The Choices Between Friends

Chapter 36:

Chicken and Waffles and a side of Temptation

Things weren’t turning out quite how Kiba had planned, but Nar was so damn happy it didn't really matter. Haku had followed them to one of their favorite late night eateries. The specialty of the house was fried chicken and waffles.



It was Chou's favorite place. Nara had texted the big guy to meet them there after he got off work. It couldn't hurt to have a little backup.



Haku left his car at the club and rode in between Kiba and Nar while Nara sat up front with Neji, his earlier discomfort forgotten thanks to his current concerns. Haku and Kiba played a friendly flirting game, it didn’t feel threatened by this. Kiba was only playing. Nara would know if he was serious. He was also fairly sure Haku wasn't interested in Nar in 'that' way. He was more concerned with what kind of influence Haku might have on his rambunctious blond lover.



Chou was already there, saving a table for them. He couldn’t help but blink when Kiba held the door open for... well, he wasn’t sure. The pretty face, the long luxurious black hair, the tight purple baby-T, the loose black jeans with the little half skirt thing, and the chunky military boots made him think ‘girl’, but something told him that would be very very wrong. That feeling combined with the fact that Kiba did not generally get along well with women left Chouji staring at the prettiest, daintiest, and most alluring ‘man’ he’d ever seen. ‘I gotta get more straight friends.’ The big guy thought ruefully as he waved them over. He forced a smile as he stood to greet his friends.



The pixy was sticking close to Kiba. “Hey Chou, this is Haku. He works with Nara.”



Kiba kinda pushed Haku at the big man. Chou held out a beefy hand “Hi, I’m Chouji, everybody calls me Chou.”



Haku caught Kiba with an elbow in retaliation for the shove. Kiba laughed. Haku rolled his pretty brown eyes. “Hello Chou-kun, it's nice to meet you.”



Nara’s jaw hit the floor. Haku almost seemed... normal. “Chou-kun?” The big man queried.



Haku’s smile deepened. “Old habit, I assumed you were the same age as these puppies.” Haku waved at Nara, Nar, and Kiba. He excluded Neji. They all slid into the booth. Haku was between Kiba and Nar, with Kiba on the end. Nara was to the blond’s right. Neji and Chou were across from the newcomer.



Chouji still looked confused. “Don’t you speak Japanese?” Haku asked incredulously. He was absolutely certain everyone at the table was of Japanese descent.



Chouji blinked. “Well, yeah.. but um, how old are you?”



Haku laughed and it was like the tinkling of raindrops on a crystal vase. “Now, really Chou-kun; is that a polite question?” Haku shot him a coy wink.



Chou blushed without understanding why he would. This ‘guy’ wasn’t like any ‘guy’ he’d ever met. ‘I really really REALLY have to get more straight friends.’ The big man kept his mouth shut as he regarded the pretty little man. ‘I think it’s starting to affect me... My mom would just die if she doesn’t get grandkids...’



Haku cocked his head to the side and regarded the giant curiously. “Do you really want to know?”



Chou pulled himself from thoughts of his mother sobbing dramatically and his dad kicking his ass for it. “Um, no... It’s okay.”



Nar grinned at his new friend. “It’s okay, ‘cause if you ever go to a club he works at, he’ll find out anyway.”



Chou grinned at the blond imp. “True.”



“Oh?” Haku was curious. “So, just what is it you do Chou-kun?”



Kiba smiled evilly. “Chou has the best job ever.”



Haku’s pretty face turned toward the ‘puppy’. “And what would you think the perfect job was?”



“He gets to hand people their asses and get paid for it.”



Haku turned back to the big man, leaning forward a little. “A boxer? Or mixed martial artist?”



The others were a little startled. ‘Why did his head automatically go there?’ Nara wondered.



“Um, no.... I’m just a bouncer. I work at several clubs as a kind of fill in. When I’m not doing that I help my dad.’



“Chou’s dad runs a youth dojo a few blocks from our shop. Chou’s good with kids.”



Haku looked thoughtful. “What clubs?”



When Haku had leaned forward his short shirt rose up a little in the back. His loose pants had a bit of a gap in the back when he sat like that. Kiba didn’t mean to look down, but when he did, his eyes rounded. He had to fight the giggle of demented glee.



Kiba chuckled. “Lookin’ for a new scene? Princess...” He didn’t hold back any longer, guffawing as he slapped ‘his highness’ on the back playfully.



Haku didn’t turn to look at him. He grimaced and shook his head ruefully. “Just now noticing that?” He sighed. “Really puppy, you aren’t very observant are you?”



Kiba just kept laughing. “Yeah, I’ll admit it’s pretty noticeable, but to be honest I haven’t been ogling your ass like all the other guys were.”



“Should I thank you for your restraint?” The dark haired beauty snarked.



Nara and Neji knew what the other two were talking about. Both men were very observant and had seen Haku around the tattoo shop. Chou wasn’t sure he wanted to know what they were talking about. Nar was about to explode he was so curious.



Haku caught the look on the little blond’s face as well as Chou’s. He had the impression he made the big man uncomfortable. It was something he was actually used to. He’d been mistaken for a girl his whole life and had to deal with the occasional hetero being shaken by his appearance. He shoved the guffawing idiot out of the booth unceremoniously, grabbed Nar’s hand and proceeded to drag his new friend out of the booth.



“Hey, where are you going?” Kiba called after them.



“Bathroom,” Haku called back.



Kiba turned toward the table. “Okay, so when did we start going to the bathroom in pairs like chicks?” He of course spoke a little too loudly.



Nara groaned and hid his head behind Neji’s back. “Kiba,” Neji spoke gently. “Please sit down.”



“Oh... okay.” Kiba sat down looking toward where his two birds had flown.



Haku shut the bathroom door behind them and locked it. He leaned against the door and regarded the cute little blond. “You wanna see don’t you?”



Nar grinned and nodded like an exuberant child. Haku turned around, lifted his shirt with one hand and pulled at the back of his pants with the other. In elegant script and beautiful color was one English word. “Princess”. Nar oohed and awed. He didn’t even think about it, he just reached forward to touch the slightly raised flesh where the needle had marked the other man’s lovely pale flesh. Haku flinched in surprise at the warm touch. Nar pulled back as if burnt, blushing like a tomato. “Sorry!”



Haku giggled. “It’s okay. You can if you want.”



He’d traced Nara’s tattoos many times, somehow this was different. “It feels different...”



“Than what?”



Nar looked up at his friend’s turned head. “Oh, it just feels different than Nara’s.”



“I got it in Japan. It’s traditional, Tebori.”



“Wow. I heard that’s painful.”



“Yeah, and expensive.” Haku turned around adjusting his clothes a bit. “An old... boyfriend paid to get it done.” There was an odd and less than pleasant emphasis on the word ‘boyfriend’.



Nar instinctively diverted the conversation. “Nara and Neji won’t let me get one.”



Haku pulled an irritated face. “What do you mean won’t let you? It’s your body isn’t it?”



“Yeah, well they say it would...” Nar stopped himself too late blushing.



Haku arched a fine black eyebrow and waited.



“It’s embarrassing...”



Again, Haku waited.



Nar buckled under the stern stare. “Well, they say it would ‘mar my beautiful skin’.” His face was set ablaze as he tried not to look at the other man.



“Nar, you shouldn’t let what others want keep you from what you want.” Haku was deadly serious as he regarded a man who seemed to be younger than him in more than years. Haku had ‘life experience’ in areas Nar obviously didn’t.



“I know and if I really wanted it, I’d do it. It’s just not worth listening to them pout.” Haku wasn’t sure if Nar really believed that.



Haku decided to voice his unbiased opinion and hopefully make Nar feel better. “I hate to admit it, but I think their right.” Those big blue eyes widened even as he continued speaking. “I don’t think you’re the tattoo type,” Haku’s eyes narrowed in mischievous evil. “but you’d look great pierced.”



Those sapphires brightened. “You think so? I thought a belly button would be cool, but they threw a fit about that too.”



Haku nodded. “Nipples would look good.” Nar bit his lip and blushed again. “Oh, and a tongue piercing. One, it isn’t in the skin. Two,” Haku exposed his own neatly pierced tongue for a moment to give Nar a good look. “They won’t complain once you learn how to use it.”



He gave the blond a cheeky wink before insisting, “but you have to let me do it. Got it. Those other hacks really could mar your beauty.”



“Um, okay... Thanks. I’ll think about it, okay.” Nar was unconsciously rubbing his chest as if he could already feel the weight of little golden rings hanging from the pert little nubs under the soft fabric. Haku laughed and the tinkling of bells seemed to fill the air. Nar grinned foolishly when he realized what he was doing.



“Are yours pierced?” He whispered as they exited the bathroom.



Haku winked at him. “Not anymore.”



“Um... so do you have any... others?” Nar whispered again in his ear as they neared the table. It was Haku’s turn to blush.



Haku let his silky black hair fall across his face, blocking the others from seeing as he looked deep in Nar’s eyes and whispered nose to nose. “May-be.”



Nar inadvertently looked down to Haku’s crotch and then back up again. “Nuh uh?!” He breathed, hanging on to Haku’s shoulders in shock.



“Now why little dove,” Haku whispered in an maliciously seductive tone, “why did your mind automatically go there?”



Nar sealed his lips to lock in the hysterical fit of mortified laughter threatening to break forth. Haku couldn’t resist. He pulled the blond close in front of a room full of drunkards eating chicken and waffles and kissed the little pervert on the mouth before putting the last nail in the adorable man’s proverbial coffin. “Naughty naughty boy, if you ever let anyone but me do that piercing I’ll tan your cute little behind.”



Nar started to hyperventilate as he tried not to laugh out loud. He sank to his knees holding his sides with one arm and the other hand covering his mouth and nose. He’d die if he snorted in front of everyone. Haku’s hair still hid his face as he stared down at his incapacitated victim feeling just a little bad, but only just a little.



Nara was already making plans, how and when to kill the little shit and the best ways to dispose of the body. Neji was not pleased, not at all, but he was unsure how to proceed. Nar was obviously becoming very attached to this Haku character and he would not want to upset his Tesoro.



He glanced at his Beleza as the murderous aura began to permeate the very air around the tattooed and volatile beauty. He shot a sidelong glance at his third lover and was a little pleased to see a slightly disturbed look on the ‘devil’s’ face. Teufel was not attracted to Nar and Neji was now certain beyond a doubt that his wild boyfriend was not interested in Haku. Neji looked back towards the side of the table and caught Chou’s dumbfounded expression in the corner of his eye. The man looked positively conflicted. He heard a soft exhaled of breath. “It’s official. I’m infected.” Neji blinked, unsure if he had heard that correctly.



Haku poked at Kiba until he slid over to let Nar into the booth. Haku slid in to perch on the end next to the still blushing blond. Haku’s expression was what one might expect upon the cat that’d swallowed the canary.



“Um, sooo.... We ordered for you....” Chou tried to change the subject.



“Yeah, ‘cause you were gone so damn long.” Kiba groused as he turned his attention to his food.



Haku regarded his plate skeptically. Nar drizzled syrup over his food before doing the same for Haku. “Trust me, it’s good.” Haku turned to say something only to get a maple covered drumstick shoved in his mouth.



He set it down on his plate and used his fork to tear off a piece of meat and hesitantly put the syrup immersed meat and breading into his mouth. When the flavors hit his tongue he choked and gagged. He grabbed a napkin and spit the horrendous concoction into it. “Kami! That’s awful! I’d rather eat two week old sweat socks!”



Nar choked on his waffles. After swallowing almost painfully, he collapsed in hysterical laughter. Chou’s expression was one of complete and utter betrayal. Kiba looked across at Neji and witnessed a quieter and better hidden but obviously resounding affirmation of Haku’s assessment. Neji looked like he was going to turn green as he forced himself to swallow the small bite of maple and oil drenched bird.



Nar and Nara were teasing Haku about just how he might know the flavor of said sweat socks. Haku assured them that he did not have a foot fetish, but left with no other alternatives, he would choose sucking a rugby player’s toes rather than eat what was on the plate in front of him.



Chou actually felt a pang of heartbreak before relief set in. Whatever attraction he had been feeling toward Haku disappeared in a sigh as he reached across the table and collected all but the drumstick from the man’s plate.



“Please tell me they serve cheeseburgers or something edible here?” Haku whined overdramatically.



Kiba waved the waitress over. Haku ordered a cheeseburger and fries. The waitress began to leave, but Kiba stopped her. “Double that please.” She made the note and walked away.



“Pig.” Nar teased. Kiba winked at Neji as he pinched Nar’s arm.



“Ow!” Nar stuck his tongue out at his mean friend.



They began chatting and laughing about meaningless things and without any real effort Haku began to meld into the group as if he’d always been there. Nara’s anxiety was forgotten as the two of them descended into a heated debate over which was the better game; shoji, go, or chess.



When the burgers arrived, Kiba handed the second across the table to Neji. The beautiful man hesitated for a moment, he could hardly believe that he had shown his dislike so openly. Kiba just smirked at him, leaving him no alternative but to end the awkward moment by accepting the plate. Haku watched the exchange over his burger as he took a huge bit. Haku knew Neji’s  type and there was something nice about watching the alabaster beauty transform into a ‘real boy’. Neji would not have liked being compared to Pinocchio, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t bother Haku one bit.



The night had not gone as Kiba had planned but it had turned out well. Everyone seemed more relaxed and happy than they had before. He watched his lovers and his friends and was pleased, a fleeting thought flittered across his erratic mind, ‘wonder what Shino would think of us...’ He hoped Shino had the same feeling when with his friends, but somehow he doubted it. For a moment a shadow of sadness marred his happiness before he could shake it off. “So, Princess...” He started to ask Haku as they were heading for Neji’s car. He was interrupted.



“I really don’t like being called that...” Haku tried to make it sound offhand, he was unsuccessful.



Kiba dropped his arm across Haku’s shoulder and asked the obvious question. “Then why keep the tat?”



Haku stopped and looked up at him with an unreadable expression. He didn’t answer, whether it was because he was interrupted or because he chose not to was something only he would know. Nar glomped on to him from behind. “I’m so glad I got to meet you. You’ll have to come by the shop I work at, k?”



Haku hugged him back. “Of course watachi no kawaii petto*.”



“He’s not your pet,” Nara growled as he approached them. Neji was still a bit ahead of them and out of earshot.



Haku smirked at him as he continued to hug Nar. “Well, he can be if he wants to be.”



Nar caught on about then and bit his lip.. “Um, I’m kinda ‘taken’, but I really do like you, as a friend...” He’d never been very good at rejecting people he actually liked.



Haku burst out laughing, he fell back into Kiba clutching his stomach. The wild man caught and held him as Nara glared holes through him. “Oh you are too sweet,” Haku gasped wiping his eyes. “I never meant it like that. I just like pushing his buttons.”



He waved at Nara with one hand. “It’s just so easy. He’s going to have a stroke soon if he doesn’t learn to loosen up.” He gave Nara a challenging look waiting to see if the brunette would try to argue. All he got in return was a disgusted sigh as the tattooed man turned and stalked away.



“Think you got his number, huh?” Kiba whispered into a delicate ear as he held the man in place against his chest. His hot moist breath tickled Haku’s sensitive ear. He shuddered unnoticed as Kiba continued in a warning tone. “Be careful. You shouldn’t fuck with a genius unless you intend to get screwed in the end.”



Nar heard it. “I like you Haku, but if you push Nara and upset him too much...”



Haku smiled softly. “I meant no harm. I’m actually trying to help. Don’t worry. I won’t give either of you a reason to hate me.” Somehow that had become very important to him over the course of this night. ‘I really don’t want them to hate me.’ There were many who did and he couldn’t possibly care less. To find people whose opinion of him mattered was a rare thing.



Nar hoped it was true. Kiba squeezed Haku’s arms in a comforting and supportive way. The man had gotten the point. He didn’t need to growl anymore than he had.



“Chou?” Haku called sweetly as the three of them caught up to the others. “Would you mind taking me by my car?” Chou had mentioned where he lived. It was close to the club where Haku’s car sat waiting.



“Sure.” There was a moment of anxiety as Chou remembered his earlier reaction to Haku, then he remembered the man’s disdain for his favorite food in the entire world and his trepidation dissipated.



“Night Nar.” Haku hugged the sweet blond. They had exchanged phone numbers earlier. He fully intended to call the cute little blond.



He turned to the puppy. "Good night Kiba.”



Kiba reached boldly into the man’s pocket, pulled out Haku’s cell phone and dialed his own number. Now he had the little raven’s number and Haku had his. “That guy gives you any trouble...”



Kiba didn’t have to say anymore, Haku caught his meaning. ‘Could you be any more of a watchdog?’ Haku smiled happily and nodded. Not that he needed protection, but it was nice that someone wanted to without expecting anything in return.



“Good night Nara, Neji.” He nodded to each in turn. Nara nodded back grudgingly.



“Good night Haku.” Neji’s good manners demanded a reply. The little goth turned and followed the giant to his car.



Nar watched his new friend go and grinned at Kiba. “I like him.”



“You would.”



Nar stuck his tongue out playfully. “Like you didn’t.” It wasn’t a question.



“Meh, he’s a lot like you only different.” Kiba stated flatly as he slid into the back seat grabbing Nara’s hand and pulling him in behind him, leaving Nar no choice but to take his place up front with Neji.

`tbc`