you alone?", the dark-haired teen asked while he shook off his arms and then wrung out the short black hair.

Neji was tempted to not answer the other, but as he took in the other's wet and slightly glistering body he couldn't help but give something that could have almost been a smirk to the other.

"Conditioning, Uchiha, conditioning. What did they do to you? Dump you into the pool?", he asked as he sat up, closing his book again.

"Yeah", Sasuke grumbled. "I really didn't think they got that good at restraining others", he all but pouted.

"Oh they haven't. They usually let Shikamaru do the restraining in exchange for leaving him to his cloud-gazing", Neji said simply, feeling quite content to talk with the Uchiha. At least the boy knew better than to bother him needlessly and beside the water incident just now, which had actually felt quite good on his heated skin, the dark-haired knew to keep his distance.

"What? These little…", grumbling Sasuke spread out on his blanket, staring at the leaves above. "So, how did you condition them to leave you alone, Hyuuga?", he asked, turning his head to let his gaze move over the other's clothes.

"Oh, that was rather simple. I broke Kiba's arm the first time they tried to dump me in the pool, promised to block Shikamaru's chakra for the next year if he so much as considered helping them and told Naruto he'd never talk to Hinata again if he dumped cold water on me.", Neji said, smirking at the dumbfounded look on Sasuke's face.

"So you just threatened them?", Sasuke asked.

"Sure. Works best with them.", the Hyuuga answered, letting his eyes move back to the group that had now moved over to the pool, which was already more than packed.

The younger simply nodded as he stretched a bit more, giving a soft sigh. Said breathy sound let a shiver move down Neji's back, and without thought he redirected his gaze to the Uchiha seemingly ready to nap next to him. The other had been out of the village for years now and Neji couldn't help but think that it really suited the younger.

He'd matured from his crazy slim teenage boy look into a more mature body. The muscles were firm now, well defined and not exactly bulky. He was lean instead of scrawny and his hair framed a face that had lost it's faint roundness in favour of a more angular smooth look. Yes, the Uchiha had turned from an insufferable child into a good looking man. Not that Neji would say that out loud. There were enough rumours about him being gay that even Hiashi had heard them. That lecture was one he didn't want to have repeated. So he just settled on admiring the view, taking in the long legs, the firm muscles of his arms and the shapely hips.

When he heard slow steps approach Neji praised his ninja senses and reactions. Making it look deliberately he let his gaze sweep around before settling on the pool and Hinata, who was currently sitting on the edge of it and seemed to be the judge in anther round of who was the bigger idiot between Kiba and Naruto.

"Oi, Uchiha, I think your fanclub is on the way", the older said, not taking his eyes from the sight at the pool.

"Hmm?", the younger mumbled as he sat up and looked around. And indeed, a small group of girls, mostlikely just out of the academy, were making their way over to the two man. One was holding onto something that looked like selfmade cookies, which were surely completely melted since they were chocolatesomething.

"Can't you scare them away or something?", Sasuke asked, looking to the older for help. He so wasn't up to any of this. Hell he was only back in the village for half a year and due to some string pulling Naruto had done, and which he didn't want to hear about, he was allowed to shoo some gennin teams around the village and help out at the academy. It had brought him more trouble than being locked up in some Anbu cell would have been. Plus he had no experience in how to deal with young girls, or girls at all trying to get his attention, and Karin didn't count, that woman was crazy.

"Nope, that's your fanclub, not mine", he said, giving a discreen point to the group of girls fawning at him from the distance. He shuddered when he thought of just what these girls wanted of him. At least his male fanclub was discreet and attractive enough not to give him nightmares.

Smirking faintly he shifted a bit and let his eyes take in the broad back now facing him as Sasuke tried to ward off the girls, accepting the cookies grudgingly as they were pushed into his hands. Neji could just about picture the way the chocolate would be melting on the other's fingers, the body heat only helping the sun, making the dark thick liquid drop from the slender digits to land on a firm thigh and then run down to the inside.

Mentally groaning he tried to ward off the pictures his mind supplied, pictures that featured the Uchiha very much naked, chocolate drops melting on stategic places, waiting for him to just bend down and

"Earth to Hyuuga, Earth to Hyuuga"

He kept from jerking when he realised there was a hand waving in front of his face, an enticingly chocolate covered hand at that.

"They're gone. Want a cookie before they're gone?", Sasuke asked, smirking as he held out a cookie to the older. He'd seen the other's dreamy stare and if the blush was any indication those rumours he'd heard were more true than he'd have imagined. What he also hadn't imagined or dared dream of was that Neji simply leaned down to pluck the cookie from his fingers with his teeth, letting the whole thing vanish into his mouth with not a speck of chocolate to prove it.

Slowly he started to lick his own fingers clean while he watched the other chew and then swallow, gaze immediately drawn to the pale throat before trailing down the chest.

Neji simply smirked at the other as he watched him lick his fingers.
"You got some on your cheek, Uchiha", he said, letting his eyes follow the other's tongue, which was also chocolate-stained, trying to get off the dark smudge. Chuckling he watched new specks appear on the pale skin.

Shaking his head and reached out and rubbed a finger over the cheek to gather up the offensive chocolate before offering his finger to the other.

"There. Now aim better", he told the other dark-haired. When Sasuke instead of just wiping it with a cloth leaned in to suck it off Neji couldn't help but be happy that his wide shirt hid everything from view. Turning his gaze back to the pool he cursed lowly.

The group was out of the water and Kiba and Naruto were seemingly fighting over who could massage the sunscreen better into his cousin's back with Shino and Sakura nowhere in sight. Add to that the fact that Sasuke had went from licking his finger clean to giving it a god damned blow-job and you could imagine that Neji was not particularly happy about the whole situation.

His sense of duty and his lust engaged in a bloody skirmish, where duty came out victorious. With a regretful sigh he pulled free his finger, giving the Uchiha a heated gaze.

The younger smirked up at him and was ready to say something, but Neji had already turned and was storming over to the trio on the blankets.

It didn't take much to get the two boy's attention, and since Sakura had come to the rescue as well they soon enough had two intimidated teens passed out on a blanket while Shino, who'd meanwhile reappeared with Tenten and cool drinks got the favour to massage Hinata's back.

Nodding curtly Neji walked back to his blanket and was quite disappointed to see that Sasuke had vanished. Sighing he sat back down and picked up his book again. Maybe now he could get a bit of rest and could work on ignoring the pictures his mind were still supplying of the Uchiha's lean body.

But as soon as he opened his book all resolutions went out of the window. Right next to his bookmark he found a note in neat script.

Dear Hyuuga

If you are interested in cooling down some more, come to the Uchiha residence at sundown.

Sasuke Uchiha

The Hyuuga smirked at the spots of chocolate staining the paper. That boy really needed to a good bath and he'd make sure to give it to him later.

Yes, his day had just gotten a good deal better, Neji decided as he laid back on his blanket and watched with amusement as Sakura chased Naruto around the pool while Kiba was arguing with Shino.

In retrospective coming to the pool hadn't been such a bad idea after all.