Engagement Trouble

Summary: Neji's in trouble and Shikamaru came to his rescue, well, accidentally. NejiShika.

Disclaimer: Neji belongs to Shikamaru and vice versa and Naruto is not mine.

A/N: NejiShika fic. This is dedicated to ­­­Ryals-Shoal, Sadie Dragonfire, Minerva Teller of tales, who inspired me to do one and to all those who supports this cute and perfect pair! NejiShika pairing needs more love!

Chapter 1

"Huh?"

"I said, I'm inviting you to go with us! Just a little drink or two."

"Nah…I'll pass."

An Anbu walked towards him and braced an arm on his slouched shoulders. "Come on, Shikamaru! It's a Friday we wouldn't be called until Wednesday!"

"Maybe next time." Nara Shikamaru said stifling a yawn. He was damn tired and all he ever wanted at that moment was to sleep.

The Anbu slapped Shikamaru's head jovially. "Ch. Guess I'll never win over your laziness, huh?"

Shikamaru smiled lightly.

"Too bad, Ryoki's going to treat everyone today."

"Satouda Ryoki?" Shikamaru asked knowing that particular man to be too parsimonious to treat a battalion of beer-freak Anbus on a regular Friday, and besides they were in the middle of the day for goodness' sake!

The Anbu nodded. "He's engaged, haven't you heard? Ahhh… that lucky man. Aside from having a gorgeous fiancée, he's on leave for one week; wedding preparations you know…good thing Hokage-sama approved such a leave."

Shikamaru stopped in his tracks as the Anbu walked on, saying that he might be late for the day's event The lazy nin scratched the back of his head absently. Getting a one-week break, huh? Might as well find a fiancée already.

———-

"What the fuck!" Neji's words seethed as he jumped from one roof to another. This is not a normal day for Hyuga Neji. For the past nineteen years of his life, never had he experience something as absurd as this: being chased by his uncle's servants in the middle of a scalding summer day.

Neji continued his flight, dropped to the ground ran and again. Why in the first place was he running? And why did he look so desperate?

"What!" Neji almost shouted at his uncle but thankfully controlled himself or he might commit murder any minute. He clenched his fists and stared at his uncle sitting across him sipping hot green tea, as if nothing important was happening.

"Nothing important is happening, Neji." Hyuga Hiashi said cutting through Neji's thoughts. "I'm just concerned about your future."

Neji's fists tightened. His mind was swirling for the past fifteen minutes of his conversation with his uncle. Neji's relationship with the main family—particularly his uncle—became more composed during the past years. His hatred for his uncle has also decreased since that day almost six years ago when he read his father's letter. Since then, the main family's kinship with the branch family became more considerable. They managed to settle their difference step by step—a big change for the Hyuga tradition, which hasn't been altered for centuries. And that one alteration that Neji particularly didn't liked was what he and his uncle were doing right now.

"I am worried about your social relationship, Neji." Hiashi said.

Neji very well knew what his uncle was talking about. "I have friends."

"Do you have a special someone?" His uncle questioned. This statement made Neji stop from retorting.

"Let's put it this way, Neji," Hyuga Hiashi stated. "You're already nineteen years old. Old enough to be married and by our family tradition, you should already be. Now, I don't even see you socializing with other people so how can you expect me to be fine with your situation when I'm responsible for you, too. You're my nephew Neji, and I do care about your welfare, especially now that you're a grown man."

The words stung but he didn't let it show. Neji gritted his teeth knowing how true those words were. He's now a high ranking Anbu officer which makes him more of a formidable figure. He never even thought of such social cultures—especially the aspect of marriage. How many days have he mused and plan on how to make a perfect excuse for such social traditions. He was nineteen and he very well knew what it means to be nineteen when you're a male Hyuga: time to tie the notch.

"I attend family soirees, Uncle Hiashi." Neji stated blandly.

"I know. But it seems that whenever I try to find you for the first hour of such family gatherings, you're nowhere to be found. How would you explain that?"

Neji was taken aback by what his uncle said. How did his uncle know? Damn. So that means his escapades would be prevented from now on. "I-I get bored."

His uncle sipped his tea again, taking his time. "Bored within the first twenty minutes? Such a short attention span isn't normal, don't you think?"

Neji cringed. Even the exact time he starts running away from such stupid family gatherings, his uncle knew. His uncle was literally watching him. How can he stand a dozen of his coquettish cousins inching their way towards him ogling and asking him such nonsensical questions even an eight years old would find dumb?

Neji battled with his uncle again, trying his very best to escape his fate. Yes, after all these years, he still believes in fate—sometimes. Which leads him to where he is now: still in the middle of nowhere in Konoha, being chased endlessly. As much as he wanted to kill those obsequious servants of his uncle, he couldn't. He couldn't even touch them lest it might ignite another unnecessary altercation between the main and the branch. Of course, he wouldn't want that to happen.

He turned to a left corner alley and ran the length of it until reaching the end, exiting to another main road of Konoha. Neji thanked his fate that he was lead to this busy road. This road was known as the busiest place in Konoha. There were markets, restaurants, bathhouses and whatnot to be found in this half a kilometer road.

Neji used this as an advantage. He stopped running and made his way in the throng cautiously, still alert of any of his uncle's myrmidons. About five minutes passed when Neji was able to breathe easily. He knew that running away isn't going to get him anywhere. But he was too stressed to deal with such nonsense today that he opted for a run than a dull conversation with his uncle.

"Neji-sama! Neji-sama!"

That shout made Neji froze in his tracks. He looked downward and cursed profoundly. He forgot that he was wearing a kimono today—a yellow kimono—making him particularly visible among the throng. Not even bothering to look behind, Neji quickly resumed his run and turned to another alley on his left. He knew that those nincompoops weren't going to notice his vanishing presence in the first five minutes, giving him enough time to hide and find a safe place for the day.

Reaching the end of the alley, Neji curved to the left of the new road when he bumped with something so hard making him stumble towards the thing face first. If it wasn't for his sophisticated kimono snugly wrapping his body, making him unable to move freely, he could've shunned such a fall.

"Hey miss, are you—," Neji's head snapped making him face a person—not a thing—with stark anger. Never had anyone survived Neji's wrath, especially those who thought of him as a female much more be called a 'miss'. But all his anger shifted to a now seething rage. He was now lying atop the person he most hated for his indolence and higher rank. He was now faced to faced with the infamous—in his opinion—Nara Shikamaru.

"Nara Shikamaru." Neji said the man's name with such contempt he might strangle the man with one hand.

Shikamaru who now looked quite dizzy from his fall and managed to sit a little awkwardly with Neji still on his lap. Shaking his head abruptly, he looked at the person and squinted, a brow raised questioningly. "Hyuga Neji?"

"What the hell are you doing in my way?" Neji whispered dangerously.

"Hey, the road isn't yours." Shikamaru said lazily still feeling quite light headed from the fall. He looked at Neji who wore a beautiful light yellow kimono with green embroideries of leaves accentuating the lower part of the outfit. Neji's hair, as usual, was tied loosely in the end but strands of hair were already falling out of the tie, making Neji looked enticingly feminine.

"Hey."

"What!"

"Do you mind getting off me?" Neji blinked before his cheeks turned pink and stood up hastily, rearranging his kimono and hair. Shikamaru stood up and brushed dust away from him.

"Hey, why are you wearing a kimono?" Shikamaru asked not because he was intrigued but because Neji was supposed to wear an Anbu's attire—a protocol for high-ranking officers.

Neji cursed silently. He was on leave for three days because of family business. And when you speak of family business, Hyuga style, every one of them should wear formal dresses. And that includes him who should wear bright kimonos like a girl because by family traditions, those who are twenty and below, married or not, girl or boy, should wear kimonos.

"None of your busine—"

"Neji-sama!"

Fuck! He was caught! He almost forgot that he was being chased because he faced with a dimwitted high-ranking Anbu officer. What should he do? If he surrendered he would be back with his uncle within ten minutes. If he would run again, the chances of being caught would be greater because of their close gap.

He looked at Shikamaru, panic starting to be evident on his face. Then a thought suddenly came like lightning. Neji closed his eyes and breathed deeply, hoping that his plan would make him escape his dreadful fate. He doesn't want to be married! Can't his uncle see that? Fucking family traditions… he should've opted for suicide a long time ago. Forcing himself to act impulsively, Neji suddenly grabbed Shikamaru's neck and pulled him into what he might think as an intimate embrace.

To say that Shikamaru was startled would be an understatement. He was literally knocked out of his senses and his sleepiness was like a good dream a running light-years away from his reach. "O-oi! Ne—ow!"

"Shut up or I'll kill you." Neji whispered dangerously onto Shikamaru's ear as he tightened his grip on Nara's neck. He turned them around so that Shikamaru's back was facing his chasers. As much as Neji hated to make any contact with Nara, he convinced himself that this might lead him to salvation. He forcefully buried his head on Shikamaru's nape while his other hand threateningly posed two fingers on the taller boy's other side of the neck.

"Embrace me." Neji whispered.

"What?"

"Do it or I'll kill you." Neji growled harboring more pressure on Shikamaru's pulse point, veins throbbing dangerously beside his eyes. Thankfully, Shikamaru unwillingly obliged. He might as well embrace Hyuga than be killed without a clear purpose.

"What is it?" Neji said more gently but still with the obnoxious tone the Hyuga naturally has. Neji was obviously talking to those who were chasing him.

"Please go home now, Neji-sama.. Hiashi-sama's already worr…anou…" One of Neji's chasers, obviously a Hyuga descent too, stopped in mid sentence upon grasping what was in view.

"What do you want?" Neji said as he pulled away from Shikamaru but not letting go of their embrace. A good show might just save his life for that matter.

"Who—who is he?" The same lackey asked.

Thankful enough that Neji thoroughly pulled away, Neji grabbed Shikamaru's arm forcing him to face the lackeys, too.

With enough courage he could muster and enough pride he forced to swallow, Neji gently neared towards Shikamaru for the full effect of his plan. "He's my lover."

TBC

A/N: Well that didn't go too well but I'll try harder on the next chapter.I know thatmy characters didn't justify the original ones butI'll try harder!Reviews are very much appreciated. TT