Sorry for the wait! School, what can I say? That and I feel bad for prolonging it. But yes, just a few things to mention:
1. Personally, I really have been 'sexiled' many a time by my roommate and I just thought Shikamaru should be too, hence my little story here.
2. And the ant problem really happened to me earlier this year though my room was perfectly clean, unlike Naruto's. We still have no idea why the little buggers decided to move in.
3. I'm horribly new with this so please bear with me. I will try to make as few spelling/grammar/syntax mistakes as possible.
p.s. 'thoughts' & "speech" and this takes place 6 years after the first part of the manga so Neji is 19 and Shikamaru is 18, all the other ages are based around those and because I do not know what happens in arc two of the manga in this story Sasuke lives in Konoha again, is not evil and dates Naruto. Hey, it could happen.
Chapter Two: The Proposition
This was not going to be good. There was just no way in which it could be.
"Huuuwoooooohhh," Shikamaru let out a held breath. He was in front of the Hyuuga's door and had his hand ready to knock on it but hadn't quite gotten up the nerve to actually do it yet. You see, he really would rather be anywhere else right now. Well, except back in his apartment listening to ungodly sounds, or in Lee's house where one could go blind looking at too much glowing green from floor to ceiling.
Okay, so maybe there were worse places to be but come on, Shikamaru was at his wit's end and this truly was the last person he could turn to. But did he want to?
He was subconsciously debating to himself whether it was a good idea to potentially stay with Neji, but then he calculated in his head that the Hyuuga would more than likely not grant his housing request so Shika decided he might as well knock, get rejected from another place to spend the weekend and go back to his apartment and guilt trip Chouji into letting him stay there and having Ino get kicked.
'Yep, that's a good plan if I do say so myself and with it I can finally stop moving around tyring to find a place and just sleep.' He thought to himself and laughed out loud.
While Shikamaru was quietly shaking his head at that thought the door opened.
Suddenly, he was staring into two opalescent eyes piqued with what he thought was something between curiosity and annoyance.
"Nara?" Hyuuga Neji asked with one eyebrow raised. This was the first time he had seen Shikamaru at his door. Hell, it was the first time he had seen the lazy shinobi at anyone's door; it was an action to be noticed.
"Eh heh," he said scratching the back of his head, "Hi Neji."
"Nara," he said again, the slightest hint of irritation, and something else Shikamaru couldn't quite place, rising to his voice. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Well, now that you mention it…can I stay in your house for the weekend?"
Neji just cocked an eyebrow, incredulous. "What?"
"Hhhh," Shika let out another sigh and began, "I've been 'sexiled,' if you will, from my own home, by Ino so she and Chouji can do who knows what and I don't want to know 'what' either. Naruto's place is infested with ants and Sasuke's on a mission with him so he's out (in more ways than one, lol). There are too many animals, insect and mammals alike, at Kiba and Shino's and that's something else I don't want to know about either. All the girls are too bothersome and your former teammate is not even an option." Neji knew exactly which teammate he was referring to and it wasn't Ten-ten.
Shika took a breath and finished, "You're the last person I can ask to take me in for the next three days so I don't have to feel the wrath of my mother if you'd be so kind, but I don't expect you will, that or like Chouji you've got someone stashed in there and I'm about to get exiled again after not even setting foot in the place." Shika was shaking his head with his eyes closed and didn't notice the color rise in Neji's cheeks at that last comment.
"Never mind," he said, looking back up at Neji, "It was too troublesome to come here in the first place." He finished and turned to leave.
"Wait, Shikamaru," Neji said, "You can stay here, if you have no other options."
Shika turned around slightly and gazed at him warily as if he had sprouted a second head, both at the fact the Hyuuga called him by his name and that he had not shut the door in his face either.
Now, it was Neji's turn to shake his head. "I'm not as cold as you think I am. Now, do you want to stay here or not?" He crossed him arms.
"Oi, it'd be too troublesome to walk anymore today anyway," he said upon stepping back up to the front door, "Thanks Neji."
"Hn," was the only response he got.
Neji led Shikamaru into his small apartment. Shika noted his surroundings as he was in a new place and as he was a shinobi, it's what he did. Know your territory before it knows you. That, and it's handy to know any escape routes in case of emergencies. Shika didn't foresee anything happening that would lead to a quick escape though.
'But then,' he thought, 'You never know.' He hadn't expected the Hyuuga to actually let him in. Yes, well, he was inside the apartment, but would he really get to spend the weekend here? Or would Neji force him to be homeless?
"Just so you know, Nara, I didn't have anyone "stashed away" in here as you mentioned early, so there is no need to worry. You won't be…'sexiled' again today. Just answer me this, is that even a word?"
Neji looked slightly perturbed at mentioning 'the word' again. Shikamaru noticed this.
Shikamaru started to laugh just loud enough and hard enough for his shoulders to quiver a slightly. He couldn't believe Neji was so distraught at saying such a simple, albeit made up, word.
"Eh, I think it's something Ino made up. Since she keeps doing it to me she had to call it something. Exiled, sexiled, they're pretty much the same in the end. I get run out of my own home with nowhere to go. Exiled. Adding the 's' just adds the emphasis as to why." Shika said succinctly, now noticing the faint pink glow in Neji's face and smiled slightly to himself.
'I can't believe he gets that worked up over the word 'sex.' And I didn't even say it! Only an odd and underused version of it…what a troublesome person.' He thought and looked around the place he would be living in for the next three days.
The apartment itself was simple, something he expected. He didn't think Neji would be overly fond of a flashy apartment since he probably wouldn't show it off anyhow. They were in the living room at the moment, a medium sized ivory couch in the center, small coffee table in front and facing the TV against the wall. Behind the couch, facing the open door and windows to a small balcony were two chairs on either side of a small table, a shogi set on top of it. Off to the right was the kitchen, smaller than the living room but comfortable enough for two people to eat in. There were some pictures on the walls or shelves that were around the living room. Mostly drawings, Shika noted. As he looked around the walls of the living room his eyes landed on the hallway. It was only five or six feet, not long at all, and led to a slightly ajar door that Shika could only presume was Neji's bedroom. There was another door on the right side of the hallway that was open enough for him to see it was the bathroom. There were no other doors.
"Um, Neji?" Shikamaru asked to his new roommate who had gone into the kitchen to make some tea, "Where exactly am I going to sleep? If from what I've see is right, and I know it is, you've got one bedroom meaning one bed."
"Yes, that's right. I've got one bed and I plan on sleeping in it so you can have the couch." Neji said matter-of-factly.
Now it was Shika's turn to cock an eyebrow. He looked at the couch and back up at Neji.
"You've got to be kidding. That thing is not gonna hold me." And it was true. Partially. Lying down Shikamaru's feet would extend beyond the couch as he'd grown quite tall in these last few years. Curled up in the fetal position, he could make it. But not comfortably.
"I'm not kidding. Where did you think I'd have you sleep?" Neji asked.
"I don't know? Maybe in a bed?" Shikamaru asked sarcastically, or as sarcastically as the lazy nin could get.
"Well you're certainly not getting mine." He stated bluntly.
Shika let out a breath, "Like I'd want to. I was referencing to a guest room. That's where I usually stay, either at Sasuke's or Naruto's. Even he has one. Some gracious host..." He muttered the last part.
"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but as you can see I am lacking a guest room. I never thought I would need one, especially for the day Nara Shikamaru gets exiled from his own home and needs to stay with me." Neji's eyes widened in annoyance.
But again, Shikamaru saw something else there too. Shaking it off, he asked, "Well, what do you suggest? I would rather not take the couch if I can help it; so very troublesome."
Neji thought for a moment, not knowing why he bothered. He wasn't going to give up his own bed. He liked sleeping on something soft and comfy. Then why was he thinking of a way out of sleeping in his own room?
"Okay," he said, "Fair is fair, so how about a proposition?"
Shikamaru looked quizzical but nodded for him to continue.
"A game of shogi. If you win, you can sleep in my bed and I'll take the couch for the weekend. If I win, I sleep in my own bed and you deal with the couch for the next three days. Deal?" Neji asked, extending his hand.
Shikamaru smiled gleefully to himself inside his head. He knew where he'd be sleeping tonight.
"Deal." They shook hands and Neji went to the small table and began preparing the board.
Shikamaru leaned against the wall, waiting for him to be done and thought, 'What if it ends in a tie?' Then he shook head realizing that he had Neji beat already. So much for the Hyuuga being a called a genius if he thought he could match up against Shikamaru at shogi and win.
Oh, what a game that was about to be in store….
So how was that? Okay? If you would be so kind as to review that would rock!
And thanks bunches to Paachaaaw, Heosic-chan, Raydar and Ryals-Shoal for reviewing my first chapter! Many smiles to you all!