EPILOGUE

Neji Hyūga murmured his thanks to the ninja who lead him to the Hokage's office and entered unannounced. Kakashi, who was beside Tsunade and appeared to be reviewing reports with her, did not bother to hide his surprise or curiosity when he spotted Neji. The brunette nodded politely; he approached the desk, placed his ANBU mask down and bowed gracefully as he waited to be acknowledged. Tsunade raised a brow looking at the porcelain. Her lips slanted and she frowned.

"Something wrong with that mask, Hyūga?" She inquired still not bothering to spare him a glance.

When he failed to provide a verbal reply, she reclined in her chair and stretched, heaving a deep sigh as her caramel eyes studied the Hyūga prodigy. She had been waiting for this day for a long while now ever since finding out about Neji and Shikamaru. From Tsunade's personal and professional point of view, Neji could only suit the needs of ANBU so long as he remained impassive, closed off and did not form bonds with others. There wasn't anyone better prepared to detach from reality nor another more capable of taking on whatever personality necessary like a chameleon. Neji was a survivor; he could adapt to whatever the assignments required of him because of his unique and gruesome training as a Hyūga.

She had long suspected there might be more to Neji than met the eye, but with numerous students who truly needed her attention and the daily crises in Konoha, Hyūga was just one of many who would slip through the cracks. Joining ANBU had been for his benefit that much proved to be true. However, Tsunade wasn't entirely convinced Neji would have pushed against his uncle so hard were it not for the supportive and intense friendship with Sasuke Uchiha and Shikamaru Nara. From what she could tell the men were anchors in Neji's life, forces to help ground him and steer him away from the troubled world of a Hyūga cadet member. She briefly wondered how well Neji fared now that Sasuke had passed away.

"Retiring, eh? You're so young." Tsunade finally commented as she hunched forward over the desk and laced her fingers together.

"My apologies, Lord Hokage." Neji bowed deeper still.

"Lift your head, child. You've nothing to apologize for." Tsunade dismissed.

Neji did as instructed— Tsunade vaguely registered the compliance as the last time Hyūga would take direct orders from her, and though she would never admit it out loud, it did sting to think about. Kakashi tugged his mask down to offer Neji a genuine smile. He didn't speak as it wasn't his place to comment one way or the other, at least not in Tsunade's presence, but Neji understood the message crystal clear. Hatake was proud of Neji's commitment.

"What will you do now?" Tsunade asked.

"I'll continue as a jōnin for the time being. But in the near future, I hope to work with Council as an Ambassador for negotiations." Neji divulged with the tiniest of smiles.

Tsunade flexed her fingers with a hum. "Ambassador? I'm sure we could make that arrangement work… until then, Hyūga don't you think serving only as a jōnin is quite a dip in pay?"

"Thank you for your concern." Hyūga bowed again but did not linger. "My husband makes a considerable amount as General."

Ah, yes, that lazy bastard Shikamaru Nara made damn good money. In Tsunade's opinion, his tendencies were lackluster at best, and she could not even begin to fathom how he and the overly controlled, rigid Hyūga navigated through a relationship. Although, his deductive skills and sheer brilliance were unmatched throughout the land which was why she appointed him to the position in the first place. As a pair, Shikamaru and Neji were well on their way to representing themselves with power and prestige not only from family lineage but also their status and roles within the village. Tsunade could practically hear Hyūga's ancestors shrieking from their graves at the very prospect of Neji fraternizing with anyone outside of the clan, let alone a man who wasn't from a noble family. They were doing well for themselves paving their own path; traditions and expectations be damned.

"And what of the Hyūga clan?" Tsunade asked, cutting Kakashi half a glance.

The silver-haired ninja didn't need the specifics of the situation to understand what Tsunade meant. After all, with his involvement in ANBU Kakashi had already noticed a drastic shift in Neji's assignments some time ago and could only assume an arrangement must've been made with Hiashi. He would love to know the details, but suspected involvement had been limited only to those directly involved and on a need-to-know basis.

"No changes," Neji reported.

Tsunade stood up, braced her palms on the desk and bowed. "We will be in touch regarding your future endeavors, Hyūga." She smiled and said, "Congratulations. You've made a fine decision."

Shikamaru's head began to drop too far, and he jumped realizing he had been moments away from nodding off. His troublesome position afforded him very little time to cloud gaze let alone catch a nap in the middle of the day which was a routine the shadow manipulator relied on for years just to get by. It didn't help that Lee was delivering a verbal report of his findings in Ishigakure— the man was without a doubt an excellent shinobi. However, the overly detailed disclosures Shikamaru could do without particularly when he already found it difficult to focus during these proceedings.

Today of all days he experienced more complications than usual because Neji Hyūga would be home from what was probably his final mission as an ANBU operative. It'd been almost two months since Shikamaru assigned the long-haired ninja to the espionage and though he did not doubt Neji's abilities, he only felt relief when they were joined face to face again. Shikamaru's anticipation was getting the better of him making it increasingly impossible to care for whatever Lee continued to ramble on about. Fortunately, Shikamaru's overactive brain stayed functioning even when he didn't want it to, and the critical pieces of Lee's speech were captured and retained for later analysis.

His thoughts wandered back to Hyūga territory, but instead of Neji being the focal point Shikamaru reflected on the clan as a whole. As of late Shikamaru had not seen hide nor hair of Hiashi or any of the usual stand-ins during last several Council meetings which was unusual, to say the least. In fact, now that he thought about it, other than when he passed by the Hyūga compound— which he avoided by all means necessary— Shikamaru did not see many clansmen out and about the way he once did. They anticipated push-back from Hiashi at the very least when they wed. It didn't matter what political agreement Tsunade and Naruto were convinced to have secured with the Hyūgas, Shikamaru knew they were cunning snakes waiting for the right moment to strike.

Surprisingly, their ceremony went without a hitch. Now that Shikamaru gave the matter consideration perhaps that was the very reason the Hyūga's had stepped out of the limelight, for the time being. No doubt they were embarrassed that their greatest prodigy had married outside of the clan. Now that they were married it meant Neji held jurisdiction over the Uchiha complex— if nothing else Shikamaru expected an outcry from Hiashi. So far so good, though it could indicate the Hyūgas were preparing an intricate scheme. The Uchiha grounds were long since demolished, save for Sasuke's childhood home and the two headstones behind it. Shikamaru and Neji built their house as planned. As per Shikamaru's desire, the home was relatively traditional with such features as tatami mat flooring, sliding doors and a broad wooden veranda wrapping outside the entire house. Truth be told the property was probably extravagant for two persons, but coming home to their own private oasis made the jealous leers they received well deserved.

With so much land requiring development, Shikamaru decided to study medicinal herbs and plants and built a greenhouse to grow them in. Gardening came easily to the supposed genius, and though it couldn't quite compare to cloud gazing, he felt a similar release when tending to his plants. After migrating nearly hundreds of trees from barren segments on the outskirts of Konoha, Shikamaru and Neji created a decently sized fenced in forest. With the blessing of his fellow clansmen, Shikamaru received permission to relocate a few dozen deer from the Nara forest. They'd also constructed a dojo. Although the initial intent for use had solely been for Neji, he decided to exploit the constant exposure from Tsunade and his extensive taijutsu proficiency by teaching various forms of martial arts to soon-to-be-ninjas and occasional genin. And whenever the green-spandex loving Lee was available he readily volunteered to instruct classes. Everything they could ever ask for was quite literally in their backyard.

Upon offering Naruto a piece of land to do with whatever he pleased, Shikamaru expected to have to talk the blonde out of opening another ramen shop— the last thing the shadow manipulator wanted was to wake up to his loud-mouthed friend at odd hours whenever Naruto craved a late night snack. But Naruto never mentioned any such project. All Uzumaki asked for were bushes, hedges, trees and other such plants that might attract crows and ravens; in his mind, those were the official birds of the Uchiha clan and ought to have a home in the village. A simple enough request. Thus far Naruto had been one of three people permitted inside their house; another was Lee since he frequented the dojo and Sasuke was the other— although secretly of course, and he'd only been by twice. It amused Neji to no end that Shikamaru became the one shrieking at their guests to take off their shoes or use coasters with drinks on the cherry oak coffee table. Domestic as it may be, Shikamaru loved what he and Neji made together, he wanted to protect it the best he could.

"—ou even listening to me?"

Shikamaru's lazy gaze fell on expectant large round eyes, and he quirked half a grin when he replied, "I heard everything you just said."

"I'll bet…" Lee muttered under his breath. "That concludes my report, sir." He turned to leave and stopped in the doorway to address Shikamaru once more. "Oh, by the way, your husband is heading over after finishing up with the Hokage."

Shikamaru smirked. They weren't married for very long, but the newness of hearing Neji called his husband should have faded by now; it hadn't, and Shikamaru got butterflies every time someone said it. Lee was one of the few who seemed to enjoy it nearly as much because he dropped the term as frequently as possible even though the higher-ups frowned upon in.

"You mean Hyūga." Shikamaru corrected.

With Lee gone Shikamaru found himself gazing out the large window behind his desk at the overcast sky. He vaguely imagined how entertaining everyday life might be if either male had taken the other's last name. Neji did not have any qualms giving up his claim to being a Hyūga, but both agreed that Neji Nara sounded awful. Shikamaru didn't mind changing to Hyūga if Neji wanted him to. His clan didn't hold the same sort of prowess as the Hyūga or Uchiha, so it might be fun becoming one. The bonus of Hiashi's ghost-white face paling made the swap sound all the more appealing. Neji opposed stating he didn't plan to drag Shikamaru into affairs of the clan. Marrying someone who wasn't a Hyūga had been unheard of until Neji, they didn't know how the rules would work if Shikamaru officiated their union by taking Neji's last name. And since Neji was a branch member of the clan it wasn't worth the risk in his eyes. Shikamaru understood perfectly.

Naruto suggested they change their names entirely and become unofficial Uchiha to piss off the entire village. Before Shikamaru could become tempted by the prospect, Tsunade immediately shot Naruto down and explained that namesakes did not work that way in Konoha, only those of blood or direct marriage were permitted to adopt the name of Uchiha. Shikamaru and Neji had plans to meet with Sasuke later in the evening, much later actually and Shikamaru already doubted his ability to stay awake. They rarely heard from Sasuke and saw him even less. Sasuke was a man on the run who'd been pronounced dead; he couldn't exactly appear whenever he felt like it.

Shikamaru's skin tingled a familiar sensation of pins and needles; Neji Hyūga had arrived. A wry smile claimed Shikamaru's lips as the chakra he knew so well leisurely came closer to his office, intentionally slow knowing Neji, but his husband was well worth the wait. Neji entered at long last, and Shikamaru wasn't the slightest bit surprised to see the long-haired shinobi donning jōnin garb instead of ANBU.

"Took you long enough," Shikamaru complained as they drew one another into a firm embrace.

"You're the one who assigned me, bastard." Neji hissed in his ear.

"I knew you could handle it." Shikamaru shrugged.

Neji grunted and decided to let his lips do the talking, meeting Shikamaru in an eager, passionate kiss. Yes, it had been too damn long since they'd held one another like this. Shikamaru groaned while he kissed Neji breathless, their tongues and breath mingling until neither could tell where one began, and one ended.

"I ran into your mother," Neji revealed once Shikamaru started trailing wet kisses down his throat.

"And she didn't follow you up?" Shikamaru was genuinely shocked.

"She's still pissed about the wedding." Neji chuckled.

Shikamaru paused his ministrations despite Neji's glare when he did so. "You didn't have anything to do with it."

"I had everything to do with it, Nara. Her insensitive comment 'which of you girls will be in a dress' is one of the main reasons she wasn't invited." Neji reminded him.

"She's my mother; if I wanted her there, she would have been." Shikamaru insisted.

Neji traced a single digit down Shikamaru's nose and grinned. "It's adorable that you say that when we both know it's not true."

"So, I'm whipped," Shikamaru admitted with another shrug, his hands rounding from Neji's hips to the small of his back. "I'll do whatever you want without question. I banned her for my own reasons as well."

"All she said was she wanted to visit us at home, and I told her she would need to behave like a decent human being to get in," Neji said.

Shikamaru sputtered into a roar of laughter and hung his head back.

"My father would have loved you, Neji," Shikamaru remarked, eyes glistening.

It was not the first nor would it be the last time Shikamaru shared the sentiment. Namely, because he wished with all his heart that the late Nara had gotten the opportunity to meet Neji. There wasn't a shadow of doubt in Shikamaru's mind about whether or not Shikaku could've adored Neji Hyūga, if for no reason other than the fact that Neji had no problem holding his own against Yoshino.

"Your father, hm?" Neji hummed with a smirk that made Shikamaru slightly uncomfortable.

"Do not tell me you're thinking about my dad that way." Shikamaru was mortified.

"Before you make this weird, Shikamaru, you do know that you look just like him, right?" Neji asked.

"You have the hots for my old man," Shikamaru whined dramatically.

"I do not! And again, you are the spitting image of him." Neji reminded. "If anything, it's just a glimpse of how well you're going to age."

"Trying to butter me up, Hyūga?" Shikamaru inquired.

"Don't grow the goatee." Neji's eyes were like saucers suddenly. "Please."

"No plans to do so, it's not really my style. In the meantime, I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me you have never imagined doing it with my dad." Shikamaru half-joked but was also half-serious.

"Never," Neji responded immediately then kissed the strategist. "You're the only person I've ever imagined."

"Troublesome Hyūga," Shikamaru grumbled.

"I know how much it would mean to you if I could've met him. Your father is very important to you; I wish I'd had the chance." Neji brushed a thumb over Shikamaru's cheek. "At least your dad wouldn't try to put us in dresses."

"In all honesty between the two of us, you would look a hell of a lot better in a wedding gown. I'd look like an overgrown freak." Shikamaru scowled.

Neji narrowed his eyes. "You're just saying that because I have long hair. My arm definition is deeper than yours. It wouldn't make sense to put me in a dress."

"I'm saying it because, for every bit of masculine and handsome as you are, Neji, you're incredibly beautiful." Shikamaru said then quickly added, "Not feminine, that's not what I'm saying at all. It's not the same thing."

"I know it isn't." Neji smiled appreciating Shikamaru's conscious awareness of how he hated being compared to a woman when apart from long tresses he appeared nothing like one. "But I can't have you in a gown anyway, too much skin. If others got to see you that way, I'd be immensely jealous."

"Too much skin? What kind of dress are you imagining?" Shikamaru stared at Neji with his brows arched.

Neji waved a dismissive hand. "It doesn't matter. Neither of us has any interest in wearing one, why are we discussing it like a possibility?"

"I told you my ma has that effect on people; she makes you bicker about things that you don't even care about." Shikamaru snorted then decided to change the subject and said, "So, you retired? You're my best soldier."

"You just like giving me commands." Neji taunted.

Shikamaru pursed his lips and hummed. "It does have a certain appeal to it."

"Give me one right now." Mischief danced in Neji's opalescent orbs. "I'll make it up to you."

"On your knees, Hyūga." Shikamaru breathed.

"And if I refuse?" Neji grinned.

Shikamaru tangled his fingers in Neji's hair and pulled hard, nails scraping Hyūga's scalp and he tipped the older man's head back.

"That kind of rebellion will get you punished," Shikamaru warned.

"Mm, I was hoping so." Neji purred.

Their mouths crushed with burning urgency, yanking one another closer equally desperate. It was powerful and smoldering, their lips set a blaze fully, tangling together with a fiery passion driven by lust neither ninja had seen coming. A soft moan died in Shikamaru's throat as his lips parted in welcome of Neji's probing tongue. Before he could succumb to the pleasant tightness in his chest, Shikamaru yanked Neji back by the ends of his hair exposing a delicate creamy throat. Shikamaru trailed wet kisses down Neji's jaw. His lips were hot and impatient, sucking bits of Neji's flesh into his mouth and teething ever so lightly.

Fire sparked in Shikamaru's stomach as his teeth sunk into the crevice of Neji's neck; he sucked and bit and kissed possessively. Neji's low, sexy laugh buzzed in Shikamaru's ears and all Nara could think about was pleasing the pale-eyed beauty. Neji slipped a hand between them, he cupped and massaged Shikamaru through his pants encouraging the younger shinobi further into mental instability. Shikamaru knew he needed to regroup and reign them both in— he had a meeting in a matter of minutes after all. He never got the opportunity to warn Neji they ought to stop, Hyūga was already dropping to his knees. Neji lifted Shikamaru's shirt enough to ghost soft, warm lips down his stomach. Shikamaru hissed, fingers diving into Neji's tresses while the Byakugan user began licking around his belly button. Strong, forceful hands gripped Shikamaru's hips to hold him in place. His head lulled back, and he hissed then moaned as a talented tongue swiped along the space just above the hem of his pants.

"Neji," Shikamaru whispered hoarsely. "What are you doing?"

"Following orders," Neji mumbled, he dipped his tongue below the fabric.

Shikamaru shivered and shook his head. "Neji you don't have to—"

Neji tore Shikamaru's pants open and yanked them down in one fell swoop along with his boxers. Lilac eyes met brown, and Neji leaned forward to lick straight up Shikamaru's thick erection.

"We… we can't, Neji." Shikamaru chewed his bottom lip still fisting Neji's hair. "Sai will be here soon."

"Then I suggest you get in your chair and let me enjoy myself while you have your little meeting." Neji kissed the crown of Shikamaru's cock. "Unless you don't want me to."

Like hell. They scrambled into place; Shikamaru sat as close to the desk as humanly possible, his legs and the lower half of his body covered by the massive structure which Neji sat under secretly providing his husband a blowjob. Not a moment too soon either. Shikamaru swallowed the moans threatening to tumble from his lips when Sai entered the office. If the ninja suspected anything, he didn't let it show, they had business to attend to. Business Shikamaru could not focus on. Neji's sinful mouth worked up and down Shikamaru's cock like he'd been born to do it. His soft, subtle vibrations sent chills down the engorged member and up Shikamaru's back. Shikamaru bit his tongue until it bled so his voice wouldn't betray him when Neji took him deeper, tongue gliding against a sensitive vein. Shikamaru casually dropped a hand under the desk to comb back Neji's bangs which were tickling his thighs. He massaged his husband's ear and tugged whenever Neji got a little too bold or teased too much.

Neji slid back silently, he tightened his mouth around Shikamaru and sucked the tip of the shadow ninja's head. His tongue dove within the slit slowly, dragging across the tiny hole at a tantalizing pace. Gods what Shikamaru wouldn't give to buck his hips and show Neji exactly what he thought about those sexy lips. He settled for twisting Neji's hair harder. He felt Neji smirking; the man was clearly pleased with Shikamaru's reactions even if silent. Neji's teeth grazed the underside of Shikamaru's member.

"—ther more, I think it would be best for Sakura and Ino to trade roles temporarily."

"Hn," Shikamaru grunted.

He reluctantly released Neji's strands and laced his hands atop the desk to avoid suspicion. Times like this Shikamaru made great use of his perpetual lazy and bored expressions. Shikamaru winced but managed to stop his eyes from fluttering shut, Neji had started to bob up and down with great speed, his scandalous tongue caressing hungrily against the flesh it touched. The heat of Neji's mouth made Shikamaru absolutely insane; further heightened when Neji did the unthinkable and plunged the tactician's cock into the depths of his throat. Shikamaru slammed his palms on the desk, startling Sai.

"Damn it, Sai. Enough about the medical unit. I need to know how the taijutsu dependents are holding up." Shikamaru pulled the guise right out of thin air.

"Of course, sir." Sai nodded. "As we discussed earlier in the week, Gai and Lee are—"

Shikamaru didn't give a fuck what anyone was doing or who they were doing it with. The only person who mattered to him was the devious bastard sucking him dry. Damn it to hell, Shikamaru wanted nothing more than to take a peek under the desk. He suspected Neji probably had enough space to train his gaze on Shikamaru the entire time. Hyūga favored eye contact when doing something so erotic; he liked watching Shikamaru come undone. Shikamaru hoped Neji was jerking off as he nearly choked on Nara's well-endowed manhood. There was something all too alluring about the image of Neji touching himself. It left a familiar strain pooling into the pit of his stomach.

Shikamaru nudged Neji with his leg gently to warn Hyūga what was about to happen. Neji didn't yield to the caution; he dipped his head low and engulfed Shikamaru's already oozing member in the back of his throat. Thank Gods Shikamaru was already sitting down, or he may have collapsed while his seed spilled into Neji's mouth. He felt weak as if he'd done something worth exerting a considerable amount of effort or chakra. The older shinobi continued to suck Shikamaru's length, forcing every bit of fluid out. Shikamaru dropped a hand under the desk then sifted it through Neji's silky locks; he tugged hard enough to sting Hyūga's scalp and steer the man away from his softening manhood.

The last thing he needed was another erection; Shikamaru had impressive self-control, but he wouldn't be able to resist a second time. Neji, as bold as ever, resisted the strain of Shikamaru's tight grip meant to keep him in place and leaned forward to slip his tongue through the slit once more. Thankfully, Sai chose that moment to look down at his notes, so he hadn't noticed the flutter of desire across Shikamaru's face. The shadow wielder exhaled shakily through his nose, released Neji's tresses and slid his fingers into his husband's mouth instead— obviously, the only way to keep that sinful tongue away was occupying it.

"Don't be cute," Shikamaru warned quietly.

Not quiet enough. Sai snapped from his notepad to Shikamaru; his posture suggested shock, though his impassive expression never changed. Shikamaru waited for Sai's justified allegations about whatever might be going on under the desk. Except it never happened.

"Cute?" Sai echoed still straight-faced. "You are a married man, Shikamaru. Shame on you."

Shikamaru's jaw just about hit the desk— how could Sai believe for even a second that Shikamaru was hitting on him? Neji roared with laughter once the door shut even after Shikamaru snatched him up from under the desk by his forearms.

"Look what you did!" Shikamaru accused.

"Are you complaining about what I did?" Neji taunted with a slow lick of his lips.

"Stop that," Shikamaru ordered his face bright red. "Stop being sexy."

"Are you sure I'm sexy? Maybe you're just a very horny man." Neji posed as he adjusted Shikamaru's pants, tucking him away neatly.

"Can you believe Sai thinks I made a pass at him? I'd rather date Sasuke's smug ass!" Shikamaru continued to rant.

"Hey," Neji narrowed his eyes. He used Shikamaru's knees as leverage to stand up but stayed bowed forward in Nara's face. "You could do a lot worse than Sasuke Uchiha you know."

Shikamaru raised from the seat, wrapped his arms around Neji's waist with a grin and stole a kiss before he said, "Mn, but evidently I can do so much better."

"When are you coming home?" Neji asked.

"I'll be here at least until seven." Shikamaru guessed. "And since you went and retired today there's no telling whether or not Tsunade will force me to reevaluate the ANBU ranks again."

"Hn." Neji hummed and frowned.

"I'll be back with plenty of time to spare before we go to Sas," Shikamaru assured.

"That's at the back of my mind." Neji dismissed with a wave. "I'll keep something warm for you on the stove."

"Or maybe just keep yourself warm for me until I'm home," Shikamaru suggested as he wiggled his brows.

Neji snorted. "I'll see you tonight, Shikamaru."

Not only had Tsunade forced Shikamaru to complete all his reports from the previous day she did indeed require him to change team formations for the remaining members of ANBU. Easier said than done. Shikamaru was not exaggerating when he called Neji his best soldier; the brunette possessed a variety of skills and an unsurpassed level of expertise in each category. Where Shikamaru had previously relied on one man for multiple tasks, he'd need to split the responsibilities among several shinobi. It only proved the point that he'd been making since first moving in with Neji, Hyūga worked entirely too hard. He'd heard an adage once about putting all your eggs in one basket. Konoha had a habit of doing precisely that. Perhaps now he'd be able to convince Tsunade to allow cross training more ninjas.

Arriving at a dark home didn't surprise Shikamaru, it was damn near two in the morning and Neji probably disappeared to convene with Sasuke at the agreed location. Shikamaru wouldn't be too far behind after he changed clothes and maybe grabbed a bite to eat. What he did not expect upon entering his living room was Uchiha himself. Now a man living as a refugee and presumed dead by most of the world, Sasuke spent a significant amount of time perfecting techniques which allowed him to practically deplete his chakra reserves instantaneously or at the very least mask them to become undetectable to even the most skilled ninjas. Shikamaru flicked on the light and met the raven-haired ninja's stare.

"Welcome home, honey." Sasuke taunted.

"Where is Neji?" Shikamaru asked.

"He's asleep," Sasuke revealed. "This may or may not shock you, but he didn't sleep the past four days because he wanted to get back faster."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and began removing his unnecessary layers before he joined Sasuke on the couch.

"You came here? Or you two met as planned?" Shikamaru inquired.

"We ran into one another about halfway to the rendezvous point. Neji looked like he would pass out at any minute, so I suggested we wait here for you." Sasuke stretched into a more comfortable position and eyed Shikamaru considerately. "Long day?"

"I'd rather talk about you." Shikamaru wrinkled his nose. "Are you sure it's safe for you to be here?"

"Does anyone else know I'm alive?" Sasuke asked then added, "Besides, Naruto."

"No," Shikamaru said firmly.

Sasuke shrugged. "Then what's the problem? It's alright to say you're worried about me, you know."

"Tch, still a presumptive bastard," Shikamaru grumbled.

"How's Council treating you?" Sasuke questioned.

"Things will go a lot smoother once Naruto is in office. Neji left ANBU today as well. It sounds like Tsunade is on board with moving him into an Ambassador position." Shikamaru revealed.

"Wow, the whole gang running Konoha. That's a sight for sore eyes." Sasuke beamed.

"Everyone except you." Shikamaru pointed out giving Sasuke a stern stare.

"You know why I did what I did, Shikamaru." Sasuke reminded him. "I couldn't stay here."

"You could've given us a chance to clean things up, so you could come back." Shikamaru rebutted.

"We've talked about this a dozen times. Konoha would've been wiped off the map just to get to me. I couldn't let that happen. Faking my own death was the only answer, everyone is safer now." Sasuke said.

"He prays at your grave every day." Shikamaru leaned back on the sofa staring at the ceiling. "Every day he's here anyway."

"Neji knows better than most that I don't believe in trivial tasks like praying; it won't do any good." Sasuke sighed.

"What's going to happen when we set up a meeting with you, and you don't show? Naruto will lose his mind." Shikamaru grumbled.

"I see Naruto more than either of you. He's the only one I keep in touch with frequently." Sasuke voiced.

"That's because you have to." Shikamaru insisted. "If you don't he will come hunt your ass down like always."

"I'm not going anywhere, Shikamaru," Sasuke promised.

"Don't you miss us?" Shikamaru posed.

Sasuke smiled at Shikamaru's subtle way of including himself as someone who cared about Uchiha even if he was still too stubborn to say it out loud. Sasuke lived a lonely life, saying he missed his friends and the people he considered family would be a gross understatement.

"You know I do," Sasuke said quietly.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed.

"I'll tell you what's troublesome." Sasuke began as he leaned closer and gripped the front of Shikamaru's shirt then tugged the collar down enough to reveal to poorly hidden jewelry. "You're wearing my necklace."

"You sent it to us, that makes it our necklace now." Shikamaru scoffed after swatting Sasuke's hand.

"I sent it to Neji." Sasuke corrected.

"Well, it looks better on me, and Neji doesn't wear jewelry." Shikamaru's eyes narrowed and settled on Sasuke. "Besides, I'm not fond of the idea that you sent my boyfriend at the time a piece of jewelry."

"And I don't love the fact that you two got married on my birthday." Sasuke clicked his tongue mildly annoyed. "You did it on purpose, so you can romp around to spite me."

"The date was my idea." Shikamaru conveyed.

"Naturally." Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Believe it or not I hadn't thought of anything perverse when Neji and I talked about it. We have a reason to celebrate every year, and no one will question us since it's our anniversary." Shikamaru explained.

Sasuke's elegant brows furrowed hearing the shockingly thoughtful sentiment.

"You would all do well to forget about me, Shikamaru," Sasuke advised.

"That's never going to happen." Shikamaru yawned lazily.

"It was worth a shot." Sasuke chuckled as he got to his feet. "I ought to be leaving."

"Already?" Shikamaru hoped he didn't sound as panicked as he felt. "Neji's going to be pissed if you aren't here when he gets up."

"We saw one another for a little while; he'll be alright," Sasuke responded.

Shikamaru stood. "I can wake him."

"Please don't. Let him rest. We'll be in touch again soon." Uchiha spoke coolly. "It's best if I move well before daybreak just in case."

"I've barely had a chance to talk to you, Sasuke. Why not just stay?" Shikamaru tried again.

Sasuke offered a lopsided smile. "You know, I expected Neji would be the one begging me to hang around. Not you."

"Don't go." Shikamaru shut his eyes because he couldn't look at the bastard's smug face. "It'll be another what, six or seven months again before you visit?"

"When you walked in the first thing you asked me was whether or not it was a good idea to be in the village. Now you think it's safe enough to stick around?" Sasuke chuckled.

He was bemused by Shikamaru's peculiar methods of showing affection or concern. Sasuke closed the distance between them to tap two fingers on Shikamaru's forehead, expectantly waiting for dark brown eyes to acknowledge him. It took longer than usual, but eventually, Shikamaru peered at Sasuke looking even more worn down than moments earlier.

"I hated you. I positively loathed you the first time I noticed the way you looked at Neji. The only reason I disguised it by giving you a hard time or teasing you was that I knew you were important to him." Sasuke paused then went on, "But I didn't understand just how close you two were, what good friends you'd become. I should have known."

"Known what?" Shikamaru asked.

"From the moment your unconscious ass ended up in Neji's tent you'd already made an enormous influence." Sasuke smiled kindly. "It's always been high voltage with you two from the very beginning."

Shikamaru wasn't ready for the burst of silent crows nor the black smog that followed. Sasuke didn't enjoy giving goodbyes any more than Shikamaru liked to receive them, so it became customary for him to disappear before things became complicated. But damn him to hell and back again for opening up to Shikamaru then denying the shadow manipulator an opportunity to do the same or at the very least crack a sarcastic joke. No point in dwelling on that which he couldn't change. Shikamaru heaved a deep, labored sigh and made his way to the bedroom. Neji stirred when the door opened and again as the futon dipped under Shikamaru's weight. He rolled around, so they were face to face, but those moonstone orbs never so much as cracked.

"Sasuke left?" Neji assumed.

"Yeah," Shikamaru confirmed, he combed through Neji's tresses. "I'm sorry."

"Bastard always leaves when I'm asleep." Neji slurred.

Shikamaru hummed agreement and silently continued to weave in and out of Neji's long hair. Sasuke's words came back to him. Had things began tempestuous with Neji? No, Shikamaru decided, Sasuke was mistaken. Though they'd gone through a lot together both as a couple and just friends, Shikamaru felt hard-pressed to locate the single defining moment in their relationship which changed them forever. Certainly, it didn't happen when they were cooped up in Neji's tent; hell Shikamaru couldn't even play a decent game of shōgi.

There were no seismic instances to get emotions growing between them, no regularly occurring frequencies to disturb the balance each ninja crafted to perfection. They came from different worlds, different walks of life, though ultimately were still Konoha shinobi— that was all the common ground existing between them as far as Shikamaru knew when they began interacting.

They never experienced any overwhelming feelings for each other one way or the other, not for quite some time. Comfortable, Shikamaru often associated the word with Neji. He remembered the initial ease of communication or lack thereof. Still, that did not amount to raging waves nor torrential emotional storms.

Shikamaru smoothed a hand across Neji's cheek, careful not to disturb the light sleeper. Their growth individually, professionally and romantically was a force to be reckoned with undoubtedly, but those things took time to develop. It hadn't been overnight.

No fireworks, no big bang, no explosions or eruptions. Everything originated from a tiny, insignificant wrinkle in the surface and nothing more.

Subdued enough to go unnoticed yet triggered a series of events all stemming from the same source.

He bowed forward as Neji slanted. Their foreheads skimmed.

Shikamaru shut his eyes and smiled.

It started with a ripple.

"There's an ocean inside of me.
Put your ear against my chest and listen,
it rages for you."
- Johnny Nguyen

A/N:

I want to thank everyone who has read the story for taking the time to give this RarePair a shot. They are very near and dear to my heart. Although I have a lot more to expand on in the future, I am so proud of this series as a whole.

I hope this ending satisfied everyone. I feel as though I tied up enough loose ends not to leaving you scratching your head, but also plenty to be explored later if I choose to write any follow up material.

Thank you again to everyone, it's been such a treat!