.

THE FALL OF ICARUS

AUTHORS: e. N. Black
DISCLAIMER: Naruto is a product of Kishimoto Masashi
PAIRINGS: Hyuuga Neji + Uzumaki Naruto
WARNINGS: M/M

Chapter 07: Don't Over-think It

Shikamaru walked the streets of the Nara compound with a quarter of his attention on the way home and the rest on yet more folders the Fifth had handed him. He didn't know whom to be the most furious at about his current ridiculously busy predicament — himself for proving to be competent, the Fifth for having either no forces or no one of relative intelligence to do the work, or Temari of Sunagakure for piquing his interest just long enough for him to . . . to ultimately screw himself over.

His narrow black eyes became slits as he glowered at the folders — as though they cared about his ire. Why was there no downtime in between thinking? In some ways it was more vigorous than running an S-Rank mission. In some ways it was more tiring to see paperwork day in and day out than to do physical labor. You didn't see old man Teuchi pissed off at ramen making. Ino bitched about a lot of things but watching the family flower shop was never one of them. Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu weren't twitching from monitoring front gate traffic in between Chuunin Exams.

Shikamaru frowned a little harder at the folder labeled 'Chuunin Exam' because as he saw it, there was no reason why those last two persons mentioned couldn't sit with the ambassador of the Sand and puzzle out a workable exam schedule. But no, as it was, prove to be skilled in any area and there was no reward for great work. There was just more work and it was expected to be completed without complaint and at the speed of Flash Step or something. He'd just sorted out a breeding plan for four different clans. Now he was expected to do the same for the exams while making nice with Temari of the Sand, on top of — he flipped through the folders to find one labeled 'Recent Inter-Country Traffic'. As far as he could tell on that one he was supposed to find a common denominator for why villages in the Land of Fire were having delayed annual events; festivals and the like had been disrupted for the past month.

Why anyone would give a good damn about a bunch of carnies in the first place was beyond even Shikamaru's immense intellect. It wasn't as though there was a trail of dead, colorfully clad circus bodies to follow. The acts still showed up — just later than they were supposed to and none the worse for wear. But, go figure, enough people complain about something and put up the money to have an answer and suddenly Shikamaru was employed to do something he thought could have gone to any junior member of the Intelligence Squad. This kind of thing was their job after all.

Do something physical, gain accolades of your prowess and excessive days off; think for a living and nobody pats you on the back, there are no thanks for pushing paper. Shikamaru kicked a stone, paused in his trek to get his mind right before continuing on to his home. Dealing with his mother required a certain level of peace and tranquility. He couldn't go into his house in his current state and listen to Nara Yoshino dissect exactly how useless his father was down to his limp pinky toe. He could not watch Nara Shikaku nod and agree with whatever infraction he'd supposedly committed just so he could get laid that night. Shikamaru needed to be able to walk in, say goodnight, plead work as the excuse, and disappear into his room before the fight started.

He was a house away from his home when he heard his mother's voice. Shikamaru could only believe his existence came before the marriage, elsewise his father would have run — sweet moments be damned.

How troublesome.Working at his own house was off the table. He just wanted to do his job and get a decent amount of sleep without the yelling interrupting his dreams. Shikamaru had had a stressful couple of days; he couldn't see where his request would be considered unreasonable. So he rearranged the folders as he backtracked — because there was nothing better to do while he walked — leaving the Nara compound and entering the Akimichi.

It was late but not so much that there weren't a few stragglers still on the street. Shikamaru was pretty much a staple on their land so he got a few waves and invitations to dinner from various clan members — he loved that about the Akimichi; everyone was so nice and the air always smelled delicious — but he politely turned them down. There was only one place he wanted to be.

As Shikamaru approached Akimichi Chouza's home he briefly considered walking around the back and slipping in through Chouji's window because he was in that kind of mood, but he knew he'd only feel dirty in the morning whether he skipped out before breakfast or showed up for it from inside the house. The nature of Chouji and Shikamaru's relationship wasn't a secret, but at the same time, they'd never outright said. Thus Chouji's parents knew, but pretended they didn't, and oddly enough, it wasn't awkward.

Shikamaru knocked on the door, offered a tired smile to Chouza when he opened it and waved Shikamaru inside wordlessly.

"Hungry?" Chouza asked as Shikamaru kicked off his sandals and lined them up neatly with the other shoes in the foyer.

"I'll just grab an apple," the Nara answered, because there was always fruit in the kitchen.

Chouza nodded. "Chouji's in his room," he said. "Goodnight." Then he turned off down a hallway, probably to his own bed, Shikamaru supposed. It didn't matter, this was what he'd wanted, minimal parent interaction, a warm house that smelled — Shikamaru sniffed the air and allowed his mouth to water a bit — it smelled like they'd had honey barbecue ribs for dinner. Chouji's mother, unlike his own, was an amazing cook.

And it was quiet.

Shikamaru released a sigh of contentment, forewent the kitchen and headed to Chouji's room. His friend was awake, but just barely, eyes drooping as he read a scroll, bundled beneath his blanket. It wasn't cold; Chouji just liked sleeping with covers. Shikamaru closed the door behind him and rested the work folders on the nightstand. He looked down and saw he'd managed to capture Chouji's attention more than sleep. "Hey."

Chouji smiled. "Hey," he tried to greet back, but it was interrupted by a yawn. "Did you get everything Lady Tsunade wanted done then?"

"Nope," Shikamaru answered as he stripped off his clothes. "Finish one thing and she gives another."

Chouji lifted a corner of his blanket for Shikamaru to slide in next to him. Shikamaru was vaguely annoyed to see Chouji was wearing a singlet and boxers when Shikamaru wanted to see skin after the day he'd had. But that was okay, he would get Chouji out of it later.

"Anything I can help with?" his friend asked as Shikamaru slipped a hand beneath the shirt to caress Chouji's stomach and rested his head on Chouji's chest.

After a few minutes of listening to nothing but Chouji's heartbeat and breath, feeling a large, warm hand on his back rubbing soothing circles, Shikamaru answered, "You're helping right now." He felt at peace for the first time in days. Shikamaru would force himself to look at the chuunin candidates and traffic patterns in a few minutes, but at the moment he just needed to recharge, have some downtime. He always thought better when Chouji was around anyway.

"Neji saw us," Shikamaru mumbled as his finger doodled aimlessly around Chouji's belly button.

"Saw us what?"

"Naked," the Nara responded. "Cloud gazing—but I don't think we were looking at the sky."

Chouji laughed. "I kind of feel bad for him. Hyuuga must see all kinds of things they wish they hadn't. But with Naruto back, maybe he can keep Neji's attention?"

Shikamaru's finger stopped. Of course Chouji would notice when there was something wrong with any of their friends. He'd witnessed Neji carefully not moping those first few months after Naruto had gone the same as Shikamaru. The Nara sat up just enough to drop a kiss on Chouji's lips. "You think Neji will tell him?"

Wide shoulders lifted briefly in a shrug. "I don't know. Sometimes I think because of Neji's clan it doesn't really matter what he does or doesn't do. Really, it's about if Naruto likes him back isn't it?"

When Shikamaru thought about it, he had to concede Chouji was right. For years they'd known how Neji felt — he'd confessed in front of all of them on that last mission to bring Sasuke back — but none of them had ever heard of Naruto reciprocating. "Well, that's going to be troublesome," Shikamaru remarked, mostly to himself. If Hyuuga Neji went through all the trouble of finding his balls to confess again when it would really mean something and Naruto blew him off—

There was a hand fondling his ass.

Shikamaru's thought train derailed, eyes instantly on Chouji.

"I'm just helping," the Akimichi murmured.

Indeed he was. Shikamaru was supposed to be relaxing and Chouji's hand squeezing his left buttcheek and keeping his mind off stupid stuff that had nothing to do with him was a really good means for helping him do that. "Chouji . . ."

"Are you ready to work?"

Shikamaru kissed him again, fingers actively working toward removing the offending shirt. "In a bit."

.

.

Team Gai tended to begin teamwork practice in the wee hours before proper dawn when they weren't involved with a mission. After training the morning was theirs to accomplish whatever needed to be done before meeting up again prior to noon to see if they'd been given an assignment. Neji's team was renowned for stealth and speed, thus they had the dubious privilege of a later start time. If there was no trouble brewing on the horizon for them, and Neji or Gai hadn't been dragooned off on a solo jounin mission, then they had a second practice session in the afternoon that focused more on individual strengths.

Gai was his jubilant self that morning and for a moment Neji's mind wandered to Kakashi, the dots connecting that his mentor's excessive 'Youth' at dawn probably coincided with Kakashi's excessive lateness.

Oh, please kill the visual, Neji beseeched his brain. He didn't want to conjure the two teachers together when he could be anticipating seeing Naruto again. Wondering how he'd changed. Maybe gotten taller, as Naruto had been the shortest male in their age group. Maybe a different hairstyle. Maybe he'd decided his favorite color shouldn't be a full jumpsuit when a ninja's job involved stealth. Neji wanted to know; he wanted to go in search of Naruto right then and blow off training. But he couldn't. It wasn't even four in the morning, and Naruto wouldn't be up. And if Neji showed up on his doorstep without a valid reason people would begin to wonder after his intentions. Neji could ill-afford to draw the attention of The Elders anymore than he already did. He was free, yet he had to behave as though the Cage still bound him.

So he made an honest attempt to clear his mind and focus on the exercises that would utilize his team's best assets against a shadow clone of Gai's making. His group had been well planned. Neji didn't acknowledge the Third's wisdom very often — usually because he was quite certain that it had been sometimes accidental — but his placing Neji on Team Gai had likely saved Neji's life. Training with Tenten, whose accuracy was tremendous, and Lee, whose speed was ridiculous had been the kind of experience he'd needed against a foe like Kidoumaru, who'd been an annoyingly strong combination of both.

After a couple hours, Gai dismissed them, overly cheerful as he bid them to enjoy their day until the afternoon meeting. Neji's first thought was to look in the registry for Naruto's address. Casually drop by. See him. Just see him and reaffirm that he wasn't idealizing what he felt for Naruto. It had been over two years since Neji had last seen him and there was a chance, however little, that the Naruto who'd returned wouldn't live up to the one in his memory.

He was not expecting Tenten to separate herself from Lee and Gai and fall into step beside him. She'd never done it before. Tenten had an odd sleep schedule, usually choosing to go to bed in the six hours between practices and remain awake throughout the night if there was no mission. Neji had no idea how she wasn't exhausted all the time, but Tenten claimed her body functioned better on less sleep.

They walked in silence, Tenten with her hands clasped behind her back, shooting glances at him as she chewed her lip, him surreptitiously scanning the streets and early morning traffic for anyone who looked like they could be an older version of Naruto. He wanted to use his byakugan but knew, while it would be faster, it was overkill in a way.

"Okay," Tenten breathed after awhile. "I'm sorry."

Neji didn't miss a beat, "One—you said you weren't apologizing . . ."

"I didn't mean it."

"Two—I should be offering an apology to you for inappropriate. . ."

"No-no. You had a valid point. I've seen your valid point. And you have the right to your space without worry that someone's going to come in. Cause you really need to get laid. Obviously."

The way she harped on it had it him stopping, mouth slack as he stared at her. "For some reason I feel insulted."

Tenten turned, waved a hand negligently. "Don't. I only meant that you'll feel better after you've released some frustration with someone other than your . . ." She twiddled her fingers individually letting the sentence run out but she really didn't need to complete it after a gesture like that.

"Oh. And you have?" he asked. Because it was the obvious rejoinder to such a slight, Neji thought. Why would anyone make fun of a person for having not been intimate with another, anyway?

"Of course, Neji, you know I don't like not knowing things. I decided to see what the big deal was and get it over with."

So nonchalant, so matter of fact, it was nothing but the truth and like many things with his teammates, Neji had missed the obvious. Next, if he and Lee ever sat down to discuss sex, he'd probably be told his other teammate liked watching squirrel porn or something.

Neji refused to be the one to drop the subject when Tenten looked so smug and knowledgeable even if he did really want to find Naruto. "And?" he wondered.

Tenten shrugged. "It had its ups and downs," she answered deadpan.

Neji lifted an eyebrow, lips pursed in annoyance. "Lewd humor now, Tenten? You see my parts once after breaking in to my home and our relationship progressed that far?"

"Well yeah," Tenten answered with a smirk. "I mean it isn't like you're going to joke around with the boys about this."

"Don't sell yourself short, I'm speaking with you aren't I?"

"Don't be an ass." She took the few steps that brought her within range and he forgot to defend his already mildly bruised shoulder. "My only point is that I know you have a playful side, but nobody else gets to see it because they don't expect it of you. I mean, I've seen you try to participate in Gai-sensei and Lee's challenges and they completely ignore you."

"Ah," Neji sighed and continued walking. "So you're finally going to get back to the explanation."

Tenten shook her head, confused. "Explanation? What explanation?"

"The one you were trying to make back at the apartment on how I'm like Naruto. You never finished making your point."

She scoffed. "You begrudge me needing to duck so I wouldn't lose an eye . . ."

"I am hardly so well endowed, Tenten," Neji interrupted, eyes wide, back straight. He was sure he looked the proper affronted gentleman. Neji was beginning to think she wasn't making fun of his virginity, but complimentinghis . . . virility.

"Aw," she crooned. "Such modesty but really tell me—you switched to the Hyuuga garb because it's a lot less revealing huh? I bet you strut around the boys' bath with no towel . . ."

"No," Neji choked out, his throat tight with embarrassment. "Because I'd be shamed by Chouji, now can we please stick to the topic?"

Tenten stumbled and Neji knew his plea was lost. "Chouji?" her voice had risen an octave to match the level of her disbelief. "No!"

Shit. It wasn't like him to divulge sensitive information about other co-workers like that, but he'd never been in a situation quite like this. In general, Hyuuga didn't talk about the flowers and the bees—they were given a book on it and left to figure out the mechanics on their wedding night. If he wasn't so damn flustered the admission never would have passed his lips. Fortunately Tenten wasn't the gossiping kind so his slip up wouldn't come back to bite him. Neji squeezed his eyes shut and expelled a frustrated breath.

"Focus Tenten."

A hand flew to her mouth. "Oh wow, no wonder Shikamaru has no interest in you . . ."

Neji massaged his temple to ebb away the oncoming headache. "Dammit Tenten, how does . . ."

"I'm on the right subject this time," she pouted. "Shikamaru is your Kiba." The face he made at that statement was probably condescending because her eyes promised retaliation was to come when he least expected it. "Kiba and Naruto," she began slowly as though she were speaking to a simpleton, "have a similar sense of humor; you and Shikamaru are both really smart. On the surface you two should be hanging out more often—but you don't."

"I 'hang out' with Shikamaru plenty."

"No. You have old man sit-downs like twice a year where you two drink tea and contemplate the state of the universe I guess—"

"Definitely not, Tenten."

"I don't care—it looks boring, but you both appear relieved afterward."

"You've been spying on me?"

"Oh please, Neji, you're not that important. Konoha is just only so big. Anyhow, I've noticed that smart people tend to be kind of isolated—like, you talk to someone of comparable intelligence every so often but you don't want to be around it all the time. And then under the smartness your personalities and motivations are completely different, and then you've got that thing. So, again, no wonder Shikamaru has no interest in you."

"Thing?"

Tenten solemnly pointed at her forehead. "Shikamaru doesn't take on problems he can't solve."

Neji frowned, gaze darting quickly down a side street they passed. "There is an answer."

"Yeah," Tenten agreed. "There are actually two. But Shikamaru isn't the kind of person who would do either of them."

"Been thinking about it?"

She shrugged. "You're my friend." She looked up at the Hokage monument, refusing to meet his eyes as she quietly added, "Everyone just kind of expects you to figure it out. I hear the 'Neji's a genius; he'll be fine' speech all the time." She frowned. "But just because you see three-sixty, that doesn't mean you don't need someone watching your back."

Neji had no idea what he'd done to deserve such a friend. At this point he'd spent the majority of his life unhelpful, half-traumatized, and surly. He'd held himself aloof from everyone, hated the world and his place in it, and would have killed his own sister if no one had intervened. And even though Hinata was her friend, Tenten still championed him after that incident. He was humbled, his eyes unable to meet her earnest ones; he could only look at the ground as the corners of his mouth tilted upward. "Tenten . . ."

She slapped him on the shoulder and smiled at his surprised glare. "Don't start," she warned. "If you wanted a friend who would hold your dick while you peed then you should have been more like Naruto and got yourself a Gaara after your big cathartic moment a couple years ago. Cause I'm the wrong kind of person for that."

Neji needed a moment for his brain to filter through that sentence but when it did, he felt a little flip-flop in his chest that boded ill. "Wait. Naruto and Gaara?"

"Well, yeah." Tenten was suddenly in his face, hands on his shoulders, tiptoes employed, noses almost touching, eyes wide and wobbling as she illustrated. "They're always looking at each other all: As-long-as-I-breathe-you'll-never-be-lonely."

Neji blinked, swallowed. Took an uncomfortable step back. "They do?"

She twirled on her toes and continued walking though she had no idea where Neji was headed. "Uh huh, but I don't think either of them realizes it if it makes you feel better . . ." Tenten's teeth clicked as they met.

Neji was instantly under her greige-eyed scrutiny and he didn't like it.

"Oh shit, Neji, it does make you feel better." Her hands flew to her mouth as she did a little two-step in excitement. "Oh my—Oh crap. Really?"

"Really what, Tenten?"

"You like Naruto."

Neji blinked again. Face carefully blank.

She was back in his space, bouncing on her heels as she studied him. "You're so transparent." Her smile was absolutely mischievous. "I should have noticed before. It explains so much."

Neji begged to differ on all accounts. "It explains nothing, what are you talking about?"

"You got up this morning. You're out here wandering around in plain sight when you usually disappear after training." She stabbed an accusatory finger pointedly into his chest. "You're looking for him, because you like him, and you haven't denied it. Not once since I said it."

Neji's lips twitched but denial was the furthest thing from them. "It is what it is," he answered slowly. "Though maybe translucent is a more accurate adjective."

She gasped at the confession. "Does he know—I mean did you tell him before he left?"

"In a way."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "He doesn't speak Cryptic so whatever way you tried likely went right over his head." She scratched her ear as she looked down the road. "So. Are you going to tell him now?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Huh." Tenten grabbed Neji's arm and turned him ninety degrees, lifted the other hand to point to a figure in orange with bright spiky hair looking down from the rooftops. "Think fast," she suggested.

Neji's brain shut down.

.

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Author's Note: so. not fishing for reviews or anything, but i'm gonna guess the story is palatable? it's just, so few people say anything that i begin to wonder if i'm doing something wrong or writing to the void when i have other things i could be working on. don't like to clog up stories with author babble, but i did want to thank everyone who was thoughtful enough to leave an encouraging word or a simple thank you. so. Thank You Guys/Gals! for those thinking that ChouShika part came out of no where, you obviously haven't read "Perception" or its sequels (available on AO3). other than that, Naruto's back next chapter. as usual, don't know when i'll get around to posting it here.