There was once a time when looking at Neji Hyuuga didn't immediately cause memories of lust-filled pupil-less eyes and silky dark hair, loose and long and spread out beneath him or curtaining from above, to burst into his mind like exploding clay. When he could make eye contact with Hinata and not have to wonder whether she was blushing because of that time Naruto maybe sort of almost accidentally nearly touched her hand or because she knew and quite possibly had seen things. When he could simply endure Ino poking into his personal affairs, be like a rock in a needlessly and obsessively annoying storm, instead of the study in evasion tactics he is now forced to employ in nearly every encounter (because withholding the truth is one thing but direct lying would be absolutely out of the question). There was a time when a night spent out with his friends didn't contain the moments of him and Neji and intimate activities in dark, lonely corners that it seemed to necessitate now.

Not that he is complaining, Shikamaru muses as he shifts to avoid the sharp edge of a loose stone digging into his back and slouch more comfortably against the stone wall while his mouth continues to move lazily against Neji's, at least not about that last part. Who would? He dared any man to look at Neji Hyuuga, to take in all that pale skin and those smooth lips, to feel those calloused hands slide over you, to know that all of his attention is focused on this moment and you and the two of you together, to experience all of that and still be able to deny Neji absolutely anything he asks for. It isn't possible. Any man who claims otherwise is a liar. Or has spent more than five minutes talking to the guy.

Because, sure, he's pretty as a porcelain doll but when you're talking about attitudes Neji's isn't exactly the easiest to accord with. He's overconfident and distant, insensitive to the point of rudeness but so calm and unaffected he probably doesn't even notice, or if he does notice then he doesn't care and Shikamaru's not really sure which one's worse. He's haughty and demanding and obsessive and so damn stubborn that it's no wonder Naruto had to knock him out to show him the error of his ways; that's the only way to get through to him. Yeah, definitely better to take the shell and leave the insides for someone else to bother with. Of course, he mentally scoffs, saying that is one thing…

Shikamaru twitches slightly at Neji's tongue probing at his lips, bringing him back to the physical realm. His mouth opens readily for the incessant muscle, although he maintains his own lethargic pace, something that he knows frustrates the Byakugan-user. The Hyuuga (predictably) responds by clutching at him even tighter, stretching the collar of his new shirt which Shikamaru's sure his mom is going to be just ecstatic about, and renews his assault with more force. Hostile, that was what he forgot before; Hyuuga Neji is hostile as shit. Shikamaru, having expected such a reaction, grips the back of the older man's head and tugs at the mass of Hyuuga hair that had become tangled and twisted around his hand; eliciting a growled and unintelligible reply from his companion as their contact is severed. Neji hates having his hair pulled.

Shikamaru, one hand still knotted up in dark glossy locks, patently ignores the classic Hyuuga-glare that Neji's surely sending his way in favor of watching the last evidence of recent rainfall drip slowly off the sloped roof above them. He hears the continuous noise of Naruto and Kiba, muffled but still notably boisterous even through some three or four of the restaurant's concrete walls, along with sporadic input from Lee and Chouji and the higher-pitched but no less raucous voices of Sakura and Ino. When he had left the room, the conversation had been about previous missions and future plans and exactly how many pieces of cooked meat they could each fit into their mouths at one time. He idly wonders if their absence from the party had become conspicuous yet and how long it might take their friends to mobilize what would surely be a loud and entirely indiscrete search party.

Neji, by this time, is entirely irritated with Shikamaru's distracted state if the sharp nip and tug at his bottom lip was anything to go by. Rather than rise to the bait, Shikamaru lets his tongue flick out passively to scout out the damaged area before tracing Neji's lips, a casual apology and silent request to return to the previous languid pace of tongue-sliding. Neji's ruffled feathers are not so easily smoothed. Right, Neji's damn proud too.

Shikamaru gives a heavy sigh to mourn the loss of mouth to mouth contact. The Nara turns his head passively away and raises his free hand to bring the smoldering cigarette, the reason he ventured into the chill of the evening in the first place, to his lips. Inhale, exhale. He watches the smoke drift up and away. Neji watches the cigarette come back to his mouth.

"That'll kill you." The Hyuuga points out

"Lots of things could kill me"

"Yes, but-"

"Don't." Shikamaru interrupts with finality, "Listen, you're the one who…You don't want this," he gestures between them, "to be more than a physical thing and that's fine. I mean, " Shikamaru glances away, shrugging, "it's whatever. It is what it is." He raises the cigarette again, letting it dangle from his lips pointedly, and throws Neji a lazy stare. "But then don't go around commenting on my life choices."

Neji snorts, or does whatever the equivalent of snorting was in proper Hyuuga mannerisms. But his voice is a little more subdued than usual when he responds, "Is that supposed to be some sort of ultimatum?"

"No. I'm not threatening you, but I am telling you."

"I didn't realize we were still on mission, 'Captain'," the Hyuuga scorns tonelessly. Shikamaru only shrugs in reply, taking one last drag of his cigarette before putting it out. Taking this to be the end of the conversation, Neji turns and would have left if a hand hadn't reached out and grabbed his arm, jerking him around to face the shadow-nin again.

Shikamaru swiftly coils his other hand around Neji's head and wrenches it back roughly. When the Hyuuga opens his mouth to protest the harsh treatment, Shikamaru takes the opportunity to cover it with his own, releasing the lungful of smoke he had been storing. Neji's stifled protests are lost, swallowed by Shikamaru in the mockery of a kiss, but he gets his point across well enough with the fingernails digging into Nara flesh hard enough to leave imprints and Shikamaru has to press the Hyuuga firmly against the wall to avoid what would surely be painfully accurate kicks.

As suddenly as he had grabbed the other man, Shikamaru releases him. Sidestepping quickly to avoid the immediate punch that was likely on course to his face, Shikamaru darts back into the restaurant and the safety of numbers. Neji wouldn't dare disrespect his family's honor and whatnot by causing a public disturbance at a local eatery. He would wait until they were alone.

Which, after all, is how Shikamaru wanted this night to end anyway.

~If you are going to comment, please be as specific and nit-picky as you like, I'm not sensitive or very confident about my grammar so criticism can only help