Summary: Neji's in super 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: Thank you for all the reviews! This will be my last update for this year but I will post a Christmas NejiShika fic sometime in the middle of December. Probably an ItaSasu, too. On with the fic, people. Enjoy.
Chapter 9
A little boy walked up to his father like a big man and pouted more, both his hands on his hips. "Dad! I told you we should start it together! The plan's all ruined!"
"No, it's not. You're just in time, kiddo." Nara Shikaku said with all glee as he ruffled the brown hair pony-tailed like his and Shikamaru's. Turning to Neji, he introduced the boy. "Neji, meet my youngest son, Shousuki though he prefers to be called Shou." Then to his son, "Shou, this is your brother's fiancée, Hyuuga Neji."
Neji nodded in accordance to the introduction. He never thought the lazy nin has a little brother. He looked at Shikamaru who was already banging his head on his hands and muttering incoherent words to himself. A tug on his sleeve made Neji looked at his side to see Nara Shou.
"I'll go get the food." Shikamaru's mom said and walked to the kitchen, giving a good pat on Shou's head. "Be nice, Shou."
"Hello." Shou said not minding his mother's warning, his big eyes staring at Neji.
"Hi." Neji replied indifferently. Shou looked like a copy of his brother but upon further assessment, Shou was a little different. He has this dark brown hair compared to Shikamaru's black one and big soulful gray eyes which like Neji's hid emotions completely. Nara Shou was a chatterbox compared to his brother, too, a behavior Shikamaru considerably lacked.
Shou stared at Neji, scrutinizing the Hyuuga's face then without blinking, he uttered deadpan, "You're a man!"
Neji blinked and cleared his throat. "I am a man."
Shou's face twisted with utter horror and facing his brother with a finger pointing, "Nii-san! You're gay! I can never be more ashamed of you!" Dramatically, Shou fell to the ground with a pose. Then to his dad, "And I can't believe you raised a gay man in this home! What am I going to do? Follow my deranged brother's twisted path! Nooooooooooo!"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes as his dad could only laugh at his youngest son's antics. There goes his over dramatic brother again. "Yeah, so what? Mind your own business. So pesky…."
"I am minding my own business, Shika-niisan. That's why I'm here to criticize your fiancée." Shou replied like an adult as he stood up. He walked towards Neji and extended a hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, Neji-niisan."
"Me too." Neji said as he accepted Shou's little hand. Suddenly, Shou placed a chaste kiss on Neji's knuckles like a gentleman.
"Oi, Shou!" Shikamaru gritted as he threw a pair of chopsticks, which his brother effortlessly evaded.
Shou then embraced Neji, his small short arms just reaching Neji's torso and with a big sneer he proudly said. "Bleh, you're just jealous because you can't do this to Neji-niisan."
"Why you lit—"
"Nara Shikamaru and Nara Shousuki! Stop that! We're supposed to have a dinner not a war!" Their mother emerged from the kitchen with a plate of roasted turkey.
Shikamaru grunted and slumped on his seat while Shou rounded the table and took his own right across Neji.
—--
The food was absolutely great, Neji thought as he ate. Shikamaru's mom did prepare a very sumptuous meal making Neji extremely embarrassed to which Tori brushed off nonchalantly.
"Don't worry, dear. You're already a part of the family so don't be shy!"
Neji sighed inwardly to that. If only they knew that this was all for show, Nara's family might just hang him with delight.
"So," Shou began as he swallowed. "Where did you two meet?"
At this point, Neji thought that Shou was more parent-like than Shikamaru's folks were, with all the interrogation and stuff. Come to think of it, where the hell did they meet?
"In the battlefield." Shikamaru said with a dry tone as he ate his food. He was beginning to get more irritated with his brother. He swore to strangle the geek later.
Neji looked at Shikamaru, surprised. He almost forgot he was there beside him because he was silent for the rest of the evening.
"In the battlefield?" Shou said, his eyes bulging. "That is so unromantic! I'm guessing that Shika-niisan was cowering with fear that time, huh?" He asked as he turned to Neji.
Neji's thought drifted to that incident in the Forest of Death when they took the second test of the Chuunin exam years ago (1). With a nifty smile, he replied. "He was, actually."
"I don't know what you saw in my lazy ass brother, Neji-niisan. You should've picked a more gorgeous man than him! I mean, look at you! You're beautiful, talented, rich and then you're going to marry my… my ugly indolent brother! You're going to spend the rest of your life in agony!" To which Shou raised his arms up in the air for a more climactic look.
Shikamaru snorted then leaned to Neji and whispered, "He's a frustrated theater actor."
Neji smiled, compared to Shikamaru's dad, Shou was funnier. "Well, I'm ready for some challenge. Right, Shika-kun?" Neji said with a sly smile as he leaned towards Shikamaru, too.
Shikamaru backed off instantly, his face threatening to get red again. His father laughed and patted Shikamaru on the back. "Well at least my son knows good taste like me." Tori giggled as Shikaku wiggled his brows suggestively.
Shou snorted. "Did you know? Even if my brother is a super lazy genius and blah blah, he still wets his bed at the age of eleven!" All of them except Shikamaru who was now uncontrollably turning red laughed. Neji tried to control a bursting laugh and gave off another smirk.
"He also snores so loud even the neighbors could hear it!" His father added and continued to laugh all in all ruining his son's appetite and night.
"Hey! That's not true!" Shikamaru objected but no one seemed to listen.
"Well, you don't know it since you're asleep." His mother countered cheerfully.
"What are you—? This is punishment!" Shikamaru said with a scowl forming.
"No, it's called OSS." Shou said as he tried to stifle a laugh.
"OSS?" Neji asked, trying his best to control from laughing. Manners, Neji, don't forget your manners. Damn it, he's enjoying this too much.
"Operation Strike Shikamaru." Shou explained.
"Strike your brother with what?" His mother asked as she started to gather the used plates.
"Strike him with all his dirty secrets!" Shou replied happily. "Dad and I are trying to make Neji-niisan see how unsuited my brother is for him!"
"I won't leave Shikamaru," Neji said with a small smile, "even if he's such a bad kisser."
"THAT IS NOT TRUE!" Shikamaru shouted as he pounded his fists on the table. No one seemed to notice his booming ire since his family was too busy snickering. "We haven't kissed yet!" He hissed as he turned to Neji.
"It doesn't hurt to lie, Shika-kun or do you want to try it now?" Neji asked the query with much innocence that Shikamaru almost gave in. Its payback time after what the asshole did to him at Hatsumomo. Neji gave his fiancé a jaunty smirk.
"This is soooooo annoying!" Shikamaru groaned.
—--
"You're a techie?" Neji asked. He stayed for some more hours upon Shou's persuasive request.
Shou nodded vibrantly. They sat at the couch while Shou's mother washed the dishes (she declined Neji's help). Shou's dad already went out for some drinks with his friends while his brother sulked in his room, angry at what they did to him over dinner.
"Unlike my brother who's more indolent than a snail, I'm more active." Shou said, his eyes getting bigger. "I love computers and other high tech stuff. I have a higher IQ than Shika-niisan so I'm usually called a geek."
"Aren't you offended?" Neji asked, seeing himself more interested on Shikamaru's brother than his fiancé.
"Nope. I don't care what they say. I go to school only once in awhile for tests and stuff other than that I hang out in my room. Our lessons are too boring, I prefer to read books."
"I love to read books, too." Neji said.
"Really? Maybe I can borrow some of your books! Mom always buys me these kiddy books with pop-ups and everything because I'm only eight years old. I hate those." Shou said with a pout.
"I'll bring you some next time." Neji said with a smile. Shou talked and acted older for his age.
"I know you and my brother really don't have a relationship." Shou blurted out suddenly astonishing Neji. The longhaired nin was rooted in his seat speechless.
"Shika-niisan isn't into such relationships so when I heard he's engaged I knew it was a lie. I can also see that you don't have that kind of feelings for each other based on your actions. He's just helping you with something, right?"
Neji stared at Shou, surprise evident in his eyes. He never underestimated Shou's intelligence but Neji never thought the little boy could instantly crack his secret. Alarm suddenly spread in Neji's body but Shou placed a hand on his, stopping his rising panic.
"Don't worry, Neji-niisan, I won't say anything." Shou said with a reassuring smile. "I know you won't get my brother in trouble so I trust you. Shika-niisan maybe lazy but I can feel he's starting to get protective over you, someway or another."
Neji turned his head away making Shou smirk—Neji thought the smirk resembled Shikamaru's. "That's a good start since he's too selfish to care about others. I never saw him so embarrassed about his dirty secrets. Before he was more concerned about the fine weather and clouds and now he's going too conscious for his own good. I think he's beginning to like you, Neji-niisan. He's just too lazy to admit it."
What the hell 'like' means, Neji didn't question further. Shou was definitely a genius, more than you could imagine. More than Neji could imagine. The lad then changed the topic as quickly as lightning.
"Come on! Let's go to nii-san's room!" Shou gleefully said and Neji couldn't stop him since he was already being dragged upstairs.
"This is nii-san's room." Shou declared as they stopped on a particular door. Before Shou knocked, Neji stopped him.
"Thanks for keeping it a secret." Neji said honestly.
Shou gave him a big childish smile as an answer then without knocking (changed his mind), barged into Shikamaru's room."
Neji almost let out a growl. The room was a mess! There were clothes scattered here and there across Shikamaru's room. Books and scrolls grazed the table and Shikamaru was there all good and fine with it.
"Get out." Shikamaru mumbled his words since he buried his head on the pillow, lying prone on his bed, the only furniture in the room looking like furniture.
"Your fiancée's here." Shou said. He seemed used to Shikamaru's untidy room.
"I don't care. Get out." Shikamaru retorted not bothering to raise his head.
In an instant and out of nowhere, Shou produced a small video cam eagerly scanning the room and obviously recording the mess. Neji on the other hand struggled to step foot on the room since there were too many clothes and whatnot strewn across the floor leaving no space for walking.
"Where is your room, Shikamaru? I can't see it." Neji said with a mocking tone as he turned his head this way and that as if finding for something
"Hey…" Shikamaru growled as he finally raised his head from the pillow. He was obviously pissed already.
"Oh sorry," Neji remarked mockingly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I thought this was the attic."
Shou laughed at Neji's statement. Shikamaru sat on his bed and made a shooing motion of his hand. "Out! Both of you."
Neji ignored Shikamaru's warning and proceeded to take a step further inside Shikamaru's room. And he fully regretted it. WHOLLY REGRETTED IT. Neji stopped in his tracks like a statue, one foot in front of another. His eye twitched with irritation controlling him from looking downward. Oh my fucking heavens! He insidiously swore he would burn his sock until it turned to dust and exfoliate his feet for a good week as soon as he gets home.
"What is it?" Shikamaru said nonchalantly upon seeing Neji's sudden weird look.
Shou who was more than ready for any happening looked down towards Neji's direction together with his video cam and then burst out laughing, hysterically.
Shikamaru also looked down and upon scrutiny turned deep red. He was instantly on his feet, pushed Neji aside and grabbed the piece of cloth, hiding it behind him.
"That is horrendous, Nara." Neji snarled every word. He was a dignified man with a preferably good hygiene and here comes this… this klutz! What the hell was that boxer doing on the floor! Doesn't he have a hamper! And to think that the boxer was color yellow! Spongebob Squarepants! He was eighteen years old for goodness' sake! Neji thought he was going to get a headache.
Shou's laughter hasn't died down yet making Shikamaru redder and redder each passing minute. "Nii-san! Ahahaha-you-ahaheehee-you're… you're more childish than I am! Another set of laughter.
"Come on, Shika-niisan! Move a little more to the left for a good look of your face. That's right! Turn a little more and oooh, I'm getting a perfect view of Neji-niisan's face. This is such a perfect moment. I should duplicate some copies just to make sure." Shou declared as he turned from side to side, his video cam rolling.
"Get out! Out!" Shikamaru hollered. "This is so annoying!"
"Neji? Oh there you are someone's here to fetch you already." Shikamaru's mother emerged from the door. Then seeing the mess, "Nara Shikamaru! I've just cleaned your bedroom the other day and now it's like this again!"
Neji turned around to acknowledge Shikamaru's mother; then he went downstairs.
Shikamaru's mom walked inside his lazy son's room and pinched him in the ear.
"Ouch mom! Stop it!" Shikamaru wailed. His mother released his poor ear and scolded him.
"Hurry up! Aren't you going to say goodbye to Neji!"
Knowing he can't argue with his mother's wrath this time, he quickly arranged himself and went downstairs, irritation not leaving him due to his brother's unending laughter.
—--
"Thank you for everything, Mrs. Nara. I really appreciate the dinner." Neji bowed as he stood in the foyer.
"It's nothing, dear. I hope you can come back again and sorry if my husband's not around."
Neji smiled gratefully and nodded. He faced Shou and said his goodbye. "It was nice meeting you, Shou. I'll send the books to your brother."
"Okay." Shou said with a knowing smile he and Neji shared.
Neji faced his fiancé and nodded as a goodbye. Shikamaru just shrugged. Neji already turned around when Shou promptly stopped him. The Hyuuga raised a brow in question. Shou then punched his brother on the thigh (he's small remember?) and pouted.
"What?" Shikamaru said not knowing Shou's sudden action. Even their mother looked in confusion. Even Neji looked baffled.
"The gift!" Shou said.
"Gift?" Shikamaru asked. What fucking gift?
"You said you bought a gift for Neji-niisan! Give it to him!"
Realization hit Shikamaru then considering their situation he fibbed. "I don't have a gift."
"Liar!" Shou said with a smirk and ran off towards the living room and soon enough went back with a small package in his hand. Shikamaru berated himself internally for not hiding it more properly. Shou shoved the box into his brother's hand and pushed him towards Neji.
Shikamaru's mother smiled sweetly. "Shika! Never knew you bought your fiancée a gift!"
The lazy nin snorted. He was just persuaded by this vendor selling hair accessories yesterday. He saw these ornate accessories women used to place in their hair when he remembered Neji using one, too. One of the combs looked rather suitable for Neji since it was silver in color with gold flower designs on the edges. Shikamaru thought it resembled Neji's eyes that sometimes looked like almost lilac and sometimes, silver, in accordance with lighting. He bought it since the vendor suggested it and here it was in a box.
"Give it to him!" Shou growled and punched his brother on the thigh again.
Shikamaru, left with no choice slowly handed the small box to Neji without looking at him. Neji took it and eyed the small white box with a purple ribbon around it. "What's in it?"
"Open it!" Shikamaru's mom and Shou both suggested excitedly.
Neji knew he couldn't step out of the Nara house unless he opened it so he did. When he saw a silver ornate comb he was surprised. It was pretty he and he liked it compared to the ones he previously used. Then a thought came to mind but he quickly discarded it. He will plan it later. "Thank you, Shikamaru." Was all he said which he truly meant.
Neji said his goodbye and walked off leaving Shikamaru being eyed devilishly by his mother and brother. This night was so troublesome! And to think that tomorrow's his engagement! Argh! Why can't he just die!
"It was nothing!" Shikamaru said defiantly. "The vendor forced me to buy that!"
"Really…." His mother and brother said slowly still eyeing him.
"Really!" Shikamaru grunted and walked off hearing both their stifled giggles behind. Oh man, now they're thinking he's really in love with the Hyuuga bastard!
TBC
A/N: My birthday today. Reviews are well appreciated. Come on, give me some love and greet me. Hehehehe. Thanks and do have a nice day. I'm off to school.
(1) Can you remember that? When Ino almost challenged Neji but retreated then? That's the one.