He couldn't sleep, not that he couldn't, he just couldn't bring himself to sleep. The demon didn't have any problem whatsoever in their current deal, but Neji sure did. It's not that he couldn't bed this Demon of Sand, he just couldn't bed this Demon of Sand and give him the child he sought. As much as Neji had protested before about 'men bedding other men being a sin' was a lie. Any man could bed another, it just depended on his status to his fellow man. A good example would be Orochimaru considering he was now King of Konoha, and with the numerous amounts of gold Gaara had, he could have too.
Yet it still remained...
How was he suppose to give this Demon a child, when men, like himself, weren't blessed with the gift? Neji shifted from the tight hold he was being held in, turned to his side, and stared at the fireplace that was still burning, despite how long ago it was lit. He shook despite the warmth and curled up, waiting for the sun to rise. The time for sleep was hours ago, and the clawed hand rubbing his waist line only lulled him away from sleep, more so because Neji knew what would happen when the day had settled to night. He could feel the other press closer, his loaned robe, felt like a second layer of skin against the Demon's naked form.
The finest of the finest. Best of the best.
"You're obviously awake."
Neji's bottom lip curled into his mouth as a response.
"Don't be so shy." He rolled until he was on top of Neji. "Look at me."
Neji closed his eyes and curled up tighter, jumping slightly when he felt the others long and warm hit his naked thigh. What exactly was he so afraid of, Neji couldn't begin to pinpoint. Men in his home town did sleep with other men so why...
"Neji."
It was a command at this point, and Neji looked up into those turquoise green eyes, jaw clenched with nervousness. Gaara tilted his head in wonder as he ran a single claw through those brown locks of silk. If the Hyuuga were to die at any point in his life, he would take every hair on his body and sew it into a robe for himself. But that's if the Hyuuga died on him at any unfortunate point. He knew why the Hyuuga was so reluctant, so terrified, so scared. Maybe he would wait and let the Hyuuga come to realize it for himself his own stupidity at accepting such an impossible deal. The look on his face. The astonishment, the wonder... If it were to come out the way Gaara had planned, maybe he would keep the Hyuuga. A gift to himself after hundreds of years of imprisonment...
Haku would be pleased to know he kept a Hyuuga for himself.
"I hope you slept well?" Gaara inhaled the boy's scent, an interesting change from all of the boring humans he'd been with before. Fresh and light, liike that of vanilla or lavender... Natural.
Neji stared as he thought on whether to lie or simply give the truth. He couldn't help it if he was afraid of how the Demon would impregnate him. The thought alone made him want to cry and run away while he had the chance.
"I tried..." Neji looked away as that clawed hand cupped his cheek. "I couldn't."
Gaara sat up, removed his hand, looked behind him towards Shukaku, and mentally commanded it to find some fish for their breakfast. Neji didn't dare to move his leg when the other rose up, and closed his other leg to be safe about the situation. It didn't go unnoticed by Gaara who in return grabbed both legs and forced them apart. Neji gasped and tried to pull away as he was pulled towards Gaara's naked form, his own robe falling apart as his nudity was slowly exposed.
"Stop!" Neji pushed again, but it did nothing as he was caged under a hard chest and biceps. "Please don't!"
"I said tonight, did I not?"
Neji stopped and lowered his hands, thought better of it, and placed them against the others chest. He was well aware that he was touching the Demon's naked body, and it didn't go unnoticed how warm the skin was. He could feel the embarrassing blush rising on his cheeks, tried his damn-est to avoid looking at the others reaction. He was naked and under another who was also naked, and legs open as if he was giving himself away willingly. Gaara lowered himself till the two of them were chest to chest, and Neji shuddered when their lower halves touched. Gaara was hard compared to his. The demon must have been desperate.
"Give me a kiss." Gaara lowered himself towards the Hyuuga's lips, not caring for an answer.
It was almost as sinful as him, being a demon and all. Neji was obviously a virgin considering how tense he was. He expected Neji to struggle, but the Hyuuga knew better than to struggle, even if Gaara preferred the fight. It didn't take long, as if Neji had remembered something forgotten, the Hyuuga started pushing, twisting his head to disconnect his mouth before Gaara could begin his oral journey.
"Y-you said t-tonight." Neji gasped his words hoarse. The thing in between Gaara's legs was a little too hard.
"I did didn't I?" Gaara 'hmmed' and placed a hand on a naked thigh, rubbed it in lazy circles.
"Stop it." Neji pushed a leg out in an attempt to get the other off.
It didn't work, and Gaara nestled further as he allowed himself to find that sensitive opening, nudged it while Neji jumped in pure fright.
"STOP!" Neji screeched.
Gaara gave a throaty chuckle as he lifted himself, hovering above the Hyuuga. Should he wait awhile longer to claim this sinless virgin, or should he claim the boy tonight? He would get a child either way, it was just that, the idea of the Hyuuga panting and moaning, while they mated, was something worth looking forward to. Perhaps a 'Two birds one stone' sort of exchange, that would allow Gaara to keep his promise and own the Hyuuga.
"Neji?"
Neji curled, pushed out with his hands, and pulled his feet in, anything to get the demon back and away from his body. To have that demon so close was sinful, scary, and erotic all rolled into one terrible form of want. Did that mean he actually wanted to be claimed? No it wasn't possible. He was doing this to restore honor to his family name, to avenge his dead sisters. As if seeking reassurance, Neji grabbed the fur blankets and pulled them over his nether regions, obscuring the demon's wandering gaze.
"Neji?"
Neji looked up pushing so that he was no longer beneath the other, but instead backed up against the feathered pillows that bunched near his naked bottom.
"I'm willing to change a few things in our current deal."
"What is it? What do you mean?" Neji was hoping he wouldn't have to have a child. He couldn't fathom.
"I am willing to wait for a child," Gaara snickered musing at the stupidity of humans. "Till the next full moon actually, but...," Gaara placed a hand on Neji's waist and pulled him back down, forcing the other to lay beneath him once more. "You must learn to come to me when I call. Embrace my touch, satisfy my lust, sooth my anger. Surely you understand what I'm getting at?"
"But if I were to do that..." Neji trailed off as he thought of these new terms, maybe blessings to something better.
But...
Agreeing to the new terms of the agreement would mean that he was no better than a slave. But in a sense it was better than being dead, right?
"Yes, Neji, in a sense you will be a sex slave, but wouldn't you rather be prepared than unprepared when it is time to give me the promised child." Gaara ran his claws through those brown locks once more, bringing a few strands to take another sniff of that natural scent the Hyuuga boy had. "You will learn to be addicted to my touch, that way you may even enjoy yourself, maybe learn a thing or two as well."
Neji frowned and looked away. He wasn't a fool, and he wouldn't be had. "But if I were to say yes, you will try to force your way onto me now."
Gaara nodded at the bit of truth. Yes he would have taken the boy beneath him if he had simply agreed.
But...
"I willing to give you some time to get used to these terms, and then I will take you."
"But..." Neji began to protest as he tried to find a reason as to why he shouldn't toss his virginity to a demon of all creatures.
Gaara was beginning to get a little angry, either this boy would take it or leave it. He could always rape him, kill him, and simply take his soul instead; Neji obviously wasn't aware of how ungrateful he was being with this once in a lifetime offer.
"I could always force you and kill you, so take the offer or leave it."
Neji swallowed... Nodded.
"Good." Gaara moved from above his new slave and laid himself back onto the warm furs. "I hope you know how to cook."
XXX
To say that Neji was angry would have been a pure understatement. To say that Neji was even a little grateful would have been a lie. He was sure, damn sure, that his family was looking down at him with pity, anger, maybe disappointment, possibly rejection. To say the least, Neji was mostly embarrassed wasn't enough of a definition to the burn in his cheeks, or the stares and pointing of other humans.
The fresh air was a bit of a relief, that much he couldn't deny no matter how upset his dead family members were. He shouldn't have expected a demon to not be prideful when it came to its possessions. But because he was a human, he was a fool. Gaara showed him off as if he had stolen from God himself with all the pointing, and stares, and bowing. One thing he didn't expect, as they walked through a neighboring village of Konoha, Suna, as the demon said, was how everyone bowed towards him and Gaara. As far as Neji was concerned, no one bowed to a slave no matter what type of slave they may be.
But this Gaara obviously had some form of status in this human village, something that made it honorable to be his slave. It was strange to have so many people staring at him with awe as opposed to hatred. He couldn't help but wonder what Gaara was to this village, populated with humans when where as Gaara lived in a cave far off. Unless...
Neji hoped not.
He pulled the shoulder of the robe and heaved an aggravated sigh. He was sure Gaara was wearing a new smile after hearing his bit of growing frustration, but even Neji couldn't get upset. Before they left Gaara had told him, he was going out into the village of Suna. A place of sand with a vast stretch of water sitting in the distance. It felt familiar but new all the same. Everyone moved about their lives as if Neji was nothing out of the ordinary. And Neji could feel tears building at the feeling of being considered normal. Normal like any other merchant looking for wares and produce.
Normal.
One thing that bothered Neji greatly during his stay, was the amount of quiet stares he received from the demon raccoon that Gaara housed within the cave. Like it knew something. And sometimes Neji would spot the two staring at one another as if speaking to one another. A frightening sight but fascinating all the same.
Neji shook his head.
"Little Hyuuga."
Neji shivered as he turned from thought and looked up to the demon, making scary eye contact.
"Don't sulk." Gaara stopped allowing Neji to fall into step before wrapping a clawed hand around the others shoulder, pulled him close. "It makes me look careless of your beautiful being."
Neji shrugged a shoulder and pulled his sleeve when it fell. "I thought we were fetching me new clothes."
Gaara 'hmmed' and looked away as they continued walking, running his claws through Neji's locks combing his scalp. Neji tilted his head and not a moment later, Neji realized he no longer needed walk because Gaara had lifted him till he was placed on the demon's shoulder. Neji could feel his cheeks turning red as Gaara's hand turned and began to rise, as the women began to swoon and swell pink with anger and jealousy.
"Stop." Neji pushed the hand rising on his thigh.
"The women here envy you." Gaara's hand clasped Neji's thigh undeterred. "If only they knew..."
Neji gulped as he looked over to the scantily dressed women near a darkened enclosure. Jealousy was a sin demons feasted on as well as lust, greed, pride, wrath, glutton, and the lazy. Neji hoped Gaara didn't bring him here to stir such things. He didn't want to damn souls just because his own was damned.
"Can you..." Neji slapped the hand repeatedly as it began to rise once more, exposing his naked thigh to the villagers.
"Gaara!"
Neji jumped at the voice and rushed to push his robe down, tried to lower himself from the demon's shoulder, but it was a vain attempt. He watched the owner of the voice approach, and dropped his jaw at the beauty. Long, black, waist length hair. Dark almond eyes, within a round face and soft petal lips, slim figure dressed in a simple blue robe and sandals. It was a demon Neji was sure, because there was no way such beauty could walk this planet.
"Haku?" Gaara allowed Neji to drop from his shoulder, but his arm still rested about Neji's waist.
"Oh my!" Haku licked his lips and pushed his slender fingers through Neji's hair. "Who is this with such beauty?"
Neji blushed and looked away.
"Mine."
Haku gave a small chuckle at the set answer. He shouldn't have expected less from a demon he spent centuries in imprisonment with. He pushed a lock of hair behind the boys ear as he inhaled the scent. He smelled natural... sinless... a virgin.
"Quite the catch Gaara." Haku lowered his hand and licked his lips. "Where did you find him?"
"He came to me." Gaara turned the way he'd come forcing Neji to follow.
Neji frowned as he thought Gaara's answer through, he didn't purposely go to Gaara. Had he known a demon had lived in the cave he sought refuge in, he would have let those villagers kill him before hand. But unfortunate as he was, he was here, as a slave to a demon, bound for hell because he sold his soul. Hopefully now that they were back tracking Gaara could get him some clothing.
"Is he the reason you sent for me?" Haku asked blowing a kiss to a woman selling fruit.
The man next to her must have been her husband, because he began to curse and openly smacked her across the face. Neji's eyes widened at the act easily committed because of a simple kiss, the fury that etched across the mans face, and pushed closer to Gaara as Haku smiled.
"Get his soul later Haku." Gaara waved the man off. "There is something we need to discuss."
"When you're done with him, can I have a taste?" Haku's eyes took a deadly slit at his own question as they darkened with obvious intent.
"Maybe."
Gaara stopped as he turned towards the clothing store they had passed previous, taking the building into thought. Haku licked his lower lip, flicking a piece of hair from his eyes, and directed a look to Neji. He couldn't wait...
"What's your name boy?"
Neji glared at the dirt his boot clad feet were standing on. At this point in his life he was sick and tired of people referring to him as boy, or little Hyuuga. He wanted to shout and scream, and maybe throw a little monstrous fit. But that would only make out to be the little boy they claimed him to be, so instead...
"Would it hurt either of you to call me by my name?" Neji pulled his arm away from Gaara and directed him with a scowl as he continued. "You asked that I call you by your name, and I have done so justly, but you refuse to call me by mine. If I must remind you my name is Neji, remember that the next time you refer to me, or I will purposely ignore you."
His response was a lifted brow from Haku and a bemused glance from Gaara.
"It wouldn't hurt if I knew your name." Haku pointed out wagging a finger.
Neji frowned and furrowed a brow when he realized that, this other demon was right, and that his speech had fallen on deaf ears.
"Because I'm the Master and you are the slave." Gaara pulled the Hyuuga close again and licked his cheek. "You have no say in how I refer to you."
"But-" It was logical; so logical that Neji felt like nothing more than the little boy everyone kept referring to. So he glared like most children and pulled away once more, determined to make them see, or at least make Gaara see his point.
"Sweetheart." Neji looked to Haku with a frown. "You have yet to tell me your name."
"You don't deserve to know."
"Tell him." Gaara commanded as they stepped towards the clothing store, the bell chiming signaling that the three were inside.
"He's a demon. I refuse to be known by any other demons as your whore."
"I am not as cruel." Haku interjected.
"You're a demon!" Neji reiterated pulling free and wondering what the hell he was doing with himself. He was losing his mind to this foolish insanity.
Gaara felt a vein tick as he looked towards the Hyuuga. Such disobedience, you would think that a virgin would be more controllable than Neji, unfortunately, it would seem that he had to train the insolent Hyuuga about his mouth and the ways of silence. So with reflexes faster than a snake on the offence, Gaara snatched the Hyuuga to his side and wrapped his claws around the Hyuuga's throat. He squeezed just enough to feel the sudden pulse of Neji's heart through the vein, and Neji looked up to him with frightened pearl like eyes.
"Have you forgotten your place?" Gaara snarled turning the heads of a few nearby humans.
Neji couldn't bring forth a response, but the brown wooden ceiling above blurred. The oil lamps seemed like stars on a dark sky, and the darkness edging his vision were black holes threatening to swallow him whole. Neji lifted a hand to the claws wrapped around his throat and whimpered.
Gaara removed his hand from a gasping Hyuuga at the silence he was met with.
Onlookers ran from the store realizing exactly who were among them. The shopkeeper trembled when Gaara directed him with a single turquoise eye and rushed over to offer his service.
"Lords, can I help you?" One could see the sweat forming on his pale skin.
Neji placed a hand to his throbbing throat as Gaara told the merchant what he wanted for him, and thus proceeded to take Neji's measurements. By the time the merchant had left, Haku had returned holding bundles of numerous fabrics.
"Put this on."
Haku held out one of the bundles and gave it to Neji, who took the clothing with numb fingers. He was directed towards a large cloth and pushed behind it as it was shut with a rough swish of fabric behind him. He could feel the weight of it turning his stomach, as it made its way up to the point where he was sliding to the slabbed wooden floor. Neji whimpered as a sob broke free, as tears began to spill down his cheeks while his body shook with false chills. The weight of his realization was tipping him over the edge so he buried his face into the fabric that was a creamy soft and relished in the comfort it gave. He was so bound, so restricted. Is this what it was like to be a slave? To be a sex slave?
Neji unwrapped the bundle Haku had given him and glanced it over with thoughtful eyes. It looked simple enough, even if it did looked to be meant for women. Would he be stuck wearing women's clothing from today forward? Deep down, Neji hoped not to. Heaving a quiet sigh Neji lifted from the floor and began the task of trading clothes. By the time he was finished, a rosy hue had adorned his cheeks, and they only darkened as he soothed out the small wrinkles. His hair had long since lost the ribbon to hold it back, so the best he could do with it was toss it back and over his shoulders.
"Neji come out." Gaara called from the other side of the dressing cloth.
Haku leaned against the table as he thought back over the Hyuuga family tree. Such beautiful humans they were, some tasting better than others. Yet as far as Haku could recall, the Hyuuga's were all wiped out, or at least the remaining three were wiped out by Orochimaru. Speaking of which...
"Gaara?"
"What?"
"Did you manage to get the soul of that greedy snake?"
Gaara gave the demon a look of faint irritation but shook his head nonetheless.
"You know the rules, if humans don't uphold their end of the bargain then neither do we."
Gaara walked over to the cloth and snatched it open to reveal a wide eyed Neji. He looked quite shocked, and Gaara doubted it was because of the clothes he was wearing. Neji must have heard what he had just said. He had raised a pale slender finger to point at Gaara and stuttered dumbly. Neji was managing all the pieces together. How Konohamaru died, how Orochimaru became king, the death of his sisters, how and why he managed to escape. The reason why he was alive today. Neji could feel the anger swelling in his throat as the angry tears poured down his cheeks.
"So it's your fault?" Neji demanded backing away from the demon.
"If that's what you want to believe."
Gaara reached forward to grab the Hyuuga's hand but the boy had snatched it back. Neji grabbed his long locks hard and pulled as if that would solve everything. He glared at the demon in front of him and pointed an accusing finger.
"So you knew he would kill my sisters, didn't you?"
Haku grabbed his chin then turning the boy to look at him. "He's a Hyuuga?" Haku's brow creased with irritation.
Gaara nodded. "You wanted the female Hyuuga but both perished at Orochimaru's hand ..." He trailed off turning to the Hyuuga. "I watched for myself. If you are to remember."
Neji thought back to the room he happened upon after securing the original deal with Gaara. Is that how Gaara knew where to find him, or did he make it easier by waltzing into a cave inhabiting a demon?
Gaara stepped forward and grabbed the Hyuuga forcing him from thought, dragging him from behind the cloth and into the brighter lighting of the room. He looked Neji's new attire over eyes hazing at the thought of ripping it off. Black suited the Hyuuga's pale features, especially with him in a such a dress. The false corset gave the illusion of a women, and the flared skirt hid any doubts that Neji was indeed a male. He looked like a doll and with such porcelain peach skin, he could pass for a newborn succubus. Little Hyuuga was too feminine for his own good, and with such a look, maybe he could help in damning a few souls before he claimed Neji's and eventually Orochimaru's. Neji may not want to intentionally, but he will unconsciously.
"But why my sisters?" Neji broke into a sob. "They never done anything wrong. They were good girls."
His sisters? Gaara gave Neji an eerie smile. "You would rather they suffer your current fate?"
Neji gasped. Damn Hinata and Hanabi to bear the child of a demon? No he could never do such a thing, they were better off dead than here. Neji shook his head quickly and looked down, ashamed at his own thoughts, to his state of dress. He knew this was women's wear, and for Gaara to want him to wear it with his fellow demon watching, brought on a new wave of embarrassment.
"Looks good, you obviously agree."
"I agree." Haku whispered staring at the remaining Hyuuga with smoldering eyes.
Neji flinched hunching away from the gaze that did more than strip him of his new found garments. "Must I wear this in public?" Neji pulled at the bottom of his clothes, the frills bouncing with each movement.
"Of course, you must help me with claiming a few souls."
"I will not help you damn souls of others!"
Gaara's lip quirked upwards as he beckoned the shopkeeper over, holding a medium sized bag of gold coins. When the merchant took too long to get close enough, Gaara flung the bag towards him the bag smacking the merchant in the chest as he gestured to Neji.
"I want more just like it. I will get them another day."
The merchant nodded as he took out a small handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his fuzzy brows. He then proceeded to pull more clothes from their wooden dolls and placing them on the sales counter to be wrapped. By the time the merchant was done, half of the store was empty.
"Give me one." Haku brushed Neji's arm uttering a sigh. "Consider it a thank you."
Gaara shrugged as he wrapped his claws around Neji's upper arm, pulling him away from Haku's lingering gaze and towards the door entrance.
Neji pulled back not wanting to be seen in public. "Can't you get me something more decent, like trousers."
Gaara gave it some thought as he ran a hand through his red locks.
"No, as of today you will do you job as a slave."
Neji couldn't object as he was pulled from the clothes store and back into the streets of Suna. The villagers stared as they watched the couple head down the dirt road to a building with no name on the front arch. The moment they reached the doors Neji immediately recognized such a building. There was nothing but sin in such a place, a place he knew since he was a little boy to avoid. Gaara looked back to his well dressed slave and smiled at the the long awaited task that lay within the the log structure.
Neji didn't have a choice but to help him collect the souls of sinners.
Why don't we start with... Greed...