Undercurrents

A/N: Hi again! Chapter Two for you! Thank you for the reviews on part I. Note that the references to Gai/Lee happened in the story prior to this one, "Altering Affection" (not up on this site, can be found on Y! Gal & LJ). Much love & baked goods!

EDIT TO ADD: Jordash00? You make my life. Thank you.

***

Neji woke up Friday morning at six as per his usual routine. Sleeping more than five hours a night was a luxury for Neji, who wasn’t as much an insomniac as he was simply someone who didn’t require much sleep.

Moving swiftly, Neji threw back the covers and climbed out of the massive bed. He threw on loose pants and a t-shirt, laced up sneakers, and grabbed a hair tie off the dresser. Then he took the stairs two at a time and headed for the kitchen. The hot water was waiting on him in the tea maker, and he poured it over two bags of Earl Gray that sat in his stainless steel mug.

Then it was into the car, stereo blasting, and he drove through the quiet streets at three times the speed limit heading to Green Dojo. He and Gai did private sessions several times a week, and Neji looked forward to seeing Lee, who was undoubtedly on property somewhere.

The bell chimed as Neji walked into the Green Dojo lobby, and Lee looked up from the counter and grinned at his friend. Neji smiled back, pleased to see Lee so happy. The boy’d been floating on air for three solid weeks ever since the night he finally got Gai to come to his senses.

“Neji!” Lee said by way of greeting. “Gai’s getting ready in the dojo.” Then Lee looked around as though checking for someone else who might hear them. Neji smirked; they were the only two in the room.

“Well?” Lee asked, his voice low and eyes serious. “Did you…do it?”

Neji sauntered over to the counter and saw that Lee was going through the attendance records. Finally – someone who could actually manage the paperwork for the dojo. Gai was useless in that department.

“I did,” Neji replied just as quietly. He loved humoring Lee; it made him pleasantly happy and not many things did, really. Lee was just so damned earnest it could warm anybody’s heart. Hell, even Sasuke admitted the other day that the boy was growing on him. And Sasuke held pretty much everyone in some form of contempt.

Lee laughed, delighted, and slugged Neji lightly – for Lee – on the arm.

“And what did Shikamaru say?”

Neji quickly filled Lee in on what happened yesterday at the Nara Farm. It was only fair – Lee was both Neji’s inspiration for finally telling Shika how he felt and his only confidant who knew all the details of his plan.

“So you are going to the gala, then?” Lee asked.

Neji shrugged one shoulder. “It appears so. I don’t like the things but…” He didn’t bother finishing the sentence. Lee knew Neji didn’t enjoy formal events that required him to woo people of power. He was excellent at it, sure, but it was still made for a draining night.

“But if your love appears with a red flower, then you will know he feels something, too!” Lee exclaimed and Neji almost laughed at his friend’s sheer enthusiasm.

“That’s the general idea, yes,” Neji said.

The back door opened, then, and Gai appeared. He grinned at Neji and walked over to Lee, his movement seemingly unconscious. Neji didn’t actually think the man understood how his actions betrayed a singular need for Lee. It amused Neji to no end.

“There you are,” Gai said. “I’m set up and ready if you are.”

Neji nodded and shifted away from the counter.

“You must let me know how it goes!” Lee said.

Neji nodded at his friend. He would share the details eventually, and it felt rather nice to have someone so very much in his corner.

Gai looked slightly perplexed and eyed both younger men. “Ah, youth,” he said as though it explained everything. Neji thought that to Gai, it just might.

Then Gai ruffled Lee’s hair and the two exchanged a nearly nauseatingly affectionate look. Neji rolled his eyes and left, not wanting to watch any further. He loved Lee like a brother, but Gai still made his teeth itch in irritation outside of training.

The session went well, and Neji showered and changed at the dojo afterward. Then he had a day to fill before he could get ready for the gala. He spent it running errands, stopping by his office downtown, and generally doing other things that allowed him to mentally pace while still being productive.

After a few hours of reviewing a recent lawsuit brought against the city and the guest list for the gala, Neji breathed an inward sigh of relief and headed for home to get ready. Two hours later and Neji’s bedroom looked like the discard pile of an Armani and Gucci fashion show. Neji sniffed disdainfully at the piles of clothes. He’d have Rosemary – his housekeeper – file them all away again. And it was only natural that he’d be picky about his clothing; this was an important function for both himself and his uncle, after all.

The half of Neji’s brain that was still pacing with anticipation for the evening to start quirked an eyebrow at that rationalization.

Finally opting to simply tie his hair back at the nape of his neck to create the illusion of short hair until he turned around, Neji pronounced himself presentable. The charcoal gray three-button Armani suit showed off his slim physique, and the lavender dress shirt and darker tie made his eyes appear almost the same color. His shoes were recently shined within an inch of their lives – thank you, Rosemary – and the moonstone cufflinks and hair clasp were the final touches that managed to satisfy Neji’s insanely picky taste. He looked expensive and desirable.

Would he be irresistible to a certain Nara? Neji could only hope.

In the kitchen, Neji opened the fridge and pulled out a clear container holding a rare, miniature, and delicate rose. He carefully removed it and pinned the flower to his lapel. Neji knew that he and possibly Shika would be the only two with roses, but Neji didn’t want Shika to think he’d been completely full of shit even though he’d made up the bit about the roses on the spot yesterday.

Once the rose was pinned and straight, Neji headed for the front door. He gave himself a once-over in the hallway mirror, picked a tiny fleck of lint off his suit, and then nodded.

Now…to match the car to the evening’s mood. The six-car garage that held Neji’s prized possessions sat catty-cornered to the house. It’d been built custom for Neji’s cars and outfitted with a security system that even a paranoid schizophrenic might call overkill. Gaara recommended it.

Neji chuckled…ah, yes, speaking of paranoid schizophrenics…Neji would never have the collection Gaara boasted, but then, the man worked on high-end cars for one of his livings. What did he expect, exactly?

Neji stood in the twilight and pondered for half a second before a grin broke out over his face. He headed to the last bay and keyed in the 13-digit code for the steel door to open.

The Ferrari Italia 458 was Neji’s newest prize. He’d traded in his 430 for the brand-new custom model merely a week ago. Typically only available in Ferrari red, Neji’d paid an obscene amount of money over list price for the custom pearlescent gray paint job.

But when Neji keyed the car to life, the powerful hum of the V8 engine made every dime entirely worth it. And when he peeled out of his driveway – no doubt pissing off neighbors and their little dogs, too – Neji laughed in sheer delight.

Neji made it to The Palace in record time. The Palace was a massive convention hall that looked like, well, a palace. The owners of the place weren’t exactly the imaginative type, Neji supposed.

A massive pond with colorful fountain took up most of the front lawn, the back lawn opened out onto an extremely exclusive golf course and club, and the building itself was a combination of stone traditionalism and Asian architecture. The Palace boasted several large outdoor terrace areas, perfect for mingling and bars. The Grand Hall was decorated in early-gothic motif, the candelabras hanging over plush red carpeting.

Neji thought the place tried too hard, but it was one of the only venues in town large enough to accommodate an event as large and extravagant as the Charity Gala.

Slowing down on the sweeping circular drive in front of the main entrance, Neji sighed at the gathered crowd of reporters and spectators. As Neji climbed out of the car, flashbulbs went off and a chorus of questions came from the roped-off press section.

“Nice car, Neji – how much did that one set back the Hyuga fortune?”

“Who are you wearing, Neji?”

“Date tonight for the famous Hyuga heir?”

Neji simply smiled, flashing a slice of teeth, and tossed his key to the valet. The man was the consummate professional, but even he looked giddy at the thought of driving the rare car.

Holding up a hand in a practiced wave, Neji casually strolled down the red carpet, looking up but not focusing on anything. He let the cameras flash, the questions roll off him like water on glass, and then he entered the overdone lobby. Here he greeted men in suits and tuxes and their various wives in black cocktail dresses and ball gowns. Neji smiled, shook hands, said a thousand polite little phrases, but he did all of it on autopilot. It wasn’t until Neji saw Naruto and Sasuke that he came back to himself.

Making his way over to the couple, Neji admired Naruto’s deep blue suit and crisp white shirt. His blond hair looked fashionably tussled, and the lariat he wore in lieu of a tie bore a sapphire the size of a baby’s fist.

Sasuke, on the other hand, looked distinguished dressed entirely in black, the silk of his tie practically glinting. His ears and lip winked with large, diamond studs, however, and upon closer inspection, the mascara did lovely things to his thick lashes.

Naruto beamed at Neji as the slimmer man approached, and the blond casually stepped away from the woman chatting with him. Sasuke openly looked Neji up and down and smirked from his pose that practically draped him over Naruto’s arm and left side.

“Neji,” Naruto said. “How’re ya, man?” Naruto shook loose from Sasuke and grappled Neji into a hug. Neji patted the exuberant man on the back while Sasuke scowled. Neji chuckled.

“Pleasure to see you back in town, Naruto. How was London?”

“Eh,” Naruto shrugged. “Fine, I guess. Not a decent ramen shop in the whole damned city, though. And all the fuckin’ meetings.” He rolled his eyes dramatically and then casually grabbed two flutes of champagne off a passing tray. He handed one to Sasuke without looking at his lover. Sasuke accepted it without comment.

“They went on for days. So, glad to be back. But now we gotta suffer though this gala thing.” He grinned and then glanced slyly down at Sasuke.

“But Sas loves a ball, so I figured we’d make an appearance.”

Sasuke frowned. “Don’t call me that.”

Naruto snorted over his glass. “I’ll call you whatever I want and you’ll like it.”

Sasuke scowled but leaned into his boyfriend’s shoulder. Naruto casually tilted his head down and kissed the very top of Sasuke’s ear. The dark-haired man visibly shuddered and rested his cheek against Naruto’s shoulder.

Neji shifted his weight from one foot to the other. These two always managed to make everyone slightly ill-at-ease; Neji was no exception, although he’d seen them in a variety of positions that would make some people beyond merely uncomfortable.

“You here with somebody?” Naruto asked. “Or you holding down the fort on your own, again?”

“Ah, well,” Neji replied. “I believe Shikamaru might join us this evening, so perhaps I will have someone to keep me company aside from you two.”

Naruto grinned. “Uh-huh,” he said. “Well, here’s hopin’ the Nara brat does more than that for ya, Neji.” The blond raised his glass and finished off the champagne in a gulp, never looking away from Neji.

With a disdainful roll of lavender-gray eyes, Neji slipped away from the two men to make his way into the Grand Hall. Naruto acted like the world’s most uncouth idiot, but he was far from unobservant. Besides, thanks to a few business ventures, Naruto was a little more in-the-know about Neji than the average citizen.

Inside the Grand Hall, the large, round tables were covered in thick, white tablecloths and laid out with silver dinnerware. Candlelight filled the room, although The Palace went to electric candles a few years ago after half the banquet hall went up in flames. Still, it made a dim and pleasant atmosphere, and Neji approved.

Hiashi’s table was in the front of the room on a raised platform near a presentation stage. The stage was flanked by two such platforms, and each was occupied by a VIP table. A silver podium stood atop the stage, ready for tonight’s fundraising speeches. Neji spotted and nodded to Hiashi as he crossed to the table. His uncle nodded back without breaking his conversation with several important businessmen. One of them was Shikaku, and Neji’s pulse quickened.

Ascending the steps, Neji saw that Naruto and Sasuke were seated to Neji’s right, and Shikamaru’s name was on a white placard to Neji’s left. Hiashi was apparently seated at the other VIP table. Acceptable, Neji thought. Now to find Shika…

Nervously, Neji glanced around the room, the view from the raised position a little better to see everyone. His eyes skimmed over bright gowns, laughing faces, and artfully positioned hair as he searched. Perhaps the Nara wasn’t here, yet, he thought.

Or perhaps he just wasn’t coming. Neji swallowed.

Then, as though on cue, a man walked through the double doors and into the Grand Hall. He wore a plain black suit and white shirt, and his hands were shoved deeply into pants’ pockets. Neji almost didn’t recognize Shikamaru, as his friend’s hair wasn’t up in its usual high tail. Instead, tonight it was down, the razored and choppy ends curling slightly in natural brown waves that ended at Shika’s shoulders. Even from this distance, Neji could read the nervousness and hesitancy in Shika’s body, his shoulders hunched and eyes casting shiftily around the room.

And then Neji spotted the bright red flower in Shika’s lapel, and instantly tension uncoiled along his spine. His face relaxed into a small smile, and he started walking in Shika’s direction in long, easy strides.

Shikamaru looked over and spotted Neji as he drew closer, and the man froze. Neji glided through the parting waves of guests, smiling and nodding at the polite greetings without bothering to look and see who spoke. His eyes were only for Shika, and Neji held Shika’s gaze until he stopped next to his friend, Neji’s lips still in a slight smile. Shika’s eyes grew wider as Neji got closer, and then he finally looked down when Neji stopped.

But not before Neji spotted a generous amount of appreciation and anxiousness in Shika’s gaze.

“Shikamaru,” Neji said, canting his voice into low and soothing tones. “I’m so glad you decided to join us.”

Not looking up, Shika nodded. “Didn’t have much choice,” he said. “Dad insisted, and he’s right: the Preserve does need to be represented.”

“Well, that’s undoubtedly true,” Neji agreed. “But all the same,” Neji reached up and lightly touched the flower in Shika’s lapel with one long, slender finger. “I’m glad you decided to come wearing this.”

Shika glanced up at Neji, then, his lips slightly parted. Then he nodded and shifted his gaze away again. Neji uttered a little laugh and lightly squeezed Shika’s upper arm. To any observer, it would look like Neji just complimented Shika’s suit. Neji itched to touch Shika – put an arm around him, pull him into an embrace, do something to sooth him. But he couldn’t do that here without drawing attention. So instead he took a step back and made a small sweeping gesture.

“Let me show you to our table, then. I believe the meet-and-greet is almost over.”

Shika nodded and fell into step behind Neji as the two men headed back to the front of the room. A small, round man stood up at the podium.

“May I have everyone’s attention? If everyone could take their seats, we’d like to begin dinner.”