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Earth Angel	By : PrplGrl Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Shikamaru/Neji Views: 1489 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 12
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- 14
Satan’s Temptation

Shikamaru’s eyes widened, his body seeming to go numb with shock for a few moments. How could this be? Neji Hyuga never quit anything; if he didn’t want to do something, he just didn’t do it in the first place. The Nara didn’t understand; it didn’t make any sense! He knew his angel better than anyone he was sure. He wouldn’t simply quit baseball, not the sport his late father had been so good at, which was a gift Neji had also inherited. Neji loved baseball.

A scowl touched Shikamaru’s face as his eyes drifted to the floor, the others in the room quickly starting up again in asking their former captain why and trying to talking him out of it. Shikamaru was just having a tough time figuring out his angel’s reasons for doing such a thing. He’d never leave his team out to dry like this, not with the ever-important playoffs right around the corner. The playoff games were several series of games against the best schools around, all competing for first place in the division. Neji wouldn’t miss his chance here, especially since becoming a senior. This would be his last time to shine before graduation in the spring.

‘Isn’t this what you wanted?’ a small voice within Shikamaru’s mind asked suddenly. ‘Didn’t you ultimately want your precious angel to choose you over his silly sport?’

The Nara’s hands clenched tightly into fists at his sides. It had been so long… he’d forgotten about it. How many nights had he dreamed that Neji would walk up to him smiling and pledge his life to Shikamaru, announcing to leave baseball behind? Didn’t he wish he could be the object Neji yearned and worked so hard for, if even for a few minutes? Shikamaru thought that would be heaven enough for him to die in peace. He had wanted that more than anything, back before he’d joined the team. Shikamaru wished several times he could be the center of Neji’s world and was agitated to have a mere sport in that position.

However, it seemed the situation had finally changed in Shikamaru’s favor. He had waited for a long time; it looked as if his patience had finally paid off. His heart swelled a bit in happiness, a small smile coming to his lips as the reality of his angel’s words sank in. Shikamaru allowed himself only a few short seconds drowning in the joyful feeling swirling within his chest, casting out the rest of the world as he thought, ‘Neji… chose me…. He wants to be with me.’

I fell for you and I knew
The vision of your loveliness
I hope and pray that someday
That I'll be the vision of your happiness

The smile slowly slid from his lips, unfortunately, as the voices from his friends finally beat through the shell Shikamaru had himself incased in. He could hear the anger, disappointment and fear in their tones and the Nara felt himself beginning to understand. The one thing he had wanted for so long, the ultimate wish his heart yearned for… was suddenly something he didn’t want.

A lump formed in his throat at the thought, but Shikamaru swallowed it even as he frowned. He couldn’t do this… not at the expense of the others. The baseball team needed a captain, and he knew there was no one else more qualified than his angel. Shikamaru closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ‘This is how it has to be,’ he silently whispered to himself, trying to quiet his screaming heart as he opened his eyes to lock them onto an irritated Neji, who was currently arguing with Kiba. ‘Angels must stay in heaven.’

“Don’t do this, Neji Hyuga.” Shikamaru had said it softly, yet the small sentence had reached his angel and the rest of the team as the whole room suddenly became silent. The Nara could feel the gazes of his friends’ burn into him through his clothing, but he was only concerned with moon-hued eyes as they turned to him.

Neji appeared to be shocked, his gorgeous orbs shimmering with surprise. “Shikamaru,” he whispered, “what are you saying?”

Shikamaru sighed. “Please don’t quit the team, Neji, not for me. It’s obvious that they need you. You can’t leave them now.”

“Wait,” the Inuzuka said, giving the Hyuga a confused look, “he’s the reason behind this?!” he practically shouted, but the Nara didn’t pay attention to him. He instead watched the disbelief flash within his angel’s gaze as he took a step closer as if trying to ascertain whether or not Shikamaru was being serious.

Neji slowly shook his head. “No, Shikamaru… don’t say that. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since you were kicked off the team. Please,” he reached up to cup the younger man’s face, “I don’t want to play baseball if it means losing you.”

“What the fuck is going on here?!” Kiba suddenly shouted, giving the pair in front of him a bewildered look. “Why are you dumping us for him?!” He grunted in pain as Hinata elbowed him roughly in the side; had Shikamaru not been busy gazing into pale eyes, he would have given her the same shocked look her boyfriend was.

“Isn’t it obvious, Kiba?” she whispered harshly. “Neji is giving up his position as team captain to be with Shikamaru. He’s making a sacrifice, now be quiet and watch!”

Shikamaru chuckled softly, ignoring the whole exchange between Hinata and a now-disgruntled Kiba, “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to say that,” he replied sadly, despite the hopeful smile on his angel’s face. The Nara placed his hands over warm, paler ones and made the older man release his cheeks as he gazed seriously at the older man. “I can’t let you do it, Neji. You wouldn’t just be ruining the game for this team but you’d also erase any future you may have. Baseball is your passion, your one true love; even I can see that. I won’t let you destroy your life, Neji Hyuga. I’m not worth it.”

“Shikamaru—” Neji started, but the Nara placed a hand over his lips to silence him.

“You will not walk out on your team, Neji!” Shikamaru stated, hardening the look in his eyes to convey the finality of his decision, ignoring the desperate pleas from his heart. “You have a job to do and it doesn’t include me. I accepted this truth a while ago; it’s time you did, too.” He sighed heavily, dropping his hand from Neji’s face and averting his gaze when moon-colored eyes looked at him with heartbreak and desperation. Shikamaru didn’t want to see it; he didn’t want to see his own emotions reflected within those perfect orbs. He turned, stuffing his hands into his pockets to clench them without anyone seeing and hoped he wasn’t as pale as he felt. “Angels belong in heaven, Neji Hyuga,” Shikamaru whispered, keeping his gaze upon the floor at his feet. “Your heaven just happens to be the baseball field. I refuse to be the demon that forces you from where you belong.”

Without waiting for a response, the Nara started walking away. The others immediately got out of his way as he headed toward the door. He left the now silent room, thinking a simple mantra to make sure he didn’t do what his heart demanded of him. ‘Don’t look back, don’t look back, don’t look back, don’t look back….’ Shikamaru didn’t want to see the look on his angel’s face, which he knew would be an expression the same as his own, heartbroken and crestfallen.

“Glad to have you back, Neji!” Naruto’s voice resounded from the room, causing the Nara to pause in the hallway. He really knew he shouldn’t, but his legs refused the command to keep going; he could only glare at his feet as more words reached his ears.

“What do you mean?” that angelic tone asked quietly. Shikamaru was actually surprised he heard it.

“Don’t play stupid!” Kiba said, tone a bit irritated. “Shikamaru just turned you down, Hyuga! It means you’re coming back onto the team.”

The Nara could almost see the angered look on Neji’s pretty face. “Since when do you make my decisions for me, Inuzuka?”

There was a moment of silence before Sakura’s voice pierced the air, “Will you two knock it off! Hinata, keep your boyfriend busy! Neji… I know this is hard for you to accept, but Shikamaru obviously doesn’t want to be with you—”

“Shut up!” Shikamaru wasn’t sure if he’d heard Neji sound so irate before, not even when the Nara was kicked off the team.

“Neji, please,” TenTen voiced, tone holding heavy concern. “We didn’t want you to quit the team and Nara just told you not to. He doesn’t want your attention, not like this.”

Another short pause floated on the air before Lee’s surprisingly small voice came to Shikamaru’s ears, “She does have a point, Neji. Shikamaru doesn’t want you to abandon us and since you left for him… it should be understandable that you return to the team.”

Several moments passed with silence, but Shikamaru’s heart began beating fast within his chest once more, secretly wishing the Hyuga would turn down his former teammates. He tried to suppress the feeling and failed miserably. The Nara couldn’t help but hope his angel would tell the others to fuck off and run into the hallway after him. He sighed softly, ‘I’ve been watching too many damn romance movies.’

“Lee,” Neji finally spoke, tone unnervingly neutral, “…you speak the truth. I gave up my position as the team captain; in turn I was going to reject the offers of scholarships and tuitions from top schools and basically turn my back on my father’s legacy… all for a man who turned me away. Thinking about this rationally, I really should go back to Gai-sensei and… get back on the team. Baseball is basically all I have left.”

Tears stung Shikamaru’s eyes, but he fought to keep them back as his legs finally lost their stubborn resolve and he continued to walk down the hall. He would not cry here and he silently debated if he should shed any tears over this. It was himself who’d put his foot down and made a final decision. Shikamaru knew he’d have to be strong and abide by it, even if he had just let his greatest wish pass by.

‘This is better,’ he told himself, his heart palpitating painfully in disagreement. ‘He would have lost everything; I’d rather see him at a distance with friends or playing baseball than having us together and receiving nothing but glares from everyone in the school and notice the longing in his pretty eyes whenever we’d walk by the baseball field. Hell no.’ Shikamaru walked a bit straighter at the thought. It was more acceptable to think in that fashion. His relationship with his angel might have been over, but it was for the best.

Shikamaru’s eyes widened as his arm was suddenly grabbed from behind and he was forcefully turned around, only having a moment to register moon orbs and cream skin, before unbelievably soft and warm lips were pressed onto his own.
- 12
- 13
- 14
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Earth Angel