Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Word-Collection	By : Infek Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1738 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- 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
- 1-Ghost
- 2-Kiss
- 3-Nail Polish
- 4-Bottle
- 5-Game
- 6-Bed
- 7-Scary
- 3
- 4
- 5
Word-Collection: Bottle
Groaning softly, Neji pushed himself up on his forearms, his long hair falling in his sleep-swollen eyes. He remembered a time when even a most strenuous workout could be resolved with a simple night’s sleep. But those days seemed like a lifetime ago as he couldn’t remember when he had last slept for more than three hours in a row. It was his own pride really. Many of his friends could see his exhaustion, almost barraging him with offers for help but Neji dismissed them all.
He crawled over to the side of the bed, finding his son crying, his eyes scrunched shut in hurt. Since his birth one months ago, he’d always had so much difficulty falling asleep, despite the vigorous teasing during his pregnancy that little Shin would have his father’s tendency to shut out the world and enjoy a nap.
Letting his arm dangle over the wooden railing, he found his son immediately grasping his finger, putting it to his mouth and falling silent as he recognised the smell of his papa. Carefully inching closer, Neji sat cross-legged on the bed, leaning his head on his arm as he used the fingers currently not being covered in spittle to stroke chubby cheeks and soft hair, ink-black like his father’s.
“Papa is here. There is no need to cry.” Shin hiccupped in response, opening eyes so similar to his own. Even during his pregnancy, Shikamaru had assured him many times over that under no circumstance would he allow anyone to put a seal on their son’s forehead, binding them to the Hyūga-clan until death took over the chains of slavery. But now, everything had changed.
[-]
Something about the constant beeping always lulled Shin to sleep easily. Perhaps it was a subconscious reaction to the heartbeat that steadily thumped in his ear in perfect rhythm with the heart-monitor but Neji wanted to ensure that at least this way, Shin would get used to the feel and sense of his father, placing him on his unconscious father’s chest, seeing him being pulled into sleep.
He sat cross-legged in the chair next to the bed, almost hearing that familiar voice complain about the poor state of the hospital-bed, that slight whine in that hoarse voice. It had taken them ages to find the one bed that adhered to all of Shikamaru’s high standards. It was also the one thing Shikamaru had really bothered himself with when moving in together. But Neji had made it clear that he wouldn’t escape so easily and they had fought, they had yelled at each other and slammed doors but they finally had a furnished house. Afterwards, both had been thoroughly embarrassed by the behaviour and consistently refused to comment on it although many people in Konoha still talked about the Great Moving Rift of Konohagakure.
He let his fingers graze over too-pale skin, covered in raised scars. Shikamaru would have laughed if he could see the large gash on his face, the similarity between him and his father only growing by the day. Settling his free hand on their son’s back, he put his head on the bed, resting it on Shikamaru’s side, comforted by the warmth.
A whole month of waiting and hoping and praying that he would wake up. The first week fearing if he would even be alive. Neji hated waiting and his patience had been sorely tested.
“Wake up,” he whispered silently, once, keeping his eyes closed. But no hand raised to stroke his hair, no sound was uttered from between two thin and pale lips.
[-]
Moving the handle of the stroller up and down softly, he listened absently to Tsunade, already knowing what she would say. No sign of improvement, no visible reactions. Dwindling chance of waking up. Their married life would be over before it even had time to begin.
“Neji, listen to me,” Tsunade suddenly bellowed, Neji turning accusing eyes at her as Shin of course woke up at her loud voice, his clenched fists coming up to his teary eyes. Neji lifted him in his arms, rocking him softly, whispering comforting words in his ear.
Tsunade tiredly rubbed circles on her temples, taking in her young subordinate with his infant son and a new husband who was lying unconscious in a hospital-bed, kept alive with machines and having a narrow chance of recovery.
“I’m sorry. But I need you to listen very carefully as what I am about to tell you is very bad. But you know it already. The chances that Shikamaru will survive this are... They are not good. And in the long term, you might have to consider your options.”
“I can’t do that. He can still get better,” Neji protested, all the while shaking his head.
Tsunade nodded sadly. “I know you think he can but the tests show otherwise.”
“Then your tests are wrong!” Neji now yelled. “I will not give up on him. He is my husband and he will come back to me and to our son.” Putting a crying Shin in the stroller, he strapped him in, probably too harshly but his hands were shaking so badly and he needed to get outside. Goddamnit, those stupid straps!
Hands kept artificially young covered his abruptly and he found green eyes locking with his, unflinching but with such care and compassion that he had to turn his head away.
“Go up on the roof. I will watch him for a bit.” Neji let his hands fall to his sides, watching Tsunade strap in his son gently. Once Shin was safely in his seat, he grabbed the handle, pushing their Hokage away.
“He’s my son. I have to take care of him.” Tsunade let him go, motioning an ANBU over.
“Make sure they get home safely,” she murmured.
[-]
God, he was tired... Eyelids feeling like lead, it took all he got to force himself to open them. He immediately regretted it as he was blinded by all the white attacking his vision. Fuck this, he was going back to sleep.
[-]
“He’s really perfect. Aren’t you, Shin-chan,” Yoshino said softly as she tickled the child she protectively cradled in her arms. Her first grandson. Possibly the only one she would ever have as she glanced up to the bed. It hurt to see her little boy, a man in his own right but her boy nonetheless, depending on machines to stay alive. Just married and a father to a child he had never even seen or held in his arms.
“Tsunade-sama... wanted to talk to me about what happens should he not recover.” The words were deceptively simple but their meaning made Yoshino stop breathing for a second. Neji was sitting on the bed, looking at his unconscious husband, cradling his hand between his own two. “I couldn’t-“ He abruptly stopped, leaning forward in a hurry, his face only a hair’s width from Shikamaru’s. And he saw brown eyes opening just a sliver.
“His eyes... He’s waking up,” he gasped. His hand grappled for the remote, pressing the emergency-button repeatedly. Yoshino came over, peering in closely.
“He’s awake,” she said with great difficulty, having to move back to her chair in fear of passing out, oblivious to the nurses and Tsunade herself storming into the room. But she heard that annoyed groan that as a mother had always angered her beyond belief. She couldn’t be happier to hear that sound.
[-]
“He always falls right asleep when he’s with you,” Neji smiled, rubbing their son’s raven head as Shin was calmly sucking on his pacifier whilst in the arms of his father. Shikamaru’s mouth-corners turned up slightly but he grabbed Neji’s wrist weakly. His recovery was going slow but steady, although not anywhere close to the point where he could leave the hospital and go home, unfortunately. Because the only thing consuming his mind whilst the rest of the hospital’s occupants was firmly asleep was the guilt gnawing away at him. The first two weeks he had been barely aware of anything around him, despite being awake and conscious.
“I’m sorry. I should have been here all along.” The words clearly surprised his husband, white eyes widening before a hand settled over his.
“Don’t you dare apologise. It never was and never will be your fault. You’re back and you will come home soon and that is all that matters now.” Shikamaru nodded shallowly, his smile widening but the tears in his eyes showing his regret regardless.
“Come here.” He motioned Neji to lie down next to him on the tiny bed, his husband for once doing as he was told. They didn’t talk once. But with their faces so close together, it was hard to miss anything. Neji pressed their lips together gently before laying his head on the thin pillow. And for the first time, Shikamaru felt the guilt dissipating, if even a little bit of it.
[-]
“Alright, Shikamaru, really focus now.” Sakura stood before him between the bars, guiding his movements carefully as her friend made his literal first steps towards recovery. Psychologically, it was a miracle at the minimal amount of memory-loss, but his physical state would take quite a bit longer. But with his son and husband sitting in the room, eagerly watching, it seemed he had all the motivation he needed. “You’re doing great, seriously.” Slowly, Shikamaru moved forward, the strain on him quite visible and sweat starting to form on his forehead. But he was doing just fine.
[-]
“See son, I know you look up to me and all that but you can become like me without the coma-part,” Shikaku smirked, motioning to the gash on his forehead, eerily similar to the one on his own face. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, yeah, you geezer,” his son only rebutted from his upright position on the bed as he had several scrolls spread out on the sheets. He had been desperate for some mental stimulation and his father had delivered, handing him some scrolls only a strategist could appreciate. Their future Hokage had turned up his lip at the sight of them and quickly handed the important information over to those who actually had the patience to make sense of them.
“What does it say here?” Shikamaru mumbled. Shikaku leaned forward, directing his son in the more complex notes, filling him in on all necessary information. This was just like when Shikamaru was a child and he himself was much younger, letting his undoubtedly intelligent son test his mental capacity with his father providing a guiding hand. His son was doing well again.
[-]
“Do I really have to be in a wheel chair?” Shikamaru complained. Before his hospital-stay, he would have loved the idea of being pushed around while he could take a nap but after such a long period of inactivity even he was desperate for some physical exercise. At least he would finally get some fresh air.
“Tsunade said you don’t get to argue. And I don’t think Neji would appreciate it if I get you home dead-tired,” Chji quipped happily, already pushing his best friend forward. After a total of no less than ten weeks in the hospital, Shikamaru would be back in his old house on the edge of the Nara-forest, he would run into him in his favourite cloud-gazing spots, now undoubtedly with his son along and they could frequent their regular barbecue-restaurant again.
But first things first. It was clear that Shikamaru for now wanted to do nothing more than go home and retake his part in his family of three, as it should be. He himself had proposed to bring Shikamaru home to Neji, who actually took him up on the offer. It was heart-warming to see Neji walking around Konoha again, meeting up with his friends and a smile on his charming face rather than make direct trips to and from hospital. It was as if all of Konoha had breathed a sigh of relief, the Nara-clan and all its members much-loved and everyone aware of the newborn who at one point might never have known his own father. And it was reflected in the many greetings and well-wishes Shikamaru received as they walked through the bustling streets.
Shikamaru took it all in stride but as a lifelong friend, Chōji could see the strain starting to form.
“You wanna get home, huh?”
“That obvious?” Shikamaru asked with a lopsided smirk as he turned his head to look behind him. Chōji glanced around him before placing his arms around his best friend.
“Don’t tell Tsunade-sama. She will skin me alive for this.” A chuckle before he formed the necessary hand-signs.
Shikamaru got up from his wheelchair, abandoning it on the porch.
“Alright, I’m gonna get home. Ino will probably have another weird craving by now.” Shikamaru nodded, slightly surprised when Chōji firmly embraced him. “It’s good to have you back, Shika.” Shikamaru nodded before his best friend disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Slowly walking over the porch to the back of the house, he grinned at the homely scene that greeted him, Neji still in just a T-shirt and boxers busy behind the stove while Shin sat in his high-chair, watching with wide eyes at his papa. Yeah, he finally got back to where he needed to be. Opening the back-door, he let himself in.
“So, what’s for dinner?” Neji almost screamed, before storming over.
“What are you doing home so soon? You weren’t supposed to come home for another h-mmph!” Anything he might have added to that litany was easily forgotten as Shikamaru firmly kissed him. Only to be interrupted by Shin’s crying. Shikamaru regrettably stopped kissing his husband, his keen eyes noting the bottle of formula in the pot of water. Neji already picked Shin up, kissing his cheek softly before grabbing the bottle, wiping any excess drops off on a kitchen-towel.
“Let’s sit outside,” Shikamaru suggested. Neji could hardly fault him for it. It was a beautiful summer-day and the view from their backyard, overlooking the extensive Nara-lands would make even the greatest pessimist realise that certain vistas still had the potential to take your breath away.
Sitting down on the wooden bench, nestling in the soft cushions, Shikamaru let out a groan, Neji immediately fussing over him in worry but he only took their son in his arms.
“I want to give him his bottle.” Neji nodded, realising that it would be the first time Shikamaru would feed their three month old son.
“Of course.” He handed the bottle to his husband, settling in the bench and pulling up his legs. He took in a deep breath as he saw Shikamaru intensely focused on their son, the joy on his face hard to miss. All was well. Even if it had taken far too long. Resting his head on Shikamaru’s shoulder, he breathed freely and easily for the first time in months.

Thank you for reading and reviewing.
- 3
- 4
- 5
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Word-Collection