"Geniusly Compatible"

Summery: The sequel to 'More than a Genius.' Neji and Shikamaru decide to continue what had started on their last mission, but what exactly is one supposed to 'do' on a date with Hyuuga Neji? Shikamaru will have to find out the hard way...

This story is a continuation of 'More than a Genius,' to avoid confusion please read it first! This it is unbeta'd and full of errors, so please forgive the bad grammaticals. ;

WARNING! This story is full of yoainess, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Flames will only be pointed and laughed at for my own amusement by me and my buddy Captain Cutlas, so don't bother.

Ch.3 Morning Pick-Me-Up

Neji awoke the next morning feeling very uncomfortable, something heavy was pressing against his chest. He opened his eyes to see an arm strewn around his torso, one that definitely did not belong to him.

The events of the previous night came to the Hyuuga in a flash.'Oh yeah.' Neji blinked several times to clear the blurriness from his vision. When he tried to move, the arm tightened around him. 'Is he awake?' he turned his head to glance at Shikamaru, and what he saw made him stare.

Sometime during the night, Shikamaru had shifted around and had snagged his arm over the Hyuuga. An uncharacteristically serene expression graced the Nara's sleeping face, making him appear younger somehow. Loose strands of his hair spilled from the tie to frame his cheeks. The grey morning light shone dully on his skin, making him glow in the autumn sunlight. All of Neji's attention was fixed on the Nara's lips, which looked very soft and inviting.

Suddenly, Neji began to feel uncomfortable in another place.

'Dammit, not now!' he thought with alarm. Like all young men his age, Neji was no stranger to morning wood. Hut he would have preferred it to occur within the comfort of his own room rather than in his unsuspecting companion's bed. Neji shifted his weight in an attempt to stifle the nuisance, but in doing so he disturbed his bed mate.

The Nara's mouth parted slightly, a small sigh escaped his lips. Neji trembled as he felt his little problem turn into a 'big' problem.

It was then that Shikamaru's eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was Neji's face in extreme closeup.

"GAH!" The Nara shot back away from Neji, and smacked the back of his head against the wall. "Fucking SHIT!" Shikamaru hissed and clutched his head in pain.

"And a good morning to you too!" Neji greeted calmly, (he swung a leg around to hide his dilemma from view.) "Are you hurt badly?"

"Curse it all Neji! What the hell are you doing in my bed!"

Neji turned to grab his sandals from the floor, it seemed a idea to leave before his 'problem' was noticed by the Nara. "Are you always so vulgar in the mornings? Do you not recall that you invited me?"

"I...oh." Shikamaru's face turned bright red as he recalled the events from the previous night. He buried his face in his hands and groaned miserably. "Did I really say all those things?"

"Yes, you did" Neji smirked as he buckled on a clasp. "Among other things."

"What other things?" Shikamaru demanded over a yawn.

"I'll tell you when I get back." Neji stood up and practically raced for the door. As he reached for the knob, he struggled for an excuse to make his departure seem less suspicious. "I uh, need to take a shower at my place..." he stated with his back turned. "Is an hour alright?"

Shikamaru remained sitting in his bed, thoroughly confused at the odd behavior Neji displayed. "Um...sure, an hour is fine. Are you feeling alright, Neji?"

"Perfectly fine! I'll see you later!" The Hyuuga waved a stiff farewell and ran out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

"Huh...that was weird." Shikamaru mumbled to himself as he struggled out of bed. Sleep had taken the brunt of his intoxication, but traces remained to leave his mind foggy and aching. 'A hot shower would do.' He tugged his hairtie free and made his way to the bathroom, shedding his clothes as he did so.

'I'm going to take a REALLY cold shower when I get home!' Across town, Neji sprinted across rooftops as fast as he could to reach his personal quarters at the Hyuuga Estate. The memory of Shikamaru's lips haunted him with every step he took, increasing his 'problem' with every passing moment. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!" It was still a long journey to his home.

Nara Shikamaru regarded his reflection in the mirror, he did not particularly like what he saw. "Stupid Asuma" he grumbled and prodded the dark circles under his eyes. "I hate alcohol!" With an exasperated sigh, he turned to step into the running shower that he had been warming up.

The water streamed over his stiff body, doing wonders to ease his aching head. Shikamaru ran his hands through his hair, enjoying the feeling of the warm water comfortably engulf him. As his fingers toyed with the wet strands of his dark hair, he wondered suddenly if Neji's long hair felt as soft as it appeared.

Shikamaru's eyes snapped opened and he shook the thought from his mind. "What am I thinking?" he grumbled and reached for the soap to lather his body. He gnawed the bottom of his lip as thoughts of Neji continued to pester him.'Of course it's soft, he seems really persistent of keeping his hygiene up, the way he ran out.'

Over the sound of rushing water, Shikamaru heard his phone ringing. After a nasty curse at being forced out of the warm watery haven, he grabbed a towel and dashed for the phone.

"Yeah?" the voice sounded annoyed.

"Hi, I wanted to tell you that I just received a call from...are you all right?" Neji paused when he heard Shikamaru sputter on the other line.

"I-I'm fine, really!" The Nara's voice sounded a bit strained. "I just didn't expect you to, uh, call so soon. Has it already been an hour?"

"Not quite." Neji sighed. "The Head Office has just assigned me on a mission."

"What? So soon!" Shikamaru cried. "You're supposed to be on rehabilitation leave, can't they find someone else?"

"My specific talents are needed for this particular task." Neji scratched the back of his head. "I'm...being sent to exterminate rats."

There was a long pause on the other line as Shikamaru digested what the Hyuuga had said. "You're what?"

"I'm assigned to kill rats at Takinawa's granary." Neji felt a little embarrassed to admit the ridiculous assignment. "Its only a C-rank mission, and it's in town. The Godaime saw it as a means to rehabilitate my chakra flow."

"You're...killing rats?" Shikamaru echoed in disbelief. "Why?"

"My Byakugan can spot the rodents through the walls. Hyuuga clansmen are sometimes called forth to deal with these matters, though I personally have not been on a rat hunt since I was a child."

"So..." The Nara trailed. "You're going to be busy?"

"I will be, but the rats shouldn't take too long for me to handle." Neji smiled into the phone. "Actually, I was wondering if you would like to join me..."

TBC

And the rat hunt is on! XD (sorry for the short chappie, this is a setup for what happens next!)

Please R/R!