Moonlight and Shadows
Author's Note: A prompt from awayandlaughing for a Shika/Neji fic!
This is to help break down the giant wall between me and The Uncertainty of This Life so that I can get back to writing it again. I wouldn't mind other people sending in prompts either!
Not set in either of the two worlds I've built for From Then to Now and TUoTL
The first time Neji realizes that he honestly likes Nara Shikamaru, of all people, it is at one of Ino's parties. It is, in fact, her's and Shikamaru's eighteenth birthday party. The Nara has a long suffering look on his face as Ino hangs off his arm and the female is scolding him about something. Neji can't quite hear the younger woman over his teammates. Then, the Nara sighs loudly and shakes her off.
"Mendokuse... Fine, but don't expect me to stick around any longer than that. That's way too long of a time for me to be awake and aware when I could be sleeping," the Nara rasps out irritably. The younger man's eyebrows are deeply furrowed, his eyes narrowed, and barely discernible lines fan out from the corners of his eyes.
Neji has seen this sort of look on the Nara before, but only during missions. It's the Nara's 'I'm too tired to deal with this, but I'm doing it anyway so you had better be happy because it's not happening again' expression. Neji watches as the Nara stalks off grumbling to himself.
"Wow," TenTen says as Ino greets them with a smile. She shakes her head, "what's his problem? Isn't this supposed to be a celebration?"
Ino laughs, "He's just grumpy because I manipulated him into staying until two A.M.! With all the missions we've all been taking, none of us have had the time to spend any time together and after the twenty-fourth we'll be busy again. I figured that our shared birthday party was the best time to get everyone together to have some fun! Anyway, did you bring what I asked you to?"
The two women drift off and over to the rest of the giggling and laughing females and Neji shudders in sympathy for the Nara. Whatever they are planning for the other male cannot be good, and while he doesn't really know or care for the lazy man very much he has never had any ill wishes for Nara Shikamaru.
Neji doesn't see the Nara much after that. Ino has the younger male far too busy with games and other party related events for Neji to even get close enough to say anything more than happy birthday. It is only when Hinata, Nara Yoshino, and Chōji start bringing tray after tray after tray of food out to the blankets that have been set out under the trees, from which lanterns and ribbons were hung, that he sees the other man again. Shikamaru looks even more done with the proceedings then before, his face carefully blank so as to not upset Ino and everyone else.
Once the initial plates of food are cleared and set aside the Shinobi and Kunoichi begin to mingle or pair off for the rest of the night. There is soft music playing now and Neji sees Ino leaning against Kiba with a bright smile on her face as he wraps an arm around her waist. Hinata is shyly resting her head on Shino's shoulder, her arms looped around the Aburame's neck as they sway back and forth in the area meant for dancing.
Lee and TenTen are talking with Sakura and Kankuro(and absolutely no one had seen that particular couple coming. It had been a huge surprise when the Iryo-nin had introduced the Sand Shinobi as her boyfriend). Surprisingly, Sabaku no Temari is not here. Then again, perhaps not. She would never leave her brother, the Kazekage, by himself, after all. Naruto and Sasuke are, of course, arguing over something silly as always. Chōji is happily talking to Nara Yoshino about recipes.
But Nara Shikamaru is nowhere to be seen. At least, not without the Byakugan. A quick scan of the area gives him the location of the Nara almost immediately. He isn't too far from the party, but far enough away that it would take a non-Hyūga awhile to find him. Neji makes a snap decision that he will later look back on with a fondness that he would have never even thought existed within him if not for this moment. He leaves the party behind and follows after the Nara.
Shikamaru becomes aware of his tail when one of the few does in the clearing with him lifts her head and turns it back in the direction of the party. He sighs to himself. He's tired, damn it, and this party - that Ino had insisted on - is requiring more energy than he has to spend at the moment. After all the missions and consultations with the Hokage and the Council, he just wants some alone time. Is that really too much to ask for?
He turns to see Hyūga Neji, of all people(seriously, what the fuck...?), step into the clearing. The Hyūga doesn't immediately begin speaking. Instead, he sweeps pale eyes over the clearing and the surprisingly docile does. Then he lifts those opalescent eyes to Shikamaru and the Nara has to remind himself to breathe. He's never been the kind of person who cares about the way other people look and maybe it's the exhaustion talking, but Neji is exceptionally beautiful in the moonlight. Shikamaru doesn't say a word as he watches the Hyūga step further into the clearing from under his lashes.
Finally, Neji speaks, "I noticed that you were no longer at the party. Which is a pity, really. I was hoping to challenge you to a game of shōgi."
Shikamaru lifts one dark brow and chuckles huskily. "That's funny. I was about to set out my travel board to play by myself for a while. Though, I honestly can't turn down the chance to beat the famous Hyūga prodigy."
The Hyūga snorts, "We'll see, Nara."
Shikamaru can't help the smile that starts to lift a corner of his lips, "I guess we will."
When Neji first sees he Nara, right before stepping into the clearing, he doesn't expect to see the Nara standing in the middle of the clearing with his hair down and staring up at the sky. As the Nara turns, Neji can't help but think that the Nara looks like he belongs here and not just to this place, but to the the night itself. A being of shadows and silvery highlights not meant to be seen by normal eyes. He's never thought of the Nara as a potential partner before and he regrets that now as he takes in Shikamaru's lean features and yukata clad body. The younger man is undoubtedly handsome.
Rather than say what is on his mind at the moment, he says, "I noticed that you were no longer at the party. Which is a pity, really. I was hoping to challenge you to a game of shōgi."
He has to force himself to not respond to the undeniably sexy chuckle and look that the Nara gives him. He knows that the Nara is just being his normal self, but still...
"That's funny. I was about to set out my travel board to play by myself for a while. Though, I honestly can't turn down the chance to beat the famous Hyūga prodigy," the Nara says.
Neji snorts inelegantly, "We'll see, Nara."
When Shikamaru's lips begin to curl into a slight grin as he replies, "I guess we will", Neji wonders why it is that no one has ever noticed this man. Are they blind? Or is the Nara simply being more open in front of him than he is in front of others? Regardless, Neji settles down as Shikamaru sets the board and pulls out a scroll. The Nara gives him a curious look and Neji says, "It won't be much fun to get up in the middle of a game for snacks or drinks, so I brought some with me."
That gets him a lopsided grin and an actual laugh, rather than a chuckle, and Shikamaru says, "Planning on playing more than one game then?"
Neji smirks, "Of course. It wouldn't be fair to just play one game when we both know that it will be little more than feeling out the competition. I want a real challenge, Nara, and I intend to get one."
The fierce light that begins to shine in the Nara's dark eyes is the beginning of the end, Neji later realizes. They finish off the food and drinks that Neji had swiped from the party in the hours that they are playing shōgi and conversation comes easily despite their focus on the game. The sense of belonging grows stronger and Neji knows long before their last game is over that he will never be able to get the memory of Nara Shikamaru smiling bright and fierce out of his head. Nor will he ever be able to forget how the Nara looked as he was cast in moonlight and shadows.
It is the first of many midnight meetings, the first of what will eventually become something so much more. And when they finally says those three words, it is in that same clearing exactly three years later. And Neji still can't get over how much he prefers to watch his lover when he is cast in moonlight and shadows.