Theme 069: Annoyance

069 Annoyance

"So you're painting Ami's room, huh?" Sasuke asked, leaning against the doorpost of Neji's bedroom while watching Neji painting the off-white wall a pastel yellow.

Neji put down the brush and turned to watch Sasuke. Was it just him or did the other look slightly irritated? "Yeah, I've got to make this into a baby-room now."

Frowning slightly Sasuke crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Of course." He nodded. He understood that much. "And Shikamaru's helping you?"

Neji nodded with a small smile. "He is. He's been a great help so far." Then he frowned slightly. "Where is he, by the way?"

Sasuke shrugged, not caring in the least where Neji's neighbour had run off to as long as he stayed there. "Said he had to do something."

Some childish side of him didn't like the other because he was also a friend of Neji. And while he did want Neji to have other friends besides him, he always felt a bit jealous of Neji's other friends. It was his own fault, though, for not telling the other of his feelings. How could Neji be considerate of them if he didn't know?

Neji shrugged. "Maybe he's checking up on Hinata."

Sasuke frowned. "Hinata?" Neji's cousin was around as well?

Neji blinked, wondering why Sasuke was asking all of these questions. Usually the other wasn't so curious but maybe something was bothering him? "Yeah, she offered to watch Ami-chan while Shikamaru and I paint."

Sasuke nodded and then sighed softly. He didn't like that Shikamaru – and now Hinata too – was helping Neji out so much with Ami. Sure, his friend needed all the help he could get. But he just wished that Neji would ask him to help instead of Shikamaru. They'd known each other for such a long time and even though he found himself crushing on Neji that had little to do with it. It was true that he felt jealous of Shikamaru for spending so much time with Neji. But he also felt hurt because Neji didn't trust him enough to give him a call.

"Sasuke?" Neji asked, slightly worried. His friend looked troubled by something and he had gotten awfully quiet all of a sudden. He hoped the other wasn't angry with him for something he'd done. He cared a lot about Sasuke, even though he never said it out loud, and having his friend angry with him would hurt.

Looking up at Neji, Sasuke smiled a somewhat clipped smile at his friend. "I'm fine." He easily said with a shrug, casually adding: "You know you can always call me if you need help, right?"

Neji blinked at those words. "Of course." He said and then after a moment, when he realized exactly what Sasuke was implying, he added: "I just didn't want to bother you. I know you've got a job to do and don't have as much time on your hands as Shikamaru does."

He wasn't sure exactly why he felt this bad for not having invited Sasuke over. Maybe it was because his friend seemed a bit upset over it? It wasn't often that he saw Sasuke upset and even though he never did, he felt like hugging his friend. He thought that strange, for it was an urge he'd never felt before. Maybe he was changing on an emotional level now that he had Ami?

Sasuke felt slightly happy with Neji's words. It meant his friend was being considerate of him instead of just forgetting him. Something that deep down he felt a bit afraid of. Neji was growing closer and closer to Shikamaru and with the other being Neji's next door neighbour it was easier for them to see each other often.

Thinking on what to reply to Neji's words, Sasuke softly worried his lip.  He didn't want to shrug this off but he didn't feel like talking about this too much either. Neji hadn't meant any harm, after all. Besides, he didn't want to say too much and reveal his crush to his friend, did he?

Neji calmly watched while Sasuke seemed to be lost in thought for a few moments. He hadn't realized it up until now, but whenever his friend was thinking his features seemed to soften. Almost like while thinking he unconsciously lowered his barriers and showed a bit of his real self to the world. Nervously, he noted that he liked that look on Sasuke's face and that he even felt a bit disappointed when it went.

"Need any help with something?" Sasuke asked after a few moments of silence. He didn't want things to become awkward between them and he guessed that if he didn't speak up soon that was exactly what would happen.

Neji shrugged and made a gesture. "Grab a brush." He said and then he took in Sasuke's clothes. He was wearing a suit. "Maybe that's not a very good idea..." He trailed off.

"You can make dinner." Shikamaru suddenly spoke up while sauntering back into the apartment.

Sasuke started slightly at the other's voice and he turned to give Shikamaru a quick glance. Turning his dark eyes back to Neji, he saw that his friend was looking at him and he shrugged with a sigh. He had come here to help out, he wouldn't be saying no just because he felt childishly jealous of another of Neji's friends.



"Hey, Sasuke?" Neji stood in the doorway of his kitchen, watching as Sasuke prepared an easy, quick meal for four. He'd draped his suit-jacket over the back of a chair and was stirring a pan with the sleeves of his white button-up pushed up 'till his elbows. Their conversation kept bothering him and he felt like something was wrong with his friend.

Sasuke hummed in reply, not turning from the stir-fry he was making since he didn't want to ruin it. Neji would understand.

Grabbing a chair, Neji turned it so while he sat down he was facing Sasuke's back. It was strange that he seemed to have softened up over the past few days. Before, he would never have worried about Sasuke being mad. He'd get over it, he always thought. But now, this time, somehow something felt different. He just couldn't put his finger onto it.

"I... uh, thanks." Neji said eventually. "For helping me out." It wasn't exactly what he'd wanted to say. But he just couldn't ask if the other was mad or offended. He might've softened up, he still wasn't a girl.

Sasuke couldn't help but smile at those words and he ducked his head a little. "Anytime." He shrugged. Even though Neji could've known that their friendship wouldn't end now that Neji had a daughter to raise.

"So, I saw some sleeping gear on the couch." He then said casually. Maybe Neji was going to sleep over at Hinata's place because Ami's room was being painted. Not that it would be necessary. He could just put Ami in his own bedroom and she'd be fine. But Sasuke had already seen that when it came to his daughter, Neji was quite overprotective and fussy.

Neji blinked at the sudden change of subject but merely shrugged it off. "Yeah, Ami and I'll be spending the night at Shikamaru's place. Just to be sure, you know?"

Sasuke spluttered a bit and turned around to watch Neji. "Shikamaru's place?" He wasn't sure what to feel about that. Sure, the other lived next door so it was easy but he couldn't help but wonder if maybe he just wasn't good enough in this situation. Shikamaru had helped raise a child so that made him quite useless, didn't it?

Neji frowned at the reaction he got at those words and he carefully nodded. What was wrong with Sasuke? He'd never seen his friend so insecure. Something was wrong. There had to be.

"There's... nothing wrong with that, right?" He asked after a few moments, still unsure as to why Sasuke was acting the way he did.

Sasuke looked up when he heard footsteps nearing and saw Shikamaru casually stop in the doorway of the kitchen. The other was looking at him and he pushed his lips together, wondering if he'd been listening to their conversation.

"No, no there's nothing wrong with that." He shook his head with a clipped smile at Neji and then turned back to his stir-fry. He really needed to stop acting like a brat.

"I'll get Hinata for dinner." Shikamaru suddenly said. "Want me to take your overnight bag?"
"Oh yeah, please do." Neji replied.

Sasuke scowled.