Shikamaru & Neji: No Hard Feelings

Author: PrettyKitty93

Warnings: Bad Language, Sex & Stuff, Yaoi in general

Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto series or any of the characters, they are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. This is just for fun, I do not make any money from this fic. You would know if I did own Naruto, because then it would be too nasty for tv ;)

Authors Notes: Hello all, this is a little side story, which events sit neatly in between chapters nine and ten in Naruto & Sasuke: Daddy Potential (NSDP) and explain what happened between Shikamaru and Neji, since they were kind of not mentioned for forever... So if you hadn't read NSDP, this might not make much sense to you so I reccomend you read that first. It's not really comedic like my usual stories, this one is a bit more angsty but real. I hope you enjoy, this was one of my first attempts at something more serious :)

No Hard Feelings

An Shikamaru X Neji One-shot

Synopsis: It has been 18 long years since the day that Neji and Shikamaru decided to bury the feelings they had for one another. Life moved on, eventually the two settled down with their respective wives, had children, and just kept moving forward. They didn't talk, except maybe in passing. But then one day, they happen to meet up for the first time and talk in years… and still discover there are still some buried feelings. Are they both willing to throw away 18 years of hard work for one night of pleasure?

Shikamaru sat out on the porch swing alone, one autumn afternoon. The sun was setting, and it was getting cold out, but he was sitting out there smoking, since Hinako didn't like him smoking in the house. Luckily it didn't snow in Konoha, but sometimes it could get pretty cold during the fall and winter seasons. He didn't know how he was going to take this.

His life was a very interesting one. He often sat out here and wondered how that despite that when he was living at home with his father, mother and twin sister Aki, he always claimed he hated troublesome women, and now he was stuck with three of them. Yes, three.

There was his wife, Hinako Hyuuga, who he claimed he loved when he was younger… or maybe not, he wasn't sure when the word love had been thrown into the mix. Regardless, before he knew it he ended up married to her. That clan of hers was a persuasive bunch. To be honest, the whole love thing might've swayed a bit in his opinion, he wasn't sure if he did anymore. However, Shikamaru was the type to see it easier to hang in there instead of telling her he didn't love her anymore, then having to get a divorce. Then that means he would have to leave, and his girls would cry and be apart of a broken family. In his words it was too troublesome.

Sometimes he felt pretty bad for thinking of divorcing his wife, but thoughts were just thoughts after all, it's not like he actually was divorcing her. He'd never told anyone he'd thought of that, not Naruto or Kiba, or even his best friend Chouji. It was too complicated, just easier to sit up and suck it up.

"Daddy," called his younger daughter, who was standing in the doorway. "Mommy says its time to come in for dinner."

"Thanks 'Zuka," he replied, smiling at the girl who looked just like her mother, only with brown hair. Both of his girls looked just like Hyuuga with their dark long hair and milky white eyes.

She skipped back inside the house, happily, as she'd done what she was told. Shikamaru flicked the butt onto the ground, putting it out with his shoe before heading inside as well.

'This was what I was supposed to want,' he thought as he ate dinner with his beautiful wife and two daughters, Shiori the nine year-old and Shizuka who was only five. They chattered happily about their day, Shiori learning about some ninja techniques at school while Shizuka was still just as happy she started kindergarten. Although, this so-called perfect life of his just felt like he was going through the motions nowadays. He complimented Hinako on her cooking as always, then they listened about the girls' days, then Hinako's day, and finally Shikamaru's. Which was always boring regardless.

Somehow, Shikamaru didn't feel content with this. Which was kind of funny because he was the one that was usually content with everything, not being one to rock the boat. But this wasn't what love was, even he knew that. There was nothing he could do about it, but he knew it.

"I'm going to the springs, Hinako, if you don't mind," Shikamaru said to the woman who was sitting on the couch, folding laundry after the girls had gone to bed.

"Alright, have fun," she replied, with a smile before turning back to whatever show had been on the television.

"Riku, I really do get sick of telling you time and time again to cut out these antics!" Neji was yelling at his oldest son standing before him. "I never acted like this when I was your age, how the hell do you think you're living up to the Hyuuga name?"

"Maybe I get sick of living up to the Hyuuga name all the time dad! Everything I do is never good enough for you!" Riku shouted back.

"Because you never act the way you're supposed to act! Every time I look up you're off playing somewhere, rollerblading on those stupid skates, or messing with your sisters. It's time to start growing up son, start focusing more on your studies and use all that free time you have to further yourself as a ninja. I don't want an 'okay' ninja for a son," Neji retorted, as he faintly noticed his wife, Tomoe holding their son Seiji as his two middle daughters Rin and Yukiko stood beside her.

He hated that his wife and children saw him like this. He hated that he treated his son this way, he really didn't want to be like this. But slowly, over the years he felt himself sinking into the same bad habits out of anger, treating his eldest son the same way his uncle treated him. Neji didn't like what he'd become.

His wife, a woman he'd been arranged to marry by the clan, looked at him with distaste all the time. His children, with eyes that reminded him of his own when he was younger, looked at him with distrust, and a bit of fear as well.

He didn't want to be doing this, all of it. He had been praying that even if he had been forced to marry, he'd never had to have any children. But that was a silly hope indeed as he'd end up having to have four. And it wasn't that he didn't love his children, no not at all, he just didn't want to see them suffer for the rest of their lives like he is. Every single one of them have the mark of the branch family on their foreheads, even his youngest son who's barely two, and that is just hard to look at everyday.

And then there's Riku, whom he'd probably say that he loves the most out of his children. Being the oldest son, he's had to take a lot of crap about upholding the family name and being perfect, and Neji's had to dish most of it out. He doesn't like to see his poor son having his spirit crushed, because Riku is more vibrant and full of life than Neji could ever hope to be. He doesn't like to see them suffer, but he's suffering too.

Riku just looks at him frustrated to the point near tears now, with his fists clenched as he storms off to his room. Neji sincerely wishes that he could hug the boy and tell him he really loves him, but he knows Riku hates him by now. Riku would probably push him away, claiming that if Neji really loved him, why would he treat him this way? Neji wondered the same thing himself.

"I need to think… I'm going out," he stated, before grabbing a jacket and walking right past his wife, heading out the door.

Neji had allowed himself to relax some as he sunk into the warm waters of the hot spring, sipping the small cup of sake. He didn't want to get drunk, he just wanted to relax and cool down before he went into that hell he called a home. The hell part, however, was only his fault as he knew he was the main source of depression for them, he figured. Idly, he wondered whether they'd be happier if he were dead. They probably would be, but he's probably too selfish to go through with such a thing.

Maybe getting drunk wouldn't be too bad an idea right now.

"Neji?" a familiar voice called.

He hadn't even noticed anyone else walked in, before looking up to see Shikamaru standing there with a complimentary towel wrapped around his waist.

"Nara," he spoke coolly, glancing at the man standing before him.

"Funny meeting you here," Shikamaru remarked, looking skeptical for a second, before joining the other man in the water. "Haven't seen you in awhile, to be honest."

"Hmm, true. It's unusual we don't see much of each other these days," the dark-haired man agreed, drinking from his glass.

"Yeah, for the best I guess," Shikamaru sighed, pouring himself a small cup of the sake as well.

Neji didn't reply to that, but he looked at the brunette, understanding exactly what he meant. It's kind of sad it had to come to this, them acting like strangers. They could've, should've stayed friends after that day but… Neji would've found it too hard to bear. And even now, nearly twenty years, one wife and four kids later, old feelings began to resurface. Just being there next to him… it felt awkward, yet right.

The silence was heavy, and Neji was searching for something to say to the man whom he somehow thinks he still loves. "So, how are you and Hinako doing?"

Thinking about it, he mentally kicked himself for asking that. That might've come off slightly petty, but regardless Shikamaru answered calmly, "Things are good. Me, her, and the girls are just doing… good. How are you and your family doing?"

"Oh, wonderful. We're doing good as well," Neji practically lied through his teeth. "So… what brings you here? It's rather late."

"Just needed some peace," Shikamaru explained, drinking the rice wine.

Neji raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement, before realizing his cup was empty. He'd been drinking quicker since Shikamaru had arrived, subconsciously, of course. The alcohol running through his system was starting to make him relax more than he was really aware.

"Did something happen?" Neji wondered.

"Not really. Although, can I ask you a serious question Neji?" Shikamaru answered the pale-eyed man with another question. He nodded, wanting to be a good friend and all, if they were even really that much. "Is it really wrong to want to divorce your wife? And, well I probably shouldn't say that because that's your little cousin and you don't want me to hurt her. Now, don't get me wrong, Hinako is a good wife and all, I just don't think me and her are happy anymore. It's like we're going through the motions."

"I think what you might've had for my cousin, to be totally honest, wasn't love. Or at least it isn't anymore. And if you both feel that way, then maybe it's just time for you to walk away. You guys were together a long time, after all, and gave it your best try," Neji tried to comfort the man.

"I know. What I can't believe is, tactician or no I still wasn't able to see this happening at all,"

Neji nodded, silently. The two sat side by side with their drinks, not saying a word. It was kind of like that day all those years ago… they never needed words to get along.

Shikamaru turned to Neji, cupping his cheek before pulling him close to kiss him. It started out soft and gentle, before Neji pulled the brunette closer deepening the kiss. Once breath was necessary, they pulled back with a pant. Neji felt hot suddenly, and he didn't think it was all because of the hot water either.

"All these years later I still wonder if you and me were possible?" Neji spoke. "I really had no say in the matter, but I always wondered."

"Neji…" Shikamaru sighed. "Can we just take a break from all this thinking? It's really starting to be troublesome."

As ironic as that statement was, given that all Shikamaru was good at was thinking, it seemed to make sense. Neji was sick of thinking too. They both just needed a break.

"It's getting hot, I'm going upstairs to rent a room I guess," Shikamaru announced, moving to step out the water.

"You're not going home?" Neji asked.

"Too much trouble," the brunette said as usual.

For some reason, Neji followed him, deciding that he really didn't want to go home to any more trouble tonight. Given that he decided to stop thinking logically for a night, he decided not to think about how he might cause more trouble by not going home. He'd worry about that later.

Against his better judgement, Neji ended up in that hotel room with Shikamaru that night.

He laid beside the man, as slightly tanned hands touched him gently as if though the Hyuuga were fragile and would break. Neji tensed at the warm touch, which Shikamaru immediately noticed and retreated, much to Neji's dismay.

"You didn't have to stop you know," the dark-haired man spoke suddenly.

"Are you alright?" Shikamaru asked, practically ignoring Neji's earlier statement.

He replied with a loud sigh, "Is anyone ever truly alright? Look, I just don't want to get you in trouble doing things you shouldn't be. Maybe I should leave-"

As Neji moved to get out of his side of the bed, Shikamaru grabbed his arm, before explaining, "If either of us were worried about that, do you think we would've even come up here? You and I are both capable of staying out of situations we don't want to be in, so I think it's clear you and I both want to be here."

The brunette pulled the other man back into the bed rather forcefully, until he was on top of Neji with hands on either side of him. "If you were any more satisfied with your marriage than I was, if you were any happier with your life than I were… obviously you wouldn't be here. So let's just be frank, Neji. You and I are in the same boat clearly."

"All I wanted to do was have the satisfaction of at least having one small taste of victory here, the feeling of getting one thing in life I wanted for once," Neji argued.

"Then it's right here, all you have to do is say the word, Neji," Shikamaru explained with a slight smirk on his face.

"I'm done talking,"

In that same way how the two, for some reason, could understand each other without saying a word, they both knew what they wanted. Shikamaru started with the trailing touches, his lips meeting with Neji's lightly before the paler man pulled him in to deepen the kiss.

Neji's hands moved to the brown ponytail, removing the hair tie to let the brunette hair fall to Shikamaru's shoulders as he ran his fingers through it. Shikamaru reveled in the touch of the Hyuuga, using his hands to make deft work of getting the complementary robe off of him to reveal porceline skin. His tongue moved to tease the pink nipples of the man beneath him, finally eliciting some kind of response from the usually quiet man. He let out a slight moan, delicious to Shikamaru's ears, encouraging him to do more.

His clothed groin rubbed up against Neji's hardening erection, causing jolts of pleasure at the sweet friction to make him harder. Following Shikamaru's lead, Neji's hands pulled at the tie to the robe the brunette wore, so he could gaze upon the sun-kissed skin of what he knew was his true love.

Shikamaru's hand cupped his erection, before whispering into Neji's ear, "I'll take care of this for you."

His tongue lapped at the head, tasting the slight taste of the precum that had gathered at the tip, before slowly taking in as much as he could of the Hyuuga's shaft. Neji let out a groan of pleasure, the sight and the feel of Shikamaru going down on him was almost too much to take. He'd been imagining this for years, hoping one day it would actually happen outside of his dreams, and now it finally was. His resolve was quickly weakening, as he grasped the brown head of hair before him, although not too roughly.

"Ah, Shika… so good," Neji panted, as he was being brought closer and closer to relief.

As much as Shikamaru loved hearing Neji sound so aroused and breathless, he didn't want the man to cum just yet, and he knew he was getting close. His warm mouth left the man's cock, sitting up so he could find something in the room to use as a lubricant.

Neji was disappointed at the loss of his touch and the warmth, he was rock hard now and needed his release. And he wasn't a very patient person. His right hand almost moved down to take care of his arousal, before Shikamaru said, "Ah, Neji, not just yet."

"Well hurry up, I'm getting impatient," he complained.

Shikamaru found a small bottle of lotion in the drawer beside the bed, and while it wasn't lube, it was going to have to do. He coated his fingers with it while remarking, "I love how eager you are, you look so hot laying there you know."

Neji rolled his eyes, not one to exchange pleasantries during lovemaking. Not only that though, he was just nervous. He'd never been with a man before, especially on the receiving end. Since he'd only had sex with his wife, he'd never been the one on the receiving end of the pain.

Shikamaru on the other hand, had his fair share of guys when he was younger, during his 'experimenting' phase, if you will. And he knew it hurt being the bottom, so he kissed Neji comfortingly, before speaking, "It's going to hurt a little at first okay? I'll try not to hurt you."

Neji was slightly embarrassed at the fact Shikamaru felt the need to console him like he was a woman or something. Then, two slick fingers were inserted inside his tight pucker, and Neji knew exactly what he was talking about. It stung a little, but he figured he could handle this, it was just stretching after all.

After that came the third finger, stretching him in a scissoring motion, which really didn't feel too bad either. "I think I'm ready now," he said at last.

As he felt the three fingers being slid out, then he felt something much larger being pressed in, slowly.

"Ah fuck, Shikamaru…" he groaned at the painful intrusion.

"Sorry, the pain'll wear off soon," Shikamaru remarked.

"You say the most loving things, Shika," Neji replied sarcastically.

"And you say that as though you are the warmest guy in the world," the brunette chuckled, pulling the other man closer as he moved deeper inside him.

Neji moaned out loud, grasping, nails digging into Shikamaru's back. All pain was forgotten as he adjusted to the large cock inside him, pressing deep. He craned his neck, and Shikamaru took advantage of that to suck at the offered skin, before murmuring, "Your wife is going to be mad at me."

"Dumb-ass," Neji said accusingly, however he hadn't been paying much attention to what the other man had even been doing.

"You know you like it," Shikamaru spoke in a low, sultry voice, in Neji ear. He thrust again inside the man, hitting his prostate. Then it was clear how much Neji really liked it.

Neither of them said another word as they were entranced with the sensation of finally having one another, together. Although both of them were reluctant to voice it aloud, neither of them had been more in love than they were now. Still, it had pretty much been mutually accepted that this was going to be nothing but a quick fuck and nothing more, because both men had their respectable lives to return to after all.

Still, in the moment the men were engrossed in their temporary bout of passion, Shikamaru thrusting harder and faster as he was approaching his climax, and Neji was as well. The room was filled with nothing but the sound of their movements and heavy breathing, there was no room for their words. Not now. Occasionally, Neji let out a moan in spite of himself, actually surprised at himself for liking bottoming for another man, but then again this just wasn't any man either. He was letting his inhibitions, his thoughts, even his fears slightly, go just for this man. And if they were still thinking, he'd be thinking he was crazy.

"I'm so close," he panted, voice barely above a whisper.

Shikamaru didn't let out a reply, more like a grunt, as he struck the man below him's prostate multiple times. Neji finally lost it, crying out as he tensed and his body arched off the bed, his seed splattering against him and Shikamaru's torsos. His orgasm sent the Nara over the edge as well, panting as his cum filled Neji, spilling on the hotel bed as well. They were both panting, exhausted at last.

Shikamaru rolled onto his back, laying beside Neji now, not saying a word. He was just looking at the man, now lazily running his fingers through dark umber hair, almost black in the dim light of the room. And then for the first time tonight, he was reminded of Hinako. Her hair was a shade of navy like her twin sister's but, in the dark, Neji and his younger cousin almost looked the same. And it freaked him out, because it wasn't her. What had he been thinking?

"I think," Neji spoke, breaking the silence, "this is the first time I did something so stupid, in my entire life."

Shikamaru kissed the Hyuuga lightly, before remarking, "I'm disappointed this won't be able to happen again, Neji. But… you understand… no hard feelings, right?"

He was thinking about that day again, for the first time in years. He'd tried desperately to push it back, away, but now he was reliving it all over again. "No, none at all," Neji replied at last. "Look after my little cousin, alright?"

Shikamaru paused, before replying solemly, "If she'll let me."

Neji picked up his clothes before heading into the bathroom to clean up and get dressed again. Once he came out, he looked towards Shikamaru who was still lying on the bed, looking tired and thoughtful as usual, although troubled as well. The lazy ninja opened his eyes slightly and looked at the man who's hand was on the door knob and said, "I'll see you around, alright?"

The Hyuuga nodded, before heading out the hotel room. As he left to go back home, he wondered why this felt just as bad as eighteen years ago… Either way, at least he knew Shikamaru was wrong about one thing, this wasn't just infatuation.

In families like the Hyuuga's, infidelity isn't really spoken of. If it's going on, you wouldn't hear about it, it would disgrace the family of course.

He knew Tomoe knew what had happened, but she pretended like she didn't. Nothing changed, just like he knew it wouldn't, after all in an arranged marriage, you were stuck together for life come hell or high water. Divorce was a big no.

However, Neji didn't expect one day when Neji was sitting in the study, reading alone, that Riku would come up to him. Now Riku never really went out of his way to talk to Neji, considering Neji never tried to talk to him, so this was rare. Noticing the boy standing beside him, he set down his book and looked up at his son.

"Dad, I was wondering do you love us?" he asked, out of the blue.

Did he know? Did Tomoe tell him, or did he just put two and two together? Is this why he's asking? "Why do you ask?"

"I've always kind of wondered," Riku explained. "You don't act like it. Is it something we did? And why are you always yelling only at me?"

Neji just shook his head and sighed, wishing he didn't have to hear his own son say these things. "One day when you're older, I'll explain to you why exactly I act this way. But just know now that even though I don't act like it, I do love you all."

"See, now was 'I love you' that hard to say?" Riku asked, smiling slightly.

"Sometimes… it really is, son,"

The morning after, Shikamaru had finally come home after staying in the hotel room all night, doing some serious thinking. However, he didn't know that Hinako had done some serious thinking of her own as well.

"Shikamaru…" she said calmly, when they were alone in the living room together, while the girls were away at school. "I think it's over."

He couldn't really say anything, he couldn't think of anything to say, so he just looked at her. Hinako was smiling, smiling because she knew she could get out of this easier. The family wasn't exactly crazy about him to begin with, so she could appeal for divorce. After he'd stayed out all night, come home with the slight smell of alcohol on his breath, the faint scent of another man's expensive cologne on him, and scratches on his back, she'd known what happened. And they both knew that the feelings they'd had for one another had just kind of died down. They were nothing more than roommates that had two children together.

However he hadn't any sooner realized the idiocy of what he'd done, until he heard her say:

"No hard feelings, right?"

And with that, the lazy man, ex-husband and father of two who couldn't ever confess his true feelings, had lost everything he'd ever loved.

End

So I hope this clears up what happened between them, and clears up Shikamaru and Hinako's divorce. So please review! Or favorite or anything! :D