Title: Sex, Silence, and Shogi
Pairing(s): NejiShika, mentions of NaruSasu
Rating: R
Summary: Hyuugi Neji didn’t particularly like to talk. Nara Shikamaru didn’t particularly like listening to people talk.

—

Hyuugi Neji didn’t particularly like to talk. Nara Shikamaru didn’t particularly like listening to people talk. It should have been no surprise then that the two men would get along.

Contrary to that bit of logic, however, their friends had been shocked to find that the men not only got along well, but were, in fact, quite amiable, if not more. It had begun with a simple question, voiced in a familiar drawl from a ninja renowned not only for his genius on duty, but for his laziness off duty.

“Anyone want to play a game of shogi with me?”

His companions were spread out around him in the grass staring up into the sky. At his question, they turned to gape at him. He had played against almost all of them at one point or another and he had thoroughly whipped them all every time.

After several moments of silence, he shrugged and said, “Asuma isn’t much of a challenge anymore.”

“Shikamaru, I thought you wanted to watch the clouds,” Chouji said around a mouthful of chips. The bag was propped against his side as he lay on his back, his hand already reaching in for another.

Shikamaru shrugged again. “It was just a suggestion.” That said, he tucked his hands behind his head and went back to studying the sky.

“I’ll play.”

Shikamaru rose to a sitting position at the voice he’d least expected to answer. Well, that wasn’t quite true. Naruto had been the one he’d felt was least likely to answer seeing as the blond was currently snoring rather loudly several feet away.

Neji, who had been resting nearby at the base of a tree after a round of training with Tenten, stood and approached the group of bodies lying in the grass. His shadow fell in a slant across Shikamaru’s chest as he stopped beside the man.

“Er…ok.” It was not one of Shikamaru’s most clever replies.

Everyone shifted from their relaxed positions, rising to various degrees of sitting to stare curiously between Neji and Shikamaru. The two men had never spent time together outside of their ninja duties. They had never even really acknowledged each other beyond the obligatory nod, much less spent time alone together. It was with much curiosity then when Shikamaru rose to his feet, stuffed his hands carelessly into his pocket and led the way off the field without another word. Neji followed just as silently.

Chouji was now standing, watching as the two men—Neji’s back straight, Shikamaru slouching—walked away. After a moment, he smiled.

“Shikamaru gets along with everyone,” he said proudly.

It was true that Shikamaru wasn’t one to complain about company unless said company was particularly bothersome (as many of his companions, namely Naruto and Kiba, were wont to be), but even so, Kiba was slack-jawed as he stared at the receding backs. It wasn’t so much Shikamaru as Neji that surprised him. Neji was always so intensely focused on his training that picturing him doing something like playing shogi, with Shikamaru of all people, was almost impossible to comprehend. Shogi required a good head for strategy, which happened to be Shikamaru’s forte. In addition, victory against Shikamaru demanded careful deliberation of every move and its consequences, extreme concentration and diligent observation of the opponent, which was more effort than Kiba was willing to put forth in any single endeavor outside of his missions.

He thought again on Neji’s character and decided maybe the game of shogi wasn’t quite so beyond the Hyuugi’s range. Then he wondered why he was thinking about it at all and promptly told his mind to shut up as he lay back down, Akamaru curled up against his side.

The following morning their comrades discovered that the two men had spent the entire day engrossed in their game. They had not, in fact, even finished it but had left the pieces in place after it had gotten too late and agreed to return the next day and complete their game.

What happened next was a mystery as the two men in question were not about to offer any insight and anyone brave enough to ask would likely meet with silence from Shikamaru and a glare from Neji, if not outright bodily harm. All their friends knew was that Shikamaru was suddenly spending a lot of time cooped up at Neji’s—often late into the night, to the point where Chouji was suddenly missing his cloud-gazing companion and sparring partner more often than not.

The only ones who suspected what was going on was Naruto and Sasuke, not because they particularly cared what the two were doing behind closed doors or because they were at all observant of the two men when they were around. They were suspicious because Neji had walked in on them making out (and just at the verge of doing more) on Naruto’s couch in his poorly secured apartment a week after he and Shikamaru had begun their long so-called shogi sessions. Sure there had been a lock on the door but a lock was like a pesky fly to the average ninja.

Naruto had never seen Neji blush and it was almost as becoming as Sasuke’s flushed face. They hadn’t noticed any changes in Neji’s behavior since then (discounting the being closeted in one’s house with a single male companion for hours at a time part), nor Shikamaru’s general laziness, but it had been almost two months now and the two couldn’t be spending all that time playing shogi, could they?

These random thoughts flittered through Naruto’s head as he passed over the rooftops, enjoying the wind in his face after a day of training. The sun had set hours ago and he was exhausted, ready to take a shower and fall into his bed. He looked around at the buildings and realized he was about to pass by Neji’s apartment. Neji had long since moved out of the Hyuuga grounds, for reasons only Neji could confirm, but Naruto suspected it had to do with becoming more independent of the main family.

Unable to resist a bit of snooping—or as he preferred to call it, ninja surveillance—he hopped onto the roof of the building across the street, making sure to find an area of shadow to settle on. From his angle, he had a perfect view of Neji’s living room. To his luck, the drapes were drawn, allowing him to easily spot the two men moving about Neji’s kitchen, which was only partially visible. A moment later, they settled onto the sofa in the living room, sitting at opposite ends, each with a bowl in their laps.

Naruto watched them for a good 15 minutes, growing bored as the two men appeared to be doing nothing more than eating—and in relative silence no less. Yet despite the lack of conversation, from what Naruto could tell, they were completely at ease with each other. Neji smiled in a lighthearted way that he’d never seen the Hyuuga smile before and Shikamaru… didn’t look bored. He was about to give up and leave when Neji set his bowl aside and leaned over the length of the sofa to murmur something in Shikamaru’s ear.

Rapt with the scene playing out before him, Naruto was unable to look away as Shikamaru blushed and turned his head, Neji’s mouth sliding over his. Lips still delicately pressed, Neji reached out to remove the bowl cradled between Shikamaru’s limp hands. He set it on the side table before those graceful hands that Naruto had seen completely disarm an enemy in less than five seconds settled almost tenderly over Shikamaru’s waist and pulled him closer.

Shikamaru’s eyes drifted shut as he shifted to straddle Neji’s hips, head dipped as their lips moved slowly together, nipping and nudging, the tip of pink tongues flickering between their mouths. Naruto swallowed, the impact of what he was seeing finally sinking in. He tore his eyes away from the intimate scene.

They had never questioned his and Sasuke’s relationship, although he doubted many were aware of the exact nature of that relationship, but even so, Naruto wouldn’t return the favor by questioning theirs. He turned away, leaving the two to their privacy and hoping they’d have the sense next time to shut their drapes.

Meanwhile, oblivious to the shadow darting away outside, Neji slipped his hands beneath Shikamaru’s shirt, his palms smoothing up over warm skin and a muscled back that was arching into his touch. He nudged his hips upward, letting the man above him know in no uncertain terms the state of his arousal. Shikamaru’s mouth twisted into a smile against his own and pulled back just enough to look into his eyes.

“I thought we were going to do it slow this time?” Shikamaru murmured, sounding amused.

“Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to do anything,” Neji said with a smirk, leaning forward that little bit of space and licking Shikamaru’s lips. “You just have to lay there.”

His shoulders shook with repressed laughter even as his small smirk remained unchanged. Shikamaru was giving him a disgruntled look. His feigned displeasure was belied, however, by the fact that Neji could feel the hard length of Shikamaru’s erection pressing against his lower belly through their clothes. Neji abruptly stood, hands lowering to cup Shikamaru’s bottom as he rose to keep the man in place. Looking momentarily startled, Shikamaru quickly recovered and wrapped his legs around Neji’s hips, hands clutching at broad shoulders as he lowered his head to nuzzle Neji’s pale neck.

Shikamaru closed his eyes, sucking and kissing at the smooth column of skin, the long strands of Neji’s hair tickling his cheek. He sighed as he was carried to the bedroom, stoutly refusing to think about how he was being rather…girlish right then. He felt Neji kick the door shut behind them and stride across the large room. He wondered for the hundredth time what the hell he was doing, but as always, decided he just didn’t care to find the answer.

Neji was unlike anyone he’d been intimate with before. He didn’t insist on cuddling afterwards even if they did tend to gravitate toward each other in the middle of the night. He didn’t even demand that Shikamaru stay—or leave—once they were done. Neji simply took what Shikamaru was willing to give him and gave just as much in return. Their silences weren’t fraught with unspoken things and neither felt the need to fill it with meaningless conversation. Neji was a strong ninja and had a sharp mind. Shikamaru would never have to worry about the man turning into a nagging woman. Not to mention, Shikamaru thought as Neji’s weight settled over him, long hair falling in a curtain to frame his face and those large penetrating eyes… he was damn pretty to look at.

Neji reached a hand up to pull the tie out of Shikamaru’s hair before running his fingers through the thick locks. The hair was fine but coarse, a texture Neji had become familiar with as he cupped Shikamaru’s head and lowered his own. Their mouths met hungrily, tongues pushing and invading as their hips drove together. Their hands reached for their clothes, tugging and pulling until heated skin met heated skin. Neji stiffened, his hands stilling in their journey up Shikamaru’s sides when the man reached for his hitai-ate. Shikamaru’s cool fingers skimmed across his forehead as the symbol of Konoha slid off to reveal a completely separate symbol. Neji relaxed when, as with every time before, Shikamaru didn’t even spare the mark a look, unconcerned with its significance.

Neji knew that the man was probably aware of what it meant (considering Shikamaru had been present at the chuunin exams when he had explained the Hyuuga tradition to Naruto), but by now, he also knew that such details, while never missed by the perceptive ninja, were also of little consequence to him. Shikamaru had little care for people’s pasts as long as they weren’t troublesome in the here and now. It was what drew Neji to him. Shikamaru was pleased by the simplest things in life and needed little to be content, yet at the same time he was a brilliant ninja and strategist. For Neji, who had spent the better part of a decade straining for more than what fate had given him, Shikamaru was a novelty he couldn’t resist touching.

Of course, the man’s drive to become a stronger ninja could have been better, but Shikamaru’s fate was his own and not something Neji needed to concern himself with. Right then, all that mattered were those cool, calloused fingers trailing down his back. They smoothed over the swell of his backside before boldly squeezing his butt cheeks, silently asking for more. Neji smirked and thrust downward, their naked erections rubbing almost painfully together.

“Neji,” Shikamaru gasped, fingers digging into the taut muscles of Neji’s buttocks. He tilted his head as Neji’s mouth slid wetly down his jaw to suck at the sensitive skin of his neck. He felt the body above him move away and arched in protest before hissing in pleasure when Neji’s strong hand encircled both their cocks in a firm grip and stroked.

His eyelids were heavy as he stared unseeing up at the pristine white ceiling, moaning softly into Neji’s cascade of hair. Neji panted heavily against his neck, occasionally licking and biting at the skin there as his hand worked them towards completion. Shikamaru lifted his head off the pillow just enough to glance down between their bodies. He groaned loudly at the sight of Neji’s hand wrapped around their cocks, pumping and squeezing tightly. The heads were slick with precum that had also trickled down to stain Neji’s fingers.

He felt Neji’s muscles stiffen beneath his hands, that long lean body straining above him. He turned his head, chin nudging Neji’s shoulder. Neji understood and lifted his head from Shikamaru’s neck to clamp their lips together. His tongue swept Shikamaru’s mouth, tasting and dominating before biting down gently on Shikamaru’s wandering tongue.

A moment later, he felt his gut tighten and his toes curled as he thrust downward into his own hand and his partner’s responding cock as he shuddered his release and came across Shikamaru’s quivering stomach. Shikamaru grunted into his mouth and arched his back, almost throwing Neji off him as he came, adding to the mess pooling on his belly.

“Nnn…” he groaned, collapsing back into the satin white sheets that Neji favored. Almost everything in Neji’s house was white. Shikamaru would have thought it’d make him feel uncomfortable, like the sterile atmosphere of the hospital. But instead, he found it calming, like the man settled comfortably against his side. He smiled sleepily as Neji draped an arm across his chest.

“Come on, let’s clean up,” Neji whispered, hand smoothing over Shikamaru’s shoulder then down his arm before lacing their fingers and tugging the protesting man up and off the bed.

Shikamaru gave the back of Neji’s head a lopsided smile and let himself be pulled into the bathroom.

–

“Hey, so…you know, just out of curiosity, who wins the most matches?” Sakura asked as their group of friends settled at the top of a hill for a picnic lunch.

Neji and Shikamaru exchanged glances before sitting down opposite of each other. Naruto snickered slightly off to the side, but they ignored him. Sakura blinked when Shikamaru pulled his shogi board and pieces out of the pack he’d had slung over his back and set up their pieces in the exact positions they’d been left in the last time they’d played.

Neji placed his hands on his knees, already deliberating his next move as Shikamaru shrugged and muttered, “We haven’t actually finished our first match yet.”

The End.