The wonders of coffee

By: I am ghost

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN!

Summary: Slash, eventual Yaoi. Neji has a lot of troubles going on in his life. First of all, he was blind, his parents were dead and he was under the enormous shadow of his uncle, who was way too demanding for him. He struggles to accomplish the expectations set upon him, but his uncle decides to move away from his beloved land to live in a foreign country, there he faces a rebellious stage of his life. He meets Gaara, a troubled young man that works on a local coffee shop and they are instantly drawn together; but even though the redhead flirted with him rather shamelessly, the innocent brunet is quite unaware of the fact that this redhead has an obsession with him...but then again, what will he do once he discovers this fact?

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PRELUDE

"What you lose in blindness is the space around you, the place where you are, and without that you might not exist. You could be nowhere at all." -Barbara Kingsolver

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Darkness…

That was the only thing I was able to see since the very beginning of my existence, lurking obscurity surrounding me and then trapping me into a world of inexistent reality.

When I was still a newborn, I was diagnosed with Leber's Congenital Amaurosis, which is an inherited disease that involves severe sight loss if not complete blindness; in the official scale of severity concerning LCA, my case was one of the worst, for I could only distinguish spots of darkness and the occasional flicker of light but nothing more detailed.

When I was five, I got a visit from the ophthalmologist. He ran some tests and once he finished he said that I still got a chance to at least extend my sight span, but even through all the electro-diagnostic testing I was placed under (which were extremely painful), my case only worsened to the point that I needed to use a cane.

I no longer could see light.

When I was roughly eight years old, I saw a flash of daylight while waking up, but it was gone just as quick and accidental as it had appeared.

I got really excited, I opened and closed my eyes several times, trying to bring back that speckle of hope, and how great my misery was once I eagerly scrubbed my eyes and pried them open for the twentieth time that morning in the desperate hopes of discovering the mysterious world around me only to be greeted by the same persistent darkness; the taunting shadows unlimited and ubiquitous, pulling me into the nightmare I couldn't escape from.

I fought against my illness three more years, but despite all my attempts, my eyes have remained the same, unaltered through the years even though I had been treated by the best ophthalmologists all around the globe; so I decided to surrender once I reached my eleventh birthday.

I lost all hope; I made it known to my family that I would end my unreachable pursuit of gaining sight during the weekly family gathering. In all my childish naïveté, I wanted them to strongly disagree with my will and order me to never give up, but they accepted my decision without much of a comforting embrace or soothing words. After all, it was very common in my family, diseases far worse than blindness ran through their veins like poison, and aloof cruelty was one of them.

I had come to accept my faith some time later and attempted to perceive things from another point of view, trying hard not to sulk and be grateful for the positive things in my life, but try as I might, I couldn't really find a reason to be grateful; clearly I wasn't god's favorite son for my life was plagued with tragedy. First my blindness, then losing my mother…and then my grieving father followed suit, being tired of living a life he had lost all hope in, leaving me all alone in a world of uncertainty and loneliness; that is until my uncle decided to take care of me, noticing that I could be a potential heir, for his only off springs were female and that didn't work with the overly chauvinistic and primitive tradition our family worked under.

Everything changed now that my father was dead and I was under my uncle's care. Since I no longer had parents, my uncle wanted me to be properly educated so I could run the family business once he retired, but given that I couldn't attend a normal school because of my long term disease, he had taken the bother to find me the best tutors in Japan, encouraging me to be an excellent student in his own demanding and cold way.

For fourteen years of my life my eyes had remained dull and lifeless, but due to my disability, I had naturally grown in other aspects. In view of the fact that I couldn't depend on sight at all, my remaining senses had sharpened over years of hardship, now I was able to rely comfortably in my acute hearing, to read with my hands, to sense my spaces with a cane and I had a better than average orientation.

When I approached my fifteenth birthday, a job offer had interested my uncle, who was a very successful business man albeit his sightlessness; and he had accepted it without preamble. I didn't care much, for my uncle accepted job offers quite often, that is until he took the trouble to speak about it.

He told me there was only one small inconvenience about it, and involved us moving to Europe.

…England, to be exact.

I had strongly disagreed, for I was scared to go to a foreign land but I had no choice but to accept the new twist my life would take, since he possessed the power to order me around. Little did I know that this would be the trigger to something much bigger and unexpected that wasn't originally in my plans, or in any of my uncle's plans.

I have been living in England for one year now and I had come to like it; the cold and rainy weather, the busy atmosphere, the polite people and the eating habits. I had learnt the language to perfection and I felt comfortable enough to wonder around by myself with no assistance in the gigantic country manor my uncle bought.

I still didn't understood why Uncle Hiashi purchased such a luxurious home if we weren't able to see it, anyways; I think he did it just to impress his potential business partners.

In the first month of that very same year, my uncle heard about guide dogs whilst in the middle of a casual banter with some coworkers, and he got quite interested by the idea; so one day later, he came home with that curious four pawed creature by his side. He introduced me to the dog and told me to consider it as a consolation gift.

I was reluctant at first but I accepted the unexpected gift like Japanese custom stipulated. And I can say I never regretted it; because it had soon become the one that leaded me through all the nothingness and shadows to the places I wanted or needed to be, so the dog was pretty much my eyes in such a vast and dark world.

Today I ended up walking along the busy streets of London with only my guide dog leading me the way; I have been going for a few weeks to a small café in the very heart of the city, not a starbucks or another big coffee business, just a small cozy place where no sound could be heard, except the one of the cash register and the espresso machines. It was oddly comforting, to bask in such a silent place…for me at least, it was like floating in oblivion.

The dog stopped walking, signaling me that I have already reached my destination, so I adjusted my glasses and overcoat before I took the handle and opened the door.

There was the distinctive sound of the doorbell as I stepped inside, and as soon as I had stepped into the warm place, the strong smell of coffee wafted through my nose pleasantly.

"The usual?" a husky baritone voice asked as I made my way to the cash register. I offered a weary smile, and gave a slight nod. "£2.05" the gruff voice replied.

Oh how I liked that male's boldness; he took the liberty to go straight to the point without the usually fake politeness every employee used to a customer. The honesty was brutal and I loved it.

"Of course" I replied, taking out some well measured bills out of my wallet, offering them to the already awaiting hand.

As I placed the money on his outstretched hand, our skin made contact. Feverish hot against ice cold, and I shrank back my hand as quick as I could without being rude.

The contact was obviously brief and unromantic, but every time it was the same…with each accidental brush of our hands I would feel the same strange feeling in my skin, as if it had been struck by electricity.

"Take a seat, I'll make it in a sec…" the masculine voice commanded, and I only nodded stupidly before I made my way to my favorite seat, one comfortable armchair near the warmth of the chimney.

Some shuffling was heard, and I had the strange feeling that I was the only client in the café. There wasn't the usual sound of laptop's keyboards being hit, or the occasional turn of a page of a book.

But I didn't care at all.

The familiar sound of the espresso machine drowned my hearing as I made myself comfortable on the armchair.

"Latte Macchiato, with skinned milk, and vanilla syrup" the same lovely voice said, as the unknown male placed the hot beverage in the small coffee table in front of me. I bowed my head in a gratitude gesture, like the good Japanese person I am. I heard more shuffling sounds, as if someone had pulled a chair next to mine; I arched an eyebrow, well, this was no common occurrence.

"I'm bored" was the only revelation I had been provided. I couldn't help but let a smile form on my lips.

My dog collapsed on the floor right next to me and licked my hand with its slimy tongue. I quickly withdrew my hand with a startled yelp that sounded highly effeminate.

I cursed under my breath; well, this was getting awkward. I thought of many ways to stark conversation, but I ended up saying the most intelligent one of them all…

"I see…" really, it wasn't much of an icebreaker, but I couldn't help it, I accept I'm guilty for being socially awkward, for the only human contact I have been exposed to had been with my family, and they didn't talk much…except Hanabi…and well, I did my best to avoid her because of her sharp tongue and rude demeanor.

Heavy silence ensued, I cleared my throat uncomfortably.

"Isn't it supposed to be full? It's Friday…" I asked, hoping that my comment would kill the awkward silence, but it was just as lame as the typical weather one.

"Well, this place isn't very popular; with all the silence policy, teenagers avoid this place like a plague" the other male answered, shifting a little bit more before continuing talking.

"The only people that come here are usually business men or some readers…and you…, you are the youngest costumer, you know?" he had replied in a boring fashion.

I didn't know if that was a compliment or just a mere observation, so I decided to ignore it.

"I like the silence...besides…aren't you supposed not to be talking?" I asked defensively, but to my utter surprise, the other male merely snorted in a casual manner.

"We are the only ones in this place…besides, it's not as if I'm going to get punished" his sultry voice cut the dead silence like a knife.

"By the way…The name's Gaara" he said offhandedly, and I swear I could even hear the smug smirk in his lips. I felt oddly breathless.

"Hyuga Neji" I stretched my hand and his warm one took mine with no hesitation. There was that electric shock again.

I withdrew my hand abruptly and opened my mouth to apologize for the previous aggressive comment, but my cell phone went off, so I fished into my jeans pockets for the devise and sent him an apologetic smile as I pushed the "talk" button.

Before I had time to utter a greeting, a cold and firm voice cut in.

"…it's late. I expect you here in half an hour…the chauffer is waiting for you in the meeting place" I opened my mouth to disagree but the line went dead just after my uncle had finished talking.

I frowned and smashed the off button. As much as I am grateful for all the luxuries and opportunities provided by my uncle, I never got accustomed to his overly imposing personality.

"I need to get going…my family expects me home. It was nice to meet you, Gaara" I stood up and bowed politely.

"Come on, Chelsea..." I muttered to the lazy animal and tugged the leash. The dog sprang to its paws and guided me towards the door.

Just when I was about to pull the door handle, a hand clutched my arm, preventing me from moving. Trepidation overflowed me as I felt him standing dangerously close to me, his body warmth and sweet fragrance lulling my mind into a hazy sort of trance. I opened my mouth to protest, but I couldn't formulate words in that muddled brain of mine.

"…your coffee" the sensuous voice whispered in my ear as the cylinder was pushed gently to my unoccupied hand. I shivered as his hot breath caressed my overly sensitive skin, but his warmth was gone once he had delivered the drink; leaving me completely flustered and exposed.

I blinked repeatedly, too besieged to make a movement, let alone think of what was I to do.

Still in a daze, I opened the door and stumbled outside without my characteristic gracefulness and followed the dog towards the place my uncle had ordered me to go. The already waiting chauffer greeted me politely and opened the door for me.

I fastened my seatbelt and the chauffer closed the doors, but it was just when the engine roared to life when the spell casted upon me wore off and my sharp and analytical mind returned from the dead.

The moment it did I frowned.

I didn't like it, the way I had felt…so overpowered just by a single touch from him, overwhelmed by his proximity, mesmerized by his voice, bewitched by his intoxicating scent…I barely knew this man, yet he had that much power over me. It was dangerous waters I was threading through if I dared to go to that coffee shop again, but I refused to stop going to my favorite place just because of one single person.

I refused.

Aquamarine eyes stared at the floor while the owner of said eyes daydreamed, head floating high on cloud nine as he remembered white as porcelain skin that looked just as smooth and delicate as a rose petal, inky dark hair that was long and had a healthy glossy shine, giving it the appearance of fine silk, light pink lips that were thin but deliciously plump and a straight aristocratic nose that perked slightly at the tip...and he wondered, what kind of eyes the person he was daydreaming about possessed? The mysterious customer always wore big dark sunglasses (that were too big for his liking), hiding the eyes he wanted to see so desperately...

What color would they be? blue or green? or maybe gray or black or brown...big or small? round or slanted? ...he had the vague idea that they would be slanted because said costumer had an Asian air hanging around him. The suspense was killing him, and he sadly accepted that he had wanted (more than once) to pull away the offending dark plastic eyewear so he could admire those eyes more openly.

Overall, he was quite mesmerized by said mysterious male, and this fascination had compelled him to talk to him! as in actually talking! he, Sabaku Gaara, the human being with the lack of sensibility that was only rivaled by a rock had started a conversation, and even worse...he had flirted oh so shamelessly that even an alien with no knowledge in human interaction would have noticed...but that brunet didn't... and that frustrated him to no end; as if he hadn't been blatant enough. Hell, he could have shouted it out loud and the oblivious boy wouldn't have noticed.

He was still quite shocked by the whole ordeal, he couldn't quite comprehend why he had actually done it. It was outrageous for someone like him to start a civilized conversation with another human being, given the communication disability he was widely known to have.

He was so engrossed by his thought that he didn't notice a blond with a latent dreadful sense of fashion entering the building; his orange and blue outfit clashing horribly with the elegant decor of the building.

"GOOD AFTY!" the blond cried loudly while flinging his arms around himself frantically, looking like an awkward baby bird learning to fly. The male behind the cash register merely growled, rolling his aquamarine eyes in an annoyed fashion.

"…and I thought I was starting to like this place…" the boy muttered under his breath. The blond merely stretched his lips into an ear-splitting smile.

"Why, is my dear socially inept buddy grumpy today?"

"…it wouldn't be a surprise" a deep baritone voice drawled as a dark haired boy entered the establishment, his black eyes throwing a pointed look at the rather empty coffee shop.

"Did you threaten the costumers with slow painful murder again, Gaara?" he asked with raised eyebrows, taking off his expensive looking leather jacket and flinging it over a coat closet nearby.

"Did you remember yesterday to actually close the forsaken broom closet before you snogged Naruto?" the aquamarine eyed boy countered smartly, his ever grim pink lips quirking upwards with malice. "Oh, wait… NO!" he deadpanned, a full blown smirk stretching his lips.

The blonds' cheeks flushed a furious red whilst the dark haired boy frowned and threw a cautious look behind his back before facing the aforementioned boy with a glare.

"Shut up! …I told you not to talk about that matter so openly" he snarled, dark eyes gleaming dangerously. The redhead merely smirked, clearly unaffected.

"Oh, sorry…it must have slipped" he replied in mock dreading, emphasizing out the last word for extra effect. The blond boy scratched the back of his neck, his Cheshire-cat smirk wavering with worry as he looked at both males, noticing how they were glaring at each other as if they wanted to strangle the other to death.

"Uhm…CHOCOLATE!" He cried, effectively capturing both their attention.

"Excuse me?" the dark haired boy asked, clearly confused.

"I… I like chocolate because it's so…so…"

"chocolaty" he blurted, provoking the lifting of two pairs of eyebrows.

"What?" they both asked, obviously dumbfounded, all ill intent forgotten as they stared blankly at the blond. A fly flew by and landed obnoxiously in front of the redhead.

One long uncomfortable minute passed and they held the same befuddled expression, their eyebrows still raised high on their forehead until the male named Gaara dropped his head and shook it silently, sending chunks of fiery hair all around his face.

"Sometimes I ask myself why the hell I waste my time in here" the redhead finally stated, sighing dramatically as the dark haired boy merely blinked.

"…and then, wait! It all suddenly makes sense to me…" the redhead rolled his eyes before continuing, sarcasm heavily laced in his voice. "It must be the money"

The blond pouted, looking highly unpleased.

"You're cruel" he finally stated, stripping out of his long orange coat (the type of orange that could make any normal person blind) and hanging it inside the closet.

"…god must hate me" the redhead muttered, now knocking his forehead repeatedly against the cool granite counter.

Just then, a leather globed hand pushed the door open and a tall and elegantly dressed body pushed itself forward, expensive oxford shoes clacking against the wooden door.

A globed finger pushed up the bridge of a pair of stylish sunglasses, a dark eyebrow rising upon a quick scan of the almost empty room.

"Did you threaten the costumers with slow painful murder again, Gaara?" a rich voice asked as leather clad hands took the expensive glasses off, revealing a pair of burgundy eyes.

The redhead merely growled, his black rimmed eyes narrowed with sheer despite.

"I forgot you were rather primitive" the older male drawled, his lips set into a mocking smile. Gaara sent him a dirty look.

"I hate you"

The smirk on the older male stretched further, giving him a rather menacing appearance.

"Oh look! He knows how to speak" the much younger dark haired boy stated casually while he tied the apron around his hips.

"Shut up, Uchiha!"

Both dark haired males stared at each other for some moments before both smiled creepily.

"That was a good one, little brother" he casually stated before ruffling the younger boy's hair.

"Itachi…get your fucking hands out of my hair!" the younger Uchiha spat, sending a furious glare to his older brother.

"My, my, such foul language little brother…please refrain from speaking in that vulgar manner again or I'll make sure you won't get any money out of this"

Now it was time for the younger Uchiha to growl.

Gaara smirked. Sweet vengeance

Dead eyes stared forward expectantly as a balled fist knocked softly against the wooden door in front. A cold "come in" seeped out from the inside of the room. Neji bit his lower lip as he fumbled for the metallic doorknob and pulled. He knew the instant he dared to step inside, he would be lectured endlessly by his uncle, and quite frankly, he wasn't in the mood for it, but as long as he was under his uncle's care, he had no other choice but to comply.

"Did you request my presence, Uncle?" He asked smoothly, standing on the threshold with his head held high, standing as graceful as a human being could ever be.

"Take a seat, please" the older male commanded in polished and flawless English. Neji did as he was told; he walked forward confidently until his hand found the back of the chair, the panting dog trailing lazily behind him, its long pink tongue hanging out of its mouth.

Neji plopped down on the cushioned chair, knowing well that his infuriated uncle was seated just across from him, looking almost like a lion ready to strike.

A few minutes of thick uncomfortable silence ensued as both blind men sat with their backs as straight as a ruler and their faces expressionless. Neji clearly recognized the moment as the calm before the storm.

"You didn't ask for permission" the older male stated imperiously. Neji couldn't help but sigh.

Yes, definitely, the calm before the storm.

"I am old enough to go outside without your permission" he deadpanned.

"…you didn't take your walking cane with you" the other alleged coldly. Neji rolled his eyes behind his dark glasses.

"So? …Chelsea guided me"

Neji could tell by the tense silence that his uncle was gritting his teeth, deeply angered.

"That's why I've actually requested your presence for, Neji" he hissed, digging his hand on his long dark hair.

"Your attitude has changed greatly, you're getting rebellious…and I'm getting worried"

Neji frowned.

"Just because I decided to take a walk by my own you think I am a rebel?" he cried, clearly angered.

"Don't talk to me that way, Neji" his uncle commanded coolly, dark eyebrows furrowed before he continued to talk.

"Do you know how preposterously childish your actions were?" he asked, glaring furiously at some point over said boy's head.

"For the love of god, uncle! I was just outside, drinking coffee"

The older male stood up from his chair rather abruptly.

"You could have been mugged! Or even worse…do you know how vulnerable you are without your cane…and even worse…what would you do if you lose Chelsea?"

His perfect English had become fractured and harsh, almost incomprehensive in the midst of his fury. The younger male merely snorted.

"Please, uncle…I have a phone…I can talk to you if anything goes wrong"

Politeness gone, the older Hyuuga walked in front of Neji's chair, glaring at the boy's head.

"Why do you keep that stupid idea of going out without assistance?" he asked.

Neji 's frown deepened.

"I want to be free…if only for just a second!" he snapped, pushing himself out of his own chair.

"What are you talking about, Neji? You have all the freedom I can provide you"

"I can't go anywhere alone, I have to be always by the side of a servant or a family member…as if I was some incapacitated human being!"

The older male took a step forward, standing face to face to the much younger boy.

"Because that's what you are, Neji…that's what WE are… please stop refusing the truth!"

Neji growled, pushing the much older family head back.

"How dare you?!" he yelled in furious Japanese, looking as if his uncle had just punched him in the face.

"You are blind and that's something you have to get used to, Neji!" his uncle yelled in fragmented and desperate Japanese.

"You can't stop me…" the proud teenager hissed through clenched teeth, eyes glowing with deep animosity before he stomped out of the room, yanking at the leash of his dog and shutting the door hard in his uncle's face.

"Neji, we haven't finished this discussion!" His uncle yelled, opening the door just to hear deadly silence, Neji's proud presence long gone.

Hiashi dropped his eyes close and sighed deeply, trying to keep his desperation and anguish on the inside so he could wear the beautiful and icy mask of indifference he was quite familiar with.

But he couldn't help but clench his fists in anger.

What happened to the compliant and humble boy I raised?

He asked himself as he took the doorknob, hesitating for a brief moment before he closed the door silently and trudged to his puffy leather office chair and let himself fall tiredly over it.

Once inside his enormous bedroom, Neji let himself slide down the door he had pressed himself against, his eyes staring brokenly at the shadows he was so accustomed to see, frustrating himself further when he couldn't afford to even catch a glimpse of the world he had been deprived to see since birth.

"There's still hope…there's still hope for me…" He whispered over and over again, like a new form of personal mantra, hoping desperately that one day his only dream would become true; his dream of one day waking up and see, see the morning light creeping through the curtains of his bedroom and see the sky, the trees, the buildings, houses and gardens…like the wonderful sceneries provided by the books he had read in Braille.

But dreams never came true…and that's what really hurt him the most.

AN: Ok, so this is pretty much a new project I started to write some weeks ago. While i was enjoying a caramel macchiato in Starbucks, I couldn't help but wander...since coffee is one of my passions and YAOI is another...why not mix them?

...random comment: yes, Gaara is aware of Neji's blindness.

Click the magical button and review!! don't by shy (or lazy...xD) anyhow, your points of view are greatly appreciated.