CHAPTER 20: Sandstorm
###
The red skies began a couple of days later.
Shikamaru and Neji were training on their own, as Asuma-sensei had been called away to help with a mission. It was late afternoon and Neji was trying to give him some sword pointers when Shikamaru suddenly stopped, looking up at the sky. Whatever he saw there made him smile. Neji looked up, too, but there was nothing, just the normal sky and clouds.
"Come on," Shikamaru said, his eyes lighting up. "I want to show you something."
Neji was skeptical that it wasn't just a pretext for Shikamaru to laze about some more, but they had gotten in a few hours training, so he supposed there was no harm in knocking off early. He followed Shikamaru along a rocky, winding path, higher and higher, until they reached the top of a flat, open cliff. He wasn't sure what they were going to do there – spar? – but he wasn't too surprised when his lazy friend simply sat down on a rock, gazing up at the sky.
Neji tossed a spray of pebbles over the edge of the cliff. The sun was low in the sky, which had turned a deep golden color, the shade of honey. "Why are we here?"
Shikamaru didn't answer. As they waited, the colors overhead intensified, brilliant shades of vermilion and scarlet painting the sky all around them until everything was bathed in fiery splendor. The clouds were tongues of flame; the rocks seemed to glow like banked coals.
Neji knew logically, of course, that the sun set every night. But he had never taken notice of it. And he had never experienced anything like this. It was spectacular, it was endless; even the air seemed charged with it. It took his breath away, and he could not speak either. They watched in reverent silence until the last rays faded away. Shikamaru smiled at Neji and he smiled back, feeling strangely moved. Still not saying much, they walked back down the rocky path. On the road toward Shikamaru's house they encountered Kiba.
"See the sky?" Shikamaru called to him by way of greeting.
"Sandstorm!" Kiba yelled, adding a whoop and a couple of animal yells for good measure. "Meet at your house tomorrow?"
"Yeah, that's fine," Shikamaru said, adding in an overly casual tone, "The Sabaku are coming with us."
"Well, la-di-friggin-da!" Kiba said. "How'd that happen? Naruto, I guess?"
Shikamaru shrugged, not saying anything. Looking at him curiously, Neji could see a faint flush coloring his cheeks. Any of Shikamaru's other friends in his place, he knew, would be teasing Shikamaru about his attraction to the future Kazekage's sister. But Neji couldn't bring himself to do that. He didn't like Sabaku Temari, and hated the thought that Shikamaru did.
Shikamaru's parents were out for the night, so Shikamaru stopped in at the large kitchen that provided meals for the shinobi force to get some dinner for the two of them. The young kitchen girl smiled at Neji. The older couple who ran the kitchen, however, were not so welcoming. The man shot him a distrustful look and spoke only to Shikamaru; while the old woman gazed at him with outright dislike. Neji glared back.
"So," Shikamaru said as they ate dinner, "you never knew either of your parents?" He asked the question in the same seemingly casual tone he had used when telling Kiba the Sabaku would be coming with them. Like before, though, Neji knew it wasn't a casual question. He should have known Shikamaru wouldn't let the subject drop that easily.
"I knew my father. He died when I was four."
"In the war?...oh, no, wait…." Shikamaru shook his head at himself as he did the math.
"A neighboring village – the Cloud village – attacked us," Neji said. "We killed one of them and they demanded a life in return. To keep the peace, my father was sacrificed." He could hear the emotion in his own voice; he could see the shock on Shikamaru's face. He knew he should calm down and say something about how it had been necessary to keep the peace and he knew his clan had made the right decision. But he couldn't. He just couldn't.
"I'm sorry," Shikamaru said.
###
Shikamaru knew he should question Neji further about this. Neji had lied about something; seemingly not something that made that much difference either way. After all, who would really consider him a helpless orphan if it was his uncle rather than his father who was head of the clan? Especially after he had killed Kidoumaru with a single blow? And Neji was not someone who told unnecessary lies. There had to be more to the story than that. But hearing the pain in Neji's voice, seeing him fight to get himself under control, he just couldn't.
"I'm sorry," he said instead.
###
The sunrise the next morning brought red skies as well, though not as vividly colored as the night before. Shikamaru said this was a good omen. Neji still couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that they would be camping out in the middle of a sandstorm. But Shikamaru and his friends seemed to think it was great fun, and one of the high points of the season.
"We'll need to get some supplies," Shikamaru said, thinking aloud. "And you'll need a storm cloak."
"Is that different from a regular cloak? Because I have the one you gave me," Neji said, trying to head Shikamaru off from spending any more money on him. He was always aware of how much he already owed the Naras.
"Completely different," Shikamaru said, which proved to be indeed the case. Unlike the heavy wool cloaks worn at night, the storm cloak was made of a strong, lightweight material and had a flap of fine mesh on the hood that could be used to cover your face. Shikamaru explained that it was meant to be protection against the wind and sand, and could also be used to sleep on at night. "Plus," he added with a little grin, "it's good for sliding."
Sliding? Neji gave him a questioning glance.
"You'll see." They moved through the market stalls, buying dried fish and fruit and a new flashlight, then Shikamaru headed into the shoemaker's shop to pick up his sandals, which were being resoled. Neji waited outside, idly looking over a table of antique weapons. Some were very old, and he could only guess at their use. Tenten would love to see this, he thought. As always, at the memory of someone from home, he felt a twinge, knowing he might never be able to go back there again.
"Hey, I know you, from the Pet Room, yeah," a voice said behind Neji. He turned to see the distinctive high blond ponytail and purple fingernails of Deidara. "Going stormin', huh?" Deidara asked with a bright grin, indicating the cloak and other supplies in Neji's basket. "Riding the back of the big bird, yeah!" With a little wave, he swept off through the market, leaving Neji staring after him quizzically. Riding the back of what now?
Back at the house, they packed and got ready, and Shikamaru advised Neji to change his clothes. "You should dress lightly, just shorts to sleep in, and a light layer over that, since we're going to be hiking most of the day in the sun. You might be cooler if you tied your hair up, too. But that's up to you," he added quickly.
Neji did not respond. But inwardly he was considering what Shikamaru had said. His long hair was hot in the desert sun. In Konoha they usually trained in the forest, where there was plenty of shade. He wasn't sure he was ready for a drastic change, but he settled for tying it at the back of his neck, rather than at the ends. Uchiha Itachi wore his hair like that, after all.
Loud talking and laughter downstairs heralded the arrival of Shikamaru's teammates and friends, and they headed down to join the group.
"First sandstorm, Neji?" Sakura asked, smiling at him somewhat nervously. Ever since his outburst on Shikamaru's birthday, she and Ino had kept their distance around him.
Not so Naruto, who threw a happy arm around Neji's shoulders. "You're gonna love it!"
As they approached the south gate, a trio of figures awaited them. There was the annoying girl with the blonde puffs of hair that liked Shikamaru, the boy with the cat face-paint Neji had seen at the business meeting, and another person, standing atop a boulder a little ways back from the others. Shikamaru and his friends called a greeting as they approached, and Neji got his first look at the young future Kazekage, Gaara. He was short, with vivid red hair and a serious expression. Dark circles ringed his sea-green eyes, which he had accented with kohl. Neji remembered Shikamaru telling him that it was traditionally believed to protect the eyes from the desert sun, although most people nowadays simply wore sunglasses. Above his left eye was a tattoo: the kanji characters for "love." Neji found this incongruously at odds with Gaara's unsmiling demeanor and generally intimidating reputation.
Shikamaru and his friends greeted the Sabaku in a much more formal way than they had greeted each other. Neji noticed that they seemed somewhat intimidated by Gaara, with the exception of Naruto, who gave him a happy hug, and Ino, who sent a fliratious smile his way.
All of the Sabaku siblings were carrying large, heavy-looking packs on their backs, presumably the parts of the tent. Shikamaru walked over to Temari, gesturing at the pack she carried. "Can I help you with that?"
"What makes you think I need help?"
Shikamaru gave her a teasing grin. "Well, you are the weaker sex."
"Oh, really?" Temari retorted. "I don't recall being weaker when we met on that mission a couple of weeks ago."
"Hey, how come you don't offer to carry my pack?" Kankuro chimed in. "I guess my sister has a couple of things I don't, huh?"
"Do you mean her breasts?" Sai asked with an absolutely serious expression, causing Kiba and Naruto to nearly fall on the ground laughing, and Temari to shoot them all a dirty look.
"Kankuro," Gaara said in a low, flat voice that nevertheless made everyone turn and take notice. "Stop making an ass of yourself, and let's go."
They headed out of the village. For the first few miles, the trail was the usual rocky, hilly terrain that Neji was used to. Then it opened out into large open areas that were pure sand. This was the desert, where few things lived and rain almost never fell. Even the cactuses and twisted, scrubby pines that clung to the rocky soil nearer the village had petered out.
With no trees and only occasional rocks to provide shade, the sun beat down on them mercilessly. Shikamaru and some of the others pulled cloths from their packs and soaked them with water, then tied them over their heads. Chouji showed Neji how to do the same. Ahead of them, Ino was trying her best to charm Gaara, who responded in monosyllables.
There was a trick to walking on sand like this; Shikamaru had tried to teach it to Neji earlier in the week in preparation for the long hike. Neji wasn't sure how well he had picked it up. He could feel the exertion in his leg muscles, although no one else seemed affected. The Sabaku especially seemed to make it look effortless, even with their large packs. Gaara moved so easily he seemed to be coasting over the sand. Neji gritted his teeth and slogged along.
###
Shikamaru found himself walking beside Temari. He was trying to think of something to say to her when she said without preamble, "So tell me about this White-Eyes."
He wondered if it was Neji she was interested in, and he had mistakenly dared to imagine it was him she liked a little. Neji was certainly more good-looking, and way cooler. But he was from the North, and she certainly hadn't seemed too enthusiastic about his presence here today. "What about him?" he said, as casually as he could.
"I've heard some things…" She slanted a look at him. "Kankuro was at the business meeting. He said your family took him as a Pet?"
Shikamaru felt himself flush. "In name only." He told her the story. Unlike Ino, however, Temari did not proclaim him a hero and fling her arms around his neck. Instead, she shot him a look of disbelief mixed with revulsion.
"So you're ruining your clan's good name for a White-Eyes that you already know is wanted for murder?"
"It was self-defense. Kidoumaru attacked him."
"Hn." Temari's expression said plainly that she wouldn't have done it. "But why actually go through with the whole thing? As smart as you're supposed to be, you couldn't find a way around that little worm Kabuto?"
"I…" Shikamaru felt his face get hot again, remembering the pressure of that night, how overwhelmed and out of his league he had felt, a fifteen-year-old kid up against the likes of Orochimaru and Danzo. "It all happened very quickly. If I'd had more time –"
"Or maybe you actually wanted to keep him as a Pet," Temari said. "I suppose it might seem like a cool idea, having a Pet White-Eyes to do your bidding and show off to your friends."
"That's so far from the truth," Shikamaru said, letting some of his anger at the idea show through.
"Okay, okay," Temari said. "I don't like or trust the North clans, but I detest slavery even more."
"Likewise," Shikamaru snapped. "And in case you're wondering," he felt compelled to add, "I didn't want him as a Pet for any other reason either. I like girls."
Temari raised an eyebrow at that, giving him an enigmatic look. They walked on in silence for a while. He was very conscious of her next to him, the golden skin of her arms through her mesh shirt, the faint floral scent of her.
"One thing I'm still confused about," Temari said after several moments, in which Shikamaru was wondering if it would be possible to take her hand without her brothers killing him.
Or his friends noticing and teasing him about it forever after.
Or Neji seeing and – well, he wasn't sure what, but he had a feeling Neji wouldn't be happy about it. Neji didn't like Temari.
Or – wait, she had said something. "What?"
"How did Orochimaru manage to kidnap a White-Eyes in the first place?"
"They drugged him."
"But why would they do that? Usually Orochimaru goes for the easy ones – runaways, orphans with no family connections. Why would he take a wealthy, high-ranking kid? And not ask for a ransom, but just bring him back here?"
"Maybe he didn't realize who Neji was right away."
"So, he traveled all the way to the North, and then just randomly grabbed and drugged someone, and never noticed it was a White-Eyes?"
"Yeahhh...okay. Well, maybe it was one of the sons. They're not the sharpest kunais in the pack. Maybe one of them went rogue, grabbed Neji, and then Orochimaru didn't want to risk it – just him and a few members of his clan against the Hyuugas."
"Why not just dump him somewhere? Surely that's easier than carting around an unconscious, easily identifiable body for almost a month of travel."
Shikamaru winced inwardly at the words, even as he admired her analytical mind. "Orochimaru likes to experiment on human beings. Maybe he wanted Hyuuga DNA for some reason." Just saying the words made him shudder, made him want to go to Neji. "Who knows what twisted, sick plots he's hatching up?"
"Exactly. This is all just speculation." Temari shook her head. "Sorry, but I only see two explanations, neither of them good. Either Orochimaru has gotten bolder and is up to something, which means he's more dangerous. Or your white-eyed friend is lying to you."
Temari had reason to hate the North. They had killed her father. But her tone was not so much angry as troubled. Hearing it laid out quietly like that, he couldn't automatically spring to Neji's defense. But he didn't like to think about either alternative.
He had a strong impulse to turn and look at Neji. But he didn't want the Hyuuga to know they had been talking about him. He was grateful when the wind picked up a minute later and he had an excuse to turn toward the others.
###
As the wind picked up, Neji could feel the sand stinging the backs of his legs. Shikamaru turned from his conversation with Blonde Puffball Girl to give a little wave in Neji's direction. He wondered resentfully what they had been talking about all this time. Him? He had seen her glance in his direction a few times, though Shikamaru had not.
Now, however, she was looking toward her brother, the future Kazekage, in a questioning way.
"About a mile further, he says," Naruto called to her.
A mile to what? Neji wondered. All he could see in every direction was sand, sand, and more sand. But, a short while later, Gaara suddenly halted. Everyone else immediately stopped too, and dropped their packs to the ground.
"Good spot," a couple of people said, although to Neji's eyes it didn't look much different from the last several miles of barren sand they had traversed. He wondered if they were just sucking up to the future Kazekage.
They set up the tent quickly. The wind was really blowing now, and the sand felt like needles against Neji's exposed skin. Everyone seemed to know what to do except him. Hating the unaccustomed feeling of uselessness, he followed Shikamaru's instructions as carefully as he could. When the tent was set up, it resembled a dark blue dome with a small screened outer area. Everyone crowded into the screened area and began pulling food and drinks from their packs.
"Guess what I've got," Kankuro singsonged, holding up a package.
"Me too!" Kiba crowed.
"Ewww, no!" Ino shrieked in dramatic horror.
Neji looked at Shikamaru questioningly. "Scorpion," Shikamaru said, gesturing at the bundles that were being unwrapped. Sure enough, what emerged did look like a giant scorpion shell stuffed with…some kind of unidentifiable chopped-up bits.
"Please tell me you don't actually eat scorpions."
Shikamaru shrugged. "It's not that bad, really," he said, helping himself to some.
"It's disgusting, Neji," Sakura said.
"Yeah, not that bad," Naruto said. "It's just chopped up scorpion guts and cactus prickles and a whole bunch of other crap, probably including some sand!"
"Scorpion meat and cactus fruit," Shikamaru corrected.
"Be a man and eat it!" Kankuro called.
"Excuse me?" his sister said, shooting him a death glare as she stuffed a handful in her mouth. Gaara, too, was tucking in with relish.
Neji cautiously took the piece Shikamaru was holding out to him. It looked foul and smelled worse. Fighting back his revulsion, he took a small bite and almost choked. Not only was it scorchingly spicy, of course, but everything – the taste, the texture – was utterly revolting. He had fully intended to eat at least a mouthful, just to uphold his honor, but this was too vile. His face burning, he grabbed a napkin and spat it out, as several of the scorpion-eaters roared with laughter.
"Well, it's not for everyone," Shikamaru said apologetically, although he too was smiling a little bit. There were plenty of other things to eat as well, which Shikamaru, Chouji, and Neji's fellow non-scorpion-eaters now passed in Neji's direction.
"Hey, don't waste it on a dog!" Kankuro chided Kiba, who was giving some to Akamaru. "That's as bad as wasting it on…" He didn't finish the sentence, but shot a look in Neji's direction.
"Akamaru's my partner," Kiba retorted. "We share everything."
"Everything?" There were a few hoots and smirks about that, which the hot-tempered Kiba shouted down.
Neji ate quietly. Once again, he had been the butt of a joke, which stung. And he hated the little smile Temari sent Shikamaru's way as she daintily blotted her lips after eating. So far, he was not loving this whole sandstorm experience.
When dinner was finished, to Neji's shock, everyone began casually taking off their clothes. The boys pulled off their shirts, and the girls stripped down to tank tops and short skirts.
"You might want to take your shirt off," Shikamaru advised Neji. "It's pretty warm in the tent."
Neji ignored this. He was decidedly not taking off his shirt, not even if it was a hundred degrees in there. Gaara unzipped the flap to the dome, and people began to crawl inside. Temari went first, followed closely by her brother Kankuro, then the others. Neji and Shikamaru were almost at the end. Shikamaru went behind Chouji, and Neji followed him. Last to come in was Gaara. He took his place next to Neji, leaving some distance between them.
Inside, Neji looked around the tent. The heavy material kept the wind out well, and there was a floor, so that they were not sitting on sand. Everyone was getting comfortable, sitting with their backs against the tent wall or stretching out with their feet in the center, using their packs for pillows. There was much excited chatter and laughter. As Shikamaru had advised, the tent was warm, but not overwhelmingly so.
"Everybody ready?" Temari asked, once again looking at Shikamaru. She and Gaara, on either side of the opening, pulled in the screened section, secured it, and sealed the flap shut. Instantly, they were enveloped in darkness. Shikamaru had said there would be no outside light. Neji wasn't troubled by that; he had good night vision. But this was more than dark; it was complete and utter blackness. Even with his eyes wide open, he could see nothing at all, not even the tiniest sliver of light.
Something brushed his thigh, and he instinctively recoiled. "Sorry," Shikamaru's voice said next to him. "Just getting something from my pack."
"No problem," Neji said. He willed himself to not be so jumpy. No one was going to be trying anything inside the tent, not with so many other people here – and least of all Shikamaru, who was obviously more interested in the future Kazekage's sister.
"I can put on a flashlight," Shikamaru whispered to him.
"It's okay," Neji assured him. As time went on, he found that he didn't mind the dark; in fact, he rather liked it. In the dark all the voices mingled together, and the rising sound of the wind blurred them just enough so it was hard to tell who was talking. There were no awkward silences after he spoke; no one stared at his eyes or his hair. He was not a Pet or a North Country-er here; he was simply one of the group. He listened to the conversation and joking, occasionally joining in, feeling easier than he had in months.
Shikamaru had slid down, letting his head rest against Neji's shoulder. Neji could have moved over, into the pocket of space left on his right by Gaara, but it gave him a warm feeling, having Shikamaru there. He too made himself comfortable, stretching out as much as he could without dislodging Shikamaru. He didn't usually stay up late, and he was getting drowsy. Against the ebb and flow of voices and laughter, and the rising, rushing wind, he closed his eyes and felt sleep overtaking him.
###
Shikamaru sat with his eyes closed – no point in keeping them open; there was nothing to see – but he was not asleep. He thought this was the best sandstorm yet. Neji was here, and so was Temari, though he could take or leave her brothers. The wind was howling now, scudding up against the tent. There was much laughter and cries of, "WOAH!" and "WOOHOO!" as liftoff began. Shikamaru was tossed against Chouji by the motion, then back against Neji.
"Cool, huh?" he called to Neji, leaning closer to be heard. But Neji didn't answer. Was he asleep already? Remembering Neji's earlier reaction, Shikamaru didn't want to chance grabbing him or shaking him in the dark. He sat back, enjoying the ride but feeling disappointed that Neji was missing all the fun.
###
Neji drifted in and out of confused dreams. His father was there, smiling at him, and then he was riding Shadow. He looked around for Shikamaru and found his friend right there behind him on the horse. "Cool, huh?" Shikamaru said. Neji sank down into deeper sleep.
He was lying in his own bed in Konoha again, but something was happening. The ground was shaking, tilting…he felt his bed slide across the floor, and someone was screaming….His first thought was that the Cloud Village was attacking! They had come again, and he was filled with a huge terror, because they were going to take his father…he had to stop them, but he couldn't move from his bed because the building was tilting so much…and someone was screaming, screaming, screaming…
Neji opened his eyes, which did him no good because he could not see a thing. His heart was pounding. The sound from his dream was real, but it was the endless howling of the wind. And the shaking was real as well, he realized to his horror. The tent was pitching and rocking, and he could no longer feel solid ground underneath him. They were in the air! He had terrible visions of them all being dashed against the rocks, or flung over the side of a cliff by the winds. The talking had stopped; they had to all be asleep.
He felt for Shikamaru's shoulder in the dark and grabbed it, shaking him awake hurriedly. "Shikamaru – get up! The tent is moving, it's blowing away!"
Shikamaru mumbled something unintelligible.
"We have to get out of here!"
From Neji's right came another voice, low and flat and contemptuous. "It's meant to do that. If you try to go out there in the sandstorm, you'll die." It was Gaara, who apparently did not sleep. "Stop panicking; it's dangerous for everyone."
Shikamaru's arm went around him, pulling him down tightly against Shikamaru's chest and holding him in place. "Don't do anything stupid," Shikamaru breathed into his ear. "The tent is made to do that, to move with the winds, so it doesn't get buried in sand. We do this every year, it's normal."
"But –"
Shikamaru gripped his upper arm firmly. "Just relax. I've been doing this since I was eight, in our old crappy tent. This is the Kazekage's tent; it's state of the art." Neji could feel Shikamaru's breath against his ear. "Don't give Gaara a reason to kill you, because he just might," Shikamaru whispered. "He's one scary little dude."
It still felt unsafe to Neji, and he was not afraid of Gaara, but he didn't want to cause any trouble for Shikamaru's family by harming the future Kazekage. He stayed still, but remained hypervigilant, sure that at any moment the tent ropes were going to snap. He was resting somewhat awkwardly, pinned against the bare chest of Shikamaru, who was already drifting back to sleep. He tried to move a little, to free himself without disturbing Shikamaru.
Shikamaru stirred. "Enjoy it…s'cool," Shikamaru mumbled drowsily. "Like flying…" His other hand came up, stroking Neji's hair. Neji froze. Several things went through his mind at once. Was Shikamaru interested in him in that way? Or was he just trying to calm Neji down? And now Neji was almost certain it had been Shikamaru who had stroked his hair and talked to him when he had been sick. But why?
He was also still not entirely convinced the tent wasn't going to blow away and kill them all.
"Your hair's so soft…" Shikamaru murmured. "S'really nice…" Neji was speechless. He hoped to hell the future Kazekage hadn't heard that. And did Shikamaru even know it was Neji he was holding, or did he think it was one of the girls?
He realized he had two choices. He could stay awake and watchful, ready for whatever might happen. That was what he should do, he knew. Or he could trust these South Country natives that there was no danger, stay where he was, and let himself fall back to sleep. Against his better judgment, Neji found himself relaxing under the soothing touch of Shikamaru's fingers in his hair and the warmth of Shikamaru's skin. The motion of the tent wasn't bad, just strange. If he accepted that it wasn't dangerous, it was almost like what he imagined flying must feel like. Deidara's comment came into his mind. Riding the back of the giant bird…
He drifted into sleep and a much more pleasant dream this time, soaring through the singing skies, high above the sand.
###
Shikamaru roused himself a bit from a pleasant dream of floating among the clouds. He was not as completely under as he had let Neji believe. When Neji woke him up, freaking out about the tent moving, it had taken him completely aback. He cursed himself for forgetting to tell Neji about this; he had tried to prepare him for the experience, but had thought the dark and the closeness would be the hard part. He also hadn't thought Neji would fall asleep so soon. Liftoff happened gradually, and Shikamaru and almost everyone else had been awake when it began, enjoying the ride as it picked up with the intensity of the wind. He had finally dozed off after a couple of hours, only to be shaken awake by Neji in a panic. Although he had really wanted to just go back to sleep, he knew he had to do something. The last thing he needed was for Neji to start some altercation with Gaara. Remembering how it had worked the first time, on that terrible night of the Pet Mark, he tried petting Neji's hair to calm him down. But, recalling also how Neji had flinched earlier when Shikamaru just brushed against him, he had pretended to be pretty much unconscious in order to seem more harmless.
It appeared to have worked; Neji had settled down, and he didn't feel so tense. Shikamaru let himself doze. When he awakened briefly again, Neji was sound asleep on his chest, breathing deeply. He stroked the silky ends of Neji's hair, smiling in the darkness.
###
Neji smiled in his sleep without knowing why, only vaguely aware that he felt warm, and safe, and that whatever he was lying on had a pleasant scent. A splash of bright light across his eyelids awakened him. Blinking, he raised his head and saw that the tent flap had been opened by Gaara, who was kneeling at the opening, gazing raptly out. The motion and noise of the storm had stopped and all was silent save for the soft sounds of people sleeping. He became aware of the heat and weight of Shikamaru's arms around him and realized he had fallen asleep like that, his face against Shikamaru's bare chest. Flushing with horrified embarrassment, he quickly disentangled himself and sat up.
But, looking around, he saw that it did not matter. For one thing, no one else was awake except Gaara, who was paying him absolutely no attention. For another, in the crowded confines of the tent, he and Shikamaru were hardly alone in sleeping so close. Sakura was leaning on Ino who had her head pillowed on Chouji. Akamaru was curled up on Kiba's and Kankuro's legs, while Temari slept with her head on her brother's arm. And Naruto was somehow in the center of the tent, sprawled out across everyone.
As Neji sat somewhat warily looking around, the rest of the group began to awaken. First was Kankuro, who sat up with a grin and then all but trampled his brother as he scrambled through the tent opening and gave an exultant yell. This roused several of the others, who followed suit, laughing and whooping as they scrambled out of the tent.
Next to Neji, Shikamaru stirred and gave him a sleepy smile, then sat up and stretched. Neji felt an instant, electric reaction sweep over him. Stunned, he turned away, staring at the tent opening. What was wrong with him? He had seen Shikamaru wake up many times before; indeed, the lazy shinobi probably spent half his time asleep.
Shikamaru did not appear to notice Neji's reaction. His thick dark hair was hanging loose and mussed about his shoulders. He reached for a hair tie and gathered it into its customary high ponytail before tapping Neji on the arm. "C'mon, let's go!"
Neji followed Shikamaru through the tent opening. Outside, the landscape had been transformed. Where there had been only flat desert the day before, now a futuristic collection of dunes and whorls of sand surrounded them. Most of the group was running up a hillock nearby. As Neji watched, they wrapped the sand cloaks around themselves, then flopped down and launched themselves over the edge, zipping down to the bottom in a flurry of sand. So that was what Shikamaru had meant by good for sliding. It reminded Neji of children sledding in the snow back in Konoha.
"Come on, try it," Shikamaru urged. He showed Neji how to wrap the cloak around himself and push himself off – and suddenly Neji was whizzing along, faster than he would have thought possible. It was both exhilarating and somewhat suffocating, as he had to keep the cloak over his head to avoid the flying sand. He misjudged the landing, rolling over and over and coming up with a faceful of sand. Another thing for them to laugh at, he thought, as he hiked back up the steep hillside, careful to stay to one side so he wouldn't get run over by other sliders.
When everyone had gone down the hill, it was time to have a quick breakfast and take down the tent. Kiba directed Akamaru to dig for the tent stakes, now buried under two or three feet of sand.
"I guess that dog is useful for something after all," Kankuro conceded. He had left off his cat ears and most of his makeup this morning, and actually looked like a normal human being for once.
After everything was packed up, Neji had expected to head back the way they had come. Instead the whole group raced over to a huge dune and climbed it, then caromed down the other side with excited yells. This one was much bigger and rougher; it felt like being caught in a rushing current, rocketing along at a breathless pace. Neji did a little better at stopping himself this time. Looking closely at the storm cloak, he saw that the outside was made of a smooth, tough material that felt slick to the touch. Good for sliding, indeed. He started to hike back up, but noticed the others were continuing on in the other direction, toward a new dune.
Neji followed them up. He wrapped the cloak around his body. He felt the rush, felt the wind and sand whipping around him, the ungodly speed and the world a blur of colors. This time, he stayed straight as an arrow, then shifted his weight at the end, turning, so that he rocked gently to a stop.
Then, with everyone else, he ran up the next one and did it all again.
"Isn't this taking us out of our way, though?" he asked Shikamaru after the fourth or fifth dune they had traversed.
"No, we go back a different way, toward the river."
By the fifteenth or twentieth slide, Neji was more than ready for the river. There was sand in his hair, sand behind his ears, sand between his toes, and the sun was high in the sky, turning the day blazingly hot again. When Akamaru began barking wildly, and Kiba said he smelled the water, Neji cheered along with everyone else.
They arrived at a spot on the bank much further upriver than where they usually went to bathe. Here it was wider and rockier, forming a pool. Everyone stripped down again, and this time Neji did take off his shirt. Wading in, he dived under the water and swam over to one end, where it cascaded down over some rocks. He stood under the rushing water for several minutes, letting it wash away the sand and dust, the heat, the tired ache in his leg muscles, the unfriendly attitudes of the Sabaku, and his own embarrassing behavior in the tent. Finally, feeling chilled and peaceful, he stepped back. There was a small ledge behind the curtain of water, and he rested here, watching the others splash about.
Shikamaru came swimming over in his direction. He too, let the water pour over his head for a few minutes before joining Neji on the rock ledge.
"You look happy," he observed. "So, did you like it?"
It had definitely been like nothing Neji had ever experienced before. "Yeah…I did."
Shikamaru looked so pleased at this that Neji couldn't help smiling as well.
###
Shikamaru couldn't help smiling to see Neji looking happy. He had wondered, especially in light of what had happened in the tent, if Neji would think the whole thing was bizarre, just another barbaric South custom. He also wished the Sabaku would be a little more accepting. Yes, he knew their father had died at the hands of Northern soldiers, but Neji hadn't been one of them.
"Just not the scorpion," Neji said. "That was disgusting."
He was smiling as he said it, sitting close to Shikamaru and leaning forward to trail his fingertips in the water so that he was looking up at Shikamaru a little, and he had finally taken his shirt off, and there were tiny beads of water on his long eyelashes, sparkling in the sun…. Shikamaru had a sudden, intense impulse to lean forward and kiss him.
He pulled back, shocked, and leaned against the rock and closed his eyes. What was wrong with him? Neji was not his Pet; not someone to be touched and Used in that way. He dived under the water and swam away, over to where some of his other friends were lolling around on the bank.
He tried to put it out of his mind on the rest of the walk back. They followed the river, where the sand was less and there were no dunes to climb. Temari was walking ahead of him, squeezing the water from her hair. Unlike the other girls, she didn't care about getting her hair wet. He watched her playfully shove her brother Kankuro.
He liked girls. It had been just a crazy thought back there; a trick of his imagination.
###
It must have been just his imagination, back there on the ledge, Neji decided. Shikamaru had leaned toward him, his lips parted and his eyes half-closed. Neji had thought for a minute – he had thought…
…something…was maybe about to happen.
He didn't know if he had wanted it to happen or not. His heart had sped up and he thought he had stopped breathing. But nothing had happened. It must have been just a trick of the light.
Along the roads and even in the streets of the village, too, the sand was piled up everywhere and swirled into fantastical patterns. Some of the houses still had their windows shuttered, protection against the winds and flying sand. Walking back, everyone was more subdued now, tired out. Neji was next to Chouji, with his ever-present bag of snacks. Ahead of them was Sai, drawing even as he walked. And now Shikamaru was paying Neji no attention, instead staring at the annoying Temari. Well, that was as it should be. Shikamaru liked girls; he wasn't interested in Neji. And Neji didn't want him to be.
All the same, he was relieved when they parted ways with the Sabaku and headed to the Nara compound.
###
Shikamaru was relieved to be home, to drop his pack and flop down on his bed, dislodging Michiko, who had taken up residence there in his absence. Undaunted, she came right back to sit on him.
He watched Neji getting ready for bed. Neji had a little ritual, he had noticed. Every night before he lay down to sleep he would untie his hair, brush it, and retie it. Then he would sit in meditation for a few minutes, before turning out the light and closing his eyes.
Right now Neji was brushing his hair. Shikamaru remembered the softness of that long silky hair under his fingers; remembered the feeling of holding Neji in his arms.
He had a sudden crazy impulse to go over there, wrap his arms around Neji from behind, bury his face in Neji's hair, pull him down onto the futon, and spend the night that way.
Temari's words came back to him. Maybe you actually wanted to keep him as a Pet.
No, no, never. He shook himself vigorously, trying to banish that thought forever. He had sworn never to touch Neji in that way against his will – and by the way Neji had reacted when Shikamaru just brushed against him in the tent last night, he was pretty sure everything he was imagining would be against Neji's will. Legally, Neji might be his Pet, but to actually treat him as a Pet – to make those words true – would be a violation of everything he stood for and all the trust Neji had placed in him.
He tried to think of Temari instead. She was beautiful, she was tough, she was smart, she wasn't silly like the other girls. She had saved his ass there on the mission. Why was he even thinking about Neji at all when she was there?
The answer he had given Chouji popped into his mind: He was real.
Temari was amazing, but did he really know her? Did she really know him? And was there even the remotest chance that he would ever really wind up with the Kazekage's sister? It was exciting to be around her, but in the end it was more a fantasy than anything else.
Neji was real. He could tell what Shikamaru was thinking a lot of the time; he was there in Shikamaru's life and in his home. He and Shikamaru had been together through some of the lowest points they had had to face, and they had had each other's backs.
And Neji had slept in his arms last night. It didn't get much more real than that.
But that, he reminded himself, had only been because of extraordinary circumstances. It would never happen again.
###
Neji lay in bed, remembering the past day and night. The brilliant crimson sky; the cozy darkness of the tent; the rush of sliding down the dunes; the eerily beautiful sand formations.
And waking up in Shikamaru's arms.
When will you ever get the chance to do this again? Shikamaru had said. He had been right, Neji knew. By this time next year, he would be gone from Suna, headed back to his village – if he was still even welcome there. He would not see this land again. And there were no sandstorms in the North Country. He would never lie in Shikamaru's arms again, riding the back of the big bird.
And as long as he lived, he knew, he would never forget it.
###
A.N.: Thanks for reading, everyone! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!