Title: Taming a Nara

Summary: Neji is superb in everything except one. Future!fic. ShikaNeji. Oneshot.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

A/N: Revised.


"So what happened when you fought the big bad guys, huh?" Nara asked with his big dark eyes that often reminded Neji of someone.

"Well, Konoha won and the peace reigned since then." Neji made the ending short, but cringed in response when the pleasant face of the listener scrunched to a magnified pout. Not even the long-haired nin could resist that look.

"Look, Nara." Neji emphasized the surname to make a point across. "I am not going to spoil you rotten—don't give me that mock gasping, eye-popping expression that won't certainly work with me, young man—unlike some other people out there just because I am the one left in the house to take care of you.

Really, Neji didn't mean to raise his voice towards the end. Seeing the the pinched face turn wobbly and ruddy, he quickly amended the situation. He did not want to face his wrath.

"You're mad?" The soft voice croaked.

Muttering about overprotective, spoiling idiots, Neji continued in a pacifying tone. "All right, I'll finish it properly. Naruto, the blond idiot, as you well know," Neji deigned to ignore the 'he's not an idiot' side comment, "faced his best friend Uchiha Sasuke, another idiot..."

"Wait! What happened to hero?"

Neji's brow ticked in annoyance. He was starting to feel a migraine coming, and swore to talk to someone after wringing his neck to death."Your hero went to fight another— "

"He's here!" The person stood and ran straight to the open corridor as Neji slowly rose from his seat, sighing gratefully. His storytelling task was finally over. For the day, at least.

"Daaaad!" The child turned to a corner, his long dark brown hair swishing left and right. Catching sight of his dad, he shrieked and rocketed towards the man.

"Hey, kiddo." Shikamaru chuckled heartily as he caught Nara Ameneki in mid jump as his son threw himself rather carelessly. His son giggled, and gave him a tight hug.

"How was your week?" The jounin asked as he repositioned his son in his arms for better leverage.

The sunny, welcoming smile turned to a little gloomy pout. "Well, father was not so keen on telling me your stories that I love." Shikamaru laughed in response while Neji gave a mock glare a few steps away. "I mean, who would tell a super duper shortcut version of that good story? Huh? Huh?"

Shikamaru couldn't stop as another bout of laughter gave way but a thunderous glare from the much older long-haired man quelled it too early. He placed Ameneki on the ground but not before pressing a kiss on his son's forehead. The pony-tailed nin gave a small push. "Off you go, Ame. Change clothes and I'll treat you and your hotheaded father out for lunch."

Neji and Shikamaru watched in amusement as their son gave a loud whoop, and ran manically towards the west wing of the house. Sooner than later, Neji would talk to Ameneki about the relationship between running and accidents.

The jounin walked towards Neji, a smug smirk on his face. Neji raised a brow in response.

"What's that for?"

Shikamaru gave him a long look.

Neji's brow raised a little higher then raised in hands in surrender. "For the love of Kami-sama, Shikamaru! You keep feeding Ameneki those kind of useless stories and I'll make sure your next mission will keep you away from home for a year or two."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at his husband's histrionics. "That glare won't work on me after what, ten years?" That only resulted to Neji glaring harder, and Shikamaru chuckling in return.

"Relax, Ame's just— "

"It's Ameneki, Nara."

"—a kid." Shikamaru finished. "Let him have all the fun of being one."

"I was not coddled this much. You're spoiling him beyond no return."

"And you're restricting his right as a kid. Let him be, Neji. We never got to experience that much back then, you know."

Neji huffed.

"Besides," Shikamaru murmured, pulling the other man against him and dropping a kiss on the corner of his lips. "The more exhausted our son gets for the day, the sooner he gets to bed tonight."

Neji snorted and pulled away. He walked towards the same wing Ameneki went, intent to check their son if he had wreaked havoc in his room just by finding the right clothes he wanted.

Shikamaru was grinning as he stood by watching his husband walk away. "Sounds like a good plan, right honey?"

The gray-eyed man glanced over his shoulder for a moment then continued towards the house. "Fine. You get him to bed at eight o'clock sharp. Don't be late, Shikamaru."

END