Warnings: Cursing and shounen ai
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters
Author's note: So, the sequel is up. I hope everyone likes it, so enjoy!

Chapter 01

"Shikamaru Nara!"

Both Neji and Shikamaru looked up startled as they heard a loud, shrieking voice. Neji already leapt off of the couch, on his way to look out of the window to see who was at Shikamaru's door. But a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"No! Don't let her catch sight of you," Shikamaru told him with a whisper as he pulled Neji against him.

Neji, smiling at their contact, tilted his head slightly to look up at Shikamaru. "Don't let who catch sight of me?" He asked.

"Ino," Shikamaru groaned.

"Ino? What does she want?" Neji asked, confused why Shikamaru didn't want Ino to see him.

"Oh, I think I've got a clue to what she wants." Shikamaru answered as he started to push Neji towards his kitchen.

Shikamaru had moved out of his parents' house almost a year ago now. His apartment wasn't big, just a one-bedroom thing which suited him just fine. The kitchen was a pretty decent size and actually quite clean. But since Ino, and almost everyone else, believed Shikamaru to be a slovenly pig simply because he was lazy, no-one ever set foot in his kitchen afraid of having to clean it.

Shikamaru had never been more grateful of that.

"Shikamaru, what are you doing?" Neji demanded as he was pushed into the kitchen. He turned around to look at Shikamaru, not amused at all by the entire situation.

"Please stay here while I try to get Ino to go away." Shikamaru pleaded softly.

"You want me to hide in the kitchen?" Neji ridiculed.

"Neji," Shikamaru sighed and he placed a hand over Neji's shoulder. "I'll explain when she's gone," he promised.

Neji raised an eyebrow but sighed when he heard the blonde woman, who was now at Shikamaru's front door, call out again. "Just this once," he replied moodily.

"Thanks." Shikamaru pecked his cheek and closed the door of the kitchen as he made his way to open the door for his blonde friend.

In a bit of a sour mood, Neji sat down onto one of the kitchen chairs. All he could do now was hope that Shikamaru got Ino to go away quite fast so they could continue their time together.

Just a few hours ago they had been having lunch together. It was their second official date and Neji had enjoyed himself immensely.

Shikamaru was a wonderful person to date. He was gentle but not too much, which was perfect. Since Neji wasn't a girl he most certainly didn't wish to be treated as one.

After lunch they had decided to go to Shikamaru's apartment to play some shogi or chess. They played games often since it was a thing they both enjoyed a lot.

But Neji had a feeling that playing a game wasn't what they were going to do this afternoon.

Because Neji expected Shikamaru to have a very good explanation why he was hiding in the kitchen.

Neji was shaken from his train of thoughts when he heard voices coming from the living room. He listened intently so he could hear the conversation that through the door sounded pretty hushed.

"Ino, what do you want?" Shikamaru sounded bored as always. Neji smiled at that. Because when it was just the two of them, he never sounded like that. It made Neji feel appreciated and special.

"Answers." Neji heard Ino huff. He raised an eyebrow. Answers to what exactly? "Apparently you've been courting Neji Hyuuga the past few weeks." Ino said and Neji could imagine she looked rather insulted right now.

Because Neji knew where this conversation was leading to and he understood why Shikamaru didn't want him to be there.

Apparently Shikamaru had refrained from telling one of his best friends about his feelings for Neji. For Neji that was understandable. If Ino had known it would have been impossible for Shikamaru to ever have been a secret admirer because the entire village would have known about his affections.

But what friend wouldn't be offended to have been completely left out on any ideas being planned and carried out? Right, that person wouldn't be a very good friend. So Neji also understood that Ino demanded some answers.

'How glad I am that I am not Shikamaru right now.' He thought with an evil grin playing on his lips.

"… been courting Neji. So?" Neji heard Shikamaru speak and listened closely again, forgetting his thoughts immediately.

"Chouji knew about it." Ino stated flatly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want the entire village to know. And don't act innocent, you know yourself too well to do so." Shikamaru answered, sounding quite gently actually even though his words were rather harsh.

Neji thought he heard the girl chuckle but couldn't be sure. It would mean she understood why Shikamaru hadn't told her anything. He would just ask about that later he decided.

"I can't help but agree with you, even though I do feel offended you didn't tell me." Ino said. "But, why the Hyuuga?"

Neji was a bit taken aback by this question. 'Well, why not?' He wanted to wonder, but that thought didn't reach his mind. Instead he wondered exactly what Ino was asking. What did Shikamaru see in him that made everything worth the trouble?

"Why not?" Was the answer and Neji could imagine Shikamaru raising an eyebrow. He chuckled softly at the reply that was so much like the other boy.

"Because he is as cold as an ice-cube?" Neji heard Ino shoot back.

He didn't know why, but those words kind of hurt. Admittedly, Ino didn't know Neji was hiding in the kitchen so it probably wasn't her intention to hurt him. But it was a thing she meant, otherwise she would've never said it.

Neji knew people saw him as a cold person but to have someone actually say it hurt. With a soft sigh he wondered what Shikamaru's reply would be.

To Neji's surprise, the other sounded quite angry as he replied.

"You should stop to base all of your knowledge on gossip, Ino." Shikamaru spat.

"Why? Because Neji is actually a gentle person that doesn't snap at you the moment you ask him something? Because he doesn't have a stick up his ass? Then please tell me which clone I've always pictured as him." Ino shot back.

Neji frowned, hurt. He didn't always snap at people. He just didn't like Ino very much since all she ever wanted to talk about was gossip. It wasn't his problem that he wished to converse with people on things that were of a bit of a higher caliber than gossip, was it?

"Ino! Being mean is nothing like you." Shikamaru sounded very angry. "What is bothering you?"

"Nothing!" The girl shouted and Neji could hear footsteps in the other room.

He frowned. What was going on in there?

"Something is. Why are you so keen on insulting Neji when you know I care about him?"

"But why him? He… he's…" Ino started to protest but stopped for a moment. Then in a soft voice she said: "He's a man."

"You were never against two men together, Ino. What's changed?" Shikamaru hissed.

"B-but, now it's you! And even though you always say women are 'troublesome' you haven't all that much lately." Ino paused her desperate cry. "Not to me at least." She finished.

Neji could only imagine how shocked Shikamaru would be. He took a deep breath as the girl stopped speaking, almost as if burned.

"I-Ino…" It was obvious that Shikamaru was shocked and, for once, didn't know how to react.

"I'm sorry, I should go." Neji heard the girl mutter softly.

"No, Ino wait." Shikamaru cried out.

"No Shikamaru, some other time all right?" The girl asked and Neji heard a door slam.

After that there was silence.

"Shikamaru."

Neji called out softly as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Shikamaru stood in the middle of the living room and Neji had to suppress a sigh. He felt bad for the other.

A bit uncertainly Neji walked towards the boy and a bit clumsily he embraced Shikamaru briefly before stepping back with a slight smile.

"Neji…" Shikamaru began hesitantly. He knew Neji had heard the entire conversation and didn't know what he thought of it. Heck, he didn't even know how he himself thought of it.

"Don't worry." Neji said calmly. "It's not your fault, you know." He smiled and took a few steps back to let himself fall down onto the couch. "Come sit down." He said, patting the space next to him.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at Neji's out of character behavior. "This isn't like you." He muttered as he sat down next to Neji, looking at him from the side.

"Why not? Because I'm an ice-cube with a stick up my ass?" Neji muttered as he looked down.

He knew Shikamaru probably didn't want to talk all that much right now but he felt a bit offended that the other didn't think him capable of wanting to be there if Shikamaru did feel the need to talk.

Ino's words kind of stung and Neji wanted to be reassured that things were all right. Because your best friend coming up to you with feelings of love was a big deal. Neji knew.

"And this isn't like you either." Shikamaru said and when Neji looked at him he smirked. "I'm not dating a girl, so I hope you don't become one."

Neji looked at Shikamaru with a frown. "It's not girlish to want to talk to you." He said.

Shikamaru sighed softly and looked away. "I know, it's just…" He faltered and bit his lip.

Neji nodded, understanding slightly. "Do you want to be alone?" He offered.

If he were completely honest he would say that he didn't want to leave. That he thought that Shikamaru should just talk about Ino and what he felt right now. Because Neji didn't want to be left out on such an important thing. Not now he found himself falling in love with the other rapidly.

But in this kind of situation Neji would want to be alone too. This was the kind of situation where people should think first before wanting to talk with someone about it. Perhaps because people were generally afraid to say something to hurt or offend another person.

Shikamaru, not noticing or simply choosing to not see Neji's inner turmoil, nodded. "That would be nice." He admitted on a soft tone.

Neji, mustering a smile onto his face, nodded too. "I'll leave you to your thoughts then. You know where to find me." He said casually as he stood up.

With a smile of appreciation Shikamaru stood up as well, hugging Neji close for a few moments.

As always, Neji stilled first before hugging the other back. For some reason he was always surprised when hugged. But as he leaned his head against Shikamaru's he felt warm and fuzzy all over and couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Of course. I'll still be sure to bother you the entire evening tomorrow." Shikamaru grinned as he pulled back.

Neji nodded. "I'll keep you to that." He said and, feeling bold, gave Shikamaru a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Don't think too much." He joked, before making his way to the front door.

From behind him he could hear Shikamaru laugh. "Now that would be new."

Neji sat quietly on a wooden bench that adorned one of the many small gardens of the Hyuuga compound.

He watched with an amused smile as Naruto was chasing Hanabi through the small garden. What for? He didn't have a clue and couldn't be bothered to find out.

"You're back early."

Neji turned around as he heard Hinata's soft voice. He smiled at her and motioned for her to sit down.

Hinata did so with a gentle smile and turned to Neji the moment she was seated. "You're back early." She repeated her comment from earlier.

"So I am." Neji replied. He wasn't in the mood to actually tell her about everything that had happened in great detail. If she asked though, he would tell her. Because Neji also didn't feel like lying and telling her nothing had happened.

Hinata sighed softly at Neji's reply. "Did something happen?" she asked curiously.

Neji looked at her with a soft sigh. "Yes, sort of."

Hinata frowned at Neji's vague answer. "You come home earlier than planned and sit on a bench looking gloomy and something sort of happened?"

Neji sighed again. Hinata was going to be a bother today, he just knew it.

She probably wouldn't stop asking him questions until she knew what was going on. Whether she was worried or simply curious Neji did now know.

Neji took a deep breath and leaned against the back of the bench as he looked up at the sky. "Ino came by Shikamaru's this afternoon."

To his surprise Hinata gasped softly. "Really?" She asked.

Neji turned his head to look at her with a frown. "Yes, really. I wouldn't lie. Now what's up with the gasp?"

Hinata shook her head with an innocent smile on her lips. "Nothing. But what did Ino come by for?"

"She's in love with Shikamaru." Neji answered, not knowing what else to say.

Hinata, sounding more surprised than aghast, asked: "So she finally told him?"

"She finally told him?" Neji repeated his cousin's words as he looked at her angrily. "What's going on here? You knew she was in love with him?" Neji demanded.

"A-ah… w-well, yes." Hinata stuttered in reply.

"How."

"Ino confined in Sakura, b-but Sakura told Naruto and he told m-me." Hinata said softly, looking down as if she was feeling guilty for not telling Neji.

"Oh." Neji didn't know what to say. Of course it hadn't been Hinata's place to have told him of Ino's feelings towards Shikamaru, so he couldn't blame her. Not that he was thinking of blaming anyone for this situation.

It was no-one's doing. It was just a series of quite unfortunate events.

"Neji, are you all right?" Hinata asked worriedly on a nervous tone.

Neji started from his thoughts and looked at Hinata. "I… Shikamaru was really confused."

"Neji, it will be fine, I'm sure." Hinata tried to comfort him with a smile. "I mean, Shikamaru went through so much trouble to make you fall for him, you need not worry."

Neji smiled slightly at the girl. "Yes, it will be fine." he admitted softly.

TBC.