Chrysanthemum

Title: Chrysanthemum

Author: D.A. Maxwell

Chapter: 02

A/N:

Story dedicated to Aini for writing "The Way Things Are" (http://naruto.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600095419&chapter=1).



--



     Three days later found Shikamaru reluctantly dragging himself down a side street on his way to the Hokage's tower. Muttering complaints under his breath at the ungodly hour-- why couldn't the Hokage wait until after noon to demand the analysis?-- he sleepily browsed through a folder of papers in his hand regarding the going-ons in several nearby villages, attention occasionally drifting as the hour was far too early for his liking.

     As he turned the corner onto the main road, he heard the hurried footsteps just a little too late.

     The folder went flying as Shikamaru found himself suddenly sprawled on the cobblestone floor, the weight of another body collapsed against him. "Damn it!" the offending party cursed as he sat up, rubbing his knee as he did.

     Shikamaru sighed. "Good morning to you, too, Neji." Looking around at the scattered papers, he got to one knee and reached out to collect them when the older boy suddenly sprang to his feet and ducked into the side street he had just come from. "Wha--"

     "Shut up!" Neji hissed as he flattened himself against the wall, mostly concealed by a dumpster.

     Frowning in confusion, Shikamaru looked up in time to see a middle-aged woman come into view from over the hill, looking around. Although she wore classic robes of the Hyuuga family, her eyes were blue-- obviously, somebody who had married into the family.

     When the woman spotted Shikamaru, she hurried over. Shikamaru stood and discretely shifted to better block Neji as the woman paused to catch her breath. "Are you all right?" he asked, trying not to sound impatient as he glanced at the papers still on the ground.

     "Oh, yes, dear, thank you for asking. I was just wondering-- did somebody run by here a moment ago?" the woman asked. "See, I'm looking for Hyuuga Neji-- are you familiar with him?"

     "He's an acquaintance, yes," Shikamaru replied monotonously, tilting his head. "Why, is something the matter?"

     "Oh, well, I was hoping to discuss some-- yes, some family matters with him, see," the woman tittered. "But that boy-- it seems whenever I come to visit, he's away from home."

     "Hmm..." Feeling an intense glare digging into the back of his head, Shikamaru resisted the impulse to roll his eyes. "Well, I thought I heard somebody running ahead when I was coming out of this street, but I wasn't paying attention to where they were going," he shrugged, half-heartedly attempting an apologetic tone. "They didn't pass me, at any rate. If I weren't on my way to the godaime, I would help you look--"

     "Oh, dear, how kind of you to offer--"

     "-- but our Hokage doesn't take kindly to lateness, I'm afraid," Shikamaru interrupted firmly. "In any case, I wish you luck."

     "Oh... well..."

     "Maybe if you find Hinata, you can ask her to let you know where Neji's gone," Shikamaru suggested, pointedly glancing at his scattered papers again.

     "I suppose..."

     "Good luck."

     "..."

     "..."

     Finally realizing that she wouldn't be able to guilt this man into helping her, the woman pouted a bit. "Then I suppose I shall be off."

     "All right."

     "..."

     "..."

     Making an irritated noise, the woman turned and stalked on down the street. Once she was safely out of sight, Shikamaru glanced back over his shoulder in time to see Neji step away from the wall. "You owe me," he commented idly. "What was that all about?"

     Glancing back down the street in paranoia, Neji crossed his arms with an annoyed look. "O-miai," he replied in a flat tone.

     Immediately understanding, Shikamaru nodded. "I see. But you know, you can't hide forever. It's just an arranged contract, and you don't like people anyway-- does it matter who you end up married to?"

     Neji bristled a bit. "I'd still like the choice, thank you."

     "Then choose between the o-miai candidates. It's not like a meeting is going to lock you into anything."

     "I know, but it's still so..."

     "Troublesome?"

     Although he tried not to smile, the corner of Neji's mouth quirked up. "Yes, exactly."

     There was a moment of silence before Shikamaru leaned down to pick up his papers. Neji hesitated, then dropped to one knee and began to help; after all, it was his fault everything had fallen in the first place. Both young men stood again, and Neji noticed with a sigh that the other, like most of the males of their age range, had grown taller than him.

     He held out the papers, but didn't let go. "... I heard what you did for my cousin," he said suddenly, voice quiet. "That was... unexpectedly charitable of you."

     Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Charitable, huh? I wouldn't go that far."

     "Turning down a potentially excellent marriage proposition for yourself, for the sake of somebody else who's never had the nerve to come forward?"

     "Mmhmm. It's not his style to stay in the shadows, really-- that's more my job. He'll come through," Shikamaru assured.

     Neji grimaced. Every cell in him cringed, not really wanting to know the answer to his next question, but some masochistic instinct urged him to press forward anyway. "... It's not Naruto, is it?" he asked, although his fatalistic tone already suggested that he knew otherwise.

     Shikamaru's smirk broadened. "Why the disgust? Would you rather hear that it's Kiba or Shino?"

     "Shino has about as much interest in people as a rock," Neji replied flatly. "And the other..." He shook his head. "He's too wild. He's not her type."

     "Really?" Shikamaru asked. "Well, he at least used to be sweet on her, you know."

     "He-- what?" Neji's pale eyes widened. "You're... kidding." The younger man shook his head, and Neji let go of the papers to step back, looking a little green. "Thank you, I feel ill now."

     "You really think he's much wilder than Naruto?" Shikamaru asked curiously.

     "Naruto's an idiot. The Inuzuka thinks more, he just thinks..."

     "Pervertedly?" Shikamaru offered. Another smirk spread over his face at Neji's uncomfortable expression, and he chuckled quietly. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure he's got a thing for Shino now anyway."

     Taking a moment to process that, Neji blinked at the jounin. "You mean he's--"

     "Neeeejiiii!"

     Neji and Shikamaru froze before slowly turning their heads to look at the woman rapidly approaching. Sighing and muttering something about a persistent bitch, Shikamaru flipped through the folder to pull out a small half-sheet of paper, fetching a pen from his pocket to write something down. Why am I bothering? Oh, what the hell. I wouldn't want to be him right now. He pushed it at Neji. "I'm on my way to the hokage right now, but if you need a place to hide later, you're welcome to try coming by. Just knock first," he offered quietly to the startled young man. "Good luck." Adjusting his folder, he stepped away and headed toward the woman, walking past her before she could address him again.

     Staring after him in surprised uncertainty, Neji forgot to run until his relative was almost upon him. Muttering obscenities under his breath as she drew nearer, he gave up and sighed as the woman grabbed his arm and began dragging him back toward the Hyuuga compound, complaining at rude youngsters these days and having to run all over the village looking for him. "Honestly, child, I'm starting to think marrying you would give my Wana-chan gray hairs-- this is the second time this month I've traveled out to Konoha Village to come see you, and you're proving insufferably difficult to ever track down--!"

     Doing his best not to sulk, Neji apologized with forced politeness as he followed after.



--



Footnotes:

     Wana (the name of the relative Neji's distant relative is trying to arrange an o-miai for) means "trap."