Archive of Our Own

Music pounded out of the speakers in Choji's living room, the beat of something pop-guitar driven and American, the kind of music Ino would make them listen to whenever she commandeered the stereo. Normally he'd give her grief over it, the kind of teasing she'd tolerate only because she knew he actually liked her taste in music, but tonight he'd ditched their game and gone with it faster than he usually would. He'd needed this, and Ino pulling together a night with their friends in the space of just a couple of hours all because he'd hit peak levels of antsiness was the kind of bff power-move that scored her a free pass from teasing tonight. 

'You're some kind of party wizard, you know that right?'

He slipped his arm around her waist and rested his chin over her shoulder, felt laughter bubble through her when she pressed back into his chest. 

'I am. Thank you for noticing.'

She let him rock them together for a few beats before she wriggled free and gently shoved him away. 

'Go get me a refill, Choji made a jug of that sparkling plum thing before.'

'I'm not your servant.'

She was passing him her glass with a smirk and a raised eyebrow and yeah, who was he kidding. 

'I'll have some berries in it too if there's some left.'

He took the glass with a resigned shake of his head and laughed as he walked away. Gods but sometimes he had moments of crystal clarity that his close friendships were with a very particular type of woman. There was a reason he rarely allowed situations to develop where Ino and Temari would hang out with him at the same time. Together they were diabolical. 

Tenten ducked into the kitchen ahead of him and he grinned at her as he put Ino's glass down and began doctoring her drink. She eyed the glass in front of him and stalled where she’d been shutting the refrigerator.

'You want one?' 

She dipped back in and grabbed a second bottle before he could reply, popped the caps off and passed him one, and yep, okay, cider it was then. They both winced at the hit of sweetness, the exaggerated expression of pain losing some of its effect as they both went in for long second pulls from the bottles.

'I want to credit the cider to Ino along with the music, but this one was all Choji.' 

Tenten laughed and he couldn't help but grin back at her, the mood too light for his sassing to land as anything but loving humour. 

'I assumed the music was you honestly, I've heard about Suna, apparently the boy can shake his ass.'

He almost spat his mouthful as he choked around a laugh when she shimmied at him. He met her grin with his own as he recovered.

'Some rumours have gotta be true I guess. But the bigger surprise surely has to be Neji, were you aware he could dance? Fucking beautifully I might add.'

'It's a closely guarded Team Gai secret actually. He's always been an elegant motherfucker, leggy, and all that hair right? Like a model from a shampoo commercial or something. Drunk teenage Neji dancing like no one was watching was a revelation.'

If only he'd known. His adult self had barely been able to handle it, Teenage Shikamaru would have had a coronary. He shook his head in an effort to clear the thoughts of the trouble he would have tried to get them into back then if he'd realised all this was under Neji's careful facade, ran a hand through his hair and took another deep drink.

'So when does Loverboy get back?'

He almost snorted the cider out his nose. 

'Fuck, Tenten. He's miles away and I'm certain he's just sensed you calling him that. You're gonna wake up in the middle of the night with a kunai somewhere unfortunate.' 

Loverboy. Damn. Anyone but her would be risking copping the Silent Fist to the solar plexus. Her fearlessness was part of her charm though, always had been, and the more he'd gotten to know her over the last few months the more he'd come to appreciate just how blunt she could be and how good that actually was. Left you nowhere to hide with her, sure, but also meant you knew exactly where she was at. When he and Neji had started this she'd spent a few weeks measuring up his worthiness of her friend then given him the briefest shovel talk of all time, maybe even rivalling the one he'd given Kiba when he'd first put moves on Ino. It was impressive. She was tiny and terrifying and had zero fucks to give.

'It'd be worth it to see the colour he'd turn. And anyway, he's never fooled me, under that chilly exterior lies a soft-hearted romantic. I bet he calls you pet names.'

Her smirk was positively dangerous and he laughed again, kept the cider out of his nose this time and worked to keep a blush from creeping over his cheeks. Neji was just as ridiculously soft as he was when they were behind closed doors, Shikamaru was totally weak for it, but there was no way he was giving her that kind of ammunition. 

'He's due back tomorrow, early. Maybe before sunrise if he doesn't get held up.'

Neji had been gone a week now and Shikamaru had been fine for about forty-eight hours before he'd started running out of distractions somehow and the antsiness had set in. He was climbing the walls by yesterday and harassing Ino at the crack of dawn today which is how they'd ended up with Ino taking over Choji's house to throw an impromptu catch up with anyone else who might be at a loss on a Saturday night. Which tragically - fortunately - happened to be enough of their friends that Choji's house was full of loose party vibes and sufficient distraction from his ridiculous yearning. This was his life now.

'Sneaking in your bedroom window before the sun is up, eh?' 

She waggled her eyebrows at him. Smartass. Not much to do but lean in.

'If I'm real lucky.' 

He grinned and held out his bottle to meet hers in a brief tap as the sound of Lee arriving in the living room reached them, his voice carrying over the music in enthusiastic greeting prompting Tenten to throw a bright smile towards the doorway. For all that Neji claimed there was distance between him and his team the more time Shikamaru spent with them the more he suspected Neji was projecting too much guilt onto their dynamic. Tenten and Lee were close in the way he was with Choji and Ino, and they loved Neji, that much was incredibly obvious. Understood his nature and accepted him just the way he was. Shikamaru knew Neji felt like he kept too many walls up with them, but he didn't feel anything even remotely like resentment coming from these two about it, and in fact he thought they probably saw Neji's defenses for exactly what they were and just gave him room to move however he needed to. Lee's head poked through the kitchen doorway and Tenten was instantly holding open her arms for him, the next long drink of his cider warming his blood as he watched the pair of them hug each other, Tenten smoothing down the open collar of Lee's shirt as she stepped back. 

'Shikamaru! How are you feeling? Neji-kun will be home soon, you will not be parted much longer.'

Had Ino told all of them the motivation behind tonight? If he had more shame he was pretty sure he'd feel embarrassed, but he guessed there were worse things than their friends knowing he was a total love-struck trainwreck. 

'Hanging in there.' 

He shrugged, aiming for nonchalant and missing the mark by a mile if Lee clapping him on the shoulder and giving him a genuinely sympathetic look where anything to go by. Lee was possibly the most unfailingly earnest, positive person Shikamaru had ever encountered. Even Naruto came in second to him. Lee's heart was permanently out on his sleeve and Shikamaru had always been amazed at the level of self-confidence that sort of attitude required. For all the ways that they teased the guy it was underscored by such a bewildered respect that everyone acknowledged with the barest prompting.

'Oh I'm sure Neji is missing you terribly too! He has never burned brighter with youthful fire than since he began seeing you. He'll be rushing to get back I'm certain.' 

He felt heat rising in his cheeks, unstoppable this time, and Tenten's laughter at his obviousness wasn't helping. She let go of Lee and went to retrieve a bottle from the fridge for him and Shikamaru had a moment of shock before he realised she had grabbed soda. Lee's alcohol intolerance was definitely something that hadn't improved with age.

'He adores you, it's revolting but very sweet. I always wondered what lovesick would look like on him.'

'Tenten, you shouldn't call such wonderful love revolting! Neji-kun smiles so often now, you make his heart very happy, Shikamaru.'

Yeah, definitely blushing like an idiot at that. Tenten made a gagging noise and Lee swatted at her shoulder, laughter bright between them. 

'I mean, he isn't wrong though. Might not be the most obvious thing to other people but for us it's like he's practically glowing. You're good for him. You've woken him up, you know? Feels like the autopilot has been switched off.'

Lee hummed and nodded in agreement with her and Shikamaru ducked his head. It was a strange, sweet kind of reassurance, to hear that they liked the effect he was having. His chest felt tight as he took another drink.

'And the fact that Ino has organised tonight to keep you distracted from what I hear are epic levels of miserable longing, I'm getting the feeling that it's all pretty mutual. It's good. Unlikely we'll have to bury your body in the hills somewhere.'

Lee smacked her shoulder but the reprimand lost some of its effect when they shared a conspiratorial smirk. 

'I'm glad my suffering can give you peace of mind.'

Choji walked into the kitchen as she reached over to pat his shoulder and he remembered Ino's drink just as he reached the counter where Shikamaru had abandoned it. 

'Oh man no come on, if you take that back out to her I'll lose all the credit.'

'Too late my friend, I'm her favourite now, you had your chance and you squandered it.'

He turned on a dramatic sigh and retrieved a cider from the fridge, popped the cap and held it out as Choji finished decorating the edge of Ino's glass with a delicately cut strawberry, spoiling her, she was gonna be reminding Shikamaru of this forever, he could feel it. Choji grinned as he took the offered bottle and walked away, Ino's ridiculous drink held aloft like an offering to the gods. Appropriate, probably. 

'Okay, I need another drink. Shikamaru?' 

He nodded when Tenten nudged his shoulder and made her way back to the fridge, rifling through it as Kiba bounded into the room grinning like a madman. 

'Hey Angry Girl, any beer in there?' 

Tenten's smile held challenge and an abundance of teeth as she passed him an amber bottle, but the fierce expression melted into something playful as he held out his fist for a fast bump, the sparkle of fondness in his eyes clear as day before he wheeled around and left the room. Shikamaru marvelled at the flash of chemistry between them. He knew they got on, but it felt like there was something closer there too. New. He cocked his head at her as he accepted a drink and she smiled in understanding and jumped up to perch on the counter beside him. 

'We spent a bunch of time together on a mission recently. Kiba's a gentle pup under all that wolfishness. Don't tell him I said that.'

And yeah, Shikamaru knew. Kiba fronted a lot, not like he did when they were kids but still, enough. They all had their masks, he was the last person about to judge. 

The hours slipped by in easy conversation and too many drinks, Choji’s father appearing halfway through the evening to distribute a vast quantity of food reminding him of their teenage sleepovers. The nostalgia was almost too much, a spot in his chest ached profoundly as he watched Choza smile over his shoulder as he left the room and he wondered whether the man was glad to be able to do this, indulge them. To have all of them still here for it.     

He heard Naruto before he saw him, that unmistakable laugh and excited murmur of conversation as he walked up Choji's garden path, pausing briefly at the front door before barrelling into the living room. 

'Look who I found when I was leaving the Tower!'

Shikamaru turned to glance over and was met with the sight of Naruto clutching at Neji's shoulder as he dragged him through the doorway. He'd abandoned his bottle and was hurling himself over the back of the couch before Neji had even made it all the way into the room, closing the distance between them and wrapping him in a full-body hug that barely stopped short of climbing him like a tree. He muscled them back out into the hallway to a wave of raucous cheering, gave them just the barest hint of privacy before seeking Neji's mouth and kissing the hell out of him. 

'Fuck I missed you.'

Neji hummed in agreement as he pressed in for another kiss, hands squeezing at his waist, teeth catching at his lips, messy and sweet and everything he'd been desperate for. It was incredible the way just a few moments wrapped up in each other was enough to burn away all the loneliness and distress that had built up in him over the last week, suddenly all of it seemed so far away. He looped his arms tighter around Neji's neck, broke the kiss to swallow down air and leant their brows together, bumped against the cool steel of Neji's hitai-ate. 

'Didn't think you'd be home until tomorrow.'

'Mmm. I was missing you.'

Neji's soft smile was maybe the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, the thought of him rushing back to Konoha because he'd been as much of a disaster as Shikamaru was wildly comforting and he couldn't help the laugh that slipped free. He dipped his fingers into the fall of Neji's hair, felt tangles that were the only real giveaway that he'd rushed to get home.

'Naruto corralled me before I could clean up, I'm covered in eleven hours of travelling. I feel like I should apologise for it.'

Gods, whatever, immaculate Hyūga idiot. 

'Neji, you make the rest of us look like grubby cavemen, I have no idea what you're on about.'

Besides, the musky salt of sweat and dust that lingered on Neji’s skin when Shikamaru pressed a kiss to his neck was ridiculously sexy, he inhaled and ran his tongue over the dip of his throat, swallowed down the urge to drag him outta there and eat him alive. Neji scoffed at him but the rebuke was coloured hot as it morphed into a growl that vibrated through his chest when Shikamaru’s tongue lapped at him, traced a path up to the pulse point below his jaw. Neji tugged him up into another kiss and they sunk deep into it until the minutes blurred. When he finally broke for air again he was greeted with the sight of Neji’s kiss-swollen mouth and heavy gaze, Hyūga-clouded eyes backlit with desire and dark like thunderstorms. It made him shiver and the fight to dial things back to a socially appropriate level of arousal was a ridiculous hardship. He took a deep breath and cupped Neji’s jaw, thumbed at the perfect swell of his bottom lip, hummed as Neji exhaled slow and shivery. 

'Come on, I'll get you a drink.'

They were greeted by a half-dozen smirking faces when they walked back into the living room, hands holding tight, fingers laced. If there was a way to be totally selfish and keep Neji tied to his bed forever he’d take it in a heartbeat, absences like this were his new most hated thing. He knew he must be grinning like a maniac when Choji met his eyes and cracked up laughing. 

‘Yeah yeah, enough outta you guys.’

It had no sting, his ridiculously light heart leaving him as soft and defenceless as fresh mochi. He steered Neji towards the kitchen, stumbled a bit at the sound of Tenten shouting after them.

‘Welcome home Loverboy!’

She’d been right, totally worth it for the shocked blush that painted Neji’s cheeks when he turned as if to stalk back to the lounge room in exaggerated outrage. He smirked and stepped in front of him, pushed at Neji’s chest, herding him back through the doorway into the kitchen and leant in to claim another kiss. Naruto darted around them in a sunny blur, flung the fridge open and loaded his arms with bottles, kicked the door shut and swept back out of the room, barely calling a Hey Shikamaru! over his shoulder before he disappeared. 

He made to move away to retrieve them some drinks but Neji’s grip on his hips wasn’t letting up, and yeah, yeah okay, he looped his arms around his shoulders and sunk into another kiss, went with it when Neji swayed their bodies together, walking him backwards with their hips pressed tight. Those distracting hands worked their way down to squeeze at his ass and grind their bodies together, breath hitching as their rapidly interested cocks brushed through too many layers of clothing, and then Neji was gripping tight at the top of his thighs and picking him up, coaxing his legs over his hips and depositing him on the edge on the kitchen counter. He kept his legs wrapped around him, holding him close, smiled into their kiss.

‘Hey.’

‘Hi.’

He nipped at Neji’s lip, dipped his tongue into his mouth in a quick, teasing lick, shivered when Neji’s tongue flicked out against his. Fuck it was good, dirty enough to ratchet up the heat in his blood to a simmer. 

‘So how carried away do you reckon we can get here before it’s completely inappropriate?’

Neji smirked and hummed, licked at Shikamaru’s bottom lip and sucked it between his, releasing it with a gentle bite that had his breath stuttering.

‘Maybe just a little more.’

The relaxed, playful expression on Neji’s face cooled some of the fierce hunger that the grind of their hips was working up, kept him from tipping over the edge into thinking only with his dick. Tempting as it was. 

‘Mission go okay?’

Another stolen kiss.

‘It was fine. Dull. Home holds far more appeal.’

The steady pounding beneath his ribs stumbled.

‘Oh yeah? Any particular reason?’

He tried to smirk but it definitely came out smitten and dopey. 

‘Mmm, perhaps.’

Another stolen kiss, this time softened by Neji matching his smile around the sweet press of lips. Fingers were sneaking under his shirt, brushing lines over the bare skin at the edge of his waistband, slipping just beneath it and making his brain trip with the distraction.   

‘What do you think my chances are of getting Tenten to forget about my new nickname?’

He couldn’t help laughing at that, there was absolutely no way she was giving that up after Neji’s beautiful response.

‘Less than zero. Definitely.’

Neji’s hum sounded resigned as he pressed a trail of kisses along his jaw.

‘She thinks you call me pet names, by the way.'

'Hmm, does she now? Perhaps I should. Would you like that?'

Teeth at his earlobe, warm lips and a hint of tongue making the question sound like he didn’t need an answer. His lungs stuttered, surprised breath shivering free at the idea. Fingers tangled in his hair, tugging, tilting his head to the side so that hot mouth could press to where his pulse had started hammering.

'...sweetheart…'

Oh fuck. That was. It should have sounded stupid, should have been strange, a word like that coming from Neji in his deep, cultured voice. But gods, it really, really wasn't.

Fuck.

The noise that escaped him was startled and filthy.

'Mmm. Yes?'

Neji’s tone was curious, a little note of surprise threaded through the hum that he pressed to Shikamaru’s rapidly overheating skin. And wow, okay, he'd never been much into pet names, and maybe it was just that it was Neji, voice like rough velvet and full of promise, but uhhh.

'Yeah, apparently.'

He sought Neji's mouth, kissed him deep and long, pleasure sparking under his skin and heat flaring below his navel, cock stirring at thoughts of Neji adding that to his arsenal of dirty talk. He tightened his legs around Neji's thighs, pulled him closer into the cradle of his body, felt the shaking breath Neji pulled in as it ghosted cool across his lips. The hand not gripping at his nape was rucking his shirt up, stroking over his belly, his waist, slipping around to anchor against his spine, fingers sneaking deeper below the waistband of his jeans.

'You're staying with me tonight, yeah?'

'Not a thing in this world could stop me.'

Another hungry kiss and he felt himself drifting, sinking into the rhythm of it, arousal burning hot through him and his senses growing hazy as every part of him got swept up in Neji, in the slow, deliberate grind of their bodies and the messy kiss turning his breathy gasps into moans. The thought that maybe they were crossing that line into totally inappropriate territory passed through his mind a heartbeat before a sharp squark from the doorway pierced through the room, startling them both into breaking the kiss.

'Argh my eyes! Epic PDA in the kitchen, you've all been warned!' 

Kiba was wheeling back around and retreating as a loud chorus of whistles and jeering reached them from the living room. Neji's hand disappeared from his bare skin and he pressed a laugh-softened kiss to his lips before shifting backward and coaxing Shikamaru down off the kitchen counter. Neji’s hands found his hips and stayed there even as he stepped back just enough to break the friction of their bodies, Shikamaru cinching their brows while they caught their breath.

'Bring me a beer when you guys are done in there!'

Kiba sounded like he was trying for annoyed but it was pitched way more towards amusement, and yeah, maybe it felt kinda stupid, but Shikamaru had wanted this. To relax and not worry about being seen and just let their friends tease the hell out of them. He wished it could be like this all the time but they’d get there, rushing it wouldn't help and he wasn't ever gonna push Neji into outing them to the rest of Konoha - to his clan - if he wasn't ready. It could wait. 

He adjusted his jeans, his dick, gods he was too turned on to just walk back out there right now and the way Neji was watching him wasn't helping. He huffed in exasperation as Neji closed his eyes for a few moments and effortlessly calmed his own state into something much less obscene, his libido taking an unreasonable amount of interest in Neji’s effortless display of meditative skill. 

'If this night hadn't been organised for me I'd be dragging you out of here right now.'

Neji retrieved a few beers from the fridge, pressed one of the amber bottles against Shikamaru's flushed neck and a fleeting kiss to his mouth.

'Mmm, let’s stay a little while longer.’

He bit off a needy whine as he reached to clutch at the bottle and Neji's condensation-wet fingertips dragged over his skin, hand settling to cup at his jaw, moonstone gaze hot on him for a held moment and then another kiss was dropped at the corner of his eye.

'We’ll be home soon, and don't worry sweetheart, I'll take good care of you.'

Gahhhh. Fuck. 

Shikamaru groaned as Neji laughed and opened the two bottles he still clutched, turning to leave the kitchen with a smile thrown over his shoulder to where Shikamaru had slumped back against the kitchen counter, teasing laughter breaking out announcing his arrival in the living room. Shikamaru leant heavy against the bench and rolled the icy bottle over his neck, tried to will the heat from his blood. His fingers fumbled behind him as he blindly sought out the bottle opener, cracked open the beer and concentrated on swallowing down half the bottle before he broke for air and slowly left the kitchen.

Neji had settled himself into a corner of the couch and was currently having his lap used as a footrest for a sprawled out Tenten, her head pillowed on Lee's thigh. She shifted to make space as Shikamaru dropped down to the floor and shouldered Neji's knees apart, leaning back to make himself comfy. Neji reached to brush fingers over his neck, opened his thighs a little wider to shift them closer, the little sparks of heat in Shikamaru's blood flaring hot again at the contact. He rubbed his cheek against the inside of Neji's knee, and yeah, maybe they hadn't gone public- public yet, but they could be like this around their friends and it was really damn good. 

He was pulled from his thoughts by another burst of Naruto's laughter, this time tinged with something awkward, the conversation tipping into talk of the most recent mission to Suna. Tenten was trying to coax details from him with mixed success and Naruto seemed at once eager and reluctant to talk about it. 

'We're here to help man. I give excellent advice. Think of me like your fairy godmother encouraging your ass out the door to the damn ball.'

Naruto starfished over the floor between them all, sighing dramatically before he crawled into a sitting position towards the edge of the rough circle they'd congregated in. 

'I just don't know what to do. It's too complicated and it keeps just, you know, getting more complicated.'

Ahh. The Gaara Situation.

'Look, all teasing aside, you don't actually have to talk about it. But if you want, sometimes it helps. Floor is yours if you need it.'

Naruto took a long drink from the bottle he’d been playing with and seemed to make a decision, turning suddenly to catch Shikamaru’s gaze, expression determined.

'You've known Gaara forever, you think I'm gonna fuck up the friendship if I take things, you know, further?’

He took a drink from his almost-empty beer, shook his head, the answer an easy one. 

‘As long as you’re honest with him then nah, he's...well, he isn't the kind of person to jump in without looking, you know? His gambles are always pretty calculated, he's not a fan of risking important things on impulse. You won’t fuck it up.’

He took a careful breath, a little unsure how this next bit was gonna go.

'You've talked to him about Sasuke, yeah?'

It felt like the air left the room. He didn’t think he’d ever heard the rest of them be so quiet. Didn’t realise some of them were even capable of it.

'Yeah. Yeah, I've uhhhh, explained all that.'

Kiba shocked the hell out of him by being the one to ask what everyone was probably thinking, sitting up from where he'd been reclining half in Ino's lap. 

'So like, what is the deal with you and Sasuke?'

Ino's knuckles connecting with his shoulder made him yelp and Shikamaru flinched in sympathy. 

'I mean, fuck man, sorry, you don't need to…'

'No, it's ummm, it's fine.'

It clearly wasn't. Kudos to the guy for pushing through regardless.

'It's complicated, ha, yeah. I'm saying that a lot hey? I mean, you guys know there’s a whole bunch of history, it wasn’t easy, or like, I don’t know. Maybe it was the easiest thing I’ve ever done, me and him. But he...he isn't here. Might not be, for a long time. Maybe ever. It’s the reality of it, and I don’t...I still don’t know what to do with it. He told me not to wait, not to live like that, but he's endgame you know?'

Naruto’s voice cracked a little, blue eyes desperate at the edges as they flickered around the group nervously before zeroing back in on his beer. Neji's thumb stroked over Shikamaru’s nape, a comfort as the weight of the details settled. It was a shitty situation, he wasn’t sure what he’d do if he were in Naruto’s position, in love with someone who had shared a long-lost past and could barely promise a distant future, who wasn’t gonna be around for anything in between. The heart wants what it wants, but hell, that was miserable. He wanted to pull Naruto into a hug as he watched him start to pick at the label on his beer bottle. 

'So yeah. How do I put all that on hold and like, have a life in the meantime that isn't either turning someone else into a placeholder or just real fuckin lonely?'

Kiba reached out to clap him on the shoulder.

'Wow, dude that really sucks, I'm sorry.'

Ineloquent but accurate, as always. Tenten was sitting up, pinning him with a serious expression as she almost visibly gathered her thoughts.

'But you've told Gaara all that?'

Naruto was nodding and Choji was jumping in to pick up the end of her thought.

'Well that's your answer Naruto. If you've been honest and he's still interested then maybe you need to hear him, let him make his own decisions.'

Shikamaru tipped back the last of his beer, tucked the bottle around the edge of the couch. Choji was right. Gaara was careful, he’d never known him to rush into decisions to get involved with people so if he’d made Naruto an offer it was definitely a genuine one. Maybe Naruto just needed the reassurance that he was on the right track, some help to get out of his own head. 

'He gets lonely too, you know? Trusting people has never come super easy to him but once he's there with someone, well. If he tells you he's good with it you can take him at his word.'

Naruto smiled at him, just a tentative thing that seemed to slowly crystallize into something more confident. Shikamaru smiled back at him, hoped the confidence would stick. Loneliness was a slow torture that neither of them deserved, if they could help each other ease the weight of that he hoped they'd find a way to make it work. He was also pretty sure Gaara was gonna eat Naruto alive, but he'd leave the guy to discover that in his own time. Tenten clapped her hands on her thighs with a sense of finality. 

'Looks like you've got your answer. And I don't know Sasuke like at-fucking-all so I can't tell you if he was being honest when he said not to wait for him, but he was definitely right when he said you can't live like that, on hold. One life man, don't waste it.'

Naruto looked floored at her succinct statement, and hell, he felt it too. He blew out a heavy gust of air and tripped his gaze over all of them, half-dozen similarly wide-eyed expressions reflecting an array of life lessons learnt the hard way. One life.

'Get the woman a drink, that's some sage advice right there, fuck.'

She grinned over at him before holding her empty glass up, Lee leaning to pluck it from her hand before anyone else could even move and refilling it from the jug of Ino's plum concoction that had made its way to the living room at some point.

'Also, obviously I have zero interest in what you boys are selling but even I can tell that Gaara's a babe. You'd be an idiot not to hit that.'

Gods she was masterful, just like that the serious mood she'd sculpted popped like a balloon, laughter and sounds of agreement breaking out around the room, Naruto blushing furiously as he made a stupid giggling noise. Bonding over an appreciation of hot guys was a universal constant. Shikamaru smirked as he pressed back against the vee of Neji's thighs, wrapped his hand around a calf and stroked down to the top of his boots, leaned into it when Neji ran a hand over his hair, turned his head a little to press a kiss to his inseam a little too high up for company.

'And while I'm on the topic of hitting that, not that we aren't enjoying your company immensely, but why are you two still here?'

He laughed as she grinned at them, felt Neji shake a little beneath him, barely restraining laughter of his own. 

'I mean, we were being polite, but if that's our exit cue we're gonna take it.'

Ino was groaning, throwing a pillow at him a moment later. 

'Ughhhh go on then, get out of here. You can take me out for brunch on Tuesday to show your appreciation'

'A party wizard and generous.'

She rolled her eyes and covered her smile with the edge of her glass. He squeezed Neji's calf one more time before climbing to his feet and holding out a hand to tug Neji up with him. 

'Thanks for tonight guys, saved me from tragically staring at the walls all night.'

The round of farewells was scattered with teasing jibes and Neji's cheekbones were painted with the faintest blush as they made their way out into the hall. He barely stopped himself from reaching out to kiss him, redirecting his twitching hands to pick up Neji's pack from beside the door and sling it over his shoulder as they stepped out into the cool night. 

It was late enough that the streets were deserted but Neji's hand reaching to take his still felt like a statement, edging closer to where they wanted to be. He itched to drag him into a kiss here in the middle of the quiet street, to stop caring about who might see even if he knew it was an urge he couldn't give in to yet. He squeezed Neji's hand and their stride stretched long as they covered the distance to the borders of the Nara forest as quickly as they could manage without outright running. He laughed as he fumbled with the gates, desperation starting to bleed through his control. Neji's hands landed on his hips as soon as the gate latched behind them, steering him backwards and shoving him up against the closest tree, gripping him harder as their lips met in a hungry kiss. 

He dropped his grip on Neji's bag and felt it fall to the ground, attention zeroing in on the insistent press of Neji's body where he was grinding against him. He hitched a leg up towards Neji's hip, groaned as Neji wrapped his hand under his thigh and opened him wider, pressed closer, almost lifting him off the ground as he rocked them together. 

'Shikamaru…'

'Yeah, yeah I know.'

He was panting against Neji's mouth, the kiss turning biting, teeth catching at lips as they both grew steel-hard against each other and the next brush of Neji's cock against his drew a strangled moan from deep in his chest. They were barely within the treeline and he spared a grateful thanks for the late hour because this was almost obscenely public, but as Neji's mouth moved to sucking a bruise into his neck, breath shaking over the tender skin as he tucked in close and worked their hips together any words of protest died on the back of his tongue. He felt his cock leaking already, underwear growing wet and dragging over sensitive skin, wished he could feel Neji bare against him. Wanted them home. Neji's hips stuttered against his, a blissfully pained sound falling hot over his neck.

He suddenly didn't give a damn if they made it there. 

He wrapped his arms over Neji's shoulders and held on, moved with him, encouraged him, rhythm tight and needy, bark scraping at his back where Neji had rucked his shirt up enough to stroke over his ribs, to graze his nipple, one hand settling back to grip at his waist and the other reaching to clutch at Shikamaru's nape. 

Desperation set his blood to boiling and a torturous, perfect ache was building between his legs. They were developing a habit of being indiscreet outdoors and he recognised it was something they should probably rein in, but every time he tried to tell himself they should be more careful things like this happened and he couldn’t remember why he was supposed to care. He turned to brush his mouth against the shell of Neji's ear, flicked his tongue out to tease the lobe between his lips, bit down and tugged, felt Neji shiver for him. He was on a hair-trigger, it had been at least six days too long and Neji felt incredible against him. They weren’t making it home.

'You're gonna make me come like this. That what you want? Coming in my jeans cause I'm so fucking desperate for you? You gonna stop me screaming your name and waking people up?'

The growl Neji pressed against his mouth even as Shikamaru was still speaking made the well of heat deep in his gut flare sharp.

'Kami, the mouth on you. I can keep you from waking the village, just don't ask me to stop.'

'Fuck, fuck, no, wouldn't dream of it. Wanna feel you, want you to come against me like this, wet and messy and fuck, I'm losing my fucking mind you feel so good.'

Neji was moaning in a dark, steady stream that was clawing under his skin, that hot mouth seeking his adam's apple, teeth scraping over it, sucking bruise after bruise into his throat before chasing his lips. Shikamaru pushed back, clutched at him, writhed under the heat and frantic pleasure racing through his body. 

‘Keep talking, sweetheart.’

Gods. Yeah, that worked. 

‘Yeah? You missed my voice huh?’

Neji hummed as his mouth settled at the hinge of Shikamaru’s jaw, breathing hard and dragging kisses over his sparking skin. His brain grappled with his thoughts, tried to make the ache coherent until the words started tumbling over his tongue and he turned just a little to whisper them against Neji’s ear, voice dropping low.

‘What else have you missed? Cause gods, I wanna take us home, get my hands on you, get my mouth on you, wanna feel your perfect cock down my throat before you fuck me, yeah? Want you to make it so my voice sounds like hell tomorrow.'

His hips stuttered at the thought of it, of being on his knees while Neji held him steady, of how badly he wanted to feel Neji using him, coming apart for him. Giving to him. 

'I’ve missed the way you fuck me, and you know how good I’m gonna feel, so tight and hot around you, fuck, yeah, you want that? Gonna stretch me open on your cock? Fill me up until I’m begging to feel you come in me? Fuck, Neji, want you.’

His skin was burning, prickling waves rushing over him at the images his brain was conjuring, Neji’s litany of ruined noises stoking the fire in his core, hands clutching each other tight as hips rocked together.

'I'm so close, Neji, so close for you. You close for me? Gonna come with me? Come on, come on.. .'

'Shikamaru...'

He teetered, right on the knife's edge for a heartbeat that spanned seconds, hips locked tight in grinding pressure that was almost painful through too much fabric and the harsh scratch of zippers, mouths catching between panting, ruined breaths and Neji's fingers gripping his neck, his thigh, digging in hard enough to mark him, desperate, and gods, yes, there, perfect, his orgasm tearing through him with a bitten-off cry that Neji was echoing, swallowing down, body shaking against him, rhythm falling apart as they rode out their pleasure against each other.  

Neji let his leg relax down and he took a moment to find his balance, the ground unsteady beneath his feet. He tugged Neji forward into another messy kiss, still catching his breath as Neji wrapped him up in his arms, mouth shaping a smile around the press of lips.

‘Welcome home.’

‘Mmm, I could stand to be greeted like this again.’

‘Yeah? You like making me come in my pants like a teenager?’

‘I like wrecking you. And listening to you talk like that.’

He didn’t think his ragged dirty talk was anything noteworthy in comparison to the way Neji could wield that particular weapon, but still, yeah, he didn’t mind running his mouth if it got results like that.

‘Though I do really need that shower…’

Neji slipped a hand between them, palmed at Shikamaru’s softening cock through his soaked pants with enough pressure to make him gasp.

‘...and now I’ll get company for it.’

He laughed and dropped a kiss against Neji’s smirking lips.

‘You know, there are simpler ways. You could have just asked, this seems like overkill.’

‘Shall I skip this part next time then?’

‘Absolutely not.’

He scooped up Neji’s pack from where it lay in the dirt by his feet and laughed in mock outrage, slung the bag back over his shoulder and sought Neji’s hand, tangling their fingers. Sometimes he still felt like he was playing catch up, his life having recalibrated so completely and so rapidly to make room for Neji that he felt like he was running downhill, feet barely touching the ground. Like if he just kicked off a little he might fly, lose sight of the earth altogether. 

‘Come on, let’s go home.’

It was freeing, he’d come to realise. Letting go. He squeezed Neji’s hand a little tighter, a thumb brushing over his knuckle in response, wondered if he felt like he might be about to grow wings too.