Chapter 5

Several hours of bending over stacks of paper proved too much for Shikamaru.

He had led the way to his favourite teahouse - a tiny establishment run by an elderly couple who were aware of Shikamaru's introspective nature. Moments after Shikamaru had strolled into the vacant back room and routinely picked a corner table, the old lady had appeared with a tray of tea and a softly spoken promise to return in an hour to collect it.

Precisely one hour later, she had retrieved the tea set. After that, they were completely undisturbed.

They spoke briefly, dividing their many tasks and loosely discussing plans for the exams, but since then they had worked in silence. The distant hum of voices from the teahouse's other rooms was enough to keep the silence from feeling oppressive. Occasionally, the sound of Shikamaru's steadily moving pen would stop, and Neji would glance up through his lashes to watch the tactician. Shikamaru would shut his eyes and crab his hands, body going still while his mind worked. And then he would open his eyes, reclaim his pen, and resume his lazy scribbling.

But his pen had lain silently on the table for a while now.

Neji let out a small sigh as he put down his own pen, leaning away from the table to stretch the tension out of his back and arms. His stiff muscles groaned in protest, causing Neji to grimace as he looked around the room.

He could see why this was Shikamaru's favourite teahouse. It was quiet, and close enough to the Nara district that most of the patrons were from the Nara Clan. The room Shikamaru had chosen only had four tables, all of which were empty, save for the shogi boards that seemed to be permanent fixtures.

Finally, Neji's eyes wandered over to Shikamaru. The genius' head rested in the crook of his darkly clothed arm, his face hidden from the sunlight as he slept. His jagged ponytail stuck straight up, the strands lightened from espresso black to a warm, coppery brown by the sun.

His fingers, resting on top of his stack of paperwork, twitched slightly. Neji turned his attention to them, combing his gaze along those strong, nimble appendages. The nails were blunt and slightly dirty; the olive skin rough with callouses. An ink stain darkened Shikamaru's index finger, just bellow his knuckle.

Feeling slightly sleepy himself, Neji examined his own hands. Since his hands were usually the only weapons Neji needed, his palms were smoother and less calloused than his sword or kunai-toting comrades. And since the Gentle Fist techniques allowed him to protect himself with chakra even while attacking, he had very few scars on his hands. When he compared his hands to someone like Lee, who often fought hard enough to literally mangle his own fists, Neji always felt like he was lacking something. It was as if his hands were too smooth: soft and supple where his comrades' were hardened into a callous of strength.

He glanced back up at Shikamaru's hand, studying it meticulously. It was only when he registered a shift in Shikamaru's breathing that he looked up.

Two dark eyes, unreadable and secretive, returned his gaze. For a moment, they stared at each other in silence. Neji could almost see Shikamaru's eyes churning with his thoughts, the turmoil of his genius seeping into his shifting irises.

There was something about Shikamaru's eyes that had always fascinated Neji.

To most people, they were just ordinary brown eyes. But Neji had noticed long ago how drastically they changed. They were golden as honey in the sun, black as a moonless night in the shade. Those eyes both intrigued and frightened Neji. He was the one with the Byakugan, and yet Neji felt as if Shikamaru could see inside of people more easily than he could.

He quickly looked away before those intelligent orbs could pull him in.

Neji swallowed, distracting himself by shuffling through his papers. "I feel obligated to apologize for scolding you yesterday. It was unprofessional of me to question your respect for the Hokage. I crossed the line."

Shikamaru didn't respond. Neji could feel those sharp eyes studying his face, but he refused to look up. He contented himself with smoothing out the creases in his robes, trying to appear unfazed by Shikamaru's silence.

Finally, Shikamaru seemed to stir himself, his voice thick and low with tiredness as he replied, "Don't worry about it."

Neji nodded once. "Very well. Did you finish writing the first draft for the exam before you fell asleep?

Shikamaru yawned widely, gesturing at the papers spread out on the table in front of him. Neji reached over to collect them, his opal eyes widening as he looked through the messy pages.

"Ridiculous." He finally scoffed. "If any of those children answer even one of these questions correctly, they should automatically pass. Your brain is a frightening place, Nara."

"I aim to please." Shikamaru drawled, planting his elbow on the table as he leaned his chin into the palm of his hand.

Shaking his head, Neji continued to read through the questions, each one more complex and confusing than the last. It was like looking through a window into Shikamaru's mind. Neji suppressed a shudder. Even he didn't know how to answer the majority of the questions.

"Hey." Shikamaru suddenly said.

Neji hummed, glancing up.

Shikamaru's expression was unreadable as he said; "Ino is making me go out for drinks with everyone tonight. You have to come too."

Frowning slightly, Neji replied, "I don't drink."

"Well I sure as hell do." Shikamaru drawled. "If I have to attend this thing, I at least want some decent company. It'll be a drag, but come if you don't have work."

Much to his horror, Neji felt his pale cheeks flush slightly. But he kept his voice rigid and cold as he said, "I will attempt to make an appearance."

And then, Shikamaru did the most damning thing he could possibly do: he smiled. It was a small, relieved smile that lightened his jaded expression. The shadows seemed to melt away from his eyes, his thin cheeks dimpling slightly. For the first time, Neji noticed that Shikamaru had faint freckles on his nose. Presumably from hours spent lying under the sun, watching the clouds roll by.

Feeling his entire face getting hot, Neji abruptly stood. Hiding his face behind the thick fall of his hair, Neji bent to quickly collect his papers. He turned stiffly, marching towards the door without a backwards glance.

His breath caught in his throat when he heard Shikamaru stand. The genius called out, confusion obvious in his voice.

"Hey, Neji! What's wrong?"

Pausing with his hand on the door, Neji inhaled slowly through his nose. Without turning, his back rigid with tension, Neji replied coldly, "Forgive me, I just remembered that I have another appointment. Good work today. Farewell."

He opened the door and stepped into the hallway, sliding the door shut without looking back. With fevered steps he traversed the short hall, leaving the teahouse and immediately turning towards the side streets that would lead him away from the heart of the village.

Neji's breath grew more rapid with each step, his heart racing as he took a familiar path towards a looming forest of shadowed trees. He didn't pause until the sounds of the village had completely faded. And then, certain that he was alone, Neji stumbled against the closest tree. He covered his blushing face with his papers, his stoic façade completely shattered.

"Gods, what the hell is wrong with me?" He whispered.

Shikamaru's smiling face flashed through Neji's mind, and he felt his pulse quickening. It wasn't as if Neji had never seen the blasted Nara smile before, so why was it eliciting a reaction from him now? Confusion, and something else that Neji couldn't identify, were coiling around one another inside his chest. The feeling was so hot and uncomfortable that Neji had to concentrate hard to steady his breathing.

Just as he was finally regaining control of himself, a soft sound from the left broke the silence. Neji's body reacted instantaneously. He was a blur of speed as he spun, chakra coating his hands as his fingers latched around a slender neck. Before Neji could register what he was doing, he was on the ground straddling his perceived attacker: one hand clasped firmly around their throat, the other hand poised to strike at vital chakra points.

He blinked twice, staring blankly at the person beneath him. And then, Neji's muddled brain caught up with his body.

Shikamaru was staring up at him, his dark eyes utterly calm. He offered no resistance, his pulse slow and steady under the tight press of Neji's fingers on his throat.

His complacency was strange to Neji. Without knowing why, the Hyuga found himself studying Shikamaru's mouth. His pulse was pounding in his ears as his gaze stroked along Shikamaru's bottom lip, and then down his throat, where Neji's hand was still clasped.

Seeming to realize suddenly what he was doing, Neji let out a small gasp of horror and quickly drew back his hand.

With surprising speed and strength, Shikamaru caught him around the wrist. Shikamaru's elbow bent as he yanked Neji down roughly, leaves crunching as Neji's palm struck the ground beside Shikamaru's head. The thick curtain of Neji's hair fell down on the other side of Shikamaru's head, casting their faces in shadow. Neji automatically put down his other hand to balance himself, his palm landing on Shikamaru's chest.

Heavy silence, thick with awkward tension, fell over their tangled bodies. But Neji didn't try to move away: he was captivated by the expression on Shikamaru's face.

Deep within his eyes, Neji thought he saw the spark of something dangerous. Hungry. His gaze once again drifted to Shikamaru's mouth as the strategist began to speak.

"That was dramatic."

"You startled me." Neji hissed breathlessly.

"That's my line."

"Why did you follow me?"

"Follow you?" Shikamaru raised one dark eyebrow, smirking slightly. "This is the way to my house."

The colour drained from Neji's face. Shikamaru frowned, his grip on Neji's wrist loosening slightly as he tilted his head.

"Listen, Neji, are you okay? You're acting weird."

"How so?" Neji demanded.

Shikamaru looked down pointedly. Neji was still sitting heavily on his hipbones, his strong thighs holding Shikamaru firmly in place. Their faces were less than a foot apart as Shikamaru replied in a monotone drawl.

"Let's see. You stormed out of the teahouse looking like you were about to faint, stumbled off into the trees, and then attacked me."

Neji scoffed, yanking his wrist out of Shikamaru's grip so that he could sit up straight. But he didn't give up his position yet – pinning Shikamaru down somehow made this entire situation less embarrassing. Shikamaru had seen Neji in a moment of unacceptable weakness, so it was only fair that Neji took a moment to assert his strength.

"You startled me." Neji repeated coldly. "I will not apologize for my reaction."

Shikamaru frowned slightly, his expression darkening. "I'm not asking you to. I'm just worried about you, Neji."

"Your petty concern is unnecessary." Neji hissed, leaning down over Shikamaru's prone body.

"Very believable." Shikamaru muttered. His eyes strayed down again. "Get off me Neji. I'm starting to get pissed."

Neji smirked, fingers on the hand still resting on Shikamaru's ribs pressing into his skin hard enough to bruise. He felt Shikamaru's pulse quicken slightly.

"I tremble at the thought," Neji goaded.

Being defensive was easier than acknowledging the mess of confusing emotions trying to rip a hole through his chest. He knew his was being ridiculous, but for some reason Neji's brain and his body seemed to have two separate agendas.

His fingers latched even deeper into Shikamaru's skin, dangerous chakra glowing just under his fingertips. He knew he was causing Shikamaru significant discomfort – the Nara genius' muscles twitched and shuddered under his touch – and yet Shikamaru continued to deny Neji a response.

He was utterly calm. Effortlessly controlled.

Neji hated him for it.

Hated him as much as a caged bird that looks out at the deer roaming freely through the trees: his heart festering with the rot of confinement as he watched that silent creature, drifting calmly through the shadows.

Shikamaru's voice pulled him away from these dangerous thoughts.

"I don't know what the hell is going on, Neji, but I'm not judging you." Shikamaru said, his voice low. "We all have our off days. And…well, not to get all sappy and weird about it, but if you need to talk about anything…I'll listen."

Neji stared, dumbfounded.

A gentle breeze blew over them, catching the ends of Neji's long hair and dragging several strands across Shikamaru's throat. They delicately traced the angry red marks Neji's hand had left on his skin. Frowning, and feeling suddenly remorseful, Neji reached up with the hand that had been worrying Shikamaru's side.

Ever so gently, Neji brushed the ends of his hair away from Shikamaru's neck. He then paused, hesitating momentarily, before carefully stroking his fingers across the red marks he had left on Shikamaru's throat.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

Shikamaru's features softened. He turned his face towards Neji's hand so that his jaw rested on his knuckles.

"I've had worse." Shikamaru replied.

Neji shook his head slightly; frown deepening as he stroked the pad of his thumb over Shikamaru's skin. He felt Shikamaru's pulse hitch under his touch.

Both men inhaled sharply. Their gazes met – and held.

Shikamaru swallowed nervously under Neji's fingers, his mind flashing through several alarming thoughts simultaneously.

Growing up in the ninja academy, there were extensive lessons centered around the skills of survival. Building shelters, navigating, treating wounds, and finding food: things that were drilled into the minds of the young shinobi long before they were taught how to fight. In order to fight, you have to know how to survive.

But one thing in particular had always stuck in Shikamaru's mind.

In the event that you are stranded somewhere with below-freezing temperatures, a single candle can save your life. Iruka-sensei, with his gentle voice, had explained how even the smallest flame in an enclosed space can produce enough heat to keep you from freezing. He had even drawn a picture on the board to help Naruto understand.

Several things about this scenario bothered Shikamaru – freezing, stranded, enclosed space – but one nagging thought had stuck with him ever since that lesson.

How cold do you have to be that a single flame, a single point of light, seems like a blaze of summer sun?

How long do you have to be lost in the cold and the dark for that one candle to be enough to save you?

Shikamaru blinked, dazed, as he stared at the man looming above him. He wondered why that memory had suddenly flared up in his mind. But then he blinked again and saw – clear as day – the telltale glow of that life-giving flame burning in Neji's opalescent eyes. And for the first time in ages, Shikamaru felt his heart stumbling out of the freezing winter into a ring of light.

He hadn't even noticed how cold he'd been. But now, his cheeks and his nose and his ears were burning, blood rushing to them and filling them with heat. His chest was burning, and his stomach was burning; his toes were on fire and his fingers itched like they were sunburnt.

And Neji just kept staring at him, growing brighter by the second. Shikamaru had seen the fire of his soul, burning like a tempest beneath his skin. He would never be able to look at Neji the same way again.

"Neji," Shikamaru said, in a voice that coiled and burned so much, he barely recognized it as his own. "I need you to get off me before I do something shitty and impulsive."

The Anbu Captain tilted his head, the light flashing in his pale eyes. He seemed to weigh Shikamaru's words for a moment as he studied the strategist's reddened face. His gaze drifted to Shikamaru's lips and lingered there for a moment.

And then – he stood up.

Shikamaru felt as if a layer of his own skin had been torn off, leaving him cold and stinging with pain. He lay, staring up at the space where Neji's face had been seconds before. The canopy of deeply green leaves danced above him, momentarily revealing the blue sky above.

Beside him, Neji busily collected the papers they had both dropped in what was, in hindsight, a rather embarrassing scuffle. Feeling his face burning anew, Neji frowned. He had no idea what had come over him. Whatever it was still seemed to be affecting him, causing his heart to race and a cold sweat to cling to his skin.

Attempting to ignore what he could only assume were the symptoms of an oncoming flu, Neji glanced nervously at Shikamaru, wary of whatever emotion had caused such an extreme change in his voice.

But the tactician seemed back to his normal self, lying calmly in the leaves, his eyes already drifting heavily shut. The fire that had momentarily burned beneath his skin was gone, replaced with his usual tired indifference. Still feeling a nagging of concern, Neji once again activated his dojutsu to examine Shikamaru's chakra.

It spluttered weakly, dully, through his limbs; telltale signs of physical exhaustion.

"When was the last time you slept for more than a few hours a night?" Neji asked, worry outweighing his confusion and embarrassment.

Shikamaru glanced at him, noting that his Byakugan was active. "No idea." He grumbled, turning away. "Probably never."

Neji scoffed. "Nara."

"I'm being serious." Shikamaru muttered.

Neji was silent for a moment. "Have you been overexerting yourself – more than usual – lately? Your chakra system looks…sick."

"Are you worried about me?" Shikamaru asked in a low voice.

Unable to see Shikamaru's face to gage his expression, Neji tensed uncomfortably as he replied. "I am worried that you are going to exhaust yourself to the point of ineffectiveness, Nara."

Shikamaru sat up suddenly, snorting. "No worries there, Hyuga. I won't die until after our assignment is done."

"I do not find that amusing." Neji frowned. "Not in the slightest."

"Good." Shikamaru said, still not facing Neji. "It wasn't meant to be funny."

The genius stood quickly. His legs immediately quivered, his knees buckling as he stumbled sideways into the nearest tree, gasping slightly. Neji jumped to his feet, rushing to Shikamaru's side. He had gone completely pale, looking sick and exhausted as he covered his dark eyes with a shaking hand.

"Shikamaru?" Neji called sharply, stooping to stare intently at him. "Are you alright?"

"Dammit," Shikamaru groaned, "I think I hit my head on a root or something when you tackled me. Am I bleeding?"

Without a second thought, Neji slipped his hand around to feel the back of Shikamaru's head. His hair was surprisingly soft under Neji's touch.

"No blood." Neji concluded. "But there's a lump forming on your head. Perhaps we should take you to the hospital?"

Shikamaru shook his head, looking woozy. "No time. I still have to report to Naruto, review this months mission reports, sort through new mission applications, catch up on those team evaluations from last week, not to mention those letters from the Feudal Lord that Naruto has been neglecting…"

"Your dedication is admirable," Neji said gently, "But on top of your exhaustion, you may also have a concussion."

"Fan-fucking-tastic." Shikamaru drawled.

He shoved away from the tree, stumbling past Neji to collect his papers from the forest floor. Still reeling from how bizarre their interactions had been that morning, Neji took a step after the fumbling Nara.

"Please, if you refuse to go to the hospital, you must see Sakura-kun or Ino-kun instead. If you fall asleep with a concussion, you may not wake up again."

Shikamaru snorted. "Right now, that doesn't sound like a bad thing to me, Neji."

Seeing the look on Neji's face, Shikamaru sighed before conceding. "If it bothers you that much, I'll stand close to Naruto when he's in glowy-mode or something. But I'm not going to bother Ino or Sakura while they're training students."

"How thoughtful of you." Neji replied tightly, too concerned to be annoyed.

Shikamaru only hummed in response, taking a few tottering steps before he stopped again, seeming to remember something. He hesitated for a moment before turning back towards Neji, weighing his words.

Finally, he said in a low, gentle voice, "You'd better come tonight, Neji. You know, just to make sure I haven't died or anything."

Neji sighed. "If it prevents one of Konoha's best from perishing, I shall show up at this bar tonight."

Shikamaru smiled weakly, all the radiance of the gesture that had earlier stunned Neji replaced by tiredness. Neji didn't attempt to return the smile, only staring worriedly as Shikamaru wandered off, the shadows clinging to him as he went.

A/N: Hey everyone! It's been a day or two since the last update, hasn't it! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter - it was a lot of fun to write.