An Indecent Affair

It’s lesson number two in this one. I’ll bet you thought there weren’t going to be anymore, huh?

Naruto and Gaara make another appearance and the chapter warning here is cross-dressing and hinted male pregnancy.

Thanks go out to my beta Chaos who agrees that Neji is a manskank on the inside and Sasuke is a manskank on the outside. XD

Chapter 14
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Sasuke yawned loudly and didn’t even bother to put a hand over his mouth. Besides, they were already occupied with shifting through old ledgers he had to dig up from filing and wasn’t very keen on bringing his fingers, coated with years worth of dust, anywhere near his face. He growled when the book he was searching through did not contain the information he was looking for and had to grip the binder tightly and count to ten to quell the urge to toss it through one of the high-rise windows.

Neji didn’t know why he tortured himself when he could have, just as easily, asked Sakura to do it. He had even volunteered to do it for him, but Sasuke insisted on undertaking this task personally because he knew his staff was already overworked and stretched neurotically thin, and as much as he claimed he hated this place, Neji had to admire his latent compassion towards those he worked with.

“What time is it?” he practically whined from his position on the floor, just a few feet from Neji’s desk, and the Hyuuga glanced at the time in the lower right corner of his computer screen.

“Ten thirty-three,” he muttered before returning to his data entry keying.

Sasuke sighed loudly, and his lips flapped with the great expulsion of air and he took another short break so he could listen to the erratic ‘clacking’ sounds of Neji’s fingers punching the letters and numbers on his keyboard. For some reason, the sound had a calming effect over him and he couldn’t explain why, at first, but he soon discerned that it was because it filled the maddening emptiness that pre-existed before the Hyuuga’s arrival, and it was only now that he was here did Sasuke come to realize that he wasn’t as lonely as he used to be.

He returned the ledger to its rightful place in the box before removing another one and flipping through yellowed pages with very illegible handwriting. “How the hell do they expect me to read this chicken scratch?” Sasuke mumbled as he angrily flipped the page, creating deep creases and a small tear in the fragile paper. “Why couldn’t they have kept better records of these things?”

“Because Zip Drives didn’t exit in 1989,” Neji simply explained without looking away from what he was doing.

“Then could they have at least hired somebody that wrote English.”

Neji found Sasuke’s incessant complaints to be rather amusing and after he switched off his rant mode Neji went over to help him search. “You don’t have to do this you know,” he said as the other man sat down on the opposite side of the box. “You already have your own duties you should be attending to.”

“I know,” he replied and took one of the books in hand, “But you need to have that information faxed off before midday. My report isn’t due until tomorrow, so I can spare you an extra hand. Besides, we’ll find it faster this way, don’t you think?” And he was right because just only half an hour later, Sasuke hooted triumphantly as he lifted the long-sought after book over his head like a trophy.

“Thanks,” Sasuke said as he rose to his feet and went to take a copy of the page. “How could I get by without you?”

“You'd been doing very well so far until I came along,” Neji replied, slightly flustered by the compliment.

"You can’t take a compliment, can you?” he tsked. “Don’t be so modest, Neji. You really are an asset to this company. I really mean that.” His voice contained so much sincerity, and his smile shimmered in his dark eyes as he gave the other man a gratuitous glance over his shoulder, just in time to catch the pink tint on his cheeks before he quickly made his way back to his desk. “Are you blushing?”

“No, I’m not,” he retorted as if that was the most ridiculous concept imaginable. But it only got worse as Sasuke dropped everything (literally dropped the book on the photocopier), marched over to the desk and leaned over it so he could get a closer look at Neji’s crimson face. “Aww, that is so cute,” he teased the older man using a high-pitched, baby-talk voice, and Neji would have made fun of him for it if he wasn’t already embarrassed to his toes. But it truly was odd to hear the Uchiha talk like that.

“Stop that,” Neji tersely demanded in a flat tone when he reached out to pinch his cheeks like his grandmother used to do.

“But you’re so adorable when you blush,” he persisted.

Right now, Neji couldn’t even remember why he was even blushing in the first place, but all he wanted was for it to go away and Sasuke to stop provoking it because the more he mentioned it, the brighter his face glowed until Neji was sure he could stop traffic.

“Hey, it’s going down your neck…and shoulders too,” he pointed out and pushed the collar aside so he could gaze at the rouge skin beneath the cotton, and it was purely out of reflex that Hyuuga slapped his arm away.

“S-Sasuke, I’m sorry,” he stammered, and looked up at the grinning man with wide, apologetic eyes when he realized what he’d just done.

“It’s okay,” he assured him, “My fault. I should have warned you first.”

“No, it’s not that,” the other man shook his head and got up from his swivel chair yet again. “After everything you’ve done for me and even going so far to try to get me keep me away from him while still facilitating my job here, I have no excuse to affront you. Unintentional or otherwise. Even after you helped me get over my fear of physical contact.”

“But that’s just it, Neji. I haven’t cured your phobia, not yet.”

Neji bit his lip and frowned at the Uchiha that was now walking around the table and leaning back against it, almost sitting on it, just inches away from him. He crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re not going to be rehabilitated after only just one lesson and you, of all people, should know that. It’s going to take time and how much time depends on how rapid your progress is.”

Sasuke had a point. This recent fear of his was deeply ingrained within his mental psyche and was not something that would dissipate overnight. He was terrified of Orochimaru and the pain, humiliation, and loathing of self associated with just the thought of that man. Whenever he was alone, in dark room or just paranoid that that man would pop out in front of him from around the next corner, he wanted to curl into a protective little ball where he couldn’t touch him…where noone could touch him.

Not even Ten-Ten.

… Not even Sasuke.

But he couldn’t live like this, the residual traumatic experiences would eventually put too much strain on him and he’d isolate himself from those who wanted to get close. What would his family say when they tried to hug him at reunions and he shoved them away? How could he explain why he shunned them at Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers?

He wanted to get over this, it was imperative that he did and this was the only way how.

“I--you’re right…Sasuke,” he whispered on a shaky breath.

“Of course I’m right. Am I ever wrong?” he smirked after releasing the breath he’d been holding as he awaited Neji’s answer, and he almost felt light-headed from the wave of relief that washed over him. He’d feared that the Hyuuga would call a cessation to his lessons after the expose on Haku and he really wouldn’t have blamed him if he did. Even though Neji wanted to continue that did not mean that he could let his guard down, he’d have to be just as aware, maybe even more so.

“C’mere.”

His blush returned a hundred fold at the Uchiha’s husky command but Sasuke did not tease him about it this time.

“H-here? Now?” he asked and looked around the room as if there was anyone present that would bear witness to what was going to transpire between them.

“Yeah, why not?” and he reached out to take Neji’s hands in his to pull him closer. He had to drag him though because Neji’s legs could not move even though he tried to force them.

“But what about the thing you have to fax?” he asked and the fear that wrapped itself around his throat made his voice nothing more than an anxious squeak.

“That can wait. Besides, this will only take a minute.”

Neji’s heartbeat quickened as he was taken into Sasuke’s familiar embrace. His scent, his deep, even breath and his body heat created that haven he was quickly becoming accustomed to and his earlier fears vanished as quickly as they’d appeared.

“Hold me.”

Neji did as he was instructed and lifted shaky arms to wrap them around the sturdy column of Sasuke’s neck, and the friction of their clothing rubbing together as he did so made his skin tingle in the most intimate way he’d ever known. Sasuke shivered and drew Neji closer to nuzzle his cheek against his hair and idly rub his lower back with long fingers. He held him like that for the duration of the minute he promised it would take but he was only now beginning and Neji was now beginning to fall asleep against his chest. “Hey?” he whispered softly into his ear that was veiled behind a curtain of silky, black hair.

“Mmn?” Neji literally purred. His breath escaped his nose with a warm puff and seeped into the thin material of Sasuke’s shirt to caress his skin.

“How do you feel?”

There was no one word to describe how Neji felt right now. He was lethargic and wanted to snuggle up on a soft bed in Sasuke’s arms, just like this. He was contented, and he didn’t think there was anything else in this world he would crave more than this moment. He was also happy; the happiest he’d ever been within the past few days, but most importantly, Neji felt safe. So much so that he believed he was invincible and nothing could ever do him any harm.

“Good,” was his muffled reply.

“Hn. You like when I hold you like this?”

Neji nodded, rubbing his reddening cheek against the abrasive cotton of Sasuke’s shirt. The way he said it like that made Neji feel as if he were adolescent for deriving pleasure from something so simple. Sasuke moved his hands lower, past his waist, to cup his ass, and Neji flinched then opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it. He waited for a few moments, giving the other man the chance to tell him to stop, but he said nothing Sasuke continued and the only sound that came from Hyuuga’s mouth was a light gasp as Sasuke began to knead his ass through his clothing.

It felt just as good as he remembered it did the first time, maybe even better because he didn’t think he’d ever be able to touch Neji like this again. He only wished the thick jeans weren’t in the way, and he wondered if he made tomorrow ‘Pajama Day,’ would Neji would go along with it?

“Close your eyes.”

His eyelids were already half-closed and blurred his vision, but it was still more preferable than being trapped within the darkness of his mind; he obeyed, and Sasuke could tell from the way he tensed and whimpered softly that he was trying to blot out all thoughts of Orochimaru. He stroked the backs of Neji’s thighs as a means of placating him, but he didn’t seem to like that and tried to avoid the contact by pressing himself closer against the hard body before him. Sasuke relented and lifted his hands to Neji’s face where he cupped his smooth cheeks and tilted his head backwards.

Neji swallowed and pressed his lips together in a thin line as he clamped his eyes shut tight until the skin around it creased. He knew what was going to happen next, knew Sasuke was going to kiss him, knew it was Sasuke that was going to kiss him, but he still could not prevent himself from becoming withdrawn. Their lips met and Neji gasped and Sasuke used the opportunity to slip his tongue into the other man’s moist mouth. His kiss was by no means aggressive, it was more experimental as he gauged how far he could thrust his tongue before Neji would try to push it back out with his.

Not very.

He would avoid touching their tongues together no matter how hard Sasuke searched for it and tried to coax it into participation with playful flicks and languid strokes and whenever Sasuke followed it deeper inside he would shove violently against it until it maintained a comfortable distance before retreating towards the back of his throat again. Sasule quite liked the little ‘back and forth’ game even though he knew Neji was not intentionally playing. He also liked the way the Hyuuga clawed at his shirt and tugged hard against the fabric as if he wanted to rip it to shreds. It was still too difficult for him and Sasuke hoped he wasn’t pushing him too far since this was only their second time and his body language practically screamed he didn’t want to do this.

Sasuke lessened the intensity of his kisses and used his tongue only to trace Neji’s plump lips and he could already feel him begin to relax and was actually surprised when Neji started to kiss him back. It wasn’t as passionate as he’d like it to be and the kisses were awkwardly hesitant, but he was definitely making headway, and Sasuke smiled against his mouth.

He slipped his hands down Neji’s pale neck, his fingertips tickling his jaw-line as he did so, and Neji moved his own hands and brought them to rest on the Uchiha’s large shoulders. Sasuke’s hands roamed further, lightly grazing across a flat chest until they each stopped at a sensitive nipple, hidden beneath the shirt.

Neji’s eyes flew open wide and he gave a startled cry. Sasuke halted his actions and looked into the confusion and uncertainty on the other man’s face. “Is this okay?” he asked and gave the tiny nubs a gentle pinch which caused a delightful shiver to crawl along his spine and Neji dug his fingernails into Sasuke’s shoulders.

“It… yeah, it’s okay,” he nodded, giving the other man his consent to continue, however, he did not close his eyes and instead kept them locked on the Uchiha’s thin lips. His eyes were unfocused and they seemed to stare right through the man since he was deeply concentrating on the incredible sensations those fingers produced. He’d never had his nipples played with like this before and as disconcerting as it was that his first experience was by a man’s touch he found he wanted to explore it further. But just how far was he willing to take this? It was obvious where this would lead if they allowed it to continue and the end result was what frightened Neji the most. He didn’t want to have sex. It hurt too much, but what Sasuke was doing felt so good that it fogged his mind and the pleasure tipped the scales with his reservations.

Sasuke watched, with a lump in his throat (and one in his pants) as Neji’s breath escaped on ragged pants through his moist and slightly parted lips. Those quiet, wanton sounds he made registered within his brain and sent shockwaves of need straight to his cock and if his hands weren’t already occupied right now he would have used them to strip their clothes off right now and have his way with the Hyuuga. Not that anything was stopping him from doing just that, well… except Neji’s trust and what little self-control he maintained through the pain of gritting his teeth together so tightly. Besides, that would make him no better than Orochimaru, and Sasuke would rather die than bring himself down to that man’s level.

He wished he could see them right now. They were already so hard and his imagination was running wild as he tried to visualize Neji without his shirt. He wondered what colour they were and hoped they were the same shade as his face was right now. His curiosity urged him to lift the shirt just to take a little peek but he didn’t think it would be a wise idea to introduce nudity in this early phase, and upon that reflection, he released the tiny nubs and pulled Neji into a warm embrace.

“You okay?” he asked huskily as he stroked the other man’s long hair until his heavy breathing subsided.

Neji blinked, then nodded. “Yeah,” he replied after swallowing very hard. He didn’t want it to be over so soon, not when he was really starting to enjoy it, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask Sasuke for more, especially when those voices were chastising him so greatly for being so wanton. He couldn’t help it; he liked Sasuke’s touch. He liked the way he made him feel, but his conscience would not spare his shame, especially now after it was over and he was guilt-ridden that he’d let it happen in the first place.

Sasuke forced a smile but what he really wanted to do with his lips was press them against Neji’s again. “That’s lesson number two,” he said before walking back towards the photo-copying machine.

Neji returned to his seat but not because he was going to resume working. He needed to sit down because his legs didn’t want to support him for another second. His nipples still tingled as if those fingers had never left them, and he could still taste Sasuke on his lips. He tried not to think about it and put his fingers on the home keys but they didn’t move and his pale, violet eyes stared blankly at the cursor that blinked impatiently as it waited for his input. He could no longer concentrate on what he was supposed to be doing, and instead found himself listening to the whirring of the fax machine behind him. A loud yawn came after he pushed the copy through the shredder and tossed the book atop the others in the box and Neji was tempted to turn his head, just to catch a glimpse of the Uchiha. But there was no need since Sasuke did not retire to his office and instead moved back by Neji’s desk. He was already composed and back to his old self as if they hadn’t jut made out a few minutes ago.

“‘M tired,” he mumbled sleepily, and his eyes that were usually glittering with mischief reflected his exhaustion.

“I warned you not to stay out too late,” came the Hyuuga’s raspy reply before he was forced to clear his throat, and a smug smirk appeared on Sasuke’s face. He had no idea that he’d affected Neji this much, but he didn’t bring it up or taunt him about it because he’d been affected by him as well and was only fortunate that he had an important task to complete to help take his mind off of it.

“Yeah, gee. Sorry, Dad; I’ll heed your advice next time.”

Neji shook his head and chuckled lightly. “Make sure you do. You know I’m only looking out for your best interest,” he said, just to play along.

Sasuke yawned again and stretched his arms high above his head. “If anyone needs me I’m in my office taking a nap,” and he dropped his arms before adding. “Care to join me?”

“No thanks. Unlike you, I went to bed early and had a good night’s rest, so I’m not at all tired.”

“Aww, please Neji?” he begged, clasping his hands under his chin. “Sleep with me.”

He didn’t miss the sexual connotation there, but Sasuke looked so serious that he wasn’t sure if he’d hidden a double meaning, but knowing the Uchiha, he was sure that one was there. “I’m really sorry, but I can’t right now. I’ve got so much work to do,” he tsked with a believably apologetic look on his face.

Sasuke didn’t miss a beat when he said, “Then do it later.”

“I don’t like to procrastinate.”

“Then I’ll get Sakura to do it for you.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little unfair?” Neji frowned.

He shrugged an uncaring shoulder but when he saw that Neji really did empathize with the other woman he sighed and changed his mind. “I suppose you’re right. But if you ever feel like taking a break, I’ve got this really comfortable sofa in my office.”

“There’s a really comfortable sofa in the waiting room too,” Neji coyly retorted and pointed to the seat in question.

“Man, you have an answer for everything, don’t you?” he laughed and as much as he liked to have the last say he truly was too exhausted to think of a witty come back right now. “Good night,” he called over his shoulder with a wave before he went into the adjacent room.

It really did seem quieter when Sasuke wasn’t around and although there were no more distractions, Neji found it even harder to get back to work. He just couldn’t stop thinking about what they did, and he wondered if having these lessons on the job was such a good idea. After he’d wasted a half an hour just thinking about it he figured that he should have taken up Sasuke on his offer instead of doing nothing, but after another fifteen minutes had passed he was seriously beginning to consider it, and Neji hadn’t even realized he was staring at the door until Naruto broke him out of his trance with a loud ‘Ahem.’

His head whipped around to face the two visitors, and he looked very much like someone who’d just be caught peeping, but Neji almost fell backwards out of his chair when he caught a glimpse of the shorter red-head standing next to the taller blonde. Naruto laughed loudly when he saw his astonishment.

“Baby-doll top, kick-pleated skirt, and Dolce and Gabanna calf-length boots. Three hundred and ninety-five dollars,” he said with a wave of one hand as he advertised his partner’s ensemble while Gaara vogued like a run-way model. “Padding rented from the local Community College’s prop department. Thirty bucks an hour,” Naruto continued, and he stroked the enormous bulge in question that protruded from Gaara’s stomach. “But the look on your face when you thought, for that one brief second, that Gaara was pregnant. Priceless!”

“I didn’t think he was pregnant,” Neji snapped, not at all enjoying the fact that Naruto was having a good laugh at his expense.

“Don’t you think I make a convincing preggy?” Gaara pouted and caressed his stomach like a loving mother would.

“I think you look… nice,” he said, for lack of a better word. The truth was Gaara did look lovely in his pastel coloured top, white skirt and tanned boots, a very dignified improvement over his usual punk look. But the padding alone did not do the maternity wear any justice and he only ended up looking like a cross-dresser with a beer belly. Neji was going to sympathize with Gaara at first, but it didn’t appear as if Naruto had forced him into dressing in such a manner. He’d fully consented to this little prank of theirs and was even taking it a step further by pretending he really was pregnant and would occassionally talk and coo to his ‘baby.’ Neji didn’t want to encourage them and their nonsense so he did his best to ignore the bulge and say nothing more about it besides ‘Don’t you two have anything better to do?’ They were obviously doing it to garner attention, anyway.

Naruto grinned. “No. Not right now, but if you don’t have anything better to do we could fix you up,” and Neji cringed at the thought of what Naruto meant by ‘fix him up.’

“No thank you. Just as it so happens, I have a lot of work to do,” and he was surprised that he actually managed to pick up where he’d left off.

“Hmm, maybe next time then,” the persistent youth said with a shrug of his shoulder, “Is Sasuke in?”

Neji’s fingers stopped typing and he tried to think of an excuse to cover for his boss. “He’s… busy… right now. Can I take a mes--”

“He’s sleeping, ain’t he?” he interrupted with a knowing smirk.

Neji blinked and opened his mouth to deny it, but knew that it would be a pointless waste of breath. “How did you know that?”

“Well, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t,” Naruto said. “I mean, I was pretty wiped out too after last night,” and he yawned then as if to punctuate his point. “Man we did some crazy shit last night,” the blonde chuckled when he recalled their outing. “We went to this bar and started calling out names for all these weird drinks and when the bartender didn’t have a clue what we were talking about we started dissing him and told him to go back to Mixology 101. The poor guy was close to tears by the time we were done with him,” he chortled after sharing his anecdote. “Oh, then these group of girls flashed us. Remember that blonde chick with the belly ring?” he turned to ask Gaara who was fiddling around with the CoffeeMate machine.

“Bianca?”

“Yeah, her,” and he snapped his fingers when her name suddenly came back to him. “Man, she was hot.”

“I still say her tits are fake,” Gaara muttered, not even bothering to hide his raging jealousy before taking a sip and making his way back to Naruto’s side.

“Yeah, I guess. Hey! You shouldn’t be drinking coffee in your condition,” the older man warned and snatched the cup from his hand, spilling a few drops on Neji’s table and resting the paper container on a stack of papers, leaving a brown ring. “Drink water instead.”

“Don’t! Those are important,” Neji gasped, and he reached out to take the cup just as Naruto released it.

“Don’t worry. Raw lime juice will take that right out.”

“Really?” Gaara asked after returning with another cup filled with water. He found that very hard to believe.

“I’unno,” Naruto finally admitted. “I just heard that somewhere.”

“Well, that’s stupid. Just put white out on the stain and photocopy the paper,” Gaara suggested.

“No, it’s okay,” Neji said quickly and he trew the coffee cup into the waste basket then took the dirty document out of their reach. The last thing he wanted was the two of them trying to help and only ending up making things worse. “I can handle it,” and he only hoped Gaara didn’t spill his water this time.

“Are these two bothering you?”

Neji’s body sagged with relief at the sound of that voice, and he turned to face his employer. “No, they’re not,” he answered honestly, and while he did wish they were a bit more careful, they weren’t so much of a nuisance that he felt the need to run to either Uchiha and tattle that Naruto and Gaara were annoying him. “They were looking for you actually.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah,” Naruto confirmed with a nod. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“Couldn’t sleep with all the commotion,” he lied. The truth was, Sasuke was too horny to fall asleep, and his constant day-dreaming about Neji kept him awake… and excited. He was glad Naruto showed up then because he had an excuse not to sit around fantasizing for the rest of the day.

“I’m surprised,” Neji smirked. “After all the gallivanting Naruto said you guys did last night I was sure you’d be out cold… or at least hung over.”

Sasuke mimicked his smile and leaned a shoulder against the door frame. “Oh, he told you about all that?”

“Mmm-hmm, and from what I heard, you guys had a blast.”

“We sure did!” Naruto hooted.

“Yeah,” Sasuke drawled and cast a coquettish glance in Neji’s direction. “You should join us next time.”

“Why?” the blonde scoffed then turned to sneer at Mr. Prim and Proper. “He’s just gonna wind up being a wet blanket.”

“I think he should come with us,” Gaara seconded the motion.

“No thanks,” Neji declined politely. “That kind of debauchery isn’t really my idea of a good time.”

“See what I mean? The guy’s a prude.”

“No,” Gaara disagreed with a shake of his head. “I’m sure he’s got a wild side just like everyone else. He just needs to let his hair down, and a little liquoring up wouldn’t hurt either.”

“I dunno, he’s just gonna cramp our style,” his partner argued. He just didn’t want Neji tagging along with them.

“I want him to come,” Gaara protested, somewhat angrily.

“No, you just want him,” Naruto corrected, and it was his turn to become jealous.

‘Have they forgotten that I’m still here?’ Neji wondered to himself, hating the way they discussed him as if he weren’t even in the room. Sasuke interjected the disputing couple so he could usher them into this office to give Neji some peace and quiet because when he started to rub his temples, he figured he needed it.

“Damn Gaara, just how many gallons of jizz did you consume last night?” Sasuke teased as he closed the door on the three of them and pointed at Gaara’s stomach.

“Bite me,” the red-head hissed and glared at his owner’s younger brother from behind his cup.

“I would, but I’m afraid I’ll catch something.”

Gaara chuckled deep within his throat and he swirled his liquid within his cup before saying rather nastily. “I’d be more concerned about catching something from Neji. God knows where Orochimaru’s been.”

“You little bit--”

“Eh eh eh,” Naruto acted quickly and slammed his palms against Sasuke’s chest just as the Uchiha was about to maul his lover. “Gaara, that was inappropriate,” Naruto castigated him, but Gaara didn’t seem to care.

Sasuke knew he didn’t mean it, Naruto knew he didn’t mean it, and Gaara didn’t mean it. They all knew how much he liked Neji, but Gaara didn’t like Sasuke, and he wasn’t at all adverse to using Neji so irreverently just as long as he could press Sasuke’s buttons like that. He was lucky though because whether he liked Neji or not, if Itachi had heard him say something like that… well… Naruto couldn’t even begin to imagine what the eldest Uchiha would do. Itachi was scary enough when he was nonchalant, but when he was angry, he was a force not even the devil would want to contend with.

When Sasuke backed off, Naruto let his arms drop to his sides and he shooed Gaara into a distant corner of the room so he could be out of reach just in case his friend had a change of heart.

“Has Itachi seen that yet?” Sasuke asked curiously. He didn’t think his brother would care at all and the most he would probably do is raise an eyebrow or say Gaara looked cute.

“Nah,” Naruto replied and followed the taller man to his desk. “This was a spur of the moment thing.”

“So what spawned this little prank of yours?” he asked and took a seat on the edge of the table.

“Nothing really,” he shrugged. “We were bored so Itachi told us to go entertain ourselves.”

“Ah, I see. The devil finds work for idle hands.”

“Something like that,” Naruto agreed with a thoughtful nod. “It’s just that Itachi’s been really busy today, and we were kinda getting in his way. Oh, he also wanted me to ask you if you faxed the thing to Mizuki yet.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“That’s good because Itachi can’t find the old ledgers in his department.”

Sasuke furrowed his brow. It was very uncharacteristic of his brother to be so disorganized that he couldn’t locate whatever he was looking for. “What do you mean he can’t find it?”

“Meh, it’s probably because the previous manager didn’t file it properly or something,” he said and he dismissed it with a wave of his hand, but Sasuke believed he had a point.

His father was the type of person that went through everything with a fine-toothed comb and nothing got by him unless it was analyzed though a microscopic lens, but after Orochimaru replaced him and changed up most of the administration, some of the managerial staff were too lazy to maintain the astringent policies and procedures and allowed the tiniest things to slip through the cracks. It wasn’t until he and his brother jumped on board that they were able to cover them back up again and reinforce the tried-and-true behaviors that their father had implemented. But as thorough as both boys were, they still couldn’t pin-point who was still practicing the bad habits.

“Anyway, yours should be good enough,” Naruto continued then tsked in agitation at the man that was giving his Itachi so much stress. “Man, where does that jerk get off anyway? Shouldn’t he be keeping his own records instead of demanding the ones here? Itachi’s not his fucking secretary!”

“Yes, well, blame my father for that one. God rest his soul,” Sasuke sighed sadly. “Mizuki was one of the special clients that my father dealt with personally. Everyone knew to forward his calls straight to my dad, and whatever Mizuki wanted, Dad would make sure he did it himself.”

“Maybe you should remind him that Fugaku doesn’t work at this company anymore.”

“I suppose, but he’s still a customer, albeit a spoiled one.”

“Naruto,” Gaara called out to his lover from his corner. “My water just broke.”

Sasuke adopted an expression of pure bewilderment and Naruto squeaked when he saw the wet spot on Gaara’s skirt, the damp stain on the carpet by his feet and the empty cup of water in his hands.

“Jesus Christ, what the hell is wrong with you?” Sasuke roared as he stared at the mess Gaara had made.

“Quick, let’s go show Neji. He’s gonna flip,” Naruto giggled and dragged his boyfriend out of the room.

“Uh… hel-lo?” Sasuke indicated to the spot on his carpet.

“Don’t worry, lime juice will get that right out,” he replied, too excited to think before speaking as he was hysterically awaiting Neji’s expression. “Oh, just one other thing,” and he stopped with his hand on the door knob then turned to face Sasuke. “Itachi said that someone, who wanted to remain anonymous, complained to Personnel that Orochimaru turned his office upside down then forced them to clean it up even though it was a job for the cleaners or something he should have done himself.”

Sasuke didn’t see where Naruto was going with this but he waited for him to finish speaking to see if there was a point to it at all.

There was.

“Itachi told me to pass on a very stern message to you, Sasuke,” and his face was stony serious as he relayed his brother’s message. “Stay away from Orochimaru. Don’t make me tell you again.”

-~-~-~-~-

I have a very bad habit of ending off chapters at crucial moments don’t I? Kinda leaves you wondering well what’s gonna happen next.


Chaos 2007-07-20 (Ooh, I think I got the 2000th hit! xD)
I did love this chapter, and the start of touchy-touchy for Sasuke's libido made me grin devilishly. :x *pervert* Besides the fact that Neji really WANTED him to stay... hee, pure happiness.
But I'm glad to get stuff done fast for you. I think I am quite enjoying my job. :3
*uber love for you and your writing*

And the only reason I read all those chapters in one day is because I couldn't STOP. ADDICTION, I say! xD

ClaireBear Wow, over 2000 hits. That makes me happy ^_^ Glad this fic is making you happy too. I’m sorry it’s become an addiction and I hope I really do finish my fics so no one is left hanging.


Tyra 2007-07-21 Yay!!
This chapter was seriously cool!
I love it when Sasuke is so patient with Neji. He really likes him, doesn't he? So adorable.
I'm glad that Sasuke is trying to get Neji to his feet again..I mean, Neji's not weak or anything, but.. I'm glad Sasuke's healing Neji's wounds! That sounds better. xD
And it was so cute how Neji didn't get Sasuke out of his thoughts after that!
I hope you update soon again!
I can't wait to see what happens next.
Can't wait can't wait!!

UPDATE !


ClaireBear Yeah, Neji’s pretty strong and he’s used to taking care of himself but he’s just really shaken up about everything that’s happened so while he’s teetering in his life right now Sasuke’s volunteered himself to be his crutch until he can stand on his own again.

Yeah, you know when someone goes out of their way to do things for you and they’re oh so very sweet, charming and kind and you can’t stop thinking about them? Well that’s what’s happening to our little Neji.


soft_touches 2007-07-21 mmm... so sexy yet odd/weird. the plan is for sasuke to touch up on neji everyother night and cure him of orochimaru. i like that. sasuke has alot of self-control, i kinda feel sorry for him cuz he probably went home with a hard-on, lol. i'm so excited for otakon tomorrow! my boyfriend iruka and i are walking around together. lol.
til i meet again...
soft_touches

ClaireBear I know Sasuke’s plan sounds odd and I doubt the victim (or person in Neji’s shoes) would take him seriously if he’d suggested it in real life. Oh I envy you. I hear so much about things like Otacon and E3 etc and I’ve always wanted to go but can’t. I hope you had lots of fun with your b/f Iruka.


Yersi Fanel 2007-07-22 Hello darling!
I'm here again and ready for give you my review, yeah!
Okay, this chapter was pretty nice, I like the way Sasuke is traying to help Neji, and even if is hard for him, It's nice to see how Neji is slowly trusting Sasuke...and to be honest I melt in kawaiiness (is that even a word?...who cares?! XD) when Sasuke finally hug Neji, jeje.
Yay, Neji has the Uchiha borhters as his Divine Guardian Devils! (Fear me and my paradox of doom! lol)
It's a shame that actually almost any outhor can be around for too long (*it's being hit by rocks and cans 'cuz she has not update yet, actually*) but if we try to not *puff* from the ff universe for too long and come back with a nice chapter (like this one, jaja) then we are safe, aren't we? jajaja

Well, keep going and if you need something I can help you with, just email me!
See you soon then.

ClaireBear Divine Guardian Devils. Yes! I imagine the Prince of Darkness himself sending Sasuke and Itachi to protect Neji and promising them their wings and horns if they do a good job. Why? Because he hates Orocimaru too XD

I try not to disappear for too long and I come back once every couple of days to check reviews and read new stories. I’m actually doing forum roleplaying now and quickly losing interest in it -_-;

I lose interest in everything after just a short period in time and like a cycle I pick it up again. My interest in my fics hasn’t returned in full force like it did the first time I started writing but I’m hanging in there. I hope you update soon as well and I will keep your advice in mind. 


Pen 2007-07-25 ZOMG I LOVE IT!!!! *huggles ClaireBear* You have to post soon yeah! I like the fact the you made Sasuke considerate of Neji's phobia nad that he's trying to help. Personally, I think that Orochimaru is an evil back, but there's nothing I love more that a Neji with problems. Yes him being a tormented teen is very sexy. *nods*
Update soon! Oh, can you e-mail me or let me know when a new chapter is added? If you can e-mail me at DarkNinaRuler@hotmail.com or WingedLyra@yahoo.com

GREAT STORY!!!

-Pen

ClaireBear I’m a bear, I love hugs. Orochimaru is evil and I love him even in the original universe. I used to hate seeing him and it ticked me off how he was always one step ahead. Ahh, but I still love him. He’s my favourite Sannin. Not that I don’t like Tsunade and Jiraiya but there’s a special place in my heart just for that snake charmer.

And don’t worry, I added you to the mailing list.


To everyone that made comments regarding Haku: (Because there were quite a few and I’m too lazy to copy paste)

Yeah I know Neji and Haku are not that similar in features, especially personalities but one day I realized that Haku had nice, pretty, long hair like Neji did and that is what spawned this story. Yes! Just that comparison alone inspired this entire fic. That and the fact that I wanted more Sasuke x Neji. Yersi Fanel was the first person I spoke to that figured it out and I was afraid that I had made it too obvious but some were surprised by the revelation so I’m glad that I was still able to maintain that much amount of mystery. Thanks for keeping our little secret Yersi ;)


inuyashalove 2007-09-09 *sigh* Did you have to cut it off there? I was hooked into this chapter, hoping for some more of Sasuke's 'therapy' lessons. Or...with the phone conversation more detail on Sasuke's side. But the part where Sasuke threatened Orochimaru made me smile. I was waiting for that to show up. I can't help but wonder what Itachi is planning...so I guess I'll have to keep reading to find out. ;)
Good work on keeping my attention and curiosity on your story.

ClaireBear I’m sorry. I have a bad habit of ending chapters at interesting parts. I don’t do it on purpose. Sometimes I think a chapter goes on too long and I just kinda end it. Don’t worry, there will be more ‘sexual healing’…and eventually there will be sex.


silver 2007-09-15 As always, a wonderful update. This is so good. It was a bit surprising about Haku b/c I've never thought he and Neji looked alike. That phone conversation was priceless. Keep up the good work.

ClaireBear I’m glad you liked the phone conversation. I was laughing my butt off when I was writing it. I kept thinking ‘What would Sasuke say to this?’ and the many responses that popped into my head made me giggle. I was going to have Sasuke try to talk Neji into phone sex but I thought that would be going too far too fast so I canned that idea.