Tuesday Visit

Summary: Shikamaru visits a convalescing Neji. Sequel to 'Is it Anxiety?' One-shot.

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are not mine.

A/N: Still taking a break from my other NejiShika fic.

Neji tried to turn his head to the other side but he simply couldn't. A stubborn throbbing pain from both sides of his head prohibited him from doing so. He was about to groan in pain when he sensed a person inside the room.

Slowly and unbearably painfully, Neji forced to open his tired eyes and automatically his brows furrowed in annoyance as white garishly-lighted milieu surrounded his vision. This time, Neji let out a moan.

"Hey." Neji, without hurry, knew to whom that voice belonged to. The Hyuuga turned his already strained neck to a familiar face.

"Hn."

"How are you?"

"Better." Neji replied without the usual sarcasm. Honestly, he felt better knowing that he's still breathing. But the person standing beside his bed raised a brow seeing his still rather dire condition.

"And you?" Neji inquired eyeing the slender form.

"Just broke a finger and minor bruises." Nara Shikamaru replied dryly as he raised his injured finger.

"How's the mission?" Neji asked as he helped himself to sit with his better arm. Shikamaru assisted him to a more comfortable position. Neji nodded his appreciation.

"Failure." Shikamaru succinctly replied.

Neji felt quite appalled by the outcome but nonetheless he knew those Sound nins weren't that easy. Somehow, he suddenly had this urge to know his other teammates' conditions.

"How are the others?"

Shikamaru shrugged, shifting his weight to another foot. "All of them are fine and out of danger. Kiba got this stab on his side while Akamaru had some fractured bones. All minor though. Chouji's relatively stable now although the two of you were the ones who were injured badly

"Naruto's okay though I think he's the most affected with Sasuke's sudden departure. I heard they still fought before Sasuke managed to get away."

Neji digested every word the young Chuunin said and let out a sigh. Everything was not going according to plan. Sasuke abandoning Konoha, team mates almost died, what more could you ask for?

"What did the Hokage-sama say about the failed mission?"

"Oh that." Shikamaru drawled. He turned his face away from those prying transparent eyes which often reminded him of clouds and a sullen yet pretty pale face. Damn, he doesn't want it to happen again. Why did Neji bring that up? In an instant, those grisly flashbacks a few days ago played in his mind. Images of two of his team mates fighting against death… him waiting outside the ER with Temari… his father harshly reproaching him for being a fucking coward….

"She rants like my mom." Shikamaru replied still looking away. "She said there was nothing we could do for the time since the mission fai—" But the words were already stuck in Shikamaru's throat as his breathing began to hitch, his shoulders starting to tremble.

Neji assessed the situation thinking Shikamaru was hyperventilating from exhaustion. Even a tired eye can detect the gloomy and worried expression the Chuunin was wearing. Then he blinked. For the most seldom causes he could elaborate, Neji made a small genuine smile as he reached out for Shikamaru's hand and pulled him closer towards the bed.

"Shika…."

"What?" The Nara teen replied irritably upon his embarrassing condition. He let himself be pulled towards the bed.

"Hey," Neji tried to cheer him up. "I dated you because I thought you were tougher than me when it comes to this. Stop it, you're such a crybaby."

"Who says I'm crying?" Shikamaru suppressed a sniff as he harshly wiped forming tears away from his eyes.

Neji's smile only widened with that answer, dammit his dry lips prevented him from plastering that smile on his face. "Come here." The Hyuuga pulled again on Shikamaru's hand, slightly forcing the Chuunin to sit by the bed. Knowing the lazy nin's tendency to be stubborn, Neji released Shikamaru's hand and reached for the Chuunin's nape to pull him down with him onto the bed. Neji cringed as his other shoulder shot him a pang of sudden pain that somehow quickly subsided.

Shikamaru let out a sniff as he placed his head on the crook of Nej's neck. He was now lying beside his lover on the hospital bed. God, how ridiculous did he look.

"How many days have Chouji and I been unconscious and bedridden?" Neji asked as he started massaging Shikamaru's tensed muscles around his nape and shoulder.

"Five days." Shikamaru whispered. He felt Neji's slender fingers slightly harden its pressure on his nape. Neji automatically knew he didn't get any sleep between those gruesome days.

"Then go to sleep." Neji softly rebuked him. He felt Shikamaru's other hand curl across his torso towards his waist, forming a rather awkward embrace.

"How's your arm?"

"Shut up, Nara and get some rest." Neji countered. He turned his head and gently placed a kiss on Shikamaru's forehead.

"What if someone walks in on us like this?" Shikamaru asked again as he kept his strained eyes closed. Neji was warm, just the way he remembered him.

"Then let them see us like this." Neji replied as he closed his eyes.

"Neji?"

"What?" Shikamaru could already hear the irritation in his lover's voice.

"You owe me three days of sex nonstop, you know that?" Shikamaru asked ever so casually as if he was just asking for the time.

Neji fought the urge to jab Shikamaru and at the same time wanted to groan in despair upon hearing his 'debt.' He knew his boyfriend wouldn't let him a day's peace unless they settled it.

"Shut up." Neji retorted but with another smile forming on his lips.

END

A/N: Review? Thanks. I'll resume Engagement Trouble this November. Update will be on the first week. Have a nice day because I'm having a great time sleeping; it's our sem break! Wo-hoo! XD