In the cold of space you find the heat of suns

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

OK, I am officially addicted. I was determined to leave this and spend some time on something else. Then this insisted on being written.

Spacer crews travel the Far Borders and the Fringe of occupied space, trading. Spacing is an ancient and honourable profession carved out by millenniums. Most spacers start out as fourteen-year-old boys seeking a future. Few survive a decade spacing.

31. Shikamaru

Shikamaru had not taken long to work out that Neji was a Hyuga. There had been many clues. Firstly, Sasuke trusted him. The idea of Sasuke trusting an outsider was strange. This Neji had to be something extraordinary. He did not look extraordinary. He looked… ..uncared for. His hair was badly cut, his clothes worn and he was so thin that it edged on skeletal.

Secondly, weird stuff happened that had never happened before. Iruka had overruled Kakashi about Neji being brought onto the ship. Iruka had used his authority as queen, over Kakashi, in front of younger members of the crew, when they were off ship. Shikamaru would have bet large numbers of credits on never seeing that.

Both Sasuke and Haku felt protective of him. They were determined that he should be allowed onto the ship. Haku was asking Sasuke, by name, to make it happen. They both wanted to be where Neji would see them when he came out of the container. Sasuke wanted that more than he wanted to continue his hug with Naruto.

And the way Sasuke introduced Neji to Naruto. Yes, Neji had to be something extraordinary.

After that it was deduction. What type of person would Sasuke value that highly and could influence others’ behaviour?

It helped that Shikamaru had researched Hyuga. Of course he had researched Hyuga. He spent most of his spare time planning how Sasuke was going to establish a new Uchiha that would, in ways Shikamaru did not yet know, make history that people did not forget. History of which spacers sung. Great men, the type who made history, sacrificed chunks of their fortunes, vast amounts of credit that would buy a fleet of ships, to buy the services of a Hyuga. Sasuke’s father had employed one. Unfortunately, none of Shikamaru’s projected budgets even hinted at an income that could stretch to the services of a Hyuga.

Hair colour: yes. Skin colour: yes. Build: close enough, Hyuga were known to be slim rather than bulky. Eye colour: he was wearing contact lenses.

Shikamaru had no idea how a Hyuga had come to be living on Chanx but Neji was one. He was certain. Neji was a Hyuga and Sasuke knew it.


By the Lady, the idea of it was exciting. Shikamaru tried to stop his mind running away with the idea but he had never been good at restricting the scope of his dreams. He told himself that Neji may not be trained, and therefore have limited impact, but still found himself reviewing every timescale, modifying each step in every alternative plan.


He was disappointed to be assigned to lift in the Control Room and pleased when Iruka-sensei asked him to set up Neji’s bunk. Neji was quiet and unfailingly polite. He agreed to come to the galley when Shikamaru had been certain he would excuse himself to sleep.

When Neji refused to discuss what had happened on the planet, because Sasuke and Haku would want to tell them, Shikamaru decided that he liked him.


Then there was the strangeness that followed. Neji asking if he would stay and Shikamaru knowing, but not knowing how he knew, that Neji needed to be told to take out his contact lenses. The layers of subconscious communication and mutual insight between them defied analysis.

He had to tell Iruka that Neji could not cope. When had Shikamaru ever been quicker than Iruka-sensei to see that someone was in trouble? And the way Neji had looked, that bone-deep exhaustion and the way his pride stopped him yielding to it. It was the first time in his life that Shikamaru wanted to look after someone.


Sasuke had suggested the game of Go with a look in his eye that warned Shikamaru that Neji was likely to be a worthy opponent. It was amazing. Watching Neji play was utterly compelling. At first his stillness was suitable, then likeable, then interesting, then attractive and, by the fifth evening, erotic. Realising that Neji had a chance to win raised Shikamaru to dizzying heights. The moment the long, elegant fingers placed the white stone was better than any climax.

Shikamaru was in love with Neji.


On the heels of that realisation came the battle. Sasuke had stepped up to lead and, without hesitation, given Shikamaru the ‘voice in his ear’ role. He had said the words Shikamaru had dreamed of hearing since he had deduced Sasuke’s identify; the exact words the greatest Uchiha leader in history had always used about his closest advisor. The words that Shikamaru had thought Sasuke would never use because those two men had been lovers, which he and Sasuke could never be.

Sasuke’s decision making had been faultless. He had taken the initiative rather than waiting for someone else to start the battle. He had issued the Uchiha call to battle, which was infamous and would make any commander reconsider his position. He had used all the information Shikamaru had fed him and the full range of Naruto’s astonishing ability. He had displayed typical Uchiha ruthlessness. The complete absence of any hesitation had been admirable.

Shikamaru had even got to use the Uchiha battle livery he had recreated over a standard before.

It had taken the rest of that day to make it through the gate. There was a token check for survivors; a direct hit on a ship’s power plant caused an explosion that left nothing bigger than a pebble. Then there were the negotiations with their new allies. The weakest, the Estelle, proved to be a small, traditional crew. The Birch and the Beech were opportunists who were delighted to have thrown their lot in with the winner. The four ships agreed to continue the alliance for the next three jumps with options open after that. The pair wanted to know if the Silver Leaf had a new type of gun. When assured this was not the case they hinted that they might stay the course to Tarrasade just to meet the gunner.

They jumped in sequence: Beech, Silver Leaf, Estelle, Birch.


They had been at battle stations for over three hundred minutes by the time Kakashi stood them down. Shikamaru’s chair was behind its panel in a trice and he was out of the lab. After a moment’s hesitation he decided on the crew room. He could hear Shino behind him. They reached it just after Naruto and Sasuke, who had no battle chairs to stow but had taken time to find each other. Shikamaru skidded to a halt a short distance from Sasuke. Part of him wanted to perform some formal gesture of respect but then Naruto was hugging him and he was hugging back and Sasuke had that tiny smile that was more about his eyes than his lips. The others started to arrive, first Ibiki and then Rin and Neji and finally Kakashi. They all watched Kakashi kiss Iruka before he did what Shikamaru half wished he had done: he kowtowed to Sasuke. Sasuke flushed red and threaten to join him on the floor unless Kakashi stood up. As Kakashi stood up Sasuke hugged him, even though Sasuke never hugged anyone other than Naruto.

In the happy chaos that followed, with everyone trying to use the showers or find clean clothes, Shikamaru managed to find a quiet moment with Rin.

“Rin-san, I made you an offer, a long time ago,” he said to her. “I have to withdraw that offer. I do not know if that means anything to you, but I needed to tell you.”

“Thank you for telling me,” Rin answered. She glanced in the direction of Neji’s bunk. “You are one crazy dreamer, Shika-kun. Why can’t you hanker for someone easy?”

Shikamaru shrugged.

Her voice dropped. “He’s been through a lot. Those kinds of experiences leave more damage than is apparent on the surface.”

Shikamaru’s skin felt suddenly chill. He nodded.


They invited the Captain to dinner, even though it was pushing the boundaries of acceptability. She sat at one end of the table and Iruka at the other, with everyone else arranged down the sides. After the meal and the formal conversation were over she excused herself and Jiraiya escorted her back to her cabin. Shikamaru guessed that no one would mention it if it was some time before Jiraiya returned.

Naruto and Sasuke vanished, followed by Iruka and Kakashi. As soon as Iruka was safely ensconced in his bunk, Shino produced the whisky and Ibiki the dice. Shikamaru saw Haku about to ask if either Shikamaru or Neji wanted to join in but Rin stopped him. She pushed him into the galley and slid the door shut, leaving Shikamaru with Neji.

“Don’t say it,” Neji ordered before Shikamaru could open his mouth. “I would prefer you not to ask so I do not have to reject you. It is no reflection on you personally, Shikamaru-san. I do not become intimate with people. In addition, becoming intimate with you would be particularly ill-advised as we both hope to work closely with Sasuke-sama and with each other for many standards.” He stood up. “I shall go to my bunk now. I suggest you join the others in the galley.”

It was not the outcome Shikamaru had imagined. He sighed. More unrequited love: he had already had enough of that to last a lifetime.


They were in the middle of the Meeting called to promote Sasuke to crew when Shikamaru made the decision. He was fed up of accepting it when the person he wanted rejected him. He would make Neji change his mind. He would woo him.

He needed a plan.


He started by quizzing Haku while they and Shino were working on in the temporary hydroponics. Shikamaru liked growing things. When Haku realise where the conversation was going he stopped working and stared at him.

“You are trying to seduce Neji?” he checked.

Shikamaru nodded.

Haku shook his head. “You haven’t a hope.”

That was worrying, Haku was rarely so direct. “Explain,” Shikamaru insisted.

“He likes women.”

Shikamaru tried to rally. “Perhaps he likes men too.”

Haku conceded the point. “He likes routine. He likes tidy. He likes little things done perfectly. He doesn’t need to talk much. You hate all the things he likes. Worse, he likes looking after people and you don’t need looking after.”

Shikamaru wanted to look after Neji. “Is there anything about me you think he likes?”

Haku reconsidered. “You play Go and you are clean,” he decided.

It was a depressing start to his campaign.

“He does find you attractive,” Shino said suddenly.

Shikamaru looked at him.

“Neji. He couldn't take his eyes off you when he first met you. When you were wearing the leather, with your hair down and the purple lipstick.” Shino was motionless at the memory. “Can’t blame him.”

Haku frowned. “It’s a start. Iruka and Kakashi probably didn’t have much in common when they met. I’ll think about it.”


Later, in the lab, Shino surprised him by bringing up the subject again.

“You and Neji. Haku’s wrong, you have a lot in common,” he said.

Shikamaru waited.

“You are both so clever that it isolates you. You are both lonely. You both yearn for someone to understand what you are thinking. That’s why you are both attracted to Sasuke. Make friends with him, Shika. Tell him about your plans for the future. Draw him into your world. The crazy world where you have full Uchiha battle livery ready in case Sasuke has need of it.”

Shikamaru could feel his skin reddening.

“There. That.” Shino told him. “If he can resist that vulnerability he is a lot harder a man than I think he is.”


Shikamaru decided to move forward on the friendship front, even if he was not sure about telling Neji about all his plans. He and Shino reorganised the lab so that a third person could work there. Shikamaru imagined everything Neji would want to know if he were Sasuke’s Hyuga, found it in amongst his data and organised it for use by someone who was tidy and methodical. He had almost finished the task when Jirarya arrived and told Shino to find somewhere else to be.

“What are you doing, Shikamaru?” he asked.

Shikamaru did not look at him or stop working. “You know what I am doing. You’ve been watching me since the first of your alarms was triggered, two hundred and thirty minutes ago.”

“Why are you doing it?”

Shikamaru decided on part of the truth. “Neji will need it.”

“We all need it,” Jiraiya told him. “Well, not all of it. Some of your selections would only be of use to a Hyuga.”

Shikamaru paused. He was doing this for Neji. If it became for everyone it would devalue his gift. “I will make another, more generalised version, with better access.” He swallowed. Trusting the old pervert never came easily to him. “I will do that and give everyone access to it in ten days time. This is for Neji. I intend to give it to him as soon as it is ready.”

Jiraiya was silent for a few moments and then laughed. “A love gift, Shika-kun? How touching.”

Shikamaru felt his skin flare red.

“So Neji is your latest crush.”

Shikamaru wanted to say that this time it was not a fleeting, adolescent obsession. He stopped himself. He did not want to give Jirarya any more ammunition.

Jiraiya looked about the lab. “It’s all going to change. You do realise that?”

Shikamaru finally looked at him. “Of course it is going to change. We can’t change the world without changing with it. Damn it, old man, you want this. You want it even more than I do. Sometimes I think the two of us want it more than Sasuke does.”

“He wants it. Leaders cannot afford to think too much. It inhibits their decision-making capacity. He already has a tendency to over think.”

“No sign of that during the battle,” Shikamaru replied, unable to resist a smile at the memory of it.

Jiraiya smiled in return. “No. It was very promising,” he admitted. “You have your ten days, Shika-kun.”