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Break to Breathe	By : Okami-Rayne Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Shikamaru/Neji Views: 1958 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: NARUTO and its respective characters were created and are owned by Masashi Kishimoto. No copyright infringement intended. I make no money from this story.

Chapter List
- 24
- 25
- 26
BREAK TO BREATHE

by Okami Rayne

Chapter Twenty Five

[Dedicated to Cassandra Aegis]
Neji.
As ironically predictable as clockwork, Shikamaru woke just moments before it started; pulled from sleep by a firm, subconscious tug.
4 AM…
His eyes slipped open seconds before he heard Neji's breathing begin to shiver; and he reached the Jōnin seconds before it shattered. The moment it did, Neji bolted upright with a jolt so fierce it rocked the small bed and clattered the headboard.
Shit!
Shikamaru was almost knocked from his perch on the bed, but steadied himself with a gentle grip to Neji's shoulder. "Easy…"
The Hyūga's eyes flared and he twisted like a viper, his hand lashing out.
Shikamaru jerked his head back before those fingers could close around his throat, grabbing the Hyūga's wrist. "Neji!"
A tearing cough hacked out of the Hyūga, ripping away whatever attack the Jōnin had launched as the fight turned inward. Shikamaru took the chance to rock forward and slide his leg around, slipping behind Neji to band an arm around the Hyūga's torso, gripping a shaking shoulder as he tugged the Jōnin back and upright against the support of his chest.
"Easy…" he murmured. "Breathe…"
Against the warmth of his own skin, Neji's felt cool and damp, a cold sweat having broken out across the pale surface.
Shit…
Neji jerked sharply. "Let go!"
"It's me, dammit…come on…" Shikamaru said softly, ignoring the bruising dig of Neji's fingers into his forearm. "Breathe…come on…"
Neji juddered in his grip, hissing. "…Let me…go…"
Shikamaru frowned, an unexplainable twinge pulling in his own chest at the shake in those words. Despite the angry hiss, he could detect the buried desperation.
What the hell happened to you, Neji?
Angling his head, he glanced across at the dark bangs framing Neji's face, the chocolate coloured strands quivering with each rattling breath.
"Hey…" he whispered, sliding his palm to Neji's chest, brushing his thumb against the cold skin as he settled his lips at Neji's ear. "I'm not trying to attack you, remember?"
He heard Neji's breath shift and felt the tension ripple through the Hyūga's torso, tightening the lean muscles of his abdomen. Shikamaru hummed softly, slipping his other hand around, his thumb dragging along the heaving rungs of Neji's ribs.
"So damned stubborn…" he murmured. "Take it easy…You've got this…come on…"
Neji tried to hunch free from the loose embrace, his shoulder blades jutting against Shikamaru's chest. The Nara ignored it, adjusting his grip to accommodate, keeping the easy hold, an offer of calm support to avoid the risk of Neji feeling suffocated or caged.
Controlled.
With a patience he didn't know he possessed, Shikamaru weathered the storm of Neji's attempts to shake him off. Every shudder he met with a sweep of his lips against Neji's temple and every bruising clench of those pale fingers against his arm he returned with a gentle tap of his thumb. Finally, exhaustion won out, taming the Hyūga's frustration into a fight for his breath, which began to steady slowly.
Alright, we're outta the red zone.
Neji swallowed thickly, the sound audible as the Hyūga slumped back, a sigh seeping between his lips. Shikamaru felt the relief wash through him and he slackened his grip a little, his hand dropping from Neji's ribs to settle on the Hyūga's stomach, resting just above the Jōnin's navel.
They stayed resting in this exhausted silence for a moment, allowing for Shikamaru to monitor the Hyūga's breaths while Neji reached up to drag his wrist across his lips, brushing away the blood that had dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Shikamaru didn't need to drop his gaze to the sheets to know they were dotted with red. It wasn't necessary to state the obvious, so he bit his tongue and tilted his jaw as Neji's head tipped back, resting against his shoulder. He watched the Jōnin from the corner of his eye.
Neji's lashes hovered low, shuttering his eyes and leaving only milky crescents that stared unseeingly across the room. Dazed, drained.
Defences down …
Shikamaru weighed his options, which were stretched about as thin as Neji's breaths. Before he could let the opportunity slide, Shikamaru forced his gaze to settle on the blood smeared across the back of Neji's wrist.
We're running out of time…
Closing his eyes, Shikamaru drew a slow breath, dropping his words softly as he began to nudge his way onto that dangerous territory.
"What happened at this time, Neji?"
Neji's lashes fluttered weakly. "…Hnm?"
Shikamaru set his mouth close to the Hyūga's ear. "4 AM…"
"What do you mean?" Neji croaked, turning his head slowly.
"…That's when this gets worse…"
Shikamaru was met with a tense pause before he felt Neji's fingers brush across his arm in a caress that felt, strangely, like a warning.
"It happens when I exert myself, Shikamaru," Neji sighed. "My chakra is still down…just leave it alone."
Yeah, I wish I could…
Unfortunately, he didn't have the luxury of minding his own business. He shook his head, knowing he'd have to start picking at scabs to get to the wound.
Shit.
"It's not exertion that sets it off at this crazy time, Neji. It's something else." He shot the Hyūga a sidelong glance, his voice soft. "And it's always at four in the morning…"
Neji snorted, closing his eyes. "As if you'd keep tabs on the hour, Nara. How are you even functioning at this time?"
Shikamaru smiled weakly, amazed at how cruel badly-timed progress was; just the fact that Neji had come up with a sense of humour at a time when he couldn't meet the Hyūga halfway. If fate had a sense of irony, let alone humour, it was pretty twisted. Shikamaru took a moment to hate the situation before he confronted it again, bluntly.
"What happened at 4 AM, Neji?"
Neji slipped his eyes open, glancing up and across. "You're being ridiculous."
"What happened?" Shikamaru pressed, his voice level, unyielding without having to raise or drop a notch.
Neji frowned, the look of exhaustion on the Hyūga's face driving an uncomfortable feeling straight into Shikamaru's gut. He shoved aside the guilt by repeating the question.
"What happened?"
"Apparently something I'm supposed to know," the Hyūga said warily.
"Just give me a straight answer," Shikamaru pushed, feeling Neji begin to tense up, the Jōnin's shoulder blades shifting like hackles.
"I don't know. There's your straight answer."
Shikamaru arched a brow, the dry expression carrying into his voice. "You sure you wanna play the bullshit card with me?"
The change began to creep into Neji instantly, the pale, cloud-like eyes starting to grow overcast as they turned up toward him again. "I'm not playing games."
Shikamaru ignored the look in those eyes, focusing on reading beneath the surface, his thumbs ceasing their tap against previously cold skin that had warmed beneath his touch without either of them realising it.
"Something is triggering you to wake up at this time."
"I've always been a light sleeper, unlike you."
"Why can't you face it?"
Neji's eyes flashed and he pulled away sharply, breaking the easy drape of Shikamaru's arms. "Drop it, Nara."
Shikamaru settled his palms onto the sheets, watching Neji through sharp eyes, the dark orbs narrowed in calculation as he tried to put the pieces together.
"Did something happen with your clan?"
"Drop it, Shikamaru."
"I can't…"
Neji turned his head, casting a feral glare over his shoulder. "You said you would not use this against me, so don't."
That was before I knew it was killing you…
The words were on the tip of the Nara's tongue, but he bit them back, opting for a pointed glance towards the sheets. Neji followed his gaze down to the spatter of blood. It was an ugly, red truth.
"That's why I can't…" Shikamaru said, raising his eyes. "You've blocked your damn chakra points and screwed up your lungs."
Neji kept his eyes fixed on the sheets. "Hn. How perceptive of you."
"Why did you do it, Neji?"
Neji flicked his gaze up, a storm of grey playing in the milky hues of his eyes before he looked away, moving to peel the sheets from his waist. Shikamaru followed his movements without making a move to stop him.
"Why are you still doing it?" the Nara frowned.
"Shikamaru…" Neji twisted at the edge of the bed and set his feet on the ground, gripping his thighs with a tired sigh. "You need to stop asking me these things."
"Whatever it is…you don't have to do this," Shikamaru said, tipping his head to the blood on the sheets.
"No…I don't have to…" Neji glanced across. "But I can."
What?
Shikamaru's face twisted in confusion, his sharp eyes narrowing further as he shook his head. "So this is all about proving some stupid point?"
"Of course not," Neji snapped, dragging the rest of the covers away as he rose to his feet, stepping away from the bed. "If that was the case, I'd have done it years ago."
"So why didn't you do it years ago?"
Neji hesitated, then took another step away, rubbing at his chest. Shikamaru's eyes traced over the elegant groove of Neji's spine as the Hyūga dropped his shoulders back, rolling them against the tension. The shift of muscle beneath the surface was hypnotic. He dropped his eyes to the ends of the Jōnin's hair, about to repeat the question.
He didn't have to.
"Because someone told me that I must live …" Neji murmured, his eyes on the window.
Shikamaru arched a brow. "That someone is gonna be disappointed if you keep on with this shit."
Neji snorted. "Don't be dramatic, Nara. It doesn't suit you."
"Don't be a moron, Neji. You're not this stupid."
"Enough!" Neji whipped around so suddenly it would have startled anyone else.
Shikamaru only leaned back on his palms, one leg dangling off the edge of the bed, at complete physical odds with Neji's aggression. "What happened with your clan two months ago?"
"Nothing," the Hyūga growled.
"Bullshit. Two months ago is when this started."
"You're keeping a chronology of my affairs now?"
"Does this have something to do with ANBU recruiting you?"
"Back off, Shikamaru."
The Nara pursed his lips, a dark brow still quirked in that disbelieving arch that he knew would be pissing Neji off to no end. Letting the Hyūga stew, however, might only begin to work against him, so he dragged in a slow breath, preparing for the rephrase of his earlier question.
Shit.
"Fine," Shikamaru sighed, pausing before he let the query fly like a flash bomb. "Then what the hell happened at 4 AM when you were a kid?"
Neji's face turned to stone. "…What?"
"You've always woken up at this crazy hour, right?" Shikamaru cocked his head, watching, searching. "Even before you started doing this crap…you woke up at this time when you were a child too."
Neji glanced away, his eyes searching the darkness.
Then a flicker of angry realisation struck his face.
His lip curled in a snarl. "…Hinata."
Crap.
Shikamaru lifted off one palm, leaning forward slightly as he met Neji's gaze. "I asked her, alright? I had to nag the hell out of her and despite what she says, I know it's not to meditate or train. My guess? Something bad happened to you when you were a kid."
Neji's jaw twitched, his pale eyes narrowing.
Not taking his gaze off the Hyūga, Shikamaru pushed off his other palm, sitting on the edge of the bed now.
"Bad enough to make you wake up on the hour like this from the trauma or the memory," he added softly.
Neji closed his eyes.
For a moment, Shikamaru couldn't read him, couldn't gauge what the hell was going on behind the mask the Hyūga had pulled across his face. So he skimmed his eyes over the rest of the Jōnin, trying to read something off his body. But it was held rigid, unmoving. He scanned the bruise-dotted chest, the veins in Neji's unclenched hands, even the set of the white-clad legs.
Nothing.
Dammit.
Then Neji spoke.
"Understand this, Shikamaru," the Hyūga began with disturbing composure, slipping his lashes open as he stepped back towards the bed, his knees brushing the mattress as he stared down into the Nara's dark eyes. "Whatever lines have blurred between us, you don't get to cross that line with me…"
Shikamaru tilted his head back to stare up, straight into the pale eyes trying to chill him and warn him off. Shikamaru's response was a sad smile.
"Then push me back like you said you needed to," he shook his head. "Because what you're doing is crazy."
Neji's voice dropped. "…I know what I'm doing."
For the first time, Shikamaru felt the angry concern threatening to leak too strongly into his voice. He hesitated before speaking, making sure to keep his tones easy and calm.
"No you don't." He traced his eyes over Neji's chest. "You're losing it Neji."
"I will not lose."
Shikamaru shook his head again, concern twisting tighter inside him as he stared at the bruises rather than up into those eyes.
"Whatever you're trying to block, it's not going to go away."
"You're wrong."
"Whatever the hell it is…you need to let it out…"
Neji turned to walk away. "Stop saying that…"
Shikamaru gripped his elbow, without raising his eyes. "You can't hold this in."
"Watch me," Neji spat.
Shikamaru flicked his eyes up at those words, glaring hard into the opal irises pinned on him. They stared at each other, caught in a strained, complicated tension that caused Shikamaru's stomach to churn with nausea. Neji stood unmoving, a vision cut from moonlight and shadows, all sharp angles and smooth planes.
Yet as unreachable as a ghost…
Shikamaru frowned, his dark eyes shifting down to slowly trace across the bruises on Neji's chest. He shook his head slowly, his voice hoarse and quiet.
"I can't watch you do this."
Neji drew a slow breath.
Then, unexpectedly, the Hyūga raised his hand.
Shikamaru blinked when he felt the tips of Neji's fingers skim across his brow and softly drag down to ghost over his lashes, forcing him to close his eyes.
"Then don't," Neji whispered.

The Konoha shinobi were summoned to Hanegakure's great hall at noon. The massive assembly room was built upon the higher levels of the canopies, crafted from thick, sturdy timbers in a dome-like structure, granting it impressive acoustics designed to carry the voice of the man centred at the head of the huge circular table.
Ozuku Tsubasa.
"Man, he got hit with the ugly stick," Naruto snickered.
"Stick? Maybe the whole tree, huh?" Kiba murmured beneath his breath, jabbing Shikamaru in the ribs with his elbow.
Shikamaru shrugged, slanting away from the Inuzuka. "Whatever."
"Be quiet," Neji said firmly, his eyes set ahead.
Shikamaru arched a brow, letting his drowsy gaze scan across the large table towards the Tsubasa leader. He studied Ozuku's freakishly hawk-like features in lazy calculation.
There was no mistaking this man was Fukurō's brother.
The Tsubasa brothers shared the same rusty hair and aquiline nose, their jaws hard and strong. However, Ozuku seemed to have decorated himself with an array of tattoos across his face, which gave the impression of oddly distorted features. He was also smaller in stature than Fukurō had been despite his voluminous robes. He looked more like a Priest than a warrior; despite his ceremonial looking garb, his disposition seemed far more understated than his brother's had been.
He's calmer…probably smarter too…
Shikamaru watched the Tsubasa leader converse quietly with Kitori, nodding to whatever information she was relaying. As they talked, the Nara took the opportunity to scan the rest of the room. Ten Tsubasa shinobi guards were stationed around the hall with a gaggle of trusted advisers standing to one side of Ozuku.
The Konoha shinobi were gathered around Neji and Shikamaru, who sat at their centre across the table. Other than that, the hall was empty, its domed roof ringing hollow but for the twitter of birdsong – and Naruto's sporadic titters or running commentary.
"When are we gonna start already – OW!"
"Shut up," Sakura hissed.
Before the Uzumaki could pipe up with another inappropriate comment, movement drew Shikamaru's eye back to the Tsubasa leader. Kitori stepped aside as Ozuku turned, placing his palms on the table before spreading them in a gesture of welcome.
"Shinobi of the Leaf," Ozuku began, his deep voice resonating to fill the hall. "While it is a pleasure to be in the company of old allies once more, it is regrettable that we align under such poor circumstances."
Neji inclined his head. "Ozuku-sama."
"Kitori has informed me that you've offered your assistance with regards to our rebel problem," Ozuku smiled slightly, the tattoos of feathers around his eyes drawing Shikamaru's gaze to the calm dark orbs.
"That's correct," Neji said. "In negotiation for an official peace alliance between our villages."
"I understand. I can only apologise for the trouble my brother and his rebel faction have caused Konoha." Ozuku's mouth pulled down in a regretful frown. "I had hoped this civil strife would not spread beyond our borders."
Shikamaru glanced between Kitori and the leader before speaking. "If you knew there was a risk that it might, why didn't you inform neighbouring villages?"
Ozuku sighed, shaking his head. "To be honest, I was ashamed to turn to Konoha for help. Given that it was my own brother who betrayed Hanegakure. I also wanted to try to find a peaceful resolution. There was a time when Fukurō and I led the people together, in peace."
"So what changed?" Shikamaru asked.
"As I'm sure Kitori told you, the power went to his head."
Neji nodded slowly. "He wanted to harvest dōjutsu."
"Not just dōjutsu. But any form of kekkei genkai," Ozuku set his gaze on Neji as if to illustrate his point. "Dōjutsu just so happens to be strong in Konoha, what with the Sharingan and Byakugan…which reminds me, I was sorry to hear about the Uchiha tragedy. We prayed for them."
Shikamaru glanced across at Naruto. The Uzumaki's eyes glittered with unchecked emotion, a flicker of pain and burning resolve. Shikamaru blinked slowly, then glanced back at Ozuku.
"Religion is a big thing here, huh?" he asked.
"Faith is," Ozuku corrected. "Right now, I want to put my faith in your shinobi. Fukurō took most of our military strength when he was exiled."
"And now Hibari leads them," Kitori added quietly.
"Yes." Ozuku cast the kunoichi a sympathetic glance. "And he is in possession of our clan's scrolls. They need to be retrieved and returned back to the Temple. The jutsu those scrolls contain is forbidden and must be sealed away."
"So we sniff em' out and shut 'em down," Naruto grinned.
"To put it simply," Neji said quietly, reaching up a hand to subtly press his fingers to his chest.
Shikamaru didn't miss it and cast the Hyūga a glance. Neji ignored him.
"Hey," Kiba interrupted. "Let's not forget that these rebels are under the damned ground."
"Yes, we had suspected they'd gone underground," Ozuku nodded. "Kitori and her trackers will assist in locating them."
"We can pick up their trail from where they attacked us," Neji said, lowering his hand.
"Before we do that, we need to know what we're up against with regards to this forbidden jutsu," Shikamaru cut in, his eyes on Neji before flicking to Ozuku. "We got hit with it before. Don't really want a repeat performance."
Ozuku's advisers stirred beside him as if the words had ruffled their feathers. The Tsubasa leader hummed, shaking his head with a regretful expression.
"You must understand the necessary confidentiality of that information," Ozuku said.
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "What I understand is that we're here to solve your problem, because it's been made our problem."
Neji glanced across sharply, but Shikamaru ignored him, staring squarely at Ozuku. The Tsubasa leader leaned back in his holstered chair, his tattooed face arching slightly in surprise at being so openly challenged. Or insulted.
Like I give a crap.
Silenced dragged uncomfortably for a moment.
A moment in which Ozuku returned Shikamaru's steady stare, the flap of the advisers not breaking the deadlock. The Nara arched a brow, earning him a faint frown in return.
"While we appreciate your position, Ozuku-sama," Neji eventually said, moving to mitigate the tension. "You must also appreciate ours. We cannot fight blind."
Ozuku slid his gaze to the Hyūga, humming before he blinked slowly. "I understand…"
"Ozuku-sama," one of the advisers protested, though a flick of Ozuku's wrist silenced him.
"It is a matter of stopping the casters to disable the jutsu," Ozuku said. "The jutsu is difficult to counter precisely because the casters are kept out of range."
"How far out of range?" Shikamaru asked.
"Far enough that with a protective barrier jutsu, they can never be detected." Ozuku shook his head. "Furthermore, if they have enough chakra, they can maintain it for a substantially long period."
"But who has such an immense level of chakra?" Lee spoke up, his bushy brows furrowing.
"Someone who can replenish their reserves," Shikamaru answered, glancing across at Neji. "Right?"
Neji hummed. "Fukurō and his rebels took pills when we fought them."
"Yes," Ozuku nodded. "This is why Fukurō started chakra enhancement experimentations. To improve chakra reserves so shinobi could cast the jutsu and maintain it for prolonged periods."
Great…using his own daughter as the lab rat…
Shikamaru sighed. "And your nephew, Hibari, has a stash of these pills, I take it?"
"You would be correct," Ozuku said. "The jutsu, in effect, is similar to a swarm jutsu."
Naruto snorted. "Only the birds don't go poof."
"They are a formidable force when they work in tandem," Kitori elaborated, her arms folded loosely. "They are trained to go for the neck, eyes and other such vital points."
"That's one messed up jutsu," the Uzumaki shuddered, scratching at his hair.
No kidding.
Shikamaru shared his discomfort, though he didn't show it, his attention directed on cataloguing all the information, his mind already assimilating the pieces into a loose strategy, accounting for the possibilities with precautions already sliding into place. He only shifted his focus when Neji spoke up.
"At any rate," the Hyūga said, pausing to touch his hand to his chest again. "We will need to isolate one of the rebels and interrogate them, or alternatively infiltrate their ranks to locate the jutsu casters. Shikamaru?"
"Yeah, I'm on it." Shikamaru nodded, his attention on Neji's hand.
"Very well. Kitori is entrusted with our military matters, so whatever reinforcements you require, you have but to ask her," Ozuku said, smoothing his palms along the table as if to settle and conclude the matter. "Now if you will excuse me, I must attend to the Temple."
"The Temple?" Sakura asked as Ozuku rose from his chair.
"Yes. We are a people of faith," Ozuku smiled, speaking with quiet reverence. "It's all the Tsubasa have right now. So until we have peace, we pray. The Temple is our stronghold."
Shikamaru turned his head, watching the advisers begin to gravitate towards the entrance of the hall, no doubt on their way to said Temple. He flicked his gaze back to Neji as the Hyūga made to stand, nodding towards Ozuku.
"We will outline our objectives and confirm them with your shinobi," Neji said, his voice tapering off at the end as if he were swallowing a cough.
Shikamaru felt that cold knot forming in the pit of his stomach and tried to ignore it as he lazily scraped his chair back, moving to his feet along with the others. Before the Konoha team turned to leave, Ozuku touched a hand above his heart, his deep voice carrying like a blessing Shikamaru hoped they wouldn't need.
"I will pray for you."

"Pray for us?" Naruto muttered, strolling along beside Shikamaru with a frown. "What's that all about?"
Shikamaru kept his gaze on the floor, his hands buried in his pockets as he walked. He shrugged in response to the Uzumaki.
"Whatever," he drawled. "Let them pray while we do their fighting for them."
He felt Kitori's glare before the sharp snap of her words rapped out.
"Ozuku-sama is not a military man," the kunoichi defended. "Fukurō was."
"Yeah," the Nara lifted a brow. "And you're the stand-in, right?"
"Shikamaru," Neji warned, his voice drifting over his shoulder as he walked ahead.
"I told you before that I knew my husband's position," Kitori said. "Which means I am fully aware of the procedures and responsibilities that come with leading a military faction."
"Right," Shikamaru yawned, tugging a hand from his pocket to rub at his eyes.
Kitori sniffed disdainfully and stepped ahead towards Neji. "Let me know what you need when you have planned your strategy, Hyūga. I will have a team mobilised to assist you."
"Leaving it all up to us?" Kiba grinned, lazily riding on Akamaru's back as the team moved towards The Rookery guesthouse. "You changed your tune pretty fast."
"Ozuku-sama has faith in you," Kitori nodded. "I have faith in him."
Neji stopped outside the guesthouse, turning towards Kitori as the rest of the team filed inside. "We will do what is necessary to resolve this."
"Thank you," Kitori smiled faintly, nodding before she moved to walk back the way she'd come, casting Shikamaru a withering glance.
Shikamaru shot her a bored look, utterly unconcerned with her irritation at him. He turned when Neji stepped up to him, sensing the Hyūga's exasperation.
"Are you done antagonising her?" Neji asked, his eyes on the retreating kunoichi.
"Maybe I just like to see the look on your face, Hyūga," Shikamaru teased, rolling into the guesthouse like a lazy breeze, sensing Neji falling into step behind him as they ascended the stairs.
Chōji met him on the level above. "Shikamaru, what do you need us to do?"
The Nara smiled, ever grateful for the uncomplicated understanding that Chōji had of him, which saved him having to waste his breath and energy. "Check that all our supplies are in order. If you and Sakura can speak to Kitori about the weaponry we're likely to come up against, that'll help. When you're briefed, let me know and I'll fit it into the strategy."
Chōji nodded, smiling. "Leave it to me."
Shikamaru clapped him on the shoulder. "When this crap is over and none of us end up dead, I'm gonna need your help with Ino's present."
Chōji laughed. "What about your birthday?"
"I'm easy. Ino's a god-damned mission to plan for." Shikamaru sighed. "If you see anything shiny and girly while we're here, point it out. Anyway, Neji and I need to form a strategy. Catch you guys later."
They parted ways with a nod, Shikamaru turning to move in the opposite direction with Neji a step behind. They were stopped by a soft voice.
"Neji-niisan…"
Damn she's sneaky. Shikamaru thought, moving on ahead towards their room as Neji turned back towards the kunoichi. The shadow-nin pretended to focus on opening the door, unable to glimpse whatever it was that Hinata tried to hand over to her cousin.
"I don't understand," Neji said; yet his voice fell flat enough to indicate to Shikamaru that he did understand but didn't want to discuss whatever it was.
"I-I think it will help with—"
"I don't need that," Neji cut across her sharply.
Shikamaru turned the door handle slowly, glancing over; he just about caught Hinata's distraught expression, able to hear it in her voice as she stammered.
"But I-I, it's—"
"Hinata, I don't need it."
Shikamaru shouldered open the door, slanting enough that he caught Hinata's gaze over Neji's shoulder. He shook his head, a silent instruction that she thankfully responded to. The kunoichi backed off, casting her cousin a final glance before reluctantly walking back along the corridor.
Shikamaru slipped into the room just as Neji turned around; he'd barely made it half-way before the door slammed shut, causing him to flinch inwardly.
Crap.
"What did you say to her?" Neji demanded, his voice layered with accusation.
"Nothing she doesn't already know," Shikamaru returned calmly, strolling over to one of the beds. "She's pretty perceptive. Kinda troublesome for you, right?"
Neji snorted. "You're more 'troublesome' than she is, Nara."
"Yeah, imagine what the hell that makes a stubborn bastard like you."
Neji fell silent at that, prompting Shikamaru to glance over as he sat at the edge of the bed. He didn't react to the glare he received and instead cocked an eyebrow, daring the Hyūga to go a verbal round on that one.
He didn't.
Neji closed his eyes and sighed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose.
He looked exhausted.
He is...
Shikamaru resisted the urge to get up and move over, opting for the safer, saner choice – distance. He kept his gaze on Neji, resting his forearms across his knees as he surveyed the Hyūga quietly.
Neji must have sensed his gaze, because the pale eyes fluttered open, staring at him tiredly. "Don't look at me like that."
Shikamaru forced a weak smirk despite the concern wanting to break into his expression. Despite his effort to conceal it, Neji must have read it in his face, because the Hyūga shook his head, stepped forward and brushed his fingertips softly across Shikamaru's eyelashes, forcing the dark eyes to close once again.
"Don't," the Hyūga said quietly.
Shikamaru reached up to grip his wrist, tugging Neji's hand away from his face so he could level their gazes. "Way too late, don't you think?"
Neji smiled slightly, his tired eyes ringed by shadow. "Now would be the moment where I allow myself to hate you."
"Sounds like a good idea," Shikamaru agreed softly, releasing Neji's wrist, though for some reason the Hyūga didn't lower his hand.
Shikamaru almost started when Neji's fingers traced along the lean slant of his jaw. The shadow-nin frowned slightly then offered an uncertain smile to cover up the jumble of reactions firing off inside him.
"This is your idea of hating me, Hyūga?" Shikamaru murmured, trying to push humour into his voice. "Kinda counterintuitive."
"Hmn." Neji shook his head. "I don't know what this is…"
The conflict in Neji's voice, coupled with the exhaustion in the Hyūga's eyes drew a sharp pang across Shikamaru's chest. He ignored it, attempting to pass off another lazy smirk.
"How about troublesome?" Shikamaru offered, not fighting Neji's touch and trying his damnedest not to respond to it either.
"Very," Neji agreed, frowning as he grazed a knuckle back down Shikamaru's jaw.
Shikamaru blinked slowly at the touch. "You look like shit, Neji."
The Hyūga smiled wryly. "Thank you."
"You really need to sleep."
"We really need to strategise."
Shikamaru swayed to his feet, placing them precariously close to each other when Neji didn't step back as he straightened up. "I've got a good strategy, wanna hear it?"
Neji dropped his hand, shaking his head. "I don't think so."
Shikamaru touched their foreheads, raising his hand to tap Neji's temple. "Doesn't require any thinking on your part."
"Are you insulting my intelligence again?" Neji muttered softly, his breath playing across Shikamaru's lips.
It took an incredible amount of restraint for Shikamaru not to close his eyes, so he shuttered them instead, watching through his lashes. "Suggesting that you take a damn nap isn't an insult."
"Why offer me a choice? Two months ago you simply knocked me unconscious," Neji said, making an effort not to smile.
"Again with that crap?" Shikamaru drew his head back, staring in open amusement at the Jōnin. "You're really never gonna let that go are you?"
Neji arched a brow. "Not a chance."
"You've almost split my head open twice."
"But I haven't knocked you unconscious yet," the Hyūga pointed out, pausing in mock consideration. "Not that I need to at the rate you sleep."
Shikamaru laughed, enjoying the lighter feeling in his chest. He sobered however, when he belatedly realised that his fingers had slipped around to Neji's nape, taking up that familiar knead to break up the knots of tension he found there. What was even more surprising was the fact that Neji was allowing it without even the barest trace of disapproval.
What the hell am I doing…again…
Shikamaru stopped his gentle massage, offering a faint smile as he tried to distract them both from his actions. He gripped Neji's nape in feigned menace, subtly indicating the pressure point at the base of the Jōnin's skull with his next words.
"I could always do it again."
Neji rolled his eyes, smiling. "You'd probably be doing both of us a favour."
"Careful, Hyūga. That almost sounds like permission."
"It might just be a request," Neji joked weakly, shaking his head against the words a moment later.
Shikamaru frowned, letting his gaze drift over Neji's face, lingering on the dark rings under the Jōnin's eyes. "It's alright to catch a breather you know."
Neji snorted with the barest curve at his lips. "Very witty, Nara."
I'm serious…
Shikamaru lowered his gaze to the Hyūga's mouth, recalling the trickle of blood that had leaked from between those faintly smiling lips. He frowned, sliding his hand around to cup Neji's jaw, his thumb brushing the corner of the Jōnin's mouth, tracing an imaginary trail of blood.
Neji watched him calmly, but the pale eyes flickered slightly in confusion.
Shikamaru avoided those cloud-like orbs and swept his thumb across Neji's mouth slowly, shaking his head. "You're a pain, Hyūga…"
He didn't realise how literal his words were until he felt that concern weighing heavily inside him again. Like a dull ache that wouldn't go away.
I need it to.
Neji damaged his thought process a second later when he smiled, and Shikamaru felt it beneath his touch, causing him to trace out the curve of Neji's lips with a light drag of his thumb before he dropped his hand to the Hyūga's shoulder.
Shit…shit…shit…
"Better put our heads together, right?" Shikamaru frowned, staring at his hand to avoid Neji's eyes. "Start looking through their maps…"
"Shikamaru…"
"Let's just get this troublesome crap over with…" The Nara said hoarsely, not daring to meld their gazes.
God dammit...I can't let this keep starting…over and over...
It was becoming harder to stop.
This time when Neji's fingertips stroked across his lashes, he'd already closed his eyes.
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Break to Breathe