My One Love

My One Love
Part 3

Rating: Will go up to NC-17 this chapter is PG-13
Pairings: Shika/Neji (for now), mention of Lee/Gaara, one-sided(?) Chouji/Shika, Lee/Sakura... Chouji/Lee friendship----others will be added.
Warning: still a little angsty. Slight bastardization/bashing of Neji and Ino


Hinata ran to the training area in the Hyuuga house. Neji was practicing with her father and looked to be doing an amazing job like usual. Hinata decided she wouldn’t be able to interrupt the practice so she sat down and waited. She needed to ask her cousin to make things right. She knew Neji loved Shikamaru, that was obvious to everyone who knew him but he was also one of the smartest people she knew. He was a genius after all, and she wanted to help both Lee and Chouji. To do that she felt she’d need Neji’s help.

Neji wiped his face with a towel as he walked over to Hinata. She smiled slightly as she handed him a cup of tea.

“Good afternoon nii-san.” Neji nodded as he sat next to his cousin. He knew she was there for a reason so he decided to give her some time and speak when she was ready. “Neji I need to tell you something about Shikamaru...” Neji sighed as he put his cup down, he knew what was coming. Unlike Shikamaru who was a genius yet not all aware of the emotions surrounding him, Neji was pretty good at emotions. Most of the time he didn’t care to get involved so he ignored them but he knew what others felt.
“It’s about Shikamaru ~and~ Chouji, isn’t it?” Hinata sighed and nodded, she knew her cousin had figured it out. She moved closer to her cousin and slowly put a hand over his, Neji looked down at their hands and nodded slightly. “I know how Shikamaru feels about Chouji, it’s obvious, but...Hinata, he came to me...I thought I could be the only one he wanted..” Neji shook his head, that’s why he hated emotions, someone always got hurt. “I can’t just let him go, I’ve only been with him for a little over three weeks but I can’t just give him up...” Hinata squeezed her cousins hand.

“But Neji, You know that one day it will get to much. Chouji or Shikamaru will break. Where will you be once they face each others feelings for one another. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Neji closed his eyes for a moment. While most people thought Neji as a self-centered ass, Hinata knew that he was just scared, scared of being hurt. Her cousin opened his eyes and looked across the training area, Hinata was more than surprised to see a tear make it’s way down his cheek. “Neji?”

“I know the right thing to do, but I don’t think I can do it. I can’t leave Shika, I feel for Chouji, I really do, but I can’t help but be selfish.” Hinata sighed as Neji wiped his eyes and stood suddenly. “I’m sorry Hinata, but I can’t help Chouji. I’m not....I’m not as strong as he is. I can’t put my happiness aside for someone else. As long as Shikamaru is happy with me, I’m not going to deter him into leaving me...I-I can’t...” Hinata frowned as Neji walked away. She really couldn’t blame him, he was miserable for so long during childhood. It would only make sense for him to want to hold onto what happiness he had but Chouji also deserved to be happy for once. ‘Why does it have to be so hard....’

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Chouji smirked as Lee ran around his apartment getting ready.

“Lee will you please tell me why you are so excited?” Lee smiled slightly as he turned to his friend, throwing another green leotard into his bag.

“I will be escorting the Kazekage to Konoha for official business. I have not seen Gaara-sama in such a long time.” Chouji sat on Lee’s couch and ate another chip.

“Taking a three day trip through the burning desert by day and the freezing cold at night, just to get to Suna, collect the Kazekage, and walk back through the same crappy weather and your ~excited~?” Lee bit his lip as he threw his bag next to Chouji on the couch.

“Well...Gaara and I have been keeping in touch through letters and he’s changed...it’s going to be nice to see him.” Chouji smiled as Lee happily went about his business. Chouji prayed for Lee’s sake that if his friend did like Gaara that much that his feelings would be returned. Chouji shook his head in amusement as Lee ran through the apartment, he was definitely antsy to get to Gaara. In a way it was really cute to see the taijutsu master so excited about just seeing someone, it was also kind of scary seeing as it was Gaara. Chouji smiled, as long as Lee was happy there was no reason to be picky about who made him that way. Who knew, maybe Gaara really had changed a lot and could love someone other than himself. It was a nice thought.

“So when are you leaving?” Lee sighed and sat down next to Chouji. “Tomorrow morning...will you be ok?” Chouji rolled is eyes and smiled.

“I think I’ll be ok for a week Lee thanks though.” Lee shrugged and jumped up.

“So you want to actually get something to eat this time?” Chouji smiled and nodded standing up.

“Of course.”

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Shikamaru stared at the clouds, his heart clenching in his chest as he thought of Neji and Chouji. ‘Why didn’t you ever tell me Chou....why didn’t I ever figure it out?’ He had been debating for most of the afternoon on what he should do. He didn’t think that he could just dump Neji but he knew he couldn’t face Chouji and pretend nothing was wrong. While usually he was lazy and didn’t bother doing ~anything~ he couldn’t imagine seeing Chouji and acting like he didn’t feel the same. Shikamaru felt a tear run down the side of his face as he watched a cloud move across the sky.

Chouji had always been the most wonderful person Shika had ever known, but it had never crossed his mind to actually ~be with~ his best friend. Well that was not until earlier when he heard just how much pain he had been putting his friend through. How was he supposed to go everyday with Neji when he knew he was ripping Chouji’s heart out. It’s simple, he couldn’t. He couldn’t pretend like that. For the first time in his ~life~ Shikamaru didn’t know what to do, he was not good with emotions but he was even worse when he was forced to care. ‘Oh man, what am I going to do....’

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Lee frowned as he shouldered his bag. Chouji, TenTen, and Gai had come to see him off but TenTen and Gai had to leave for a mission, so that left Chouji,

“Have you gone to talk to him?” Chouji shook his head and looked at the ground.

“No, it seems to hurt less if I don’t see him, plus he seems to be avoiding me.” Lee sighed.

“I really don’t think that, I think maybe you’re avoiding him. Not that I blame you, I know how it feels to see the person you love with another.” Chouji smiled slightly.

“Come on Lee, you are about to go on a trip for three days by yourself. I really don’t think you should leave upset.” Lee smirked sadly.
“I don’t feel bad, just normal.” Chouji frowned.

“If that’s anything like my normal it can’t be all that healthy.” Lee chuckled slightly and looked at his friend. He smiled then hugged him quickly. “Take care of yourself out there, you brought enough water right?” Lee laughed rolling his eyes.

“Yes mom, do you think I can go now?” Chouji glared but there was a smirk on his lips.

“Go! Get out of here and have fun with the Kazekage!” Lee blushed as he turned and began to walk away. He looked over his shoulder.

“Maybe you should tell him?” Chouji shook his head slightly and smiled.

“No, I couldn’t make him feel bad for me. He’s always been there to make me feel better, I’m not going to make him think anything else.” Lee nodded and turned waving over his shoulder. Chouji watched his friend until he was only a little dot in the horizon. He sighed as he turned back to the village. ‘Now what am I going to do?’

Chouji took out a bag of chips and began to munch on them. At least he’d always have food. Funny how the one thing that made people hate him for his looks, would be the most comfort to him when he felt unbelievably hopeless. He had a little difficulty swallowing when he thought about that. So it was either hate his looks or despise himself for what was inside. It was basically a loose/loose situation.

Chouji walked over to the bank of the small stream and sat down. It was such a beautiful day and the clouds were perfect for watching. Chouji smiled sadly as he thought of his best friend sitting and watching the clouds. Well maybe now he wasn’t watching the clouds, maybe he was watching Neji and appreciating the beauty that the Hyuuga represented. It must be nice to be sitting next to someone ~beautiful~ for once. ‘No wonder he got so lost in the clouds, why would he ever look at me when he had clouds.’ Chouji looked down at his half empty bag of chips and threw it a couple feet away, suddenly he wasn’t very hungry anymore.

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Shikamaru shifted slightly as a shadow fell over him. He put a hand over his eyes to shade the sun to look at who was standing over him.

“Lazy ass, you have a boyfriend now, what are you doing just lazing around here?” Shikamaru sighed inwardly, not even bothering to answer. Ino sat down next to Shikamaru. “What’s wrong with you, you know you and Chouji have been acting weird lately. I mean so you get a boyfriend and suddenly you and Cho aren’t even talking?” Shikamaru looked at Ino and snorted lightly.

“What are you going on about?” Ino rolled her eyes.

“Hello?? Have you not noticed that you and Chouji used to be joined at the hip and now I never see you two together. I mean when’s the last time just the two of you hung out? Granted you are actually dating someone, as surprising as that is, I just never thought that you and Chouji would ever be apart.” Shikamaru bit the inside of his lip, he was not in the mood to talk about this let alone talk about it with ~Ino~. “C’mon Shikamaruuuu!!! god your worse then Chouji! At least he talked to me.” Shikamaru sighed and looked over to the blonde.

“What exactly do you want me to say?” Ino rolled her eyes.

“Well why are you and Chouji being all weird, he was actually ~rude~ to me when I last saw him, and while you aren’t acting much different, your not with Chouji ~or~ Neji.” Shikamaru looked at her and rolled his eyes.

“So that implied that I wanted you around?” Ino smacked Shika’s arm.

“C’mon I’m serious what happened between you and Chouji?” Shikamaru stood up and turned away from the girl. “Shikamaru?!” The genius didn’t bother to turn around.

“Just leave it alone Ino, it doesn’t concern you.” Shikamaru ignored the blonde as he walked away from his favorite spot. ‘What am I going to do now?’ Shikamaru sighed and began to walk wherever his feet led him, as his mind raced he tried not to get upset but it wasn’t really working. ‘How am I going to tell Chouji that I love him but can’t be with him...I can’t leave Neji...I-I...' his thoughts were cut off when he found himself at a stream, across the water sat the one person who wouldn’t leave his mind. ‘Chouji....’

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TBC...
A/N: Ok so it was still sad but I’m working on it! Anyway I hope everyone is enjoying it. It will get sappy and a higher rating, promise!