Constructive Possession

A/N: One reviewer suggested that I might be whipping up a batch of KabuKiba. Although I think it would be groundbreaking, there are currently no plans to pair Kabuto and Kiba in this fic. Kabuto is Kiba’s conscience—he exists to help Kiba deal with his unpleasant truths. At best, the pair will develop a friendship here that may be expanded in a future fic.

Many thanks to everyone who left a review. Your feedback is encouraging.

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Warning: unbeta’d; language; angst; yaoi

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The past week had been a rough one for Kiba. He couldn’t remember ever having been so depressed. Monday’s meltdown in the men’s bathroom set off a chain reaction. Kiba moved around within the confines of his daily duties in a sort of mobile oblivion before he went home to his apartment each night and, without eating or showering, pulled off his uniform, fell on his bed and went to sleep.

Three days of this had garnered enough attention from enough of his colleagues that he now found himself seated on the infamous leather couch in Captain Hatake’s office, trying in vain to keep his gaze from focusing on the eerie red eye that seemed to notice everything.

Captain Hatake looked at the Inuzuka with no discernible expression in his eyes.

“Something to drink, Inuzuka?” The captain asked quietly.

“No, sir”, was the equally quiet response.

“All right then, let’s start with the basics.” The captain shifted a bit in his big, leather chair. “What’s wrong with you?”

Kiba took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure what was going to come out of his mouth. His mind barely registered the fact that he was even there.

“I…Akamaru was injured, on Monday, and…well, I’ve grown attached to him, you know, and he had to have surgery so I’ve been really bummed—“

“Stop, Inuzuka.” The captain leaned forward. “Can you hear yourself? Do you even know what you’re saying? Shit, do you even know where you are?”

“Captain—“

“Inuzuka, you’ve been doing your best impression of the walking dead all week—right down to the smell of you—and you’re trying to tell me it’s because of a dog who was injured during routine ops on Monday?”

Kiba didn’t respond; he simply sat there with a vacant expression on his face.

Captain Hatake sighed. “It’s always the hard way with you young ones, isn’t it?” When the captain still did not receive a response he asked, “How’s Yakushi?”

The Inuzuka made a face. Why was the captain asking him about Yakushi?

“I don’t know, why ask me?”

Well, there are at least two functioning brain cells in there, the captain thought to himself. “He’s your friend, isn’t he?”

Kiba found himself shaking his head. “I don’t know if I’d go that far—“

“Why not? He seems like a nice enough guy; he helped you out when no one else seemed especially willing.”

“I know that, but—“

“But what, Inuzuka?”

Why won’t he let me get a word in edgewise? “Captain, the guy is weird.”

At this declaration, the captain chuckled. “Weird in what way, Inuzuka?”

Is he serious? Does he really expect me to answer that? “Captain, no offense, but did you call me in here to ask me about some guy in forensics who helped me out once?”

The captain shifted in his chair again. “No, I didn’t Inuzuka, and I’m glad to know that some part of your brain is registering this discussion.” When Kiba opened his mouth to speak the captain told him, “I called you in here to tell you that you’re on leave, effective today, and that I don’t want to see your ass back here for two weeks.”

Kiba stood up then. He’d be alone for the two weeks, that wasn’t a good idea. “Captain—“

“And in that two weeks I expect you, at the very least, to bathe, eat, and re-learn how to shave and dress.”

“Captain, I’m fine! I don’t need any down time. Look, I’ll come back after the weekend as good as new, you have my wor—“

“Bullshit!” The captain stood up then, his chair abruptly moving out from beneath him, and Kiba’s eyes went wide.

“You fucking coward. You’ve finally sunken so deep in denial you’re drowning in it, and yet here you are, still denying it! Do you know what being a man is? Being a man is owning up to who you are. I like you, Inuzuka. You’re strong, and you’re quick, and you’re one of the best cops in any of the K-9 squads under my command. But you’re a fucking coward. And the bottom line is, there isn’t any room under my command for cowardice that could potentially get someone or something killed. So here is your option. Get the hell out of the Konoha police department. And don’t come back before you’ve figured out how to un-fuck yourself.”

Kiba couldn’t move; he simply stood there, mouth agape. This isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening this isn’t happening—

The sound of the door being opened and noises from the hallway outside drifting inside stopped his internal mantra. Kiba looked up to find the captain standing at the door, holding the knob.

“Two weeks, Inuzuka.”

Kiba moved toward the door slowly, as if a certain death were waiting for him on the other side.

“One more thing”, the captain announced, stopping Kiba in his tracks. “If you do decide that you need help, consider giving Yakushi a call. He’s a lot smarter than he is weird, and he wants to help.”

Kiba risked one more glance at his captain’s face. Some part of the Inuzuka expected him to tell Kiba that this had all been a joke. When that didn’t happen, Kiba walked through the open door.

The Inuzuka shuddered when he heard the door click shut behind him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Neji was practically singing. It had been a busy week at work and he’d been looking forward to spending the weekend with his partner on his uncle’s yacht with great enthusiasm. Now it was Friday, and their shift was over. Their things were already packed and waiting for them in the Nara’s Rubicon, which Neji suggested they drive for the weekend.

The drive to the marina was pleasant—the weather was nice and traffic was forgiving. Neji couldn’t get over how beautiful the sight of his lover was, sitting behind the wheel of his jeep, Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses in place, hair blowing in the wind and smiling. Tonight Neji would make love to Shikamaru in his uncle’s yacht. He could hardly wait.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Neji and Shikamaru arrived at the private marina just as the sun was beginning to set. They grabbed the bags from the back and Shikamaru put on the canopy before strolling out to the pier where the yacht was docked.

There were lights on inside as they approached. The pair was surprised when Hiashi walked out to greet them with a big smile on his face.

“Welcome, welcome!” Hiashi greeted, clapping Neji on the shoulder as the two men approached him. He looked back and forth between Neji and Shikamaru and Neji knew he was up to something.

“How are you, uncle?” Neji asked.

“I’m well, looking forward to the weekend. So, you remembered how to get here? I hope traffic wasn’t too bad.”

“Not at all. Uncle, I thought you’d be out at my place already.”

“Eh? Oh, well I wanted to be sure you two had everything you needed for the weekend. Come on inside”, Hiashi told them, placing a hand on Shikamaru’s shoulder to usher him forward.

Gods, the Nara thought to himself, it’s The Love Boat¹.

The name on the side of the yacht read TANOSHIKATTA².

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hiashi ushered the two men inside and gave them a tour of the three levels. They stowed their bags in their berthing and made their way to the mess for a drink before the elder Hyuuga’s departure.

“What are you drinking, Shikamaru?” Hiashi asked.

“Whatever Neji’s having”, was his response. Hiashi looked at Neji then.

“You know what I like”, Neji stated.

“Junmai-shu³ it is”, Hiashi announced.

In the galley, Hiashi retrieved a bottle of the preferred sake and set it on the serving tray, then brought it into the mess and set it on the table. “I’ll pour”, Hiashi announced, and he did. When all three men were sitting around the table with a cup raised, they spoke in unison, “Kanpai.”

“So have you two got anything special planned while you’re on the boat this weekend?” Hiashi asked as he emptied his cup and poured himself another.

Shikamaru will be counting the tiles in the ceiling. “We decided to play it by ear. Shikamaru’s never been on a yacht before”, Neji answered.

“Well you’ve got to take her out a little, Neji!” Hiashi stated. He turned to Shikamaru then. “It’s the best trip you’ve ever been on; if the waves are nice it’s like riding in a car.”

“Well, maybe we’ll decide on something after dinner”, the Nara told him. “It’s been a hectic week.”

“Fair enough.” Hiashi relented. “Now you know if you want to have something brought over, all you need to do is make the call, they are very efficient here and the food is excellent.” Hiashi got up from the table then. “I should get going; I’ve got some work to do tonight. You two enjoy your weekend.”

Neji got up then. “I’ll walk you out, uncle.”

Hiashi grabbed his bags, which were setting near the exit, and made his way to the deck with Neji close behind. When the pair was safely out of earshot, Hiashi turned to his nephew.

“How is next weekend looking right now?” Hiashi asked him.

“I don’t have anything planned. What are you on about?” Neji responded.

“Dinner. Hyuugas and Naras. Your place on Saturday, say--6PM. Will that work?”

“It works for me, I suppose. Have you spoken with Shikamaru’s father?”

“I have. Be prepared for Shikaku and Yoshino, they’ll keep you off your guard.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Neji turned to walk back inside the yacht.

“Oh, Neji, I left you a little gift in the cabin. I hope you get to enjoy it.”

Neji stopped and turned. “A gift?” Neji asked. “What sort of gift, uncle?” If Neji knew his uncle then it was something perverted.

“There is a small black remote in the nightstand. It controls the hidden video equipment installed in the room. I thought the two of you might like to make a home video for yourselves.”

Neji was one second away from admonishing his uncle before he stopped himself. “A video?” he asked.

Hiashi smiled. “Don’t you ever think about committing those delicious acts of sodomy to video?”

Neji glared at his uncle. “No, not when you put it that way.”

“Come on, Neji. That Nara has got a body that was made to be in front of a camera. I’ll bet he makes outrageous noises when you make him cum, am I right?”

Neji blinked slowly. “We are not having this discussion, uncle!”

“Fine, then make a video and let me watch it. That way you don’t have to tell me anything I want to know!”

“Are you daft? Shikamaru would never ever speak to me again if I did that!”

“Well he wouldn’t have to know, would he?”

“You underestimate him, uncle. He didn’t get to be a special investigator by winning a trivia contest. He’s far more observant than the two of us combined. Trust me, he’d know.”

Hiashi sighed. He knew he wasn’t going to win this one, so he decided to try a different one.

“Are you going to bottom for him this weekend?”

Neji blinked. He looked at his uncle, who clearly had the emotional maturity of a fifteen-year-old boy, and sighed. What was Neji going to do with the man?

“Uncle, it’s getting dark, and I’m hungry. Go on, get going.”

“Have you at least considered it?”

“Goodnight, uncle.”

“Neji, honestly, the two of you are playing house on my yacht for the entire weekend and I’m to get nothing? No video, not even a little kiss and tell? It isn’t fair!”

“I guess you’ll have to make some videos of your own when you return, now get going!”

Neji turned to head back inside the yacht when he heard his uncle call out, “we’re not through discussing this, Neji!”

Don’t I know it, Neji thought to himself as he entered the room. The lights from the kitchen and dining room were both out and the Nara was nowhere in sight.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Neji found his lover in the cabin. Shikamaru had just completed the task of unpacking their bags and putting their things away. Shikamaru looked up when Neji entered.

“Do you want to get a shower before dinner, or do you want to wait?”

Neji didn’t answer. He walked over to his lover, wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed him deeply. The Nara eagerly joined in, wrapping his arms around Neji’s neck.

“I want to lay you on this big bed and have my way with you”, Neji told his lover, breaking the kiss, “but I need a decent meal in me first.”

“Do you want to raid the kitchen?” Shikamaru asked.

“You mean the galley, land lover.”

Shikamaru smiled. “Just for that, you have to cook.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Neji found the yacht’s galley stocked to capacity. Their decision to dine in was made for them when the Hyuuga discovered fresh yellowtail, salmon and tuna fillet on ice in a cooler. Neji and Shikamaru dined on fresh sashimi. Neji drank his junmai-shu while Shikamaru opted for green tea.

“Who knew you were so handy with a sushi knife?” Shikamaru asked.

Neji smiled. “I am a man of many talents.”

Shikamaru smiled at his lover. It felt so good to sit there with him, enjoying sushi on the elder Hyuuga’s yacht. The Nara thought back to a month ago, before he had become his partner’s lover. What would he have been doing on a Friday evening like this? Whatever it would have been, it certainly couldn’t compare to what he was doing at that moment.

“We’re on for family dinner next Saturday, by the way”, Neji announced, taking a sip of sake.

Shikamaru drank his tea. “Yeah, I know. Dad called.”

“Hey, how come you didn’t tell me about Nara Labs?” Neji asked.

“What would have been the point?” Shikamaru asked in response.

“Well”, Neji responded, “you once told me that being a special investigator was all that you ever had. Then I find out that your entire family is chemists operating a successful business selling herbal fitness and nutrition products. What’s the story?”

“The story is that Nara Labs is my father’s star to follow, not mine.” The Nara drank his tea. “Neji, my father is a genius at chemistry; unmatched in his field, if you ask me. There was no place for me to go in my family’s business where I wouldn’t be obscured by my father’s shadow. I didn’t think it was a good way to begin my adult life. So I stumbled on my own star, and here I am.”

Neji could certainly appreciate the Nara wanting to make a mark on the world independent of his father’s legacy.

“I guess I can’t argue with your logic.” Neji put his cup down. “And no one is happier that you are here than I am, Shikamaru.”

“Gods, Neji”, the Nara responded, smiling brightly, “you say the nicest things.”

It was still strange for Shikamaru to find himself on the receiving end of such compliments. He’d never in his life felt so cherished by someone to whom he wasn’t related. And Neji seemed so comfortable with it all, as though their being together was a universal inevitability. As though the Hyuuga had waited patiently for what he wanted, and now had it.

How had Shikamaru lived before he and Neji found their way to each other?

“What are you thinking about?” Neji asked. He knew the expressions the Nara made when he was deep in thought.

Shikamaru scratched his head. “You know, right now I’m trying to remember what my life was like before you and I became an item, and you know what—it isn’t easy to do. In fact, it’s getting harder every day.”

Neji drank his sake. “Does it bother you?”

“A little…I mean, what was I doing? Working, and not sleeping? How much time have I wasted in a…a trance?”

Neji put down his sake cup and leaned across the table, staring directly at his handsome lover. “Let me remind you of something you told me after our first night together when I lamented the lost time. You told me that we’re here now, together now, and asked if it counted for anything.” Neji placed his hand over Shikamaru’s on the table. “I’m telling you that’s all that matters now.” Neji wove his fingers through Shikamaru’s, lifting their hands between them. I’m pretty sure I have fallen in love with you, Neji thought but didn’t say aloud.

The hand that held Shikamaru’s was warm; the eyes that Shikamaru’s were the most beautiful he had ever beheld. “I still don’t know how a guy like me got so lucky.”

“If it was luck, then we both got lucky, Shikamaru Nara.” Neji put the hands to his face and kissed the fingers interlaced with his own. “I’m grateful for every moment.”

Shikamaru was so moved by his lover’s gestures that he felt like crying. When did he become such a blubbering mess? “You know, I think my life might have started over that night.”

“I know mine did”, was Neji’s calm response. “So it’s all right if you can’t remember your life before that night. We’re making new memories together now.”

Shikamaru liked the sound of that. “Speaking of making new memories”, Shikamaru responded, pulling his hand away reluctantly and standing up from the table, “I think it’s bath time. Why don’t I put this stuff away and I’ll meet you in that big bathtub I saw in the bathroom?”

Neji smiled. “It’s a date.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: (1) The Love Boat™ is owned by Aaron Spelling, I make no claim on it.
(2) Tanoshikatta translates to “a good time” or “fun”.
(3) junmai-shu translated means "pure sake". No adding of distilled alcohol.

So, Kiba is in a bad way, and has been sent home by an irate shift commander who has found it necessary to intervene. In the meantime, Neji and Shikamaru are on the yacht frolicking. Isn’t it interesting how those three lives are intertwined but the emotions being felt are on opposite ends of the spectrum?

And is Hiashi a major perv in this fic, or what? When does the guy find the time to practice law? I am enjoying this profoundly OOC Hiashi, I may write him into his own fic in the future.

There is lemon on its way, folks. Stay tuned!