-o0o-

"What if your brother is like a super cool assassin or somethin'?"

Shoulders tensing slightly at the question, Sasuke turned his head slowly and blinked at his boyfriend. It was Friday and his brother had been gone since early Sunday morning and the younger Uchiha was honestly unconcerned. There had been times when his brother would be gone for months without a single word, but regardless he always made it back home.

"Don't be such an idiot Naruto."

Completely ignoring the boy's insult Naruto continued, "Maybe he is like ANBU! Oh man that would be so cool!"

Sasuke had already considered that as an option; the ANBU Back ops were covert operatives dispatched by the governing body of each country. His older brother was very secretive about his work and he would take 'business trips' that would last for weeks at a time. There was also that one night when Itachi came home covered in blood, Sasuke was on the verge of panicking until he realized that it was someone else's blood and not his brother's. The elder Uchiha was still unaware that Sasuke had seen him that night. But his brother being ANBU was the only thing that made sense; but Sasuke was still unsure.

Naruto threw a decorative couch pillow at the raven's head. "Hey are you even listening to me?!" he asked.

Dodging the pillow, Sasuke glared and turned his head to face the TV again. "Just drop it Naruto."

The hyper blond either did not hear the warning in the Uchiha's tone or he decided to just disregard it altogether because he did not 'drop it'. "I could really see Itachi, decked out in all black wearing an ANBU mask and kicking major ass! I bet he can do all types of cool karate moves!" The blond boy jumped up and attempted a roundhouse kick before failing miserably and falling back on the couch.

Sasuke scowled and straddled his boyfriend. "Naruto!" he growled the blonde's name as he lowered his face until their lips were almost touching.

Naruto's cerulean eyes widened as he nervously licked his lips. "Sasuke, what are...?"

His voice was slightly husky when he cut the boy off, "Naruto, I said drop it! Whatever it is that my brother does for a living is not your concern. The only person that you should be focusing on is me!" With that, Sasuke closed the distance and...

Buzz

The two teenagers shot two very annoyed glances at the cell phone that sat on the coffee table.

Buzz

Looking at his boyfriend with hazy eyes, Naruto ground his hips in a circular motion. "Just ignore it." he pleaded wantonly.

Sasuke would have loved to do just that - his blond did look rather tempting at the moment. However, he knew that the call was more than likely from his brother and he was very particular about missing those phone calls. There was no telling when he would see or hear from him again.

Buzz

Ignoring his boyfriend's groans of protest, the raven reached over and grabbed the cellular device and answered it without bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Itachi."

There was a deep chuckle on the other end. "Did I interrupt something, Sasuke? You sound a little...frustrated.

"Did you call to annoy me or do you have something to tell me?" He couldn't deny that he was starting to miss his older brother; not that he would ever openly admit it. Sasuke tried to sound annoyed in an attempt to hide the excitement of hearing Itachi's voice.

Of course Itachi was never fooled.

"I was calling to inform you that I will be home tomorrow morning and we can have brunch at Akimichi's if you would like."

Smiling slightly, he nodded his head. "Sure, we haven't been there in a while."

"Then it is settled. I will see you in the morning. I have to go now. See you later."

The call ended and Sasuke noticed his brother's urgency to end the conversation, but he brushed it off. Now in an even better mood, Sasuke looked at his boyfriend and smirked.

"Now where were we?"

"Here is your room key Usagi-san, and I hope that you will enjoy your stay here with us at the Shangri-La. If there is anything that you may need help with please feel free to ask for Mizuki."

Taking the extended key, Itachi ignored the receptionist's attempt at flirting and headed towards the elevator.

His room was the same as usual. The Governor's suite on the eleventh floor- room number 1128. Usagi Sato was the alias that he used whenever he booked a room at this particular hotel; it was mainly for privacy precautions.

Shangri-La was located in downtown Konoha and was a five minute walk from majority of the clubs so it was the perfect place for him to relax and 'unwind'. Whenever he decided to release a little sexual tension he would never bring anyone back to his house.

In Itachi's opinion, bringing someone to his home was a sign of trust, and the only person that had his full trust was Sasuke.

Reaching his suite, he unlocked the door and stepped into a cozy lounge area. After turning on the lights and dropping his suitcase near the entry, he removed his shoes and walked into the joined room and headed over to the king size bed. Lying down on the bed, Itachi stared at the white ceiling and let out an audible sigh.

If his life would have turned out a little differently he could have been one hell of an actor. From a spectator's perspective the elder Uchiha was cold, aloof and more than likely asexual. But in truth he was a very sensitive man, as a child his father would scold him for his compassion towards others.

He told him that Uchiha men did not express their emotions so freely like some woman-how his mother put up with such a sexist asshole for so long was beyond him. There were a lot of things that his father did that made him question Mikoto's sanity at times.

Was love truly that blind?

Contrary to popular belief, Uchiha Itachi did want to experience love; his stoicism was just a facade that he used to protect himself from being hurt. As cliché as that did sound, it was true. He knew that trust was the foundation for any healthy relationship, but there were so many things about his life that he could not be open about. But it didn't matter anyway because he was tainted and defiled, who could ever truly love him?

Once his younger brother turned eighteen he would be free of the Akatsuki, but what would there be left for him? Sure he had money - the Akatsuki did pay him handsomely-and there was also his physical appearance and his intelligence. But without all of those materialistic things what did Itachi really have?

So even though love was so far out of his reach, his lust could easily be sated. Itachi was not a fan of the crowds at nightclubs, but it had almost been a year since the last time he hooked up with anyone and he was long overdue.

Tonight he was going to check out the new club that just up opened last week and see if there was anyone there who piqued his interests. Then when the morning came he would check out, send the person home, then return to his double life.

Neji was annoyed.

He was sitting on the edge of his bed, arms folded, with a scowl on his face as his best friend rummaged through his closet. Tenten had arrived about three hours ago and was already driving the man insane.

For the past hour she had been intent on finding him an outfit to wear tonight, because apparently he was 'fashion deficient'. Stepping out of the large walk-in closet, the amber eyed woman held up a brown argyle sweater. "What about this one?"

Neji stared at the offending article of clothing. "I hate argyle sweaters."

"Then why is it in your closet, Hyuga?"

"It was a gift that I have obviously never worn." He replied tersely. "As you can see the tag is still on it."

Blowing out an irritated sigh, Tenten forced a smile. "Could you at least be a little more cooperative? I am just trying to make sure that you look super-hot tonight so that you can finally get you a boo?"

Frowning, he asked. "A...boo?"

"Yeah you know! A boo. It's like a bae."

"What in the fuck is a bae?"

"A bae is like a significant other."

Raising a fine brow, Neji pulled a face. "Why didn't you just say that then?"

Rolling her eyes, the woman walked into the closet again and started a new search. She was determined to find the perfect outfit for her best friend, even though he would look attractive in anything.

When the two dated in high school, Tenten felt like the luckiest girl at Senju Prep; she was dating the class president who was also the hottest guy in the entire school. When Neji decided to end things between them, she suggested that they remain friends, because despite the breakup they had a really great relationship.

"Okay! I know you're going to love this!" Tenten held up a cream Henley. "You can also wear a pair of your dark colored jeans and these tan shoes."

The Hyuga looked at the items that she suggested and he had to admit that the he was impressed and relieved that they were finally done playing dress up "Hn. That outfit will do just fine so it looks like we're done now."

Feeling accomplished, Tenten hung the shirt on the doorknob to the closet and flopped down on the bed. "I can't wait to dance the night away!"

Neji felt as if now was a good time to discuss a few things that been heavy on his mind all during the week. He was nineteen now, and was no longer living under his uncle Hiashi's roof and that meant that he was free to be himself.

Well not completely, but there were still a few aspects of his life that were in his control. Sending the woman a sidelong glance, Neji cleared his throat. "Tenten there is something that I would like to discuss with you."

Tenten turned her head so that she could get a better look of her best friend's face. She could tell by the tone of his voice that this was going to be a serious conversation. "I'm all ears, Neji."

Neji stood up and paced in front of the bed. "Do you remember that time when we tried to have sex in high school?"

The woman nodded her head. "Yes." How could she ever forget that? It had been a very embarrassing experience for both of them .

"Well, at the time I told you that my inability to perform was due to stress and that I was under a lot of pressure, but that was not the full truth." Raking his hands through his hair, Neji continued, "That night when you told me that you were ready to take our relationship to the next level, I agreed because at the time I thought that it would make you happy. When it was time to actually go through with it, I just didn't know...It was really hard for me to..."

The Hyuga let out a shaky breath, "This is harder than I thought it would be." Neji could feel slim arm around his neck and he looked up to find warm amber orbs staring at him.

Tenten gave him a reassuring smile. "Neji, whatever it is, it won't change the fact that you are my best friend."

Nodding his head, the brunette squeezed the woman's hand before continuing. "Tenten, I'm gay and I think that I have known so since I was six years old. When we dated in high school, I actually believed that maybe me being attracted to men was just a phase. But over the past week I have decided to stop denying it and just accept the fact that I am homosexual. "

Neji looked at his best friend and gave her a small smile. "Ten, you are such a beautiful woman and I am so sorry if I have ever made you feel insecure by my lack of affection in the past, it was just that well..."

The Hyuga was interrupted when the petite woman pulled him in for a tight hug and he wondered how someone so small could be so strong.

"Neji, you don't have to apologize to me for anything! It was high school, everyone was trying to figure themselves out then and I was honestly not ready to have sex that night anyway. I just thought that if I put out you would stay with me." She paused at the skeptical look on his face and laughed. "Yeah, I know I was a freaking idiot then, but I am happy with the way things have turned out. We have a very strong bond now, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

There were times like this when Neji really appreciated Tenten. Yes she could be a tad domineering at times, but underneath all of that brashness there was a very understanding serene woman. "Thank you, Tenten."

"So, does that mean that you are going to hook up with a guy tonight? It is way past time for you to turn in your V-card." The excitement in the woman's voice was unmistakable.

"Hn. Well, I'm happy that you're being so supportive but I don't think I am ready to, as you put it, 'turn in my V-card'."

"Whatever Neji. Tonight you're going to look so hot you'll have you a boo in no time!"

Neji let out an exasperated sigh, "Could we please use another term?"

"You'll have you a bae in no time!"

"Okay. Let's just refrain from labeling it at the moment."

It was 10:30pm when Neji was dressed in the outfit that his best friend had worked so 'hard' to put together. He decided to wear his hair loose, and prayed to Kami that it would not resemble tumbleweed once the night was over.

He had actually been dressed and ready to go for about fifteen minutes now, but of course Tenten was still getting ready. Neji felt as if there were a million tiny ants crawling inside of his hands, and his stomach was all in knots.

Standing up and walking to the guest room again, he knocked on the door. "Tenten are you ready yet?"

"Just a minute!"

"You said that 15 minutes ago!" Settling back in the leather love seat in his living room, Neji's foot twitched impatiently as he waited for his best friend to finish up.

His eagerness to leave was solely due to the fact that he was nervous. Tonight he was going to...well he honestly did not know the proper way to explain his intentions. How was he supposed to initiate a conversation with a guy? What if he approached someone who was straight, how would he know what to do?During the past few hours he had contemplated his decision to actually go through with this, what if his uncle found out? A memory of him as a little boy with his back and legs bloody from being whipped flashed through his mind.

Anxiety clawed its way into his lungs, making it hard to breathe. Huddling deep within the love seat, he could feel a pillow pressing uncomfortably against his back. "Just relax Neji." he whispered to himself. "You are not a child anymore, Hiashi cannot hurt you." Saying the last part with more conviction he stood up and headed into the kitchen.

After pouring him a glass of water and taking a huge swig, Neji heard the guest room door open.

"Okay! I'm ready!"

Neji rinsed the glass and sat it in the sink before walking back into the living room to find Tenten standing there waiting.

"Sooo how do I look?"

The weapons mistress wore a red stitch strapless dress that hugged her toned body like a glove, a pair of black single sole heels and a matching clutch completed the look. Tenten was not a fan of wearing a full face of makeup, so instead she opted for light mascara that made her amber eyes 'pop' and lip gloss. Hair styled in two sleek Chinese buns, the woman's overall appearance was ravishing.

Neji smirked. "Hn. Let's just say that you will probably be getting you a new 'boo' tonight?"

"Likewise Neji." Now let's go dance the night away." Tenten stepped towards the front door and placed her hand on the doorknob. "Are you ready?"

The question gave him pause. Was he ready? The earlier episode did make him a little unsure about his decisions, but he was only going to be open to the idea of getting to know someone. That was it, just friendly conversation maybe even a little flirting, but no sex.

Besides, if his fate was to be in servitude for majority of his life, he might as well try to enjoy himself as much as he could.

Neji nodded his head, "Yes, I'm ready."

The old Konoha Bottling Company had been abandoned for five years before some local big shot bought it and turned it into, Club Kage.

Walking into the large venue, Neji took a moment to take in all of the decorations. The entire club was decked out in white and various shades of purple. There were white leather couches placed strategically around the club and the dance floor took up majority of the building. Looking up Neji noticed a large, intricate crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The dance floor was packed with sweaty bodies, grinding to the beat of the music as white disco lights bounced all around them.

Tenten grabbed his wrist and practically dragged him. "Come on, let's hit up the bar."

"Well you sure aren't wasting any time!" Neji had to practically scream over the loud Dubstep music.

The bar was pretty well stocked, and Neji was having a hard time deciding on whiskey or bourbon when the male bartender approached him. The man had a buzz cut and was slightly built; he was wearing a mesh tank top revealing two toned arms covered in tattoos. Neji could see two pierced nipples through the man's shirt and he wondered if they were for arousal or aesthetics.

"What can I get for you guys?"

Tenten ordered two tequila shots for herself, and Neji decided to get Jack Daniels and Coke. Thanking the bartender Neji paid for both of their drinks by placing a twenty on the counter. "Keep the change."

The bartender winked at him before walking over to serve the other patrons. Tenten laughed, "Wow Neji! And you said that you had no experience flirting with guys."

Shaking his head Neji took a sip of his drink, "I wasn't flirting!"

"Sure!" The woman took one of her shots and grimaced at the taste. "I only need two more of these and I will be ready to find me a dance partner. Neji has anyone caught your eye yet?"

"Hn. Not yet."

Nodding her head to the music Tenten smiled, "Don't worry Neji the night is still young!"

Honestly, Neji had seen a few men that he thought were attractive, but nobody really caught his eye just yet. Also, he was still slightly nervous about this entire thing. Just last week he was still struggling to come to terms with his sexuality, it was all a bit overwhelming to him. But he was so tired of his dull life that mainly focused on academics and fulfilling his duty as a Branch member. Neji wanted a change of pace, and tonight would be a great way to do just that.

With a new sense of determination, Neji finished the rest of his drink and ordered another one.

-o0o-

The Jack and coke was a little water downed, but Neji did not complain, he was already on his third glass and was slightly inebriated.

Tenten was not kidding when she said that she was going to dance the night away. Currently she was off grinding on some guy who probably thought he was getting lucky tonight, but the weapons mistress was not going.

Taking a brief glance around the dance floor to see if he could spot his friend, Neji caught a pair of dark orbs watching him from the middle of the dance floor. Not wanting to embarrass himself, Neji casually looked around to see if the stranger was perhaps looking at someone other than him. After a brief glance around, Neji looked at the guy again, to find him smirking.

A casual observer would have mistaken the man as the Greek god, Hades incarnate. Tall and muscular, with alabaster skin and with long hair like silk, the man was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. His black tailored suit complimented his toned frame and a few buttons of his dress shirt were undone revealing creamy unblemished skin.

Fierce onyx eyes did not seem to blink as they held pale lavender orbs in their hypnotic gaze.

Neji could feel his heart pounding wildly in his chest as he watched the man sway his hips in rhythm to the sensual music. The man's piercing gaze was so intense that the brunette felt himself drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

Neji did not dance. It was not as if he could not dance, it was just something that he didn't like to do. But, at that moment he loved the very idea of dancing with this man.

Unconsciously, Neji slowly made his way to the middle of the dance floor. He was afraid that if he looked away for even a second that this gorgeous person would disappear like a mirage in a Desert. What could he possibly say once he approached the stranger; a simple 'hello' seemed too dull of a greeting. The Hyuga mentally scolded himself and dismissed the negative thoughts. He was a Hyuga, and Hyuga men were the epitome of calm, cool and collected, so he could do this.

Finally reaching the stranger, there were no words exchanged as the man placed a toned arm around Neji's waist and pulled him in close until their hips met. Breath hitching at the action, Neji relished in the close proximity of their two bodies. The scent of cedar wood attacked the Hyuga's senses, and for a second he regretted his decision of wearing a long sleeve shirt tonight. He could feel a foreign heat resonating within his lower abdominal region and it continued to spread until it consumed his entire body.

As their two lithe bodies moved rhythmically to the music, Neji made the mistake of looking at the man directly in the eyes.

At that instance he could literally feel himself being sucked into the depths of those dark orbs. No one had ever looked at him so intently that it almost made him feel uncomfortable. Neji had always been very perceptive of others, but he could not read a single emotion in this man's eyes. Was the music even still playing? Neji did not even know the only thing that he was perfectly clear on was that he wanted to know this person.

He did not just want to dance and then part ways; no he wanted to talk to this person and actually get to know him. Maybe it was the Jack Daniels clouding his judgment, but right now at this very moment, he didn't care.

The young prodigy could tell by just looking at this beautiful man that this-whatever this was-it was going to turn his entire world upside down.