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Chrysanthemum	By : AWickedMemory Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1189 -:- 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
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Title: Chrysanthemum

Author: D.A. Maxwell

Chapter: 08

A/N:

     A much, much more lighthearted chapter to pick y'all up from the last. I'll warn you that the format is primarily dialogue, as it's both the easiest and the most fun for me to write. It's not a format I'll be using again in this fic, but even so, if you thought it was annoying, let me know. n.n For future reference and all.

     So, I really, really, really should have been writing two term papers and putting together a dialectic journal. Alas, dear grades, fanfiction calls. Who am I to ignore the plaintive cries of ShikaNeji?
REVIEWS:

     melvin3228: I don't mean to sound like a sadist, but it makes me delighted that I made you cry. ^_^ Thank you!

     Dying Dreams: I don't have to imagine that baby, I saw it in the documentary. ~_~; Well, not the burst belly part, but it was so sad nonetheless. Can you imagine opening the blankets to find that? *shudder* Anyway... gloomy, grotesque mental images aside, thank you! =P

     KatFO: Goooood. :D That she's coming off as IC at least to some people. That is pleasing. *nodnod* Thanks for reading! ♥

     AngelicChaos: He'll remember. =P Neji's not the sort to forget a traumatic lesson. But, um... I'm sorry, I didn't understand "tiyten"? ^^;;; In any case, thank you! ::hug::

     Tyra: Cute and fluffy and sad? XD That sounds like quite a feat. Hurrah! ^_^ I'm glad you liked Yoshino. :D Thank you!

     aey: Goosebumps? Really?? That's AWESOME. I mean, as a writer, to elicit that sort of response-- it gives me a happy tingle. :D But yeah, it's really a sad condition to be born into... And Shikamaru's lazy, but he can be active when he needs to be. XD We've seen as much in the show/manga. ^_^ Thanks for reading/reviewing!

     Drivven Labyrinth: On... LJ? Me? Serious? Where? XD What? *blown away* *checks out your LJ* XD Doesn't seem familiar to me... my LJ is strawberry_snow, so maybe you're thinking of someone else?? O_O; Anyway, yeah, if you come across something good, do let me know! ♥ If I can help un-stall you in any way, let me know that as well. :3 And as always, thank you for reading/reviewing!

--

     A curious murmur. "Neji..."
     An embarrassed snap. "Don't start."
     An amused inquiry. "Did you just fall off that branch?"
     An aggravated response. "Shut up. I just... momentarily lost my balance."
     A taunting reiteration. "You fell off the tree."
     A stubborn retort. "No, I didn't."
     A mocking confirmation. "Yeah, you did."
     An irate correction. "I did not! I caught myself!"
     An entertained modification. "Okay, you almost fell off the tree."
     A threatening confrontation. "Nara..."
     A casual dissipation. "Hyuuga."
     ··· A sigh ···
     *~*~*
     "Please, do come in," Yoshino offered as she stepped to the side to admit the unexpected visitor.
     Hiashi removed his haori and nodded in thanks as he entered. "I apologize for coming unannounced. I just happened to be in the area, and thought to drop in..."
     Yoshino tittered politely. "Oh, no, that's quite all right! My husband is napping right now, but I'll go wake him. Would you like some tea?"
     "That would be wonderful, thank you."
     She hurried off to the kitchen to put some hot water on the stove, then rushed upstairs to collect Shikaku. When he refused to be roused, however, she snatched away his pillow and hit him with it.
     "Hey!"
     "I said get up, you lazy, worthless man! Hiashi-san is here!"
     "Stop hitting me!"
     "Stop curling into the covers! What part of 'get up' don't you understand?!"
     "The part where you hit me with a pillow!"
     "Shikaku--"
     Shikaku threw the covers over himself. Yoshino frowned at the completely ineffective shield, then glared and raised the pillow to hit him again. After all, she wasn't about to be thwarted from her mission of Wake the Spouse so easily.
     So focused was she, however, that she failed to observe her surroundings. Silent and sly, a shadow came up from behind her and snatched it away. "Oh, don't you dare-- SHIKAKU! You cheater!" she yelped as the pillow began to bombard her instead, although it carefully avoided her face.
     "All's fair in love and war," Shikaku smirked as he wormed his way out of the covers.
     Yoshino managed an impressive scowl despite her completely disheveled state. "Stop--! My hair!"
     "You're still beautiful, don't worry."
     "Don't think you can-- ow!-- charm your way-- #$*%-- out of this-- @$*#-- one, mister!"
     "Now, why would I do something like that?"
     "You-- ow!-- Shikaku! I have water on the stove!" Yoshino finally blurted out in an angry protest. "It's going to burn!"
     Sniggering a bit, Shikaku released the justu. "All right, all right."
     "I can't believe you!" Yoshino scolded as she smoothed out her shirt and fixed her hair back up into a neat bun. "Not even your son would do something so immature!"
     "You sure about that?" Shikaku yawned.
     "Just get up and get down there!"
     "Aiyaiyai, I hear you, woman. Quit screeching."
     *~*~*
     On the couch a floor below, Hiashi stared curiously up at the ceiling. Looking away, he shook his head. "Couples," he sighed.
     *~*~*
     Snickers. "Okay, now who fell off the tree?"
     Nonchalance. "The leaves were wet."
     Smug. "Excuses, excuses. Give it up, Nara."
     Jibing. "You really want me to bring up the hag again?"
     Defensive. "She was concealing her chakra! How was I supposed to know a hunched-over old woman was going to ambush us from behind? She looked like she should've been on her deathbed."
     Teasing. "Uh-huh. Still shouldn't have let down your guard."
     Reminder. "Well, we got her in the end. One less sociopath raging through the villages."
     Awe. "I guess. But damn, she was fast. Pretty impressive."
     Scowls. "If you know that, quit criticizing me."
     Smirk. "Hey, just trying to help."
     Protests. "How is that helping?!"
     Patronizing. "Can't have you forgetting such an important lesson, can we?"
     Miffed. "I'll remember it on my own, thanks."
     Reassurance. "No, really, it's no problem at all."
     Drawled. "I'm sure."
     Chuckles. "Man, when did you get so sarcastic?"
     Grumbling. "You've been a terrible influence on me."
     Provocation. "Really? 'Cause, uh, I seem to remember something about you relaxing having some kind of connection to your promotion..."
     Sardonic. "Shut up and watch where you're going."
     Weary. "Yes, mother."
     ··· Acceptance ···
     *~*~*
     "O-matase itashimashita," Yoshino apologized as she set a tray down on the coffee table and passed a cup and saucer over to their guest.
     "No, no, it's quite all right," Hiashi dismissed with a wave of his hand as he picked up the tea. "I'm the one who dropped in without an invitation. How incredibly rude of me."
     "Oh, dear-- no, you're welcome anytime!" Yoshino insisted. "We're very honoured."
     Settling into his armchair, Shikaku leaned back comfortably. "To what do we owe the pleasure your visit?" he asked slightly gruffly, trying to keep from sounding too groggy in front of the other man.
     "Shikaku!" Yoshino hissed. "He doesn't need a reason to--"
     "Please, it's fine," Hiashi interrupted. "The truth is, my detour through your neighbourhood was no accident. There is a matter I'd like to discuss, if that is all right."
     Shikaku and Yoshino exchanged looks before turning their attention back to the other man. "Is there a problem...?" Shikaku asked.
     "Not at all." Hiashi smiled his politely distant smile. "Regarding your son..."
     *~*~*
     "What was wrong with that place?"
     "I don't feel like it."
     "Come on, Neji, we're just stopping by for a quick meal. If you're going to be picky about where we eat, we won't get back to Konoha by sundown."
     "Then we won't get back by sundown. It's not like that's anything new."
     "All right, then, just pick a place."
     "I don't care."
     "What? Yes, you do."
     "No, not really. As long as it's not that stand."
     "... Why?"
     "Everything on its menu is curry."
     "You have some kind of hang-up about curry? What's the deal?"
     "It's a long story."
     "Oookay."
     ··· Patience ···
     *~*~*
     There was a moment of silence.
     Hiashi cleared his throat. "I understand that it's an... unconventional idea, and I'd understand completely if it does not appeal to you. After all, should someone have approached me, I'm sure I would have taken some offense."
     "Nah, it's nothing like that. It's just... not something we thought about," Shikaku explained, glancing at his frozen wife. "I mean, it's ultimately up to them, but... well, I'd have thought you'd want someone to carry on the family name? Since your next-in-line is a girl and all..."
     "Ah..."
     Shikaku and Yoshino weren't positive, but they could have sworn their self-contained guest shifted uncomfortably.
     "As a matter of fact, my nephew has already decided against having biological children. Being from the branch family, should he produce offspring, then he would inevitably have to carry out his obligation to the clan and... well, they would be part of the branch family as well. So as our clan laws dictate..."
     "I understand," Shikaku replied, freeing him from having to complete the sentence.
     "Of course, I'm unaware of Shikamaru-san's own family intentions, but I'm sure he, too, is expected to pass on the Nara name?"
     "Oh, he has plenty of male cousins," Yoshino assured, hands fidgeting with a handkerchief on her lap. "So that wouldn't really be a problem-- and besides, there are alternative means of starting a family. But really, I'm not sure how well he'd take to this suggestion..."
     "In this sort of arranged situation, he would not be required to fulfill all duties of marriage, naturally," Hiashi clarified, not wanting to elaborate further on what those 'duties' were-- and knowing he didn't need to. "In fact, I would expect both to carry on with their social relationships however they please. Neji is hardly ever home for long these days anyway, so really, the only difference would be a legal union."
     Yoshino tried not to look too relieved-- until her husband spoke. She shot him a tense look as he grunted, "Shikamaru wouldn't do that. He'd think it was troublesome to bother finding an affair outside of a marriage. Creates too much drama. Kid hates that kind of stuff."
     "Well, as Neji has been actively disinclined toward establishing any close relationships of his own, they would be mutually apathetic to external factors in that regard." Hiashi took another sip of tea and Yoshino automatically followed suit. Shikaku's remained forgotten.
     "But-- well, if that is what you'd like, then of course we'll discuss it with our son. But even if they wouldn't have to act the role of man and-- ah.. the roles of husbands," Yoshino corrected awkwardly, her handkerchief now tied into a complicated knot, "I would imagine their prides would suffer at the implications."
     "Least we could do is ask the kid," Shikaku pointed out. "Leave it up to them to decide. Practically live together anyway, it's possible they just wouldn't care. You know how unenthusiastic Shikamaru is about everything."
     "Of course I know," Yoshino frowned, gradually undoing the knot. "But there's a difference between trying to avoid hassles and carelessly committing yourself to such a lasting situation. Especially one that would call so much attention. Shikamaru's worked to avoid attention his entire life."
     "There is that. But he has a strong sense of duty, too, and he's never careless about anything. Besides, a smartypants like that can't stay out of the spotlight all the time."
     "What did you call our son?!"
     *~*~*
     "You really would have married her?" Neji asked as he slid into the booth.
     "Sure, why not?" Shikamaru shrugged as he slipped in across from the other.
     "Even knowing that Naruto...?"
     "Yeah, so? If he gave the go-ahead, then whatever sappy turmoil he might have felt as a result is invalidated. Besides..."
     "What?"
     "Imagine the leverage I'd have when Naruto succeeds Tsunade. Being married to the girl the rokudaime's in love with?"
     "I can't believe you sometimes."
     "Why?"
     A waitress came by, and they ordered.
     "Thinking of the situation in terms of having leverage over the village leader? It's too... deliberate. Opportunistic. Cold."
     "It's not that big a deal. It'd be a different story if I couldn't stand the girl, but Hinata's not bad. Still a little on the spineless side, but much better than she used to be. Besides, she's got a figure Sakura and Ino would kill for."
     "You did not just say that about my cousin."
     "Actually, I did. Need it repeated?"
     "Shikamaru..."
     "Neji."
     "I'd never speak to you again."
     "... Wait, seriously?"
     "Of course. It would be an awkward situation."
     "Whatever."
     "You don't think so?"
     "Nah."
     "..."
     Neji glared. Shikamaru whistled.
     "It makes you that pissed?"
     "It makes me feel disgusted."
     "Why? Jealous I'd be taking your sweet cousin's attention?"
     "What--?"
     "Or maybe jealous that she'd be taking mine?"
     "What?!"
     "Hmm, pretty defensive. You'd rather I marry you instead?"
     Neij was still sputtering angrily when the waitress dropped off their food and left.
     ··· Indignation ···
     *~*~*
     "We would have to approach them when they're not together," Shikaku mused. "Which usually seems to be just for work these days."
     "That is very true," Hiashi agreed. "Fortunately, Neji is required to answer to me should I call him, so such a situation is easily created. I'll summon him three days after they return home, and give you the opportunity to discuss the possibility with your son then. Perhaps a meeting could be arranged for the following Saturday?"
     "That's fine by us, but what, exactly, should we tell him?" Yoshino asks worriedly, handkerchief back in a knot. "He already lives with Neji, so if they both know what's going on, I would expect that it would be uncomfortable for them in the interim."
     Hiashi shook his head. "I have no intention of revealing who the candidate is until the meeting. Neji is generally so disinterested that he never cares to know in advance. Should he consent to meeting with a male, I will leave Shikamaru's name out of the discussion."
     Shikaku glanced at his wife. "Shikamaru's pretty indifferent, too."
     "But it's such an unusual situation, I'm sure he'd want to know who he's meeting, at least--! Hiding it would only make him suspicious, and there's a chance that he'd figure it out on his own..."
     "Then he figures it out. Yoshino, let's just give it a chance and see how things go," Shikaku coaxed. "Yes, there are many reasons why either side may refuse, and in that case, it's no different from every other o-miai. There's also the possibility that they'll accept."
     "However unlikely that is..."
     "Maybe not as unlikely as you think."
     "What do you mean by that?!"
     "Nothing, dear, nothing..."
     *~*~*
     "Christ, it's good to be home. I'm exhausted."
     "You're always exhausted."
     "No, I'm always lazy. You don't have to be exhausted to not want to do anything."
     "You're ridiculously lethargic."
     "Tell me something I don't know."
     "Don't you know everything?"
     "Very funny, Hyuuga. Just for that, I'm showering first."
     "But you take forever."
     "The water feels good."
     "So shower second and take as long as you want while I sleep."
     "I don't think so. I'll be quick."
     "You're never quick."
     "Five minutes, tops."
     "Fine."
     *~*~*
     "Nara. You're late."
     "Hyuuga. No, I'm not."
     "Five minutes, twenty-three seconds."
     "Aha-- but you counted the time after as well. Drying off is not part of the definition of 'shower'."
     "That's cheating!"
     "Ooh, so petulant."
     "Y--"
     "Shut up and take your shower, Hyuuga. I'm going to bed."
     *~*~*
     "Now who took forever in the shower?"
     "The water felt good."
     "Tch'. You can't use my words against me."
     "Shouldn't you be asleep?"
     "I was timing you."
     "And?"
     "Twenty-two minutes, fourteen seconds. That's how long the shower water was running. Just under another ten minutes between that and you coming in here."
     "You want wet pillows?"
     "Hey, I'm not criticizing. Just observing."
     "Right."
     "Sounds like somebody hasn't been getting enough sleep, Grouchy."
     "Not everyone sleeps like the dead in the middle of a mission. If we'd been ambushed while you were asleep..."
     "I wake up when my instincts tell me to. And we're fine, right? Got the target and everything."
     "One of these days, your instincts will fail you."
     "Hmmm, anticipating my painful demise?"
     "Thinking you should be more careful."
     "Are you actually worrying about me? Aw, that's so swe--"
     "Shut up and go to sleep."
     "Yes, sir."
     "..."
     "..."
     "Good-night."
     "Good-night."
     *~*~*
     "Mrrr...? Wha..."
     "You were having another nightmare."
     "... It's been two months."
     "Not enough time."
     "When will they stop?"
     "Maybe tomorrow, maybe never. I still have nightmares sometimes, you know."
     "You're silent."
     "I guess."
     "You 'guess'? You don't wake up in the middle of the night shaking and sweating."
     "Yeah, drama's not my style."
     "Shikamaru..."
     "I'm just kidding."
     "Not the time."
     "I know."
     "... What are you doing?"
     "Come here."
     "What--?!"
     "You sleep better like this."
     "If you try anything..."
     "Now, why would I do that? Don't you trust me?"
     "... Yes. I do."
     "Good. Good-night."
     "Good-night."
     ··· Sweet dreams. ···
--
A/N:

O-matase itashimashita: I could have BSed something English for this, but it seemed cheap. Literally, it just means "I have caused you to wait," but it's a fixed expression that's more of an apology, and uses extremely humble language. So it's kind of like, "I'm deeply sorry for making you wait"-- very deferential. Since English doesn't have the same type of polite registers that Japanese does, I wanted to make a note of how they'd be speaking to Hiashi.
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Chrysanthemum