Shades
Pairing: Gaa/Neji and Naru/Sasu
Genre: Angst/Romance
Fair warning, I'm going way off tangent this time, whole different field. I'm shamelessly ripping off 'Shades of Grey', the title, the actions, some of the plot and all of the freaking hotness.
Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or "Shades of Grey." The honors go to Masashi Kishimoto and E.L James respectively.
Warning: BDSM, sadism drugs, alcohol, snark, kink and sex and lots of it. I will not be responsible if little kids get corrupted, just sayin'.
Summary: "I always wonder why some of Kohona's elite like you turn up on this particular side of the track…" a smoky voice materialized out of the gloom, "but then again, you wouldn't believe how much of your kind ends up down here." Those were the first words NejiHyuuga heard while squinting in the thick darkness. Pity he didn't know those words would change his life.
WARNING: ANGST, UN-BETA'D
Chapter 17: A Little Too Late.
(Be gentle, Neji is an insecure idiot)
It seemed like a dense fog was in his head and Neji felt...numb; paralyzed, detached, immobilized, frozen... and ultimately, deathly cold.
As he sped away from the club's parking lot, the shocked and horrified feelings upon seeing Gaara holding the other man had instantly changed to numbness.
His mind, trying to compensate from what he had just seen, had consciously shoved the shell shocking images to the back of his mind to a deep pit where they wouldn't resurge anytime soon.
As he drove a part of his lower consciousness knew exactly why he was running but the majority of his active mind didn't want to process it. The shock was so deep that eventually his unconsciousness had threatened to obliterate everything from his short term memory but Neji didn't want to let his own mind deceive him.
Still mostly insensate, he found a supermarket parking lot, parked in an isolated corner, clambered into the back seat and roboticaly changed out of the provocative outfit into dark jeans and a navy blue shirt were carefully folded there.
Sitting in backseat moonlit eyes were staring out onto space as he waited for... something… to happen.
The deep unsettled feeling in the depths of his stomach made him constantly feel like he was about to vomit. He tasted bile at the back of his throat but it never came up. This feeling, trembling through his chest, teetered to fall into the abyss of pain and anguish but those emotions never came.
All he felt was hollow.
His chest was devoid of emotion and after a glance into the rear view mirror he reached up and touched the faint tracks on his cheeks and faintly remembered that he had been crying.
Fingers clenching on the cars keys Neji still waited until it got dark. When it became clear that the numbness was only growing, only then did he go back to the driver's seat and go home.
With the clubbing clothes shoved into his satchel, Neji walked up to his room, glad for the fact that no one interrupted him on the way. Softly closing the door behind him Neji took three jerking steps to his bed and didn't even notice when the bags strap slipped off his shoulder.
Falling face down on the dark blue sheets Neji stayed still for a long moment before he curled into a ball and stared at the wall. It was then he felt the unceasing vibration in his thigh and blankly he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.
On the screen were twenty five missed calls, all from-
"Gaara,"
The moments he uttered the word the walls that had caged his emotions shattered and a tsunami of pain inundated his chest.
The young Hyuuga felt like he was drowning under it. His air was being unmercifully being pulled out of his lungs and his heart felt like it had been ripped out of his chest. The numbness had suddenly morphed into the pain of betrayal.
Tears sprung afresh and streamed down his eyes, wetting the soft sheets under him. The memory of his lover, the man he was about to seal his heart, mind and soul to, holding another man like that was just...
Grey eyes clenched hard, he couldn't even think of it.
A part of his mind sadistically replayed the image of Gaara holding the naked man and kissing him. The redhead hadn't even turned when he had been discovered and it had taken the twinks snarl for him to realize he wasn't wanted.
A part of his mind taunted him, jeering that his fairy-tale fantasy had just come to its inevitable end and that he should have expected it to happen.
What the hell was a man like Gaara doing with a stupid kid like him? What did he even have to offer him anyway? He had just been fooling himself.
Staring at the screen he saw the number flash and flash and flash even more until it ran out to voicemail. Neji knew Gaara wouldn't leave a message, to his sense of honor it was paltry and pathetic.
A soft snort of derision escaped his mouth. Where was that sense of honor now?Soon enough the phone started to ring once more and after steeling himself he answered.
"Ne-"
"Who was he?" Neji said emptily. His own voice sounded foreign to him, hollow and void of every emotion.
"Bab-"
"Answer me Gaara," Neji ordered, "Tell me who he is or I'll hang up right now."
"His name is Kayuga Kimmaro," Gaara admitted, "He's a movie celebrity with a pension for pain. He contacted the club and the club contacted me... They wanted me to do a scene with him."
Neji pressed the tips of three fingers to his forehead that was starting to throb with a headache, "Did that entail fucking him?"
"What?" Gaara hissed in shock, "No baby, hell no, there was no fucking at all. I wouldn't do that to you…to us baby."
"Then why was he..." Neji swallowed hard, "…why was he naked, in your arms and kissing you?"
"He wasn't fully naked and he did to try and entice me even after I told him I wasn't available and I was set up." Gaara's voice was said through grit teeth. "He and my fucking superior at the club and planned it."
"… I…why should I believe you?" Neji said. His mind was telling him to say the next words, the real reason why he had come to the club in the first place. To tell Gaara that he had already signed over his heart to him. To tell Gaara that ever since he protected his young vulnerable self that night in the alley that he was Gaara's and that he wanted to Gaara's for the rest of his life, but somehow, the words didn't come out.
"Baby…I swear on my life…" Gaara said quietly, "I would never cheat on you."
Somehow, a part of Neji knew that Gaara was speaking the truth but his chest still hurt and his mind was still spinning. He knew that he would eventually come around and verbally forgive Gaara- (a part of him had already done so), but right now Neji needed to sort his own emotions out.
"I…It hurts." Neji whispered softly, "It hurts and it still hurts seeing you like that. I have to make sense of it all… I just need some time."
A slightly intake of air was heard through the phone as if Gaara was about to protest but then he said, "Take all the time you need baby.
ANBU CORP 8: 30 AM
His acute ears heard the whispers around him but Gaara didn't have the presence of mind of the energy to waste on people who didn't merit his attention. He had shown up for work with two objectives, one, get his work done and two, find some way to make it up to Neji.
His head was down as he systemically ran through the mound of reports they organization had accumulated over the past few days, sorting out the feasible risks from the speculative ones.
"Sabaku." Agent Green spoke from his office door.
Gaara didn't look up from the folder before him, "Yes, Director?"
It seemed like the very air in the office froze as they people who worked there openly gaped at the unusual retort from the agent who had the most leeway with the leader of the sect.
"Sabaku." Agent Green spoke from his office door.
Gaara didn't look up from the folder before him, "Yes, Director?"
It seemed like the very air in the office froze as they people who worked there openly gaped at the unusual retort from the agent who had the most leeway with the leader of the sect.
"A moment, please." Green said motioning to him.
Without any hesitation, Gaara stood up, crossed the room, and closed the door behind him.
The look on Jethro's face wasn't a peaceable one and once more, Gaara felt the muscles in his lower gut tense. The air had gone stiff and Gaara felt a deep anxiety settle in his bones, an emotion that was compounded by the file he had been given a few days ago; the Shanghai sect.
"They're moving," Green said tightly. "Shion just contacted her associates from Thailand and the Philippines; we are going to deploy you …tomorrow night."
Gaara swallowed tightly, tomorrow night was too soon for him to make the real amends to Neji and there was no affirmation of how soon this mission would be completed. His hand clenched beside him at the thought that he had less the thirty-six hours to make it up to his baby.
"Agent?" Jethro asked, with his ice blue eyes holding a certain level of concern. "Are you alright?"
Gaara turned his leveled gaze to this superior, "Yes sir, when exactly do I deploy?"
"Oh twenty-one hours," Jethro said, "Be ready."
Kohonagakure Academy
This was the second time Kohona Academy witnessed a lethargic Neji Hyuuga. Despite the multiple silent inquiries and worrying gazes, the young prodigy ignored them all and went through the motions of his classes, break time and council meeting like a robot. He didn't speak much, but when he did, it was succinct and direct to the point.
Neji knew that Sasuke was brimming with the desire to grill him but Neji didn't give him any opportunity to do so during the day. Eventually, the disconsolate Uchiha backed him up against his locker and demanded why he was acting like a zombie.
"Neji, what the hell is going on with you?" Sasuke demanded,
Listing against the cold lockers Neji swallowed hard. Faced with such a direct confrontation, Neji had considered telling his cousin everything but the moment the memory came up it sliced through his gut like a double edged sword.
Black eyes narrowed, "Did Gaara …what the hell did he do?"
Do? What didn't he do?
Neji took in a deep breath, silently pushed his way past Sasuke and just walked away. Halfway through his walk, he busted into a run and sprinted to his car.
Yanking the door open Neji dropped into the seat, slammed the door closed and leaned on the steering wheel and buried his head in his arms, trying to breathe though his breakdown. He felt the silver tag fall out of his collar and hang before him like a cruel taunt.
Why was it so hard? His logic knew that it wasn't hard at all, maybe it was just as Gaara said, a setup, but his emotional part was in pain because the only person Gaara should have been holding like that was him.
Taking in some deep breaths and squaring his shoulders, Neji started the car and drove away. Instead of going home though, Neji just drove and meandered through the highways and byways of the large city and didn't go home until it was nearly seven pm.
His cellphone that was on the seat beside him had lit up with calls from Sasuke, his uncle and Gaara but he didn't answer any. Neji knew he was acting foolish and there was no reasonable way for him to ignore reality but for once in his life, Neji wanted to stop being an intellectual and just go on his emotions.
Gaara's house 8: 45 PM
"Damn it," Gaara snarled slamming the phone down so hard it almost cracked. "He still isn't answering."
Juugo look up at his friend and the bags that was at his foot, "I'm sorry Gaara but he has a right to ignore you. I mean, fuck, if I saw what he saw I'd go bat shit crazy and pommel both you and that fucker's ass, but you know Neji ain't like that. The kid loves you and he's avoiding you cause he's just trying to cope."
Gaara sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "I know but goddamnit, I'm going to leave at half an hour to Shan-fucking-hai for god knows how long. I just want him to know that…"
"I think he already knows that you love him G." Juugo replied while standing up and laying a hand on his worried friend's shoulder.
"It's not only that…" Gaara sighed, "It's just…every time he…" Gaara trailed off not having the strength to say that every time Neji didn't answer he felt devastating pain rip his in two. It was like Neji's snub was making an organ inside him curl up and die, one by one. Gaara felt so cold and he wished that he could throw everything away, find Neji was and try to do….something, but he couldn't just abscond on his duty to the world for a love interest.
"….He's the only one Juugo…I'll move hell and high water for him and goddamn it, I'll do everything I can to get back to him." Gaara finished.
Juugo silently marveled at the words coming out of his friend's mouth. This wasn't the cold and distant Gaara that Juugo had known for years; hell, this wasn't the Sabaku that could slit someone's throat and not blink an eye. This was a Gaara that was in love so deep it threatened to drown him.
"Gaara…" Juugo said quietly, "I'll be here to let him know where you are, you don't have to worry about that; he'll turn up here one way or another, I know that."
"But…" Gaara sighed and grit his teeth hard, "I just wish I could do something to prove to him that I'm not at fault for this shit; Luther is,"
"Like what?" Juugo teased, "Go and bombard the Hyuuga's citadel to make them hand Neji over to you?"
Green eyes narrowed to a lethal glint, "No asshole…but I …I swear if he wanted a blood ransom from me to prove my innocence, I'd slit my wrists."
"But then you-"
"Just shut up," Gaara snarled spinning in his place to look widely around the room, "You damn well know what I mean."
Juugo was silent for a moment, "Hey…doesn't the club have cameras and stuff to protect them from any lawsuits as a backup to the disclaimer clause?"
Gaara reacted like he'd been slapped in the face and his green eyes lit up. He then grabbed Juugo's shoulders, "Fuck, I didn't think of that, but I can't hack into that now."
"I'll do it," Juugo replied, "Right now you need to get your ass over to the wharf and get on with the mission."
Shooting a anxious look around the room and shooting a look at the clock above, Gaara sighed and nodded in resignation, "Just…take care it, okay…I can't lose him,"
Juugo took in the pained expression on Gaara's face and marveled even more, "I'll do it. Go save the world ….again, Mr. Superhero."
At the same time, his cell rang and then cut off; it was the signal that he needed to leave.
Just as he grabbed his go-bag and was out the door, another call came in and Gaara answered it, "What?"
"What the hell did you do to Neji you fucking asshole!" Uchiha Sasuke snarled in the line. "He was a fucking zombie all day today and I know you did some shit!"
"I can't deal with you now, Uchiha," Gaara snapped, "Just know that it's just all fucked up. I'll explain when I can."
At that Gaara jumped into the jeep and drove away, hating every moment.
The Hyuuga Compound 8: 45 PM
Neji staggered to his room after a solid inquiry about what had happened to make his get in so late and after Neji couldn't offer a reasonable explanation, Hiashi had seen the strains of distress on his nephew's face, had let him go with a strident warning and a soft hug.
How the young Hyuuga disrobed, got into some sleep clothes – god know what they were- and sank into his bed, Neji didn't know but he knew in the depths of his darkness he knew that he was dreaming.
Neji knew he was dreaming because the images around him were surreal, shrouded in mysticism and they all took on an unearthly gleam. Everything in his vision field had its edges faded and blurred into darkness but then he felt it. The warm water of when he and Gaara were in his hot tub and he felt his Dom's breath on his ear. "Baby….I don't know if I can control myself..."
Neji knew that what was to come was a But, suddenly Neji found himself laying back on the bed with trembles racing up his skin from the bare look of uninhibited lust Gaara was giving him, "I'm addicted to you baby."
That shiver intensified when Gaara's nose slid down his chest to his belly and then to his inner thigh, biting at the soft skin there and teasing me with his tongue. Sitting up suddenly, kneels at Neji's feet, took both Neji's ankles in his hand and spread Neji's legs wide. The revealing position that normally would make Neji shy away only made him arch up at seeing the lust in Gaara's eyes.
Gaara grabbed Neji's left foot, bent his knee, and brought Neji's slender foot up to his mouth. Watching to assess Neji's every reaction, Gaara tenderly kissed the soles of his sub's foot and bit the pale pink pads under them. By the time he got to the Hyuuga's little toe Neji had started to convulse while whimpering.
His hand was gripping the sheets beside him and his heart was running a mile a minute as Gaara's lips mapped his body, over and over and over again. Kissing what Neji half deliriously thought was every inch of his body.
Then, while his mind was still floating half way into space Neji felt Gaara's hands were holding down his thighs and then his mouth was on him and his tongue, his devilish tongue was his hard member and started to slowly circle Neji's beading head.
"Ah!" Neji gasped as fire ran over his skin and electricity down his spine at the touch of his Dom's tongue. He feels the wet muscled swirl round and round, again and again, not releasing his torture. Then, when Neji thought he couldn't bear anymore, his body ached when Gaara's finger slips inside him and moves to stroke over the memorized location of Neji's prostate. The moment he touched it Nejis clamped so hard that the darkness behind his closed eyes erupted in lights.
"Oh, baby. I love that you're so tight for me." Gaara husked as he moved his finger deep inside in a scissoring motion, softly stretching him . Grey eyes flitted open at the feel of Gaara's dome pressing against him and he relaxed his body to admit his lover.
Very – very- slowly Gaara eased into him and after pressing his mouth to Neji's starts to move. Neji's breathlessly clutched at the warm body over him and clenched over the hot length inside him. His head was swimming with the feeling; so slow and sweet, and bold and gentle all at once.
"God baby," Gaara breathed in his ear. "You're so perfect…"
And the Sabaku really started to move, fast, hard, and large, thrusting into the soft body under his over and over to the point where the fire that was smoldering in Neji's gut blazed up and he was insensate to anything out of Gaara's touch and voice and thrusts.
"AH!" Neji cries when a deep thrust hit his prostate so hard his head couldn't deal with the amount of white light it had. Dimly, he heard Gaara growl in a harsh and raw voice "Come for me, baby."
In a beat Neji exploded around him as Gaara still pounded into him and then the Sabaku gave a deep grunt and sank his teeth into Neji's shoulder while the stiff member inside him pulsed.
The two stayed motionless for a small eternity until Neji's forced his eyes open to meet the soft marsh green eyes that still had hints of the hellfire within them hovering above him and he could no longer deny it; the man was a part of his soul now.
"..I love you baby…" Gaara said as Neji threaded his hands through his wet but still rough hair, "Please don't ever doubt that."
While still connected, Neji wanted to cry. How on earth could he have doubted his man; doubted this man who he loved.
"I'm sorry." Neji heard himself say while tears beaded at the corner of his eyes, "I'm so sorry Gaara.. I won't do it again, I swear."
Rough lips pressed against his for a moment, "I know baby."
And then, Gaara was gone and Neji woke up into the dimness of his bedroom feeling his heart about to erupt. How could he have alienated Gaara for something as stupid as a mistake?
Sitting up, Neji wrapped his hand around the cold metal on his chest and made a decision to go and see his lover the next night. He reached for his phone and swiped it on to see a blinking message on it. He swiped it and saw that the volume of the message was a little too much to be handled by his phone.
Curious, Neji got up and crossed the room to tap his laptop awake and download it and when it came up he sat and opened it.
Sable brows furrowed a little as he spotted the multimedia message in his inbox where Gaara was the sender. Tentatively, he clicked on it and allowed it to download.
When it did Neji was a little confused when he saw a what looked like a dark dungeon and inside that dungeon were torture tools. His acute eyes spotted the form of an Iron Maiden and The Rack that looked like they were teleported from the middle ages.
It was lit by thick candles and a gothic iron chandelier above that held black candles and the floor was covered by thick mats.
Neji wondered what he was seeing until he spotted a man with his head and arms caged by in the floor and he instantly tensed; it was the same man who had been in Gaara's arms and just like the last time he was barely clothed.
Then Gaara stepped in the picture, he was barefooted and clad only in ripped dark jeans. Neji watched as Gaara approached him and ordered, "Stand."
Like a smooth wave, a motion that Neji slightly envied, the man stood the man's silvery shorts, was slender, pale skinned with a flat toned stomach, small hips and long legs. His belly button was pierced and so were his nipples.
While he was perusing the man, Gaara also was being perused.
"So you're here for discipline," Gaara said tightly while circling him, "Before I ask you what your transgressors are, let me lay down the rules. You will address me as 'Sir,' no Master or my name. I am not here to get any more familiar with you except to give you what you've asked for."
Gaara circled him once more, "There will be no sex at all. You will not look me in the eyes unless ordered to do so; you will not speak unless ordered to do so and under no circumstance will you touch me. You will follow every command given and you have the right to safe words, 'white' when you're nearing breaking point and 'black' when you cannot take anymore. Do you understand? Speak!"
"Yes Sir," Kimamaro's voice was smooth and seductive like liquid sex and Neji hated every syllable that came out if his mouth, "I understand."
"Good," Gaara's voice, on the other hand was no nonsense, "What rule have you broken?"
"I had vowed to stay away from sex for six months but two weeks ago, on the days before the end, I allowed a man to fuck me… over and over again." Kimamaro murmured, "During it, I felt alive but when he was gone I felt disgusted with myself. I couldn't look myself in the mirror."
Neji sat up and latched his eyes on Gaara to look for his reaction, and saw his Dom go still for a moment, perhaps in contemplation.
"So what do you think is the correct punishment for your transgression?"
"I need to be flogged," Kimamaro said eyes down, "With a whip."
"Very well," Gaara replied, "But before we start, recite the safe words for me."
After the man dutifully recited the words Gaara moved over to the pillory, "Come here, I'll strap you in and we'll begin. Remember, at any time you're overwhelmed use the words."
Neji watched as Kimmaro was strapped into a wooden contraption and the locks were secured. By his position, the man's rounded behind was obscenely pushed into the air and Neji grimaced, round globes like those were a temptation to any gay man but thank god, Gaara passed it without a glimpse. In relief, Neji watched as Gaara took up a flog and ordered the bound man, "Count."
The moments passed as Gaara flogged them man, clinically Neji had to admit as they was no repartee between them. When they were done the man's back, buttocks and thighs were stained red, struck by the marks of the whips. Some of the lines were tinged with deeper red advertising that the skin had broken and blood was beading there.
Gaara released him from the bindings and gently ushered him to a covered bed in the corner of the room. While he stepped out of the camera, Neji for no real reason felt his heart rate speed up.
If he knew anything about biology and based on his own experience Neji knew that the man's brain must be flooded with a intoxicating mix of endorphins, serotonin and other brain fluids that made him feel high.
With his heart thumping in his chest he saw Gaara come back into view bearing a tube of antibiotic ointment from a medicine chest and went on to apply the salve to where the whip had accidentally cut into the pale skin.
Neji's gut tightened when he saw Gaara run his hand down a cut from on Kimamaro's lower thigh to the side of his left buttock he saw Kimamaro's visible shiver. It seemed that Gaara didn't notice as he then went on to softly tugging the man's shorts over his ass Gaara placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him up.
"Time's up. Well done," Gaara said evenly to the bowed sub, "Fifty lashes aren't easy to take."
The head lifted and Neji bit his inner lip as the man's eyes were lit with lust. Before Neji knew it Kimamaro's hand was on his Dom's chest' "You're so dominant… I want you to fuck me."
To Neji's relief he saw Gaara slapped the other man's hand off him, "No, and I told you no touching."
The Kaguya's head tilted and his smiled, "That was during the session, it's over now and I want your cock inside me. I want you."
"And I don't want you," Gaara growled getting angry, "I will not fuck you, not now, not ever. In fact, I don't even want to touch you. We are done here. Leave when you're ready."
Turning on his heel and striding to the door he heard Kimamaro call at his back, "I'll get my way, one way or another."
Neji slumped back in his seat, trying to regulate his breathing. Gaara was right; he hadn't touched the bastard. Then another clip came on, this time Neji saw Gaara glaring at a man who had a cocky and malicious smile.
"Luther," Gaara snarled slapping the man's desk, "I've done my duty. Do not let that asshole near me again or he'll regret it."
Standing up from his office chair Luther looked alarmed, "Please for fuck's sake don't tell me you did something to get us sued."
"No," Gaara said, "He's fine, more than fine actually but I will not see him again."
Luther's dark eyes looked amused, "Care to tell me why?"
"He fucking touched me," Gaara snapped, "You know that I do not like anyone but my sub touching me."
A curl of joy was like a cool balm that soothed the smarting cuts in Neji's chest; Gaara didn't want anyone but him to touch him and that in itself was such a solace to Neji that it took his breath away.
Luther sat back down and waved before tapping his laptop awake, "Fine, fine. Don't get your panties in a knot. I'll sort it out, you can go."
Giving the man a level look with an edge of a threat, Gaara huffed and turned away. "You better damn well do it."
Neji pressed his palms to his face and felt acute remorse for his stupid action of dismissing Gaara's claim of innocence. Screw next night, time was no importance to him now, he grabbed some clothes on and grabbed his keys. He needed to go see Gaara now.
Neji arrived at Gaara's house at nearly one am in the morning. He jumped out of the car and thumped hard on the door, his heart going triple time.
Each pound was mirrored by his heart. Oh how he wanted to just throw himself into Gaara's arms and tell him how sorry he was to ignore him or doubt him. Neji wanted to tell him that he was his and that comes what may he'll stick by his side.
The door was yanked open and Neji fell into the room looking widely around for his lover.
"Gaara!" Neji called out spinning around and looking, "Gaara!"
"Neji-" Juugo said while reaching out but the Hyuuga didn't pay him any attention.
Neji ran to his bedroom, then to the bath and then he sprinted outside to the small wooden pier. All were empty and Neji felt confused. Was Gaara at the club or something?
Neji entered the room with confusion deeply ingrained on his face and his unasked question was answered by the sole occupant of the house- Juugo.
"I'm sorry, Neji, Gaara's gone…"
Those words made something cold run over the Hyuuga and his heart started to pound in a different way.
"…. they shipped him off to Shanghai to break up a dangerous drug ring and…. and we don't know when he'll come back..."Juugo said but Neji knew the unsaid words, '….That's if he comes back."
If…If he comes back.
Neji stumbled back as his world started to spin around him in concentrated circles and black was the primary color flushing his eyes. In his distress he barely felt when Juugo grabbed him from falling.
So caught up in his mind where regrets had started to surge, he heard Juugo say, "But he loves you Neji and only hell will take him away from you…he'll come back, if not for anything else, but for you."
Neji's eyes closed for a moment "Are you sure,"
"I am," Juugo said, "And you should too; just have some faith Neji, hold on to your love for him. He'll come back."
Leaning weakly on his lover's friend, Neji tried to cement those words in his mind but oh god, he just lost his chance to affirm his love to Gaara…and the worst part was… he might never get it back.
TBC. Next, one more chapter and then the epilogue. Thanks guys for liking this, all your reviews, follows and favorites are really appreciated.