"Damn." Shikamaru sighed watching the clouds. It was going to be a long mission this time. He hated the long missions.

"Do you really have to go I mean … its just that."? Ino fiddled with her skirt watching shika.

"Yah." He paused, then breathed out softly, "Troublesome Tsunade."

" So what is your mission anyway?" She continued to watch him. She had developed a sort of girly crush for the lazy Nin over the years.

But she never told him. He was never one for dating or the stuff she liked; he was to lazy for that and they had nothing in common, more often then not they were ripping each others throats out about some petty thing that happened the day before.

" Not entirely shure," he shrugged motionlessly. " Some stupid infiltration mission, but its undercover-."

"Doesn't sound stupid to me."

" Believe me it is." They sat in silence for a while. " I don't even get to know the objective of it yet, the final details will be given to us when we arrive at the check in post, then we continue on into the rock nation."

"Us?"

" Yah I have a partner - sucks."

" Who is it? He must be really good if Tsunade is only sending you two on a mission for three or four, though it could be a she, then it would make more sense cause we women are better by far." She smiled, as he looked up at her brow raised.

" You are some sort of confused aren't you?" she laughed. " It's a he."

"Any good?"

"Should be he is the smartest Ninja ever for his age class."

" Really?" she cocked her head to the side.

" He is a Hyuuga." Ino watched him a little wide eyed. " Neji Hyuuga."

"How is that even gonna work? You two don't even talk how are you supposed to work together?"

"We'll manage."

" You can barely stand Chouji and me, how could you stand some boring, over prep'd, fate preaching freak? ………

xXx

" …….. What am I going to do? That lazy, pains in the ass, ill do it my way Nin is going to …… ugh- I just want to pull my hair out! " Neji yelled holding his head he threw himself face first on the bed.

" Neji-nee-san it can't be all that bad can it, can it?" Hinata asked with a smile, She set down the tea she had brought and proceeded to pour him a cup.

Neji turned his head to the side moving a long silky strand from his face, " It can be."

"Your acting like a child." She shook her head. " If only Gai could see you now."

"We are not bring that green-spandex-wearing-freak into this." He sat up grabbing the cup and taking a long sip.

"Neji, be nice he is your former sensei after all."

"Former yes. I don't have to pretend I like him anymore, only when I am forced to see him, I respect him for everything he has taught me, but he isn't exactly normal, Hinata."

"We all know that, but still- " she gave a look of concern.

" Fine, fine if you will stop whining about it." He shook his head.

"More tea before I go?"

"Go?"

" Kiba and Shino are taking me out for a movie." She blushed looking away when she said their names.

" Both of them? And aren't you a little old to be dating still, if only Hashi god rest him could see you now, and the elders- do they know? …"

"o stop it you." She shook her head with a smile and laugh , pouring him more tea. "And you never to old to have fun."

It was true none of them were exactly young anymore, but mid and late twenties isn't bad. Some of their old friends had even gotten married some with kids.

" I ment to old to just be dating around, Hinata eventually you have too-"

"Don't even say it." she waved a finger at him. " Next time I see you look at a girl the way you do a new book or set of knifes, then we can talk about me getting married." Neji looked away.

" Hinata that's not …"

"Tisk, tisk." She continued to wave her finger in the air, one hand on her hip a cute blush and smile cross her face. " And ill choose when I want too, I love them both so….." she practically floated out of the room, tray in hand without so much as a goodbye.

Neji gave a smirked grin.

Hinata had changed a lot as they had gotten older, she lost a lot of that shy nature, and she would talk more, just not to strangers, and whenever she was with the boys she still had that signature blush- I guess she hadn't changed all that much, after all her and Neji had always been close and able to talk without fear of anything.

Neji sighed, walking over to the dresser he pulled out some clothes setting them out to be packed into he pack for the mission, they were leaving tomorrow and would reach the first check in by nightfall.

xXx

It was a lazy day, Shika had slept well, and the sky was even cloudy. He sighed wishing he could post pone the trip a day for relaxation time.

He watched it from his back porch. Taking a long drag from his cigarette he sighed again, " troublesome mission."

The smoking was a bad habit he had picked up after the death of his sensei Asuma. Even after his revenge he couldn't get himself to stop the stupid cancer stick, figured it would kill him in the end if every other enemy he ever had didn't get to him first.

Another long drag before putting it out on the arm of the chair he was sitting on, the plastic now had a small melted mark.

He undressed and hoped into the shower. The water was mild and felt refreshing on a hot day like today, it was cloudy and sunny true but without a wind or cool breeze to speak of it was just another 'troublesomely' hot day for mission travel.

He sat under the water for another ten- fifteen minutes, before turning the dial to off and stepping out. He towel dried off, walking over to the nightstand by his bed, he grabbed his tie and put his hair into a high ponytail.

After getting dressed he finished some final packing and headed out for the day, locking his apartment door behind himself.

Walking down the hallway onto the street the sun seemed brighter than earlier that morning. " Troublesome he muttered."

Going back and forth between a few stores he had gathered an armful of groceries. Along with a few new kunai and stars for the mission.

He walks into a house, setting the bags down on the table.

" Unca-shika!" he turns around as a young boy about 8 leaps at him; he catches him spinning the boy in a circle.

" So how's my strong boy today?"

"Hye." He smiles a big toothy grin.

"Shikamaru." He looks up toward the calm caring voice to see Kurenai.

"Kurenai." He says setting the boy down, patting him on the head, " can you put the food away for your mom."

"Hye." He scrambles off to put the newly bought food away.

Shika gives Kurenai a smile. " So how have you been?"

"Well." She begins to put some of the food away also. " Thank you shikamaru, but you know I can do the shopping myself im not helpless." She smiled back.

" I know, its just that I …."

"Unca-shika is this for me?" the boys squeals pulling a small training kunai from the bag.

"Yep. Take care of it got that?" the boy nodded. " Im leaving for today, but when I get back if you have still taken good care of that ill give you a real one," he leaned in whispering into the boys ear, " and if you take good care of your mom ill treat you to ramen and by you a new toy, ok?"

"Hye," the boy grinned from ear to ear running out to practice with his newfound toy.

"What did you tell him?" She smiled "shika you fill his head with more promises and fairy tails than im shure you will be able to keep, you know that?"

"Its good for him to believe in something."

"It is." She watched him out the window, " you know he is already getting good at that." She smiled as tears slowly began to form.

" He was always smart, come to expect it."

"I know its just." She let the tears fall; shika comforted her as she cried into his shirt. " Asuma would be so proud of him, of what his boy has become."

"I know I know."

xXx

Neji sat quietly in meditation. The gardens were peaceful this time of day. The hot sun beating down on his white flesh turning him a tint of pink on the tops of his shoulders and cheeks.

He would have to remember sun-tan lotion for later.

"Mr. Hyuuga you have a visitor." The servant said almost silently.

" Send them in." Neji opened his eyes. Shikamaru was standing in front of him by that time.

"Your late."

"No im not."

"I asked that you be here by seven it is now ten past eight."

"So im late, get over it Hyuuga."

Neji silently fumed to himself steam practically shot from his ears. " Let's go, now we have to hurry cause we are behind schedule."

" Man you are so troublesome." shika pulled a cigarette from his pocket took and lit it taking a long drag.

"What are you doing?"

"Its my calming method."

Neji rolled his eyes. " Something healthier would be nice, besides killing everyone around you with that damn cancer stick."

"You have that yoga meditation crap and I have this." He patted the over half full box in his pocket.

"Not around me put it out!"

" As you wish your highness." Shika flicked off the ash then another long breath of it. When he was done he let it fall to the ground. Neji watched in anger as he just snubbed it out with his shoe on the garden grass.

" Don't provoke me to war Nara you will regret it."

" When I get scared ill let you know."

xXx

The trip was long and silent but that's the way they liked it.

No annoying Ino talking in his ear all the time, bothering him on the latest things and hot-ness boy ratings he would never care about. No Chouji which ment no stopping every half hour to eat something, trips went faster this way, he loved his friends but Neji was in a way easier to deal with.

" You want to rest and cool down a bit?"

" I don't need to but if you do then buy all means we can stop." Neji shot him a glance and a smirk.

"Is there a town ahead, or maybe nearby at all, a little out of our way is fine for really food, I hate this stupid dried crap they pack in our bags."

"Agreed." Neji stopped. " Byakagan." He looked in a few different directions.

"Find anything?"

"A small town maybe an hour to the west, it's a little out of our way." He turned back to face Shikamaru. " Want to go?"

Shika was slightly surprised by the question but managed a nod.

xXx

When they reached the town the found only two restaurants one closed for the day the other seemed a little ruff and tumble with broken sign, windows apparently had been replaced and broken many times all the glass seemed to be different shades.

They entered.

Occupying a corner booth, they ordered twin bowls of ramen and sides of egg rolls. They ate in silence. But it was a good silence.

No Tenten bugging and leaning all over him, she was cute but not his type. No Rock-lee with his stupid blooming lotus talk and certainly no Gai sensei. Why was he always trapped in with these annoyingly loud people that didn't understand him.

Why couldn't they just stopping talking and swooning and just be calm … was it asking too much. Still he loved them anyway, but Shikamaru was easier to deal with shure they fought a little but the challenge was refreshing compared to most people he was stuck with.

"Cookies?" the waitress asked a lively smile cross her face.

The boys nodded. She placed them on the table, and walked back to the bar her short skirt swinging.

Shika opened his first. " True love awaits you, be on the look out."

" Yah shika be on the look out."

"Alright, alright you've had your laugh what does your say?"

Neji opened his. " Love is right in front of you, open your eyes."

" I think yours was mushier." Shika said with a smile, pulling a cigarette from his pocket.

" What do you think you are doing?"

" What are you even talking about?"

" That thing." Neji motioned to the cancer stick.

" I happen to like 'this thing'." he lit it up. " Get over it."

" Way to spoil a moment, jerk."

" Don't even start sounding like Ino on me-" shika rolled his eyes. " Let's just pay the check and go."

" Fine."

As soon as Neji turned his back shika put out the cigarette, he had only lit it up to bother him now that he'd had his fun there was no need for it, he wasn't shure why he did it in the first place, maybe cause he found it so adorable when Neji was all fuming, he was quite cute angry.

Neji walked to the bar leaning over the counter top. " Check please."

"Shure thing just let me finish these last two orders." The waitress smiled again, Neji couldn't help but find her slightly attractive.

"No hurry."

"Thanks." She walked off to the back.

Neji stood there for a while then quickly turned around when he found his ass had been pinched

" What the hell." He yelled at some perv of a guy standing in line behind him.

"Such a foul mouth for a pretty girl." He stroked Neji's cheek brushing hair away, " I can clean that up for you." Have gave a half-assed toothy grin, it was only half cause that's how many teeth he was missing half of them.

"Im not a girl." Neji smacked away his hand.

"Don't mock me girl." He grabbed Neji's wrist giving it a hard twist making him cringe. " And you will come along with me-"

"Screw you let go of me I will kill you, don't underestimate me you pig!"

The man twisted harder pushing him up against the counter now with his body. "oaf" was all the noise Neji could make.

Suddenly Shikamaru came up stepping between the man and Neji.

"Darling, what's taking so long?" Shika wrapped his arms about Neji's waist. " I missed you."

Neji began to blush furiously.

"Im talking with the lady, back off Mister!"

Shika turned his attention to the man. " I will only ask you once, leave my girl friend alone!"

"You never told me you were taken, and here you were leading me on that's a crime in this town you know…" the man gave another toothy smile.

He grabbed Neji's wrist again twisting it fiercely and breaking it. Not but seconds later the man is dead on the floor.

The crowd watches in awe as Shika bandages his ' lover ' and carries her away from this scene.

xXx

" What the hell was that about? 'Leave my girlfriend alone shit' you know very well im not a girl."

Shika shrugged. " Hey it got us out of there."

"After me wrist gets broken-." Neji mumbled.

" It could have been worse, and I thought you could be more professional than stand there like some fool dumbfounded it made you seem more a girl."

" Well its not like im used to that sort of thing." He looked down rubbing his wrist." What do you mean more like a girl?" He looked up again facing shika.

"Well you have really long hair and all" he shrugged again. "Ehn, you just have a sort of feminine quality to you- its not bad though I wouldn't worry about it."

" did you have to grab me like that though?"

"it was more believe able that way, and besides if I didn't know any better you liked it." Shika pinched his cheek and coming close to Neji's face as he said it.

Shika could have swore he blushed again, or maybe it was just the pink sun tint on his face ….

xXx

The pair made it to the checkpoint safely and would be having breakfast with the informant in the hotel lobby that next morning, they past out on a set of twin beds.

Neji woke in the middle of the night. Going into the bathroom he splashed water on his face.

"What's the matter with you Neji this is just like any other mission, he is just like any other person you have ever worked with, what's wrong with me?"

he splashed more water at himself before turning the spout off.

He breathed in and out a few deep breaths. " He's just one guy, you can do this."

He laid back down in the bed, watching his new teammate sleep, why is he making my heart pound so?

yayness! i think i did fairly well . I recently got into NejiXShika fanfic's, the authors are always so good and fans so dedicated i thought i would give it a try.so ill be glad to hear any thoughts you guys have on it ...

My Goal for the story was to get Shikamaru and Neji's p.o.v. and opinion's of each other out there first then support it with their lives, that it isn't just about them being togather its how they got there, thats what im working on.

Anyway thanks for yoru guys support if i get enough reviews wanting me to continue i will update chapter two.

My request is 3 reviews, when i get 3 the next chapter will be out that day, otherwise its whenever i get to it on my list of story's this summer. So plz commment, any comment this means flames are also welcome. anyways enjoy, thanks.