An Indecent Affair

Chapter 16
-~-~-~-~-~

“Sasuke, have you finished that trending analysis yet?” Neji asked after giving a few sharp raps against his door and letting himself in.

“Uhn,” he grunted with a nod, indicating to the yellow folder clutched in his mouth since both his hands were already occupied with searching through a cabinet.

The secretary hurried over to him to retrieve the necessary document, and if the heavy scowl and thin sheen of perspiration on the Uchiha’s face was not an obvious enough hint of his frustrations, then the deep teeth marks embedded in the folder were.

Today had been surprisingly busier than most, and from the second Sasuke stepped through the doors, the phones hadn’t stopped ringing. This moment was no exception and since the other man was occupied, Neji voluntarily answered his extension.

“Thank you for calling Akatsuki Shipping and Trading, this is- -yes?” his greeting was rudely interrupted by the impatient gentleman on the other line. “Yes, he’s here,” the boy confirmed and turned to look at the other man who was still vigilantly digging through the drawer for whatever it was he was looking for. “He can’t come to the phone right now, but I can take a messa--what? No, I can hear you just fine, so there’s no need to scream in my ear,” the Hyuuga replied sweetly while making sure he kept his own voice at a controlled level.

It was damned hard though. He was ready to snap at the next client that called in here and treated him like nothing more than a blob at the bottom of the evolutionary chain just because he was a ‘lowly’ secretary.

“Sir, I’m sure your matter is of the utmost importance, just like everyone else’s, but he can’t talk to you right now, so if you’d just leave a message with me I’d be sure to--Sir, there’s no need to use that kind of language,” Neji sighed and he reflected on his contract and wondered if he could find a loop hole somewhere that would secure his job if he hung up on this guy right now. “Sir, I am in no form or fashion challenging your freedom of speech in this great country of ours, but there is a time and place for everything, and while I can understand your sense of urgency, this is a place of business and certain--,” he paused when the caller broke into another curse-filled tirade then chuckled after he made his childish accusation.

“Well actually, I subbed as a junior high teacher for a few weeks. That’s a very good call,” Neji confessed and while he only served to piss off the guy further, he enjoyed getting his kicks in edgewise.

He had to pull the receiver away from his ear now or risk bursting an eardrum, and he regretted adding fuel to the man’s fire. “Yes sir, I agree with you. My past employment is not the topic here, and I apologize, but that doesn’t change the fact that Mr. Uchiha can’t come to the phone and--Okay, hold on; let me a get a pen.” He put the call on hold and grabbed at the nearest writing implement and a Post-it pad he found on Sasuke’s desk. Reluctant to go back to the caller but eager to get rid of him, he channeled his patience and returned to the phone.

“Yes sir, what’s your message? Yes, I have the pen… yes it’s in my hand right now,” he said with an agitated roll of his eyes, but they flew open in abject shock at the irate caller’s next command.

“You want me to shove it where?”

Neji’s naïve question was punctuated by the loud slamming of a metal drawer, and Sasuke stormed over to the older man and snatched the receiver from his hand. “Hey!” he growled angrily at the disrespectful client. “Just who the hell do you think you are? You can’t call my office and talk to my secretary like tha--SHUT THE FUCK UP WHEN I’M TALKING TO YOU!”

Neji nearly jumped out of his skin at his employer’s eruption. The vein pounding at the side of his head and the tight bunching of muscles in his shoulders and arms made him look like he was ready to spontaneously combust and the young man took a few, cautious steps away from him.

“Yeah… Yeah… this is he,” Sasuke answered. The caller’s tone had dropped to a more tolerable pitch, and the fact that he was no longer using expletives made the short-haired brunette assume that he realized he was no longer speaking to one of the grunts. “Who the hell told you that?” and his thread of patience that was already stretched thin threatened to break at the ridiculous question.

“No, I can’t help you with that because this is the Imports department,” he tried to explain but that wasn’t what the man wanted to hear and he jumped back onto his high-horse. “Are you fucking deaf? I told you I can’t help you with that. This is Imports not--Yes, my name is Uchiha, but you called the wrong one--well, sucks to be you, doesn’t it?” Sasuke retorted nastily. He would have given the man the number he needed to reach Itachi directly, but this douche bag was going to have to call through the switch board like everybody else and, as much as he hoped he got volleyed around from department to department for the rest of the day, an evil part of him hoped that he did get through to his sibling and that Itachi was in half as bad a mood as he was.

“Listen, asshole,” the manager cut in when he started acting up again, “You got the right name but the wrong brother,” and without giving him the chance to say another word, Sasuke slammed the phone back into its place. He plopped into his chair and pressed against his aching temples then tried to count to ten but couldn’t remember which numbers came after ‘Kill,’ ‘Maim,’ or ‘Destroy.’

Neji stood with his back pressed firmly against the wall. He hadn’t realized he’d backed up that far, and the only thing on his mind was getting out of the room right now! He was afraid that Sasuke might turn his anger towards him because he’d see him go off on Sakura on numerous occasions, and when Sasuke shot up to his feet and moved to go back to his search, he spotted Neji, and the Hyuuga winced at the fury that burned in the depths of his gaze.

When Sasuke saw his hesitance and the slightly terrified expression on his employee’s face it hit him like a bucket of cold water, and he chastised himself for losing it in front of the other man like that.

“Neji… I-I’m sorry. I should have kept my temper in check,” he apologized, and although he didn’t think he had to, he felt he needed to.”

The Hyuuga forced a smile, but Sasuke could tell he was still wary. “It’s not your fault,” he dismissed it with a wave and an awkward chuckle, “That guy was a jerk anyway.”

“Hn,” Sasuke snorted in agreement and cast his guilt-ridden expression to the ground.

Neji shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked away as well. The atmosphere had become uncomfortably thick as both men fought vainly to find anything to say that would clear the air.

“I… better send this…” he trailed off and tapped his fingers against the folder in reference to its contents.

Sasuke only nodded, still unable to meet his face and when the closing of his door signaled Neji’s departure, he collapsed into his black, leather chair again and started banging his forehead against the desk.

‘Stupid, stupid, stupid,’ he cursed himself between knocks against the hard wood and, after failing to give himself a concussion, he sat up to rub his temples again while sighing heavily.

His mother always used to describe him as a long stick of dynamite with a very short fuse while Itachi was the time bomb with no timer. Sasuke’s eruptions you could always see coming but hardly had enough time to prepare for his outbursts, but Itachi was more unpredictable because he would be calm one minute then explode in the next. That didn’t mean that either boy’s tantrums was more or less terrifying than the other, but in Sasuke’s case, while the viewer expected a maniac to jump out of the closet the victim, acting in the movie, was completely oblivious to the danger they were in, as in the case with Itachi.

Sasuke sighed again and ran agitated fingers through his hair and was seriously contemplating signing up for another anger management course, but he jerked with surprise when he felt two hands descend upon his shoulders.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you,” Neji apologized and pulled away but Sasuke grabbed him by the wrist and put his hands back in place.

“Nah, it’s okay,” and he encouraged the boy to continue by giving his fingers a light squeeze.

Neji began to knead at the tight knots with his thumbs, firmly pressing into corded muscles to alleviate the tension curled within them. His skilled hands emanated an abeyant power, despite his dainty appearance, reminding Sasuke that he was a man capable of looking after himself. His fingers worked slowly, meticulously unraveling each and every coil, warming his muscles and relaxing his nerves.

“Ohhh, God,” Sasuke murmured softly, and he threw his head back against the chair. He felt as if he were going to melt under Neji’s ministrations.

Neji chuckled. “Feels good?”

“Nyeah,” he replied but it came out as nothing more than a contented moan.

Neji moved his hands up to the thick column of Sasuke’s neck and administered a different technique by gently massaging his fingers in a fluid, drumming motion against his skin. “What about your headache? Does this help?”

“Mmm… it’s going away a bit,” he lied. Sasuke didn’t have a headache and guessed Neji assumed he did when he saw him rubbing his temples, but he was afraid the talented masseuse would stop if he said he was fine, and he wasn’t ready for him to bring a halt to the amazing things he was doing to him just yet. “Where did you learn to do that?” he asked drowsily, in an attempt to keep him going by instigating idle conversation.

“I worked part-time at a massage parlor a few months back,” he explained then started laughing at a concurrent memory.

“What?” Sasuke asked curiously.

“Hm? No, nothing.”

“Come on, tell me,” the Uchiha insisted with a smile and tilted his head up to rest prying, black eyes on the man above him.

“Well… umm, there was this one client in particular… she was very, how should I say… ‘friendly’ with the staff,” Neji started and even as he shared the experience his hands did not stop working their magic. “Everyone in the salon used to joke about the way she flirted with them, especially since she had a very jealous husband, who was also an amateur wrestler by the way, and he always accused her of being unfaithful. Anyway, one day, he followed her there and, just my luck, I happened to be the one working on her and he must have heard her moaning and got the wrong impression because the next minute, he’s ripping the curtain off the rod and chasing me around the table.”

Sasuke’s chest rumbled with deep laughter as he imagined a hulking ox of a man charging after the smaller, slender Neji. “He didn’t catch you, did he?”

“Oh yeah, he did,” Neji nodded. For a big guy he’d been surprising light on his feet. “He grabbed me by the collar and lifted me off the ground then started shaking me while his wife started hitting him and threatening to leave him if he didn’t put me down.”

“What happened then?”

“I grabbed a bottle of scented oil and threw it in his face,” he confessed remorsefully and bit his bottom lip.

Sasuke’s eyebrows shot up. “You didn’t!”

“I had to! Everyone else was in too much shock to help me, and he wasn’t listening to his wife, who eventually got fed up with him and stormed off. He got pissed then and said it was all my fault, and I didn’t know what he was capable of next so I did the only thing I could. I threw lavender oil at him.”

“I’ll bet he smelled real pretty after that,” Sasuke chortled. “So, what happened next?”

“I ran like a scared, little girl,” he said as if that should be most logical thing to do under those circumstances. “And I never went back.”

“So you mean you just abandoned that job?”

“Yep! I didn’t know if he was going to come back and I didn’t want to take that risk, so I mailed in my resignation and never showed up after that day. You know, it’s funny… I can look back on that and laugh now but, at the time, I was scared out of my wits.”

“Yeah, life’s like that,” Sasuke drawled and closed his eyes before shifting in his chair to continue basking in his euphoria. “What did you do next? Did you take up that substitute teacher’s job after that?”

Neji blinked. He didn’t think Sasuke had been paying attention to what he was saying to that caller earlier, and he also didn’t think Sasuke was the type of person that would be interested enough in anyone else’s life but his own to even ask a question like that. What he didn’t know though was that the Uchiha had been hanging on his every word and found the other man incredibly intriguing, and he wanted to find out everything he could about him.

“No, that teacher’s job was just something I did to help out a friend of my professor’s,” Neji said and massaged his way along Sasuke’s strong shoulders. “The school was short staffed and my professor recommended me to the principal. They only needed me for seventeen days but I got an extension on all my assignments and I figured the experience would be good for me. I always saw myself as a teacher,” he added somewhat dreamily.

“You mean you actually like children?” Sasuke scoffed rather nastily but he had to admire the other man’s patience. There was no way in hell Sasuke Uchiha would ever voluntarily take responsibility for the education of a room full of snot-nosed brats.

“Yeah… I-I love kids,” he replied timidly. For some reason he suddenly felt ashamed for admitting that now that he knew how Sasuke felt about them. “Umm… I always wanted to have my own someday.”

“Mmm,” Sasuke nodded and before he allowed the conversation to drift into hazardous territory, he quickly shifted the topic back onto its original course. “So, if you liked being a teacher, why didn’t you stay?”

Neji felt him tense for that brief moment before he asked that question and knew he was trying to avoid that touchy subject. It was fine with him either way. He didn’t want to discuss what could have been his future with Ten-Ten either. He had been meticulously planning for that one day that should have inevitably arrived when they settled down and started their perfect family together, and the thought of one day owning a house with a big backyard and two kids and a dog running around it were what fueled and encouraged him to never give up despite his terrible luck. But, it had all come to naught, and his dreams were nothing more than a fading memory gone up in a cloud of smoke. While he was still young and positive that there would be many other women in his future, he didn’t think he was capable of staring all over again, not just yet. He had invested far too much in his previous relationship and it had left him drained mentally, physically and financially.

He needed to gather the scattered shards of his life and redefine himself first, hopefully creating a much stronger husk, capable of withstanding the pressures of life, and Sasuke was the only one who could do that. He was the only one, right now, that could put back each piece in its proper place and reinforce them to make him stronger and he was the only person he trusted with that task.

No one else.

“It didn’t pay enough,” Neji sighed and idly stroked Sasuke’s skin with his thumbs causing the other man to shiver slightly. “It’s just so sad that the people who educate and inspire our future doctors, lawyers, writers and musicians get paid so very little in comparison.”

“Not much of an incentive to spend seven hours a day; five days a week, locked inside a classroom with the little imps, huh?” Sasuke joked and stretched his legs far out in front of him.

“Mmm,” the Hyuuga sighed thoughtfully and his hands stilled as he stared in a trance at the top of the other man’s dark head. “I’ll bet you gave your teacher quite a few grey hairs, huh Sasuke?”

He barked out a laugh. “Most of my teachers had grey hair before I-I… got into their cla-sss,” Sasuke broke off on a hiss when long fingers threaded slowly through his hair.

“Hmm,” he hummed again as he played with a few strands of the thick, black mane, twirling them around his finger and tugging lightly on them. A soft gasp escaped Sasuke’s lips and his eyelids fluttered when warm finger-tips nestled themselves in his scalp and journeyed lower, towards the sensitive hairs at the nape of his neck that were now standing on end.

‘What is he doing?’ Sasuke wondered to himself as he racked his brain trying to decide an appropriate course of action. He wanted to tell him to stop, that he was tickling him (when in actuality he was turning him on), but his conscience was prepared to drive the proverbial kick to his ass if he dared ask him to bring a cessation to his actions. He knew that Neji wasn’t trying to be erotic and was probably in an uncharacteristically playful mood. Not that that was a bad thing, mind you, and as much as he wished the Hyuuga was really attempting to seduce him, he knew that if he reacted likewise it might probably scare him off.

But what if it didn’t?

What if Neji responded positively to his invitation for a deeper intimacy… then what? He still had to take into consideration that the other man was not completely ready to engage in any sexual acts and, while he was so far content with just kissing and cuddling, Sasuke was eager to do more.

Much more.

‘Shit!’ He was getting harder and he had to sit up so the man behind him didn’t notice the bulge in his lap but his sudden movement seemed to snap him out of his little daze and Neji removed his hands, much to the Uchiha’s relief and disappointment.

“Sorry, my mind just wandered there for a sec,” and he laughed it off.

“It happens,” Sasuke ground through clenched teeth and crossed his legs. He could still feel those fingers in hair, and it only spurred on his growing erection.

“I guess I better get back to work,” the diligent secretary sighed when he heard his extension start to ring in the other room.

“Thanks for the massage,” his boss muttered, reluctant to let him get back to his daily grind and wanting now, more than ever, to give him another lesson.

“Anytime,” Neji smiled over his shoulder before exiting the office and closing the door behind him, leaving the other brunette alone with his thoughts and a raging hard-on. As much as he badly wanted the other man he hated not being able to release his sexual frustrations around him. Not knowing how he would react if he started jacking off or suggested mutual masturbation was what forced Sasuke to endure this torture. Well, he had to do something soon because if this kept up, his balls were going to turn blue.

Sasuke groaned and threw one arm over his eyes. He suddenly felt like a headache was coming on and now there was a ringing in his ears.
No… not a ringing… screaming!

He sat up and listened for that noise again because he was sure he wasn’t hearing things, but this time his ears picked up on the familiar high pitch and Sasuke got up to investigate the commotion on the other side of the door.

“Naruto, I’m really sorry,” Neji begged him for his forgiveness, but the outraged blond didn’t want to hear it. Actually, Sasuke didn’t think Naruto could even hear the brunette if he tried, not over the sound of his own voice.

“I can’t believe you sold me out like that!” he raged, his blue eyes flickering furiously. “I told you not to tell Itachi and you went behind my back and did that anyway, and to think I thought I could trust you. Pfft!”

“Naruto, it wasn’t Neji’s fault,” Sasuke cut in, coming to the other man’s defense.

His tanned head snapped around to face his friend and he shot him a warning glare. “Shut up. I wasn’t speaking to you,” he pointed unnecessarily at the slightly taller man. “This is between me and Mr. Goody-Goody.”

“Naruto, I didn’t tell Itachi with the intention of getting you in trouble. I didn’t even want to tell him at all,” Neji pleaded, wishing he would believe him.

“Not wanting to tell him then actually telling him kinda defeats the purpose of you PROMISING NOT TO TELL HIM!”

“Naruto, I understand why you’re upset but it truly wasn’t Neji’s fault,” Sasuke insisted and went over to him to place both his hands on his broad shoulders.

“Oh please, you’re only sticking up for him,” accused the irascible youth.

“I think Neji’s telling the truth,” Gaara cut in.

“Traitor,” his lover spat. “Now you’re taking his side, too?”

“It’s not about taking sides, Naruto,” the Titian haired male said and crossed his gloved arms over his chest. “But if you would put your anger aside for just one minute and look into his eyes, you’d see that he’s being sincere.”

Naruto snorted rather rudely and turned to face the penitent Hyuuga. His eyes didn’t stay on him for very long before he sucked his teeth and slapped Sasuke’s hands off him in a petty huff. “Fine,” he said and threw his arms up in defeat. “I’ll let him off the hook. But only just this once.”

“Thanks babe, you’re the best,” and Gaara threw his arms around his waist.
“Get offa me you traitor,” the older boy muttered while trying to pry lean, leathered arms from around his torso.

“So, what exactly did you do to get yourself arrested?” Sasuke then asked, his curiosity piqued.

“It wasn’t me. It was this heifer right here,” and he gestured to the boy still clinging to his body. “We went to a skate park, just to kill some time until we had to pick up Itachi, then Gaara started teasing this one boarder in particular.”

“What? I was only complimenting his ‘skill’,” the boy said innocently, but the way the tip of his tongue lingered on his upper lip when he spoke that last word hinted at the hidden meaning behind it.

“You didn’t say it like that,” Naruto reminded him with a growl before recounting the events that led up to their incarceration the day before. “Anyway, he and his homophobic friends get offended and start talking trash, and it’s all verbal until big-mouthed Gaara starts questioning their heterosexuality, and they turn it into an all out brawl. I still don’t know how the hell he got out of it without a scratch, but I got hit against the back of my head with a fucking skateboard,” the young man screeched incredulously.

“I don’t blame them,” Sasuke grinned and rested his gaze on the gorgeous goth in front of him. “As much as I want to tear the little shit limb from limb sometimes, a part of me is too repulsed to even touch him,” and his comment earned him a hateful, sea-green glare.

“And to make matters worse, when Itachi bails us out and takes us home I’m the one that gets spanked,” Naruto continued his unfortunate tale of woe.

“Naughty Naruto got forty hot ones,” said Gaara.

“Ouch,” Sasuke winced, sympathizing with the boy. He had suffered a few blows from his brother as well and knew just how heavy Itachi’s hands could be. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Well, give your sympathies to my ass, ‘cause it fucking hurts,” Naruto snapped while pointing at his rear, then he whimpered, “I can’t sit down.”

Sasuke cleared his throat, but it was a lame attempt at trying not to laugh out loud.

“Yeah, yak it up now, asshole,” the boy fumed, “I’ll get you for this,” then he turned to face Neji and lifted a finger at him before solemnly vowing, “And you… don’t think I’ve forgotten about you.”

“Come on, Naruto, leave him alone,” Sasuke scowled and shoved his arm out of Neji’s wide-eyed face. “He told you already that it wasn’t done intentionally. I was there, and I assure you that Neji didn’t rat you out.”

“I don’t care what you say because I know you’re just sticking up for him,” Naruto insisted stubbornly while hobbling over to the sofa and gingerly lowering himself, face-down upon it.

“Oh, just let it rest will you? You say you’re upset because Itachi gave you a spanking, but we all know you enjoyed it.”

“He got off twice,” disclosed Gaara.

Naruto growled at his big-mouthed boyfriend. “It’s not my fault. Itachi always talks dirty when he’s punishing me, and it turns me on,” he whined helplessly.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Gaara sighed and sat on the sofa’s arm-rest nearest to Naruto’s head. “I get turned on watching Itachi punish you too--,” and he shrieked before falling, with little grace, on his ass after Naruto roughly shoved him off the furniture.

“Bad boy,” Gaara yelled then jumped to his feet and slammed both hands down on his partner’s abused derriere and Naruto’s howl was so loud that he almost deafened everyone in the room.

“Do it again,” Naruto dared him and whipped out an arm to grab Gaara’s shirt but the nimble boy ducked out of reach and put considerable space between himself and his mate by sitting in Neji’s chair behind his desk. “Hey, Sasuke. Wanna see my stitches?” he asked excitedly while parting his hair with his fingers to reveal the tender scar and his compatriot laughed to himself at the bond’s short attention span.

“If you need to get here, you can sit in my lap. I don’t mind,” Gaara turned in the swivel seat to inform the tall, light and handsome gentleman just a few feet away from him while his boyfriend was occupied with showing off the hideous gash, like some well-earned trophy.

“No. That’s… quite alright,” Neji stammered and took a few steps back for good measure. He knew how possessively jealous Naruto was when it came to the little red-head. He’d made himself a prime target by getting in his bad books today, and he was not about to further incur his wrath.

“Then, can I sit in yours?” the persistent youth asked next.

“Actually, I have to go. Sakura just called so we’re heading out to buy lunch,” and he made a mental note to get the cotton-candy-haired girl a ‘Thank You’ card. Honestly, he hated doing this with her. He knew it was just a cunning ploy so she would have an excuse to come up here under the pretense of ‘helping’ Neji with the load but she only came along to see Sasuke.

He was willing to look past her ulterior motive today though because it offered him a life-line out of a very uncomfortable situation.

“Ooh, ooh! Bring me back something,” Naruto flagged down Neji fervently.

“Umm… alright,” he agreed, very surprised that Naruto would politely ask any favor of him, especially after he barged in here earlier with all intents and purposes of beating him to a bloody pulp. “What do you want?”

“I’ll have whatever this asshole’s having,” he said and pointed up at the dark-haired Uchiha that was still sifting through his sandy mane.

“In that case I’ll have a plain, garden salad with no dressing,” Sasuke teased and flicked a flat fingernail against the mended cut. Naruto cursed loudly then tried to push him off the sofa too, but Sasuke was much heavier than Gaara and managed to maintain his balance.

“You’re going to the Café Blue, right?” Gaara asked while lackadaisically spinning in the chair. “I’ll have a caramel frescante, a raisin bran muffin and a penne pasta lunch with shrimp and mushrooms.”

Neji nodded, his extraordinary memory easily retaining the small order. He shifted his attention back to the other two, just in time to catch the abused tossing a thick cushion at Sasuke’s dark head.

“Sasuke, will you be having a sandwich as usual?” Neji asked.

The man in question brought up his arms to deflect another incoming projectile and as soon as he was certain Naruto was out of ammunition he faced Neji to give him his acknowledgment. “Surprise me,” and he flashed him a toothy grin.

He’d been buying lunch for his supervisor long enough to know what he liked in his subs, and it wouldn’t be hard to put together one he was sure the other man would enjoy. But when did he suddenly care so much about what kind of sandwich he bought for Sasuke? Why was he suddenly so excited about putting together a culinary masterpiece that was sure to impress?

“I want the same type of sandwich Sasuke gets,” Naruto’s screech interrupted those distressing thoughts.

“Dammit Naruto, order your own sandwich,” an irritated Sasuke growled. It was petty, he knew but, much like that burger ad where the guy got pissed when his co-worker stole his special order, Sasuke felt the same way and he didn’t want Naruto using the same recipe he did.

“Neji, you owe me for betraying me yesterday,” the blond reminded him while pointing at his bum.

“Neji, if you get him the same order as mine, you’re fired,” and, despite the sobriety of his tone, Neji knew he was only joking.

“Neji, you ready to go?” Sakura called sweetly from the door and the young man sighed heavily with relief once she’d pulled him out of the hot-seat for the second time that afternoon.
“Coming,” he replied a little too eagerly and wished the girl would hurry up instead of just standing there, hoping Sasuke would notice her when he was much too busy trying to asphyxiate the boy on the couch with a cushion after he threw one of his shoes at him in desperation.

Neji had never felt so much pressure when picking out lunch before and he was torn between doing what Sasuke asked to appease his ego or getting what Naruto wanted and staying on his good side.

In the end, he had a custom tuna sub made for Sasuke and ordered a somewhat similar one for Naruto but requested chicken as the meat. His excuse would be he wasn’t sure if Naruto liked tuna and figured chicken was the safer bet but when he returned to the office he soon found that he’d suffered undue stress over nothing because Naruto and Gaara were nowhere to be found.

“Where’d everybody go?” Sakura asked with a pout after following Neji into the kitchen to free her hands of bags and cups.

“They probably thought we were taking too long and went to get their own lunch,” Neji surmised. He had taken quite a long time in deciding what sandwiches to prepare and was asked to step out of the line twice to let other customers fulfill their orders, but if what he said was true and those three had grown impatient and went ahead to grab a bite to eat then he was going to be very irritated.

“What took you so long?”

Two pairs of lightly colored eyes looked up at the attractive individual who was standing in the doorway that separated his office from the cozy kitchen.

“Hi Sasuke, I brought you your lunch,” Sakura tittered with love-struck eyes. Her objective of seeing the gorgeous hunk fulfilled, and she could die a happy woman right now.

“Sorry we took so long,” Neji apologized, grateful that he hadn’t given the man reason to find sustenance elsewhere.

Sasuke shrugged and leaned against the door jamb then cast his eyes on the young woman who was brazenly fantasizing about him. He frowned. “You can leave now,” the annoyed ordered in a cold voice.

She snapped out of her daze and blushed when she realized that she’d been caught ogling him so intensely. Sakura muttered a quick ‘sorry’ before gathering her bag and drink and promising Neji she’d go with him the same time tomorrow.

“You’re terrible,” Neji chortled with a shake of his head after the girl’s departure.

“Hm?” Sasuke asked, somewhat distracted as he moved from the door and sifted through the bags to see what goodies Neji had bought.

“To Sakura. You’re so… stern with her,” he supplied, for lack of a better word.

Sasuke knew his attitude towards the young woman was unwarranted, but he truly didn’t care. However, he couldn’t just come right out and tell Neji that. He didn’t want the other man to think he was some heartless bastard… although… he never really cared what other people thought about him… but, with Neji, it was different.

“She wants my body,” he stated flatly as he took a long sub out of the bag and unwrapped it to find out if it was his. “But I’m not interested in her that way, and I don’t want to give her the wrong impression if I try to be friendly.”

“It’s possible to be nice without being too friendly.”

“Not my style,” was his simple admission before he took a large bite into the chicken sandwich and pulled up a chair next to the other man.

Had it been the first time he ever met this crass character, Neji would have been turned off by his lack of empathy but he’d been around him long enough now to respect his brutal honesty, and at times, Neji wished he possessed the same gumption that allowed the Uchiha to speak his mind no matter who he was addressing.

“Wait, Sasuke! That’s not yours,” Neji cried out, and Sasuke jumped at the sudden outburst, almost biting his tongue. “The chicken sub is Naruto’s; yours is the tuna,” he explained and fished around inside the bags for it.

That didn’t stop the Uchiha from taking another bite out of the sandwich though and he just shrugged it off. “His loss. He should have been here.”

Neji clicked his tongue in exasperation. He didn’t mind if the incorrigible man took his lunch instead, and he actually would have preferred if he did than eat Naruto’s. He didn’t want to be blamed for this either.

“Is this Gaara’s?” the short-haired brunette asked even as he flipped open the container and shoveled a fork inside the pasta meal.

“Sasuke, don’t,” but he had already filled his mouth with one fork full, and was greedily going back for another.

“Mmm, this is good,” he gave a contented moan then reached for the bran muffin to break off a piece and stuffed it inside his mouth before scowling. “Bleh! Raisins.”

“Sasuke, you shouldn’t--”

“Here, try some. You like sweet things, right?”

Neji politely declined and pushed the tempting offering away. He was not about to become a co-conspirator in the Uchiha’s crimes, and Sasuke laughed when he saw the horrified look on Neji’s face as if he’d just asked him to eat his own arm. “What?” he chuckled, obviously amused by the other man’s unwavering honor. “Naruto and Gaara had to go so it’s okay.”

“That’s beside the point,” Neji interjected stubbornly.

“True, but they’re not here to dispute it, now are they?”

“Won’t they be upset when they find out?”

“It’s just food, Neji. It’s not like we’re wearing their clothes or using their toothbrush.”

“But--”

“Come on Neji. Be a rebel,” and he encouraged him with an impish grin.

The other man shook his head. “Sasuke, I can’t… not in good conscience.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to throw these away… such a shame,” he sighed in feigned disappointment but Sasuke knew how to maneuver around the Hyuuga’s strict morals, and just as he expected, his restraint crumbled at the concept of wastefulness.

“Well… if you’re sure they’re not going to return,” Neji said a little hesitantly while eyeing the fluffy bran muffin stuffed with plump raisins.

Neji was so easy, and it was very hard for the Uchiha to hide his victorious smirk as he broke off another piece and fed it between soft lips.

Maybe it was the fact that he was still too wary to touch the pastry that he allowed Sasuke to feed him this way and maybe because, at the back of his mind, he still felt it was wrong that the muffin actually tasted a lot better than it should. It was funny how doing things you believed to be immoral or wrong were often times the things that stimulated your senses and put you in a heightened state of arousal. Such as what was happening to Neji right now because the second the moist bread touched his tongue it practically melted in his mouth, causing him to moan and his eyelids to flutter. Each bite was like a sampling of the finest ambrosia, and every time he burst one of the fruits it would create an explosion of the sweetest juices within his mouth.

“Taste good, huh?” Sasuke laughed at his near-orgasmic, facial expression.

“Mmm-hmm.”

“I knew it would. Now, try this.”

Neji leaned forward and took the proffered portioning of pasta. He was feeling much braver now and had no qualms about consuming it. The taste was nice, albeit a little too cheesy for his liking but the piquancy of the mushrooms and onions and the subtlety of the shrimp balanced it out quite nicely. He still preferred the raisin bran muffin though and immediately went back to it, completely ignoring the other man’s cocky laughter.

“Indulging your sweet tooth, huh?” the Uchiha asked, and although Neji pretended not to hear him an awkward blush was all the answer he needed. “Hmm… I think you’ll love this,” Sasuke instigated his binging when he eyed the cup of frescante.

Neji didn’t think anything could taste better than the scone he was eating right now but he was proved wrong one he took a sip of the thick, cold shake and he wrapped his fingers around the cup to release it from Sasuke’s grasp.

“That good, huh?” the other man grinned.

Neji only nodded, too absorbed in the bliss the creamy liquid brought him.

“Hey, let me try it,” and when he reached out to take it again Neji brought up an elbow in resistance.

“Uhh-uhn. Get your own,” he frowned and shifted his body so the majority of his back was facing Sasuke.

“Come on, don’t be like that,” he laughed and got up from his chair to walk around the stubborn body but Neji only turned again while slurping away at the drink. “You’ll get brain freeze if you sip it that fast,” but the other either didn’t hear him or didn’t care. Neji’s adorably, childish antics only increased Sasuke’s amusement and spurred on his determination to get some of the drink, but when all his diplomatic means failed he came up with a more creative means of acquiring a taste.

Neji shot him a warning glare from behind the thin slits of his mauve eyelids when Sasuke got on his knees before him and he tightened his hold on the container, refusing to relinquish it without a fight but Sasuke didn’t want to fight for it and Neji was taken completely by surprise when he leaned closer and pressed his lips against his.

He gasped and Sasuke took advantage of the fortuitous opportunity and slipped his tongue inside the cold, wet mouth, lapping at the milk that Neji hadn’t drunk yet.

The other man just sat there, frozen and dumbfounded, unable to react or even think. His head spun wildly, so taken in by the abruptness of the kiss and just as quickly as it had begun, it ended with Sasuke’s hand around the cup and his lips around the straw but the look in his eyes was not one of arrogance that he’d finally managed to claim the drink for his own. It was pure lust.

“Delicious,” he whispered huskily, and they both knew he wasn’t referring to the frescante.

Neji shivered, and his nerves drew taut as those smoldering, black eyes ignited the fire within his own, and when Sasuke pulled the cup from his lips and abandoned it on the table the spark became a roaring flame the second their lips met again. But he had a gift for him, and Neji moaned when a small offering of foamy milk and caramel left Sasuke’s mouth and dribbled into his. He arched his back and parted his lips wider to graciously accept it then wrapped his arms around the Uchiha’s strong shoulders to keep his head in place.

Sasuke wouldn’t have pulled away even if the fire alarms went off because, for the first time, Neji was actually kissing him back. It wasn’t like the other times. No, this time was different. He was just as fervent and wanted it just as badly. Sasuke pulled back, but only so he could tilt his head to the other side but when Neji felt him retreat he leaned forward and accidentally knocked their teeth together. The pain didn’t phase him in the slightest, in fact, it seemed to increase his desire in a vaguely masochistic kind of way.

Without breaking contact, Sasuke pulled him to his feet and placed his hands upon his hips, and his thumbs began to slowly stoke his sides in little circles as he contemplated his next course of action. If Neji responded this well, was he ready to take this to another level? Sasuke wasn’t entirely sure, but he was willing to try. They couldn’t stay on first-base forever.

He tugged at the Hyuuga’s cotton shirt and the other man didn’t seem to mind so he pulled it out of his pants completely. When there was no protest, he then slipped his fingers beneath the coarse material, lightly running them across his flat abdomen and over the waistband of his jeans. He felt him shudder and swallowed the gasp that escaped his lips, but he was met with no resistance at all. The long digits traveled higher, tickling the flesh stretched tightly over his ribs and across his chest that heaved with each haggard breath he took, but when they found two, hard nipples Neji cried out and thrust his body against the equally hard one before him.

If his mind was any more dizzy with need and his legs made any weaker by desire then he would have fallen backwards after Neji slammed into him like that but he managed to keep his balance and turned so he could lean against the table’s edge.

Neji was panting by now, his sensitive nipples sending shockwaves of pleasure throughout his body, and as much as Sasuke wanted nothing more than to stay there and listen to him make those sweet, little sounds he had to concentrate on cautiously implementing the next step.

He moved his hands away from the tiny nubs, and his fingertips actually started to tingle in yearning. They retraced their steps over familiar but unseen territory until they appeared at the hem of the white shirt and took it within a firm grip.

Neji continued to engage Sasuke in their kiss, completely unaware that the other man was attempting to remove his shirt and he only realized this when he’d got it up to his arms and the cool air hit his flushed body.

“No!” he cried out fearfully and tried to back away.

“Shh, it’s okay, Neji. It’s just me,” Sasuke cooed, but he did not relinquish his grasp upon the clothing.

Neji came to at the sound of his voice, but it did nothing to placate his discomfiture. “Sasuke… don’t,” he pleaded, pushing against his broad chest. “I--can’t you leave it on?”

Sasuke would have chuckled at his naiveté if he wasn’t so damn horny, and he cleared his tight throat and licked his already wet lips before replying. “I know you’re uncomfortable with this now, Neji, but eventually your clothes will have to come off… yes! All of them,” he added when he saw those round eyes widen in diffidence.

“I… can’t,” he sobbed and squirmed restlessly, shoving roughly at the hands that kept him from obtaining his freedom. Sasuke released him then, but he didn’t flee as he half-expected him to. Instead, he stood before him and appeared much more composed now that his body was modestly covered the way he wanted it to be.

The Uchiha sighed. He supposed this was one of those situations where ‘I show you mine if you show me yours’ would be the most effective, and without another thought, he yanked his own shirt over his head and tossed it carelessly on the floor. “Come,” he extended a hand in invitation, but Neji didn’t see it. His eyes were glued to the well-toned and finely chiseled torso before him, accentuated by two flat, ovular nipples of a dusty, light-brown hue.

Sasuke smirked to himself and took Neji by the arm once he noticed the shorter man was pre-occupied and when Neji realized that he’d been caught staring he quickly turned his reddening face away.

“Touch me,” was the dark man’s whispered command and he clasped both hands in his before bringing them towards his bare chest.

Neji had never touched another man’s naked chest before in such a manner. It wasn’t something he’d ever fantasized about or even considered out of curiosity but when his palms came into contact with the warmth of Sasuke’s flesh and he felt the muscles ripple reflexively to his touch, he found it wasn’t as odd as he assumed it would be.

Sasuke still kept Neji’s wrists locked within his grip and used them to control where those inexperienced hands were to go next. They both tensed as he dragged them lower towards his nipples and when his pale fingers grazed the hard buds Sasuke hissed loudly, and the sound of his voice caused an inexplicable tightening in Neji’s loins.

“They’re… sensitive.” He hadn’t realized that he’d made that observation out loud and he swallowed hard as he watched Sasuke’s chest heave with each ragged breath he took.

“Yeah,” the other man managed between breaths, and he groaned shortly after when Neji began to play with his nipples.

He forced himself to endure the sweet torment Neji brought upon him as he rubbed the tiny beads with the pads of his thumbs and traced the outlines of his areolas with his fingertips. It was easy to tell he liked it, and Sasuke encouraged Neji to continue with supportive words that fed his fascination and bolstered his courage, and when he pinched them both, Sasuke tossed back his head and cried out.

“Oh God!”

“Did… that hurt?” he asked but he didn’t remove his hands and, instead, soothed them by twirling them between his thumbs and forefingers.

“Opposite,” Sasuke panted and it was the only word he could manage before another moan took the place of whatever else it was he wanted to say.

“Umm… Sasuke,” Neji frowned and nibbled on his lower lip. The noises he made were greatly increasing his own desire, and if his libido wasn’t in overdrive right now, Neji never would have dared doing anything like this.

His guard was down, Sasuke could easily tell and it enabled him to finally remove the other man’s shirt with no resistance.

Neji stiffened and his blush grew larger in his half-naked state. He brought his arms up to shield his nudity from view but Sasuke shoved them out of the way and dragged the other man closer. He was a little too rough with him, but his carnality was flaring out of control, and when his hands came into contact with that smooth expanse of back, he moaned and took Neji’s mouth in another searing kiss.

In a lucid way, he felt even closer to Sasuke with no clothing between them. He was no longer afraid and inadvertently became more at ease with their bare chests pressed together. He could feel his heartbeat reverberating against his ribs, and he was sure Sasuke could feel his own pounding against him as well. Their heavy breathing caused their torsos to rub against each other, creating a wondrous friction on their skin and it was only until two, large hands made their way to his taut ass did Neji realize that his hips were moving of their own accord.

Sasuke squeezed the firm globes within his palms, wishing that the jeans were not in the way but knowing that that was another step he’d have to take in time. He just had to be patient. For now, Neji grinding his hard length against his thigh was enough for him to get off on, and Sasuke shifted slightly so that he could stimulate his tented crotch against Neji’s hip.

Sasuke slid his tongue in and out of Neji’s moist mouth in a highly suggestive manner while moving his waist in a similar fashion. Neji, who was new to all this, moved a bit too erratically and the more experienced man had to press him closer to try to get him to slow down. “Neji, you’re… moving too fast,” he said between kisses.

“Nnngh… I’m… s-sorry,” but the heat between his legs refused to let him stop or even slow down and he continued to hump away at the Uchiha’s leg like a horny puppy. “Ahh… Sasuke,” he whimpered.

“Wait, Neji, not yet,” and before he could utter the last word Neji’s orgasm took him, and he arched his back and convulsed wildly in Sasuke’s arms. Those same arms he had to use to keep the other man upright as he rode through his climax to the end before collapsing in a spent heat against his body for support.

“Sa-Sasuke… I’m sorry,” he gasped breathlessly after the gravity of what he’d just done finally hit him.

“Shh, s’okay,” the other assured him and kept him pinned to his body when he tried to push himself away. “You okay?” he asked after Neji stopped his weak struggles and soothed him further by stroking his long hair with one hand.

The Hyuuga frowned. He didn’t know how to answer that.

He was euphoric, no doubt about it. To say he didn’t enjoy what just occurred between them would have been a lie, but he wasn’t entirely sure he could say he liked it. It wasn’t that he hated being intimate with Sasuke, that wasn’t the problem, but it was the way he viewed intimacy on a whole then doing something like this that was the problem.

Did that make him a hypocrite? Or did it just confirm that Sasuke was the only one he trusted with matters involving sensuality?

A rouge shiver crept along his spine, making him gasp and Sasuke in turn did likewise when he rubbed a little too close to his own neglected erection.

It wasn’t Neji’s fault. It had probably been a while since he’d had last normal sex, and Sasuke was certain he had quite a bit of load backed up, but dammit, it had been a while for him too and he was in so much pain right now he thought his balls were going to explode.

“Neji, get dressed,” he said gruffly and the other man obeyed but only because he surmised that since this lesson was over it was back to business as usual.

It was hard to meet the other man’s gaze even long after he’d retrieved his shirt from the floor and put it back in its proper place and Sasuke was grateful for his timidity because he didn’t want him to see the evidence of his sexual frustration. He wasn’t the only one made uncomfortable by their make-out though.

Neji’s boxers were now damp and as annoying as the wet material rubbing against his impassioned penis was, he was more distraught about what the other man thought about him coming on him like that. That thought made his stomach queasy, and Neji wanted to hate himself for losing control like that but Sasuke allayed all his concerns by pulling him into a warm embrace.

He still hadn’t put his shirt on and Neji was a bit adverse to touching his naked flesh but the sentiment remained just as strongly.

“Neji, I’m so proud of you. I know I may have scared you, but you were very brave. You’ve made a lot of progress,” he murmured against his ear and Neji’s face turned two different shades of red at the praise.

That’s right. Sasuke was doing this to help him get over his fear of intimacy so there was no reason for him to be ashamed about what just happened. It didn’t stop him from feeling any less embarrassment but at least he wouldn’t feel too awkward the next time and Neji found that, as disturbing as it sounded, he was really looking forward to it.

“Umm… tha-thanks,” and he gave a lop-sided smile to the taller man after he pulled away to scrutinize him at an arm’s length.

Sasuke was relieved to find that he wasn’t distressed and the climax actually seemed to relax him. He looked much younger, if that was even possible. His skin practically glowed in the ambient light, a stark contrast to the rosy tint on his face took and although he seemed as if he was ready to curl up in a bed and go to sleep there was a perpetual light that appeared to shine behind his eyes.

Sasuke quite liked Neji’s post-orgasmic look and decided he’d have to get him off more often.

“You look like you’re just about ready to call it a day,” his manager joked and that snapped the boy to attention and he shook his head.

“No, there’s still so much work I have to do,” Neji murmured more to himself.

‘Don’t remind me,’ the Uchiha groaned inwardly and grabbed his discarded shirt before yanking it over his head. “Don’t burn yourself out,” he said instead and popped his toned arms through the sleeveless holes in his shirt.

Even if the day continued as hectic as it began he was anxiously counting the last few hours before closing time. Fortunately, the rest of the business world appeared to have reached the same conclusion and decided that they’d worked hard enough for one day and about an hour later, the phones stopped and the fax machine actually didn’t need to be refilled with paper, and for the first time that day the office was peaceful.

Until Naruto and Gaara returned…

-~-~-~-~-~

Tyra 2008-01-25
Oh wow.
I really like this chapter!
Poor Neji. That nastu, long tongued snake Orochimaru.
Even seeing him makes Neji scared so bad. xO
But it was good that Itachi appeared. And Sasuke too!
Awh, and Sasuka called Neji ''baby''. -gigglegiggle-
That's so cute.
And Neji asked him to hold him again.
Ah, does he even know what he is doing to Sasuke with his cuteness? xDD

Pfft, I wonder what Naruto and Gaara did to get arrested. xD
Those two really are spoiled rotten.. We shall blame Itachi! xDD
No way. Those two are always so hilarious.

I hope you keep writing and update soon again!
I'm so loving you and your fic!

ClaireBear
I really do feel sorry for Neji in this fic as well… Aww what am I talking about? I love to harass him. XD It’s his fault he’s so hot, now he’s gone and made himself a target of my otaku-ness.

Neji cuteness is such a turn on for Sasuke. He’s so naïve and innocent about certain things but can we blame Sasuke for wanting to corrupt his fragile little mind? I admit that Naruto’s and Gaara’s reason for being arrested was pretty lame but I needed a situation to occur where Neji had to leave the safety of Sasuke’s office and bump into Orochimaru on the way and this was the best I could come up with. ;_;

They are spoiled. Itachi spoils them too much and lets them get away with anything short of murder. They just have to be careful not to get into too much trouble or Itachi spank.


Grey 2008-01-26
Mmmm, first time reviewing on aff.net, but I figured your stories more than earned it. =) You have no idea how excited I was to check your profile for updates to find TWO stories updated. I actually cheered at my computer.

Ahhh, uke Neji. So hard to find good stories with him in that position, but you do it well. Even though he's supposed to be A-Ranked I still think you pull off his personality pretty well, I mean you're allowed to take some slack with it because this is AU after all, but aside from his break downs, which are understandable, you capture his attitude fairly well I think. It's more relaxed, but seeing as he isn't a ninja in this story that would make sense.

=) Keep it up! I love all of your stories and I'm glad to see you haven't let them die.

ClaireBear
There’s a first time for everything isn’t there. XD Don’t hesitate to rate and review any story you like on this site. The authors and authoresses really appreciate it. ^_^

I’m glad you like my fics and although I do focus primarily on Sasuke / Neji I’m trying to branch into Sasuke / Naruto but not too deeply. Sasuji is my first love. (I did not just say Sasuji, did I?)

I love uke Neji too and it’s a shame I love him more than I love Haku because uke Haku would be so much easier to write. I just want to make Neji cry and dependant on his lover, that’s why I did most of these fics. But he’s so independent and self-reliant in the manga that sometimes I worry that I make him too OOC. I’m relieved that I haven’t pushed the envelope too far in this case.

I’m trying not to let them die, I really am. Thanks again.


Chaos 2008-01-26
Oh, geez... I didn't get to beta this one. My laptop went up and died on me a few months ago, so I can only get on the computer two or three times a week at best. I'm so sorry. ;-;

I liked this chapter, though. I love Sasuke's childishness that he just WON'T get over because he's a biotch, and I love the fact that you make Itachi likable. =] And Orochimaru is a creepy rapist, as usual.

But I giggled at the name Mr. Ishida... heh. Ishida.

So yeah, I didn't deliberately try to ignore you. My computer is just crap. Much love to you.

ClaireBear
It’s okay, as I said, I understand the computer problems. I have them a lot and whenever mine goes down I feel like someone unplugged me. I’m really happy you got the time to beta this chapter and if you need to take a break let me know… although… I think I should be working faster. Arrgh, I’m too lazy.

I love making Sasuke childish and pre-Shippuden it was easy because he was always throwing tantrums and acting like such a big baby. I love Itachi and, even though he didn’t turn out to be what I had hoped (won’t spoil it), in my heart, he’s still Sasuke’s big brother. Orochimaru… need I say more? You’ve summed him up quite nicely in those few words.

I think I got Ishida from Bleach.

It’s okay, I hope you get your comp fixed soon and I hope to send you the next chapter by the end of this week. It shouldn’t be a long one.


Yersi Fanel 2008-01-27
This chapter was nice,
It's a Shame Neji was having a panic attak that strong, but it was very razonable, I wonder what's going to be Orochimaru's move in the future.... and what are going to do the Uchiha Brothers about it?
I really want to know.

See you next time!

ClaireBear
I’m evil… I actually snickered a bit when I was writing Neji’s panic attack. Poor baby. Orochimaru will make a move in the near future but it’s the move near the end that… well you’ll just have to see ;)

The Uchiha Brothers plan on dealing with this once and for all and that’s all I’m saying.

*Is so evil*


candywise 2008-01-29
this is such a beautiful story. keep writing and I'll keep reading. poor neji

ClaireBear
Thank you! I’m glad you like it. Don’t feel too sorry for Neji. Everything will work out in the end but things have to get much worse before they get much better.


nm1716 2008-01-30
I love this story and can't wait to see what happens next. PLEASE UPDATE SOON.

ClaireBear
Okay, I’ll try really hard to update soon.


Chibi-Berry 2008-01-30
Wow..that was a very emotional and intense chapter..I enjoyed it very much..keep up the good work, I'm looking forward to your next chapter.Please update soon! 8D

ClaireBear
Yay! It was emotional and intense. Thanks. Glad you liked it.

dragonslayer1 2008-02-09
HURRAY YOU UPDATED*lets out the doves*

ClaireBear
Aww, that’s a nice gesture. Thank you.

Okay I’m going to get cracking on the next chapter. See you all next time.