My Saving Grace

 

Disclaimer – We don’t own Naruto nor any character or setting there from and we’re not making any profit off these writings, it’s all just for fun





Warning – In this chapter…Enter Kisame, does that require a warning? Our couple get steamier with each other.

 

My Saving Grace.



 

Part 4





Itachi walked into Red Dawn Ink & Piercings and smirked when he saw the receptionist flirting with one of the tattoo artists. Deidara was as gay as they come but he would flirt with a lamp post, a true Southern man. Konan, the receptionist, just enjoyed trying to make the blond blush, though it rarely worked. They glanced up as he entered and welcoming smiles stretched over their faces. Konan gestured towards the back. "Kisame's waiting for you. So you're getting the final colors laid down today right?"





He nodded. "Yes."





"I can't wait to see how it turns out."





Itachi walked past them, bumping shoulders with Deidara and brushing his fingers over Konan's hand by way of connecting. These people meant more to him than his parents, they were the 'gang' he'd hung around with in high school and college, a group of friends who'd walk through hell for him and vice versa. He stepped into the back, where his best friend, the man who'd gotten him into Akatsuki in the first place, was setting up everything necessary for finishing the re-worked tattoo.





Kisame Hoshigaki was a big man. Six foot six if he was an inch, broad in the shoulders and thighs, wide in the ass, and hands the size of pie plates. If Kisame hadn't hated any sport that didn't involve water then he'd have made one hell of a left tackle. His skin was the color of polished mahogany with an almost blue tint to it, and he had three tattooed lines along his cheeks just under the eyes that resembled gills. His teeth were atrocious, pointed, and scared the hell out of most people. Never Itachi though. He smirked. "Ready for me you old shark?"





"As ready as I will be I suppose." Kisame sighed but the huge grin on his face showed how happy he was to see his friend. There was a glimmer in Itachi's eyes now that had been missing for a long time and Kisame was relieved and happy to see it back. "So are you ready to get this baby finished? As an artist Kisame was very proud of the phoenix stretching across Itachi's back. It really was among his best work. "Unless of course you've changed your mind again, maybe a rainbow unicorn is what struck your fancy today, you fickle man." Kisame grumbled but the grin never left his face.





The red tinted eyes rolled, something he only expressed around Kisame. "I am not fickle and well you know it." He slipped his shirt off and hung it on one of the hooks on the wall provided for just that purpose before lifting himself onto the table and lying down on his stomach. He cushioned his cheek on his forearms, frowning briefly at the barely noticeable loss of muscle tone. He'd have to start going to the gym and building his muscles back up again.





Kisame only hmm'd absent mindedly and snapped on a pair of thin latex gloves on his large hands and picked up the tattoo needle filled with crimson ink. "So what's new with you?" He asked as the needle buzzed softly as he pressed it against Itachi's flesh, coloring in the last of the phoenix. "You need to come hang out with us more, not just when I'm working on you."





Itachi chuckled softly as the sting of the ink being worked into his skin seared his nerves. It had been a while since he'd come just to hang out with his old friends. Before the cancer he'd been so busy with teaching that he hadn't had time and after...well he'd not precisely been in the proper mood. "I may start doing that. As for what's new, a couple of days ago Sasuke actually panicked and had everyone flocking to his house over Shinji's mild ear infection. He didn't listen to Naruto when he told him it was just an ear infection. Sasuke had to grovel, it was absolutely glorious."





"Your baby brother groveling is always fantastic, Naruto is good for him." Kisame talked easily as he worked the needle with a steady hand. "I still think he would benefit from loosening up a little though, send him here...the first piercing will be a freebie, we can let Naruto choose the spot." Kisame switched needles to one filled with golden orange, used to accent the red in the phoenix's feathers. "Speaking of piercings, when are you going to let me do those nipples of yours? They look so naked without metal in them." Kisame's heavy loops through his own nipples were clearly visible through the thin shirt he was wearing.





The Uchiha snorted. "Not going to happen. Just because you managed to get me drunk enough to indulge in stupidity once does not mean it will happen again." Itachi still remembered the pain that had sobered him up instantly during the frenulum piercing he'd agreed to on a Tequila-hazed dare.





"You love it and you know it." Kisame grinned toothily. "Besides the set is not complete until you let me do the nipples too." The giant switched colors again and wiped away the extra paint with a soft towel.





"I've held out for five years already. Don't look for me to change my mind any time soon." Itachi stretched a foot as the needle once again was put to skin. "What about you Mako? What have you been doing as of late?"





"Ah you know me, raising hell and scaring little old ladies." Kisame chuckled, the many hoops in his ears jingling as he moved. "Nah, Shizune is keeping me on a short leash these days. My hell raising days are over...Though I think I'll always scare little old ladies."





"Of course you will. Most little old ladies are too tied up in propriety to bother looking past the outside. So Shizune hasn't brained you with a frying pan yet?"





"Not yet and I'm not going to give her a reason too either." Kisame's voice and features softened noticeably when he spoke of Shizune. "I'm not going to give her a reason to see sense and figure out that she's much too good for me." He wiped down Itachi's skin again before continuing. "Speaking of hunnies, how's it going with the one who caught your eye? When will you bring him around? He needs to get the Akatsuki stamp of approval you know."





"Soon. It's going well, would have been better if my little brother hadn't panicked and interrupted us during a very nice dance floor session but I'm happy with the way things are going. Though there does seem to be a...complication."





"Complication?" Kisame raised a dark slash of a brow. "What kind of complication? The Itachi I know will let nothing stand in the way of something he wants."





Another snort. "Not that kind of complication moron. Neji is being bothered by an old flame who apparently has no intention of backing off. I am concerned that he might try something desperate and hurt Neji."





"What a creep, I have no respect for people who can't accept no for an answer. Does he seem unstable to you, like he could actually flip and hurt your honey?" Kisame growled the words out. "We can take care of him if you want. Zetsu hasn't had any entertainment for a long time now."





Itachi thought about it, thought about the look in the redhead's eyes the two times he'd met him. It had been disturbingly cold and possessive towards Neji. "I think he could, yes, if he continues not getting his way. I don't think he really wants Neji, not as you do Shizune or Sasuke does Naruto, he doesn't see Neji as a person I don't think but rather as a possession."





"You're a good judge of character and if he seems off to you then I'm sure he is. Keep an eye on your honey and remember that the offer to take care of him still stands." The needle stopped buzzing as Kisame turned it off and placed it in its holder. He rubbed a soothing cream over the tattoo, which would both sooth the skin, keep bacteria away and help the colors set. "There Uchiha, you're done. Do you wanna look at it before I bandage you up?"





He nodded and sat up, going over to the full length mirror and taking the hand mirror from his old friend to look at the work. It was just as he'd wanted, a phoenix rising from smoke and black flames, golden, crimson, and fiery, the ruby colored eye seeming to gleam with an inner fire that would never be extinguished, the feathers spreading gracefully and trailing out in fiery wisps. His lips slowly curved up in a smile that hadn't graced his lips since before his diagnosis of cancer, a smile that spoke of surety of self and he nodded. Yes, this was what he was now, no longer a crow or a raven, now he was a phoenix. He handed the mirror back to Kisame. "Thank you."





"Anytime, you know that Itachi, you're family." Kisame motioned for Itachi to hold up his arms so that he could bandage his back. "You know the drill, take it easy and don't get it wet for a few days."





"Hn." Itachi fell silent for a moment as his back was bandaged then an impish impulse prompted him to say, "So when are you and Shizune going to give me another nephew or even better a niece?"





Kisame stilled as he was putting his things away, he was very particular about keeping each item in its place at the studio. He might be a slob but he took his work very serious. "Oh in about seven and a half month I would think." He replied, smirking when Itachi's eyes widened. "You are not allowed to tell anyone, we're not supposed to tell until Shizune is further along."





A quicksilver grin flashed over Itachi face briefly before he composed his features into their normal placid expression. "Now Mako you know I'm good at keeping secrets. I haven't yet told Shizune about that time you dressed up as a mmmph!" His drawling comment was cut off by a big mahogany hand.





"And you're not going to mention it either, not even when we're alone." Kisame's eyes flashed with embarrassment. "Now get out of here and let me work in peace. But come over sometime just to hang out. We all miss you and Shizune is starting to think you're avoiding her."



Itachi's own eyes glittered with amusement. "I'll come by, you have my word." He sobered a bit. "In regards to the complication in my own budding relationship Kisame, will you all see what you can learn about Gaara Sabaku?"





"Sabaku you say? I think that's some distant relation of Sasori." He scratched the back of his bald head. "I'll look into him; see what I can find out." Kisame nodded and scribbled Gaara's name on a post it so that he wouldn't forget.





"Appreciated. I'll try to stop in sometime next week and if any of you just want to see me sooner you do know where I live." Itachi slipped his shirt back on.





"Good, good. Don't be surprised if I do show up at your doorstep. Shizune is not far along but her hormones are already running rampant. How such a tiny woman can be so violent is beyond me." Kisame's big frame trembled at the mere thought of Shizune in one of her moods. "Take care Uchiha and I'll let you know what I dig up on stalker boy."





Itachi nodded and turned to leave, pausing just at the door to shoot Kisame a smile. "You think your woman is scary? Feel sorry for Lee, Sakura's twice as tiny and three times as violent as Shizune. She almost took a frying pan to my little brother's knees a few months back."





Kisame shuddered. "I'll stick to my crazy woman thank you very much. I couldn't handle more than that. Oh and knowing your brother...He probably deserved to be hit in the knees."





"As it was just after he'd finally pulled his head out of his ass and was pounding on Naruto's door to convince him to talk, yes he did. I'll see you soon Jaws." He slipped out the door, waving at Deidara and Konan in farewell before completely leaving the shop and heading home.



 

oo—oOo—oo

Neji checked that he really did have the right address before he walked up the narrow walkway that led to the steps of a beautiful house. He hadn't seen or talked to Itachi for a few days and he missed him. This was a very impulsive visit and he hoped that Itachi wouldn't mind. Stroking a few strands of hair behind his ear Neji gathered his courage and rang the door bell.





It wasn't long before the door opened and Itachi was blinking at the Hyuga, a stick of dango in his mouth. He reached up and grabbed the stick so he could smile at the other man. "Well this is a surprise, a welcome one. What brings you here?"





"Um...I thought that if you weren't busy then maybe...We could hang out?" Neji hadn't felt this nervous since he was the ignored geek in high school. Was he being too forward? Maybe Itachi had plans; right now Neji wished that a hole would just open him up and swallow him whole.





The Uchiha shifted to allow Neji into the house. "I'm not busy at all. Come on in."





"Thank you." Neji walked past Itachi into the house and toed off his shoes. "Are you sure I'm not being a bother?"





Itachi turned and reached out to trace his fingers over the Hyuga's cheek. "Not in the least, I was just reading a book and nibbling on dango." He leaned closer; his eyes wicked as he took in Neji's slightly uncomfortable body language. "Your inner geek is showing."





"He's never far beneath the surface." Neji replied with a smile as color rose on his cheeks only from Itachi running his fingers over them. "You have a very nice home." Neji looked around appreciatively."





"Thank you." Itachi paused and looked around the desert toned living room that opened into the jewel tones of the kitchen seeing it through Neji's eyes. He gestured to the kitchen table, where a plate was piled high with dango and a laptop sat open. "I was having a snack, would you like some as well?"





Neji lips turned upward. "Are you sure you dare to give me access to your sweets? Remember what happened to the funnel cake." He was quite amazed at the quantity of dango on the plate; it seemed as if Itachi's sweet tooth could rival his own.





The Uchiha chuckled and leaned close so that their noses were a whisper apart. "I'll risk it, happily."





Itachi's breath warmed his face and all Neji wanted to do was to lean in closer until their lips were brushing; losing his nerve he pulled away and sat down at the table instead. "Don't say that I didn't warn you." He said and picked up a stick of dango while he inwardly cursed himself for being such a coward.





The other man chuckled and let himself trail a long lock of dark chocolate hair through his fingers before sitting down and shutting off his computer before grabbing another stick for himself. "So how have you been the past few days?"





"I've been good." Neji nibbled on a dumpling. "Went to visit Naruto, apparently he and Sasuke has made up, if his limp and goofy smile was anything to go by. How about you, how have you been?" He looked up from the dango to look at Itachi.





"Well. I went round to bother a few old friends of mine a couple days ago and received orders to pop by more often." Somehow Itachi had already managed to devour the entire new stick of dango and reached for another one. He didn't really have a sweet tooth, not like Neji, but dango were an exception.





"That's good, friends are important." Neji had never been very popular or had that many friends so that made the once he had even more precious. He continued to eat his stick of dango slowly, his stomach was full of butterflies and that made it difficult to concentrate on the delicious treat. "And I doubt your friends saw you as a bother."





Itachi's tongue licked over the surface of a dumpling, catching some of the sweet sauce that was drizzled over it. "Obviously not since I was commanded to come back soon." He pretended to pause in consideration. "I'll have to work on that."





Neji chuckled even as his eyes were glued to Itachi's tongue as it practically caressed the dumpling. "Yeah you do that." He agreed light heartedly.





The Uchiha took a bite of his treat; eyes half closed in bliss at the taste, and actually made a sound that was almost a groan. He really did have far too much of a love for dango but it was all he really could stomach in large quantities these days. He swallowed and gave Neji a sensual look before purring, "Oh I will. It's such fun to mess with my friends."





Neji made a strangled noise at Itachi's display with eating dango, how could anyone be so scorching hot eating a sweet? Neji had to struggle not to wipe his chin to check if he was actually drooling. "What do your friends do?" He asked a bit shakily.





Reddish eyes gleamed. He hadn't missed a single bit of Neji's reaction and his inner self preened over it. "Mmm the 'official' job of most of them is in some way working for Red Dawn Ink & Piercings but they each have their own profitable hobbies."





"Red Dawn Ink & Piercings? It's a small world; I had my piercing done there." Neji lifted his shirt to reveal his navel piercing, a silver banana bar bell with a milky white opal at the end. "They were good, it hardly hurt at all."





Itachi's eyes dropped and fixed on the piercing. It was insane, absolutely ridiculous just how much that one little bit of metal had his temperature soaring and his cock twitching in the confines of his pants. He almost desperately wanted to play with that little piercing with his mouth. Instead he reached out and traced the tip of his finger around Neji's navel. "Mmm was it a big black man with gill tattoos that did it?"





Neji's stomach muscles clenched at Itachi's touch and his skin tingled. He knew he should pull his shirt back down but for some reason he didn't, Neji liked the way Itachi looked at his innocent little piercing. "No it was a redhead, gray eyes and plenty of piercings. He had a really gentle touch."





Dark brows flew up in surprise. "Well well, Pein himself pierced you. You must have made a good impression, he's the owner and usually so buried in paperwork he doesn't get to do the work often these days." He raised his eyes to Neji's, his fingers still stroking the skin around the Hyuga's navel. "Then again you do tend to make an impression," he purred as he leaned closer, coming within a whisper of brushing his lips over Neji's. It was up to the other man whether the gap closed or not, Itachi would never force attention on someone who wasn't ready for it.





"I feel very special then." Neji whispered and kept his pale eyes locked on Itachi's red tinted ones. He wanted the other man so badly; he hadn't been able to keep Itachi out of his dreams since being pressed against him on the dance floor. Neji brought a hand up to stroke Itachi's neck as he leaned closer so that their lips were pressing against each other, keeping an easy pressure at first before sliding his tongue out, wanting to deepen the kiss.





The older man's mouth opened readily, welcoming Neji into the warm, moist cavern with a pleased murmur. His fingers plucked a bit at the Hyuga's belly button piercing then his hand smoothed over the skin of the flat stomach, around the side, and to the small of Neji's back where he caressed the skin like he was stroking velvet.





"Mmm." Neji arched into the touch as small sparks of pleasure went through him. He was still kissing Itachi, tasting everything he could, and letting their tongues dance together. His hand moved up to caress the sharp line of Itachi's jaw before he rested it just under the other's ear, his thumb stroking a pale cheek. "I love the way you taste." Neji murmured against Itachi's lips before diving back in.





A purr rumbled in Itachi's chest as he hooked his hands under Neji's ass and hauled the brunette over to straddle his lap. The Uchiha stroked his hands up under Neji's shirt, fingers tracing the long muscles of the other man's back as he sucked on the younger man's tongue. He ran his nails in light, teasing circles along Neji's spine, enjoying the small shiver that shook the slender frame.





Neji pushed his ass down on Itachi's lap, grinding his crotch into Itachi's, wanting the other to know just how much he affected Neji, how much Neji wanted him. He wrapped his arms around Itachi's neck, pressing himself closer. Neji broke the deep kiss to trail his lips over Itachi's neck, flicking his tongue out in teasing touches before biting down on the soft skin.





A soft groan came from the Uchiha's throat and his hips jerked up, pressing back against Neji's and proving that the long haired man wasn't the only one who was affected. His hands slipped around to the front of Neji's body so he could flick the flat male nipples with his thumbs. He flicked, circled, and pinched the nubs lightly, teasing and testing to see how hard the other man liked it. His head fell back at the bites Neji gave his throat, giving the other man more access even as he continued his maddening touches.





He bit down a bit sharper than he had intended, Neji couldn't help himself it just felt too good. His nipples were very sensitive but he loved to have them pinched and pulled, the slight bite of pain only adding to his pleasure. "Oh fuck that feels good." Neji moaned the words against the warm skin of Itachi's neck. Suddenly he sat up straighter and pulled his shirt completely off, tossing it on Itachi's kitchen table before he leaned back into Itachi's touches. Neji's hands snaked up under the hem of the Uchiha's shirt, mapping out warm skin, caressing every inch he could reach.





Itachi's lips tilted up even as he made another soft purr at being touched by the man in his arms. He leaned and shifted so that he could lay a string of nibbling kisses along the paler man's collarbone. "Mmm you taste divine, like the most decadent dessert. I want to lick you all over, to taste every inch of you, most especially a certain few inches," his hips rolled up to punctuate that statement, "I can almost taste it already, sweet and salty and musky on my tongue." His mouth worked its way over to a pert nipple that he flicked his tongue over it. "I'll swirl my tongue around the head," his tongue swept in a mimicking circle around the nipple, "flick it into your sweet little slit," another teasing lash of his tongue, "and just when you can't take any more I'll," his mouth covered the nipple with a soft groan and he sucked softly.





A keening whine was heard and Neji was surprised to realize that it came from him. He pushed his chest against Itachi's glorious mouth. "Gods I want that, I want your mouth on me. I want to see your lips around my aching cock, sucking me until explode...Down your throat and on your beautiful face." Neji's voice was raspy with raw need. "I want to touch you too, with hands, lips, tongue and teeth. Then I want to feel you inside me, spreading me open, reaching so deep that I can feel you at the back of my throat even as you fuck me."





A deep groan vibrated in Itachi's chest and he sucked a bit harder, his hips arching up as his hands cupped the other man's ass and brought him down to grind against his own aching erection. One hand slipped around to cup the bulge in Neji's pants, mapping out the feel and length of him through the fabric. He licked and kissed his way over to the opposite nipple. "Oh we'll get to that but your sweet cock isn't the only thing I want to taste. I intend to get a good taste of that delicious ass of yours snowflake. I'm going to spread your cheeks and lick that little pucker until you're squirming under my touch then I'm going to push my tongue inside you and eat you up in long slow laps until you can barely think."





Neji trembled and his asshole actually clenched at the mere thought of what Itachi told him. The man had barely touched him yet and he was already a writhing, trembling mess that could think of nothing but Itachi. He pulled on Itachi's clothes almost desperately as he pushed his erection into the Uchiha's touch. "I want you naked and I want it now."





Before Itachi could move or even say anything a brief knock at the door was followed by it opening and a woman with dark hair and eyes chirping out, "Itachi we've come to visit!"





The Uchiha groaned feelingly at the sound of Shizune's voice and berated himself heartily for having given Kisame a key so the man could look after his plants while Itachi was in the hospital.





Neji stiffened and his eyes grew comically wide. He was still harder than a rock but he started to scramble for his shirt that just slipped off the table and on to the kitchen floor on the opposite side of where they were sitting.





"I didn't trust your promise so I brought the little woman and myself to see you instead." Kisame's deep voice echoed through the house as both he and Shizune walked towards the kitchen.





Itachi stood carefully, readjusted himself so it wouldn't be too obvious what he'd been in the middle of, bent to brush as kiss over Neji's cheek, then strode to intercept Kisame and Shizune and give Neji some time to get himself put back together. He folded his arms and leaned on the wall. "Are you calling me a liar you walking shark?"





"Not a liar but you have a tendency to conveniently forget things, I just wanted to make sure this wouldn't be such a time." Kisame eyed Itachi closely. "Are you alright dude? You look a bit flushed there."





Neji scurried around the kitchen; finally finding his shirt and pulling it back on only to curse and start over when he realized he had put it on backwards. Taking a few deep breaths Neji ran his fingers through his hair and tried his best to will his erection away. He did not want to meet Itachi’s friends for the first time sporting a massive boner.



To be continued…

 

AN – Preview for next chapter, Neji gets to know more about Itachi through his friends. Kisame is…Kisame and Shizune is lovely. Thank you for reading and if you have the time we would love to hear what you think. See you next chapter.