"Not at all," Shikamaru said, sidestepping to let the two Ki-nins into the room.
As a rule of thumb, Shikamaru never left mission scrolls or anything incriminating lying in plain sight when on a mission so he wasn't worried about that. What he was worried about was the fact that Neji was comatose on the bed and it didn't take a genius to put two and two together.
Tsukiakari must have gotten to him somehow but how…
"Are you alone?" one Ki-nin asked, his golden hoop earring flashing in the sunlight.
Shikamaru was about to speak up when Neji swept into the room, a regal air about him as if he was not bedridden just a few moments ago. It took everything Shikamaru had to not openly express his shock. He gave Neji a sweeping glance and noted that Neji looked fine for the most part if not a little pale.
"I'm his companion," Neji said with a tilt of his head, his voice clear and his stance firm. "Is there a particular reason you're here?"
The two Ki-nins were watching Neji closely, almost as if they were expecting him to collapse on the spot and that told Shikamaru everything he needed to know as the pieces fell into place. They knew that Neji (and by extension, he as well) was the infiltrator and they knew that Neji was the one poisoned. However, they couldn't do anything if Neji was obviously not poisoned.
Though of course Neji obviously was.
Truth to be told, Shikamaru was kind of waiting for Neji to give out as well. But the Hyuuga just stood there, tall and impassive, as he stared at them with a calm patience that Shikamaru wished he could revel in as well.
"We're looking for an infiltrator," Ninja Two said with a pointed look at Neji after exchanging a wry glance with Gold Hoop who was looking quite confused now.
"We're merchants," Neji replied, his haughty tone lending to the affronted annoyance that he was purporting. "We're merely here to trade. Is this the kind of treatment you give your guests? Is everyone who enters this country liable to be treated as a criminal suspect?"
The two shinobi were starting to look a little uncomfortable with the situation as they glanced at each other, wry and confused. Then Shikamaru suddenly remembered about the concoction. He subtly turned his head to right on the pretext of being fed up with the scene in order to strategize a way to get the Ki-nins out before they realised it but discovered that he didn't have to because the pot wasn't there anymore.
"Look, we're still really tired from the journey and we're evidently not infiltrators or whatever, so is it alright if you just leave?" Honestly, Shikamaru didn't even have to pretend to be annoyed.
The two Ki-nins exchanged one last helpless look before they curtly apologised and left, wishing the two a pleasant stay.
Shikamaru and Neji stayed still for a few moments as they heard the footsteps pad away. When it grew silent, Neji activated his Byakugan and continued monitoring them. Shikamaru didn't fail to notice the slight wince that came with the usage of the doujutsu.
When Neji deactivated his Byakugan, Shikamaru was there to steady him as he stumbled.
"Thanks," Neji breathed out though he still pushed Shikamaru away as he straightened himself.
Stupid Hyuuga pride.
Shikamaru grunted in response, watching under a veil of apathy as Neji made his way back to his bed slowly. Shikamaru sat down on his own bed and stared across the space at Neji who had his eyes closed, his breaths coming out even and slow.
"The clocking jutsu I get," Shikamaru said, tilting his head towards the invisible pot to show what he was talking about. "What I don't get is how you're not still debilitated."
Neji let out a low chuckle which was slightly laced with pain. "And let them incapacitate the both of us?"
"Hyuuga," Shikamaru said sternly.
"Manipulated my chakra flow," Neji replied offhanded as if it were no big deal. "I redirected the poison away from my vital organs for the time-being and then blocked the tenketsus so that they remained there."
"That's fucking dangerous," Shikamaru snarled, shocking even himself with the viciousness in his voice and too shocked to marvel at the chakra control Neji possessed to be able to do that. He lowered his voice. "You're not a medic-nin."
If Neji was shocked at the sudden outburst, he didn't show it. Instead, he gave an infinitely more infuriating reaction – he was eyeing Shikamaru evenly with unseeing eyes. Shikamaru didn't bother about many things but oh how he hated that look. Adults gave it to him all the time. His father gave it to him sometimes. The look that said that he was still a child and that he just didn't get it; that he was right there physically but he could never hope to reach them because he didn't understand. And if his father giving him that look had him raging, Neji giving him that look had him resisting the urge to punch the other man because the Jounin was only a year older than him dammit.
Only Asuma never looked at him in that manner.
"It was necessary," Neji said simply as he looked away from Shikamaru and activated his Byakugan again, going about unblocking his tenketsus as if it was the most natural thing on earth.
It must have hurt like hell but Neji didn't even cringe as the poison started flowing through his system again. The only thing that gave him away was the fact that he was again starting to look that pasty shade of pale. Things were silent for a moment as Shikamaru watched the Hyuuga who had his eyes tightly shut.
Then Neji started coughing up blood.
Anger dispersing like mist, Shikamaru immediately went over to his side, patting his back gently, eyes glued morbidly on the specks of red against the white blanket. He heard Neji swallow thickly and looked down at the Hyuuga. Neji had one hand over his chest while the other was curled tightly into the sheets. Again, Shikamaru couldn't help but think how any other person would be howling in pain.
"The medicine was a good call, Nara," Neji rasped out, somehow finding the energy to talk about something completely random yet still relevant.
The hell?
"Lie down," Shikamaru murmured instead, too lazy to roll his eyes. He wanted to reach out to help Neji but that damned Hyuuga pride would be in the way so the least troublesome thing to do was to just watch.
Without asking, Shikamaru placed the back of his hand over Neji's forehead and retracted it before the Hyuuga could complain.
"You still have a fever," Shikamaru announced.
He had suspected as much but he didn't know whether Neji's condition would be worse after that little stunt he pulled. Shikamaru saw the necessity in it but that didn't mean that he had to like it. His mind briefly conjured up an image from two years ago where Neji laid motionless in his own blood. He shook his head to clear his mind of it. Neji was right here, in front of him, and he had to do something. He could do something.
"I'll get you another bowl," was what he said eventually.
Since Neji was actually conscious this time around, the whole process took a whole lot longer. Naturally, the Hyuuga pride stood rigidly in the way of letting Shikamaru help Neji in any way, compassion be damned. So, in the end, the Nara settled for simply watching while the Hyuuga struggled to drink the medicine on his own. Once or twice, Neji almost dropped the bowl but of course it only looked that way and it wasn't as if he was really going to do so. Never mind the fact that Shikamaru had to literally reach out to straighten it once.
When Neji finally lied down and drifted off into a fitful sleep, Shikamaru started reconsidering everything he thought that he believed in, mainly his belief that women were troublesome creatures because Hyuuga Neji had just proven himself to be very capable at being troublesome as well. Not willing to dwell on the issue any further, Shikamaru sighed and started to tidy up the place.
The mission was, in essence, completed and they should be able to leave as soon as the poison lets up.
If the poison lets up, his analytic side pushed in harshly.
If it doesn't let up, it'd be only a matter of time before the Ki-nins come knocking again and Shikamaru doubted that Neji would be able to pull the same stunt twice. Okay, wait, scratch that. He had no doubt that the Jounin would be able to pull that same stupid stunt again, but he wasn't sure whether his body could take it.
Troublesome Hyuuga.
But even as he thought that Shikamaru couldn't help the worry that he was feeling. Ever since that image of the aftermath of Neji's battle with Kidoumaru his mind had conjured up, he had been feeling more jittery than usual, and he didn't like it one bit. It felt like something bad was going to happen. Of course he knew that he had to be rational but knowing that was one thing – having unbridled emotions interfered with that.
Sighing, Shikamaru collapsed onto the windowsill, blinking a few times when he realised that it was somehow night-time already. He thought about heading off to sleep when a soft groan caught his attention. He swiftly made his way over to Neji's bedside and checked over the Hyuuga.
Neji's brows were knitted together tightly and there were beads of sweat on his forehead. His skin shone deathly pale under the moonlight. This was bad. Shikamaru hurriedly prepared a damp cloth and a dried one. Again, he wiped away the sweat before placing the damp one onto Neji's forehead.
Idly, he brushed a stray mocha strand away, hand freezing when Neji muttered something. Realising that the Hyuuga was probably hallucinating or something and not actually calling him out on anything, Shikamaru relaxed a little as he pulled his hand away completely, not even thinking about his previous action.
Neji was mumbling something in his sleep and whatever it was that he was seeing in his sleep was obviously bad if the frown on his face was anything to go by.
"Damn you."
It was a soft whisper and barely audible but Shikamaru heard it. He also heard the pain and anguish infused into those words and a weird pulling feeling tugged at his heart. He ignored it.
"It's okay," he told Neji instead, reaching out to stroke the Jounin's arm slowly when he saw Neji's fists clenching the sheets so tightly it looked like his nails might rip clean through them. "Everything will be fine."
Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say because Neji's vicelike grip onto the sheets transferred onto his arm and Shikamaru could already feel the cessation of his blood circulation. There would be bruises.
"Liar."
Shikamaru opened his mouth but found that he didn't know what to say. His eyes drifted away from Neji's grip around his arm and travelled up to his face. What he saw made his breath catch.
Neji's eyes were clenched shut, moisture threatening to leak out from behind closed lids. His other hand was fisted into the sheets, almost as if he was attempting to prevent the tears from falling. Shikamaru watched the teardrops cling stubbornly to his lashes, refusing to fall.
"You always lie."
"I'm sorry."
Shikamaru didn't know on whose behalf he was apologising for but the apology didn't seem to mean a thing to the Hyuuga. Logically, Shikamaru knew that it was the poison and the fever that was making Neji delirious and vulnerable but he still felt like he was taking away something from Neji without the Jounin's permission and damn if he didn't feel guilty about it.
It felt a bit too much like he was taking away a part of Neji's protection.
"Liar."
Shikamaru didn't know what possessed him to do it but he reached up and brushed Neji's hair to the back, using the motion to comb through his locks gently and somehow this tender action caused the a single teardrop to fall, a silver line streaking down Neji's cheeks. Shikamaru brushed it away with his fingers, his hand lingering against Neji's skin for a minute longer before he pulled it away.
Neji seemed to settle down after that and Shikamaru concluded that the fever must have broken since Neji's skin didn't feel quite as hot to the touch anymore. He stayed by Neji's side for another hour to make sure that the fever really was gone. He only returned to his own bed when the sun started peaking over the mountains. Shikamaru told himself that it was only because Neji had been still holding on to him and there was no way he could break the grip.
Never mind that the grip around his wrist was looser than a stretched rubber band.
When Shikamaru awoke, the sun was hanging brightly in the sky, reminding him a little too much of Naruto and how much that idiot's presence was missed. The sun in Konoha just didn't shine the way it did when Naruto was around.
Shikamaru scoffed at the corny thought and rolled over, pulling the blanket over his head. It must have been his imagination but he swore that he felt fingertips against his back before he fell back into a peaceful and uninterrupted slumber.
The next time he rose, he felt hungrier than he had ever been in his life and that he understood his best friend even better than before. Groaning, he lifted himself off the bed and into the bathroom to wash up. When he came out and saw 14:00 flashing at him from the clock, he did a double take. There was no way in hell that Neji let him sleep in that late.
"Afternoon," Neji greeted in amusement, effectively drawing Shikamaru's attention away from the clock.
Shikamaru trudged over to the dining table and sat on the chair opposite from Neji. The Hyuuga was sipping tea and there was some rice and fish placed in front of Shikamaru.
"Eat."
Shikamaru wordlessly complied, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Hyuuga Neji had let him sleep in. Halfway through his meal, he finally spoke up.
"You let me sleep in."
"Well done, genius," Neji deadpanned.
And then he realised how healthy Neji looked.
"Hey! You're alright!"
Neji raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, keep up the good work."
Shikamaru groaned and buried his face into his hand that was propped up on the table. "I'm still trying to process the fact that you let me sleep in. Till 2pm."
"Oh really? And here I was thinking that you're actually still asleep and only pretending to be awake," Neji said, voice completely innocent.
Snarky bastard.
Shikamaru glared at him through half-lidded eyes. "You can't even stand people sleeping till noon."
"Take it as a show of appreciation for last night." Neji's voice tapered off softly and he pointedly looked away.
So this is Hyuuga Neji's way of thanking someone, Shikamaru thought with a small smile. Troublesome boy.
"You're welcome," he said with a smirk.
Neji just scoffed, still refusing to meet his gaze and Shikamaru couldn't help but think about Moonlight Temple again.
Why was it so easy for you to say thank you back at Moonlight Temple? What were you thanking me for?
A pause.
You're chasing a ghost, Nara.
Shikamaru glanced at Neji from under his lashes and tried to look at him, tried to really see him and for the first time he realised that he saw nothing beyond that polished matte.
"The mission is complete," Neji said softly, placing his teacup down. Shikamaru watched his movements carefully, noting that Neji really did seem to be fully recovered. "We should be able to head back by tomorrow earliest."
And then Shikamaru remembered what Mogi-san told him two days ago. He groaned.
"A festival."
Neji paused. If this were Ino, Shikamaru was sure she'd be squealing with uncontained glee and dancing all over the place by then, more likely than not spinning him around like a doll as well. She never did seem to bully Chouji as much. He couldn't stop the small tug at his lip but he didn't notice Neji's realisation of it.
"Pardon?"
"There's a festival. Tonight."
Neji looked at him blankly.
Shikamaru stared at him pointedly.
And then it clicked.
Neji sighed.
"I see. It's to douse any remaining suspicion right?"
Shikamaru nodded. "You might have fooled them yesterday but I'm pretty sure that they're still keeping an eye on us just in case. And we're merchants."
"So there's no way we'd miss the festival."
"Exactly. Plus you have to show them that you're not about to kick the bucket."
"Indeed."
"Show them that you're blazing alive with the power of youth."
"… You did not just say that."
"Gai-sensei would be proud of me."
Neji laughed, a gently calming sound, and Shikamaru didn't even realised how much he had missed it. It was gone as soon as it happened and Shikamaru found himself wanting to hear it again.
"Seriously, all I'm missing is that green spandex."
Neji did laugh again, more subdued than before but still amused. Shikamaru felt a warming sensation fill him at the sound.
Bloody weather.
It was nearing evening when Shikamaru pulled out the yukata that Tsunade had apparently specially ordered for him. He hadn't spared it a second glance after he had received it and this was the first time he was properly looing at it. The silk certainly felt comfortable against his skin. It was a plain midnight blue yukata with patterns of what appeared to be willow trees decorating the bottom of it. It was a little disconcerting to not see the Nara symbol on the back of the attire but that couldn't be helped.
Tying the final knot, Shikamaru let out a long sigh, lamenting how troublesome all these was as he turned around and promptly stopped talking when he saw Neji.
The Hyuuga was given a set of white yukata which Shikamaru had been sure wouldn't be too different from his usual white robes but he was sorely mistaken. The thread they used was a pure luminous white, which made the yukata look as if it had a soft glow around it. Patterns of red swirls decorated the yukata, a kaleidoscope of crimson.
Shikamaru realised that he was staring and hurriedly averted his eyes. Thankfully, Neji was too busy tying the obi to realise anything.
Neji and Shikamaru didn't really want to partake in the village's revelries and decided that actively observing was the way to go.
The two Konoha shinobi watched the dances at the city centre, enjoying the festivities but not really taking part in it. Neji rejected several girls' invitations for him to join them while Shikamaru laughed and teased him for being a heartbreaker. And then it was Neji's turn to smirk at Shikamaru's suffering as not one but two girls all but pulled him into a dance.
"You could have helped me," Shikamaru grumbled, victorious but looking disgruntled as he inspected the sleeve of his kimono. "They almost tore it off!"
"I could have," Neji agreed, nodding his head as if he was seriously considering it. "But then I wouldn't want to be a heartbreaker now, would I?"
Shikamaru stared at him in disbelief before shaking his head and scoffing. "Ass."
Neji just laughed at him.
They tried a few of the local delicacies but had to immediately dash off to a drinks stall after they ate a particularly spicy snack. Well, at least Neji thought that it was particularly spicy. Shikamaru was in tears by the time Neji finished his third drink.
"It wasn't even that spicy." He continued sniggering. The Hyuuga death glare was definitely not as effective when Neji's face was all red. "Stop glaring. You're practically red with anger."
And that sent the Nara into a whole new fit of laughter.
"I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself at my expense," Neji scoffed though he wasn't glaring anymore. He was more interested in getting the stupid burn on his tongue to stop.
"We all." Snigger. "Thought." Laugh out loud. "Ten- Tenten was exagge-" Chortle. "Exaggerating when she." Shikamaru started laughing all over again. Neji stared, unimpressed.
"When she said you turned all red." Shikamaru managed to finish before going into another round of laughter while Neji sigh in exasperation.
"Are you done?" Neji asked, lips pursing into a frown when Shikamaru finally wiped the last of his tears away.
"Not quite. I think I'll start laughing again very soon."
There was a twinkle of mirth in Shikamaru's eyes. Neji wanted to punch him but Shikamaru's eyes softened as he smiled at the Hyuuga, not teasing anymore, just contented.
"Wait here."
And then Shikamaru was gone in a flash, leaving Neji blinking in confusion but finding himself waiting patiently.
"Here." Shikamaru shoved a paper bowl into Neji's hands not a minute later.
Neji stared down – herring soba. Neji stared at Shikamaru instead. The shadow-nin scratched the back of his head with his free hand.
"It's your favourite, right? I tried getting a chilled one to help with the spiciness but they only serve it hot here. I figured this would make you happy either ways so..." Shikamaru trailed off, looking away and missing the gentle smile that graced Neji's lips for a split second before it was gone.
Neji took a bite and hummed to himself appreciatively. "It's delicious, Shikamaru."
Shikamaru turned back to him, a grin spreading over his face and suddenly filling Neji with inexplicable warmth which he attributed to the heat from the soup.
They found a wall to lean against while eating their soba as they watched the festivities unfold before them. Everyone looked so happy, without a care in the world as they smiled and danced the night away, unworried about what tomorrow will bring and only immersing themselves in the joy that was now. Shikamaru thought of the festivals in Konoha and how he never saw Neji at them, how Tenten would always complain about it but look resigned.
After disposing the empty bowls, Neji and Shikamaru mingled with the crowd again but Shikamaru had a better idea.
"Follow me," Shikamaru told Neji and the Hyuuga didn't think twice before complying.
They found themselves standing in the middle of a grass field, nothing but green surrounding them for miles all around. Shikamaru fell straight down onto the ground, comfortable as if he were in his own bed. Neji sat down next to him, legs folded gracefully beneath him.
Shikamaru turned his head so that he was facing the Hyuuga and was surprised to see the Hyuuga being so relaxed, a calm smile adorning his features. He looked as peaceful as he did back at Moonlight Temple, even more so actually, and Shikamaru had a sudden urge to remove his forehead protector because it was safe but doing so would certainly result in him receiving some form of near fatal injury. Neji wouldn't kill him.
With the moonlight accentuating Neji's sharp features and the tranquil expression he wore, Shikamaru thought that Neji looked beautiful. He could understand why Ino and Sakura would swoon over him at times when they weren't talking about Sasuke, much to Hinata's horror at hearing her cousin being talked about as if he were a piece of meat to be devoured. But Shikamaru didn't share Ino's and Sakura's exact thinking. Neji was beautiful. Simple as that.
He didn't dwell on the significance of that thought.
"This is a really good place to watch the clouds," Shikamaru commented, wanting to have a conversation with Neji just because.
"It is a good place for meditation too," Neji agreed, turning to look at Shikamaru and the Nara was enraptured for a moment by how much like clouds Neji's pale orbs looked. He wouldn't mind cloud gazing in those eyes forever.
With that thought, Shikamaru broke eye contact, wondering what the hell was going on with his brain. The conclusion came to him simply: the mission was going way too easily and his brain was restless.
"Asuma once brought us to a place just like this for training," Shikamaru said, turning the conversation away from clouds.
"In Konoha?" Neji asked, sounding genuinely curious. "I've never seen anything like this place before."
"Not in Konoha," Shikamaru clarified. "We were on a mission in the Country of Waves and Asuma thought that that place would make a great training spot."
"Well, he wasn't wrong," Neji said, almost sounding eager.
"You can't seriously be thinking about training now," Shikamaru said, only slightly appalled as he inwardly cursed himself for bring up the word 'training'. Of course the Hyuuga was serious.
Neji activated his Byakugan, scanning the area before deactivating it and turning back to Shikamaru with a smug look that indicated exactly what Shikamaru didn't want to know.
"We're clear," Neji announced anyway and Shikamaru swore there was glee in the Hyuuga's voice. Well, at least Neji and Gai had something in common.
"I'm not going to do anything," Shikamaru declared though he did make an effort to sit up. "I'm going to be a passive observer. Passive."
"I don't need you to be anything else," Neji replied, already getting to his feet.
He took a few steps away from Shikamaru and slid into the stance for the Juuken. Neji inhaled deeply before going through the precise actions of the kata. Shikamaru watched, captivated by the scene before him. He had seen many taijutsu experts and even a few Hyuugas go through kata as well but he had never seen anyone move as Neji did.
While the shinobi he had observed were strong individuals who delivered each blow with strength and force, the effort always showed. Neji didn't even look like he expending any effort as he flowed from one move to the next, the transition flawless and neat with no pauses in between. The Jounin looked like he was dancing more than fighting but that only made him all the more deadly because Shikamaru knew that it would only take one strike of Neji's palm to kill.
When Neji finished going through the routine, Shikamaru nodded in approval.
"I've never seen anything like this before," Shikamaru praised to which Neji scoffed lightly.
"That was but basic warm-up," Neji answered, not haughtily because that was what he really believed. "What I would really like right now is a sword."
"A sword?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Kenjutsu. You know kenjutsu?"
Neji nodded lightly with a shrug, somewhat embarrassed.
"Damn, Hyuuga, what can you not do?" Shikamaru joked.
"Many things," Neji replied simply but there was something off in his tone that Shikamaru wanted to dispel.
The Nara's eyes drifted over to the hair band holding Neji's hair up and an idea struck him.
"Asuma's actually pretty skilled in kenjutsu you know, what with being a Guardian Ninja and all," Shikamaru started casually, fixing Neji with a disarming look. "He once used nothing but a rope to slaughter our enemies. He used to boast about it all the time. I called bull on it and then he went on to disprove my claim. Let me be clear here: he did not strangle them."
"Asuma-sensei really is a talented shinobi," Neji said in a tone of truthful admiration, making Shikamaru smile.
"Yeah, he is," Shikamaru said, pleased but continuing with his plot. "Since he's a jounin and all."
Neji raised an eyebrow. He was apparently already catching on to what Shikamaru was doing. The Nara simply smirked.
"But of course I get that not everyone can do that," Shikamaru conceded with a shrug. "Kenjutsu is hard enough as it is even with a proper sword."
"Are you challenging me, Nara?" The hint of amusement in Neji's voice did not go unnoticed.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Hyuuga," Shikamaru replied innocently before his tone took a dive. "But I'm sure it'd be hard for you."
"You are such a pain," Neji said with laughter in his voice.
"Your pride is such a pain," Shikamaru retorted lightly.
"I'll show you what my pride can do."
Neji slipped off the band holding his hair together, his mocha tresses falling forward and framing his face. With a sharp flick of his wrist, the band sliced through the air, sending a rush of wind towards Shikamaru. Having tested the strength of the band, Neji launched into action straight after that.
From the first few moves, Shikamaru already realised that Neji was no novice at kenjutsu. His moves were as smooth and precise as when he was going through the kata for taijutsu. But that was to be expected. Shikamaru had always heard Asuma say how handling a sword was easy as long as he treated it as simply an extension of his body. Shikamaru had gotten the theory but had never grasped the practical aspect of it. But now, looking at Neji, he felt that he might have just understood it a little better.
Neji handled the band was as if it were a part of him. As with his Juuken, when he struck left, the impact from the force of the band would cause a gust of wind to rush in that direction. A soft breeze floated over to them as well, stirring the sleeping dandelions and soon the entire grassland came alive with white petals flurrying through the air.
But Neji didn't stop his movements. Instead, he moved along with the floating dandelions. With each flick of his wrist, the petals swayed in another direction and with each strike, the flowers parted and danced away. Shikamaru was captivated by the swirls of white and red. Not one petal landed on Neji and he was completely unscathed as he came to a halt, the dandelions falling around him to the ground.
"Wow," Shikamaru breathed out, unaware that he had been holding his breath as he watched the Hyuuga.
Neji looked away but Shikamaru could swear that he saw a pleased smile on the Hyuuga's face. Somehow, that made him smile too.
"You're a really talented shinobi too, Neji," Shikamaru said earnestly and Neji did look at him then.
"You are too, Nara," Neji's lips curved into a smirk, "when you aren't busy being lazy."
"The world has to be fair somehow," Shikamaru responded, throwing the Hyuuga's words from a few years ago back at him.
Neji's eyes widened. "You remember…"
"How can I forget?"
"I'm sorry."
"What for?" Neji tilted his head to the side. His tone wasn't sarcastic; he sounded genuinely interested.
"For almost getting you killed."
"Hn. I should be thanking you for not letting me get killed."
Shikamaru's eyes widened in surprise.
"I was in charge. I should have done better. I-"
"It was your first mission as a Chuunin and it was practically an S-ranked one which obviously required a Jounin."
"Yeah but-"
"And we all agreed to stay behind; we were prepared to sacrifice one person for each enemy. It was a team decision, not yours alone."
"Still, I-"
"And luckily, you failed."
Shikamaru couldn't believe what he was hearing. Luckily you failed?!
His genius brain wasn't functioning quite so well.
"What?"
"If not, then the world would really be too unfair, don't you think?"
Shikamaru shook his head in disbelief.
"You're really something else, you know that?"
Shikamaru laughed, shaking his head as that memory played itself in his mind. "You really are something else, Neji."
"And exactly what is that?" Neji asked, humour and slight curiosity laced in his voice as he sat down opposite Shikamaru.
Perfect.
"I'll let you know when I figure it out."
Neji laughed, a beautiful sound in the night air, chasing the darkness away.
"How did you get so good at kenjutsu anyway?" Shikamaru asked, genuinely interested. Konoha didn't have that many shinobi who were trained in that area and there were certainly even fewer who decided to teach others. As far as he knew, Gai didn't have experience in that area.
"I learnt all my clan secret techniques by observing, Shikamaru," Neji reminded gently. He didn't sound proud of that fact. If anything, there was a tinge of regrets in those words. But as with anything that Shikamaru didn't have a hope of understanding, he avoided it. Or he ran away.
"You're really a genius, alright," Shikamaru repeated his exact words from back at Moonlight Temple, a neutral observation and a subtle retreat from potential dangerous territory.
For a moment, Shikamaru thought that Neji knew what he was doing because of the sad smile the Hyuuga shot his way but it disappeared so fast that Shikamaru couldn't be sure that he actually saw it. But Neji had always been adept at hiding his feelings. If Shikamaru managed to even catch a glimpse of something that said otherwise, shouldn't that be confirmation enough that something was wrong?
Troublesome road right there, his brain chided.
All subsequent thoughts flew out of his brain the moment he looked up and met Neji's opalescent orbs. It was like something within him snapped, probably his sanity. Because there was no logical explanation for what he did next – Shikamaru leaned forward, closing the distance between him and Neji, pressing his lips against the Hyuuga's frozen ones.
When it seemed that Neji was about to pull away, Shikamaru moved a hand to the back of Neji's head, threading his fingers through silky mocha locks, deepening the kiss. His tongue slid into the Hyuuga's mouth when Neji let out a gasp. Neji wasn't passive either, his own tongue sliding against Shikamaru's, causing the Nara to moan and wrap his other arm around Neji's waist, pulling the Hyuuga closer. Shikamaru pulled back a little, sucking on Neji's lower lip as the other moaned softly into his mouth.
Shikamaru's mind was a blank; the only thing being registered was how good and right it felt kissing Neji. The Hyuuga didn't seem to have any objections to what they were doing either.
It was only the rustle of the grass when the wind blew past that caused them to pull apart, both panting and feeling increasingly horrified as what they did dawned on them.
"Nothing happened," Shikamaru said at the same time Neji said, "We didn't do anything."
Their eyes met for a while before they both hurriedly look away. Shikamaru did not understand why the heck his face was feeling so heated. A quick glance at Neji told him that the Hyuuga wasn't faring much better either.
"Nothing." Neji spoke up after a while.
"We should go back," Shikamaru said and Neji nodded immediately.
They spent the trip back to the inn in awkward silence, the previous comfort they found in the silence of each other's company lost. Shikamaru thought it a pity but he couldn't just put the fact that they kis- no, nothing happened.
They were planning to leave the next day and were going about their own packing quietly, having come to a silent pact to refuse acknowledging each other. Shikamaru did his best to keep his thoughts away from what had transpired between the two of them by reviewing the mission thus far. It didn't matter that he had already completed most of the mission report while Neji had been incapacitated.
It was only when he was getting ready for bed that he looked over to Neji's side of the room. His eyes landed on the pendant of a small bird – a sparrow – which was lying just almost under Neji's bed. It laid a scant inch from the Hyuuga's legs but it was clear that the Hyuuga didn't notice it there.
"Neji," Shikamaru called, glad that Neji responded normally and didn't make things more troublesome than they were. "There's a bird pendant under your bed."
Neji's gaze drifted downwards and he bent down to retrieve the object, holding it in the palm of his hand.
"How did it get there?"
"It must have fallen out when I was looking through your bag for some medicine," Shikamaru answered, remembering his disorganised search from the day before.
Neji nodded before turning his head and tossing a grateful look over his shoulder. "Thanks for telling me."
Shikamaru could tell that the pendant meant a lot to Neji. He wondered why. It couldn't just be because of the symbolisation of freedom.
"It was my father's," Neji said as if he had just read Shikamaru's mind.
"It's a nice pendent." Shikamaru gave another neutral reply.
Again, he was sure that he caught a flash of a sad smile on Neji's face before the Hyuuga turned away. Again, he couldn't be sure. Again, he ignored the feeling of guilt in the pit of his stomach.
"Good night, Nara."
Shikamaru paused.
"Good night, Hyuuga."
TBC
I realise that my chapters are always rather long for this story hahaha. Please review and tell me what you think!
~Witherwolf