Undercurrents

For the first time in years Neji slept soundly through the night, and he awoke the next morning like someone flicked a consciousness switch. He immediately turned to look at Shika, who lay almost sideways to Neji’s right. Shikamaru hugged one pillow fiercely and his face pressed deeply into another, his body half-turned so that he was nearly on his stomach. His breathing remained soft and steady even as Neji eased out of the bed. For a moment, Neji merely stood and watched Shika sleep, his chest swelling with happiness.

It was a new thing for Neji, but he liked it.

Throwing on a clean pair of pajama pants, Neji made his way quietly out of the bedroom and downstairs. The first order of business was to get all the toys gathered, cleaned, and stored. Neji went about the task and smirked to himself at the thought of Rosemary finding the family room in such a state.

Toys sanitized and stored away for safekeeping, Neji rearranged the room back to the way it was, grinning as he hung the wall sconce. He shuffled back into the kitchen and decided to forgo a short run in lieu of making Shika breakfast. He wanted to be present when Shika finally stumbled downstairs, and his own growling stomach informed him that he, too, could use sustenance.

Neji grabbed an armful of milk, eggs, and fresh veggies from the fridge and set about the kitchen in a flurry of knife-chopping, pan-oiling, and batter-making. Feeling the need for a little company, Neji turned on an Ipod in its docking station, keeping the volume low. Rosemary was responsible for most of the music on the kitchen Ipod, saying that she didn’t enjoy sautéing much of anything to the sound of cookie monster rock. But Neji tolerated the Cyndi Lauper and one-hit wonders from the 80s with good humor as he fried sausage.

Breakfast was well on its way to becoming a five-course meal when “Hurt So Good” began to play. He was by no means a Mellencamp fan, but Neji found himself shuffling around the kitchen to the beat regardless. He couldn’t help it – this was the best morning in recent memory, and dancing around in sock feet to ridiculous music seemed appropriate. Pride and appearances be damned.

By anyone’s estimation Neji had a terrible singing voice, but that didn’t stop him from singing along tunelessly as he cooked a second omelet. And it didn’t stop him from singing the second chorus louder as the irony of the words made Neji strangely happy.

The music in his ears, song in his mouth, and rhythm in his step, Neji stepped back from the stove, flipped the spatula into the air and caught it again before turning to slide the omelet onto a warming plate.

And it was, of course, at that moment that Neji finally saw Shika leaning in the doorway looking beyond entertained and well into blackmail territory.

Neji froze for a second and Shika chortled behind his hand. Clearing his throat, Neji casually slid the food onto the plate, his usual demeanor slipping across his features. He put the frying pan down, turned off the Ipod, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind an ear.

“Sleep well?” Neji asked, voice calm. He refused to look guilty. Refused.

“Mellencamp, huh?” Shika mused as he pushed off the wall to pad over to the kitchen island.

“It’s Rosemary’s Ipod,” Neji explained putting plates down on the granite.

“Is it now?” Shika asked, eyes dancing with amusement.

“Yes. Juice?”

“Certainly.” Shika’s voice had more than one note of indulgence to it as he picked up a glass off the counter. He sat down on a stool while Neji poured orange juice.

Still amused but seeing that Neji was simply going to act like nothing happened, Shika breathed in deeply. “Nice spread,” he commented. “I didn’t even know you cooked.”

Neji rolled his eyes and gracefully perched on a stool across from Shika. “You sound like Rosemary,” he muttered.

“You didn’t have to go through so much trouble,” Shika said.

Neji shrugged one shoulder. “I thought you’d be hungry.”

Shika didn’t comment, but he started to load his plate. Neji casually speared a sausage and forked it into his mouth.

“Get enough sleep?” Neji tried again.

Shika shook his head. “Feel like I could sleep for a week, actually, but I smelled something good so…what about you?”

“Actually slept the entire night,” Neji replied. “Incredible, really.”

Shika nodded, mouth full, and for a while the two men ate in companionable silence. Neji found himself struggling to find a way to broach a conversation on how the previous night went for Shika. It was the first time in years Neji’d been nervous to discuss such a thing with a sub, and it surprised him.

But then, of course, Shikamaru wasn’t just “a sub.” Neji sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose.

“Just ask,” Shikamaru said, voice soft and eyes down.

“Beg pardon?” Neji’s hand fell away to lightly grip the edge of the counter.

Shika sighed and put down his fork with an air of regret. “I’ve not had this particular conversation or one like it, but I am aware that it’s…good manners, I guess.”

“Good…manners?” It was much more than that, really, in Neji’s opinion, but that was beside the point. Neji really did not enjoy being easy to read. It kicked his paradigm in the ass.

Shika looked up and met Neji’s slightly frazzled gaze. “I don’t know what you’d call it,” he said. “But just ask me how it was. Get it over with before you rattle out of your seat.”

“I’m rattling in my seat?” Neji found that impossible to believe. He was never so transparent.

“If you don’t stop repeating the last thing I say I’m going to stab you with a fork.” Shika scowled, and Neji found the threat of violence endearing.

“I’m sorry,” Neji said and shook himself. “It’s just been a while since I had difficulty with…well, anything…really.”

Shika snorted.

“That didn’t come out quite as I meant it,” Neji said, trying to sound contrite. He sipped his juice.

“Yeah, it did.” But Shika’s lips twitched into a near-smile. “And if it’s any consolation, I’m probably only one of a few people who can actually tell what you’re feeling.”

Neji smiled. “I could learn to like it, I suppose,” he said. Yes…he definitely could.

“Now, tell me what you liked from last night.”

Shika picked up his fork and shoveled a forkful of omelet into his mouth while he contemplated. Neji managed to wait with at least a modicum of patience.

“Everything,” Shikamaru said finally. Relief softened Neji’s spine and pride stirred up the giddy.

“Even the parts I didn’t like I enjoyed because it was you doing it.”

“What didn’t you like?” But Neji already knew the answer and couldn’t help but smirk.

“The ice,” Shika answered. “I hate ice.” He shuddered making the stool scoot on the tile. “But it was…you doing it, and then you did…other things, and I really didn’t give a shit anymore.”

“Fair enough,” Neji said and got up. Knowing that Shika wasn’t the most illustrative person when it came to explaining likes and dislikes, Neji grabbed a pen and paper from a drawer.

“Here,” Neji said, pushing the pad at Shika. “Write down three specific things you liked and then three specific things you didn’t like.”

“But I just told you I liked everything,” Shika protested.

“Then just list the first three and put ‘ice’ below. But I like knowing specifics, and sometimes it’s easier to write down what you want to do again instead of describing it out loud.” Neji’s eyes grew sly. “Unless you want to tell me in great detail what you want to-“

“Writing’s good,” Shika muttered and bent over the paper, already scribbling. Neji chuckled softly and finished off his food. He watched Shikamaru enumerate fond memories and relished the anticipation of reading the list later.

When he was done, Shika pushed the pen and paper away from him like it might spontaneously catch on fire.

“Fine,” he muttered. “There’s your list.”

“Do you want to play again?” Neji asked.

Shika looked up, startled. “Right now?”

Neji laughed, a rich and rare sound. “No, Shika. I’ll let you at least finish your eggs first.” Neji’s eyes sparkled, and Shika’s face relaxed into its usual scowl.

Neji sighed and slid off his stool to circle around behind Shikamaru. Neji rested his chin on Shika’s shoulder and wrapped his arms around the Nara.

“Stop pouting and just answer me,” Neji said tenderly before kissing Shika’s neck.

“I am not-“ Shika stopped. Sighed. Continued.

“Yeah, I want to do it again,” Shika said. “Do you?”

Neji hummed. “I was only half kidding about the eggs,” he quipped before his tone shifted to serious. “I loved every second of last night, Shika. Thank you.”

Shikamaru turned around on the stool, Neji’s grip loosening to let him. He studied Neji for a long moment as if considering what to say.

“You’re…welcome.” He paused. “About what I said…”

Neji tilted his head to one side. “What you said?”

Shika’s cheeks went pink, and he grunted in irritation. “Did I say anything that bothered you?”

“No,” Neji said, shaking his head. “Quite the opposite.”

Master…my master.

Neji clung to the words like a lifeline to personal hope. He wanted Shikamaru in his life permanently, and those words were clear evidence that Shika was on that path, too.

At least…that’s what Neji wanted to believe.

Stepping closer, Neji reached over for the pad of paper and the pen. He tore off Shika’s page and set it carefully aside. Then with one hand at Shika’s waist, he started to write.

Neji’s careful script drew the word, Obedience first. “I loved the way you obeyed to the letter. You serve extremely well, Shika, and I’ll remember the way you performed for me in the car for the rest of my life.”

Shikamaru turned to watch Neji write, cheeks and neck flushing.

Responsiveness came next. “I could tell you every instance that this made me happy, but I do need to get some work done today.” Neji stole a kiss on Shika’s cheek. “But I never want you to hold back reactions when we’re together; they’re too perfect.”

Neji scratched a number three on the paper and then slowly wrote the words, Sir and Master. Shika tensed.

“Don’t,” Neji said softly.

“Don’t what?” Shika asked, tone rough.

“Don’t be uncomfortable or embarrassed, and don’t wish you could take back the words. I’ve never been so happy to hear them.”

Shika shifted on the stool and crossed his arms. He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “Troublesome sentimental idiot.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Neji said, putting down the pen. “Such a terrible thing to be praised.” He kissed Shika’s forehead, and decided to let the issue rest for the moment.

“The only thing I have for the ‘didn’t like’ portion is that you tend to try to run away from sensation. I don’t mind when it’s bad sensation – I can always tie you down – but when it’s a kiss, that’s another story.”

Neji recounted the moment on the floor with the clamps, and Shika nodded and agreed. They talked on a couple other points from the night, and Shika seemed to shed his hesitancy little by little. Neji was proud.

As they talked they cleaned away some of the food, moving around the kitchen as though they shared space all the time. Finally getting his fill of details, Neji turned to Shika and sighed.

“I’m going to have to run downtown to get some work done today, I’m afraid,” Neji said.

“On Saturday?”

Neji nodded. “The city doesn’t really rest, and neither does my uncle,” Neji said wryly.

“That’s fine,” Shika said, but he looked a little unsure.

Neji stepped toward the Nara. “I’m not trying to run you off, just telling you what’s on my agenda. Today is Uncle’s business, and tonight I have things to take care of for Break.”

Shika looked up sharply at that and seemed to store away that bit of information. “I need to get back to the farm,” he said. “There are things to do.”

Neji went to a drawer and dug around for a second before palming something. Then he went back over to scribble on another page of the notepad.

“Here,” Neji said, handing Shika the paper.

“What’s this?”

“The security code,” Neji said calmly. Then he handed Shika two keys. “And these will get you in the front door.”

Shikamaru blinked at the paper and at the keys for a second before tearing the paper into shreds.

“Memorized it,” he explained and Neji’s shoulders relaxed.

“But are you…sure? I mean…”

“Shika, as far as I’m concerned you can live here, but I know you have your own place and schedule. And I think I might have mentioned before that we do things at your pace, not mine.

“But there may be times when I want you to get here before I do…to be waiting.”

Shika blushed a pretty pink again, and Neji’s cock stirred at both the reaction and the thought of Shika waiting on him to get home. Kneeling next to the front door. Naked.

“So, yes,” Neji continued, clearing his throat. “Sure.”

Shikamaru closed his fingers around the keys and threw the paper in the trash. Then he looked at Neji for a few long seconds, contemplative, before crossing to him and kissing him.

Neji’s eyebrows went up, but his arms circled Shika on automatic. Shikamaru pulled back to look at Neji again before leaning in to kiss him again.

“Mm,” Neji murmured against the other man’s lips. “Keep this up, and I’ll never make it to the office. Or let you leave.”

“I’ll get you a key to my place, too,” Shika said softly. “Just in case you ever…you know. Want to sneak in and cook me breakfast.”

Neji laughed low in his throat. “Only if you earn it,” he said.

“I think I could…” Shika swallowed and leaned in to lightly kiss Neji’s throat. It felt like someone scorched Neji’s skin.

“….earn my fair share of omelets,” Shika finished.

Neji made a soft sighing sound and tilted his head to one side. He brought up a hand to rest against the back of Shika’s head, gently encouraging him to continue. Shika took the hint and kissed along Neji’s throat.

“You do catch on fast,” Neji commented. “And I think this morning you should earn your keep in the shower.”

“I didn’t do enough last night?” Shika replied, mouth bolder on Neji’s skin. Neji shivered when Shika nibbled a particularly sensitive spot. Neji let himself enjoy Shika’s attention for a few more seconds before he pulled back to look the Nara in the eyes.

“You did plenty,” Neji said and held up two fingers, lightly tapping Shika’s nose. “But you had two helpings of breakfast.”

Shika laughed but it ended in a gasp when Neji ran his hands down to grip Shikamaru’s ass.

“Don’t worry,” Neji muttered, mouth teasing air over Shika’s lips. “I’ll go easy on you. I’m just going to stand behind you…”

Neji rubbed warm circles over Shika’s bare back.

“Soap you down…”

Shika’s lips parted and Neji darted his tongue out to lightly taste him.

“And watch you make yourself come…” Neji kissed Shika. “I’m a very visual learner,” he said seriously. Shika’s eyebrows went up and down in agreement.

“So what do you think?” Neji asked, nearly grinning at the lust in Shika’s gaze. “Feel up to another show this morning?”

“I think I could manage,” Shika said playfully.

Neji laughed and tugged Shika out of the kitchen, heading upstairs.

~*~

Two hours later, and Shikamaru was safely back home. Neji dropped him off at his cabin, gave him a kiss that he hoped would hold Shika over until the next time they saw one another, and then drove back into the city to the office. The Nara seemed like his usual self this morning, complaining about his duties on the farm, ignoring a phone call from his mother. He seemed less the semi-unsure submissive and more the playful and semi-manipulative partner. Neji would have clicked his heels in joy if he did such things.

And the show Shikamaru managed to put on earlier in the shower...

Neji shuddered a little at the memory as the elevator doors opened on the top floor. He and his uncle had offices on the 39th floor of the Hyuga Building in downtown Monoshizukanohi. The elevator opened onto a foyer with a door to the left and the right. Neji unlocked and entered the office on the left.

Floor-to-ceiling windows made up two entire walls and offered panoramic views of the city and mountains beyond. Rich rugs covered the marble and hardwood floors, and deep mahogany furniture stood like sentries throughout the room. A seating area was off to the right, a bar stood on the left, and a door to the private bathroom was near the massive desk and matching chairs that Neji had a secretary select upon moving in to the office. There was also a cot in the closet just in case Neji needed to rest while here.

Neji tossed his jacket over a chair and sat down at his desk to cue up the MacBook. He sighed deeply and slowly pulled out the flash drive Sasuke gave him the night before from his pocket. He turned it over with cold fingers, and he felt like throwing the thing out a window. Or maybe running over it with his car.

But that wouldn’t serve his purpose, and as…horrific as this was going to be – and Neji knew it was going to kill him – he had to know. And he wanted to do this here as opposed to his home because he never wanted this sort of painful evidence in his house.

The desire to understand and the sense of purpose didn’t make it any easier to slide the drive into the port and click the appropriate things to call up files. Neji felt faintly ill.

There was only one folder, and it was labeled, “Nara Shikamaru.”

Swallowing, Neji opened the folder to find one document and a series of video clips. His blood went cold at the thought of viewing the video, so he clicked open the document first. Neji recognized Kakashi’s note-taking style immediately; the man was very, very good at gathering intelligence.

The document listed seven dates and times, the name and some basic information about a man whom Neji did not know, and a list of offenses that sickened Neji to read. He stopped reading them at “rape” and somehow managed to swallow back the bile.

He clicked away from the document and stared at the video files. There were more than seven, and Neji saw that was because there were parts A and B for each.

Long sessions, then.

Neji swallowed and opened the first video.

Gray eyes watched as a room appeared on screen, the vantage point high up in one corner offering an unrestricted view. Neji recognized this to be a private play room at Haze; he’d seen them before.

But what immediately captured his attention was the man in the room. Neji watched as Shikamaru casually walked around examining things – a bench, a locked box of toys, the edge of a mirror – before jumping as a door opened. Another man entered, shut the door, and stood with his arms crossed. Neji didn’t have a good view of this man – not yet.

“So this is what I get to play with tonight, eh?” said the stranger. Neji turned the volume up.

“I sup-“ Shika began.

“Shut the fuck up,” the stranger said calmly.

Well…it’s downhill from here, Neji thought.

Neji watched as the dom spent the next sixty minutes with Shikamaru, and finally admitted that as first sessions went, it wasn’t bad. Some sensation play – including ice, Neji noted – and some impact play. There was probably more pain involved than Shika was ready for, but nothing even a truly inexperienced person couldn’t handle.

Neji frowned.

Part B of the first session showed more of the same, though Neji had to grit his teeth to watch a naked and submissive Shika blow the stranger and get his face sprayed with come. But even so…it wasn’t the abuse Neji expected.

Curious now, Neji opened up the next session. About fifteen minutes later, Neji understood.

The first session was just a learning experience; a test drive to ensure Shika came back. That made some sense – even Haze required some paperwork if a person was new there and wanted to play. Such things kept them in business and semi-safe from lawsuits.

Neji wagered that the dom kept his eye out for fresh blood; and, in fact, a quick glance back to Kakashi’s notes confirmed his suspicion. So the dom was good enough to test the waters, figure out what made Shika tick, and then understand that being strong-armed in the first round would be a bad idea. The dom upped the ante the second time around, and Neji’s jaw began to ache with tension as he heard Shika beg, cry out, and then scream apologies when the dom didn’t like something. The dom’s voice was low and always controlled – even when raised.

The man was good. Neji would give him that much. He pushed just hard enough to satisfy himself somewhat but not hard enough to drive Shika away.

In the third session, the dom bound Shikamaru to a wall and beat him bloody. But every time Shika seemed close to stopping things, the man swept in, praised Shika to the skies, and pleasured him with a cold efficiency. Neji couldn’t help but feel like the man conducted scenes like scientists conducted experiments: introduce new variables and monitor outcomes. There was no caring in his actions; no concern for the sub whatsoever.

Not once did the dom pause to discuss safewords, although maybe that was covered in the initial paperwork. But he never checked in, either. In fact…the man seemed bound and determined to convince Shika that he couldn’t stop anything that happened; that he was powerless and useless.

And the way he praised Shika was evil and played right to the Nara’s weakness: blazing anger at the first sign of weakness or need to stop; subtle happiness when Shika agreed to continue. It didn’t matter if Shikamaru seemed to be near unconsciousness. In fact – the dom seemed to like that. In the second part of the third session, he told Shika to be completely still, bound him tightly to a flat bench, and rutted against Shika’s body until he came.

The ends of the sessions were the worst: the dom untied Shika and left. It didn’t matter what state Shika was in, either. And he always left scowling; unsatisfied no matter what Shikamaru did. Everything about the man affronted Neji’s senses, and he wondered about this dom’s sanity. Or lack thereof.

The scenes continued toward heavier and heavier violence, each one picking up where the previous one stopped. Shika was only rarely allowed to come and was only pleasured when the dom obviously thought it absolutely necessary. Blood flew, Shika cried and screamed, and Neji had to blink back tears of his own as he made himself watch Shikamaru pull himself together after the fifth session.

Neji felt like yelling – WHY did Shika go back? WHY did he let this go on? Neji hated himself for even remotely blaming Shika, but he burned with anger so intense he could barely focus. He paused to breathe else he put the laptop through the glass wall behind him.

It was the vicious combination of inexperience, praise, and pain…it had to be. And Shika may have intellectually known that something was wrong…but physically he liked some parts of the scenes and emotionally the playing fulfilled a need. Plus he had no other experience to draw from to truly know differently. Combine that with the dom’s skill, and it was a terrifying package. The asshole was very, very good at telling Shika exactly what would make him happy and explaining that happiness at every step of the bloody way.

Neji felt misery slither through him like pure-grain alcohol: antiseptic, sickening, numbing.

In the last video, Neji watched as the dom entered the room and casually smacked Shika down to the floor. Shika knelt there without protest, already naked. The dom gave a few sharp orders, which Shika obeyed, and Neji watched as Shikamaru was strategically mummified to leave Shika’s ass bare. Then he was gagged and blindfolded before the dom kneeled down to speak in Shika’s ear for a long time. Neji couldn’t hear most of it, but finally he drew back to look down with cold, lifeless eyes at the shivering Shikamaru.

“You are dead to me.”

The voice chilled Neji to the core, and he listened and shook with rage as the dom calmly explained that he would tolerate no movement, no sound, and no response.

“You’re nothing but a fucking corpse, do you understand?” Still the voice was controlled, despite the intensity of the words.

“And if you disobey…” The dom knelt back down to whisper in Shika’s ear. Whatever the penalty was, it made Shika thrash. The cold man ignored it and plugged Shika’s ears. To anyone with a brain it was obvious that Shika was fighting – protesting. But the asshole left no out for Shika. There was no safety net, no ball to drop if things got too intense, no way to scream a safe word or call for help.

The torture began with a high-impact flogging that seemed to go on for days, but Shika remained mostly motionless. Then the dom moved Shika so his ass was in the air. Neji knew what was coming – but he still bit his lip hard enough to draw blood when the real torture began.

“It’s time to bleed, little one.”

The dom started with small things…an actual dildo, the end of the flogger…there was no lube used that Neji could see, and Shika thrashed in earnest. That pissed the dom off, and he picked Shika up, threw him over a bench, and drew a heavy black strap across his back to tie him down.

The punishment for thrashing and reacting was severe.

“Fucking miserable, useless, piece of shit!” The words were like ice picks to Neji’s eardrums.

The dom’s rage was unfathomable; the first real sign of any real emotion. Neji had to speed through most of the rest of the video as he came at Shika with spiked plugs and the hilts of various implements that were never meant to enter any tight orifice. He got cunning when the objects grew large or pointed enough to cause serious damage – he went slowly, actually did use some lube here and there. Obviously, he didn’t want to break his toy before he was finished.

Neji could see just enough of Shika’s face to know that he was crying but trying very hard to be still as the movement brought back the painful objects. So long as Shika remained “dead,” the dom seemed content with smaller things and, eventually, just fucking Shika himself.

“Little bitch,” the dom whispered, running soothing hands across Shika’s back. “Why are you crying? Think anyone will hear you or care? They won’t.

“And you’re going to come back because you know that this is all you’ll ever be worth to anyone. I’m going to break you and use you until there’s nothing left, and you’ll come back to me because no one else will ever want such a broken little fucktoy.”

The dom pulled out and Neji saw that his dick was covered in blood.

Neji managed to make it to the bathroom before he threw up breakfast and bile. He didn’t know whether to cry, beat something, or scream. Maybe all three and then some.

Neji grappled his way to his feet and gripped the edge of the pedestal sink. The reflection in the mirror barely resembled Neji, anger contorting his features

He was going to cut off that monster’s dick and feed it to him in pieces.

Wiping his mouth and staggering a little as he got to his desk, Neji slammed the computer shut. He jerked his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and dialed.

“Hatake.”

“I’ve seen it,” Neji growled.

“Neji…” Kakashi’s voice was tender and worried.

“Don’t,” Neji said. He didn’t want to focus on the gut-wrenching pain in his heart. He wanted to act.

“He got therapy,” Kakashi said.

“I suspected as much,” Neji replied, managing to find it within himself to be happy Kakashi went through the trouble to discover that bit of information.

“One of the best therapists in the city, actually,” Kakashi added.

“Good. He needed it.” It mollified Neji somewhat to know that Shika sought help. Then again, Shika was a genius – despite being worked over by a very nasty and cunning monster. Even geniuses can make mistakes…Neji was just thankful that apparently they could get over them, too.

“Now, when can we move?” Neji asked, focusing.

“As soon as you like, sir,” Kakashi replied, matching Neji’s no-nonsense tone.

“Tonight?”

“He’ll be there tonight, yes.”

“Can you have everyone ready by then?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then we meet at my house at nine.”

“Very good,” Kakashi said. “And…sir?”

Neji didn’t say anything, but he didn’t hang up.

“He’s going to pay dearly.”

“I know.”

~*~

A/N: Please note I do not condone violence of any sort or nature. Safe, sane, and consensual.

Now then.

I am honored, delighted, and beyond thrilled with the response to this - and the other - stories. Thank each and every one of you very much. Keeps me writing this and other things, and keeps me sane.

Well...sane-ish, anyway...

And Gaia77? I don't even know what to say other than I am giddy at the prospect of art to go along with Gaara's story or any fiction here. Just the thought means a lot.

Much love & cat naps.