Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Chapter 11

Shikamaru licked his lips and shrugged, the smallest of grins playing on his lips as he watched Neji. "Nothing." He claimed. "I just hadn't expected you to be human."

Neji raised an eyebrow at Shikamaru's words his eyes glued on Shikamaru. "Then what did you think I was, hmm?" He asked, a small smirk coming to his lips at his own question.

He liked this side of Shikamaru yet he wasn't sure how often he would get to see it. They weren't lovers nor friends, Neji was merely the man that had threatened Shikamaru's entire family into cooperating with his wishes and that was the end of the story.

And even though that wasn't the sole reason why Neji wouldn't get to see this confident and perhaps even normal side of Shikamaru, the fact he could kill the man and his family without a second thought was reason enough for the other to be cautious around him.

And while Neji liked fear on Shikamaru's face, liked it because it was both a beautiful and an honest expression when the other was faced with him, after today he was certain he would never ask for fear again when looking at Shikamaru. Because now he had been spoiled. He had been shown both a genuine relaxed expression and a slightly cocky and confident attitude that spoke to him in more ways than fear ever could.

Because fear was the same no matter whose face it was portrayed upon. It was nothing more than a primal emotion, a built-in defence mechanism that was meant to help a person survive in a threatening or dangerous situation. To have a person recognize a situation as potentially dangerous and then decide whether to fight or flight. And since it was such a primal emotion the reaction a person would have because of it was often the same.

Cockiness and confidence weren't emotions, though. They were states of being, traits a person possessed and characteristics that defined someone and their personality rather than a person's feelings at a certain moment.

And right now those traits told him so much more about Shikamaru then he could ever hope to find out from a fearful expression and anxious state of mind. Because then someone's body-language was anything but honest. It was drenched with fear which hid all other signs of another emotion being felt. In all honesty, fear was the best mask a person could wear for when truly afraid it was the only thing a person truly felt.

Shikamaru's cockiness was probably not a trait he usually carried himself around with. Neji couldn't be sure, but judging by what he had seen from the Nara so far and the friends he kept he was quite certain cocky wasn't something the other was on a regular basis. Perhaps it was something that he himself brought out in the other man.

The other's confidence wasn't something he had induced, though. Because while being cocky came with a situation being self-confident was something a person was or wasn't. To a certain degree being confident about oneself was dependant of the situation. When greatly outnumbered, for instance, ones confidence was bound to be littler than when you were the one with the team backing up.

Yet a person with true confidence, in complete synch with who he was and what he did with his life, would even show confidence in such situations. While someone who was confident when wearing a certain type of clothes or was surrounded with a certain type of friends wasn't truly confident at all. Then the confidence a person felt was more of a safety net created by either the person's clothes or the person's surroundings which didn't portray of true confidence.

And confident was one thing that Neji thought Shikamaru was for certain. Either that or very stupid with the comments and remarks he was making.

Neji chuckled. "No answer?" He asked when Shikamaru still hadn't answered, obviously trying to think of exactly what to reply. "How disappointing." Neji shook his head with a smirk.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at Neji's question. "Yes, and I must look as if I feel so bad about disappointing you." He drawled and turned his head away with a huff.

"Oh yes, very much so. Did you know that most people would cower in fear when I say I'm disappointed in them?" Neji asked, his tone light and his lips curling up into a smirk.

A smirk then graced Shikamaru's lips and with the same cockiness and self-confidence Neji had seen flashes of earlier said: "I'm not most people."

"Hm, I guess you're not." Neji hummed. He traced his lips with his tongue and then pushed himself away from the wall, striding towards Shikamaru and pinning the young man in-between the brick wall and his own hard body with a dangerous smirk playing on his lips.

He placed a hand against the wall, just above Shikamaru's shoulder and, leaning in closer so he could whisper in the other's ear, murmured: "But you forget that I'm not most people either."

What he then saw flashing through Shikamaru's eyes wasn't fear and for a moment Neji wondered why it wasn't. This should be seen as a rather threatening situation by Shikamaru's brain and if it wasn't why didn't the Nara think so? It was something that Neji couldn't quite wrap his mind around but he was sure to find out.

Because instead of fear Neji saw nervousness and shock. Both understandable emotions in view of the current situation but he considered them to be mild.

Shikamaru raised his eyes defiantly then, locking them with Neji's opalescent orbs and even though he shuddered at the intensity of those eyes regarding him silently he still said: "I said before you didn't scare me."

Neji had to bite back a laugh. It was a very daring comment to make but Shikamaru's slightly unsteady voice and his nervous shudder took away the entire effect.

He pulled back a bit, yet only slightly so he still stood far into Shikamaru's personal-space, feeling the other's warmth against his chest in the cold winter air. He kept their gazes locked, saw the way Shikamaru held his head up high and refused to budge and he smirked. "And didn't I say that my intention is not to scare you?" He asked, his breaths hot in the freezing air around them and the small puffs ghosted across Shikamaru's face.

Shikamaru's eyes flashed angrily and a flush settled on his cheeks. Although whether that was from Neji's breath ghosting over his skin or out of anger Neji wasn't sure.

The Nara pulled up his nose, turned his head and avoided Neji's eyes. "Get the hint. I'm not interested." He spat angrily, irritated and slightly embarrassed.

Neji chuckled lowly and reached out a hand to take Shikamaru's chin, the situation reminding him so much of their second encounter and he could only hope this one turned out even better.

When Shikamaru was looking at him again, eyes lowered so he didn't have to look the Yakuza in the face, Neji said calmly: "Even if I cared about whether or not you're interested, your actions never seem to agree with your words."

It was easy for Neji to recognize the surprise in Shikamaru's eyes and he licked his lips, satisfied with the reaction.

Shikamaru swallowed and frowned. "That's bullshit." He mumbled, trying to defend himself.

Neji shook his head. While curse words could give one's words power they were also a sign that the person talking to you had run out of words. And while Shikamaru wasn't afraid and definitely hadn't lost his confidence a witty reply wasn't something on the other's mind.

"I don't think so, Shikamaru." Neji told the young man in front of him. "Because you know, if you truly hated me and everything I stand for why don't you just turn around and walk away? This time we're out in the street and you could go anywhere."

Shikamaru paled slightly at Neji's words and his stance changed within a bat of an eye. His shoulders drew tight, he crossed his arms in front of his chest as if protecting himself and his expression was confused rather than anything else.

Neji pressed forward again, his chest touching Shikamaru's just barely and he smirked. "Why are you still here, Shikamaru?" He asked, the other's name rolling of his tongue and he wondered what the other would do now.

In his mind there were only two possible reactions. Because Shikamaru would be alarmed by now. Not because Neji was forming a lethal threat but because his question forced the Nara to think about things he probably hadn't considered or had refused to consider before.

And when the mind was confronted with something it had before pushed away in an un-labelled box of things not worth considering at that time, it came as quite a shock. Because things in that un-labelled box were either indeed not worth considering or too big to consider at that time. And if it was the last, when being forced to think about it the information would still be as hard to consider as it was before. Yet, since you were forced, there was no running away.

Yet while the mind was forced to face whatever it had refused to see before how a person reacted was a total different case. Because one unconsciously chose to either fight or flight in such a situation. It was a bit like fear in that regard.

And while fleeing and coming to terms with your feelings and thoughts on your own might be the most favourable option to most, Neji did think it wouldn't be what Shikamaru would choose for.

Because so far the other had constantly fought him, argued with what he said and he hadn't avoided Neji like some would. If that had been the case, the brown-haired man would have come up with an excuse to leave the moment he had seen Neji sitting in the lunchroom.

But he hadn't. He had, foolishly yet bravely so, walked up to Neji and faced confrontation. And by now, Neji was quite certain Shikamaru was regretting that decision. Wishing he had just turned and bolted like a coward.

When suddenly Shikamaru sucked in a nervous breath, probably trying to gather his thoughts and thinking of an excuse to give as to why he hadn't just run away, Neji chuckled.

He did wonder, if Shikamaru fought him rather than fled, what answer he would receive to his question. He knew a lot and could read a lot from a person's expression and body-language but this situation was different.

When, for instance, a person was mildly in love it was obvious to see for everyone. Even the person that the other had fallen for could pick up on the hints. Yet when in love with someone that fact was undeniable, even to the person actually in love. The feeling would take over, cloud one's justice and try to run the person's life.

But not all emotions were so obvious to both the one feeling them or the one looking out for them. And thus Neji couldn't read what Shikamaru was feeling for the Nara wasn't aware of those feelings himself. And what Shikamaru didn't know he felt, Neji couldn't see.

It made guessing what answer he could receive slightly different yet didn't mind. Because, even though many would not believe it were he to say it aloud, not knowing what to expect was a nice change of scenery sometimes.

With a sigh passing his lips Shikamaru looked up at Neji. His eyes flickered with doubt and a slight insecurity that Neji hadn't seen before and he unconsciously traced his upper-lip with his tongue.

"I won't let you intimidate me." Shikamaru told Neji, his voice low and his hands clenching into fists.

"Intimidate you?" Neji murmured, raising an eyebrow at the other's choice of words. "You find my question intimidating?" He asked, tracing a finger down Shikamaru's chest with a low chuckle.

Shikamaru's eyes drew together in agitation, a shuddering breath passing his lips. "I find you a lot but intimidating is not one of those things." He managed to say through clenched teeth, his voice low and if he hadn't look so pale it could actually have sounded quite dangerous.

Neji couldn't keep the smug expression from his face. Shikamaru was playing into his hand so wonderfully he wondered if perhaps the other was up to something.

"And what do you find me to be, Shikamaru?" He started then, tracing his finger up Shikamaru's chest again and very amused by the fact that the other made no attempt to get Neji to stop touching him.

Yet besides amusing he also found that fact quite satisfying. Because even though Shikamaru might hate his guts, his touch was a slightly different story. The shivers that occasionally found their way down the Nara's spine were not those of disgust yet Neji wasn't certain they were of attraction either. If they were, Shikamaru's subconscious was probably feeling more than the other was aware of.

"You're a bastard that thinks he owns the world." Shikamaru hissed, fed up with the Yakuza's teasing questions that he thought were merely for the long-haired man's amusement.

Yet when Neji narrowed his eyes at the young man in front of him, putting up an act rather than being truly offended, Shikamaru froze for a second.

Lips setting in a thin line Neji tilted his chin just slightly so he could look the other in the eyes and, his tone cold as ice, said: "I have killed men for less."

And he had. One time a man had looked at him just in the wrong way and it had irked him so much he hadn't been able to stand it. Granted, said man had been drunk of his ass and gambling at the Sharingan Slot Parlour which meant Neji already thought low of the man. And when then the other had claimed Neji looked pretty he had signed his own death certificate in bold, golden letters.

Yet rather than cower in fear Shikamaru yet again surprised Neji with a comment, a comeback the Hyuuga hadn't expected but liked above everything else. "You won't kill me." Shikamaru stated, his voice shaky and if he could have crawled into the wall he probably would have. Yet he was still brave enough to say the words and that impressed Neji.

Yet the fact that he was impressed didn't mean he would let Shikamaru get away with it. He was Neji Hyuuga. No-one got away with anything when he was concerned. "And why are you so overly-confident of that fact?"

Licking his lips nervously Shikamaru particularly forced his lips to curl up into a smirk and he said: "You will have no power over my father when I'm dead. He won't care what you do then. Killing me means losing my father as your doctor and that would be troublesome."

Neji raised an eyebrow. The other had figured it out pretty well, it seemed. And he wasn't wrong either.

Because with only one family doctor in town and the hospital a place the Yakuza would rather not be they needed the Nara family. And with Shikaku's only son murdered the man, as Shikamaru said, probably had no qualms about denying the Yakuza his help. That would result in the massacre of an entire family and would then leave both the Hyuuga and the Uchiha families with bodies to dispose of, a murder to cover up and no family doctor to help them out.

Neji chuckled. "I do hope you didn't hurt your head coming up with that." He snorted.

Shikamaru blinked and then shook his head with a huff. "Don't underestimate me." He claimed, suddenly confident now that he seemed to have guessed the situation right.

Licking his lips Neji pressed himself close against Shikamaru's body again, tapping the other's cheek with the back of his hand with a smirk playing on his lips.

"Same goes for you." He told Shikamaru and then he licked the other's cheek. He hadn't exactly planned to do that but his curiosity as to how Shikamaru's skin would taste had monetarily taken over. And he wasn't disappointed, for he liked the other's taste. That, in combination with a shudder going through Shikamaru, hazel eyes widening and a slightly angry flush settling on the other's cheeks had made that spontaneous action very worthwhile.

Leaning closer to Shikamaru's ear, Neji continued though. "Not killing you doesn't mean I can't hurt you." He murmured. "A lot."

TBC.