The Choices Between Friends

Chapter 24:

Hostile Work Environment

 

Nara and Neji left a while later after collecting a hug and kiss each from their favorite blond. Nar slapped them both on the ass as they turned to leave him at the door. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, okay?"

Nara laughed. "Man that leaves a lot out," The sarcasm, just oozed out of every pore. The blond stuck his gifted little tongue out at them and both men sighed in resignation as they left the most tempting man they knew.

The two men walked side by side in a comfortable silence. Each one thinking of a certain sweet blond and how very good he looked wrapped around the other. Neji's mind floated for a while and he didn't pay much attention to where they were going.



They wandered the neighborhood aimlessly, both maintained the comfortable silence, content to just be.  Nar had that affect on both of them.  They ended up at a rundown building and Nara paused in front of it for a moment.  His mouth moved but no sound came out.  The place had an eerie feeling to it.  The hair on the back of Neji's neck stood on end.

The silence was shattered when Nara's cell phone rang.  It was a very ominous sounding ring tone, familiar but Neji couldn't place it.  Shikamaru didn't even need to look at the screen.  Only one person warranted that ring tone.  It pulled him from the dark place his mind had been heading.

"Hello Darth."  He answered with a forced smirk in his voice.  The overall tone was still a little sad sounding and Neji gave him a concerned look.  Nara just smiled and mouthed the word, 'dad'.  Neji nodded in acknowledgement, but was still puzzled by the sad tinge to it. 

"Where are you?  I know you skipped class." 

"Corner of Fourth and Whirlpool.  If you had someone tailing me, you'd know that." 

"I don't have people tail you, brat."  His father began.

"Not right now anyway."  Shikamaru interrupted.

"How long have you been staring at it?"  Shikaku by-passed the argument his son was trying to start and skipped to the more important subjects.  He hated when Shikamaru did this.  Nothing good ever came of it.

"Not long.  Neji and I were just walking around."

"Neji's there?  With you?"  The younger Nara could almost hear his father pacing through the phone. Detective Shikaku was not a trusting man. Strangers were just people who hadn't hurt you yet.

"No genius, I just said that so I could hear your voice crack like that."  Shikamaru's eyes rolled back into his head.  

"Shikamaru..."  The older man growled warningly.

Nara sighed.  "We just had lunch with Kiba and Nar.  They went back to work and we went for a walk."

"So, you're getting to be friends with him as well?"

"Yeah.  I like him.  He's a good guy.  Any other questions you'd like him to hear the answer to?"

"He's right there then?"

"Yup, heard every word.  Wanna talk to him?"  Nara was grinning evilly now.

"Brat.  This isn't over."

"Sure.  Interrogation to be continued later.  Got it."  Nara closed his phone and sighed.  "Sorry about that Neji."

Neji just smiled.  "It's alright.  I understand."  He did.  He understood in an abstract, 'this is how the sitcoms are' kind of way.  He just had very little practical knowledge where worried parents were concerned.  Worried about appearances, he had experience with, but true concern was totally foreign to him.

Nara flashed a flaccid smile Neji's way that worried the man more than the fact that Shikaku Nara seemed displeased that his son was growing closer to Neji. Things would not be pleasant when the man learned of the true nature of their true relationship.

The next time Nara Nara stopped, it was in front of a run down storefront before opening the door and smiling almost shyly at Neji. "I figured while we were out, I'd stop in here for a minute."

Neji looked at the large blacked out window. The words <i>'INK WORKS'</i> were scrolled across it in blood red paint. It was very simplistic.

"I need to check on them. There's no telling what they've done since I was in last," Nara let out a slightly disgusted sigh as he followed Neji through the door.

A chorus of greetings met them as Neji tried to take in the scene before him.

"Hey boss-man, what's new?"

"I didn't do it! It was Izumo's idea!"

"Was not you asshole!"

"Was so!"

Neji couldn't determine who was saying what until the man he guessed was Izumo turned to Nara and began to plead his case. "It was Deidara who brought it up. I just thought it might be a good idea, so I did some askin' around and, um well, I found one and then Pein went and asked him before we had a chance to ask you and um.... yeah, that's about it. So, totally NOT my fault!"

Shikamaru groaned loudly; "What the hell have you morons done now?!"

The brunette with the shaggy brown hair hanging in his face, Izumo; blinked at Nara and whined. "I just told you."

Shikamaru took a deep breath and counted to ten, twice. "No Izumo. You told me what you didn't do. Now I need to know what you did do."

The one that Neji just knew must be 'Pein' smirked. "The moron went and got us some goth-emo specialist to poke holes in the customers," The man was covered in so many of his own piercings that even Neji, with his more sheltered background knew what he meant.

"Whaaa?" Was all Nara managed.

The long haired blond straddling the chair in the corner nodded. "Uh huh, got long black hair with pink streaks. Purple suspenders, black nails, the whole shebang," The blond nodded his head and his long straight hair bobbed. He looked like some 1980s throw back to the hair band era head banging.

"Dei's just pissed 'cause the newby's prettier than him," Pein smirked. "Although, I think you're friend there is definitely in the running for that title. You haven't introduced us yet..."

"And I'm not fucking going to," Shikamaru was fast loosing his cool. "Has this new guy done any work? Pierced anyone, logged any hours?" The three gave him a blank look. "We don't have all the fucking permits for that yet you idiots! We could lose all our licenses and then you three are out on your asses! All I have to do is take a few more tutoring gigs, you're the ones who are screwed if this goes sour."

Deidara looked panicked. "But, but, my art!"

"Easy Dei," Pein spoke almost soothingly, and then turned to Nara. "He hasn't touched a soul. Zoo-lander there, wanted to get his dick pierced," Izumo sputtered a very incoherent negative to that, but Pein just bowled over him. "Haku said no, until the paperwork was done and he was an official employee."

Neji watched as Nara breathed a sigh of relief. "He touches nothing, does nothing until I say so. Okay?! You fuckers got it?!" Nara's face was dark and intimidating and the older men all nodded emphatically. Shikamaru waved Neji forward. They walked between the cowed employees towards the back office.

"Hey, don't get anything, you know, sticky on our paychecks, okay!" Izumo started giggling as Nara slammed the door.

Shikamaru leaned heavily against the door and took a moment to admire Neji's profile. He really was beautiful, but in such a masculine way that the two thoughts didn't really reconcile. Neji turned his head and smiling light eyes met stormy dark.

"Interesting working environments you and Nar have," Nara snorted and stepped forward to wrap his arms around Neji's waist.

"You should meet Kiba's co-workers. No, wait. You really shouldn't. Porky is a total nightmare and Miss-uke thinks he hung the moon."

"Porky? Misuke?" Neji asked. The sound rumbled against Nara's head as it rested on Neji's firm chest.

"Porky is 'cause Kotetsu looks like a porcupine in heat. Miss-uke, is 'cause Mizuki is the worlds greediest most self-absorbed bottom," Somehow Neji doubted that. He thought he might know one, maybe two who were worse, but now was not the time to talk about them. He hoped it never would be.

Nara tore himself away from Neji with a shy smile. He really did need to check on some things. He paid a few bills, totaled some invoices, balanced some accounts, then retrieved the three stooges' paychecks. He'd let them have them early this week. He wasn't sure when he'd be back in.

"So, you are their boss?"

He looked up into Neji's curious face. "Um, no. Not really. I'm sort of a part time office manager. Pein's actually in charge of the day to day. The other two are scared to death of the lunatic, so they show up and do their jobs."

Nara shrugged. "I guess they went to school together or something. Pein's uncle Jiraiya owns the place. I just do the books and handle the legal stuff. It pays well and I get free ink when I want something done."

He grinned. "They really are the best in town. I can't believe it's dead. There's usually a waiting list just to get in the door. It could be the concert. The usual customers are probably pretty busy with that."

"What concert?" Neji really was curious now.

Shikamaru smiled. "The one Kiba and I were planning on tricking you into attending, so we could hook you and Nar up," He laughed at Neji's stunned face. "That was before the thing in the diner and the picture you drew. Kiba was actually talking me into helping him when Nar walked in that night."

Neji blinked in surprise. They'd been conspiring to set him up with his Tesoro. A brilliant smile broke out on his face. "So, does that mean that I out-maneuvered you? Then you had to improvise?"

Nara glared. "Don't get cocky Neji."

Neji's smile deepened. He stepped forward. Nara growled half-heartedly and stepped back. Neji advanced again. The smile was a smirk now. Nara bit the inside of his lip and tried to concentrate. It was no good. When Neji advanced again, the tattooed brunette was rooted in place. Neji wrapped his arm around Nara's shoulders and pulled the man's head forward.

Then there were lips on his and he forgot that he'd just lost a contest of wills. Neji's tongue slid along the crease of the other's lips until they gave way eagerly. Nara tumbled into the kiss and let Neji's strong tongue lead his own.

Neji moaned softly. Nara tasted so good, felt so right in his arms. His mind slipped to the pretty blond and the wild demon who shared this beautiful man with him. He was blessed and intended to make sure they all knew that he knew it. A loud crash and a curse from the other room interrupted the kiss. Nara cursed as well.

Neji and Nara stepped out into the silence. Izumo cringed when he heard the creak of the door. “What now?!” Nara asked with a tired voice.

A head of dark hair lifted from where it had been bent down behind Pein's chair. It was a head of shockingly silky long hair so black it had natural purple highlights. There were streaks of bright pink all through it.

The pretty face flushed a perfect pale pink. Rose bud lips were pursed pensively. There was a diamond stud in the adorably pert nose. That glorious hair was tucked behind one ear with three studs and another with six rising up the delicate shell.  The man was obviously Asian or of Asian descent. His eyes had definite almond shape to them.  Nara had it figured out in a moment. This was his new piercist.

The shame in Izumo's eyes, the smirk on Deidara's girly face combined with the fact that Pein was still openly ogling the kneeling man's ass told the whole story. 'Fuckers. This isn't high school.' “Pein get off your ass and clear up your own fucking mess.” Pein glared and wrenched the dust pan from the other's hands.

The dark eyed man stammered.  “It was my fault. I lost my footing and...” Deidara's was fighting laughter now.

“No, Dei tripped you. Pein knocked the jar off the counter and you didn't know you hadn't done it.” He glared at those two offenders. “And Izumo,” He turned on the last man. “Did nothing!” Izumo cringed in the face of Nara's accusation.

“Fucking hell Pein, why don't you just put a mirror on the tip of your shoe?!” Shikamaru's hands were fisted at his sides. He thought he'd broken them of this crap. If they were playing these pranks on customers, it was bad enough but a co-worker, the law suit possibilities were endless.

The dark head bowed for a moment. The words, "I understand," where breathed out in a soft whisper.

When that pretty face raised up it bore a beatific and very scary smile. In one fluid movement the man was up and Pein was across the room holding his ribs. “And now,” he said sweetly, “we are even."

"Shall we begin again?” He turned to face Nara. “I am Haku. And you are?”

Nara's eyes were a bit too wide. “You do realize that his uncle owns this place right?” 'He dropped kicked Pein! This little thing, just drop kicked that monster... across the room!'

Haku's smile remained in place, the only change was that now it actually warmed his dark eyes. “I don't really care. There are three shops vying for my services right now. The only reason I'm here is that this place gets more foot traffic,” His head tilted to the side and put one hand on a slender hip.

“Do you want me or not?” There was a playful undertone to the last bit that had Neji's hand moving possessively to Nara's shoulder. The smile on the face remained unchanged. The look in the eyes became a smirk.

'He knows he's pretty and apparently talented and he isn't shy about it. This could be a real pain in the ass.' Nara's eyes drifted to where Pein sat on the floor holding his stomach. “We keep the little shit.” Pein ground out. “He'll be good for business.”

Haku's smile widened triumphantly. Nara sighed. “Okay. I'm Nara, I handle the paperwork and stuff. I need to get the permits and licensing straightened out. And, we need to iron out a deal for you. I don't have time today...” He waited for Haku to say something.

“Lunch tomorrow then? I'll get your cell number from 'puppy eyes' over there.” Haku offered in a very chipper voice waving at Izumo who gave him a deer in the headlights look. Haku really enjoyed the glare he got from the pale eyed brunette who was standing behind the shop manager. He loved new people. They were so much fun to play with. Haku shot a wink at Pein as he all but skipped out of the shop.

"Three tons shy of a load there," Dei said as he made the universal sign for crazy by twirling his finger next to his head.

Nara gave Neji a quizzical look when his lover squeezed his shoulder lightly. "Intelligent," was all the other man said, but Shikamaru got the point. He'd need to keep a closer eye on the shop for awhile thanks to their new addition.

"Behave," He admonished the three tattoo artists as he set their paychecks next to the register and left with Neji in tow

.

~TBC~