Phantom Pains

Rain pelted the windowpane, making her stir, making her groan in discontent. Her fingers clawed at her face, trying to cover her eyes and ears from the torrent that was making her head pound. Why did she feel so hazy? It was like she couldn't control her body as she tried to sit up, tried to open her eyes to see her surroundings. Panic. Her chest was tight as her eyes blinked ferociously as her tried to feel where she was. A soft blanket was on top of her, mattress below her.

Her world felt disoriented as she finally got the strength to push herself up, to be met with walls of a familiar hospital room. Yet the air felt unfamiliar, the scenery unlike the ones of Yggdrasil as she forced herself out of the bed. Chihiro was freezing, her body trembled as if she'd shatter from the slightest touch. It felt as if she got hit by a horse head on, then thrown off a building. Not only did her body ache, but her mind screamed as if she needed to sleep for days.

Chihiro rubbed her eyes as she stood in linen pajamas on the tiled floor.

For seconds she struggled to identity if this was Yggdrasil or Konoha- like mind tricks were being played on her- that switching realities had its tolls.

Was that a ghost in front of her? He looked familiar, looked like the boy who owned her heart, made her stuck in place.

"Neji?"

His eyes were wide as saucers, mouth agape as he stood in the doorway. Pupils dilated as he looked her fragile frame over. How long had he been there? Did he just walk through the door?

Chihiro wobbled as she tried to walk over to him, "hey-"

"Chihiro, careful!" Neji reacted.

He grabbed her and it set her aflame

He pulled her into his chest and it made her knees go weak.

Chihiro felt shock that melted into comfort as she hugged him back, eyes closing as she rested her head on him. Neither could find the words. Chihiro could feel his pounding heart as she listened to it beating wildly, content at the physicality.

Neji held her as if at any moment she'd be taken from him again. Cradled her close, hand moving to the back of her head and another on her waist like he dared anyone or anything to take her. She felt so small, meek as she squeezed him as tight as she could which made electricity shoot down his limbs, his palms growing sweaty. A soft whimper fell from her lips as her knees finally gave out, making her collapse but Neji went down with her. Softening the fall, he pulled her into his laps, not giving any space for air between them. She looked up at him, proper eye contact for the first time before her vision started to go, black dots creeping into peripherals. "Oh Neji,"

"Chi, are you okay?" she was warm in his arms even as she softly shook from the cool air that blew from the air conditioner. Or perhaps it was the heat he felt internally, the warmth creeping to his cheeks as his voice caught in his throat.

"Was I only gone for two weeks?"

"Yes- what do you mean? How'd you know you were gone for two weeks?"

"Because..." her voice wavered as she felt lightheaded all of a sudden.

Neji saw how her eyes rolled back ever so slightly. He effortlessly picked her up bridal style to carry her to the bed, to lay her down so she was seated against the headrest. She kept her grasp on his sleeve firm, fingers tangling with the fabric tugging so he wouldn't leave. Chihiro missed him. The biggest reason she came back was for him. He rubbed her leg as he urged her to breathe, regulate her 'ins and outs' as to not black out.

"It's okay, you're back though." he whispered, as he grabbed a chair to sit besides the bed. So far yet still close.

"I am." Chihiro said like she was reaffirming him and herself. She was in fact back in Konoha.

"How?"

She could hear the emotion cracking through as he spoke, saw the sadness radiate off him as he crossed his arms.

"I touched the spirit orb again, like how I first got here."

"I see."

"You're so quiet." he was scaring her. The way his face was stoic, his body language seemed closed off. Her stomach was through the basement like she was expecting him to say he hated her. Chihiro's eyes were big and moist as she looked at him, urging him to talk.

"I was so worried." he cooed, "you were basically in a coma, nothing medical helped..."

"I have a body here and in Yggdrasil." Chihiro blurted out.

"What?" Neji didn't understand. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand tall, his back straightening as his gaze darkened on her. "are you in danger?"

"I'm okay I think, as long as both my bodies are safe I guess..."

"I-I need you to explain. Everything."

"Are you okay?"

"I don't matter right now, I need to know everything that's happened to you." he said sternly, a waiver of fear in his words.

"I was okay, promise." she watched as he nodded hesitantly, "I woke up in the infirmary at my school, my friends were there. Everyone was obviously freaking out, worried if I was hurt or.." Chihiro sighed. Now that she had to talk, she struggled to keep her thoughts together, "but I was gone for two months, the amount of time I was here. So I assumed the two weeks I was in Yggdrasil it was two weeks here."

"That makes sense." he hummed, before doubling back to something she'd said already that he wouldn't let go, "You said you have two bodies?"

"Yeah it's crazy I know. I've told you all about spirit drifting, and basically my professor and director confirmed I was a physical drifter. Which is rare- not a thing anymore because it involved changing a person. But my process isn't complete, so I have a body in each realm but my soul is only in one at a time."

He frowned, "you said changing..? What happened to you? I'm trying to wrap my head around this all." even the genius Neji was, was still struggling to comprehend all at once. Her original arrival changed a lot of ways of thinking for many.

"At first I wasn't sure myself. But... years ago, I had something happen."

"You don't want to explain I see." he sounded disappointed, like it was a pity she didn't open up to him. Yet it was all too real that she was awake in an alternate realm where he wasn't. 

"Not really."

"I understand," he grew quiet as he thought, "how is this going to affect you?"

"Not me per-say. Us." she spoke carefully.

"Us?"

"Konoha and Yggdrasil."

"What does that mean?"

Chihiro sighed, heavily. Like it was a burden to tell him. Like she wished she could keep it inside.

"It's a lot to take in."

"You know I can handle it."

Her eyes were glossed over as she allowed herself a moment to take Neji in. She let herself focus on his face, then to his body, like she was basking in his presence she desperately wanted.

"In my class, they talked about you."

"Hmm?" he shifted uncomfortably.

"Teacher was giving history of important clans of Konoha, yours was one of them. A-And then he explicitly talked about you."

Neji sucked a breath in, the gears in his brain working overtime, "I see."

"It made me sick, made me want to get back here and see you. Just hearing you talked about like a dead historical figure felt... weird."

"I'd agree, yeah." he'd almost forgotten the point of Yggdrasil was the center of multiple realms, that they learned of all of them. Though he never would have assumed it'd get to personal, raw in who people are that made him feel bare. It made him shiver as it's implications were rather creepy.

"But um," Chihiro didn't want to talk about it. Her voice felt trapped in her throat as her eyes glued to a wall across from her. The discomfort lingering in her body wanted her to shut down but she had to force herself to continue, "I learned a lot when I was home, from our school's Director and a professor who's a spirit drifter."

"I assume it has to do with Yggdrasil and Konoha."

"Yep, and it's not exactly good." she laughed like she was trying to downplay it.

"Not exactly?"

"Oh it's bad. The man who's tried to kill me here, is Professor Aoi, a formerly renown researcher in Konoha." Neji looked confused, "Director Clive told me they believe he's originally from Konoha or at least this realm, not Yggdrasil. It's a whole thing. But, he's fast tracked something called realm bleeding. And I'm supposed to stop it because I'm a physical drifter, which was apparently why they were originally created. So yes, that's why Aoi wants me dead."

He was silent as she finished, explaining every bit of information she was told by her superiors. He nodded, listening intently to every word as to analyze and understand it.

"We'll have to tell the Hokage, everyone else too really."

"I assumed so."

"You don't fully know what realm bleeding is do you."

"No, it's always been stopped so there's just hypothesis' about it."

Neji huffed as he leaned back into his chair. This was all cruel. It was tearing Chihiro apart, he could see it right before his own eyes. He didn't need his Byakugan's to know it either- the way she fidgeted and her fingers twiddled nervously. How her eyes looked as if she was truly mikes away as she stared off, it worked him. So he'd press no more. Even if he wanted to know about her every waking second, know about who she spent her time with. He wanted to know if she thought of him outside that class, though he'd never ask.

"Did you visit often?" Chihiro asked quietly, "to see me here?"

"Whenever I could, I just got back from a mission so I was stopping by. Amazing luck I suppose that it was when you woke. And don't worry, if I'm not spending time with Peaches, Ino is. Naruto tried to argue for 'parental rights' but we stopped that."

"Oh Peaches!" her eyes sparkled as if she finally snapped to the present with him, he felt relief knowing she was finally here, "please I want to go home, see her."

"I'm not sure if I can just take you.."

"We'd only really be facing Sakura's wrath and I think me being awake will override that." she begged.

"If I get in trouble I'm blaming you."

"That's fine! I'll take the downfall." Chihiro exclaimed through a yawn, her eyes drooping.

"You're tired."

"No no I'm wide awake."

"Rest Chi, we can go first thing in the morning. Even before we see Kakashi and others."

She nodded, trusting him fully as she shuffled under the covers from her once seated position. Her body relaxed under their warmth and against the plush mattress, her eyelids grew heavy. Neji moved his chair closer, so he could be at her sleeping side.

"I'm really sorry for ruining our outing, I was enjoying the art museum." Chihiro whispered.

"Don't apologize, it wasn't your fault." his fingers shakily brushed her hair out of her face, feeling how soft it was. Feeling her exhausted aura as her breathing fell into a rhythm.

"Thank you Neji."

"Anything for you, Chi."

Her final words before she fell asleep shook him to his core, "I missed you." they were so drawled out he wasn't sure if he heard them correctly at first. Neji froze, swallowing hard as the air was sucked right out his lungs.

He felt beyond himself, laser focused on her form sleeping there like it was the most normal thing. But it wasn't. He'd suffered from worry, intrusive thoughts about what was happening to her. It wasn't Chihiro's fault yet he felt discontent bubbling in his chest towards either her or the situation. He wasn't sure. But she'd missed him! And he'd missed her. That mattered more than anything in the world to Neji at that moment, he'd make sure not to go on any missions for awhile to stay by her side.

Neji stayed at her side watching her breathe for far too long, though he felt he was owed those moments of solitude. It was only when he began to doze off himself did he bade her goodbye, promising to be back in the morning even if she couldn't hear. A new sense of excitement was in his chest over the fact she would actually be awake upon his next arrival, no more talking to a comatose body.