Warnings: Shounen ai
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Author's note: enjoy!

Chocolate, a sweet candy woman crave to either eat or receive and then eat. A treat both given and received on either Valentine's Day or White Day. A gift Ino Yamanaka had expected to receive on Valentine's Day.

Unfortunately for Ino, and both her friends Chouji Akimichi and Shikamaru Nara, she received none.

"Nobody loves me." Ino moaned with a sulky expression and eyes brimmed with tears.

Chouji patted her back and with a gentle smile and said: "I'm sure that's not true."

Ino let out an exaggerated sigh as she shook her head. "You don't know that. I didn't even get chocolate today."

"Troublesome woman."

Shikamaru watched Ino, unaffected as she sent him an annoyed glare. The young woman had been complaining and moaning about not being loved for over ten minutes now and the brown-haired male had decided he'd had enough. She was just posing anyway.

"If a man truly loves you, he gives you chocolates and flowers any other day of the year except this one. It's only for commercial purpose." He explained.

Someone who didn't know Shikamaru would think he was talking about the newly-born dog of the Inuzuka clan judging by his tone. His friends knew that this uninterested tone and lazy expression were normal for the brown-haired man though.

Ino frowned at her friend's view on Valentine's Day. "But isn't it the perfect opportunity to show each other that your feelings are genuine?" She asked.

She was a firm believer that days like this were the perfect opportunity to show your love to someone and wouldn't give that up without a fight of some sort.

"Is Neji all right with the two of you being separated on a day like this? He is kind of high-maintenance." She asked, surprising both her friends with the question since normally no-one dared to speak of Shikamaru's relationship with the Hyuuga.

Shikamaru looked at his blonde-haired friend and shrugged. "Nah, Neji is surprisingly relaxed about such things. Besides, we show we love each other on our anniversary. Once a year is plenty."

Chouji snickered at the down-to-earth answer of his friend. He hadn't expected him to say anything else. Ino had though.

"Once a year?!" Ino called out, sounding ridiculed and a bit shocked. She raised a hand to her cheek and, almost as an afterthought, added: "Poor Neji."

Shikamaru frowned and, suddenly finding himself interested in what Ino had to say for once, asked: "How so?"

A thing he never should've done.

"I'm home."

Shikamaru called out to his lover, who was nowhere in sight, as he kicked off his shoes in the hallway. He sauntered to the kitchen and filled the water-boiler and turned it on to make some tea.

After being lectured by Ino for over half an hour about relationship etiquettes and showing you love one another on a regular basis he fled the scene to the apartment he shared with Neji.

"Neji? I'm making tea, you want some?" He called out while he made his way to the small living-room.

After Ino's lecture he really wanted to sit on the couch with Neji and enjoy a cup of tea together.

Shikamaru frowned though when he hadn't received an answer yet after a minute or two. It wasn't like Neji not to answer and when he heard a loud thump from the bedroom he got worried.

Within seconds Shikamaru stood in front of the closed bed-room door and knocked it. "Neji?" He called out softly.

Everyone knew that Neji was a private person and didn't wish to be disturbed most of the time. Normally Shikamaru would be the only exception to that rule but this, he figured, wasn't a normal situation.

The chance that something was wrong with Neji was quite slim and with any other person Shikamaru wouldn't have bothered to find out. But this was Neji, this was his lover and he couldn't help being curious.

"I'm all right." Was Neji's reply, which sounded a bit muffled due to the closed door.

But in Shikamaru's opinion Neji sounded slightly stressed, almost as if he wanted Shikamaru to leave.

Shikamaru grabbed the doorknob. "I'm coming in." He called out and as Neji protested softly opened the door.

What he saw standing in the middle of the bedroom stunned him into complete silence and temporary shock.

Because damn Neji looked hot in a dress, no matter how creepy and perverted that was.

The yukata was almost sinfully short, the back barely covering Neji's perfect hips and firm behind. The grey contrasted beautifully against his skin and the dark-blue borders fell gracefully over an exposed shoulder.

Neji watched his lover with obvious nerves. He had a small blush on his cheeks, gently bit his lip and fidgeted with the end of the short yukata he wore.

He had known for some time that it was a fantasy of Shikamaru to see him dressed like this. And since the two of them never did anything romantic he thought perhaps today was the perfect opportunity to surprise his lover for a change.

But this wasn't the plan. Ino had promised to keep Shikamaru distracted at least an hour longer, giving Neji the opportunity to decorate the apartment. Obviously, she had failed.

But he dismissed that little fact and looked at Shikamaru, who still stood in the doorway. Neji smirked. He loved to make an impression on his lover and seeing him look like this almost made him gleeful.

With a small smirk playing on his lips he walked to his lover. When he stood in front of Shikamaru he brushed his cheek with the back of his hand, leaning forward to gently nip his earlobe.

"Surprise." He whispered in a husky voice. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Shikamaru, who was shaken from his thoughts as Neji's hand brushed his cheek, embraced Neji with a grin.

He leaned forward and right before their lips touched in their ultimate show of affection, whispered: "Happy Valentine's Day indeed."

The End