Thanks everybody for the lovely reviews This story should be about 6 chapters long and most of it is already written out and just needs some editing and fine tuning
Chapter Two
Yoshino Nara had fought hard to get her son to wear a proper outfit for his first Omiai. It had been a struggle but her boy was wearing a dark green Haori with the Nara crest on the back, a plain white Hakama underneath and black trousers. He really did look the part of a Clan heir all dressed up like this. Handsome too, if but for his eternal slouch that she kept on hitting him in the back for so he would straighten up for god's sake.
Shikamaru was indifferent to the whole Omiai thing and had no intention to actually go through with anything if he was honest. Omiais were kind of a formality amongst the bigger clans and while he couldn't care less about what other people thought of him if he straight out refused any Omiais, his mother would be embarrassed on his part and make a whole big thing out of it all.
So the easiest thing to do was tag along, exchange the necessary pleasantries with whomever he was supposed to meet and then politely say "No, thank you." once it was all said and done.
The stuffy clothes were annoying, having to get up before noon was annoying and having to pretend to be happy to see someone he'd never met was the most annoying thing of all. But he'd play the game, do the absolute minimum he could get away with and go back to bed straight after.
The one thing he had not calculated in was running into a certain someone on the way.
Hinata was chatting happily walking next to her cousin, a paper bag filled with groceries that she must have bought at the market in her hand, oblivious to her classmate's presence.
Neji's light eyes bored into his the moment he spotted him. Shikamaru knew that Neji must have assumed straight away that he was on the way to an Omiai - there wasn't really any reason for the boy and his parents to be dressed in their best clothes on a regular day. What Shikamaru hadn't anticipated was the opaque eyes widening in what seemed to be surprise, then abruptly avert their gaze and avoid him.
He had a sudden impulse to go over to his…friend (?) but he was ushered along by his parents. Besides, what would he say?
'It's not what it looks like'?
'This doesn't mean anything to me'?
He didn't even know if Neji liked him at all. The odds were certainly against him. Neji, proper Neji with his noble upbringing and knack for etiquette and crazy ambition would surely want a partner with similar views on these things. In fact, his Clan would choose a husband for him and that would be that. And Shikamaru, though not too humble to admit that he was an asset to the village and good at what he did, was probably not what the holier-than-though Hyuugas would seem suitable. Plus, Neji had made it very clear that he could not even go on a date with anyone due to his Clan's rules, even if he would have been prepared to let Shikamaru take him out for dinner or something. He had let him down kindly and had then proceeded to ignore Shikamaru since then so surely, in Neji's eyes the matter was over and done with.
But then why that reaction from Neji? And why did this feeling of dread resonate within himself so strongly, spreading in his chest like wildfire?
The Omiai didn't go very well after that. Shikamaru didn't feel like talking to the poor girl and didn't even make the effort to remember her name. She'd been nice enough, pretty but not flashy and of a quiet nature that Shikamaru may have even appreciated in a better mood.
But all he could think of where the white eyes that had avoided him.
To say that Neji was unpopular with the main house was an understatement.
They actively loathed his very existence.
To say that he didn't understand why would have been a lie.
Mostly it was because he had openly rebelled during the Chunin exams and openly attacked Hinata to the point that a referee had to stop the fight. It wasn't only the attack itself. He had said too much, made his anger towards his clan publicly known. And it was not his place to criticize. As a branch member, he was barely more than a servant within his clan. And the only reason why he hadn't suffered fatal consequences for this level of disrespect was because of his uncle. It was only thanks to his direct relation to Hyuuga Hiashi, his own young age and his uncles' guilt over his father's death that he was still alive.
Hiashi had promised the clan elders that he would personally see to it that Neji become more obedient and never dishonour the clan ever again. And Neji, after a stern lecture from his uncle had accepted his fate. The fact that some of the clan elders had ambushed him and activated his seal until he passed out from the pain may have also had something to do with it.
Having the seal sear your brain was the worst kind of pain. Nothing else compared to it. No wound that had ever been inflicted on him - not even the horrendous, scarring flesh wounds Kidomarou had caused- had been as unbearable as the seal being activated. It was as if his skull was cracking open, as if his brain was on fire… as if his eyes were about to burst out of their sockets.
The next day he had been alive but more miserable than ever before. The pain in his head lingered on for another two days, a dull throbbing that reminded him of his place in life. Even his wounded pride could not sting with the same ferocity.
He had accepted his fate.
He knew what was expected of him and what was coming. It was nothing new.
But the thought of his first Omiai was making his stomach churn. His uncle hadn't even mentioned who he was meeting, only that there was to be an Omiai the day after tomorrow and that he make sure his best Kimono was pressed and presentable until then.
So he had gone and brought his ceremonial outfit to the clan's preferred launderer, handed over the garments to be cleaned and pressed and turned to make his way back home. He felt strange. As if handing over the garments had somehow meant he was giving up something. An Omiai did not automatically mean that there was going to be an engagement but still… he felt… apprehensive? What if his uncle decided that his first Omiai was also going to be his last and found whatever suitor he'd invited suitable enough for his nephew?
He thought left him cold. Empty. Sad.
If his father had been born only minutes earlier he would not have to worry so much. He would have had more of a say. His opinion would have been valued more and he would not feel as if one word spoken by his uncle could destroy the rest of his life.
He wouldn't feel so helpless.
He wouldn't feel so worthless.
Neji forced himself to keep his face impassive and emotionless but he could feel the emotions simmer hotly under the surface. Things could have been so different.
"You have to be quick now, Nii-san, there's only an hour before your Omiai." were Hinata's kind words that woke him late the next morning. Neji threw his hands to his face in desperation. That damn Omiai. God, he hated this all so much.
He took a deep breath and steeled himself. If he was going to do this, he was going to appear strong and proud. He would not crumble.
"Hinata-sama, would you go to the cleaners to get my clothes for me? I need to take a bath."
The Omiai was very traditional. Hiashi as Neji's closest relative was present in his fathers' stead. An odd constellation that perhaps portrayed a closer bond between them then there really was. Neji would probably preferred for him not to be there but of course tradition demanded the father -or substitute- to be present and make the final decision on whether the Neji and the guest would be a good match. It was very strange and if he was honest with himself - completely terrifying to have a man who barely knew him on a personal level decide his fate in this manner.
Their guest were a bureaucrat from the Daimyo's court and his son. The similarities between them were striking; both had thin, haggard looking faces with thin dirty blond hair and the same sly eyes that regarded Neji so intently that he was forced to supress a shiver down his spine.
This type of person he would normally do just about anything to avoid, if not openly scorn them. Neji considered himself fairly good at reading other people and this boy was certainly not one he wanted to get any closer to then he was currently forced to be. Conniving schemers as long as things went well, snivelling cowards when threatened in the slightest. Neji could see in the boy's eyes that he was less interested in Neji prowess as a Shinobi or his intellect but rather saw him as a trophy he could show of to his friends. 'Look, I get myself a Hyuuga!'
The thought made Neji simultaneously raging with anger and sick to his stomach.
Surely, his uncle would not be so eager to get rid of him that he would just hand him over to the first snivelling idiot who came knocking?
Neji couldn't really tell what his uncles intensions were, his face an impenetrable marble surface which didn't give away a hint of emotion. As head of the Clan, Hiashi asked the necessary questions one was supposed to ask a suitor (Age, occupation, future plans) and Neji became increasingly worried. Yes, on paper the boy's status was impressive enough, if only there wasn't this certainty in Neji that his position was bought or inherited, rather than honestly deserved. He was wealthy, ambitious and of a good family.
If only Neji wasn't so completely and utterly disgusted by him.
"I think it is time we let your son and my nephew exchange a few words in private." Hiashi said after all the questions has been sufficiently answered. It was tradition to give the young suitor just a few unsupervised minutes so they could ask some questions of their own and get to know each other. Neji nearly longed to cling onto Hiashi's Yukata and be dragged away with him but embrarassing the head of clan in front of visitors surely would not help his case so he quickly dispersed his childish longing and stayed seated just where he was as his uncle and the boy's father left the room.
As soon as the door slid shut and two gleeful eyes fixated on him he wished he'd found some sort of excuse.
"So…. A branch member, huh?" asked the boy, a large grin on his face and his posture suddenly slumped with his elbows on the low table. Neji remained kneeling upright.
"Indeed."
"Now, now, no need to be so cold. Everyone knows that Hyuuga branch members are basically just servants. So no need to act all high and mighty."
The boy reached out to touch his hair but Neji moved backwards just enough to stay out of reach.
The boy was on his feet in seconds, rounding the table to get closer to him. Neji tensed but did not move.
"The truth is that your uncle wants to be rid of you. You're causing him too much trouble. You don't know your place."
A hand reached out to touch Neji again, this time less gently, but looking to tangle in his hair. The Hyuuga was on his feet now, too.
"Don't touch me." He hissed, standing defensively.
"You need a husband who can control you." The boy spat, ignoring Neji's words and reaching for him again. He was no shinobi though and had no chance of touching the other boy. Neji was fast.
"You think I can't." he stated, staring at Neji as if to try and read his mind. "You think that because I'm not a shinobi, I can't control you. But you haven't taken into account that the curse seal can be adapted."
"You're lying."
"I can assure you I'm not. You're not the first Hyuuga branch member to marry into my family. Do you think we'd accept you unless we had control over the seal?"
Neji's stomach sank.
"You're surprisingly naïve." laughed the boy, once more coming closer, forcing Neji to circle to low table.
"Now how about you do something nice for me and then I might be inclined to treat you nicely in return?"
His hand quickly made to work on his Hakama, loosening the string in the front.
For a moment Neji was too shocked to say anything. The impudence of this boy asking such thing of him in his own house and their Omiai nonetheless just stunned him for a moment.
He wasn't quite sure whether he wanted to cry or rage but the boy tried to grab him again so he fluidly moved out of the way of his hands and without any further words, opened the sliding door to the garden and disappeared like a ghost.
They boy had just a moment that straighten his clothes before Hiashi followed by his father stepped back into the room. Hiashi did not inquire as to his nephew's whereabouts and just raised his eyebrow slightly at the open door.
"What do you think, son?" Asked the bureaucrat at his son's gleeful expression.
"I think I relish the challenge, father."
Once the esteemed visitors had left, Neji made it clear to his uncle in no uncertain terms that he would never meet that boy again. Hiashi listened silently quietly to Neji's tirade and admitted that perhaps a more suitable candidate could be found.
An honest man, preferably one with a backbone, that's all Neji wanted. Neji bitterly thought of a certain young man with warm brown eyes, fierce intellect and that pleasant calm demeanour. He promised himself that he would not accept a horrid man-child like the one he was just forced to meet. He wouldn't give in to the pressure of someone like that. He wouldn't.
Hiroto-sama suddenly took more of an interest in him and would appear out of nowhere whenever Neji could not avoid the Clan by hiding in his room. When they were eating - the branch house sitting separated from the main house- he could feel eyes on him, watching him eat. Neji pretended not to notice and would continue to eat in silence. When he was sparing with Hinata or Hanabi in the courtyard Hiroto-sama would look down onto them from the gallery, when they were working on target training in the wooded part behind the Hyuuga complex, he would walk past as if he had reason to be there. Neji knew that he was being followed but once Hinata picked up on it he knew Hiroto-sama had given up on appearing to be subtle altogether.
"It may just be my imagination…" Hinata began, carefully studying her cousin's expression. "But it seems to me that Hiroto-sama has been making an appearance more often recently…"
Neji sighed in defeat and finally told her about his recent indiscretion.
"Nii-San! That's not right, he cannot force you into….!" Her hands made a sweeping motion when she could not seem to find the right word to describe the situation.
"You know there's not much I can do.."
"But surely there must be a rule against behaviour like that."
"There is…for the main house" Neji admitted dejectedly. "The branch family is not officially included in this rule. And anyway, if I was to complain, it would be Hiroto-sama's word against mine. And you know that I would not win a dispute like that."
Hinata paused, her delicate features marred by an uncharacteristical frown.
"I understand Nii-San. I will try to think of something."
Hinata quickly turned out to be a most valuable ally. Pretending to take a sudden interest in the running of the Clan she managed to keep the main house members busy showing her their respective areas of responsibility in great detail. Coincidentally, the responsibilities of Hiroto-sama, which included the monitoring and enforcement of the Clan's internal rules, were of the greatest interest to the young heiress and she managed to redirect a lot of his time and attention to herself in the few weeks following her and Neji's conversation. Whenever Neji would pass by and Hiroto-sama's gaze began to stray towards him, Hinata would make up a flurry of questions to distract him. Being unable to deny the young mistress Hiroto-sama had to grit his teeth in a pretend smile and explain to her whatever she wanted to know.
Neji felt a newfound surge of affection for his cousin who had become his greatest confidant.
Even Hanabi, without having been confided in seemed to sense that something was going on and would help her cousin out by asking him to spar outside the complex whenever Hiroto-sama appeared to be anywhere near.
Another Omiai came and passed just when the cherry blossoms began to open in early spring. It was a boring affair with a quiet boy who was at least a year younger than Neji and seemed rather terrified of him. After the guests had left Neji and Hiashi just shared one glance that made it clear that neither had been very impressed by the young suitor.
And then there was Shikamaru.
Though Neji had resigned himself to not seeking out the Nara heir in private anymore they were still placed on missions together. And Neji could see why. Their respective skills just went perfectly together, each brining something to the battle that the other could not.
Shikamaru had not tried to approach him beyond mission-related matters but Neji could feel his eyes on him whenever his back was turned or he was concentrating on some task. Unlike Hiroto-sama, whose continued staring made Neji feel unsafe and sick to his stomach, Shikamaru's attention gave him a warm, welcome feeling that he savoured as much as possible. One time their fingers touched when the other man handed him a food ration pack and he had felt the pleasant tingle of Shikamaru's warm fingers for the next two hours.
He felt like a complete idiot for it.
Shikamaru flopped down on his bed in a graceless heap.
He had it bad for Neji, that much he knew. And it was the stupidest thing to do - falling in love with someone you couldn't have. "Why does it have to be him?" he asked into the emptiness of his room not expecting an answer. He didn't need one anyway. He liked Neji for a lot of things - his smarts, his strength, his passion, and this subtle sense of humour he had gotten to know over the last few months. The fact that Neji was ridiculously beautiful also didn't hurt of course.
'There must be something I can do.' Shikamaru thought gritting his teeth. The Hyuuga Clan was extremely strict, controlling the lives of it's' members tightly. But it was also an ancient Clan, older than most other Clans in existence and rumoured to be descended directly from Kaguya and her god-like descendants. Surely, in the centuries of it's' existence someone else had wanted to be released from the branch family and found a way?
'There must be a loophole somewhere.' He thought, wondering if Neji would take the chance to get out of the Clan if he could come up with an idea or whether the Clan hierarchies were stronger than whatever Neji felt for him.
He couldn't make the decision for Neji but maybe he could help him level the playing field so that Neji was at least able to make a decision at all. If he was rejected, he would take it like a man and get over it. But giving up outright... ?
Neji was worth trying for.