A/N: next
Thanks for the reviews. And again sorry for the long waits between updates. Let's just get started.
Usual apologies
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Ko rolled onto his back on the old creaky cot, groaning in pain despite the fact that his broken bones and bruised skin healed months ago. Unfortunately what Neji hadn't broken that day was slowly being tortured in the trap he was being forced to sleep in. The pale eyed man sighed as he stared up at the ceiling in his dark prison, ignoring the smell of mold and damp dirt that mixed in the the stench of rotting vermin and his own sweat that had long since dried.
There was barely any light in the room, since the only thing that could even be counted as a window was the small grate near the ceiling of the wall which let in just the slightest bit of sunlight into his cell.
It's been roughly fifteen years since his father passed and about ten there after since he started working for the family of his ancestors.
It was meant to be an honour.
To work for the illustrious main branch of the Hyuuga clan, it was meant to be one of the greatest duties he'd ever have to perform and at first Ko treated it as such. Regardless of the fact that he didn't agree with some of the ways that lord Hiashi ran his family, particularly in the case of Hinata.
Hinata has such a gentle soul, she's trusting and loving. It was pretty obvious from the beginning that the girl would not be the ruthless leader that her father was so desperately hoping she would be. But that didn't mean that she wouldn't be able to lead the Hyuuga family.
Hinata has compassion, loyalty and trust. She might not be as cut throat as her father would like her to be, but she had all the qualities that a leader should have, all she needed was a little bit of confidence.
Unfortunately confidence is hard to come by when everyone around you treated you like you were unworthy of every breath you took.
But even then, Ko never went against lord Hiashi's word.
He never had a reason to, well not before Lee at least.
The pale eyed man sighed as he gingerly lifted a hand to touch the still tender spot on his cheek. Four years ago Maito Gai, Ko's childhood friend was taken away from main house security and placed in the Hyuuga manor instead.
Gai wasn't part of the Hyuuga family, but the Maito's had been allies with the Hyuuga's for years. It just seemed natural for him to accept when Hiashi took notice of Gai's strength and abilities before offering him a job on the compound.
But alas, Gai quit no more than a week after he'd been placed on house duty and Ko was put in his place. The older man had given no reason for his actions to Ko or any of his other friends and family members. At first the pale eyed man couldn't understand what had happened.
It wasn't like Gai to just up and leave for no reason whatsoever.
Sure Gai was a little strange but he wouldn't just leave.
That's when he found out.
Gai didn't just leave, he was terminated in the only way that the Hyuuga family knows how.
Ko felt sick to his stomach when he found out, he couldn't understand what his childhood friend could have possibly done to receive such treatment. Not until he met Lee and he suddenly understood completely.
He met the neko just a week after finding out about his friend's death since he was placed in Gai's place and Gai was part of the security detail set up around all of lord Hiashi's greatest possessions.
Strange and wonderful things he'd found over the years and kept in his home as part of his collection. Ko had always thought that the infamous Hyuuga gallery, which he never got to see personally, was filled with nothing but paintings sculptures and other inanimate things that Hiashi picked up over the years.
He'd heard about animal cages containing strange creatures like blue tigers and horses that looked suspiciously similar to unicorns but even that hadn't caused him too much distress.
It wasn't till he saw the tiny cat boy with the large black eyes and pitch black hair that he understood exactly why Gai had been excused.
He never would have allowed for another human being to be kept trapped in a cage the way that Lee was being kept, treated like an animal and never being allowed to see the world.
The man had probably demanded that Lee be set free and that's what got him killed.
Ko had been less than comfortable after he found out about Lee as well, but he never said a word.
It was the family of his ancestor's after all, how could he stand against them when they weren't actually hurting Lee.
They gave him food and clothes and a warm place to sleep. Lee didn't seem all that bothered by the fact that he was being kept in a cage and the boy seemed to be in perfect health so Ko never thought he'd need a reason to complain.
But then he overheard Hiashi, Hinata and Neji arguing in his office.
Neji would be turning eighteen in the next few weeks, a major milestone in the Hyuuga clan and of course it would be celebrated as such.
In addition to gaining a place on the high council, Neji would be allowed to have a gift. Anything he could possibly desire, no matter how big, no matter how expensive it would be given to him.
He could have asked for his own country and Hiashi would have found a way to make it happen.
But Neji didn't want his own country, he wanted Lee and that's why they were arguing.
That was probably the first time that Ko has ever heard Hinata raise her voice that loudly or speak against her father that many times. She was arguing against Neji getting Lee.
She knew what he had planned for the neko and she refused to let any of that happen, but Neji wouldn't be swayed.
Hiashi didn't seem all that comfortable with letting Neji have the boy either but Hyuuga tradition is Hyuuga tradition. Even if Hiashi had refused, Neji could just bring the matter up with the council once he comes of age and since Lee was considered to be nothing more than a possession in the Hyuuga compound, they would see nothing wrong with Neji taking the boy and making him his.
Hinata asked if she could have Lee once she turns eighteen, thinking that she would hold more rights over the Hyuuga rules since she is the heiress but Hiashi refused because that's not how things work.
So they argued and argued some more until somewhere during that whole thing Hinata slipped and her father found out that she's been seeing some boy without his permission outside of the family.
Hiashi was furious, he immediately told Hinata that she would never have contact with this boy again but Hinata showed an impressive amount of courage yet again as she simply refused.
The argument escalated until Hiashi finally threatened to have Hinata sent away so she wouldn't be anywhere near this Naruto and the girl just held his gaze before walking out the door, where she bumped into Ko and asked for his help.
Ko agreed because, honestly, by that time he'd had enough of the Hyuuga family and it's traditions.
The man felt trapped in a way.
He'd watch Lee sometimes, talk to him and found himself sickened with that bright smile that always greeted him when he went to check on the boy trapped in a cage.
He seemed too naïve and heartbreakingly pure, Ko was starting to see why Gai had seen this boy's cause worthy of dying for.
He helped Hinata find a safe way out of the compound away from the guards but for some baffling reason Lee wouldn't leave. So Hinata made him promise he'd look after Lee and he did.
But he couldn't do it when it mattered most.
After Neji's birthday, Ko was sent to check on Lee in his new chambers and found the boy in a broken mess. He was a mere shadow of what he'd been before and Ko felt his heart crack as he watched Lee sit in the middle of the bed. His ears were flat against his head while his tail was curled protectively around his waist. Legs pulled up against his chest with his arms wrapped around them as he stared into nothing.
Lee said that he didn't fight against Neji and he didn't make any protest since he finally understood why he had been saved in the first place. He understood what his role was so he just submitted.
He accepted it.
Ko's heart broke even more.
Days passed and turned into weeks and then months and finally years.
Lee was allowed to keep his books, which always reminded him of Hinata. He'd keep her pendant clutched tight against his chest whenever Neji wasn't around since he kept holding out hope that he might see her again one day.
So Ko decided to make it happen.
On Lee's eighteenth birthday.
Or at least what the doctors lord Hiashi had called in determined was the boy's birthday.
Neji was out on business along with lord Hiashi and his other daughter Hanabi.
Ko got a promotion and was placed in-charge of all security personal so he had their shifts arranged in such a way that Lee would be able to make an escape, a much more effective escape than the others that he's attempted over the passed three years.
Ko, unlocked the door to Lee's cage and got him out as far as the edge of the outer wall of the compound before heading back to make sure that the rest of the staff remained none the wiser. That is, until Neji unexpectedly came home earlier than Ko had anticipated and he was sure that Lee would be caught again but somehow Lee got away.
Of course he knew that it would be a matter of time till Neji figured out exactly what happened but as long as Lee got away then none of that really mattered.
If he's lucky Lee might actually manage to find Hinata.
Ko shifted on the creaky old bed so he was sitting up, ignoring how his body protested at all the pain it was being subjected to as he moved when he suddenly heard noises coming from the hallway that led to the dungeons.
The man frowned as he watched two shadows appear with what looked like a struggling form between them.
The two figures stopped right in front of the cage and Ko felt his heart stop when he heard loud mewling and hissing and saw the lean form of a boy wearing nothing but an oversized shirt, with black ears and a tail.
"No."
The door to the cell was opened and the boy was tossed onto the concrete floors inside, before the door was shut and the boy quickly tried to scramble to his feet and ran for the cell's bars.
"No! LET ME GO! I DO NOT WANT TO BE HERE!"
"Lee?" Ko said as he carefully sat up and the boy spun around and his eyes went wide, "Ko?"
Ko only had a moment to prepare himself when Lee collided with him and he had to suppress a groan of pain at the impact, "Ko! You are alright! I was so worried when Neji said that he had you taken care of and I-I-"
Lee cut himself off as he buried his head in the man's worn out bloody shirt with his arms locked tight around him as he began to sob. Ko carefully wrapped his arms around the cat boy and slowly rocked back and forth as he tried to get him calm.
"Shhh, its alright Lee just... Just calm down and tell me what happened."
The boy looked up at Ko with large tear filled eyes and his breath hitched as he spoke.
~ FLASH BACK ~
About four months have passed since Lee saw Hinata again and Lee has never been happier.
Hinata came over to see him every other day after work.
The ex Hyuuga heiress owns her own flower shop downtown, she took Lee to go see it once. It was beautiful.
Hundreds of flowers all perched around tables and and shelves near the windows and some against the walls. Sunflowers, daisies, tulips, roses, lilies, carnations. The entire shop smelled wonderful and the bright colours had Lee smiling even after he left the store with the beautiful white lotus Hinata picked out for him stuck into his hair.
Hinata would stay for a few hours, sometimes she'd sit with him and help him read and other times she'd tell him stories about the things she's been doing over the passed three years.
She told him about all the jobs she had before and all the friends she's made, but most of all she told him about Naruto.
Hinata's face would always light up when she spoke about the blonde and Lee couldn't help but smile back at her when she did. It's so obvious how deeply her love for Naruto goes and he obviously loves her back, although Lee has to admit, the blonde is just a little strange.
Lee hasn't really spent a lot of time with Naruto but he seems very friendly, kind hearted with lots of confidence. A little loud and maybe just a bit obnoxious, but the good outweighed the bad. So it's not hard figuring out why Hinata fell for him more than five years ago.
Now they're getting married, Lee could hardly believe it. But he's happy for them.
Happy for Hinata.
Of course their talks about Naruto would always eventually turn into conversations about Sasuke and suddenly Lee's cheeks would start to burn with heat and he'd have to try so very hard to keep eye contact with his best friend.
Lee's feelings for Sasuke have been growing with everyday that passed with him living with the Uchiha and their relationship has been changing little by little as well until it turned into well...
Whatever this thing between him and Sasuke is.
At first, before he saw Hinata again, Lee was just grateful for Sasuke's hospitality and kindness. Sasuke didn't have to let Lee stay with him, but he did so of course Lee was grateful more than grateful.
He liked Sasuke.
But then there was that day when Lee was in Sasuke's study and the Uchiha kissed him and well... Like took a turn and turned into something else.
It was different from what it was like with Neji, even different from the day that Lee first met Sasuke.
Sasuke didn't try to hurt or force him like Neji did and he wasn't slow and clumsy like that first night they met.
It felt good.
Incredibly good how Sasuke's hands felt across his skin and the way Sasuke's lips felt against his own. And then there was that thing Sasuke did around the base of his tail that made Lee's toes curl up and hot shivers run all along his spine.
It felt amazing, so amazing that Lee wanted to try it again maybe go a little further this time.
So a few days later, Lee kissed him and it was just like it was before, only this time there were no distractions.
Warm shivers all over that left Lee breathless while Sasuke moaned and groaned against his ear. They kissed and touched. Lee almost swallowed his tongue when the Uchiha suddenly took him into his mouth without any warning whatsoever.
Neji never did that with him, so it was a bit of a shock when it happened the first time.
He and Hinata would always go bright red whenever Lee told her about these things, but it's not like he was trying to embarrass her on purpose. It's just...
Some of the things Sasuke did were strange, they always felt incredible but they were still strange so he just wanted to know if it was normal, that's all.
Unfortunately Hinata would get stuck in a stuttering fit whenever Lee asked, especially that one time when he asked if it was normal for people to stick their tongues in... Certain places.
Hinata didn't come see him for a week after that visit.
Lee blushed at that thought as he looked up from the book he had on the coffee table as he sat on the floor and looked up at the clock hanging on the wall infront of him.
Almost six thirty, Sasuke would be home soon.
The neko slowly reached up and stretched out his arms before putting his hands down on the floor to brace himself as he stretched out his back, legs and tail while his ears lay flat against his head until they perked up as he heard the sound of footsteps just beyond the front door.
Lee quickly shot off the floor and headed straight for the door, jumping over furniture and narrowly avoiding the walls as he ran for the entrance.
He always greeted Sasuke at the door whenever he came home at night, the Uchiha told him that it wasn't necessary but Lee always missed Sasuke when he was gone all day.
Sasuke had just smirked when Lee told him that and called Lee a puppy since he behaved more like a dog than a cat, resulting in Lee pouting for hours afterwards because, he is not a dog!
But then later Sasuke did that thing on his tail and that other thing with his tongue and Lee honestly couldn't remember his own name let alone remember what the Uchiha had called him.
A key went into the lock and the door slid open just as Lee reached it, the neko practically jumped the raven haired man standing on the other side of the threshold. Making the man give a grunt of surprise as he lost his balance and fell flat on his back with Lee ontop of him.
"I missed you Sasuke." Lee smiled as he purred and rubbed himself against the man when he suddenly stopped as he realised that Sasuke didn't smell like he usually did.
Matter of fact, Sasuke didn't feel like he usually did either.
Lee pulled back and his frown deepened while his head gave a tilt as he stared down at the man beneath him, that just stared back at him in surprise.
"You are not Sasuke."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sasuke was stuck somewhere between relief and complete annoyance as he walked up to his apartment at the end of the hall.
Work wasn't a night mare today, in fact, things had gone great.
Better than great.
Remember that offshore company Itachi bought that Sasuke couldn't get rid of no matter how hard he tried?
Turns out Itachi wasn't just hell-bent on seeing their families empire burn down to the ground as the company he bought announced a technological break through that had their stocks shooting right through the roof.
The company that was once bound in miles of red tape facing bankruptcy was now worth more than two billion dollars.
On the one hand, he was more than just a little relieved since this meant that the Sharingan corporation was out of trouble, but on the other hand this also meant that Itachi knew exactly what he was doing and now Sasuke was left to hear his father boasting about his eldest son's genius since Itachi still hasn't shown up since he dropped off the side of the planet four months ago.
God, it was exhausting.
Sasuke's never wanted to shut his father up more than he wanted to in that moment.
For now, Sasuke's just glad it's all over and done with. The only thing he's looking forward to at this point is seeing Lee, since their relationship has taken an...interesting turn over the passed few months.
So interesting that Sasuke often has to drag himself out of bed and away from the sexy neko just so he could try and convince himself to got to work.
A smug smirk started to pull at Sasuke's lips as he reached the door and slid the key into the lock before pushing it open, only to frown when he he wasn't immediately jumped by a ball of hyperactive cat boy. The Uchiha walked into the apartment and felt a slight panic begin to build up inside his chest when he heard Lee's voice softly coming from the living room. Only to start all over again when he heard another voice that didn't belong to Lee and he rushed into the living room where he almost gaped at what he saw.
There was Lee sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table as he read from a book while his brother Itachi sat right behind him. Running a hand through Lee's hair with a smirk on his face while Lee read out loud in front of him.
"Softly, he whispered into Sebas-tian's ear, 'You are mine and mine alone, from this night forward mine will be the only flesh that you will ever warm on your inner walls. You are my co-con-"
Lee bit his lip as he tried to sound out the word and Itachi leaned forward and his smirk grew a little more as he finished for the boy, "Concubine."
Lee blinked, "Oh, concu-bine. I do not understand what they are doing. What does it mean?"
"It means," Right at that moment Itachi's head snapped up and he grinned when he caught sight of his little brother's shocked form standing in the doorway as he spoke. "Little brother, you're finally home."
"Hello Sasuke, Itachi picked out a book for me to read. You did not tell me that you have an older brother." Lee chirped before going back to the book while Itachi's hand just kept raking through his hair between his ears.
Sasuke stepped forward, "Itachi? What-"
"You know Sasuke, when I told you to get a pet," the older man said as he glanced down at Lee with a leering grin, "I never expected you to do something like this."
A/N: I was planning on putting some Italee in this but then I figured that I'd just keep it simple and focus on Sasulee. Itachi's just sort of going to tease Sasuke about Lee is all.
There should be one or two chapters left, so I'm almost done with this
Tell me what you think
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