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Undercurrents	By : Darkprism Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2136 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Naruto - neither characters or original story lines - and I make no money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
�We play a minute per move,� Shika said, arranging the chess pieces on the board. �Total game time can�t exceed thirty minutes. If neither of us has won in that period of time, then it�s a draw. For each completed round, however, the winner gets something for his victory.�

Smirking, Neji sank down into his leather chair across from the couch.

�Gets something, hm? Like what?� Neji asked, knowing Shika already had something in mind and wondering what it could be.

Shika appeared to consider and Neji had to stop himself from grinning. He was fairly sure the Nara would know Neji suspected something and Shika was playing it up. The entangled games the two men played thrilled Neji to no end.

�Like�the winner gets to ask the loser one question and the loser must answer honestly.�

�I see,� Neji said thoughtfully. If Shika wanted to know things, then why didn�t he just ask? Maybe the questions were difficult�and Shika needed the ruse. Or maybe he needed the competition and the promise Neji would have to answer.

Shikamaru finished setting up the board and sat down with crossed legs next to the coffee table, looking at Neji.

�Do you accept?� he asked.

�Sure,� Neji agreed easily, wondering what the larger scheme could be. He sank down on the floor on the opposite side of the board. He noticed Shika gave him white and smiled.

Shikamaru�s face became serious and focused. He picked up the blitz clock and set the game timer for half an hour and each move timer for one minute. If their total move time exceeded thirty minutes, the alarm would buzz.

�Your move,� Shika said, eyes already on the board. Neji repressed the urge to gulp and managed to look casual and collected as he moved a pawn and hit his timer.

Shikamaru beat Neji in fifteen moves and ten minutes.

�Not bad,� Shika said generously.

Neji gave him a look and vowed to forget the question and scheming nonsense in the next round and soundly kick the Nara�s ass.

�I guess this means you get a question,� Neji said calmly. He felt his pulse quicken a little for reasons he couldn�t quite sort.

�In our time together, you�ve told me you wanted to spank me, flog me, and fuck me raw,� Shika said, voice perfectly even. �Why haven�t you done any of those things?�

Neji blinked. For a moment, he was thrown completely off-guard by Shika�s frank tone. Then he felt a spike of anger at the implication that he wasn�t doing his job as the dom in this little partnership. That simply would not do.

Neji held up one finger, gaze level.

�First,� he said. �You told me that your limit is no anal. There will be absolutely no fucking of any sort until you tell me that circumstances have changed. And even then, we will do things to a pace that I deem appropriate given your background and inexperience. If my talking about doing things that are beyond your limit bothers or frustrates you, then I can and will stop. But given the evidence, I know you enjoy it. And I like thinking and talking about fucking you even if I know it�s beyond what we will do.�

Shikamaru looked away from Neji and fidgeted.

�Second,� Neji said, holding up another finger. �We�ve only played three times since we�ve been together. I explained to you the difference between playing and sex before our second session.�

Shikamaru nodded. �When we both agree on what we�re about to do, you take control of all the decisions, and I have safewords�that�s playing.�

Neji nodded once. �Precisely. After each of those sessions, I asked you to write down what you liked and didn�t. We talked about everything we did, and at no time did you indicate that you want more than the light spanking I do as reprimand. While I might have been tempted to up the tempo with a casual sub, I will do nothing of the sort until you ask, we talk, and then agree. If you�re not sure about the specifics, then you tell me a generality of what you want to try and we work from that.

�In short, Shika, we go at your pace and at my discretion. If you want more, then you must ask.�

�Because of the abuse,� Shika said. �That�s why you�re so cautious?�

�I am cautious because of your past, yes, but honestly this is just how I play. I take discussing limits and needs very seriously. It helps me to plan a scene, for one thing, and I think it�s part of being responsible for the other.�

Shikamaru nodded. �Okay,� he said.

Neji reigned in his self-righteous indignation and wondered again what the point of this little game actually was. He blew out a breath and forced a smile.

�Another round, then?� he asked, curious to see Shika�s plan continue to unfold.

Shikamaru nodded, eyes focused on the board. �Yes,� he said.

The second round took longer, but Shika won again, much to Neji�s chagrin. Neji reached over to reset the clock and looked at Shika expectantly.

�I check Haze�s website from time to time,� Shikamaru began. Neji�s body tensed but he forced himself to set down the clock and begin to reset the board. He kept quiet, waiting for Shika to continue.

�I don�t know why�maybe it�s to remind me not to make mistakes. For whatever reason, I check their staff and look for his name. About a week ago I checked, and his name was no longer listed.�

Neji said nothing, but he looked up at Shika, face expressionless.

�There are a hundred explanations as to why that could have happened,� Shikamaru said calmly. �But on a hunch, I Googled his name and came across a public record of the city�s courthouse agenda. Listed on what amounted to a subtext of a footnote were his name and the date of his hearing.�

Neji�s pulse hammered but he kept his neutral mask in tact.

�How are what you do for your uncle, your job at Break, and Kabuto connected?� Shika asked.

�Cleverly phrased,� Neji reluctantly complimented.

�Thank you.� Shika stared hard at Neji and waited.

Neji sighed. And here it was�the conversation he dreaded. Best to be honest and straightforward. �It sounds like you�ve already put most of it together, Shika. My uncle found out my preference in men and my tastes. He asked me to monitor this city�s underground using my connections and resources so that I could help Uncle with his crime policies and promises. Sometimes I get wind of a drug deal. Sometimes we arrest a domestic abuser.�

Neji paused to tuck a strand of hair behind his ear. �And sometimes I gather information and reinforcements, dress up like two-dollar bait, and we go exact a little vengeance before putting a criminal away for life.�

Shika�s eyes narrowed slightly, as though Neji�s words confirmed something he already knew. �So that night��

Neji nodded.

Shikamaru was quiet for a moment, and it was easily one of the longest moments in Neji�s life.

�Did the asshole suffer?� Shika asked, voice thick.

�I personally think we went easy on him,� Neji replied, watching Shikamaru closely. �But he�ll never see daylight again.�

The Nara nodded, lips pulled into a thin line. �Good,� Shika said and shook himself. �Another round?�

Neji hesitated. While he was pleased that his actions didn�t seem to upset the Nara, he was tempted to call everything off and just ask Shika what in the world all this was about. He seemed to be going somewhere�seemed to be working up to something, and it was driving Neji insane. He wasn�t sure he could take another one of these roller coaster question-and-answer sessions.

�One more round�� Shika whispered, sensing Neji�s hesitation. Neji had no idea why playing this game was so important to Shika. But obviously it was, so Neji grit his teeth.

�Sure,� he said. He did not succeed in sounding as nonchalant as he hoped.

Neji fought harder in round three, and it took Shika a full 29 minutes to win. Since it�d been years since Neji last played chess � and he�d never played speed chess � he considered that a reasonable victory.

But he still sighed in a showing of thinning patience once the king was lost and the question was coming.

�So if I want to change our rules, how do I go about it?� Shika asked. He leaned back against the base of the couch, arms wrapped around one raised knee, and his eyes fixated on the coffee table.

�You just tell me,� Neji said, a little exasperated. �Shika, we�ve been over all of this. What�s this all about?�

Shika hugged his knee and didn�t answer.

�If you want something, Shika, you just ask,� Neji said gently. �You don�t need a chess board to-�

�Yes, actually, I do,� Shika interrupted.

�Whatever for?� Neji asked, honestly confused and more than a little frustrated but trying not to show it. He�d been open and forthright with Shika since the beginning. He�d given him plenty of opportunity to talk, to explain, hell, to back out entirely if he needed or wanted to. At no point did he sense Shika�s dissatisfaction, and that irritated Neji beyond belief.

�Because some of us don�t have your intolerable self-confidence, Neji,� Shika said. The anger in the words matched Neji�s frustration and took him aback.

�What?� Neji asked.

Sighing, Shika sat up, crossed his legs, and peaked his fingers in an odd pattern, arms resting on his thighs.

�I�m good at chess,� Shika began, calmer now. �I�m good at creating strategy and using rules to get what I want.�

Okay, Neji thought. So Shika needed the game of chess to ask Neji these questions on his own terms. It made a certain amount of Shika-sense.

�But I�m not good at �vocalizing weakness,� as my therapist would say.� Shika�s mouth twisted like he�d swallowed something bitter. �Troublesome woman�but accurate statement.�

�Explain how telling me what you want is a weakness,� Neji said, wondering if they would ever be done with the emotional land mines.

Shikamaru shook his head. �It�s not. But asking for what I want reminds me of weakness, Neji.�

With a nearly-audible click, understanding fell into place. Neji swallowed.

�Because asking for anything more means asking for things that he might have done.�

Shikamaru didn�t need Neji to clarify to whom he referred. He nodded and looked at Neji from beneath drawn brows. Neji made a soft noise of understanding and it occurred to him that perhaps the hesitation he sensed in Shikamaru about doing more had nothing to do with lack of desire and had everything to do with internal battles.

�And you�re conflicted about those things because you want them, but it�s hard to separate that want from what happened.�

Another nod.

�But, genius that you are, you understand what�s going on, devised this little game to put things in your terms, and came over to broach this difficult subject by playing a game of strategy on two levels.� Neji�s tone was more than a little wry.

Lips twitching, Shikamaru nodded once in ascent.

�Tell me the logic behind the questions,� Neji said, knowing Shika would plan everything down to the last word.

The Nara shifted a bit, uncomfortable. His eyes fell away from Neji�s. �I had to make sure that you were only cautious with me because of your own code of conduct and not because of�what you know.�

�Of course,� Neji said, more puzzle pieces locking together. �You figured out the connections between Kabuto, my job, and that night.�

�And if I was correct, then you probably know more about what happened.� Shika managed to sound both relieved and bitter at the same time.

Neji nodded. �I do know more, Shika. I saw the surveillance tapes.�

Shikamaru winced and looked down at his hands.

�But even if I hadn�t, Shika, I would still be acting the same way,� Neji quickly explained. �I�m not purposefully babying you � I�m trying to be true to my � �

Shika laughed and Neji looked at the other man quizzically.

�I�m not worried about you babying me or being dishonest, Neji,� Shika said.

For the life of him, Neji couldn�t figure out what was going on. �Then why be worried about me knowing the details of what happened?�

Shika shook his head, but his expression was tender. �Honestly, Neji, you can be so blissfully ignorant of insecurity sometimes. It�s�well, fucking irritating. If it weren�t for that night with you and the skirt, I�d still think you were completely immune to self doubt.�

�Ah,� Neji said, finally understanding.

There were many things Neji found tiresome: legal documents, bad opera, and tax codes were among the top ten.

But putting Shika�s mind at ease because of some unnecessary insecurity? That he could do happily. He stood up and moved to sit beside Shika on the other side of the table, facing the Nara. He shrugged an elegant shoulder.

�But in this case, you should be immune to such self-doubt as well, Shika,� Neji said, tapping the end of the frowning Nara�s nose with one finger. He moved closer to Shika, resting one arm on the couch behind the tense man.

�I told you�nothing and no one can make me think less of you. Watching that footage did only two things: it finalized my resolve to see that asshole buried under the jail, and it made me realize all over again how much I�care for you.� Neji smiled at Shika. �As far as I�m concerned, that�s all part of the past. Nothing we do will have anything to do with what happened. It�ll just be ours.

�And if you need more time to cope�need more time to think about what you want or how far you feel like going, that�s perfectly fine. If you want to back off to just hand holding, I�ll agree.� Neji grinned at Shika. �Though I�d probably take six showers a day and blame you for the dry skin.�

Shika laughed a little � a surprised and hesitant sound, but a pleased one.

Neji played with a piece of Shika�s hair before continuing, tone serious again. �You should never feel self-conscious for needing more time, Shika.� Neji looked at Shikamaru intently, gray eyes focused and direct. �Just like you should never be ashamed for asking for something you want or need. I want to know everything in that head of yours � and there�s virtually nothing I wouldn�t do for you.� He paused again and his eyes flashed. �Or to you.�

Shika nodded and rubbed the sides of his nose with his index fingers. A blush tinged his cheeks. �I think I just needed you to say it,� he grumbled.

�And I�ve told you before: your needs are safe with me, and I�ll be happy to reassure you as often as you need me to that I want you. Even if you do kick my ass at chess.�

Shika flashed a grin and looked at Neji out of the corner of his eye. �You got closer on that third game.�

�Mm-hm,� Neji agreed. �I�m happy to play chess if it means getting closer to you.�

Shika snorted. �Sentimental idiot,� he groused.

�Complicated fool,� Neji shot back.

With a beleaguered noise, Shika turned to face Neji. �Even your bloody insults sound regal.�

Neji�s eyes widened in mock injury. �What?� he said. �Would you prefer needy bitch?�

Shika grabbed a pillow off the couch and whacked Neji before he had the chance to even bring up an arm to block the blow. With a playful growl, Neji lunged at Shika, knocking the man down onto his back between the table and the couch. Neji slid on top of the Nara with feline grace, pinning him easily.

�I call unfair advantage,� Shika gasped.

�Oh?� Neji asked. He rested more of his weight on Shika�s body and intertwined their fingers above Shika�s head.

�You completely disrupt my ability to think logically.�

�Well, if it�s any consolation, Spock, it takes quite a bit of work.� Neji planted a feather-light kiss on Shika�s jaw as the Nara chuckled throatily. He turned his head and let Neji kiss him, body relaxing under Neji�s.

�Neji�� Shika whispered.

�Hm?�

�I do�want more��

Neji shifted his weight, unwrapping his fingers so that he could pull his arm down to rest on one elbow and look at Shikamaru.

�Tell me,� Neji murmured. Worried brown eyes looked up at him, and Neji leaned down to kiss the worry away.

After several minutes, Shika turned his head and broke the kiss, gasping. �I can�t tell you if I can�t breathe.�

�But if I remind you of how good this can feel, then the words might come a little easier.� Neji ground down against Shika to prove his point.

Shika looked at Neji and swallowed. �I keep seeing the same thing in my head��

Neji rumbled low in his throat and rolled to one side. He slowly unfastened Shika�s pants while staring at him with every ounce of lust and heat he felt coiling and stretching in his body. He felt triumphant�proud�eager�and horny as hell.

Leaning down so their noses were almost touching, Neji let his hand alternately work to remove clothing and stroke aimlessly. �Tell me what you see,� Neji husked. �And don�t skimp on the details.�

�Okay, sir,� Shika whispered, lifting his hips so Neji could pull at the pants. It would take both hands to get him out of the painted-on denim, but no matter�the point of the next few minutes wasn�t to get Shika off�it was to get him on target. After Neji had his fill of details, he could strip Shikamaru down and make him come over and over until his body wouldn�t take any more.

�It starts with me waiting on you to get home�� Shika began.

~*~

A/N:
*enthusiastic wave*

In the end, it's all about getting what you need. And for those who may be curious, yes, we *do* get to see what Shika "sees." The end of this journey is approaching, however; just a few chapters left.

And now for some notes:
1. Jordash00 - I owe you a note, darling. Real life's been a pain, and I want nothing more than to babble at you on paper (web?) for a while. Soon.
2. Prism0467 - Much love. Need to peruse your fiction sometime soon. I've heard good things.

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Undercurrents