When Lightning Strikes

Authors' Note: Thanks for the reviews. We hope you enjoy this chapter.

The testing had been extensive and grueling, but it was finally over. It was a good thing he had texted Itachi before it started, or else Sasuke was sure his brother would have stormed the castle by now.

He chuckles at that thought as he prepares to fire off a text. Sasuke pauses for only a few seconds debating on what exactly to tell his brother. It probably wasn't a good idea to point out that Shisui had been the protector so to speak for his physical combat assessment or how thoroughly his newest lover had investigated his other assets.

Sorry to keep you waiting. They had me do all sorts of tests to establish the baseline of my abilities: academic, psychological, magical, combat abilities, and the works. Don't worry. I'm fine. ~ Sasuke

The response only takes a few moments, as if Itachi had his phone's volume turned up and didn't care who might hear it. Then came the inevitable barrage of worried older brother questions.

And? How did the testing go? Are you injured? Have you been eating properly? Are you sick? Has Shisui been taking care of you properly? ~ Itachi

Sasuke snorts and rolls his eyes with fond exasperation. Some things would never change. Itachi was the most devoted mother hen in the history of mother hens.

The tests went well. Apparently, I'm a genius. They could have just looked at my old report cards to figure that much out. They seemed pretty impressed with my magic and combat capabilities. I'm not sick or injured. Yes, I'm eating well. Shisui is a great cook and he's promised to teach me more kinds of magic. ~ Sasuke

I see, that's good. I'm sure that Shisui didn't mean to imply that you needed testing to figure that out. The government just loves its paperwork. He's also an excellent magic teacher. I remember how enthusiastic he was whenever he'd managed to master a new ability. It was adorable. What are you going to be learning first? ~ Itachi

Well, Shisui had mentioned wax play. Though Sasuke doubted that's what Itachi meant. Besides, the captain had been up to his neck in paperwork. He'd taken quite a bit of time off to find Sasuke and oversee his assessment. Shisui was a busy worker bee at the moment and Sasuke hadn't wanted to bother him. He still didn't know what their training session actually meant, but Shisui had cuddled him. So, it didn't feel like a one night stand and...fuck, he'd just wasted five minutes thinking about Shisui.

Yeah. The government does love its paperwork. I'm pretty sure he'll start off with teleportation or hope he does anyway. Seems like a handy one to have. ~ Sasuke

Yes, I think that it would be quite useful for you to have a skill that can get you out of dangerous situations if you ever end up in one. Are you alright? You seem distracted. ~ Itachi

Yeah. I'm fine. For some reason, the phone didn't beep. It's amazing how many abilities he has. ~ Sasuke

It was a lie, but a small white lie. Itachi was like a bloodhound when it came to figuring stuff out. He really would have made a great detective, but his academic pacifism was likely a blessing in disguise. His brother's powers were best used in the pursuit of innocent knowledge rather than interrogation. Sasuke should know, he'd never been able to keep a secret from Itachi. Not even when they were kids and he 'borrowed' Itachi's favorite stuffed animal and 'forgot' to give it back.

I see. You're right, Shisui is an exceptional talent, even within our extended family. It was a blow to us when he disappeared. At least now I can be at peace knowing that, even if he's in almost the last place I'd like for him to be, he's alive and doing well for himself. ~ Itachi

Yeah. He is and Shisui's pretty happy here. He's got a lot of pride in his team and seems to enjoy the intellectual challenge of it. He missed you, Itachi. He doesn't stop bragging about you. ~ Sasuke

It was all true of course. Sasuke just wasn't going to mention those talents extended to the bedroom.

In a way most unlike Itachi, the next text is somewhat delayed.

And I missed him. I still do. I miss you both. I wish that I could scoop the both of you up and hide you away somewhere no one would find you. I want you to be happy Sasuke. I just wish that happiness was safer for you. ~ Itachi

I know you do, Itachi. I'm okay, though. Really. Better than okay, actually. I don't have to hide here. Oh, Cuddlebug is back. Do you want to talk to him? ~ Sasuke

Itachi's groan is tangible, even from so far away.

I take it that Shisui is up to his old tricks again. I remember when we were in high school, he wanted four hugs and two cuddles every single day. And to make sure that no one got jealous, Shisui always picked the same, emotionally unavailable target. Me. ~ Itachi

Now, I understand why he gave himself that nickname. Yeah. Something like that. ~ Sasuke

It was safer not to go into details. He'd been idiot to mention the pet name, but mercifully it seemed like Shisui hadn't changed all that much since high school in some ways. The only difference was now his 'cuddle victim' wasn't Sasuke's asexual brother.

"Hey Sasuke." Shisui walks into the living room, his hair damp from the shower he'd taken after finishing yet another peak in his mountain of work. "Are you texting Itachi?"

"Yeah. He's already done the standard health and well-being interrogation." Sasuke chuckles trying not to stare at a still semi wet Shisui. "Do you wanna talk to him?"

"Hm…" Shisui tilts his head consideringly. "You know, I think I will." He plucks the phone from Sasuke's hands and types a number of words on it, waits for the reply, then smirks and hands it back to Sasuke. "Alright, I think Itachi should probably get back to his classes now, he's got another one in ten minutes."

Sasuke blinks at the smirk. His eyes curiously roaming over the screen to see what the hell Shisui had messaged that made him look so smug.

I'm missing our snuggle time too, Sweetheart. Don't worry, though, I'm sure your little brother will keep me nice and warm. If you want your primary snuggler position back, you're always welcome to come visit. ;) - Shi

Fuck off, Shi. - Itachi

"I don't know what's more shocking. That you actually said that to him or you made ITACHI swear." Sasuke had never once heard his brother utter anything less than squeaky clean, elegant language or even type anything that didn't sparkle with purity. Sure, he was a master of mindfucks, but Itachi never cursed. "And really, you're calling Itachi sweetheart?"

Shisui snickers and ruffles Sasuke's hair. "That's because I still know all of the right buttons to push. Itachi has never been able to resist it when I bait him, no matter how hard he tries."

"Must be the mindreading magic at work. I've never known anyone who can wind Itachi up like that. You deserve some kind of medal." He rolls his eyes at the hair ruffling, but doesn't protest. "If I didn't know better, I'd probably be jealous."

"Jealous huh?" Shisui raises an eyebrow, even as his smirk stays firmly in place. He leans down over the back of the couch and presses a kiss to Sasuke's lips. "Then it's a good thing you know better."

"Well, between the petnames and primary snuggler thing, yeah." Sasuke returns the kiss, his eyes never leaving Shisui's. They'd kissed again and in a smug way, his lover had just offered some reassurance he didn't need to be jealous. It was a start. "So did you finally manage to kick the paperwork monster's ass?"

"I've managed to get a start on it, yes. But I still have missions and operations to plan out for the next half year. The first two weeks of the seventh and twelfth months are always spent planning for the next half year, as well as for any missions that might take more than six months to complete." It was one of Shisui's most loved and hated times of the year. Loved, because it meant that he could put his mind to the test and figure out the most creative solutions to problems. Hated because if he wasn't careful, the burnout was catastrophic. "As long as you don't start seeing smoke rising from my head, I'll be fine."

"You really are as big a geek as Itachi is deep down." Sasuke rises from the couch and closes the distance between them, taking Shisui's hand into his own. "Just listening to that almost gave me a headache." He leads his lover back to the couch and nudges him back onto it. Seating himself firmly in the other man's lap before he had a chance to protest and wrapping his arms around Shisui's neck with a fluid, feline-like grace. "So far, so good though." Sasuke nips on the shell of Shisui's ear. "I don't see any smoke yet and I should I know. Where's there's smoke, there's fire."

Shisui's hands trail up Sasuke's thighs and settle on his narrow hips. "Yes, I bet you're very acquainted with fire." With a gentle hum of pleasure, Shisui tilts his head to facilitate Sasuke's affections. "I'm sure that I'll get you just as acquainted with lightning, though."

He licks Shisui's ear, one of his hands sliding underneath his bathrobe. "I am very familiar with fire, but they say lightning never strikes twice." Acting on instinct, he leaves a path of kisses along Shisui's jaw. His hand gliding over the spectacularly well-sculpted skin underneath his fingertips. "I hope they're wrong about that."

A flash of light crackles through Shisui's eyes and he squeezes Sasuke's hips. Lightning flares from his fingertips and he turns his gaze squarely onto his sexy, mischievous lover. "You can call the lightning to you whenever you want, Sasuke."

Warning Lemon

Sasuke smiles, brushing his lips against Shisui's in a soft kiss. "That wasn't the only kind of lightning I was talking about." He smirks, toying with the sash of his lover's bathrobe. Slowly, but surely pulling the satin fabric away from him. Exposing Shisui's midriff and even more...fascinating parts of his anatomy.

Shisui's lips turn up in a wicked grin and his eyes flare with a rich scarlet. "Are you hoping for a ride on your favourite kind of lightning?" His arousal twitches quite eagerly to life under Sasuke's gentle and seductive touch.

He pushes the sleeves of Shisui's bathrobe down and leans closer until his lips practically kiss Shisui's ear. "Maybe. It has been a pretty long three days." His hand falls away from Shisui's chest until it lands on his ever growing arousal. It definitely looked like lightning could strike twice, after all.

"Have you been waiting to jump me all this time?" Shisui pulls his hands from the sleeves and sits up, entirely naked and holding Sasuke pressed close against his body. "I told you that having someone who wants to look after you is a magical experience. It's something that's hard to get enough of." He presses a kiss to Sasuke's neck, then to his jaw, then his lips.

"Not the whole time. I debated about it for awhile but yeah I was thinking about you." A lot. More than he really wanted to admit to. A soft sigh escapes him as Shisui begins kissing him. "That feels good."

Shisui smirks as he presses another kiss to Sasuke's throat. Then, with a mere touch, Sasuke's clothes drop into a pile beside them on the floor. "You're so eager that I feel like I should make you wear a toy off duty so that you'll always be ready for me."

"You magicked my clothes off instantly. I doubt I'm the only one who is eager." Sasuke groans in pleasure at the feeling of Shisui's kisses against his throat. He still didn't know why that spot drove him as crazy as it did.

"True, but…" Shisui reaches under the arm of the couch and retrieves a bottle. After all, now that Sasuke wanted him, he planned on fucking Sasuke everywhere in the apartment. So he'd prepared accordingly. "You wouldn't have to wait so long if I didn't have to stretch you every time." He coats his fingers in soft, slippery lubricant and presses his fingers to that gorgeous ass he adored.

Sasuke blinks. Shisui had planned this. "You're cocky. Stashing that in the couch?" He was about to tease his lover further when he feels Shisui's fingers slip inside him. "And s-sneaky."

Shisui chuckles and wiggles two of his fingers inside Sasuke. "I've stashed bottles all over the apartment over the last three days. It's what I did with those 'breaks' I took from the paperwork mountain."

"That's romantic in a nymphomaniac kinda way." Sasuke rocks his hips, knowing that would make it easier to get used to Shisui's fingers again. Feeling rather pleased that his lover had been thinking about him too, he captures a pert nipple in his mouth and sucks hard.

For a moment, Shisui forgets about his fingers and tilts his head back with a pleasured groan. "Sasuke…" He growls a soft warning in his lover's name. Sasuke was already sexy enough to make it unbearable without pulling cute little tricks like that. His fingers move again, pumping hard and deep into Sasuke's core. His hips flex in anticipation.

Sasuke releases the nipple with a strangled groan. "Ah fuck! I like it when you growl." And he'd apparently found Shisui's spot judging by how fast his lover's fingers were moving. Oh yeah. He was definitely going to exploit that knowledge later.

"Good." Shisui's impatience gets the better of him as he removes his fingers and lifts Sasuke up, only to bring him back down to meet the eager thrust of his hips as he sheathes himself inside of his fiery lover.

Sasuke arches his back as Shisui suddenly penetrates him. "Ngh. You're…definitely wound up." Sasuke's dark irises morph into ruby red ones as he slides his hands slowly over Shisui's chest. "Must be all that paperwork and lack of fucking. Let me help you with that." He doesn't summon flames, but a whisper of the fire's power. Just enough to heat up his hands. Slowly bestowing a heated massage along every delicious piece of bare skin he could find. He couldn't resist toying with Shisui's nipples either.

"Oh you brat…" Shisui groans as he thrusts his hips up almost viciously. His fingers tremble where they lay grasping Sasuke's hips. The sensitive buds swell slightly and the tiny peaks throb under the heat of Sasuke's hands. The heat made every inch of his skin feel tight and inflamed, wonderfully sensitive but not quite painful.

"Mmm you're the one that introduced magic into sex. You played with fire." Shit! He couldn't help, but moan as Shisui slams into him. Yeah. He'd found his lover's spot alright. Sasuke smirks, gliding his warm hands everywhere...especially over Shisui's inner thighs.

The heated touches light a fire inside of Shisui. Every one of his nerves was alight with desire. Shisui's pants become faster deeper as he almost struggles for breath amidst the sparks of orgasmic pleasure. His mind darkens, retreating into the most primal of stages, little more than a creature of passion as he pulls his lover down for a kiss and thrusts furiously into the wondrous man above him.

Sasuke returns the kiss, his moans half muffled by the gesture. He could feel Shisui everywhere. In the deepest parts of him. His lover's pace was becoming wild, hot, and possessive. It was almost like he was being branded. Fuck he was going to cum soon.

Shisui rolls them over and onto the carpeted floor. His hip move and his hands pull Sasuke so tightly against him that there is no room to blow a breath between their skin. He gazes into the hazy ruby irises, his own flashing scarlet, and he breathes a ghost of a kiss over Sasuke's lips. "…Now."

The sensation of being rolled onto the floor, those eyes, and the command in Shisui's voice was too much to resist. Sasuke could feel the magic whirling around them. It was like a tidal wave of pleasure smacking into him. "S-Shisui!"

Shisui's hips slowly come to a stop as the knot of pleasure within him releases. He raises a hand to brush sweat-soaked bangs from Sasuke's face. Warm breath passes his lips and he presses a kiss to Sasuke's lips. "You're so beautiful, Sasuke…"

Sasuke kisses back, trying to catch his breath. "So are you." He tilts his head as he traces his fingertips over Shisui's bicep. "Did you really put them all over the apartment?"

"…Yeah, all over. There's twenty bottles." Shisui's flagging erection twitches with anticipation. "I thought that you might want to enjoy some variety."

He blinks. That was a lot of bottles. Still, Sasuke couldn't help but smile. Shisui wouldn't have got that many if he didn't want something long-term. "You're definitely a nymphomaniac of a cuddlebug, but I like it."

"I bet you do." Shisui chuckles and rolls onto his side. He pulls Sasuke into his arms and smiles into his lover's collarbone. "After all, you're the one who seduced me only minutes after I got out of the shower."

"You're the one who jumped me during training and I waited three days." Sasuke feels his face heat up at Shisui's assessment. He'd been very patient really. That was three days. Seventy-two hours and ah fuck it, he wasn't even going to bother to do the minutes and seconds. It had felt like an eternity, though.

"So then you need fucking daily, I understand." Shisui flexes his hips and slowly starts to move again. "If you like, I can take you on a tour of the house."

He moans at lewd declaration and the movement. "Not usually. I like sex, but it's never been this intense before." He'd always enjoyed it, but sleeping with Shisui was an all consuming experience. The house could burn down around them and Sasuke doubted he'd even notice. "A tour sounds good, though. Really good." His voice comes out as a breathless moan. Damn. Shisui's stamina was impressive.

End of Lemon

Shisui moves again with a sly smile. Teleportation would come in rather handy right about now. "Come on, let's go to bed." He presses a warm, gentle kiss under Sasuke's jaw.

"Mmm. Yeah. Bed. That means you'll either have to stop or teleport us, though." Sasuke kisses Shisui's forehead and smiles. "Think you can manage the latter?"

"Hn." Shisui smirks and lights flash all around them. "Yeah, I think I can manage that." He could manage a lot of interesting things if he really wanted to. "Hold on tight."

The purple toe of a softly heeled shoe kicks a few stray locks of auburn hair across the floor. "So, did you hear that Shisui's brought us a new teammate to train and annoy?" Carefully manicured hands with clear pink polish run through short brown hair as it grows inch by inch to cascade from between her fingers.

"Yes, I heard. Shikamaru showed me his assessment results." Neji glances at Ino. She was at it again, transforming his appearance from the reddish brown hair and jade eyes he'd been sporting for three months. Not that he could entirely complain. It did make doing their undercover work so much easier. "They're...impressive. I imagine they're comparable to what Shisui's would have been if our captain hadn't explored his powers thoroughly from a young age. Minus the fiery temper. I suspect that's because his primary ended up being fire and Shisui is more...precise because his primary is lightning." It was interesting to speculate on the nature of such things. In Neji's opinion, those who manifested elemental abilities first did tend to mirror their element closely. His for example was water...though he favored the more specialized form of ice.

"Yes, I heard that he's a hothead. It'll be interesting to finally meet him when Shikamaru and Shisui are done keeping him all for themselves." Ino smirks and takes a brush to Neji's soft, dark brown locks as her power works through the strands. "So, how did your mission go? I know that you got four of the smugglers caught, but what about the last two?"

"Why do I feel as though you're hoping for a boyfriend more than anything else?" Neji shakes his head in exasperation, but a small fond smile makes it way across his face nonetheless. "Our objectives were met. In that regard, it was a success. Two escaped, but we're hoping to track them down soon. We have a few leads. Sai from the ROOT division is tracking them."

"That one from ROOT, huh…?" Ino frowns and her brow furrows. "That division gives me a bad feeling…" There was so much secrecy around that division. And they were called in whenever…ordinary force and subterfuge didn't cut it. "But I'm glad that you're back safe and sound."

"I cannot lie. They do make me feel uneasy as well, but ROOT also gets results." He tries to shrug it off, ignoring the slight chill that came whenever their name was mentioned. The bad kind of chill...not the kind he loved to create with his own magic. "I'm glad I'm safe as well, but you can admit it. You only 'love' me for my hair."

Ino laughs brightly and twirls the brown locks around her fingers. "I do love your hair, Neji. But you know, if I kept your hair every time it's up to me to work my magic, I think I'd have enough to make a dozen gorgeous wigs by now. As it is, I've unfortunately only made four. I'm really slipping on my game."

"I'm certain you'll make up for it sooner or later." Some things would never change. Ino did love her job. "In any case, I imagine they'll be here soon."

"I doubt it. Shikamaru said that Shisui teleported away with Sasuke three hours ago. Who knows what they're getting up to." Ino knew well that when Shisui used his teleportation, it was important.

Neji blinks. Three hours ago? That was far longer than was necessary for any exam. "I hope they're alright."

"Oh, I think they will be, after all they'd just had Sasuke's sparring test. If either of them were injured, then they would have come to get medical treatment." Ino was sure they'd be alright. "Maybe Shisui just took Sasuke home with him to relax a little."

"Ah right. The file did say that Sasuke was moving in with Shisui. They're cousins or something like that." Neji didn't question it. He knew all about coming from a large family. His family tree was more of a family rainforest.

Ino rakes her fingers through Neji's hair one last time to lengthen the locks to rest just past Neji's waist. "I saw a picture of him, you know. He's absolutely gorgeous, just like you and Shisui. But there's a fire in his eyes that's…special." Ino hadn't seen anything like it before. Shisui's gaze was as sharp as the wind and as powerful as a bolt of lightning. Neji's as piercing as ice. Shikamaru's as lazy as the clouds, but with a gleam in it that no one should underestimate. And in hers? Deceptively bright light and kindness, belying the danger that her powers and training posed.

"I imagine he's special. Shisui recruited him personally. Even if they are related, he wouldn't place him in this division if he wasn't capable." Neji sends Ino a reassuring smile. It seemed the cheerful blonde had already accepted Sasuke as one of their own without even meeting him. It was...heartwarming in a way. "I'll have to see for myself about this fire in his eyes that you speak of."

"That's true. I can't wait until he's given his first assignment. I love having a fresh canvas." Ino could already feel that spiky hair between her fingers. She could turn it any color, make his eyes change to match. "I wonder what he'll ask me to do first? You know, you still haven't let me turn your hair silver-gold and your eyes violet yet."

"That's because such a disguise would stick out far too much." He also wasn't sure where she had ever dreamed up such a color combination, but that was besides the point. "Sasuke may be more agreeable to your more...unique suggestions."

"Oh I hope he is. But one of these days you might want to stand out, Neji. Its when we're bringing them in that we're supposed to be plain and discreet." Ino's clear sky blue eyes trail almost suggestively over Neji's body. "Not that you count as plain." She presses her hands over his eyes, and in an instant she removes them to wipe the green pigment from them and return them to the palest lilac that was very nearly white. "There, now you can be as vain as usual, Neji."

"He might be and I"m not vain." He scoffs at the notion. Where did she get these silly ideas in her head. "We're blessed that you became part of the team instead of lending your skills to film-makers." The woman could have been filthy rich if she really wanted.

"Well, film-makers wouldn't have gotten me what I want." Ino smiles, but this time it was strained. After all, what she wanted was her own revenge. For the best friend she'd lost years ago. "Here, I can do the work I want to. Here, I can make a difference."

"Yes, you can and you do everyday. Your interesting taste in color combinations aside." A teasing glint glimmers within those pale irises. It was rare that he would act in such a casual manner. Ino did bring it out in people, though.

"My color choices are fantastic, thank you very much." Ino grins and rakes her hands once through Neji's hair to set it back into its usual place. "Now get out of here, you have a report to write."

"If you say so and yes, I do." Neji shakes his head with fond exasperation. The sooner he got started, the sooner it'd be over with. Paperwork was an occupational hazard.