Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, otherwise ShikaNeji would be canon.

A/N: Canon says Kiba's birthday is in July 7, let's make it some chilly day in November, ok? Hehe ^^

Beta: SpyYoung is having some trouble to find enough time to beta this chapter, so I'm daring myself on publishing it without beta work: I truly apologize grammar, spelling and vocab mistakes and whatever errors you can find here, but it's been 20 days without updates and I really wanted to publish this chapter. I read it again and again looking for mistakes, but well I'm not a English native, so I hope you all understand! ^_^ I'll edit it as soon as Spy send me the beta-ed one!


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When Shadows Surround You

-x-

Chapter Three

Not releasing at all!

-x-

It was a cold morning; he noticed shivering under the blankets. The window was half open and the cool breeze was definitely announcing the chilly cold of autumn. Shikamaru had a lot of troubles to sleep, his mind was busy and every time he closed his eyes he could feel the heat of Neji's body closer to him than the other night.

He couldn't sleep thinking about what happened in the kitchen, and about their silent dinner - uncomfortable and odd -, remembering sit outside of the bathroom door, smoking and listening to the sound of the shower... Everything was so troublesome he didn't know how long he could stand it.

So, when he woke up and saw Neji watching him, he almost died in embarrassment. He shook his hands in his face, trying to kill that stupid feeling and looked back at the man sitting beside him with a small book in hands.

"What are you reading?"

"Haikus"

Both voices sounded uneasy. Neji's pajama shirt was half unbuttoned and Shikamaru hesitated, looking in a fast eye movement before hiding his face in the pillow again. What was up with him? The Jounin looked cool and fine with their bodies in the same futon, reading with his long silky hair dropping onto his strong chest.

It's yesterday's fault!

He needed to watch some clouds and blank his mind with the soft cotton forms. He could still feel yesterday's hypnotic gaze running at his face, stopping in his lips for seconds, not letting him go even when he wasn't grabbing his vests anymore.

It has been a while since he last felt like this, with his lazy body and turbid mind. He stood up and took off the t-shirt Neji borrowed him, exposing his almost naked body without concern; he needed to try himself to know he was still controlling it. Maybe it was because of the bond, yes they were intrinsically bonded, so it must be normal to feel attracted.

Passing his fingers in his messy hair and putting it up into a high ponytail, he could feel Neji's eyes in his back. He turned to confront it. The Hyuuga was still all relaxed with his fucking book climbing in his fingers, his eyes quiet in Shikamaru's tanned skin.

"You can sleep twenty more minutes if you want" he said.

"What time is it?"

"Five to seven"

Shikamaru snorted and sat down again, just in his boxers. He stretched his body on the futon, feeling the matted duvet in his back, and noticing that Neji's eyes were not in his body anymore, he was reading his stupid book again.

Maybe is not the bond… It's just my genius mind…

Closing his eyes, he listened the rustle of pages and smiled. He didn't know Neji liked haikus, who would have imagined that? Then the cold made him roll in the futon, curling in the blanket and skimming his bare arm in Neji's covered thigh. He froze and felt the other stay still.

Shikamaru grinned into the pillow. Well, the good part was that maybe like this he would be less preoccupied with the failed jutsu. It was like a game, like playing Shoji with his old man: you never know which pawn will appear in the other's turn. And it was stimulating.

After minutes of laziness both shinobi get dressed and ate something fast, going to their meeting with Hiashi. They were not talk active as last afternoon and the smooth feeling have washed away. When they got there, ten minutes earlier, the three men were already in the sparring dojo.

"Here they are" said the elder with a severe expression "The bonded kids!" he joked with a light scary smile.

God, I'm afraid now. Old man, where are you? Come back home and save your kid!

With a brief explanation all Hyūga activated their doujutsu, watching the chakra connection with interest. The elder was almost happy with what he was seeing and Shikamaru desired – for the first time in his life – to be a Hyūga, just to see what was so interesting.

"Wow…" the med-nin said "Exactly what you said, Hiashi-sama. I think it will be hard to break, but we can try to release it."

"Do you see anything else, father?" Hiashi asked politely and Shikamaru looked at the elder. So this man was Hyūga Hideki.

"This second chakra connection will give the boys a little trouble if they felt their hormones…" he said, almost laughing.

Shikamaru didn't understand, but made a mental note to ask Neji about this after.

"And how can we release the bond?" Shikamaru asked in a low tone.

"Chakra point pressure" said the med-nin.

"Which means…?"

Really, he was going to be upset with everybody knowing more than him about that bullshit.

"Using the Gentle Fist like acupuncture needles." The man explained.

"WHAT?" Neji winced, the statement sinking in.

"Neji, don't be childish"

"Sorry, Hideki-sama" he bowed.

"It's normal, you're a proud kid, but is what can be done. If you don't want to release it you don't need to do that." the old man said with a strange smile in his lips.

"And how can it be done?" Shikamaru asked and all men looked at him with a blank expression – in that case Neji was not blank at all, he was pissed.

"Gently pushing the chakra points" the med-nin informed.

"Ah, fine…" then he stared at the man "WHAT?"

Hideki laughed at him, and the other adults were controlling their expression.

Hell no!

"And where exactly are those points again?" he asked cautiously, trying to not close his eyes in a pain pout.

"In the perineum, in the base of your penis, and in your chest"

FUCK NO!

"And how will we do that?" he asked, his voice barely sounding.

"You will need a Hyūga that know the points and can see it with our kekkei genkai. It can be some med-nin as Hidori or even Neji, as he's your friend maybe you will prefer him to help you." Hideki explained.

"And Neji…?"

"He can take care of himself" Hiashi's voice sounded harsh, as he was punishing his own nephew.

Shikamaru tapped his forehead. Why was this happening to him? What he did wrong to deserve it?

"You have time to think about it, Nara boy, don't push yourself too much" Hideki said a little bit sadistic.

Neji was really pissed. He was feeling the world fall on his shoulders and pushing him down. His grandfather tapped his shoulder gently, as just in sad occasions he would do.

"Be strong, kid. Your father wouldn't do a storm in a teacup."

"Yes, grandfather. I apologize about my behavior"

And with that, the elder and the med-nin went out.

"Hiashi-sama?"

"Yes, Neji"

"I would be glad if Hanabi-sama doesn't know about this situation"

"She will not, I assure you, Neji" and then his eyes went warm "Is the last thing you need now. If you excuse me, Shikamaru, I have some paperwork to do"

He left and Shikamaru started laughing. It was so irrational he couldn't believe it was happening to them. He was shaking, nervous, his palms sweating and his temples in pain.

"We can threaten her about some help!" he joke, still laughing.

"How can you say that in a moment like this, Nara?" Neji's voice was hoarse and mad.

"If I don't I will have a stress attack" he explained, before suddenly stopping laughing, he allow his body to crash onto the tatami and closed his eyes. "I'm not used to be in such stress since the end of the war... It makes me feel sick."

Neji laid down too, side by side with the Chūnin. It wasn't easy for him either. In fact it was way too troublesome, his grandfather and uncle were pushing him, he could sense it, to see how professional and a good Byakugan user he could be. His mind was messy when he heard the footsteps and sat back.

"Hinata-sama, how was the mission?"

"Great… I- I just arrived" she said simple and watched Shikamaru open his eyes lazily "Hi, Shikamaru-kun"

"Hey Hinata, how's everything?"

"Fine" she said smiling "Are you coming after tomorrow night?"

"Where?" Neji asked fast.

"Kiba-kun's birthday party" she looked excited even with her shy eyes.

"Mah… I almost forgot it!" Shikamaru tapped his forehead and sighed at the Jounin "We are going, aren't we?"

"Why should I go?"

Hinata pouted sadly "Nii-san!"

"This boy is a pain in the ass… I don't even like him"

"Neji, we better go to the party" Nara announced, closing his eyes again "Unless you want a pissed Ino breaking into your house and punching us till bleed our lungs out…"

"Why would she do this?"

"She's already bought the present"

"And?"

"It's a team present, isn't it Shikamaru-kun?"

"Exactly, Hinata… And when Ino is upset, she can be worst then my mother."

Neji shivered and they went silent, till Hinata start setting some kunais in a shelf on the wall and Neji watched Nara's face, his full eyelashes, his lazy expression and his hands in fists. Shikamaru wasn't ok, he was stressed, Neji could sense it like energy between them, like a strong exchange of feelings.

Must be the chakra fusion…

"We will be there, Hinata-sama" he said softly and she smiled.

-x-

They spent the rest of the morning in a clearing at Nara's forest. Shikamaru introduced Neji to the herd of deer in a joking tone that couldn't hide his jitters. Then the chūnin lay down and watched the clouds passing by in the light blue sky. The Hyūga just sat near him, his back against the trunk of a three and activated his Byakugan, looking the surroundings, the soft movements of the forest, counting birds and thinking about their bond.

His gaze fell to Shikamaru's body, noticing all his chakra points shining lightly. He couldn't understand why their bond was stronger in those stupid spots, but he could see the light movement of energy inside the chūnin's body. It was moving lazily, calm, as nothing was wrong.

"Neji?"

"Hn…"

"Am I overreacting?"

He deactivated his doujutsu and watched Shikamaru's concerned expression, now with closed eyes as if he wanted to hide his messy thoughts.

"Don't think so…"

"Are you... okwith that?"

"I'm not good with intimacy, Nara, you know that"

He nodded, eyelashes moving smoothly without opening his lids.

"It's just… Troublesome"

"Yes it is... But... We can wait if you prefer, I think the release will be just some steps, so we can wait your father come back…"

"That stupid old man…"

Neji smiled. It was funny the way Shikamaru talked about his parents. Was nice to see how a normal parental relationship was, out of the Hyūga hierarchy...

He saw the sun in the middle of the sky, feeling the warm touch of it. November seemed a nice month, the autumn mixing the light heat and the smooth cold. Sun and breeze all together.

"We should go have lunch, the crazy woman will want to know about the development of our situation" the lazy man stood up, being followed by his bonded comrade "Just… Don't tell her about howto release the bond, it's too troublesome, ok?"

The lack of answer made him know that it was unnecessary to ask such an obvious thing.

Yoshino was setting the table, smiling at them and talking about some new gossip of the Nara clan. They sat together and started eating. It was nice, she was a really good mother, or it was the first impression Neji had.

"It's really good, Yoshino-san, thank you for the food" he said politely while eating his rice, chopsticks in hands and a calm expression.

"Thanks, Sweetie. You know, I always wanted to have more children, but Shikaku was too lazy to raise more than one…"

"Mom, don't start"

"Why? I'm happy that now I will have two baby boys during this days" she grinned, drinking her green tea "Neji if you need something just ask, ok?"

"Thank you"

"Mom, we're going to spend the night at Neji's these days"

"Why? I was planning some great food for dinner" she seemed upset.

"We're going to have dinner with Hinata, and after tomorrow its Kiba's birthday, we will be late and Neji want to escort his cousin home."

She looked less concerned and grinned again.

"Fine, but tomorrow you need to come back for lunch, ok? And send greetings to Hinata-chan, she's such a good girl..."

Neji smiled, Hinata always gave a good impression on mothers.

"Ah, mom, Neji has a kotatsu!" Shikamaru said happily "When are you going to set up our kotatsu again? It's been a while since we last use it…"

Neji frowned.

"Do you like kotatsus?" he asked a little bit curious.

"Of course, is warm and you can spend all day lazily"

"Ah"

Obvious...

"Lazy bones" the woman muttered "Let's see, when the winter is back we can set it up again. Now enjoy Neji's kotatsu while you can"

"Don't you like kotatsus, Neji?"

"I never used it in fact. Is there because I didn't change much in the house since I've moved in…"

Fuck, don't talk about things that can make him remember his father, genius!

But… if he didn't change it, it must be because he wanted to remember his childhood, isn't it?

Shikamaru observed the long haired man eat peacefully. He was almost happy, with those white eyes shining lightly and enjoying his food.

"Ah, you're father sent a message, Shikamaru!"

Both boys stared at her, impatiently.

"Eight nights and he will be back" she said, finishing her food and smiling happily "Dessert?"

-x-

Neji was sitting in the hallway, his haiku book in hands, reading with his back flat on the bathroom door, while Shikamaru took his shower. He was calm, it was a nice afternoon in the Nara's house, but after that they came back to his place; the chūnin brought some clothes in a small bag with him. After a cup of tea watching the dusk in the back porch they decided start to get ready for dinner with Hinata.

The lulling sound of the shower gave him a strange peace, while reading those old haikus and enjoying his moment, finally alone. They have counted steps through the huge bathroom and it worked ok, just like yesterday.

Yesterday…

He looked up the book, his gaze lost in the light of the lamp. Yesterday was weird, the stupid numbing feeling when he was looking at Shikamaru's lips, his tanned face, his strong jaw... It was ridiculous and inside his ribs he felt a stroking feeling. If Tokuma hadn't appeared he couldn't even imagine what could have happened, and it was odd! He never let himself be that ruleless... Normally things like this just happened with him when he wanted, when he was sure it wasn't going to create a huge problem and when he set up things on his own way.

But yesterday...

Yes, he was feeling nice with Shikamaru, they were fooling around like old friends after the event at Hiashi's house. They were comfortable with each other, smiling and joking. Teasing in a way he didn't remember the last time he did.

So maybe it was the bond.

Fucking bond...

And, of course, the stupid wicked grin in Tokuma's lips. That stupid brat, how could he read him so easily? It was an intense gaze, and Neji understood the meaning of that, it was like he was explaining to Neji what he was seeing inside him.

He shook his head and focused on his book again. It was even worst to think about last night.

He turned the page and started a new haiku, drinking the words in a fast move of his eyes. They would be late if Shikamaru didn't rush. Neji had already took his shower, his long wet hair was still dripping on his bare chest and back, his ordinary trousers were unbuttoned and he needed to wait the other man to go back to his room and finish dressing. Hinata would be there in any minute to start cooking dinner together.

He stretched his legs and stood up; preparing to knock the door and make the lazy ninja go out. But then...

"GOD!" he felt his gut and lungs crush painfully. In a lacking move he opened the door, stepped in without thinking and killed the distance that was torturing him. His eyes were cloudy but what he saw make him breathe heavily.

Shikamaru was all naked, his bare body outside the shower - which was still running water - one hand in his upper stomach, eyes shut in pain, his hair dripping on his face and neck, giving him a wild look that almost made Neji snort. There were some scars in his chest and abdomen and in his left thigh...

Shit!

Neji felt blush on his cheeks, heat all over his body, his eyes still sketching that bare torso and going down... Shikamaru had a great body, Neji knew that, he was a shinobi after all, but he was also a lazy bastard. Neji couldn't guess that he could have such defined lean muscles under his baggy clothes and it made him feel a strong pressure in his stomach, his mouth going dry and-

Stop looking!

So he lifted his eyes, looking at the chūnin's face and discovering that those midnight black irises hold a weird curiosity, and that his orbs were on his face, watching Neji travel across his body. When their gazes connected both of them went even more awkward and looked away with a bashful movement.

"Sorry" they muttered at the same time, surprise making their gazes meet again.

Neji's eyes were out of control and in a last sharp glance he watched Shikamaru take a towel and turn off the tap-shower. The Hyūga turned back and waited; his face almost blushing made him want to die.

"You stepped out of the line" he said in a husky tone, the double meaning in his voice making Shikamaru shiver unguided.

"Living and learning..." he muttered and followed the older man after dressing his boxers and trousers.

-x-

They ate in the kotatsu for Shikamaru's happiness and enjoyed the great food of Hinata's. She cooked damned good and Nara was happy in the warm blanket of the furniture; he was feeling nice and appreciating the chat with the girl about her last mission in Suna, helping Gaara and Temari with some medicine investigation.

"She said she misses you" Hinata told in a low tone, blushing in consequence "And Gaara is always talking about Naruto-kun and Konoha, they really appreciate him..."

Neji didn't say a word about it, but he was calm and eating slowly as he had missed Hinata's food. In a proud manifest he never pronounced a word about the kotatsu, after all he didn't want to take the plunge and say aloud how he was enjoying the warm and homelike feeling he was experiencing. Maybe because it caused him a strange sensation of nostalgia…

When Hinata left, the boys cleaned the kotatsu and the kitchen in silence. They were feeling odd since the bathroom thing...

Neji washed the dishes silently, while Shikamaru put the food in the fridge. It was annoying, he had hoped that after Hinata's visit they would be ok again, but he was wrong. The Hyūga was quiet, saving his thoughts and feelings for himself, not even his eyes made any kind of contact with Shikamaru's.

They decided in a silent nod to go sleep. It would be easier this way, to just turn off their minds and rest in the nice futon. After changing clothes they laid down side by side with a huge gap between their bodies and a tired sensation about keeping with that bullshit bond thing.

Shikamaru's mind was running fast in his brain, his huge IQ being stupid and doesn't letting him cut the flux of thoughts and just sleep. He needed that rest, and to forget about all the kinky situations that were happening to them since the fucking failed jutsu bonded their chakras together.

With all that mess in his brain, after almost an hour and a half chewing those facts he finally fell asleep. It wasn't a sleep without dreams that he could completely relax and turn off his mind, the whirl in his mind never stopping completely, but at least it was a little bit resting. Shikamaru was in a weird state of alert, listening the sounds of the night in the middle of his cloudy dreams about chakra bond and failed jutsus, when he heard a movement that wasn't Neji's.

He opened his eyes looking at the ajar door and listening the sound louder. In an instinctive move he sat fast on the bed and it woke Neji up, blinking slowly and looking at his comrade with a "what the hell" expression.

"Wha-"

Shikamaru leaned fast on Neji's body, his hand shutting him up. Their bodies were attached, giving the Hyūga a heavy pressure in his chest.

And we start again...

Nara's hips were pressing Neji's in the futon, his left elbow sinking in the pillow next his head and his hand preventing the Hyuuga not to talk. His right hand putting a finger on his own lips in a silent request of stillness. Neji frowned a brow and stared at the man. Why the hell was he on top of him?

And the silly thought of this obviousness made him felt his mouth go dry under Shikamaru's fingers.

Control yourself, for God's sake!

Shikamaru's gaze caught his and the urge in his eyes made Neji went very still. The house was quiet and he looked at the ceiling above Nara, asking Kami-sama for control. It wasn't like he was going to do something, but at least he wanted not to notice the smooth touch of their bodies, or Shikamaru's breath upon his face, or their tangled legs, or - please!- their hips pressed as their strong abdomens.

Nara leaned his head till be near Neji's neck - making their body contact even worst to stand - his lips skimmed the shell of Neji's ear and caused the older to shiver lightly in response of the touch:

"Someone's in the house..." he muttered, his voice even lower than the sound of the breeze outside.

Neji widened his eyes.

"Do you feel any chakra? I can't feel it but I heard something moving" the question made Neji feels really mad.

The Hyuuga couldn't even breathe, how could he feel any chakra?

Damn!

He breathed calm, trying to concentrate, but his concentration was way too messy. He couldn't stop his fucking brain, or his sensory neurons yelling that he was strongly pressed against the futon, trapped by Shikamaru's body.

It was ridiculous because they were at the compound, and it had a good team security, no one could enter in the clan unnoticed. He snorted impatiently, trying not to feel their approximation and trying to feel any trace of chakra - which he wasn't feeling at all, for his even madder realization.

Neji rose his hand and shoved Shikamaru's fingers off his mouth in an impatient movement. He skimmed two fingers on his lips and whispered in a rough voice:

"Byakugan"

Then all was black, white and grey. He saw Shikamaru's heart beating heavily, his chakra system in a weird revolution that stated his alert situation, then his eyes went through the door, widening his vision field, running by the hallway and getting in the living room. His peripheral vision noticed a movement close to the window and his body stiffened.

"What are you seeing?" Nara asked concerned, still on his top, now looking inside those doujutsu eyes.

Neji snorted loud, as he was really mad with the situation and Shikamaru widened his eyes wondering what the jounin was seeing.

"You're scaring me!" he hissed.

"It's Chibi" he said, quitting his Byakugan and looking upset at the chūnin above him.

"Chibi?" Shikamaru blinked.

"A cat" he explained unwillingly.

"Fuck..."

Shikamaru felt all the stress fly away from his body and dropped his weight on Neji's shape, relaxing and breathing exhausted on the curve of his neck.

What a pain!

Then, suddenly, he realized their situation without moving. He was leaning on Neji, their bodies tightly pressed, his lips almost touching the soft skin of the man's throat, his own hair dropping on the jounin's face, their hips contacting more than would be advisable and his right thigh between the Hyūga's legs.

Fuck!

His heart raced painfully in his chest and he shivered, feeling a weird pressure down his stomach. That wasn't good...

"Nara..." Neji started, his voice husky and pissed "Get. Off. Me."

Shikamaru turned so fast he went dizzy, then watched the ceiling feeling completely ashamed.

"Cat, uh?" he joked, hearing Neji's pissed breath "Who knew..."

"If you value your goddamn life you better shut the fuck up and sleep"

Shikamaru bite his lip, not knowing whether laugh or cry.

"Troublesome" he muttered turning to the opposite side and waiting for the dawn to come fast.

Neji sighed. Indeed it was a hugepain in the ass. He couldn't sleep even if all he wanted was just to forget about the fucking stupid situation Shikamaru drove them in. But a strange ache in his chest didn't want to let him relax or just close his eyes to the world and sleep a couple of hours:

How Shikamaru mistook an animal movement with a human one?

And that made him sink in a profound reflection. The Nara must be under a huge stress, mixing up a cat movement with someone breaking into the house in the middle of the night. Did he even fall asleep or he passed all night with his stubborn genius mind going around their fucking chakra fusion and every odd things that were happening to them because of said bond?

The thought made him went very still and he looked at the man beside him. Shikamaru's shoulder bone shrugged and his uneven breath came out harshly.

He should relax... Just sleep tight... Calm down his mind...

Neji moved his arm slowly, he didn't want Shikamaru to stare back or even notice his aim. And in a firm and fast move he pushed a spot between the chūnin skull and nape, pressing his fingertip on it, sending chakra to the small point, making Shikamaru faint instantaneously, relaxing all his body and making his breath pass easy and slow between his parted lips.

Shikamaru always looked so controlled, so sure of himself and his strategies, that the idea of a genius being affected like this because of their bond almost scared him, making Neji feel a strange concern in his chest. Maybe that mess was breaking the Nara's mental schemes... Maybe he was feeling a bit lost...

Shikamaru, what's happening to you?

Neji himself had accept that the situation was driving him crazy, that it was annoying him more than he could have expected, but Shikamaru was the Lazy Bones... Nothing would drive him nuts or make him lost his geniality since Asuma's death.

But then, again, it wasn't expected to have a chakra fusion in their lives. Who knew it would happen? It was impossible to be prepared for something like that crap. And down deep in his brain Neji was aware about every single thing that involved this kind of bond, he was a Hyūga, he used to study chakras and everything that involved it...

And because of this he was pissed with Shikamaru; the stupid chūnin had no fucking idea about a thing! He didn't even know what was the whole meaning of a Conception Vessel connection... He was pitiless, and at any moment Neji would need to sit and explain to him that it could messy their minds even more than it already did, but he didn't feel like he could do that yet...

He begged Kami-sama to bring Shikaku back fast from his mission and just dissolve their bond before it could piss their minds up even more... And make their bodies more and more disturbed...

Shikamaru, you don't have any idea about how troublesome it can become...

And with this strange mercy in his chest, Neji decided to make things work well and try to be friendly, because maybe they would need more then Shikaku's help to solve their problem. And just in case of that possibility, they at least could try to be friends or anything approaching it.

Neji looked at the sky through the window and watched the dawn come and the sun start to rise in the horizon in a peaceful way that lulled him to fell asleep again.

And then, everything was going to change between them…


-TBC-

A/N: Neji worried is so cute... well, I hope you excuse my mistakes. And today I'll beg for REVIEWS.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! leave me a review! it means a lot for me ;_;

Thank you VERY MUCH for everyone that have reviewed it! You made me jump with joy here! o/

Love, Love & Love

Tai xxxxxxxx

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