Yosougai (Unexpected)
The Purple 'People' Eater
'I should have known...' Sai had just informed them that his new collection was inspired by the nightlife of Paris. 'No wonder half this shit looks like it belongs on a street-walker.' Shikamaru could not believe the number of outfits they'd had to reject as too risqué. Naruto looked good in them. 'Damn good. Chip 'n Dales and Play Girl would scoop him up in a heartbeat...' Of course Neji would be totally pissed off if all they got out of this was 'stripper gear'. So Shikamaru had been trying to keep Sai in check. It was a very demanding task. More demanding than he liked.
Naruto stepped out of the dark hallway in nothing but a pair of tight, low rise jeans. "See how the denim just conforms to your body? That's because I hand-washed it in a 'special' solution personally!"
Naruto shook his head and tried not to giggle as the 'special sauce' commercial was going through his head.
Shikamaru wasn't laughing. His eyes were glued to the same place as every other set in the room. The jeans were beyond 'low rise'. 'He's half, or at least a quarter... possibly more.' Proof that Naruto was a natural blond was just peeking out about a half an inch above the waist band.
'There's no way that kid is full Japanese... And why the HELL am I looking?!!!!!' Asuma really needed to get the hell away from Neji's pet boys. 'I'm being infected by the GAY!'
"And look." Sai was still talking. He knelt down and placed his hands on Naruto's hips, framing the blond's crotch. "It accentuates your... 'positives' very nicely."
Naruto looked down and gulped. "Shit, you can tell my fucking religion in these things!"
"Yes," Sai said as he smiled up at the blond. "I bet your parents were Christian maybe Jewish and your half foreign... American maybe?" The ebony head tilted to the side and Sai regarded Naruto's package thoughtfully.
Naruto looked to Shika for help, but only received a blank stare Shikamaru's brain had stalled for a moment. Then it restarted and he grinned evilly. "You know, Neji will kill us both if you buy those."
Naruto perked up and Shika's evil vibe seemingly infected him. "So... I should totally get them, right?!" He grinned like an idiot as he reached back behind his head to stretch. He really didn't want to know just how much of him the jeans revealed in that moment. "I think I have the perfect shirt to go with it."
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"Can we please do my hair another day?" Naruto pleaded. He was worn out after trying on all those clothes and fending off Purple's hands. He felt like he had been wrestling with an octopus, an eight armed penis obsessed one at that. Never before in all of his years had he actually been afraid of being molested as he had this night.
"You want them to come back?"
"Not really... the thought of that... no it's just too scary to even think about," Naruto said with a visible shudder.
"Then let's get this over so we can eat. This is the last of it." 'I hope,' he added to himself. Neji owed him a hell of a lot more than just a few suits for this crap. "Besides, your hair is starting to look a bit... shaggy."
"I like shaggy. Fine," Naruto said after he received a glare from the irritated brunette. "Nothing that needs a lot of work or hair gel. As you would say... 'it's too troublesome'."
"Fine just hurry up and get it done."
The hair dresser didn't introduce himself and actually listened to Naruto and didn't harass or molest him like the Purple monster had. It was a relief to be honest. The style was basically the same as it was before, only shorter and with lighter highlights. 'To help bring out my eyes,' the stylist had informed him. Still it was easy to manage and could just be brushed and styled without any need for gel.
He sighed as he plopped down to dinner. It was all over... finally... he could eat without worrying about being put on the menu.
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Naruto had never been truly aware of Shikamaru as a man before this. Perhaps that was because Neji had almost always been around and Naruto had not really spent any time alone with the smart-alec brunette. However, tonight Naruto was acutely aware of the blatant sexuality that the other man exuded as he laid stretched out on his side along the coffee table, propped up by pillows just enough to eat. Shikamaru reminded Naruto of a lazy cat that you just wanted to antagonize. He watched Shika pick at his food without any real interest.
“No wonder you’re so lazy and thin. Who can live on the little bit of food you actually eat?” Shika rolled his eyes. It wasn’t enough of a reaction for Naruto. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to play with your food?” He grinned at the other man.
Shika had a smart remark, but was unable to say it. ‘I could play with you instead, but then I probably would eat you,’ still something needed to be said so he settled with; “Takes too much effort to be a big eater.”
Naruto picked up a piece of sautéed beef with his chopsticks and held it in front of Shikamaru’s mouth. “Let me guess, if someone else fed you…” Those dark eyes looked up to meet his playful blue orbs. The low simmering heat he saw there stole his breath. Behind the heat there was a shimmer of sadness. He hadn’t meant to make the man sad. He hadn’t meant to feel his own body temperature rise to meet the heat of those dark chocolate pools. The urge to push this man back onto the cushions and kiss that smart mouth of his had Naruto biting his lower lip in surprised irritation.
Shikamaru smiled sadly before leaning up to take the chop sticks into his mouth. He wrapped his tongue around the slice of beef and pulled back away from Naruto’s outstretched hand, taking the morsel with him. His eyes didn’t leave Naruto’s face for several moments. The whole exchange had turned very intimate and neither of them seemed willing to break the spell.
Finally, Shikamaru closed his eyes and leaned back on his pillows. “If I could figure out how to avoid the work of chewing, I would.” His attempt to lighten to heavy mood turned a little flat. ‘What is wrong with me? This can’t be happening. It shouldn’t be so strong or feel so… right…. I have Neji damn it!’
Naruto took a long drink of water as he tried to clear his head. ‘What the hell is wrong with me? This is Shikamaru… he’s… he’s… well, I don’t know what he is. I don’t even know if he swings ‘that’ way!! I’ve just been cooped up way too long. That’s all it is… just cabin fever….riiiight!’
He looked over at Shika. The man looked like he was asleep. “I’m not gonna feed you like a baby bird, so don’t ask.” Shika's laugh sounded very forced.
They continued on in silence while Naruto ate and Shikamaru pretended to doze.
After about an hour of hearing the other man snore Naruto yawned and decided to head for bed.
Neji would just have to wait. He looked at the prone man and saw a shiver run through the slender body.
'He'll catch a cold sleeping out here with no cover,' he thought to himself.
He debated about taking the man to his bed then decided to just go and get the extra blanket out of his own room. He returned and tucked his roommate in. He couldn't resist slipping the pony tail holder out of the man's hair and running his fingers through the soft cascading pool of chocolate silk. He bent down to kiss Shikamaru's head and stopped himself. 'That would be like molesting him... shit... I so need to get out of here and get laid.'
With one last longing look he turned off the lights and went to his empty lonely room.
Shikamaru peeked at the retreating figure and noticed how dejected the blond looked. He felt a sharp stab in his heart and let out a silent sigh. 'Not good... not good at all,' he thought as he ran his fingers through his own hair. He couldn't help but notice that he felt a slight tingle where the blond had touched him... and was oddly disappointed that the man hadn't kissed him.
Neji glared at the offending clock and tried to picture the fashion designer, who had better be at his apartment, fawning over Naruto and Shikamaru.
It didn't make sense... but he was irritated over the fact that Shikamaru was able to do something for their caged bird while he was stuck working. True that he had arranged everything. Still it wasn't the same as being there in person like Shikamaru.
He shook his head and tried to figure out where the sudden irritation came from and why he was feeling... ill toward Shikamaru of all people. Hadn't he asked him to be there? So what was with this irrational feeling?
He looked up at his companion and the man's ever present lollipop as he thought. He wanted to do something more personal than just pay for clothes... they hadn't even been for Naruto but for himself. He acknowledged that much, but what to do.
"Genma-san, if you wanted to get someone something what would you get them?" Neji asked.
"Depends on the person and the situation. Who you want to buy something for?" the lollipop wielding man asked.
"My guest. He often complains of boredom. What would you buy him?"
"How about a game system? From everything you told me; he seems like the gaming type."
"Hmm..." Neji knew absolutely nothing about games or game systems.
Genma smiled. "You know, when buying a gift for someone you really should do a little research. If you would like, I'll go with you. I know a couple of shops."
Neji looked up at his elder. He nodded his appreciation. Genma just smiled around his lollipop. This might just be interesting and amusing. After glancing at his watch, he asked. "Should I go get everyone's favorite scum sucking lawyer now?"
There was a knock at the door. "Enter," Genma called, knowing full well who it would be. He turned to Neji. "Never mind, the little brown nosing weasel's here."
The lawyer shot Genma a foul look before bowing to Neji only. Neji was Hyuuga, Genma wasn't. Ebisu always made that distinction.
Neji nodded to Ebisu and sighed internally. It was time to work, not time to think of his little golden bird or his cunning lover.
---------- Neji could just make out a figure stretched out on the couch by the light of the aquariums. He walked very lightly until he could tell which of his housemates was dozing on his couch.
Shikamaru was snuggled in a blanket from Naruto's room. Each room had its own color scheme, Naruto's was currently tan and black. Although the blond had informed him quite loudly that orange went much better with black than 'crappy old man tan'.
Neji smiled as he brushed a stray hair away from Shikamaru's face. "You walk like an elephant. A quiet one, but still," Shika said as an eye opened just a bit.
"Not everyone has your training and experience," Neji reminded him. "I am a Hyuuga, not a Nara."
Shikamaru chuckled as he rolled onto his back and stretched. "Yes, you were made for the 'sun', not the 'shadows'." It was their own private joke, because of the jobs they were trained for. Neji was meant to be a figurehead of sorts, drawing some of the attention from Hiashi. For his duties, Shika was supposed to be as unnoticeable as a shadow. Not everything turned out as expected. Shikamaru could definitely vouch for that after today.
"Neji?"
"Yes?"
"Take me to bed or lose me forever."
Neji's eyebrows hit his hair line. "I thought you weren't sore?"
Shika snorted. "No, seriously. My back is killing me and I don't want to walk. Take me to my bed or kiss my ass goodbye you hentai elephant."
Neji's chest shook with restrained laughter. "Alright. You'll at least have to wrap your arms around my neck. Think you can handle that Denka."
"Oh, If I must," Shikamaru said while Neji pulled the blanket off him and leaned down to gather up the slender brunette. "Don't worry, Naruto went to bed some time ago," Shikamaru murmured against Neji's sturdy chest.
"You waited up for me?" It wasn't normal Shika behavior.
"No. I pretended to be asleep, so he'd go to bed. He was tired, but wanted to show you some of his new clothes. It was very sweet, but he was exhausted. Oh. By the way...." Shika hissed as he bit Neji firmly on the chest.
"Nngh," Neji grunted in pain. "Just what was that for? I know you have to have a reason."
Shikamaru glared up at him. "You still owe me my suits."
"You didn't care for the designer's line?" Neji asked confused. He received a vicious glare and decided to let the subject drop. "Just let me know when and where," He growled, irritated with Shikamaru's severe mood swing.
He settled his lover into bed and trudged to his own room, rubbing the bruise forming just above his nipple. He hoped Naruto was better pleased with the clothes than Shikamaru. He hadn't even gotten a chance to ask.
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Naruto skipped his morning workout with Neji. He was exhausted from yesterday and had no idea when Neji had finally come home. Instead he lazed in bed for a bit, trying to sort out everything that had happened last night. Uppermost in his thoughts was Shikamaru.
This turned out to be a bad idea. It wasn't long before the problem of his attraction to the handsome smart ass 'grew' into another problem all together. Naruto glared down his body to the sizable tent in his sleep pants. All he thought was, 'Okay, you are not really into that smart ass...'
The word ass triggered memories that he hadn't even known he'd filed away in his head. 'When the hell was I checking out Shika's ass?' He didn't consciously remember it, but sure enough there were several images of Shika's ass in the little storeroom in his brain. 'Shit! It's like he has his own file cabinet up there!!' he thought to himself as he limped grumpily to the bathroom and resentfully taking the problem in hand.
~TBC~