An Indecent Affair

Chapter 7
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“What are you doing?”

Neji finished pouring his mug of freshly brewed coffee just as Sasuke appeared out of the side door that led from his office and into the kitchen.

“I’m making coffee,” he replied almost sheepishly.

He hated whenever the Uchiha asked that question and for the three collective days that he’d been under his employ he must have asked him that, maybe, a dozen times already. It wasn’t that he didn’t work. Neji worked as hard as he possibly could, especially since, considering, Sasuke hardly ever gave him anything to do and most of his assignments he got from Sakura and he got a lot of those since the girl would try to find anything to use as an excuse to come upstairs.

“Hn! You actually got that stupid thing to work?”

Neji had to bite his lip to prevent himself from scoffing. He also wanted to tell him it wasn’t rocket science or anything but that wouldn’t be very polite.

“The filter wasn’t in, that’s why it wasn’t working in the first place,” he patiently explained before shutting the machine off and turning to retrieve his cup, but when he realized it wasn’t where he left it he looked around the counters just in case he’d placed it somewhere else.

“Hey, not bad.”

A soft, annoyed sigh escaped Neji’s lips at Sasuke’s approving voice and he lifted his eyes Heavenward as if in a silent plea, but when he turned to face the other man, sure enough, he had the cup of coffee in his hand and was taking tiny sips from it.

“It’s actually better than the one from the machine outside,” Sasuke added before bringing the steaming mug to his lips again, those thin lips that were pulled into a cocky grin.

“I know,” the other boy ground through his teeth and met his humored expression with an exasperated glare.

“Hn,” Sasuke smirked and took another drink before putting the cup aside on the island he was leaning against. He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to give the other boy that smug smile of his, as if daring him to come for it, but Neji didn’t take the bait, instead he took a cup from the dish drain and washed it so he could make himself another.

Sasuke moved closer and curiously looked over the shorter boy’s shoulder to see what he was doing and he watched, with an almost child-like interest, as he scooped the coffee grounds from the bag and poured them into the container before adding the water and switching it on again. He stepped around him then so he could lean over and rest his elbows against the counter-top to observe, with awe, as the dark liquid dripped from the machine and into the pot below and Neji couldn’t help but smile at the avid fascination on the Uchiha’s face.

“See, it’s not that hard,” he declared cheerfully, while pouring the hot beverage into the clean cup, and when Sasuke tore his eyes away from those pale, dainty fingers to an equally exquisite face the smile there became contagious and he found it hard to suppress the lop-sided smirk that kept tugging at one corner of his mouth.

Neji shut off the machine for the second time and Sasuke returned to ‘his’ cup and both men just stood there, facing each other, while casually sipping their tea.

It was the first time they were alone together like this since the first day he started working with the Uchiha and as much as he found the other man quite irritating the silence between them was much too awkward and Neji searched for any kind of topic to breach during their unofficial coffee break.

“So…how long have you been working here?” he asked, and as low as his voice was it was like thunder to his ears within the quiet room and the sound made him cringe.

“Too long,” was the curt reply and his disdainful sneer was hidden behind the mug that was hovering in front of his face.

Neji nodded his head and barely managed an ‘Oh’, almost afraid that if he spoke again the sound might deafen him.

Sasuke sighed into his cup and the liquid rippled as his warm breath stirred its contents. He knew the boy was only trying to make conversation and he was quite glad that he felt comfortable enough to do so but of all the questions he could have asked why did he have to ask one about the company?

Why didn’t he ask what his favorite sport was, what school he went to, what date was his birthday or even what color underwear he was wearing, and Sasuke smiled to himself because he knew he wasn’t wearing any.

He didn’t want to alienate the Hyuuga or make him think he was unapproachable, he wanted him to be able to confront him about anything; from the mundane to even the most private details about his life but as he watched the other man avoid his gaze and try to force the scalding liquid down his throat so he could quickly return to his desk, Sasuke knew he wasn’t getting their relationship off on the right foot.

“Actually, I’ve been here since I left college,” he admitted on a sigh and put his cup to one side again so he could offer the other man his full attention and when Neji did the same and met his gaze, somewhat hesitantly, Sasuke continued. “But I didn’t graduate, I had to drop-out before I finished my studies so I could come and work here.”

“Why?” he asked curiously and Sasuke’s knuckles turned white as his grip on the edge of the counter tightened in an attempt to still the shudder that coursed through his body in aversion towards the direction he knew this conversation was going to lead.

If anyone else had asked, Sasuke would have plainly told them it was none of their fucking business but only because it was Neji that he had to bite his tongue to quell the automated response. He’d have to go there, he’d have to discuss his personal life with him and it was only fair since he was going to expect the same from him.

“After my father died, my mother re-married. My brother and I weren’t speaking at the time and we both refused to return home. I remained in college and my brother continued to travel so we didn’t know who our step-father was until we had to come back again for our mother’s funeral.”

Neji’s shoulders drooped when he realized that he’d poked his nose too far and when he tried to apologize, Sasuke only smiled and shook his head.

“No, it’s okay,” he lied and the fake smile fooled the other man. “Anyway,” he continued on a loud sigh and shoved his hands into his pants pocket while bringing the potholders, hanging on the opposite wall, under his scrutiny. “Orochimaru legally had rights to the company since my mother gave him the position my father would have had, but Dad was shrewd,” and Sasuke chuckled at a particularly funny memory. “He built this company from the ground up, with his bare hands but his sole purpose for the business was that he leave it to me and my brother so he split the shares sixty / forty, where he controlled the forty and my brother and I shared the sixty but after we grew apart he split our portion in half, leaving me and my brother with thirty each.”

He paused then and turned to look at the other man who was deeply engrossed in his story and Sasuke shifted the weight of his body from one foot to the next before going on.

“After my mother’s funeral, I went back to college but my brother stayed behind and you’d think that something like losing both parents would draw us closer together but it only drove us further apart and you know what’s so funny?” he chuckled wryly and Neji had to look away at the almost malevolent expression on his face. “The funny thing is, it took the loss of something precious to both of us before we finally came to our senses and joined our shares again.”

Neji assumed that the ‘something precious’ Sasuke was referring to was the company but that was the farthest thing from the truth. Actually, the ‘Uchiha brothers’ could care less what happened to the damned thing. It was the cause of so much strife and heartache in their family that they both thought they’d be better off without it and they were…until he took over and they, once again, had to resume the responsibility of their father’s legacy, because even though they didn’t care one iota about the future of the business they hated the thought of Orochimaru running it more.

“That was the reason I dropped out of college; so my brother and I could jointly take over the majority of the company,” and he smirked wickedly when that memory returned and he wanted to laugh out loud when he recalled the enraged expression on Orochimaru’s face when he and Itachi kicked him out of their father’s office and told him, in no uncertain terms, that they would be running things from now on.

That was, hands down, the best moment of his entire life.

Neji wasn’t sure what to say. He felt sorry that he had to put his education on hold and that he was a prisoner of the company now that he was duty bound to it, but he was also glad things worked out in his favor, and he felt a morbid cognizance with the Uchiha now that he knew he had suffered at the hands of that man as well.

‘Well at least he’s not pitying me,’ Sasuke thought with relief when he saw the wayward look on Neji’s face with a faint smile resting there and he sincerely wondered what the other boy was thinking about.

“So,” Sasuke’s sharp voice snapped Neji out of his inner musings. “How do you like it here so far?”

“With you?” and he chastised himself for asking such a silly question. Of course Sasuke meant with him, they both knew he didn’t like who he was working for before. “It’s…nice,” he muttered, for lack of a better word.

“Anything I can do to make your stay here more enjoyable?”

“Well I’d appreciate it if you’d stop taking my stuff without asking permission,” he replied, making reference to the cup of coffee Sasuke was bringing to his lips again.

The short-haired brunette closed one eye as if deep in thought before shaking his head in the negative. “Umm…no, I don’t think I can do that,” he answered with a grin.

“I didn’t think so,” Neji sighed and he knew it wouldn’t make much sense asking him back for the neck-tie he’d liberated from him just because he thought he looked too geeky in them and he assumed the crass individual had probably thrown it away by now. “Well, can I at least have back the pen you took from me?”

“What pen?” he asked innocently.

“You know very well which pen, Sir,” and Neji rolled his eyes in exasperation. “The silver Parker pen you took from my desk, the one I’ve been asking you about for the past two days.”

“Oh, that pen!”

“Yes, that pen!”

“It’s my pen now,” he retorted and downed the last of his tea before moving next to Neji so he could place the cup in the sink and the other boy raised his hands in defeat.

“Fine, keep it,” he snapped even though he knew that the second Sasuke left him alone in the office he was going to take it back. “There are plenty of other pens in my drawer, unless you’d like to take those from me too?”

“Do they belong to you?” he asked, raising a thin, black eyebrow.

“No!” Neji replied referring to the box of pens that he’d taken from the stationery room.

“Then I don’t want them.”

Neji folded his arms over his chest and tilted his head back a bit and to one side. “Ohh, so you only want things that belong to me, is that it?”

‘No, just you,’ and Sasuke clamped his mouth shut to prevent his thoughts from escaping into words. “Sorry, does that pen mean so much to you?” he asked, trying to steer the conversation from the dangerous path it was veering.

“No,” he admitted truthfully. It wasn’t a gift from someone special and he’d only had it for a few weeks so it wasn’t like he was attached to it or anything. “It’s just the principal of the matter, Sir,” he explained. “You can’t keep taking my stuff like that.”

“Ugh!” Sasuke felt his stomach lurch again at the title Neji kept addressing him by and even though he’d agreed to let the boy call him that he didn’t think it would sound so bad coming from such beautiful lips. “Shit, Neji just call me Sasuke, please,” he groaned and ran annoyed fingers through his hair.

“No, I won’t,” he objected defiantly. “And don’t change the subject.”

“Fine, I’ll give you the pen if you call me Sasuke from now on, deal?”

“No!”

“Motherfucker,” he whispered beneath his breath at the boy’s stubbornness. “Look, how old are you?”

“Twenty-two,” was his muttered reply.

“What the fu- only?” he balked in surprise as he took in his youthful, yet very mature, appearance. “I thought you were older,” he murmured to himself and Neji shifted uncomfortably as he continued to stare so intently at him. “Well, anyway, I’ll be twenty-two in a few months, so that still makes me younger than you.”

“Age has nothing to do with it, Sir,” he retorted smugly, relishing the way those roguish features would crinkle whenever he used that word. “You’re still in a superior position that demands you be addressed with respect.”

“Then, I demand you respectfully address me as, Sasuke.”

“Can’t do that,” Neji beamed innocently and Sasuke wanted to pull out his hair.

“Why the fuck not?”

“Because,” he drawled slowly while sauntering over to the hallway. “My contract stipulates I can call you ‘Sir’ if I’m feeling anal retentive,” and he shot the other man a victorious smirk over his shoulder before disappearing down the hall.

Sasuke shook his head in disbelief and his shoulders did as well with the deep laughter contained in his chest. So, the mule-headed boy had bested him and for once, he walked away from a confrontation the victor but while Neji had won that round Sasuke got his revenge later when Sakura dropped off a stack of papers that Sasuke needed to sign and return urgently and after loitering around for fifteen minutes, while pretending to make small talk with Neji, she went back downstairs, disappointed that she had been unable to catch a glimpse of the Uchiha.

Neji knocked on the door and after Sasuke bade him enter he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him and was extremely surprised to find the younger man sitting in the window sill and looking out of it. It appeared as if he was just taking a breather, to sit back and enjoy the scenery but when Neji got closer he noticed that Sasuke would peer over the sill then rear back as if he didn’t want someone to see him, he also noticed the cup of water in his hand…the cup that he was now holding outside the window and tilting slightly to spill its contents on the unsuspecting passers-by.

“Are you out of your mind?” Neji whispered loudly as if he was afraid the targets of the Uchiha’s prank could hear him even though they were eighteen stories away and Sasuke chortled and stepped back from the window before the man with the wet hat had a chance to see his face.

He ignored the flabbergasted expression on Neji’s face and slipped into the large ‘throne-like’ leather chair and knitted his hands together atop the desk. “You wanted to see me,” he said in a firm, ‘business-as-usual’ tone of voice as if pretending he hadn’t just been caught goofing around.

Well, if he wanted to pretend nothing happened then Neji could play along too, besides, if Sasuke wanted to act like a juvenile delinquent then who was he to lecture him? He was probably only doing it for attention anyway and Neji was not about to encourage him.

“Sakura said you need to sign these,” he said, just as business-like as the other man and handed the documents to him from across the desk and as he leaned over to take them, Neji added, “she says it’s urgent.”

They were definitely urgent, more like, ‘should have been signed and faxed off since yesterday’ urgent and as Sasuke leafed through each page Neji noticed his face grow progressively darker until a scowl was carved deeply into his face.

He was getting sick and tired of this shit.

These were release forms Orochimaru was supposed to sign, giving authorization to dispatch cargo in their warehouses for delivery but he was purposely delaying them and leaving Sasuke to deal with irate clients and make serious damage control. He was making him look bad in front of their most influential customers and the only reason Sasuke was even allowing this to go on was because he didn’t want to stoop to that man’s level but this was the last straw and Sasuke wasn’t going to put up with it any longer especially since he knew the only reason Orochimaru was doing this was because he now had Neji.

“I’m not signing these,” he said in a tight voice and threw them across the table so they scattered in a messy heap right before the other man.

Neji looked at them stupidly, as if it was the first time he’d ever seen paper in his life before bringing his dumbfounded gaze to the glowering man on the other side of the desk. “Excuse me?” he asked, not quite sure if he’d somehow misheard him.

He hadn’t.

“Call Sakura, tell her I’m not signing them and to come for those documents,” he reiterated firmly.

“Y-you’re kidding, right?” It never crossed Neji’s mind that he just dared to question the Uchiha but his callous attitude towards his work could not go ignored.

Sasuke clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth in annoyance when he realized Neji wasn’t going do what he’d asked and he used his own phone to contact the pink-haired girl on the floor just below his.

“Sir, you can’t be serious,” he objected again after Sasuke hung up after barking his order, a little too gruffly, to the woman on the other end.

Sasuke said nothing as he got out of his chair and walked around the damnable table that took up nearly an eighth of floor space before retrieving the papers. Neji could only glare at him as he gathered them back together in a neat pile and stuffed them under one shoulder but when he turned his back and headed towards the door the Hyuuga could keep his objections inside no longer.

“What the hell is your problem?” he exploded, his face turning slightly red in his anger. Sasuke stopped in his tracks and stiffened, bone-straight, but he didn’t turn around nor did he answer him. “Why don’t you act your age and stop behaving like a big baby?” Neji continued finding it hard to stop now that he’d started. “This isn’t some play-ground for you to run around in, this is a business and you need to take things seriously and act responsibly instead of just sleeping all day and playing stupid pranks.”

Sakura’s uncertain knocks at the door put a cessation to Neji’s rant and halted the words on Sasuke’s tongue and the Uchiha flung the door open wide, startling the young woman, before roughly shoving the papers just inches from her equally flat chest and ordering her to take them back to Orochimaru and tell him to sign them his ‘damned’ self.

She nodded, while keeping her gaze to the floor to avoid the fury burning within the Uchiha’s eyes and as she made her way downstairs, while thinking how sexy her crush looked whenever he was angry, Sasuke aimed his firey gaze at the cold one Neji was shooting him. He slammed the door shut behind him and the loud noise shook Neji’s insides as the door rattled within its frame.

“Do you have a problem with the way I run my company, Neji?” he asked tersely and as much as Neji wanted to believe that he wasn’t the least bit intimidated by his harsh demeanor he found it difficult to speak through the fear that gripped his throat and all he could manage was two nods of his head.

Sasuke wasn’t angry with him, he was angry at Orochimaru and the spiteful games he kept playing but Neji didn’t know that and it was hard to return to his sedated disposition with so many murderous thoughts flying through his head. But…he’d allow the Hyuuga to think that his anger was directed at him because this worked to his advantage too.

He approached him, taking slow, deliberate steps towards the slightly smaller man that shrank even smaller as he cowered against the desk and even though those sparkling eyes maintained their cold lock on his he could see the anxiety swimming beneath their pallid surface and he couldn’t help but grin…and that grin only added a mischievous quality to the demonic expression on his face.

Sasuke pinned him against the desk by placing both his hands on either side of Neji’s waist and he heard the strangled gasp behind his throat when his palms slammed down on the table’s surface, echoing within the room, almost a loudly as the door and even though their faces were mere inches apart, Neji forced his glare to remain steadfast.

“Just for your information,” he began in a stern voice. “Akatsuki Shipping and Trading is my playground and I’ll do whatever the hell I please, but just to put your pretty, little mind at rest, I don’t have any intentions of running it into the ground and putting hundreds of people in the unemployment line. It’s true, I don’t take my job as seriously as everyone expects me to but I make sure it gets done and I don’t do a half-assed job like some people either, and I especially don’t have time to be sexually harassing my employees either and just one more thing, just so you know…you only caught me sleeping once because my ass was working late, into the morning to draw up that fucking contract of yours.”

Neji was struck speechless by that and he shamefully lowered his head to the thin space between their bodies. He shouldn’t have lost his temper like that and lashed out against the Uchiha just because he assumed the worst about him. He’d jumped to the wrong conclusion and come across as a self-righteous prick just because he thought the worst about the other man.

“S-Sir…I…I’m sorry,” he stammered his apology towards the floor. “I shouldn’t have said those things about you and I-,” he broke off on a light gasp when Sasuke cupped his chin with a thumb and forefinger and lifted his head to meet his and the soft, magnanimous expression on his face made Neji feel even more guilty.

“Do you really want to make it up to me?” he asked in a low voice, something akin to a thick purr.

He was speechless again when he was caught, and held, within those gleaming onyx orbs and he swallowed before nodding meekly. He didn’t know why he blindly agreed to the other man’s terms, especially since he didn’t know what he’d expect of him and it was only until he saw those thin lips pull back into a triumphant grin did he begin to fear the worst.

Sasuke leaned closer, and Neji jerked backwards, his retreat halted by the enormous desk Sasuke had him trapped against and a low whimper bubbled in his chest when he felt that warm breath tease his quivering lips when the taller man spoke.

“Call me ‘Sasuke’ from now on,” he whispered.

Neji blinked a few times, caught between his desire to punch the arrogant bastard in his face and his discomfort at their nearness but his fear won out and the only thing he could do was nod again in submission.

“Well,” he said teasingly. “Say my name.”

Neji swallowed again in an attempt to lubricate his dry throat and Sasuke became mesmerized by the rippling in that creamy throat but when Neji’s moist tongue darted out to lick equally dry lips and he whispered his name on a haggard breath made him think of lots of things he could do to make him say his name like that and Sasuke almost lost his mind in the desire to crush his lips against the other man’s.

‘Shiiit!’ he groaned inwardly when he felt himself responding in a way he hadn’t anticipated and he stepped away from the other boy before his arousal had a chance to rudely poke him against his thigh.

“There, that’s not so bad is it,” he coughed and ran a shaky hand through his hair.

Neji’s shoulders slumped with relief now that there was breathable space between them once again and when he pushed himself away from the desk and his feet touched the floor he hadn’t even realized that he’d scampered onto it in the first place.

“Sir- Umm, Sasuke, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean-“

“Forget it!” he interrupted gruffly, still trying to will his semi-hard erection away. “It’s fine.”

“Umm…I know but I really-,”

“Neji,” he sighed and turned to face his employee, confident enough now that the bulge in his pants wasn’t so noticeable. “I said ‘forget it!’, don’t make me repeat myself.”

The other man nodded but for some reason he couldn’t let this rest. Sasuke had accepted his apology, more or less, but it wasn’t as if he came right out and said ‘Apology accepted’, so Neji still wasn’t sure but he at least wanted to be content knowing that they weren’t on bad terms.

“I guess, it’s hard for you…”

“WHAT?” he stammered. Had he seen it?

“I mean, it must have been hard for you to give up your independence and put your education and your own pursuits and dreams aside so you could siphon all your energy into running this company.”

Sasuke chuckled at his comment. “Are you analyzing me?”

The other man blushed slightly. “Well, no but it’s just an observation I made based on what you said earlier, you know…about your family and everything.”

“Hn, for a second there you sounded like a shrink,” he laughed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Actually, I did do a little Psychology as an elective,” Neji admitted sheepishly.

“Oh? Well in that case,” Sasuke replied with a raised eyebrow before spreading his hands out wide as if in invitation. “Be my guest.”

“You…want me to analyze you?” Neji asked in surprise.

“Yeah, knock yourself out.”

“Uhh, oh-kay,” he conceded reluctantly and tilted his head to one side as he brought the taller man under his scrutiny.

‘This is good,’ Sasuke kept telling himself even though the muscles in his jaw were clenched unbearably tight as those luminescent eyes looked him up and down. He didn’t like anyone telling him what they thought his problem was, he didn’t like anyone telling him what he should and shouldn’t do to change his outlook and attitude towards life. He didn’t like people messing with his head, trying to persuade him to be something, or someone, he wasn’t, dammit he didn’t even like people giving him their opinion of him, but if he let Neji do this then not only would he have an understanding of how the other man saw him but he could also use this as a foundation to build a closer relationship with him.

“I’m not a professional so don’t expect much,” Neji chuckled awkwardly before leaning against the desk again and supporting himself with his arms. “I think you’re lashing out because you’re angry you have to be here and not because you want to be here.”

“Tch! Tell me something I don’t know,” he groused sarcastically.

“At least you’re not paying two hundred dollars an hour to hear this so shut up and let me finish.”

He was silent after that, but not because Neji told him to keep his yap shut but because he was surprised Neji actually had the guts to tell him to keep his yap shut.

“Although you’ve come to accept this as your ‘fate’, so to speak, you refuse to accept it as your ‘destiny’ and as a result you’ve become rebellious, but there’s no one to reprimand your delinquent behavior since you’re the Head Honcho around here so you can pretty much get away with anything but it doesn’t bring you any satisfaction since everyone pretty much ignores your screams for attention.”

“That’s it?” he asked after Neji was silent for a few moments.

“Yeah, what did you expect from me?”

“I dunno,” he shrugged. “That maybe my anger stems from my hatred towards this company, maybe I’m harboring resentment because I never reconciled with my father before he died or maybe I’m suppressing too many murderous rages in my desire to kill Orochimaru.”

“Umm…well that would be a job for a real psychiatrist,” he replied and shifted uncomfortably against the table.

“So,” he piqued up, slightly changing the topic once he realized he’d made Neji uneasy. “I’m a rebel, huh?” he grinned, taking an instant liking to that new label and when Neji simply nodded he asked, “what makes me so rebellious?”

“Well for starters, your clothes.”

“What’s wrong with my clothes?” Sasuke asked, looking down at his ‘Darkside’ muscle vest, black three-quarter, denim jeans and matching slippers.

“Nothing’s wrong with your clothes,” Neji corrected. “They’re fine as they are and they look good on you but they’re not suitable in a working environment like this.”

Sasuke couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Neji liked how he looked?

“So, I should conform to the dress code and look like a nerd just because I work here too?”

“See, that’s the kind of talk I’d expect from a rebel like you,” and Neji laughed, and Sasuke liked the sound of it. “The dress code is in place for a reason, Sasuke and it’s not that people like me are being ‘conformists’ it’s just that we understand that we’re to project a professional image at all times.”

“And that’s the kind of talk I’d expect from a punctilious lemming like you,” he countered. “Shit, I’ll bet you even wear tidy-whities.”

“Boxers,” he corrected rather smugly.

“Really,” Sasuke replied raising a skeptical eyebrow while taking a quick glance at his crotch. “You don’t strike me as the type.”

Neji blushed slightly when his eyes grazed over him and he was a little perturbed that he was even having this conversation with the Uchiha.

“Well?” Sasuke asked with a mischievous grin plastered across his face.

“Well, what?”

“Aren’t you going to ask me if I wear boxers or briefs?”

Neji sighed inwardly, already knowing that he probably had some bizarre response to that question and the Uchiha didn’t disappoint him.

“Actually, I prefer to go commando,” was his immediate response.

“Camouflage?”

One dark eye twitched. “What?” What the hell was Neji talking about…unless. “You don’t know what ‘going commando’ means, do you?”

“Umm…no, I can’t say that I do,” he replied in embarrassment.

Sasuke threw back his head and laughed so hard that, for a minute, Neji thought it would fall off and he found himself almost wishing it did as Sasuke continued to laugh at him and his humiliation grew.

“Oh man, that’s actually kinda cute,” he chortled and wiped away a tear from the corner of one eye.

“Well?” Neji asked after his laughter started to ebb.

“Well, what?”

“Aren’t you going to tell me what it means?”

“No way!” he replied with a firm shake of his head and a hearty grin. “I’ll leave that for you to find out for yourself.”

The other man rolled annoyed, lavender eyes and went to excuse himself before Sasuke stopped him before he exited the office. “But seriously, if you ever feel like coming to work in casuals it’s fine with me.”

“No it’s okay, I’m happy being a punctilious lemming,” he volleyed back.

But Sasuke wasn’t about to let him win this round. “Neji, join the ‘Darkside’,” he joked while hooking his thumbs into the sleeveless holes of his shirt.

He couldn’t help it, Sasuke could be such an ass sometimes, and his stomach muscles clenched with the laughter he was trying to keep suppressed. “No, it’s okay Sasuke. My uniforms are fine.”

“Then I’ll make tomorrow a casual day.”

But when Neji showed up the next day in his usual business attire Sasuke wasn’t too pleased and confronted him about it.

“I thought I told you to wear casual clothes,” he said angrily.

“And I thought you were joking,” Neji replied without looking up from the spreadsheet he was typing up on the computer.

“Now who’s the rebel,” Sasuke muttered under his breath. “Listen to me and listen good Neji,” and the other man stopped what he doing and turned so he could give his boss his full attention.

“From tomorrow I don’t want to see you dressed like that, from now on you are to dress casually because if you ever come in wearing business clothes again I’ll strip you myself and make you work buck naked for the rest of the day, do I make myself clear?”

Sasuke wasn’t really capable of doing something like that? Was he? Neji wondered, but his unfaltering gaze made Neji believe that he was capable of anything so he nodded in understanding and Sasuke smiled victoriously, another round won.

But when he disappeared into his office a knowing smirk split Neji’s alabaster face and he wished he could see the Uchiha’s face when he saw the little ‘gift’ he’d left for him in his chair and Sasuke's reaction to it was an amused chuckle and he shook his head when he saw the package of boxers and the Hallmark card which read ‘Happy Birthday in advance!’.

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Yersi Fanel 2007-04-04

I like a lot the way Sasuke is trying more and more to know Neji and how he seems to like the Opal eyed boy a lot and how poor Neji is all confused by the circumstance around him.

I think I like this Sasuke, is very entertaining to read him, he has that kind of attitude that makes me think the words:

Someone: “Why?”
Sasuke: “Why not? *roll eyes*”

Yeah, something like that. I also enjoy Neji’s inner battle, he is still afraid and now that he is in somehow different scenario he does not know what to do or how to exactly do it and well, the plot concerning the crash of Sasuke’s and Neji’s personality is something really good.

Well, as you can see I’m still here reading your story, jeje, don’t worry I promise to write too so I’m not the only one reading. I haven’t update ADC because my beta is sick =( but I hope she gets better.

Take care!

ClaireBear: Yeah, Sasuke likes Neji a lot and really wants to get close to him but he can’t pursue him because he know Neji’s been hurt and he knows about Ten Ten so he just wants to be a friend for now.

Yes, your depiction of Sasuke is SPOT ON, he’s just like that…what an arrogant bastard. XD

I hope you update ADC soon (I really like that fic ^_^) and I hope your beta gets well too. It’s terrible to be sick . < HEY! That rhymes.


Tyra 2007-04-04 Yaaay !
Aah. So Neji's now working for Sasuke? Well, that's good. Sasuke's much better than Orochimaru. xD
It was kind of funny that Sasuke was actually sitting on a Nejis desk. Heh.
Poor Neji, will you ever get away from Orochi? I hope so. And aah, Sasuke's so brave.. -dreamy smile-

Update soon. I love your story.
Sorry, this review was kind of.. lame? xDD

KEEP WRITING !! UPDATE SOON ! -SMOOCH !! –

ClaireBear: Yeah, Sasuke’s lots of fun to write, he’s like a kid and the world is his playpen so he pretty much does whatever his mood dictates. He’s one brave, I-don’t-give-a-damn, MoFo. Look out Orochimaru!

I don’t mind if you think the review was lame because I sure don’t. I appreciate all reviews because it means people liked the story enough to reply even if it was just an UPDATE SOON!


someone 2007-04-08 Wow, this story is really good so far^-^ I enjoy the bits where Sasuke picks on Neji... he should take it up as a hobby. Just a guess, but I don't think that having security guards after him will keep Orochimaru from bothering Neji(please don't let it, you write his freakishness better than almost anyone>.

ClaireBear: I love to make Sasuke pick on Neji too, it’s kinda like what the teachers used to say about the boys that pick on girls they like ‘You throw stones where your heart lies’. I understand everyone likes Orochimaru in this fic, hell even I like Orochimaru in this fic but as much as I would LOVE for more Neji torture I can’t do that right now because it would defeat the purpose of Neji going to work for Sasuke in the first place, but for all you Orochimaru x Neji readers I will just let you know that he’s not going to give up that easily but that won’t be until later in the story, sorry.


waltari 2007-04-11 I love love love this story. And i really love the neji/sasuke banter that has started. EXCELLENT!! Please update soon!

ClaireBear: I’m glad you like the story and especially the banter which is SO hard to write. Dialogue is one of my weakest aspects of writing and whenever I have a chapter with a lot of dialogue it takes FOREVER to finish so I hope Chapter 7 is enjoyable cuz it was kinda hard to write.

Casandra 2007-04-12 I really like this story and the abusing Neji thing is something I also love even if I do love Neji he is just too fun to mess with!

I hope to read more of this!

ClaireBear: Isn’t it funny how we love to torture our favorite characters and I love Neji so much that it HURTS (him) >:D


silver 2007-04-15 Please write more on this! This Sasuke is really great! I love how you wrote him. I can't wait to see Itachi.

ClaireBear: Glad you like this Sasuke, he’s a little more carefree than his usually stoic character but he’s still a bastard. Itachi should show up in the next chapter along with a few other characters you guys might like.


Boudaihobbit 2007-04-17 aww, poor Neji baby *hugs Neji* i hope sasuke makes him feel better...and that he breaks up with ten-ten >.>

ClaireBear: Don’t worry, Sasuke’s got the remedy for what ails Neji.

Ah, another person who doesn’t want to see a happily married Ten Ten and Neji…don’t worry I don’t want to see them happily married either XD.

I hope Chapter 7 was enjoyable and Sasuke wasn’t too out of character.