Under the clouds

FIRST SHIKA/NEJI/SHIKA EVER but not first fanfic, please enjoy ;3

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He was always on the same hill it seemed. Always watching the same sky, if not the same clouds. It seemed as though fate could never touch him, never force him to waver, never bring him to his knees. Never budge him from that spot on the hill.

“Neji, join me.” He remained in the tree, considering. What was there to loose?

He dropped down from the tree, sitting beside the other. Shikamaru hadn’t opened his eyes, but he hadn’t needed to. Neji would have been insulted as a ninja if the other hadn’t noticed him when he wasn’t even trying to hide.

He sat back against the tree, legs crossed under him, watching the clouds until he was found by a mildly surprised Lee and summoned away.

He heard no farewell as he left and gave none in return.

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“Hello again.” Neji dropped as silently as last time, as the many other times, keeping his thoughts to himself. He’d only been shielding mildly, and the other wasn’t a genin any longer. He sat, legs crossed and back to the bark of the tree. He wondered briefly if the bark would be worn down under Shikamaru’s back.

He shifted, head tilted back and staring at the clouds that matched his eyes. He remained there, the both of them silently observing the white cotton drift over the dry ocean. He left only when Lee showed up, more surprised that Neji had once again been in the same place. He normally was barely in the same place twice.

Fate loved to move him from day to day.

“See you around.” He made no immediate reply, turning to Shikamaru. The other’s doe eyes met his, staring into his eyes as if he too thought they were like clouds.

“See you.”

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“You don’t have to sneak up on me. Join me.” Neji decided to take it as a compliment that it was a ninja technically of higher rank that noticed him even when he tried to be invisible. He ignored all the other time’s he’d come in such a way and been discovered.

He dropped down, sitting in the seat that had begun to seem almost familiar. He stiffened a little, feeling the shoulder of the other as he sat back. He tilted his head as normal, feeling the heat of the other slowly seep past his clothing.

He didn’t relish when Lee came to fetch him, by now wondering if there was something wrong with his teammate.

“See you, Nara.” He spoke before the other.

“See you, Neji.”

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“Will you ever show up without trying to sneak up?” Neji joined him, by now completely comfortable with the other's side brushing his as they sat. Over the days, or weeks he hadn’t been keeping track, the touch had grown from just the shoulders, to his entire arm, until now the entirety of his side from shoulder to bent knee was parallel to Shikamaru’s.

“…No.” If Shikamaru was surprised by him actually speaking before their inevitable goodbye, he didn’t show it. They remained silent, staring at the clouds. Neji was mildly startled when Shikamaru’s shoulder shifted, his head dropping lightly onto his. He turned, seeing the doe eyes watching him. He watched them close, the breath easing slower and slower as the boy drifted off to sleep.

He eased out from under him as Lee came up; whispering his goodbye into an unresponsive ear as he left on a much longer mission than he’d had to go on since he’d started watching the clouds.

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“I almost didn’t come today.” Shikamaru spoke, his serene eyes taking in the roiling gray clouds, quickly condensing into black. He knew it was stupid to be on a hill under a tree in a thunderstorm, but he didn’t sense too much electricity. It would be a very bad shower, the kind that soaks you to the skin in seconds.

Neji dropped, silent. His usual white was stained red and his shadowed eyes seemed to match the weather. He sat down, leaning against the tree. An arm came around him and he was guided into leaning against the Nara instead.

He didn’t look at the clouds.

He felt a soft weight on the top of his head, felt Shikamaru relaxing. He closed his eyes and slowly relaxed as well, joining the other in slumber.

Lee didn’t show up to bring Neji away.

The two of them slept through the rain, content with the other's body heat and just the feel of the other pressed against them.

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“There aren’t any clouds today.” Neji came around the trunk of the tree, nodding. He hadn’t been certain Shikamaru would even be here. He sat down in his customary spot.

He was startled beyond hiding it when Shikamaru swiveled, laying his head on his thigh. His eyes, slightly widened, took in the doe ones.

“Your eyes…” Shikamaru said, lifting a hand and brushing his fingers across Neji’s cheek. Neji didn’t flinch, didn’t stop looking down for however long they remained like that. He didn’t move away as Shikamaru eventually sat up, moving to grip his hair gently and brush soft lips against his closed mouth.

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“One day I should just ignore you.” Shikamaru said it teasingly, laying out under the tree, practically sprawling. Neji came around the tree, as he’d started doing months ago. As he sat Shikamaru reached for him, urging him down for a soft kiss that Neji returned.

“You couldn’t ignore me for long.” Neji responded. He smiled softly, as he’d learned how to do around the other. Shikamaru shrugged, watching idly as Neji lay out as well, resting his head against his net-clad stomach. Shikamaru smiled, resting a hand on his lover's head carefully, stroking the fine strands.

“I noticed Lee stopped coming around?” Neji opened his eyes half-mast.

“I asked him to stop and we made an arrangement. He… understood.” Shikamaru allowed his smile to grow, continuing the petting motions along the dark luscious strands.

“I see.” Neji closed his eyes again and allowed himself to drift off, stroked further and further down into slumber by the softly calloused hand.

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“You don’t have to do that.” Shikamaru said a little breathlessly. His head was tilted back, soft pants coming from his lips. Neji rolled his cloud eyes up; kneeling between his boyfriends bent legs.

“I want to.” He said, leaning down and swiping a wet tongue over a wet end, tasting salt. Shikamaru cringed, trying to keep a level head.

“This is…public property. Do you wanna get caught?” Neji licked him again, continuing down in a loving manner, tongue laying quick, moist caresses all over his hypersensitive skin. The boy could feel Shikamaru quiver under his palms.

“I won’t.” He silenced the other by moving back up, taking in the complete length of him in one swallow.

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“Shikamaru…” Neji said, eyes half-lidded in pleasure as he watched the other work himself, preparing with fingers and quick wrist movement. The other grunted, shivering as he pulled his fingers out. He turned around, pushing Neji back against the so-familiar tree, moving to straddle him with his opening held above the ready boy.

“Neji.” The brunette leaned forward, kissing him while he used a hand to align himself. He broke away, staring into the white eyes of his boyfriend, his lover, watching the cloud like orbs while he sank down, hissing. Neji’s hands rose, supporting Shikamaru at the hips.

They began moving, Shikamaru’s hands at Neji’s shoulders as he drove down, Neji’s holding him steady while he thrust up.

They reached their peak soon, tightening their respective holds and calling each other’s names softly.

They cleaned up and with their heads tilted down, resting against one another, fell asleep under the clouds on their favorite hill.