The Choices Between Friends

A/N: Fairy Niamh, my most amazing beta and loving sister did a quick beta on this awhile ago, but the final hasn’t been done yet. Fairy isn't able to beta right now and I promised an update this weekend, so I hope this doesn’t have too many errors.

-----------------

Chapter 32: Spying and Assumptions

The next day, Neji watched Kiba a little bemused. His boyfriend seemed more agitated than usual. They ate in relative silence for a few moments. Kiba let out a guilty sigh. "I went to apologize to Shino when you and Nar were hanging out with Iruka."



"Oh?"



"Yeah. He was really sick and all alone."



A twinge of guilt hit Neji. He hadn't returned to the suite until rather late. Shino's door had been closed and he had thought nothing of it. He'd simply gone to bed.



"I hadn't known."



"He was better when I left but..." Kiba stopped there. He didn't look up at Neji. He seemed pre-occupied with his hands. Neji waited patiently, he had time.



Kiba let out an irritated growl. "I was a little pissed when his so-called friends showed up and had no clue he'd been sick. I kinda... well I... Shit, Neji! I was an ass again and I'm afraid I made things bad for you or Shino." Kiba was looking away from Neji, toward the parking lot.



"In all fairness, Kiba; Shino is a very private person. He does not seem to let a lot of people into his confidence. It doesn't surprise me that his friends were not aware of his condition." Neji tried to explain gently. He placed his hand over Kiba's tightly clasped hands. He may not like Shino's friends, but fair was fair after all.



"Never even occurred to me," Kiba admitted softly. "You guys are so different from us." His voice was so quiet, it worried Neji. "He was just so sick Neji. I almost took him to the hospital. If he hadn't gotten better I would have."



A thought occurred to Neji. "How long were you with him yesterday?"



Kiba shrugged. "Most of the day. You guys are so weird... you have more than most people, AND everyone wishes they were you or like you; but you don't have people." Kiba looked at Neji then and there was pity in his usually feral eyes.



"You're surrounded by people, but completely alone. It's messed up! He wouldn't even call his family for help..." Kiba looked away shaking his head sadly.



Neji was not overly fond of pity. Such a thing made his skin prickle, but Kiba's keen understanding and obvious distress overrode his normal reactions. Instead he reached out to run his fingers through Kiba's unruly hair. Kiba turned to him in surprise at the tender and rather public gesture.



He said the first thing that popped into his dazed head. "You gotta let me work on your car. It's gawd awful boring!"



Neji laughed. It was a pure and beautiful sound and there was no way Kiba could keep from grinning. They didn't know, though Neji should have suspected, there were several pairs of eyes on them, watching every move with keen intent.



------------------



Itachi tapped his painted fingernails against the steering wheel as he waited for Neji to pull out onto the street. He and Gaara were wondering just what the other main was up to. Kiba, for whatever reason had attracted an inordinate amount of Gaara's attention and the red head had informed Itachi that he would be looking into the man personally. It was interesting, considering that with a snap of a finger Gaara could have an army of people with less than scrupulous morals dissecting Kiba's entire life history.



He couldn't be sure, but Gaara almost seemed threatened by Kiba and THAT could only be because of Shino. The stern red head had enjoyed a unique position as Shino's closest confidant and friend for quite some time now. No one got that close to the introverted man, no one but Gaara. Yet, somehow Kiba seemed to have slipped right up to Shino without even trying.



Gaara was concerned and Itachi was intrigued, so here they were; following Neji around town. At first it was to find Kiba, which they'd done; but instead of staying and watching Kiba's place of employment Itachi decided to follow Neji. Kiba wasn't going anywhere and at least now they knew where he worked. They could find him again easily. Gaara did not comment on Itachi's course of action.



A short time later, Itachi was puzzled. Neji had obviously brought lunch to Kiba. They had seemed to have a serious and intimate conversation while sharing it. He had found it intriguing to watch as real emotions played out across the stoic Hyuuga's face. However, now Neji was leaving another upscale restaurant with more food to go. "Now just what is he up to?" Neither he or Gaara ventured a guess.



Neji pulled up in front of the 'Ink Works' and quickly unloaded the food he'd bought for Nara. His tattooed lover was working on the monthly reconciliations for the shop today. Itachi and Gaara watched Neji disappear inside the old building. Itachi noted the sign, 'Ink Works'.



The older Uchiha brother googled it on his phone. "It's a tattoo parlor," he told Gaara. He hadn't been able to keep the incredulity out of his voice. Gaara just gave him an intrigued look.



An hour later, Neji emerged with a slender brunette in tow. Neji smiled at the other fondly as they stood by his car. The brunette gave him a wry smile and took his hand for a gentle, and if body language meant anything, meaningful squeeze. As Neji drove off, the brunette went back inside the shop.



'Quite attractive, if odd choice.' Itachi thought. His interest was definitely piqued. He never would have imagined Neji to be a two-timer, but it certainly looked as if he had been wrong. Of course, he never would have pictured Neji with a rough and tumble kind of guy like Kiba if he hadn't seen it himself. Now, Itachi was wondering just what the normally aloof Hyuuga was doing with this slender tattooed beauty.



"Full sleeves," Gaara commented cryptically.



"Yes, I noticed that." The brunette's forearms were completely covered with colorful tattoos. His hair had been pulled up into a ponytail high on tip his head. Itachi had seen the tell tale glint of pierced ears. This was far too good an opportunity to waste. "Didn't you want a tattoo at some point?" Itachi asked casually. Gaara shrugged and moved to get out of the car. Apparently he was curious as well.



It never crossed their minds to follow Neji to see what else he could be up to. The probability that Neji might show them something more interesting than this new discovery was outweighed by the possibility that their new discovery was a customer and not an employee of this shop and they may never locate him again.



They missed Neji's short stop at the Japanese restaurant before he was off to the music shop and headed toward his adorable blond lover.



----------



The door opened and Haku looked up from arranging his sterile equipment. He was meticulous; Nara had actually thanked him for that. Haku had of course hidden just how much he'd liked the compliment. He really was getting to like this place too much. That would make moving on difficult. He shook his head at the thought.



He looked up toward the door and saw two very striking men. One was tall and slender with long dark black hair and a very pretty face. The other was pale with bright red hair and brilliant green eyes. He wasn't as tall as the other but his presence was every inch as powerful. Haku liked men like that, men with personalities that were a force that surrounded them and demanded acknowledgment. A little shiver ran down his spine. These were the kind of men he was 'supposed' to avoid. 'But they are the most fun to play with,' a little voice in the back of his head whispered.



The dark headed one moved into the shop like a king entering a ballroom. Haku almost laughed, 'Yes, playing with these kinds of men is way too much fun.' The red head took a moment to look over the 'art' on the walls, examples of the shops wares. He paused over a few pictures of the more extravagant tattoos that had been done at the shop. Haku could see the disdain in the emerald eyes. He could almost guess the kind of tattoo this man would want. It would be something simple but symbolic or ironic. This was a man who would appreciate irony.



Pein approached the regal raven first. "Can we help you?" he asked doubtfully.



"My friend," Itachi said to the pierced man facing him as he gestured to Gaara; "is interested in a tattoo."



Gaara stepped forward, pulled something out of his wallet and handed it to the white haired man. Pein took it and frowned. "Simple," he said in obvious disappointment.



Gaara pointed to his forehead, "Here."



Pein's eyes lost their dull disinterest "Huh. Okay. Normally you'd have to make an appointment, weeks ahead. You're lucky, we aren't real busy 'cause of the festival." Pein glanced at the office door. "Still, our office manager requires a twenty-four hour wait, so people don't flip out after. Or at least can't blame us when they flip out. So we can make the appointment for tomorrow and give ya' a day to think about it."



Itachi still hadn't seen the brunette. The thought of coming back seemed tedious until his eyes settled on a dainty dark haired boy who was watching him from beneath lush lashes. Gaara was still speaking to the pierced man about his tattoo.



"And which of these are yours?" He asked with an elegant gesture toward the sample photos. The dark haired beauty smirked mischievously as he strolled over to the tall man talking to Gaara. He lifted the man's shirt displaying twin rows of piercings leading down in a 'V' from the man's pierced nipples to his navel. The brunette dropped the cloth and patted the stunned man's stomach with a sadistic little smile. The piercings were obviously fresh and painful.



"MotherFucker!" The pale haired man roared. The backdoor opened and the pony-tailed brunette stuck his head out scowling.



"Fucking little bitch did that on purpose!" Pein hissed.



'Ponytail' looked at the 'Bitch' and queried, "Haku?"



"The Baka insisted on finishing all his piercings at once." The delicate beauty shrugged as sauntered back to his station.



There was a quiet brunette with one eye completely covered by his hair snickering in a corner and a blond who somehow looked more feminine than even the haughty brunette was trying very hard to hide his amusement.



'Ponytail's' head drooped in resignation. "Pein, you're a moron. Haku, try not to hurt him anymore today, okay? Izumo, Diedara, go unload the truck when it gets here in a few minutes." The brown head disappeared for a moment before re-appearing long enough to give one more order. "Pein, make sure you get the paperwork filled out correctly." Then he was gone.



"Why does he make me feel like a fifth grader?" Izumo asked plaintively.



"Because compared to him in the brains department, we're all fifth graders!" Pein winced and grumbled as he went to get the forms.



"Hn, geniuses..." The blond called Diedara shrugged.



The pretty brunette, 'Haku' turned towards the 'Prince' and waited to see if the man had anything else to say.



Itachi saw it as an opportunity. "Is he always like that?" He asked nodding toward the closed door.



Haku shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I'm freelance."



"Haku just started here. He hasn't been with us long enough to get to know the genius. He only comes in every so often to handle bills, payroll, and stuff like that." Pein handed the papers to Gaara "Let's get a time in the book before I forget."



Gaara made his appointment and they left. Itachi only said one word "Genius?" It was laden with intense interest. Gaara just nodded.



----------------



After he finished at the shop, Shikamaru took advantage of the opportunity to grab a nap. He didn't expect anybody to show up until later. 'Hmmm, soft…’ was his last thought as he cuddled up with one of the many pillows scattered around his apartment.



Nara was sound asleep on the couch. Kiba unlocked the door and paused at the sight of his friend sprawled obliviously. Soft snores reached his ears and he could only grin. Chouji was coming buy later and Neji had offered to pick Nar up after work.



They didn't know what they were doing tonight. Whatever it was, they'd be together again soon. 'Just like that first night.' Kiba smiled. 'Maybe we can take him out again... dress 'im up a bit...' Kiba was picturing Neji in something tight, ripped up and sexy. His smile widened. Nara's snores got a little louder and his friend chuckled at him. Kiba decided to let Sleeping Beauty snore on. A plan was already forming in the back of his head. He was feeling a little frustrated and wanted to do more than just sit around watching movies.



----------------



"I wanna go next time!" Kanky was actually bouncing on the couch. They were in Shino's suite as usual. Shino had a late lab. Itachi and Gaara were filling Kankurou in on what they had learned from following Neji. "I can't believe that uppity bastard Neji is a two-timer!"



Shino dropped the books he'd been carrying right where he stood. He looked as if someone had thrown an ice cold bucket of water on him. "Wha... what did you say?"



Kanky didn't know why, but he bit the inside of his lip. There was no reason for it, but he really didn't want to be the one to tell Shino. Gaara was openly annoyed. Itachi didn't know whether it was because of Kankurou's carelessness or because of Shino's obvious distress. There was no helping it. Itachi sighed, "It seems that Neji is seeing Kiba; and another man. It would seem that Neji Hyuuga is not the chivalrous knight everyone has been led to believe."



Shino's heart seized like an overheated engine. "That... that's not possible." He whispered.



Kankurou misunderstood. "Don't tell me you've fallen for that naughty beauty too!" He threw his hands in the air. "Is there no one that gorgeous man can't seduce?"



A deep accusatory chuckle stopped him cold. Itachi smirked when the idiot turned. "Was that a love confession?"



"NO! I am not in love with Neji Hyuuga... I'd rock his world in a heartbeat though." Kanky licked his lips before gesturing emphatically toward Shino. "Besides, if Shino's not immune, no one is!"



Gaara was certain Shino was not in love with Neji, however Shino did admire Neji. Of course he would feel a bit betrayed by the revelation. Itachi saw a little deeper. While Kanky made an idiot out of himself, Shino's pale lips moved soundlessly 'Kiba...' There was no doubt that the low class cur had found a way into the shy man's heart.



The raven calmly cleared his throat. "I do believe this matter requires further investigation." He shot a 'shut up' look at Kanky that even the great moron couldn't misunderstand.



"I have an appointment in a few days. Kanky, you will NOT be coming. It's up to Shino if he wishes to or not." With that, Gaara put an end to things very effectively.





---------------------



Kiba had everything ready before waking Nara. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty...." He called from above the couch. Nara just grunted. Kiba rolled his eyes. He leaned down and called softly into the man's delicate pierced ear. "Hey, sexy... you better get up now." It was a warning, one that Nara ignored by burrowing deeper into the pillows. Kiba grinned. 'So, ya wanna be stubborn? Okay... I can do stubborn too.'



Kiba knelt down on the floor, his right arm curled around Nara's head. His hand hovered above Nara's elegant neck. His left hand was poised and ready to strike. He lowered his head and breathed softly against the stubborn man's ear. Nara shivered. Kiba's course hot tongue traced the delicate shell. His right hand began to caress Nara's bare neck, tickling the soft flesh. Nara grumbled. 'Troublesome...', but didn't wake.



Kiba grinned evilly. His skilled hands unfastened the brunette's trousers enough to allow his calloused fingers to slide inside. They slipped under the loose boxers and gently squeezed Nara's flaccid dick. Nara groaned and flopped around a bit, but otherwise stubbornly remained asleep.



"Sometimes," Kiba whispered. "Sometimes, you make it way too easy..." The pants were opened further and Nara's slowly rousing member was released from its cloth prison. Kiba licked his lips. "Itadakimasu."



He licked from the base slowly before taking the entire thing into his mouth, licking and sucking teasingly until the cock in his mouth began to respond. Nara was almost fully aroused, before he was fully roused from sleep. His eyes opened to Kiba's wild brown haired head bobbing energetically at his crotch. "Fuck. Kiba... Ah, ha, uhn..." His hips moved on their own. He was trying to resist. The 'rules' were running through his head. "Damnit...."



He was just about to say 'stop' that was as soon as he could manage more words when Kiba's head came up and those feral eyes glittered with mischief.”Oh, you're up now."



The double meaning was not lost on the genius. He grabbed the nearest pillow and walloped the asshole. "Dick."



Kiba stood up, wiping the saliva from his mouth. "Yup, that's what I was sucking." He grinned again as he easily caught the pillow Nara flung at his head. "You might want to take care of that before everybody gets here. He nodded down at Nara's still hard cock.



"Troublesome..."



Kiba smirked as he watched his friend walk slowly to the bathroom. While Nara took care of his little problem, Kiba got the items from the bedroom. Nara hadn't locked the door. When Kiba heard the shower running, he tossed the bundle of clothes onto the counter. Now to get the others on board.



---------------



Naruto was locking up when he got the text. 'WANNA PLAY DRESS UP?'



Kiba was obviously up to something.



'SURE. WHAT'S THE GAME?'



'I'VE GOT NARA, U TAKE CARE OF PRETTY BOY.'



Naruto bit his lip. He wasn't sure exactly what Kiba had in mind, but he was sure he could come up with something. 'K'



Neji was waiting in the back of the shop when Naruto finished up. Genma was staring at him with a mix of lust and intimidation. Neji was steadfastly ignoring it. The blond giggled. "Are you ready Tesoro?"



"Yup, but there's something I wanna do before we go to Nara's..." He bit his bottom lip and Neji smiled.



"Anything." Neji said sincerely and Nar's face bloomed. He loved being loved and spoiled. It was something he'd only ever gotten from his friends and they always had to tease him a bit before giving in. Neji offered him anything he wanted without question.



He bounced suddenly very excited. "Yay!"



It was like the sun coming out from under a cloud. Even Genma's scowl couldn't withstand the sudden flood of happiness in the room.



"Let's go. By Gen!"

~tbc~

There’s a lot more ‘fun’ coming in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.