So, I know it's been a ridiculously long time between updates. In my defense, I moved twice in the last year (once across the country) and my computer died and took all my files with it. So, I pretty much had to start over on this story. :( I promise updates will be much closer together from now on!

Warning: Language, career-destroying hickeys

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. :(

Chapter 2: Shit

"Shit, shit, shit!" Naruto flies through the elevator doors, as soon as they open. "We're gonna be late!"

"We already are late, Naruto." Shikamaru checks his watch, as he leisurely follows the blonde off the elevator.

"Hurry up, lazy-ass!" Naruto yells over his shoulder. Not looking, he runs head-long into someone, knocking them down. "Ah, Sorry! I'm running late!" Naruto clutches his head and continues running. He knows he's being rude, but he hopes the person understands. He has already arrived to work looking like shit and he spent his precious lunch letting Shika give him a 'make-over' to cover up the bruises and embarrassing hickey. Now, he is running late to the introduction meeting of his boss's boss! Not a great start to the day.

Naruto runs down the carpeted hallway and skids to a halt next to the conference room. Hesitantly, he peaks through the rectangular window in the metal door. "We are so fucked," he groans.

The meeting has already started.

"Shika, wha-" Naruto glances over his shoulder and is surprised to see he is talking to himself. He huffs and grudgingly makes his way back down the hall to the elevator lobby. There is Shikamaru, bowing to the man still sprawled on the ground, before helping him up. The blonde sighs. Always the good guy, Shikamaru.

He sticks one hand in his pocket, as the other nervously rubs through the tangle of blonde spikes at back of his head. He sheepishly makes his way over to the pair. "Heh… Sorry, for knocking you down." Naruto barely glances at the man, before he catches Shika's brown eyes and nods his head in the direction of the conference room, in hopes that his friend would get the hint. "Shikamaru..." practically whining the man's name. Naruto can't afford any more mistakes today. The sooner they get to the meeting the better.

"Naruto." Shikamaru gives him a pointed stare, before tilting his head towards the other man.

Naruto tries not to roll his eyes. I get it. I get it. Apologize properly. Naruto looks at the guy he knocked down and gives him a curt bow. "I'm very sorry, Sir, for knocking you down." Naruto tries to keep the impatience out of his voice. We really don't have time for this, Shika! Feeling he has done a sufficient job apologizing, Naruto reaches out and grabs his friend's arm, giving him a firm tug.

The brown-haired man intractably holds his ground. "Na-ru-to." This time meticulously enunciated every syllable and again motions to the man next to them.

"Shi-ka." Naruto mimics his pointed expression and serious tone. "We're late. Let's go," he whispers, exasperation now pulling at his eyebrows. What the hell is his problem?

The brunette slaps his palm to his face, as he lets out an agonized sigh. "You've got to be kidding me," he murmurs. Shikamaru moves his hand to the back of his head as he looks over at the man next to them. "Please excuse him. I swear he isn't always this slow."

Naruto feels his mouth twist, as his eyebrows pinch together. "What's that supposed to mean, Shika?!"

Shikamaru looks back over to his indignant friend. "Naruto," he whispers in an exasperated tone. "This is Sabaku Gaara." He motions to the other man again.

"Uhh…" Naruto blinks a few times. Why does that name sound familiar? He looks over at the newly introduced man. "Hi?" the blonde says uncertainly. He gives the man a hasty once over and notices he is about their age, with pale skin and shocking, red hair. Somewhat unimpressed, Naruto scratches the back of his head and gives his friend a weird look.

"Really, Naruto?" His friend's brown eyes rise to the ceiling, as he lets another tortured sigh escape his chest.

Naruto, feeling even more confused and slightly insulted, indignantly glares at his pony-tailed friend for a moment, before shifting his eyes to the red head once more. What the hell am I missing? "Nice… to meet you?" he mumbles to the stranger, hoping to sound friendly despite his confusion. I really don't understand what the big deal is…

The man did appeared to be wearing a disgustingly expensive, pinstriped charcoal suit with and silk, burgundy tie. He must have money. His choice of hair color was odd, because there was no way that crimson color was natural. And the man's light teal eyes were lined with… eyeliner?! Not something you see every day. Naruto eyes travel up tot eh man's forehead, where he spots a red kanji tattoo. It means love. Naruto feels his eyes twitch. Weird.

He meets the red-head's eyes and Naruto's eyes widen in shock. There is barely concealed malice in the stranger's eyes. Directed at him. What the hell?!

"He's the senior prosecutor, Naruto."

"What? You're kidding!" Naruto lets out a gruff laugh. "This guy? He's our age… and has a tattoo and eye liner!"

"Oh, god, Naruto. Please. Just stop." Shikamaru covers his face again, as Naruto hears footsteps coming their way.

"Sabaku-san, I've see you've met two of our young junior prosecutors already." Naruto turns to see Yamato walking towards the group. What?

"That I have." The stranger spoke in a low, gravelly voice. Naruto can't help notice, the man sounds aggravated. Very aggravated. Shit.

"Well, shall we go in?" Yamato inquires. Sabaku give a brief nod, eyes briefly flicking back to Naruto.

Naruto watches in abject horror as the red-head followed Yamato down the hallway. "You've got to be shitting me?" he murmurs. A strange sinking feeling overcomes his body and his mouth turns dry, as he watches Sabaku Gaara, his boss's boss, the man he just knocked down and offended, walk away.

"I'm afraid not." Shikamaru seems to be fighting smile. "I think you just single-handedly fucked your career."

"Still sulking, I see."

Naruto looks over his shoulder to see his friend smirking down at him, as he leans against Naruto's cubicle walls. Naruto just pouts and places his head back into his folded arms.

"The meeting went as expected. I still think you should have gone. Avoiding him will only make matters worse."

"Worse? Worse?! How can it possibly get any worse?!" Naruto frustrated voice is muffled by his arms. "I called him 'This guy'. Can you believe it? This Guy! And I made fun of his eyeliner! I'm dead!"

Shikamaru lets out a chuckle. "Yeah, that was pretty bad. It's like you were going out of your way to insult him."

Naruto lifts his head and shoots a betrayed look at his friend. "Why the hell were you being so vague? You should have come out and said his was our boss in the first place! Not given me weird shifty-eyed looks."

"Seriously, Naruto. How could you not have recognized his face? It's very memorable. Or, at least, his name? We've been hearing about him for months now."

"I don't know! I just didn't!" Whining, he hides his face back in his arms. "The look he gave me… like I was some disgusting bug. He totally hates me." Naruto feels his friend's hand on his shoulder.

"Come on. You'll be fine. Just go apologize."

Naruto turns his head and fires a disgruntled look at his friend. He opens his mouth to say something when Yamato suddenly pops his head in. He gives the blonde a grave look. "Naruto," the brown-haired man pauses for a moment, and then his expression shifts. Dark shadows overtake his face, as his eyes widen. A chill travels down Naruto's back. "Sabaku-san wants to see you."

Naruto heart pounds against his chest, as he stares at the seething face across a polished oak desk. He looks like he wants to rip my throat out. Those terrifying teal eyes leave the blonde's eyes to glance at a closed manila folder neatly placed beneath his elegant hands. The sharp eyes snap back to Naruto's as the pale hands slowly open the folder. This can't be good.

"So…" The red haired man briefly glances at the papers inside the folder. "Uzumaki Naruto, is it?" His voice is low and smooth; it speaks of absolute authority.

The blonde gulps. "Y-yes." He grimaces slightly at his stuttering. The pounding of his heart fills his ears, and he tries, somewhat unsuccessfully, to slow his breathing. The teal eyes hold his blue ones for a moment; it's unnerving. Those eyes seem to see into his soul, finding his every weakness. Right now, it feels like Sabaku is the predator, and Naruto is his prey.

"You've worked at the Prosecutor's Office for 2 years?" Sabaku asks. Naruto nods and begins to worry his bottom lip. Sweat drips down his forehead; his mouth runs dry. The pale hands begin leafing through the papers inside the folder; it's Naruto's employee file. Every so often the hands pause and the eyes scan a page.

"It says here, you graduated from Konoha Law with honors. That's surprising."

"Why?"

"Why what, Naruto?"

"Why is it surprising?"

"Because it's such a prestigious school, and you're… how should I put it?" He pauses for a moment looking thoughtful, before focusing on Naruto once more. "You." Pale eyes bore into his, almost demanding some sort of reaction.

Heat suddenly washes through his gut, as his jaw tightens. Blood begins pounding behind his eyes. This guy is a real bastard. How can he insult me with such a blank expression?! He doesn't even fucking know me!

After a moment, the crimson-haired male calmly closes the folder. He then intertwines his fingers, places his elbows on the desk, and rests his chin on the bridge he's created. The man's eyes squint slightly as he studies Naruto's face. The rest of his face holds no expression.

Naruto shifts in his seat, uncomfortable under the piercing gaze, but he can't seem to look away. His fingers begin toying with his tie; his foot begins tapping on the carpet. The pale eyes narrow further.

"Do you always wear makeup, Naruto?"

"Huh?" Naruto's eyes widen, surprised by the change in topic. "Makeup?"

Pale eyes narrow to slits. "Or is it just to cover the bruises on your face?"

"Uh… I…" Naruto cringes and feels a blush travel up his neck. One of his tan hands unconsciously touches his cheek. "You can tell?"

The edges of pale pink lips twitch. "Yes. Does it hurt?"

"Umm… Yeah, it does… Heh…" His hand travels from his cheek to the back of his head, as his brows pinch together. God, I look like the biggest fucking idiot right now.

"May I ask where you got them?" the pale man inquires.

"Where I got them?" The blonde asks, confused.

"Yes. Where did you receive the bruises, Naruto?" The terrifying man leans closer. His eyes hold a predatory gleam.

"Uh…Well… I mean…" Crap! What was it Shika said? Naruto's brows, unknowingly, scrunch together in thought. Oh! Right! "I was mugged! At the gym! These fuckers stole my stuff!" he bellows, while pointing towards Sabaku. Naruto instantly clamps his mouth shut and pulls his hand back to his lap. He resists the nearly unbearable urge to look away. God, that was loud.

The redhead stares steadily, one hand gripping his own chin, one finger gently covering his mouth. The teal eyes travel down the blonde's embarrassed face and lands on his neck. Sabaku gracefully stands up from his chair and walks to the other side of his desk, perching on the edge in front of the blonde. At this distance, Naruto can't help but notice how smooth and creamy the man's skin is, the way his crimson hair falls down to his eyes, the delicately placed black eye-liner rimming…

And he gives me crap about wearing makeup!

The red-haired man leisurely lifts his hand and places a finger on the side of Naruto's neck. The blonde starts and looks up with wide blue eyes, unsure of what to think. He feels the finger hook into his collar and tug, exposing more of his neck; his heartbeat quickens. "Did the muggers give you this hickey, as well, Naruto?" Sabaku lips quirk up in a challenging smirk.

The blonde gulps and feels scorching flames envelope his face.

"C'mon, Naruto. It couldn't have been that bad." Shika slurps a few more noodles into his mouth.

The pair had stopped by Naruto's favorite ramen shop on their way to the subway station after work as a 'pick-me-up.' Naruto, currently finishing his third bowl, has refused to talk about his meeting, wallowing in self-disgusted misery all day. The blonde gulps down the last of the salty broth, before slamming down his bowl. "You don't get it, Shikamaru! It's too horrible to discuss! I don't want to relive that moment of my life!"

"If you tell me what happened, maybe I can tell you how to fix it." The pony-tailed man places his chopsticks on top of his bowl and shoves it out of the way.

"I don't want to talk about it!" Naruto suddenly realizes his crossed arm and matching pout are childish.

Shikamaru gracefully lifts one eyebrow, seemingly knowing Naruto's thoughts. "Naruto."

Naruto takes a deep breathe, before shouting in one breath, "He saw the hickey, Shikamaru! The hickey! The career- destroying hickey on my neck! The career- destroying hickey that I don't remember getting! The hickey, Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru's lips twitch. "What did you tell him?"

"I don't know! I panicked! I think I babbled about being attacked by a leech while swimming! He didn't buy it, Shikamaru." Naruto's eyes narrowed as a chuckle escaped the brunette's lips. "It's so not funny."

"Ah, Naruto. The things you get yourself into." He shakes his head and gives Naruto a bemused expression. His expression slowly changes to thoughtful. "You know, I'm actually surprised he would ask about it. Even if he is the boss, it wasn't very professional." He pauses for a moment, thinking. "Turn your head. Let me look at your career-destroying hickey again." Naruto complies and Shika leans in for a closer look. "Honestly," he pauses for a moment. "I'm not sure how he could see it." He pauses again, clearly thinking. Suddenly, he seems to come to a sort of realization. "Unless, he…" He hesitates, then quickly turns to stare out the window. "Never mind."

"Unless, he… what?" An uneasy feeling washes over the blonde. It's never good when the lazy genius got one of his hunches. "Shikamaru?" he asks, timidly.

"Nothing, Naruto," he says.

"Tell me. What are you thinking?" the blonde demands.

His friend turns to look him in the face. "Naruto, it was an absurd idea. I've already forgotten it. Besides, it was probably just the light in his office that helped him notice it. You shouldn't dwell on it anymore." He shifts in his seat. "Now, we just need to figure out how to fix your hickey-destroyed reputation."

Naruto hangs his keys on the hook next to the door of his small studio apartment. He pauses trying to make a decision; warring with himself. Sighing, he wanders into the cramped kitchen to his right and pulls out an intricately etched tumbler from the cabinet. Grabbing a bottle of whiskey, he fills the glass to the brim. Bracing himself, he quickly chugs it before slamming the glass on the laminate counter. He sputters and coughs at the harsh burn tears at throat.

"I hope this isn't becoming a habit," he mumbles to no one.

He then drags his feet across the carpet to his queen-sized bed behind the screen on the left side of his apartment. He quickly strips down to his orange boxers, before hanging up his suit and tie in his small closet. Collapsing onto his black coverlet, he begins to feel the familiar tingling sensation. As his muscles relax. He rolls onto his stomach, and the walls around him spin slightly, as his gingerly rests his head on top of his folded arms. He stares miserably out the window next to his bed. "This definitely made my top 25 shittiest days," he grumbles.

A dark shape suddenly breezes by his window. Naruto's eyes follow the shape of the silhouetted bird, as it flutters away. Its wings gracefully gliding through the air; dying sunlight filtering through its outstretched wings. He really envies that damn bird right about now. What he wouldn't give to be able to fly away and not have to face his new boss again tomorrow…

Sighing, he rolls onto his back, his head dropping back on the mattress. Flashes of his previous conversation causing his stomach to clench: those seething eyes boring into his, his own nervous fidgeting, the deep blushes covering his face and neck. He had felt like such a fool today. He didn't think he had felt that childish since high school when…

He really didn't want to think about right now.

Sighing, He pushes himself up and makes his way back across the apartment to the bathroom next to the front door. The blonde turns on the shower. While the water warms up, his eyes search for the infamous hickey in the mirror. Not even remembering which side of his neck was on, it takes him a few seconds to spot it beneath the makeup. It looks more like a purplish smudge than a hickey. Shikamaru had covered it really well.

How could his boss even realize it was a hickey?

Something felt off.

Shikamaru's unfinished words echo in his mind. 'Unless he…'

Unless he… what?

Naruto chews on his lip in concentration, until the mirror begins to fog. Sighing, he turns, opens the curtain, and climbs into the shower. The scorching water is just what he needs to wash the horrible day away.

Thanks for reading! :D

Please tell me what you think by reviewing. I would love to know how I can improve.